This is Witchspace news for Friday the 16th of April 2021, I'm CMDR Buur. In this weeks news, the trail to the Hesperus yields results, the community management team at Frontier expands again, Phase 3 of the Odyssey Alpha arrives bringing exploration and a degree of controversy. To make sure you don't miss any of our videos hit like and subscribe, click the bell icon and remember to select all notifications and to help support the work of this channel you'll also find us on Patreon, links to everything you need are in the description below. The Ghost Megaship the Adamastor appeared in the Chukchan system during a special event staged for Halloween last year and led the community on a paper trail that eventually told the story of its doomed mission and the fate of its crew after encountering the Thargoids 200 years ago in the Colsack Nebula. We reported last week that the mystery surrounding the 200 year old long dead ship had sprung to life again recently when a new signal was detected by a comms beacon found on board the ill-fated vessel. The information obtained from that comms beacon led to a further trail this week that involved encrypted texts, cipher keys, more listening posts and light years of travel and after days of work from multiple sections of the community working together the puzzle was finally unlocked and a discovery of an often requested feature which I won't spoil here was made. I've linked in the video description to a complete method and solution for the mystery that was posted by the website Remlok Industries. It's worth a look as if nothing else it demonstrates quite dramatically the level of work required to unlock one of these things now. Frontier clearly finding their feet with this kind of stuff and making the puzzles much tougher were acquiring much more effort than the usual brute force searching that the community had proven itself to be so adept at. So a new bar has been set, Frontier had said that these puzzles would be getting tougher and they weren't kidding where normally the searches were being brute-forced in three to four hours we've now had some serious code breaking skills required from multiple individuals to get to the candy at the end. Is that the end of the Adamastor trail? Only time will tell for sure but I have a feeling we maybe haven't heard the last of the dark corporation shenanigans that led to the loss of the ship with all hands and where this stuff goes with the launch of Odyssey will be fascinating indeed. In a surprise move on Tuesday Frontier announced they'd be introducing a new member of the community team on that afternoon's live stream. It's an understandable move as the team's responsibilities are undoubtedly growing exponentially with the ramp up in a leak dangerous activity as the Odyssey Alpha proceeds and the launch of the full expansion gets closer and closer. The introduction of a new team member was not however the big surprise of the night the identity of the new team member was. In a staged panel cut panel down moment a now familiar panel fell away from our live stream screens to reveal none other than the community favorite Sally Morgan Moore. If you're perhaps fairly new to the game and don't know Sally she actually left Frontier towers around a year and a half ago after working at the company for around three years. Among her achievements at Frontier she's largely credited with the introduction of the camera suite into the game a feature which has gone on to spawn a whole sub community of astrophotographers and videographers within the game. It's almost become another career choice in Elite all of its own indeed where it not for the camera suite and in particular Commander Rini's discovery of it this very channel would undoubtedly not be what it is today. During her previous tenure with the company Sally served as product manager for Elite Dangerous but was a regular on community live streams. It's fantastic to see Sally rejoining the Elite Dangerous team alongside Arthur, Bruce, Paul and Zack and at such a crucial time in the game's life a heartfelt welcome home Sally from everyone here. Just a real quick public service announcement tickets for this year's LaveCon the annual Elite themed fan convention at the Sedgebrook Hall Hotel in Northamptonshire in the UK and now on sale running over the weekend from the second to the fourth of July. Suffice to say given the current global conditions there's high hopes that the convention can go ahead this year as planned all being well Rini and I will be there on the Saturday and we both look forward to seeing you there. And finally this week phase three of the Odyssey Alpha test launched with the introduction of the Artemis suit the bio scanner and a host of changes to the exploration system in the game. Despite exploration being one of the larger sides to Elite gameplay at this point in the Odyssey Alpha it was probably the element that we knew the least about and expectations for what had become known in the community as the plant gun were high. The patch to the Alpha arrived on Thursday afternoon UK time and sees the bubble of exploration space expand to some 50 light years and as well as introducing the Artemis suit phase three also brings a new system integrated into the surface scanner for identifying points of potential biological interest and the new first footfall experience where you can get your commanders one small step moment for being the first to walk on a given planetary surface. The patch also shipped with a raft of fixes for phase two whilst also bringing a list of known bugs all of its own I've linked to frontiers notes on those in the description below so be sure to check those out if you haven't already and you're heading into the Alpha. Far and away one of the most anticipated features of this phase was the handheld bio scanner sampling tool that ships by default with the Artemis exploration suit and so far at least it's proven to be one of the most controversial things about the Alpha. For the uninitiated here's how the bio scanning gameplay loop currently works. Surface scanning a candidate world from orbit will present you with a sort of EM spectrum style heat map that shows where life is likely present on the surface as opposed to the definite bio POIs that currently appear in the game. Upon landing and locating the life it's time to pull out the bio sampler. Triggering the device sends out a pulse similar in nature to the pulse used when searching for mining materials in asteroid or rings. For a short period the surrounding life will be shown in different color hues that indicate whether that plant will provide a good genetic sample. Once you've identified a plant you'd like to sample you then begin a mini game where concentric ring patterns on screen must be lined up as they rotate. Every time you land a successful ring line up the next ring decreases in size but increases in speed. If you fail at any section of the game then it resets to the previous ring and you need to do that ring again to proceed. This is where the first controversy occurs. The ring matching mini game is very twitch reaction based gameplay something that puts it completely at odds with the entirety of the rest of the exploration game loop. Exploration has been all about the science and all about using instruments and twiddling dials to get the results you're looking for and it still is until you get to the very last step in the process when it becomes a game about reaction times. Traditionally exploration has always appealed to the less twitch orientated portions of the elite dangerous community and now this revamp of the biological science section of their game loop is being directed very much at a reactions based success criteria. The second conversation happening around the biosampling game loop revolves around the amount of distance required to get one good sample. In order to get a good sample of a plant you need to find three biodiverse examples of it. The scanner enables that just fine but upon taking your first sample successfully that's the ring game I just described. Your hand sampler is then locked into that particular form of life. If you then sample another different form of life then the sample you've just got is completely erased in favour of the new form. We've heard at least one example of a commander aiming their scanner skyward whilst walking in order to not accidentally erase their hard fought sample collecting. These new forms of life in elite are currently clustered together in a much more realistic way than the old style in the current game where you just had isolated patches of one type of life. In Odyssey you can get three or four different types of life clustered together. If you wanted to sample all four for example you'd need to walk through the patch of life looking to sample just one type of life then once you had three samples you could move on to the next and do three of those and then the next and do three of those. The problem is that this process will see you walking backwards and forwards across the same patch of planet over and over to make sure you get all the samples before you can move forward.  You'd like to pick three perfect examples of each species, daisies, daffodils, frogs and antelopes but having picked a perfect daisy first you'll have to walk through miles of daffodils, frogs and antelopes ignoring them to get to the next perfect daisy. Rinse and repeat until you've got your three perfect daisies and then walk back through the same patch of field collecting frogs ignoring all the perfect daffodils and antelopes and so on. Possibly bad example but hopefully you get what I mean. There are further issues around the tool being discussed as well not least of which is the choice of colors being used in the scanning loop. Some visually impaired commanders for example weren't aware that the concentric rings had different colors associated with them. Suffice to say the introduction of the system yesterday has generated no small amount of feedback but that's okay.  And Frontier are listening to ideas on how to improve the odyssey experience and make it better. Just last week there was plenty of feedback asking for suit and weapon loadouts to be equipable in the station as opposed to just in your SRV or ship and that has now been changed. You can switch loadouts whilst at a console in a starport social hub. You'll find links in the description below this video to where you can add your voice to the conversation about the new features in odyssey. So how have you found your odyssey experience so far? Have you tried the Artemis suit yet or are you completely absorbed with scouring the galaxy looking for long lost mega ships? Let us know in the comments below. That's it for now. Thanks very much for watching. We'll be back later this week with more videos. Until then, oh seven commanders follow the greens on the way out and do keep clear of the toast rack. We very much look forward to seeing you next time.


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We're meeting one of our medals, our MET tasks. We're going to be sling loading class one, and then also sling loading at JLTV. Once we do this, we're showing, since we are newly modernized, that we're still able to quickly transport vehicles, the modern vehicles, JLTV, by helicopter over terrain features that otherwise would be impassable, and just proving that asset working with Hunter Army Airfield. It's just important as leaders that we meet these tasks that are told that we're supposed to meet, but not to just stick to them, to take the next step and to go above and beyond and show that we're exceeding the standard always.  It's a type of farp or a former arming refueling point. What we're doing is we are slinging out 500 feet of hose from external tanks that are inside of our Chinook and refilling ground vehicles, namely Bradley's and Abram's tanks. So it's important in contested areas or in large-scale combat operations. Supply lines aren't always as clearly marked or available to troops that are on the forward line of advance or anything else. So if they're forward on the enemy line or anything else or they're behind enemy lines, we're able to fly out past combined arms and passes of lines and everything else and be able to refuel them at contested areas. It's very important for ground vehicles to know that they have another resource to be able to refuel them to keep them in the fight. For us, it shows that our capabilities aren't just with air movements or with air assaults. We have other abilities and capabilities that we could bring to the fight. I think it'd be a good idea to continue this type of Skype a relationship between ground forces and air assets as well. It's a little bit outside the box. It's not something that's done a lot. We have the capability to do other things as well, same with the ground force. So a better union, better relationship between different aspects in our combined arms was always a great opportunity.


Hi, this is the fourth in a series of talks about trust is cheaper than control I recommend you watch the first three before this, but they're not totally dependent Let's take a look at the education system and find out how it in how it implements control And what the contrast is if you actually trust with kids So if we take education only certified teachers with PhDs and education usually can teach and here I'm taking a stereotypical public school nothing experimental I'll talk about that in a second, but this is where we've taken the bulk of our schools So only certified teachers teach in accredited schools You teach you learn with kids your own age The first thing we do is separate you into cohorts depending only on your age and you learn with them all the time You learn during class hours plus of course we give you homework lots of homework You have to learn math during math class and English during English class if you apply math to English that's that's weird Etc. And then you have to learn from approved textbooks is actually an entire controversy around which textbooks you get to use Just Google the Texas school board And you'll discover that they control what schools choose for about half the school boards in the country It's pretty astonishing and the conservative end of our government has figured this out So of the 15 members the Texas school board 10 are very conservative. That's why you get crap textbooks Now that might be controversial, but we're not allowed to teach controversy in education That has been whitewashed out of the classroom pretty much and what you do in class has no real-world consequences You're busy being surveilled by helicopter parents. You're being surveilled by the school You're being measured by approved tests so that we can move you back up onto the fish ladder for your next stage of approval and One of the many poster child companies in this business is Macmillan publishers Which whose textbooks have been getting more and more expensive over time? It's the whole education system is really ace Despite fantastic dedicated humans in it the system the structures of it are Torturous and terrible and really bad for humanity So there are many alternatives things as simple as self-directed learning project-based learnings Open classrooms the Waldorf Montessori and Reggio Emilia systems for educating a whole bunch of things called Democratic or just free schools Which are arising the important thing here for me is Becoming aware of what's called the hidden curriculum of school and here school with a capital S So to give you an idea of the hidden curriculum of school Here's a glimpse into my brain which you can see online at jerrysbrain.com This is a thought called the hidden curriculum of school where it says look only I determine what curriculum you will study That would be the teacher stay in class where you belong you need a hall pass to go out or a note from your mother You can never be trusted alone. That's the message We won't actually give you enough time to dive deep into anything We're gonna ring a bell every now and then as a metronome to move around we're going to watch you in all different kinds of ways There's all sorts of things to my mind If learners can become aware of the hidden curriculum of school They might be able to re-enter the very same school and be very different behave very differently Even resist the the sort of tractor beam of normalization That the school system really was designed to to create if you'd like to learn more about this I recommend these other these two talks. I've done one of them is a TEDx talk from TEDx Copenhagen in 2012 The other one I did I designed to follow on to that first talk I did it for the Catalyst week as part of the Las Vegas downtown project Which is associated with Zappos and then down below is a snapshot of my brain I'll put links to all these when I learn how to put links onto videos in YouTube This has been the next chapter in trust is cheaper than control With implications that are deeply societal not just about cheaper as in costs like you saved money Talking about education our next step. We'll be talking about the sharing economy all of this is part of a larger work on trust and All of which is inside of the relationship economy. I'm Jerry McCalsky today deeper Please go to Jerry McCalsky comm or subscribe to this channel and if the thing you can do that will pay off in your life Thanks for watching


Great, great. Good morning, good morning all. Just really excited about today. And I cannot thank the chancellor enough about the initiative. It's one thing to put in place a vision, but it's another thing to execute. And he has successfully looked at all of those visions that I had on the campaign trail, and he continues to just execute them, from the dyslexia screening to investment in foster care children to what we're doing around utilizing our schools. He just continues to execute the vision, thinking differently, understanding this is a moonshot moment that we must look at how we are using our schools to look after all of our children. And far too often, we have not accomplished that. And so just personally, I just want to thank him for his commitment and dedication to our children. And I know how important it is to deal with some form of disability. You hear me talk about it often on the campaign trail. A young man came to me the other day when we were walking through a school building, and he said, you know, ma'am, I'm dyslexic, and you just empowered me with the possibilities. And I hope one day I take your job. And I said, it's a good thing. You know, it's a good thing. But that's what we want our children to inspire to do. And for far too long, students with disabilities have struggled in a system that wasn't fully able to meet them where they are. We really gauged what we were doing, meeting them where others are instead of meeting people where they are and taking them where they ought to be. The previous ideas of universal 3K and pre-K did not account for children with disabilities. It was just wrong. It was unfair, and it was wrong. And parents knew that behind every special needs child is a special parent that is pushing against the obstacles of government so they can provide their children with the same opportunities that other children are receiving. And I disagree with the definition of universal that doesn't include all of our children. All of our children must be included in true universal program prioritized and serves every child, every day, in partnership with families and reflecting the needs of the community. And today, we're making a historic investment in preschool childhood special education. And so by this spring, all of our special education students in pre-K and 3K will have the supports they need to flourish both in the classroom and in life. All of our children. This is really exciting. We are stabilizing 3,000 enhanced seats and adding 800 new seats to serve our early childhood special education students. That's 800 more students and their families who can benefit from our services. Because every minute of learning counts, we all know that. We will also increase the school day from five hours to six hours. Now, all of our students with disabilities will receive the same amount of class time as their general education peers. Imagine that. Children who needed more were receiving less. That is just dysfunctional at its highest level. This will help our children absorb more and also reduce their parents' child care burden, giving them the support they need. We will fund programs to recruit, train, and retain early childhood special education staff so that our most vulnerable students can be taught by experienced teachers. And this is so important here. We will increase pay so that our special education teachers are paid in line with teachers in general education programs. We weren't paying the same rate for doing a more difficult job. Just was not fair. This wage disparity has been going on for too long, and it is stopping with this administration. It's unfair to our hardworking teachers, and most importantly, it's unfair to the students. We attract and retain the best by paying fair wages. And that's what our students and teachers deserve, and that is what we're going to give them. Our investments in early childhood special education and increase in the number of seats is nothing short of transformative. Early learning is the key to success for young children, but it's particularly important for children with disabilities. Early intervention helps them manage to overcome their challenges, and most importantly, it changed lives. It changed lives for families. It changed lives for our children. It changed lives for our community. And my own life is proof of that, of how if you get early intervention, you get opportunities for your future. And so we are committed to making sure that all of our children receive the support they need and families receive the support they need. I'm thrilled both inside and outside the classroom that we are making this historical leap forward and ensuring that universal means universal and not with an asterisk that does not include our children with special needs. And so to all our parents out there, we heard you, we responded, and we're going to continue to move in a direction to deal with those historical inequities that have impacted our children throughout this entire city. And again, I personally thank the chancellor of the Department of Education for what he is doing and will continue to do. And I wanna bring on my friend and the chancellor of this city, David Banks. Thank you, chancellor. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, welcome everybody. I am very, very happy also to be here today. I have driven by this place many, many times. I almost got, before I became chancellor, my office was around the corner, and I almost got an office right across the street from here. And so I'm very familiar with the area. I live in Harlem as well. And it is certainly a thrill for me to be here at ABC Gram. And I wanna first of all acknowledge the leadership from this organization, the great work that they do here each and every day. As I came in, I spoke with Dr. Hazel Dukes and she said, you know, Mayor Dinkins would be smiling right now. He's smiling down on us because this was one of his favorite places to be. And those of you who remember Mayor Dinkins, he loved children, loved children above everything else. And apparently he'd visited this place many, many times. And so in the spirit of Mayor Dinkins, we are here today to try to do the right thing on behalf of the children, their families, and the educators who work with them each and every day. I can't thank the mayor enough because when you have the right nexus between a mayor and a chancellor, you can really move mountains. And we have that connection. He has laid out the vision well before I got here and pushes me and our team regularly to continue to do the right thing on behalf of all of our kids, even under very difficult circumstances. But the challenge and the charge for us is very clear. Do the right thing for the least of these. And we are fully committed to doing that. And I do that with folks like Dr. Kara Med, our deputy chancellor for early childhood. I've learned so much about this entire sector really from her, and I appreciate very much her leadership, Christina Foti who heads up our work in special education. We have a very good team. And the mayor and I have talked for a long time. We said that the DOE and so much of, we don't produce the kinds of results that we need to be producing. But what I have found is that they are wonderful and smart and amazing people. We've just got to align our work and our efforts and the investments in the right way if we really want to see significant change. And that's something that we are committed to doing. I'm thrilled that we have several of our deputy chances are here as well. First deputy chancellor, Dan Weisberg is here as well as Kanita Lloyd. So we are well represented from our offices here today. Last week, many of you heard a week or so ago, we announced our plans to reimagine special education. And we put together a working group, task force that are the people who have been leaning into this space for a long time. They know all the issues around special education and what it will take for us to turn us around. And so we're going to be listening to them and they're going to lay out a blueprint that we fully expect to adopt and to follow as a path forward for special education. But today, we're making a renewed investment in an expansion of special education access across the entire sector. Today is a very important day because this expansion will open enough preschool seats to serve every single preschool child with disabilities across the five boroughs. Did y'all hear what I just said? Noah heard it. Thank you, Noah. I don't know if the rest of them are with me, Noah, but this is a big deal because for far too long, this term for all has been thrown around. But in this sector, for all did not necessarily mean for all. And I would hear over and over and over again from parents who have children with special needs. And they said, there's no room at the end for us. We certainly hope that with the mayor here and you as the chancellor and your team, that you would see us and recognize that our child matters as well. And the mayor said, we see you. Your child matters. And we're going to do everything that we can to make sure that your child gets all the services that they need. And for far too long, our young people with disabilities and their families have been overlooked by a system that, quite frankly, was not built for them. They were not a priority. And in fact, what we started to have over these last several years was an explosion of these carter cases. And some of you from the media have heard me talk about this before. Parents who would leave the system to get the services that they need for their child and that they are legally bound to get. And the New York City public school system would simply pay these private places to provide those services. And the mayor and I talk about all the time and said, well, we should be providing those services for our children. And that is what we are connected. And that's what we are committed to doing. So to that end, we're making a significant investment today in the early childhood special education across 65 provider contracts, which are going to result in 3,000 enhanced accessible special education seats across the sector. 3,000, including 400 brand new seats and an additional 400 this spring. So what this means is that we're making our early childhood education seats accessible and excellent for all of our children. It's one of the things that the Deputy Chancellor Ahmed talks about all the time. It's not just the quantity of the seats. It's the quality of the seats. The kind of experience that young people are getting at a place like this right here at ABC where they're getting a top flight educational experience. We're not here just to be babysitters. Children as young as those who are coming here are getting the seats planted and the strategies every single day that helps to build their learning. And it's critically important that we do that and we're committed to continuing to do that. But this expansion also brings early childhood special education programs in line with our 3K and pre-K general education programs. As the mayor pointed out, we're going from five hours a day to six hours and 20 minutes a day, which provides extended childcare for working families.  Makes a difference because if you have other children, they're in school for 6,020 minutes. So it all aligns. And so we heard them and we're making sure that we're delivering on a promise to do better. Last thing I want you to do is listen to this. As the mayor also pointed out, previously there has been a significant pay difference between special education early childhood instructors and their general education peers. That's what happens when you don't think it's a priority. So due to this inequity, we have historically struggled to retain staff that can deliver services for children with disabilities. And that vital to the operation of these programs in the future of our children. We had several instructors over the years who would leave because they also have to figure out how to take care of themselves. And they have better paying opportunities in other places. We need them to stay right here in places like this to work with our babies. And so we're working to continue to close that gap. And I'm really excited about it. And so in closing, I just want to say while we may not have created many of these issues that we inherited as an administration, we recognize that it is our responsibility to fix it. Pre-K, 3K, early childhood programs are tremendously important. And the prior administration understood that. And I will continue to salute them for all that they did in actually making sure that they got this in place. But there are huge gaps. And those are some of the gaps that we are addressing here today.  And you do this when you have a mayor and a chancellor who are fully aligned and work on behalf of all of our young people to make our communities better. When places like this flourish, Harlem flourishes. And when places like this flourish all over the city, our entire city flourishes. And I'm gonna do everything I can to be committed to uplifting that and making it happen. And I can't do it without great leadership that's on our team driving this work. And I'm thrilled to introduce you at this time to take us to the rest of the way our deputy chancellor for our early childhood, Dr. Kara Ahmed. Good morning. And thank you everyone for joining us today. And thank you to chancellor banks and to mayor Adams and for continuing to prioritize early childhood education our youngest learners and their families. In an equitable society, a high quality early childhood experience must include all children. And thanks to mayor Adams and chancellor banks, our team is empowered to imagine and create a comprehensive system that serves all children from birth to five. We've already begun the work necessary to provide a seat for every young child with a disability based on their individual strengths and their learning needs. And we will not stop until that goal is actualized. As part of this important work, I am so excited through this contract enhancement that we can be in partnership with such an outstanding network of state approved non-public special education providers, enabling the DOE to ensure a full continuum of programs and services to meet all children's needs. Such as program director Mary Ellen Rooney from the ABC Gram School, which is where we are right now. Big round of applause. I'd like to thank Mary Ellen, not just for hosting us today, but for her dedication to our children each and every day. Along with so many other providers that are here today like Dawn Savaya from Heart Share, Melissa Hendricks from Life Skills, CGYs and Michael Brown from New York Center for Child Development.  So a big round of applause for them. These providers are the cornerstone of early childhood programming for children with disabilities and for their families who rely on their care and support. Yet these programs have historically faced severe challenges as you heard the chancellor and the mayor say in hiring and retaining teachers and teaching staff because of paid disparity in comparison to general education early childhood contract providers. These staffing challenges have contributed to a severe deficit of much needed special class seats and leaving hundreds of children who are disproportionately children of color without programs and services that they need and quite frankly that they're entitled to. Through this contract enhancement though, we are marking a turning point, changing a reality that didn't have to be but just was. Among the currently 65 programs participating, staff pay is being increased, helping to stabilize approximately 3,000 existing seats across the sector. Retaining teaching staff and thereby ensuring that children with disabilities have continuity of care and learning with the teachers they have formed strong and trusting relationships with. Through these 65 programs, 400 new special class seats are being created and we're increasing educational access to young children with disabilities across the five boroughs. This commitment by our administration not only increases pay, foster stabilization and actually increases new seats, it also increases the school day as you heard the chancellor speak about to match the length of a school day of 3K and pre-K programs across our portfolio. We will also be providing dedicated site support to work in partnership with providers in implementing assessment, screening tools and curriculum and we also will be providing funding to promote the least restrictive environment for children per their individual needs. So while there's been incredible progress made, let me be clear, this is certainly just the beginning. It is not nearly mission accomplished, we have a lot of work ahead of us and we aim to continue on this path as you heard the mayor say to keep adding new seats between now and the spring to profoundly increase access to education for children with disabilities. However, none of this work could be possible without our invaluable partners that have helped to move our collective vision forward and who we rely on to helping us continue to make progress. Partners like our chair Joseph, who's always a champion for all children and in particular children with disabilities so we thank you chair for your support. We thank Pam Madaris and Chris Treiber who's here for their advocacy and commitment to children and their families, not only in New York City but across New York State. And in the words of Pam, today we celebrate a battle long fought. Thank you to our incredible early childhood team who is here helping to get the work done and in particular, Jodina Clanton and James Margano who have been extraordinary leaders in this work and I've learned so much from. And thank you to Randy Levine from Advocates for Children who has been an incredible partner and who I have not only learned so much from as well, but who always takes the time to commend our team on the progress we're making while gently and yet strongly reminding me, deputy chancellor, there is still work to do and she is very right. So please join me in welcoming Ms. Randy Levine. Thank you, my name is Randy Levine. I'm the policy director of Advocates for Children of New York. In recent years, we've heard from family after family with the same story. Their young child had autism or other complex disabilities and needed a seat in a preschool special education class, but there was no seat available. Many of these children were sitting at home waiting months or longer in violation of their legal rights. In fact, at the end of the last school year, 800 children were waiting for seats in their legally mandated preschool special education classes and in recent years, parents of children with disabilities have watched the expansion of 3K and pre-K and wondered why are there no seats for our children? Why are our children's teachers paid less than other 3K and pre-K teachers? Why is the school day length for our children shorter than for other children in 3K and pre-K? And why do our children always seem to come last? Today, we are celebrating an important step the city has taken toward helping preschoolers with disabilities and their families. We thank Mayor Adams, Chancellor Banks, Deputy Chancellor Ahmed and their teams along with the city council, including Chair Joseph and the controller for moving forward with the contract enhancement for 65 preschool special education sites with the expectation of opening as many as 400 needed seats in preschool special education classes this spring. These classes are desperately needed but since they won't fully close the gap, we also appreciate the commitment being made today by the city to ensure that there is a preschool special education class for every child who needs one this spring. And we plan to hold the administration accountable for delivering on that promise. The city has a legal obligation and a moral obligation to do so. We look forward to seeing the city's plan to open all needed classes, to make sure we end this school year with no child waiting for the preschool special education class they need. Thank you, Randy, for your advocacy and your work always. As you heard from Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks, we cannot say we have a pre-K or three-K for all program because for all has not included our children with disabilities and in particular, black and brown children across New York City. My colleague Mark Traeger often notes that this is a civil rights issue that far too long has not been addressed. And so he is absolutely right and it is our honor to have Dr. Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference with us today, as Dr. Dukes has dedicated her life to human rights and equality and has a deep understanding of the need for systemic change to ensure the rights of all of our children are being met. So thank you, Dr. Dukes. There is no one better that can speak firsthand as to what access to high quality care and learning means to children and their families than the parent of three-year-old Ryan who attends the ABC Graham Community School. So I'd like to have you join me in welcoming Mrs. Baez. Good morning, everyone. Thank you, Dr. ... Sorry, nervous. Dr. Ahmed for introducing me. Thank you, Mayor. Chancellor Banks. My name is Kateria Baez.  I want to thank Mary Helen and the superhero team in this school for not only making it easy for the solution for the new journey in Ryan's life. Ryan is three years old. He was diagnosed with autism. And with Ryan's diagnosis, Mary Helen helped me through the transition for the early intervention and to finding the right therapists for Ryan, occupational therapists, physical therapy and speech therapy. Ryan entering this building every day made it easy for my family. And Ryan, new journey. It warms my heart every morning, walking Ryan to the front door to drop him off. Ryan is so excited to see his school. He actually runs into the school and sometimes forgets to say goodbye. But that says it all. That says it all for me because I just go to Shelby that Ryan is comfortable with his environment and his new settings. The programs like this here in ABC Grand School has changed Ryan's life and my family as well for the better. I am so pleased and excited to know that families throughout the city and every borough will have the same opportunity for their child. So they all speak for myself and other parents. It is our children's world. We are just living in it. We must not be afraid to advocate for our child, to ask questions, to listen, to help our students have a better bright future. I am glad for this administration to be helping me in this effort. I'm also thanking Ryan's brother Noah for being his go-to buddy. For being his go-to buddy and through this process. It's been a very tough one. And I don't only speak for myself, I'm gonna advocate for all the parents. There is difficult out there. And this is a stepping stone and I'm grateful that to be a part of this world, because it's their world, we're just living in it. So again, Ryan has a great support system. His dad, myself, his sister Valerie, his brother Noah, and more. We are so blessed with the community that has helped us and continue to help every other child. I'll continue to be the advocate for our kids. Thank you so much. Thank you Mrs. Baez, you're gonna make me cry now. Mrs. Baez and Ryan serve as a reminder to all of us as to why we must get this work right and why we must get this work done. So I thank again, Mayor Adams and Chancellor Banks for making this historic moment a reality and for their commitment to children and their families across New York City. Thank you so much. To a few on topic. About the contract enhancement, when will that go into effect and will it result in special ed pre-K teachers at all sites making the same or just these 65 sites? I just want to do it separately. Thank you so much for the question. The contract enhancement has already begun. As you heard us say, 65 programs have already been approved this past November through the PEP process and are in the process, many of which are already now registered through the Controllers Office and the rest just awaiting. And that will create an increase in teaching salaries to bring them up to the same salaries as that of other contracted providers in early childhood education. That work will continue. So as other contracts are registered, more and more providers in their teaching staff will receive the same. So if someone's contract right now doesn't have that enhancement when it's up, they'll get the enhancement. Yes, when they are registered then the enhancement goes into place. It's helping to stabilize as we've talked about a number of existing seats, right? So that we retain teachers or retain those seats and that children still have access to those seats as well as create new seats, which is absolutely the need. Yeah, can you... So all of these services that are going to kids one single already been identified and found to need these extra supports here. Can you talk a little bit about what if anything announced today will go into helping to identify these students where we're also at with that now coming out of the pandemic. Making sure kids are getting what they need. Absolutely. So all of our classrooms across our portfolio are supporting children exactly where they are and determining what their needs are and if there are needs for additional services, related services within the classroom that they're already in, right? Which would be considered an inclusive classroom or if there is a need for a special class that's integrated setting or a special class. So through all of this, the work is partially around our 4410 contract enhancement but the work that continues to happen across early childhood education is about deepening and deepening the effective practices that we have in place for inclusive classrooms to really ensure that children are served in their least restrictive environment based on their individual needs. I wonder if you could tell us how much this whole program is going to cost and what exactly was this salary for the teachers before this and what will it go up to so it's competitive, some dollars and cents. So we have amarked monies for about $130 million over the next two years to support this program which is vital for the children across New York City and we're actually raising the salary to that of the same as the collective bargaining agreement for our other provider teachers that are part of the contracted programs. They're gonna be going up to about 68,000 close to 70,000. What was it before? Roughly anywhere from 50 to 58,000. So this will really make it easier for you to recruit teachers and keep them? Recruit teachers and retain them. When you hear from families across New York City, especially families who have children with disabilities, they talk often about making sure that they have adults that they can rely on and that once their children are in these trusting and safe relationships they don't wanna lose them and so we don't want to either. Another question I have if I could just follow up is so when these children get out of the 3K and the 3K will they be getting the same services as they go through the system? Yeah, so we have a wealth of services in the Department of Education to support all children and all their needs, right? So children with disabilities through K through 12, absolutely. Mayor, when advocates for children said that last year 800 kids were sitting in their homes waiting for city services, imagine what those families were going through. I wonder what your message is to those families today? We heard them, we committed, we are delivering and the biggest advocate for children is Eric Adams. I'm the mayor of the city and I have an obligation that all families are treated equally and I'm going to continue to push the city in that direction. Thank you, thank you all, thank you. Thank you. I have one more on topic for the Chancellor. Yes, thanks. Is there, when you were talking about universal, was it universal? Sure. Is it correct that as we sit here today you have more seats for the general-led 3K and 3K than students, is that right? Yeah. So how does that, can you explain that disconnect that you have more seats for the general and no seats for the special needs and how that could have coexisted for so long? Well, we were asking the same question. It was a disconnect and you had a misalignment of seats and what our goal was in seeing all of these disparities in different parts of the city where there are not enough seats in one neighborhood and then you have in another part of the city it's a whole different story. So our job really was to balance all of this so that we're responding to every family that needs a seat and an appropriate seat will get a seat. We asked that very essential question. Why is it that all the children with special needs, there are no seats for them? That's the way the program was designed and we're here to fix it and that's part of what we're doing here today. Designed by the de Blasio administration? I didn't design the system, we inherited the system and but we are, we are here to fix these inequities that we inherited. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good job for moms. May I have this check from the New York, sorry. Yes. It's been two weeks since you announced your mental health plan. Yes. And NYPD costs have yet to be trained other than a memo giving directions. Has your administration adequately trained police to conduct your mental health plan? I suppose it's not why. Okay, first, you're right. It has been two weeks to address a generational problem and we're going to get it right and I said this over and over again for whatever reason it's not resonating. This is not a police driven initiative. This is an initiative where mental health professionals are driving this initiative. They are the lead. They have been already partnering with law enforcement personnel on the ground to enhance how we give clarity to those who are doing this job. So yes, two weeks is not a long time. We're going to make sure our offices are trained. We're going to make sure they execute this plan appropriately so that they can make the best decision for people who can't take care of their basic needs and they are endangered to themselves and others. And so as we continue to evolve, we're going to produce a good quality product. Julia. Yeah, good morning. How are you, Julia? All right. How are you? Good. Can you talk about the New York City Speaks Survey, what issues it's identified and what you follow up with? I'm really excited about New York City Speaks and I think we're doing a program today at Gracie Mansion around it. One of the key takeaways, number one, I think we had about 16,000 young people that responded and overwhelmingly housing. That was one of the top issues across the board, all age groups, the need for good quality, affordable housing, public safety, was crucial in healthcare, but it was a clear indicator of that housing was at top of the list. And the total survey was one of the largest surveys that was actually carried out. A thousand of people responded. So we wanted to hear directly from New Yorkers and drive our policies according to what New Yorkers were saying. So housing is the issue, so now what? Last week, we rolled out an extensive plan, Get Stuff Built, and it shows that we are in alignment with what New Yorkers want. Even as that recent poll came out, 90% of New Yorkers are talking about public safety. I think what people are missing, the loudest is not the majority. When I am out among New Yorkers, I'm hearing directly from them. On a train this morning, people were telling me that, listen, we're seeing more cops. On a train, we feel safer. It's about being on the ground and hearing directly from New Yorkers, not just those who are the loudest. The loudest is just, they're just not the majority. And so last week we rolled out our housing plan is too bureaucratic, too difficult, too challenging, and it's only the start. We are going to, our best stuff is still in the pipeline that we're going to roll out. 2023 is going to be an Aaron Judge year for me. This is my year, man. This was my rookie season, you know? And we rolled out some good stuff. 2023, we are going to a whole nother level, the stuff that we have in the pipeline that we're getting ready to roll out. The city has not been operating. I think Andrew's question said it right. You know, when my son was a child, I always talked about him on the rocking horse, rocking back and forth, back and forth, lurking up a sweat. And it dawned on me, movement is not progress. Just because we say we have a 3K program and we don't have bodies in the seats. Well, how's that progress? That's all sounds good. And that's how our city has been operating for a long time. I just refuse to operate for that. We have to produce a product for taxpayers. And housing is one, we have to build more. We have to stop the protests in March for more housing and then turn around and say, well, don't build it on my block.  If we need housing, then everyone should be saying, build on my block. Hi, man. What's happening? The New York Times. My colleagues have recently reported on some serious allegations against the Petros and Brothers. Are you concerned that they've been using their relationship with you to court investors for new projects? And are you reconsidering your relationship with them? No. Next question. Another one of my colleagues, my colleagues at the Daily News reported on allegations of inappropriate behavior. I guess a spokesperson. I'm sorry. An allegation? For social services. Were you aware of these allegations against Swift before hiring him? And do the allegations concern you? Social services. Yeah. Which one? Yeah. Yeah, yeah. What is it? What's it? Who are we talking about? Allegations against Swift. Do you know that? No. Just learning of the allegations of, you know, people's stated their interactions were unfair. Or the comments he didn't like. This is the first time I'm hearing about it. Steven, Whit has been in public eye for a long time. And so if people had those comments, I don't know why they're coming out with them now, but this is news to me of what I've known him as a good journalist. And the Gary Jenkins interviewed him and made the determination to bring him on. All right. Thanks, guys. Thank you.


Welcome to Nursing School Explained and this video on the next generation NCLEX exam. So this is the end of March 2023 and April 1st so in less than a week the next gen NCLEX will start to take an effect. Meaning that all the students, or the former students, the graduates that are going to take this exam at April 1st or after are going to get the version of the next gen NCLEX. The old version of the NCLEX is going away. Which means that if you have taken the NCLEX prior to April 1st and you were unsuccessful and you are taking it again, you are going to get that next gen NCLEX. But I made this video because I attended a seminar last week where a representative from the National Committee that builds the NCLEX actually talked about this next gen NCLEX to take away some of the myths and anxieties. So I thought I'd make a summary video and tell you all about this. So let's take a look at this. So first of all it applies for RN as well as PNs starting April 1st 2023 like I said. And why are they doing this? In general, like everything in nursing it's data driven. We collect the data, we analyze it and then we come to some sort of a conclusion. While that's exactly what the National State Board has done, they've come to the conclusion after researching data after data and all the NCLEX exams and the success rates of first year entry level nurses that the NCLEX exam might not be up to par with the requirements of an entry level nurse. And for reasons of patient safety and public safety they kind of upping the standards of the NCLEX to prepare the entry level nurses better for the practice setting. So it's really for the benefit of everybody, of the whole population of everybody that receives healthcare as well as the new nurses because they are going to be better prepared to take care of these sicker patients that we're seeing now. And so what's new is the minimum question now is 85 and the max is 150 or 5 hour time limit. So that's the max. And out of those 85 minimums there are 15 questions that are unscored which leaves the minimum scored to be 70. And you will not know which ones are the unscored questions. And there might be some repetitive question about the same topic that you're getting, maybe a question 5 you get something about a certain topic and then at question 27 it comes up the same topic comes up again. And this might be because one of the questions is scored and the other one is unscored or maybe they relate to one another. So don't jump to any conclusions why am I getting this topic again. Just go with it. Answer the question of the best of your ability and move on. What's really new are case studies and there are going to be a minimum of three case studies on every test and each case study has six questions. So basically that means that you're getting a particular patient care scenario with a practice care setting, maybe some data like vital signs, INO records, some lab values and they've divided them into six sections and they're always going to follow in this order, which means recognizing cues, analyzing these cues or the data given, prioritizing hypotheses, generating solutions, taking action and evaluating outcomes. Now these terms might sound really crazy and out there, but you've been trained to do this all of your nursing school life because you learned about the nursing process. Assessment, diagnosis or prioritization, planning, implementation and evaluation. It's exactly that just now we have six categories instead of just five for the nursing process. So there's just a little bit more detail and you're going to have to analyze the data that you're given and hopefully your professors have prepared you in such a way that you're comfortable going over case studies where it's kind of evolving the patient care scenario and maybe you're following a patient through different settings or you need to analyze and then you have some more labs coming back and those kind of things. And really it's not that different from what you've already been doing. So with this being said, there's three on every test that are scored, but because we have 15 unscored questions and each case study has six questions, we could fit two extra case studies in these 15 unscored items. So realistically, you could get five case studies. Of course, you will not know which ones are scored, which ones are unscored, but be prepared to answer these type of questions. Don't fret over it, just go with it. You are going to be well prepared. Questions might come from any practice setting. So whether that's acute care, pediatrics, long term care, home care setting, school nurse, community-based nursing, anything where an entry level nurse, meaning within the first year of practice, would be having a new job that they would start. So be prepared for any of these practice settings. And then reference ranges. There has been a lot of rumors about reference ranges. So if you do have labs on a case study or at any time during your NCLEX, reference ranges will be provided. And that is just common practice because hospital A's reference range for CBC might be a little bit different than hospital B. So if you memorize certain numbers, it might not be accurate to whatever hospital that you're working with or lab that you're working with. So that's why reference ranges will be provided, which is pretty common as is in general practice. So don't fret about having to memorize any of those reference ranges, although it's probably a good idea to have a general idea what those lab values generally are. And then the good news is now you get partial credit for these pesky, select all that apply questions. And the way it works, if you have a select all that apply question here, let's say there's five possible answers. And it just says select all that apply. So you don't know if it's one or if it's all five. So you come up with four choices here and three of them are correct and one is incorrect. So for the three correct ones, you get three plus points. And then for the incorrect one, you get a minus point, meaning that you end up with two points where previously, if you would have scored like this, it would have been zero points. So now that partial credit is actually going to help you score a little bit better on your NCLEX exam. Partial credit, there might also be a question that says which four of these apply to the patient case scenario. So now you know that only four of the five here are correct. And again, let's say you choose three that are correct and one that's incorrect. If there is a specific number given that they are looking for, then the score is a little bit different. So now you have plus three because you got three correct, but the incorrect one doesn't count for a minus point. So now that's basically three minus zero, you get three points here out of the possible four that might have been here. So that partial credit is really going to help you and benefit you if you're missing one or two or several of the select all that apply. Just know that it is not going to help you to select every single one of them because you're going to get negative points here too in case you have an incorrect one. And then computer adaptive testing, you've probably heard about this from your professors. The computer knows the difficulty of the test item and the more difficult the test item, the higher the score will be and also meaning that the level of correct answer has to be a little bit lower, the more difficult the item is. So this computer adaptive testing will take into account how you're doing on your previous question and give you more difficult questions depending on how you're doing. If you're doing really well, you're going to get more difficult questions, but they're also going to be scored higher. They're going to move you over on that line that tells you passing or not passing. So this accounts for the item difficulty. So the easier items are going to be scored more on the closer to the pass-fail line, but the difficult items are going to be more on the passing side of things. Then there is this thing that the passing standard will not be adjusted until April 2026, meaning that that line, that fine line between passing and not passing, typically is adjusted up every year or every few years that they review it. But because with this next gen NCLEX, this passing standard is going to stay the same for three years. So until April 2026, so know that whether you're taking the NCLEX in April 2023 or March of 2026, it'll be the same standard. So that's really nice to know. And one of the most important things here, the bulk of the exam will be the same as before. So you're going to have multiple choice questions. You're going to have these case studies, but the bulk of it is going to be the same as before every question, format and style that you've already seen during all of your nursing school career. And then there is a different type of question that I actually didn't exactly know what that means or what the term means. So they're called bow tie or trending questions that are standalone questions. And standing alone means just that there's one question and there's some data that you have to review more so than a case study where six questions pertain to the same kind of case scenario. So that's one case scenario. You might have given nurses notes, vital signs, HMP flow sections, INO charts, any kind of trends that you can see vital signs in particular. And these bow tie questions, then you're going to have a certain condition given and then you have a list of actions and a list of things to monitor. And from based on the condition that you're looking at, you're going to look at the list of actions and whichever action applies, you're going to put in this bow tie form here. And the same thing with the list of things to monitor. So you're going to read through this list of things to monitor, whatever applies to the condition that they give you, you're going to fill these in right here. And then this looks like a bow tie. If you look at it like this and this is the thing that I first didn't understand bow tie, what does that mean? But it just looks like a bow tie and that's it. So really, there's not a whole lot of reason to be extra anxious about this next gen inclex exam because the bulk is the same. You've already done this. The case scenario is following the nursing process, answering the six questions and then come into conclusions based on what you already know. So please go out and practice these questions. Look at the resources, specifically the success series from FA Davis and I have a couple of resources where I have some recommendations there that are really, really helpful for passing your inclex. So I'll put those videos in the video, the links in the video description below so you have the links. And I also have a special discount for FA Davis products so that you can get familiar with practicing these type of questions. You got this next gen inclex, no big deal. You're well prepared. You've done two, three, four years of school. You are going to rock this exam. Good luck and thanks for watching Nursing School Explained. See you soon.


So unfortunately Jean-Jacques couldn't attend crypto and so what happened is that he started to say hey I cannot attend, but I'm in Brussels So let me see what I can find from the internet and find out what the heck can I find out about What's happening at crypto and so what he started doing is looking at cameras and says hey Yeah, if you look at the cameras webcams at University, California, Santa Barbara you get this at night However, if you look during the day, you see this guy, okay? Hey, we all know who he is And it actually is very interesting because it was at 8.53 in the morning on Saturday And so he wondered how much food is Motti going to eat? We know Motti loves food Now came the big shock He only was there for seven minutes because seven minutes later Motti actually left So what happened is that Jean-Jacques concluded he must be really on a diet And we made sure to get Motti's permission to actually mention this So without permission, he actually also spotted me around you see me in my hat Those of you who know me with my straw hat that was basically what happened yesterday But he also spotted other people as Adi Shamir Okay, it's not so clear But those of you recognize Adi you can see him at the right and He also found the wrong who was informed a little bit earlier that actually his picture would be there So what happens is the following and this is a real story is that if you work for a bank You're not allowed to come to crypto because crypto takes place in Santa Barbara, which the Europeans consider as a resort Okay So now what happens suppose you come and your boss actually is looking at the webcams that are at University of California, Santa Barbara and You are not there, okay So why didn't you go if you are on a diet? You don't like the food or you have to have another excuse So you don't find issues you're fired So conclusions if you have kids sending University California, Santa Barbara, and you can spy on your kids So we clearly have a privacy problem But Jean-Jacques is watching tomorrow if you go for breakfast and for lunch and you like Jean-Jacques wave to the camera


A Commissioner of Police has assumed office in Biosys State, C.P. Benjamin Okolo took charge of the Biosys State Police Command on Monday. This is following the redeployment of his predecessor, C.P. Echeng Echeng, to a number of State Police Command. A correspondent, Jesse Essay, completes this report. After inspecting the Guard of Honour, C.P. Benjamin Okolo proceeded to greet senior officers and men of the Biosys State Police Command who were on ground to receive him. He says he is aware of the security challenges confronting Biosys State and vows to synergize with thought stakeholders to curb crime in the state. I'm aware that the state is being confronted with threats of kidnap, courtesan and some other heinous crimes. To continue to deal with security challenges, we will synergize with all stakeholders in the Command, particularly we will take advantage of community engagement of the Community Policing Initiative as well as effective utilization of our intelligence capabilities in line with the reform agenda of the Inspector General of Police and enforcement of law and order to make Biosys State safe for all of us. He assures that the Command under his watch would be apolitical and also ensure a high level of professionalism in discharging their duties. And professional in engagement of members of the Republic, the Inspector General of Police has already deployed monitoring units, escorts to commence enforcement drive that will identify the incorrigible officers involved in these unethical conducts who will deal with cases of instability to members of the public, extortion and all forms of discreet conduct. The monitoring units and escort of this Command will be revitalized, energized and deployed immediately. Please note that 10 disciplinary actions will be initiated against any person arrested in connection with this enforcement drive. Having assumed office, it is expected of him to build on the achievements of former commissioners of police who have served the Command and the citizens are looking forward to a cordial working relationship with all police formations and the state in order to read it of criminal elements. Jesse is C plus TV News Yanagwa.


Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, CO2, with water is an emerging technology that can help mitigate climate change. It involves the use of semiconductors, such as titanium dioxide, TiO2, and layered perovskites, to convert solar energy into chemical energy by splitting water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. These reactions produce clean energy and reduce atmospheric levels of CO2. Plasmonic photocatalysts, which utilize metallic nanoparticles to absorb visible light, have been developed to improve the efficiency of these processes. Despite their promise, there remain several challenges to be addressed before this technology can be widely implemented. Further research is needed to optimize the design of Plasmonic photocatalysts and increase their efficiency. This article was authored by Samsun Nahar, MFM Zain, Abdul Amir H. Khadim, and others.


a special private property web series brought to you by PPC. I'm your host, Uzaman Tungwa Kumalo. Now this evening we're going to be talking about something that so many of us think about. We're going to be looking at South African homes built to stand the test of time. You're probably wondering what does it take to build a home that stands the test of time? What kind of materials do you need to use if you want to do just that? And some of the things you need to be looking out for. Well, to help us better understand what we need to do if we want to make sure that that home is around for your kids and your grandkids. I'm joined this evening by somebody who is no stranger to building homes that last and last for a very long time. And that is Yurekh Gushnaida who is the chief project officer at Bowen Properties. Good evening, Yurekh. Thank you so much for joining us. Good evening, Zaman Tungwa. It's great being here. Thank you for having me. I hope I can be of help. I mean, so Yurekh, I think one of the really big things is people obviously want to build their homes to last for a very long time. You don't want to build your house and find that 10 or 15 years later something starts going wrong. What exactly does it take to build a house that stands the test of time? Zaman Tungwa, I believe it starts with a philosophy, a drive, a desire to actually create a quality product. It doesn't just happen. You can't incorporate quality materials without the knowledge, the know-how, and the support of many, many people around you. Quality, I think, is an integration of people, skills, materials, and suppliers that support you. And I actually like that you've mentioned quality because I think sometimes people think quantity instead of quality and there's this debate about which one should you be opting for or prioritizing. Perhaps take us through, what are some of the benefits when you weigh out quality versus quantity, especially when you want to build a home that stands the test of time? Well, we've always had the approach that quality stands far beyond quantity. Though seeing the numbers of units we produce each year, some might be thinking we're talking Tung and Shikya. However, the start of this business, the start of bull and properties some 25 years ago was founded on the philosophy that we want to create a quality product, we want to build a reputation. And in so doing, the only way we could achieve that is surrounding ourselves with good people, good relationships. PPC was the start of that way back then. It was a bit of a looser arrangement at that stage because we were still finding our feet and determining where we wanted to go. But that relationship with PPC garnered greater support and became well entrenched a little over a decade ago when we chose to use them absolutely on all of our developments nationwide. And I actually like that. I think for viewers at home who probably don't quite understand then the importance of why a company that is building all across the country and the relationship with PPC perhaps take us through why it was so important to make sure that you also cement, quite literally speaking, the relationship. The product that we are doing, the homes that people are buying into start off with a good foundation. And I mean that metaphorically and literally, you cannot build something for the future that doesn't have good bones. And PPC and their cement that they produce is integral to the structure of our homes, the building they're of, literally from the concrete foundations, the mortars that bond the bricks together, the plasters that go there on, the screeds that get placed on the floors. All of those products have to be long standing. And we cannot achieve that without a quality product as in PPC cement, but more than that working on the models around the mixed ratios of all of those products. And that's where we found the support from PPC being wholehearted. We've actually got our maintenance manager, Vincent, who will often joke about having his own coffee cup in the PPC canteen, because he's in their laboratory so often. But there's a purpose and a reason behind that. They're trying with us to develop the product to the best of its potential, and in so doing creating a product that has a long life to it. And I'm sure you're one of the things with the views at home, and I want us to talk a little bit about this after this break, is when they look at cement, they usually sometimes don't think about the durability of a cement, what factors go into a cement being durable. Perhaps you can take us through after this break around. What are some of the factors that we need to look into, especially because when you look at the work that Bowen does, these are some of the things that you would consider you have multiple projects that you're spearheading across the country. So having a quality product where you know it's going to stand the test of time and using cement like PPC becomes so important. We're going to go for a quick break here. And when we come back, I want us to look at the durability factor and what views at home need to be considering when they know that they want to build something that will outlast them and that their grandchildren can also look forward to living in. We're going to go for a quick break and we'll back just after this. Welcome back to the special web series by Pavard Property brought to you by PPC. I'm your host, Uzaman Tungwa Kumalo. It is, of course, episode three of our special web series. If you've missed any of our other episodes, do go back and watch those first two episodes. You certainly do not want to miss them. Now, of course, this evening, we're looking at, you know, looking at South African homes that are built to stand the test of time. What does it take to build a South African home that does stand the test of time and what are some of the factors that you need to consider when you want to build for the long term? To help us better understand how we go about doing this, making sure we choose the right products, making sure that even the products that you use, you know how to use them. I'm joined this evening by Yurekh Dashneider. I always say that Austrian surname, always gets me, I have to practice it a few times. And of course, he is the Chief Projects Officer at Bowen Property Zero. Thank you so much again for joining us. And before the break, I was asking you, when we look at durability and making sure that we use the right products to ensure that our homes are obviously built and they're going to last a long time, what are some of the factors that we need to consider when we're building for durability and making sure that things are going to last for that long period of time? So Amantunga, it really starts at the very, very beginning. The first thing you have to have is the support of your directors, the senior management of the company, your staff to buy into the philosophy around quality. You need to be driven in that regard. You need to have a desire and a passion to achieve a quality product. And you do that because you want to build a reputation. Once you've established that, you really want to grow and expand on that by surrounding yourself with like-minded people, like-minded materials, like-minded thinking. So we put together a professional team starting with the architects and the engineers who not only design and specify the build of the home ultimately, but also specify a lot of the products that we need to do and the way in which we're going to be building it. There are, of course, rules and regulations that govern building in South Africa and those are followed. But at Ball and Properties, we prefer to take it a step further. We've created our own methods statements in conjunction with the likes of PPC. And the idea is to create a product that is not only designed, not only spec'd correctly, but put together correctly as well. We are not perfect, and we've had issues in the past now. And to go back over periods of time to fix and remedy is not where you want to go as a business. People take a lot of comfort in the fact that you will always remedy what you did or what you got wrong in the beginning. But the inconvenience to the clients, we do not want to get to. The cost to the company itself, you do not want to affect too greatly. And as a result of that, we put together a product that is not only quality, but reduces the liability going forward. PPC are instrumental in putting the wet trades together for us. And also the testing thereof, we have monthly testing on all of our products or all of our homes country-wide on the different products, from the concrete, the bricks, the mortars, the cements and the screeds. And in so doing, we put together a product that can stand the... You know, there's something that you mentioned that I really like. It's this idea that when you're building something, you don't want to have to make mistakes and have to go back. And some of those mistakes, of course, if we look at viewers at home who've probably done home projects or built whether it's your family home or even your own home, is that they sometimes perhaps use the wrong materials in order to build their home. And sometimes perhaps it's because you want to cut a few corners or save a few rants here and there. And one of the places that some people might think, maybe I'll save 10 rants for a bag here, is of course with cement. Perhaps take us through some of the factors when it comes to then the durability of the cement that we use, because there's quite a variety. Even within PPC, there are different kinds of cements for different things that you would be doing in the house. Perhaps take us through what affects then the durability of the cement that you use for the home that you'd be building. It again starts on the philosophy and the thinking behind what you're going to be doing and what you want to ultimately achieve. You can pay a lot less for cement. You can buy it off the street. The imported products are bountiful in this country. But there's no reason to believe they have longevity to them. You don't know if they've been checked, if they've been monitored. And that is why we stick to a reputable company like PPC. We know that the product is going to be sound, is going to be fit for purpose, serve our needs, and come with longevity thereof. The product we know is going to arrive already inspected and checked because PPC have their own quality control systems in place that are very, very rigid. And we know this because they've been around for so many years. And that actually brings me to a question that I wanted to ask you, because you were saying that we already live in a country where there are quite a lot of these imported cements. You can pretty much get them anywhere. And I wanted to ask you then how do we, as consumers who are looking to buy cement for our various home projects, how do we then confirm the longevity and the durability of the PPC cement that we'd be using for our home projects? So all of our sites nationwide are supported by PPC with their laboratories and their testing facilities. So every month on every single site countrywide, PPC will take samples of our bricks, our concretes, our screeds, our mortars, and our plasters and give us feedback or reports on those products. And we will then determine whether they are correct. Sometimes we might find they a little weaker than we would have liked them to be or possibly a bit stronger. And we will then re-look at the mix design for those products. Again, with the assistance of PPC's laboratory. And you're, you know, to wrap up to viewers at home who are looking to, you know, build their homes and obviously building not just for your children but for your grandchildren. What are some of the measures would you say we need to take into consideration when we want to build homes that stand at the test of time? Any tips you'd like to share with us? I think the, I mean, I keep coming back to the philosophy and that's the reason ball when properties are still doing so very well, I believe in a very difficult market is you've got to want to have the quality. You've got to strive for the quality. And in so doing you put in the necessary measures. The only way you can do that is by testing a product. But if I was a single home owner looking to build a home I would start with the structure. The finishes in that are easily changed are identifiable from a visual perspective and can fairly easily be changed and fixed. But the structure, the foundation, the bricks, the screeds, the mortars that hold that entire building together needs to be done properly. It's that that's going to last forever. And if you're using a product like PPC Cement then you're well on your way to achieving that. Thank you very much, Yurek. And that is, of course, some of the tips that you want to take into consideration when you want to build a home that stands the test of time. And it's such an important thing to always think about because when you think about it when you're building a home it isn't just for you, you're building it for your family, you're building it for your children, you're building it for your grandchildren. And oftentimes it may even be the center where people come home obviously for Christmas or the Easter break. So you want to make sure that the home that you build really is strong, that nothing is going to go wrong. And many years after perhaps even you've passed on that the home is still there and it's something that your children and your grandchildren can certainly be proud of. So do make sure that use the right material as Yurek has shared with us. PPC has been trusted, it's been tested and it's certainly a product that you can rely on when you want to build a home that's going to even outlast you. You want to make sure that you're using the right products, you have the right team. And even use some of the philosophies that Yurek has shared with us, which is so important. Because I think sometimes we get so carried away, maybe you want to save a few rents here and there and not understanding that saving those few rents in the actual project may actually cost you in the long run. So make sure that you really do make the right decisions as you plan on building your home for your family. It's certainly something that you want to be proud of. And as you're building a home that's going to last and stand the test of time, be sure to sign up for the PPC Cement Sure Rewards Program. We've shared the link details down here below. It's certainly something where you earn your money back with every bag of cement that you buy.  So do click on the link below to find out more details as you build that family home that you and your family can be proud of. That's it from me, Zamantho Ngakumalo, do look forward to the next episode. And I do hope of course you can share with us down here below if you've already started building a family home, how is that process going for you? What are some of the lessons that you've learned in building a home that's going to last for generations to come? If perhaps your family or your mother or grandmother built that family home, what were some of the things that stood out for you when you were growing up and they were building that particular home? Do share with us down here below.