Fintech and Regulation
The global financial crisis of 2008-2009 has drastically modified the landscape – present and future - of the financial services industry, both through the crunch of credit markets resulting in dramatically lower lending levels to consumers and corporations, and in parallel, through the rapid emergence of compliance and regulatory issues as key industry parameters.
Jointly, these forces have resulted in the onset of an ever changing landscape of financial regulations over the recent years, which combined with the advancement of technologies such as mobile and wireless communications, data mining analysis and machine learning, have created opportunities for entrepreneurial financial technology businesses to develop innovative products and services to both complement and compete with industry incumbents. And indeed it is fair to say that even when compared to other industries, the long established quasi-monopoly of traditional banks in financial services has created the ideal conditions for a mature ready-to-be-disrupted environment for entrepreneurs.
The emergence of Fintech
It is precisely in this context that the financial technology (fintech) industry has emerged as a virgin territory for the parallel forces of technology and restructuring to create innovative services and products at the hands of a new generation of visionary entrepreneurs. In the space of just a few years, a new generation of fintech companies has emerged so rapidly as to succeed in breaking down the doors of the traditional banking business by benefiting countless underserved small business owners who would otherwise not have received funding capital.
Across disparate services, ranging from facilitating loans to wealth management to mobile payments, fintech companies pose a serious threat to traditional practices that due to their inefficiency have shut out as many as two billion consumers globally from the provision of most basic financial services. Fundamentally, the onset of the fintech has democraticized the way consumers and small business owners borrow money, lessening the age-old dependency on banks. Unsurprisingly, the growth of fintech start-ups is nothing short of impressive: in data collected by KPMG, thirteen fintech startups are valued at over USD 1 billion, and in a recent study published by Goldman Sachs, it is estimated that fintech upstarts could steal up to USD 4.7 trillion in annual revenues from incumbent banks.
Yet the growth of the sector and its progressive establishment as part of the mainstream landscape of financial services has been hampered by a generalized lack of a systemic approach to regulation across different jurisdictions, the absence of clarity regarding regulatory requirements and standards, and a lengthy and costly approval process. Collectively, these factors have caused many start-ups in the field to employ a shoot-first, field-questions-from-regulators-later approach that has confused consumers and in many cases drawn harsher regulatory scrutiny, in essence a loss-loss situation.
The case for managing and balancing risk across the competing forces of compliance and innovation: a dualistic approach.
Getting the right balance
At the present time, uncertainty seems to be the operative characteristic in the fintech ecosystem, as exemplified by the repercussions of the July 2015 U.S. Treasury Department issuance of a Request For Information (RFI) for online marketplaces, with the stated goal of allowing policymakers “to study the various business models and products offered by online marketplace lenders, the potential for online marketing lending to expand access to credit to historically underserved borrowers, and how the financial regulatory framework should evolve to support the safe growth of this industry.” This call for information has spurred much buzz from industry participants about what the regulation will look like, as well as how it may affect the pass-through structures of the marketplaces – in sum, about the very core direction of this industry in the coming years.
As key stakeholders in the system, financial institutions should learn to understand and embrace the need to deal with regulation and compliance requirements as a leverage to foster critical mass and momentum to create new, innovative technologies that can be deployed as enablers to better analyze and understand industry dynamics and processes that are critical to their competitiveness. For example, the simplification of incumbent banking systems and increased data automation will eventually lead to increased avenues for ‘collaboration’ and innovation; intuitive database applications could then be deployed to analyze and contextualize regulatory information, allowing fintech firms a greater depth of insight and information leverage.
Managing corporate governance in a Fintech industry
In parallel, regulators should work for the benefit of fintech in a collaborative process of consultation, addressing key questions such as what should compliance look like for the fintech industry, and what specific requirements across domains such as financing, operational and management risk, data security, monetization, and infrastructure will need to be dealt with to establish a robust and sustainable fintech regulatory framework.
There is a powerful case for regulators to adopt a progressive mindset and bring more clarity in this space by fostering innovation and focusing on the issues at the core of the broader societal application of fintech, chiefly amongst them the process of promoting credit access for small businesses, which despite the pickup in overall economic activity remains significantly below pre-recession levels. Importantly, this does require a radical revision and rethinking from the traditional and all too well established practices of the incumbent banking system, practices that over time have been stifled by a void of technology innovation and the inability to properly evaluate the creditworthiness of a small business. If regulators were to succeed in imposing less stringent standards, the fintech industry as a whole would be positioned to keep growing organically and keep serving consumers and small business owners, as well as to allow fintech companies to continue to forge strategic partnerships with the banks that are now seeing the enormous value fintech can bring to their own operations.
The key industry challenges and threats faced by the fintech industry, all of which have a critical regulatory component, can be summarized as follows:
1. Regulatory burdens becoming regulatory barriers: traditional financial services companies have been adept at turning regulations slowing their own innovation into effective barriers of entry blocking fintech companies from launching new products and services.
2. Lack of global standards: until now, laws regulating lending practices have remained generally both fiercely local and complex, causing lending and fundraising efforts by fintech startups to be hampered while trying to navigate the maze of regulations. It is safe to conclude that until banking regulations are rationalized across borders, incumbents’ lenders will likely maintain a distinct advantage, even despite their inefficient practices and lower quality products and services.
3. Government monopolies on currency: whilst much of the financial system has already migrated to all-electronic formats, the production of cash remains a government monopoly in much of the world. In this context, the rapid emergence of bitcoin and other digital currencies is proving a test to the possibility of establishing financial exchanges based on innovative forms of trust and legal underpinnings. Should digital currencies achieve the critical mass and security needed to become a more established medium of money exchange, several stakeholders will need to adapt, including the banking system as a whole, governments and other para-governmental entities.
4. Technology as a challenge to the need for additional regulators in the system: as proven by countless examples of e-commerce platforms, one of the factors that make disruptive technologies so powerful is their ability to break down conventional wisdom on how industries are organized and how they are most effectively regulated. In this perspective, while it is certainly the case that the banking system as a whole will continue to require strong oversight to function effectively at the benefit of the broader society, there is no reason to believe that regulation will always have to be managed by often inefficient and corrupt governmental bodies; there is indeed a call for exploring the benefits of establishing some form of self-regulation by fintech companies, or alternatively for assessing the merits of an innovative type of rating methodology to be built in new lending, banking and investment platforms that would in turn enable consumers to establish general oversight, as already proven by the automated safeguards in place with digital currencies, which are recognized as a superior means of currency risk management.
While the above reflects a broader pattern being played out across several disruptive industries, more so than in any others, the winners and losers in the disruption of financial services will be determined by how regulators across different jurisdictions apply laws that may be well over a century old. On the one hand, such regulations impose costs and innovation delays from which the start-ups are largely immune, yet on the other, the same rules can also provide undue protection for incumbents, keeping start-ups outside of markets requiring licensing and other types of approvals.
Dealing with complex layers of regulatory oversight
In sum, it remains a fact that even fintech startups trying to play by the rules are undone by the complexity and expense of multiple layers of conflicting regulatory oversight. Given the likelihood that this reality will remain unchanged over the short to medium term, it is fair to assess that the ability to navigate such waters will be the key distinguishing factor for those startups able to compete successfully in an industry still dominated by incumbent financial services companies. Yet, despite the fundamental challenge involved in successfully unsettling the established mainstream and getting the regulatory equation right, fintech startups that will be successful in appealing to the universal consumer demand for value creating disruption are altogether poised to leverage innovation and operational dexterity and create a new trajectory for the industry as a whole.
To learn more about how Crestbridge can help you handle your corporate governance requirements for your Fintech fund structure, call George Bashforth on +352 26 215 420 or email email@example.com to arrange a telephone or video call.


Wi-Fi Arrays to Serve Densely-Packed Event Venues With 3,000 Attendees -- Each Toting, on Average, Two Mobile Devices -- and Will Allow Seamless Roaming
AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwire - Mar 8, 2013) - Xirrus®, the leader in high-performance wireless networks, and Alpha Omega Wireless, an integrator of broadband wireless network technology and complete end-to-end wireless backhaul solutions, today announced that the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference, a premier showcase of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies, will use Xirrus Wi-Fi arrays to provide wireless coverage at SXSW 2013. IT staff for the event, to be held March 8-17 in Austin, Texas, will deploy Xirrus Arrays across mission-critical event venues to provide comprehensive reach and coverage for attendees. Event organizers predict that attendees will carry, on average, two mobile devices each, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Working with Xirrus partner Alpha Omega Wireless, SXSW first deployed Xirrus Arrays for high-density venues at its Interactive Kickoff Party in 2012, supporting up to 2,000 mobile devices simultaneously and accommodating the surging demand for wireless social media communications at the event.
Xirrus Arrays use multiple AP's with sector antennas to distribute Wi-Fi signals, in much the same way as cellular antennas, allowing for maximum output and better RF channel control. Further simplifying the wireless architecture, Xirrus Arrays operate at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, allowing SXSW site planners to map mobile devices with 802.11a 5GHz capability onto the 5GHz wavelengths, reducing demand for 802.11b/g 2.4GHz service. Virtually all second-generation mobile devices are designed for optimum operation at 5GHz.
"Each Xirrus Array has its own integrated controller, eliminating the costs and architectural complexity of using centralized Wi-Fi controllers," said Joe Wargo, president of Alpha Omega Wireless, who managed the infrastructure site plan in tandem with SXSW's IT staff.
Creating Xirrus-based hotspots proved to be a routine, reliable approach to adding bandwidth virtually on demand. Xirrus Arrays house up to 16 AP's, simplifying network architecture by allowing a single Array to replace many discrete AP's. Now, with the ease of provisioning a series of Xirrus hotspots, IT staff for SXSW will be equipped to establish seamless roaming within major venues at the event, eliminating the need for attendees to manually reconnect at each event venue.
SXSW has expanded to blanket virtually the entire city of Austin with its presence. Event officials said that wireless mobility has become even more critical in ensuring a dynamic, media-rich experience for its staff, performers, and attendees. "SXSW has grown beyond all predictions, and wireless service must provide visitors the wired-like experience they enjoy today, but without the complexity and high cost," said Scott Wilcox, Director of Technology for SXSW.
"Scaling the infrastructure for an event with the hyper-growth of South By Southwest can create many unforeseeable demands," said Steven Wastie, VP of Marketing for Xirrus. "But in scaling the vital communications infrastructure to support one of the music industry's most heralded events, nothing can be left to chance. We gratefully acknowledge the trust that South By Southwest has placed in Alpha Omega Wireless and Xirrus."
About South By Southwest
SXSW 2013, the world's leading music industry event, offers attendees the opportunity to explore the future of the music industry during the day at panels, talks, the Trade Show, Music Gear Expo and other conference activities at the Austin Convention Center. At night, the absolute best mix of musical performances from over 2,000 regional, national and international acts will take place at the nighttime music festival. Altogether, SXSW presents unmatched networking opportunities, career-building conference programming and over 100 stages of music for showcasing bands and conference attendees. SXSW Music takes place Tuesday, March 12 - Sunday, March 17, 2013 in Austin, Texas. For more information on every aspect of SXSW and to register to attend, please go to http://www.sxsw.com.
About Alpha Omega Wireless, Inc.
("AO Wireless") is a leading integrator of complete end-to-end wireless backhaul networking technology and solutions. Alpha Omega Wireless provides wireless site surveys, feasibility studies, engineering, spectrum analysis, path calculations, design, wireless installation, equipment sales, radio repair and maintenance, support, troubleshooting, and ongoing management & monitoring of point to point wireless links, point to multipoint wireless systems, WiMax backhaul, LTE, Wi-Fi, and wireless mesh. As well as SCADA telemetry radio, wireless video surveillance, and indoor RF. Alpha Omega Wireless works with unlicensed wireless Ethernet bridges and licensed microwave links.
About Xirrus, Inc.
Xirrus is the leading provider of high-performance wireless networks. Xirrus' Array-based solutions perform under the most demanding circumstances with wired-like reliability and superior security. The Xirrus wireless solutions provide a vital strategic business and IT infrastructure advantage to the education, healthcare, government and enterprise industries that depend on wireless to operate business-critical applications. Headquartered in Thousand Oaks, CA, Xirrus is a privately held company that designs and manufactures its products and solutions in the USA. For more information please visit: http://www.xirrus.com and follow us on Twitter: @Xirrus.
Xirrus is a trademark or registered trademarks of Xirrus. South By Southwest and SXSW are registered trademarks of South By Southwest. Other trade names used in this document are or may be the property of their respective owners.


Although willowlamp has a large repertoire of dynamic designs in its portfolio, ready to be ordered, it’s the custom projects that inspire the team’s creativity the most. Working with interior designers, homeowners and venues to create the perfect designs for their spaces…
We’re thrilled to have recently completed this custom order for one of willowlamp’s Interior Design clients based in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. We understand that it is bound for a luxury hospitality destination in Africa.
At the end of June willowlamp will be holding its first ever retrospective exhibition spanning the company’s production evolution from inception to present day and featuring the compendium of designs created over the last decade and a half of the company’s existence.
willowlamp will take part in Euroluce at the Salone del Mobile for the first time this April. Renowned on the South African decor scene for its design-forward and inspiring creations and luxury chandeliers the company has previously showcased at African and Middle Eastern trade shows.
Willowlamp will be exhibiting at Euroluce 2019 – this international lighting exhibition runs concurrently with Salone del Mobile, Milano from 9 to 14 April, 2019 and is recognised as the global benchmark lighting exhibition, where technological innovation and design culture take centre stage.
As 2018 draws to a close, we take time to reflect on this year’s highlights. willowlamp exhibited art pieces at both local and international design shows this year, representing South African design at home and abroad.
willowlamp takes on New York and Dubai this November as our unique chandeliers travel to two renowned international design festivals.
We’re excited to announce that willowlamp will be returning to 100% Design South Africa for the fourth time since the show launched in 2014, with new lighting designs. 100% Design South Africa is the largest curated exhibition platform for sourcing high-end contemporary design in Africa.
After a successful start to the year, willowlamp is currently preparing for an even more fruitful and eventful latter half of 2018 in lighting design.
Since February, willowlamp has been privileged to appear in Southern Guild’s 10th-anniversary showcase, “Extra Ordinary”, alongside creatives in a range of disciplines.
February was an exciting month that saw local designer willowlamp’s first big piece for 2018 showcased at the Southern Guild’s 10th-anniversary exhibition by South African Designers, ‘Extra Ordinary’.
We’re back in the studio after a much-needed break and are happy to announce that we have already started working on our first major project of the year.
As the countdown to the end of 2017 begins, we would like to take a moment to reflect on the unbelievably exciting and rewarding year of lighting design we have had here at willowlamp.
The South African lighting design company, willowlamp, has launched an accessible ‘Small Space’ collection of pendant lights, the perfect lighting solution for compact urban spaces.
Our new 2018 collection, which launched in September, brought with it a much-needed breath of fresh air to the willowlamp workshop and design studio. After finally completing a number of large-scale commissions, creative director Adam Hoets channelled his new-found time and energy into creating an exciting new collection of lighting designs.
The month of September saw us celebrating the launch of our brand new 2018 collection of designer chandeliers with an exhibition at the Youngblood Gallery in Bree Street, Cape Town.
Experience a first look at the major new 2018 collection at Cape Town’s First Thursdays On 7 September 2017, on ‘First Thursdays’, get a first glimpse of the willowlamp 2018 designer lighting collection at the Youngblood Africa gallery in Cape Town from 18h00 onwards.
We are excited to share that we are now listed on Archiproducts.com as a designer lighting supplier . Archiproducts is one of the world’s most powerful search engines for architecture and design products.
Our diverse range means we are able to offer lighting solutions for any room in your home. If you’re considering ordering a bespoke chandelier, other lighting design or hanging one of our ready-made pieces, here are some tips you may want to consider when deciding on where to place your chandelier.
Who is the client for this custom chandelier project? A private residence outside London through an ex-South African interior design firm called Rene Dekker Interiors.
It’s been a really busy few months at willowlamp, working on large-scale decorative lighting projects and new designs, and we can’t wait to share more of the details of our latest projects and designs with you in the upcoming months.
Award-winning lighting design company willowlamp prides itself on a substantial collection of breathtaking and diverse artistic light fixtures. One of its most notable creations is Geometric Storm, an elegant modern chandelier that was launched at the first ever 100% Design South Africa event in 2014, where it won the award for Best Lighting Design. Architect
Award-winning South African lighting design company, willowlamp, scooped another international award at the inaugural darc awards / decorative 2017 gala event held in London on 18 May 2017.
Award-winning lighting design company willowlamp prides itself on an abundance of creations that cross functional lighting with artistic innovation. Aside from our expansive catalogue of beautiful chandeliers, lamps and pendant lights, we also offer bespoke lighting. willowlamp is responsible for numerous custom-made chandeliers that hang in hotels, offices and residential properties around the world.
COPYRIGHT © 2018 WILLOWLAMP


Ex[plore why industry leaders are excited to be involved with the ARDS Drug Development Summit
Increasing move to develop a precision medicine approach to accelerate new treatments for ARDS and participating in the discussions around this.
Danny McAuley, Queen University Belfast
ARDS has been eluding us for decades. Big steps have been taken during the past year to come up with new innovative drugs to concur ARDS. I cannot wait to see what the future brings us.
Juho Jalkanen, Faron Pharmaceuticals
Drug development had not progressed in ARDS in recent past. Unfortunately, due to the events of the past year, we all have turned our attention back towards ARDS and this is hopeful for patients who experience this condition and have so few therapeutic options.
Nina Patel, Boehringer Ingelheim
We need to come together as a scientific community to share our key research questions and answers so we can expedite drug development for patients with an extremely high unmet need. The summit will provide a framework to accelerate our efforts.
Shamsah Kazani, Alexion Pharmaceuticals


Susana Toboso-Chavero: Las cubiertas urbanas provocaran que las ciudades produzcan sus propios recursos
The implementation of the roof mosaic in housing estates would improve the resource self‐sufficiency of the residents. This is clear from a study carried out by the Sostenipra research group at ICTA-UAB, which highlights the need for boosting new urban spaces of resource production in sites that face social and economic needs.
Housing estates, that is, mass social housing on middle‐ and high‐rise apartment blocks, in urban areas are found all over the world with very similar constructive patterns and a multiplicity of environmental and socio‐economic problems.
In this regard, such areas are optimal for the implementation of a roof mosaic which involves applying a combination of urban farming, solar energy, and harvesting rainwater systems on unoccupied roofs. This urban strategy was proposed in a typical housing estate in the Barcelona region with 66,433 m2 of unused rooftops.
Based on residents preferences five future scenarios for the municipality were proposed, resulting in different combinations of photovoltaic panels, open-air farming, rooftop greenhouses, green roofs and rainwater harvesting.
These rooftop scenarios were found to improve the resource self‐sufficiency of housing estate residents by providing 42–53% of their vegetable consumption, 9–35% of their electricity use, and 38–200% of their water needs depending on the scenario.


Cascade Peaks IPA
A NEW IPA SERIES
With the North Cascades right at our back door, it’s quite fitting that our newest line of IPAs will be named the Cascade Peaks IPA Series. On Friday, August 31st, we kicked off the series with Bellingham’s favorite Heliotrope IPA, released earlier this summer on draft only. Each beer in the Cascade Peaks series will be packaged in 500 ml bottles and available at both locations and on tap at the Roosevelt location, also known as “K2.” Local beer drinkers can now look forward to a new and unique release just about every other month.
This IPA series is a great opportunity for us to experiment with new hop varieties and cutting-edge brewing techniques. We’re not reinventing the wheel but we are definitely pushing the boundaries and getting outside of our comfort zone. We’ve been having fun experimenting with flaked rice and wheat, unmalted barley and fruit infusions, all ingredients that we don’t normally use in our standard IPA recipe.
Following the 500 ml release of Heliotrope look for the Eldorado Brut IPA, Forbidden Hazy IPA, and Bonanza Brut IPA, which will be infused with blood oranges and cranberries just in time for the holiday season.
For the mountain enthusiasts out there, these beer names may sound familiar. Since opening in 2012, we have long pulled inspiration from the rugged peaks of the Cascades beginning with our namesake, Koma Kulshan, the local native tribal name for Mt. Baker. This series aims to pay tribute to a handful of prominent peaks within the range that Kulshan employees know and love.
Each new beer in the series will be a short run and available for a limited time in the Kulshan taprooms and in select stores around the North Sound. Be sure to follow us on social media to keep up with the release dates. , Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.


The BTN CLS Knights Indonesia are the new kings of the ASEAN Basketball League.
The Indonesian squad took home the championship in thrilling fashion, pulling off an 84-81 come-from-behind Game 5 win over the Singapore Slingers, Wednesday night at the OCBC Arena.
And as fate would have it, the game’s biggest dagger came from former Slingers guard Wong Wei Long. The two-time Local MVP hit a booming triple with 53.2 seconds remaining to give his team the lead for good.
“It was emotional for me,” Wong said about his shot. “My mom, my dad, my wife, my brother, my sister-in-law, they are all here, supporting me.”
“Douglas (Herring) gave me the shot. We ran through the play the coach wanted to do. I didn’t play a very good Finals but when the coach called for me I’m always ready for the last second shots.”
The Knights were trailing for most of the game, including being down by 10 points in the fourth quarter. But the visiting team proved to be resilient down the stretch, clawing their way back into the contest.
“We were losing by 10 points and we fought back and these guys kept fighting,” said coach Brian Rowsom.
Aside from Wong’s late 3-pointer, it was also the late-game heroics of Maxie Esho that helped Indonesia pull off the comeback. The Knights were still down by five points in the last four minutes, but the versatile forward single-handedly kept his team afloat. He scored on a layup and sank a gutsy shot from beyond the arc to tie the game at 79-all, setting the stage for Wong’s go-ahead triple.
Esho finished 25 points, 22 coming from the second half, while adding eight rebounds. His all-around play throughout the series earned him the Finals MVP trophy.
“I’m speechless. My first championship as a pro basketball player,” Esho shared. “It’s very overwhelming. I practice every day, I go hard, my teammates go hard.”
Douglas Herring provided the Knights with 18 points, six rebounds, and seven assists. He also knocked down two crucial free throws in the last 11 seconds to give his team enough cushion. Darryl Watkins muscled his way to a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds while Brandon Jawato had a solid outing of 16 points and three steals. Wong finished with just six points but hit the game’s biggest basket.
Xavier Alexander put a triple-double effort of 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a losing effort for the Slingers. Fellow World Imports Jerran Young chipped in with 20 points and John Fields tallied 13 points and 11 boards. Singapore also got help from Delvin Goh and his 19-point, 11-rebound outing.
The Knights are the second team from Indonesia to win the ABL title.
“We gave a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. We dedicated ourselves for this,” said Esho. “I know the owners, the players, the coaches, the trainers, everybody who’s a big part of this. It’s all love, it’s all family here.”


10/01/12 (written by mayaaw) – On Saturday, September 29, the Centro de la Cultura de la Raza and the San Diego Alliance and Marriage Equality (SAME) hosted an event titled “LGBT Immigrants, Asylees, and Refugee Seekers Explore Emerging Issues.” The event, held at the Centro de la Cultura de la Raza in Balboa Park, was an open discussion about topics that affect both persons belonging to the LGBT community and/or migrant population, specifically focusing on legislation that has wide-ranging effects on such populations, like the the Defense of Marriage Act.
Ginger Jacobs, a lawyer at Jacobs and Schlesinger, LLC, who works primarily with immigration law, led the discussion. Jacobs highlighted the many intersections between LGBT and immigration policies, especially where the definitions of marriage meet definitions of citizenship. Also present was a representative from SAME, who shared stories of struggles endured by people from the San Diego area who fall into both the LGBT and immigrant categories.
The Trans-Border Institute was able to participate in the event to provide information about its work with migrant communities in the area. Also in attendance was the Immigration Justice Project of San Diego, which provides pro bono legal counsel to immigrants who need assistance navigating the citizenship process. Local artists used the opportunity to showcase their artwork depicting LGBT and migrant identities. For more information, click here.


Colleges across the country are recognizing students from Sherrard High School for their on-campus success. Click any achievement to discover alumni from Sherrard High School, view their personalized Merit pages, and learn about what they are accomplishing. (see more)
Colleges across the country are recognizing students from Sherrard High School for their on-campus success. Click any achievement to discover alumni from Sherrard High School, view their personalized Merit pages, and learn about what they are accomplishing.
The Iowa State University College of Human Science's Dean's List honors students who have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher during the spring semester of 2017.
Illinois Central College released the names of students who earned President's List honors during the Fall 2017 semester.
Augustana College announced 1,138 students were named to the Dean's List for the 2017 fall term. Students who have earned this academic honor have maintained a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher on a four-point scale for courses taken during the term.
Twenty-eight new students are currently enrolled and attending Lakeview College of Nursing for the Spring 2018 semester.
Simpson College congratulates students named to the 2017 fall semester President's List. Students named to the President's List earned a 4.0 GPA.
The Iowa State University College of Design Dean's List honors students who have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or higher for at least 12 credit hours of course work.
The following students recently graduated from Buena Vista University:
Ten Buena Vista University (BVU) biology students presented research at the 129th Iowa Academy of Science (IAS) Annual Meeting on April 21-22 at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Buena Vista University's (BVU) thirteenth annual Scholars Day was held Saturday, April 29. The event provided students from all disciplines an opportunity to present their best original research, academic posters, artistic creations and performances to their peers, professors and the public.
For more than 80 years, Who's Who Among Students has annually honored outstanding student leaders from institutions of higher learning across the country. It is one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs, respected by college faculties and administrations.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team opens the 2016-17 season this Saturday at the Luther (Iowa) Open with high hopes for a sixth consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and a chance to compete for the NCAA Division III national title.
The Carthage chapter of Enactus headed to the organization's national exposition for the eighth straight year. The group earned their bid at the Chicago regional competition on March 21. This year's national exposition was held May 15-17 in St. Louis.
Nearly 600 high school seniors competed in Augustana College's annual Scholarship Competition on January 17, 2015. Students competed for $4,000 scholarships awarded by each academic department at Augustana. Winners of the scholarships will be notified by March 1, 2015.
Forty-three juniors were initiated into Augustana's Aglaia Chapter of the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society on April 14. Mortar Board members are selected annually by their peers in recognition of their devotion to scholarship, leadership and service. Students are eligible for membership in their junior year. Each member must have at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) GPA or be in the top 35 percent of his orher class, whichever is higher. Approximately 9% of the Class of 2014 was selected to join this prestigious society. Selected to join this group include:


I will be in conversation with artist and curator Monique Deschaines on Tuesday, March 3, from 6-8pm at SF Camerawork.
I did an interview with LVL 3 Media about my current show at SF Camerawork and my upcoming show at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
My new exhibition Revolving Doors will be on view at SF Camerawork from 5 Febraury - 23 March 2015.
Lightopia is traveling to Design Museum Gent in Belgium. I redesigned my original light environment for the new exhibition space. The show runs from 15 November 2014 to 15 March 2015.
I will be speaking at the University of California, Santa Cruz on the morning of October 16th. The event is free and open to the public.
The San Jose Museum of Art recently acquired the work Emmanuelle. They have included it in their current show Momentum. The exhibition runs through 22 February 2015.
I am in a two-person show at the Montalvo Arts Center called Perceptual. It features two new installations, one of which can now be seen in the gallery; the other will open December 14th on the grounds.
Ryan Van Der Hout photographed the installation of my project at the Asian Art Museum for his ongoing series At Work, an exploration of artists in their studios.
I presented a new project, Renewals/Returns, at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco as part of the Artists Drawing Club. Read about my practice and project details on the museum's blog.
An Xiao, Sculptures of Light and Illusion, 22 January 2014
Mikko Lautamo, Chris Fraser at Highlight, 20 January 2014
Kenneth Baker, Chris Fraser: Making Something Out of Pure Light, SF Gate, 18 December 2013
Leora Lutz, “Space 1999” group exhibition at Incline Gallery, San Francisco, SFAQ Online, 29 November 2013
Kara Q. Smith, Material Ascension, ArtSlant, 16 November 2013
Kenneth Baker reviewed Space:1999 for the San Francisco Chronicle.
My work was recently featured on the website of PLD, a German publication on lighting design.
Amanda Roscoe Mayo wrote a review of the installation I made for Space:1999.
Space: 1999 will be on view at Incline Gallery through the month of November. It features work by Randy Colosky, Sandra Ono, Dean Smith, and myself. I contributed a new installation to the lower incline of the gallery.
I was interviewed by Greg Ito for SFAQ Online.
I have been included in Personal Structures at the Palazzo Bembo as part of the 55th Venice Biennale. The exhibition will rune from June 1st through November 24th.
I was interviewed for Questionnaire on 9th Floor Radio.
In Passing was reviewed by Aaron Scott in Portland Monthly.
In Passing was reviewed by John Motley in The Oregonian.
In Passing was reviewed in Willamette Week.
In Passing was reviewed by Richard Speer in Visual Art Source.
My solo show In Passing opened at Disjecta in Portland on January 12th. It will be up through March 3rd.
I did a Q&A with the artist Catherine Wagner during the run of Eidolons.
Christopher Reiger reviewed my show, Eidolons, for Hungry Hyaena.
Kenneth Baker reviewed Eidolons in the San Francisco Chronicle.
An interview with Nikki Grattan and Klea McKenna is featured on In the Make.
An abbreviated version can be found in this month's issue of San Francisco Magazine.
My exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Art, Sacramento was reviewed in the Sacramento Bee.


First introduced as stock feed several decades ago, Gamba grass is a damaging weed that has invaded large parts of the Northern Territory – and it’s threatening our country.
Our native plants are built for fire, but this highly-flammable weed fuels bushfires and burns so hot that it destroys our country’s most fire-prone native plants.
It’s become more prolific in the wider Darwin area – and so Mimal joined forces with Jawoyn Rangers and Bushfires NT with the help of Territory NRM to understand how we can help fight its spread.
Bushfires NT John Whatley showed the group how the weed spreads and takes over.
“Gamba grass can change the environment to the point where it kills trees and there’s nothing left but gamba grass,” John says.
“In the Coomalie Shire I’d have to say that everything we try to do is too little, too late. It’s taken over and it’s going to be here forever”.
Mimal Ranger Lyndon Lawrence says the experience of visiting Batchelor and watching the fires burn made him worried.
“From what I’ve seen here at Batchelor, Gamba creates big intense fires that kill everything, animals and trees,” Lyndon says.
“It it gets established on our country it will kill everything and we’ll have nothing. All the traditional owners will feel bad if this happens on our country.”
The rangers also visited Heytesbury Cattle Company’s Moolooloo Station to learn how to combat Gamba before it becomes unmanageable.
Former Mimal Ranger-coordinator Ben Lewis warns that fighting gamba is going to be a never-ending job.
“ Mimal Rangers have stopped the gamba invasion four times so far — finding and destroying young gamba plants that came in stock feed hay for the community buffalo enterprise,” Ben says.
But as he points out, gamba grass will keep on coming in to central Arnhem Land and only by community and rangers working together can it be stopped from destroying country as it is north of Pine Creek.
Mimal is focused on sharing information about the weed and warning people to watch out for gamba being carried into community through hay, in vehicles and from feral and herd animals.
The video on Gamba grass was funded through Territory NRM and the Federal Government’s National Landcare Program.


Coffee- The verdict is out
Coffee has been around for thousands of years. It originated in the Ethiopian highlands, where the legend goes that Kaldi, a goat herder, discovered it after noticing that his goats, upon eating berries from a certain tree, became so spirited that they did not want to sleep at night.
Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and discovered that it kept him alert for the long hours of evening prayer. Soon the abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and the knowledge of the energizing effects of the berries began to spread. As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, its reputation became known across the globe.
Not only is coffee now one of the top consumed beverages around the world, researchers are finding that it has multiple, and often significant, health benefits.
It is also important to note that coffee and caffeine can have adverse affects on some individuals. It’s important to know your body and how it reacts to coffee/caffeine.
In one large-scale study, researchers at the National Cancer Institute reviewed health information from more than 400,000 volunteers, ages 50 to 71, who were free of major diseases at the study’s start in 1995. By 2008, more than 50,000 of the participants had died. But men who reported drinking two or three cups of coffee a day were 10 percent less likely to have died than those who didn’t drink coffee, while women drinking the same amount had 13 percent less risk of dying during the study.
Other recent studies have linked moderate coffee drinking (three or four 5-ounce cups of coffee a day) with a reduction in the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, basal cell carcinoma (the most common skin cancer), prostate cancer, oral cancer and breast cancer recurrence.
A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention found that coffee drinkers (fewer than five cups a day) were 39% less likely to develop cancer of the mouth or throat than non-coffee drinkers. The researchers noted that scientists have identified more than a thousand natural coffee chemicals.
Another significant study showed that caffeine may reshape the biochemical environment inside our brains in ways that could stave off dementia. In a 2012 experiment at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, mice were briefly starved of oxygen, causing them to lose the ability to form memories. The caffeinated mice regained their ability to form new memories 33% faster than the decaffeinated mice. Close examination of the animals’ brain tissue showed that the caffeine disrupted the action of adenosine, a substance inside cells that usually provides energy, but can become destructive if it leaks out when the cells are injured or under stress. The escaped adenosine can jump-start a biochemical cascade leading to inflammation, which can disrupt the function of neurons, and potentially contribute to neurodegeneration- dementia.
In a 2012 study of humans, researchers from the University of South Florida and the University of Miami tested the blood levels of caffeine in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a common precursor of Alzheimer’s disease, and then re-evaluated them two to four years later. Participants with little or no caffeine circulating in their bloodstreams were far more likely to have progressed to full-blown Alzheimer’s than those whose blood indicated they’d had about three cups’ worth of caffeine.
In another study, researchers found more than 6,500 heart failure reports in looking at 140,000 people. The follow-up time varied from study to study, ranging from about eight to 35 years. The researchers looked at the coffee-drinking habits of all the men and women. Those who drank three or four servings a day had the best protection from heart failure. Drinking that amount, compared to not drinking, reduced heart failure risk by 11%.
Coffee increases alertness, concentration, and mental performance. It also decreases lethargy and fatigue. These results can greatly benefit athletes of any skill level. Vanderbilt University states that athletes pursuing endurance sports, and those activities demanding stamina, reap the greatest benefits from coffee consumption.
Coffee is a mild diuretic, but this diuretic effect is not as pronounced as once believed. The urine volume of moderate caffeine consumers parallels the urine volume of individual’s drinking water alone.
Mixing caffeine with large amounts of sugar, as in energy drinks, is not healthful and potentially dangerous for some populations, but 1-3 cups of coffee may reap some substantial long-term health rewards.
What about decaf and sweetened coffee drinks?
Many of the benefits of coffee are due to the caffeine. However, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee contain phyto-nutrients that offer the aforementioned health benefits.
The chemical substances used to remove caffeine may be hazardous. Drinking decaffeinated coffee is associated with the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, possibly due to the caffeine-removing additives. For this reason, it is probably safer to choose a water-processed decaf if you choose to drink decaffeinated coffee.
Sweetened coffee drinks are generally filled with sugar and artificial chemicals. Need I say more?
Dr. Geoff’s Almond Milk Frappacino Recipe
Blend two shots of espresso with one cup of unsweetened almond milk, one chopped, frozen banana and some ice. Optional ingredients – 1/4 tsp 70% raw cacao and local honey (as desired) for sweetness.


On 20 April 2015, Gusbourne will join Champagne Henri Giraud’s Atelier N°5 “Pursuing Excellence”. The Atelier will be devoted to tasting the Argonne 2014 ‘vin clairs’ of Champagne Henri Giraud and to celebrating the great Handmade Vintage Sparkling wines including Gusbourne (England), Raventos (Spain) and Ca’ del Bosco (Italy), for a record attendance edition with close to 250 experts coming from more than 20 countries.
Andrew Weeber, Founder and Chairman of Gusbourne: “I am honoured and proud to be included in the conversation at Atelier N°5, at Champagne Henri Giraud. Our vision has always been to produce traditional method sparkling wines in England that rival the best in the world. This focus on excellence has dictated a reliance on collaboration and the sharing of ideas from inside and outside our own industry. It is wonderful to be able to continue to contribute to this discourse amongst such distinguished company.”
Claude Giraud, CEO Champagne Henri Giraud: “This Atelier N°5 will bring together great sparkling wines from France and around the world in Champagne to open our horizons to the modern strategy for Champagne. These Handmade Vintage Sparkling wines come from sustainable, organic or natural agriculture, and above and beyond that, they are remarkable for the passion, energy and intelligence that they communicate and the winemakers’ commitment to expressing their terroir and their culture. That is where excellence lies, in these shared values that unite great wines from around the world and are the only true criteria for the 21st century.”
A time for sharing and reflecting, Atelier N°5 is yet another reminder of Champagne Henri Giraud’s commitment to supporting the CIVC (Champagne Committee) initiative “Champagne 2030, a Return to Excellence.” The morning of 20 April will include many highlights such as a tasting of Argonne 2014 ‘vin clairs’ to better appreciate the Terroirs d’Argonne effect on wines. Each year, this tasting strengthens the idea of a forest terroir, adds a new dimension to the traceability of cask oak and opens up new fields in which to experiment and progress. Another highlight of this edition will be the recognition of men and women who are passionate about their terroir, who invest all their energy into the quest for Excellence. Coming from various parts of the world, the creators of handmade vintage sparkling wines will explain their vision of Excellence at a tasting of their emblematic wine. As usual, on the eve of the Atelier – Sunday, 19 April – guests will walk a hiking trail to explore the Argonne Forest. Yohann Diniz, the world record holder for the 20km walk, will take part in this year’s Henri Giraud Challenge.


彩神app官方注册Life expectancy of Japanese continues to rise in 2018
TOKYO, July 30 (Xinhua) -- The life expectancy of both Japanese women and men rose in 2018, taking the second and third places, respectively, on a worldwide ranking, Japanese government statistics revealed Tuesday.
The average life expectancy of women in Japan in 2018 was 87.32, up 0.05 from 2017, while that of men stood at 81.25, up 0.16 compared to 2017, according to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
China's Hong Kong stood at the first place on the ranking for both men and women at 82.17 and 87.56, respectively.
Switzerland ranked second for men at 81.4, while Spain took the third place for women at 85.73.
Life expectancy has grown longer with drops in mortality rates for cerebral vascular disease and pneumonia among Japanese women and the rate of cancer among men, according to the health ministry.


Taylor is featured in a human-interest piece for the Dayton Daily News. Tom Archdeacon, columnist, interviewed Taylor about her involvement with NCAA Rowing, her award-winning documentary, life journey and time at Dayton. Sharing her story with Tom was one of Taylor’s favorite college experiences, and the article speaks to her work ethic, drive, passion and commitment to excellence. After her story was published in the Dayton Daily News, the University’s Facebook and LinkedIn accounts also shared her article.
News of her documentary was prominently featured across several local news stations, including reports from WDTN, Fox45, ABC22, and Dayton Daily News. The College of Arts and Science blog, Dayton President Spina’s blog, and Flyer News also shared her documentary.
When Taylor was a Resident Assistant at the Adele Center on campus, she gave the student speech at its dedication ceremony. She spoke to WDTN Channel 2 News about her experience as a part of the first group of students to live in the center.


Digital payments had revolutionised the financial landscape and had paved the way for fintech’s. The Digital India week launched by, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 was a giant leap for India towards digitalisation and wherein he said: “I dream of a digital India where Mobile and E-banking ensures financial inclusion”. His vision is gradually coming to life with the new initiatives launched by the Modi-led Government. In addition to this, there are a growing number of innovative fintech companies offering various digital payment solutions, leading the total transaction value approximately to $180 million across digital payments this year, and is expected to reach $750 billion by 2022. The rapid growth in the wider acceptance is derived by the massive untapped market, consumer preferences, and the innovations in the fintech industry. Digital payments are expected to reach 80% of the country’s urban population and 90% of retail chains over the next 5 years. Post India’s demonetization phase in 2016, there have been several policy and digital infrastructure changes including Goods and Services Tax (GST), financial inclusion and new payment systems such as Aadhar-enabled payments & UPI to further boost the digital payments sector. Moreover, the reduced transaction charges and the degree of ease of cash transfers associated with the electronic fund transfers and mobile banking are taking the digital payments industry to new heights.


According to Sky Sports news, Everton attacker Walcott has arrived on the South Coast.
Earlier news said that Southampton had reached an agreement on Walcott's lease.
Now Walcott is undergoing a medical examination in Southampton, and he is about to return to his old club on loan.
The 31-year-old Walcott came from the Southampton youth training team. He joined Arsenal from the Saints in the 2006 winter transfer window.
Walcott joined Everton from Arsenal in the 2018 winter transfer window. His transfer fee was 20 million pounds. He has not fully proved himself in Toffee.
Walcott's contract with Everton will expire next summer. He has played 1 time in the Premier League this season, and he also played 1 time in the League Cup.


Cybercrime is Winning. Are Australians Ready to Fight Back?
It’s been almost 8 months since Scott Morrison addressed the nation on cyber security. In that address he related a stark warning about the cybercrime situation in Australia.
According to ScoMo, Australia is under attack. Supported by evidence provided by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), he went on to say:
“We know it is a sophisticated state-based cyber-actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting and the tradecraft used. The Australian government is aware of and alert to the threat of cyber-attacks”
The ACSC says it is the most significant and coordinated cyber-targeting against Australian institutions to date.
Here are the facts:
- Australian businesses lose $29 Billion to cybercrime each year
- 160 crimes reported every day
- At least 1 cybercrime reported every 10 minutes
For years, cybercriminals have been targeting Australian citizens with the attacks becoming more organized and detailed. In 2018 alone, at least 6 million Australians were victims of cyber attacks. Statista breaks out the types of attack in the following:
These are by far the most common types of cyber attack.
They come in the seemingly friendly form of an email, text message or phone call.
In a phishing scam, the attacker will try to trick you out of some personal information which they can use to hijack your bank account and steal your money. They can also use your credentials to create a new account in your name.
These attacks are characterized by any malicious software.
You can fall victim to malware through email attachments, malicious advertising on unsafe websites, fake software installs, infected apps and infected USB drives.
In short, ransomware can install itself on your machine and encrypt important files. After this, the attacker will demand a ransom for the return of your data.
The ACSC sees this type as the biggest threat to the country. According to the 2020 cyber threat report, this was because:
“ransomware requires minimal technical expertise, is low cost and can result in significant impact to an organisation, potentially crippling core business functions.”
Why are our Businesses So Vulnerable?
Australian Businesses Lose $29 Billion to Cybercrime Each Year
Insurance comparison service comparethemarket.com.au conducted research that suggests most attacks come on the heels of poor web safety protocols.
For instance, employees are often caught in faulty email scams and downloading unsafe apps/software. Further common issues included:
- A lack of reliable update scheduling
- Overconfidence in generic antivirus software
- Poor system monitoring to diagnose issues before the situation is too dire
Notice that all of these issues can easily be avoided with the right knowledge and commitment to securing your operations.
What Can You Do?
By far, the most effective manner of protection is to hire a professional. There are managed IT experts right here in Brisbane that have years of experience and skill in cybersecurity.
However, for an immediate fix the ACSC recommends that individuals do the following:
- Steer clear of sketchy links in emails
- Keep your software updated
- Use a variety of strong passwords
In the past 8 months, Australians have been on high alert. With this level of national discourse on cyber security things can only get better. Additionally, the government has committed to an additional $1.35 billion in cyber security funding over the next decade.
While this is all great news, your company is only as safe as the protocols you have in place.
Take your cybersecurity seriously, invest well and get back to focusing on what matters.
Elevate is a World Class Managed Cybersecurity Service Provider, operating from right here in Brisbane. We always prioritize customer success and expert service. Feel free to contact us, if you’d like to have peace of mind from all your technical problems.


The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the transportation industry hard, with much uncertainty still ahead. Yet demand has risen sharply in some sectors. Companies servicing a surge in online deliveries, for example, have been forced to rapidly increase fleet size, manpower and logistics to keep up.
When it comes to ramping up services on such a wide scale, efficiency is critical. Fleet vehicles must operate at optimum safety and security, while logistics must be responsive to the fast-changing transport environment. During lockdown, many firms relied on suppliers to stay in the game, and Handsfree Group – a fleet installation company, who work across the US, UK and Ireland – stepped up to the plate.
“During these challenging times, our team remained keenly focused on customer satisfaction, going to exceptional lengths to accommodate an unprecedented surge in service requests. Those companies deemed “essential” were given priority scheduling to keep our supply chain moving effectively while ensuring the safety of our technicians who kept us highly operational.” said Robyn LeGrand, President of US Operations.
Handsfree Group have been in the fleet installation business since 2004, so were well-equipped to help businesses deal with the crisis. At a time when communication, safety and security are a top priority, there are significant advantages to installing much of the equipment that Handsfree Group provides.
Telematics systems, for example, help companies improve communications by tracking vehicles and keeping driver, HQ and the customer fully informed. The technology crunches live data to optimize operations, adapt to unforeseen circumstances, and make the most of a commodity vital to every industry: time.
Safety is equally as essential. When you’re relying heavily on your fleet, the last thing you need is time out dealing with accidents, repairs, or even worse, injured drivers. That’s why solutions such as CCTV, sensors, and quality cabling help to substantially decrease the chances of an accident. It also keeps insurance premiums down to affordable levels; a major benefit, particularly when you run a large fleet.
Protecting your fleet from criminals is another important consideration. A 60% increase in vehicle thefts over the last 3 years has added urgency to improving fleet security with Handsfree Group’s TECh equipment such as alarms, guards and locking devices.
Many other public and private organizations benefit from being able to maintain an efficient fleet during this period. For instance, Handsfree Group is helping the Emergency Services Network (ESN) improve communication, safety and security so they can continue to respond quickly and efficiently within the new, challenging environment.
Now that lockdown is easing, you would think that demand would have reached a plateau. But requests for fleet installations continue to roll in. “Companies are realizing the importance of safety, communication, and security more than ever and we’re here to provide the complete solution” says Robyn.
“We are very proud of the part we have played, and continue to play, in keeping the country moving during this pandemic,” says Handsfree Group’s managing director Matthew Johnson. “We’re determined to carry on offering a quality service, undiluted by the rate of demand we experience, so we can continue to serve our customers big and small.”


Women’s Running with model Erica Schenk on the cover, is generating a positive buzz about showing her curves, and what some call a move long overdue.
“We wanted our readers to feel like they could see themselves in our cover,” Magazine editor-in-chief Jessica Sebor told Today.com of the decision to feature Erica Schenk on the cover. “I think that every woman goes to the magazine rack sometimes and feels like she can’t see herself in the cover images”. It was a move that was done with the intent to more accurately represent their readership and celebrate the diversity of all types of bodies that run. “It has been kind of emotional,” Sebor said of the response. “We’re glad our readers can connect because it’s a rare experience to be able to connect with the model on the cover of a magazine, unfortunately.”
Schenk, 18, has been running for a decade and definitely fits the runner criteria. Hitting stands July 21st, the model says she runs so that she can “clear her head and think”. According to Erica, “some women believe that since they have curves they can’t run or shouldn’t run. Running is for every body anytime”.
We applaud Women’s Running for recognizing that runners come in all shapes and sizes.


Scenic Rim MP Jon Krause’s fight for water security in the Beaudesert district has paid off, as the Queensland Government outlines future capital works plans including building the South West Pipeline – and farmers and other irrigators are set to benefit in the future as a result.
In late 2019, LNP Leader, Deb Frecklington, joined Mr Krause in Beaudesert and publicly called on the Government to fast-track the construction of the South West Pipeline connecting Beaudesert to the SEQ Water Grid in order to give water security for the region.
Mr Krause said the Government should have delivered a budget this year, but had cancelled it to avoid scrutiny of public spending decisions. Last week, the Government provided an updated capital works program – and funding over the coming years to build the South West Pipeline appears in the program.
The South West Pipeline is a pipeline set to run from Cedar Grove to Beaudesert, effectively connecting Beaudesert to the rest of southeast Queensland’s water resources and meaning that water from Hinze Dam, the Wivenhoe Dam or even the Tugun Desalination Plant, as required, could be sent to Beaudesert for it’s drinking water supply.
“Connecting Beaudesert to the grid will be a huge plus for the region – it secures water for our town, including for future growth. It takes pressure off the Logan River and Maroon Dam, meaning there will be more water available to allocate to farmers and irrigators.”
“In our region, water means jobs and water means farmers being able to farm better and grow higher value crops as well.”
“The LNP understands that investment in water security is essential, and that’s why I have been on the front foot in getting this South West Pipeline brought forward.”
“I’m very pleased that my fighting for our fair share has seen the Labor Government put this pipeline in the capital works program. Labor should now deliver a budget and show all Queenslanders that these plans are locked in through the budget process and get on with building the pipeline as soon as possible.”


“The demand for the cyber security workforce is expected to rise to 6 million globally by 2019” and “the growing (cyber security) market is expected to grow from $75 billion (from 2015) to $170 billion (by 2020)”
There are a lot of reasons to pursue a career in a new field, but there are also challenges that should be considered to make the change run smoothly. One of the main hurdles people face is acquiring new skills for the particular job. Yet, with some preparation and planning, a person making a career change can feel secure in the decision that they made the right choice.
It is no surprise then that in today’s drastically digital age, cyber security is the new hot job. Today, the rush towards cyber security is similar to the ‘boom of cloud computing’ a few years ago.
Yet, What Really is Cyber Security?
Cyber security (also known as information technology security) are the techniques of protecting computers, networks, programs and data from unauthorized access or attacks that are aimed at exploitation.
But what makes cyber security the job of the future?
Industries such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, and retail all hire cyber security professionals to protect valuable information from cyber breaches.
1. Data – the ultimate asset
Increasingly common cases of corporate espionage and the growth of cloud computing have led to a need for more security professionals to secure the data. That is because cyber security touches every industry and is critical to an organization’s infrastructure. As a result, companies of all sectors are rushing to improve their security stacks as new platforms, operating systems and devices emerge and need to be integrated into businesses.
2. Growth of the cloud
Experts point to the growth of the Cloud Computing as a determining factor in opening a wide berth for skilled cyber security candidates. In a time when data seamlessly moves from one device to another, companies are finding it increasingly hard to monitor patterns and behaviors and are susceptible to loss of data or invasion from hackers. This makes cyber security one of the most important sectors in tech today.
3. Demand for Talent is at an All-Time High
The growing (cyber security) market is expected to grow from $75 billion (from 2015) to $170 billion (by 2020).
According to last year’s PwC Global Economic Crime Survey, cyber crime has been ranked second most reported economic crime after misappropriation of assets. Falling under cyber attack can be a very costly exercise for an organization. To so curb these risks, companies are scrambling to hire cyber security experts.
4. Where’s the Money, Honey?
You may be wondering, “but how much does it really pay?” Well, a lot. Forbes recently reported that salaries for the Chief Information Security Officer’s position in major markets can reach up to $380,000 a year. Other positions, such as the Director of Security and Lead Software Security Engineer have salaries of above $200K a year. Even entry-to mid-level positions like Information Security Analyst and Intelligence Analyst pay almost about $85,000 per year. Clearly, the market for cyber security talent is on fire.
Even entry-to mid-level positions like Information Security Analyst and Intelligence Analyst pay almost about $85,000 per year.
Regardless to say there couldn’t be a better time than now to launch a career in cyber security. With hacking getting sophisticated by the day and innovation showing no signs of stopping, the need for competent and well trained cyber professionals is the most sought-after job and this does not seem to show any signs of slowing down anytime soon!


Deadline for entries to THE Awards Asia 2024 is October 16!
The Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia has been held since 2019 to recognize outstanding leadership and institutional achievement and to honor higher education across Asia. At last year’s THE Awards Asia 2023 (announced on June 21, 2023), Tokyo University of Science became the first Japanese institution to win the award in the Outstanding Support for Students category.
Why not apply for THE Awards Asia 2024, which will be held for the sixth time this year?
There are 10 categories to choose from, covering a wide range of university activities.
To enter, submit up to 500 words of text online in response to the category criteria.
For an overview of THE Awards Asia 2024 and information on how to participate, please visit https://theawardsasia.com/2024/en/page/home.
Interested in reading more about the latest in writing and publishing research? See all news and updates.


OutboundEngine is thrilled to be recognized for a third time on the list of Aggie 100 honorees.
The Aggie 100 recognizes the fastest-growing companies led by Texas A&M University alumni. OutboundEngine came in at number 23 and is one of the highest-ranking central Texas businesses. We are so proud!
Our founder, Branndon Stewart, is pictured below with several OutboundEngine Texas A&M alumni at the 14th annual McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship awards dinner.
2018 was a year of growth and changes at OutboundEngine, and we can’t wait to take on 2019. We have several big goals and exciting initiatives for next year that require bringing more talented people to our team. Take a look at our Careers page to see our current opportunities.


Site: New from the MIT Sloan School of Management
Visiting Associate Professor Jorge Vera eying MIT partnerships in operations research
As a visiting associate professor of management science, one of Jorge Vera's biggest challenges in coming to MIT has been teaching in a new language.
Assistant Professor of Strategy Pai-Ling Yin breaks out in emerging technology research
With her strong interest in emerging technology, e-commerce and industry evolution, Assistant Professor of Strategy Pai-Ling Yin, has found a good match with MIT Sloan.
Understanding Productivity in the Information Age
In today's knowledge-based economy, it pays to be an information hub. That's one of the implications of groundbreaking new research by three professors affiliated with the MIT Center for Digital Business.
MIT Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship Announces $60,000 in Prize Money for Development Focused Projects
Two MIT organizations combine resources and talent in an effort to provide inspiration and support for social entrepreneurs working toward poverty alleviation, elimination of corruption and improvement in health and education.
MIT Clean Energy Entrepreneurship Prize Established to Drive Innovative Ideas to Market
$200,000 Cash for Top Prize to be Awarded by NSTAR and US DOE Based on Rigorous Competition
Download MBA Employment Report (PDF)
Check out the new employment report for the 2007 and 2008 MBA classes.
S.P. Kothari offers unique game plan for India to expand horizons
India has established itself in software, component exports and other sectors, but an MIT Sloan Professor and Deputy Dean S.P. Kothari has a novel suggestion for how the nation can prove to itself and the world that it is truly open to innovation: Privatize cricket.
Dean Schmittlein on Thanksgiving and the role of a great university
A great university isn't about tallying facts or memorizing methods. It's about creating a small space where someone -- student or researcher, alone or together -- can create something out of the most humble of ingredients. So writes Dean David Schmittlein in his latest blog entry, "Alchemy."
Building it Better: Making Our Infrastructure Sustainable and Disaster Resilient
Meeting the nation's need for sustainable and disaster-resilient infrastructure systems will need to draw upon the ingenuity and resourcefulness of all sectors of the US economy, writes Senior Lecturer Sarah Slaughter.


|Tianjin’s 13 million people will benefit from smoking ban|
Tianjin, a Chinese city of 13 million where the adult smoking rate is 27.2%, has passed a regulation to ban smoking in workplaces and indoor public places. It is the second city participating in China’s Seven Cities project to achieve this goal.
The Tianjin Smoking Control Regulation was passed with unanimous support from legislators during the Tianjin People's Congress on 28 March. The law will take effect on World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2012.
Tianjin’s final regulation is an improvement on the current law, and another progressive move towards tobacco control implementation in mainland China. The smoking ban will cover indoor public places and workplaces, including all government office buildings. Restaurants, discotheques and massage parlours will be required to either set up separately ventilated smoking rooms or establish 100% smokefree indoor environments.
Tianjin has done much to prepare for the upcoming implementation of the smokefree law, even before it passed. Public service announcements have been running on local television for the past two years explaining the adverse health effects of exposure to second-hand smoke. Taxis and the police service office buildings in Nankai District of the city have also gone smokefree during this period.
Tianjin and the northeastern city of Harbin have now both passed smokefree laws. Both cities are participants in the Seven Cities project supported by The Union through grants from the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use. The goal is to advance tobacco control in seven cities with an average population of 10 million, and thus influence the promotion of local and national tobacco control laws in China, a country with some 300 million smokers.


Blogs from the Cranleigh Personnel team – here we will be sharing industry news, recruitment insights and our personal experiences from 10 years of wealth planning recruitment.
Flexible vs Remote
The global pandemic accelerated the ‘Workplace Digital Revolution’, with millions of us leaving the office in March 2020 and working remotely from the safety of our own homes. For many, this was a welcome step into a more flexible work life – but do you know the difference between flexible working and remote working?
Top tips for screening candidates prior to interviewing them
Interviews can be time consuming. They’ll take you away from your desk and most importantly, away from clients. No matter what role you are recruiting for, save yourself time and use these screening tips before inviting candidates in for interview.
The Five Steps to Reducing Recruitment Stress
Whether you are recruiting an IFA Administrator, Paraplanner or an Adviser, it’s likely you will feel the pressure to get it right throughout the hiring process. For SMEs like us, a new hire is an investment that can have a big impact on your existing team and the wider business.


Updated: Jan 30
On January 22, 2020, Eddie Parker welcomed his friends, family, colleagues, and supporters to his official campaign kick-off event. The event was coordinated by Fendley Farmstead with flowers by South Canton Florist taking place in Downtown Canton within the beautiful Events on Main. Eddie was surrounded by his supporters as he took the time to meet with everyone while they enjoyed refreshments donated by Prestige Catering.
As the evening continued, Eddie took time to address his supporters offering an insight into his goals for improvements to the Cherokee County Coroner's Office along with a true insight into Eddie himself. While talking to his supporters Eddie pledged to serve Cherokee County through love, compassion, dignity, and integrity.
Please take a moment to watch Eddie's speech below to understand the dedication he has for Cherokee County and everyone within.


$25K foundation grant targets literacy
When Kelly Cramer walks into a classroom, her eyes invariably scan for books. It’s one of the things that makes her the perfect fit as Quakertown Community School District’s K-12 Instructional Coach and K-12 ELA Content Specialist.
When she heard the Quakertown Community Education Foundation was looking to make a big impact on student learning by offering a $25,000 grant, she began developing ideas. Her proposal: “Knowledge Building Classroom Libraries,” focused on fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms, which had been departmentalized with a different teacher in science and social studies.
“I noticed students had textbooks and articles, however they weren’t surrounded by books to enhance their learning further,” she said. “My goal was to create science and social studies libraries that all students could access regardless of reading ability, so they could further explore the topics they were studying in class.”
Her plan was one of several submitted to QCEF, which chose Mrs. Cramer’s for its ability to improve literacy for hundreds of students. “I’d like to give a huge thank you to the Education Foundation,” Mrs. Cramer said. “I can’t thank them enough. Mostly, I’m excited our teachers and our students will have access to all of this information at their fingertips.”
The funding was used to purchase 2000 books for 800 students and 20 professional development books for 20 teachers.
Kim Casale, a fourth-grade teacher at Richland Elementary School, said the books are related to the science and social studies curriculum. “It’s a powerful asset to our classroom,” she said. “The books are available on their level. They came labeled and leveled for me. The kids can read and share what they’ve learned. It’s exponential knowledge. It’s a fantastic addition.”


Casey's Surplus Auctions
Surplus Casey's properties in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin will auction May 22 - 24.
19 Casey’s Vacant Buildings/Land Sell Online May 22-24
HOUSTON, April 12, 2023 — Investors, business owners and entrepreneurs will have an opportunity to acquire properties across 6 Midwestern states in an online auction of surplus Casey’s retail store properties. The properties are located in Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.
The auction is being conducted by Williams & Williams Real Estate Auctioneers, in partnership with real estate broker JLL. Williams & Williams and JLL have worked together in a strategic alliance since 2013.
“Many of these sites are in premium locations on hard corners, near highways or strong growth corridors,” said Donna Kolius, Executive Vice President at JLL. Kolius said surplus retail properties are often due to acquisitions in the same markets or leftover land after developing new stores. Kolius said most of the properties come with some use restrictions relating to food and fuel sales. “These are great locations for offices, retail, or businesses such as real estate, insurance or other end-user services.”
The auctions will take place over a 3-day period according to Fontana Fitzwilson, Executive Vice President of Williams & Williams. “Prior to the auction, the properties with structures will be open for public inspection. We ask bidders to call or visit the website to locate the date and time of inspections.”
Bidding opens at 10am Monday May 22nd and auctions begin closing around 12pm Wednesday May 24. High bidders will go under contract immediately following the auction and will need to submit 10% earnest money deposit. Properties are sold as is, with no contingencies. View all of the auctions at https://www.williamsaution.com/caseys or call 800.801.8003 for more information.


Standards CRM Africa at Africa Down Under Conference 2022
Standards CRM Africa, alongside their official partner OREAS® will attend this year’s leading Australian-African forum focused on cross-border interests in mining and energy.
Taking place between August 31 – September 2 at the Pan Pacific, Perth, Africa Down Under Conference has become one of the leading African-focused mining events held outside the African continent.
The event is attended by many high-profile participants and underlines the importance of further growing business and social and cultural ties between Australia and the African continent.
Having partnered with OREAS® to become their first authorized distributor of Certified Reference Materials in West Africa, this event carries special importance, being the first international event co-attended by both parties.
We look forward to meeting you there and strengthening our presence in the international and West African mining and exploration industry.


Zabit Magomedsharipov and Yair Rodriguez have been rebooked to fight.
The two have been linked to a bout for years and they were booked once again to headline the August 29 card. Yet, Rodriguez was forced to withdrew due to a high ankle sprain. Magomedsharipov then went back to Russia after not getting a replacement opponent.
Now, according to Russian MMA reporter, Igor Lazorin, the fight has been rebooked for UFC 254 on October 24.
Zabit Magomedsharipov is riding a very impressive 14-fight winning streak and has not lost since 2013. Inside the Octagon, the Russian is 6-0 but has not fought since he beat Calvin Kattar by decision last November. Before that, he picked up a decision win over Jeremy Stephens and a submission win over Brandon Davis.
Yair Rodriguez, meanwhile, beat Stephens last time out by decision at UFC Boston following a no-contest due to accidental eye pokes with Stephens. Before that, he scored a last-second KO over Korean Zombie in the main event of UFC Denver. It got him back into the win column after a TKO loss to Frankie Edgar.
The good news for UFC fans is the fight has been rebooked as it is a scrap that has been highly-anticipated. Yet, the bad news is, given it is on UFC 254 it will only be three rounds, as many wanted to see how Zabit Magomedsharipov does in a five-round fight.


This month’s game information is now available at the competition website: https://vsbroboticscompetition.com/
I have received a number of replies from schools and organizations indicating their team(s) would not be able to compete by this Friday, but would/should be ready for the February game date. Therefore, the game for January (Recycling) will be repeated for February. The March date will be moved to April to accommodate Spring Break for various schools and organization.
I have attached a robotics event calendar to the website to keep all the events posted.
Please have a look at game launch video: https://youtu.be/wP-vRRiUS1o
I look forward to seeing many teams out in our near future.
Thank you for being part of this process.
Eric Hamber Secondary School – Vancouver
Tel: 604-713-8927 Fax: 604-713-8926
Text Message (778) 990-3623


International Social Service, USA (ISS-USA) was invited to attend a meeting organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross in El Salvador entitled, “Responses throughout the Northern Triangle: Coordination of Legal, Psychosocial and Reintegration Strategies in Response to Zero Tolerance”. The meeting, which took place from November 8-9 in San Salvador, El Salvador, brought together legal and social service providers from the Northern Triangle and the U.S. to exchange information and resources in support of parents and children separated at the U.S. border.
The goals of the event were to identify current and long term reintegration needs for families, map services for separated and reunifying families, and connect a network of social service providers in the region. Participants learned about resources available through different organizations and ways to refer families to existing services or supports.
ISS-USA recently published the Spanish language version of the Practical Guide for Children on the Move, and is launching a pilot program in Guatemala to fund pre-departure and post-return services for children reunifying with their families after forced separation at the border.
Photo Source: International Committee of the Red Cross


Holker Garden Festival 2015
The 23rd Holker Garden Festival experienced its busiest Saturday on record, as thousands of people flooded through the gates to enjoy the show. Visitors perused the many show gardens, huge Horticultural Marquee, stalls and exhibitors, and filled the Garden Theatre to catch a glimpse of the ethnobotanist, James Wong. With changing weather on the Friday and Sunday, people from the surrounding area and beyond still attended to enjoy the show, and wonderful sunshine and blue sky covered the showground on the Saturday to everyone’s delight, with 20,000 people attending across the three day event.
Date for your diary:
The 24th Holker Garden Festival will take place from the
3rd - 5th June 2016


Private Hire Banned From Bus Lanes
14 January 2015 | Admin
Allowing London's trademark black cabs to use bus lanes while excluding other minicab companies does not constitute state aid, the European Union's highest court ruled on Wednesday.
The decision ends a lengthy dispute between the British capital's transport authority, Transport for London (TfL), and Eventech, which owns a minicab fleet used by cab firm Addison Lee.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) said black cabs and minicabs were not comparable because of their different "factual and legal situation" and therefore only allowing black cabs to use bus lanes did not give them a selective economic advantage.
Only black cabs can be waved down by customers on the street and are subject to strict standards regarding their vehicles, fares and knowledge of London, the Luxembourg-based court said.
Eventech, which previously lost its case in Britain's High Court, had argued that TfL's bus lane policy was an infringement of the freedom to provide services and also amounted to illegal state aid -- essentially a subsidy -- favouring black cabs.
The court rejected that view as the policy does not involve any transfer of public money. EU law prevents governments from giving state aid to companies that could distort competition.
But the court recognised that the TfL policy could make the provision of minicab services less attractive and thus reduce the ability of competing providers to penetrate London's market.
The dispute has coincided with growing concerns among traditional cab companies over what they see as unfair competition from alternative taxi providers such as the car-sharing service Uber. The conflict has led to Europe-wide taxi strikes and temporary bans on Uber in Germany.
(Reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Gareth Jones)


- Researchers at McGill University find a strong link between periodontitis, a common form of gum disease, and severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- Periodontitis produces an inflammatory response that may spread through the body — scientists have previously linked the condition to other systemic issues.
- People with periodontitis were 8.8 times more likely to die of COVID-19.
- Individuals can reduce the risk of periodontitis by practicing strong oral hygiene.
One of the more perplexing things about COVID-19 is its wide range of outcomes in people who get the disease. A new study from researchers at McGill University in Toronto, Canada, finds a link between gums with inflammation and infection and COVID-19 complications and deaths.
The study finds that people with periodontitis are 8.8 times more likely to die of COVID-19.
In addition, such individuals are 3.5 times more likely to require hospitalization for COVID-19 and 4.5 times more likely to require a ventilator.
Contributing author Prof. Belinda Nicolau of McGill’s Faculty of Dentistry tells McGill Newsroom:
“Looking at the conclusions of our study, we can highlight the importance of good oral health in the prevention and management of COVID-19 complications. There is a very strong correlation between periodontitis and disease outcome.”
Periodontitis is the clinical term for serious infection due to the accumulation of bacteria between the teeth and gums. Without treatment, it can cause painful abscesses and tooth movement, damage teeth, and eat away at the underlying jawbone.
People may be able to prevent periodontitis with good oral hygiene, including daily flossing, brushing, and maintaining a schedule of regular dental examinations.
According to co-author McGill Ph.D. student Wenji Cai, “Periodontitis has been considered as a risk factor for a number of both oral and systemic diseases.” Scientists have also found links between the condition and heart disease, diabetes, and respiratory disease.
There are also associations between gum disease and an increased risk of pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and low fetal birth rate.
Cai says, “Periodontitis causes inflammation of the gums and, if left untreated, that inflammation can spread throughout the body.”
The researchers report that periodontitis is the most common dental disease in Canada, affecting 7 out of 10 people at some point in their lives. “It’s an invisible pandemic,” Cai comments.
“We need to raise awareness of the disease and make more effort to maintain periodontal health, especially during this global pandemic.”
The researchers analyzed electronic health and dental records for 568 patients in the State of Qatar from the Hamad Medical Corporation, which manages the public health and dental system for that country.
Cai explains, “In Qatar, the medical and dental records happened to be digitized, which made it possible to collect data and conduct this research swiftly.” The researchers’ cross-sectional analysis took “various factors into consideration, such as demographic, medical or behavior factors, to avoid biases,” he says.
The researchers’ analysis found that biomarkers signifying inflammation were present at significantly higher levels in the blood of COVID-19 patients who also had periodontitis.
“In patients with severe cases of COVID-19,” notes Cai, “the virus causes an inflammatory response that can lead to complications such as being intubated or even death. Our research shows that periodontitis can [exacerbate] this.”
Senior author Dr. Faleh Tamimi told Medical News Today in an email, “What we suspect is happening is that upon COVID-19 infection, periodontal patients start the course of the disease with an already high level of inflammation in their bodies.”
“This puts the patients at a disadvantage if their COVID-19 disease derives in hyperinflammation, rendering them more susceptible to the severe outcomes of the disease.”
The authors of the study caution that their research has a couple of limitations.
Firstly, the study does not establish a causal relationship between periodontitis and severe COVID-19 outcomes, only an association between the two.
“In addition,” Dr. Tamimi told MNT, “Due to the limited sample size of our study, we clustered the four different stages of periodontal disease into two categories. By merging stages 0–1 and 2–4, this allowed us to see the overall association between periodontitis and COVID.”
However, the authors note that the study’s blinded assessment of dental radiographs by independent reviewers and the solidly representative nature of their population sample may somewhat mitigate these concerns.
The study concludes:
“Future research, including interventional studies focused on the influence of periodontitis and periodontal treatments on COVID‐19 infections, would help better understand the causal connections between them.”
“Furthermore, understanding the mechanisms underpinning the relationship between periodontitis and COVID‐19 complications is a promising area of research that may produce mechanistic targets, risk stratification, and novel interventions.”
Attending your dental hygiene (teeth cleaning) appointments, at least twice a year is an excellent way to maintain good dental health and prevent dental problems being ignored or missed. Our dental hygiene (teeth cleaning) service here in the Beacon Dental Clinic is a very important part of the dental services we offer and is also important in maintaining your overall general health along with a high standard of dental health. Dental hygiene (teeth cleaning) makes us feel really good, especially when it is part of our overall health maintenance and has become routine for us to manage and work into our schedule, as an important general and dental health preventive measure.
Please contact us on 01 213 5644 or email email@example.com for further information or to schedule your dental hygiene (teeth cleaning) appointment here in the Beacon Dental Clinic. We offer dental hygiene appointments on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8am. All patient appointments are 45 minutes in duration and the cost €80.00 in most cases. Patients who would prefer to have local anaesthetic applied prior to their hygiene session may do so and the cost for that dental hygiene treatment is € 120.00
For further information or to book your dental appointment, contact us today


Utility-scale energy storage company Jupiter Power LLC (“Jupiter”) today announced it will build six stand-alone, utility-scale battery storage projects this year, totaling 652 megawatt-hours of energy storage capacity. The projects consist of three 200-megawatt-hour projects and three smaller projects, each strategically sited and configured at optimized locations. The projects are all expected to be online by Q3 2021.
Formed in 2017, Jupiter is a developer, owner and operator of energy storage projects in select U.S. markets. “Jupiter was founded on the idea that the rapid growth of renewables means not just cleaner energy, more jobs and a stronger tax base for local communities, but also that we must find ways to make intermittent wind and solar power fit better into the power grid, and storage is the way to do this,” said Jupiter Chief Executive Officer Andy Bowman, whose company is primarily backed by leading energy investor EnCap Investments L.P. “The projects we are announcing today will not only strengthen the grid and provide backup power when needed, they will also help ensure that the cheapest power available – increasingly wind and solar – can get to market regardless of when and where it is generated.”
While most storage companies today build projects only after putting contracts in place for capacity or ancillary services, Jupiter focuses on innovative new structures for contracted projects and putting revenue optimization strategies to work on uncontracted projects sited to help address price volatility and transmission bottlenecks. The company believes its unique ability to strategically site projects and to maximize revenue via contracting and real-time sales allows it to maximize the huge emerging market opportunity for energy storage technologies.
Chief Operating Officer Audrey Fogarty leads Jupiter’s work implementing its novel approaches to storage. “Storage has a unique ability to enhance grid reliability by making power flows more stable during times of rapid supply increases and decreases from wind and solar projects or transmission constraints,” Ms. Fogarty said. “We have spent a considerable amount of time developing proprietary data-driven approaches around how best to site and operate highly flexible, rapidly acting storage projects within today’s power markets. By deciding when to charge and discharge as needed to optimize performance of the system and grid support requirements, Jupiter is leading the way toward much more dynamic utilization of energy storage than we have seen to date.”
About Jupiter Power LLC
Jupiter Power is a utility-scale energy storage company that uses novel applications of cutting-edge energy storage technologies to better serve today’s electricity business. Jupiter is backed by leading energy investors EnCap Investments L.P., Yorktown Partners and Mercuria Energy and has offices in Austin, Texas and Chicago, Illinois. The company is currently developing more than 10GW of storage projects for construction over 2022-2026 in the most promising United States markets, with a particular focus on Texas, the eastern seaboard, California and the midcontinent. For more information, please visit www.jupiterpower.io.


Obama decided that Navy Seals should kill Bin Laden in his hideout. Though no rational person can contest that Bin Laden deserves to die I wonder about the justification to do this without even a military tribunal. I think he is right, but Why is it just that Obama is judge and jury in one person?
The war against international Islamic terrorism should be thought of as a war, not a police action, contrary to some of the stated rhetoric from our president and others in our government. War means identifying the enemy and fighting them, not conducting hearings or trials or tribunals -- or focusing narrowly on individual terrorists and their direct leaders while refusing to name the greater sources of responsibility (Islamic dictatorships). The question acknowledges that "Bin Laden deserves to die." Why? The answer is clear, and that is the justification for acting against Bin Laden.
The question also mis-states the role of the president in carrying out his duties as commander-in-chief of the U.S. military. President Obama is not single-handedly the "judge, jury and executioner" in this case. He consulted with key members of Congress (in strictest secrecy, for obvious reasons) long in advance; he publicly stated that Bin Laden would be targeted if or when he could be found; the U.S. Government intelligence agencies have developed overwhelming, conclusive evidence of Bin Laden's repeated role in multiple terrorism incidents over the decades, along with Bin Laden's own personal appearances on internationally broadcast video recordings; and Pakistan's rulers repeatedly portrayed themselves as ignorant and inept (ignorant of Bin Laden's whereabouts, and too weak to do much even if he were confirmed to be hiding the mountains along the Pakistani border). Pakistan apparently acted accordingly during the raid, taking no publicly reported action to stop the American operation or interfere with it in any way, despite the populous military oriented area where the operation took place deep in Pakistan.
Our president is not "just one man" acting on his own authority, nor was Bin Laden "just one man" acting as a terrorist on his own, without the support of an entire terrorist organization and multiple foreign governments. We are engaged in a de facto war, whether we correctly identify the true enemy or not; the enemy has declared war on us, even if we refuse fully to acknowledge who the ultimate enemies actually are. The removal of Bin Laden is certainly a major blow (for now) to the international Islamic terrorists (and apparently was brilliantly carried out), but it falls far short of putting a decisive end to international Islamic terrorism as such. Their war against Western "infidels" will undoubtedly continue.
For more insight on the Objectivist view of rational foreign policy, refer to the following topics in The Ayn Rand Lexicon: War, Self-Determination of Nations, and Foreign Policy. Note especially Ayn Rand's concept of all dictatorships as "outlaw" nations, to be treated accordingly as needed by any free nation.
answered May 04 '11 at 20:55
Ideas for Life ♦