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Open software developers meet at FOSDEM 2008

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Hundreds of developers of freely licensed and open source software from all over Europe met in Brussels, Belgium this weekend for FOSDEM 2008. The 8th edition attracted considerably more visitors than previous editions, mainly from Belgium and its neighbouring countries the Netherlands, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, but also from other European countries and even from the United States.

During the conference weekend, presentations touched on programming languages, build systems, gaming (such as Battle for Wesnoth, Crystal Space, Globulation 2), packaging, virtualisation and web applications. The conference also has rooms (called DevRooms) were developers who usually work together via the internet can meet in real life and share thoughts on their projects; CentOS, Fedora, CrossDesktop, Drupal, GNOME, KDE, Mozilla, OpenSUSE and X.org had the biggest rooms this year. The corridors were filled with stands from organisations such as the Free Software Foundation Europe and the Free Knowledge Foundation, Debian, Ubuntu, OpenOffice.org, etc.

Since FOSDEM brings many European open software developers to Brussels, it also provides an important networking opportunity. FOSDEM traditionally kicks off Belgium-style on Friday with a beer event, but during the entire weekend several groups hold parties all over town. Wikinews reporters attended a barbecue hosted by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) on Friday for an interview with EFF and Open Rights Group representatives about the upcoming E.U. proposal to extend copyright for performers to 95 years. Wikinews also interviewed Drupal founder and Acquia CTO Dries Buytaert about Drupal and how Acquia will relate to the Drupal developer community.

  • Main lecture theatre on Sunday.

  • Lecture on Conary.

  • Young hackers

  • Hackers room

  • Free Knowledge Foundation stand.

  • DevRoom (Drupal)

  • One of the talks in the Drupal DevRoom ?was about the Dutch municipality Vught and its journey towards a home page with Drupal.?

  • DevRoom

  • DevRoom (Drupal)

  • DevRoom

  • DevRoom (Mozilla)

  • Key signing party.?

?

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Teaching English In France A Novel Way To Truly Experience The Culture

By Michelle Simmons

Are you interested in a job teaching English in France? You might be surprised to learn that it’s surprisingly easy to find a position.

Unlike other countries where advanced qualifications are required, the French are more likely to hire native English-speaking teachers based on other credentials. While it’s wise to approach the job with a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate in hand, advanced degrees and credentials are not necessary. If you have a Bachelor’s Degree in almost any subject and a working knowledge of French, you’re already well on your way to a job.

You will be required to have a work visa for teaching English in France. It is possible to work part-time hours in France while traveling on a student visa, but this should not be considered as a main way of supporting yourself. If you’re serious about the career and plan to do it for any extended amount of time, it’s best to get a work visa.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6tHPtzhC0c[/youtube]

Getting your visa will require finding a company that is willing to hire you and sponsor you throughout the process. While it’s possible to make a connection with a specific employer and find a position directly, you’re much better off locating an agency that can help place you. France has many resources for would-be English teachers looking for available positions.

The Cultural Service of the French Embassy provides placement for English teachers and teaching assistants. Most positions are in lower-level educational facilities or in teacher’s training colleges. You may also find a job through the French Council Exchanges. Do some online research and put the names of these organizations into search engines to learn more.

Teaching English in France is also possible at a more casual level. If you’re not interested in getting involved with a school, college, or corporation, consider teaching private lessons. Private teachers who travel to people’s homes to teach English can expect to earn about 15-20 Euros per session. You most likely won’t make a living doing this, but it can be a great way to supplement your income if you’re planning on staying in France.

A unique development in the field of teaching English in France involves teaching over the telephone. Although this method is catching on in many countries, it is particularly popular in France, and it offers teachers the opportunity to do their jobs without having to leave their home countries. Some might argue that living in France is the best part of becoming an English teacher. However, if your life doesn’t permit travel but you’re still interested in a TEFL career, telephone teaching is another option to explore.

If you’re interested in the French culture and have a working knowledge of the language, teaching English in France can be a great way to support yourself while experiencing a different culture. If you’ve chosen this field, be prepared to do your research before embarking on your adventure. It’ll take some work, but it’s very possible to make this your lifelong career.

About the Author: Michelle Simmons is a contributing editor for ESLemployment, the leading job and resource site for the English Teaching Industry. Interested in receiving hundreds of English Teaching jobs listings weekly for free? To learn more visit English Teaching Jobs.

Source: isnare.com

Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=81151&ca=Career

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Former professional wrestler Giant González dies aged 44

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Former Argentine professional wrestler and basketball player Jorge ‘Giant’ González has died at the age of 44. González died in his hometown of San Martin, Argentina. The cause of death was established to be complications of diabetes. González had suffered with the illness for several years and was wheelchair bound.

Standing over 7.5 feet (2.3 metres) tall, González was originally a basketball player before becoming a wrestler. Upon moving to the United States, he was drafted in the third round of the 1988 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. After his basketball career ended, he joined World Championship Wrestling (WCW). During his time there, he wrestled as El Gigante for two years, then joining the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE).

During his time with the WWF, González feuded with The Undertaker. He debuted at the 1993 Royal Rumble where he eliminated Undertaker from the Royal Rumble match. He spent the entire of his time at with the WWF feuding with Undertaker and left the company in July 1993 after losing a Rest in Peace match to him. After leaving the company, he wrestled in Japan before retiring in 1995 after suffering from sciatic nerve pain.

González is the latest in a line of former WWE wrestlers to die in the last two months. In August, both Lance Cade and Luna Vachon passed away, while Mike ‘Bastion Booger’ Shaw died at the age of 53 earlier this month.

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Interview with Liz Mumby, independent candidate in Australian by-election for the Victorian state electorate of Altona

Thursday, February 4, 2010

With a state by-election coming up in Victoria, Australia, many minor parties and independent candidates will be looking to gain a seat in the Legislative Assembly. Liz Mumby is one of the independents.

“I am a medical sales professional, a wife and mother and a small business owner,” says Mumby, the Division of Altona. “I don’t come from a political background, I live in the real world.” She argues that “we should not limit the debate to public transport issues just because the retiring member was the Minister for Public Transport.”

Wikinews reporter Patrick Gillett held an exclusive email interview with Mrs. Mumby.

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Construction accident in New York City, one reported dead

Monday, January 14, 2008

A construction worker died after falling thirty feet from a New York hotel yesterday, police say.

The accident occurred at the Trump SoHo construction site in SoHo, New York. Witnesses at the scene reported that a load being lifted by a crane collided with the building, possibly causing scaffolding to collapse.

Police indicated that the dead worker had fallen at least 30 feet. A second worker sustained injuries after falling several storeys into some netting. The injured worker was lowered to street level by crane and transported to hospital as a large number of ambulances and fire engines gathered on the scene.

The Trump SoHo building is a 46 storey, 400 unit hotel condominium. According to its website, the building is a joint venture between the Trump Organization, the Sapir Organization, and the Bayrock Group LLC. The site is scheduled to open in Spring 2009.

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Medical Device Trays Market: Opportunity Analysis And Future Assessment 2020 2028

The report is titled ‘Medical Device Trays Market: Opportunity Analysis and Future Assessment 2020-2028’. An overview of conceptual frameworks, analytical approaches of theMedical Device Traysmarket is the main objective of the report, which further consists of the market opportunity and insights of the data involved in the making of the respective market. The Medical Device Trays market is expected to grow at a significant rate in the near future.

The global Medical Device Trays market was valued US$ 34.1 Bn at the end of 2020 and expected to reach at a value of US$ 53.1 Bn by 2028 with a significant CAGR of 5.7%.

To Identify the Key Trends in the Global Industry, Visit:

Medical Device Trays Market Dynamics

The expeditious rise in the amount of medical activities and surgeries across the world is mainly propelling the growth of the global medical device trays market. In addition to that, a huge escalation in hospital acquired infections is witnessed among masses thus, there has been a constant demand from patients as well as regulatory authorities to perfectly sterile and clean all kinds of medical devices before use to prevent hospital acquired bacteria and infections. Owing to which, the medical device trays are observing massive demand in the global market, thereby expected to boost the growth of the global medical device trays market in the forthcoming years.

By the same token, there has been a continuous focus on the healthcare industry regarding cost, time, and decrease in workload along with the current trend of outsourcing of medical devices and their sterilization, which is also acting as a positive factor for further growth of the global medical device trays market in the near future.

Medical Device Trays Market Segmentation

On the basis of product type, the global medical device trays market is segmented into

  • Electrical Medical Device Trays
  • Hydraulic Medical Device Trays
  • Manual Medical Device Trays

While on the basis of end user the market can be segmented into

  • Hospitals
  • Semiconductor manufacturers
  • Electronic manufacturers
  • Fertility centers
  • Specialty Clinics

On the basis of Region, the global medical device trays market is segmented into

  • North America (U.S., Canada)
  • Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)
  • Europe (U.K., Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Poland, BENELUX, NORDIC)
  • Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, South Korea, ASEAN, Rest of Asia)
  • Middle East (GCC Countries, Israel, Oman, Rest of Middle East)
  • Africa (South Africa, Egypt, North Africa, Rest of Africa)

Medical Device Trays Market Key Players

Some of the key participating players in the medical device trays market are DuPont, Wipak, 3M Company, Bemis Company, Inc., West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc., Placon Corporation and others

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Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO apologies for financial planning scandal

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Ian Narev, the CEO of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, this morning “unreservedly” apologised to clients who lost money in a scandal involving the bank’s financial planning services arm.

Last week, a Senate enquiry found financial advisers from the Commonwealth Bank had made high-risk investments of clients’ money without the clients’ permission, resulting in hundreds of millions of dollars lost. The Senate enquiry called for a Royal Commission into the bank, and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).

Mr Narev stated the bank’s performance in providing financial advice was “unacceptable”, and the bank was launching a scheme to compensate clients who lost money due to the planners’ actions.

In a statement Mr Narev said, “Poor advice provided by some of our advisers between 2003 and 2012 caused financial loss and distress and I am truly sorry for that. […] There have been changes in management, structure and culture. We have also invested in new systems, implemented new processes, enhanced adviser supervision and improved training.”

An investigation by Fairfax Media instigated the Senate inquiry into the Commonwealth Bank’s financial planning division and ASIC.

Whistleblower Jeff Morris, who reported the misconduct of the bank to ASIC six years ago, said in an article for The Sydney Morning Herald that neither the bank nor ASIC should be in control of the compensation program.

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BBC Resources sale could be unprofitable

Thursday, November 8, 2007

The sale of the BBC subsidiary BBC Resources Ltd., has hit a hurdle after it emerged that the BBC could be left with a loss of up to £15 million on the deal. The cost of transferring the pensions of BBC Resources staff from the BBC pension scheme to its new owners could be up to £50 million according to a Guardian Newspaper report.

Managers from the division will meet with union representatives from BECTU on Monday to discuss this and related sale issues. BECTU general secretary, Gerry Morrissey is quoted as saying: “If the BBC gets less than £50 million for BBC Resources then how can it fulfil [sic] its duty of care to licence fee payers?”

It is believed that the BBC had hoped that a surplus in its pension fund could be used to bridge the possible £50 million gap — but the trustees of the fund have said “no”. A BBC source said: “This is being discussed at the highest level”.

Since April 2004 members of the BBC pension scheme have seen their contributions into it increase regularly, the BBC — like many other employers — having reduced its contribution (to 4.5% of payroll) over a ten year period when the stock market was booming in the 1990s.

The Guardian is seen as a reliable source on BBC matters, having reported the proposed sale of BBC Television Centre back in January 2007, with the formal announcement finally being made by BBC Director General Mark Thompson on October 18, 2007.

The Resources business-to-business unit was formed in 1998 and operates television studios, post-production and outside broadcast facilities for it’s parent share-holding company, the BBC. It does not own any studios or premises, its assets being staff and equipment.

Advertised for sale on 16th August in the Financial Times, The Times and Broadcast and last year making profits of £5.2 million with a revenue of £126 million, the disposal — led by Ernst & Young — invited expressions of interest for the whole division or for each of its three operations separately. The BBC has yet to release the names of the short-listed companies.

BBC Resources was the first of the BBC’s commercial business-to-business divisions to be set up as a limited company and will be the last to be sold, the BBC having previously divested itself of BBC Technology and BBC Broadcast — BBC Worldwide, formerly BBC Enterprises, will remain in-house as it earns revenue from the archive, media and licensing of products — in the year to 31 March 2007 Worldwide had a turnover of £810.4 million, generating profits of £111 million.

The BBC wants to use any money raised to be put into international commercial expansion and content, most probably through Worldwide.

It had been intended to float Resources back in 2005, but this was postponed for two years following strike action and ACAS talks in June 2005 — the BBC giving an undertaking that there would be no preparations made to sell the company until January 2007, and no sale allowed before July of this year. The current time-scale would see its disposal by the end of the current financial year in March 2008.

 This story has updates See BBC Outside Broadcasts to be sold to Satellite Information Services? 

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Red Flags To Look For When Selecting An Adoption Agency

byalex

The decision of adopting a child into your family set up is a rigorous and important step to make and is quite emotional. Therefore, regardless of whether you have trouble conceiving or you want to give a loving home to a child, it is imperative to find an adoption agency which will take you through the process with as little, as possible tribulations.

As much as the urge of finding a child to adopt is strong, you have to be very careful. Watch out for any red flags which might be an indication that the agency you are dealing with should be avoided as a plague. Furthermore, there are some agencies that are only concerned with monetary benefit received from placing the children. In order to ease up the process of finding the right adoption agency Austin, outlined below are some of the tell tale signs you should look out for.

1. First and foremost, you should steer clear of any agency which has numerous complaints against it. This is more so if it has a history of keeping crucial information from the adopting family regarding the child being adopted. This includes information on mental, physical, or emotional condition the child has.

2. If an adoption agency Austin has no provision for educating and support for the adopting family. This clearly shows the lack of interest and concern the agency has for the adopting family and all it may care about is money.

3. The adoption process is both emotional to the mothers giving up their children and the family adopting the child. Hence, the agency will advertise about the goodness of adoption and fail to touch on the delicate issue of it being emotional. A reliable adoption agency will make it its duty to educate both parties involved and prepare them emotionally. If an agency does not take up this duty, then do not work with it.

4. It is advisable to avoid adoption agencies which have doubtful referrals or ones which no one has ever heard of. Furthermore, you should also avoid an agency which other adopting families have had poor experiences with. This is important as you will be protecting yourself from legal tussles and emotional drain.

5. Before you sign on the dotted line, it is imperative to know the rules regarding adoption in the state you are in. Do not allow to be duped into signing without being conversant with the rules. An adoption agency should take you through the rules, instead of brushing them off as being not important. If an agency seems in a rush to finalize the process, then there is something it does not want you to find out about. As much as you want to be done with the process, it is important to do your own background check.

When you are considering an adoption, it is important to get hold of an ideal and reliable adoption agency Austin which will make your adoption process enjoyable and worthwhile. For more insights visit Adopttexas.net.

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Strong earthquake near Solomon Islands, tsunami reported

Sunday, April 1, 2007

A magnitude 8.1 undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami that has killed at least fifteen people, including six children, in the Solomon Islands. Tsunami warnings have been issued for parts of Australia as well.

According to the US Geological Survey, the magnitude 8.0 quake struck Sunday, April 1, 2007 at 20:39:56 (UTC) about 45 km (25 mi) south-southeast of Gizo, New Georgia Islands, Solomon Islands, at a depth of 10 km.

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