Hey guys, welcome to freesaloneducation.com's podcast. Did you just lower that, Drea? I was like, wow, that was good. Oh No, that's okay, Drea's running music now, so Good job. All right. Welcome to our podcast on freesaloneducation.com splitting hairs We have Brian Hare with us, Drea Boland, and I'm Matt Beck and we are here to discuss the latest news and fun stuff going on in the beauty industry, so Heck yeah. Heck yeah. We're here. All right, and we're officially a Little bit earlier than last week, too. So a little bit better on timing. So let's go through a couple things. I Want to try to figure out this camera angle thing I wanted it to be a little closer to everyone so that we're not so far away so we have Drea and Brian over there and And I'm right here So let's go and my notes are on my computer because we're having printer difficulties of course lots of things so the first thing I want to talk about is I want to go over our a Few plugs just to because really that's the only reason that this can happen is that we have people like Millennium Which we have a huge giveaway Thanks to Millennium today. You can't see that Brian, but it's okay Mizutani scissors they've been hooking us up with all kinds of fun stuff So we're gonna share some new things that we got sent from them And that we're gonna now have available on the website and also color tracks Has been a big help and they've been you know providing things for for you guys So we have a giveaway that we're gonna announce the winner of today and give away the color tracks cut and fold dispenser so Let's start off with Let's see here. Also. Yeah, let me just mention that we have a free jobs listing on freeslawneducation.com So if you want to post a job, I did decide maybe we shouldn't have people post their resume looking for jobs Right because the reason for that was I didn't want People putting their own information on the website makes sense. There could be some creepy people. It's true jumping around So so let's look at This is all over the place right now So I got to use like a hundred things on my computer. Let's talk about questions from social media. Let's jump right into that We have somebody wrote so last two weeks ago actually When we were talking about the cut and fold foiled dispenser, we had just gotten in we hadn't done the review yet I had said that I don't I wouldn't let you have an assistant I guess it's another thing where I guess I opened my mouth and I wasn't realizing what I was saying So it says you don't let In quotation marks Brian have an assistant ego Paula Patton is her name She is fabulous Brian your comments are always very positive and enduring Towards people products, etc. So she loves you and And she was very upset that I said you can't have an assistant Brian can have an assistant I just don't necessarily Need one at this point in my life. Yeah, when you have a color tracks dispenser You don't need one. You don't need one. That was kind of what we were saying So it's a lot easier to purchase a color tracks dispenser than It's gonna be a lot cheaper. Yeah a lot cheaper than purchasing an assistant. Thank you. Thank you for looking out for me So that was the first one and then the next one we have can you please tell us the perfect inch do you That you need to cut on top. They're talking about the pompadour haircut To have the pompadour haircut. I'm not sure how long it has to be personally just to quickly answer this question you It's not about a perfect length.  I have a really fine texture. So You know, we're both gonna style our hair differently, right? I mean if you're going for something that's gonna be defined as the pompadour I'd say so long as it's long enough to create that look right so at least that long and as long as you want it yeah Okay, and the next one is What if you have thick wavy hair Would it factor into completing this kind of style? This was also the pompadour. So You know again if you It's it's actually that it's one of the easiest haircuts I don't know why people first off I don't understand why barbers get on there and get all crazy about it because it's one of the easiest haircuts You could possibly do and I don't understand why It's just such a it's not complicated just so when you cut the top it's just definitely disconnected from the rest of the haircut and You know pick that length based on the style that your guest is looking for so if they want a huge disconnection Then you're gonna, you know cut it longer, right if they want it not so disconnected more blended then cut it shorter Well, I think the big thing with this and the thick and wavy hair using my hair as an example is How much time are you gonna get this guy to commit to styling it exactly like it takes me Three times longer to style this than it takes you because you've already got the fine straight hair But I got to blow this one out and iron it out, right? So which and if you left yours a little bit longer, then you might it might be easier for you, right? So when it comes to the thick and wavy ask him are you even gonna bother? Picking up a blow dryer to touch this because if you're not then you might not want this hairstyle, right exactly so So I guess in the end of it all just make sure you base it on your guest and don't you know with the length pick The length based on their maintenance and what they're gonna do with it All right, we got Michael Thompson Michael Thompson actually It's really cool that he wrote us because he's one of the people we actually randomly get a really long private message from someone thanking us for everything that we're doing and Posting the videos and it's really cool to have those kind of messages because you know we put a lot of time into the last five months of working on this and providing free education for everyone and Michael went on there and he said He said hi, Matt and team. I've been doing hair for about seven years now and until recently. I was working in a very toxic environment About two months ago. I moved salons, and I don't expect my passion for my job to increase I didn't expect my passion for my job to increase like it has I've been watching YouTube videos and reading blogs almost nightly Trying to absorb as much new techniques as and ideas as possible, and I can't seem to get enough I've been watching your podcast and videos, and I love them all what what you're doing is brilliant and inspiring Obviously, this isn't a question, but what I like about this is that? for Michael it's like he He he's another he's a hairdresser that's just a typical that's what hairdressers have the issues with that's why I Want to own my own salon because I I you know It's hard it's hard in this industry to find the passion and to keep being inspired I know a lot of people we just get comfortable in what we're doing and You know finding outlets like what we've created I think is important and it keeps the inspiration coming so what do you guys think about that? I think that's perfect. I think that's exactly why we're doing this, you know for You know people like him to hopefully get a little buzz of inspiration again because you know Like you said it it can get You know you you can rest on your laurels a little too easily in a job like this So that's it's really nice to hear something positive like that that it's that it's working Took my mic off I'm trying to make microphone adjustment or camera adjustments because I can't switch back and forth a hundred times Possible look. Hey, we're all together Okay, so this will be a little easier. All right, Michael Taylor We love Michael Taylor. He says are you guys planning to be at the IBS New York show in the spring? If so, I look forward to running into you there. We are actually I just got the official email this morning that we will definitely be there cheers and Yeah, sign in the contract today. So I'm doing a business program there. It's called mind your business It's a program based on understanding your numbers tracking your business setting up systems in this lawn I believe I don't think it costs anything to take the class Don't quote me on that That could give me in trouble, but so the contract is time for we say that exactly But I think they have a full schedule list of the classes and everything up on IBS his website so Google that Yeah, and just a quick little yeah, you can bring it up shameless plug for that class I actually before I started working with Matt took it three different times in different salons that I worked and It was the first time That I started I know I feel like up until that point I was just doing hair and having fun and I wasn't really thinking about the future or my business or my income It was just kind of like well, whatever's on my check is on my check.  Thanks, Brian worked for me It's it's one of those things where stylists, you know, we whether you're a salon owner or a stylist You're either a stylist who is just you know Very artistic and doesn't think about the numbers so much or you're a salon owner They probably didn't like your salon owner previously quit opened your own But have no background in trying to what you're trying to do so I do want to start creating videos based on this as well I was thinking about that and sometimes things get away from you, but I really want to create videos somebody That's really leads us into the next question Somebody was talking about No, that's in the business I'm gonna say it is on the IBS website. What's the IBS website the IBS website is IBS New York comm Okay, and You can go on there and you can see the full class schedule for does it say a time or anything? Yes? It does actually so it's for on Sunday at Two from two to three thirty two to three thirty on Sunday, and it's in room one E 17 Oh That's fun, right that down. Yeah, right that down and then is there any other days? I? Felt like it was a couple times This is a very big website of things to sit through. Okay, will you let me know? I found this one. Okay. Good. All right. Well, at least we know it's on Sunday at two to something, right? Okay, we're good And okay, so next question real quick, then we'll get into the other thing We'd be offering any hands-on cutting classes. We will We actually have a full list of classes coming up at salon centric in union I had a lady email us the other day. She said she would fly from Texas. She just wants to know our schedule So pretty exciting, but let's let her know. It's really cold here. Yeah It's where you commit to that. Let's wait until it's not 19 degrees So so definitely we will get that schedule up. It'll be on free salon education comm so you'll be able to check it out Let's move into Business tips the one business tip I wanted to talk about today was from the question came from Kevin On think which was a pretty cool name. Thank you for sharing free salon education So cool great videos any suggestions slash videos on opening your own salon. Thank you Just helping around Yeah, yeah, I'm her assistant see there you go. That's how it works. Okay, so Any suggestions on opening your own salon? So first off When you when you decide to open a salon, it's one of those things where Like I said, I think prior to it take as many classes as you can Learn from as many people as you can because it's not something you just jump into And and I kind of learned that the hard way I guess because I didn't plan on buying a salon It just kind of happened Actually the guy who used to own the salon Sam Burns is coming here on Friday But he moved to California. He worked in California for a year while I was running the salon and Which I was thankful for that because I got to screw up and it was still under his his thing but um then I kind of found out he wasn't coming back and you know, I wanted to make sure that the salon was still here and So, you know, we ended up buying it, but it was more I think the hardest thing about owning a salon is first off You got to get the funds for it. So you got to figure out that outlet and how you can do it and my recommendation would be to get more than you need because Because you're gonna need more than you think So and that was you know, that's one thing that if I could change that I would have because basically I took out the amount of money that I needed just to make it look cool And then prayed that people filled it with you know, the money came after that and it takes a while It takes a long time to build especially if you know, you take over son that didn't have a great reputation whatever so it just depends on You know the situation But just make sure from from a financial standpoint You're ready for it and then from that just take the classes learn from people that have already made the mistakes That's you know, the most important thing. Well, I I don't know if you remember Matt because we have a lot of conversations But I actually before I started working with you came to you about Potentially opening my own. Yeah, and I got the good advice and it was basically the same thing you just said but I think it's it's really Understanding that just because you're a hairdresser and you're maybe good at what you do that doesn't mean you're the kind of business Minded person right that can own a salon. It was really I didn't jump into it I took my time to really find out that I Don't know that owning is really something I want to do like I love coming to work and doing this job But I don't know that that's a position that I I want to fill at least not at this point in my life I think a lot of people look at being a son owner is like the glory like No, it's it's it's a crazy job. It's it's a job where You know you go from I I was I was being a hair stylist was bringing over in over a hundred thousand dollars a year And then your mind changes you can't cater to people like you used to so you lose some of your book you You know, it's just it's a it's a it's a weird role to put yourself in I love it because I do love creating an environment but You know trying to do hair trying to run the place trying to do all this and that's what I said you You're a very talented hair stylist but talented hair it's You got to want more than just being a talented hair stylist because that's where and I'm not saying I think you would be great at controlling a team and all of that So it's just one of those things where it's just the right time the right place You know and I I like that Brian is here because he is a successful stylist and and I do look at him as a leader type person But I think it's just I Don't know what I'm looking for well I think just one little side note off of that and you just said time and place Going around teaching classes in different salons in different areas I think the one of the simplest answers that we can give to him is be very very smart about your location Yeah, I've seen wonderful salons completely tank because they put them in the wrong neighborhood Yeah, and I've seen crappy little salons do really really well because they just so happen to get at the right intersection of the right streets and Right take your time and understand location is huge and hiring the right people, right? Good spot get the right team. Yeah, you're golden and the way that you do that because you could it's easy to say it But and finding the right location you just got to really study that But finding the right people is going into the schools and donating your time to the school Teaching the students and hand-picking The team that you want Everyone that works here, you know they I've seen them other places the first time I saw them was not in this building and that's you know, I think important It was you study them from afar you find the person that you're looking for and then you know You grab them up when you get the chance and then you got a great team No, thanks, man So okay, so hopefully that helps you out and if you have any questions Kevin, please, you know Make sure you can send us messages anytime. That's what we're here for I wanted to shoot out a little blast from the past because I ran across this last night So I did you guys see this movie ever? So I was thinking back and actually when Michael wrote that big long message to us about being inspired and everything I just remembered being in in beauty school and this movie. I watched it over and over It's like this kid who he's in a hair competition, but his family was all hairdressers It's a it's a pretty decent movie. Are people talking to you? I can hear them leaping through No, I missed that one. I might have to go back and see that. Yeah, you should and then there was another one Oh, the big T's. I don't know if you ever saw that. I have that movie. You have that, right? Okay, I think I still have a copy of that one, but The big T's it was funny. So I just think for students watching this, you know It's it's one of those things where you know, definitely check out those movies because they're hilarious and You know, it's all about hairdressing. So pretty cool.  No, I haven't either yet. I just saw it last night, which was another thing that reminded me of this But but yeah, so there's a lot of movies about hairdressers out there. So Check them out Okay Another thing industry news. I just saw the B magazine if you guys heard of this magazine, it's it's a beauty industry Like basically us weekly in a way Yeah, yeah, so they came out with the the hot 100 platform artists So I wanted to just kind of give a shout out to the top three Philip Wilson Obviously, you know Seen him everywhere Then Nicholas French, of course and then Robert Cromines, of course and then I okay. Look at that Angus Mitchell and Martino, so nice. Yeah, Martino Cartier Angus Mitchell Robert Cromines. Good list of guys. Yeah. Yeah, so You know, I think they got that right and then the other thing was Indie salon brands. I thought this was kind of cool the top 100 of those Orbe Which yeah, and then a crew. Yeah, which is from deep as well I've been using them in my shower. I don't know if they're number two in my mind, but Fair enough, I didn't write the magazine. So Moroccan oil cool company Carrots and complex is on 6th The rest of them, I'm not really sure. Yeah, see that's what I'm saying like Carrots and complex I would think would be a little bit higher So and then top 100 salons in America I just want to give a shout out to my friend Tom Harris because his salon that he manages Panico Salon in Ridgewood, New Jersey Got number four. So I sent him a text and congratulations on that. That's pretty cool. Yeah, that is awesome and that was like Hundreds of great salons. I think a rojo was like 20th or something, you know, so Panico It's cool to see them there Robert Cromines, I think was 11th or something. Oh wow Don't quote me on those numbers. I only wrote down Panico. So I love Tom. Okay, um Let's see. Let's get into our trending dresses for the week. Awesome. Let's talk about that first off we have I did just blank totally and completely so Katie Holmes is following suit and chopping off Three to four inches off of her hair and going into that shoulder length haircut She also richened up her color and made it a little bit deeper and darker, which I think Just looks awesome. Like her hair looks shiny and healthy and Whereas like the before picture.  All right. So this was fun. So I saw this Dakota Fanning was seen at a Chanel show with this hair and To me it just reminds me of a beer-garden girl a beer-garden girl. Okay. Yes. Nice. I Don't know. I just I don't like it But what made me pick this picture was I wanted to talk about the holiday hair trends and the braids and you know What's going on for? Do you want me to pull up a couple other ones? Yeah, we can't so this is big for this was on Harper's Bazaar Top trends for this holiday season for hair.  Yeah, I really like this I like this style a lot because it brings the hair off the face. It gives a little height. Yeah But you know, it's it's still clean looking. It's very it's clean lines that we're seeing. Yeah, I like it Is that looking too over sculpted? Yeah, this doesn't look like junior prom 1998. It looks pretty right And then we have now this gets a little bit more intricate, but braids they're not going anywhere right now like thank you hunger games Thank you hunger games. Yeah, they are They're just being seen everywhere. Yeah, a lot of people are doing the braid thing wrapping it around the head Is that what happened in hunger games? I haven't seen it. Yeah, it's just lots and lots of braiding and hair Okay, it's very cool. Yeah, and I've also seen the headband braid that we thought was going away is still here It's just sitting further back now. Yeah, I forgot to email that picture too. So I'll pop that up on the website Yeah, I think I think and it's simple. Yeah, that's what's cool. We gotta do a video on this. Yeah, Tonya I gotta get I was talking about that yesterday Yeah, we got a bust on those out because I think it's it's so simple and I'm not even an up-to-you guy But I know that It's simple and and I think it would be a cool video. So hopefully it's cool I mean, it's one of those things as long as you get just a couple of different braids under your belt you can Work your way through any of this Yeah, someone sits down and you can do just a regular three-strand braid You could kind of figure out how to throw something like that together to make someone happy, right? And I know 2 a.m.  Hey, so anybody learned it. I learned it and forgot it by the next day It was awful, but I did learn the fishtail braid and I know it's in there somewhere So we got to pull that out again. See if I can get it. There you go. What else we got here. Is there another? Yeah, one softer waves still big right now But it's just very clean low volume just very polished look I'm cool with it. I you know what actually now that I see this it reminds me That's what I've been seeing a lot of is the hair kind of slipped with no volume at the top And then that wave down at the bottom like seeing it on red carpets Yeah, and it's kind of cool. It's different. It should be an interesting problem season this year. Yeah Well, I think it'll be great for our finer textured Oh, yeah, who can't get the volume. This is a great style for them. Yeah, exactly and then What's this? This is really cool. So this I found I've been seen a lot of it Barrett's been talking about it. Brian's been talking about it. I Think this is what they were trying to do something like this with Rihanna's hair at the Last award show that we were talking about pretty sure I tried this in beauty school. I got yelled at Well, you're ahead of your time. Yeah So instead of hiding bobby pins We're now creating designs and geometric shapes with the bobby pins in the hair and I got because I'm so bad at hiding Bobby Then I can just be like, alright, I'll just make a triangle. Yeah So I think this is really cool Like I think we're gonna like silver bobby pins are gonna be really big right now Can I just tell you how funny it was all week last week Barrett trying to make a triangle with Bobby pins and anything that would sit Still long enough in my hair at one point.  She's got it now. Yeah, all right She said it's the third one. That's always a little tricky, but she's got it. Okay. It's down. All right, and this Is hilarious and I don't know why you picked this picture, but Barrett picks this picture. Does she like it? Yeah, she messaged me last night about it. I love it. I really do like it I think it's cool. Like for people listening on the podcast It's I guess I'm guessing this is one of the newer Gucci ads. Yeah, and it's an updo that is shaped like I don't know how to do this PG looks like a lollipop You can say a Brian it's it's ridiculous. It's very phallic I have to have a I have to figure out what Barrett likes about this. I want to talk to her about it Well, it's very like it's very clean. It's very From the side so clean from the back it looks dirty. Yeah, not clean at all. It looks dirty dirty It is it is clean sectioning. Yes, and then there's this mound of but it's going off of the whole slicked back Yeah, and bun. I think this girl just had too much hair and I don't know what that the hell do with it I did that. I don't know Yeah, go on the website and look at this picture and tell us what you think. Yeah. Yeah, we'll post it up Okay So let's talk about wow we got through that fast. Yeah killed it. It's pretty cool So what we're gonna do now is we're gonna post on to Facebook because we're gonna run our contest from last week our color Track giveaway to see who's gonna get this awesome cut and fold foil dispenser People have been going nuts over we had over a hundred people. So what we're gonna do is post on Facebook right now I already did you already did. What's the number? Hold on That's so what we did. Okay. So what we did was put up Pick a number between one and 105. So we have everybody that liked the photo. We have them numbered Down a list. So whoever was the first person to pick a number. That's the person that's gonna win. So And we're praying that it's under 50 because we it's not it's not awesome Then you'll find out later. So we're going to don't forget We have that one more question to go over to Which question? About the the decolorizer. Oh, yeah. Yeah, did I not post that on here? Oh, he did that last night, right? Yeah That's okay a fresh one. We have a question from William. What's the number the number is 77 77 That's not too bad. Then we will get back to you later with what it is Brian Can you tell me who it was number 45 on there? Oh, yes, I can hold on 45 you can answer your question. I'll figure out the winner Donna Bruno sica Sorry Donnie you did not win but we are We're gonna count from you because 45 is where our printer quit work So, all right. So the question you have that there Brian? Yeah from William He was asking me. All right. It's got a little length. Hold on Says hey everyone. I have a question about Balayage How do you get your decolorizer to continue processing when it dries out after about 20 minutes? I've been using a lot of techniques, but because of the salon I work at I can't use any other decolorizers I have at my disposal are both and both are powder-based and tend to dry out and stop processing I love using it on the mid to darker ranges for hair of hair But for hair that is above a level 7 it does lighten it but not to the desired level I do use 30 and 40 volume, but I only get one to two levels of lift from it any suggestions There's a couple of ways to tackle it. I don't know exactly There's so I just figured I would sort of create this answer from as many direct One if you are only allowed to have that decolorizer because of some kind of agreement with And I have been in that position before and if that company does not make You know another type of lightener for you like a paste Then generally contractually you can bring on someone else's Thing like so long as the company you're working with does not make an Equivalent of what you would like to use from someone else then you can usually get away with that If it is just not possible for you to get any other kind of lightener besides the powder you're working with I Do when I mine and it works well for the balayage That I Sort of have shied away from using Anymore because while it does give you a really great pow out of the gates I feel like it tends to kind of peter off a little bit quicker. I Is I pretty much just use 20 volume all the time I mix it to maybe a little bit more liquid even consistency so that it doesn't dry out And then yeah the 20 just I feel like kind of keeps going like little engine that could to get you to the The lightness within reason On top of that I mean I've heard of some people using the cellophane in between sections because that Helps to keep it from drying out a little bit easier. I Still I think I just tried that for the first time last week. It was okay. I mean it worked. I don't Don't necessarily always see like the the need for it or the ease because color track hasn't come out with that one yet Shameless plug. Let's get that going I Yeah, I mean there's a lot of ways to tackle it before you try to get your hands on another product because I understand that can Be tricky in a salon Work with what you got try not going to the the 40 volume try try using a 20 But try making it a little bit. Sorry, okay a little thinner of a consistency not watery But just to get a little creamier base because a little bit more developers obviously going to keep it from drying out So I hope that answers a question to some degree if not, let me know and I'll keep coming up with more answers for you Yeah, I think that was good. Okay, so we have our winner Picked. Yay. So the winner is Joanne T. Walsh. Yay Joanne. So congratulations, Joanne on your new cut and fold Dispenser from color track. They will be sending that to you. You're gonna have fun with it. We like it So we have a big announcement right now. Yeah So and There's our male lady. Thank you. She always has a guest spot on our show. Yeah Even know it. So We're probably the weirdest looking hair salon she's ever seen for sure so Big contest big announcement millennium. I'm hoping they're still good with it They didn't call me right before we went on but we had to go on so So it's official what we're gonna do is we're gonna post up just like we always do so all you have to do is like So let me get this up here So like it to win, but what millennium is giving away is unbelievable I was not expecting this whatsoever, but a whole year free of millennium. That's pretty awesome I know so this is gonna be a two-week contest. It'll end on our Pick a winner again That will be on the third of January. So next next year, but two weeks from now That'll be a Friday. We're actually the next two Surprise Drea. She got here a little bit later. So they're gonna be on a Friday because I Because we're it's Christmas and then New York The pickup but for the most part Really cool really cool gifts. So we're gonna post that on Facebook today.  So from our gratitude salon education Facebook page to the millennium Facebook page and we'll post the link to their Facebook page on our Facebook. So We want you to like it everywhere share it with your friends the more things you do the more times your name gets put in there So if you share it you get in that So we want to build this up we want to make it a really big contest for millennium and they've been such a huge support this whole entire year For being a software company supporting free education the way they do. It's really awesome. So Be on the lookout on Facebook go like us on there and and you can play to win The other few things that we have before we close up We have some cool things on the website now This is a scissor case from Mizutani, and it's only $20. So this is pretty cool. This is a very limited time I'm really only doing this through the holidays. Hopefully they'll do it again, but it's cool because I like That I want to put this on so it unhooks just like this and you can wrap it on a belt and Snap it together, and it holds four scissors. So it's a really cool case and for $20 I mean the one I use I spent 80 bucks on it's not as small sleek or cool as this one So we have that we have a bunch of different brushes you can get online and check those out This is one of my favorites I can't wait to open up everyone We've had these for about four days and everyone wants to open them and use them But I got to get pictures so I can put them on the website because all this stuff is now for sale on freesaneducation.com so make sure we're putting out free education go on the store purchase your tools through us and We'll make sure that we're providing the coolest tools we can for you guys So we also have some board bristle round brushes coming out as well soon


Hi, everyone. My name is Miri Hiayve. I'm a third year PhD candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at McMaster University. My research focuses on creating biophysically detailed neural network models for the bush cells of the cochlear nucleus. Cochlear nucleus is important in terms of being the first stage in the central auditory system where the sound signals enters the brain. Over here, useful information such as sound identification and localization gets extracted and began to propagate to the upper levels of the central auditory system via parallel pathways. There are two main types of cells that sends this information to the upper levels, T-cell cells and bush cells. Bush cells have the ability to preserve the fine timing information in the sound signals, which allows us to identify where the sound is actually coming from. To be able to understand the behavior of these cells, computational studies are as important as the experimental ones. In our research, we use detailed hydrogen-haxi type models for the ventral cochlear nucleus cells and create micro-surface out of them. These detailed models allow us to understand how the individual components such as excitation, inhibition, or the connection patterns affect the behavior of these cells. These days, we are investigating the effects of gap junctions and inhibition on the synchrony enhancement phenomena seen in the bush cells. For global or bush cells, which receives excitation from many auditory nerve fibers, this enhancement in the synchrony can be explained by coincidence detection mechanism. But for the spherical bush cells, which receives very few auditory nerve inputs, the mechanism behind the synchrony enhancement phenomena is still not clear. We believe developing a detailed model that can mimic the behavior of these cells can help us solve the spherical cell puzzle. Thank you so much.


So for the younger group, a lot of it is mixed media, we do a little bit of play with them like in early during the week and then for the rest of the week they do mixed media projects. We are also offering a camp for children with special needs this summer which we're super excited about. This is the first time we're doing that. I at camp is this five-day opportunity to explore all of the Midlands waterways. So it's suitable for people who have never been in a boat or people who just want to get a little bit better at kayaking. We do three two different groups, one for children ages eight to eleven and the second for ages twelve to sixteen. Some of the skills that we're teaching will start off with the grip, their stance. We'll get into posture and a couple of the other different skills as the week goes on.


All right, let's talk about some of my bread and butter Bolo's if I can stop laughing Hey Bolo buddies, thanks for watching. All right, you guys. I'm sorry, but I can't take it So I'm cracking up right now So I first decided to wear my out earrings tonight and then I was like, okay I'm gonna put on this cool necklace because I sold one of these on my what not show the other night And it's one of those that you can like it's I caught my fidget necklace And I sold one and then I found another one And they're the coolest things because you can just fidget with them and move them all around I'll show you I'll try to remember to show you at the end of the video because it's just rad But you can just do whatever you want with it And my friends like you should put an out brooch on your hat And I'm like I'm already wearing out earrings and she's like you should do it.  I mean, it's just a little much, right? Okay, here we go. Let's look at these Bolo's hopefully you didn't leave are you still here if you're still here say I'm still here down in the comments Okay, you guys so I'm a full-time reseller if you're new here. I like to sell stuff Wow, this video is oh Okay, hold on I forgot to set up my thing now you have to wait even longer. Okay, here we go Let's talk about my first bread and butter Bolo And one thing you'll learn from me is that I typically pick things up pretty cheap So the first item is this fawns porter triangle trimmers red and blue. It's some sort of quilting thing I had two of these so I did a multi-quantity listing I sold one a while back and then this one just recently sold For $9 and 30 cents the buyer was all in for 14 55 And I got that at an estate sale with just a bunch crafter stuff the next item is this Mary Maxson exclusive musical Village Christmas in Needlework and This is what it looks like and it tells the kit number right there. So I put that in my title I got this at a thrift store for $3 and I sold it for $24 and 80 cents plus shipping The next item is this Disney store plush dog lady in the tramp stuffed animal And I sold this for $21 and 70 cents plus shipping and this was purchased by Pinky secondhand store She is a viewer of the channel and super super supportive always picking things up in my store Super nice of her. Thank you so much and this is her store. She has awesome stuff So you guys go and give her a follow You can follow stores by clicking on the heart if you guys aren't doing that I highly recommend it because when they send out coupons, you will get a coupon, but look at these blow molds Halloween's coming up anybody collect Blow molds because I've never seen that one All right, you guys. Let's go on to the next one. This one is a rescue bots bulldozer transformers By Hasbro Tommy or to me. Is it Tommy or to me? I think it's to me and I got this Oh the dog the dog. I got this at the bends the Goodwill bends Okay, the transformer came from a garage. So I paid 50 cents for it and I sold it for $9 and 30 cents plus shipping This is a Carter's blanket and I talked about this in one of my other videos I actually sold it twice and the second or the first time I sold it I got the return and I the thing is about returns if somebody gets something and they just don't like it and they return it They're responsible for all the shipping fees. So by the time they paid shipping both ways their refund wasn't very much But they still returned it and that's okay So I relisted it as soon as I got the notification that it had been delivered to my PO box I relisted it which was probably not the brightest idea because I could have gotten it home and it could have been damaged or Or it could have sold while it was still at the PO box, which is what happened So I had to make a trip to the post office to pick up the item so that I could reship it So I guess a fast sales a good sale, right? But I sold it again for $9 and 30 cents plus shipping and it sold in like, I don't know a day or two after listing It was crazy The next item is this vintage Eagle pencil case.  I just left in them. What was in in them? This one had vintage crayons So that's what they got with it Vintage crayons. I paid $1.50 for this and I sold it for a best offer of $20 and the buyer paid shipping the next item Fisher price dream dollhouse pink oval window replacement parts and I think There's four or six on each house So I put these in lots of two and I sold these for a best offer of $12 and the buyer paid shipping And I picked that up at a garage sale This book. I don't even remember where I got this. I Just don't know I it's been listed a while was very long tail It's the human body books and viewable fact cards readers digest discover nature So what if for $22 best offer plus shipping? I may have just had it priced too high This is a vintage 1990 dakin musical panda bear plush stuffed animal baby pull toy Got it at a garage sale for a quarter and I sold that for $26 plus shipping So you pull the string and then it shrinks up and plays music The next item is this retired boys bear and friends. This took a long long long long long time to sell I bought a out of garage sale bought a whole bunch of boys bears many of them sold very quickly But some of them have been very long tail, but they they will eventually sell I don't have many left so this for $18 plus shipping and probably had about a buck or two in it Hallmark itty bitties if you ever see these itty bitties. I'm I like to pick these up You can usually pick them up pretty cheap. I got these at the Goodwill bin so less than a dollar in these I put these two together. It's a construction man and Joseph from the Bible and I sold these for $10 plus shipping The next item is this Nickelodeon Paul Patrol robo dog rescuer Racer it's by spin master robo dog is a little bit harder to find So if you see him he has a tendency to move a little quicker than some of the other dogs Got it at the bins sold it for $12 and 40 cents plus shipping the Goodwill bins is where you go And you dig through the bins and you pay by now and I have videos of me digging through the bins if you guys want to check those out This took forever to sell can't even tell you where I got it. I'm shocked it sold I actually forgot about it and I'm like, oh wow that sold It's a gaming memory cards Pelican GameStop GameStop GameCube GameCube untested. I I Mean my titles awful. I don't even know what this stuff is. It's dirty. It's weird. I don't know where I got it Probably came with like a gaming system. I don't know but it sold it sold to somebody who sells gaming stuff So maybe it's better. I don't know what it does if anybody knows. Let me know Sold it for $9 and the buyer paid shipping. This is a jazz wares Laura Ashley room by room dollhouse This is a teenager figure and then I've got the mom figure here and the person bought both of these I Paid a dollar 50 cents each so dollar total sold them for $20 plus shipping. So 10 each Hero clicks lot of seven hush vision mall katana destroyer I the names were on them. I think because I don't know those names But anyway, I got these at a I think the goodwill for a buck and I sold these for 26 plus shipping This is a vintage Italy nativity major figurine replacement sheep. I got this at the goodwill Ben's I cannot believe it made it but it did I sold this for $12 plus shipping 1999 Barbie Golden Allure Special Edition doll with stand never removed from box in RFB That's what that means and I got this at a garage sale for $3 sold it for a best offer of 14 plus shipping These are vintage Sanford's mr. Sketch fragrance instant watercolors These are vintage so I went ahead and showed on a piece of paper How they looked when you use them that way people knew that they still worked and were not dried out Ended up selling these for a best offer of 30 plus shipping and I paid a dollar at a garage sale Blues clues and you mail time replacement mail envelopes for talking a mailbox I got these at the goodwill Ben's and I sold them for a best offer of $10 plus shipping This guy is a vintage rubber squeak toy banana with face and it works. I got it at an estate sale I don't remember what I paid for it probably not much sold it for $15 plus shipping This next item is a fluff and stuff rusty puppy dog plus yellow lab stuffed animal toy I got this free from a viewer She reached out to me said she had a whole bunch of plush that she wanted to give me if I would come And get it so I went to get it. I have a whole video series Those are kind of mixed into my vlog style videos a few months back So this was free to me and I sold it for a best offer of $8 plus shipping And I will link her eBay store down in the description. So check her out. She sells a lot of jewelry The next item is this soldier fortune black ops fire hall Y all monster jam monster truck lot It's two trucks I got these at the Goodwill Ben's and I sold them for a best offer of $10 plus shipping All right, you guys I have finally calmed down. I'm not laughing hysterically at myself anymore. Thank you so much for being here Thank you for watching. I was gonna show you this necklace. Okay, so Look how cool. This is I just call it a fidget because I feel like it's something that I Would want to like fidget with you know, I Don't know what it's really called if you guys ever seen one of these But it is just oh, it's so fun. I Was having fun with one of these on my what not show the other night And then I sold it and I found this one and I'm like, I'm gonna wear it and I'm gonna tell everybody how cool it is How cool it is so I'm probably gonna bring this to what not also I just I have no idea what it's made of I don't know see how it just like I Mean it is so fun to play with I Could entertain myself all day, but anyway, you can like twist it and I mean this one's really big look And you could make some really cool necklaces out of it I mean you could maybe make a flower. Do you think we could make a flower? That would be kind of cool if we could somehow make a flower. I'm not that crafty. There's my flower All right, you guys so if you want to come bid on this necklace I'm gonna be selling it over on what not if I decide not to keep it My what not is down below. You can get $15 to shop if you join with my referral link down there And you can come buy for me if you want or you can just come hang out and watch you never have to buy Never any pressure to buy my bundles show. I'm gonna be doing those two times a month I'm gonna try I'm gonna try to keep up with that. That's where I list bundles So of things styled by Bola buddies things that look cute together Maybe you'll get a brooch that you can wear on your hat I Kind of like it. I might do it in another video tonight. I'm gonna do a couple videos tonight So we're gonna have some fun. See I can't I can't just I just can't if it's in my hand I'm like moving it around so fun It's got to be called a fidget necklace. Does anybody know what this is seriously? I think it might be vintage Is it vintage look? Anybody seen anything like it? Anyway, I come to my what not show even if you don't want to buy just come hang out in the chat super fun I'd love to see you guys Thank you for being here. Thank you for watching be sure to like comment subscribe and share and thanks for watching


Cymdeinidogau newid o gweithio Rhyw Yn Llywydd, cyfnodau? Cymdeinidogau no 1, Ruth Davidson. Rydym ni yw wnaeth gyda i gweithio'r gweithio? Rydym ni wedi gweithio'r Gweithengifeth i fod y Gwylлиmp yn Fllwythgawdd. Rhyw Gweithengifeth? Rydym ni i gweithio'r Gweithengifeth? Yn iawn i chi gael y cyffredinid yng Nghymru oherwydd y dynod yng Nghymru o kyllidau y Llywyddyn, Wale Gawr, ac mae Gwyl Llywydd i gael Gwyl Llywydd i gael gyfprf Luckyw. ond o'r gweithio constitutionale, ond ac here's what he said about the United Kingdom aid effort. He said, He said, You are the reason that malaria deaths are down in entire villages and life-saving vaccines are now reaching kids in the most remote parts of the world. Presiding Officer, we're about to fight a general election campaign where we know what the SNP's message will be. It will be that living in the UK under a Conservative Government will be hell on earth. Given the work that this country does around the world, iawn i gweithio'r bwysig yr oedd ymwysig y taww chyfnod gan gwelliadau, o'r bynnag twfadwr? Felly, mae'n ddull hwn ddweud o'r cyflugau a'i ddim drwy gwaith yn y g�au? Rydw i ddim fod yn yn gweithio'r rhagoriaeth mommydd. Felly, mae'n ddweud o'r cyflugau a'i dweud o'r rhagoriaeth mynd i gael fawr. Mae'n ddweud o'r cyflugau i ddweud o'r rhagoriaeth mynd i gael eu llwyth y cwrdd yn ei ddesun i gael fath filon. 7% of GDP helping the world's poorest communities. That's something the SNP argued for long before it was ever a Tory commitment. I did hear Bill Gates' comment last night, I heard him in a number of interviews and I also heard him express concern, as others have expressed, that the Tory manifesto at the forthcoming election will drop the commitment to 0.7%. I welcome Ruth Davidson's commitment, but will she assure the chamber today that it will be in the Tory manifesto, the UK Tory manifesto for the next election, because no Tory UK minister has yet been willing to give that commitment? On to the wider issue of the election, I think that the key issue at this election is who is going to stand up for Scotland against an increasingly hardline Tory government. The Prime Minister herself has made it very clear that, in this election, her objective is to crush dissent so that she can do whatever she wants. People across Scotland have got to be clear that there is no safe, tactical Tory vote at this election. We have seen the damage that Tories do with a small majority. I know that they do not want to hear it, but with a small majority, the Tories have cut Scotland's budget. They have imposed the bedroom tax, the rape clause, cuts in disabled support and robbed women of their pension entitlement. Let's think about the damage that a Tory government could do with a bigger majority. Yes, if the thought of a one-party Tory stranglehold at Westminster does horrify you, if you want effective opposition in Scotland, that can only come from the SNP. Ruth Davidson gave the commitment to the aid budget when she was in East Kilbride at Difford's Headquarter, where the aid is administered all around the world. Let's get back to the SNP's contribution. Hell on Earth, eternal damnation in a bottomless pit, direct quotes from her backbencher, Joan McAlpine, writing about life in the UK in a national newspaper this week. On the one hand, we have people like Bill Gates who are talking about the brilliant work that his foundation is doing alongside British Aid workers, about the summit that his wife is hosting this summer with the UK Government in support of millions more women and girls to get them access to contraception, and on the other, we have Nicola Sturgeon's colleagues writing offensive and negative trash about our country. So who does the First Minister stand with? Is it Bill Gates or is it Joan McAlpine? First Minister, I have to say a number of things to that. First, Ruth Davidson says that Theresa May has given the commitment. Theresa May was on radio the morning after she called the general election, and she was challenged to commit to the not-point-7 per cent commitment being in the manifesto, and she wouldn't do it. She was challenged to do something else as well. She was challenged to say that the Tories would have a commitment to the triple lock on pensions in the manifesto, and she wouldn't do that either. So I think that we should look very closely at the commitments that the Tories make, and at the commitments that the Tories do not make at this election. I support the work that DFID does around the world. I am proud of the work that this Government does in Malawi and other countries around the world, as well as helping women to get contraception, as well as many other things. Do you know what I find utterly abhorrent?  I will give Ruth Davidson a chance to do today what she has shamefully so far refused today. Do not pass the buck. Stand up here today and tell this chamber, tell Scotland to stand up straight.  Answer the question. Ruth Davidson. I will answer the question the same way that I answered it in the press this morning. If the First Minister does not like the two-child tax policy, she can change it. But the truth is that this First Minister is always happier, always happier, complaining about the UK Government than she is about doing anything herself. The fact is that the way the SNP is readying itself to pour negativity on this country at this election is shameful. She might not like it, but Scotland is part of this United Kingdom. If the First Minister really wants to set out her stall at this election, it is not a practical vision of how she is governing Scotland the very least that we should all expect, or given the way that education and the economy are going, if she is just banking on the fact that Scotland just will not buy it. The First Minister. Can I say this? Shame, shame on Ruth Davidson, the true colours of Ruth Davidson and the Conservatives, given the opportunity to stand up clearly and join others in this chamber and say that the rape clause, a clause that forces a woman to prove that she has been raped before claiming benefits for her children, is morally and, in principle, wrong. Ruth Davidson refuses to do so. That is utterly shameful. I think that it brings into sharp focus the key issue at the heart of this general election. I ask people to think about this. The rape clause has been introduced by a Tory Government at Westminster with a tiny majority. If that is what a Tory Government can do with a tiny majority, let us just think of the damage a Tory Government, an unfettered out of control Tory Government can do with a bigger majority. If people in Scotland want protection against a Tory Government, if people in Scotland want an effective strong opposition to a Tory Government, they will not get it from unelectable labour, they will not get it from the Lib Dems, who still say that they would support a Tory Government, they will only get it from the SNP and Scotland needs protection from the Tories. Ruth Davidson. In the weeks ahead, those benches will set out our vision of a United Kingdom that is a force for good in the world. We will stand up for Scotland's decision to stay in the United Kingdom. We will say no to a second referendum so that Scotland can get on with building better schools and better public services. What about the SNP's plans? The First Minister's very first intervention in this election has been to say that she has put Jeremy Corbyn in number 10. Is this because uniquely the First Minister sees in Mr Corbyn the wisdom and the foresight and the leadership skills that are needed in a Prime Minister? Or could it possibly be because in his own words Jeremy Corbyn is absolutely fine with another referendum on independence? Is that the alliance that she is really seeking when she was down in London? The First Minister. This is pretty tired stuff from the Tories. You only have to take one look at the polls to know that Jeremy Corbyn is not going anywhere near number 10, down in the street, on his own or with the help of anybody else. That brings us back to the core issue because of the unelectability of Labour. Scotland faces the prospect of an unfettered out-of-control Tory Government, and we know the damage that that can do to Scotland, to our budget, to the vulnerable, to pensions to our economy. That is the choice for Scotland. Vote SNP to make sure that Scotland's voice is heard and that Scotland has protection against the Tories, because the problem for Ruth Davidson, as she has so clearly set out today, Scotland knows the Tory vision for Scotland, the rape clause, penalising the vulnerable, taking motability vehicles away from disabled people. People across Scotland know the vision and the programme of the Tories, and that is why people in Scotland know that if they want protection against that Tory vision, they must vote SNP. 2. Kezia Dugdale To ask the First Minister what engagements she has planned for the rest of the week. First Minister. Engagements to take forward the Government's programme for Scotland. Kezia Dugdale In recent weeks, the First Minister has joined me in calling out the Tories on the horrific rape clause. She is accused to Theresa May of seeking to undermine devolution, and she has said that the Tories are taking us off a cliff edge with hard Brexit. She has just told us that we have seen what the damage a Tory Government can do. Why did the SNP abstain yesterday, instead of voting with Labour to get rid of this Tory Government? First Minister. I hate to be the one that has to point it out, Kezia Dugdale. It was not the SNP that voted with the Tories yesterday in the House of Commons. It was Labour who tripped through the lobbies with the Tories yesterday. You know the lobby, I mean it's that one that had turkeys in Christmas written above it. In this election, Labour is going to replace the Tories is frankly pie in the sky. The issue and the threat at this election is that due to Labour's complete unelectability, we face an unfettered out of control Tory Government. We know that the Prime Minister wants to silence opposition, so the question for Scotland is this. If you want a strong opposition to the Tories, if you want MPs who will stand up and be a voice for Scotland, then the only party to support at this election is this one, the SNP. Kezia Dugdale. Labour MPs voted yesterday to get rid of this miserable Tory Government. Imagine my surprise that the SNP MPs didn't do the same. The First Minister has said that she wants an honest debate, so let's have it. It suits the SNP for the Tories to stay in power. That's why they refused to vote Theresa May out of office yesterday. Every day that the Tories remain in power, 430,000 Scots go without a real living wage. Waspy women go without the pension that they have worked their whole lives for, and young people have their housing benefit stripped away from them. It suits the SNP for the Tories to stay in power, because the only thing that the SNP has ever cared about is independence. So tell us, First Minister, on 8 June, what's more important, kicking the Tories out of office or having another divisive referendum? First Minister. Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable and will leave Labour carping from the sidelines. How do we know that? That's what Kezia Dugdale said about Jeremy Corbyn with Kezia Dugdale about how awful and damaging the Tory Government is. That's why I think it is so utterly shameful and disgraceful that Labour has allowed itself to get in the position that this lot of 20 points ahead of them in the opinion polls UK-wide and are even ahead of them in Scotland as well. That's Labour's failure and it is an utter disgrace, but it brings us back to the core point at stake in this election. The only thing in this election standing between an out-of-control, unfettered Tory Government and Scotland is the SNP. If people want to make sure that the Tory Government can be held to account, if they want to make sure that there is a strong voice for Scotland and if they want to make sure that Scotland is protected against exactly the kinds of policies that Kezia Dugdale talks about, they have to make sure that they send SNP MPs back to Westminster. Kezia Dugdale. It was the First Minister in 2015 who told Scotland vote SNP to keep the Tories out. How's that going? How's that going? Can I state to her in all seriousness?  Nicola Sturgeon oedd hyn. Genub oedd eu gwyro Association srif wedi ei fyw oedd nef ar gyfer y gallu gwasanaethau, os ymweld dwci o'u gwasanaethau, oedd mae ei gwasanaethau o'r rhaid o'r newid. Ffawr i'n gweithiwyr yw hwn o'r gwasanaethau the SNP, is not a vote for another referendum. Will she have the decency to tell votes before they vote that she will use the election as another excuse for a divisive referendum, or, once again, will she wait until that day after? The mandate for another referendum, which was sought and won at the Scottish Parliament elections for Scotland against the Tories, is about who will stop the Tories silencing i'r oesod. Kezia Dugdale yw ni'n brif i ddaf am bach nesaf a i organised iawn i gael s scenes o riddym peth fel torynau y trofii ar y cyflawn. Ben i ddim yn ei ddaf i ddim yn ei ddaf. Nid i fwyaf rhaid o'r oesod o'r s scenes o riddym peth fel torynau o rhaid o'i cyflawn i gael s scenes o brif.  That is the tragedy of UK politics right now. So it brings us back to the central point. The only thing in this election— and I would ask every voter out there to think about that seriously. The Tories want people to think that there is some safe, tactical Tory vote that they can cast in this election. But toras sent in this election every single Tory vote in Scotland will help Theresa May make sure that she has the ability ac eisiau lleiaethu gwybreddiadau i ddyddio'r byw ei wneud.  Rhyw gwybodur rhai, Willie Rennie. Rhaid i d сказалаw i ddim ni'n mynd i ddweud ar ddych yn gweithredu gyda'r gyffredin. Rhyw gwybodur? ond o gweston o'r Pwg. The SNP's Deputy Leader, Angus Robertson, struggled to explain his party's Europe policy on the radio yesterday. Five times he was asked what policy would be in the manifesto for the general election. Five times asked, five times he wasn't able to answer. He became so desperate he even asked all the listeners to write in with suggestions. It was answers on a postcard. ond y First Minister will have a chance to influence that. Does she want full membership of the European Union in the SNP manifesto? The First Minister has said that the policy of the SNP on Europe is absolutely clear. We want Scotland to remain members of the European Union, but I do not think that there is anybody who could have missed that for the past few months. However, it is interesting, is it not? Wille Rennie somehow tries to criticise I quando I said that yes, I want Scotland and the UK to remain in the EU. But I think, what's really important, is that we prioritize membership of the single market. It's interesting that he criticizes me. It's what Tim Farron, his own leader, says. He wants the UK to stay in the european single market. The priority is staying in the single market. There's no doubt about my policy. I want Scotland to remain in the EU. I think the doubt is what in earth the Liberal Democrat policy is on this matter ond. Willie Rennie? If the policy is that clear, why can't she just say that it is going to be in the manifesto? That would be clear. She is dodging just like Angus yesterday. The Liberal Democrats, in contrast, are crystal clear. We want Scotland in the heart of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom in the heart of Europe. The general election is a chance to change the course of the whole of the United Kingdom. The more Liberal Democrat MPs elected, the greater the chance we have of changing the direction of the country. Just like the moment she joined the SNP all these years ago, the First Minister has only ever cared about independence. We know what she and her Government are up to. She is trying to get Brexit supporters back onside so that she is going soft on Europe. It is fair to ask if EU membership will be in the manifesto. What is the First Minister's answer? Is she going to tell us? Let me try it in simpler words. I support membership of the European Union. Surely even Willie Rennie can understand that. There was another politician dodging questions yesterday, was not there? I saw Tim Farran challenged in the House of Commons by Stuart MacDonald, one of my excellent colleagues in Westminster. Tim Farran was challenged by Stuart MacDonald to rule out supporting a Tory Government. He refused to do so. Labour is unelectable. The Liberal Democrats propped the Tories up for five years and will not rule out doing it again. If you want to have Scotland's voice heard against the Tories, if you want Scotland to be protected against the Tories, if you want a party that stands up against the Tories, then there is only one party that will do that—the SNP. I have a couple of supplementaries. The first is from Gillian Martin. How is the Scottish Government standing up for human rights in the face of Tory attempts to scrap the human rights act? We will oppose vigorously any attempts to scrap the human rights act. We know that if the Tories get their way, that is exactly what they want to do, which makes it all the more ironic that Ruth Davidson is talking about work overseas—one of the worst things that the UK could do, and the worst message that it could send internationally is to be seen to roll back on human rights, and the SNP will always oppose that and always stand up for human rights. Neil Findlay. Will the First Minister confirm that airport expansion, new flight routes and the scrapping of air passenger duty are all Government policy? Does she agree with me that it is rank hypocrisy for MSPs, MPs and Government ministers to pretend to their constituents that they oppose those policies when, all the while, they compliantly voted them through in Cabinet? The First Minister. I want Scotland to have the best possible connections with the rest of the world, because that is good not just for people in Scotland. It is also good for our businesses seeking to expand and to export more overseas. I make no apology for wanting our aviation connections as well as our other transport connections to be as good as they possibly can be. I am also very clear about our responsibilities to tackle climate change, and this Government and indeed this Parliament should be proud for the world-leading action that it has taken to tackle climate change as well. Question 4, Maureed Todd. To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on her visit to the United States. First Minister. Yes. I visited the United States between 2 and 7 April, attending events and meetings in California and New York. The big visit focused on trade and investment, boosting tourism, sharing best practice across the public and private sector, and promoting Scottish innovation, entrepreneurship and culture. The relationship between Scotland and America is an important one with deep and long-standing ties, reflected by the strong economic, cultural and personal links of our citizens. This visit was an important opportunity to assure businesses and visitors from the US that Scotland is an outward-looking, welcoming country and remains very open for business. Maureed Todd. I thank the First Minister for that answer. I was particularly pleased to see climate action was on high on the agenda, with the First Minister signing a climate deal with the Governor of California. In the highlands and islands and throughout Scotland, renewables are transforming communities, creating employment and helping us to meet our climate targets. While the Tories at Westminster trash subsidies for green energy, how can we continue to meet our global obligations to tackling climate change in partnership with allies around the world? It is important to stress that Scotland is making huge progress in delivering our climate change ambitions, but we have still got much to achieve. I met the Governor of California in the US to discuss how our two Administrations can work together to achieve our shared ambition of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We have pledged to cut emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. We have also discussed the importance of offshore wind in tackling climate change and agreed to share knowledge and best practice in developing that technology. We have also offered to help the under 2 coalition, representing over 1 billion people, to prepare for a major summit in 2018 aimed at persuading national governments to increase their efforts to tackle climate change. However, there is no doubt that many of the policies of this current UK Government fly in the face of our efforts to tackle climate change. One of the other reasons why it is so important that we continue to have voices in Westminster arguing for the kind of policies that will support us, not hinder us, in meeting those ambitions. Jackson Carlaw I was amused to see the First Minister under a banner describing herself as the Queen of Scots. It is not quite how I hear her described nearer to home. The Speaker of the United States, Paul Ryan, is currently in London and has made clear that the United States Government wishes to come to an expedited trade arrangement with the United Kingdom when we leave the European Union. Can I ask the First Minister when she was in the United States what formal discussions she had with the Government of the United States about future trade relationships and what assurances she gave to them that the Scottish Government would be doing everything that they could to ensure that that early trade deal is arrived at? The First Minister I am glad that Jackson Carlaw watched the woman in the world summit that he mentions because I hope that he also heard during that summit the gasps of horror from the audience, the very large audience that was there listening when I outlined the rape clause policy that had come into effect. Jackson Carlaw says that I misrepresented it. Let me set it out very clearly for the chamber.  If Jackson Carlaw thinks that that is a misrepresentation, I invite him to come to this chamber and tell us exactly what the rape clause policy then entails. To do what Ruth Davidson failed to do and actually have the courage to say that it is morally reprehensible to have such a policy on the statute. On the issue, I met a number of businesses and other economic interests in the United States. I did not have meetings with the US Government. This was a trade and investment-focused visit. In every conversation and visit that I had, the message was clear that Scotland remains open for business. Of course, it is all the more important, given the Tory's Brexit obsession, that we get that message out not just in the United States but every country across the world. Question 5 Edward Mountain. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the reports of defects found in school buildings. The health, safety and wellbeing of pupils and staff while at schools is of paramount importance. Following the publication of the independent inquiry into Edinburgh schools construction, the Minister for Local Government wrote to all local authorities, highlighting the issues and recommendations that the report raised. The minister underlined the importance of adhering to building regulations, technical standards and the inspection processes that are in place to protect the public. The minister has also written to and met with leaders in the construction industry to ensure that they are aware of the findings and recommendations in the report and to ensure that we can rely on quality workmanship and control processes. Edward Mountain. Thank you First Minister for that answer. I accept that it is local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for school buildings. The Scottish Government surely has a duty to ensure that those responsibilities were deployed following the publication of the Edinburgh schools report. It is indeed why I raised the safety issues regarding WIC campus with the First Minister on 26 January this year, which she chose to sideline. Can the First Minister now explain why it has taken problems in 72 schools across Scotland for the Scottish Government to take this matter seriously? Will she now provide an unequivocal guarantee that all work is being done with local authorities to ensure that all buildings, school buildings, are safe across Scotland? First Minister. A number of points. First, I note later on in FMQs that Adam Tomkins is going to ask me a question challenging me to leave all responsibilities that are not those of the Scottish Government specifically to local authorities and not to interfere in local authorities' responsibilities. So there is a bit of a constituency issue. However, I accept that the Scottish Government has responsibilities. That is why I set out the action that the Scottish Government has taken. I would say to the member that we did not wait for the independent report. We wrote to local authorities in the way that I have described shortly after the Oxgang school situation arose last year, so we acted promptly as the public would have expected us to do. It is also important to note that none of the schools requiring remedial work were built under this Government's current schools programme. Those are historic school building projects. Nevertheless, A, we have to make sure that all school buildings are safe and that lessons from previous PFI programmes are properly learned and implemented in the future. The Government is absolutely determined that we will discharge our responsibility to do so. Kenneth Gibson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. Of course, the schools that are in question were built by Labour and the Liberal Democrats under PFI. The First Minister will know that, in North Ayrshire, the Labour-run council built four new schools a decade ago with construction costs of £81 million, yet between 2007 and 2037, £401 million will have to be paid in unitary charges to the companies that built them, including £12.7 million this year. That is how equivalent of buying an £81,000 flat, paying a mortgage of £1114 a month for 30 years and then not even owning it at the end of those 30 years. Does the First Minister agree that Labour's reckless handling of our public finance is whilst in office continues to rob North Ayrshire and much of Scotland of funds that could be used to put towards delivering better local services and that it is high time that Labour apologised for the legacy of incompetence that left our schools, North Ayrshire and local authorities across Scotland? The First Minister. Yes, I do, but while it is fair to point out that the inquiry said that the financing method was not in itself responsible for defective construction, it does state that the implementation of the contract by the partners involved could have been stronger. Questions must be asked and in due course answered about all PFI contracts that many at the time feared put profits before quality. The cost of Labour's disastrous PFI deals are still taking significant sums of money away from vital public services. The Government is determined to secure maximum value for money in existing PFI contracts. The Scottish Futures Trust works on behalf of ministers and has done so for some time with public bodies to identify the scope to improve the efficiency and performance of those contracts and that work will continue. However, I do think that this whole episode has raised some serious questions for previous Labour administrations and one day perhaps they will have to answer and yes, apologise. Daniel Johnson. Thank you, Presiding Officer. This is an issue that has had a distinct impact on my constituency. A year ago, the pupils at St Peter's primary school had to go elsewhere. Libertant high school had to host neighbouring gracement high school and dozens of families sent their children to Oxgangs live in my constituency. The underlying issue was the failure of contractors to install tyrods in the walls of those school buildings, a failure that was not picked up by building control. Indeed, now we learn that there are scores of school buildings across Scotland which similarly have similar structural faults again which were failed to be picked up by building control. Clearly, there are issues here about the sign-off procedure, the way building control works and fundamentally the safety checks. Can the First Minister tell Parliament what changes and reviews will be made of the building control process in regime? That is a very fair question. I want to respond to two aspects of the member's question. First, to recognise the disruption that is caused for pupils across Edinburgh last year, the independent report says that the negative educational impact on children is likely to have been relatively limited, but I do not think that that takes away from the disruption and the concern that pupils and parents had last year, particularly for older pupils that would have been needing exams. I think that everybody deeply regrets that. Secondly, the issue about scrutiny of work and building control processes is one that we have to reflect very carefully on. We have to make sure that there is an appropriate level of independent scrutiny of building work. The Government is reviewing all existing guidance on appropriate supervision and contract management so that we can be assured that best practice is available as a matter of course in all construction projects. Those are schools that were not built in the main under this Government, but that does not change the fact that, as the incumbent Government now, we have to make sure that the right lessons are learned and that those lessons are applied in future. We are absolutely determined that we will do that. To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports of sexually exploitative behaviour in the private rented housing sector. First Minister. I was extremely concerned and horrified to read the reports that the member refers to. The Minister for Housing has already written to the website that hosted those adverts asking them to take action. As a Government, we are already taking action to tackle issues like that through the implementation of Equally Safe, which is our strategy to tackle any violence against women and girls. We are also taking action, of course, to improve the availability of and access to housing for everyone in action to tackle poverty and inequality, which can so often render people vulnerable to being exploited in this kind of way.  We continue to keep all laws under review to ensure that they are fit for purpose in tackling what I think are unacceptable behaviours. Clare Baker. I thank the First Minister for her response. We know that those sex for rent adverts have been posted online for properties in Scotland, but we have no way of knowing how many tenants are currently in those arrangements. As the First Minister says, the practice does open the door to vulnerable tenants who are often facing homelessness and poverty and are finding themselves in commercially exploitative arrangements. I welcome the First Minister's reports of the action that has been taken by the housing minister, but I ask her what action the Government will take to ensure that any landlords who are found to be offering such arrangements are properly dealt with. More specifically, what action is being taken through the Equally Safe project. I also had time to have discussions with any groups who are supporting vulnerable women who are seeking accommodation to raise awareness of those exploitative practices. Let me assure the member that we will look carefully at what action we can take further to what we are already doing across all of those areas. The minister will be very happy to meet the member to discuss this in more detail if that would be of interest to her. She raises particularly the situation of landlords, and where landlords are behaving unacceptably, clearly there are provisions to seek to deal with that. I suspect that in cases such as the one that she is highlighting, often the problem will be that there is no formal tenancy agreement. Those are informal arrangements, which do not make them any more acceptable—in fact, much less so—but sometimes that will be one of the challenges. Those are not formal arrangements where there is a recognised or registered landlord. Nevertheless, those are serious issues. Obviously, there are wider issues involved around that kind of thing, but I will undertake to ensure that the minister considers all the suggestions made by the member and the offer of a meeting stands if the member wishes to take it up. Patrick Harvie I recognise that the First Minister acknowledges that not all those circumstances will involve a registered landlord, but in order to register landlords have to comply with a fit and proper person test, is it not pretty clear that any such exploitative arrangements should lead to an automatic fail of the fit and proper person test and revocation of any existing landlord registration? First Minister My simple and straightforward answer to that question would be yes. I struggle to see how anybody who placed an advert of this description would pass the fit and proper person test. Patrick Harvie and other members, indeed, will be aware that there is a proper statutory and legal process that local authorities have to go through before they can take landlord status away from somebody. Obviously, I could not pre-empt that in any situation, but we are all agreed about the unacceptability of the examples that have been brought to the chamber's attention. Just as I did with the previous member, I will undertake to discuss this with the relevant minister to make sure that the Scottish Government is taking whatever appropriate action we are able to take. Adam Tomkins To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on Reform Scotland's view that local authorities should be responsible for all matters that are not specifically reserved to the Scottish Parliament. First Minister First Lady, maybe the Tories should start practising what they preach occasionally on some of those issues. Local authority responsibilities are very clearly set out, and the focus of the Scottish Government is on encouraging councils to empower communities across the country. I think that it is important that we do not just consider what power local authorities should have, but also how local authorities then transfer more of their power to local communities. That is why our community empowerment act puts additional powers into the hands of communities to hold their own local authority to account. We are also discussing with COSLA how to achieve our aim of having at least 1 per cent of council budgets decided in this way, building on the work of our £2 million community choices fund. Adam Tomkins I thank the First Minister for that answer. Yesterday, we published our election manifesto, in which we argued that councils in Scotland should focus on growing their local economies. Cities in England are being given ample new powers to do just that from the northern powerhouse to the midlands engine. Can the First Minister identify even a single power that she would devolve from this Parliament to our cities to enable them to do the same? The First Minister Our local authorities already have a power of general competence. There is nothing standing in the way of local authorities already getting on with the job that they should be doing, and many are doing well in terms of growing their local economies. As the member is aware, the Government has also promoted and delivered some times in partnership with the UK Government city deal, so that we are not only making sure that there is devolved power in the hands of local authorities, but that there is substantial additional investment at the disposal of local authorities to do the things that will support economic growth. We will continue to do that. I look forward to seeing many more city deals in the years ahead, not least in this city of Edinburgh and its surrounding areas. I am a great believer in giving local authorities the powers and the resources that they need to do the job in local communities. However, I do not want to see powers stop at local authorities. Real community empowerment is important, too, and that is why the Community Empowerment Act is so important. Andy Wightman I welcome the reform of Scotland paper. It contains a lot with which Greens agree. We believe that local government should have far greater fiscal autonomy than it does do. Some weeks ago, we published proposals for our fiscal framework between Scottish Government and local government. Does the First Minister agree that, just as the Scottish Parliament is getting more fiscal autonomy and just as the Scottish Government has entered a fiscal framework with the UK Government, so, too, should those relationships be mirrored with local government? The First Minister I think that there is some merit in that. Indeed, ahead of the Scottish elections last year, we did indicate a willingness to talk to local authorities about what additional tax powers would lie better with them rather than with the Scottish Government. In fact, Scottish local authorities have already got autonomy in terms of the ability to lower business rates, for example, if they think that that is one of the things that would help to grow their economy. That is a discussion that the Government is certainly very willing to have. Obviously, we have local government elections in just a couple of weeks' time, and after those elections, with new Administrations, hopefully in some parts of the country, that is a discussion that across the political spectrum, we can take forward with new Administrations and councils the length and breadth of the country. Alex Rowley Back in 2007, the First Minister said that the council tax was unfair and that no amount of tinkering with the council tax could make it fair. Does she believe that the council tax is still unfair or has the tinkering with the bans made it fairer? The First Minister The rebanding, yes, has made the council tax fairer, but I would say two things to Labour. First, during the first term of the SNP administration, Labour blocked the abolition of the council tax, so it ill-beholds it now to stand up here and somehow argue for it. The second point that I would make about the council tax is Labour's position on the council tax, which underlines the hypocrisy sometimes at the heart of their arguments. Labour published its local government manifesto this week, and in that manifesto, on page 6, it says that the SNP council tax freeze has crippled local government. As well as being complete nonsense, that statement right now is utter hypocrisy, and I will tell you why it is utter hypocrisy, because right now in Scotland there are only eight council administrations proposing a continuation of the council tax freeze. And guess what? Every single one of those eight councils is a Labour-led council, so there you have it. Labour might say one thing in this chamber about the council tax, but their administrations across the country do the complete opposite. That concludes First Minister's questions. We move on to members' business in the name of Claire Hockey. We'll just take a few moments to change seats for members to change seats.


In this diagram, we are seeing how the acid deposition occurs. When the sources emit pollutants such as SO2, NOx, mercury, and volatile organic compounds, primarily SO2 and NOx, which are acidic gases, are deposited in two ways. One is dry deposition, the other one is wet deposition. The SO2 and NOx, when they deposit back either gaseous pollutants or as particulates, it's called dry deposition. When these pollutants dissolve in water, cloud water, and then deposit, it's called wet precipitation, or that is what we call acid rain. The dry gaseous pollutants or particulate matter can sometimes get dissolved in water and come down again as wet precipitation. Receptors are the species that receive this acid rain and get affected. These receptors can be materials that we care about, or aquatic life, human beings, or lakes and streams.