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Headquartered in New Britain, CT, Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. is an innovative manufacturer of tools and storage, commercial electronic security, and engineered fastening systems. FREDERICK STANLEY — BUILDING A LEGACY American industrialist and entrepreneur Frederick Stanley (August 12, 1802 – August 2, 1883) was born in New Britain, CT on August 12, 1802. Throughout his career, Frederick was involved in several New Britain businesses, including a machine manufacturer for the growing iron business in Hartford. In 1843, Frederick and his brother William started Stanley Bolt Manufacturing, a small bolt, hinge, and hardware manufacturing business in New Britain, CT. Eventually, Frederick wanted to expand the hinge manufacturing business, so in 1853 he started a separate company, the Stanley Works. In 1920, the company merged with Stanley Rule and Level Company, which was founded by Frederick’s cousin Henry Stanley in 1857, with Stanley Rule & Level becoming the tool division of the Stanley Works. With his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation, Frederick became known for many firsts in New Britain. As a nod to his help bringing the railroad to New Britain in 1850, the first locomotive to come through town was named the Frederick T. Stanley. Frederick was involved in the creation of a local gas light company in 1855. Two years later he helped bring the first running water to New Britain. In 1871, Frederick served as the first mayor of New Britain. Frederick died on August 2, 1883 at the age of 80. BLACK & DECKER – POWER TOOL INNOVATORS Headquartered in Towson, MD, Black & Decker Corporation manufacturers power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, and technology-based fastening systems. The company merged with Stanley Works to become Stanley Black & Decker on March 12, 2010. Black & Decker remains as a wholly owned subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker. S. Duncan Black and Alonzo G. Decker started their shop in Baltimore, MD, in 1910. In 1916, they obtained the world’s first patent for a portable power tool. One year later, Black & Decker invented a portable electric drill, obtaining a patent for a hand-held drill combining a pistol grip and trigger switch. In 1943, Black & Decker received the Army-Navy “E” Award for production, which is one of four World War II citations awarded to the company. Stanley Works and Black & Decker grew in parallel over the proceeding decades, accumulating an innovative family of brands and products and abundance of industry expertise. STANLEY BLACK & DECKER TODAY Today, Stanley Black & Decker is one of the world’s most recognized brands of tools. The company has more than 13,000 active global patents and launches about 1,000 new tool products per year, including many of the “world’s first.” In fact, according to Stanley Black & Decker, new products drive more than 85% of the company’s organic growth. What’s more, NPD Data recognized the Stanley Black & Decker for receiving the 8th most patents in the world from 2010 to 2014. Stanley Black & Decker sells more than 500,000 products including power drills, saws, toolboxes, wrenches, fasteners, measuring tools, compressors, nail guns, outdoor power equipment, sanders, lamps, mowers, vacuums, workbenches, polishers, grinders, and cordless tools. Stanley Black & Decker’s innovations include the Bailey hand plane, the Surform shaper, the PowerLock tape measure, and the box-cutter knife (e.g., a utility knife or a Stanley knife). The company’s largest brands include Stanley, DeWalt, Black+Decker, Porter Cable, and Bostitch. Branding, global distribution channels, and product innovation are key factors to the company’s long-term success. Stanley Black & Decker’s products are available in many home center and mass merchandise retailers. The products have developed brand loyalty and cover an array of applications. The company has number one global market share for power tools and hand tools and number two market share for engineered fastening and commercial electronic security services. Since 2002, Stanley Black & Decker has invested more than $6 billion in acquisitions to advance its growth opportunities. As one of the most innovative consumer products companies, Stanley Black & Decker takes an evolutionary approach to core innovation, which the company refers to as “linear innovation.” The company uses well-developed processes to deliver next-generation products across its portfolio. Stanley Black & Decker developed Breakthrough Innovation teams in many facets of the business. Each team is dedicated to a business, but operates and collaborates with other teams on specific technical problems. “With multiple breakthrough teams up and running, catalyzing ideas and accelerating development, our organizational capability to disrupt industries and move markets continues to grow,” says Stephen M. Subasic, Vice President, Human Resources, Global Tools & Storage and Executive Sponsor of Breakthrough Innovation. “We’re seeing unprecedented synergy and collaboration across the teams and our businesses, and we’re tapping into external sources of inspiration. This is taking our culture of innovation to a whole new level,” he added. Stanley Black & Decker’s Total Innovation initiative enables employees in departments such as engineering, marketing, legal, and finance to participate in innovation projects that get evaluated at a “science fair” event every six months. At the event, management reviews the projects and chooses those that will go on to the company’s standard, milestone-oriented development process. “We give certain guardrails around user frustrations, or problems that exist,” explains John Cunningham, President of the Consumer Products Group at the Baltimore company. “Then, we let the engineering team dedicate 10% of their time to solving those problems. About 40% move on, and 60% we shelve, or we send them back to be developed further.” Total Innovation Hackathon In 2016, Stanley Black & Decker partnered with Johns Hopkins University for the Total Innovation Hackathon. The competition invited Johns Hopkins University students to build off of a Black+Decker 20v battery to improve an existing product or create a brand new one. Building an Innovation Ecosystem According to Stanley Black & Decker, the company is “building an innovation ecosystem where cross-fertilization and co-creation is a compelling element of the company’s culture.” The company assembled a council of breakthrough innovators who meet virtually to examine innovative technologies such as battery storage, sensors, and micro-motors. The council includes representatives from each breakthrough innovation team and from the businesses. In addition, Stanley Black & Decker has annual summits to share progress and highlight new solutions. The company has “created and continue to grow a thriving community of technologists who are highly collaborative and mutually supportive in their pursuit of breakthrough innovation.” - Bollinger, Guru Focus, “Stanley Black & Decker: 139 Years of Dividend History,” 2016. - ConnecticutHistory,org, “Stanley Works for New Britain” - Innovation Leader, “Two paths to innovation at Stanley Black & Decker” - The New Britain Industrial Museum, “The Stanley Works” - Stanley Black & Decker “2016 Year in Review” - Stanley Black & Decker, “How We Innovate” - Stanley Black & Decker, “Our Legacy” - Wikipedia, “Black & Decker” - Wikipedia, “Frederick Trent Stanley” - Wikipedia “Stanley Black & Decker”

In the fall of 2009 a new school for special children opened in Sayreville, New Jersey. Constructed by the Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission and funded by the Middlesex County Improvement Authority along with the vision of the County Freeholders, the school was a “first of its kind” on several levels. The school was awarded “LEED Platinum,” the first public school in the country to receive such a designation from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). It was also designed with a new type of educational philosophy, or design consideration for educating children with autism. The physical environment was centered on a “community” thesis. To prove the community based theory we relied on our past success stories. The most important part of any good planning for buildings, especially school facilities is evaluating what we have done as architects in the past and measure their success from the educational results. Now, five years later, I wanted to reaffirm our original design philosophy and recently visited the school and met with the building’s only principal, Ms. Debbie Nappi. I wanted to see what design ideas have flourished in an effort to gain more knowledge as we continue to explore better ways to design facilities for children with autism. Over the past ten to fifteen years we have designed more special needs schools than any other firm in the State and perhaps the Country, each design with its own unique style and support structure for the school’s curriculum. The great variety of design considerations all coming from the philosophy of education taught within the various school districts and the differing perspectives from administrators, educators, and teachers. With that said, and after every school project, after every school we have designed for special children I have always looked back at what has worked and the areas that we could improve upon based on our “lessons learned.” For try as we may, we simply are not perfect. The Center for Lifelong Learning was no exception and presented its own unique challenges during the design phase. The coupling of a LEED Platinum building and the specific obstacles brought on by this tremendous goal with the continued development of an educational language of the built environment in an effort to construct a facility for students whose very nature does not lend itself to readily perceiving and surmising the physical environment around them yet at the same time are very susceptible to it, in terms of light, heat and cold, fresh air and circulation and color. No small feat indeed…and on top of it all, the Center for Lifelong Learning was going to be, by far, our largest school for children with autism with a projected capacity of approximately two hundred students. In breaking down the design components, the most basic of which stems from one small simple concept, “Community,” we believed we could provide a support structure or language of the physical environment embraced by the teaching staff, supported by the parents and understood by the students. Originally known as “pods of education,” Ms Nappi pointed out to me that after the opening of the school in 2009 the word “pod” was quickly replaced by the word “community” and rightly so. The four classroom communities or neighborhoods are centered on a courtyard that supports the schools growing gardening curriculum. Each one contains its own supporting centers of education, including six classrooms, a central multi-purpose gathering area, small group areas, toilet facilities and enough storage to accommodate the many accessories required for the specialized and age appropriate curriculum. The communities fully address the unique needs of the multiply disabled, autistic and preschool disabled students as well as having their own distinct color theme. A way finding mechanism we have used in the past with much success. This time we were close, but not 100%, one-hundred percent right. The red community color scheme was simply too strong of a color and not the right hue – it should have been softer or perhaps a different shade altogether. The other three colors; orange, blue and green, were spot on. It is truly amazing how important color plays a part in the disposition of students. As far as the size of the facility, that posed additional challenges as many of the students have limited mobility and other physical limitations. The community based design allows for a multitude of learning activities without the need for movement of students to different places throughout the school. Conversely, the corridors around the courtyard that connect the four communities are all interconnected and used for physical activity. Students use the corridors for exercise and can “take-a-lap,” as the teachers fondly refer to it, all within the safe confines of the school, independent of weather and without distracting other classes. The concept of creating fully supported learning communities by designing multi-purpose areas that serve to bond the six classrooms within each section to each other has proven very affective and has fostered the development of a true sense of community, just as envisioned. It was wonderful to witness students of common ages eat, learn, play and even take art together within their own individual and secure world within the school. There is an underlying and subconscious level of support provided by the built environment which as an architect gave me a feeling of complete satisfaction. In looking back at the original design concept and now witnessing firsthand the reality that is the Center for Lifelong Learning, I have come to the realization that “community based design” and the design elements which buttress it within the school offer a subconscious support methodology where the students have gained a sense of security and a sense of belonging. Equally important is the embrace of the parents of the students who have witnessed first hand this discovery and through their own participation in events at the school create a synergy that clearly transforms the school into the “least restrictive environment for the student.” The only comparison I can give is the feeling one has of their “old neighborhood.” The fondness and warmth one shares with someone from a similar background. There is a kinship fostered simply from a sense of community and that is the same feeling the students, parents and teachers feel at the school. This level of support, this sense of belonging and security has created an environment where students are flourishing. All in all, I discovered that we got it right. The acoustics, daylighting and natural light, and circulation were working well and clearly as designed. Even the drop off and pick up of students is a positive experience, but that was a large consideration years before a shovel ever went into the ground. As an architect we must envision the moments, the events that comprise the school day, to the smallest detail. The parents as well completely support the drop off and pick up areas and procedures because they provide an optimum level of safety beyond the original design parameters for their children who sometimes spend upwards of an hour each way on a school bus, an added benefit not particularly known to me previously. In looking towards the future and future consideration of design for schools for children with autism we must always remember that a “sense of community” is one of the most important underlying factors of which everything else should evolve from and revolve around. Peter C. Campisano, AIA CID Partner for the Firm

Thursday Jan 24th, 7pm - 9pm The Engaging Educator is a fierce group of dedicated ladies who are committed to helping others find their best, most unapologetic and confident voice, communication style and self. We know you are full of ambition, ideas and goals – and we want to help you best express those AND achieve them with our brand of improv-based adventures. Our goals are simple: we want you to leave our programs with a clearer idea of WHO you are and WHERE you want to be – and have actionable steps to get rolling on that path of awesomeness. We LOVE fun for fun’s sake – we also LOVE plans, ideas, action-items, progress and positive-risk-taking. Come grow with us! Wonderful class!! Great non-scary space to learn about your communication skills through improv games. Go! The class was great! Amanda was a very good instructor and I left the session armed with very useful tools to communicate better. This was a great class. Olive was a fantastic teacher. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot of skills that are transferable to real world scenarios. If you are struggling with getting out of your shell, speaking up, being heard, or just feeling comfortable in your skin, I highly recommend this class! Jill was a great teacher, leading and supporting our group through all kinds of fun activities and challenges. I feel I'm paying more attention (in a good way) to how I communicate, and more attention to how I want to. It was a good class but it was focused primarily on the non-verbal aspects of leadership - body language, posture, facial expressions, tone etc. I was looking for something more cerebral so it wasn’t a good fit for me. Amy was extremely warm and personable, and she was able to work through a lot of different materials in a fun and engaging way. There was a great energy and synergy in the class. Women rock! This class was truly valuable. The teacher was super engaging and made the class fun. Everyone was welcoming and eager to get started. It was great to see women at different levels of their professional careers from different aspects of life struggling with similar issues. I learned so much from this class and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to work on their communication skills! Wonderful class! Loved the focus on common issues that women in particular face with public speaking. Our teacher, Olive Persimmon, was friendly, encouraging, and helpful. My one wish was that we spent less time on general improv and more time on public speaking-specific exercises. Such a fun class! Most of what we 'learned' about storytelling wasn't new information, but practicing it was helpful. The class was really great and well structured, I gained a lot of value. The facility wasn't the best mostly because there wasn't a lot of space and it was hot hot. Thursday Jan 24th, 7pm - 9pm Tuesday Jan 29th, 7pm - 9pm Wednesday Feb 6th, 7pm - 8:30pm Tuesday Feb 12th, 7pm - 9pm Monday Mar 4th, 7pm - 9pm Wednesday Mar 20th, 7pm - 9pm Wednesday Mar 27th, 7pm - 9pm

Hakkasan – A Contemporary Take on Authentic Cantonese Cuisine Hakkasan is undoubtedly one of Dubai’s fanciest restaurants and arguably one of the best Chinese restaurants in the whole of UAE. Thanks to the incredibly high standards it has set, Hakkasan is often bench-marked as a restaurant-to-compare pitted against new comers and other contenders in the category. So, needless to say - when we got an invitation to visit Hakkasan for a review, we grabbed the opportunity. A restaurant that has consistently won accolades and honors since its launch, Hakkasan lives up to its prestigious ranking by offering exquisite food, remarkable milieu and supreme levels of service, much like its counterparts in other countries. Flaunting a fantastic selection of exotic Cantonese dishes and an extensive line-up of spirits and world-class cigars, Hakkasan leads the list of top luxury restaurants in the Dubai. Equally as exotic as the food is the ambiance. Hakkasan’s interior exudes a lavish Shanghai-Chinois chic, rich in texture and detail, and animated by a luxurious array of ambient sounds, scents and lighting. The warm hues of the mood-lit interiors create the perfect synergy for either professional get-togethers or intimate dinners. Housed in the posh and elegant Jumeirah Emirates Towers, its every bit as luxe as you'd expect a property on this opulent hotel tower to be. A huge lit wall with the brand insignia takes pride of place in the entrance and behind this - a mood-lit walkway staged on water leads you to the uber-slick interior. You can see distinctly modern aesthetics combining with traditional Chinese motifs to give the interior a unique charm and graceful vibe. Ornamental Chinese Lattice design adorn the dining areas and add a touch of authenticity and class, while dexterously carved wooden screens create intimate dining areas within the restaurant. On the outside a gorgeous terrace with a stunning view of the tower, wooden pavilions and mood lighting create an environment for a stellar outdoor dining experience. The restaurant’s 112-seat terrace features rustic wooden pavilions, lush exotic greenery and Hakkasan’s signature oak latticing. The restaurant can accommodate 152 guests, including the opulent Ling Ling lounge – a popular venue for high end get-togethers. I started off with some pre-dinner drinks. I took the waiters recommendation and went for Silva Leaf - a lovely concoction of Kome to Mizu sake, Champagne, passion fruit and house-made Chinese five-spice syrup. I followed that up with the slightly sweeter Velvet Sling – another delightful cocktail blend of Lillet Blanc, nettle cordial, blackberries, raspberries, basil, cinnamon and apple juice in Ketel One vodka. Hakkasan has a very gorgeous, well-stocked bar for pre-dinner drinks. The live DJ whipping out heady soundtracks is a bonus. For the soups we had Hot and Sour with Chicken Soup and Sweet corn soup. I always believe a really good soup can be a nice omen for the great food to follow and Hakkasan didn't disappoint. The Hot and Sour Chicken soup was distinct and undoubtedly one of the best I’ve tasted in town. Sizzling hot and bursting with flavor, the soup served as a perfect start to the meal. My dining companion who savored the Sweet Corn Soup reflected similar sentiments. For entrée, we ordered from the Only at Dubai collection - a selection of dishes, desserts and cocktails showcasing the local Dubai cuisine and culture. The Only At collections vary from country to country and employ ingredients and flavors resonating with the locations where it is served. The Only At collections in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha feature ingredients influenced by the region, such as saffron, dates and orange flower water. Delicate cinnamon and chilli spices in the cocktails are a specialty of the Only At Dubai collection. Hakka fried dim sum platter This was by far the best part of the meal. The Fried Dim sum Platter looked premium and tasted heavenly. The platter comprises of 3 items - roast duck pumpkin puff (that actually looks like a small pumpkin) mushroom & foie gras dumpling and wagyu beef & mushroom puff. There’s a reason this place has been showered with awards over the years!! While the Cantonese are credited with the world's best dim sum, I strongly believe Hakkasan needs to be ranked/rated A+ for the country’s best Cantonese Fried Dim Sums. Crispy Golden Chilli and Pepper Tofu Fiery, both from the chillies and the black pepper yet in a delectably moderate manner, the dish was soft, luscious, crisp to the right level and an absolute delightful to savour. Stir Fried Vegetable and Pine Nut lettuce wrap This dish is all about texture and as the combination of crunchy, crisp, and tender bits came together in the mouth, it was a feast for the palates. Savoury and spicy, this dish proved that sometimes vegetarian recipes can be just as substantive and flavorful as meat dishes. My vegetarian dining partner couldn’t have agreed more. For the mains I went for Fried Golden Prawns and Crispy Bean curd wrap (Not really a part of the Only at Dubai menu but ordered as a veg. option for my dining companion) Fried golden tiger prawn in orange dressing (with macadamia nut) Honestly, the best I've tasted anywhere – the fried golden prawns were succulent, luscious and absolutely delicious. The sweet creamy orange dressing seemed to complement the tenderness of the prawns well, giving it all that overall balanced flavor and taste. Crispy Bean Curd Wrap in Spicy Lemongrass Sauce. Also fantastically good, this Hakkasan delicacy is a mouth-watering bite full of flavour and texture, accentuated well by the spicy lemongrass sauce. Hakka Hand Pulled Noodle Yummy, flavourful and as authentic as it can get, Hakkasan's hand pulled noodles are a class apart! White chocolate and strawberry semifreddo (with almond nougatine) Everything on Hakkasan’s menu seemed to be top-notch including the desserts. The very look and presentation of it made our mouths water and we couldn’t wait to dig into it. And trust us when we say – this dessert tasted as fabulous as it looked. We gorged on this gorgeous dessert after our customary food bloggers clicks. My VerdictIf you want to enjoy the finest of Chinese delicacies in imperial splendour, then Hakkasan is your perfect destination. The punchy cocktails, lip-smacking food, uber-slick milieu and impressive service will make your dining experience a delicious pleasure. If you're going INFORMATIONWhere: Lower Level, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Hours: 12 Noon to 4:00 PM, and 7 PM to 1:00 AM All Week Atmosphere: Elegant, mood-lit, chinese motifs, wooden pavilions, colourful bar Parking: Valet Parking Available Prices: AED 600 for two people (approx.) Credit cards: Cash & All major credit cards accepted Sound level: Quiet Wheelchair access: Accesible Recommended: Fried Dim Sum, Golden Fried Tofu, Tiger Prawns, Semi Freddo dessert Reservations: 04 3848484 Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/HakkasanDubai

|Date of Birth:||-- --- --| |Date Commissioned||21 Jun 1969||Course||102 Course| |Service End||Retired on 30 Jun 2009| |Google the Bharat Rakshak Website for : "P P Rajkumar"| |05 Jun 1989 - 26 Jun 1992||Wg Cdr||No.119 Helicopter Unit||Jamnagar||Commanding Officer| |22 May 1996 - 09 Nov 1997||Gp Capt||Helicopter Training School||Hakimpet||Commanding Officer| |-||Air Cmde||Training Command||Bangalore||Command Flying Training Officer| |-||Air Cmde||36 Wing||Makarpura (Vadodara)||Air Officer Commanding| |24 Dec 2001 -||Air Cmde||Air Head Quarters||Delhi||Director (Ops, Trans & He| |- 11 Oct 2003||AVM||Air Head Quarters||Delhi||Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Ops (Concept & Doctorine)| |01 Dec 2000 -||AVM||Air Head Quarters||Delhi||Additional Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Operations| |10 Oct 2002 - 31 Dec 2004||AVM||National Defence Academy||Pune||Deputy Commandant & Chief Instructor| |01 Jan 2005 - 30 Nov 2006||Air Mshl||National Defence College||Delhi||Commandant| |02 Dec 2006 - 31 Dec 2007||Air Mshl||Andaman and Nicobar Command||Port Blair||Commander in Chief| |31 Dec 2007 - 30 Jun 2009||Air Mshl||Central Air Command||Allahabad||Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief| |Incomplete Information? Additions? Corrections? Please download Template File and follow instructions.| |Ati Vishist Seva Medal| |Air Cmde||Packiam Paul Rajkumar||12018 F(P)||Award Date 26 Jan 2003||Announced 26 Jan 2003| |Details :|| | Air Commodore Packiam Paul Rajkumar (12018) Flying (Pilot) F (P) was commissioned in the IAF on 21 Jun 69. An A-2 Qualified Instructor (QFI), graduate of National Defence College and the Defence Services Staff College, he has commanded an operational helicopter unit, which actively participated in Op Pawan in Sri Lanka. He has also been at the helm of the Helicopter Training School, a premium training institution of the Indian Air Force and successfully commanded an Air Force Station. He has also served eminently as Air Force Examiner in the AEB during 1985-88. He has over 6500 accident free flying hours to his credit. The officer took charge as the Director of Operations (Transport and Helicopters) on 24 Dec 01, at the peak of the recent Air Force activation. This called for intense personal involvement and meticulous planning to ensure that the IAF firepower was positioned on the western border well within the stipulated time. He has been able to successfully achieve this enormous task in smooth and efficient manner. The officer ensured continued serviceability and high availability of the helicopter fleet which is the lifeline for sustenance of troops in the forward areas, especially high altitudes. It is to the credit of the air officer that during this period of enhanced activity, equal attention was paid to the revision and standardization of various orders, instructions and operating procedures pertaining to transport and helicopter operations. The cases for replenishment of spares and equipment for the fleet are also being expeditiously progressed by the officer with acumen and vision. Air Commodore Packiam Paul Rajkumar has, thus, rendered distinguished service of an exceptional order. |Reference : GoI20030126| |Param Vishist Seva Medal| |Air Marshal||Packiam Paul Rajkumar||12018 F(P)||Award Date 26 Jan 2008||Announced 26 Jan 2008| |Details :|| | Air Marshal Packiam Paul Rajkumar (12018) F (P) was commissioned as a helicopter pilot in the Flying (Pilot) Branch on 21 Jun 1969. He is presently the Commander-in-Chief of only Joint Operational Command in India, namely, the Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC) at Port Blair from 02 Dec 06. He is an alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Army War College and the NDC. For distinguished services of exceptional order he was awarded AVSM in 2003. In the long and illustrious career spanning 38 years, the Air Mshl had held various field and staff appointments. Some of them have been the Principal Director Operations (Transport and Helicopter), Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operational Concepts and Doctrines) at Air HQ, Deputy Commandant of National Defence Academy (NDA) and Commandant of National Defence College (NDC). As PD (Ops), he oversaw the Transport and Helicopter operations during 'Op Parakram'. He also initiated the proposal for Helicopter Display Team for the Air Force, which led to the formation of the now internationally renowned 'Sarang' Team - the only helicopter display team in the world. Subsequently, as an Air Marshal, he was the Chairman of the Academic Study Group of the NDA. The previous such Study Group was formed more than 30 years earlier. This Study Group recommended wide ranging changes in the academic curriculum at NDA, resulting in synergy between the purely academic and military subjects, for the first time since its inception. The recommendations have now been implemented in toto at the NDA with the approval of JNU and the COSC. As the Commandant of NDC, he pursued award of M Phil Degree to the participants of the Course. Due of his efforts, the course participants in 2006 have been awarded the M Phil degree from Madras University. All future NDC participants will now be eligible for this degree. As the Commander-in-Chief of the ANC, he had drawn up a vision plan for the progress and development of the command upto 2022. His directions for Joint Planning and Operations had led to very high serviceability of all the fleets in the command. The Naval Fleet achieved the distinction of sailing all their 15 ships for many days in August 2007, which had never been achieved in ANC before. The operational capability and integration of the three Services and the Coast Guard component improved tremendously under his leadership, leading to a record number of apprehensions of foreign poachers in Andamans. As the first Air Force Commander-in-Chief of the ANC, he has exhibited a clear vision for Joint operations and contributed extensively to Jointness amongst the services. Air Marshal Packiam Paul Rajkumar, AVSM has thus rendered distinguished service of the most exceptional order. |Reference : GoI20080126| |Remarks: Profile Note added: 2009-02-08| Air Marshal PP Rajkumar Ati Vishisht Seva Medal has taken over as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the prestigious Central Air Command of the Indian Air Force on 01 Jan 08. Before assuming this new appointment, he was holding the post of Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the only Unified Operational military Command in India i.e. the Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair. The Air Marshal did his schooling from VOC Board High School, Kovllpatti and St Joseph’s Indian High School Bangalore, He graduated from National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, in Dec ember 1967 and was commissioned as a helicopter pilot in Jun 1969. During his distinguished career he has flown extensively all over India on 12 different types of aircraft. He has more than 6500 hours of flying to his credit. He is a qualified flying instructor and had been a Pilot Examiner for the Indian Air Force. He has been on Deputation to Iraq from 1987 to 1989 to train their pilots. He has taken part in 1971 operations which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh. He has also operated extensively in Siachin glacier and in Sri Lanka in the 80’s. He has held many important Operational, Training and Staff appointments in his career. He had been the Deputy Commandant of National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla, near Pune, from 2003 to 2004 and the Commandant of the prestigious National Defence College in New Delhi Air Marshal Rajkumar is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Army War College, Mhow, College of Defence Management, Secunderabad and National Defence College, New Delhi. He holds an M. Sc Degree in Defence Studies and an M. Phil. in Defence Management Studies. He is a permanent member of the Aeronautical Society of India and Rotary Wing Society of India. He was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal by the President of India in 2003, for meritorious service.

Alert Innovation is a growing start-up with a mission to re-invent retailing through robotics – and we’re off to a great start. We’ve partnered with world’s largest retailer to help re-invent the customer’s shopping experience with our Alphabot Technology at the center of a new era in retail. To succeed, we need to grow our team. We seek to hire exceptional people who love their work, want it to be meaningful and collaborative, and strive for excellence in a team-oriented culture. Alert Innovation offers a competitive salary and generous benefits package, including an equity stake in our growing company. Full Time, Exempt The Electrical Designer will help us develop and support our state-of-the-art robotic inventory management system. The job entails working with the electrical engineering team to develop concepts, build and test prototypes, and document designs. The Electrical Designer will also work closely with Mechanical, Systems and Software Engineering Disciplines to define design requirements, develop concepts, complete designs and verification, transition designs to production, and support fielded products. Who you are: - You are skilled in 2d or 3d drafting and best practices – you are attentive, careful and strive to create documentation that is right the first time. - You have an interest in automation. - You are familiar and able to comprehend datasheets for common industrial components, including power supplies, industrial PCs and PLCs, circuit protection devices, UPSs, industrial touchscreens, and sensors. - You have experience creating block diagrams and wiring diagrams. - You are hands on and know how to build/repair things! - Work with other engineers team to fashion accurate, modular and scalable wiring diagrams and their supporting BOMs, BOM structure, and supporting drawings. - Locate datasheets and manuals for components, edit PDFs to clarify specific part used and mark them with internal part numbers. - Create engineering change orders though our Product Lifecycle Management System to release and revise components and assemblies. - Create drawings, schematics and procedures with direction from the electrical engineering team. - Support prototype electrical assembly builds as required. - Collaborate with vendors to identify optimal components. - Knowledge and experience designing and generating electrical schematics and electrical cabinet CAD drawings. - Familiar with the installation of conduit, cables trays and other cable management systems. - Ability to read and understand electromechanical drawings and schematics - Experience with Microsoft office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio a plus) - Strong written and verbal communication skills - Strong problem-solving skills - Comfortable with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Electrical is a plus. - Familiar with common electrical tools, including DMMs, oscilloscopes, ammeters, etc. - Solid understanding of electrical basics (voltage, current, power, resistance, inductance, capacitance) and their relationships. - Familiarity with common shop tools and 3d printers is a plus. TEAMING & PERSONAL - A love of making things to meet high personal standards. - Self-motivated and able to work through ambiguity. - Willingness to learn and grow as well as share knowledge. - Detail oriented; willing and capable of documenting before designing. - Ability to support or lead project teams as circumstances require. - Works successfully in a collaborative team environment and constructively influences team decisions. - Able to respond to urgency, drive and enthusiasm to deliver results. - Ability to thrive in a fast paced and dynamic environment meeting critical deadlines. EDUCATION/RELATIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE - Position requires a minimum of an A.S. degree in a relevant electrical or drafting field (or the equivalent in training and experience) with at least 2 years of job experience. All members of Alert Innovation practice the following values as part of their daily responsibilities and model these values as she/he leads or supports their teams. - The Golden Rule: Extraordinarily powerful in its simplicity and depth: “Treat others as you would want to be treated”. - The Power of Person: The contribution of every single person in a company is important, and the performance of the entire company can only be maximized when every person strives to achieve his/her full potential and to contribute to the best of his/her ability. - The Power of Team: The Power of Person becomes amplified exponentially when a group of people working effectively as a team create “performance synergy”, whereby the capacity to perform as a team is much greater than the sum of the individual members’ capacities. - The Power of Truth: We strive to see the world as it is, not as we want or imagine it to be, because only then can we make it better. This core value manifests itself through questioning, probing, testing, measuring, validating, verifying, proving, listening with an open mind, and making fact-based decisions. It also fosters transparency and honesty with others, as well as self-examination and self-honesty. Alert Innovation is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Sérum Amincissant Corps Body Refining Serum The skin immediately absorbs this liquid serum-gel with in-depth action, under your usual body care product (or along with the Body Lifting Treatment), day after day, visibly redefining areas with fat deposits and cellulite. This serum-gel contains an Exclusive Sculpting Complex with highly concentrated active ingredients that have an in-depth action on the lipolysis and on the drainage of tissues. It stimulates the breakdown of lipids, thereby facilitating the elimination of excess fat and water retention around the arms, stomach, hips, buttocks, thighs and knees... eliminating fat deposits and cellulite from problem areas is no longer an unattainable goal. First visible results* on water retention and body fat in 2 weeks only!! *Clinical trial conducted under dermatological control As a result-maintenance treatment or to perfect results depending on your desires, apply once a day. Ideal in combination with Body Lifting Treatment to slim down problem areas through an additional intense firming effect. *Do not use on the breast. Avoid exposure to the sun after applying. The ENZYME, biotechnological molecule, has a keratolytic effect. It eliminates dead cells, improves the assimilation of active ingredients and guarantee a better quality of cellular cover. CYTOKINES are key molecules for cellular communication .They act on receptors of other cells to induce many vital reactions.Cutaneous structure is optimised and skin's appearance and firmness is improved. BIOSTIMULINS stimulate cell oxygenation, a vital energy source, as well as the synthesis of collagen and elastin which guarantees tone and elasticity. Results* of the clinical and instrumental assessment: • Water retention (ECW: extracellular water) decreased by 0.62 litres after 56 days of use • Body fat decreased by 1.04 kg after 56 days of use • 80% of the volunteers saw an improvement in skin firmness after 56 days of use • 83% of the volunteers found their skin was smoother after 56 days of use Results of the self-assessment questionnaire: • 73% of the volunteers found that the product had a slimming effect on the body • 70% of the volunteers found that the product redefined the figure • 80% of the volunteers found that the product reduced the skin’s padded appearance • 93% of the volunteers found that the product had a draining effect • 75% of the volunteers found that the product had a lipolytic effect • 93% of the volunteers found that the product improved skin firmness • 95% of the volunteers found that the product left the skin smoother * Clinical trial conducted under dermatological control. Bupleurum Chinensis extract activates lipolysis through cAMP (via the G protein) Caffeine inhibits the breakdown of cAMP by inactivation of phosphodiesterase. Coenzyme A (a biotechnological molecule) promotes internal combustion of fats and regeneration of ATP. This complex combats cellulite by stimulating the breakdown of lipids in order to eliminate excess fat contained in the adipocytes. This unique synergy of ingredients encourages lipolysis, improves tissue firmness and micro-relief and reduces the creation of adiposities. The phytochemical richness of cacao extract in caffeine, theobromine, flavonoids and magnesium not only activates cellular metabolism to promote lipolysis, but also increases the skin’s microcirculation and promotes intra- and extracellular exchanges. It helps eliminate water retention in the tissues and reduce localised fat deposits and the padded appearance of the skin.

The main goal of AGROinLOG is the demonstration of Integrated Biomass Logistic Centres (IBLC) for food and non-food products, evaluating their technical, environmental and economic feasibility. The project is based on three agro-industries in the fodder (Spain), olive oil production (Greece) and cereal processing (Sweden) sectors that are willing to deploy new business lines in their facilities to open new markets in bio-commodities (energy, transport and manufacturing purposes) and intermediate bio-products (transport and biochemicals). These sectors represent over 10% turnover of agro-food industries and 30% of those with inherent synergies to integrate food and non-food business taking advantage of their existing equipment, seasonality and established food logistics. The synergies of applying IBLCs business in existing agro-industries can have a positive impact over 18% in final product price, giving a clear competitive strength to a wide segment of agro-industries, which can exploit this privileged situation compared to a new biomass supply business built from scratch. More specifically the project aims to: The project is built on these agro-industries that will achieve a TRL7-8 in their facilities, guaranteeing operation under real conditions and with big amounts of production compared to the current activity, ensuring proximity to real market at the end of the project. Main challenges are based on being able to integrate logistics, harvesting and equipment in food and non-food applications, where the project is focused; ensuring marketability of the final bio-commodities. Besides, AGROinLOG will apply a multi-actor approach to attain experiences and knowledge of the sectors and agro- industries, enhancing the accuracy of the business models and developing effective and friendly guidelines of best practices to replicate and spread IBLC concept in Europe. This project will contribute towards employment stability – seasonality avoidance-, rural development and bio-economy goals. The results of the project are: Although biomass production and utilization itself brings positive impacts to the society and the bio-economy, AGROinLOG impacts assessment goes beyond these general impacts in order to be specifically focused on those achieved through the consideration of IBLCs aspects. The positive aspects of the possible synergies that the incorporation of a new non-food based business can bring to an existing food based agro-industry are depicted as follows: Synergy effects of implementing new IBLCs in respect to: Biomass sourcing, Investments, Inventorying and labeling (information processing), marketing, harvesting, transport, storage and treating/processing. The technical, economic and environmental direct impacts of the three agro-industries in which IBLCs will be implemented, have been estimated on the base of several indicators for each of them. More analytically, AGROinLOG contributes to the following: The services provided are:

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well, I am here again to talk about ios applications, which have become such a part of my life, that I can hardly recall the fact that four years ago, I knew absolutely nothing of them. one of the first and most lasting of ios applications, has been the subject of a quiet revival over the past few months for me, and that would be, the remarkable scape, by brian eno and peter chilvers. scape was one of the first applications of any kind that I downloaded (at some point in late November 2012!!), and I proceeded to work with it, following it’s “hints”, watching my tools and palettes grow organically, and recording scape after scape after scape after scape. every time a new tool arrived – I would record new scapes. a new “background” arrives – and I must records scapes, including, a scape with just that background, nothing else, in it. and – some of the most incredibly minimal and amazing scapes were created that way. in fact, I was so incredibly excited about the app, that back in the day, the I authored no less than three blogs in a row that were mostly about…scape; scape week one, scape week two and scape week three…followed by a fast forward to week five of scape! during scape week two, I noted that in the short time of just two weeks, that I had created something like 146 scapes. most of which did not see the light of day until very recently, in early to mid 2015. in 2012, and during early 2013, though, still feeling my way through the scape processes; I would take a new tool, and mix it up with the familiar, to see what kinds of crazy combinations of instrumentation I could come up with, mixing bells with synths with basses with just plain strange sounding samples. some times, I would work in a very, very minimal space, one or two objects, very quiet, super ambient – on other days, I would load the scapes to capacity, hmmm, let’s see, what happens if I insert 20 or 30 bass guitars into one scape? interesting! so this went on, for a number of months, perhaps, six months – until, one day, abruptly, I stopped. I had made around 1100 scapes by then, and at the time, I did take the time to record the first 30 or so, so that the world could hear how beautiful this app truly is. I published those 30, I think I added a few more later on, and there they sat – until 2015. for some unknown reason, I got the idea into my head, sometime near the beginning of this year, that I should capture ALL 1100 scapes, record every single one of them, capture each and every scape image (and, of course, it’s that “image” that “is” the music – the shapes, generate the music)…I would record them all. this became then, the great project in the background. I would work on my progressive rock song – still unfinished – and then, record a few dozen more scapes. I would spend a Saturday working on my data, or cleaning up my music data – and, the whole time, I would be capturing dozens more scapes. I developed tools, in SONAR, a special scape “template”, or actually, two of them – one that covered the first 50 numbers of a hundred, and the second, which covered the second 50 numbers in a hundred – which then meant, you only had to choose the appropriate template, and change the prefix from 101, to 401, or whatever you were “up to”. soon enough, my prefixes started looking like “801”, or “901” and eventually, “1001” – and I then knew the end was in sight. a few more weeks, and finally – they were all recorded. of course – the work doesn’t stop there. each file, has to be lovingly trimmed, removing the header and the tail, and then normalised to -3 db to match all of the previously released scapes – all of which have been normalised to -3. basically, it’s the simplest mastering job in the universe, because I don’t add EQ, I don’t add reverb (tempting though THAT might be!) – I leave them untouched, exactly the way they come out when the app generates them. they sound good enough, without me tinkering with them. however, even though that’s a simple job, I still work on them file by file, one file by one file, to make sure there are no problems (a few stray “pops” have had to be removed from one or two captures – and occasionally, I may have to go and re-capture scapes if they have significant problems – try again – although thankfully, I’ve not had to do that yet…) and that they sound as perfect and as pristine as they can. the best part of it though, exceeding all, has been HEARING them again. and looking at the images used to create them, and remembering my thought processes – for example, one thing I loved to do, was, create a “basic scape” – a scape with certain elements, and then, simply copy it over and over again, each time, just changing one aspect of it – which was almost always, the “effects” – the coloured icons on the right side of the GUI, which add flangers or tremelo or chorus or whatever. originally, that was maybe four or five different “treatments” of the same scape – but towards the end, some new effects – bright orange, and a pale blue, if I recall correctly – arrived, so towards the end, if I did a full sweep, you might get seven or eight “versions” of the same scape. and – if it was a particularly lovely scape in it’s initial incarnation – then – you ended up with eight absolutely outstanding scapes. so it was a good technique – take something that is proven sounding good, and then “treat” it seven different ways – and then, pick your favourite of the eight, too. often, for me, that would either be the deep pink effect, or, the dark, mysterious green – and the green effect, whatever it is, is definitely my favourite. I could “see myself” thinking up these processes, I could “see myself”, just by looking at the icons, the paintings that I did, that powered the scapes, what I was thinking – here was a section, where everything was COMPLETELY about minimalism. a single effect, with nothing else. a single background, with nothing but an effect. two backgrounds, mixed together. a single “E” yellow “note”, playing atop a single “mountain” or pyramid. I could see, that often, I was stuck in “minimalist mode” for days at a time, and then, I would go back to much louder, much crazier scape designs, especially those that contain far too many bass guitars, and yet, still, somehow, work, others, where I intentionally used the most dissonant “elements” possible, to try to create a more “index of metals” vibe, and in fact, I have made a note somewhere, that one of my scapes does sound a bit like “an index of metals” sans Fripp. as I recorded them, I would occasionally note down the names (of course, I mean the “numbers” of the scapes, since none of them have names!!) of certain scapes that I particularly liked. then, when I moved into the mastering stage, I would do the same – so I now have a document that I’ve officially started, that is my “scapes of note” document, and once I have completed the mastering (at the rate I am going right now, that will be sometime in 2017 but who knows?) I will publish that list on the music for apps: scape eternal album on the bandcamp site – because believe you me, if you sit and listen to those “chosen” scapes in one sitting, it will blow your mind – it will be like hearing a lost, super excellent super ambient eno album that you never knew about. for me, in the real world, it’s the equivalent of getting the remastered “neroli”, so that I could get the previously unreleased second disc – a “new”, long form eno ambient piece called “new space music” – which is right up there with “neroli” and “thursday morning” and “music for airports” in terms of being supremely beautiful and supremely ambient. hearing those chosen scapes, will be not unlike, the first time I heard “new space music” – 50 minutes of previously unheard long-form eno ambient music – it does not really get a lot better than that. if you had a LOT of time, my recommendation would be – listen to them ALL, from the beginning. basically, I’ve just done that….listened to over a thousand scapes, and it was the most relaxing, beautiful experience…really relaxing. with the odd moment of dissonance. why? because in my innocent, quiet way, I followed their rules – I did not jump ahead like so many scape users did – and in fact, when I found out there was a hack that allows you to expose all of the instruments, sounds and treatments in one fell swoop – I deliberately didn’t take note of it, and I have never ever done that with any scape install – I would NEVER spoil the journey of discovery that eno and chilvers worked so hard to create. that’s just me…some want to get to all the toys right away…I was happy to wait. the advice that the app gives you, and the way you keep receiving more and more amazing sounds, all the time, and the excitement you would feel, when you realised you had just got a truly beautiful eno fretless bass line, or, an amazing floating eno synthesizer riff – every other day, every 20 or 30 scapes – you would get another “present” – it is an amazing way to grow with the application, instead of “cheating” and going to the end…OK, for some, that’s the way, I get it – but, I can tell you – if you listen to these 1100 scapes – what you will hear, is first, a limited palette of sounds. that directly affects the sound of the resulting scapes, and for a while, it was almost impossible to create a loud or annoying scape. as you got more voices, and you had more ability to mix voices – then the chances of cacophony or dissonance, or both, increased significantly. in the middle period, in the 400s and 500s, you get a medium to large compliment of instruments, and, the scapes get more complex, denser – although, I still go on self-imposed minimalist streaks, using the newer tools to create new minimalist scapes even right up to the very end. and of course, during the last few hundred, I am finally, using ALL of the instruments, and I was receiving no more new updates – I had at last, revealed all of the instruments, backgrounds, and treatments – and then, I kept going…until one day, I just…stopped. and then, three or four years passed, and I thought – hmmm, I really, really wish I had recorded all of those scapes. and then that other voice, the one that thinks big, says “well, why don’t you…” and that was that. four, five months down the road from that internal conversation – and I have them all captured and recorded. I have, as of a few days ago, mastered 187 of them (which took me up to scape 200 – the numbers don’t match because several scapes were lost, i.e. when you erase a scape, you lose it’s auto-generated “number” – so the track number no longer matches the scape number), and as time permits, I master more and more and more and more. Until I finish. And then, once mastered, I upload. Actually, as I master, I try to upload, because the more I upload, the clearer the decks are for more scapes, to upload later…to date, about 118 of them have been uploaded. So the sound of scape, and the musical DNA of brian eno and peter chilvers, has been filling the studio monitors for many, many months, weeks and days, and it’s so strange, I’ve listened to well over 1000 scapes this year, all recorded in late 2012 / early 2013. and just hearing them – it was so mesmerising, it was so, so incredibly relaxing – I would have scapes playing all day long, all weekend long – as I captured them – and after a day or two of listening to scapes being captured, I would be so chilled, so relaxed – they really are like a tonic, I swear – there is something about them, they are ALL so incredibly reminiscent of brian eno’s music, no matter what weird things happen in the scape – it just sounds like eno…they ALL sound like eno. even the really strange ones – eno. normally, it’s the ambient eno, but occasionally, you get the really strange, really dissonant eno – or other eno’s – not always pleasant. but most of the time – you get real ambient beauty – with the very occasional journey into slightly more alternative types of ambient. it’s a trip worth taking, and if you don’t mind waiting – well, the first hundred and some are up there, free to listen to, on bandcamp – so go have a listen – those top secret never-before-heard brian eno ambient albums are just there waiting – it’s uncanny, how after you hear 20 or 30 0f these scapes, that you get the uncanny feeling that you were just privy to a top secret performance of an unreleased eno ambient masterwork – they just sound great, to me, it will always be the best of the best generative music apps, and it’s difficult to believe sometimes that it IS generative – that the songs are literally created, by creating a visual input, of shapes, colours, backgrounds and effects that are colour-based. but – that is how it works – you paint a picture, or, you randomly throw shapes onto a canvas – either way, it works if you spend hours meticulously building something very visually appealing, or, if you very randomly add different shapes together, or even on top of each other – or whatever, no matter what the input – it ALWAYS sounds good. often, I would spend time working on carefully composing and arranging the shapes, more often than not, there would be a plan, a purpose, a desire to make a beautiful visual piece of art…that also happens to generate really beautiful music. Only very occasionally would I work randomly, when I did, I’d still get good results, but I always preferred creating something beautiful and intentional, trying to make a good piece of art. scape always rewarded me with interesting, challenging ambient music no matter what the input; I do like to think that taking time to create more meticulous art resulted in better scapes, but I can’t prove it. and now for something completely different. I told you last time about my frustrations with Notion. It seems to be working again now, and I have managed to salvage and finish my interrupted recording, but, I am still not going to publish it yet – as I want to move it from the iPad to the desktop, to see if I can get some better instrument sounds for it – I am just not happy with some of the sounds in Notion for IPad, and I am hoping that via some process, I will be able to create a new mix of the track, using BETTER sounding instruments – so the song is on hold, I won’t release it until I’ve had time to research this. it’s complete, it’s alternative / jazz, it’s about 8:00 long, and I’m really really happy with it – working title “abstraction distraction retraction”. though it will be delayed, I hope to have it finished one way or the other and published this year – it’s a good track. I have started a new track in Notion, another guitar quartet, but this time, steel string guitars rather than nylon strings, as the last guitar piece I did (“fantasy no.1 in d major for four guitars”) was. it’s only a few bars long, but it’s off to a good start, it’s in 7/4 time to start, so that makes it unusual. working title (likely to be changed) is “relentless refraction of light”. now that I think of it, I have a number of new tracks in various stages, from embryonic to complete; besides one complete Notion track and one just started, there is also a new proggy piece in Gadget, which is coming along nicely, and a very interesting piece, featuring vocoder vocals recorded in Attack, my new favourite drum machine, I love it! so there is a lot of music in progress, but given my commitments over the next two months, most of these tracks wont appear until November or December – but, they will all get done, and they will all come out… and of course there is my song made with real instruments, “the complete unknown” which is probably about 85% complete, that one may need more time, because I am in the middle of real guitar overdubs, which do take time. I’m very happy though, that one of my very best works in a long time, “abstraction distraction retraction” is done, I do want to see if I can improve the instrumentation, but if I can’t better it, then I will just do the best I can with the existing tools. in fact, I would dearly love to re-record ALL of my non-classical Notion tracks, with better instruments – I really would. But – we shall see, time will tell…and all that kind of stuff… so setting the problem of improving the instrument sounds in Notion for a while, I want to talk about two newer apps that I’ve been playing with, that are both in their own way, quite exciting. the first one is a free app (well, it was temporarily free anyway) called “YouCompose” and at first, I scoffed – when I realised what it’s premise was – this is it: you record a melody using a keyboard to input it, and there are various templates you can use, I used a stock quartet of horns, so my solo instrument was a saxophone – so, I played a sax melody to the best of my ability – and then, I pushed the “harmonise” button – and, in just a second or two, literally – it produced three horn harmonies – and damned if they didn’t sound half bad !! I tried again, with a longer, more complex melody – and again, the almost instant four part harmony – well, three part harmony to your input melody – came out quite well – almost palatable. With some difficulty, you are able to edit the parts, you can erase bad notes, change notes with the wrong durations, and so on – it’s not too bad, although it’s no Notion when it comes to editing ! today then, I had a second session with it, and I did a session with guitar harmonics, bass guitar, clean electric guitar, and distorted guitar 2. I did the harmonics part first, and let the rest be created by the master of harmony, YouCompose. this time, it was quite a flop – it couldn’t seem to really figure out what to do with just harmonics for input. so – to give it a better chance – I took command of Distorted Guitar 2 – and recorded a fake “lead solo” with no accompaniment. pushed the magic “harmonize” button again – and this time, it produced the goods – bass, guitar and harmonics, that accompanied the lead solo really quite well. it’s fine for free, but it does leave a lot to be desired – I tried to copy my harmonics clip into the bass slot, and it refused to paste it where I placed the cursor – it would only paste it AFTER the two existing clips of harmonics – not alongside or on top of them, as I was wanting to do (I wanted to create some counterpoint, by having the bass “follow” the harmonics – but the app simply would not let me. so until it’s a bit more flexible with editing, moving, copying, and manipulating clips, I will continue to view it as a fascinating toy – sometimes, it does an AMAZING job of harmonising, but, there is an equal or better chance, that it will produce something quite plodding, or quite inappropriate, that does NOT sound good – and I found that I tended to delete more of it’s harmonisations than I ever saved – I only saved a few, where it had worked particularly well. And even then – I would probably go into every clip, and make changes, to make it a bit more…human? It is, however, an amazing experience – to play a series of notes, a melody, on your own, and then, literally two or three seconds later, you have a fully notated set of complex harmonies. The rules for this thing must have been an absolute bastard to write, and it does operate in different keys and time signatures, as well as having some basic tempo controls (I kept selecting “lethargic” – the slowest tempo – which resulted in some dire and terrible four part harmonies, going by at dirge pace – yuick!) but I do admire the sheer bravado of it – it is hit or miss, but for me, it’s just fun, it’s kinda like spinning the wheel of fortune – will it come out beautiful, plain, or awful? will it be OK, but flawed in places? will it, and this is very rare – will it be achingly beautiful? maybe, once every 100th attempt. I don’t think that ANY computer can make up harmonies as well as a human computer, but – it can sure do it FASTER. And if you don’t like the “detail” work of having to write out harmonies for your melodies – well then, this may be the tool for you. I do find myself gravitating towards it when I don’t feel like working on serious music – hoping, I guess, that the magic three second harmony creator button, might create something truly amazing…and very occasionally – it does. now, to my final recent discovery, I ran across this last night on the old app ticker – it’s called, I kid you not, “play the golden gate bridge” – and again, at first, I thought – this must be a joke – but it’s not, it’s actually a project by the San Francisco Synthesizer Ensemble (which you can buy on CD) where they have literally, sampled the bridge (and, the app has a special page with nine of the original samples, which are simply amazing) and then there is the actual app, which allows you to play the cables of the golden gate bridge in the manner of a harp – but, using a selection of more than a dozen possible sounds, including “fog horn” (my personal favourite), “waves”. “railing”, “lamp post”, “cable thock”, “cable click”, “south tower”, and another favourite “reverse hit” – you can select any of these amazing voices, which are developed from the original samples – and that sound becomes the sound you play on the “harp” – which is of course, the golden gate bridge, set against a cloudy sunset sky – a lovely image, and it makes beautiful, beautiful sounds. it also allows for recording, and in fact, it has a little second page where you can record up to four different parts – so it’s like having a four channel TEAC tape deck or something, right there in your app, to overdub parts with – I think that is really excellent, and I can see myself writing pieces for this odd “instrument”, and doing videos of performances with it, too, because it is an absolutely unique way of performing (the only other app I have that is anything like this, is “VOSIS”, where you “play” a marble statue) and it’s actually a lot of fun to play. also, some of the sounds are so beautiful, really ambient, really natural, strangely – even the metallics, all of them have a wonderful, organic feeling to them – and to me, this is such a beautifully made app – you can just about feel the love that went into it’s making – and, it’s apparently a long-standing tradition with this ensemble – their CD, celebrates the 50th anniversary of playing the bridge, while the app, celebrates the 75th anniversary – so these samples are clearly, in their blood, but also as clearly – in their minds and hearts. there is also a beautiful art film of the bridge featuring the Ensemble’s music. this app gets my vote, beautiful, useful sounds coupled with excellent design and playability, I can see myself performing and recording with this app for many years to come – it will especially be great for live performances. what a wonderful sounding app, and so much fun to play, too! suddenly, I found myself there again, after a long, long pause – a two year pause – I’d acquired the “Scape” application very, very early on, worked with it over a very, very intense but quite short period of months, and just as suddenly, stopped creating scapes when I reached about 1100 in total approximately – I found myself listening to “scapes” again, every day. In 2015. back to 2012 for a moment, then – after the fairlight and scape, I moved on to learn about, and explore other ambient, generative and synth apps, from the wonderful mixtikl to the equally fabulous drone fx (huge news – drone fx for the desktop – awesome news!) and on and upwards and on to some of the truly strange apps, the VOSIS and the TC-11 (huge news – TC-11 is at V2 now – MORE awesome news!!) and so many weird and wonderful apps to learn about, attempt to master, make recordings of… “Scape” was my second “long session” with an app, my first “long session” was with the fairlight, or what is now known as the peter vogel cmi – but to me, it will always be “the fairlight” – “the fairlight” of peter gabriel – [this link is to a pretty interesting video of Peter and The Fairlight, and how he used it on the song “The Rhythm Of The Heat”] – and kate bush fame [and this link it to a very rough but very interesting Kate Bush and The Fairlight clip] . but “Scape” was the first ambient app I worked with – and what a great place to start – an ambient app, where BRIAN ENO was one half of the design team, and, where he played some of the samples and worked with his app-making partner musician PETER CHILVERS to design, produce, and market scape – a device that has a wonderful simplicity to it, you have an empty palette, and you have tools – which you can drag out onto the canvas, and when you do – music begins. each tool is a different sound, or background, or filter for the whole piece. there are bass sounds, synth sounds, melodic sounds, dissonant sounds, buzzing sounds, just your general sound palette that you might find on many a BRIAN ENO album. in other words, sonic heaven in an app. the app reveals itself to you slowly, so, you start with a few instruments, a few backgrounds, a few filters. as you make and save more scapes, the app then present new tools to you, which you can then use to create “scapes” with new sounds in them, or, use them in conjunction with the older sounds that you are already familiar with. OK, yes, it is very, very simple, but, once you work with it for a while, at least, for me, I began to approach working with it more compositionally. sometimes, I would draw scenes, you know, mountains and clouds and bushes just to see what a “painting” would sound like. then, I began trying symmetry, then, asymmetry – to see what results that brought. later on, I tried minimalism – just one background, say, and no instruments. I also developed certain techniques of my own, my favourite of which, was to create a scape I liked with one filter, and then copy it over to the next “slot” and change just the filter, then do it again, so I would have the orange version, and the green version and the blue version – the same basic “scape” – but through completely different filters. I would often record these one after the other, and it’s truly interesting to hear the differences between the filters (those being the tools on the right hand side of the palette, that seem to control what is done to the whole piece, so I call them “filters” – and that’s another wonderful thing about scape, there is no standard terminology, therefore, everyone calls the objects by different names! which is fantastic, I think. awesome. working with “scape”, for the three or four months that I did, was a remarkable time. to have produced 1100 “scapes”, I would never have dreamed of – but, that is what I did – and I was quietly amazed, privately amazed, at how incredibly complex and wonderful some of the later creations became, when there were perhaps, double the tools that you start out with – when you have, finally, the full selection of tools, and there are, no more new tools – then, you can combine things in amazing combinations of the old and the new, the new, the middle period, and the earliest – whatever your heart desires. want dissonance? bring in one of the “crosses” – they all sound horrible! wonderfully horrible. want a nice sounding scape? use a lot of the “letter shapes” “E” “H” “I” etc., the yellow melodic shapes, and use the green or dark pink backgrounds. green is the nicest background of all. dark pink, a wonderful second. some of the other backgrounds are a bit more active, including some quite “jittery” ones, so it really does make a difference which background you run your “scapes” through. but that is all getting a bit into the history, I wanted to recount to you the events that lead up to this sudden re-surgence. at the time I began working with scape, in late, 2012, I had a decent enough home studio. I worked out a reasonable way to record a scape, and to this day, that is the single-most asked question that I get “Dave, how do you record the scapes”? It wasn’t easy to figure out. But it wasn’t hard, either! I later on learned, that Eno and Chilvers intentionally didn’t leave a method for scape to be recorded (which also explains why it’s one of the few apps that is NOT Audiobus-compatible) – in fact, I learned, they didn’t mean for people to even “keep” “scapes” – but of course, many of us crazy musicians, wanted to keep them anyway. I don’t want to let Brian and Peter down here, and I always feel like I have disappointed them, by not just enjoying the “scapes”, and then throwing them away – but I will tell you know, why I can’t do that. Because they are so incredibly beautiful. It’s that simple. These scapes are such unique, precious pieces of music, and to me, they are amazing in so many ways, because of the high, high quality of the samples, because of the brilliance of sample selection, because of the genius programming of the app – I could go on. No matter what – it boils down to this – even the strangest, most dissonant of “scapes” – is a unique thing of beauty. For a very, very intense several months, I experienced from one to several of these amazingly lovely songs almost every single day. And I was mesmerised. I wanted people to HEAR this beautiful music, to hear what I had heard, to be able to experience my four month trip with “Scape”, for themselves. I set out boldly, to record and upload as many “scapes” as I could. at the time, that turned out to be just 41. at first, I made videos for each one. very quickly, as I reached the 800s or something, I realised, I was not going to be able to make 850 videos. I really enjoyed making those videos, and I used the single screen shot of the art for each scape, as the starting point of each video. So then I worked on audio only, but I soon ran into space issues, I didn’t really have the set up or the disk space, to record unlimited numbers of “scapes”. Until 2015, that is. Now, with larger, faster, better hard drives, a much better client, SONAR X3, and a good, fast system – I can record scapes en masse. I hadn’t really thought about it, but for some reason, a few weeks ago, I started to think – I would really, really like to recover, and record properly, the “rest” of the 1100 “scapes” that I had recorded all on my first decent ipad, an ipad 2. so one evening, I set up a 24 track session, recording 24 bit 48K audio, and began recording. It takes time; “scapes” run anywhere from 3 to 4 t0 close to 9 minutes, and what I tend to do is, the moment I get in, I set up the session, and start recording, while I am going about other business. and when I can, I stop by, stop a recording, and start the next recording. Every few weeks, I sit down, and trim, master and produce the tracks, and then, as time permits, I upload them to the dave stafford “music for apps: scape – an eternal album” eternal album. I recently uploaded a handful of these “newly recorded old scapes”, and I think it’s lovely to finally, be able to hear the work I was doing in 2012 / 2013, now, in 2015 – it’s about time. Over the next several weeks and probably months, I will continue to upload as many of these as I can master, and if we are all lucky, I will actually make it to the end this time – maybe. We shall see… If I can stay the course, and, to be honest, I do not know at this point, if I can – then, eventually, I should think, maybe I might actually “finish” the job. I would love that, because if I actually could finish – well, two things would come out of that: you would get to hear a thousand plus scapes done at all different stages of app “growth”, from simple to more complex to most complex and back again, and, I would be free, after discharging my duty to myself to complete the work I began, I would be free to make NEW “scapes” in real time, in 2015, to add to the collection. And I think that might be the most interesting thing of all – to start all over, and go through the process again, and see what happens “this time around”. But right now, well, it’s early days yet – at this moment, I am recording “scape” 138, which is an impossible construction that has 18 bass players and 13 yellow letter melodic events – and it’s a cacophonous mess, but oh, so incredibly unique! some of the scapes I’ve heard over the past couple weeks of recording, have blown me away – they are either so strange, so weird, so unique, so powerful, but often, just so, so intensely beautiful, usually in an ambient way, but sometimes, in a fairly active way, too. This particular scape is ever so slightly overloaded, and I know the app has protection against this (if you reach the max number of instruments, it begins to remove the earliest instrument as you add the latest) but I actually managed to create a “bass overload” in this case, one of the few times where I beat the system – my poor JBL monitors are baffled because they have never had 18 eno or chilvers fretless bass riffs all starting within microseconds of each other, and it’s overwhelming for the poor speakers! but it’s an utterly unique “scape”, and I can’t wait to see if I can even make a usable master with that much bass content…we shall see, that one will be a test of my skill, it truly will. terrifying bass overload! power, power, power – and you just don’t expect a piece like this, it’s truly out there, but – ANYTHING can, and does happen, when you are “scaping” – trust me. I’ve been there. what an incredibly strange piece of music, which is now receding gracefully into the land of fade out… so for the past two weeks and a few days, I’ve been hearing “scapes” again for the first time really, since 2013, when I actually uploaded the 39 existing scapes many months after they had been recorded in late 2012 and early 2013 – the scapes came before the bandcamp pages did. but now we are somewhat caught up, we can now return to this arena, and see what we can see, or – hear what we can hear, rather. I’d like to talk for a moment, though, about the visual aspect of “scapes”, which isn’t something that many folk speak about, for me, when I was heavily into this process, how I constructed a “scape” visually was very much an art, I tried to use the skills I had as a musician, to “compose” my “scapes”, and I was particularly enamoured of using symmetry, or putting instruments in long, diagonal rows (as in the next “scape”, “scape” 140, that I am working on now… see below). I just wanted to say, you can follow what is happening in the music, by looking at the image of each “scape”. In the early days, you can see that I drew nice little scenes, trying to make art, and trying to make that art into music, and, it worked, to a degree, and then, as more object become available, you can “see” the “scapes” getting more complex, you can see my experiments with symmetry, and as you identify the various instruments, you will learn, just like I did, what causes what. a square turned to have it’s corner pointing up, is a bass instrument of some kind – several different kinds, from normal bass guitars to fretless guitars, to some longer fretless phrases, and so on. so you will be able to “see” in “scape” 138 and in “scape” 140, where I have lined up a whole series of basses into a long, diagonal line – and the resulting chaos that this approach brings. I am now onto scape 140, which is apparently, another “bass overload” test, this time, with 13 bassists, two melodic events, and one descending arrow complex synth event. the cascading bass players are just amazing, a single, slinky, throbbing, ever changing bass note, made up of 13 horribly overlapping notes, grinds across the musical landscape, while bell-like melodic tones appear and disappear randomly in the background…it’s madness once again, but a beautiful, mental landscape. Carrying on with the discussion of the visual aspect, you would then be able to see, and hear, for example, in scape 141, that there is only ONE bass part, which plays occasionally, and the three melodic letter shape instruments carry this tune instead of the basses as in 140. Scape 141 is fairly minimalistic, but there are others even more so, so when you run across a truly minimalistic scape, it will be obvious, again, from the “track” image I upload, which is actually, the map or the “artwork” that created the sound of that scape – you will see an empty workspace, with just a speckled background – that is literally, just a background, with no instruments, so you end up with a very, very ambient, minimal piece. So if you look at each piece of art, that comes along with each uploaded scape, you will be able to literally “see”, the journey I took, see the paintings I made, to produce the sound you are hearing. That means, that when I get to one of my “filter series” – where I take the same “scape”, and run it through five or six or nearer to the end, perhaps seven different “filters” – the exact same painting, except the filter is a different colour, and you will see that – first the pink, then the green, then the grey, then the orange, and so on – until I’ve run that one “scape” through every possible filter. you will also be able to HEAR the differences, and realise, that green filter makes one sound, while pink filter, makes a different sound, while orange filter, maybe, is a delay or whatever. you get to know them, and you get to know what they will do “to a piece”, and this is the best test of all – try the same song, through each one of the various filters, and see what happens then… Another kind of series, involves using the same “background” on different filters, or, different backgrounds against one type of filter. The combinations, and the possibilities, are actually, almost limitless, they really are. So for me, the fact that a visible artefact, a “painting” that I did – that’s actually, a huge bonus, and this is why: I sometimes struggle to describe music with words, but, describing it with a piece of artwork comes pretty naturally to me, so I love the fact that if someone asks me, “hey, how did you make “scape” 844, anyway?” my answer is right there and I can say – have a look at the track art for the piece, that is the actual piece of art I made, which creates the sound of “scape” 844…that uploaded track art, IS the answer to the question “how was this track made”? – answer – “this is what I drew, in “Scape”, to get that sound that you are hearing…”. Additionally, if you really, for example, fell in love with a beautiful, ambient “scape” that I have made (something I do regularly) there is nothing on earth stopping you from buying “Scape”, the app, looking at the track art that I used to create the beautiful, ambient scape, and then, recreating it in your “Scape”, on your own ipad – by mimicking what I did in my “painting”. I am sure that as long as you got it close, that it would end up sounding very, very similar to my version – very similar indeed, but not identical. Very close. At the same time, if you like my unattractive, sonically bizarre and / or dissonant “scapes”, you can easily “see” the tools selected to get that sound – and in no time, you will be able to control what “Scape” does, in the same way that “I” control it – although “control” is a dubious word – you will be able to do similar things, if you copy the art in my track art, the uploaded artwork for my “scapes”. Or if you like my super minimalistic “scapes” – you can easily re-create those, as they are very simple to make! A whole lotta nothing. But sometimes, small input means big output, in terms of beauty. Some “scapes” are not particularly beautiful, but then, they may have other charms that appeal to other senses, so it’s not a requirement that they BE beautiful. A constantly ringing bell might actually remind one a bit too much of that early morning alarm, and when you have several of these admittedly, more melodic alarm clocks going off at once, it can be a bit overwhelming. But – still beautiful in it’s own way, in the way the bells land within the composition, how they fit together, and so on. Scape 145 is a perfect example of that, it’s all bells all the time, ringing incessantly, but – there is still something about it that I really like, a freshness, a randomness, and sometimes, those bells hit some nice accidental harmonies. then, they start to fade away…only, it’s a false alarm (get it?) and then they are back, ringing like mad again…over and over, you think the piece is about to end, and it’s not – it’s just wonderful repetition, and scape always does whatever I don’t expect it to – it’s full of surprises. you just never quite know what you are going to get, but, I can guarantee one thing – it will ALWAYS be interesting! always. I don’t know exactly how many “scapes” I have recorded over the past couple of weeks, in this new burst of scape activity for 2015, but I do know one thing, I’ve been astonished at the quality, the variety, the different moods, the different techniques, the different results, that this remarkable tool can produce, and while I’ve maybe heard something like a hundred scapes, in two weeks or so – and there has been such an intense variety of music, from the most ambient to the most incredibly overbearing to the most powerful to the most jarring to the most fantastic of melodic, beautiful, ambient composition – it’s really just an amazing success, and it proves that generative music is here to stay, it proves too, that the inventor of ambient, is also, one of the master practitioners of ambient – because, decades have passed since those groundbreaking Eno ambient records – Discreet Music, Music For Airports, Thursday Afternoon, Neroli (to name but four of my favourite Eno titles) and there it was, 2012, and out comes “Scape” – which to my ears, SOUNDED like Discreet Music, Music For Airports, Thursday Afternoon, and Neroli all rolled into one beautiful set of ambient samples, and each “scape” I created, sounded like a new track from a new, unpublished Eno album – priceless, beautiful, unique. To add gravitas to my words, I am now recording “scape 146”. which features what was then, the “new” filter, a very squelchy filter, so this scape, which is bells playing in waves, over this amazing distorted, squelchy backing – is like alien music from the future, I’ve never heard anything quite like it, and it’s a remarkable and unique composition – generated by this app, based on my instructions – but, guided, ever guided by the ambient hearts and minds of mssrs. Eno and Chilvers – what an amazing juxtaposition of sound sources, I can’t explain it in words, but when you eventually hear “scape 146” – you will know exactly what I am talking about… I really do hope that I can make it through all thousand plus recordings, for one thing, after a two year absence, it’s really, really been interesting to “re-live” my intensive several-months long experience, but without the intensity of actually creating, hearing it at leisure, as I record it two years later – it’s a very, very nice feeling indeed, it truly is. If you don’t own the scape application, I would heartily recommend it to you now, and I would also recommend – don’t cheat, don’t do what some people do, which is find out how to expose all of the tools at once, and begin using the maximum toolset from the beginning. I strongly urge you instead, to do what I did, to discover the app in the same way I did, one new tool at a time, this gives you a chance to get used to each type of tool, gives you time to play with each type of tool, and then, you recall better too, what each one does, whereas if you start with the whole lot exposed – which is an option – then, you lose the fun and the excitement of being presented with new tools periodically, and you also lose the experience that Eno and Chilvers wanted for you – they felt that the full toolset was too much to start out with, that learning “Scape” in the “slow learn” mode was the best way to learn the toolsets thoroughly, and give you the best, least overwhelming user experience – so I strongly recommend doing it that way. I can’t imagine doing it the other way, it just doesn’t feel right to me, I guess I am more patient than some, and I’d rather get new tools every few days, along with the lovely, lovely written suggestions, which are of course, modified oblique strategies – I found those suggestions to be gold, and I did indeed, try many of them out, exactly when and how they suggested that I do – and I was always very, very pleased with the results. the tips are good, they are good ideas, and I suggest paying heed to them as you are able to – it makes for an even more enriching experience. I personally, though, doubt you could have a “bad” experience with “Scape” – because it’s a good tool ! You can’t really go wrong. I think it’s well designed, and if you start slow and build up your instrument library as suggested, you will learn what each tool does, what each instrument does, what each background sounds like, what each filter sounds like – and you can then, tailor your “scapes” to use all of the backgrounds, instruments and filters that you love the most! I think that is brilliant. It’s almost easy to forget, too, that this is a generative instrument, one of the first of it’s kind, a very different generative instrument compared to something like “Mixtikl”, which gives you perhaps, too much choice, whereas, “Scape” limits your choices somewhat, but there is so much scope for inventiveness, and the generative programming is far superior to anything previously seen – so that scape can create music so complex, so unique, that almost no other generative instrument can compete. Many months after I finished my first go-round with “Scape”, and, after I’d had time with “Mixtikl” and “Drone FX” respectively, I wavered a bit on what generative app I love the most. In “Mixtikl”, I created 61 quite complex utterly customised pieces of music over a several month period, which I think stacked up comparably to the much more prolific 1000 plus that I did with scape in the period previous to that one. At the time, I slightly favoured “Mixtikl” over “Scape”, but in hindsight, I would have to say, “Mixtikl” requires some knowledge of mixing at least, and music, preferably, while “Scape” requires neither. All “Scape” requires is that you can draw a picture with shapes, and backgrounds, and filters – and just about anyone can do that. The other requirement is that you listen… So for ease of use, for amazing programming, for the most amazing samples, and for the overall best generative app, after hearing just the first hundred or so of the 1000 plus “scapes” I have recorded – I absolutely would say that “Scape” is the “better” app, although, having said that, they are BOTH utterly remarkable and amazing, and on some levels, I don’t really think comparing them is truly fair – I love them both, I will hope to make more music with both as time goes on, and, once I put right the “wrong” of not releasing these scapes, then we can see where we are with ambient apps, and where we are with generative apps, and indeed, where we are with ambient, generative apps…and, really, who knows what the future may hold??? I certainly do not ! the ios universe of applications…is heaven for synthesists and musicians alike. as a guitarist, I appreciate guitar applications, but my passion is collecting synthesizers…also, real synthesizers were always big ticket items, and I couldn’t afford the nice ones. pre-ios, I had a limited number of hardware and software synths, and the soft synths mostly had to be run inside my DAW, or in some cases, as a standalone application on the PC, but still, I had no access to an almost limitless array of synthesizers – and now, with ios and the amazing developers who populate it, I have more choice than I can deal with!! or, how it all started… imagine if you will, then, a guitarist who has been working on music for many, many years, and during that time, dabbled in synthesizers – in the early days, I had an arp odyssey (a mark I, no less!), surely one of the most difficult to tune synths of all time; I had a wonderful serge modular system, and to my everlasting horror, I foolishly sold them off many years ago… then, by chance almost, I picked up a couple of classic yamaha hardware synths: a dx7s, and a dx11s, and the dx7 saw service in the live set up of the band bindlestiff, where I played synth on stage as well as ambient loop ebow guitar – and my partner played a korg, so that was a great contrast of two fantastic synths – and if you listen to some of the pieces we did with that combination, yamaha and korg, such as “the wall of ninths” or “pacific gravity” you can hear what two classic synths can do in live performance. so – during the first thirty five or forty years of my career, I owned at most, five hardware synths, and now, I am down to three – and that was it. then came pro tools and sonar and soft synths in general, and I have a reasonable selection of those, which made recording much easier – in particular, having a decent grand piano, “true pianos”, was very useful, and I’ve used “true pianos” for a lot of projects, from my own songs to covers of peter hammill and van der graaf generator. I picked up the wonderful “m-tron pro” mellotron software, which inspired one of my best solo albums, “sky full of stars”, and I also have “BFD2” a dedicated drum program, which allowed me to have professional sounding drum tracks when making the rock / prog / ambient album “gone native” – and if you take your time with it, you can make really great drum tracks with, such as this one, “wettonizer”, from the “gone native” record. LEARNING SYNTHESIS, ARPEGGIATORS & SEQUENCING having owned such a limited range of hardware synths, I never really got the chance to expand my knowledge of synthesis by owning and playing a variety of synths, and I certainly never would have been able to afford most of the desirable synths (I remember playing a korg M1 when they came out, and just practically drooling with desire – but I simply could not afford it) – so I never bought a modern synth. I do love my yamaha dx7s, as eno has noted, it has a few really great sounds, it does certain things very, very well, and there’s nothing quite like it. but overall, besides a modest collection of standalone and DAW-based soft synths, I really felt like I didn’t have much chance to understand, for example, the differences between additive synthesis and subtractive synthesis, I never really felt like I totally understood the magical relationships between oscillators, filters, modulators, and amplifiers, because I didn’t have examples of the many, many various hardware devices with their wildly differing approaches to synthesis. arpeggiators and sequencers were largely mysterious to me, but after working with the fairlight app (now called peter vogel cmi) for a year or so, I really “got” how sequencers work – which then meant I could use them with better clarity in many, many other synths that feature them. then came ios. the apple platform, and, when you look at what is available for music – well, that’s what made me decide which tablet to get, when I saw what I could get on ios, at the time, compared to the relatively modest selection of apps on android – it seemed a no-brainer. I realise that over time, android is catching up, but I still don’t know if they will ever match the range, scope and incredible diversity of synths and near-synths that the apple store boasts – it’s astonishing what is available, and it’s astonishing that you can buy a massive collection of the world’s best synthesizers for a fraction of what the hardware versions cost – a tiny, tiny fraction. FIRST GENERATION SYNTHS & THE FAIRLIGHT so I went for the ipad/ios combination (despite not being a huge fan of apple in general!) and it was the wisest choice I ever made. within minutes, I was beginning to collect that massive set of synths that I could never in a million years have afforded in the hardware world – I started out by buying something that would have normally cost me about 20 grand, the great 80s sampler, the fairlight – and I spent about a year and a half, learning how to build sequences the slow way – and it was a fabulous learning experience, and I came to understand how the fairlight works, and how to arrange the instruments into sets, and create music in a way I never had done before (step by step) – quite inspiring, and very educational – and as I said, I could then transfer my new sequencing skills, to many, many other devices that support sequencing and sequences. MOOGS & KORGS – GREAT EMULATIONS another early purchase was moog’s “animoog”, and even now, when I have more app synths than I know what to do with, I am constantly returning to this synth, with it’s ever-expanding library of great sounds. the korg “iMS-20” soon followed, and that was probably the synth that I truly started to learn from, because it’s so visceral, and so visual, with it’s bright yellow cables in the patch bay, and it’s utterly faithful graphics… the first generation synthesizers that were first available on ios were already excellent, emulating hardware synths that would have cost me thousands, now mine just for a few quid on ios. unbelievable – because I never would have owned any of those in my real life, because the hardware versions are so incredibly expensive – well beyond my means. for example – the fairlight cost about ten thousand dollars more than my annual salary the year it came out. now – it’s mine for a pittance… AND ARTURIA TOO… other early device purchases were my beloved “addictive synth”, the very, very capable “n log pro” – a great sounding little device; “mini synth pro”, and another real favourite, the arturia “imini” – a mini-moog style synth on an ipad !! between arturia’s “imini” and moog’s “animoog”, I was set to go for that style of synth. also, synths like the great bismarck “bs-161”, the very capable “sunrizer”, “cassini”, the amazing “alchemy” synth; the list goes on and on and on…. TOUCH CONTROL – THE REMARKABLE TC-11 SYNTH then you get unique and amazing synthesizers like the touch control “tc-11” synthesizer, which takes real advantage of the ipad’s large screen, and delivers a synthesizer-playing experience that is unmatchable – you place your hand or hands on the screen, and by moving your fingers and hands in various ways, you “play” the synth – there’s no keyboard, but this shows you that you don’t necessarily need a keyboard to make beautiful synthesizer music (something I’d learned once before, when I got my first korg kaossilator – amazing hardware device!) – and you can produce truly beautiful music using a non-traditional interface like this – “tc-11” is simply, one of the highest quality, most remarkable devices that’s ever appeared on iosios – I absolutely love it. one of my very favourites, I do like synths that don’t have keyboards, but out of all of them, this is the most fun, and most creative, to work with and use to produce startlingly different synth music, often of great beauty – the remarkable “tc-11”. SECOND GENERATION AND MISCELLANEOUS SYNTHS: very quickly, I became a true collector of synth applications, and guitar applications, too – but it’s those synths that I keep going back to – and now, the second generation of application-based synthesizers are here, and they are beyond fantastic, with features and sounds that are incredibly complex, mature and amazing: the mighty “thor”; the incredible “nave”, “magellan”, the korg “ipolysix”, arturia’s amazing “isem” – the list just goes on and on and on. the “dxi”, “epic synth” (1980s style synth), “launchkey” plus “launchpad”, “modular” (similar to my lost serge system, but reliant on in-app purchases to make it truly useful), “performance synth”, “sample tank” (the free version only so far), “spacelab”, “synth”, “synthophone”, “xenon”, “xmod”, and “zmors synth”….the list goes on still… then there were the generatives…mostly ambient in nature, and therefore, extremely well suited to the type of music that I generally make, so I happily adopted and became an adherent of “scape”, “mixtikl”, “drone fx”, circuli and so on…I worked with and continue to work with generative synthesis, which is a fascinating branch of synthesis, with it’s own quirks and interesting ways of working. mixtikl in particular holds my interest very well, sure, anyone can make sounds on it, but if you get into it deeply, you really have an enormous amount of control of how it generates the finished product…which is endlessly changing, never the same, constantly mutating according to the rules and conditions that you control… “scape” is just purely beautiful, the sounds, courtesy of brian eno and peter chilvers, are simply top-notch, and using art works to create your generative pieces is a stroke of genius – and it’s very simple, just…drag geometric and other shapes onto a canvas, and see and hear your generative piece grow. more recently, I’ve picked up “drone fx”, which to my mind, is very nearly in the same class as “scape” and “mixtikl” given that you can set it up to create generative pieces, and the results are excellent – it’s a very ambient flavour, which suits me just fine, so I am very happy to add “drone fx” to my arsenal of generative music applications! then there is “noatikl” (obviously, a spin-off or product related to the great “mixtikl”) – I don’t have much experience with this tool, I would call it a “sound design”-based generative music app, where you create loop-like pieces by connecting different sound generating nodes together – it’s quite odd, but it makes lovely music, and I hope to learn more about it and gain some skill in using it in the future. THE LAND OF AMBIENT this category includes most of the generatives, so please see “GENERATIVE DEVICES” above, for details on “scape”, “mixtikl”, “noatikl”, “drone fx”, and “circuli”. there are other really, truly important synths in this category, in particular, the brian eno-designed “bloom”, which was the predecessor to “scape” – “bloom” is a generative player, you select wonderfully named style and “bloom” then creates them on a grand piano for you – it’s really lovely, I can sit and listen to it for hours. then there is another from the “mixtikl” family, the lovely ambient music player “tiklbox” – this one is really simple, it has a die in the middle, and you roll the die, and it then randomly selects or creates a piece of music based on the number you roll. It’s mostly very pleasant, I like the music it makes, but there is very little user interaction possible, you just turn it on, roll the die, and…listen. but – that’s cool, too. then you have the slightly strange synths, two more in the semi-ambient category being “circuli”, which is literally, circles that grow and collide, and those collisions produce music, and the somewhat similar “musyc” that makes it’s music with bouncing objects – again, virtual objects collide to produce notes, chords or percussion sounds. “orphinio” presents varying sets of intersecting circles, each set to a different tuning or modality. both of these “shape-based” synths have truly great potential, but you have to be patient to get the kind of sounds you want out of them. then there are the “grid” devices – visual sequencers with massive grids that scroll past, and you merely “click on” some of the buttons as they pass, and note events begin. one of the best of these is an old favourite of mine, “beatwave”, which I have used as a background for guitar improvs, because you can very quickly “build” a good quality backing track (it’s very similar to looping, really) and then just let it run, and solo over the top of it for live performance purposes. a similar and also very enjoyable device, “nodebeat HD”, works in a very similar way, and in fact, there are a good number of these “grid” types of synths out there, most of which sound very good. MICROTONAL GRID SYNTHS then…again…you have the static grid types, such as the classic “mugician” and “cantor”, which use a static grid that you play by putting your finger on the notes you want to play, and “cantor” in particular, has a great “auto octave” function which means that if you want to go up very high, you just swipe a big diagonal line upward – and the device leaps up through four or five octaves – and a reverse diagonal, takes you back down to the lower notes. “cantor” is more note based, although it does have microtonal attributes, you mostly use real notes, whereas “mugician” is totally and utterly microtonal, you can “hit” notes, but it’s more about being able to play in a microtonal fashion – something that takes practice to get good at. early on, I used “mugician” to play microtonal indian-style melodies over the remarkable “itabla pro” (one of my very, very favourite music apps of all time – I could write an entire blog about “itabla pro”; how good it is; and how much I LOVE it!) and that was great fun – it works really well as a lead instrument in that kind of musical situation. slightly different in design to the “mugicians” and “cantors” (which while sounding very different, do have very similar interfaces visually at least) is the most excellent “sound prism pro” which features it’s own unique grid design, that is similar but different from the other two apps mentioned. “sound prism pro” has it’s own unique musical vocabulary, and is a bit more melodic / harmonic, whereas “mugician” and “cantor” are essentially solo instruments – melody only. then there is the “vocal section”, which on my pad, share a special page with my audio utilities – in this category, we have some great tools for creating vocal harmonies and effects: “harmony voice”, “improvox”, “vio” and “voice synth” – each boasting it’s own slightly different way of achieving vocal harmonies – some very innovative and good sounding tools in this category, a lot of fun to sing into, too. RECORDING STUDIOS – AUDIO, MIDI, HYBRID just outside of the land of synthesizers, there are also a broad spectrum of recording studio applications, such as “auria” (professional audio multitrack studio), “cubasis” – professional AUDIO + MIDI studio, “nanostudio” one of the oldest and most respected MIDI studios, and a personal favourite (and it does qualify, because it has a synth in it – a GREAT synth, called “eden synth”, which I absolutely love), “isequence”, “isynpoly” and “synergy studio”, midi studios all; and the unique yamaha “synth and drum pad” which is a bit different from the rest and is a lot of fun to experiment with – some unique sounds there, too. the most recent entrant to this category is korg’s groundbreaking “gadget” – an incredible studio with fifteen unique korg synthesizers, bass synths and drum synths (yes, fifteen) that you can combine in endless variations to produce some amazing music. I’m currently working on my first three pieces with gadget – and of course, I feel another eternal album coming on… on the same page as the studios, I also have a couple of standalone arpeggiators, “arpeggiognome pro” and “arpeggio”, which are very useful for driving your other synths, and unusual apps like “lemur”, which I purchased at half price for future development projects. DIY SAMPLE PLAYERS – NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY I also have a few of what I term “idiot synths” (no offense to anyone) because you need know absolutely nothing to run them, they are really just sample players with controls to modify many samples running in parallel. the “groove maker” series are really quite good, I love the “groove maker rock” version especially. I also have “session band rock” which is similar, I’ve made a couple of nice “metal” backing tracks with “session band” – the “rock” version, of course! PIANOS, ELECTRIC PIANOS, ORGANS, MELLOTRONS then there is the more traditional section of keyboards, which features a variety of grand pianos, regular pianos, upright pianos, electric pianos (“iGrandPiano”, “iElectric Piano”, “EPS”, mellotrons, and a couple of really, really great emulations of organs – “galileo”, “organ+”, and “pocket organ c3b3” – I love all three of these! I am really pleased in particular to have the organs available, and the work that’s gone into them, right down to the quality of that leslie speaker emulation – I love the “slow to fast” sound and vice versa, and all of these do a good job of that. the sounds are simply beautiful, and, they are a lot smaller, lighter, and cheaper than real organs 🙂 DRUMS & BASS – AND PERCUSSION, TOO this section of my ipad has really expanded of late, and there are a lot of great apps available for very little cost. starting with the basses; we have a large variety of very innovative and interesting-sounding devices, from oddities like “amen break” to more practical devices such as “bass drop hd” and”bassline”. the drums section, by comparison, is massive – old faithful “korg ielectribe”, “dm-1”, “drumatron”, “easybeats”, the unique “impaktor” (which makes a drum kit out of any ordinary surface), propellerhead’s quintessential “rebirth” which of course, handles bass and drums, and is enormous fun just to play…”synth drum”, “virtual drums”, and a million other drum kits and machines too numerous to mention… my absolute, all time favourite drum app, however, is not any ordinary drum machine or drum kit, rather, it’s the extraordinary “itabla pro” – one of the most excellent applications I own. full on tabla samples, with several playing styles for each template; and an extremely large range of templates in all time signatures, it’s as much an education as it is a drummer. also featuring tanpura and other supporting instruments, it has two completely tunable tanpuras, the tablas and the two tanpuras are all tuneable within an inch of their life, and it makes outstanding music for interacting with other ipad instruments. I’ve been working for some time using synthesizers with “itabla pro” as accompaniment, and it works equally well with microtonal synths such as “mugician”, as well as ordinary “western” synths such as animoog – on my ipad right now, I am working on a new piece that features two animoog solo melodies over a tanpura and tabla backing – and it’s sounding very, very good so far. notably, while not a percussion instrument, there is also an excellent free app, called “samvada” that does tanpura only, it’s beautifully made, sounds great, and is excellent for use either in conjunction with “itabla pro”; or, for situations where you want a tanpura drone but you don’t need tablas. sometimes, I just gang up the tanpuras on “itabla pro” with “samvada”, for the ultimate in rich, deep drones – fantastic. ODDS AND SODS SYNTHS other oddities include “tabletop” which is a sort of…table top, where you can arrange midi synths and drum modules to make music with, with a lot of in-app purchases if you want the really nice tools. it is possible to make decent music with the free supplied tools, but it is limited unless you are willing to spend a lot on IAPs. there are so many in this “category” that I cannot possibly list them all: “76 synthesizer”, “moog filtatron”, “catalyst”, “cascadr”, “dr. om”, “noisemusick”, “figure”, “lasertron ultimate”, “samplr”, the list just goes on and on and on… and as time passes, more and more synthesizers will arrive on ios, each more powerful than the last, it just seems like a never-ending process, there are so many excellent developers out there, as well as such a hunger from musicians (myself included, I am not ashamed to admit) for these synths – especially the vintage ones, the ones that emulate the classic keyboards that we all lusted after, but most of us simply could never afford. ios, and the availability of cheap synth apps – gives us what we could never, ever have in the real world. armed with this vast array of synthesizing power, I feel like there is no sound that I can’t make, and no requirement I can’t meet – if I need a sound for a project I am building on my ipad – I will, absolutely will, already have a synth – or two – that can make that sound. I am utterly in my element here, I hope the synths never stop arriving, and as long as developers keep creating them, I will absolutely, absolutely – keep playing them. rock on. I will leave guitar applications for another day – suffice to say, they are equally diverse and fascinating, and several of them are putting serious challenges to existing stomp box and other guitar processing hardware items. I love my guitar apps, and it’s a whole new world of guitar playing – instead of my traditional set up; instead, I have a guitar to ipad to sound card set up – and I can get a whole world of excellent tone just using ios ipad guitar applications… in the meantime, synthesists unite, and developers, please do not stop working on new and better and more innovative synthesizer apps. something needs to feed this addiction, and that’s truly what it has become – but in the best possible way, and I get so much enjoyment, hours and hours and hours of enjoyment, from just playing the various synths, to making various recordings using them – it’s created an entirely new application-based world of music that I did not realise I had in myself – and it’s an absolute joy to play these innovative instruments, and to try out new combinations of devices either by using them in a multi-track environment such as “auria”, or, for simpler set ups, the very practical “audiobus” (another game-changing device) and now, we have the new inter-app audio as well, so options for tying synths together via MIDI, or for triggering other devices from within one device, just grow and grow – it is truly amazing. I feel truly blessed to live in such times, technology at work for good, for the sake of sound, and the sound quality of most of these apps far exceeds expectations. for that, and for the massive number of free, inexpensive or even expensive synthesizer applications, I am truly grateful, and truly happy, that these exist for me to collect 🙂 today I want specifically to talk about perception, in this case, my own perception of the music that I create, and some observations I’ve made regarding this. first off, I’d like to suggest that I think all musicians may experience what I am about to describe, namely, that feeling, while you are playing, performing with, or recording your instrument(s), that what you are playing is possibly: a) not as good as it should be b) not “right” c) going horribly wrong, but you carry on anyway d) is a “disaster in the making”, but you carry on anyway e) sometimes, that bad feeling is so strong, that you actually abort the take (or worse still, stop the performance!) I don’t know about you, but all of the above has happened to me; most of them, many, many times. blessedly, the last one, not too often 🙂 but, based on some listening and performance experiences of my own, I would like to suggest that if we are feeling this way when we play, that we are maybe doing ourselves (and therefore, our music) a huge disservice. a case in point, is a track I recently mixed, that I had recorded live in the studio on september 30, 2012, entitled “into the unknown”. this track, a lengthy improvised piece (an 11:48 scape and energy bow guitar duet), is the perfect example of what I am talking about here, in that, while I was recording it, I really didn’t think it was going well at all. I had concerns about the tuning of my guitar; concerns about the ambient guitar parts I was playing; and concerns about the solos I played. those concerns stayed in my mind, from the day I recorded it, september 30, 2012 – until february 10, 2013, when I finally sat down to mix the track!! all that time – I held a very, very negative view of this improv in my mind – I was pretty sure it was not going to be a good experience to hear or mix it. how very, very wrong I was (thankfully). much to my amazement, when I mixed “into the unknown” – while it wasn’t perfect – to my everlasting astonishment – it’s actually a very, very beautiful and good track, with nothing particularly “wrong” about it !!!! but, at least for me, as it so, so often does – my “self-criticising circuit” just kicked in automatically, every tiny imperfection I perceived as I played it, magnified a million times, until I was sure it would be a waste of time come mix time – and boy, was I ever wrong – it’s a gem, and I am now very excited about this track – I really enjoyed creating and publishing the video of it, because it’s a unique and unusual scape and guitar synthesizer duet – a very, very unusual, (and quite lovely, too), piece of music indeed. surprise number one: when I sat down to mix the track, the first thing that struck me was how very beautiful the underlying “scape” was, and that meant immediately, that 50 percent of the track is automatically “good” and beautiful, too. surprise number 2: the other 50%, which is what I “live looped” and played live with the guitar synth – OK, some of it required a little work, I did have to “treat” a couple of the guitar synth solos to make them sound better – but mostly, there was nothing much to do, except trim the track, add a tiny bit of reverb overall, and master and produce it. and with fresh eyes and fresh ears, that nasty (mental) list of problems and complaints, looks slightly different using my february 9th, 2013 “ears” – I’d say that list should really have read this way: a) song is better than I thought – much better b) it’s very right – the scape is great – the guitar synth is good – the solos are acceptable c) it was going well, and I was right to carry on – a good decision d) not disastrous at all, and I was right to carry on – a good decision e) luckily, I did NOT abort the take, because if I had, it would have been a tragedy – a travesty, as it would have meant throwing away a really, really interesting, utterly unique, and perfectly good piece of live music! so this is how the perception can change, and of course, now, being aware of all this, I do make a serious effort to look more positively upon music I’ve recorded, because much of it is probably (but not necessarily!) much better than I initially think it is. what I take away from this is at least twofold: one: I need some time, a significant amount of time, to pass, before I “pass judgement” on any of my recorded works, and two: I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. another track, “escape from the death star” (a seven minute scape and ebow loop/live duet recorded on october 20, 2012) proves the same point – for a different reason. I had the usual mental list of “what is wrong with this track” – as above, but in this case, this track came from a truly disastrous session, where things really DID go wrong, and badly wrong, on the first fourteen of fifteen tracks recorded total (now THAT is a bad day in the studio!). so, based solely on it’s presence within this “disaster session” (unfortunately, an accurate name for it) – I think I just assumed that this track would somehow be tainted by the failure of the other tracks, harshly judging it by the same criteria with which I rejected tracks 1 through 14 – which again, is a ridiculous assumption, and again, I was quite surprised on first playback, to find that it is a very intense, very powerful, ebow and scape loop – and, to be honest – it’s not bad at all! once again, I placed a mentally “negative filter” over this piece, which was unfair and incorrect – needing to measure the piece based on it’s musical merit rather than it’s inclusion in a set of bad music. time seems to be what I need, hindsight I guess…that seems to be the main catalyst for me swapping my negative view for a much more positive one. I am hopeful though, that since I’ve written this article, and discovered these behaviours within myself, that I can be less negative at the time of recording, and shorten the time needed to achieve the correct and positive view of these improvised pieces of music. now, I am not saying that you should automatically assume that every take you make is golden! you do have to be critical, and even ruthless, and remove takes that are less than inspiring, have substandard solos, or are too much like one another. I’ve never had too much trouble with that, although there have been occasions where I felt like I really had to publish many, many examples from one session, just because the quality was high overall, and the different takes reflected different aspects of the improvs that were important musically. but that is a rarity; very few sessions produce a 50, 60, 70 percent, or higher, success ratio (for me, anyway) – most sessions end up with one or two very good takes at the most, a few decent takes, and several that are not taken further. very occasionally, 90 percent are good. very, very rarely, all of them have merit – very rarely indeed – but it has happened. but otherwise, it’s actually the norm for me to record a dozen or more pieces of music, and then in the end, only publish perhaps three or four of them. sometimes, maybe just one or two…or in the case of “escape from the death star” – maybe even just one! depending on the session, it may also be that I might publish eight or nine out of 12 tracks, or 14 out of 20, or whatever makes sense to me from a strictly musical point of view. some days, you are fortunate, other days, not so fortunate. as always, though, it’s about finding balance – finding the sweet spot between being fairly and justly critical, but not automatically assuming that everything you record is really, really incredible – just finding the right pieces, the ones that reflect well on you, that express your musical ideas well but not too overtly, regardless of if they are understated or “over the top”, the ones that represent “you” as composer, musician, performer – but, at the same time, trying not to be too critical on yourself, giving yourself some slack! give you a break… 🙂 now – I can just imagine you all scuttling back to look back at those tracks you recorded four months ago, six, seven months ago…desperately hoping that they have miraculously turned from bad to good while you were busy elsewhere – but you may be disappointed. or, you may find a hidden gem or two… I just know that for me, I can often be very, very overcritical at first, especially at the time of recording, just after, and probably for a few weeks afterwards – but interestingly, as I found, after a few months, when you listen (with fresh ears), you may well find that you were too critical, and you have perfectly viable music sitting there just waiting for that final mix and master. while we are on the subject of behaviours and perception, I’d like to mention another curious behaviour that I’ve noticed in myself recently, and I wonder if any of you have ever experienced this – it’s what I now call the “I don’t want to know” syndrome. a very current and very real example of this is my current and ongoing relationship with a peter hammill song entitled “the siren song”. over the past several months, I’ve had several recording sessions devoted to this very, very difficult-to-play, difficult-to-sing track from “the quiet zone/the pleasure dome” album, by van der graaf, from 1977 – and I have struggled mightily to get a take that I am entirely happy with. some of those sessions ended up yielding absolutely NO candidates (usually due to unrepairable and disastrous and horrific errors in my piano playing – it’s devilishly difficult to play!); others, perhaps, one or two at the most, and those with too many faults, although I will say, as the months marched on, my understanding of the song (and particularly, the piano parts) has grown immensely, and the last few sessions with it were far and away, the closest I had come to getting “a take”. but here’s the interesting thing. I love this song; I am absolutely determined to capture a good quality version, completely live, at the piano, and, I have done a lot of work, both in learning the piano part much better than I ever knew it before, and in recording the track over and over and over and over again, slowly getting better at it in the process. as you know, because I record so much music, using so many different instruments or apps, that there is always a backlog of songs that need to have their audio assessed and mixed. I did a couple of sessions for “the siren song” several months ago, that went quite well, and I was even wondering, just kind of wondering…if possibly, one of the takes in that very last session MIGHT be “the take”. but – I couldn’t face listening to them back, to find out if a good take was present. eventually, after months of dread and procrastination I finally went and listened – and there it was. a good take! however – for some reason – for a long time, I absolutely, steadfastly, and repeatedly, AVOIDED going back to listen to those last two “siren song” sessions! because…I didn’t want to know! I did not want to find out whether I “had a take” or not! what a strange thing to do, but for some unknown reason, I assessed the first few “the siren song” sessions, up to a certain point in time – and then, fully intending to carry on the next time I mixed – I just STOPPED – utterly inexplicably. I kept avoiding it, until eventually I had to face it – and much to my surprise, that good take I was looking for – was there…with very, very little wrong with it. a minor miracle, in my experience 🙂 instead of continuing the seemingly never-ending sessions devoted to capturing THIS song, and this song alone, I could then move on to other projects, and at last, let go of the seemingly endless search for that elusive “good take” of “the siren song”. 🙂 I think as musicians, we do sometimes do strange things with regards to the music we create, we are in denial about certain things, we hope that certain takes ARE takes when we know deep down, that they are NOT, conversely, as described in this blog, we thing takes are bad when they are really OK…and so on. I was really hoping not to solve any great problem here, but just to draw attention to some of the psychological aspects of recording modern music (as opposed to the physical challenges, such as dealing with computers, MIDI, soft synths, DAWs, digital noises, pops and clicks, and so on…), but mostly, how very important indeed it is to give yourself a break, let music sit for a while before you judge it too soon or too harshly or both – and also, I think you will find that the passage of time gives you different ears with which to listen, and when you do find the time to listen, you will see – and hear, more importantly – the work you’ve done in a whole new light. I noticed certain behaviours during the creation and mixing of these songs and recordings, and I wondered if any of you had had similar or identical experiences, or, if there are other behaviours not noted here, that you indulge in that you may wish to share with us all – if so, please feel free to fill in the “comments” below – we’d be very glad to hear from musicians and listeners alike as to any issues they find with “the perception of music”. as always, we encourage you to participate, and we do want to hear your views on this blog, so please feel welcome to comment on this or any of the blogs, we’re always happy to discuss / dissect / deviate from topic / whatever it takes to communicate, learn and grow. I think this is a very real problem for many musicians, yet I can’t remember ever hearing anyone talk about it – so I decided that I had better say something! 🙂 being overcritical may be another symptom of OCD, which I do have a mild case of, but I don’t really believe that. I think it’s something basic in my personal make up, I tend to focus on “what’s wrong” with each piece of music, rather than celebrating “what’s right” and being kind to myself, and letting go of “what’s wrong”. so being aware of this – I can make changes, and start to view things more positively. I do try now, to give myself a buffer zone of time, a week or two, preferably more – and THEN go back and listen…and invariably, things sound better once they been around for a few weeks – strange but true. of course, I WILL go and fix what is “wrong” – even if it takes a week to fix 30 seconds of music. [does this sound familiar to anyone ????? 🙂 :-)] happy mixing and mastering to all!! peace and love i never dreamed i would think or say this: there – I said it. sacrilege! don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love scape; it consistently produces truly beautiful, unique, ambient music – but for a musician, it is an odd experience – you draw a picture, and music comes out. that’s amazing, and it sounds great, but I like to have more…control over what happens in a piece of music that I am creating. all of the rules are hidden, and as far as how much control the operator actually has over the app – in scape? none, basically. but over in mixtikl…the operator has almost total control – maybe too much control! I made scapes for months and months until I had over a thousand of them – and then one day, I just stopped. I will make more at some point – but I’ve never really had time to listen to the ones I’ve made, in the main…so I will do some listening, and eventually, go back to scaping – because it’s fun, it’s a fantastic app…but. mixtikl…gives me control. and I have to admit, I like that. I like the idea that I can select the sample (even create it myself, if I so desire) and that I can mix and match anything with anything…it’s the ultimate in creative flexibility. you can do ANYTHING! literally, anything. as I tend to do, my first creations on mixtikl were ambient, mostly. after a few months, though, drums started creeping in, and then I found myself intentionally creating active pieces – and the results were just as satisfying, and sometimes startling, as the results were with the ambient pieces. I recently did a new piece (not yet uploaded) comprised on mostly human voices, with a couple of synths added in – dropped it into a nice reverb, and it just sounds fantastic. then I turned around, made a copy of this very ambient track – added bass, drums and synth – drew the reverb back – and suddenly, I had a loud dance version of the same track – that really rocks – as time goes on, I find that mixtikl can do just about anything, limited only by your imagination. so right there, that gives mixtikl a second huge advantage over scape: scape makes mainly ambient music. that’s what it does, and, it does it very well. but mixtikl – makes ANY kind of music. and that is freedom. the first time I used a series of samples that were intended to be used together in mixtikl , I was absolutely amazed at how well it worked, the intelligence built into the samples – astonishingly clever. a bass, a beat, a guitar, a horn, a voice – all working in tandem, in harmony, in sync. once you get the hang of the controls, then you can really start to work with mixtikl , in particular, I love the mixer grid, because you can have both repetitive and linear activities, so I can have a bass looping but at the same time, I can have four slightly different drum beats running in a linear sequence – so the bass stays the same, while the drummer changes things up in four different scenarios – brilliant! I also love the fact that of course, you can insert the same sample many times, and alter the pan position, the time, the effects…so for example, in one track, I had these beautiful guitar harmonics – and I wanted a LOT of them, so I just dropped six or seven of them in, left one mono, made the rest stereo, set them at different levels, etc. – and the results were fantastic. sure, it takes a bit of work sometimes – and some days, nothing sounds right, I am importing, then deleting, sample after sample – but more times that not, I can simply import a few sounds, get them working together, drop one or two maybe, then, carefully add sounds until the piece builds up to whatever sounds good…and it really does sound good! I still consider myself to be a beginner at mixtikl, and when I read the mixtikl operator manual, I feel immediately humbled and I realise that there is so much I don’t understand or even begin to understand – but, armed with my tiny bit of knowledge, I just forge ahead creating many, many pieces of music – right now, I have four that were just mastered and uploaded, and another four or five waiting to be mastered, so a small backlog is building up…and whenever that happens, I can tell I am falling in love with yet another brilliant application – and this time, it’s mixtikl. I find that I like to let mixtikl pieces play out “long” when I record them, and a few of my recent pieces have been approaching, or even over, 30 minutes in length. this is really a semi-conscious decision to “go long” as in the old days of ambient, in 1995 and 1996, when I was working in the ambient looping band “bindlestiff”, we tended towards longer loops, because for one thing, any repetition becomes quite hypnotic, so that’s one reason why I favour longer pieces, but the main reason is, the loops and samples sound so wonderful when assembled into these generative pieces, that I love to listen to them unfold over a decent period of time. they sound good if you play them for ten minutes. they sound GREAT if you play them for 25 minutes… strange eddies of quiet appear – odd bits of music that you don’t expect, but that create wonderful atmosphere when they suddenly appear from nowhere…and then disappear again – back into the main loop, or whatever it is. generative music is really good for ambient, because odd things happen in ambient, unexpected things, sure, there are repetitive events that your ear “expects” to hear each time they repeat, but sometimes, other events may intrude that temporarily disturb that flow – and it’s a complete surprise to the ear – which is wonderful – and then, you are back on track before you even know what hit you. I tend to have a pretty busy “grid”, even on ambient tracks, strangely, sometimes, “more is less” with ambient, because you get different voices coming out of nowhere briefly, and then disappearing for a while, and then eventually returning… sometimes, having a lot of different events is helpful, because it gives the brain variety and repetition, and I think we as humans like both of those things. the beauty of it is, though, I just put the samples into the cell, I decide if it’s looped, linear or whatever, I might then add a compressor or eq or some track effects – and that’s about it – the tool does the rest. mixtikl decides when it will play the sample, based on the tempo and key I’ve told it to, of course. it does all the work. it’s been noted before, and I find it to be true, sometimes, some of the most ambient pieces, have a lot of music playing, a lot of events, they are technically a bit “busy” – but the effect when you hear them: totally ambient. It’s very strange, but very true – some of the very best ambient pieces actually have a pretty high level of musical “activity” – yet somehow, that distils down to something very pure and clean, and very, very ambient – I think this fact will always be a bit of a mystery, but for me, it’s made me less afraid to add in more, because I find that even with more, the pieces still, often, come out supremely ambient – it’s brilliant. mixtikl is fast becoming my go-to tool of choice for generative ambient music, and latterly, active music, too – it’s a blast for drum and bass-based pieces, really fun to work with – and that’s something you can’t do in scape, too – play the drums! I promise, right now – my next blog will not be about scape or mixtikl 🙂 dave stafford, august 2013: “neither is “best”, neither is “better”, both are amazing in their own way!” advantages of scape: - visual work area is extremely easy to use - extremely fast creation time - no experience or musical ability required - consistent, beautiful sonic results disadvantages of scape: - limited number of possible sounds (although a generous amount are included!) - user is very limited in how much detailed control they have over mix & effects - no method for export or sharing – except to record the audio during playback - some scapes can end up dissonant if too many sound elements are dragged into the image – the “kitchen sink” effect (although scape does have a limit on the number of objects allowed within one scape) advantages of mixtikl: - very flexible interface allows for incredibly complex sound designs - unlimited samples and sounds available, including your own content if desired - advanced mixing functions, advanced effects functions – cell level and global - built-in visualiser for visual realisation of audio tracks disadvantages of mixtikl: - more complex design can be difficult to learn - creation time can be considerably longer than with scape - experience or musical ability is very helpful; you may struggle without it - some mixtikl pieces can end up dissonant if too many sound elements are added into the cells – the “kitchen sink” effect I’ve had the unusual experience over the past couple of months, of being able to compare and contrast the user experience and output of both “scape” and “mixtikl” because I’ve created, in both cases, an on-line album (on bandcamp) for music I’ve created using both applications. first, I worked through the first 40 or so scapes of some nearly 1100 I’ve created over the past year and a half. the consistency of the pieces produced; the undeniable and incredible beauty of the samples; the instantly recognisable sound of brian eno built into a very user-friendly application; the genius of the behind-the-scenes “rules” as envisioned by eno and chilvers, and programmed in by peter chilvers, all add up to an undeniably fantastic app, one that I would recommend to almost anyone who wants to create beautiful, generative music by drawing pretty pictures with pre-defined “shapes” – which represent instruments, sounds, riffs, effects, etc. an absolute corker of an app, and a great music creation for anyone of any age. then, I worked through a smaller group of mixtikl pieces I had created, just seven pieces, but all of them saved as “long form” ambient works – and in the case of mixtikl, I was again, amazed by the consistency of the pieces produced; the undeniable and incredible beauty of the samples; the fact that you can add many, many sample “packs”, which means your sonic arsenal can be increased and increased over time; and the beauty and complexity of the music, both ambient and more active, that mixtikl produces…means that this very different-to-scape application creates beautiful, generative music via a system of sounds and musical events placed into “cells”; with rules that the user controls down to the tiniest detail – an incredibly complex and very capable generative music application. I would tend to recommend this more for musicians, but there is no reason that anyone can’t work with it – it just has a longer “learning curve” than scape does, because it’s by nature, far more complex – but that complexity, in some ways, allows you to create music that is far more under your control than the music you create with scape – so a different experience, and, the complexity and incredible attention to detail – are necessary and right. mixtikl is a thing of beauty, and the music it creates is every bit the equal of the music scape creates – although it sounds quite, quite different. well, the samples for scape were made by just two people, brian eno and peter chilvers; one of them, a musician with a very, very recognisable palette of sounds, that are instantly recognisable as being “eno” – while mixtikl uses a huge, huge range of sounds created by many hundreds or even thousands of different musicians – a varied and remarkable universe of sounds. mixtikl’s real advantage is the “tiklpak” – you can get packs that are mostly bells, or drones, or percussion, or beats, or techno, mostly genre-based – there is a massive list of “tiklpaks” that are included with the app – one of my favourites is “ambient 100c” (from “al collection 3” – one of three additional free packs you can download from the intermorphic site – that used to cost money) – a great selection of ambient sounds (hence the name) – but, sounding nothing like the ambient sounds in scape – which are mostly authored by eno, with a few from peter chilvers as well. actually, mixtikl has two kinds of sound pack: the “tiklpak”, which is an audio pack, and also “paks” – which are zipped content – and can include your own samples – so actually, you can actually add any sample that you own or have access to – so your sound library in mixtikl is pretty much infinite – and therein lies the real advantage it has over scape – whose sample library, while incredibly beautiful…is finite. intermorphic offers various paks for various platforms, including “noatikl” and “tiklbox” as well as the aforementioned “tiklpaks” and “paks” – and just having the “tiklpaks” gives you so many sounds your head will swim – adding in more “paks”, and eventually, designing your own zipped or audio content and adding it to your library – I can see a time when I might, for example, sample some ebow notes, and add those in, or sample in some of the more spectacular synth voices from my m-tron pro mellotron or other high quality synths…why not? or maybe I will download the amazing, utterly distinctive layered backing vocals from 10cc’s “I’m not in love” – which are now available via eric stewart’s web site, and use those in mixtikl compositions – why not?? but you can go back and forth – because ease of use is also a huge issue – scape; incredibly easy and quick to create really beautiful music, mixtikl; big learning curve, and you have to work hard to make your tracks sound really good. so it’s not really a fair comparison, it’s definitely apples and oranges, or maybe, uh, oranges and lemons, not really sure – scape; really really easy to use, mixtikl; not as easy to use – scape; small, finite batch of incredibly beautiful sounds – mixtikl; massive, unlimited selection of very beautiful sounds – plus, add in your own – so – no limits… a recent piece I worked on in mixtikl, a 27:00 piece entitled “I always gild before”, well, this piece really surprised me– I feel that this track is one of the best pieces of ambient music I’ve ever produced, across the board, in 25 years in the field of looping and ambient – and along comes mixtikl, I sit down with the “ambient 100c” sound pack and design a new piece of music…and out comes something so beautiful, so relaxing, so soothing – so bright, positive and wonderful – that it’s just utterly remarkable – I feel so fortunate that this piece of music appeared. I literally cannot wait to create more with mixtikl – and with scape, although I have a healthy backlog of scapes at the moment, thanks very much! my preference though, is absolutely…both. I can’t imagine life without these two premier generative music applications – at this point in time, to me, these two are clearly the market leaders, and I think any other manufacturer considering moving into this market will find it incredibly challenging to design something to compete with these two world-class music making applications. generative music is just about fully mature now (although who knows what the future may hold!), we are way beyond the koans of this world, and with both scape and mixtikl running on my tablet device, I can create generative music to my heart’s content, using two amazing tools that are two of the most powerful reasons why making music on an ipad is the only choice, and also, two of the most innovative, yet very different, designs I’ve ever seen – but both achieving virtually the same thing – generative compositions of very consistent quality and beauty – and that’s the true test of any music making device – does it make beautiful music?

On October 13, 2017 Christian High School in O’Fallon Missouri announced that the football field would officially be named Golden Oak Lending Field during a formal ceremony prior to kickoff. Golden Oak Lending is proud to support youth sports in our community. Glenn Huskey, CHS Booster Club Member said of the sponsorship: “It is with great privilege and pleasure to announce that recently Christian High School entered into a long term Strategic Partnership with one of the fastest growing Lending Institutions in America Golden Oak Lending that creates a Community Synergy to foster Academics, Arts, Athletics and Christian Family Values throughout the Greater St. Louis Area Community! Recently, Golden Oak Lending and CHS linked a Sponsorship Agreement for the newly constructed “State of the Art” Christian High School Event Field that includes Activities from Track & Field, Band, Soccer and Football just to name a few. In addition, Golden Oak Lending provided a generous contribution to Christian High School that assists in funding the CHS GAP Fund which provides Financial Assistance to CHS Students that are in need along with the support of the Event Field itself! In closing, this impactful Strategic Relationship is truly cherished within the CHS Community as we look forward to our joint endeavors for many years to come!” The ceremony was attended by Golden Oak Lending President James Hawkins, Executive Vice President Shawn Curtis, Chief Operating Officer Troy Watson, Senior Vice President Jason Walton, in addition to members of their families. Golden Oak Lending staff members and their families also joined in the dedication ceremony.

Hinckley Ladies Netball Team’s A side started well against Synergy B, with good all round play from both teams ending 11-9 to Synergy. With each quarter Synergy lengthened their lead, the second quarter ending 21-15. Despite strong defence from GD Kate Randle and GK Claire Aspinal the third quarter score was 34-26. In the final 15 minutes Synergy pulled away, ending the game at 40-28. Player of the match was Ashleigh Oakes. The B Team travelled to Keresley for a late away game. The first quarter saw both teams working out their opposition, and Hinckley settled in with the score at 6-5 to Keresley. Substitute, Caron Ogden came on for Emily Davis, and Hinckley began putting pressure on Keresley at both ends. Hinckley defenders Emma Draycott, Jessica Burke and Lara Whitaker worked well together, intercepting passes and preventing goals, while the Hinckley attackers, Michelle Botting, Holly Hemsley and Rebecca Kenney, worked hard against Keresley defence to take the lead and overturn many centre passes. Eventually, Keresley took the lead and after the third quarter the score was 17-28 and continued to take the win 35-21. Player of the match was awarded to Caron Ogden. In probably the most uncomfortable game of the season, good friends from Hinckley Ladies Netball Club were pitched against each other in this Division 6 fixture, the C Team versus the D Team. The C team are currently riding high in second position in the division. After an apprehensive start it was the C team that settled first and began to take the lead. The C team shooters were shooting well-aided by strong attacking play from Centre Caron Ogden and Wing Attack Anna Askham, ending the first quarter 13–6 ahead to the C team. The second quarter followed in a similar vein, though the Cs attack had to work harder to get through the D team’s strong defence. Increasing the pressure in the second half the Ds seemed to have worked out the Cs style of play as the whole team marked a lot more tightly with Sadie Baker and Susan Ley frequently turning the ball over in the centre third making it tough for the C team to maintain their flow. This half also saw the D team’s shooters converting more chances given to goals despite the efforts of the C teams excellent defending partnership of Chloe Sansome and Jo Oakes. Hinckley C finally took the game 43-21 with Caron Ogden again awarded player of the match for the Cs and Sadie Baker for the Ds. Hinckley E welcomed Cov & North Warks to the Leicester Road Sports Ground this week. Having been beaten when they met earlier in the season, Hinckley were determined to redress the balance and they started very positively winning the first quarter by one goal. However, the visitors took control in the second quarter and capitalised on their considerable height advantage as Hinckley struggled to get the ball into their shooters. Despite relentless hard work from Hinckley defenders Leanne Evans and Alice Roche, C&NW continued to close Hinckley down in all areas whilst adding to their own goal tally and ran out 33-15 winners with player of the match going to Alice Roche. Hinckley’s F Team was also in action and enjoyed their first win of the season against Highway. The Fs are currently playing in the newly established Warwickshire Flexi League. It was a steady and close game to start but by the end of the second quarter Hinckley were leading by three goals. They stormed ahead to lead 30-16 at the end of the third quarter. The final score was 42-21 and player of the match was awarded to Wing Attack, Di Yates.

Interdisciplinary. Community. Advocacy. Humor. Successful polymer artists Steven Ford and David Forlano's opening night presentation at Synergy mirrored their relationship. They easily bantered back and forth from opposite sides of the stage, building concepts in tandem and with good humor. They jibed each other about work habits and control issues while…Continue

We came up with fifteen questions we thought would truly showcase Laurana’s personality and told her that she could pick and choose which questions to answer. In true Laurana form, she decided to answer all of them! We hope you enjoy learning about her as much as we did! - How did you decide to start exploring your artistic side? - How did you get the idea for Sideshow? - Your resume is impressive and diverse, what kind of work do you normally attract with it? - What type of dancing do you do? - At which events have you done performance art? - What is your favorite way to express yourself? - How hard was it to transition from the rigid atmosphere of engineering, to the free and relaxed atmosphere of art? - What do you hope to see in the Dayton art scene in the future? - With how often you’ve been interviewed, what is something our readers would be surprised to find out about you? - What’s your favorite performance you’ve ever done? Right now, I think it’s the performance ritual of interconnection. The one where I wrapped people up at a party in a string and a song, connecting us in visceral and heartfelt way. If you were to ask me this question on a different day, I’d probably give you a different answer. - How does your technical background help you in your art? - If you were unable to dance anymore, what would you do with your life? - If you ever moved away from the Dayton area, where would you live, and why? - What is your inspiration for your art? - What kind of advice would you give to struggling artists and performers? For me, exploration starts with inspiration and strengthens with collaboration. The thought of doing something fills me with life, and I shift my path to explore it. Often times, I’ll meet someone who is travelling a similar or related path, and the synergy between us adds fire to the creative process. A friend introduced me to a Miamisburg artist named Leigh Waltz, and I became a performer in one of his shows. At the close of the show, Leigh suggested I host my own art event. Feeling inspired by his mentorship, I accepted the challenge and dove into the Dayton scene to gather artists. I knew I wanted to create new worlds for Sideshow, giving people space to bring their complete, immersive visions to life. What I attract seems to change as I change. Lately, I’ve been working with the Bach Society of Dayton, a choral performing arts nonprofit who was looking to expand their audience base and shift the direction of their organization. I have trained in many forms, from ballet to Irish to modern. I also absorb moves from movies, pop culture, and live performances. My personal style is a combination of everything I’ve ingested, and my dancing changes as the music changes. Probably the best way to describe what I do is improvisational, interpretive dance. The most well-known events at which I’ve performed are Sideshow, PechaKucha Dayton, Party Arty, the Indie Memphis Film Festival, Art on Fire, Dia de Muertos Dayton, and Galoka. The most well-known venues are The Dayton Art Institute, Gilly’s, Wright State University, University of Dayton, Pearl Niteclub, Hobart Arena, and Dixon Gallery and Gardens. My main mode of expression migrates and shifts according to my current life story. I like to express myself in any way that brings forth feelings of openness, connection, and inspiration. Recently, I’ve been creating with nature – – with plants, wood, stone, weather. Conversing with life through the ever-changing outdoors. I’ve also been creating relationship. I find that creating art, especially transformative art, is a deeply personal and passion-filled act requiring the discipline of science and the surrender of spirituality. So, for me, making art can sometimes feel tense. There’s more at stake. More performance art. More interactive art. Weirder. Wonderful-er. I can be shy and downright reclusive. It might help with problem solving. Seeing solutions. Much of what I create is new to me and requires research, discovery, and maybe even faith to manifest. Engineering may give me the mindset to imagine an outcome and know that the steps exist to achieve it, even if the steps don’t yet exist. I’ve often considered life and relating as grand dances. Dances that take 10 or 50 years to complete. Dances that contain lulls, exciting periods, complete stops. Dances that bring divinity earthbound. When I inhabit this perspective, I think any creative form can be imbued with dance. From partnership to communication to daily movement. I’d probably live in the woods somewhere, closer to the earth. Further away from the city. To explore the subtleties of nature, energy, being. To become more aligned. My inspiration is typically my joy. A blissful feeling that follows a thought. A feeling of increased energy, a smile, a laugh, a feeling of desire. A delicious and light-full/heart-full want to see a thing born into the world. If the work is too much of a struggle, the path may be a wayward one.

Interview: Giacomo Bottà (University of Helsinki) Giacomo Bottà is researcher in urban and cultural studies at the University of Helsinki in Finland. His research deals with urban cultural studies on a comparative European level. His interests include popular music, urban branding and creative cities. He is the author of, among others, Urban Creativity and Popular Music in Europe since the 1970s: Representation, Materiality, and Branding (2008), The city that was creative and did not know: Manchester and popular music, 1976-97 (2009) and Lo spirito continua: Torino and the Collettivo Punx Anarchici (2013). Interview by Loïc Riom (October 2017) Can you tell us a little bit about your career and how you became involved in studying music? My academic career started with a post-doc in urban studies at the University of Helsinki in 2004. Since then, I have been part-time lecturing and enjoying research grants and projects in Finland, apart from a five-year gap, when I worked in Freiburg ZPKM and at the Karlsruhe Musikhochschule in Germany. I describe myself as a scholar of urban cultural studies. This definition doesn’t come without a cost; despite the stress on interdisciplinary training at the EU level, disciplinary paradigms are still very much strong in academia. Funnily enough, I have never studied musicology, apart from a brilliant course on film music in Mainz as an undergraduate, still, music has always been there. Partly because I spent a great deal of my life listening and playing actively, partly because music has always shaped my understanding of spatiality and urbanisation, at least since my PhD. I wrote my PhD thesis at the IULM University in Milan. It was about literary representations of Berlin in the 1990s and music kept on coming up all the time. At the time, people were talking a lot about Popliteratur. Young Berlin authors saw the centrality and potential of music (techno, especially) in shaping their work but also the new ‘cool’ districts, and in bringing people together in safe, warm, unconventional and free spaces. This was very easy to test for myself during my ethnographic rounds in Prenzlauer Berg, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg. Furthermore, in Germany I also discovered magazines such as Spex and Testcard, where people like Martin Büsser and Diedrich Diederichsen were writing about popular music in interesting and unconventional ways, on the borderline between journalism and cultural studies. Since then and for the last 14 years, I have been working extensively on popular music. A large part of your work deals with the relation between (post-) industrial cities and music. What is the importance of such cities in music history? What links music to such urban contexts? Well, I believe that popular music is a side-product of Fordism. It responds to anonymous, mechanized modern life and kidnaps its means of production for expressive purposes. This is particularly clear in industrial cities, where music becomes the media capturing the city soundscape, its organization of work and its crisis. Genres ranging from electric blues to techno, from heavy metal to dream pop originated in industrial cities and always responded creatively to this kind of environment. This relation cannot be understood as something purely organic, of course, it was enacted in various ways and responded also to geopolitical contingencies. Tolyatti in Russia was a very important industrial city, but I have no knowledge of its music scene. In addition, the industrial city is also a lucrative myth. Nowadays, cities that tried to completely erase their connection to their industrial past after the crisis are recreating it as heritage and tourist attraction. What was dirty, ugly and economic is now hip, cool and cultural. Music mediated such environments and can easily be implemented in this remobilization. Your research tackles the question of creativity. However, this concept is very controversial, in particular in light of Richard Florida’s “creative class”. How do you approach it? In your opinion, in what ways is “creativity” still a relevant concept for capturing urban music production? In urban marketing and consulting, creativity is nothing more than an empty signifier than can be filled with anything. Still, its role in cultural practices must always be kept in mind. Without creativity, I see very little music being written. If I would have to use the term again in my research, I would try to tackle the role that creativity plays for musicians themselves, at very basic, individual, subjective levels and try to work my way from there up to music scenes, districts and cities as a whole. You worked on the case of Manchester, which is of course very famous for its vibrant cultural life, but also on other, less influential cities in terms of their musical scene (e.g. Tampere in Finland). Was it intentional to work of more ordinaries cities too? For which reasons? My aim was to test the industrial city myth in non-British settings. What I found out is that industrial ‘second’ cities always share a couple of things, within their own national settings: they have produced plenty of popular music and they have strong football teams. This thing fascinated me and I wanted to dig more into this (at least into the music connection, not so interested in football). I also believe very much in the power of comparing cities, scenes and bands. One aspect I found really engaging in your papers is the question of professionalization. In the case of Manchester, you argue that the professionalization of Factory Records and the Hacienda enable the consolidation of a sort of “creative milieu”. In sociology of arts, certain authors tend to oppose artistic creativity with cultural industries. In the case of Manchester, in what ways were economic and artistic dynamics tied? I don’t believe such an opposition is possible within capitalism. Artistic creativity cannot exist outside the ‘art world’. Reading some autobiographies or interview transcripts from independent musicians something became clear: there was an immense clerical work they were doing to keep their art going. Fax machines, stamped letters and telephone bills run the most independent creative production of the late 20th century, but also brought its demise, despite that the internet made a lot of this kind of work a lot easier. I don’t see professionalization in itself as something negative, however clear is the fact that music anticipated a lot of what is happening right now to a lot of other professions, including ours. The chance to be creative comes with a high price to pay in terms of precariousness and poverty. The case of Manchester epitomizes all I have just written. It was the first industrial city in the world and it can be considered among the first post-industrial ones. The cultural industries played a very important role there, both at the level of individual districts and for the city image as a whole. Without a synergy between economic and artistic dynamics, this would have been impossible. Music worlds tend to create a lot of myths and mythologies. In one of your papers, you mention for instance the first gig of the Sex Pistols in Manchester, which is seen as a key event in the history of the local scene. On a methodological level, how can we deal with such mythification when we work on music history? What would be your advice to young researchers? Music is, of course, very much about storytelling. This is how strong bonds with places are built. It is very boring for an audience to read interviews about new software plug-ins, effect pedals or reverbs used in a particular album. It is much more exciting to read about places, people and events, especially if these stories are repeated, varied or offered as exclusive and defining. In addition, often musicians in popular music are not trained and cannot express in words the musicological technicalities of their work. Places and events work as media to talk about music. Mythification is embedded into music history. We are left with the choice to work with full-on historiographies and deal with archival work and interviews from witnesses to ‘set things straight’. This can of course bring some results. The second alternative is to work with myth as it is and question how it came to be and how much it reveals in terms of self-representation, memorialization, heritage and power. To conclude, let’s look at the future. In your opinion, what are the emerging topics in the field of popular music studies? On which topics are you planning to work in the forthcoming years? I would like to see popular music studies become more comparative and look at supranational scales (such as the European one – very fascinating for me). At the same time, I fear compartmentalization of popular music studies in individual genres (heavy metal, punk, hip-hop studies come to mind). I don’t know what the emerging topics in popular music studies are right now, but I love to read about topics such as the commodification of the urban night, safe spaces in EDM, temporary uses and cultural appropriation. Images: by consent from Giacomo Bottà

Pulsant, a leading UK provider of hybrid cloud solutions, has announced it has completed the acquisition of LayerV, a specialist public cloud solution integration company, with a strong focus on compliance, security and cloud automation. The acquisition is part of a targeted growth strategy and sees Pulsant gaining exclusive intellectual property around regulatory and cloud insight, strengthening its multi-cloud capabilities, particularly around continuous compliance and security, as well as its AWS offering. The new compliance solutions will be most beneficial to customers in the public sector, retail, legal and financial services where statutory compliance and data governance are critical, and where regulations such as PCI, ISO, GDPR and those set out by the FCA, must be adhered to. “LayerV has an excellent reputation for providing advice to customers on public cloud solutions, and helping them migrate into cloud environments. It also provides industry-leading managed compliance, security and DevOps services across multiple clouds, including AWS, Azure and Google. These services are particularly important in regulated industries,” says Mark Howling, CEO, Pulsant. “LayerV’s capabilities will bolster Pulsant’s offering in public cloud services, complementing our own in Azure Public cloud, private clouds, hosting and colocation. This will enable us to deliver more comprehensive solutions to our existing customer base, while expanding the services we can offer new customers.” LayerV employs more than 30 staff across the UK and Lithuania, all of whom will be integrated into the Pulsant business, including the company’s two founders, James Letley, CEO, and Javid Khan, CTO. “We are delighted to be joining Pulsant. There is great synergy between our two companies and being part of an established organisation like Pulsant means we’re able to truly benefit from its wide industry knowledge, broad customer base, mature data centre offerings and focus on hybrid cloud solutions,” says James Letley, CEO, LayerV. The deal follows Pulsant’s acquisition of IT services company Onyx in June 2016, and is a further step in its targeted growth strategy.

New Italian cafe coming to NOMA – A-Deli Italian Food shop has signed a lease in NoMa, bringing delicious Italian hoagies and sandwiches to this rapidly growing neighborhood. A-Deli plans on opening this fall at 1300 Second Street, NE, across from the Courtyard by Marriott hotel and the New York Avenue Metro Station. A-Deli, which currently operates a location in Herndon, will offer breakfast and lunch featuring an Italian-American menu, offering diverse options such as lasagna, meatball and cheese sandwiches, Italian hoagies, and cheese steaks. The deli focuses on fresh, hot items and makes everything daily. “Our customers want fresh food but are also very conscientious about how much they’re spending for lunch,” says Aarun Kapoor of A-Deli, so most menu items are less than $7.00. The privately owned deli chain was founded more than 10 years ago by Kawal Kapoor, and remains a family business. “We decided to come to NoMa because it’s the next emerging business center,” he said. “With all the new tenants moving in like the Department of Justice and NPR, we know there will be a need for more lunch options.” A-Deli will open its second location in NoMa; they plan to expand further in 2012. Capital Retail Group and LeDroit Park Development Company are leasing the 8,000 SF retail building constructed by the U.S. General Services Administration adjacent to the new headquarters of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The retail building, featuring outdoor seating and direct access to Metro, is open to the public. “A-Deli will provide great synergy with the other amenities at the ATF retail building,” said Robert Tack of Capital Retail Group. Added Carla Merritt of LeDroit Park Development Company “Kawal has a great track record and the experience needed to make this store a success.”

Kiwanians have a long history of supporting boy scouts, A critical relationship that focuses on building leaders. Story by Sam Stall By all rights, 19-year-old Nathaniel Page should be a slavish devotee of video games, social media and cell phones — just like many of his peers. A freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, this computer science specialist is a self-proclaimed gamer who loves shoot-’em-ups such as Overwatch and Battleground. But there’s something unusual about Page — something that doesn’t fit the classic gamer profile. He’s also a newly minted Eagle Scout. “I think it helped me learn that it’s OK to be without screens. Honestly, I think everyone could use a hike in the woods.” He earned this highest of all honors via Boy Scout Troop 347, which for years has been sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Newington, Connecticut. According to Page, his days pitching tents and building campfires helped make him a well-rounded person and keep today’s wired world in perspective. “I spend a lot of time on computers for games or work, so Scouts always offered a really nice break,” he says. “I think it helped me learn that it’s OK to be without screens. Honestly, I think everyone could use a hike in the woods.” Many of today’s parents would agree. According to a study by the nonprofit organization Common Sense, as of 2017, smartphones had made their way into 95 percent of U.S. homes with children ages 0 to 8. Seventy-eight percent of those homes also owned tablets, and 42 percent of the children in those households possessed tablets of their own. Just since 2013, the time those kids spend daily on mobile devices has tripled, from 15 minutes to 48 minutes. Fortunately, there’s a group that seems perfectly positioned to blunt the influence of so many screens: the Boy Scouts of America. And Kiwanis clubs, by volunteering to sponsor troops, are uniquely positioned to help. According to Michael B. Surbaugh, chief Scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America, his organization’s traditional recipe for child development — physical activity, skill-building and fellowship — offers the perfect tonic for today’s screen-besotted kids. And that tonic can be taken early, by signing up for Cub Scouts (for 7- to 10-year-olds). “It’s important to give young people an understanding of why Kiwanis exists, why we do what we do and what community service is all about.” “Cub Scouts offers many ways for kids to have low-tech fun, such as going on outdoor adventures, creating cars and rockets through derby competitions or helping the community through service projects,” Surbaugh says. “These experiences not only pay off in terms of development, but they also may start habits and hobbies that last a lifetime.” A recent study conducted by the Boy Scouts of America found that, while parents and kids don’t mention less screen time as a reason for signing up, they did offer motives that seem like natural byproducts of a less device-intensive lifestyle. For instance, parents chose character development, acquiring outdoor skills and having fun as the top three reasons. Among Scouts ages 11 to 17, the reasons were to have fun, learn about nature and outdoor skills and join friends in Scouting. Robert Nakagawa, deputy Scout executive in the Boy Scouts of America’s Denver Area Council, says this interest in getting outdoors and being with friends plays to the organization’s strengths. The council supervises several large Colorado Scout summer camps, including Tahosa High Adventure Base and Peaceful Valley Scout Ranch. When it comes to how to deal with devices, he admits that the Scouts, like the rest of society, are still feeling their way. “I think the Boy Scouts struggle with this issue as well,” he says. Though each troop has its own policy when it comes to use of electronics, in most cases it’s impractical to simply collect them in a big sack and confiscate them for the duration of a camping trip. For instance, if the kids want to take pictures, using their phone is pretty much the only way. “It sounds odd, but experts tell us that robbing them of their cell phones actually robs them of their experience,” Nakagawa says. “If they go on a hike and take a picture and share it, they’re better able to enjoy those experiences.” On the flipside, having Scouts blast pictures of their camping trips and talk about the fun they’re having on social media doesn’t exactly hurt the organization’s recruiting efforts. “The kids still utilize their devices, but I think the Boy Scouts have done a good job in allowing the young men and young women to do it in an appropriate way,” Nakagawa says. “And getting out into the country makes them better able to forge meaningful relationships with each other, versus just through their devices and social media.” Not surprisingly, the Scouts’ emphasis on community service and character creates a great deal of commonality between themselves and Kiwanis. “Boy Scouts of America’s mission is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices by instilling in them the value of the Scout Oath and Scout Law,” says Lee Shaw, national director of national alliances for the Boy Scouts of America. “That mission is highly compatible with Kiwanis. Both organizations provide service opportunities that teach leadership skills to young people.” Sponsoring a troop is also an excellent way to both raise a Kiwanis club’s community profile and to catch the attention of just the sort of young people who could one day make energetic new members. It’s an equation that’s not lost on Mike George, immediate past president of the Kiwanis Club of Tierrasanta, San Diego, California. For years, the club planted miles of flags along the two main entrances to the town on important holidays such as the Fourth of July and Veterans Day. But planting and then collecting all those banners was a daunting task. So a few years ago, George turned for help to Boy Scout Troop 985, which his Kiwanis club sponsors. “That’s been going on for several years now, and they haven’t missed a beat,” George says. “They’re there rain or shine.” The club reciprocates by assisting with the troop’s Eagle Scout projects. George thinks working together benefits not just the kids, who learn firsthand about community service, but also Kiwanis, by raising the organization’s profile among a trove of potential future members. “It’s important to give young people an understanding of why Kiwanis exists, why we do what we do and what community service is all about,” he says. “That synergy has to be created with young people, and we have to be willing to ask for their help.” Mitch Page, the proud father of Eagle Scout Nathaniel, agrees. “We’ve been blessed to have Kiwanis involved for at least 15 years,” Mitch Page says of his own troop. “It just seemed like a natural fit to go with Kiwanis, because of the wonderful work they do internationally for youth.” Page has four sons, the oldest three of whom are all Eagle Scouts. His youngest, at 13, is currently working toward that rank. Page has personally witnessed the benefits of Kiwanis participation in Scouting — and Scouting’s ability to help kids put down their phones and log into in the real world. “All of my boys have been on some level or another involved with computers and video games,” he says. “But even the most diehard video game and cell phone fans, when we go to one of our Scout camps here in Connecticut for the weekend, get totally involved.” Scouting around the world Scouting is big in North America, but it’s by no means just an American movement. Founded in England in 1908, it has since spread to every corner of the world and encompasses some 40 million active members. If your club would like to find and join forces with a troop in your part of the globe, these regional Scouting centers can help. United States: scouting.org This story originally appeared in the June/July issue of Kiwanis magazine.

Rainford Precision has now taken orders for drills with the miniscule diameters of 0.015, 0.025 and 0.030 mm, which will be at MACH 2014 on Stand 5219. The micro machining specialist has supplied the high precision drills from Iwata Tool to a UK customer who is manufacturing prototype components for a development project in the electrical measurement sector. The new range of Iwata Tool carbide drills will receive their MACH debut with Rainford Precision being announced as the UK distributor for the range. Using MACH 2014 as the launch-pad for the new drilling line, the Japanese manufactured carbide drills are available from 0.008 mm to 0.100 mm diameter with flute lengths of 3xD, 6xD and an astounding 12xD. The comprehensive new micro-machining range from Iwata Tool also includes centre drills with 120°, 90° and 60° inclusive angles that complement the drilling line. Additionally, Iwata Tool can also supply drills to produce holes in materials as hard as 75HRc steel. The innovative TOGLON hard drills are available in 3 ranges; the miniature hard series are short flute drills that start at a 0.1 mm minimum diameter. The hard drill series with a medium flute length are available in diameters from 1.0 mm diameter whilst the TOGLON hard long drill series covers a range from 1.0 mm to 6.0 mm diameter. The flute length of the three ranges is critical to the strength and performance of the drills, which is a key aspect of machining extremely hard materials. The TOGLON HARD SP series of 60° and 90° inclusive angle tools enables 4 main functions to be produced by one tool in materials up to 75HRC, namely, centring, hole chamfering, V-grooving and edge chamfering. To support the manufacture of extremely small parts with ‘micro’ features, the Iwata Tool agreement also gives Rainford Precision customers access to a range of single straight flute end mills from 0.008 mm to 0.100 mm with flute lengths of 2xD, 4xD and 6xD. The synergy between the micro drills and the end mills will enable Rainford Precision to extensively support all customers working in the micro machining industry. Commenting upon the new range of Iwata Tool drills, centre drills and end mills, Rainford Precision’s Managing Director, Mr Arthur Turner comments: “We are delighted to announce our new agreement with Iwata Tool, and MACH will be a great platform to introduce these new products. Established as a micro machining specialist with a product stable that includes high precision machine tools and cutting tools, the Iwata Tool range is a perfect fit for our brand and enables us to extend our capability to deliver exciting solutions for the micro machining industry. However, cutting tools of these dimensions are not for everyone and spindle concentricity and tool run-out are critical factors in the manufacturing process of such small components.” If you have any micro machining requirements or any projects that demand machining with ‘truly’ high precision, please visit the Rainford Precision Stand at MACH 2014. |For Reader Enquiries:Arthur Turner Rainford Precision Ltd Pasture Lane Business Centre Tel: 01744 889726 |For Editorial Enquiries:Rhys Williams Maesteg Business Centre Tel/Fax: 01656 738566 Mob: 07990 514937 Web : www.pulse-pr.co.uk

WARWICKSHIRE chairman Norman Gascoigne has outlined his full confidence that the club’s finances – and financial prospects – are sound despite the £20 million debt incurred to build the new Pavilion End at Edgbaston. The Bears will open their season at home to Somerset today in the shadow of the £32 million structure which, after years as a ‘Master Plan’, finally came to fruition and opened in 2011. The building is impressive. Opinions vary as to whether the redevelopment needed to be on quite such a grand (and expensive) scale but Birmingham City Council, whose £20 million loan was essential to the project, would only get involved if the end-product was, as they put it, “iconic.” Is it iconic? Not really. But impressive, yes, and, most importantly, full of function rooms and swanky facilities for players, officials and media which will, without question, help to ensure that Edgbaston retains its status as an international venue. Never mind the double kick-in-the-teeth the ECB dished out to Warwickshire by not awarding them Test matches in 2013 and 2014; for the Bears’ security in medium and long terms, the crumbling old wreck of a pavilion, parts of which stretched back to Victorian times, had to go. Finding repayments of £1m per year to the council for the foreseeable future in a recession will be a big ask, however. Such a level of debt has destabilised many large sports clubs and toppled a few. But Gascoigne, a former banker, while fully cognisant of the demands facing the Bears, is comfortable with their ability to meet them. “We went into this plan knowing we would have the debt and nothing has changed,” he said. “Nothing has happened over the last two or three years that makes us question the business plan that we had in the first place and which a number of organisations, including the city council, said was fine. “And nothing has happened to make me waver in my confidence that we can handle it. “We know we have to service the debt and we have parts of the business – conference and banqueting particularly – which are helping drive a business plan which was put together with the financial climate in mind. “The conference and banqueting side is already exceeding our plans. This year will see 60 per cent growth over last year. In the last six months we have done what we did in the previous 12 – and that despite the state of the economy. “In the city council we have an excellent partner. We have a fixed interest rate so, if interest rates start to shoot up, that’s not going to bother us. “I think we will be able to manage the debt comfortably and won’t ever need a terribly sympathetic ear but if the need did arise I would hope that ear would be sympathetic. “But I must stress I am confident we won’t need it. “There is synergy between us and the council in terms of us both portraying Birmingham and the West Midlands in the strongest light possible. “We are benefiting from dragging people from London and the other bigger cities into Birmingham and that is what we have got to capture not just this year but in future years. “It would be daft to say we were not disappointed that we did not get the Ashes and India Tests in 2013 and 2014 but we have plenty of liquid finds and not getting those two Tests has not disrupted that greatly. It just turns the screw a little bit. “We need to keep the pressure on to drive the overall profitability of the business plan but we will see what we finally get from the Champions Trophy in 2013 – and that is looking very optimistic.” As a man whose working life was spent in finance, as a banker before retiring in 2001 and then a consultant, Gascoigne is well-qualified to evaluate Warwickshire’s fiscal health. But, a Bears committee member since 2004 and chairman since 2010, he is at pains to stress that, for all the talk of business plans and revenue-raising and maximising non-match day income, the club remains passionately a cricket-driven institution. “Of course the debt has to be dealt with but all the talk of it should not take away from the fact that this club is about cricket,” he said. “And money has to be reinvested back into the cricket to make sure we are competing a the top of the county game. Warwickshire County Cricket Club is about playing cricket and, first and foremost, the county championship. “We have to do other things as part of our business model but it all comes down to what the cricket achieves. And, from my perspective, getting that prestige and reputation is about winning the championship. “That’s why I, as a county chairman, have been very anxious to preserve the structure of the championship as the Morgan Report has been discussed. “We have just had two excellent years of competition in the championship. It is a little bit vulnerable to the weather but that’s always going to be the case and in the last two years the title equation has gone to the final day and it’s been absolutely enthralling. “It was a great effort from the Bears to finish second last season. It was frustrating to be pipped on the last day but a bloody good job all round and hopefully we can go one better this time.” While Jim Troughton’s team aims to go one better in the championship in the months ahead, they will be looking to be a great deal better than last season in the shorter-formats, not least the T20 in which their form tailed right off in 2011. This year, happily, they have a smaller and much more sensible T20 group programme to deal with as the counties continue to search for the best format for the competition, which remains a useful coffer-filler despite having unquestionable peaked in popularity. “There are two arguments about T20,” Gascoigne said. “One is to play it throughout the season which means players have to adapt from one format to another very quickly and they tell me they are not keen on that. “Also, and this doesn’t affect Warwickshire, but counties who have overseas players coming and going for the T20 would find that very difficult to slot them in. “I think the majority favour having T20 in a block and I favour the more limited number of matches, like five home and five away, so you can try to contain that block with as little disruption as possible to the rest of the season. “We have taken some pressure off the fixture-list this season by reducing the T20 which everybody felt that, at 16 matches, was pushing it. “My view is let’s give the revised structure that was agreed late in 2010 a chance to operate.”

The 2018 Maccabi GB Community Dog Walk & Show took place on Sunday with more than 250 members of the Community and 80 prized pooches. The unique, annual event, held at Mill Hill Park, allowed members of the Community to get active and enjoy the great outdoors with their four legged friends. The event got underway with a walk around a designated route before participants were able to visit a number of stalls including groomers, trainers, walkers, vets, the RSPCA, Camp Simcha Therapy Dogs, and dog accessories. With the sun shining, the participants looked on at the exciting agility display carried out by from Ridinghood Agility Club and received some training tips and tricks from specialists K9 consulting. Before the competitions began, owners enjoyed the bouncy castle and had their face painted or glitter tattoo. The competitions, which were the highlight of the day, allowed the owners to show case their furry friends in a number of different categories. The awards included “Dog with the Waggiest Tail”, “Best Rescue Dog”, “Quickest to Sit”, “Cutest Pup”, “Gorgeous Golden Oldie” and “Dog the Judges would most like to take home” Speaking about the event, Maccabi GB’s Valerie Parnes, said, “A superb day was had by all at the 8th annual Maccabi GB Community Dog Walk & Show. Over 80 dogs and 250 people enjoyed the agility display, the fun competitions and a gentle stroll around the park on a beautiful summer's day. It was great to see so many families with their beloved dogs from the Jewish Community come together for a fun afternoon. Our events are for an active Jewish community, including those with four legs, and the Maccabi GB Community Dog Walk shows just that. “A special thanks has to go to our event sponsors, PoochPlay, Sports Centre Shop and Dog on the Hill as well as our exhibitors, Camp Simcha, Sharon Caplan, Colindale Police Station, Jayne Dula, H & H Dog Grooming, K9 Consulting, Mill Hill Fire Station, Montydog Bandanas, Photographic Synergy, Ridinghood Agility Club, RSPCA Barnet, Tara’s Pet Taxis, Topsy Tumblers and Wood Street Veterinary Hospital,.” The full list of winners are below: Dog with the Waggiest Tail Treacle and the Joukovski Family Best Rescue Dog Jojo and the Morris Family Quickest to Sit Marley and the Harris Family Cally and the Sher Family Gorgeous Golden Oldie Roxy and Karen Mogliner Dog the Judges would most like to take home Bruno and Heather Lipitch Official photo gallery from this event can be found here

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High solubility and stability of artemisinin in aqueous infusions L'artemisinine est soluble et stable dans l'eau For 30 years, it was claimed that Artemisia annua tea infusions could not be used as remedy because artemisinin was barely soluble in water. The “WHO Position Statement on Effectiveness of Non-tablet Forms of Artemisia annua L against Malaria “, present for long years on the WHO site, not dated, not signed, not refenced, bluntly states: “it is virtually impossible for a tea bag to contain the amount of substance required to cure malaria. Artemisinin … is unstable when heated. Boiling water to make tea may cause it to lose any anti-malarial properties it may have”. Coming from an international body like WHO it was accepted by everybody as true. But it is wrong! And the need to produce water soluble derivatives of artemisinin a loss of time and energy. But it guaranteed a huge market. A review paper published by Frank van der Kooy revived our interest in the question why the solubility of artemisinin is higher in Artemisia annua infusions than for the pure substance in distilled water. Frank van der Kooy, Robert Verpoorte. The content of artemisinin in the Artemisia annua tea infusion. Planta Med 2011 Oct 3;77(15):1754-6. Epub 2011 Dec 3. We quote: « It is possible that the compounds responsible for the enhanced aqueous solubility of artemisinin only occur in the stems and not in the leaves…Furthermore, no studies have been conducted on the possible chemical reactions that can take place or the extraction efficiency of urine, as this was the common extraction solvent in ancient times. This interaction between common water ions and salts, and also common metabolites present in urine, should be further investigated and its effect on the various biological activities ascribed to Artemisia annua ». Sodium bicarbonate also enhance the extraction of tannins from medicinal herbs. The feature is used in Turkish tea houses. Some bicarbonate is added to the water used for ddecoction and the infusion becomes darker. E Moroydor Derun, T Yalcin S Piskin. The effect of sodium bicarbonate on the Mg and P concentrations in Turkish black and green tea. Int J Scholarly and Scientific Res and Innov, 2014, 8, 557-559 Extraction efficiencies for artemisinin of greater than 70% have been noticed. The authors propose that the solubility of artemisinin is enhanced by the action of other constituents present in Artemisia annua. Räth K, Taxis K, Walz G, Gleiter CH, Li SM, Heide L. Pharmacokinetic study of artemisinin after oral intake of a traditional preparation of Artemisia annua L. (annual wormwood). Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2004 Feb;70(2):128-32. Along these lines a paper from Tehran studying the effect of surfactants on extraction of polyphonic compounds shows indeed that surfactants in water give a much higher extraction of polyphenols than methanol in water. Saponins present in Artemisiaa act as surfactants. The authors also studied the influence of ionic strength and pH. A 2% potassium chloride solution in water was determined to be the optimum salt concentration for the extraction, even higher as with the surfactant. It is possible that osmotic pressure plays a role in the rupture of plant cells. This needs to be investigated. Artemisia plants are very rich in potassium up to 26 000 ppm, much more than other plants (see below) Reza Hosseinzadeh, Khatereh Khorsandi, Syavash Hemmaty. Study of the Effect of Surfactants on Extraction and Determination of Polyphenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Fruits Extracts. PlosONE, 2013, 8(3) e57353 A study from Italy comes to the same conclusion: artemisinin present in the tea is probably co-solubilized with other ingredients, some of which have also antimalarial activity. A De Donno, T Grassi, A Idolo, FP Fanizzi. First-time comparison of the in vitro antimalarial activity of Artemisia annua herbal tea and artemisinin. Trans Royal Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2012, 106, 696-700 More important even could be the work we have done in partnership with the University of Al Quds, Jerusalem, Palestine. For several medicinal herbs including Artemisia species, they find that when the extraction in done by hot water containing NaCl or sodium bicarbonate, the beta-hematin inhibition effect is strongly enhanced. Akkawi M, Jaber S, Abu-Remeleh Q, Engeu OP, Lutgen P (2014). Investigations of Artemisia Annua and Artemisia Sieberi Water Extracts Inhibitory Effects on β-Hematin Formation. Med Aromat Plants 3: 150. doi: 10.4172/2167-0412.1000150 Suhair Jaber, Saleh Abu-Lafi, Pierre Lutgen, Mutaz Qutob, Qassem Abu-Remeleh and Mutaz Akkawi. Bicarbonate In-Vitro Effect on Beta-Hematin Inhibition by Artemisia sieberi Aqueous Infusion. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 3 (2015) 63-72 doi: 10.17265/2328-2150/2015.02.003 The effect of sodium bicarbonate is negligible if it is added to the infusion after extraction. This is the case for all salts dissolved in pure water: NaCl, KBr, NaNO3, KCl, ZnCl2, KI, K2HPO4): they have no effect per se on beta-hematin inhibition (personal communication from M Akkawi). The poor aqueous solubility of drugs is an industry wide problem. Some approaches have even been patented. Ravula Prasad, Solid lipid dispersion for aqueous solubility enhancement of poorly water soluble drugs, WO 2010143199 A1 Addition of bicarbonates will cause dehydration of cell ducts by an osmose like effect, so ducts will dry then explode to release their content. The use of urine for efficient extraction of medicinal herbs may rely on similar elements. Urine contains 1% of chlorides. It also contains 1 gm per liter of sodium bicarbonate, or more if the pH of urine is > 7 and it contains much more potassium than sea water. JL Gamble, Carbonate and bicarbonate in urine. J Biol Chem. 1922, 51, 299-3 Bicarbonate contents are much higher in roots and stems than in leaves. A. Wallace. T. Mueller. A. WooS. M. Soufi. Plant uptake of bicarbonate as measured with the11C isotope. Plant and Soil. April 1979, Volume 51, Issue 3, pp 431–435 Artemisia plants are rich in the ambiphilic surfactant saponin. Based on literature data on vegetables and medicinal plants our best estimate for saponins in Artemisia plants is around 1% versus 0.4 % in vegetables. There are many anecdotical claims that Artemisia annua stems are richer in saponins than leaves. The problem is that it is very difficult, even impossible to find quantitative studies on saponins in any Artemisia species. Among all the medicinal plants those of the Artemisia family have the highest potassium content. The first to report this was the USDA. E Brisibe, E. Umoren, Pedro M. Magalhäes ,Jorge F.S. Ferreira. Nutritional characterisation and antioxidant capacity of different tissuesof Artemisia annua L. Food Chemistry, 2008, 115, 1240-46 Potassium concentrations in Artemisia annua are 10 to 100 times higher than those of other minerals, particularly sodium. A study in Morocco measured the potassium content of four medicinal plants. For Artemisia herba alba it is the highest B. Imelouane, M. Tahri , M. Elbastrioui, F. Aouinti, A. Elbachiri. Mineral Contents of Some Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Growing in Eastern Morocco J. Mater. Environ. Sci. 2 (2) (2011) 104-111 Imelouane et al.104 A more complete study in Pakistan, comparing 10 medicinal plants finds that potassium content in Artemisia annua is the highest. This goes along with an exceptionally high concentration of HCO₃¯ bicarbonate. Iqbal Hussain. Evaluation of Inorganic Profile of Selected Medicinal Plants of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. World Applied Sciences Journal 12 (9): 1464-1468, 2011 Other studies have shown that foods simultaneously rich in potassium and bicarbonate have very positive health effects, especially against osteoporosis, renal stones and hypertension. Milk products are rich in potassium but poor in bicarbonate. Many fruits and vegetables combine both; coffee and wine also offer this combination SA Lanham-New. The balance of bone health: tipping the scales in favor of potassium-rich, bicarbonate rich foods. The Journal of Nutrition, 2008, 138, 172-177 Michele Barbera, Mauro Barbera, Quintino Paola. The importance of potassium citrate and potassium bicarbonate in the treatment of uric renal stones. Congress Scientia 2016, 88, 4, Often the concentration of potassium is higher in stems than in leaves, in artichoke for example, in rice, in tomatoes. Christian Gary, Nadia Bertin, Jean-Sylvain Frossard and Jacques Le Bot. High mineral contents explain the low construction cost of leaves, stems and fruits of tomato plants Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 49, No. 318, pp. 49–57, January 1998. The presence of proanthocyanidins in Artemisia plants may also explain the surprisingly high solubility of artemisinin in tea infusions. And the solubility of resveratrol in wine and not in pure water. Jackson JK, Letchford K. The Effective Solubilization of Hydrophobic Drugs Using Epigallocatechin Gallate or Tannic Acid-Based Formulations. J Pharm Sci. 2016 Oct;105(10):3143-52. doi: 10.1016/j.xphs.2016.06.027. Why and how these constituents of Artemisia annua enhance the solubility of lipophilic constituents needs further investigation. The work of Frank van der Kooy (op.cit.) has shown that the extraction is up to 80% if the dried herb is in contact with boiling water for 2-5 minutes. The addition of a very small amount of salt or bicarbonate before pouring the boiling water will strengthen the infusion. The stability of artemisinin in Artemisia annua leaves has been determined in several laboratories for periods up to five years (personal communications) in evident contradiction with the OMS position statement. A work from South Africa even shows that the antioxidant properties of Artemisia afra stay constant for at least 12 years. SO Amoo, AO Aremu, M Moyo, J van Staden. Antioxidant and acetylcholinesterase-inhibitory properties of long-term stored medicinal plants. BMC Compl & Alternat Medicine, 2012, 12:87. Stability of artemisinin in aqueous infusions is also very high and stays stable at least for 24 hours. The same authors also showed that boiling times of 10 minutes extracted more artemisinin than shorter times (op.ci.t). It appears thus reasonable to use concoctions rather than simple infusions. The University of Abomey in Benin also found that the stability of artemisinin in aqueous infusions is excellent. The concentration only decreases by 10% in 20 days. H Zime-Diawara, F Gbaguidi, R Semde, I Some, J Quentin-Leclercq, Effect of cyclodextrins on artemisinin stability and on in vitro dissolution. Stability of lyophilized extracts however is low (Mutaz Akkawi, personal communication). Artemisia annua has a stronger Plasmodium control than the tea reconstituted d from Lyophilized material (Pedro Melillo de Magalhaes, personal communication). A freshly prepared infusion probably contains all the constituents of the plant which have an antimalarial effect. A true polytherapy which explains why the cure rate in all trials in a dozen African countries is >95%. Much higher than for any kind of ACT (artemisinin combined therapy) which are not more than the combination of two monotherapies without synergy but with resistances.

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By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online See end of this file for all of our many History files Bermuda's Royal Gazette newspaper is not published on Sundays or Public Holidays. June 30. The Hamilton Princess has completed its $100 million renovation project, including a new spa set to open on July 5. Allan Federer, general manager at the hotel, said: “It looks like a completely new hotel compared to three years ago. The vision always has been to take full advantage of where we are located, next to the beautiful harbour, and to create a luxury destination that will compete with many leading resorts around the globe. To that end, the renovations have been a great success. We are proud of our new modern look and outstanding facilities. As the official hotel sponsor of the America’s Cup, we know that the coming year will be an important time for Bermuda tourism and we look forward to welcoming business and leisure travelers as well as the community to enjoy their time here.” The final stage of the renovations includes the new Exhale spa, which will feature nine treatment rooms and offer massages, facials, manicures and pedicures when it opens next month. The project also shows a new, brighter retail corridor with upscale shopping options including FH Boutique and RESORT Boutique, Astwood Dickinson, the official America’s Cup store and the Sunglass Shop. Meanwhile, a new balcony has been installed for the Trudeau Ballroom, offering those who rent the space a 2,000 square foot outdoor terrace, and 11 suites in the Fairmont Gold wing have been renovated to include balconies overlooking the harbour. Previous stages of the three-year project have included renovated rooms, a new marina, two additional restaurants, new pool facilities and a collection of art, including works by Andy Warhol, Banksy and Damien Hurst. Mr Federer said that the guests had been excited by the new facilities, saying that the new guest rooms were long overdue. “We are getting happy feedback,” he said, adding that the hotel is hoping to attract a new generation of return visitors. Michael Fahy, the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, praised the Green family, who own the hotel, for their commitment to the project and the island, noting that the work was announced before Bermuda secured the America’s Cup. “All you need to do is look around the fantastic facilities to see that their vision has become a success,” he said. Asked about the recent announcement that the hotel had been named a “designated site” for potential casino development, Mr Federer said he looked forward to working with the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission on the next steps. Sen Fahy, meanwhile, added that new legislation would be introduced to create a “prospective licence” system to assist hoteliers with integrated casino projects. “That is coming and no doubt that will assist the Hamilton Princess and others as they proceed,” he said. June 29. The Bermuda Tourism Authority has hired a local firm to manage the search for a new chief executive officer. Performance Solutions was selected after a “open and competitive Request for Proposals” process to choose a suitable successor to current CEO Bill Hanbury by the fourth quarter of this year. A statement released by the BTA said: “Performance Solutions has 16 years of distinguished experience in the Bermuda market as a boutique, full-service human resources consulting firm. “It has hiring expertise in the tourism sector and has successfully partnered with local and international companies across many sectors of the economy to support talent acquisition needs at all levels, from the C-suite to frontline staff.” Mr Hanbury will finish his three-year contract at the end of 2016, but is expected to work side-by-side to transition the CEO designate into the new role. June 29. Bermuda Press (Holdings) Ltd’s profits more than tripled in the first half of its fiscal year, even as revenue slumped. The company, which owns The Royal Gazette, as well as commercial printing, retail and real-estate interests, said net income for the six months ended March 31, 2016, was $502,000, compared to $145,000 in the same period of the previous year. Revenue fell by $1.15 million, or 8 per cent, to $13.14 million during the half-year. In a statement, BPHL put the improvement in profitability down to a reduction in operating costs, particularly at Island Press Ltd, Bermuda.com Ltd and Bermuda.com Guide Ltd. The profitability of these three businesses, acquired from MediaHouse Ltd two years ago, improved by $450,000 year over year. It added that an increase in the cover price of The Royal Gazette from $1 to $1.50 from April, was expected to increase revenues in the second half of the year. BPHL said its most profitable segment was real estate, with its investment properties maintaining an occupancy rate of 98 per cent. Since its annual report, BPHL has reinstated a 5 cents per share dividend, after a dividend suspension since September 2014. The company also announced a $1 million share buyback plan on March 1, but said no shares had been bought back to date under this programme. The company added that it was working towards the Investors in People certification — an international set of human resource management standards. “Bermuda’s economy remains fragile and the economic recovery is dependent on increasing the number of jobs and overall population,” the company commented, adding that its future success is linked to growth in the local economy and increased consumer confidence. June 29. A French naval aircraft that caught widespread attention after a low-altitude pass over and near the island on Friday evening is being investigated by the Department of Civil Aviation. However, the Captain of the vessel has apologized for any distress caused by the exercises. According to a spokesman from the Ministry of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, the aircraft had earlier made several low-level passes alongside the departing Norwegian Breakaway cruise ship while still within Bermuda territorial waters. The aircraft was primarily conducting operations in connection with the French naval ship Monge, which was in Bermuda waters under diplomatic clearance from the UK. The spokesman added: “As regulatory matters of civil aviation are the responsibility of Government House, the Governor has requested the Department of Civil Aviation to investigate the matter, with a preliminary report already submitted. The Governor is following this up in consultation with the Ministry of Defence in London, while the investigation continues.” In a statement released by the French Consul last night, the Captain apologized for any disturbances caused by the incident on behalf of the French Navy Falcon crew, and in particular to Government House and the Department of Civil Aviation. He was quoted as saying: “We understand that some Bermuda residents and visitors, in particular some cruise ship passengers, may have been surprised or scared, and for this we sincerely apologize.” The statement explained that the Falcons are carrying maritime operations in support of the Monge. The aircrafts are used in support of a range of maritime missions, including operations against piracy, trafficking and pollution, fisheries control and maritime search-and-rescue. “Flying low and close to the ship is necessary to assist seamen in distress by dropping lift rafts to the water,” the Captain’s statement continued. “Our stay in Bermuda has been the most pleasurable and we wish to thank the many Bermudians we have met for their warm welcome.” June 29. Commissioner’s House in Dockyard was officially reopened nearly two years after the old structure sustained major structural damage in back-to-back hurricanes. Michael Dunkley conducted an official roof wetting yesterday afternoon by pouring rum over the new roof of the building. The Premier was joined by several Cabinet colleagues including Sylvan Richards, Jeanne Atherden and Wayne Scott for the ceremony on top of Commissioner’s House yesterday afternoon. “My colleagues and I were pleased to see the extensive repairs reach their conclusion and the team at the National Museum should be commended for their efforts,” said Mr Dunkley. “These critical upgrades, refurbishments and improvements will help the historic building withstand future storm damage, and this will help greatly in protecting the invaluable artifacts housed in this great building.” The National Museum was severely damaged in hurricanes in 2014 and 2015 when almost all the buildings in its upper grounds, including the Commissioner’s House and the Curatorial Department, sustained major structural roof damage and flooding. Commissioner’s House had been closed since October 2014 but opened to the public again on May 9, this year, while the Curatorial Department had to relocate into a small temporary office. Curator Elena Strong revealed that more behind-the-scenes roof strengthening would be carried out in the coming months as well as the refurbishment of the Curatorial Department. She said the museum should be fully operation by the end of the year. “For the past 18 months the museum has been carrying out extensive repair and restoration work on Commissioner’s House in order to strengthen and conserve its largest artifact,” she added. “Work entailed replacing the entire roof of Commissioner’s House with a modern steel system and carrying out major restorative work on the cast-iron truss system. The 300 linear feet of cast-iron fascia and the cast-iron veranda pillars are also new. " June 29. A reported lost payment for buses has been blasted by Lawrence Scott, the Shadow Minister of Transport, as “irresponsibility and incompetence at its highest”. According to a Monday report by the online news site Bermuda Real, a $300,000 advance payment was made roughly a year ago, with a source stating that the Bermuda Government was “pursuing avenues of investigation and recovery”. Mr Scott told The Royal Gazette he was filing “fast and furious” parliamentary questions to pursue the allegations, but lamented that the minister would have nine days in which to respond. Michael Fahy took over as Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities in May, but transport-related questions have been fielded in the House by Grant Gibbons, the Minister of Economic Development. “Unless there is a statement in the House of Assembly this Friday, we won’t hear anything until the next Friday,” Mr Scott said. “We don’t know if it’s $300,000 or if it is as much as a million, which goes on top of the $18 million that went missing under Senator Fahy’s watch.” This was in reference to the Corporation of Hamilton’s $18 million debt over a failed development at Par-la-Ville. “Could you imagine if this happened under a Progressive Labour Party administration?” he added. Mr Scott lamented that “no minister took accountability for this and came forward to tell the Bermudian people that a mistake had been made — it had to be found out by a journalist that this money went missing. What else is going on behind the scenes?” The revelation came in the wake of bus cancellations that plagued the island’s fleet, already hit by mechanical troubles. The need for new buses was a point raised by the former transport minister, Shawn Crockwell, who told Parliament in January that no new vehicles had been purchased since 2009 — but that 16 new buses had been purchased with four new ones coming this year. June 29. An estimated 250 asset management professionals and investors are expected to travel to Bermuda later this year for the first World Alternative Investment Summit Bermuda (WAIS Bermuda) at the Fairmont Southampton Resort. Slated for September 28 to 30, the event is hosted by Canada’s Radius Financial Education (Radius) and supported by the Bermuda Business Development Agency (BDA). A statement from the BDA said the three-day event would bring together investment and business experts to network and share insights and ideas around the global alternative investment industry. Delegates will include asset managers, institutional and high-net-worth investors, hedge funds, family offices, banks, legal and accounting firms, and fund administrators. “Hosting this conference in Bermuda will further enhance growth in the asset management sector here, as well as to boost the island’s corporate tourism,” said BDA’s chief executive officer Ross Webber. “Bermuda’s world-respected fund business is strong and growing, and events such as this one help heighten our profile and signal our renewed drive as a jurisdiction to attract investment industry professionals.” WAIS Bermuda now joins the Regulatory Compliance Association’s (RCA) Regulation, Operations & Compliance Symposium, held in April, and the Global Fund Forum (October 24 to 26), organized annually by Hedge Connection, on the Bermuda asset management calendar. Additionally, the Convergence (November 9—11) event has become a yearly staple, geared to alternative reinsurance and insurance-linked strategies professionals. “The fact that we have these international events taking place here this year affirms we are back on the industry’s radar,” said Sean Moran, BDA business development manager, who led a delegation to Radius’s WAIS Canada event in Niagara Falls, Ontario last September and subsequently secured its commitment to host a Bermuda conference in 2016. “Bermuda is once again a destination where fund experts are gathering to network, address pertinent issues, and have some fun in the process,” said Moran. “Delegates are always impressed by Bermuda’s natural beauty, but many are also impressed by its sophistication, talent and significance as an international financial centre — this leads to new business opportunities for local fund managers, directors, lawyers, administrators and other service providers.” Tony Sanfelice, president of Toronto-based Radius, said: “We are committed to delivering a successful event that brings together alternative investment managers and investors. With Bermuda’s formidable history as one of the world’s leading financial jurisdictions, and its reputation for respected regulation and commitment to compliance, it is an excellent location to extend our success producing leading alternative investment management conferences.” Radius has 14 years’ experience producing leading financial conferences, including the annual WAIS Canada. Radius also produces the Niagara Institutional Dialogue, a flagship pension event attended by high-profile Canadian and global institutional investors and fund managers. Radius also produces Canada’s flagship Exchange Traded Forum or ETF each spring. June 29. Two same-sex couples are expected to apply to wed in Bermuda in the coming days and are likely to appeal directly to the courts if they are not given permission to marry. The couples — one female and one male — will be represented by former Attorney-General Mark Pettingill, the lawyer and MP who has vowed not to rest after last week’s referendum result until there are equal human rights for all. The marriage applications and the likely court proceedings that could follow may settle the same-sex marriage issue without legislators getting involved, as many have predicted. The referendum on June 23 failed to officially answer whether Bermudian voters were for or against same-sex marriage or civil unions, as the turnout was less than 50 per cent. Mr Pettingill told The Royal Gazette he could not comment on the “anticipated” marriage applications but said: “I have always believed that marriage is a legal issue and not a religious issue. I believe that in light of that, it’s a matter that will be best addressed by the courts. “Consequently, I take the view that the Human Rights Act has primacy and that the Registrar[-General] must provide services in accordance with the Marriage Act.” The Marriage Act requires the Registrar-General to post notice of any intended marriage in the Registry-General for two weeks and to advertise the nuptials in a newspaper within three days of receiving notice of it. Mr Pettingill previously represented a different couple, Bermudian Ijumo Hayward and his American partner, Clarence Williams III, when they applied to wed here in December. The One Bermuda Alliance backbencher sent a covering letter with their application to Registrar-General Aubrey Pennyman, which said if their intended marriage was not advertised in accordance with the law, the couple would seek a Supreme Court order to force him to perform his statutory duty. Mr Pennyman did not issue the required notices and Mr Pettingill was told that the Registrar was taking advice from the Attorney-General’s chambers. Mr Hayward and Mr Williams are already married in the United States and it is understood that their application is unlikely to proceed any farther. The two new couples to be represented by Mr Pettingill are not married and are likely to argue, if their cases come to court, that the Registrar-General is in breach of the Human Rights Act for denying them “goods, facilities or services” based on their sexual orientation. But the timing of any court proceedings relating to their applications could be critical since the Bermuda Government has already tabled legislation — an amendment to the Matrimonial Causes Act — which would allow discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in relation to weddings. The proposed amendment, which is on the order paper of the House of Assembly, would remove the supremacy of the Human Rights Act in relation to section 15 of the Matrimonial Causes Act, which says a marriage is void if the parties are not male and female. Michael Dunkley would not comment yesterday on whether the Government would proceed with that piece of legislation, or with the draft Civil Union Act 2016, which was tabled for consultation purposes in February. The Premier told this newspaper: “I and my parliamentary colleagues continue to deliberate on [the] matter.” The turnout for the referendum was 46.89 per cent, meaning the two questions on the ballot paper were deemed to be unanswered. Of those who voted, 69 per cent were against same-sex marriage and 63 per cent were against same-sex civil unions. Mr Dunkley said last week of the referendum: “Any outcome is the will of the people and will guide their elected officials accordingly. As we have said in the town hall meeting[s], if there is a ‘no’ vote, it will potentially open up challenges in the courts and the courts will ultimately decide.” Mr Pettingill, meanwhile, told Parliament on Friday: “I won’t rest until this issue is addressed.” June 29. Toughening laws on crime is the public’s number one solution to solving Bermuda’s gun violence problems, according to a new poll. The Global Research survey, commissioned by The Royal Gazette, found 24 per cent of people named stricter sentencing or better laws when asked: “What does Bermuda need to do to tackle its gun violence problem?” The next most popular answers, with 11 per cent each, were improving public school education at all levels, increasing police presence and tightening regulations at Customs. A further 9 per cent said Bermuda needed to address its underlying social issues, such as the breakdown of the family unit and the poor economy. The telephone survey of 402 registered voters took place between June 6 and June 13, and has a margin of error of +/- 5 per cent. About two weeks earlier, on May 21, Patrick Dill became the first fatal shooting victim of 2016 when he was killed in Crossland Lane, Pembroke. Mr Dill, a 26-year-old father of two who is believed to have had no connections to Bermuda’s gang culture, was the 28th man to die in gun violence since May, 2009. Cup Match cricketer Fiqre Crockwell, 30, became the 29th on National Heroes Day last week, when he was shot dead in Woodlands Road, Pembroke. Mr Crockwell has also not been identified as being involved in any gang. Senator Jeff Baron, the Minister of National Security, has said that Team StreetSafe was infiltrating Bermuda’s most volatile gangs and saving lives on a daily basis. The charity has been providing counseling support to families in an attempt to defuse rising tensions. June 28. The Government’s disputed airport redevelopment contract is to be investigated by a Commission of Inquiry along with contentious projects of the past — such as Bermuda Emissions Control and GlobalHue. That independent body, which held its first public hearing yesterday, had been tasked with probing allegations by Auditor-General Heather Jacobs Matthews that public funds had been mismanaged in the fiscal years ending 2010-12. Her reports, tabled in Parliament on November 13, 2015, highlighted a lack of control over various capital development projects in the final years of the Progressive Labour Party administration, also citing a disregard for financial instructions. However, as chairman Sir Anthony Evans laid out the top issues for consideration, the former Bermuda Court of Appeal judge said the commission’s members felt their work could benefit by also considering contracts awarded before or after 2010-12. This would mean looking into certain contracts “where either payments made during those years represented Government outgoings under earlier contracts, or the Government’s practice during financial years 2010-12 may have emerged before the period began, and may have continued after it ended”, he said. PLP MPs Walton Brown, Derrick Burgess and Zane DeSilva were among those in the audience as Sir Anthony announced that the commission intends to pursue the following: The commission is not tasked with resolving criminal issues, but to look into government affairs, refer potential violations of law or rules to the appropriate agency — and ultimately to be “assured that Government has learnt and moved on from any past mistakes about its own internal processes”. With respect to alleged violations, Sir Anthony said: “In short, was the Auditor-General correct? If so, how did that occur, and why was the situation allowed to continue?” Yesterday’s meeting in St Theresa’s Church Hall was the last public hearing until September 28, when public hearings resume with witnesses. “The commission has many powers, such as the power to compel people to give evidence,” Sir Anthony told the gathering. “We also have the power in exceptional cases to preserve the confidentiality and the privacy of individual witnesses who request it. I strongly urge any person who may be able to assist us to come forward, whether in person or by posting information on our website.” The commission heard next from lawyer Narinder Hargun, who appeared as counsel to the group alongside Jeffrey Elkinson. Mr Hargun outlined a swath of requests made by counsel for government documents from the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Tax Commissioner, the ministries of finance, tourism, education and public works, and the Accountant General — in connection with projects including: GlobalHue was a United States advertising agency awarded a $28 million contract in 2009 for Bermuda tourism, with no rival firm to bid. The arrangement was sharply criticised in a 2012 PAC report faulting the firm’s relationship with the then Premier and Minister of Tourism. The Atlanta-based firm Ambling Development, meanwhile, was taken on by the Government in a wide-ranging 2008 contract. Yesterday’s sitting of the commission heard also from lawyer Venous Memari, asked by the Bermuda Public Services Union to assist with ten civil servants — three of whom are government department heads. A total of nine are entitled to representation, while the tenth may submit documents rather than appearing in person. The commission then formally adjourned until September. For details, or to make a submission, see its website, www.inquirybermuda.com June 28. Legislation paving the way for the creation of a Civil Aviation Authority and a Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority was passed by MPs on Friday afternoon. The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority Act 2016 provides the new CAA with quango status in a bid to boost revenue from the Bermuda Registry of Aircraft. Grant Gibbons, the Minister of Economic Development, told the House of Assembly that the new Act would make Bermuda more competitive in the global aviation market. However, Lawrence Scott, shadow Minister of Transport, expressed a string of concerns about the creation of the CAA, claiming the Bermuda Government was making the CAA answer to the minister. He also questioned why the Minister of Finance should be involved in appointing members of the board. “Government should not have any say over civil aviation,” Mr Scott said. “They are trying to go outside their jurisdiction. This Bill falls short of doing what it is intended to do because the Government is too involved compared to other jurisdictions.” However, One Bermuda Alliance MP Shawn Crockwell explained that Bermuda’s CAA would be based on the UK’s CAA model, in which the authority answered to the Ministry of Transport. Mr Crockwell described Mr Scott’s assertions as “erroneous” adding: “We must put in the proper infrastructure so the authority and the register can grow. The register must operate like a business and Government must be prudent to make sure we do not lose this revenue.” Finance minister Bob Richards told the House that the new legislation was designed to boost revenue to the consolidated fund. Meanwhile, the Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority Act 2016 will see the Department of Maritime Administration also given quango status. Dr Gibbons said the Bermuda Shipping and Maritime Authority will help the island compete more effectively in the growing shipping sector. “This Bill is intended to create an efficient, competitive and economically viable shipping registry that can meet the modern-day customer demands as well as the relevant national and international standards,” he added. According to Dr Gibbons, Bermuda presently commands a fleet of 170 ships with more than 13 million gross tonnes. “The revenue earned by the DMA as fees from the registration of ships and other services provides is approximately $5 million annually with a net surplus of nearly $3 million annually.” But compared with other international registries, Dr Gibbons said Bermuda’s tonnage “is rather small, which provides the DMA great opportunity for expansion. With the proposed amendments in this bill, the DMA believes they should be able to compete more effectively and enhance Bermuda’s shipping opportunities. After a number of difficult years, the global economy is now slowly growing and the shipping sector is expected to grow at a rate of 5 per cent per annum. Bermuda needs to be ready to compete and get a fair share of this tonnage.” June 28. The Bermuda Tourism Authority issued a progress report on its corporate objectives after Parliament’s discussion of its incentive programme. Kenneth Bascome, Junior Minister of Tourism, informed legislators during Friday’s session that every member of the authority, including chief executive Bill Hanbury, would have their performance judged against distinct criteria linked to growing local tourism. David Dodwell, chairman of the BTA, said the organisation had “brought the Bermuda tourism economy back from the brink of disaster”. While Mr Dodwell stressed that a year-end conclusion for 2016 could not be made with the summer travel season still ahead, he pointed to some early successes. Air arrivals in the first quarter rose 14 per cent on last year, and were up 9 per cent through May 31, while 15 extra cruise calls were scheduled for Hamilton and St George’s next year over 2016. Room nights booked as a direct result of BTA marketing had risen 45 per cent this year to date, Mr Dodwell added. Performance incentives must be met at the end of this year before any performance incentives will be paid, with a decision made in the first half of 2017, he said. June 28. The Hamilton Princess and the St George’s hotel project will be eligible to apply for casino licences after being named designated sites. Both locations were recommended for designation by the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission and approved by Senator Michael Fahy, the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Municipalities. Mr Fahy said: “This is the start of the process that will allow Bermuda to realize the public policy goals envisioned in the Casino Gaming Act 2014, namely increased employment and investment for Bermuda and an enhanced tourism product.” Legislation requires that in order to apply for a licence for an integrated resort casino — only three of which will be available — an applicant must first have their property deemed a designated site. Among the factors considered by the commission are the location’s suitability for an integrated resort or, if the site is already home to a resort, its suitability to operate a casino, with the burden being on the applicant to prove their case. There is no limit to the number of designated sites that can be approved, but site designation does not guarantee that a casino licence will be granted. According to a statement by the gaming commission, HotelCo Bermuda Holdings Limited and Hamilton Properties Limited both successfully applied for site designation in regards to the site of the St George’s hotel project and the Hamilton Princess respectively. Alan Dunch, chairman of the commission, said: “We at the commission are pleased to mark this milestone in the development of integrated resort casinos in Bermuda. I want to applaud both of the applicants and the commission staff for working together to advance these two projects to this stage. We see this as an important step in developing this tool of economic development for the people of Bermuda.” The designated site application process opened in March. Richard Schuetz, executive director for the commission, said the body had seen “robust demand” for designation. June 28. Low turnout at last week’s referendum shows that Bermudians have deeper worries than same-sex unions, according to the LGBTQ group OUTBermuda. While voters turned down both same-sex marriage and civil unions, too few showed at the polls for the referendum to deliver an official answer. OUTBermuda, a charity for advocacy and education, said it underscored that “the majority of Bermudians have more pressing concerns, which are not at present being addressed”. The group took Thursday’s referendum as testament that most Bermudians did not feel personally affected by issues pertaining to same-sex families. “OUTBermuda rejects the suggestion that Bermudians lack the will and sophistication to address the multitude of issues affecting our community in a unified way,” its statement added. “Equally, we do not believe that by supporting LGBTQ equality the community will neglect to address issues such as violence and antisocial activity, unemployment and economic inequalities, to name a few.” The referendum’s outcome emerged early in the vote counts, showing roughly half as much support for same-sex unions as those who came out against. OUTBermuda said it did not see the figures as a defeat, pledging to continue advocacy — including to support what the group prefers to term marriage equality. Support shown in recent weeks for LGBTQ people had been “unprecedented” in numbers and diversity. While “yes” votes had fallen short of expectations, OUTBermuda’s statement pointed to similar precedents elsewhere. “We recognise that before there was marriage equality across the United States, there was Proposition 8 in California, which had been supported by the majority of voters there. Proposition 8 did not create a permanent barrier to LGBTQ equality, but instead galvanized support for it. The outcome of yesterday’s referendum will equally not create a permanent barrier to LGBTQ equality in Bermuda.” OUTBermuda thanked those that had sought “to better understand what it means to legally recognise the lesbian and gay families living on our Island”. June 27. A friendly society has lost an initial legal claim that it could offer members third party motor vehicle insurance. However, according to a court judgment, the final decision as to if the Bentley Friendly Society can provide members with third party insurance could be a matter for the Governor rather than the courts. The Bentley Friendly Society argued that the Friendly Society Act 1868 allowed them to provide motor vehicle insurance. The legislation enables the society to make good “any loss sustained by the members by fire, collision, tempest or shipwreck, or by any contingency whereby they sustain any loss or damage to their motor bikes, autos, real estate or boats” provided that investment of each member accumulate or be employed for the sole benefit of the investing member, their spouse or their beneficiaries. However, in 2014 the Transport Control Department stopped accepting their certificates of motor vehicle insurance on the advice of the Attorney-General, causing the society to launch a legal action against the department. In a preliminary hearing last month, the Bentley Friendly Society sought declaratory relief, asking the courts to find that their policies are motor vehicle insurance and, through the Friendly Society Act, they can provide insurance even if not compliant with the Motor Car Insurance (Third-Party Risks) Act 1943. That Act requires insurers to be approved by the Governor. According to a judgment on the point delivered on June 15, Puisne Judge Stephen Hellman found that should the friendly society gain the Governor’s approval, there was no in-principle reason why it or other friendly societies cannot carry on insurance business within the meaning of the 1943 Act. “Before granting such approval, the Governor would be likely to consider whether the plaintiff was able to satisfy any third party claims which it is reasonably foreseeable that it might be called upon to meet,” Justice Hellman wrote. “[For example] whether it could satisfy a claim for in excess of, say, $1 million. In considering this question, the Governor would no doubt form a view as to whether the funds available to satisfy a claim against a member would be limited to the value of that member’s investment. The Governor would also be likely to consider whether the interests of third parties would be adequately protected if approval were granted, given that the plaintiff is not subject to any regulatory oversight. However, these are policy matters for the Governor and not the courts.” He continued, stating that the question of if the objects enumerated in the Friendly Society Act include the provision of motor vehicle insurance with respect for third parties was an academic one. “If they do include such provision, it is nonetheless necessary for the plaintiff to obtain the Governor’s approval under the 1943 Act,” Justice Hellman wrote. “If they do not include such provision, the plaintiff can nonetheless apply to the Governor for approval: if such approval is forthcoming, obtaining certification from the Attorney-General and the allowance of the registrar will likely prove a formality.” However, he added: “In my judgment, the objects enumerated the 1868 Act do not include the provision of motor vehicle insurance with respect to third party risks. In so finding, I give the words their natural and ordinary meaning. The plaintiff invites me to focus on the words ‘any contingency’, and suggests that they are broad enough to cover the provision of such insurance. However, I accept the defendant’s submission that, considered in context, ‘any contingency’ means any event whereby the members sustain loss or damage to their assets. It does not refer to an event causing loss or damage to a third party.” In summary, the judge found that the “motor car insurance” issued by the friendly society were not authorised under the 1943 Act and as a result do not comply with it, dismissing the claim for relief. June 27. Premier Michael Dunkley has lamented the failure of MPs to stand up and “fight for what they live” as they debated the same-sex referendum on Friday night. The Premier noted that politicians past and present “have a lifestyle” in line with the same-sex community — but had not spoken out in support of them. Speaking during Motion to Adjourn at the House of Assembly, he also dismissed “catcalls” for his resignation by Opposition MPs as “absolute nonsense. We have members now and previously in the legislature, who have said what their beliefs are or the way they conduct their lifestyle, who clearly wouldn’t stand up and support this issue. I find it very strange that people who have a lifestyle we are discussing at this time do not have the fortitude to stand up and fight for what they live.” Earlier, the Premier had applauded PLP MP Walton Brown, who he said has always been very clear on his position, adding: “We need more people to speak like that.” Progressive Labour Party MPs had questioned whether he should stand down in a similar fashion to British Prime Minister David Cameron after the island’s non-binding referendum failed to attract enough voters to make it an official ballot. Mr Dunkley argued they were “way off base”, before pointing out that when the Referendum Bill was debated it “passed with flying colours. Members on the other side say they didn’t support it, well, I didn’t hear them get up and vote against it. The most interesting thing about it is a member on the other side even tabled a similar bill for a referendum. I find it very strange that now you hear catcalls from the other side about this referendum and calls for me to resign. Although I’ve heard some very good comments from members on both sides of the House, I’ve heard hollow 20-minute speeches from too many members on the other side of the House who have now packed up their bags and left. For the Opposition to say that this has been an exercise that has to be called into question, my words again, I disagree wholeheartedly because you can’t sit on both sides of the fence.” Before the Premier’s address, Mark Pettingill, a One Bermuda Alliance backbencher, had given an impassioned speech on same-sex marriage and civil unions in which he vowed to fight on for equal human rights for all people. “I won’t rest until this issue is addressed. It is not done. This is a human rights issue.” Mr Pettingill told the House he was “baffled” by how much energy Preserve Marriage had put into its “No No” campaign, but not surprised by the results. PLP MP Brown said that politicians had “failed the country”, first by having the referendum and secondly by not taking a position on the issue and explaining it to the public. Mr Brown also urged the public to engage and reflect on Britain’s decision to leave the European Union because he said it could have profound effects on the island. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, Minister for Home Affairs, maintained that the rights of the majority should not be allowed to trample over the minority. “We don’t just represent the ones we agree with or the ones that look like us,” she said. “We represent everyone and that is our responsibility. And I feel we have failed, yes, as a people.” Home affairs shadow minister Walter Roban and PLP MP Zane DeSilva were among those who questioned whether the Premier should resign as a result of the “failed” referendum. Mr Roban also maintained that some of Mr Pettingill’s comments about Preserve Marriage’s efforts “were at times a bit severe”, adding that the group had the right to express and campaign for its views just as any group advocating same-sex marriage and civil unions did. He added: “I find it difficult to be critical of Preserve Marriage if they managed to be better resourced, and better able to get their point across and marshall more people in a more public way to show their position. Perhaps there are some people who say the honourable Premier here should make a visit up to Government House as well as this did not go the way that his Government presumably wanted to see.” June 27. Progressive Labour Party MPs rallied behind Ewart Brown, the former Premier, branding the police investigation into his actions a “witch-hunt”. Several opposition MPs told the House of Assembly of their dismay at the arrest on May 19 of Mahesh Reddy, chief medical officer of Dr Brown’s Bermuda Healthcare Services, during Friday’s Motion to Adjourn. Zane DeSilva described the arrest as "a shameful act. Police have been investigating Dr Brown for almost six years and we have had no report from the police and no report from the Governor”. He questioned how much the investigation had cost taxpayers and maintained that Dr Brown, Dr Reddy and staff at BHS deserved better. “The most important thing is that Bermuda does not have any time for this nonsense. We don’t have millions to carry out someone’s vendetta. I am asking the Government and the Premier, let’s ask the Governor for an update. Dr Brown said it best when he said ‘put up, or shut up’. This has gone on too long.” Party colleague Rolfe Commissiong echoed Mr DeSilva’s comments, adding: “What we are seeing here is a witch-hunt.” He questioned how Dr Reddy could have been arrested without a warrant before urging Bermudians to stand strong with Dr Brown. Derrick Burgess also queried how much had been spent on the investigation on Dr Brown and described the search of Mr Reddy’s house when he was arrested as “illegal”. Walter Roban added: “Questions of justice were raised and I declare my interest, I too am a client of Dr Reddy, so the incident that happened with him brought extreme concern to myself to say it mildly.” Responding to the comments, Michael Dunkley told the House that it was inappropriate for him to get involved with police investigations. “We heard a lot of talk about the investigation into Dr Brown,” the Premier said. “And I am not going to get involved in that investigation, or any investigation at any time. If honourable members on that side expect me to answer a question about investigations, they won’t hear it because the next question is ‘why is the Premier getting involved?’ It’s not going to happen. The police do their job, politicians should stay out of the way of police investigations. While it’s well and good for honourable members on that side to defend the former Premier, I think they need to tread very carefully about investigations of the police. We should not get involved. At least three honourable members on that side came to the defence of the former Premier and that’s fine but why aren’t honourable members standing up in here and asking questions every week on young men who are murdered in Bermuda and what’s the status of the investigation?” June 27. Social development programmes should be mandatory at sports clubs to help to curb violence and other antisocial behavior, the former president of Boulevard Community Club has claimed. Lou Matthews said that young men needed to be educated and encouraged to steer them away from criminal activity, and that many clubs in Bermuda failed to offer useful and progressive initiatives to their members. “It’s a question which has to be taken a bit more seriously,” said Mr Matthews, who also cofounded the community mobilization initiative Rise Above Bermuda. Bermudian sport has been tarnished in recent years by multiple incidents of violence either involving local athletes or taking place at sports clubs. International cricketer Fiqre Crockwell was fatally shot in Pembroke last week, following a National Heroes Day function at the BAA car park, although he has not been identified as being involved in any gang. Other incidents have included the murder of Rickai Swan, 26, who was shot outside Southampton Rangers Sports Club on October 23 last year, and two separate shootings on Remembrance Day in 2014 — one outside the National Sports Centre after the Dudley Eve Trophy final and the other outside Somerset Cricket Club. Mr Matthews pointed to the “large network of problems” contributing to the common eruptions of violence among young sportsmen. These included the high rates of unfinished education, unemployment and illiteracy, sowing the seeds for feelings of alienation and vulnerability. He suggested that tailored initiatives in sports clubs would offer young athletes a sense of purpose and direction for their future — with areas of focus including behavioural development, mentorship, therapy and job training. “Once you meet the needs of young people and address their skill sets, that goes a long way to giving them options against things like gang behavior,” Mr Matthews said, adding that the programmes could be sponsored either privately or by Government. Mr Matthews stressed the importance of achieving long-term solutions rather than attempting quick fixes. “We have to recommit ourselves to the needs of the community. Sports clubs are actually the one place young men gravitate towards for mentorship and belonging, whether they’re involved [in illicit activities] or not, and that means they already have a leg-up. If they don’t fulfil their responsibility to build the capacity of these young men, then they are partly responsible for exacerbating the problem.” June 27. Opposition MPs have voiced scepticism in the House of Assembly over a $50,000 travel budget run up the Bermuda Casino Gaming Commission. Junior tourism minister Kenneth Bascome faced a grilling from the Progressive Labour Party, with the St George’s North MP reminding Parliament that he remains new to the job. Mr Bascome’s appointment was announced as part of a Cabinet shuffle on May 13. MPs on Friday queried the travel figures in connection with Richard Schuetz, executive director of the commission, as well as the courting of the Las Vegas giant Caesars Palace, as the island seeks to develop its own industry. According to sources close to the commission, the soliciting of Caesars has raised eyebrows locally, given its highly public bankruptcy struggles. In answer to Zane DeSilva of the PLP, Mr Bascome told legislators that the commission has spent $49,658 on travel since its inception, with $23,926 on air travel, and accommodation accounting for $21,227. Meals and ground transport covered the remainder. Mr DeSilva noted the “vast experience in the industry” brought by Mr Schuetz, who joined the commission in September 2015, having served previously as commissioner for the California Gaming Control Commission. “Why has he had such a more expensive travel schedule than necessary?” Mr DeSilva also queried why Mr Schuetz “invited Caesars to Bermuda to set up business”, with Opposition MP Rolfe Commissiong flagging up Mr Schuetz’s extensive background in the Las Vegas-based industries. “Does that not invoke potential conflicts of interest, bearing in mind that Caesars has been invited to look at the Bermuda market? PLP MP Derrick Burgess also asked if Mr Bascome was aware that the Caesars team had included Mr Schuetz’s wife. Mr Bascome repeatedly told the House he could not answer the questions with authority, but pledged to bring the details to Parliament. “As I grow into this position, those honourable members will be aware, and have all the answers they are seeking,” he said, stressing he had not been involved in “any in-depth discussion” — and that there had been limited opportunity to consult with technical officers before fielding parliamentary questions. Asked when casino training would commence for Bermudians, the junior minister said an ad hoc committee was in place, with members including Duranda Greene, president of the Bermuda College, and vice president of academic and student affairs Mark Van Den Hende, as well as Malika Cartwright of the Bermuda Hospitality Institute, with Julia Grant, Judith Hall-Bean and Mr Schuetz. Training for Bermudians will be drawn from a fee on would-be casino operators, to be included in regulations to the 2014 Act that would be brought to the House “as soon as practically possible”. No numbers for Bermudians required have been set thus far, but “our fellow Bermudians will be given first preference for jobs” — and Mr Bascome told Parliament that he did not feel the continued absence of regulations caused the island any reputational risk. June 27. The Bermuda Government must learn from its mistakes, the first public hearing of a Commission of Inquiry concerns over the handling of taxpayers’ money heard today. Kicking off a brief session at St Theresa’s Church Hall, chairman Sir Anthony Evans outlined the terms of reference for the Commission, which is looking into findings outlined by the Auditor-General from the final three financial years of the Progressive Labour Party administration. “In short, was the Auditor-General correct?” Sir Anthony said. “If so, how did it occur, and why was the situation allowed to continue?” Sir Anthony stressed that in surveying issues concerning the Government: “We want to ensure that the Government has learnt from its mistakes.” After less than an hour, the sitting was adjourned until a series of public witness hearings will commence from September 28 to October 11. Ten unnamed civil servants, including three heads of department, have been notified that they may be able to assist the Commission, according to lawyer Venous Memari, who said she had been asked by the Bermuda Public Services Union to assist them. Nine are entitled to obtain representation for the public witness hearings, the chairman ruled. The Commission heard that witnesses are likely to be represented by a single counsel, unless potential conflicts of interest arise. Several projects have been identified from the outset, but the Commission’s scope can include government projects outside the years covered by the reports: Sir Anthony specifically identified the TCD emissions centre, Port Royal Golf Course, the Dame Lois Browne-Evans building, Heritage Wharf and “the current airport development”. The Commission will look at whether tenders were issued in accordance with financial instructions, and will look into potential links between successful vendors and the Government. Other members of the Commission are former MP John Barritt, businesswoman Fiona Luck and businessman Kumi Bradshaw. June 27. The first public hearing will take place today of the Commission of Inquiry into concerns raised by the Auditor-General over the handling of taxpayers’ money in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It will be held at St Theresa’s Church Hall, Laffan Street, Hamilton, from 10am. The Commission is chaired by international jurist and former Bermuda Court of Appeal judge Sir Anthony Evans. Its members are lawyer and former MP the Honourable John Barritt, businesswoman Fiona Luck and businessman Kumi Bradshaw. More information about the Commission is available at www.inquirybermuda.com June 25. The budget for the referendum would have been better spent on “trying to come to terms with the inevitable court decision” looming for same-sex unions, according to Opposition member Walton Brown. “As a pollster, I could have spent less than 10 per cent of its budget to find out what the public thinks,” said the Progressive Labour Party MP. “With this, we didn’t get the real public sentiment, because we had less than 50 per cent of the voters.” The LGBT group Rainbow Alliance has cited a likely $350,000 price tag for Thursday’s referendum, in which just under 47 per cent of voters took part. Saying he could have delivered an accurate survey on a budget of $12,000, Mr Brown added that his own polls had shown support for civil unions. He believed Thursday’s voters failed to turn out in decisive numbers because “they felt it was inherently inappropriate to put minority rights to a referendum”. That, combined with its non-binding caveat, plus “inadequate campaigning by those who wanted to create a more just Bermuda”, and “serious misconceptions about what was proposed”, resulted in a referendum with too few voters to obtain legitimate answers to the two questions posed. Asked if he felt the One Bermuda Alliance had been quietly banking on a “yes” vote for civil unions, Mr Brown said the OBA as a party had been divided on the issue. While some voting regions showed hope for civil unions, at the end of the referendum the count closed with 13,003 against and 7,626 in favour. Same-sex marriage fared worse, at 14,192 to 6,514. “The courts will have to decide about the need for a legal framework for same-sex couples and how they should be recognized by law,” Mr Brown said. “That is going to be required or forced on us.” Meanwhile, lawyer Peter Sanderson said the referendum had done nothing to remove the legal requirement for equality. The questions were put to the public after the Supreme Court found that the Government was required by the Human Rights Act to provide the same rights to permanent same-sex partners of Bermudians as those offered to opposite-sex spouses of Bermudians. Government did not appeal the ruling, but requested a period of time to implement the required legislative changes. That period ended earlier this year. Mr Sanderson, who represented the Bermuda Bred Company in that case, said yesterday: “The marriage referendum does not affect in any way the government’s obligations as set out in the Bermuda Bred ruling. These obligations are to treat a permanent same-sex partner of a Bermudian equally to the spouse of a Bermudian in terms of work and residency rights.” The comments echo those of Trevor Moniz, the Attorney-General, who stated earlier this month that regardless of the referendum, the government is obliged to find some form of legal foundation to accommodate same-sex couples who are in permanent relationships. Mr Sanderson also said that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union would not impact Bermuda’s obligation to follow the European Convention on Human Rights, saying the two are entirely separate. “Even if the UK does eventually leave the EU, it will still be a member of the European Convention on Human Rights unless it separately chooses to come out of that as well.” June 25. A Bermudian has been jailed in Britain for four years after punching his partner in the stomach because he was afraid she was pregnant. According to the Britain-based Dudley News, 25-year-old Troy Harris pleaded guilty in Wolverhampton Crown Court to two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm, two counts of common assault and another charge of burglarizing a friend’s home in Birmingham. The court heard that Harris repeatedly punched the 18-year-old complainant in the face and stomach, telling her: “You are not having this baby.” He also allegedly put his hands around the throat of another woman and held a knife to her neck. Regarding the theft charge, Harris reportedly stole £3,000 of computer equipment from a friend who had dropped his house keys in his car. A lawyer representing Harris said that he had sold the equipment for money to be sent to his seriously ill mother. The court also heard that Harris had been released from prison in Bermuda just months before the incident. Judge Nicholas Webb reportedly told Harris during a sentencing on Thursday he was “quite probably dangerous”, jailing him for 51 months. The court heard that he will likely be deported back to the island on the conclusion of his sentence. June 24. Bermuda’s insurance and reinsurance sector could face a major international shake-up after the UK voted to leave the European Union. Brad Kading, president and executive director of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers, said: “Abir members will be reviewing corporate structures to determine what changes in their regulatory footprints may be necessary in order to conform with expected changes in European regulatory governance.” Mr Kading was speaking after Britain voted by about 52 per cent to 48 per cent to quit the 28-nation EU, where it has been a member for 43 years. He said: “Bermuda’s Solvency II equivalence finding by the European Union will service us well as the UK negotiates its multiyear transition out of the EU. The Bermuda equivalency is unaffected by the UK vote.” Mr Kading added that Abir has “excellent relationships” with both the UK and EU policymakers and regulators. He said: “Abir members provide vital insurance capacity that makes UK and EU insurance markets more competitive. Meanwhile, we encourage the Bermuda Government and the Bermuda Monetary Authority to continue their wise investment in bilateral relationships that lead to important legal agreement on tax co-operation and transparency and recognition of robust BMA regulation that is in compliance with international standards. These essential actions are necessary to ensure we retain level playing field access to the world’s markets.” Ross Webber, CEO of the Bermuda Business Development Agency, added: “There is naturally much speculation and uncertainty over the vote’s political implications, as well as its socio-economic impact, and industry around the world will be closely monitoring how this affects the markets and business landscapes of the EU, Britain and their respective trade partners. In a global economy, Bermuda is affected, like other nations, by such major events. Bermuda was better placed than ever to cater to the contemporary needs of international business.” Mr Webber predicted: “Attributes such as our stand-alone Solvency II equivalence with the EU and our progressive path towards Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive passport rights in Europe may now appear even more attractive than they were a day ago. These are examples of regulatory votes of confidence given to Bermuda as a robust jurisdiction in its own right and not contingent on our relationship with Britain. Bermuda had a good relationship with the EU’s Brussels headquarters nurtured over decades of collaborative efforts by our government, industry and regulator. We stand ready to deal with myriad eventualities, No matter how the exit unfolds, we remind our business partners in the UK that Bermuda continues to offer the same, stable, attractive, effective and proven blue-chip international business domicile as it has for the past 70-plus years.” June 24. Bermudians’ free movement within the European Union is the greatest cause of concern following last night’s Brexit decision, Premier Michael Dunkley said today. The Premier told the House of Assembly much negotiating would take place after the British opted out of the EU. Under a June 2014 agreement with the British Government, Overseas Territories citizens are allowed to travel through the EU Schengen Area for 90 days. “The greatest concern for many Bermudians is the free movement within the EU for British Overseas Territory Citizens who possess British Citizenship as defined within the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU,” Mr Dunkley told MPs. “For those who have obtained British Citizenship, the Treaty provisions state that every person holding the nationality of a member state shall be a citizen of the Union. It further outlines that ‘citizens of the Union shall enjoy the rights and be subject to the duties provided for in the Treaties. This includes that every citizen of the Union shall have the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the member states. Clearly, there is a likely impact on the free movement of Bermudians through the European Union. As indicated earlier, there is still much to be negotiated in this regard.” Mr Dunkley also said an EU withdrawal will not affect Bermuda’s solvency equivalence. And he said he had been advised there is no reason why any equivalency or unilateral decisions of the EU on insurance, audit or fund management should cease to exist on or before UK withdrawal. Bermuda is already treated as a “third country” by the EU, he said. June 24. Major Bermuda-incorporated insurers could take a significant hit as a result of Britain’s decision to pull out of the European Union, a top ratings agency warned yesterday. AM Best said it did not expect to take rating actions in the near future as a result of the shock vote — but warned it would continue to monitor the exit process. The AM Best report said: “The decision has led to a sharp drop in Sterling and global equity markets. AM Best notes that the financial market volatility could have a material impact on insurers’ half year and balance sheets, with most companies reporting their positions as at June 30. Solvency II’s market-consistent approach to valuing the economic balance sheet means that financial market volatility will be closely reflected in European insurers’ reported solvency capital ratios. AM Best will discuss the implications of this with rated entities, but will continue to incorporate a prospective view when assessing insurers’ financial strength. The implications for the financial strength of insurers with regard to subsequent investment market volatility, currency fluctuations and increased economic uncertainly will be closely monitored.” AM Best spoke out after the UK voted by around 52 per cent to 48 per cent to leave the EU, where it had been a member for 43 years. David Cameron, the British Prime Minister, who had backed a remain vote, resigned yesterday in the wake of the outcome, although he will remain until his Conservative Parry elects a new leader at its conference in October. Sterling plunged after the result was announced and European financial markets were thrown into turmoil, although it will take several years for Britain to negotiate its exit. The AM Best report said: “Also, as the terms of the exit are negotiated, AM Best will discuss with rated companies what prospective changes will mean for their competitive positions and ability to continue to access business in the UK and EU.” Greg Wojciechowski, chief executive officer of the Bermuda Stock Exchange and the chairman of ILS Bermuda, said the island can offer a “safe harbour” amid fears over the future after the UK narrowly voted to quit the European Union. Mr Wojciechowski explained the British vote “in no way diminished” Bermuda’s standing as a well-respected and well-regulated financial centre. "While the world wrestles with the Brexit vote, Bermuda will continue to offer innovative commercial solutions to clients and industry segments we support and we welcome future opportunities that might arise. Bermuda will continue to provide a safe harbour amid uncertainty for the foreseeable future. Bermuda’s unique geographic position between two of the world’s deepest capital markets and largest insurance centres has created commercial opportunity for the island as well as a solid platform to provide services to a global audience — and the Brexit result will not impact this. Bermuda will continue to offer innovative commercial solutions to clients and industry segments we support and we welcome future opportunities that may arise.” The Royal Gazette’s business magazine, The Bottom Line, reported last month that Bermuda could get an influx of reinsurance business into the EU if the UK voted to leave. And Lloyd’s of London chief risk officer Steven McGovern warned that Britain would have to seek Solvency II equivalence if it left the EU — a privilege Bermuda already has on its own merits — and also cause financial turmoil in European financial markets. Bermudians who hold UK passports are also set to lose the automatic right to live and work in Europe on equal terms with Euro nationals, although those already resident will not lose that right under treaty provisions. Mr Wojciechowski said that the BSX would continue to work to improve the domestic capital market, including the insurance-linked securities class, where Bermuda is the global listings leader. “In the face of change, Bermuda’s ILS platform remains a stable centre of excellence for the creation and listing of these structures and as an industry, we stand ready to provide collaborative support to overseas colleagues to help drive the global ILS market.” Grainne Richmond, president of the Bermuda Insurance Management Association, said it was too early to comment on the full effects of Brexit as it will take years for Britain to untangle itself from Europe after 43 years as a member of the EU. As an economic bloc, the European Union is stronger with the United Kingdom in it, yet respect has to be given to the decision of the British people. It will likely take years for a full departure of Britain from the EU, therefore it remains premature to comment on any effects the vote will have on the captive insurance market. BIMA and our members will be monitoring the process closely in the UK.” June 24. The count ended just before 4am today, with the No campaign scoring a resounding success despite fewer than 50 per cent of the electorate making an appearance at the polls. The final numbers are: Same-sex marriage. NO 14,192. YES 6,514. Same-sex civil unions. NO 13,003. YES 7,626. Total vote count percentage. 46.89 (50 per cent required for a officially valid referendum). June 24. Bermuda has not evolved and people want to stay in the “dark ages”, activist Tony Brannon claimed last night as people overwhelmingly voted against same-sex marriage and civil unions. Speaking to The Royal Gazette at midnight, with 11 regions having completed their first count, ten their second and four their third, the campaigner said he refused to give up until the final count was in. But he added: “Obviously it’s a very disappointing result so far, very disappointing for equality. It saddens me that Bermuda has not evolved. The people want to stay in the dark ages, that’s their choice, but it’s very sad. What else is there to say?” While noting that he is no lawyer, he said: “We’re going to have to go to the courts. People are incapable of moving into the 21st century. Human rights need to be dealt with in the right way,” he added, pointing to the Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the United States. Yesterday morning, the Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda acknowledged the outpouring of “love and support” for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community in advance of the referendum on marriage equality. “The results of this referendum are non-binding and no matter how it turns out, we will be grateful for an end to the divisive and often hurtful campaigning that this exercise has inspired,” the group stated. “Regardless of the results, the Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda will remain committed to creating safer spaces and advocating for equity for the LGBTQ community. Our approach towards justice has always been one of intersectionality [tackling interlinked systems of oppression] and love. We hope that following this referendum, the significant amount of resources and energy that have been dedicated towards campaigning can be redeployed towards the many issues that are currently devastating our community.” Speaking to this newspaper before the count began, activist Shari-Lynn Pringle stressed that the “work is never done” regardless of the referendum’s outcome. “There is still so much work to do in Bermuda: there is gender identity, gender expression, gender issues that were my intention to tackle before the marriage equality issue came up. There is still more work to do depending on what decision the Government makes because it will determine what level of work we have to do on marriage equality. The Government is in a quandary and the courts are actually going to decide what is going to have to happen. June 24. Bermudians overwhelmingly rejected same-sex marriages and civil unions by a greater than two-to-one margin in the referendum yesterday. However, the total number of votes cast was 20,804, or 46.89 per cent of the electorate, which is below the 50 per cent requirement to make the referendum valid. The final count, at around 4am today, showed that 69 per cent of those who voted, or 14,192 people, opposed same-sex marriage, with 6,514 voting in favour. That means out of 44,367 registered voters, 31.99 per cent were against, with 14.68 per cent in favour. Meanwhile, 63 per cent voted against civil unions in the second question. That equates to 29.31 per cent of registered voters, with 17.19 per cent voting in favour. There was some joy for the “Yes, Yes” camp in that Region 4 and Region 7 — the polling stations at Botanical Gardens and Dellwood Middle School — voted in favour of civil unions, while another two were defeated by the closest of margins. At midnight, Tony Brannon, a campaigner for same-sex marriage, lamented the results in the island’s first referendum for 21 years. “We’ll see where it goes — the count is not finalized yet,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a very disappointing result so far; very disappointing for equality. We tried hard.” A total of 44,367 Bermudians were registered to vote in the referendum, however, the two questions would be deemed to be “answered” only with a voter turnout of 50 per cent or more. Representatives from Vote No Twice and Preserve Marriage were not available for comment last night as the results were being reported. Earlier in the evening they pledged to continue their community efforts, which they said would include outreach to the LGBT community. “We have a responsibility as a Christian community to extend love to all, and I believe that the group may be interested in developing a special ministry to the LGBT community,” Dr Melvyn Bassett, chairman of Preserve Marriage, said. Thousands turned out to the 12 polling stations across the island during the course of the day to have their say on the issue of same-sex marriage and civil unions. Some early risers were knocking on the doors of polling stations before 8am, while others turned up after the 8pm deadline and missed the chance to vote. Most stations reported a steady stream of residents throughout the day, while the atmosphere was largely calm and friendly. Yesterday’s referendum, which coincided with Britain’s referendum on membership of the European Union, had previously come under fire from some quarters because it was “non-binding”, although earlier this week Michael Dunkley, the Premier, had insisted: “Any outcome is the will of the people and will guide their elected officials accordingly.” The Rainbow Alliance had condemned the exercise saying it would cost taxpayers $350,000. The process was also the subject of a Supreme Court challenge in which Chief Justice Ian Kawaley said holding a referendum on same-sex relationships broke a “fundamental principle” in relation to human rights. The ruling prompted the Bermuda Government into ditching the plan to use churches as designated polling stations. At the last referendum, on independence, held 21 years ago, 22,236 people voted, a turnout of almost 59 per cent. The result was a resounding 74 per cent no vote. June 23. Bermuda non-binding Referendum on same-sex marriage. Voters were asked two questions: “Are you in favour of same-sex marriage?” and “Are you in favour of civil unions?” The result of the referendum was that Bermudians overwhelmingly rejected same-sex marriages and civil unions by a greater than two-to-one margin in the referendum yesterday. At 3am, 19,441 votes had been counted and reported by the Parliamentary Registrar. At that time, 69 per cent of those who voted, or 13,386, opposed same-sex marriage, whereas 6,055 had voted in favour. While 63 per cent of those who voted, or 12,253, had voted against same-sex civil unions and 7,120 had voted in support. The Region 11 polling station of Somers Isle Lodge, which was one of the three outstanding, endured a difficult start to the evening having failed to disclose results for several hours after the polls closed. No reasons were provided for this despite efforts to contact the Parliamentary Registrar. At midnight, Tony Brannon, a campaigner for same-sex marriage, lamented the results in the island’s first referendum for 21 years. “We’ll see where it goes — the count is not finalized yet,” he said. “Obviously, it’s a very disappointing result so far; very disappointing for equality. We tried hard.” However, with only three counts to be presented by 3am, it was uncertain whether the required 50 per cent turnout figure of 22,184 would be reached to make the ballot official. A total of 44,367 Bermudians were registered to vote in the referendum, however, the two questions would be deemed to be “answered” only with a voter turnout of 50 per cent or more. Representatives from Vote No Twice and Preserve Marriage were not available for comment last night as the results were being reported. However, earlier in the evening they pledged to continue their community efforts, which they said would include outreach to the LGBT community. “We have a responsibility as a Christian community to extend love to all, and I believe that the group may be interested in developing a special ministry to the LGBT community,” Dr Melvyn Bassett, chairman of Preserve Marriage, said. Thousands turned out to the 12 polling stations across the island during the course of the day to have their say on the issue of same-sex marriage and civil unions. Some early risers were knocking on the doors of polling stations before 8am, while others turned up after the 8pm deadline and missed the chance to vote. Most stations reported a steady stream of residents throughout the day, while the atmosphere was largely calm and friendly. Yesterday’s referendum, which coincided with Britain’s referendum on membership of the European Union, had previously come under fire from some quarters because it was “non-binding”, although earlier this week Michael Dunkley, the Premier, had insisted: “Any outcome is the will of the people and will guide their elected officials accordingly.” The Rainbow Alliance had condemned the exercise saying it would cost taxpayers $350,000. The process was also the subject of a Supreme Court challenge in which Chief Justice Ian Kawaley said holding a referendum on same-sex relationships broke a “fundamental principle” in relation to human rights. The ruling prompted the Bermuda Government into ditching the plan to use churches as designated polling stations. At the last referendum, on independence, held 21 years ago, 22,236 people voted, a turnout of almost 59 per cent. The result was a resounding 74 per cent no vote. June 23. Bermuda appears to have delivered an extremely convincing “no” to both same-sex marriage and same-sex civil unions. However, today’s referendum will only be considered “answered” if there is a turnout of 50 per cent or more. Bermudians were posed two questions: are you in favour of same-sex marriage in Bermuda and are you in favour of civil unions in Bermuda? The polling stations are: June 23. In UK, Brits voted in their referendum by 52-48% not to stay in the European Union (EU). Scotland and Northern Ireland voted strongly to remain but their vote was not made by political parties. Many in the Scottish National Party wanted to leave. Bermuda will not be much affected with the Brexit (break with the EU) announced early this am in the UK occurs although Bermuda itself, as a self-governing British Overseas Territory, unlike Britain, is not bound by any EU laws. Britain is expected to lose much financial business. President Obama of the USA earlier warned Britain of the trade consequences. The British Pound Sterling fell to its lowest point overnight since 1985. June 23. Bermuda recorded its seventh consecutive year of job losses as the total number of posts held fell by 156, according to government statistics released today. The total number of jobs in the island’s economy was 33,319, down from 33,475 in 2014, a fall of 0.5 per cent. The rate of job losses slowed markedly from the 802 jobs lost in 2014. The figures show that the island lost more than 4,000 jobs between 2011 and 2015. There were 257 fewer jobs held by Bermudians in 2015 than the year before, while non-Bermudians held 105 more. The bulk of the job losses could be attributed to the public sector, as the Bermuda Government’s cost-cutting measures took effect. An ongoing hiring freeze and voluntary early retirement scheme may have contributed to the net loss of 227 jobs in the public administration sector, as well as a near ten per cent cut in the number of public-school teachers employed from 753 to 679. The financial intermediation sector was the biggest gainer, adding 116 jobs. The hotel industry recorded a net loss of 113 jobs. The wholesale trade industry saw a loss of 70 jobs, while retail had 46 fewer jobs and international business had 37 fewer positions. Jobs held by black people fell to 17,823 from 18,105, while employment among whites rose to 10,780 from 10,736 and mixed/other races advanced to 4,716 jobs from 4,634. The median gross annual income for employees working in organisations with ten or more staff fell by $240 to $63,657. Women earned more than men and the pay gap widened to nearly $4,600 last year. Median gross income for women was $65,927, compared to $61,330. Women’s pay climbed 1 per cent last year, while men’s fell 2 per cent. The breakdown according to race showed that blacks’ median gross income was $57,673, more than $30,000 less than the $88,405 earned by whites. Mixed and other races earned $54,949. The highest-paying sector was international business, whose employees made median gross income of $128,871, up 3 per cent from 2014 and more than double the island’s median gross income. Neck and neck in a distant second place were financial intermediation ($80,473) and the electricity, gas and water sector ($80,400). The hospitality industry was the lowest payer, with restaurant, café and bar workers seeing median gross income of $34,988, down 1 per cent from 2014, while hotel workers earned $36,883, up 3 per cent year over year. The figures were revealed in The Bermuda Job Market Employment Briefs, which highlights the findings of the 2015 Annual Employment Survey. June 23. Parliamentary registrar Tenia Woolridge warned voters yesterday not to forward potentially “misleading” voice notes and videos that were circulating regarding the referendum. “The parliamentary registrar has been made aware that there are voice notes and videos being circulated on social media that appear to be misleading,” she said. “Voters are asked not to forward these messages to others as it is an offence under the Referendum Act 2012. The questions for this referendum have not changed and are straightforward questions. They are: Are you in favour of same sex marriage in Bermuda? and Are you in favour of same sex civil unions in Bermuda? The voter has an option of answering either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for each question by marking the appropriate box.” Social media users, including Progressive Labour Party MP Diallo Rabain, also raised concerns about a voice note. Mr Rabain wrote on Facebook: “To the person or group who has created that voice note to deliberately confuse voters today, shame on you. Do not be fooled. The questions are straightforward and you either vote yes or no to the questions. Please get out and vote and not be discouraged by this foolishness.” The Royal Gazette heard the short voice note, which featured an unidentified woman saying: “Good morning ladies, I pray that God is blessing you this morning. If any of you intend to participate in the referendum, please read the ballot carefully. It is rigged in a way that you will vote opposite. You have to put an X on the yesses if you want to vote no. Please read the ballot carefully. I’ve just gone into the polling station and read it and someone else warned me that you must read it carefully. And so I am sure that there are a lot of people that have voted yes for this civil union and they meant to vote no. Have a wonderful day.” The polls opened at 8am for the referendum on same-sex relationships and closed at 8pm. June 23. The debate over the Bermuda Government’s airport development plan continued in the Senate yesterday, with the One Bermuda Alliance members challenging the suggestion that a new terminal was not needed. However, Opposition senate leader Marc Daniels reiterated that the Government must ensure the public are getting value for money. Opening the debate on the motion to adjourn, OBA senator Vic Ball noted that when the Progressive Labour Party was in power, an airport master plan was commissioned which found it was more cost-effective to build a new airport terminal rather than renovate the existing airport. “I’m trying to understand why they have said that it’s better to renovate the airport when their own plan says it’s better to build an new one,” Senator Ball said. Responding, Senator Daniels said that he did not know the details of the plan created by the PLP government or who prepared the report, saying that the question remained if the Government was truly getting the best possible deal. “There are a lot of concern from members of the community about how the OBA is pursuing its plan,” he said. Fellow PLP senator Renee Ming, meanwhile, mentioned the issue in her own closing speech, noting that the Government seems to be pushing ahead with the redevelopment project despite 75 per cent of the public being against the plan. The OBA’s Georgia Marshall returned the conversation to the PLP master plan, which she claimed had estimated the cost of a new terminal building to be $424 million, compared to $476 million for refurbishments to the existing terminal. While she had previously given a figure of $115 million for refurbishment costs, she clarified that the figure would only include roof and mechanical repair work. “This Government is doing all it can to ensure the project we undertake will be on time, on budget and on spec,” Senator Marshall said. June 23. Robbers stole jewellery after smashing a display case in a St George’s store yesterday. Three men burst into Vera P. Card on Water Street, damaging the case with blunt instruments, before making off on foot with a number of items at about 11.30am. One man was quickly arrested in connection with the robbery, while police continued to search for the remaining offenders yesterday afternoon. Business owners reacted angrily at the latest in a series of thefts in the Olde Towne. Jeff Baron, the Minister of National Security, responded by saying nearly $1 million would be invested in CCTV, with local MP Kenneth Bascome raising hopes for a police presence being placed within the post office. Carmen Furbert, a member of staff of the Salt Spray Soap Factory, located across from Vera P. Card, said she was in her store when she heard glass breaking. She saw several frightened tourists running out of the shop, which prompted her to run in the back. “I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know what these boys were capable of,” Ms Furbert told The Royal Gazette. “When I saw them getting ready to run out of the store I went outside and went next door. We are all just shaken up. It’s ridiculous there is no police station in this area. Anything could have happened in those five minutes before the police came — somebody could’ve been shot, stabbed, anything.” David Zuill, the owner of David Rose Jewelry, said he was fed up with a lack of protection after being a victim to the same crime twice himself. “I strongly believe that the same guys have been hitting the shops in this area because every time, a day or two before the robbery, the same ones come in looking for chains,” Mr Zuill said. “I sell high-end jewellery so I don’t usually get people in here looking for that. It’s very suspicious. We’ve started to upgrade our security because I noticed a pattern. Yesterday, five guys came in asking the same questions. I had a strange feeling in my stomach on Tuesday night that something was going to happen. I don’t feel safe anymore. We have zero faith in the police, zero faith in the Government for not having more patrols.” Speaking at the scene, Mr Baron said: “Presence is the key here. Whether we can build a police station or identify a place for police to occupy, what is clear is that the presence is the major demand and I support that. These are crimes of opportunity. This Government has been very clear about wanting to close those opportunities down. We’re about to make a $900,000 investment in technology for the town of St George’s with regards to CCTV. That is going to close down opportunities for this type of opportunistic offending. We are also going to be making investments again looking at the policing plan, increasing patrols to St George’s as well so that there is increased presence.” Mr Bascome, a former Mayor of St George, said: “I’ve had some words with the new minister in regards to a police apparatus. The police station is infested with mould and I’m under the impression that we can use the top of the post office. After this, my people will be convinced that we need to put a police apparatus in the Town of St George.” Mr Baron added: “The men and women of the Bermuda Police Service have provided highly professional service to this community and I want to recognise that in the midst of these events. Strong responses to incidents where the loss of life has occurred have been swift and investigations are already beginning to bear results. Enforcement is only one part of the response to incidents of this kind but the community can be confident in the Bermuda Police Service and their commitment to bringing offenders to justice.” Witnesses or anyone with information should contact 295-0011. June 23. Two men, aged 26 and 31, are in police custody in connection with the shooting of Fiqre Crockwell, who was killed in the early hours of Monday. Police said that authorities moved swiftly, with one arrested that same day and a second on Tuesday. Mr Crockwell, 30, a St George’s Cup Match and former Bermuda cricketer, was fatally wounded in the area of Woodlands Road, Pembroke, shortly before 3am on Monday, as revelers left a Bermuda Heroes Weekend function at the BAA car park. Although an investigation continues, the victim has not been identified as being involved in any of the island’s gangs. Meanwhile, the stabbing victim at the same incident has been identified as Kirk Butterfield. Mr Butterfield, a member of staff at Care Learning Centre, is said to be recovering well in hospital. The 46-year-old son of the former Progressive Labour Party minister Neletha Butterfield, posted on social media the news of his well-being and had no qualms last night in giving The Royal Gazette permission to republish an image of him in hospital. He was admitted after police discovered him with stab wounds in the same location. Like Mr Crockwell, he, too, has a prominent sporting past, having featured in the same Bermuda Under-18 football team that contained Shaun Goater in his early days as a professional with Manchester United. Police have not established whether the two incidents were linked, but will welcome any information from the public. “It’s about putting the pieces together, no matter how small,” said Acting Inspector Kenten Trott, who is the senior investigating officer in the case. The first alert of a disturbance was received by police at 2.57am, followed “moments later” by calls of a shooting. “There were people in the immediate area where the shooting took place,” Mr Trott said. “We’re appealing for all to come forward if they have not done so, and we would like to thank those witnesses who have come forward.” Assistant Commissioner Antoine Daniels gave sincere condolences to the Crockwell family for their loss, which “obviously has been a very traumatic time for everyone — especially considering how this happened with a number of people present on Woodlands Road at the time. Mr Crockwell was a young man in the prime of his life — a father, brother, uncle, son and friend to many. It is the second shooting death of the year and the 29th gun death since 2009, when the shooting increases began,” he said. “When we consider that 29 men have lost their lives to gun violence and 63 on our roads alone in the preceding six years, this has to cause concern in the Bermuda community.” Anyone with information is asked to call 247-1739 or Crime Stoppers on 800-8477. June 22. The Parliamentary Registry website has been “temporarily suspended”, according to a spokeswoman, but is expected to return to operation by tomorrow afternoon. In a statement, the spokeswoman stated that polling station listings for tomorrow’s referendum and general information are online at gov.bm, and voters can confirm their registration details either at a post office or at the Parliamentary Registry offices on the third floor of the Craig Appin Building on Wesley Street. Registered voters who seek to vote in tomorrow’s referendum can do so at the following sites, based on their constituency: June 22. Jessica Lightbourne laughed when she was called “white honky” and “blacky” as a child; the bizarre words didn’t match her identity. Joanne Wohlmuth’s black parents were considered “odd” because they had three “white” children. They shared their experiences as part of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs’ Bermudian Heartbeats series last week. The series of talks, organized by Kim Dismont Robinson, are designed to explore Bermudian identity. Jessica Lightbourne was taught to think of herself as biracial. The 38-year-old daughter of a white English woman and a black Bermudian man grew up thinking “she had the best of both worlds”. And so when a black friend called her “white honky” and a white friend called her “blacky”, she laughed. “That’s not how I identified,” she said. It wasn’t until she left Bermuda that she “became conscious of racial divisions. I would have probably been oblivious to it all had I never become friends with African Nova Scotians. Even though I self-identified as biracial, mostly everyone else in the community viewed me as black. I began to identify as black because in that environment that’s how I was treated.” She said the experience taught her to “assimilate”. And so when she was having trouble finding a job, the young lawyer took advice received from a mixed-race friend to heart: “You either need to straighten your hair or cut it off.” She cut it off and got a position. “I prepared a lot for my interviews but it makes you question,” she said. “I grew up in a space that accepted me, but you get hard knocks when you’re in a place where you don’t have advocates. I don’t think you can prepare your child for all of the hurts that are coming. I grew up in a household where members of my family had disabilities, so there was always dialogue about inclusion, dialogue about barriers. I realized that my experience as a Bermudian mixed-race person was completely different from those that grew up in the United States. A lot of people there were growing up in white spaces where they were the only ‘other’ and had to deal with not feeling worthy because of the way they looked.” It was only after someone explained that “race was a social construct” that she came to grips with her situation. “I realized that more than being biracial, I was multicultural. I started thinking less in terms of race and my individual identity and more in terms of what my culture is. Culture is also a social construct that evolves and changes. If we can grasp onto that as a Bermudian community and start looking at those cultural things that we all share rather than looking at the various shades of colour, we can go a long way.” Che Barker didn’t consider himself biracial as a child. For years he felt like a “sore thumb/ There was no designation. You had to tick black or white or other. My whole life I’ve felt like an other. I had white friends, black friends and a black family, but I never felt fully accepted. I carried that with me for a long time.” He eventually found his home in the theatre. “The theatre community and arts community is just a group of outcasts. I think I got to that biracial point that you’re talking about. It didn’t matter any more. I knew I was OK. And that’s how I live my life today — accepting that everyone is different. If you’re going to base it on colour or sexuality, you’re missing the point of being human. You’re isolating yourself like I was doing. You’re cutting yourself off from the world. I’m hoping that through discussions like this, we don’t end up with people like me who feel like they don’t fit in.” Joanne Wohlmuth calls herself black but her family portrait might indicate otherwise. She had three ‘white’ siblings, children from her father’s first marriage. Although she also called her father black, he was in fact biracial. He was born in 1905, and raised by his white grandfather and black grandmother. In 1924 he married a white, Scottish woman and “had three children who looked very white”. When his first wife died he married Mrs Wohlmuth’s mother, a black woman. “My parents are black. My mother is black and my father is black,” she said “So there were two black people with three white children in Bermuda — and then they had three others. So, in my family there was a big range of looks and we were constantly the talk of the town.” She went to all-black schools in a still segregated Bermuda and then moved on to renowned black college Howard University. Entering the US in the midst of the Black Power moment, she was passionate about the cause. “I was right there in terms of wanting to be black and dealing with racism, but at the same time I had difficulty with disowning my white brother. I couldn’t reconcile that, so I ended up leaving. I went up north and went to NYU. There I disappeared. Nobody saw me, nobody knew me. I was wrestling with these things inside myself. I had to learn to love myself and treat myself with the greatest dignity and respect. When I came back I was a pretty angry, black woman. [In my family] we were always trying to work out how we could be as one and love as one, but there was all this other stuff that came from society in the context that society had made it difficult for us to do that.” Mrs Wohlmuth has an Austrian husband and two biracial daughters. “I realized it didn’t matter who I was going to marry as long as I had someone that I knew I could relate to and could have a loving relationship with me.” She felt her lighter siblings were “the ones that were valued” by society when they were children. she said. “That was the beginnings of this thing going on inside of me — that there’s something not quite right about the way we treat each other. They were really given credence in terms of self-worth.” She said it was her French teacher, a white, English man who helped her to feel her worth. “He introduced me to black books so I could learn about myself, to make me feel and understand who I was.” She said the recent immigration protests in Bermuda dredged up a lot of those feelings. “Understand who you are, know who you are and move into this place of non-dualism knowing also that you have a rightful place like anyone else.” Grace Edwards will never forget the time she and her mother crossed words on immigration. She spoke out against allowing foreigners into Bermuda — sentiments that she’d heard expressed by her peers. Her Filipina mother slammed on the car brakes, paused and reminded her daughter where she came from. “That’s what put me in my place,” said Ms Edwards, whose father is black. “I learnt that I’m not completely native to where I believe I’m native to. My right hand side is Filipino and my left hand side is Bermudian.” The 22-year-old shifted from public to private education in high school and “that’s when all the changes started happening. I came out of the closet. Being Filipina, black and openly gay has created so many different barriers for me. One minute someone is complaining about foreigners and I’m sticking up for foreigners, the next minute someone’s complaining about Bermudians and I’m sticking up for Bermudians. And the next minute, Everybody’s hating gay people. It’s made life challenging at times. It’s hard. I never considered myself as biracial simply because I never knew the word existed until this point. One thing I’ll never forget is my primary school prefect. She said ‘Your hair is so pretty. You’re so cute. You’re so pretty. You must be Indian'. "I said, ‘No. My mum’s Filipina’. And she said, ‘Well that’s why you’re so pretty’. “I’ll never understand where this idea came from that if you’re part Asian — or part anything that does not have nappy hair — you’re gonna be pretty.” Andrew Simons believes it’s impossible to have a discussion about race without looking at class. The 34-year-old went to black-dominated Berkeley Institute, a New England boarding school and then Stanford University. People here knew where he fitted. His father was Gerald Simons, a UBP MP who married a white woman; out in the world people struggled to “place” him because of his fair skin. He’d often have to answer “searching questions” as they tried to establish his ethnicity. “People constantly project different racial identities onto me. It’s always something close to what they’re familiar with, but not them. As people grapple with a sense of identity, people so often don’t read me as black, so by some measure I ‘pass’, unwillingly.” His teachers at Berkeley and beyond encouraged him to read black literature. “That was important. I can’t have all of these experiences and so we read. That’s how many people learn about different people and places. Those influences matter. That’s been preparation for my experiences.” Mr Simons recognized that he might have been unprepared for life’s challenges had he grown up similarly as a “brown person in America”. He said: “My experience is different; it is informed by privilege.” June 22. Cecilia Wollmann will be named in the Bermuda Olympic squad tomorrow but is still not over the shock of qualifying for the Rio Games. The teenage sailor secured her place in the Laser Radial fleet in January at the World Cup in Miami, but does not think the reality of the situation will sink in until the opening ceremony in August. Wollmann is likely to be the youngest member of the team, and said she was trying to think about the Games as “just another regatta”. She said: “It is almost shocking that I have done that [qualified] when I am only 18. It always is quite a shock for me when people refer to me [as an Olympian] that way. It is getting more [real], people notice me, and congratulate me. I feel like walking into the opening ceremony will be the moment when it really hits me.” Wollmann is in Rio this week and next preparing for the Olympics with Cristian Noe, her coach, and Mikey Wollmann her brother. The trio will use the time to study current and wind patterns, with the Wollmann siblings racing against each other in practice sessions. “He [Mikey] is in the girls’ boat right now so that’s useful for me, he’s able to work with me so I always have to push myself,” Wollmann said. “It’s also helpful to see if it was a race, we can each go out to different sides [of the course] to see who ended up coming in first.” As with any small nation Bermuda’s presence in Brazil is nothing compared to that of other nations, and Wollmann said that she was used to the disparity. Her parents have supported her as much as they can financially, and Digicel Business and BTC have agreed to cover the family’s communications costs during the Games. The staff at Alchemy Gym have also helped, getting her ready for the physical demands the Olympics will place on her. Wollmann, for her part, is Digicel’s ambassador in Bermuda for Bring the Beat, the company’s Olympic advertising campaign. Still, while there are few expectations on Wollmann at the Games, that does not mean there is no pressure on her to perform. “Qualifying just lets you know that you have a lot of work still ahead of you,” she said. “It wasn’t necessarily [the] easy [part], but it does take a little bit of pressure off knowing that you have qualified, and know you are going. I don’t think there is as much pressure for me because I am so young, I have so many years that I could be competing. It wasn’t expected of me to qualify, so it’s pretty nice not having all that pressure.” The work Wollmann has been putting in over the past several months at home and abroad has been geared to controlling as many elements of the race as she can, such as boat handling and having the right set-up with her ropes and sails. The unknowns come during the event itself, with the Bermuda sailor saying she had been told by past Olympians that “crazy things can happen, both good and bad”. She said: “Most of them have said that you can’t prepare really too much because it’s going to be so different to all the other competitions, which will be neat to see.” June 21. Ken Read, the skipper of Comanche, believes he and his colleagues could have arrived in Bermuda sooner had it not been for a delayed start to the 50th Newport Bermuda Race. Jim and Kristy Hinze-Clark’s 100-foot supermaxi slashed nearly five hours off the previous record of 39:39:18 — set by George David’s Rambler in 2012 — after crossing the line off St David’s Lighthouse at 4:22:53am on Sunday, in a provisional elapsed time of 34hrs 42min 53sec. “If we would have started at normal time, which is usually about 3pm, we could have shaved another four or five hours off the record because we would’ve gotten ahead of a little high pressure off the coast,” Read said shortly after Comanche docked at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. “The high pressure became our challenge and once we got through it in really good shape we put a brick on the accelerator pedal, held on and let the boat do its thing. Once we got out of that little high pressure area off the Rhode Island coast and Nantucket it was a dream ride. This time of year you don’t get many north-easterlies like that, that hold for the entire race. It was a really fun, fast reach.” The Newport Bermuda Race elapsed time record has now swapped hands three times in the past 14 years. “It’s an honour to be mentioned with the Pyewackets, Ramblers and Boomerangs who have all broken the race record and good to put Comanche on the list with all those boats,” Read said. “When the Clarks built this boat one of Jim’s stated goals was to try to beat records in great races, and this race obviously is one high on the list. It was really fun and this boat did exactly what it was made to do.” Comanche’s line honours victory in the Newport Bermuda Race was in stark contrast to the yacht’s come-from-behind victory in January’s Sydney Hobart Race when it retired after damaging its daggerboard and steering system during heavy squalls before rejoining the race after a group of crew jury-rigged a repair to the steering system. “There was no drama this time,” Read grinned. “We didn’t break a single thing or person, and so we’re very happy.” A total of 133 yachts in 16 classes started this year’s Newport Bermuda Race in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island on Friday afternoon, among them local entries Spirit of Bermuda and Bermuda Oyster as well as the US Merchant Marine Academy yacht Metolius, which is being skippered by local sailor Dr Stephen Sherwin. Paul Hubbard’s Bermuda Oyster is competing in the St David’s Lighthouse Division, Metolius in the Cruiser Division and Spirit of Bermuda in the Spirit of Tradition Division along with America, a replica of the yacht that inspired the America’s Cup. “We’re rocking and rolling doing about ten knots with our spinnaker up,” Ben Fairn, director of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, who is among Spirit of Bermuda’s 32-member crew, said yesterday. Spirit’s crew were treated to a rare sighting of great white sharks that came up close to the sloop off the coast of Newport. “Initially we saw one go across our bow and we were all standing right over looking at it,” Fairn said. “Then, five minutes later two more came by and the first was like 20 feet! “It was a big shark and we were all pretty stunned. Nobody wanted a fishing line and no one went swimming!” June 21. NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Aon chief executive officer Greg Case, who moved the insurance broker to London from Chicago four years ago, said Britain’s centuries-long leadership in the industry would be damaged if voters choose to leave the European Union. “The UK has been at the centre of insurance and risk management since maritime trade and shipping was insured at Lloyd’s in the City of London more than 325 years ago,” Case said in a letter posted yesterday on the company’s website. “Leaving the EU jeopardizes the UK’s leading position in the epicentre of our global service economy.” Industry leaders have been stressing the benefits of global commerce, along with the risks of isolationism, ahead of the June 23 vote. American International Group CEO Peter Hancock said last week that he’d consider establishing a European operations hub beyond London if the “Leave” side prevails. Case said Aon may not be able to provide the same coverage options to clients if trade barriers increase. He also said the company would find it harder to recruit and retain top talent. Aon moved its headquarters to the UK in 2012, citing improved access to Lloyd’s of London and emerging economies. Lloyd’s is the world’s oldest insurance market and is used by businesses seeking to guard against large or complicated risks. Aon’s shift also provided tax benefits. Case’s company acts as a middleman in the insurance industry, helping clients arrange coverage to guard against risks ranging from natural disasters to bed bugs to lawsuits. It is the second-largest broker by market capitalization to New York-based Marsh & McLennan Cos. “In our world, risk is inevitable and we manage it accordingly,” Case wrote. “But leaving the EU is an unnecessary gamble.” Aon climbed 95 cents to $107.81 in New York, extending its gain for the year to 17 per cent as global stocks rallied after weekend polls showed “Remain” prevailing in the UK vote. Marsh & McLennan rose 76 cents to $66.62 and is up 20 per cent since December 31. June 21. Lloyd’s of London-based insurer Neon has opened a new office in Bermuda. And the firm aims to expand its on-island two-strong team as it targets the US market. Neon has recruited Bermudian Chris Fisher, an underwriter with 25 years of experience in the insurance industry in Bermuda, Britain and the US, to head up the Bermuda operation. He was previously chief underwriting officer of insurance for Ariel Re in Bermuda. Mr Fisher said: “I’m delighted to be joining Neon to open and head its new Bermuda office. We believe that the existing expertise of Neon’s Lloyd’s syndicate, in conjunction with the strong Lloyd’s financial rating and our stated goal of building upon our local underwriting talent, means that we will be able to offer a compelling and relevant proposition to this strategically important market.” Mr Fisher’s office, in Victoria Street, will write direct and facultative property insurance on a global basis as an approved cover holder for Lloyd’s Syndicate 2468. Business will be considered on a primary quota share and excess of loss basis with critical catastrophe line sizes up to $10 million and fire capacity up to $25 million. Martin Reith, CEO of Neon, said: “Opening the Bermuda office is a strong statement of our intent to expand Neon’s international presence and grow the business. In Chris, we have a highly regarded local underwriter with strong relationships on the island as well as in the US. We have bold ambitions to grow our Bermuda platform and anticipate adding both personnel and product lines in the near future.” Mr Reith added: “More broadly, opening in Bermuda, which follows the completion of our strategic review, is a further sign of the momentum within Neon as we continue to make encouraging progress with the strategic turnaround of the business. It’s an exciting time for the group and we look forward to updating the market with further news demonstrating this positive trajectory. We think it’s a great outpost for us as we continue to build our new branded company name. Given the significance of the Bermuda market in the global insurance and reinsurance stage, it seems to be a logical next step for us.” Mr Fisher has also previously worked for Ace, now known as Chubb, in various senior underwriting and executive roles, and he started his career at BF&M. June 21. By Bryan Dooley is senior portfolio manager, with LOM Asset Management. Opinion. "It has been quite some time since the global financial markets have faced such a widely-anticipated, major binary decision expected to propel securities prices sharply in one direction or another. I am, of course, referring to this week’s ‘Brexit’ vote. On Thursday, the United Kingdom decides whether to remain in the European Union or to begin pulling out and this landmark referendum has policymakers and investors on the edge of their seats. If the majority of British citizens vote to remain in the EU, everyone can go back to working within a known framework which has arguably served Britain well over the past few decades. However, if the UK votes to exit the commonwealth, a series of somewhat unknowable events will then begin to unfold. At a minimum, an exit vote will be disruptive, causing an extraordinary number of contracts to be rewritten. After that, possible outcomes range from a near term slump in trade to a severe downturn in the British economy potentially leading to a fundamental breakdown of the European Union if other member states follow suit and break with the pack. Even taking the most draconian scenarios off the table, a “leave” vote creates immediate challenges. The British government would likely believe it necessary to calm the markets and move swiftly to invoke a policy response. Analysts believe the Bank of England would begin by cutting interest rates and increasing its quantitative easing programme to a larger amount. The Institute of Fiscal Studies predicts the British economy would contract by two to four per cent over the next few years with trade disruptions and labour supply challenges resulting in tens of billions of dollars in additional debt being added to the government balance sheet. In the event of a leave vote, economic growth would not only be stunted, but other EU member nations could begin considering independence referendums of their own, thereby adding additional pressure on Europe’s already fragile recovery. In recent years, forward progress in Europe has been bumpy at best, giving rise to a growing faction of “Eurosceptics.” The increasingly vocal anti-establishment proponents are fundamentally opposed to the EU structure believing many of the member countries would be better off on their own. Some think the regional authority has betrayed its constituents by allowing the southern states to break fiscal rules and creating open border policies which have contributed to an escalating immigration crisis. If Britain can successfully break free, other countries may be encouraged to do the same. At this late hour, the outcome is still too close to call. The Brexit Poll Tracker poll of polls gives the “leave” camp an edge at 48 per cent versus 43 per cent for “remain” as of this writing. However, about eight per cent are still undecided. On a more positive note, the betting odds, where individuals stake real money, favour a ‘remain’ vote by about a two-to-one ratio. Market volatility has been increasing in front of the referendum. Global stock markets have been trending downward with European bourses declining the most. The British pound recently fell to a low of around $1.41. “Implied volatility”, a standard measure of daily price movement, for the pound recently soared to 21 per cent, a level not seen since the global credit crisis in 2008. In the stock market, British and European-based companies have dramatically lagged their multinational counterparts. The British stock market, as measured by the FTSE 100, has under performed the US-based S&P 500 by over ten per cent in the past month and portfolio managers have been tactically under weighting European risk assets in general. The best way to play Brexit, depends on an investor’s risk appetite. Since early last month, we have been encouraging more conservative investors to take profits in lower quality securities following the March and April risk rally. We suggested rotating towards higher quality securities and raising some cash. Conservative investors with a shorter term time horizon should still consider adding to safe havens assets such as investment grade bonds or even UK gilts if they have existing Sterling currency exposure. Initiating or increasing exposure to sterling at these levels may ultimately prove to be smart play longer term. The present Sterling/US dollar exchange rate represents an historically attractive level. The pound could take another leg down if Britain votes to leave, but that is not yet certain. Half positions are a safer bet here, buying some now with the idea of adding more on weakness. Selectively, British and European equities are worth a look at these levels, especially those well diversified globally. In reality, the geographic revenue distribution of many large UK-domiciled companies does not look a whole lot different, than, for example, most large cap US multinationals. And yet, the FTSE 100 index is much cheaper than the S&P 500. A less aggressive strategy is to simply wait until just after the vote and play a rebound if “Bremain” prevails. A leave decision would likely require more time for markets to settle out. Ultimately, Britain can survive on its own with or without membership in the EU as it had for the many centuries prior to joining European Economic Community in 1973. Compromise is a possibility, too. Norway pays into the EU budget and benefits from a portion of the bloc’s trade policies without actually having to be a member. On a long-term basis, making big bets against sterling might be unwise. The British pound has existed for hundreds of years while the euro is only 17 years young. When the dust settles, as it always does, there will be opportunities. But investors should proceed gingerly and stay focused on their ultimate objectives." June 21. St George’s Cup Match and Bermuda cricketer Fiqre Crockwell died after being shot in Pembroke yesterday. Mr Crockwell, 30, was fatally wounded near DeSilva Close, in the area of Woodlands Road, shortly before 3am. He was taken to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. A second victim, a 46-year-old Pembroke man, was in hospital yesterday after police discovered him with stab wounds in the same location as Mr Crockwell. Yesterday afternoon, police said he was recovering in a stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening. A Bermuda Police Service spokesman said: “It is unclear whether the shooting victim and stabbing victim were involved in the same incident or separate incidents.” Officers are appealing for witnesses, or anyone who left a nearby function at Goose Gosling Field at about 3am, to get in touch. Mr Crockwell is the 29th man to die as a result of gun violence in Bermuda since May 2009 and the second this year, after Patrick Dill on May 21. The Governor, George Fergusson, called the attacks “desperately sad”. Mr Fergusson said in a statement: “I condemn in the strongest terms those who go about with illegal guns. “There is not the slightest reason or excuse and the lack of respect for life, which it implies, is appalling. I send my condolences to Mr Crockwell’s bereaved family. I also pay tribute to the work of the police and others in preventing other tragedies of the same kind in the recent past. Only a few people appear to be involved in this. But everyone can play some part in stopping it. Anyone who knows anything about today’s attacks should contact the police or Crime Stoppers. But I hope everyone can pause to consider how to help, either by advising someone at risk of committing such offences to change course; or to consider less direct but important things like volunteering with youth groups and mentoring programmes, or informally helping a family or young person. All this can help. We can’t just accept these events, or decide it is for someone else to fix.” Senator Jeff Baron, the Minister of National Security, said: “It is heart-wrenching to confront another tragic loss of life. Our thoughts and prayers will hopefully bring some measure of comfort to Mr Crockwell’s family and friends. It will be important for any witnesses to make every effort to assist the police while such terrible events are fresh in their minds.” Mr Baron added that he expects to be briefed by police today. “I am confident in the full investigation that is already under way,” he said. Mr Crockwell was a wicketkeeper-batsman at club and international level, and also a key player for St David’s, whom he helped to victory in a top-of-the-table match against Bailey’s Bay as recently as last weekend. He last represented the country in June 2015 while on tour to Jamaica in preparation for the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 Championship in Indianapolis. The Bermuda Cricket Board said: “The Bermuda Cricket Board expresses its shock and sadness at the loss today of Fiqre Crockwell. We extend our sympathies and condolences to the family and friends at this difficult time.” Anyone with information should contact Acting Inspector Kenten Trott on 717-2345 or the confidential Crime Stoppers hotline on 800-8477. June 21. On Thursday, the people of Bermuda will go to the polls for the referendum on same-sex marriage and same-sex civil unions. Jonathan Bell and Sam Strangeways spoke to residents on either side of the debate to find out why they will be voting “yes” or “no”. Voting “yes” on both same-sex marriage and civil unions is strictly a rights issue for advocates who shared their views with The Royal Gazette. Ravi Pachai, Steven Boyce and Chen Foley accept that participating in a referendum on rights will not be easy for many voters. “The compromise is you can be sensitive to the religious community by voting ‘yes’ for civil unions,” Mr Foley said. “But you can also recognise that full equality is a good thing, by voting ‘yes’ for marriage equality.” The issue, he said, boils down to “family rights, such as people being able to visit their partners in hospital, rights to inherit property, applications for widowers’ pensions”. Added Mr Pachai: “We want members of the LGBT community to be able to live with dignity and legal recognition.” Mr Pachai said he understood why people were uncomfortable and said a new group, OUTBermuda, would be formally announcing its launch after the referendum to help to facilitate urgently needed conversation. That conversation “has to be done”, Mr Boyce said: “There’s still work to be done in Bermuda in making it a safer and more welcoming place.” The group emerged, they said, out of the Bermuda Bred Company immigration case for same-sex couples — so called because it was brought to the courts by people born and raised on the island. OUTBermuda, Mr Foley stressed, is a new charity still finding its feet, and keen not to be overshadowed by the referendum itself — but the three support a “yes, yes” vote. Former City Hall councilor Kathryn Gibbons is also a supporter, informed by the civil rights movement of the 1960s. “Social customs and mores evolve in a democratic society,” she said. “It takes time and many protests.” Ms Gibbons maintained that same-sex marriage issues “are really a matter of social justice and equal rights”, and called it “grossly unjust” to deny same-sex couples the same benefits heterosexual spouses enjoy. Zakiya Johnson Lord, a Bermudian who lives in New York, has been helping to co-ordinate the “yes, yes” campaign from there. She is gay, married and she and her wife have a son. She worked at the Human Rights Commission and Centre for Justice when she lived in Bermuda and is on the board of directors of OUTBermuda. Bermuda’s legal framework and absence of options contributed to her move overseas, she said. “I was married since 2011 but my marriage isn’t recognized there in a way that would provide stability and comfort,” she said. “I would say that our options are far more limited based on my sexual orientation.” She added: “It’s quite frustrating. If I could vote, I would fly home to do so. But because I live overseas I’m not technically supposed to vote so I won’t. It [the referendum] does impact my life. It’s a civic duty to take part. It directly affects my life and the lives of those I care about.” Ms Johnson Lord added that the lack of recognition for her marriage meant she could be faced with a choice in the future of caring for her mother, who is on the island, or for her son. “That’s the reality. My wife can’t come and my son isn’t Bermudian,” she said. “I would have to choose between who I would care for and my straight friends don’t have to do that. That’s important.” Voting “no” twice in Thursday’s referendum is a deeply held imperative for Allan and Mildred Hunt of Heart to Heart Marriage Mentoring Ministries. Both firmly disavow hate speech towards homosexuals, but just as firmly consider tampering with marriage to be a gateway to disaster. “The argument about human rights is an excuse,” Mr Hunt told The Royal Gazette. On issues such as inheritance between same-sex partners, Mr Hunt advised couples to “do your due diligence and ensure that whoever you love is in your will”. Added his wife, with whom he shares a 46-year marriage: “To redefine marriage, to me, is wrong. If you desire to go somewhere else and get married, do so. For small Bermuda, there is no chance of being insulated from it; everything is going to be right in your face.” The Hunts pointed to examples of businesses in the United States going bust for finding themselves morally unable to cater to same-sex couples. They also voiced alarm at a surprise ruling by Canada’s Supreme Court this month, in which justices for a man appealing a bestiality conviction found that sex acts upon animals were only illegal if penetration was involved. Tampering with marriage, Mr Hunt said, could genuinely “open the floodgates”. “Nobody would have ever, ever thought that would have happened in Canada; I could not believe it,” he said. “The first marriage recorded is in the first book of the Bible, between Adam and Eve,” he added, concurring with his wife that marriage is “most definitely” fundamentally religious, as well as “natural common sense”. The two are uncompromising on civil unions, which they feel inevitably leads to the erosion of marriage. “Civil unions are precursors to same-sex marriages,” Mrs Hunt maintained. However, at a prayer vigil last week by the group Preserve Marriage, Mr Hunt insisted that “if anyone had started up with hatemongering, I would have asked them to leave”. The group also prayed for the victims of the mass shooting at the Florida gay nightclub, Pulse, that left 49 dead that same day. Although the Hunts believe that homosexual sex is an affront to natural law and in some cases medically dangerous, they are adamant that they love all without exception as Christians, and would not be swayed even if same-sex marriage were passed. Mrs Hunt is an educator, while her husband is an engineer, but the two have a long career as marriage counselors, and both said they recognized that marriage takes hard work. They summed up their view as “healthy marriages create healthy family, and healthy marriages create strong children”. “If you strengthen marriage, you have healthier families,” Mrs Hunt added. Asked how he responded to the view that homosexuality is inherent and cannot be a choice or lifestyle, Mr Hunt said: “I don’t know about DNA and I’m not prepared to make a statement on something I don’t know. We can never draw a conclusion in any way to be hateful.” He drew an analogy to tree limbs, which will alter their direction of growth if tied into new configurations, adding: “To change the order of things to satisfy the desires of adults is equally as wrong as children being abused for the same reasons. I draw my case again to what is happening in Canada, which is something I would never have realized. What’s next?” June 21. Deryn Lavell has been appointed the new Head of School at Saltus Grammar School. Ms Lavell, who will start in the summer of 2017 subject to immigration approval, has been the Head of The Bishop Strachan School, in Toronto, since 2009. Her previous roles at BSS include Vice Principal of International Programmes, Assistant Head, Institutional Advancement and Principal of Junior School. She said in a press release: “Needless to say I am just thrilled to be joining Saltus Grammar School and beginning life in beautiful Bermuda. It will be an exciting adventure for my husband Steve and I and we are looking forward to getting to know the community and to becoming part of the SGS family. The history, the stories and the ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation that distinguish SGS are remarkable and my goal is to continue leading in that tradition and working with you to chart a fresh path for the next phase of the journey.” Gil Tucker, the chairman of the Board of Trustees, said that Ms Lavell would work closely with current Head of School Ted Staunton, who was brought back to Saltus while the search for a permanent head took place. He added: “We look forward to introducing Deryn and Steve to our community in the fall when she will be here for a visit. Deryn and Ted will also work closely together to plan a successful head transition, and I am sure we will see Deryn at Saltus on key occasions throughout the next year.” June 21. More than a thousand people took advantage of a break in the wet weather to take part in the Parade of the Bands in St David’s on Saturday. Huge crowds dressed in their carnival best took to the streets, dancing to soca music and celebrating the National Heroes holiday weekend. Despite a late start, the event was hailed as a roaring success by attendees. Starting near the entrance of St David’s, the parade went through Southside to Clearwater Beach, with a collection of seven bands providing musical entertainment — each surrounded by themed groups of dancers in extravagant and often revealing costumes. Colin Flood said that while the rain that dampened the weekend may have reduced the number of spectators, the atmosphere was otherwise straight out of the Caribbean. “Everything from the music to the costumes are on point,” he added. “Everyone is having a great time. I’m just hoping that next year is even bigger and better.” Lori Greer added: “I was worried things would get cancelled, but we’ve got the sun peaking out from behind the clouds, we’ve got some music in the air, folks are dancing. It’s everything you would want.” June 21. Liquidators for Riddell’s Bay Golf and Country Club have sold two residential plots separate from the closed course. Deals on the two areas of land, fronting the Great Sound, were closed last Friday. Joint liquidators Alison Tomb and Simon Conway of professional-services firm PwC, added that they had been talking to “a number of interested parties” about the sale of the rest of the golf course’s assets. PwC said they were now in the process of requesting the submission of “indicative non-binding offers” over the next two weeks. Queries should be addressed to Anton Schmitz or Alison Tomb at PwC Bermuda in Hamilton. PwC were appointed liquidators of the troubled golf course after a Supreme Court hearing in March. June 19. Bermuda will host the 2018 Moth World Championships after beating Argentina and Australia in the bid process, the International Moth Class Association announced today. The event featuring the foiling Moth dinghy will be held in the Great Sound, venue for the 35th America’s Cup, in May 2018. “This is fantastic news not only for Bermuda, but we know that the sailors are all keen to sail on the waters in the Great Sound, which is fast becoming known as one of the pre-eminent sailing locations in the world,” said Andy Cox, chairman of the regatta on behalf of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Meanwhile, it was also announced today that the MS Amlin International Moth Regatta will be returning this year and will take place from December 3 to 9 in the Great Sound. “Last year’s regatta was such a success that everyone wanted a repeat, and that has now become a reality thanks to our sponsors,” Cox added. “Bermudian hospitality and our sailing conditions make this a unique venue for these high-performing foiling boats.” A fleet of about 75 will challenge for the title and the $10,000 in prize money on offer. Rob Greenhalgh, of Britain, is back to defend his title, while the field will also boast compatriot and newly crowned 2016 world champion Paul Goodison, of Artemis Racing. Goodison is one of several America’s Cup sailors participating, as members of Oracle Team USA, defender of the “Auld Mug”, and challenger SoftBank Team Japan will also be among the racing fleet. The regatta is being organized and hosted by RBYC and sponsored by MS Amlin, the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Gosling’s. June 18. Michael Dunkley described Caroline Bay as “a sign of greater things on the horizon” at a groundbreaking ceremony for the luxury resort yesterday. Attending the event at Morgan’s Point alongside the Premier were representatives from the Ritz-Carlton Company, whose $400 million Reserve resort will be built on the property. The group included Herve Humler, co-founder and president of the company, market vice-president Katherine Monahan and area vice-president of sales and marketing Graeme Benn. During his address, Mr Dunkley noted Mr Humler’s longstanding ties with the island, having started in the industry by working at the Hamilton Princess in the early 1970s. “From Government’s perspective, this project is so much more than just bricks and mortar,” he said. “The Ritz brand in Bermuda will provide significant opportunity for Bermudians.” Recounting the history of the project, Craig Christensen, chief executive of Morgan’s Point, pointed to the vision of former premier Alex Scott, who was integral to the start of the proposed development. “Then Premier Scott had the vision to suggest to swap Southlands for Morgan’s Point,” revealed Mr Christensen. “These talks were kept strictly confidential and today we can disclose that the Government and Southlands sought to develop Morgan’s Point and preserve Southlands. Unknown to BEST we were all working for the same outcome. We have to thank Alex Scott for his support and vision. The road has been long and hard, but we have always received the support of both sides of the political divide. This is unique, and greatly appreciated. Developed by Bermudians, supported by Bermudians for the benefit of Bermudians. This is Bermuda’s project.” Mr Dunkley said the project would bolster our tourism product, while also helping its construction and hospitality sectors. “I am extremely encouraged by the progress we have made to date with this project [although] we still have a ways to go,” he added, pointing out that the venture will be managed in phases. The first phase, expected to be completed by the end of 2018, will include 35 branded condominium residences, a new marina that includes 77 berths with capacity for an additional 21 mega-yachts, and a five-star, boutique, 79-room Ritz-Carlton Reserve hotel. “Our entire island should feel excited about the confidence that Ritz-Carlton has demonstrated in Bermuda,” Mr Dunkley said. “This has truly been a journey and we look forward to a strong, lasting and successful relationship.” Mr Humler added: “We are deeply honored to become members of the fibre of this great destination and to enhance the glamour of Bermuda, not only for today’s most affluent travelers, but for Bermudians. I began my hospitality career in Bermuda, so this is a very special moment not only for the Ritz-Carlton, but for me personally. We come not just as global hoteliers presenting a stunning, five-star luxury property, but also aspiring to be active members of the local community.” June 18. Parliamentarians have approved the formation of a joint select committee to investigate the issue of establishing a living wage. Progressive Labour Party MP Rolfe Commissiong opened the debate on his motion at the House of Assembly last night, sparking a discussion among members that lasted more than three hours. Among Mr Commissiong’s points of interest were the widespread use of low-cost foreign labour, the erosion of the middle class and economic migration to Britain. “As depressed wages and benefits become commonplace, poverty will only increase, and the horizons of our people will continue to diminish,” he said. “The concept behind a minimum wage is simply to raise those at the lower end of the economic spectrum out of poverty to a level of dignified living.” Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, Minister of Home Affairs, noted that the Bermuda Government had already agreed to bring together a committee to look into creating a living wage, after protests in March. “I’m not totally persuaded to say that we need another joint select committee of the House because of the committee that I mentioned,” she said. “I would like for members in the House to send and present their thoughts about how we can improve matters and situations. I would like for people to bring their ideas to the committee that has been established for this exact purpose.” She proposed for the motion to be changed from one calling for a joint select committee to a take-note motion through which the matter could be discussed. PLP backbencher Kim Wilson responded that MPs should play an active part in collecting information and making recommendations. “Not to say that this committee that the honourable member was speaking of wouldn’t have the same gravitas, but we are the ones that are elected,” she said. Her comments were echoed by the PLP’s Michael Scott, while One Bermuda Alliance backbencher Shawn Crockwell said he would support the call for a joint select committee. Ms Gordon-Pamplin subsequently withdrew her proposed amendment. PLP MP Derrick Burgess, meanwhile, noted the vast wage disparity between white men and black men, adding that there were some people living on “slave wages. The poor are not making it in Bermuda. They are not making it worldwide. In Bermuda we give tax exceptions to the rich. Some of the employers get relief even if they owe the Government money.” Jamahl Simmons, the Shadow Minister of Economic Development, meanwhile, said he was disturbed to see the falling wages on the island, adding that the country must address the dependency on cheap foreign labour. “A livable wage can transform Bermuda in so many ways,” he said. “It can help to make things better. Bermuda’s way forward cannot be the development of a permanent underclass who cannot afford to live here.” Bob Richards, the Minister of Finance, said the issue of foreign labour was not exclusively Bermudian and that there was an element of competition that needed to be considered given increasing globalization. He added that if a decision was made that hurt the economy, it would be the poorest Bermudians who would bear the brunt of this. “The most we can do is try to some extent to ameliorate the impact on us, but we cannot change the force of globalization. We cannot stand here and make lofty statements without facing the reality of what’s on the ground here.” Mr Richards said a more effective way of addressing the issue was to reform the tax structure so those who made less were taxed less than the wealthy — something the Government is already working on and hoping to introduce next year. After the motion passed unanimously, Mr Commissiong thanked MPs for their support. “We’re here to serve the interests of our people and to advance the common good. I hope that our committee will meet the expectations of Bermudians up and down this island.” June 18. Teachers union leader Mike Charles has condemned the Minister of Education’s “lame” plan to address serious failings in the public school system. “Once again, we have a minister planning to have a plan,” said Mr Charles yesterday of Wayne Scott’s review of the school reorganization report. “After taking the country through all this anxiety, to come up with something as lame as that is really disappointing — it demonstrates that the minister and Government either don’t have a clue or don’t really care.” Mr Charles further argued that the possibility of closures, which he said the Bermuda Union of Teachers did not object to, had simply been deferred without specifics. On Wednesday, Mr Scott had ruled out school closures and mergers as he shared his consideration of the Score report, which had exposed widespread failings, including serious infrastructure problems, in primary schools. Expanding in the House of Assembly yesterday, Mr Scott pledged that a “clear visionary direction for public school education” was being drawn up for implementation in the 2017/18 school year. The minister said that school closures, long a subject of worry for parents, would not be considered until “an education strategy is developed that will form a blueprint for the direction of the Bermuda public school system”. He conceded the Bermuda Government had a long and unproductive history of devising plans for the school system, and told MPs there had been “a plethora of reports”. Responding to an observation from Walton Brown of the Progressive Labour Party that “we seem to be re-examining and re-examining”, Mr Scott said: “I have a report from 1989 — I could cross out the date and put 2016 on and it would be accurate.” Noting that the independent Hopkins Report of 2007 had found “too much overhead”, Mr Scott said he was committed to cutting the bureaucracy in the Department of Education. While the Score report released in February highlighted a lack of data in assessing the financial viability of schools that might be closed, Mr Scott told the House: “I do not believe we should be making changes to schools just because of financial implications. The financial review that the Score committee wanted to do on a school by school basis — that’s not something I support. That granular type of information will not be used in any decision that I make.” Mr Charles, the secretary-general of the BUT, lamented that the minister’s statements on school reorganization amounted to “non-statements”. The only item to get high marks was the suggestion that a school could be repurpose as an alternative learning centre, with the Ministry of Education in-house. Mr Charles said he supported moving the ministry from its East End location to somewhere more central, but said such a move would require a relatively large premises. Calling schools “dilapidated”, tainted with mould and in need of better supplies, particularly in technology, Mr Charles criticised the Government for moving swiftly to upgrade the Cabinet building while schools had to wait. MPs heard yesterday that maintenance plans in tandem with the Ministry of Public Works aimed to complete “as much work as possible during the summer break. The Government tells us we have a third-world airport but the majority of our schools are older than the present airport. Teachers were having to dip into their own pockets for basic supplies. I am aware of one teacher who had resorted to paying for wi-fi in a school. I wrote to the premier, quoting from the OBA manifesto and what we see as the reality for schools, asking him to give us even half the care that goes to the America’s Cup. I said the America’s Cup is an event; it’s not the future. His reply was totally about the America’s Cup, and he went on to tell me that it is about our future. I think it just proved my point. Teachers had grown numb to it. There are people that will tell you they’re starting to lose their voices by the time they go home, that their noses are burning. There are rooms in schools that are just shut down because nobody can go in there.” Asked in the House about meetings and consultation with the BUT, Mr Scott said Mr Charles had been present at every public meeting. “Mr Charles knows my cell phone number. I have him on my WhatsApp. I have an open-door policy and I’m available to meet and discuss at any time.” June 18. Bermuda Heroes Weekend kicked off with a splash of soca last night at the Five Star Friday concert at the National Sports Centre. The party at the North Field ran from 6pm until midnight, with revelers letting their hair down as they opened the three-day weekend. Festivities are set to pick up again today with the Bermuda Heroes Weekend Carnival Parade of Bands at Southside, and the Bermuda Government has warned that Clearwater Beach, Turtle Beach and the Cooper’s Island Nature Reserve will all be closed to the public during the event. The Ministry of the Environment and the Department of Parks said those areas would be closed between 8am and 8pm, reopening tomorrow. Southside Road from the junction at St David’s Road and Southside Road (at the old No 2 gate location) to the junction at Cooper’s Island Road and Pepper Hall Road will be closed to traffic from 1.30pm until 6pm today. Meanwhile, due to forecasts of wet weather tomorrow, the Government has announced that the National Hero Induction and Proclamation Ceremony will take place at the Anglican Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity in Hamilton. The event, during which former premier Sir John Swan will officially be proclaimed a national hero, had been scheduled to take place at Camden. The ceremony is due to begin at 4pm, followed by a reception at the Cathedral Hall. For more information on festivities, see bermudaheroesweekend.com. June 18. Imagine swimming around Bermuda for 21 hours straight. This is exactly what open water swimmer Lori King accomplished on Wednesday. With a support crew of 11 people by her side, Mrs King, 40, took to the water at Elbow Beach at noon to begin the longest, most challenging swim of her life. Her inspiration, she said, was resident Sean O’Connell, who was the first and only person to have completed the swim 40 years ago. “I read his story and I had been thinking about doing a 24-hour swim,” she said. “I’m from New York and I had been to Bermuda for the Round the Sound event for the past six or seven years and it holds a special place in my heart. So, I knew when I thought about doing a swim and reading that one other person had done it and it was possible, that this was the place. It’s special to me, I love the people and the water.” The swim was planned and certified through the Bermuda Open Water Swimming Association, with president Nick Strong acting as event co-ordinator and first observer. Devon Clifford, on-site coach and support swimmer, described some of the challenges they faced. “Lori swam counterclockwise around the island and throughout the swim she missed Portuguese man o’ wars, there were two to three foot swells coming into the boat that she was swimming through. Going around Fort St Catherine, starting off in the north shore of the island, it was very rough.” They also dealt with multiple kayak rescues and their boat hitting a reef because of the high winds. Mrs King was overwhelmed with emotion as she thanked her crew and the residents who had supported her in becoming the first woman to ever complete the swim. “I am just totally indebted to these people, I don’t even know how to repay them.” June 17. Bermuda was represented at the world’s largest shipping conference, held in Greece. The island’s ship register was showcased at Posidonia 2016 at the Metropolitan Expo, held in Athens. The four-day conference attracted an estimated 20,000 attendees including ship owners, brokers, bankers and investors who converged to discuss the future of the shipping industry. Bermuda was taking part for the first time and was represented by the Bermuda Business Development Agency, together with Bermuda Government and industry colleagues. The island’s shipping industry, including the jurisdiction’s historic British Red Ensign Group vessel registry, proved to be of interest to conference attendees, as was the island’s hosting of the 2017 America’s Cup. “We had an extremely successful experience as a first-time exhibitor at this event,” said Kevin Richards, a BDA business development manager. “Attendees sought out our booth to meet with our experts and learn more about the Bermuda Ship Registry and the benefits of company incorporation in our blue-chip financial centre — as well as to find out how to get to Bermuda for next year’s America’s Cup. The ability to connect with the entire shipping value chain separates Bermuda from our competitors. Our strong financial foundation makes our jurisdiction favorable to banks and financiers when leveraging an offshore facility in a new building or ship-financing transaction. Our leading regulatory standards also make Bermuda an attractive option for residency and trust incorporations for high-net-worth individuals connected with this industry.” Mr Richards was joined at the event by Edward Robinson, Registrar of Shipping with the Department of Maritime Administration, and London-based DMA senior marine surveyor Chris Boreham. Also attending was Victor Richards of Conyers, along with Nicole Conrad Morrison and Sophie Burt, of the BDA conferences and events team. Bermuda’s ship registry is a Category 1 member of the British Red Ensign Group, supporting a worldwide portfolio of vessels, including large cruise ships, oil, gas and chemical tankers, container ships, bulk carriers, offshore vessels, cruising and megayachts. Ships or yachts registered in Bermuda fly the red ensign, or the red ensign with Bermuda’s coat of arms. Other members of the REG include the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, Falkland Islands, St Helena, Montserrat and the UK. Pre-conference activities at Posidonia allowed the Bermuda team to network with key companies. Organizers staged a sailing race, a running event and golf and soccer tournaments. Mr Richards, a former Bermuda national team player, took part in the latter, joining the “Shipsoccer” team of global accountancy firm Moore Stephens. The team went undefeated during group stage, but lost out in the quarter finals. “We were able to solidify key relationships with senior leaders of major shipping companies,” said Mr Richards, who will attend the 29th annual Marine Money Week in New York City starting on June 21. That event is one of the world’s largest gatherings of the international ship-financing community, attracting more than 1,300 leading ship owners, private- and public-equity investors, and commercial and investment bankers. He said: “Our agency looks forward to working with new and existing partners to continue to grow the shipping industry in Bermuda.” June 17. Government’s bid to grant status to overseas residents was flawed, a former top Bermudian banker said yesterday. Philip Butterfield, former chief executive officer and chairman of HSBC Bermuda, said: “I think it was wrong in how it was addressed to date because it hasn’t been a transparent process and it has ignored a major constituency.” Mr Butterfield was speaking at a Chamber of Commerce meeting held to discuss proposed “Pathways to Status” legislation by Government. He said: “I doesn’t have a ‘we’ element and that’s what needs to be changed, in my view.” Mr Butterfield added that attendees at the Chamber meeting, held at the Hamilton Princess, had come out because of community interest in the proposed legislation. He said: “The reason they are here is because they have an interest in the topic and they are hearing a range of views. That’s how we get a solution, by hearing a range of views.” Mr Butterfield added that Government had failed to communicate with the public over the controversial plans. He said: “When you are politically tone deaf and don’t have effective communication skills, these are the choices you make,” The panel included Lynn Winfield of anti-racism group Curb, Mr Butterfield and Bermuda College economics lecturer Craig Simmons. Mr Simmons said: “It was good to have some open and frank dialogue on the topic at hand. I think we gave a balanced perspective. People have doubts about the original proposal, now we have had time to reflect. I think we need to have more consultation and more discussion on what it means for Bermuda. If we believe in collaboration, we will get the best outcome, rather than it being discussed in small circles.” The Chamber of Commerce in March backed the legislation, designed to give non-Bermudian residents who met minimum residency limits on the island a degree of permanence. The Chamber argued that an ageing population meant that Government needed to increase the population in order to meet increasing social costs and that more people living and working in Bermuda meant more economic activity. Mr Wight said: “The purpose of this meeting was to create a forum for members of the Chamber of Commerce and non-members to hear the views of high-profile names in our community to help shape their views on immigration policy. I think it’s very difficult to determine whether people are in favour or not. The main objective is to raise the level of debate. It was very productive and useful for people who attended.” Government withdrew the original bill after days of strike action and major protests outside the House of Assembly. Redrafted plans will first deal with children who were born in Bermuda or arrived at an early stage, as well as mixed status families and adoptions. The second stage will deal with the granting of permanent residence certificates for residents of 15 years standing, while a third stage will deal with the granting of Bermudian status for residents of 20 years. Ms Winfield said that Bermuda continued to be affected by “ongoing, structural racism and implicit bias”. She added that it was estimated that between 3,000 and 6,000 black Bermudians had moved overseas for economic reasons. Ms Winfield said: “This type of brain drain predominantly occurs in developing countries. It is noteworthy that in Bermuda’s highly developed economy educated black Bermudians feel forced to look overseas for opportunities. This brain drain must be reversed and Bermudians encouraged to return. Creative plans for the provision of job opportunities, introduction of robust legislation to protect black Bermudian work opportunities, an urgent focus on integrating young Bermudians into the workforce, introduction of a living wage and protection for Bermudians who are increasingly being hired for part-time or temporary work with employers sidestepping the need to provide benefits, must all be put in place.” Ms Winfield added that the protests over the proposed amendments to immigration law underlined the racial divide in Bermuda. She said: “The people protesting the proposed legislation on the hill understood the very real risk of disenfranchisement. Curb’s research on immigration and demographics has show that this fear has a very real and frightening foundation based on historical oppression and current economic marginalization.” June 17. Replacing the crumbling Swing Bridge with a hydraulic counterpart could provide a “50-year fix”, Craig Cannonier suggested last night at a town hall meeting in St George. “I am very much in favour of a hydraulic bridge,” the Minister of Public Works said, citing benefits such as its simple mechanisms and quiet functionality. The Swing Bridge — which links St David’s to St George’s — has been closed to ships for two years. Motorists can cross it one lane at a time, and a weight limit is in place due to the structure’s fragile state. Fixing the problem has been estimated at $20 million. “The maintenance of the Swing Bridge is going to be astronomical as we move forward. It is an old bridge with old technology,” Mr Cannonier said. “If we fix the Swing Bridge, we’ll probably have a maximum of 30 years [lifespan]. I’d much prefer we get a 50-year span for a few million more dollars and a little more time.” In the meantime, Mr Cannonier said that a steelwork contract would be awarded in the next week for a company to strengthen the undercarriage of the Swing Bridge. He estimated that the fortification works would take eight to ten weeks, adding that the weight limit would be lifted once they were finished. To fix the traffic issue, the minister said that he was looking into the possibility of transferring outbound traffic from St George’s via the Severn Bridge at Stokes Point. Another feasibility study involved the removal of one of the Swing Bridge’s pillars to increase its 63-foot span, allowing larger ships to pass through. Hosted by Quinell Francis, the Mayor of St George, the meeting at Penno’s Wharf also featured presentations by Jeff Baron, the Minister of National Security, and Michael Fahy, the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities. June 17. Civil marriages will be allowed to take place at any suitable venue in Bermuda, after a Bill passed at the House of Assembly. Until now, the Marriage Amendment Act restricted couples seeking a non-religious marriage to performing the ceremony at the Office of the Registrar General in Hamilton. Civil marriages account for roughly one in four marriages (23.2 per cent) on the island, explained Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, the Minister of Home Affairs. Ms Gordon-Pamplin insisted that the Bill was not tabled as a “sinister” effort to pre-empt Thursday’s referendum on same-sex marriage and civil unions. Instead, she argued it would help to improve Bermuda’s tourism industry as well as generating revenue for wedding-related businesses by allowing people the freedom to choose where they marry, rather than restrict them to one sterile environment. “Bermuda might be viewed as a more attractive wedding destination for tourists if there were more options for venues at which civil ceremonies could be performed,” Ms Gordon-Pamplin said. The Bill drew support from both parties, with Progressive Labour MP Michael Scott calling it “a modernising step”, while his party colleague Wayne Furbert said the move makes sense. "I am hoping that the passage of this Bill will serve as a good omen of things to come,” One Bermuda Alliance MP Shawn Crockwell said. His fellow OBA backbencher Mark Pettingill called it “a move in the right direction”. Ms Gordon-Pamplin conceded that regulations to discern appropriate wedding locations had not been set in stone as yet. “I know as individuals, we have some weird foibles at times,” she said, adding that any bizarre or inappropriate locations would likely be vetoed by the Registrar. “We just want to make sure that the dignity of a ceremony is not usurped in the process.” June 17. Regardless of how the public vote in the referendum next week, the Bermuda Government will be obliged to find some form of legal foundation to accommodate same-sex couples who are in permanent relationships. Trevor Moniz, the Attorney-General, said last night that the One Bermuda Alliance had tabled its consultation Bill on civil unions because it was felt that the majority of Bermudians would favour the partnerships over outright same-sex marriage. “We were trying to show the courts we were doing our level best to meet the requirements of the law as enunciated by the Chief Justice in the Bermuda Bred case,” Mr Moniz told a gathering at the Bermuda College, where home affairs minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin was presenting information on the June 23 referendum. That ruling by Chief Justice Ian Kawaley found that non-Bermudian same-sex partners of Bermudians who are in permanent relationships are entitled to live and work in Bermuda free of immigration control. Asked if this meant that civil unions were unavoidable, Mr Moniz said: “It’s not inevitable. There must be some sort of legal framework for same-sex couples in same-sex relationships. If we don’t provide a framework, then the courts will step in. In each case as they come up, if same-sex couples are treated differently from heterosexual couples, then the courts will strike them down as discriminatory. It might be inheritance or owning land, or any one of hundreds of different ways.” If the Bermudian public vote no on both same-sex marriage and civil unions, the Attorney-General and the Cabinet would face a quandary, given amendments two years ago to the Human Rights Act, which outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. “Do we want to go backwards by trying to undo the amendment to the Human Rights Act, or be in breach of the European Convention? Is there some other form of legal framework that might be acceptable if civil union is not acceptable? We will have a difficult decision to make.” If the Government failed to settle on some arrangement for same-sex couples, Mr Moniz said the court challenges that would follow would amount to “a death by a thousand cuts”. June 17. The campaign against same-sex marriage has an eight-point lead over the campaign in favour, according to a poll commissioned by Bermuda's newspapwe The Royal Gazette. However, those in favour of same-sex civil unions outnumber those against by 13 percentage points, in the survey carried out by Global Research between June 6 and 13. Pollsters asked 402 registered voters the same two questions they will face at the referendum on Thursday next week. Responding to the first question, “Are you in favour of same-sex marriage in Bermuda?” 41 per cent said yes, 49 per cent said no and 10 per cent did not know. Responding to the second question, “Are you in favour of same-sex civil unions in Bermuda?”, 52 per cent said yes, 39 per cent no and 9 per cent did not know. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 5 per cent. The same-sex marriage question has produced close results in all surveys commissioned by this newspaper over the past year. Three months ago, 45 per cent of people said they were in favour, with 48 per cent against. Last October, 48 per cent were in favour, with 44 per cent against. A breakdown of the new results shows most support for same-sex marriage comes from whites and younger people. Among whites, 71 per cent were in favour and 19 per cent against; among blacks, 25 per cent were in favour and 66 per cent against. Among people aged between 18 and 34, 50 per cent were in favour and 44 per cent against; among people aged over 65, 27 per cent were in favour and 63 per cent against. Among men, 42 per cent were in favour and 47 per cent against; among women, 41 per cent were in favour and 51 per cent against. Regarding same-sex civil unions, the white population was overwhelmingly in favour, with 82 per cent agreeing and 12 per cent opposing. Among blacks, 35 per cent were in favour, with 53 per cent against. Our poll also canvassed people’s opinions on whether or not a referendum on same-sex should even take place; the Centre for Justice has argued it breaches the constitution, the Human Rights Act and common law. More people were in opposition to the idea of a referendum, with 43 per cent supporting it, 45 per cent against it and 12 per cent unsure. In the previous poll in March, 58 per cent agreed with a referendum, 34 per cent disagreed and 8 per cent did not know. June 17. Ewart Brown challenged police yesterday to charge him with a criminal offence or end years of “fruitless investigation”, claiming the recent “unjust and unwarranted arrest” of one of his staff members was really an attempt to discredit him. Flanked by his supporters, the former Premier of Bermuda told a press conference he believed “millions” of dollars had been spent on investigating him by the Bermuda Police Service and the arrest on May 19 of Mahesh Reddy, chief medical officer of Bermuda Healthcare Services, was “an extension of the witch-hunt that has followed me for years”. Asked if he was aware of rumours that he too was likely to face arrest, he said: “I have not heard, but I would not be surprised if that were to happen at any time.” He said a police inquiry launched almost five years ago into his activities and aimed at uncovering “bribery and political corruption” was now targeting his business. The Bermuda Police Service last night confirmed an investigation, launched four years ago into allegations made by David Bolden at a theft trial, remained ongoing. Dr Brown said: “This nonsense must stop and I have appointed high-level legal counsel to challenge this harassment. Of course, no one should be above the law and, if there are charges, let me face them now. After many years of fruitless investigation, it is time for the prosecutors and the police to put up or shut up and let us get on with the vital business of helping people with their healthcare needs.” Dr Brown claimed his political enemies in Bermuda and Britain were seeking to discredit him through a campaign of harassment. “They have tried many times to prove I have done something wrong but not one of their claims has ever been substantiated.” Asked to name his enemies, he said: “There are those I can identify and those I cannot identify so I won’t name anybody.” Pressed further, he replied: “No. Whoever it is. Whoever it is. There was a saying years ago ... ‘those who know, don’t tell and those who tell, don’t know’ ... There is nothing new about the effort to destroy me. They don’t like me. They don’t like the fact — and I’m not saying anything about the other [black Progressive Labour Party] premiers — but my substance and style was different. I think they saw me as defiant. I think they saw me as a troublemaker, therefore they do not want history to record that I got away with it.” Dr Brown said Dr Reddy’s home was raided by eight police officers at 7am on May 19, on suspicion of “overusing MRI and CT scanners to make more money”. Lawyer Jerome Lynch, who was in attendance at the press conference, said the officers did not have a warrant and Dr Reddy was “neither charged nor interviewed”. Mr Lynch said: “[He was] taken to the police station and then released, having seized goods from his home without any proper authority. Why on earth couldn’t they go to a magistrate and ask for a warrant to be issued? Why just do it? No warrant; no warrant at all. He’s on bail. He is being treated like some kind of common criminal without any respect being given to a man who has served the country for 16 years. It’s an extraordinary turn of events.” The attorney, from the Trott and Duncan law firm, said police could keep Dr Reddy on bail “as long as they like”, but he planned to challenge their actions. “Watch this space,” he advised. Dr Brown told reporters: “I want to make it absolutely clear that these suspicions are completely unfounded. No patients and no insurance companies that pay for the scans have ever made one single complaint concerning these very necessary diagnostic procedures.” He later added: “In most places where a medical facility is being investigated for something like that, you would have had at least one medical organisation as part of it. But here it’s the police and, as far as I know, they don’t have a background in MRI and CT.” The former Progressive Labour Party leader said of Dr Reddy, “I have no doubt he will be vindicated.” He described the arrest of his staff member — “a distinguished medical practitioner who has devoted many years to the people of Bermuda” — as the “last straw”. Dr Brown said: “There has been a long string of malicious slurs and false allegations, with the real target being me because of my past political views as former Premier.” He said the police inquiry began after disgraced financier David Bolden, whom he described as a “convicted liar”, claimed under oath in 2011 that Dr Brown tried to bribe him. “The then Governor, Richard Gozney, instigated an investigation and he promised the people of Bermuda that when that investigation was completed that the findings would be revealed to the Bermuda public,” Dr Brown said. “He said that the investigation might go beyond Bermuda, and I know for a fact that it has gone beyond Bermuda. But, all of a sudden, we now find the focus is Bermuda Healthcare Services. It was bribery and political corruption. Having found nothing there, the effort is now aimed at the source of my income, which is Bermuda Healthcare, and there will be other things that you will see in the future that will confirm that.” The Governor, George Fergusson, told this newspaper yesterday: “There was an official statement in January 2012 confirming that a police investigation was under way into allegations made at the trial of Mr David Bolden and related matters. I am advised that that investigation continues. I cannot say anything further.” Dr Brown told the press conference: “I have kept my counsel on this until now, assisting investigations and providing complete transparency in accounts and paper trails I have given, but the arrest of Dr Reddy is too far. Enough is enough.” Asked how he had assisted investigations and whether he had met with police, he said: “I have never in my life been interviewed by the Bermuda Police.” He said he had shared documentation with “anybody who asked” but did not say who had asked him. “The police would have to ask me,” he said, adding that Dr Reddy had made himself available to officers for questioning. “We believe that the issue of intimidation is playing a part in this because eight officers coming to a physician’s house at seven o’clock in the morning is a little much,” he claimed. Dr Brown added: “You can never underestimate your opponents. Of course, the intention of intimidation is to change the course of action of those people that you would intimidate. But Dr Reddy is a strong man, he is a spiritual man and he is an excellent physician. I have advised him to continue doing what he does best, that is taking care of patients. Let me handle the fight.” He would not give further details on the allegations regarding Dr Reddy, who remains at work but was not at the press conference. He said the physician would be “seeking redress in terms of compensation for the wrongful arrest and the distress that has been caused to himself and his family”. The former Premier told reporters he was aware that retired Metropolitan Police officer John Briggs, who was involved in the corruption inquiry in Turks and Caicos, had been brought here to investigate him. A request by The Royal Gazette for an interview with Mr Briggs was turned down by the Commissioner of Police on May 31. This newspaper made a public access to information request this month to find out the cost so far of the police inquiry prompted by Bolden’s claims of corruption against Dr Brown, and we await the response. A Bermuda Police Service spokesman said last night: “The BPS has previously confirmed that an investigation was commenced in 2012 into allegations made at the trial of Mr David Bolden. That investigation is still being conducted and as such no further comment can be made at this time.” June 17. The former post office at Harrington Sound has been approved for sale at $700,000 by the House of Assembly. Public works minister Craig Cannonier told MPs this afternoon that marketing of the 0.2-hectare site with its 864-square foot main building was begun on May 11 last year, and closed six weeks later. The Government expects to raise $10 million from the sale of 30 properties over the next three years. Eight government properties have been identified for this fiscal year. Speaking for the Progressive Labour Party, MP Dennis Lister said the Opposition had no problem with the sale of government lands, noting that the minister had informed him that a stretch of roadside land had been retained from the property in the event that a sidewalk might be needed in the future. June 17. Tourists and locals will be prevented from entering Clearwater Beach, Turtle Beach and the Coopers Island Nature Reserve throughout tomorrow as the Bermuda Heroes Weekend Carnival Parade of Bands takes place. The Ministry of the Environment and the Department of Parks said those areas would be closed between 8am and 8pm. They will reopen on Sunday. June 16. There will be no Argo Group Gold Cup this year. The future of the event has been hanging in the balance ever since the World Match Racing Tour switched to M32 catamarans last year, from the one-design yachts that were used previously. Organizers had been hoping to find a way to hold the regatta, with Peter Shrubb, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club rear commodore, saying in April he was “hopeful the Gold Cup will carry on”. However, discussions between the WMRT, the RBYC and Argo Group Limited, which has sponsored the event for the past eight years, have come to an end without agreement. Hakan Svensson, the tour’s owner, was scheduled to visit the island to “thrash things out”, but even then there were too many questions that had yet to be answered. “There’s too many things up in the air at the moment with the World Match Racing Tour,” Shrubb said at the time. “There haven’t been any decisions made as to whether the yacht club can actually move forward with a decision on whether we can hold the Gold Cup this year in the same format as last.” Argo has also committed to sponsoring Artemis Racing in their challenge to win the America’s Cup next year, and Andy Cox, the chairman of the Gold Cup regatta, said that was where the sponsor’s priorities presently lay. “With Bermuda playing host to the America’s Cup next year, the focus and energy is on that right now,” Cox said. Mark Watson, the Argo chief executive, said he was proud to have formed a partnership with Artemis, when his company’s sponsorship was announced in mid-April. “We are excited to work with Artemis Racing and particularly pleased to be involved in a series that will see the best sailors in the world compete right here in Bermuda during the America’s Cup,” Watson said. There is no suggestion, however, that this one-year hiatus signals an end to the regatta, and Cox is hopeful it will return to the match racing calendar next year. “We are looking forward to meeting with Argo Group and Mark Watson in the spring of 2017 to plan for upcoming Argo Group Gold Cup regattas. It’s great to have a partner that is committed to the Gold Cup and sailing in Bermuda.” The King Edward VII Gold Cup is the oldest match racing trophy in the world for competition involving one-design yachts, and former winners have included America’s Cup trio Sir Russell Coutts, Jimmy Spithill and Sir Ben Ainslie. June 16. NEW YORK — Dan Loeb’s Bermudian-based Third Point Reinsurance Ltd said scrutiny of the industry’s offshore tax advantage has lessened after hedge fund manager John Paulson closed a venture that stood out as an “outlier” for its aggressive use of strategies that were criticised as abuses. The Paulson reinsurance operation, based in Bermuda and known as PaCRe, “had no employees, they wrote very little business and they had a big amount of capital sitting offshore. And I think that got a lot of attention,” Third Point Re chief executive officer John Berger said yesterday at a conference held by Morgan Stanley. “Well, that’s off the table now, they shut that down. So I think the pressure to do something about that has diminished.” US senator Ron Wyden has urged the Treasury Department since 2014 to crack down on operations that help hedge fund managers minimize taxes on some trading profits when the investments are tied to insurers in locations such as Bermuda. The IRS has never clearly defined how much insurance a company must sell to qualify for the favorable tax treatment. Validus Holdings Ltd., which partnered with Paulson on a reinsurance venture, said in January that his PacRe Ltd. was shut down. Berger has long sought to distinguish his company from PacRe. Bermuda-based Third Point Re, which counts on Loeb to oversee investments through his hedge-fund strategies, takes on underwriting risks from US mortgage guarantors and auto insurers and has added staff to win more contracts. “If you take any reasonable test of what is a real insurance company, we pass it, from the amount of business we’re writing to the amount of reserves we have,” Berger said. The CEO said he’s heard nothing new recently from the Internal Revenue Service about the industry’s tax treatment and that action may have been stalled amid the presidential race. Representatives for the IRS, Paulson and Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, had no immediate comment. Berger acknowledged that competition has made it more difficult to find profitable underwriting opportunities. Third Point Re is headed for its third-straight annual decline in New York trading and still trades below its 2013 initial public offering price of $12.50 a share. The stock closed at $11.28 yesterday, down 9 cents from Tuesday’s close. June 16. A Bermudian real-estate firm has drummed up business in Las Vegas. A team from Rego Sotheby’s International Realty has just returned from a major event in the Nevada city for members of Sotheby’s International Realty network. And the firm’s Ben Rego said: “In terms of referrals, we really drive business that way.” He added that on his flight home he spoke to two people who had also attended the conference who said they knew an American family in Bermuda who wanted to sell their home. Mr Rego said: “We can also refer Bermudians to purchase abroad and connect them with the top agents worldwide to assist with their real estate needs.” He added that the conference also highlighted the latest in video technology and growing networks. Mr Rego said that it was also valuable to judge the state of the real-estate markets in other countries. “I certainly think worldwide things have been hit. It’s not just the Bermuda market. The good news is that our main feeder markets, the East Coast of the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, are also seeing strong signs of recovery. The metropolitan areas of many of these locations have seen their markets stabilize and in many situations they are seeing growth. The hope is that this renewed confidence in the industry from our key referral markets will encourage more foreign investment coming into Bermuda’s stabilizing market as well.” Mr Rego added that the firm had seen three successive rises in both sales and average prices between 2012 and last year — signs that the market was recovering. The Las Vegas conference attracted around 2,300 members of Sotheby’s International Realty from more 165 of the brand’s companies from 40 countries. Rego Sotheby’s chief Buddy Rego said: “Attending allowed us the opportunity to connect with the world’s most talented real-estate professionals and to learn more about the industry on a global level. We realise the endless advantages offered through the Sotheby’s International Realty network and the brand’s vision for the future, all while creating lasting friendships and a valuable global referring business.” Philip White, the president and CEO of Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, added: “This year’s conference was our most attended ever and it is incredible to see how members of our network continue to utilise the resources we provide, take the reins and develop their own new opportunities and continue to grow their business. We are proud of our network, our heritage and our future and the success of this year’s global networking event is the culmination of it all.” June 16. Bermuda’s Supreme Court yesterday celebrated its 400th anniversary with a special sitting. But while Chief Justice Ian Kawaley said the justice system had made great strides during its long history, he warned that more work was needed to ensure Bermuda was not left lagging behind other jurisdictions. In particular, he noted a lack of fiscal autonomy found in other regions and the physical state of the court facilities, which he said were no longer fit for purpose. He said the courts still shared offices with Parliament and other government departments, and at least one facility was “unhealthy and unsafe”. However he pledged to fight to make sure the island didn’t fall further behind sister jurisdictions. Mr Justice Kawaley also said the island was still grappling with the lingering effects of slavery and segregation in the courts, saying that the descendants of slaves appeared before the criminal courts in disproportionate numbers. And he praised the Bermuda Bar, saying that many of the advancements in Bermuda’s legal system came as a result of lawyers bringing significant cases to the courts. Responding later in the ceremony Trevor Moniz, the Attorney-General, said that the government was doing what it could to turn the economy around and had made numerous steps to keep the island’s legal system up to date. “We recognise that these courts work in very difficult circumstances. The Cabinet Office has been closed because of mould and those sorts of things. Those are the circumstances in which Cabinet have been working.” Mr Moniz added that the Government was working to address the issue of crime, noting that the number of people incarcerated on the island has fallen in recent years. Also addressing the court during the special sitting was Donald Lemons, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia, who noted the shared legal history of the island and the state. He said anniversaries were important as they gave us an opportunity to look back on the lessons learnt, and those lessons that have been forgotten. Meanwhile Sir Dennis Byron, the president of the Caribbean Court of Justice, noted the steady evolution of the law and human rights internationally, and Lord David Pannick noted that much like Bermuda, Britain was still struggling to resolve issues stemming from historical injustice and discrimination. Sir Scott Baker, president of the Court of Appeal, noted that while Bermuda law was birthed from British law, it had over the years adopted elements from the Caribbean, Australia and Canada. June 16. Progressive Labour Party Senate leader Marc Daniels yesterday accused the Government of employing “parlor tricks” during the latest row over airport redevelopment plans. Speaking in the Senate, he criticised the One Bermuda Alliance for its refusal to release full details of the Airport Redevelopment Agreement, as it hashes out negotiations on the $250 million L.F. Wade International Airport project with the Canadian Commercial Corporation. “I personally don’t think it’s right that the current deal is being dealt with in such a confidential manner,” he said. Sen Daniels compared the issue to a lawyer withholding crucial information from his or her client. “We’re not talking about a tender process where various numbers are being touted; we are negotiating with one (corporation). Why any terms would be concealed makes no sense. It almost neglects why the OBA were voted in: to serve people.” Sen Daniels mocked the Government’s argument that a modernized airport would bolster visitors’ first impressions of Bermuda. “I don’t know a single tourist to Miami or New York who has talked about the airports as their first impression,” he said. “I just find the politics to be almost childlike. All I see is a whole lot of parlor-tricking to advance something where the people are showing a lot of trepidation.” Senator Michael Fahy, the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, hit back at Sen Daniels’ claims, saying that the new project “doesn’t have to be a JFK (airport). Anybody that negotiates contracts has to keep certain things confidential,” he said, “so to suggest something is being hidden is parlor tricks in itself. I think the Opposition knows that. It’s a good horse to ride, but it’s the wrong one.” Sen Fahy pointed out that the airport’s infrastructure lifespan ended in 2008, something which had been forewarned in a report ordered by the PLP. “The fact that they commissioned a report tells you that they knew there was something seriously wrong at that airport. The Opposition knows that the airport as it exists is a joke. It’s a terrible place to work and an unsustainable building. What I have not heard from the Opposition, who are being so nitpicky, is an alternative vision. Give us something that will work for the people of Bermuda. The OBA was put into power to fix things, which we are doing, despite all the noise.” June 16. The Corporation of St George is set to host a town hall meeting today, which will include information about the Swing Bridge. In addition to Quinell Francis, the Mayor of St George, the meeting will feature presentations by Jeff Baron, the Minister of National Security, Craig Cannonier, the Minister of Public Works, and Michael Fahy, the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities. Each of the ministers will provide information about initiatives in their respective ministries that will affect the town, including the issue of the Swing Bridge. “This is the perfect opportunity for our constituents to hear first-hand what is in store for our town and its impact for the future,” Ms Francis said. “As always I encourage all businesses and residents of St George to come out and participate in the town hall meeting. I want all of our constituents to be well informed and the ministers have graciously agreed to be a part of our quarterly town hall meeting. Residents should take full advantage of the opportunity to be heard." The meeting is scheduled to take place at Penno’s Wharf terminal building, from 6.30pm. June 16. A grocery store has had its liquor licence revoked after residents complained that the sale of alcohol had prompted antisocial behavior, traffic disruption and increased littering. The owner of Belvin’s Variety was also chastised by the Liquor Licensing Authority for illegally selling miniature bottles of spirits to customers at both its Glebe Road and Happy Valley stores. George Swan’s application to renew The Glebe Road store’s licence was refused, while an application to renew the liquor licence for the Happy Valley Road store was allowed, but with a string of conditions attached. LLA chairman Juan Wolffe emphasized in his ruling that grocery stores were not permitted to sell miniatures. Referring to The Glebe Road premises, Mr Wolffe added: “This [selling miniatures] is of immense concern to the LLA because when the LLA carried out a site visit on October 2015 it brought to Mr Swan’s attention that, as The Glebe Road store is a grocery store, he should not be selling miniatures. “Mr Swan’s reasoning for selling miniatures, which is just as egregious as the act itself, is that he attended other grocery stores and saw that they were selling miniatures and so he decided to continue to do so. Not only is this reprehensible conduct by Mr Swan a blatant disregard for the directions of the LLA, but it is a contravention of the Act, which clearly states that a grocery store should not sell miniatures.” The Glebe Road store was first granted a liquor licence in November 2015 despite objections from local MP Walter Roban, churches and residents who claimed it would have a negative impact on the community as well as traffic flow. At the beginning of this year one resident, who lived directly across from the store, catalogued a list of adverse affects from granting the store a liquor licence. Mr Wolffe said: “He complained of trash in his yard, beer bottles in his trash can, people parking in front of his driveway, increased traffic flow, fights and acts of violence outside the doorway including the brandishing of knife and machete, drunk people sitting on walls outside his home, noise and profane language. He claimed The Glebe Road Belvins was essentially a liquor store masquerading as a grocery store.” At a hearing before the LLA last month, Mr Swan said he had banned numerous people from the store and placed three cameras outside. Mr Wolffe concluded the initial fears about the granting of the licence had been brought to realization. He added: “We are satisfied that the objections raised show that as a direct result of intoxicating liquor being sold from the Glebe Road store that there has been undue noise, disruption to traffic flow, the accumulation of trash and disturbances attributable to alcohol use. We seriously question whether the Glebe Road store is operating primarily as a grocery store. The fact that Mr Swan would state that it would not be financially viable for him to not sell single bottles of intoxicating alcohol is indicative of the conclusion that the selling of intoxicating liquor is crucial to the viability of the store. This should not be the case for grocery stores.” Meanwhile, despite objections from some local residents the LLA decided to renew the Happy Valley Road store’s licence on condition no intoxicating liquor was sold before midday and no single beers or miniatures were sold. Some residents had complained of antisocial behavior around the shop and large numbers congregating nearby “displaying intimidating behavior, urinating in public and using profane language”. A statement from one concerned neighbor revealed a man had a knife pulled on him and that “this type of violent activity has made residents afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation.” Mr Swan maintained that he had tried to address the problems and had spent $20,000 on interior cameras. “We have a great deal of sympathy for the plight of the [local residents] and we are satisfied in large part their objections are sustainable,” Mr Wolffe said. “We are also satisfied that the unruly conduct of those who congregate near the store is attributable to the misuse of alcohol which is purchased by them from the Happy Valley store. However, we are reluctant to place all the blame at the feet of Mr Swan or the store employees. From what we understand, the property on which these persons congregate is Government property and despite pleas from Mr Swan and the residents, Government officials have for some reason been unable or reluctant to deal with the problem. Therefore this may be a problem which is beyond the control of Mr Swan. However, we are of the view that Mr Swan can and should go further in attempting to address the problem. He must actively place restrictions as to the sale of intoxicating alcohol at the Happy Valley store, even if it may negatively affect his financial bottom line.” June 16. School closures or mergers have been definitively ruled out by Wayne Scott, the Minister of Education, for the coming academic year. “Absolutely not” said Mr Scott of the 2016/17 year — after lingering worries from parents that consolidations were in store. The minister also said it was more important for now to focus on “what’s being taught in the classrooms, and how” rather than classroom size. Mr Scott said his decisions were based on widespread consultation solicited by the ministry, along with the school reorganization, or Score report, released in February, that exposed widespread failings. A clear direction for change was essential, Mr Scott said, beginning with a strategic plan that would include a review of the Department of Education’s structure. One school could be re-purposed as an alternative learning centre, with the ministry incorporated into the same facility, as concern had been raised that the ministry’s present location in St David’s made it inaccessible. Preschools are to be relocated to primary schools where feasible, and primary schools are to be equipped with holistic programmes that include music, art and physical education. Health and safety issues, a prominent feature of the Score report, are critical. “We started working on that immediately,” said Mr Scott, with a maintenance schedule on the ministry website. The narrative emerging from consultation throughout this year was “quite different from some of the prevailing perceptions of our public school system. Children are having rich educational experiences that have helped to make schools important to them, important to their parents and to our communities.” Further details are to be given tomorrow, with a ministerial statement in the House of Assembly. June 16. A mistake at the threshold of the advanced polling station almost deprived one voter of their say in next week’s referendum. Grenville Lines, travelling for his son’s graduation on June 23, admitted the onus had been on him to acquire the right paperwork before heading to the station at the Bermuda College. “I was met at the door by a very nice man and asked for my ID and my advanced voting certificate,” said Mr Lines of Monday’s 9am stop at the college. It was the first time he’d heard of the certificates, which are also required to vote early in elections. However: “I was also told that I had to get it last week, and they were no longer issuing them,” Mr Lines said. Identification, with proof of travel, had to be taken first to the Parliamentary Registry in the Craig Appin building, where advanced polling certificates have been issued since June 6. A look through the registry’s website found the requisite details — but “because of what I was told at the polling station, I would have probably given up on voting”. A co-worker persevered and found that the certificates were still being issued, enabling Mr Lines to return to the college with the right documents. “I was greeted by the same man as before,” he said. “I questioned him on telling me I could no longer get the certificate, and he admitted he had made a mistake. I asked him how many others he had told that to and he swears it was only me. He should have been aware of the procedures.” Added Mr Lines: “I don’t think the procedures and the need for a certificate were well advertised. That information was at the very bottom of a long Royal Gazette article after the point that most people get bored and stop reading. “Even if you know the procedure, it’s not very voter-friendly. Forcing people to go to Craig Appin to get the certificate and then go to Bermuda College to vote would be difficult for some elderly or less mobile people. Why couldn’t they set up an office to issue the certificate right at the Bermuda College? It could be in a second location, away from the voting.” Advanced voting continues today at the college’s student centre, from 8am to 8pm. June 16. An American tourist found himself in Magistrates’ Court this morning after threatening a police officer at the LF Wade International Airport. Michael Huppé Jr, 40, pleaded guilty to charges of behaving in a threatening manner to customs officials and verbally threatening police in an incident yesterday. The court heard that the Farmington, New Hampshire, resident was at the airport at around 1pm to catch a flight home when he was stopped for a search by customs officials. However Huppé became visibly frustrated and began to use profane language towards the officers. At one stage, he reportedly clenched his fists and assumed a fighting stance before slamming his fist into a table. Due to his behavior, police were contacted and came to the airport. When Huppé was later told that he was not going to be able to catch his flight, he pointed his middle finger at the customs officers, saying: “F*** you all.” He then turned to a police officer, saying: “Don’t look at me like that. When we are outside it will be a whole different story. You will see what happens then. You are going to end up in hospital. I will f*** you up.” Told that he was going to be arrested for his behavior, Huppé told the officers: “What the f*** ever. I’m going to jail for this bulls***?” While prosecutor Alan Richards suggested either a short, sharp shock or a fine would be appropriate given the facts of the case, duty counsel Ken Savoury said his night at the police station was a sufficient shock and that any further penalty should be in the form of a fine. Mr Savoury added that Huppé was very remorseful for his actions, which were born out of his frustration about being repeatedly searched and missing his flight. Huppé himself told the court: “My behavior the other day was uncalled for. I was upset. It was the third time I was searched and they had me for longer than I expected. I was missing my flight and had no money to get another flight.” He added that he had apologized to the officer, saying that he realized he had done the wrong thing. Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe chided Huppé for his behavior, saying that he himself is often searched at the airport. “What would have happened if you went into any airport in the US and did the exact same thing?” he asked. “In some areas of the US, when officers are threatened they take action.” Mr Wolffe fined Huppé a total of $1,000 for the two offences, ordering that the sum be paid before he is released from custody. June 15. The wave of mergers and acquisitions in the insurance and reinsurance sector will continue and there will be casualties. That was a blunt assessment that emerged during an insurance and reinsurance review at the Bermuda Captive Conference. One of last year’s big mergers was the $4.28 billion deal between XL with Catlin Group. Patrick Tannock, head of XL Catlin’s Bermuda insurance operations, said the continuing M&A activity will broadly deliver three outcomes. Some companies will do well by merging to enlarge themselves and benefit from bigger scales of economy and enhanced market presence, he said. But there will be a second category of companies that feel they also need to operate at a larger scale but will fail horribly. The third outcome, according to Mr Tannock, will be small companies that remain in place and pick up smaller pieces of business or niche market share. While the XL Catlin deal was a market-shaker in 2015, it paled by comparison to the $29.7 billion merger of Chubb and Ace Ltd, which was completed at the beginning of this year. Judy Gonsalves, chief underwriting officer of Chubb Bermuda, was also on the panel, and agreed the three M&A outcomes suggested by Mr Tannock were a likely scenario. She said many companies are seeking ways to use deploy excess capital, and one way was to buy or merge with another company. “A lot of clients are looking for a partner in their programme. You need to grow scale and sometimes M&A is the only way to do that” because growing organically is usually too slow. Ms Gonsalves and Mr Tannock were on a three-strong panel that discussed the Bermuda insurance and reinsurance market during a session at the three-day captive conference. The third panelist, John Berger, chief executive officer of Third Point Reinsurance, said there will always be small, agile companies in the insurance and reinsurance market. He expressed a strong belief that M&A will continue, and said a driving “synergy” was the lowering of costs, often achieved by reducing the number of employees. “[M&A} is going to be very active in the future, but we are going to see some unlucky people stub their toe,” he warned. Cyber-risk was a concern raised by one of the conference attendees. He asked how insurers and reinsurers are responding to captive clients seeking cyber-risk coverage. Panel moderator Joe Rego, the CEO of Aon (Bermuda), replied: “We have seen development of significant capacity. It’s an evolving landscape. We are not there yet.” Mr Tannock said the industry did a good job covering tangible risks, but was still grappling with intangible risks, such as cyber with its many complexities. However, he said his company offers cyber-risk coverage and has done for some time. He acknowledged the industry might need to do a better job “getting out there and telling people” about what cyber-risk coverage is available. Likewise, Ms Gonsalves said Chubb provided cyber-risk capacity. She said it was a complex and evolving business and noted that price levels could be a challenge. “Pricing in this class of business is not attractive to a lot of clients — it might not be at a price that is economically attractive for some.” Regarding the overall downward pressure on premium rates that has existed for a number of years, Ms Gonsalves said: “I’d love to say we have hit the floor, but I don’t think we are there yet. " However, she said: “There’s far more to the risk transfer puzzle than price. I don’t think there is any room for complacency here. We must stay focused on underwriting discipline.” Bermuda is known for providing reliable, long-term capacity and must hold on to that distinction and reputation, said Ms Gonsalves. Meanwhile, Mr Tannock said alternative capital has smoothed some of the peaks and troughs from the market. He echoed the need for underwriting discipline, but also adaptability. The panelists agreed that Bermuda is the world’s most effective and responsive insurance and reinsurance centre. Mr Tannock said the island had “made its own luck” by being proactive, embracing analytics and adapting. Noting the island’s reputation for innovation, he said: “Bermuda is the best market in town in terms of speed to market.” Mr Berger described how Third Point Reinsurance had come to Bermuda 4½ years ago, at a time when XL had moved its corporate centre of gravity to Ireland [it is now in the process of redomiciling to Bermuda], while other big names, such as Allied World Insurance and Ace, had favored Zurich. “It was a dark day [for Bermuda]. It looked as though people were going away.” Mr Berger said Third Point had looked at Dublin and Zurich, but “there was no comparison with Bermuda”. He cited the high standing of the Bermuda Monetary Authority, the island’s proximity to the US market and its concentration of industry talent, as factors that swayed Third Point’s decision to make Bermuda its home. He said the rest of the world has discovered insurance, reinsurance and risk appetite. He said the question now was how to put it together more efficiently. “There’s going to be radical changes in the next four or five years,” said Mr Berger, and he predicted Bermuda would be an exciting place for young people entering the sphere of insurance and reinsurance. The Bermuda Captive Conference at the Fairmont Southampton started on Monday and ends today. June 15. Premier Michael Dunkley is visiting Rhode Island this week in the run-up to the Newport Bermuda Race. The Premier will join Bermuda Tourism Authority members and others local organisations in support of the historical sailing event. During his trip, Mr Dunkley will meet with representatives of the Mayor of Newport’s Office, as well as attending the traditional Commodore’s Dinner and inspecting the Bermuda boats, including the Spirit of Bermuda. The Premier will return on Thursday, one day before the competition begins. The 635-mile biennial Newport Bermuda Race is the world’s oldest regularly scheduled ocean race. Founded in 1906, the event will be held for the 50th time this year, with about 190 yachts competing from around the globe. June 15. In an effort to understand the economic climate in Bermuda, the island’s business community has been invited to take part in the fourth wave of the online survey, Bermuda Business Confidence Index. The survey was first launched in 2014 and is sponsored by HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited. The Bermuda Business Confidence Index is a comprehensive survey of business owners and executives across industries, providing insight into current economic conditions. The Chamber of Commerce and the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation have come on board and are inviting their members to take part. The more data collected produces a more in-depth understanding of the current business climate on island, said Total Research Associates in a statement. Any business wishing to complete the survey can contact Margaret Chapman, of Corporate Research Associates at firstname.lastname@example.org, or call Total Research Associates at 278-8891 to be included in the panel. The survey runs until the end of this month. June 15. Sir John Swan will vote in favour of same-sex marriage and civil unions in next week’s referendum, he declared yesterday. The former Premier, political icon and Bermuda’s 2016 national hero told The Royal Gazette that he had “evolved” since he voted against the 1994 Stubbs Bill, which struck down the island’s anti-sodomy laws, and now recognized the “most important aspect of life is natural justice” for all. “The gay issue is not an issue in my house,” Sir John said. “Everybody is the same. I have three children. They don’t have a lick of reservation in supporting this measure. Nor do I. I very clearly and emphatically support the ‘yes’ vote. We all should be treated equally.” Sir John, who was Premier of Bermuda from 1982 to 1995, outlines his position in an opinion piece on page 4 of today’s newspaper, explaining how he made his decision on the Stubbs Bill with his head and not his heart, but would now be voting “with my head and my heart in favour of same-sex marriage”. His declaration comes little more than a week before referendum day on June 23, when voters will be asked to say if they are in favour of same-sex marriage and if they are in favour of civil unions. Early polling, for travelers and incapacitated voters, began yesterday at Bermuda College and will continue today and tomorrow. Those against same-sex marriage include the campaign group Preserve Marriage. Among opponents is Pastor Terence Stovell, of the Better Covenant Christian Fellowship, who said that he had based his personal view on the maxim of Christian author Myles Munroe that all things in life have purposes — and that “where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable”. Mr Stovell said he had used that concept in tandem with the idea of an original intent for humanity. “Is the original design of male and female in line with an intent that speaks to the reason why we exist?” asked Mr Stovell, whose opinion also appears on page 4 today. “Is there a self-evident truth, and is scripture in line with that?” Mr Stovell said the justifications for human sexual design were laid out along with the original intent for man’s existence on the Earth in the book of Genesis. “While that is not the only reason for our sexual design, it certainly is a key reason for why men and women are designed the way they are — what I would call a natural fit.” Sir John said back in 1994, as leader of the country, that he had much sympathy with the private member’s Bill tabled by John Stubbs, a member of his Cabinet, but also had sympathy with the churches, which opposed the legislation. He revealed he told Dr Stubbs: “If it needs my vote to pass, I’ll vote for it, but if it doesn’t, I’ll support the churches. I, as the leader, decided to support the wishes of the Church by not supporting the Bill.” The Stubbs Bill passed by 22-16, with Progressive Labour Party leader Frederick Wade voting in favour of it. Sir John said he did not regret the way he voted then because “they were different times”. He added: “The world has made a significant change. My ideas have evolved and I have always believed in natural human justice, but then I felt as though the Church was a major institution in our society that you just couldn’t ignore. I have evolved and recognized that the most important aspect of life is natural justice. Through my experiences with my own children, who have a number of friends who are gay, and my own experiences, as I have gay friends who are contemporaries, there is a whole encompassing of my relationship with the gay community. I never could see myself as doing something that would curtail their right[s].” The former United Bermuda Party leader said that he had a safe seat in Paget in 1994 and made his decision to vote against the Stubbs Bill not for personal political gain, but for the “interests of the country”. He said: “I always wanted to hold the country together. I voted last time with my head. I made a calculated decision to try to hold on to the institutions of our community, at the same time knowing that the Bill was going to get through Parliament. I had a split personality in the process. I don’t have a split personality now; I have a very definitive personality. That’s the way Bermuda was at the time. People evolve. We have all evolved. I am no longer the leader [of the country] and I’m doing something that, in all good conscience, maybe I should have done then. The fact that I did something 30 years ago doesn’t mean I should do it today.” He said Bermudians would have to exercise their conscience next week. “It’s an individual decision,” he said. “I would ask them to step back and think what would happen to their children and grandchildren if they were in the same boat. Nature does not promise us a straight line. There are deviations in nature, as in anything else. What you have to decide is: what is the message I’m giving to my children or my grandchildren or my relatives or friends or their children. Should we not all, in the eyes of God, be treated like his children?” Asked how the result of the ballot might reflect on Bermuda elsewhere in the world, Sir John said: “A vote of conscience is right for the individuals and, therefore, right for Bermuda. We can’t put the emphasis just on what the outside world sees. Let’s take a look at ourselves.” The run-up to the referendum has given birth to the emergence of two campaigns: Preserve Marriage’s call for the electorate to vote “no” to both questions and campaigners such as Tony Brannon and Shari-Lynn Pringle urging a “yes” vote. Michael Dunkley, the Premier, has said he would vote yes to civil unions, but few other politicians have stated their position. Marc Bean, the Leader of the Opposition, has voiced his opposition to same-sex marriage in the past, but he has been on medical leave since March and has not revealed how he will vote. June 15. No churches will be used as polling stations for the same-sex referendum, home affairs minister Patricia Gordon-Pamplin announced today. Mrs Gordon-Pamplin told a press conference schools would largely be used for voting purposes as she gave details on the process for the referendum, which takes place next Thursday. The island’s 36 constituencies will be split into 12 regions comprising three constituencies each. To cast a ballot, voters must bring valid government identification. Stations will open from 8am to 8pm. Questions in the referendum will be deemed affirmative if 50 per cent or more of voters turn out for the referendum, and if more than 50 per cent vote yes. Education on the referendum will be given at a public meeting at three town hall meetings: 6.30pm tomorrow at the Bermuda College North Hall, at the same time next Tuesday in Francis Patton School and on Wednesday at Sandys Secondary Middle School. The referendum is non-binding, but will allow the Government to “hear the feelings of voters”, Mrs Gordon-Pamplin said. The constitution, recent rulings from the Supreme Court, and the European Convention on Human Rights are also considerations, as well as petitions for and against. Mrs Gordon-Pamplin said that the Government’s Matrimonial Causes Amendment Act, which would confirm marriage as exclusively between a man and woman, remains on the orders for the House of Assembly to be debated “at the appropriate time”. Asked about her own voting intention, the minister said: “I have no problem sharing my personal stance, but for the purposes of today it’s important that I take a very neutral perspective. My job as minister is not to show any bias but rather put the information forward.” June 15. Expect the British pound to plunge against the US dollar if Britain votes to leave the European Union next week, an investment expert said yesterday. Henk Potts, director of global investment strategy for Barclays Wealth, also warned that the impact of a Brexit could lead to a further fragmentation in the European Union. Speaking at the Bermuda Captive Conference yesterday, as four polls in the UK showed the “leave” campaign forging ahead, Mr Potts said investors would need to be ready for effects that reached far beyond Britain in the case of Brexit. Mr Potts said Britain had been a bright spot in the global economy in recent years with the strongest rate of growth in the developed western world, but the weakness of its exports was a concern. “There has been a significant reduction in internal and external investment in the run-up to the referendum, but if Britain votes to leave there will be much more disruption as trade agreements will have to be rewritten,” Mr Potts said. “This will put extra pressure on the under-performing export sector and the two years we would have would not be enough to negotiate better trade agreements, in my opinion.” In terms of policy response from the Bank of England, Mr Potts said there would be a change of course from the central bank’s aim to raise rates, probably by the second quarter of next year. “In the case of Brexit, we would expect the Bank of England to cut rates down to zero and increase its asset purchase programme by £100 billion [$141 billion],” Mr Potts said. “Sterling has fallen by 9 per cent against the dollar since November and would probably fall another 10 per cent. As growth slows and sterling weakens, the Bank of England would then probably have to raise rates, which would further weaken the economy.” However, Mr Potts warned that Brexit should not be viewed as solely a UK issue, but rather “through the lens of the EU”. A breakaway Britain would heighten fragmentation risk, he said, especially with national elections coming up in Italy, France and Germany over the next two years. While his firm Barclays had no view, Mr Potts said that in his opinion Britain would be better off staying in the EU, which is the largest trade bloc in the world with 500 million residents. The free movement of labour allowed a “big talent pool to choose from” and Britain had been a major beneficiary of investment within the bloc, he added. Mr Potts and Ryan Wang, of US economist for HSBC Securities, gave conference delegates an overall outlook for the global economy that could be summarized as “more slow growth”. Both experts believe the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by 25 basis points in September. Next year, Mr Wang expects two more quarter-point increases, while Mr Potts sees the Fed funds rate climbing to 1.5 per cent by the end of 2017. Mr Wang said industrial output had pulled back sharply in the US over the past two years. Net exports had become a negative factor in economic growth, while business investment was slowing, exacerbated by the shrinkage of the US energy sector in response in the plunge in oil prices since mid-2014. Consumption and housing were the biggest drivers of US growth, while government spending had become a positive factor in growth for the first time in five years. The most recent non-farm payroll figures from the US Department of Labour shocked the markets with just 38,000 new jobs created in May. Mr Wang said this could signal a natural slowing down of job growth after a vigorous period of job creation. “In 2014 and 2015, we averaged about 240,000 new jobs per month — that’s the equivalent of around 2 per cent jobs growth per year,” Mr Wang said. “That rate is not sustainable, with unemployment below 5 per cent, and so we may be seeing a slowdown to a more sustainable rate of job growth. We do see job gains continuing, but at the 200,000-plus rate.” Wage growth was ticking higher, between 2.5 per cent and 3.5 per cent, according to different surveys, boding well for continued consumer strength. However, productivity growth of only 0.5 per cent was a major concern for the economy. Mr Potts said Barclays expected the US economy to grow by 1.8 per cent this year and 2.4 per cent in 2017. While earnings for S&P 500 companies had pulled back this year, he expected it to rebound — with growth of around 14 per cent — next year. He added that the S&P 500 was trading at around 16.8 times earnings. The past 15 times the market had traded at this level, it had gained by between zero and 32 per cent over the next 12 months, he added. June 15. The spiraling cost of Bermuda’s healthcare could be cut using lessons learnt in America, an expert said yesterday. Joe Flower, an international authority on healthcare, said that the US, like Bermuda, was being forced to tackle the huge cost of healthcare — in the US, a $3 trillion year doctors’ bill. He added that employers should act more like customers to help cut the cost of healthcare. Mr Flower said that the cost of healthcare in the US spiked in the 1980s after diagnostic related groups — a system of codes and charges for services — was introduced, a system which was intended to control healthcare costs. He added: “Somehow, it was exactly the opposite. One thing that would do, it would encourage physicians in hospitals to do things that weren’t strictly necessary.” Mr Flower added that around $1 trillion of the $3 trillion healthcare spend in the US was wasted on unneeded procedures — which inflated costs. He said: “I don’t mean waste by using too many Band Aids in ER. I mean doing things that we don’t need to do.” And he added countries like France and Germany, which proportionately spend around half the US healthcare budget — had better health outcomes than the US. Mr Flower said: “In the United States healthcare system, even reformed as it now is, it’s still possible to not really have access to healthcare at all. And it’s still possible for even people who are well insured to go bankrupt because they have fallen foul of the manically complex healthcare system we have in the United States.” Mr Flower said that cost of an MRI on an ankle in Washington DC varied from $400 to $2,183, while the cost of a hospital room also varied massively across the country, with prices ranging from $1,500 a day to $12,500 a day, with no difference in quality. He added: “We have to reinvent medicine and people have to reinvent the relationship to medicine. Medicine has to drop this code-driven, fee-based model.” He said that groups of employers getting together to fund GP clinics for employees on site was one way of reducing costs. And bundled pricing — payment of healthcare providers on the basis of expected costs for clinically defined episodes of care — could also reduce costs for employers and employees, rewarding healthcare providers for the best results at the lowest cost. Mr Flower added that reference pricing, a form of defined contribution health benefits, where plan sponsors pay a fixed amount or limit their contributions towards the cost of a specific healthcare service, and health plan members must pay the difference in price if a more costly healthcare provider or service is selected, also cut costs dramatically. He said: “You change the inputs to a system, the system will change. It doesn’t matter if people inside the system think that’s the way to go. It will change.” He added: “If employers in Bermuda are paying for healthcare, they could try these strategies. I don’t know, but I think employers could find some of these resources available to employers, consulting companies and such, that can tell them how to do it. I would be surprised if some of these weren’t willing to give the same advice to Bermuda employers.” Mr Flower was speaking after he delivered the keynote speech at the annual Bermuda Captive Conference at the Fairmont Southampton yesterday. “The measure of the urgency is how much it’s impacting people. The shift in that line, the drop in the relative costs, did not happen under Obamacare, it happened before it. The things that are pushing costs down, or keeping them flat, are largely not government-generated ones. It’s generated through shifts in the way employers and pension plans are paying.” Costs had gotten too high for employers. It was impacting their bottom line. It’s also because they began to see it was becoming a national conversation. This sped up the private sector’s activity with these kinds of engagements.” June 15. The Senate unanimously approved a new tax today to ensure the proper upkeep of the City of Hamilton’s sewerage system. Senator Michael Fahy, the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, presented the Hamilton Sewerage Amendment Act 2016 to his colleagues at Sessions House this morning. He confirmed that the new tax would go towards capital improvements of the ageing system rather then on operating expenses, which total $778,000 for the 2016 fiscal year. Mr Fahy explained that the levy for commercial properties with an annual rental value of more than $100,000 would likely reach a maximum of $250 annually. Accordingly, properties with an ARV of $30,000 would be charged around $75 a year, and $20,000 ARV properties around $50 annually. He anticipated that the Corporation of Hamilton’s annual revenue from the new tax would be approximately $400,000 per year. A Bill to reduce the threshold at which houses come under rent control was also passed. The Partnerships and Companies Amendment Act 2016 will lower the annual rental value ceiling from $27,000 to $22,800. Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, the Minister of Home Affairs, had explained in the House of Assembly: “This became necessary when the revised land tax rates brought into operation by the Land Tax Amendment Act 2016 on January 1, 2016, lowered the ARVs of many properties. “By lowering the ARV ceiling, we will maintain the number of rental units under rent control. Those will be relatively unchanged at 17,061 units.” Finally, legislation to provide more flexibility for the management and operation of Bermuda partnerships was approved. The Partnerships and Companies Amendment Act 2016 also clarifies the legal impact of certain changes in the constitution of limited partnerships, as well as certain activities of limited partners. June 15. Ramy Ashour, a three-times world champion, will be the star turn at next week’s Axis Squash Challenge and Professional Exhibition. Ashour will take on Ryan Cuskelly, the world No 16, in the main game at the Bermuda Squash Racquets Association in Devonshire next Saturday. Micah Franklin, the Bermuda champion and world No 173, will face fellow islander Noah Browne, the world No 287, in the opening match of the night, a replay of last year’s National Championships final. Patrick Foster, the BSRA director of squash, has no doubt that Ashour, 28, will deliver a masterclass of squash for the spectators. “Squash stars don’t come much bigger than the mercurial Ramy Ashour, known on the PSA [Professional Squash Association] World Tour as “The Artist” for his amazing skills and ability to return impossible shots from impossible positions. “We’re all really excited for the exhibition night to see young Bermudian professionals on the big stage, as well as a star like Ramy here on the Bermuda courts. The event looks like it’s lining up to be a big success as always and will be topped off with a fantastic night of squash with the professionals.” Cuskelly has had a stellar season climbing up the world rankings after eight PSA World Tour titles. “I’m so glad to get the chance to come back to beautiful Bermuda, meet the players and kids here and have the opportunity to get on court with Ramy again,” Cuskelly said. The four-day challenge features 16 teams made up of four players, with individual handicaps to level out the standards and provide the best competition possible. This year’s competition will also include an AXIS Junior Challenge, running the same format and being held after school. Both the adult and team events are sold out with a maximum of 96 players taking part. Tickets for the exhibition night, costing $50, are on sale at the BSRA. For more details visit bermudasquash.com. June 14. Bermuda could be in line for a new name in banking, it was revealed yesterday. The news came after a round-table discussion on the state of the Bermuda captive market at the record-breaking Bermuda Captive Conference. Ross Webber, CEO of the Bermuda Business Development Agency, said: “We are talking to some banks, and they are household names, we’re talking right now. “We’re hopeful at least one of them will set up some private banking and some extra corporate banking options.” Mr Webber was speaking after a round-table discussion on the trends in the captive market and its future at the Bermuda Captive Conference, The conference, which passed the 800-delegate mark for the first time, earlier heard from Alan Gier, president and chairman of the General Insurance Company and vice-president of the Bermuda Captive Owners Association, who said, in response to a question on what Bermuda needed to do better, that the island needed more choice in banking. Mr Gier said: “Maybe one of the areas would be some banking options. There are only three on the island, or three that I know of, that’s the thing that probably most interests me at the moment. But our experience has been very positive — we haven’t had a lot of issues we haven’t been able to sort through them.” Mr Webber said afterwards: “I completely agree. Any new banks that on island, of course, need to be vetted by the Ministry of Finance and the Bermuda Monetary Authority. I hear this request for companies that are already here, as well as from new companies coming in. It’s unquestionable that people want more banks, both on the corporate side and the private bank side.” Mr Webber added: " the key factor for any new banking presence is that they are in line with the island’s strict rules on transparency and up to speed in areas like anti-money laundering and antiterrorism financing. The important thing is that any new players don’t embarrass the jurisdiction. Major banks pulling out of areas perceived to be high risk, like some parts of the Caribbean, presented a chance for Bermuda to attract more business. This presents a very good opportunity for Bermuda to capitalize on a flight to quality. With the contraction of a very large number of banking operations in the Caribbean, it’s a good opportunity to augment our already prestigious destination. Existing island banks would welcome competition. The answers I have been given from the higher echelons of both HSBC and Butterfield have been ‘bring it on’ — they haven’t been resistant at all, which is encouraging.” Mr Gier added that his company had been trying to streamline the number of banks it has relationships with. He said: “We don’t have a relationship with a bank on the island. We had to get a deviation from our policy group. We haven’t run into that in other parts of the world. If they were more bank options that would alleviate that problem. I am unsure if the problem might put other companies off Bermuda. I don’t know if they have that concern or if it is a problem. But for some companies it is.” And he added that more competition in the sector would benefit bank clients. The conference was opened by Michael Dunkley, the Premier, who told delegates: “You’ll already know that you are doing business with the finest captive professionals in the world — not just the excellent captive and insurance managers, but also the accountants, lawyers, bankers, brokers and other individuals who make up our industry. Our leading insurance professionals are known for their innovation and exceptional service and you can be assured that you are part of a vibrant Bermuda market. We have globally respected risk-based regulation with an accessible and proactive regulator. We’re proud of our blue-chip jurisdiction — a place where people with world-class talent work for innovative companies that are fulfilling a critical role in the worldwide economy.” The Premier also joined conference chairman David Gibbons in presenting the Bermuda Captive Hall of Fame awards to 16 companies. And Jill Husbands, head of office and managing director of Marsh Bermuda, was awarded the first Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award. The conference held at the Fairmont Southampton, which started yesterday and runs until tomorrow, pulled in not only a record number of delegates, but 70 sponsors and was responsible for booking a total of 900 bed nights in island hotels. June 14. A “very well-received” anti-bullying drive for the island’s workplaces has been launched by the Bermuda Public Services Union. Jason Hayward, the BPSU president, said that a special-edition resource magazine printed for the campaign had been in high enough demand to need an extra printing. “What we would ultimately like to see in the workplace is a change in behavior from those who bully and harass others,” he said. “Hopefully, when they see the poster or read the magazine, they think twice.” Every worker has a right to fair treatment in a workplace free of bullying and harassment, but the union continues to field complaints and concerns from its members over the “unacceptable” issue. Accordingly, two union representatives were sent for training in British Columbia to develop the campaign and its strategies. It marks the first large campaign since the BPSU joined the Quality Public Services global drive in 2011. June 14. Hospitality guru Herve Humler will discuss careers with students at CedarBridge Academy on Friday. Mr Humler co-founded the Ritz-Carlton Company in 1983 and serves as its president and chief operating officer, as well as being president of Bulgari Hotels and Resorts. He is responsible for leading the brand’s global growth, which includes the $400 million Ritz-Carlton Reserve resort being built at Morgan’s Point, as well as presiding over 92 Ritz-Carlton properties. At CedarBridge Academy’s Ruth Seaton James Theatre, Mr Humler will talk about his work and answer questions from 9am to 10am. The presentation is open to all students in grades M3 and up. To book your spot, e-mail Malika Cartwright at email@example.com or call 295-5049. June 14. There is no substitute for blood in the immediate aftermath of a serious medical emergency that requires a transfusion. With the donor population declining and patients still dying from blood loss, Edward Schultz, the chief of emergency medicine at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, is calling on the community to give blood. Dr Schultz, who spoke to The Royal Gazette as Bermuda marks World Blood Donor Day, said: “None of us intend to be involved in road traffic accidents, none of us ever intend to be shot but things do happen in our community and you can require a large amount of blood very quickly under some clinical circumstances. No one is immune. Anyone may require blood at some point in their life and they may require it on an emergency basis where that blood has to be available. And if it’s not, there is really no good substitute for not having blood and people will die unnecessarily, people who could be saved if we had available blood. So it’s very, very important for our community to donate blood.” According to Dr Schultz, a total of 552 units of blood were crossmatched for use by emergency physicians in 2015. This is a third of the total collected by the hospital last year. The Department of Surgery used 23 per cent, while the Department of Medicine used 41 per cent. Pointing to stricter criteria for donating blood and an ageing population, Dr Schultz said: “A lot of the people who traditionally donated in Bermuda can’t anymore, which is an issue.” And he added: “Young people don’t think about blood donation but actually it’s young people who may be more likely to be in major trauma where they require blood. We still have situations where people die in the emergency room from exsanguinating haemorrhage. It happens most often with trauma: road traffic accidents and gunshot wounds.” Dr Schultz said shortages can occur when patients on the medical or surgical service require a lot of blood, when there is a major trauma patient in the Emergency Department or a series of back-to-back major trauma patients. “Some of the gunshot wounds to the abdomen with injuries to the major vessels have required large amounts of blood. Potential donors who fulfil the criteria are screened before the blood is drawn in a relatively painless procedure”. The blood is then checked to ensure no diseases are being transmitted. According to Dr Schultz, patients who have been injured in serious road accidents, have a severely ruptured spleen or a lacerated liver may need as many as six or seven units (500 millilitres per unit) of blood. Patients with ruptured major vessels may require “well in excess” of ten units of blood. But other medical problems such as bleeding ulcers or excessive anticoagulant use can also result in massive bleeding. Cancer, sickle-cell or kidney failure patients suffering from complications of their chronic disease may also need periodic transfusions. “But the emergency department is certainly a major user of blood and blood products,” Dr Schultz said. “When managing seriously injured trauma victims who are bleeding, our goal in the emergency room is to stabilize the patient enough to get them as quickly as possible to the operating room where the haemorrhage can hopefully be controlled surgically. The goal of administering blood is to maintain perfusion — blood flow — to the vital organs, so that patients don’t go into irreversible shock, and to provide them with oxygen-carrying capacity and clotting factors.” When blood is collected it is divided up into packed red blood cells, platelets and fresh frozen plasma. Depending on the circumstances, patients are given one or more of these components. “The problem with red blood cells is because they are banked, they have oxygen carrying capacity but they don’t have clotting factors,” Dr Schultz explained. “So if you start to give blood to people, you start to dilute out their clotting factors which can make them bleed more. In some settings where limited bleeding occurs because of coagulation problems, we may only transfuse fresh frozen plasma, which contains clotting factors — instead of packed red blood cells. For example, this may be required with bleeding related to Warfarin use, which is a common anticoagulant that a lot of people are taking for atrial fibrillation, after artificial heart valve replacements, or blood clots in their legs and lungs. But if you have somebody that is having massive bleeding, you have to replace clotting factors, so you have to give platelets and fresh frozen plasma as well.” What happens when you decide to donate? June 14. The education system and black history were among the issues tackled during the island’s first “Speakers’ Corner” on Sunday afternoon. Dozens turned up to the Loyal Gazette event at Loyal Hill Field in Devonshire, which allowed members of the public a platform to discuss the island’s topical issues. Former Progressive Labour Party MP Dale Butler joined residents from across the island to take part in the unique event that is loosely based on London’s Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park. The event began with a prayer, before Pamela Richardson, of Southampton, took to the platform to urge Bermudians, especially men, to abstain from alcohol. “We need to eat properly. Too many are dying of cancer. A 33-year-old black mother with a young baby was buried this week.” Ms Richardson called on Bermudians to “stop the gossiping and stop ridiculing each other”. Dr Muriel Smith then spoke about a “falsified curriculum for our children” and maintained that African history needed to be taught in schools in Bermuda. “We have to care about our children. We need to dismantle the education system and replace it with something designed for our children.” Meanwhile, Mr Butler gave a passionate speech about the need to find solutions to the island’s problems. “Rather than pointing fingers, where is the solution? It is not good enough to just criticize without a solution.” Event organizer, Keith Simmons, who is also chairman of the Devonshire Community Field Trustees, said he hoped word would spread about the event and more would attend the next Speakers’ Corner, planned for July. “I hope we can take this and build on it,” he said. “We have had some great speakers, but we need more speakers from across the community.” June 14. The ferry schedule for National Heroes’ Day on Monday has been released by the Department of Marine and Ports Services. Blue Route: Operating on the weekday schedule between Hamilton and Dockyard, from 7.10am from Hamilton. The last departure from Hamilton is 8.30pm. Orange Route: Operating on the Monday schedule between Dockyard and St George’s, from 9.30am from Dockyard. The last departure from St George’s is 5.30pm. Pink Route: Operating on the public holiday schedule between Hamilton, Paget and Warwick, from 10am from Hamilton. The last departure from Hamilton is 6pm. Green Route: No regular ferry services to or from Rockaway, Cavello Bay and Watford Bridge. June 14. “Ageing and end of life” will be the subject of the fifth and final ageing forum hosted by the Peace and Social Justice Committee of the Roman Catholic Church of Bermuda. Presenters for the event at St Theresa’s Church Hall, Hamilton, on Friday, are geriatrician David Harries, Senior Advisory Council chairwoman Marian Sherratt, Friends of Hospice executive director Cathy Belvedere and Roman Catholic Bishop Wesley Spiewak. Explaining the areas up for discussion, organizers said in a statement: “End of life is an inevitable last step for all persons, and is of particular concern for the ageing citizens in our Bermuda community. How do we as community manage end of life issues? Do we adequately care for these most vulnerable citizens? What is our attitude towards grief and grief relief, death and the dying in Bermuda, and how do these attitudes impact and affect us in the way we live our lives here and now? Does Bermuda have respect for the ageing citizens in our community, those closest to the end of life? What do we need to do now as individuals and community to improve our attitude and better prepare ourselves for the inevitable — a life which ultimately must experience death in the end. A community is known by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. This forum is expected to cast a light not only on the ageing persons and their loved ones, but on the whole Bermuda community as well.” The event begins at 7.30pm. A group think tank workshop session will also take place on Friday, July 8, to discuss social, spiritual, economic and political concerns. June 14. Kenneth Smith likes to call himself a “do-what-you-got-to-do fellow”. He’s 94, but when his grass needs mowing, he mows it; when his garden needs ploughing, he ploughs it. His garden is his passion. “When I get up in the morning the first thing I do is look out the window,” he said. “Carrots, onions, string beans, cristophines, cucumber — I grow it all.” As a young man he wasn’t the least bit interested. His father, Arthur Smith, would ask for help in the garden and he’d suggest hiring someone. His focus was firmly on music. “My father was the band leader for the Warwick Amateur Marching Band,” he said. “They would play on Sundays. I couldn’t play a note, but at 13 I would march along behind trying to play any instrument I could. The other band leaders tolerated me because I was the band leader’s son, I suppose.” Around this time, his father gave him a choice about his future. “He said do you want to go to Berkeley or join the Dockyard Apprenticeship Scheme?” said Mr Smith. The scheme trained young boys in trades that were useful to the Dockyard such as engineering. “I don’t know why, but I answered Dockyard. I had no idea it would mean getting up at 5.30am to pedal to the ferry to make 7am in Dockyard.” The apprenticeship took up a lot of his time, but he did manage to take piano lessons for two years. Then the Second World War heated up and there was no time for scheduled lessons. He often worked until 9pm as a ship machinist on submarines, battle cruisers and other vessels. But he was determined to continue with music in some way, so he taught himself to play the drums. “In 1940, I bought a gramophone and bought some old recordings,” he said. “I used to wind up a gramophone and try to beat the tune I heard. My mother used to get irritated by the noise and slam the door.” At first he played casually with friends but in 1945 Ernie Leader, one of the top band leaders in Bermuda at the time, invited him to play with his orchestra. “I said ‘Are you kidding? I can barely play’,” said Mr Smith. “But he said, ‘Nonsense. If you can read music, you can play the drums’. “When I started playing with him some of the other members grumbled and said, ‘Where did you get that country boy, Ernie?’” He left after six months, playing with well-known band leader Al Davi at Belmont and later, the Freddie Matthews Band at Castle Harbour. He was then approached by piano player Earl Darrell to help form a new group, the Aldarnos. “There was another guy in the group called Arnold Laws, and an American I only knew as ‘Big Herb’. They called him that because he was big as a house. I became the band manager.” After Mr Darrell retired from the band, Mr Smith changed its name to Aldano Sextette. Other members came and went, but he stayed from 1955 until 2004. He was awarded the Queen’s Badge of Honour in 2002 for musical contributions. He also received numerous citations over the years although, as a drummer, he was never in the spotlight much. “I was a background fellow,” he said. “Very rarely I would stand up and announce the band. I did it on special occasions. In 1982 the Bermuda Musicians’ Union gave me an award and asked me to make a speech. I told them I am not a man of words, I am a ‘do-what-you-got-to-do fellow’. After that, people started calling me Mr Do What You Got to Do. He and his wife Lorraine have been married 43 years and between them have three daughters, and one son and 11 grandchildren. June 14. Some new pension applications were not processed in time for this week’s payment, the Department of Social Insurance has advised. The delay is a result of the Department’s switch to a temporary office at Global House. New applicants who submitted their application for a benefit before March 31, and whose 65th birthday was before April 1, should contact the Department if they do not receive their payment tomorrow. Call the Department at 294-9246 to expedite the payment. June 13. Almost $15 million of tax concessions have been approved by the House of Assembly to allow the redevelopment of two hotel sites. A total of $11.8 million in concessions for the Elbow Beach Hotel were approved to support a $38 million redevelopment, including the reopening of the main hotel building. Meanwhile, another $2.5 million on concessions were approved for the former Surf Side hotel complex to support a proposed $35 million revamp. Detailing the redevelopment plans and the concessions, Kenneth Bascome, the Junior Minister of Tourism, said that both projects would result in additional jobs for Bermudians and hotel beds in time for the America’s Cup in 2017. Regarding Elbow Beach, Mr Bascome said that the hotel owner had lost millions of dollars in the resort over the years and had considered closing the site. However, with the concessions, the hotel owner seeks to invest more than $38 million in the site, opening 68 luxury suites inside the main hotel building along with reopening the hotel lobby and main hotel restaurant. The project would also include refurbishing the 102 existing rooms on the property. Mr Bascome said that the suites would be created by bringing together and refurbishing guest rooms in the hotel building, which was closed in 2010. Work is hoped to be completed before next June when the America’s Cup takes place on the island. In addition to construction and design jobs associated with the redevelopment project, he said the renovations would create 30 hotel jobs for Bermudians. In the case of the Surf Side Beach Club, the property closed last year due to the downturn in the economy and difficulty finding investors. However, Mr Bascome said that Bermudian developer John Bush III is interested in upgrading and redeveloping the Warwick site to create a new luxury residential hotel property — Azura Bermuda. Mr Bascome said that Mr Bush has made a commitment to invest $20 million in the acquisition of the property and the first phase of development, and the second phase is expected to cost between $13 and $16 million. “The developer has redevelopment plans that will add 12 new suites and six new hotel residences that will potentially increase the Azura Hotel capacity to 69 keys, or 138 people with the potential for more as the configuration of the suites are either studio, one, two or three bedrooms,” he said. The first phase of development, hoped to be completed in time for the America’s Cup next summer, will include converting the old rooms and readying new rooms to create a 48-room hotel, with further rooms being added in a second phase of development. June 13. Government says it will extend its voluntary early retirement scheme for those eligible in the public service. Submission deadline is August 29 this year and termination date is September 30, with the exception of Education where termination will be June 2017. The early retirement programme applies to Government employees between ages 55 and 64 years old. Employees must have attained the age of 55 by September 30, 2016, or must be members of the Police, Corrections or Fire Services and who are entitled to receive a pension upon retirement from the public service on the grounds of age or years of service on September 30, 2016. The Cabinet Office introduced the voluntary early retirement scheme as a cost-saving measure in 2014. June 13. The Commission of Inquiry has issued a procedural statement, outlining its process for investigating the Auditor-General’s report. The statement, which follows meetings with CoI chairman Sir Anthony Evans during his visit to Bermuda last week, includes details on public hearings, beginning with the first one on Monday, June 27. People who have already been contacted by the Commission will no longer have to appear at the hearing, and a second hearing will follow in either September or October. The report will look into how the Consolidated Fund was run in 2010, 2011, and 2012, including potential mismanagement. Sir Anthony, an international jurist and former Bermuda Court of Appeal judge, said: “Although this somewhat extends the length of our investigation, it was determined that further time was required in order to collect and analyze documentary material relating to the issues which the Commission will be investigating.” June 13. Victims of a massacre at one of Florida’s landmark clubs were honored last night at a quiet ceremony by the Cenotaph on Front Street, organized by local artist Mark Anderson. The mass killing targeted the gay community, claiming 49 lives at Pulse, Orlando’s highly popular gay nightclub. The names of the dead were recited before a gathering of about 60 as a gentle rain fell. “As an entertainer and activist, I wanted to show respect to the victims and their families, and show our love, support and prayers to our fellow people,” said Mr Anderson, who recalled attending the club as a performer in 2004 — the year that it opened. Pulse is a prominent establishment known as a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the city of 2.4 million residents. However, in the early hours of Sunday, it became the scene of the deadliest gun rampage in recent American history when the shooter, identified by United States authorities as Omar Mateen, opened fire on revelers. “Everyone is some way is affected by this tragic, senseless act against the LGBT community,” said Mr Anderson, familiar to Bermudians as the man behind the persona Sybil Barrington. Pulse, he said, was famed for drag shows: Kenya Michaels and Roxy Andrews, well known contestants from RuPaul’s Drag Race, are regulars there. Adding to the grief, Mr Anderson added, was the fact that the killings coincided with Gay Pride Month, held in recognition of the Stonewall riots of 1969. Mourners, some sporting rainbow umbrellas, joined him in a show of solidarity at the monument to Bermuda’s war dead, where Mr Anderson shared memories of performing on the club’s stage. “As an entertainer, you’re used to looking for the exits in case anything was to happen. They had several exits in the back dressing room, where club goers unfortunately did not know about them.” Ages were read off along with victims’ names, and the youth of many of the slain drew shock from some of those gathered. Prayers were given by Canon Norman Lynas of the Anglican Cathedral, and Father Paul Dean of Holy Trinity Church. Tony Brannon, a vocal campaigner in support of same-sex marriage, used the occasion to appeal to people to vote in favour of the unions at the June 23 referendum. Meanwhile, the Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda issued a statement, describing the group as deeply shocked and saddened by the hateful mass shooting. In a small community like Bermuda, we know how important it is to cultivate safer spaces where LGBTQ people can feel free to express their true selves. It is a shocking violation for those spaces to be brutalized with homophobic and transphobic violence. The attack was a blow against the global LGBTQ community during the month of Pride. This attack was also not solely the result of one man’s gun, but the end result of systems and cultures that spread homophobia and transphobia. When LGBTQ people are seen as less-than-human, as not deserving equal human rights and respect, a target is painted on our backs. In Bermuda, we need to tackle these systemic roots of homophobic violence, to see each other all as equals deserving of equal rights, if we truly want to stand in solidarity with the victims of this shooting. The Pulse massacre is heartbreaking. The Rainbow Alliance of Bermuda would like to remind our LGBTQ community and allies that we do not tolerate hate, Islamophobia, or religion bashing. We exist solely in the realm of love, and for that reason, love must win. Be proud. Love and light to Orlando.” June 13. A Hamilton club has been stripped of its members’ club licence after the Liquor Licensing Authority found it had failed to provide sufficient written proof it was doing work to benefit its members or the community. The Ambiance Lounge on Angle Street, run by Carlton Simmons, was run more like a business than a members’ club, according to LLA chairman Juan Wolffe. Mr Simmons told The Royal Gazette that he had appealed against the ruling. “We have appealed the decision of the Liquor Licensing Authority up to the Supreme Court, but we can not say anything more about it at this time,” he said. In a written ruling by the authority Mr Wolffe said: “From the documentation provided it would appear that the sole or principal purpose of the club is to sell or supply alcohol. When one compares the revenue and the profit generated by the club from bar sales with the woefully small expenditure on community programmes, the impression that is left is that far more emphasis is disproportionately placed on the sale and supply and consumption of alcohol rather than on providing a benefit to the members or the community. It is unclear to us what actually is the purpose of the club. In our view the business model envisioned by Mr Simmons certainly is not allowed or contemplated by the Act.” The Ambiance Lounge first applied for a members’ club licence in February 2012 despite objections from residents who said the area “was saturated with establishments that currently hold liquor licences”. The LLA initially refused the application and Mr Simmons applied again in November 2013, saying the purpose of the club was to fund his charity Youth on the Move. In March 2014, Ambiance Lounge was granted a members’ club licence, which was renewed in May 2015 following a hearing. In March of this year Mr Simmons applied to renew his licence again. The LLA then asked him to provide a raft of documentation showing membership, subscriptions, minutes, account books and programmes to demonstrate it was a bona fide member’s club. “It appears that the only income of $285,655 comes from bar sales,” said Mr Wolffe. “The club gained a profit of over $37,000 yet it is unclear as to what extent this profit was used for the benefit of the members of the club. Mr Simmons stated that going forward the subscriptions and dues will be accounted for. In our view this comment is vacuous as Mr Simmons and other executive members should have been well aware of their statutory obligations.” The LLA’s written ruling continued: “It would appear from the minutes of March 2016 that it [Youth on the Move] is not even in operation,” Mr Wolffe said. “When the applicants applied for renewal of its members club licence last year, YOM figured quite prominently as justification by the applicants there was a significant charitable component to their licence. It would now appear that for part or maybe all of 2015/16 that YOM was not even in activation. We are not satisfied that the club has organized sufficient programmes for it members or the community at large. The height of their contributions to the community are to the Bermuda Squad dance group, the Bermuda Triple Challenge and Soul Food Productions for a total of $1,200. This in our view is low compared to the revenue and profits generated from bar sales.” Mr Wolffe said it was unclear who actually owned the club property and that the letters relating to its joint ownership were unsigned and “lacked legitimacy”. The LLA ruled that membership information and subscription details were “deficient” and that minutes and financial statements were insufficient. Mr Wolffe said: “The sign-in book is simply unhelpful in establishing who the members are and whether the persons who used the club were members or were accompanied by members for the licencing period 2015/16. Where the names are legibly written they bear no resemblance to the membership lists provided by the applicants. In many instances the writing gives the appearance of pure doodling. We are not satisfied that the secretary of the club has kept a proper subscription book.” June 13. Financial services investment firm Somers Ltd logged a loss of $1.7 million for the first six months of its financial year. The loss, covering September last year to the end of March, narrowed nearly $6 million from the same period in 2015. Somers Ltd said the loss so far this year was due to currency fluctuations and the British pound’s decline against the dollar. The figures equate to a diluted loss per share of 14 cents compared to a loss of 65 cents per share for the same period last year. Somers’ board declared an interim dividend of 18 cents a share, the same level as last year. Somers owns Bermuda Commercial Bank, Waverton Investment Management, and Ascot Lloyd Holdings. Total revenue for the period for BCB was $13.5 million compared to $13.9 million for the same timeframe in 2015. Somers said the bank’s core earnings — which strip out one-off items — improved, but a reduction in the value of the bank’s investment portfolio left BCB with a net loss of $3.9 million for the six months, compared to net income of $2.1 million in the prior-year period. Waverton Investments Management made a pre-tax income of £3.7 million, or $5.8 million, compared to £4.8 million, or $6.85 million, a year earlier. Waverton’s assets under management at the end of March this year totaled £5.5 billion, or $6.42 billion, compared to £4.3 billion, or $6.13 billion, in the same period in 2015. The firm’s latest acquisition, Private and Commercial Finance Group in the UK, had a 12 per cent increase in business originations to the end of March, up from £56 million, or $79.9 million, to £63 million, or $89.9 million. Warren McLeland, chairman of Somers, said: “Excluding the impact of currencies, results were flat with dividend income received from the investment portfolio largely offsetting a net reduction in portfolio valuations. The foreign exchange losses resulted in a 4 per cent decline in our diluted net asset value to $17.03 from $17.74 at September 30, 2015. A number of our larger investments, in particular Waverton and Ascot Lloyd, are denominated in sterling and during the six month period ended March 31, 2016, sterling declined by 5 per cent versus the dollar. Currently, the Sterling-based investments are not hedged but the board is considering a more active hedging policy. We continue to carry a relatively low level of debt on our balance sheet and we expect to maintain this position at least in the short term. As capital grows and our profitable investments return cash, we will look to use these funds to diversify our portfolio.” The company had dividend income of $2.5 million during the period, compared to $1.6 million a year ago. The extra income offset a $2.2 million loss on the investment portfolio, a figure which totaled $5.4 million in the same period last year. The company report said: “Investment gains and losses result from changes in the valuations of the company’s investments and during the period a reduction in the carrying value of BCB outstripped valuation increases at Waverton and Ascot Lloyd. BCB’s valuation includes its subsidiary PCFG and an increase in PCFG’s share price in the current quarter should have a positive impact on BCB’s overall valuation.” June 13. Flora Duffy produced a storming performance to finish second in the World Triathlon Race in Leeds, England, yesterday. The Bermuda triathlete spent much of the race out in front, but ultimately could not hold off Gwen Jorgensen on the run, despite having a 1min 40sec lead after another impressive display on the bike. Jorgensen, who is favourite to take gold at the Olympic Games in Rio in August, overcame the largest deficit in WTS history to claim the win in 2hr 0min 33sec. Duffy was less than a minute behind in 2:01:24, with Vicky Holland, of Britain, third in 2:01:57. “Starting the run with Gwen [Jorgensen] behind you is always a bit of a terrifying thing, but I am happy with how things went today,” Duffy said. “I had to do a lot of work on the bike. The British girls were not working with me; they had some team tactics. They were told they had to ride a certain way, so I was the only one who could put in work. If I had help, perhaps I could have run a little bit better and perhaps we could have had a little more time. But that is racing; that is team tactics.” Duffy hopes one day to have some help of her own, but said the chance to run wearing the gold number 1, which she wears as the overall WTS leader, made for a “great day”. Second place earned Duffy 740 world ranking points, taking her tally for the season to 2691, Jodie Stimpson is second on 2513, while Jorgensen stays in third on 2340. “I am the only Bermudian,” said Duffy. “Some day I hope there is an army of Bermudians to help, but yeah it was a great day for me. I am super happy. It is a really cool moment for me to be able to wear the gold number. My parents are here and it is the first time that they have seen me race this year, so to be able to wear the gold number and be leading the race, it feels incredible.” Duffy and Jorgensen will take their battle to Rio this summer, and the United States athlete said that being pushed all the way in Leeds would ultimately help in her quest for the gold medal. “It was no surprise to me that some people were going to go for it, especially Flora,” Jorgensen said. “I knew she was going to go for it on the bike and get as much time as she could. Rio is the focus for the year, so it is great to come into these races and get exposed a little bit and see where I can improve.” While Duffy led for most of the race Jessica Learmonth and Lucy Hall took charge early on in the water, with the Bermuda triathlete close behind. Jorgensen, Sarah True, and Holland were in a pack of nine women further back, and despite a tight transition the front three were able to get out on the bike with a reasonable lead. The trio charged forward together and created enough distance to hold off the chasers behind them. While another bike trio of Jorgensen, Holland and Emma Moffatt were able to ride together for the first lap, they were eventually caught by 11 more riders, which included Andrea Hewitt and Jodie Stimpson. Duffy and the two British competitors hammered through the seven-lap bike course with a lead of more than two minutes for five of the seven laps. However, as the three entered the second transition zone, they were working with little more than 90 seconds. Always the powerful cyclist, Duffy then took her momentum and blasted out of the gate and onto the run as the top contender. For the first two laps she was able to keep Jorgensen at bay. However, it took Jorgensen only five kilometers to overhaul Duffy to put herself in the lead of a WTS race once again. Holland and Stimpson were left to battle it out for third, with Holland eventually breaking clear in the final 200 metres. “I was really disappointed that I could not make that break out of the swim,” Holland said. “I was right there but I had a few troubles getting my wetsuit off, so it ultimately cost me making that breakaway pack. And from there 1:45 is a lot of time to chase down, especially when you have Gwen in that pack as well, she is such a phenomenal runner so I am just happy to be back with the rest today.” June 13. Bermuda’s significant contribution to the global economy makes it different from many of the other offshore jurisdictions it is often lumped in with. That was the message that Grant Gibbons, Minister of Economic Development, delivered to prominent figures in Chicago over the past few days. Dr Gibbons, who was accompanied by Ross Webber, chief executive officer of the Bermuda Business Development Agency, went to the “Windy City” for events surrounding the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event on Lake Michigan over the weekend. With Bermuda hosting next year’s America’s Cup finals, it gave the island an opportunity to take advantage of some mid-west limelight to reinforce its message. Events included an interview on an early-morning business radio show, and meetings with Steve Koch, deputy mayor of Chicago, and economist Philip Levy of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, an influential think-tank. “We were certainly made very welcome,” Dr Gibbons said from Chicago. “We were able to dispel a few myths, but I think there’s a recognition that Bermuda is special among offshore financial centres.” Dr Gibbons added that Mike Winfield, chief executive officer of America’s Cup Bermuda Ltd, and his team were also working in Chicago over the weekend. Last Thursday night, the BDA also partnered with the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Gosling’s to host a Bermuda networking dinner for Chicago-area corporate and tourism representatives, including several former Bermuda residents. In the meeting with Mr Koch, a former Wall Street financier, Dr Gibbons said parallels were drawn between the major pillars of the Chicago and Bermuda economies — trade and tourism. Mr Koch, himself a keen sailor, “gave us a hard time”, quipped Dr Gibbons, given that Chicago was one of the rival venues that lost out to Bermuda in the selection for the home of the 2017 America’s Cup. Mr Webber said the deputy mayor also recognized that “Bermuda is thought of differently when compared to other offshore domiciles” and “has a reputation for quality”. Mr Webber added: “That is something that he volunteered, so it was very encouraging.” In the meeting with Dr Levy, Dr Gibbons said he stressed the value of Bermuda in terms of reinsurance claims paid for catastrophes like the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, and earthquakes in Japan, Chile and New Zealand. Many in Chicago are familiar with Bermuda’s role in the global insurance industry, given that the headquarters of global broker Aon are in the city. Dr Levy is a senior fellow on the global economy at the Council, a nonpartisan think-tank that seeks to connect Chicago to the world and the world to Chicago, according to its LinkedIn page. He also served as a senior economist for trade for President George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers. Dr Gibbons also mentioned Bermuda’s worldwide treaty partnerships, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development affiliations and historic beneficial ownership register in their conversation. June 11. Bermuda’s reputation as a quality jurisdiction was reinforced during media interviews, high-level business meetings, and networking events in Chicago heading into this weekend’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. Economic Development Minister Dr Grant Gibbons and Bermuda Business Development Agency CEO Ross Webber took part in several meetings and interviews as part of an ongoing advocacy campaign to differentiate Bermuda from other international financial centres and underscore its globally-respected record, said a Government statement. Among the highlights, the Minister was a guest on The Opening Bell with Steve Grzanich show on Chicago’s WGN radio station on Friday. Mr Gibbons and Mr Webber also held meetings with international economist Philip Levy of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and Deputy Mayor of the City of Chicago Steven Koch. “It has been a genuine pleasure to meet some key Chicago figures and share information with them about Bermuda and what makes it unique as a business domicile. We appreciate their time and interest in Bermuda,” said Mr Gibbons, who was interviewed by Mr Grzanich, a veteran radio newsman who anchors the early-morning business show geared to “investors, entrepreneurs and investors.” The Minister spoke to Mr Grzanich about Bermuda’s quality reputation as an international financial hub, particularly in the wake of attacks on offshore centres related to the Panama Papers, as well as Bermuda’s global economic contribution, the island’s reinsurance sector, its respected regulatory environment, and the America’s Cup 2017. “These were messages he and Webber underscored in fruitful conversations with both Deputy Mayor Koch and Dr Levy,” added the statement. “Chicagoan Koch is a former Wall Street financier who spent more than 20 years with Credit Suisse specializing in mergers and acquisitions and investment banking, before being named to his current post by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel in August 2012. Dr Levy is a senior fellow on the global economy at the Council, a nonpartisan think-tank that conducts research and influences public discourse on critical global issues. He previously served as a senior economist for trade for president George W Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers and was a member of US Secretary of State Condoles Rice’s Policy Planning Staff; he currently is also a professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois. Mr Gibbons and Mr Webber discussed Bermuda’s advantages and challenges as an offshore centre with Dr Levy, as well as the island’s global economic contribution, worldwide treaty partnerships, OECD affiliations and historic beneficial ownership register, along with global economic issues and Bermuda’s historic relationship with the United States. Mr Koch, an avid sailor, invited the Minister and BDA CEO to his office at Chicago City Hall on Friday afternoon, where they discussed Bermuda’s 2017 hosting of the America’s Cup and its projected economic benefits, as well as tourism initiatives and perceptions of Bermuda in the US. “Deputy Mayor Koch was very familiar with Bermuda’s blue-chip reputation and he recognized its elite status and the fact that in the financial community, Bermuda is thought of differently when compared to other offshore domiciles,” said Mr Webber. “That was reassuring, and it pays tribute to the efforts Bermuda and its international business sector have made to ensure the jurisdiction is known as a quality brand.” Noted Mr Gibbons: “Chicago and Bermuda, despite their obvious differences, share many economic synergies, including a reliance on trade and tourism. The America’s Cup is also a strong connection, as Chicago was one of the contenders to host the 2017 event. Deputy Mayor Koch was gracious about Bermuda winning this honour, and we had an in-depth talk about the event’s economic benefits. We also shared useful information on mutual efforts to increase business investment and tourism competitiveness in both our jurisdictions.” The BDA also partnered with the BTA and Goslings to host a Bermuda networking dinner for Chicago-area corporate and tourism representatives on Thursday night, including several former Bermuda residents. June 11. Royal Bermuda Regiment soldiers were front and centre on Saturday as Bermuda celebrated the Queen’s Birthday with a parade in Hamilton. Troops fired the traditional feu de joie — a rippling rifle salute — and a 21-gun salute with the RBR’s ceremonial 25-pounder guns, while the RBR Band and Corps of Drums performed a selection of military music and the national anthem. Bill and Laurie Koehn, visiting the island from Philadelphia for the first time, were surprised by the pomp and pageantry of the occasion. “It was great, impressive,” Mr Koehn said. “We just got off the ferry from Dockyard. We heard the guns and walked over to see what was happening. You’ve got a strong heritage and culture here and you should be proud of it.” Ms Koehn added: “I can’t believe how impressive it was, the dress and the marching. I don’t think we see that too often at home. It was fun to see it.” Cyril Rance, 82, of Pembroke and a former soldier in the Bermuda Rifles, one of the two predecessor regiments of the RBR with the Bermuda Militia Artillery, brought his two young granddaughters to watch the parade. Mr Rance said: “I haven’t seen the parade for a few years, so I brought my granddaughters down to see how it’s done.” Granddaughter Anabelle Morgan, 10, enjoyed the spectacle. “I liked it,” she added. “It’s for the Queen’s Birthday.” Terence and Elizabeth Horn, visiting family in Bermuda from the Cotswolds area in England, watched the parade from Front Street. “It was absolutely splendid,” Ms Horn said. “We were watching the one in London on the BBC this morning and the Trooping of the Colour, but the Bermuda parade was very impressive.” Jovette Trott, from Pembroke, saw her son Jokiya Trott, a member of the Regiment Police, take part in the parade, which also included detachments from the Junior Leaders, the Bermuda Police Service and the Sea Cadets. “It was nice,” she said. “It’s my first time being able to see the parade. I enjoyed it. I liked it all. It was really exciting. I liked the cannons most.” Governor George Fergusson took the Royal Salute and Michael Dunkley, the Premier, and the heads of the other services, as well as Charles Gosling, the Mayor of Hamilton, watched from the stand at the Flagpole on Front Street. RBR commanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel David Curley said: “It went very well. It was a great day and the weather provided good conditions for it. Everyone on parade looked good. Our soldiers were the recruits who just completed recruit camp in January, so I’m particularly proud of them. It’s a very important tradition and the soldiers are very proud to get dressed up in their ceremonial uniforms and perform. It’s one of the roles the regiment has, but behind the scenes we’ve also been preparing ourselves for hurricane relief if the worst happens this year. We are versatile and ready for a variety of tasks.” June 11. Leading Bermuda figures have been recognized in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, including Martha Dismont and Carol Everson. Mrs Dismont, the executive director of Family Centre, and Mrs Everson, a welfare case worker with the Bermuda Legion were both appointed a Member of the British Empire. Meanwhile, Veronica “Ronnie” Chameau and Deborah Lyn-Ann Gillett were awarded the British Empire Medal for their contributions to Bermudian culture and mental health respectively. Ms Chameau has received wide acclaim for her banana leaf dolls and her promoting of Bermuda history, while Ms Gillet has served and volunteered in numerous capacities within the Project 100 charity. Gary Douglas Staines was honored with the Queen’s Police Medal for his services to policing on the island, while Calvin Lee Smith and Gregory MacArthur Grimes were each awarded the Overseas Territories Police Medal. Also honored were Vivlyn Cooper, Edward “Eddie” Fisher, James “Jay” Kempe, Malcolm Kirkland, Troy Lewis and Alda Raposo, who each received a Queen’s Certificate and a Badge of Honour. Ms Cooper taught on the island for 41 years, working at Dellwood Primary School, the Berkeley Institute and Harrington Sound School during her career, while Mr Fisher not only started a cosmetology training programme for Bermudians but cofounded Childwatch, a group dedicated to highlighting the importance of fathers. Mr Kempe and Mr Kirkland were both founding members of the Bermuda Sloop Foundation, while Mr Lewis was credited for 20 years coaching football and working in football administration in organisations including the Bermuda Football Association. Last but not least, Mrs Raposo served as President of the Hospital Auxiliary of Bermuda’s Board and was part of a team who oversaw the renovations of the Pink Café and the new Barn. This year will mark 48 years of service by Mrs Raposo to the Hospital Auxiliary of Bermuda — an estimated 13,000 hours. George Fergusson, the Governor, said: “I am very pleased to send my warm congratulations to all those being honored in Her Majesty’s Birthday Honours List. This is a remarkable group of remarkable people, all richly deserving of the honours being bestowed on them for their hard work and commitment to the people of Bermuda.” June 11. The referendum on same-sex relationships will go ahead, Chief Justice Ian Kawaley ruled yesterday. However, the advanced polling station has been switched to Bermuda College from the Seventh-day Adventist Church Hall on King Street. In a short hearing at Supreme Court, Mr Justice Kawaley turned down an attempt by the Centre for Justice to stop the ballot taking place on June 23. The civil proceedings were brought against the Attorney-General on the grounds that such a referendum would breach the constitution, the Human Rights Act and common law. But he accepted the Centre’s criticism of the use of churches that were openly opposed to same-sex relationships, and where campaign literature urging people to vote no was available, as polling stations. His decision was based on an “issue of unfairness”. Mr Justice Kawaley said during a Supreme Court hearing this week that though it was “contrary to principle — general principle — to hold a referendum on a matter that affects human rights”, he was not convinced by a legal bid to stop the ballot taking place altogether. Yesterday, he announced an order “quashing the decision of the Parliamentary Registrar to designate six church halls as polling rooms on the grounds that, inter alia, it was unreasonable and/or contrary to and/or implied provisions of the Referendum Act 2012”. In his judgment, Mr Justice Kawaley spoke on the reasons he refused the application, that the referendum would be void and inoperative for contravening the constitution, the Human Rights Act and/or fundamental common law rights. He said: “The principle that referendums ought not to be used to obtain mandates for human rights issues is not a legally enforceable principle but rather possesses the status of a constitutional convention. It also admits of exceptions, for example, when a constitutional amendment is required to create new rights or modify existing ones. The referendum is not concerned with the existence or scope of rights which are protected by the constitution and which Parliament is not competent to hear. Convening a referendum which might result in a diminution or extinction of rights presently enjoyed under the Human Rights Act 1981 through a change in the law is legally permissible. Decisions relating to the convening of referendums are matters falling within the province of the executive and legislative branches of Government.” He went on to say that the court did have powers to ensure a referendum is conducted in a lawful manner but said the applicant failed to demonstrate that it could not be held in a manner which met the minimum requirements of the constitution, the Referendum Act and/or common law. Advance polling is due to start on Tuesday at Bermuda College following the publication of a notice in the local newspaper. Voters will be asked two questions in the June 23 referendum: “Are you in favour of same-sex marriage?” and “Are you in favour of civil unions?” The result of the referendum will be non-binding. June 11. A police deployment at City Hall during last month’s protest consisted of 18 officers, three of whom were plainclothes detectives from the Special Branch. Details came from Michael Dunkley, in response to questions from Walter Roban, the Shadow Minister for National Security. The premier said there had not been any external request for police resources on May 18, when more than 100 people gathered outside City Hall to protest against the airport project. “This was a police operation to preserve the peace in response to calls for protest on social media by a group identifying itself as ‘Move’,” the response added. There was an overtime cost incurred of $755.The protest came while One Bermuda Alliance members met inside City Hall for a presentation by Bob Richards, the Minister of Finance, on the proposed redevelopment of the terminal for LF Wade International Airport. June 11. Sir John Swan’s “significant contributions in the business arena and the world of politics” befit his designation as the island’s latest national hero, according to Sylvan Richards. Mr Richards, the Minister of Social Development and Sports, made the remark as he responded to Opposition MPs’ questions on the selection of the former Premier for the accolade. Mr Richards said the guidelines for choosing a national hero were “not mandatory processes that have to be followed”. “When I look at all the different years going back to 2009 it was all over the map,” he said. “Some years public submissions were requested; other years there were none. Some years there were national heroes named; other years there were none.” Yesterday, Michael Dunkley, the Premier, was grilled by journalists when he announced Sir John as the national hero, after saying that he had been the only person to nominate anyone. Mr Richards today maintained that submissions could be made at any point during the calendar year, and said the Government was not held to any deadline for submissions. The minister agreed to a suggestion by Opposition MP Walton Brown that the “archaic” award system merited being enhanced, and said he would be open to reviewing it with him. Progressive Labour Party MP Wayne Furbert asked if the Premier had used an official nomination form in submitting Sir John’s name, to which Mr Richards said he did not know — repeating that nomination guidelines had not been “the ten commandments” in the history of National Heroes Day. Acting Opposition leader David Burt pointed out that requirements on the ministry website included deadlines for submissions, to which Mr Richards repeated his commitment to look at the regulations. Mr Richards invited MPs to attend the induction ceremony of Sir John on June 19, at 4pm on the grounds of Cabinet House. June 11. Bermuda Golf Association President Craig Brown said that deciding to cancel this year’s Bermuda Open was one of the “hardest decisions” he has had to make. He announced the move yesterday, citing a lack of sponsorship and dwindling resources as the main reasons behind the removal of the association’s flagship event. Brown though hopes the event will return in 2017 and eventually become a “crown jewel of golf in Bermuda”. An event that has diminished considerably in stature during the past decade, the Open suffered from the arrival of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in Bermuda and the change in the qualifying for the professional tours. With constant changes to the event’s place in the calendar and an ongoing fight to secure funding, the BGA has finally decided that enough is enough. “Over the years, the BGA has needed to make a large financial commitment to stage the Bermuda Open, and given the current financial position of the association, this is no longer a viable option,” Craig Brown, the BGA president, said. “It’s not sustained itself at a level you would expect a national championship to be at. We don’t have the finances, nor do we have the resources to pull something together that we feel warrants that [title].” Although the Open should be the island’s premier golfing event, in reality it has been pushed to the side as the Bermuda Tourism Authority pursues the visitor numbers and exposure that can be gained by supporting events such as the Bermuda Golf Classic, the Gosling’s Invitational and the Nike Golf PGA Team Championship of Canada. These, and a host of other smaller events which have proven to be more sustainable both financially, and in terms of golfer interest, have taken precedence. “It’s been an ongoing struggle for the association to raise the funds, even though we have a good working relationship with the BTA,” Brown said. “It’s been difficult to raise the level of funding that we feel makes it [the Open] attractive [for players] and sustainable for the association, that’s really what it’s about.” Brown hopes the tournament will return bigger and better than it has been before. However, that move will not be rushed and the overriding determination is to provide a tournament that is “of a standard befitting the title”. Preliminary talks with minor tours, such as the PGA Tour Latinoamérica, have reportedly taken place, with the Bermuda Golf Association hoping to find a partnership that will elevate the Open’s standing and secure it a place in an already hectic global schedule. “We’re still in discussions to discover what part of the season we can get the best traction, but it’s also about putting on the right event for Bermuda,” Brown said. “We’ve got big plans, we know where we want to go with it. We know the idea and vision, but we also want a tournament that the whole island can be proud of. “That’s where we are trying to get to, and hopefully we can make it a very strong event.” While the desire is to see the tournament return next year, there is a stronger desire to ensure that it is only brought back when it can meet the high standards that the BGA expect of the event. There is a definite shift to put it back on the calendar for 2017, but again we are committed to getting it back to a standard that we feel will befit a national championship and the island. Everyone involved will have to agree that is the right time to get it back in to the rotation. We are fully committed to preserving the rich history of the Bermuda Open, and we are confident that a collaborative approach will ensure that when the Bermuda Open does return to the calendar it will be a much-improved event of which we can all be proud.” June 11. Bermuda’s seniors will be getting a 5 per cent raise in their pensions as of August this year — the first increase for five years. However, the hike will come at a cost for employees and employers. Minister of Finance Bob Richards told the House of Assembly this morning that contributions would go up by 7.5 per cent — meaning the worker will have to pay an extra $2.40 each week, the same as the employer. “After carefully reviewing the Contributory Pension Fund 2014 Actuary Report, I propose to increase CPF benefits and contributions by 5 per cent and 7.5 per respectively, effective August 2016, when benefits under the plan are traditionally amended,” said the minister. The maximum benefit is currently about $1,399.14 per month, said Mr Richards. Altogether, some 12,365 seniors currently receive benefits. Mr Richards noted that the cost of living had increased by 7.9 per cent since August 2011, when the last increase was granted. He said: “Although the benefit increase does not fully cover the prevailing rate of inflation, the Government is of the view that this increase should meet the important policy objective to assist our seniors and strikes the right balance between fiscal and social responsibility. The 7.5 per cent increase in the contribution rate is based on actuarial advice and is intended to maintain the long-term viability of the CPF. The current policy is to increase contributions by 2.5 per cent more than any benefit increase awarded. The 7.5 per cent increase represents a rise in contributions of $2.40 per week payable by the employee and an increase of $2.40 payable by the employer. The employer would be responsible for submitting the total weekly increase in contributions of $4.80 and would have the authority to deduct up to $2.40 from each employee. As at March 31, 2016, the fund had total assets of over $1.623 billion, representing approximately 11.7 times the annual value of benefits paid in the 2014-15 fiscal year.” He noted the next actuary review of the CPF was scheduled for the period ending July 31, next year. “I wish to assure members, and more importantly, current and future pensioners that the Government is sensitive to the challenges facing pension plans of this nature and will endeavour to take the appropriate steps to enhance the benefits paid from the scheme as well as ensure the fund has the ongoing ability to pay for such benefits.” Mr Richards also told MPs that the financial performance of the CPF had exceeded expectations of the last three years. That, he said, was because of “higher investment returns, lower administrative and investment expenses, lower levels of inflation and lower net benefit/contribution cash outflow”. He explained the main purpose of the 2014 Actuarial Review had been to “consider the implications for future contribution rates of maintaining benefits at their present levels in real terms and to consider the long-term sustainability of the fund. The review includes projections of contribution income and expenditure (on benefits and administration), projections of the fund balance (allowing for an assumed rate of investment return), and projections of the number of years’ outgo secured by the fund.” The Contributory Pension scheme played an important role in Bermuda’s pension arrangements, he said, “providing a first tier or basic pension to more than 10,693 seniors and other beneficiaries the majority of whom live in Bermuda. There are also disability pensions, and non-contributory benefits. Even though the actuarial review is an excellent tool in overall pension management, it is important to recognise that the financial projections for future years are based on reasonable assumptions and they should not be taken as forecasts of the outcome. The projections should be updated at successive actuarial reviews in light of the latest information available.” The main findings of the actuarial review was that the fund’s contributor base fell by 3 per cent due to the downturn in the economy. And both the benefit and contribution rates remained unchanged during the three-year review period 2012 to 2014 except contribution rates were increased in August 2012. “Based on the population projection figures, the pensioner support ratio has declined marginally since the last review. The ratio was 4.4 in 2011 versus 3.9 in 2014. The ratio is projected to decline to 1.5 over the next 50 years. The comparative ratio using the actual contributors and beneficiaries of the fund declined by 11.8 per cent from 3.4 in 2011 to 3.0 in 2014. This was due to the decline in the number of contributors as a result of high unemployment in the 2010/2011 period. Contribution income ($107.4 million) decreased by 8 per cent and benefit expenditure ($133.7 million) increased by 16 per cent over the three years since the last review. Total expenses for the three years averaged 0.52 per cent of the average fund, down from 0.66 per cent over the previous three years. Pure administrative expenses averaged 0.24 per cent of the average fund over the three years and were 0.19 per cent of the average fund at the review date. As a percentage of contribution income, total expenses have been relatively stable over the last ten years at 7.7 per cent. The net assets of the fund grew 18 per cent over the three years from $1,532.8 million to $1,802.3 million. This was 2.9 per cent above the projected value from the previous review. The fund earned a nominal rate of return of 7.2 per cent per annum and a real rate of return of 5.0 per cent per annum over the three years since the last review (6.6 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively if investment and administrative expenses are excluded). This compares with the real rate of return assumption of 3.5 per cent per annum. The Asset/Expenditure ratio is a static measure of the size of the fund to annual expenditure or the number of years cover provided by the fund based on the current annual expenditure. This ratio increased over the three years from 12.3 years to 12.6 years. Compared with 14 other regional social security schemes in a 2013 study, Bermuda’s ratio is better than 9 of these countries (average 7.5 years). By comparison, the ratio for the Canada Pension Plan in 2013 was 4.98 years. The viability of the fund in the short to medium term is good with the fund being able to cover at least 12 years of the current expenditure and being positive for the next 25 years. However, recognizing the long-term challenges of the fund the ministry will continue to closely monitor the performance of the fund.” June 10. Next week’s Bermuda Captive Conference is shaping up to be the best attended in the event’s 12-year history. There are more than 750 attendees confirmed, and that number could reach 800 by the time the three-day conference begins on Monday at the Fairmont Southampton. The conference’s continuing success is largely attributable to the collaborative nature of the reinsurance and captive sectors coming together in Bermuda to help stage a quality event, according to David Gibbons, who is chairman of the Bermuda Captive Conference. Bermuda exerts further pull as the world’s leading offshore captive domicile, and its reputation as a leading global hub for insurers and reinsurers. International healthcare and technology futurist Joe Flower will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday. The author and consultant is expected to be a big draw for local and overseas attendees as he explores the future of healthcare and the impact of technology, pharmaceuticals and diagnostic techniques. Bermuda-based captives support an estimated 25 per cent of the US medical insurance and reinsurance market and increasing numbers have come from Canada and Latin America. Mr Gibbons anticipates there will be keen interest in discussions about healthcare, energy and cyber-risk. All three hot topics will be discussed during sessions at the conference. “A lot of people want to hear from those who have expertise in these areas,” said Mr Gibbons, who is managing director and captive insurance leader at PwC Bermuda. “The energy session, with Anne Chalmers, of Teck Resources, will look at where energy prices are going and the impact of that.” The conference will look at a range of emerging issues and trends, such as ILS, Latin America, oil and gas risk, and new captive developments and opportunities. Another session shaping up to be popular is the insurance and reinsurance review, which will be hosted by Joe Rego, chief executive officer of Aon (Bermuda), and features a panel involving Judy Gonsalves, chief operating officer of Chubb Bermuda, Patrick Tannock, head of XL Catlin’s Bermuda insurance operations, and John Berger, chairman of Third Point Reinsurance. Other conference speakers include Ross Webber, CEO of the Bermuda Business Development Agency, and Craig Swan, the managing director of supervision at the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Mr Gibbons and Michael Dunkley, the Premier, will provide opening comments at the conference on Monday. On Monday afternoon the inaugural Fred Reiss Bermuda Captive Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Jill Husbands, who leads Marsh IAS Management Services (Bermuda). Beyond attracting hundreds of captive owners, risk managers and insurance professionals to the island, and promoting Bermuda as a business destination, the conference will boost the island’s hotel and hospitality sector with hotel room night bookings attributable to the event expected to be upwards of 900. June 10. The acquisition of Bermudian-based Ironshore by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International is to be scrutinized in the US on national security grounds. The Shanghai-based company, headed by billionaire Guo Guangchang, is to appear before the US Federal Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is reviewing the purchase. In a statement posted on its website, the Chinese insurer said that both it and Ironshore “have voluntarily notified CFIUS regarding Fosun’s acquisition of Ironshore, a US-based provider of casualty and speciality lines of insurance. “The parties have been working closely with CFIUS and providing CFIUS with all the information it needs for its considerations.” CFIUS is an inter-agency committee authorised to review transactions that could result in control of a US business by a foreign person in order to determine the effect of such transactions on the national security of the United States,” according to the CFIUS website. A spokeswoman for the committee declined to comment on any review of Fosun’s acquisition of Ironshore. Fosun International bought Ironshore at the end of last year for $1.84 billion. Ironshore was founded in Bermuda ten years ago with $1 billion in capital. It has expanded globally since, with around 30 offices in the US, Canada, China, Britain, Ireland, Japan Singapore, Australia and Dubai and writes around $2.3 billion in premiums a year. June 10. Empty for years and in danger of falling into disrepair, a house at the back of Portland Lane in Sandys is soon to become a home. Members of the Bermuda Mental Health Foundation gathered there yesterday with friends to celebrate the building’s revival for persons with mental illness to take up independent living. “We were fortunate that the basic structure was sound, but we still had to do a lot of work,” the foundation’s chairman, John Macdonald, told The Royal Gazette. For now, freshly refurbished rooms are decorated only with pictures from before, showing the work that went into their repair. The group will still need help, including donations of furniture and appliances, to move clients into its five units with the assistance of the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Centre. Among guests was Dennis Lister, MP for Sandys North Central, who commended the group for saving a property that could have become an eyesore. Mental health remains a topic “swept under the carpet”, said Winston Rogers, a clinical manager for MWI’s community mental health services rehabilitation team. “One in four persons in any society, Bermuda included, suffers from some form of mental illness,” he said. “On any given day, any one of us could step across.” The property has yet to be given a new name, and the foundation is looking for donors to assist. Foundation member Donald Scott, looking back on nearly a year’s hard work, singled out some of the main contributors for special thanks: Gerald Burt, of Burt Construction; Calvin Edwards, of Insight Painting; Anthony Hayward, of Ace electrical; Everard Todd, Jr of EL Todd Construction, plumber Delroy Reid and Yvonne Gilbert of Made for You Cleaning. The hardest work may be done, but help is needed with the final stages: to pitch in. Contact Jodi Lewis, the foundation’s spokeswoman, at 400-5684, 705-2816, or firstname.lastname@example.org June 10. Southcote’s sturdy structure dates back hundreds of years and if its walls could speak they would tell tales of the birth of Charlie Chaplin’s wife, Oona O’Neill, and the visits of American novelist George Washington Cable. The old Bermuda cottage is steeped in a unique history that grew from its construction in the early 18th century as it has been passed down from generation to generation. Now the Paget property is being offered for sale on the open market for the first time in its history. “I was just 18 months old when my family moved in and I have fond memories of playing in the beautiful gardens,” Monica Jones, one of the property’s co-owners, said. “We had so much space and privacy and a strong sense of community too. There were always lots of children and playmates around, and animals too. My father always had a cow when we grew up. As children we were not really aware of its history, we knew it was an old house, but it gave me a real appreciation of beautiful and elegant buildings.” In the 1920s Southcote was rented to several noteworthy visitors and Caroline Frith Smith’s memoirs document a heavily pregnant Agnes Boulton, wife of the Nobel and Pulitzer prize winning playwright, Eugene O’Neill, renting Southcote in 1925. A week later, their daughter, Oona, was born and delivered by Bermudian doctor Bill Tucker, who was a Harley Street doctor, and one of the Queen’s physicians. The family subsequently purchased Spithead Lodge in Warwick as their permanent Bermuda home, while Oona O’Neill went on to marry the US film star Charlie Chaplin. Mrs Smith’s memoirs also record Bostonian Henry Richards and his wife spending several winters at Southcote and its neighboring property Fairmount. Mrs Richards was the daughter of Julia Ward Howe, the author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Through the Richards family the American novelist, George Washington Cable and his family came to Bermuda for several winters and rented Southcote. Mr Cable, a native of New Orleans, wrote novels concentrating on life in the South, with particular emphasis on racial equality and interracial relationships. Ms Jones told The Royal Gazette: “It is hard from an emotional perspective putting the house up for sale, but I think it’s time for another family to make their memories in this lovely house. It certainly played a big part in my childhood before I moved out in 1973 when I got married.” An open house is being held at the house at 12 Southcote Road, Paget on Saturday from noon until 2pm. Charles and Oona Chaplin June 10. Recreational and charter boats will be forbidden from discharging any sewage overboard in the Great Sound, Little Sound, Harrington Sound and Castle Harbour. From next year, shore-side pump-out facilities are being introduced for all new marinas, including five in the South Basin for the America’s Cup, environment minister Cole Simons told the House of Assembly. Sewage may only be discharged overboard beyond 500 metres from the closest land. June 9. The Queen’s Birthday Parade is set for Saturday morning along Front Street in Hamilton. The parade will bring out the pageantry of the Royal Bermuda Regiment, the Regiment Band and Corps of Drums, the Bermuda Police Service and Bermuda Police Reserves, and others. It commences at 10.30am, meaning traffic restrictions will be in effect from early Saturday morning. June 9. Sir John Swan has been named Bermuda’s 2016 national hero for his lasting contributions to the island and her people. Sir John said yesterday that he was “deeply honored” to have been chosen. “I am particularly honored because this is coming from my country, which I have tried to serve as best I can,” Bermuda’s longest-serving premier said. “That recognition I consider to be something not just of myself but the many, many, many people who have lifted me on their shoulders and helped me to become what I am. I hope I can continue to be of service to my country in whatever capacity that allows me to look out for Bermuda’s best interests.” Michael Dunkley was grilled by journalists at a press conference announcing the news yesterday on why the public were not officially invited to submit nominations this year, to which he replied that the nomination process is open year-round. Asked how many members of the public nominated Sir John, the Premier responded that he was the only one and his recommendation was approved by the National Heroes Committee and then by Cabinet. Mr Dunkley described Sir John as a political luminary, a philanthropist and real estate entrepreneur whose impact is still felt today. One of his biggest contributions, he said, was in the negotiations of the US Bermuda Tax Convention Development, which launched the island’s insurance and reinsurance industries. Speaking at the press conference, Mr Dunkley said: “I am genuinely delighted to announce that on June 19 there will be an addition to the distinguished list to Bermuda’s national heroes — a man who has undoubtedly done so much for Bermuda and Bermudians. His contributions have significantly shaped Bermuda and its development. He has been recognized not only locally but internationally as well for his work. Known for his entrepreneurial mind, Sir John began his business career in real estate in 1962 when he founded the John W. Swan Agency. Through this venture, Sir John was able to help countless Bermudians secure their own homes because his company developed houses.” Mr Dunkley highlighted other noteworthy accomplishments made by Sir John throughout his career: that he was a founding member of the Bermuda Monetary Authority, a director of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce and a director of the Bermuda Tourist Council. Mr Dunkley continued: “Sir John’s political career began back in 1972 and he spent 25 years of active and relentless service to the people of Bermuda. He demonstrated tremendous expertise during his tenure holding portfolios first as a Minister of Marine and Air Services, and Minister of Immigration and Home Affairs. He became the Premier of Bermuda in 1982 and served in that capacity for 13½ years. One of his most significant milestones during his political legacy was achieved in 1996, when he pioneered the negotiations of the US Bermuda Tax Convention to its completion. This agreement resulted in the development of the insurance and reinsurance industries and established the island as a major offshore financial centre, thus creating a foundation for the island’s stable economy and a well-developed infrastructure and regulatory framework. Sir John’s contributions have been profound; moreover he embodies the criteria that had been established under Bermuda’s National Heroes guidelines to help determine national heroes.” Sir John will become the first living person to be inducted as a national hero. He joined a distinguished list that includes Dame Lois Browne-Evans, Dr Pauulu Kamarakafego, Dr E.F. Gordon, Sir Henry Tucker, Sir Edward Richards, Gladys Morrell and Mary Prince. There were no other nominations made this year in a process that traditionally has solicited the nominations of the public. As for the unprecedented decision to nominate a living person as a Bermuda national hero, Mr Dunkley added: “In this case, Cabinet believes it is fully appropriate and I fully support it. National heroes should come from the ranks of the living and those who have moved on to a greater reward.” Mr Dunkley invited the public to the induction ceremony on the grounds of Camden on June 19 at 4pm. June 9. A New York-based global blockchain consortium believes Bermuda could use its reputation to become a “fintech” leader. The Agentic Group has held preliminary meetings with the Bermuda Monetary Authority about Fintech-associated opportunities. Fintech is the commonly used term for financial technology. The group is seeking to assist the island in developing a strong digital currency and blockchain technology ecosystem. It hopes to have follow-up meetings with other Bermuda Government bodies. In a statement, the consortium said it had met with the leadership of the BMA earlier this month. The release noted: “Rik Willard, Agentic Group founder and managing director, traveled to Bermuda with US-based members of the blockchain consortium to educate the Monetary Authority on the global development of digital currencies, blockchain technology and its current capabilities and future promise. The consortium suggested ways that Bermuda could leverage its reputation as a prominent financial player on the world stage to become a fintech leader in the 21st century.” Mr Willard said: “We were delighted to meet with the BMA to discuss how these growing industries could put Bermuda on the map as one of the leading fintech hubs, specializing in cryptocurrency and blockchain. We look forward to working closely with government to establish both a digital currency incubator and blockchain start-up facility in Bermuda.” The BMA confirmed that it had met with the consortium after a request from Agentic “with a view to educating Authority representatives about the growing global fintech industry, specifically in relation to digital currencies and blockchain technology. In a statement, the BMA said it appreciated the educational information session. June 9. Senators have roundly endorsed new legislation aimed at prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of mental illness. The Human Rights Amendment Act 2016 was debated by the Senate yesterday and received support from both the Bermuda Government, Opposition and independent members. The amendments are designed to protect those who suffer from mental illness from discrimination by changing the definition of disability to include mental disability. Independent senator Joan Dillas-Wright said the legislation was long overdue, but also a “wonderful day in our history”, while Jeff Baron, the Minister for National Security added: “If this can erase the stigma attached to mental illness then I am proud to be part of the this process.” Progressive Labour Party senator Kim Wilkerson also welcomed the inclusion of mental disability into the human rights legislation and said she hoped that the elderly would soon be included in the Act. During yesterday’s session senators also passed legislation paving the way for the merging of the Department of Environment Protection and the Department of Conservation Services and the creation of a new tourism event liquor licence. The new Liquor Licence Amendment Act 2016, which also increases the fees payable for other kinds of liquor licences with the exception of member’s club licences, allows successful applicants to sell alcoholic drinks for up to three days. PLP Senate Leader Marc Daniels questioned how a tourism event would be defined, and why the chairman of the Bermuda Tourism Authority was involved in the process of certifying an event as a tourism event, but said the Opposition supported the new legislation. Finally senators also passed the Government Fees Amendment Regulations, which makes up for an error contained in the initial legislation that provided incorrect prices relating to the Public Access to Information Act requests. June 9. Representatives from the Bermuda Industrial Union and Menzies Aviation are meeting after a dispute involving ramp workers at LF Wade International Airport. Some staff at the private company, which is contracted by airlines to provide ground handling services, stopped work today due to a negotiation dispute over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. A spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities said that flights will continue as normal, as Menzies has enough remaining workers and management to process flights. “There has been no disruption or delays to scheduled flights as a result of the action,” he added. June 9. Should Bermudian supermarkets be legally obliged to donate their unsold food to charity? Eighty-nine million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the European Union, according to a 2014 study. In February, to help combat the problem, France became the first country in the world to ban supermarkets from throwing away their unsold food. Instead, the nation’s shops must donate their goods to charity — thereby feeding huge numbers of people in need as well as reducing wastage. Italy followed suit a month later, while two online petitions at Change.org calling for Britain to adopt the law have amassed a combined one million supporters. But would the move be feasible for Bermuda’s supermarkets? In May last year, the Good Samaritan (Food Donation) Act passed unanimously in the House of Assembly — easing liability for organisations that donate food to the needy. The Act, proposed by Shadow Minister for Health Kim Wilson, simplified how restaurants, hotels and supermarkets can give their leftovers to charity. Yesterday, Ms Wilson said that a law requiring the island’s food service providers to donate surplus items would be “the natural next step” in cutting waste. Carole Paynter, executive director of the Eliza DoLittle Society charity, said there was a “definite need” for the law in Bermuda. “Unfortunately, even with the introduction of the Good Samaritan Act, there is still a lot of food wastage occurring — and the number of struggling people is rising every day,” she added. Martha Dismont, executive director of community charity Family Centre, cautiously welcomed the possibility of a new law. “I believe that this society should do everything within its power to ensure that no one goes hungry. However, I also believe there are many questions to answer before advocating for legislation on private entities such as supermarkets.” Ms Dismont added that the amount of waste produced by supermarkets would need to be researched, as would the capability of food banks to process the extra donations and the required additional infrastructure. “If such a law could work here, it would be a welcome addition to support the needs of families. But those needs should be assessed to get it right,” she said. Sandy Butterfield, co-founder of addiction charity Focus, said that the introduction of the legislation would be “wonderful. I would definitely support it,” she added. “We feed around 20 people a day, breakfast and lunch, so we’re ever grateful for food donations. Receiving unsold food from supermarkets would be of real benefit to Focus. We’d be able to give people a little more variety in what they eat.” Sheelagh Cooper from the Coalition for the Protection of Children foresaw potential logistical problems in the initiative. “I’m not crazy about trying to legislate these sorts of things,” she said, “but it would increase enormously the availability of perfectly good food which is slightly damaged or slightly old.” Fern Wade from Southampton-based charity Hands of Love Ministry, which has been helping Bermuda’s families in need since 1979, voiced her support for the law. “That’s as long as the leftover food was given to as many charities as possible,” she said. “The only roadblock is to ensure that the food and the process get tested, so people don’t get sick. The Government should look into it.” June 9. Bermudian students studying for careers in the medical field will find out whether they have been awarded a prestigious scholarship when the Bermuda Health Foundation host their 14th Annual Salute to Service Awards luncheon next Friday (June 17). The Foundation raises funds every year to assist local students and this year some 65 of them have submitted applications for the scholarships. To date the Foundation has presented 39 scholarships totaling almost $400,000. In addition to the scholarship awards, the Foundation will honour John Wight, president and CEO of BF&M Insurance Group with their Annual Salute to Service Award for his contribution to the insurance industry and the Bermuda community generally. Mr. Wight is also the president of the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce. “Because of his contribution to the business community in Bermuda, the Foundation is expecting a sell-out audience at this year’s luncheon,” said a Foundation spokesperson. Also on the agenda is the popular Foundation Charity Golf Tournament which has attracted some of Bermuda’s top golfers as well as international players. This year’s prizes for the top three teams include travel vouchers in the amount of $500 for each winning team member, four golf watches for the second placed team, and golf bags for the team finishing third. Last year’s winners, the Belco team, will defend their title. Tickets for the luncheon are available at $125.00 each and the entry fee for the golf tournament is $150 per person or $600 per team. June 9. Chief Justice Ian Kawaley may order the Bermuda Government to change the location of some polling stations in the referendum on same-sex relationships so they are not held on church premises. Dr Justice Kawaley indicated during a Supreme Court hearing yesterday that though it was “contrary to principle — general principle — to hold a referendum on a subject matter that affects human rights” he was not persuaded by a legal bid to stop the ballot taking place altogether. But he suggested he would consider a request to prevent voting taking place within churches, since it raised an “issue of unfairness”. He will deliver his judgment this afternoon. Advance polling for the referendum for those travelling or undergoing medical procedures on referendum day — June 23 — is due to begin on Tuesday at the Seventh-day Adventist Church Hall on King Street. It will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week. Lawyer Gregory Howard, representing the Attorney-General, said if the Chief Justice did make a decision on the location of polling stations it would not be possible to get a notice gazetted today for the advance polling. “The advance polling has been set,” he said. Yesterday’s civil proceedings were brought by the Centre of Justice against the Attorney-General to try to stop the referendum taking place on the grounds that it would breach the Constitution, the Human Rights Act and common law. The Centre also criticised the use of churches that were openly opposed to same-sex relationships — and where campaign literature urging people to vote no was available — as polling stations. The Chief Justice said holding a referendum on same-sex relationships broke a “fundamental principle” in relation to human rights, telling Mr Howard: “You are then compounding it by organising the referendum in a hasty way, which, arguably, makes it difficult to have a fair poll. And then, on top of that, you have the vote taking place on premises that are party to the issue. “It just is absolutely absurd. I don’t see how you can seriously seek to defend it.” Mr Howard replied: “That’s a very strong statement. We do contest the issue of fairness. We do contest many of the issues that Your Lordship has made.” But Dr Justice Kawaley also said there was no “constitutional peg” for the Centre’s case and he was not persuaded by its argument that the risk of “undue influence” on voters from church leaders made it impossible for the referendum to take place. The Centre’s lawyer Alex Potts said: “I’m not a fantasist. I detect a sense of judicial antipathy to the merits of some of the arguments.” His claim that the very act of holding a referendum on same-sex relationships would infringe on the rights of a minority had earlier been refuted by Mr Howard, who said it was “perfectly permissible” to ask the electorate how the Government should recognise same-sex unions. Mr Howard described the Centre’s case as an “attack on a legitimate administrative decision” by the Government to hold a vote on a single issue. Mr Potts claimed the referendum was “an exercise in state-sponsored discrimination. It’s not an exercise in information-gathering,” he added. Two charities applied to be heard as “interested parties” in the application for judicial review: same-sex marriage and civil-union opponents Preserve Marriage and OUTBermuda, which promotes LGBTQ rights. Delroy Duncan, representing Preserve Marriage, said the proceedings involved a “much vexed question”. He said: “Same-sex marriage is not something that’s culturally or traditionally known in the more Christian traditions of the Caribbean.” And he insisted his clients, with their strong Christian faith, did not view their opposition to same-sex marriage as discriminatory. “There is a real difference in conceptual approach to this, which is why it has been so fraught in this community,” Mr Duncan said. He said two churches involved in Preserve Marriage and chosen as polling stations — First Church of God on North Shore and Calvary Gospel Church — had been spoken to by the Parliamentary Registrar and told to remove any campaign or proselytizing literature before the polls opened. Peter Sanderson, for OUTBermuda, said those against same-sex relationships got a “head start” on their campaign because they were the ones who pushed the Government to hold the referendum. Dr Justice Kawaley asked Mr Howard yesterday why a committee was not formed to ensure the referendum was conducted fairly, as the legislation allows. The committee, he said, could have considered the date of the poll and where people would vote. Mr Howard said the date of June 23 was chosen by the Premier, Michael Dunkley, in accordance with the law. “This is a matter for the executive and a Cabinet decision based on the legislative agenda, based on other factors that are better known to them,” he said. “We submit it’s not a matter for the court to inquire into these sorts of matters. These are matters for the executive.” The Chief Justice said the timing of the vote, and whether it was prejudicial to those wanting to vote yes, was central to the issue of fairness. “The other side of the debate seems to have no coherence to it,” Dr Justice Kawaley said of the “yes” side. But Mr Howard said: “They were on an equal footing, we submit.” Voters will be asked two questions on June 23: if they are in favour of same-sex marriage and if they are in favour of civil unions. Mr Dunkley has said the result will be non-binding. June 9. This month’s referendum could lead to a constitutional crisis if the majority of ballots are against same-sex marriage and civil unions, a court heard yesterday. With less than a week to go before early polling on the June 23 referendum begins, the Centre for Justice argued at a Supreme Court hearing that the single-issue vote would breach the Constitution, the Human Rights Act and common law. The Centre’s lawyer Alex Potts also claimed before Chief Justice Ian Kawaley that a negative result could lead to Britain’s intervention to make Bermuda comply with international human rights law. But Gregory Howard, representing the Attorney-General, said the Centre’s application for judicial review of the referendum was “premature”. He said it was “perfectly permissible” to ask the people of Bermuda “what sort of recognition” should be given to same-sex relationships by asking them if they were in favour of same-sex marriage and if they were in favour of civil unions. The civil proceedings taking place this week have been brought against the AG by the Centre for Justice, an organisation which promotes human rights, civil liberties and the rule of law. Two charities have also applied to be heard as “interested parties”: same-sex marriage and civil union opponents Preserve Marriage and OUTBermuda, which promotes LGBTQ rights. Mr Potts said the Bermuda Government had repeatedly stated in recent months its obligation under international law to recognise same-sex relationships and the same view was expressed in the Chief Justice’s own landmark Bermuda Bred court ruling last year, which concerned the immigration rights of same-sex partners of Bermudians. But he said the Government would be “paralysed in its ability to do what is right” if the referendum showed the majority of the public were against recognizing same-sex relationships. “What would happen here is, essentially, a constitutional crisis,” he said, adding that either the Centre or OUTBermuda would have to appeal the issue all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. He said the UK had already legislated for same-sex marriage because it believed it was a human right and may intervene to make Bermuda, a British Overseas Territory, follow suit. The Centre’s legal bid to challenge the Act of Parliament which has paved the way for the referendum to be held — the Referendum (Same-Sex Relationships) Act 2016 — was “unprecedented”, said Mr Potts, but that did not mean it was without merit. He argued that the Government decided to hold the vote after pressure from religious lobbyists because it realized it would be “politically expedient” to do so. But even posing the questions infringed the rights of a minority, he said, adding that the country had a Premier who was “paying lip service to the idea that his government supports human rights”. Describing the two questions on the ballot paper as suffering from a “complete lack of definition”, Mr Potts said the referendum would confuse voters and would not give them a “proper opportunity to voice their feelings, concerns [and] opinions” on the topic. And he said having polling stations based in churches which are openly opposed to same-sex relationships — where pamphlets urging people to “vote no twice” were available — was “an example of undue influence. It’s all been rushed through without scrutiny or reflection,” he claimed. Mr Howard said a reasonably well-informed person would have “no doubt” about what the questions meant. He added that the referendum result was non-binding. “Although in broad brushstrokes the referendum raises issues of fundamental rights, [the questions] only obliquely touch the fundamental rights themselves. The legislature is competent and can comply with its international requirements.” Peter Sanderson, for OUTBermuda, complained that Bermuda’s LGBTQ community was not consulted over whether a referendum should be held, yet Preserve Marriage made presentations on the matter to Cabinet. “One side is clearly getting their audience,” he claimed, adding that Preserve Marriage got a head start on its referendum campaign, while the “other side” — a “small minority of the population” — had very little time to fundraise and organise. Mr Howard’s submissions are expected to continue when the hearing resumes today, followed by Delroy Duncan, representing Preserve Marriage. June 8. An island delegation is flying the Bermuda flag at a major shipping conference in Greece. The Department of Marine Operations, with the Bermuda Business Development Agency, businesspeople and the shipping industry, are at the Posidonia International Shipping Exhibition in Athens, Greece, for the first time. Senator Michael Fahy, the Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, said: “I believe it’s important that Bermuda’s business community joins with the Registrar and other officials to fly the Bermuda flag at events like these. “It is a key strategy in building the island’s shipping registry, which is a worthwhile goal of this Government.” The biennial exhibition is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and is expected to attract nearly 20,000 delegates this year. Attendees include ship owners, operators and managers, as well as ship builders, experts in maritime law, shipping registries, engine and equipment manufacturers for Europe and around the globe. June 8. For the first time, an all-Chinese team will race in the Newport Bermuda race which marks its 50th anniversary this month. Started in 1906 as one of the three most famous offshore sailing racing competitions, this year’s “Thrash to the Onion Patch” is going to share its special anniversary with the first Chinese entry in its history — Team Noahs. Located in Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, Shanghai, Noahs Sailing Club built their team as the first with all Chinese members, from skipper and crew to sponsors. Furthermore, the club has been the first and only owner of a TP52 boat in China. In this year’s race, they will sail a chartered J44. In addition to competing in the international fleet of top-level regattas, Noahs Sailing Club also stands as the messenger to bring awareness of the Chinese spirit and sailing culture. The team have chartered a J44 yacht from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy and will take their place in the highly competitive class alongside five other J44’s racing for the coveted St David’s Lighthouse Trophy. The silver lighthouse replica is awarded to the corrected time winner of the largest division in the race. Newport Bermuda has no overall winner, but has winners in all six of its various divisions. The St David’s Lighthouse Division is the largest with 113 entries. On October 9, 2015, the Audi China Coast Regatta in Hong Kong was the beginning for Team Noahs. It was the first time they had joined an international regatta. After that the team participated the Audi Hong Kong to Vietnam Yacht race on October 15, which is known as the most aggressive offshore sailing competition in Asia. Completing this race also meant the young Noahs had finished its first international top-level offshore race. On December 26, Noahs sailing team was one of the entries in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race which is one of the best-known sailing events in the world. Now Team Noahs is coming to Newport, Rhode Island, for the Bermuda race, another of the three top-level offshore races in the world. And this year the Bermuda Race is expected to be the third largest “Thrash to the Onion Patch” in its 110-year history, with 192 entries having registered. This means the competition will be very intense. Looking through the entry list, there will be many returning sailors and boats, such as Ken Read, the line honours winner in 2012 now sailing Comanche, and George Sakellaris, the owner of the 2014 line honours Maxi 72 winner Shockwave in his new Maxi 72 racer Proteus. There is also Michael Cone, the 2014 St David’s Lighthouse Trophy winner, in Actaea a Hinckley Bermuda 40. Dong Qing is the captain for team Noahs, an experienced sailor who started sailing in 2003. Chen Fulin, who has been sailing since 2014, will be the navigator. Both of them raced the team’s TP52 in the last year’s Sydney Hobart Race. “It will be a great honour for young Noahs team to have this chance to be amid this large fleet with those famous and respected sailors and their teams,” Dong Qing, the skipper, said. “In addition, we are sure that Noahs sailing team can also bring to the Bermuda race the values of branding and promotion to the Chinese audiences.” At the end of this year, Noahs Sailing Team are going to Australia to compete in the Sydney Hobart Yacht race. Yachts racing in the Newport Bermuda Race may still enter the entire Onion Patch Series or choose to add either the NYYC regatta as a warm-up or the RBYC races as a unique racing opportunity in Bermuda. Both events offer racing divisions or the second edition of the Navigators Series with “round the cans” courses. June 8. NEW YORK (Bloomberg) — Puerto Rico’s bond insurers — including Bermuda-based Assured Guaranty — are urging the commonwealth to negotiate with creditors as speculation increases that the island will default July 1 for the first time on general-obligation debt. While commonwealth officials, investors and bond-insurance companies have been negotiating for months on how to reduce Puerto Rico’s $70 billion of debt, specific talks over addressing next month’s general-obligation payment have yet to occur, Nader Tavakoli, president and chief executive officer at Ambac Financial Group, said during a Debtwire conference in Manhattan yesterday. Such talks could allow Puerto Rico to avoid lawsuits, put off some of the payment, or restructure debt before next month’s deadline. “There really have been no good-faith discussions,” Mr Tavakoli said. He said avoiding a default will be “an uphill climb”. The lack of communication with creditors, out-of-date financial information and a local debt-moratorium law that allows the governor to temporarily suspend principal and interest on commonwealth debt ignores the rights of investors, Dominic Frederico, chief executive officer at Assured Guaranty, said during the conference. “I’ve never seen behavior at this level with the treatment of creditor rights,” Mr Frederico told a packed room of about 150 participants. “The current behavior will really impact the ability to access the market for a hell of a lot longer than five years.” Governor Alejandro Garcia Padilla has said the island is unable to repay $805 million of principal and interest due July 1 on the securities, which have the highest legal priority, and also continue providing essential services for the island’s 3.5 million residents. Those payments are part of $2 billion owed by Puerto Rico and its agencies next month. The default could become the biggest yet for the Caribbean island, which began skipping payments in August on some bonds with the weakest legal protections. The anticipated lapse comes as Congress is advancing legislation aimed at resolving Puerto Rico’s fiscal crisis by giving a federal control board power to oversee the government’s budget and a potential restructuring of its debt. Melba Acosta, president of the Government Development Bank, which is overseeing the island’s debt restructuring, said during a separate panel discussion that the island is in constant talks with creditors. “We are in fact in conversation,” Mr Acosta said. “We are in fact negotiating.” June 8. Bermuda Chamber of Commerce will host a panel discussion on the controversial Pathways to Status bill next week. The event on Thursday, June 16, at 8am at the Hamilton Princess, will feature a panel of community activists and industry professionals, including Citizens Uprooting Racism in Bermuda president Lynne Winfield, economist Craig Simmons and former HSBC Bermuda chief executive officer Phil Butterfield. The session will be moderated by Chamber of Commerce president John Wight. A press release said the immigration bill had caused a “stir in the community, with strong views and opinions ... from all sides” and the panel would “weigh in on how this bill would impact Bermuda socially, politically, and economically”. Registration fees for the panel discussion are $50 for chamber members and $75 for non-members. Member tables of 10 are available for $500 per table. Registration is online at bermudachamber.bm or by calling 295-4201 or e-mailing email@example.com. June 8. Jill Husbands, the winner of the inaugural Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award, said she feels honored to have been chosen. And she hopes that young people seeking an insurance-sector career will look beyond the big name insurers and reinsurers and consider entering the world of captive insurance, which was pioneered in Bermuda by the late Mr Reiss. Ms Husbands is a shining example of what can be achieved. She has been with Marsh for 32 years and now leads Marsh IAS Management Services (Bermuda). Her career in the captive industry has been a fulfilling journey. She started as an administrative assistant before becoming an underwriter and broker and then advanced her career further at Marsh. And she has seen many changes since stepping into the world of insurance during the 1970s. However, insurance was not initially on her radar as she was preparing to leave school. She first wanted to be a physiotherapist, but then changed her mind. Instead, she took a job as an administrative assistant, working under the head underwriter. “Within a short time I decided I liked insurance, and I took my professional qualifications,” she said. She is an associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the United Kingdom. Gaining qualifications helped her to be taken seriously in an industry that at the time was dominated by men. Lloyd’s of London, for instance, only admitted its first female broker in 1973. “There were very few women in the industry,” she said, explaining that her parents had instilled in her the belief that anything is possible. In 1978 she moved to Bermuda after receiving a telephone call asking if she would be interested in working on the island. Having already traveled a great deal, she took relocating to Bermuda in her stride and immediately felt at home on the island. She was impressed by the “community of very strong women” she found. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the island’s insurance industry was much smaller than it is today, but was still a significant part of the economy. And the island’s captive sector, started by Mr Reiss in 1962, was steadily growing. Six years after arriving on the island, Ms Husbands joined Marsh in 1984. She started as an insurance officer with responsibility for a diverse portfolio of captive companies, reviewing policy documentation and making sure companies were robustly insured. She progressed to manager of the insurance and claims department, before becoming involved in business development and then was appointed head of office in 2007. Along the way she had three children: Marcus, who is at university, and Steven and Ryan, who have careers in the insurance and reinsurance sector. Ms Husbands praised Marsh not only for the way it allowed her career to flourish, but also for giving her the time and opportunity to look after her children as they were growing up. “I have never felt that I could not progress. There was a time when my sons were very small, when I did not want to progress because I wanted to look after them — and that was fine as well.” She feels she has been “listened to” at Marsh and “been able to fulfill my professional and personal aspirations”. Today, as chairwoman and managing director of Marsh IAS Management Services (Bermuda), she believes young people setting out on a career in the insurance sector should consider opportunities available in the captive space. “Captive insurance is not always seen as the glamorous side of insurance. We are the quiet industry. However, captive insurers were here long before the big insurers and reinsurers, and I believe they offer a wonderful career for young people,” she said. Touching on her own experience, she said: “Every day you should learn something new. In my professional career I wanted to continue to grow and learn, and that’s another thing about captive insurance, because every client is different, and they can come from different industries.” Ms Husbands sees a promising future for captives as risk management develops across regions such as Latin America, Asia and Africa. “Globally there is a huge future for captives,” she said, pointing out that Bermuda, as a significant insurance and captive centre with a high level of expertise, is ideally placed to cater for growth in the sector. Ms Husbands said she had seen many positive changes in the industry, particularly in terms of workforce diversity. “It has changed for the good. Diversity in the broader sense has changed significantly for the better. And Marsh globally supports diversity of all kinds,” she said. From the moment she arrived in Bermuda she felt at home. She said: “Bermuda has been very good to me. I have never felt any barrier to progress.” Ms Husbands will be presented with the Fred Reiss Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bermuda Captive Conference, which takes place at the Fairmont Southampton from June 13 to June 15. The award is named in honour of Mr Reiss, an American engineer who conceived of the idea of “self-insurance”, by which corporations could manage their own risks through a dedicated subsidiary and pursued the concept in Bermuda, launching the first captive in 1962. Ms Husbands never met Mr Reiss, who died in Bermuda in 1993, however she knows his son Jonathan very well, and her first boss in captive management, Brian Hall, worked with the late Mr Reiss. In a statement released last week, David Gibbons, the conference chairman said: “Jill is an incredibly deserving recipient of this first-time award to mark Fred’s legacy. Her contribution to this conference, our industry, and Bermuda as a whole has been invaluable and, like Fred himself, she is a remarkable professional who has set an example for all of us in this industry.” When asked how she reacted to being named as the first recipient of the lifetime achievement award, Ms Husbands said: “I was shocked in a good way. I thought there might be other people more worthy. My peers in the industry chose me for the award and it is a tremendous honour.” And regarding the three-day conference, she said: “It is tremendous and it is going from strength to strength. It’s very important to our industry and enables us to showcase Bermuda.” June 8. Royal Gazette. In our Opinion. "In many ways, the United States Constitution and the entire American experiment can be argued to be the supreme products of the Age of Reason. From its birth, America has been a society predicated on enlightened principles, one that has continuously evolved as it has strived to realize the “more perfect union” envisaged by its founders. This evolution hasn’t, of course, been seamless or without great human cost. It’s occurred in a sometimes halting, fits-and-starts manner over the course of 240 years. But throughout that time, America has managed to maintain a forward and progressive momentum, always inching ever closer to fulfilling its original promise to all of its people. So why, the rest of the world is asking, are so many Americans now seeming to embrace unreason as personified by the deeply troubling Donald Trump in the run-up to this November’s elections? The 2016 primary election season came to an end last night in California, formalizing the businessman and professional self-promoter’s once unimaginable lock on the Republican presidential nomination. It was the undramatic and long-anticipated epilogue to an unprecedented insurgency campaign, one that resulted in the mainstreaming and political legitimization of a denizen of the outermost fringes of American crackpottery. Trump’s serial recklessness and blasé contempt for convention, political propriety and even objective facts, which have the temerity to run counter to his blustering pronouncements, have gone from provoking mirth to prompting increasingly deep concerns on both political and substantive grounds. Any laughter you hear about the man now is likely to be of the decidedly nervous variety. Any one of numerous inflammatory outbursts caused by his rampant political form of Tourettes, for instance, would have been sufficient to disqualify any other putative candidate months ago. Where Trump is concerned, though, whatever did not kill his candidacy simply seemed to make him stronger. Given he will be facing the competent but uninspiring and supremely unlovable Hillary Clinton — also confirmed as the Democratic Party’s nominee last night — in November, many are now pondering what once seemed unthinkable: the prospect of a Trump administration being sworn into office next January. History would seem to preclude such an eventuality. But then history also appeared to preclude the possibility of Trump emerging from the primaries as the Republican standard-bearer. Even now an embarrassed but shameless party establishment is closing ranks behind the man they were deriding only weeks ago as, among other things, “an embarrassment to the Republican Party”, “a madman who must be stopped”, “a delusional narcissist and an orange-faced windbag”, “a cancer on conservatism” and even “our Mussolini”, despite his proclivity for making questionable public statements and employing repellent racial and religious stereotypes remaining entirely undiminished. To some, he is the bad-haired, big-mouthed monster from the id of the Republican Party’s extreme wing, giving strident voice to long-suppressed cultural resentments and animus, and myriad post-recessionary economic and social frustrations. For them, Trump is the inevitable reductio ad absurdum of the Republican establishment’s politically expedient but always dangerous flirtation with social and cultural zealots in recent decades. They view him as the embodiment of a particularly ugly form of political brutalism or what could be termed “strongmanism”, common enough in many other countries that have gone through prolonged periods of economic and social upheaval, but entirely new to the American experience, at least at such an elevated level. To others, he’s simply an unscrupulous showman, a man bereft of all guiding principles and instead driven by an insatiable need for self-aggrandizement. Whether he himself is a bigot, a racist or a misogynist is ultimately immaterial, these commentators contend. What’s important is that, like all true opportunists, he has no qualms about making use of others’ intolerance to serve his own political ends. And Trump has routinely and brazenly exploited racial, religious and cultural tensions in the US from the very day he announced his presidential bid, a candidacy seemingly so far-fetched and so very foredoomed that few took it seriously until he began racking up primary and caucus victories this year. Of course, Trump benefited immeasurably by running against so large and lacklustre a field in the Republican primaries. Then his manufactured celebrity, his ability to make himself stand out from the pack, even if only in terms of his deliberately cultivated outrageousness and his undeniable expertise at dividing opponents to conquer — often only by hair’s-breadth pluralities — proved to be of considerable value when he was facing up to 16 other contenders. In the one-on-one contest he faces now, however, he will be scrutinized, analyzed and criticised as never before. And he will have to demonstrate a mastery of more than just crude generalizations and snide insults if he is to have any possible chance of prevailing in the general election. He is now the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, after all, not a seat-of-your-pants outsider running a vanity campaign as outsized as his ego. As an insurgent on his party’s primary campaign trail, he had the luxury of being able to be openly contemptuous of the complexities of political and economic processes while running against establishment names closely identified with Washington gridlock, stagnant wages, declining social mobility and a dwindling US manufacturing base. He won applause and votes by playing to the more marginalized elements of the Republican base, those who felt most dissatisfied and neglected, by repeatedly expressing fire-and-brimstone impatience with the finer details and nuance of statecraft. But socioeconomic and political realities cannot be ignored or simply insulted out of existence, particularly by the occupant of the Oval Office. Reality, after all, is that which does not go away just because you stage a tantrum and refuse to believe in it. It’s been said of Trump that this “Master Persuader was able to continuously warp reality until he got what he wanted” in the primary elections. He will find this a much harder feat to pull off in the general election campaign when he needs to put together a demographically, culturally and geographically disparate nationwide coalition to prevail at the polls. He will also, of course, require an outright majority of the votes cast to be elected in a one-on-one match up, not the simple plurality of party members sufficient to secure him the GOP nomination in a very heavily contested field. Given his demonstrated ability to insult and to alienate some of the very constituencies he will require to put together such a grand coalition — women, Hispanics and even many other Republicans — the odds of Trump being able to seal this particular deal with the American people are probably on the same order as those of Bermuda playing in the next World Cup final. And winning. And that is why those in Bermuda concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency probably needn’t lose too much sleep, at least not just yet, and conclude the unique and always improbable American experiment is about to end in failure." June 8. Efforts to implement roadside sobriety testing and checkpoints are still under way, according to the minister of transport, Senator Michael Fahy. In response to shadow transport minister Lawrence Scott calling on the Bermuda Government to put the measures in place before Cup Match, Mr Fahy told The Royal Gazette that he is continuing to meet with stakeholders to try and move the necessary legislation forward. “I am working on it,” he said, adding that he met with the Bermuda Road Safety Council on Monday and would be meeting with CADA this week as well as the Bermuda Police Service next week. Mr Fahy added that although there are still “some suggestions about constitutional issues” regarding roadside sobriety testing and checkpoints, work continues to overcome these. He said Mr Scott “is well aware of this”, having spoken with the Road Safety Council at the former Minister’s invitation, and said he was disappointed that the topic was being used for “political point-scoring”. Speaking in the House of Assembly on Friday, Mr Scott urged the Government to introduce roadside sobriety testing and checkpoints before Cup Match, when there is a “traditional, historic, statistical spike in road traffic accidents, motoring incidents and drunk-driving. We cannot afford to go into another major holiday without having roadside sobriety checkpoints in place. This Government needs to bring roadside sobriety checkpoints to fruition prior to the Cup Match holiday.” Mr Scott said former transport minister Shawn Crockwell had gone on record saying that the Government was going to bring roadside sobriety testing and road side sobriety checkpoints this year. He added that other former ministers, as well as the Bermuda Road Safety Council, had thrown their weight behind the issue without results. “I understand that there were some challenges but they should be overcome. It’s not a constitutional issue — that’s what some people want you to believe that it is a constitutional issue.” Although Shawn Crockwell, the former minister of transport, encouraged Mr Scott to keep pressing the issue, he also insisted that there were still constitutional issues that needed to be overcome. “There have been multiple previous ministers on both sides of the aisle that attempted to implement roadside sobriety testing and there is some disagreement within the attorney-general’s chambers and the DPP’s [Director of Public Prosecutions] office in relation to some constitutional issues and the implementation of it,” he said. June 8. Bus depot staff are working “even more feverishly” to get other buses on the road after several were pulled out of service as a result of a wheel coming off a bus, according to the transport minister. Senator Michael Fahy spoke to The Royal Gazette after it was announced that buses of the same make and year as the one involved in the incident in Sandys on Friday would be subject to a “thorough inspection”. He also dismissed claims by shadow transport minister Lawrence Scott that budget cuts were to blame for continuing problems with the island’s fleet. “As a result of these buses being taken out of service, the depot is working even more feverishly to get other buses into service,” Mr Fahy said, adding that swift action had been taken to rectify the problems that led to Friday’s incident. And while the Department of Transportation aimed to keep the service running smoothly, he said that in the event of any cancellations or disruptions “appropriate notifications will be made to the public if possible”. But Mr Fahy also stressed that maintenance “has always been an ongoing issue”, with previous transport ministers admitting and accepting that the island has an ageing fleet In response to comments by Mr Scott, who blamed continuing issues with the public transportation vehicles on a lack of funding for maintenance and claimed the One Bermuda Alliance Government had shown an “historic” record for bus problems, Mr Fahy pointed to numerous incidences under the Progressive Labour Party administration. These included 18 buses being out of service because of a shortage in tyres in June 2012, mechanical problems with the bus fleet leaving primary students stranded in September that same year, and an incident in January 2012 that saw an empty bus roll into a Washington Street building. He also noted that, in September 2011, the transport ministry said it would be looking to bring in overseas mechanics to help retrain local mechanics because about 50 of the island’s 119 buses were off the roads. “Based on what Lawrence Scott said, it is a falsehood to suggest that any of the bus maintenance issues have just arisen,” Mr Fahy said. “I dismiss what he said wholeheartedly. The past speaks for itself. It is really just an ongoing maintenance issue. It’s not a new problem as is being suggested by the shadow. We have buses in service since 1998. Given this ageing fleet, the mechanics at the depot do a fantastic job with what they have to work with.” He also stressed that safety is paramount and added that a process was under way to identify other buses that may be more appropriate for Bermuda. June 8. The Bermuda Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is urging the public to get their pets microchipped this month as part of Microchip Your Pet Month. While the law requires all dogs to be microchipped and correctly registered to their owner, the charity said microchipping other pets was “optional but highly recommended”. Jodi Corbett, humane education officer at the charity, said: “The SPCA receives reports daily of lost, found and deceased animals, if they are not microchipped we have no way of identifying an owner and no proof of ownership should there be a dispute. We believe that microchipping is a major part of being a responsible pet owner.” The microchips used to tag pets are slightly larger than a grain of rice, and are implanted in the loose skin between the pet’s shoulder blades. When a tagged animal is found, veterinarians or animal wardens can use a database to identify who the pet belongs to. A spokeswoman for the charity said: “If a chip is found and your details are up to date then you will get a call letting you know where you animal is. If there is no chip you may never be reunited with your pet again and there is a chance he or she will be legally rehomed after a mandatory four-day waiting period.” All cats and dogs at the SPCA are spayed/neutered and microchipped before leaving the shelter as part of the medical care included with every adoption. For more information about the importance of microchipping visit www.spca.bm or call your vet to make an appointment for your pet to be microchipped. June 7. A groundbreaking Supreme Court judgment could pave the way for some criminal suspects who have been held in custody while awaiting trial to receive legal aid. Last month Chief Justice Ian Kawaley ruled for the first time that being in custody was a relevant factor to be considered when the Legal Aid Committee looked at an application. However, the Chief Justice stressed that the success of such an application would depend on the “facts of each case”. His judgment followed a legal challenge by a defendant, who can’t be named for legal reasons, who was refused legal aid and had been in custody for more than seven months. The committee ruled the man could not receive legal aid as when he initially applied for it he was living with his parents and was part of the family’s household, and therefore the household’s income needed to be taken into account. As a result the applicant launched an application for judicial review against the Attorney-General in the Supreme Court. Mr Justice Kawaley found that the committee had “erred in law” by determining that he was part of his parent’s household relating to his eligibility for legal aid. “I accordingly find that the committee erred in law in reconsidering the applicant’s application for legal aid in March 2016 on the basis that he was at that time still to be regarded as part of his parents’ household for eligibility purposes,” said Mr Justice Kawaley. “This finding should not be taken to suggest that the mere fact that an applicant is remanded in custody operates, without more, to effect a change of the household to which he belongs. Whether such a change has occurred will depend on the facts of each case. The applicant is entitled to an order of mandamus directing the Legal Aid Committee to issue him a legal aid certificate in respect of the case.” In his judgment Mr Justice Kawaley said the committee should not be criticised for the way it handled the application. “The applicant did not present the most coherent or consistent series of applications and the present picture is somewhat different to that which confronted the committee in its deliberations.” The applicant’s lawyer, Peter Sanderson, told The Royal Gazette that the judgment did not address the broader issue of who is included in a “household” generally. “It establishes for the first time that being in custody is a relevant factor when considering whether a person is still part of a household on the outside,” said Mr Sanderson. “This is of assistance only to people of limited means who have been remanded into custody. The judgment does not address the broader issues of who is included in a household generally. Further, legal aid is only available if the household income is less than $18,000 after some modest deductions, and very few households are under the threshold.” June 7. Intensive seafarer training lies ahead for a host of Marine and Ports staff. Training is proposed for more than 70 employees who operate vessels, including captains, engine drivers and leading seamen. The first six of 20 planned for this year are already at Britain’s Warsash Maritime Academy, one of the world’s top centres for maritime training. The Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping course will better prepare them for their duties aboard the nine Lloyd’s class vessels in the Marine and Ports fleet. The basic STCW training started on Monday, ends on June 10 and has been arranged through a partnership with the Department of Workforce Development. Minister of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities Michael Fahy said the training would benefit the travelling public and bring the Marine and Ports the professional backing in line with seafarers worldwide. “Warsash is one of the most highly regarded institutions for maritime teaching and this type of training is also great for career mobility,” Senator Fahy said. Bermuda is a signatory to the 1978 STCW International Convention, which was the first to set qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships. Warsash Maritime Academy is a part of Southampton Solent University with a campus in the village of Warsash on the east bank of the River Hamble, near the English cities of Southampton and Portsmouth. June 7. Tropical Storm Colin — now a post-tropical cyclone — is not a threat to Bermuda, although it is still forecast to pass well to the north of the island. According to the National Hurricane Centre, the storm was moving away from the East Coast of the United States this evening. In its 6pm advisory, the Bermuda Weather Service said the weather system was then expected to continue on a northwesterly track, with its closest point of approach to Bermuda expected to be at about 11pm today, passing 395 nautical miles to the northwest of the island. Strong winds with gale force gusts, along with showers and a chance of thunder, can be expected tonight through tomorrow. June 7. Volunteers from two local firms recently lent a hand at the National Museum of Bermuda, helping to preserve 25 historical cannon. Despite the bad weather, teams from Aon Benfield Bermuda and KRyS Global — about 35 volunteers in all — went to the museum on Friday to paint the cannon as part of their community outreach days. With tourists looking on, the volunteers took on the 19th-century cannon and gun placements scattered along the ramparts, plus the slightly more intricate work painting the 18-tonne rifled muzzle loader and its carriage at Bastion F. Cecilia Cumigad, vice-president in Aon’s financial services department, said: “It’s good to do these things once in a while to give back to the community. I was telling my husband that it’s good to learn how to paint and to do away with our calculators for the day.” Meanwhile, Mathew Clingerman, KRyS managing director, called the Museum a Bermuda icon and said the volunteers were happy to do whatever they could to help. “This is just one small way in which we can benefit local families and tourists alike who would like to understand and appreciate important parts of Bermuda’s history,” he said. June 7. A Sandys man has admitted cannabis possession this morning after the substance was discovered in his car, his house and his waistband. Levi Robinson, 48, was driving along Cricket Lane in Somerset when he was stopped by police at the junction with Broome Street on November 25, 2012. As officers began to perform a search, the defendant advised them to check in the trunk of the car, where they found one plastic twist and one paper twist. After being arrested, Robinson was seen in his police cell removing a quantity of cannabis from his waistband and trying to destroy it with his feet. Upon searching his residence, officers found more plantlike material, which was later confirmed as cannabis along with the other samples. Although Robinson at first denied any knowledge of the drugs, which weighed a combined 24.48 grams, he later admitted that they belonged to him. Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo spoke of his wariness in granting the defendant bail, pointing out that the last time this happened he went “missing for two years”. However, taking into account Robinson’s guilty plea, his lack of previous convictions and the small quantities of cannabis in question, Mr Tokunbo released him on $5,000 bail with a like surety. As well as ordering a Social Inquiry Report and a drug assessment, Mr Tokunbo instructed the defendant to report to police every Monday, Wednesday and Friday until his sentencing on July 22. June 7. Police have responded to a report of willful damage at a public male bathroom, located at the junction of Victoria Street and Washington Street. It appears that over the weekend someone entered the bathroom and wrote what are being described as hateful comments on the walls, said a police spokesman. An investigation into the matter is now under way and police are appealing to the public for assistance in finding the person or persons responsible. Anyone with any information is encouraged to call police on 295-0011 or the confidential and anonymous crime stoppers hotline number on 800-8477. June 7. Theo Wolffe from Warwick Academy earned the top scholarship at the 15th Annual Alpha Beautillion awards which took place on Sunday at the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium. The scholarship, sponsored by Digicel, was worth $5,000 with five other boys sharing $8,000. Male students from schools across the island had been participating in a six-month all-inclusive skills and leadership programme to compete for the educational scholarships. The six young men who represented their schools were Enrico Escolastica from Berkeley Institute, Alfred Trey Maybury from Saltus Grammar School, Rollin Nathan Junior from Bermuda Institute, Jordan Simmons-Trott from CedarBridge Academy, Chakote Wainwright from IMPACT Mentoring Academy and Theo Wolffe from Warwick Academy. An Alpha Beautillion scholarship spokesperson explained that since January, the students had been mentored by the Brothers of the Epsilon Theta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and community partners such as Digicel, Deloitte, Butterfield & Vallis and Bermuda Toastmasters Club. They also regularly visited the Matilda Smith Williams Rest Home to assist staff with the residents. The preliminary marks comprised of community service, deportment, a written essay, attendance of workshops and selling ad/ticket sales for the awards ceremony. The finale consisted of an introduction, a prepared speech, an impromptu Q&A on a topical subject and a step show exhibition. A panel of judges marked each segment, which was tallied up and combined with the preliminary scores to determine the winner. Overall winner Theo Wolffe said: “The Beautillion was an amazing experience as I not only gained valuable skills but I also formed a strong friendship with other motivated student. “I would like to thank all the Brothers for their valued mentorship throughout the Beautillion and hope that the programme can continue for many years. I am going to use this generous scholarship to attend University in Canada and pursue a Masters in Business Administration. It’s my hope to open my own business in Bermuda to contribute to the island that raised me.” Runner-up, Jordan Simmons-Trott was awarded a $3,000 scholarship and second runner-up Enrico Escolastica took home a $2,000 scholarship. All of the participants received a $1,000 scholarship and the chance to attend a global leadership conference in New York later this year. Judges included Veronique Sotto, Operational Excellence Director at Digicel; Sylvan Richards, Minister of Social Development and Sport; John Barritt, former MP and lawyer; Jessica Mello, Director, Consulting at Deloitte; and Karla Lacey, Chief Operating Officer at the, Bermuda Tourism Authority. This year marked the 15th year since the ‘rights of passage’ scholarship programme run by the Fraternity was launched. Since 2002, the programme has mentored a total of 76 young men and raised over $165,000 towards university scholarships. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was established in 1906 as the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity for men of African descent in America. June 6. Bermuda's rating has been downgraded to A2 from A1 by Moody's Investors Service. The high level of interest repayments the Bermuda Government makes to service the island's debt of more than $2.2 billion was among the determining factors that led to Moody's decision. The island's rating has now been lowered by Moody's four times since April 2009. The agency said Bermuda's outlook remains stable. Rating downgrades generally make it more expensive for the government to borrow money. Bob Richards, the finance minister, said it was disappointing that Moody's had downgraded the island, but stated he would not swerve from his plan to balance the island's budget by fiscal year 2018-19. Bermuda's lower economic strength, relative to A1 peers, was one of the rationale for the downgrade identified by Moody's. In a statement, the agency noted that the island's economy of $5.8 billion was significantly smaller than the A1 median of $256 billion. “Even as the country emerges from recession, we do not think that the negative impact of its size on its credit profile will be compensated for by growth: we forecast that Bermuda will grow on average 1.8 per cent annually in 2016-20, lower than the 3 per cent median forecast for A-rated peers,” stated Moody's. “The latter factors weigh on the island's overall economic resilience and point to Bermuda's higher susceptibility to shocks than A1-rated sovereigns.” Moody's noted that the island's debt-to-GDP ratio has been about 40 per cent since 2013, and was a debt burden in line with the median for A1-rated peers. However, Bermuda's narrow revenue base means the interest burden on its debt, the interest payments-to-revenue ratio, is above 12 per cent. That is the second highest among A-rated sovereigns, where the A1 median is 4.5 per cent. “The need to devote greater resources to servicing its debt leaves Bermuda with considerably lower fiscal flexibility than its A1-rated peers and less able to absorb shocks,” stated Moody's, which last lowered the island's rating two years ago. Reacting to the news, Mr Richards said: “Given the momentum we continue to gain in reducing the deficit, as outlined in the government medium-term expenditure framework, it is disappointing that Moody's has chosen to downgrade Bermuda.” Moody's noted that the island's economy was in recession from 2009 to 2014, contracting by 3.3 per cent annually, however it estimated the economy grew by 1.5 per cent in real terms last year. Moody's reported: “Positive economic momentum should carry into 2016 and 2017 supported by increased tourism activity related to the 2017 America's Cup, as well as by increased investment on tourism-related and public infrastructure projects. Moody's expects that the economy will accelerate to 2.3 per cent on average in 2016-17 and will grow 1 to 2 per cent during the following three years.” Regarding the stable outlook, Moody's attributed this to “our view that with economic prospects beginning to improve and the government's consolidation programme expected to support a gradual improvement in the fiscal position, debt metrics will remain stable over the rating horizon”. Mr Richards, who is also the Deputy Premier, said the report would not change his plans to balance the budget by fiscal year 2018-19. He said: “Keys to getting Bermuda back on a balanced footing include avoiding becoming too aggressive in cutting expenditure, because that would mean huge layoffs and/or cuts to government programmes such as financial assistance, health and education. Also we must not excessively increase taxes, because that would only put a burden on our people and discourage foreign direct investment.” He added: “Standard & Poor's affirmed our rating at A+ and furthermore, in February of this year, Moody's published a glowing report on Bermuda titled, Bermuda's Fiscal Consolidation Efforts Bear Fruit, a Credit Positive. It would therefore seem inconsistent that Bermuda should be downgraded by Moody's now.” Moody's lowered Bermuda's rating from Aa1 to Aa2 in 2009, and to Aa3 in 2013. A year later the rating was downgraded a further notch to A1, where it remained for two years until the latest downgrade. Countries that have Moody's “Aaa” top rating include Australia, Canada, United States, and Switzerland. Isle of Man is rated Aa1, while Cayman Islands is Aa3. Countries that are A2 rated include Poland and Slovakia, while Ireland, Malta and Malaysia are a notch lower at A3. June 6. Bob Richards, the Minister of Finance, has defended his position in face of accusations that he did not adhere to financial instructions over the release of key information about the Bermuda Government’s airport plans. Shadow minister and chairman of the Public Accounts Committee David Burt took Mr Richards to task in the House of Assembly over details he believes should be released with regards to the deal with Canadian Commercial Corporation. Accountant-General Curtis Stovell originally maintained that while he had waived protocol in the Government’s early dealings with CCC, he was not asked for later waivers in writing, hence financial instructions had not been adhered to. However, in December 2015, financial secretary Anthony Manders insisted that Mr Stovell’s approval at the start had covered the entire deal with CCC — including CCC’s selection of Aecon, a Canadian contracting company, to build a new terminal at LF Wade International Airport. In Friday’s House session, Mr Richards read out a quote from Mr Stovell that was printed in a Royal Gazette article on December 18, 2015. In the article, Mr Stovell conceded that communication should have been much better than it was, but said he had since been given the necessary information. Mr Richards read Mr Stovell’s quote that Mr Stovell was “not saying that we are not currently in compliance”. Mr Burt said he did not see reference to the quote in the official transcript and challenged Mr Richards to produce the evidence at a later date. Mr Burt said: “The Government is able to set their policy, however it is our responsibility to hold them accountable. He [Mr Richards] is frustrating the will of the elected body, he has delayed on a request by your very own PAC committee meeting which was passed unanimously, and now he has ignored a summons which was voted on in another meeting. Nothing from the civil servants, nothing from the minister, all we hear is we have to get Aecon’s permission.” Mr Richards retorted: “His story is that the Bermuda Government has not got the permission of the Accountant-General for waivers for financial instructions — he keeps saying that we are operating outside of financial instructions and that is not correct.” The minister then made reference to another situation it reminded him where Mr Burt was unable to “differentiate between truth and fiction.” He raised the issue of Mr Burt’s previous assertions that members of the One Bermuda Alliance had not contacted him about being unable to attend a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee meeting, when in fact, they had. Mr Burt accused Mr Richards of misleading the House, saying that members had even claimed they would be turning up to lay motions. But Mr Richards pushed on: “The honourable member can’t seem to differentiate between truth and fiction because he said that he had not been communicated to by them and then when The Royal Gazette reporter produced the e-mails that they sent him he said, ‘oh yes’. You can’t have it both ways.” When Speaker of the House Randy Horton disciplined Mr Richards for calling into question Mr Burt’s integrity, the minister said “I am not commenting on his integrity, I am commenting on his veracity” to which Mr Horton said there was little difference. June 6. Bermudians are remembering “an inspiration”, “a formidable fighting spirit” and “the greatest champion ever to have lived” with the passing of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The great sportsman, who passed away on Friday, visited Bermuda in 1965 and 1974 and made a lasting impression on those who were lucky enough to meet him. During his visits, the American icon did not shy away from the limelight — he took time to visit a number of schools, including Robert Crawford and Central School (now Victor Scott Primary), and to make a speech at the Clayhouse Inn while wowing the staff and guests at the former Hamilton Princess where he was staying. Trailblazing promoter Olive Trott brought Ali here in 1965 to take part in a boxing exhibition at the Tennis Stadium. She asked her friend and former police officer Wentworth Christopher to “provide assistance” throughout his visit. While Ali was at the Hamilton Princess during his three-day trip to the island, he was faced with contempt by some of the hotel guests because of the memory of his stance against the Vietnam War, which cost him 3½ years out of the ring when he was at his peak. One of the things that stood out in Mr Wentworth’s memory was how Ali had those same guests “feeding out of his hands” in a few moments. Mr Wentworth recalls: “Some guests were not too friendly disposed to him due to the ‘draft-dodging’ situation and it was interesting to see how he was able to win over those guests — people were looking at him in mystery and contempt, but he soon had them feeding out of his hands.” Mr Christopher was able to remain in proximity to Ali throughout his stay and was even the target of his playful humour. Recalling the incident, he laughed: “I wasn’t too happy about that ... I was dressed in a three-piece suit and Muhammad was in a tracksuit. We were leaving Burnaby Street going towards Cedar Avenue and I was walking at a dignified pace. All of a sudden, he started running and, of course, I couldn’t let him run ahead and leave me walking at a dignified pace, so I had to run in my three-piece suit. It must have been a sight for people to see.” According to Mr Christopher, Ali’s visit was spurred by a healthy interest he had paid to the contestants of Miss Universe event, who shared a gym with him in Miami Beach. Ms Trott, the founder of the Miss Bermuda contest in 1965 and a woman whom Ali affectionately called “my Bermuda mama”, set a challenge for her friend Ali. “Olive Trott was at the Miss Universe contest and he had his gym in the same building,” Mr Christopher said. “She saw how he was admiring all the contestants, so she told him if he came to Bermuda and put on an exhibition, he would get to see more of Miss Bermuda. That was in July of 1965 and he was here in September.” The boxing exhibition itself was a success. Ali faced Kid Gavilán in the ring and the match was refereed by Bermudian Freddie Thomas, the father of Marico Thomas, of Four Star Pizza, and a boxer himself. Speaking on the loss of Ali, Mr Christopher added: “It was a sad experience. It was tragic even when you saw him at the Olympics [as a torchbearer at the Atlanta Games in 1996], when a man who was so fast on his feet was a shell of his former self, even though you could still detect that formidable fighting spirit that was within him. I remember a great man, a man of character. He was kind-hearted and easy to get along with. Most people who interacted with him were in awe of him.” During his visit to The Central School in 1974, he certainly had the young boys who attended the school in awe. Brownlow Adderley was one of those boys, and he said he was so excited to see him that he was “jumping up and down”. During the assembly, one of the other boys, whom Mr Christopher believes to be Troy Clark, started doing the “Ali Shuffle” and Ali told him to come up on stage and do it. He said to the boy: “You think you can beat me?” The boy nodded and Ali promptly got down on one knee and told him “go ahead and see if you can knock me out”. Mr Adderley recalled that the boy went at him “furiously and fearlessly”, causing Yvonne Simmons, the school principal, to attempt to intervene, but Ali said “no, let him go”. Troy managed to catch Ali with a punch and the Champ played the role of being out for the count. Ali then raised the boy’s hand and said he is the new world champion. Mr Adderley said: “I was amazed; I wanted to be the kid on the stage.” But he got to have an even closer encounter with the man who became known simply as “The Greatest”. After Ali’s visit, the teachers told the children to return to their classrooms, but Mr Adderley had other ideas. “I didn’t care if I got punished, I just wanted to get close to him, so I bolted after him and some of my friends followed me,” Mr Adderley said. “We ran up to his car and he wound down the window and said, ‘You wanna piece of me, too?’”. Mr Adderley, who had a stutter back then, was so star-struck that he couldn’t get a single word out. He added: “Then he just said: ‘Stay in school and learn all you can’.” Describing himself as a “sports fanatic”, Ali was an inspiration but he inspired the young Mr Adderley in other ways. “As children we live in our own world and are not subjected to the struggles our parents went through,” he said. “Then you learn more about history and my admiration for him grew.” Mr Adderley had a chance encounter with Ali was years later in New York when he was in the city with “baseball fanatics” John Ray and Anthony Mouchette, and Ali stepped out of a yellow cab on Broadway. “Tony recognized him from the back of his head,” Mr Adderley recalls. “No one has the same-shaped head as him. I went up to him and said, ‘Hey, champ’ and I saw his hands were shaking from the Parkinson’s. He gave me a signed Muslim leaflet.” On hearing the news of Ali’s death, Mr Adderley said: “I was very saddened — it is hard to deny that he was the greatest. He was magnificent.” Harry Patchett was a young teacher of English at Robert Crawford school when Ali visited. “He spoke to the students and staff for 45 minutes without a script or notes of any kind,” he recalls. “The students were spellbound throughout his presentation, hanging on to his every word — the boys at Crawford in 1974 were a tough crowd, but he had them in the palm of his hand.” Premier Michael Dunkley paid tribute to Ali saying: “All of Bermuda should pause for a moment to be thankful for the life of Muhammad Ali, perhaps the greatest fighter and personality of our time. Generations will recall the excitement and love he brought to the world. Muhammad Ali was a man of principle, unafraid and courageous ... He brought this same spirit of commitment to global causes, and through his generosity, many young men and women have benefited. For people everywhere, of every race, nationality and age, Muhammad Ali was a charismatic hero, a freedom fighter and a true role model. The world is better for his life. May he rest in peace.” Peter Larder took part in a karate demonstration in the same ring as Ali during the exhibition in Bermuda on his first visit. “I met Ali briefly in the changing room and he was charming, boasting to me that he was faster than any karate man,” Mr Larder said. “I remember him as light-hearted yet fully focused on his two ‘bouts’ in front of a fairly small but admiring Bermudian crowd.” A man called Ali Muhammad met with Ali’s unforgettable humour when he met him as a young boy at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. “I remember Muhammad Ali asking me my name,” Mr Muhammad said. “I said in the proudest voice I could muster, ‘Ali Muhammad’. I’ll never forget what he said ... ‘Oh, you must be the lover, not the fighter; that’s why it’s the other way around.’ “Whenever I introduce myself to this day, I still repeat that quote.” Ali’s memory of Bermuda remained strong even after he was stricken with Parkinson’s disease and confined largely to a wheelchair. When he was approached by a Royal Gazette reporter at a media event during the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and asked of his trips to Bermuda, he flashed a broad smile. Barely able to speak at that point, he clearly remembered his Bermudian friends, who followed his legendary career right until his final bout. June 6. By the RG's Adrian Robson. "It wasn’t quite a baptism of fire but it felt like it; certainly as the evening wore on the temperature soared. Staring at the fastest fists in the world, I could feel beads of sweat running across my forehead. This wasn’t just the suffocating humidity. I’d plunged into the lion’s den. As a 21-year-old reporter, perhaps still wet behind the ears, not familiar with the surroundings or the people, I had arrived on the island just weeks earlier. On this evening, I had volunteered to cover an event that surely would have whetted the appetite of any self-respecting sports journalist — although, apparently, neither my editor nor my sports editor were particularly impressed. The Clayhouse Inn on North Shore had been chosen as the venue where hundreds of Bermudians would gather to hear the gospel as preached by a man who had already been afforded the moniker “The Greatest”. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice that I was the only Caucasian in the room. There may have been others, but none were remotely close. Unfortunately, Muhammad Ali had made the same observation. With notebook in hand, it was also clear I was on assignment. Picking his moment, and pointing to me, he asked why I been had sent to his presentation. Surely, there were equally capable Bermudians who could do the same job. There was no logical answer, if any. As Ali pursued the subject — expats competing for jobs with the natives — my agitation might just have become visible and, kindly and thankfully, he diverted to another issue. Anxious to make my escape after Ali stepped down from the stage, and wary of any potential confrontation with those in the crowd, I climbed aboard my newly acquired moby and sped back to the office. What would transpire over the next 24 hours has been embedded in the memory bank for the past 42 years. If that night was one to remember, then the events of the next day would be mind-numbing. A morning phone call from someone within the Ali entourage — it might even been his trusted trainer Angelo Dundee, the same trainer who years later would turn his attention to a young Bermudian fighter, Troy Darrell — demanded I meet Ali in his Hamilton Princess suite. Why, I wondered. If he wanted to grant an interview to the local newspaper, surely, given his comments the night before, he would have advocated a Bermudian get the job. But he specially wanted the reporter whom he had met at the Clayhouse. Upon entering the hotel, I identified myself to Ali’s security guards and was quickly ushered to his room where he stood alone, waving away the guards before closing the door. In the light of day, the Champ appeared even bigger, taller, more muscular — a giant of a man who had terrorized and tortured almost every boxer he had confronted in the ring. Yet, over the next hour he revealed a nature that few could imagine. Humble beyond belief, he apologized for the comments made the previous evening and any embarrassment he had inflicted. How could I respond? I wasn’t embarrassed or humiliated. I was terrified! As we spoke, I hung over his every word. This wasn’t an interview, merely a conservation, he insisted. He spoke of Joe Frazier, how they had to fight again to decide once and for all who was the greatest. He threw off his shirt, performed the “Ali Shuffle”, skipped around the sofa and shadow-boxed in front of a mirror, before thundering a fake left hook, which came within a hair’s breadth of dislodging my nose. Smokin’ Joe would have to deal with all of that and very much more. Those comical antics eventually gave way to a more somber discussion. He touched on civil rights and religion — he had converted to Islam, changed his name and spent three years in the boxing wilderness after refusing to fight in Vietnam. “Why would I want to kill innocent people who had never harmed me?”, he had previously protested. But most of all, he talked of his family. He went to a drawer, pulled out a wallet that contained pictures of his wife and children and proudly showed them to me, one by one. This was his second marriage. His first, to Sonji Roi Clay, had ended in divorce, 16 months after they married. Now he was with the former Belinda Boyd, whom he married in 1967 and was still with her after the birth of their four children — twin daughters Jamilla and Rasheda, another daughter, Maryum, and their only son, Muhammad Ali Jr. It was these pictures that he carried wherever he traveled. Belinda went the same way as Sonji. Ali married twice more and in total fathered nine children. Boxing was his passion, but family overrode anything else in his life. Some 45 minutes passed, and I could have listened for the rest of the day, but he had to meet the journalists who had gathered in the lobby for an informal conference. We traveled together down the elevator, I thanked him for his time and slipped out of the exit. There was no point in staying. Whatever he would say to the remaining press gang couldn’t compare to what I had experienced. And there was no point in hurrying back into the office. Eric Hopwood, then the editor, had made it clear, no matter what Ali said, it wouldn’t be worth reporting at length. Twenty-two years passed before I would see Ali again. The change in health and appearance had been devastating. The constant pounding to the head, according to doctors, had triggered Parkinson’s disease. As he lit the Olympic torch to signal the opening of the 1996 Atlanta Games, his body trembled. A sad sight for a man who, quite literally, had ruled the world. We would meet again at the Sydney Olympics in 2000, in more intimate surroundings. A small function had been arranged for a group journalists at the Rosehill Gardens Racecourse outside the city. Ali made his entry in a wheelchair, his head bowed, his smile weak. I waited some 20 minutes before approaching his daughter and asked if I could have a brief, private conversation with the man who had enthralled so many Bermudians when he visited in 1974 and the times he had flown into the island in the 1960s. Mere mention of Bermuda had piqued Ali’s interest. His speech was impaired but clearly his mind wasn’t. I wondered whether he could have recalled our meeting at the Princess. It was unlikely, but for me it was unforgettable. I’d had the privilege of interviewing some of sports greats — Pelé, Jack Nicklaus, Brian Lara, Jimmy Connors and many others — but by far Ali was The Greatest. He always will be." June 6. The Bermuda Government is investigating after a Public Works vehicle was photographed with a sticker supporting the Preserve Marriage campaign. The bumper sticker on one of the Government’s Toyota vehicles, urged people to “vote no twice” in opposition to same-sex marriage and civil unions at the referendum on June 23. After it became the focus of a social media debate over the weekend, the Ministry of Public Works issued a statement on the matter yesterday. “The ministry can confirm that bumper stickers or other messages affixed to government vehicles other than ministry or department detail are not permitted. Therefore, the Ministry of Public Works will take the necessary steps to investigate this matter.” June 6. Shadow transport minister Lawrence Scott has blamed budget cuts for continuing problems with the island’s bus fleet. It comes after a Ministry of Transport spokesman revealed yesterday that a number of buses would be taken out of service for inspection after a wheel came off a bus in Sandys on Friday. The incident took place less than nine months after the number of buses off the roads surged to 53 because of problems ranging from electrical issues and overheating to accidents. However, the spokesman was unable to confirm how many passengers were on board the bus and how many buses would be pulled out of service as a result. “This is a reflection of the budget cuts that the OBA Government has made in relation to preventive maintenance and necessary maintenance on these buses,” Mr Scott told The Royal Gazette. According to Mr Scott, the OBA administration had shown an “historic” record for problems with island’s complement of buses. “We’ve never had a bus catch on fire before or this many buses out of service at any given time,” he said. Mr Scott also referenced an incident in June 2015, when an empty bus ploughed into a building on Washington Street after its brakes failed. And he estimated that at least 80 per cent of the motoring public would be able to recall a broken down bus on the side of the road with no one in it under the OBA Government. “That is not something we saw before,” he added. “The PLP had the strongest economy this country has ever seen under Alex Scott. And you didn’t see buses breaking down under former minister Ewart Brown. The OBA touts itself as being good at business. How can you say you are good at business if you are running a department where reliability is key but there is no reliability? Under the OBA, we’ve had people waiting for buses that never came,” he said, adding that there was no forewarning this would happen. Mr Scott said he had urged the Government to spend its money wisely during the Budget debate and yet it “seems that this Government likes to cut budgets for the sake of cutting budgets. Which means there is inefficient and ineffective management of the public purse. This coming from the Government that supposedly has all the business-minded and business-savvy people.” He added that the incident was also a reflection of the Government not listening to its people, the frontline workers and laborers who have spoken out about “what they need to be successful”. According to the Government spokesman, all buses of the same make and model as the one involved in the incident on Friday will be inspected. “The Ministry has liaised with personnel in the Department of Public Transportation who are actively investigating a reported incident in Sandys parish involving a parked bus in the White Hill area bus lay-by,” the spokesman said. “Initial reports indicate that a wheel was dislodged, causing passengers to board a second bus. The DPT has undertaken to pull all the vehicles of that make and year out of service to carry out a thorough inspection before they are put back into the fleet.” The spokesman added that the DPT was “committed to providing the most efficient service and regards the safety of the passengers of the utmost importance” and will endeavour to keep the service running “as smoothly as possible while remedying the situation”. The Royal Gazette approached Transport Minister Michael Fahy, but he was unable to comment. June 6. Rolfe Commissiong has suggested that the Employment Act needs to be amended so that employers are obliged to pay overtime rates to employees working in excess of 40 hours a week. During the motion to adjourn in the House of Assembly on Friday, he said the practice of employers being able to negotiate overtime rates with their employees could be detrimental to Bermudians who insist on proper overtime rates. He referenced The Royal Gazette article about Bermudian carpenter Pernell Grant who had been discriminated against on the grounds of his nationality. Mr Grant said he believed the reason he was not being given overtime opportunities “may have been caused by his insistence of being paid one-and-a-half times the base wage for work beyond 40 hours while other workers receive straight time”. Mr Commissiong said: “Overtime pay for overtime work should be considered a right, not a privilege”. Referring to the Employment Act, Mr Commissiong pointed out that exemptions could be made for overtime rates under agreement of the employer and employee. “This is where the tyre hits the road,” Mr Commissiong said, adding that the clause in the Act should be “amended or eliminated. These practices have gone on for decades and it is time for them to stop. Some practices were going on when the PLP were in power, too. Practices that impact negatively on Bermudians and black Bermudians in particular.” In response to Mr Commissiong’s comments, the newly appointed Minister for Immigration, Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, firstly highlighted that the employee in question was employed with the company during the Progressive Labour Party’s reign but went on to say: “I don’t wish for our people to be left wanting in terms of their employment experience but you can be assured that as we go through our weekly meetings, as we go through the discussions about what happens down at Workforce Development, we will make sure and put this right.” June 6. Progressive Labour Party MP Diallo Rabain has accused the Bermuda Government of issuing “essentially illegal” work permits to motor mechanics, landscape gardeners, electricians and welders. Mr Rabain said he was shocked to learn from responses to parliamentary questions that 217 work permits had been issued in those categories since 2013, including 180 for landscape gardeners. According to Mr Rabain, these professions fall under the National Occupation Certification Act, which states that workers must have national certification or a proven equivalent certification. A violation of the law allows for a fine of up to $10,000, he added. “When this was put in place back in 2009, it was an important step in leveling the playing field,” he told the House of Assembly on Friday. It meant that anyone applying for a work permit had to compete against a Bermudian who was already deemed certified in that particular category. But there was no information available about how many of the 217 work permits issued had qualified or been issued national certification. This is amazing to me. It’s amazing because we have a law in place that says you have to be certified. We have a law in place that will fine you as a potential employer for hiring anyone under these fields, and there’s supposed to be a list of everyone that is certified kept at the Department of Workforce Development and on their website, so you can check and see if they’ve been registered. So to come back with an answer that there is no data, means that they haven’t been registered. This Government has allowed this to happen right under their noses. There’s been a policy put in place to protect Bermudian jobs by leveling the playing field and they have run roughshod over that policy. What do we tell our people who are looking for these employment? What do we tell our people who are our there getting their national certification, who are paying their fee to get nationally certified and they are letting people come in here, get permits and not have to go through the same process. And they’re not policing the process and fining the employers that are deliberately circumventing this law.” Mr Rabain questioned how this could be reconciled with the former Minister of Home Affairs making statements “almost weekly” about “the great job we’re doing” and “protecting Bermudian jobs”, “all the while circumventing the law, all the while allowing employers to be issued work permits that are essentially illegal”. Mr Rabain added that the One Bermuda Alliance Government insists “they have all the answers. The answer we are getting so far is, let’s figure out a way to circumvent the law, let’s figure out a way to say that we have over-employment because we are issuing out all these work permits, but we’re issuing out work permits that contravene the very things we put in place to protect jobs for our people. 217 permits have been issued since 2013 and not one of them they can prove have either a qualification that exempts them from being nationally certified or that they’ve even been nationally certified. What are we going to do?” Mr Rabain also questioned the effectiveness of the Bermuda Job Board after the responses to his questions about the total number of jobs advertised there in 2014 and 2015 were that these numbers yielded no information. He said there was no data for how many jobs listed were filled by a Bermudian not registered at the Department of Workforce Development or the Job Board, a Bermudian registered at either one, or how many work permits were issued or renewed. While One Bermuda Alliance MP Jeff Sousa defended the “hard-working” staff at the Department of Workforce Development, he also stressed that Bermudians needed guidance about choosing professions with employment opportunities. “We need people to be landscape gardeners. This is something a lot of Bermudians don’t want to do. And that has been the way for the past 40 years. When I was at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, you could count on one hand how many people were involved in horticulture in that department.” While Mr Sousa said there had been positive changes since then, “more can be done”. He suggested uniform job listings when it comes to professions such as landscaping, adding that he “hates” seeing job advertisements requiring landscapers to know how to graft citrus or to “not be afraid of large dogs. That is ludicrous and should not be tolerated.” June 5. A tradition dating back to 1849 — the Blessing of the Boats — took place this morning at the Chapel of Ease dock in St George’s Harbour. The Right Rev Nicholas Dill, Bishop of Bermuda, and the Rev David Raths conducted the blessing after being rowed respectively by the Bermuda Pilot Gig Club in Harry Fox, and by members of the St George’s-based TS Admiral Somers Sea Cadets in Lady Stockton. Parliamentarian Suzann Roberts-Holshouser helped to conduct the service, along with Demi Wight, Dylan Holshouser and Henry Hayward, while music was provided by members of the St George’s Corps of the Salvation Army. The event dates back to the consecration of the Chapel of Ease. With no bridge connecting St George to St David’s, four sons of clergymen volunteered to row the bishop across the harbour. As he passed through, the bishop blessed the boats that had gathered to watch. The tradition is now carried out every year, usually accompanied by a codfish breakfast. Visiting boats are invited to take part in the event, but are asked to first collect a flag from the Visitors Information Centre in St George’s. Each boat in attendance was blessed and received a Certificate of Blessing saying, “Bless o lord this vessel and all who sail in her; may she be a trustworthy and safe servant.” June 5. Residents looking to beautify their neighborhoods can now participate in an innovative initiative managed by the Bermuda Tourism Authority. The Neighborhood Beautification Project, launched today, invites the public to submit applications online to receive support in making their areas look better. According to a BTA press release, successful submissions will get the tools and expertise of local businesses and organisations to plan, organise and implement a series of activities resulting in the beautification of the roadway in their area. BTA chief operating officer Karla Lacey said in a statement: “Not only does this initiative serve a practical purpose, such as clearing and beautifying roadsides in Bermuda, it also serves to reconnect residents by providing an opportunity to create and maintain something special together that directly impacts where they live. “The outcome will be beneficial to their neighborhood and to Bermuda and our tourism product as a whole.” Eligible neighborhoods must be near a visitor destination or in a tourism transportation corridor. The neighborhood also must designate a team leader who will be responsible for organising volunteers and ensuring beautification standards are maintained throughout each phase of the three-part initiative. A full list of criteria is available on the BTA’s corporate website where applications can be submitted electronically. Resident volunteers from Horseshoe Road and Lighthouse Road participated in the Neighborhood Beautification Project as pilots earlier this year with the BTA reporting diverse resident engagement, clear aesthetic results, and positive feedback. Dave Blakeney, neighborhood leader at Lighthouse Road, said: “These efforts are done out of love for our Island,” said. “We are Bermudians and residents working together to shine our light for the community and tourists who visit our island.” SAL Limited, Keep Bermuda Beautiful, Bermuda Landscaping Association and Southampton Parish Council have all partnered with the BTA during the pilot process. Applications will be accepted online until June 30. Successful submissions will be notified at the beginning of August and prioritized to enter the program from September onward. June 3. Sessions House, the home of Bermuda’s Parliament, is due for renovations. The House of Assembly building will have its windows replaced, and its terracotta exterior restored, while the southeast entrance has been closed off for restoration works. Suzann Roberts-Holshouser, the One Bermuda Alliance MP and member of the House and Grounds Committee, said renovations will continue on the first floor throughout the year. Certain offices, including the office of the Speaker, will be moved to the Swan building on Victoria Street as of August 1. Meanwhile the Senate is expected to temporarily relocate to courtroom two while the Cabinet Building undergoes its own renovations. June 3. Regulators have ordered Belco to phase out special discounts given to employees and hotels over the next two years, arguing that the public is effectively paying for them. The Energy Commission has also demanded the electricity provider scrap its “convenience fee” on credit card payments. The revelations came in the EC’s 76-page filing, just published on the government website, which shines a light on almost a year of deliberations that ended with Belco being given permission to raise electricity tariffs from this month. The document also reveals that Ascendant Group, parent company of Belco, plans to use a captive insurance company to try to reduce its insurance costs. And the EC is also calling for Ascendant to provide more details on shared services within the group to address concerns that Belco customers might effectively be subsidizing Ascendant’s other businesses. The EC, whose chairman is Michael Leverock, is due to hand over regulatory responsibility for the electricity sector to the Regulatory Authority this year. As a regulated utility, Belco must adhere to the regulator’s directives. In the filing, the EC states on discounts: “The Commission finds that the embedded staff and special hotel discounts are not in the public interest whereby the public pays for these discounts without regulatory approval.” In its final ruling, dated May 13 this year, the EC orders Belco: “All staff, hotel, special groups, or any other discounts applied to both the base and fuel adjustment rates (with the exception of the waiver of the facilities fee to the Bermuda Government’s Social Assistance programme and the quick payment discounts) shall be phased out over a two-year period commencing on the date of this letter.” All customers receive a 5 per cent discount for early payment, but some get additional help, Belco’s submissions reveal. The Bermuda Government, for example, receives an additional 5 per cent discount, which enables it to save more than $1.5 million on its annual bill. Bermuda Hotel Association members also get a 5 per cent discount during the November-to-April shoulder season, due to end when government payroll-tax concessions for the hospitality industry are halted. Two hotels, the Hamilton Princess and the Fairmont Southampton, receive an additional 5 per cent discount, all year round. A submission from Belco in the filing states: “This was originally negotiated in the early 1990s when the hotels were seeking to self-generate and disconnect from the grid. The disconnection would have caused a shift in the costs to the remaining customer base and this was agreed an incentive for them to remain on the system.” Belco employees receive a 25 per cent discount on their electricity bills on top of the early-payment discount, a deal the utility said was “initiated as an agreed alternative to base salary increases during union negotiations. The company pays for this cost and does not recover it as a part of the cost of service to customers,” Belco added. “All non-Belco entities in the group of companies pay Belco for the costs of any employee electricity discounts they have.” On credit-card payments, the EC directed: “The convenience fee charged to customers for the use of credit cards for bill payments shall be discontinued. “Efforts shall be made simultaneously to facilitate the use of all credit and debit cards currently utilised in the market as soon as practically possible.” Belco customers can pay with MasterCard and a fee of 2.04 per cent is applied. The EC argued the fee is a disincentive to using credit cards to pay the bill and that it would be in the public interest to discontinue it. Belco had argued that scrapping the fee would result in many more people using cards to pay bills. And the fees applied by credit-card companies would have be spread across the whole customer base, or “socialized”. This would “unfairly allocate costs” to those paying by other means, Belco said. “Currently the expense to those who use cards to pay their Belco bills is approximately $45,000 per year as a group,” Belco stated. “This could instead exceed a million dollars if costs are socialized.” Ascendant’s plans to insure some of its own risks — initially coverage of plant, property and equipment — through a captive insurer were also outlined in the filing. “Belco is spending in excess of $2 million per annum on this business class with a $750,000 deductible per incident,” Belco stated. “Belco also has currently uninsured lines of business including the distribution system, which incurred unplanned expenses of more than $4 million in 2012, funded from the balance sheet and unrecovered from customers.” Actuarial analysis of Belco’s claims history indicated a forecasted loss of $531,000 per year. “Ascendant agreed to finance the risk at the $500,000 premium level, providing a maximum $750,000 of cover per annum for claims,” the firm stated. “The analysis suggests a 40 per cent chance of no claim within in given year hence any premium payments retained could be accumulated and used to offset the larger and less frequent events that require significant cash to pay for unplanned events and damages.” Ascendant Bermuda Insurance Ltd is licensed by the Bermuda Monetary Authority as a captive insurer and was incorporated in April 2014, according to the Registrar of Companies. “The captive represents a transition from our historic ‘pay as you go’ mode of operating for the first loss/deductible, which requires unexpected financing from our balance sheet, to a vehicle that offers to smooth out some of that volatility,” Belco argued. On shared services, the EC demanded greater transparency from Belco on cost allocation. “The Commission finds the perception remains that Belco substantially subsidies its parent entity. Shared services, loans and insurance risks are examples. Efforts to regularize cost/benefits would be encouraged to place Belco in a more favorable position in this regard.” Ascendant said that some services were shared among the whole group, including finance, IT, human resources and transportation and that this “results in savings for Belco and its customers”. Such services were budgeted and costs allocated to various businesses taking into consideration system usage and budgeted effort, for example. Ascendant director costs were attributed 50 per cent to Belco, while the cost of group executives was charged out on an allocated effort basis. Asked for an update yesterday, a Belco spokeswoman said: “Belco is in the process of developing responses, initiatives and timelines around each of the Energy Commission’s directives and will be getting back to the Commission with proposals to address all of the directives.” The filing is also loaded with technical analysis. The EC approved an allowed return on equity of 7 per cent for 2016 and 8 per cent for 2017. The new rates, which will take effect this month, will result in residential customers paying 8.7 per cent more for the first 250 kilowatt hours used. For the next 550 kWh used, there will be a 5.7 per cent increase and for the top tier — anything over 700 kWh — a 17.7 per cent hike will apply. The graduated facilities charge will also rise by between $5 and $20 per month, depending on the amount of electricity used. Commercial rates will go up between 16.6 per cent and 22.4 per cent. June 3. A Bill that could see “modest” taxes on the City of Hamilton’s sewerage system bring in $400,000 annually was passed in the House of Assembly yesterday. During the debate of the Hamilton Sewerage Amendment Act 2016, Grant Gibbons, the Minister of Economic Development, said the levy for commercial properties with an annual rental value of more than $100,000 would likely reach a maximum of $250 a year. Properties with an ARV of $30,000 could expect to be charged around $75 a year. “It’s important to stress that what we’re talking about is a capital tax to provide a revenue base for upgrades to the sewerage system,” Dr Gibbons said, calling the charges “pretty modest”. Roughly 2,300 valuation units within the city are connected to the system. There are 28 commercial premises and seven residential units outside the city connected. The city generates about 45 per cent of the total sewage, which is ultimately pumped off the South Shore, a practice that Dennis Lister of the Progressive Labour Party said was “long past its shelf life” — although the Opposition supports the legislation in main. Mr Lister said the system needed to move beyond screening the sewage to proper treatment, and referred to incidents in which waste matter had washed up on beaches. Sewage from Hamilton is dumped offshore via the Seabright Outfall, just west of Hungry Bay in Paget. "The system is ageing, and its risk of breaches or other problems increases year on year," Dr Gibbons said. “Given the increasing age of many parts of the sewerage system, the City of Hamilton envisions increasing risks of failure to one or more parts of the system.” Hamilton’s sewerage system includes significant entities outside the city limits, Dr Gibbons told the House, including schools, hotels and King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. June 3. Some form of reprieve for pitbulls could be among the amendments now under consideration for Bermuda’s dog legislation. However, Cole Simons, the Minister of the Environment, has refused to commit to calls from the Opposition to halt the policy of euthanising banned dogs. “I am currently assessing the policy, and will come back with recommendations,” Mr Simons told the House of Assembly yesterday. The minister told The Royal Gazette that animal wardens were putting down 80 to 100 dogs a year. “Let’s make clear: I am an animal lover; I have horses, dogs and geese, and I am empathetic on this issue. If you look at the Act, it says that the minister looks out for the welfare of dogs. But we have to abide by the law and the policy that is there to protect the best interests of the community.” Mr Simons said it was his intention to have changes to the law gazetted during the present session of Parliament, but stressed that suggestions from canine advisory boards were being examined, and had not been committed to. He told MPs that “shortcomings” in the 2008 Dogs Act would be quickly addressed, allowing the Bermuda Government to revisit controversial breed-specific policies. PLP MP Dennis Lister voiced support for the amendments, noting that he had been minister when Bermuda’s list of banned breeds was first enacted in 2003. Mr Simons agreed to Mr Lister’s suggestion that the 2015 recommendations of the canine advisory committee be tabled in the House. Parliament heard in January that recommendations from the committee included allowing “pitbulls of appropriate temperament” to be taken off the list. But the minister said dog owners needed to “take ownership of the misdeeds”, noting that a 2001 to 2012 tally of dog incidents showed that pitbulls were responsible for 772 offences ranging from the biting of humans to threatening behavior. The next breed category, German Shepherds, were blamed for 134 incidents. “That’s a big gap,” Mr Simons said. “The statistics speak for themselves.” After consultation, the Act is to come back before legislators to help “bridge the gap between the desires of those who want to own a prohibited or restricted breed, and the need for the Government to maintain security in the community”. Amendments to both the Act and the prohibited list will be presented “in short order”, Mr Simons added. The seizing and putting down of banned dogs has a long and emotive history, although dog owners now have the option of exporting their animals as an alternative. The House heard in May 2015 that owners of seized dogs had on occasion camped outside the government kennels, and even attempted to break in for their pets. Opposition MPs tried repeatedly in yesterday’s session of Parliament to get Mr Simons to give a yes or no answer on calling off the euthanising of dogs, which Acting Opposition Leader David Burt said was a ministerial policy that could be called off at any time. Mr Simons refused to be drawn on the issue, saying merely that he was assessing the policy — and that “all options are on the table at this time.” June 3. A Canadian airline passenger has admitted assaulting three police officers minutes after landing in Bermuda. Madeline Masters, 28, also pleaded guilty to offensive and indecent behavior, after urinating on one of the officers she had just assaulted. Masters landed at L.F. Wade International Airport at 1.47pm on Thursday aboard a WestJet flight from Toronto, and was due to enjoy a five-night holiday staying with a friend in Knapton Hill, Smith’s. Once the plane had stopped, the defendant — who had been unruly during the flight — bolted to the front and stepped outside. She proceeded to behave aggressively towards security and customs officials, who had been informed of her conduct and were standing by. Five officers from the Bermuda Police Service arrived shortly afterwards and tried to arrest Masters, who told them: “Get your f*****g hands off me.” The defendant then threw herself backwards, causing one officer to hit her head on the ground. While she was on the floor, Masters began kicking out violently — catching one officer in the face — until a third officer managed to restrain and handcuff her. As police were leading her away, Masters bit an officer on the forearm, leaving two two-inch marks, and said: “Let my f*****g hands go.” She then kneed another officer in the stomach and urinated on her once she was down. After Masters had been taken to Hamilton Police Station, a half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels was discovered in her luggage. In Magistrates’ Court yesterday morning, defence lawyer Charles Richardson explained that Masters had been travelling alone and bought the whiskey at duty-free to help cope with her severe anxiety of flying. He added that the veterinary nurse had not shown any indication of a substance abuse problem, and had instead been “overmedicating”, which led to her “totally unacceptable” behavior. “I think the regret and the remorse is self-evident,” said Mr Richardson of Masters, who appeared highly shaken and had extensive bruising on her arms and legs. “Worse than that, she’s downright ashamed.” He added that the incident was “totally out of character”, that Masters did not remember it and that she would not have believed her behavior if anyone other than police officers had told her of it. The charges against her were whittled down to four, after prosecutors agreed to drop one count of using threatening words, which stemmed from the defendant telling officers: “I’m going to f*****g kill you.” When asked to explain herself in court, Masters said: “I’m really sorry. I regret everything. I’m ashamed, embarrassed and disgusted with myself. That’s not me. I spoke to my mum last night — she’s upset and she’s disappointed.” The defendant also apologized to her friend, who accompanied her to the hearing, and said that she would seek help from a therapist on her return to Canada. She added: “This was one time and I will never do this again. I don’t ever want to drink again, because I’m afraid this will happen.” Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe agreed with the prosecution that a fine would be the most appropriate course of action. He warned Masters of the serious nature of assaulting police officers, but added that he was taking into account her guilty pleas, her expression of remorse and her clean criminal record. Mr Wolffe also said that he believed the incident was a one-off, that it stemmed from an anxiety of flying and that the defendant would seek professional help. He fined Masters a total of $3,000 — $750 each for the three counts of assault and the one count of indecent behavior. Mr Wolffe added that he would allow immigration services to handle the defendant’s exit from Bermuda, where she has formally been denied entry. June 3. Thieves stole a collection of historic coins from the Bermuda Historical Society Museum for the second time in two months. Now president Andrew Bermingham is questioning the future of the museum. The coins, which he described as “Bermuda treasures” with some dating back to 1200, were taken after thieves smashed through the rear window on Wednesday night and accessed a glass cabinet inside the building. Mr Bermingham told The Royal Gazette: “We seem to be in a phase right now where nothing is sacred. Frankly, given the fact that we run this on a purely volunteer basis, one wonders whether it is all worthwhile. “The issue is I have to take into account the welfare of the predominantly female volunteers who work here. “There have been some unsavory moments and the volunteers are fearful. I can’t expect volunteers to man a museum in security and safety if we are going to be subject to this wanton theft of historic Bermuda treasures. We open every weekday of the year January 1 to December 31 as a public service to Bermuda. The museum charges nothing for admission and is done as a free service for Bermuda, its residents and visitors. We have security plans for ourselves but if this type of behavior is a trend that we cannot combat then I will have to think about its long-term future. We cannot sustain this sort of loss when we have to fund our own way.” Mr Bermingham was visibly distraught adding: “If people have a conscience they can return the items to the museum.” This society was founded in 1895 and its been in its city centre location since 1957. The Bermuda Police Service said that it was investigating the incident. June 3. Caribbean-based multinational financial services firm Sagicor is next week set to back a move to Bermuda. Shareholders of the Barbadian company will vote next Wednesday on redomiciling after the firm was hit by the downgrading of Barbados’s sovereign credit rating to B from BB- last year. Bermuda’s sovereign credit rating was in April affirmed as A+ by Standard & Poor’s. The Barbados downgrade meant that Sagicor Life’s rating also dropped, from BB+ to BB-, while Sagicor Finance Ltd’s $150 million ten-year senior unsecured notes were rated B as “ratings on life insurers are capped at two notches above the sovereign rating of the country of domicile”. The firm, which has been registered in Barbados for 170 years, would have earned a sovereign credit rating of BB+ based on its own performance. Sagicor, in a statement to shareholders, said: “In order to improve the company’s ratings, both corporate and securities, the company is seeking approval to redomicile into Bermuda, which is an investment grade-rated country. This would be achieved via a corporate migration, or continuance, of the company in Bermuda and the discontinuance of the company in Barbados. It is anticipated that on successful continuance into Bermuda, which has a stronger and more stable sovereign rating when compared with Barbados, Sagicor Financial Corporation could reasonably expect to receive a Standard & Poor’s rating lift to BB+ unhindered by the restrictions of the current Barbados rating.” The company statement added: “Improvement in the company’s rating would result in reduced cost of capital, increased attractiveness to regional and international investors and all the attendant ancillary benefits flowing therefrom. Accordingly, the board is pleased to present this re-domiciliation proposal to all shareholders for approval.” Only holders of common shares and convertible redeemable preference shares of the company will be allowed to vote and the Sagicor board is confident they will back the proposal at next week’s meeting. But the change is unlikely to bring a major jobs boost to Bermuda as the firm would retain its base in Barbados and continue to be taxed there, although it would require an address and resident representative on the island. The statement said: “No physical relocation of any SFC business in Bermuda is required. Additionally, the continued Sagicor Financial Corporation will have a registered office in Bermuda.” Sagicor examined relocating to several locations, including Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago and Holland, before deciding on Bermuda. The company said that Bermuda was chosen due to the ease of redomicilation, tax impact, ratings stability and reputational risk, as well as its good rating internationally. Sagicor said: “Bermuda is rated investment grade, it has a very tax-friendly regime, it had no regulatory hurdles for our business and the ease of continuance meant it could be achieved in the most efficient way.” The company operates in 22 countries in the Caribbean, the US, Britain and Latin America. June 2. The Premier will today ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. Michael Dunkley has been invited to perform the traditional afternoon ceremony at the world-famous exchange after he takes part in a major conference on disaster recovery in the city. The New York Recovery and Resilience Leadership Forum, organized by Bermuda-based reinsurer RenaissanceRe, takes place today at the NYSE and will involve nearly 200 policymakers, insurance industry experts, scientists, and environmentalists. Mr Dunkley will speak about Bermuda’s major role in the property and catastrophe reinsurance market and its supply of services to US insurers. The Premier will also be interviewed by Bloomberg, the prestigious business newspaper the Wall Street Journal and others. The conference was organized to discuss lessons learnt after Superstorm Sandy hit New York four years ago, causing massive flooding and damage. Other speakers include Samantha Med lock, of the US White House Office of Management and Budget. Kevin O’Donnell, RenaissanceRe’s chief executive officer, said: “As the 2016 Atlantic storm season commences and with the impact of Sandy still being felt, this Forum and these conversations are timely. RenaissanceRe will continue to work with our clients, brokers and other partners worldwide to accelerate resiliency and to close the natural disaster insurance coverage gap that leaves communities too exposed.” Stephen Weinstein, group general counsel at RenaissanceRe and chairman of its Risk Sciences Foundation, added: “The rising risks of natural disasters are too material to be solved by any one stakeholder group and open discussion among government officials, business leaders, researchers, environmentalists and others is critical to both identifying solutions and seeing to their implementation. We are grateful for the participation of so many committed leaders at this forum.” June 2. The Supreme Court has upheld a finding that a construction company only hired “black faces” to justify requests for work permits. In a 2012 ruling, the Human Rights Commission found that Apex Construction Management Limited had discriminated against Bermudian carpenter Pernell Grant on the grounds of his nationality. Appeals were filed by the company and two other respondents — Andrea Battiston, the company’s operations manager, and Kevin Mason, the site superintendent — however, the court heard the company was struck off the register before entering the compensation phase of proceedings. During the initial hearings, Mr Grant complained that the respondents offered him employment on terms less favorable than those offered to Polish and Canadian contract workers. He further alleged that he was denied the opportunity to work overtime and suffered reprisals based on staged or false complaints. Mr Battiston was said to be directly involved in hiring and managing employees while, according to Mr Grant, Mr Mason was on occasion responsible for allocating overtime. In a 15-page ruling, a Board of Inquiry stated: “The respondents had absolutely no intention of training or promoting Bermudians generally, or black Bermudians in particular. “We are under no doubt at all that the respondents wanted ‘black faces in the hole’, that is black workers on the site in order to support their claims for work permits for contract workers.” However, the board found that Mr Grant’s complaints about not being given overtime opportunities may have been caused by his insistence on being paid one-and-a-half times the base wage for work beyond 40 hours while other workers received “straight time”. In a judgment issued on Tuesday in the appeal by Mr Battiston, the Chief Justice Ian Kawaley found that while Mr Battiston had a central role in the case, it was unclear on what basis Mr Mason could have acted in a discriminatory manner in any systemic sense. He added that the board should have distinguished his position from that of the company and Mr Battiston. And while the Chief Justice found other “imperfections” in the board’s handling of the matter, he wrote that the technical errors discovered caused “no substantial injustice”. “The board found that discrimination was proved; not on the primary pay-related grounds (which were not made out), but on the subsidiary ground that black Bermudian workers were hired as a low-grade employee class with no promotion prospects and with a view to obtaining work permits for foreign workers to do the ‘real work’,” the judgment stated. “It is almost always possible to find fault with a decision rendered by a fact-finding tribunal. In the present case this court is satisfied that no substantial injustice flowed from the decision of the board in the course of the hearing to focus on the ancillary non-pay related discrimination issues which were dealt with in evidence and any imperfections of expression in the way the crucial conclusory findings were recorded in the board’s decision.” Dr Justice Kawaley concluded: “The board bemoaned the fact that the parties were not prepared to proceed immediately to the compensation phase. This anxiety was propitious. The three respondents to the complaints all filed appeals which they did not pursue for two years until the respondent applied to strike them out. The respondent’s corporate employer, the company, had by then been permitted by its owners to be struck off the register. They have, apparently, left a former senior employee to ‘carry the can’ on his own. Hindsight suggests that tribunals should insist that when complaints are proved the relief stage is dealt with as soon as possible thereafter before any appeal rights in respect of liability are pursued.” June 2. Nicole Stoneham has become the island’s latest justice of the Supreme Court, after a brief ceremony held in Government House. “This is a special occasion, for the about-to-be Justice Stoneham, but also for Bermuda,” the Governor, George Fergusson, told the gathering. “We don’t have so many judges, and the arrival on the scene of a new judge is a big landmark.” Yesterday’s swearing-in, with Mrs Justice Stoneham reciting the traditional oath before family, friends and colleagues, was the first new addition since the appointment of Puisne Judge Stephen Hellman in 2012. Mrs Justice Stoneham, who has served in Magistrates’ Court since 2010, then joined the Supreme Court to applause, with Chief Justice Ian Kawaley rising to congratulate her, and mother Carol Stoneham looking on. Puisne judges are appointed at the recommendation of the island’s judicial and legal community, Mr Fergusson noted, also congratulating the recently retired Norma Wade-Miller for her years of service to the courts. June 2. The Deliverance, a top East End historical attraction that suffered serious damage in the 2014 hurricane season, has been given a boost for its restoration. The first ever Marine Expo in St George drew more than 2,500 people on May 1, with some of the proceeds earmarked for repairs to the replica ship by the St George's Foundation. Foundation member Peter Frith thanked expo organizers for the group's inclusion as a lead attraction in the roster of events on land and sea. Mr Frith also thanked the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, along with sponsors, for the donation to the landmark vessel. The expo drew more than 50 vendors, ranging from boat dealers, government agencies and water sports groups to children's activities, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, and children's sailing courtesy of the Endeavour Programme. America's Cup sailors were on hand for a race, autograph signings and to meet with the public. Ray Lambert, the BEDC economic development officer for the Olde Towne and a member of the expo committee, commended the community and business owners for rallying around the Deliverance, an icon of the island's early maritime history. Jermaine Simons, sales manager of RUBiS Energy Bermuda Limited, said the company had been all too happy to pitch in as the lead sponsor. “One of the aims of the expo was to honour the maritime history of Bermuda. The Deliverance represents a key turning point of our maritime history. We feel that it is important that generations of Bermudians and visitors should be able to imagine life in the 17th century. RUBiS is very proud to assist such a memorable replica of our past.” June 2. The rusted building materials by the St George’s swing bridge are a “precautionary measure” while strengthening work takes place, the Ministry of Public Works has said. A spokeswoman added that although the Bailey bridge materials were originally intended to relieve the weight restriction on the corroded infrastructure, engineers had since developed a better alternative. Instead, the fortification work will be done from below, helping to reduce traffic build-up and improving emergency vehicle access. “This also frees the Bailey bridge to be used for its intended purpose — for emergency situations during the hurricane season,” she said. The swing bridge — which links St David’s to St George’s — has been closed since April 2014, allowing motorists across but not opening for ships attempting to pass through. Minister of Public Works Craig Cannonier has described the structure as “seriously compromised” and promised that the issue has been assigned priority status. February’s 2016-17 Budget statement revealed that $20 million has been set aside to fix the swing bridge. The spokeswoman added that the construction parts did not rust due to being left outside since January, but that the disassembled Bailey bridge was more than 30 years old, having been acquired from the British Army. “Some components now require refurbishment or replacement,” she said. Regarding the upcoming strengthening work, the spokeswoman added: “A contract for these interim works is expected to be awarded shortly, and will take roughly eight to 12 weeks to perform. Requests for proposal are in development for the replacement of the actual bridge, and a temporary bypass route to allow the work to take place.” June 2. Bermuda’s overburdened care home system has “collapsed”, leaving many elderly Bermudians “virtually refugees in their own country”, a seniors advocate has claimed. Carol Everson, a welfare caseworker for the Bermuda Legion, called for a drastic overhaul of the island’s policies. “Bermuda does not just need more care homes, it needs better-equipped, staffed and managed homes,” she said. With plans falling through for a veterans’ nursing home in St George’s, Keeona Belboda, the manager of Ageing and Disability Services, also warned that the island’s existing homes are “at capacity”, and that there is a “real gap” in dementia and Alzheimer’s care. “We have an abundance of residents out there who need placement, but there’s nowhere for them to go,” Ms Belboda said. “That’s something we have to look at in the very near future. The three existing nursing homes that are properly qualified to take in patients with dementia — Westmeath Residential and Nursing Care Home, Sylvia Richardson Care Facility and Lefroy House — are full to capacity with closed waiting lists. Families are calling every day in the hope of securing a vacancy for a loved one,” she said. Increased life expectancy, a trend occurring throughout the Western world, is placing a corresponding strain on services for the elderly. This problem is exacerbated in Bermuda by a decrease in budgets across the board, as the Government attempts to reduce its deficit, a move that Ms Everson condemned as “deplorable”. The last Government census, compiled in 2010, revealed a 29 per cent increase in the number of seniors on the island since 2000. In terms of the overall population, senior numbers rose from 11 per cent to 14 per cent. The Department of Statistics suggested that by 2030, this figure may spike to 22 per cent. Some 22 homes with a total of 399 beds are listed under the authority of the Chief Medical Officer. According to the Ministry’s most recent data, provided by the Care Home Administrators, there are 368 seniors currently in homes and 31 available beds in the community; the majority of these are rest homes or assisted living beds. The waiting lists are held by individual homes. “As the number of vulnerable seniors increases, the situation steadily worsens,” Ms Everson said. She added that the Bermuda Legion is aiming to raise funds for a dedicated nursing home to help to care for some of its more than 200 Second World War veterans and their widows. Plans were discussed to buy the Jerry’s House in St George’s from addiction charity Focus in late 2015, but the 3.3-acre property was ultimately withdrawn from sale. “The present support structure for the elderly has collapsed under the weight of numbers,” Ms Everson said. “Too many elderly Bermudians are now virtually refugees in their own country, with only a very uncertain future to look forward to in their final days.” Ms Belboda said that ADS is attempting to offset the issue by encouraging families to look after their elderly relatives at home — with benefits and financial assistance offered to ease the burden of cost. And although ADS does not place residents into care homes directly, its case managers can serve in an advisory capacity when required. “When an individual’s needs change, and they may require a more skilled level of care, then we have to look at potentially transitioning them into a residential care home,” Ms Belboda said. “We make suggestions to families about the care needs of their relatives, and on the beds that are available in the community. The family is then responsible for orchestrating the move.” Prospective care home operators looking to meet the market’s demand must be driven by passion rather than profit margin, she advised. “Rent, staffing, utilities — all of the costs add up, and there’s not a lot of wiggle room left. We’re very frank with people who want to run a care home, so they are very clear on what it takes to run one successfully.” As well as considering new proposals, ADS is attempting to raise the quality of the island’s existing care homes. Facilities that were found to be beneath the acceptable standard have been given one year to reach full compliance or face closure. “We have monthly meetings with each care home administrator, and they’re really making strides to improve their standard of service,” Ms Belboda said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but we have to be fair to our process and give them time to do so.” A Ministry spokeswoman added: “The Ministry is keenly aware of the limitations of existing legislation and enforcement with respect to the regulations of homes. Accordingly, the 2015 Throne Speech noted our commitment to amend legislation to strengthen the protection of seniors, including modernizing the residential care homes and nursing homes regulations to improve standards and enforcement powers. This work is under way, building on the Seniors Law Reform recommendations from the Seniors Advisory Council. The work is at early stages and the Ministry will update the public at the earliest opportunity.” June 2. Governor George Fergusson has paid tribute to two sailors with strong Bermuda ties that perished in the infamous Battle of Jutland during the First World War. Mr Fergusson’s comments came as a special service was held in Orkney on Tuesday to mark the centenary of the largest naval battle of the two-day conflict, in which more than 8,500 British and German servicemen died. “Bermuda’s links to the sea and the Royal Navy are part of its historic identity,” said Mr Fergusson. “Tuesday’s anniversary of the biggest naval battle of the First World War, at Jutland, is a reminder of that and of Bermuda’s sacrifices in times of war. Two Bermuda-linked Petty Officers, Walter Ernest Newton, and George Temple, born in Somerset and later of Portsmouth, England, were killed on 31 May, in HMS Fortune and HMS Invincible respectively. Their deaths and those of more than 6,000 Royal Navy colleagues and 2,500 German counterparts, were marked on Tuesday at a ceremony in the Orkney Islands, where the Royal Navy fleet was based. The first Bermudian casualty of the First World War was also in the Royal Navy; William Edmund Smith of Sandys Parish, on HMS Aboukir in September 1914.” Petty Officer Temple was born in Bermuda on December 31, 1879. His father had also served in the Royal Navy and it is believed that is why Petty Officer Temple was born on the island. He went on to live in the naval city of Portsmouth in England and was 37 when he died in the Battle of Jutland. Meanwhile, little is known about Petty Officer Newton’s Bermuda links, although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission states that he was “son of Walter John and Ellen Maria Newton of Bermuda, late of Portsmouth and husband of Ellen Newton, Whitworth Road, Alverstoke, Gosport.” Mr Fergusson added: “On a more personal note, my great-uncle, James Fergusson, served at Jutland on HMS Thunderer, and survived to serve in the Navy in Bermuda in the 1920s; and a cousin of that generation, Alexander Boyle, served in the battle in the New Zealand ship HMS New Zealand. My guess is that very many Bermudians would find, if they have access to their family history, or talk to some of their older relations, that they had links to this battle. It was a crucial battle in the war, but the loss of life was appalling; and the conditions must have been grim and terrifying.” June 2. The head of a car sales firm has stepped down after 15 years in the driving seat. Bermuda Motors’ general manager Michael Butler has been replaced by Krishna King, who has moved up from his role as after-sales manager for parts. David Gibbons, chairman of Bermuda Motors, said: “I would like to thank Michael for his considerable contribution during his time with the company. He has guided us through the significant challenges presented by the recession and the slump in vehicle sales and now leaves Bermuda Motors with a very sound foundation and pre-eminent position in the industry. Going forward, I look forward to working with Krishna to build on the legacy left by Michael.” Mr Butler, who will remain at Bermuda Motors in a consultancy role until the end of the year, is to return to his native UK with his family. Mr King has worked for the firm for more than 25 years, starting part-time while still a Bermuda College student, and has been parts manager for 12 years. He said: “I have certainly seen a lot of changes in automobile technology including the modernization of logistics in parts and service, going from fax and e-mail to instant ordering, website uploads and live inventory checking with our manufacturers. The globalization of our business and sourcing of parts provides constant challenge to keep that balance of service and cost to keep our customers satisfied.” Mr King added that he had learnt about the Japanese principle of kaizen — continuous improvement — while on a training course in Japan in the 1990s. He said: “Over the years, I have tried to apply this principle in all I do and will continue to do in my new role as general manager. Equally important for me is to recognise our staff and help them reach their full potential by working with kaizen in our processes, operations, facilities, products and service to building better customer service and strengthening our manufacturer relations. That is my goal. I look forward with confidence to the new challenges ahead and wish Michael much success as he starts a new chapter in his life.” Mr Butler said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge as general manager of Bermuda Motors. I am particularly proud of the fact that I helped Bermuda Motors become the leading vehicles sales company on the island. During a period of great technological change and a challenging economy, we increased our range of models and have led the island in private car sales for the past three years. I’ve enjoyed working with a dedicated and talented team to greatly improve our level of customer service, after sales and the complete modernization of our paint and body shop. I wish Krishna all the best as general manager and I hope he can take the company to even greater heights.” Bermuda Motors, based in Hamilton, distributes BMW, Fiat, Ford, Kia, Lexus, Mini and Toyota cars, vans and trucks, as well as Kymco motorbikes and scooters.” June 2. Drinks giant Bacardi has launched a fresh salvo in a rum war with Cuba. For Bacardi is to mount a major marketing push for its Havana Club brand — a trademark whose ownership is disputed with the Communist regime in Cuba. The trademark originally belonged to Cuban rum-makers Jose Arechabala, whose family company was seized and nationalized after the Fidel Castro-led revolution in 1959. The family left Cuba, stopped producing rum and allowed the US trademark to lapse in 1973. The Cuban government registered the trademark in the US in 1976 and it was assigned to French partners Pernod-Ricard in 1993. Since 1994, Cuban Havana Club has been sold around the world — but not in the US. Bermudian-based Bacardi obtained the Arechabala family’s remaining rights in the brand in 1994 and began selling limited amounts of Havana Club in the US, which sparked a legal battle with Pernod Ricard, which was successful in two of the first three court decisions in the matter. After further legal battles, the Cuban government’s US trademark registration expired in 2006. But in January, the US government gave the Cuban government rights to the Havana Club name — a decision Bacardi insists should be reversed. Fabio Di Giammarco, the global vice president of rums at Bacardi, said: “This is the ultimate convergence of two Cuban families in exile coming together to continue the legacy of this incredible brand and introduce it to a new generation.” He added: “It is an honour that the Arechabala family has entrusted us to continue their family’s legacy and have no doubt that we’ll be able to bring to life all the things that make it a legendary brand.” Bacardi maintains that the renewal breaches a 1998 Act of the US Congress designed to protect trademarks taken over by Cuba after the revolution which deposed dictator Fulgencio Batista. The company told a US House of Representatives committee in February that the approval had been granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office after “years of inactivity” within 48 hours. The Havana Club national launch by Bacardi, which includes new bottle packaging and the introduction of a dark rum variant, Havana Club Anejo Clasico, which was launched in Florida yesterday. The rum will be introduced across the country over the summer. Jose Arechabala, great-grandson of the brand’s founder, said: “Our family could not be happier that Bacardi is launching Havana Club Anejo Clasico, which is based on the original recipe created by the Arechabala family in 1934 and made in Puerto Rico, to be sold alongside the existing Havana Club Anejo Blanco. “Our families knew each other before we were both exiled from Cuba and with Bacardi being the premier rum company in the world, it’s only fitting that they continue our legacy by paying proper homage to the capital city of Cuba, a place we once called home.” The brand will be launched with a new campaign “The Golden Age, Aged Well”, which evokes the glamour of pre-revolution Cuba, and includes the slogan “Even A Revolution Couldn’t Topple the Rum”. June 1. America’s Cup teams will take centre stage for a showpiece event in Dockyard on June 25. Foil Fest 2016, will be hosted by America’s Cup Bermuda, in conjunction with West End Development Corporation, and will feature Artemis Racing, Oracle Team USA and SoftBank Team Japan. People will be able to witness the incredible speed and technology of the hydrofoiling catamarans, as well as tour the Dockyard bases of Oracle and Team Japan. Artemis Racing will have a public presence at the event. A free event village will offer other family-friendly activities, while all three teams will also have their AC45 catamarans on moorings at Dockyard for public viewing. The sailing teams will then take to the water later in the afternoon for a series of drag races to showcase the incredible speed of the race boats that are in the testing phase at present, as the teams design and build their official boats for next year’s finals. Mike Winfield, chief executive officer of ACBDA, said in a statement: “The boats will do their speed runs right next to the cruise ship docks in Dockyard so that the spectacle can be enjoyed as easily on the shore as on the water. “These boats are much more powerful, and faster, than the ones we saw in October and the teams are all very excited about showcasing them to the people of Bermuda, one year out from the America’s Cup in 2017.” On shore, there will be a series of events, including free zip line and kids zone, food, beverage and other vendors, plus taster sessions with the America’s Cup Endeavour programme will ensure something for all ages. Andrew Dias, general manager of Wedco, said: “We’re looking forward to having the public come out to Dockyard and get another taste of America’s Cup excitement. There’s been so much progress in Dockyard this year and people will enjoy getting a feel for that, too.” Mr Winfield added: “We’ve come up with a concept that will allow broad participation both on shore and on the water. It’s going to be a lot of fun for all who participate, including the America’s Cup teams. This is being specially planned and presented for the people of Bermuda, so we don’t want anyone to miss it.” Foil Fest 2016 will take place from 11am to 4pm on June 25. More details concerning parking, the schedule of events and transportation will be shared in the coming weeks. June 1. Bermuda will face a massive test of its defences against dirty money linked to money laundering and terrorism next year. And David Harper, a director at professional services firm KPMG and an expert in the field, warned that the inspection by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force was crucial to the island’s future as a major financial centre. Mr Harper explained that real estate agents and high value dealers like jewelers and boatyards will come under more scrutiny as part of an international effort to crack down on crime. He said those involved in the financial sector, like banks, law firms and accountants, were already regulated with checks to ensure they were not used to launder dirty money. Mr Harper added: “If you add all that up, it’s a huge proportion of the business population. That’s going to mean a lot of work on compliance programmes. Other sectors will now come under the same kind of safeguards as banks, which now demand considerable amounts of personal information before accounts are opened. If people buy real estate, they will request that from them, if they a boat with cash, the boat dealer will ask for it. People shouldn’t be concerned — it’s just part of the process whereby companies can demonstrate they know who their customer is. The 2018 inspection is hugely important for Bermuda and will and will influence its status in the international community to a huge degree. A lot of international business would consider leaving the island if we don’t get a good report on that. One of the requirements for continued EU Solvency II equivalence, which guarantees Bermuda a level playing field when doing business in Europe, depended on anti-money laundering law in line with the EU’s. It could impact on our ability to continue having Solvency II equivalence.” Mr Harper was speaking as KPMG prepare to launch a series of round-table discussions for different sectors of the business world to highlight what needed to be done to keep in line with new and tougher rules. He said: “It’s an opportune time to continue to raise awareness of what’s happening and the importance of it. A similar inspection to next year’s CFATF probe had been carried out by the International Monetary Fund in 2007 — which resulted in a poor report. We’ve done a lot of work since then and Bermuda’s compliance regulation is a lot better as a result. As a jurisdiction, compared to similar offshore jurisdictions, we are in a relatively good spot, but that’s not to say it can be taken lightly. It’s important to get a good report. That’s why so much effort is going into it and all these other companies are being brought into it. A good report could enhance the jurisdiction and attract more business. It’s all about trying to achieve a positive outcome.” June 1. A vintage Bermuda map depicting how the island looked more than 300 years ago will go under the hammer next week at an international auction in the United States. The hand-colored and copper-engraved map has belonged to frequent Bermuda visitor Jan Trifero and her husband Jack for the past two decades since they were given it by a friend. They hope that news of the auction will spark interest back in Bermuda and that the map could end up making its way home to its rightful place. “I had a strong working link with the island and specifically hotels and the department of tourism in the 1980s and the 90s,” Ms Trifero said. “I would visit Bermuda three or four times a year. In 1996 a friend of ours gave the map to me because he knew how much I loved the country and for the last 20 years it has proudly hung on the wall of our library in our Connecticut home. Now we are moving home and thought it would be good to pass on this lovely map for someone to love for the next 20 years.” The map was included in Montanus’ De Unbekante Neue Welt of 1673, and is based on Blaeu’s chart of 1635. Blaeu’s map is one of the most influential early maps of the island based on the famous 1618 survey by John Norwood of the Bermuda Company. It shows the division of the island into its original “tribes” and lists various landowners in a table below the map. The Roanoke colony is also depicted on the map and mentioned in the title. The old map will be put on auction today at Bonham's auction house in New York and is expected to fetch between $1,200 and $1,800. “We hope it ends up coming back to Bermuda,” said Mrs Trifero. “It would make a great exhibit in a museum or somewhere like that.” June 1. Bermuda Medical Council will take legal advice at a meeting next week regarding arrested physician Mahesh Reddy. Council chairman George Shaw told The Royal Gazette that Dr Reddy’s arrest and release on police bail would be top of the agenda when the full council meets on June 9. Dr Reddy is understood to still be seeing patients at Bermuda Healthcare Services, where he is medical director, after his arrest in connection with a financial investigation being conducted by police. Dr Shaw said no complaint had been made about the GP’s conduct to the council, which regulates the island’s doctors, but it was aware of his arrest and would seek advice from lawyer Jeffrey Elkinson, the council’s legal representative. “My understanding is that at this point, given the circumstances, there is nothing for us to do until we meet and formally look at it,” said Dr Shaw. “We will be doing that. I am sure it will be at the top of the list. I have been on the council for quite a while. This is a first.” The law governing doctors is the Medical Practitioners’ Act, which was amended earlier this year. Dr Reddy is a longstanding physician with Bermuda Healthcare Services, which was founded by the former Premier, Ewart Brown, the executive chairman. A police spokesman told this newspaper: “A 42-year-old man has been arrested in connection with an ongoing financial investigation. “He since has been released on police bail while further inquiries are being made.” Dr Reddy is treasurer of the Bermuda Medical Doctors’ Association and, according to the website of Bermuda Healthcare Services, a member of the Indian Medical Council. He was registered to practise medicine in September 2000, according to the official list of Bermuda’s registered physicians. June 1. The 2016 Atlantic Hurricane season formally begins today with two named storms already on record. And while seasonal forecasts by the American-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have predicted a near-average season with between ten and 16 named storms, even a single storm can have devastating consequences. So far this year two named storms have been recorded — Hurricane Alex, which passed through the North Atlantic in January, and Tropical Storm Bonnie, which weakened to a Tropical Depression before making landfall in South Carolina this weekend. In advance of any storm the public is urged to take precautions, making sure insurance policies are up to date and stocking up on medication, drinking water and non-perishable food. Before any forecast impact, the public should check on elderly neighbors to ensure they are safe, secure outdoor furniture and block down pipes on Bermuda roofs to prevent salt water contamination of the water tank. The public should listen to the Government Emergency Broadcast Station on FM100.1 MHz for updates. Stay away from windows and sliding glass doors and it is also recommended to keep one window on the leeward side of the building a few inches open. Once the storm has passed, the public should clear their driveways and streets — unless there are downed power lines in the area — check on any elderly neighbors and continue to listen to the radio for further updates. June 1. Retail sales volume rose for the 15th month in a row in March. Sales went up 4.9 per cent to $92 million, compared to the $87.7 million recorded in March 2015, with six of the seven recorded sectors logging increases. After accounting for inflation, retail sales volume was up 3.6 per cent. After adjustment for inflation, which was measured at 1.1 per cent for March, the volume of sales increased by 3.6 per cent. Building materials retailers registered the largest gain, up by 13.3 per cent, but clothing stores recorded a fall of 4.3 per cent. The rise in the building sector was linked to increased inventory, as well as an increase in DIY projects and small contractor business. Motor vehicle sales were also up, by 6.8 per cent compared to the same month the previous year. The number of vehicles sold went up by 8.2 per cent. Government statisticians said: “The increased sales were due to a wider variety of motor vehicle models available for sale and promotions during the period.” Sales receipts from liquor sales went up by 6.9 per cent and sales revenue for food stores increased by 5.6 per cent. Sales of volume at liquor stores rose by 4.9 per cent, with the volume of food sales up 3.4 per cent. The increased sales were attributed to Easter falling in March this year. Sales receipts in the all other store types category went up 6.2 per cent year on year, with gross receipts for marine and boat supplies jumping 65.5 per cent, attributed to an increase in sales of large vessels. Tourist-related stores also showed an increase, up 14.9 per cent, put down to higher demand for discounted items. Gross receipts in pharmacy stores went up 6.9 per cent, while furniture, appliances and electronics sales rose by 0.1 per cent. After allowing for inflation, sales volume in the all other stores category increased by 5.2 per cent. The value of fuel sales at service stations went up 0.8 per cent, with the rise in revenue attributed to a 3.8 per increase in the volume of fuel sold. Returning residents declared $3.4 million on overseas purchases in March, down from the $3.7 million in the same month last year. June 1. The organizers of the Appleby Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby are considering bringing forward the start of the annual race after last week’s humid conditions sent several competitors to hospital. Many found the heat unbearable, with some runners failing to complete the trek from Somerset to Bernard Park. Now the race committee is looking into the possibility of starting the race early to avoid having the slower runners finishing in the midday heat. Even the juniors who ran the two-mile race from Front Street to Bernard Park looked to be struggling as they came through Cedar Avenue. One thing that could have contributed to the excessive humid conditions last Wednesday seemed to be the heavy rain that fell in the days before the race. Puddles at Bernard Park proved to be a blessing as some runners soaked in them to cool off. However, a change in time will not be made without discussions with the Bermuda Bicycle Association who hold their popular Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race on the same day. “We’ve been thinking about it for a while, it’s just taking the steps to work with all the stakeholders and get everyone involved in the discussions about how much earlier,” said Dr Gina Tucker, president of the Bermuda Half-Marathon Derby committee. “We’re considering it for so many reasons, especially the health and safety of the participants. The weather is not like it used to be. We will speak with them [BBA] and they will have to adjust to us, all of the times will have to move according to the adjustments. Of course, we have not had the conversation with them as yet but it is about having a conversation with all the parties involved, especially the police.” An alteration to the 107-year-old race was made just a year ago when it was decided to reintroduce a start in the East End after almost 30 years. Now, the race will come out of the East in alternate years, starting again in St George’s next year, taking the runners over a course many feel is more challenging than Somerset to Bernard Park. The cyclists start at 8.50am, individual runners at 9am, with relay runners starting ten minutes later. Lamont Marshall, a first-time men’s winners, and Ashley Estwanik, who clinched her sixth women’s title, both toiled in the heat as dozens more were either taken to hospital or simply abandoned the race. Jennifer Alen, a top contender in the past, was one who pulled out early because of the conditions. Estwanik ran sensibly to retain her title. “I felt like I was overheating right from the beginning, so it was more about finishing this year than a good time,” Estwanik said. “I just really struggled from very early on, but thankfully took a lot of water. I took every single bit of water I could get. I was dumping stuff on my head and people were giving me ice, which I really, really needed.” Trey Simons, who finished second to Marshall, admitted it was tough along the course. “I’ve only been back for about a week and Atlanta was hot, but not as humid as this,” the college student said. Larry Marshall, a 2007 winner, echoed those sentiments: “It was hard, I really struggled but I wanted to finish,” he said. “For me it was brutal, extremely hot out there and I thought I had a much faster time under my belt but from the warm-up in Somerset I just felt flat.” Dr Tucker added: “It was a brutal morning of heat and humidity. The combination was definitely not one to take lightly and even the best of runners, who were highly trained, could feel the pressure. We’re going to begin the conversation and as soon as it can happen it will. It’s a matter of continuing the conversation because we have raised it in previous years. Now we just have to determine how we can make it happen. 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Talend Software (TLND) priced their IPO above the range at $18. The company provides data integration software to enterprises who continue to struggle to manage and leverage their growing pile of data - big data, small data, cloud data, etc. Talend fills a gap in the market for investors after both Informatica and Tibco were acquired in 2015 and 2014 respectively. Just for the sake of starting with these to inform our valuation discussion - Tibco was purchased for $4.3B which was about 4x revenue and Informatica went for $5.4B which was about 5x revenue. (We've made a few adjustments based on the balance sheets and rounded the numbers for simplicity.) The Never-Solved Problem Data integration is one of the longest running investment themes in software. There was a major wave new in the 1990’s which included companies offering pure data infrastructure like Informatica and Tibco with their “information bus.” We also had a bumper crop of “enterprise application integration (EAI)” companies like TSI software, New Era of Networks, STC and Vitria software to name some. Part of the reason the integration problem is never “solved” is that we keep making it harder. Every new technology begets more “legacy” systems. We’ve gone from two-tier to three-tier to now “n-tier” architecture. Into the mix we also added the cloud and myriad new end-points under the “Internet of Things (IoT)” phenomenon. Talend has the benefit of being the latest, most modern enterprise-class solution in this space today. More traditional players like Teradata (TDC) suffer from older, less flexible and robust technology. Large software companies like SAP and Oracle have their own ecosystem of tools which are useful for getting information in and out of these systems but they are not general purpose solutions. After the years of M&A we are left with a landscape dominated by large players with the exception of companies like Talend and Boomi (part of Dell) which offers their software as a service rather than on-premis or via open source. Here is how Gartner Group summed up the market position of Talend in their 2014 report: Core data integration capabilities. Talend offers bulk/batch data integration capabilities that continue to attract strong growth in the market. Support for data integration operations running natively on Hadoop and evolving operational uses cases (Apache Storm and Apache Spark environment), and an iPaaS offering planned for 1Q15, position Talend well in relation to demand trends. Integrated product set and broad applicability. Talend's portfolio, including data quality, MDM, business process management and ESB, helps Talend deployments to capitalize on data integration use cases that require synergy with these other capabilities. Cost model and time to value. References express positive perceptions of value relative to cost and developer productivity. Frequently regarded as an attractive low-price option for augmenting implementations of data integration capabilities by budget-constrained customers, Talend is also selected by larger organizations — though not as often as most of its competitors. Reference customers generally report ease of use and speed of deployment as reasons for adopting Talend's technology. Recognition for functionality and environment coverage. While Talend's use cases reflect well in bulk/batch-oriented data delivery, recognition and deployment of other data integration styles remain relatively limited. Difficulty with access to skilled resources and integration with incumbent technical environments and standards are adverse factors expressed by prospects during evaluations. Metadata support. Deployments using the product set's multiple data integration tool components, and alongside Talend's various other technologies such as MDM and ESB, are raising expectations for deeper out-of-the-box metadata and data lineage support across the portfolio. Product support services. Reference customers using older versions report challenges with version upgrades and the application of patches and fixes, expressing a desire for automated processes and provisioning of updates and fixes, as Talend continues to address these concerns through evolving the 5.x product portfolio. Talend has definitely made progress since this Gartner review was completed (Talend is now in the leaders quadrant). Overall they enjoy a solid position in the market and have positive momentum versus their competitors so we'd expect them to continue to gain share. The Open Source Distribution Model This method of go-to-market has been around for over a decade but still many investors don’t fully appreciate how it works. Red Hat (RHT) was one of the first large public companies to demonstrate the long-term success of this strategy. Most Talend customers start out by downloading some free software which promises to solve a specific problem. Development and testing can be done without any friction. For example the company gets 300K downloads/year of free products and trials which has led (so far) to over 1,300 customers. It’s a subtle point but there is a major difference between open source and free trials or development-only licenses. Enterprises have serious security concerns and often do new development and testing in their own datacenters. In many cases that holds true for deployment as well. Open source also gives enterprise customers and their partners and other third party vendors the ability to control and customize elements of their installation to meet their requirements. Proprietary offerings from Oracle or Microsoft don’t provide this level of flexibility. The revenue conversion cycle is then similar to traditional trial and development license models. Once a customer aggregates enough activity and/or goes into production they are contacted by enterprise sales to purchase. At this point they are highly pre-qualified so sales are very efficient. An additional benefit to open source comes in terms of product support. An online community of over 200,000 developers means that most answers and usage scenarios can be found online rather than requiring company-sponsored support. Valuation and Stock Conclusion The market opportunity is about $16B according to the company which is consistent with what we have observed in the market. Most of the large players - Tibco, Informatica, SAP, Oracle, and IBM have the biggest pieces with over $1B each. That still leaves another $8B or so out there for smaller players like Talend to go after. Looking at comparable companies in the market there's a wide range of valuations in terms of P/S with an average value of 7.5x. It's a mixed bag since some of these are pure SaaS models and other are closer to TLND with open source software models of distribution. We'd note that the software names tend to trade at lower multiples but the rules are not hard and fast here. (The "pure SaaS" companies like WDAY, TWLO and N are over 10x sales. So when Dell takes Boomi public they can expect a pretty good payday!) As you can see in the IV model below we come to a target price of $26 for TLND. It happens to equate to about 7.1x sales which would put it close to the average for the group. The Talend IPO didn't offer a large amount of shares so we'd expect demand may push share prices above our target in the short term. With both Informatica and Tibco now in private hands there are few pure plays in the data integration and management space. One caveat to keep in mind as Talend moves forward as a public company is that they are impacted by exchange rates more than the average small company. In addition their policy of shortening contract periods to improve realized prices will translate into shrinkage in deferred revenue account which can be confusing for investors who tend to look for deferred revenues to go up over time. Subscribe to get our latest content by email.

Aliso Viejo, California, January 6, 2014 – Ringler Associates, the nation’s largest structured settlement company, is pleased to announce that Mr. Geoffrey E. Hunt will join the company as part of the leadership succession plan in transition for longtime President and Chief Executive Officer, Robert J. Blattenberg’s scheduled retirement. As such, following a lengthy national search, the Board of Directors voted unanimously to bring Mr. Hunt on board as President of the company on January 5, 2015, with Mr. Blattenberg continuing as CEO during the transition period. Mr. Hunt began his career at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Deloitte & Touche. In 1991, he joined Liberty Mutual in Boston, where, over the next 14 years, he rose to Executive Vice President for Regional Agency Markets, responsible for $2.5 billion in premiums. Prior to that, Mr. Hunt held positions of Executive VP and Manager of Field Operations and Business Markets, VP and Director of Corporate Finance, responsible for leading the acquisitions whereby Liberty Mutual entered into the independent agency markets in the U.S. and internationally. In 2005, he co-founded Narragansett Bay Insurance Company in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and served as a member of the Board of Directors. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Mergers, Acquisitions and Business Development at Risk Placement Services in Boston, a subsidiary of Arthur J. Gallagher with 1,000 employees and 70 offices nationwide producing over $2.2 billion in premiums. Mr. Hunt is a Certified Public Accountant and received his Juris Doctor degree (JD) from Western New England School of Law and a Master of Laws degree (LLM) in Taxation from Boston University. He lives in Scituate, Massachusetts, just south of Boston, with his wife, Brenda. He has two grown children, Natalie and Alexander. Chairman of the Board, W. Ross Duncan says, “A great company is one that has the right people leading the business and one that also has the vision to identify the next generation of leaders to take over tomorrow. We are thrilled that Geoff Hunt will be joining Ringler Associates in this leadership role and we’re grateful to Bob Blattenberg for his extraordinary leadership over the past 31 years.” According to Ringler Associates’ current President and CEO, Robert J. Blattenberg, “I’m impressed with Geoff’s credentials and intellect and he has a personality and synergy that will complement the strengths of our company. During the transition period and before my retirement, I will ensure that he becomes well acquainted with our business, our clients and our people in every dimension.” Mr. Hunt is looking forward to joining Ringler Associates in the leadership role, saying, “I’m thrilled and excited to begin work at the helm of the established leader and innovator in the structured settlement business. My experience and aligned priorities track well with Ringler Associates’ strategic growth and innovation plans… It is a real luxury to have such a thoughtfully considered succession plan.” Ringler Associates is also celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015, marking an historic milestone in the industry. With a solid foundation built in 1975, and subsequent decades of growth, Ringler Associates will continue its success with a steadfast mantra of Innovating for Today and Planning for Tomorrow. About Ringler Associates Ringler Associates, Inc. is the largest structured settlement company in the United States with over 140 consultants in more than 60 major cities. Established in 1975, the company is a team of experienced professionals who have earned the trust of all parties involved in the structured settlement process. Every Ringler Associate takes an individualized, customer-focused approach to each case, backed by the strength and resources of a national company to collaborate with injured people, attorneys and insurance professionals providing the best settlement solutions for claimants and their families. For More Information, Contact: Duke T. Wolpert, MSI, SCLA, CSSC Vice President, Director of Marketing

Cooperation between Peugeot, Dongfeng, and French Government Essay Business and Economics: Cooperation between Peugeot, Dongfeng, and French Government Background of Peugeot and Dongfeng Peugeot is considered to be the flagman of the French automobile production, as well as the pioneer in industrial sphere. The company counts over two centuries of organizational activities, which allowed it to develop new technological ideas and passion for automobile manufacturing (Peugeot, 2014). The care manufacturer has fostered the spirit triggering the company to the top of car producers. In contrast, Dongfeng brand has strong positions in China and also specializes in producing cars. The focus on the investment into Chinese automobile production amounts to $ 2 billion (Dongfeng Motor Co., 2003). Major Business Activities In 2014, Peugeot’s strategy remains stable while introducing its business activities in Europe, along with the introduction of RCZ R and the new 208 SW. (Peugeot, 2014). The Chinese automobile producers Dongfeng does not lag behind either and focuses on the development of the new brand that would become popular at the international level (Dongfeng Motor Co., 2003).The core competence of Peugeot lies in the development of innovative techniques and cooperating on the international level. Dongfeng also collaborates at the international level. Background of Collaboration Dongfeng Motor, the joint acquisition of the French government earlier Chinese side came PSA and Dongfeng Motor intends to 10 billion yuan to buy 30 % stake in PSA echoes the message, the message said easterly and French government will each spend about 1,5 billion euros (about 12,4 billion yuan), respectively, the acquisition of 20-30 % stake in the French side has sent a delegation to China negotiations (Pearson, 2014). The final agreements between Dongfeng Motor Group and PSA Peugeot Citroen are aimed at deepening and strengthening the current production and sales partnerships. The production synergy focuses on 400 euro annually for PSA Peugeot Citroen (PSA Peugeot Citroen, 2014). Layers of External Environment: Comprising governmental officials, corporate executives and banking and finance industry, signed an agreement to prepare for the Peugeot Citroen hopes equity acquisition agreement completed during the year. PSA Peugeot Citroen as the largest shareholder, the current PSA Peugeot Citroen Peugeot family owns 25.4 per cent of the share and 38.1 % of the voting equity if inject successful acquisition of their shares will be diluted and thus lose control over last year General Motors acquired PSA 7 % also will share diluted French government shareholding in part from the increased portion of the sale of new shares Peugeot family, and the rest through completion of the capital reserves (Pearson, 2014). Importance of Identifying the External Events and Trends As Arnaud Montebourg asserted, “We want to create a giant with global reach” and “an alliance with Dongfeng will create relationship of equals while at the same time preserving decision center and R&D outlets in Europe” (Rosemain, 2014). In this respect, the analysis of this situation proves that external environment in the capacity of the French government could provide the driving force for incorporating efforts. Introduction of Frameworks PESTEL introduces political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental factors contributing to the synergy of two companies. In general, the cooperation between two companies could create valuable condition for both companies (Cavusgil, 2012). Hence, Peugeot can expand its influence on the local markets, such as Chinese market, whereas Dongfeng’s brand can have an opportunity to enter the international market due to the cooperation with the world’s known brand. Porter’s Five Forces – Industry The analysis of the industry through Porter’s Five Forces can explain the current success of the acquisition, as well as predict how it can affect the cooperation in the future. More importantly, the new microeconomics emphasizes the role of government in creating an environment that increases productivity and promote the development of new production lines (Porter, 1998). Discussion of PESTEL The Impact of Financial Tsunami of 2008 on World Economy International management has many undercurrents, which are represented by many economic factors in an external environment (Sanyal, 2001). This is of particular concern to the 2008 financial crisis and its influence on the revenues and production sales in Peugeot. Specifically, due to the irresponsible mortgage lending, many businesses fell apart and ceased cooperation. Therefore, Peugeot realized the consequences of the crisis and started searching for constant partnerships (The Economist, 2014). Economic Environment after 2009 In a year after the 2008 financial crisis, the world witnessed Lehnam Brother bank’s bankruptcy, followed by the takeover of Merrill Lynch bank. A series of takeovers, economic losses, and acquisition, 2009 was regarded as the most difficult period in the global economy. Many developed countries witnessed downgrade of IMF. According to Gokay (2009), “in the new forecast, the advanced economic are expected to contract by ¼ percent on an annual basis in 2009.” Therefore, the economic success can contribute to the operational activities of the carmakers. Technology: Technology transfer in globalization strategy The globalization strategy has a direct impact on the production process in automobile industry. According to Kluyver (2010), “Market situation, high level of motorization, and political pressures on automakers to “build where they sell ” have encouraged the dispersion of final assembly; which now takes place in many more places” (p. 34). Therefore, such markets as China and India can create the growth through investment made from the developed world in an attempt to restore the world’s economy. Research and Design Activities, with Reference to Next-Generation Technology, Hybrid Cars, Fuel Efficiency With reliance to the environmental issues, the introduction of alternative energy, eco-mobiles, and hybrid cars is a sort of response to the client’s demand, as well as to the demand of external stakeholders, such as environmental organizations that have a potent influence on the client’s environmental awareness (Golinska, 2013). Discussion of Porter’s Five Forces When it comes to bargaining power of suppliers, the attention should be given to the vertical integration of parts supplier with auto makers. In other words, both parties involved should cooperate with the leading suppliers of auto parts to ensure timely production of vehicles. As for bargaining power of buyers, the demand trend should be taken into consideration to develop an integrated scheme for managing the production lifecycle at both companies. Bargaining power of competitors would be minimized significantly because the synergy contributes to the competitiveness of both automobile producers. The threat of entry introduces the possible decline in production due to the increased tendencies of operating in economies of scale. Additionally, the access to supply and distribution channels should also be reduced due to the necessity for other rivals to sustain a competitive edge. Treats of substitutes is not for the cooperation between Peugeot and Chinese automobile producers because both companies are unique in their spheres, in terms of quality and brand Identification and Selection of Partners There are three major purposes and motives of synergy and collaboration – market-seeking motives, resource or asset-seeking motives, and efficiency-seeking motives. To begin with market-seeking motives are pursued by Dongfeng Motor Co that will have a possibility to access new markets, follow key clients, and take a competitive advantage over a number of local producers. In regards to resource motives, both parties have entered a win-win solution because access to raw materials, knowledge, and technology could be exchanged among two companies to increase their competitiveness. Finally, efficiency-seeking motives Management style and structure refers to two directions – complementary and Synergetic – which shape the core competence. Nature of products or services is strongly associated with geographical coverage, which contributes to the amelioration of international relationships. The attention should also be given to the fact that automobile industry is premised on supply chain management, which is the key to successful production (Chandram & Grabis, 2007). Relative risk of failure can be defined by considering the previous history of collaboration. Specifically, Peugeot was involved in many other partnerships and relations with other leading producers in the field (Guillaume, 2014). The collaboration features with Ford and BWM are worth analyzing because they show the effectiveness of uniting the efforts at enhancing the well-known brands. Role of French Government It should be stressed that any participation of the government in Peugeot’s activities would seek to protect balanced ownership. Similar concerns relate to the control imposed on the Chinese company by the government. Such discussions show that both companies are in need of partnership and cooperation to exchange resources and potential. As it can be seen, political, social, and economic factors affect the government’s intervention into cooperation of Peugeot with Dongfeng. In this context, the French government has taken the facilitative role, which drove the process of cooperation between two companies at the international level. It also supported and directed the business activities, which make these actions appropriate and adequate. The financial market should undergo downturn to renew the infrastructure and redevelop the new economic strategies for political and social restoration. The deteriorating setting also led to the decline in GDP. In conclusion, it should be stressed that the cooperation between the world’s known brand Peugeot and Chinese auto maker Dongfeng has a positive influence on both parties because of the external environmental factors. Peugeot sought to enter the local markets and strengthen its position, whereas Dongfeng strives to enter the global market. In this context, the French government served as a facilitator and a foundation for affirmative action on the part of Peugeot. Type of Cooperation between Peugeot and Dongfeng The partnership and cooperation between Peugeot and Dongfeng is represented as acquisition. However, this participation and interaction can also be regarded as a balanced ownership, which is beneficial for both parties. As such, the French Company seeks to create a large and powerful organization with global reach. At this point, the partnership with Dongfeng can create an equal relationship, as well as preserve the R&D focus in Europe. Although the type of cooperation is acquisition, the relationship between two companies is equal and, therefore, the shareholders agreed the terms of acquisition that would be beneficial for both parties. Hence, Peugeot will become less dependent from the European market and will be integrated into Southeast Asian market (Pearson, 2014). The recovery plan of Peugeot is a cooperation deal that focuses on the capital boost for the financial groups. In contrast, Dongfeng can also open new opportunities for global reach. When it concerns the company’s base, it should be stressed that the entry strategy is considered to be most difficult one because it implies multiple stage of adjustment and change. PSA Peugeot Citroen has approved an agreement to expand cash by selling assets to Dongfeng and the French government. In such a way, they will open new opportunities for final negotiations. The agreement also seeks to introduce law-cost small vehicles for the clients of the Asian market. Peugeot’s managers stated that the deal is beneficial for all the parties concerned because it satisfied the needs of all the parties involved. However, Peugeot is more interested into the integration of Dongfeng because it allows the producers to enter the new markets (Stothard, 2014). Although the company already operates the manufacturing venture with other companies, such as Honda, Nissan, Renault and Kia, the new partnership are still beneficial because of the globalization process. National and Corporate Cultures Involved into Cooperation For the purpose of achieving profitability, Peugeot Citroen should change its culture and promote new assimilation policies because of the cooperation with the Chinese market. In response to this need, the French automobile producer plans to create a new joint venture with Dongfeng aimed at designing and selecting products to permit the two companies to drive revenues and synthesize two different organizational cultures, which is the key to the productive cooperation (Foy, 2014). In such a way, it will be possible to get access to the Chinese supplier. Influence of Both Parties on Partnership between Peugeot and Dongfeng during Exploratory Stages At the very beginning of the partnership, the French carmaker expressed negligence and skeptical attitude to the cooperation with the Chinese company. However, this confrontation did not last long because the deeper industrial partnership with the Chinese group was necessary to reduce dependence from the European market and enter the new market segment (Stothard & Foy, 2014). In fact, it should be recognized that the company is currently in much stronger position to move forward and make important decisions. Level of Operation of the Cooperation Positive and Negative Effects of Rate Movements on the Deal On the one hand, the cooperation with Dongfeng can have a positive influence on the French carmaker. However, the situation could be complicated in case the Chinese producer admits the products promoted by Peugeot to the Chinese market (Klayman, 2014). The Chinese partner could provide new opportunities for commercial and business relations. Specifically, the alliance could bring in benefit for both parties (Tierney, 2014). Therefore, despite the possible threats of failure to enter the foreign market, the opportunities the coalition can open are much more promising and are worth of risk-taking. Three Specific Aspects of Challenges of Doing Business Internationally Doing business at an international level depends on several important factors, including economic, cultural, and political challenges. To begin with, economic challenges imply that the companies originating from the developed economies have higher potential for entering the international market and sustaining a competitive advantage over the companies that operate in the developing world (Moffett, Stonehill & Eiteman, 2009). From the cultural viewpoint, both companies involved into partnership should be ready to accept the difference in corporate cultures, as well as accept the cultural diversity issue. Therefore, both Peugeot and Dongfeng should be ready to adjust to cultural variations and promote new cultural principles of operating business in a host environment (Engine Technology International, 2014). From the political viewpoint, each company acting international should take into consideration the position taken by the government of the county in which this company operates, including their political interest, public needs, and a social environment (Eiteman, Stonehill, & Moffett, 2004). In such a way, it will be possible to retain the respectable image and conquer the customer loyalty. Importance of Considering These Challenges for the Future of International Business Carrying out business at an international level is always a challenge for any multinational corporation, not mentioning small businesses that suffer aggressive competition at the global market. Therefore, the importance of overcoming economic, cultural, political, and social challenges is enormous. The legal systems should also be taken into account to make sure that the production process corresponds with the accepted norms. In this respect, the presence of international standards is the key to successful cooperation, as well as to the development of new opportunities for business management, as well for the analysis of new threats and pitfalls of cooperation in the future (Levin, 2014). Despite the evident economic recession, the developing countries have received a chance for advancing their economies and entering new products and services to the international market. Hence, the earlier underestimated developing economies, such as India, China, and the Middle East, have come to the forth as the potential partners of the firmly established multinational corporations (Gokay, 2009). In this respect, multiple agreements and acquisitions took place as a result of the crisis. The success of international operation depends largely on the company’s objectives and tools by means of which they plan to accomplish those objectives. Operations influence physical and social aspects of a competitive environment. Therefore, the companies should also present the internationally predetermined goals that would respond to the needs of the global community (Dunning, 2010). In this context, the companies of local importance can meet significant challenges while entering the global commercial relations. Corporate social responsibility and awareness of the cultural gaps require specific attention in case of partnership between Peugeot and Dongfeng. In particular, the international arena serves as the monitoring committee for the companies acting at the international level (Harris, Kuivalainen, & Stoyanova, 2012). The main essence of their alliance consists in increasing their profitability and competitiveness, as well as enhancing the brand position. The in-depth analysis of the partnership between Peugeot and Dongfeng, as well as the role of French government uncovers many undercurrents, including political, cultural, and economic dimensions. The agreement signed between the leading automobile producers has had benefits for both parties. In particular, Peugeot can move away from the European market and expand its influence to the Asian market. In response, the Chinese producers can also enter the international arena and increase their profitability. The French government in this context serves as a supporter of the political and economic consequences of organizational activities.

This week, we reached a milestone that we’re pretty proud of—50,000 users are now part of the Tidal community. And more are joining everyday. Though the math isn’t out on the influence of those 50k, let’s just assume their total combined social followings equal—I don’t know—11 trillion people. But all conservative estimates aside, our community features an array of pretty amazing creators, from up-and-coming fashionistas, to dedicated parents, to skilled journalists and videographers. The amount of talent contained within this digital community astounds us on a daily basis, so we’d like to give a major thank you to all the creative people who made this achievement possible. The beauty of our network lies in the diversity of voices among our creators. Take our recently launched TODAY Show parenting network for example, which includes passionate voices from co-hosts on the show, plus self-proclaimed supermoms and dads. The community comes together to share parenting advice and the essential learnings from raising children. Next, there’s the army of fashionistas in our Lucky Community—perhaps the complete opposite of parenting bloggers, unless you equate properly changing a diaper to achieving eyebrow synergy. These voices shout their personalized style advice from the rooftops, urging readers to embrace the art of clothes-hoarding and the lifestyle that comes with a dedication to looking fabulous. Elsewhere, home decor and DIY aficionados collect the moods of their dream homes in our network for Architectural Digest, sharing everything from stately manors and modern luxury to understated elegance. And then, of course, there’s our Marketplace, which compiles endlessly interesting ideas of modern creativity, including viral art projects, video love letters to the automobile, and fashion advice for broke Millennials. Considering the wealth of diverse creative ideas our current members of Tidal offer, we can’t help but dream of what the next 50,000 brings. Stay tuned.

Beta-Alanine – Beta-alanine is an additional not so frequent ingredient present in any other BCAA formula except for HELIX. It raises endurance by increasing the buffering ability of Performing muscle mass, fights off acidosis, delays exhaustion, and boosts endurance capability. Proteins had been recognized as a distinct course of Organic molecules from the eighteenth century by Antoine Fourcroy and Other individuals, distinguished by the molecules' capability to coagulate or flocculate underneath treatment plans with warmth or acid. Branched-chain amino acids are utilized to aid make proteins in the human body. Getting medication referred to as glucocorticoids together with branched-chain amino acids might lessen the consequences of branched-chain amino acids on proteins. Additional information is needed concerning this interaction. What you can do is consider acute doses just before or throughout training that will help your education levels while education. By performing this, you support proper drinking water movement in and out of working muscles as taurine is taken into account an osmolyte. In More moderen study it's been shown to lessen delayed onset muscular soreness so the synergy with BCAAs can be quite extraordinary in athletes. Whey Protein Isolates (WPI) are classified as the purest kind of whey protein that at present exists. WPIs are highly-priced to utilize, but charge Among the many most effective proteins that cash should buy. This is why they're the initial ingredient you Keep reading the Gold Standard a hundred% Whey™ label. By making use of WPI as the principal ingredient along with premium ultra-filtered whey protein concentrate (WPC), we're capable of pack 24 grams of protein into every serving to assist your muscle mass setting up requires soon after coaching. When you have questions about nutrition for youths or unique fears about your child's diet regime, talk to your child's medical professional or possibly a registered dietitian. I report research results not testimonies. I concentrate on individuals who want valid details to make Way of life adjustments, not supplement pushers. [seventeen] P70 S6 kinase is an element вот например protein.kiev.ua of your mammalian concentrate on of rapamycin elaborate (mTOR) signaling pathway, and has been demonstrated to allow adaptive hypertrophy and Restoration of rat muscle. At relaxation protein infusion stimulates protein synthesis thirty minutes after start off of infusion, and protein synthesis stays elevated for another ninety minutes. Infusion of leucine at rest provides a six-hour stimulatory impact and enhanced protein synthesis by phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase in skeletal muscles. Following resistance training, with out BCAA administration, a resistance workout session isn't going to have an effect on mTOR phosphorylation and also provides a reduce in Akt phosphorylation. Some phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase was found. When BCAAs were being administered next a training session, sufficient phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase and S6 indicated activation of your signaling cascade. Proteins might also bind to, or maybe be integrated into, cell membranes. The power of binding partners to induce conformational modifications in proteins allows the development of enormously advanced signaling networks. As interactions between proteins are reversible, and rely greatly on the availability of various teams of partner proteins to variety aggregates that happen to be able to carry out discrete sets of function, analyze in the interactions between particular proteins is often a important to understand essential components of cellular perform, and eventually the Houses that distinguish individual mobile varieties. The website link among extreme protein and calcium depletion was stated to be so powerful that getting supplemental calcium won't stem the day by day calcium deficit -- it is just slowed a trifle. However it went on to mention that lowering protein intake to some amount near the RDA experienced a profound beneficial influence. It still left the body by using a day-to-day Internet inflow of calcium, even among older women who weren't taking calcium dietary supplements. Could you give authoritative references to evidence that confirms or refutes this? Instead of dealing with some extra processing techniques to make certain uniform particle size and procedures which allow for “instantizing” with the amino acids, they skip it to save money. We don’t try this at Nubreed and pay out extra so you may get better outcomes. There exists also early proof that having branched-chain amino acids by mouth might be beneficial for individuals with anorexia that may be associated with cancer or liver disease. Much healthier fats may also be Normally existing in olives, nuts, avocados and seafood. Restrict trans fats by steering clear of foods that comprise partially hydrogenated oil. 5 "I haven't tried every other protein powder so are not able to Review although the primary reason I follow this manufacturer and products could be the flavor. It justs preferences just like a shake no chems.

*New customers only. One-time use per customer. Order must be placed by 1/31/2019. The $30 discount is given for a single order with a minimum of $100 excluding shipping and tax. Items with pricing ending in .97 are excluded and will not count toward the minimum required. Discount does not apply to corporate orders, gift certificates, StewardShip membership fees, select Champagne brands, Riedel glassware, fine and rare wine, and all bottles 3.0 liters or larger. No other promotion codes, coupon codes or corporate discounts may be applied to order. Due to state regulations, we cannot ship wine to California This lustrous, golden straw Chardonnay displays complex aromas of pineapple, peach, and apricot intertwined with underlying notes of spice, oak-clove, and nutmeg. Bright and slightly herbaceous with a nice round entrance, flavors of tropical fruits, peach, melon, and orange-clove prevail mid-palate and linger throughout the wine's long, clean finish. King Estate is a sustainably-farmed 1033-acre certified organic vineyard complex and state of the art winery situated atop the rolling slopes in the Coast Range foothills, near the southern end of Oregon's Willamette Valley. In addition to world-class vineyards, their estate is home to organic orchards, vegetable gardens, and a host of native wildlife; including cougar and black bear. King Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are sourced primarily from estate-grown, certified Biodynamic fruit, blended with the best selection of grapes from like-minded Willamette Valley AVA vineyard partners committed to sustainable agriculture.Organically-farmed and managed as a fully-integrated ecosystem, King Estate is also home to an innovative culinary program whose focus is the synergy of local, organically produced food and wine created just outside the winery doors. King Estate's critically-acclaimed Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir are available through fine restaurants and retailers around the world.

Alexandros Marinis has been dancing ballroom and Greek folk dances since his young years and took several seminars on the dancing field. He is the person that introduced Lindy Hop to the Greek audience in wide range. He is a founding member of Lindy Hop Greece and responsible for the spread of the dance in Greece. He started as a student of Michael Widmer and later he was trained by highly recognized teachers abroad. He is the main organizer of almost every big event of Lindy Hop Greece, like the notorious Swing ‘n’ Swim. He is dancing, choreographing and teaching in Thessaloniki , in Greece and around Europe. The Christmas of 2011 he taught with Sonia Ortega (Spain) in Athens and in September 2014 with Valerie Salstrom at Torino Swing Festival. From 2012 he start teaching internationally, first in 5 cities in Switzerland with his dance partner Loukaki Christina. After that he taught several times in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden Netherlands, England.... The biggest recognition came when in the summer of 2014 he taught with Christina Loukaki at Herrang Dance Camp. He is also been occupied with personal development trainings in Greece and the Netherlands at Olde Vechte Foundation at International Synergy Network. He is a Youth Worker in Global Soma, NGO in Greece and works as a personal development trainer, Certificated Rolfer, life coach to groups of kids, youngsters and adults around Europe. Christina Loukaki (Greece) Christina Loukaki was born in Creta and she is a student of English Philolgy and Literature at the Aristotle universitiy of Thessaloniki. She had her first experience with dance in the age of 4. She started with rhythmic gymnastics and a year later with Cretan folk dances that she later taught. She was a professional dancer for almost nine years. Later she danced latin ballroom dances and salsa participating in seminars abroad and Argentine Tango. In 2007 she started Lindy Hop because it was fun but later she fell completely in love with the energy and musicality of the dance. Since that time, she is a fanatic lindy hopper! Her training started as Michael Widmer´s student and later continued in seminars, classes abroad, by highly recognized teachers. She is teaching, choreographing and dances for Lindy Hop Greece in Switzerland, Italy and Sweden. The biggest regognition came when in the summer of 2014 she taught with Alex Marinis at Herrang Dance Camp. She worked with kids in Summer Camps for 3 years where she used experiential learning as a method. She is experienced with kids and youngsters. Now she´s living in Stockholm and works for Chicago Swing Dance Studio one of the most known studios in the world!

Mercedes-Benz 560 SL, 1989 Mercedes-Benz 560 SL (R107), Jahr 1989. Fahrgestellnummer: WDBBA48D2KA1040XX. Farbe Elfenbeinweiß mit einer beigen Lederausstattung und beige Teppich. Original Hardtop in Wagenfarbe und ein dunkelbraunes Cabrio-Verdeck. Dieser wunderbare Mercedes-Benz 560 SL wurde kürzlich aus dem sonnigen Kalifornien in die USA importiert. Das Auto ist in einem ausgezeichneten Originalzustand und das Auto fährt perfekt! Das Auto zeigt alle original US-Details und Spezifikationen. Von Neuem hat dieser feine Mercedes SL 144.601 Meilen gefahren; Die Servicehistorie ist vollständig dokumentiert (Carfax). Dieser R107 SL kommt aus der letzten Serie und verfügt über den kraftvollen und sehr robusten 5,6-Liter-V8-Motor, der an ein Automatikgetriebe gekoppelt ist. Das Auto ist ausgestattet mit den originalen MB 16-Zoll-Leichtmetallrädern und es wird komplett geliefert mit dem originalen Original-Handbuch und dem originalen Werkzeugsatz. Auf besonderen Wunsch und gegen Aufpreis können wir diesen feinen 560 SL nach europäischen Spezifikationen ausliefern. Ein sehr schönes Original-Exemplar! ARCHIV | VERKAUFT The Mercedes 280 SL, 350 SL, 450 SL and 560 SL (the latter for the US market only) are the successors of the 230 SL, 250 SL and 280 SL as we know under the nickname "Pagoda". The "Pagoda was built from the year 1963 until the year 1971, the year the new SL generation was presented to the market. Again Mercedes-Benz achieved to create a timeless design with slick, proper lines. In this shape the SL was sold for over twenty years. The "new" generation Mercedes SL is bigger, wider and heavier than its predecessor but again it was a perfect car considering construction, road holding and driving-comfort. The Mercedes-Benz SL was built with several engines. the buyer had to choose between a V8 with 3.5 or 4.5 liter cylinder capacity or a six cylinder engine with a cylinder capacity of 2.8 liter. The SL was standard equipped with a soft-top which could neatly be stowed away under a lid fully integrated in the car. Optionally the SL could be fitted with a hard-top. The hardtop can easily be fitted to the car, in a couple of minutes, with the soft-top down in place. V8 engine (DOHC) cylinder capacity: 5547 cc. induction: Bosch KE Jetronic fuel injection capacity: 227 bhp. at 4750 rpm. torque: 373 Nm. at 3250 rpm. top-speed: 240 km/h. – 149 mph. acceleration 0-96 km/h.: 6.8 sec. gearbox: 4-speed, automatic brakes: disc brakes all round + ABS weight: 1619 kg. The early years Mercedes-Benz was formed in 1926 by the merger of car manufacturers Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz. Both men, who never knew each other, were motoring pioneers who in 1886 presented their first vehicles powered by internal combustion 4-stroke engines. Daimler first introduced a motorcycle and Benz a three wheeler. Shortly after they introduced proper motorcars with four wheels but still resembling horse coaches. The compact and light Daimler engine became very popular and it was incorporated in many of the early French motor cars. Panhard et Levassor acquired a licence to produce the Daimler engine. It can be said that with Daimler and Benz the successful industrial production of the automobile started. For the fast developments within the car industry however the French are responsible. For the French pioneers racing was a means to improve the breed. The early town to town races were many times won by Daimler or Benz cars or French cars using a Daimler engine. Mr. Emil Jellinek of Nice was to play an important role in the sales and development of Daimler cars. Jellinek appreciated the quality of the Daimler products and so he set up dealerships in Nice an Paris. His ideas were incorporated in the Daimler cars by Daimler and his genius assistant Karl Maybach. Perfectionist Jellinek was a real nuisance to the Daimler firm but he was their largest customer by far. Maybach and Jellinek understood each other perfectly and their synergy lead to that would be the inspiration of all manufacturers and all automobiles to follow, the Mercedes car named after Jellineks daughter. The Mercedes of 1901 featured a proper steel chassis, a front mounted four cylinder engine, a raked steering column and a proper steering wheel. The Mercedes was the car to have for the European rich and famous who assembled in Nice during the ‘Speed Week’, of course Emil Jellinek was one the moving spirits behind this yearly event and he cleverly sold a lot af cars in the process. The Mercedes cars were also very succesful in the French Grand Prix races. Lautenschlager won the 1908 edition in Dieppe with Hemery and Hanriot second and third on 150 HP Benz cars. In 1909 Hemery was the first to break the 200 km/h mark with the Lightning Benz (Blitzen Benz) at the Brooklands race course in England. In 1911 a Blitzen Benz driven by Bob Burman at Daytona Beach broke the absolute land speed record with 228,1 km/h. In 1914 Mercedes again won the French Grand prix with Lautenschlager again being the victor. Between the wars In 1924 Werner won the Targa Forio in Sicily, the most demanding road race before the Mille Miglia was introduced in 1927. As the firms of Daimler and Benz merged in 1926 the greatest cars they ever conceived saw the light of day: the SS, the SSK and the SSKL (the SSK is known as the 38/250 in the UK). More epic cars followed like the 500K and the 540K. These imagination-appealing motorcars are at present extremely expensive collector’s items. From 1934 Mercedes-Benz was almost invincible Grand Prix races, only Auto Union was able to compete on the same level. These years just before World War two saw the most advanced and powerful race cars with engine capacities up to 650 bhp and top speeds in excess of 300 km/h. It was in the 1980ies that Formula one cars again could match those figures. Before 1940 Mercedes-Benz was the first European concern to focus on industrial production just like Ford and others in the USA. The firm had built medium-sized cars, big luxury saloons, sports and racing cars, commercial cars and lorries. Quality and excellence continued After World War II Mercedes-Benz first took the medium sized cars into production again, such as the MB 170, as there was great need for means of transport. In the 1950s, Mercedes-Benz got into their stride: many new models came onto the market and all of them were characterized by a strong Mercedes-Benz family charisma. Mercedes-Benz was characterized by an ingenious, solid and reliable technology, a strong brand-name appeal, and restrained class with a sober but yet luxurious German air. However, their racing past had not been forgotten, and the threat was resumed with the illustrious ‘Silberpfeilen’. From their racing experience they developed the legendary Mercedes 300 SL ‘Gull Wing’ production sports cars which, three years later, also became available as a roadster. In 1963 Mercedes-Benz introduced a limousine to please the rich and famous: the Mercedes-Benz 600. This limousine was no less than six meters long and equipped with all imaginable luxury. During the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Mercedes-Benz unwaveringly continued to build quality cars and sports cars, and even until this day the company has built cars with the same brand quality as they did in the 1950s. Mercedes-Benz is a brand with an unruffled history, only slightly thrown off balance by World War II. The make and the brand inspire great confidence and Mercedes-Benz as part of the Daimler Benz conglomerate is one of the most highly regarded makes of our time. © Marc Vorgers

Racket sports as badminton have different task constraints than team sports. When played as doubles, both players need to coordinate to each other to keep an interpersonal distance that ‘fill’ the court decreasing the odds of the opponent double to score. When this coordination state was broken due to a behavioural perturbation, the double undergoes a behavioural instability where one double may take advantage over the opponent with the former aiming to recover the behavioural stability. To keep this stability, it is assumed that the visual coupling remains as the medium that may support the existence of an interpersonal synergy between the two players in the court. The aim of this study is to analyse if badminton doubles form interpersonal synergies during competitive rallies. For that purpose, we used the Uncontrolled Manifold Hypothesis (UCM) to identify interpersonal synergies that are formed between the players of each double . 4 badminton male players 23-28 years old were analysed in a simulated competitive match with 74 rallies. Positional data were collected using inertial measurement devices (20Hz) WIMUPROAitor (RealTrack Systems, Almeria, Spain). Player’s interpersonal distance was selected as a performance variable and the player’s velocities as task relevant elements. Results show that double 1 obtained higher values of interpersonal synergies (see Table 1). Interpersonal synergies (UCM values above 1) were found in 55,41 % of the rallies performed by double 1 and in 50% of the rallies performed by double 2. These data unravel the existence of interpersonal synergies in badminton doubles. This means that the adjustments of player’s velocity stabilize the interpersonal distance within the desirable values and consequently synergies are formed. Based on these results we may suggest that the perceptive (visual) attunement to the teammate changes in velocity displacement seems crucial to create an interpersonal synergy in badminton doubles.

Flashcards in NDT (Exam 4) Deck (16): A problem solving approach to the assessment and treatment of individual with disturbances of function, movement, and tone due to a lesion of the CNS (UMNL). NDT (Bobath Concept) Optimize function, improvement in postural control, selective movement though handling. Person is able to relate to the environment in an efficient and variable manner. ____ normal movement patterns. Avoid using ____ movements. _____ associated reactions. Example: yawning, sneezing then returning to synergy pattern. Treatment sessions address ___ tasks. Treat the patient as a ____ carefully analyzing how each part interacts in accomplishing functional tasks. Integrate the _____ side into functional activity. There is no ___ or ___ side. Bad or Good Proximal key points. Distal key points. Sitting or Standing Gives time for processing and responding to input. After there is a lesion, there is a certain amount of lag time. Easiest to most difficult. Isometrics, Eccentrics, Concentrics

Exact Synergy provides access to all of your vital business processes in one application. By storing and updating all information related to clients, finance and the workforce within one central place, everyone can work with the same up-to-date data. With Exact Synergy, you can benefit from a total solution that centrally manages your data streams. All information is within reach for everyone, at any time. Exact Synergy unites the workplace and reveals the costs, inefficiencies and redundancies hidden by the complexities of your business. Exact Synergy's Web-based collaboration platform unifies the people, processes and knowledge that matter most to your business, creating an accurate, up-to-the-moment view of your organization's personnel, finance, workflow, documents and asset information, enhancing decision-making, analysis, scenario planning, and ongoing management across your entire business. Exact Synergy energizes the traditional corporate infrastructure by providing an active portal view into the workplace: for employees, business partners, suppliers, and customers. "Exact Synergy is a powerful web-based solution that enables you to integrate, manage, control and improve the way all your people work together to add value across HR is commonly associated with excessive bureaucracy. Exact Synergy’s employee self-service and manager self-service functionalities streamline routine administration and so enable the HR professional to focus on engaging with employees and their managers across the business. Self-service eliminates paperwork and enables employees and managers to carry out tasks on their own. They can, for example, check company policies, fnd the phone number of a new colleague, check who’s who in the company “Facebook,” make updates, view employee records and histories, etc. Exact Synergy eases the burden on HR, and with the optional Synergy Event Manager function, it’s possible to alert managers and employees to key issues, dates, actions, etc. via e-mail and text message. Exact Synergy slashes the administrative work involved in hiring a new employee. With Exact Synergy you can quickly nail down the job requirements and job description, post the vacancy, manage resumes, manage interview rounds, track offers and contract negotiations, and archive scans of certifcates and application letters. Manager self-service enables the line manager to check progress at any time, and you can also send alerts if required. And once someone has agreed to join, you can promote them from applicant to employee status at the click of a mouse — and their archive moves with them. Is it hard to calculate leave entitlements? Do you still rely upon paperwork to manage leave requests? Exact Synergy helps you to manage employee holiday and absence information and make life easier for all involved. Built-in workflows organize personal time-off requests and signifcantly reduce the administrative work for HR. Holiday entitlements are calculated automatically and adjusted once leave requests are approved. In a typical company, workforce information is held in different places, using different systems, standards and methodologies. There’s little uniformity or consistency, making HR data untrustworthy. With its “single source of truth,” Exact Synergy brings uniformity to your workforce analytics, placing reliable information at your fngertips so you can generate standard reports that can be customized to the needs of the HR manager. Employee development is a core activity of every organization. But with e-mails here and overviews there, it quickly becomes diffcult to track people’s development. Exact Synergy cuts administrative work by handling the process and archiving who’s done what, in one system. Use competence profles to identify development needs. Enable employees to enroll online. Route approval requests to managers automatically. Provide course prospectuses, manage training contents, and register and track certifcates all in one place. Exact Synergy makes it easy to create a standard appraisal structure. You can have different appraisals for different roles and take account of “soft” requirements such as skills and competencies, as well as hard targets like It’s important when people leave to make sure that all company property is returned. Exact Synergy ensures that all procedures are documented using asset registration and exit checklists. Exact Synergy’s digital personnel files bring together everything mentioned above: employee records (name, address, employee benefts and payroll), company property (onboarding), development (training records, certifcates), absence history (vacation, time off, etc.). Now you have a 360-degree view that can be shared securely between the employee, their line manager, and HR. Many organizations check, compare and approve incoming invoices by hand in an attempt to prevent errors and the need for corrective action later. Exact Synergy’s electronic Incoming Invoice Register transforms this into a transparent, traceable process. Invoices are scanned and sent for authorization to all budget holders, thereby eliminating the flow of physical invoices. The currency translation process, when performed in many MS Excel sheets, is time-consuming, frustrating, and prone to errors. Naturally, finance professionals want quick, accurate currency conversions so they can aggregate subsidiary costs and revenue transactions with as little delay as possible. Exact Synergy simplifes currency conversions and records the rates used for the conversion between the local currency and the corporate currency. This is ideal if you need to go back and verify. Each location has its own accounts, maybe even its own accounting standards, organizational structure, currency, and definitions of ownership and responsibilities. And everything’s done in their own spreadsheets. Exact Synergy creates clarity and transparency by helping you structure your fnancial organization and centralize transactions from multiple remote administrations. It can help set up an organizational structure, assign ownership levels align reporting periods, and map local G/L accounts to those used by headquarters. In addition to serving as an operational tool, Exact Synergy is a communication tool too. It provides a way to share knowledge and discuss issues, so fnancial information becomes a company-wide resource. Exact Synergy offers rapid and easy report generation and distribution, secured by role-based, authorized access. Exact Synergy enables organizations to establish projects and tasks to aid in the management of the compliance process. Secure collaboration between subsidiaries and other stakeholders enhances compliance communication and the accuracy of information. Exact Synergy also provides ways to manage online policies, manuals, internal news pages and policy authorization via an automated workflow, to further internally support the effectiveness of policies and procedures. Store all finance-related documents such as scans of bank statements, spreadsheets, correspondence or e-mails A unifed sales and marketing operation is a winning team. Unfortunately, this is rare. Exact Synergy’s central database and shared processes unite sales and marketing professionals to manage leads and prospects together. Using Exact Synergy, sales and marketing can access relevant key performance indicators and work together in a structured, customer-centric way to achieve their goals. Exact Synergy’s opportunity management module passes leads to sales for follow-up. This provides more sales-ready leads to sales and cuts the amount of time sales has to spend on its own Built-in analytics are the only way to know what your customers are thinking and to respond to their issues quickly and effectively. Exact Synergy’s built-in real-time analysis tools, reports and ad hoc database querying can help you recognize issues before your customer does. With Exact Synergy, you can create customized portals to share information and communicate with your customers, without additional IT The tendency for people to do their own thing makes opportunity management harder than it should be. What managers want is uniformity and easier forecasting. Exact Synergy provides both. Exact Synergy’s opportunity management capabilities ensure that sales inquiries are followed up rather than thrown over the fence in the hope someone else will pick them up. With full integration between Exact Synergy and Microsoft Outlook, e-mails no longer go missing and there’s a complete record of related events. Sales and after-sales teams typically use separate systems. This means sales often has little insight into any subsequent arising problems or issues, which could be useful if you’re planning a follow-up call. Or, after-sales has limited insight into how the relationship started. Both are working with one hand tied behind their backs. Exact Synergy’s central database gives everyone access to the same information, improves complaint management, and supports customer retention.

Out of all the strategies and principles I teach to doctors around the world, the most DIFFICULT one to explain is engagement. Why? Well, until you’ve become engaged and experienced how it SUPER-CHARGES your Practice— production, collections, revenue, EVERYTHING— then you just don’t understand exactly what it means. I can show you the 1-10 Engagement Scale I’ve created, (with 1 being disconnected and apathetic, and 10 being ON FIRE,) but unless you’ve experienced TRUE engagement, none of it will really click for you. I can read you hundreds upon hundreds of testimonials from doctors whose lives have changed forever after popping the question and entering a lifelong engagement with their Practice, but unless you’ve BEEN THERE and SEEN it… it will all be white noise. THAT’S why I’ve decided to create a concrete list of ways to really STEP UP your engagement. You’ve probably heard me say that all doctors should have engagement levels 2-3 points HIGHER than those of their team members, and it’s true! I want to help boost your engagement level ASAP, so you can start positively impacting the rest of your team. Your team’s natural tendency is to mimic your behavior… which includes your engagement! Let me put it this way… Engagement is essential to KEEPING your employees. Think I’m exaggerating? According to a recent study… Four out of five employees don’t reach their full potential. 71% of all employees are not fully engaged. A whopping 11 BILLION is lost each year due to employee turnover. These numbers are STAGGERING and remind us that employee engagement needs to be taken MUCH more seriously in the workplace. Lastly… Remember that engagement takes much longer to BUILD than it takes to tear down. Once you get the momentum going, you have to work to keep it going. Just one poorly thought out sentence or negative meeting can send your entire team’s engagement plummeting— and that can really do a number on your results! Here are my Top 10 Tips: 1) Commit to a higher standard. When you decide that “mediocre” is no longer acceptable at your office and you only want the BEST of the best in all areas of the Big 5, it will force you AND your team to step up your engagement. 2) Commit long-term to developing your team. Developing your team means investing in trainings, and making the conscious decision to help every team member grow both professionally and personally. This will not only increase team synergy but will also improve your relationship with your staff. 3) Set goals and celebrate the wins. Too often we get totally wrapped up in the negative. It is so easy to notice what goes wrong, and to ignore what goes right. Take the time to celebrate your office’s WINS with the whole team, especially when big goals are met! 4) Develop and share core values. At the Scheduling Institute, we interview our potential employees to see that they are in line with the core values of our company. We want a team that is positive, fun, ethical, sales-minded, and over-delivers on value. These are the values by which we measure every hire, fire, reward, and company decision. 5) Model being engaged. As I mentioned earlier, you’ve just got to trust me on this one. If you put in the effort to raise your engagement, your team will follow suit! That means improving your attitude, filtering the things you say, and showing a strong interest in the Practice and your team. It’s that simple. 6) Nurture a culture of growth. The most successful offices are filled with people and processes that are constantly growing and improving. Do you want a team that loves learning and is eager to be the best…? Ok, then encourage them to learn —host financial classes, invest in regular trainings, and encourage personal pursuits and hobbies! 7) Keep a positive focus. Remind everyone to stay inside their bubbles. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked into an office to see the news on and team members bickering about politics. You are letting negativity inside your bubble! You need to focus ONLY on what you can control, because that’s the surest path to success. 8) “You get what you deserve.” Most of you have heard me say this time and time again. It is, in my opinion, the one thing that you can always count on to be true. If you have an office where low performance is the norm, you can expect low production and poor results. If you run an office where only HIGH performance is accepted, and you all work your tails off— well, your bank account should be proof! 9) Know your strengths and weaknesses. Nothing screws with your ability to succeed MORE than being dishonest with yourself. If you have weaknesses, you need to admit them to yourself and then advertise them to your team! That way, your team will be able to pick up the areas where you falter, and together you can create balance. If you try to hide your weaknesses, you will end up limiting the success of the whole team. 10) Commit to accountability. Accountability tends to trickle down from the top. If it isn’t in place at the highest level, it is doomed to fail on all other levels. Here’s the ideal model: a COACH holds the doctor accountable, the DOCTOR holds his/her team accountable, and the TEAM holds its patients accountable. That way, everyone has a support system and is held to the highest standard of performance. Make the commitment to STEP UP your engagement level today. Whether you choose to invest in one of our specialized trainings or in our first-class coaching program, we look forward to helping you transform your Practice into a place of energy and purpose. Give us a call at 866-917-2808, or visit us online at www.SchedulingInstitute.com. Until next time,

Why ‘Couchsurfing is free’ Is A Myth Gay men face enormous pressure to fit into a very narrow view of beauty—often defined on hookup apps like Grindr and Scruff by the groups they leave out: Bruce asked the gentleman out on a date, and after exchanging contact information, he received this message in his inbox: The worst part is that the men you seem to check out are way out of your league. Instead of trying to drum up conversations with me and other guys, you should spend more time losing the fat. As Pace University professor Dr. Jason Whitesel writes in his book, Fat Gay Men: Girth, Mirth, and the Politics of Stigma, queer men even have trouble finding community in gay subcultures that should act as informal support groups e. Cheat Sheet A speedy, smart summary of all the news you need to know and nothing you don’t. You are now subscribed to the Daily Digest and Cheat Sheet. We will not share your email with anyone for any reason. Fat Shaming, Toxic Masculinity, and the Gay Male Beauty Myth To all the young, college-educated women out there who feel like Donald Trump will probably become president before they find a decent, eligible man, take comfort. In Manhattan, the numbers are even more dire, with 38 percent more young female college grads than male. The Bay Area, for example, attracts programmers, computer scientists and engineers — fields that are disproportionately male. Cooper The average gender ratio among US undergrads is now 57 percent women to 43 percent men. And some universities are even less of a sausage fest. At Boston University, 62 to But women played a role as well. Enlarge This Image Elizabeth D. Herman for The New York Times A generation of women faces broad opportunities and great pressures, both of which help shape their views on sex and relationships. Herman for The New York Times Nationwide, nearly 3 in 10 seniors say they have never hooked up in college. Their relationship, she noted, is not about the meeting of two souls. Until recently, those who studied the rise of hookup culture had generally assumed that it was driven by men, and that women were reluctant participants, more interested in romance than in casual sexual encounters. But there is an increasing realization that young women are propelling it, too. But others, like Susan Patton, the Princeton alumna and mother who in March wrote a letter to The Daily Princetonian urging female undergraduates not to squander the chance to hunt for a husband on campus, say that de-emphasizing relationships in college works against women. Patton, who has two sons, one a Princeton graduate and the other a current student. In many places, Ms. As lengthy interviews over the school year with more than 60 women at Penn indicated, the discussion is playing out in the lives of a generation of women facing both broader opportunities and greater pressures than perhaps any before, both of which helped shape their views on sex and relationships in college. Keenly attuned to what might give them a competitive edge, especially in a time of unsure job prospects and a shaky economy, many of them approach college as a race to acquire credentials: Their time out of class is filled with club meetings, sports practice and community-service projects. For some, the only time they truly feel off the clock is when they are drinking at a campus bar or at one of the fraternities that line Locust Walk, the main artery of campus. They envisioned their 20s as a period of unencumbered striving, when they might work at a bank in Hong Kong one year, then go to business school, then move to a corporate job in New York. Disney-Discovery? Fox-Viacom? Michael Wolff Predicts M&A Mania and a New Wave of Consolidation They act as those things are worse than ever and getting worse every day. Sommers also addressed her fear for mothers of sons, as well as her theory that the purpose of many college classes is to tear down Western civilization. Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. We have Christina Hoff Sommers with us. Each episode corrects a feminist myth. Liberty’s John Malone, the cable grandee and asset trader, has maintained myriad interests in media companies Discovery, Charter, Starz as though waiting for the next moment of dramatic consolidation. You can visit his blog at RooshV. Most people in the mainstream already know that Hollywood is a liberal safe space that was the first to promote leftist causes such as socialism, drug use, feminism, hookup culture, atheism, environmentalism, homosexuality, and transsexualism. A couple of months ago I found a detailed article showing how producers, writers, and directors leverage their influence to sodomize young boys. Gary was his good friend at the time, so Bryan would be out with us—with his dates of the moment, all young guys. The entire video must be bullshit, because Will Smith is heterosexual and masculine. But then his wife Jada Pinkett Smith went full social justice and called for a boycott at the Oscars because it was not black enough. Only one day later, a marginal transsexual actress named Alexis Arquette came out with this, confirming what the above video stated years before: The video explained how Hollywood actors are controlled: No further rumors about Will Smith were disseminated. Human nature is aggressive. Does The Hollywood Elite Use Rituals And Sexual Blackmail To Keep Its Stars In Line? And not for lack of trying. That’s not uncommon among millennials, but as a Black gay man, I’ve begun to wonder how my race has affected my chances of finding love. But when I discussed my issue with friends, other queer men of color, they all said I have a type: I tried to deny it, but when I thought about my dating history, I realized that my friends were right. Why am I not drawn to other men of color? He wrote, “As Black men, we need to value ourselves so much that no outside force, no prejudice — even one guised as preference — can make us feel second place. Thomas Kuhlenbeck A new rush of deals is about to happen as Rupert Murdoch, Leslie Moonves and the rest of media look at content, not advertising, as the new financial engine. This story first appeared in the April 24 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Time Warner’s public middle finger to Murdoch and 21st Century Fox hasn’t solidified its independence so much as highlighted what a good idea a Time Warner acquisition might be and, to boot, emphasized the attractiveness of a supersize pure-play content business. And, too, it would mean Comcast would need another way to maintain its dominance. Perhaps never before has consolidation been so much the flavor of the month, nor has it seemed so difficult to get a taste. The table is set, but nobody’s sitting down to eat. On one side, you have largely invulnerable companies: Disney, Fox and Comcast, ultimate winners through 30 years of consolidation and deconsolidation. On the other side, you have everyone else jockeying for position and eyeing one another as marriageable partners — though nobody, so far, is even dancing: Everything else print, music, radio, even web , unlike during the convoluted days of horizontal integration, is another business. Pure play makes the logic of acquisition, and the operational exigencies, so much cleaner. There’s no myth of synergy, encouraging a balance-of-power strategy: Big negotiates best with big. Rape Culture is a ‘Panic Where Paranoia, Censorship, and False Accusations Flourish’ She hosts a weekly video blog The Factual Feminist On January 27, , University of North Dakota officials charged undergraduate Caleb Warner with sexually assaulting a fellow student. He insisted the encounter was consensual, but was found guilty by a campus tribunal and thereupon expelled and banned from campus. A few months later, Warner received surprising news. This is not a disagreement over whether or not lesbians have real sex. April 6, Turns out, you were wrong about millennials. I’m not going to lie. I definitely believed the hype of the “hookup culture” when I first got to college. I thought that most people would be single because of the hectic life of being a full-time student, and then have sex at parties in order to have a little bit of fun. Of course, this whole view of college was partially formed from crazy movies, but soon this myth was busted in my own life when the majority of people who I met said they were in a relationship mostly long-distance with someone from their hometown. What is going on? Well turns out that hookup culture is one big fat lie. You’ve heard all about the “hookup culture”. Young people mostly millennials who are in college and don’t exactly want to be in serious relationships so they have multiple sexual partners and keep it moving. You’ve seen it play out on TV, movies and in the news. You may be familiar with the term “hookup culture”. Does The Hollywood Elite Use Rituals And Sexual Blackmail To Keep Its Stars In Line? Younger generations such as teenagers, unlike their parents’ generations, generally socialize, hang out, communicate, and share pictures and videos online rather than in person. While getting the young people out of their home and have them meet array of people and places, it also rose some security and safety concerns. Digital natives prefer to text rather than talk on the phone. How do you view yourself? That account was from one of our favourite Couchsurfing hosts in Taipei from our month spent travelling around Taiwan in Coming back to the the hosts location at 3am in the morning drunk and still in full party mode as if they were returning back to a hostel is one of the most common complaints, the complete lack of communication or desire to interact with the host being the second most mentioned by Couchsurfing hosts. For any of us to exploit that desire to share that accommodating spirit by returning at all hours of the night and day or — based on extremely unfair and hopefully rare circumstances — treating the house as a bar and inviting strangers in is not only costing them personal space, but also breaking with good manners in a strangers house. Another cost to the Couchsurfing hosts is shared between them and their next potential surfer. Our success or failure at being a good surfer can have an immediate effect on the host and everyone in the Couchsurfing community. The final cost to our host is the worst one in our eyes. It could cost them their being a part of Couchsurfing. Our host in Taipei who only saw their couchsurfer during the walk between the front door and the door of their guest room over a few days really took a chance on hosting us. Is Lesbian Sex “Real Sex”? Sexual agency—the ability to make decisions about what you like to do sexually and then act upon them—has historically been denied to women. Many men straight and gay simply cannot imagine that real sex takes place without penetration with a penis. There are many ways people, including straight people, have and enjoy sex. Lesbians do not need a penis to have penetrative sex. Some lesbians use dildos for penetration; others do not, preferring fingers, hands, fists, tongues. However, culturally, we refer to a very particular sexual act—penis in vagina—as, simply, sex. A few months later, Warner received surprising news. Why Do So Many People Claim They Have Cherokee In Their Blood I grew up closeted in a very religious community.

2018 Healthy Living Business Guide Superior Pain Management Techniques Addison Pain Management Addison Pain Clinic was founded by Dr. Johnny East about a higher standard of patient care. We are a multidisciplinary practice because pain is a multifaceted condition, and our integrative team combines the expertise of physicians, nurse practitioners and chiropractors to address every aspect of a patients care. We offer cutting-edge regenerative medicine techniques to promote natural healing and growth, including stem cell therapies. We treat a wide variant of musculoskeletal disorder and pain symptoms, including back and neck pain, muscle inflammation, migraine and tension headaches, damaged spinal discs, radiculopathy osteoarthritis, whiplash, ACL tears, carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and more. We specialize in an array of pain-blocking techniques. Location: 16633 Dallas Pkwy., Ste., 150, Addison, TX. For more information call 972-380-0000 or visit AddisonPain.com. Achieving Nursing Professionalism and Success Advancing Holistic Health, Inc. Advancing Holistic Health is the only completely online preparatory program for nurses to sit for national board certification as nurse coach and/or holistic nurse through the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation. Lyn McCright says, “We offer nursing continuing education CEUs. All licensed health professionals are prepared for certification as health coach (AHH). Services include consulting, speaking and coaching. Insight is the only way to make lasting change. Our educational process is insight-based learning. We provide professional trainings, seminars and coaching for healthcare organizations. Offering keynote speakers to the healthcare industry, we address such topics as communication, relationship-building, teamwork, civility and burnout prevention at your location or event. During a coaching session, we have an intentional conversation regarding a desired change. The coach’s role is to listen, bringing to light possibilities previously unexplored. Using the Power of Natural Regeneration to Heal American Stem Cell Centers of Excellence John R. Roland, M.D., founded American Stem Cell Centers of Excellence in 1999, and says, “We have treated over 10,000 patients around the world. Our Dallas location is relatively new, founded in 2017, after many requests over several years by patients in and around Texas.” They provide patients with the latest and most advanced regenerative treatments and help patients with chronic neurological, autoimmune, degenerative and orthopedic conditions improve their quality of life by using their own regenerative abilities. Each patient receives access to comprehensive regenerative therapies, including innovative technologies, experienced staff, and the latest research. A team of skilled medical professionals guides patients through the complete process to ensure they maximize their healing potential. After treatment, the body’s own healing systems naturally repair and regenerate damaged tissue. “We use the body’s own regenerative capabilities to restore and regenerate damaged tissue,” says Roland. Location: 14330 Midway Rd., Ste. 121, Dallas. For more information, call 972-200-7807 or visit AmericanStemCell.com. Healthy Good Taste is Always on the Menu Celebration Restaurant, Catering & Market Celebration is Dallas' original farm-to-table restaurant, located on West Lovers Lane between Inwood and Lemmon. In March 1971 they built a restaurant out of real stone, wood and copper to serve good food to good people. “It worked, you came and came again,” says proprietor Ed Lowe. “With Celebration catering, you can enjoy the same great food at corporate meetings, weddings or other social events, and Celebration market has an array of meals-to-go for the busy family weekday dinner or a family gathering. Although they have grown over the years, the focus on fresh, seasonal, locally and sustainably sourced delicious food has never changed. Whether looking for the comfort of classic pot roast or some of their freshly prepared, daily rotating fresh vegetables, the menu is built to accommodate all sorts of tastes and dietary choices, including gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan and dairy-free. Location: 4503 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas. For more information, call 214-351-5681 or visit CelebrationRestaurant.com. Air North Texas Keeps Our Environment Clean North Central Texas Council of Governments Ten counties in North Texas fall under nonattainment for the pollutant ozone, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). North Texas must meet ozone emissions standards as set by the EPA or face federal sanctions. The Air North Texas campaign was created to help address the air quality problem in our region. Its resources include ozone alerts, monthly educational newsletters, clean air events, Car Care Clinics, auto pollution-exhaust grants and the annual Clean Air Action Day. The campaign was formed by the North Central Texas Council of Governments with support of regional government agencies, nonprofit organizations, transportation authorities and others. Air North Texas annual reports offer details about how the campaign is implemented each year. For more information, call 817-695-9240 or visit AirNorthTexas.org. Shop from the Freshest of the Best Coppell Farmers Market The Coppell Farmers’ Market, open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday from April through November and twice monthly from December through March, fulfils grocery needs year-round with a curated mix of goods produced by vetted vendors. Find in-season, just-harvested vegetables and fruits, pasture-raised protein, eggs, and dairy, plus an array of pantry staples and treats. The website provides a detailed list of in-season produce and artisan food offerings that’s updated every farmers’ market week, along with vendor information, driving directions and special event announcements. Follow on Instagram and Facebook to see photos of the origin of the food and day-of-market finds. The mission of the Coppell Farmers’ Market is to form relationships with local growers and producers in order to provide fresh, seasonal produce and agricultural products for our community while fostering a sense of place in Old Town Coppell. Location: 768 W. Main St., Coppell. For more information, call 817-371-2278 or visit CoppellFarmersMarket.org. Physical, Mental and emotional Support for Cancer Patients Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center at Dallas offers programs and cancer patient support through the Virginia R. Cvetko Patient Education Center to help those affected by cancer to understand and manage their physical, emotional and spiritual challenges. The Cvetko Center staff includes a medical director, program manager, nurse educator, chaplains, social workers, psychologist, music practitioner and trained cancer survivor volunteers. Offerings include an ongoing program of patient education classes and events, including free screenings, a behavioral health oncology program, educational programs, patient education library, cooking classes and numerous cancer support groups. The Virginia R. Cvetko Patient Resource Center also provides disease-specific education programs that address the needs of individuals with specific types of cancer. Location: Ste. 200 in the Baylor Sammons Cancer Center, located at 3410 Worth St., Dallas. For more information and to register for classes, call 214-820-2608 or visit SammonsCancerCenter.com. Dallas Rapid Transit is on the Move Dallas Area Rapid Transit Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a trusted guide, helping residents and visitors discover all that North Texas has to offer. An extensive network of DART Rail, the Trinity Railway Express commuter rail, bus routes and paratransit services moves more than 220,000 passengers per day. The DART Rail System provides fast, convenient service to work and healthcare, as well as shopping and entertainment destinations in Dallas, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Garland, Irving, Plano, Richardson and Rowlett. Plus, the TRE commuter rail line links DART customers to Irving and downtown Fort Worth. DART operates local and express bus routes serving Addison, Carrollton, Cockrell Hill, Dallas, Farmers Branch, Garland, Glenn Heights, Highland Park, Irving, Richardson, Rowlett, Plano and University Park. Whether traveling by rail, bus or both, DART’s free GoPass app is available from the App Store or the Google Play store. For more information, visit DART.org. Practical Comprehensive Education Dallas County Community College District Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) offers higher education that actually gets students hired. At the colleges of DCCCD, you can reinvent yourself in two years or less, with more than 100 majors featuring one- and two-year certificates and degrees to help you build a rewarding career. We also offer core credit courses that are guaranteed to transfer to Texas colleges and universities and continuing education classes to improve your job skills. DCCCD has seven individually accredited colleges: Brookhaven, Cedar Valley, Eastfield, El Centro, Mountain View, North Lake and Richland, as well as a virtual campus, Dallas Colleges Online; five community education campuses; and additional administrative locations. The system, one of the largest in Texas and the U.S., serves more than 74,000 credit and 23,000 continuing education students during the fall and spring semesters. Dr. Joe May serves as chancellor. For more information, call 214-378-1823 or visit dcccd.edu. Dress Up Your Lawn Organically Earth Kind Services Earth Kind Services brings homeowners an organic solution for struggling landscapes. Owner Beau Propes has more than 25 years of experience in landscape management. He notes, “People want to feel good about what they put on their lawns because their kids and pets play on it. Plants and lawns will be more drought tolerant and have less problems with disease and pests. We do all the hard work—deliver, spread and clean-up.” Earth Kind Services also delivers and installs mulch. Their newest service is providing lawn leveling with a soil/compost mix. Top dressing with organic compost improves soil by adding organic matter and soil microbes. Soil microbes are vital because they help release nutrients to the roots of lawn and shrubs. North Texas soil is often of poor quality where builders have removed the topsoil or compacted it during construction. Earth Kind uses specialized spreaders that do a professional job, more effectively than just a wheelbarrow and rake. Location: Denton, TX. For more information, call 469-744-0281 or visit EarthKindServices.com. For All the Sensitive People Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo The leading U.S. integrated media company dedicated to promoting the gluten-free lifestyle, the Gluten Free Media Group (GFMG), will host the 2018 Gluten Free & Allergen Friendly Expo on October 27 and 28 at Dallas Market Hall. With an audience of more than 3 million gluten- and allergen-free consumers, the company offers custom marketing solutions through their mobile app and website, consumer expo tour, email marketing campaigns, blogger outreach and social media interaction. With more than 125 years of combined industry experience, the Gluten Free Media Group helps brands get their products off of the shelf and into the hands of the gluten-free consumer. The expo tour includes medical professionals, gluten-free food brands and other companies meeting the needs of those living a gluten-free lifestyle. Location: 2200 Stemmons Fwy., Dallas. For more information, visit GFAFExpo.com. Health, Enrichment, Advocacy and Longevity HEAL Veterinary Hospital Founded by Dr. Brittney Barton, HEAL Veterinary Hospital provides wellness and preventative care, chauffeur services, vaccinations, advanced dentistry, general surgery, in-house laboratory evaluation, digital radiography, blood pressure evaluation, laser therapy, senior care and education seminars. Enrichment services offered include underwater or land treadmill conditioning, pet personal training and behavior issue consultation, as well as pain management, nutritional counseling and acupuncture treatments. Location: 4509 Lemmon Ave., Dallas. For appointments, call 214-723-7606. For more information, visit HealVet.com. Attorneys for the Planet Law Office of Wendel A. Withrow Wendel Withrow earned his law degree at the Texas Tech University School of Law and founded his practice in Carrolton in 1991. He is board certified in civil trial law and personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. We are a local law firm with a wide range of practice areas including business matters, real estate issues and serious personal injury cases. All of our attorneys have multiple years of experience and all complex matters involve a team approach. Our number one goal is providing excellent legal services at a reasonable price. We also strive to be “attorneys for a better planet” to support a sustainable way of life for all our clients and the community. Our clients know they can always call and get personal service and a straight answer. Acupuncture Franchise Now Open in Dallas Modern Acupuncture is now open in Preston Center. Two more locations are slated to open this spring: Addison at Addison Walk in March, and in Plano at Preston Park in April. A total of 17 DFW locations are scheduled to open. It’s the first franchise to make the natural health and cosmetic benefits of acupuncture available to people in an accessible and affordable way. Modern Acupuncture provides guests with a peaceful sanctuary that they can make part of their regular routine. Two types of acupuncture are available: traditional and cosmetic. Traditional acupuncture treats ailments such as chronic and acute pain, allergy and respiratory issues, migraines and headaches, insomnia and sleep disorders, depression, relaxation, stress and anxiety, digestion disorders and more. Cosmetic acupuncture helps treat fine lines and wrinkles, life and tone muscles, even out skin tone and texture, reduce under-eye bags, improve complexion, hydrate the skin and more, serving as a natural anti-aging treatment. For more information, call the Preston Center at 469-372-0093 or visit ModernAcupuncture.com. Drug-Free Remedies that Heal Naturally Natures Rite, LLC Steven R. Frank Nature's Rite was founded on the principal of providing “wholistic” natural solutions for common maladies. These remedies must accomplish the three-part objective of relieving the symptoms, fixing the problem and helping the body to heal. To this end, an assortment of natural products were brought to the market which address problems from sinusitis and bronchitis to muscle aches, tendon healing, rash, shingles and hemorrhoids. Nature's Rite also has products to address sleep apnea, restless legs, infected wounds and food poisoning. Just about anything that you encounter in your walk through life can be remedied without using drugs or surgery. We live in an age when the conventional allopathic medicine solutions can be worse than the disease. Nature's Rite offers natural products to allow you an alternative means of treatment. For more information, call 800-991-7088 or visit MyNaturesRite.com. Everything Organic for the Yard Rohde’s Services, Inc. Rohde's Organic Landscaping Services, founded in Garland in 1979, offers organic lawn maintenance, landscaping, stone work and fences. It was one of the first landscape and maintenance services in the Dallas area to carry only organic fertilizers and employ pest control using beneficial insects, microorganisms and bacteria products. Services include organic fertilizing, lawn mowing, edging, cleanup, tree and shrub pruning, bed mulching, lawn aeration and top dressing with compost, organic pest and disease control and more. Gregory Rohde says, “We also offer the critical task of safely exposing tree root flares by using our Air Spade. We specialize in Texas Native Plants, but also other suitable plants, trees, shrubs, and groundcover for the North Central Texas area. Also available are fences, stone or brick walkways and retaining walls, wood patios, decks, covers, water ponds, fountains, waterfalls, brick work, concrete work, metal work, stone work, tile work and woodwork. Healing By Making New Healthy Cells Senergy Medical Group Senergy Medical Group is the exclusive distributor of the Tennant Biomodulator and other alternative, integrative medical solutions developed by Dr. Jerry Tennant, who holds more than 13 patents for medical devices. Senergy’s goal is to help customers and colleagues achieve improved health and well-being with innovative technology, accessories and education. Senergy is not a medical office, and refers all medical matters to the Tennant Institute for Integrative Medicine. Tennant was one of the first surgeons in U.S. to place intraocular lenses in eyes after cataract surgery and was a pioneer in LASIK surgery other laser research. Senergy’s products are based on the principle that the body doesn’t get well by making damaged cells work correctly, but rather by making new cells. Location: 9901 Valley Ranch Pkwy. E., Ste. 1009, Irving, TX. For more information, call 972-580-0545 or visit Senergy.us. Science-Based Nutritional Guidance and Services Sundrops Vitamins and Nutrition Since 1976, nutritionists and dietitians at Sundrops have effectively supported client health with current nutrition science, exercise guidance and research proven-supplementation. It is our belief that people do not need more information, they need a plan. Each person is given specific guidance with their diet, exercise and supplementation to maintain outstanding health. Our nutritionists excel in quickly explaining how the body functions and implementing a plan for success. All protocols are based strictly on research of molecules and biochemical pathways. Two things matter the most: the science and that clients do better. We publish a monthly Nutrition Review to keep everyone up-to-date on nutrition breakthroughs. In-depth consultations are available by appointment, and we have 25 percent off sales every first Saturday. Custom Pharmaceuticals Made to Order Texas Star Pharmacy Texas Star Pharmacy was founded by Dr. Donna Barsky, Pharm.D., and her husband Mike Barsky in 2006. They provide high-quality customized compounds, including injections, capsules, creams, solutions and more, as well as commercial prescriptions and immunizations for the whole family, pharmaceutical-grade supplements, medical equipment and individualized consultations with the owner and an on-site nutritionist. Texas Star Pharmacy has been rated as the number one pharmacy by The Reader’s Choice Award since 2006 and prides itself on offering real care, based on more than 40 years of experience. They work in conjunction with doctors in designing a pathway that suits the patient’s specific needs. Barsky is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Member and as a Doctor of Pharmacy, specializes in medicine therapy management. She is a certified diabetic counselor, pharmaceutical preceptor (trains pharmacists), a functional medicine expert and compounding guru for sterile and non-sterile compounds. Location: 3033 W. Parker Rd., Ste. 100, Plano, TX. For more information, call 972-519-8475 or visit TexasStarPharmacy.com. Thermography is Not Just for Breasts The Thermography Center “Regulation thermography (RT) is unique in that it assesses the actual functioning of organs and systems using a temperature response, and provides a highly detailed, multi-page analytical report on the whole body, including the breasts,” states Marta Cordell. Over the last 18 years, the Thermography Center of Dallas has performed thousands of non-invasive thermography screenings on patients. Unlike with mammography, there is no pain, compression or radiation of the breasts. In addition, because RT evaluates the function of organs and systems, it can show the real-time development and progression of dysfunction, unlike X-ray or MRI. Used by a trained thermographer, RT can reveal underlying causes of symptoms and assesses the function of all internal organs, immune and lymph systems, breasts and dental health in detail. Healthy Eating Right From the Farm Wholesome Farms and Gardens Wholesome Farms and Gardens is a small farming operation located in Van Alstyne, just north of the metroplex. We use natural methods for production of grass-finished beef, pastured pork, pastured poultry and eggs. Started as a way for our family and friends to know where and how our food is produced, we have expanded to offer our products directly to a group of local customers. Our operation uses chemical-free and sustainable methods on the land and feeds a grass diet supplemented with local non-GMO feed, free of growth promoters. We sell primarily through delivery and at local farmers’ markets. Sign up for a newsletter to learn where and how to buy at CountryWorkForce.com. Use the code “eating clean” to receive 10 percent off your first order. Bauer Thrives at Yoga Synergy Yoga Synergy is a yoga wellness spa that offers an array of classes and wellness programs to suit people’s needs and budgets. They offer Advanced, Sculpt and Modified Chair Classes, as well as Yoga Bridge for those with cancer, survivors and supporters. Clients can also set appointments for their full-spectrum sauna, ozone steam sauna, reiki energy healing, Raindrop Technique massage, private or group private lessons, studio rental and more. Yoga Synergy has been serving the Garland and greater North Dallas rea since 2006. Owner Kristina Bauer has been practicing yoga and wellness for more than 25 years and is pleased to share her joy of health to the community. She has earned E-RYT 200 yoga certification, been a detox coach for five years, a Lyme disease warrior and educator, reiki and Raindrop practitioner and more. "Overall wellness is key to feeling balanced and build your own health's synergy for an optimal life!” says Bauer. Location; Firewheel Town Center, 440 Coneflower Dr., Garland. For more information, call 972-495-7100 or visit YogaSynergySpa.com.

Basic Resume Samples No matter how much or what kind of work working experience you have, there?�s a resume format that can make your qualifications shine. Take a look at the subsequent illustrations to decide which format is greatest to suit your needs. All of our recommended accommodation possibilities supply a safe, clean up and cozy environment and can be found with a brief length with the TESOL college. For added ease There is certainly accommodation accessible instantly previously mentioned the coaching center. Growth??era and the development of miraculous new professional medical therapies and systems, there?�s in no way been a greater the perfect time to enter the Health care market. Here?�s tips on how to aim a resume to a couple very fashionable healthcare roles. + "u1781u0b68u0f0cu3010u0085U00011f7au0020u0dd6u200bU000e007au000au2060u2026u002fu2026u24dcu101eu2014u2007u30a5",, eighty one??9|The structures all appear to be relatively new. Though I are not able to touch upon the lecturers I can say which the campus presents off an exceedingly relaxed and inviting emotion.|Sticking to the cinematic language but missing its echo, Road Zinema is a global audiovisual Competition Checking out up to date art and urban cultures. Other rising and well-liked events include the Horror and Fantasy Pageant in Oct (twenty first version in 2010) as well as Surfilm Festibal, a cinema festival featuring surfing footage, Particularly shorts.|New modern day district erected while in the 2000s close to the town's internal bypass and south highway entrance to Donostia. A pedestrian bridge spans the Urumea river on to the Cristina Enea Park. Martutene|This section stands over the east side of the city at the foot of the Mount Ulia Park, around the left hand side from the street heading from Donostia to Pasaia and Irun. It is made of a residential region, besides holding many academic institutions, tradition and sports centres designed given that 1980.|I'm a fan of the extent of one-on-one particular centered consideration and enable from a teacher you can get while in the programs. In addition, There exists totally free tutoring provided anytime in the drop-in tutoring Heart. They've lots of excellent resources!|They refused to launch complete financial loan quantities too. They might different them into two payments above a two month time period. Over the four many years my husband has actually been attending EVCC We've been given his revenue in time At the time. That is certainly horrible.|Cebu is a singular and fascinating place. Its close proximity to other unique tourist Locations, low earth quake and typhoon action and wide range of geological miracles are coupled with an interesting assortment of plant and animal species.|The instructors on the beauty college were being also excellent; they were being quite supportive and did a great career assisting us out in many different different ways. We experienced one instructor which was a barber and so she was capable of assistance us with Guys's haircuts, when An additional Trainer was great at wrapping perms. Once i graduated from beauty college, I ongoing having on the internet classes so I could receive my associates diploma likewise. I think that so long as you're motivated that online lessons perform rather well. It absolutely was wonderful to get educated instructors who would give good notes and on the web lectures, and having the ability to function at my very own speed was excellent. All in all, if I needed to return to university I'd consider attending EvCC all over again.|When you want to go to a College sooner or later, EvCC is additionally a good choice to get started on a very well-rounded training and obtain a College transfer degree.|- "u99abu0027u003bu2026ueaf0u0020u0020u0313u0020u3099uff09u208eu2011u2007u2060u000au0020u0020u300bu0bf9",|Study course deposits must be paid out to our administrative Heart. Credit/debit card payments will be the speediest and cheapest approach to fork out, but we also settle for payments by way of Western Union, Shell out Pal and lender transfer.|View information devoid of leaving Gmail. You can also conserve attachments on to your Push to arrange and share them in a single, Protected area.|?�為?�們知?�，??��?�得孩子?�信任才?�讓孩子?�發??��主性並?�己?�力?�前|+ "u2014u0a83ufdfcu003fu00a0u0020u000au2991U0001d179u0020u201dU000125f6u0a67u20a7ufeffu043f",|A tiny bit pricey In case you are getting just about anything specialized since the lab expenses are a killer! All round I'm happy I have got here and don't regret it.} Homestays are an outstanding choice if It is really your 1st go to to New Zealand and you want a little more info bit household comfort and ease, Together with the added great things about hosts to assist with information on what to see and the way to get all around. Enjoyment and business coexist Fortunately right here, with office properties using their place round the great beach resorts, all beneath the friendly, blue Cebu sky. hop??in an effort to locate their ideal lifestyle balance. This could possibly contain a more info adjust in vocation, the choice to stay at home with younger small children, or perhaps getting ??time out|day out|outing|day trip|trip}??from a occupation to vacation or engage in volunteer operate.|San Sebastián exhibits a dynamic cultural scene, exactly where grass-roots initiative according to different parts of town along with the concerted personal and public synergy have paved the bottom for your abundant array of choices and events catering into the preferences of a large and selected general public alike.|Facts : This displays the information regarding the day that you acquire your domain name and its expiry day. / Archive.org Details|This location is a complex school posing like a faculty. I've had a ton of challenges due to the fact I started out right here, mostly with The maths Division, nevertheless there are some Awesome lecturers here in many fields.|Districts of slicing-edge style have been erected, for instance Ibaeta or Riberas de Loiola, while some important jobs hold around the equilibrium prompted by fiscal tensions. Districts of the city|Prevent pursuing Shana M. 2/28/2015 I graduated from EVCC in 2013 having an AFA in Pictures. I did lots of investigate, (like in-individual visits), for images levels previous to enrolling. EVCC checked off all my containers from my first check out to graduation: high quality curriculum and instructors, cost-effective tuition and parking permits, ample parking, perfectly-preserved facilities and lecture rooms, brilliant meals court docket and gymnasium, all-close to excellent practical experience among meeting fellow pupils in my main together with photography and art academics, advancement of a complete images portfolio and resume together with pictures exhibitions both of those on campus and at regional galleries. No regrets here and the most effective educational alternatives I have at any time created. I transferred with self confidence to UW Seattle majoring in Visible Arts dependant on the a must have instruction and talent sets I received from EVCC. The only encounter there that was lower than nice was the economic help Business office - Absolutely everyone who labored there have been quite well mannered, but like a student, you should you should definitely maintain monitor/continue to keep a document of all deadlines, sorts, email messages, and cell phone calls.|The 12 months long sunshine and reasonable local climate is perfect to delight in, unwind and review in. When you are the sort of one who appreciates the lively town but will also craves the relaxation from the Seashore, the Cebu is The perfect vacation spot to suit your needs.|EvCC prepares college students for transfer to four-year schools, delivers training and retraining for the people making ready to enter the workforce, offers personalized small business coaching for pros, teaches essential expertise and literacy and presents classes for personal enrichment.|You're going to be accountable for keeping the best academic and college student company requirements at ACMI. The position could well be best for somebody with a solid Common English and IELTS teaching preparing track record.|Our tasty meal programs are developed by registered dietitians and food authorities to help you drop fat, consume a lot more fiber, go gluten-free of charge and more. Search dozens of food designs to find one that's best for your needs.|Information : This exhibits your internet sites IP handle and its locations (physical area/s wherever is is based). You are able to see a more specific view in the map. HTML Data /} The Main of the district will be the Easo plaza, With all the railway terminal of Euskotren closing the sq. at its south. Amara Berri In 1728, the Compañía Guipuzcoana de Caracas was Launched and boosted commerce Along with the Americas. Due to the gain the company generated, the town underwent some urban reforms and improvements and the new Santa Maria Church was erected by subscription. This era of prosperity and progress was to past nearly the end of 18th century.:56/58 We want lecturers that have a Specific desire in instructing young children but are satisfied to show adolescents and Older people. We wish people who find themselves eager to develop as instructors, not folks who want a vacation. The key financial things to do are commerce and tourism. San Sebastián is Probably the most popular vacationer destinations in Spain. Wonderful Recession??from 2007 to 2009, when Lots of individuals lost their Positions.|Over time, it has been providing excellent education by getting a incredibly complete curriculum that fulfills the requires of its students. Given that staying established, it's enhanced its amenities to provide a more snug place for its college students not simply for tutorial functions but in addition for its pupils to relax in the course of their spare time.|I preferred evening classes. Our Instructor was incredibly talented in training. He used fantastic tactics though teaching English. I feel his title was James.|Simulate exam day with the official exercise exam. Then, rating website your test. The answers feature explanations to help you learn out of your problems.|When you finally make your deposit, you can receive an e-mail having an informational packet that provides comprehensive details about the system and Cebu alone.|Famous guru Gaur Gopal Das swears by a simple mental exercising that retains you joyful, wholesome, and in control.|+??ud604uc7acub294 ??uac80ucc30uc774 ??ubd84uc2ddud68cuacc4ubb38uc81cub97c ??uc870uc0acud560 ??uac00ub2a5uc131uc740 ??uc5c6ub2e4u002e??+ "From selection benefit returned by BreakIterator::next().n" "Random seed=%d index=%d; following returned %d; lastbreak=%d",} Use on-line for an eTA To use, you have to have a legitimate passport, a credit or maybe a debit card, an e-mail address, and respond to a number of queries in the online software. The A?�s On line Tutorial Institute aims to provide English teaching to students of different amounts (newbie, intermediate and Sophisticated) of different ages to make a solid Basis for them to realize excellence in English. Please Take note which the refund request should be made within just three days of publishing your on the net system payment. A driver?�s license is critical. We provide a freelance deal While using the intention of featuring about thirty teaching hours a week. We also support all new instructors with getting accommodation, visa and settling in.} Homestay accommodation in a New Zealand dwelling is often at ease, with pleasant hosts who are joyful to introduce you to definitely buddies and also other locals. Because of the 18th century its Worldwide great importance was in drop. Following the silting up of your harbour through the Guadalquivir (river), upriver shipping and delivery ceased and the town went into relative economic decrease. Growth??era and the event of miraculous new clinical therapies and systems, there?�s never been a far better time to enter the healthcare business. Here?�s how you can concentrate a resume to some highly regarded healthcare roles.|New customizable tabs place you again on top of things so that you could see what?�s new at a look and pick which e-mails you ought to read and when.|?�裡??��認識?�不?�背??��不?�文?�的人，不像?�台?�我碰到?�人，我?�擁?�相?�語言?�相?�文?��?簽證?�有?��??�律賓必?�文件就?�享?�邊?�！不�???��以上?�內容不了解?�是?�疑?�的話，?��?迎大家直?�跟?�飛?��??�顧?�直?��?對�??�諮�?��?�飛?�顧?�們不?�希?�大家可以�?好英?�，?�希?�與你們�?起成?�！|Apply Now! There are a selection of accommodation solutions accessible to trainees on our Cebu TESOL course including motels and hostels in the surrounding location. We have now created very good Doing the job associations with quite a few suppliers indicating that trainees will obtain extremely aggressive premiums.|In the rural Southern Usa, Howdy is really a colloquial contraction of the official greeting of How will you do?, and therefore is considered a proper and appropriate greeting for people of that location of the world. Howdy is additionally the Formal greeting of Texas A&M College.|The DAAD's considerable scholarship databases for foreign college students, graduates and lecturers gives applicants a wide array of guidelines and data to help you them properly submit an application for a scholarship for your system of study, a study assignment or even a educating assignment in Germany.|Login right here to apply on the net on your Do the job visa. For those who have not received an account, you'll be able to generate a single listed here.} + // Commence by making the Unique empty node we use to indicate that the mum or dad // terminates a phrase. This need to be node one, because the builder assumes The instructing staff members is extremely-experienced and skilled. In addition, they are really sort and individual to students so that each scholar would understand and improve their English skills in a very fascinating, comfy and productive way. Customer Service: It requires both equally persistence along with a sincere desire to assist Some others to excel in customer support roles. Should you have robust interpersonal and communications skills, in this article?�s how you can composition a resume that may help land a worthwhile customer service task. hop??in an effort to obtain their ideal life stability. This may entail a transform in occupation, the choice to stay in your house with youthful kids, or maybe having ??time out|day out|outing|day trip|trip}??from a job to journey or interact in volunteer perform.|It truly is An impressive example of Regionalist Revival Architecture, a bizarre and loftily conceived combination of varied historic kinds, for instance Artwork Deco and lavishly ornamented with standard glazed tiles.[forty six]|This created a large combination of cultures which existed amicably While using the Malay impact. Through the entire four hundred-yr period of Spanish rule and an additional forty decades of yankee influence, a uniquely cosmopolitan society evolved.|?��??�不?�悉?�國家�??�心?��?定還??��安的?�題！其�?��寶認?�每一?�國家都?�壞人，?�以我?�出?�一定都要小心，?�律賓比較不安全?�地?�是?�部?�民答那峨島，語言學校主要?�佈?�：宿霧?�碧?�、克?�克?�馬尼拉?�怡朗?�巴?�羅等，?��?等算??��安全?�地?�，?�而�??�是?�多語言學校?�地?�，宿霧主要也以觀?�為主，?�以出?�?�要小心安全，不要邊走邊滑手機，?�包?�前?�就??��?�效?�降低不好的事情?�生�?The harmony from the course fee should be compensated by income, PayPal or lender transfer directly to the coaching Heart on the first working day on the course.|??��！因?�是線上?�請，�?以其實你?�國外還??��以用網路?�請?�，?�要你確保在３０天內?�入境菲律賓?�可?�申請紙?�簽證的話，?�人就�?定要?�台?�囉，這點請大家注?�！} ?��?第�?天，?�就?�韓?�經?�槓上，?�積極的?�我以�??�台?�的?�式?�爭?�權?�，他們稱?�“沒大沒小”，?�時氣得?�立?�飛奔回?�，覺得?�接下來?�三?�禮?�，大概要硬?�過了�?家長?�身?�證正、反?�影?�，小�?�?��?�籍謄本（因?�小孩沒?�身?�證，以?�籍謄本?�代使用�?Rinconete y Cortadillo, a preferred comedy among his will work, capabilities two youthful vagabonds who come to Seville, captivated with the riches and dysfunction which the 16th-century commerce With all the Americas had introduced to that metropolis. 18th century 要開始之?�飛寶還??��?�稍�?��紹�?下菲律賓?�子簽證，還?�申請前?�要準?��?�?This built Seville the most beneficial defended port to carry the riches within the Americas. A 'golden age of advancement' commenced in Seville, as a consequence of its being the only real port awarded the royal monopoly for trade While using the developing Spanish colonies within the Americas and also the influx of riches from them. Considering the fact that only sailing ships leaving from and returning towards the inland port of Seville could interact in trade Together with the Spanish Americas, retailers from Europe along with other trade centres necessary to visit Seville to accumulate New World trade products. Town's inhabitants grew to over 100 thousand persons. （也?��?�?��家�??�錯誤示範了！因?�系統發?�飛寶前?�填寫不完整，資?��?常的話第一?�方框裡?�會?�現�?Nonprofit Sector: Based on the Bureau of Labor Figures, nearly all of nonprofit Work opportunities are present in the Health care and social help sectors. Here's samples of the quite ?�conservative??style of resumes utilized for nonprofit Positions. Recession??from 2007 to 2009, when many people dropped their jobs.|Seville fell in a short time originally on the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Common Queipo de Llano performed a coup in the town, immediately capturing the town centre. Radio Seville opposed the rebellion and referred to as for that peasants to come to town for arms, even though workers' teams established barricades.|You're not obliged to use the accommodation supplied by the school and you simply are welcome to generate your own personal accommodation arrangements. If you decide on to utilize our accommodation, it ought to be paid for both by income, PayPal or lender transfer directly to The varsity at the start on the course.|?�際?�年?�舍?�為?�國?�會?�?�行之會?�卡，提供全?�會?��??�清潔安?�又?�旅人荷?�的住�??�境，以?�務?�球?�地?�助?�行?�包客為??��??飛�??�面??��?�選?�值組?�，?�以會�?0kg?�托?�行?�、餐點�?份還?�選座位?�服?�，但是?�些?�目?�還??��額外?�選?�唷�?+ "u1806u060du30f5u00b4u17e9u2544u2028u2024u2011u20a3u002du09ccu1782u000duff6fu0025",|Login below to make an application for a visa for a spouse. When you haven?�t received an account, you can generate a person right here.|Classes are based upon real educating methods found all around the earth and you will have the possibility to develop your personal elements as well. You will also get the assist of the system coach during lesson setting up and acquire instant opinions on the lesson right after it?�s been sent. Practicum is assessed in addition to a satisfactory evaluation is required to generate your TEFL/TESOL certification.|To submit an application for 1 of those visas, you?�ll very first require to produce an account. Once you?�ve done this, you are able to then login and implement. You can also use your login to examine your software status.|Product sales: Being a gross sales Qualified, your resume is your most powerful calling card ??it should be intended to reveal, through its enthusiastic language and usage of persuasive examples, the potent profits expertise It's important to offer.|This application may not be compatible using your functioning procedure, but you can down load it for installation on a special device. Opt for your language:|Proficient Trades: Here?�s how to obviously existing the specialized abilities you?�ve produced, both by certification coaching or apprenticeship, to prospective companies.|Use SketchBook to sketch Strategies and iterate immediately. Easily import your sketches into AutoCAD and turn them into engineering drawings.|+??u1109u1161u11bc??u1112u1161u11bc ??u1112u1161u11ab??u110bu1175u11ab ??u110bu1167u11ab??u1112u1161u11b8 ??u110cu1161u11bc??u1105u1169??u1100u116d??u1112u116c??# to check for bug #4117554: Fullwidth .!? really should be addressed as postJwrd ??u4e01uff0e??u4e02uff01??u4e03uff1f??The worth of Cebu was first noticed from the Chinese, who established it being a trading publish in 900 Advertisement. When the Philippines had been colonized through the Spanish, Cebu was an noticeable choice because the Philippines very first metropolis, due to its superb area. When proven as being the de facto funds inside the Spanish colony, Cebu was a central site inside the investing and shipping and delivery industries.|Bitter Seville oranges grow on trees lining the city streets. Formerly, huge portions had been gathered and exported to Britain for use in marmalade. Currently the fruit is utilized predominantly as compost locally, as opposed to being a foodstuff.|have adequate knowledge to estimate these metrics. If This is certainly your web site, sign on and obtain Accredited to acquire direct measurement of your internet site's website traffic.|Recall, your resume ought to impress the employing manager sufficient so you receive the interview. That means it needs to be excellent.|The DAAD has adopted a brand new strategy to effectively meet the challenges in the dynamic discipline of Worldwide larger training in the coming years. More » Michael Jordan|?�邊?�為?�資?�關係，飛�??�重要資訊塗?�了！但??��些?�紅?�的?�分也剛好是大�?要小心核對的?�方，申請單編號?�帳?�密碼大家務必詳記，?�些?�是?�詢簽證?�度?�?�要的必備?��?�? Compose new messages though maintaining a tally of your inbox. Gmail?�s compose is rapidly, simple to use, and packed with features. The format of the educating or childcare resume will change, based on one particular?�s level of working experience along with the grade stage one hopes to show. flamenco function worldwide??and lasts for virtually a month.|In 1519, Ferdinand Magellan departed from Seville for the initial circumnavigation of your Earth. Coinciding With all the Baroque period of European historical past, the 17th century in Seville represented by far the most amazing flowering of town's tradition; then started a gradual financial and demographic drop as silting inside the Guadalquivir compelled the trade monopoly to relocate towards the close by port of Cádiz.|以上?�菲律賓紙本簽證?�申請流程，?�供�?��?�菲律賓３０天以上、５９天以下?�您�?請記得按?�’取得’’，你的?�機?�會?�到驗證碼，輸入驗證碼才?�刷?�成?�！|?�名?�加?�費講座，有任何?�題來現?�請不要客氣?��?詢問，都?�備?�茶點請?�位享用|?�較??��?�來說這個就沒有?�麼?�格了，課程?�度就沒?�這麼?�，但是?�是?��?些基?�的規定，但??��?�還??��??��一些課外活?�，?�樣?�課程適?�想?��?但是也想?�鬆?�人，像??��學生?�是一些有?�治?�的高中?�！|+ "ufffcu301bu0fa5U000e0103u2060u208eu17d5u034fu1009u003au180eu2009u3111",|Seasonal Positions: Should you?�re a scholar who requirements website tuition or gasoline revenue, have a look at these summertime Employment (a term to the smart: get started applying very well before Spring phrase finishes, since there could be many Competitors from other college students for these Careers).| ??I've been|I have been} with Elgato because Working day one. In my line of work, trusting your capture system is very important and in my brain there is just one alternative. Elgato Recreation Seize.??Unlimited brushes Tweak more than 140 regular brushes, make new brushes, or import brushes developed by Specialist artists.|This class is ideal for learners who desire to further improve their fluency, vocabulary and pronunciation inside a language. There exists an emphasis on language for day to day situations and courses may possibly involve discussing subjects including film and theatre, latest activities, politics, community culture and the online world.|+??uc0c1ud56d ??ud55cuc778 ??uc5f0ud569 ??uc7a5ub85cuad50ud68c ??u1109u1161u11bcu1112u1161u11bc ??u1112u1161u11abu110bu1175u11ab ??u110bu1167u11abu1112u1161u11b8 ??u110cu1161u11bcu1105u1169u1100u116du1112u116c ??With out regard to etymological beginnings, the term is utilized to be a greeting for example "Hello" rather than, Usually, being an enquiry. Consequently, it's actually not followed by a matter mark. Punctuating Howdy generally follows these rules:|The town council signed a deal With all the multinational Company JCDecaux, an outside advertising and marketing company. The public bicycle rental program is financed by a neighborhood advertising and marketing operator in return for the city signing more than a ten-calendar year licence to use citywide billboards.|The Seville metro ("Metro de Sevilla" in Spanish) is a light metro network serving the city of Seville and its metropolitan location. The technique is completely impartial of almost every other rail or Avenue traffic. All stations were constructed with platform screen doorways.|?�為?�們知?�，??��?�得孩子?�信任才?�讓孩子?�發??��主性並?�己?�力?�前|+??ud604uc7acub294 ??uac80ucc30uc774 ??ubd84uc2ddud68cuacc4ubb38uc81cub97c ??uc870uc0acud560 ??uac00ub2a5uc131uc740 ??uc5c6ub2e4u002e??The neighbourhood of Triana, located over the west lender of the Guadalquivir River, played an essential part while in the heritage of town and constitutes by alone a folks, monumental and cultural Centre.} 宿霧?�有豐富?�天?�資源，?�括�?��天堂資生?�島?�薄?�島巧克?�山?�景等，?�是歐美?��?心中?�渡?�聖?�，?�閒?�渡?�氣??��?�黃?�慵?�的?�性不謀?�合，�?以特?�安?�蛋黃哥彩繪機增飛航桃園－�??�航線，讓美好的?�期?�增添幾?�趣?��??�次就先讓我?�來介紹一下�?麼是?�律賓遊學！?�必大�?如果?�到要出?��??�文，第一?�會?�到?�絕對是?�國?�美?�、加?�大，�?些本來母語就??��?�的?��?，至?�如?�提起菲律賓，大家總??��上會?�滿?�號，對?�菲律賓?�有諸多?�疑?�，?�而這些?�題飛�?也都?�白，飛寶今天就??��給�?些來?�考慮?�是已經要準?�出?�去?�律賓遊學的?��??�，給你?��?些新?�想法，?�完?�篇?�章之後一定會?�信?�己?�決定是對的�?You share all domestic services with the spouse and children, including the lavatory/s, and also you eat foods with each other too, generally such as meal. Homestay hosts are In a natural way genial characters plus your stay with them will be enjoyably social.} All instructors really need to deliver to your classroom is enthusiasm along with the zest and fervour to become the most beneficial for their college students. the most important flamenco party around the world??and lasts for practically per month. |If you are a latest visa holder and provide your details to a 3rd-celebration (for instance a financial institution), they can use this facts to verify your visa utilizing the Visa Verification Support. Be sure to look at this information before you decide to login.|The neighbourhood of Triana, situated to the west bank with the Guadalquivir River, played a very important purpose within the heritage of the city and constitutes by by itself a folk, monumental and cultural Centre.|Training course deposits must be paid out to our administrative Centre. Credit score/debit card payments are the speediest and cheapest strategy to pay, but we also take payments by using Western Union, Pay out Pal and lender transfer.|Typically, Women of all ages dress in elaborate flamenco attire and Males costume in their most closely fits. The marquees are arrange on the permanent fairground while in the district of Los Remedios,[fifty six] during which Each individual Avenue is named after a renowned bullfighter.|Kiettisack International College is consistently upgrading its instructing and learning stages to ensure we sustain with international expectations.|Seville is the only real industrial river port of Spain, and the only inland metropolis in the region where by cruise ships can arrive while in the historic centre. On 21 August 2012, the Muelle de las Delicias, controlled with the Port Authority of Seville, hosted the cruise ship Azamara Journey for two days, the most important ship ever to visit the town.|Applicants abroad can be interviewed by way of Skype, to allow them to protected their work and visa in advance of they travel.|Use our on the web services variety, box to the correct, for making an internet application for chosen visas. Or find out more about our on line expert services.|Polvorones and mantecados are classic Christmas items, Whilst pestiños and torrijas are generally eaten in the course of the Holy Week.|Specifying language/character encoding can prevent problems with the rendering of Distinctive figures.|The Isabel II bridge, far better often called the Triana bridge, dates from this era; street lights was expanded during the municipality and almost all of the streets ended up paved during this time in addition.|They may also contain data like your web site?�s hottest updates, frequency of modifications and the value of URLs.|Instructors for the American Language Center are devoted and collegial pros, with their learners as their to start with interest. All teachers on the ALC need to have no less than a Bachelor's diploma and should be certified in Educating English like a International Language (TEFL/TESOL), from the deal with-to-deal with certification class of a minimum of 120 Get in touch with hrs, like a observe training component and reflective feedback.|The current registration demands for Croatian workers will expire on 30 June bringing their rights to operate in Britain consistent with other EU citizens.|The theater occupied an area of 4600 m² and could accommodate 1100 viewers. Its architecture is Spanish Baroque Revival, currently being the making faithful to this fashion equally in the set As well as in its ornamentation. Scenic box, seats, stalls, packing containers, amphitheater and paradise, give a breathtaking splendor on the theater.|Berlitz thinks that drive and achievements are contagious; when the corporation?�s trainers thrive and improve, they are better able to help its customer obtain their particular person aims.|Generate a deposit payment to protected your house over a system prior to the stop in the month and qualify to get a totally free Sophisticated level online class. You could Decide on the fifty-hour younger learners (CTEYL) or small business English (CTBE) certification programs or maybe the 250-hour on line diploma study course.|Kiettisack Global College is continually upgrading its teaching and learning concentrations to be certain we sustain with Global specifications. Because of our continuing growth and enlargement We've a need for additional teachers on our ... Posted: 2 weeks ago|The desk above highlights the most often applied search phrases in your web page and how consistently you might be working with them.|Prior to the existence of wetlands regulation from the Guadalquivir basin, Seville endured typical hefty flooding; Maybe worst of all had been the floods that occurred in November 1961 in the event the River Tamarguillo, a tributary with the Guadalquivir, overflowed due to a prodigious downpour of rain, and Seville was As a result declared a disaster zone.|Ensure that your whole Web content have a novel meta description that may be express and includes your most significant keywords (these surface in bold once they match section or most of the user?�s search question).|We use nearby Filipino learners for that trainees??educating observe. The scholars are extremely eager and enthusiastic and since we don?�t charge them to show up at, all college students come to courses purely simply because they want to!|TEFL Global provides the world?�s most remarkably regarded and effectively-identified TEFL instruction certification. On completion in the course, we?�ll find a way that can assist you find a instructing occupation in Cebu, the Philippines or approximately wherever else you?�d like to work.|LSI instructors possess stable educating competencies and all employees are actually meticulously selected to be sure a friendly and handy services is usually extended to all LSI learners. They can be readily available to guidebook you thru your research.|the internet pages of their internet site and selected to point out the metrics publicly. For the website proprietor Qualified Metrics supply:} Mastering English via a?�s On line Tutorial Institute is a good Understanding knowledge. You may know more details on us by clicking the inbound links on this web site or by selecting a button from the menu over. Cebu is a singular and intriguing location. Its close proximity to other exotic vacationer destinations, small earth quake and typhoon action and wide range of geological miracles are combined with a captivating array of plant and animal species. Smaller classes, great teachers Typical specific counselling and successful course style and design make certain that you make rapid development in important interaction techniques. Our lecturers are diligently chosen, friendly, valuable, and ready to pay attention. They are the categories that this site is in. Click the classification to look through other web-sites in that group. is way far too gentle in Wintertime to get described as a 'suitable' continental region. It can be at a relative length from the 3 larger metropolitan areas during the country, and also Lisbon in Portugal, making it definitely the most important city in the south of your Iberian peninsula.|Useful resource: Hunt for a very good domain identify. If no excellent names are offered, take into account a second hand area. To prevent model theft, you may perhaps look at trademarking your domain title.|Engagement metrics help you know how interested a internet site's visitors are Together with the site's articles. The metrics are current everyday dependant on the trailing 3 months.|Correct suitability checks will likely be expected before affirmation of appointment. Applicants based abroad will likely be questioned to supply a 'cleanse' local police Look at.|Use by means of electronic mail for the handle given on The task heading, Evidently stating the place you will be applying for in the subject line and connect a letter of application, total CV, a the latest passport photograph and also the contacts of two referees.|Braeburn Faculties are dedicated to safeguarding kids and adolescents. Shorter outlined applicants is going to be questioned for an ICPC or perhaps the equal in click here the region of latest employment, or, for locally recruited personnel, a Prison Investigations Division (CID) certificate of excellent perform.|In 2004 the Metropol Parasol venture, frequently often called Las Setas (English: The Mushrooms - because of the appearance from the framework), was released to revitalise the Plaza de la Encarnación, For many years utilised as a car or truck park and seen like a useless location between a lot more well known vacationer destinations in the city.|Are in Languages Inc. is really an English language school specializing in one-to-a single property tutoring, and we are seeking host teachers. College students of English from overseas (really serious Grownup learners) are totally immersed within the language because they Stay and analyze in the house of a host teacher.|Engines like google may well build their own titles and descriptions if they are missing, badly composed and/or not appropriate to your written content on the web page and Lower quick whenever they go about the character Restrict. So it?�s imperative that you be clear, concise and within the suggested character limit.|Not too long ago, you can find 3 campuses listed here in Nanjing, and two additional campuses are underneath design, which is able to come into service by the end of 2018. We are heading to the final state after we develop into a way more influential stated instruction manufacturer in another a few to 5 years.|The weather of Cebu is mostly heat 12 months spherical, normally amongst 23-330C. Rain falls evenly imagined the 12 months apart from the dry summer time months, among March and will. The island is surrounded by stunning beaches, coral atolls as well as other islands. The seas about Cebu will also be abundant fishing grounds.|After your house within the training course is confirmed, our employees at the center in Cebu will be much more than joyful to assist you to pick out the choice that most closely fits your requirements.|The value of Cebu was 1st viewed because of the Chinese, who recognized it being a buying and selling publish in 900 Advert. When the Philippines had been colonized because of the Spanish, Cebu was an clear choice since the Philippines first metropolis, on account of its excellent spot. Once proven given that the de facto funds in the Spanish colony, Cebu was a central spot in the buying and selling and shipping and delivery industries.|Indigenous-speaking instructors from other countries must have a eager curiosity in residing in Morocco, some knowledge of Moroccan tradition, and may articulate their curiosity in residing in Morocco in their go over letter (see down below).|By the second 50 percent in the nineteenth century Seville began an growth supported by railway design and also the demolition of part of its historical partitions, allowing the urban Place of the city to develop eastward and southward.|A fantastic meta description functions as an organic and natural ad, so use enticing messaging with a clear simply call to action to maximize click on-by level. They permit you to impact how your web pages are described and shown in search engine results.|To all our Macau prospects, remember to Observe the relevant material and call information and facts applicable to you for almost any enquiries.} The official language in Belize is English, so your main role as an English teacher will probably be to assist children build on their own examining, crafting, and comprehension qualities. Additionally, you will have the capacity to train various other subjects. Seville is internationally renowned with the solemn but ornamental processions in the course of Holy Week and the colourful and energetic reasonable held two weeks just after. In the course of the Feria, family members, corporations and organisations put in place casetas (marquees) through which they devote the week dancing, drinking, and socialising.} -??uc0c1ud56d ??ud55cuc778 ??uc5f0ud569 ??uc7a5ub85cuad50ud68c ??u1109u1161u11bcu1112u1161u11bc ??u1112u1161u11abu110bu1175u11ab ??u110bu1167u11abu1112u1161u11b8 ??u110cu1161u11bcu1105u1169u1100u116du1112u116c ??Web site rate has a major impact on performance, influencing individual knowledge, conversion costs and even rankings. ?�By reducing Web page webpage load-scenarios, customers will not be as more likely to have distracted and the varied search engines like google usually tend to reward you by ranking your World-wide-web web pages higher inside the SERPs. ??Shown capacity to use core technological innovation in classroom shipping and delivery and innovation while in the adoption of technologies and purposes Studio of Languages?? 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Since ... Posted: Previous week|Please mail your CV/resume, copy of passport as well as a latest photograph to the email address offered on the job heading.|Myanmar can be a producing region and it really is transforming fast. Flexibility and a way of journey might be to the benefit right here, in addition to a willingness to work inside a crew and also to commit to a robust operate ethics.|A descriptive URL is best acknowledged by search engines like yahoo. A user should manage to think about the tackle bar and make an correct guess concerning the 菲律賓遊學 information in the page in advance of achieving it (e.g., ).|However, try and host your site on a server which is geographically near your site visitors. Search engines like yahoo take the geolocation of a server under consideration in addition to the server pace.|Your contract is a CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée), read more which implies there isn't any set end day. It's the safest kind of deal in France. In accordance with French legislation, 10% within your fork out is going to be put apart for yourself websitehere as ?�congés shell outés??(paid holiday getaway).|Engagement metrics allow you to know how intrigued a web site's guests are Using the web page's written content. The metrics are up-to-date each day determined by the trailing 3 months.} The desk displays the very best search phrases that sent traffic to this site from major search engines like google over the past six months. The listing is up-to-date regular. As the Philippines??oldest metropolis, Cebu can boast a huge variety of relics within the earlier. Its provincial heat and allure is amplified by its perseverance to carry on to its vibrant heritage, when continue to increasing in sophistication. VisaView makes it possible for schooling providers to examine the small print of a scholar's recent visa. 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Most courses are Monday-Saturday. ?�後，?�國?�今?�已????�競????�的社會，不?��??�被?�以?�計?�考試?�?�磨；員工也?�盡�?��要找?��??�工作。父母花了大?�金??��?�間?�心小�?；勞工們總??��?�晚歸，?�灣不也??��此嗎？差?�只?�於?�國人可以得?�更富裕?�生活；?�台?�人?�只?�為?�?�五斗米折?�。除此之外，也有越來越多?�人?�工作之餘，?�始學習第二?�?�如外語?�他?�如此努?�要?�功?�然?�在社會?�展?�過程中，自殺率年年?�高，同?�也?�許多衍?�問題在?�國社會�?��?�。而三?�、樂?�、現�?, you will not be finding your first paycheck for a minimum of six weeks after beginning teaching??you happen to be answerable for all your dwelling costs right until then??you are|you're|you might be|you happen to be|you will be|that you are} necessary to have about US$4K to start out in Japan|Analytics Medium effects Uncomplicated to resolve Google Analytics Web analytics Permit you to measure visitor exercise on your site. 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"Like" us to connect with other pupils, check out videos, see work presents as well as get Particular savings. places??alongside the route, which the Mines and Geosciences Bureau attributed to the fragility with more info the rock base, the deserted mining operations close to the road as well as organic floor fractures that were undetectable during the 1900s. |The college has well-Outfitted laboratories, libraries, Pc labs, pedagogical facilities, spacious athletic compound and fields and creatively made buildings that enhance the natural magnificence of the different branches of The college all help to generate School of Tomorrow not merely educationally excellent and also aesthetically stunning.|Cellular Rendering eighty% of adult World-wide-web consumers now Have got a smartphone. 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They damage a web site's usability and popularity, which impacts Search engine optimisation.|If both equally functions comply with the phrases on the agreement, The college sends a duplicate of the passport plus a letter to the closest Ethiopian Embassy (you will have to head over to an embassy within your region of citizenship). Following, you may ship your passport for the embassy and purchase the Functioning visa.}}

Here is a great post that talks about the basics of synergy between body, movement, dance and music. (Among other elements) This writer has put his or her entire Masters online. I have already found great resources such as a Video on Silence by John Cage. I am interested to read all of this Masters. The work is hypertext so you can kind of jump in and out of the writing rather than read chronologically. I will see if I can find out more about the author soon. When asked about how the movement from function towards art had been done I realised that bodily experiments had been an important part in the process. In general there has been a synergy between several different processes that has worked paralell, all involved with breaking my learned patterns and expanding my action space within music, expanding my personal stage. A lot of this took part during the semester in Helsinki, even if it had been started during the preceding semesters in Stockholm and Odense. I started to play [include hyperlink to text about playing] with the instrument, experimenting with what sounds I could get out of it but I also started to play with my body and with my voice. And I think it was very important as an opener for me, that I got bodified experiences of my increased personal stage to aid me in using that also when… View original post 381 more words

WNBA All-Star Selections According To PPP By Nicholas LeTourneau Anyone that has read my posts this season knows that my favorite advanced metric to evaluate platers is Synergy’s points per possession (PPP). For those that aren’t familiar with the stat or how it is calculated, it is pretty much the average amount of points the player generates on every possession. It takes into effect makes, three-pointers, free throws made and most importantly misses. A PPP over one is pretty good, meaning that for every attempted scoring possession the player generates over one point. This year the W is trying out something new for the All-Star Game, foregoing selecting 11 players from each conference and instead selecting the top 22 players regardless of conference. The top nine guards and top 13 frontcourt players will get to participate, so with that in mind I decided to use PPP to select the WNBA All-Star roster. In order to weed out anomalies I decided to only include players who have had a minimum of 150 scoring possessions because there are a good number of bench players that have made the most of their limited possessions and have a very good PPP. Diana Taurasi - Phoenix Mercury - 1.138 PPP Allie Quigley - Chicago Sky - 1.016 PPP Kayla McBride - Las Vegas Aces - 1.008 PPP Tiffany Hayes - Atlanta Dream - 1.005 PPP Jewell Loyd - Seattle Storm - 0.975 PPP DeWanna Bonner - Phoenix Mercury - 0.965 PPP Chelsea Gray - Los Angeles Sparks - 0.944 PPP Skylar Diggins-Smith - Dallas Wings - 0.931 PPP Kelsey Mitchell - Indiana Fever - 0.901 PPP Chiney Ogwumike - Connecticut Sun - 1.164 PPP Breanna Stewart - Seattle Storm - 1.135 PPP Nneke Ogwumike - Los Angeles Sparks - 1.122 PPP Elena Delle Donne - Washington Mystics - 1.106 PPP Natasha Howard - Seattle Storm - 1.09 PPP Brittney Griner - Phoenix Mercury - 1.072 PPP Sylvia Fowles - Minnesota Lynx - 1.071 PPP Candace Parker - Los Angeles Sparks - 1.055 PPP Liz Cambage - Dallas Wings - 1.052 PPP Cheyenne Parker - Chicago Sky - 1.04 PPP Kristi Toliver - Washington Mystics - 1.033 PPP A’ja Wilson - Las Vegas Aces - 0.982 PPP Maya Moore - Minnesota Lynx - 0.965 PPP I think this is going to be a pretty accurate representation of who will ultimately be selected to the All-Star game. When I started going through PPP I was worried that it would omit high-usage star players like Maya Moore or that unworthy players would sneak onto the list based on efficient scoring in situations where they weren’t the focal point of the offense (Kia Nurse would’ve snuck onto the list if she had just a handful more scoring possessions). There are a few notable omissions like Seimone Augustus and Tina Charles, who were just too far down the list despite meeting the minimum 150 scoring possessions and Sue Bird, who failed to meet the minimum 150 scoring possessions. The 22 top players will be chosen by a combination of fan, players/coaches and media with fans having the largest say of all three groups. The top two vote-getters will be named captain to each team and then select from the remaining 20 players. All-Star voting closes Thursday July 12 at midnight so be sure to cast your votes by then if you want to see your favorite player in the Twin Cities this summer.

WALTON . MADDEN . COOPER . ROBINSON . PONESS, INC WALTON . MADDEN . COOPER . ROBINSON . PONESS, INC Walton Madden Cooper Robinson Poness, Inc provides professional and architectural design and planning services to the Mid-Atlantic region. Founded in 1950, the firm has experience with a wide range of building types including commercial, education, government, and institutional. WMCRP is a multi-disciplinary design firm offering a wide range of professional services both to public and private clients. Our staff includes in-house specialists in architecture, planning and urban design, landscape design, interior architecture, and graphics. The carefully structured interaction of our professional team enables us to meet design challenges in a comprehensive way with due regard for aesthetic, environmental, functional and budgetary considerations. Our goals for every project are to achieve excellence in design and to fully meet the unique needs of each client. WALTON AND MADDEN (1953-1969) The offices of Walton and Madden were originally located at 3510 Rhode Island Avenue in Mount Rainier and the firm produced both Modern and colonial/classical revival work in Prince George's County. Walton was responsible for the firm's traditional architecture and Madden the contemporary. Walton and Madden evolved from the firm Kea, Ross and Walton, which was changed to Ross and Walton when Paul Kea left the partnership in 1941. The firm became Ross, Walton and Madden in 1950 with the addition of partner Dennis William Madden who had joined the firm in 1946. It became Walton and Madden in 1953 with the retirement from the partnership of R. Webster Ross. Occupying offices at 6201 Riverdale Road, Riverdale by 1969, Walton and Madden Architects, Cooper and Auerbach. (John M. Walton and Associates was located in Arlington, Virginia and the majority of the firm's work was undertaken there.) The firm continues today as WMCRP Architects with offices in Greenbelt. SELECT MIDCENTURY-MODERN WORKS 1956 Citizen's Bank of Maryland | 1961 Salvation Army Corps Community Center, |1963 WSSC Addition | 1964 Hyattsville Library | 1968 Greenbelt Library Maryland Society of the American Institute of Architects: Merit Award for Architectural Excellence Metropolitan Washington and Virginia Chapters of Associate Builders and Contractors: Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Construction The Interfaith Forum on Religion, Art, and Architecture and Faith and Forum Magazine: Millennium Design Award for Religious Architecture Washington Chapter, American Institute of Architects: Preservation Awards Program Ms. Dixon is a licensed architect with more than 20 years of experience involving various building types and facilities. She has been involved in every stage of the construction process and has experience in educational, commercial, residential and government projects. A graduate of Howard University’s School of Architecture, Ms. Dixon continued her secondary education at UCLA, matriculating with a Master’s degree in Urban Planning, with a focus on Housing and Community Development. During her career, Kathy has worked on a number of educational facilities in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. She spent several years working on national contracts with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) including Potomac TRACON and several Air Traffic Control (ARTCC) facilities. Prior to moving to government and institutional projects, she worked four years with McDonald’s Corporation developing new restaurants, site planning, designing commercial kitchens, and creating child oriented play areas. Most recently, Ms. Dixon designed civic facilities and faith-based institutions including fire stations, churches, family life centers, schools and senior housing. Ms. Dixon has been certified by the USGBC’s Leadership in Energy and Environment Design Program (LEED AP), the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), as well as CSI’s Certified Documents Technologist (CDT) program. She is licensed in Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Mike is responsible for coordinating and directing architectural design services for the firm. He has more than 30 years of professional experience in architectural design, land development planning and urban design. As Design Principal, Mr. Poness has been responsible for a wide variety of projects, including educational facilities, churches, hotels, and office buildings. His work has earned design awards from a number of national, state and local organizations. He has appeared as an expert witness before the Planning Boards, Board of Zoning Appeals, and Historic Preservation Commission in Washington, D.C., Montgomery, and Prince George's Counties. He is registered to practice architecture in the State of Maryland, Registration No. 3650-A (1977), and in the state of Virginia, Registration No. 008994. Mike is a ceramics specialist and teaches pottery design in his spare time. As Director of Design, Mr. Whaples is responsible for all phases of architectural design. Dave has over 20 years experience in the practice of architecture with WMCRP and is registered to practice in the State of Maryland under Registration No. 9409. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a Master of Architecture degree. David is a long time resident of Greenbelt and is actively involved in positions of leadership within the community. Kevin’s responsibilities include project design development in conjunction with the Design Department and preparation of contract documents on specific projects. He has over 20 years of professional experience in the development of architectural projects at WMCRP, Inc. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and is registered to practice architecture in the District of Columbia, Registration No. 706004832. Kevin is an avid game designer and creator of Conquest of Paradise board game. Jim is responsible for the preparation of contract documents and construction phase services for various projects. He has 36 years of experience in the general practice of architecture with over 30 years at WMCRP, Inc. Mr. Giokas is also experienced in photography, building code compliance and technical writing. He is registered to practice architecture in the District of Columbia, Registration No. 706004066, Virginia Registration No. 0401 012136, and the State of Maryland, Registration No. 8980-A. He is a graduate of The Catholic University of America. In addition James has experience as a professional photographer and as a technical writer. Jim’s interests also include historic preservation and restoring classic cars. Mary Etzwiler has been the office manager and bookkeeper for WMCRP for nearly 20 years. She is originally from Upstate NY and loves skiing, sailing, and antiquing. Mary has two children and a granddaughter and loves to travel. In her spare time she participates in the visiting seniors program with her rescued handicapped puppy named Maggie. Karl L. Moody brings over 20 years of executive level corporate experience to the WMCRP Board of Directors. He has served as CEO of Global Technologies Group, Inc. and Assertive Industries, Inc. Mr. Moody is an alumnus of Howard University School of Architecture. Mr. Moody’s knowledge of the two languages “architecture” and “business” meld into dynamic synergy which gives him direct insight into the demands and opportunities WMCRP's business model. Pamela Colbert is a technologist for a data management consultancy where she is responsible for building out the data management and data governance practice with a focus on SAS data. A former McKinsey & Company research associate, Pam has strong expertise in building data management assessments, frameworks for data governance (commercial and retail) and model risk data governance. Pam is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and earned a B.A. in Economics. She is a Wharton Fellow and has a Certificate from Stanford's Graduate School of Business/Engineering School in Strategic Planning for CTOs. Timothy A. Kephart brings over 20 years of business experience providing audit and consulting solutions for Fortune 500 companies like Equifax, General Dynamics, KRAFT Foods, Sun Microsystems and many others. Mr. Kephart is an alumnus of University of Rochester with degrees in Economics and Political Science and he brings a long track record of entrepreneurial success as co-founder of American Sports Media, Global Technologies Group and American Small Business Network. John Arnold has over 30 years of national and international experience in the production of TV commercials, programming and films. He formed Arnold & Associates which became recognized as a premier creative company, winning every major advertising and film award. He brings a unique perspective and creative genius to the board of directors. John has a Master of Arts in Communications from Loyola-Marymount University.

CHICAGO — On a stormy evening this spring, nurses at Dr. Gary Stuck’s family practice were on the phone with patients with heart ailments, asking them not to shovel snow. The idea was to keep them out of the hospital, and that effort — combined with dozens more like it — is starting to make a difference: across the city, doctors are providing less, but not worse, health care. For most health care providers, that would be cause for alarm. But not for Advocate Health Care, based in Oak Brook, Ill., a pioneer in an approach known as “accountable care” that offers financial incentives for doctors and hospitals to cut costs rather than funnel patients through an ever-greater volume of costly medical services. Under the agreement, hospital admissions are down 6 percent. Days spent in the hospital are down nearly 9 percent. The average length of a stay has declined, and many other measures show doctors providing less care, too. This approach is one small part of a growing effort by providers to hold down costs without restricting needed care. Nationwide, health care spending has grown over the last three years at the slowest rate since the federal government started keeping data more than 50 years ago. While the bulk of that is related to the poor economy, changes among insurers and health care providers have contributed as well. If the trend continues, even at a reduced pace, it could help alleviate Washington’s long-term deficit problems and ease the strain on family budgets. “The part that’s not driven by the economy, that’s the part we can theoretically control,” said Drew Altman, president of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. “If we can shave even a small percentage off of it, it has a huge impact on public programs, a huge impact on premiums, a huge impact on employers.” But even as more health systems seek to replicate Advocate’s early success, its experience shows just how hard it may be to expand the approach and keep medical costs from resuming their relentless rise. “It’s hard to imagine that you could start from scratch and do this and be successful in three years,” said Dr. Lee Sacks, Advocate’s chief medical officer, noting that other systems may find it far harder to flip the traditional fee-for-services system on its head. “We had a running head-start going back to 1995.” Nonetheless, the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s health care law, has helped encourage a shift to Advocate’s payment model. Such agreements were merely a theory four years ago. But an estimated 428 accountable-care organizations now cover four million Medicare enrollees and millions more people with private insurance. Under Advocate’s deal with Blue Cross Blue Shield, certain patients are assigned to the accountable care framework — about 380,000 — and their health costs are projected. If Advocate achieves savings below that amount while meeting explicit quality targets, it splits the money with the insurer. If not, its revenue is at risk. In some ways, accountable care resembles earlier efforts to control medical spending, including the health maintenance organizations that proliferated in the 1980s but fell out of favor, in part because they severely limited patients’ choices. But accountable care differs by giving doctors and hospitals a direct financial stake in saving money and a reason to invest in various programs of preventive care rather than relying exclusively on the fees they would normally earn from providing services. “There’s an enormous amount at stake in getting these reforms to work,” said Alan Krueger, the chairman of President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. To help control costs, Advocate has hired scores of workers to coordinate care and keep an eye on the highest-cost patients, like those who are obese or have diabetes. It started providing doctors’ offices with report cards on their performance. Dozens of quality-control measures cover items as varied as blood pressure, rehospitalizations for asthma attacks or the use of expensive imaging machines. On a blustery spring morning, those changes were visible in Advocate care centers across the metropolitan area. Sumera Khan, a clinical pharmacy specialist, popped into the hospital room of Noraine Scarpelli, an elderly woman with congestive heart failure, to check her prescription drug levels, an additional level of scrutiny that can help prevent complications. In another building, Dr. Karen O’Mara flicked between eight computer screens, peering at intensive care patients miles away, ready to alert a doctor if they looked in distress. Advocate, a faith-based nonprofit, has an advantage over other health systems just jumping into what is more broadly known as “value-based care.” In the late 1990s, well before it forged its contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Advocate began taking steps to control costs and improve quality. A decade ago it adopted a “clinical integration” program, requiring doctors to work together on patients in common. It was also a pioneer in the use of electronic health records. “A lot of these early adopters were systems that were already putting things in place,” said Ani Turner of the Center for Sustainable Health Spending at the Altarum Institute, a national health care research group based in Ann Arbor, Mich. “In a way, the contracts are rewarding behaviors they were already pursuing.” So far, Advocate has achieved a small but significant savings of about 2 percent below projected costs, Blue Cross Blue Shield said, but it is not clear whether it can continue to make progress. Already, some Advocate hospital chiefs have expressed fears over losing revenue and warned about the threat to their financial performance. Doctors fret that their incomes may suffer. “We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do for patients,” said Dr. Stuck, the Advocate family physician. “We’re not making more money.” At the same time, Advocate and Blue Cross Blue Shield have no way to prevent patients that fall under the accountable-care agreement from seeing doctors outside Advocate’s network. That means patients might see doctors without an incentive to cut costs as well as deliver excellent care, eroding or even erasing the cost savings the agreement achieves. “You’re trying to overlay a payment design onto a benefit model that allows a patient to go anywhere he wants,” said Steve Hamman of Blue Cross Blue Shield, noting that patients can undermine the advantages of the new approach if they ignore the advice or insist on unnecessary tests and procedures. “We can talk all we want about provider accountability and how important that is. But there is a measure of patient accountability that is critical as well.” For all the obstacles, most health economists agree that accountable care organizations are one of the most promising recent developments in the giant industry. Kaufman Hall, a consulting firm that studied Advocate’s results, said its research showed that the older and the bigger a value-based care system, the more capable it proved at controlling costs — and the more it was able to influence the larger community of health care providers. “Doctors who practice with Advocate often also practice at other hospitals,” said Mark Grube, Kaufman Hall’s managing director. “What is occurring is that even when they are practicing at hospitals that are not under value-based contracts, they’ve changed how they practice. We’re seeing declines in utilization there, too.” That ultimately might be what helps the accountable care model catch on and hold down spending in the longer term. “You can see a synergy with all these initiatives,” said Ms. Turner of the Altarum Institute. “There are a lot of forces out there trying to move things in the same direction.”

LOS ANGELES (AP) — More than a dozen people, some wearing orange protective gear, pulled rakes and shovels from a dingy shopping cart and started working on a parched patch of land along a busy off-ramp of the Hollywood Freeway. It was a Saturday night and drivers whooshed past on their way to the Sunset Strip club scene. But the crew was undeterred, and by the wee hours, they had transformed the blight into bloom with green bushes and an array of colorful flowers. City workers on overtime? Nope, no budget for that. These were “guerrilla gardeners,” a global movement of the grass-roots variety where people seek to beautify empty or overgrown public space, usually under the cover of darkness and without the permission of municipal officials. Getting approval to beautify public property can be cumbersome, so guerrilla gardeners in cities worldwide take matters into their own dirt-caked hands. “We try not to let bureaucracy stand in the way,” said accountant Steven Coker, who maintains an unsanctioned garden across from his house near an exit of the Santa Monica Freeway in West Los Angeles. After starting his garden about 12 years ago, Mr. Coker has tried several times to officially take over its upkeep but to no avail. Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge said he supports guerrilla gardening as long as people don’t present a safety hazard or impede traffic. “I’m a guerrilla gardener, but I’m mostly just a maintenance guy,” Mr. LaBonge said. “I pull weeds when I’m out walking. Everyone is welcome to do it. The city needs help.” Scott Bunnell, who has maintained a guerrilla garden on a median in Long Beach for about 10 years, said he wants to demonstrate that low-maintenance gardens are possible in southern California’s arid climate. “Maybe I can help (show) municipalities, cities and whatnot by using dry, tolerant plants ... that they could make good use of the landscape,” he said. Mr. Reynolds said the modern form of guerrilla gardening started in the 1970s in New York, where the movement has reached its ultimate goal — gardens planted without permission are now maintained by the city’s parks and recreation department. He said Montreal is close to sprouting some synergy with guerrilla gardeners. But most cities, including London and Los Angeles, aren’t quite there yet, and so the 27-year-old music and drama teacher who organized the Hollywood Freeway offramp project is intent on staying covert and anonymous — even requiring that his crew use aliases such as his own, “Mr. Stamen,” or “Phil O’Dendron.” “If authorities come by, there’s no leader,” he yelled as his fellow gardeners dispersed over the median. “Nobody knows anybody.” As the gardeners weeded and picked up trash — including a green sleeping bag and some underwear — a few police cruisers drove by, but none stopped. Gardening on public land without a permit is against the Los Angeles city code, said Cora Jackson-Fossett, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Works. Violators can be fined and go to jail, she noted. “It’s just in a city of this size, and in any municipality you have, there’s rules and regulations, and we need everyone to follow them,” Ms. Jackson-Fossett said. Still, many who guerrilla garden in Los Angeles and elsewhere said they have never faced any serious legal threats. Often times, police or other city workers will stop and ask what the gardeners are doing then move on when they hear the innocent answer, “I’m gardening.” Most guerrilla gardeners don’t go to the same lengths as 'Mr. Stamen' to stay anonymous. Some, like Reynolds and Bunnell, have even moved into the sunlight with their work. Bunnell said he gardens mostly in the early morning hours on his way to work in order to maintain a low profile. But after getting positive feedback from residents in the area and encouragement from a city official, Bunnell decided to approach the city about a larger garden he has in mind — one that would beautify as well as prevent erosion. “I’ve been wanting to do this project for a long time,” he said of the mile-long site on a bluff in Long Beach. “I’m hoping that they will just let me do a little area of it just to see how it would work out.” It also seems that Bunnell’s attempted collaboration with city officials is becoming less of an exception in the guerrilla gardening world. James Caviola, an attorney who lives in Seal Beach, started guerrilla gardening about 12 years ago with just one tree in front of his house.“My goal was to beautify the neighborhood,” he said. Mr. Caviola said he eventually raised money to help elect tree-friendly council members, and he’s now working with the city to put trees on street medians and sidewalk parkways. He does the work for free with the help of the corporation he created, Trees for Seal Beach. Caviola said his sanctioned, out-in-the-open gardening no longer qualifies him for guerrilla status — unlike Mr. Stamen, who didn’t finish his work on that Saturday night until after 2 a.m. Mr. Stamen and his guerrilla group have filled about a third of the median with succulents such as grasslike flax, aloe and red, blue, pink and yellow kalanchoes — all donated by members of the group. They plan to finish landscaping the rest of the patch soon. A sign sticks up from the dirt at the edge of the median closest to Sunset Boulevard. “Guerrilla Gardening,” it reads. “Please water me.”

Chrysler Sales Consultant Sold 47 Units In 1 Month & Averages 35 Units Per Month Sean V. Bradley Trains The Entire Honda Showroom Sales Team On "Selling 30+ Units Per Month" Tim Morgan of Radley Acura Named Autobytel Dealer of the Month; Dealer of the Year Awards Slated for January 2014 Autobytel honors exceptional dealers from a competitive field of thousands of automotive retailers for outstanding Internet lead management and customer service standards IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2013-- Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), the company dedicated to helping automotive consumers and dealers connect online, has named Tim Morgan, General Sales Manager of Radley Acura in Falls Church, Virginia, the Autobytel Dealer of the Month for May 2013. The company's Dealer Awards Program honors exceptional Autobytel dealers who employ the highest standards in customer service and Internet automotive retail sales and lead management processes. The Autobytel Dealer of the Year Award is slated to be announced at the NADA Convention & Expo in New Orleans in January 2014, with the crowning dealer chosen from this year's pool of monthly winners. Tim joins Patti Scipione of M'Lady Nissan and Paul LeRose of Pauly Toyota--who were recently named Autobytel Dealers of the Month for March and April 2013--in that pool of winners. "One of the primary reasons the Radley Acura team is so successful is the customized approach they take with every Internet customer they service," said Jeffrey Coats, President and CEO of Autobytel Inc. "Today's car buyers are unique, each with their own set of wants and needs when it comes to finding the perfect vehicle. Tim has helped implement a personalized sales process at Radley Acura--one that evaluates Internet leads individually, addresses every inquiry in a personalized way, and provides information of substance that goes above and beyond the standard price quote." Each month, Autobytel's sales and dealer operations teams evaluate prospective candidates from a competitive field of thousands of automotive retailers in the Autobytel network, with a monthly winner selected based on key online automotive best practices. Criteria evaluated for the Autobytel Dealer Awards Program include conversion rates, lead management processes, customer service principles, customer and brand retention analytics and Internet department practices, among others. "We've learned a lot in the 10-plus years we've been an Autobytel dealer, " said Morgan. "The most important thing we've learned is how to communicate with Internet customers to gain a full understanding of what they're looking for in a new car and then guide them through the entire process of finding, buying and owning that car. Our customer service ratings and internal metrics prove we're successful, and Autobytel helps our efforts by sending us great quality leads. However, being named an Autobytel Dealer of the Month, which recognizes how well we stack up against other dealers, is especially rewarding." Radley Acura is a 27-year Acura retailer located in Falls Church, Virginia, serving the Alexandria, Fairfax and Washington, D.C. markets. The dealership offers new, used and certified pre-owned Acuras and has been a part of the Autobytel program for over 10 years. Radley Acura is a Precision Team Dealer of Distinction, the most prestigious and coveted honor that Acura can grant to its dealerships, which recognizes those dealership teams that demonstrate superior achievement in customer satisfaction, new-car-unit sales volume, business management, customer follow-up, sales and service training. Named #1 Dealers' Choice Awards in 2012 by Auto Dealer Monthly, and a finalist of the 2013 DrivingSales Most Valuable Insight Award this April, Autobytel consistently ranks as a top quality Internet lead provider, with the company's internally-generated leads converting at approximately three times the rate of the estimated industry average. For more information about the Autobytel Dealer Awards Program, or to learn more about the winners as they're announced, visit the "Dealer Corner" at dealer.autobytel.com. Visit www.autobytel.com to learn about the company's leading automotive information, products and services; watch exclusive new car videos, test drives and car reviews at Autobytel's YouTube page; or join the conversation on the Autobytel Facebook Fan Page. About Autobytel Inc. Autobytel Inc., an online leader offering consumer purchase requests, or leads, and marketing resources to car dealers and manufacturers and providing consumers with the information they need to purchase new and used cars, pioneered the automotive Internet when it launched its flagship website, www.autobytel.com, in 1995. Autobytel continues to offer innovative products and services to help consumers buy, and auto dealers and manufacturers sell, more used and new cars. Autobytel has helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online. Through its flagship website, network of automotive sites and respected online affiliates, Autobytel continues its dedication to innovating the industry's highest quality Internet programs to provide consumers with a comprehensive and positive automotive research and purchasing experience, and auto dealers, dealer groups and auto manufacturers with some of the industry's most productive and cost-effective customer referral and marketing programs. Investors and other interested parties can receive Autobytel news releases and invitations to special events by accessing the online registration form at investor.autobytel.com/alerts.cfm. Congratulations to Eric Nichols, Internet Sales Manager in Riverhead Long Island! Eric is Delivering 52+ units per month in a 2.5 person department- AIS - How Long have you been in the Automotive Sales Industry? EN - 5 and 1/2 years. I was in the United States Navy before that for 4+ years. AIS - How did you go from Navy to a Car Dealership? EN - I worked some dead end jobs until my brother, Brian gave me a job in a BDC. AIS -What type of training did you go through? EN - Nothing except what was regurgitated down from the managers at the dealership, who were making it up as they went or heard something from somebody or the OEM. Until we hired http://www.DealereTraining.com / Stan Sher. AIS - How did you meet up with Stan Sher and his company? EN - Ironically, the GM brought him in after seeing that Stan Sher was a trainer for the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association. At first, Stan "Mystery Shopped" my dealership. Needless to say, I wasn' t that thrilled at first LOL! However I have become close with him and have learned a lot. Basically all of the ideas I had that were swirling in my head, Stan helped me articulate them and implement them. AIS - So, I am going to transition the conversation for a little bit... Tell me about your department in detail... * Website Provider - http://www.dealer.com AIS - Do you like them? EN - Yes, no issue to date. * CRM - http://www.dealersocket.com AIS - Do you like them? EN - I actually LOVE them!! It is my biggest tool! It is my command center. It is my complete accountability for my GM. After, Stan Sher helped setup processes in the CRM and create a guideline for how to measure the results in the BDC the tool has become my best friend. AIS - Since you got excited when I mentioned the CRM, lets go a little deeper... How do you use your CRM? EN - We have an automated Email Action Plan, Data Mining, Lease Retention, Unsold Showroom Follow Up, Internet Leads, Incoming Phone Ups... Everything. AIS - Any Social Media Integration with your CRM? EN - Not at this time. Although we learned from Dealer eTraining the importance of incorporating social media into follow up especially with leads that have no phone number or leads that are unresponsive. AIS - What is your internet lead process? EN - First, there is ONLY 1 "automated" email template... The 1st one. Then we send manual emails for the next 14 days... THEN it goes into the "automated category" until day 44. Then it goes into a MONTHLY Email Protocol. We incorporate value builders and stress the importance of our positive online reputation in our process. AIS - How long do you follow up with a prospect? EN - 180 days... 90 days is NOT Enough Anymore. In fact, some OEMs require longer processes. We noticed that our customers have extended their buying cycle to as long as 180 days. AIS - How do you handle the Phone Call Follow Up Process? EN - It is different... As soon as we get the lead, we IMMEDIATELY make the phone call. If we do not connect, Then we call them AGAIN, later on that day. So, another way of explaining it is for the first 10 days we call TWICE a day... Morning and night, for a total of 20 calls in ten days. Then we go from 10 days to 12 days to 14 days... Then we call 21 -26 - 31 THEN we start calling monthly. AIS - Who is your inventory solution? EN - We have our own photo studio then we upload to http://www.VAuto.com AIS - Who is your call monitoring solution? EN - Call Measurement powered by DealerSocket AIS - What is your Online Reputation Management Strategy? EN - We were using Dealer.com but just cancelled to go to www.flipstreammedia.com - THEY ARE AWESOME! We are of the highest rated Honda dealerships in New York on DealerRater, Google Places, and other sites. It is a requirement of all of our staff members to attain at least one review per week. AIS - What are you doing for Social Media? * Carmind - http://www.carmind.com AIS - What is your video and or VSEO strategy? EN - We are using Flip Stream for it all. We learned basic in-house strategies for VSEO from Stan and use these practices at times. AIS - What other additional resources, tools, websites, blogs etc... do you use as part of your "success strategy". - Stan Sher / Dealer eTraining Blogs and Videos - Sean V. Bradley / Dealer Synergy Videos - All Google tools... ESPECIALLY Google Analytics - Driving Sales - I actually wrote an article on Driving Sales (I will POST it HERE) “Use the Source” By Eric Nichols For the first time in automotive history dealers can now get an accurate idea of where their marketing dollars are going and how well they are performing. Yes I am taking about the all mighty source. No not the force, “THE SOURCE”. It may not be able to help you move items around or read people’s minds, but it does something even better…. MAKES YOU MORE MONEY… In my years as a BDC rep and a BDC director, I have learned that the source can be mastered and understood now more than ever before. How is that you ask, quite simple with the following simple steps I have come up with you will be able to not only save on your marketing dollars but will you can profit off of it. Step 1- Understanding Sourcing…. The traditional advertising types radio, TV. Newspapers never gave you an accurate idea of if your marketing efforts where effective. When sourcing you need to use the parent, child approach.If your paying for all these campaigns you need to know what is working PARENT= SOURCE meaning the broad spectrum source. EXAMPLES OF SOURCE CODES Fresh-up- A fresh up is any customer that comes to the dealership for no other reason but driving by or just walking into the dealership. “NO ADVERTISING YOU ARE DOING BROUGHT THEM IN” PHONE UP- Any customer who calls into your dealership that cannot be sourced to any specific advertising or 1-800- tracking #. Meaning if a customer calls your dealership using one of your individual 1-800 #’s and it shows up under that marketing effort, such as website, auto trader, cars, autousa, vehix, dealix etc……..THEY ARE NOT A TRUE PHONE UP THEY ARE WHATEVER MARKETING EFFORT THEY ARE TIED TO. INTERNET, TV, RADIO, ETC… EVERY MARKETING EFFORT SHOULD HAVE INDIVIDUAL AND SEPARATE TRACKING #’s FOR EACH AD. Internet- any prospect that comes from any form of digital advertising online. It’s pretty simple as stated before if they send a lead/email into you it is pre-sourced in your CRM and labeled where it came from. Same with the internet phone calls your call tracking will say what website it came from. “INTERNET IS NOW ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE MAJORITY OF YOUR CUSTOMERS YOU TALK TO. LIKE IT OR NOT ITS FACT.” INTERNET/FRESH-UP- Last but not least my own creation. So before I explain to you what an Internet/Fresh Up is. Let me ask you a question. A customer walks into your dealership and you ask how did you hear about us? They are going to say the either one of the above sources. It is your job to dig to see where they came from. ASK ASK ASK. Statistics say out of 100% of all traffic 8% emailed before coming in 12% called before coming in 80% came in without emailing or calling. Now that 80% is a curious thing do you think that 80% just came in for the heck of it, No something brought them in. Now are you ready for the Shocker out of that 80% of unknown origin. 75% of that # saw you on the internet, Car buyers will hit your website or your car listing about 7 times before they come in and the time searching is 15hrs or more online shopping. All you need to do is ASK... Don’t take the easy way out it’s your money either you ask or make sure your people ask. - YOU COULD POTENTIALLY BE EITHER.. - WASTING MONEY ON BAD ADS - CANCELING MARKETING EFFORTS THAT ARE MAKING YOU MONEY. Example... My dealer principal wanted me to cancel a major listing company because we were not tracking well with leads. I put the foot to my people to ASK ASK ASK….. And low and behold it was one of the top reasons for my walk-in traffic sales. So the point is that just because they are a walk-in doesn’t mean that you can’t source them correctly. Yes they did not email or call but a certain marketing approach brought them down find out what it is. If it’s the internet you need to know that. Hence INTERNET/FRESH-UP. It’s neither a true internet nor is it a true fresh-up. CHILD = TRACKING CODE Don’t worry no long drawn out explanation on this one. Tracking code is the exact marketing listing, basically whatever company you are using that is promoting your listing. Simple as that. So now that I have explained the different sourcing structures, how do you us put a plan into effect to get these sources? The only efficient way to do this is the following way and it may sound like a pain in the rear but it’s the only effective method. HAVE A GREETER AT THE FRONT DOOR TAKE ALL INCOMING UP SHEETS AND LOG THEM INTO YOUR CRM… MAKE THEM RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. WE ALL KNOW THAT SALES REPS DON’T CARE AS LONG AS THEY MAKE A SALE THEY DON’T CARE WHERE THEY COME FROM AS LONG AS THEY COME IN. IT IS ON MANAGEMENT TO ENFORCE THIS. Having the greeter enter all info into the CRM will also ensure an accurate count of how many showroom visits you truly have. I have worked with managers who don’t collect log sheets, they throw them out to increase their closing ratio, they lose them the list goes on and on. As a GM, GSM, Dealer principal, BDC Manager it is on you to make sure that this is followed to a tee. The reason being is not only proper sourcing but proper follow-up is completed. And as you know that means more money in all of your pockets. Times are hard in our business now make the most out of everything you get in the door. TO BE CONTINUED..... EPISODE 2: THE RETURN OF THE DUPLICATE AIS - GREAT STUFF! AIS - What types of advice do you have for other ISMs or Internet Departments reading this article? EN - EASY... Analytics. Analytics. Analytics... VERIFY everything. Be sure. NEVER Guess. I learned that by mastering your CRM reporting, Google Analytics, and other reports that you will always be able to monitor the success and/or shortcomings for the BDC department as well as the dealership. Mercedes-Benz Dealership Drives 200+ Website Leads Per Month With PPC A Mercedes-Benz dealership, who is part of a large auto group in North Carolina, invested in online Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising with ReachLocal in November 2010. Their goal was to reach potential car buyers in their metro region, and to win business that might otherwise buy a vehicle from a competitive Mercedes-Benz dealership, or buy another Make of vehicle altogether. The dealership worked closely with their Internet Marketing Consultant to build out a comprehensive list of keywords that a car buyer might use in searching the web for a vehicle. This list included every model of new and used vehicle they sell, as well as competitive keywords that might attract other buyers online. Their final keyword list was comprised of hundreds of keywords, both stand alone, and those paired with the major city names their customers likely come from. Text ads were created to describe the dealership’s strengths and to create a compelling “call to action”. Effective text ads work by attracting the right searchers, and deterring the wrong ones. These ads were then mapped to the appropriate pages within the dealership’s website so that the searchers experience was seamless. Once all of the elements of the PPC program were created, ReachLocal implemented them across 98% of where people search, including Google, Yahoo!, Bing, AOL and Ask. Tracking was set in place to identify any phone call lead that came in through the campaign, as well as any email or request for more information. The program ran for 12 months, averaging 157 inbound leads per month for the dealership. After the first 12 months, they were so pleased with the performance that they increased their budget. After the budget increase, they experienced an average of 220 inbound leads per month. This averaged out to be an $11 - $12 cost per lead. Not only was the volume of leads impressive, but they were also highly qualified leads. People searching online for a vehicle are doing their research and have a better idea of what they want when they do make contact. So the leads that came in through their PPC program were better quality than those they were receiving from offline forms of advertising. The Mercedes-Benz dealership not only grew their own PPC program, they also expanded to create similar programs for the other dealerships within their automotive group. Currently their entire group is advertising online with ReachLocal to generate qualified, inbound auto leads. To learn more about how you can implement a successful online PPC program for your dealership, Respond to this post- Note: this page contains paid content. Please, subscribe to get an access.

Finally, a sincere note of appreciation has to be extended to my colleagues and associates in the Writing Program of the Pan African Studies Department at California State University, Northridge from the time this was first written some 15 years ago in Both are citrus fruits, are round, and have thick peels. One of the keys to being an effective writer is remembering your audience, keeping them in mind, understanding that the best audience is one that takes an active rather than passive role in reading what it is that you are trying to get across. Maecenas dignissim mauris in arcu congue tincidunt muesli breakfast ideas. Read this essay on Attention Span. The Myth of the Shrinking Attention Span. On the other hand, I love to write. In this article, I will teach you how to write truly effective introductory lines, plus provide some examples of attention getters for your next essay. Increasing exposure to technology, the burden of information overload the dumbing down of the masses through mass media. If, on the other hand, you are directing your message to a teenaged readership based in the urban core, you might want to open with a quote from the socially conscious lyrics by one of the leading rap artists or groups. It adds style and grace to the writing. Paper research Attention span Ap us history essays nfl the possibility james fenton poetry analysis essays christmas morning shell be happier with a hoover. Do not make announcement. This type of attention getter also works well for informative and research essays. Craft Essays Cleaver Magazine. Brief and Straightforward Guide: This is not the sort of thesis statement you would put forth for a research paper or essay topic due the following week. Boeck and Megan C. Tell a Story She walked to the store Ut sit amet nisl ut sapien dictum placerat ac eu sem Free Limited Partnership Forms. Essay on brother dear short. We'll learn about several types of attention getters and review some examples. Use our papers to help you with yours. Maecenas porttitor nunc a nisi consectetur porttitor business partnership agreement form. May 25, Free Essay: Brother Dear by Mostafa Hamada on Prezi. Attention psychology essays Descriptive and analytical essay dissertations theses cic institutions for the criminally insane heebie jeebies song analysis essay. Good attention getters for descriptive essays will include the senses. Ability to pay attention to things is crucial for But attention span in people differs depending on wide variety research papers, thesis papers, essays. Additionally, the suggestions for persuasive, descriptive, and contrast essays will still work without using those two forbidden words. Remember that the prediction reflects what might or will take place if the assertion in your thesis is not followed through or acted upon. Sep healthiest muesli australia, by Sara in Filed under Ladies Formal Leather Shoes england birth records, internet muesli bar recipe, with Comments 18 Pellentesque posuere enim et ipsum dignissim convallis karachi rishta free. While it is impossible to know exactly what a day in the life of Queen Cleopatra would really have been like, historians and archaeologists can offer many useful clues through the study of ancient artifacts and writings. Span attention Research on paper. Cognitive Development Research Paper Topics. Synergy — Bringing Everything Together: This little town is famous for its free range wild chickens. It invites confusion by raising too many questions. The researchers also found that when children s ability to pay attention improved, their reasoning and thinking skills also improved. Eng Brother Dear and Boys and Girls.Download-Theses Mercredi 10 juin Turnitin provides instructors with the tools to prevent plagiarism, engage students in the writing process, and provide personalized feedback. Speech Attention Grabbers: Argumentative Essay Thesis Statement Examples. outline for a synthesis paper - Grant Proposal Introduction Sample: sample thesis statements for of. SFA Gardens. Within historic Nacogdoches, Texas you will find the Gardens of Stephen F. Austin State University. The SFA Mast Arboretum, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, and Pineywoods Native Plant Center paint this East Texas campus with a range of bold beautiful blossoms and textures. East Texas history, culture and natural beauty blend in colorful harmony to bring you over 10, native and. Turnitin provides instructors with the tools to prevent plagiarism, engage students in the writing process, and provide personalized feedback. Attention Grabbers Essays Obesity argumentative essay on the life of pi becoming a teacher research paper chinese essay topic clement greenberg critical essays.Download

Bacterial pathogens producing CTX-M beta-lactamases are emerging around the world as a source of resistance to oxyimino cephalosporins such as cefotaxime. In this study, we have investigated the prevalence of blaCTX-M genes among clinical isolates of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Of the double-disk synergy test-positive E. coli (n = 94) and Kl. pneumoniae (n = 73) strains isolated during the study period, 41 (44·08%) E. coli and 32 (43·24%) Kl. pneumoniae isolates were found to be positive for blaCTX-M genes. Twenty-two integrons (13 for E. coli and 9 for Kl. pneumoniae) were detected whose sizes ranged from 600 bp to 1·5 kb. All these integrons were found to be of Class1 type and were invariably PCR positive for int1 and sul1 genes. Marker transfer experiments demonstrated plasmid-mediated transfer of cefotaxime and ceftazidime resistance markers. In addition, analysis of the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC)-PCR typing of the blaCTX-M-carrying isolates showed that they were genetically diverse and heterogeneous suggesting that multiple subtypes of the species were involved in infection.Significance and Impact of the Study: A high frequency of blaCTX-M-resistant marker has been found in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates of clinical origin. Analysis of the ERIC-PCR typing of the blaCTX-M-carrying isolates showed that they were genetically diverse and heterogeneous suggesting that multiple subtypes of the species were involved in infection.

Brussels, 3 April 2018 1.TAX3 Inquiry Committee on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance The European Parliament Special Committee on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance (TAX3) met on 22 March in Brussels for its inaugural meeting, after members were elected by Parliament on 14 March. Petr Ježek (ALDE/ CZ), co-rapporteur on the PANA Committee, was appointed as chair of the TAX3 Committee. Following the approval of TAX3 Committee’s mandate, the Members agreed to present a report on the inquiry by 1 March 2019, effectively by the end of this Parliament. At a joint session of the ECON and TAX3 Committees on 27 March, Commissioner Moscovici discussed EU’s tax policy agenda, including tax transparency and the PANA Committee inquiry recommendations. The TAX3 Committee will meet on 16 April in Strasbourg. 2.EU Commission published the IKEA State aid investigation letter to the Netherlands EU Commission has published the letter that sets out DG Competition’s opening arguments into the inquiry on IKEA’s tax arrangements in the Netherlands. Commission’s formal investigation procedure is focused on two tax rulings, granted by the Dutch tax administration in 2006 and 2011 respectively. Commission asserts that the profits of IKEA’s Dutch entity were artificially reduced by endorsing a method for calculation of the annual fees that allows further transfer of IKEA’s worldwide franchising fees to a Luxembourgish entity. Inter Ikea Holding was part of a special tax scheme in Luxembourg (holding exemption for dividends), effectively relieving profits from corporate taxation in Luxembourg. This regime was declared harmful tax measure within the meaning of the EU Code of Conduct on business taxation on the grounds that the exemption was not conditional upon the payment of a sufficient tax by the distributing company. The measure was subsequently phased out at the end of 2010 at Commission’s request. In 2011, a second tax ruling endorsed a pricing methodology for IP acquisition at the level of Inter IKEA Systems. The ruling further confirmed the tax treatment of an intercompany loan to the parent company in Liechtenstein, i.e. the interest deduction from Netherlands’ profits. The Commission asserts that these interest payments were a profit shifting strategy where the vast majority of IKEA’s franchising income after 2011 was diverted to the parent company for tax reasons. The Commission’s State aid inquiry will now assess whether the arrangements are at arm’s length, in particular: - Whether the level of the annual licence fee payments reflect Inter IKEA Systems' contribution to the franchising business, and, - Whether the interest deductions from IKEA’s Dutch tax base as endorsed by the tax rulings are compliant with the EU State aid rules. At this stage of the investigation, the Commission may also request information from other Member states, including market information from other companies or association of undertakings in accordance with the Procedural Regulation 2015/1589. 3.European Council leaders discuss Digital Taxation At the Spring meeting held over 22 and 23 March, the European Council discussed issues in corporate taxation facing the European Union. An agenda note published by the Council noted that the leaders discussed how taxation systems should be adapted to encompass new digital business models in the short and medium term, what more could be done to fight tax avoidance and evasion, and how to ensure synergy of efforts at the EU and international level. It was noted there would be no written output following the debate at the March meeting, but that the Council will revisit the issue at the June meeting. 4.US to amend Country-by-Country reporting regulations The US have announced that guidance concerning country-by-country reporting obligations for large multinationals will be amended on grounds of national security. The current US regulations, which implement the OECD BEPS transfer pricing tax avoidance action plan, previously set out that reporting requirements apply to multinational groups headquartered in the US, with annual revenues of US $850 million or more. Effective immediately, multinational groups where 50% or more of revenue is derived from contracts with the US government intelligence or security agencies or the Department of Defence can identify in their reporting that they are a specified national security contractor. On that basis, those multinationals are only required to provide information in the reporting schedules concerning the parent entity company, with no other information required to be reported. 5.CFE Forum “Fair Taxation of the Digital Economy” in Brussels on 19 April CFE Tax Advisers Europe’s Annual Forum will take place in Brussels on 19 April. The forum will focus on aspects of direct and indirect taxation of the digital economy, outlining and discussing EU Commission’s proposal and the OECD Interim Report on the Taxation of the Digital Economy. Technical aspects of the recent EU proposals will be discussed by Maria Elena Scoppio, Head of VAT Unit and Bert Zuijdendorp, Head of Company Taxation Initiatives Unit, DG Taxation and Customs Union, European Commission. Register here!

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The accused Gerard Baden-Clay typed into his search engine, Taking the Fifth then followed the link to Self Incrimination; taking Wikipedia’s advice just minutes before reporting his wife missing to the Queensland Police Service. He dialed 000 on his iPhone. This is the emergency number. His wife, Allison was late for her planned departure to attend a conference; plans, which meant she was to be in the company of his mistress, Toni McHugh. The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that “no person … shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” The early American colonists brought the doctrine with them from England; it is not an American invention. The amendment was added as the fifth Bill of Rights to remove all doubt that the common law of ‘no coercion to be applied’ was made law. The U.S. Supreme Court then expanded the doctrine through a series of cases to apply this right, not only to criminal cases and police interrogations, but also to “any other proceeding, civil or criminal, formal or informal, where one’s answers might incriminate him.” It is a common held belief that if someone who believes they are innocent, by taking the fifth, must have something to hide, particularly if the plea is taken before a crime is even revealed to have occurred. Sometimes it is better to say nothing than land oneself in hot water. A good idea if you’re the one who flicked the switch; turned the kettle on. Nigelaine (the alias Nigel and Elaine Baden-Clay would have us all know them as) elected to remain silent from day one and have continued to refuse to cooperate with any investigation into the disappearance and subsequent murder of their daughter-in-law. Mum’s the word! This is of course their right, however the revelation by the prosecution, that someone in the Nigel Baden-Clay household answered a phone call late on the night of 19 April 2012; a face-time phone call from the accused Gerard Baden-Clay; a phone call recorded on Gerard Baden-Clay’s phone log as 12.30am on the fateful night their daughter-in-law was murdered. This evidence, presented at the opposition to bail for the accused, does not support any confidence in the possible innocence of the family members. Someone, or all three of this Baden-Clay household, would have to be under suspicion of being accessories after the fact, if indeed that phone call was in any way connected with the aftermath of the murder of Allison. We have good reason to question this, as the timing of the phone call was after midnight, when all good folks are in their beds and asleep. I also question as to why the face-time phone call needed to be a video link. Why the need for a visual connection? We have also been reassured that our suspicions are not based on ‘jumping to conclusions’; that we have been reassured ‘just because they won’t be interviewed doesn’t mean that they have something to hide’ was a well founded suspicion and not pre-judice. Let’s turn to astrology and take the fifth house into our calculations. Yes it is the fifth house in a horoscope, which will reveal nigelaine’s attitude in this regard. The fifth house is the house of fun. Fun you ask? Well the 5th house relates to all things creative. Depends on what you are creating as to how much fun is involved. Making the babies is a 5th house issue, but so are their lives. That responsibility continues in the same house of the horoscope. Nigelaine’s ‘taking the fifth’ is, apart from closing ranks, about parental love; it is in defense of their son, their man-child. The silence is, in part, what they perceive as an act of love; of loyalty. The 5th house is where you give love – supposedly to your children and friends. Fun, fun, fun! Nigel and Elaine Baden-Clay both have Gemini on the cusp of their 5th house. I’m surprised they didn’t produce twins. (In astrology the Gemini symbol is duality and often-times portrayed as twins.) With Gemini on the house cusp, that’s the duality card; the trickster. Beware the cheat at parlour games. I would definitely keep away from their card table. Mind you if I were to grow up to be a cheat (in more ways than one), I could learn lots here at this table. Peregrine Neptune created the fantasy in Gerard Baden-Clay’s wheel and we now see the trickster getting in on the act. The idea that it’s just a game, blurs. I can hear the cogs turning over in the child’s mind, I may not have Gemini on the cusp of my 5th house, but that’s the model I’ve been brought up under. Cheating is fun! The party-boy and serial adulterer, Gerard Baden Clay was already in the game, before he even reached adulthood. Oh by the way, it may be a good idea to keep Bruce out of the casino, he’d get into real trouble there. This is not a monopoly game with a get out of jail card; no number of aces up your sleeve is going to work at this table. This is going to be a lay down misère, Bruce. Nigel and Elaine Baden-Clay, as the alias Nigelaine, definitely have 5th house issues of interest to us as astrologers, but firstly we look to the opposite house; the mirror. The opposite of the 5th house is the 11th house. This 11th house is where we receive the fun; where we process compassionate, unconditional love; the love of our friends and children, the reward for our creativity. Where we replace the lack of love with money. Aside: Love and marriage is a totally different parlour-game. It has more to do with the 1st house of ego and it’s mirror the 7th house of relationships. That’s where the horse-and-carriage are stabled; the 7th house, but back to nigelaine. Nigel Baden Clay has the planet Mars in the mirror, the 11th house. Mars is his man-in-the-mirror. Oh dear, I can see him now in his role as the big-game hunter – gold safari suit and trophies on the wall. He wants to be the recipient of the fun; the love, but he isn’t prepared to do the hard yards to get it (the empty 5th house). As the stern authoritarian with a Capricorn Mars in the 11th house, his idea of fun would be traditional masculine pursuits, although someone else would have to do the organising; he’ll just grace us with his presence. This is a man who expects those in the 5th house to entertain him, just as he did with his father; Capricorn, the traditionalist. He would have enjoyed living a life with servants. Nigel Baden-Clay’s 5th house is devoid of tension; tension needed to activate the creativity; the fun factor is missing. He’s along for the ride. Aloof, generally he would prefer to receive love and admiration, rather than give it. He considered himself to be the prize of a courtship with Ms Hughes; after all granny was Chief Guide and grandfather was Chief Scout. By changing his name to incorporate the ‘Baden’ clout, he was riding on their shirt tails. Didn’t you notice this weakness in his character, young Elaine? Or were you impressed enough to jump on the gravy train and ignore the possible consequences? His wife Elaine, meanwhile, has her Cancer Moon in the 5th house, but it’s not alone, unfortunately. She has a need to give love. The maternal instinct is there but there is an authoritarian ring to it. Apart from being in the zodiac sign of Gemini and its accompanying traits, Saturn is in this house as well. What a spoil-sport! Saturn is a bucket of water; squelcher of natural enthusiasm in this house. She has the reigning need of the Moon wanting to go with the flow (Cancer) and Saturn being very somber in Gemini. As a parent, Elaine Baden-Clay would have been the chief disciplinarian in the love department. I doubt there would have been any romantic role-play of fun with whips and leather in the boudoir of her mind for we are in the 5th house, not the 7th house of spousal relationships. That’s how the parents of the accused wife murderer Gerard Baden-Clay would have been likely to behave as individuals, according to their horoscopes. This would have been the early days before they had their babies. These are the models of reality that they brought to the union, nigelaine. Whenever Gemini is mentioned, we turn to the planet, which rules Gemini; Mercury. This can be a great benefit when all bodes well, however when in the realm of Gemini, it’s always wise to take note whether there’s any underlying agenda going on; whether we are dealing with Mercury before or after his life’s lessons were learned. Being mercurial, anything in Gemini can be a bit slippery. We have another bwana-skin possibility. Way, way back in the mists of time before Mercury became the Messenger of the Gods carrying Zeus / bwana’s cup around for all to take communion; there is a tale told of a shepherd who was paying more attention to his flute than his flock and the sheep wandered off straying into nearby fields, as they do. Mercury, ever watchful from the heavens for an opportunity to make mischief, seeing that the flock was unattended, considered how he might take advantage of the situation; he was a bush-ranger at heart (Gemini in the 5th). Rubbing his hands in glee, realizing that he was onto a good thing, Mercury swooped. What fun! He bound the sheep’s hooves in clumps of grass to disguise their tracks and swiftly herded them into some nearby woods, just as quickly as their little padded hooves would carry them. They went like lambs. Along the way, Mercury noticed that an old man had witnessed his theft and so he drew the old fellow aside to put a proposal to him. He paid for the old man’s silence by offering him one of the flock’s fine ewes for his trouble. This deal was quickly accepted by the old man and agreement was made. The old man considered he was doing Mercury a favour, ignoring the fact that he had taken a bribe; lying to himself (another Gemini trait). Mercury, the sly old fox pretended to leave, distrusting the old fellow. I mean if you can’t be trusted yourself, then you’re not likely to trust anyone else now, are you? He went down the road a bit and slipped into a nearby field, did a morphing act and returned in the guise of the original shepherd who was still off playing his flute, oblivious to the fact his animals were missing. Gee I thought I was so clever cladding their hooves. I need not have bothered. The silly fool has still got his headphones on. Approaching the old man who now had a lovely ewe at his side, Mercury in his disguise, asked the old fellow if he had any knowledge as to the whereabouts of his missing flock. The old fellow replied, (to what he thought was the original shepherd), fingers crossed behind his back to cover the lie, that he had not seen any missing sheep. Our trickster Mercury, still in disguise, confused the issue further by offering a reward of his best ram and an extra ewe if the old fellow should come across the stolen sheep. Sleight of hand is at the card table, on the agenda. The old fellow wasn’t confused, as he believed that he was dealing with two different people. Mercury had given him the original ewe and now the shepherd was offering him another ewe and a prize ram! Lady luck was on his side! Warning, warning! Bwana-skins. Jupiter is the planet, which brings luck. We’re dealing with Mercury – that’s the gambler, but then the old fellow’s wisdom was clouded so I suppose we can excuse him. The old man may have been a simple fellow, but he could count quickly enough. That would mean a ram and two ewes. Mammon was at his elbow guiding him; contemplation did not take long. He spilled his guts; gave up the location of the hidden beasts. It’s said that Mercury then revealed himself before the old man, calling him a rogue and a scoundrel for his greed; making the old man out to be the villain of the piece, when in fact, Mercury had been revealed as the thieving scoundrel by his own hand. That’s the trickster for you… Let’s see what hidden agendas, what slippery tricks can be revealed by combining the two horoscope wheels of the parents of the accused; by creating two bi-wheels of synergy. This is called synastry in astrology. Firstly from the accused’s father, Nigel’s perspective with the combination of the two energies (himself and his wife); the alias of nigelaine and the second bi-wheel will be the accused’s mother, Elaine’s perspective of nigelaine. How she sees the alias at work. We create a bi-wheel with the natal wheel of Nigel Baden-Clay as the inner wheel set at the ascendant at his time of birth 15 degrees Aquarius and the outer wheel of his wife Elaine Baden-Clay whose ascendant is similar but different enough to create overlays and subtleties that make a world of difference. Her ascendant is 00 degrees Aquarius. - In the natal horoscope of Elaine Baden-Clay we know that Saturn and the Moon are in the 5th house and that Mars is in the 6th house. When we look at the bi-wheel, we see that Elaine’s Mars, instead of being the whip that cracks the work ethic in the 6th house, it has been drawn back into the 5th house. Nigel has dictated that she be the disciplinarian of the children; the instigator of the entertainment; the creator. This is not her natural role. Remember this is Gemini; watch for underlying agendas; the trickster at work. Because Elaine’s Mars is naturally in the 6th house, where she directs the work ethic, she is now out of her natural element and ill equipped to soften the blow. There is a huge difference between working with adults and raising children. She is not prepared for this and would need to adjust. She has been tricked. The bull (Taurus Sun) and Cancer Moon (in the river / go with the flow) is not going to do this easily. If she remains inflexible (to be expected with this Sun-Moon combo), she will be an overly hard task-master, particularly for a child who has their reigning need in this house. This would no doubt be bound to create a harbour of resentment against the female nurturer in the development of the male child. This has dire consequences in our case, but more on that later. When we turn to the bi-wheel looking at nigelaine from Elaine’s perspective, we see that nothing has changed as to her role in the scheme of things; from her point of view. She is not aware of his expectations of her. She still has her Moon and Saturn in the 5th house with no extra contribution from Nigel. It is when we turn to the mirror of the 11th house, that we find a revelation of the trickster doing a smoke and mirrors act. - Nigel has eluded her; abrogating all responsibility for the parenting. His Mars and her knight in shining armour, her big-game hunter has left the 11th house and slipped into the 12th. Alas, she was not prepared for this. I’m pregnant what can I do? The 12th house is not open to negotiation. This is the unseen; the mind. He considers his work is done. The lion has retreated into his den. The man who courted Elaine Isobel Nora Hughes, has changed. He was happy to join in the fun when they were single; when he was centre stage, only now that he is no longer the centre of attention; that there are children on the agenda, he has retreated to his male den; the intellect. How many women can put their hands up in recognition of this behaviour? The trickster has been at work. The man she has married is emotionally immature. How can this immature man be a mentor to his sons? We are starting to see now, how the Saturn retrograde phenomenon has manifested in Nigel Baden-Clay’s sons’ horoscopes. (for more info on the Saturn retrograde phenomenon read Call me bwana) For Gerard Baden-Clay and his younger brother, mother has been overly harsh in their development and father has been absent from his role.

Advocare is a multilevel marketing (MLM) company that sells nutrition and weight loss supplements. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, chances are you know someone that is a distributor for these products. Advocare has become increasingly popular in recent years, signing on numerous famous athletes as endorsers. They even recently recruited Rich Froning as an endorser—the professional Crossfitter who holds a 4-time record of the Crossfit Games’ “Fittest Man on Earth” title! So, if Rich Froning is “getting sparked up” to get through his Crossfit WODs, should you be too? Is Advocare actually healthy? While Advocare sells numerous weight loss shakes, protein bars, and nutritional supplements, for the purposes of this post, I’ll be focusing on the trendy product Advocare Spark® Energy. According to the Spark product tagline, it promises to be “a sugar-free source of long-lasting energy”. As far as Advocare products go, I certainly could have highlighted another of their products with many more toxic ingredients and health concerns than Spark. But I feel compelled to focus on this product, in part because I have personally suffered from the effects of a lack of energy, fatigue, and mental fogginess that this product claims to eliminate and I have discovered the real solution to these problems (hint- It’s not Advocare). This product is a perfect example of why even seemingly “better choices” will still never be a healthier option than simply choosing real food. The positive side of Advocare As a licensed health care provider and certified nutritionist, I believe that it would be unethical and a major conflict of interest for me to sell MLM nutrition products. Which is why I do not and I never will associate myself with a MLM company. If you are wondering why I still haven’t responded to your Facebook message asking if I want to learn how to make more money, it’s nothing personal. I still like you as a person! But first and foremost, I am in the business of helping people heal their bodies through the use of real food. I do use nutritional and herbal supplements in my practice to assist clients in bringing balance back to the body, but I do not align myself with any particular company and I only recommend professional-grade products. I do not make money off of any of the supplement recommendations that I make to clients. I recommend products based on the client’s specific nutritional deficiencies, the quality of ingredients, and the manufacturing processes used. There are a lot of reasons why Advocare and their products do not fit the bill for my clients’ needs, but what I do like about Advocare is that they recommend making dietary changes and starting an exercise program while taking their products. Listen up because that is sound advice for people everywhere! Nutrition, fitness, and other lifestyle changes are what actually changes lives. Not energy drinks, protein powders, or supplements. Recommending diet and lifestyle changes is common sense, but it is also a smart business practice on the part of Advocare. There are a lot of wonderful, inspirational stories that you will hear about people using Advocare products. I suspect that many of those transformations come from the nutrition and fitness programs that people have started and not the products themselves. What makes me qualified to give my opinion about Advocare One of the reasons that I don’t particularly like MLM companies is that they often attempt to make their distributors (the people who sell their products) experts in a particular field. I have had people who don’t know my background approach me and try to sell me Advocare products while presenting themselves as “health and nutrition experts”. I’m sure there are some people who are sufficiently educated in health and nutrition fields that do sell Advocare products, but most people selling these supplements are not qualified to be giving nutrition advice. Many MLM companies attack and harass people that speak out against their products, and so it’s unfortunately necessary to add a quick disclaimer on my qualifications. I am a registered nurse (RN) and I have a BSN and MS degree. I have practiced as a registered nurse for over 8 years in various specialties in both conventional and holistic health care. I’m certified as a nutritional therapy consultant through the Nutritional Therapy Association and a health and fitness specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine. I have owned a health and nutrition consulting practice since 2008. You can read more about my credentials here. Is “Getting Sparked Up” Healthy? The short answer is no. The simplest explanation is that the product is not real food. It is a supplement that contains toxic, low quality ingredients that ignore the bioindividuality of people’s nutrient needs and fail to address the underlying root causes of a lack of energy and fatigue. Vitamin A (as beta-carotene), Vitamin B-6 (as pyridoxine HCl), Vitamin B-12 (as cyanocobalamin), Vitamin C (as ascorbic acid), Vitamin E (as d-alpha tocopheryl acetate), Thiamine (as HCl), Riboflavin, Niacin (as niacinamide), Pantothenic acid (as calcium pantothenate), Zinc (as zinc monomethionine), Copper (as copper glycinate), Chromium (as chromium citrate), Choline (as bitartrate and citrate), L-Tyrosine, Taurine, Caffeine , Glycine, Citrus flavonoids, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), L-Carnitine (as tartrate), Inositol, Maltodextrin, citric acid, sucralose, silicon dioxide Depending on the flavor of Spark, beet root extract, grapeskin extract, and natural and artificial flavorings are also added. Based on a cursory glance, the ingredients list does not seem too bad. After all, it is mostly vitamins and minerals and everyone needs more of these nutrients, right? The vitamins and minerals found in Spark are important to the optimal functioning of the body, but once again, it goes back to the real food concept. It is always best to obtain your nutrients through the foods that you eat and not rely on getting them through a powder or pill. One important reason for this is that vitamins and minerals manufactured in a laboratory for use in a supplement are not always in the most bioavailable form that the body can actually use. This is especially true with supplements that are not professional-grade. Low Quality Ingredients As one example, I will highlight the vitamin B12 that is in Advocare Spark. Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps to maintain healthy nerve and red blood cells and is essential to the synthesis of DNA and RNA, as well as the production of neurotransmitters. Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to pernicious anemia. Since vitamin B12 is only found in animal products or fortified foods, it is recommended that people who are vegetarian or vegan supplement with vitamin B12 (As a former vegetarian, I recommend that people who are vegetarian or vegan change their diet if they want to find optimal health). In the supplement industry, there are several forms of vitamin 12 that can be used in products. Because of its low manufacturing costs and relative stability, cyanocobalamin is the most common form of vitamin B12 that is used in low-end vitamin products, including Advocare Spark. Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of vitamin B12 that does not occur in nature, but it can only be manufactured in a lab. In order to be utilized by the body, cyanocobalamin has to be converted by the body into an active form of vitamin B12. A large percentage of the population (some estimates are 50% or higher) have mutations at the MTHFR gene that make the conversion of cyanocobalamin into an active form of vitamin B12 less efficient. The best way to get more vitamin B12 into your diet is to optimize your digestion and consume high quality meats, fish, poultry, and eggs. If you are going to supplement with vitamin B12, be sure to choose a high quality, active form of vitamin B12 that can be readily utilized by the body, not cyanocobalamin. The cyanocobalamin in Advocare Spark is just one example of how the forms of the vitamins and minerals in this product do not necessarily provide the most benefit to the body. In general, MLM companies make money by manufacturing products using the lowest cost ingredients that they can find and then marking them up to outrageous prices. With vitamins and minerals, that often means that you are literally flushing your money down the toilet in the form of nutrients that your body is unable to utilize. You are much better off using your hard-earned money to purchase nutrient-dense, whole foods that contain all of the nutrients you need in the forms that the body can use. Lack of Attention to Nutrient Synergy and Bioindividuality That leads me to the next issue with the seemingly benign vitamins and minerals found in Advocare Spark. Multi-vitamins and supplements such as Advocare Spark operate on the premise that everyone needs these extra nutrients and more is always better. In the previous example of cyanocobalamin, one serving of Advocare Spark contains 750% of the daily recommended value of vitamin B12. According to the Spark label, consumers are urged to drink 1-3 servings of Spark per day. If you are drinking 3 servings, that is 2,250% of the daily recommended value! In the case of the water-soluble vitamins (such as B12), you will excrete what your body is unable to use in your urine and overdosing is not a concern. But what is a major issue is that all vitamins and minerals work synergistically in the body. Throwing a bunch of nutrients together in an energy drink in various amounts ignores the careful balance that is needed in order for vitamins and minerals to work effectively and efficiently in the body. The beautiful thing about eating foods found in nature is that they already contain the vitamins and minerals in the exact proportions that are needed to perform their specific roles. Another consideration is a lack of attention to bioindividuality of people consuming the product. The body has a remarkable ability to balance the ratios between minerals, but due to a variety of modern lifestyle factors, such as diet and toxic environmental exposures, the system sometimes goes awry, leading to imbalances between nutrients. The zinc and copper present in Advocare Spark can be used as an example of the significance of a lack of bioindividuality. Zinc and copper are minerals that have an antagonistic relationship. In our modern society, zinc and copper imbalances usually manifest as an excess of copper and a deficiency of zinc. There are numerous clinical reasons why I may not recommend that a client take a supplement with both zinc and copper in it if they are deficient in zinc or have an excess of copper. Or I may recommend a supplement with zinc and copper with very specific ratios. It takes clinical knowledge, thorough assessment, and thoughtful decision-making to render a decision about supplementation for my clients and that is another reason why I don’t think people should get their nutrition advice from a MLM company. It’s not just a bunch of harmless vitamins and minerals that everyone needs. The balance between the zinc and copper found in Advocare Spark may not be the best ratio to suit your particular needs. Mineral imbalances can potentiate serious health issues if they are not corrected. Now, we can get into a few of the more obvious problems with the ingredients in Advocare Spark. The first toxic ingredient that sticks out on the list is sucralose, otherwise known as Splenda. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that was first discovered by researchers who were investigating insecticides. Yes, you read that correctly- insecticides! Sucralose is manufactured in a highly refined process that replaces hydroxyl molecules in sugar (usually derived from genetically modified sugar beets) with chloride. It is one of the newest artificial sweeteners on the market and it was approved by the FDA in 1998, as the Advocare website proudly proclaims. There are a lot of reasons why FDA-approval does not necessarily make a product or drug safe, but that is beyond the scope of this post. FDA recalls and withdrawals happen quite frequently and in the case of sucralose, I am not convinced of its safety. In 2013, the Center for Science in Public Interest, a public safety watchdog, downgraded sucralose from “safe” to “caution” due to new evidence that linked sucralose to the development of leukemia in a life-long rat study. Because sucralose is a relatively new artificial sweetener, there is no life-long data available on its use in humans. Research does show that sucralose can significantly alter the gut flora and there is growing evidence that the gut flora is essential to overall health and wellbeing of the entire body. In our modern society, most of us were not provided with an ideal environment in which to foster optimal gut health from the very moment of our birth. I can assure you that none of us need any additional help from sucralose in creating an imbalance of gut flora! It’s best to limit added sugars in your diet and use only natural sweeteners, such as honey and maple syrup, which have been around as long as bees and trees. The next questionable ingredients are “natural and artificial flavorings”. The Code of Federal Regulations Title 21 has a lengthy definition of what can and cannot constitute a “natural” or “artificial” flavoring under the law. These ingredients are not always intuitive. For example, many people are shocked to learn that castoreum, an exudate from the castor sac of beavers, is categorized as a “natural flavoring”. Technically, beaver butt fluids are Paleo and they are non-toxic, so I’m personally not bothered all that much by that one (although quality and processing concerns of castoreum should also be considered 🙂 ). What concerns me more are the ingredients that sneak in under the “artificial” label. Under the law, artificial flavorings can be just about anything that does not meet the definition of a natural flavoring. There is usually little or no testing done to verify the safety of these ingredients in the food supply. A principle known as the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) is used to justify the addition of these ingredients to the food supply. The concept behind TTC is that very small amounts of chemicals should not pose a risk to human health when they are added to foods. You can read more about how the principle of TTC is applied to our food system here. There are sometimes hundreds of chemicals that are used to create a single “artificial flavoring”. Most companies, Advocare included, keep the exact chemical components of the flavorings a guarded secret, so it’s impossible to know what is really in your Spark. “But…Spark makes me feel good and it really does give me more energy” Well, sure it does. One serving of Advocare Spark contains 120mg of caffeine. The average cup of coffee contains 95mg. In general, caffeine does give people more energy, and in our stressed-to-the-gills, fatigue-burdened society, it may temporarily make them feel better (although if you give someone who doesn’t drink caffeine a cup of coffee, they may disagree with how good caffeine makes them feel). I don’t believe that there is anything inherently wrong with caffeine or natural sources of caffeine, like coffee or tea, but as with many types of foods, they can be abused. If you are suffering from a lack of energy, fatigue, and mental fogginess that Advocare Spark promises to help, the answer is not caffeine (or a low-quality vitamin and mineral supplement with artificial flavorings and caffeine added). You need to address the root of the problem, which likely stems from a combination of poor diet, uncontrolled stress, a lack of proper movement of the body, insufficient sleep and rest, and exposure to environmental toxins. Without a comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle approach that addresses all of these factors, you will not realize your potential of optimal health. What are your thoughts about Advocare Spark® Energy and similar products? I’d love to hear from you!

Having dominated the Louis Vuitton Trophy for two weeks, the Kiwis are defeated in the final. Matthew Sheahan reviews the event Right from the outset, Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand have demonstrated how polished and well rehearsed their teamwork is thanks to the years that they have been working together as a team. When the event got underway two weeks ago, it took not time to see that the Kiwis would be the benchmark as their score line remained completely one sided. At least that’s how it appeared. But, in an event that has provided plenty of surprise performances, the biggest came with the Kiwis defeat earlier today (Sun 22 Nov) in the best of three final. The Italian team Azzurra, led by Francesco Bruni, with Tommaso Chieffi as tactician, beat Barker and Co. 2-0 in the typically light weather (sub 8 knots) that has characterised the fortnight of match racing in Nice. Yet looking back at the scores in the various rounds, the writing was on the wall that the Italians would be the team that could cause the upset in the final. By the end of Round Robin 1 Azzurra finished equal top with the Kiwis. After the combined results of this round and the abbreviated racing in round robin two, the Italians had overhauled the Kiwis to take pole position with the Kiwis in second and the British Team Origin in third. Then, come the semi final and the final, Bruni’s team dropped just one of its five matches, a race against Ainslie and Co. The Kiwis and Brits lost three apiece. In slipping to the petit final, Team Origin faced another team that has been causing upsets throughout the event and one that consistently punched well above it’s weight. Synergy, the newly formed Russian team skippered by Karol Jablonski took a staggering number of big scalps throughout the series, including that of Team Origin in the last race of the series. Unlike some teams where the team name is the only detail aboard a boat stacked with America’s Cup talent, the Russian entry had few experienced Cup personnel aboard, the crew list alone drove this point home with surnames that caused those commentating serious headaches. There were headaches no doubt for some of the big guns, who’s normally slick performance backfired during this series, among them BMW Oracle racing who struggled right from the start and finished the event in 6th place. Yet perhaps an even bigger surprise was to see Artemis, skippered by Paul Cayard, slip down through the rankings to finish a lowly second to last, 7th by the end of the event. Certainly the racing conditions were the consistently lightest that version 5 Cup racing has seen leading the organisers frequently to fire off racing as early as 8.30 am in order to catch the land breeze spilling off the snow capped Alps to the north, before the afternoon sunshine set a weak sea breeze against it. As a result the breeze was fickle and skittish in direction, providing some huge stumbling blocks on the course for teams that had gambled on one side in particular. Yet, the interesting fact was that in such fickle conditions, the potential difference in the boats’ performances was ironed out. Getting the weather right assumed far more importance than before. Overall, the event was another fascinating indication of what happens when you take design and technology out of high level big boat match racing. Seeing teams for what they are, unmasked by the brilliance of their design teams, is something we rarely see in Cup racing and first witnessed in Auckland in January with the Pacific Series. Now, after it’s second regatta and with four more to go in the new Louis Vuitton Trophy, the event has not only created a momentum for itself, but has provided an incentive for newer teams and their backers to put more than one toe in the water. The next LV Trophy series is in Auckland in March, just after the 33rd America’s Cup. OFFICIAL BLOW BY BLOW ACCOUNT OF FINAL MATCHES M1: Azzurra d. Emirates Team New Zealand – Delta: 25 seconds Azzurra 1, Team New Zealand 0 The first match of the Final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Cote d’Azur was a straightforward match race. There wasn’t a lot of boat-on-boat action, but the Azzurra crew deserves credit for sailing a smart race. Skipper Francesco Bruni and crew gained the advantage on the first beat and then covered smartly around the course for the win. With the course axis set at 340 degrees and the range at 1.2 nautical miles, the course was short and placed a premium on winning the pre-start. But with the wind strength around 7 knots, the pre-start was mostly sedate. Azzurra had the starboard-tack advantage, but the two crews seemed more intent on positioning off the line rather than trying to pin a penalty on their opponent. Both boats started on starboard with Azzurra at the pin end and Team New Zealand three lengths to windward. Team New Zealand quickly tacked to port off the line. Azzurra tacked to port about a minute into the race and both boats enjoyed a slight left-hand shift. Azzurra enjoyed it more as the Italians won the first cross, on port tack, by a boatlength. Bruni and tactician Tommaso Chieffi crossed to the right and then employed covering tactics. Azzurra led by 14 seconds at the first windward mark. There wasn’t much difference between the yachts on the run. Azzurra gained nicely when the two crews first jibed to starboard. Then Team New Zealand gained back later on the leg when they both jibed to port. The gains and losses seemed due to how much pressure the crews had during their manoeuvres. Such is match racing in patchy winds. On the crews’ final jibes to starboard for the leeward gate, Azzurra got directly in front of Team New Zealand, which allowed the Italians to begin the second beat with an 18-second advantage. Azzurra had an initial loss at the bottom of the second beat, but made that back later on the leg once it got into similar pressure as the Kiwis. The Italians gained nicely on the top of the leg when they were able to tack on the Kiwis’ air. Azzurra led by 23 seconds beginning the run to the finish. Azzurra’s tactician Chieffi made a bold call on the final leg when he gybed his crew to port after the windward mark rounding. They gybed out of a covering position, but seemed to find more wind on the left side (looking upwind) of the course and were making 1.5 knots more boatspeed. When the two yachts converged moments later Azzurra had firm control halfway down the leg. The finish was in sight, and the 1-0 lead was secure. M2: Azzurra d. Emirates Team New Zealand – Delta: 17 seconds Azzurra 2, Team New Zealand 0 Azzurra sailed another solid race, winning the first cross and covering around the racecourse to win the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Cote d’Azur 2-0 over Emirates Team New Zealand. Azzurra entered the pre-start of Race 2 on port tack. In the light, 8-knot winds the sailors consider that a death sentence because it’s hard to escape your opponents’ control. But Azzurra skipper Francesco Bruni was up to the task. With about 2 minutes to the start he’d gone far enough forward on Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker to tack to port and lead the match to the outside of the committee boat. At the start Azzurra tacked to port and headed to the right side of the course while New Zealand took starboard onto the course before tacking to port. With both boats on port tack Azzurra seemed to foot out to leeward of Emirates Team New Zealand. Azzurra tacked to starboard on the right side and when the two yachts converged about 5 minutes after the start Azzurra crossed so easily that Team New Zealand ducked behind to get to the right and minimize its loss. At the top of the leg Azzurra tacked to port and crossed with a boatlength advantage to round the windward mark 18 seconds in the lead. The first run became skewed when the wind shifted left and both boats reached on starboard jibe. Azzurra led by 21 seconds at the leeward gate. Up the second beat the Italians protected the left side of the course and halfway up the leg got Team New Zealand pinned to leeward on starboard tack. The two yachts rode out to the port layline in that manner before tacking for the windward mark. Azzurra led by 18 seconds at the second windward mark. Barker and Team New Zealand attacked on the run to the finish and after one cross halfway down the run appeared to gain the lead on the right side (looking upwind), but when Azzurra jibed back to port and converged with Team New Zealand, on starboard, the lead was back to 50 meters. Azzurra hung on for a 17-second win and won the series, 2-0.

It was the last weekend of the Galway International Arts Festival, 2018. Taking a cue from years gone by the Big Top this year hosted a series of stand out international and national artists. Opening the finale weekend was The Flaming Lips – who by all means blew our minds (see review) – however it was the opening act of the night which sparked the electric atmosphere under the marquee, and with just energy, passion and banging tunes gave us an outstanding performance. Le Galaxie could easily headline the Big Top. A crowd of us have been waiting at the front for the much anticipated performance, and as the lights illuminate Le Galaxie crossing the stage we cheer. At 8pm the gig begins. Sometimes at the early stages of a gig – big or small – it can take a combination of time and an enthusiastic push to get people out of their standing skin and into a more fluid, headbanging rhythm. It doesn’t matter how ‘big’ the artist is. People might want to let it all hang out but they’re still jacked into the ‘normal’ day-to-day performance of being a person. Clearly with the rhetoric of “Yeah, but those are just the laws of physics, we’ve got this whole other universe going on”, they stepped over all that. Le Galaxie rely only on their own energy and passion channeled through their instruments. And their bodies. No giant props and no crazy stage show. Their music and connection with us made those things irrelevant. Le Galaxie began in 2008 (happy ten year anniversary) and soon became a regular feature of the live scene in Dublin and following from this success the four piece have played at Electric Picnic, Body & Soul, Longitude, and Sea Sessions, to name but a few festivals. Michael, David, Anthony and Alastair have featured in Irish Albums Chart top 10 with their second studio album Le Club, and in 2018 Le Galaxie received top reviews for the album Pleasure. Bringing the former Fight Like Apes singer MaryKate Geraghty (MayKay) into the mix has added another explosive dimension to the band’s music. We are given a sampling of Le Galaxie’s finest as well as some new music from Pleasure including the single ‘Day of the Child‘. Frontman and lead vocalist Michael Pope holds nothing back as he takes ownership of every bit of space on the stage, bringing us with him in a haze of banging heads and leaps. David McGloughlin and Anthony Hyland are on the keys giving the music its synth body, and behind them is Alastair Higgins thrashing out beneath the transforming purple and blue lights. MayKay is singing and dancing with the deep electro arrangements, and there’s great synergy between herself and Michael as they sing together. Really, words do very little. At one point Michael climbs up the stage structure and sits about 7 metres above our heads. The high point of that moment is not actually the feat itself (sorry dude) but the expression on the face of the member of security standing beneath him, looking up wide eyed in horror at the safety hazard hanging above. I wish I had captured the moment with clarity. Le Galaxie created an experience for us that night. There was a connection between the crowd, the band and the music. It doesn’t take any intense stage show to do that and their performance showed us that they really enjoy creating these experiences with sheer passion. At one point Michael decided to jump into the crowd and dance among us with body thrusting energy. I say that Le Galaxie could easily headline the Big Top because it felt as if it was’t over when they played their last song. The feeling within myself, and the sense that I got from the crowd around me was that it could have, and should have gone on for longer. They can hold their own and I would expect that if they had another hour to play, the connection between them and the crowd would have sustained itself from start to finish. The electro-pop scene in Ireland has some intense players (Le Boom, LAOISE, Elaine Mai), but as a genre it is one of the hardest to get traction from in the industry, as a gigging artist and as a recording artist. Making good decisions about band members, style, how and where to release music etc… absolutely matter. The obvious one is whether or not you enjoy it. And Le Galaxie fucking love it.

Partner & Managing Director Many multinational companies have used M&A to establish a presence or expand operations in the world’s second-largest economy. But many more have not, especially in recent years. According to Thomson Reuters, inbound transactions represented only about $75 billion of the $287 billion in total M&A volume in China in the first three-quarters of 2014 (although it should be noted that $75 billion is double the levels seen in the previous ten years). And fewer than 50 out of some 2,500 deals since 2009 have been acquisitions by multinational corporations valued at more than $100 million in which the buyer has taken ownership of 30 percent or more of the target (not including pure financial investments such as private-equity acquisitions or asset restructurings). Prospective multinational acquirers are frequently deterred by the misperception that value-generating acquisitions are nearly impossible in China. They believe they cannot attain majority control; while this is true in a few industries, it is more the exception than the rule. They see the regulatory process as opaque and painstaking to navigate without deep existing personal connections. They believe that asking prices are too high and can be justified only by realizing a degree of synergies, particularly revenue synergies, that is somewhere between difficult and impossible to achieve. They doubt their ability to bridge differences in culture and management systems and effectively integrate a Chinese operation with their own. Our experience with numerous multinational acquirers of Chinese companies has demonstrated that these hurdles can be overcome. Successful M&A in China is by no means easy: every step of the process, beginning with due diligence, presents a unique set of challenges. Two critical steps are particularly daunting: regulatory approval and postmerger integration. Both are difficult but need not be seen as impenetrable black boxes. Regulatory approval can be approached in a systematic manner, and cultural differences can be decoded to create a customized integration process. This report presents a game plan for dealing with each of these challenges in China’s unique M&A environment. Securing regulatory approval in China is complex but can be effectively managed in most cases. For foreign buyers that are used to dealing with one or two regulatory bodies in developed markets, the first surprise is the number of regulatory stakeholders in the Chinese process. Depending on the business of the acquirer and the target, the industry, the size of the deal, and other factors, approval can be required from as many as half a dozen different bodies, and each one can have several levels—national, provincial, and local—as well as multiple departments. (See the exhibit below.) Provincial and city governments, as well as party officials, can also become involved. Each authority will have its own list of concerns. Gaining regulatory approval requires both managing the process strategically and organizing and deploying allies that can help. Managing the Process The industry and markets involved, the location of the target company, and whether the target is a state-owned enterprise all affect the nature and complexity of the review. At the center of the process is the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), whose purview officially includes antitrust, foreign investor approval, and national security—the latter in cooperation with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is involved if the target is a listed company, and acquisitions of state-owned companies are reviewed by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). MOFCOM’s approval process is probably the most complex, because the antitrust review can consider a wide variety of factors, including quite often the views of the public (frequently as expressed through the media as well as online), competitors, and industry groups. If a deal is particularly large or involves a well-known brand or an already concentrated sector, MOFCOM may seek input from industry participants and associations, and track consumer concern through the media and online. Strong opposition from industry players can be sufficient to kill a deal. One private-equity buyer learned this lesson the hard way when its proposed acquisition of a Chinese equipment company ran into strong objections from the company’s main competitor, which was able to convince MOFCOM that the deal was detrimental to the industry. In another instance, the combination of complaints of overconcentration from competitors and consumer outcry in the media was sufficient for MOFCOM to deny approval. Each regulatory body will expect the acquiring company to have anticipated—and be ready to address—its particular concerns. Westerners too often misinterpret the impact of the Chinese cultural phenomenon of guanxi, which they misconstrue as a murky system of “connections” or “relationships,” on the regulatory approval process. Guanxi is actually rooted in empathy—the concern for someone else’s interests when taking an action of one’s own. Thus, each regulatory body will be looking for signs that an acquiring company understands, and has a plan for addressing, the social as well as economic considerations that fall within the parameters of the regulator’s authority. Each will expect the company to demonstrate this understanding through its outreach efforts and to engage in a back-and-forth discussion about these and other considerations throughout the approval process. Smart companies will prepare for this process thoroughly—mapping out the various stakeholders’ interests and concerns, and planning a comprehensive program of outreach and communications. They will then manage the process aggressively. The concerns and interests of the various government and regulatory players are rarely mysterious. Local governments care about investment, the tax base, any potential impact on the local economy and local industries, and, of course, employment. Many of the central government’s priorities were made clear in the decrees on market and financial reform following the Third Plenum in November 2013. In designing their outreach program, acquiring companies should prioritize the authorities they need to communicate with, often starting at the local level. If local authorities are convinced early on of the value of a deal to their jurisdiction and economy, they can be effective allies in the approval process, as we explain below. Acquirer and target also need to speak from the same script about both the business logic of the deal and its social impacts. Both need to engage in an iterative, informal communication process that is as much about listening and adjusting key messages, on the basis of the reactions to them, as it is about “selling” the deal’s rationale and benefits. For example, within ten days of signing an agreement for the acquisition of a majority of its shares by Nestlé, the president of the Chinese food company Yinlu prepared a report on the transaction for the local government, explaining the deal and seeking to ease any concerns over the potential disappearance of Chinese national brands. He emphasized that the two companies planned to keep Yinlu’s headquarters intact, expand the local plant, and put Nestlé’s instant-coffee products under Yinlu management in China. The report included estimates of future revenue and the combined company’s contribution to the national and local economy, including the taxes to be paid in Xiamen, where Yinlu is based. The companies also made clear that Yinlu would keep its brand separate from Nestlé and that Yinlu’s senior management team would run the combined company. Yinlu’s efforts, along with Nestlé’s, to address concerns and convey benefits up front won the companies a valuable ally in the approval process. Acquiring companies need to be up to date on approval processes so that they can address the steps that are actually critical, which can be more detailed than those laid out in official documents. These processes are sometimes complex, but this situation is changing and for the better: the government is determined to make approvals more transparent and efficient. Knowledge of the process and connections at multiple levels of both government and party are still important. Most international acquirers will want an experienced Chinese guide—or team of advisors, since not all advisors can help equally well in each step of the process. Companies should choose their team members carefully. Legal and financial advisors can vary substantially in their willingness to go beyond general opinions based on past experience and commit to specific recommendations and timelines for the deal under consideration. Strategic advisors can help with industry specifics, the assessment of deal synergies, the phasing of the deal process, and postdeal execution. Perhaps most important, though: no acquiring company should think it can fully delegate management of the approval process to a third party. The authorities will want to see that the company is actively involved in directing the process itself. Organizing and Deploying Allies Consensus building is critical in China. An acquiring company’s most important ally is often the stakeholder with the most to gain from the deal’s success. Many foreign acquirers have had success reaching out to local regulatory authorities first, seeking to underscore the benefits of the transaction for the local economy (expansion plans, for example) and to mollify local concerns. As the example of Nestlé and Yinlu illustrates, recruiting a local champion who is “inside the process” can help enormously as companies move up the approval ladder—as can having someone other than the acquirer itself in a position to explain the deal to various stakeholders. Whirlpool’s acquisition of Chinese manufacturer Hefei Sanyo in 2014 offers another model for success. The deal was complex, even by Chinese standards, given that the target was a listed company and three times bigger than Whirlpool’s Chinese operations. Whirlpool also owned a joint-venture production facility with another competitor. The Hefei government was a 35 percent shareholder of Hefei Sanyo, and the second-largest shareholder—another multinational with a 29 percent position—wanted to divest. Whirlpool developed a package of incentives designed to appeal to the local authorities. The incentives included an aggressive growth strategy for the Chinese company, relocating Whirlpool’s China headquarters and R&D to Hefei, and expanding local operations. Whirlpool also emphasized its intent to use Hefei Sanyo’s strong platform and operations as the basis for future growth of its China business, including manufacturing finished products and some critical components. Whirlpool succeeded in enlisting the Hefei government as an ally, and senior government officials played instrumental roles in helping to address the concerns of MOFCOM and CSRC and in accelerating the approval process. Whirlpool also succeeded in acquiring majority ownership of a listed Chinese company in one step. Industry associations are influential in China and another important target for timely outreach. They can play persuasive roles (and acquirers can prevent them from being co-opted by competitors to oppose a transaction) if they are brought onboard early. They can be especially influential in the MOFCOM antitrust approval process since MOFCOM usually solicits their opinions early on. The target company itself can also have valuable connections that help move the process forward. The media are another potentially instrumental factor. It’s important to manage public, as well as private, communications aggressively. This includes closely monitoring consumer sentiments on online bulletin boards and in chat rooms. Local public-relations advisors who can help both anticipate and manage media and public reaction can be an important addition to the team. They can have contingency plans ready to go should negative reactions surface, for example. Managing public opinion is especially important if the target is in a high-profile business or has one or more well-known Chinese brands. The government maintains lists of “famous brands” and “time-honored brands.” If a target company has brands on either list, MOFCOM is likely to impose stricter approval requirements and solicit input from other agencies such as the NDRC. In addition, MOFCOM and the NDRC have published a “foreign investment guide” in which they divide all industries into three categories (those in which foreign investment is encouraged, restricted, or prohibited). For acquisitions in industries on the foreign-buyer “restricted” list, stricter requirements also apply. For example, deals valued at more than $50 million are subject to central MOFCOM approval, while in “encouraged” industries, only transactions worth more than $300 million require central MOFCOM review. Following the Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th Communist Party of China Central Committee in 2014, China has been looking to streamline investment approvals and delegate more reviews to the local level. A draft update of the foreign-investment guide released by the NDRC in November 2014 would reduce the number of sectors that limit foreign investment from 79 to 35. Some industries do have limitations on the percentage of ownership that foreign companies are permitted to acquire. Foreign ownership is limited to 49 percent in telecom infrastructure, for example, and 50 percent in telecom value-added services. A few special industries (mainly financial services and economic “backbone” industries such as banking) can have stricter restrictions. Foreign ownership of commercial banks is held to 25 percent; in life insurance, the limit is 50 percent. For “industries where foreign investment is encouraged” by MOFCOM, such as infant food, biopharma, and software development, there is no ownership limitation. The draft update of the foreign-investment guide lists some 350 sectors that encourage foreign investment. Valuations in China are high, and in many cases they can be justified only if the buyer achieves significant synergies. China is a growth market, so these synergies often entail increasing revenues rather than cutting costs. Many multinationals are more experienced at cutting costs—and are therefore more confident about their ability to do so, since cost savings are typically based on concrete onetime actions such as head count reductions or procurement savings. Revenue synergies can be more uncertain and cannot be achieved by simply allowing the acquired company to run as a stand-alone entity. These synergies put a premium on effective PMI. Indeed, many foreign acquisitions in China fail to realize their potential—and plenty just flat out fail—because of unsuccessful PMI, which can result not only in lost synergies but also in damaging misunderstandings between the acquiring company and the target. In our experience, there are four primary causes of unsuccessful PMIs between multinational buyers and Chinese companies: Failure to Bridge Divides Multinational and Chinese companies almost always have very different cultures, philosophies, management practices, and ways of doing business. Failure to address these differences early on leads to lost opportunities, misunderstandings, and, too often, loss of trust. One area of potential misunderstanding, for example—on which many mergers founder—is personalities versus process. Chinese companies are often driven by strong personalities rather than management processes. In fact, Western processes can initially appear unnecessary or impractical to Chinese managers, who rarely have experience being embedded in multinational matrix organizations. When new owners unilaterally impose new processes from above, confusion and mistrust frequently result. Too often, both sides underestimate the extent of the differences until they start working closely together—but by then deep chasms have formed. There are other differences as well. Chinese companies often emphasize top-line growth, especially in fast-growing sectors, while multinationals are equally focused on the bottom line. Chinese companies tend to have more hierarchy in their management structures; Western companies are flatter at the top. Deference to the leader is a principal dynamic in Chinese management: budgets and targets are decided unilaterally, in a top-down fashion, with instructions issued from above. Chinese companies also tend to follow a more adaptive management philosophy: they like to experiment, observe, and adapt, making quick decisions on the basis of current market conditions. This approach, which eschews long-term planning, often frustrates Western owners. Decoding these differences takes a systematic effort, and the burden falls more heavily on the acquirer to invest the necessary time to gain a working-level understanding of how the acquired company functions on a day-to-day basis. A good first step is mapping out the target company’s management system and processes: how it sets goals, tracks and evaluates its business performance, and corrects actions. What are the company’s key performance indicators and how does it translate them into compensation? The acquirer’s management can gain this understanding through interviews with the target’s management and by sitting in on critical meetings. It can also use a thorough commercial due-diligence process, sometimes involving third-party agencies and dedicated resources, to understand the target’s commercial approach, especially its go-to-market system. There are often intricate connections among the sales team, distributors, and retailers that are not immediately apparent to foreign eyes. The acquiring company’s management will also want to sit down as soon as possible with the target company’s CEO to engage in an assessment of senior executives. Having the acquired company’s people join the integration team permits a firsthand look at the target’s talent and helps facilitate a shared understanding of the vision, goals, strategies—and processes—of the combined operation. Multinational acquirers can best build trust with their new partners by helping the acquired company’s management understand the acquirer’s culture and priorities. They should look for early opportunities to show how they can add value to the local business—for example, by bringing capabilities and know-how that are needed by Chinese companies. They should also take pains to exhibit a long-term commitment to growth in the Chinese market and focus attention from the earliest stages on whether their and the target’s management share the same high-level vision for the combined company. Too often, foreign acquirers fail to recognize that the processes they consider basic are anything but basic to Chinese companies. Well-meaning attempts to impose process-driven management techniques on a newly acquired business end up undermining the entrepreneurialism and nimbleness that are often behind a Chinese company’s success. Smart acquirers will determine which of the target company’s processes can be changed and which should not be touched. They will develop a detailed integration plan for the first year that clearly communicates the future direction internally and to business partners. They will understand that integration can take longer in China: the typical integration period is three years. Late Postmerger Planning The second major mistake that many multinationals make is leaving critical decisions until late in the acquisition process. By this time, the acquiring company has already missed important opportunities to work with the target to build consensus on such questions as company vision, achieving synergies, and the approach to merging operations. Failure to reach consensus on the vision for the combined company early on, including a high-level growth plan, almost inevitably results in wasted time down the road—if not more serious rifts—as the two managements try to work out misunderstandings from positions of confusion and mistrust. This can often complicate the already tricky task of extracting the value of the transaction through realizing synergies. Synergy is a new concept to many Chinese executives; they are used to looking at the overall top and bottom lines. Effective acquirers both compel agreement on vision and budget time to reach concurrence on the synergies the combined operations can achieve. Some acquirers focus on specific actions necessary to realize the synergies, starting with easy-to-implement steps, before tackling more complex issues; this is often the best way to engage Chinese partners in the process. Others design a case-specific approach that helps demonstrate synergies to their local partners, translating them into operational metrics that managers can understand and act on. A third issue best tackled early (and decisively) is whether to integrate the acquired company with the acquirer’s own Chinese operations or leave it as a stand-alone business. In our experience, it generally makes sense to integrate when either party has a strong platform for growth and capabilities that can immediately add value for the other, or when there is a strong leadership team on one side that can push the integration forward and manage the combined business. For example, Groupe SEB vastly expanded its small base of business in China with the acquisition of 53 percent of Supor, the country’s third-largest small-appliance manufacturer. SEB kept Supor’s management team largely unchanged and exploited Supor’s distribution network by using it as the primary sales channel for SEB’s own branded products. SEB also folded its local sales force into Supor’s. As a result, sales almost doubled to reach RMB 4.1 billion in three years, the company increased its market share by two points, and its net profit margin rose from 5 percent to 7.5 percent before the deal took place. Some multinationals believe it is better to leave the newly acquired company as a stand-alone operation if the business is on a good growth trajectory with a strong and stable senior management team and the two companies share the same vision for the future. L’Oréal, which already had 3,500 employees in China in 2013 when it acquired Magic Holdings International, determined it could best build on Magic’s strong position in the fast-growing facial-mask category by relying on Magic’s existing management and adding L’Oréal’s own expertise to the mix, particularly in R&D. Nestlé is another company that did not intervene extensively in most of its early acquisitions’ operations. For most acquirers, however, it’s hard to realize synergies without integrating operations. And without integrating, it’s hard to justify the premium valuation paid. Resolving this decision early removes uncertainty for the management and employees of the acquired company (as well as, in many cases, the management and staff of the acquirer’s own operations). The earlier there is clear understanding on how the integration will proceed, including critical staffing issues, the smoother the PMI is likely to be. Removing these uncertainties can also clarify other PMI decisions. Misunderstandings over Control A common misconception among multinational buyers is that majority-share ownership confers control. This is not always the case in China. A majority share may win more board seats, but in reality the board may exert very little influence over the company’s operations. The managing director and the general manager often have the authority to dictate operations, and they can act—and usually do—with little or no supervision from the board. If a multinational owner intends to exercise control, it needs to make the intended governance structure explicit up front, defining the board’s and the management team’s composition and securing the right to appoint board members and the acquired company’s managing director and general manager. Some acquirers, including those that have made a number of successful acquisitions in China, use a well-defined and experience-tested approach. They have clear criteria for gaining management control of acquired companies and make those criteria clear during negotiations. They are willing to walk away from a deal if the target’s management will not come to terms. Some multinationals with multiple acquisitions have dedicated, experienced local integration teams to take over and run the target’s business after integration. These acquirers make a practice of articulating a clear value proposition, and they build a track record of helping acquired companies grow. Other companies choose to gain control over time by demonstrating their ability to add value and by building trust. Both approaches require addressing the issue of control up front. Failure to Customize the PMI Process for Local Realities Following a standard PMI process is often a road to ruin in China—although that doesn’t stop many foreign companies from trying. Experienced acquirers have learned that adapting the standard PMI approach to Chinese realities is essential to achieving any level of successful integration. Program management requires disciplines and metrics, but there is a risk of overwhelming the target company with too many meetings and interactions. For example, it’s often unnecessary to hold frequent formal PMI meetings, especially large group sessions, which can actually be counterproductive in China because managers will be reluctant to discuss and resolve problems on the spot. It’s more effective to break down the issues and engage smaller groups when necessary to address emerging ones. Similarly, using a simple template for the integration plan and for tracking and reporting, and, wherever possible, minimizing people’s time on paperwork, are likely to further PMI goals. This doesn’t mean throwing out the PMI playbook and improvising. Some standard PMI rules and procedures should always be followed: Dealing with such factors as differences in culture and management approach can be structured in a systematic manner, and a customized integration plan can be developed. In general, multinational buyers should apply PMI principles with care and remember that a light and flexible program-management approach is usually most effective. The focus should be on value creation instead of process management. Multinational companies should not be put off by the complexities of M&A in China. For many, M&A can be an effective and quick way to enter the market or expand. And even in a fast-growing market such as China, organic growth often has its own challenges, such as customizing products to local needs or building distribution networks. M&A involves minefields and pitfalls, to be sure, and the challenges companies face are not necessarily proportional to the size of the transaction. Indeed, a company may well need to devote more resources and attention to a small deal in China than to a larger transaction in another market. However, the two big hurdles—capturing synergies to justify high valuations and clearing the regulatory approval process—can both be successfully managed. Companies should start by asking themselves some basic questions at the beginning of the process. With respect to regulatory approval: With respect to PMI: Smart buyers will approach China with eyes wide open and develop plans to address these issues as soon as it appears that negotiations may lead to a deal. When the team working on the transaction gets close to finalizing the deal, other teams should start working out plans for gaining the requisite approvals and moving forward with PMI. On the day the deal is signed, both companies can hit the ground running, ready to take on the challenges ahead.

Fixing The New Orleans Saints With Methods From 80s & 90s Sports Movies Fixing the Saints: Using Team-building Methods Learned from 80s and 90s Sports Movies (This piece is completely satirical, and should not be taken as serious sports analysis…or should it?) by: Jeaux Sportsbreaux The New Orleans Saints are really bad. If you have a Saint on your fantasy football team not named Brees, you should drop him now and acquire someone on the Packers’ practice squad, your six-year old niece, or a half of a chicken salad sandwich. If someone in your league would trade you a half a chicken salad sandwich for a Saint not named Brees, take that deal all day. Don’t even ask how old the sandwich is or whether it was made with mayo. Just gobble it down. There is no way the sandwich will make you sicker than having a Saint not named Brees on your team the rest of the year. But, the Saints’ pending demise gives us a chance to rebuild them. I’m sure some NFL salary cap experts, free agency wizards, and Mel Kiper’s hair-helmet are already working on it. However, what if we had to turn the Saints’ season around using only plot elements from 80s and 90s sports movies? Guess what, we do . . . The Nitty Gritty A notorious sports movie villain is the champion that doesn’t train, but sits in his ivory tower while being fanned by palm fronds. This causes the underdog to get back to basics, down to the nitty gritty. And, if we are going to move this Saints franchise forward that’s what we are going to have to do. Best Movie Examples: Rocky I, II, III, and IV training montages, the “no basketballs” practice in Hoosiers, car waxing in Karate Kid, passing eggs in the Mighty Ducks. For your enjoyment, the training montages from Rocky III and Rocky IV. There are an awkwardly large number of quadriceps shots in these montages. It’s like the director was sitting around in the editing room and made a conscious decision that more glistening thigh shots would draw the audience in. Application to Saints: The Saints rent 30 house boats and move their practice facility to the bayou. They practice every day in waste deep swamp water. They also do completely random, nonsensical things like throw logs around or skin alligators, because it somehow better prepares them than their opponents who are actually doing completely appropriate, targeted, football-related practice drills. Result: Saints develop team chemistry and we start to feel that maybe, there just might be something something about this Saints team we thought we knew. The Coach That Doesn’t Fit In “Oh no, they hired him?” “He won’t fit in here, because (insert reason).” The new coach is black. The new coach is white. The new coach got fired from his last job. The new coach is a disgrace to the sport. The new coach is a quadriplegic, Hispanic, homosexual female. Okay, the last one is too progressive for the 80s and 90s, but it’s coming. Best Movie Examples: Gene Hackman in Hoosiers (fired from old job), Denzel Washington in Remember the Titans(black coach coaching white kids), John Candy in Cool Runnings (cheated by hiding weights in the foot of his bobsled), Emilio Estevez in Mighty Ducks (lawyer who was forced to coach as community service following a DUI). Application to Saints: Sean Payton is so distraught over the preseason, he pulls a Jim Mora “diddly poo” moment, quitting on his team. Who replaces him? The Saints hire Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as head coach. What’s that? She won’t work here? Why? Because, she’s a woman, a Latina, has no discernible knowledge of football? Result: Sotomayor holds an emotional first practice in an empty Supreme Court, because “a team can’t know its future without knowing where it’s been.” No one questions whether that makes any sense. The Player on His Final Go-Round Every team needs an aging player that is steady, emotional anchor for the team. Best Movie Examples: Paul Blake (Scott Bakula) in Necessary Roughness, Jake Taylor (Tom Beringer) in Major League, Mel Clark (Tony Danza) in Angels in the Outfield, Chet Steadman (Gary Busey) in Rookie of the Year, Andre Krimm (Sinbad) in Necessary Roughness. Application to Saints: In an effort to chase the elusive World Championship, the Saints sign Bobby Hebert to a one year contract after star quarterback Drew Brees is hurt on a zip line he built in his backyard pool. Hebert moves from the after show on the radio to the huddle. His mobility is limited and even plays some obvious rushing downs sitting on a stool. Result: Brees gets the ship righted after losing three more games and the Saints rattle off eleven consecutive wins. However, in Week 17 Hebert goes down to injury and is replaced by . . . The Player That Is Missing a Requisite Skill Typical movie scene: After showing a bunch of inept players, eventually the camera finds a guy who looks like he can really play. The only problem is he can either only do one thing really well or does one thing terribly bad. This gives us a great moment of synergy between our other sports movie elements. Specifically, the coach that doesn’t fit in takes this player and by taking him back to the basics, the player eventually becomes a contributor. Best Movie Examples: Willie Mays Hays (Wesley Snipes) in Major League (great speed, always popped up), Pedro Cerrano (Dennis Haysbert) in Major League (great power, couldn’t hit the curve), Happy Gilmore (Adam Sander) (great drive, no short game), Fulton Reed in Mighty Ducks (big slap shout couldn’t skate). Application to Saints: TEBOW TIME!!!! It’s perfect. The guy looks like a football player, runs like a football player, and is athletic like a football player. The only problem is . . . he can’t throw. Enter Coach Sotomayor, who teaches Tebow how to pass by forcing him to walk to the ocean every morning, pick up a conch, listen to the waves, and throw it back. From this, he learns the lessons necessary to throw a perfect spiral. Result: After Hebert’s injury in the first half of Week 17, Tebow enters the game. His first two passes are incomplete. “Oh no, here it goes again,” he thinks. But, then, unbeknownst to Tebow, Sotomayor signals to the crowd and all the fans hold up a conch. A ball boy hurriedly runs in from the sideline and delivers Tebow a football branded with a conch. He completes his next 15 passes. The Saints need one. Best Movie Examples: Julie “The Cat Gaffney” in D2: The Mighty Ducks, Cathy Ireland as Lucy Draper in Necessary Roughness. Application to Saints: Most likely candidate = Mia Hamm. Result: In a crucial game, a bully from the other team takes her out on kickoff coverage. But later, she channels her inner-Kerri Strug and nails a 56-yarder to secure the Wildcard for the Saints. For movie points, her follow-through would hit the aforementioned bully in the crotch. The Trick Play Obviously, if the Saints are going to rely on sports movie plots to save their season, they’ll need a trick play or two on the wristband chart. Best Movie Examples: Jake Taylor calling his shot in Major League, the Hidden Ball Trick in Little Big League, the Flying V in Mighty Ducks, Rocky’s rope-a-dope in Rocky III, the Crane Kick in Karate Kid. Application to Saints: In the first playoff game, Hebert is wheeled onto the field for one last play. He goes in at quarterback and Tebow goes to wide receiver. OMG, it’s a reverse. OMG, Tebow’s gonna throw it. OMG, Tebow’s gonna throw it to …HEBERT!!!!!!! Result: Sotomayor takes the Gatorade bath and the Saints move to the Divisional round. We later find out in the small white font before the credits . . . The Saints did not win the 2016 World Championship. But, they laid the ground work for back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. Coach/Justice Sotomayor retired from coaching and was later named Chief Justice. She is the only person to be a Super Bowl Championship coach and Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Bobby Hebert retired again and is back to hosting “The Point After” radio show following Saints games. He often enjoys a “daddy soda” or two while hosting the show. Mia Hamm runs a not-for-profit called Kick for Equality. Thanks to her efforts every NFL team now has a female kicker. Tim Tebow is still quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. He went on to win 19 consecutive NFL MVP awards. The Saints never returned to their bayou practice field. But, still today, a small plaque at that field reads “a team can’t know its future without knowing where it’s been.”

This article was originally published in CRN in the June 2017 issue of CRN Magazine, by Brad Howarth. They’re called clouds, but they could just as well be called black holes. Amazon Web Services and those that have followed have demonstrated a voracious appetite for sucking in computing workloads, establishing economies of scale and a range of options that have knocked out competing solutions from many well-established competitors. That hasn’t deterred many smaller local service providers from leaping into the fray, however, leading to a proliferation of cloud-like offerings across Australia. But in a market where size is proving to be everything, will the smaller providers find themselves crushed by the unrelenting gravity of the industry leaders? In February of this year, US-based analyst firm Synergy Research Group estimated that public cloud services were now generating US$7 billion in revenue per quarter, at a growth rate of almost 50 percent. In the hierarchy of black holes, AWS has reached super-massive status, with an estimated 40 percent of the public cloud market. It dwarfs its next three nearest rivals in Microsoft, Google and IBM (which acquired SoftLayer for US$2 billion in 2013), all of which are massive in their own right, and as a group are catching up to AWS – albeit slowly. The trio made up 23 percent of the market in 2016: a full five percentage points more than the previous year, according to Synergy. That leaves every other provider fighting over little more than a third of the market, a share that Synergy suggests shrunk by five percentage points in 2016. Already, the harsh economics of public cloud computing have proven too much for several multinational providers, with HP, Cisco, Rackspace, Verizon and VMware all backing away from the market, and local telco Macquarie Telecom shuttering its Ninefold cloud service in 2015. For Telsyte senior analyst Rodney Gedda, the difference between the leaders and the losers is commitment. “You can’t be half pregnant in the cloud,” says Gedda. “It will be the companies that absolutely commit to that business model that power ahead. “[Traditional providers] were trying to approach cloud in the same way as on-prem, so they stood up infrastructure on a build-it-and-they-will-come model, but charged people the same amount of money with a long onboarding process. And that just wasn’t going to cut it.” Those that are in it for the long haul have been spending accordingly. IBM opened its Australian Softlayer data centres in 2014 and ‘15, while Microsoft Azure has had a local presence since 2014. Google will launch local hosting for its cloud platform imminently. Can Australians compete? The last two years has seen the exit of other established brands, with consequences for local partners. ACT-based cloud management software maker Buttonwood Cloud Exchange, for instance, had to significantly alter its launch strategy thanks to Cisco’s decision to cancel its Intercloud service. Cisco’s Intercloud fabric provided the data layer for Buttonwood to connect to AWS and Azure, which were its primary service providers, says Buttonwood’s managing director Allan King. He says that Cisco’s decision to step away from Intercloud “cost us 12 months, but what we did was what we were always going to do, which was to develop native integration into AWS and Azure. And we have just announced Oracle.” King is not surprised that many larger players have exited the public cloud market. “I felt they lacked the scalability required to provide the innovation needed by business,” King says. “What they were really offering was a hosted private cloud or a VM-centric offering. Spinning up a new VM in another location is not that innovative. The need for R&D at the backend, to deliver what Azure and AWS are delivering, is phenomenal. And even organisations like VMware don’t have the deep pockets or the software layers to be able to deliver those offerings.” That doesn’t bode well for many of the would-be cloud competitors in Australia, and King says asset refresh cycles might also prove insurmountable for many. “You are competing with AWS and Azure, who are rolling out a billion dollars a year in new technology and infrastructure into data centres,” King says. “Every time they deploy an asset, they can leverage Moore’s Law to decrease price and become more competitive. If you are a small-to-medium organisation and you’re trying to sweat your assets, the only lever you have to compete is margin, and ultimately you can only pull that so far.” For this reason, he suggests that many smaller providers may have a five-year lifespan. “Generally, five years is the time you sweat an asset, and at the end of five years, you have to ask yourself whether you’ll reinvest or walk away,” King says. “And we are seeing a lot of those people walk away. I think the assets that have been purchased will be phased out and people will take on a more service-centric, managed service proposition.” Not everyone is walking away though. Perth-based Zettagrid has cleared the five-year hurdle and established what managing director Nathan Harman describes as “a lovely little business”. He’s even been on the acquisition path himself, having identified around 200 different players in the Australian market. “There will be lots of consolidation with the little guys who never quite got big enough and don’t have scale,” Harman says, “And we’ve been pretty actively looking. “We’ve done one little acquisition, and we’ve got two in due diligence at the moment; our plan is to do at least one per year for a little while, and maybe even get slightly bigger as time goes on. Harman says the factor that has enabled Zetta to survive was commitment to automation from the outset. “What that allows you to do is lower your costs in terms of support and provisioning, and it also allows you to scale,” Harman says. “What we find is that businesses get to a size where they can only get bigger by adding more people or making a significant investment to add automation. And at that point, most stop. We are really reaping the reward from that now. With the acquisition that we did last year, Conexim, we were able to migrate entirely to our platform in very short order.” The other key factor is ensuring that what’s on offer is unique. “Basically, what we do is take some best-of-breed software – Zerto is the last one we’ve done – and then provide it in a subscription model,” Harman says. “There is plenty of room for different niches. Some of those are more on the application side, while some are quite attached to managed services. It’s the pure-play guys, where if you can’t scale, you’re in trouble.” For Sydney-based Hosted Network, the model has been to provide a white-label service that is on-sold by other providers. Managing director Ben Town says that when talking to MSPs and other partners, flexibility is key. “That is where a lot of the smaller players really need assistance, in going beyond just a price book to help explain and architect it,” Town says. “And as a smaller organisation, we’ve got lower overheads.” Despite the apparent dominance of AWS and the shrinking of the remaining spoils, Gedda says there is still plenty of new opportunity for new players who want to enter. Alibaba, for instance, opened its Sydney cloud data centre in late 2016, while Oracle followed suit earlier this year. The market is big enough for diversity,” Gedda says. “You will always have oligopolies forming, but in terms of business IT service, the market is certainly big enough to support a top 20 of tier-two players. There is always going to be a need for an alternative. Do you really want all of your eggs in one basket?” And there are more potential competitors still to arrive. Gedda points out that the second largest hosting provider in the world (as named by Netcraft) is New York-based DigitalOcean, a company that has raised US$123 million in funding and established facilities in Europe, Asia and India, but is yet to establish a presence in Australia. “They started selling Linux virtual private servers at a low price point, and they sell thousands of them,” Gedda says. “And they have a vibrant developer community.” The crowded Australian market also recently witnessed the entry of European player OVH. That company shot to prominence in April 2017, when it acquired VMware’s vCloud Air facilities in the US and Europe. Gedda believes OVH has a reasonable shot at establishing a foothold in Australia. “They are absolutely committed to that business model of cloud-only,” Gedda says. “They will build their own, and partner where it makes sense in data centre space, or even build their own data centres. And they will engineer their own stacks, servers, storage and networks and that sort of stuff. And for them, the economics of cloud make sense.” OVH has signed up more than 1.1 million customers around the world, along with 5200 partners, and in May announced it would make Melbourne its regional headquarters. It will offer dedicated servers as well as private cloud and public cloud offerings. According to OVH vice chairman Laurent Allard, the need for diversity is the key defining factor that has created an opening for his company. “This is a fundamental point for our strategy, which is that one-size-fits-all does not work for cloud, as it does not work for a car or anything else in life,” Allard says. “We need diversity of technology, solutions and services, because we have diversity of needs. All of this diversity can be combined in a single virtual data centre controlled by the client, as what we call a vRack.” OVH’s senior advisor for APAC, Emmanuel Goutallier, says the company will be looking to build out its partner model locally. “We have already made a number of contacts and are in advanced discussions with a number of service providers and SIs,” Goutallier says. “And we see that our value proposition is quite sticky, because with our dedicated servers and private cloud, we give control of that environment to the SI or the service provider. We are not stepping over their control levels, because really, we’re selling a piece of dedicated infrastructure with the public cloud attributes.”

Ben Sasse fears for our youth. He is a U.S. Senator, and therefore he is a very busy man with little time to spare for side projects. Yet, so great is his concern for our kids’ predicament, that he has taken the time to write a book about it. It is not a bad book, even if you do not agree with what it says. You will have to trust me (or not) on the exact contents, because, “You may not make this e-book public in any way”, is all I will quote directly from it. His thesis is laid out in the book’s title, The Vanishing American Adult, and he has summarized the gist of his prescription in the subtitle, Our Coming-of-Age Crisis – and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance. In the text, he depicts a generation afflicted by aimlessness. They have been stunted by coming up in the shade of social media and cultural relativism. Deprived of the harsh choices and bright lessons of social responsibilities and traditional rites of passage, kids have grown passive. They lack the ‘grit’ to sustain our society. I won’t quibble with his depiction. Social media is a blight. The current generation operates on the assumption that ‘someone will take care of it’. Giving up is always an option for them. I do disagree with his diagnosis and prescription, however. He seems to think that helplessness and hollowness result from a deficiency of citizenship. The correction would then involve a big shot of citizenship. He is completely mistaken. In fact, emptiness is the natural outcome of citizenship, and helplessness is just a reactive symptom. On the most basic level, citizenship is a position in which one gets told that one’s life is fungible. One’s time, attention, motivation, and psyche can be chopped up and traded for goods to satisfy certain needs. Of course, Sasse recognizes this situation. He mentions “development of the individual” on a couple of occasions as a worthy pursuit, but only if it is pursued to certain ends (becoming responsible, self-sacrificing, ‘gritty’ – in other words, all those things that make a solid citizen). As far as I can tell, only the ends distinguish healthy developmental activities from selfishness, in Sasse’s estimation. And in a shocking coincidence, healthy ends are those for which the goods of citizenship come in handy. “Why won’t my blood sugar go down?” Maybe my analysis is unfair. Sasse contends that we are all a little defective, and our institutions may be a little defective, too. We should not expect a perfect synergy between man and social machine, even though the basic program is sound and actually the best that we can do. But I hear differently all the time. “I’m doing all those things that the diabetic educator told me to. I have changed my diet. I am walking every day. I am taking my medications like clockwork. So why is my blood sugar still high?” This person is in my office every day, wearing a different, outfit, a different ethnicity, or a different gender. Yet they are the same person. They have a sit-down job, or two, in which they spend 40-60 hours per week dealing with an incestuous dataset – something so about itself, whether it is driving a cab or processing claims, that it demands attention to automatisms rather than any particular skill. To ensure that their attention does not waver, an overseer tracks their activities and rates their efficiency. Their extraneous physiological and psychological functions are regulated by the employer as distractions. The citizen in my office sleeps 6 hours per night, or less. They drink energy drinks to keep going, and eat foods which the package or the vendor says are healthy, because they haven’t the time or energy to prepare their own food. They are too exhausted to exercise properly. As a result, they are obese, diabetic and hypertensive. As a result, they now require one of the goods for which they can sub-divide themselves: medical care. Which brings us to where the defense of citizenship as a natural-born fertilizer for human development, breaks down. The trouble with the whole thing is not the palate of goods on offer, their costs, or the means of valuation. The trouble is the chopping, because the roots of experience (attention, motivation, responsiveness, etc.) can’t be cut up for a purpose, especially for delayed gratification of a specific need. The very notion mistakes the nature of needs and the relationship between our needs and our activities. Here, Sasse may have been better served by spending a little more time reading Nietzsche, and a little less time reading Rousseau and the Bible. For an organism’s needs can’t really be parsed. The motivations underlying our activities are merely aspects of a single motive which Nietzsche labeled ‘will to power’. Even when we try to perform an isolated act of attention, we feel something about it, our neuro-hormonal system responds to it, and it tires us globally. But Sasse seems to think there’s a neat way around the problem of dividing the indivisible. Life on the Farm or 8 Pitches Up? In the latter half of the book, Sasse talks about how he sent his daughter to work on a ranch. The idea was to teach her how to enjoy work – not any particular task, but work itself. Basically, he sought to teach her how to thrive as an instrument. It’s pretty clever, really. He explains the strategy in a vignette: Martin Luther met a man who had just become a Christian and wanted to know how best to serve the Lord. He asked Luther, “How can I be a good servant? What should I do?” He expected Luther to tell him that he should quit his job and become a minister, monk, or missionary. Luther replied with a question, “What do you do now? “I’m cobbler. I make shoes”, the man answered. “Then make great shoes”, Luther replied, “and sell them at a fair price – to the glory of God.” In other words, find integrity in being a good instrument. I think the flaw in this reasoning is obvious: Why not make great shoes to the glory of Satan? It’s the devotion part that really matters, right? This notion of the human lost at heart and essentially in search of a set of rails (any rails) undergirds fascism through the ages, and it works superficially, so long as the social venue is stable. But I took another path with my kids, because I learned more from sitting on a ledge, than I ever did from a job. We have climbed several long routes together. We have looked up, down, and out from ledges in the middle of those routes and soaked in the lessons: however precarious the position, what falls to us is to pass the water around, check the system, and find our way through the next rope-length of terrain; trust your partners as you trust yourself; no matter how cold, hot, tired or thirsty you are, the beauty of the sky and landscape remain; achievement, i.e. ‘ticking the route’, doesn’t really matter – it is only a means to get you to the ledge. In taking them on those climbs, my hope was to offer them a way of life which put making a living in perspective, rather than telling them that making a living would put everything in perspective for them. A different vignette illustrates my point: Cook Ding was cutting up an ox for Lord Wenhui. At every touch of his hand, every heave of his shoulder, every move of his feet, every thrust of his knee — zip, zoop! He slithered the knife along with a zing, and all was in perfect rhythm, as though he were performing the Dance of the Mulberry Grove or keeping time to the Jingshou Music. “Ah, this is marvelous!” said Lord Wenhui. “Imagine skill reaching such heights!” Cook Ding laid down his knife and replied, “What I care about is the Way [“Dao”], which goes beyond skill. When I first began cutting up oxen, all I could see was the ox itself. After three years I no longer saw the whole ox. And now, now I go at it by spirit and don’t look with my eyes. Perception and understanding have come to a stop and spirit moves where it wants. I go along with the natural makeup, strike in the big hollows, guide the knife through the big openings, and follow things as they are. So I never touch the smallest ligament or tendon, much less a main joint.” “A good cook changes his knife once a year — because he cuts. A mediocre cook changes his knife once a month — because he hacks. I’ve had this knife of mine for nineteen years and I’ve cut up thousands of oxen with it, and yet the blade is as good as though it had just come from the grindstone. There are spaces between the joints, and the blade of the knife has really no thickness. If you insert what has no thickness into such spaces, then there’s plenty of room — more than enough for the blade to play about it. That’s why after nineteen years the blade of my knife is still as good as when it first came from the grindstone.” “However, whenever I come to a complicated place, I size up the difficulties, tell myself to watch out and be careful, keep my eyes on what I’m doing, work very slowly, and move the knife with the greatest subtlety, until — flop! the whole thing comes apart like a clod of earth crumbling to the ground. I stand there holding the knife and look all around me, completely satisfied and reluctant to move on, and then I wipe off the knife and put it away.” “Excellent!” said Lord Wenhui. “I have heard the words of Cook Ding and learned how to nurture life!” — Zhuangzi, chapter 3 (Watson translation) I do not see the current generation as sissified hedonists, any more than previous generations. The hypersensitivity, the passivity, the absorption (self and otherwise) all look like symptoms of a bunker mentality. They see what’s in store for them and they don’t like it, but they don’t seem to know how to resist. A Sasse-type message has gotten through. The citizenry coming of age does think that it must learn to embrace a social role (little worker, little voter, little contributor) wholeheartedly in order to fully mature, and it just can’t bring itself to do so. The instinct is right. Kids growing up in this era are being asked to pursue a sort of faux-maturity which involves merely “giving up childish things”, and the achievement of that state will leave them empty and utterly dependent on a structure which deals with them on the basis of a flawed methodology. They need a little less Ben Sasse, and a little more Cook Ding, when it comes to advice about how to grow up. Because maturity means dealing with your situation – not just endorsing it – and dealing with it artfully. It means getting over being The Cobbler, The Christian, The Cobbler-Christian, or even The Cook. In Sasse’s terms, I have laid out the Romantic counter-argument to his Realist argument regarding the nature of the individual’s relationship to civilization. But I reject that characterization to some extent. There isn’t an inherent conflict between the individual and the civilization. We are stuck with our civilization. It lies before us like the carcass of a great ox, and it is just as indifferent. We get chopped up in our interaction with it, but our own hand is on the knife. And I agree with Ben Sasse here, maturity is the solution. Not the faux maturity which the senator espouses, which is just a form of selling out, but actual maturity which sets limits and carves its own way, not towards some magical future, but like the cook’s knife, in the present where we all reside.

My intention this week was to write a little more about my Red/Blue/Green Monsters deck with tweaks from Journey into Nyx. I took it to battle at Friday Night Magic last week, where they added a "win-a-box" to the prize pool to draw more people. A pretty good crowd mustered out and I was looking forward to putting the deck through its paces. I won Round 1 against a mildly terrifying Boros Burn deck with Dictate of the Twin Gods in three close games that left me feeling grill-kissed and craving some Sauer's BBQ Sauce. The next two rounds I was matched up against other midrange decks and both matches ended up drawing each time, which was a bit frustrating. The fourth round I played against a Junk midrange deck and managed to sweep him both games, which was fortunate since we likely didn't have time to finish a third game. I was rather tired and a little rattled at the thought of possibly getting another draw-remember my nightmare from GP Richmond? So I quickly filled out the results slip, got my opponent to scribble his signature, and turned it in. Pairings for Round 5 went up…and my opponent is paired at the top table, and I'm paired considerably lower. I didn't really notice because I was paired against my friend Kevin and we begin a friendly banter as we shuffled up, but my opponent from last round called out to the shop owner and said he thought our match may have been recorded wrong. The shop owner pulled out the results slip and shows it to us-sure enough, I'd written the match 0-2 instead of 2-0 and both of us signed it without noticing the error. Since it was signed, turned in, and the pairings already done, there's no going back. I felt like a total bonehead since it was my own damn fault-I've never done that before, but considering my mental state it doesn't surprise me. My opponent from the previous round felt terrible, and ends up hooking me up with some packs to compensate, so kudos to Stephen Ownby for being super-cool even though it was my mistake. So I played against Kevin and his Mono-Blue devotion deck. I crushed him the last time we played, so this time he got his revenge. The first game went back and forth for a while but eventually my large monsters took it down. The second game, he got an early beatdown draw and tempo'ed me with bounce to deal too much damage before I could stabilize. The third game was just dumb-Turn 1 Cloudfin Raptor, Turn 2 Tidebinder Mage, Turn 3 Tidebinder Mage and Hypnotic Siren, and then Master of Waves with another Tidebinder Mage in hand in case I happened to have any other potential blocker. Oof. Bad beats. The deck is still good, but it still needs a little work. I'll get back to you on it. So I had to come up with a plan B. Luckily, something popped up that inspired me. Perhaps you've seen it? Apparently Wizards has randomly slipped a few "God Packs" into booster boxes of Journey into Nyx that contained all fifteen of the Gods from Theros block. This got me thinking. What if I opened one of these booster packs? What would I do with one of each of the Gods? Well, I'd build a Commander deck with them, of course! I'd already been kicking around the idea of trying to build a five-color enchantment deck featuring many of the constellation cards, and since the Gods are each very durable enchantments, that seemed like something worth trying, right? I also decided to slap on a deckbuilding restriction: I'm going to restrict my mana base and most of the other cards in the deck to a reasonable cost level. I'm blessed to actually have a fair number of dual lands and shock lands at my disposal for building Commander decks around, but Wizards R&D has done a lot of good work making cheaper color-fixing available for multicolor decks. What might a five-color mana base look like with no duals and no shocks, and could it work? Let's see. Athreos, God of Passage; Pharika, God of Affliction; Thassa, God of the Sea; Ephara, God of the Polis; Erebos, God of the Dead; Heliod, God of the Sun; Iroas, God of Victory; Mogis, God of Slaughter; Nylea, God of the Hunt; Purphoros, God of the Forge; Karametra, God of Harvests; Keranos, God of Storms; Kruphix, God of Horizons; Phenax, God of Deception; Xenagos, God of Revels The inspiration and heartbeat of the deck. Some of the individual Gods have abilities that aren't really going to be all that exciting in multiplayer, especially not in decks specifically focused around abusing their abilities. I'm thinking Iroas, God of Victory; Mogis, God of Slaughter; and Phenax, God of Deception. Still, they're indestructible enchantments that will sometimes become creatures that can beat down and the impetus for the deck, so they are all in the deck. Some thoughts on specific Gods: Athreos, God of Passage: when a creature dies, you choose which opponent chooses between paying three life or getting your creature back. That means you can pick on the player who has the lowest life, or if you've got a temporary ally helping to defeat the table's Big Bad, that player can choose to help you out. Erebos, God of the Dead: none of your opponents can gain life. This will not be a crowd pleaser…mental note to not play this unless feeling froggy. Heliod, God of the Sun: this guy makes enchantment creatures which will trigger all sorts of goodies, so we'll want plenty of white mana lying around. Phenax, God of Deception: can work nicely for self-milling if I want to make snakes with Pharika. The gods are obviously best if woken up, so I wanted to try and find cards that can spread around a lot of devotion. I thought the "blade" cycle from Alara Reborn were nifty to include since each one provides two devotion across three colors, improving the odds of having the right devotion count for the right Gods. I replaced the Naya blade with Trace of Abundance, since it's a little less vulnerable to removal and also fixes mana while providing the same devotion benefits. Mayael the Anima is a three-color permanent for devotion with special abilities I felt played well with the rest of the cards in the deck. I picked some five-color permanents that are guaranteed to provide one or two points of devotion to every God, including choosing Karona, the False God as my Commander. She certainly perfectly fits the "God" theme of the deck, even if I want to be careful and only play her when it benefits me more than my opponents. There are a few more constellation cards out there, but I think these are the best for Commander. The heavy colored mana requirements of Underworld Coinsmith's activated ability make it less good in this deck than most, but the lifegain will prove to be quite helpful. I admit to having dreams about casting Replenish and setting off a cavalcade of constellation triggers! Argothian Enchantress, Auratog, Sterling Grove, Enchantress's Presence, Crystal Chimes, Kruphix's Insight, Riptide Chimera, Academy Rector, Replenish, Sigil of the Empty Throne, Sphere of Safety, Silent Sentinel The usual Enchantress deck suspects; I just love how nice it's going to be having such a large number of enchantments that are going to be immune to the usual mass removal spells that tend to crush Enchantress dreams. Auratog's in here to help the Gods dodge exile or tuck effects, or to boost Replenish with enchantments in play as well as enchantments in the graveyard…or to just get huge on the off chance he can get in and kill someone. I really like that Academy Rector can actually fetch up a creature now in our post-Theros age! Riptide Chimera (and Mana Bloom too) can keep a steady stream of constellation and enchantress triggers, make Angels from Sigil of the Empty Throne, cantrip Abundant Growth, trigger Karametra, God of Harvests if you bounce enchantment creatures. All sorts of fun times! Outside of the land base and Birds of Paradise, we're lucky that there is plenty of enchantment-based mana fixing that plays right into our themes. I'd like to squeeze Sylvan Caryatid in here, but I don't see a two-drop I want to cut just yet. If the 'blades don't work out then we've got some room at two mana. If your playgroup is small and doesn't include many Islands, then Carpet of Flowers is a blank so that can be cut, but if that's not the case, Carpet is pretty awesome. Keep in mind the errata on the card reads "At the beginning of each of your main phases, if you haven't added mana to your mana pool with this ability this turn, you may add up to X mana of any one color to your mana pool, where X is the number of Islands target opponent controls." So if you draw it, you can play it during your first main phase, declare your attack step (even if you don't plan to attack), and then at the beginning of your second main phase go ahead and draw mana out of it the same turn you cast it. I built the land base with a fair number of basic land fetchers, with the idea of assembling a complete Domain (all five basic land types) as soon as possible. This will enable all the "check lands" to come into play untapped and ease up on having so many enters-the-battlefield tapped lands. I've kept the mana curve relatively low to try and mitigate that causing the deck issues on mana development. Obviously, if you have more expensive lands (dual lands, shock lands, fetch lands) they can improve your mana performance but I think the deck will operate fine with this configuration. Speaking of this configuration, here's my decklist: - 1 Esper Stormblade - 1 Academy Rector - 1 Argothian Enchantress - 1 Auratog - 1 Bant Sureblade - 1 Birds of Paradise - 1 Grixis Grimblade - 1 Jund Hackblade - 1 Silent Sentinel - 1 Verduran Enchantress - 1 Agent of Erebos - 1 Chromanticore - 1 Doomwake Giant - 1 Eidolon of Blossoms - 1 Grim Guardian - 1 Humbler of Mortals - 1 Riptide Chimera - 1 Thoughtrender Lamia - 1 Underworld Coinsmith - 1 Karona, False God - 1 Maelstrom Wanderer - 1 Mayael the Anima - 1 Athreos, God of Passage - 1 Ephara, God of the Polis - 1 Erebos, God of the Dead - 1 Heliod, God of the Sun - 1 Iroas, God of Victory - 1 Karametra, God of Harvests - 1 Keranos, God of Storms - 1 Kruphix, God of Horizons - 1 Mogis, God of Slaughter - 1 Nylea, God of the Hunt - 1 Pharika, God of Affliction - 1 Phenax, God of Deception - 1 Purphoros, God of the Forge - 1 Thassa, God of the Sea - 1 Xenagos, God of Revels - 5 Forest - 2 Island - 2 Mountain - 2 Plains - 2 Swamp - 1 Arcane Sanctum - 1 Bant Panorama - 1 Clifftop Retreat - 1 Command Tower - 1 Crumbling Necropolis - 1 Dragonskull Summit - 1 Drowned Catacomb - 1 Esper Panorama - 1 Evolving Wilds - 1 Exotic Orchard - 1 Glacial Fortress - 1 Grixis Panorama - 1 Hinterland Harbor - 1 Isolated Chapel - 1 Jund Panorama - 1 Jungle Shrine - 1 Naya Panorama - 1 Reflecting Pool - 1 Rootbound Crag - 1 Rupture Spire - 1 Savage Lands - 1 Seaside Citadel - 1 Sulfur Falls - 1 Sunpetal Grove - 1 Terramorphic Expanse - 1 Transguild Promenade - 1 Woodland Cemetery - 1 Crystal Chimes - 1 Abundant Growth - 1 Aura Shards - 1 Carpet of Flowers - 1 Enchantress's Presence - 1 Fertile Ground - 1 Font of Fertility - 1 Khalni Heart Expedition - 1 Mana Bloom - 1 Phyrexian Reclamation - 1 Prismatic Omen - 1 Rancor - 1 Sigil of the Empty Throne - 1 Soothsaying - 1 Soul Snare - 1 Sterling Grove - 1 Strength from the Fallen - 1 Sylvan Library - 1 Trace of Abundance - 1 Verdant Haven - 1 Genju of the Realm - 1 Kruphix's Insight - 1 Replenish If you have a Serra's Sanctum it obviously belongs in the deck. I didn't include it here because it's not exactly cheap. Same thing with Greater Auramancy. If you've got a Survival of the Fittest, it can do some good work too, pitching Gods without devotion to fetch up those who do. Sylvan Library isn't cheap either, but I think it does a lot of work in the deck with all the searching available. Obviously each of the Gods can be much more powerful as the Commander of their own deck, so much so that cards like Deglamer and Unravel the Aether have become must-haves in decks. I'm intrigued by the notion of overloading that removal, of having three, four, five or more Gods in play all at once doing what they do. Do you think a deck like this is the best way to see how that plays out, or is there another approach that might be better? New to Commander? If you're just curious about the format, building your first deck, or trying to take your Commander deck up a notch, here are some handy links: - Commander Primer Part 1 (Why play Commander? Rules Overview, Picking your Commander) - Commander Primer Part 2 (Mana Requirements, Randomness, Card Advantage) - Commander Primer Part 3 (Power vs. Synergy, Griefing, Staples, Building a Doran Deck) - Commander Starter Kits 1 (kick start your allied two-color decks for $25) - Commander Starter Kits 2 (kick start your enemy two-color decks for $25) - Commander Starter Kits 3 (kick start your shard three-color decks for $25) My current Commander decks (and links to decklists): - Child of Alara (Land Ho!) - Doran, the Siege Tower (All My Faves in One Deck!) - Karador, Ghost Chieftain (my Magic Online deck) - Karador, Ghost Chieftain (Shadowborn Apostles & Demons) - King Macar, the Gold-Cursed (GREED!) - Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind ( Chuck's somewhat vicious deck) - Roon of the Hidden Realm (Mean Roon) - Skeleton Ship (Fun with -1/-1 counters) - Vorel of the Hull Clade (Never Trust the Simic) Previous Commander decks currently on hiatus : - Anax and Cymede (Heroic Co-Commanders) - Aurelia, the Warleader ( plus Hellkite Tyrant shenanigans) - Borborygmos Enraged (69 land deck) - Bruna, Light of Alabaster ( Aura-centric Voltron) - Damia, Sage of Stone ( Ice Cauldron shenanigans) - Derevi, Empyrial Tactician (Tribal Birds) - Emmara Tandris (No Damage Tokens) - Gahiji, Honored One (Enchantment Ga-hijinks) - Geist of Saint Traft (Voltron-ish) - Ghave, Guru of Spores ( Melira Combo) - Glissa Sunseeker (death to artifacts!) - Glissa, the Traitor ( undying artifacts!) - Grimgrin, Corpse-Born (Necrotic Ooze Combo) - Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge ( Suspension of Disbelief) - Johan (Cat Breath of the Infinite) - Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer (replacing Brion Stoutarm in Mo' Myrs) - Karona, False God (Vows of the False God) - Lord of Tresserhorn (ZOMBIES!) - Marath, Will of the Wild ( Wild About +1/+1 Counters) - Melira, Sylvok Outcast ( combo killa) - Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker ( Outside My Comfort Zone with Milling ) - Nefarox, Overlord of Grixis (evil and Spike-ish) - Nicol Bolas (Kicking it Old School) - Nylea, God of the Hunt ( Devoted to Green) - Oloro, Ageless Ascetic (Life Gain) - Oona, Queen of the Fae (by reader request) - Phage the Untouchable ( actually casting Phage from Command Zone!) - Phelddagrif (Mean Hippo) - Polukranos, World Eater (Monstrous!) - Reaper King (Taking Advantage of the new Legend Rules) - Riku of Two Reflections ( steal all permanents with Deadeye Navigator + Zealous Conscripts ) - Roon of the Hidden Realm ( Strolling Through Value Town) - Ruhan of the Fomori ( lots of equipment and infinite attack steps) - Savra, Queen of the Golgari ( Demons) - Shattergang Brothers (Breaking Boards) - Sigarda, Host of Herons ( Equipment-centric Voltron) - Skullbriar, the Walking Grave ( how big can it get?) - Sliver Overlord ( Featuring the new M14 Slivers!) - Thelon of Havenwood ( Campfire Spores) - Trostani, Selesnya's Voice ( new player-friendly) - Uril, the Miststalker (my "more competitive" deck)

- Teddy Banks, writing for Design Observer, shares some commentary on Olia Lialina’s newest article: Vernacular Web 2. The article is a great read on it’s own, and as Banks tells us, should be a must read for every web designer. Lialina’s work, My boyfriend came back from the war, was featured in the Walker’s online exhibit, Beyond Interface: net art and Art on the Net. Lialina touches on the similarties of myspace of today and the web of 10 years ago. Instead of being designed by computer geeks, it’s “designed” by teens and ameteurs, and the music is mp3s and not midi. - And speaking of MySpace, Danah Boyd has some new thoughts posted on myspace and remix culture. Seb Chan offers some thoughts on what this means for institutions that offer graphics and resources that can be remixed (legitimately or otherwise). - Here’s an interesting article on the paradox of large displays, written by Jeff Attwood. He quotes Dan’s Data: Users of 30-inch monitors face the terrible, terrible problem of how to effectively use all of that space. You don’t often want to maximise a folder or document window on a screen this big; either you’ll end up with a lot of white space and important program buttons separated by a vast expanse of nothing, or you’ll get lines of text 300 or more characters long, which are difficult to read. I use three displays at work, two on my main computer and one on the laptop. While synergy makes this a very useful setup when doing video work, it can also be extrmely distracting at times. I find it necessary to sleep my laptop so I can focus on important tasks on my main displays. - Interactive Architecture had been quiet for a while, but they posted a brief blurb on a conference going on next week that will discuss the many implications of signage in public space. Hopefully some of the papers and presentations from the conference will make it to the web.

Our Team Experience: Each team member brings years of varied business experience to our company. Hanne Liisberg and Dan Kalinoski were top agents with a local Coldwell Banker franchise for nearly 10 years before deciding to take our business to the next level in 2007. With 10 years in business, as The Coastal Real Estate Company, we are proud to attract the best agents in the business to work with us. We continue to support and work with local treasures that creates this special community starting with our clients, friends, fellow businesses, Gualala Arts Center, a gem in our little hamlet and Redwood Coast Medical Services, literally a life saver for many for the last 40-years. The brokerage team of Liisberg & Kalinoski operate out of our real estate office located on The Sea Ranch. In addition, the vacation rental office of Sea Ranch Escape has their front office with us…..the perfect synergy for meeting all your real estate needs. We used to have Twofish Baking Company next to us. In 2017 they expanded to the old 1886 General Store at Stewarts Point just 4 miles south of our office. They are the perfect stop to and from our office. Our New neighbor is The Ranch Café operated by the local King Family and we welcome them to the neighborhood. The Ranch Center is located on Verdant View, off Annapolis Road at the South-end of Sea Ranch. Changing the Old Rules: Liisberg and Kalinoski have shown over the last 10 years we don’t do business like most brokerages. Rather than fostering competition between agents in the office, The Coastal Real Estate Company’s basic underlying principle is company teamwork and we mean just that. Clients may identify and want to work with a particular agent in our company, which we encourage. See our list and contact data for each agent. However the team is ALWAYS there to take care of urgent, time sensitive items and lend the support needed to promote a smooth buying or selling experience. Our office is open 7 days with fiber optic email and phone support during after-hours. Never hesitate to contact any of us at any time. Digital online signing has changed how we do business, which can now happen in real time from wherever you happen to be. The New Rules: The entire company works as a team to better serve our clients every day of the year; provide seamless marketing and sales services with every real estate transaction; focus our advertising on state of the art graphic work complemented by the internet; serve the public, as Realtors, with the highest degree of professional abilities and ethics in our strive for excellence.

Source: Hackensack Daily Voice Chiropractor Mark Goldstein huddles over an adjusting table in the back of a Hackensack gym. He feels his way around his client’s neck and instructs her to breathe before — *CRACK, CRACK.* In a split second, the physician had readjusted his client, something he and Maximum Health & Wellness employees will be doing more of — along with massage therapy — at the company’s new Retro Fitness Hackensack location. “It’s not just getting adjusted and leaving — It’s about giving them 30 minutes, at least, of their day where they can forget about bills, kids and struggles — just get healthy and relax.” The Suffern, N.Y. native had been working for a subsidiary of AT&T in the early 1990s when he decided to pursue something related to his fascinations with fitness and the human body. Goldstein returned to school to become a licensed chiropractor before opening up three offices in New York City with his business partner, Michael Kolin. Their offices, though, offered something different. “Back in the day when I went to school, people were talking about chiropractics, physical therapy and orthopedics without much of a synergy,” said Goldstein, formerly of Mahwah. “They each had their own vibe. We combined the three.” Goldstein sees his holistic approach to health and wellness thriving in fitness facilities, starting with Hackensack and Hoboken, where people are already working toward maintaining or achieving better health. The physician plans on opening another wellness center in Tenafly by the end of the year. At the very least, Goldstein hopes people will try his integrative approach. “I wish the world understood that chiropractic therapy has really good benefits if you allow it to,” Goldstein said. “It gets a lot of resistance from people who’ve been burned in the past. “Don’t allow other peoples’ thought processes influence yours before you’ve done it yourself,” he said.

Here in the flat and fertile sun parlour of Canada, with the longest growing season in the country and acres of greenhouses all year, we have an agricultural juggernaut. I’ve eaten the creamiest hummus at Mazaar, the Lebanese restaurant on Ouellette Avenue, and the best burger — the “lamborghini” — at Motor Burger on Erie Street (featured on Food Network Canada and in Reader’s Digest). I’ve savoured the most flavourful and juiciest cantaloupes and peaches at roadside stands in Windsor and Essex County. I’ve ridden the Wine Trail with WindsorEats, cycling the county’s rural roads, strolling its vineyards, sampling its wines and finishing with a delectable meal of local food under a white tent. I can’t think of a more pleasant way to spend an afternoon. It’s the Age of the Foodie, with celebrity chefs, an explosion of cookbooks, cooking shows and food channels, the local food craze and return of farmers’ markets and the advent of culinary vacations. And here in the flat and fertile sun parlour of Canada, with the longest growing season in the country and acres of greenhouses all year, we have an agricultural juggernaut. Culinary tourism is an intriguing and lucrative opportunity, and it’s practically hitting us over the head. The $60,000 report on how to develop our inner foodie, approved by council last week, is a study I don’t mind paying for. Our roadside produce stands are ubiquitous. But we also produce high-quality meat and artisan cheese (mozzarella from the Galati Cheese Company on Tecumseh Road is the secret to local pizza). We have 16 local wineries; it’s tough to nab a ticket to the perennially sold out Shores of Erie International Wine Festival. As Rino Bortolin, owner of Rino’s Kitchen, told city council last week, “When you go to Chicago, you don’t come back with stories about how great the Applebee’s is.” But we get one measly sentence in Ontario’s Wine and Culinary Tourism Strategy. We have “latent potential,” the government report states. Make that endless potential. The document highlights Niagara Region for its wineries and Toronto for its culinary diversity. Essex County produces award-winning wines. You see them on restaurant menus here all the time and increasingly outside the city and county. And that Wine Trail Ride — it was named Best Culinary Tourism Experience in Ontario. Windsor is one of the most culturally diverse cities in Canada. From Italian on Erie Street to Asian on Wyandotte Street and shawarma on virtually every corner, even Brazilian and Ethiopian — what other city this size offers such a smorgasbord? Half of North America’s population lives within a one-day drive of Windsor, and foodies spend money. A report for Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2005 showed that culinary tourists accounted for 17.6 per cent of visitors but 30 per cent of tourism spending, generating $47 million in a town of only 15,400 people. They spent three times more than regular tourists on food and a whopping seven times more on wine. If there’s anything Windsor and Essex County can co-operate on, it’s this. In diversifying the local economy, the $20-million grant from the federal government to start a cargo hub at Windsor International Airport is another initiative that makes a lot of sense. When it comes to the border and transportation, Windsor should be pre-eminent. We are the busiest commercial border crossing in North America, the main artery in the biggest, richest binational trading partnership in the world. We are at the confluence of Highway 401, rail, air and the Great Lakes. The new Herb Gray Parkway (if the girders hold up) and bridge across the Detroit River will provide a unimpeded straightaway connecting Highway 401 to U.S. freeways. We are at the centre of North America’s population and manufacturing. Few places feel the effects of the border like Windsor, where problems at the 49th parallel can idle plants and hold up thousands of jobs. “After the recession, we wanted to come up with something that leverages our strengths,” Mayor Eddie Francis told me. “All these pieces are interrelated and complement each other. It establishes the city as a North American centre of excellence for anything border, security, logistics.” The University of Windsor’s new Institute for Border Logistics and Security is expected to bring research, innovation and new technologies to move goods more efficiently and securely. And the first tenant, FedEx, is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, a Fortune 500 company. That gives this venture an awful lot of credibility. FedEx is making a serious investment. It has signed a 20-year lease with the airport at market rent. That’s a whole lot different than giving Premier Aviation a building. And it is responsible for making the new building fully operational, including installing all the conveyor belts for moving cargo and scanners for tracking it. “When we make a decision, we look at things not for today, but for the next 20 years,” FedEx spokesperson James Anderson told me. Moving from the company’s current location on Rhodes Drive to the new building at the airport “gives us options for the future,” Anderson said. “The facility has the ability to expand. We want to be in the right spot if there’s growth that needs to be accommodated. There’s good synergy with the advent of a cargo village. It’s a good opportunity for us to be part of that synergy.”

The expo will serve increase bi-lateral relations between both countries. An exhibition that will showcase the culture and tourism potential of Nigeria and Ghana will hold in Ghana soon, the Ghana Tourism Authority has said. In a statement on Friday in Lagos, the authority’s Deputy Executive Director, Operations, Frank Kofigah, said that the exhibition was aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. According to Mr. Ofigah, the expo is being supported by the two countries. “Apart from the tourism and culture focus, the expo will also serve as a platform for business synergy between the two countries. The idea is how both countries can market their tourism potential as preferred tourist destinations. The Ghana tourism authority is very pleased with the efforts Nigeria is making in tourism. The bilateral agreement is aimed at maximizing the tourism and cultural potential of both Ghana and Nigeria for mutual socio-economic gains,’’ he said. He said that a date has not been fixed for the expo.

The Air Force is working closely with industry partners to strengthen cybersecurity for larger service platforms such as an F-22 or F-35 fighters. "We have to understand that today's weapons systems are not operating in isolation. They are operating as part of a netted enterprise. Each weapons system will interface with a broader DOD network," Allan Ballenger, vice president of the Air Force division at Engility Corp, told Scout Warrior. Engility was recently awarded a $31 million task order deal from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, at Hanscom AFB, Mass. The F-22, often referred to by Air Force developers as an "aerial quarterback," relies upon data link technology connecting to other aircraft and ground stations as more of the F-22's technologies and avionics--such as radar warning receivers, mission data files, navigation and target mapping systems--are computer based, The emerging F-35's "sensor fusion" is entirely contingent upon modernized computer algorithms able to help gather, organize and present combat-relevant information to a pilot by synthesizing otherwise disparate data such as targeting, mapping and sensor data onto a single screen. "The real focus is on the cyber vulnerability assessments across many Air Force platforms, such as command-and-control and battle management systems," Ballenger said. Engility's focus is closely aligned with cybersecurity priorities recently articulated by senior Air Force leaders. Air Force Chief Information Security Officer, Peter Kim, recently told Scout Warrior that the service was vigorously involved in expanding cyber security beyond IT to include larger platforms. Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski, Commander of Air Force Material Command, has articulated seven lines of attack that are essential to better securing networks, data and command-and-control systems. One of the key initiatives informing this effort is an attempt to "bake-in" cyber security provisions into the earliest phases of weapons development. Part of the focus, Ballenger explained, is to examine trends and current security controls with a mind to the kinds of attacks likely to emerge in the future against IT systems, platforms and networked weapons. While increased interoperability among networks, weapons and platforms vastly expedites combat efficacy in a wide range of scenarios, Ballenger emphasized that greater connectivity can also increase vulnerability to malicious penetration and server attacks, among other problems. "We are looking much earlier in the life cycle of these systems with a concern not just about their security but how they interface with other elements of the network. We want to embed cybersecurity earlier in the process," Ballenger added. Seeking to emulate threat vectors and anticipate potential methods of attack -- such as how a web-based application could be exploited or the extent to which a trap door may interact with other elements - is an important ingredient in establishing the most effective security protocols. Also, much of this begins and ends with network IP protocol--codes which can both further enable interoperability between networks and systems while also possibly exposing networks to additional vulnerabilities. "When you have an IP address that is assigned to you, you need to have the appropriate controls in place to reduce that vulnerability," Ballenger added. The need for better information security extends from larger systems down to an individual soldier or airmen on a particular combat mission. Tactical Air Controllers are an instance cited where ground targeting technology is used to identify and secure targets for nearby air assets. This kind of air-ground synergy is itself reliant upon computer networking technologies, he explained."You do not want someone to manipulate data going from airmen on the ground to a shooter in the air," Ballenger said. As a fifth-generation stealth fighter, the F-22 is specifically engineered for air supremacy and air dominance missions, meaning its radar-evading technology is designed to elude and destroy enemy air defenses. The aircraft is also configured to function as the world's premier air-to-air fighter able to "dogfight" and readily destroy enemy aircraft. "Air superiority, using stealth characteristics is our primary role. The air dominance mission is what we will always do first. Once we are comfortable operating in that battlespace, our airmen are going to find ways to contribute," Col. Larry Broadwell, the Commander of the 1st Operations Group at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, told Scout Warrior in a special pilot interview last year. The F-22's command and control sensors and avionics help other coalition aircraft identify and destroy targets. While some of the aircraft's technologies are not "publicly discussable," Broadwell did say that the F-22's active and passive sensors allow it to function as an "aerial quarterback" allowing the mission to unfold. Drawing upon information from a ground-based command and control center or nearby surveillance plane - such as a Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System - the F-22 can receive information or target coordinates from nearby drones, Broadwell explained. At the moment, targeting information from drones is relayed from the ground station back up to an F-22. However, computer algorithms and technology is fast evolving such that aircraft like an F-22s will soon be able to quickly view drone video feeds in the cockpit without needing a ground station -- and eventually be able to control nearby drones from the air. These developments were highlighted in a special Scout Warrior interview with Air Force Chief Scientist Greg Zacharias last year. Zacharias explained that fifth generation fighters such as the F-35 and F-22 are quickly approaching an ability to command-and-control nearby drones from the air. This would allow unmanned systems to deliver payload, test enemy air defenses and potentially extend the reach of ISR missions. "Because of its sensors, the F-22 is uniquely able to improve the battlefield awareness - not just for airborne F-22s but the other platforms that are airborne as well," he said. The Raptor has an F-22-specific data link to share information with other F-22s and also has the ability to use a known data link called LINK 16 which enables it to communicate with other aircraft in the coalition, Broadwell explained in an interview last year. Newer F-22s have a technology called Synthetic Aperture Radar, or SAR, which uses electromagnetic signals or "pings" to deliver a picture or rendering of the terrain below, allow for better target identification. The SAR technology sends a ping to the ground and then analyzes the return signal to calculate the contours, distance and characteristics of the ground below. "The addition of SAR mapping has certainly enhanced our air-to-ground capability. Previously, we would have to take off with pre-determined target coordinates. Now, we have an ability to more dynamically use the SAR to pinpoint a target while airborne," Broadwell added. "The F-35 is needed because it is to global precision attack what the F-22 is to air superiority," he added. "These two aircraft were built to work together in concert. It is unfortunate that we have so few F-22s. We are going to ask the F-35 to contribute to the air superiority mission," he said. The F-22 is known for a range of technologies including an ability called "super cruise" which enables the fighter to reach speeds of Mach 1.5 without needing to turn on its after burners. "The F-22 engines produce more thrust than any current fighter engine. The combination of sleek aerodynamic design and increased thrust allows the F-22 to cruise at supersonic airspeeds. Super Cruise greatly expands the F-22's operating envelope in both speed and range over current fighters, which must use fuel-consuming afterburner to operate at supersonic speeds," Broadwell explained. The fighter jet fires a 20mm cannon and has the ability to carry and fire all the air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons including precision-guided ground bombs, such Joint Direct Attack Munitions called the GBU 32 and GBU 39, Broadwell explained. In the air-to-air configuration the Raptor carries six AIM-120 AMRAAMs and two AIM-9 Sidewinders, he added. "The F-22 possesses a sophisticated sensor suite allowing the pilot to track, identify, shoot and kill air-to-air threats before being detected. Significant advances in cockpit design and sensor fusion improve the pilot's situational awareness," he said. It also uses what's called a radar-warning receiver - a technology which uses an updateable data base called "mission data files" to recognize a wide-range of enemy fighters, Broadwell said. Made by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the F-22 uses two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 turbofan engines with afterburners and two-dimensional thrust vectoring nozzles, an Air Force statement said. It is 16-feet tall, 62-feet long and weighs 43,340 pounds. Its maximum take-off weight is 83,500. The aircraft was first introduced in December of 2005, and each plane costs $143 million, Air Force statements say. "Its greatest asset is the ability to target attack and kill an enemy without the enemy ever being aware they are there," Broadwell added. The Air Force's stealthy F-22 Raptor fighter jet delivered some of the first strikes in the U.S.-led attacks on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, when aerial bombing began in 2014, service officials told Scout Warrior. After delivering some of the first strikes in the U.S. Coalition-led military action against ISIS, the F-22 began to shift its focus from an air-dominance mission to one more focused on supporting attacks on the ground. "An F-22 squadron led the first strike in OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve). The aircraft made historic contributions in the air-to-ground regime," Even though ISIS does not have sophisticated air defenses or fighter jets of their own to challenge the F-22, there are still impactful ways in which the F-22 continues to greatly help the ongoing attacks, Broadwell said. "There are no issues with the air superiority mission. That is the first thing they focus on. After that, they can transition to what they have been doing over the last several months and that has been figuring out innovative ways to contribute in the air-to-ground regime to support the coalition," Broadwell said.

In some ways, hiring looks very similar to what it did twenty years ago. People search for positions, indicate interest, and are filtered down until the most promising candidate is offered a job. However, the technology we use has upgraded considerably over time. Today employers have tools to increase efficiency and efficacy, including video interviews, automated assessments, and more. In a recent Lighthouse Research study backed by mroads, we explored some of the key aspects of hiring with video technology from both candidate and employer perspectives. The November 2016 pulse survey reached more than 250 individuals and employers, uncovering some interesting findings that both validated existing beliefs as well as uncovered some new insights. Here's what we found out. A stressful, but valuable experience Interviews, by nature, are stressful experiences by design. Companies know it. Candidates know it. But did you know that job seekers think the video interviewing experience is more challenging? According to the study, 43% of job seekers say video interviews are more stressful than in-person interviews. For a mid-career professional with several jobs behind them, the person could have participated in five to ten or even more interviews over the course of time. When it comes down to it, getting in front of a camera is a nerve-wracking experience for most people. It's just not something they are comfortable with. At first glance, this seems contradictory. After all, do we really think that stressful experiences are a good thing? However, it quickly becomes apparent by looking at the data candidates believe that video interviews are valuable tools to help them stand out in the hiring process. When asked what helps them stand out in the hiring process, candidates ranked a video interview higher than both resumes and employment assessments. This is similar to what we see in sports with competition performance. Competitions are inherently stressful experiences, yet athletes look forward to them because they have the opportunity to demonstrate their level of performance. Video interviews are the same way for candidates- while they may be stressful, they also provide a foundation to show off applicable skills, personality traits, and other aspects, hopefully leading to job offer Talent magnetism: Attracting the best Despite that perception of increased stress, companies have the opportunity to make video interviewing less strenuous. When prompted, candidates ranked the following reasons they value video interviewing: 58% want the opportunity to connect with peers and team members via video 54% said the ability to schedule at convenient times was paramount 49% think it would be valuable to interview with a member of the executive team On the company side, this holds true for attracting top performers as well. Six in ten employers said that peer interviews and interactions would be the best way to attract and engage a key candidate. In addition, 49% of companies said that video interviewing was a flexible option to help them stand out among other competitive employers. Figure 1: How Companies Attract Top Performers with Video Interviews The data shows that video interviews have the ability to not only help the company stand out in general, but it also points to some methods that might specifically create better results, including: Offering opportunities for candidates to demonstrate relevant skills during an assessment or challenge Giving peers the chance to talk with candidates about team dynamics, company culture, and other key topics that A players are concerned with Dedicating an influential executive to do live video interviews with key candidates, demonstrating the value the firm places on those particular individuals When it comes down to it, high-performing talent has the ability to command a position wherever desired in many cases. Companies with a slow, disorganized, or unpleasant hiring process are likely to lose out to the competition when it comes to attracting and engaging this type of candidate. Assessments matter to candidates as well The common belief, anecdotally, is that candidates do not like hiring assessments. While this may be true in general, the type of assessment is key to shifting the reaction to these tools. When asked, 63% of candidates think that work samples and demonstrations are valuable additions to the hiring process. In addition, 25% of candidates said that this type of assessment helps them to stand out the most in the hiring process. A common challenge with interviews, whether video or in-person, is the low validity of the medium. In general, interviews alone are not the best predictor of a candidate's ability to do the job. However, when combined with assessments, companies can have a much clearer picture of a candidate's suitability for the job. Unfortunately, nearly one-third of companies are not using any assessments in the selection process, leaving valuable information about candidate fit and suitability out of the hiring decision. There is a clear opportunity to bring both groups together. Candidates want an opportunity to showcase their abilities, not take a general skills or cognitive assessment. And companies need additional data to help support the right hiring decisions, avoiding the bad hire trap caused by a lack of clarity. 42% of companies that use hiring assessments said that work samples and simulations are the most valuable, topping options such as behavioral tests, skills assessments, and others. Candidates prefer video interviews While it may seem to contradict the amount of stress involved, 49% of candidates say a video interview helps them to stand out in the hiring process. To contrast, just 25% of candidates think a resume is the best way to set themselves apart. The most compelling data from the study comes in the form of candidate preferences. When asked, candidates said they preferred video interviews to in-person interviews by a margin of nearly 25%. Figure 2: Candidate interview preferences For companies, this represents an opportunity to target the candidate experience in a new way, delivering a flexible, convenient opportunity for candidates to interview with your organization. And while one-way, asynchronous interviews didn't fare as well in terms of candidate preferences, there are still opportunities to leverage them within the process. Technically the one-way option can't make up the entire hiring process, because companies need a dialogue at some point to make a hiring decision. As a counterpoint, companies like the automation aspect of being able to record one-way, asynchronous interviews with candidates as a way to save time and resources for other, more pressing strategic needs. 26% of employers said that blocking off time and reviewing multiple candidates at once was a key value proposition of asynchronous video interviews. Even more valuable, though, is the fact that the video interview allows companies to evaluate candidate personality and culture fit beyond a static resume. 45% of employers said this was the most valuable purpose of a video interview. The bottom line here is that candidates crave video interviews, and they also believe they are important elements in the hiring process, despite the level of stress that is tied to the practice. At the same time, companies see the value in the practice and know there are competitive advantages to using video hiring tools. As the figure below demonstrates, there is a tremendous amount of synergy between both candidates and employers when it comes to beliefs about video interviewing and assessments. Figure 3: Candidates and companies in alignment Companies should leverage video interviews not only for the inherent automation value they provide, but to attract and engage candidates throughout the hiring process, creating a competitive hiring advantage. Companies should think about video interviews differently this is more than simply moving in-person interactions to video. From incorporating peer interviews to providing access to executives to appeal to top talent, there are many options for improving the candidate experience. Candidates actually desire video interviews and assessments that allow them to demonstrate competencies, despite being stressed out by the video interviewing experience. Providing these creates a positive experience for candidates and offers more robust selection data for employers.

By subscribing to the mailing list of your email address is stored securely, opted into new post notifications and related communications. We respect your inbox and privacy, you may unsubscribe at any time. WWF-Nepal's mission is to stop the degradation of Nepal's natural environment and build a future in which people live in harmony with nature. In 2018, WWF Nepal's celebrates 25 years in conservation which shines through with synergy and sustainable partnerships which have helped bend the curve in Nepal's conservation landscapes - a possible by people, for the planet. #WWFNepal25

Mengniu’s deal to increase China Modern Dairy stake seen as rescue by some, synergy by others Mengniu is increasing its stake in CMD, which controls China’s largest cattle herd, from 25.4 to 39.9pc by buying a 9.8pc stake from another investor, KKR Analysts are divided on the merits of China Mengniu Dairy’s acquisition of China Modern Dairy (CMD), with some viewing it as nothing more than a “rescue” while others see synergy between the two mainland Chinese dairy firms. On January 5, Mengniu announced it would increase its stake in CMD, which controls China’s largest cattle herd, from 25.4 per cent to 39.9 per cent by buying a 9.8 per cent stake from another investor, global investment firm, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR). “We view this deal a pure rescue for China Modern Dairy given the stretched valuation Mengniu paid to become CMD’s largest shareholder, while it helped CMD get rid of the VAM (valuation adjustment mechanism) with KKR],” China International Capital Corp analyst Paul Yuan Feiyang said in a report. Rating agency S&P placed the “A-” rating on Mengniu’s long term corporate credit on watching list, warning that Mengniu will potentially face higher financial burden following the proposed increase in its stake in China Modern Dairy Holdings. As part of the deal Mengniu will also receive a share placement from CMD priced at HK$1.94 per cent per share, 7.2 per cent higher than CMD’s closing price before the announcement. Mengniu is spending a total of HK$1.9 billion for the KKR stake and the share placement. The deal will trigger a general offer since Mengniu has increased its CMD stake to more than 30 per cent. It will also terminate CMD’s July 2015 VAM with Success Dairy, controlled by KKR and CDH China Management Company. The VAM stated that if the average market value of Success Dairy’s 477 million shares in CMD did not reach US$308 million during the last 45 trading days before the three-year lock-up period, CMD would pay the price difference to Success Dairy. As of January 5, the shares held by Success Dairy were worth only approximately US$111 million. Analysts remain concerned over any clear synergy created from the deal for both parties. Yuan said that Mengniu’s reluctance to raise its CMD stake beyond 40 per cent may suggest it was worried that adding CMD’s financial results to its own books would have a detrimental impact on its own cash flow and leverage. CMD is still losing cash and in order to reverse its negative free cash flow status the company may have to rely on boosting the downstream business, imposing restrictions on further expansion, maintaining a high culling ratio, and managing the heifer population at a reasonably low level, Yuan said. Strengthening the downstream business of finished dairy products will be difficult without Mengniu’s help, but CMD is a direct competitor of Mengniu in that area, Yuan added. Since 2012, CMD has developed high-end UHT milk and yoghurt as well as high-end pasteurised milk, profitable products that are sought after by almost all downstream dairy giants, including Mengniu. “As Mengniu mainly uses CMD raw milk to produce premium milk products... we won’t expect Mengniu to help CMD’s downstream business, which is currently facing difficulty, at the expense of slowing sales and earnings growth for [Mengniu’s] own premium category since CMD only contributes 40 per cent of its earnings to Mengniu,” the CICC note said . However, Deutsche Bank analysts said the CMD deal will help secure Mengniu’s raw milk supply and reduce competition in downstream brands. Additionally, by increasing its stake in CMD, Mengniu will book a 2017 profit gain of 1 per cent or 32 million yuan, to 179 million yuan. “We view this to be a reasonable deal for Mengniu, given that the company could gain controlling interest after acquiring incremental interest. With controlling interest, Mengniu will have more secure raw milk supply for its current high end milk sales and future low temperature milk business,” said Deutsche Bank. There has been fierce competition between Mengniu’s high-end “Deluxe” brand milk and CMD’s downstream branded milk in retail outlets over the past two years. Deutsche Bank said Mengniu’s controlling stake should help to reduce competition in downstream brands, and therefore could increase sales growth and profitability for its high-end milk, although the company’s management has not yet indicated a clear post-deal strategy. “The biggest difference it will make is that Mengniu will thus be able to consolidate Modern Dairy’s accounting records into its own earnings with an ownership of over 50 per cent of Modern’s shares [if the general offer is completed],” said Samson Lo, UBS head of M&A for Asia, who advised on the deal. Additional reporting by Celine Ge

Hello everyone! I’m RidiculousHat from the Coin Concede podcast and I’m here to give you this week’s Hearthstone Roundup. So what happened this week? Well, to be honest, we’re in a bit of a slow time for Hearthstone news – there isn’t a lot coming out of Team 5 (the Blizzard team responsible for developing the game) and the big focus is on tournaments in our new meta. Boomsday has been out for about a month and we’ve reached some level of stability in the metagame. Still, there are some happenings and we have some grade A tournament drama hot off the presses from this weekend’s HCT Asia-Pacific Season 2 Championship. For those that don’t know, HCT stands for Hearthstone Championship Tour and there are three seasons along with qualifying tournaments for seasonal championships. The players at the tournament we’re going to talk about were fighting for a top 4 finish to qualify for the Fall seasonals, airfare, money, and Hearthstone glory. Akumaker and Sequinox are two players with a history of high-level performance and they were playing from separate venues – Akumaker in Australia and Sequinox in Singapore. The two players are connected to the casters via Skype call from the computers at the local venues to get live information on players’ hands and reactions from the cameras. This is supposed to be one-way audio that is not heard by the players – and in addition, the players wear white noise earbuds inside the provided headsets to ensure no outside information makes it into the players’ ears. Sequinox queues up his Mind Blast Control Priest for game 1 while Akumaker has his Cube Warlock – generally a highly favored matchup for the Warlock. Sequinox ended up winning the unfavored match, but after game 1 there is a long wait. It was determined that the Skype call was actually using two-way audio and the headsets given to the players by the venues may have had the live caster audio discussing the game and players’ hands. Akumaker was on camera visibly not wearing a headset, only using earbuds, while Sequinox was wearing both. During game 1, the administrator from Akumaker’s venue in Australia reported that the caster audio was playing out of the unused system headset and may also be audible to Sequinox at the Singapore venue. The decision made after game 1 was finished was to replay the entire game and nullify the original score. Sequinox ended up losing the same matchup that he had previously won and was swept 3-0, losing out on a spot at the Season 2 champs – while Akumaker qualified and received his berth. We’re not an opinion column so we’re not going to make a comment on the decision made. However, we will share one last piece of information – the attached picture is commentary from the Australian tournament admin in the twitch chat for the match as it was being played. Information on this situation has slowed down, but we’ll keep you updated as more comes to light. It is anticipated that Blizzard will make an official statement soon. That’s a lot of tournament info. What if I just want to hop on and play something competitive? Well, that’s a reasonable thing to do. We did an aggressive deck last week… why not something a little bit slower? Feast your eyes on Even Warlock. Now this deck is called “Even” because of the even/odd mechanic provided by Genn Greymane. This makes your hero power cost 1 mana instead of 2 – and the Warlock hero power “Life Tap” is extremely strong when you get to use it every turn. The most powerful synergy in this deck is when you get to go second, use life tap twice, and then play Mountain Giant as an 8/8 on turn 3! The deck is also great at making big Twilight Drakes and using the hero power to reduce its own life total, activating Hooked Reaver as a 7/7 with taunt for 4 mana. The deck is typically very strong against aggressive strategies and surprisingly good against slower combo decks – a big reason to play Even Warlock is to beat Druids. Defile is a fantastic card against token-based strategies while a steady stream of mid-sized threats is great for keeping pressure on decks that try to survive until the late game to win like Malygos and Togwaggle Druids. Rogue is the achilles heel here and is not a great matchup no matter what kind of deck they are. You’re almost always mulliganing for Mountain Giant and Twilight Drake more than anything. You’ll often keep your two mana minions like Vulgar Homunculus and Plated Beetle as well, especially against aggressive classes like Rogue, Paladin, and even Hunter. Your general game plan is to tap early and tap often while developing consistent threats – the deck might look like control, but almost always you want to play your minions and attack your opponent in large chunks once you’ve stabilized and can’t be killed by the minions left on the board. In the late game, you’ll be able to play powerful cards like The Lich King and the incredible Bloodreaver Gul’Dan, getting back a horde of demons and a hero power that should end the game by itself. All told, it’s a very competitive strategy. Is there a budget option? Well… it’s kind of hard to make this deck budget – it’s doable, but you’ll need Genn Greymane for sure and it’s not worth playing without Bloodreaver Gul’Dan. The Lich King is great and fits into many decks, but can be replaced along with two of the epics (Mossy Horror and Skulking Geist) with two Bonemares and a second Dread Infernal to keep some late-game oomph. What about wacky instead of competitive? Wacky, you say? Feast your eyes on this! What’s going on here? Let me explain! - Hold on to Mind Blasts and Holy Smites - Play Zerek’s Cloning Gallery - Kill opponent! Velen and Malygos work very well together to make your direct damage spells enormous, and Radiant Elementals work well to make them cost less so you can play Zerek’s together with a bunch of spells to make a powerful combination. There’s a lot of other things you can do with the deck – using cards like Shadow Essence and Eternal Servitude to summon big monsters again and again is very strong. I have no idea how to play the deck, but my friend wickedgood sent me this clip earlier today… seems like fun to me! Where do you get your info? As stated last week (and every week), check out the below sources of info. If you only have time to check out one place, it should be the weekly Vicious Syndicate meta report, which can be found here. What have you been playing? I’ve been running Revive’s e ven shaman! I’ve always been fond of Even Shaman and this build is surprisingly heavy – there’s lots of big stuff! Against controlling decks, totem every turn, play about two threats from your hand, and just attack without playing anything more. You’ll be surprised with how much sustainability your deck has. Until next week, thanks for reading! If you’d like to hear more Hearthstone talk, check out our podcast at CoinConcede.com and follow me on twitter @RidiculousHat.

The other day, Spotify offered me a list of my top 100 most listened to songs of 2018. My spouse and I share an account, and I have diverse taste, so the playlist was a total mess. Snoop Dogg with Beethoven? Why not! Despite that, a few gems popped out at me from the list that have made it into my regular song rotation in the past few weeks. The idea of this “top 100 year in review” inspired us at ringDNA to examine the top 100 individual words analyzed by our ConversationAI platform in 2018 to see if there are any interesting patterns or items of note that would surface. A brief guide to understanding conversation intelligence research What does a top 100 word list mean? By itself, nothing. A list of top used words can only be valuable if we know what we are looking for or consider them in context – meaning interpreting the data with sales expertise and social psychology principles. In other words, raw sales call data needs the perspective of a sales expert, psychology practitioner, or communication researcher. Conversations and communication are fluid, subjective, and always changing. Everyone’s business conversations are unique, considering their culture, industry, and product. At ringDNA we follow social science research best practices, and our research is inspired by several disciplines, including psychological science and communication studies. In the case of the word analysis below, we are applying “rhetorical analysis” research methods inspired by scholarly communication studies. Although you may associate the word “rhetoric” with empty political promises, “rhetorical analysis” and “rhetorical criticism” is a robust method used by researchers to understand the true meaning behind messages. For the research nerd – this means we are taking a “mixed methods” approach, extracting a quantitative list of the top 100 most used words, and interpreting it with a qualitative methodology of rhetorical analysis, which is academic-speak for understanding the words in the context of our expertise and the business use cases in which they are applied. Each word below includes the exact word, its place on the top 100 list, and our rhetorical analysis of that word. A rhetorical analysis of the 10 most notable words from the top 100 Business – #1 of the top 100 Analysis: When we first saw that “business” was the number one word of 2018, we admit we were a little disappointed. How ordinary! Then our CEO, Howard Brown, popped by my desk and quickly observed that if people were talking about business on the phone, they were talking about needs, and challenges, and frustrations, and ways to improve. In other words, the implication of business being the #1 word is not that the conversations are ordinary, but the ordinary subject of conversations is revolving around empathy. This is a great thing – a key element that sets ringDNA apart is a focus on empathetic selling, and the fact that business is the most used word of 2018 is a sign that the ethos of the software we have produced is indeed affecting conversations in the way we intended. Question – #3 of the top 100 Analysis: The #1 ingredient of the empathetic selling formula is smart, open-ended questions, so the fact that question was our #3 word this year is only greater validation that the #1 word, “business,” represents empathetic conversations. The rest of the 2018 top 100 is filled with words that are basic ingredients of questions, such as “what,” “how,” and “when,” a very encouraging result for those of us that believe the future belongs to the empathetic seller. Message – #10 of the top 100, & Email – #22 of the top 100 Analysis: References to other forms of communication beyond just a phone call, such as SMS messages, voicemails, and emails, means that a multi-channel strategy is being employed and is more popular than ever. The fact that these are both so high on the top 100 list is not only a great sign of strategic selling, but also a sign of the diverse and changing needs of buyers. As some social channels gain additional dominance, we expect to see some of them appear in this list over the years as well. Even if social selling is evolving as many people suggest, the truth of the matter is that multi-channel is here to stay, and the channels will only continue to diversify. Thing – #13 of the top 100 Analysis: We were surprised to see “thing” make the top 15. It is hard to know what thing means in this context, because it is a non-word in business communication. “Thing” is almost filler speech, on par with “um” and “like” – perhaps it is appropriate in some contexts, but if it is prevalent enough to be in the top 15 words of the year, this represents an issue with imprecise language. Smart sellers are great communicators – this means refining the language used over time, and eliminating filler words like “thing.” We hope to see this word usage drop in 2019. Perfect – #14 of the top 100 Analysis: If a thumbs up had an audible sound, it would be the word “perfect.” Odds are, perfect is not being used to describe the quality of a product, but rather as a throwaway word as a quick response of satisfaction. “Oh you are available next week, me too! Perfect!” “Hi Joe, I hope I caught you at the perfect time!” Ultimately this is another filler word that we use – it is imprecise, meaningless language that doesn’t offer anything to the conversation other than a loose gesture of positivity. Customers probably don’t notice it, but odds are, neither do we, which means that we need to be in greater control of our word choice in 2019. Dollars, #3 of the top 100, and Contract, #17 of the top 100 Analysis: In our own instance of ConversationAI at ringDNA, we watch for closing words revolving around proposal and contract discussions that typically appear later in the sales cycle. If these words show up too early in the call, it is a sign our reps are competing on price. We’d rather see them show up later in the call, after an appropriate discovery process and needs evaluation. Looking at the top 100 words of the year, we couldn’t help but notice that these words are comfortably behind empathy words like “business” and “question”, which is a great sign that closing conversations are only happening after empathetic discovery sessions with customers and prospects – we hope to see the gap between these grow in 2019. Problem, #21 of the top 100, and Understand, #28 of the top 100 Analysis: The best way to earn a customer is to understand their business needs and solve real problems. Seeing these terms in the top 100 is a great sign that conversations are happening around pain points and understanding each other. Anyone can ask questions, but the key is how your prospects feel they are being treated. Reps who practice empathy in sales actually feel and truly understand their prospect’s struggle. Instead of being sold, prospects feel they are being helped and are therefore more likely to make a deal. Connect, #88 of the top 100 Analysis: Connect is a great term, but unfortunately it has devolved into business-speak, an overused catch-all word that falls in the same category as “leverage” and “synergy.” What does it actually mean? Callers seem use it to describe any means of communicating with a customer. “Just looking to connect over the phone” “Hoping to connect with you” “Sorry we didn’t connect the other day.” You may often ask your prospects to “connect” in a voice message, but does that really get you anything? Similar to previous points, we recommend precise language. When you speak with or even leave a message for a prospect, it’s important that you provide a real, specific, actionable steps that they can follow. Minute, #95 of the top 100 Analysis: “Can I get just a minute of your time?” “Do you have a minute?” the word “minute” is no surprise to see in the top 100, it is a common term that salespeople use to downplay the amount of time they are asking for from a customer or prospect. Here is the problem: this is a lie. How many times does some really only require a minute of your time? As a sales rep, you probably ask some variance of, “Do you have a minute?” quite often. Not only does this question immediately signal we are about to sell something, it’s something your prospects are tired of hearing. Elevate your elevator pitch with something besides overused questions, like genuine enthusiasm and a desire to help. Schedule, #100 of the top 100 Analysis: Schedule is a “next steps” signal word that likely appears when reps are hoping to create a meeting appointment, or are trying to find the best time to hold one. Since prospect meetings are crux of sales, and customers are busy, it goes without saying that establishing the next steps at the end of the phone call is a crucial step. Ask for the next meeting – determine your customer’s schedule on the call and set the meeting. It is a great thing to see this in the top 100, and we hope to see it move up in 2019.

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Historically, knowledge of obtained resistance (AQR) to mixture treatment continues to be based on understanding of resistance to its component brokers. those of solitary agent treatment, including a big change in drug conversation. G13D and H1047R mutations (malignancy.sanger.ac.uk) were cultured in the current presence of both AZD6244 (MEK inhibitor) and BKM120 (PI3K inhibitor) in IC50 concentrations of every agent, AZD6244 DMAT only (2 remedies of ? IC50 concentrations), BKM120 only (2 remedies of ? IC50 concentrations), or automobile (2 remedies of 0.25% DMSO). Two remedies were provided for all those models to reduce bias from the amount of treatments from the cells. After long term treatment, HCT116 cells cultured with both AZD6244 and BKM120 became resistant to mixture AZD6244 and BKM120 treatment (specified as HCT116CR cells) in comparison to HCT116 cells cultured with DMSO (HCT116DM cells) (Desk ?(Desk1).1). Mixture index (CI) evaluation indicated that AZD6244 and BKM120 had been antagonistic in HCT116CR cells, while these were synergistic in HCT116DM cells. HCT116CR cells also shown increased level of resistance to solitary agent treatment with AZD6244, however, not BKM120. Desk 1 IC50 and mixture index ideals of treatment with numerous medicines and DMAT their mixtures in HCT116-produced cells 0.05 for differences in IC50 values in comparison to HCT116DM, as well as for differences to at least one 1 for CI values. HCT116 cells treated with AZD6244 only (HCT116AR cells) and BKM120 only (HCT116BR cells) shown AQR with their particular remedies. Cross-resistance was noticed for HCT116AR cells to BKM120, aswell for HCT116BR cells to AZD6244. non-etheless, the mix of AZD6244 and BKM120 continued to be synergistic in HCT116AR and HCT116BR cells. To verify that this AQR and lack of synergy had not been compound particular, the sensitivity from the cells to GDC0973 (MEK inhibitor) and BYL719 (PI3K inhibitor) treatment was evaluated. Comparable patterns of AQR, cross-resistance and lack of synergy was noticed with these brokers in particular cells (Desk ?(Desk1).1). The just difference in design was an elevated level of resistance of HCT116CR cells Mouse monoclonal to PPP1A to BYL719. To verify that this observations weren’t particular to HCT116 cells, LoVo (G13D mutant, malignancy.sanger.ac.uk) colorectal malignancy cells with AQR to AZD6244 (LoVoAR), BKM120 (LoVoBR) and their mixture (LoVoCR) were generated using the same strategies put on HCT116 cells. The cells exhibited comparable patterns of level of resistance to AZD6244 and BKM120 treatment, aswell as GCD0973 and BYL719 treatment, as noticed for HCT116 cells (Supplementary Table S1). Pathway signaling and inhibition Evaluation of baseline p-Erk, p-Akt, p-S6 and p-4EBP1 exposed HCT116AR cells experienced DMAT higher degrees of p-Erk than HCT116DM cells (Physique ?(Figure1),1), in keeping with a earlier statement . HCT116BR cells experienced raised p-Erk and p-Akt. HCT116CR cells also experienced improved p-Erk and p-Akt, but also decreased p-4EBP1. Open up in another window Physique 1 Pathway signaling degrees of AQR cell linesPhosphorylation degrees of (A) Erk, (B) Akt, (C) S6 and (D) 4EBP1 at 24 h post-treatment in HCT116DM, HCT116AR, HCT116BR and HCT116CR cells treated with DMAT automobile (DMSO), AZD6244 only (IC50 focus), BKM120 only (IC50 focus), and their mixture DMAT (IC50 + IC50 focus). Levels had been assessed by ELISA. All tests were repeated 3 x, and data are shown as mean regular deviation of phosphorylated proteins normalized to total proteins. *shows 0.05 in comparison to amounts in HCT116DM. **shows 0.05 set alongside the control amounts in the treated cell lines. Pursuing mixture treatment, p-Erk, p-Akt, p-S6 and p-4EBP1 had been low in all cells, indicating pathway inhibition activity was maintained. AZD6244 treatment also decreased p-Erk in every cells, and BKM120 treatment decreased p-Akt in every cells, indicating that the inhibitory activity of solitary brokers was maintained aswell. BKM120 also. Background Persistent maternal smoking during pregnancy reduction or cessation during pregnancy and smoking initiation or resumption postpartum impel further research to understand these behavioral patterns and opportunities for intervention. group exhibited DMAT its smoking cigarettes classes seen as a the level of being pregnant smoking cigarettes postpartum and reductions behavior. In every three age ranges course account could be recognized by specific sociodemographic and behavioral features. Co-resident smokers predicted nearly all smoking classifications across age groups and selected neighborhood characteristics predicted classification of younger (15-25) and older (36+) mothers. Conclusions The design timing and delivery of smoking prevention and cessation services for women seeking to become pregnant and for women presenting for prenatal or pediatric care are best guided by individual characteristics particularly maternal age preconception alcohol consumption and postpartum depressive disorder but neighborhood characteristics merit further attention for mothers at different ages. Introduction Given the documented harmful effects of maternal smoking to women themselves (U.S. DHHS 2001 and their children (U.S. DHHS 2006 prenatal and postpartum smoking abstinence and cessation are important targets for women (e.g. Healthy People 2020). Although smoking rates decline from 22% in the first trimester to 14% by the second Mdk trimester of pregnancy by the time the child is certainly 18 months outdated maternal cigarette smoking prices (30%) rebound near prices of their childless peers (33%) (DRUG ABUSE and Mental Wellness Providers Administration 2009 Further as the cigarette smoking price among all females of reproductive age group (WRA) dropped from 30.7% to 26.7% between 2002 and 2010 the speed among women that are pregnant failed to drop significantly (from 18.0% DMAT to 16.3%) within the same period (DRUG ABUSE and Mental Health Services Administration 2011 Latest studies have improved our knowledge of longitudinal information of maternal cigarette smoking during and following being pregnant. Among British moms in the first 1990 (with kid surviving DMAT to 1 year old) around 33% had been smokers from three months ahead of conception through 33 a few months postpartum (Munafo Heron & Araya 2008 Almost 18 from the test persisted in cigarette smoking throughout the research period and about 10% who smoked ahead of conception give up sooner or later during pregnancy and resumed cigarette smoking by 8 a few months post-delivery. Significantly less than 4% give up during being pregnant and stayed give up through the analysis period. Mothers of the 2001 U.S. delivery cohort showed equivalent patterns DMAT although the original smoking price was somewhat lower (23%) and 5% from the test smoking following pregnancy (Mumford Locks Yu & Liu 2013 While initiatives to impact behavioral change tend to be concentrated during being pregnant when cigarette smoking cessation interventions are reasonably effective (Lumley et al. 2009 the speed of relapse post-delivery needs further investigation to see effective style and concentrating on of ongoing avoidance and cessation initiatives (Colman DMAT & Joyce 2003 Phillips et al. 2010 General consistent with lifestyle training course theory (Elder 1998 aswell as empirical proof for maternal alcoholic beverages intake (Jagodzinski & Fleming 2007 Meschke Holl & Messelt 2013 the books signifies that maternal age group is certainly correlated with different patterns of adult moms’ perinatal smoking cigarettes. Younger women that are pregnant and recent moms exhibit even more instability of smoking cigarettes behavior (seen as a stopping and relapsing) than old mothers. Younger mothers are more likely to smoke before (Tong et al. 2011 and during pregnancy (Crozier et al. 2009 Lu Tong & Oldenburg 2001 Pevalin Wade Brannigan & Sauve 2001 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2007 and are more likely to smoke a greater amount than older mothers (Martin et al. 2002 Further mothers ages 20-29 are more likely to quit during pregnancy than mothers ages 30 and older (Colman & Joyce 2003 Kahn Certain & Whitaker 2002 and postpartum resumption of smoking behavior is more likely for mothers ages 20 (Tong et al. 2009 Current smoking among recent mothers ages 18-25 exceeds that of recent mothers ages 26 (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2007 Despite this evidence there has been no research investigating differences in developmental patterns of maternal smoking by age group nor regarding how relevant personal and contextual characteristics associated with mothers’ smoking behavior may differ. DMAT

Drawing on a wide range of plays, Theater of a City shows how the stage imaginatively shaped and responded to the changing face of early modern London. 2006 | 288 pages | Cloth $55.00 | Paper $24.95 View main book page Table of Contents 1. Staging Commercial London: The Royal Exchange 2. Credit, Incarceration, and Performance: Staging London's Debtors' Prisons 3. (W)holesaling: Bawdy Houses and Whore Plots in the Drama's Staging of London 4. Ballrooms and Academies: Producing the Cosmopolitan Body in West End London London is a large, excellent, and mighty city of business, and the most important in the whole kingdom; most of the inhabitants are employed in buying and selling merchandize [sic], and trading in almost every corner of the world, since the river is most useful and convenient for this purpose, considering that ships from France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg, and other kingdoms, come almost up to the city, to which they convey goods and receive and take away others in exchange.This description of London, written in 1592 by a German visitor Frederick, Duke of Wirtemberg, attests to the impressive size and perceptible commercial energy of England's premier metropolis. Although Frederick assumed that London was preeminent among other English towns, what he could not know was just how considerably it outstripped them in population and commercial activity at the end of the sixteenth century. In 1600 the population of London included approximately 200,000 people, up from 55,000 just fifty years before. The next largest English city was Norwich, with a population of 15,000 in 1600, followed by York and Bristol with 12,000 people each. Only twenty towns in all of England had populations of 5,000 or more. With London taken out of the mix, the other nineteen towns contained only 136,000 people in total, considerably less than the population of London alone. Demographics by themselves, of course, do not explain why London was so impressive to this foreign visitor. But they begin to suggest how unusually beyond scale—how vast and sprawlingthe city must have appeared to those hundreds of migrants who streamed into the capital from other parts of England and from the Continent throughout the second half of the sixteenth and then the seventeenth centuries. Not only did London dwarf other English cities; it also rivaled in size the most expansive cities on the Continent. In 1600, London was the third largest city in Europe, outpaced only by Naples and by Paris. By 1650 it was second only to Paris; by 1700 it was first in terms of size. London's spectacular demographic growth during this period was matched only by its economic development. Frederick describes London in 1592 as a "mighty city of business," and it was. By 1600 London was the anchor of a rapidly expanding national market and the chief port through which the nation took part in overseas trade with Europe, with the Levant, and—later in the seventeenth century—with the Americas. These economic and social developments had a direct impact on the cultural life of London, specifically on the public theater that was one of the chief entertainment institutions to emerge from this period of spectacular demographic, economic, and social change. And, I am going to argue, the theater, in turn, was important in shaping how people of the period conceptualized or made sense of this fast-changing urban milieu. My title, Theater of a City, foregrounds the intimate synergy I see operating between London and the early modern commercial theater. Not only could that theater not have arisen anywhere in England except in London but the course of its development also remained closely linked to changes taking place within the metropolis right up to the Civil War. Many accounts of early modern theater have stressed the genius of some of its theater practitioners, especially Shakespeare. Others have implied that, alongside her accomplishments in nation building and commercial expansion, Elizabeth I brought England to a new ascendancy in the arts. Both, certainly, were important. However, without a commercial theater in place, Shakespeare would have had little chance to display his genius. London provided the material conditions in which such a theater emerged. Moreover, while the Court played a role in protecting the theater from the harsher restrictions the City aldermen might have imposed upon it and in offering limited patronage to particular theater companies, the commercial theater was not essentially a court theater. Westminster was at times a useful ally and at times a troubling force, but from day to day the commercial theater depended on a public to approve its craft and buy its product. And that public comprised Londoners of various stripes, from apprentices to foreign visitors, who had reasons to come to the city. Exposure to the theater made these Londoners come across fictions that directly addressed the conditions of social change and dislocation occurring around them. Whereas this is true, I would suggest, for each of the popular stage genres that flourished over this vibrant sixty-year period, this book will focus on those plays that most directly address the urban milieu, namely, London comedies. Beginning with William Haughton's Englishmen for My Money (1598) and ending with William Cavendish's The Variety (1640), I explore a succession of comedies that took familiar London places as their setting for stories that addressed some of the most pressing issues facing the city's inhabitants: demographic change and the influx of foreigners and strangers into the city; new ways of making money and of losing it; changing gender roles within the metropolis; and the rise of a distinctive "town culture" in the West End. In creating fictions in which these issues figure prominently and by situating them in particular places such as Gresham's Royal Exchange, the notorious debtors' prisons known as the Counters, or the ubiquitous bawdy houses that not only ringed but permeated the city proper, dramatists gave their stories a local habitation and a name. Consequently, each chapter of this book focuses on a particular place within the city and examines the way in which the stage created significant stories about it. The recurring features of plot and character that structure these stories, and the changes rung on them over time, are crucial evidence of both the social tensions these plays helped to negotiate and the terms in which they made city space socially legible. Throughout this book I am in part investigating the process by which, to use de Certeau's language, plays helped to transform specific places into significant social spaces, that is, into environments marked by the actions, movements, and daily practices of inhabitants. Stories were central to this transformative process. Through their place-based dramatic narratives, playwrights helped representationally to construct the practices associated with specific urban spaces, directing audiences to the uses to which city spaces could be put and to the privileged modes of conduct and the cultural competencies associated with each. Of course, this was a highly ideological process and not merely a mapping of what "really" happened within the London milieu. Through its fictions drama helped less to transcribe than to construct and interpret the city. In the process playwrights imaginatively transformed urban places into settings for specific kinds of social interaction, whether between a citizen and an alien, a debtor and a creditor, a prostitute and a client, or a dancing master and a country gentleman. As represented on the stage, the places of London thus became a powerful resource in complex and socially significant renditions of urban life. Place, then, functions in these dramas as the material arena within which urban social relations were regulated and urban problems negotiated. These problems included, for example, foreign encroachment into particular London places, such as the Royal Exchange, or the perilous credit arrangements in an economy in which debt loomed large. In staging the city, dramatists focused on many of the same things as Frederick had done, namely, the demographic expansion and the increasing commercial activity that characterized the metropolis, along with its implication in an international system of trade as signified by the foreign ships that the German visitor had noted along London's docks. Through their urban fictions the city's dramatists responded to and spurred these changes, creating a stage whose popularity testified to the playwrights' attentiveness to the urban anxieties and pleasures they so persistently solicited and addressed. The following introduction focuses on three things. First, I lay out a fuller picture of the city London had become in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, paying special attention to the mixture of old and new practices and established and emergent communities within and without the city walls. A site of government and of trade, London was rapidly becoming what Crystal Bartolovich has termed a "world city," one experiencing the dislocating effects of an influx of alien people, tongues, and goods, as well as the more mundane dislocations of extremely rapid demographic growth. I look briefly at the different ways London writers, in general, responded to the changing social landscape within which they lived and wrote. Second, I consider further the specific role of the theater in responding to and shaping the changes that were overtaking London, exploring the role of a theater practitioner like Heywood in defining the place of the stage in the city's history and in its bid for status within the international community. Finally, I turn to the actual places and the particular problems I address in each chapter, outlining the many threads of the argument-about the economy, gender, and foreign-native antagonism—that weave themselves through those ensuing chapters. A City in Flux While arguing for the essential social stability of London during the late Elizabethan and early Jacobean periods, historians of the city also take note of the many elements of change—from population growth to the increase in foreign craftsmen operating outside the authorized guilds—that put a strain on London's governing structures and its dominant institutions. I accept the view that city authorities by and large maintained order and governed London with efficiency during this period. I want to shift focus, however, and ask not how well political and social order was maintained in the city but what conceptual challenges were entailed in living in London during this period of growth and change. How did the city come to make sense to its inhabitants, many of them new to London, and what role did the theater play in the complicated ideological process of constructing the city as an imagined entity and of creating fictions that addressed the problems of urban life? The rapid physical expansion of London that accompanied its demographic growth represented one kind of challenge to inhabitants and to dramatists alike. If the walled city and the immediately adjoining extramural wards once defined the core of the city, by the early seventeenth century suburban growth had begun to spin off new loci of activity and power. Westminster, a separate entity to the west, had always been the seat of monarchical authority, but now the expanse between the city and Westminster began to fill up with fancy shopping streets such as the Strand and by the 1630s with upscale housing developments like the Duke of Bedford's Covent Garden project and with parks and other places of urban leisure. By the third or fourth decade of the seventeenth century, the West End had developed a "town culture" of wit and leisure distinct from the "city culture" to the east or the "court culture" of Westminster. At the same time, urban sprawl was overtaking the northern, eastern, and southern suburban regions. Overcrowding within the walled city and immigration from abroad made the eastern districts along the Thames waterfront, for example, a thriving commercial area both because of activity linked to the shipping trades and also because of crafts that took root there to escape regulation by the city guilds. This rapid physical expansion made the city less easy to know in its entirety—"know" not just in the sense of having familiarity with the streets and buildings of various districts but also in the sense of having a conceptual image of the activities imagined to characterize these new areas and of the kinds of people who inhabited them. Moreover, the physical growth of the city was inseparable from other changes such as overcrowding within the walled city, shoddy buildings thrown up in the suburbs, increased congestion on city streets, and the multiplication of taverns, inns, and places of entertainment in and around the urban area. Writing about London, as many dramatists did, was one way, of course, to manage change and to provide interpretations and conceptualizations of both new and old aspects of the city discursively. Two works produced near the turn of the century begin to suggest how differently writers, including dramatists, went about the job of textually constructing London and foregrounding particular places within it. John Stow, the city's best-known Elizabethan chronicler, typically equated change with decline and decay and often wrote with nostalgia about what he felt to be a vanishing city. His Survey of London, first published in 1598 and then expanded and reprinted in 1603, unearthed both textual and material traces of the city's past in order to preserve them in printed form. Delving into books and written records of the city, Stow also dug deep into the actual dirt of London, visiting excavations and ruins, tracing the paths of streams that were blocked with the debris of an expanding city. For him, the important places of London were the guildhalls, churches, and public endowments such as hospitals, because they commemorated the shared achievements of what he saw as the city's privileged actors, its civic leaders. Names of mayors, aldermen, great merchants, and municipal benefactors stud his pages. A monumental text, The Survey attempts to give fixity to a city in flux, to recover what the forces of time and change have obliterated, and to give a lasting record of its great edifices and of the great civic figures eminent in its history. Consequently, there is a certain relentlessness to Stow's repetitive ward-by-ward descriptions of guildhalls, churches, and famous citizens. In his commemorative narrative, "the list" is his rhetorical signature. In the course of his narrative, however, Stow could not help but note what to him were troubling new aspects of London life. These included the desecration of tombs by zealous Protestant reformers in the city's churches, the decline of charity, and the way in which the green fields to the east of the city were being turned into jammed residential areas. In an oft-cited passage, Stow describes how as a boy he fetched milk from farms just to the east of the city walls, an area given over to cramped tenements by 1598. Although Stow loved London's ancient buildings, the deeds of its Lord Mayors and the charitable works of its prominent citizens, he was repelled by aspects of modernity such as the repression of popular pastimes like May Day festivities. Certain parts of contemporary London life he simply elided, such as its thriving theater industry. Although in the 1598 edition of The Survey Stow makes two passing references to the Curtain and the Theater as London playhouses, he does not discuss their importance or the many other playing venues within the city. Both passages, brief as they are, are deleted from the 1603 version. By contrast, some texts about London written about the same time as Stow's do not just foreground the role of the theater in daily life but focus on an entirely different set of urban places, highlighting all that was new and fashionable within the city. Such is Thomas Dekker's 1609 prose pamphlet, The Gull's Hornbook. This delightful satire exists in a different stylistic and conceptual universe from Stow's urban chorography. Cheap, short, and wickedly irreverent, The Gull's Hornbook gives tongue-in-cheek advice about how to live like a gallant in London. As the word "hornbook" implies, it is a mock pedagogical manual that makes fun of certain city practices but in doing so reveals the new codes of conduct that the "gull" is forever doomed to imitate imperfectly. If, for example, in Stow's city the highest virtue is charity, in the London of Dekker's pamphlet it is fashionability. All advice to the gull rests on the premise that making a good appearance is in every instance of the utmost importance. That means being seen at the right places in the right clothes and saying the right things. Hence, the gull is advised, for example, to go to the middle isle of St. Paul's to show off his fine clothes. In Dekker's text, as opposed to Stow's, a great building such as St. Paul's is less a monument to the city's rich civic past than a fashion runway. Moreover, places largely unmentioned in Stow's narrative achieve great prominence in Dekker's, namely, the taverns, ordinaries, and playhouses that, along with St. Paul's middle isle, offer rich possibilities for self-display. Describing a visit to the theater, Dekker's narrator instructs an aspiring gallant how to show himself to best advantage during a dramatic performance. It shall crown you with rich commendation to laugh aloud in the middest of the most serious and saddest scene of the terriblest tragedy and to let that clapper, your tongue, be tossed so high that all the house may ring of it. Your lords use it, your knights are apes to the lords and do so too, your Inn o'Court man is zanny to the knights and-marry, very scurvily-comes likewise limping after it; be thou a beagle to them all and never lin snuffing till you have scented them, for by talking and laughing like a ploughman in a morris you heap Pelion upon Ossa, glory upon glory.Of course, such outlandish behavior would actually heap ignominy on ignominy, but the fact that the would-be gallant does not really know how to make himself an object of admiration only flatters those who do and points to the importance of "proper" self-display and fashionability as emerging urban values. As The Gull's Hornbook is a satire, it implicitly critiques what it anatomizes: for example, the behavior of penniless gentlemen who live for appearances often with no money in their pockets and no food in their stomachs. But in doing so it strikingly calls attention to a cityscape defined less by churches and guildhalls than by places of consumption and pleasure, and it points to the new practices of display they encourage. If Stow's text is steeped in nostalgia, Dekker's pamphlet is entirely of the moment. If Stow hardly mentions the theater, Dekker makes it central to the daily life of a London gallant. If Stow seems oblivious to the new products such as tobacco penetrating the expanding London market, tobacco's presence suffuses The Gull's Hornbook. And if Stow praises the charitable deeds of London's honorable citizens, Dekker focuses on the fashionable appearance of gallants and aspirants to their sophistication. It is as if everything that Stow despises and pushes to the margins of his text rises to the surface in Dekker's pamphlet. In the bookstalls of London, these divergent visions of the city would have coexisted, each turning the city into a print commodity, but with very different understandings of what were the important places and actors that define London life. The opposite of a monumental text, The Gull's Hornbook presented itself as a cheap and fashionable commodity, aimed not at London's solid citizens but at a smart set of urban gallants and would-be gallants who could feel superior to Dekker's gull and yet take pleasure in recognizing the text's landscape of fashionable performance. That London to a Stow could seem disturbingly in decline and to a Dekker exhilaratingly, if problematically, full of new possibilities, resulted in part from their conflicting responses to the demographic and commercial changes to which Frederick, Duke of Wirtemberg's description of the city pointed. Both deserve greater attention. I have already given numbers indicating the explosive rate of growth in the city in the second half of the sixteenth century. But who was represented by these numbers and what was their impact on the city's life? Because of the high death rate in London, much of the population growth had to be the result of in-migration. Many people from other parts of the British Isles moved to London to find employment, swelling the city's population and enhancing its labor force and at the same time creating problems in terms of housing, sanitation, and public order. Technically, those who came to the city and were not made free of its guilds were known as "foreigners," a usage that today we would reserve for those born outside the boundaries of a given nation-state. But while the OED, as early as 1413, records that a "foreigner" can refer to "A person born in a foreign country: one from abroad or of another nation; an alien" (1.a), by 1460 the term also meant "One of another county, parish, etc., a stranger, outsider. In early use especially one not a member of any particular guild, a non-freeman" (2). Early modern London was full of this kind of foreigner: those born outside the city and not members of its guilds but who worked in and around the metropolis as manservants, day laborers, chambermaids, and workers in unsanctioned guilds operating in suburban locations. In addition, many young men came to London from the provinces to take up apprenticeships. Part of the guild economy, they nonetheless were new to the city. Moreover, London was periodically visited by "foreigners" who did not mean to settle but to take up temporary residence: gentry up from the country for the law terms, aristocrats in attendance at the court in Westminster, and the women who increasingly accompanied their husbands for shopping and entertainment in London. These foreigners were joined by a sizable group of those born outside England entirely. In the late sixteenth century the greatest number of these "aliens" or "strangers" (that is, "One who belongs to another country, a foreigner" OED 1) were religious refugees seeking a safe haven in London. Stranger merchants had, of course, long been a feature of London life. Flemish merchants were important in London in the thirteenth century; Italian and German or Hanse merchants rose to prominence in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; the French became influential in the first half of the sixteenth. In every case, these merchants played a major role in England's overseas trade, both in the export of its wool and cloth and in the import of finished goods to England through entrepots in Venice, Lisbon, or Antwerp. The English crown needed the expertise of these stranger merchants and granted them monopolies and privileges, which, however, it could also revoke when pressure from domestic merchants or antialien feeling became too intense. But by the end of the sixteenth century, while there were still a number of alien merchants at work in the city, the majority of strangers were skilled craftsmen who hailed from the Low Countries and France, driven to England by the push of religious persecution and the pull of economic opportunity. In 1567 the "Dutch" comprised 74.5 percent of the stranger residents in London and Westminster, the French 15.5 percent. Besides merchants, they included "schoolmasters, surgeons, physicians, engineers, musicians, and artists." Collectively, they probably made up 4 to 5 percent of London's total population, though their numbers could seem greater when they clustered in particular residential neighborhoods, calling attention to their cumulative presence. As a result of the high degree of migration to the city, it was inevitable that established citizens would have encounters with new arrivals daily, both from other parts of the British Isles and from abroad. So how were these foreigners and strangers comprehended? There is no simple answer. For a long time it has been assumed that London was, at the end of the sixteenth century, an insular and xenophobic place. There is evidence for that view in the antialien riots that occasionally broke out in the city, usually motivated by economic anxieties about the ways in which foreign workers might be draining away national resources or horning in on English craft production. Popular xenophobia was undoubtedly present in the period, and while the state realized the benefits that could accrue from the skills and expertise of alien workers and merchants, it indirectly fueled anxiety about strangers by supporting a mercantilist ideology that stressed the importance of accumulating wealth within the nation and not allowing bullion to "bleed out" to foreign countries, especially through alien merchants. However, if there was a xenophobic impulse in English culture during the period, it was countered, especially in London, by a competing cosmopolitanism more tolerant of difference and more inclined to look beyond the boundaries of the nation-state with something other than contempt or fear. To a certain extent, identification with persecuted Protestants from the Continent could counterbalance anxiety about their possible deleterious effects on the English economy. Perhaps to an even greater extent, trade counterbalanced xenophobic impulses. I do not mean to suggest that commerce among nations automatically eventuates in tolerance and enlightened thinking. That would be uncritically to echo apologists for the benefits of unfettered trade. I mean something more hard-edged altogether, namely, that the expansion of overseas trade mandated a kind of forced cosmopolitanism, a recognition that one had to undertake certain kinds of negotiations with strangers in order to further one's own interests. An example may begin to suggest the complex intermixing of xenophobia and cosmopolitanism that could exist side by side in city institutions and communities. Candidates for employment by the East India Company regularly presented as chief qualifications their skill at foreign languages, not just European languages such as Italian, French, Dutch, or Portuguese (although familiarity with any of these was frequently claimed as an asset) but also Persian, Malacan, and Arabic. Many of these candidates had been sent abroad at a young age specifically to receive language training in Lisbon, Istanbul, or Surat, and they spoke confidently of their knowledge of foreign tongues and of foreign customs. It was just these sorts of qualifications that made particular candidates successful in the highly competitive scramble for jobs in the great trading companies. Such men could get on in distant ports without giving offense and could deal with the complexities of trade in a foreign zone. The other side of the coin, however, was that a very thin line separated the desirability of such cosmopolitan skills and the danger that having them could make one seem a threat to English interests. Some candidates for jobs were turned away precisely because they had been too long in the employ of the Dutch or the Portuguese, even though that employment had given them experience in the very regions where the East India Company wished to trade, or because it was feared that long stays in Lisbon had led to their conversion to Catholicism or long stays in Istanbul to their conversion to Islam. One could, in a sense, be perceived as too cosmopolitan, as having lost one's identification with Englishness and the English national interest. If London was not a uniformly xenophobic place, then, neither did it embody the Derridean ideal of the city as an exceptional arena of cosmopolitan civility, a safe haven from the passions of nationalism and religious sectarianism. Instead, I would make the more modest claim that the demographic and economic changes overtaking the city made ordinary Londoners confront in a new way both the reality and the idea of strangers in their midst and the necessity of learning to deal with foreign cultures and languages. In the middle ages, overseas merchants had regularly been involved with trade in Europe. In a prenational period, the international merchant class was, in fact, to some extent a pan-European group. But in the sixteenth century, identification with country heightened even as contact with and knowledge about strangers probably intensified for more of the urban population as a result of migration from the Continent, the uptick of overseas trade passing through the docks of London, and the circulation of printed texts dealing with the voyages of exploration, travelers' reports, and captivity tales. Plays were among the texts that most often represented strangers or the influx of foreign practices or commodities into the metropolis, whether on the main floor or in the upper shops of the Royal Exchange, within the city's bawdy houses or in its sophisticated ballrooms and academies of manners. Consequently, I will deal with the particulars of these representations of strangers and alien ways in nearly all the chapters that follow. Certainly the city as a whole was a less insular place than it had been fifty years before. London was becoming an increasingly miscegenated space, by which I mean a place of mixing, where foreigners from Lancashire pressed up against established members of the London guilds and against stranger craftsmen. Between foreigners and aliens, London must at time have felt like a city where nearly everyone, to one degree or another, was "new," and where the mixing of different kinds of people was inevitable. In one of his last essays (1642), Henry Peacham wrote about "The Art of Living in London" in which he describes the skills needed to live "in a populous place, where multitudes of people reside." London, of course, is his premier example of such a place, and in depicting the city he stresses the mixture of various kinds of residents that the city attracted: noble and simple, rich and poor, young and old, from all places and countries, either for pleasure (and let me add besides, to save the charge of housekeeping in the country) or for profit, as lawyers to the terms, countrymen and women to Smithfield and the markets; or for necessity, as poor young men and maids to seek services and places; servingmen, masters; and some others, all manner of employment. (p. 243)It is to this constant influx of new residents that Peacham directs warnings about the dangers of city life. His language is richly metaphorical. London is like a "vast sea, full of gusts, fearful-dangerous shelves and rocks, ready at every storm to sink and cast the weak and unexperienced bark," (p. 243), "a wood where there is as many briers as people" (p. 244), "a quicksand" (p. 245), and the seat of several "poisons" (p. 245) such as drunkenness, gaming, prostitution, and reckless spending. It is a place where an inexperienced newcomer needs a skillful pilot, "another Columbus or Drake" (p. 244), as guide. Peacham, of course, offers himself in this role. The language of exploration and the invocation of the names of Columbus and Drake are, I would argue, of special interest because they suggest that the difficulties of negotiating the city are in some sense seen as comparable to the dangers of negotiating the New World or the far Asian ports that Drake visited on his round-the-world navigation. People coming to London from outside the city or from outside the country would know neither its geography, its customs nor, as Peacham stresses, its particular dangers. Aids were necessary: prescriptive tracts such as Peacham's, elaborating the dangers of urban life and offering advice for escaping them; networks of family or friends who could orient one and provide contacts and jobs; and places of resort such as public theaters where the act of common spectatorship could make one feel at one with the anonymous others who paid their pennies for the same entertainment. London was not necessarily transparent to those who lived there. Demographic growth, physical expansion, high death rates, and high in-migration meant that the city was opaque and unfamiliar to many of its inhabitants. The theater helped to make sense of city life. Play after play foreigners and strangers intermingled with London-born citizens; suburbs and walled city were juxtaposed; and city worthies were memorialized even as the seamier side of London life—prostitution, con men, crime—was dramatized. The theater, of course, did not just refer to these aspects of city living; it wove them into stories that interpreted, hierarchized, and distinguished the incompetent from the boorish, the insider from the pariah, in the process figuring new social relations for an expanding metropolis and new solutions to pressing urban problems. In representing the city, the stage also focused on the economic and commercial aspects of the city's expansion with particular intensity. In the early seventeenth century, England, then in the early stages of capitalist development, was undergoing a period of economic change. London was central to those changes. First, the city was becoming the hub of an integrated national market linking the countryside and the provincial towns to the capital city, encouraging traffic in goods and people between London and the rest of the British Isles. This process of market integration coincided temporally with the evolving consolidation of administrative and political power in Westminster. London was at once emerging as a powerful capital city and the commercial center of an increasingly centralized national market. Second, as a commercial center London was increasingly linked not just to the rest of the British Isles but to the rest of the world. Its status as a port was crucial in this regard. In The Perspective of the World, volume 2 of his Civilization and Capitalism 15th-18th Century, Fernand Braudel traces the importance of large commercial cities to the economic life of Europe in the period 1400 to 1700. Always ports, these cities—Venice, Antwerp, Genoa, Amsterdam, and finally London—were at the epicenter of important economic arenas that depended on the central city for concentrations of capital, access to credit, sources of news, and stable laws governing mercantile transactions. In the late sixteenth century, after the fall of Antwerp as the major northern entrepot, London and Amsterdam both began to emerge as such cities. They did so at a time when England was no longer solely dependent on the export of wool and cloth for its financial well-being. With the establishment of the London-based joint stock and regulated trading companies such as the Levant Company and the East India Company (1592 and 1599), English merchants were increasingly engaged in the reexport trade. That is, they were importing luxury goods such as silks and spices and currants from Eastern markets and reexporting them to Europe and the New World for profit. The consequences of this new kind of trade were multiple. For one thing, the growth of the joint stock companies meant increased contact with inhabitants of the distant port cities to which English ships were now sailing. Englishmen were voyaging to Virginia, certainly, and also to the ports of the eastern Mediterranean. Moreover, as the crews of English ships had to be replenished in these foreign ports, London also contained seamen from every European and Mediterranean country to which English ships ventured. Long distance trade also brought many new goods into London's domestic economy. As F. J. Fisher long ago demonstrated, during the reigns of Elizabeth and James, London was increasingly a center for conspicuous consumption, especially the consumption of luxury goods, though many products such as tobacco, sugar, and currants were bought not just by the wealthy but by ordinary citizens as well. The culture of display highlighted in Dekker's The Gull's Hornbook depended on an urban milieu in which people could be judged by what they could buy, even though such acquisitiveness was often morally condemned or subject to satiric treatment. Moreover, and this has been perhaps the most widely noted aspect of economic change in the period, market exchanges were becoming increasingly abstract and generalized. While England still had many market towns and fairs where trade took place directly between buyers and sellers, in many cases exchange occurred in what Jean-Christophe Agnew has termed "a placeless market" in which participants were unknown to each other and transactions were conducted through middlemen using new financial instruments such as bills of exchange or other forms of credit. With the labor of production increasingly occluded, commodities acquired fetishistic value, floating free from their makers but increasingly defining the subjectivity of their buyers. I want to stress that many of the consequences of the changes occurring in London's commercial life were understood only in retrospect. By the middle of the eighteenth century England would occupy a commanding role in a world economy centered in London but penetrating to many parts of the globe. This outcome was not imaginable in 1600. In fact, in 1600, despite the enormous changes that were happening in the city, many Londoners probably still felt peripheral to the rest of Europe and in some ways inferior to the cultures and the commercial and military strength of Mediterranean powers, whether that be Spanish, Ottoman, or Italian. The long history of England's peripheral position on the rim of Northern Europe was not erased in a few decades. Nor was the growth of the monopolistic joint stock companies universally greeted with enthusiasm. Many small traders were barred entirely from the traffic controlled by these companies and resented the profits they made. And even as the presence of increasing numbers of aliens in London caused some degree of anxiety, so did the emergence of a culture of consumption. My emphasis on a city in flux is meant to highlight not only the many material changes overtaking London but also the discursive changes and struggles necessary to make cognitive and ideological sense of life in the city. And this is where the theater enters the story. The commercial theater was one of the new institutions—along with such things as the Royal Exchange, joint stock trading companies, and Bridewell workhouse—that had their origins in the special conditions obtaining in London in the second half of the sixteenth century; moreover, the popularity of that theater arose in part because of the work it unconsciously but robustly and imaginatively performed in accommodating Londoners of all stripes to the somewhat bewildering world in which they were living. A popular forum speaking to the full range of London inhabitants, the theater drew its energies from the demographically diverse, commercially vital milieu in which it arose. It is one of the truisms of theater history that something significant happened when, in 1576, James Burbage erected the Theater, traditionally regarded as the city's first purpose-built commercial playing space, in Shoreditch. The point is not that before 1576 there had not been troupes of professional players who performed at court, for noblemen, and in various English towns or foreign venues. There had been such troupes. Nor is the point that there had never been buildings, such as inns with open courtyards or inner rooms, where theater had regularly been performed for paying customers within London before 1576. There had been such buildings, including the Boar's Head and the Bel Savage Inns, and they continued to be used after the Theater was built. Rather, the innovation lies in the erection of special buildings permanently dedicated to the commercial production of plays, buildings where professional acting troupes could have a London base. From there they could branch out to act at court during the Christmas holidays, go to the country when the plague shut their London theaters, or leave the city when for other reasons it made economic sense to take the troupe on tour. The erection of these theaters required an extraordinary convergence of factors. As Walter Cohen has argued, in England "no other locale [besides London] provided the economic and demographic conditions necessary for the successful interaction of investor, actor, dramatist, and audience." Commercial theater was not tied to a ritual or a liturgical calendar; it was a perpetual theater that made the possibility for commercial, secular recreation an everyday occurrence. It was part of an entertainment industry that only a rapidly commercializing culture could sustain. The theater industry, like so much else in the London of the latter sixteenth century, was a mixed affair, part capitalist venture, part artisanal craft guild. To build a public theater required amassing significant amounts of capital and expending it to lease land on which to erect a purpose-built playing space. This a number of entrepreneurial Londoners, including James Burbage and Francis Langley, were able to do. The day-to-day operations of some of the acting troupes who occupied these theaters, like Shakespeare's Lord Chamberlain's Men, resembled a miniature version of a joint stock company. Sharers pooled money to distribute risk and to underwrite expenses, including the hiring of other actors. The sharers then drew equally on any profits. But within the companies, social relations had a craft guild cast with young boys serving in apprentice roles to older actors. The parallel to guilds was limited, however. Unlike guilds, theater companies had no halls, courts, or structures of regulation. The remnants of guild organization present in these companies existed cheek by jowl with the investment structures and high-risk characteristic of capitalist undertakings. Legally, these companies were only allowed to exist if they had the patronage of a nobleman. Otherwise, the actors could be condemned as rogues and vagabonds. Notionally, they thus existed as servants to an aristocratic lord; but in actuality they were part of a complex commercial venture. The building of the early commercial theaters—the Theater, the Curtain, the Swan, the Fortune, the Globe—did not, therefore, just magically happen. It occurred because of a particular conjunction of events that also produced other changes in the city. If capital was available, so were audiences. The growth in London's population was a crucial element in this theater's success. Commercial theaters could function because there were enough people to sustain repertory companies performing fairly continuously throughout the year and a Court to the West of the city that regularly sought command performances during the holiday seasons. Moreover, the nature of the London population was as important as its size. As I have indicated, London was increasingly a place visited by non-Londoners, men and women who came from the country to do business, shop, or bring an action in the London courts, and by strangers of all sorts-ambassadors, overseas merchants, travelers such as Thomas Platter and Frederick, Duke of Wirtemberg. The theater attracted the custom of just such visitors; it had become an early tourist mecca. Just as importantly, it was, as The Gull's Hornbook indicates, a place where the fashionable or the would-be fashionable gentlemen of the town congregated to display themselves, and there were many such in London, either studying at the Inns of Court or "looking about" for court employment or the command of a military unit mustering for Ireland or the Continent. And, of course, there were as far as we can tell just a great many ordinary people who found the commercial theater an important communal pastime. In addition, the Crown supported the public theaters when the city fathers attempted to shut down playing venues on the grounds of their supposedly ungodly or disorderly effects. Perhaps it did so simply to provide the urban population with the equivalent of bread and circuses, public entertainment that would take attention away from public discontents. In allowing the theaters to operate, the Crown supported an institution that provided a place of common resort for many different kinds of ordinary Londoners, including many new to the city. Offering an alternative to the cycle and liturgical drama that was increasingly being suppressed, if not quite eradicated, throughout the country, it provided occasions for recreation in a culture in which the number of saints days and religious holidays was being restricted. In addition, through its rapidly expanding array of theatrical offerings, it provided Londoners with ways to negotiate—through the mediation of staged fictions—some of the changes overtaking these increasingly cosmopolitan urban dwellers. Thomas Heywood, that naive and often-scorned champion of the city, was one early modern dramatist who recognized the special nature of the link between London and its theaters. In his Apology for Actors, Heywood, of course, was seeking to legitimize the theaters and to protect them from opponents, but he did so by creating a narrative in which the greatness of London was uniquely guaranteed by the greatness of its theaters as, he argues, had been true for all cosmopolitan metropolitan centers from time out of mind. Repeatedly in his treatise, Heywood praised the theaters of ancient Rome, and repeatedly he compared contemporary London to the ancient city. "Rome was a Metropolis, a place whither all the nations knowne under the Sunne, resorted: so is London, and being to receive all Estates, all Princes, all Nations, therefore to affoord them all choyce of pastimes, sports, and recreations: yet were there Theaters in all the greatest Cities of the world, as we will more largely particularize hereafter" (C2). Besides Rome's theater, he also praised the playhouses of ancient Jerusalem, Athens, Thebes, and Carthage, and in modern-day Paris, Madrid, Verona, Florence, and Antwerp. By thrusting London into such distinguished urban company, Heywood was using the theater as a central part of a chauvinistic testimony to the city's achievement of a certain international status. Of London theaters he boasted: "Playing is an ornament to the Citty, which strangers of all Nations, repairing hither, report of in their Countries, beholding them here with some admiration: for what variety of entertainment can there be in any Citty of Christendome, more then in London?" (F3). Heywood thought theater valuable in making evident to strangers the magnificence of his northern metropolis and, by extension, the English nation; and he was right about the attractiveness of the theaters to foreign visitors such as Thomas Platter, many of whom recorded a visit to the theater as noteworthy as a visit to St. Paul's, London Bridge, the Exchange, or Westminster Abbey. Heywood was always aware of the competitive contemporary world in which London was ranked and rated against other cities of Christendom and with some outside that boundary. If Paris and Antwerp had great theaters, so must London. But at times Heywood stressed something else, namely, the antiquity of London's theaters and their role as conduits for ancient theatrical traditions. In this project he sounds at times like John Stow, digging deep into London's past, linking the contemporary city to a venerated past. For example, in The Apology Heywood makes London, through its theaters, not only the rival of contemporary Venice but also the inheritor of the ancient city culture of Greece and Rome. In a famous passage describing the theaters of Rome, the landscapes and institutions of modern London mixed with elements of the older city, he writes: "I read of a Theater built in the midst of the river Tyber, standing on pillers and arches, the foundation wrought under water like London-bridge, the Nobles and ladyes in their Barges and Gondelayes, landed at the very stayres of the galleryes. After these they composed others, but differing in forme from the Theater, or Ampi-theater, and every such was called Circus, the frame Globe-like, & merely round" (D3v). Here, the foundations of an ancient theater remind Heywood of the foundations of London Bridge, the ladies in their gondolas conjure up the boatmen ferrying theatergoers across the Thames, and the round theaters of Rome morph into the roundish frame of Shakespeare's Globe. One can read, as in a watery mirror, the lineaments of one city in the features of the other. Elsewhere in his tract, Heywood uses genealogies to suggest the persistence of the past in present cityscapes and institutions. Speaking of the ancient lineage of acting he says: "Thus our Antiquity we have brought from the Grecians in the time of Hercules: from the Macedonians in the age of Alexander: from the Romans long before Julius Caesar, and since him, through the reigns of 23 Emperours succeeding, even to Marcus Aurelius. After him they were supported by the Mantuans, Venetians, Valencians, Neopolitans, the Florentines, and others" (G2v-G3). He traces the lineage of theater further until he comes to England. "But in no Country they are of that eminence that ours are: so our most royall, and ever renouned soveraigne, hath licensed us in London: so did his predecessor, the thrice vertuous virgin, Queene Elizabeth, and before her, her sister, Queene Mary, Edward the sixth, and their father, Henry the eighth: and before these in the tenth yeare of the reigne of Edward the fourth, Anno 1490" (G3). In a simultaneous gesture, Heywood uses the theater to link contemporary London to the cities of ancient Greece, Rome, and Macedonia, and to extend London's own native theater tradition as far into the past as he can find textual traces to authorize the operation. For much of The Apology, Heywood thus thinks of cities in terms of filiation and inheritance as much as in terms of urban and national rivalries. Theater is a sign of insular pride; but it is also a sign of cosmopolitan integration into a community of great cities spanning the contemporary and ancient worlds. Through his narratives, Heywood thus transforms the place of the London theaters into a space in which sophisticated playing and distinguished patrons and visitors attest to the city's international preeminence. Heywood's account of the dramatic genres that make up London theater's repertoire of forms likewise stresses both what is new and what is ancient in the theater's practices. Heywood highlights tragedy and comedy and their instructive value and ancient lineage. Tragedies, for example, "teach the subjects obedience to their King" (F3v) while comedy shows "others their slovenly and unhansome behaviour, that they may reforme that simplicity in themselves, which others make their sport" (F4). Ancient rulers and their communities learned from these generic templates, and so can the English. But particularly in his account of the workings of "domesticke hystories" (B4), Heywood famously allows his particular pride in Englishness to blossom forth: what English blood seeing the person of any bold English man presented and doth not hugge his fame, and hunnye at his valor, pursuing him in his enterprise with his best wishes, and as beeing wrapt in contemplation, offers to him in his hart all prosperous performance. . . ? What coward to see his contryman valiant would not bee ashamed of his owne cowardice? What English Prince should hee behold the true portrature of that [f]amous King Edward the third, foraging France, taking so great a King captive in his owne country, quartering the English Lyons with the French Flower-delyce, and would not bee suddenly Inflam'd with so royall a spectacle, being made apt and fit for the like atchievement" (D4).Here, the London stage, it is suggested, uses particular kinds of fictions to body forth a peculiarly English greatness and to create English subjects uniquely fit for great achievement. National pride and cosmopolitan aspiration for inclusion in a roster of great international cities coalesce in Heywood's tract, starkly revealing the ambition of a northern and insular nation and the role of its greatest urban theaters in adumbrating those ambitions. One kind of play produced in great abundance by the commercial stage after 1598 was London comedy, a subgenre of that kind of play characterized by Heywood as dealing with the "slovenly and unhansome behavior," which spectators must eschew. That I use the term London comedy to describe the kind of play that most interests me deserves further comment. For some years critics have been writing about that group of plays usually referred to as "city comedies." The label has been attached to a number of works written between about 1598 and 1615, which take London (or cities that are screens for London) as their setting and deal in some detail with the geography of that urban setting and with the non-noble characters who people it. Ben Jonson and Thomas Middleton are often singled as the prime writers of city comedy, a genre that in their hands involves a satiric examination of city vices and follies such as greed, lechery, and undeserved pretensions to wit. Typically these plays, which are based on Roman New Comedy, pit gentlemanly "gallants" against artisans and merchants for preeminence within the city milieu, and they pay detailed attention to the topography of the city and to urban culture in terms of its fashions, typical occupations, street slang, and con games. These city plays represent a remarkable break from the conventions of the "higher" genre such as tragedy and the national history play. Seldom dealing with monarchs and rarely with aristocrats, they pitch their social register lower. In part, the historicity of these city comedies consists precisely of the fact that they mark a moment in early modern culture when urban commoners, those below the rank of gentlemen, could become the protagonists in theatrical fictions. As I have argued elsewhere, genre was a key concept for organizing textual production in the early modern period. A term frequently employed by early modern writers, genre indicated the implicit system that made one kind of text distinguishable from another in a relational field. Practically, tacit knowledge of dramatic kinds helped readers or spectators approach texts with particular sets of expectations; at the same time it helped writers by giving them forms and matter for imitation and starting points for improvisations on and transformations of received material. However, in thinking about the early modern stage, in particular, it is important to stress that the utility of generic categories was less ontological than provisional and productive. Dramatic genres were not and are not essential and immutable kinds of writing. Rather, in the early modern stage, generic differences emerged relationally and were performed into being, and the dramatic genre system was constantly in flux in response to a wide range of pressures including the collaborative nature of much dramatic production and the competitive pressures fueling theatrical output. Barbara Mowat, using the work of Alistair Fowler, has argued that genre in general is most usefully understood on the model of "family resemblance" in that works within a generic "family" are related in a variety of ways without necessarily sharing any singular feature in common. Works may in fact exhibit features of more than one family without any principle of exclusivity being violated. Some of the rough and ready vitality of the popular plays of the commercial London theater stems precisely from the way they mix and match, repeat and vary, intermix and alter the many generic templates that persisted from the classical and medieval periods as well as those that have origins within the early modern period itself. Consequently, I want to suggest that the kind of satiric city plays paradigmatically produced by Jonson and Middleton does not exclusively define the period's production of London-based comedies. There are several subgenres within this larger family of plays which includes, but is not confined to, the satiric plays that have traditionally loomed large in critical discussions of city comedy. Together, all of these subgenres share a number of features: they all use London or a lightly veiled substitute as their setting; all deal primarily with non-noble figures; all create comedy from the stuff of urban life; all in some way negotiate the presence of non-native Londoners and non-native commodities within the space of the city. Yet the various subgenres of what I call London comedies are also different in important ways. For example, there are some London chronicle comedies—such as The Shoemaker's Holiday (1599) or If You Know Not Me You Know Nobody, Part II (1606)—that draw part of their matter from historical sources: either the national chronicles of writers such as Holinshed or Hall or the urban chronicles of Grafton or Stow. In a relational field of dramatic genres, these chronicle London comedies are written in view of and partly as an alternative to the national history play. Although monarchs tend to make an appearance in these works, and they are always acknowledged in the narrative as the most powerful authorities in the play's imagined world, chronicle comedies do not tell the monarch's story as does the national history play. Rather, they foreground the stories of prominent London citizens such as Simon Eyre or Thomas Gresham, thus performing the cultural act of subordinating the monarchical to the citizen narrative even while overtly confirming the preeminence of the monarch. In tone, chronicle comedies are celebratory, not satiric, making heroes of London citizens such as Dick Wittington, exuberantly installing civic worthies in the starring roles the history genre had reserved for kings, dukes, and earls. Geographically, chronicle comedies usually take place within the old walled part of London and often focus on monumental civic structures within those walls: Leadenhall in Shoemaker, The Royal Exchange in If You Know Not Me, and the Guildhall and Crosby House in a related play, Edward IV, Parts I and II. Membership in the London guilds is important to social identity in these plays, and gallants are usually peripheral figures. By contrast, the satiric city comedies associated with Middleton and Jonson stress satire over celebration, omit kings altogether, and add gallants as primary figures in their fictions. They do not draw from chronicle sources and replace the emphasis on monumental civic edifices with the depiction of ordinary shops, taverns, and, interestingly, prisons. Bridewell, the Clink, the Counter, and various unnamed jails impart a penitentiary feel to a number of these plays so that while urban vice is sometimes simply mocked by satiric laughter, it is also sometimes controlled by the threat of incarceration in satiric comedies as diverse as The Honest Whore, Eastward Ho, Bartholomew Fair, and The Dutch Courtesan. Geographically, satiric city comedies are typically set in the walled city, though with many mentions of and excursions to the suburbs, while a play such as Epicoene takes place mostly near the Strand in the newer and more fashionable part of London between the city and Westminster. Epicoene, moreover, points to yet another subgenre of London comedy developed primarily in the 1620s and 1630s and including works such as Hyde Park, Covent Garden, and The Asparagus Garden. These plays focus almost entirely on places of urban leisure, such as the ballrooms of the urban gentry, city parks, or the fashionable piazza at the center of the upscale Covent Garden residential development. The setting of these London "town" comedies is mostly the West End outside the old city walls; gallants dominate the narrative; and neither guildsmen nor places of work are foregrounded. Rather, they showcase the lifestyle of a sophisticated urban elite. Wit and good manners are valued in these comedies, and women often function within them as the arbiters of taste and manners rather than as shoppers or gadding wives. By this admittedly thumbnail sketch, I want to suggest that the large family grouping I am calling London comedy is a more varied dramatic form that we have sometimes assumed, that it has a shelf-life extending well into the 1630s, and that it negotiated many more urban places than simply the city's shops and more urban issues than just those involving a shift to a placeless market economy, although certainly it also did that. The role of women in the city, the culture of debt as well as of abundance that accompanied commercial change, the presence of foreigners and strangers in urban life, and the development of new forms of cultural capital, including urbane wit and the ability to speak French and to dance the latest dance—all of these were recurring aspects of the London plays in one or another of its incarnations. Moreover, while for some time a number of the satiric London plays were approached primarily in moral terms (what was satirized and what were the standards of value implicitly governing the satire?), I find it more useful to suspend moral judgements and to think of these plays as sometimes confused attempts to come to terms with a complicated and changing city. If, however, we think of them as providing imaginary resolutions to real social problems, then we must also admit that, like the culture in which they were imbedded, plays did not always have coherent solutions, not even imaginary ones, to the bewildering and contested culture of which they were a part. I would argue that the theater was popular in part because it was not a moralizing institution but an opportunistic one, making fictions from the arenas of life—gender and family life, commerce, encounters with foreignness—where change was most immediate and solutions least prescripted. What remains interesting, however, is the record, these plays afford, of the messy struggle to come to terms with issues that continued to provoke repeated attempts at narrative resolution. One of the notable features of all kinds of London comedy is their attention to the places of the city. Unlike the unlocalized spaces of much Shakespearean tragedy, London comic drama frequently sets the action in particular city districts, buildings, or streets. In The Roaring Girl, Moll meets Laxton in Lincoln Inn's Fields; in Chaste Maid in Cheapside, points in and around this famous goldsmith district, including the wharfs along the Thames, are carefully enumerated; in Covent Garden, Bedford's upscale piazza and the houses and taverns that surround it anchor the action; and in Every Man out of His Humour, we have the first instance of London comedy's preoccupation with St. Paul's Walk as a satiric setting for the display of urban vanity. The list could be extended indefinitely. Nearly every London play to some extent localizes the action by referring to the streets and landmarks of the city and by setting key scenes in recognizable places. As I will discuss at some length in the ensuing chapters, such citations serve complex purposes, not all of which simply aim at giving audiences the pleasure of recognition. Rather, in invoking the places of the city and filling them with action, the plays also construct the city and make it intelligible for those unfamiliar with its places or the uses to which they can be put, and they parse the permissible and impermissible actions attendant on those places. In this book I focus on four city places that the drama turns into significant social spaces by its repeated narration of them. My premise is that we can learn something about how the drama engages with issues that draw the attention of London spectators by looking at its iterated use of particular urban locations. Sites, I will argue, become ideologically charged as they are visited and revisited by various dramatists and as they become connected with particular urban actors and with particular kinds of stories. One play with a key scene set in St. Paul's Walk is interesting; a series of such scenes by successive dramatists reveals the collective cultural labor by which a place becomes a vehicle through which particular kinds of social problematics are addressed, visited, and revisited. Consequently, all of the places I address in this book appear in a number of plays; each becomes associated with key social actors, whether they be debtors, whores, international merchants, or French dancing masters; each addresses an associated cluster of issues, whether those be the cultural competencies that allow mastery within certain social milieu, the relationship between native and stranger urban inhabitants, or the changing place of women in London's urban landscape. Collectively, each sequence of plays participates over time in rendering the city ideologically knowable, in regulating conduct within it, and in negotiating the most vexed issues with which Londoners were confronted. The first chapter deals with one of the truly consequential London buildings to be erected in the city in the second half of the sixteenth century, Thomas Gresham's Royal Exchange. Purpose-built to imitate the great trading bourses on the Continent and to provide a place for international merchants to gather, the Exchange became one of the most celebrated landmarks of Tudor-Stuart London. Mentioned by travelers and depicted by famous engravers and map makers, the Royal Exchange also figured in a number of London comedies, including the first to be written, William Haughton's Englishmen for My Money (1598). In this chapter I argue that the Royal Exchange came paradoxically to symbolize London's pride in its growing role as an international entrepot and its simultaneous anxiety about the traffic of strangers that such a role mandated. Several plays, including Haughton's, but also Thomas Heywood's If You Know Not Me You Know Nobody, Part II, foreground the Exchange in plots that attempt to come to terms with the changing nature of London's commercial life and with the vexed relationship between native and foreign-born merchants and their relative economic preeminence within the city. But plays featuring the Royal Exchange also reveal something about the insistent gendering of space in representations of London as well as in its material practices. Although the main floor of the Exchange was a male-dominated space, the upper pawn, or retail shopping area, contained large number of women, both consumers and shop attendants. The Fair Maid of the Exchange is one of the many plays of the period that refer to the women who work in the pawn, and in this case they become central figures in a plot that turns on their vulnerabilities and new-found powers within this public space. Collectively, the Exchange plays I examine reveal some of the tensions surrounding London's changing economy, the enforced cosmopolitanism entailed by its new commercial expansiveness, and the gender disequilibrium attendant on new economic practices. Chapter 2 switches perspective and looks not at the place where big money could be made, that is, the Royal Exchange, but at the dreadful places, the London Counters, where people faced incarceration when money had been lost and credit denied. Once one starts to look, it is truly surprising, at least surprising to me, how many London comedies mention either the Wood Street or the Poultney Street Counter and how many actually set part of the action in one or another of these institutions. Starting with Jonson's early play, Every Man out of His Humor (1600), which concludes with Sir Fastidius Brisk in one of the Counters, London comedies use these prisons to explore the social death that results from losing one's credit, a word that encompasses both one's reputation and one's ability to accrue debt. Playing on the internal structure of the debtors' prison, with its purgatorial descent from the privileges of the Master's Ward to the miseries of the Hole, dramatists construct the prisons as sites of social undoing and material divestiture as prisoners, time and again, shed their clothing in the course of their incarceration, spiraling down to the absolute privations of the Hole. Central as this descent is to the Counter narratives, London comedies ring surprising changes on their basic tales of prodigality undone. Sometimes a harrowing of hell occurs, and the prodigal steps forth as a new man, liberated by acts of charity. Sometimes the debtor is cast as victim, rather than as guilty prodigal, and Counter narratives become occasions to query the mysterious operations of the market or the venality of creditors. Occasionally, the Counters are transformed from sites of punishment to performative spaces in which the theatrical cleverness of the prodigal, rather than his repentance, garners his release. In each case, however, the Counter becomes a space for negotiating the place of debt in urban life and for constructing and querying the social logics by which one's "credit" is or is not made dependent on financial viability. Interestingly, in the overwhelming majority of Counter narratives, the debtor is male. For reasons I explore in Chapter 3, the Counters are gendered as male spaces, and the basic Counter narrative of the death of social identity is rendered as a male story. By contrast, the third social place I examine, the London whorehouse, while it involves men, tends to give at least equal billing to women. In fact, I argue that whorehouse narratives become a chief site for negotiating the changing nature of women's place within urban culture. A recurring trope found in these comedies, that of the conversion of chaste maids into whores and whores into wives, is especially crucial in foregrounding anxiety about the malleability of women's identities in the new circumstances that pertain in the metropolis and puts in question the comfortingly stable and discrete categories of maid, wife, widow, and whore that characterize much prescriptive literature of the period. While the whorehouse is sometimes represented in London comedy as a moralized space where female guilt is revealed, more often whorehouse narratives are marked by a high-spirited flouting of moralizing discourses. This is even true, I argue, when the whore herself is seen as the bearer of a contaminating foreignness. Ironically, while whorehouses are sometimes constructed as sites of dangerous miscegenation, they are equally likely to be represented in London comedy as sites of a forgiving cosmopolitanism. Like representations of the Royal Exchange, whorehouses, I will show, are spaces where Londoners' relationship to the world beyond its shores is negotiated, though in a refreshingly irreverent fashion. Unlike the Royal Exchange or the Counters, however, the bawdy houses of London comedy are often generic places, though frequently they are given quite specific geographic locations, and occasionally an historical whorehouse, like Holland's Leaguer, is used as the setting in a particular play. The same thing is true of the final places I will examine in this book, namely, the ballrooms and academies of manners that are so prominently featured in the town comedies of the 1620s and 1630s. A few comedies, such as Brome's The New Academy, refer directly to specific London academies such as Francis Kynaston's Museum Minervae, established at the west end of Bedford's Covent Garden piazza in 1635. More often, however, academies of manners are generic places, though they are nearly all located in fashionable West End areas outside the old walled city. Common to all the plays featuring such places, however, is their intense preoccupation with the inculcation of new regimes of manners and bodily discipline. A chief actor in each is the dancing master, the Galliards, Lightfoots, and Frisks who pirouette and bow their way through the plots, dispensing advice about the proper management of foot and hand, the right way to bow, and the wrong way to do a fashionable dance. Plays featuring ballrooms and academies, I suggest, use these places to model new standards of deportment, the acquisition of which becomes both crucial cultural capital in a town setting and a new means to discriminate between those who matter and those who do not. Consequently, the incompetent boor, the person who cannot dance and cannot manage a proper bow, is as necessary to such plots as the dancing master, for it is such a figure who defines what is unacceptable behavior within these emerging spaces of social privilege. Moreover, the relentless emphasis on the French origins of these new bodily regimes raises in a fresh register the enduring preoccupation within London comedy with the relationship between what is native to the city and what is alien or foreign. Almost always, the dancing master who teaches and corrects English bodies is of French origins, and anxiety about the consequences of foreign cultural practices on English bodies is given forceful representation by his ubiquitous presence. An object alternately of scorn and emulation, he is nonetheless omnipresent—simultaneously a reminder of the elegance the English lack and would acquire, and of the effeminacy they scorn. The gendering of academy spaces is particularly complex. Some fictional academies serve both men and women, but gender identities within these spaces are never secure. As the ambivalence surrounding Frisk suggests, masculinity is at risk in an arena where acquiring new skills in bodily deportment both authorizes gentlemanly status and also threatens to compromise native English manliness. For women, the dangers of ballroom and academy are even greater as the practices of these spaces authorize the intense speculation of the female body and blur, even in these fashionable arenas, the boundaries separating reputable and disreputable women. This book ends with Margaret Cavendish's The Female Academy (1662), a withering riposte to the ways in which London comedies of the Caroline period had imagined the participation of women in academy culture. A number of threads bind together the arguments developed in each of the ensuing chapters. A focus on place anchors each chapter as I explore the dramatic stories through which places become significant social spaces and arenas for negotiating particular urban problems. But the book loosely traces a geographical progress, as well, as the locus of London comedy slowly moves west from the walled city toward the fashionable West End. I begin with the Royal Exchange located in the very heart of the old city and then explore the Counters, far less monumental structures than the Exchange, but still located within its geographical orbit. The chapter on the bawdy houses of London, however, has a much broader geographical reach. Once Henry VIII dissolved the Bankside whorehouses in the 1540s, places of prostitution proliferated both within the city proper and in all the surrounding suburbs. Some, such as Holland's Leaguer, flourished in the traditional Bankside location, but others sprang up within the walls and at every compass point without. Consequently, one of the things I explore in Chapter 3 is the ubiquity of places of prostitution and the connections between this expansion and other kinds of economic and social change that marked the city's growth. The final chapter, on ballrooms and academies, is based firmly in the West End where these places became part of the ensemble of fashionable resorts in which a new regime of manners and bodily deportment was both constructed and displayed. The book, then, is designed to move from the ceremonial and commercial center of the old walled city to the expanding suburbs and the fashionable West End. Whatever the geographical locations examined in these London plays, however, one thing that remains constant is their preoccupation with gender relations and definitions. The city, as I will demonstrate throughout, was a place where both status and gender relations were constantly being renegotiated. Urban life created new places for women to work, such as the pawn at the top of the Royal Exchange, and new places such as dancing schools and academies of manners to display and refashion their bodies. Even the oldest occupation, prostitution, took on new forms in the post-reformation city as the sanctioned stews were dissolved and the places of prostitution became more varied, some becoming indecipherable from everyday taverns and houses, others, like Holland's Leaguer, becoming landmarks in their own right. Through their stories of brothels, bourses, and ballrooms, London comedies repeatedly, even obsessively, attempt to come to terms with the changing place(s) of women in urban life and to draw and redraw the boundaries of permissible action. The same is true, though in a different way, for men. Some forms of masculinity, such as those founded on martial skill, are largely peripheral to the genre of London comedy. Rank remained crucial to male identity, but in the urban context it was challenged by money-based forms of status and by a new emphasis on what I call performative masculinity, that is, the ability to master codes of fashionability and to comport oneself with distinction in the city's emerging arenas for mannerly display. Ironically, stories of the Counters, in which masculine social identity could effectively be obliterated, provide some of the most complex narratives about the pressures on masculinity in the urban context and the struggle between old and new ways of achieving and displaying masculine privilege. For both men and women, having money was one way of achieving status, but only one way. In the academy comedies of the Caroline period, for example, the privileges of both birth and wealth are challenged by an emphasis on new kinds of cultural competencies having to do with deportment, manners, and a sophisticated sense of personal and social style. Identity is never formed except relationally, and hence the emphasis throughout the book on the mutually defining and ever changing relationship of men with women in the London context and on the relationship of native English men and women with those who are strangers to the city. When Frederick described London, he was struck by the international cast of the ships anchored at its docks, ships from France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg, and beyond. Those ships brought products from distant places into London markets, and they also brought strangers into every corner of the city, including its taverns, whorehouses, theaters, and places of commercial exchange. How London comedy negotiated foreign encroachments is a major theme threading its way throughout my argument. In the Exchange plays, strangers figure prominently as players in London's high-stakes commercial life and put considerable pressure on Englishmen's sense of their own preeminence in their purpose-built bourse. But the proper relationship of Englishman with alien is a topic revisited in the many whore comedies of the Jacobean stage and, in a different way, in Caroline academy comedies in which it is foreign standards of comportment, as much as literal foreigners, that pose the threat and the challenge to English identity. Thomas Heywood, that tireless apologist for the city and its actors and playwrights, felt that London theater of his time and place was worthy of comparison to the best theater produced by the great cosmopolitan cities of both past and present. I think he was right. Post-reformation London provided the conditions of possibility that allowed a vigorous commercial theater of marked sophistication to flourish. The plays I examine in this book, taking London places as their setting and urban life as their theme, reveal the remarkable synergy between the city and its entertainment industry and make evident the theater's role in imagining London and the new forms of social life and social identity flourishing within it.

My previous post gave taxpayers a bit of information regarding FREE tax filing services for individuals, but what if you have a complicated tax matter, or need a corporate tax return prepared? Odds are the taxpayer is going to have to seek out the assistance of a professional tax preparer. Selecting a tax preparer can become a tricky undertaking for many. As I browsed the postings in the financial section of craigslist, I came across a great deal of “ads” offering taxpayers money for referrals, and some even offering gifts for tax preparation services. Although a majority of these ads stated that they were licensed professionals, their code of ethics seems to fall by the way side. Some ads would guarantee refunds and their payment would be a percentage of the said refund. This is a major no-no from the IRS. Other things taxpayers should avoid are: • Avoid preparers who base their fee on a percentage of the amount of your refund or who claim they can obtain larger refunds than other preparers. • Avoid tax preparers that ask you to sign a blank tax form. • Check to see if the preparer has any questionable history with the Better Business Bureau • Find out if the preparer belongs to a professional organization that requires its members to pursue continuing education and also holds them accountable to a code of ethics. These are just a few tips to keep a taxpayer in voluntary compliance and avoid penalties and interest in the long run. Keeping Your Business N Synergy

When an audience member suggested to Ottawa singer-songwriter Lynne Hanson that she should make an album of murder ballads, her first reaction was to laugh. After all, her terrific River of Sand CD came out just last year, and there wouldn’t be any pressure to produce new material for another year or so. But then she came up with the perfect title: Seven Deadly Spins. “Then I had to do it. Once you have the title, you have to do the project,” Hanson said during an interview in the west Ottawa home she shares with her husband, two cats and an array of guitars. What’s more, she was scheduled for knee surgery after a debilitating injury suffered last year while playing touch football. Optimisically, she thought an album of seven songs would be a good recuperation project. “I don’t know why I thought seven songs was less work than 11 because it’s really not,” she says now. “The songwriting process itself is the same. I didn’t want to put out seven songs that were irrelevant or inconsistent with a certain style or quality of writing. Actually I was panicking two weeks out because I only had five songs that I thought were good enough to put on a record and put my name on them.” To finish the writing for Seven Deadly Spins, which is being launched on Halloween weekend, Hanson enlisted the help of her Ottawa musician pal, Al Wood. They co-wrote the rollicking First One’s Free, which then inspired Hanson to knock out the desperado’s lament, Cecil Hotel. Working again with singer-songwriter Lynn Miles, who produced River of Sand, was also instrumental in getting the songs in shape. “It’s not often I really have a song where the paint’s not dry on it, and it hasn’t been played in front of anybody,” Hanson says. “So then you’re bringing it in the studio and it’s like, ‘Here it is.’ The real benefit of working with Lynn is she’s got such a strong background in songwriting. We were under a time constraint, so to bring in someone else’s creative power, someone who’s a great songwriter, it’s a synergy thing. I’m really liking co-writing now.” Hanson’s songs of reckoning, as she likes to call them, are populated by a cast of evil characters, including a gravedigger, an arsonist and an elegant husband killer. Some of the stories are derived from her fascination with reading about serial murderers. “It’s not all about killing,” she insists. “Sometimes it skirts the edges of it. I would read about a serial killer of some kind and I would see the character in my head. As soon as I can see the character in my brain, I can do it.” Musically, the songs capture a sense of tortured loneliness rendered in a dusty country-rock setting that’s coloured by the work of guest musicians such as Chris Brown (organ), Tony Diteodoro (slide guitar), Keith Glass (more guitars) Gilles LeClerc (mandolin) and Brian Sanderson (sousaphone and cornet). It was recorded in the Ottawa studio of Philip Shaw Bova, who also lent his talents on drums and percussion. After the career gains achieved with River of Sand, which include the support of a Dutch label and widespread touring in Europe, Hanson is releasing the new album independently. “I called it Lynne Hanson and the Good Intentions because I see it as a different project. It’s not just a Lynne Hanson project. The band played a larger role in creating the songs than they normally would. It’s sort of like Steve Earle and Exit O, or something,” she says. “I didn’t push hard to try and get somebody behind this. It’s been a lot of fun to own it 100 per cent. I’m doing it all myself. I own everything about it. It’s like a little pet. If there’s any part of it that people don’t like, I am the one to send the complaint to.” As for its effectiveness as a post-surgery recuperation project, the album fit the bill. “It really focused me,” Hanson says. “To get it out on Halloween gave me a very focused and very manageable goal. “It’s also something I think I might release on vinyl next Halloween. Unlike some songs that I don’t even relate to anymore, I’ll probably like these songs for longer, just because of that dark element that goes through me in terms of my storytelling. Those are things I really like in storytelling so I don’t think I’ll get tired of it.” Lynne Hanson and the Good Intentions When: Friday, Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. Where: The Branch, Kemptville Tickets: $15, call to reserve, 613-258-3737. When: Saturday, Oct. 31 at 9:30 p.m. Where: Greenfield’s Pub, 900 Greenbank Rd. Tickets: $15 advance; lynnehanson.com

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What’s New in WiSys Agility Build 567 Watch this webinar to see the new WiSys features and functionality WiSys Agility build 567 was released in October 2017 and is now available with a 3.0 update. During the webinar, you will see new WiSys features including: Want an easy alternative to SSRS? Agility Analytics is now available as part of the base Agility product with no extra cost and can be run in Agility Explorer Desktop or Agility Web explorer. Standard sample analytical dashboards have been bundled in Agility Explorer and Agility Web Explore for AR Management, OE Order Status Processing and Management. Agility Explorer Desktop printers can now be setup and managed for ALL USERS by the administrator from their desktop. Want to run Agility applications in Synergy? With Synergy version 10.5 and above, Wisys Widgets can now be added to your Synergy menu, allowing users to run any Agility Explorer Web grids, process grids or analytical dashboards. Agility Web Explorer Enhancements List views and dialog functionality is now available. This allows users to view a list of customers, orders or items in a streamlined list and drill into full details. This is great for mobile device users to get the data they need wherever they are. An Agility Mobile App is now available for iOS and Android.

|'Three Identical Strangers': Relatively Horrifying| |By Michael S. Goldberger, iBerkshires film critic| 04:18PM / Thursday, July 26, 2018 You don't have to be Jewish to lament "Oy, yoy, yoy" after seeing director Tim Wardle's shocking documentary, "Three Identical Strangers." After being presented a series of outlandish and disturbing disclosures about the title triplets separated at birth, adopted by three separate families and who are reunited at age 19, you'll warm up for that final assessment by first issuing several "Holy Cows," a few "Yipes" and perhaps a couple good old-fashioned "Wows." Unaware of, or having forgotten about, the celebrity that Eddy Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran enjoyed when they discovered each other in the early 1980s, I expected something more tame than this eye-opening and provocative, ethically disquieting study. Hence, I suggest that to experience a similar surprise before reaching a conclusion of moral outrage, you read very little about this bizarre tale. In fact, while I promise to skirt the eventual cause of your indignation, I won't be upset if you skip this review. Y'know, tis a far, far better thing I do. I venture director Wardle probably counted on a convenient amnesia to afflict his potential viewers. His beautifully layered narrative, employing archive footage and contemporary interviews, slyly begins with a sunny ebullience. Happy in the whimsy of the reunification, we immediately like the brothers, and exalt in their apparent delight. On talk shows, as the giddy host pumps the novelty for all its worth, audiences marvel and cheer. The three inform that they smoke the same brand of cigarette, like the same sort of women, etc., etc. How about that, folks? But where is all this going? The short review, as opined by my daughter, Erin, whose astuteness in matters creative is on generous display at her art gallery, is, "It's Nuts!" While the camera intermittently switches among psychiatrists who came to be familiar with the case, and who chime in with their opinions, we can't help but mull our own analysis of what we're witnessing. Learning that the boys were raised in three different, socioeconomic backgrounds — blue collar, middle class and upper crust — we arrive at the age-old, inescapable debate: nature vs. nurture. Their initial chemistry is remarkably strong — the communication astonishing. It occurs that they did originally share a language with each other, now long lost, but perhaps retrievable in a new dialect. All of which unleashes a bevy of dilemmas that boggles the mind. And while we might, as vicarious parents feel pride when the triplets open a restaurant/nightclub in Manhattan not too long after they get together, we fear the gloss on the pumpkin will perhaps fade, a victim of familiarity breeding contempt combined with the rigors of business. Of course, none of this is as ominous or portending as the secret I promised to keep, Cheshire cat smile obnoxiously plastered on my face. Suffice it to note, however, that at issue before closing credits roll is no less than the power of our DNA as it figures in the perennial question of free will vs. fate. Many people use that argument as the reason for their apparent success (i.e., "I come from a long line of wealthy taxidermists"), but more often than not as rationalization for their perceived failure (i.e., "No one loved me but my Momma, and I think she was jiving me, too"). But we are a generally optimistic species, with most of our members subscribing to the maxim that if we put our nose to the grindstone we will soar to incalculable heights. Witness our rise thus far from the primordial mud to pan-global, digital command of our destiny, emblemized by the ability to have pizza delivered to our front door in 30 minutes or less. Therefore, while we might worry that some genetic fly in the ointment will derail the natural high the troika exude upon discovering one another, we imagine the resultant synergy as potentially limitless. So we drop our guard whilst basking in the grand curiosity of how similar the triplets turned out to be, not considering the infinite number of ways they may be different. And then, lo and behold, at about the movie's midpoint, the golden apple of discord is tossed into the mix, dealing us the proverbial gut punch. There's a heretofore unmentioned variable afoot — a sinister deceit — an unconscionable skullduggery that prompted my aforementioned oy, yoy, yoy! (Loosely translated for out-of-towners, boy oh boy!) It is "Believe it or Not" with a built-in moral quandary, causing us to wonder about the yin and the yang of the lines we humans cross in the cause of pursuits both small and large, defensible or obscene. Similar to many of the outlandish divulgences coming out of Washington these days, "Three Identical Strangers" is a classic example of truth being stranger than fiction. "Three Identical Strangers," rated PG-13, is a Neon release directed by Tim Wardle and stars Eddie Galland, David Kellman and Robert Shafran. Running time: 96 minutes

Actual problems of financial security monitoring company Zinovieva A.A., accountant of company «Kromos» Kazakova N.A., Doctor of Economics, professor, head of the Department analysis of economic activities, Russian university of economics G.V. Plekhanova Khlevnaya E.A., the candidate of economic sciences, the docent of the Department analysis of economic activities, Russian university of economics G.V. Plekhanova Annotation. Abstract the authors examine a company's financial security as the level of the maintenance of stability and fiscal sustainability, sufficiency of funding for operating, financial and investment activities, cash flow balance, sufficient independence from contractors and business partners. The article identified the risks of financial security business, as well as the directions of their control: assets (property), information, personnel, information resources (databases), the company's reputation. The authors of the systematized financial security company, distributed control centres. Keywords: financial analysis, monitoring, financial security, indicators. 1. Federalny zakon ot 25.12.2008 № 273-FZ «O protivodeystvii korruptsii» (s izmeneniyami i dopolneniyami); 2. Metodicheskiye rekomendacii po razrabotke i prinyatiju organizatsiyami mer po preduprezhdeniju I protivideistviju korruptsii (utv. Ministerstvom truda i socialnoy zaschity RF 8 noyabrya 2013g.) 3. Kazakova N.A., Efremova E.I. Kontsepciya vnutrennego kontrolya effectivnosti organizacii. Monografiya. M. INFRA-M, 2015.-243s.- (Nauchnaya mysl)- DOI 10.12737/741. 4. Khlevnaya E.A., Kazakova N.A. Operativnyi analiz i controlling finansovyh potokov v holdingah.// Upravlencheskiy uchet. -№10, 2015. M.:Finpress. S. 38-48. 5. Khlevnaya E.A., Kazakova N.A. Operativnoye upravlenie finansovymi potokami v ramkah budjetnoy modeli upravleniya.// Upravlencheskiy uchet. - №12, 2015. M.: Finpress. S. 99-106. 6. Khlevnaya E.A., Kazakova N.A. Finansovyi controlling v holdingah. Monogfiya. M.: INFRA-M, 2015. 7. Papekhin R.S. Vzaimosvyaz finansovoy bezopasnosti, stabilnosti, gibkosti i ravnovesiya corporacii.// Osnovnye napravleniya povysheniya effectivnosti economiki, upravleniya i kachestva podgotovki specialistov. Sb. st. III Mezhdunar. Nauch.-praktich. Conf. Penza, 2007. 8. Kazakova N.A. Konceptsiya controllinga economicheskoy bezopasnosti regiona.// Fundamentalnye issledovaniya. № 11 (chast 6) 2015, s. 1180-1183. 9. Buhonova S.M. Kompleksnaya metodika analiza finansovoy ustoychivosti predpriyatiya. / Buhonova S.M., Doroshenko U.A., Benderskava O.B. // Ekonomicheshiy analiz: teoriya i praktika.-2004.- № 7 (22).- s. 7-12. Management of social tax, risks and optimization Shestakova E.V., Candidate of Legal Sciences, General director LLC Actual management Annotation. Today a lot of people are talking aboutsocial taxes. So, currently it is being discussed the calculation of insurance contributions for compulsory pension, amounts and limits base for calculating insurance taxes, as well as the introduction of co-payment of insured persons in the payment of contributions. Another important issue is related with payment of insurance taxes, they may be transferred to union administration of taxes and insurance contributions. But this is something what will happened in 2016, we will discuss it in this article. Keywords: insurance taxes, co-payments, the risk of payment of insurance premiums, optimization of insurance premiums. 1. Government Decree of 26.11.2015 N 1265 "On the limiting value base for calculating premiums in the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation and the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation from January 1, 2016" 2. Federal Law of 01.12.2014 N 406-FZ "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the issues of compulsory social insurance" 3. Federal Law of 24.07.2009 N 212-FZ (ed. By 11.28.2015) "On the insurance premiums to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation, the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, the Federal Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund" Mandych I.A., candidate of economic sciences, associate professor, acting head of department Federal State Budget Educational «Moscow Technological University», Institute of innovative technologies and public administration, Department of marketing Lukmanov V.B., candidate of technical sciences, associate professor Federal State Budget Educational «Moscow Technological University», Institute of innovative technologies and public administration, Department of marketing Bykov V.M., candidate of economic sciences, associate professor The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Graduate school of Corporate Management, Department of Corporate Management Vikhrova A.S., assistant professor Federal State Budget Educational «Moscow Technological University», Institute of innovative technologies and public administration, Department of Economics, organization and management of innovative enterprise development Annotation. The aim of this paper is to find the break-even point depending on the tasks for multiproduct enterprises. The article contains the specific examples of the break-even points’(BEP) calculations, taking into account constraints on the structure of manufactured products. For this reason there were considered some cases of multiproduct BEP: without conditions of the production’s structure invariability; without conditions of the production’s structure invariability, allocating from common fixed costs direct fixed costs for each product; the case when some products have shared direct fixed costs. The calculations were made with Excel Solver add-in. The obtained results show the possibility of applying the method into making decisions’ practice, requiring to determine the maximum allowable limit of break-even production activities. Keywords: break-evenpoint, marginofsafety. 1. Grischenko, O.V. Management Accounting [e-resource] / Lecture notes.Taganrog: Taganrog’s Technological Institute of South Federal University 2007. – Url: producm.ru/books/business_accounting_books/book30/index.php?sphrase_id=14208 08.09.2015 2. Zakolodina, T.V. Finance, credit and monetary circulation. Vol.1 [text]: textbook/ Zakolodina, T.V., Tsoy A.V. – Moscow State University of Fine Chemical Technologies, 2010, 80 p. 3. Zakolodina, T.V. Finance, credit and monetary circulation. Vol.2 [text]: textbook/ Zakolodina, T.V., Tsoy A.V. – Moscow State University of Fine Chemical Technologies, 2010, 76 p. 4. Metelev, A.E. Theoretical bases of harmonistic approach in enterprise’s financial crisis management [text]: monograph. 2-nd edition, revised and enlarged/ Metelev, A.E., Metelev, I.S. – Omsk, Omsk institute (affiliation) of Russian State University of Trade and Economics, 2010. – 383 p. 5. Mitckevich, A.A. Various methods of break-even analysis [e-recourse] / Corporate management: independent project. URL: cfin.ru/management/finance/cost/cvp_var.shtml 08.09.2015 The recognition algorithm identifies financially unstable companies, the estimate of probability of bankruptcy Ivannikov I.S., chief accountant LLC EVROMEDPRESTIZH Annotation.Тhe article describes the effective algorithm for assessing the financial condition of the company. It illustrates the practical application of the proposed financial analysis algorithm to identify unreliable companies on the example of «Transaero» airline and travel agency «Neva». The analysis revealed the characteristic dynamics of deterioration in the financial condition of the reviewed companies before the bankruptcy, a method that allows predicting a high probability of bankruptcy of financially unstable economic actors. Keywords: the probability of bankruptcy, unreliable company, financially unstable company, financial analysis, analysis of bankruptcy probability, the financial condition indicator. 1. Ivannikov I.S. Universal indicator of the financial condition of the organization / Journal of Economy and entrepreneurship, Vol. 9, Nom. 9-2 2. Dontsova L.V., Nikiforova N.A. Analysis of the financial statements. Workshop. M .: Business and Service, 2015. - 160 p. 3. Nikolaeva T.P. Finance companies. M .: EOI, 2008. - 311 p. 4. Fomin Y.A. Pattern recognition. The theory and application. M .: Fazis, 2014. - 460 p. Practical aspects of an assessment of financial stability of the enterprises Khrapova E.V., Candidate of Economic Sciences, associate professor of economy and FGBOU VPO’S management “OGIS” Kychanov B.I., Candidate of Economic Sciences, the associate professor of economy and management on transport of OIVT (branch) FGBOU IN “SGUVT” Annotation. In article questions of an assessment of financial stability and solvency of the enterprises are considered. Financial stability and solvency of six Russian shipping companies of an inland water transport is analyzed. Conclusions are drawn on decrease in financial stability of the navigable companies in 2013-2014. New approaches to an assessment of financial stability are offered. The main directions of increase of financial stability and solvency of the enterprises are defined. Keywords: financial stability, solvency level, financial stability of shipping companies, actions for increase of financial stability. 1. Vladyka, M. V. Financial management: manual / M. V. Vladyka, T. V. Goncharenko. – M.: KNORUS – 2006. – 264 pages. 2. Kychanov, B. I. Metodologiya of the comparative analysis of work of shipping companies. – River transport (21st century). – 2013. – No. 1. – Page 82 – 86. 3. Finance of the organizations (enterprises) / Under N. V. Kolchina's edition. – 5th prod. – M.: UNITY-DANA. – 2011. – 407 pages. Factoring as an instrument of net management of working capital efficiency Azimina E.V., PHD of Economics, associate professor, professor of SPSEU, Head of Audit Committee, Member of BOD Plc. “Russian Akvaculture” Annotation. The article describes supply financing as a modern tool of Supplier – Customer relationship optimization in value chain as an example of network efficiency management approach. Formulated principles of supply financing with or without regress are given, economical model of synergy realization and how it could be shared between Supplier and Customer are provided here. Keywords: factoring, supply financing, working capital efficiency, net management system, value chain, Supplier–Customer relationship, value chain efficiency growth model, payments terms, interests payments optimization. 1. Jeremy Rifkin. The Third Industrial Revolution; How Lateral Power is Transforming Energy, the Economy and the World. Alpina non-fikshen Ltd. 2014. 2. Peter Marsh. The New Industrial Revolution: Consumers, Globalization And The End Of Mass Production, translated by Anna Sharomizkaya – M.: Gaidar Institute Publishing, 2015. 3. Azimina E.V. How to form the Efficiency Management System at the modern enterprise. // Problems of the business management. –SPb: Polytechnic University Publishing, 2010. 4. Azimina E.V. Target setting in the Baltika Brewery Management System.// “EngeconVestnik” magazine, N3 (46).-SPb.: SPSUE, 2011. 5. Azimina E.V., Andreev V.N. Business Management Organizing. – SPB.: Nestor-History, 2011. 6. Azimina E.V., Andreev V.N. From Entrepreneurship to Net structure (about the main problems of business management system development)// Business management systems problems. The book of articles N13. – SPb: PIMASH, 2010. 7. Consignment is a way of efficiency improvement within distribution chain. // “EngeconVestnik” magazine, N7 (66). –SPb.: SPSUE, 2013. Financial business planning problem for small businesses Russia Prodanova N.A., Doctor of Economics, Professor Department of Accounting REU them. GV Plekhanov Malykh N.I., candidate of Economics, Associate Professor of the department of world and national economics The Russian foreign trade academy of the ministry for economic development of Russia Molchagina A.S., student REU them. GVPlekhanov Annotation. The article highlights the issues in financial business planning as a basic instrument of company management. The article describes the purpose, objectives and stages of financial planning. As an illustration of the described problems and difficulties of preparing a financial business plan is considered an example of a specific organization. Keywords: financial business planning, key financial assumptions, CVP Analysis, margin profit and loss, projected financial statements, finance analysis. 1. The problem on the small firms 2010-2015 [electronic resource]: the Prime Minister's Advisor on Enterprise - London, UK, access: gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/402897/Lord_Young_s_enterprise_report-web_version_final.pdf/ free (reference date 03/11/15). 2. Federation of Small Business [electronic resource]: FSB Ltd - London, UK, access mode: fsb.org.uk/ free (reference date 04/11/15). 3. National Enterprise Network [electronic resource]: National Enterprise Network - London, UK, access mode: nationalenterprisenetwork.org/ free (reference date 04/11/15). 4. Why Business Plans Do not Get Funded [electronic resource]: Cayenne Consulting Ltd - London, UK, access mode: caycon.com/why-business-plans-dont-get-funded.php/ free (reference date 04/11/15). 5. How to Write the Financial Section of a Business Plan [electronic resource]: publishing INC.EDU - London, UK, access mode: inc.com/guides/business-plan-financial-section.html / free (reference date 04/11/15). 6. Dyson J.R. (2010) Accounting for Non-Accounting Students 8th Ed. Prentice Hall: London Library. 7. The International Accounting Standard (IAS) 7, "Cash Flow Statements" (ed. By 05/07/2013) (entered into force in the territory of the Russian Federation Order of the Russian Ministry of Finance dated 25.11.2011 N 160n) // SPS Consultant. 8. Atrill P. & Mclaney E. 2011 Accounting & Finance for Non-Specialists. Pearson Education. 9. International Accounting Standard (IAS) 1 "Presentation of Financial Statements" (ed. By 08/26/2015) (entered into force in the territory of the Russian Federation Order of the Russian Ministry of Finance dated 25.11.2011 N 160n) // SPS Consultant. 10. Malykh NI The method of analysis of the budget execution of the enterprise // Public service 2013 -№6 C. 45-49 11. Malykh NI, Prodanova NA Short-term financial planning in the financial management system of the organization // Audit and financial analysis. -2011. - №5. -FROM. 278-285. A method of capital structure optimization based on the financial distress costs Kirshin I.A., doctor of economic Sciences, professor, the head of financial management chair, Kazan Federal University Annotation. The aim of this article is to analyze the theoretical problems and methodical aspects concerning optimizing of the capital structure of the firm and working out of a method to optimize the capital structure of the firm. Formation of the optimal structure of the firm’s capital is important for the effective management of corporate finances and decision-making on corporate governance. The capital structure decisions directly related to the interests of owners, creditors and other stakeholders on the distribution of free cash flow. A choice of sources and methods of funding has an impact on the effectiveness of the company and the ability to achieve the targets of financial management systems. Formation of the optimal structure of the firm’s capital aims to maximize market firm value and minimize the weighted average cost of capital based on an assessment of costs of financial distress. Keywords: capital structure, financial leverage, company value, weighted average cost of capital, financial distress cost. 1. Modigliani F., Miller M. The cost of capital, corporation finance and the theory of investment // American Economic Review. 1958. Vol. 48, pp. 261–297. 2. Kraus A., Litzenberger R.H. A State-Preference Model of Optimal Financial Leverage // Journal of Finance. September 1973, pp. 911–922. 3. Donaldson G., Fox B. Corporate Debt Capacity: A Study of Corporate Debt Policy and the Determination of Corporate Debt Capacity. Washington D.C. Board Books. 1961. 4. Myers S.C. The Capital Structure Puzzle// Journal of Finance. 1984. Vol. 39, pp. 575–592. 5. Myers S.C., Majluf N. Corporate financing and investment decisions when firms have information that investors do not have // Journal of financial economics. 1984. Vol. 13, рр. 187–221. 6. Fazzari S., Hubbard G., Petersen B.C. Financing Constraints and Corporate Investment. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity. 1099. Vol. 1, pp. 141–205. 7. Akerlof G.A. The Market for ‘Lemons’: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism// Quarterly Journal of Economics. 1970. Vol. (3), pp. 488–500. 8. Hitt M., Hoskisson R. and Harrison J. Strategic competitiveness in the 1990s: Challenges and opportunities for U.S. executives // Academy of Management Executive. 5(2), pp. 7–22. 9. Brav O. Access to Capital, Capital Structure, and the Funding of the Firm // The Journal of Finance. 2009. 64 (1), pp. 263–308. 10. Pavlovec V. What credit load will be optimal for the company // Financial Director. 2010. Vol. 7 - 8, pp. 29 -35. INVESTMENTS AND BUSINESS The use of the elements of analysis of variance in the task of assessing the quality of clustering of economic and financial information Leszczynski A.F., Doctor of Economics, professor, Department of financial management REU after G.V. Plekhanov Podlepa V.A., Assoc Ph.D. of The Department of financial management REU after G.V. Plekhanov Annotation. The use of dispersive analytical methods traditionally used in the tasks group, research results of cluster analysis, however, is quite rarely used by analysts in order to solve practical problems related to the assessment of market and business environment. Variance analysis helps to determine the influence of qualitative factors on quantitative results that can be used in management, in marketing. The article discusses the possibility of using elements of analysis of variance, for example, marketing research of consumer preferences and to evaluate the quality of segmentation, the second example shows the evaluation of the impact of training on performance in tasks of personnel management. Keywords: dispersion, analysis, cluster method, intergroup, intragroup, the total variance of the empirical correlation coefficient, the quality of clustering, entrepreneurship, Economics, management, personnel management. 1. Kotler F. New trends in the development of marketing // Marketing in Russia and abroad. – 2003. – № 1. 2. Golubkov EP Modern trends in the development of marketing // Marketing in Russia and abroad. – 2004. – № 1. 3. Svetunkov SA Research methods of marketing information. - SPb., 2001. 4. Statistical Theory / ed. RA Shmoilova // Finance and Statistics. – М., 1999. 5. KotlerF. Basics of marketing. – М., 2000. Assessment of the risks and the chances of the project in the investment planning Stanislavchik E.N., PhD in Economics, docent, Institute of Management of the Moscow City Annotation. The work is devoted to problems of risk management in the development and monitoring of investment projects. The success of the project laid since the realization of the project idea in the process of clarifying the basic parameters and determine the scope of the project in accordance with the existing financial constraints. Particular attention is given prior express analysis of the project. Keywords: feasibility studies, opportunity studies, key questions, financial restrictions, opportunities and risks, static and dynamic methods for evaluating the effectiveness of investments. 1. Stanislavchik E.N. Financial management. Cash Flow Management – M.: Delo i servis, 2015. 2. Cicero Marcus Tullius. De inventione - amazon.com/De-Inventione-Marcus-Tullius-Cicero/dp/1419115359. 3. Behrens W., Hawraneck P.M. Мanual for the Preparation of Industrial Feasibility Studies. – Vienna: UNIDO, 1995. 4. Sell A. Investition und Finanzierung unter besonderer Beruecksichtigung der Planung und Bewertung von Projekten – M.: Axis-89, 2001. Key aspects of financial security for infrastructure projects Petrova I.V., Assistant researcher Financial Research Institute Senior researcher of the Sectorial Economy Center Annotation. The article discusses the features of financial support of infrastructure projects, opportunities and prospects for the financing of industrial parks. Marked difference schemes of financial support when creating industrial parks at the expense of the Ministry of economic development and Ministry of industry and trade of Russia. The main directions of activities of the regional development corporations. Systematized are the main sources of financing for complex investment projects. Keywords: infrastructure projects, comprehensive investment projects, industrial parks, financial support. 1. Chuvardinskiy I. V. Formation of industrial parks // invest.irkobl.ru/_stock/page/part_10/107/docs/kpi1.pdf 2. Government resolution of 11 October 2014 No. 1044 "On approval of the Program of support of investment projects implemented on the territory of the Russian Federation on the basis of project financing"// base.garant.ru/70764842/ 4. Yuryev D. V. Point of growth – agriculture and infrastructure projects // the Budget. № 3 (147). – 2015. – P. 49. 5. The Russian Finance Ministry order from 17.03.2015 No. 38н "On the procedure of formation and submission of the main managers of means of the Federal budget justifications of appropriations" // ATP Garant 6. Federal law from 02/12/2013 N349-FL "On the Federal budget for 2014 and the planning period of 2015 and 2016 (as amended on December 26, 2014)" // docs.cntd.ru/document/499061941 7. The Federal law from 25.02.1999 N 39-FZ (edition of 28.12.2013) "About investment activity in the Russian Federation implemented in the form of capital investments" // ATP ConsultantPlus. Problems of method economically feasible expenses (rate) with pricing in electricity Mizikovsky I.E., Doctor of Economics, professor, head of “Accounting” of Nizhny Novgorod State University. NI Lobachevsky Bazhenov А.А., Ph.D., associate professor, assistant professor of “Accounting, finance and service” Vladimir State University named after Alexander G. and Nicholas G. Stoletovs Vladimir, a doctoral student of Nizhny Novgorod State University. NI Lobachevsky, a certified consultant on taxes and dues category I, a member of the Chamber of Tax Advisers of Russia, certified auditor (single audit), member of the Russian Collegium of Auditors, a professional accountant, member of the Institute of Professional Accountants and Auditors of Russia Annotation. In this article it is proved that the method of economically reasonable expenses when determining tariffs in the electricity industry is the most effective, because it is a certain balanced decision that meets the interests of energy producers and consumers in terms of electricity prices continued growth. As used in this method of structuring the provisions of legal acts allowed the authors to conclude that the application of the method of economically substantiated expenses based on the rules governing accounting. However, the current legislation on pricing in the power allows the use of tax rules in the formation of the list of expenses. In this part of the costs to be included in the fare, for tax purposes in respect of article 270 of the Tax Code, to the expenses for accounting purposes are not relevant. As a consequence – inflated rates to be paid by consumers, and accounting (financial) statements of the organizations of electric power industry in terms of revenue recognition would be distorted. Based on the above, the authors recommended that by making the necessary changes to the existing legislation on pricing in the electricity industry, clearly determined on the basis of legislation in the field of accounting and tax accounting in forming a list of expenses to be included in the tariff. Keywords: rate, power, cost, tax, financial reporting, regulation, unitary enterprise, study, accounting method. 1. Accounting: Federal law of December 6, 2011 №402-FZ // official. Internet portal rights. Inf. pravo.gov.ru, 07.12.2011, Parla. Gas. - 2011. - 09-15 Decem. №54, Ros. gas. - 2011. - 09 Decem. №278, Coll. of Legislative. Russian Federation. - 2011. - 12 Decem. №50, Art. 7344. 2. Tax Code of the Russian Federation. Part Two on Aug 5. 2000 №117-FZ adopted by the State. Duma Feder. Coll. Ros. Federation of July 19. 2000 // Parla. gas. - 2000 - 10 August .; Coll. Ros legislation. Federation. - 2000. - № 32, Art. 3340. 3. Approval of the Regulations on Accounting "Expenses of an organization" PBU 10/99 ": Order of the RF Ministry of Finance dated May 6, 1999 // Ross №33n gas - 22.06.1999 - №116 (beginning - paragraph 16 of the Regulation.... perform Vlas end), Bull norms act fader org - -.. 28.06.1999 -. №26), №117 (paragraph 16 of the Regulation....... 4. On pricing in regulated prices (tariffs) in the electric power industry (with the "Fundamentals of price formation in the electricity industry in the field of regulated prices (tariffs)," "Rules of state regulation (revision, application) of prices (tariffs) in the electric power industry"): Resolution of the Government Russian Federation of 29.12.2011 number 1178 // Coll. Of Legislative. Russian Federation. - 2012 - January 23, № 4, p.. 504. 5. Bazhenov AA Federal taxes and fees: a tutorial in the schemes [Text] / AA Bazhenov; M of Education and Science Ros. Federation VPO Vlad. state. Univ - Vladimir: Transit - X. 2013 - 82. 6. Bazhenov AA The problem of identity of settlement between the company and the tax authority [Text] // Taxes and Taxation. 2013. № 7. S. 504-511. 7. Bazhenov AA, VG Chernyateva Methodological basis of a business valuation [Text] // National Security / nota bene. - 2013 - 3 - S. 516-522. 8. Mizikovsky EA, ES Druzhilovsky New requirements for the valuation of assets in the Russian accounting [Text] // Audit statements. 2013. number 7, pp 3-14. 9. Mizikovsky IE, Miloserdova AN, Sofin A. Formation of the decision-making process of the organization performing auxiliary operations [text]. - M: Modern problems of science and education. 2014. № 5., p. 297-299. 10. Mizikovsky EA, IE Mizikovsky Production Accounting [Text] - M .: Master: Infra-M, 2015 - 272 pp.. 11. Mizikovsky IE Methods of peer review organization variant maintenance and operation of industrial plant equipment [Text] // Audit and financial analysis. 2011. № 4. S. 348-350. 12. Mizikovsky I.E Process-oriented simulation of the transformation of an industrial enterprise costs [Text] // Audit and financial analysis. 2011. № 3. S. 150-151. 13. Suglobov AE Accounting and auditing [Text]: Tutorial. M., TITAN EFFECT. 2011. Institutional factors increase financial flows from the oil trade Semenkova E.V., Doctor of Economics, professor, Department of “risk management, insurance and securities” Plekhanov economic university Arnautov I.E., Master financial faculty Plekhanov economic university, a graduate student Gaidar institut economic policity Annotation. The period of decline in energy prices have a negative impact on the economic growth of Russia, so it is necessary to seek new methods for diversification and development. However, structural changes in the economy takes time, therefore improving the efficiency of the existing mechanism of sale of Russian oil through the creation of a national oil trader can be an opportunity for the development of other industries, as well as to maintain its share in the international oil market. Keywords: oil, the commodity market, oil, mining, exchange rate, GDP, consumer basket, exporters, financial markets, oil trader, OPEC. 1. Data on the use of the structure of GDP Ministry of Finance info.minfin.ru/gdp_s.php 2. Draft Guidelines of budgetary policy for 2016 and the planning period of 2017 and 2018 on 01/07/2015 3. Tax Code of the Russian Federation Chapter 26, the Law "On customs tariff» № 5003-1 as amended on 11.28.2015, the 324-FZ 4. Export of crude oil from the Russian Federation for 2000-2015. According to the Federal Customs Service of Russia and Rosstat 5. Data on the value of Federal Service of statistics in Russia, consumer basket by quarters 6. International Enargy Agency. Publications: Oil Market Report 7. Operative report CDU TEK oil production for 2015 8. Presentation of the Ministry of Energy, the forecast for 2017 9. International Enargy Agency. Russian Oil Market Overview for 2013 year 10. Deliveries of Russian crude oil traders in May, the source Thompson Reuters 11. Daniel Yergin - article: The Globalization of Energy Demand 18.02.2015 TAXES AND TAXATION Methodical aspects of formation and operation tax of management is discussed in the organization Kirina L.S., d.e.n., professor of department the «Tax advising» of the Financial university at Government of Russian Federation Nazarova N.A., k.e.n., associate professor of department, zam. zav. by a department the «Tax advising» of the Financial university at Government of Russian Federation Annotation. The article considers the role of tax management as an independent part of financial management; outline the functions of special units; the algorithm of interaction with other services of financial management. Keywords: financial management, tax management, tax payments, op-streamlining of tax liabilities, internal controls, cooperation of departments, the tax burden. 1. Bablenkova II Forecasting and planning in taxation / II Bablenkova, LS Kirinа, GN Karpova, N. Gorokhovа - M .: Economics, 2009. 2. Bablenkova II Tax planning in the organization: a monograph / II Bablenkova, LS Kirinа, ES Migashkina, NA Gorohova.- M .: VGNA Russian Ministry of Finance, 2009. 3. Barulin SV Tax Management / SV Barulin, EA Ermakova, VV Stepanenko - M .: Omega-L, 2008. 4. Voronina NV Tax planning in the system of financial management / N.V.Voronina, VA Babanin // Finances and Credit. - 2006. - № 27. 5. Gunyakova AA Instrumentation corporate tax management organization (an industrial plant): Abstract. Dis ....kand. ehkon. Sciences: 08.00.05. - GOU VPO "Ufa State Aviation Technical University." - Ufa, 2010. 6. Eseneev MM Formation and development of the organization tax management: Abstract. Dis ....kand. ehkon. Sciences: 08.00.10. - GOU VPO "Rostov State Economic University (RINE)." - Rostov-on-Don, 2010. 7. Kirinа LS Tax management in organizations / LS Kirin, NA Gorokhovа - M .: Yurayt 2014. 8. Kuznetsova VV Fundamentals of tax management. - Publishing House: World of Books, 2010. 9. Podkopaev AP Improving corporate tax management as a way to achieve a balance of interests of business and the state abstract dis ....kand. ehkon. Sciences: 08.00.10; Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics, Moscow, 2007. 10. The official website of the Tax Management tax-management.info 11. Official site of the Electronic-Russian economic magazine-http: //econom.nsc.ru/ 12. SV Barulin, EA Ermakova, VV Stepanenko Official site of the Library Gramotey-electronic version of the publication "Tax Management" - gramotey.com 13. The official website of the Publications of the "Business and Service" - the electronic version of the magazine "Financial Management" - Article Khotyn GI "Tax management and its efficiency." - 2002. №3. dis.ru 14. The official website of the journal Financial Management Company "Financial Director» - fd.ru 15. The official website of Distance Education Center Elitarium- elitarium.ru 16. SV Barulin, EA Ermakova, VV Stepanenko The official website of the electronic library Litru.ru-electronic version of the book "Tax Management" -http: //litru.ru/ 17. The official website of the Russian tax portal-http: //taxpravo.ru/ 18. The official website of the Tax Planning - pnalog.ru 19. Chepurenko E. W. The official website of the journal "Tax Bulletin"- the Tax burden of the enterprise: the analysis, calculation, management - nalvest.co CONTROL BY THE FINANCE OF BANKS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES Managing the syndicated lending department in a bank Tarasov A.A., Ph. D. in Economics, Executive MBA program of the Institute of Business Studies RANEPA and Antwerp Management School Annotation. This paper is dedicated to an overview of the management of the loan syndications department in a bank. The key processes of strategic planning, budgeting and activity reporting. Keywords: syndicated lending, bank management, financial management in financial institutions. 1. Taylor А., Sansone A. The Handbook of Loan Syndications and Trading. – McGraw-Hill, 2006, 982 p. 2. Campbell M., Weaver C. Syndicated Lending: Practice and Documentation. – Euromoney Institutional Investor, 2013, 570 p.

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EDGE2019 Conference Programme DAY ONE Thursday 28th February 2019 8.00 – 9.00 Coffee and Registration in the atrium, Radisson Blu, Royal Mile, EH1 1TH. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, under Radisson Guest, no password required. Who are we? Chair: Alistair Gaw, Executive Director of Communities and Families 9.00 – 9.15 Welcome and Introduction by our Vice Convener of Education, Communities and Families, Councillor Alison Dickie 9.15 – 9.30 Alistair Gaw 9.30 – 10.00 Henrik Jochumsen, Associated Professor at the Department of Information Studies, University of Copenhagen. Henrik will concentrate on the public library in urban development. As a result of the Danish research project “Public Library in Urban Development – Creativity, Innovation and Experience” which is based on case studies in Europe and North America “the three-function model” has been born. The three-function model describes how the public libraries contributes to city and community development in three different ways: as a place, as a space and as relations. By taking his point of departure in these concepts Henrik will focus on how the library can serve as a catalyst for change and urban development, how the library can enhance a creative and innovative city and how it contributes to synergy, connections and transformations through new creative partnerships. The aim is to create a platform from where it is possible to emphasize and communicate important aspects of how the public library can be an important part of a vibrant, liveable and coherent community. 10.00 – 10.25 Leo Appleton, PhD student, Centre for Social Informatics. This paper will present on the findings of a longitudinal research project which looks into the value and impact of public libraries in the UK on citizenship development within the Information Society. The data informing the research has been gathered through a series of repeat focus groups which have taken place in eight different local authorities throughout the UK between 2014 and 2017. As the research draws to a close significant insight has been gained about the role of the library in the 21st century with regard to its epistemic function, its role in curating and organising print resources, the social functions of the physical library and the abstract perception of the library in delivering its citizenship mission. 10.25 – 10.35 Café Conversation 10.35 – 11.05 Refreshment Break 11.05 – 11.35 Melanie Huggins, Executive director of Richland Library in Columbia, SC, which received the 2017 National Medal for Museum and Library Service, the nation’s highest honour. Richland Library set out to create spaces and services that would help create a more resilient economy, attract and retain a creative class of residents, support artists and entrepreneurs and encourage greater community cohesion in our neighbourhoods. That vision Library As Studio has transformed the way we think about our role in the community, making us a vital partner and catalyst for solving community problems and creating opportunities for the community to learn, create and share together. Huggins will discuss the vision and approach that has guided the transformation of the entire library system. 11.35 – 12.00 Ilona Kish, Programme Director, Public Libraries 2030, Reading and Writing Foundation of the Netherlands Working with Google on a digital toolkit with 10 libraries across UK & Ireland. Ilona will share the experience of the project. Ilona manages the Brussels team, their Advisory group and other strategic relationships within the Programme and is responsible for strategic guidance and management. The programme is run by the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation. Ilona previously served as Secretary General of Culture Action Europe, a European Umbrella association promoting arts and cultural associations across Europe. 12.00 – 12.15 Café Conversation 12.15 – 1.15 Lunch in Dunedin Room Where we are going? Chair: Catherine Stihler, Chief Executive Officer, Open Knowledge International (OKI) 1.15 – 1.30 Catherine Stihler 1.30 – 1.55 Jesper Klein, Project Manager, National Library of Sweden. The nowadays well-grounded principle that library services should be universally designed together with a global digital transformation of reading dramatically changes the preconditions for all types of libraries. In both mature and quickly growing ebook and audio book markets in Europe and other places like the USA and East Asia we see libraries build services that make use of open technical standards, user centric design and open source co-op to become more interoperable, and more importantly – more user friendly and with better usability. What is the libraries role in relation to commercial publishing and retail in the digital domain? And what can we do to make digital library services more inclusive to all including people with disabilities and other prioritized groups? 1.55 – 2.20 Martin Hamilton, Futurist at Joint Information’s System Committee (JISC). Martin leads Jisc’s Future and Emerging Technologies team, generating and channelling new ideas, and building partnerships to bring them to fruition. He is particularly interested in the societalimplications of ubiquitous robotics and artificial intelligence, and humanity’s emergence as a trueinterplanetary species. 2.20 – 2.30 Café Conversation 2.30 – 3.00 Refreshment Break 3.00 – 3.30 Billy Agnew, Director of Viarama, introduced by Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Library and Information Council. Arguably the most important innovation since the Smartphone. Virtual Reality not only provides a source of fun and entertainment but it has also become a platform to explore science, nature, history, geography and so much more. Places previously uninhabitable can now be explored… Go deep inside the body to a cellular level; explore the Himalayas or the Grand Canyon. Time travel back to a prehistoric age or into the yet undiscovered possibilities of the future. Billy’s talk will be about the power of virtual reality and how it can be used to benefit people in a library setting. 3.30 – 3.55 Louise Graham, Lifelong Learning Strategic Development Officer, Edinburgh City Libraries In an era of financial constraint, demands for accountability, and complex information environments, the need to demonstrate evidence of impact of library services has never been more necessary. This session looks at some of the ways that we have addressed the constant struggle within our profession to measure, record and evidence impact: to answer the so what question. We will look at how we have used digital technology to engage with developers and stakeholders to develop a simple tool for use with library customers and we’ll introduce a new project that engages libraries with a wide range of partners to map the impact of regular services for all stakeholders. 3.55 – 4.05 Cafe Conversation 4.05 – 4.15 – Close of Day One, Paul McCloskey, Lifelong Learning Strategic Manager (Community Learning & Development and Libraries) The Gala Dinner 7.00pm Drinks reception, Great Scots Hall. 7.45pm Call to dinner in the Canongate Room. Accompanied by The Royal High School Fiddler Group 8.00pm Dinner in the George Suite, hosted by David Bruce, Senior Education Manager, Schools & Lifelong Learning, City of Edinburgh Council The EDGE2019 Award Ceremony. Awards presented by Alistair Gaw, Executive Director of Communities & Families, City of Edinburgh Council DAY TWO Friday 1st March 2019 8.30 – 9.15am Arrival and coffee This, is why we matter! Chair: Professor. Dr. Frank Huysmans, Professor of library science, Media Studies, University of Amsterdam 9.15 – 9.30 Frank Huysmans Giving us a very brief overview of special programs in public libraries in the Netherlands and how their effectiveness is assessed. 9.30 – 9.55 Gemma Williams, Library Manager, HMP Norwich For the last six years HMP Norwich library, in association with local group the Forget me Nots, has been running a weekly Cognitive Stimulation Therapy group for older prisoners living with memory loss and dementia. The project, which won the CILIP Libraries Change Lives 2017, uses an evidence based and NICE guideline recommended group therapy to provide support to a highly socially excluded and vulnerable group. Library manager Gemma will discuss the growing needs of older people in custody, the role of libraries as a dementia friendly space, working with volunteers to deliver mental health interventions and changing cultures of care in institutional settings, and will present a short film of the HMP Norwich group. 9.55 – 10.25 David Stoker, Departmental Director/Manager, Liverpool. Liverpool Central Library & Archive underwent a major redevelopment and restoration in 2013. Visitor numbers and satisfaction have increased dramatically with an increase in use by children and teenagers and David will talk about lessons learnt and the successes of the building and its services. In particular, he will show that by adopting a very open, welcoming, flexible and risk-taking approach to working with a very wide range of partners a highly successful and popular programme of events, activities and exhibitions has been delivered on a minimal budget. This has had a snowball effect with more and more partners coming forward and additional services being delivered. The Central Library & Archive is highly rated on sites such as Trip Advisor and the library won The Bookseller’s Library of the Year Award for 2018. 10.25 – 10.35 Café Conversation 10.35 – 11.00 Refreshment Break 11.00 – 11.25 Peter Barnett, Head of Libraries, Advice, Health & Information, Coventry. Peter oversees on the resettlement and welcome programme, for Coventry City, one of the largest refugee programmes in the UK. In his role as Head of Coventry Libraries, Peter and his library team become heavily involved with their local Syrian communities and will showcase some excellent work around inclusion not only with our refugees but also with spaces allocated in libraries for Autism. 11.25 – 12.00 Dr Jean Christophe Denis, Ogden Science Officer and Outreach Officer, Edinburgh University and Dr Kirsty Ross, Outreach Officer, University of Strathclyde. Edinburgh Libraries are privileged to have an amazing partnership with both Universities and are working together on STEM in libraries, and achieving great results. Our two Dr’s will explain how this partnership came about and how it has enhanced the lives of teenagers in libraries, especially the hard to reach age group. Universities in other areas also have pools of talents, gifts and gems that can be tapped into. Find out how… 12.00 – 12.15 Close of EDGE2019 Paul McCloskey, Lifelong Learning Strategic Manager (Community Learning & Development and Libraries) From 12.15 Lunch, The Cannongate Room

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11) joins other high-ranking Virginia politicians in backing the Springfield site for the new FBI headquarters. The GSA is expected to announce the site selection in 2015. From left - Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng, who represented Governor Robert McDonnell; U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8) and Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee). Photo by George Burke A high-ranking delegation of Virginia politicians gathered in Springfield Tuesday morning in a renewed effort to convince the Federal Bureau of Investigation to relocate its headquarters to a warehouse site in Springfield. The move in the high-stakes, highly competitive regional competition comes after site selection guidelines eliminated almost all other Northern Virginia locations. U.S. Sens. Mark Warner (D) and Tim Kaine (D), U.S. Reps. Jim Moran (D-8), Frank Wolf (R-10) and Gerry Connolly (D-11), Governor-elect Terry McAuliffe (D), State Del. Vivian Watts (D-39), Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay (D-Lee) and others held a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Northern Virginia Community College’s Medical Campus Tuesday to send a message that the Springfield site is the ideal choice. IN LATE 2011, the General Services Administration (GSA), which manages federal properties, announced plans to move the FBI’s main office out of the run-down, dilapidated J. Edgar Hoover Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. Since then, several jurisdictions across the Washington region have made it clear they have the ideal location for the bureau’s move. But the Virginia delegation made the argument that the federally-owned warehouse in Springfield makes the best location for the FBI to consolidate as many as 11,000 employees for a number of reasons, including the fact that the GSA already owns the warehouse, which guarantees that federal government ownership of the campus is both clean and easy. "Virginia checks every box," Warner said, "transit accessible, fiber-wired, synergy with FBI Quantico… Many FBI employees live in Virginia, and it is easy for DC and Maryland residents to commute." Citing the bi-partisan display of unity in the effort, Kaine said he was "brought into this process by our three members of Congress - Connolly, Moran, and Wolf…It is characteristic of us in Virginia that we all work together. " Wolf, who chairs the appropriations subcommittee overseeing the FBI, said the site is ideally located, with easy access to the CIA and Quantico. Connolly agreed: "The FBI’s ability to interact with other federal anti-terrorism offices located in NoVA is critical." Supervisor McKay, whose district is home to the warehouse site, said county officials will do "everything in our power to make sure zoning and other factors are in place." McKay said the benefits to the federal government of relocating to Springfield "would be substantial." In January 2012, Fairfax County joined Prince George’s County and the District in placing its marker on the table in the high-stakes competition soon after the Senate passed a resolution authorizing the GSA and FBI to seek new headquarters in December 2011. "The FBI needs 2 million square feet of office space, located within two miles of a Metro station and within 2.5 miles of the Beltway according to the GAO. Redeveloping existing sites in DC would be extremely expensive, especially given the post-911 security features that are now required…It is adjacent to the Franconia/Springfield Metro Station, VRE, AMTRAK, bus service, and every highway except Route 66," McKay said at the time. He pointed out that airport access will soon be served by two Metro stations once Rail to Dulles is complete. Fairfax County would also benefit by high-paying jobs that would come to the area, and redevelopment of the site would spur construction of other office projects nearby and expand commercial tax base. "You know the site makes perfect sense when the entire Northern Virginia Congressional Delegation, the Governor, the Governor-Elect, and State elected and appointed officials – both Democrats and Republicans- all agree on something," McKay added. ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS, the decision by the GSA will be made in 2015. While other regional sites have been eliminated for various reasons, Maryland is still in the running with its site in Prince Georges County. But Connolly predicts the Springfield site will be the chosen one. "We're going to win this on the merits, not on politics. We had a number of sites in Virginia, but we put our parochial interest aside to support the best site for Northern Virginia and for our national security."

...Eventually, someone has to clean up the leftover pizza. ...That sweet OpEx. ..."Easy to stay." Amazon came out with a slew of features last week. This week we discuss them and take some cracks at the broad, portfolio approach at AWS compared to historic (like .Net) platform approaches. We also discuss footwear and what to eat and where to stay in Las Vegas. - Kenneth Cole slip on shoes. - Keen Austin shoes, slip-on and lace. - The Doc Martin's Coté used to wear, Hickmire. - Coté: the Cloud Native roadshows are over, but check out the cloud native WIP I have at cote.io/cloud2 or, just check out some excerpts on working with auditors, selecting initial projects, and dealing with legacy. - Matt: Presenting at the CC Dojo #3, talking DevOps in Tokyo Global Partner Summit - Don't hedge your bets, "AWS has no time for uncommitted partners" - "10,000 new Partners have joined the APN in the past 12 months" Day 1 - "I'd like to tell you about…" - Amazon Lightsail - Monthly instances with memory, cpu, storage & static IP - Bitnami! Hello Digital Ocean & Linode - Amazon Athena - S3 SQL queries, based on Presto distributed SQL engine - JSON, CSV, log files, delimited text, others - Coté: this seems pretty amazing. - Amazon Rekognition - Image detection & recognition - Amazon Polly - Text to Speech in 47 Voices and 24 Languages - Coté: Makes transcripts? - Amazon Lex - Conversational voice & text interface builder (ie. chatbots) - Coté: make chat-bots and such. - AWS Greengrass - Local Lambda processing for IoT - Coté: is this supposed to be, like, for running Lambda things on disconnected devices? Like fPaaS in my car? - AWS Snowball Edge & Snowmobile - Local processing of data? S3/NFS and local Lambda processing? I'm thinking easy hybrid on-ramp - Move exabytes in weeks - "Snowmobile is a ruggedized, tamper-resistant shipping container 45 feet long, 9.6 feet high, and 8 feet wide. It is waterproof, climate-controlled, and can be parked in a covered or uncovered area adjacent to your existing data center." - Coté: LEGOS! - More instance types, Elastic GPUs, F1 Instances, PostgreSQL for Aurora - High I/O (I3 3.3 million IOPs 16GB/s), compute (C5 72 vCPUs, 144 GiB), memory (R4 488 Gib), burstable (T2 shared) - Mix EC2 instance type with a 1-8 GiB GPU - F1: FPGA EC2 instances, also available for use in the AWS Marketplace - RDS vs. Aurora Postgres? Aurora is more fault tolerant apparently? - AWS OpsWorks for Chef Automate - EC2 Systems Manager - AWS Codebuild - AWS X-Ray - Distributed debugging service for EC2/ECS/Lambda? - "easy way for developers to "follow-the-thread" as execution traverses EC2 instances, ECS containers, microservices, AWS database and messaging services" - AWS Personal Health Dashboard - Personalized AWS monitoring & CloudWatch Events auto-remediation - Disruptive to PAAS monitoring & APM (New Relic, DataDog, App Dynamics) - AWS Shield - DDoS protection - Amazon Pinpoint - AWS Glue - Managed data catalog & ETL (extract, transform & load) service for data analysis - AWS Batch - C# in Lamba, Lambda Edge, AWS Step Functions - Werner Vogels: "serverless, there is no cattle, only the herd" - Lambda Edge for running in response to CloudFront events, ""intelligent" processing of HTTP requests at a location that is close" - Step Functions a visual workflow "state machine" for Lambda functions - BLOX: EC2 Container Service Scheduler - Open source scheduler, watches CloudWatch events for managing ECS deployments Analysis discussion for all the AWS stuff - Jesus! I couldn't read it all! - So, what's the role of Lambda here? It seems like the universal process thingy - like AppleScript, bash scripts, etc. for each part: if you need/want to add some customization to each thing, put a Lambda on it. - What's the argument against just going full Amazon, in the same way you'd go full .Net, etc.? Is it cost? Lockin? Performance (people always talk about Amazon being kind of flakey at times - but what isn't flakey, your in-house run IT? Come on.) BONUS LINKS! Not covered in episode. Docker for AWS - "EC2 Container Service, Elastic Beanstalk, and Docker for AWS all cost nothing; the only costs are those incurred by using AWS resources like EC2 or EBS." - Docker gets paid on usage? - Apparently an easier learning curve than ECS + AWS services, but whither Blox? Time to Break up Amazon? HPE Discover, all about the "Hybrid Cloud" - Hybrid it up! - Killed "The Machine" - HPE's Synergy software, based on OpenStack (is this just Helion rebranded?) - Not great timing for a conference - Sold OpenStack & CloudFoundry bits to SUSE, the new "preferred Linux partner": How Google is Challenging AWS - Ben on public cloud - "open-sourcing Kubernetes was Google's attempt to effectively build a browser on top of cloud infrastructure and thus decrease switching costs; the company's equivalent of Google Search will be machine learning." - Exponent.fm episode 097 — Google vs AWS - Coté: W Hotel in Las Vegas and lobster eggs benedict at Payard's in Ceasers'

**Scroll Down for Events coming your way – including a special detox class early January** “My beloved child, break your heart no longer. Each time you judge yourself, you break your own heart. You stop feeding on the love which is the wellspring of your vitality. The time has come. Your time. To celebrate. And to see the goodness that you are. You my child, are divine. You are pure. You are sublimely free. You are God in disguise. And you are always perfectly safe. Do not fight the dark. Just turn on the light. Let go, And breathe into the goodness that you are.” Hari Om Dearest Yoga Students, May Peace, Contentment and Joy fill your heart and soul this entire week and beyond! Thank you sooo much for being part of our wonderful yoga community. The Winter Solstice Sangha was so much fun and the connection I see between you all fills me with such happiness. After all, what truly is the most important thing in our lives? From my vantage point it is how we touch the lives around us. Much gratitude to you for touching my heart so deeply and with such fun, dedication and love. Classes for this Week Wednesday evening at 715p.m Tuesday Christmas Day Blessings – No Class Friday Morning at 930am (Please reserve or cancel if your plans have changed) January 4th – Kirtan Chanting Concert at the North Shore Public Library at 7pm – Call to Register – Open to all even if you are not a patron. This event is FREE. Join us Call 631-929-4488 January 6th – Special Detox Yoga Class 9am Sunday. Let go of the old, get ready for the new year with a releasing practice and meditation to move lightly into 2019 January 17th – AHA Family Support Group at 630pm for parents, caregivers supporting individuals on the autism spectrum. Go to http://www.ahany.org for details. Group held at the North Shore Youth Council Office in Rocky Point. January 22nd – Synergy Session combing Restorative Yoga, Reiki & Acupuncture with essential Oils. 630pm. $60 Prepaid – $75 Walk In if space allows. Shanti, Shanti, Shanti Love & Blessings,

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“Here’s your ‘buzzword bingo’ card for the meeting,” Wally says to Dilbert, handing him a piece of paper. “If the boss uses a buzzword on your card, you check it off. The objective is to fill a row.” They go to the meeting, where their pointy-haired boss presides. “You’re all very attentive today,” he observes. “My proactive leadership must be working!” “Bingo, sir,” says Wally. This 1994 comic strip by Scott Adams is a perfect caricature of office speak: An oblivious, slightly evil-seeming manager spews conceptual, meaningless words while employees roll their eyes. Yet, even the most cynical cubicle farmers are fluent in buzzwords. An email might be full of calisthenics, with offers to “reach out,” “run it up the flagpole,” and “circle back.” There are nature metaphors like “boil the ocean” and “streamline,” and food-inspired phrases like “soup to nuts” and “low-hanging fruit.” For the fiercest of office workers, there’s always the violent imagery of “pain points,” “drilling down,” and “bleeding edge.” Over time, different industries have developed their own tribal vocabularies. Some of today’s most popular buzzwords were created by academics who believed that work should satisfy one’s soul; others were coined by consultants who sold the idea that happy workers are effective workers. The Wall Street lingo of the 1980s all comes back to “the bottom line,” while the techie terms of today suggest that humans are creative computers, whose work is measured in “capacity” and “bandwidth.” Corporate jargon may seem meaningless to the extent that it's best described as “bullshit,” but it actually reveals a lot about how workers think about their lives. The mechanistic worker came of age amid a whirl of turbines at the turn of the century. The Second Industrial Revolution was well underway, and the massive companies run by titans like Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford relied on factory assembly lines. In 1911, Frederick Winslow Taylor published The Principles of Scientific Management, a book with one goal: destroy worker inefficiency. His theory, often called “Taylorism,” was all about maximizing every action on an assembly line. “There was a shift to the logic of science and efficiency,” Rakesh Khurana, a professor at Harvard Business School and soon-to-be-dean of Harvard College, told me. “Divide work into its smallest component parts, figure out the timing, remove any unnecessary efficiencies. That was the way work was organized, and that had a huge impact on the way corporate culture was organized.” The words used to talk about workers in books and boardrooms were accordingly mechanistic, emphasizing accuracy, precision, incentives, and maximized production. This idea started to shift in the late 1920s and ’30s. In 1924, the Australian sociologist George Elton Mayo started running a series of experiments at Hawthorne Works, a large factory of the Western Electric Company in the suburbs of Chicago. He set out with a simple task: figure out how the brightness of the lights in the factory affected worker productivity. But his team got some surprising results: Whenever the lights changed—no matter whether they got dimmer or brighter—workers got better at their jobs. They concluded that the workers’ physical environment wasn’t what made them better—it was that they thought their bosses were paying attention to them. Mayo and his team quickly changed their focus: Instead of thinking of workers as cogs in a vast machine, they began thinking of them as living units of a large, complex social organism. “In the 1930s, you begin getting this human relations perspective, in many ways in opposition to the scientific imagery,” Khurana said. “This is really about this notion that managers don’t understand the psychology of workers. By treating them as machines, they not only deny their humanity; it actually results in ineffective management, social disorganization, lack of cooperation, and an increase in tensions between labor and management.” Although the methodology of the Hawthorne experiment has since been criticized, the results triggered a shift in how researchers thought about workers. This seemed to come at just the right time: The Great Depression had set in, and industries were in an existential crisis. “Alienation, abseentism, labor turn-over, wild-cat strikes—these came to be associated not with meeting the workers’ economic needs, but their psychological and social needs,” Khurana said. World War II liberated these theories from the halls of academia. Suddenly, organizational science was seen as a possible tool for understanding what had happened to nations like Germany and Japan. “What was it about the culture of those societies that led them to suddenly shift from what was seen as quite enlightened and advanced to suddenly becoming very authoritarian? The government became interested in this, and they started funding all sorts of studies.” At the same time, American companies were changing. “Most of the large organizations that were emerging at this time were not in any single business,” Khurana said. “They were large, diversified conglomerates that had been created as a consequence of World War II and of the huge mergers and acquisitions activity that took place in the 1950s and ’60s. Firms like Pepsico owned trucking companies, even though they were in the food business.” This made it more difficult for workers to feel a connection to their companies, Khurana said. “What people were very much focused on was: How can we get workers to feel differently about their jobs?” For academics, this was as much a question of sociology as efficiency. It soon became a question of money, too: “As a manager, how can I maximize profits by creating a certain emotional atmosphere at my company?” In trying to answer this question, office speak was born. In the 1950s, two schools of thought began to emerge. At Carnegie Mellon, academics were working on what they called management science—a theory of decision-making inspired by the computers that had come out during World War II. Meanwhile, at MIT, three professors—Douglas McGregor, Edgar Schein, and Richard Beckhard—were creating a new field called organizational development. Schein, now 86, is largely credited with coining the term organizational culture (the linguistic cousin of corporate culture). “In the 1960s, there was an emphasis on humanistic psychology, involving the worker, because then they would work better,” he told me. “We were interested in how groups and leadership could be made more effective. So we started something called the human relations lab.” A pair of hypotheses rose out of these labs. As McGregor explained in his 1960 book The Human Side of Enterprise, managers could think of their employees in one of two ways: as lazy work-haters who need to be closely supervised (Theory X), or as ambitious self-motivators who thrive in an atmosphere of trust (Theory Y). “This introduced the idea that effective managers believe in their people and trust them and don’t feel that they have to monitor them all the time,” Schein said. Although the researchers didn’t necessarily favor one theory over the other, Theory Y fit perfectly with the zeitgeist of the 60s. It drew on Abraham Maslow’s increasingly popular theory of the hierarchy of needs, which positioned “self-actualization” as the highest goal of human life. Inspired by Maslow, Michael Murphy and Dick Price founded the Esalen Institute in 1962 to nurture the burgeoning Human Potential Movement, and Look magazine’s George Leonard helped bring it into the mainstream. Theory Y extended this worldview into the realm of work: Jobs, much like meditation and mind-enhancing drugs, were seen as a way to discover untapped inner power and find personal fulfillment. Over the years, the idea has stuck: In 2001, The Human Side of Enterprise was voted the fourth most influential management book in the 20th century by the Academy of Management. In the decades that followed, academics continued to come up with memorable buzzwords. British psychologist Raymond Cattell repurposed the word synergy, which was originally a Protestant term for cooperation between the human will and divine grace. The UC Berkeley philosopher Thomas Kuhn popularized the term paradigm shift in his 1962 book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. And, much later, Harvard professor Clayton Christensen coined the term disrupt, which has become a favorite in today’s climate of start-up worship. But more importantly, academics have had a big effect on how workers work, all thanks to one group of people: consultants. Douglas McGregor may have written the fourth most influential management book of the 20th century, but Peter Drucker wrote the third: In his 1954 manifesto, The Practice of Management, he wrote that “the manager is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business.” Over the next five decades, Drucker helped companies find new ways to turn “resources”—people, in other words—into productivity engines. In 1981, Drucker started working with one of his biggest clients: General Electric. The company had just been taken over by Jack Welch, who was looking to overhaul its management in the midst of a recession. Over the next decade, Welch systematically redesigned the culture of the organization, hitting a peak in 1989 with his Work-Out program, which was designed to help managers and employees solve problems faster. In the language of Work-Out, low-hanging fruit were problems that were easily identified and solved. Other fantastic jargon from the program included rattlers, or obvious problems (so-named because they “make a lot of noise”) and pythons, or challenging problems that come from bloated bureaucracy. A little ironically, Welch wrote that Work-Out would create “a company where jargon and double-talk are ridiculed and candor is demanded.” Although Work-Out is credited with reinvigorating General Electric, other attempts to overhaul company culture failed miserably. After AT&T was broken up into multiple companies in 1984, the newly independent telephone service provider Pacific Bell hired two associates of Charles Krone, a California-based management consultant known for following the teachings of Armenian mystic Georges Gurdjieff. His “leadership development” program, known as “kroning,” maintained that certain words helped employees communicate better, improving the health of the organization. Some 23,000 employees went through the $40 million training program, learning new terms like task cycle and functioning capabilities that were supposed to help them care more about their work and express themselves more clearly. Instead, the company’s language became incredibly opaque. For example, its 1987 “statement of principles” defined “interaction” as: The continuous ability to engage with the connectedness and relatedness that exists and potentially exists, which is essential for the creations necessary to maintain and enhance viability of ourselves and the organization of which we are a part. When the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the training had caused widespread discontent, the California Public Utilities Commission started an investigation, and the program was discontinued. “Perhaps one thing that we learn from the Krone case,” wrote University of Richmond professor Joanne Ciulla in 2004, “ is that attempts at engineering appropriate attitudes and emotions can actually undercut genuine feelings for a company.” But even if firms like Bain, McKinsey, and Boston Consulting Group didn’t import New Age values into their consulting the way Krone and his associates did, they did develop distinctive, pseudo-scientific language to pitch themselves to clients. “They all had to come up with something new,” John Van Maanen, a management professor at MIT, told me. For example, consultants are responsible for a lot of the veiled language used by today’s HR departments. “The consulting industry came up with a whole slew of euphemisms for firing people that has become universal,” said Matthew Stewart, the author of The Management Myth. “There’s a whole body of kind of Orwellian speak about developing human capital and managing people and all that.” Streamline, restructure, let go, create operational efficiencies: All of these are roundabout ways of saying that people are about to lose their jobs. The common theme among them is efficiency—after all, these are human resources, and what are resources for if not the company’s bottom line? This is where consultants diverge from their management-scientist forefathers. They value worker satisfaction only to the extent that it can help a company run better. Consider the following buzzwords: 80-20, noun: Named by a consultant for economist Vilfredo Pareto, this is the principle that 80 percent of output comes from 20 percent of a company’s effort. Boil the ocean, verb: This is a term for unrealistic expectations, supposedly coined by the humorist Will Rogers when he was asked what to do about German U-Boat aggression during World War I. Sync up, verb: Derived from the mechanical term “synchronization,” this means “make sure everyone knows what’s going on.” But consultant-speak wasn’t the only vocabulary trend of the 1970s and ’80s. Elsewhere in the business world, another kind of profit-driven jargon was on the rise: the language of Wall Street. “In finance, the jargon tends to be aggressive—kind of frat-bot talk. It’s the same spirit: competitive and aggressive,” said Geoffrey Nunberg, a linguistics professor at UC Berkeley. Often, the words thrown around in emails and on trading floors are close cousins of those used in economic textbooks. In finance, even the buzzwords drip with money. For publicly owned companies, this was a period of refocusing—on profit. Concerns about worker satisfaction and “human potential” largely faded from view; suddenly, business was all about rewarding the shareholder. The economist Milton Friedman summed up this theoretical shift in a 1970 New York Times column: “There is one and only one social responsibility of business—to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.” This idea shaped the way managers and employees thought and acted. And the language followed suit. “The expression optionality is something that came into vogue with the rise of derivatives,” said Stewart. “You can talk about standard deviations or other terms for establishing risk, like leverage. You hear that term everywhere, but it was originally a financial concept.” The term value-add comes directly from the idea of shareholder value: “Will this action directly increase profits for the people who own our company?” As Wall Street grew more powerful, so did business schools. “In an executive training or MBA program … everybody talks about the multiplicity of networks: advice networks, mentoring networks,” Van Maanen said. He also pointed to the proliferation of new terms in the business press, like VUCA—a finance-world adaptation of a military acronym for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. Terms like this, Van Maanen said, “create a bit of an in-group—a divide between those who can use it knowledgably [and those who can’t].” This observation holds true across professions: A well-placed buzzword is a great way to claim membership in a certain tribe. But for marketers, there’s another useful application for office jargon: establishing a #personal #brand. Marketing is having a glamour moment in pop-culture, largely thanks to the Emmy-winning show Mad Men, now in its seventh season. The 1960s brought us phrases like run it up the flagpole, a term for testing out the popularity of a brand or product, and hard-sell, a shorthand for aggressive strategies designed to get consumers to buy products in the near future. Advertising gurus later came up with a series of Jedi-esque terms, including mind share, or the amount of attention consumers pay to specific, famous brands like Hoover or Coca-Cola; ideation, or the ability to come up with effective new ideas; and native solutions, or ads that look like something else—an article, for instance. But today, everyone’s an advertiser—for himself. The idea of a personal brand has been around for several decades; self-help guru Tom Peters wrote a long article on the topic for Fast Company in 1997. The Internet has taken this to a whole new level. Workers are imminently Google-able; potential employers now have a Sauron-like gaze over the workforce. On the other hand, people can also advertise their skills using personal websites, Twitter feed, or, occasionally, clever YouTube videos. In a job market increasingly dependent on part-time employment and contract work, selling yourself may be the only way to survive. Arlie Hochschild, a Berkeley sociologist and author of books like The Second Shift and The Managed Heart, explained how personal branding changes the way workers see themselves. “It gets you to focus on how you seem to others, that you come alive only as you are seen externally,” she said. “It draws attention to your feelings toward your external self, and draws attention way from your internal self.” It also blurs the boundaries of private life. “Work becomes home, home becomes work.” And language has followed this trend. Social media makes it easy to merge personal and professional identities; Twitter memes like #brands and #leanin hover between irony and earnest identification. It’s especially virtuous to be a self-described thought leader. The ultimate Silicon Valley virtue is embodied in one buzzword: disrupt. Coined by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen in 1995, it refers to new technologies that are powerful enough to change the way an entire sector operates. This is the dream behind every start-up: that what it builds becomes the next Facebook or Windows or iPod, a product that will infiltrate consumer life and demolish competitors. Even companies that have nothing to do with apps and hardware aspire to Mark Zuckerberg’s now-famous adage: “Move fast, break things.” Terms like bandwidth, hack, multi-task, and download have migrated well beyond the nerd hub of San Francisco. “For a long time, people tried to grow the next Silicon Valley,” said AnnaLee Saxenian, a Berkeley professor and author of Regional Advantage: Culture and Competition in Silicon Valley and Route 128. During the heyday of the auto-industry, corporate values were all about stability and output. In contrast, Saxenian said, “The Silicon Valley model does best in unstable, volatile, unpredictable environments. It’s very flexible and adaptive, but it’s not necessarily the most efficient model—and now, we talk about innovation rather than efficiency.” Silicon Valley culture also represents a power shift in the workforce. Whereas corporations are hierarchical, start-ups are more horizontal than vertical. “The corporate model was a very top-down one—everyone says bottom-up now,” Saxenian said. The names for workers have changed, too: Although the use of “industrialist” has plummeted since its peak in the 1950s, words like entrepreneur and venture capitalist have seen a steep rise since the 1980s. Silicon Valley has a close cousin in the new class of makers and creatives. These are the tinkerers who spend their days in makerspaces, the artists who make their livelihoods on Etsy, the 3-D printer acolytes who hope to democratize the entire world of production. Their habits can be caricatured, just like any other work tribe: They make their own bread; they have their own sustainable gardens; they revel in DIY. In many ways, these values are the same as Silicon Valley’s: a desire to build things and empower individuals, along with a distaste for centralized workplaces. This new way of working may be taking over in certain self-contained communities: Kevin Kelly, the founding editor of Wired, wrote in the introduction to his 2013 book Cool Tools that “a third industrial revolution is stirring—the Maker era.” But as of 2011, 82 percent of private-sector jobs were at companies with more than 20 employees. Managers still have enormous control over the language and culture of office life. The Life Hackers Even in traditional offices, “the lingua franca of corporate America has gotten much more emotional and much more right-brained than it was 20 years ago,” said Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn. She started spinning off examples. “If you and I parachuted back to Fortune 500 companies in 1990, we would see much less frequent use of terms like journey, mission, passion. There were goals, there were strategies, there were objectives, but we didn’t talk about energy; we didn’t talk about passion.” Koehn pointed out that this new era of corporate vocabulary is very “team”-oriented—and not by coincidence. “Let’s not forget sports—in male-dominated corporate America, it’s still a big deal. It’s not explicitly conscious; it’s the idea that I’m a coach, and you’re my team, and we’re in this together. There are lots and lots of CEOs in very different companies, but most think of themselves as coaches and this is their team and they want to win.” These terms are also intended to infuse work with meaning—and, as Khurana points out, increase allegiance to the firm. “You have the importation of terminology that historically used to be associated with non-profit organizations and religious organizations: Terms like vision, values, passion, and purpose,” said Khurana. This new focus on personal fulfillment can help keep employees motivated amid increasingly loud debates over work-life balance. The “mommy wars” of the 1990s are still going on today, prompting arguments about why women still can’t have it all and books like Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, whose title has become a buzzword in its own right. Terms like unplug, offline, life-hack, bandwidth, and capacity are all about setting boundaries between the office and the home. But if your work is your “passion,” you’ll be more likely to devote yourself to it, even if that means going home for dinner and then working long after the kids are in bed. Luke Visconti, the CEO and founder of Diversity Inc, points out that the language used to talk about race, class, and sexual orientation has also changed. “When we first started our publication in 1997, it was diversity, and then it became diversity and inclusion. Detractors will call it political correctness or whatever they want, but the real emphasis revolves around talent development. The language of equity and outcome is important.” Of all the different kinds of office speak, diversity talk is probably toughest to untangle. It’s easy to make fun of buzzwords like engagement, dialogue, recognition, experience, awareness, education. Everyone I spoke with recognized that there’s a certain amount of eye-rolling that comes with diversity trainings—“talk of yellow people and purple people, that sort of thing,” quipped Shawna Vican, a doctoral candidate who is studying organizational change at Harvard. But this seems to be the irony of office speak: Everyone makes fun of it, but managers love it, companies depend on it, and regular people willingly absorb it. As Nunberg said, “You can get people to think it’s nonsense at the same time that you buy into it.” In a workplace that’s fundamentally indifferent to your life and its meaning, office speak can help you figure out how you relate to your work—and how your work defines who you are.

I just returned from the SendOutCards convention and I’m fired up. I was inspired to share some of my insights into revitalizing your promotions, your people and your workplace. Here’s another round of articles to energize and inspire leaders and entrepreneurs. The following articles cover leadership and team motivation for Generation X and Y team members, how to be a shameless self promoter for your own business and how your purpose is a critical piece of your promotions. Other articles cover the key component of mixing fun and effectiveness at work. We know that work made fun gets done and good times lead to good business. Creating a quality workplace not only boost performance, but it boosts purposeful work ethics and quality of life at work. And then there’s the accountability thing. Having a mastermind group, a success team, a personal board of directors helps keep you on track and on purpose. Create your own circle of success and support to help leap-frog your business beyond what you could do on your own. Enjoy the articles and if you want to listen to them, check out my radio show on http://thewinonline.com/node/5978. One show per week is posted on the site. I’ve just recorded 19 shows, so your favorite article/show may not be aired for several weeks. All shows are archived, so they will be there when you’re ready. Enjoy! Mentors vs. Tormentors: 50 Ways to Ditch Your X (and Y) Employees Success Circles Teeming with Synergy Fun*cilitation: Facilitating Fun and Effectiveness in the Workplace Put Energy into Your Efforts Secrets to Self Promotions & Your Purpose Are you inspired by your work? Are you inspired by how you serve your clients? If not, why not? Inspiration is different than motivation. Both come from within with the energy and feeling of spirit inside. Inspiration spreads outward, so if your work isn’t inspiring to you, there’s no way others would pay to work with you or want to be around you. If you don’t give a hoot, then neither do your clients or colleagues. You’re just marking time and time is our life energy. So you’re just wasting your life if you’re not doing something that inspires you towards a greater good. I hear from so many clients that they’re not liking their work, but don’t know what’s wrong. I would ask that you compartmentalize your work into segments dealing with who you’re serving, how you’re serving them, who you may be working for (your boss, organization, yourself), what you’re serving, what the big picture and outcome is of your product or service. Sometimes pinpointing that you love your mission, but don’t like the distribution channel, or you love the actual work, but not the person you’re working for or the location, or the population you’re serving. If you can figure out how to take the good parts of what you do, the inspirational parts and separate them out from what is not inspiring; you’re on the right track. When you’re feeling inspired, it will resonate with others. Those feelings set off vibrations in others that compel them to work with you or repel them from being around you. They may not know it, but it’s just an uneasy feeling. Your clients feel inspired by you when you help them feel successful and fabulous about themselves, their work or their organization. You light them up. When they feel inspired, it activates possibilities and transformation in their lives. If they feel uninspired, they do nothing to uplevel their business or their lives. Create your work to first inspire you, then it will inspire others. Power and passion resonate from inspirational people. Mediocrity and busy work resonate from uninspired workers. What are you doing to inspire yourself, inspire your team, inspire your clients? Beating the Tax System by Being Your Own Boss: Savvy Business Owner’s Secrets to Keep More of What You Make: 30 Tips in 33 Minutes 30 Tax Tips in 33 Minutes – you can’t beat that. Looking for a better way to hold on to more of your money at tax time? If you’ve ever wondered how you can keep more of what you make or had to pay Uncle Sam at tax time, then this teleclass is for you. If you’re an experienced or emerging entrepreneur, or just pondering the jump into starting your own business, then this session is for you. If you’re not sure why you would take on having your own business, or how it would help you at tax time, this course is for you. Frank Winn and Gail Hahn are both successful, savvy business owners for many, many years and have learned from some of the best tax professionals on how to keep more money in their pockets at tax time by knowing the rules and using them to their advantage. Nope, they’re not tax professionals themselves, just experiences entrepreneurs who have hired the experts and have learned the ropes over the years. They will reveal 30 tax tips in 33 minutes so you can reap the benefits of knowing some of the ways you can take legal deductions for your legitimate business expenses. We don’t cross the line; we just snuggle up to it. Loopholes were made to jump through and we will reveal to you 30 strategies you can save more on your tax bill. Of course there are about 60,000 pages of tax code – we’re just divulging some of the biggies where you can benefit if you have a business of your own. We’re in it to win it with our own business and we want you to join the entrepreneurial revolution and beat the tax system. So if you’re just thinking about starting your own business or have one and want to turbo-charge your tax savings, join us for this fast-paced teleclass on Thursday, 8 April at the numbers and times listed below. The call will be 33 minutes of tax tips and if you want to stay with us for another 10 minutes, we will share an easy way to start your own business and claim your piece of the pie as a business owner. Simple, safe, no worries, no pressure – just letting you know we’ve found what CNBC and the E! TV networks have called America’s Best Product. Come see what it’s all about and learn a little something to make your life better too. The number for this call is 218-339-7777, pin 7668800. Please dial in a few minutes early so we can start on time. The call starts promptly at 6pm Pacific/7pm Mountain/8pm Central and 9pm Eastern on Thursday evening 8 April 2010 in the comfort of your own space. This call will be recorded. The recording number to access the call after it is completed on 8 April is: 218-339-2487, pin 7668800#, they will ask for the recording number: 0408# If you want to save 10% on more Tax Reduction Secrets and How to Save Money on Taxes Big Time resources, books, tapes and programs by a former IRS Trainer, CPA and Attorney, use the coupon code: gailhahn when you purchase something from The Tax Reduction Institute. Their products make your life less taxing. I don’t know anybody who isn’t somewhat affected by the economic times, no matter where they live. And it takes courage, foresight, insight, hind-sight and sometimes outta-sight thinking to rise above the noise and keep moving forward to make it better. In tough times we are being called to cultivate qualities that weren’t there before. Our soul can now develop qualities that couldn’t have unfolded without such times as this. Remember that it takes tons of pressure to make diamonds. We all react differently under pressure – how are you reacting? How are you pro-acting? How are you acting in the face of some large or small adversity? Yep, we may have to dial things down, take stock, look around for opportunities and then take action. Take massive action. Action is what produces change and I believe it’s us entrepreneurs who are going to get this economy going again. It also adds to your feelings of worth and energizes you when you can do good and do well and help others do the same. It’s during these times when mind-shifts happen and when we learn the way of making the universe bigger for all is in giving, it’s when we can give thanks for the qualities that have emerged during the pressure. It’s not always fun, welcomed or enjoyed. Sometimes it sucks….badly….. but often our opportunities come disguised as adversity…. how are you going to look at your circumstances and how are you going to change them for the better? And remember that our net worth is not equal to our self worth – we’ve all lost some of our net worth lately and thank goodness we didn’t lose our self worth! The word “courage” has come up a lot lately in my life. My good friend (and “twin sistah”) Sue has done paintings about it. My wise counsel Bill told me I needed to have lots of it since every single thing in my life on every level was in flux right now. My BFF Barb and I have discussed different versions of it nearly every night for the past 10 months. And now my friend Paul sends me the following excerpt and video link about the courage to say YES and the courage to not quit. I think I’m getting the hint to have the guts to keep moving forward and figure out creative ways to energize myself and my life no matter what may shift, change, crumble, not materialize or be taken away from me. I’ve had lots of training in courage and finishing the game. I’ve done triathlons, marathons, century rides, 30-day backpacking stints to survive in the wilderness for a month, and a 220 kilometer bike ride through 3 countries in 1 day. Those were peanuts compared to the following video. I’ve learned that shifting gears and re-assessing or doing the race in your own style is not quitting – it’s twisting the situation to best fit your needs, even though it may not be the norm. Having faith in yourself and the bigger picture is what pulls you through sometimes. I also realize that no matter how big a race I think I’m racing, there’s always something much bigger, and that energizes and inspires me. So what keeps you energized and motivated to not quit? For any of you who have thought about quitting your dream – check out this video below. Instead of entertaining the thought of quitting, perhaps just take a detour or side step a little on your path forward and watch this video. Fair warning – I had tears in my keyboard before the first few words were uttered. A son asked his father, ‘Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?’ The father who, despite having a heart condition, says ‘Yes’. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying ‘Yes’ to his son’s request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, ‘Dad, let’s join the Ironman together.’ To which, his father said ‘Yes’ to. For those who didn’t know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island . Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this video for lessons in not quitting Have you ever wondered why so many people are stuck these days? Or why there are so many How To books, but nobody seems to be getting it and continue to stay where they are? For a couple decades now, I’ve walked the path of “Once you know the why and the what, the how’s will figure out themselves.” It’s the how that keeps us stuck. Just have the faith that it will be figured out as you go. The momentum is in the forward movement and the faith that if you move forward and take those steps, the hows will present themselves in ways you’ve never dreamed possible. I’ve experienced this phenomenon several times in the past couple months – taking the steps forward and not necessarily knowing how I was going to get there. It takes courage and belief and sometimes some back sliding. Yep, I’ve had my share of panic moments, breakdowns, and holy cow what am I gonna do moments. It’s amazing what has come of it and the things that I manifested have been nothing short of amazing. One of the thought leaders in this area I’ve recently been introduced to is David Neagle – the multimillionaire coach to entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. I believe if you want to stretch and grow your business, you need to stretch and grow yourself. If you work more on yourself than on your business, the rest will take care of itself. It’s all in your thoughts, perceptions and beliefs. David’s belief is that we get stuck in the how. If we just knew the way, then we could get out of our own way and tap into the universal consciousness, which knows the way and will manifest what we need. A little woo, woo, but it truly is the secret behind The Secret. Instead of getting stuck in the how, just know the why and the what and as you move forward, the how’s will take care of themselves. Gather up your guts and believe it will happen, then get going. You do this every day when you drive your car. You probably don’t know how that engine works, but you have faith that it will work and believe that when you step on the gas, it will move forward. You know the why you want to drive someplace and the what is the car or what you need to drive to, then you just act as if that car will move forward for you and it does. No need to have all the how’s figured out. You don’t need to have it all figured out in order to move forward – just MOVE! Take a look at this video on how your future is NOW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbNbfu85hUs&list=PLtUVv9eXCdIKmF4MMCOVMBuzeZ1nrrUQF Where are you most comfortable living… in your left brain or your right brain? Left brainers, elbies, are more comfortable linear thinking, number crunching, logical, facts, details, math, science, rules, thinking, reality based and safe. Right brainers, arbies, are more creative, free flowing, mind mapping, artsy, musical, big picture, visionary, risk taking, feelings, imagination and fantasy. I recently was directed to this website from an Australian newspaper that has a graphic of a dancer. Whether you see her spinning clockwise or counterclockwise can tell you which side of your brain you’re living in at that very moment. Check it out: http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22556281-661,00.html I found I could only see her spinning in one direction. I couldn’t for the life of me visualize how she she could be seen spinning in the other direction…. until I started reading the words that represented the other side of the brain. When I read those words, I could then see her spinning in the other direction automatically and immediately. How weird is that??!! That’s how fast you can switch from using one side of your brain to the other. From all these kinds of tests over the years, I’ve found I sit right in the middle on the fence and can easily swing from one side to the other depending on the situation. To help you access and integrate easier for problem solving, creative thinking or number crunching; try throwing something between your hands or juggling. Throwing something back and forth helps you integrate. Growing dendrites on both sides of your brain can also be accomplished by little activities such as brushing your teeth with the opposite hand, eating with the other hand or European style, crossword puzzles, Soduko or other memory games. Elbies and Arbies also store things differently. To be most efficient, figure out which side is more comfortable for you to live in. Elbies tend to store things vertically behind closed doors such as file cabinets, closets, drawers, hangers etc. These are the neat desk people. Arbies tend to store things horizontally and within plain view – these are called piles. Right brainers need the visual stimulation to remind them to do something. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind. They prefer hooks to hangers and shelving to drawers. The rest of us in the middle are the anal retentive creative types – horizontal stacking in-boxes that are labeled. A mixture of both styles. Figure out your style and your preference, then organize your space around your style to feel most at ease, to find things more easily and then know how to access your other side of your brain and call in the reinforcements when you need them. After reading and ruminating on the book The 4-Hour Workweek for a few months; I’ve been keenly aware of how I spend my time. Time, unlike money, once spent can never be recovered and so I guard my time more fiercely than ever these days and really watch my boundaries. Putting boundaries on my time and allowing people, things and stuff to enter the forcefield is more of a conscious decision at this point in my life. We really cannot manage time, we can only manage ourselves in the space of our time. That means getting very clear on what to do and what to drop and what to outsource and what is important and what is urgent and what doesn’t really matter that much at all. My business partner often says, “If you don’t have enough time, you don’t have enough team.” I also think if you don’t have enough time, re-think the things you’re stuffing into that time and make hard choices. To help manage myself in my time, I use a color coding system in my hard-copy Daytimer. I also use a Google Calendar so my virtual assistants can see my schedule and when I need time, I just block it out on the schedules so nobody else can grab that time slot. I use a paper method as well as digital because I’ve had many computer gremlins and I need to know I have a back-up system in case the computer or internet goes down. Select colors that represent personal, professional, deadlines, obligations etc. If one color is dominating your schedule – analyze why that is and make changes. Since moving to the beach, I’ve decided that I won’t take any incoming calls or work until after 9am. A purposeful choice that this is the time zone in which I live and just because the East Coast is up and running, doesn’t mean I need to be at my desk by 5am so they can call me at their convenience. I’ve also adopted the motto – no more rushing. I’ve rushed to catch planes, make deadlines, be available to everybody’s emails and calls for over 20 years and I needed a break, hence no postings for a couple months while I decompressed after I moved out to California. I realized it was me allowing all those other things to take my time and it was only me who had the power to take back my time. It’s our choice. I’m reminded of the demonstration I saw about time management in a workshop – by having sand represent all the little schnitzy things you need to do and having ping pong balls represent the things that matter in your life. If you fill a vase with sand and then try to put in the ping pong balls, they won’t fit. But by putting in the ping pong balls first – putting the things that matter most to you first in your life, then pouring the sand into the vase; the sand fills in the empty spaces and everything will fit in the vase. It fits snugly, but it fits and anything that doesn’t fit is only the sniggly things that don’t matter so much anyway. So how are you managing yourself inside your time zone? My friend Kathie makes phone dates to catch up with friends – she uses her beach walking time to talk on her cell with good friends so she can exercise while talking. My friend Beth uses her treadmill time to chat. A realtor buddy takes no incoming calls before 11 – he reserves the morning for himself. I’m working on only taking calls and appointments Tuesday – Thursday so I can have Mondays and Fridays completely to myself. I’m not totally there yet, it’s a work in progress, but I’m conscious of it. If I need to do things on these days, then I’m blocking out time during the week to do as I choose. I will not get to only working 4 hours per week- I don’t thing I would even like to choose that. I truly enjoy what I do and it keeps me energized. Often people ask me if I work “full time”. Full time and part time are mindsets of the W2 working world. As an Entrepreneur, I just do my life. I have several companies and I just do some more than others as things dictate. Sometimes I focus on my work 60 hours in one week and sometimes 3 hours in one week – it all depends on what is happening in my life at the time – go with the flow. Entrepreneurs don’t do rules very well. So how do you set your personal boundaries, your time boundaries and how do you manage yourself within the time you have? What is your time zone? Are you in the zone in the mornings or evenings? When are you brain dead and when are you most sharp and creative? Work your stuff around your bio-rhythms and when you are most productive and be very conscious of who and what you allow inside your boundaries in order to keep your energy for the things that really matter most.

Attention Busy People Everywhere... Banish brain fog and fatigue in just 5 days—without caffeine. Are you feeling exhausted and foggy these days? Do you feel like you've lost your edge? Do you WANT IT BACK!? I hear you. Do you crash in the middle of the day? Are you craving more coffee? Are you finding it difficult to do your best work, or find the right words, or stay on task? (Do you sometimes fear you don't have what it takes anymore!?) Ugh. I know exactly how that feels. What if I told you that you could get it all back: focus, clarity, competence, control. And stamina! What if you could handle stress much better than you do now? What if you could truly do your best work again? My name is Marc Wagner. I'm a medical doctor and nutritional therapist. I hold a master's degree in Public Health Nutrition. And yet I still suffered severe brain fog and fatigue after contracting Lyme Disease and Mold Biotoxin Illness. I went from being a high-level knowledge worker to a low-level couch potato who could barely string two sentences together or climb stairs. That is...until I discovered the power of certain nutrients and herbs to restore my neurons and help them adapt to new levels of stress. I'm still recovering from chronic illness, but I have my brain back and that has made all the difference. In fact, I've had enough energy over the last year to start a company and grow it to help thousands of people get their brains back as well, just like me. Frankly, I'm sick and tired of watching good people lose their confidence and creativity to brain fog and fatigue. That's why I created The BrainFlō™ Solution, the only doctor-formulated supplement that uses The Restore & Adapt Protocol™ to help busy men and women go from foggy to focused in just 5 days—without caffeine. The Restore & Adapt Protocol™ leverages an often overlooked but critical part of your brain's recovery from stress: the balance between restoration and adaptation. Unlike stimulant-based brain formulas or caffeine, which force the brain to burn through its reserves without replacing them, The Restore & Adapt Protocol™ gently supplies choline donors, methyl donors, and specific amino acids to support the production of important neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. It also supplies a specialized carnitine shuttle to support mitochondrial energy production in the brain. That would be great all by itself, but there's more. The Restore & Adapt Protocol™ also deploys two powerful adaptogenic herbs that peer-reviewed research shows protect the brain from stress and increase its capacity to perform work. I know this all sounds complicated but it's really not. Restoration & Adaptation. Replenishment & Resilience. These are pretty straightforward needs of your body and brain. As a physician, I learned this from observation and training. As a patient, I learned it from personal experience. But don't take my word for it. BrainFlō™ is already out there helping restore people's cognition and confidence—right now. Here's what customers are saying: 7 Powerful Ingredients in 1 Natural support means more than just natural ingredients. It means synergy. Just like nature, BrainFlō™ uses a symphony of ingredients to accomplish things that no single ingredient could ever accomplish on its own: METHYLFOLATE: (5-MTHF) as Quatrefolic®. The most water-soluble methylfolate on the market. Critical for patching genetic gaps in methylation affecting up 50% of the population. METHYLCOBALAMIN: (Methyl-B12). A key methyl donor for brain function that works synergistically with methylfolate. ACETYL-L-CARNITINE: A fatty acid shuttle that crosses the blood-brain barrier and helps your busy neurons make more energy (via enhanced β-oxidation and ATP production). This means more mental stamina for you. ALPHA GPC: A choline donor to support the production of acetylcholine, your memory molecule. L-TYROSINE: An amino acid to support the production of dopamine, your motivation molecule. GINKGO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT: Gbe 24/6® is a unique Ginkgo biloba extract obtained from specially cultivated leaves of the Ginkgo tree that are hand-picked and processed to contain the precise ratio of ginkgo flavone glycosides to triterpene lactones shown in clinical trials to enhance blood flow to the brain and provide neuroprotective benefits—delaying the progression of cognitive decline. 1 RHODIOLA ROSEA EXTRACT: RhodioLife™ is a premium wildcrafted Rhodiola extract from the Altay Mountains of Siberia, one of the most well-preserved remote natural environments in the world. This extract is standardized to 3% rosavins and provides robust broad-spectrum support for mood, energy, physical and mental performance, and increased ability to handle stress.2-3-4 A recent study (2016) shows that Rhodiola rosea offers a synergistic boost to cognition when combined with Ginkgo.5 The BrainFlō™ Promise So here's a brief summary of my commitment to you with this product: PHYSICIAN-FORMULATED: Created with exquisite attention to detail, this premium formula combines the right ingredients at the right dose based on available scientific literature to naturally support mood, energy, focus, and flow. I made it for me, initially. FOCUS & FLOW SUPPORT: BrainFlō is a natural “Nootropic”, formulated to help busy men and women go from foggy to focused in just 5 days without caffeine. The unique blend of ingredients in BrainFlō™ is crafted to help support short and long-term memory, improve concentration and circulation to the brain, support neurotransmitter production, help bridge genetic gaps in methylation, and serve as a neuroprotective agent for your hard-working brain cells. MOOD & ENERGY SUPPORT: Rhodiola rosea is an adaptogen that has been used for centuries to optimize human performance. Our pristinely sourced Rhodiola in BrainFlō™ works synergistically with other premium ingredients to help improve cellular energy production and mental stamina so you can stay focused and do your best work—or just be your best self. CONVENIENT All-IN-ONE DOSING: High performance people look for simplicity and clarity. That's why BrainFlō™ concentrates the benefits of 7 different products into one single natural daily supplement: one bottle to rule them all. So you can begin your day without decision fatigue or clutter. YOUR VALUES, TAKEN SERIOUSLY: BrainFlō™ is vegan. It is made with Non-GMO ingredients and manufactured in an earth-friendly GMP facility in the Pacific Northwest, USA. It is forumulated without corn, soy, salt, yeast, gluten, milk, eggs, sugar, or preservatives. Kanowski, S., et al. "Proof of efficacy of the Ginkgo biloba special extract EGb 761 in outpatients suffering from mild to moderate primary degenerative dementia of the Alzheimer type or multi-infarct dementia." Phytomedicine 4.1 (1997): 3-13. Spasov, A. A., et al. "A double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of the stimulating and adaptogenic effect of Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract on the fatigue of students caused by stress during an examination period with a repeated low-dose regimen." Phytomedicine 7.2 (2000): 85-89. Shevtsov, V. A., et al. "A randomized trial of two different doses of a SHR-5 Rhodiola rosea extract versus placebo and control of capacity for mental work." Phytomedicine 10.2 (2003): 95-105. Darbinyan, V., et al. "Rhodiola rosea in stress induced fatigue—a double blind cross-over study of a standardized extract SHR-5 with a repeated low-dose regimen on the mental performance of healthy physicians during night duty." Phytomedicine 7.5 (2000): 365-371. Al-Kuraishy, Hayder M. "Central additive effect of Ginkgo biloba and Rhodiola rosea on psychomotor vigilance task and short-term working memory accuracy." Journal of intercultural ethnopharmacology 5.1 (2016): 7. IMPORTANT DOSING & SAFETY INFORMATION Yes, this powerful brain supplement is legal. But as with any new supplement, you should START LOW AND GO SLOW. So here’s how to take BrainFlō™: - Take 1 capsule daily with breakfast. - If you are getting good results, stay on 1 capsule per day. If you need more BrainFlō™, take an additional capsule at lunch for a total of 2 capsules per day. Do not take before bedtime. Cautions & Contraindications: - Consult your healthcare provider before taking this product. - Not recommended while pregnant or lactating. - Discontinue use if you experience anxiety or insomnia. - Consult your healthcare provider before taking while using blood thinners, including aspirin. - Consult your healthcare provider before taking if you have Bipolar disorder (manic depression). - Consult your healthcare provider before taking while using antidepressants or stimulants such as Ritalin. - Consult your healthcare provider before taking while using Efavirenz (used in treating HIV infections), or Talinolol. - Contraindicated in persons taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), like phenelzine and tranylcypromine. - Keep out of reach of children. - BrainFlō™ may reduce your need for caffeine, so you may find you can cut back on caffeinated beverages. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Cover photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash

DPTS Association is grateful to anyone sending contributions to this website We apologize in advance in case of unfortunate mistakes (c) DPTS Association - 1999-2007 Working together to open New Horizons We are proud to announce that DPTS Association and the BAAA-ACRO Aircraft Crashes Record Officehave now decided to join forces and work in close partnership. Together we will be able to offer you even more news, more pictures and new resources from Geneva, and beyond. Through our cooperation you will get access not only to new pictures from Geneva, including a lot of biz-jets, but also to pictures from all corners of the World. And since the backbone of the BAAA-ACRO lays on collecting information on accidents involving airplanes anywhere on Earth, you will get access to a tremendous database, updated every day, and generously illustrated with numerous and rare pictures. While both Websites will continue to run independently and under their own banner, we will use the benefits of our synergy to fulfill more than ever our commitment to quality and accuracy you can expect from us. From today, we are working together to open New Horizons.

LOW BACK PAIN Millions of Canadians suffer from debilitation back pain, which negatively impacts their work, pleasure, and daily activities. Nearly everyone at some point in their life suffers from low back pain and we all know how life altering it can be. Our program is led by qualified staff with experience in low back health and rehabilitation. The program is led by Synergy Sports Therapies Physiotherapist and assisted by our Chiropractor as well. A full service team is set-up to ensure that participants are in good hands. FOCUS OF PROGRAM - Strength (Core and full body strength) - Mobility (flexibility and mobility are key assets in pain management) - Pain management Of course the goals of this program are to lessen pain for participant as well as increase function and capabilities, meaning improve everyday living and enhance pain-free activities.

Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) – some considerations “At the core of education, training and learning lays the education philosophy of the institution, which is then embedded within the curriculum – embedded within the design of the curriculum. Once the curriculum is designed, then the teaching program can be developed, and then the individual lesson plans can be drafted. Designing the curriculum is the starting point of any effective student learning experience. The program should then effectively enable the teacher to facilitate positive and effective learning experiences”(Page 2008). This blog is a continuation of the International Education blog. Within that essay I attempted to present two issues. Firstly, that the current Australian tertiary education system, being a product of a euro-western, monoculturalist ideal provides a number of barriers to the effective teaching of a multicultural society that today exists in Australia. This multicultural society includes Non-Native English speakers (NNEs). Ineffective teaching, as suggested can impact the greater society in its’ realisation of macro goals. Given this, we as a society need to re-evaluate the outcomes that we desire, and to make a conscious decision as to whether the current social ideal (euro-western educational system) is to continue. The question I posed was: should we not be attempting to maximise the contribution of all members of society. It is I believe our leader’s responsibility to ensure that education for responsible citizenship – allowing all to assume their rightful, productive position within our community – so that everybody has an important place in society. The second issue that I chose to broach was how we as educational leaders could contribute once we were in a position to develop an educational system that meets the needs of contemporary Australia. Referencing my tertiary educational institutional experience, I proposed a heuristic educational approach to be adopted. In this approach, the teacher assumes more of a facilitative role, leading the learners to their own self-development, guiding them to greater understanding as to who they are as social members and what they need to learn to become more able to contribute in the contemporary global environment. Technology encouraged globalisation As raised in my first blog in this series, technological development has been highlighted as having a direct impact on globalisation, particularly the speed with which globalisation is occurring. Globalisation, defined as “a set of conditions in which an increasing fraction of value and wealth is produced and distributed worldwide through a system of interlinking private networks”(OECD in Kelly:1998:1), and its “intensification over recent years owes much to the emergence of means of instantaneous global communication and mass transportation”(Giddens in Taylor et al:1997:55). Since the 1970’s, a world economy has become a valid economic concept (Hobsbawm in Taylor et al:1997:55). However, there are several concerns with such a phenomenon: Firstly; the spread of the western paradigm through its’ designers and majority of users. This influences the recipient or user of the technology, irrespective of their nationality, with very little regard for the cultural needs of this recipient/learner/user (Page 1998). The western paradigm has been suggested by certain quarters as being behind all that is great in the world at present. Not the least is consumerism. In the 1998 report of the United Nation’s Development Program, the Deputy Director stated “that twenty six per cent of the world’s people account for eighty six per cent of spending for personal consumption. The wealthiest twenty per cent consume forty five per cent of meat and fish, use fifty eight per cent of total energy, own seventy four per cent of all telephone lines and eighty per cent of the world’s vehicles”( Kelly:1998:7). It is this paradigm that is being received around the world to billions of people, irrespective of their socio-economic, educational, cultural or political position. Termed the global monoculture, Norberg-Hodge (1996, 36) highlights the eagerness that so many non –Americanised cultures embrace the symbols of the western perspective – “sunglasses, walkmans, and blue jeans –not because they find those jeans more attractive or comfortable but because they are symbols of modern life”. Yet it is this modern life that comes at such a cost, according to Norberg-Hodge. The most extreme of these is “feeling ashamed of their own (traditional) culture”. Apparently so overpowering is the imagery of the west, that “millions of young people believe contemporary Western culture to be far superior to their own”, irrespective of the harsh realities such as social, psychological, environmental and economic dimensions. Accepted forms of western lifestyle promotion have been movies, pop songs, media mediums and tourism. With the growth of technology, I would suggest that the newest most influential vehicle for the transfer of these symbols is the internet. Secondly: the degree of technological access equity. That is, the degree of exclusivity that technology brings, given that technology is only available to a specific group of global citizens – those of industrialised economically advanced nations. These nations are also the nations that have embraced the information age. “Technological access allows its’ recipients, its’ learners and its users to become part of the information –based world economy, interacting with the latest information” (Page 1998). The industrialised economically advanced nations are also the nations that have embraced the information age. Therefore, providing that one doesn’t come from a low socio- economic area of these nations, one is said to have reasonable access potential (OECD in Kelly:1998:2). In contrast, third world nation citizens are said to not have reasonable access potential. Whilst this lack of access may limit the speed and breadth of the spread of the western paradigm, inequitable distribution of knowledge, is likely to “lead to further disparity across socio-economic, cultural or political spheres” (Page 1998). Thirdly, the inclusion of technology in learning programs may exclude or negatively impact certain types of learners: learners who have been educated in a specific location, manner or era – that is, in a non–computer or non-self discovery style of learning environment; or they themselves as learners prefer other modalities to a non- discovery style of learning, may not respond well in such a technology embracing institution. A Culturally-Biased Curriculum? It is interesting to note that QRITC management responded to staff and student complaints regarding the issues outlined with the curriculum for the International learners by reciting the following benefits: (A) the fee-paying learners will benefit from the formalised training , offering them a career path training in what has been considered up until that point a menial (unskilled) task. QRITC management believed these international training opportunities were not available to those learners in their home culture. In the case of the Japanese, there exists a very high barrier to entry for the locals aspiring to have a career in the racing industry. By having other training opportunities outside of Japan has brought into question the real needs of the industry as a whole and provided a platform for discussion of more equitable training needs arrangements. Ritchie puts forward that cross border organising can allow scrutiny and debate over oppressive and elitist practices within particular home cultures (Ritchie:1996:494-500). It would appear that the case in hand has shown that this can be a real outcome.; and, (B) such a training opportunity allows the development of their international industry. QRITC management believed that the QRITC offered training opportunities to the Japanese racing industry, bringing it in line with current world standards (a) of skill and (b) of global reciprocal training etiquette (Kelly:1998:2). Apparently, it is considered that Japan, whilst benefiting enormously from other nation’s openness of offering input of technical expertise, is slow in reciprocating in the opening up of their market for foreign technical or experiential gain . It is thought by many within the Australian Racing Industry that through education influence over the Japanese to understand the western concept of sharing expertise. Again the cultural assumptions and biases that underpin these statements are very Euro-centric, and imperialistic. The QRITC curriculum was designed from the paradigm where the client is assumed to meet the learning needs of a specific stereotype: English speaking, moderate level of literacy, both communicatively and technologically, and from a eurocentric cultural background. Obviously, a problem arises when the client being offered this type of course, does not satisfy one or any of these target audience characteristics. As already touched on, cultural relevance is of major concern when dealing with cross border training. Ladson-Billings notes that “for almost 15 years, anthropologists have looked at ways to develop a closer fit between a student’s home culture and the school. This work has had a variety of labels including culturally appropriate, culturally congruent, culturally responsive, and culturally compatible (Ladson-Billings:1995:159). QRITC’s management were open about their imperialistic motive, believing they knew what was both best for the clients and for their home industry. A major delivery challenge at QRITC was with the international learners and meeting the client’s language, or lack there of, needs. The clients ranged from low to pre-intermediate proficiency levels of English. In the specific context of QRITC’s nationally accredited program, 6 weeks of English instruction is presented up front. This can only be seen as a token gesture as a much longer time is required for achieving real results. For NNS’s, at that level , 6 weeks is little more than a token effort. It was assumed that the students would acquire, ’on the run’ those skills that they need to achieve. From this I draw two distinctions: (1) from a cultural perspective, little regard was provided to the learners’ needs (ie: their lack of having English as a first language); and (2) little understanding of the linguistic process and lack of consideration was given for how the learners were intending to achieve the competencies. With regard to the first point, I believe that this situation arose due to the euro-centric paradigm of the curriculum designers. I met with and discussed in detail with both the curriculum designers and their line managers who were influential in having the program approved and implemented. I found them to be extremely euro-centric in their views. In regards to the second point: both the curriculum designers and line managers had limited knowledge about the second language acquisition process of our learners, in general and for the specific vocational context. Cope and Kalantzis suggest that as part of remaining competitive in the current global economy, products need to be redesigned to (re)align them to the particular customer. In their paper on productive diversity, they suggest that this kind of flexibility is necessary in the current times; no matter the product or service that is being offered. Presenting a case example, the products included an example of an educational institution in Sydney, an institution characterised with an an ethnically diverse mix of learners. Cope and Kalantzis (1997, 137) describe what the institution did to attempt to keep and maintain its’ flexibility and competitive advantage. “The academic staff … at UTS were concerned that the diversity of the student body presented a range of teaching and learning difficulties. Identifying these as issues that needed to be addressed academically has been a critical part of transforming the way the university deals with diversity” (Cope and Kalantzis:1997:137). Nunan found in a recent study of an educational system, institutions were expected to design, implement and evaluate their own curriculum: firstly, identifying the learners’ needs; secondly, selecting and grading syllabus content; thirdly, selecting and creating materials and learning activities (delivered through appropriate resources); fourthly, monitoring and assessing learner progress; and lastly, course evaluation (Nunan:1988:6). “At UTS, people are starting to develop new approaches to their curriculum …….. the very practical need to provide an effective service to a diverse clientele. Product Diversity at UTS means making a new curriculum and establishing new learning relationships” (Cope and Kalantzis:1997:139). Unfortunately, the QRITC experience of applying centralised native speaker (NS) focussed programs in contexts outside of their original intended design, without due consideration of the contextual variances, leave a wake of clients that are either dissatisfied with, or disadvantaged by their experience. Further to the cultural bias, differences of learner orientation were not given due consideration in the QRITC curriculum. Differences of the diverse learner group such as educational background and therefore educational expectation were not considered. The courses were constructed and delivered without such consideration. Integral in this approach is the euro-centric values and beliefs of the European Australian designers. Attitudes to life, employment, education and learning styles are assumed. Integral to this are one’s own learning experience, the cultural thinking processes of their generation, and their focus of their responsibility as leaders within the educational environment. Success within the QRITC management system is measured in terms of governmental accountability, political demands, and industry expected outcomes. Of course, this approach is underpinned by western values and beliefs. The degree of success therefore of those whose learning style falls outside this western accepted way is dependant upon the degree that these non-westernised learners are prepared to or can assimilate a particular learning style as their own learning style. By doing this, the learners are forced to adapt to the western accepted way in order to succeed. The extent of learner learning style differenceneed not only vary between obvious culturally diverse groups, such as Asian, indigenous to western; but also between various sub-cultural groups within the one culture, such as male and female learners and learning styles, visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and digital learners and learning styles, irrespective of the learner’s cultural traditions. Howard Gardner (1994), a well regarded contemporary proponent of learning styles, recently wrote: “We are not all the same; we do not all have the same kinds of minds, education works most effectively for most individuals if these differences in mentation and strengths are taken into account rather that denied or ignored”. At its most fundamental, learning theory proposes that individuals possess a unique combination of personality traits, perceptual differences and cognitive tendencies form a particular type or style ( Myers and McCaulley 1985), and there are certain learning strategies related to type or style. Research on styles suggests that different learners need different modes of assistance. Concrete-sequential learners need to be told what to do and exactly how to do it, whereas intuitive learners want to find their own answers. Thinking – feeling oriented learners want factual feedback, whereas feeling – oriented learners want greater emotional support. Knowing about styles, especially as they relate to the assistance needed by the learners, would certain enable the trainer to provide an effective learning environment Therefore, a congruent learning approach, a multicultural approach that satisfies the learning objectives of a much broader population base is desired. A holistic approach to learning via a more inclusive curriculum is desirable for a diverse learner group. A more holistic curriculum that does not overlook the learner’s cultural background has been shown to have great benefit for the learner. Armstrong, Cummins, Gardner and Freire show the benefits of a relevant, culturally-specific educational approach and what can be achieved. All learners should be provided with a range of teaching pedagogy that addresses a range of learning styles. Students have preferred learning styles, different levels of skill, and varied outside responsibilities. Individual differences need to be addressed in curriculum design. Individual differences theory suggest that learners learn in different ways and that no single styles of teaching is useful to all. As Brand (1998, 50) reinforces, programs designed for technological development can be effective when programming offers flexibility and not based on a one size fits all philosophy. With the ongoing trend of an increase in the number of Non – Native English (NNEs) speakers studying within Australian Tertiary Institutions, training needs to be provided to all teacher and lecturers to ensure both their pedagogy and their curriculum design is inclusive of the broader range of multicultural clientele participating in their courses. Educators and administrators are continually extended to find methods to prepare teachers adequately for the range of demands they may experience in the classroom. Adequate training can better prepare teachers for the teaching and learning environment, positively affecting the student’s learning experience and the degree to which these students can ultimately integrate and contribute in society beyond the tertiary course. inclusion of technology in the classroom. Large investments in equipment and mass educator training sessions have been the trend as schools focus on producing technologically literate students. Generally, administrators focus on cost effective group -oriented delivery systems, while teachers are primarily concerned with skill building, level of competency, and relevant classroom application. Additional to the cultural training needs, administrators and educators agree that present methods of teacher training fail to produce the desired outcome of valid integration of technology into the curriculum (Persky:1989:25). While current technologies expand to include electronic resource sharing, distance learning and interactive video, many educators do not yet have the basic skills necessary to produce a document on a word processor or manage grades on a computerised system (Persky:1989:29). As Nunan suggests, teachers use a range of content, methods and resources that are suitable for different environments, inline with the specific needs of the group (Nunan:1991:228-248). For teachers, courses and modules within teacher education programmes need to be developed. The need for educators to know how to use the computer to accomplish daily tasks is becoming crucial, and demands for computer training are growing. Educational Organisation Ancilliary Services To overcome the lack of teacher efficiencies, many schools and organisations have taken to employing technology in order to offset and improve upon the cost of having teacher manned classrooms or resource spaces. As a result there has been a trend recently amongst educational institutions to develop their Information Technology (IT) team by employing the services of IT specialists with the view to advising their Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) needs. QRITC followed this trend and employed a part-time off-site IT specialist. Management then expected this part-time IT specialist to maintain the institute’s hardware and software, as well as assist teachers with the use of technology in the classroom. I observed the scope of duties and the minimal support offered to the specialist IT staff often overwhelmed them. Teachers who are determined to advance their skills, or who already have computer background, benefit from the presence of a part-time specialist. However, there were a number of other staff who did not possess significant computer experience, or were also suffering from a degree of anxiety towards using technology in the classroom. A possible solution QRITC could have considered would have been to employ the services of a full-time site-based specialist to have more time on-site to assist staff and students with the IT issues – operational and user-based . A full-time technology support perhaps could have provided the teachers time to learn and consider how they could implement technology in the school. While the teacher is responsible for teacher education and support, part of their professional function needs to also allow for them being trained in a range of appropriate technology, followed by time to research contemporary views on application in a CAL environment. A full-time site-based IT specialist could also advise as to what equipment may be appropriate given findings of the research and an applied analysis of the needs of that educational department in that particular organisation. Such a a full-time site-based IT specialist could become an important ancillary service to the educational department, working with and assisting the teacher to establish both a technologically appropriate solution to meet the specific educational organisational needs. However, QRITC decided to purchase a large amount of IT equipment without the benefit of a site-based specialist or active interaction, research, analysis and discussion of the specific educational organisational needs. Unfortunately, what I observed as a result 18 months after the initial IT purchase,was a heavily IT resourced education department with much of the equipment not able to function properly due to the lack of appropriate systems in place to support that IT system. Additionally, much of the technology was being used in a very limited capacity from a CAL pedagogical point of view. I believe the situation I observed occurred due to the lack of planning, research and engagement of the staff and learners by the QRITC management and the education leaders in the decision-making process to determine an effective and valid solution to the specific issues within the QRITC learning environment. QRITC teaching staff were not provided training in a range of appropriate technology; teaching staff were not invited into the discussion regarding the challenges they were experiencing in the multi-cultural learning environments; teaching staff were not invited or encouraged to investigate CAL pedagogy; and consider a range of options that may address the specific issues within the QRITC learning environment. Given this, I wonder on what basis QRITC management and the education leaders decided to purchase the large amount of IT equipment? Was the equipment a technologically appropriate solution to meet the specific educational organisational needs? A summary of the equipment and services bought follows: 16 Pentium terminals for the students, 3 for the instructors, 2 servers, a CD stacker, modem, printers, Internet access, as well as a broad range of software and the appropriate site licences. The dollar cost of purchase of this equipment was approximately $68,000. Additional costs included the cost of installation, setting up of both Computer Aided Learning (CAL) and Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) software, the customising of these, and maintenance of the system once installed. This included assigning a budget to external consultants and sub-contractors over a 12 –18 month period. Such expenditure represented a significant outlay to the educational institution, and with any investment, it would have been reassuring to know that accompanying this significant investigation, there was robust discussion, research and consideration of multiple options; taking into account the educational context, the learners and their expected outcomes, the educational philosophy of the institute, and ofcourse, the design of the curriculum. Global Educational Model to Change Today, the use of technology has quickly grown beyond the realm of luxury. There are few schools and classrooms that do not have access to various technologies ranging from VCR’s to computers and satellite communications. In this essay, I have attempted to highlight the show that the use of Computer Technology as a means of counterbalancing the perpetuating of outmoded parameters. It is a trend that has the potential to change the form, the delivery and influence the content of the curriculum. However, as shown in the QRITC example, it also brings with it its own set of shortcomings. These need to be carefully considered prior to widespread embrace. Like all technological development, its real strength is in its’ application as a tool in the process of a specific context; not as a means unto itself, but merely as a tool. And as with any tool, the usefulness of a tool is based upon how appropriate the tool is for that specific function; and how well one has been taught to use it. With the increasing development and availability of technology, a systematic restructuring of schools is occuring to meet the technology needs of the organisation, and also to better equip the teachers for integrating technology effectively, into the learning environment. Whilst I would hope that technology is embraced as a potential avenue to support the learning of their students, organisational strategies need to be developed to ensure appropriate levels of access for all those involved – namely teachers and students – are facilitated. Central to this restructuring effort and facilitating access is the professional development of teachers. In America President Clinton has put the challenge to the whole nation: ” In schools, every classroom in America must be connected to the information super highway with computer and good software and well-trained teachers”. President Bill Clinton (Bush and Terry :1997:263) Only through extensive preservice and inservice activities will teachers acquire the understanding, skills and confidence they need to use technology in their classroom and prepare their students for an information based society. I will now outline an approach that QRITC could take in their restructuring and ensuring appropriate levels of access are facilitated . Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) Teacher Training Once the curriculum has been designed for optimal learning experience, the “program should then effectively enable the teacher to facilitate positive and effective learning experiences”(Page 2008). The pedagogy that the teacher chooses for a particular training workshop will influence the learning experience of the participants. In contemporary computer teacher training, there are currently two distinct approaches. The first approach includes both concentrated and generic workshops. Concentrated workshops are workshops where volume of content and information is offered, but little time is allocated for tasks where the participants can practice and absorb that content. A generic workshop on the other hand may focus on general application and offer little information that can be applied to a specific content area. An alternate approach in contemporary computer teacher training workshops is described by Owen (1992) as hardware-centred and teacher – centred. Hardware – centred workshops are courses where students learn to use computers and new technologies through a series of focused lessons and activities. The distinguishing feature of this course as distinct from the alternative, is that the instruction and outcomes focus on the technology and its application in general and broad terms. In the teacher – centred approach, instruction and activity in information technologies is given in the context of existing programmes and the technology is used as a means to an end. Regardless of the pedagogical approaches to these workshop, research reveals five keys to successful training: 1) Sherwood purports that one of the major barriers experience by teachers in the process of integrating technology, is the lack of time. Teachers must have substantial time to acquire and, in turn, transfer to the classroom the knowledge learnt. Although training and development time varies according to individuals, Guhlin (1996) states the time required is whatever satisfies a teacher’s need for exploratory learning. Teachers need considerable training and development so that they are firstly empowered in their own skill level before they can transfer that into the classroom. 2) The second key to successful training is differing levels proficiency of the participants must be addressed. Each group is made up of individual with skill levels varying from none at all to highly proficient. Fast-paced, group-oriented in-service sessions therefore, do not enhance learning. It offers useful information to small number of trainees. Training therefore must begin at a skill level of the educators to ensure success. As often the case in adult second language learning, intelligence is equated with the level of proficiency in the language. So it comes to be assume that elementary students are not as intelligent as the advanced level students are. This assumption of course has no basis, and teachers who do toy with the idea soon realise the error of their ways. In computer training a parallel scenario would be that a trainer equates the level of technical knowledge to intelligence. Level of anxiety and stress is usually high at the beginner level and it would be up to the trainer to help the learners overcome the anxiety and stress. 3) The third key is that a vast majority of time should be spent actively working with technology, in small groups and individually. Learning a skill requires active interaction with people and things, requirement that is not satisfied by passively watching and listening to a presentation. In an article title Restructuring for Learning with Technology: The potential for Synergy, Karen Sheigold writes: ”Effective learning hinges on the active engagement of students in constructing their own knowledge and understanding. Such learning is not a solitary practice; it occurs through interaction with support from the world of people and objects” (1991,19) 4) The fourth key to successful training is that the training session should focus on functionality rather than newness and complexity with regard to hardware and software tools. Less complex software and hardware is often superior for beginner projects because it can be learned more quickly. 5) Ritchie and Wilburg (1994) state that skills and knowledge gained in workshops frequently are not transferred to professional activity because of the lack of on going assistance and development. Coaching or mentoring is one approach that can be used to sustain the cognitive momentum created through workshops as teachers explore implementing new skills and knowledge into their teaching. Novice users of technology can be paired with more experienced users, who act as mentors. Mentors assist their partners by clarifying concepts, discussing problem areas and collaboration to find workable solutions, and tutoring in the use of hardware and software. Through this process, novice teachers gain confidence in their ability to thoughtfully integrate technology in their teaching. When an expert teacher provides the instruction, the teacher- learners also have a benchmark for measuring their own progress. If technology is to be used by students, then teacher confidence, understanding, skill to effectively incorporate technology into their teaching practices. This will only occur by providing adequate training and development. So far technology has had little impact on a significant number of classrooms. Educators will continue to respond negatively to the introduction of computer assisted learning. In America The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) in America now includes a set of standards for educational technology. The standards recommend that every teacher acquire a set of foundation skills and concepts related to technology, regardless of the teacher’s area of specialisation. These standards includes ability of perform tasks and demonstrate various skills on the basic computer programs to multimedia and hypermedia . It would seem logical to assume that the Australian body for teacher accreditation would do the same. School and governments will continue to invest billions of dollars in the latest hardware and software, but their goals and measurable educational improvements will continue to fall short unless they realistically invest in their most important resource, their teachers. The lack of effectiveness of technology training for educators has been a major deterrent in the implementation of technology resources in the classroom. Universities are graduating teachers with minimal computer training. Glenn and Carrier agree that educators are entering the classroom lacking sufficient skills and exposure to use technology. “Since information systems become more complex and change rapidly, teachers are handicapped even before they start” (1986, 68). In this essay, I have discussed a number of considerations when educational institutions explore the idea of offering computer assisted learning (CAL) with the vision of enhancing the student learning experience. Whilst technology is rapidly developing world-wide, there is a cost to this technology that may be a barrier to entry for certain persons or cultures within nations where such a cost is prohibitive. Additionally, certain cultures or lifestyles may not allow for the dependencies of computer technology such as power and land lines for internet access (eg: nomadic cultures). So whilst we in a developed western nation have broad access to computer technology, it would be false to assume that is the case for every person in every nation, and therefore a CAL program offered to a range of nationalities may have diverse levels of previous experience with that technology. I then examined how curriculum needed to be designed with a particular learner in mind, to avoid a common error in my experience where the curriculum encompassed very particular and specific cultural bias that excluded certain learners, rather than being inclusive. Extending this point, certain curriculum is biased towards a particular language (in the examples provided English), and this too could be an overlooked design feature that excludes certain learners, rather than including them. Following I discussed how diverse each learner can potentially be, even within one cultural, language group or gender. Learning theory has found learners favouring either visual, auditory, kinaesthetic or digital0based learners irrespective of the learner’s cultural traditions. Other influences were also noted to be one’s generation and style of education they experienced within their compulsory education as a child and adolescent. This has implications for teacher training with regard to both the multicultural awareness of the brooding ethnic mix within Australian’s institutions, but also the broadening of the teacher’s pedagogy to be inclusive of a greater range of learning styles. Further, with the advancement of technology, computer assisted learning (CAL) needs to be both philosophically and pedagogically considered by an educational organisational team to ensure that they can meet the specific learning outcomes of that particular organisation. To not do such, may result in a large expenditure of the organisation’s budget for little benefit to the education department – the teacher’s, the learners and their learning outcomes. IT support is a crucial functional role in this process, to assist with both purchasing, installing and maintaining the hardware, but also with the training of the staff in extended use of the technology. With technological advancement, it is recognised that future generations will have increasing levels of computer technology in their lives; and therefore it is essential to commence planning for computer assisted learning (CAL) across all learning platforms. With this however, management of educational organisations must accept and embrace this pending era by providing adequate levels of teacher training programs. It is only through extensive preservice and inservice activities that teachers will acquire the understanding, skills and confidence they need to use technology in their classroom and prepare their students for an information based society. I concluded my essay outlining two alternate approaches that QRITC could take in their facilitation of effective computer assisted learning, highlighting five keys to ensure that the most effective training can take place. Armstrong, T. (1994). Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. ELT Journal, 58, 125-129. 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The Language Teacher, 17(5), 11-15. – ©David L Page 20/11/1998 – updated ©David L Page 16/10/2013 Copyright: No aspect of the content of this blog or blog site is to be reprinted or used within any practice without strict permission directly from David L Page.

By GrimBrother One - The hotly anticipated arrival of Halo Wars 2’s new expansion is finally here, and with it, a new opportunity to take on one of humanity’s oldest adversaries: The Flood. Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare is now available on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, and we can’t wait for fans to get in on the action. Awakening the Nightmare is a brand-new full expansion for Halo Wars 2, featuring new campaign missions played from a Banished perspective, two new multiplayer leaders, two new multiplayer maps, and Terminus Firefight – a unique new cooperative mode where players build both bases and armies to defend and survive against an onslaught of enemy forces. Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare is available now for $19.99 USD exclusively on Xbox One and Windows 10 PC. Along with the expansion, Halo Wars 2 is also getting a game update aimed to improve player experience in a wide variety of areas – read on for more details on the new missions, modes, Leaders, units, abilities, and more coming to Halo Wars 2 today! Also, join us today (9/26) at 3pm PT on mixer.com/halo and twitch.tv/halo for a special livestream to celebrate the launch of Awakening the Nightmare. We'll chat with developers, answer some community questions, and feature an epic tie-breaking finale match between internal teams Brute Force and the Spartan Strikers. See you there! Expanding on the epic story from the main game, Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare lets players battle through a brand-new series of campaign missions from the perspective of the fearsome Banished and experience their desperate struggle against a terrifying and ancient enemy – the Flood. Bookending the Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare campaign will be gorgeous new cinematics by our friends and partners at Blur Studio, bringing the adventure to life in incredible drool-inducing detail. Trust us, you haven’t seen the Flood quite like this. As part of the Awakening the Nightmare expansion, two new Banished Leaders – Voridus and Pavium – will be joining the fray not only as integral parts of the narrative experience, but also as fully playable additions to the roster for Multiplayer, Skirmish, and Blitz. These Brute brothers will bring the Halo Wars 2 Leader lineup to an incredible 16 total commanders and armies to choose from, each with unique units, abilities, and tactics. Voridus takes to the field in iatrochemically-enhanced armor powered by tanks of infusion gel. Voridus can drop this gel from his tanks, leaving long-lasting toxic energy pools in his wake which damage enemy units, but which can be harnessed by his allies. Though he takes to the field with a standard gravity hammer, once he acquires enough resources he replaces it with an Infused Hammer, which creates energy pools with each strike and synergizes with his armor. Voridus can also intentionally release the gel from his tanks when he activates his Salt the Earth ability, leaving wide energy pools in his wake. Voridus is unusually fast and viscous, even for a Brute. Armed with a barbed hammer, he inflicts a bleed attack on enemy units he hits, causing damage and slowing his targets over time. Voridus’ special ability allows him to slam the ground, dealing a damaging shockwave and creating a large pool of Infusion. For a period of time after placing the pool, Voridus is also able to leave a trail of Infusion behind him wherever he goes, allowing him to block chokepoints or surround bases with Infusion. Voridus can also be upgraded to create longer-lived infusion pools with every attack, increase the size and length of his plasma trail, and even add the ability to cloak whenever he’s in Infusion. Brute Grenadiers are a special infantry unit available to Voridus. Their Gel Siphon ability allows them to absorb nearby infusion pools and harness that energy to overcharge their iatrochemically-enhanced armor and grenade launchers. On death, their equipment explodes, doing damage to nearby units and leaving behind a corruption pool. Their weapons can be upgraded with Hard-Target Detonators to cause additional damage against vehicles and structures, and Infused Grenades which increases grenade attack range and creates short-lived energy pools at the point of impact. Grenadiers are Voridus’ chosen shock troopers, replacing Suicide Grunts in his forces. These tough Brutes, covered in thick armour, serve as durable, assault infantry in the early game. Their Grenade attacks deal significant area damage, making them effective against clusters of enemy infantry, particularly against early rushes. Later in the game Grenadiers transition into strong core units. They can carry volatile tanks on their backs, which explode upon death, causing damage to enemies and releasing pools of Infusion. Grenadiers also have a powerful and unusual special ability – they’re able to Siphon nearby Infusion, consuming it by sucking it up into their tanks. Once siphoned, the Infusion increases the Grenadier’s damage, speed and armour for a short time, the length of the buff determined by how much Infusion they consume. Infused Engineers replace standard Engineers in Voridus’ army. They retain the Huragok reconstitution beam but channel large infused gel pools instead of creating overshield bubbles with their special ability. This energy pool stays active until the Infused Engineer dies, is given another order, or is stunned. These Huragok are modified with Voridus’ dangerous Infusion technology and replace standard Engineers. Infused Engineers share the ability to heal units with normal Engineers, although they are slightly tougher and have a unique Infusion attack. This special ability throws a damaging glob of Infusion at the enemy, dealing some damage on impact, but more importantly leaving a long-lasting Infusion pool behind. Overcharged weapons systems make this modified assault platform even more deadly for both enemies and for the Scarab’s own crew. Never one to leave a good weapon alone, once Voridus learned how to harness the power of infused gel he immediately started testing its application to all available Banished systems. Not all vehicles could accommodate the large containment systems required to weaponized the gel, but in the case of the Scarab that extra bulk was a trivial addition. The Infused Scarabs fielded by Voridus are capable of spreading massive pools of the damaging energy gel across the battlefield while retaining the Scarab’s base resilience and ability to traverse even the largest combat obstacles. Voridus enjoys taking personal command of his Infused Scarabs whenever possible but retains a small cadre of specially selected pilots ready to take over for him when he is otherwise occupied. The prospect of charging into withering enemy fire while riding atop massive tanks of the most volatile liquid known to Banished armorers takes a special kind of crazy, which Voridus knows all too well how to engender in his troops. Voridus’ personally modified Scarab. Similar in appearance to a standard Scarab, the Volatile Scarab has been overcharged with Infusion technology allowing its beam attack to leave behind pools of Infusion wherever it’s directed. It’s not pretty – well, unless you’re the one commanding it. Drops a single, powerful mine, which leaves an enormous pool of Infusion behind on impact. A very strong tool for map control and zoning. Allows Voridus’ units to generate a small amount of Supplies and/or Power when attacking enemy structures. Resources are gained continually during attacks and do not require buildings to be destroyed. The resources gained depends on the original cost of the target structure, and its durability. Combat Spoils is powerful when accompanying early attacks naturally, but also very useful in a harassment role – even when scouting. It is best used while on the offensive and rewards aggressive attack builds. Drops in a veteran Grenadier squad. The impact of the drop creates a pool of Infusion – which can either be left to deny the area to the enemy, or immediately consumed by the Grenadier squad to boost their attack. Voridus’ main offensive power. Infusion Wake creates a swirling vortex which damages enemies it crosses (including air units and structures) and leaves behind a trail of Infusion. The vortex is short-lived, but is cheap and has a rapid cooldown, making it a very fast and direct way to place Infusion where you need it. The Infusion trail it leaves behind is very long-lasting allowing large areas of the map to be affected. Frenzy is an activated ability which, for a short time, causes all Infusion areas to heal and boost the speed and damage of friendly units (including air units and structures). Upgrading this ability increased the duration of the buff and the strength of the healing. Infusion Tech is a passive ability which increases the damage that all Infusion pools deal. It also reduces the cost of Grenadiers and Infused Engineers and, at its second level, upgrades the Wraith’s Scorch attack and the Blisterback’s artillery rounds to spawn Infusion. Vordius Pack Assault Pack Assault is powerful mid to late-game unit drop, which also spawns a large area of Infusion in the drop zone. Focused on aggressive or Infusion-creating units. Spawns a large singularity which sucks enemy units into its centre, virtually inescapable. Effective on its own for halting enemy advances, but especially useful in conjunction with attacks which deal area or splash damage, trapping enemies in Infusion, or when used in combination with Cataclysm. Cataclysm is Voridus’ ultimate power and the key to an Infusion-heavy build. Upon activation all Infusion areas are set alight, bursting with violent plasma explosions. All enemies in the cataclysm areas (including air units and structures) take massive damage for as long as they remain inside the plasma. New sources of Infusion created whilst Cataclysm is active will automatically ignite after a short delay, allowing powerful combos with Infusion-enabling weapons and powers. Cataclysm is a devastating ability, but does require Infusion to be present on the field to be useful. It also consumes all ignited Infusion requiring new pools to be created. THEMES & STRATEGY - Infusion – Voridus’ main strength is his ability to spawn Infusion on the battlefield. Every power Voridus has either creates Infusion, requires Infusion, or has strong synergy with Infusion. Infusion is a sticky, dangerous plasma gel which slows and damages enemy ground units, though it doesn’t initially affect air units or structures. - Infusion as a resource – Voridus is one of the most synergistic leaders in the game. If he’s not creating Infusion, he’s using it as a resource – as a source of battlefield strength, healing, buffing, and – with Cataclysm – a source of massive damage. Voridus, more than any other leader, rewards creative play styles; combining units, abilities and team strategies together in unexpected ways. - Area denial – Infusion is very long-lasting, much longer-lasting than any other damaging effect in the game. Some sources of Infusion can last for over a minute of game time making Voridus excellent at area denial and map control. Infusion is best-placed in locations your enemy must fight for again and again: chokepoints, bases, capture points. Good placement results in Infusion creating incremental advantage over many engagements and produces the threat of a powerful surprise attack with Cataclysm. - Aggression – Voridus is highly-focused on offensive, aggressive play. He’s strongest when he’s on your doorstep, burning your forces, using combat spoils and dropping in troops. Voridus lacks obvious healing power, and it’s not his focus. His Infused Engineers are not as effective at preserving troops or healing as regular Engineers, and he lacks a straightforward healing ability (Invigorating Frenzy requires Infusion to be present, and is as much a combat buff as a healing power). Keep up the pressure and stay on the attack to gain victory. Pavium is a traditional Jiralhanae combat engineer, taking to the field of battle as an engine of destruction, smashing enemy lines as part of the pack’s vanguard. His panoply of war always includes his custom warplate and a relic tower shield gifted to him by Decimus. On the battlefield, Pavium is a walking tank armed with a Heavy Mortar System for direct bombardment and a Target Designator for calling out high-value targets for combined fire. Targets painted by Pavium’s designator cannot benefit from stealth and take additional damage. This effect continues until the painted unit dies, moves out of range, or Pavium cancels the ability. Upgrades include Designator Shells, which temporarily paints targets hit by his mortar and an Advanced Designator, which also paints the enemies close to the main target. Pavium is a gigantic Brute – slow, tough and armed with a rapid-firing, drum-fed mortar. Pavium is best at defense, where he can sit back and pummel the enemy from range, all the time repairing structures with his drone. Pavium’s special ability fires a long-range spotting beam, which paints and reveals enemy targets caught in the beam. Painted targets are slowed, revealed, and take extra damage from other weapons which target them. This makes Pavium excellent as a forward spotter for Mega Turrets and other artillery. The Mega Turret is an automated, long-range artillery platform available to Warlord Pavium. They fire powerful plasma torpedoes that can be upgraded to scorch the impact point and leave a pool of Lingering Death and use Banished-modified Compound Detonators for even greater damage. These mega turrets are massive and power hungry, and require a standard base building slot. The Mega Turret was used to protect Covenant military and religious installations, but these massive cannons have also been encountered at remote colonies and outposts guarding nothing of obvious value and reflexively attacking all who approach without long-forgotten authorization codes. The Banished deploy the Mega Turret as a straightforward anti-siege weapon at war camps on the Ark which have the necessary infrastructure and permanence to support their use. Pavium’s signature new unit is in fact actually a brand-new structure. The Mega Turret is a new defensive structure so large and powerful it’s built on regular building slots; not turret slots. Massive, deadly, but slow to turn and unable to target air units, the Mega Turret nevertheless makes Pavium’s bases a formidable obstacle. Because they are built at bases, Mega Turrets can also be protected with Shield and Cloak Generators, as well as regular Turrets. You can build as many Mega Turrets as you have space for – even filling a whole base with them – but the cost escalates with each turret built as with Extractors and Shield Generators. Mega Turrets are an economic trade-off though as the building slots occupied by them are then not being utilized for other production or resource structures. The Wraith Invader is an infantry fighting vehicle available to Warlord Pavium. It is armed with a siphoning beam, which repairs the transport, and can carry two units of infantry. Each of the infantry units can fire out of the Wraith Invader. In addition to standard vehicle upgrades the gravity propulsion system of the Wraith Invader can be boosted with Carrier Overdrive, significantly increasing its shield strength and damage. The Wraith Invader is powerful, late-game Infantry carrier. The Invader is a manoeuvrable, and capable combat vehicle in its own right, armed with an effective health-leeching energy beam. Like other APCs, mounted Infantry units can also fire out from the vision ports of the Invader. An active ability which turbo-boosts targeted structures with its area of effect and can target allies. Affected structures have their output increased for a short time: resource structures generate more Supply or Power, turrets deal more damage, production structures produce units more quickly, and all structures research upgrades faster. Burnout is a very versatile effective power, which can help explore interesting build orders and strategies and is especially useful in supporting teammates. An unusual healing ability, Enduring Will has weaker healing, but lasts for an extremely long time, far longer than any other heal. This makes the power more strategic in its use, but allows for strong zone control and is great defensively when trying to blunt a major attack or hold an key area. Calls in a Lich Ultimate unit to patrol an area, devastating enemy forces with its powerful beam attack. The Lich also summons a portal from which units can be produced and deployed directly to the battlefield. Reveals a hidden area of the map for a short time – allowing quick scouting, checking for enemy base and building expansions, spotting for artillery, and for revealing units on top of cliffs. At Level 2 the Designator is upgraded to automatically paint targets spotted in the revealed zoned, increasing damage they take from other attacks. Rain of Fire Pavium’s primary offensive power, Rain of Fire deploys a swirling formation of plasma beams, that devastate units and structures in its area of effect. A very powerful attack when combined with Orbital Designator or other target painting abilities. The strongest mines in the game – a large field of tough, devastating plasma mines. Capable of devastating enemies units which trigger them, the mines also target-paint any survivors for a duration making them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. A passive power which causes all of Pavium’s structures to slowly heal over time. Additionally, recycled structures give a full resource refund instead of a partial refund. Upon activation all structures you control on the map, including mines, become invulnerable for a short period of time. Themes and Strategy - Unbreakable – Pavium is the ultimate defender, with abilities and units which make his bases difficult to crack. Unlike Atriox, Pavium isn’t an expander, he is at his strongest with fewer, but more impregnable bases. Pavium relies on getting the most out of all of his buildings and using Burnout to rival the economy and production rates of foes who out-expand him. He is also a powerful team leader; most daunting when his bases can support each other and his allies. - Attrition – Pavium is about the slow build-up of power, gathering pace into an unstoppable juggernaut, slowly pushing from base to base with Mega Turrets, or pummelling the enemy into submission. - Control – Many of Pavium’s abilities are less reactive, but better over a longer period of time, making him effective at a slow, deliberate controlling role. Rain of Fire, Lich Vanguard, and Enduring Will all allow him to bring a strong offense, or defense, to anywhere on the map it’s needed. - Artillery – Pavium excels at long range combat, keeping the enemy at arm’s length and dealing massive damage. A deliberate build-up of Mega Turrets can steadily deny whole areas of the map as well as subdue nearby bases. Once upgraded, these massed turrets can produce an artillery assault of unprecedented power. BROTHERS IN ARMS Despite being very different in approach and gameplay, Voridus and Pavium are pack brothers, and – with the death of Decimus – two of Atriox’s most important lieutenants. As well as having great synergies with other leaders, Pavium and Voridus play extremely well together, in complementary roles: - Voridus is strong and aggressive, and deadly in the early game, whilst Pavium is slower to gather power. Voridus can attack early, allowing Pavium to build up to an unstoppable late game. - Targets painted with Pavium’s special ability, an upgraded Orbital Designator, or Ultra Mines, take additional damage from Infusion, making its effects even more deadly. Pavium’s beam also slows targets, causing them to stay longer in Infusion pools. - Infusion slowing targets synergises nicely with Mega Turrets, who get more time to pound their (weakened) targets from long-distance. - Invigorating Frenzy heals and buffs allies, including allied structures. A friendly Pavium swathed in Infusion with Invigorating Frenzy active is even more difficult to crack. - Pavium’s Burnout power can be used to supercharge Voridus’ early production and speed up an early assault. In addition to the new campaign missions and new playable Leaders and units, Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare introduces a brand new cooperative experience to the Firefight family. In Terminus Firefight, up to three players amass armies to defend both their bases, and their Forerunner terminus node against an ever-increasing and intensifying hoard of attacking enemies. Battle against UNSC, Banished, and voracious Flood forces while fighting for survival. With the ability to construct new defense measurements such as spike floors and barricades alongside classic Halo Wars gameplay features like base-building, tech trees, and Leader power usage, Terminus Firefight adds an entirely new tower defense-style twist to the beloved wave-based Halo mode. For Achievement hunters, Halo Wars 2’s Awakening the Nightmare expansion brings a pretty heroic haul of new Achievements to chase down. There is a total of 37 Achievements available that bring Halo Wars 2 to a whopping 1,750 total combined Gamerscore. Spreading Darkness – Win 3 matches as Voridus (Multiplayer, Skirmish or Blitz) – 10 Cataclysmic – Kill 50 units with Cataclysm – 10 Revel in Destruction – Use Invigorating Frenzy 50 times – 10 Unbreakable – Win 3 matches as Pavium (Multiplayer, Skirmish or Blitz) – 10 Marked for Death – Paint units using Pavium or Orbital Designator 30 times – 10 The Long Game – Kill 50 units with Mega Turrets – 10 Smash! – Gain a gold medal and complete all objectives in ‘What Could Go Wrong?’ – 10 Serving a New Master – Complete 'A Calculated Risk' on any difficulty – 5 Hold the Line(s) – Gain a gold medal and complete all objectives in ‘Fighting Retreat’ – 10 The Wave Breaks – Complete 'Fighting Retreat' on any difficulty – 5 Hidden Power – Gain a gold medal and complete all objectives in ‘Light the Fuse’ – 10 Tapped – Complete 'Trapped' on any difficulty – 5 We Got This – Reach the final room of The Archive without calling in reinforcements from the teleporters. – 5 Nimble, for a Big Fella – Navigate the laser defenses in The Archive without losing any units on Heroic or above. – 5 Have You Tried Rebooting? – Complete 'The Archive' on any difficulty – 5 Before This Gets Out of Hand – Complete 'Manifestation' without the Proto-Gravemind exceeding 50% critical mass – 10 Clean up your Mess – Complete PLC 'High Charity' on any difficulty – 5 Banished Prowess – Beat any level on legendary in par time with a scoring skull active (AtN only) – 15 The Brute Side – Collect every Phoenix Log collectable in 'Awakening the Nightmare' – 10 Awake – Complete the 'Awakening the Nightmare' campaign on any difficulty – 30 Again with the Tentacles – Complete the 'Awakening the Nightmare' campaign on Heroic or higher – 40 The Ancient Enemy – Complete the 'Awakening the Nightmare' campaign on Legendary – 50 Watch My Six – Complete wave 20 in co-op as a UNSC/Banished partnership (Terminus Firefight) – 10 Outflood the Flood – Build and hold a minibase on every slot of a map at the same time (Terminus Firefight) – 15 Ka-Ching! – Destroy 20 bonus drops in a single game (Terminus Firefight) – 10 High Maintenance – Build 50 barricades in a single game (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Turret Farmer – Build 50 turrets in a single game (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Pristine – Prevent the Terminus from taking any damage for 15 waves (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Walled In – Have a wall built on every plot of the map at the same time (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Survivor – Finish wave 5 without training additional units (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Terminus Defender – Get a player score of 500,000 (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Terminus Tactician – Get a player score of 1,000,000 (Terminus Firefight) – 10 Terminus Teamwork – Get a score of 2,000,000 (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Terminus MVPs – Get a team score of 5,000,000 (Terminus Firefight) – 10 Garrison – Finish wave 10 (Terminus Firefight) – 5 Barricade – Finish wave 20 (Terminus Firefight) – 15 Fortress – Finish wave 30 (Terminus Firefight) – 20 PATCH NOTES & BALANCE CHANGES Included with this latest content for Halo Wars 2 is a collection of updates and bug fixes, all designed to improve player experience in a wide range of areas. For the full patch notes, head HERE! Launching alongside the expansion, this latest game update introduces two gorgeous new playspaces to get your skirmish and multiplayer on. These maps are free for all Halo Wars 2 players, regardless of whether you own the Awakening the Nightmare expansion or not. Let’s take a look! Volatile liquid churns and boils beneath the uncertain amber surface. Rolling sands carry hide the ghosts of fallen warriors through arid wilds. In direct response to community feedback and request, we added a brand-new tool for players to showcase their Halo Wars 2 experience. Spectator Mode allows players to set a dedicated observer slot to watch 1v1, 2v2, and 3v3 matches with a variety of spectator-specific tools to enhance the viewing experience. Features like enhanced zoom, variable camera options, and more create a fantastic foundation for casting competitions or creating cool community content. In addition to all the above, the latest game update also brings some new changes to Halo Wars 2’s multiplayer playlist suite. See below for details on the new look, including some notes from the design team on some of the thoughts behind the process. Changed Blitz (Win 10) PC playlist to be 2v2 Open and 1v1 Unranked – 2v2 Blitz is the most competitive playlist and we felt would benefit from a refresh to offer new competitive challenges. 1v1 is a stepping stone into other competitive modes and has thus been made into our non-ranked offering. - Changed Blitz Xbox playlist to be 1v1 Unranked, 2v2 Open, 3v3 Ranked Removed the map Highway from 1v1 playlists – Highway has proved too large for 1v1 play, and is become largely unpopular as a result. With the introduction of the two new maps (Mirage and Fissures) we want to focus on the providing the best battlefields for each mode. - Changed Versus AI to be Deathmatch only – Since release we’ve seen consistent community feedback indicating a high rate of players immediately quitting in Versus AI if they don’t get the Deathmatch game mode, which obviously is a frustrating experience for any other players involved. COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION For new fans looking to jump in to the epic adventures on the Ark, the Halo Wars 2: Complete gives players another awesome option to grab the content they want. Get all 20 story missions, all 16 Leaders, all maps, all modes, and more. All currently-released content wrapped up in an easy-to-download package. Halo Wars 2: Complete Edition Includes: - Halo Wars 2 – 12 campaign missions playable solo or co-op online, 6 multiplayer leaders across the UNSC and Banished forces, a variety of traditional multiplayer modes, plus Blitz PVP and PVE. - Halo Wars 2: Season Pass – Includes 7 additional multiplayer leaders and 2 campaign missions with Operation: SPEARBREAKER. - Awakening the Nightmare – 5 Banished-focused campaign missions, 2 new Banished multiplayer Leaders, and an all new tower-defense style co-op survival mode – Terminus Firefight. NOT QUITE DONE YET… And don’t forget, Halo Wars 2 will be getting additional love this November with the release of the Xbox One X including a graphic update to take full advantage of stunning 4K and HDR visuals, and community tournament support through the Xbox Arena feature. Before we go, we wanted to give some of the Halo Wars 2 team here a chance to say a few words about their personal Halo Wars 2 journeys. GREG STONE – SENIOR PRODUCER: The expansion has been so much fun to work on! Creating a Banished campaign and reviving the flood have given us a ton of exciting material to work with. In addition to the amazing campaign we are introducing my favorite mode, Terminus Firefight. I can’t wait to see many waves you guys make it through. To all the Halo fans, my most emphatic thanks for your continued support and feedback. Your engagement has made this a better game. It’s been a pleasure meeting you at trade shows, at community events and reading your comments on Waypoint. See you online! CLAY JENSEN – DESIGN DIRECTOR: One of my favorite moments on Halo Wars 2 is still the day that we announced at Gamescom in 2015. Watching fans react live to the teaser and realize that there was going to be another chapter in the Halo Wars saga after so many years was priceless. From that moment the whole community was engaged and their enthusiasm and support has played a huge part in making the game what it is. One of the most satisfying experiences of working on Halo Wars 2 has been following players discover new aspects of the game- even after months of playing. Seeing someone uncover a leader tactic they haven’t tried before, or combining them with others to develop a better team strategy, illustrates how deep the game is, but watching them come up with something entirely new is the best reward because it shows how much the game is a part of the community itself. ISAAC BENDER – TECH DIRECTOR: It's been a real whirlwind shipping Halo Wars 2 in February, and then updates every month since then. Some of my favorite things in the game are the fantastic movies from Blur, the web-based deck editor, and the amazing variety of leaders that we've been able to add post-launch. I always love to see how players find the new meta after each release. Also, spawning 200 locusts from the debug menu is super fun. It’s been a wild ride, and it’s been awesome to have this amazing community along for it all. We can’t wait to see the amazing new content you all create with new tools like Spectator Mode, and share in your experiences from Campaign, Multiplayer, Firefight, and more. Here’s to you! As a reminder, if you missed last month’s new content – the battlemaster of Balaho himself, Yapyap THE DESTROYER – you can read more about them RIGHT HERE.

Validation is one of the most critical phases in technology transfer. In this step, new technologies are pushed forward into applicable products and services. This involves identifying the most promising fields of application and developing working demonstrators, expediting production outside of the laboratory, and conducting (pre)clinical studies. Projects that bridge the gap between research results and their marketable applications have been assisted by the Helmholtz Validation Fund (HVF) since 2011. Around three to six projects are selected each year, totaling 34 selected projects from 2011 to 2017 and up to €2 million in funding. Four additional projects have been added in 2018 through the joint Proof of Concept Initiative (PoC) with Fraunhofer and Deutsche Hochschulmedizin. These projects use synergy potentials in validation in the life science sector and will be conducted up to early clinical proof of concept. This system will provide three-dimensional, high-resolution 360-degree visibility to diving robot pilots. This is based on combining sensor data from different camera systems, laser scanning, and an innovative lighting technology based on patented underwater LED technology. This project focuses on demonstrating the applicability of an indoor positioning system in motion analysis. The technology is based on the continuous phase analysis of high-frequency radio signals. This enables highly precise determination of position and movement in terms of time and space. In just milliseconds, the technology can localize objects to within a millimeter. Unlike existing systems, it can simultaneously pursue any number of objects inside buildings or even outdoors. The system could be applied to medical diagnostics or rehabilitation. Another possible application is indoor navigation, for example for robots. A new vaccine to protect against human papillomavirus will be clinically tested in this project. These viruses cause cervical cancer, among other things. The new vaccine will be thermostable. This would eliminate the need for a cold chain and would lead to a significant increase in immunization, especially in countries with inadequate infrastructure for refrigerated transportation. A submersible sensor for underwater use will be developed by building on a new infrared technology. The sensor will be able to simultaneously identify and quantify a broad range of dissolved compounds. Initial laboratory tests have shown that the sensor can already perform single gas measurements at low concentrations. Possible areas of application would be gas and oil prospecting as well as monitoring pipelines for leakage. It could also be applied to environmental and climate research for ocean and inland water monitoring. In this project, researchers will use two new control approaches, called the VITAL methods, to efficiently control traffic lights and to make traffic as eco-friendly as possible. This takes advantage of novel information and communication technologies with previously unused control parameters, innovative data transmission technologies, and situation forecasts for improved traffic control. In previous projects, average savings of 15% - 33 % regarding waiting times for traffic participants were demonstrated at two test intersections in Braunschweig and Halle an der Saale with an accompanying economic investment cost/benefit ratio of between 3 and 13. - Frankfurt Fraunhofer Project Group translational medicine and pharmacology TMP, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME - Goethe University Frankfurt am Main - German Cancer Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK) at the University Hospital in Frankfurt – partner location of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) Over 25 years ago, a new cancer drug came onto the market that is now an integral part of cancer treatment: Paclitaxel. Today it is used to treat a wide variety of cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. However, the pharmaceutical agent can have unpleasant side effects, such as neuropathies, which are characterized by tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes. So far, there is no drug that can reduce these side effects. A possible candidate for this would be the active ingredient Telmisartan. This has already been successfully tested in preclinical studies. The study has been designed to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of the active ingredient in treatments for patients with ovarian or breast cancer in a Phase II study. - Justus Liebig University Giessen - Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health - Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine ITEM Fatigue, shortness of breath, and poor physical stamina: These are the symptoms of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Increasingly narrowing pulmonary arteries are indicative of the disease. The right ventricle then begins to pump harder to compensate for the resulting poor blood circulation. This chronic strain damages the heart over time. While a few years ago the only possible treatment for the severe form of the disease was a lung transplant, most patients today can be treated with various medications. But this only lightens the load on the heart and alleviates symptoms. There is no cure yet for pulmonary hypertension. A promising approach will be researched in the project. Biocompatible nanoparticles will be developed during the project for patients to inhale. These nanoparticles are used as a miniature transport vessel to administer active ingredients in a targeted manner. They are expected to reduce the increased division of the cells in the pulmonary vascular wall, thereby significantly reducing pulmonary hypertension. - University Hospital of Würzburg, Medical Clinic and Polyclinic II - Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC) - Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI Impressive treatment results could be achieved in clinical trials using CAR-T cell therapy – particularly in patients with leukemia. In order to obtain CAR-T cells, white blood cells are collected from cancer patients and the T cells – which are responsible for initiating an immune response to a disease – are isolated from the white blood cells. The cells are genetically modified to form the chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). This gives the CAR-T cells the ability to specifically recognize cancer cells. They are multiplied in the laboratory and re-administered to the patient via infusion. If the T cells detect cancer cells in the body, they multiply and attack the tumor cells. In this case, the chimeric antigen receptors identify the ROR1 molecule. The molecule is barely present in healthy cells, but is far more present in cancerous cells, such as those of leukemia, breast cancer, or lung cancer. Up until now, CAR genes have been transferred to T cells using viral shuttles. The gene transfer is carried out by the “Sleeping Beauty” transposon system in this research project now funded by the PoC Initiative. Transposons are mobile DNA segments in the genome, also known as jumping genes. The research team will use the funding to complete preclinical studies and perform clinical trials on the safety and efficiency of the ROR CAR-T cells. - Helmholtz Zentrum München – German Research Center for Environmental Health - Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI - Rechts der Isar Hospital of the Munich Technical University (TUM) - University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) The hepatitis B virus can be found in the blood of about 260 million people. This makes hepatitis B one of the most common chronic viral diseases. It often leads to liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, claiming the lives of 880,000 people each year. There is no treatment yet to cure the disease. The PoC initiative finances a research project working to find a cure for hepatitis B. The prime-boost method will be used for the innovative, therapeutic vaccination. First, a vaccine containing both hepatitis B surface proteins and hepatitis B core proteins will be administered. This prime vaccine induces the first desired immune response. This is followed by a boost, a second vaccine, based on the Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus and expresses antigens against other hepatitis proteins. This is expected to significantly strengthen the immune response – especially of the T cells. The novel therapeutic vaccination for hepatitis B has already been successfully tested in preclinical studies. Further preclinical studies, immunotoxicological studies, and a Phase I clinical study will be performed using the funding. Magnetic field sensors are used extensively in the computer and automobile industries, for example as speed sensors in ABS systems. Magneto-resistive sensors are particularly interesting due to their sensitivity and relatively small size. The project is developing a new coating procedure that does not apply the layers vertically top down, but rather at an angle. This allows the sensor properties to be flexibly adjusted. This new technology for customized magneto-resistive sensor production makes it possible to generate new functionalities. The researchers in this project are seeking to introduce bispecific antibodies that have been optimized in several respects into the clinical treatment of prostate cancer and squamous cell carcinoma. The antibodies are made of components of two different antibodies and bind both to the cancer cells as well as to the immune cells, or T cells, which are then activated to kill cancer cells. Compared to bispecific antibodies available thus far, the new construct is intended to cause significantly fewer side effects and to be easier to administer for both the patient and doctor. The scientists in this project are working to develop gene therapy for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that does not yet have a cure, as well as for mature B cell Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. To do so, they are using CAR-T cell therapy. The researchers extract T cells from the patients and provide the cells with an artificial immune receptor, the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR). The modified immune cells are then returned to the patients. The receptor allows the therapeutic T cells to recognize certain characteristics (cancer antigens) on the surface of tumor cells and kill them. This is expected to suppress and heal blood cancer. In this project, a new medicine is being developed to treat chronic lung infections caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA). So far, these infections have been difficult to treat and can be fatal. No approved treatment is yet available for chronic PA infection. The operation is based on the molecules denoted as pathoblockers that selectively deactivate pathogenic mechanisms of PA. This is supposed to protect the body’s microbiome while also reducing the rate of resistance formation. Nanoprobers are prevalent in the semiconductor industry and also at research institutes to help with failure analysis of integrated circuits and process optimization during wafer production. Two different types of nanoprobers have been used up until now: Nanoprobers using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and those using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). For customers from the semiconductor industry, a combination of these two types of nanoprobers offers the advantage of saving costs while being better able to meet future requirements in the 7 nm range. The project team will develop and test a combined SEM/AFM nanoprober all the way to market readiness. In this project, a prototype for a next generation UHF MRI-compatible brain PET application for dedicated neuroimaging will be developed and built. The BrainPET 7T will enable simultaneous molecular, functional, and structural imaging of UHFMR CT scans with unprecedented image quality. The application of the soon-to-be-developed PET will be three to four times more sensitive and will possess a significantly improved and homogeneous spatial image resolution of 1.5-2.5 mm by using the latest detector and manufacturing technologies and an improved system design. The latter means a 20 times reduction in the voxel volume compared to modern, commercially available full-body systems. The KID2 biomarker technology will be developed further in this project to diagnose changes in human calcium balance with significantly greater precision than conventional, comparable procedures. For the first time, osteoporosis and other diseases associated with calcium, such as certain cancers (e.g. multiple myeloma) and kidney failure – all of which are challenges of an increasingly aging society – can be diagnosed safely, early, simply, and in a non-harmful way using the KID biomarker technology. The technical proof of concept of the KID biomarkers has already been carried out in the laboratory and in small scale clinical studies. Glioblastomas are tumors with very poor prognoses. No other type of tumor robs the patient of so many years. During the project, a Lu 177-linked Fab fragment that was derived from the developed and patented antibody 6A10 will be validated in a clinical Phase I/II study on radioimmunotherapy to treat glioblastomas. The radioimmunotherapy could significantly extend the survival rate of these patients in clinical studies. Using Lu-177-linked Fab fragment is an innovative approach that has significantly further developed this treatment. Large amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are harmful to the organism can form due to ischemia and the subsequent restoration of the blood flow (reperfusion), for example after a heart attack or stroke, or even after surgery. In this project, scientists are researching a drug to repair the tissue damage that can occur during reperfusion after ischemia (inadequate blood supply). The active ingredient is expected to better protect cells against ischemia reperfusion damage and maintain tissue function. In this project, the effectiveness of a novel diabetes treatment that eliminates a certain element in the liver will be researched. This would improve insulin sensitivity in the liver and in other organs. The target molecule plays a key role in regulating the insulin signaling pathway and this provides us with a new approach for treating diabetes. The treatment approach could be a long-awaited alternative, especially for patients who cannot receive conventional standard treatments due to non-response or diabetic kidney damage. Completed Projects (since 2013) The current gold standard for treating chronic hepatitis B can only control the propagation of the virus; it does not cure the disease however. This validation project focuses on a novel concept of curative treatment for chronic hepatitis B, which could also be applied to liver cell carcinoma with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). A combination of two bispecific antibodies is used, one to bind to the harmful hepatitis B virus and the other to active useful T cells. A key necessity for today's autonomous driving are high-precision road maps with the exact layout of the lanes, since every inch counts. So far, coordinates that are precise to the inch can only be executed in a complex and selective way on site with the help of a receiver. The largely automated DriveMark procedure, on the other hand, generates precise and extensive coordinates. It builds on a technology that adjusts the radar satellite signals for atmospheric interference and environmental influences. With an innovative fully automated forming process, early profile forms can be produced from dry fiber semi-finished products for fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) in motor vehicle and commercial vehicle bodies, such as roof bows or longitudinal and cross beams on the bottom of a car. The process can be integrated into existing FRP manufacturing processes and can be used to replace semi-automated or less efficient procedures. The research team hopes the COPRO² procedure will reduce manufacturing costs by around 35 percent compared to conventional methods. COPRO² also considerably increases the quality of components and can be transferred directly into batch production. In this project, the use of a rotating receiver system with ceramic particles is being researched for use as a heat transfer medium in solar tower power plants. The goal is to commercially produce heat that can compete with liquid fuels in sunny locations. In solar thermal power plants, direct sunlight is collected by several mirrors; nearly black ceramic particles are used as an energy carrier and storage medium in this procedure. The particles can be heated up to 1,000 degrees Celsius and the material flow can be efficiently controlled via a patented centrifugal receiver. Thanks to the simple and direct storage option, 24-hour operation is possible. Areas of application include sites where temperatures greater than 400 degrees Celsius are required or electricity is generated by steam or gas turbines. This project is driving the development of an electrochemical sensor to identify malaria infections. This sensor is intended to replace conventional detection methods at the point of care as in vitro diagnostic use (IVD). The redox cycling detection allows for highly sensitive and specific quantitative detection. This lowers the production costs of nanoscalable automated printing processes far below the current piece costs of comparable IVD. In addition to the first product option of the malaria sensor, there is also the possibility of developing further sensors based on the technology for many other indications at a significantly lower cost. RACE-LAB is expected to simplify, and further automate, the industrial use of robots. The latest generation of robots are characterized mainly by their lightweight design, interactive ability, and sensitivity. For this purpose, scientists are developing an intelligent program management and software library that enable the various robot skills such as drilling, screwing, filing, or recording. RACE-LAB is also intended to facilitate recurring interactive processes, such as the transfer of objects from human to robot. Complex action sequences such as the interaction between human and machine will thus be safer and more dynamic with little programing effort. Products with individual characteristics could also be manufactured with great economic efficiency and in an automated way at small and medium-sized companies, such as joineries or in medical technology – an absolutely unthinkable manufacturing process up until now. An effective way to meet the ever-growing volume of traffic lies in the use of intelligent traffic control systems. An essential element of transportation stabilization is the intelligent control of light signal systems (LSS). A new LSS control procedure (VITAL) was developed, its effectiveness was demonstrated in simulation studies, and a patent application was filed. The technical feasibility and economic potential of this procedure was validated in a subsequent applied orientation phase. AcListant led to the validation of a product that uses voice processing technology to extract information from the radio communications between air traffic controllers and pilots to improve existing pilot assistance systems. The end users for this product are air traffic controllers who coordinate approaching, taxiing, and departing traffic. The product can be integrated into existing air traffic control assistance systems as an additional module. The target customers for the product are German SMEs in the area of ATM as companies that want to adopt and market technologies within a short period of time. Transfers to related domains in which assistance systems support groups of people using voice communication, e.g. rail transport, shipping, fire services and police departments.

Art has always been an expression of movement. From the prehistoric parietal art to contemporary artists, art has chronicled our most intimate moments in mediums that transcends space and time. Cosplay is an expression of art. It’s toiled passion transformed into wearable works of art, crafted with dedication, devotion, and most importantly, admiration. It is transforming your favourite childhood memories, glued to television screens and comic books envisioning yourself wearing Superman tights or concealed in a clandestine corrugated cardboard box. Much as art has evolved, so has cosplay. Costumes are more intricate, the fervour of displaying your artistic craftsmanship is at an all time high. With the likes of industry titans like Jessica Nigri and Lindsay Elyse, cosplay has broken through the proverbial glass ceiling, reaching new heights. Predominantly into body paint cosplay. Body painting takes cosplay to new levels, using intricate artistry to reveal levels of depth in well-placed brush strokes and not-so-subtle movements of sexuality. Body paint is one of the coolest wearable pieces of art there is. It hides nothing and reveals all. It is stripped down varieties of your favourite video game characters artistically drawn to display the cosplayer’s finest “attributes” in their full glory. The beauties listed below are some of the most alluring specimen in the world, and most certainly in the cosplay community, making them the perfect canvases to display artistic form in its rawest form. Beauty after all, is wonderfully skin deep. 20 Shyvana, League of Legends Shyvana, League of Legends' Half-Dragon, is a melee fighter best suited for play styles that focuses on singular targets rather than mass attacks to whittle down their health bar into oblivion. Born from a unique union of dragon and human, Shyvana was forced to become a brutal fighter due to the persecution she faced due to her half-breed nature. Players fond of melee fighters can benefit from Shyvana's dual-form, the human and dragon, with devastating results. For one constantly in search of her place of belonging, Shyvana can call this list home thanks to the stunning body paint and armor half-breed cosplay. A masterpiece of otherworldly passion, this cosplay is definitely in a league of its own. 19 Lady Deadpool, Marvel Heroes The female counterpart of everyone’s favourite "Merc with a Mouth," Lady Deadpool hails from the alternate reality known as Earth-3010. But unlike Ryan Reynolds disgusting avocado-like facial features, Lady Deadpool is a beauty beneath that mask – and equally as deadly. First appearing in Deadpool; Merc with a Mouth #7, Lady Deadpool, or Wanda Wilson, branches out from the pages of comic books and arrives on our console screens guns blazing. Wanda becomes a playable character in Marvel Heroes, Marvel’s free-to-play MMORPG. Responsible for bringing her to life in our version of reality, Earth-1218, is the gorgeous Megan Golden. A cosplayer, model, and actress, Megan’s Lady Deadpool cosplay is a perfect replica – all the way down to how her outfit curves her body. Granted its body paint, but we’re thankful for her commitment to detail. 18 Starfire, Injustice 2 Starfire is a complex character. An alien princess from the fictional world Tamaran, she endured a lifetime of horrifying servitude at the hands of her demented villainous sister, Komand'r, or rather, Blackfire. Despite this nightmarish upbringing, Starfire remains an optimistic heroine, bringing her joy, impossibly stunning good looks, and Amazonian-like powers onto our screens as a future playable DLC character in Injustice 2. Starfire has always shared the DC stage with some of the biggest characters out there. A mainstay in many DC video games, Starfire has appeared in the Teen Titans Game Boy Advance game and Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. With a full figure physique, it's easy to see why cosplayers challenge themselves at displaying her full beauty in her body paint form, hiding nothing, yet elegantly displaying Starfire’s otherworldly allure in its full glory. 17 Ms. Marvel, Marvel vs. Capcom The epitome of beauty and grace, Carol Danvers donned the moniker of Ms. Marvel after she was caught in the explosion of a Kree device giving her superhuman abilities and powers. The focus of the Captain Marvel movie set to hit the big screens in 2019, Ms Marvel has been championing video games since her first appearance in Marvel’s X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. Since then, she has gone to appear in numerous video games as a playable character, from Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Ultimate Alliance 2, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and most recently in the soon-to-be-released Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. It's safe to say we're excited to see what the Captain Marvel movie will bring, the direction the film will take, and what Brie Larson will bring to the role. But until its release, we're more than willing to enjoy this beauty don the Ms Marvel in true body paint fashion. 16 Sindel, Mortal Kombat There’s no question that Mortal Kombat has earned its place in video game history. When the now defunct Midway Games first released Mortal Kombat, it set a generational trend in fight games for years to come. Mortal Kombat stood shoulders above rival fight giants with original style, garnering attention from pulling elemental influences from different sources – 70s kung fu movies, 80s action flicks, and the over-the-top violence that it immediately became known for. After drawing first blood, Mortal Kombat remained relevant thanks to its solid production, impressive visual techniques, and employing a cast of characters that adds layers of depth and complexity to your connection with the video games. This can all be seen in how fans have reacted to the franchise, eagerly strutting their stuff at conventions, just like Sindel shown above – a cosplay costume made purely from body paint. Makes us want to utter Scorpion’s famous fight phrase... Get over here! 15 Felicia, Darkstalkers Perhaps it was fate that Morgana stumbled across the cosplay community, but ever since her first cosplay costume, she’s become a fan favourite. Counting her League of Legends cosplay as some of her favourite, she makes our list thanks to her stunning display of Darkstalkers’ feline character Felicia. One of the two original females characters playable in the 1994 Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, Felicia is one of the most interesting characters in the series, having appeared in several other video games as a playable character, such as Capcom Fighting Evolution, Pocket Fighter, the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise, and SNK vs. Capcom series. Replicating this feline’s beauty and intrigue, Morgana displays Felicia’s stunning beauty in a bare-all body paint cosplay leaving very little to the imagination. 14 Widowmaker, Overwatch Widowmaker is certainly a cold-blooded killer. She never misses her mark, and equips herself with whatever it takes to get the job done. An assassin who possesses no emotions, Widowmaker will use an arsenal of weapons to eliminate her target. From deadly mines to a powerful sniper rifle capable of wreaking havoc and destruction, Widowmaker is a deadly killer ready to eliminate her target at a moment's notice. Perhaps fitting then as that's what this cosplay does – eliminate the opposition. Wonderfully created by the impressive Kay Pike, this Widowmaker cosplay is head-to-toe body paint. No gimmicks here, just straight up deadly work of art. Ruthless in her approach to create the perfect recreation of our favourite Overwatch assassin, Kay Pike has certainly gotten our attention. 13 Boba Fett, Star Wars Despite a lack of connection to the Force and wielding an arsenal of weaponry, including a jetpack, Boba Fett is considered by many as one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe. Before the release of the expanded Star Wars universe, which included books, comics, and eventually the three Star Wars prequels, very little was known about this enigmatic bounty hunter. Perhaps that’s why Boba Fett had such massive fan appeal. A man of action who spoke softly yet carried a big stick, Boba Fett’s fan appeal is elevated to further heights thanks in part to this stunning body paint cosplay. Not much is known about the beauty behind this infamous body paint cosplay, only furthering her mysterious allure. An authentic replica of one of the best-designed costumes in cinematic history, this impressive cosplay is done purely with brush strokes, revealing artistic talent that could have originated in a galaxy far, far away. 12 Cortana, Halo Halo wasn’t original in any sense of the word. Master Chief wasn’t the first masked protagonist to grace our consoles – that award goes to Samus – and space marines battling monstrous hordes has long been an archetype of video games. But Halo was a masterpiece theatre in the art of cinematography, achievement hunting, and a memorable cast that withstood the test of time. One most notably a charming blue AI companion named Cortana. An AI construct and Master Chief’s constant companion, Cortana was a naked holographic female projection with purplish to blue skin tones and binary/circuitry-laced skin tight suit to keep the game PG friendly. Leyna Sweet projects this AI construct into the real world with her interpretation of Cortana, completely made with body paint and finished with a touch of digital flourish. While Cortana’s composition may be digital, Leyna certainly brings those “assets” to life rendering a costume that’s a technical masterpiece. 11 Psylocke, X-Men: Children Of The Atom A member of the X-Men with a seemingly endless wardrobe, Psylocke first graced the pages of Marvel Comics in 1976 and, with time, became a mainstay in the X-Men universe making appearances in TV shows, movies, and video games. A character whose debut in the gaming industry started with the 1990 RPG X-Men II: The Fall of Mutants, Psylocke has made appearances in practically every X-Men video game since, most notably in the fighting games X-Men: Children of the Atom and the Marvel vs. Capcom series. This purple-haired beauty has also been a mainstay of the cosplay community, with many fan favourites playing homage to her character and her seductive “assets.” From the skin-tight latex body suits to the form fitting body paint cosplay, Psylocke cosplayers truly know how to wield her impressive twin blades. 10 D.Va, Overwatch While originally known for making epic theatres of war in Starcraft and Warcraft, Blizzard entered the foray of online multiplayer first-person shooters with their release of Overwatch in 2016. A year on and it has become a FPS behemoth, thanks in part the game’s focus on gameplay cooperation, class synergy, and a memorable roster with unique characters. Take D.Va for example. One of the youngest members in the Overwatch roster, D.Va, real name Hana Song, is the pilot of an impressively powerful mech suit, a professional Starcraft player, and a famous actress. Perhaps we can add cosplay favourite to that list as well. Since her debut, cosplayers have performed their own impressions of the character both in the mech suit and out of it. This body paint cosplay pays homage to the character’s colourful palette, down to the finest detail. 9 Morrigan, Darkstalkers The most prominent Darkstalkers character in the franchise’s history, Morrigan’s demonic appearance is elevated to a status beyond her devilish demeanour. As one of the main protagonists of the Darkstalkers series, Morrigan has made appearances in countless other Capcom games, from the ever-popular Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo to SNK vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom fight arenas. The succubus ruler of the Makai realm, Morrigan is sexy and seductive, a hedonistic Ryu or Ken if you will. She’s one of gaming’s most iconic characters and a true fan service to adolescent boys everywhere. This attracts countless renditions of her most iconic succubus outfit, often crafted down to the most revealing detail. With her long sea-green hair, sleeveless jet black bustier-like one piece and bat-inspired tights and wings, it’s easy to see why she’s the type of character to drive anyone batty. 8 Wonder Woman, Injustice The release of Injustice 2 just a mere month ago sparked a lot of controversy – namely due to the roster of characters chosen to share the centre stage and their choice of future DLC characters that don’t seem to fit directly into the spectrum of Injustice’s story and character connection to the bigger expanded universe. We’re looking right at you Sub-Zero. But one character who’s always welcomed with a reserved seat at the table is the Amazonian demi-goddess herself, Wonder Woman.Her recently released movie has been a smashing hit driving droves to the cinema to witness history in the making. This fame translates remarkably well in any medium thanks in part to her iconic costume, a colourful tankini-like costume accentuated by red, white, and blue elements, and finished with gold embellishes. It also works amazingly well as body paint as I’m sure you’ll agree. 7 Sheik, The Legend Of Zelda When Sheik first bursts onto our screen in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, we were all baffled. We couldn't make out who this mysterious character was, and it wasn't until we progressed the story and gameplay forward that the truth dawned on us. Apparently, Link isn't always up to par with the task of saving the princess, so sometimes, she has to do it herself! Revealed to be Princess Zelda herself, Sheik is the Batman to Zelda's Bruce Wayne, a masked heroine alter ego who fights in the shadows against injustice, using Deku Nuts as smoke screens to make decisive getaways. Sound familiar? Regards, this Legend of Zelda character is finally brought to light with this stunning cosplay, evoking sensual seductive while still remain true to the character's mysterious form. 6 Samus Aran, Metroid When Metroid was still in its development stage and Samus was a mere thought on the drawing board, she wasn’t always a female. In fact, Metroid’s co-creator Yoshio Sakamoto suggested they change Samus Aran into a female character as to “surprise the player.” This seemingly mild-mannered suggestion sparked a video game revolution and had meteoric impact on not only the franchise’s place in history, but in video game characters as a whole. We can thank Sakamoto for literally changing the face of video games and, 30 years on, fans still revel at this transformation. Every year, fans of the franchise are eager to make appearances in her powered Chozo Suit or in most recent years, her Zero Suit armor, with some opting for a body paint rendition that’s truly out of this world. 5 Venom, Marvel: Future Fight Most Venom cosplayers often opt to display Eddie Brock’s rendition of the Venom symbiote – a predatory being filled with rage and utter hatred. This depiction isn’t reserved purely to the cosplay community. Venom’s appearances in mainstream media, including video games often portray him as the antithesis to Spider-Man, debuting in Sega’s 1990 The Amazing Spider-Man vs. The Kingpin, all the way up to current iOS Marvel games – Marvel: Future Fight and Spider-Man Unlimited. This portrayal of Venom, masterfully created with brush strokes and body paint depicts the symbiote as a sultry and seductive bonding agent, rather than its common destructive force of nature. While a number of cosplayers have had run-ins with the Venom symbiote, this removal from the traditional norm is sleek and pretty much perfect. 4 Harley Quinn, Injustice 2 Harley Quinn debuting in the pages of DC’s comics as Arkham’s in-house criminal psychiatrist. Her ill-fated meeting with The Joker soon transformed her from a mild-mannered psychiatrist to a member of the criminally insane, predominantly as Joker’s deranged sidekick/lover. While she may have started off as a supervillain, recent years have seen her transform more into an antihero rather than a deranged maniac. Since her cameo in The Adventures of Batman & Robin for the Super NES, her popularity and capital has skyrocketed, thanks in part to her inclusion to the DC film Suicide Squad and the Injustice series. Harley Quinn has always sported colourful and flashy outfits – an exterior that matches her insane personality perfect. Many cosplayers in recent years have elected for the Margot Robbie-inspired look rather than the character’s original harlequin costume, a movement we could most definitely get behind. 3 Prophet, Crysis 3 Originally released as a PC exclusive, Crysis is a first-person shooter series that focuses on masked military protagonists enhanced with “Nanosuits,” technologically advanced suits of armor that augments the user’s physical strength, speed, defense, and even grants the protagonist temporary cloaking abilities. Transforming your favourite video game character is a labour of love, often taking weeks and months to fine tune every detail of this artistic medium. But cosplaying a suit of armour can be cumbersome and bulky, making body paint art creations a gift from the cosplay gods. Suiting up as Prophet – Crysis 3’s main protagonist – this skin-tight (literally) Nanosuit took a mind-boggling six hours to create. And while it may not the user the same indestructible powers as the in-game hero, but still delivering the same amazing results. 2 Tyrande Whisperwind, Warcraft While her first appearance was in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, it wasn't until Heroes of the Storm that Tyrande really became a fan and cult favourite. The chosen high priestess of elven goddess Elune, and former general of the night elf sentinels, Tyrande has led the Night Elves into countless battles and eons of war. A ranged support hero in the Warcraft universe, Tyrande strikes fear into the heart of her enemies and inspires awe into ours. Since her appearance in Warcraft III and Heroes of the Storm, Tyrande has become a cosplay favourite, with many of her fans flocking to show their love for this striking huntress. The intricate craftsmanship and detailed work sells the beauty of this cosplay. The beautiful blend of body paint and armoured fabric lend to a bad-ass femme fatale – lurking in the shadows waiting for her moment to strike. 1 Queen Of The Blades, Starcraft 2 Original a member of the Terrans, Sarah Kerrigan was an expert espionage agent and member of the Ghost squad – Terran's elite sniper squad, sent behind enemy lines to accomplish the most of covert ops. The infamous ghost line, "nuclear launch detected" spread fear among Starcraft gamers as they scrambled to find the hidden ghost among their midst. Portraying Kerrigan's infested form, the Queen of the Blades, this cosplayer beautifully depicts Kerrigan's brooding and ravenous persona – a bloodthirsty death-dealer seeking revenge for those that have done her wrong. Portraying Kerrigan, especially in her infested form is never easy. There's intricacies involved that must be considered, but we can all certainly agree that this cosplay has brought the Queen of Blades to life. Certainly, this must be the Queen of Cosplays.

Myer Briggs Type Indicator is a great tool for understanding personality styles, building cohesive teams and modulating communication styles. We conduct team building workshops using MBTI tools Online MBTI assessments (part 1 and part 2), analysis and debrief Benefits of MBTI workshop: • Appreciate differences and build trust with others • Modulate communication as per the receiver • Understand others better and work more effectively together Certificate & profile: Aman Deep Dubey is a Certified Assessor of MBTI Level 1 and 2 We have added tremendous value to organizations by helping them create a scalable and robust new hire engagement programs. Culture building interventions around organization values, creativity and innovation and leadership. We conduct workshops on Lateral Thinking, psychometric tests like MBTI, Personal Effectiveness Trainings like Time Management, creating your own Brand, Employee ship Training and business skills To develop team synergy we conduct workshops on 6 thinking Hats, Team Building, and MBTI based interventions, Team Leader Training, We also develop custom training programs as per skills /competencies and desired behaviours, please see our workshop design philosophy and profile of Learning facilitator and chief learning strategist

Mesotherapy is a form of injection treatment performed with our U225 mesogun. The precision and speed of the gun’s injections allow specialized treatments to be delivered directly into the deeper layers of skin. This ensures the proper distribution of treatments like platelet-rich plasma therapy or vitamins while the speed of the mesogun means you won’t experience much pain or swelling as a side effect. Bruising is very rare when using the mesogun. Essentially, the mesogun allows for treatments to be delivered before your body has realized what’s happened. At the Anti Aging Toronto Clinic, we use our mesogun to deliver not only PRP, but also two of our newest treatments: the Cytocare face rejuvenation complex and the HairCare restructuring hair complex. Cytocare Face Rejuvenation Complex The key component of the cytocare facial complex is hyaluronic acid, an important part of your skin’s structure and connective tissue that has a spectacular ability to retain moisture. In addition to serving as a dermal filler to add structural support, firmness, softness, and youthful roundness to the face, the cytocare complex will restore your skin’s moisture content. This is essential for combating the lost pliability and firmness that can come with aging and also makes it easier for your skin to absorb and retain the rest of the solution. Cytocare is not just full of hyaluronic acid—it is a complete nutrient complex that revitalizes and nourishes your skin to its fullest potential. HairCare Restructuring Hair Complex The only way to ensure long-term changes to your hair and scalp is to go right to the source and influence the hair as it grows from the follicle. Nutrients such as zinc, arginine, cysteine, glutamine, biotin, calcium, and more all contribute to producing lush, vibrant hair and a clear, dandruff-free scalp. The HairCare restructuring complex is a giant nutrient booster for your head that serves as an all-in-one restructuring formula capable of promoting the growth and support of hair while slowing the speed of any hair loss you might be experiencing. Enhancing Effects with PRP Therapy and Stamping Both the cytocare face rejuvenation complex and the HairCare restructuring complex have an interesting synergy with our platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP). Cytocare and HairCare provide more immediate effects on your face and scalp since they are a dose of nutrients and a filler, while PRP therapy takes time since it is more reliant on your body’s natural recovery processes. Mixing the two together allows you to have more consistent results as the complexes enhance the beauty and youthfulness of your face while giving the PRP treatment time to work and produce longer-lasting results. “Stamping” is also a form of micro-needling that targets deeper layers of the skin. This is one of the few invasive procedures we perform at the clinic, but it is excellent for removing keloid and acne scars. PRP therapy shortly after a stamping session helps speed up the recovery process, meaning you can combine stamping, PRP, and the cytocare or HairCare complexes to create a full partnership of beauty enhancement. Feel free to contact us by phone at 416-546-4664 or by email at info@AntiAgingToronto.ca to arrange an appointment for one or more of these treatments or to ask any questions. We want you to feel 100% comfortable before choosing any of our treatments, which is why we offer free consultations with no obligations. Our skincare specialists are more than happy to answer any queries you might have or offer you a tour of our Toronto facilities.

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The premise of the essay is that companies succeed in one of two ways: they either promote convenience, or they provide some type of unique or high-quality experience, service or product. One example would be Chips Ahoy cookies vs. real, honest-to-goodness home-baked chocolate chip cookies. Another, more seasonal example: grocery store ice cream, including Ben & Jerry’s or Häagen-Dazs, as opposed to the local ice cream parlor in your town that makes its own. The local version is special, or at least the one I remember was and still is. (Graeter’s will ship out of Cincinnati but it costs $120 to ship 12 pints, not including the cost of the ice cream.) Amazon sells convenience. A customer can download a book 24/7 from just about anywhere on the planet. Independent bookstores, on the other hand, sell unique experiences and fantastic services, or they die. Some examples that are working: Powell’s in Portland, OR, Tattered Cover in Denver, CO and Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, IL (Chicago Metro). But what about libraries? Libraries also need to sell themselves in order to compete for increasingly scarce resources. Can libraries be as convenient as Amazon? Should we even try? Or should we choose to use our expertise to provide unique experiences and fantastic services, as those independent bookstores that are making a go of it are? Attempting to be all things to all people in all ways is a recipe for disaster–there is a reason that the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none” is a such cliché. The US Postal Service is in just this position because its government mandate forces it, in effect, to compete with email, twitter and FedEx, all at the same time. FedEx only has to concentrate on UPS. If a patron is looking for a copy of Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris, or A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin, both on the New York Times Best Seller list, the local library is probably going to put the patron on a waiting list. Budgets will not permit enough copies to be purchased to meet immediate demand. And even if they did, would any library want to devote that many dollars to a title that won’t be in quite such high demand a year from now when those dollars could be spread over many other titles? We can’t beat Amazon or Barnes and Noble on convenience. But we can beat them on service and experience, if we put our hearts and minds into it. Just think about it. Libraries can become the ultimate independent bookstore. And, even better, we can do this in synergy with local independent bookstores, holding events that help both entities. Author signings at branches and the independents. Writers’ workshops with authors that visit both places. Theme parties in conjunction with local writers’ groups or even the romance, mystery or science fiction convention in the area. Children’s storytimes at both venues. Book clubs and recommendation blogs that independents and libraries can work on together. There are many possibilities that share expertise and service and promote local resources. Otherwise, Amazon beats the independent bookstore on convenience, and we’re just part of the tax burden that no one wants. But publishers and authors need both of us to help sell books. There’s still no replacement for one person telling another “you’ve got to read this book!” Libraries need to find more ways to be that person.

Nidalee Build Guide by ikkas Your votes and comments encourage our guide authors to continue creating helpful guides for the League of Legends community. +10 Adaptive (6 AD or 10 AP) +10 Adaptive (6 AD or 10 AP) Ability Order General Order Threats & Synergies He can chase you, he can become invisible, he can essentially 2 shot you. Highly unlikely you will be laning against him however avoid being in a 1v1 against him. You are a assassin Jungler which means you are relatively squishy. She can oneshot you and her shroud makes you unable to Q her. Dodge her root or else... If they are skilled you will have a hard time hitting a Q, they can also chase you quite well. You will never kill him, he will never catch you. You better hope your ADC has some CC or you will never get in range. On the plus side if you do, they die. Also good luck with the poke, E to your hearts content. Annoying as hell. Combine this with a Caitlyn and you have yourself the worst laning phase possible. The only redeeming quality of playing against Soraka is that she is extremely squishy, always target her. Hard to win against due to his mobility as well as his ult and raw burst. Do not 1v1, or 2v1. Dont get stunned... Love laning against her as long as she has any support that is not Soraka. You can heal through her W and her slow isnt that much of a bother. Basically a no kill lane, Her ult will save her every time. Also do not turret dive her. Short ranged champs (not lucian) are probably some of the best to play against as if you hit a Javelin you can instantly jump onto her. Do not feed her though and try to win withing a reasonable time as once she gets invis on E you will have a harder time killing her and she can burst you. Oh boy, that Charm combined with her Mobility makes Ahri one of the hardest to play against. You cant really land your Javelin and even if you do, if you try to jump on her all she has to do is Charm you mid jump and then burst you. The will appear, you will die. Also why i no longer play nidalee in the jungle. Her ult makes her irritating to say the least. His root makes it either extremely easy to hit a Q or extremely easy to get close enough to jump on them. Also plays well into the bursty style. You are a very aggressive champion, thus a ADC who is equally aggressive works well. Much like Lucian it is good to have a ADC who is also aggressive. However as you offer no CC and Draven has few tools to escape.. Be careful. The slow makes hitting Q's way easier. You are useless to ult in, however ulting you out can be a good synergy. She has little CC and cannot be extremely aggressive early. Extremely passive... not a good choice Run em down.. but if you get behind say bye to lane. Combined poke and evasion. Can be good, but you i have yet to see a good Ezreal player so maybe its just bias thats not putting him at Ideal, well that and him having no CC. Champion Build Guide Nidalee SupportBy ikkas Once the enemy champs are low enough, if you hit another Q you can switch to Tiger form and leap to them and blow them up. Therefore for the nuke combo you will want to hit a Javelin and then press R to switch form, press W to jump onto the enemy, press E to deal some extra damage and then press Q to finish them off. Late game this can easily deal 2000 Dmg or essentially one shot an ADC, the bite alone can deal over 1k with the same applying to the Javelin. Add dark harvest to this and you can oneshot bruisers too. You are not a front liner, you have a heal. If you are having a small skirmish and you hit your Q, always go in if they are a squishy as you can most likely either kill them or get them low enough for your team mates to do so. If your team mate gets caught you can heal them.. do so. This might also give you enough time to do the Nuke You stay behind your team spamming Q's until you hit one of their squishy targets. If they are close enough you jump on them, if they are not you can either flash jump followed by a Nuke or you can zone them off. You can make it out alive after the nuke in most cases as your W is usually up in time after the kill and your team has way more pressure so your front line is closer. The way to do this is W while still in tiger form them immediately press R and then E on yourself to heal.