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Hardware configuration is one of two components of a computing system. The other component is software. When choosing computer software or hardware, it is important to pay attention to their efficiency and performance. As a rule, the average cost of hardware is higher.The implementation of software solutions requires the attention of highly qualified specialists. Modern computers and computing systems usually have a block-modular design. Hardware configuration allows users to perform certain types of work. It can be assembled from blocks and nodes.
Main Components
The main hardware components include the central processing unit, memory, and peripherals.They are connected by a system highway.Main memory allows the computer to store programs and data in binary form.It is organized in cells. Each cell has an individual digital address. The size of one cell is one byte. All memory operations are standard in nature, they include reading the contents and recording.
The central processing unit is the main component of the computer. It processes data and controls peripheral devices. The components of the central processing unit include:
control unit;
arithmetic logic unit;
storage device;
clock generator.
The central processor performs various data operations.To do this, it uses special cells to store temporary and variable results called internal registers. There are two types of registers:
general purpose register;
special purpose register.
Programmers can use data registers to temporarily store data from different objects and perform certain operations with them.
Computer hardware
The address of each cell consists of words. The first word indicates the way the segment is located in memory. The second word indicates the offset within the given segment. The size of each segment depends on the amount of data it contains, but cannot exceed 64 KB. This is the maximum possible offset. The segment address is always stored in a special register.The offset to the address byte is located in the instruction pointer register.
The computer processes information by transferring data from memory cells to general purpose registers.This is the task of the central processor. The results are then transferred to the main memory. All programs are stored as sequential machine instructions.They are executed by the central processor.Commands consist of operand fields and an operation field. A machine language is a set of such operations. Central processing units usually operate in two modes: kernel mode and user mode.
There are external and internal devices, depending on their location relative to the processor.External devices include most of the data input and output devices.People also call them peripherals.Hardware-logic devices provide coordination between blocks and nodes. These are hardware interfaces. The standards for them are protocols. This set of conditions must be provided for the successful organization of coordinated work between devices.
Another major hardware component is memory. Its system consists of layers.The upper one consists of CPU registers. The next layer is hardware-controlled cache memory. Then there is RAM, which is the main workspace in the system structure. If the user works in several programs, it is better to place complex programs in RAM.The next component of the memory structure is the hard drive. It consists of several plates on which information is recorded. The hardware configuration of computing systems is rather complicated. |
Sometimes it is convenient to be able to have variable variable names. That is, a variable name which can be set and used dynamically. A normal variable is set with a statement such as:
A variable variable takes the value of a variable and treats that as the name of a variable. In the above example, hello, can be used as the name of a variable by using two dollar signs. i.e.
At this point two variables have been defined and stored in the PHP symbol tree: $a with contents "hello" and $hello with contents "world". Therefore, this statement: |
Running with sudo means you run it with root privileges. If you don‘t set a User in the systemd file, the service is automaticly run as root. So this isn‘t the problem.
I had the same problem last week, the only thing that helped, was Setting up the whole thing again. And start it directly as a service.
arpagor62970 July 27, 2020, 5:14am #6
what do you mean by: “start all over ??”
arpagor62970 July 27, 2020, 5:59am #7
I think the problem lies with the launcher -> / usr / bin / rhasspy which itself launches the “supervisord” assistant service |
So I just got these super cute earrings yesterday. I saw them a few weeks ago when Miami fashion blogger Kelly Saks of KellySaks.com and I was like omg. I need these! So anyway, I’ve followed Kelly since….well college. We went to high school together (go Cobras!) and so I’ve always admired her style like even in high school. Plus, she’s a Libra which is like the best sign ever (sorry I’m a bit biased). What I’m totally not biased on are products. I will give y’all the honest truth about how I feel about anything that I review. I’m not getting paid for this at all. I just saw something I thought was cute and decided to treat myself to a good birthday gift.
Anyway, she’s pretty major on the fashion scene in Miami, so I was stoked when she first shared her collaboration with Taudrey, which is a jewelry boutique in miami that makes hand crafted jewelry (cool tidbit! She went to school with the owner of Taudrey, Tiffany). She’s been featured in magazines such as The Knot, Cosmo for Latinas, Vogue, and so much more! She can be seen every Friday at 11:30 am on NBC 6’s In The Mix in Miami (or online for those gals who aren’t local). Her style can be described as classic yet eclectic, bringing that Miami flair wherever she goes.
I ordered the Love earrings through Taudrey’s website (they ship nationwide!) and about a week and a half later, the earrings were in my possession. There’s more to her jewelry collection with Taudrey on the site so I suggest you make a beeline over there (no seriously like go!).
So wanna know about the earrings? First of all, let’s talk about price (because that’s important, right?). These earrings are $42 (before taxes) which to me if its worth it, I see no issue paying for it (after all, I’m a babe on a budget). To others this is a steal! Its 18K gold filled and as I stated before, are hand crafted. Lots of love and care went into making these beauties and in every bit of the detail in the packaging as well. They’re 1.5 inches in diameter (something I didn’t really realize until I saw them in person). They are apart of her Taudrey x Kelly Saks Birthday Collection. They’re perfect for a brunch with your girlfriends or a date night with your boo.
So here’s my downside: The closure. On the site, it says that its a continuous closure (again something I didn’t notice until after I got them). They can easily come out of your ear (unless y’all know a trick to get them to stay in). I was a bit disappointed in that. Also, since its like super thin, if it falls out, it can be difficult to find (like I still can’t find the other earring) if you have carpet or anything like that. Again, this is just my opinion.
So is it worth the purchase? Yes! Definitely just make sure you’re super careful when wearing them.
XOXO,
LolaDasher
I love this card. I’m all above female empowerment. I’m tacking this up on my bulletin board at work
I am a sucker for cute packaging. Again, all of this is hand made and hand sown.
They’re so cute. I’d recommend these for a girls brunch or a date night! I love classic pieces
This is my only downer: the lack of a back can make it easy for the earring to come out. I’m not kidding. The same day I got them in the mail, one was missing by the end of the night and I still cannot find it because it’s pretty thin and I have carpet on my flooring. So be aware! |
Cloud and mobility have ushered in a new era of enterprise technology. By adding key innovations to existing models, these trends allowed companies to change their approach and redefine the processes for choosing, implementing, and supporting business systems.
New technologies such as cloud and mobility account for nearly all projected revenue growth in the IT industry. Traditional areas like security, networking, and help desk are still major factors in a $3.7 trillion industry, so the net effect of new technologies is to add options and complexity.
With more technology options available and more input being added from business units, the typical IT goal of building business systems becomes a greater challenge. However, it is also more critical as businesses use technology to compete in a fast-paced global market.
Welcome to the Cloud/Mobile Era
In 2006, Amazon Web Services released their first offering: Simple Storage Service (S3). In 2007, Apple announced a new device that promised to combine the best qualities of the iPod with revolutionary mobile phone design and Internet capabilities: the iPhone. In the time since, the IT industry has been saturated with information and discussions on cloud and mobility, and that saturation has obscured the disruptive nature of these two trends.
Neither of these early offerings represented a never-before-seen concept. With cloud computing, Amazon built on a foundation of virtualization technology along with the recognized advantages of hosted systems over on-premise systems. The key innovation was the software layer that automated many virtualization tasks and allowed for greater flexibility and speed.
With mobility, the foundation was even more solid. Considering laptops as mobile devices, many companies had been exploring best practices around mobility for several years. Even smartphones were well entrenched as Blackberry had captured significant share among business users. The iPhone accelerated mobility momentum with a groundbreaking user interface and an app ecosystem that redefined the possibilities of mobile computing.
S3 and the iPhone introduced these new elements, and as more companies adopted them and adapted them for their own offerings, the era of cloud and mobility was born. Rather than creating an evolutionary step, cloud and mobility represent a true revolution. CompTIA, IDC, and other industry observers believe that cloud/mobility will be the third wave of enterprise technology, following mainframes and PC/Internet.
The revolution is not confined to the IT department, though. As technology becomes more accessible and more widespread, entire organizations are changing their approach and redefining the processes for choosing, implementing, and supporting business systems. The function of the IT team is certainly changing, whether that team is an internal department, an informal collection of employees, or a third party responsible for technology management. However, there are also changes in inter-departmental dynamics and in the drivers behind technology projects.
After several years of looking at cloud and mobility individually to understand how they were being implemented, CompTIA is taking a step back to assess the bigger picture. Building Digital Organizations explores the transformations taking place in businesses beyond the IT team. It also explores the steps the IT team can take to continue providing value in this new era of enterprise technology.
Growing the IT Pie
Without a doubt, the new trends in technology are the major growth drivers in the IT industry. IDC, which calls this new era of computing the “3rd Platform,” actually predicts that these new technologies will account for 100% of IT spending growth in 2015. With the lines often blurred between different areas in spending projections, there may still be incremental growth in some traditional areas of IT, but revenue for emerging areas has definitely skyrocketed in recent years, with high expectations for 2015:
$536 billion on wireless data, making that the largest component of telecom spending.
$484 billion in smartphone/tablet sales. This includes consumer spending, but businesses will certainly account for a healthy share.
$118 billion on the overall cloud ecosystem, including IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS.
$125 billion on data-related software, hardware, and services as late adopters pick up data management foundations and early adopters push new forms of analytics.
However, these growth areas are not necessarily replacing traditional components. Consider security as an example. Migrations to cloud systems and use of mobile devices force companies to invest in new security measures, such as DLP and IAM. At the same time, there is still a need for legacy measures such as firewalls and antivirus to remain in place. These areas may even require updates thanks to new technology models being deployed.
Flat spending in traditional areas, then, is still fairly significant in an industry that generated $3.7 trillion in global revenue in 2014. Companies will continue to spend in areas like security, networking, and help desk as they pursue new technology directions and seek greater efficiency and productivity. These macro revenue trends are the first sign that technology planning is has two separate components: operational and strategic.
Individual company budgets reflect this trend, and they also show that technology is a growing market. In order to meet both operational and strategic goals, budgets are becoming more distributed. Only 19% of companies report that the IT function still owns the entire technology budget. In most cases, the business units have some of their own funds, whether that is merely discretionary (33%), split evenly with the IT function (20%), the majority of the technology budget (9%), or complete control (19%).
There are obviously differences in budget distribution depending on company size. Small companies (1-99 employees) are less likely to have formal IT functions, so it’s no surprise to see that this is where business units are most likely to hold the full technology budget. Among medium-sized companies (100-499 employees), the most common model is for the business units to have discretionary funds while the IT function holds the majority of the budget. Large enterprises (500+ employees) use a variety of methods, but generally the IT function retains at least half the budget.
While the budgets may be spread across different areas, they all seem healthy. Distributing technology funds to business units has not adversely affected the budget of the IT function, and in nearly half of businesses both sets of budgets are growing. The fact that there is negligible difference between IT respondents and business respondents shows that all groups have good visibility to what is happening across the organization.
Growing budgets do not mean that companies are becoming less cost-conscious, but it is a signal that investments will be made if the business case is viable. With budgets held by different groups, that business case will take different forms depending on who is making the decision. Pitches for technology will often need to go beyond specifications and features to include user experience, innovative potential, and overall integration across separate functional areas.
The New Business Systems
The role of IT within business is complex, but one way of quickly describing the function is that IT exists to build and support business systems. In the early days of IT, these systems required highly specialized skill to build and operate. Only large companies could afford the expensive equipment and the highly skilled staff, and the systems were very self-contained. As PCs and the Internet entered the business world, systems evolved to include a strong backend for centralized computation and storage along with a connected frontend for the broader workforce to utilize technology.
In the age of cloud and mobility, the workforce is more aware than ever of technology options and more equipped to apply those options directly. Workers bring in their own mobile devices, and business units procure their own cloud solutions. The concept of a business system could mean different things to different people. A sales team may think of a CRM application and the various functions and features they need for driving new deals. The IT team will consider the CRM application along with the databases on the back end and all the devices that need to display that application in different settings.
Any application can qualify as a business system, especially as the focus on data grows sharper and companies expect to gain insights from data generated within any application. There are several systems that are commonly recognized across most organizations, including the corporate web presence, communications platforms, and customer relationship management (CRM).
Satisfaction with business systems is currently a function of business operations. Those systems with the lowest satisfaction are the ones with the goal of automating standard business operations and enabling connections between different functions. Systems like CRM or enterprise resource planning (ERP) hold a great deal of potential, and new experiences with technology can make it apparent that this potential is not being met.
This is especially true if these systems are a little long in the tooth. CRM and ERP are the least likely types of system to be installed over the past year, with small companies still holding off on these systems even with cloud-based options. The primary activity over the past year has focused on the portal between a company and the outside world. Websites (including mobile sites), content management, and e-commerce all work together as businesses try to make an impact in the digital space and reach new customers.
More and more, digital systems are becoming the battleground for business competition and the tools for building competitive advantage. By a wide margin, the smallest businesses are the least likely to have certain systems installed. For complex systems such as ERP (not in place at 49% of small businesses), there is probably not a pressing need. The gap still exists, though, in systems that are more critical, such as websites/mobile sites (not in place at 23% of small businesses).
For small and medium-sized businesses to truly become digital organizations and compete with larger enterprises, they will have to explore a greater degree of technical complexity and automation. Many SMBs recognize that they can expand their capabilities thanks to cloud computing, but building large business systems will require a broader, more aggressive approach.
CompTIA’s 5th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing report found that the top applications that have moved into the cloud are business productivity suites and email. While these applications could easily be connected to other pieces of a larger business system, it is more likely that companies in the early stages of adoption are using them stand-alone. Businesses still gain benefits from these types of migrations, but those firms moving into the Transformed IT stage of CompTIA’s cloud adoption progression are comprehensively changing their architecture to allow for greater connection between applications, driving towards fully cloud-enabled business systems.
Similarly, only 8% of companies in CompTIA’s 3rd Annual Trends in Enterprise Mobility study claimed to have made significant changes to workflow as a result of mobility adoption. Email is again a top application for mobile strategies, and that certainly provides employees with new efficiencies in communication. As applications are rebuilt for cloud systems, workflow will also have to be rebuilt to ensure that mobile devices can be used to drive a variety of business operations.
Business transformation is a topic that has been in the spotlight as much as cloud computing and mobility, and there is just as much reason to believe that it is also critical. In order to connect with customers in a global economy or even provide the products and services needed for today’s market, companies will need to transform into digital organizations that effectively use technology to drive forward.
What, then, are the characteristics of a digital organization? How are these business systems built, and how does IT provide value in the new world order? Building Digital Organizations examines these questions, taking the lessons learned in the first stage of cloud/mobile adoption and providing insight for IT departments and solutions providers as a more advanced stage begins.
The good news is that IT is up for the challenge. As these new trends have taken hold, there has been some uncertainty about the role that IT will play as delivery models change and business units become more powerful. With the first wave of cloud migrations and mobile device influx behind them, IT professionals are more confident in the value they provide and the ability to deliver service in the new environment.
Appendix
What exactly is a digital organization? The full report aims to answer that question in depth, but a quick glance at a sampling of business processes gives some insight into the ways in which a digital organization is using technology—both old and new—to optimize their workflow and improve efficiency.
Section 2:
Business Model Analysis
Key Points
The decision process for new business systems is the starting point for the changes that a business must make to its internal processes. Rather than the IT function being the command center for technology decisions, the process now focuses more on business objectives, includes different areas of the organization, and often has a different final decision maker.
While there are more voices involved in the decision process, IT is still seen as the primary driver for technology choices. Seven out of ten companies say that IT still has a primary role in the decision process, with finance, marketing, sales, and HR playing larger roles.
As business units contribute more to technology decisions, they are seeking input from a variety of sources. Along with knowledge or research internal to the line of business, information comes from business/technology events, peers, and third party firms. Existing technology partners are a common choice, but new firms with new capabilities are also sought out.
A New Way of Making Decisions
As cloud and mobility transform the approach to enterprise technology, the changes go much deeper than application architecture and infrastructure implementation. Digital organizations have new business processes thanks to the propensity of business units to drive technology choices and the responsibility that the IT team must take as a result.
The decision process for new business systems is the starting point for these changes. In the PC/Internet era, the IT team still held the vast majority of the technical knowledge and skill. Because of this, they maintained a high degree of control, selecting systems to match their interpretation of business needs and their knowledge of integration and security.
Today, business units are not only more aware of technology solutions but also more able to procure those solutions. Developers within business units can obtain virtual machines through IaaS providers instead of going through a process to secure internal resources. Other workers can select SaaS applications for their needs, and they can bring in their own mobile devices to access these applications.
Over the past several years, the concept of business units procuring their own technology has become known as “rogue IT” or “shadow IT.” In theory, this allows for greater speed and a better fit to business goals, but it also raises questions around integration and security. As businesses try to get the best of both worlds, they are making changes to the process for deciding on technology.
The most common change is in the objective for new technology. IT has always played a support role—the ultimate objective has always been to support the needs of the business. However, the view on enterprise technology is changing in the cloud/mobile era. Rather than simply enabling goals that the business has already chosen, technology is tightly integrated with the goals. In other words, new goals depend on the proper use of technology as they aggressively move the business into new areas.
There is a notable gap between IT personnel and business personnel in the perception of technology objectives being more business focused. Business personnel likely see new business goals as technology-fueled extensions of their previous activity. IT personnel, on the other hand, likely see the business imperatives in a new light. It’s the difference between “We need email so that we can communicate with each other” and “We need our email to connect to our CRM so that we can have a tighter process for communicating customer information.”
CompTIA’s cloud research has consistently shown that medium-sized businesses are in a unique position for adopting new technology models, and the data on technology objectives continues to affirm this. Six out of ten medium-sized businesses say that there is more of a business focus with technology decisions, compared to 52% of large companies and 49% of small firms.
The other major difference in the technology decision process is that there are more voices involved. This is true as ideas are being generated, discussion is taking place, and the final call is made. For most companies, IT is still seen as the driver for technology. This is true for IT respondents and business respondents, and it can be seen whether talking about the position of IT relative to other departments or the list of departments that play a critical role.
This picture is in flux—in another five years, there may be even greater balance than there is today—but this is a good sign that the role of IT is still highly valued. Some companies may still have IT in a primary position simply because of historical momentum, but others are likely realizing that IT’s expertise in those problem areas of integration and security is critical for ongoing success.
The data around final decisions tells a slightly different story, one that may indicate the shape this process takes over time. With fewer respondents saying that the final decision comes from a new source, the data for now simply acts as an indicator, but it appears that final technology decisions are more frequently being made by the CEO or business owner. This is true even at large enterprises.
Smaller technology investments may not rise to this level of executive approval. As business systems grow more complex, though, they will require greater investment and affect many different departments. There will often be trade-offs required between one department and another. As the decision process evolves, everyone may have a seat at the table, but the final call could be made at the highest levels.
Business Goals from the Business Units
New Criteria for New Systems
54% Improve innovation/build new products
51% Reach new customers/markets
49% Speed up processes and operations
40% Improve internal communications
40% Lower overall cost
37% Gather new types of data
29% Improve brand image
If the business units are taking a more active role in technology decisions, what does that mean for the decision process? Obviously, there is the push for technology to better drive business objectives. Since the first mainframes, the goal of IT has always been to enable a business to achieve things that would otherwise be impossible. New technology models allow companies to continue chasing typical pursuits such as cost cutting or increased efficiency, and they also open doors to new products, new customers, and new data.
To match business goals with technology solutions, business units must have the right level of technical knowledge. Most business professionals today are far more aware of technology capabilities than their counterparts from previous decades. Some of this is simply the cumulative effect of IT: as companies have built a strong foundation and integrated technology into their day-to-day operations, employees have become accustomed to the typical tools in use within their organization.
However, consumer technology has greatly accelerated technical savvy among business professionals. In the mainframe era, there was no consumer technology to speak of. In the PC/Internet era, technology moved into the consumer space, and it mostly trickled down from products created for enterprise use. The best technology was built for businesses since they were the ones that could afford it, and eventually it made its way into the consumer market.
One of the hallmarks of the cloud/mobile era is that some of the best technology is being developed for consumers. Smartphones, tablets, and many cloud services were initially designed to focus on user experience and convenience, with security taking somewhat of a back seat. The simplicity built in to these devices and services has driven rapid adoption and quickly raised the technology literacy level.
Given this newfound literacy, it is no surprise to see that the primary source of technology information for business units is their own experience or research. With direct knowledge of the problems they are facing and with the right tools at their fingertips, business professionals are eager to dig a little deeper to find the best solutions for their needs.
Internal IT departments also rate highly as sources of information, giving further proof that the IT team continues to deliver value. In this case, the IT team is shifting into a role as a consultant. As expected, small businesses see this happening far less often than medium-sized or large businesses.
The IT channel is not yet playing a major role in educating business units about available technology. Once again, medium-sized businesses take the lead here, with 41% using third party technology firms for information (compared to 32% of large businesses and 27% of small businesses). With enough resource to think seriously about growth and operations but not enough resource to fully bring everything in house, medium-sized firms are ideal candidates for exploring new forms of partnering.
Following the trend seen in CompTIA’s Enabling SMBs With Technology study, companies are most likely to seek out information from third party firms that already have an established relationship. For the business units, though, this relationship may be an unknown. Compared to the general SMB market, business units across all company sized show a greater tendency towards new firms, either as the single source of information or as a complement to an existing partnership.
There are two takeaways for solution providers. First, be sure that the connection with a company includes the lines of business along with the IT function. The IT function may still be a major driver in technology decisions, but the business units are becoming more critical. Second, be sure that services and skills are up to date. Even if current offerings continue to generate healthy revenue, there is always the possibility for disruption. The current offerings may remain viable, but they will need to be positioned in the context of the changing market.
Section 3:
Challenges
Key Points
One of the major challenges in the new technology environment is rogue IT: the selection and implementation of technology by business units with no IT function involvement. However, this trend may not be as rampant as some might think: of business units with their own technology budget, only 41% use that budget to procure technology on their own or start independent projects with outside firms.
Part of the issue with rogue IT is the perception of the IT function. Here again, the data points to a more positive picture than is often portrayed. Over half of the companies surveyed said that there is a good relationship between the IT function and the business units. There may be more strategic work that IT could do, but there is a desire on the part of the business units to be partners.
As the IT function implements the technology decisions that have been made, there are new considerations for every part of a business system. On the backend, cloud systems provide new options for application and drive new storage needs. On the frontend, mobile devices allow for more efficiency but require more development effort. Across the entire architecture, data and security have become greater cause for concern than the cloud/mobile pieces.
Going Rogue
Many challenges crop up as the business model for technology solutions changes, and one of the biggest challenges in this new dynamic is the incidence of rogue IT. Business units are knowledgeable enough about technology and enabled enough with their own budges to procure their own solutions. In some cases, this procurement may happen because business units have negative feelings about IT. In most cases, though, they are simply looking for the quickest path to meeting or beating their goals.
There are two major questions when it comes to rogue IT: How much is it happening and what are the effects? On the first question, CompTIA research has seen indicators for rogue IT rise over the past few years. The 5th Annual Trends in Cloud Computing study found that business units handled their own procurement for cloud applications between 18% and 36% of the time (depending on the application). This was a slight increase from the previous year’s numbers.
The data on business unit budgets in the Building Digital Organizations study indicate that rogue IT continues to grow. Four out of ten companies say that the primary action business units take with their own budget is an independent one, whether they are procuring their own technology directly or contracting with an outside firm. While small businesses show a greater tendency for independent outsourcing (which makes sense without an internal IT function), there is no significant difference in the likelihood for independent procurement across company size.
Rogue IT is clearly not rampant, though. As section 2 described, it is still more likely for the IT function to control at least half of the technology budget. Within business units that hold their own tech funds, the most common approach is to engage internal IT teams for projects. This matches findings from previous studies showing that business units typically keep IT involved, even if they are making the final decision.
Keeping IT involved or working with them directly on technology projects are both ways to avoid the major threats associated with rogue IT: integration and security. For as much technical savvy as they may have, business units still will not typically be well versed in these two areas. The early view on rogue IT was that business units might select applications that worked well in a vacuum but caused headaches in the context of the overall company architecture.
It certainly appears that businesses have learned these lessons, based either on missteps they have made themselves or on information they have gathered from early adopters. Even in the relatively short time CompTIA has been examining rogue IT in studies on cloud computing, the complete sidestepping of IT has gone down, and those companies that have done so have experienced the expected issues with integration and security.
In this new study, companies overwhelmingly claim that technology procured by business units is effective. This view is remarkably consistent among IT respondents and business respondents, so the two sides do not appear to be at war over this issue. Instead, it appears that there is some agreement being formed on how technology will be driven and which issues must be considered in the process.
The question on the effects of rogue IT has a partial answer. While companies view these solutions as effective, there is clearly a great deal of work being done to make this happen. Those companies that are pushing into new territory with line of business technology budgets and democratic decision processes are finding success, and companies with more traditional structures will soon follow suit. As they do so, the negative connotations of rogue IT should fall away as teams work together to marry the speed of business unit procurement with the safety of IT oversight.
Business Unit Views on IT
The level of agreement from business units to various statements about the IT function indicates a generally positive relationship.
52% “There is a good relationship between the IT function and all business units”
44% “The IT function plays a critical support role in our organization.”
40% “The IT function plays a critical strategic role in our organization.”
32% “The IT function drives our vision for technology.”
18% “It can be difficult explaining business problems to the IT function.”
18% “The IT function has a tendency to slow things down.”
Perception of IT
Just as rogue IT has some negative connotations, there are some views on the behavior of the IT function that are less than rosy. Many of these views correspond to the thinking that rogue IT is done primarily as a workaround of an IT team that is not moving quickly enough or finding new ways to meet business goals.
However, this concept of the IT function as the “department of no” does not seem to be the majority opinion. The idea has appeared in many industry articles and conference sessions, but its traction may have more to do with its weight as a rallying cry than its actual presence in the workplace. Every business has some degree of inter-departmental frustration and differing priorities, but business units tend to view IT as a valuable partner rather than a hindrance.
While only about half of the business units in the survey agreed with the statement that there is a good relationship between the IT function and the business units, this was the top response chosen and was far more popular than the more negative statements. This is likely a case of abstention—it is reasonable to assume that the 18% agreeing with the negative statements are the segment with negative feelings, and the gap remaining between that segment and the positive statement are simply in neutral territory. Having approximately 8 out of 10 businesses with positive or neutral relationships is still a far cry from a widespread negative viewpoint.
As good as the relationship may be between business units and the IT function, there is room for improvement. Overall, IT is still seen more in a support or tactical role rather than a strategic role, though not by a wide margin. This is particularly true in the SMB segment. In fact, more large businesses view the IT function as strategic (48%) rather than support/tactical (43%).
Medium-sized businesses, on the other hand, are more likely to view the IT function as driving technology vision. Forty-one percent of medium-sized businesses agree with this viewpoint, compared to 35% of large businesses and 24% of small businesses. Large businesses may agree less since they employ a more collaborative approach to technology, but small businesses are in need of someone to drive an innovative vision.
Each company segment has a different preference for the key action IT could take to become more strategic. Small businesses that are using IT providers or internal employees simply to maintain operations are looking for a better understanding of business objectives. Medium-sized businesses that have grown into more complex processes and architectures are looking for a more effective use of data. Large businesses that are highly concerned with efficiency are looking for metrics that quantify the collaboration between the IT function and the business units.
Although education is not at the top of anyone’s list, it is a growing need as technology becomes more complex and integrated with business operations. CompTIA’s 3rd Annual Trends in Enterprise Mobility study found that the top challenge in adopting mobility was the skill level of general staff. Since much of the momentum behind mobility initiatives (especially BYOD) is the adoption in the consumer space, this is surprising at first glance. However, organizations are finding that the requirements for safely using mobile devices in a corporate setting are new even to users with fairly strong mobile device proficiency.
Education, then, bridges the gap between what users think they know about technology and what they really need to know. New user interfaces have driven demands for ease of use and abstraction has made complex functions appear simple, but the expertise IT has built in proper security and smooth integration is highly valuable and should now be shared across the broader organization.
Building Business Systems With New Pieces
Aside from the issue of forming and maintaining strong relationships with the business units, the IT team has its own challenges to deal with internally. The construction and support of business systems has become much more complicated thanks to the wide range of options now available. In addition, certain aspects of these systems have now taken on an enhanced level of importance thanks to the new cloud and mobile components being used.
At the highest level, IT architecture consists of a backend (where applications are hosted and databases crunch numbers) and a frontend (where users interact with the backend and perform day-to-day operations). Cloud computing and mobile devices have transformed both of these aspects, with cloud changing how systems are constructed and mobile devices driving new user experiences and workflows.
The top change that cloud computing is driving within the IT function is the management of storage as systems and data are spread across multiple environments. Storage was the first cloud offering, and there are now many cloud solutions such as databases or analytics services that allow companies to build robust plans beyond simple storage of data. Backup and disaster recovery is a good example of a process that has been re-imagined, especially for companies in the SMB segment that previously had little in the way of BC/DR strategies.
Other changes driven by cloud involve internal expectations. In the early days of adoption, companies viewed cloud as a path to lower costs. Although many companies are now finding cloud to be cost-neutral (while delivering other benefits such as speed and new revenue opportunities), the expectation still lingers, and 61% of IT professionals say that controlling costs is the top challenge in the overall management of backend architecture. Other expectations for lower downtime or a stronger business voice in suggesting technical solutions drive new operational behavior and organizational collaboration for the IT team.
Although only a third of companies say that there is less focus on backend maintenance due to the cloud, this change may have one of the more dramatic effects on the composition of the IT function as it becomes more widespread. The notion of shifting the maintenance burden to cloud providers can be somewhat unnerving for IT professionals currently doing that work, but previous CompTIA research has found that companies are far more likely to redeploy these skills to something more innovative rather than reduce the workforce. As maintenance causes less burden, the IT team is free to pursue those activities that can put them in a more strategic position.
Aside from keeping costs under control, the main challenges with backend systems revolve around the complexity in managing multiple models. The challenges start at the beginning, with simply selecting the correct model (cited as a challenge by 47%). Things remain complex as the process moves on and models are integrated together (43%) and secured (43%). Finally, the entire system must be monitored (42%).
Moving to the frontend, the challenges follow a similar pattern. About half the companies that experience difficulties with frontend systems cite cost control as an issue as they need to support a growing number of devices. This growth also drives complexity, and companies struggle with new applications needed for mobile devices and ensuring that users are properly equipped to put their new devices to good use.
Some of these challenges are directly driving change. The IT team feels greater pressure to deliver on workflow efficiency, and that drives a development effort. Many companies are finding that their traditional desktop development experience does not perfectly translate to mobile app development, and many more are finding that they must start development efforts where there have been none in the past. For other challenges, more change is needed. Although educated users are a major problem, less than one third of companies are adding workforce training to go along with mobility efforts.
Companies are less apt to seek out third party expertise for mobile systems. The consumer familiarity likely causes organizations to believe that the transition will be smooth. However, the new work needed in mobile app development and the gap between user knowledge and training efforts both suggest that third parties will be able to step in where companies need help fully integrating mobile devices.
There are two components of business systems that are not directly tied to the main components of cloud and mobility but are indirectly magnified as those components are used. Digital data and cybersecurity have always been parts of IT operations; they have become serious concerns as data flows through multiple models and the entire architecture must be made secure. IT professionals actually rate these two areas of business systems as being more problematic than the primary focus areas of cloud and mobility.
The challenges with data begin with skills. At large organizations, there is a learning curve in dealing with distributed storage or non-relational databases. At smaller firms, the learning curve is even steeper as companies gain skill in more traditional areas such as data warehousing and SQL.
Even with the right knowledge, it can be difficult to know where all the data is. Whether it is moving through new systems, coming from different sources, or living in silos throughout the organization, the data itself now must be managed independently of the application or the location. Companies that previously relied on a secure perimeter for all their data must now examine other methods.
Security, then, becomes the final piece of the puzzle. New threats have emerged as a result of cloud and mobility, and understanding these threats is a top priority for the IT team even as traditional threats continue to be effective.
With the immense value of data and the myriad of new tools available to hackers, one of the biggest changes to a security mindset is preparing for an inevitable breach rather than putting all the effort into prevention. This makes the workload explode and also requires significantly different behaviors. CompTIA’s Trends in IT Security report goes into more depth on new approaches to IT security. It is no simple task, but the challenge now facing IT professionals is to change security and handle data in the age of cloud and mobility while partnering more with business units. These professionals have great opportunity to redefine themselves as they tackle this challenge and provide new value for their organization.
Section 4:
Opportunities
Key Points
With a positive view on the role of IT in an organization, business units have certain areas where they definitely see IT as the primary owner. Security is an operational concern, even though the approach to security needs to change. Driving new forms of technology is a tactical concern, and business units want IT to be proactive in offering new applications that are suited for the enterprise.
As business systems and organizations change, the role of IT grows to include four priorities: Infrastructure, Integration, Intelligence, and Innovation. Infrastructure and Integration were the traditional strongholds of the IT department, and they continue to be of high importance in the cloud/mobile era.
Intelligence and Innovation are more strategic paths for the IT function. There are skills needed here—both technical and business-related—that must be added to an IT function in some way, whether by training, hiring, or partnering.
The Once and Future IT
With cloud and mobility ushering in a new era of enterprise technology, the IT function can take on a new role within a digital organization. As section 1 described, that role has two parts: operational and strategic. The operational piece is the more traditional piece, where IT is responsible for keeping business systems up and running. The strategic piece is newer, requiring a new mindset and new behaviors.
IT is aware that this branching is taking place, and they definitely see it as added responsibility rather than a transition from one mode to the other. Over the past five years, 53% of IT professionals in the survey say that the operational workload has stayed the same, and 44% say that it has increased. Compare that to the strategic workload, where 40% feel there has been no change and 59% say there has been an increase. The operational work is clearly not going away, though the strategic work is quickly becoming more important.
The business side of the organization is helping define what this dual role should look like. Even if business units are not taking over technology decisions en masse, their growing influence in the process means that their view of the IT function should be given serious consideration.
First and foremost, business units see IT as a partner. For most areas of technical activity, business units hold the view that there are shared responsibilities in guaranteeing successful operations. Depending on the topic, this varies slightly between small, medium, and large companies, but in general the feeling is consistent: business units expect to work jointly with IT to solve many technical problems.
There are a couple of exceptions. The first is security, which falls into the operational camp. Business units show a clear preference for IT taking the lead on security issues. This is another data point suggesting that rogue IT will not take over the enterprise. There is recognition that security is vital to an organization’s success and that it must be managed from a center of expertise.
Becoming Better Partners
Business units and the IT function may already have a good relationship, but that doesn’t mean there are no ideas for making things better. The top items that business units would like to see from the IT team both have to do with speaking the same language, whether that means that IT understands the business a little better or that IT helps the business understand their concerns. Business units would also like to see IT be more proactive, looking into suggestions and providing their own innovative insights. The ultimate goal is a straightforward service catalog, relying on a number of different sources to make applications available for easy but safe use.
60% Better knowledge of business objectives
52% Better communication of IT concerns
50% Accept/explore ideas from business units
45% Proactive technology recommendations
32% Build a catalog of services
The second exception is more strategic. As much as business units may be learning about technology on their own and bringing ideas to the IT team, they would like the IT team to drive the technology vision. By combining their existing knowledge about enterprise security and integration with new insights about the direction of the business, IT is in the best position to explore potential solutions and bring them to the table. This is the type of forward-looking activity that businesses are starting to demand from their technical team.
Moving Beyond a Single Focus
Expanding into this new role will require IT departments and solution providers to broaden their focus. Constellation Research has described this broadening by defining four different personas that modern CIO’s need to adopt:
Chief Infrastructure Officer
Chief Integration Officer
Chief Intelligence Officer
Chief Innovation Officer
There is a sort of hierarchy to this description. The role of the modern CIO is based on traditional activities, such as choosing the right infrastructure and then integrating the pieces to build a comprehensive architecture. With that in place, the activity becomes more strategic, bringing intelligent insights from the stores of data and planning innovative ways to move the business forward.
At the simplest level, this description implies a four-fold increase in responsibility and workload as the focus shifts from simply Information to Infrastructure/Integration/Intelligence/Innovation. The real increase may be less than that, but it is still significant. The largest organizations demonstrate this through new positions that work alongside the incumbent CIO, such as Chief Technical Officer (CTO) or Chief Digital Officer (CDO). Small and medium-sized businesses often do not have the luxury of expanding the top of the organization, and they must find other ways to pursue these new efforts.
Responses from IT professionals clearly show that all four of these areas are driving behavior. Five years ago, infrastructure was the main focus, followed by integration. Both of these fit within the tradition purview of the IT department. Today, infrastructure has dropped dramatically, with most of the gains going to innovation. The picture now has much more balance between operations and strategy, though operations still carries some historical weight.
This is especially true among small businesses, where cloud and mobility now offer paths to vastly improved infrastructure without huge investments. These firms also see a shift towards more strategic IT behavior, but the natural first step is to build out architecture and set the stage for the exploration of new business possibilities.
Each of these areas has its own specific characteristics. Behaviors are changing because of newly balanced priorities, but they are also changing due to transformations brought on by cloud and mobility.
Infrastructure
This is the area where cloud and mobility have the most direct impact. On the backend, companies are reconsidering their hardware requirements as they analyze the economics of the cloud. Forty-seven percent of companies say that they require specialized hardware to achieve optimal application performance. This is a somewhat traditional mindset, though it will certainly be true of some applications, especially at the enterprise level. With that said, cloud options continue to evolve. Bare metal clouds, where the cloud automation runs on physical machines without a hypervisor level, are an example of cloud solutions aiming to deliver higher performance.
Another 33% of companies say that they do not require specialized hardware, but they keep some hardware on premise for security or cost reasons. Again, this will be application dependent, and companies without strict hardware requirements will have to evaluate their application suite to understand which model best fits each application.
The remaining companies freely use commodity hardware or have a low level of concern with the specifications of their backend equipment. Small companies especially exhibit little concern, making them ideal candidates for cloud-based infrastructure.
On the front-end, the great focus of the past five years has been how to deal with BYOD. With smartphones and tablets so prevalent in the consumer space, the question posed is often how to manage the BYOD flood, with the assumption that there is no way to stop it. It appears, though, that companies are moving in a different direction.
For the past three years, CompTIA has asked companies to describe their device approach by one of three buckets: 1) Full BYOD, where the company takes no responsibility for devices; 2) Partial BYOD, where the company provides some devices but allows some personal devices to access corporate systems; and 3) No BYOD, where the company provides everything and disallows the connection of personal devices.
There is a clear move towards a policy of no BYOD. Companies are finding that they can pursue mobility initiatives just as well by providing mobile devices, and employees are often happy enough to take a corporate device if it is the same thing they would choose on their own. A small percentage of companies—mostly small firms—elect to completely avoid device distribution. This can reduce the overhead required for device support, but it also raises issues for security and productivity. Many firms are clearly choosing to solve those issues by avoiding BYOD.
Of course, this is simply the stated policy. Ambitious employees will find ways to utilize personal devices and applications even if they are forbidden, so companies must also consider how to detect such usage and correct the behavior beyond merely building the preferred policy.
Integration
Those that are familiar with IT projects know that integration represents the lion’s share of the budget, both in financial costs and implementation time. Those less familiar with IT projects typically underestimate integration efforts, leading to surprises and scrambling as work gets underway.
As new cloud and mobile solutions are put in place, there is a learning curve for integration. Even among IT professionals, estimates for time and money are falling short as new technology is being implemented. There is not much difference between cloud or mobility, and there is not much different between technology chosen by the business units and technology chosen by the IT team. Integration has always been difficult, and cloud and mobility are impacting the level of effort that is required.
Another effect of cloud and mobility may be that integration is viewed from a broader perspective. Rather than integration applying to the technical work of putting disparate systems together, integration is coming to mean the smooth flow of technology, workflow, and processes to achieve goals. Fifty-seven percent of IT professionals still say that it is important to understand integration at an architectural level to allow the greatest degree of control, but 32% say that they prefer to consider integration at the application level for seamless workflow, and 11% say that they prefer thinking of integration at the business level. Viewing integration at higher levels is more strongly preferred in the SMB segment, where companies are increasingly focusing their limited resources on core competencies rather than technical details.
Intelligence
At first glance, there has only been a small uptick in the prioritization of intelligence among business professionals. This reflects the fact that business intelligence and data analytics have long been practices that companies have used to better understand the market and deliver the best products and services.
Under the covers, though, intelligence is changing as the nature of data is changing. The initial hallmark of Big Data was volume/velocity/variety: huge amounts of unstructured data constantly streaming into an organization and requiring analysis. Other attributes of data (such as veracity and value) have since been added to the definition, but the original description is sufficient to show that the format of data has drastically changed. CompTIA has conducted multiple studies on the topic of Big Data to understand how organizations are reacting to the new types of data.
These three aspects play into the priorities that businesses have as they revamp their intelligence efforts. Considering volume, 48% of companies say that they would like to more fully utilize the data they already have. Many companies are discovering data silos as they audit their internal data for analysis. Different departments have built their own data stores, and companies need to consolidate this data and understand the complete set before embarking on more advanced analytics.
The velocity of data is also an issue, as 44% of companies say that they would like to perform data analytics faster. Often, this will require new tools. For as much focus as Hadoop has gotten as a Big Data platform, its main weakness is in real time processing. Other tools, such as Storm and Spark, are better suited for that task. In addition to tools, there is a significant workflow component needed. Organizations need to define—or re-define—their processes in order to expedite the path from insight to decision.
Finally, variety is impacting data management and analytics, as 38% of companies say that they want to utilize new sources of data. Unstructured data that companies already have, such as documents and images, are certainly part of this equation. Data from social networks has been another major part in recent years. Looking forward, data collected from connected devices in the Internet of Things will continue to provide companies with new possibilities—if they are able to act on that data in intelligent ways.
Innovation
Innovation has become the guideline for companies as they seek to use their technical skills in more strategic ways. This area has seen the largest increase in priority, and it is the basis for the deeper IT/business connection that so many companies are pursuing.
Even deciding where to innovate can require a fresh approach. When choosing top priorities, the most popular objectives are reducing costs (60%) and improving operational efficiency (58%). These are common goals for a business, but they are also more of a means to an end. When applying technology to business problems, there is an opportunity to directly address mainline business targets, such as reaching new customers (44%), managing competitive threats (38%) or pivoting to a new business model (23%).
To achieve this innovation and truly become a digital organization, companies need to examine the skills they currently have and make adjustments as needed. Just as the approach to technology now has dual parts of operations and strategy, the workforce needs a dual set of skills. Both technical skills and business skills are needed to turn a company’s vision into reality through technology.
The exact mix of these skills will differ from organization to organization. Larger firms can create this mix with separate teams, some reporting to the CIO and some reporting to the CTO/CDO. Smaller firms must look for individuals that exhibit skills on both sides of the ledger, changing the notion of what it means to be a technical employee.
Either way, the skills are not limited to the technical team. Business units must also consider which skills they need to effectively manage their technology approach and team up with the IT function. Adding to the momentum behind business units and IT becoming effective partners, business units see ways that IT can support the skill-building that they need, including providing education (70%), the use of IT liaisons in business units (56%), or consultation on hiring (31%).
Cloud and mobility have done much more than provide fodder for conferences and industry debates. They have changed the way that enterprise technology is chosen, constructed, and implemented. Digital organizations are on the rise—companies that will effectively use technology throughout the entire business to meet their goals. In this change, IT has a tremendous opportunity to establish a valuable new position for themselves, helping to drive their companies forward in the new era.
Section 5:
Qualitative Interviews
Key Points
Finding 1: Corporate IT’s power and influence over business is growing (not waning), but multiple business leaders now have a voice in IT’s direction. Business unit leaders certainly have more say in IT decisions. But as cloud, mobile, big data and social waves grow larger, central IT will emerge as a service broker to in-house and third-party IT offerings.
Finding 2: IT’s transformation into an internal service provider is in its infancy and will require several more years to complete. Business executives and employees want self-service applications, but that requires several stages of IT investment.
Finding 3: The shift from CapEx to OpEx will gradually even out. Technology and business leaders are discovering that cloud computing isn’t about cost savings. Instead, the conversation is about speed to market and automated maintenance—with lingering concerns over IT management.
Finding 4: The security conversation is extending from device protection to total data protection. While overall device and infrastructure protection remains important, business and IT leaders are increasingly worried about data protection and customer privacy issues.
Finding 5: Mobile conversations are extending to the Internet of Things. Business and IT leaders are exploring if or how new IP-connected devices can be monetized, while also exploring the potential cost and management challenges.
Finding 6: Big Data is on the radar, but data-driven decisions are limited by information silos, a flood of new data sources, and business executive confusion over potential big data opportunities.
Finding 7: As innovation cycles get shorter and shorter, IT and business must get more and more closely aligned.
Deeper Findings: The New Balancing Act
Here, we explore qualitative interviews with end user executives (CEOs, Chief Marketing Officers, CIOs, etc.) within midmarket companies. Our interviews explored (1) the decision-making process for technology and business systems, (2) the perception of the IT function by business units; and (3) the operation of the IT function as systems are built.
Finding 1: Corporate IT’s power and influence over business is growing (not waning), but multiple business leaders now have a voice in IT’s direction.
Business unit leaders—chief marketing officers, chief revenue officers, etc.—certainly have more say in IT decisions these days. But as cloud, mobile, big data, and social waves grow larger, corporate IT is gradually transforming into a central service broker to users and customers.
1a: CIOs remain a central, trusted cog for driving business innovation.
From the infrastructure level to the application level, CIOs are still weaving together platform architectures and applications to move the business forward.
“For true midmarket companies like ours, it’s still our CIO calling the shots. Our CIO is more involved now at so many levels because IT has become so strategic now—especially as IT as a service emerges. If it’s an application discussion of course you’ll have business unit leaders involved. But what our CIO is really creating is a shared services infrastructure—for our employees and customers to consume. At the end of the day, only he can really define what that infrastructure layer and application layer will need.” CEO, Technology Company (Platform Provider).
“Our CIO has a good seat at the executive table, and we’re finally looked as partners with the business to enable our future. Much of that is the result of a journey we are on. We’ve consolidated our data centers and virtualized everything. Over the next few years, we’ll be rolling out automation and self-service capabilities to our users.” VP of Operations, Power Utility (Electric).
“On the one hand, we’re an IT department within local government. But on the other, you can think of us as an IT service provider to our ‘customers’–the school system, the community college, the library system. And all those ‘customers’ have a strong say in the applications we choose and manage for them.” CTO, County Government.
1b: Business leaders have growing influence over IT’s direction—without necessarily dictating the overall IT strategy.
Cloud, mobile and social platforms have empowered business leaders—and inspired them to bring new ideas to their CIOs, without necessarily dictating if or how the new concepts should be implemented.
“We still have a centralized IT budget. Every piece of IT is in it—all the pieces are there. But we break it out by line item for the businesses. Some of the solutions--like infrastructure—clearly touch every user. But others, like customer-facing applications are budgeted more for the sales and marketing departments.” CEO, Power Utility (Gas).
“In some companies, I hear about the marketing or sales department going off and doing a lot [of IT] on their own. With cloud services they can just go off and sign up with a credit card. But then the CIO has to come along and clean up the mess—after the fact. That’s not our approach. We’re lucky to be a trusted advisor to all the departments.” CIO, Manufacturing.
“Depending on the project need, we’ll see money allocated either to centralized IT or to a specific department—like if the HR department needs a new talent management application. In that case the money is allocated for HR—but only IT can spend it for them. We’re still involved in every IT decision—the selection of applications and so on, and then how the money actually gets spent.” CIO, City Government.
1c: In some organizations, corporate IT decisions are increasingly made via ad-hoc committees involving multiple business units.
While CIOs typically make the final call, peer CXOs and business unit leaders have a strong say in how IT systems are aligned to meet corporate goals. Those CXO and business unit voices have even more say if an IT project involves applications (rather than underlying infrastructure).
“Each time we embark on a new IT project we form a committee with key stakeholders. Our director of IT—essentially our CIO—is on every committee because IT is now strategic to every part of our company. And you’ll find our CFO on every IT committee because of the dollars and cents involved. But once we get to the application level, that’s where you begin to see specific business leaders on a committee. We had a committee for our cloud strategy that pulled in our VP of Mass Markets because the applications were customer-facing.” CEO, Power Utility (Gas).
“Our innovation effort includes three teams of business and IT leaders: (1) one to generate ideas; (2) folks who are tasked with finding the right resources internally to address the ideas and opportunities; and (3) a so-called innovation garage to build the prototype solutions. Five people from IT work in the innovation garage. They rotate in and out on 12- to 18-month schedules. When they rotate back into their specific departments, they have greater skills focused on innovation rather than maintenance.” CIO, Insurance Company.
“We have a Strategic IT Workplan that looks out over a seven-year horizon. The real point behind a plan is to get work done. Every year, we adjust IT’s priorities for the next 18 to 24 months. It’s basically a list of all the things each department director—in the business world, that would be each business leader—wants to do. Then we create the plan with the directors and the queue of work. Directors get to make the final call on which IT needs are at the top of their specific priority lists. We do ‘course corrections’ every two weeks. It’s like applying the agile software development approach to your overall IT plan.” CIO, City Government.
1d: Chief marketing officers have an incredibly strong say in customer-facing application selection, but it’s not always the final say in application choices.
As all businesses increasingly shift to digital models, chief marketing officers are striving to find, engage, delight and monetize customers. That process requires new data management tools and customer-facing applications. In some rare cases, CMOs now control their own IT budgets with complete autonomy. But for the most part, a CMO’s digital decisions require continued collaboration with central IT—as well as final sign-off from a CIO.
“IT still holds and manages the technology budget here. And I think that’s the approach in the majority of midmarket shops. Shadow IT [the rise of cloud applications that were not approved by central IT] taught midmarket companies some important lessons about security, privacy and runaway costs. I do hear about marketing leaders or sales leaders holding some IT budget in some companies but we haven’t gone that route. I suspect maybe 10 percent to maybe 20 percent of midmarket companies have shifted their IT budgets outside of the IT department. But it’s early in that trend. ” CIO, Manufacturing.
Within our own company and across the midmarket, I’ve never been in a meeting where a Chief Marketing Officer was making all of the decisions on IT—not even if it involves a specific application for marketing. Yes, the CMO has growing say in customer-facing applications. And that makes sense in the digital age. But even there, you still have to really focus on security, access, privacy and compliance issues. To ignore your experts on those topics—your CIO, your CTO or our compliance officer—would be foolish.” CEO, Technology Company.
“The basic infrastructure responsibilities remain with our CIO reporting into our CFO. But I see a pretty dramatic shift where the CMO is accountable for customer-facing experiences. I have my own six-person team focused on this—a visual designer, two front-end developers, two back-end developers and me. I can’t take a number and wait in line for project engineering or IT to get back to me. I needed autonomy when it comes to my own IT budget and my application development decisions. And I have that autonomy. My IT budget is a line item in my overall marketing budget—and I control it.” Chief Marketing Officer, Technology Company.
Finding 2: The transformation of IT into an internal service provider is in its infancy and will require several more years to complete.
Midmarket CIOs are increasingly committed to deploying self-service systems for their employees and customers.
2a: The first step to self-service typically includes converged data centers that are virtualized.
Next, CIOs are seeking to roll out automation and self-service tools that allow employees to select and activate applications on-demand.
“In some ways this is all about the hybrid cloud trend. It’s not only about using some public cloud resources while virtualizing your own data centers. On-premises, you also need dynamic provisioning of servers and applications. We’ll do that this year for our developers and longer-term we’ll offer application-level dynamic provisioning to our employees.” VP of Operations, Power Utility (Electric).
“Our big focus the past few years was completing a $100 million federally backed fiber network. Now that we have that infrastructure in place, we can really focus on how we’ll deliver more self-service applications to our users and citizens.” CTO, County Government.
“The first step toward IT becoming a service provider involved converging the infrastructure—servers, storage and networking in one system that gets virtualized. Then, we focused on orchestration and automation—and providing a service catalog for employees to pick and choose the IT services they want to activate. The big challenge? Most midmarket companies don’t have the time to maintain their own service catalog.” CEO, Technology Company.
2b: Continual enhancements through business and IT alignment are taking hold, but it’s not quite a “DevOps” mindset just yet.
Constant communication between IT leaders and business leaders is starting to trigger faster decisions and more innovation. But true DevOps (formalized communications, collaboration and automation) for new software deployments hasn’t really taken hold yet in the midmarket.
“When it comes to innovation, some of the new approaches come from us in IT but some come from the business. A lot of it comes down to collaboration. A business unit may have a germ of an idea and then ask us what IT solutions will enable or enhance a concept.” CIO, Manufacturing.
“Take something like IT infrastructure and the innovations around that. Our sales folks want to make sure any new infrastructure has great support for remote access. Our supply chain and risk management people want to make sure that infrastructure is reliable and robust. They all have a voice in the process of shaping the infrastructure needs. But our director of IT—essentially our CIO—has to deliver on those specifications.” CEO, Power Utility (Gas).
Finding 3: The shift from CapEx to OpEx will gradually even out. (Translation: Technology and business leaders are discovering that cloud computing isn’t about cost savings.)
During the early days of cloud computing, some business and technology leaders expected to experience cost savings. The idea was to shift some IT budget from “expensive” CapEx (lump sum) hardware and software to “less expensive” OpEx (pay-over-time) cloud services. But midmarket businesses now say cloud computing is rarely about cost savings. Instead, it’s about flexibility and speed to market. Moreover, it’s about a hybrid world where on-premises workloads can be extended to the public cloud when it makes business and financial sense.
3a: When analyzing the cloud’s perceived value, the speed to market conversation must also include automated maintenance and management tools.
Customers know they can turn public cloud services on and off very rapidly. But they’re also starting to value the fact that cloud providers maintain specific pieces of the IT stack (IaaS, PaaS and/or SaaS).
“When we really price out cloud computing, we discovered it’s ultimately the same cost or more expensive than traditional IT purchases. But that doesn’t mean cloud computing is somehow bad. It’s really about shifting the responsibility of delivery and maintenance to the cloud provider. Those are high-value outcomes if your IT staff doesn’t have the time or expertise to focus on a specific application or service.” CIO, Manufacturing Company.
“After Hurricane Sandy hit us in New York, we really had to ask ourselves: How can users get to the data we’re restoring? Virtual desktop infrastructure tied to cloud computing became the solution. This was all about time-to-recovery: Getting everybody back online as quickly as possible even if local offices or towns were dark. If you could at least get a powered laptop to a WiFi connection, you could get to our cloud. We gained a lot of respect from our business leaders when we made that happen.” Director of Operations, Healthcare Provider.
3b: Hidden cloud costs remain a concern across business and IT.
Basic per-user or compute cloud costs are well understood. But midmarket companies are worried about hidden or overlooked costs tied to managing hybrid clouds or bursting heavy on-premises workloads out to the public cloud.
“The ‘debate’ about extending from on-premises to the cloud has largely gone away in our company. We see the value of the cloud. Now it’s all about finding the best value—the commodity hardware with the right software above that. For the most part we really like that OpEx model but we focus heavily on metering to really watch prices—especially when business units burst more cycles into the cloud. That can be a hidden gotcha.” Executive VP, Business Consulting (Supply Chain Mgmt.)
“Most of current IT infrastructure is on-premises and leased and the renewal is 2019—so we have a time-sensitive cloud mandate. CRM, HR and some other applications are out in the cloud for us and we’ll adopt even more—but mostly in a hybrid way. My big concern involves the cost of managing hybrid services. Plus, the tools for managing a hybrid environment are in their infancy. I worry about whether I’m making the move too early—but we have that lease renewal concern bearing down on us.” VP of Operations, Transportation.
Finding 4: The security conversation is extending from device protection to total data protection.
While overall device and infrastructure protection remains important, business and IT leaders are increasingly worried about data protection and privacy issues. Much of the concern stems from high-profile cyberattacks and data breaches across such verticals as retail, healthcare, and financial services.
4a. Business leaders want security and compliance status reports.
Even so, that doesn’t mean business leaders want to “own” the security conversation.
“Each IT project now involves a deep level of discovery around compliance, security, and privacy. Business leaders want a general overview on security but they generally don’t want all the deep details. So you come back to the business leaders with some broad strokes about the security of a particular platform or service. A multi-tenant, public cloud solution may look really tempting. But then our internal risk department may spot an area of concern or weakness, raise it with business leaders, and they’ll instead opt for a single tenant private cloud model.” Executive VP, Consulting Firm.
“Once you’ve stepped from a small business mindset into the midmarket, you’ve shifted your IT security stance into a far more comprehensive approach. The CFO or CEO has pointed to a specific individual or department and said: “You’re responsible for protecting our assets—our people, our customer data and our IT systems.” CEO, Technology Company.
4b. Security is becoming an industry-wide conversation without corporate borders.
Proper data protection now requires coordinated initiatives across multiple industries and government organizations.
“Cybersecurity is certainly front-of-mind. Even companies with nine-digit security budgets [i.e., $100 million or more] are getting breached. I see a market shift toward more automation—where some standardized tools at least block threats from the base level. Next, I expect to see far more cross-industry coordination between the FBI, the security industry, government agencies and vertical markets.” CIO, City Government.
Finding 5: Mobile conversations are extending to the Internet of Things.
The current mobile conversation—across business and IT—increasingly involves the Internet of Things (IoT). Specifically, business and IT leaders are exploring if or how new IP-connected devices can be monetized. That exploratory research also seeks to pinpoint hidden costs and management challenges.
5a: BYOD and Mobile Device Management (MDM) debates have largely subsided.
The older BYOD and mobile device management (MDM) conversations still occur. But those challenges are increasingly addressed by (1) formalized business policies/processes and (2) standardized MDM device management tools.
“MDM was a hot-button but it has moved beyond that with enterprise mobility management and overall app development. We’ll be taking a look at really well thought-out mobile apps that aren’t just scaled down desktop apps. The app development paradigm will likely need to change as the Internet of Things takes off. Instead of phones, tablets and notebooks, the conversation will shift to sensors and machine-to-machine computing.” CIO, Manufacturing.
5b: The Internet of Things offers immediate business opportunities.
While cloud and mobile (smartphone, tablet) computing took several years to emerge, the Internet of Things wave appears to be building even more quickly.
“Our IT team is already involved in a lot of connected vehicle projects for law enforcement and school district buses, so for us the Internet of Things is already real. For our business leaders, it opens up a whole new range of privacy, security, management and monetization questions and answers.” CEO, Technology Industry.
“The next step for IT, from my perspective, is when the Internet of Things takes off. By the way, the car is a ‘thing,’ and it's a pretty big and important ‘thing’ for us. Consumers of that data, whether they're insurance companies or others, are going to need some standards to emerge. We have no desire to only have insight into cars that happen to have the Apple operating system, or cars that run the Microsoft operating system. Instead, we want to insure everybody. So we're going to have to work through that.” CIO, Insurance Company.
Finding 6: Big Data is on the radar, but data-driven business decisions are limited by information silos and a flood of new data sources.
Midmarket companies are exploring predictive analytics to optimize current product offerings or to spot new market opportunities. Sales leaders and chief marketing officers (CMOs) are particularly attuned to big data—seeking new ways to monetize unstructured and structured information.
6a: IT and business leaders together must address new data silo concerns.
Data-driven decisions are difficult to make because so much information is scattered across relational databases, email, CRM systems, social media and more.
“Increasingly the big data conversation is shifting to information integration. How do I get all of our existing technology silos integrated? And how do new silos like social media factor into that effort? Things get even more complex when you consider how much new data is being created by mobile users. As a technology marketer, I need my CIO to solve the data silo problem.” VP of Marketing, Technology Company (Software).
“We’re now in a world where employees want to make real-time decisions based on real-time information. Some of that information is going to be structured data from something like a CRM system. But much of it also might be unstructured data or maybe even batched data out in Hadoop. Data scientists may want to analyze all that data right now. But only our CIO can ultimately link it all together—through the right infrastructure—to make that happen.” CEO, Technology Company (Storage).
“Our customer support is already data-driven in nature. Our call center technology leans heavily on our phone systems, reporting, and analytics. But we’re certainly trying to figure out how to work social media customer conversations into our support strategy and data strategy.” CEO, Power Utility (Gas).
6b: Despite potential hurdles, midmarket organizations are testing new approaches to data management and analysis.
Often, the moves involve business intelligence and analytics software.
“We felt it was important to get to the game early by creating teams of high-end analytics on the business side and some of our better data architects and data people on the IT side—even before the tool sets were all there. It didn't matter because we had coders and analysts and the raw technology, and we could start to understand some of the promise of that technology so we wouldn't be caught behind.” CIO, Insurance Company.
“We are deploying business intelligence as the first part of our journey toward analytics and then predictive analytics and big data. We’re starting that journey. We picked the tool, and I needed a lot of people at that table to do that. The business folks gave us the problem they were trying to solve. Then IT does the visioning—the scoping of the solution, whether it’s in-house or found out in the market. The longer-term journey is toward big data and social management—bringing a Facebook-like mentality into our company. And that’s driven by a marketing-led culture.” VP of Operations, Transportation.
6c: Some organizations are thinking about big data without necessarily understanding the overall business opportunity.
“There’s lot of opportunity for big data in government. Richer data sets and data sources will drive more use cases. But when we talk to departments, there’s not much interest so far because they don’t quite understand the opportunities yet.” CIO, City Government.
Finding 7: As innovation cycles get shorter and shorter, IT and business must become more and more closely aligned.
Somewhat similar to public cloud service providers, midmarket businesses are building private clouds that deliver infrastructure and applications on-demand to employees and customers. The resulting hybrid cloud world will further accelerate innovation cycles—allowing businesses to enter new markets more rapidly.
Finding 7a: The lines between business and IT management will further blur.
To properly manage innovation cycles and corporate pivots, the line between business operations and IT must further blur—and may even disappear in some cases.
“The alignment of business and IT is all about striking the right balance. I think it’s a good balance in our company. It has evolved over time because both sides have gotten wiser. The business has an appreciation for what we’re doing, and we have an appreciation for their needs. In a lot of companies, it’s difficult for CIOs to show the value of IT. They are so focused on keeping the lights on, which means IT is a cost-reduction story rather than an innovation story. Once you commit to innovation cycles between business and IT, the innovation can happen even faster.” CIO, Manufacturing Company.
“Today’s midsize organization needs a CIO who can hit the brakes on certain items AND be the enabler on others. The big IT push will increasingly involve all employees in all departments to grow, and linking the larger vision of an organization back to IT. When you’re growing as a person you’re more inclined to think like an innovator. IT has to help spark that.” CIO, City Government.
7b: Improved communications between IT and business leaders have allowed the IT team to more easily demonstrate its value.
In some cases, business and IT leaders work together to address immediate business threats. In other times, the cooperation involves proactive innovation. Either way, the interaction creates stronger bonds between IT and business leadership.
“Hurricane Sandy taught us to ask this question: What is the business impact if IT fails? Based on that question and Hurricane Sandy itself, our business leaders realized they needed to be far more involved in IT strategy—because the business leaders were on the hook if the business went dark. But IT constantly pulled through and we never went dark. That success has caused more and more interaction between our IT functions and business organization leaders.” Director of Operations, Healthcare Provider.
“A few years ago, our business leaders looked at IT as a red-tape department that had a lot of processes that meant we weren’t dynamic and agile. By 2014 our IT team really began to pivot for the digital age and the cloud age. They’re increasingly brokers of services rather than IT support." VP of Operations, Power Utility (Electricity).
“The IT strategy is really indistinguishable—at about 90 percent—from the business strategy. My entire time that I've been here, we've focused on the fact that we have a product that is technology-enabled. Sometimes folks say, "We're really a technology company that sells insurance." I think that kind of gets it backwards. The truth is we can't sell our service without technology.” CIO, Insurance Company.
Conclusions and Trends
Midmarket CIOs and their business-centric counterparts are building closer and closer working relationships. Their mutual goal: To transform corporate IT into a technology services broker (i.e., service provider) for all business users and customers. The idea is to allow users and customers to procure and activate a range of applications from a well-defined service catalog. Still, the journey to self-service applications across hybrid clouds will take many years to complete.
In some cases, specific business leaders—particularly Chief Marketing Officers and Chief Revenue Officers—have growing influence over public- or customer-facing application choices. Moreover, some IT budgets are now distributed across specific departments—particularly sales and marketing. But business executives typically don’t want the security, privacy, and compliance headaches that CIOs must address on a daily basis. For those reasons and others, CIOs often have final veto power over specific IT spending decisions.
While business executives aren’t all that concerned about infrastructure decisions, they do want a growing say in application and data decisions. For the most part, CIOs still oversee how data is managed and protected. But business executives are influencing how data is gathered, analyzed, and monetized. Together, CIOs and business leaders must therefore focus on overall big data strategies.
Many of those big data strategies involve gradual steps forward. For instance, business executives may increasingly leverage analytics or business intelligence to spot data trends that previously went unnoticed. At the same time, business and technology leaders are already discussing how big data and the Internet of Things (IoT) can potentially combine to unlock new business opportunities.
Longer term, CIOs and business leaders will carefully coordinate how data is integrated and normalized across applications—CRM, ERP, finance, email, social media, IoT sensor networks, and more.
While technology and business leaders rarely used the term DevOps during our interviews, it’s clear that midmarket companies are on a journey toward DevOps without necessarily realizing it. Indeed, DevOps stresses communication, collaboration, integration and automation between developers, IT operations and business leaders. That DevOps mindset must take hold in order for midmarket companies to deliver continuous innovation more and more rapidly.
Guidance for IT and Business Leaders
The journey that transforms corporate IT into a true service provider for all business units and customers will be a lengthy one. It started with data center consolidation and virtualization across servers, storage, and networking. It will continue with automation and self-service software.
Over time, hybrid cloud users and will be able to select the applications they want—when they want them—from a corporate service catalog, much in the way that public clouds work today.
CIOs and IT leaders must increasingly accept the fact that business leaders want just-in-time application delivery that drives new revenue and customer opportunities. On the flip side, business leaders must accept the reality that the corporate IT department must fully vet new applications for security, compliance, privacy, scalability, and cost issues.
Moreover, corporate IT and business leaders must partner on an overall information management strategy—outlining how big data information is:
Gathered
Managed
Secured
Analyzed
Monetized
As part of that information strategy, business and IT leaders must knock down corporate silos (CRM, email, ERP, social media, etc.) to gain a complete, accurate view of customers and partners. The information management strategy must be extensible to address the next waves of IT—including sensor networks, the Internet of Things, and the gathering of data from a new generation of devices.
The bottom line: Although business leaders increasingly weigh in on IT’s direction, CIOs maintain a strategic seat at the executive table—acting as the voice of reason who must carefully balance IT innovation vs. corporate risk.
Appendix: Characteristics of Study Participants
The participants chosen for this study worked in midmarket organizations (defined as having approximately 100 to 500 employees). Interviewees represent a variety of vertical markets. All participants are executive-level decision makers across the C-suite, or VPs who have C-level responsibilities.
About this Research
CompTIA’s Building Digital Organizations study provides insights into the changing business dynamics and role of IT as cloud and mobility drive new technology solutions. The study consists of five sections, which can be viewed independently or together as chapters of a comprehensive report.
Section 1: Market Overview
Section 2: Business Model Analysis
Section 3: Challenges
Section 4: Opportunities
Section 5: Qualitative Interviews
This study was conducted in three parts:
Part 1: Online survey fielded to technology professionals during April/May 2015. A total of 375 companies based in the United States participated in the survey, yielding an overall margin of sampling error at 95% confidence of +/- 5.2 percentage points. Sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data.
Part 2: Online survey fielded to business professionals during May 2015. A total of 275 companies based in the United States participated in the survey, yielding an overall margin of sampling error at 95% confidence of +/- 6.0 percentage points. Sampling error is larger for subgroups of the data.
Part 3: A series of in-depth interviews with 14 technology and business professionals, conducted by technology consultancy AfterNines. Interviewees were selected to represent a range of organizational responsibility. Interviews were conducted on a one-on-one basis over approximately a four-week period in April and May, 2015, with an average length of approximately 30 minutes.
As with any survey, sampling error is only one source of possible error. While non-sampling error cannot be accurately calculated, precautionary steps were taken in all phases of the survey design, collection and processing of the data to minimize its influence.
CompTIA is responsible for all content and analysis. Any questions regarding the study should be directed to CompTIA Research and Market Intelligence staff at [email protected].
CompTIA is a member of the Marketing Research Association (MRA) and adheres to the MRA’s Code of Market Research Ethics and Standards. |
I am seeking a position on the CCWFC board because I believe the Co-op is at an especially exciting time in its life cycle. The co-op is amazingly successful, especially given the size of the store and the size of our community. It is time for the board to re-engage with owners as we hire a new general manager and build on our past successes. I believe the most important role of a board member is ensure the co-op’s continued growth and success and to ensure that we continue to move toward meeting the values and expectations of the owners we represent. These values and expectations are spelled out in our Ends Statements. Chief among these is the continued financial success of our cooperative grocery, but the co-op is now so successful that we are in an enviable position to make significant growth in meeting our other Ends. I envision a time of exciting opportunities for furthering the values of our owners while maintaining and improving upon the financial successes of recent years. We have never been at a better time to improve the quality of life for our staff, owners, and community while staying true to our core of healthy, organic, food produced as locally as possible. We can now afford to be the best environmental stewards we can be. We can find ways to bring these products and services to underserved members of our community and to be a safe and welcoming space for all.
I believe my past years of experience on the board at CCWFC and at Whole Foods Coop in Duluth make me an ideal candidate. I believe my work as a teacher and professional writer have given me the skills to effectively communicate with and listen to owners, fellow board members, and general manager.
Alyssa Hedstrom —
I would like to continue serving on the board to support the hiring process of the general manager, and the continued evolution of the Co-op in our community.
I will continue to attend board meetings and serve on sub-committees as needed, while being a listening ear for the community.
The most important role currently is to hire a new general manager and then support and follow through with that hire to see that the Co-op continues to thrive. The board holds both a supportive role and a quality assurance role, ensuring the Co-op continues to operate at its high standards and reaches its Ends.
My vision is to support the process of hiring a new general manager and then support the transition from current GM to new GM. I am committed to the overall wellbeing of the Co-op; I want our Co-op to continue to support our community along with continuing to grow into its place as a leader in the community.
I am a business owner and longtime community member; I have served on the board in the past and understand policy governance. I have a long-term understanding of the Co-op and its role in our community, along with how it can evolve to meet the needs of our community in the future.
Jaye White —
My name is Jaye White and I would like to serve on the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op Board of Directors because I love the Co-op and the community surrounding it, and want to become a more active and engaged member. I have been a member of the Co-op since moving back to the area in 2014. I am someone who likes to eat healthy and practice alternative wellness so the Co-op has been a valuable asset for me and my family, and I hope to help it move into the future and continue to be the valuable community asset it has become.
I will likely be able to commit at least 10-15 hours per month to BOD activities. My schedule is busy but very flexible and I have a supportive employer who understands and encourages community engagement so I am happy to dedicate the time needed to be an active member of the BOD.
I feel the most important role of the BOD is to ensure the direction the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op goes in will benefit the members and community the most. Ensuring that the Co-op stays true to its purpose and goals in order to benefit members, employees, and the community. In other boards I serve on I especially love the process of visualizing the future of the organization and found this process to be very important. Creative visualization and implementation is a strength of mine and I always aim to bring that with me to any board I sit on.
Visualizing the future is challenging these days. It’s still unknown how much longer we will be in “pandemic mode” and what the long term results will be from the pandemic in regards to how community spaces and organizations function. However, I feel the pandemic has also opened up opportunities to reach people in new and innovative ways. Expanding social media reach, online ordering, and utilizing technology to make interactions easier and more efficient regardless of where you are in this world. Technology has opened up more of the world to many who had to learn to interact and communicate in a socially distant world. I do see this continuing beyond 2021 and becoming an important element in society going forward. I visualize how the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op can harness these opportunities and grow the organizational reach, hopefully reaching new potential members in areas of the county like the Gunflint Trail, Arrowhead Trail, Grand Portage, and even Lake County.
I feel I can best support the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op Board of Directors through my knowledge and experience with digital technology and social media. I have the ability to assist with technology-related projects like photos, videos, website development, SEO, and other innovations. With social media I would love to assist the Co-op in reaching a wide variety of owners and potential members through multiple social media platforms. |
Celebrating 50 years of coeducation at Holy Cross gives us a wonderful opportunity to pause and consider the amazing contributions that have been made by the women in our community – both here at the College and in the wider world. It also offers us a chance to reflect on the struggles faced by those women, and on ways in which we can and should do better. The fascinating conversation we heard during our Faculty Symposium on the 50th Anniversary of Coeducation highlighted historical experiences and current challenges. I have been asked to add my voice, as the longest-serving female member of the Department of Economics and Accounting, to this narrative. I hope you will be able to appreciate how much has changed in all this time.
When I arrived in fall 1989, I was the only woman in the department, with the exception of a one-semester overlap with a female colleague who then left the College. It was a pretty lonely place for me in a lot of ways! Many of my classes had no female students, or at most one or two. I suspect it was pretty lonely for those women as well. In the early years, some male students publicly (in class) and aggressively challenged my qualifications to be a member of the faculty. On the advice of a colleague, I changed “Prof. Rask” to “Dr. Rask” on my handouts, which elicited an immediate response.
Other students openly raised concerns during class discussions about my decision to work at all. They maintained that my place was to be home with my husband, and later with my children, thereby opening up more job opportunities for men. I heard the same sentiments from some colleagues at the College. In fact, one colleague explained to me in detail how scientific evidence proves that women and people of color have lower intelligence, despite the existence of a few outliers.
When I got up the nerve to tell someone higher up the food chain that I was being stalked and harassed by a member of the College community, I was told that I should change my wardrobe or consider finding different routes between my office and classroom. I was also told that “that’s just the way guys are”. Can you imagine having these conversations today?
On several occasions I seriously considered leaving the College. But I love to teach, and Holy Cross is committed to teaching as its central mission. I benefited from several tremendously supportive male colleagues and mentors who helped balance the pain of the more difficult times, and women from other departments generously reached out to me with empathy and advice. Most compelling, it was clear to me early on that my presence on the faculty was important to the few female economics majors. In fact, female students sought me out for advice and mentoring even if they had not taken a class with me, and soon students of color did as well. Just BEING a woman in the department opened a channel for students to ask questions about a wide range of life experiences, a channel of which they took advantage immediately: what does it feel like to be pregnant and working; how do I balance the demands of a career with raising young children; and what is it like to be so outnumbered in my workplace? I have been very open with my students over the years, finding that these stories resonate with them and help personalize and contextualize the concepts we are learning in class. What is economics if not the study of the choices we all make? On a few occasions, I brought my young daughters to work, placing pop-up tents in the front of the class so I could keep track of them while teaching. We had some hilarious moments, which the students remembered and appreciated for a long time. Teaching opportunities come in many guises.
The College and the department have made great strides since the early days. We soon hired Prof. Baldiga on the accounting side, and the two of us worked hard to establish a safe and supportive space for other women to succeed in our department. It is astonishing to realize that no woman was granted tenure in our department until 1996 (think about that for a moment – 24 years after coeducation began, and almost into the 21st century), but I am both proud and humbled to have finally broken that barrier. We all have worked tirelessly over the years to hire a truly gifted group of women and men, and they have transformed and uplifted the atmosphere in Stein, benefitting all our students tremendously.
Given my own personal experiences in graduate school and then as a new professor at Holy Cross, I know how important it is to have representation, and I feel good about the women and men that make up our department now. The Symposium participants stressed that other forms of diversity – racial, religious, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, to name a few – are also important components of a truly representative community, so our work is far from complete.
Throughout my 30+ years of teaching economics, I have been privileged to work with many amazing students, including some very impressive women. I continue to be a bit puzzled that our percentage of women students in the economics major remains consistently low, reflecting nationwide trends. European numbers are a bit higher, and I’d like to consider why that might be. This anniversary year offers the perfect moment for us to reflect on whether we are doing what we can and should be doing to make sure all students, including women and people of color, feel welcome and valued here.
Looking back at over 30 of the 50 years of coeducation, I am heartened by the steps the College is now taking to reckon with its past, and I’m proud of the great strides the department has made in shaping its future. The women and men who comprise the economics and accounting majors and department faculty are well positioned to continue this trajectory. I look forward to celebrating our future accomplishments. |
Brian Jeffrey Krause is an American actor. Born in California, he got nationwide recognition with his role on the television series, Charmed. Following the end of Charmed, Brian nearly disappeared from the scene. So, how much is Brian Krause’s cash flow?
We take a look at the career path and journey of the American actor. Most fans recognize him as Leo Wyatt on Charmed, and Charles Brady in the 1992 movie Sleepwalkers.
Quick Bio
Born in 1969, in El Toro, California, he has an elder brother. His parents, Alice and Jeff Krause adopted him. Brian and his elder brother grew up in Southern California. He had his first acting class at The Actors Workshop during junior high.
During his teenage years, he studied karate. He also attended El Toro High School. There, he got his graduate degree in 1987 and then continued his education at Orange Cost College.
Two years after his graduate degree, Krause got his first role as a student. He appeared in the TV series TV 101. After that, he starred in the made-for-TV movie Match Point. He also appeared in An American Summer. Brian landed his first major role in the movie Return to the Blue Lagoon.
Before landing his role on Charmed, Brian appeared in another iconic television series. He was a co-star in the Bandit series. Fun fact: Brian auditioned for the role of Andy Trudeau. Yet, he got cast as Piper’s handyman and love interest.
Brian appeared in the first seven seasons of the show. Due to budget restrictions in the eighth and final season, he appeared in just the first 10 episodes and the last two episodes.
Following the end of Charmed, he appeared in a couple of TV shows and made-for-TV movies. Brian had a guest-appearing role in Madmen, Closer, Castle, and a few other shows.
Krause also lent his voice and image for a minor character in the video game L.A. Noire. He also appeared in the YouTube video series Chad Vader.
And then he mostly disappeared from the public’s eye. Nowadays, Brian is a semi-retired actor. He works mostly as a producer.
As for his private life, he got married to Beth Bruce in 1996. They have one child together, but they got a divorce in 2000.
Net worth
Brian manages to earn a decent income throughout his career. As of November 2020, Brian Krause’s fortune is more than $500,000. He is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer.
He earned most of his fortune during his time on Charmed. There is no official source regarding his salary on the show. Most of the main cast members earned up to $60,000 per episode. But we can assume Brian didn’t earn that much.
As of November 2020, Brian has more than 110 credits as an actor. And he has 5 producer credits, including Ribbons, Be Afraid, The Christmas Switch, The Mission, and Abeo Pharisee. |
The inside of the human body, and all its organs, cells and molecules can be tricky to visualise, and that makes it difficult to understand how conditions like diabetes work. We can use things like models to help us see all these different features, and work out how they link together to do different things.
But models can take up a lot of space, and most of us don’t have anatomically accurate physical representations of the internal workings of the human body conveniently accessible at home, or even in many schools. Diagrams are an alternative, but they’re generally not very interactive.
The virtual construction game Minecraft, on the other hand, is great for exploring scientific concepts because it has many features and processes that relate to the real world, and can be used to visualise things that we can’t usually see – such as cells in the human body. Children and young people are often familiar with the game as it’s hugely popular, and this can give them a sense of expertise and ownership.
Minecraft – Inside the cell
The recent ‘Building our Understanding of Diabetes with Minecraft’ (BUD-M) project, developed by Science Hunters and led by UWE Bristol in collaboration with the Universities of Lancaster, Aberdeen and Hull, uses Minecraft to help children understand the molecular basis of diabetes.
We know Minecraft can act as a hook for children to engage with science topics, and that students who participated in the BUD-M project increased their subject knowledge and understanding, making it an effective tool for both catching children’s interest, and supporting their learning.
The team developed a school session that introduced diabetes and how it works within the human body, followed by exploration of a specially built human body in Minecraft. Once school visits were curtailed by COVID-19 restrictions, two videos were produced for use in schools and at home – introducing diabetes and taking children through the Minecraft human body. These videos are freely available for schools to use, and giving some very short feedback would be very useful to the project.
Minecraft – Inside a blood vessel
The videos take you on a virtual tour through the human body, exploring the relevant parts and processes involved in diabetes. They talk about what it’s like to have diabetes, and how it’s treated, and explore the pancreas, blood vessels, and cells and molecules to learn about their roles in diabetes. If you would like a creative challenge, the introducing diabetes video gives some ideas for activities, including building with Minecraft and Lego.
The human body world was constructed by Jonathan Kim, who has produced three videos to complement those used to deliver the session. These cover design and planning of the world, construction of the human body in Minecraft, and the techniques used in the technical creation of the world. They can be viewed on the BUD-M playlist on YouTube.
Exploring the molecular basis of diabetes with Minecraft is a Science Hunters project based at UWE Bristol, in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, the University of Hull and Lancaster University and funded by a Royal Society of Chemistry Outreach Fund grant. The project was devised by Dr Laura Hobbs (UWE Bristol and Lancaster), Dr John Barrow (Aberdeen) and Professor Mark Lorch (Hull), and developed and delivered by them along with Sophie Bentley (UWE Bristol and Lancaster), Dr Jackie Hartley (Lancaster), Naziya Lokat (Lancaster), Jonathan Kim (UWE Bristol and Lancaster), Rebecca Rose (Lancaster), Dr Carly Stevens (Lancaster) and Jordan Bibby (NHS Lanarkshire). Science Hunters projects takes a child-led, play-based approach to learning and engagement, and have an inclusive Widening Participation ethos. |
Mr. Dodge is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College, earning his degree in 1977 with a double major in Economics and Government. He attended The Delaware Law School of Widener University, graduating in 1980. He sat for and passed the Delaware Bar Examination in 1980 and was admitted to practice in December of that year. He has practiced in the Dover, Delaware community since that time. He was admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Delaware in 1981, and admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States of America in 1986.
His areas of practice focus on residential and commercial real estate transactions and real estate related litigation, as well as general civil litigation including personal injury work, on several occasions having been sole or lead counsel in several of the largest jury awards in Kent County history.
Mr. Dodge has represented the Kent County Association of Realtors since 1988, and has served as a consultant for other Realtor boards on both the local and state levels. He has taught extensively in the field, having developed and/or taught continuing education courses as well as pre-licensing courses for both salespersons and brokers. He served a four year term as a member of the Education Committee of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, completing that term in March, 2002.
He presently serves on the Civil Advisory Committee for the judges of the Superior Court of the State of Delaware in and for Kent County, and has served on the Professional Guidance Committee of the Delaware Bar Association since its inception in the mid-1980’s. He is a member of the Kent County Bar Association, the Delaware Bar Association, and the Delaware Bar’s Real and Personal Property Section. In that capacity, and as a community representative, he has served on task forces for the Delaware Department of Transportation, and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
In 2003, he helped form, and led, a grass roots community group in a successful effort to preserve a valued community asset, the Garrisons Lake Golf Course, from residential development.
He, his wife, JoVonna, and their family have lived in the Garrisons Lake area of Kent County since 1993, where they have been active in the community, and in particular, their children’s educational activities as they progressed through the Smyrna public schools.
In 2006, Mr. Dodge was recognized by the Delaware Supreme Court for exemplary pro bono public service. |
For over a decade, Shaun Irons and Lauren Petty have been working collaboratively, seeking evocative and poetic combinations of video, film, audio, sculptural objects, and performance. Shaun and Lauren are Brooklyn based media artists who make multi-disciplinary performances, multiple-screen media installations, single-channel works, documentaries and interactive video scores for live performance.
Their provocative, hybrid work has been exhibited in diverse locations in New York and internationally and was recently seen at BAM's Next Wave Festival (in collaboration with Phantom Limb Company), the Abrons Arts Center, The Chocolate Factory, Governors Island Arts Fair, and Anthology Film Archives in NYC, and the Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Fe, NM. Recently, they created a new dance and multi-media installation called Keep Your Electric Eye One Me, which was commissioned by HERE through their Artist Residency Program (HARP). In addition, they are also developing an impressionistic, backstage documentary portrait of ERS's acclaimed 8-hour theatrical event Gatz as well as a self-generating, video/sound installation called Atmospheres & Accidental Ghosts.
Shaun and Lauren have received numerous awards in support of their work including two New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships, multiple grants from the NEA, New York State Council on the Arts, Jerome Foundation, Greenwall Foundation, Experimental Television Center, and the Asian Cultural Council, and residencies from MacDowell, Yaddo, Harvestworks, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Bogliasco Foundation and the Tokyo Wonder Site. Their video design work has been seen at venues such as St. Ann's Warehouse, The Public Theater, The Kitchen, HERE, PS 122, EMPAC, American Dance Institute, the Pompidou Center, Holland Dance Festival, The Noorderzon Festival, the Venice Biennale, and The Brooklyn Academy of Music.
Shaun was a longtime associate of famed New York Theater company The Wooster Group and has performed with them at the Performing Garage, on Broadway, and on many international tours. Shaun is also an Instructor at the International Center of Photography where he teaches classes in video and moving image production and is a visiting artist at The Kitchen, where he creates videos and performances with New York City high school students.
Lauren received her MA in Media Art and Performance from New York University. She is an Associate Professor of Media Studies at the New School, teaches Projection Design in the Theater Department at Sarah Lawrence College and is a Part-Time Instructor at ICP and Pratt Institute. She has been a guest lecturer at Bard College and is a visiting teaching artist at The Kitchen. |
The clock is ticking and Peter Sagan’s time with the Tinkoff-Saxo team is officially moving into a new phase. The Slovakian rider transferred to the team from previous squad Cannondale over the winter and, after training hard and getting to know his new team-mates, will finally affix a race number and make his competitive debut on Sunday.
“I raced in Qatar four years ago and that was the start of a great season,” said the three-time Tour de France green jersey winner, who hopes to make a Classics breakthrough this season. “I think it’s the right race for my official start in the Tinkoff-Saxo jersey. I look forward to start racing there.”
Sagan’s class has long been apparent but he has come up with several near misses in the top one day races. Those include runner-up slots in Milan-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders and Strade Bianche, third in the Amstel Gold Race and sixth in Paris-Roubaix.
He has topped the podium in races such as Gent-Wevelgem, Brabantse Pijl, the GP Cycliste de Montréal and E3 Harelbeke, but a Monument win is still missing.
Sagan is now 25 years of age and thus reaching an age where he should have the strength and experience to step things up. He needs to; his move to Tinkoff-Saxo has led to an increased salary and greater expectations from others, not least the ambitions team owner Oleg Tinkoff.
In short, he’s being paid to win, and Tinkoff expects him to do so.
Qatar is the first chance of him to show off his new team strip and to try to open his account, but will also serve as a building block towards those one day races.
Directeur sportif Tristan Hoffman makes clear that he will get the full support he needs to show himself in the race.
“Peter Sagan is our team leader and we’ll support him 100 percent,” he said. “The Tour of Qatar is a special race for him and the team as it marks his debut for Tinkoff-Saxo. We have a very strong team, also taking into account the seriousness with which the guys have prepared.
“No doubt that Peter has a good chance in the fight for stage wins and the ten kilometre time trial also makes the GC quite interesting for us.”
The Slovakian will be backed up by Maciej Bodnar, Matti Breschel, Michael Mørkøv, Pavel Brutt, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Ivan Rovny and Nikolay Trusov.
They too may have the form to do something, but the main goal is to bolster Sagan’s prospects.
“Looking at our squad, I think we have a strong lead-out if a stage turns into a classic sprinter’s duel,” he said, noting that there will be five stages for the gallopers.
“All the guys are capable of setting a very high pace – and in especially Michael Mørkøv and Matti Breschel, who finished second overall in 2005, we have two really fast riders to do the lead-out for Peter.”
He realises that things won’t be as straightforward as waiting for the sprinters, however.
“There’s a high risk that the crosswinds will split up the peloton as Qatar is generally a quite windy race with long open stretches,” he said. “We have to ride the race from the front and act in the wind instead of reacting”.
The overall classification will depend on good performances on the flat stages, but also in the 10.9 kilometre time trial on stage three.
Providing the bunch stays together on the other stages, the final general classification will likely go to a rider who places well in the sprints and also fares well against the clock.
Hoffman notes that Sagan can do a very strong time trial, but chooses not to bank absolutely everything on hims.
“We need to keep our opportunities open. Maciej Bodnar is a three-time national TT champion and really strong against the clock. We’ll keep Breschel and Bodnar in a protective role for the first stages and see how everything plays out at the time trial.”
The race starts on Sunday with a 136 kilometre stage from Durkhan to Sealine Beach. It’ll be Sagan’s first day of competition in 2015 but, if the legs are good and the opportunity arises, he’ll seize the opportunity to show he means business. |
I did great this summer with my blog in terms of topics. I had tons of ideas. But now it’s fall, and I’ve got nothing. I’m not panicked, though, because a topic always appears.
As a former newspaper reporter, I had to turn in a story every day. That meant having a few evergreen stories in reserve for the days when there was no breaking news. As a reporter, I always became adept at finding the unique hook or angle to a subject and turning it into a story.
When I’m really stumped for blog fodder, here’s what I do:
Review posts from prior years. Anniversaries, events and other activities have dates associated with them. Often I’ll write a post on an annual event, but from a different perspective.
Surf the web, read a magazine. I find ideas from stories I am reading on the web or in magazines. Sometimes, one sentence can trigger an entire blog post.
Talk to people. I sometimes ask my colleagues for ideas.
Peruse my idea folder. I frequently tear out articles that could be an idea and put them in an old-fashioned file folder. Sometimes, I put a sticky note with a random idea. When I’m stuck, I open the folder and am frequently surprised at the fodder within.
Attend a meeting or lecture. Most newspapers publish a list of business events. Sometimes I’ll see one that interests me, and I’ll attend. I particularly like breakfast meetings because I can go before heading to the office. Invariably, I end up with a blog post.
Examine my content calendar. I keep a calendar with all the days I’m going to post for the year along with ideas. Sometimes I have written posts in anticipation of traveling. However, if I’m really stuck for an idea, I’ll publish the blog sooner and hope that inspiration strikes again. |
I love to shop for toddler high heel sandals. I have to admit shoes have been a weakness of mine since I got young. We used to spend all of my allowance on or even. aktivo of my money began shoes. I to have every color you can imagine, and still not to mention LOTS of parents. Shoes can do or die an outfit in my estimation. Yes this even applies to toddlers. Their outfit looks so cute with those perfect boots or shoes. I am so picky when it comes down to my son’s clothes and shoes. So you can understand why I feel the same for his boots and shoes.
There are actually thousands of sellers for your internet screaming about their collection of replica handbags. ‘EBay’ has become another place where sellers hope to pass replica bags off as the genuine article. Despite every one of these sites advertising replica handbags, no situations give a definitive opinion on which sites carry greatest replica handbag.
Baby bags differ from diaper bags in virtually all of the ways, but primarily, they differ in functionality. Baby bags are designed to hold all your valuable essential baby gear as well as all within the gear you’ve to as a mom on a day-to-day basis. Baby bags are the ultimate, utilitarian bag for parents of infants on a busy schedule.
This type of buckskin is one pure moist cloth. It’s very soft and smooth household leather. It is also one quite expensive types of buckskin. It’s very used your making of luxury shoes for consumers.
Buckles will often deter a thief whenever they know they take longer to undo and steal the issues. If the saddle Bags do have quick release buckles, they need to be hidden from sight or they become pointless. Leather saddle bags look great when first bought, but do need maintenance to ensure that they’re in top condition. The weather and riding conditions can damage the leather easily, causing it to sag.
However young people need to be attentive when they’re buying replica for the product may look just same as the original but their quality differ. Most replicas will not have a very good quality and would possibly not last that long. There’s two types of people who buy these watches those that know it’s a fake and people who does not really.
Laceless shoes aren’t only good for most adults and they provide a lot of benefits to children too. Children walk, run and play without thinking about the perils of slipping and tripping. Important to your personal shoes have laces, they then become planning to injuries. Therefore, parents should make sure to buy shoes for a children who do not have inconvenient shoelaces. |
The days of summer are longer. The sun stays up a little longer and all of the sudden things that weren’t possible before become possible. Gardeners and farmers can grow veggies to their hearts content.
Children whose bedtimes are always dictated by the sun get to experience life after 8pm. And, business owners have extra hours to take their business to the next level.
I like to use the long days to refine my current offerings, brainstorm new ideas, work on a new launch or workshop or find ways of growing my business. Having so many sun-filled hours is just can be energizing and it’s like this small window of time where you can get… more time!
I encourage you to use these long summer days and get to work on something that will bear you lots of fruit come fall.
Make headway on that new goal or come up with a new product or service so you can take advantage of the hustle and bustle of winter.
Despite the longer daylight hours of summer, it will pass too quickly. Don’t waste a single ray of light. Get started on something that will pay off for you and your business.
Kick-Start Your Goal into a “Strategy in Action” will help keep you accountable to your summer plans. Together we can make this a summer to remember.
by Carla Kroger
Carla Kroger
Carla is the founder and secret weapon behind Daily Administration where she works with small businesses assisting them in establishing manageable marketing strategies that attracts, engages and enrolls clients. Along with the Daily Administration team, she works with her clients to establish processes for profit¬able and repeatable growth. |
Amandla Crichlow is the gorgeous girlfriend of British actor and writer, Daniel Kaluuya -who is set to produce live-action Barney the Dinosaur movie.
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Amandla’s boyfriend is an Oscar-nominated actor who began acting while in his teens in improvisational theatre. He gained major acclaim for his role of Chris Washington in the 2017 horror film Get Out -for which he won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor.
Kaluuya was born to Ugandan parents on May 8, 1989 in London, England. He acted on British television in Skins (2007-2009), Psychoville (2009-2011), one episode of Black Mirror (2011). In movies, he appeared in Johnny English Reborn (2011), Kick *** 2 (2013) and had a supporting role in Denis Villeneuve’s film Sicario.
In 2018 he portrayed W’Kabi in Marvel’s Black Panther and appeared in Steve McQueen’s heist film Widows. Also in 2018, he won the BAFTA Rising Star Award. Most recently he played the role of Slim in the 2019 film, Queen & Slim -which is currently in pre-production and will premiere later this year.
Is not clear when he and stunning girlfriend, Amandla began dating. However, she isn’t just a pretty face, she is also an actress herslef.
Amandla Crichlow is the duaghter of late black activist, Frank Crichlow. Her father immigrating to the U.K. from Trinidad and opened celebrity hotspot restaurant, Mangrove. At the same time, his retaurant became a target of raids, result of racist policing. He was arrested in 1970 protesting against police harassment and later established the Mangrove Community Association.
Amandla has two sisters, Lenora and Francesca and one brother, Knowlton. Her sister, Lenora Crichlow is also an actress.
According to Amandla’s IMDb page, most of her work has been in television, as she played Gloria in Prime Suspect 7: The Final Act, the mini-series starring Helen Mirren, and also played Alisha Daniels in The Bill. Since then, she has acted in two short films, but hasn’t had any acting credits since the short Anonymous in 2012. |
The Graduate Students Association (GSA) is proposing an escort service for Middle Eastern and minority students who feel threatened by backlash from the September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
On September 17, a Saudi Arabian Santa Barbara City College student was assaulted in what Sheriff’s Dept. Lt. Mike Burridge called a hate crime. At its October 9 meeting, the GSA suggested a service to counteract mental anguish and physical harm for students who feel threatened, Student Affairs Vice President Soomin Chun said. Chun plans to coordinate an open forum on the topic, but has not yet set a date.
“As an Asian-American student, it would be a horrible situation to be in fear of going out into public,” Chun said. “We as a community need to make sure that every person feels safe.”
The Community Service Organization (CSO) is helpful in increasing student safety, but that organization alone is not completely sufficient in all circumstances, Chun said. The new escort service would serve more to address the mental state of students who live in fear or feel their safety is threatened due to religion or ethnicity.
Through a combined effort of religious, ethnic and law enforcement organizations, the new volunteer-based escort service would be available to escort students not only in the vicinity of campus and Isla Vista, but also surrounding communities. People could request an escort by telephone.
Muslim Student Association President Abeer Khan said the gesture was appreciated, but that the service was unnecessary.
“I think most students on campus feel pretty safe – more safe on campus than anywhere else,” she said. “Everyone should utilize the escort service that’s already provided. No specific group needs their own escort service.”
Khalid Hanif, a member of the Muslim Student Association, said he also feels safe on campus.
“So far there have been no problems with threats or anything,” he said. “People have been pretty understanding.”
Khan said most students she knows may have been frightened at the beginning of the quarter, but supportive messages from campus administration and the campus’ focus on tolerance have helped even those students who were uneasy feel much safer.
UCSB Police Captain Michael Foster said the police would support a new organization if students wanted it.
“Obviously we want a safe campus, and anything people want to do to help promote that, we want to stand behind,” he said. “Whether there’s a need or not, that’s a personal perception.” |
The Gauchos kicked off their Big West matchup against UC Riverside late Saturday night with the offensive-minded approach they showcased in their first conference game of the year against Cal State Fullerton.
With that mindset, Santa Barbara was able to outlast the Highlanders 3-1 to improve to 4-4-2 overall, and now 2-0 in conference play sitting atop the standings with six points. UCR falls to 0-9 on the season and 0-2 in the Big West with a last-place standing.
UCSB was able to hold possession of the ball for most of the first ten minutes of the match, being able to get through the UCR defense multiple times for shots on goal that were ultimately kept out of the net. The Highlanders offense was also able to put together some runs but were denied any good looks at the goal by a Gaucho defense that showed signs of an ability to defensively recover.
However, in the 12th minute of the match, Riverside sent a pass down the right side of the field over the UCSB defense where junior Eduardo Sanchez was able to poke the ball past Gaucho keeper Alan Carrillo, who was drawn out from his position. The capitalized opportunity for UCR gave the team an early lead, 1-0.
UCSB wasted no time in trying to get an equalizer, multiple plays by freshman No. 9 Rodney Michael and sophomore No. 13 Ignacio Tellechea lead to the Gauchos being able to take good shots on goal, forcing the UC Riverside keeper Vincent Morales to make plays in front of the net.
The unsuccessful scoring opportunities lead to UCSB Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg making changes in the 33rd minute, substituting No. 13 Ignacio Tellechea and No. 10 Noah Billingsley for No. 17 Derek Kryzda and No. 21 Alex Liua.
The newly brought in duo of Kryzda and Liua were quickly able to maneuver the offense and create some close chances for the Gauchos. It was in the 37th minute where Liua found himself in the right place to receive a bounce off a UCR defender that went left of the box. Liua was able to perfectly send the ball over the keeper’s head and into the corner of the net to leave the game all tied up at halftime.
It was in the 37th minute where Liua found himself in the right place to receive a bounce off a UCR defender that went left of the box. Liua was able to perfectly send the ball over the keeper’s head and into the corner of the net to leave the game all tied up at halftime.
The beginning of the second half did not bring an end to UCSB being able to find ways through the Highlander’s defense and it was Gaucho sophomore Noah Billingsley who put UCSB out in front. The forward took a shot from the left side of the box and floated the ball over the keeper’s head and into the right corner of the net.
UCR stayed in the game and would occasionally get through the UCSB defense, but the Highlanders were unable to find a way into the net throughout the second half and any shot on goal was either saved or cleared away. The Highlanders were more often finding themselves in their own end trying to prevent the game from getting too ahead of them.
The defense for the Highlanders finally lapsed in the final five minutes of the game, allowing Gaucho forward Rodney Michael to run past two defenders into the right side of the box and sending a shot past the goalkeeper that was buried into the left corner of the net, allowing the game to end in a 3-1 UCSB victory.
UCSB players Rodney Michael, Ignacio Tellechea, and Alex Liua continue to work well in the offense through making the correct passes and being able to finish the opportunities presented in front of the net, a great sign for a team looking to establish itself early on in the season.
The Gauchos next game is Thursday, October 5 at the Cal State Northridge where the Matadors will be playing the Gauchos at 7 p.m. |
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How can a lawyer help with identity theft
Nov 22
Missouri Cook Law is an experienced identity theft lawyers near me. We have extensive experience filing lawsuits against credit bureaus and credit furnishers to remove items from credit reports. People are quickly turned down by the terms lawsuit, lawyer, litigation. A lawsuit is not something anyone wants to deal with. They consider all the possible negative consequences and costs. This could be your last and best option to remove an item from your credit history. This is also not as expensive and as bad as you might think.
After your case has been set up with dispute letters, responses from credit bureaus and any negative items still reported, the next step is to have a lawyer file a lawsuit. You could be eligible to have a clean credit history and monetary compensation if your attorney sues them under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. You can recover attorney fees, actual damages and punitive damage under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This is just fancy language to say that you could make a lot of money from this process. Your lawyer will not be paid by the companies you sue. A Missouri identity theft lawyer such as Cook Law will often take a case contingent. This means they get paid only if the other side wins.
Identity theft can lead to many negative credit effects. Your credit score could drop, your insurance may be increased, and it could make it difficult to get a job. Depending on the severity of your situation, you might also lose access to financing, loans, or general credit. This nightmare is not permanent, but it can be fixed. You would be entitled to have your credit restored and stop any unwelcome debt collection activity. Additionally, you could also make some money for your efforts. A Missouri attorney who is experienced in identity theft can help you get your credit and identity back.
What's the next step?
Cook Law is available to help you or anyone you know who believes they may have been victims of identity theft. It is possible to fix identity theft, but it can take time. It is crucial to get started early by pulling your credit report and sending the dispute letters. It may take a few more months for a court case to be filed. If you feel you have been victim to identity theft, it is crucial that you start immediately. Missouri Cook Law advises clients to obtain copies of their credit reports at least once or twice per year. If there are any errors or omissions in your credit report, a quick scan will show you. Many clients don't realize they have been victims of identity theft until they get copies of their reports. This is often because collectors sent letters to another address.
An identity attorney in Missouri can ease the burden of dealing with identity theft. They will also help you navigate the process as smoothly as possible. Cook Law offers a free consultation. All you need is a quick telephone call. Cook law is a credit bureau, debt collector, and credit furnisher lawyer. This helps clients get clean credit, stop unwelcome collections, and sometimes, monetary compensation. Get in touch with us today! |
DAVAO CITY — Mayor Rodrigo Duterte does not think President Gloria Arroyo’s all-out war policy against the Communists and the release of 1 billion pesos of additional funds for the military as a good idea. He said the only effective means to deal with the insurgency is to continue talking with the rebels “without surrendering the authority of the government.”
“What is that 1 billion for? To attack more people? Is every single amount of the one billion peso be spent to buy bullets?” the mayor said during a press forum this week.
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in Southern Mindanao, meanwhile, said Arroyo’s latest move to augment the government�s counterinsurgency fund is proof of the vindictiveness and �fascist� character of the regime.
“It is obvious that the target of the war fund are the unarmed, noncombatant or civilians perceived by the Arroyo regime as its enemy,” Ariel Casilao, Bayan�s secretary general, said.
Casilao said the fund should have been allotted to address the problem of inadequate school facilities, deteriorating quality of public education, health and other social services. (Cheryll D. Fiel/davaotoday.com) |
Dust the sand from your feet, don your comfortable walking shoes and take a stroll through Old Town Pensacola for a new adventure when visiting the oldest settlement along Florida’s Gulf Coast, predating St. Augustine by six years and Jamestown by 50. The city has so much charm with its architecture and brick-lined sidewalks. It takes pride in showing off its history, one that began with the settlement of Native Americans before the Spanish landed and claimed the land as its own in 1559, then ceded the land to America 200 years ago this year.
Today, a trip to the downtown area makes for a fun getaway from the sun, surf and sand for history buffs, foodies, bar hoppers and shoppers. It’s an easy drive from Chattanooga to Pensacola — about 6 hours. Or, Southwest offers direct flights from Nashville that will get you there in about an hour.
Experience History
Pensacola Village, located smack dab in the center of downtown, is an all-encompassing look at who and what made Pensacola the town it is today. Its archaeology tells the story of battles on the water; its position as the Middle Passage during the days of slavery; its industry; the arts; and its people.
Pensacola Museum of History is one of 17 museums within a 44-block area and anchors Pensacola Village. The museum has a number of permanent collections that feature items discovered underwater and on land, as well as a re-creation of Trader Jon’s, a popular downtown restaurant/bar (now a law office) for military stationed at nearby Naval Air Station Pensacola.
The Village also features Julee Cottage, one of a very few remaining examples of Creole-style architecture that once dotted the landscape around Pensacola Bay. Costumed guides tell its story and are well-versed in the history of the area. Once you’ve learned about daily life in the 1800s, step across the street and into the Appleyard Storytelling Cottage to sit and listen to recordings of historian John Appleyard tell of local and regional history, then visit the Manuel Barrios Cottage, an example of small two-room cottages, a style of architecture common in the early 20th century.
The neighboring Museum of Industry and the Museum of Commerce are hosts to permanent exhibits and tell the stories of Pensacola’s early industries and downtown Pensacola circa the 1890s. And the Pensacola Children’s Museum will give the kids something to do besides building sandcastles and body surfing.
Tickets to experience Pensacola Village and its many offerings may be purchased online and are good for seven days. Tickets include admission to all of the museums as well as guided tours held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, log onto www.historicpensacola.org.
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Children learn about cooking in the early 1800s from a guide at Pensacola Village/photo by Anne Braly
Costumed guides roam through Pensacola Village telling its history and answering questions about the people who lived in the neighborhood in the 19th century/photo by Anne Braly
There are many exhibits in the Pensacola Museum of History, including this one that tells of the Battle of Pensacola in 1781/photo by Anne Braly
The Pensacola Museum of History is located in the former Pensacola City Hall and is large enough to house a wealth of the city’s history/photo by Anne Braly
St. Michael’s parish was established in 1781. The Gothic Revival-style church was dedicated in 1886 and is one of Pensacola’s oldest churches/photo by Anne Braly
The architecture of downtown Pensacola is reminiscent of that found in New Orlean’s French Quarter/photo by Anne Braly
Bubba’s Sweet Spot, owned by golf pro Bubba Watson, has everything you need for your afternoon sugar rush/photo by Anne Braly
Vendors set up early on a Sunday morning for the market on Palafox Street/photo by Anne Braly
Locals recommend getting to The Coffee Cup early to get a seat and enjoy brunch that may feature Shrimp Eggs Benedict and crispy hash browns/photo by Anne Braly
Louis Shapero takes a cold lick of ice cream from Bubba’s Sweet Spot on a hot summer afternoon/photo by Anne Braly
Historic buildings in Pensacola Village/photo by Anne Braly
What to See and Do
Palafox Street is a main corridor that runs north and south through town. The area you’ll want to visit is known as SoGo (South of Government Street). A wide plaza stretches down the center of the street and is home to a Sunday market with local vendors and numerous activities the year round. You’ll notice the architecture of the area is very much like that you’d find in New Orleans.
Downtown is very walkable and offers free parking. Try to park somewhere close to The Artisan, a restored French-Quarter building that offers high-end shops and dining.
Downtown Pensacola also has a varied genre of musical offerings.
For a memorable night of music, magic or whatever entertainment happens to be on the menu, visit the Vinyl Music Hall located in the restored Masonic Temple. Or, get a ticket and a seat in the Spanish Baroque Saenger Theatre for ballet or a Broadway show.
Where to Eat
From tacos to tapas, downtown Pensacola has the restaurants you need to satiate your hunger and the bars you want to get a sip of relief from the heat of the day.
Get your sugar rush at Bubba’s Sweet Spot, owned by golf pro Bubba Watson, a shotgun-style ice cream/chocolate shop that will blow your mind. A long counter lined with all kinds of fudge and chocolates leads to a small cooler with a dozen or so ice creams. Take your pick and snag a seat outside.
Next door to Bubba’s is Nom, the place for fresh sushi and amazing ramen in SoGo. Around the corner, Jackson’s Steakhouse has a tempting menu of yes, steaks, but also seafood. Chef Irv Miller tempts the palate with entrees like his petite filet with fried green tomatoes, lump crab and Thibodaux andouille cream.
No matter how tempting, drive right past Kristy Kreme on Cervantes Street, bypass McDonald’s entirely and enjoy brunch at the Coffee Cup. No social distancing here. It’s one of those places known by t Locals recommend going early to beat the brunch crowd. Seating inside is rather tight, but there is outdoor seating for those wanting to social distance and enjoy a beautiful Florida morning. Specials change often, but might feature a dish such as Shrimp Eggs Benedict, and there are always ample Southern breakfasts on which to break the fast.
There are plenty of seafood places on the water around Pensacola — its beaches and its bay. One of the standouts is The Oar House just minutes from downtown Pensacola on Bayou Chico overlooking MarineMax Pensacola. Dine outside or beneath the tiki roof — either way, you’ll witness stunning sunsets and the bounty of nature in and out of the water while dining on a menu filled with po’ boys, fish tacos and numerous dishes featuring fruits de mer.
Where to Stay
If you want a beach, the best suggestion is Pensacola Beach with its numerous rental homes and hotels. Downtown Pensacola is less than 15 minutes away. But if you’d like a break from sand in your room and between your toes, there are a number of good hotels downtown.
· New World Inn is a boutique hotel on Palafox Street featuring 15 guest rooms named after figures tied to the history of Pensacola. It’s restaurant, Skolepos, is no longer there, thanks to Hurricane Sally, but its owner and chef, Gus Silivos, has now opened Agapi Bistro + Garden in East Pensacola and is serving award-winning Mediterranean cuisine. It’s the talk of the town, according to folks at VisitPensacola. Online: www.newworldlanding.com
· As the only Pensacola hotel overlooking the waterfront, Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel offers sweeping views of the downtown overlooking the waterfront and beyond. The ferry to Pensacola Beach is within easy walking distance. Online: www.stayoysterbay.com.
· Holiday Inn Express is a new property on Main Street and is within easy walking distance of the action around Palafox. It’s located next to Pensacola Village and many of the museums, and is also within walking distance of the ferry to Pensacola Beach. Online: www.ihg.com.
· Sole Inn and Suites features 45 rooms with a hip, modern flair, a beautiful courtyard with private cabana areas, free continental breakfast, free happy hour meet-and-greet for guests, and upscale amenities in all rooms including microwave, mini fridge and coffee maker. Online: www.soleinnandsuites.com.
· Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Pensacola is within walking distance to more than a dozen of Pensacola’s most popular restaurants and entertainment venues. There’s also an outdoor pool and spa. Online: www.marriott.com.
· Pensacola Victorian is a bed-and-breakfast in a beautifully restored Queen Anne Victorian house once the home of ship captain William Hazard Northup in the late 1800s. Today it is a place where vacationers and business travelers can relax and enjoy the hospitality of innkeepers Chuck and Barbee Major. Online: www.pensacolavictorian.com. |
This is another set of images I took in Charleston, SC at the direction of Kevin McQuade of secretcharleston.com, whom I mentioned in my previous post. To read more about how this scavenger hunt changed my photographer click here. As we were walking around finding these places, we saw parts of Charleston that were off the beaten path and simply gorgeous. This house on Anson Street was one of those. As I took these photos I began to wonder: would this landscape benefit from a fill flash?
Not using a Fill Flash.
These images were taken around dusk when there was still plenty of light but the shadows were darker. In these photos I did an experiment. I wanted to see what difference a fill flash would make. As you can see in the first image, there was plenty of light without the fill flash. However, there was no dimension in the vegetation. One plant just blends into the others. Also, the sky is blown out in the background because of setting for the darker shadows It’s a beautiful image, but I wondered if it could be better.
Fill flash can make a huge difference in the way a captured image comes across and is perceived. But using a fill flash in a landscape photo??? I’d never tried that before. Could this scene be improved by the use of a fill flash?
Using a Fill Flash
In the second picture, I used a fill flash and I am pleased with the results. The main difference is on the branches and leaves of the closest tree on the right side of the image. To me the added front light separates the trees and adds dimension to the photo because there is clearer demarkation of what is closer and what is farther away. The sky is also much more in balance with the rest of the picture.
Sacrifices of using a Fill Flash
As much as I like the effects of the flash, there are some sacrifices. The flash emphasized the exposed wood of the cypress trees that lined the lake, whereas in the non-flash image those trees look greener with the woodiness deemphasized. Also the leaves in the photo with the fill flash are not as crisp as the photo without the flash.
Because the photos were taken around dusk, some of the colors were flat and needed adjusting to get the vibrance and warmth that I was looking for. I used Luminar by Skylum to brighten the colors a touch and give the images a deeper contrast.
Did this landscape benefit from a fill flash? All in all, I like both images, but I tend to favor the one with the fill flash. Therefore answer the “to flash or not to flash” question? Well, I think is based on your preferences. Nine times out of ten when I experiment like this, I find that I prefer one image while the members of my family prefer the other. Why not take one of each and see what you think?
Happy shooting!
Note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. I get paid a small amount of money if you buy using my link, but your cost doesn’t change. It’s a win – win! |
So we had great news yesterday when it was announced weddings could soon take place again. Very slowly and only small amounts at first. I’m sure many within the wedding industry (myself included) were hoping for a speedier return but we will get there. Hopefully by June wedding planning will be full on and couples can once again enjoy their very special day in the way they want, surrounded by family & friends.
I long for the days of working flat out and very long hours. Juggling my time between the sewing machine, answering the phone & returning emails.
Being busy with weddings is my world and I’ve missed it!
I’ve been very lucky in that I’ve still been able to work the past year, just at a much slower pace than normal.
So, baby steps at first.....but fingers crossed we are finally getting this damned virus under control. |
When you ask him about sports, he’ll raise his blue eyes to mine and press his lips together. I’ll nod to assure him it’s safe, he’s okay, this isn’t the school lunch table where the kids can taunt.
“I dance,” he’ll say. “Ballet. This year I’m doing hip hop and tap and jazz, too, but ballet is my favorite.”
Try as you might, progressive thinker that you are, modern and open-minded for all the decades you carry, your eyebrows will move up a quarter of an inch.
“Oh!” You’ll tilt your head and hopefully you’ll smile. For a heartbeat you’ll spin through a lexicon of words and phrases, seeking the correct positive acknowledgment.
And I’ll hold my breath as your eyes meet mine over his shaggy blonde head of hair, a wordless prayer as we wait for the moment of reaction. What does one say to a seven year old boy who is built for carrying a football but wears ballet shoes?
Will you be the one who nods, intrigued, silently assuming his parents must be dancers, or that we’ve exploited our child in an attempt at our own anti-sexism statement?
Or perhaps you’ll be the one who asks incredulously what his dad thinks of him doing ballet, because what dad would be okay with a son who dances?
Maybe you’re the family friend who repeatedly assures him it’s acceptable to enjoy ballet – after all, NFL players have been known to take a few ballet lessons it will be valuable when he plays real sports in a few years.
What if you’re the man who scoffs in the face of my little boy’s uncle, declaring loudly that you would “beat that boy’s ass” to cure him of whatever it is that makes him want to dance?
You could be the distant relative who eyes him curiously at gatherings, making frequent mention of the need for masculinity and “boyish” pursuits, taking care he doesn’t accidentally grab the pink piece of cake because, “What are you, a girl?!” followed by a quick inhale and, “So Troy, are you still doing that ballet thing? How’s that working for you? You have any girlfriends there yet?”
You might even be the one who glances over your shoulder, catching my eye knowingly, suggesting in veiled terms that we be “concerned” about our seven year old’s sexuality.
So I catch your eye when you ask him about baseball and soccer, not because I don’t want you to be interested or I’m expecting your reaction to be as nonchalant as if he had said he’s the star of the peewee basketball team. I bore my eyes into yours, conveying with a look my son’s intuitive nature and telling you with silence that I’m not going to answer those questions.
Instead, I’ll tell you about a baby boy who felt music in his soul before he could crawl, grooving to the beat of push-button toys in the church nursery and spawning jokes about his young parents’ need to curb the tendency if he was to become a “good Baptist baby.”
I’ll tell you about a toddler spinning on his head on the living room carpet, the grocery store linoleum, the church foyer tile, eliciting amused comments from strangers about his wannabe break dancing. I’ll tell you of his unquenchable need to move in the presence of rhythm and an obvious inborn ability to feel music.
I’ll revisit the memory of him bounding in the front door on a December afternoon, tossing his kindergarten backpack and, wild eyed, telling us of the music class in which people leaped and twirled to music, strong men jumped high in the air, danced on their toes and lifted ballerinas across the stage. He wore black sweat pants and a white undershirt every day of Christmas break that year, asked Santa for black ballet shoes, watched dozens of online videos of boys’ ballet techniques and by Christmas day had memorized every note and crescendo of the entire Nutcracker Suite.
I’ll laugh and sigh and tell you of his own carefully choreographed dances to specific pieces by Beethoven, Taylor Swift and Mumford & Sons.
I can show you a clip from his first recital, when he was awarded an unsolicited, unexpected dance scholarship and hadn’t a clue what it meant as he smiled and accepted the sheet of paper. I’ll try to keep from beaming, as parents do, and will refrain from repeating every accolade and declaration of talent his instructors have bestowed upon him.
I’ll tell you of the way he glows after a six hour practice, the finesse with which he glides across the floor, the way his very soul leaps from his eyes when he manages a toe touch or perfects a difficult series of steps. I’ll show you a boy who carries himself with grace in manner and spirit, who is strong in character and skill, who is learning of compassion and team effort and how to appreciate the brilliance of life’s beauty.
When you ask my dancing son about this passion he carries and you catch my eye, slightly uncertain how to proceed, I won’t try to convince you this was all his idea or give ten examples of his father’s unwavering pride or waste breath assuring you that my second grader isn’t gay.
I’ll simply tell you what he said to us after his first Nutcracker performance last winter:
“Mama, it feels like my heart is flying when I’m dancing. I think God made ballet because he knew I’d love it.” |
The ski and ride hill at the Frisco Adventure Park will be hosting the 5th Annual Bubble Gum Race Series for six Mondays in February and March:
Monday, February 19th- Dual Slalom
Monday, February 26th- Obstacle Course
Monday, March 5th- Dual Slalom
Monday, March 12th- Nordic Obstacle Course
Monday, March 19th- Obstacle Course
Monday, March 26th- Finale- Dual Slalom
From the “never ever” to seasoned racer, all levels are encouraged to compete in this free race series.
This fun, non-competitive, community race series provides an opportunity for children and adults to try out racing in a relaxed environment.
Racers will have the chance to race the course multiple times and racers will not be timed, but instead participants will be given pieces of bubble gum which they will keep or give away based on their race finishes. The racer who has the most bubble gum at the end of the races wins.
All ages and abilities are welcome to participate in the Bubble Gum Series races and friendly competition between parents, siblings and friends is encouraged.
The Bubble Gum Series races are free, and registration is day of from 4:00pm – 5:00pm inside the Frisco Adventure Park Day Lodge located at 621 Recreation Way in Frisco (map). Races will run from approximately 5:00pm – 6:00pm. Racers must provide their own ski equipment and helmets are required in order to race. Free hot cocoa and cookies will be served at the Day Lodge post-race. |
I really hope your fall is as pretty as mine’s been. Orange, yellow, and red leaves cover the sides and down through the middle of the main road into our town, and everyday the street sweeper comes by sweeping them up. But its futile because by the end of the day there is another pile. I love living in a neighborhood that has so many trees, it’s gorgeous this time of year.
Doing
As we head into November I’m concentrating on a ton of inspiration, tools, and tutorials on photography for you. I’m changing things here and I’m really excited about it because I’m focusing on my passions: photography and teaching. So you’ll see little changes here week after week.
Making
A new installment is the free album template I made you that you can scoop up if you sign up for my weekly emails! I’m really excited by this because I wanted to urge you to print your photos and this simple template is perfect for the gratitude challenge this month. Check out my post here! This is one of many free things I plan on making for you too. I am so excited by all the ideas I’ve had recently but I’m also trying to take it a little slower so I don’t overwhelm myself and my family.
Learning
I took another small workshop on creating more moody and emotion-filled photos from Clickin’ Moms. It was reflective and I learned more about transferring the vision I have for the emotion to post-processing my photos.
I am teaching myself InDesign as well now to make mostly album templates. I really want to create one for my 365 project and am almost finished processing those photos.
Marketing – I have a to-do list a mile long that I created based on the course with April Bowles-Olin on Creativelive.
On the Web
Photofocus has a fantastic article on artistry that I think applies to any creative. It is a kick in the bum to put yourself out there. Don’t put what other people want you to put out there, put yourself out there.
Kari Patterson had another beautiful post reminding us to do good even when life seems to hand us rotten apples.
I cringed when I read the title to this post: One Husband’s Response To Retouched Photos of His Wife. But it was not at all what I expected, and I think I teared up at the end. It is a gorgeous story.
Reading
Once again, I only made it through 1 book this month, Be Strong (Joshua): Putting God’s Power to Work in Your Life |
Austin has traveled the world—from the receding glaciers of Patagonia to the deep snow of Hokkaido— with his camera as a compass. His principal solo exhibition was held at the Telluride Arts HQ Gallery in 2018, and since then he has shown his work as a featured artist at the Dawn Tekler Gallery at 78th Street Studios and a number of other venues across Cleveland. Primarily self-taught, Austin has loved learning from brilliant artists at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops & Maine Media Workshops + College. Austin recently graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Film and Media Studies from Colorado College, in Colorado Springs. Being outside and making images are some of the things that make Austin really damn happy.
Available Work
Artist Statement
EL-E-MEN-TAL: pertaining to the forces of nature and relating to earth’s major elements—Water, Fire, Ice, and Air.
The earth is a living, breathing organism. It has sheltered us and given us life. In response, the earth asks that we protect it. But, we have not protected it. As global temperatures continue to rise, greater amounts of water evaporate into the air. Warmer air can hold more water vapor, leading to intense rainstorms, violent flooding, and extreme threats to many of the world’s coastal communities.
All six of these images were created in Chile—a country that is singularly vast in its spectrum of geographic conditions. Situated in the northern part of the country is the Atacama Desert, the driest desert on the planet. While the southern tip of the country is home to Patagonia, known for its dramatic glaciers, rainforests, and fjords. In effect, these two opposing landscapes, viewed together, represent the full magnitude of Earth’s natural wonders.
And yet… the high-altitude Atacama is fed by glacial meltwater. And today, rivers are running dry and species are being displaced and extinguished. In Patagonia, glaciers are receding at some of the highest rates on the planet. Meltwater from Patagonian icefields is largely contributing to global sea levels rising.
We’ve reached a tipping point in many aspects of contemporary life. Our world is on fire, from the interdependent tragedies of climate change and racial inequality. In East of Eden, John Steinbeck introduces the concept of “Timshel,” a Hebrew word that translates to “thou mayest.” It suggests that we have the power to choose between good and evil, between dark and light. Let ELEMENTAL open your eyes to the beauty of our earth and inspire you into action to protect it, just as my travels and my camera lens have served as my own catalysts into activism. |
With the right working policies and role models, concerns about women in FinTech should be rapidly consigned to history.
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Rosie Silk, R&D Tax Manager at Kene Partners, explains why with the right working policies and role models, concerns about women in FinTech should be rapidly consigned to history.
The financial services industry is well known for being fast-paced, competitive and male-dominated. In FinTech, women are vastly underrepresented, making up just 29% of staff in the sector, despite representing 47% of the UK workforce.
But this is also an industry in transition – and growing numbers of companies now recognise the importance of promoting gender-neutral pay structures and flexible working policies. As Rosie Silk, R&D Tax Manager at Kene Partners, explains, with the right working policies and role models, concerns about attracting women to the industry should be rapidly consigned to history.
Zero Bias
Gender pay gaps. Endemic sexual harassment in Silicon Valley. It is easy to assume that the experience of women in the workplace has failed to improve over the past three decades. But that is patently untrue. Many organisations within the FinTech sector are passionate advocates for generating a positive working environment, and one that has zero gender bias.
Given the challenge of recruiting high calibre individuals, companies need to encourage working practices that suit today’s attitudes towards work/life balance. Both women and men should have equal access to flexible working policies, for example.
>See also: Innovate Finance Publishes Women in FinTech Powerlist 2018
However, of course, FinTech is a young industry. Fast growing, start-up organisations will often overlook the need for flexible working models to support parents of both sexes. Indeed, in many start-ups, such flexibility is simply not an option. But this is an industry that offers choice: if flexible working is important to any individual, then look for a different employer.
There is, without doubt, a divergence in cultural attitudes and behaviours as well as working practices in firms across the FinTech sector, and it is incredibly important for both employer and employees to understand and identify those issues up front. Skills and experience alone are not enough to ensure a great fit.
Role Models
This is also where female role models can play an important part, not only to inspire contemporaries and the next generation but also to set expectations within the workplace. The days when women leaders felt the need to adopt so-called male leadership traits are long gone; successful women are leaders on their own terms in FinTech as much as any other industry, and that is an important message.
Attending an innovation conference recently and finding four women on a panel of five, is incredibly inspiring. Furthermore, these women can also reinforce a strong culture by acting as coaches or mentors to new starters. But it is also important to remember that changes to the workplace alone can never achieve zero gender bias without a broader shift in culture, at home and in education.
Chat to any successful women in FinTech, or just any successful women, and the story will be the same: they were provided with a huge amount of confidence at home, encouraged to try new experiences and treated equally. As a result, they expect to be treated fairly at work and to have access to the same opportunities. They are also confident enough to take risks and embrace innovative business areas such as FinTech.
For any business leaders carefully crafting good flexible working policies, don’t forget to apply the same encouragement and support once you get home from the office!
Consigned to history
Despite the occasional negative headlines, times have without a doubt changed. In addition to the support provided by switched on employers, women leaders are now becoming commonplace and acting as role models to the next generation. Companies across the board are investing in new working practices to support all staff and, as this continues, hopefully, within the next few years this conversation will be consigned to history. |
At Divine Complexions we believe that you deserve to be treated like Royalty. That's why when you come to Divine Complexions it's more than just coming for a spa appointment, it's an experience you won't forget. Here at Divine Complexions, we are more than just about offering amazing services and products, it's about how you're treated when you're here. Come experience the service you deserve!
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Driven by passion, the spa professionals at Divine Complexions pride themselves on providing the highest quality esthetic and beauty services. Staying up to date with the latest technologies and techniques is important to us. We value continuing education and promise to always strive to bring you the very best.
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Scores for the SAT Essay are reported separately and aren’t part of a student’s total SAT score.There are certain universities that consider the SAT Essay score vital for assessment despite it being optional.The essay counts for 30% of your writing score.2008 SCORING GUIDELINES Question 2 (Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting) The score reflects the quality of the essay as a whole—its content, its style, its mechanics.There are certain universities that consider the SAT Essay score vital for assessment despite it being optional.Course grades are based upon teacher evaluation of student writing produced during the course..Review the different factors that result in your final SAT score.We understand you need help now with quick essay paper Doctoral Thesis 2008 writing and we are at your service, delivering you 100% custom essays.In the middle are “some” and “effective,” scores of 3 and 4 respectively, and probably where most students score.The writing section reported a multiple-choice subscore that ranged from 20 to 80 points.Get information on how to navigate your score report.Stage 1: Read the Passage (5-10 minutes) There are a couple of different ways to read through the passage on the SAT essay, each with their own advantages In his essay Dropping the Sat?It is true the SAT writing section will still not be counted for initial eligibly for the NCAA, but, clearly, based on the change from 2006 to 2007, the credibility of the SAT writing section scores is growing and will make a difference in 2008 790.SAT: 400–1600; PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10.None of them come in handy, nowadays Your final scores will be reported on a scale of 200-800 for Math, 200-800 for evidence-based reading and writing, and 2-8 for the essay.For the Analysis section, the mean score was a little lower at 3, simply because Analysis is a skill that high school students spend less time honing than Reading or Writing.The following three scores for the SAT Essay, if applicable, are on a 2–8 scale: § Reading § Analysis § Writing These scores aren’t added together or combined with any other test scores.You will receive the score and feedback about your essay from your school The sat scores 2008 writing essay highest score that you can receive on the SAT is 2400 (800 for the writing, critical reading, and math sections).New SAT Scores SAT Score Ranges since 2009, and the SAT since 2008.The essay counts for 30% of your writing score.Submit an Essay it was 501, one point lower than for students in the class of 2008.March SAT Scores Available Details.The Essay also became optional and was separated from the composite score (previously it factored into your Writing score) 790.The student responded to and the student’s essay.
Types Of College Students Classification Essay
The top colleges, the same ones that care about your 800 in Writing and Language, will look for a score on the SAT® Essay.The writing section reported a multiple-choice subscore that ranged from 20 to 80 points.If you took the January 2008 SAT Reasoning Test, you would have been given one of the essay prompts below: Prompt 1.Each of the three major sections, Mathematics, Critical Reading, and Writing, are divided into three parts, with 10 sub-sections The average overall score is 7.For a detailed breakdown of how 2019’s test takers performed, here are a few score.The average SAT essay score for students graduating high school sat scores 2008 writing essay in 2020 was 5 out of 8 for Reading, 3 out of 8 for Analysis, and 5 out of 8 for Writing (source: CollegeBoard 2020 Total Group Report) The SAT essay score is measured on a scale of 2 to 8.A combined score of 2100 was the 96th percentile in 2010, but it was the 97th percentile in 2009 and 2008.While the older version of Reading + Writing SAT was calculated out of 1600, with both Reading and Writing sections consisting of 800 each, the new version of EBRW SAT section is scored out of 800 in total.The new SAT combines the former Critical Reading and Writing sections into a single section called Evidence-Based Reading and Writing.Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below The essay score is not a part of the 400–1600 score.Registration Deadline for May SAT Details.Section Scores (2) – Range from 200 to 800 and are given for the Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing Sections SAT Essay Scores.This section has a Reading test and Writing and Language test.More or less the same scale, with different words, also applies to analysis and writing.As students and colleges adapt to new realities and changes to the college admissions process, College Board is making sure our programs adapt with them." The SAT Essay Formula - That Gets High Scores by Rodney Daut EzineArticles.Decide if you agree or disagree with the essay prompt and write your thesis There are only minuscule percentile changes for a specific scaled score from year to year because the ACT is equalized specifically to ensure the same curve every test date.Long before it was launched, the College Board hailed the new SAT writing essay as a major step in improving writing instruction in America (McGrath 24).* Scores of 7 and 8 are average.Each of the assessments in the SAT Suite reports a total score that is the sum of two section scores: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math.We have a collection of SAT Essay Prompts from March 2005 till the most recent test released by College Board.However, regardless of the Sat Scores 2008 Writing Essay essay type or the specific requirements of your instructor, each essay should start.It has used human-scored writing samples allowing 48 hour completion to sat scores 2008 writing essay identify students for instruc-tional support.Between his time at Bard College and teaching abroad, he has studied Japanese, Czech, and Korean.Which is posted on the Affirmative Action and Diversity Project's Website, George Will considers the proposal by some that schools stop using student's SAT scores when choosing which students to admit.We offer APA, MLA, or a Sat Essay Example Score Chicago style paper in almost 70 disciplines.It has used human-scored writing samples allowing 48 hour completion to identify students for instruc-tional support.The SAT essay score is measured on 3 criteria - reading, analysis, and writing with each section marked on 1 - 8.Students are rewarded for what they do well.A 17 could be many different combinations of Reading/Analysis/writing.
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It’s sat scores 2008 writing essay worth reiterating that SAT readers are held exactly to this scale and the specific breakdown under each score The highest score that you can receive on the SAT is 2400 (800 for the writing, critical reading, and math sections).Each of these sections are scored between 200 and 800, and they are combined to form your total score out of 1600.It has used human-scored writing samples allowing 48 hour completion to identify students for instruc-tional support.The scores are simply the sum of two readers’ 1–4 ratings in each dimension It absolutely is true.This means that your EBRW score is a huge component of your overall SAT.As soon as you pick the writer you like, you can reach them directly Sat Essay Questions 2008 and with no third Sat Essay Questions 2008 party involvement.Starting the Essay with a Hook: Hooks for Essay Introduction When you get the task to write an essay, sat scores 2008 writing essay professors expect you to follow the specifics of that type of essay.Us, there was a study done in 2008 that showed that the average scores for the three different sections were as follows: Mathematics: 515.Students are rewarded for what they do well.Can I superscore a reading and writing score from an SAT W/O ESSAY with a math score from an SAT WITH ESSAY and vice versa?The scores are simply the sum of two readers’ 1–4 ratings in each dimension The most recent SAT essay score data bears this out except when it comes to the Analysis dimension.You will have 25 minutes sat scores 2008 writing essay to write a well-developed essay, for which you will receive a score of 1-6.Takers can score up to 1600 points on the overall test, with a total of 800 potential points per section. |
Last Wednesday morning Jon and I decided that we would join the rest of my family for a short hike just a few miles away from our cabin. This decision was a big step for me because the hike would interfere with Leta’s sleeping schedule, and I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to Leta’s sleeping schedule. Interference causes screaming. Have I ever told you about the screaming? I don’t know if I have ever mentioned the screaming, but in case I haven’t this is all you need to know: you won’t like Leta when she screams.
The previous day Leta had taken three thirty minute catnaps, and that was all the napping she did for the entire day. It was partly her fault because she is very stubborn and finds her Mama’s anxiety attacks somewhat amusing. But her catnaps were also the result of the family in the cabin directly next to ours, a family who thought it was perfectly normal to rev their ATVs ALL DAY LONG outside our window. I should point out right now that if that family is missing their 16-year-old son who had a bad attitude and needed to stand up straight and button up his shirt, the 16-year-old kid who based his entire self worth on how loud he could gun that engine, that I MOST CERTAINLY DID NOT strangle him and throw him in the river.
So I woke up Wednesday and thought to myself, why am I sitting around this cabin being held prisoner by an unbuttoned 16-year-old? And when Leta woke up I informed her, “It’s your turn to work around MY schedule, and we are going to go on this hike and you are going to LIKE IT whether you want to or not.” And then she burped and shit her pants. I took that as a sign that all systems were GO.
The entire family drove up to the trailhead in three separate cars. We would have taken four cars but that seemed excessive. The surrounding scenery was indescribably beautiful, like this:
and this:
and this:
And I remember thinking to myself, this is totally worth it, I am so glad we decided to shatter all semblance of Leta’s daily schedule and walk a mile up this gorgeous mountain where there is no hot water to make a bottle and no soft surface to take a nap. She is liking it even though she doesn’t want to like it. I am Master of the Universe.
And that’s when God decided to smite me with his sword of Screaming Leta.
With no hot water to make a bottle and no soft surface on which to take a nap, we found ourselves assaulted by an inconsolable force of fury. On the side of a mountain. In the sun. By a lake. With pretty trees.
I tried plying her with beef jerky and all ten of my yummy fingers. I tried walking her up and down the path while singing every song in the Morrissey catalogue. I idiotically tried to feed her a cold bottle with cold milk and a cold nipple and was met with a reaction that said, “You are wretched, fiend-mother. I would rather you offer me a witch’s tit.”
And that’s when the anxiety attack hit, my mouth spewing forbidden obscenities in front of my mother and several innocent nieces and nephews. And I began running back down the mountain clutching Leta to my chest in an effort to shield innocent birds and squirrels and baby rabbits from the screaming sword of God’s wrath. Jon followed closely behind carrying all of our gear and speaking rational words of logical logic to guide us down the trail.
About 20 steps into our descent God opened up the heavens and began to rain down upon my wickedness heavy rains and golf-ball sized hail. I managed to hold Leta close enough that her head was spared any pelting from the golf balls even though she tried every maneuver in her repertoire to pry herself from my grasp, arching her back and pushing her body away from mine. It was like she knew there were golf balls falling from the sky and she was trying to catch them with her mouth.
Rain and hail and wind and screaming followed us the entire hike back down the mountain and when we got back to the car she continued to scream until we could warm a bottle up in front of the heating vents. We were soaking wet and bruised from God’s game of miniature golf.
That was probably the lowest point of the week, other low points being screaming matches between certain members of my family and the throwing of keys BY SOMEONE OTHER THAN ME! And then there was the constant fear that certain nephews might crush Leta’s skull by walking back and forth around her play area, except these nephews have never really walked anywhere in their lives, unless you can classify STOMPING AND THRASHING as a leisurely stroll.
We are so happy to be home, to be sleeping in our own beds, to be dodging flying objects thrown only by me. Leta took two two-hour naps yesterday as if to say, God thinks you deserve a break, Crazy Lady. No more food poisoning, no more enclosed quarters with my lovely family who all eat hotdogs with no buns, no more revving ATVs. No more cabbage in my bra, no more sleeping on my back because every other position sends searing pain to every part of my body, NO MORE GRUMPY BABY. |
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Have you heard of VAP? You will. It’s a newly developed cholesterol test. It stands to make your total cholesterol number obsolete.
Total blood cholesterol is not a very good predictor of heart attack or stroke. Many people with high cholesterols never have a heart problem and half of the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels. Nevertheless, we know that cholesterol plaguing in the arteries can be a factor in both heart attacks and strokes.
The VAP (Vertical Auto Profile) cholesterol test provides a more thorough approach to cholesterol testing. VAP was developed to satisfy the new cholesterol guidelines set by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP). The guidelines call for a more aggressive role in diagnosing and treating high cholesterol.
I disagree with the treatment recommendations portion of the new guidelines. Under the guidelines, millions more Americans will be asked to take dangerous cholesterol-lowering drugs and no mention is made of safer natural alternatives. But accurate early assessment of risk is important. And that will be aided by the new VAP test.
* New Measurements *
New cholesterol research has demonstrated what some of us have been saying for years. That is, that total blood cholesterol is just one piece in a complex puzzle. Other factors like homocysteine and C-reactive protein are actually more important but are being neglected.
VAP improves the predictive value of cholesterol testing by introducing five new categories of cholesterol measurement. Among the most important new measurements are Lp(a) and LDL pattern size.
Research has proved that the size of cholesterol-carrying particles is more important than the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Some of the most dangerous are a type of lipoprotein called Lp(a). These particles help determine whether cholesterol will stay soluble in your blood where it is harmless, or whether it will precipitate into cholesterol plague narrowing your arteries.
There is a strong statistical link between Lp(a) and heart attacks. Researchers at The University of Pittsburgh have reported that high levels increase heart attack risk by 300% making it a better cardiac predictor than traditional cholesterol tests.
Smaller lipoprotein particles are dangerous. They are dense and heavy making them more likely to precipitate. The larger lighter particles cause less buildup on blood vessel walls.
* The Difference *
The VAP test costs about the same as routine tests. It is covered by most insurance. Discuss it with your doctor. He can order it from the manufacturer, Atherotech.
The traditional cholesterol test sometimes scares people (and their doctors) with false alarms. The new parameters should be used to reassure them. Even more importantly, the old test only picks up about 45% of cholesterol abnormalities.
Atherotech’s data suggests the new test can show 90% of cholesterol abnormalities. You can learn more about the VAP test by visiting their website: www.atherotech.com. |
Today, it’s now common for many people to invest in gold as this is considered to be the best hedge against inflation. Gold happens to be a precious metal and appears to have timeless value. The good news is that there are various IRS-approved ways you can use to invest in gold. One of them is called a gold individual retirement account (IRA).
The IRA offers a good stability of gold and is convenient. Remember that these investments can be an excellent option for any person who wants to diversify. But before you open an IRA, it’s a good idea to know more about it. In this post, you will learn about a gold IRA.
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Understanding a gold IRA
Simply put, a gold IRA refers to a self-directed individual retirement account that allows you to have your gold bullion. It’s worth noting that you can’t have physical gold in regular IRAs, but you can decide to invest in various assets that expose them to gold, such as gold exchange-traded funds and stocks of gold mining companies.
Opening a self-directed IRA allows you to invest in alternative assets, such as physical precious metals, real estate, and cryptocurrencies. Likewise, a gold IRA follows the same rule as a conventional IRA when it comes to withdrawal and tax benefits rules. The IRA also has some record keeping and tax reporting requirements for these self-directed gold IRAs.
Managing your gold IRA
Conventional and large brokerage companies usually don’t provide gold IRAs. Instead, you have to work with custodians that specialize in managing gold IRAs. A custodian can assist you to manage all the tax reporting and paperwork for your gold transactions so that they can meet the IRS requirements involving retirement planning.
Even better, a custodian can manage the specific storage needs associated with keeping physical gold bullion. Keep in mind that the IRS doesn’t want you to store precious metals you own through gold IRAs at home. Therefore, if you handle your physical gold and are no longer in a self-directed IRA, then the IRA considers this as a withdrawal. In this case, you can be eligible for early withdrawal penalties and taxation. Worse still, the IRS can decide to close your entire account.
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The rules of the gold IRA require you to store eligible precious metals with a bank, national depository, or any third-party entity approved by the IRA. The custodian is in a better position to direct you to an approved custodian and even handle the gold transfer while setting up your gold IRA.
When you open your self-directed gold IRA with Goldco, you should transfer money into this account so that you can buy physical gold. One of the ways to fund your account is to roll over a current retirement account. There are no taxes on this transfer because the money remains in a qualified retirement plan.
Another good way you can fund your self-directed gold IRA is to deposit money each year, but you need to follow the limits of the annual IRA contribution. With the funds in the gold IRA, you can start buying gold for your gold IRA. |
Arnab has been a journalist and a keen film enthusiast, and has worked with some of the leading national dailies like Times of India, Hindustan Times and Mail Today. He has been a business journalist and later focussed on features specialising in stories on music, films, music & film personalities; art, culture, books, and social issues.
Anuradha Das
Anuradha has an amazing repertoire of culinary delights that range from both Western to Indian cuisine. She lives in Calcutta and is a prized writer for the best Bengali women's magazine, Shananda.
Prasanta Paul
The author has served no less than Al Jazeera and German TV, and India’s Parliamentarian magazine among others! To his credit goes a deep-rooted empathy for social issues and humans. He has wide experience in covering the northeast of India. His coverage on the 2020 Amphan cyclone in eastern India has easily been the best around the world |
Encourage one another and build one another up. Pray without ceasing. Test everything. Keep what is good. Avoid all evil. -1 Thess 5:11,17,21,22
Monday, November 9, 2015
In the beginning, there was chaos
"Littlest angel, I have a job for you and your slingshot."
Sorry Sheldon and Leonard, Big Bang losing out to theory where a four dimensional star sling-shotted through a black hole to become our universe.
Picture the black hole as a lens and our universe as light projected upon a screen.
One of the major problems with the Big Bang is that matter is too evenly distributed in our universe. Far more mass should be at the center and far less at the edges.
Perhaps the title should read, in the presence of good science, there will always be periods of chaos.
Hat tip to Remus who is (sort of) back in the saddle again at the Woodpile Report. His new format is to update it every two or three days, depending on how he feels. |
A man’s penis size can do a lot for their self-worth. Regardless of if all potential partners appreciate it, a guy can really feel reduced by this drawback.
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Being reminded of this can end up being especially difficult when intimacy becomes a possibility. People might come to be so troubled about their penis that they hand down approaching somebody that would certainly be an excellent suit for them.
Rather than groan about it and also think nothing can be done, guys have actually looked to solutions to handle their penis dimension. The sole way this can be handled correctly is with a penis extender.
These gadgets aid your penis grow by extending it out gradually. After some months of regular usage, your penis will certainly have increased in size by a not-small quantity. Simply consider all of things you’ll have the ability to do.
With many excellent brands on the marketplace, possible customers need to be aware of the very best items. The one we’ll be talking about today, the Quick Extender Pro, is in the top-tier of penis extenders.
In its decade-plus of existence, the Quick Extender Pro has ended up being promoted by men that’ve needed a break. We offered the Q EP a search for out if it’s comparable to people claim.
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It’s not all that uncommon that you desire a bigger penis. After all, a lot of guys have that exact same sensation, and I’m counting myself because specific team. Certain, my brain says that the dimension doesn’t matter, specifically if the penis is only an inch or so off the average 6 inches. My feelings aren’t rational, and those sensations determine my self-worth levels.
It does draw when you gauge your penis, and it’s not quite 6 inches. That’s particularly real when you enjoy a great deal of on-line porn, and your penis does not even begin to match the sizes you see with male professional grown-up movie celebrities. It likewise does not assist when you discover amateur video clips with penis sizes that are more equivalent to your own, and the remarks sections on those video clips contain insults concerning the amateur penis.
Certain, you can opt for surgery. Surgical procedures are as well iffy, and also plenty of things can go wrong. The threats are scary sufficient. The costs for those medical operations are scary.
There’s still the Quick Extender Pro. I came across this device since it’s prominent on social media. With a lot of users, there’s a likelihood it would benefit me. It’s budget friendly as well as risk-free. So, I asked myself, why not try?
Compared with Other Penile Extenders.
The Quick Extender Pro actually attracts attention in 2 essential methods. First, it’s various when it involves the optimum traction pressure readily available. You can get up to 4,000 grams of force, compared to the typical 1500 to 2000 grams restrict you locate in other models.
Second of all, you are generally extra comfy utilizing this than other versions. It’s lightweight because of making use of aluminum, and likewise you have functions like air pockets and memory foam for the pads. You additionally don’t have to worry much about slippage, given that the double band system works like a beauty.
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Pros
– You have numerous great alternatives offered, as well as there’s also a special edition for you if your problem is more about having excessive of a curve on your penis.
– The rates are extremely reasonable, and also even the price of the first-rate version isn’t truly downright too high.
– It’s really simple to set up and use, as well as you can cleanse it without any hassle.
– You can make use of a whole lot even more pressure if you can endure it. This is a significant benefit if you really feel that utilizing 2000 grams of force isn’t sufficient. Right here you can stand up to 3500 and even 4000 grams of pressure, for faster as well as a lot more remarkable dimension gains.
– Below you have silicone straps, air pockets for air flow, and memory foam for the pads to ensure you’re really comfy. This allows you utilize this for longer hrs in your home while you rest.
– The double band system actually safeguards the penis to the device. This is a big deal given that slippage is constantly a major aggravation. That’s especially real when you’re in public putting on the gadget.
– There’s a 6-month assurance, which indicates that you’re not truly risking your money. If it does not function, you get your refund as well as 6 months suffices time to see if it helps you.
– It comes in a nice traveling pack so you can bring it anywhere.
– There are different devices as well as replacement components readily available, so you can just change those components when you need to. There?s no need to acquire the whole thing rather if something fails.
Disadvantages.
– It’s not ideal, as some concerns require to be factored in.
Possibly the most essential issue is the huge grip force readily available. It’s a good idea if you can endure 4000 grams of pressure, yet not everybody can. For newbies, that’s just too much. The threat is if you’re not mindful as well as you utilize the optimum force right away. That can be truly unsafe and can create injury if you’re not utilized to that traction setup.
It’s a bit bigger than various other models, which indicates that you may not have the ability to use this out in public despite looser garments.
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Are you searching for a secure and practical male renovation service? Meet the Phallosan Strong Suit.
A lot of guys can agree with desiring a larger penis. It’s natural yet it’s even much better when you find a method to arrive that’s risk-free, reliable, and also ideally obtains you some gains in under 6 months. The Phallosan Strong suit is the only penis extender confirmed to increase the length as well as girth of a penis.
Having been making the Phallosan Specialty since 2001, this is is the lengthiest well-known maker of these types of devices and they’re the only business to offer market a medically tried and tested gadget to produce cause as little as six months.
If you’re needing something Phallosan Strong suit Testimonial with the highest possibility of raising your penis size, the Phallosan Strong suit needs to be amongst your leading considerations to see to it you can obtain gains in penis size and/or girth.
Perhaps both!
Provided the number of Phallosan Strong suit assesses, there are among the grown-up magazines online, it’s clear the device is a competitor to be among the most effective extenders on the marketplace.
These extenders are utilized by men experienced in a variety of penis expanding strategies. The Phallosan Specialty is just one of the recommended devices for automating jelquing/milking, which is what newbies to this “sporting activity” would utilize. The Phallosan Strong suit just makes it less complicated and with a greater chance of success within 6 months.
In this Phallosan Forte review, you’ll discover information about the firm, the Phallosan Specialty penis extender itself, with information of exactly how it functions, and also why, as well as the rise in penis size you can anticipate.
Is it secure?
Yes, It’s 100% safe, Phallosan is a type 2 clinical tool that is recommended by doctors and urologists as a first choice alternative for penis enhancement rather than surgical procedure.
The gadget itself is German crafted and certified to both ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 criteria, this indicates you can be assured it’s safe to utilize.
The tool has actually been clinically examined for safety and security and also has been regarded risk-free to use for male improvement. Constantly comply with the offered guidelines to make sure the gadget is used as advised.
The device has actually been security inspected by the ISO 10993-1:2018 report which looks at the long-lasting use and also safety of type 2 medical devices with the body.
It deserves keeping in mind when you first start using Phallosan it’s ideal to utilize the silicone guard cap on the end of your penis to decrease any kind of soreness. After regarding a weeks’ well worth of use, you can go on and also make use of the gadget without the protector cap.
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SizeGenetics Reviewed: Does it Measure Up?
SizeGenetics if one of the current products to hit the marketplace that guarantees to raise the dimension of your penis. Gizmos, gadgets and also instruments have been around for years that make the assurance that the makers of make, so one can only ask yourself whether this item actually does what it’s expected to do.
To discover if in fact meets the buzz, we made a decision to dig in and also do some significant research study on this product. If it truly does include size to your penis, after that it’s most certainly worth exploring. However, prior to we made a decision to offer it our suggestion, we needed to put it to the test to see if it deserves buying. As you read on via this evaluation, you’ll discover all there is to know about this product. You can choose for yourself whether or not it really is the penis enlarger that you’ve been looking for.
Does Dimension Really Matter?
If every man weren’t stressed over whether or not dimension matters, the manufacturers of would not have a product on the market in the first place. Yet the concern actually does require to be asked; Is bigger truly better? And also does dimension issue in any way?
To answer this concern, and thus identify whether you need to try, we need to have a look at why individuals are using this item in the first place. Here are a few of the key reasons that people use products that are made to add size to your penis:.
Textetured Penis Extender
To Impress the Opposite Sex.
You’ll frequently listen to females state that they aren’t also all that concerned with penis dimension. In fact, if you pay attention to what lots of females say, you might miss on utilizing, even if you had a small penis. We’ve located– over the years– that when ladies say that they worried with penis dimension they are saying it to be wonderful. They don’t wish to harm the sensations of the men they enjoy, even if it implies they have to give up being satisfied in the bedroom.
Currently, to be fair, the majority of women don’t want guys with 12 inches down below. That’s not what was developed to create. This product isn’t bent on make you hung like an equine, it’s just a tested way of including a couple of inches to what you currently have. And considering that we’ve currently determined that women truly do want a male that has a larger penis, it’s very easy to see why so many people are making use of or other products to increase the size of their penises.
For Their Own Self Esteem.
Like it or otherwise, the culture that we live in puts a lot of emphasis on penis dimension. Whether it’s inbred into our DNA or if it’s just something that we’ve collectively picked up throughout the years– guys merely really feel much better about themselves if they are well hung. It’s hard to head out and try to find women to date or even to set about your day-to-day regimen, if you do not really feel 100 percent positive about who you are as a guy.
Simply put, men really feel even more like males when they have bigger plans. And given that the maker of the system assurance that their item does aid you to gain a little bit of dimension on your penis, it’s easy to see why males would select this item as a very actual way to boost not only their penis dimension, however their self-confidence and also self-confidence degrees too.
Regarding be expected, the shipping packaging of SizeGenetics was as understated as other products within the men’s sexual wellness wonderful, with no mention regarding the contents of the shipment box.
In terms of SizeGenetics delivering, it took about 8 hours for my order to be dispatched after making my acquisition– they do state orders can use up to 24hrs to be refined (on the weekend breaks specifically), whilst if you order prior to 11am GMT they will certainly dispatch your order the very same day. For most outside the UK, particularly those in the US, that’ll suggest dispatch the next company day.
In terms of the SizeGenetics shipment time, it took 2 business days to get here using messenger service– you can expect delivery in 1-2 days in the US, EU and also UK, whilst those in various other countries ought to take invoice of their order within 4 company days. I would certainly recommend that if you don’t reside in a rate 1 nation, be prepared for slightly longer distribution timescales.
Based on the main SizeGenetics web site, whether your in Australia, Canada or perhaps India or Dubai, as a result of the classification as a type 1 medical device, it does not appear as though there are numerous, if any countries that SizeGenetics can not be shipped to from one of their central fulfilment hubs.
Once out of the shipping box the retail product packaging of the SizeGenetics tool is easy, sleek and also downplayed.
SizeGenetics Box.
A black cardboard sleeve sporting activities the printed SizeGenetics brand and logo design on the front. On the back you’ll discover a picture of the device with vital features classified, together with a short description of the SizeGenetics item and also an instead complex “period of therapy” barchart which is supposed to reveal the incremental percent rise over a duration of in between 8 and also 24 weeks.
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On the side of the black retail box there is reference to the tool being a course 1 clinical device, client assistance contact details, together with referral to the extra devices and 16 way comfort technology system.
With the cardboard sleeve removed your offered with the black leather SizeGenetics instance– this has a steel effect logo design on the front, with a lock on the front to maintain spying eyes far from it’s components.
Opening the leather instance up as well as you obtain the device itself in each of its part which you’ll need to construct– this contains a basic ring which is positioned on the groin over the penis, the owner which supports the head of the penis and enables you to mix and match the numerous comfort accessories, and also a selection of dynamic traction elongation bars which vary the amount of pressure (between 900g, 1,200 g and also 2,800 gs) and link the basal ring and also owner with each other.
SizeGenetics Tool, Convenience Add-on & Box.
Each part of the device itself (leaving out the elongation bars), in addition to the various comfort straps and supports can be found in sealed plastic bags so you recognize the tool is all new– like penis pumps and other sexual wellness tools, penis traction tools aren’t truly ideal for resale after usage due to the connected health and wellness worries.
You additionally get a SizeGenetics instructional DVD concealed inside the lid which has some rather dated videos as well as written overviews, in addition to a secret for the situation lock– it’s fundamental yet reliable.
Beyond the tool itself you likewise get a silicone tube, comfort band, defense pad, no slip protech and some convenience glues. These comfort devices can be utilized in 16 various mixes in what SizeGenetics call their comfort tech system, to offer comfort as well as assistance when wearing the SizeGenetics device. We’ll come onto exactly how these are made use of in the Exactly how to Make SizeGenetics More Comfortable section (listed below). |
So long as incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio signs it into action, a bill that will add electronic cigarettes to New York City's Smoke-Free Air Act was passed by NY City Council Thursday afternoon. The legislation will go into effect in four months and would ban use of e-cigarettes wherever smoking is prohibited.
Similar bans across the country have been proposed under the assumption that vapor from e-cigarettes can be unhealthy for bystanders to inhale. However, the underlying premise for the NYC ban is that allowing vaping indoors will create a confusion among business owners and patrons trying to discern between someone using an e-cig and smoking the real thing. “Because many of the E-cigarettes are designed to look like cigarettes and be used just like them, they can lead to confusion or confrontation,” City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said.
The unscientific assumption that allowing vaping in public places will also re-normalize smoking, making it attractive to children was also brought up at a previous city council forum. Yet the consumption of alcohol, a substance some consider to be more dangerous than smoking, is still allowed in many family restaurants is far more widely accepted than smoking. Today the council was merely voting on e-cigarettes, devices which have yet to kill a single soul and have the potential to save millions of lives.
The state of New York already has the nation's highest excise tax on cigarettes, at $4.35/pack, five times more than that of California, with the city taxing an additional $1.50. Many vapers fear that being forced out into the cold to enjoy a puff of an e-cigarette will deter smokers from making the switch, and even turn some back into traditional tobacco users. Could this ban not be the city's plan to prevent a tax loss associated with its smokers turning to the electronic devices instead of $12 packs of smokes?
From the time the ban goes into effect, businesses will have an additional 6 months to update their “no smoking” signs to include vaping. According to CBS New York, some opponents of the Smoke-Free Air Act amendment say they are planning on fighting back in court, accusing the city of overreaching.
On a side note, the ban was opposed by eight members of City Council, some of whom noted the importance of facts and science over assumption and opinion. One even stated that until there was substantial evidence that e-cigarettes posed a threat to public health, he would have to vote against legislation prohibiting their use. Still, it seemed many were rushed to get home for the holidays with several council members hastily voting “aye to all” of the record 26 bills on the agenda.
The vaping community can only hope the NYC vote doesn't set precedence and create a domino effect of anti-ecig legislation across the country, and possibly even the world. And who knows? There's still the slight chance Mayor de Blasio won't even sign the bill into law. |
This course emphasizes the concurrent development of oral communication, reading, and writing skills, using a broad-based theme such as the media. Students will enhance their ability to understand and speak French through conversations, discussions, and presentations. They will also read short stories, articles, poems, and songs, and write brief descriptions, letters, dialogues, and invitations.
Core French, Grade 9, Academic (FSF1D)
This course emphasizes the further development of oral communication, reading, and writing skills. Students will build on and apply their knowledge of French while exploring a variety of themes, such as relationships, social trends, and careers. Thematic readings, which include a selection of short stories, articles, and poems, will serve as stepping stones to oral and written activities.
This course emphasizes analytic reading, writing, oral communication, and thinking skills that students need for success in secondary school academic programs and their daily lives. Students will study and interpret texts from contemporary and historical periods, including plays, short stories, and short essays, and will investigate and create media works. An important focus will be the correct and effective use of spoken and written language.
Core French, Grade 10, Academic (FSF2D)
This course enables students to increase their knowledge of the French language, further develop their language skills, and deepen their understanding and appreciation of francophone culture around the world. Exploring a variety of themes, students will develop and apply critical thinking skills in discussion, in their analysis and interpretation of texts, and in their own writing.
Core French, Grade 11, University Preparation (FSF3U)
This course draws on a variety of themes to promote extensive development of reading and writing skills and to reinforce oral communication skills. Students will gain a greater understanding of French-speaking cultures in Canada and around the world through their reading of a variety of materials, including a short novel or a play. Students will produce various written assignments, including a formal essay. The use of correct grammar and appropriate language conventions in both spoken and written French will be emphasized throughout the course.
Prerequisite: Core French, Grade 10, Academic
Core French, Grade 12, University Preparation (FSF4U)
This course draws on a variety of themes to promote extensive development of French language skills. Students will consolidate their oral skills as they discuss literature, culture, and current issues. They will read a variety of texts and will write a formal essay. The use of correct grammar and appropriate language conventions in both spoken and written French will |
UCI School of Education held the 2017 PhD Recognition Ceremony on May 23rd. This annual event celebrates the year's accomplishments, recognizes academic distinctions, and awards internal scholarships.
Dean Richard Arum initiated the ceremonies by welcoming students, faculty, staff, and guests. He then provided an overview of doctoral student accomplishments from 2016 to 2017.
Text of Dean Arum's Overview of Doctoral Student Accomplishments
This has been a year of accomplishments and change. Our ranking moved up to # 15 in the U.S. among public universities and we are preparing to welcome the newly hired faculty and students who will be joining us at the beginning of the Fall quarter, 2017.
You doctoral students have continued your impressive range of accomplishments and honors, including graduations, publications in major journals, presentations throughout the U.S., and representing the School of Education in the best possible light.
At this event, we begin by recognizing the graduates who received their degree in the last calendar year. They generally are not in attendance because they are dispersed in their new academic positions throughout the U.S., but an additional fifteen names are being added to the PhD honor plaque for 2016, and copies of their dissertations are being ordered. Congratulations to Tara Barnhart, Wenliang He, Sabrina Kataoka, David Lee, Kenneth Lee, Joyce Lin, Jennifer Long, Elizabeth Miller, Youngmin Park, Marcela Reyes, Rahila Simzar, Cathy Tran, Jessica Tunney, Cathery Yeh, and Alma Zaragoza-Petty.
Six of our current candidates will receive your degree in June. NaYoung Hwang, Janet Garcia Mercado, Lynn Reimer, Jennifer Sun, Tyler Watts, and Sara Young.
Seven of you are planning to graduate by December 2017: Nicholas James Graham, Christa Renee Greenfader, Ksenia A. Korobkova, Viet Vu, Soo Bin Yim, and Neil Young.
Student Progress and Presentations
In April, 74 of you completed your Annual Report of Student Progress, which detailed your activities from Spring 2016 into Winter 2017.
During this period, you published a total of 35 articles, demonstrating both scholarship accomplishment and your progression along the path to future membership in the Academy.
Thirty-six (36) your articles are currently in press, accepted for publication, undergoing revise and resubmit, or under review, and nineteen (19) publications are waiting response.
You have reported 71 publications that are in preparation,
You presented your work at a total of 134 conferences this past year, and you collectively attended a total of 30 conferences for academic and professional benefit.
Students in Leadership Positions
During 2016-2017, you assumed leadership positions and volunteered your time.
School organizations and activities that benefited from your participation included ADSE, DECADE, and Student Rep responsibilities; recruitment weekend, PhD orientation, and UCI Writing Project events; professional development seminars, brown bag presentations, and guest speakers; faculty search committees, the PhD admissions committee; labs and research centers, and Project Crystal.
Within UCI you contributed to DECADE and AGS, the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Symposium, UCI’s Discover Science Initiative, the Pedagogical Fellows Program, UCI Homecoming, and UCI’s Data Mining Symposium.
And at local, state, and national levels, you were active in AERA, SRCD, and other national organizations; various Boys & Girls Clubs; the California Forum on Diversity; Orange County Head Start, Orange County Very Special Arts, and the Orange County Arts/Imagination Celebration.
Scholarship
Your scholarship has been recognized both within the university and by outside organizations including travel awards to attend and present at conferences and colloquia.
To name a few of awards donors that are supporting your studies:
AERA Outstanding Paper Award
Chancellor’s Club Dissertation Fellowship
Various Fellowships like Eugene Cota Robles
Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships
Graduate Opportunity Fellowships
NSF Fellowships
Pedagogical Fellows Program
People’s Choice Award
Phi Beta Kappa International Scholar Award
Provost PhD Fellowship
Public Impact Dissertation Fellowship
SRCD Millennial Program Scholarship
TESOL Emerging Scholars Recognition
Presidents Dissertation Year Fellowship
Faculty Mentor Program Fellowship
UCI Fostering Literacy
UCI Most Promising Future Faculty Member Award
Congratulations to all of you for your hard work and your success. You have excelled, and you have brought honor to UCI and to the School of Education.
Now we move to presenting our culminating awards for the 2016-2017 academic year, which will be hosted by Distinguished Professor Jacquelynne Eccles, Associate Dean and Director of the PhD in Education program.
Text of Professor Eccles Presentation of the Michael E. Martinez Prize for Outstanding Scholarship and Service
In 2013, the School established the Michael E. Martinez Prize for Outstanding Research and Service. This annual award commemorates the scholarly and professional achievements of the late Michael E. Martinez, Professor of Education at the University of California, Irvine, from 1992 through 2012. As a scholar, Professor Martinez is remembered for his significant contributions to our understandings of cognitive processes and the malleability of intelligence, and how these understandings could be applied to student learning. He is also remembered for the kindness and collegiality that he embodied. In his honor, this award is given to a doctoral student who demonstrates superior scholarship, intellectual curiosity, and high levels of professionalism, service and collaboration with fellow students and/or faculty. I’d like to invite Mrs. Stephanie Martinez to come forward to present the award to this year’s honorees
This year, it was difficult to select just one winner, as several of our students are doing remarkable things – as citizens, scholars, and learners. Although we did select a recipient, we also wanted to provide an honorable mention to a student who has been a tremendous resource in our school. This student is passionate about supporting and mentoring others, at both the graduate and undergraduate level. She has been a dedicated pedagogical fellow, developing new and innovative teaching approaches, organizing and leading workshops, and helping new teaching assistants. She is an active contributor to ADSE as well as the campus-wide AGS. Most recently, she is the SoE representative for the Discover Science Initiative (DSI), coordinating outreach activities and STEAM workshops. In addition to these tireless services, she has also conducted high-quality and interesting research. For these reasons, we would like to acknowledge Grace Lin with an Honorable Mention.
This year’s recipient has conducted excellent research, shown outstanding intellectual curiosity, and has been an exemplary student, collaborator, and citizen. He has excelled in all of his classes and collaborated with a wide group of students and faculty on an impressive list of publications. His dissertation focuses on how and why early mathematics achievement relates to later academic and other important outcomes.
Additionally, he has mentored in the School of Education’s DECADE Program, served as a Student Representative for ADSE, and taught undergraduate statistics. Less formally, he frequently helps his peers seeking data-related advice.
In the spirit of this award, he “has demonstrated intellectual curiosity, high quality scholarship, and collegiality” throughout his time here. It is with pleasure that we award the Michael Martinez Prize to Tyler Watts.
For the past two years, the Associated Doctoral Students in Education has honored a student for outstanding service to the School and to his fellow students. I’d like to invite Masha Jones, ADSE President, and Robert Kalinowski, ADSE Vice President, to come forward to present this award.
Text of Associated Doctoral Students In Education Presentation: Marsha Jones and Robert Kalinowski
It is our pleasure to present the Associated Doctoral Students in Education service award. ADSE was founded in 2012 as a way to coordinate communication among students, staff, and faculty. The service award is designed to honor a student whose work often goes unnoticed. A lot happens within these walls every day, and much of this work takes place behind the scenes. This award goes to someone who has selflessly given to the School, and we would like to acknowledge his time and energy by presenting Christopher Stillwell with the ADSE service award for 2017.
Christopher has shown great leadership and initiative in responding to the ongoing shift in our political and social climate. He has led the organization of our "Trump Talk" events, reaching out to the UCI community and members of the greater Orange County community to discuss relevant topics that have implications for our changing educational landscape. He has also worked hard to mobilize other PhD students at SoE to participate as advocates for the educational community.
The Associated Doctoral Students in Education thanks Christopher for all of his hard work and presents him the 2017 ADSE service award.
Professor Eccles Presentation of the Keith Curry PhD Scholarship
I’d like to invite Dr. Keith Curry, CEO of Compton Community College District and School of Education Alumnus, to come forward.
The Keith Curry Scholarship was established by Dr. Curry to honor a Ph.D. student who has demonstrated significant growth in academic achievement and unusual perseverance – qualities that Dr. Curry believes characterized his journey toward his doctorate. This year’s recipient of the Keith Curry scholarship award, Jennifer Sun, exemplifies these characteristics.
Jennifer earned this award by demonstrating her persistence in advancing through the Ph.D. program, despite numerous setbacks. For her dissertation, Jennifer proposed an ambitious study to investigate elementary mathematics teachers’ identity in the context of a three-pronged, year-long professional development program. She is to be commended for spending countless hours in a school setting for a full school year, collecting hours of data collection in the form of interviews and observations of classroom teaching and professional development meetings, and finishing her dissertation just a year later. Collecting and analyzing data in this timeframe is highly unusual and she deserves to be acknowledged for her focus and persistence in completing this major milestone. Finally, Jennifer encountered serious health issues last summer just after completing her data collection - what could have set her back many months. Despite this major setback, she returned in the fall quarter with a plan to narrow her analysis based on a strong theoretical framing, successfully completing the work despite taking on additional family responsibilities related to hospice care for her grandmother. We commend you for your focus and determination despite these major challenges.
Professor Eccles Presentation of the Keith Curry Undergraduate Scholarship
I am delighted to introduce the undergraduate recipient of the Keith Curry Scholarship, Pauline Ho. Pauline is a graduating senior with a double major in Education Sciences and Social Policy & Public Service. She is first generation student who has shown true grit, excellence in her academics, and dedication to the community. Nine years ago, Pauline Ho arrived in America, having only studied English for two hours. Today, Pauline has risen to achieve a variety of academic honors, such as membership in the international honor society for education, Kappa Delta Pi, and leadership roles at UCI, such as serving as a School of Education Peer Mentor, and as President of the Global Leaders Student Organization. In addition to her personal accomplishments, Pauline has given back to the community with a dedication shown by few. Pauline first discovered her passion in serving others by volunteering in a senior home, teaching English to minority language speakers. Since then, she has shown tremendous passion about encouraging and supporting low-SES diverse students in pursuing post-secondary education, particularly in STEM. In addition to tutoring and coaching high school students through the college application process, she is involved in the AppJam+ program, which provides URM students in middle school with the opportunity to learn the technical skills involved in application development and programming. This fall Pauline will be traveling to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to pursue a PhD in Educational Psychology. Her long-term goal is to become a tenured professor conducting research and collaborating with community organizations to provide research-based services to ELL students. |
When you connect with your mission it’s powerful. Knowing what’s important to you and how you want to show up in the world makes it easier to speak out, stay true to your bigger purpose and overcome the obstacles and knock-backs that come up.
It helps you to stay focused on the things that really matter, and motivates you to keep going when things get tough.
Here are some of the places where knowing your mission can be useful in your life:
you can use it to guide you in making decisions
you can check where you are spending your time against it to make sure you’re following what’s important to you
you can find collaborators to work with to make it happen
you can turn it into a project of its own
and you can put it to one side and forget about it… and notice that you unconsciously end up guided towards things that bring it into being.
It’s easy to get held back by the idea of a perfect mission statement. It sounds like something formal and impressive, but it doesn’t need to be. It can be anything from some rough notes to a framed and pretty statement or picture.
What’s most important about it is that when you see it, it gives you a nudge and reminds you of what’s important to you and your chosen mission in this world.
However you decide to bring it together here are 5 steps that will help you that you can use to connect with your mission:
Step 1 - What Difference Do You Want to See?
A great place to start to connect with your mission is by considering your answers to these three questions:
How would like the world to be different?
What could you do to contribute towards that difference?
What impact could you have on the world?
Notice what comes up when you answer these questions and give yourself permission to explore the answers. It doesn’t matter if someone else is already doing it or you’re not yet “qualified” enough. Focus on connecting with the things that are important to you where you want to see a change.
When you connect with your mission it needs to come from all of you, and feel bigger than you. It should go beyond you and take your energy out into the world, having an influence on others lives.
If these questions feel hard at first, don’t get too caught up in getting it “right”. Jot down some notes and ideas, keep on coming back to them, reviewing, revising, updating and allowing it to emerge over time.
Step 2 - What Do You Bring?
What inspires you? What do you love to do? What’s the thing that makes your heart sing?
It’s so important that your mission is something you feel passionate about and that you love. Write a list of all the things that you enjoy doing and then think about how they could contribute towards making the world a better place.
You may find it useful to reflect on your career journey. This can be a great way to see patterns across your life and give you insights to feed into your mission. Notice the key turning points in your career, how they have influenced where you are today and ask yourself what you could take from them to feed into your mission?
Add whatever comes up for you in your notes… we’ll come back and connect it together later.
Step 3 - What Do You Stand For And Against?
When you connect with the things that you really believe in, this gives you more of a clue on where you want to make a difference.
Sometimes it’s easier to think about what we stand against in order to figure out what we stand for. For example, think about what annoys and frustrates you.
I get frustrated with time-wasters – particularly in relation to meetings! I get annoyed by people who organise meetings for the sake of it, give no consideration to the agenda, and at the end of the meeting (which inevitably over-runs), there have been no decisions or actions.
I prefer to work with people who take a bit of time to step back and consider what’s important and what the next step is before they start bringing others in. If they need to get people together at early stages to generate ideas, then that’s fine – but make it clear that that’s what they want from you.
And at the core of this, what it comes down to, for me, is respect. I think it’s important to have respect for others time and commitment and use this to guide how to engage them and get the best from them.
This example illustrates is how you can take something which frustrates you and that you stand against (time-wasting) and identified the alternative that you stand for (respect for others).
There are other things that frustrate me. Sometimes when I work through to the alternatives respect comes out again. Others lead to a different answer.
Anytime you get frustrated it’s a great opportunity to learn more about what’s important to you and what you stand for, which provides more insight to feed into your mission.
Take 5 minutes to reflect on what frustrates you capture it in your notes. Work it through and see what comes out for you.
Step 4 - Who Do you Want to Help?
Who we work with can make such a big difference in our lives – the people around us can be our inspiration, and they can also demotivate us too. When the people we work with linked to our mission it’s much easier to take inspiration and find a way to keep on showing up.
Ask yourself – who do you want to help?
A great place to start is to think of any examples of specific people you love to work with and to notice what it is about them that you like. It might be certain characteristics or the approach they have. It might be their interests.
You might also like to think about groups of people that you’re involved with. Who are you drawn towards? What is it you like about them?
You could also consider people that are drawn towards you. This can also give you useful information about what people might get from you.
You don’t need to answer all of these questions, just use them to approach the question of who you want to help from different perspectives.
Note down these qualities of the people you love to work with and then ask yourself how these people connect with your mission.
Step 5 - Turn It Into A Mission Statement
By now you should have some rough notes which will start to form the background on which to build your mission. Even if you’ve not got answers to all of the sections yet, whatever you do have will give you a basis.
However, it’s possible that what you have feels a bit jumbled. This is expected – because what you’ve been doing so far has just been about getting ideas out of your head.
The next step is to start creating some structure and turn what you have into a mission statement
Go through and highlight the things that really resonate with you from the notes you’ve made. Pull out anything that feels really important amongst all those notes and then start creating sentences from it.
There is no set format for a mission statement. The most important thing is that when you read through it, it inspires you and connects you back to your mission. My preferred format is a few short sentences that capture the most important things that come out of the questions above.
You might want to start with “My mission is…” or “I help…” or “I want to make the world a better place by…”. Or you can just play around with things until they start to make sense to you.
You might want to try to answer the question in each step above to give some structure. But you might just want to write and let it flow.
Don’t overthink it. You won’t get it “right” first time, but each time you come back and look at it it will get closer.
Write something quickly, put it to one side and sleep on it. Then come back to it tomorrow and tweak it. Then put it aside again… and so on… slowly you’ll find that the path emerges, and you’ll start to notice opportunities that help you take the next step.
To give you an example here is my mission statement as of January 2021 – feel free to copy my structure if it helps.
Before you judge yours against mine I should say that I’ve been working on my mission for the last 2 years or so. I come back to it about every 3-6 months and it changes a bit each time. It’s not “there” yet – in the sense that it still doesn’t feel quite me, but it is getting closer.
Know that whatever comes out this time is ok.
The first step is often the hardest to take.
What's Next?
So what should you do with your mission now you have it?
The best thing you can do is review it regularly, update it, and allow it to evolve.
You’ll find that when you do this you will connect into it more and more deeply and that it starts to infuse your life. You’ll make decisions based on it, you’ll talk about it naturally and you’ll find opportunities that will help you make further progress.
Sometimes you might come back to it and find your motivations have changed. This is ok. Your mission is not static. It lives and grows with you as you learn more about the world.
Connect with the mission you have and enjoy what emerges… and notice the power of living a mission-led life.
This blog post is an introduction to ways you can connect with your mission.
If you’d like additional support and further information about how to connect more deeply and how to make the most out of it, this is something we regularly explore in free my Authentic Visibility For Women In Tech Facebook group, through monthly themes, masterclasses and inspirational stories. |
Liking someone or falling in love with someone is a very common thing in our life. Most of the time we have fallen in love with someone we shouldn’t have loved. Maybe you are aware of the matter that the person isn’t right for you. But it is not an easy task for you to forget him or her so fast.
You can only stop liking someone by forgetting the time you spend with them or thinking about them. Stay busy with new friends and new activities are very much essential in this stage to stop liking the people. Let’s have a look at some steps to stop liking someone:
Think of their faults
One way to stop loving someone is to change the way you think about them. Everyone has flaws. You may not be able to see the person’s flaws because you idolize them. Take some time to think about this person’s flaws. It will help you to get rid of like the person blindly.
Maintain distance from them
The proverb ‘out of sight, out of mind’ is a constant here. When you surround yourself with different people and things, that person won’t be at the forefront of your mind. So, it would be a wise decision for you to maintain distance from the person you aimed to avoid or stop liking.
Limit contact with them
Reduce all forms of contact with the person you like. Constantly memorizing them will only make it harder for you to get over them. Remove his number from your phone contact list, delete his emails and remove the person from the social networks.
Connect up old friends or make new
If you have a crush on someone new, you may have started neglecting your social relationships. Get back there and start rekindling old friendships or making new ones. Spending time with good friends can help you feel supported and clear things up.
Be patient
Give yourself time to get over your infatuation with your partner. Emotions don’t go away overnight. Don’t be hard on yourself if you start to miss them or can’t get over them. Accept every thought that comes to mind. Remember that your feelings will fade over time. |
Firewalls and fire barriers are both designed to prevent a fire from spreading, but these often-confused structures are actually quite different. Ideally, firewalls and fire barriers are used together to make a structure as safe as possible. These are the key factors in understanding the use of firewalls and fire barriers in construction.
The Facts About Firewalls
Firewalls are strong walls built to resist fire for up to four hours, remaining erect even if other parts of the building collapse. These exterior walls are thicker than standard walls and stretch from the foundation up to the roof. Structures subdivided with a firewall between them are considered separate buildings.
Firewalls must be constructed with materials that meet the fire-resistance building standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Long, high firewalls may be supported with pilasters or buttresses. A standard firewall is made from concrete or masonry and does not have windows, doors, or other openings. Expansion joints allow the material to expand to withstand the fire’s heat.
Firewalls do more than just contain the blaze. They must also withstand force from other structures or items that collapse within the building, such as inventory or storage.
Exploring Fire Barriers
Unlike exterior firewalls, fire barriers are walls built within a structure. They can either extend from the floor to the roof or from one floor to the ceiling of the floor above. These subdividers can cover hidden spaces and are supported by floors, columns, roofs, and other interior structures. Fire barriers can resist fire for up to three hours as long as the supporting structures have the same level of fire resistance.
This design can allow occupants to safely evacuate the building while containing the fire to the smallest possible area. This can protect the building both from fire and smoke damage, as well as water damage from sprinklers. A one-way fire barrier withstands flames from one side only. Two can be placed together to block fire from both sides.
At Encorus Group, we specialize in designing fire protection systems for medical, industrial, and nuclear facilities. Get in touch today or call 716.592.3980 to learn more about our services.
Written by kopp
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Encorus Group is a professional engineering firm specializing in engineering design, materials testing, and inspection services. |
At LinkedIn, we have 500+ microservices (3,500 end-points), which make up various aspects of the software ecosystem. This translates to a significant number of web applications. In 2012, we added the Play Framework to our tech stack to build microservices and web applications. Since then, over 330 Play apps have been created and hundreds of engineers work on them daily. One of these Play apps is a service that supports the entire API traffic from the LinkedIn website and the mobile clients, handling over 130,000 requests per second.
While the operational metrics for these Play apps were great, we noticed that developer happiness and developer productivity had come under strain. Having to wait one hour to set up a development environment seemed like an egregious waste of time. It used to take quite a while to refresh the IDE (Intellij IDEA) for one of our largest Play apps. Given that many engineers actively work on the application every day, that wasted time translated to hundreds of hours of non-productive build time. Slow IDE refresh was just one of the symptoms of a larger problem. Local development was also a pain due to slow “hot reload,” which took minutes instead of seconds.
Additionally, LinkedIn engineering aims for “3x3” deployment, i.e., release 3 times per day with no more than 3 hours between committing code to seeing it in production. But considering the slow build times and consequent loss of developer productivity, achieving 3x3 became difficult.
One source of the productivity loss was the build system. Play Framework uses SBT as its default build system. SBT had served us well for a couple of years, however the growing size of our applications and LinkedIn’s scale started to push the build system to its limits. So, we started to look for alternatives and eventually decided to move to Gradle.
A year later, as of this post, our largest Play app takes less than 5 minutes for IDE refresh, and build times are down from 60 minutes to 15 minutes. Here's the story of how we got to this point.
All was not well
For a long time, we used vanilla Play, which comes bundled with SBT. As the size and scale of our Play apps grew, we started to encounter a few hard-to-ignore problems that made us look for alternatives.
Scalability: On the larger Play apps, build times were as high as 45 minutes to 1 hour. Dependency refresh and consequently IDE setup took an equally long time. The build system was a clear bottleneck and would not scale with our increasing code base.
Productivity: On some of our larger applications, setting up and updating the development environment took close to an hour. Considering that a large number of engineers working on these larger apps need to update their developer environment once per day on average, this meant a huge number of lost hours per day. This was a huge drain on productivity.
Maintainability: LinkedIn is primarily a Java shop, with more than 10K applications and services written in Java. However, build scripts for SBT are written in Scala. SBT syntax is very sophisticated and, arguably, dense. The multitude of overloaded operators can easily get overwhelming and is a readability nightmare. Maintenance was bound to be a challenge in the long run.
Early struggles
As of late 2014, LinkedIn had already been using Gradle very extensively to build Java, Android, C/C++, and iOS applications. It was only natural that Gradle was considered as an option to replace SBT. So, LinkedIn sponsored Gradle to support Play applications. In this engineering blog post from 2015, we talked about LinkedIn’s plan to gradually phase out SBT and use Gradle as the primary tool for building Play applications.
In 2015, we made our first attempt to replace SBT with Gradle, but failed to do so. The amount of effort needed was daunting and prevented us from gaining momentum. At the time, nobody else outside of LinkedIn seriously considered using Gradle for Play. The community indicated serious gaps in a forum ticket titled “Why we are not using the Gradle Play plugin.” We couldn't learn from others, so we had to pave the way!
SBT has always been deeply integrated with Play. The framework's documentation, best practices, plugin system, and hot reload workflows were tied to SBT. Moreover, teams at LinkedIn developed significant build customizations on top of SBT. For all of these reasons, we were not making progress on the "Play on Gradle" project, and the pressure was building. Play codebases at LinkedIn were growing, which further exacerbated the productivity issues.
In late 2016, we restarted the project with a different execution strategy. Instead of working off the long list of Play on Gradle gaps, we started hacking and slashing to take the first app to production. Operating in a "start-up" mode was a game changer. We quickly identified the gaps that were of the highest priority. We identified problems that we needed to take to Gradle, Inc. (people behind Gradle) or to Lightbend (company behind Play Framework). Having working applications (built with Gradle) in production gave us validation and data points to get more buy in for the project. Boosting productivity by 4X was a great incentive for teams to chip in to the common effort. In early 2017, we had the first set of apps in production, and our team grew. We moved from a "start-up" mode into execution proper, getting more teams migrated every month, improving Gradle plugins as we pushed forward and cleaning up the tech debt accumulated in the early phase of the project.
A formidable journey
The move to Gradle was a complex one spanning several quarters. The transition had to be smooth and relatively painless for the hundreds of engineers who would be impacted by it. The project spanned two years, from something with just a couple of engineers working on it to something that now includes engineers from multiple teams. As of the writing of this post, we are almost at the finish line. Most of our important Play applications have been migrated to using Gradle, and the last few are on track to complete migration within the next few months.
The transition was an arduous one, owing to many factors:
Active development: The repositories that were being migrated from SBT to Gradle-based build systems were under active development. The migration had to be transparent to the engineers working on them. We had to ensure Gradle and SBT could co-exist in the same application while the migration was in progress, so that SBT could continue to be used while we added support for Gradle builds. The work was akin to changing the engine of a moving car!
Application variety: We have numerous kinds of applications built on the Play framework, such as UI frontends, mid-tiers, and API frontends, among others. Each of these have their own complexities and idiosyncrasies.
Existing infrastructure: Since LinkedIn had been using Gradle for a long time (for other non-play applications), several Gradle plugins already existed that needed to be accounted for during the transition. Fixes, patches, and rewrites were needed to reuse these plugins with Play applications, but maintaining backward compatibility was essential too. In addition, LinkedIn has its own layer of repository management and internal frameworks, which adds an additional layer of complexity.
Variations in build scripts: There wasn’t a "one-size-fits-all" solution for migrating build scripts. Every application had its own customizations, so the migration required a cross-organization collaboration to be executed effectively. LinkedIn was one of the first adopters of the Gradle Play plugin, and therefore, as with any new product, we encountered bugs that needed fixing. When possible, we made bug fixes in-house and raised pull requests to merge them back with Gradle open source so that they could benefit the larger Gradle community.
Overall, this was a complex, cross-organizational project that involved picking the right proof-of-concept repositories, working with the owners of those repositories to understand their build structure, improving the Gradle plugin for Play, and working with individual teams to migrate their custom build scripts.
Worth it!
We have seen some amazing results post-migration. Some of these include:
Productivity boost: Faster dependency resolution in Gradle helped improve productivity across the board. These productivity gains help us bring delightful features and fixes faster to our members. Additionally, IDE refresh times improved by 4x-6x on some of our applications. The developer happiness that resulted from this was echoed multiple times during our internal surveys.
Faster builds: Default support for incremental builds meant that engineers can often skip full builds during local development. Build times improved by a factor of 150% to 400%, depending on the size of the application code. We’ve seen over 1,000 hours of productivity gains across various stages of the build lifecycle per quarter.
Maintainability: Gradle is compatible with JVM languages like Groovy, Java, and Kotlin. We develop most of our plugins with Java and integrate them seamlessly with the build scripts. This is ideal for long-term maintainability, as Java is the predominant language at LinkedIn.
Scalability: We ensured that every Gradle task used in LinkedIn's Play-based applications would support the necessary scale by making tasks incremental. Techniques such as pathing jar for handling large classpaths set us up to scale gracefully with increasing code size. Gradle also gives us an excellent platform to further scale the build systems with build caching.
Do you want to see similar results for your Play applications? We presented at two conferences in 2017 because we want to help the community leverage the open source Gradle plugin for Play. Check out the video from our presentation at Gradle Summit '17 or the slide deck from JavaOne '17. If you develop a Play app, consider using Gradle if it meets your needs as well. Together, we can make it even better!
Next play
Moving to Gradle has set us up to pursue other build improvements, the most important of which is the Gradle Build Cache. Build caching aims to save time by reusing outputs produced by other builds.
Our early experiments with build caching are showing further savings of 15-20% in build times. We expect this number to get to 40% in the near future as we make further improvements.
Acknowledgments
This project would not be possible without the support and contribution of the Build Tools, Engineering Productivity, and Play teams at LinkedIn: Szczepan Faber, Yiming Wang, Gary Lin, Vinyas Maddi, Zachary Glagola, Mihir Gandhi, Deep Majumder, and Irina Issayeva.
Also, a huge shout out to the amazing folks at Gradle, Inc., for their brilliant work and continued support. Lastly, if you are passionate about engineering productivity and solving scalability challenges, think about joining us! Please see some of our latest open positions here and here. |
The iFi Zen Stream has been kindly loaned to me for this review by DeCine, the official distributors of iFi Audio in Spain. They have not requested anything specific, not even a link, due to the fact that they are distributors and do not sell to the public, therefore, as always, this review will be as sincere and as unbiased as possible. However, it is always good to consider that it hasn’t cost me anything to try out the iFi Audio Zen Stream.
For further details on the Zen Stream, you can check out the iFi Audio page here: https://ifi-audio.com/products/zen-stream/
Preamble…
This review is going to be a little different from the usual reviews as the Zen Stream is a product that is aimed at providing all the necessary streaming and playback options in one device. Everyone's use for this device is going to differ from the next person, as each person has specific roles that they would like the device to cover, so I can only really look at this from my own personal use case perspective. I will explain more as I go on.
Intro…
The iFi Audio Zen Stream is basically a WiFi (and/or wired) streaming device that provides an easy solution for streaming many services, along with local files, all in one small package.
The reason that I am very interested in this device is that it is a “plug and play” replacement for the Raspberry Pi set up that I currently use, or at least that is my hope. So, as I mentioned above, I will be looking at the Stream from the point of view of replacing my current Pi system, seeing how it lives up to my own preferences for this kind of device.
Presentation…
Starting with the usual look at how the product is packed and what it includes, the Zen Stream arrives in the typical iFi Audio packaging, inside of which we find the Zen Stream, the power supply, the WiFi antenna (which attaches to the unit of course), a very short but sturdy network cable, a small tool for adjusting the “Exclusive Modes” (more on that in a moment) and a couple of instruction and warranty cards.
There is not a huge amount of content but then again, what is actually missing? Nothing as far as I can think of. If I had any complaint (which I don’t) it would be about the inclusion of a network cable that is only 50cm long, which means that either you will need to have a network port very close or buy another cable, but this is not a complaint, at least they included a network cable and no matter what length they would have chosen, it wouldn’t be good for everyone.
Build and aesthetics…
The Zen Stream follows the same build and aesthetics as the rest of the Zen line. I have always liked the fact that iFi usually breaks from the norm in this regard and the Zen series is proof of this. The aesthetics are obviously something very personal to each of us, some will love the Zen series, others won’t, such is the case with designs that have their own unique touches. In my case I like them but that is irrelevant to you!
As far as build quality, again, it follows the Zen series of being very well built, with complete metal casing, and I certainly have no complaints as far as build goes.
Functionality…
Before I jump into my personal use case, I wanted to briefly go over what the Zen Stream actually does as a unit, some of which is not actually relevant to me personally.
As far as the actual layout of the hardware, on the front of the unit we have two buttons and four lights (two small and two large). The button on the left is for powering on or off the unit, with the small LED at the side of the button showing the status. The button on the right being used to enable the hotspot function, with another small LED at the side of the button to again show status. The two large lights are to show the network status (LED on the left) and the frequency LED (on the right), which basically gives visual feedback on the format of the music being reproduced.
Moving to the back of the unit, from left to right, we have:
Wifi Antenna - Pretty self explanatory
Exclusive Modes switch - This allows the choice of setting the unit to do a specific task, giving the choice of:
1. All in one
2. Roon only
3. Tidal only
4. Network Audio Adapter only
5. DLNA only
This basically means that the unit will automatically adjust itself to each person's use case by setting it to the specific task or, if you have multiple uses for the device (as is my case) then it can be set to “All in one”. The idea behind using an exclusive mode is to close down unused programs reducing “software jitter”.
SPDIF / Coaxial output - Allowing a DAC to be connected via Coax instead of USB
2x USB 3.0 ports - One can be used to connect a DAC while the other can be used to connect local storage, such as an external hard drive.
USB C port - This is reserved for Firmware updates
RJ45 Connector - To connect to the network via cable.
Reset Button - In case of the need to reset the unit to factory settings.
Power Connection - For connection of the external power supply.
That covers all of the connections, which are quite a few, so I will touch briefly on what this unit is aimed to do.
The Zen Stream sits connected to your network and your DAC and basically, in simple terms, serves to connect your DAC to your network. This then allows you to control music playback (from anyone of many sources) while the Zen Stream actually does the work of taking the stream and sending it to the DAC. There is obviously much more complexity to it but that is basically what it does.
For those who use Roon, the Zen Stream serves as a Roon endpoint. For those who use HQPlayer, the Stream can be set as a Network Audio Adapter. For those who use streaming services such as Tidal, Spotify, Qobuz, YouTube Music, etc., the stream will appear as an optional output from inside the app(s). For those who want to stream music from their networked drive, the Stream can be set as a DLNA renderer and finally, if you just want the Stream to play music locally, you can attach a hard drive with your music and control it from the app (more on that in a moment).
My personal use case…
I have kept the previous section relatively short because, as I said at the beginning, the use case will depend very much on each person's needs for the unit. Here I am going to focus on my uses for the Zen Stream and how it compares to my current system.
Obviously, before I start, I need to give at least a little background on how my system works and is set up currently. First let me point out that I do not use Roon or HQPlayer, so modes 2 and 4 are irrelevant to my setup and I had no way of testing them.
As far as streaming services, I do use both Tidal and Spotify but the majority of my music listening at home is done with FLAC files on my server, either directly to a DAC from my PC (using Foobar) or via DLNA, although my wifes listening is mainly Spotify. In this case, mode 1 “all in one” is the setting that I have been using for the device.
I also do not play MQA much and currently do not have an MQA compatible DAC, therefore I cannot comment on the functionality of MQA. As far as DSD, I only have a few test tracks which I have tried and work, end of test.
The way my home audio network is set up is that I have a PC that acts as a server, with approximately 4tb of music. I then have a Raspberry Pi 4 that is running RopieeeXL and is connected to a Topping D10s, from which the analog output goes to an RCA switch (that feeds my headphone amps), the Coaxial output of the D10s goes to an SU-8 and the optical output of the D10s goes to a powered optical splitter, one side feeding various speaker set ups in different rooms and the other side running into an optical switch (allowing me to switch between multiple optical sources, such as Pi4, satellite TV, gaming console etc.) that then runs to the SU-8 and headphone amps also.
Focusing just on the Pi, which is what the Zen Stream would replace, it’s use is to be an always available streamer that can be controlled by any of the multiple PCs and Android devices that I have in my home. Easily accessible from inside the Spotify app (very important for my wife) and also inside Bubble UPNP (very important for me). As the audio network is distributed via optical, it means that my wife can just press play in spotify, turn on the amplifier of whichever room she is in and listen or, in the case of moving around the house, she can turn on multiple rooms and they are all in perfect sync with each other. I do have access to the files and streaming also in each room individually, in case I (we) want different audio sources in different rooms, but that is irrelevant to the Pi or the Zen Stream.
So, incorporating the Zen Stream…
First, the connections. As I have said before in other reviews, I am someone that prefers connections via cable when possible. I did connect the Zen Stream via WiFi (I only tested the 2.4GHz connection, it also supports 5GHz) and it was fine but I connected it via cable to my network due to preference.
The Zen Stream is obviously designed to be used with an external DAC, which is the same as the Pi, it does have a Coaxial output, although it doesn’t have an optical output. If an optical output had been included on the Stream, I could have replaced the Pi and D10s directly with the Stream, as I really don’t need the analog outputs in my case, but as I needed an optical output, I would need to use the D10s (or similar) with the Stream as well.
My first test was to just use the Zen Stream in my office, connected via coax to a DAC, sending music either from Foobar (via DLNA) or from my phone (both via DLNA and direct from the Tidal app). The setup was very easy. It was a case of plugging it in, turning it on, giving it a minute or so and away we go.
The Stream appeared immediately in the Tidal App and playback was instant as soon as it was selected. I did not have as much joy with Foobar as the Stream appeared but did not seem to play back any audio. To be honest, I don’t use DLNA on my work PC, so, even though I do have the correct components installed and it works to other renderers, I did not pay much attention as it is probably a setting that I have wrong on in Foobar.
I actually really enjoyed having the Zen Stream in my office. It is a great option for those who want (or need) to keep their music separate from their phone or PC. Hooked up to a DAC that feeds both a headphone amp (or two) and a ceiling speaker set up, it is very easily controlled by anyone in the office (that is on the office network of course), allowing people to override the current music with music of their own.
As I keep a backup of my music files on a couple of 2TB drives in the office, I decided to try playback from local storage also. I connected a 2TB HDD of FLAC files (probably around 90% full) to the Stream and opened the iFi app (which is only available in a browser for now, although iFi do say the Android app will be available soon). As soon as the HDD was connected, the Music Library showed it was updating, however, it took a while and I needed to leave so I ended up cancelling.
While I enjoyed having the Zen Stream in my office and will most probably think about getting one to have there permanently, my real interest was how it would work in my home system, so I then moved it to my rack at home.
The set up was just as easy as in my office, especially because I use a cabled connection as I said, so I didn’t even need to worry about WiFi. As I have two D10s, I connected one to the Zen Stream and the other to the Pi, although I already know the Pi well enough to not have to test things side by side.
As was the case in the office, control from PC and android devices was flawless. There are a few issues when arguing between Tidal and Spotify but when sticking to the same app, changes between Android devices were very quick and smooth. In other words, if I streamed Spotify from my phone and then tried to stream something from Spotify on my wifes device, it would immediately switch to her device. One thing to note is that each time a new Spotify starts streaming to the Zen Stream, the volume level drops to 50% and you need to raise it again from the device.
The issues were actually when trying to create a new stream from Tidal while Spotify is playing, Tidal always loses the battle and until the Spotify device is disconnected, Tidal will not start to play (it will show as though it is playing in the Tidal app but it is actually not). I don’t see this as a flaw really, as it is common for these kinds of issues to appear with Tidal in my experience. Also, if playing something from Tidal and then closing the Tidal app, the Stream will continue to play and if you reopen Tidal to stop it, Tidal does not see that it is already playing, something that Spotify does do immediately. Spotify is just better developed in my opinion, but I digress, back to the Zen Stream.
The Zen Stream also had no issues with the D10s (or any of my other DACs) via USB but I did find out that you can only choose to have output via USB or Coaxial, not both at the same time. This is not an issue as I have the D10s connected via USB, which has both optical and coaxial outputs, but I did hope that both USB and Coax could be used simultaneously so I could feed the Coax to another DAC.
I then moved over to my player of choice which is Foobar. Yes, I am old school, I like Foobar and have it set up exactly as I like it. However, exactly as I like doesn’t seem to be exactly how the Zen Stream likes it.
I said that in the office set up that I probably didn’t have Foobar configured correctly, however, at home I have it configured to stream via UPnP and it streams without issue to the Pi set up. The Stream appears in the list of outputs, when selected, Foobar does show as though it is playing to the Stream, however, no sound is output via the Stream. I spent a fair bit of time trying to resolve the issue but without luck. In the end I decided to not spend any more time on it. It is quite possible (probable?) that it is user error but I have no issues streaming to any of the other UPnP compatible devices in my house (which there a plenty of!).
So then I fired up Bubble UPnP from Android to see if there were any issues streaming from my server via UPnP. Bubble worked flawlessly, with the current content also showing up without issue on the iFi browser app. I was also surprised to find that I could control Bubble from the iFi browser window, although the play/pause function didn’t work, I could skip tracks or go back etc.
Finally, I decided to load some music onto a drive and connect it to the Stream. This time, rather than connecting 2TB of music, I opted for around 200 songs (in FLAC) on a flash drive. The Stream read these in seconds and then I could play them back from inside the browser window.
I was again surprised that I could control the Zen Stream from inside Bubble on my phone, allowing me to skip tracks, play/pause etc. However, I could not access the music files connected to the Stream. In other words, I couldn’t open Bubble and select to play music from the USB connected to the Stream. Hopefully this is something that the Android app that iFi says is “imminent” will be able to.
After these tests, I decided to update the firmware (iFi announced there was a new version). For some reason, each time I tried, it would get stuck on 40% and then go to error. The only way to get back to accessing the Stream would be to disconnect power and reconnect (recycling browser did nothing and the power button on the Stream wouldn’t respond). I spoke with iFi Audio about this and it seems they are having an issue with the server (not the device) and that this will be fixed soon. They recommended resetting the device and trying again, usually it will work after a few attempts, seeing that I had already tested the device as much as I needed to, and would be resetting it before returning it, I decided to skip the update.
Conclusion…
You may have noticed that I haven’t said anything about sound. That is because it doesn’t have one. The Stream does not produce sound, it sends data to an external DAC to do the conversion. How it deals with this data and things like jitter etc. are something that I cannot test with my ears. Golden Audio has a review where he publishes measurements of the device, however, I haven’t read the review (yet) as I try to avoid watching/reading reviews when I plan on reviewing something. So, if you would like to see data and measurements, check out the review on Golden Audio: https://goldensound.audio/2021/07/22/ifi-zen-stream-measurements/
With regards to my personal use case for the Zen Stream, I must say that it is a great little device. Yes, there are a couple of things that stop it from being perfect for my personal set up, which I admit is far from a normal system anyway, but they are not things that I can hold against the Stream.
I would obviously like to get it working from Foobar but I am sure that if I spent enough time and research on it, I would get it working. Foobar is always a pain to set up and get to a point where everything works as I want it to, that is one of the negatives of Foobar though, not necessarily the Zen Stream.
I certainly think that it would be perfect for my office and will probably look at incorporating it into the office system when I revamp it in the near future. It works great for what I need in the office, allowing me to keep my music separate from my PC and phone. In fact, I would probably just connect it to the audio network we have in the building, that way anyone in any of the offices or workshop can stream to it without issue.
In comparison to the Pi set up I currently have at home, there are some very positive things to be said about the Stream. The first major benefit is the fact that it is just plug and play, even though RopieeeXL is pretty straightforward to install and use, it does still take time to set up. As far as cost, the Stream is more expensive than the Pi set up, but it is not really that much more expensive when taking everything into consideration. The Pi4 (8G) costs around 80€, a case is around 20€ (depending on what you choose of course), an SD card is another 15€, then the power supply is around 10€, so the total in hardware is around 125€ (depending on your choice of case). We then need to add the time to set it up, which probably takes around 30 mins when you know what you are doing but if it is your first time, you will need to add multiple hours of research before getting it up and running.
The Zen Stream is closer to 400€ but it is plug and play, looks better than a simple Pi case, and offers various things that the Pi set up doesn’t. For example, having a hard drive connected to the Stream with your local files is something that is not possible with the RopieeeXL set up, so if you are using the Stream as your main source for music, you don’t need to worry about having a NAS or server.
The fact that you can play directly on the Stream via the browser (and hopefully via an Android app soon) is also another big benefit in my opinion. You can create playlists etc. so if you want to just set a BGM stream going, such as in the office, then you can do so and just forget about it.
I experienced no glitches with playback, something that I do experience with the Pi now and again (not often but enough), and the switching between devices streaming to the Zen is simple and stable (except in the case of Tidal vs Spotify that I mentioned but, again, this is to do with the apps not the device).
All in all, I really can’t say anything bad about the Zen Stream. It is a device that will make life very simple for many people and at a reasonable price. Yes, you can get a similar set up for less money but it is a DIY solution, which may appeal to some but certainly not to others. I think that the Zen Stream is a great option for those who want simplicity and quality in a small package. |
My name is Melanie Cvijanovic and I am a certified personal trainer for Evolutionary Performance Systems.
I am dedicated to helping people reach both their physical and mental goals through fitness. I want to teach my clients WHY they’re doing what they’re doing, and make sure the goals are reached in a safe and sustainable way!
I graduated from ASU with my BSE in Electrical Engineering in 2019, and have been working full time as a System Test Engineer since then. I very quickly realized this is not what I want to pursue for the rest of my life, and immediately started trying out different routes (going back to school, getting a math degree, tutoring) and really just wasn’t passionate about any of them.
I’ve been “lifting” for years, but I didn’t actually know anything about strength training or took it seriously until a few years ago – I finally hired a trainer and he completely changed the game for me. I specifically remember telling him I was not interested in competing EVER and could never see myself as a personal trainer because “I don’t like people”.
Fast forward to the end of 2020 and I started playing around with the idea of bodybuilding and competing in the bikini division, and started prep in December. I’d say I’ve learned more through this experience than anything combined.
After getting more into training myself, and doing my own research by reading and watching videos I realized how much false information there is out there. I too, used to be one of those girls that bought the standardized “peach plan 2.0” to try and build muscle….. lol. After months of dedicating time to learning more about fitness & nutrition, I finally signed up to get my CPT. I want to be able to share my knowledge with my clients and give them the tools they need to successfully maintain their goals for the rest of their lives.
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Searching the internet for the perfect training plan can be confusing and exhausting. Find out about our monthly training plan optimized for you and your goals! |
In the middle of the infrastructure bill negotiations last year, with the pandemic still limiting in-person meetings, the lobbyist Martin T. Whitmer Jr. found a creative way to get in front of lawmakers with a message from his client, the asphalt industry: He pulled a pair of collapsible lawn chairs out of his trunk and invited lawmakers to meet with him in a park near the Capitol.
“You just have to have the face to face on some stuff, and that really, really helped,” Mr. Whitmer said.
The strategy appears to have paid off. Within the $1 trillion of spending authorized by the infrastructure legislation that President Biden signed in November, the asphalt industry may ultimately receive the biggest share. And while roads were always likely to be a key focus of the legislation, the lobbying effort provided the industry a chance to promote what it cast as its environmental consciousness, making funding it more palatable to lawmakers who were concerned about road building fueling climate change.
The infrastructure package allocates at least $350 billion over five years to highways and bridges, according to the Eno Center for Transportation, a nonprofit transportation think tank in Washington, compared with about $91 billion for mass transit. An additional $19 billion to the Transportation Department to fund major projects, like underwater vehicular tunnels or bridge replacements, could augment the pavement spending.
The highway and bridge budget will pay for engineers, steel, concrete and other elements of the structures. But lobbyists and transportation experts expect an outsize portion of the pavement spending to go to asphalt, the material that paves 94 percent of America’s roads and bridges (the other 6 percent are paved with concrete).
The asphalt industry’s funding win appears to be the result of meat-and-potatoes legislative prioritizing that was helped by a politically prescient push by trade groups, according to lobbyists, congressional aides and other people involved in the process. Lawmakers realized that in a polarized political environment they could find common cause in repairing roads and bridges. Asphalt advocates, hoping to counter the idea that asphalt hurts the environment, framed the material as an unlikely ally in combating climate change.
“We are America’s No. 1 most recycled product,” said Jay Hansen, the executive vice president for advocacy at the National Asphalt Pavement Association, the industry’s main trade group. A 21-page letter the association sent to Mr. Biden’s transition team late in 2020 entitled “Build Back Better with Asphalt” suggested asphalt was also critical to job creation and economic recovery.
The first wave of financing under the infrastructure plan, which focused on a few areas like broadband, energy programs and water services, was provided shortly after the bill was signed. The next wave, which contains tens of billions of dollars for highways and bridges, is set to be released when Congress approves a 2022 spending package, potentially next month. That funding will be distributed to cities and states, which will combine it with their own funding from fuel taxes and other fees to pay for construction projects, including paving.
Controversies over how to spend the money are already stirring. A December memo from the Federal Highway Administration that prioritized improving existing roads ahead of constructing new ones — a proposal transportation industry executives viewed as an attempt to curb the environmental impact of new construction — brought protests from some state transportation officials, who said that the guidance undercut them.
In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday, more than two dozen Republican senators — including Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the senior Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee — argued that the memo’s proposal was at odds with Congress’s intent in passing the bill. The senators asked Mr. Buttigieg to rescind or revise the memo to better reflect the spirit of the law.
At the same time, an effort by Senate Democrats to suspend the federal fuel tax to counteract rising consumer prices was met with immediate transportation industry opposition. An industry trade group said in a letter to Senate leaders that even a temporary curtailment of the taxes risked unraveling the infrastructure package.
Despite the continued political bickering, asphalt producers say they are excited about the prospect of five years of funding certainty, which will allow them to hire and expand.
“We have the capacity to do more work,” said Dan Garcia, president of the asphalt producer C.W. Matthews based in Marietta, Ga. “So from an equipment capacity, a plant capacity, it’ll be really good for us.”
Mr. Garcia’s company operates 27 asphalt plants across Georgia, crushing rocks mined from nearby quarries, combining them with sand and gravel into a mix known as “aggregate” and cooking them with asphalt, a viscous liquid derived from crude oil. The asphalt mix is then loaded onto 18-ton trucks that transport the mix to job sites.
With a funding increase of as much as 20 percent expected at the state transportation department in Georgia, which is C.W. Matthews’s biggest client, Mr. Garcia is now looking to add more than 100 employees to his 1,300-person team.
Pavement groups were urging the government to come up with more permanent funding for roads well before Mr. Biden was elected. The last significant funding package, the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, or FAST Act, was signed by President Barack Obama in 2015. Mr. Trump’s administration presented a plan of its own, but a series of “infrastructure weeks” that led to little progress eventually became a running joke. By 2020, the pandemic had overtaken most other priorities.
The Infrastructure Bill at a Glance
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Transportation. The proposal would see tens of billions of dollars in new federal spending going to roads, bridges and transportation programs. Amtrak would see its biggest infusion of money since its inception, and funds would be allocated to programs intended to provide safe commutes for pedestrians.
Climate. Funding would be provided to better prepare the country to face global warming. The Forest Service would get billions of dollars to reduce the effects of wildfires. The bill includes $73 billion to modernize the nation’s electricity grid to allow it to carry renewable energy.
Resources for underserved communities. A new $2 billion grant program is expected to expand transportation projects in rural areas. The bill would also increase support for Native American communities, allotting $216 million to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for climate-resilience and adaptation efforts.
In December 2020, shortly after Mr. Biden’s victory, the National Asphalt Pavement Association sent its “Build Back Better with Asphalt” letter to the president-elect. The arguments about the need for new road and bridge funding were not new, but the positioning of asphalt as an eco-friendly material was.
Mr. Whitmer, who knew some of the transportation advisers on the presidential transition team, recalled being encouraged by the response. “They didn’t know about asphalt being the most recycled product,” he said the advisers told him in back-channel discussions.
Asphalt’s overall environmental impact, however, is less rosy. New roads intended to ease urban traffic jams simply bring more drivers, adding to carbon emissions. Recycling a wider variety of materials in asphalt, such as ground, used tires or soybean oil, and cooking asphalt components at a lower temperature to reduce emissions are promising practices but have yet to be widely adopted.
Mr. Garcia’s plants still produce the relatively warmer “hot mix” asphalt pavement, and tend to have between 20 and 40 percent recycled asphalt pavement in their new materials — more than the standard American road contains.
Asphalt itself is a polluting hydrocarbon. And a recent study by Yale University engineers suggested that asphalt pollutes air when exposed to bright sunlight. (The asphalt association questioned some of the Yale study’s conclusions, saying that “asphalt materials from in-service pavements are not meaningful sources of urban smog.”)
Last April, after Mr. Biden unveiled a jobs plan that prioritized rebuilding roads and bridges, transportation groups began coordinating more closely. The mentality, said Jeff Davis, a senior fellow at the Eno Center, was “a rising tide lifts all boats.” He added, “They were all agreeing that more money was going to help everybody.”
To give the lobbying push a more tangible quality, Vulcan Materials, the nation’s largest producer of aggregate for construction, brought Representative Carolyn Bourdeaux, Democrat of Georgia, to its Norcross quarry, and Senator Bill Hagerty, Republican of Tennessee — who had put himself through college partly through a job shoveling asphalt — to tour its Nashville quarry.
In Washington, Mr. Whitmer pulled his chairs out of the trunk and began dialing members of Congress for coffee in the park. On video calls, Mr. Hansen showed two-inch squares of solid asphalt mix. “You use this every day, but you don’t realize it,” he would say.
Last April, when the White House and some lawmakers began defining infrastructure in broad terms, some industry executives and lobbyists worried about money that had historically gone to highways being shared with projects like federally subsidized housing. An industry suggestion to raise federal fuel taxes to help pay for new spending was rejected by Senate leaders. The entire process was bedeviled by the partisan polarization in Congress.
But the issue proved to be of sufficient importance to enough members of both parties that a bipartisan deal came together that provided substantial new money for needs like mass transit and better access to broadband as well as roads.
“Getting both sides together to agree on something is good. Wish we would see that more often,” Mr. Garcia said on a recent morning in Adairsville, Ga., over the sounds of truck equipment as his crew placed asphalt along Route 140. “It not only impacts us — these truck drivers, the quarry — but obviously this is progress, right?” |
St. Petersburg, FL – A new poll from David Binder research shows Eric Lynn beating likely Republican nominee Anna Luna 45/43 in the FL-13 race.
Most importantly, among critical unaffiliated voters, Lynn led Luna by a wide margin, 47% to 35%.
This is unsurprising considering recent polling from the Lynn campaign showed a path to 52 percent for the Pinellas native against Luna.
A key difference between the polls is timing. Lynn’s was conducted before the overturning of Roe, Binder Research’s poll was done after.
But, both polls share other similarities as well, most notably showing that Lynn’s moderate views are much more aligned with the district than Luna, whose views are far too extreme for Pinellas county.
In the Binder research poll, voters polled expressed strong support for a candidate “who will keep politicians and the government out of people’s personal decisions on abortion and who they marry,” with 78% of voters supporting this candidate and only 14% opposing.
In Lynn’s internal polling, voters found his stance on women’s reproductive rights, health care, and his overall economic vision as very convincing reasons to vote for him at 40%, 33%, and 31% respectively.
In contrast, Luna’s personal extreme views raise serious doubts with voters. 59% of FL-13 voters think abortion should be legal, yet Luna thinks abortion should be illegal – including rape and incest – and this view raises major doubts with 44% of voters. Her extreme positions on guns and the economy also raise major doubts with 41% of voters separately.
In short, both polls – internal and external – highlight what voters on the ground have been saying for some time: Eric Lynn is the only candidate in the FL-13 race that understands Pinellas values, and will be ready to fight for them and deliver results on day one.
“As a hometown kid and native of Pinellas county, I am not surprised at all that voters find Anna Luna’s views extreme and concerning,” said Eric Lynn. “The people of Pinellas have never been an extreme community – right or left – and have always preferred middle-of-the-road moderate candidates who understand the kitchen table issues, and know how to deliver. That’s the candidate I am, and the Congressman I’ll be. On day one, I’ll be ready to deliver on middle-class tax cuts, the support and services our veterans need, and protecting our environment. It’s what the people want, and I look forward to working for them in Washington.”
“Anna Luna has always cared more about the support of the former defeated President and his family than the people of Pinellas,” said Campaign Manager Andrew Bernucca. “That’s why she continues to support and spread the big lie and harbor views that are unpopular because they would be damaging to women, seniors, veterans, and so many others in Pinellas county. FL-13 needs honest and trustworthy leadership that will fight against extremes on both sides of the aisle to deliver common sense results. Eric Lynn is that candidate, and Anna Luna is not.” |
November 14, 2019 Comments Off on Nashville Design Week 2019 Program Host and Speaker read Featured, News
December 2018, I was in that end-of-the-year mood…considering my big dreams and life mission…am I still doing what I love and how can I do even more of it? I missed doing nonprofit work, so I set intentions for 2019 to inspire others with my creative story and to get back to event planning with a cause. I fully believe in enjoying how your dreams play out without having the “how?” figured out.
Fast forward to last summer when Nashville Design Week started taking applications for events. Nashville Design Week is a newly founded nonprofit who runs a full week of events, panels, workshops, studio tours, and oodles of inspiration for anyone in design and creative fields – what an amazing mission! I had the idea to put together and speak on a panel with 5 creatives whom I greatly admired to talk about “Taking The Leap” …. making big risky moves to go after your passions. It couldn’t hurt to apply, right?! After all, I make a scary decisions to leave my successful healthcare job 5 years ago, and I want as many people as possible to know that they can too!
My speaking event was accepted for the night of the opening party! Nashville Design Week gave me the most amazing opportunity to hit all my buttons for non profit event work and inspiring other creatives and WOW! It was a total dream.
It didn’t come without hard work, major friend support, and…a big dose of confronting fears. As I considered speaking about facing fears….I also faced fears around putting together a great event, reaching out to speakers who were playing in a bigger sandbox, and speaking effectively myself. It turns out that facing fear is a muscle that needs continual flexing. I couldn’t be more thankful that people packed the room, that panelists I’d never met said YES to my wild hair idea, and that I found myself on a stool under a bright light thinking….this is it….it was imagined and now it’s here….
Nashville Design Week: Opening Night
Setting up for the event!
Left to Right: Jeremy Cowart, Bethany Bauman, Erin Laughlin (myself), Annie Choo, and Jonathan Malphrus
Packed House
So I did a thing. And it felt amazing. And when days got busy, I kept asking myself…how can I enjoy this part? What is my why? And most importantly, am I taking care of myself. And that’s what I want 2020 to be about. Inspiring others, health, challenge, courage, and sending out as much love to everyone I come across as I have, and enjoying every moment of that process. Cheers to the infinite possibilities of a new decade #2020
Nashville creatives, get this on your calendar for next year! Nashville Design Week
How to Inspire your Interior Design with Art
March 10, 2019 Comments Off on How to Inspire your Interior Design with Art read About the Paintings
Interior Design Ideas Inspired by Artistic Opulence
This is a guest post by Sophie Logan of Décor Aid
When we first stumbled upon Erin’s art, it was easy to see the interior design potential in the brilliant texture and lustrous color palette of each piece, so our designers let their imagination run wild with decorative possibilities. When you find the perfect piece of statement art, sometimes the best choice is to base your room around that piece instead of forcing your artwork to conform to the room.
Because combining interior design and artwork can be a challenge for some, we’ve provided you with some designer-approved ideas that reference Erin’s unique style of artwork and build a fully realized space that coordinates perfectly.
One of the first pieces of artwork that caught our eye was this large gold abstract piece that features tinges of gold and white. The way the strokes of gold catch the light is quite arresting, and we wanted to play with that idea a bit more. Since gold immediately invokes images of luxury and elegance, it was easy to come up with an interior design fit to match.
The first idea that came to mind was to subtly include this gold in your space at a smaller scale, since the artwork has so much of it. Instead of featuring larger-scale items like tables that are adorned in gold, our interior designers suggest instead looking to a fresh take on hardware. No matter the room you’re reworking (bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, etc.), you’re likely to have some element that includes handles, pulls, table legs, or other hardware. You’ll want hardware that features the same brass or gold shade that the artwork does to bring balance and opulence to the room.
The textured, layered feel of this piece should influence your fabric, so be sure to choose materials that mirror this. We always recommend velvet, especially when looking to achieve an elegant, luxe aesthetic like the one portrayed in this piece, and a textured velvet in the featured aubergine would be make the perfect addition. Because this is the most subtle shade in the piece, we suggest going large-scale with it, perhaps in a sofa or accent chair, so that it can be easily referenced in the artwork. In addition, our interior designers suggest that you look to other elements that can provide a bit of texture through fabric, like lampshades, rugs, and ottomans.
When we set our sights on the gold leaf moons from the “Many Moons Ago” series, we felt as though these pieces perfectly encompassed Erin’s artistic vision and aesthetic. They’re whimsical and moody, and their small size equips them with the ability to be used practically anywhere.
The best way to build a space that works with these pieces is to identify the consistent elements among all – for instance, gold, and deep aubergine feature in more than one moon, with lighter grey and champagne shades that add depth. And while you’re adding these features that feel elegant and upscale, the somewhat playful nature of the moon itself allows you to have a bit more fun and freedom. Branch out with curved pieces that mimic the circular shape instead of rigid and harsh lines, overlay your colors in a more adventurous way, and keep that whimsical and airy feel present.
Our interior designers first came up with the idea to pair these moons with a taupe wall. Not only is it a neutral that is quite universal, but it’s also a shade that can be picked out of the pieces themselves, in the third moon. And since gold is still present, albeit much less than in the first piece of artwork we featured, you can go larger with the inclusion of this color, like a coffee table or nightstand, while still including it in smaller components like hardware or table legs.
Erin was kind enough to stage a space that combines all these ideas so that you can get the full effect of all these design features at play. You’ll notice that the moon itself is cleverly placed off-center, which gives a playful feeling of the moon hanging over your bed.
Gold is also used as a unifier in this space. The way the metallic hues in the artwork are referenced throughout the space is apparent in how gold is featured in the bedside table, and the tone of the blanket gives it an elegant feeling that spans the whole room.
You’ll also notice that mauve plays a significant role in the layout of this room, with features in the pillowcases, a shag pillow, and the tone of the throw blanket. Additionally, we suggest using small decorative accents, as featured on the nightstand, to play up this shade even further.
The sheen of the black comforter also provides a welcome contrast, especially since the shade of the art itself is actually pretty light. We suggest you choose a dark, contrasting shade like this one to pair with the lighter elements we’ve suggested, like the taupe wall.
So if you’re as inspired by Erin’s art as we were, but are contemplating how to best include a work in your home, reference a few of these ideas so that you can decorate with ease. |
All Weather Gold Bangles (AWB) are the force at BuDhaGirl. These amazing bangles have unique qualities; they are waterproof, weightless, soundless, TSA proof...life perfect. Each of the nine gold bangles is meant to represent an intention for your day. As you put them on, you are affirming your intentions in the morning and when you remove them in the evening, thoughts of gratefulness for your day. This daily ritual will settle your mind at the beginning and end of each day. Our AWB are made with gold dust filament suspended in flexible, polyvinyl carbonate rings, and sealed with our exclusive BuDhaGirl prayer beads, allowing them to go from the pool, to the office, and to the airport all without needing to leave your wrist. One more thing, AWB are ever so sharable, just ask any BuDhaGirl.
Handcrafted in Thailand by really nice people.
BuDhaGirl All Weather Bangles are made of polycarbonate tubing that is a semi-flexible material, so there is a little give when you slide the bangles over your hand. This really is the key to deciding your size... how the bangles go over your hand, not the size of your wrist.
Four different sizes:
Small 2.25''
Medium 2.44''
Large 2.55''
XLarge 2.66"
*These measurements are in inches and they signify the internal diameter of the bangle.*
The Serenity Prayer is not new, although in modern times it is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr. Epictetus had a version, the Jewish philosopher Solomon ibn Gabirol had a version, and even W.W. Bartley had a version with a Mother Goose rhyme dated 1695. The prayer is simple yet powerful:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
You can wear your All Weather Gold Bangles anywhere without being afraid of tarnish or any kind of sound. Our All Weather Gold Bangles are made with gold dust filament suspended in flexible, polyvinyl carbonate rings, and sealed with our exclusive BuDhaGirl prayer beads, allowing them to go from the pool, to the office, and to the airport (they’re TSA proof) all without needing to leave your wrist. Our All Weather Gold Bangles come in a set of nine, and feature a Christian, Buddhist, or Serenity prayer bead in each bangle. * Only one category of bead throughout set.
Serenity Prayer: Give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.
Mindful Glamour Ritual: Pause...Slide your All Weather Gold Bangles on one by one. Focus on being present, and in the Now. Each intention you make will be with you throughout the day...Go, Be it.
Thought: Inner peace can be attained no matter the circumstance. We must live in the present moment and take joy from it, for this is living in the Now. |
Last Friday morning, during an incredibly busy clinic, I got a text from one of my closest friends from college. I thought it was strange as we, unfortunately, don’t communicate that often.
His text said, “I don’t know if you’ve heard,” and there was the link below:
Click to read the article.
This is the daughter of one of our fraternity brothers.
I sat there staring at my phone, feeling nauseous. For a moment, I was totally paralyzed and did not know what to do.
After somewhat getting my senses together, I stumbled into a treatment room and could barely hear what my patient had to say. There were so many thoughts going through my brain.
The young woman’s father is the older brother of my college roommate for two of my four years at Vanderbilt University. He slept on our couch for six months while he was working on his first novel. I have not seen him since we were together in London, in October 1996, both visiting his brother.
Nonetheless, it hit me like we had just been together last weekend.
No person should die like this, especially someone who is just starting their adult life, with so much ahead of them. No one should lose a child during the early prime of their life. For that to me is the worst thing I can imagine and I’m not sure I could survive it.
Later that day, I reached out to other friends from college to grieve together.
I reflected on all I have and the health and happiness of my wife, my children, my family, and myself. I felt a little guilty that, all the while, my friend and his family had to go through this unimaginable tragedy.
Well, the holidays are here and it’s the most celebrated time of the year for much of the world.
So I will ask you to do this during the Holidays…
Please spend good, quality, and engaged time with your family and friends. Be appreciative of all that you have and… |
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16 ESV
Reflection:
The Lord Jesus was meek and lowly, full of compassion and of great mercy – and the gracious words that fell from His lips were life and health and healing and we are exhorted to let His Word dwell in us richly, both His spoken words and His written word, for they produce in us abundance of life and the spirit of true wisdom.
We should meditate and drink deeply on the word of Christ for His words bring light to the spirit and life to the soul. We should take the pearls of His speech and the jewels that encrust the glorious messages of salvation and shower them down in blessed teachings and wise counsel over the heads of those that are His kingdom of priests, and royal nation – a people set apart for the Lord to serve Him and to worship Him in time and through eternity – to Him be all glory and might and majesty and dominion and praise and power for ever and ever! Amen.
Imagine – the blessed Lord rejoices over His children with singing, proclaiming His unconditional love towards us while pouring out His eternal heavenly grace over all that believe on His name – should we not let His word dwell in us richly in humble thanksgiving and holy reverence as we blend our voices with heavenly choirs of angels – singing psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, with eternal gratitude in our hearts, to our great and gracious God.
Prayer:
I will sing to the Lord a holy song, for He is good and gracious and has lifted me up and arrayed me in His own righteousness and His banner over me is love – Loving Father, to You be all praise and glory my God and my Saviour, in Jesus name I pray, AMEN. |
When you have questions about your website, customer support is crucial. Good web hosting companies offer support 24 hours a day, and Bluehost is no exception. Support tickets can be used to answer questions and customers can chat live or email. Additionally, the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can rest assured that you’ll never be left without assistance. Bluehost’s support agents are knowledgeable and friendly, but they’re also overworked.
Bluehost offers a basic plan for website hosting if you are just starting out. This plan provides 50 GB storage, which is enough for most starter websites. If your website grows beyond the basic plan, you can upgrade to a higher level plan. You will also be able to install popular payment processors like Stripe and PayPal with just one click. You can manage email accounts, databases, and customer reviews easily from Bluehost’s control panel.
To enhance security, Bluehost offers paid add-ons, such as SiteLock and CodeGuard. With these features, Bluehost protects your website against hacker attacks. Users can also create online courses or make their website responsive. A 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 network monitoring are two great benefits of Bluehost’s hosting plans. If you need help setting up your website, the company can also perform technical work like PayPal integration, blog setup, adding Google Analytics and a map.
Bluehost makes it easy to set up a website. Bluehost’s website builder tool is easy to use. The interface is simple and allows you to choose a theme, answer questions about the site, and select a domain name. There is a way to skip the whole Bluehost website creation process if you already have a WordPress site. Bluehost offers a free WordPress migration service that allows you to migrate your website to another host.
Bluehost Premium plans offer more advanced features. The Premium plan includes online appointment booking, rental, as well as subscription services. You can also customize products and services and it doesn’t calculate sales taxes. While this is a great choice for a small-to-medium ecommerce site, it’s not the best choice for businesses with hundreds of products and services. It offers advanced SEO tools, Google ads and a listing in Google My Business.
Bluehost’s control panel makes managing email and website hosting easy. You can configure emails, manage domains, and set up billing. The Bluehost dashboard integrates with help resources and allows you to log in with one account. The Bluehost control panel is similar to cPanel, but customized. It can be used to manage sites. The entry plan also includes a dedicated IP address. Moreover, Bluehost offers 24 hours of customer support.
Security is another major concern. The Bluehost network engineers must optimize for the needs of the majority and cater for specialized needs. This issue is consistently highlighted in the company’s annual investor reports, where Bluehost regularly postpones major infrastructure upgrades. Bluehost’s security features are one of its best assets. Additional benefits include a 30-day money-back guarantee. This way, customers can try the service risk-free. You can always switch to another hosting provider if you aren’t sure about the service.
Bluehost may have some advantages, but it might not be right for every website. Shared plans, however, are not recommended for large businesses. They are great for small and beginning businesses. For as little as $2.59 a month, you can get hosting with a custom domain name and email for your site. Moreover, shared hosting plans are also cheap and cover basic needs. However, there are limitations to how many domains and sites you can host with Bluehost.
Bluehost is a popular and affordable web host. Bluehost’s shared plans start at $3.95 per month and are very affordable. A basic shared hosting plan costs $3.95 per month for 36 months. The company offers a 30-day money back guarantee. However, refunds will not be given for domain registration fees or other add-on services. However, it is worth mentioning that Bluehost has excellent customer support. |
At BP Ventures, we are committed to finding markets that can help us all live in a more sustainable world. A large part of this comes from finding synergies between our portfolio of business assets and some of the most exciting innovations in the world today.
This is why we are so excited about our new partnership with Calysta, whose fermentation technology harnesses the power of a naturally-occurring process to turn natural gas into FeedKind® protein – a sustainable and traceable feed product for fish, livestock and pets.
Best of all, it helps increase the global food supply.
But why is this important? The continued growth of the population means we have to produce more protein to meet rising demand – and we have to do it soon. By 2050, we will likely need 50% more protein. Unfortunately, many of the food production techniques we use at the moment are already at their limits.
By converting gas into food, we can make better use of the resources we already have and ensure more of the food we grow can go directly into the human food chain and not be used to feed fish or livestock which are ultimately destined for our plates.
More food and less pressure on our natural resources. It is an extraordinary opportunity.
This makes our partnership with Calysta an important moment for both companies.
By combining our skills, expertise and resources, we are presenting the world with a scalable and safe solution that can improve global food security and sustainability – and in a way that allows BP to meet our strategic goal of growing our gas business.
As I prepare to take a seat on the Calysta board, I’m both excited and energized by the challenge that awaits us as Calysta scales up FeedKind fermentation technology to global production scale. Calysta’s mission is to make more from less – something we look forward to achieving with FeedKind protein in the years ahead. |
FLRC’s July track meet is now in the books, and it was a wonderful way to spend a summer evening, with perfect weather and lots of friendly runners. Thanks to the Auburn Pulsars, Ithaca Youth Bureau, Lansing Lightning, and SOAR clubs, we had tons of young kids—and not much is cuter than one 4-year-old handing off to another in a relay race. But there were some stellar performances from older athletes as well, culminating with the fast heat of the mile, where the top 8 runners all broke 5:00. Full results are now available.
With our kid-focused event lineup this summer, we started with the 100m, won by 35-year-old Chris Rogers in 12.65 seconds, just ahead of 14-year-old Gyasi Ruffin (12.69). 12-year-old Mackenna Keough of SOAR was the first female finisher in 14.53, well ahead of her teammate Alexis Collins in 16.12.
In the 800m race, last month’s 800m/400m double-winner Samual Voak defended his title with a 2;20 to place ahead of Lansing Lightning’s John Saunders in 2:21 and Aaron King in 2:24. Again like last month, 11-year-old Maggie Houp of SOAR ran a 2:42 to outpace 37-year-old Liz Hartman, whose 2:45 was a 6-second improvement.
To get a relay in before bedtime for our younger runners, we next ran the 4 by 200m relay, won handily by a team of Ithaca Youth Bureau coaches in 2:03. Seventeen other teams competed as well, with times from 2:14 all the way to 4:15.
Samuel Voak matched last month’s performance with his second win for the night in the 400m, running 56.66, well ahead of Tristan Lambert’s 1:00.35. Elsa Wood of SOAR took the women’s crown with a 1:20.63, outlasting sprinter teammate Mackenna Keough, who crossed in 1:24.36 and Abby Ringwood of the Auburn Pulsars in 1:25.59.
Our most exciting race came last, with the 1-mile race that’s part of FLRC’s ongoing MITHACAL MILE SERIES. In a stacked fast heat, Sean Dunn took the race out hard, but Adam Pacheck soon took over, hoping to defang the kick of Sam Lagasse, last month’s winner. Pacheck’s valiant effort was in vain, though, as Lagasse took the lead in the final lap and kicked hard to win in 4:25, ahead of Pacheck’s 4:27 (4 and 7 seconds faster than last month, respectively). In third again was Rich Heffron in 4:40, followed by Dunn in 4:43, Mik Kern in 4:44, 15-year-old Jared Smith in 4:47, Mohamad Alsabbagh in 4:52, and newcomer Adam Berkowitz in 4:53. On the women’s side, 13-year-old Elizabeth Baroody of the Auburn Pulsars won in 5:57, with SOAR’s Maggie Houp second in 6:05.
Although there are no official results from the long jump, shot put, and kid javelin practice hosted by Brett Shelton and Steve Wagner of SOAR during the meet, lots of kids participated and had a great time.
Thanks to Lansing High School and Coach Becca Lovenheim for hosting once again, and to the many volunteers who made the meet possible. Bob Talda took on the head timer duties, with past FLRC president Tom Rishel once again serving as starter. Jullien Flynn managed seeding with aplomb and published results within minutes after each event ended. Bill Watson and Dave Kania worked wonders in lining up all the heats. Adam Pacheck and his girlfriend Christine recorded bibs of finishers in the longer races. Tonya Engst ran registration with help from Lorrie Tily, and both helped with sprint timing, Truck Rossiter was backup timer and lap caller, Steve Folsom and Jim Derick helped wrangle the relay runners, and previous FLRC track director Tim Ingall stepped in once again to help with timing as well.
Don’t miss our final summer meet of 2019 on August 20th!
August 2019 Outdoor Track Meet
Upcoming Events
FLRC Board Meeting on December 14, 2022 6:30 pm
Winter Chill 5K #1 2023 on January 7, 2023 11:00 am
FLRC Board Meeting on January 11, 2023 6:30 pm
Winter Chill 5K #2 2023 on January 14, 2023 11:00 am
January 2023 Indoor Track Meet on January 15, 2023 9:00 am
About FLRC
The Finger Lakes Runners Club is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization focused on promoting physical fitness and health through running. Based in Ithaca and drawing members from all over the Finger Lakes region, our club is dedicated to the love of running, as a sport and as a way of life — for fun, for fitness, for camaraderie, and for every person regardless of ability, age, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion, or any other demographic. We hope you’ll come run with us!
For general questions, email us. If you have questions or concerns about a particular event, see the event’s page for race director contact information. |
As well as a love for cocktails (we don’t understand anyone who doesn’t!!) we take coffee very seriously. Using a coffee blend that is roasted and devoted for perfection. Just like our VW Mobile Coffee Bar.
Our Volkswagen Bar can provide coffee, tea and hot beverage service at any event, including exhibition stands.
Flash Bulli Bar employs only the most highly skilled professional baristas, trained to produce exceptional quality coffee at high volume with exemplary customer service. Our baristas come professionally attired in black collared shirts, black trousers and shoes, but can wear any uniform required.
The coffee bar can be very popular, and increasingly we find people are prepared to wait for our coffee – a captive audience your communications team can utilise.
If one barista makes 500 coffees a day and each client queues for 5 to 10 minutes – that can lead to more than 80 hours on stand per day of quality contact time to be utilised.
Interesting Infos
Rent this Volkswagen drink truck for your next indoor or outdoor party.
The VW Bar can be pre stocked with cocktails, beers, long drinks, coffee or champagnes or alternatively left empty for you to stock accordingly as a dry hire. |
Know The Phenomenal Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui A Lot Better On His Birthday From These 7 Unknown Facts
Bringing to life diverse characters with his iconic performance, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is truly one of the finest actors Bollywood has ever had. However, Nawazuddin has always consciously kept his life away from the glare of the public. This makes fans all the more intrigued to know some amazing facts about this phenomenal actor. On the occasion of his 47th birthday, we have decided to grant your wish (to a certain extent). Here are 7 interesting Nawazuddin Siddiqui facts that you probably didn’t hear of before.
The Gangs Of Wasseypur superstar Nawazuddin Siddiqui has always taken our breath away with his bone chilling method of acting. However, Nawazuddin is also one of the few Bollywood actors who have willingly managed to keep an extremely low profile away from the public eye. Some amazing facts about the actor’s journey would assure you that dreams do come true if your determination remains unwavered. To celebrate his 47th birthday, we have put together 7 Nawazuddin Siddiqui facts that you didn’t know before.
1. A Science Guy
Before venturing into acting, Faizal Khan wanted to pursue education in the field of chemistry and microbiology and aspired to become a pathologist. He even served as a chief chemist at SCME Petrochemicals in Baroda for three years.
2. A Humble Background
Nawazuddin’s life didn’t start off on a financially stable note. Albeit being born in the house of zamindars, Nawazuddin’s family suffered from poverty. His father was a farmer in a small town in Muzaffarnagar where the scope for education was quite narrow. He even had to struggle for a massive time period (around 12 years) to finally make it into acting.
3. From A Watchman To Getting A Standing Ovation At Cannes
After completing his education, Nawazuddin moved to Delhi and enrolled himself at a theatre. To sustain himself, he used to work as a watchman. When he realized that he wasn’t getting anywhere, he enrolled himself at the National School of Drama and passed out in 1996. Later, he moved to Mumbai and did a lot of small roles. His debut was with a minor job in the Amir Khan starrer Sarfarosh. And the rest is history.
4. His Role Model
The actor who has become a role model himself for hundreds of aspiring artists used to look up to someone back in the days. And that someone was Ashish Vidyarthi. He claims that Ashish was his biggest inspiration and his idol who made him believe that his dreams would come true.
5. A True Powerhouse
You’d expect an actor of his stature and fame to have managers assigned for each aspect of his professional career. But, the man has none. That’s right – no PR agents or managers. Nawazuddin handles all of it by himself.
6. Pursuing Acting Without Having Seen Much Movies
That’s right. The Freaky Ali star claimed in an interview that he had only watched about 5 films before deciding to pursue acting. That’s because there were no theatres close to his place. The nearest theatre was around 45 km away.
7. Dedicated Till His Last Breath
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is full heartedly dedicated to his craft and work. During the shooting of Raman Raghav 2.0, the actor reportedly fell ill and had to be hospitalized. It is said that he kept reciting his dialogues despite being semi-conscious.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s journey from nobody to one of the most acclaimed actors in the country is truly an inspiring one. Let’s celebrate this fine actor’s birthday and pay respect to his legacy by listening to his superhit songs on the Flutin app. |
While we all love our toys and gadgets for fun, entertainment and even work, sometimes it’s good to have technology actually be useful in saving lives. It’s sometimes complicated to effectively accomplish. Just look at the sad situation with airport “security”. While I celebrate the recent capture of criminals in England who wished to disrupt and kill lots of people by secreting explosive liquids in carry-on luggage, I have to wonder about the reaction!
We can’t take innocuous liquids, laptops, etc with us on planes in the UK. I am not interested in being treated like a criminal just because there’s a few nut-jobs out in the world. There Really has to be a better more elegant and less intrusive solution to this than treating every passenger as a potential wacko.
Ok, end of rant. So what has this to do with the Roadmaster VR3 Wireless Backup Camera?? Well, it’s a nice solution to a problem which actually can prevent horrible accidents. For various reasons people seem to like having large cars like SUV’s, mini-van’s and even trucks. I guess it’s partly related to having children. Can you guess I don’t have kids or a car? Despite this I still don’t want anyone getting hurt. I’m funny that way.
Roadmaster USA Corp has made a camera that can be installed by any carowner themselves. Mount the lens on the bottom of the rear license-plate so you can get a good view of anything around the back of the car while backing up the vehicle. Place the 2.5-inch color LCD screen on your dashboard or visor. Where ever it will fit best for viewing. The camera can be activated only when the car is put into reverse or be on at all times. It’s up to you. It’s only about $149. Now that sounds like as elegant and simple a solution for preventing tragedy as ever I’ve heard. Ok, the problem may not be anywhere NEAR as complex as airline security, but when it comes to saving lives every solution is welcome!
Written by Cecilia
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Cecilia
A talented and Emmy-winning digital special effects technician by trade, Cecilia has also made her mark over the years as a writer in video editing magazines. Her CV includes HBO’s "From the Earth to the Moon" and SciFi Channel’s "Frank Herbert's Dune" and "Children of Dune". The most recent Visual Effects work was done for an online film: "Eye of the Bennu". This project was notable for being the first film made entirely by people only communicating over the Internet. No one has ever actually met in person. A virtual film made by virtual people. Cecilia is currently making props for a short film project about a violent monk. Hmm. |
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Some Muslim clerics from different sects and organizations within the Muslim and Zongo communities have called for the removal of Sheikh Armiyaw Shaibu as an advisor to the National Chief Imam of Ghana, Sheikh Dr. Osman Nuhu Sharubutu.
According to the clerics, Sheikh Armiyaw has over the years exposed himself to politics and it is sinking the hard-won reputation of the National Chief Imam and his office.
He is being blamed for facilitating the Vice President Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia’s thanksgiven at the Abossey Okai Central Mosque despite being aware the opposition party’s refusal to accept the election results declared by the Electoral Commission Chairperson.
According to a number of Clerics, who spoke in a state of anonimity, Sheikh Armiyaw Shaibu and his cohorts at the office of the Chief Imam are fully aware of the electoral dispute between the two major political parties, yet they paved way for Dr. Bawumia and NPP to have their event.
They described the attitude of Sheikh Armiyaw and his cohorts as “selfish and shameful” adding that they (Sheikh Armiyaw and his cohorts) only think about material things rather than their intergrity and that of the office of the National Chief Imam.
According to them, Sheikh Armiyaw Shaibu has put the name of the Chief Imam and CODEO in shame and disrepute hence their calls for his removal at both the office of the imam and CODEO.
They further called on all well-meaning Muslims across the country to protest for their removal to save the hard won reputation of the National Chief Imam.
The clerics added that the Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu is over 100 years of age and has no time to watch television or listen to radio to know the current issues in the country, therefore his aid and advisors are those who inform and highlight him on current issues, due to their political affiliation they organized and move the National Chief Imam to attend and superintend the Thanksgiving by Dr. Bawumia last Friday. |
Since 2007, Goodness and Mercy Missions has been carrying out several projects in Boyo Division of Cameroon. The organization has focused largely on Child sponsorship programs and women economic empowerment programs. There is a computer training centre and a research library for the community. Details of Goodness and Mercy Missions work since 2007 can be seen by opening the following link
Child Sponsorship Program
Since 2007, more than 3000 children have been helped by this program in the areas of education, health and nutrition. This number excludes those we have helped indirectly by empowering their mothers economically. We have also connected some of these children to sponsors around the world. The sponsors are in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa and in the Americas. See what it takes to sponsor a child
Women Economic Empowerment Project
This is another most successful program of GMM. It has benefited close to 500 women and right now we are dealing with 39 women groups. These are groups we have already funded and helped with skills development. They are found in several communities in Cameroon, largely in the North West Region and then in the Littoral and South West Regions. The women are involved in various income generating initiatives like retailing of palm oil, maize, beans or making tradition dresses, detergent, shoe polish and candles. Their raw material ranges from bee wax to weeds and fibres collected from some plants. About 827 USD can fully fund a group of about 10 women, giving it seed money as well as a revolving capital over the years.
Computer Training Program
A computer training institute has been equipping the youths as well as the communities of Boyo division with computer knowledge. The lab is at Belo where the GMM headquarters are. Since its beginning 67 students have graduated and more than 500 received informal computer training without receiving a diploma at the end. It is a 9 months’ course before graduation. There is also an after school computer training program for students. We have also created Computer labs in several schools around Boyo with assistance from Helps International and Computers4Africa.he computer lab in Belo has been assisted by Informatik Afrique, Switzerland.
Library in Belo
A library of assorted books has been established by Goodness and Mercy Missions to help the Belo community. More than 4000 books brace the shelves of this library. It has been a blessing to secondary, high school and University students. We continue buy or request more books for the library. Most children go through school without a textbook of their own. They cannot just afford to buy in the market. It is no small thing if they have a place to borrow books. It is a place students can make research and farmers, doctors, etc find information related to their fields. The library has received books from Darien Book service, from individuals and from the Director Teh Francis. See pressing needs page.
Vocational Training Program
GMM has involved several youths in learning a trade, that is sponsoring them in driving schools, hairdressing saloons, carpentry, computer, tailoring etc. Many of these have graduated and have their own jobs. It takes an average of 120 000 FCFA for a young boy or girl to learn a trade. When they have done it, they receive self employment. Teenage mothers have largely been the beneficiaries of this program. With no one to help them, we put them back in the line of life. See Goodness and Mercy Missions young mothers program. |
When you’re trying to remove black mold, you’ll need to be careful. Not only can the process be dangerous, but you can also face a long and costly removal process. Fortunately, there are several methods that you can use. While you should never attempt to remove mold on your own, you can use these tips to get your home mold-free. Just be sure to wear proper protective gear, use quality products, and follow the guidelines.
Choose the right mold-removal company. There are many options for you to choosing a company. You can use natural remedies to get rid of mold, or you can hire a professional Mold Removal service. Either way, be sure to choose a contractor with the proper training, experience, and insurance. You’ll want to choose a company that carries all the necessary insurance and is licensed and certified. Make sure to read reviews online before making a final decision.
Check for leaks. If you notice any leaks, you’ll want to make sure that there are no hidden sources of moisture. Bleach and vinegar will only cause more harm than good, so try a solution of detergent and water. You can also use mold-resistant paint, as this will kill any mold growing on the surface. Once you’ve determined the source of the problem, it’s time to start removing mold.
Hydrogen peroxide is another natural way to remove black mold. This substance is known to be antibacterial and antifungal and is a great mold remover. However, it is important to note that hydrogen peroxide is not suitable for all surfaces – it can discolor and damage soft surfaces. So, it is best to use a professional mold-removal solution on surfaces that are in contact with the mold. If you are dealing with a small mold problem, hydrogen peroxide can be a great solution.
To prevent the development of mold in your home, you should clean the area regularly. You can use a store-bought mold-remediation solution or even make your solution. Normally, mold will form in areas where there is a lot of moisture in the air. If you do not check the areas regularly, you risk exposing your home to harmful mold spores. Therefore, you must avoid using bleach and water or DIY solutions to remove the mold.
You can also remove the mold by eliminating its source. Small areas of mold won’t be harmful, but they can spread and ruin your household items. Mold removal is not as difficult as you might think. But if the mold is large enough, it will spread and contaminate surrounding areas. If you can’t remove the mold, you can hire a professional mold removal service to clean the affected areas. You’ll be glad you did!
If you’re unsure about what to use, hydrogen peroxide is an effective natural mold-removal solution. This product is cheap, safe, and effective. It also has a mild smell and can be safely used on many surfaces. However, it is best to follow the directions of a professional. You should avoid mixing hydrogen peroxide and bleach as they can produce toxic fumes. If you’re unsure, you can try diluted white vinegar or baking soda on the affected area.
To perform mold remediation, you first need to isolate the contaminated area. For Level 2 remediation, you should use 6-mil polyethylene sheeting. Seal it tightly with duct tape and then slip it into the contaminated area. Then, mist the area to keep dust to a minimum. Then, you’ll need to remove any porous materials that may have absorbed mold. For more information on mold remediation, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s documents.
You should wear gloves that reach your forearms and goggles without ventilation holes. In addition to wearing gloves and goggles, you should improve ventilation in your home by repairing any leaks that may have caused the moisture. Check downspouts and gutters for water draining away from the foundation. You can also install an exhaust fan in bathrooms or run a dehumidifier to remove moisture in the room. Once you’ve removed the mold, make sure to dry the area thoroughly to prevent it from spreading. |
A great ski illustration game you cannot miss called Slalom Ski Simulator at http://gogy2.xyz/. If you do not move through obstacles or collide with them, the game will end immediately. Therefore, join all the levels and choose the appropriate character for you on this journey. All online game players try to find the best gaming tips to start and complete the journey without being bothered by ads or game loading speed.
You also have the opportunity to recommend this game to many other players or hold a contest. Skiing always attracts players in different ways in terms of content or rules. When starting the game, you will have instructions to turn left or right. Then watch for signs that appear in the foreground and turn before you hit. This is extremely difficult. However, try to show your movement speed and join one of our latest games without spending a lot of time searching. The list of games is constantly updated with different topics for game players around the world.
Do you hesitate any longer without opening Gogy2 XYZ games and join any discovery journey with your friends. Surely they are also looking for a new game to relax after every stressful studying hour. If you lose, start over each level until conquering all levels with the highest score. We recommend to players similar games to this game that you cannot miss such as Little Dino Adventure and TrollFace Quest: Horror 1. Can you become a professional skier in the world? Join this fun game.
How to play: Press the left or right arrow button to move in 2 directions
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Slalom Ski Simulator GamePlay:
A great ski illustration game you cannot miss called Slalom Ski Simulator at http://gogy2.xyz/. If you do not move through obstacles or collide with them, the game will end immediately. Therefore, join all the levels and choose the appropriate character for you on this journey. All online game players try to find the best gaming tips to start and complete the journey without being bothered by ads or game loading speed.
You also have the opportunity to recommend this game to many other players or hold a contest. Skiing always attracts players in different ways in terms of content or rules. When starting the game, you will have instructions to turn left or right. Then watch for signs that appear in the foreground and turn before you hit. This is extremely difficult. However, try to show your movement speed and join one of our latest games without spending a lot of time searching. The list of games is constantly updated with different topics for game players around the world.
Do you hesitate any longer without opening Gogy2 XYZ games and join any discovery journey with your friends. Surely they are also looking for a new game to relax after every stressful studying hour. If you lose, start over each level until conquering all levels with the highest score. We recommend to players similar games to this game that you cannot miss such as Little Dino Adventure and TrollFace Quest: Horror 1. Can you become a professional skier in the world? Join this fun game. |
With open enrollment for Medicare beginning October 15 and running through December 7, now is the time to understand how TRICARE for Life works with Medicare.
TRICARE for Life (TFL) is a federal health insurance program for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their spouses. TFL is a comprehensive supplement to Medicare and provides prescription drug coverage. TFL health insurance coverage is available to military retirees and their spouses when they reach age 65. Medicare Parts A and B enrollment are required to participate in TFL. TFL does not require enrollment in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan because it directly provides that coverage.
However, you cannot have a Medigap plan and TFL simultaneously. If you decided to leave TFL and enroll in a Medigap plan, you would also need a Medicare Part D standalone prescription drug plan. The total cost of Medigap and Medicare Part D plans, as well as the associated co-payments, would inevitably be higher than TFL. Better financial results are associated with keeping TLF as a supplement to Medicare.
In the face of escalating prescription drug costs, a TFL beneficiary who is a military retiree might get prescription medication cost relief by participating in VA healthcare. Many prescription medications are more economical through the VA. Participation in VA health services is in addition to but not a substitute for TFL. The caveat is that you must see VA healthcare providers periodically and use the VA pharmacy benefit fulfillment system. However, the spouse of a retired military TFL beneficiary is not eligible for VA Healthcare. Read more.
As a bonus, TFL includes coverage for international healthcare services, which Medicare does not. The TFL global healthcare benefits are more comprehensive than any Medigap plan.
Check out Healthcare for Military Service Members: TRICARE.
As a bonus, TFL includes coverage for international healthcare services, which Medicare does not. The TFL global healthcare benefits are more comprehensive than any Medigap plan. |
Each building type is identified by a taxonomy string comprising attributes of the first 3 taxonomy parameters, while for each index building the taxonomy string includes attributes from the 12 taxonomy parameters
Detailed descriptions and photo examples are available for each building type and index building
The classification by building type and index building enables an efficient and systematic understanding of school building characteristics in large portfolios
Catalog of Building Types
The catalog of building types illustrates the typical portfolio of school buildings in developing countries and makes information available on the expected performance against hazard events. The catalog is organized into building types and index buildings, where building types are identified by the first 3 taxonomy parameters and index buildings by the full taxonomy string.
Each building type can have one or more index buildings which are its most typical variants. An index building is a characteristic model of a building type, whose seismic behavior is representative of a group of buildings with uniquely defined geometry, materials, loads and dynamic behavior. |
Today is our fourth week on Colossians. We have one more week to go, which means that we’ll actually leave off on looking at Paul’s closing remarks. But so far, a couple of the major themes that we’ve looked at include Paul’s insistence on the centrality of Jesus Christ – that is to say that Jesus Christ alone is efficient and sufficient for salvation. Nothing else is needed and nothing can be added. The context into which Paul speaks this is what we began discussing last week. Specifically, there seems to be some sort of false teaching that is going on in the Colossian community that may lead them to believe precisely that something else is needed. It is to this kind of teaching that Paul warns:
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
Today we’re going to take a closer look at what some of those teachings – the hollow and deceptive philosophy – might look like.
Let’s talk a little bit about what’s going on in the passage. The main thing that I want to point out is that these verses don’t happen in isolation either from the verses preceding or from those following. In a nutshell, we read these verses as Paul admonishing or warning the church against legalism. This legalism may be the false teaching itself or it may be a result of the false teaching. The source may be a particularly Jewish understanding of the Gospel or Judaism may simply be one of a number of influences. At any rate, Paul is emphasizing that it is not a gospel understanding. Paul says:
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Notice what Paul says in v. 19. “They have lost connection with the head…” This leads us to believe that Paul is speaking about “Christians” here. The issue is not external (i.e. keep these forces/powers/philosophies) out of the church. They are already there. The issue, then, is discerning what, within the church, is of Christ and what is not.
Paul goes on to say:
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
When Paul says, “Since you died with Christ to the elemental forces of this world…” he seems to be saying that it is precisely that Christ frees us. He releases us from the perspectives of and the economy of the world.
Now this reminds us of the immediately preceding verses, that we looked at last week, which say:
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh s was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
In other words, in Christ, there is a new way. There is a new way from that of the world. There is a new way from the deceptive and hollow philosophies. Now in particular, Paul is talking about the way of the world in which we need to earn our way to belonging. In our passage today, he says:
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
He goes on to say:
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?
Without putting too fine a point on it, and at the risk of over-generalizing or over-simplifying, Paul is warning against a human tendency towards legalism. This is something that Paul speaks about a lot.
In Romans 14:17, he says:
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit…
In Galatians 2:15, speaking about his encounter with Peter who followed the Jewish custom of not eating with gentiles, Paul says:
15 “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
Now while we don’t want to get too carried away, I believe that the bible tells us a lot about the dangers of legalism. But I said earlier that we shouldn’t read our passage today in isolation from either the verses preceding it or those following it. We’ll obviously talk more about it next week, but the following verses include this:
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.
Aren’t these verses from chapter 3 just another kind of legalism? Or, to put it another way, do the verses in chapter 3 contradict, in any way, the verses we’re looking at today.
Obviously, I think, they don’t. The short version of what I think is that the verses that we’re looking at today warn us specifically against human-instituted rules and regulation that claim to make us more saved. Or human understandings that claim to give us a bare minimum of what we must do or not do in order to be saved. I think that it’s to this kind of thinking that Paul would say, any teaching that questions or doubts the sufficiency of Christ, either for initial salvation or for spiritual growth and maturity, is precisely what Paul is speaking against. And as we have spoken about in length, we do this in churches, in Christian communities all the time.
However, I think that Paul would also say, and I think this is what he’s getting at in ch. 3, is that the point of being in Christ, the result of being in Christ, is to enter into a new kind of life – to enter into life as it was meant to be, as it is promised to be, and leave behind all that is not-life.
Indeed, the entire point of the “therefore,” with which Paul begins this section, is that we have entered into a new life – a Christ life. Therefore, since we have life in Christ, don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t – that you have to do more, that you have to work harder, to earn your place. Therefore, since we have life in Christ, live the life in Christ.
So What Now…?
In the history of the church, we have a whole sordid history of creating rules. Things that we have to do, that we cannot do, in order to be “good Christians.” At some point in our history, guitar and drums were not allowed (and in some Christian denominations, are still forbidden). For some of us, you had to wear a suit or a dress or a hat to church or you didn’t take God seriously. Maybe we say that you can’t watch movies, or at least you can’t watch certain kinds of movies. You certainly can’t listen to certain kinds of music. Now these are, to us, kind of silly examples. We mostly understand that these things aren’t “gospel.” But what about some other things?
In our lives, what are these rules? Who made them? Do they help us draw us closer to Christ? The life that Christ has meant us for? Or do they serve something else? Do they maybe serve someone else?
Our desire, as Christians, as church, as people of God, is to draw nearer to Jesus. To take hold of that for which Christ Jesus died for us. Our desire is to become more like him. Because in Him, we see who we were created to be. Paul’s exhortation here is not a free-for-all, to do whatever we feel like because we are “saved by grace.” It’s not a license for laxity. Rather, it is precisely because Christ has died so that we might have life, that we should pursue the life for which He died. |
Fender JAPAN Serial Number Guide The following chart came from Fender Japan official Homepage (Japanese only) Fender Japan never announced the manufacturers detailed. The OEM contractors for Fender Japan are Fujigen, Dyna, Terada and Tokai.
MIJ Serial Number Discussion in 'Guitars in General' started by krall, Apr 8. I don't think japan fender serial numbers are listed anywhere after something like. Japanese serial numbers are different than other serial number systems used by Fender(or Squier). E series Fenders/Squiers are generally 1984-1987.
Master vinyl cutter xy-380p drivers. When i click start the cutter does nothing and the program says the device does not respond.
We are sure that JV and E serials are Fujigen made. Early production lot have the serial number on head under Fender logo mark. The serial starting from A,B,C. Serials are Fujigen, Terada and Dyna. These serials were made by 3 manufacturers. Spongebob squarepants all episodes download torrent. But we could specify which manufacturer from the letter.
Fujigen used like decal 'Made in Japan' in Gothic font at the end of neck. Terada's 'Made in Japan' is different Gothic font from Fujigen used. Dyna's 'Made in Japan' is like stamp on. From 1997, most of guitars were made by Dyna and Tokai as 'Crafted in Japan'. Particularly, Tokai made MIJ is in cursive style. We could not 100% guarantee about this number guide. However, I've handled many FJ. |
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Electric vehicle sales continue to rise. Subscribe to Electric Vehicle News Bitesize Podcast for FREE!
Sales of electric vehicles have been the growth vehicle segment for the second month in a row, according to new data from New AutoMotive, but the figures show the government’s ambitions for the transition to electric vehicles have fallen far short.
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The company’s latest figures show that 20,837 pure electric vehicles were sold in June 2022, with electric vehicles now accounting for one-sixth of all new car registrations.
Meanwhile, hybrid vehicle sales fell to 31,531 in June 2022 from 40,265 in the same month last year.
With Electric Vehicle sales already up 16% year-on-year from 10%, the government is asking manufacturers to account for 22% of Electric Vehicle sales by the end of 2024, according to New Automotive.
This echoes the findings of the Climate Change Committee in its latest progress report, which shows that Electric Vehicle adoption is already ahead of its own and government growth projections, and highlights the willingness of consumers and households to embrace low-carbon options.
Despite a rise in electric vehicle sales in June, overall car sales fell by a quarter, and current supply has not kept up with demand despite rising gasoline and diesel prices pushing consumers to switch to electric vehicles.
“We hear that the typical delivery time for electric cars is now between 40 weeks and a year. The supply of electric vehicles is the biggest barrier to cleaner road transport in the UK,” added Nelmes.
Meanwhile, data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed the only year-over-year increase in vehicle sales of pure electric vehicles in June 2022.
In June 2022, Battery Electric Vehicle sales increased to 22,737 units, up 14.6% year-on-year, while overall new vehicle sales fell 24.3%.
Total car production in June was the lowest monthly production since 1996, with just 140,958 new registrations. New car sales in the first half of the year are also at their lowest level in 30 years so far, barring 2020 amid the lockdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Continued shortages of parts, coupled with China’s coronavirus restrictions, have meant that vehicle production this year has not been able to keep up with demand, also hurting Electric Vehicle sales.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “The semiconductor shortage is stifling the new car market even more than last year’s lockdown. Electric vehicle demand continues to be the one bright spot, as more electric cars than ever take to the road, but while this growth is welcome it is not yet enough to offset weak overall volumes, which has huge implications for fleet renewal and our ability to meet overall carbon reduction targets.”
Hawes added that drivers are “increasingly” turning to electric vehicles as fuel costs rise. The industry is working to improve its supply and prioritize the delivery of electric vehicles.
Britain will fall short of its 2035 target to decarbonise electricity without reforming the market, according to a new report from centre-right think tank Onward.
This follows the government’s April announcement of a review of the Electricity Market Arrangement in the UK’s Energy Security Strategy, which aims to address the challenges associated with intermittent renewable power generation as electricity demand is set to double by 2050.
According to Onward, the review must answer five key questions, including how affordable and safe the UK’s renewable-rich electricity system is, how the market fairly reflects the costs and benefits of different producers and customers, and how both the link between gas prices and utility bills can be broken.
The last question comes on the heels of the government, which in its June comments proposed decoupling gas and electricity as part of a series of “emergency” electricity market reforms.
In addition, REMA should ask what role the market plays compared to government investment support schemes, and what role customers play in the desired net-zero electricity system.
Based on these key questions, Onward makes three recommendations in its report Powering the Future: Why a Review of Electricity Market Arrangements Matters.
The first is the reform of wholesale and balanced markets. This would mean a major change in wholesale electricity markets, but could help tackle growing grid congestion and answer questions about the future of marginal pricing.
The think tank added that the location of customers and producers should be considered. Previous research by the Energy Systems Catapult has suggested site pricing could save £30bn by 2035.
As wholesale electricity markets reform, changes will be needed to ensure that balancing services can be integrated to ensure the grid remains secure as more renewables are added. In recent years, National Grid ESO has updated and expanded its services to meet the changing needs of a decarbonized grid, including the launch of two new spectrum services this year called Dynamic Regulation and Dynamic Moderation.
Demand for frequency services remains high, for example, the dynamic curb low clearing price hit a record high last month, reaching £105 MWh on 25 June, £1 above the previous high in April.
The second suggestion is that REMA leads reforms to support schemes for renewable energy investments, such as capacity markets and Contracts For Difference. It shows that the current system runs the risk of supporting the wrong mix of technologies, which will ultimately increase fees.
Therefore, support systems should be reformed to promote the best technology mix at affordable cost and encourage companies to operate their assets efficiently.
“Over the last 15 years successive governments have introduced a byzantine array of schemes to support different technologies,” said John Penrose, MP for Weston-super-Mare.
“But as Onward’s new report sets out, with almost all new projects getting some taxpayer-funded support, it’s not hard to see why it’s created a boom for lobbyists, with all the costs ultimately being passed on to customers. We should let energy firms find answers for our newly-modernised wholesale electricity market so they can buy the best of whatever they’ve got, rather than politicians trying to pick winners.”
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Shiatsu massage has gotten quite popular in recent years. There are many benefits to this type of massage, which has its roots in the ancient Chinese theory of medicine. Shiatsu can help people with a variety of conditions, as well as promote relaxation and well-being.
What is Shiatsu Massage?
Shiatsu is a type of massage that’s based on pressure points. The theory behind it is similar to acupuncture, except with Shiatsu there is no need for needles. The massage is done with the fingers, though in some cases the practitioner will use certain mechanical devices as an aid. This type of massage is also called acupressure, and it is similar to reflexology (where pressure points on either the hands or feet are stimulated).
The basic theory of Shiatsu, as well as acupuncture and reflexology, is that the human body contains many energy centers which are connected by channels known as meridians. The energy that flows through these meridians is called qi, sometimes spelled chi or ki. Qi is the universal life force, and in Chinese medicine illnesses occur when there is a lack of qi, or qi is out of balance.
Another aspect of Chinese medicine is that for a person to be healthy, yin and yang energy, roughly equivalent to masculine and feminine, must be balanced. By stimulating the body’s energy centers in a precise manner, the qi is stimulated and balance is restored to the body.
Practitioners of Shiatsu massage must learn the meaning of all the energy centers so they can treat specific conditions. During a session, the massage therapist may use a variety of techniques. These can include rubbing, kneading or circular motions. The amount of pressure exerted will vary depending on the purpose of the session.
Benefits of Shiatsu Massage
There can be many benefits to Shiatsu massage. Many people use it as a way to feel relaxed and rejuvenated, similar to why other types of massage are popular. This can be an effective way to loosen tight muscles, so it can be useful after a workout or strenuous activity.
Shiatsu can also be applied to help with certain health conditions. Although someone practicing massage cannot claim any particular medical benefits or cures, people often seek Shiatsu massages for a variety of conditions, including arthritis, migraine headaches, high blood pressure, digestive problems and constipation.
Others use Shiatsu as a way to maintain a youthful appearance. Stimulating the energy centers can help keep the skin looking its best. It also improves circulation throughout the body.
Where to Get a Shiatsu Massage
There are many Shiatsu massage therapists practicing today. Some of these may be found in spas. Massage schools sometimes offer sessions at reasonable prices to customers, though in this case you may be getting sessions with people still in training.
You may be able to find Shiatsu by certified therapists in your area who work independently. If there is a holistic healing center nearby, you can inquire with them. Shiatsu massage therapists may also be found by looking online and doing a search for your area. |
The 2022/23 Heat Exchanger Mentoring Programme is now open for applications! Please click here to apply.
The District Heating Divas Heat Exchanger Mentoring Pilot Programme was launched at the Connecting Women in District Heat conference in London on 9 December 2019. The Heat Exchanger Mentoring Programme is now in its third year. The programme is open to anyone in the heat networks sector and aims to match mentors and mentees to help support the professional development of those taking part. Over 80 matches have been made through the programme, engaging more than 150 individuals in the last two years and this year we’re hoping for even more participants.
The programme is aimed at promoting professional development throughout the UK heat network sector both as a mentor and a mentee. Further information is set out on the Why mentoring page.
The Heat Exchanger Mentoring Programme is open for applications from mentors and mentees until 3rd April 2022. The heat exchanger team will then undertake matching in April 2022.
This second year of the programme will run between April 2022 to March 2023. Any mentor / mentee pairings are free to end the mentoring relationship at any time if circumstances change or there is mutual agreement that it is no longer beneficial.
Guidance and resources for mentors and mentees whether they are part of Heat Exchanger or not, are available on this website and we welcome any additional contributions. |
Along with sports and stress management, healthy eating reduces the risk of your lifestyle disease and helps manage health conditions (1 transbrusted source, 2 transactions). However, the average American does not eat a very healthy diet. The healthy eating index of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave an average American diet score of 59 …
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Posted by February 3, 2022 July 6, 2022 Posted inHealthLeave a comment on Healthy eating while traveling: Guide to eating outside, traveling, and more
What is the evening meal causes weight gain?
Many people worry about gaining weight when eating slower than a certain time. One general advice is not to eat after 8 p.m, but suggestions about eating at night is misleading. In fact, what you eat is much more important than when you eat. This article separates the facts from fiction when it comes to …
Continue reading “What is the evening meal causes weight gain?”
Posted by February 3, 2022 July 6, 2022 Posted inHealthLeave a comment on What is the evening meal causes weight gain? |
ACADEMIC ELIGIBILITY: In order to participate in high school interscholastic athletics, a student must currently have and maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 un-weighted scale. The athletic director and/or coach will verify all grades within a five- day period subsequent to team tryouts and monitor grades thereafter. Failure to have and maintain a cumulative 2.0 grade point average will result in immediate dismissal from any interscholastic athletic team. Middle school students must have a 2.0 grade point average for the previous semester in order to be eligible.
TRANSFER POLICY:
Pasco Schools Transfer Policy
ATHLETIC FEES: There are no try-out fees. Once a student is selected for a team a fee will be due: $70.00 for high school students; $50.00 for middle school students. The fee for the second sport is $40.00 for high schools; $30.00 for middle schools. The total family fee (for the same school) is $180.00 for high schools; $130.00 for middle schools. The individual cap for high schools is $110.00. The individual cap for middle schools is $80.00. A student will not be allowed to dress out, participate in a game or be considered part of the team until the full fee is paid.
NO Tryout Fee: Students have three (3) days to pay fees after they make the team. No one will participate in game competition until fees have been paid. Please be aware that the participation fee does not guarantee playing time, only the opportunity to be on the team if selected. |
The question of whether that is a good or a bad thing is best left to the psychologists and evangelicals.
Are they having more sex? Only they and the National Security Agency know for certain.
Back in the seventies Dr. David Ruben wrote, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex *But Were Afraid to Ask,” and it was very popular. The title says it all. There were a lot of questions.
The answers are everywhere now and sex or some conception of love sell more than most things.
The questions are no longer about sex; it’s production value and sharing. A nation of exhibitionists with the technology to project at our fingerprints, sex is good attention. And boy do we need it. |
We have, in the past, covered the murderous situation for journalists in Mexico, a subject close to the scribe’s heart both because he loves that marvelous country and must go there and report on occasion ("Power and Impunity, "April, 13, 2005).
Needless to say, things are not improving.
An American reporter was killed on Friday down in Oaxaca; the last state before Guatemala.
Things have been tense there for a while. Local progressives, largely Indians belonging to something called the Popular Assembly of the People of Oaxaca (APPO), have been running a general strike in an effort to oust the governor there and doing a pretty good job of it.
The governor's name is Ulises Ruiz and he’s a member of the old and decrepit Partido Revolucionario Institucional. The conflict dates back to the summer and often fed off the electoral crisis in Mexico that highwayscribery wrote so much about over the past few months.
Now, 36-year old Brad Will has been slain, caught in the crossfire, or maybe not.
Will worked for Indymedia and we are sorry to hear of his passing, because he was out there covering these things, these narratives, these marginal stories that need to be heard for desperate situations to ever have a chance of changing.
The lame duck president Vicente Fox has sent troops down to restore order.
The reporter’s murder has not, to date, merited much attention, but Mexico’s far-ish and lefty-ish “La Jornada” ran an article about his life and death.
Here’s his death, as written by Luis Hernandez Navarro:
“He was covering the attack of pistoleros in the pay of Ulises Ruiz against barricades erected in the neighborhood of Calicanto. A sheriff, a security chief and two policemen fired shots at those opposed to the governor of the state. They also fired upon Brad who was filming the aggression from behind a group of youths. He did not expose himself, but they had him in their sites and he fell, struck by two 9mm bullets.”
Will worked on the fringe. That’s what Indymedia is; a network of independent journalists (pooled misfits) trying to get stories out there that the mainstream press ignores, much the way they’re ignoring Brad’s story now.
What might the response have been if the Will killed had been George instead of Brad?
Hernandez wrote of how Brad Will was, “an example of a new generation of transnational information advocates incubated in the battle of Seattle during World Trade Organization meetings there in 1999. We’re talking about journalists who labor outside the large media consortiums, using the most modern information techniques for tools.
“His journalistic work was impeccable. So much so that he became an irritant to power. The images he captured of aggression against a popular movement recorded the faces of the assassins. His last work, ‘Death in Oaxaca,’ is a dramatic testimony to the murder of Alejandro Garcia Hernandez, an APPO activist.”
So, Will was what you’d call a troublemaker; a guy who thought the way things are done, could be done better, and who then used the art of news coverage to make his universal points about violence, oppression, and fraud.
He was not just a film maker. He was involved in the launching of New York’s “Steal this Radio” pirate outlet, composed music, and permitted his democratic urge to move him about the world. A volunteer.
“On Sunday, Oct. 29,” Hernandez concluded, “in the middle of a police offensive against the popular movement, in between teargas and gendarmes beating citizens resisting the repression of their bodies, hundreds of humble Oaxacans visited his casket to pay their last respects. Crying women blessed and kissed his coffin in thanks for his commitment and his honesty. Brad will live on in the memory of one the largest revolts in contemporary Mexican history.”
****************************************************************
On a lighter note, but in the spirit of Oaxaca, the highway scribe and Omar Torrez recorded new musical passages from "Vedette" that can be heard simply by visiting Gloriella's My Space Page. It takes about 10 seconds to load. It's called "Chairwoman of the Animal Welfare Committee" and recounts Vedette's important political moment in the uprising at Cueva del Rio. The prose are a pastiche of animal liberation fantasy and Spanish Civil War symbolism (say that five times fast). The musical piece is Omar's lively "Ode to Paco" [as in "de Lucia"]. |
This course of lectures on the Homeopathic Materia Medica was delivered at the Post-Graduate School of Homoeopathics.
Some of them have appeared in the journal of Homoeopathics, but for this work they have been extensively revised.
Owing to the strong appeals of students, though against the author’s inclination, the colloquial style has been permitted to stand.
The lectures are presented in the simple form to explain the author’s plan of studying each remedy.
The speech of laymen presents all sickness to the physician’s mind, hence the Materia Medica must be reduced from technicalities to simple speech. No two remedies are studied exactly alike. Each has its own requirement in order to bring before the mind what is characteristic.
Not all of the Materia Medica has been brought out, but the leading and fully proved remedies such as have strong characteristics have been presented for the purpose of showing how the Materia Medica must be evolved and used.
There are other methods of studying a remedy, but this seems to the author the most natural way of giving to the student a lasting idea of the nature of each remedy. It may be that it seems so because it is the only way the author could ever do it.
The numerous repetitions of characteristic symptoms may subject the work to criticism, but experience has shown that it is the only way of giving the beginner a lasting grasp of the remedy.
Hahnemann’s Materia Medica Pura, Hering’s Guiding Symptoms, and the Encyclopedia of Pure Materia Medica have been the works that have given the most help in these studies.
They are not offered as being complete digests of the various remedies, but simply as the examinations of some of the most salient points.
A complete digest would be endless. If some of the younger practitioners and students of the Materia Medica shall meet the assistance in this work they have been looking for, it is all that can be expected. There is no royal road to a perfect understanding of the Materia Medica.
It is tedious and drudgery at best, but no more so than any great science. Because of its greatness, many will fail to undertake it even when it is for the saving of life and lessening of suffering, yet many will not decline to offer their services to the people knowing full well and confessing ignorance openly that the methods they offer are inadequate, useless, and often destructive.
Some profess not to believe in this careful way of analyzing the symptomatology, but if some easy method is offered for a pretended mastery of it they wildly embrace it only to return to their primitive repulsive mental aversion crying out “sour grapes.”
The Materia Medica can be learned by careful study and by using it. It can be understood but not memorized.
All who would memorize the Materia Medica must ignominiously fail. To be constantly at hand, it must be constantly and correctly used. The continuous study of the Materia Medica by the aid of a full repertory for comparison is the only means of continuing in a good working knowledge.
To learn the Materia Medica, one must master Hahnemann’s Organon, after which the symptomatology and. the Organon go “hand in hand.” The Organon, the symptomatology, and a full repertory must be the constant reference books, if careful homeopathic prescribing is to be, attained and maintained.
All who wish to make a more extensive examination of the reason for the methods used in the work are referred to the chapter on value of symptoms in the Lectures on Homoeopathic Philosophy.
James Tyler Kent.
October 29, 1904.
108 N. State St., Chicago.
Preface To Second Edition
These lectures were first published because of the numerous requests from pupils who had listened to them in classroom. Now comes a demand for a second editing which preserves its original colloquial style which was used by the lecturer in the classroom. Many remedies have been added and the whole work has been revised.
Many remedies are in a new and later form of presentation. While the “symptom list” is a most important form in the homoeopathic Materia Medica, yet it is hard to grasp the idea of the remedy from that form when it is listened to by students.
James Tyler Kent
James Tyler Kent (1849–1916) was an American physician. Prior to his involvement with homeopathy, Kent had practiced conventional medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He discovered and "converted" to homeopathy as a result of his wife's recovery from a serious ailment using homeopathic methods.
In 1881, Kent accepted a position as professor of anatomy at the Homeopathic College of Missouri, an institution with which he remained affiliated until 1888. In 1890, Kent moved to Pennsylvania to take a position as Dean of Professors at the Post-Graduate Homeopathic Medical School of Philadelphia. In 1897 Kent published his magnum opus, Repertory of the Homœopathic Materia Medica. Kent moved to Chicago in 1903, where he taught at Hahnemann Medical College. |
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During the mid-nineties Royal Dutch Shell found itself embroiled in a series of enormous reputational tangles. The energy giant was under siege from environmental activists such as Greenpeace and Friend of the Earth over its policy of leaving decommissioned oil rigs in location rather than dismantling them, and plans to scuttle its giant Brent Spar rig in the North Sea.
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At the time Shell, with shared head offices in Amsterdam and London, was the biggest company in Europe and comfortably inside the global top 10. But it also stood accused of collaborating in human rights abuses in the Niger Delta, where tribal leaders protested against alleged indiscriminate petroleum waste dumping by exploration companies
In response, pan-European boycotts of Shell were called for. Sales at branded filling stations dropping dramatically, particularly in Germany, where the green movement was arguably strongest. Nonetheless, the brand enjoyed one of its highest market penetrations in the region, with one in every seven service stations displaying the distinctive red/yellow sea-shell logo.
The backlash grew. By early 1995 Shell fuel outlets were being firebombed and Germany’s premier Helmut Kohl lodged formal complaints with British prime minister John Major over Brent Spar. Human rights activists grew increasingly vociferous after the execution of Kenule ‘Ken’ Saro-Wiwa, a Nigerian author and activist who was executed in Nigeria following his protests.
Although Shell eventually succumbed to pressure and reversed its decision to sink the rig, and reached a $15m settlement with Nigerian tribes without admitting liability, enormous damage had by that stage been inflicted on the brand. Clearly Shell needed to react rapidly or face further commercial and reputational fallout.
Shell backed Schumacher’s Ferrari switch
Following its huge successes with Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and their McLaren-Hondas, Shell had left Formula 1 by 1994. But by 1995 Ferrari was poised to sign Michael Schumacher.
The Scuderia also faced losing its fuel and oil sponsor Eni, parent of Agip – they of the distinctive fire-belching, six-legged dog logo – which was gearing up for an initial public offering at the time. Schumacher had won the 1994 championship for Benetton and was well on his way to a second, leading manager Willi Weber to make astronomical demands in exchange for the services of the only world champion in the sport at the time.
Marlboro had dropped McLaren and switched its F1 funding solely to Ferrari, but more money was needed. The solution was logical: Shell returned to F1’s legendary team as a technical and commercial partner, in turn benefitting from an association with Schumacher, then emerging as Germany’s darling sports personality and on his way to challenging Senna in F1’s popularity stakes.
Shell and Ferrari had history – they entered the world championship together in 1950 – but the latest deal took their relationship to new heights. Schumacher fronted a series of Shell television commercials, so much so that he seemed to be spending much of his off-seasons in front of the cameras. But he also delivered on-track, culminating in an unprecedented run of five consecutive titles.
Equally, Shell’s emblem received prominent placements on the scarlet cars and was embroidered on all production worker overalls. Global advertising campaigns trumpeted the relationship, with trackside hoardings at Ferrari’s Fiorano test facility bearing Shell’s logo.
If this was sponsorship at its most visible and enduring – the partnership continues to this day despite Schumacher’s first retirement in 2006, only to make a three-year return with Mercedes and Petronas – it was also an example of what has come to be known as “sportwashing”. The term is usually applied to venues holding major sporting events, but the principle is the same: the cleansing of a brand’s image via an emotive association with, in this case, F1.
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Today questions of environmental sustainability and pollution are ever more pressing. And the positive associations to be found in Formula 1 are just as alluring.
Ineos’ branding may be worth much more than it costs
Last week Ineos and Mercedes announced a five-year principal partnership at the prestigious Royal Automobile Club in London. With a significant exception – there are no suggestions Ineos has committed human rights abuses – there are striking parallels: A global petrochemical company partnering record-setting F1 team which boasts services of the sport’s most popular and expensive driver.
That being, of course, Lewis Hamilton, who has become a vociferous champion of environmental causes in recent years.
Ineos’s chairman and major shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who founded Ineos by buying up BP’s petrochemical assets and has since amassed sufficient wealth to challenge for the title of ‘Britain’s Richest Man’, spoke of being at “the forefront of technological innovation and human performance”, and of “grit and determination to redefine what is possible” as reasons for the partnership.
The man who has committed an estimated $150m to the team added he had only met “Lewis – and his dog – for five minutes, so I don’t know him, but I am a great admirer.”
The company sprang to prominence last year when it sponsored the Ineos 1.59 Challenge, in which Eliud Kipchoge became the first person to complete a marathon distance in under two hours. In 2018 Ineos announced plans to contest the 2021 America’s Cup. Its other recent sporting property acquisitions include the former Team Sky cycling team (April 2019), and the French football ligue club OGC Nice (August 2019). Quite a shopping spree in just two years.
Ineos, with an annual turnover measured in tens of billions, is believed to be paying around $30m per year for its links to Mercedes. It boasts that its products are found in applications ranging from “paints to plastics, textiles to technology, medicines to mobile phones”. It plans to leverage the partnership via a variety of activities, including flashing its red logo on the airbox, directly above the F1 drivers’ helmets.
One can only imagine how Hamilton will feel every time he steps into his car and slides into the custom moulded seat mounted directly below the red logo. This is the man who in Mexico spoke fervently about his environmental beliefs and lifestyle.
“I’m trying to make sure that by the end of the year I’m carbon neutral,” he told the media. “I don’t allow anyone in my office [and] also within my household to buy any plastics. I want everything recyclable down to deodorant, down to toothbrush, all these kind of things so I’m trying to make as much change as I can in my personal space.”
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Hamilton embraced veganism three years ago as the “only way to truly save our planet” and admits to being worried “where this world is going”. That Thursday in Mexico he talked about the sustainability of his fashion range, his push for car makers to move away from leather car interiors – referencing Mercedes in the process – and the need to switch to biodegradable water bottles.
Hamilton is a vocal environmentalist
In fairness to his rivals, Hamilton isn’t the only driver who has strong feelings on the subject. Williams racer and Mercedes junior George Russell admitted F1 is “not the most economical, sport, let’s say, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything about it.
“You can always improve,” he continued. “I think a simple thing like plastic bottles, I’m sure if we all agreed that there’s no plastic bottles or no plastic allowed in the paddock that can go a long way.”
Plastics of the variety produced by Ineos at the rate of 300 billion pellets per week at one plant alone, are said to be a major contributor to ocean microplastic pollution. Last year the BBC documentary “War on Plastic” turned focused public concern over plastic production on, among others, Ineos. A quick search of news sites, including New Scientist and Financial Times, shows dozens of allegations levelled against the company and its subsidiaries, and not only in the United Kingdom.
Here, then, is a company in need of a major image burnish, which measures its profits in tens of billions, making its estimated $150 million spent over five years on Mercedes look like petty cash in comparison.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff said the deal “is an important cornerstone of our future plans in Formula 1 [which] once again serves to demonstrate the attraction of the sport for ambitious, global brands with a long-term vision for success.” But it’s hard not to see it as a more simple exchange of cash in return for image varnishing, particularly as Wolff has admitted a desire for the Mercedes F1 operation to be cost neutral.
Given that F1 revenues cover, at best, 50% of a team’s operating budget, clearly the balance needs to be raised either from commercial streams, preferably from partners, thereby reducing the current reliance on the parent company – much as Ferrari does, which funds its F1 programme through partnerships.
One wonders what the Mercedes main board, currently wrestling with the question of sustainability, makes of the partnership, particularly as Mercedes’ compliance code requires that “direct suppliers all over world comply with our sustainability standards”. Does that code not apply to any direct supplier of $150m?
But Ineos is only the newest example of a conundrum being grappled with throughout F1, and not only within teams: How to balance current and future income streams in the face of plans for the sport to have a to have a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. That target is a big ask for a sport whose participants have currently or previously engaged more than half of the world’s 20 largest polluters. Ineos does not even feature among these names, which account for one-third of the world’s carbon emissions according to data recently compiled by The Guardian.
Saudi Aramco tops the list, Red Bull sponsor ExxonMobil is fourth place, Renault partner BP sixth and Shell next. And sources within F1 have admitted that the sport is eyeing a race in Saudi Arabia within two years, with the event to be generously funded by – you guessed it – Aramco…
One of the cornerstones of F1’s sustainability plan is to “use only recyclable or compost-able materials [i.e. eliminate single-use plastic], and ensure that 100% of waste is re-used, recycled or composted” by 2025. Yet the sport holds no sway over the commercial interests of the teams, just as F1’s authorities were powerless to act during the tobacco years until global legislation (largely) outlawed such marketing activities.
Tobacco companies spent heavily on F1 before being banned
As tobacco companies realised they were being squeezed out of F1 by increasingly stringent legislation, so they ramped up their marketing activities. British American Tobacco founded its own team, BAR, operating out of a turn-key factory in Brackley which, coincidentally, ended up becoming the headquarters for Mercedes’ F1 team.
Could it be that companies such as Ineos, feeling the weight of public opinion turning against them and aware that polluting products and practices will increasingly be targeted by legislators, are increasingly turning to F1 as a last-ditch image-polishing pedestal, just as tobacco companies used F1 and alcohol brands are currently availing themselves of?
The FIA already operates a sustainability certification programme, but this applies only to teams and not their suppliers or partners. Some form of regulatory intervention is therefore required.
F1’s future lies not with a fossilised fan base but with a vibrant, young following. The latter generation abhors the waste of its elders, and rebels fiercely against unsustainability: real, perceived or looming. Accordingly, F1 as both a sport and a global business needs to introduce an enforceable code of conduct and sustainability for its teams and their partners, all of whom would need to sign up as a condition of entry.
All that will, of course, take time – but, equally, time is running out for a sustainable future for F1. In the interim we are, though, unlikely to see Hamilton or Russell extolling the virtues of single-use plastics in TV commercials, regardless of how much Ineos pays.
RacingLines
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Author information
Dieter Rencken
Dieter Rencken has held full FIA Formula 1 media accreditation since 2000, during which period he has reported from over 300 grands prix, plus...
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Posted on 19th February 2020, 12:17 11th August 2021, 10:13 Author Dieter RenckenCategories 2020 F1 season articles, Feature, RacingLinesTags F1, formula 1, formula one
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6 comments on “Why F1’s pursuit of sustainability will inevitably clash with some of its sponsors”
Aleš Norský (@gpfacts)
19th February 2020, 13:28
It is not necessarily up to (any) sport to save the planet, only the politicians can force, through regulation, the companies to be more environmentally responsible, recapturing their own used products for recycling, etc… Which, of course, would reduce profits, so there is zero appetite for that on both sides. That does not mean that F1 or anybody else should not do their part…but the truly global change that is needed can only come through implementation of environmentally sustainable policies by all world governments.
Chris (@raidpw)
19th February 2020, 14:13
And the only way politicians will push that sort of legislation through is by it being a vote winner. The only way it’ll be a vote winner is if the voters care about it enough. The only way voters will care enough is through awareness, and that’s where sport (among other things) comes in.
anon
19th February 2020, 19:41
@raidpw the problem being that, as is noted in this article, the tendency is for companies to use sport to clean their public image in an effort to make them look better.
Ineos, as it happens, has a fairly poor environmental record – the Seal Sands arcrylonitrile factory alone racked up 176 pollution incidents between 2014 and 2017, with the Environment Agency formally complaining that the air pollution from that factory was “well over the legal limits”. The response of Ratcliffe? He sent a letter to the business secretary which was basically a blackmail threat – demanding that either he be allowed to not comply with the law, or he would fire everybody and shut the factory down because he apparently “couldn’t afford” to upgrade the factory.
In a 12 year period, they had 24 prohibition notices from the Health and Safety Executive – the most serious penalty they can issue, as that requires a breach in safety regulations that is so serious that the company has to immediately cease all operations at that facility – and, in 2014, one factory saw 23 workers hospitalised due to severe chemical burns in two major spillages.
Some might note it is rather strange that Ineos claimed that it can’t afford to comply with legislation or, when instructed by MI5 that Ineos’s lack of security measures presented a major threat to the UK’s infrastructure, also claimed that it couldn’t afford to pay for security upgrades, but can afford to spend money on sponsoring teams and sports events.
As an aside, Dieter Rencken is actually wrong to state that there is no indication that Ineos hasn’t committed human rights abuses. In 2019, there was a legal case – Boyd & Anor v Ineos Upstream Ltd & Ors [2019] – after Ineos applied for injunctions against “persons unknown”: the purpose of the injunctions was to stop everybody in the UK from making any form of protest at any Ineos facility.
As it happens, the case was eventually heard in the Court of Appeal, which ruled that Ineos’s application was a gross violation of the Human Rights Act as the terms of the injunction they sought were so wide ranging as to effectively seek to ban all forms of legal protest against Ineos.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
19th February 2020, 21:30
The latter generation abhors the waste of its elders, and rebels fiercely against unsustainability: real, perceived or looming
I always find this generalisation that young people care fiercely about environmental issues quite interesting, if not a bit funny…
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
20th February 2020, 0:14
Capitalism and Sustainability….(looks up term Oxymoron in dictionary)
maiagus
20th February 2020, 0:37
AS I’ve said on a early comment, as internal combustion cars were banned in some countries/locations, oil companies sponsorship might also be banned. |
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My last blog post was part 1 of moving your Email to the Cloud with Office 365. Here’s the next installment in the series in which I will be covering the 3 methods of authenticating your users for Office 365. This is a very important consideration and will have a large impact on your end users and their day to day activities.
The first method of authenticating your users into Office 365 is to do so directly. This has no ties to your Active Directory. The benefits here are that your users get mail, messages and SharePoint access regardless of your site’s online status. The downside is that your users may have a different password than they use to get into their desktop/laptops and this can get very messy if you have a large number of users.
The second way of authenticating your users is full Active Directory integration. I will refer to this as the “Single Sign On” method. In this method, your Active Directory is the authoritative source of authentication for your users. Users log into their desktop/laptop and can access all of the Office 365 applications without typing their password again, which is convenient. You DO need a few servers running locally to make this happen. You need an Active Directory Federation Server (ADFS) and an Azure Active Directory Sync Sever. Both of these services are needed to sync your AD and user information to Office 365. The con of this method is that you need a redundant AD setup because if it’s down your users are not going to be able to access mail or anything else in the cloud. You can do this by hosting a Domain Controller, and the other 2 systems I mentioned, in a cloud or at one of your other locations, if you have one.
The third option is what I will refer to as “Single Password.” In this setup, you install an Azure Active Directory Sync server in your environment but do not need an ADFS server. The Sync tool will hash your user’s passwords and send them to Office 365. When a user tries to access any of the Office 365 services, they are asked to type in their password. The password is then hashed and compared to the stored hash and they are let in if they match. This does require the users to type their password again, but it allows them to use their existing Active Directory password and anytime this password changes, it is synced to the cloud.
The choice of which method you use has a big impact on your users as well as how you manage them. Knowing these choices and choosing one that meets your business goals will set you on the path of successfully moving your services to the cloud. |
A list of people that all played the victim card (or had it played for them). That's not to say they weren't victims, but the stories told about them (originally) were far from the whole truth.
Fake Victims
Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman -
A non-racist latino community-watch guy responds to being mounted, beaten and having his head bounced off the cement by shooting and killing 17 year old, 5'11", tattooed, gold-grilled, drugged up, MMA fight-club teen that ambushed him, because Zimmerman made the mortal offense of not liking a thug casing houses in his neighborhood in the rain.
The media and left spin it as Saint Trayvon (the honor student), showing him when he was 12, was killed for wearing a hoodie in a white neighborhood, while getting skittles for his sick brother. That's a lot better than showing the gangsta thug at his true age, and explaining he had drug ingredients and was stoned.
Alton Sterling -
A member of the bloods gang with a lengthy and violent rap sheet, and deadbeat dad, is arrested for illegally selling bootleg DVD's, when he resists/struggles and goes for his gun. He's warned to stop moving, but he struggles anyways and is shot multiple times in what can only be described as a service to the community. The race hucksters try to spin it as a story of an innocent getting shot by the cops for no reason, and the gullible gobble it down.
Micah Xavier Johnson - Black Lives Matter member and part of other black power organizations (including Black Panthers), goes out and shoots 16 people (killing 5 cops), to get cops/whites back for the fake injustices of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling. The press got the gun wrong (not assault rifle), and downplayed his associations with BLM, pretending their agitation had nothing to do with it.
Alfred Olango Shooting - Alfred Olango was a Ugandan refugee living in El Cajon are of San Diego. Alfred was a repeat drug dealer, drunk driver, who illegally owned a firearm, and otherwise repeat felon with mental issues. Police were called to the scene of a disturbance where Alfred was walking erratically into traffic, and causing a ruckus. When police approached him, he quickly pulled a large vape pen (3" long silver, with a 4" case) from his pocket, got in a shooting stance while pointing it at a cop, who returned fire. Alfred's sister claimed cops killed his brother for no reason, and the media played along, fostering outrage and violent protests. This later led to an assault on a Trump Supporter for filming a protest while wearing a MAGA hat.
Breonna Taylor - On March 13th, in Louisville, Kentucky Breonna Taylor (26) was shot in the crossfire, when her boyfriend shot at cops issuing a search warrant for her criminal activity. Breonna's ex-boyfriend (Jamarcus Glover) was wanted for dealing drugs and Breonna was a suspect in the case (Breonna had been handling the money, had bailed Jamarcus out of Jail, multiple times, was named in that warrant, and had been witnessed running packages to the place of dealing). Had she survived, she might have been indicted, and the cops had justification to investigate her. All evidence is that she would have been killed in the same situation had she been white, asian or latino -- so BLM, DNC, Hollywood and the media sensationalized the "racial injustice", and pretended this drug dealer was a pillar of the black community. They own the violence based on duping the gullible or inciting the evil.
Eric Garner -
Media meme: Innocent, generous, congenial, "neighborhood peacemaker", father of six children (grandfather of three), was attacked, choked out, and killed by the evil NYPD for the crime of walking while black as part of "stop and frisk".
Truth: Stop and frisk was ended long ago because it was too effective. Tobacco smuggler (selling illegal untaxed cigarettes), and repeat violent felon (30 arrests including assault and grand larceny), was in poor health and resisting arrest. He was on bail for smuggling and illegal selling, driving without a license, marijuana possession, identity theft/fraud (false impersonation), and that's what the cops were taking him in for. He didn't die of Daniel Pantaleo's chokehold, he died in the ambulance that the police called for him, after had a heart attack violently fighting with the cops. Either his life was given up over his own stupidity, or over the lefts war on tobacco. The race baiters blamed a racist system, instead of admitting any truth or culpability by Eric Garner, or the law they supported that empowered the cops to arrest him in the fist place.
Henry Louis Gates -
Innocent Harvard professor was "arrested for being black", by racist cops doing racial profiling. Was actually just a cranky professor, back from a trip, breaking into his own home, when neighbors called the cops. The cops had no way of racial profiling this event, and just reacted to Gates angry over-reaction to cops showing up. Then a nothing event was turned into a national FakeNews story, by an over eager media, race baiting opportunistic community organizers, and racist President. That set the tone for 8 years of Obama, with a racial angle on every criminal act.
Jacob Blake - On May 3rd, in Kenosha, Wisconsin Jacob Blake (29) is shot for being a violent thug resisting arrest, but a viral doctored video convinces ignorant bigots that a repeat felon is a pillar of the black community, and the police shot him for no good reason. Democrats and their BLM allies sensationalize the "injustice", and violent riots happen for weeks.
Keith Lamont Scott - Some dishonest folks (like Robert Reich) tried to make it sound like a black officer, approaching a black suspect, for suspicious activity and waiving around a gun, was a case of racism / police abuse. It's called doing your job.
Michael Brown -
A stoned thug strong arm robs a liquor store, jaywalks, verbally and then physically assaults a cop for getting asked about his behavior, he goes for the cops gun and gets shot in the hand. He runs. When the cop tells him to freeze, he turns around and charges and tries to tackle the cop and gets shot. The far left, media and black community starts a fictional conspiracy about a gentle giant getting shot for no reason, with his hands in the air while saying "don't shoot". This starts the BLM movement among the truly ignorant.
OJ Simpson -
Poor OJ claims he was cleaning his knife when it went off.
There was never one shred of evidence that O.J. was being framed or people wanted to convict him because he was black. There was a lot of evidence that he got special treatment because he was a celebrity.
The only racism involved was by his lawyer trying to create doubt to distract from his clients obvious guilt.
Philando Castile -
Philando Castile (a Crips gang member?) is pulled over as an armed robbery suspect (and with 86 misdemeanors he wasn't exactly saintly). At some point he reaches for his gun (he has a conceal carry permit), and he was shot. The girlfriend hams it up for her phone camera claiming "why'd you shoot him" (like that's the first thing you'd think to do if your significant other was shot), and the cop can be heard saying, "I told him not to reach for it", and the video shows the gun resting on Castile's leg. There's an investigation ongoing into whether the shooting was justified: but the race baiters went off half cocked before the info was in, and the family created 3 different "Go Fund Me" campaigns to milk the opportunity.
Rodney King -
There were many cops on the scene (of all races). Rodney King was a drugged out idiot, with a history of violence and crimes, that sped away from the police (which is a major threat to the community), then wouldn't submit to being arrested, he attacked the police, got tazed (electrically stunned) and still charged them again -- so the cops beat him to the ground, and then told him to lay down and submit to being arrested. He would NOT submit to being arrested and got up and charged again (and again), so the cops beat the holy hell out of him. Which is exactly what the cops would have done to a big dumb white guy, or an Asian, or Hispanic, or native american and so on. But because he was black, some stupidly claimed that this was racism.
Sandra Bland -
Obnoxious activist (BLM), with mental health issues, has multiple encounters with cops, and has such histrionics over minor pull-over, that she gets arrested and hangs herself in prison -- which sets off the conspiracy loons that another innocent black princess was murdered for driving while black and covered up.
Valerie Plame -
Any media outlet that reports the fraud that "Plame was illegally and intentionally outted by the Bush administration as retaliation for Joe attacking them", is getting every fact over what happened wrong, long after they should know better. The Valerie Plame affair can be summed up: her husband (Joe Wilson) drew attention with some discredited articles, Novak found out about her in a book called "Who's Who in America", since she wasn't an active agent: no crime was committed, and why no one was prosecuted. Joe's claims showed that Saddam TRIED to secure yellowcake for his WMD program, which proved the opposite of what he thought. And Joe, Valerie and the media perpetuated the lie that they were somehow wronged, and the rubes buy in. |
Faith is a noun that describes what we believe. Remember that nouns describe persons, places and things. The word faith describes what we have done when we have believed. Don't try to have faith. You have faith when you believe what God has said in the Bible. Basically, it is believing the truth based on the authority of God's Word. Faith has complete confidence in God's character, what He says, and confidence in the character and teachings of Christ Jesus. We surrender our wills to God's guidance and depend on Jesus' death and resurrection for salvation. This gives us a firm belief in God's Word, and entire reliance on Christ for forgiveness of sin. Faith gives incredible joy! We know we have peace with God and that He answers our prayers based on the fact that He is our Father. Choose to believe and you will have moved from doubt to faith.
Life Takes on New Meaning
Life becomes an adventure when we understand what it means to believe God. Dare to give yourself completely to Him. Choose to believe everything He has said. Review all you have ever learned about the Bible. Ask yourself, "Have I believe it, or is it stored knowledge that has no power to help me?" Then move all you know into believing.
Plan of Action
Not sure your sins are forgiven? Pray, "God, please forgive me. I ask you, Lord Jesus Christ, to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen" Thank Him often that He answered your prayer.
Memory Verse: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:29)
Prayer: God, please forgive me. I ask you, Lord Jesus Christ, to come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen. |
Around eight hundred million people don’t a month without logging into their Instagram accounts and finding out what’s there new or sharing an image of themselves with other users. This huge number of active users registered on Instagram indicates what a powerful platform it is for your online business! In fact, this social media can work miracles as long as you optimize your account well and keep the number of followers growing. There are several tested and reliable ways of achieving a higher number of followers which won’t cost you a penny! However, they require some time and efforts from your side, unlike InstaBF. This is the credible Instagram provider you can apply to whenever you need a significant growth of Instagram likes, comments, and followers. Apart from the affordable charge and a couple of minutes necessary for completing the order, nothing is requested from you! You will get the owner of your time and can save your nerves, while InstaBF is doing the work.
However, we will also be glad to unveil the ten credible means of growing Instagram followers organically and effectively without spending any money. Here is the Part 1 of steps to undertake:
Picking the Right Username
As a rule, people search by the topic they are interested in and not the possible brand name (well, unless your brand is already widely known). Therefore, it’s better to use target words that best describe what you offer on Instagram as a username. You can pick up two or three keywords that users use most of all for describing your products. For instance, if you own a bookstore, you could use the words “book”, “bestseller” and other theme-related words to compose your username.
Just the same way, it’s crucial to optimally use the 150 characters in your bio to best describe you as a business. Tell people who you are and they can benefit from your offers.
Using GeoTags
There are plenty of users who make their search by place. Hence, remember to use geotags for each and every photo you post. Suppose, you own a sports gym. Geotag the address every time you post a photo of it or people making workouts there.
Actively Using Hashtags
Despite being free and simple, hashtags are still very useful for an Instagram business. Did you know that you have the chance of adding up to thirty hashtags on every post? Use at least ten related to the topic. Mind that Instagram may ban you once you use inappropriate tags too often. Besides, you’d better use hashtags that are trendy and are more likely to be searched by your target audience. Tag friends, celebrities, even competitors as long as your tagging is relevant.
Joining Communities
Without joining Instagram communities, obtaining more followers for free will be a real target. Such communities connect multiple accounts with similar interests and immensely enlarge the spectrum of possible followers. Once you get published in an appropriate community, you will be asked to use the stated hashtags, as well as make reposts and post your own photos. Expect all other members of the community to do the same with your hashtags and your posts. Surely, if you post, mildly to say, not so attractive posts, you won’t have a success even with the help of a community. Yet, with the condition of posting quality content, a good community can be your key to success. |
2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 (e) and 15d-15 (e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15 (f) and 15d-15 (f)) for the registrant and have:
a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. |
by Irene Naested | Jul 28, 2020 | Art & Poetry, Art & Poetry Publication, Calgary Author | 0 comments
Irene Naested’s latest artist-book is due to be launched November, 2020. “Light as it Falls”.
It is about finding balance in one’s life which isn’t always straightforward. It involves light and shadow, and blacks, whites and greys.
Irene explores the philosophy, psychology and beauty of these themes. Irene’s poetry, prose, art and photography are complemented by quotations and philosophical discussions that range from Carl Jung’s ‘shadow self’ to the Japanese ‘Notan’ of dark and light.
Launch dates and book signing events will be planned. Hope all is well with you and yours and hope to see you in the near future. |
A regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole; an organized or established procedure; a harmonious arrangement or pattern.
There are more definitions of “system”, but these three are the most relevant to the discussion of today’s singular prompt. It’s no secret that I have become a real RPG system enthusiast. While a premise or a pitch may grab my attention first, mention of a new or beloved system isn’t far behind. Sometimes information about some of the mechanics of a game that is new to me is enough to convince me that I must give that RPG a try.
RPG mechanics are fascinating to me and always have been. It’s amazing how differences in the math have profound changes upon how a game feels. Matching mechanics to desired feel, tone, & genre is as much science as it is art. It’s amazing how many dice mechanics there are, not to mention other methods of randomization. So much of the feel of any given RPG depends upon the mechanics used.
However, an RPG system isn’t just dice (or other) mechanics. As my friends and I often discuss, the procedures of an RPG are just as much of the system as the mechanics they interact with. The procedures let us know HOW to play the game. This can be as simple as letting you know when to roll and when to just compare the skill rating with a task, and as complex as a detailed sequence of steps, contingencies, and protocols. It’s clear that the procedures of an RPG also have a dramatic effect on the play experience.
When an RPG has a system that is truly harmonious arrangement or pattern that fits perfectly with the intended genre & tone, it is a thing of beauty. Very often we must play these games as written to discover the experience that they produce. We may surprised at the genre the system produces versus the genre we expected. It’s a real joy to play with that spirit of discovery. Even if a game has a system that is less than harmonious, it’s interesting to examine it to see what went awry.
It’s also fascinating to observe the effect of our culture of play upon the system and experience of an RPG. As Ron Edwards has mentioned, there are the rules written in the game, and then there are the “real rules” of your table. This doesn’t have to mean wholesale changes and house rules. Game groups are full of organized and established procedures, and often qualify as a regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole. Very often there is a bigger system than the one contained in a specific game, there is “our system” established by each group.
Perhaps these are the best systems of all. A regularly interacting group of friends forming a unified whole with organized and established procedures which create a harmonious arrangement and pattern. |
So far this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tracking six outbreaks affecting more than 100 people, with 68 cases in the Pacific Northwest alone, according to the CDC, Associated Press and Washington Post.
Yet despite the demonstrable success of vaccines—the near worldwide eradication of polio a case in point—anti-vaccination fervor is spreading like a virus. Some lawmakers are pushing legislation that would allow parents to opt out of childhood vaccinations, a move that could jeopardize not only the health of their children but others with whom they come into contact.
None of this is new. In 1897, Dr. Richard Slee, founder of the firm that would evolve into the U.S. operations of biologics company Sanofi Pasteur, faced a similar backlash when he introduced to the United States a vaccine to prevent smallpox.
The story of his struggle is told in The Spirit of Swiftwater, a chronicle of the fight to eradicate vaccine-preventable disease in the 20th Century. The story is a timely reminder of the efficacy and controversy of this form of medicine:
The new science of immunology had proven vaccines could save lives. It had progressed quickly from the late 1700s, when British physician Dr. Edward Jenner discovered that smallpox could be prevented by inoculating people with the substance from cowpox lesions. The vaccine worked. According to the New York City Health Department, the death rate from smallpox in 1869 was 21.9 per 100,000 people. In 1876, New York’s Vaccination Corps fanned out to inoculate the city. The following year, the death rate per 100,000 people had dropped to 0.18.
That did little to convince parents who’d heard reports that bacteria from the lesions had caused serious infections in some children.
Even with a tacit endorsement from the federal government, the fledgling biologicals industry still faced a daunting problem not related to finance — a public backlash against vaccination. Despite the reduction in mortality that immunization had brought to the nation, not all of its citizens were convinced this was good public policy, or even effective health care.
In 1908, a medical doctor from Niagara Falls, New York, J. W. Hodge, wrote that compulsory vaccination was “the crime of the century,” citing evidence that the process not only violated an American’s freedom but that it was ineffective. “The accumulated experience of more than one hundred years has conclusively demonstrated that vaccinia neither prevents smallpox nor mitigates that disease when it attacks the vaccinated.”
Slee countered those attacks and others in a letter to the Bergen County, New Jersey, Medical Society in 1910:
The growth of the anti-vaccination societies in this country is largely due to the undeniable fact that the protection by vaccination was sometimes followed by results that were more serious than would be a mild attack of smallpox. We are now passing through the transition state, so to speak, and in a short time physicians will begin to realize that the regulations of the government are wise and that the failures from time to time are more than offset by the undeniable elimination of many severe and unpleasant sequelae [an abnormality following a disease, like paralysis following polio]. |
There are two types of people reading this post: the ones that are super jazzed about morning routines and the ones that are not. 😜 I love a good morning routine, but I’ve found myself creating an elaborate list to check off every morning and then failing miserably to keep it up. My pendulum swung too wide. Either I was all in with a 10-step morning routine that would be completed just so, or, after missing a few days, I would burn it all to the ground.
Over the past year, my days have looked vastly different. This time last year, I had a different job. Then I had a baby and was on maternity leave. Even now, each day looks a little different depending on which kid is going where and whether I’m going to my office or not. Mornings can feel chaotic and I was itching for more predicability, but knew a rigid morning routine would not work for me, especially in this season with two small kiddos.
So, for the last couple of months, I’ve established what I like to call a morning rhythm instead. While it feels good to have some rituals in place, they need to be flexible. I have two little kids with rather varied wake-up times. I might have slept terribly. I might have to get out of the house early than usual. There are a million reasons rigidity just won’t work. Very loosely, my morning rhythm includes the following:
Movement: even if I’m not working out, I’ll start the day with some basic stretching to wake up my body. (bonus points if I stretch and work out)
Hydration: always a glass (or two) of water when I wake up (and definitely before coffee).
Coffee: enough said.
Journal/Reflection/Planning: this one ebbs and flows for sure. I like to write in my five-minute journal, check my planner and create a to-do list for the day, but at a minimum I will give my planner a quick glance and jot down any must-dos.
Hygiene: this is an obvious one, but an easy win! Plus, there is more in this category than the bare minimum. I make it a point to wash my face with all my skincare favorites and change into some clothes that I will feel good in, even if I’ll just be spending the day at home.
Make the bed: nothing makes me feel more like a functioning adult like a bed that’s made.
What’s great about this rhythm? It is really simple. It can be done in 10 minutes or I can extend it to over an hour. It can be done along side my kids. I can fit it in across the whole morning if need be. I find that if I have a day or two where I miss something on the list, it is very easy to pick back up. Most importantly, starting the morning generally the same way helps ground me and create some intentionality to my day. |
We are proud of our market garden heritage and want to share our knowledge and help more people across Bedfordshire to eat healthier and grow more fruits and vegetables at home.
Where did it all start?
In 1929, the term allotment was used to describe a piece of land used for a specific purpose such as market gardening and was promoted during the war with the ‘Dig for Victory’ slogans. In the 60’s and 70’s demand for allotments declined but due to media interest and a boost towards healthy eating and food heritage, plots have once again become popular.
Get active and create and grow your own!
We have created a new section for small space and container gardening. You can see how we have fit quite a lot into an extremely small area and this can be created at home. You don’t have to grow fruit and vegetables but it’s a great way to get the whole family involved.
When selecting what you want it’s a good idea to break down the plants you would like to grow into separate categories.
• Fruits/vegetables/flowers or herbs
Then start to list what you would like to produce, remember to grow things you like!
Come and talk to us!
During the week we will have lots of facts in and around our allotments to help get you started – maybe a few jokes too! You will also have an opportunity to speak to our Head Gardeners and pick their brains!
National Allotments Week is organised by the National Allotment Society, which was founded in the early 20th century.
Take part in our Pirate and Princess trail
Our popular Pirate and Princess trail takes children on a fun adventure around our gardens, meadow and woodland, and allows children to find the missing pirate. The trail costs £1.50 per child and runs until the 31st of August.
In July 2018 the Jordans Trust extended their guided tour days (Tues to Sun) along with a new self-guided brochure which allows visitors to experience the Mill at their own pace. More details can be found at www.jordansmill.com |
My name is Joseph A. Nagy. I am an Edmonton personal injury lawyer. I provide injury law services to people who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents in Edmonton and throughout central and Northern Alberta. I have successfully resolved thousands of personal injury cases. If you have suffered a personal injury and need the help of a proven, experienced personal injury lawyer, I invite you to request a free consultation.
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In Nery v Nery, (2012) A.J. No. 792 (Q.B.)(Q.L.) Nery was told by an Allstate adjuster named Ms. Molgian that there was a “government law” which stated she could not recover more than $4000 for her injuries. She believed that and did not question it. She did not talk to a lawyer because a friend told her that the lawyer would take a portion of her recovery and she would receive less than the $4000 she would be entitled to.
Ms. Nery had a limited comprehension of English. She signed a release and was told that the total amount of settlement in the amount of $8567.80 was made up of $4400 for general damages and $4176.80 for loss of wages. After signing the release, Ms. Nery brought a lawsuit. She did this after speaking with a lawyer. The court set aside the release because Ms. Nery was taken advantage of by the insurance adjuster. In the judgement, the judge writes:
Ms. Moligian’s offer was on the basis that the Minor Injury Regulation applied to Ms. Nery’s injuries. Ms. Nery submits that it would not apply to all her injuries – in particular the possible thoracic outlet syndrome, the depression and the lost tooth. The settlement offer ignored the possibility that these injuries, one of which at least, thoracic outlet syndrome, can be serious and can attract very significant damages.
…
25 In my view a settlement which under-compensates calculable loss of earnings by half, ignores the medically recognized possibility of a very serious injury not affected by the Minor Injury Regulation, is finalized despite significant uncertainty as to whether the injured party’s condition has stabilized and as to whether there has been a loss of future earning capacity, is grossly unfair and improvident.
26 Ms. Nery did not have any independent legal advice. Correspondence from Ms. Moligian indicated that if she did not understand the position Allstate was taking with regard to the Minor Injury Regulation she should seek legal advice. She did not do so.
27 Ms. Nery’s evidence is that Ms. Moligian told her there was a “government law” that she could not recover more than $4000 for her injuries. She understood that. She did not question it.
28 She did speak to an acquaintance who she understood to have considerable business experience. He told her she should talk to a lawyer. She told Ms. Moligian of that recommendation and was told, according to her evidence, that a lawyer would take a portion of her recovery, which would not, because of the “government law”, be more than $4000 in any event. She understood Ms. Moligian’s advice to be that talking to a lawyer would result in her receiving a lesser recovery. She took this as advice against talking to a lawyer whether it was intended as such or not.
If your insurance adjuster tells you that your injuries are subject to the Minor injury Regulation, you need to get specific advice from a competent experienced personal injury lawyer before you settle your case. Your personal injury lawyer is interested in maximizing the amount of recovery you can expect to receive for your injuries. Your personal injury lawyer is on your side and your interests are aligned. You should never take the advice of the insurance company alone. Speaking with a qualified personal injury lawyer could mean the difference between a four figure and a six figure settlement! |
When it comes to car batteries, people find it difficult to get a trusted car battery shop that will deliver a quality product. Getting the best quality battery for the car makes traveling easy and smooth. TBS Car Battery Shop came into existence in the year 2010. The owner began by supplying car batteries to workshops, spare part outlets, heavy industries, and car owners, backed by decades of experience in the automobile battery sector among family members.
In 2018, after doing a close observation of the market and the trend of rising mobility, the owner entered into the car battery delivery business. This idea came into being after seeing the accessibility or usage of mobile devices for the collection of information.
TBS Car Battery Shop promises to take the stress out of battery-related breakdowns by delivering professional car battery delivery service to your doorstep, with a large area of coverage and easy payment options.
The TBS Car Battery Shop focuses on providing excellent service and only sells high-quality, well-known battery brands. This is what makes it a customer's favorite. The company doesn't restrict the brand of a car battery but has almost all types of batteries.
They have battery brands for all types of vehicles, including domestic cars, Japanese, Korean, European, and heavy-duty trucks. Century Battery and Korea's #1 Battery Brand – Rocket Battery. The car battery shop delivers the batteries with a warranty that makes them more trusted.
TBS Car Battery Shop is the car battery delivery shop that gives immediate response. It is known for providing services to the people residing in areas around Petaling Jaya and its surrounding areas such as Damansara Utama, Mont Kiara, Damansara Perdana, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kota Damansara, SS2, Kelana Jaya, Subang Jaya, Damansara Jaya, Sri Hartamas, Bangsar, Damansara Heights, Mutiara Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Cheras, and the majority of Klang Valley / Selangor are also covered.
Generally, people worry about the employees. If they are not well trained then it again turns out to be frustrating. But TBS Car Battery Shop employees are exclusively educated to recommend the suitable spec battery for your vehicle, as well as the proper battery installation technique. This is what has made it the most reliable company.
Incorrect battery specifications might lead to premature failure and possibly harm to the car's electronic systems.
When it comes to mode of payment after the delivery of the battery, customers can opt for easy methods, as it offers various more.
TBS Car Battery Shop accepts credit cards, cash, Touch 'n Go eWallet, GrabPay, Boost, DuitNow QR, Maybank QRPay, MAE, and bank transfer as payment methods for outdoor services. |
“I want to be part of something big”, These are words I found written in my journal in 1990. I had just started a new job at a church in St. Cloud, MN. I was an idealist. I had a passion for social justice. I loved the kids put in my care. I was doing work that had the potential to break forth into something big. I had the good fortune to meet face to face people who were making a distinct mark on the world. Here is the total of what I wrote that February day 30 years ago:
I want to be part of something big – to be aware of the fact that what I do has meaning. This is why I keep reflecting on the concept of “building the Kingdom of God” – knowing that a mighty work is being done and the work I do in my little corner is part of that work…gives value to all I do.
I never lost the passion. What has changed is that I have found “my little corner” more acceptable. I have learned that this little corner is part of the Kingdom. It is the place where I breath and move and where my senses do their magic. It is true that there are children in the world who need a meal today, but there is also a grandchild that needs to know he is loved and I will be calling him today. I think that when I wrote this I was thinking about my work. But it was never about work.
You may think that the reason you go to work each day is so that you will be given a paycheck to put food on the table and clothes on your back. But I believe that your job is about building the Kingdom of God. So is shopping and going to the doctor’s office and stopping to talk to your neighbor who is getting his mail as you pull out of your driveway. If you hate your job and dread the neighbor who talks way too much, then be aware that the you are a part of the building that my need some work.
There was a young man, John Huebsch, who was an inspiration for my book, The Memorial of Jesus. He co-founded Common Hope, an organization that helps families in Guatemala. John was admired by those of us who went to Guatemala to volunteer our services. Most of us felt that we could never do for the world the great things he was doing. But he liked to say, “Just take care of your little corner of the world.”
I am full of gratitude today for the big thing thing I am part of, the building of the Kingdom. The new year isn’t about starting new things but about continuing the work. It is a work we all share. |
First, the bad news. UK consumer price inflation has already hit 5.1pc in the 12 months to November. And it is likely to rise further in the coming months as businesses pass on more of the price pressure that is already in the pipeline.
In particular, the energy regulator Ofgem is reviewing its cap on domestic gas and electricity bills. The surge in global energy prices means that this cap could be increased by as much as 50pc in April, taking headline inflation as high as 7pc.
With underlying pay growth probably averaging about 4pc, this implies that real wages (after allowing for inflation) could be squeezed by as much as 3pc.
April is shaping up to be the “cruellest month” for other reasons too. This is the month when the planned increase of 1.25 percentage points in National Insurance Contributions (NICs) kicks in, as well as other changes including the freeze on personal allowances and increases in council tax.
It is therefore understandable that commentators such as Torsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation, have warned of an “overnight cost of living catastrophe”. The Resolution Foundation has estimated that the average family could face a combined hit of £1,200 in April.
That said, some of this rhetoric is a little over the top. This hit would be spread over the course of the year, so families would not have to find this extra money “overnight”.
“Catastrophe” seems too strong a word as well. Real wages are likely to be rising again by the end of the year, as inflation falls back, meaning the squeeze on spending power should be short-lived. There are already signs that global supply disruptions – at least outside energy – are beginning to ease.
In the meantime, many households did see decent gains in real wages in 2021. There is a danger of focusing too much on one snapshot in time and not taking a longer view.
Many families will also be able to dip into pandemic savings to maintain their living standards, even if their real wages do fall. Fading fears over Covid and increasing job security should give them the confidence to do so too.
Talk of an economy-wide cost of living crisis is therefore exaggerated. It is normal for real wages to ebb and flow over the cycle, and the Government should not try to smooth out every fluctuation.
Nonetheless, even I would agree that the Government will have to act to prevent the worst fears from coming true. Averages conceal a wide range of different circumstances, and poorer households may be especially vulnerable.
In particular, they typically spend a relatively large amount of their income on energy, and are least likely to have a cushion of savings to tide them over.
To be fair, the Government has already taken some action here. The temporary uplift of £20 to Universal Credit has been withdrawn, but changes to the “taper” mean that people will be able to keep more of their wages as they earn more.
April will also bring a relatively large increase in the National Minimum Wage, protecting the real wages of many workers on the lowest incomes. The energy price cap, for all its flaws, has at least shielded households from the worst of the surge in costs over the last few months.
There is still more that could be done. One approach would be to limit the rise in energy prices, but there is no costless way to do this.
The average duel-fuel bill is capped at £1,277, of which the biggest element (£528) is the wholesale price of gas and electricity. Energy companies are already operating at a loss and will have to be compensated by the taxpayer if they cannot increase prices to reflect the rise in wholesale costs since the cap was last set.
There are also some elements directly controlled by the Government, including VAT (£61) and various environmental taxes and levies (£159). These could be cut, at least temporarily, though the money to do so would still have to come from somewhere.
In any event, it would not make sense to shield everyone from the full impact of higher energy costs. Markets and price signals still need to be allowed to do their job of balancing supply and demand. This suggests that the main emphasis should be on protecting the most vulnerable, rather than limiting the rises for all regardless of ability to pay.
This is the job for the tax and benefit system. I have two suggestions here. First, reinstate the temporary uplift to Universal Credit, but at £10 a week rather than £20. This should offset the increase in energy bills for the poorest households, while still encouraging them to economise on fuel if they can.
Second, delay the increase in National Insurance contributions for a year. This will help the poorest families much less than the temporary uplift to Universal Credit, but will benefit middle-income households.
I would delay the National Insurance increase anyway. Even if such contributions were the best way to finance long-term reforms to social care (and few think it is), the money will initially be used to tackle the backlog in NHS work due to the pandemic.
This is a one-off cost that could reasonably be added to long-term borrowing, rather than paid for from current taxation.
Indeed, a sound principle for chancellors, like doctors, is “first do no harm”. The tax increases planned for April are both unnecessary and counter-productive; it still makes sense to borrow more when the economy is weak, and tightening fiscal policy prematurely will simply hold back the recovery.
The Chancellor should hit the pause button now and let stronger growth repair the public finances, as well as ease the burden of the cost of living for the most vulnerable. |
Netflix’s House of Cards may be folding faster than expected. Even as the Kevin Spacey drama seemed to confirm a sixth and final season in response to allegations of pedophilia, production has now shut down altogether while Netflix figures out their next move.
Where yesterday saw Netflix formally confirming the political drama’s sixth season would serve as its last, producers were quick to specify the decision had nothing to do with allegations against Spacey. Nonetheless, Netflix and producer Media Rights Capital dispatched executives to meet with cast and crew about the revelations, simultaneously noting that Spacey was not currently on-set. Both Netflix and MRC have now issued a statement confirming the indefinite shutdown of production (via Deadline):
MRC and Netflix have decided to suspend production on House of Cards season six, until further notice, to give us time to review the current situation and to address any concerns of our cast and crew.
Netflix stated as much over Twitter as well:
The news has been fast and furious for the series, as late Sunday saw actor Anthony Rapp publicly stating that Spacey attempted to molest him in 1986; a time at which Rapp was 14. Spacey’s response didn’t deny the allegation, but nonetheless poorly twisted his apology into an official coming-out. Netflix seemingly then confirmed the series’ end to ward off calls to fire Spacey, though spinoffs are reportedly already in discussion.
It remains to be seen if Netflix would scrap its existing House of Cards Season 6 footage, or perhaps re-engineer the series around Robin Wright’s Claire, but stay tuned for the latest in the meantime. |
So we are finally coming down to the wire for Christmas gift shopping. Hopefully, you've gotten your hands on all of the essential. But, maybe you're just missing a few small things.
I'm talking about things you might refer to as "stocking stuffers". These are the items that no one generally asks for, but will be excited to get them on Christmas morning, all the same. In my mind, there are three that will be loved by whoever gets them.
1
Charging Adapter
Yes, the one you see below is made for Apple products. However, any charging adapter for any device is always welcome. These always seem to be things that get lost on a regular basis. It's always good to have a back-up!
2
Flashlight
I don't know why these are so popular at Christmas, but they are. Flashlights are always practical gifts, whether you're shopping for girls or guys! |
Let’s preface this right off the bat by saying we support and love our Idaho teachers. It seems there’s always a conversation going about how our teachers deserve a pay raise and I agree – they do everything. When you actually stop and think about it, most children spend a majority of their childhood in a classroom under the supervision of their beloved teachers.
That all being said, we wanted to have some fun with the people of the Treasure Valley and ask: What do Idaho schools need to start teaching kids?
It’s 2022 and times have changed since a lot of us were in school. That’s given a lot of us plenty of time to reflect on the things we wish we could have learned that could’ve helped us as adults. Here are the top suggestions from you, the people of the Treasure Valley on where our Idaho schools let us down and what our kids should be learning in Idaho schools.
How Are Idaho Schools Failing Us?
While we love and support our teachers, the people of Boise have shared their picks for the things our Idaho schools should be teaching our students. Did your suggestion make the cut?
Free Full-Day Kindergarten for Boise School District
Boise School District has announced an initiative to provide free full-day kindergarten starting in the 2022-2023 school year.
Idaho Teacher who Halted Rigby School Shooting Honored by Governor
If Your Kids Miss The Snow, Visit These Treasure Valley Favorites
With the snow subsiding and finally melting around the Treasure Valley, there's a lot of kids who are going to miss it! We asked Idahoans where the best places are to take the kids if they're missing the snow. |
The National Kids Yoga Conference, a project of YoKid…Stretch Your Limits is made possible by a dedicated board of directors, staff, and volunteers. We envision a world where all kids have access to yoga and mindfulness.
Board of Directors
William Drew – Board Chair & Executive Director (he/him)
A lifelong meditator, William Drew, simply known as “Drew,” is the founder & owner of Healing House Yoga LLC (a Registered Yoga School and Continuing Education Provider, recognized by Yoga Alliance) as well as Mindful i Consulting LLC. As a Mindfulness-Based Consultant and Performance Coach Drew focuses on seamlessly integrating Reflective Practices and Intentional Movement into the workday as foundational to Transformational Change; Equity, Diversity & Inclusion.
Through his work in schools Drew has influenced policy, help drive down behavior- based student disciplinary actions as well as increase learning time for classroom educators- increasing the quality of engagement and sense of joy, for all.
Drew’s work has allowed him to present the benefits of Reflective Practices and Intentional Movement to school districts, community/professional & trade organizations, small and medium-sized businesses as well as medium and large-sized insurance & health care providers.
“YoKid has been an inspiration to me, over the years. The quality of presenters and the opportunities for support as a teacher and business owner forced me to improve how I would deliver for families and my partners in education and the greater community- every year. I am honored to step into the role held before me by Michelle and Jen. I am determined to build on each of their successes. Like them, I am committed to serving the family of Kids Yoga Teachers and Kids Yoga Business Owners- supporting them, always and elevating the culture with every chance I get.”
When not writing or training others on Yoga and Meditation, Drew is getting cooking tips from his niece, perfecting the flying splits or working on lowering his time running a 5k.
Nallely Alcocer – Treasurer (she/her)
Nallely Alcocer is the founder of YO YOGA – Yoga for Young Ones. She is a 200hr Registered Yoga Teacher, a 95hr Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher, and has received Growing Up Mindful certification. She is also an experienced elementary school teacher and is deeply passionate about teaching and learning. Since the pandemic, she pivoted her yoga offerings online. She has truly enjoyed being able to connect and build community with families from different countries.
“I believe in the importance of gathering and connecting with like-minded people. Since the first NKYC workshop I attended, I felt inspired and supported by the NKYC community. My goal serving on the board is to support NYKC to continue providing a space for meaningful connections to everyone who works with children and teens. I believe that bringing yoga and mindfulness to youth is an extraordinary and much needed job.“
Nallely enjoys spending time with my family, going for nature walks and picnics, drawing and travelling. She speaks Spanish and English and looks forward to connecting with you.
Brigitta White – Secretary (she/her)
Brigitta Elsa White, MS, R-DMT is the owner of sunraeyoga.dance and has served as Children’s Yoga Teacher at The Newton School in Sterling, VA since 2011.
Brigitta also offers bilingual children’s yoga classes with Bilinguitos, a Spanish Immersion Virtual Program. She has operated as a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist (R-DMT) with The American Dance Therapy Association, since 2007 and as a Children’s Yoga Teacher through Radiant Child Yoga, since 2010.
Most recently, Brigitta has served as the President of the Board of The MD-DC-VA Chapter of The American Dance Therapy Association.
“As a person fortunate enough to learn from YoKids’ co-founder, Michelle Mitchell, Brigitta is proud to now serve on the Board of Directors. “As a Hispanic American woman and former YoKid volunteer, I am passionate about bringing yoga to children, especially to marginalized communities. I believe that our work together will impact many generations to come. Children’s yoga can change the world!”
When she is not teaching yoga or home-schooling her wonderful children, Brigitta spends her time writing poetry and prose.
Jennifer Mueller – Chairman Emeritus (she/her)
Jen comes to YoKid as a former volunteer teaching kids yoga to underserved communities in DC. She’s also been a presenter over the past 5 years for the National Kids Yoga Conference. (Read presenter spotlight)
Jen has been teaching yoga to families and children since 2008. Before turning her attention to yoga full time by founding Breathing Space, Jen spent more than a decade working with non profit organizations in everything from daily operations, event and volunteer management, and finance to national policy advocacy and media relations. Jen holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Massachusetts and a Master in Public Management degree from the University of Maryland.
She has trained with Budding Yogis, ChildLight Yoga, Yoga 4 Classrooms, Cosmic Kids Yoga, and YoKid to offer classes to families and children of all ages. Jen’s work with children inspired her to complete adult yoga teacher training at Willow Street Yoga in 2010 and train in Prenatal Yoga with Janice Clarfield.
Jen is a Yoga Alliance® Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RTY 200) and Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCTY). She was a children’s yoga teacher trainer with Childlight Education Company for 8 years and co-created their Yoga for Babies & Toddlers training. She is also a Certified Educator of Infant Massage (CEIM) through Infant Massage USA and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
Jen understands that good teachers are life-long students and has long worked to build professionalism within the children’s yoga field. She sees her involvement with the National Kids Yoga Conference as an extension of that mission.
Committee Members
Larissa Noto – Finance Committee (she/her)
Larissa has been practicing yoga and mindfulness for 23 years and teaching for the past 7 years. Larissa is a 500 hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), 95 hour Registered Children’s Yoga Teacher (RCYT) and 85 hour Prenatal Yoga Teacher (RPYT). She has trained all over the world in various yoga modalities, with a specialty in trauma informed movement that is accessible to all ages and abilities. Larissa currently teaches in schools, colleges, universities, various yoga studios, libraries, hospitals, community and recovery centers across the nation. She is also a teacher, trainer and content contributor with Childlight Education Company (NH), Pratyush Sinha Foundation (PA), and The Yoga Loft of Bethlehem (PA).
As both a former educator and lawyer, Larissa has worked with various populations in NYC, Newark, NJ and Washington DC and has a passion for Mental Health, Education Law and Accessibility to Education under the IDEA. Currently, Larissa works as an advocate with various diverse populations in the state of Pennsylvania and as a Parent Mentor, through the Family Connections for Language and Learning.
“Coming together as a community is so important – it allows us to collaborate, connect and learn new tools from one another. Being in Community with one another is equally important – it serves to invigorate, inspire and rejuvenate our own practices by learning from other teachers doing this same work, the world over. This is one of the things I most look forward to every year when Conference time rolls around.” – Larissa Noto
When she isn’t sharing her love of yoga with others, she is a wife, mom of 3 boys, and professor. She loves reading, traveling, photography and gardening in her spare time.
Emily Fleming – Membership Committee (she/her)
E. Brady Robinson Studio
Emily Fleming is the founder of Yoga In Classrooms And Schools Consulting. YCSC works works with schools and school districts to develop tailor-made, impactful, and long-term yoga and mindfulness programming for students, staff, and families through a model of long-term coaching and support, cross-curricular integration and the creation of culturally relevant programming aligned to the needs, values, and goals of the school community. Emily is both a certified educator with a decade of classroom teaching experience, and a certified yoga instructor (RYT500, RCYT). Emily has spent the majority of her teaching career teaching yoga and mindfulness as a daily enrichment class at a middle school in Baltimore, MD, which prompted her to found Yoga In Classrooms and Schools Consulting. Emily also offers online trainings and a mentorship program for kids yoga teachers looking to teach in schools with a focus on helping them get in the door, navigate school budgets, and market themselves and their program to school leaders.
“I’ve met so many incredible kids yoga teachers and business owners through NKYC – people who I’m sure I wouldn’t have connected with otherwise. NKYC has allowed me not only to gather with like-minded people, but has also provided valuable workshops and offerings that have expanded my knowledge and skills as an educator and kids yoga teacher. As a committee member, I hope to be able to foster this sense of community among our members and continue to have NKYC be a space of growth, learning, and connection for all.” – Emily Fleming
Emily enjoys traveling, spending time in nature, cooking delicious gluten-free meals, and curling up on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea on weekend mornings.
Maia Horsager – Program Committee (she/her)
Photo & Bio Coming Soon!
Professional Staff
Lindsay Paul, Program Director (she/her)
Lindsay previous volunteered as a kids yoga teacher with YoKid and later worked for YoKid managing school programs in 2017.
She has experience as a kids yoga teacher and coordinating school programs. As a registered children’s yoga teacher and registered yoga teacher, she’s taught yoga to kids ranging from toddlers to teens both inside and outside of school settings.
She’s trained and taken continuing education courses with Radiant Child Yoga, Little Flower Yoga, and YoKid. She received her 200-hour yoga teacher training from Radiance Yoga in Alexandria, Virginia.
Lindsay also has 10 years of experience at an educational nonprofit where she focused on building relationships and enhanced support services.
She enjoys creating ways to support and connect teachers to resources which is why she’s excited to be part of the National Kids Yoga Conference to support children’s yoga educators and professionals.
Support Our Mission & Join a Committee
Informal committees have always driven the NKYC program and many of those leaders continue to be engaged as we grow.
The vision for the National Kid Yoga Conference is one of increased involvement from diverse voices in the children’s yoga and mindfulness field.
We are looking for talented, energetic, dedicated professionals to serve on the conference steering committee. The committee will help determine the programmatic direction of NKYC and implement that vision. Get in touch if you’re interested and submit the following: 1) professional resume and 2) a letter of interest. |
A shooting claimed the life of a 36-year-old Sioux Falls man early Saturday morning (August 20) near the intersection of East 26th Street and South Bahnson Avenue.
Dakota News Now is reporting the incident occurred around 2:00 that morning. Police officers received a call notifying them that someone had been shot. Upon their arrival, they found 36-year-old Tunis Lomax of Sioux Falls, who had sustained a gunshot wound.
Lomax later died from his injuries.
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Over 300 miles to the west of Sioux Falls, an even bloodier weekend of gun violence occurred in Rapid City.
Dakota News Now reports a double homicide occurred Saturday (August 20) in South Dakota's second-largest city. The shooting happened at an apartment in the 100 block of Surfwood Drive on Saturday, killing two men.
Rapid City Police are still searching for the suspects responsible for the double homicide. One of the people involved is believed to be 17-year-old Robert Yellow Bird of Sioux Falls.
Cure Kids Cancer
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Early Sunday morning (August 21), another man was shot and killed in a mobile home on Country Road 1980 just north of Rapid City.
According to Dakota News Now, Pennington County authorities allegedly have the suspect in that case already in custody.
There was also a third shooting incident that occurred in Rapid City this past weekend. Fortunately, however, in the third incident, no one was wounded.
Dakota News Now reports that shots rang out just after midnight on Sunday (August 21), shortly after the Central States Fair had closed. Police officers received a call claiming someone heard a series of gunshots near the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City.
A video making the rounds on social media showed that shots were possibly fired from a car as people were driving out of the fairgrounds for the evening.
At this time, no suspects have been found in the incident that occurred near the Central States Fairgrounds. Law enforcement is continuing to investigate.
Police are still accepting tips from the public regarding the homicides that happened in both Sioux Falls and Rapid from over the weekend. Anyone that can help provide law enforcement with additional details is asked to either call the Sioux Falls Police Department at 605-367-7000 or the Rapid City Police at 605 394-4131.
Source: Dakota News Now
10 Most Dangerous Cities in South Dakota
Cities on the east and west side of the Missouri River have made the latest list of South Dakota's Most Dangerous Cities for 2021.
Roadsnacks recently released its most 'Dangerous Cities' list and here in The Mount Rushmore state there are a few surprises, especially at the top. To determine the most dangerous cities in the state, Roadsnacks looked at the FBI's report on the latest violent crime, along with property crime statistics.
And surprisingly, the town with the most murders per capita in the state has less than 3,000 residents. Take a look at the list below.
For a look at the detailed list, visit roadsnacks.com Story Source: Roadsncaks
10 Reasons NOT To Move To Sioux Falls ;)
Sioux Falls is a special place. There is really no place else in the world quite like it. It is a unique spot of shining joy on the edge of the plains. But, if someone is planning to move here, there are a few things to know... |
A Waldoboro man was involved in a two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a Newcastle man Dec. 6. A press release from Lincoln County Sheriff's Office stated, "It is with heavy hearts that deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office are investigating a traffic collision that occurred today on Route 1 in Nobleboro." The crash claimed the life of William “Bill” Ellsworth, 80, of Newcastle. At approximately ...
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Lincoln County Sheriff's Office website
A Waldoboro man was involved in a two-vehicle crash that claimed the life of a Newcastle man Dec. 6.
A press release from Lincoln County Sheriff's Office stated, "It is with heavy hearts that deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a traffic collision that occurred today on Route 1 in Nobleboro."
The crash claimed the life of William “Bill” Ellsworth, 80, of Newcastle.
At approximately 7:51 a.m., Ellsworth and his wife, Lois, were traveling north on Route 1 when the collision occurred at the intersection of Route 1 and Back Meadow Road.
According to Lt. Brendan Kane, preliminary investigation shows that the 2017 Ford Escape Ellsworth was driving struck a 2005 Chevrolet Avalanche traveling south on Route 1, operated by Ronald Shellman, 45, of Waldoboro.
Investigators believe Shellman attempted to make a left turn from Route 1 onto Back Meadow Road and failed to yield the right-of-way to Ellsworth, who attempted to avoid the truck, but was unable to, resulting in the two vehicles' colliding in the northbound travel lane.
All three were taken by Central Lincoln County Ambulance to Lincoln Health Miles Campus Emergency Room in Damariscotta, where Ellsworth succumbed to his injuries.
Lois Ellsworth sustained several broken bones and was taken by ambulance to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Shellman was treated and released from the hospital.
Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors; however, blood samples were taken as part of the investigation.
"It is too early to determine if speed was a factor," Kane said.
Seat belts were worn by all those involved and the airbags in both vehicles deployed. The crash remains under investigation.
A Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office crashrReconstructionist and the Maine State Police forensic mapping unit are assisting with the investigation. Nobleboro Fire and Damariscotta Fire responded to the collision and assisted with traffic control. Traffic on Route 1 was detoured until 11 a.m.
Ellsworth worked in and around the Sheriff's Office for more than 22 years in his capacity as a substance abuse counselor. In fact, he and his wife were on their way to a group counseling session in Waldoboro at the time of the crash.
Though not employed by the county, Ellsworth was truly part of the Sheriff’s Office family, the release says.
"Bill worked closely with many people in and out of the correctional setting," Kane said, adding that Ellsworth pioneered the Lincoln County Outreach program that has brought recovery services into the community to help those in need.
"His honest and sincere approach to recovery from substance abuse has touched many lives here in Lincoln County over the past 22 years, including the lives of those of us who worked with him. Bill will be sorely missed," Kane said. |
We are very glad that we could win Johannes Raabs, the famous German soloist and chamber-musician, as our brand ambassador.
He started his career in orchestras such as the Staatskapelle Dresden and the Hamburg Philharmonics.
2016 he quit playing orchestra to concentrate on performing internationally as soloist and chamber musician.
For the last few years he has given his solo career a higher priority and is - besides various other projects - currently producing a cycle of 6 films presenting the 6 Suites by Johann Sebastian Bach in 6 different stunning cathedrals in Germany and will release a CD of all Beethoven sonatas recorded in the famous Koethen palace.
Johannes Raab is playing an instrument by Ferdinando Gagliano, Naples 1766 and a Giuseppe Marconcini, Ferrara 1840 - both well protected by gorgeous sleeves by KOKON. |