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__label__cc | 0.602335 | 0.397665 | Agriculture and Climate Change: Evidence on Influencing Farmer Behaviours
This report sets out to answer a number of questions relating to farming behaviour and meeting greenhouse gas emissions targets.
141 page PDF
5. Approaches Taken By Governments to Influence Farmer Behaviours in Relation to Climate Change, and What is Known About Their Effectiveness
Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in the Report
1. Introduction to the Programme
3. Factors Influencing Farmers' Attitudes and Behaviours
4. Characterising Groups of Farmers to Inform Agricultural Policy Development and Delivery
6. Evidence on Farmer Awareness of Climate Change Issues and Uptake of Mitigation Measures
7. Factors Influencing Farmers' Uptake of Policy Measures
8. Improving Communication and Knowledge Exchange
5.1 Policy and economic mechanisms available to policy makers
A range of policy approaches is available to governments to influence environmental behaviour among farmers. Dwyer et al (2007) provide a useful summary of these types of mechanisms and the evidence relating to them:
Regulation - places restrictions on what farmers are legally allowed to do and prohibits undesirable management practices:
This can be effective to promote enhanced environmental behaviour. It works best in situations where the target group is (or can be) persuaded that the regulated actions fall below an acceptable 'reference level' of responsible farming practice
The act of persuasion (using advice, information, peer pressure and other tactics) can be critical to ensure successful regulation and/or cross compliance. This may be more important than the severity of sanctions if farmers fail to comply.
Economic incentives - taxes and subsidies (environmental payments) are the most widely used and analysed instruments:
These are important to increase farmers' participation in environmental management, in particular if payments and schemes are tailored to local natural and agronomic conditions. However, it is not yet known whether payments and schemes have a long term positive impact on farmer behaviours.
Market-led and 'voluntary' approaches - promote environmentally beneficial management practices to encourage higher standards of environmental behaviour among farmers:
These have significant potential to encourage higher standards of management practice on farms
They are attractive because they offer 'win-win' options to motivated producers seeking to increase or consolidate their markets through adopting demonstrably higher management standards.
Education and/or information provision - raise awareness of environmental issues, what can be done to address them and (if relevant) why this could be beneficial to the farmers involved:
This approach works in tandem with any/all of the above mechanisms as stimulants to influencing behaviour.
Each of these approaches has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, success at influencing behaviours, speed of implementation etc. Providing economic incentives or prohibiting by regulation are unlikely to be sufficient, on their own, to promote positive environmental behaviour. Success almost always depends on a range of other factors. Understanding the interplay between the different elements within a particular policy or commercially-driven approach can be a crucial factor in understanding how and why they succeed or fail, in different situations (Dwyer et al, 2007).
5.2 Agricultural policy context in Scotland
Agricultural policy in Scotland is dominated by the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which provides a level of income security to farmers. Currently the CAP is based on a two pillar structure: Pillar 1 support includes direct payments to farmers, while Pillar 2 focuses on rural community development, including agri-environment programmes and less favoured area support[12].
To date, the main approach to climate change mitigation through the CAP has been to encourage desired farmer behaviours with financial incentives, through making the size of single farm payments dependent on specific environmental actions (cross compliance), and incentivising environmental actions that should then deliver efficiency (and thus financial) savings to farmers (agri-environment schemes).
Farming for a Better Climate (FFBC)[13]
Launched in September 2009, this is currently the only policy initiative in Scotland set up by the SG with the specific aim of mitigating climate change in agriculture. It is a targeted communication strategy designed to encourage farmers to adopt efficiency measures that reduce emissions, and help them adapt to climate change, while having an overall positive impact on business performance. The strategy targets five key areas for action:
Using energy and fuels efficiently
Developing renewable energy
Locking carbon into the soil and vegetation
Optimising the application of fertilisers and manures
Optimising livestock management and storage of waste.
FFBC has been developed jointly by the SG and the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC). SAC hosts a dedicated website which provides farmers with a list of practical measures that can be taken in each of these areas:
http://www.farmingforabetterclimate.org
Climate Change Focus Farms
Four farms have been selected as FFBC focus farms, demonstrating how to tackle avoidable GHG emissions, while balancing sustainable food production and maintaining a competitive farming industry. The focus farms represent three agricultural sectors (dairy, upland livestock and arable). The fourth farm is a diversified farm business and can be used for education and public demonstration. The programme will run until 2013 to establish best practice and monitoring and reporting procedures. Participating farms open their books and SAC advisers work with them to decide how best to facilitate savings and reduce emissions. Farm accounts are monitored, so that change can be measured. Open days and demonstrations take place on the farms, with the aim of showing how emissions can be cut while improving the efficiency and therefore profitability of farm businesses: http://www.sruc.ac.uk/info/120200/climate_change_focus_farms
Climate change case studies
A number of case studies have been made available on the FFBC website. The case studies highlight the environmental issues affecting agriculture and demonstrate how different farming enterprises are addressing the effects of climate change in the five key action areas:
http://www.sruc.ac.uk/downloads/120175/farming_for_a_better_climate
Scotland Rural Development Programme
Many of the measures encouraged by FFBC potentially qualify for grant funding through the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP): http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/SRDP
The SRDP is a programme of up to £1.5 billion of economic, environmental and social measures designed to develop rural Scotland. The 2007-13 SRDP brings together wide-ranging measures into a single programme of support. The programme contributes to:
Improving the competitiveness of agriculture and forestry by supporting restructuring, development and innovation (Axis 1)
Improving the environment and the countryside by supporting land management (Axis 2)
Improving the quality of life in rural areas and encouraging diversification of economic activity (Axis 3).
The most relevant eligible measures include:
Manure/slurry storage and treatment - supports capital investment in:
improved storage and handling facilities for manures and slurry, to improve water quality
structures, machinery and equipment for the anaerobic digestion of slurry, to produce biogas and/or compost: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/05/05134234/88. Biogas fuels a generator which produces electricity and heat either for use on the farm, or for sale to the national grid.
Support for renewable energy in agriculture - contribution to the initial capital investment in the technology and equipment required to establish renewable energy capacity: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/05/05134234/90
Treatment of run-off of nutrients and other pollutants - to increase the efficiency and environmental performance of the agriculture and forestry sector through targeted capital investments to reduce and treat run-off of nutrients and other pollutants from farm and forest holdings:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/05/05134234/99
Broader initiatives in relation to renewables (Example - Feed-In Tariff (FiT) Scheme)
The FiT is a financial subsidy for renewable electricity generators below 5MW. It offers a payment per kWh produced each year, depending on the technology and size of generation. If farmers install electricity generating technology from renewable technology, they can bepaid forthe electricity generated, even if they use it themselves, as well as for any surpluselectricity exported to the grid. Technologies that qualify for the scheme include:
Solar electricity (roof mounted or stand alone)
Wind turbines (building mounted or free standing)
Micro combined heat and power.
Initiatives that support the implementation of agricultural and climate change policy in Scotland (Example - Future Proofing Scotland's Farming)
Future Proofing Scotland's Farming (2011-14) is delivered by Soil Association Scotland in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland, with support from the National Farmers Union of Scotland and the Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society. The aim of the programme is to help farmers and other land managers:
Minimise the negative impacts of climate change and capitalise on opportunities through appropriate adaptation measures
Implement practical measures to cut on-farm GHG emissions and reduce dependence on expensive inputs
Create sustainable and profitable agricultural enterprises based on low carbon principles.
Farmers are offered practical advice on how to raise the financial performance of their businesses and benefit the environment. On-farm events and written/on line advice and guidance cover a range of areas such as nutrient management; water and wetland management; woodland management and biomass; anaerobic digestion; low carbon farming.
5.3 Voluntary and mandatory approaches
As indicated above, to date the Scottish Government has largely utilised voluntary initiatives to address environmental goals. To successfully meet emissions targets, it may become necessary to broaden the scope to include more mandatory measures.
Both voluntary and mandatory approaches have advantages and disadvantages, and it is not necessarily straightforward to determine which will be most effective in a given situation or, indeed, to attribute outcomes to specific instruments. As summarised by Davies (2006), pricing mechanisms for conservation goods (voluntary) not only offer the power of exchange, but send clear signals about the value from the public perspective of the goods that are being offered for exchange. Information provision (voluntary) can help to identify cost savings or profit opportunities that in turn bring their own rewards. Regulatory instruments (mandatory) backed up with the threat of prosecution also send a signal about what is ethically valued, as do market-based instruments (voluntary) aimed at delivering similar quality targets through more flexible mechanisms.
Research by Barnes et al (2007) included a number of findings that are useful when considering mandatory policy measures in Scotland, and their impact on farmers' attitudes and behaviour. Specifically, the work highlighted that farmers involved with mandatory environmental schemes may be more likely to have negative attitudes towards the environment. If there is a possibility that regulation is adversely impacting the environmental views of farmers then there is clearly a need for further research to assess to what extent this is 'spilling over' into other domains and whether mandatory policies remain beneficial overall, or if they are ultimately counterproductive (Barnes et al, 2007).
5.4 A tool for considering all the factors required to influence behaviours
Given the range of policy approaches available and the importance of achieving the right mix of options for achieving specific policy goals, it is useful to focus on addressing both internal and external barriers to change. A tool has been developed by Defra for use within a policy context[14]. To establish new and more sustainable ways of working and producing, policies need to:
Enable - make it easier for people to change(systems and capacity)
There is no point asking people to change if they do not know how to, or if they know what to do, but what they need to do it is not available. The challenge for policy is to help people make responsible choices by providing them with the appropriate education, skills and information, and making choices easy, with accessible alternatives and suitable infrastructure.
Encourage - give the right signals(incentives and disincentives)
Policy should consider the most effective techniques to encourage and, where necessary, enforce, behaviour change. This might include taxes or other ways of giving price signals, peer pressure, league tables, funding or regulation. There is also scope for positive initiatives to reward desired behaviours.
Engage - get people involved (co-production)
People need to be involved in policy development from early on - so that they take full responsibility for what they do. Consultation and engagement over a long period helps to identify what people care about and real-life examples they can relate to. Targeted communication (such as face to face contact, rather than remote messages from government) should be part of a larger process of involving the public, coordinated with other interventions, such as regulation.
Exemplify - lead by example
The government (and its agencies) should be seen to be carrying out its own operations in the ways it expects its stakeholders to act; policy making should be consistent and policies joined up.
The principles underlying this tool can be translated into actions at each step within the policy development process. Depending on what the policy is intended to do, and the current situation for the target population, the four types of levers (the '4 Es') can be used individually or in combination.
It may be helpful to apply the tool to identify which types of levers are used as part of existing agricultural policies. This would allow policy makers to consider whether they are using the range of levers and/or the most appropriate types of levers. Table 5.1 represents an initial attempt to map measures onto the four potential policy levers. Boxes are shaded where the specific policy measure currently employs the relevant lever. Table 5.1 also includes an indication of whether farmers are being encouraged by the use of incentives (+) such as funding schemes, or disincentives
(-) such as regulation.
Table 5.1: Mapping measures onto types of levers used to influence farmers' environmental behaviours
The focus is primarily on enabling and encouraging, with only the climate change focus farms which are part of FFBC using all four types of policy levers. This may be appropriate; however, it might be worth considering opportunities for more engagement to involve farmers in policy development, and ways to exemplify best practice.
In the next sections, UK and international evidence, and messages from the opinion former interviews, relating to each of these measures is discussed. Where information is available, each section is structured as follows:
Introduction to the measure
Types of policy levers used
Farmer attitudes and behaviours in relation to the measure
Approaches to implementation
What is known about the effectiveness of the measure
Messages from the opinion former interviews
Some implications for policy development and delivery.
Naturally the types of evidence relating to each measure vary a good deal, so each section is slightly different from the others. In addition, there is no specific evidence relating to Future Proofing Scotland's Farming, and the opinion formers did not mention the initiative, although the type of activities which are part of it were frequently highlighted as being popular with and useful to farmers. It is included here as an example of a non-SG initiative that supports the implementation of agricultural and climate change policy in Scotland, and because it uses three of the four available policy levers.
5.5 Cross Compliance
Cross compliance was introduced in the UK in 2005, setting obligations for farmers to manage their farms in sustainable ways, in order to receive their Single Payment. There are two elements: Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition standards largely relating to the protection of soils, habitats and landscape features; and Statutory Management Requirements, which are either pre-existing legislative requirements or those that Member States must implement under EU law. The aim of cross compliance measures is to achieve a common minimum standard, rather than to maximise environmental benefits.
Farmers must in any case comply with all legislation affecting their businesses. The significance of cross compliance is that farmers' receipt of direct aids depends on their doing so. Failure to comply can result in deductions from, or cancellation of, the subsidies farmers receive. For the vast majority of farmers, who cannot afford to risk losing their subsidy, cross compliance is effectively mandatory.
In terms of the types of policy levers used, cross compliance primarily uses encouragement, with the disincentive of setting environmental obligations for farmers, backed by regulation and the potential loss of subsidy. Farmers need to keep up to date with information on regulatory requirements, which may make them more proactive in seeking out advice: enabling activity.
Farmer attitudes to cross compliance
Since farmers are obliged to adopt cross compliance measures in order to receive subsidies, it is not possible to establish their opinions of the measures by simply monitoring rates of uptake. They may adopt the measures out of financial necessity, rather than because they are supportive of environmental goals.
Davies and Hodge (2006) carried out research to investigate whether farmers endorse the basic principle of cross compliance. The research (a survey of 100 farmers in East Anglia) found that several factors may influence the perceived acceptability of cross compliance as a governance mechanism:
Economic advantage - as cross compliance does not itself increase income, and increases management costs for the farm business, it might be expected that farms would reject such a policy on principle. However, farmers may perceive an indirect economic advantage - to establish a competitive advantage for UK producers in the global market, for example
Viability - farmers' ability to meet cross compliance requirements is key to their willingness to endorse it as a general principle. Two important concerns are:
Current financial stress, as an indicator of the ability of the farmer to bear any increased burden on the farm business
'Situational stress' on the farm, in terms of the current difficulties encountered in managing the overall farm production environment
Perceived legitimacy of cross compliance - three sets of attitudinal factors come into play:
The level of confidence farmers have in conventional, chemical-intensive, farming methods, and whether such methods are associated with benign or negative effects on the environment
Farmers' views on environmental maintenance and a management ethic of environmental stewardship (as farmers indicate higher levels of concern for a stewardship role for farming, their support for cross compliance is likely to increase)
The relative priority farmers assign to financial management and profit in their overall approach to farming (a more economically rational focus being associated with a decline in support for the principle of cross compliance).
It should be noted that the Davies and Hodge research was carried out in 2001, at a time when the concept of cross compliance was highlighted in a number of policy fora, but was a principle for which farm financial and management implications were both still uncertain. However, the findings indicate the range of factors potentially influencing farmers' attitudes to cross compliance and, in particular, the importance of two distinct cognitive aspects - technological beliefs, and a normative 'stewardship' motivation - in making the judgement on policy acceptability. The authors suggest that if government is engaged in convincing farmers of the rationale for cross compliance, it might achieve some success with certain sections of the farming population by changing either of these factors, but that both need to be addressed to bring about acceptability across the farming population (Davies and Hodge, 2006).
What is known about the effectiveness of cross compliance
The European Court of Auditors investigated the effectiveness of cross compliance as a policy in 2008. The audit set out to determine whether cross compliance is effective, by analysing its setting up and implementation by the Commission and a sample of Member States. The audit concluded that:
The objectives and scope of cross compliance are not well defined, making it unclear what cross compliance is designed to achieve
The complex legal framework poses considerable difficulties
Cross compliance and rural development are not well adapted to one another
Data provided by the Member States on checks and infringements is not reliable and the Commission's performance monitoring was found wanting.
The audit only included a sample of seven Member States (not including the UK) so it is not clear to what extent the criticisms apply more broadly. However, an evaluation of cross compliance in England was carried out for Defra by ADAS (also in 2008). This set out to assess the effectiveness of cross compliance in England in meeting its objectives; the nature and magnitude of the costs imposed on farmers and any others in meeting cross compliance conditions; whether the policy represents value for money; whether there are any unintended consequences; and whether there has been a change in farmer behaviour in response to the introduction of cross compliance.
Using a review of secondary evidence and collection of primary data via a farmer survey (300 respondents), the research highlighted generally high levels of compliance, although there was considerable variation across the measures. Generally, standards relating to legislation that had been in place for some time were found to be well observed. The main unintended consequences in terms of the impacts of cross compliance were:
Additional engagement of farmers with advisers
Increased awareness of existing legislative requirements
Disproportionate impact on small farms (fixed cost component)
Some farmers incurring unnecessary costs by over-reacting to standards
Anxiety (which is possibly unnecessary) on the part of some farmers in terms of the risk of penalty
The limited scale of penalties may cause some to risk being caught rather than comply, notably where high capital cost is needed to comply with regulation.
The key behavioural issue identified by the evaluation was the negative attitudes held by farmers, due to perceived additional costs arising as a result of cross compliance. However, where farmers reported high costs, these related largely to compliance with underlying regulations rather than cross compliance per se (ADAS, 2009).
Mandatory measures: messages from the opinion former interviews
Concerns about mandatory measures
The opinion formers were unanimous in their view that farmers have negative attitudes towards compulsory initiatives: 'No farmer likes the word 'mandatory'.' The following issues were also highlighted:
The additional regulation associated with cross compliance measures can have a negative impact on production. The more time and money that farmers spend adhering to regulations, the less they can spend on creating and selling produce (although regulation may also bring other benefits). Better regulations and clearer instructions would make it easier for farmers to comply
Variations between cross compliance measures across the EU mean that some regulations apply in the UK, but not elsewhere in Europe
Some farms currently gain a competitive advantage by voluntary adoption of high standards. If particular behaviours are mandatory, they lose their market advantage.
Looking to the future, opinion formers noted several concerns about increasing the number of mandatory actions, and focusing more explicitly on climate change mitigation:
Currently, farmers are penalised for unambiguous breaches of cross compliance measures that are straightforward to measure, such as uncovered pesticide. Actions to mitigate climate change may be less easy to see, measure, and penalise.
Cross compliance measures need to consider 'acts of God.' For example, if a farmer puts nitrogen in a field, and then there is torrential rain, much of this could be lost into watercourses through no fault of the farmer.
Some farmers are already struggling in relation to awareness of current cross compliance measures
Some interviewees urged for better, rather than more, regulations.
Support for mandatory measures
Opinion formers acknowledged that some compulsory measures are necessary, and can even be beneficial for farmers. For example, cross compliance can assist in ensuring that the British brand is associated with good quality. Specific areas where mandatory measures were considered acceptable by opinion formers included tree planting, health and safety, and compulsory set-aside. It was suggested that it may be necessary to adopt a mandatory approach to tree planting because trees take up valuable land, and require many years to grow, so the financial incentive is not there in the short term: 'their children would benefit, but they need the money now.'
There was some acknowledgement that, as farmers receive public money, there should be a basic good practice standard. Opinion formers also felt that a minority of farmers will not adopt climate change mitigation measures if they are optional. However, some argued that, if mandatory measures are implemented, it is vital that they are proportional, that they are not an obstacle to business, and that disregarding them has real consequences. The guidance that farmers receive should be clear, so that they are not penalised for missing, or misunderstanding information.
Achieving 'buy in' from farmers
A number of interviewees expressed the opinion that making mitigation measures mandatory does not persuade farmers of their merit, and the measures may be perceived as 'box ticking,' or 'just another hurdle.' Voluntary measures, on the other hand, are usually adopted because farmers have been convinced that the measures have value. However, if farmers can see the impact of mandatory measures - the reasons that they are necessary and/or beneficial - then they are more likely to be supportive of them.
Impact of reduced single farm payment
Some interviewees felt that if the single farm payment (SFP) was reduced, a minority of farmers would reconsider whether meeting the criteria for the subsidy was worth the effort. However, the majority opinion was that lowering the SFP would be unlikely to reduce adherence to cross compliance measures for three main reasons:
The SFP is so important to the survival of farm businesses that farmers would not take any action that could put it at risk. Lowering the level of the subsidy would make the remaining sum even more valuable, and could even increase adherence to cross compliance measures
Some cross compliance measures represent good practice, so many farmers would carry them out even without subsidy (although there might be some impact on less immediately profitable measures)
Even with reduced SFP, measures would still be compulsory, so not adhering to them would be a risk for farmers (assuming that disobeying the regulations has real consequences).
Implications for policy development and delivery
Findings from the audit and the evaluation highlight a potential need for more attention to be paid to the principles of cross compliance in the provision of support by advisers, and better links with the inspection agencies, to ensure a more balanced view of the policy and its implementation. The evaluation concluded that two clear messages need to be made more effectively:
Clarification of the rationale for a number of the standards
There are actually good reasons for the rules, eg public goods such as water quality and access to the countryside; preventing animal disease or weed spread (ADAS, 2009).
Given that the pressure of keeping up to date with changing regulatory requirements can cause stress and worry for farmers (Report of the independent Farming Regulation Task Force, 2011), making it easier for farmers to comply and giving them a better understanding of the principles of cross compliance would enhance enabling levers and would be likely to have a positive effect. The evidence also indicates that farmers need to feel more engaged in policy development.
5.6 Nitrate Vulnerable Zones
Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) were established throughout Europe in an attempt to address the issue of diffuse pollution (particularly through agriculture). If nitrate levels in groundwaters are found to be above a given reference point (50mg N/l) then EU member states are obliged to take steps to reduce these levels, although they have some flexibility in how they address the issue. NVZs can be designated at either a regional or national level and, across European member states, there are examples of both approaches underway. Scotland is among the countries adopting a regional approach: four nitrate vulnerable zones have been designated since 2003 covering 14.2% of land area. Actions to reduce nitrate pollution are as follows:
Detailed record keeping on the use of all organic and inorganic nitrogen fertilisers
Nitrogen application limits
Closed periods when nitrogen cannot be applied
Practical application restrictions (for example: land type, distance to watercourse)
Ensuring enough capacity to store slurry/ poultry manure during the closed periods.
The NVZ rules are one of the Statutory Management Requirements for cross compliance under the Single Farm Payment Scheme. Failure to ensure that the NVZ Action Programme is implemented in required areas is a criminal offence, and the farmer could be punished with a fine or conviction on indictment to a fine of an unlimited amount. Furthermore, failure to adhere to the NVZ rules can lead to a deduction to farmers' SFPs[15].
At present, encouragement through legislation is the primary policy lever being used in Scotland specifically in relation to NVZs. Enabling activity includes the provision of accessible guidance for farmers about their NVZ responsibilities.
Farmer attitudes and behaviours in relation to NVZ measures
NVZ measures are effectively mandatory, so there is little focus in the literature on factors affecting uptake. It is generally taken for granted that farmers will comply with these regulations, due to the penalties involved for disregarding them. However, to fully abide by the NVZ measures requires farmers to have a thorough understanding of exactly what they entail. Therefore, information provision and education and advice have important roles to play.
The attitudes and behaviours of farmers affected by NVZ regulations received little attention in the literature before 2007. A study was carried out by Barnes et al to address this data gap and maximise the impact and efficiency of advice to farmers operating within NVZs. The research included interviews with 376 Scottish farmers, and intended to achieve a balance between those within and outwith NVZ regions.
NVZ farmers demonstrated attitudes which were more orientated towards production and profit and, compared with non NVZ farmers, showed a higher level of disagreement with environmental and social goals. However, NVZ farmers' knowledge of NVZ rules was sporadic, and their main negative comments were directed towards the unfairness of the designations, along with scepticism over the scientific basis. In addition, they perceived that they experienced an undue burden in record-keeping requirements (Barnes et al, 2007).
The work of Barnes et al also demonstrates a statistically significant relationship between farmer attitudes and behaviour. The ethical attitudes of farmers, such as an awareness of and concern about water quality issues, drive farmer goals for conservation and nitrate reduction. In turn this impacts on the propensity of farmers to practise good water management. The authors suggest that, if ethical attitudes are raised, through, for example, providing appropriate levels of information about the benefits of NVZ, then this may engineer some behavioural change towards positive societal outcomes (Barnes et al, 2007).
Research has also considered the attitudes of farmers in a region of Scotland which was about to become an NVZ, before the date of designation. This was a small, qualitative study, but the findings indicated that farmers rarely considered environmental issues beyond the boundaries of their farms unless the productive capacity and economic viability of their farms were affected. Despite evidence to the contrary, farmers did not believe that they were responsible for water quality problems (Macgregor and Warren, 2006).
More recent work by Barnes et al (2011) aimed to develop a typology based on the attitudes and values of farmers before and after the introduction of NVZs. This is useful because it focused more specifically on attitudes to nitrogen management, agricultural practice and environmental damage; and changes in farming practice since designation as an NVZ. Three distinct clusters of farmers were identified: multifunctionalists, 'resistors' and 'apathists':
Multifunctionalists
Appreciated that agricultural land has many uses
Least likely of the three groups to have received post-school education
More likely than other groups to pass the farm on to other family members
Favoured using agricultural advisers and Government sources for information concerning water pollution management.
Apathists
Responsible for smaller than average farms
Lower median income; low level of off-farm investments
Neither disagreed nor agreed with the majority of statements on environmental factors, responsibility, regulations and farm management, and seemed to be disengaged from the regulations
Less likely than other groups to be dependent on income from the SFP
Less inclined to seek advice from external bodies.
Generally slightly younger
Higher median incomes
Managed larger areas than the other groups.
Mostly negative to NVZ regulations, which were seen as having a detrimental impact on income and increasing workload.
Sceptical about the connection between water quality and their farms' activities
Responsive to information seeking and consulted with agricultural advisers on a frequent basis.
Farmers were asked to identify any voluntary changes in their management practice since designation that would be beneficial to water quality. Although some polarised views were expressed between the 'resistors' and the 'multi-functionalists' towards the regulations, both types had significantly higher levels of activity compared to the 'apathists.' Thus, even though the 'resistors' had an underlying negative perception towards water quality management, they were the most likely to use external consultants and advisors, which may explain their adoption of voluntary tools such as buffer strips and manure management software (Barnes et al, 2011).
What is known about the effectiveness of NVZs
Most of the available evidence is science based (relating to the effectiveness of NVZs in achieving their objectives, without specific consideration of their impact on farmer behaviour). However, one study in 2007 compared adoption processes in Denmark (where the whole country level designation was applied) and England (where a regional approach has been taken). The research included the perspectives of respondents from significant actor groups in the implementation process (Nimmo Smith et al, 2007). Overall, respondents from both countries considered that whole country designation was a more effective policy instrument for the following reasons:
Ease of enforcement
Economic efficiency
Political expediency
Environmental effectiveness
Farmer equity.
The research identified one disadvantage of the whole country system: it is not possible to differentiate between very sensitive regions and those with no NVZ issues. In general, however, Nimmo Smith et al concluded that successful implementation is likely to depend on a range of factors in addition to the type of designation. These include:
The process for deciding designation type (the lengthy, complex and costly designation of distinct zones in England was criticised by the majority of respondents)
Strong political will and levels of environmental awareness amongst society as a whole (Denmark acted swiftly and decisively, and the designation of the whole country as an NVZ reflected severe water quality problems throughout the country, including contamination of its drinking water source and coastal pollution).
In Scotland, research has identified that the regional approach to NVZ regulations has led to a feeling of victimisation amongst farmers in the affected areas (Macgregor and Warren, 2006). Many farmers who took part in the research commented that NVZ designation was just another set of unnecessary bureaucratic controls. They stressed that they already adhere to codes of good practice for quality assurance: 'If we don't then we can't sell our grain.'
Macgregor and Warren also stressed the point that, unlike point source polluters (who may be able to pass on the economic impacts to their consumers) farmers have to bear most, or all, of the costs themselves. This is because the prices for agricultural commodities are largely controlled by global pricing structures or by supermarket chains, 'both of which pay little regard to the costs of production.'
If farming practices are to be influenced, farmers need to be convinced by the science (both in relation to identifying areas of NVZ in the first place and actions within the programme), be able to access clear advice and information about the regulations, and be willing to take action.
The 2011 research by Barnes et al concludes that farmers in the 'apathist' group are likely to present the greatest challenge to policy makers, since these farmers' aversion to information seeking and indifference towards production-led goals may lead to wider problems of low efficiency and low take-up of environmental initiatives. Barnes et al suggest that newer channels of transfer for scientific and management-related information might attract farmers who do not actively seek information. However, this may not prove cost-effective for all farmers operating within the NVZs and, while more group level information transfer can be directed at the other two types, an increased share of the budget and a more individualist approach may be needed for the 'apathists'. Although the farmer sample for this study was relatively small (184) there are useful messages on engagement and provision of advice that are likely to be relevant to farmers in NVZ regions more generally.
The 2007 research by Barnes et al included workshops where farmers expressed their frustration with (what they perceived to be) the overly-centralised and general nature of NVZ rules. They sought greater flexibility in three main areas:
Customisation of closed periods at farm level, to better reflect seasonal changes, local conditions, farmer knowledge and weather conditions
The spread of farmyard manure and nitrate applications to be determined by farmers, based on their own experience, judgement and knowledge
Imposing limits on use of fertiliser can restrict potential crop yields and impact on profits.
Farmers are the actors responsible for the practical delivery of broad environmental aspirations, yet the evidence makes it clear that farmers' attitudes to environmental protection and conservation are diverse, and are likely to affect their adoption of other measures. As noted earlier, guidance is published by the SG about farmers' NVZ responsibilities, but this guidance is no longer available in hard copy. Also, it is a lengthy document, although it can be downloaded in the form of separate booklets. Enabling activity could focus on ensuring both the delivery method and content meet farmers' needs. There are clear messages from the evidence about the need for better information on water pollution, for example. Better engagement with farmer perspectives in relation to NVZs would also help to make farmers feel more involved in decision making processes.
5.7 Monitor Farms and Focus Farms
The 'Monitor Farm Programme' in New Zealand was set up in 1991 to strengthen links between farmers and their communities. The key to monitor farms is that they are driven by local community ownership and commitment, combined with the input of specialists and industry to aid planning and implementation. Local community groups select a facilitator and monitor farmer who is relevant and applicable to the local region, both geographically and in the issues being addressed by the farm business. A business plan is then developed and implemented, along with associated monitoring plans, over a defined period. Monitor farmers are assisted through the process by a community group, comprising local businesses, farmers, vets, scientists, financiers, processors and consultants. The purpose is to 'learn through sharing and doing,' although the learning is focused on farm viability and competitiveness, rather than environmental management. The evidence base suggests that monitor farms are effective at influencing farmers' behaviours and are regarded by the industry as a successful programme (Dwyer et al, 2007).
In 2003, the monitor farm model was launched in Scotland, and by 2011 there were 11 monitor farms across Scotland[16]. The programme seeks to improve the performance and profitability of a commercial farm, typical of the local area, over a three year period. Monitor farms in Scotland are funded and facilitated by agri-business related organisations such as Quality Meat Scotland, Enterprise Network, Highland Council, Scottish Agricultural College (SAC). Facilitators are responsible for writing reports and taking minutes, as well as organising trials, speakers and press. Participating farms hold a number of meetings each year specifically for other farmers, as well as an open day, for the wider community.
The four climate change focus farms established in Scotland as part of the FFBC programme work by the same principles as monitor farms, but with a greater emphasis on achieving environmental outcomes. SAC work with the farms to show the benefits that can be gained by minimising harmful GHG emissions. The programme lasts for three years, and includes the input of SAC specialists, focus farmers and farmer discussion groups. Measures being explored at the farms are the key actions which are part of FFBC (or as many of these as are relevant to particular farms). Farmer discussion groups meet approximately five times a year and cover a range of topics designed to improve the farm business and reduce GHG emissions. Reports on the discussion at each meeting are posted on the SAC website, along with news of forthcoming meetings, and a quarterly newsletter is circulated, following progress on all four focus farms[17].
The FFBC focus farms initiative is currently the only agricultural policy measure in Scotland that uses all four types of policy levers: enabling through the provision of a range of advice and information; engaging through a number of mechanisms including discussion groups, personal contacts/enthusiasts, opinion formers and wider networks; encouraging through recognition; and exemplifying by leading by example.
What is known about the effectiveness of monitor farms/focus farms
An investigation into the role and effectiveness of Scottish monitor farms (ADAS, 2008) found that the programme had been effective in bringing about business improvements on the monitor farms themselves, among community group members and in the wider farming community. The analysis estimated multiplier effects from programme spend. The evidence suggested that, in relation to organisation, a strong farmer chairman, supported by a committee with the facilitator and monitor farmer, provides a clearer focus to managing the programme and in setting objectives. The bottom up approach and the involvement of community group members in decision making was viewed as a very positive aspect of the programme, as it fostered both ownership and commitment.
At the stage that the research took place, the programme was largely technically oriented, with a focus on improvements in output and efficiency, in line with farmers' wishes. The research also examined the potential for a monitor farm approach to deliver wider benefits, but concluded that if group members did not see the need, benefit or purpose of learning about a wider agenda, attempts to impose this on the process could potentially undermine the business improvement benefits already achieved.
In England, a government funded project Forward Farming (2002-2004) established separate pilots to test different ways of using demonstration to encourage change at farm level. One of these pilots was a network of monitor farms; another was farms demonstrating integration between agriculture and the local community, landscape and markets. Evaluation of the pilots highlighted the different potential of the models:
'On-farm demonstration activity' stimulates the process of learning. At a demonstration event, farmers can see particular technologies or management practices in operation on a working farm. If a specialist in that technology is present at the demonstration, the event brings together two complementary sources of information and ideas: the credible expert and the practical experience of farmers
Monitor farms are based on the premise of ongoing interaction with and within a defined group of farmers. This makes it possible to demonstrate the application of a specific technology/combination of technologies over time, allowing monitoring and comparison in a specific context. They may not necessarily demonstrate best practice, but farmers, facilitators and the wider farming community have the opportunity to learn from the process and impact of change.
The evaluation found that the monitor farms were successful in attracting farm businesses that already access sources of advice and information, and in stimulating ideas for change. However, the authors concluded that, while there is a strong economic argument for public funding of demonstration, this does not necessarily require a permanent network of fixed farms. They suggested that funding to support demonstration activities from a wide range of providers, and to stimulate demand for them among farmers, would provide a more flexible option for the future (Bailey et al, 2006).
The parallels between monitor farms and focus farms might suggest that the latter approach will be similarly successful. However, monitor farms are commercially oriented and there is currently little evidence to indicate whether such an approach is equally effective in promoting environmental measures. Burton et al (2006) note that removing the direct business imperative of the scheme is likely to make it function very differently. They raise three important issues for consideration:
The key to success is a combination of industry and community interests - all with a commercial imperative. When the commercial imperative is diminished, would the interest of the farming community remain?
Systems are able to ride on established community structures which are likely to have existing informal networks. Focusing on environmental improvements is likely to appeal to a completely different group of farmers.
If such an approach were to be based on financial payments for environmental work, the 'bottom-up' drivers of the scheme might be threatened.
There has not yet been a comprehensive evaluation of the focus farms programme in Scotland. However, research was commissioned by the Scottish Government in 2011 to scope out the data needs for monitoring the implementation of Farming for a better climate more generally, in order to understand the extent to which farm management practices are changing in line with FFBC recommended actions. The research concluded that the ability of existing data to describe the uptake and GHG impact of the mitigation measures prescribed by the FFBC is reasonable, although attributing uptake and impact to the FFBC programme is likely to be more problematic (ADAS, 2011). Findings are discussed further in Chapter 6.
Farming for a Better Climate: messages from the opinion former interviews
Across the sectors, knowledge of the FFBC programme is 'mixed'. Opinion formers reported that, while some farmers are very aware and enthusiastic, others have never heard of the initiative.
Those farmers who are familiar with FFBC feel it is relevant to them; however, their level of understanding varies considerably. For example, there is much better knowledge of how to use energy and fuels efficiently, develop renewable energy, and optimise application of fertiliser and manures, but substantially less awareness of other action areas such as locking carbon into the soil and vegetation, and optimising livestock management and storage of waste. In other words, there is greater knowledge of the aspects that are seen as immediately profitable.
It was reported that even farmers who adopt the measures recommended by FFBC do not necessarily agree with, or connect with, attempts to mitigate climate change. The five key actions are all seen as good practice, so farmers looking to increase their efficiency would be likely to implement them anyway.
Although the evidence relating to monitor farms is generally positive, the Forward Farming pilot evaluation highlighted a number of considerations relevant to using demonstration to encourage change at farm level. To be effective at a national level would require many host farms, connected by strong networks. The authors suggest that it would be more efficient and flexible to establish a regional capacity to allocate public funds for facilitating both the demand for, and supply of, demonstration and monitoring initiatives to meet both national policy goals and take account of regional gaps in provision to meet identified needs. In choosing host farms, the criteria and process will differ for one-off demonstration, a fixed site demonstration farm, and a monitor farm. For the latter two, the process should be bottom-up, with a facilitator working with the local industry to identify one of their number to be a host farm for either demonstration or monitoring or both. For one-off demonstrations, the main criterion is the appropriateness of the farm for demonstrating the particular practice or system. The authors also highlight the importance of:
Setting clear objectives which are relevant to all stakeholders and which can be communicated clearly; and recruiting or selecting the right facilitators or co-ordinators
Involving stakeholders in the setting up and management of demonstration farms
Limiting the life of demonstration/monitor farms (possibly a maximum of five years)
Within any project or scheme, there should be opportunity for groups to go to other farms for one-off events, if they can better demonstrate a particular issue
Achieving a trade-off between the continuity of a consistent presence (host farmer or facilitator) and expertise specific to the issue being demonstrated (for example credible sources valued by farmers, such as independent consultants, other farmers with experience of the issues, veterinary surgeons and other professionals)
Choosing issues to address on the farm that balance local demand and interests with the national interest implicit in a centrally-funded initiative that seeks to achieve public policy goals
Using appropriate promotion and marketing. The target or minimum number of attendees will vary with the nature of the event. A demonstration that aims to spread awareness of a new practice or system should be able to cater for several hundred attendees; discussion-based activity should aim for an optimum 15-20, since farmers get more out of being in a small group.
Since the FFBC focus farms aim to improve the efficiency of farm businesses by adopting measures to reduce GHG emissions, the issues noted in relation to tensions between the commercial imperative and environmental measures may not all be relevant to the focus farm approach. In addition, as the reform of the CAP beyond 2013 is likely to include increased emphasis on environmental cross compliance measures, and the cost of fuel is likely to continue to rise, environmental measures may have financial implications that will be of increasing interest to farmers.
As noted earlier in this section, the FFBC focus farms initiative already uses all four types of policy levers. The above messages from the evidence base may be helpful in fine-tuning the instruments used.
5.8 Agri-Environment Schemes (AESs)
The role of farmers in conserving the landscape and as protectors of natural resources has been officially recognised in the CAP since the beginning of the 1990s. Agri-environment schemes provide economic incentives for farmers to take up specific environmental measures, and compensate farmers financially for the associated loss of income. Farmers are not intended to profit directly from such schemes. However, if schemes increase efficiency/productivity or open up new markets, they should ultimately increase profits for the farm business.
A variety of agri-environment schemes have operated in Scotland since 1987. The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme (ESA) was introduced to help conserve specially designated areas of the countryside where the landscape, wildlife or historic interest is of particular importance, and where these environmental features can be affected by farming operations. Although the scheme is still operating, it has been closed to new applicants since 2000. Other schemes have included three Farm Woodland Schemes, the Habitats Scheme, several schemes aimed at single-species protection, the Countryside Premium Scheme, the Rural Stewardship Scheme and the Organic Aid scheme[18]. The majority of the agri-environment schemes available in Scotland are currently contained within Rural Priorities, an integrated funding mechanism which is part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2007-2013[19]. Rural Priorities is intended to deliver targeted environmental, social and economic benefits, and regional priorities have been established to aid the delivery of the five key outcomes of the SRDP: business viability and competitiveness; water quality; adaptations to mitigate climate change; biodiversity and landscapes; thriving rural communities.
Policy levers being used at present in relation to AESs are primarily encouraging, through economic incentives, and enabling, through the provision of information.
Farmer attitudes and behaviours in relation to AESs
Entry into AESs has always been voluntary, and dependent on farmers' willingness to deliver the environmental benefits associated with a given option for a set payment. Understanding what motivates farmers to participate in AESs is therefore crucial to any investigation of the effectiveness of these schemes.
At the end of the 1990s, Wilson and Hart conducted a major study (including 1000 farm households in nine EU countries and Switzerland), to investigate factors influencing participation (and non-participation) in AESs.
The research found that, for most farmers in the EU, decisions whether to participate are driven by financial imperatives and, to a lesser extent, by the 'goodness of fit' of schemes with farm management plans. Most EU farmers appear to be influenced by similar sets of factors in their decisions to join schemes. Key factors are:
Farm size - farms larger than the regional average are often more likely to participate
Tenure - freehold farmers are more likely participants
Farm type - extensive grassland farms are more likely to participate than arable farms
Level of education - farmers who completed their schooling are more likely to participate than those with no full time education
Dependency on income - farmers who are largely, but not entirely dependent on the farm for income are more likely to participate
Inter-scheme continuity - farmers who were in earlier schemes are more likely to participate in current AESs
Information availability about schemes - farmers who have been well informed are more likely to participate.
The researchers applied statistical methods to the results of their survey, to develop a 'participation typology.' This resulted in four distinct categories:
Scheme enthusiasts - were likely to see scheme objectives as financial. They were strongly dependent on the farm for income, and saw 'carrying on the family tradition' as important. Scheme participation had changed their attitude to farming towards more conservation-oriented beliefs
Neutral adopters - were not interested in reducing farming activity and did not perceive schemes as a secure source of income. They were 'neutral,' both about the financial imperative for entering AESs and about conservation more generally. Scheme membership did not fit well with their farm management plans, and had not changed their attitudes towards farm management
Uninterested non-adopters - rated scheme-related factors as 'unimportant' in their decision making process about joining schemes (for example, scheme payments were not a factor). They saw scheme objectives as conservation oriented (despite many schemes being 'sold' as 'income support' schemes). In general, they disagreed with legislative measures to control farmers' environmental management practices; and were not dependent on the farm for income. They often expressed more conservation-oriented attitudes than 'scheme enthusiasts,' but felt they could contribute more to environmental conservation outside AESs
Profit-maximising non-adopters - disagreed with regulatory mechanisms such as 'maximum stocking rates.' They favoured market solutions for solving environmental problems in the countryside. They saw farmers as 'stewards of the land.' They had a high dependency on the farm for income, and usually farmed economically successful farms. They felt that AESs could not compensate them for potential income losses.
The same research highlighted geographical differences in attitudes towards AESs, particularly between farmers in northern member states and farmers in Mediterranean countries. The authors suggested that this could be partly because of the longer experience of northern member states with AESs and partly because Mediterranean farmers are more focused upon increasing productivity and maximising profits, in order to catch up with their northern counterparts. Low uptake in Mediterranean countries could also be a result of lack of advice provided to farmers on AES schemes (Wilson and Hart, 2000).
What is known about the effectiveness of AESs
Measuring the effectiveness of AESs presents a number of challenges, due to the complexity of the interface between agricultural activities and the environment, the variability of environmental issues and their local/regional relevance, and the implementation approach selected by policy makers at the EU level (Christopoulos and Vlahos, 2011). Evidence available from the evaluation of UK schemes (Boatman et al, 2008) indicates that the strengths of the agri-environment scheme approach include:
The ability to provide a positive management incentive through payment, and supporting advice and facilitation to encourage farmer learning and active management of valued environmental resources
The ability, increasing over time, to negotiate and agree tailored management activities which are sensitive to individual needs and opportunities in each locality, and in respect of individual farm businesses
A medium to long term commitment to sensitive management and the delivery of environmental benefits, between both parties to the contract, which is explicit and binding
Compatibility with continuing commercial management of land, in the overwhelming majority of cases.
However, a voluntary, payment-based approach to environmental enhancement also has limitations, which include:
Lack of funding for sufficiently high levels of uptake to achieve environmental goals
Vulnerability to competitive pressures from other land management drivers, particularly agricultural prices.
Boatman et al concluded that the schemes operating in the UK appear best-suited to providing the detailed and positive aspects of environmental protection and enhancement which work comfortably alongside day-to-day commercial land management. The authors suggest that the key to maximising their effectiveness is to seek to work with their strengths by using them in an integrated way alongside other mechanisms, including regulatory protection and advice and information, supported by strong legislative back-up to protect features and resources of the highest importance (Boatman et al, 2008).
Given the widespread uptake of voluntary agreements, the length of time of their existence and their visible impact on some European landscapes, it would be reasonable to expect noticeable changes in farmer attitudes, and even farming cultures, from participation in AESs. However, this does not appear to be the case. The evidence relating to Austria, Finland, Ireland, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the UK is summarised by Burton et al (2008) in the introduction to a study which investigates cultural capital in agriculture.
The authors note that voluntary AESs are predicated on the 'provider gets principle:' the underlying concept that society has to compensate farmers who produce positive externalities. This assumes that farmers have the right to carry out the most profit-maximising activity on their land, irrespective of the external costs and benefits of doing so, and assumes a like-for-like exchange of economic capital between farmers and the government. Following this assumption, it has been suggested that farmers experience more than financial losses when changing their farming activities. To investigate the non-economic rewards of farming, Burton et al consider the concept of cultural capital. This exists:
In institutionalised forms, such as educational qualifications. By providing qualifications from formalised institutions, institutionalised cultural capital offers individuals a certification of cultural competence, which is consistent and thus directly comparable across a range of agents, such as breed societies
In an objectified state, as in the possession of high status cultural goods (visible in conventional farming cultures largely through symbols of production, such as modern machinery or the presence of quality livestock or crops). A key aspect of objectified cultural capital is that its value is not in the object itself, but is instead dependent on its use in accordance with a specific purpose
In an embodied state. This involves the labour of self-improvement on the part of the investor and cannot be transmitted instantaneously, as can property or money. Embodied cultural capital helps form the 'habitus' of the individual.
The authors argue that three conditions are required if a farming activity is able to display embodied cultural capital to other farmers. First, the activity must require a skilled role performance capable of differentiating 'poor' and 'good' practice - that is, it must embody the level of cultural capital of the operator. Secondly, there must be outward signs that effective action has been performed - for example, straight plough lines in the landscape. Thirdly, these outward signs of skill must be visible or otherwise accessible to other members of the farming community (Burton et al, 2008).
Understanding how agri-environment schemes interact with farming culture therefore becomes a matter of exploring how the adoption of new practices alters the nature of capital generation within the farming field. If financial loss is compensated by agri-environmental payments, but new land uses and activities are unable to generate symbolic cultural capital, then the net results could be that farmers lose significant amounts of capital, despite generous financial compensation.
As the authors point out, the issue for AESs is clear. If environmental attitudes and behaviour are to become established in the culture of conventional agriculture, then AESs must also contribute towards the generation of cultural capital on the farm - that is, they must enable farmers to enact and display skilled behaviour. The analysis of the research, which included interviews with farmers in Aberdeenshire, identified several key components of voluntary AESs that can influence their integration into the farming culture.
The prescription of field management requirements. While schemes are voluntary, in that participation, management options and area entered are optional, the government is effectively contracting a service from farmers. Therefore specific management requirements, such as when fields are allowed to be mown, are generally codified and prescribed. Consequently, schemes do not promote any voluntary actions for environmental protection, or reward farmers for doing anything more than the minimum necessary to qualify for the subsidies. Skills are involved in the setting up of the AES - for example by erecting fences and determining how best to make use of the land - but, once the scheme is established, the farmer's ability to display skill through conservation work is limited. In terms of their ability to display 'good farming' skills to other farmers, a conservation project thus becomes 'a static display in the landscape - radically different from the renewable seasonal display possible with cropped land uses.'
The designation of specific areas of land for agri-environmental work. The designation of specific areas for AES work is a key component of many AESs. However, findings from the research suggest that, by effectively taking responsibility for part of the farm, AESs allow farmers to disown personal responsibility for scheme areas while concentrating on production in the remaining areas of the farm.
Other inherent features of conservation areas: viewing the quality. Within ordered, 'tidy' landscapes, the practice of roadside farming of symbols is relatively easy, as farmers are able to drive past others' fields and assess (at a glance) basic patterns in the landscape, or healthy appearance of the livestock. For AESs, on the other hand, reading symbols in the landscape is exceptionally difficult. While the schemes themselves are highly visible, the quality of the scheme is often very hard to assess. Potential symbols of 'good conservation,' such as the number of bird nesting sites, the diversity of species or the density of hedgerows, are not immediately obvious to other farmers (Burton et al, 2008).
Scotland Rural Development Programme: messages from the opinion former interviews
Awareness of SRDP measures is not widespread amongst farmers and few of the interviewees spoke in detail about the opportunities offered by SRDP schemes. It was noted by interviewees that schemes were considered to be promising at the outset, but there was a general view that they had not been as successful as they could have been, particularly now that less money is available. There is a perception that good ideas have been rejected, and this has led to a degree of cynicism amongst farmers.
A number of interviewees criticised SRDP measures as overly complicated and requiring guidance from consultants to fill in the forms properly. Another potential barrier was the transaction costs associated with time spent on paperwork and farm management changes etc (see Chapter 7).
It was noted that SRDP initiatives are not marketed as climate change mitigation measures. When farmers apply for funding, their interest is primarily in benefiting their own businesses, although a minority may select options because of their potential environmental impact.
The evidence suggests that there are changes to AESs which would help to strengthen farmers' support for environmental objectives. Farmers could be allowed more opportunity for innovation in their conservation practices, to determine how specific conservation goals should be obtained, and to learn through experience the connection between their management skills and environmental outcomes.
The designation of specific areas for AES work allows the protection of vulnerable sites. However, such designation encourages farmers to partition conservation work off from agricultural work. Farmers are currently able to indicate to others through, for example, the presence of encircling fences, that they have no responsibility for the management of this area of the farm. Setting species targets would allow farmers to be able to see (and measure) the tangible changes resulting from their management practices. They would also be able to compare these figures with those of other farmers to measure self improvement. Burton et al (2008) suggest that this would encourage farmers to learn more about each others' management practices and learn to value the skills required for managing diversity. They also note that, as more farmers become engaged in conservation provision, non-participating farmers would increasingly be seen as 'free-loading off other members of the community and thus come under increasing social pressure to participate.'
The research by Wilson and Hart (2000) found that conservation-oriented motivations for AES participation were playing an increasingly important part in farmers' decision making processes. It was suggested that the findings had a number of implications for policy refinement, including the provision of:
Higher payments for the first few hectares entered into a scheme (to avoid disadvantaging smaller farms)
Improved targeting of environmentally damaging intensive farming in lowland areas (by providing higher payments for participation of intensive arable farms, for example)
Better terms for tenant farmers, who may be reluctant to enter schemes because they are uncertain about long-term tenancy agreements, and because landlords may be unwilling to share agri-environment benefits with their tenants
Encouraging 'newcomers' into AESs, rather than relying on high uptake rates based on farms that already had previous AES agreements.
The suggestions from the research focus mainly on using levers that encourage environmental behaviours. For example:
Setting species targets would send out signals to the industry and stimulate peer pressure
Measures to improve targeting would allow a wider population of farmers to apply for entry to AESs.
Cultural capital is also a recurring theme. At present, once AESs are established, there is little opportunity for farmers to demonstrate 'good farming practice' to their peers. This may be part of the reason why there has been no discernable shift in farmer attitudes to AESs, despite the length of time they have existed and despite widespread uptake. Better engagement to involve farmers in schemes, and considering opportunities for farmers to demonstrate their expertise within schemes might help farmers to take more pride in participation.
5.9 Renewables
The above section on agri-environment schemes focuses on farmers being encouraged to take specific environmental actions that are not in themselves financially beneficial to those farmers. Naturally there is a range of agriculture and environment initiatives that do have the potential to generate income (wind turbines; anaerobic digestion; for example), and this possibility is likely to sharpen the financial incentive for farmers. Contribution to the initial capital investment required to establish renewable energy capacity is available through the Scotland Rural Development Programme, and the Feed-In Tariff Scheme (FiT) provides a financial subsidy for renewable energy generators.
Renewables initiatives are primarily enabling, through giving information and removing barriers; and encouraging, through financial subsidies.
What is known about the effectiveness of renewables initiatives
Although there is a growing evidence base on community renewables initiatives, there is currently very little that relates specifically to farmers. One research project, carried out in 2011, investigated the potential for the development of anaerobic digestion (AD) on farms, as well as farmer attitudes to AD. A survey of 2,000 farmers in England, undertaken as part of the research, found that the two most important benefits of installing AD were seen by respondents as 'improving farm profit' and 'reducing pollution/contamination risk.' Potential barriers to adoption were seen as the high establishment costs, low returns, and the perceived difficulty of obtaining planning permission. The authors acknowledge that the response rate to the questionnaire was 20%, and was slightly biased towards larger farms and owner occupiers. However, findings relating to 'possible adopters' of AD support the established profile of an early adopter (from larger farms; more likely to be owner occupiers; younger; left full time education later) (RELU, 2011; Tranter et al, 2011).
The researchers suggested a number of ways in which governments could support the development of more anaerobic digestion on farms. These included:
Promoting AD as a 'green technology' that makes use of farm and urban wastes
Providing local planning authorities with better guidance and information to help in making planning decisions
Committing themselves in the longer term to providing subsidy for capital investment in farm-based digestion
Introducing incentives to specifically promote on-farm co-digestion of agricultural and urban wastes and reduce dependence, for economic viability, on the use of energy crops
Designing systems and procedures to promote anaerobic digestion at a farm scale (RELU, 2011).
Recent research refining cost equations to estimate the costs of AD plants indicated that both capital and operating costs are likely to be higher in terms of power output than originally estimated (Macleod et al, 2010). This may make AD a less attractive proposition, although farmers do have the option of growing energy crops such as maize in order to improve the economics of the digester. However, as has been pointed out (Bywater, 2011), many smaller farms lack the capacity to use their land in this way.
No evidence relating to other types of renewables initiatives, in the context of agriculture, was identified during the literature review. However, the opinion former interviews indicated high rates of awareness of, and interest in, the FiT scheme in particular.
Feed in Tariffs: messages from the opinion former interviews
Of all the initiatives available which focus on climate change mitigation, those relating to renewables were by far the most commonly discussed amongst interviewees. In the main, renewables initiatives were referred to in very positive terms.
Opinion formers across the sectors stated that farmers have very high awareness of these schemes and that, over recent years, there has been a 'sea change' in farmers' perceptions of them. Over a very short period, a 'huge interest' has arisen in renewables and interest levels are continuing to rise. The FiT scheme was considered to be particularly well-publicised and well understood in the farming community.
Amongst the FiTs options, wind turbines were by far the most popular, with interest being described as 'phenomenal.' There was also some interest in photo-voltaics, anaerobic digesters and hydro electricity. Farmers' enthusiasm for renewables initiatives was felt to be influenced by the potential to have a useful additional income stream, rather than helping to mitigate climate change. FiTs are thought of 'in the same way as converting a cottage into a B & B rather than environmental terms.'
Some barriers to the adoption of renewables measures were also noted:
Farmers feel that the planning system is a 'hassle' and an 'obstacle' and consider the levels of time/paperwork involved to be a deterrent
Setting up renewables schemes requires a substantial capital outlay
Individual farm factors such as location, elevation and size have an impact on a farm's suitability for renewables schemes. Farm size was considered the most influential of these factors, as owners of larger farms not only have more spare time to investigate such initiatives, but are also more likely to have the space to house them, and have a greater chance of successfully accessing funding.
Some implications for policy development and delivery
Renewable energy is one area where policy may be pushing against an open door as far as farmers are concerned. Although agriculture-specific evidence in relation to renewables is lacking, a clear messages from the opinion former interviews is that farmers are both aware and interested in renewables initiatives, mainly due to the potential additional income they provide. However, farmers face (or perceive that they face) substantial transaction costs in the adoption of renewables measures. In addition, farm size is a major consideration in the decision-making process. It may be that clearer information and better signposting to available support are required to increase uptake of renewables schemes. Another option may be to encourage farms to adopt a collaborative approach to adoption of initiatives, to make it easier for small farms and tenant farmers (for example) to participate.
5.10 Future Proofing Scotland's Farming
This three year initiative (2011-2014) is delivered by Soil Association Scotland in partnership with Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), with support from the National Farmers Union of Scotland and SAOS Ltd. The programme was awarded funding through SRDP with an industry contribution from QMS. It is intended to engage practically with farmers and focus on increasing efficiencies, rather than explicitly seeking to mitigate climate change.
The aim is to boost producers' bottom lines through improving efficiency, productivity and performance at farm level, including the use of green technologies. Through a range of online resources and events, farmers are offered practical advice on how to raise the financial performance of their businesses and benefit the environment.
Policy levers being used at present as part of this initiative are primarily enabling, through the practical advice offered to farmers; engaging, through events which give opportunities for interaction with other farmers and practical demonstrations; and exemplifying, through using farmer champions to demonstrate good practice.
5.11 Can Scotland learn from initiatives operating elsewhere in the UK?
As part of the evidence gathering process, information was collected about key programmes aiming to influence farmer behaviours which operate elsewhere in the UK. These were considered in terms of the types of policy levers they are using. Programmes were identified in England and Wales. There is currently no dedicated programme in Northern Ireland, although there are plans to integrate climate change-related advice and guidance with existing efficiency advice messages.
Farming Futures (England)
Farming Futures is a major communication initiative aimed at influencing English farmers' behaviours in relation to climate change[20]. The programme was set up in 2007 to help the UK farming industry respond to the combined challenges of climate change and the sustainable efficient production of food, through the use of innovative communication methods to inform and inspire farmers, food producers and land managers about the risks and opportunities ahead. Currently, Farming Futures is a collaboration between a range of public and private sector organisations, and is managed by the Centre of Excellence for UK Farming.
Innovative media are used to personalise message delivery to farmers, as well as enabling them to participate in actions. There is a dedicated blog where farmers and industry can share ideas and debate the latest issues; an interactive map enables farmers to view events, case studies and short fact sheets specifically related to their region. More than 15 films are available on the Farming Futures website, to provide information and demonstrate best practice; and there is a free monthly newsletter designed to let farmers know about events and resources and keep them up to date with 'all of the latest news about profitable farming in our changing environment.'
Events: a series of targeted on-farm events around England are intended to explore and find practical solutions to issues around climate change and the future of farming. Topics covered include renewable energy generation, precision farming, livestock emissions, nutrient management, water management. The Farming Futures website also advertises other industry events.
Case studies: good practice exemplars are interviewed on topics including their farming background, the benefits of particular approaches in terms of environmental and economic impact, and challenges faced. A wide variety of farming issues are covered, including anaerobic digestion, renewables and soil management. Over 30 of these case studies are available on the website.
Signposting and technical information are provided to farmers in relation to specific actions they can take, funding opportunities, news of recent events; latest 'buzz words,' links to useful documents and reports.
In terms of policy levers, Farming Futures appears to use all four, since the initiative seeks to:
Enable through raising awareness of viable alternatives to farmers' current practice; providing advice and information, on-farm training and demonstration of new technology
Engage through providing online fora/networks for discussion; bringing farmers together to share best practice
Encourage through recognition of best practice, particularly through case studies, and consequent exertion of social pressure to emulate the examples
Exemplify through demonstrations by innovators and leaders in the field.
Farming Connect (Wales)
Farming Connect is the Welsh Government's flagship support, guidance and skills development programme which helps farm businesses across Wales to be more efficient and reduce input costs. It is funded through the Rural Development Plan 2007-2013 which is financed by the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Assembly Government. Support, guidance and training are delivered by Menter a Busnes on behalf of the Welsh Government[21].
The programme offers a range of fully-funded services to all farmers who have registered with Farming Connect:
Development programmes: to give farmers the opportunity to learn from others and share best practice by joining discussion groups, visiting demonstration farms and attending sector-specific open days
Strategic awareness events: to keep people up to date with topical issues of key importance to farm and forestry businesses
Planning surgeries to help farmers address on-farm planning issues and understand the processes
An action learning programme to bring farming families together on a group basis to discuss and take forward business ideas.
Other services include a knowledge transfer programme to assist the agricultural industry to exploit the latest scientific knowledge to meet current and future challenges and to ensure that all farm businesses in Wales are supported to reach their potential. This also includes a specific service to provide women with the support and encouragement they need to capitalise on their role as key influencers and operators in many farm businesses. One-to-one support, demonstration farms and case studies, and information about relevant conferences are also provided.
Farming Connect appears to use at least three of the four policy levers, since it aims to:
Enable through provision of advice, information, guidance
Engage through bringing farmers together via demonstrations, discussion groups, workshops and other events to engage with advisers and share best practice
Exemplify through the use of farmer champions and demonstration farms.
Some implications for policy development and delivery in Scotland
It is clear that in the rest of the UK governments are seeking (either through directly delivered initiatives or through the agency of stakeholder organisations) to influence farmer behaviours. The Farming Connect approach, in particular, appears to focus specifically on farm profitability, with climate change messages well buried. The message from Farming Futures, on the other hand, may be summarised in the quote used earlier in relation to profitable farming 'in our changing environment:' i.e. acknowledging the context but focusing on the business advantages.
Without specific, detailed, evaluative evidence from the initiatives, it is not possible to indicate whether and which elements are proving successful, with which types of farm and farmer. Many activities being carried out as part of the initiatives are already going on in Scotland, but it might be useful to look at how Farming Connect works with women and younger farmers. The Farming Futures fact sheets appear to be a useful resource. They are short and clearly written; use shaded boxes and bullet points to communicate key information; focus on the perspectives of 'your customers' and 'what the scientists say;' and include lists of challenges and opportunities.
5.12 Opportunities for change: CAP reform
Current proposals for the reform of the CAP beyond 2013 provide a number of opportunities for using additional policy levers, or strengthening levers already in use. Examples include:
Potential for specific climate change mitigation measures, including some of those encouraged in FFBC, to be made mandatory through the cross compliance regime that links farming practices to subsidy payments
Additional investment in research and innovation, and steps to translate research results into practice, potentially provide opportunities for more effective, targeted, communication with farmers, and for farmers to share their experience and expertise
Measures to stimulate entrepreneurship in rural communities provide potential for more collaborative approaches between farms and groups of farmers
Expansion of the Farm Advisory Service to offer advice on the activities farmers must undertake as part of the additional greening payment component of direct payments, as well as additional requirements relating to climate change mitigation
The ongoing debate on the future of the CAP, and the consultation process itself, provide a range of opportunities for farmer involvement in policy development and delivery.
CAP reform: messages from opinion former interviews
Interviewees suggested that:
Amendments to the CAP, in relation to climate change, should be linked explicitly with the Farming for a Better Climate five key actions
The CAP should have a greater focus on 'sustainable intensification,' i.e. both increasing production and reducing negative environmental impacts, including those that have an impact on climate change mitigation efforts.
It was also suggested that both SRDP and CAP are currently overly focused on conservation, and should be rebalanced, to acknowledge the pressing nature of issues such as food security, diffuse pollution and climate change.
Plans to require permanent grassland as part of the CAP greening measures were highlighted as a less practical measure. Interviewees felt this approach 'locks up land' and limits the flexibility a farmer might need.
Policy and economic mechanisms available to policy makers
A range of policy approaches is available to governments to encourage positive environmental behaviour among farmers:
Regulation - placing restrictions on what farmers are legally allowed to do and prohibit undesirable management practices. This works best in situations where the target group is already, or can quickly be, persuaded that the regulated actions fall below an acceptable 'reference level' of responsible farming practice
Economic incentives - taxes and subsidies are the most widely used and analysed instruments
Market-led and 'voluntary' approaches - promoting environmentally beneficial management practices to encourage higher standards of environmental behaviours among farmers. These have significant potential to encourage higher standards of management practice on farms and are attractive because they offer 'win-win' options to motivated producers, but are likely to be insufficient to drive enhanced management of the countryside as a whole
Education/information provision - raising awareness of environmental issues, what can be done to address them and why this could be beneficial to farmers. This works in tandem with any/all of the above mechanisms.
Each approach has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of cost, success at influencing behaviours, speed of implementation etc. Success almost always depends on a range of factors. Understanding the interplay between these different elements within a particular policy or commercially-driven approach can be crucial to understand how and why they succeed or fail in different situations.
The SG is currently using a range of policy mechanisms to influence farmers' environmental behaviours. However, only the focus farms which are part of Farming for a Better Climate use the four types of policy levers available to influence behaviours: making it easier to change; giving the right signals; getting people involved; and leading by example.
Key points from the literature
Cross compliance - farmers need clear information about the rationale for cross compliance measures and why the rules are needed. It is important to make it as easy as possible for them to keep up to date with regulatory requirements
Nitrate vulnerable zones - although there is resentment among farmers about NVZ designation, and a widespread feeling that others should share the costs, the evidence suggests that farmers who are disengaged present a greater challenge to policy than farmers who are resistant
Focus farms - there is no evidence to date on the effectiveness of focus farms in Scotland, although they follow a model (monitor farms) which has been evaluated positively. Potential tensions between the commercial imperative and environmental measures may be alleviated if CAP reform includes increased emphasis on environmental cross compliance measures
Agri-environment schemes - farmers' decisions to participate in AESs are influenced by factors such as farm type and size, tenure arrangements and previous experience of participation. Refining policy to improve targeting might help to encourage 'newcomers,' small farms and tenant farmers. Giving farmers more opportunity to innovate within schemes, and setting targets that would allow farmers to see, measure and communicate their conservation progress, would meet their needs to enact and display their skills to their peers
Renewables - farmers are aware of and interested in renewables initiatives, and the potential additional income they provide. However, there are (or are perceived to be) substantial transaction costs involved in the adoption of renewables measures. Clearer information and better signposting to available support could help to increase uptake of schemes. Farmers could also be encouraged to collaborate with each other in the adoption of initiatives.
Opinion formers also wished to stress that:
The more time and money farmers spend complying with regulations, the less they can spend on creating and selling produce (although regulation may also bring other benefits). Better regulations and clearer instructions would make it easier for farmers to comply
Making mitigation measures mandatory does not persuade farmers of their merit, whereas voluntary measures are usually adopted because farmers have been convinced that they have value. However, if farmers can see why mandatory measures are necessary and/or beneficial, they are more likely to support them
The five key actions encouraged through FFBC are all seen as good practice, so farmers looking to increase their efficiency would be likely to take them up anyway
The process of applying for grant funding through SRDP is perceived to be over complicated
Farmers are aware of, and interested in, renewables initiatives and the Feed-in Tariff Scheme, in particular.
Farmers need to be convinced by the science, particularly the science supporting cross compliance measures
Farmers who do not engage present the greatest challenge to policy makers - using newer channels of information transfer may attract farmers who do not actively seek information
Learning from initiatives elsewhere in the UK - many of the activities being carried out as part of Farming Futures (England) and Farming Connect (Wales) are already going on in Scotland, but it might be useful to look at how Farming Connect works with women and younger farmers. The short fact sheets produced as part of Farming Futures appear to be a useful resource, for their focus on a breadth of perspectives (including 'what the scientists say'), and their lists of challenges and opportunities
Current proposals for CAP reform beyond 2013 provide a number of opportunities for using additional policy levers, or strengthening levers already in use. Examples include expansion of farm advisory services; additional investment in research and innovation, and steps to translate research results into practice; and measures to stimulate entrepreneurship in rural communities.
Email: Angela Morgan | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744656 |
__label__cc | 0.651184 | 0.348816 | Jason Isaacs: ‘I'm no poster boy for somebody who has it all together’
By Millicia West 26 April 2019
He's the villain everybody loves to hate (but not-so-secretly loves). Harry Potter's Lucius Malfoy, The Patriot's Colonel Tavington and – most recently – Hap in the supernatural Netflix series The OA. But what does Isaacs hate? Well, Donald Trump and anything that gets in the way of a good game of tennis, apparently...
At 55 years of age, Jason Isaacs is speeding up, not slowing down, with leading roles in Hotel Mumbai, Look Away and hit Netflix series The OA all in the last year alone. GQ chats with Isaacs to discuss his all-time favourite part (spoiler alert: he doesn't have one), having therapy and why nothing (not even his Ikea flat-pack knees) can get in the way of him and the tennis court.
So, you’re busy, busy, busy with the recent releases of The OA series two, Hotel Mumbai and Look Away. On a scale of one to ten, how happy are you right now?
“I don’t play that game, I’m just trying to be grateful. I’m happy in the moment, or when I’m eating cake or playing tennis, but does anyone know what happiness truly means? I’d rather just be grateful.”
**Acting – both on stage and on screen – requires some serious confidence. Have you always been comfortable in your own skin? **
“No, I’m actually not sure I ever have been. Playing ‘pop psychologist’, that’s possibly why I ended up acting. I was a very uncomfortable teenager, I think that’s the teenage condition, feeling like other people have the secret. I was constantly curious about people that fit comfortably in their own skin... Were they faking it? How could they be so certain about things? Then I discovered the rehearsal room, where you could delve into other people’s heads and hearts. Actually, that’s still what I love most about my work.”
**How does the process of delving into another psyche factor into the process of preparing for a role? **
“It depends entirely what it is. If you’re playing a wizard, there’s not many people you can go and hang out with. For Black Hawk Down, I went to train with the Rangers in Fort Benning. For Hotel Mumbai, I watched hours of survival footage. I think there’s a misconception about acting often – that you learn the lines, you play by the script – but 99.9 per cent of an actor’s role is embodying their psyche. Simple in concept, but bloody hard to do. You can’t prepare too much, you have to be completely in the moment when the camera rolls.”
You’re no strange to a traumatic scene or two, particularly in your recent film Hotel Mumbai. When were you most afraid in real life?
“It’s always for my children. I like doing things that scare me: jumping out of planes, going too fast down a mountain. I’m only fearful for my kids, for the future. I look at the hideous drift to the right in politics, with a monstrous white supremacist in the most powerful seat in the world. I worry not only for the actual consequences, but for the psychological consequences of our children seeing how there are no moral ‘grown ups’ in charge of their future.”
So, what’s the one thing you would ban to make the world a better place for all? Donald Trump?
“Oh, Jesus, yeah. But, I don’t know if you can ban prejudice, hatred, selfishness... Jesus, I’m going to start sounding like Mother Teresa. I’d ban politicians who appeal to our human, tribal natures. In fact, I may start by banning guns.”
**You’ve confessed to bingeing shows when you find one that you like. Is there anything else you’re addicted to? **
“How long have you got? My children know full well if there’s anything naughty in the house, then they need to hide it or it won’t last long.”
With such a sweet tooth, it must be hard to stay in shape?
“Well, it’s a bit of a worry because I’m not sure if I’ll ever walk or run in the same way. I played three five set tennis matches on a day off during Star Trek and the next day my knees were swollen like pumpkins. I went to see a top sports doctor and he said ‘You’ve fucked your knees,’ and I said, ‘I know, how long until they’re normal again?’ and he said, ‘No, you’ve fucked your knees.’ So I said, ‘What?! It was one day!’ and he said, ‘Yeah, so is a car crash. You should’ve listened to your body.’”
I suppose knees are one of those things, when they go, they go.
“Kind of like Ikea chairs, you can only bend them a certain number of times.”
So you don’t play tennis anymore?
“Of course I do, I just pop a lot of pills. I do all the stunts that I can do too. That’s the fun stuff that tragic old middle-aged men do at the weekends. Embarrassingly, I get to do it on a Wednesday afternoon as well.”
Aside from tennis, what else gives you pleasure in life? What else couldn’t you live without?
“All of it, I like being alive. What gives me the most pleasure? I want to say something corny like watching my kids laugh, but they’re teenagers so I’m not sure I’ll see that again for a couple of years. They laugh all the time, just not when I’m in the room.”
**Have you ever had therapy? **
“I’ve tried all kinds of therapy for research. Either because I’m playing a therapist, a psychiatrist, a doctor or a victim of abuse. That said, I have asked for help at times in my life and it’s always been incredibly useful. There should be no stigma attached to it. For humans to ignore experts and live like islands is nuts.”
So there’s never been a particular moment where you’ve wanted to give up? Where you’ve wanted to die?
“As an actor, I’m conscious that the public turn on their televisions or buy tickets to suspend their disbelief. There are some things that are important to keep secret – not because I’m ashamed or embarrassed of them, no – but because I don’t want to fill the viewer's head with my personal dramas. I don’t think the public that hope to be transported by my work are helped by knowing too much about me personally, it creates a barrier that can’t be breached. In fact, the actors I grew up worshipping – people I’m transported by to this day – I know the least about.”
You touched upon the stigma surrounding mental health. What do you think is the best way to get men to talk about their feelings, their worries?
“Look, I’m no guru or poster boy for anyone that’s got their shit together; I wouldn’t pretend to be, because anyone who knew me would laugh themselves into new underwear if I did. We talk about men showing their feelings but it depends on where men can share their feelings. What I do know is that if things are going wrong in your life then the worst thing to do is to knuckle down and hope it’ll go away. If your car is broken, you go to the mechanic. You don’t think ‘oh crap, there’s a flat tyre, better keep driving until it inflates itself,’ it’s as simple as that.”
**That’s a great analogy. **
“Without sounding corny, that’s why I believe in the power of stories. I think in times of crisis – either consciously or subconsciously – humans look to fictional narratives as a kind of guiding template. I used to come across Harry Potter fans who said that the books had saved their life and I’d think, ‘Well, that’s sweet, but really?’ Then they’d explain how the books had provided solace and support when they were feeling their darkest or most alone. That’s when I realised it was something bigger than we could’ve imagined. Jo is a true magician, those books will pull on heartstrings across the world forever.”
**What do you like most about yourself? **
“It changes from second to second but, in theory, I don’t like anything about myself. I like it when other people like me, that’s probably why I’m an actor. I think I’m funny, I think I can cheer people up, and – maybe because I’m from Liverpool, maybe because I’m Jewish – I really like that. In hindsight, maybe I’m fooling myself... my kids certainly don’t think I’m funny, they just roll their eyes when I open my mouth.”
**No teenagers think their parents are funny, trust me. What would you say is your greatest achievement? **
“People would often say their kids, but it’s not much of an achievement. Anyone can do it, it just takes a couple of minutes, some wine and a dark room. In terms of acting, people often ask what my favourite role has been, but it’s always the next one. I like living in the here and now. I’m way too superstitious to allow for the hubris of celebrating my achievements, but after 30 odd years and hundreds of roles, a few have made a real impact on the public. So to do something I love, that is occasionally of value, is a real bonus.”
That’s an achievement in itself, surely?
“I’m just stumbling blindly forward trying to do the best that I can. I tell you what a personal achievement is... if I can get out of bed and feel grateful for any part of the day – or all of the day – for all the unbelievable good fortune that I have. It’s easy to moan or complain, but because I’m lucky enough to work with the people at The Red Cross, or Great Ormond Street, or Marie Curie, I can use my exposure for the better and spend the day feeling incredibly grateful. That is the best achievement any of us can do for ourselves.”
Yes, you’re very active on social media to expose social injustice and promote the work of charities across the world. Is that something you’re particularly passionate about?
“My mum ran charities her whole life and I gave her no credit for it. I wish I could have all that time again because she’s dead now, sadly. But, I do think I absorbed by osmosis that drive to help others. If I can use my profile to galvanise people into action, then that feels great. Don’t get me wrong, I’m as selfish and cracked and amoral as everybody else, but I know what makes me feel good in life: chocolate, playing tennis, holding hands... and charity. I don’t know if it’s an ego boost, if it feeds the need inside all of us to be needed or of value, but it makes me feel better.”
**What is the most important lesson life has taught you? What one piece of advice would you pass down to your kids? **
“Find whatever tools you need to be grateful. Oh, and put that phone down! Although, as an addict, I’m just as bad as them.”
**Do you have a particular favourite project? **
“I can’t single out a favourite, but If you haven’t watched The OA, you’re missing out on something, that’s all I’m saying. I have never met anyone as fearless in their storytelling as Zal (Batmanglij) and Brit (Marling). Netflix has empowered them to go so far off piste, you don’t even recognise the mountain anymore. I read the script and got on a plane to the set that same night.”
What about the script made you get on the plane?
“I read millions of scripts and I honestly have never read anything like The OA. Not even close. The characters aren’t drawing on the cauldron of established tropes and clichés, they’re in a completely different kitchen. It’s selfish, really... I want people to watch it because I want Netflix to commission another series, because I want to see what they’ll do. Purely as a fan, I want to see where their stories will go.”
**Well, judging by the popularity of it, a third series must be looking likely? Here’s hoping, anyway... **
“Here’s hoping.”
Look Away and The OA series two are out now. Hotel Mumbai is out on 3 May. *
InterviewFilm | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744657 |
__label__wiki | 0.986058 | 0.986058 | February 04, 2013 12:31pm PT by Michael O'Connell
Super Bowl XLVII Falls Shy of Ratings Record With 108.4 Million Viewers
UPDATED: Fast National returns have the game falling nearly 3 million short of the high set in 2012 -- and a special "Elementary" seems to suffer from its late start time.
After scrubbing the mid-game blackout delay from ratings and making time zone adjustments, Nielsen gives Sunday night's Super Bowl a haul of 108.41 million viewers.
The matchup in New Orleans between the victorious Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers was down nearly 3 million from last year's record of 111.3 million for the game between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Super Bowl XLVII now stands as the No. 3 most-watched program in U.S. history.
VIDEO: Super Bowl 2013: The Most Talked About Commercials
The final tally, also down from 2011's 111-million strong Super Bowl that pitted the Green Bay Packers against the Pittsburgh Steelers, comes after record overnight ratings for the CBS broadcast. Fast National returns give the game a 46.3 rating and a 69 share. Viewership peaked between 10:30 and 10:47 p.m. ET, with 113.92 million viewers on hand for the fourth quarter.
Elementary hit a series high with 20.8 million viewers after the game, though the freshman drama no doubt took a hit from its late start time. The game delay pushed Elementary to 11:11 p.m. ET, nearly an hour later than last year's post-game episode of The Voice (37.6 million) on NBC. It marked a 10-year low for a post-game outing, with ABC's 2003 episode of Alias, which began at 11.01 p.m., pulling in 17.4 million viewers.
In the key demo, Elementary pulled a 7.8 rating with adults 18-49.
Michael O'Connell
michael.oconnell@THR.com mikeylikestv | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744659 |
__label__wiki | 0.846831 | 0.846831 | Planning Board says best option for pot operation is near cop shop
Board criticizes plan to locate facilities in city's Rail District
Planning Board says best option for pot operation is near cop shop Board criticizes plan to locate facilities in city's Rail District Check out this story on HometownLife.com: http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/birmingham/2015/05/24/planning-board-says-best-option-pot-operation-near-cop-shop/27902509/
Jay Grossman, hometownlife.com Published 9:47 p.m. ET May 24, 2015 | Updated 9:50 p.m. ET May 24, 2015
Birmingham officials are trying to determine where medical marijuana grow facilities should be allowed to operate.(Photo: submitted)
A proposal to permit medical marijuana warehouses in the Birmingham Rail District is apparently … going up in smoke.
Birmingham Planning Board members dismissed the idea at their May 13 meeting, suggesting a better location might be the downtown Central Business District near the police station. They plan to discuss it further with the City Commission during a study session between the two boards on June 15.
None of the board members are thrilled about the prospect of having marijuana grow facilities in Birmingham, but they feel their hands are tied.
In keeping with a recent court ruling on the state's 2008 voter-approved Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA), Planning Director Jana Ecker said municipalities across Michigan are required to provide a location for marijuana grow facilities.
Planning Board member Bert Koseck said ultimately, he hopes the real estate in Birmingham will prove too costly for a marijuana grow operation.
"Why would I even want to put this in Birmingham, as opposed to a community where dirt is less expensive," Koseck said at the meeting. "Is it because it's the 'Marijuana of Rodeo Drive?' I don't know ..."
Ecker said ignoring the provisions in the MMMA won't result in any penalties from the state, but it could result in a civil lawsuit if a person wanted to open a grow operation within the city boundaries.
"Definitely in the last couple months we've had some calls," she said at the meeting.
For the past year or so, the city has been unable to lock down a specific location for the facilities.
The Planning Board discussion centered around a zoning amendment that would allow the facilities to operate in the Rail District as a permitted use with a special land use permit. The zoning amendment would only apply to grow operations that want to set up shop in commercial areas.
City Attorney Tim Currier said the grow operations are not retail outlets, or dispensaries, where a person off the street can purchase marijuana.
The Rail District is located on the east side of Eton Road between Maple and Lincoln. It has the Big Rock Chophouse to the north and Kenning Park to the south. Plus, it has the Goldfish Swim Club, Griffin Claw Microbrewery, Robot Garage, and a mix of apartments and condos.
It's an area that has seen a lot of development in the past year, which is one reason why the Planning Board would like to see the marijuana facilities located elsewhere.
"This district is our most exciting area right now and we are seeing some of the best projects come over here," board member Janelle Boyce said. "I think it's the wrong place for this – I can't see myself ever supporting it here."
The city's attorney and police department are recommending the Rail District because of its close proximity to the police shooting range. Plus, the district is only accessible from Eton Road.
Koseck doesn't buy it. He thinks the district is being recommended because it's an "edgier area" than other parts of Birmingham. At the same time, he wonders what impact a grow operation would have on neighboring property values.
"I would want to make sure if I owned property next door that I wouldn't be negatively impacted by noise … any aroma … intense light – all of those things. What kind of aroma comes from this so it doesn't affect my three-story building next to it?"
Boyce said she toured a medical marijuana facility and found no problems with the lighting or noise.
"But the odor is unbelievable," she said. "I have no idea how they could contain the odor – I don't know if it's possible."
Ecker noted the Churchill's Cigar Bistro on Old Woodward dealt with the cigar smoke by installing a $150,000 mechanical system that dissipates the smoke before it spreads to neighboring buildings. She said the grow operations would need a similar system.
Board members Bryan Williams and Gillian Lazar wants the city staff to research where similar communities, such as Bloomfield Hills and Plymouth, are selecting space for possible marijuana medical facilities.
"I agree with Janelle," Williams said. "This is the wrong place. We have just spent how much time, staff, planning with developers coming in here over the past 20 years, and now we're going to dump this facility on someone's head? I think not. Put it downtown and make them pay quadruple what they would otherwise pay."
Birmingham, like numerous other municipalities in Michigan, previously outlawed medical marijuana establishments on the grounds that marijuana is still classified as a controlled substance under federal law.
In a 2013 ruling by the Michigan State Supreme Court, however, local governments were told they must follow provisions spelled out in the MMMA.
One of those provisions allows certified caregivers to grow marijuana for medical marijuana patients.
Read or Share this story: http://www.hometownlife.com/story/news/local/birmingham/2015/05/24/planning-board-says-best-option-pot-operation-near-cop-shop/27902509/ | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744660 |
__label__wiki | 0.909827 | 0.909827 | © 2017 by Heritage Watch International
Heritage Watch is currently running an initiative called 'Heritage for Kids' in an effort to stimulate an appreciation of heritage and culture at a young age and to highlight the importance of heritage preservation and education about the past to a new generation of young Cambodians. The Heritage for Kids program is integrated into the primary and secondary school curriculum in Banteay Meanchey.
The program includes education packs containing a lesson plan used by teachers to highlight the issues of environmental degradation and heritage destruction and the importance of these resources to the country. Along with the lesson plan that takes about a day to work through and involves group planning and discussion, the pack includes copies of the Heritage Watch comic book and Children's book.
The program, in collaboration with the APSARA Authority, expanded to Siem Reap Province in 2018, based on the demonstrated success. The project was recognised as a Finalist for the Tourism for Tomorrow Award by the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2018 in Buenos Aries, Argentina.
Ancestors of the Khmer Empire Exhibition
In 2016 Heritage Watch collaborated with the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to launch a permanent exhibition, "Ancestors of the Khmer Empire" at the Provincial Museum in Banteay Meanchey Province. The idea was to create a teaching environment that illustrated the importance of cultural heritage and to showcase the rich archaeological history of the region. The exhibition is now an important part of the Heriage for Kids program and the children and other vistors are impressed by the array of metal tools, weapons and ceramics on display (all scientifically excavated)!
Early in 2010, Heritage Watch received a site preservation grant from Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) for a two-year community stewardship program at Banteay Chhmar, the late 12th century temple complex remotely situated in northeast Cambodia near the border with Thailand. The site has suffered considerable damage through encroaching growth of jungle and aggressive looting for years.
Heritage Watch, working in partnership with Global Heritage Fund, used the fund from AIA to assist with community development. Heritage Watch’s core initiative here is to ensure the sustainability in site preservation by involving the local community and helping them to understand the value of their heritage and its importance for economic development. The main goal of the project is to ensure that the benefits of tourism development flow back to the local community and is distributed appropriately amongst community stakeholders. This strategy, involving English language training, Guide training and heritage awareness training increased local interest in the preservation of Banteay Chhmar and enlists the general public in protecting the site and developing tourism services in a sustainable manner.
Banteay Chmmar Community Development
Koh Ker Sustainable Development Project
Heritage Watch launched an innovative project of heritage protection and poverty reduction at one of Southeast Asia’s largest temple complexes, the ancient Khmer capital of Koh Ker in 2007. This tenth century site, home to dozens of magnificent temples, was isolated for much of the last century by war, landmines, and poor roads. But due to recent demining efforts and improved roads, Koh Ker is now poised to become a major tourist destination.
Through the project, Heritage Watch promoted the protection of the temple complex while providing a sustainable development strategy. These people are among the poorest in Cambodia, barely eking out a living through subsistence farming and forest scavenging. Furthermore, a large percentage are disabled landmine victims. This poverty has naturally exacerbated looting at Koh Ker, which was heavily plundered in the 1990s. However, much of this remarkable site is still intact, and its future protection hinges on the local community being able to benefit from the coming economic boom.
Heritage Watch provided training in heritage protection and conservation for the local community, organizing and equipping community patrols to protect the temples from looting. Heritage Watch established a baseline survey of past looting at the temples, and using this, recent thefts can easily be detected. These patrols were provided with training in basic environmental management, and can pick up litter, empty trash bins, et cetera.
Training in tourism at a basic level was also provided, so that the villagers could establish sustainable businesses near the temples—such as refreshment stands, oxcart tours of the site, and traditional craft sales. Village women and the disabled will be trained in the production of these crafts, thus providing for some of the most disadvantaged groups in the community.
Income was generated by the villagers through the sale of craft goods, ox-cart rides, and other products. Perhaps most importantly, this project illustrated to the entirety of Cambodia that protecting heritage is more financially advantageous than destroying it. Heritage Watch would like to thank Friends of Khmer Culture, Pepy Ride, the Fonds Famille vanBeek, Lonely Planet and our private donors for their generous contributions to this project.
Heritage Friendly Tourism
In 2007, with the cooperation and support of the Ministry of Tourism, Heritage Watch put into motion an exciting and dynamic campaign with seven main aims;
Promote Responsible Tourism
Promote the arts, culture, heritage and development projects in Cambodia.
Discourage Heritage Destruction
Encourage Private Sector Philanthropy
Inspire Visitors to Discover more of Cambodia's Fascinating Heritage
Encourage Longer Stays in Cambodia
Alleviate Stresses on Heritage Sites by Suggesting Alternative Routes/Destinations
By supporting and collaborating with other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), local business and the government, Heritage Watch promoted exciting tourist activities through the publication of a free magazine, TouchStone. This encouraged tourists to stay in Cambodia longer as they enjoy and participate in unique tours, arts festivals, arts and crafts expositions, architecture tours, and expert speaker tours. All these activities were promoted through TouchStone magazine a tourism magazine produced by the Heritage Watch team.
The campaign promoted businesses that were certified Heritage Friendly. Certified businesses met criteria that encouraged responsible tourism and developed local economic sustainability.
NGO Workshops
In 2005, HeritageWatch began regular village workshops aimed at educating rural communities about the importance of protecting their local heritage. Attendees included local officials, villagers and monks. These workshops were an important part of HeritageWatch’s national education campaign—by going directly into those communities at threatened archaeological sites, HeritageWatch is reaching out to potential looters and educating them about the importance of protecting the past.
Village Training
In 2006, Heritage Watch began regular educational workshops for the employees of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in areas of the country where looting is heaviest. These seminars, in addition to stressing the importance of protecting cultural heritage, provided training on how to recognize recent looting and how to properly report it. NGO workers—especially those working in mine clearance or wildlife protection—are often the first people to discover looting in remote parts of the country. They are thus a great resource for protecting archaeological sites; a resource which has not been tapped until now.
DHARMA Legal Database
Beginning in 2005 Heritage Watch created the DHARMA — the Database of Historical and Archaeological Regulations for the Management of Antiquities. For the first time, lawyers, archaeologists, law enforcement officers, government officials, and collectors will have easy access to current national and international legislation affecting the management of heritage resources.
The DHARMA database was handed over in July 2012 to both the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and to UNESCO Cambodia.
Heritage Watch is extremely grateful to Terressa Davis and her team of interns for compiling this useful database and uncovering laws that may have a lasting impact on the preservation of Cambodia's rich heritage.
Rescue Excavations
Early in 2006, HeritageWatch began rescue excavations at the 2000 year-old site of Wat Jas, a large and important center during the Iron Age. Starting in late 2005, it was heavily targeted by looters seeking the ceramics, tools, and beads found in its burial grounds. Sadly, by the time HeritageWatch reached the site, it had nearly been decimated. The rescue excavations, led by Heritage Watch staff and staff from the Royal University of Fine Arts, extensively recorded the damage, mapping and taking aerial photographs to fully illustrate the scale of destruction.
Heritage Watch has over the years produced a number of publications, including several issues of TouchStone magazine as part of the Heritage Friendly Tourism Campaign. Other publications include a comic book and children's book that are still in use as part of the Heritage For Kids Project. "Wrath of the Phantom Army" has been a very successful comic book that was distributed nationally and "If the Stones Could Speak" is a bilingual book aimed for use in schools. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744665 |
__label__wiki | 0.977454 | 0.977454 | Brendan Rodgers: Liverpool Are Not a One-Man Team
By Vishnuprasad S
March 9, 2013 12:20 GMT
Brendan Rodgers has dismissed suggestions that Liverpool are over-reliant on Luis Suarez.
The Uruguayan is leading the Premier League's scoring charts with 21 goals - which amounts to 40 percent of the Reds' goal tally - that have helped the Merseyside outfit recover from a disappointing start to the season and rise to seventh in the table, just three points behind derby rivals Everton.
However, Rodgers insists the credit must be shared by the entire squad and highlighted the contributions of players such as captain Steven Gerrard, who is is joint-top on the assists chart, along with Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata, Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski.
"Listen, we're not a one-man team, I think it's very disrespectful to our other players in the team who have been outstanding, Steven Gerrard or the likes - he's got the most assists in the Premier League this year. We're very much about the team and Luis is a big part of that," the Northern Irishman said.
However, Rodgers did hail Suarez's incredible run of form and identified it as a crucial element as the Reds approach the run-in, aiming to finish the season on a high.
"His consistency this season has been phenomenal, really. He's a master marksman that this year has been really, really efficient and been outstanding. Hopefully he can continue with the brilliant form he's been in," the 40-year-old said.
Liverpool welcome high-flying Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield on Sunday and Rodgers admitted the major threat was the north London side's talisman Gareth Bale, who has scored 10 goals in his last eight matches.
"[Bale is] a phenomenal player, both for his club and for his country. He has been outstanding for Wales as well [as for Tottenham]. He's at the top of his game. We will always analyse the strengths and weaknesses of the team but for us our main concern is ourselves, bringing our own game into it and doing our work when the opponent has the ball," he added.
Related topics : Wayne Rooney London | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744679 |
__label__wiki | 0.71123 | 0.71123 | IGZ – Business of the Month!
SAP software expertise from Falkenberg
IGZ is the Business of the Month at Oberpfalz Regional Marketing
Around 180 employees are now coding and developing software in the three "software barns" that make up the corporate premises of IGZ Logistics + IT GmbH, based in Falkenberg in the district of Tirschenreuth. The two-man operation founded by brothers Wolfgang Gropengießer and Johann Zrenner has grown over the past 13 years into an international and highly specialized software company for SAP software. "IGZ provides secure jobs for highly qualified employees in Bavaria's eastern Oberpfalz region and its innovative company premises are also something of a local architectural landmark," commented Christoph Aschenbrenner, Director of Oberpfalz Regional Marketing, when presenting the award for December's Business of the Month.
The SAP Logistics integrators in Bavaria's eastern Oberpfalz region plan and implement demanding software projects for the rollout of SAP software solutions in warehouse logistics and production. IGZ is also one of the largest SAP partners worldwide that specialises in this domain. SAP is a software suite for the management of commercial business processes, including those deployed within logistics and production. The service provided by IGZ consists of tailoring the software to match the customer's needs, before then enhancing and integrating the software into existing logistics and production systems. "Our customer base consists of more than 300 companies and groups in all sectors, most of whom are large clients with over 1,000 employees," explains executive director Wolfgang Gropengießer. Among these are regional companies such as Conrad, Grammer or Hamm, as well as firms such as Bayer, Continental, Gerolsteiner or Hugo Boss.
Continuous Growth in Bavaria's Oberpfalz
IGZ's company history reflects a clear commitment to Bavaria's eastern Oberpfalz region. With two new company buildings in 2005 and 2010, and continuous employee growth to today's workforce of 180 people, the software company has maintained a constant presence in the Oberpfalz economic area. Twice awarded the accolade of "Bavaria's Best 50" (in 2008 and 2009), the company's recent expansion to its premises has also laid the groundwork for further growth over the next few years.
Software Barns 1.0 to 3.0
IGZ opened its first company offices in Falkenberg in 2000 in a renovated barn previously used for the agricultural business run by the directors' parents – hence the name "Software Barn". Software Barns v. 2.0 and 3.0 were then built at the company's new address on Logistikweg (and within sight of the family home), and feature an eye-catching and highly unusual architecture.
"Posts at our company are offered on a regional basis only and are held by highly-qualified employees," explains director Johann Zrenner. These include engineers, computer scientists, specialist/business informatics experts, mathematicians, and graduates of other technical courses. Newcomers with a thorough grounding in IT and an interest in IT processes in logistics are also welcome, as are experienced SAP consultants and developers, says the executive director. The company also offers apprenticeships in specialist informatics for application development and in business office communications. Currently, around 20 trainees are working in the Software Barns. Graduates of IT colleges in Wiesau are also in demand.
This is the kind of skilled expertise IGZ offers to its customers, who visit Falkenberg from all over Europe. "We have a specialised portfolio of services that our competitors can simply no longer offer," explains Zrenner, who intends to further expand this niche segment in the future. The approach has impressed Christoph Aschenbrenner from Regional Marketing Oberpfalz: "Companies like IGZ help give young people in particular the prospects of a future career and home life in Bavaria's Oberpfalz." | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744683 |
__label__cc | 0.537575 | 0.462425 | Congratulations to the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2016 winner: Michael Jung (GER) and La Biosthetique – Sam FBW
Congratulations to the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2016 winner: Michael Jung (GER) and La Biosthetique – Sam FBW.
They also claims the prestigious Rolex Grand Slam having won in succession three premiere CCI**** events in America and Britain.
This amazing couple achieved all the medals and trophies that any event rider dreams to win as a coronation of his career. He is only 30 years old and he is a legend already! He is the current Olympic, European, World champion and he won all the major international events and of course he has just won the Rolex Gran Slam trophy.
THE ROLEX GRAND SLAM OF EVENTING HISTORY
In 2001 Rolex was inspired to link the three foremost Eventing competitions in the world into a Grand Slam. Badminton – the British horse trials on which the modern sport of eventing was founded, Kentucky – the premier US event, and Burghley – the East of England’s showpiece event, formed the competition.
Every year these three events attract world class competition and crowds of enthusiastic supporters eager to bear witness to equestrian greatness. It became immediately apparent that, completing the challenge and winning the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, would require a series of outstanding performances from a remarkable athlete.
Since its inception in 2001, only one rider has risen to the challenge: Britain’s much loved and highly decorated team member, Pippa Funnell. In April 2003 she rode Primmore’s Pride to victory at Rolex Kentucky, beginning her Rolex Grand Slam campaign. A week later, this time riding double European champion Supreme Rock, Funnell was crowned Badminton winner. A few months later, Funnell reigned supreme at Burghley, riding Primmore’s Pride again, outperforming fellow Rolex Testimonee Zara Phillips, who finished in second place. Pippa Funnell immediately joined the ranks of sporting greats and became a Rolex Testimonee.
Since then, two of the three legs of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing have been won by four different riders: Australia’s Andrew Hoy, Britain’s William Fox-Pitt and Oliver Townend, and New Zealand’s Andrew Nicholson. None of these top-class riders have yet succeeded in triumphing over the series and winning the final element of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744685 |
__label__cc | 0.580087 | 0.419913 | Newsletter B
Newsletter C
Newsletter D
Home / Resources / Rainbow Digest / September 2019
Time for an EU-level LGBTI strategy, IVF for lesbians in France, first Sarajevo Pride, and much more...
No. 288. September 2019. In this issue...
ILGA-Europe
Looking for candidates for the ILGA-Europe Executive Board
What are the needs of the movement in the field of communications?
New speakers announced
#BiVisibilityDay2019
Why are bisexual asylum seekers almost completely invisible?
Indefinite immigration in the UK detention is inhumane
Bodily integrity
OII Europe hosted their 3rd Intersex Community Event in Zagreb
ILGA-Europe and OII Europe to hold a side event during the PACE sessions
Finnish Presidency organised a high-level conference on LGBTI equality
Landmark decision by Kazakhstan’s Supreme Court to uphold the privacy of a lesbian couple
Transgender youth in Lithuania face overwhelming challenges in education and employment
IVF to be available for lesbian and single women in France
"If a man gives birth, he’s the father"
First Sarajevo Pride took place with great success
The registration of Feminita is denied again in Kazakhstan
Trans woman in Uzbekistan killed after coming out on social media
Brutal LGBTI-phobic murder in Tajikistan
3rd European Chemsex Forum to be held in Paris from 14-16 November
Why the struggles of the climate and LGBTQIA+ movements are deeply connected
Legal gender recognition
Activists from South Africa visited Brussels
Campaign in Germany: “Say it loud: Self-determination!”
What happened at the 2019 ILGA World Conference in New Zealand?
New opportunities to join ILGA Asia
Postdoc position EU Gender Equality Law at the Utrecht University
Freedom House seeks a consultant for a gender inclusive approach to emergency grantmaking
Good news for those who missed the last day to get nominated for the ILGA-Europe Executive Board. We have extended the deadline for our member organisations to nominate candidates until Tuesday, 8 October. The voting will take place at the 2019 Annual Conference in Prague.
Read carefully the guidance for the nominations and fill out the form by 8 October.
ILGA-Europe will soon launch a survey on strategic communication needs assessment. Building on our work done in the last five years, the project aims at assessing the needs of the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia in the field of communications. The wide-participation of the LGBTI organisations, groups, and initiatives is vital since the results will have an effect on international donors’ funding strategies as well as ILGA-Europe’s movement support mechanisms in the upcoming years. The needs assessment survey will be launched within the next three weeks. Stay tuned!
For more information, contact ILGA-Europe Senior Campaign and Programmes Officer Laura Piazza at laura@ilga-europe.org
Visit our webpage about our work on strategic communications.
23-26 October, Prague, Czech Republic
We are thrilled to announce more speakers and panellists for the Annual Conference that will take place in Prague between 23-26 October. Alison Lowe who is the Chief Executive of Touchstone that work with and for people with mental health problems; Annelies Tukker who works on international policy for intersex rights at NNID Foundation; Olave Nduwanje who is jurist and queer, anti-racist, feminist activist; Marija Golubeva (Member of the Latvian Parliament) who proposed a civil partnership law in Latvia; and Tomáš Petříček (Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic) as one of the top politicians from our host country will be speaking at the Conference.
Read more about the speakers.
You need to register for the Conference as soon as possible.
We celebrated the Bisexual Visibility Day on 23 September. On this special day, Zeynab Peyghambarzadeh shared a blog post on our website about the invisibility of Iranian bisexual asylum seekers in Europe through the experiences of her PHD research: “Bisexual asylum seekers have to pretend to be gay not only because they are afraid of asylum case officers, but also because biphobia is common among LGBT individuals and Iranian or non-Iranian activists, along with lawyers and interpreters who are supposed to support LGBT asylum seekers in a common way.”
Read the blog post.
Did you know that the UK is the only country in Europe to not have a time-limit on how long people can be kept in detention? UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group (UKLGIG) launched a new campaign with the stories of LGBTQI+ people who have been held within the UK immigration detention system to urge MPs to support amendments to the immigration bill this autumn to bring in a 28-day limit to detention.
Add your name to the campaign petition to make more politicians pay attention.
Watch their campaign videos #LendYourVoice.
OII Europe celebrated both their 4th anniversary of official foundation and organised 3rd Intersex Community Event which took place between 26-28 September in Zagreb, Croatia. The event was hosted by the local organisation TransAid and aimed at creating a space for intersex people and their families to connect, strategise, and socialise. It included two-day closed community event and a day of public conference open to endosex people (people who are not intersex). More than 60 participants from 23 countries were present at the event.
Read more about the event.
In May 2019, OII Europe and ILGA-Europe published their brand-new toolkit Protecting Intersex People in Europe: A toolkit for law and policy makers; which will be presented at a panel discussion during the autumn sessions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Dan Christian Ghattas (Executive Director of OII Europe), Mauro Cabral Grinspan (Executive Director of GATE), and Cianán Russell (Senior Policy Officer of ILGA-Europe) will speak at the event which is taking place in Strasbourg on Wednesday, 2 October between 13.00 and 13.45.
Watch the event on live-streaming on Facebook.
OII Europe prepared a promo video for the toolkit.
Europe is at a dangerous crossroads and that’s why this is a critical time for the Commission to adopt a comprehensive LGBTI strategy over the next five years, say ILGA-Europe in the media release on 17 September. An EU LGBTI strategy, adopted and owned by the political leadership of the European Commission would give a very important political sign that the EU will not only continue but also strengthen its work on protecting and advancing the human rights of LGBTI people in the European Union. Also, it will help all Directorate Generals of the European Commission to feel empowered to ensure full implementation of existing commitments and to plan proposals and actions that will advance LGBTI human rights and equality.
Read more about our call for an EU-level LGBTI strategy.
On 23 September, the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission organised a high-level conference in Brussels on Advancing LGBTI Equality in the EU: from 2020 and beyond. The speakers, including the Finnish Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality and the Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science clearly stated that this is the time for more action and political leadership from the EU institutions. There was a clear call for the EC to adopt an EU LGBTI strategy to continue and step up the progress made through the EC list of actions. ILGA-Europe, in consultation with member organisations, are working on specific recommendations for thematic focus to the European Commission and will submit them at the end of October.
Read ILGA-Europe's Communications Director Brian Finnegan’s blog post ahead of the Conference.
The Eurobarometer 2019 report, which polled of more than 27,000 EU citizens on the social acceptance of LGBTI people across the EU and perceptions on discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, has been published on 25 September. Welcoming the results which reports positive findings on the acceptance of LGBTI people, ILGA-Europe Executive Director, Evelyne Paradis says they need to be taken into account with the rise of anti-LGBTI hate speech and attacks on the fundamental rights of LGBTI people in general in EU Member States.
Read our analyse for the Eurobarometer 2019.
Read the Eurobarometer LGBTI findings.
In January 2018, two young women were filmed kissing at a cinema in Almaty by a man, Eldar Mamedov who posted the video to Facebook. The faces of both women were fully identifiable and they were subsequently recognised on the streets and received death threats, calls for violence and other hate speech. On 30 July this year, the Supreme Court found in favour of the women, saying that everyone has the right to privacy, personal and family secrets, protection of one’s honour and dignity.
Read more on our news article about the decision.
Absence of legal gender recognition and health care in Lithuania places transgender young people at serious risk when it comes to education and employment, says LGL from Lithuania. Unable to change gender marker in legal documents, access health care and confronted with prevailing transphobic attitudes in the Lithuanian society, transgender individuals face a high degree of social marginalisation and are often unemployed.
Read more on LGL’s analyse of challenges faced by transgender community in Lithuania.
The Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson in Lithuania published a report of their research on the situation of transgender persons.
After yearlong debates in France, often very hateful and harmful for lesbians and single women, the victory has finally come on 27 September. The National Assembly approved the new bioethics law extending the right to use IVF methods to lesbian and single women. ILGA-Europe want to congratulate all the activists who have fought hard and tirelessly for this over the years. We regret that trans men are excluded from the law. The law adopted still has to be approved by the upper house before going into effect.
Read more about the new bill.
The UK’s High Court has ruled that Freddy McConnell, a trans man who gave birth to his child, does not have the right to be registered as a “father” on his child’s birth certificate. McConnell has indicated his intention to appeal. At present, people who give birth to a child in the UK are always registered as the “mother”. However, this does not accurately reflect the lived reality of a growing number of transgender birth parents, and can therefore create inconsistencies.
Read more about trans pregnancy and parenthood in the UK.
More than 3000 participants took the streets of the capital city of Bosnia & Herzegovina the day of the first-ever Pride March on Sunday, 8 September. Activist Llejla Huremagic told the crowd at the end of the March that the Pride is also to support anyone else who is left out of society. Although there was a counter-protest labelled as ‘pro-family’ day the day before the Pride march, the protest only gathered a couple of hundred people.
Our Programmes Director Bjorn van Roozendaal joined this history day in Sarajevo and wrote a blog post.
On 3 September, the registration of LBQ women’s organisation Feminita has been denied again by an appeal court in Kazakhstan. “It feels like they are constantly searching for grounds to stop our work,” Zhanar Sekerbaeva, co-founder of Feminita, said to Human Rights Watch. Feminita members have experienced discriminatory treatment by the authorities before. In 2019, the authorities denied Feminita permission to organise a march for International Women’s Day multiple times. In 2018, Sekerbaeva was detained, charged with “minor hooliganism,” and fined $30 because she organised a photo shoot that she said was intended to destigmatize menstruation.
Read more about the arbitrary and discriminatory decision of the court.
A representative of the police department in Tashkent's Yunusobod district announced on 13 September that two suspects were charged with the murder of 25-year-old trans woman, whose body was found a day earlier. It has been reported that this was followed by her public coming out on social media. ILGA-Europe hope that the Uzbek Law Enforcement will carry out thorough and transparent investigation of the murders.
Read more on the news article from RFE/RL. (Note: The text mis-genders the victim.)
A body of an LGBTI person* was found in the river in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on the week of 16 September. According to police, the victim was lured into a fake date by a group of 6 men who later raped, stabbed and thrown the victim in the river. Same-sex relations in Tajikistan were decriminalised in 1998, however LGBTI people are stigmatised and publicly attacked. Hate crimes based on SOGIESC are common in Tajikistan where the Government has openly stated it would not protect the LGBTI people and has refused to adopt the international recommendations to uphold the rights of LGBTI people in the country.
* Reported by LGBTI activists in Tajikistan.
Read our Annual Review chapter of Tajikistan covering the period of January to December 2018.
The European Chemsex Forum initiative launched in 2015 with clinical, therapeutic, research and community chemsex responders. The 3rd European Chemsex Forum will be two and a half day, multi-disciplinary event, in Paris between 14-16 November. The organisers encourage participation by people who engage in chemsex including gay men, MSM, trans and non-binary people and others. They encourage participation by people from Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus regions: as well as participation by people from locations where chemsex use has been identified but there is not yet adequate chemsex response.
Register for the event.
Read their position paper on chemsex.
LGBTQIA+ people recognise that the same forces that attack our communities are also the ones who are exhausting the planet, wrote Queers4Climate from the Netherlands for ILGA-Europe Blog. “Climate breakdown is of huge risk to everyone, but it has a disproportionate effect on already marginalised communities. This is what makes it a queer issue.”
Read the blog post written by Queers4Climate Netherlands.
On the first week of September in Brussels, a delegation of 10 South African activist from Iranti, Intersex South Africa, and the African Center for Migration and Society, in partnership with ILGA-Europe, met with civil society (OII Europe, NNID, Transgender Northern Ireland, and Utrecht University), the DG-JUST of the European Union, the European External Action Service, and European Parliament LGBTI Intergroup, and MEPs interested in advancing trans and intersex rights. This is a milestone moment as South Africa explores legal gender recognition legislation based on self-determination as well as legislation targeted to eliminated intersex genital mutilation.
Read more what happened during the visit in Brussels.
ILGA-Europe member organisation Bundesverband Trans* (BVT*) launched a new campaign "Say it aloud! - self-determination! Abolish TSG!" to opposed new legal gender recognition laws in Germany with any restrictive requirements. ILGA-Europe strongly support legal gender recognition based solely on self-determination, and stand in solidarity with the trans community in Germany.
Read more about the campaign.
Gathering together is how we remind ourselves that what unites us is far stronger, and powerful, than those forces trying to break us apart. It was the first ILGA World Conference to ever be held in Oceania: with 120 sessions in six days, together with the celebration of the first 40 years of ILGA. They have published their Conference report under the theme “Celebrating the past to liberate our future”.
Read the ILGA World Conference report.
ILGA Asia is recruiting a full-time Finance and Administration Officer to look after the operation of the Bangkok office and a full-time UN Programme Officer to work on international advocacy. The deadlines for applying for the position of Finance and Administration Officer is 13 October (23.59 ICT*) and the deadline for the position of UN Programme Officer is 20 October (23.59 ICT*).
*ICT – Indochina Time
Read more and apply for the Finance and Administration Officer post.
Read more and apply for the UN Programme Officer post.
The Utrecht University Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance seek to fill a position for a Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of EU Gender Equality Law. The successful candidate will be part of the coordination team of the gender stream of the European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination. The primary task of the network is to gather reliable expert information on legislation, case law and national developments to enable the Commission to fulfil their role as guardian of the treaties.
Read more and apply by 13 October.
Freedom House are looking for a short-term consultant to better understand and respond to gendered protection needs at each stage of their grantmaking operations which provides emergency assistance to human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and survivors of religious persecution globally, including LGBTI+ human rights defenders and CSOs. Applications will be received and reviewed on a rolling basis during October.
Read the terms of reference for more information. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744686 |
__label__wiki | 0.628757 | 0.628757 | C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud
A Comparison of Their Thoughts and Viewpoints on Life, Pain and Death
By Armand M. Nicholi II
The worldviews of Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis, both prevalent in our culture today, present diametrically opposed interpretations of who we are (our identity), where we come from (our biological and cultural heritage), and our destiny.
First, let us lay the groundwork for our discussion by asking three questions. Who is Sigmund Freud? Who is C. S. Lewis? And, what is a worldview?
Few men have influenced the moral fabric of our civilization more than Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis. Freud was the Viennese physician who developed psychoanalysis. Many historians rank his findings with those of Planck and Einstein. His theories proffer new understanding of how our minds work. His ideas per-vade several disciplines including medicine, literature, sociology, anthropology, history, and law. How we interpret human behavior in law and literary criticism is strongly influenced by his theories. His concepts so permeate our language that we use terms like repression, complex, projection, narcissism, Freudian slip, and sibling rivalry without realizing their origin.
Because of the unmistakable impact of his thought on our culture, scholars refer to this century as the "century of Freud." Why is that? In light of what we now know, Freud is continuously criticized, discredited, and vilified; yet his picture keeps cropping up on the covers of our magazines and front-page articles in newspapers like the New York Times. Recent historical research has intensified the interest in the controversies surrounding Freud and his work. As part of an intellectual legacy, Freud vehemently advocated a secular, materialistic, atheistic philosophy of life.
Though C.S. Lewis won international recognition long before his death in 1963, his scholarly and popular books continue to sell millions of copies a year and his influence continues to grow. During World War II, Lewis’ broadcast talks made his voice second only to Churchill as the most recognized on the BBC. In the years following, Lewis’ photo appeared on the cover of Time and other leading magazines.
Today, the sheer quantity of personal, biographical and literary books on Lewis; the vast number of C.S. Lewis societies in colleges and universities; the C.S. Lewis periodicals and journals; as well as the relatively recent play and movie on his life all attest to the ever-growing interest in this man and his work. As a young faculty member at Oxford, Lewis changed from a secular, atheistic worldview to a spiritual one; a worldview that Freud regularly attacked, but which Lewis embraced and defined and described in many of his writings after his conversion. Both Lewis and Freud possessed extraordinary literary gifts. Freud won the Goethe prize for literature in 1930. Lewis, who taught at Oxford and held the chair of English literature at Cambridge University, produced some of the world’s great literary criticism and scores of widely-read scholarly and fictional books.
Conflicting Worldviews
Now, on to the question of defining "worldview." In 1933, in a lecture called "The Question of a Weltanschauung," Freud defined a worldview as "an intellectual construction which solves all the problems of our existence uniformly on the basis of one overriding hypothesis."
All of us, whether we realize it or not, have a worldview; we have a philosophy of life our attempt to make sense out of our existence. It contains our answers to the fundamental questions concerning the meaning of our lives, questions that we struggle with at some level all of our lives, and that we often think about only when we wake up at three o’clock in the morning. The rest of the time when we are alone we have the radio or the television on anything to avoid being alone with ourselves. Pascal maintained the sole reason for our unhappiness is that we are unable to sit alone in our room. He claimed we do not like to confront the reality of our lives; the human condition is so basically unhappy that we do everything to keep distracted from thinking about it.
The broad interest and enduring influence of the works of Freud and Lewis result less from their unique literary style than from the universal appeal of the questions they addressed; questions that remain extraordinarily relevant to our personal lives and to our contemporary social and moral crises.
From diametrically opposed views, they talked about issues such as, "Is there meaning and purpose to existence?" Freud would say, "Absolutely not! We cannot even, from our scientific point of view, address the question of whether or not there is meaning to life." But he would declare that if you observe human behavior, you would notice the main purpose of life seems to be to find happiness to find pleasure. Thus Freud devised the "pleasure principle" as one of the main features of our existence.
Lewis, on the other hand, said meaning and purpose are found in understanding why we are here in terms of the Creator who made us. Our primary purpose is to establish a relationship with that Creator.
Freud and Lewis also discussed the sources of morality and conscience. Everyday we get up and make a series of decisions that carry us through the day. Those decisions are usually based on what we consider to be right: what we value, or our moral code. We decide to study hard and not use other people’s ideas, because somehow that is part of our moral code. Now, Freud said our moral code comes from human experience, like our traffic laws. We make the codes up because they are expedient for us. In some cultures you drive on the left, in others you drive on the right.
But Lewis would disagree with that. He said that while there are differences in cultures, there is a basic moral law that transcends culture and time. This law is not invented, like traffic laws, but is discovered, like mathematical truth. So Freud and Lewis had an entirely different understanding of the source of moral truth.
Lewis and Freud also talked about the existence of an intelligence beyond the universe; Freud said "No," Lewis said "Yes." Their viewpoints led them to discuss the problem of miracles in an age of science. Freud claimed miracles contradict everything we have learned through empirical observation; they do not really occur. However, Lewis would ask, "How do we know they don’t occur? If there is any evidence, the philosophy that you bring to that evidence determines how you interpret it." So, according to Lewis, we need to understand whether our philosophy excludes miracles and colors our interpretation of the evidence.
Freud and Lewis both spoke at length about human sexuality. Freud considered all love a kind of sublimated sexuality even love between friends. Lewis said that anybody who thinks that friendship is based on sexuality has never really had a friend.
They also discussed the problem of pain and suffering. Freud was enormously bothered by this problem, and Lewis wrote some wonderful books that help explain the problem of suffering that we all experience. The Problem of Pain [Macmillan, 1944] is a very cerebral discussion of the issue. When Lewis’ wife died, he wrote A Grief Observed [Reprint, Harper, 1994], which I highly recommend. People in my field say it is the finest work on the process of grief.
And, of course, they both discuss what Freud called "The painful riddle of death." But I’ll come to that later.
Each of the questions I’ve addressed are primarily philosophical in nature. It’s significant to note that Freud’s philosophical works have had a much greater influence on the secularization of our culture than his scientific works. I will discuss two of these themes.
The God Question
First, the existence of an intelligence beyond the universe what modern scientists refer to as the "God question." Norman Ramsey, a professor of particle physics at Harvard, won the 1989 Nobel Prize in physics. He told me recently that even in his field, scientists have become interested in the question of whether or not there is intelligence beyond the universe. He said this is a rather recent area of interest for them and that it has been provoked primarily by the acceptance of the Big Bang theory. I replied that I didn’t quite understand the relationship. He said, "Well, when the universe had no beginning it was simply always there one didn’t have to be concerned about what came before. But once one accepts the idea that the universe had a specific starting point, one has to think about what occurred before. So physicists now are thinking about questions only theologians and philosophers thought about in the past."
As we look at the world around us, we make one of two basic assumptions: either we view the universe as an accident and our existence on this planet a matter of chance, or we assume some intelligence beyond the universe who not only gives the universe design and order, but also gives life meaning and purpose. How we live our lives, how we end our lives, what we perceive, how we interpret what we perceive, are all formed and influenced consciously or unconsciously by one of these two basic assumptions.
With this in mind, Freud divided all people into "believers" and "unbelievers." Unbelievers include all those who consider themselves cynics, skeptics, scoffers, agnostics, or atheists. Believers include the rest, whose belief ranges from merely an intellectual assent that someone or something is out there to those like Lewis, Augustine, Tolstoy, and Pascal who have had a life-transforming experience after which their faith becomes the primary motivating and organizing principle of their lives.
Freud came down clearly and strongly against the notion that there is "Anyone" out there. He described his worldview as secular and called it "scientific," and he claimed that no source of knowledge of the universe exists other than "carefully scrutinized observation what we call research." Therefore no knowledge, he said, can be derived from revelation or from intuition. He stated that the notion of the universe created by a being "resembling a man but magnified in every respect, an idealized superman, reflects the gross ignorance of primitive peoples." He stated that no intelligent person could accept the absurdities of the religious worldview.
Freud described the concept of God as merely a projection of the childish wish for the protection of an all-powerful father. He added that "religion is an attempt to master the sensory world in which we are situated by means of the wishful world which we have developed within us as a result of biological and psychological abnormality."
He concluded that the religious view is "so pathetically absurd and . . . infantile that it is humiliating and embarrassing to think that the majority of people will never rise above it." Except for the brief time as a college student under the influence of a brilliant philosopher named Franz Brentano, a devout believer, when Freud wavered in his atheism, he stated that he remained an unbeliever all of his life. A year before he died, Freud wrote to Charles Sanger, "Neither in my private life nor in my writing have I ever made a secret of being an out-and-out unbeliever."
When we carefully assess the record, however, we find that Freud may not have been quite as adamant in his atheism as he proclaimed. Certainly he did refer to himself often as, "an infidel Jew," and he rejected outright the religious view of the universe, especially the Judeo-Christian view. He certainly attacked this view with all his intellectual might and from every possible perspective. Yet, for some reason he remained preoccupied with these issues; he just could not leave them alone. He spent the last thirty years of his life writing about them.
In an autobiographical study he said that these philosophical and religious issues interested him throughout his life from early youth. A great deal of evidence exists that Freud’s worldview proved less than comfortable for him. Faith was by no means a closed issue for him, and he was extremely ambivalent about God’s existence.
Anna Freud, Sigmund’s daughter who died a few years ago, explained to me that the only way to know her father: “Don’t read his biographies;” she instructed, “read his letters.” Throughout Freud’s letters are statements such as, “If someday we meet above,” “[my] one, quite secret prayer,” and statements about God’s grace.
During the last thirty years of Freud’s life, he carried out a continuous exchange of hundreds of letters with a Swiss theologian, Oskar Phister. It’s interesting to note that his longest correspondence was with this theologian. He admired Phister and wrote, “You are a true servant of God . . . [who] feels the need to do spiritual good to everyone he meets. You did good this way even to me.” He later said that Phister was, “In the fortunate position of being able to lead men to God.”
Are these just manners of speaking? If it were anyone but Freud, who claimed even a slip of the tongue had meaning, we might be able to say this.
The Question of Pain and Suffering
I have studied Freud’s writings and his letters for many years and I’ve concluded that the main obstacle Freud had with the idea of some intelligence out there was his inability to reconcile an all-loving, all-powerful God with the suffering that all of us experience to some degree.
In a 1928 letter to Phister, Freud wrote, “And finally, let me be impolite for once. How the devil do you reconcile all that we experience and come to expect in this world with your assumption of a moral world order?” And then in a 1933 lecture he said:
It seems not to be the case that there’s a power in the universe that watches over the well-being of individuals with parental care and brings all their affairs to a happy ending. On the contrary, the destinies of mankind can be brought into harmony neither with a hypothesis of a universal benevolence nor with a partial contradictory one of a universal justice. Earthquakes, tidal waves, complications make no distinctions between the virtuous and pious and the scoundrel or unbeliever. Even where what is in question is not inanimate nature, but where an individual’s fate depends on his relationships with other people, it is by no means the rule that virtue is rewarded and evil finds its punishment. Often enough the violent cunning or ruthless man seizes the envied good things of the world and the pious man goes away empty. Obscure, unfeeling, unloving powers determine our fate. The systems of rewards and punishments which religion describes to the government of the universe seems not to exist.
I wonder how many of us have sometimes felt that way.
Freud seemed to be unaware, of course, that in the Biblical worldview the government of the universe is temporarily in enemy hands. Before Anna Freud died, I asked her about her father’s difficulty with the problem of suffering, and she expressed great curiosity about it. At one point she said to me, “How do you explain the suffering in the world? Is there someone up there that says, ‘You get cancer. You get tuberculosis,’ and kind of dishes out adversity?” I said I didn’t know quite how to answer that question, but I knew that she respected Oscar Phister.
I said that people like Phister would describe the presence of an evil power in the universe that might account for some of the suffering. Anna seemed unusually interested in this notion and came back to it several times in our discussion.
We must remember that Freud suffered considerably in his life, emotionally as a Jew growing up in an intensely Catholic-biased Vienna, and physically with an intractable cancer of the palate that he struggled with for sixteen years of his life. Surgical procedures were not very well developed then and caused him a great deal of physical pain. So we need to keep that in mind when trying to understand how he felt.
C. S. Lewis, throughout the first half of his life, also described himself, like Freud, as an “out-and-out unbeliever.” If Freud wavered in his unbelief as a college student, Lewis flaunted his atheism as a student at Oxford. He strongly expressed cynicism and hostility toward people that he called “believers” and shared Freud’s pessimism toward life generally.
When thirty-three years old, by then a popular member of the Oxford faculty, Lewis experienced a profound and radical change in his life and in his thinking. He rejected the materialistic and atheistic worldview and embraced a strong faith in God and eventually in Jesus Christ. This conversion from one worldview to the other began an outpouring of scholarly and popular works that have influenced millions of people.
How do people change their worldviews from one to another that is dramatically different? With C.S. Lewis, this transformation happened over a long period of time. Nevertheless, his conversion was no less dramatic than Paul, Augustine, Tolstoy, Pascal, or many others.
These are some of the influences that stirred Lewis to change his worldview: First, Lewis gradually became aware that most of the great writers he had been reading for years were believers. This began to make him think. Then re-reading Euripides and Samuel Alexander’s Space, Time, and Deity, Lewis was forced to think about a deep yearning in himself; he recognized that it was a kind of yearning he experienced periodically but did not quite understand. He called it “joy” and he wrote a great deal about it. He realized that this joy was not an end in itself, but a reminder of something or someone else. Eventually, he came to believe that this someone is the Creator.
Second, Lewis was shocked during a conversation with some of his Oxford faculty colleagues to hear one of them, an avowed atheist, state that the evidence for the historical authenticity of the gospels was very good. The evidence was sound and the gospel stories actually appeared to be true. Lewis said one cannot understand the impact that had on him coming from this particular faculty member.
Third, he read G.K. Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man and finally arrived at a belief in God. He writes about it very briefly this way in Surprised by Joy.
You must picture me alone in that room at Magdalene, night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England.
At this point Lewis was a theist, not a Christian. He struggled for many long months to understand the Gospel story and the doctrines of redemption and resurrection. He read the Gospel of John in Greek.
Then, in the fall of 1931, he had dinner with two faculty members, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings. and Hugo Dyson, a professor of English literature. After dinner, the three of them talked about the great question concerning the truth of the Gospels and asked the question that one of Lewis’s pupils referred to as, “And is it true, this most amazing tale of all?” They talked and walked for hours along a path called Addison’s Walk. The clock in Magdalene Tower struck three in the morning before they parted. This talk had a profound effect on Lewis. Nine days later, Lewis took a trip by motorcycle with his brother. He wrote, “When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo, I did.” Later, Lewis wrote: “My long night talk with Dyson and Tolkien had a good deal to do with it.”
Lewis’ conversion revolutionized his life. He became a prolific author, selling millions of copies of books and influencing many people in universities, especially in this country and in Europe. Because he himself embraced atheism the first half of his life, he knew the arguments well. For example, Lewis agreed with Freud that we do indeed possess a deep-seated wish for God. But he disagreed with Freud’s notion that God therefore is nothing but a product of wish fulfillment. What we wish for, Lewis pointed out, has nothing to do with whether or not God exists. According to Freud’s theory, the wish that God not exist would be as strong as the wish that He does exist. Lewis therefore said that all of this tells us something about our feelings, but very little about whether or not God exists. So Lewis tended to answer most of the arguments raised by Freud.
The Question of Mortality
Let us move to our second theme, the question of mortality, which Freud referred to as “the painful riddle of death.” Socrates said the true philosopher is always pursing death and dying. And indeed most of the great writers write about it continually.
A fundamental fact of our existence, one that we learn very early in life, is that we’re on this earth for a very short time. We are the only creatures on earth that can foresee our own death. At the same time, we have a deep yearning for permanence and a pervasive, deep-seated fear of being separated from those we love of being abandoned. The fear of abandonment is the first fear we experience as a young child—a baby screams when its mother walks out of the room. Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that, in terminally ill patients, this is what they fear most—the fear of being left alone, of being abandoned. It’s a fear we harbor all of our life. Yet we cannot escape the harsh reality that every breath we breathe, every heartbeat, every hour of every day brings us nearer to the time when we will leave those we love.
Now, how do you process that information? How do you come to terms with this? Psychiatrists say this issue is so important that you can’t really live your life until you do come to terms with it. But how do you process it without being filled with anxiety or filled with fear? That is what Freud called “the painful riddle of death.”
Freud and the Riddle of Death
Freud often wrote about death. I’ll mention only a few comments he wrote and how he frequently confronted his own death.
In 1932, in a work called Totem and Taboo, Freud made the interesting observation that death does not exist in our unconscious mind: “Our unconscious then does not believe in its own death. It behaves as if it were immortal. We cannot imagine our own death and when we attempt to do so we can perceive that we are in fact still spectators, hence, no one believes in his own death.” Freud avoided giving any philosophical interpretation of his rather provocative observation that in the deepest recesses of our mind, “everyone of us is convinced of our own immortality.”
In The Future of an Illusion, Freud spoke often of the painful riddle of death. He closed one essay with the curious suggestion that if you want to endure life you must prepare yourself for death. He seemed to realize what people in my field have been talking about for years and that is: we cannot really begin to live this life until we have somehow resolved the problem of our own death. And when left unresolved, one spends excessive energy denying it or becoming obsessed with it.
Freud left no doubt as to how he handled the problem. He became utterly obsessed with death. His colleague Ernst Jones, his official biographer, wrote:
As far back as we know anything about Freud’s life, he seems to have been prepossessed with thoughts about death. More so than any great man I can think of. Even in the early years of our acquaintance he had the disconcerting habit of parting with the words, ‘Good-bye. You may never see me again.’ And then there were the repeated attacks of what he called ‘the dread of death.’ He hated growing old. Even as early as his forties and with each passing year, thoughts of death became increasingly tyrants. He once said he thought of it every day of his life, which is really unusual.
Freud dreamed about death continually, and from early in his life he was obsessed about prospective death rates. Freud’s physician described his preoccupation with death as superstitious and obsessive. Freud was certain he was going to die at 41, then at 51, then at 61, then at 62, then at 70. He would check into a hotel and be given the room number 63. He would leave that room and for months be absolutely convinced that he was going to die at age 63. When Freud lost a loved one through death, he felt utterly hopeless. In a letter to Jones, he wrote, “I was about your age when my father died and it revolutionized my soul. Can you remember a time so full of death as this?”
When 64, Freud lost a young and beautiful daughter, and he wondered when his time would come. He wished it would be soon. He said, “I do not know what there is to say in such a paralyzing event which can stir no afterthoughts when one is not a believer.” In another letter he wrote, “As a confirmed unbeliever, I have no one to accuse and realize there’s no place I can lodge a complaint.” Three years later Freud’s favorite grandson died of tuberculosis. To a friend he wrote, “I find this hard to bear. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such grief. Perhaps my own sickness contributes to this shock. I work out of sheer necessity. Fundamentally everything has lost its meaning to me.” And in another letter he stated, “To me, this child has taken the place of all my children and all my grandchildren and since then I don’t care for any of my grandchildren. I can find no joy in life.”
Freud died at the age of 83 after a sixteen-year battle with cancer. His favorite book was Goethe’s Faust, the story of Faust making a pact with the devil. Just before Freud died, he walked to a library shelf and took down a book by Bolzac entitled The Fatal Skin, in which the main character also makes a pact with the devil. The book ends when the hero cannot master his fear of death and dies in a state of panic. How strange, as his last book. After reading the book, Freud reminded his physician of a promise he had made to help ease his passing when the time came. His doctor injected two centigrams of morphine that caused him to fall asleep, then after 12 hours he injected two more centigrams. Freud died at 3 a.m. on September 12, 1939.
C.S. Lewis and Death
C. S. Lewis also wrote about mortality. In The Problem of Pain, Lewis described how as an atheist the problem of human suffering, especially the capacity of man to foresee his death while keenly desiring permanence, made it difficult for him to believe in an all-loving, all-powerful God. After his conversion, he understood death as the result of the fall, a transgression of God’s laws, and that death was not part of the original plan. (Perhaps that is the reason we have no symbol for death in our unconscious, and have such difficulty accepting our mortality.)
Lewis made frequent reference to the basic principle that death illustrates. When 31 years old, before his conversion, Lewis wrote a letter that stated, “I think almost more every year in autumn I get the sense, just as the mere nature and voluptuous life of the world is dying, of something else coming awake. I wonder if it’s significant? Does the death of a natural man always mean the birth of a spiritual; does one thing never sleep, except to let something awake?”
Then a couple of years later in another letter he wrote, “Can one believe that there was just nothing in that persistent motif of blood, death, and resurrection which runs like a black and scarlet cord through all the great myths?” He was beginning to notice as he studied all the ancient literature that even in the pagan cultures there were these strange stories of a god someday coming to earth and dying and rising again. He wondered what it meant. And when you look at nature, indeed you see things even in vegetative life where a seed drops to the ground and dies and then comes to life in the form of a plant or great tree. Could this be pointing to what he eventually called “the grand miracle,” the resurrection? He said, “Surely the history of the human mind hangs together better if you suppose that all this was the first shadowy approach of something whose reality came with Christ even if we cannot at present fully understand that something.”
Personal Tragedy
In his personal life, C. S. Lewis was confronted with death as a young child. At nine years of age he lost within a few months a paternal grandfather, an uncle, and his beautiful mother. In an autobiography, Surprised by Joy, he recalls being confined to his room, ill with a headache and a toothache. He was distressed that his mother failed to come and see him. He didn’t understand the reason:
That was because she was ill, too; and what was odd was that there were several doctors in her room, and voices and comings and goings all over the house and doors shutting and opening. It seemed to last for hours. And then my father, in tears, came into my room and began to try to convey to my terrified mind things it had never conceived before.
He was told that his mother was dying of cancer. He recalled that his “whole existence changed into something alien and menacing, as the house became full of strange smells and midnight noises and sinister whispered conversations.”
“My father never fully recovered from this loss,” he noted. Perhaps Lewis didn’t either in the sense that he was sent away to boarding school because his father was too full of grief to take care of him. At a very early age, he lost both mother and father.
When 18 years old and a student at Oxford, Lewis joined the army. He suffered wounds during action in France and, in a lecture given at Oxford many years later, he made the interesting observation that war does not make death more frequent “100 percent of us die and the percentage cannot be increased.” He stated that war puts several deaths earlier and that one of the few positive aspects of war is that it makes us aware of our mortality. When he was 23 years old he wrote a letter to his father on the death of an old teacher who was a friend to both of them. He stated:
I have seen death fairly often [in the war] and never yet been able to find it anything but extraordinary and rather incredible. A real person is so very real and so obviously living and different from what is left. And one cannot believe that something has turned into nothing, that one could suddenly turn into nothing.
This reminds me of my medical students just beginning to practice medicine; very often they will call me to tell me their experiences on the ward. One of the things the students often mention is how different a person is before and after death, how different the body is from a living person. They sense there is something that disappears that is not there after death and that we are so much more than our bodies. Lewis seemed to realize that at a very young age.
Death Does Matter
In A Grief Observed, Lewis wrote about the death of his wife who was to him everything worthwhile. As I mentioned, many psychiatrists consider this book a classic in terms of understanding grief. Lewis makes you feel the anger, resentment, loneliness, and fear. His anger becomes palpable when he wonders if God is “the cosmic sadist; the spiteful imbecile.” He wrote, “It is hard to have patience with people who say there is no death or that death doesn’t matter. There is death,” he continued, “and whatever is matters. We might as well say birth doesn’t matter.”
Lewis never lost his sense of humor. When he was 59 years old, a lady wrote to him and said how terrible it was that she had just lost a friend. Lewis wrote back, “There is nothing discreditable in dying. I’ve known the most respectable people to do it.” In another letter a couple of years later he wrote, “What a state we’ve gotten into when we can’t say, ‘I’ll be happy when God calls me,’ without being afraid one will be thought morbid. After all, Saint Paul said just the same. Why should we not look forward to the arrival?”
Lewis concluded that we can do only three things about death: desire it, fear it, or ignore it. He claimed the third alternative, which is the one the modern world calls healthy, is surely the most uneasy and precarious of all.
Lewis suffered a heart attack on June 15, 1963, and lapsed into a coma. He recovered, however, and lived the next few months quietly and happily. His latest biographer notes that before his conversion, Lewis was extraordinarily anxious about death and dying, but after his conversion he seemed to have a wonderful calmness about it, and even an anticipation. Records of his last days attest to a calmness and inner peace.
During this time, he wrote to a lifelong friend stating, “Though I am by no means unhappy, I can’t help feeling it rather a pity that I did revive in July.” He went on, “I mean, having been glided so painlessly up to the gate, it seems hard to have it shut in one’s face and know that the whole process must someday be gone through again. Poor Lazarus.” And to another friend he asked, “One ought to honor Lazarus rather than Stephen as a proto-martyr. To be brought back and have all one’s dying to do again was rather hard.” And then he said, “When you die, look me up. It’s all rather fun, solemn fun, isn’t it?”
Two weeks before his death, Lewis had lunch with a faculty colleague. He said Lewis was aware the end was near and that never was a man better prepared. On November 22, 1963, Lewis’s brother brought Lewis his 4 p.m. tea. He noted that Lewis was drowsy, but calm and cheerful. At 5:30, he was dead.
We have considered the contrasting worldviews of two prolific minds. One view claims that the universe is an accident and our existence a matter of chance. The other sees the universe a result of design and our existence a part of that design. One view sees death as a painful riddle that causes great anxiety and despair and bitterness. The other views death as the final step in the design for one’s life, a step that one can experience with a degree of calmness and even anticipation because of what Lewis called “that grand miracle,” the resurrection.
This article is reprinted with permission of the author and is adapted from a speech made by Dr. Nicholi at Southern Methodist University on September 23, 1997.
Armand M. Nicholi II (1927–2017) was Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center on Culture and Civil Society at the Independent Institute.
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__label__wiki | 0.892375 | 0.892375 | Campbell vows to make changes in solicitor’s office
Several other invited candidates did not attend forums sponsored by the Anderson County Republican Party.
Campbell vows to make changes in solicitor’s office Several other invited candidates did not attend forums sponsored by the Anderson County Republican Party. Check out this story on independentmail.com: https://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2016/06/20/campbell-vows-to-make-changes-in-solicitors-office/88666312/
of the Independent Mail Published 7:10 p.m. ET June 20, 2016
PHOTOS BY KIRK BROWN/INDEPENDENT MAIL Rame Campbell, who will compete in the June 28 runoff for 10th Judicial Circuit solicitor, speaks at a candidate forum hosted by the Anderson County Republican Party at Concord Community Church.(Photo: Kirk Brown)
KIRK BROWN/INDEPENDENT MAIL Eddie Moore, who is competing in the June 28 runoff for the Anderson County Council District 3 seat, speaks at a candidate forum hosted by the Anderson County Republican Party at Concord Community Church. (Photo: Kirk Brown)
Trying to gain momentum as he faces a runoff, Rame Campbell spoke forcefully Monday, saying he would change the way the 10th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office runs and would support an audit of its finances.
Campbell, a former assistant solicitor, worked 11 years in the 10th Circuit Anderson County office before resigning a few weeks ago. He and David Wagner, deputy solicitor in the circuit's Oconee County office, will meet in a runoff June 28 to determine who will be the area's next top prosecutor.
'We need someone who will prosecute criminals and will be a steward of taxpayers' money,' Campbell said Monday evening at a forum hosted by the Anderson County Republican Party. 'There needs to be some changes.'
Before his resignation, Campbell was leading the Anderson County office during Solicitor Chrissy Adams' medical leave as she battles cancer.
Campbell described a solicitor's office where some attorneys had problems coming to work on time. He bristled at the notion that his resignation left cases unfinished and left victims without an advocate. He said that he gave proper notice of his intent to leave and that in the last month, the cases he had have not been resolved by any other attorney.
'The truth is, if they were concerned, they would still be in court,' he said.
Instead, he said, two days of hearings scheduled for this week were canceled.
Campbell called for an audit of the worthless-check unit and some other funds in the solicitor's office.
Campbell also said the solicitor's office should have 'had another agency look at' the case of 19-year-old Zachary Hammond, who was fatally shot by a Seneca police officer. Campbell said that case was handled by Adams and Wagner. Adams did not bring charges against Mark Tiller, the officer who shot Hammond.
Wagner did not attend the forum Monday at Concord Community Church in Anderson. He said he had a family commitment. Attorney Al Means read a statement from Wagner, in which Wagner spoke about his experience in the solicitor's office.
In a separate forum at the church, Anderson County Council candidate Eddie Moore had the stage alone. Moore, a former councilman in the area that includes Belton, Starr and Iva, is trying again for his seat.
Incumbent J. Mitchell Cole lost the District 3 seat in the June 14 Republican primary, and now Moore and Ray Graham will meet in a runoff June 28. Graham said he did not attend the forum because he had already planned to meet and greet people Monday night at the Williford fire station on S.C. 187.
Moore took the opportunity to say that Graham has no knowledge of the county budget and that Graham has refused to debate him.
'I was hoping he would be here to discuss issues and answer questions,' Moore said. 'How can you vote for somebody if they aren't here to tell you where they stand? I'm here. I answer the tough questions.'
Moore also said there is a $2,000 award available for anyone who can give information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person defacing and stealing his campaign signs. He estimates that he has lost or had damaged 300 small signs and 17 large ones.
Candidates from the state House of Representatives District 7 runoff were also invited to the forum, but neither Belton City Councilman Jay West nor Blake Parker attended.
West's wife, Jennifer, said he was with a Belton City Council member whose mother died. Jennifer West read a statement on behalf of her husband, saying he would strengthen education, fix roads and promote economic development.
Dan Harvell, chairman of the Anderson County Republican Party, said candidates need to make difficult decisions about where to spend their time in the days before a runoff.
'I guess some candidates want to see people by knocking on their doors or by talking to them at events in their districts,' he said. 'But the people at this forum are the worker bees of the Republican Party and they take note of everything, including who doesn't show up.'
Bruce Ransom, a political science professor at Clemson University, said it is unusual to have so many candidates missing from forum opportunities.
'It's odd,' he said. 'Apparently, there is some thinking that they can win the runoffs without attending the county party's forum, that maybe they don't need the support represented there.'
Follow Nikie Mayo on Twitter @NikieMayo
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__label__wiki | 0.969942 | 0.969942 | Johnny Angells closes to make way for Anderson restaurant
The former bar space will soon be occupied by a downtown restaurant, the owner says.
Johnny Angells closes to make way for Anderson restaurant The former bar space will soon be occupied by a downtown restaurant, the owner says. Check out this story on independentmail.com: https://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2016/08/19/johnny-angells-closes-to-make-way-for-anderson-restaurant/89102322/
of the Independent Mail Published 10:54 a.m. ET Aug. 19, 2016
INDEPENDENT MAIL FILE PHOTO Johnny Angell's, in 2012(Photo: Nathan Gray)
PHOTOS BY KEN RUINARD/INDEPENDENT MAIL A passer-by is reflected in a window at Johnny Angells bar Friday in Anderson. Owner Jonathan Angell said he closed the bar and will covert it into a restaurant that will be called Catfish Johnny's. (Photo: Ken Ruinard)
Reflections of two tables and a dolly are seen in a window at Johnny Angells bar on North Main Street in Anderson. The bar is being remodeled into a restaurant that will have a new name. (Photo: Ken Ruinard)
Johnny Angells, a bar in downtown Anderson, has served its last beer.
Owner Jonathan Angell said Friday that he is remodeling the place on North Main Street to convert it into a casual restaurant called Catfish Johnny's.
'It's time for me to get out of the late-night bar business downtown,' Angell said. 'We had a good run. But nothing good happens after midnight. We think that this restaurant is what this spot needs.'
Johnny Angells opened in May 2012 with a 65-foot bar and live music. The last customer was served last Saturday night.
'Restaurants are what I do best, and this new one will have a mix of what people have seen on the menus at my other places, along with some stuff that you haven't seen offered downtown,' he said.
The menu will include a mix of appetizers, sandwiches and seafood, including, of course, catfish.
Angell said he hopes to open Catfish Johnny's in Anderson by the end of September.
Anderson Mayor Terence Roberts said he is pleased to know that Angell remains committed to downtown.
'We are so fortunate to have a group of restaurant owners who have deep roots in, and commitment to, our downtown,' he said. 'And every weekend, you see more and more people coming here to enjoy our great restaurants. ... I think a lot of that is due to investments the city made years ago in infrastructure and tree-lined medians.
'There was a time when people would have to make a decision about whether to go into downtown or toward Clemson Boulevard to eat, and they almost never chose downtown. That just isn't the case anymore. There's a new vibe.'
Angell has his fingerprints on more than a dozen restaurants, including a Catfish Johnny's on Lake Hartwell in Lavonia, Georgia, and another in South Carolina on Lake Murray, just northwest of Columbia.
In the Anderson area, he owns J Peters Grill & Bar downtown and another location near Interstate 85 Exit 19. He also owns The Bench Sports Bar near Interstate 85.
The Bench was named as a defendant this week in a lawsuit about a 2014 drunken-driving crash that killed three people. Angell has not commented about the lawsuit.
Angell, who now lives near Lake Murray, said he is not done with building in the Upstate.
Next, he said, he has his eyes on opening a restaurant in Powdersville, the fastest-growing part of Anderson County near the Greenville border.
Read or Share this story: https://www.independentmail.com/story/news/local/2016/08/19/johnny-angells-closes-to-make-way-for-anderson-restaurant/89102322/ | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744690 |
__label__wiki | 0.867231 | 0.867231 | label Open Source
Open source adoption lags
By Jacob Nthoiwa, ITWeb journalist.
Johannesburg, 07 Sep 2010
Although SA is still lagging behind when it comes to embracing open source software, the increase in adoption has been growing at a steady pace.
This is according to Linux Warehouse, a distributor of enterprise open source software for Southern Africa
However, SA has seen an increase because companies have been facing financial pressures, says general manager of Linux Warehouse Shannon Moodley. “The open source market is quite mature; most of the large banks and telcos use open source in some way or form and many do so in mission critical environments.”
In line with this, ITWeb and The Linux Warehouse have collaborated to carry out an Open Source Software Survey to ascertain the level of use of open source and vendor-supported software, as well as identifying potential areas where marketing and education could add value back into the market on the solutions available.
Moodley says vendor-supported software is a paid-for subscription, which entitles users to updates, certification, flexibility, support and long-term stability.
She says open source is developed in a fundamentally different way and typically produces better and more secure software. “The software has a higher rate of innovation; customers have greater visibility into the product design and implementation.”
“Innovation [and] openness are the key benefits of open source. This, coupled with a vendor providing roadmaps, support, professional services and certification, rivals most proprietary offerings,” she points out.
“It is critical that management understands the dangers of technology and vendor lock-in, as well as the value that vendor-supported open source software provides,” Moodley advises.
“In my opinion, we are beginning to notice a huge mind shift,” she says. “Both large and small businesses are seeing the value of vendor-supported open source software.” However, she says, smaller companies do tend to use less open source, and those that do, tend to use community open source.
Gartner says the open source software model is not anti-commercial, but it doesn't depend on commercial success. It also points out that more conservative open-source adopters will require a more robust commercial support channel for open-source solutions than technologically aggressive adopters.
“In these cases, users must often accept compromises between the 'open' nature of the open source software model and the competitive realities of commercial software providers, Gartner says.
Related story:
Open source security has upper hand | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744694 |
__label__wiki | 0.88444 | 0.88444 | Hardware & Infrastructure
Sharon Gaudin
Gartner: Keep The iPhone Out Of The Corporate Enterprise
Gartner analysts are warning IT managers to expect a flood of requests to support Apple's new iPhone, but to just say no.
Gartner analysts are warning IT administrators to take one great big step back away from the iPhone.
While generally it's a good idea to enable workers to use their favorite personal tech on the job, that's not the case with the iPhone -- at least not yet, said Ken Dulaney, VP of mobile computing at Gartner.
"IT will see a flood of requests for it immediately," Dulaney told InformationWeek. "We're giving backing to IT managers faced with users who want support. If you work for General Motors and you go out and buy an iPhone and use it for yourself, I don't have a problem with that. But when you start to ask the enterprise IT person for access to corporate systems with it, that's a problem."
The device, despite the furor that's been building up around it, simply isn't enterprise ready, said Dulaney, who noted in a report that if left unchecked, the iPhone and its security and service needs could quickly overwhelm IT priorities.
The iPhone, which is hitting the streets at 6 p.m. Friday, combines Apple's iPod music and video player with a mobile phone and wireless Internet access for e-mail and Web surfing. But Dulaney said several obstacles stand in the way of its fitting into the enterprise:
Lack of support from major mobile device management suites and mobile security suites
Lack of support from major business mobile e-mail solution providers
The operating system platform isn't licensed to alternative hardware suppliers so there are no backup hardware suppliers
Feature deficiencies, such as no removable battery, could increase the need for support
At this point, it's only available from one U.S. operator
It's an unproven device from a vendor that's never built an enterprise-class phone or mobile device
A high price estimated at $500
A clear statement from Apple that it's focused on consumer, not enterprise, business
IT "isn't prepared for that right now," Dulaney said. "Apple simply hasn't supplied the tools they need to consider handling this. I think those tools are at least six months out."
The big problem, he added, is when the CEO tells the IT manager that IT must support the iPhone because it's his favorite new gadget. It's harder to get around it when the cry is coming from the top.
"If you want to keep your job, you have to say OK," said Dulaney. "We've defined concierge support for top executives. They won't make it available to everybody. They refuse support to peons like me, but they make an exemption for executives." | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744696 |
__label__wiki | 0.717711 | 0.717711 | NBA Rumors: Joel Embiid Growing Frustrated With Sixers’ Losing Streak: ‘It’s Taking A Toll On Me’
Drew Hallowell / Getty Images
Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2019-20 NBA season with the goal of dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the NBA championship. Unfortunately, as of now, the Sixers don’t look like a team that is seriously aiming to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. After suffering their fourth consecutive defeat against the Houston Rockets on Friday night at Toyota Center, Embiid couldn’t help but express his frustration with the team’s inability to return to the winning column.
“Losing four in a row sucks, and it doesn’t feel like we’re getting better,” Embiid said in a post-game interview, as quoted by Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “So it is frustrating. I care about winning. It’s taking a toll on me. All I care about is winning. It sucks. We’ve got to find a way. I guess we’ve got to keep fighting.”
Despite their loss to the Rockets, 76ers head coach Brett Brown said that he likes the spirit he has seen with his team, especially when they closed the gap to five points in the fourth quarter. However, Brown also admitted that they have shown plenty of issues on both ends of the floor.
One of the things Brown thinks contributed to the 76ers’ frustration is their inability to limit the production of Harden, who finished the game with 44 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, one block, and one steal, while shooting 54.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc.
“Probably they were discouraged,” Brown said. “It’s hard guarding James Harden. You can ask them about it.”
Aside from failing to find an answer for Harden’s hot shooting, the 76ers’ poor floor-spacing was also exposed in their recent game against the Rockets. With most defenders clogging the paint, Embiid said that it became harder for him to score or make plays for his teammates.
“The way I’m being guarded, I’m being doubled every time I have the ball and everybody crowds the paint, so it’s kind of hard to just move the ball and just keep it moving and find ways to score,” he said.
Floor spacing has been a major problem for the 76ers since the start of the season, and as of now, it is greatly affecting their performance on the offensive end of the floor. The Sixers rank at No. 16 in offensive efficiency, scoring 106.9 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN.
So far, the 76ers are trying to find ways to address the issues on their roster. According to MacMahon, sources who spoke to ESPN revealed that the Sixers are currently active on the trade market, searching for perimeter shooting threats with playmaking ability. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744701 |
__label__wiki | 0.80763 | 0.80763 | Travis Kelce Injury Update: Chiefs Tight End Returns After Suffering Hamstring Injury
Peter Aiken / Getty Images
Travis Kelce was injured in the Kansas City Chiefs divisional-round matchup against the Houston Texans and was considered questionable to return, but was able to come back to the game and make a major impact in one of the biggest playoff comebacks of all time.
The tight end suffered a hamstring injury during the game, which he appeared to aggravate during a touchdown run from Chiefs running back Damien Williams in the third quarter. He was back on the field later that quarter.
Before the injury, Kelce had set an NFL record for touchdowns in a quarter after catching three touchdown passes during a torrid comeback from the Chiefs. After falling down 24-o in the second quarter, the Chiefs scored four touchdowns in less than nine minutes to take a 28-24 lead at halftime. The scoring continued, with the Chiefs scoring on eight consecutive drives including seven straight touchdowns.
Kelce did not appear to be hampered upon his return to the game. Kelce remained a top target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes and attracted double and sometimes triple coverage from the Texans defenders.
As Yahoo Sports noted, there was some question going into the game whether Kelce would be able to play at all. As the report noted, Kelce was dealing with tightness in a thigh tendon and was limited in practice throughout the week. He was listed as questionable going into Sunday’s game but was in the starting lineup.
Having Kelce was a major boost for the Chiefs, with his play helping spark the biggest first-half comeback in NFL history. His play was especially important given the weakness of the Houston Texans defense, which ranked 26th against the pass this season.
He has been one of the key parts of the Chiefs offense this year. Kelce this season caught 97 passes for 1,229 yards and five touchdowns, one of the top tight ends in the NFL.
That's one way to try and stop Travis Kelce … pic.twitter.com/vMsIgAw0dd
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 12, 2020
After Kelce crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the fourth consecutive season, he earned some big praise from Mahomes.
“How consistent he is on a game-to-game basis is truly special,” Mahomes said, via ESPN.
“He doesn’t look at stats. He doesn’t look at all that different stuff…. It’s a guy that you want to have on your team.”
Kelce downplayed the accomplishment, instead praising the team around him and giving credit to coach Andy Reid and the offense around him.
“Right now, it’s just a bunch of numbers,” he said.
“That being said, I’m very fortunate that I’ve been here in the Kansas City Chiefs organization under coach Andy Reid, under Clark Hunt, under the unbelievable coaches that have been here and then just being able to gain their trust. That’s everything in terms of a team sport.”
It was not clear if Kelce’s injury could linger beyond this week, but he could be an important part of the Chiefs offense if the team holds on against the Texans and advances to the AFC Championship Game. After the Tennessee Titans upset the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, the Chiefs were left in line to host the game against the No. 6 seeded Titans.
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__label__wiki | 0.619767 | 0.619767 | Supreme Court: Inherited IRAs are not retirement funds
The decision resolving a circuit split allows an inherited IRA to be included in a bankruptcy estate.
The U.S. Supreme Court in Clark v. Rameker held that funds in an inherited individual retirement account (IRA) were not retirement funds that were exempt from a husband-and-wife debtors’ bankruptcy estate.
Facts: The debtors in the case filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and sought under Section 522(b)(3)(C) of the Bankruptcy Code (11 U.S.C. §522(b)(3)(C)) to exclude from the bankruptcy estate approximately $300,000 in an IRA the wife had inherited from her mother, because the money was “retirement funds” held in a tax-exempt account. The bankruptcy trustee and unsecured creditors objected, and a bankruptcy court disallowed the exemption because the funds in an inherited IRA are not segregated for, or only distributed on, a person’s retirement. A district court reversed the bankruptcy court, holding that the funds were “retirement funds” because they had originally been accumulated for retirement purposes. The Seventh Circuit reversed the district court. The debtors appealed to the Supreme Court, which granted certiorari to resolve a split between the Seventh Circuit and the Fifth Circuit (in In re Chilton, 674 F.3d 486 (5th Cir. 2012)). For more, see “Tax Matters: Supreme Court to Hear Bankruptcy Treatment of Inherited IRA,” JofA, March 2014, page 68, and “Protection From Creditors for Retirement Plan Assets,” The Tax Adviser, Jan. 2014, page 30.
Issues: Bankruptcy Code Section 522(b)(3)(C) excludes retirement funds from a bankruptcy estate to the extent they are in a fund or account that is exempt from taxation under Sec. 401, 403, 408, 408A, 414, 457, or 501(a). The debtors argued that the inherited IRA retained its status as retirement funds because the original owner set the funds aside for retirement, and the owner’s death did not affect the funds in the account.
Holding: The Supreme Court held that funds in an inherited IRA are not retirement funds and thus cannot be excluded from a bankruptcy estate. As the Court explained, inherited IRAs have three legal characteristics that led it to conclude they are not retirement accounts. First, inherited IRA owners may not make additional contributions to the account. Second, owners must withdraw funds from their accounts, regardless of how many years they are from retirement age. Third, owners are not subject to any age-related penalties for withdrawals from their accounts. Taking all of these characteristics together, the Supreme Court agreed with the Seventh Circuit that “[f]unds held in inherited IRAs accordingly constitute ‘a pot of money that can be freely used for current consumption,’ ... not funds objectively set aside for one’s retirement” (Clark, slip op. at 6, quoting the circuit court (citations omitted)).
According to the Supreme Court, allowing debtors to protect funds in traditional retirement accounts but not in inherited IRAs permits the Bankruptcy Code to achieve a balance between debtors and creditors. These funds are protected to help ensure that debtors will be able to meet their basic needs during their retirement years. Allowing bankruptcy exemptions for inherited IRAs and other funds that are not restricted to use for retirement would allow debtors to use those funds for current consumption after bankruptcy proceedings are complete, which the Court stated would change the Bankruptcy Code’s “ ‘fresh start’ … into a ‘free pass’ ” (Clark, slip op. at 7 (citations omitted)).
The Court rejected the debtors’ argument that because the account was originally a retirement account when the original owner created it, it retained that character after it was inherited. According to the Court, the term “ ‘retirement funds’ implies that the funds are currently in an account set aside for retirement, not that they were set aside for that purpose at some prior date by an entirely different person” (Clark, slip op. at 8).
Clark v. Rameker, No. 13-299 (U.S. 6/12/14), aff’g 714 F.3d 559 (7th Cir. 2013)
By Sally P. Schreiber, J.D., a JofA senior editor. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744705 |
__label__wiki | 0.644427 | 0.644427 | Home News Analysis Mexico’s Fight Against Money Laundering Comes Down to Resources
Mexico’s Fight Against Money Laundering Comes Down to Resources
Arturo Angel*
Cash seized by Mexico's Attorney General's Office
Mexico’s fight against money laundering has been losing funds and efficiency. With the budget for these types of investigations down by nearly 50 percent, the success rate for prosecutions has declined in recent years.
The laundering of criminal proceeds has increased on a yearly basis and is now equivalent to nearly 2 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), according to figures from Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) and the Finance Ministry. According to these figures, at least 200 billion pesos — nearly $10 billion — are being laundered annually. For comparison, the amount of illicit cash that was laundered during the 1990s is believed to only have reached around 0.5 percent of the GDP.
This article was published by Animal Político and was translated, edited for clarity, and published with permission. It does not necessarily reflect the views of InSight Crime. See the Spanish original here.
Of the 204 money laundering probes launched between 2012 and July 2013, only 75 were presented before a judge, for a rate of 36 percent, according to official reports from the administration of President Enrique Peña Nieto. By July 2014, the rate had gone down to 30 percent, before reaching 27 percent a year later and finally falling to below 20 percent by July of this year. (See Animal Politico’s chart below)
More than 80 percent of the money laundering investigations launched over the past year were thus never assigned to a judge, rendering the identification of the culprits impossible.
Only a small number of investigations have led to incarceration. The Attorney General’s Office (Procuraduría General de la República – PGR) reported that 144 individuals were investigated over the last year on money laundering charges, but that only 27 were imprisoned. The majority of these 27 prison sentences were related to cases that are several years old.
Cut in Funding for Money Laundering Investigations
Injecting money from illegal activities into legitimate businesses or into the banking system is a type of criminal offense referred to as “operations involving resources derived from illicit sources.” The responsibility for investigating this type of federal crime falls to the PGR.
SEE ALSO: Coverage of Money Laundering
In July 2013, former Attorney General Jesús Murillo Karam published a decree that created the Special Unit for Financial Analysis. It answers directly to the PGR and was tasked with compiling all the information necessary for the resolution of investigations into money laundering.
The unit was given a total of 20 responsibilities, which included, among others, the investigation of financial crimes, the identification of behavioral patterns, and diagnostic assessments. This specialized institution has participated in several money laundering investigations, including the case against the company Oceanografía.
The Special Unit for Financial Analysis’ budget reached 65 million pesos ($3.2 million at current exchange rates) in 2015, but fell to 42 million ($2 million) this year and will be brought down to 37 million pesos ($1.8 million) in 2017. The unit’s budget will thus have been cut by 44 percent by next year.
Mexico also has a specialized unit for investigating funds sourced from organized crime activity. It is tasked with investigating those money laundering crimes which are specifically related to drug trafficking.
This unit’s budget stood at 69,320,000 pesos ($3.4 million) in 2015 and remained stable this year. But it will decrease to 65 million pesos ($3.2 million) in 2017, the equivalent of a nearly 6 percent drop.
On top of these budget cuts, the Finance Ministry’s Financial Intelligence Unit — which is in charge of monitoring possible money laundering activities and informing the PGR — will see its funds cut by 3 percent in 2017, from 202 million pesos ($9.8 million) to 196 ($9.5 million).
Increase in Million-Dollar Laundering Operations
In 2012, the Finance Ministry estimated that the annual amount of money laundered in Mexico reaches 170 billion pesos ($8.2 billion), but independent organizations have argued that the real number could be as much as three times that high, if taking into account all the illicit operations unnoticed by authorities.
In September 2016, a firm that specializes in combating money laundering, TM Sourcing, said that up to 340 billion pesos ($16.5 billion) could have been laundered in 2013, based on INEGI’s estimates. According to that same company, up to $50 billion could be laundered within the Mexican economy every year.
TM Sourcing found that money launderers take advantage of areas where there is weak financial legislation, such as digital platforms, to hide the real origin of illicit funds, in addition to using the more traditional means like front companies.
SEE ALSO: Coverage of Cyber Crime
Meanwhile, the PGR reported that between September and July 2016, it managed to seize 49.2 million pesos ($2.4 million) and $4.2 million in cash, as well as 187 million pesos ($9.1 million) that were held in bank accounts.
Over that same period, the Finance Ministry froze more than 1.5 billion pesos ($73.1 million) potentially coming from illicit activities linked to a total of 600 legal entities.
Funds for Terrorism
In Peña Nieto’s latest annual report to Congress, the Interior Ministry revealed for the first time that it had the frozen the tax registration of either individuals or companies because of their alleged financing of terrorist activities around the world. A total of 104 entities had their assets frozen, according to the report.
The PGR has also reported the launch of a money laundering investigation related to the financing of terror groups, which is based on information provided by the United Nations, but the authorities have not provided any further details on the operation.
The only certainty is that the agencies responsible for combating money laundering have been losing financial resources to carry out their operations, even as the amount of money being laundered continues to increase.
*This article was published by Animal Político and was translated, edited for clarity, and published with permission. It does not necessarily represent the views of InSight Crime. See the Spanish original here.
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__label__cc | 0.620108 | 0.379892 | Commodities Metals
Lithium Mining: Dirty Investment or Sustainable Business?
By Shelley Goldberg
Can industries with big environmental footprints, like mining, operate sustainably? That's the question at the heart of a host of new mineral and ore discoveries that – if extracted, applied, consumed and recycled wisely – can lead to sustainability achievements and allow us to set even loftier environmental goals.
Take lithium, or the "white metal." Lithium – a common geological commodity – is difficult to extract due to its density. An alkali metal, lithium is used in the production of alloys and glass, in chemical synthesis, and in rechargeable storage batteries. These batteries, referred to as lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries, are used in everything from portable electronics to military, vehicle and aerospace applications. Business intelligence firm Visiongain calculates that the global lithium-ion battery market will see capital expenditure (CAPEX) of $34,292 million in 2018. The market for li-ion batteries is clearly a significant percentage of the total battery revenue market share.
Mining for lithium, like most metals, is a dirty business. Yet li-ion batteries, pound for pound, are some of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available. They are much lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of the same size and have a high energy density, which means that they can store more energy than other batteries of the same size. Lead-based batteries are typically more than three times the weight of their lithium counterparts. Additionally, li-ion batteries can handle hundreds of charge and discharge cycles.
The Chicken and Egg Problem
For an investor looking to exclude companies with a negative environmental impact or looking to invest in sustainable, "do-good" companies, where do lithium miners fall? Should an investment manager focus on the negative effects of mining or the positive effects of its applied output? Mining does have a big footprint. In fact, in 2016, the largest mining companies, as measured by CO2 emissions, were responsible for 211.3 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions in that year alone. But on the same token, the metal these companies extract may be used for sustainable initiatives. Lithium goes into the batteries of electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines and electronic (smart) grids, all which lower global C02 emissions.
In addition, there have been significant cost reductions and enhanced performance of li-on batteries because of both increased production and investment, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
In 2015, there were three li-ion mega factories in the pipeline, with a total capacity of 57 gigawatt hours (GWh). As of 2018, there are 33 megafactories expected to be completed by 2023. The total capacity of these factories will be approximately 430 GWh globally. Each 20 GWh of capacity added requires up to 16 thousand tons of lithium. The industry continues to address energy density improvement and raw materials management. (For more, see: Why Is It Difficult to Profit From Lithium Demand?)
A big part of this expansion has to do with regional environmental goals. Sales of new energy vehicles should reach 2 million by 2020 and account for more than 20% of total vehicle production and sales by 2025, according to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Additionally, in an effort to support the Paris Climate Agreement, India is making a bold vow to start selling only electric cars by 2030 and ban internal combustion engine vehicles. Furthermore, average battery sizes are growing, meaning growing lithium requirements.
It's possible to quantify these benefits. EVs represent significant avoided CO2 emissions, even without reduction or elimination of the carbon output from the grid. However, in the IEA's Sustainable Development Scenario, a decarburization of the power grid could more than double the well-to-wheel (assessment of the environmental impact of an EV throughout its lifespan) CO2 emissions reductions from the electrification of transport. (For more, see: Can Electric Cars Replace Gas Guzzlers?)
The Future of Lithium Mining
Many point to better li-ion battery performance and lower production costs on the horizon, arguing that, for the foreseeable future, the li-ion battery is likely the battery technology platform that will see the most development and deployment. Improving efficiencies through innovation is importantly present across the lithium industry. There are many new junior players, including the next lower-cost lithium producers through either a new technology or strategic approach.
However, others argue that there's no guarantee that li-ion batteries will be the battery of choice going forward. Instead, they focus on experimentation with other metals either through inclusion or substitution that can reduce or eliminate some of lithium's disadvantages, of which there are many. Li-ion batteries start degrading as soon as they leave the factory and only last two to three years from the date of manufacture – used or not. Lithium is also extremely sensitive to high temperatures. And if a li-ion battery is completely discharged, it's ruined. Li-ion batteries require an on-board computer to manage the battery, making them more expensive. And finally, there is a small chance that if a li-ion battery pack fails, it will burst into flames. (See also: New Battery Technology Investment Opportunities.)
Chemistry, performance, cost and safety characteristics vary. Mixing lithium cobalt oxide, for example, improves high density but presents safety risks, Lithium iron phosphate and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide offer lower energy density but a longer battery life and a reduction in the likelihood of unfortunate real-world events (e.g., fire and explosion). Other important factors to the EV and metals link include the potential impact of EVs on copper demand in charging facilities and power distribution networks as well as the rise of recycling EV battery materials.
Bottom line, we should not stop mining for minerals and ores – we should encourage industry to advance its sustainable efforts and direct more research and development toward cleaner and safer operations. Thus, companies will be viewed as sustainable investments by both institutional and retail investors.
We should continue mining for the same reason that we should continue hydraulic fracking. To cease either activity would be purely impractical as we are not (yet) capable of relying solely on renewable energies or recycled materials to meet our growing demands. But until then, we can work toward making big industry more sustainable and off of the "bad-boy" list. (For additional reading, check out: Lithium ETF: Need-to-Know Facts.)
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Green tech is technology that is considered environmentally friendly based on its production process or supply chain.
Base metals such as aluminum, copper and zinc are widely used in commercial and industrial applications such as construction and manufacturing.
A chemical element, precious metal and commodity used primarily in jewelry, electronics and automobiles.
Palladium is a shiny, silvery metal used in many types of manufacturing processes, particularly for electronics and industrial products.
Bullion Market
A bullion market is a market through which buyers and sellers trade gold and silver as well as associated derivatives.
Bullion Definition
Bullion refers to gold and silver that is officially recognized as being at least 99.5% pure and is in the form of bars or ingots rather than coins. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744710 |
__label__wiki | 0.578048 | 0.578048 | artivism
La Casa Mandarina AC is an itinerant and independent non-profit organization, based in Mexico City, devoted to ending sexual violence through ARTivism.
Our mission is to give voice and advocate for survivors, a voice, break the silence, heal trauma and create alternatives of social transformation that is intersectional and inclusive.
Founded in 2000 by Mora Fernández, La Casa Mandarina AC has worked, nationally and internationally, creating innovative care and prevention projects dedicated to promoting nonviolence and the rights of children, women, indigenous communities and undocumented immigrants in many different places and diverse populations going from the Mixteca and Maya indigenous people and immigrant areas in rural southern Mexico, to urban Sao Paulo in Brazil and the Latinx community of undocumented immigrants in Queens, New York, to Jerusalem, Spain and Denmark.
LCM have also worked with many NGO´s, grassroots organizations and feminist networks around the world as well as universities, governments and international agencies such as Amnesty International, United Nations, New York State Department of Health, Afghanistan Women Voices, India Multidisciplinary Research Foundation, Roles for Social Change Palestine, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), National School of Anthropology and History (ENAH) and the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ).
Throughout the years, LCM realized that sexual & domestic violence are the first encounter that children have with oppression and trauma.
In 2010, LCM started the first Sexual & Domestic Violence Advocacy Program in Mexico City in response to an overwhelming need for services and social awareness about trauma and sexual violence.
Our intervention model is holistic, sustainable and replicable, generated from within the community, and it aims at promoting change in those social norms and beliefs perpetuating oppression, sexual and gender violence by using the arts to create a new culture where survivors are supported instead of shamed.
We believe survivors.
Anti-oppression, intersectional and inclusive.
Feminist.
Survivor led.
Trauma informed.
Transparency.
Based on empowerment, resilience and hope.
Advocate and give voice to victims of sexual and domestic violence through care, awareness and prevention projects that are creative and innovative on an artistic, educational and cultural level. La Casa Mandarina AC is committed to fighting to reduce violence in our communities and to uphold the rights of women and children by breaking the silence, healing trauma and revolutionizing the system that impact victims of gender violence.
La Casa Mandarina AC wants to end sexual and domestic violence by disrupting rape culture, changing the way society responds to gender violence, reintegrating victims into their communities and modifying public policies towards a transformative justice.
Position La Casa Mandarina AC as the expert, pioneer and referent organization on sexual and domestic violence, nationally and internationally, on sexual and domestic violence, especially in the area of child sexual abuse, and for being recognized for its interventions and results.
Advocate for victims of sexual and domestic violence, families and communities offering comprehensive care services to heal trauma through innovative techniques. Empower survivors to regain control of their lives.
Use Artivism to create intersectional and inclusive actions to end rape culture.
Create awareness through creative, innovative, artistic, educational and cultural strategies and projects that make sexual and domestic violence visible. LCM will generate educational tools for prevention and contribute to social transformation with an anti-oppression, feminist and human rights lenses.
Develop a new paradigm in the way society responds to sexual and domestic violence and generate an educational, social and cultural impact in short- and long-term. Address this social and health problem that has been forgotten by public policies and silenced by society
Build healing spaces by giving voice to victims and contribute to sexual and domestic violence prevention in future generations. Promote a culture of consent.
Legitimize trauma stories without asking evidence from the victims. Build a culture of allies, not bystanders, and a society that supports victims instead of shaming them.
In 2014 we implemented the Sexual & Domestic Violence Advocacy Program in Mexico City
We have advocated for more than 93 victims and their families.
We built a Network of Sexual and Domestic Violence Therapists and we have supported and given services to more than 450 victims and their families.
We have trained more than 2500 people, nationally and internationally, on women and gender issues, domestic and sexual violence, social justice and oppression.
We have published two studies of child sexual abuse and trauma published in Serbia, Thailand, United States and India.
projects 2000-2017
From 2000 a 2017, we have designed, managed and implemented the following projects in partnership with grassroots organizations.
Secret Survivors Mexico: using the theater to break the silence is a performance that seeks to create awareness about child sexual abuse.
Secret Survivors MExico
The Monument Quilt is a community art healing project created for and by survivors of rape and abuse.
THE MONUMENT QUILT
I have the RIGHT... an international campaign aimed to change the social norms perpetuating sexual violence.
I HAVE THE RIGHT...
Sex Education and Child Sexual Abuse Prevention pilot project at kinder and elementary schools.
Tepoztlán, MExico
Sexual and domestic violence prevention project among undocumented immigrant children and women.
Queens, NYC
A conflict resolution and peace building project with grassroots organizations and local government involved in the Zapatistaindigenous movement.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND PEACE BUILDING
Chiapas, MExico
A health and human rights training program for indigenous women and children from immigrant communities.
Mixteca mountain range, Oaxaca, Mexico
Art-therapy project to heal and prevent sexual violence among shelters of Central American undocumented immigrants.
immigration & sexual violence
us & Mexico border
A project to provide services to girls and teenagers survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.
COMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF CHILDREN
A financial inclusion and empowerment project for women and girls at the favelas.
non-violence & financial inclusion
A financial inclusion project for women in rural communities living in extreme poverty. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744713 |
__label__wiki | 0.599008 | 0.599008 | ‘They’re on,’ Trump says of tariffs set to kick in on Sunday
Americans were largely spared from higher prices in his previous rounds of trade penalties
Expect a direct hit on many U.S. consumers from President Donald Trump’s latest round of tariffs on Chinese imports. He had no intention of pulling back on import taxes set to kick in Sunday.
“They’re on. They’re on,” the president told reporters Friday before departing for a weekend stay at Camp David.
Americans were largely spared from higher prices in his previous rounds of trade penalties. No longer. The 15% tariffs on $112 billion in Chinese imports will apply to items ranging from smartwatches and TVs to shoes, diapers, sporting goods and meat and dairy products.
For the first time since Trump launched his trade war, American households faced price increases. Many U.S. companies said they would be forced to pass on to customers the higher prices they had to pay on Chinese imports.
Despite the looming pocketbook pain for Americans, Trump tried to frame the tariffs as putting the United States “in an incredible negotiating position” with Beijing. “It’s only going to get worse for China.”
For more than a year, the world’s two largest economies have been locked in a high-stakes duel marked by Trump’s escalating penalties on Chinese goods and Beijing’s retaliatory tariffs.
The two sides have held periodic talks that seem to have met little progress despite glimmers of potential breakthroughs. All the while, they have imposed tariffs on billions of each other’s products in a rift over what analysts say is Beijing’s predatory tactics in its drive to become the supreme high-tech superpower.
“We’re going to win the fight,” Trump asserted.
American consumers so far had been spared the worst of it: The Trump administration had left most everyday household items off its tariff list (valued at $250 billion in Chinese products so far) and instead targeted industrial goods.
Under the new tariff schedule, 69% of the consumer goods Americans buy from China were facing his import taxes, compared with 29% now.
Higher tariffs also were set to kick in for another batch of Chinese products — $160 billion worth — on Dec. 15. By then, roughly 99% of made-in-China consumer goods imported to the United States will be taxed, according to calculations by Chad Bown of the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Overall, Trump’s trade war will have raised the average tariff on Chinese imports from 3.1% in 2017, before the hostilities began, to 24.3%.
“The bottom line is that, for the first time, Trump’s trade war is likely to directly raise prices for a lot of household budget items like clothing, shoes, toys, and consumer electronics,” Bown wrote in an report.
Trump famously declared that trade wars are “easy to win.” But for months, he falsely claimed that China itself paid the tariffs and that they left Americans unscathed. In fact, U.S. importers pay the tariffs. They must make a high-risk decision: absorb the higher costs themselves and accept lower profits or pass on their higher costs to their customers and risk losing business.
This has become an ever-more-difficult decision.
After years of ultra-low inflation, consumers have grown more resistant to price hikes, especially when they can easily compare prices online for household products and choose the lowest-price options. For that reason, many retailers may choose not to impose the cost of the higher tariffs on their customers.
The higher costs U.S. importers faced could be offset somewhat by the declining value of China’s currency, which has the effect of making China’s products somewhat less expensive in the United States.
Still, the prices of certain goods will cost Americans more. Trump tacitly acknowledged this a few weeks ago by announcing a delay in his higher tariffs on $160 billion in imports until Dec. 15 — to keep them from squeezing holiday shoppers.
Even before the December tariffs, though, 52% of shoes and 87% of textiles and clothing imported from China were to be hit by Trump’s tariffs, according to Peterson’s Bown. And not even counting the increase — from 10% to 15% — that Trump announced for his new tariffs a week ago, J.P. Morgan had estimated that his import taxes would cost the average household roughly $1,000 a year.
“The story that holiday goods (were) given a reprieve is fake news,” said Stephen Lamar of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. Overall, the 15% September and December tariffs will force Americans to pay an extra $4 billion a year for shoes and boots, according to a footwear trade group.
Retailers, engaged for a battle for survival with Amazon and other e-commerce rivals, braced for the worst.
Macy’s raised an alarm when it reported earnings in August. In May, Trump had raised separate tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods from 10% to 25%. In response, Macy’s tried to raise prices of some items on the hit list — luggage, housewares, furniture. But according to CEO Jeff Gennette, customers just said no.
Some retailers were trying to force their suppliers to eat the higher costs so they would not have to raise prices for shoppers. Target confirmed to The Associated Press that it warned suppliers that it would not accept cost increases arising from the China tariffs. Some small retailers were even more vulnerable.
“Any cost increase puts us in a tough place,” said Jennifer Lee, whose family owns the Footprint shoe store in San Francisco. “It makes it tough for business owners because we will have to take a hit on our margins, but it will also be difficult for us to pass it on to our shoppers.”
Albert Chow, who owns Great Wall Hardware in San Francisco, said he’s already raised prices on some Chinese-made products because an earlier round of tariffs led his suppliers to raise prices 10% to 20%.
“I will try to keep the prices down for as long as I can,” Chow said. “But at some point, when the tariffs are just too much, we have to eventually raise the prices, and then it goes down to the end user — the customer.”
What’s frustrating for retailers is that consumers might otherwise be in an exuberant mood this holiday season. For most Americans, their jobs are safe and their wages are rising. Unemployment is near a half-century low.
Yet the economy itself looks increasingly fragile. Growth is slowing as the global economy weakens. And Trump’s mercurial approach to trade policy — imposing, delaying, reimposing import taxes via tweet — makes it nearly impossible for companies to decide on suppliers, factory sites and new markets. So they delay investments, further straining the economy.
D’Innocenzio reported from New York. AP Video Journalist Terry Chea contributed from San Francisco.
Paul Wiseman And Anne D’Innocenzio, The Associated Press
BC Wildfire Service urges people to be careful with fire use over long weekend
WWII: A memory battleground on the 80th anniversary | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744714 |
__label__wiki | 0.830594 | 0.830594 | Published: December 10, 2019, 8:17 am
Tags: Arts, entertainment, Luke Bryan
Authorities: Someone illegally shot Luke Bryan's red stag
FILE - In this June 5, 2019 file photo, Luke Bryan arrives at the CMT Music Awards at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. A Tennessee wildlife official says a nonnative red stag that was shot and killed last week belonged to the country music singer. Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Barry Cross told The Tennessean investigators think the deer was shot from the road onto Bryan's private property near Columbia between Wednesday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 6. (AP Photo/Sanford Myers, File) (Sanford Myers)
COLUMBIA, TN – An exotic red stag owned by country music singer Luke Bryan was shot and killed on his private property outside of Nashville last week, Tennessee wildlife officials confirmed.
Investigators think the deer was shot from the road, state Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Barry Cross told The Tennessean on Monday.
The wildlife official said Bryan’s farm manager reported the shooting, which investigators think took place between last Wednesday and last Friday. The Maury County Sheriff's Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible, according to a bulletin posted to Facebook on Saturday.
Red stags are not native to the U.S. — they're a species of deer similar to elk, and are typically found in mountainous regions of Europe and Asia.
Representatives for Bryan couldn't immediately be reached for comment by The Tennessean.
Bryan and his wife Caroline help operate Brett's Barn on one of their properties, a petting zoo founded by the couple in memory of their niece, who died as an infant. Children can come there and interact with horses, pigs and more exotic animals such as kangaroos and an alpaca. Its unclear if the stag was involved with the zoo. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744715 |
__label__wiki | 0.843685 | 0.843685 | Ronda Rousey sets UFC return date
Title fight will be held Dec. 30
Ronda Rousey will return to the UFC on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas, fighting Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title.
The promotion confirmed Wednesday that Rousey will be in the main event of UFC 207 at T-Mobile Arena.
Rousey (12-1) hasn't fought since November 2015, when Holly Holm stunned the previously unbeaten champion with a second-round knockout at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia.
The 135-pound title has changed hands two more times since then, with Miesha Tate beating Holm and losing to Nunes at UFC 200 last summer.
Rousey became one of the world's most popular female athletes during the former Olympic judo competitor's meteoric rise through mixed martial arts. She took a competitive break after her shocking defeat to pursue her acting career. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744717 |
__label__wiki | 0.934074 | 0.934074 | LIVE: Questioning phase of President Trump's impeachment trial begins 58 MIN Closings: There are currently 3 active closings or delays <% if ( weatherAlerts > 0 ) { %> Severe Weather: <% var weatherAlertsMessage = "There " + ( weatherAlerts > 1 ? "are" : "is" ) + " currently " + weatherAlerts + " active weather " + ( weatherAlerts > 1 ? "alerts" : "alert" ); %> <% if ( weatherAlerts > 1 ) { %>
At 100 days in, Trump rallies backers in PA, claims 'change'
Updated: 11:18 PM CDT Apr 29, 2017
LAURIE KELLMAN
President Donald Trump on Saturday marked his 100th day in office by claiming historic action on his agenda, renewing promises on health care and taxes and attacking the news media that he says is misleading Americans.Declaring his "only allegiance is to you, our wonderful citizens," Trump signed executive orders toughening the nation's posture on trade deals."We are not going to let other countries take advantage of us anymore," he said in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. "From now on, it's going to be America first." But even as he appealed to Pennsylvania voters who helped elect him in a surprise win over Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump seemed caught between his role as an outsider candidate and a now-elected negotiator still figuring out how to deal with the very insiders he vowed to drain from Washington's "swamp."He's now spent 100 days being educated on the slow grind of government even in a Republican-dominated capital, and watching some of his promises — such as repealing former President Barack Obama's health care law and temporarily banning immigration from people in some Muslim nations — go up in smoke.Even as he returned to politically important Pennsylvania, Trump seemed torn between who he was courting. He opened the rally with an extended attack on the media, pointing out that he was choosing to stay away from the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner."I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles way from Washington's swamp," he said, "spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right?"He then suggested that he might attend the dinner next year — but added that he might consider returning to Pennsylvania.The state was critical to Trump's victory. Trump won Pennsylvania with 48 percent of the vote, the first time the state had voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988.Trump visited the AMES Companies in Pennsylvania's Cumberland County, a shovel manufacturer since 1774. With that backdrop he signed an executive order directing the Commerce Department and the U.S. trade representative to conduct a study of U.S. trade agreements. The goal is to determine whether America is being treated fairly by its trading partners and the 164-nation World Trade Organization.Trump's rally Saturday night in Harrisburg offered a familiar recapitulation of what he and aides have argued for days are administration successes, including the successful confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, his Cabinet choices and the approval of construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.Meanwhile, North Korea's missile launch Saturday signaled its continued defiance against the U.S., China and other nations, on which Trump tweeted: "Bad!" Asked during an interview for CBS' "Face the Nation" if military action would follow a nuclear test by the North, Trump responded: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see."At the 100-day mark, polls show that Trump's supporters during the campaign remain largely in his corner. Though the White House created a website touting its accomplishments of the first 100 days, Trump has tried to downplay the importance of the marker, perhaps out of recognition that many of his campaign promises have gone unfulfilled."It's a false standard, 100 days," Trump said while signing an executive order on Friday, "but I have to tell you, I don't think anybody has done what we've been able to do in 100 days, so we're very happy."Trump is turning to what he's billed as the nation's biggest tax cut. It apparently falls short of Reagan's in 1981, and tax experts are skeptical that the plan would pay for itself, as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has claimed.The economy, so far, has been Trump's ally. Polls show that Americans feel slightly better about his job performance on that subject than his job performance overall."Together we are seeing that great achievements are possible when we put American people first," Trump said in his weekly radio and internet address. "That is why I withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. That day was a turning point for our nation. It put the countries of this world on notice that the sellout of the American worker was over."He said in his remarks: "In just 14 weeks, my administration has brought profound change to Washington."___Associated Press writers Jon Lemire and Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
HARRISBURG, Pa. —
President Donald Trump on Saturday marked his 100th day in office by claiming historic action on his agenda, renewing promises on health care and taxes and attacking the news media that he says is misleading Americans.
Declaring his "only allegiance is to you, our wonderful citizens," Trump signed executive orders toughening the nation's posture on trade deals.
100 days in, Trump says he's brought 'profound change' to Washington
"We are not going to let other countries take advantage of us anymore," he said in Harrisburg at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. "From now on, it's going to be America first."
But even as he appealed to Pennsylvania voters who helped elect him in a surprise win over Democrat Hillary Clinton, Trump seemed caught between his role as an outsider candidate and a now-elected negotiator still figuring out how to deal with the very insiders he vowed to drain from Washington's "swamp."
He's now spent 100 days being educated on the slow grind of government even in a Republican-dominated capital, and watching some of his promises — such as repealing former President Barack Obama's health care law and temporarily banning immigration from people in some Muslim nations — go up in smoke.
Even as he returned to politically important Pennsylvania, Trump seemed torn between who he was courting. He opened the rally with an extended attack on the media, pointing out that he was choosing to stay away from the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner.
"I could not possibly be more thrilled than to be more than 100 miles way from Washington's swamp," he said, "spending my evening with all of you and with a much, much larger crowd and much better people, right?"
He then suggested that he might attend the dinner next year — but added that he might consider returning to Pennsylvania.
The state was critical to Trump's victory. Trump won Pennsylvania with 48 percent of the vote, the first time the state had voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush in 1988.
Trump visited the AMES Companies in Pennsylvania's Cumberland County, a shovel manufacturer since 1774. With that backdrop he signed an executive order directing the Commerce Department and the U.S. trade representative to conduct a study of U.S. trade agreements. The goal is to determine whether America is being treated fairly by its trading partners and the 164-nation World Trade Organization.
Trump's rally Saturday night in Harrisburg offered a familiar recapitulation of what he and aides have argued for days are administration successes, including the successful confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court, his Cabinet choices and the approval of construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Meanwhile, North Korea's missile launch Saturday signaled its continued defiance against the U.S., China and other nations, on which Trump tweeted: "Bad!" Asked during an interview for CBS' "Face the Nation" if military action would follow a nuclear test by the North, Trump responded: "I don't know. I mean, we'll see."
At the 100-day mark, polls show that Trump's supporters during the campaign remain largely in his corner. Though the White House created a website touting its accomplishments of the first 100 days, Trump has tried to downplay the importance of the marker, perhaps out of recognition that many of his campaign promises have gone unfulfilled.
"It's a false standard, 100 days," Trump said while signing an executive order on Friday, "but I have to tell you, I don't think anybody has done what we've been able to do in 100 days, so we're very happy."
Trump is turning to what he's billed as the nation's biggest tax cut. It apparently falls short of Reagan's in 1981, and tax experts are skeptical that the plan would pay for itself, as Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has claimed.
The economy, so far, has been Trump's ally. Polls show that Americans feel slightly better about his job performance on that subject than his job performance overall.
"Together we are seeing that great achievements are possible when we put American people first," Trump said in his weekly radio and internet address. "That is why I withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. That day was a turning point for our nation. It put the countries of this world on notice that the sellout of the American worker was over."
He said in his remarks: "In just 14 weeks, my administration has brought profound change to Washington."
Associated Press writers Jon Lemire and Jill Colvin contributed to this report. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744718 |
__label__cc | 0.514401 | 0.485599 | Braden Corley #32·P
05/29/2019 W 3-2 Diamond Dawgs 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 0.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 .400 2.00
06/12/2019 W 11-5 Liberal Bee Jays 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 0 13 11 5 .400 2.00
06/26/2019 W 6-1 316 Elite 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 1 1 4.50 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 24 0 16 8 10 .400 2.00
06/29/2019 L 7-15 Dodge City A's 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 14 0 10 4 4 .250 1.00
07/04/2019 L 2-5 Hays Larks 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0.00 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 18 0 13 5 4 .250 1.00
07/13/2019 W 10-4 at Park City Rangers 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 3 1 1 4.50 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 41 0 26 15 11 .273 2.00
07/21/2019 L 1-10 at Hays Larks 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 2 0.00 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 24 0 13 11 5 .400 0.00
Regular Season Totals 7 0 0 0 0 0 8 15 5 4 4.50 0 2 0 9 0 0 0 0 145 0 91 54 44 .341 2.12
Summer 2019 Totals 7 0 0 0 0 0 8 15 5 4 4.50 0 2 0 9 0 0 0 0 145 0 91 54 44 .341 2.12
06/12/2019 W 11-5 Liberal Bee Jays 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
06/26/2019 W 6-1 316 Elite 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
07/04/2019 L 2-5 Hays Larks 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
07/13/2019 W 10-4 at Park City Rangers 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
07/21/2019 L 1-10 at Hays Larks 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
Regular Season Totals 6 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
Summer 2019 Totals 6 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 0.00
06/12/2019 W 11-5 Liberal Bee Jays 0 0 0 0.00 | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744719 |
__label__wiki | 0.695136 | 0.695136 | Big Bucks!
How to Make Serious Money for Both You and Your Company
With Big Bucks! bestselling authors Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles unlock the secrets of making serious money for both you and your company. Through a series of easy-to-follow steps and powerful strategies, Blanchard and Bowles show how anyone can create lasting wealth. By focusing on concepts like commitment, intensity, purpose, and even fun, the authors have crafted a totally new—and irresistible—paradigm for unlimited success.
Written in the parable style of their previous books, Raving Fans and Gung Ho!—which were Business Week, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal business bestsellers—Big Bucks! introduces Len, who doesn't just want more money—he wants to be a millionaire. Under the direction and guidance of a group of mentors, Len must overcome three challenges on his way to attaining more wealth than he ever dreamed possible. Len learns that these three tests can be undertaken by any individual or organization in the pursuit of big bucks. And he also sees that while making big money, he can accomplish even more valuable achievements by being generous with his time, talents, and prosperity.
Packed with practical advice, Big Bucks! is a must-read for any individual or business professional seeking genuine wealth.
"Big Bucks! will guide you in your quest for significance. The secret of perpetual prosperity will give meaning to your millions."
~ Ken Blanchard
Category: Managing organizations
Also available in audio format
Ken Blanchard, one of the most influential leadership experts in the world, is the coauthor of the iconic bestseller, The One Minute Manager, and more than 60 other books whose combined sales total more than 21 million copies. His groundbreaking works have been translated into more than 42 languages and in 2005 he was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling authors of all time. He is also the cofounder with his wife, Margie, of The Ken Blanchard Companies ® , an international management training and consulting firm in San Diego, California, and Lead Like Jesus, a worldwide organization committed to helping people become servant leaders.
Sheldon Bowles is a successful entrepreneur, New York Times and Business Week bestselling author, and noted speaker. He began his career as a newspaper reporter, became vice president of Royal Canadian Securities, and then president and CEO of Domos Gas. He is also the coauthor of Raving Fans!, Gung Ho! and High Five!, also with Ken Blanchard.
The One Minute Entrepreneur
The Generosity Factor | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744720 |
__label__wiki | 0.953427 | 0.953427 | School of Information
College of Communication & Information
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Wicks Named Editor of Journal of Religious and Theological Information
Don A. Wicks, Ph.D., associate professor and interim director of the School of Library and Information Science, has been named editor of the Journal of Religious and Theological Information.
Both international and pluralistic in scope, the Journal of Religious and Theological Information, published by Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis, encourages the publication of peer-reviewed research and scholarship in the field of library and information studies as it relates to religious studies and related fields, including philosophy, ethnic studies, anthropology, sociology and historical approaches to religion.
Wicks is director and co-founder of the Center for the Study of Information and Religion (CSIR), a research initiative of SLIS that was created in 2009 to examine how various institutions and agents of religion impact social knowledge through the use, dissemination and diffusion of information. He has published and presented numerous papers internationally, including his work on information seeking and seniors and on clergy and information behavior. In addition to a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario, Wicks holds a Master of Biblical Studies from London Baptist Seminary (now Heritage Theological Seminary), an M.A. in History from University of Guelph, and a B.A. in History from University of Winnipeg.
The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) at Kent State University has the only American Library Association-accredited Master of Library and Information Science degree program in Ohio, offering courses in Kent, Columbus (State Library of Ohio) and through a fully online option. SLIS also offers a Master of Science in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management and participates in an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in the College of Communication and Information. The school is recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation’s top 20 LIS graduate programs, with a youth librarianship program that is ranked 13th. It is one of the largest library schools in the country, with more than 650 students enrolled.
Flo Cunningham
fcunning@kent.edu
POSTED: Friday, October 12, 2012 - 12:00am
UPDATED: Tuesday, July 11, 2017 - 12:08pm
Student Organization Selected as Runner-Up for Prestigious National Award
iSchool Introduces Accelerated School Library Media Program
Kent State University & Partners Receive $13.3 Million USAID Grant For Education Initiative in Nigeria
314 University Library, 1125 Risman Drive, Kent, OH 44242-0001
iSchool [at] kent.edu
ischool YouTube ischool YouTube
ischool ischool | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744721 |
__label__cc | 0.733961 | 0.266039 | Caroline D. Ciraolo, former Acting Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Tax Division, is a partner with Kostelanetz & Fink and a founder of its Washington, D.C. office. Her practice focuses on complex and sophisticated civil tax controversies, including representation in sensitive audits, administrative appeals, and litigation in federal and state courts and administrative tax tribunals, providing related tax advice, conducting internal investigations, consideration of domestic and foreign compliance options including voluntary disclosures, and representing individuals and institutions in criminal tax investigations and prosecutions.
During her tenure with the Justice Department, Caroline was actively involved in all aspects of Tax Division operations and responsible for approximately 500 employees, including more than 360 attorneys in 14 civil, criminal and appellate sections. Under her leadership, the Division reached agreements with 80 Swiss financial institutions that admitted to facilitating tax evasion and the avoidance of reporting requirements by U.S. account holders, and imposed and collected more than $1.36 billion in penalties, increased civil and criminal enforcement with respect to offshore tax evasion, employment tax violations, and traditional tax offenses, assisted the IRS through summons enforcement proceedings, and engaged in affirmative and defensive litigation involving abusive tax shelters and schemes, refund claims, and challenges to statues and regulations.
Prior to joining the Department, Caroline was Chair of the Tax Controversy and Litigation practice group of a regional firm in Baltimore, Maryland, where she represented individuals and businesses in all phases of state and federal civil tax controversies and criminal tax investigations and prosecutions. She has appeared before the IRS, the Comptroller of Maryland and the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue, the Maryland Tax Court, the U.S. Tax Court, U.S. District Courts, the Maryland circuit and appellate courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth and Federal Circuits.
Caroline is a Fellow and Officer of the American College of Tax Counsel and Chair of the Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties Committee of the American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation. Caroline has also served as an instructor with the IRS Military Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program at Ft. George G. Meade in Maryland.
She has been recognized by Chambers (Tax Fraud (Nationwide), Tax (DC)), Benchmark, Best Lawyers in America (Litigation and Controversy – Tax, Tax Law), Super Lawyers (Top 10 Attorneys in Maryland, Maryland cover story in 2013, DC), Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards (Best in Tax Dispute Resolution) (2014), and The Daily Record’s Top 100 Women Circle of Excellence. Caroline is a recipient of the ABA Section of Taxation’s Janet Spragens Pro Bono Award, and in January 2017, she was recognized by IRS Chief Counsel William Wilkins with the Chief Counsel Award, the highest honor that can be conferred by that office.
Caroline is an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center (International Tax Controversies, Criminal Tax Law and Procedure) and University of Baltimore School of Law Graduate Tax Program (Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Tax Crimes).
Government Experience
Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC
Acting Assistant Attorney General (February 25, 2015-July 15, 2016)
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General (January 12, 2015-January 20, 2017)
Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Policy and Planning (January 12, 2015-January 20, 2017)
Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters (October 5, 2015-January 20, 2017)
Attorney Advisor, Honorable Stanley J. Goldberg, U.S. Tax Court (August 1994-August 1996), Washington, DC
Recognized as a Best Lawyers 2020 for Litigation and Controversy - Tax and Tax Law (Washington, D.C.) by U.S. News - Best Lawyers 2020
Chambers USA, Nationwide: Tax Fraud, District of Columbia: Tax
Recognized as a Top Tax Lawyer by Washingtonian (2017, 2018)
Recognized as a Women in Tax Leader by International Tax Review (2017, 2018)
Recognized in Women in Tax Leaders Guide, 5th Edition, 2020
IRS Office of Chief Counsel Award (2017)
The Daily Record’s Leadership in Law (2015)
Best Lawyers in America - Litigation & Controversy – Tax (2011-14, 2019, 2020); Lawyer of the Year, Litigation & Controversy - Tax (2012) (Baltimore)
Nominee (shortlist), Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Americas Women in Business Law Awards (Best in Tax Dispute Resolution) (2014)
DC Super Lawyers (Tax) (2019)
Maryland Super Lawyers (Tax) (2009-15, 2020); Top 10 Attorneys in Maryland (2013-15); Top 25 Women Attorneys in Maryland (2009-11); Top 50 Women Attorneys in Maryland (2012-15); Top 100 Attorneys in Maryland (2010-15)
Featured on the cover of Maryland Super Lawyers Magazine (2013); and featured article (2018)
Featured in CNN Money Magazine – Money Hero (April 2013)
Benchmark: America's Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (2013-14)
Baltimore SmartCEO Magazine's Legal Elite (2009, 2010)
Martindale-Hubbell® Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers™
Janet R. Spragens Pro Bono Award, ABA Section of Taxation (2010)
The Daily Record's Top 100 Women in Maryland (2010, 2012, 2014)
The Daily Record’s Circle of Excellence (Women in Maryland) (2014)
Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service Educator Award (2008)
S. Tax Court Pro Bono Program, Maryland State Bar Association – Founder (2008/2009), Coordinator (2008-10), Volunteer (2008-14)
S. Tax Clinic Pro Bono Clinic – Co-Founder (2013), Volunteer (2013-14)
Judge, Public Service Fellowship, ABA Section of Taxation (2011-13)
Judge, Law Student Tax Challenge, ABA Section of Taxation (2011-14)
Judge, Janet R. Spragens Pro Bono Award, ABA Section of Taxation (2012-13)
Fellow, American College of Tax Counsel
Secretary/Treasurer (2018-)
Regent (4th Circuit) (2017-18)
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Fellow, Maryland Bar Foundation
Trustee, Baltimore Bar Foundation
MD State Bar Association: Taxation Section
Council (2001-14)
Chair (2008-09)
Chair-Elect (2007-08)
Secretary/ Treasurer (2006-07)
Tax Controversy Group, Founder
Advisor (2009-14)
American Bar Association, Section of Taxation
Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties Committee
Chair, (2019-)
Vice-Chair (2009-14, 2017-19)
Sub-Committee Chair - Important Criminal Developments (2004-08)
Appointments to the Tax Court Committee (2019-)
Nominating Committee (2011-14, 2018-19)
Public Fellowship Committee (2009-13)
Pro Bono Award Committee (2012-14)
Member, Serjeant’s Inn
Member, Rule Day Club
Member, Barrister’s Club
Member, U.S. Tax Court Inn of Court
Member, Women’s White Collar Defense Association
Member, Network 2000
Co-chair, Women of Excellence Luncheon (2013-14)
Member, Board of Directors (2014)
Member, Board of Directors, Maryland Volunteer Lawyer Service (2009-14)
Chair, Annual Benefit (2012-14)
Member, Board of Directors, Federal Bar Association (Maryland Chapter) (2014)
Member, Day 4 Committee (State and Local Tax), Advanced Tax Institute, Maryland State Bar Association and Maryland Association of CPAs (2006-14)
Member, Advisory Board, Thomson West Tax (2007-14)
Member, Tax Advisory Board, Wolters Kluwer (2013-14)
Member, Advisory Board, CCH Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure (2011-14)
Instructor, Military Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program, Fort George G. Meade, Fort Meade, Maryland (2012-15, 2018)
Member, Advisory Board, Choice Jobs Program (2010-15)
Member, Advisory Board, Fannie Angelos Program for Academic Excellence (2014)
Sponsor, U.S. Naval Academy Sponsor Program
Moderator, Update: Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Midyear Meeting, Section of Taxation, American Bar Association, Boca Raton, FL (February 1, 2020)
Speaker, Women in Tax Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC (February 12, 2020)
Speaker, Financial Crimes Enforcement, Compliance & Risk Mitigation, Bahamas Financial Services Board, Nassau, Bahamas (February 19, 2020)
Interviewee, People in Tax, ABA Tax Times Podcast (January 3 and 9, 2020)
Panelist, The Consequences of Conviction – The Sentencing Guidelines, Restitution, Forfeiture and Other Bad Things That Happen, 36th Annual National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud and 9th Annual National Institute on Tax Controversy, Las Vegas, NV (December 12, 2019)
Speaker, Criminal Tax Workshop, 36th Annual National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud and 9th Annual National Institute on Tax Controversy, Las Vegas, NV (December 11, 2019)
Panelist, Tax Fraud Red Flags, Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference, American Bar Association/American Bankers Association, Washington, D.C. (December 9 and 10, 2019)
Panelist, Balancing Tax Planning, Advocacy, and Professional Ethics: The Rules that Every Tax Advisor Should Know, Tax Strategies for Corporate Acquisitions, Dispositions, Spin-Offs, Joint Ventures, Financings, Reorganizations & Restructurings 2019, Practicing Law Institute, Los Angeles, CA (December 6, 2019)
Panelist, Application of Authority in the Changing World of Deference, 67th Annual Taxation Conference, University of Texas School of Law, Austin, TX (December 5, 2019)
Moderator, A Conversation with Nina Olson, former National Taxpayer Advocate, 2019 New England IRS Representation Conference, Uncasville, CT (November 22, 2019)
Panelist, Criminal Aspects of IRS Collection Cases, 2019 New England IRS Representation Conference, Uncasville, CT (November 22, 2019)
Panelist, What You Really Need to Know if You are Taking on a Criminal Tax Case, 2019 Criminal Tax Update, Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Philadelphia, PA (November 21, 2019)
Speaker, Tax Controversies - IRS Practice Update, Sophisticated Tax Planning for Your Wealthy Clients, AICPA, Philadelphia, PA (November 18, 2019)
Panelist, From the Experts: Tax Controversy and Tax Litigation – Civil and Criminal Tax Update, 78th Institute on Federal Taxation, New York University, San Francisco, CA (November 10, 2019)
Panelist, What Every Estate Planner Needs to Know About International Tax and Reporting, and the Government’s Enforcement and Initiatives, 2019 Annual Meeting of the California Tax Bar & California Tax Policy Conference, San Diego, CA (November 8, 2019)
Panelist, IRS Voluntary Disclosure Program and Updates on the Other Offshore Procedures, 56th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii (November 5, 2019)
Panelist, Caution Trustees - Beware of Unresolved Tax Liabilities of Incapacitated Taxpayers and Decedents; Ethical Considerations, 56th Annual Hawaii Tax Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii (November 4, 2019)
Panelist, Paying U.S. Taxes in Canada: Are You Caught on the Borderline?, Pathways to US Tax, Windsor, OH, Canada (November 2, 2019)
Speaker, Recruiting and Retaining Women in Tax - What Does it Take, Tax Section of the Federal Bar Association, Washington, D.C. (October 25, 2019)
Speaker, The New Age of Voluntary Disclosures, Graduate Tax Scholars, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, D.C. (October 24, 2019)
Panelist, International Enforcement - What’s Old, What’s New and What We Can Expect, 35th Annual UCLA Extension’s Tax Controversy Institute, Beverly Hills, CA (October 22, 2019)
Panelist, IRS International Tax Enforcement in a Post-OVDP World, 15th Annual University of San Diego School of Law Procopio International Tax Institute, San Diego, CA (October 18, 2019)
Panelist, Identifying the Line Between Avoidance and Evasion: Global Criminal Tax Enforcement, 15th Annual University of San Diego School of Law Procopio International Tax Institute, San Diego, CA (October 17, 2019)
Chaired, Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties, ABA Tax Section Fall 2019 (October 5, 2019)
Panelist, No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Potential Liability of Executors and Beneficiaries for a Decedent's Tax Liabilities, Serjeant's Inn (October 2, 2019)
Speaker, Preserving Confidentiality in Cross Border Investigations, 37th Annual Cambridge, England International Symposium on Economic Crime (September 3, 2019)
Panelist, Cooperation or Compulsion: The Emerging U.S. Experience With Voluntary and Involuntary Disclosures of Foreign Transactions, 37th Annual Cambridge, England International Symposium on Economic Crime (September 3, 2019)
Panelist, Ethical Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them When Representing Clients in IRS Collections and Audits, University of San Diego School of Law - RJS LAW Tax Controversy Institute 2019, San Diego, CA (July 19, 2019)
Speaker, What’s New in Federal Tax Enforcement?, The American Academy of Attorney-CPAs 2019 Annual Meeting & Education Conference (July 5, 2019)
Panelist, IRS Voluntary Disclosures: Past, Present, and Future, The American Academy of Attorney-CPAs 2019 Annual Meeting & Education Conference, Orange Beach, AL (July 5, 2019)
Interviewer, Department of Justice Update, NYU SCPS 11th Annual Tax Controversy Forum (June 21, 2019)
Moderator, How Well Do Your Secrets Travel? Understanding the Scope of Privileges in Crossborder Audits and Investigations, NYU SCPS 11th Annual Tax Controversy Forum (June 20, 2019)
Panelist, FBAR & FATCA: The Crackdown on Unreported Foreign Assets Continues, AICPA ENGAGE 2019 Conference (June 11, 2019)
Panelist, IRS Controversies, AICPA ENGAGE 2019 Conference (June 11, 2019)
Panelist, IRS Examinations and Appeals, The IRS Workshop, AICPA ENGAGE 2019 Conference (June 10, 2019)
Panelist, Addressing Conflicts of Interest in Today’s Tax Practice, Tax Alliance Conference, Dallas, TX (June 5, 2019)
Moderator, The Current State of the IRS, Personal Income Tax Committee, New York City Bar, New York, NY (May 28, 2019)
Moderator, Whistleblowers: Protections and Privacy, 4th International Conference on Taxpayer Rights, Minneapolis, MN (May 24, 2019)
Panelist, Are Your Secrets Safe? A Discussion of the Scope, Application and Protection of Legal Privileges in the U.S. and Abroad, ABA Taxation Section, May Meeting, Washington, D.C. (May 11, 2019)
Panelist, Collection-Based Tax Crimes, May Meeting, Section of Taxation, American Bar Association, Washington, DC (May 10, 2019)
Panelist, Parallel Proceedings, 3d Annual Lightfoot White Collar Institute, Birmingham, AL (May 8, 2019)
Speaker, Business or Pleasure? Navigating the Internal Revenue Code When Your Boat is a Business, Recreational Boating Committee of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, New York, NY (May 2, 2019)
Panelist, Tax Advice in the Age of the 24-Hour News Cycle, Webinar, ABA Taxation Section (April 24, 2019)
Speaker, What’s New in Tax Enforcement – Current Priorities of the IRS and DOJ Tax Division, The Wranglers Law Club, Baltimore, MD (April 18, 2019)
Co-Chair/Moderator, Identifying the Line Between Avoidance and Evasion: Global Criminal Tax Enforcement, 19th Annual U.S. and Europe Tax Practice Trends Conference, ABA, Paris, France (April 5, 2019)
Panelist, What Every Estate Planner Needs to Know About International Tax and Reporting, and the Government’s Enforcement and Initiatives?, California Lawyers Association Tax Section Annual Estate and Gift Tax Conference, San Francisco, CA (March 15, 2019)
Panelist, Updated Voluntary Disclosure Procedures: Is this the Correct Path for Your Noncompliant Client?, 43rd Annual Tax Law Conference, Federal Bar Association, Washington, DC (March 8, 2019)
Moderator, New Developments in Criminal Tax Enforcement, 33rd Annual National Institute on White Collar Crime, American Bar Association, New Orleans, LA (March 6, 2019)
Speaker, What’s New in Tax Enforcement – Current Priorities of the IRS and DOJ Tax Division, The Rule Day Club, Baltimore, MD (February 12, 2019)
Speaker, Criminal Tax Enforcement: What Lies Ahead in 2019, Georgetown Scholars Lunch, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC (February 7, 2019)
Speaker, Current Developments – Tax Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 2019 ABA Taxation Section Midyear Meeting, New Orleans, LA (January 18, 2019)
Panelist, Tax Advice in the Age of the 24-Hour News Cycle, 2019 ABA Taxation Section Midyear Meeting, New Orleans, LA (January 18, 2019)
Keynote Speaker, Update from Washington, D.C., 37th Annual International Tax Conference, Tax Section, Florida Bar Association, Miami, Florida (January 10, 2019)
Pros and Cons of Voluntarily Disclosing Past Wrongs, Wendy Abkin, George Abney, and Caroline Ciraolo, Tax Executive Institute (February 2018)
Circular 230–Final Regulations and a New Principles-Based Approach, CCH's Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure (JTP&P)(August-September, 2014)
The Ins and Outs of Federal Criminal Tax Cases, Maryland Bar Bulletin (April, 2014)
The Tax Man is Coming Bank: A Word of Warning to Liquor Retailers, The Barrister (December 2013/January 2014)
The United States Strikes Again – The New Swiss Bank Program, Financier Worldwide (October, 2013)
The Reasonable Cause Defense to Penalties and Some Good News for Taxpayers, CCH's Journal of Tax Practice & Procedure (JTP&P) (August-September, 2013)
The FBAR Penalty: What Constitutes Willfulness?, Maryland Bar Journal (Taxation Issue, May-June, 2013)
The Eggshell Audit Part II: Indicators of Fraud and IRS Fraud Development Procedures, with Larry Campagna and Eric Green, JTP&P (February-March, 2013)
The Eggshell Audit Part I: A Primer, with Larry Campagna and Eric Green, JTP&P (June-July, 2012)
Criminal Tax Cases: A Primer, a chapter in Inside the Minds: Strategies for Criminal Tax Cases, Aspatore (2011)
The Morning After – What You Need to Know FBAR and International Information Returns Including Defending Against and Litigating the Penalties, JTP&P (October-November, 2009)
Attaching Property Held as Tenancy by the Entirety: The Response to Craft, JTP&P (January 1, 2004)
Ask the Professionals (Various Tax-Related Topics), Baltimore Business Journal (2010 – present)
But I Relied on My Accountant! The Scope of the Reasonable Cause Defense to Penalties, co-authored with Larry Campagna and Ellis Reemer, JTP&P (August-September, 2012)
Last Known Address, a chapter in the recently published, Effectively Representing your Client before the Internal Revenue Service, 5th Edition (ABA Section of Taxation (2011))
Frequently Charged Tax Crimes, Federal Public Defender National Conference, June, 2011
Refund Claims and Claims for Contribution, ABA Section of Taxation (May, 2011)
Editor, A Practitioner's Guide to Innocent Spouse Relief: Proven Strategies for Winning Section 6015 Tax Cases, by Robert B. Nadler (ABA Section of Taxation (2011))
FinCEN Issues Final FBAR Regulations, CCH JTP&P (April-May, 2011)
Email: CCiraolo@kflaw.com
MD Office
300 E. Lombard Street
Caroline D. Ciraolo was interviewed for the "People in Tax" Podcast by ABA Tax Times on January 9, 2020
Pros and Cons of Voluntarily Disclosing Past Wrongs
University of Baltimore School of Law, LL.M. in Taxation (1994)
University of Maryland, School of Law, J.D. (Honors) (1993)
The College of New Jersey, B.S. in Finance (Honors) (cum laude) (1990)
New Jersey (1995)
District of Columbia (1995)
US Tax Court
US District Court, District of Maryland
US Court of Federal Claims
US Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
US Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
Adjunct Professor, Georgetown University Law Center (International Tax Controversies)
Adjunct Professor, University of Baltimore School of Law and Graduate Tax Program (Investigation, Prosecution and Defense of Tax Crimes) | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744722 |
__label__cc | 0.536897 | 0.463103 | by Susan M. Gaines
A son explores his family’s complicated past and the natural beauty and history of Uruguay, their homeland.
Gabriel doesn’t understand why, after more than 30 years in California, his mother wants to move back to her native Uruguay. Her father died and left her a ranch, or estancia, that she wants to turn into an organic farm, and she wants Gabriel to come with her. Gabriel doesn’t want to disrupt his routine. He has a boring job that pays well, and he likes to go bird-watching. Accompanying his mother to Uruguay is supposed to be temporary. He’ll be there long enough to help her get the estancia on its feet. However, he soon finds himself drawn in by the family members he doesn’t know, the beauty of the land, and a local biologist named Alejandra, who’s looking for undiscovered microbes near the family’s land. The longer Gabriel stays in Uruguay the more he’s drawn into the family’s squabbles over what to do with the land—follow his uncle’s plans to build a large rice plantation and sell into European markets or help his mother achieve her dream of growing organic produce for the local communities? The possible discovery of a new bird species on the family land brings Gabriel and Alejandra closer together and lays the groundwork for their burgeoning relationship. Gaines’ novel is deeply researched, and the reader will walk away with an understanding of not only Uruguay’s repressive regimes and the people killed by the government, but also biomes, bird preservation, rice cultivation, agricultural markets in South America, and more. The author loves Uruguay and desperately wants the reader to feel her same affection for the history, flora, fauna, politics, culture, and the people. Ultimately, her quest to make the reader care for Uruguay gets in the way of the storytelling.
A noble attempt to unpack Uruguay’s complexities and one family’s navigation of politics, American meddling, and each other.
Publisher: Torrey House Press
by Barbara Kingsolver
THE INVISIBLE MOUNTAIN
by Carolina De Robertis
by Tessa Bridal | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744723 |
__label__wiki | 0.575953 | 0.575953 | Home / Dartmoor Places / Indian Head
Tim Sandles March 31, 2016 Dartmoor Places Leave a comment 5,213 Views
I recently recieved an e mail asking if I knew the whereabouts of the Indian’s Head (visitors book – Aug 12th) which gave me the nudge to feature it on this web page. The Indian’s Head, sometimes called the Turk’s Head was a small porcelain plaque that lay in the granite wall of the Devonport Leat. Whether it was an Indian or a Turk depended on personal imagination but either way it had sat quietly above the rippling leat for centuries. The first literary mention of the Indian’s Head that I have found comes in 1982 when John Robbins in his book – Follow the Leat, (p. 72) notes the following:
“A curiosity to look for in this section of the leat is a tiny carving of the head of a Red Indian set into the rendering between the granite blocks forming the side of the leat. It is only about two inches in diameter and thus is easily missed, looks rather like white marble, and has obviously been pressed into the wet cement. It is some 100 yards from the aqueduct (known locally as the Iron Bridge) and about halfway between a wall that meets the leat at right-angles and the last granite bridge, on the side of the leat nearest the river, and about five inches above the water level. When viewed close to it will be seen to be quite simply but beautifully carved. Some natural black markings on the stone add realism to the face when seen from a distance. It has an obvious indian head dress. It is thought to have been put there by one of the French prisoner-of-war when working on the leat, and is typical of the style of doll’s head of the period. One would like to think it was the work of the prisoner. I am grateful to the Dartmoor National Park Office for this information and to Mr Richard Nicholson… and Mr David Hawkins… who both drew my attention to it, though the latter always knew it as the Turk’s Head“.
If Robbins’ supposition is correct then the first French prisoners arrived at Princetown in 1809 and the last ones left in 1816 so it would mean that the Indian’s Head was possibly placed in-situ somewhere between those dates. This is working on the theory that it was a French prisoner who placed the head whilst out on a working party at the leat. However, a different theory is put forward by Hawkings (1987 p.54) when he suggests that the, “Red Indian”, was embedded in the wall during repairs that were being made to the leat in the 1830’s. He also comments how the head was defaced sometime during 1984. Mike Brown (1999, p. 12) explains that in 1996 a replacement for the original head, which he calls the Turks Head was cemented into the wall of the leat. His directions to find it are:
“This may be seen seventy blocks downstream (south) from the first granite leat footbridge after Iron Bridge, near the first tree situated on the right bank of the leat, the tiny figurine being cemented into the left hand (east) wall“.
The replacement head was actually put in place by a young girl who won a competition that was run by the Dartmoor National Park Authority, the prize being the placing of the head, (Lethbridge, 2006 p.114). I am unable to find the exact reference but I know that somewhere recently I read that once again the Indian’s Head was found to be in disrepair and was taken in for safe keeping, as to whether or not it has been replaced I am unsure. Thanks to Steve Fanstone it can be confirmed that as of August 2007 the head is in-situ albeit slightly damaged and also he has provided a couple of photographs to show all’s well(ish), once again, many thanks for your help Steve
© Steve Fanstone 2007
It must have been about 15 years ago when I went in search of the Indian’s Head and I can remember standing in the leat whilst trying to get a decent photograph. As I was stood in the freezing waters of the leat a party of walkers came by and were clearly mystified as to why someone should be in the leat bent over the wall with a camera in hand – I didn’t bother explaining. Sadly that was in the days when photographs had to be developed and I have since lost the coveted snapshot of the Indian’s Head which means another soaking someday. The other nuisance is that this last visit was pre GPS days so I have no grid reference for the head so the given reference is only an estimation. But I do remember that I found it from the description given by Robbins in his book, if that is any help?
Brown, M. 1999 Dartmoor Field Guides, The Dartmoor Press, Plymouth.
Lethbridge, W. D. 2006 One Man’s Moor, Halsgrove Publishing, Tiverton.
Robbins, J. 1984 Follow the Leat, J. A. C. Robbins, Callington.
Hawking, D. J. 1987 Water from the Moor, Devon Books, Exeter.
Previous Hunters Tor
Next Irishman’s Wall | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744725 |
__label__wiki | 0.712273 | 0.712273 | BYU Grad Finalist in Super Bowl Ad Competition
byKSL | Jan. 19, 2012
LEHI -- Lehi resident, Tyler Dixon, has again succeeded in making it to the top five finalists for the Doritos Crash the Super Bowl competition. Dixon competed in the 2011 competition, but fell short of the ultimate prize.
The 36-year-old Dixon graduated in History from Brigham Young University. He had thought of going to law school, but decided that he wanted to follow his dream of making movies. He has been pursuing the dream of film making for the past year and a half. He had a passion for TV and film and began writing scripts for TV shows. But when he didn't get any "takers" on his work, he decided to just start filming and entering commercial contests with his short films.
Read the rest of this story at ksl.com
Arts & Entertainment ,Arts & Entertainment
Trying to Do "Come, Follow Me" with Toddlers? A Piece of Advice: Quit While You're Ahead
Kate Matthews
Mitt Romney Brought a Contraband Chocolate Milk Bottle to the Senate Floor—and Hilarity Ensued
What NPR’s Guy Raz Told Jimmy Fallon About Why Latter-day Saints Are Successful in Business | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744729 |
__label__wiki | 0.759245 | 0.759245 | Mayhem All Aboard!
ONE WEEK until the launch of Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman! Have you pre-ordered yet?
You can pre-order HERE and watch for the book to appear magically on your Kindle.
One blustery day in October of 1924, newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Basil Reed travel aboard the recently christened Flying Scotsman, a high-speed steam engine train that travels from London to Edinburgh, for their honeymoon. With only one short stop at York, Ginger anticipates time with her new husband will fly by... (Continue reading here)
Image courtesy of BBC.com
The Flying Scotsman was a train designed by Sir Nigel Gresley. It would become one of the fastest locomotives of its time. Record breaking speeds of up to 100mph were what earned its title. The powerful LNR shortened the trip between London to Edinburgh from ten hours to eight and provided the first non-stop service. Beginning in 1862 this route was a daily service that began at 10 am.
The Flying Scotsman went on to break other records. In 1928 it achieved the longest regular non-stop train journey in the world after running a 393-mile express service. It was also one of the few locomotives that operated along the East Coast during World War II, transporting troops between London and Scotland.
At its peak the Flying Scotsman not only provided quick and efficient travel - but also luxury. The first-class dining facilities were state of the art for its time. The train also boasted its own radio equipment, a barber shop and a cocktail bar.
Although the Flying Scotsman ran its last train for the British Railways in 1963, its story was far from over.
Today it has become an iconic fixture made famous by The British Empire Exhibition. Many efforts have been made to save and restore the national treasure. In 2016 a massive project was undertaken to restore it in its original condition as a fully functioning locomotive, complete with the legendary green paint. The Flying Scotsman is now the oldest working locomotive in existence, celebrating over 150 years of faithful service. The Flying Scotsman is still used as a working museum exhibit that many people still flock to see and get a taste of a bygone era.
Railway writer C. Hamilton Ellis said of the Flying Scotsman:
"For a century it has been with us. Out on the great fens, across the Plain of York, in the hill villages of the North East and in the Border farms, people have set their clocks by it, down the long years."
You can learn more about the Flying Scotsman here: http://www.flyingscotsman.org.uk/about/
I hope you're as excited about my NEW series as I am!
The Higgins & Hawke Mysteries is a spin-off series from Ginger Gold. Join Haley and Samantha on their adventures during the depression years in Boston. I like to say it's 1930s meets Rizzoli & Isles!
Previous Post Moving Day! Plus New Journal Entry! Next Post New Release – A honeymoon gone off the rails… | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744731 |
__label__cc | 0.6901 | 0.3099 | Being your own advocate: Craig’s story
Remembering Craig:
Craig is no longer with us, but his legacy of staying positive and empowering the community continues to inspire us.
Craig’s Mantra:
“Do a lot of research, except for the statistics. Do not be afraid to ask your doctor 100 questions because you’ve got to get knowledgeable as quickly as possible to understand your potential treatment options. And be public—go public with it as soon as possible.”
About Craig:
Lives with his wife, two kids, and a dog named Bill
Played softball every Sunday with a local group for almost 33 years
Traveled to Hawaii every year for his last six years for deserved, and needed, rest and relaxation
Volunteered every summer at a summer camp for kids living with cancer
Worked full time even after his diagnosis
Craig’s Journey With Cancer
Diagnosed with stage 4 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in February 2013
Multiple radiation therapies in March and December 2013
Clinical trial in July 2014
Pulmonary embolisms in September 2014
From Craig’s Perspective
“It's very important that people try and maintain a semblance of normalcy, whatever that new normal is for them, as much as possible.
Ignore statistics. When you are first diagnosed, you can't ignore them. But you quickly realize that statistics are several years out of date, and they combine everyone together no matter what age or medical condition.
So much is changing so quickly now in terms of potential treatments that I just try and stay ahead of the wave and hope a new treatment comes along when my last one quits working.
Be very public with it.
Don't believe everything your doctors tell you. You have to be your own advocate so be sure to question anything that does not quite seem right.
Do a lot of research, stay away from statistics, ask a lot of questions, and get into a support group as quickly as you can, whether it's an electronic one or a local in-person one.
Maintain hope and a positive attitude. A poor attitude will not be of any benefit to you or those around you. But an upbeat one will draw positive vibes and I am a true believer that it has a significant effect on the healing process.”
Organizations and resources to support you
“Don’t make cancer the center of your life. It is overwhelming at first, but you should live the life you have.”
Meet George
“Believe in miracles, because they happen. And, at the moment, I’m living proof of it.” | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744735 |
__label__wiki | 0.796489 | 0.796489 | Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34
All Themes Rich vs. Poor Family The Oppression of Women Connection to the Earth Social Status
All Characters Wang Lung O-lan Wang Lung’s father The eldest son (Nung En) The second son (Nung Wen) The youngest son The daughter / the eldest daughter (the poor fool) The second daughter Wang Lung’s uncle Wang Lung’s uncle’s wife Wang Lung’s uncle’s son Ching The Old Mistress The Old Lord Lotus Pear Blossom The gateman The gateman’s wife The Old Lord’s agent Liu Yang The doctor Cuckoo
All Symbols The House of Hwang The Land Opium The Pearls
Instant downloads of all 1215 LitChart PDFs (including The Good Earth).
Rich vs. Poor
The Oppression of Women
Connection to the Earth
Wang Lung
O-lan
Wang Lung’s father
The eldest son (Nung En)
The second son (Nung Wen)
The youngest son
The daughter / the eldest daughter (the poor fool)
The second daughter
Wang Lung’s uncle
Wang Lung’s uncle’s wife
Wang Lung’s uncle’s son
The Old Mistress
The Old Lord
Pear Blossom
The gateman
The gateman’s wife
The Old Lord’s agent
The House of Hwang
The eldest son (Nung En) Character Analysis
Wang Lung intends for his eldest son to become a scholar and help him when he signs contracts to sell his harvests. He doesn’t expect his son to become moody and lustful—like a young lord in the House of Hwang, O-lan says, which makes Wang Lung proud even as he’s exasperated, since it proves that he’s advancing his family. The eldest son comes to care even more than Wang Lung does about the appearance of his family, and he wants to be respected by the important men in town. As a result, he spends excessive amounts of money on decorating the house in town, leading to conflicts with his brother, the second son.
The eldest son (Nung En) Quotes in The Good Earth
The The Good Earth quotes below are all either spoken by The eldest son (Nung En) or refer to The eldest son (Nung En). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Washington Square Press edition of The Good Earth published in 2004.
There was more than enough [milk] for the child, greedy though he was, life enough for many children, and she let it flow out carelessly, conscious of her abundance. There was always more and more. Sometimes she lifted her breast and let it flow out upon the ground to save her clothing, and it sank into the earth and made a soft, dark, rich spot in the field. The child was fat and good-natured and ate of the inexhaustible life his mother gave him.
Related Characters: O-lan, The eldest son (Nung En)
Related Symbols: The Land
Unlock explanations and citation info for this and every other The Good Earth quote.
...[T]hese common people found that the rent for the rooms and the courts where they lived had been greatly raised... and they had to move away. Then they knew it was Wang Lung’s eldest son who had done this...
The common people had to move, then, and they moved complaining and cursing because a rich man could do as he would and they... went away swelling with anger and muttering that one day they would come back even as the poor do come back when the rich are too rich.
Related Characters: Wang Lung, The eldest son (Nung En)
Related Symbols: The House of Hwang
“Now, evil, idle sons—sell the land!” He choked and would have fallen, and they caught him and held him up, and he began to weep.... “It is the end of a family—when they begin to sell the land,” he said brokenly. “Out of the land we came and into it we must go—and if you will hold your land you can live—no one can rob you of land—”
...And he stooped and took up a handful of the soil and he held it and he muttered,
“If you sell the land, it is the end.”
...And they soothed him and they said over and over, the elder son and the second son,
“Rest assured, our father, rest assured. The land is not to be sold.”
But over the old man’s head they looked at each other and smiled.
Related Characters: Wang Lung (speaker), The eldest son (Nung En), The second son (Nung Wen)
Get the entire The Good Earth LitChart as a printable PDF.
The eldest son (Nung En) Character Timeline in The Good Earth
The timeline below shows where the character The eldest son (Nung En) appears in The Good Earth. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
...every year, and feels that O-lan brings him good luck. He tells his father that the eldest son will have to sleep with him now, and the old man is delighted, as he... (full context)
...and a man told them that one day the riches would belong to the poor. The elder son wants money so that he can try a cake, and Wang Lung thinks longingly of... (full context)
...sign his own name, and the clerks laugh at him. He decides to send his eldest son to school so that he can deal with the contracts for his father. When Wang... (full context)
...Lung has a good harvest that year, and he takes it to market with his eldest son . He’s proud to see his son reading and writing in front of the clerks,... (full context)
When they’re walking home, Wang Lung decides that he must find his eldest son a wife so he doesn’t have to marry a slave as Wang Lung himself did.... (full context)
...is true, but as spring comes, he still can’t find a proper wife for his eldest son . As the trees sprout leaves, his son becomes moody, worrying Wang Lung. No matter... (full context)
One evening after Wang Lung beats his eldest son , O-lan tells him that the beatings will do no good. She’s seen the young... (full context)
...that he’s thinking about how to find a respectable wife for his son. Lotus likes the eldest son now, and she tells Wang Lung about a man who used to come to her... (full context)
One morning, the eldest son comes home drunk and sick. Wang Lung discovers him, and O-lan washes him and puts... (full context)
...She tells him to come back later, but Wang Lung says he’s come about his eldest son . He describes him to her, and she remembers the boy and his cousin. Wang... (full context)
...be particularly courteous to his uncle’s family, even giving them extra money. He keeps his eldest son inside in the evenings, which makes the boy irritable. Wang Lung considers moving into the... (full context)
Liu agrees to the marriage of his daughter to Wang Lung’s eldest son , but wants to wait another three years, which worries Wang Lung. He tells O-lan... (full context)
One day Wang Lung’s eldest son tells him that his teacher has no more to teach him, and he wants to... (full context)
That night, when Wang Lung visits Lotus, she says that his eldest son wants to leave and go south. He snaps that his son shouldn’t have been speaking... (full context)
O-lan tells Wang Lung that their eldest son goes into Lotus’s court when he’s not there. Wang Lung hardly believes her, so she... (full context)
...his life. He strips a piece of bamboo and bursts into the court. Lotus and the eldest son don’t see him at first, and he watches them talking and laughing. Cuckoo sees him... (full context)
...into Lotus’s room, where she lies crying. He accuses her of trying to seduce his eldest son , but she says he only came because he was lonely, and they never slept... (full context)
Wang Lung is relieved when his eldest son has gone. He feels that he can now take better care of his other children.... (full context)
...seems better. She has Wang Lung send for the girl who is engaged to their eldest son so that she can make the food for the festival. Liu agrees to let his... (full context)
After a few days, O-lan says she wants to see her eldest son marry before she dies. Wang Lung doesn’t like to hear her talk about dying, but... (full context)
The night before the wedding, the eldest son comes home, looking like a man and wearing fine clothes. Wang Lung is proud of... (full context)
...he finally does, he laughs joyfully, making everyone else laugh too. Wang Lung watches his eldest son carefully and sees that he likes his bride, and Wang Lung is glad to have... (full context)
O-lan tells her eldest son and his wife to take care of her family, and tells the woman that she... (full context)
...where O-lan died, so he moves into Lotus’s court and gives the room to his eldest son and his wife. (full context)
Wang Lung’s eldest son keeps his wife shut up in their room away from his cousin, the uncle’s son,... (full context)
The eldest son is amazed and suggests that they push the uncle’s family into the water and drown... (full context)
...and pulls her away from him. His nephew shows no remorse. Wang Lung tells his eldest son what happened, and the son says they should send the second daughter to the house... (full context)
One day the eldest son announces that his wife is pregnant. Wang Lung is joyful and has Ching buy good... (full context)
...notices that the boy seems unhappy. Wang Lung wants peace in his house, but his eldest son still hates the uncle’s son. The son watches his cousin constantly and suspects him of... (full context)
When Wang Lung returns from the fields, his eldest son says he can’t bear to have his cousin in the house anymore. He doesn’t bring... (full context)
The eldest son suggests that they might move to town and leave the uncle’s family in the country.... (full context)
...who will make him spend money. Wang Lung is surprised at this characterization of his eldest son ’s wife, but he’s happy to find that this son he’s almost ignored has a... (full context)
Wang Lung tells his eldest son to arrange to rent the house, and the family prepares to move. When they’re ready... (full context)
One morning Wang Lung hears his eldest son ’s wife in labor. He’s frightened of her screams, so he brings incense to a... (full context)
...O-lan giving birth to all of his children silently and alone, in contrast to his eldest son ’s wife, who shrieked and caused panic. Wang Lung remembers O-lan nursing her son in... (full context)
Wang Lung’s eldest son throws a great feast to celebrate the birth of his son. Afterwards, he tells Wang... (full context)
...Lung thinks he has everything he could want and can live in peace. But his eldest son always comes to ask him to buy things to make the family great and plan... (full context)
The eldest son buys beautiful furniture and decorations for the house. Whenever he goes through the outer courts,... (full context)
...of what goes on, as he stays in the inner courts, sleeping and eating. His eldest son has the outer courts rebuilt and made beautiful with his wife’s advice. The townspeople hear... (full context)
...all on the son’s wedding, but the second son says it’s really to satisfy the elder son ’s pride. Wang Lung agrees to stop giving his elder son so much money. The... (full context)
Wang Lung tells his eldest son they’ve made enough improvements to the house, but his son insists they need to live... (full context)
The eldest son persists, saying that Wang Lung’s youngest son should be sent to school. Wang Lung had... (full context)
...thinks how much easier his daughters are. When he calms down, however, he tells his elder son to arrange for the youngest son’s education. (full context)
...least pay he can. Cuckoo says a truly great family would be more generous, so the eldest son gives her more money to keep her quiet. He only invites a few friends to... (full context)
...Sometimes Wang Lung wishes he were back in his plain house on his fields. The eldest son and the second son always argue about spending money and their social status. Wang Lung’s... (full context)
...so they quickly take over the house. Wang Lung is powerless. He desperately tells his eldest son what’s happened. The eldest son decides he has to be courteous because the soldiers are... (full context)
Dismayed, Wang Lung and his eldest son bar the door of the inner court. The second son rushes in with news that... (full context)
...comes and admires the sons’ wives, flirting with the second son’s wife and insulting the elder son ’s wife. Then he goes to Lotus and calls her “Old Mistress,” saying he can... (full context)
...and they always use his words to insult each other. The sons also clash because the eldest son worries about his social status, and the second son worries about his brother’s waste of... (full context)
Later that day, the eldest son comes to Wang Lung’s court. Wang Lung is afraid for him to find out about... (full context)
Wang Lung asks Cuckoo about his sons’ wives, and she tells him that his eldest son seems to be thinking of taking a concubine, and often visits the tea shops. She... (full context)
Wang Lung returns to town and sends for his eldest son , but when he arrives Wang Lung can’t remember what he wanted to say. He... (full context)
...often, and if they don’t he complains to Pear Blossom. She says they’re busy, as the eldest son holds a position in the town and the younger son has his own grain market.... (full context)
Greider, Julia. "The Good Earth Characters: The eldest son (Nung En)." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 20 Mar 2017. Web. 28 Jan 2020.
Greider, Julia. "The Good Earth Characters: The eldest son (Nung En)." LitCharts LLC, March 20, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-good-earth/characters/the-eldest-son-nung-en. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744741 |
__label__wiki | 0.905587 | 0.905587 | Coffee May Cut Risk of Depression in Women
By Rachael Rettner 2011-09-26T21:14:06Z
Credit: Stock Xchng
Drinking coffee may lower women's risk of depression, a new study says.
Women in the study who drank two to three cups of caffeinated coffee a day were 15 percent less likely to develop depression over a 10-year period compared to those who drank one cup of coffee or less per week.
The researchers cautioned, however, that the new study only shows an association between coffee consumption and depression risk, and cannot prove that drinking coffee reduces risk of depression in women.
The study, which included more than 50,000 women in the United States, is the largest of its kind, the researchers, from the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, said.
The findings are in line with earlier studies that have found a link between moderate coffee consumption and a reduced risk of suicide.
The new study is just the latest to suggest coffee consumption has health benefits. Earlier work has found an association between drinking coffee and a reduced risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and stroke.
"Taken together, these results reassure coffee drinkers that there seem to exist no glaringly deleterious health consequences to coffee consumption," Dr. Seth Berkowitz, wrote in an editor's note accompanying the new study.
Because the study only shows a correlation between coffee and the risk of depression, it's too soon for doctors to recommend coffee consumption to patients, Berkowitz said.
The study is published in the Sept. 26 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Caffeine and depression
The majority of adults in the United States consume caffeine, and coffee accounts for about 80 percent of daily caffeine consumption, the researchers said. But caffeine's effect on depression is not well understood, they said.
The researchers analyzed surveys of 50,739 U.S. women (average age 63) enrolled in a long-term study known as the Nurses' Health Study. From 1980 through 2004, participants filled out questionnaires about their caffeine consumption, including how often they drank coffee, tea and soda.
Participants were followed from 1996 to 2006 to see whether they were diagnosed with depression. None of the participants had depression at the study's start. Women were considered depressed if they had been given a diagnosis of clinical depression by their physician and they started taking antidepressants.
Over the 10-year period, 2,607 new cases of depression were reported. Women who drank four or more cups of coffee per day were 20 percent less likely to develop depression than those who drank one or fewer cups of coffee per week.
No link was found between consumption of decaffeinated coffee and depression.
Some individuals who consume caffeine experience sleep disturbances, insomnia or anxiety. It's possible that women with a history of depression, or women who are predisposed to depression, know about these side effects and reduce their caffeine consumption, the researchers said.
Caution urged
Emma Robertson-Blackmore, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, calls the findings "interesting," but urged caution regarding the link.
For one, the women included in the study were nurses and their caffeine consumption may not be reflective of the U.S. women population in general, Robertson-Blackmore said.
The study also did not take into account factors known to trigger depressive episodes, including a past history of depression, financial difficulties and experiencing the death of someone close.
"Given how old the women were at the end of the study, you have to feel that most would be experiencing some of these changes," Robertson-Blackmore said.
Caffeine can make people feel more energized, focused and put them in a better mood in general. "This feeling could be reflected in the women’s assessment of their mood symptoms," Robertson-Blackmore said.
There are more robust predictors of depression other than how much caffeine you consume, Robertson-Blackmore said.
"Women should aim for a healthy balance in diet, stress reduction and exercise and be mindful of depression symptoms that require help from health professionals," she said.
Pass it on: Drinking two or more cups of coffee a day is associated with a reduced risk of depression in women.
This story was provided by MyHealthNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow MyHealthNewsDaily staff writer Rachael Rettner on Twitter @RachaelRettner. Find us on Facebook. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744742 |
__label__wiki | 0.713185 | 0.713185 | Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
Press Release Baker-Polito Administration Submits Opportunity Zone Designations to U.S. Treasury Department
Opening new channels to attract private investment to support economic growth in Massachusetts communities
Office of Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito
Media Contact for Baker-Polito Administration Submits Opportunity Zone Designations to U.S. Treasury Department
Colleen Arons , Communications Director
Email Colleen Arons , Communications Director at colleen.arons@mass.gov
BOSTON, MA — Governor Charlie Baker submitted the state's Opportunity Zone designations to the U.S. Treasury Department today to encourage long-term investment in eligible Massachusetts communities. Created as part of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Opportunity Zone program presents an opportunity for private, tax-free investment into areas of economic need, benefiting both residents living in the zones and private investors.
“The opportunity zone program helps leverage private investment in Massachusetts cities and towns and can be a catalyst for job creation and economic activity,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I look forward to working with our congressional delegation and local officials to support these new economic development opportunities across the Commonwealth.”
The Opportunity Zone program provides a federal tax incentive for taxpayers who reinvest unrealized capital gains into ‘Opportunity Funds,’ which are specialized vehicles dedicated to investing in low-income areas called ‘Opportunity Zones.’ The zones themselves are to be comprised of low-income community census tracts and designated by governors in every state.
Of Massachusetts’ 1,478 census tracts, 581 tracts were determined by the U.S. Department of Treasury to be eligible to be considered for Opportunity Zone designation. Governor Baker recommended 138 Opportunity Zones, the maximum number for Massachusetts.
The administration engaged municipal leaders and other key stakeholders in the communities with eligible tracts in the development of the state designation process, opening the application process on March 9.
“As part of a collaborative process with communities, our administration empowered local leaders to nominate eligible tracts they believed would benefit most from this program, resulting in a diverse set of designations across Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito. “These communities range from small rural towns to Gateway Cities and large urban centers, representing a wealth of opportunities for new investment in the Commonwealth.”
Of the 138 designated tracts submitted for federal approval, 32 tracts are located in the 10 communities with the lowest median family income (MFI) in the state; 48 percent of the tracts are from “Gateway Cities,” which are municipalities with a population between 35,000 and 250,000, with a median household income and rate of educational attainment of bachelor’s degree or greater below the state average. Rural communities were encouraged to participate as well, and they make up 18 percent of the communities with designated tracts.
Applicant municipalities explained why their nominated tracts offer attractive investment opportunities, what level of planning they had already completed, and key demographic data such as median family income, unemployment, and poverty rates – both in the nominated tract and in the wider community.
“We are committed to helping our cities and towns prepare for and attract investment, and we are enthusiastic about the possibilities represented by the Opportunity Zone program,” said Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash. “Here in Massachusetts, our communities have proven that planning, site readiness, and community engagement are major factors in successful development. The tracts identified by the nominating communities reflect these characteristics and are worthy of consideration by the federal government.”
The U.S. Treasury has committed to responding to state submissions within 30 days.
Municipalities with State-Designated Opportunity Zone Tracts Submitted for Federal Approval:
The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development promotes vibrant communities, growing businesses, and a strong middle class.
Thanks, your message has been sent to Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development! | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744744 |
__label__cc | 0.668754 | 0.331246 | Masse Moro
Norwegian Heritage Youth Camp
TOOLS FOR LODGES
© Masse Moro, Sons of Norway Fifth District. Proudly created with Wix.com
Contact Us: Sandy Olson, Youth Director (651) 208-3333 /
solsondist5@gmail.com
/ Beaver Creek Reserve, S1 County Road K, Fall Creek, WI 54742
SONS OF NORWAY FIFTH DISTRICT YOUTH DIRECTOR
A key resource from the Fifth District, our Youth Director oversees the operations of camp and is a part of the District Board.
Sandra is married to Thomas Olson; they live in Woodville, Wisconsin. She has three grown children and nine grandchildren. She has a degree in Human Resources Management and is a member and past president of the Valkyrien Lodge. She loves everything Norwegian. She is a firm believer that Masse Moro is a “perfect fit” to carry out the mission of Sons of Norway, which is to promote and preserve the heritage and culture of Norway.
SANDRA OLSON
2019 CAMP DIRECTORS
Camp Directors are onsite during the camp session and manage all of the day-to-day programming, staff, and functions of camp.
Olvin is a woodworker by trade, specializing in one of a kind furniture and art. He has been attending Masse Moro since 2000. After several years as a camper, he returned as a member of the staff for many years. Having been a counselor for the better part of a decade, including one year as a woodworking instructor, in 2019 he will return as a Co-Director. He's very excited to make the 40th Anniversary session of camp more special than ever and can't wait to spend another amazing year at his favorite place in the world.
ZACHARY "OLVIN" GARNER
Geir holds a degree from Winona State University, where he also currently works. He has been a part of Masse Moro for many, many years starting his journey as a camper at the age of 9 years old. He has worked on staff as a Counselor, Senior Staff member, and Activities Director. He is thrilled to be part of the leadership team leading Masse Moro into it's 40th summer.
KEIR "GEIR" KRISTIANSEN
2019 COUNSELING & ACTIVITIES STAFF
Counseling and Activities staff stay onsite during the camp session, stay in cabins (or other camp buildings) and run the programs and activities at camp.
Gina is from Nekoosa, WI. She is currently studying Early Childhood Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. In her free time she loves to coach softball and loves all things Disney. She has a part of Masse Moro since 2010 as a camper and on-staff. Her favorite camp activities include Allsang, Idrett, and Kveldsprogrammer.
ELIZABETH "GINA" BOUDREAU
Kjetil is a filmmaker from Texas who enjoys all things Masse Moro! He likes goofing around and continuing camp traditions. Kjetil loves connecting with and sharing his Norwegian roots and can't wait to help deltakere make some life-long memories!
KEEGAN "KJETIL" COOK
Tina is the director of bands at Westmont High School, a small town in the Chicago-land area. She graduated with a degree in music education from North Central College, with an emphasis in choral and instrumental music. In her spare time, Tina enjoys spending time with her family and pets. Growing up, Tina had a family with strong roots in Norwegian heritage and culture. She attended Norwegian language summer camps at a very young age, and fell in love with Messe Moro after her first two weeks. Tina returned to Messe Moro for as long as she was able, and is still connected with many of the people she went to camp with. Tina is thrilled to be back at Messe Moro as a counselor, to help spread the love of Norwegian culture and language, and to help campers make similar, long lasting friendships - just as she did.
RACHEL "TINA" FINNES
Ingebjørg is a student at Winona state university. This will be her 4th year counseling at camp. She is super excited to meet all the campers and have a great year har på Masse Moro.
ANNA "INGEBJØRG" MILLERHAGEN
James is a woodworker who studied Computer Science, Nordic Studies and Biology at Luther College. Aside from his focus on traditional Norwegian figure carving, he is devoted to researching and preserving traditional folk instruments and music. Although he has never attended Masse Moro in any role, he has taught woodcarving classes, conducted cultural demonstrations, and served as Vice President of Luther College's Norskklubb. He can hardly wait to join Masse Moro this year to be part of the amazing community and pass on his passion for Norwegian folk art.
Activities Instructor - Wood Carver
JAMES RAY MILLER
Kaia-Birgit is excited to be back at Masse Moro for her 4th year on staff. She is currently studying Theatre at Loyola University Chicago and will be graduating next year. She loves roller skating and reading in her free time.
AMELIA "KAIA-BIRGIT" MURNANE
Ramona holds a degree in Early Childhood Education from Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee. She was a camper for 6 years and has been on staff since 2011. Her favorite part about camp is teaching the campers about the history of Norway and watching their excitement about the various programs and activities.
Counselor/Business Manager
SONJA "RAMONA" OLSON
Espen is an avid outdoorsman from Bozeman, MT, where he attends Montana State University. He is excited to be back on staff to enjoy the fun and exciting times we have here at Masse Moro.
COOPER "ESPEN" WILLIAMS
Katja has been both a camper and staff member, and this is her 3rd year here on staff as the Health Aide. Outside of camp she is a certified athletic trainer for the University of Dubuque in Iowa where she deals with cuts and bruises, diagnosing and caring for all injuries, dealing with concussions, and controlling life threatening situations. Katja holds a B.S. in Human Biology-Exercise Science and a Master's Degree in Athletic Training, as well as certifications in CPR, AED, supplemental oxygen delivery, and first aid and emergency care. Her background makes camp the perfect place for me in the summer. Cuts and scrapes and injuries are a part of camp life! Katja's around to make sure any injury big or small receives the correct care.
MATTY "KATJA" ZIMMERMAN
SONS OF NORWAY BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andrew Johnsen, President
Kathy Secora, Vice President
Darlene Arneson, Secretary
Mike Palecek, Treasurer
Cheryl Wille Schlesser, Sports & Recreation Director
Karen Eberhardt, Publicity Director
Geraldine Lachman, Cultural Director
Sandra Olson, Youth Director
Audrey Severson, Zone 1 Director
Tom Boudreau, Zone 2 Director
Karen Broadhead, Zone 2 Director
Peggy Schroeder, Zone 4 Director
Connie Kross, Zone 5 Director
Dee Bumpers, Zone 6 Director
Robin Fossum, International Director - District 5
For more information about Sons of Norway Fifth District. Please visit their website at www.sonsofnorway5.com | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744745 |
__label__wiki | 0.535983 | 0.535983 | Home / Unlabelled / [New post] Police arrest ritualists for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boy
[New post] Police arrest ritualists for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boy
Aminat Aigbe posted: "Police arrest ritualists for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boyNo fewer than five people escaped mob action after they were apprehended by villagers for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boy in a bush in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State. The suspects"
Police arrest ritualists for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boy
No fewer than five people escaped mob action after they were apprehended by villagers for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boy in a bush in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State.
The suspects reportedly lured the boy to a bush near Kona village but they were caught by the villagers and paraded by the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Tuesday January 14.
According to reports, the suspects were unknowingly followed and busted by villagers who were suspicious of their motive of hiring the little boy.
Reacting to the incident, the NSCDC spokesperson in Taraba state, Godwin Peter confirmed the arrest.
He said, "When we got the security information that some young men suspected to have been carrying out ritual activities in Kona village were caught with a ten years old boy, our men moves swiftly to the village and arrested the situation.
"We went there and the villagers insisted that the five boys have been carrying out ritual killings and were dealing with human parts, the villagers urged the security to scrutinize the five boys."
Before their arrest, the suspects inflicted a deep machete cut on the back of the 10-year-old boy who was rushed to the Federal Medical Center in Jalingo. It is expected that the suspected ritualists who have already confessed to the crime will be prosecuted at the end of the investigation.
The post Police arrest ritualists for attempting to kill a 10-year-old boy appeared first on Within Nigeria.
https://www.afronaija.com.ng/news-and-gist/police-arrest-ritualists-for-attempting-to-kill-a-10-year-old-boy/ | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744746 |
__label__wiki | 0.711484 | 0.711484 | Meghraj Group was founded by the late Mr. Meghji Pethraj Shah (M. P. Shah), a businessman and philanthropist. The Group’s name is taken from a combination of the names “Megh”ji and Peth“raj”.
In 1919 at the age of 15, M. P. Shah left his home in Gujarat, India, and travelled to Mombasa, Kenya, where he found work in a shop.
In 1922 M. P. Shah left his job and moved to Nairobi, where he started his first business, Raichand Brothers, which was initially involved in retailing and wholesaling. Over the next 35 years he created a business group of over 50 companies involved in distribution, trading, manufacturing and finance. In addition to his business in East Africa, he also set up and acquired companies in India and UK. He travelled extensively evaluating business opportunities and meeting suppliers and customers.
M. P. Shah retired from active business in 1954 at the age of 49 and moved from Kenya to India, so that he could devote most of his time, energy and money to charitable activities. He was particularly interested in education and health initiatives, and built hundreds of schools, colleges, libraries, hostels and hospitals in India and Kenya, including:
M. P. Shah Hospital in Nairobi
M. P. Shah Medical College in Jamnagar
Smt. Maniben M. P. Shah Women’s College of Arts & Commerce in Mumbai
M. P. Shah Cancer Hospital in Ahmedabad
M. P. Shah Education Complex in Jamnagar
In addition to giving his own money, he was actively involved in raising money from the local government and the communities where his projects were established. His philosophy was that local governments’ involvement was critical to ensure their long-term commitment to the projects; and that the local communities should also be involved in projects affecting their well-being. He remained involved in the development of the projects he funded. He was a pioneer of what is now known as venture philanthropy.
Whilst he was in India, M. P. Shah was appointed as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of the Indian Parliament. He moved with his family to London in 1957, and passed away in 1964 at the age of 59.
His legacy includes showing how business success can be used as a means to actively contribute to society. M. P. Shah’s reputation was one of his greatest assets. He was well known for his entrepreneurialism and foresight, and for his ethical behaviour, generosity and integrity.
We take tremendous pride in our Founder’s name, and the history, values and reputation that it represents. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744753 |
__label__cc | 0.619237 | 0.380763 | UofM Media Room
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UofM Herff College of Engineering Partners with Public and Private Sectors to Address STEM Workforce Needs
December 16, 2019 - Beyond traditional academic preparation for its students, the University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering partners with public and private sectors to address workforce needs.
“We understand that our students’ needs span beyond the classroom and begin prior to enrolling at the University of Memphis,” said Dr. Richard Sweigard, dean of the Herff College of Engineering. “By providing tools, programs and resources for our students, we are able to strategically help address the STEM workforce needs in Memphis and beyond.”
The West Tennessee STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Hub, which is housed in the Herff College, is one of seven regional STEM Innovation Hubs in Tennessee supported by the Tennessee STEM Innovation Network. The West Tennessee STEM Hub has an active steering committee to engage community partners and enhance K-12 STEM education in hopes of creating a pipeline of students to address future STEM workforce needs.
The West Tennessee STEM Hub serves as a resource for West Tennessee to increase students’ interest in and preparedness for the STEM workforce through a variety of activities. The hub aims to unite K-12, institutes of higher education and STEM industry partners in an unprecedented approach to transforming STEM education and workforce opportunities throughout the region.
“If we can reach students at a younger age and demonstrate the immense value of a STEM education, we can better equip them for a fulfilling, successful experience throughout their collegiate career and after,” said Dr. Stephanie Ivey, director of the West Tennessee STEM Hub and associate dean for research at the Herff College.
The Herff College of Engineering also has an active Advisory Council to help understand community and regional workforce needs, specific to its graduates as they enter the workforce. Sweigard convened a group of executives from industry and academia to offer input on how the college can recruit outstanding faculty, set priorities, impact future technologies and garner the additional resources necessary to bring the college to the next level of excellence, including acting as a resource for Memphis STEM workforce needs.
Regarding the medical device workforce, the Herff College of Engineering is a partner in implementing the MOVE-HIRE (Medical Device Occupations Value Education and Help In the Regional Economy) grant, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor and administered locally through the Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce. MOVE-HIRE provides engineering students real-world experience in the medical device industry.
In Memphis, the medical device industry employs roughly 7,000 directly and 10,000 indirectly, generating $2.4 billion annually in economic impact for the local economy.
“The Memphis medical device industry is thriving, and employers need talented individuals to fulfill critical roles,” Sweigard said. “The MOVE-HIRE program provides our students with work experience and networking opportunities that complement their education, making them top candidates in the Memphis medical device community.”
Outside of the UofM campus, the T-STEM Academy at East High School addresses STEM workforce needs as part of the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center at the UofM. The vision is that the high school and its collaborative partners will become a local, regional and national example for preparing students for STEM careers, with a particular focus on the transportation industry.
“Through these workforce partnerships, we are not only preparing our students to achieve in the STEM workforce, but we are also helping to increase the economic development of Memphis and the Mid-South,” said Ted Townsend, chief economic development and government relations officer for the UofM. “These graduates are able to retain high-paying positions in STEM and contribute to the local economy, which helps elevate the University but also betters the community it serves.”
The UofM is on a mission to continue to increase enrollment in STEM programs and help to address the needs of the STEM workforce in the Memphis area. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744754 |
__label__wiki | 0.868098 | 0.868098 | Pompeo 'very hopeful' US-North Korea talks will resume soon
BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday he's very hopeful for a quick resumption in nuclear talks with North Korea despite the North's recent weapons tests that have clouded already uncertain prospects for a return to the table.
Pompeo told reporters accompanying him to an Asian security conference in Thailand that some preliminary work on a new round of talks has been done but no dates have been set. He said he's waiting to see if North Korea's foreign minister comes to Bangkok for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum and is confident they will meet if he does. The State Department says the lead U.S. negotiator, Stephen Biegun, will be in Bangkok for North Korea-related discussions but has not released his schedule.
"We think they'll be started before too long," Pompeo said. "I'm very hopeful." Talks have been stalled since President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's summit in February in Hanoi that broke up over disagreements about sanctions relief and what actions the North would have to take in exchange. But they agreed to restart the talks when they met at the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas in June. At the time, U.S. officials spoke of the negotiations resuming in a matter of a few weeks.
"It's taken a little bit longer than that," Pompeo said. "There's been a little bit of preliminary work to be done. I never want to set a date (but) I hope before too long we will have Special Representative Biegun sitting with what I think will be a new counterpart from North Korea."
Since the latest Trump-Kim meeting, however, and just in the past week, the North has conducted two short-range ballistic missile tests. And, the two sides remain at odds on a definition of denuclearization. The U.S. says sanctions cannot be removed until the process is complete, although it has said some concessions are possible in return for partial steps.
The annual ASEAN security meeting has been used in the past as a venue for U.S.-North Korea talks and although the North has signaled that its top diplomat may not attend this year, Pompeo was nonplussed.
"We don't anticipate that the North Koreans will be at the event in Bangkok, but if they are, I'd look forward to the chance to meet with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho," he said, saying such a meeting "would be great." ''We'll see if they are there, and if they are there, I am confident we'll meet."
Even if such a meeting does not occur, Pompeo will have a full plate of thorny issues to contend with in Bangkok. Among them, rising tensions with China over its increasingly assertive behavior in the South China Sea, hostility toward pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and mass detentions of Muslims and other minorities in the western region of Xinjiang. Pompeo will meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday as talks on ending a bitter U.S.-China trade dispute wrap up in Shanghai.
Pompeo will also be seeking in Bangkok to ease brewing tensions over trade between U.S. allies Japan and South Korea that threaten to disrupt Seoul's electronics industry and draws on long-standing bitterness over Japan's actions toward Korea during World War II. The dispute also threatens to poison relations at a time when Washington would prefer to see a united front in dealing with North Korea.
.On Friday, Pompeo will meet the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers separately before convening a three-way meeting among them. "We will encourage them to find a path forward. We think it's important," Pompeo said aboard his plane. "They're both great partners of ours; they're both working closely with us on our efforts to denuclearize North Korea. So, if we can help them find a good place for each of their two countries, we certainly find that important to the United States, indeed, as well as to each of those two countries. I hope we'll have a good conversation and we can help get to a good place."
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First Female Super Bowl Coach
FA Cup Draw | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744755 |
__label__cc | 0.585437 | 0.414563 | Strategy For Defence Exports
1. Self-reliance and indigenization in defence is important for both strategic and economic reasons and has, therefore, been an important guiding principle for the government. Government considers that the industrial and technological development in the sector have made it possible to achieve this objective by harnessing potential of Indian industry along with the technological capabilities developed by academic and research institutions. Though India has made rapid strides in defence technology and industrial base in recent past, it is yet to cover a significant ground in terms of new products development and scale of production. The domestic defence industry would have limited scope for investment in R&D and production if it relies only on the domestic demand.
2. There is a need to promote investment in the defence sector, both in R&D and production, thereby resulting in higher self-reliance and indigenization. While putting in place the policy framework and procedural mechanisms, the thrust would be on indigenous production and exploring possibilities of exports to other nations that may look forward to supplies from India. Since the defence technology needs long term investment, its obsolescence is high with low economies of scale. Hence, the policy of maximizing indigenous production without well supported R&D policy and export strategy may not bring desired results. Therefore, the defence industrial policy has to be supplemented by the strategy for defence exports without which the economic base of the defence industry would be difficult to sustain in the present economic competitive environment.
3. The Government has already announced a Defence Production Policy in 2011 with an objective to achieving substantive self-reliance in design, development and production of equipment/weapons systems/platforms required for defence in as early a time frame as possible; to create conditions conducive for the private industry to take an active role in this endeavour; to enhance potential of SMEs in indigenization to broaden the defence R&D base of the country. While the Defence Production Policy lays due emphasis on indigenous production of defence equipment with a greater role of private sector, SMEs and R&D institutions, the objective of Defence Production Policy will not be achievable without having a well thought out export strategy, so that the industry is assured of access to export markets in addition to domestic market for investing in the sector.
4. Ministry of Commerce & Industry already has an overall Export Policy in the form of Foreign Trade Policy (FTP), which, inter-alia, includes various export promotion schemes, duty/ tax exemptions and other facilitative measures. Therefore, there may not be a need for having a separate Defence Export Policy. Instead, there is a need to put in place a specific strategy for encouraging defence exports within the overall ambit of FTP. The strategy may include measures required for promotion/ facilitation of defence exports through institutional mechanisms and streamlining the process of issuing NOC/ clearance for export of military stores. Accordingly, following strategy would be adopted to encourage export of defence products.
Need for Strategy for Export of Defence Products
Export Promotion/ Facilitation
Export Promotion Body
5. A specific export promotion/ facilitation body would be set up with participation from industry representatives. The body could be in the form of a society or a not for profit company under the Companies Act. The role of the body would be to render advice to government on various export related issues, coordinate all export facilitation schemes of the government, increase awareness amongst the industry about various export facilitation measures and promotion of exports through specific marketing efforts in targeted countries. The body will identify the suitable export markets in consultation with Ministry of External Affairs and Department of Commerce, keeping in view our foreign policy and various international export control and arms control regimes. The body would be a nodal agency of Ministry of Defence for the purpose of organizing defence exhibitions in India and abroad. The body would also act as a nodal point of Ministry of Defence for participation in exhibitions abroad.
Defence Export Steering Committee
6. In the government, a body namely Defence Exports Steering Committee (DESC) under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Defence Production would be constituted. The Committee will have representatives of Armed Forces, DRDO, PIC Wing, Acquisition Wing, MEA, DGFT. Wherever required, the views of industry representatives and other experts will be taken. The functions of this Committee would include consideration and taking decisions on cases of export permissions, which are outside the purview or scope of subordinate authorities/committees particularly export of indigenously developed sensitive defence equipment, monitor the progress in defence exports and suggest specific steps/ strategy to boost exports.
Use of Offset Policy
7. Offset is an important mechanism available to the domestic industry to enhance export capability. The Offset Policy may be reviewed and aligned towards final integration of weapons/systems in India and promoting export of such systems from India. The Policy may also be reoriented towards acquisition of critical technologies required for high end weapons/platforms so that the same can be leveraged for export. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744756 |
__label__wiki | 0.75512 | 0.75512 | Tasting Success: 2013's Top Innovators
Food Manufacturing reviews the top five innovative food manufacturers we’ve covered in our print issues this year, highlighting each company’s unique innovative efforts, including process improvement, food safety, R&D and sustainability.
This article originally appeared in the November/December 2013 issue of Food Manufacturing.
Food Manufacturing reviews the top five innovative food manufacturers we’ve covered this year, highlighting each company’s unique innovative efforts, including process improvement, food safety, R&D and sustainability.
1. Beaverton Foods, Hillsboro, Oregon
Beaverton Foods, Inc. is the largest processor of specialty mustards in the country and operates out of a 70,000 square-foot processing facility. The company has grown from humble beginnings during the Depression era to a booming business, shipping approximately 30 million units per year.
After operating in Beaverton, Ore., for more than 70 years, the company relocated to its current Hillsboro facility 11 years ago. Beaverton now employs 72 workers at the Hillsboro facility. Five staff mechanics oversee product changeover at the plant, which is an integral part of production in a facility that produces so many products.
Beaverton works with 700 product formulas and a plethora of packaging options, so the plant’s product lines are continually innovated and modified to accommodate new products. The company focuses on keeping production lines flexible in order to handle multiple bottle sizes and packages. “All our lines are pretty flexible. We have so many different pieces of packaging, from glass to plastic, to squeeze and food service. Some lines are specialized for squeeze bottle packages, but they handle multiple squeeze bottle packages, so we’re very, very flexible,” says Domonic Biggi, CEO of Beaverton Foods.
Not only is innovation a necessity on Beaverton’s production lines; it is also a key focus for the company’s R&D activities. Beaverton currently offers many kosher and gluten-free items, and the business is slowly working to expand these lines. The company’s R&D staff, along with the founding Biggi family, form a hybrid focus group that is constantly innovating and formulating new products to accommodate dietary requirements as well as new trends.
2. Hearthside Food Solutions, Downers Grove, Illinois
Hearthside Food Solutions manufactures snack bars for some of the world’s largest food companies. Founded in 2009, the company has been on the fast track for growth, expanding from four snack manufacturing facilities and 2,000 employees to today’s 13 plants and 5,000 workers.
Hearthside’s primary focus is co-manufacturing bar and snack products for “premier food companies.” Brian McNamara, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Hearthside Solutions, estimates that Hearthside currently has more than 100 contracts, with 80 to 85 percent of the business dedicated to contract manufacturing.
“Companies look to co-manufacturers,” McNamara says. “Small companies look to us because they don’t have the resources to launch and commercialize products. Big companies do it due to the potential complexity of a product or in categories where the cycle of innovation is such that they’d be continually investing millions of dollars every year to bring the product to market. We built a company in these categories (baking, cooking, crackers and bars) that had the scale for the premier food companies to bring their ideas to market.”
Hearthside operates a product development lab in McComb, Ohio, capable of handling the innovation and R&D efforts for all the lines and products made in all Hearthside plants across the country. The company also has added a smaller bar test line inside one of its Grand Rapids, Mich., facilities and a small R&D plant in Eugene, Ore., further strengthening the company’s position as a leading innovator.
3. Daniele, Inc., Pascoag, Rhode Island
Daniele, Inc. may be headquartered in a small town, but the company has big ideas when it comes to technology and food safety. The sausage and cured-meat producer has an aggressive food safety program, which includes a contracted outside laboratory that samples each batch of sausage and cured meat for salmonella and listeria. The company also performs comprehensive environmental testing in each of its three facilities, closely monitoring the plants for pathogens.
Daniele also has invested in a high pressure processing (HPP) machine for its salami production facility, which produces about 200,000 pounds of salami each week. Michael DeCesare, Food Safety Director for Daniele Foods, says HPP is “one of the most sophisticated ways to reduce the chances of contamination on finished product.”
While Daniele’s employees take great care in maintaining a food-safe environment, utilizing HPP technology provides a final checkpoint in what is already a safe process. “We make a product that employs multiple hurdle technology,” DeCesare says, “which means there are many layers that go into making salami — or any of our dry-cured items — that, when stacked upon one another, make it very difficult for pathogens to overcome and survive.”
Thanks to Daniele’s use of innovative technology and food safety techniques, the quality of its products have been improved, not only through added food safety assurance, but also because of the extended shelf life delivered through the HPP process.
4. Bolthouse Farms, Bakersfield, California
Bolthouse Farms began in 1915 as a family-owned, commercial vegetable farming operation focused on carrot production. Since then, the company has expanded to produce healthy salad dressings and beverages in addition to its carrot snacks. The company unveiled its new Innovation Center in 2013, which is designed to help Bolthouse accelerate its R&D efforts, as well as enhance its current product offerings.
The $5 million, 17,900 square-foot facility houses test kitchens as well as a sensory center, which allows product developers to use the latest technologies. Todd Putman, chief marketing officer for Bolthouse Farms, says that the co-location of the center and the production facility provides a “highly functional, collaborative environment,” which is conducive to Bolthouse’s innovation efforts.
Bolthouse Farms keeps innovation at the center of its business, operating on an “innovation cycle.” The company currently schedules its times of innovation in specific product categories. Due to the Innovation Center, Bolthouse will be able to increase the frequency of its innovation cycles, furthering product formulation and development.
5. LifeLine Foods, St. Joseph, Missouri
LifeLine Foods is unique in that the company produces both corn-based food products and ethanol. Earlier in 2013, the company invested $8 million in upgrading LifeLine’s milling equipment and other infrastructure. The new equipment will allow the company to move into new food categories, including flaking grits, brewer's grits, meals, cones and flours.
LifeLine implements an innovative “zero-discharge” production process. Jason Friedberg, Director of Strategic Planning and Analysis for LifeLine Foods, says, “Essentially, we bring in corn as a whole grain and we process every bit of it, including the wastewater.”
Instead of discharging its wastewater, LifeLine sends it into the ethanol production process. Along with wastewater, other leftover materials from the company’s mills are used in ethanol production so that nothing is wasted. The only "waste" materials resulting from the process are steam and clean air.
LifeLine’s innovative “zero-discharge” process results in both a profitable and sustainable business. “We have a very green operation where instead of burdening the public water-treatment plant, we can make money off of it,” Friedberg says.
Thanks to its innovative production process and advanced milling technology, LifeLine is quickly establishing itself as one of the premier corn-milling facilities in the country. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744759 |
__label__cc | 0.619747 | 0.380253 | Food Inclusions Market
Market Leader: taste trends and responsive development of new flavor profiles are driving the manufacturers to innovate in the Food Inclusions Market
The global food inclusions market is projected to reach USD 15.78 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2018. The food inclusions market includes players such as Cargill (US), ADM (US), Barry Callebaut (Switzerland), Kerry (Ireland), Tate & Lyle (UK), AGRANA (Austria), Sensient Technologies (US), Puratos Group (Belgium), SensoryEffects (US), Taura Natural Ingredients (New Zealand), Georgia Nut Company (US), Inclusion Technologies (US), Nimbus Foods (UK), IBK Tropic (Spain), TruFoodMfg (US), FoodFlo International (New Zealand), and Confection by Design (UK).
Food inclusions are increasingly becoming an integral part of food & beverage products; these inclusions are known to improve the aesthetics and organoleptic & sensory properties of food products, resulting in an enhanced appeal. Owing to the growing industrial demand, various types of inclusions have been introduced by market players in different forms and characteristics that cater to and comply with end-consumer demand in terms of flavor, texture, and allergen & health concerns, among others. The types of inclusions that are considered in this report are chocolate, fruit & nut, flavored sugar & caramel, confectionery, and others, including biscuit, cookie, color, and bean- & plant-based inclusions.
Key players such as Cargill (US), Tate & Lyle (UK), Kerry (Ireland), ADM (US), Barry Callebaut (Switzerland), AGRANA (Austria), Sensient Technologies (US), Inclusion Technologies (US), Georgia Nut Company (US), Taura Natural Ingredients (New Zealand), and Nimbus Foods (UK) adopted expansions & investments, acquisitions, new product launches, and joint ventures & partnerships with other players to strengthen their business, explore new & untapped markets, expand in local areas of emerging markets, and develop a new customer base for long-term client relationships.
Cargill (US)
Cargill produces and markets food, agricultural, financial, and industrial products and services. The company’s key business segments include animal nutrition & protein, food ingredients & applications, origination & processing, and industrial & financial services. It offers numerous functional food ingredients and starch derivatives, mainly to the food & beverage and personal care industries. The company also offers nutrition expertise and feeding solutions to optimize animal production operations. It offers a range of food inclusion products through its cocoa and chocolate product segment for frozen desserts and bakery applications. Its core competencies include supply chain management, risk management, and R&D activities.
Cargill focuses on establishing itself as a leading supplier in the global food inclusions market through various organic and inorganic strategies. By expanding its geographical presence, the company is focusing on enhancing its base in the food segment. For instance, in June 2018, Cargill invested in the liquid chocolate production line of the Mouscron production facility (Belgium). This would enhance the company's production capacity for milk and dark chocolate to meet the consumer demand for high-quality chocolate products and related ingredients.
Barry Callebaut (Switzerland)
Barry Callebaut is primarily engaged in the production and marketing of chocolate and cocoa products. The company operates in three business segments, namely, food manufacturers, cocoa products, and gourmet & specialties. The company offers a wide range of solutions for food manufacturers, such as sprinkles, inclusions, and decorations. The inclusions offered by the company can be broadly divided into chocolate, sugar, cereal, cookie, and fruit inclusions.
The company has a broad product portfolio for inclusion products and serves various application industries, such as bakery, dairy, confectionery, and frozen desserts. The company focuses on expanding its operations globally and has set up its production sites in Europe, Africa, North & South America, and Asia Pacific. For instance, in August 2017, Barry Callebaut set up its BC Studio, an innovation center in Bandung (Indonesia) to cater to the growing needs of food manufacturers and their markets in the Asia Pacific region.
Food Inclusions Market by Type (Chocolate, Fruit & Nut, Cereal, Flavored Sugar & Caramel, Confectionery), Application (Cereal, Snacks, and Bars, Bakery, Dairy & Frozen Desserts, Chocolate & Confectionery), Form, Flavor, and Region - Global Forecast to 2023
What are the Known and Unknown Adjacencies Impacting the Food Inclusions Market | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744761 |
__label__wiki | 0.704638 | 0.704638 | MidOcean Partners to Sell Bushnell Group to ATK
MidOcean Partners, a middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce that it has reached a definitive agreement to sell Bushnell Group Holdings, Inc., to ATK (NYSE: ATK). Bushnell is a leader in branded sports optics, outdoor accessories, and performance eyewear. MidOcean acquired Bushnell in August 2007 and has helped to transform the business as it completed nine add-on acquisitions into complementary product lines.
Bushnell offers a broad portfolio of high-quality, affordable products such as laser rangefinders, trail cameras, riflescopes, binoculars, hunting and shooting sports accessories, and sun, winter and safety eyewear.
“Bushnell is a leading provider of outdoor consumer-branded products,” said Blake Lipham, Bushnell Outdoor Products' President and CEO. “I am very proud of what MidOcean and the Bushnell team have accomplished during our partnership. We have completed nine acquisitions and successfully launched a wide variety of new products and category extensions during our partnership, which have expanded our brands and enabled us to provide a broader range of exceptional products to the sports enthusiast customers we serve.”
Bushnell has a track record of product development and innovation, and provides a complementary portfolio of 19 outdoor brands including the iconic Bushnell brand and other authentic, heritage names such as Primos, Bollé, Hoppe's, Uncle Mike's, Butler Creek and Serengeti that are sold in more than 90 countries worldwide.
“MidOcean targets investments in companies that, like Bushnell, are leaders in their space where we see multiple opportunities for growth,” said Ted Virtue, MidOcean's CEO. “We bring significant strategic and operating resources to our portfolio companies to support our management teams. MidOcean was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with Blake and his team as we applied MidOcean's growth methodology to the Bushnell platform."
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. are acting as financial advisors to Bushnell, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP is acting as its legal advisor.”
About ATK
ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with approximately 14,000 employees and operations in 21 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally. ATK is headquartered in Arlington, Va. ATK's Sporting Group is headquartered in Anoka, Minn. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/atk, or on Twitter @ATK.
Bushnell Outdoor Products is a global manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer products based in Overland Park, Kansas. Bushnell Outdoor Products sells its products worldwide under the Bushnell, Tasco, Serengeti, Bolle, Uncle Mike’s Law Enforcement, Stoney Point, Hoppe, Blackwater Gear, and Butler Creek brand names. Additional information about Bushnell is available at www.bushnell.com.
About MidOcean Partners
MidOcean Partners is a premier New York-based alternative asset manager that specializes in middle market private equity and alternative credit investments. Since its inception in 2003, MidOcean Private Equity has managed approximately $4.8 billion of committed capital and has targeted investments in high-quality middle market companies in the consumer and business services sectors. MidOcean Credit Partners was launched in 2009 and manages approximately $8 billion across a series of alternative credit strategies, collateralized loan obligations (CLOs), and customized separately managed accounts as of September 30, 2019.
MidOcean Media Relations Contacts
Nathaniel Garnick/Amanda Klein
Gasthalter & Co.
midocean@gasthalter.com
MidOcean Investor Relations Contact
Allison Donohue
Investorrelations@midoceanpartners.com
Ted Virtue
Daniel Penn
Managing Director, Consumer
Principal, Consumer
Hunter Fan Company Acquires Industrial Fan Provider Jan Fan
Nutrabolt Acquires Scivation Creating Unparalleled Sports Nutrition Brand Portfolio
MidOcean Partners Announces Sale of Water Pik to Church & Dwight for Approximately $1 Billion
MidOcean Partners Acquires BH Cosmetics, a Leading Color Cosmetics Brand | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744765 |
__label__wiki | 0.584132 | 0.584132 | Celebsopinion
New horror flick for Danny Dyer
Alice in Wonderland gets Hollywood horror treatment
Danny Dyer (Pic:Getty Images)
My favourite cheeky British actor, Danny Dyer, is going to star in a major Hollywood flick.
Sony has bought the rights to Malice In Wonderland, a horror version of Lewis Carroll's classic children's story.
I've also heard about a new, as yet unnamed, Working Title movie starring Hugh Grant, in which he plays an actor who falls in love with a Chinese actress.
Some may say Hugh is being typecast, but I say there's nothing wrong with sticking to what you're good at. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744767 |
__label__wiki | 0.592467 | 0.592467 | Home / ACTION MOVIES / New Pirates Film Titled "Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge" in PH
New Pirates Film Titled "Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge" in PH
Ravenfox13 12:58:00 AM ACTION MOVIES
Walt Disney Pictures has announced that the latest Pirates film starring Johnny Depp will be officially titled in the Philippines as Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge. (The film is alternatively called Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales in the US.)
The fifth installment in the hugely successful Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Salazar's Revenge will bow in local cinemas starting May 24, 2017.
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost pirates led by his old nemesis, the terrifying Captain Salazar (Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle, determined to kill every pirate at sea…including him. Captain Jack’s only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, a powerful artifact that bestows upon its possessor total control over the seas.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge is directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg (Oscar Best Foreign Language Film nominee Kon-Tiki).
The cast also includes Orlando Bloom, Kaya Scodelario, David Wenham, Geoffrey Rush and Brenton Thwaites.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar's Revenge is distributed in the Philippines by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures through Columbia Pictures. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744768 |
__label__wiki | 0.839594 | 0.839594 | Michael Bowsher QC
Anneliese Blackwood
Michael Bowsher QC and Anneliese Blackwood win important case on the application of Article 56 TFEU to development contracts
Hounslow Council proposed to enter into an agreement with Legal & General (“L&G”) which would have allowed L&G to develop a parcel of land in Hounslow which was partially owned by the Council. Quidnet, a developer who owned property in Hounslow, challenged the legality of the proposed agreement on the basis that even if it was not a works contract pursuant to the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 (the determination of this issue had been stayed) the proposed agreement was in breach of Article 56 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (“TFEU”) as there had been insufficient advertising of the opportunity to enter into the proposed agreement.
Mr Justice Coulson held that there was no breach of Article 56 TEFU because:
i) Article 56 could not be applied to activities which were confined in all respects within a single Member State. The dispute before the court was wholly internal to the UK as the parties involved in the proceedings were all English and the land which was the subject matter of the proposed agreement was in England.
ii) The proposed agreement, when properly constructed, did not impose an obligation on L&G to provide services and the substance of the proposed agreement was for the grant of a long lease not the provision of services.
iii) The proposed agreement did not impose any restriction on the ability of third parties to provide services.
Mr Justice Coulson also added that, even if he was wrong and Article 56 TFEU did apply to the proposed agreement, he would be inclined to exercise his discretion and refuse to grant the declaration sought by Quidnet. The reasons he gave were that the claim was hypothetical, in the sense that there was no evidence that a party from another Member State had any interest in the contracting with the Council instead of L&G, and that damages ought to be an adequate remedy.
Please click below for the judgment.
AG Quidnet Hounslow LLP v Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Hounslow | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744770 |
__label__wiki | 0.99075 | 0.99075 | Jamey Johnson's Montgomery 'Homecoming' concert ready to pack Riverwalk Stadium with love on Sunday
It's a first-time show for Riverwalk Stadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuits; Along with Johnson, will feature Toby Keith, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann, Lee Brice, Sweet Lizzy Project and more.
Jamey Johnson's Montgomery 'Homecoming' concert ready to pack Riverwalk Stadium with love on Sunday It's a first-time show for Riverwalk Stadium, home of the Montgomery Biscuits; Along with Johnson, will feature Toby Keith, Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann, Lee Brice, Sweet Lizzy Project and more. Check out this story on montgomeryadvertiser.com: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/entertainment/2019/10/02/grammy-nominated-country-music-star-jamey-johnson-montgomery-homecoming-concert-riverwalk-stadium/3832099002/
Shannon Heupel, Montgomery Advertiser Published 9:08 a.m. CT Oct. 2, 2019 | Updated 4:00 p.m. CT Oct. 2, 2019
Concert is Sunday 7 p.m. at Riverwalk Stadium in downtown Montgomery, home of the Montgomery Biscuits
Tickets on the field are $40, and are $20 for in the stands
Tickets are available online through jameyjohnson.com and milb.com/montgomery
Tickets are also available in person through the Montgomery Biscuits box office
“I love Montgomery,” said country star Jamey Johnson. “I love where I’m from. I love my old friends and my old family back in Montgomery."
It's the city where he learned to perform as a child, standing up in front of the congregation at Calvary Baptist Church. "I’ve got a great big church family back in Montgomery," Johnson said. "I see these people every chance I get.”
Jamey Johnson's 8th annual Homecoming Concert is Sunday at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery (Photo: Charles Reagan Hackleman)
It's also where he learned much about music from his dad, a French horn player, and from his instructors at Floyd Jr. High School and Jeff Davis.
“They’re all such wonderful people,” the Grammy-nominated Johnson said. “I’m so grateful I got to be raised in such a wonderful town."
For the past seven years, fans from around Montgomery and beyond have been pouring in support for Johnson and the Nikki Mitchell Foundation he cares so deeply for. It's named for longtime friend Nikki Mitchell, who died of pancreatic cancer.
"They really do come out and support in large numbers everything we do in Montgomery," Johnson said. "I couldn’t be more proud.”
For the 8th annual Jamey Johnson Homecoming concert on Sunday at 7 p.m., he’s bringing his concert to a new location in downtown Montgomery — Riverwalk Stadium, the home of the Montgomery Biscuits baseball team.
Previously fans packed Cottonwood Golf Club, of which Johnson’s a co-owner. While his celebrity golf tournament is still there Saturday and Sunday, Johnson said the homecoming concert had outgrown the venue.
Jamey Johnson's 8th annual Homecoming Concert is Sunday at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery. (Photo: Shannon Heupel/Advertiser)
“We just ran out of room at the golf course,” Johnson said. “Our thought was, it’s better to take it to a venue that’s better suited to accommodate that many people for a concert. I’ve always loved the Biscuits stadium, so it’s one of the first places that came to mind.”
Even with rain cutting the show short last year, the homecoming golf tournament and concert raised $421,000 for the foundation’s fight against pancreatic cancer.
“It was a huge blessing for the foundation, and for the patients with pancreatic cancer who benefit from the foundation,” Johnson said.
Along with Johnson, this year's concert features announced appearances by Toby Keith (in a set with longtime singer/songwriter Scotty Emerick), Randy Houser, Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice.
You never know who else might appear for homecoming, and Johnson said it doesn’t take much convincing to get his music buddies to show up. “They love to come perform here,” Johnson said. “We play golf together.”
Asked for some hints about who else might be making the show, Johnson said that it's hard to say sometimes because of schedules.
One extra group Johnson said they'll definitely have is Sweet Lizzy Project, a band that came to Nashville from Cuba. They were introduced to Johnson by Raul Malo, lead singer of the Mavericks (who performed at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre in August).
“I’ve got to tell you, this is one of the best bands I’ve ever heard,” Johnson said of Sweet Lizzy Project. “These guys are phenomenal, and I can’t wait to share that with Montgomery. I think Montgomery is in for a real treat.”
Jamey Johnson concert at Wind Creek Wetumpka
Country singer and songwriter Jamey Johnson of Montgomery, Ala., performs Friday, May 19, 2017, for a sold out show at Wind Creek Wetumpka. Shannon Heupel/Advertiser
Country singer and songwriter Jamey Johnson of Montgomery. Shannon Heupel/Advertiser
The stage is going to be set on the stadium's field, and general admission standing only tickets on the field are $40 each. Seats up in the stands are $20. Gates open at 6 p.m., and the concert starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online through jameyjohnson.com and milb.com/montgomery, and are also available in person through the Montgomery Biscuits box office.
This isn't Johnson's first benefit for Nikki Mitchell Foundation in Montgomery this year. On Aug. 2, he and Montgomery band Whatley & Co. performed at the Capri Theatre in the Alabama Natives Bicentennial Concert Series.
Johnson said he hopes everyone in Montgomery shows up Sunday.
“Come out and have fun,” Johnson said. “It’s going to be another great homecoming concert.”
A boy from Troy
Montgomery’s not the only city to have a claim on Johnson. His family lived in Troy when he first came into the world, though he was born at a hospital in Enterprise. Johnson said his family moved to Montgomery when he was three.
“Troy is still a huge part of my life,” said Johnson, who loves the city and said the residents were God’s people. “I still own property down there.”
Growing up in Montgomery, Johnson said he always had an eye on the city’s link to the civil rights movement. That eye was opened a little wider this year when he participated in a Civil Rights Pilgrimage led by U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
“Civil rights was very much a part of my heritage,” Johnson said. “But I don’t think I was prepared to see and hear and participate in the things that we were able to do on that civil rights pilgrimage.”
Hearing personal experiences of suffering from Lewis, a fellow Troy native, hit home in a real way.
“There’s a difference in listening to the stories in a documentary and looking into Congressman Lewis’ eyes when he tells you what happened to him,” Johnson said.
That meeting with Lewis wasn’t all serious, though. “He’s funny,” Johnson said of Lewis. “He’s a real funny guy. He’s got a healthy sense of humor.”
Lewis told Johnson a story about when he first met the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who immediately called Lewis “the boy from Troy.” Lewis then gave King his full name, John Robert Lewis. Still, King continued to call Lewis “the boy from Troy.”
“When I introduced myself to (Lewis), I told him I was the other boy from Troy,” Johnson said.
When Johnson was just a college student, the idea of a military life finally fully embraced him. He said that time of service is something he’s always embraced back. Johnson, who served in the Marine Corp Reserves from December 1994 until December 2002, said it was one of his most proud and humbling life achievements.
“The military is not just a part of my background,” Johnson said. “From the time I was a kid, I always knew I was going to be a Marine.”
Though he had a full scholarship at Jacksonville State University in the early ‘90s, he made the tough decision to leave and join the service.
“I knew it was time to put that away and get on in the Marine Corp,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of my service.”
That life continues to connect him with many of his current fans who served as well.
“In the past 15 years since I’ve been touring, I can’t even begin to count how many times a veteran has come along and given me a Challenge Coin, or just wanted to shake my hand," Johnson said.
He’s also been touched by the families of fallen veterans. “They buried their loved ones listening to my songs,” Johnson said.
On Sunday, toy donations for the Marines charity program Toys for Tots will be accepted at the Riverwalk Stadium gates. For more information on Toys for Tots, visit toysfortots.org.
No matter where he roams, Johnson has a piece of Montgomery near his heart. Literally, it sits just below his chest during concerts.
That would be Old Maple, his Epiphone EJ-200CE guitar that he purchased here in 1995 from Bailey Brothers.
“I went in that day and played every acoustic guitar they had in there. I took a lot of time doing it,” Johnson said. “When I got done, I kept coming back to that one guitar. It just sounded so big. It sounded really clean, and had a really big bass sound to it. But at the same time, it was really easy to play. It was the one that kept calling out to me.”
Old Maple is the guitar he’s written most of his songs on over the years, including hits like “In Color,” “High Cost of Living,” and “That Lonesome Song.”
It's also been with him as he was co-writing hits for country's superstars, like “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" for Trace Adkins back in 2005 and the 2007 award-winning hit "Give it Away" for George Strait. He also co-wrote the title track of Willie Nelson's album "God's Problem Child.”
Look closely and you'll see numerous signatures covering Old Maple from fellow artists like Nelson and Strait.
“It’s still the one that I play in my shows today,” Johnson said. “Montgomery stays with me everywhere I go.”
Last Waltz 40 Tour
Next month, another project for Johnson is a tour honoring the Canadian-American rockers The Band - Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm.
“The Last Waltz was The Band’s last show in 1976,” said Johnson, who was 1 when it happened. “They were retiring, coming off the road. The band was separating and going in different directions.”
That concert was recorded for a live 30-song album The Last Waltz featuring such greats as “Up on Cripple Creek,” “Ophelia,” and “The Weight.” It was a Thanksgiving Day show featuring special guests like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Neil Diamond, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan and Van Morrison.
“It was just one epic show,” Johnson said.
Forty years later during the 2016 Jazz Fest, Johnson was part of a special performance at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans honoring The Band’s last show.
“At first, it was just going to be a one-time performance,” Johnson said. They had so much fun that immediately afterwards talks started about taking it on the road as the Last Waltz 40 band. In 2017, that’s what they did for 30 or 40 dates, Johnson said.
For The Last Waltz 40 Tour 2019, Johnson is part of a huge group that includes Warren Haynes, Lukas Nelson, John Medeski, Don Was, Terence Higgins, Dave Malone, Cyril Neville, Bob Margolin, and Mark Mullins & the Levee Horns.
“We’re going to be out the entire month of November,” Johnson said.
Johnson said it’s grown into a movement to keep The Band’s music alive for today’s music lovers.
“If they’re not heard, it’s just a matter of time before they’re forgotten,” Johnson said. “It’s important that artists like us go out there and remind people just how wonderful those songs were.”
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel at sheupel@gannett.com.
Read or Share this story: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/entertainment/2019/10/02/grammy-nominated-country-music-star-jamey-johnson-montgomery-homecoming-concert-riverwalk-stadium/3832099002/
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__label__wiki | 0.928569 | 0.928569 | Pair of Alabama defenders elect to return for senior seasons
Junior LB Lyndell "Mack" Wilson could be the next Crimson Tide starter to announce his return over social media.
Pair of Alabama defenders elect to return for senior seasons Junior LB Lyndell "Mack" Wilson could be the next Crimson Tide starter to announce his return over social media. Check out this story on montgomeryadvertiser.com: https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2019/01/10/alabama-defenders-davis-diggs-elect-return-senior-seasons/2533418002/
Alex Byington, Montgomery Advertiser Published 8:00 a.m. CT Jan. 10, 2019 | Updated 3:58 p.m. CT Jan. 10, 2019
A look at NFL Draft prospect Raekwon Davis' Alabama football career
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) is helped off of the field against Mississippi State at Davis Wade Stadium on the MSU campus in Starkville, Ms., on Saturday November 16, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks (16) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 26, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) talks with umpires during a timeout against Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 19, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) gets his hands on Tennessee quarterback Brian Maurer (18) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 19, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) chases Tennessee quarterback Brian Maurer (18) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 19, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive linemen Raekwon Davis (99) and DJ Dale (94) celebrate a stop at the goal line against Tennessee at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 19, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) pressures Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 19, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) against Texas A&M offensive lineman Carson Green (54) at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Saturday October 12, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) against Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Saturday October 12, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) closes in on Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond (11) at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Saturday October 12, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel (1) runs the ball as Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) defends during the first quarter in the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) pressures Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond (11) at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas on Saturday October 12, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) walks off of the field after the win over Ole Miss at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 28, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Ole Miss running back Scottie Phillips (22) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 28, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive back Patrick Surtain, II, (2) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) pressure Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham (15) as he passes at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 21, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) pressures Southern Miss quarterback Jack Abraham (15) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 21, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Southern Miss offensive lineman Bryce Foxworth (68) battles Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) Vasha Hunt, AP
Alabama defensive linemen Raekwon Davis (99) and Justin Eboigbe (92) celebrate a stop against South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday September 14, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) and linebacker Terrell Lewis (24) stop n25o\ at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 7, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) at the Walk of Champions at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., before the New Mexico State game on Saturday September 7, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday August 31, 2019. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Aug 31, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) rushes Duke Blue Devils quarterback Quentin Harris (18) in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Brett Davis, Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) and defensive back Xavier McKinney (15) pressure Duke quarterback Quentin Harris (18) in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday August 31, 2019. Mickey Welsh
8/28/19 MFB Practicee Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) Photo by Robert Sutton Robert Sutton, Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) signs autographs during Alabama's fan day at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday August 3, 2019. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) walks onto the field during a media availability at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday August 3, 2019. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) talks with the media during a media availability at Bryant-Denny Stadium on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday August 3, 2019. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) walks off the field after losing to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca., on Monday January 7, 2019. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) as Alabama practices on the Stanford campus in Stanford, Ca., on Saturday January 5, 2019. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Jan 7, 2019; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) against the Clemson Tigers in the 2019 College Football Playoff Championship game at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) and Alabama defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs (49) during the Alabama Media Day at the SAP Center in San Jose, Ca., on Saturday January 5, 2019. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) in second half action of the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday December 29, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray (1) in second half action of the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday December 29, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) hits Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray (1) in second half action of the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday December 29, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) cools off during warm ups before the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday December 29, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) during Alabama's practice on the Barry University campus in Miami Shores, Fla., on Thursday December 27, 2018. Alabama plays Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Saturday. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) puts on his helmet during Alabama's practice on the Barry University campus in Miami Shores, Fla., on Wednesday December 26, 2018. Alabama plays Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl on Saturday. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Auburn quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) is chased out of the pocket by Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) during the Iron Bowl at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018. Alabama leads Auburn 17-14 at halftime. Jake Crandall
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) celebrates after tackling Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald (7) in second half action at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday November 9, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tn., on Saturday October 20, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) plays against Tennessee in second half action at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tn., on Saturday October 20, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) watch from the sidelines against Tennessee in first half action at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tn., on Saturday October 20, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive linemen Isaiah Buggs (49) and Raekwon Davis (99) strike a pose after defeating Missouri at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 13, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Missouri running back Larry Rountree, III, (34) in second half action at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 13, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) celebrates a tackle for a loss against Missouri in first half action at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 13, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Missouri running back Larry Rountree, III, (34) in first half action at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday October 13, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd (5) during first half action in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday October 6, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama running back Josh Jacobs (8) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) walk off the field after defeating Arkansas during second half action in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday October 6, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) pursues Louisiana quarterback Andre Nunez (7) In first half action at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 29, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) before the Alabama vs. Louisiana game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 29, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Texas A&M running back Trayveon Williams (5) in first half action in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 22, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) in first half action against Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 22, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) in first half action Texas A&M in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 22, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) and linebacker Mack Wilson (30) pressure Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond (11) in second half action in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 22, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs, III, (11) and Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) leave the field after defeating Ole Miss in Oxford, Ms., on Saturday September 15, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) tackles Arkansas State running back Warren Wand (6) In first half action at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 8, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs (49) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) celebrate a Buggs sack against Louisville in second half action of the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday September 1, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) stops Louisville running back Dae Williams (25) in first half action of the Camping World Kickoff at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday September 1, 2018. Mickey Welsh
Alabama defensive linemen Raekwon Davis (99), Johnny Dwight (95) and Quinnen Williams (92) wait for turn in drills during Monday's practice. Kent Gidley, Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics
Lineman Raekwon Davis signs autographs during the University of Alabama football fan day at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Saturday August 4, 2018. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
University of Alabama linemen Raekwon Davis (99) and Isaiah Buggs (49) before fan day on the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Saturday August 4, 2018. Mickey Welsh / Advertiser
Alabama defensive linemen Da'Shawn Hand, left, and Raekwon Davis, right, cheer to the crowd of fans during the NCAA college football national championship celebration, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Alabama won the national championship game against Georgia 26-23 in overtime. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson) Brynn Anderson, AP
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) jumps into the stand after the NCAA National Championship football game between Alabama and Georgia on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018, in Atlanta, Ga. Alabama defeated Georgia in overtime 26-23. Albert Cesare
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) during an Alabama practice for the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in Atlanta, Ga., on Saturday January 6, 2018. Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs (49), quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) celebrate after beating Clemson in the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Monday January 1, 2018. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) celebrate winniung against Clemson in the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Monday January 1, 2018. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) during Sugar Bowl Alabama Media Day at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Saturday December 30, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) during the Sugar Bowl Alabama Media Day at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Saturday December 30, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) interviews Alabama defensive back Nigel Knott (13) during the Sugar Bowl Alabama Media Day at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Saturday December 30, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Arkansas quarterback Cole Kelley (15) is wrapped up by Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) in second half action at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Saturday October 14, 2017. (Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Colorado State running back Izzy Matthews (24) is stopped by Alabama lineman Raekwon Davis (99) at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 16, 2017.(Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Alabama defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs (49) and defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) greet Colorado State players after defeating them at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday September 16, 2017.(Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser) .
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) celebrates a stop against Mississippi State at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on Saturday November 12, 2016. ( Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) and Alabama defensive back Nigel Knott (13) hold the SEC Championship trophy while celebrating with fans after the SEC Championship football game between Alabama and Florida on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, in Atlanta, Ga. Alabama defeated Florida 54-16. Albert Cesare
While Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis will be eligible for Saturday’s game, how much he will play against the Hilltoppers is unknown. Vasha Hunt/AP
Jan 8, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) reacts after defeating the Georgia Bulldogs to win the 2018 CFP national championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) and fellow players celebrate their 49-10 win with a traditional victory cigar after defeating Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 15, 2016. John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports
ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Raekwon Davis #99 and Alex Leatherwood #70 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrate after beating the Georgia Bulldogs in overtime to win the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 8, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. The Alabama Crimson Tide won 26-23. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) Christian Petersen, Getty Images
The national championship game served as Raekwon Davis' break-through moment, as he scored a key touchdown for Alabama. Coming into his junior year, Davis is expected to be among the stars of Bama's defense. Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports
Meridian's Raekwon Davis was one of four defensive linemen named to the 2015 Dandy Dozen. File photo
Alabama Crimson Tide defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) makes an interception against the Georgia Bulldogs during the third quarter. Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports
Alabama linebacker Terrell Lewis interviews teammate defensive lineman Raekwon Davis during Alabama's media day at the Merceds-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Saturday, December 30, 2017. BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis, right, interviews teammate defensive back Nigel Knott during Alabama's media day at the Merceds-Benz Superdome in New Orleans on Saturday, December 30, 2017. BART BOATWRIGHT/Staff
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis. Vasha Hunt, AP
Meridian defensive tackle Raekwon Davis reaffirmed his commitment to Alabama on Wednesday night. Chris Todd/For The Clarion-Ledger
Meridian defensive tackle Raekwon Davis was the topic of conversation following his official visit to Mississippi State. Chris Todd/For The Clarion-Ledger
Meridian defensive tackle Raekwon Davis flipped his commitment from Alabama to Mississippi State during an official visit. Chris Todd/For The Clarion-Ledger
Raekwon Davis, DL, Meridian Keith Warren/For The Clarion-Ledger
Mississippi's Raekwon Davis (93) douses Mississippi head coach Jeff Breland with a bucket of Powerade after Mississippi defeated Alabama 28-21 in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game that was played on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the University of Southern Mississippi. Keith Warren/For The Clarion-Ledger
Mississippi's Raekwon Davis (93) closes in on Alabama's Tyler Johnston (16). Mississippi defeated Alabama 28-21 in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game that was played on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the University of Southern Mississippi. Keith Warren/For The Clarion-Ledger
Mississippi's Kobe Jones (58), Raekwon Davis (93), and Jeffery Simmons (80) celebrate with the trophy after Mississippi defeated Alabama 28-21 in the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game that was played on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the University of Southern Mississippi. Keith Warren/For The Clarion-Ledger
Starkville defensive tackle Kobe Jones (58), Meridian defensive tackle Raekwon Davis (93) and Noxubee County defensive end Jeffery Simmons (80) anchored Mississippi's defensive line in a 28-21 victory over Alabama on Saturday. Keith Warren/For The Clarion-Ledger
A quarterback's nightmare of defensive linemen. From left: Kobe Jones of Starkville, Raekwon Davis of Meridian, Benito Jones of Wayne County and Jeffery Simmons of Noxubee County. CHRIS TODD/FOR THE CLARION-LEDGER
Meridian defensive tackle Raekwon Davis is a member of the 2015 Football Dandy Dozen. Joe Ellis/The Clarion-Ledger
Monster DL Raekwon Davis is the fifth member of the 2015 Dandy Dozen Chris Brooks/Special to The Clarion-Ledger
TUSCALOOSA — Two days after its worst performance in years, Alabama’s beleaguered defense received some good news when two key junior starters announced they were coming back to school.
Coming off Monday night’s debacle against Clemson, when the Crimson Tide defense surrendered 44 points in a 44-16 beatdown, both defensive end Raekwon Davis and cornerback Trevon Diggs declared their intentions to forgo early entrance into the NFL and return to play out their senior seasons at Alabama next year.
Alabama defensive lineman Raekwon Davis (99) walks off the field after losing to Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Ca., on Monday January 7, 2019. (Photo: Mickey Welsh)
“The NFL has always been my goal, but playing football at the University of Alabama is an experience that only happens once, and I’m not ready to see that end,” Davis wrote in a tweeted picture featuring a promotional image of him and his signature. “I have a lot of unfinished business on the field and in the classroom as I work to finish my degree.
“So, with that said, after talking to my family, and a lot of prayer, I have decided to return to Alabama for my senior season. I can’t wait to get back on the field with this family, and finish what we started. Roll Tide!”
More: Reports: Alabama QB Jalen Hurts' name in NCAA transfer database
More: Raekwon Davis: 4 things to know about the Alabama football defensive lineman
More: Alabama CB Trevon Diggs out 'indefinitely,' a 'big loss' for Tide secondary
Diggs’ announcement was much simpler, simply tweeting, “Let’s do it 1 more time! #RollTide,” with a picture of him in full Alabama gear, something the first-year starter hasn’t been able to wear since suffering a season-ending broken right foot against Arkansas on Oct. 6.
Alabama defensive back Trevon Diggs (7) in the Sugar Bowl at the Superdome in New Orleans, La. on Monday January 1, 2018. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Montgomery Advertiser)
The 6-foot-7 Davis could be considered a bit of a surprise after he has received some early first-round consideration in multiple online mock drafts this season, with many believing his sheer size will be enough to warrant first- or second-day consideration. But Davis’ inability to create much pressure — he finished with just 5½ tackles for loss and 1½ sacks over 15 games this season — has some wondering if he’s ready for the next level just yet.
Another key starting defender who is expected to return for their senior season — but hasn’t formally announced anything yet — is junior middle linebacker Lyndell "Mack" Wilson.
Wilson, who struggled at times Monday night against Clemson, once again implied his intention to come back on social media Tuesday when he tweeted: “That feeling will never leave me. We’ll be back. #RollTide” with a prayer emoji.
Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson (30) during the Alabama Media Day at the SAP Center in San Jose, Ca., on Saturday January 5, 2019. (Photo: Mickey Welsh / Advertiser)
Wilson’s mother, Sandra, told the Montgomery Advertiser in mid-December that her son had already made up his mind to play out his senior season at Alabama and graduate with his college degree — “His plan is to return for his senior year because he said he has unfinished business,” Sandra told the Advertiser on Dec. 17 — but Wilson has denied any such final decision in recent media availabilities.
“I feel like when that time comes, I’ll sit down with my family and talk about it and do what’s best for me and my family,” Wilson said Jan. 1. “But as of right now, I’m focused on Clemson and trying to win another national championship. We’ll decide, me and my family will decide after that.”
Given how active he is on social media, a formal declaration could come at any moment.
Among the draft-eligible Crimson Tide defenders that are most likely gone includes redshirt sophomore nose guard Quinnen Williams, with junior outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings and junior safety Deionte Thompson still very much up-in-the-air regarding their status.
Williams, who was presented the Outland Trophy on Tuesday night, is widely believed to be a near-lock to be selected among the first five picks in the upcoming NFL draft, while both Jennings and Thompson carry potential first- or second-round grades, with Thompson believed to be one of the top safety prospects in this year’s draft class.
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New Study Reveals Psychotropic Drugs Cause Car Accidents
A new study reveals that prescription psychotropic drugs used to treat anxiety, depression and insomnia impair driving ability and increase the risk of car accidents. The findings published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology provides new evidence that driving under the influence of drugs like Ambien, Sonata, Lunesta and Imovane (collectively referred to as “Z-drugs”) contributes to an increased risk of causing a car accident. The authors of the study recommend that drivers consider staying off the road when taking these medications.
The research is founded on the understanding that psychotropic medications impact the functioning of the brain, which can have an adverse impact on driving ability. While prior studies have focused on the impact of benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (Valium), the objectives of this new research was to determine the effects of a broader range of prescription medications on driving and accident rates.
The data involved in the report included comparisons of over 35,000 drivers involved in car accidents. The report revealed that a disproportionate number of those involved in collisions were impacted by Z-drugs. The frequency of auto accidents involving patients treated with these types of drugs was comparable to those of drivers being treated with benzodiazepines, which have a well-established adverse impact on driving ability. The results also indicated that higher dosage levels corresponded with an increased risk of car accidents.
Drivers who cause car accidents when driving under the influence of psychotropic drugs may be liable for the injuries caused. Although these Z-drugs and anti-depressants typically have labels warning patients not to operate heavy machinery while under the influence of the drug, many drivers disregard this danger and needlessly put other drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians at risk.
Although the majority of motorists understand that drivers impaired by alcohol and illegal narcotics pose a serious danger to other vehicle occupants, the impact of prescription drugs is sometimes overlooked or discounted. The widespread use and abuse of prescription medications that impair driving ability is playing an increasing role in causing car accidents resulting in severe injury and wrongful death.
A study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) revealed that 16 percent of drivers surveyed were impaired by illegal, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. However, prescription drug abuse is rising at an exponential rate so it is presumed that a significant percentage of drivers are impaired by prescription drugs.
These drugs may impair perception, alertness, reflexes, decision-making and judgment so the decision to drive while taking these medications may constitute negligence. However, personal injury claims and lawsuits involving drugged drivers are complicated by the fact that there is no “per se” amount of a particular prescription drug that constitutes impaired driving. Further, these cases also are complicated by the challenge of determining whether a driver was actually experiencing the effects of a prescription medication when driving because the medications may remain in one’s blood for a prolonged period.
Our Atlanta accident lawyers are available to assist clients facing these challenges throughout all of Georgia and the Southeast. No matter where you are located our attorneys are just a phone call away, and we will even come to you. Call us 24 hours a day/7 days a week for your Free Consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333). You can also visit us online at www.montlick.com and use our Free Case Evaluation Form or 24-hour Live Online Chat.
Category: Auto Accidents
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Insights Macro Insights The Real Problem with Low Yields
The Real Problem with Low Yields
High grade fixed income plays a special role in managing risk because it tends to be a safer, more liquid and less volatile asset. It acts as the rope a rock climber may clutch onto during precarious times. We still think that is largely true, however, there is a catch. It is that bonds currently are trading at very low yields, even negative yields in many cases. In these conditions, investors who are tied to traditional bond strategies may find they are less effective in acting as a hedge and also have less appreciation potential than when yields were higher. As an alternative, we suggest active fixed income strategies that can offer better diversification benefits throughout changing environments for those willing to assume a greater degree of risk.
Problem: Low yields have eroded diversification benefits
Today’s terrain, however, entails a unique set of risks. Those seeking shelter in bonds should know that, in addition to diminished income streams, the low yield environment has also increased the correlation of returns between fixed income and equities. Increasingly, stocks and bond are moving together (Display 1), meaning investors in a traditionally balanced portfolio, consisting of 60% equities and 40% bonds, may not be getting adequate diversification.
Display 1: Is your portfolio as diversified as you think?
Source: Haver, Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Data as of October 2019. Bonds represented by the the BofA Merrill Lynch 10 Year US Treasury Index and stocks by the S&P 500 Index. The correlations are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to depict the correlation of specific investments. The correlations presented are no guarantee of future results.
We think the low yield environment is the primary contributor to this rise in correlation. Over the past six months, the 10-year German Bund has ranged between -0.70% to -0.20% and US 10-year Treasury from 1.50% to 2.00%. At these levels, there is little room to generate gains from further rate declines. (Display 2). With such little potential for gains, investors cannot look to bonds to potentially offset disappointing equity returns – should that scenario unfold. Similarly, bond yields are not sufficiently high enough to maintain positive performance even for a modest move higher in interest rates.
Display 2: Little room for maneuvering
Source: Bloomberg Barclays U.S. A-rated Corporate Bond Index. Data as of June 13, 2018. Data for the 1990s is an average from 1990-1999. Sensitivity analysis is spread neutral. The returns are based on the historical record of how changes in interest rates have affected returns of a representative index. This is provided for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to depict the performance of a specific investment. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
It thus becomes mathematically more difficult to achieve the benefits offered by diversification when correlations rise. For a portfolio comprised of equity and fixed income, this reduction in diversification benefits may increase the volatility of returns.
Solution: Look beyond the interest rate cycle for bond returns
Since the source of the rise in correlation is the low level of interest rates, then the solution must involve ways reduce the dependency of bond returns from the interest rate cycle.
Active management that looks for opportunities across assets and geographies can help. These flexible strategies have the latitude to generate alpha through in-depth analysis on duration, sectors, credit spreads and yield curve structure. By selectively choosing sectors that have been de-coupled from the interest rate cycle, active managers can seek to preserve the diversification benefits offered by fixed income and potentially improve returns. For example, we can select from global assets whose returns may improve as the economic cycle strengthens, such as credit and some Emerging Market bonds, during periods when interest rates may rise. Similarly, during a declining interest rate cycle we can select higher quality longer duration assets to help capture performance. Keep in mind, investing in these opportunities involve greater risks. Nonetheless, it is this flexibility across a wide investment opportunity set that provides an opportunity for active managers to achieve returns whether interest rates are rising or falling.
The fear of falling is real
Investors concerned about current market conditions and the diminished diversification benefits between stocks and bonds should consider actively managed strategies. An active manager has the latitude to use a variety of tactics to de-couple from the interest rate cycle in an effort to maintain balance and diversification. The fear of falling is real, but knowing that there is someone at the helm continually looking for opportunities and seeking to guard against risks can provide an anchor in uncertain times.
Diversification does not eliminate the risk of loss.
Fixed-income securities are subject to the ability of an issuer to make timely principal and interest payments (credit risk), changes in interest rates (interest rate risk), the creditworthiness of the issuer and general market liquidity (market risk). In a rising interest-rate environment, bond prices may fall and may result in periods of volatility and increased portfolio redemptions. In a declining interest-rate environment, the portfolio may generate less income. Longer-term securities may be more sensitive to interest rate changes. Certain U.S. government securities purchased by the strategy, such as those issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. It is possible that these issuers will not have the funds to meet their payment obligations in the future. Public bank loans are subject to liquidity risk and the credit risks of lower-rated securities. High-yield securities (junk bonds) are lower-rated securities that may have a higher degree of credit and liquidity risk. Sovereign debt securities are subject to default risk. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are sensitive to early prepayment risk and a higher risk of default, and may be hard to value and difficult to sell (liquidity risk). They are also subject to credit, market and interest rate risks. The currency market is highly volatile. Prices in these markets are influenced by, among other things, changing supply and demand for a particular currency; trade; fiscal, money and domestic or foreign exchange control programs and policies; and changes in domestic and foreign interest rates. Investments in foreign markets entail special risks such as currency, political, economic and market risks. The risks of investing in emerging market countries are greater than the risks generally associated with foreign investments. Derivative instruments may disproportionately increase losses and have a significant impact on performance. They also may be subject to counterparty, liquidity, valuation, correlation and market risks. Restricted and illiquid securities may be more difficult to sell and value than publicly traded securities (liquidity risk).
Our Formula for Earnings Resilience
In our view, “the formula” for successful investing consists of two critical elements: pricing power and recurring revenues.
Managing Downside Risk with Global Macro Strategies
Amid concerns about potentially unsteady and down markets, we believe tail risk and long volatility strategies may be worthy of attention today.
Lessons from a 21-year-old Warren Buffett
Investing in high-quality companies—at the right price—may grow investors’ wealth while potentially providing a level of reassurance in falling markets.
Duration is a measure of the sensitivity of the price (the value of principal) of a fixed-income investment to a change in interest rates. Duration is expressed as a number of years. Rising interest rates mean falling bond prices, while declining interest rates mean rising bond prices. Alpha is the excess return or value added (positive or negative) of the portfolio’s return relative to the return of the benchmark. Correlation is a statistical measure of how two securities move in relation to each other.
The indexes shown in this report are not meant to depict the performance of any specific investment, and the indexes shown do not include any expenses, fees or sales charges, which would lower performance. The indexes shown are unmanaged and should not be considered an investment. It is not possible to invest directly in an index
The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index tracks the performance of all U.S. government agency and Treasury securities, investment-grade corporate debt securities, agency mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities and commercial mortgage-backed securities. The BofA Merrill Lynch 10 Year US Treasury Index measures the performance of U.S. Treasury bonds with at least ten years remaining until maturity. The Bloomberg Barclays U.S. A-rated Corporate Bond Index is an unmanaged index consisting of bonds rated A. The S&P 500® Index (U.S. S&P 500) measures the performance of the large-cap segment of the U.S. equities market, covering approximately 75 percent of the U.S. equities market. The index includes 500 leading companies in leading industries of the U.S. economy.
This material is a general communication, which is not impartial and all information provided has been prepared solely for informational and educational purposes and does not constitute an offer or a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security or to adopt any specific investment strategy. The information herein has not been based on a consideration of any individual investor circumstances and is not investment advice, nor should it be construed in any way as tax, accounting, legal or regulatory advice. To that end, investors should seek independent legal and financial advice, including advice as to tax consequences, before making any investment decision.
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Member Benefits Network
These Key Issues affect the 75 million homeowners and aspiring homeowners of America.
Owner-Occupant Housing Inventory Crisis
Access to Credit (Updated Credit Scoring Models)
Reduction in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Fees
Reducing Reliance on the Government Backstop
Construction Stimulus for First-Time Homebuyer Properties
Tax Reform and the Mortgage Interest Deduction
Saving Neighborhoods from Community Blight
Right-Sizing Government Regulation of Mortgage Lending
Wide Availability and Affordability of the Fixed-Rate 30-Year Mortgage
National Housing Policy and GSE Resolution
According to a study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), there is roughly $84,000 of regulatory cost in the average newly-constructed home. If this study is correct, there frankly won't be affordable or available new homes for first-time or low-to-moderate income consumers. The NAHB estimates it could take 3-5 years to fully develop raw land to usable inventory and that we are roughly 3.2 million units short of meeting the statistically "normal" household formation needs of the past few years. The crisis is upon us. More should be done to relax the restrictions that bank regulators have imposed on homebuilders who borrow money to construct new homes, which were reactionary efforts to cool off the over-heated market in the period leading up to the Great Recession. The market has since cooled, and sensible lending rules are necessary to allow homebuilders to get back to work building America's homes. The other major contributing factor to today's housing inventory crisis is a lack of available existing homes for owner occupants. Existing homes for sale have declined for 21 consecutive months and likely will continue to do so as interest rates rise. Today's would-be homeowners are being pushed out to the market by eager, all-cash buyers, many of which are investors looking to rent out the home. More should be done to ensure that families who want to purchase and occupy the house are given a fair and meaningful chance to bid on a vacant property when it comes onto the market. As a result, America needs an extended "first look" program for all single-family bank-owned property, or property otherwise owned or controlled by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). Without it, the current transfer of wealth (most of which comes from owning a home) from typical American owner-occupants (Main Street) is being transferred to investors (Wall Street).
More modern and predictive credit scoring models are available in the marketplace, but are prohibited from use by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). VantageScore is one such model that takes into account newer and more specific pieces of information that reflect the way we live our lives now, rather than the way we did back in the 1990s. Its modeling experts indicate that just by using their more modern methodologies of credit scoring analysis, more than 30 million people would become "scoreable" who are not so today. In addition, there would be a few million people who would be "mortgage eligible" immediately. If VantageScore is accurate that there were approximately 8 BILLION uses of VantageScore in the credit markets last year, and NONE in mortgage finance (because Fannie, Freddie and the FHA have not approved their use). Something needs to be done to mandate their use. The "roadblock" by Fannie, Freddie and FHA has resulted in a loss of homeownership opportunities for millions of creditworthy Americans.
Last year, 25 Trade Associations wrote to Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) Director Mel Watt pleading with him to reduce Guaranty Fees and Loan Level Price Adjustments imposed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the Government Sponsored Enterprises, or GSEs) that are passed on as increased costs to homebuyers. These are fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac layer on top of the mortgage interest rate that most borrowers pay. In theory, these fees are intended to fund the "government backstop" of the mortgage market to ensure that mortgage investors get paid even if homeowners fail to make their mortgage payments. However, after going broke during the foreclosure crisis, the GSEs have gone too far in resetting these fees. The fees have gone up nearly every year since 2010, while the risk on loans they have purchased has gone down, thanks to important mortgage market reforms ushered under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act and Consumer Protection Act. As a result, millions of consumers are "boxed out" of homeownership opportunity because of these excessive fees. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA), which competes with the GSEs, has reduced its fees for the same type of risks even though its insured loans do not perform nearly as well as loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
There is little correlation between the risk posed by the mortgage borrower and the excessive fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Millions of potential homeowners are negatively impacted, and it is imperative that they be lowered to rational and actuarially sound levels.
Today, private mortgage insurance (MI) has been used by mortgage lenders of all sizes to mitigate the negative consequences of borrowers defaulting on their mortgages. MI is the primary driver in incentivizing mortgage lenders to lend money to consumers who have less than a 20% down payment. The MI industry paid out more than $50 billion in claims during the foreclosure crisis and weathered the storm of the wave-upon-wave of defaults. It was $50 billion that taxpayers did NOT have to pay. In nearly every measurable way, MI performed better than Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and with fewer resources. As a result, AHA believes the MI industry should be permitted to shoulder more of the burden than it does today. It is ready, willing and able if only Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would accept lower risk on loans by using more MI. The way to accomplish this is through the implementation of a concept known as "Deeper Cover" MI which would cover about half of the value of a mortgage loan by insulating the mortgage lender, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the first 50% of loss if the borrower defaults and the home is sold for less than is owned. One study suggests that borrowers costs would be lowered if the private mortgage insurance industry assumed this risk rather than Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Media reports a forthcoming "Stimulus Package" to jumpstart America. While the package may emphasize improvements to roads, bridges and air ports, AHA asks Congress to please carve out a sufficient amount of stimulus for construction of first-time homebuyer eligible properties (at least 25% of the stimulus. Whether that comes in the form of a tax benefit for the purchaser of new construction homes - or in the form of a tax incentive for builders to build affordable housing - or both - America desperately needs it.
The Mortgage Interest Deduction has been part of the fabric of America for over 100 years. Today, it allows people who itemize their taxes each year to deduct the interest they pay on their mortgage. It is the demonstrative housing policy emphasizing individual homeownership in America that benefits communities, lowers crime, increases education, facilitates new business formation, and supports essential public services. Any "signal" in the tax reform debate to materially alter the Mortgage Interest Deduction or reduce incentives for tax itemization would have vast consequences. Emphasizing more renting at the expense of homeownership will not fuel the economic stimulus necessary in America. The Mortgage Interest Deduction should be kept intact for most of America. Much of the same is true for the Mortgage Insurance Deduction.
Many Americans are still feeling the effects of the foreclosure crisis. While the sad and unfortunate loss of a home is traumatic for a family, homeowners whose neighbor's home has become vacant and abandoned often suffer in a much different way. Their once-vibrant block is now susceptible to crime and often becomes an eyesore with boarded windows and doors. Their home value is reduced and a once-obtainable dream of building home equity is erased overnight by souring property values attributable to the blighted property next door or down the street. To help protect value for remaining homeowners, industry and government entities that control vacant and abandoned properties need to step up their efforts to dispose of the properties so they do not hang in a zombie state forever and deteriorate to the point where they never could be a place to call home. Secondly, as long as the property remains vacant, it needs to be safely and attractively secured with materials such as polycarbonate or clearboard, not plywood. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mack, the Veterans Administration, the state of Ohio, and a number of other communities around the country already have taken steps to encourage the use of clearboard; however, more could be done. States, financial institutions, and federal government agencies that control these properties need to be convinced to use all available tools to preserve vacant houses for future homeowners.
In the lead up to the Great Recession, consumers of America often were victimized by predatory and abusive lending practices. New laws and regulations to protect consumers from these unscrupulous practices were, and continue to be, necessary. However, regulation for regulation's sake serves the best interest of no one and impedes the ability of regular working Americans from being able to obtain affordable mortgage financing for their home. A review of the proliferation of rules promulgated over the past decade is a worthy task, as long as the rights and interests of homeowners and aspiring homeowners are placed first.
Wide Availability and Affordability of the 30-Year Fixed Mortgage
The development (primarily in America) of the Secondary Mortgage Market allowed for the creation of the 30-year fixed rate mortgage. This mortgage instrument is the preferred method of financing for most homeowners, and is essential to allow homeowners to budget and plan on a weekly, monthly and annual basis. If policymakers are not careful in how they construct the future of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage could become rare. If that happens, lenders could be required to carry most mortgages on their balance sheets and, in turn, might have to revert to the lending practices of the 1960s and 1970s, which was primarily reduced to adjustable short-term mortgages. Potential homeowners could lose access to a 30-year fixed rate mortgage, increasing the volatility of financing and making homeownership less sustainable. The AHA will work to ensure access for homeowners to a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at prices that are affordable to everyone.
The nation needs a national housing policy to inform decisions regarding tax reform, regulations and resource allocation. This should include the role of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the permanent role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Government Sponsored Enterprises or GSEs). Adopting a simple policy such as protecting and promoting sustainable homeownership for all segments of America would be a huge step forward and help to resolve current critical issues regarding the role of government in housing finance as well as constrained credit guidelines and the regulatory burden on both the home building and mortgage finance industries that today impede homeownership at all levels.
7/2/2019Let Independence Ring!
6/21/2019Alert: Refi Solicitations Increase While the Cash-out Refi Moves toward the Endangered Species | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744782 |
__label__cc | 0.597291 | 0.402709 | Posted on July 26, 2018 by Sarah Hawley
Meigs Board hears administrative updates
By Sarah Hawley - shawley@aimmediamidwest.com
ROCKSPRINGS — The Meigs Local Board of Education heard updates from administrators during this week’s regular meeting.
Transportation Supervisor Dean Harris spoke with the board about a proposed bill in the Ohio House, as well as the status of the buses for the upcoming school year.
House Bill 680, as explained by Harris, would require shoulder belts to be installed in all school buses by July of 2019. Harris said that the price quote he received for the parts and installation was around $21,000 per bus, with the district having 33 buses. Additionally, the work would take approximately 36 hours per bus.
Asked by the board about the safety of buses in Ohio, Harris stated that there had been one fatality on a school bus in the state since 1966, with that case involving a driver who had a seizure leading to the crash.
Another question discussed was the responsibility for making sure the children were buckled in with the belts. Harris explained that for the driver to go back and help a child buckle the belt, the bus would have to be turned off (a requirement if the driver leaves the seat). Additionally, it would not be possible for the driver to see if a child would unbuckle the seat belt while the bus was traveling down the road.
While safety remains the number one priority in school transportation, Harris stated that the bill as proposed is not a good approach at this time, and encouraged the board and other to reach out to their representatives on the matter.
He explained that bus standards in Ohio regarding construction of the bus itself are some of the most stringent in the nation. One such safety feature is that the engine, in a head-on collision, would be driven at an angle downward, rather than straight back into the passenger area of the bus.
As for bus inspections, Harris said the inspections went well, with five buses remaining to be completed after some warranty work is some on them.
Cleaning, painting and other maintenance work around the bus garage has also been taking place this summer in preparation for the 2018-19 school year.
Curriculum Coordinator Michael Barnett updated the board on testing and preparations for the upcoming school year.
Barnett stated that the math curriculum selection has been made, and will be presented at the next meeting for approval. The preliminary testing scores for the 2017-18 school year have been received, while the district is waiting to receive the scores from the summer testing related to the third grade reading guarantee. Those scores are expected to be in Aug. 21, just before the start of the school year.
Regarding class offerings for the upcoming school year, College Credit Plus Calculus has been added, with students completing the class to receive college credit through Rio Grande Community College. In addition, an AP Language Arts class is being added.
In other business, the board approved the hiring of Emily Baker, 4th grade teacher; Hannah Dailey, 5th grade teacher; Deanna Whitlatch, middle school cheer advisor; Nathan Becker, head cross country coach; Alex Saunders, Jeff McElroy, Michael Davis and Mike Kloes, assistant varsity football coaches; David Brainard and Kaileb Sheets, volunteer assistant varsity football coaches; Cass Cleland, Bryan Zirkle, Ben Eberts and Dan Thomas, seventh and eighth grade football coaches.
The board accepted the resignation of 5th grade teacher Kelsey Pasquale.
The resignation of Mona Frecker, for retirement purposes, effective Oct. 1, 2018, was accepted.
A one year leave of absence was approved for Douglas Dunn, for the purpose of personal growth and development, in accordance with board policy.
By Sarah Hawley
shawley@aimmediamidwest.com
Sarah Hawley is the managing editor of The Daily Sentinel.
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__label__wiki | 0.646814 | 0.646814 | I don't need EC to help me win election - Akufo-Addo
Source: Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Presidency
President Akufo-Addo with EC Chair, Jean Mensa
President Nana Akufo-Addo has reiterated that he does not need the Electoral Commission (EC) to win an election.
“I don’t want to win an election in Ghana because of the Electoral Commission. I want to win an election in Ghana because of the people of Ghana; that they make a free and open choice that Akufo-Addo will be, again, their choice,” he said.
The President was speaking Thursday, when the Electoral Commission, led by its Chairperson, Jean Mensa, paid a courtesy call on him at Jubilee House.
The visit is part of a series of consultative meetings being held with stakeholders of the electioneering process.
He stated that to have an Electoral Commission that is partisan or open to manipulation is essentially striking the heart of the democratic system of the country.
“What the ballot should do is to present an unvarnished verdict of the will of the Ghanaian people. That is what should take place of any well-functioning democracy; that the ballot represents a fair, clear statement of what wishes of our people are.
“If there is any interference with that, it is a distortion of the popular will, and, that, therefore, means that the democracy that you seek to advance itself becomes questionable,” he said.
The need for a commission of integrity, a commission that is not the subject of manipulation by anybody, President Akufo-Addo stressed, is absolutely vital to the direction which the Ghanaian people have decided to go, i.e. the attachment to multi-party democracy.
Touching on the key reforms being undertaken at the Commission, the President was glad to hear of measures underway to institutionalize the role and operation of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC).
He said IPAC, since its institution somewhere in 1996, has provided a welcome platform for all political parties to have their say and discuss with the commission directly matters as stakeholders, institutionalizing them is very important.
On the EC’s suggestion to persuade political parties to merge, the President said “I am not so sure that encouraging parties to merge is a part of the functions or remit of the electoral commission”, adding that “those decisions, I believe, are for the parties; yours is to provide the regulations and the ambit within which the parties can operate.”
He described as important the efforts the Commissioners are making to strengthen the EC, enhance its institutional capacity, and control its own processes.
EC was a free-for-all institution
On her part, the Chairperson of the Commission thanked the President for the support they had received since their appointment, adding that “for the first time in our history, we had ou intervening in the release of our budget to us. So, this, year, we have been able to carry out our mandate smoothly.”
She added, “Since you appointed us into office a year ago, we have been doing our best to ensure that the ideals and mandate you gave to us are achieved. We want to assure you that we are committed to peaceful, transparent and credible elections. In all our dealings, we have Article 45 of our Constitution as our guiding light.”
We inherited a weak institution - EC boss
Google to pay €1bn to end French tax probe | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744785 |
__label__wiki | 0.563807 | 0.563807 | Why can’t Peter MacKay speak French?
Jan 27 2020 — Stephen Maher — Maclean's — MacKay had lots of time to learn passable French. That he didn’t do the work should raise some questions about his candidacy. Peter MacKay made the front page of both Le Journal de Montreal and Le Journal de Quebec on Sunday morning. GOOD LUCK MISTER was the enormous headline, below a full-page photo of MacKay […]
338Canada: Doug Ford’s slipping numbers
Jan 27 2020 — Maclean's — Philippe J. Fournier: The PCs continue to fall further behind the Liberals, while a majority of Ontarians side with the teachers in the ongoing strike After last October’s federal election, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went on a national tour to meet the country’s premiers in hope of mending fences. In late November, after a meeting […]
Doug Ford and Stephen Lecce’s sad state of affairs
Jan 22 2020 — Michael Coren — Maclean's — It was largely inevitable that there would be a conflict between Doug Ford’s Ontario government and the province’s teachers. It happened under former Tory Premier Mike Harris, and it’s happened with various right-wing administrations in other provinces. Put simply, teachers are not popular with conservatives, and their unions have been used as scapegoats by conservative […]
Jan 21 2020 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — It was helpful last week of Jean Chrétien’s former right hand Eddie Goldenberg to make, in detail, a case several of his contemporaries have been making piecemeal for more than a year: that taking Canada’s extradition treaty with the United States won’t get Canadian prisoners in Beijing released, so we should just do what Beijing […]
How did VW avoid criminal charges in Canada over its emissions cheating?
Jan 21 2020 — Stephen Maher — Maclean's — When Volkswagen Canada pleads guilty on Wednesday to illegally importing cars that were rigged to beat emissions tests, investigators and prosecutors may be tempted to celebrate. This is expected to be the biggest environmental fine in Canadian history. Volkswagen is facing 60 charges and each charge carries a maximum penalty of $6 million, so the […]
Jan 17 2020 — Stephen Maher — Maclean's — If Western Canadian Conservatives don’t want Peter MacKay to lead the party that Stephen Harper built, they had better get a firmer grip on Rona Ambrose’s elbow, because otherwise MacKay is likely going to take over the party when Tories meet in Toronto in June. In-house polling from several other camps shows MacKay with a […]
Jan 16 2020 — Nick Taylor-Vaisey — Maclean's — One of the first internal evaluations of Governor General Julie Payette’s performance at Rideau Hall gave the former astronaut and rookie public servant a poor score. In 2018, the federal government’s annual Public Service Employee Survey—a probe of bureaucrats’ workplace experience, filled out by more than 160,000 federal workers—raised alarm bells about an apparent harassment […]
The time for Trudeau to draw a line with Trump
Jan 16 2020 — Tom Parkin — Maclean's — Again, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown his message discipline and empathic abilities when responding to events. Last week, Trudeau told Canadians that trusted intelligence reports showed Flight 752 had been shot down by Iranian anti-aircraft missiles. He stuck close to his script. He gave no words to those demanding Canada join Donald Trump’s sanctions […]
Stephen Harper resigns from the Conservative Fund board
Jan 15 2020 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — Former prime minister Stephen Harper has suddenly resigned from the board of the Conservative Party of Canada’s fundraising arm, as the party descends into organizational chaos and bitter recrimination in the first week of its leadership campaign. Harper had been urged by friends and party officials to resign from the Conservative Fund Canada board after […]
Can Canada put Harry and Meghan to work?
Jan 15 2020 — Dale Smith — Maclean's — News that Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, plan to move to Canada, has been met with scorn in the U.K. and great enthusiasm on our shores. While the National Post published a poll that showed that 60 per cent of Canadians would like Harry to become the next Governor General, and others are […]
Karina Gould on Pierre Trudeau’s legacy
Jan 10 2020 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — Canada’s international development minister spoke about the prime minister’s father and why we should ‘enthusiastically’ embrace liberal internationalism. On Wednesday I noted that amid a general slow operating tempo for the re-elected Trudeau government in Ottawa, International Development Minister Karina Gould was preparing to speak to a conference at the University of Toronto on the […]
Canada would like a government now, please
Jan 8 2020 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — Events, dear boy, events. We are promised a news conference later today with the prime minister, and it’s a good thing too, because the questions are starting to pile up. Ottawa woke Wednesday to two shocks. At home, news of a shooting in the capital’s residential downtown core. A domestic dispute, it seems; more of […]
‘Skippy’ for Conservative leader?
Jan 8 2020 — Andrew MacDougall — Maclean's — In the end, the first shot in the Conservative leadership contest wasn’t fired by Rona Ambrose, Peter MacKay, Jean Charest, or any of the other media darlings. It was fired by wee Pierre Poilievre. Yes, the man they call “Skippy” on Parliament Hill has scored first, in the form of a well-informed exclusive in the […]
Who wants to be Conservative leader?
Jan 6 2020 — Paul Wells — Maclean's — Things will now start to happen quite quickly in the Conservative Party’s leadership campaign. Conservatives I talked to on Monday didn’t attach literal meaning to Lisa Raitt’s statement, on Friday, that potential candidates had only 10 days to make up their minds. (That figure would now be down to seven, if it were a real […]
Canadian politics needs way more shame
Jan 3 2020 — Scott Gilmore — Maclean's — I have spent a significant part of my professional life working in places where things have gone wrong—in countries afflicted with war, poverty or corruption. In the early years, I found the work especially challenging. I was often flummoxed by circumstances, unable to solve basic problems because I simply did not understand the context. For […]
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© 2020 National Newswatch Inc. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744789 |
__label__cc | 0.527703 | 0.472297 | New Montana Notary Seal And Ink Requirements Now In Effect
By NNA Staff on March 10, 2010 in Laws & Regulations
As a result of recent Montana law changes that significantly modernized the state’s Notary regulations and procedures, newly commissioned Notaries in “The Treasure State” must now use an inking stamp-type seal with specific information and a standardized format. An embossing crimper-type seal may no longer be used.
The regulations apply to all of the state’s Notaries who received a new or renewal commission on or after October 1, 2009. The new inking stamp must be rectangular and approximately 1 inch by 2 ½ inches, and it must include an official circular seal bearing the Notary’s name, the words “State of Montana,” and the words “Notarial Seal” or “Notary Public” along with the following information in the rectangle:
The Notary’s printed name exactly as it appears on the Certificate of Commission
The title, “Notary Public for the State of Montana”
The words “Residing at” with the name of the city or town where the Notary lives
The Notary’s commission expiration date, shown in Month/Day/Four-Digit Year format.
As a point of clarification, Montana Notaries may no longer print a blank space in the inking stamp as part of the commission date, and then write in the date by hand. Additionally, all inking seals in the new format must be impressed with blue or black ink.
If any of the information contained in the seal/stamp changes during the Notary’s term of office, the stamp must be replaced. Handwritten corrections are no longer permitted.
Notaries holding commissions expiring before October 1, 2013, may use their current seals until their commission expires, after which they must obtain a replacement seal conforming to the new format.
Additional information can be found at the the Montana Secretary of State’s Web site. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744790 |
__label__cc | 0.525942 | 0.474058 | Poland Median age Stats
Both sexes: Age of person who is older than half the population and younger than the other half of the population.
Female: This entry is derived from People > Median age, which is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a higher median age.
Male: This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a higher median age.
Total: This entry is derived from People > Median age, which is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a higher median age.
Both sexes 38.2 2010 45th out of 223
Female 40.9 years 2013 47th out of 226
Male 37.5 years 2013 49th out of 226
Total 39.1 years 2013 50th out of 226
SOURCES: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2177.html, median age; CIA World Factbooks 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013; CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 28 March 2011
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The United States is one of the only countries in the world where women don't receive paid maternity leave. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744791 |
__label__wiki | 0.859833 | 0.859833 | Mother, Child Rescued From 2-Alarm Dorchester Fire
By Mike Pescaro • Published on May 30, 2018 at 9:03 pm
A mother and child were rescued from a 2-alarm fire in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood.
Fire officials responded around 8:15 p.m. Wednesday to a fire at 6 Woodward Park St., a three-decker building. A mother and child were taken down a ladder to safety.
Both patients were taken to a hospital by Boston EMS. The nature and extent of their injuries were not immediately known.
Aaron Hernandez 21 mins ago
forecast 32 mins ago
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One firefighter suffered smoke inhalation but were expected to be OK.
Approximately 10 residents were displaced.
As of 9 p.m., the fire had been knocked down, but crews were still overhauling the scene.
Witnesses who saw the rescue unfold described the dramatic scene.
"Once the smoke started coming out the windows, she got really scared," one witness told NBC10 Boston. "She was screaming. I was just hoping she didn't throw the baby."
It is estimated that the fire caused about $500,000 in damages.
Editor's note: Boston fire officials reported earlier that the fire happened in the city's Roxbury neighborhood, but later clarified it happened in Dorchester. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744793 |
__label__wiki | 0.946667 | 0.946667 | Video Tom E. Curran Phil Perry Standings Schedule Stats
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What prototypical Patriots are playing for LSU, Clemson in National Championship?
By Phil Perry January 13, 2020 3:15 PM
Our Prototypical Patriots series won't start in earnest until the NFL Scouting Combine has come and gone — the numbers posted there help fill in the blanks on certain prospects — but we can get an idea of which players might interest the Patriots at this point in the year.
With the National Championship Game between LSU and Clemson set to kick off at 8 p.m. Monday night, here are a few names for Patriots fans to keep an eye on as they watch two of the most talented rosters in college football square off.
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Joe Burrow, LSU, 6-foot-4, 216 pounds
The Patriots have typically drafted quarterbacks from Power 5 conferences who stood 6-foot-3 or taller. They've exclusively drafted quarterbacks who've spent four years in college (Ryan Mallett and Jarrett Stidham played just three years each, but both were collegians for four years because they sat out one season in order to transfer). Their career touchdown-to-interception ratio averaged out to be just over 2-to-1. Their yards to attempt were often 7.5 or better, and they typically completed better than 60 percent of their passes.
Burrow checks every single marker — easily — having spent six years in the college ranks between Ohio State and LSU. This year's Heisman Trophy winner has a better than 6-to-1 touchdown to interception ratio, a 9.4 yards per attempt figure, and a 69.1 completion percentage. He's expected to be the No. 1 overall pick and therefore nothing more than a pipe dream for Patriots fans. His opponent, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, is expected by many to be the No. 1 overall selection in 2021.
Perry's 2020 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Pats opt for defense
K'Lavon Chaisson, LSU, 6-foot-4, 250 pounds
With Kyle Van Noy expected to see some lucrative offers thrown his way in free agency this offseason, the Patriots could be in the market to add another young edge rusher one year after drafting Michigan's Chase Winovich in the third round.
If the Patriots continue to utilize more 3-4 looks, as they did in 2019, Chaisson looks like he would be a perfect fit at outside linebacker. We'll have to wait for the combine to see his athletic testing numbers and his measurements, but he has more than enough athleticism and seemingly the requisite length to be worthy of a first-round choice for the Patriots if they wanted to go in that direction.
Chaisson only played two years of high school football and missed all of 2018 with a torn ACL. But he was a captain at LSU this season and was honored with the program's No. 18 jersey, given to players who have had success both on and off the field — Chaisson was an SEC academic honor roll honoree in both 2017 and 2018 — and have exhibited selflessness. With the coaching he'd receive in New England, his game would likely see some refinement quickly and he could become a core piece of Bill Belichick's defense for years to come. He was a first-team All-SEC selection by coaches this year and may be gone by the time the Patriots are on the clock at No. 23.
Isaiah Simmons, Clemson, 6-foot-4, 235 pounds
The Patriots typically like their off-the-ball linebackers to be heavy-hitters. Big bodies with an ability to stop the run may be considered "throwbacks" in today's NFL, but the Patriots covet the size to take on blockers and the football IQ to understand ever-changing assignments within their scheme.
Simmons might not have quite the same bulk of someone like Dont'a Hightower when Hightower was drafted in 2012, but Clemson's freakiest athlete is the definition of a modern NFL defender. He jumps 40 inches in the vertical and broad jumps 11 feet. He's run a 40 in under 4.4 seconds. That kind of athleticism would allow Belichick to use Simmons as a queen piece on the chess board who could cover tight ends or running backs — an area the Patriots might be looking to address — as well as chase ball-carriers from sideline to sideline from an off-the-ball spot. He's expected by many to be taken in the first half of the first round so if the Patriots want him, it might require a move up from No. 23.
Jacob Phillips, LSU, 6-foot-4, 233 pounds
This two-year starter was the team's leading tackler going into the postseason. His size and production against top competition could make him an intriguing Day 3 choice.
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Grant Delpit, LSU, 6-foot-3, 201 pounds
Delpit loaded up on awards at LSU over the course of the last two years. He won the Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back this year, while last year he was named a unanimous All-American. The Patriots will likely appreciate the fact that he has experience playing at a number of different spots in the secondary and in a number of different roles. He's blitzed, played the run and covered from strong safety, free safety and in the slot. His tackling could be more consistent, but if the Patriots are looking for their next Patrick Chung type, Delpit might be an option in the first round.
K'Von Wallace, Clemson, 5-foot-11, 205 pounds
Wallace has played a variety of positions in the secondary as well, but he looks like a strong safety who can cover from down in the box. He's accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl so Monday's game won't be his last opportunity to impress on the field. He's not yet considered to be a top-end pick because his size and athleticism aren't necessarily upper-tier, but he could be a mid-round pick.
Tanner Muse, Clemson, 6-2, 230 pounds
Muse is another all-star game participant — he's slated to take part in the Shrine Bowl — who might be considered a late-round possibility. Why is he here when the Patriots are our focus? Special teams. Despite being an All-ACC selection this year and grading out as the best safety in the ACC by Pro Football Focus this year, "teams" might be his best shot at an NFL roster. He's shown proficiency in that phase, earning Clemson's special-teamer of the year honors in 2016. Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables said Muse is "an incredible leader" and has made more extra-effort plays this year than anyone on the team's defense.
Patriots mock draft roundup: Who will Pats add?
Kristian Fulton, LSU, 6-feet, 200 pounds
For years now, the Patriots have been one of the heaviest man-to-man defenses in the NFL. Fulton, considered one of the top cover corners in the draft, would help them continue to stockpile talent at arguably the game's most valuable defensive position. Though Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson will be back in 2020, Jason McCourty dealt with injury late in the year and the Patriots could be looking for another outside-the-numbers man defender.
Fulton's inclusion here doesn't mean he's the "prototype" in every sense. He was suspended for the entire 2017 season after tampering with a drug test, but if a team feels comfortable with the second-team All-SEC selection then he'll end up being an easy first-rounder. He was PFF's highest-graded corner in the SEC.
A.J. Terrell, Clemson, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
Good length to play the boundary against big-bodied receivers, Terrell is a little thin and might not hold up against the physicality of big-bodied receivers. Someone will value Terrell's physical skill set, but the Patriots just invested in a taller boundary corner in the second round last season (Joejuan Williams, 6-foot-3) and would seem unlikely to do the same in 2020.
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Tee Higgins, Clemson, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds
Would the Patriots go with another big-bodied wideout in the first round after rolling with N'Keal Harry in the first round last year? Seems unlikely that they'd double-down on a position that they'd never selected in the first round under Bill Belichick. But that's where they'll have to grab Higgins, in all likelihood, if they want him. It's a draft loaded with receiver talent this year, but Higgins is among the best deep threats in the class, averaging over 20 yards per catch this season. He's not going to be the most versatile route-runner to come out of the class, but — as the old coaching cliché goes — you can't teach size.
Justin Jefferson, LSU, 6-foot-3, 192 pounds
Jefferson is another potential outside-the-numbers threat, but he's played a variety of spots within the LSU offense. He's worked his way into the first-round conversation this year with a monster 102-catch, 1,434-yard season with 18 touchdowns. How he tests at this year's combine will play a significant role in determining what his realistic NFL role could be.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, LSU, 5-foot-8, 209 pounds
Edwards-Helaire is the longer of the two running back names mentioned in this space, but it's not the BIGGER name. No matter. The diminutive LSU back actually looks like a better fit for New England than the consensus No. 1 back (as of now) in the class from Clemson. Why? He's a better receiver, plain and simple. He's also incredibly slippery with the ball in his hands, allowing him to create yardage on his own. He won't be a first-round pick, but he might end up being one of the best third-down running back fits in this year's class for the Patriots. He's also only started one year, which means he should still have plenty of tread on his tires.
Travis Etienne, Clemson, 5-foot-10, 210 pounds
This year's dynamo at the running back position. He has plenty of tackle-breaking ability and his breakaway speed will leave run-game enthusiasts drooling. But for a player of his physical stature, he has not shown much in the way of consistent receiving ability. That's an issue. Can you have a 210-pound back and use him like LeGarrette Blount? There's a team out there who will. Not sure it will be New England.
Curran: Why McDaniels is back — and what it means for Patriots
Rashard Lawrence, LSU, 6-foot-2, 308 pounds
Again, based on the presumption that the Patriots will roll with 3-4 defensive fronts in 2020, Lawrence might help to complement another Lawrence already on the roster. Lawrence Guy has much more length than Rashard Lawrence, but Rashard could fill the five-technique 3-4 end role for Belichick. He doesn't look like an early-round selection due to his stockier frame, but if the Patriots believe he can hold the point of attack, he has the intangible characteristics that might make him a mid-round option. He's been a team captain for three seasons and he's played multiple alignments for the Tigers against high-end competition, indicating an impressive football acumen.
Lloyd Cushenberry, LSU, 6-foot-4, 315 pounds
Dante Scarnecchia has said it many times. He wants linemen who are smart, tough and "athletic enough." Cushenberry seems to fit. He's certainly an NFL-caliber athlete along the interior of the offensive line, using his mobility to his advantage as LSU's center. Character-wise he looks like a fit as well. Along with Chaisson, Cushenberry was given the No. 18 jersey for the Tigers. (As a lineman, he's not allowed to wear No. 18 so he has a No. 18 patch he wears during games.)
Gage Cervenka, Clemson, 6-3, 325 pounds
How's this for a potential Patriot? Cervenka shifted from the defensive line to the offensive line early in his collegiate career. He's played both center and guard, using strong hands to his advantage. A four-time South Carolina state champion wrestler in high school, Cervenka set the Clemson record for interior offensive linemen in the 225-pound bench press (44 reps). Cervenka will likely be available on Day 3.
Tremayne Anchrum, Clemson, 6-foot-2, 315 pounds
Anchrum sounds like a name made for an offensive lineman. He became the full-time starter at right tackle for Clemson in 2018 and has 35 starts to his name. The first-team All-ACC selection could end up a guard based on his length, if the Patriots feel as though they'd like to address the interior of their offensive line this offseason.
Perry: McDaniels' return provides first twist of offseason
Tags: 2020 NFL Draft, Prototypical Patriots, Phil Perry, New England Patriots, LSU, Clemson
In a statement Tuesday, Bill Belichick said he had "never witnessed a group as captivated" as the New England Patriots when Kobe Bryant spoke to the team in May 2018.
Belichick wasn't just paying lip service.
On Tuesday, NFL Films resurfaced a clip from HBO's "The Art of Coaching" documentary about Belichick and Alabama head coach Nick Saban in which both coaching legends reflected on their interactions with Bryant.
These comments came in March 2019, more than 10 months before Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were tragically killed Sunday in a helicopter crash.
Kobe’s wisdom not only transcended basketball, he also enlightened two of the greatest minds in sports. @Patriots | @AlabamaFTBL pic.twitter.com/EaJtSaH7xP
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 28, 2020
Here's what Belichick had to say at the time about Bryant's message to the Patriots:
Another thing he said to us, which was an awesome message, was, "When I was 25 (years old), I could go out and score 30 (points). When I was 35, 38, I could score 30, but it wasn't the same way. I had to learn how to play without the ball. I had to learn how to play in less space. I had to learn how to use picks differently. I couldn't just drive to the basket like I could in my younger days. I could still score, but I had to change my game."
That was so enlightening for all our players that heard that. Because you're sitting there looking at his career and then we're all thinking about ours. It's changed for me just like it's changed for the players.
Belichick is a student of football. He has won six Super Bowl titles over 20 years in New England by constantly adapting, changing his approach as a head coach and general manager to stay ahead of the game's shifting trends.
Belichick clearly saw the same trait in Bryant, who averaged 22.3 points per game at age 36 (after tearing his Achilles tendon) by altering his style of play after hours of study and practice. The 42-year-old Tom Brady obviously took Bryant's message to heart, as well.
Bryant is gone much too soon at age 41, but the impact he had on players and coaches of all sports will live on.
Perry: Why Dante Scarnecchia's retirement from Patriots is a big deal
Tags: Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, NFL, Bill Belichick, Kobe Bryant
How Jimmy Garoppolo won his 49ers teammates over soon after Patriots trade: 'It was sick'
MIAMI -- George Kittle was dressed as a pirate. It was the day before Halloween of his rookie season. He was going to celebrate the holiday as any 24-year-old would. Then, as any 24-year-old would, he peeked down at his phone to check on a notification.
Jimmy Garoppolo had been traded by the Patriots to Kittle's 49ers. He had a new quarterback.
"I said, 'Wow, that's really interesting.' It was cool," Kittle remembered. "Jimmy G. Two Super Bowls. Hell of a leader. It's fun to have someone like that."
Kittle and other Niners this week remembered the deal that sent Garoppolo to San Francisco and in the process changed the course of the franchise. They couldn't have known exactly what they had then. Garoppolo had only two NFL starts to his name. But now, sitting in front of microphones in Miami in the days leading up to Super Bowl LIV, they couldn't believe their good fortune that Garoppolo landed in their laps.
The hints that they had something in Garoppolo came early.
"Honestly, it sounds cliche but it's real, it was at the first practice," said fullback Kyle Juszczyk. "He ran the scout team the first day. And that first period he absolutely diced our defense. You could see it in his footwork, his mechanics, the confidence that he emitted. You could see that this guy was the real deal."
Curran: Kyle Shanahan reflects on the 28-3 gorilla and how Jimmy G fell into Niners' laps
For Kittle, the sign came loud and clear that his offense had a new leader. It came before Garoppolo even made his first throw from under center.
"It was funny, his first play under center, he has a really good cadence," Kittle said, referring to the quarterback's calls at the line of scrimmage. "He has a good voice for it. Right after he said, 'Hut! Hut! Hike!' for the first time, everyone was like, 'Whoa! Nice!' It was sick."
"Very authoritative," offensive tackle Joe Staley said of Garoppolo's line-of-scrimmage vocals. The 13-year veteran smiled and added, "He's commanding. Lets you know he's there."
It came together quickly for Garoppolo in his second professional stop. He started five games after being traded, winning all five, and completing 67.4 percent of his passes at a clip of 8.8 yards per attempt.
He tore his ACL after three games the following season, but rediscovered his 2017 form this season. The Niners went 13-3 with Garoppolo taking the snaps. He completed 69.1 percent of his throws (fourth in the NFL), threw 27 touchdown passes (sixth), and put up an 8.4 yards per attempt figure (third).
"I didn't really know much, actually," Staley said of Garoppolo's days in New England. "I remember the one game he had in Arizona where he started and did really, really well. But didn't know much. Didn't have much of a reaction [to the trade] either way. Knew everyone was really high on him.
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"Then he came in here and he really blew me away. In the huddle. All the little nuances of being a quarterback. The command that he had. His quick release. You could definitely tell that he was trained in that Patriots system as far as getting rid of the ball fast, which is awesome for an offensive lineman. He's continued to grow and develop since he's been here. It's been awesome to see him get to this point."
The Niners are back in the Super Bowl after a 4-12 record last season. Back in the Super Bowl with a chance to win one for the first time since January 1995. And thanks in part to Tom Brady continuing to play at an MVP level the season Garoppolo was dealt, thanks to the Patriots holding onto Garoppolo until midseason that year, all it cost the Niners to change everything was a second-round pick.
"I think," Juszczyk said, "we got him for a bargain."
Perry: As Scarnecchia's retires, a look back at his tremendous impact on Patriots
Tags: Kyle Shanahan, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Super Bowl 54, Super Bowl, Jimmy Garoppolo, New England Patriots, Phil Perry, George Kittle, Kyle Juszczyk
Revisiting the 'enlightening' lesson Kobe Bryant taught Bill Belichick, Patriots How Jimmy Garoppolo won his 49ers teammates over soon after Patriots trade: 'It was sick' Tom Brady reacts to Dante Scarnecchia's retirement with heartfelt message As he retires, Dante Scarnecchia lauded for the careers he impacted with Patriots Texans' moves with Bill O'Brien, Jack Easterby likely close door on Patriots' Nick Caserio to Houston Patriots 2020 NFL free agency primer: Answers at tight end available in free agency Members of Patriots bid farewell to Dante Scarnecchia via Instagram End of an era: Dante Scarnecchia to retire having made immense impact on Patriots dynasty Rob Gronkowski: Patriots QB Tom Brady 'deserves' chance to test free agent market Patriots coach Bill Belichick releases statement on death of Kobe Bryant Rod Woodson sends powerful message to Robert Kraft about Tom Brady's free agency Richard Sherman didn't join Lions as free agent partly because of 'the Patriots' way' Kyle Shanahan reflects on 28-3 collapse, gifting of Jimmy Garoppolo from Patriots 49ers' Dee Ford has chance for redemption after costly offsides vs. Patriots NFL Rumors: Tom Brady living in New York while mulling free-agent decision Chiefs star gives honest take on Patriots QB Tom Brady's free agency Julian Edelman joins movement to change NBA logo to Kobe Bryant Emmanuel Sanders: I could have been a 'Hall of Famer' with Patriots Chiefs' Mike Pennel criticizes Patriots' lack of 'transparency' during tenure Jimmy Garoppolo says it would be ‘hard’ to see Tom Brady leave Patriots | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744795 |
__label__wiki | 0.579163 | 0.579163 | 9. The statement of participant supports
A participant’s plan must include a statement of participant supports, prepared with the participant and approved by the NDIA, that specifies:
the general supports (if any) that will be provided to, or in relation to, the participant (section 33(2)(a));
the reasonable and necessary supports (if any) that will be funded under the NDIS (section 33(2)(b));
For guidance on deciding to include any ‘general’ or ‘reasonable and necessary’ support in a participant’s plan see deciding to include supports in a participant’s plan.
the date by which, or the circumstances in which, the NDIA must review the plan (see setting the plan review date) (section 33(2)(c));
the management of the funding for supports under the plan (section 33(2)(d)); and
the management of other aspects of the plan (section 33(2)(e)).
9.1 What is a general support?
A general support refers to a service provided by the NDIA to a person, or in relation to a person, or an activity engaged in by the NDIA in relation to a person, that is in the nature of a coordination, strategic, or referral service or activity (section 13(2)).
For example, common types of general supports include referring participants to other sources of supports or services, and the allocation of a Local Area Co-Coordinator. See also Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC).
The NDIA may provide general supports to, or in relation to, people with disability who are not participants (section 13(1)).
9.2 What are reasonable and necessary supports?
Reasonable and necessary supports refer to the supports in a participant’s plan which are funded under the NDIS.
Reasonable and necessary supports for people with disability should:
support people with disability to pursue their goals and maximise their independence (section 4(11)(a));
support people with disability to live independently and to be included in the community as fully participating citizens (section 4(11)(b)); and
develop and support the capacity of people with disability to undertake activities that enable them to participate in the mainstream community and in employment (section 4 (11)(c)).
The NDIA funds reasonable and necessary supports that help a participant reach their goals, objectives and aspirations, and to undertake activities to enable the participant’s social and economic participation.
Reasonable and necessary supports are funded by the NDIS in a range of areas, which may include education, employment, social participation, independence and living arrangements.
9.3 Interaction between informal / mainstream supports and reasonable and necessary supports
Informal supports are supports that are provided by carers, family or friends. The NDIA recognises the vital role informal supports play in supporting people with disability, including NDIS participants.
Mainstream and community supports are available to all members of the Australian community regardless of whether they have a disability or not. For example, supports provided or funded through the health, education or transport systems.
Before determining which support/s are reasonable and necessary, the NDIA will thoroughly explore what supports are currently being provided, or should reasonably be provided by informal and community supports and mainstream support systems.
See also does the funding of the support take into account what is reasonable to expect others to provide?
Informal and mainstream supports are critical to the financial sustainability of the NDIS, and the NDIS is intended to complement, not replace, these supports.
9.4 What is an in-kind support?
All of the States and Territories are host jurisdictions for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Each of the States and Territories and the Commonwealth make a contribution to the funding to the NDIS and that contribution can be made by providing funding or by providing supports in-kind.
As the NDIS transition proceeds some of the supports provided by or for the States, Territories and the Commonwealth will begin to be funded under the NDIS. The provision of in-kind supports facilitates the transition to the NDIS.
In-kind does not refer to particular feature of the supports themselves but to how the supports are provided as part of the State, Territory or Commonwealth’s contribution to the funding to the NDIS.
In-kind supports can be provided to a participant in a number of ways, including when supports are specified in a participant’s plan, and the plan also sets out the provider from whom a support is to be provided (see describing supports in plans).
To the extent permissible under the NDIS Act and Rules, the NDIA will consider and prefer, in almost all cases, the provision of in-kind supports. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744798 |
__label__cc | 0.608744 | 0.391256 | Signing Indie Labels to Hosted Model
ATLANTA, GA – January 13, 2010 – Neurotic Media, the leading provider of online and mobile entertainment download solutions, today announced that it was selected by E1 Entertainment, Madacy Entertainment/Countdown Media, and Curb Records for “Hosted Model” digital distribution services. The “Hosted Model” is a term coined by record companies for a digital distribution model whereby they host their digital catalogs with a vendor (i.e. Neurotic Media) that allows them to control and administer their distribution relationships in the marketplace directly, hands-on, in a self-managed manner. Using Neurotic Media’s do-it-yourself admin platform, content owners such as record companies and distributors manage their digital assets on a project-by-project basis, including both business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) initiatives and direct-to-consumer (D2C) projects.
Content owners use Neurotic Media to launch brand and retail partners quickly using either Neurotic Media’s Neurolinq™ API tools or Neurotic Media’s do-it-yourself, template-based services. Additionally, content owners use Neurotic Media’s platform to execute and manage their in-house needs, such as empowering artist websites’ download stores, widgets, give-away campaigns, and solutions for corporate partners. Neurotic Media’s platform provides its content owner clients with an easy path to increase distribution and sales revenues, a path that has been tested and proven by major record companies since Neurotic Media launched its enterprise-class platform in 2005.
Meredith Marconi, SVP of Sales & Marketing of Neurotic Media, comments: “We’re excited to add marquee independent record companies such as E1 Entertainment, Curb Records, and Madacy Entertainment/Countdown Media to our Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) platform. With the ongoing shift of revenues from physical to digital products, independent record companies are now able to recognize returns from using our system, which in the past were considered only major label domain. Our robust, holistic digital platform offers multiple online and mobile delivery capabilities that touch many departments and initiatives within a record label or distribution company. We are proud to empower leading independent distributors who can now yield strong returns from shifting certain operations, services and programs to the digital domain.”
Neurotic Media (www.neuroticmedia.com) is the market leader in online and mobile digital entertainment download solutions. The firm is the digital platform-of-choice in the entertainment download marketplace, used in-house by major and independent record companies, retailers, consumer brands, and marketing agencies to empower private-label download distribution services. Neurotic Media’s Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) platform automates secure digital delivery (Web, Phone, etc.) of top-tier pre-licensed catalogs using turnkey private-labeled websites with integrated consumer data-mining services. Features include do-it-yourself content management services, store building and management tools (both Web and WAP), micro-payment e-commerce and premium SMS sales, unique code redemption services (for gift-with-purchase incentives and loyalty programs), and both online and mobile delivery options for a plethora of digital products and formats. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744801 |
__label__wiki | 0.985839 | 0.985839 | Missouri State hoops notes: Dana Ford gives summer update on Tulio Da Silva, Jared Ridder
We're still more than four months away from the beginning of the college basketball season but it isn't stopping the anticipation for this season.
Missouri State hoops notes: Dana Ford gives summer update on Tulio Da Silva, Jared Ridder We're still more than four months away from the beginning of the college basketball season but it isn't stopping the anticipation for this season. Check out this story on news-leader.com: https://www.news-leader.com/story/sports/college/msu/2019/07/01/missouri-state-basketball-dana-ford-da-silva-ridder/1618504001/
Wyatt D. Wheeler, Springfield News-Leader Published 8:30 p.m. CT July 1, 2019
2019-20 Missouri State Bears men's basketball roster
Tulio Da Silva will be a senior in 2019-20. The South Florida transfer averaged a team-high 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on his way to becoming the MVC Newcomer of the Year in 2018-19. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Keandre Cook will be a senior in 2019-20. The Odessa (Texas) College transfer averaged 12.8 points in 2018-19. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Kabir Mohammed will be a senior in 2019-20. The San Jacinto (Texas) College transfer averaged 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in 2018-19. Bruce E. Stidham/Special to the News-Leader
Lamont West is set to transfer to Missouri State from West Virginia for his senior year. He averaged 11.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 2018-19 for the Mountaineers. The Associated Press
Abdul Fofana remains on the roster going into the 2019-20 season. He received a medical redshirt in 2018-19 after obtaining severe foot blisters after a whole-body cryotherapy incident in January 2018. He will be a junior. Photographic Services/Missouri State University
Josh Hall is set to make his MSU debut in 2019-20 after sitting out the previous season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Nevada transfer averaged 13 points and 4.7 rebounds during Nevada's Sweet 16 run in 2018. He will be a junior. Christopher Hanewinckel, Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODA
Tyrik Dixon is set to make his MSU debut in 2019-20 after sitting out the previous season due to NCAA transfer rules. The Middle Tennessee transfer averaged 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while starting 59 games as an underclassman for the Blue Raiders. He will be a junior. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Gaige Prim will join Missouri State after leading South Plains (Texas) College to the NJCAA Final Four. He averaged 20.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game as one of the top players in the NJCAA. He will be a junior for the Bears. Lauren Roberts/Times Record News
Jared Ridder is entering his second season at Missouri State after transferring from Xavier. He will be a sophomore. Ridder averaged 5.1 points in 18.8 minutes per game during his freshman year. Bruce E. Stidham/Special to the News-Leader
Darian Scott is entering his second active season for Missouri State after redshirting his first year. The Las Vegas-native averaged 6.8 minutes and a rebound a game in 2018-19. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Tyem Freeman will be a freshman in 2019-20 after playing at Parkview. He is coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in December. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Ja'Monta Black is one of three Rock Bridge (Columbia) recruits to commit to Missouri State. He led the Bruins to a Class 5 state championship while averaging 15.4 points and four rebounds per game. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Isiaih Mosley is one of the three Rock Bridge (Columbia) recruits to commit to Missouri State. He led the Bruins to a Class 5 state championship and is widely regarded as the top recruit in the Class of 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Missouri State added four-star freshman point guard Ford Cooper to the 2019-20 roster over the summer. Cooper was originally was supposed to graduate in 2020 but reclassified to play in 2019. Nathan Papes/Springfield News-Leader
We're still a little more than four months away from the beginning of the college basketball season but it isn't stopping the anticipation for the 2019-20 edition of the Missouri State Bears.
On Monday, the Missouri Valley Conference held its first coaches teleconference of the season, allowing the media to pick the brains of the league's coaches while some are in the midst of summer practice or just about to begin.
Here's what we learned from second-year Bears head coach Dana Ford on Monday:
Tulio Da Silva can be even better
The Missouri Valley Conference's reigning Newcomer of the Year made headlines earlier in the summer when he declared for the NBA Draft with the intentions of returning to school. The senior forward is back on campus and Ford feels like he has an opportunity to be even better than he was a season ago.
Da Silva was forced to play out of position for most of his junior season due to the lack of depth in the frontcourt. With the additions of transfers Gaige Prim and Lamont West, depth shouldn't be a problem.
"I'm more excited to move him around," Ford said. "I can play him at multiple positions. I had to play him around four guards; now I can do that as well as play him with another interior player. I'm more excited about that versatility he gives us."
The MSU Bears' Tulio Da Silva finishes a fast break against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at JQH Arena in Springfield on Dec. 22, 2018. (Photo: Bruce E. Stidham/Special to the News-Leader)
Ford said he was excited for Da Silva to be able to put in more effort, instead of having to preserve some for later because of the depth.
"I think he's going to be a better player because he'll be playing harder for longer periods of time," Ford said. "I think that's going to help him be a better player and probably make us a better team."
As for the feedback he received from declaring for the NBA Draft, the head coach said his South Florida transfer was told he's going to need to work on his free throw shooting along with his 3-point percentage.
"If he has a chance to play professionally, he needs to be a high-energy, high-motor guy," Ford said. "I think he benefited from that feedback and gained a little confidence."
Tulio Da Silva - Missouri State star forward
Missouri State fell to Drake 73-62 at JQH Arena on Saturday, Mar. 2, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Tulio Da Silva dunks the ball during the Missouri State game against Drake at JQH Arena on Saturday, Mar. 2, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Missouri State defeated Indiana State 67-61 at JQH Arena on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Tuilo Da Silva, of Missouri State, dunks the ball during the Bears' game against Indiana State at JQH Arena on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Missouri State's Tulio Da Silva drives around UNI's Trae Berhow (right) and Luke McDonnell on his way to the basket as the Bears take on the Panthers at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
The Missouri State Bears take on the University of Northern Iowa Panthers at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Missouri State's Tulia Da Silva drives around UNI's Trae Berhow (right) and Luke McDonnell on his way to the basket as the Bears take on the Panthers at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Missouri State's Tulio Da Silva reacts after teammate Keandre Cook drew a foul as the Bears take on the University of Northern Iowa Panthers at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Missouri State against the Illinois State Redbirds at JQH Arena in Springfield on Feb. 10, 2019. Bruce E. Stidham/Special to the News-Leader
Missouri State's Tulio Da Silva dunks the ball on the Southern Illinois Salukis meet at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Missouri State's Tulio Da Silva shoots a field goal over Southern Illinois senior Thik Bol as the Bears and Salukis meet at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Tulio Da Silva, of Missouri State, dunks the ball during the Bears 70-35 win over Loyola at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Missouri State defeated Loyola 70-35 at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Tulio Da Silva, of Missouri State, screams out during the Bears 70-35 win over Loyola at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
The Missouri State Bears fell to the Evansville Purple Aces 70-64 at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
The Missouri State Bears took on the Evansville Purple Aces at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
The MSU Bears' Tulio Da Silva finishes a fast break against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at JQH Arena in Springfield on Dec. 22, 2018. Bruce E. Stidham/Special to the News-Leader
Missouri State Bears Ryan Kreklow and Tulio Da Silva celebrate after their victory over the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
The Missouri State Bears take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at JQH Arena on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2018. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Tyrik Dixon will be the primary ball handler
Missouri State is going to have some turnover in its backcourt going into the 2019-20 season after the graduations of Josh Webster, Jarred Dixon and Ryan Kreklow.
Entering this upcoming season, the Bears will welcome the eligibility of transfers Tyrik Dixon and Josh Hall along with the transfer of Anthony Masinton-Bonner. The Bears kept All-MVC Newcomer selection, Keandre Cook.
Ford doesn't anticipate one guard sticking out above the rest but he doesn't see that as a bad thing.
"We think collectively that they're a pretty good group," Ford said. "It's a guard league and if our guards play well, we'll play well."
Middle Tennessee guard Tyrik Dixon (0) drives around Butler forward Andrew Chrabascz (45) during the second half. (Photo: Benny Sieu, USA TODAY Sports)
Unsurprisingly, Ford said that Tyrik Dixon — a transfer from Middle Tennessee who sat out last season due to transfer rules — will step in as the team's starting point guard replacing Webster from a season ago.
Dixon averaged 5.2 points and 3.2 assists per game his freshman and sophomore years as the starting point guard at Middle Tennessee. He was among the nation's best in assist-to-turnover ratio and was a Conference USA All-Defensive player his sophomore season.
"He's not as big or probably athletic as Josh (Webster) but the way they play the game in terms of handling the ball without turning it over and being able to see passes and make people better; they're similar in those types of ways," Ford said. "He's someone we're very comfortable with having the ball in his hands. He'll probably start the possession with it and end the possession with it and hopefully, he makes the right decisions."
Other players Ford mentioned as potential ball-handlers were Masinton-Bonner, Hall and Cook.
Jared Ridder through the years
Former University of Florida and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow poses for a portrait with Jared Ridder during the 2016 SW Missouri Sports Awards event held at the Springfield Expo Center in Springfield, Mo. on June 9, 2016. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez
Jared Ridder shoots a basket during a game at the 19th Annual Men's & Women's College Pro am League at The Courts on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. Nathan Papes/News-Leader
Jared Ridder MSU Athletics Communications
Kickapoo senior Jared Ridder, left, picked up his fourth state player of the year honor, this time the American Family Insurance ALL-USA Missouri Boys Basketball Player of the Year, on April 26, 2017. News-Leader file photo
Reports say Missouri State has emerged as the favorite to land former Kickapoo star Jared Ridder. News-Leader File Photo
From left, Kickapoo senior Cameron Davis, boys basketball coach Dick Rippee and senior Jared Ridder address reporters following an 89-78 win over Chaminade at Mizzou Arena Saturday, March 18, 2017. Rance Burger/News-Leader
Kickapoo Chiefs forward Jared Ridder goes up for a shot during second quarter action of the MSHSAA Class 5 quarterfinal between the Kickapoo High School Chiefs and the Rock ridge High School Bruins at Southern Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. on March 11, 2017. The Kickapoo Chiefs won the game 71-65. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Kickapoo Chiefs forward Jared Ridder (34) lets off a shot right before the buzzer signaling the end of third quarter action of the MSHSAA Class 5 quarterfinal between the Kickapoo High School Chiefs and the Rock ridge High School Bruins at Southern Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. on March 11, 2017. Ridder would make the shot and the Kickapoo Chiefs would go on to win the game 71-65. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Kickapoo Chiefs forward Jared Ridder (34) celebrates during second quarter action of the MSHSAA Class 5 quarterfinal between the Kickapoo High School Chiefs and the Rock ridge High School Bruins at Southern Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. on March 11, 2017. The Kickapoo Chiefs won the game 71-65. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Kickapoo Chiefs seniors Jared Ridder (34), Travis Vokolek (3) and Cameron Davis (5) celebrate with their fans and teammates after the end of the MSHSAA Class 5 quarterfinal between the Kickapoo High School Chiefs and the Rock ridge High School Bruins at Southern Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. on March 11, 2017. The Kickapoo Chiefs won the game 71-65. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Kickapoo Chiefs forward Jared Ridder (34) dunks the ball during first quarter action of the MSHSAA Class 5 sectional playoff game between the Kickapoo High School Chiefs and the Nixa High School Eagles at the O'Reilly Family Event Center in Springfield, Mo. on March 8, 2017. The Kickapoo Chiefs won the game 79-46. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Kickapoo High School senior Jared Ridder (34) dunks the ball during first quarter action of the high school basketball game between the Glendale High School Falcons and the Kickapoo High School Chiefs at O'Reilly Family Event Center in Springfield, Mo. on Feb. 7, 2017. The Kickapoo Chiefs won the game 96-77. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Xavier University basketball signee Jared Ridder, left, is scoring an average of 26.9 points per game for Kickapoo this season. News-Leader File Photo
Jared Ridder smiles before signing a national letter of intent during a National Signing Day event held for Chiefs athletes at Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo. on Nov. 9, 2016. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
News-Leader President Allen Jones presents Jared Ridder with the male basketball player of the year award during the 2016 Southwest Missouri Sports Awards at the Springfield Expo Center on Thursday, June 9, 2016. Andrew Jansen/News-Leader
Nixa High School guard Seth Viebrock (12) has a shot blocked by Kickapoo High School forward Jared Ridder (34) during third quarter action of the Class 5 sectional playoff game between Nixa High School and Kickapoo High School played at the O'Reilly Family Event Center in Springfield, Mo. on March 9, 2016. The Kickapoo High School Chiefs won the game 65-44. Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader
Jared Ridder is 'hopefully going to be a good weapon' for the Bears
Former Kickapoo star Jared Ridder is entering his third year with Missouri State and is coming off his first season of eligibility.
Ridder was thrown into a team almost midway through the season due to NCAA eligibility requirements following his transfer from Xavier before his redshirt season. He averaged 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
His shooting ability can't be denied from his days at Kickapoo. He averaged 24.2 points in his senior year with the Chiefs, which helped him become the best recruit in the state. During his redshirt-freshman year, he was never able to find his groove.
Jared Ridder, of Missouri State University, puts up a shot during the Bears 82-66 loss to Valparaiso at JQH Arena on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. (Photo: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)
Going into his first actual full year, Ford has noticed improvement in the local star and is confident he'll be someone to look out for going into this season.
"I think the game moved fast for him last year and the way we played wasn't his type of game," Ford said. "We played slow and relied on one-on-one plays. He wants to play fast and pick his spots on the perimeter.
"He has a bright future. He's hopefully going to be a pretty good weapon for us this year."
Difference between his first summer and right now
Missouri State has yet to practice this summer with Ford electing to use the latter part of the year to get things going.
A lot has changed between Ford's first year and now. At this point last year, the coaching staff was putting their final touches on the 2018-19 roster.
RELATED:5 thoughts as Missouri State men's basketball begins its summer
"Now, we have a plan in place a lot earlier than what we did last year," Ford said. "It's just two different worlds. We feel a lot more comfortable with our depth this year."
Nagging injuries
Ford said he has occasionally given players a day off due to nagging injuries, however, nothing is serious or will keep players out come the start of the school year.
He described them as "nagging injuries" and didn't reveal who has them.
Non-conference schedule update
The university previously announced an update on the upcoming season's non-conference schedule. Some home games have yet to be filled.
Nov. 5/6 — Home game TBD
Nov. 10 — Home game TBD
Nov. 12 — Cleveland State
Nov. 15 — @ Xavier
Nov. 21 — @ Charleston Classic
Nov. 29 — @ Louisiana State
Dec. 3 — Murray State
Dec. 6 — Home game TBD
Dec. 11 — Arkansas State
Dec. 15 — @ Virginia Commonwealth
Dec. 21 — @ Oral Roberts | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744804 |
__label__wiki | 0.796447 | 0.796447 | Solly Moeng: Give business owners a reason to stay in SA
The more business owners emigrate, the worse the consequences for job creation, says Solly Moeng.
Olympic dream for Hillcrest High old boy
Kalisha.Naicker
Photo: supplied Mark Mundell aims to bring home the gold from the 2016 Olympics.
THE 2016 Olympics began on Friday - the first Olympic Games held in South America.
Bringing it home, Hillcrest High School, old boys have qualified to take part in this most prestigious of sporting events. Marc Mundell (33) for race walking.
Mundell matriculated at Hillcrest High in 2001 as deputy head prefect, and included among his school sporting achievements: representing KZN in cross-country, badminton, softball, hockey, KZN Mynahs Cricket and SA schools in athletics. Although fully involved in other sports whilst at school, Mundell was inspired to enter the world of race-walking, by his father (Ollie Mundell - a teacher at Hillcrest High), an international race walker.
At the age of 12 Mundell first represented KZN in race-walking at the U17 SA champs, and has taken part in them for the past 21 years.
Although race walking never held the same veneration as playing 1st rugby did at high school (where he was also 1st XV vice captain), he persisted, realising that with race walking, he could make it all the way to the top. Mundell selected the 50km event to specialise in (like his dad) and felt that a lack of pure talent, could be compensated for by really hard training and persistence.
And he certainly is a young man of hard-work and persistence. Training consists of walks 12 times per week, with a morning session (starting predawn at 4.30am) of some 10-15kms, and speed sessions in the evening, all adding up to a whopping 140-150km a week. In addition, he does four gym sessions per week.
Most of this is done alone, the heart rate monitor and stopwatch being his only company.
It is this kind of focus that has helped this incredible young man to get all the way to the top. Mundell realised he could set his sights on the Olympics during the SA Schools meeting in 2000 in Sydney (where they hosted the Olympics that year).
This then became his dream goal. After much hard work and persistence, it finally paid off and he was selected to participate in the 2012 Olympics.
However, a few days before the London Olympics, Mundell aggravated a previously badly injured knee and was instructed by the team doctor not to race. Not to be stripped of his dream, he raced anyway, and set a new Africa record for the 50km.
After London, Mundell had to have his knee operated on and it took a full year to get back to full strength again. He then competed at the World Athletics Champs in Moscow in 2013 as well as Beijing in 2015 (as team captain). He then qualified four times for Rio in the past year setting another new African record.
As further show of his incredible commitment and to give himself the best chance for achieving gold in Rio, he resigned from his job in May 2015 to concentrate on training leading to the four qualifying times.
However, as if his previous challenges weren’t enough, in May this year Mundell contracted tick bite fever and the Coxsackie virus infection, and was hardly able to even move around the house. He had to withdraw from the Racewalk World Cup, where his recent times would have potentially placed him in the top six finishers.
After hospitalisation, strong medicine and a diet of fruit and raw vegetable juices three times a day, he recovered and was able to resume training after a month, build himself up and be ready for the 50k in Rio on 19 August.
For those who don’t know much about the sport, Mundell explains what it means to reach the Olympics as a race walker: “When I was selected for London, I was the first male to be selected since 1960 so when I returned, I came back saying that I had now opened the door for others.
“I have competed at SA Schools level, SA University, World Racewalk Cup, and World Champs, but this [Olympics]”, he says, “is the ultimate, in terms of achievements. The hype at the games, the scarcity of Olympic opportunities (only held every four years) and the high qualifying standard make the Olympics the goal that all top athletes strive to get to.”
Mundell’s message to his Hillcrest High alumni: “Although the goals are high, they can be reached and the pupils at school, and those who have left need to ‘go for gold’ [Hillcrest High’s theme for the year] and aim to be selected for Tokyo,” he concluded.
9 men who went on a violent 8-month crime spree in Gauteng sentence to life
Bloemfontein Jobs
Call Centre Jobs | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744805 |
__label__wiki | 0.977664 | 0.977664 | Canadian Officials Accidentally Push Nuke Alert To Millions
Sunday, January 12th 2020, 7:03 PM CST
An emergency alert issued by the Canadian province of Ontario reporting an unspecified “incident” at a nuclear plant is shown on a smartphone Sunday, Jan. 12, 2020. (AP Photo/Robert Gillies)
People throughout the Canadian province of Ontario awoke Sunday to a cellphone alert warning them of an “incident” at a nuclear plant just east of Toronto — only to later be told the message was a mistake.
The message, which was transmitted throughout the nation’s most populous province, was accompanied by a shrill emergency broadcast noise. It said an unspecified event had occurred at the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. There was no abnormal release of radioactivity, it added, and people did not need to take protective action.
More than an hour later, utility officials sent another message saying the alert “was sent in error” and that there was “no danger to the public or environment.”
“No further action is required,” said the message, which was also sent to television screens.
The alert went out during a routine training exercise being conducted by the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre, Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a statement that apologized for the mistake.
She said the government had started a full investigation and would “take the appropriate steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Jim Vlahos, a 44-year-old Toronto man, awoke to the alert and quickly made a hotel reservation more than 60 miles away in Niagara Falls. He said he figured he would go as far west as possible and then cross the border.
“Having watched ‘Chernobyl’ didn’t help,” he said, referring to the HBO show about the 1986 nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union. “The lack of communication following the alert didn’t help either,” he said.
“I have no problem leaving my phone on for these types of alerts,” Vlahos said. “But I would expect some more info from the government so I wouldn’t have to overreact the way I did.”
Many people slept through the first alert and saw it was a false alarm by the time they woke up.
Jonathan Davies, also 44, was taken aback when he spotted the alert while driving. But he waited until after he picked up his Tim Hortons coffee to check the news.
“I can’t cope with much until I have my coffee, at least a few sips,” he said. “I got scared and went online but found no information.” He later saw the the follow-up alert that indicated it was a false alarm.
Pickering Mayor Dave Ryan said he was “very troubled” by the message. He said on Twitter that he spoke to provincial officials and demanded an investigation.
Toronto Mayor John Tory joined him, tweeting that there were “far too many unanswered questions” about the warning that was sent across the province of 14 million people.
Terry Flynn, who teaches crisis communications at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said the error runs the risk of eroding public trust.
“When we have continuous problems in these systems, then we have a lack of trust and people begin to ignore them. So that’s the biggest fallout from this scenario,” he said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general recommended changes to the emergency alert system in the United States after Hawaii officials in 2018 mistakenly warned the public about a nonexistent incoming ballistic missile. An employee at the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency sent the missile alert to cellphones and broadcasters, triggering panic until the agency sent another message 38 minutes later notifying people it was a false alarm.
Pickering, which opened in 1971, was scheduled to be decommissioned this year, but the provincial government committed to keeping it open until 2024. Decommissioning is now set to start in 2028.
The plant generates 14% of Ontario’s electricity and is responsible for 4,500 jobs across the region, according to Ontario Power Generation.
The station has experienced several earlier incidents. In 2011, a pump seal failure caused the spill of more than 19,200 gallons (73,000 liters) of demineralized water into Lake Ontario, though with no significant risks to public health, according to local authorities.
In 1994, the plant automatically shut down after a faulty valve caused 132 tons of heavy water to spill. It was the first time a Canadian nuclear reactor had to use its emergency core cooling system to prevent fuel overheating.
Ontario Power “has a sophisticated and robust notification process in place that we would immediately follow in the unlikely event of an incident at the station,” Chief Nuclear Officer Sean Granville said. “I want to assure the public that there was no incident at the station, and the plant is operating as designed.” | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744807 |
__label__wiki | 0.874441 | 0.874441 | Gallagher CEO's signature another step in commitment to building a more diverse and inclusive workplace
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Apr 11, 2019, 07:00 ET
"It's a reflection on Gallagher, our employees and our clients"
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., April 11, 2019 /CNW/ -- Gallagher, a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, today announced that its Chairman, President and CEO, J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge, the largest CEO-driven commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
J. Patrick "Pat" Gallagher, Jr. - Chairman, President and CEO of Gallagher, global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm (PRNewsfoto/Gallagher)
By signing this commitment, Gallagher pledges to foster an environment where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. Cultivating a diverse and inclusive workforce facilitates community, and also drives innovation and creativity.
"This pledge aligns with our thinking that by bringing people together from different backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives, we are better equipped to do the right thing for our company, clients, colleagues and communities. If we only listen to a handful of perspectives, we're just not going to do as well," said Mr. Gallagher. "I, personally, am very involved in making sure that what we do as an organization is focused on this. Every single chance we get, we should consider the opportunity to become even more inclusive as an organization.
"For us, the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge provides an opportunity to align with and learn from other organizations working to bring about similar change," he added. "At the end of the day, it's our people who make a difference for our clients, the communities we work in and the lives of millions of people who put their trust in us."
More than 600 CEOs representing the world's leading companies and business organizations have signed the pledge, taking a critical step towards effecting positive change. It outlines a specific set of actions that companies will take to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, where employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations via a unified hub, https://www.ceoaction.com.
In addition to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ pledge, Gallagher leaders from Australia and the United Kingdom have signed the Inclusive Behaviours in Insurance CEO Pledge, spearheaded by Lloyd's of London and Zurich Insurance.
About Gallagher
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG), a global insurance brokerage, risk management and consulting services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. The company has operations in 35 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.
About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Bringing together more than 600 CEOs of America's leading organizations, the commitment outlines actions that participating companies pledge to take to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations. Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect with us on Instagram: @CEO_Action and Twitter: @CEOAction.
World's Most Ethical Company® (2012-2019), The Ethisphere Institute
World's Best Employer—2018, Forbes magazine
Media: Linda J. Collins
VP – Corporate Communications
630-285-4009/ [email protected]
SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Also from this source
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires SBW Employee Benefits... | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744808 |
__label__wiki | 0.828113 | 0.828113 | Previous (Kuwait)
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Madinat Al Kuwayt
Skyline of Kuwait City
Coordinates: {{#invoke:Coordinates|coord}}{{#coordinates:29|22|11|N|47|58|42|E|type:city
name= }}
- Metro
200 km² (77.2 sq mi)
Population (2008 estimate)[1]
2,380,000 (2,005)
EAT (UTC+3)
Kuwait City (Arabic: مدينة الكويت, transliteration: Madīnat al-Kūwait), is the capital and largest city of Kuwait. The city is located on the southern shore of Kuwait Bay off the Persian Gulf. Kuwait City is the seat of Kuwait's parliament (Majlis Al-Umma), most of the country's government offices, and the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks. It is the political, cultural, and economic center of the emirate.
The city was founded at the beginning of the eighteenth century by a group of families who migrated to the coast from the interior of the Arabian Peninsula. It remained a small gulf sheikdom known locally as a center for pearl diving and shipbuilding and boat construction. In the post World War II era, Kuwait came to international prominence largely due to its enormous oil revenues.
6 Places of interest
7 Looking to the future
The city and the surrounding oil fields were extensively damaged during the Iraqi invasion and occupation of 1990 and subsequent Gulf War, but since liberation by an American-led coalition in 1991, the city has grown into a modern thriving business center.
Kuwait City seen from Spot Satellite.
The name "Kuwait City" is a transliteration of Madīnat al-Kūwait. The name may have derived from an abandoned fort located there in the 18th century, called "Kūt" (كوت) - Arabic for a "fortress by the sea."
Located at the heart of the country on the shore of the Persian Gulf, and containing Kuwait's parliament (Majlis Al-Umma), most governmental offices, the headquarters of most Kuwaiti corporations and banks, Kuwait City is the indisputable political, cultural and economical center of the emirate. The main residential and business areas are Salmiya and Hawalli.
Kuwait City has a variable continental climate, with extremely hot and dry summers (April to October), with temperatures exceeding 124°F (51°C). Winters (November through February) are cool with some precipitation and average temperatures around 56°F (13°C). Average annual precipitation is 4.2 inches (107mm). The maximum average precipitation occurs in January.
Kuwait has limited natural fresh water resources. Therefore, some of world's largest and most sophisticated desalination facilities provide the water for Kuwait City.
Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah, 'Mubarak the Great' (1837-1915).
A dhow with three masts.
The Bayan Palace, the main palace of the Emir of Kuwait.
Built in 1979, the Kuwait Towers are the most famous landmark in Kuwait City.
Human occupation of the region around Kuwait City dates to around 3000 B.C.E., when the Dilmun civilization centered on neighboring Bahrain. At that time, the island of Failaka, which is located near the site of Kuwait City, was developing its own unique culture and religious pantheon.
Nearchus, the admiral in charge of Alexander the Great's fleet, established a colony on the nearby island of Falaika, in the late fourth century B.C.E.
In the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese built a fort in the area that became Kuwait City, using the fort as a base from which to venture north. Their residence in the Arabian Desert was short-lived, so until the eighteenth century, Kuwait was a territory of shifting communities.
In 1710, the Al-Sabah family, a nomadic people of Arabian descent, settled in what became Kuwait City, which was occupied at the time by a small settlement of Bani Khalid people, who were from the eastern province of Saudi Arabia.
Soon after the colony was founded, Sabah I became leader, ruling until his death in 1762, when he was succeeded by his youngest son, Abdullah I Al-Sabah. The Al-Sabāh family was a branch of the Al-Utūb tribe that included the Al-Khalīfah clan, the ruling family of Bahrain.
Kuwait had one of the best natural harbors in the Persian Gulf, and its location allowed it to benefit from the caravan trade to Aleppo and Baghdad, the Shatt al-Arab (river) trade in southern Iraq, and from the smuggling trade into Ottoman territory that high tariffs encouraged.
The settlement grew quickly, and by the time its first wall was built, in 1760, the town had a fleet of about 800 traditional Arab sailing dhows, and trading relations to Baghdad and Damascus. It was a successful and thriving sea port by the early nineteenth century.
In 1766, the al-Khalifa and, soon after, the al-Jalahima, left Kuwait en masse for Zubara in Qatar, leaving the Sabahs in undisputed control. By the end of Abdullah I Al-Sabah's long rule (1762-1812), Sabah rule was well established.
Kuwait's first contact with Britain occurred in 1775, when plague, then the Persians, struck Basra and the British East India Company made arrangements to have the Persian Gulf-Aleppo Mail Service diverted through Kuwait.
Although Kuwait was nominally governed from Basra, the Kuwaitis had traditionally maintained a relative degree of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. By the late 1870s, the Ottomans were bankrupt, and additional income was required from Kuwait and the Arabian Peninsula. Midhat Pasha, the governor of Iraq, demanded that Kuwait submit to Ottoman rule.
In May 1896, Sheikh Muhammad Al-Sabah was assassinated by his half-brother, Mubarak al-Sabah (the Great) who, in early 1897, was recognized by the Ottoman sultan as the provincial sub-governor) of Kuwait.
In July 1897, Mubarak invited the British to deploy gunboats along the Kuwaiti coast, leading to the First Kuwaiti Crisis, in which the Ottomans demanded that the British stop interfering. In the end, the Ottoman Empire backed down.
In January 1899, Mubarak signed an agreement with Britain that in return for an annual subsidy of 15,000 Indian rupees (£1500) to Kuwait's ruling family, British consent was required for any of Kuwait's international relations. Britain took responsibility for Kuwait's national security.
Kuwait was a center for pearl diving. The advent of Japanese pearl farming during the 1920s and 1930s meant the pearl industry collapsed, and with it Kuwait's economy. Kuwait became one of the world's poorest countries and became even more dependent on Britain for protection.
Oil was discovered there in 1936. By 1953, the country became the largest exporter of oil in the Persian Gulf. This massive growth attracted many immigrant laborers and foreign workers. Having amassed great wealth, Kuwait was the first of the Persian Gulf Arab states to declare independence—on June 19, 1961.
Kuwait experienced an unprecedented era of prosperity under Emir Sabah al-Salim al-Sabah, who died in 1977 after ruling for 12 years, and under his successor, Emir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, who died in January 2006. The country was transformed into a highly developed welfare state with a free market economy.
During the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), Kuwait was allied with Iraq. However, Iraq's president Saddam Hussein (1937–2006) claimed that Kuwait was an Iraqi province. On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces seized the city and on August 8 they annexed the emirate. During the occupation, the city was extensively damaged and many buildings were destroyed, including the Kuwait National Museum.
In early 1991, an American-led coalition of 34 nations fought the Persian Gulf War to remove Iraqi forces from Kuwait. After six weeks of fierce fighting, the coalition forced Iraq to withdraw on February 26, 1991.
After Iraqi forces retreated, Kuwait spent more than $5-billion to repair oil infrastructure damaged during 1990-1991. Foreign investors and the Kuwaiti government were actively involved in modernizing Kuwait City and turning it into a world-class business hub.
Majlis Al-Umma (مجلس الأمة, "The Council of the Nation"), the Kuwaiti parliament, in Kuwait City.
Kuwait is a constitutional hereditary emirate in which the executive comprises the chief of state and Crown Prince. The prime minister, who is head of government, is appointed by the emir. The Council of Ministers (cabinet) is appointed by the prime minister and approved by the emir. The unicameral National Assembly, or Majlis al-Umma, consists of 50 members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms. All cabinet ministers are also voting members of the National Assembly.
Kuwait is divided into six governorates. The governorates are subdivided into districts. Kuwait City is the capital of the Al Asimah governorate.
The main palace is the As-Seef Palace in the old part of Kuwait City where the Emir runs the daily matters of the country while the government headquarters are in the Bayan Palace and the Emir lives in Dar Salwa.
Burgan Bank in Kuwait City.
Kuwait is a small, rich, relatively open economy with self-reported crude oil reserves of about 104 billion barrels - 10 percent of world reserves. Petroleum accounts for nearly half of gross domestic product, 95 percent of export revenues, and 80 percent of government income. High oil prices during 2007-2008 helped build Kuwait's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. However, despite its vast oil reserves, Kuwait experienced power outages during the summer months in 2006 and 2007 because demand exceeded power generating capacity.
Kuwait lacks water and has practically no arable land, thus preventing development of agriculture. With the exception of fish, it depends almost wholly on food imports. About 75 percent of drinking water must be distilled or imported.
Per capita GDP was estimated at $55,900 in 2007.
Kuwait’s booming economy has allowed many international hotel chains to enter agreements to open hotels in the country. According to the Kuwait Hotel Owners Association, in 2008 over 25 new hotels were planned or in construction.
Kuwait’s road system is well developed by regional standards. There was no railway system in 2008, although the government plans to construct an underground metro to ease traffic congestion. Kuwait City’s trade and transportation needs are served by Kuwait International Airport, Mina Al-Shuwaik (Shuwaik Port) and Mina al-Ahmadi (Ahmadi Port) 50 kilometers to the south, on the Persian Gulf coast.
Kuwait City had an estimated population of 63,600 in 2006 within the city limits and 2.38 million in the metropolitan area. Kuwaitis are described usually as “white” or “brown” (“beedh” or “sumur” respectively). About 60-65 percent are Arab (brown), 30 to 35 percent are Persian (white), and 5-10 percent are signified as "others," including Africans, East Asians, or Europeans. The foreign population mainly consists of people from Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
Kuwait's official language is Arabic, though roughly half the country speaks the language primarily. Most foreigners speak Hindi, Urdu, Filipino or Bengali. About 75 percent of Kuwait's population is Muslim (Sunni 81 percent, Shi'a 19 percent), while Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and others make up the remaining 25 percent.
Kuwait University, founded in 1962, is Kuwait's only public university. There are several other institutions for higher learning there.
Kuwait Tower's observation deck.
Kuwait's architecture is largely inspired by Islamic architecture. Kuwait City's most dominant landmark is Kuwait Towers, designed by Swedish architect Sune Lindström, which are a unique blend of traditional minaret and modern architectural designs. The main tower is 187 meters high and serves as a restaurant and water tower. Each of the two large balls also holds 4.5 million gallons of water. It has a viewing sphere which completes a full round turn every 30 minutes. The second tower is 145.8 meters high and serves as a water tower. The third tower houses equipment to control the flow of electricity and illuminates the two larger towers. Other sites of interest include:
The As-Seef Palace, located in the old part of Kuwait City, was built in 1896. The palace interior features original Islamic mosaic tilework, though these were badly damaged during the Iraqi occupation. The opulent palace is the official seat of the emir's court. It is not open to the public and photography is prohibited.
The Kuwait Museum, which was stripped of many artifacts during the Iraqi invasion. Part of the museum was open to the public in 2008.
The Islamic Museum, which was badly hit during the war, was awaiting rebuilding in 2008.
Kuwait's fish market is huge, elegantly decorated and impeccably clean.
Sharq Souq is luxury shopping center adjacent to the fish market.
The Madinat al-Hareer ("City of Silk"), is a proposed 250 square kilometer planned urban area just opposite Kuwait City which, upon construction, would include the Burj Mubarak al-Kabir, the world's tallest structure, a natural desert reservation of two square kilometers, a duty free area beside a new airport, a large business center, conference areas, environmental areas, athletic areas, and areas that concentrate on media, health, education, and industry. The development will cost an estimated $94-billion. The government of Kuwait approved the 25-year project in July 2008. Construction had begun in that year.
Oil wealth made Kuwait City the capital of one of the richest nations on the Arabian Peninsula, with a highly developed welfare state and a free market economy. That wealth has built state-of-the-art desalination plants to overcome the nation's lack of water, and has been invested in an extensive educational system, yielding a literacy rate of 93.3 percent.
Kuwait's elected legislature, returned since the 1991 liberation from Iraqi occupation, has become increasingly assertive. Kuwait faces criticism for the extensive involvement of the ruling family in national affairs. Although the country is not a democracy, Kuwaitis enjoy more civil and political freedoms than the citizens of many non-democratic states. Kuwaitis take some pride in the rarity of political violence in their country.
↑ "NationMaster – Kuwaiti Geography statistics", NationMaster, 18 December 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
Al-Tailji, Osaimah. Remembering the heritage: the harbor complex, free trade zone, Kuwait City. Thesis (B. Arch.)—Roger Williams University, 2004. OCLC 61695234
Anscombe, Frederick F. The Ottoman Gulf: the creation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997. ISBN 0231108389
Crystal, Jill. Kuwait: the transformation of an oil state. (Westview profiles.) Boulder: Westview Press, 1992. ISBN 0813308887
Crystal, Jill. Oil and politics in the Gulf: rulers and merchants in Kuwait and Qatar. (Cambridge Middle East library, 24.) Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Pres, 1990. ISBN 0521366399
Elsheshtawy, Yasser. The Evolving Arab city: tradition, modernity and urban development. London: Routledge, 2008. ISBN 9780415411561
World Factbook. Kuwait Retrieved January 9, 2009.
All links retrieved June 16, 2018.
Kuwait City TripAdvisor
Kuwait in pictures
Kuwait_City history
Kuwait history
Madinat_al-Hareer history
History of "Kuwait City"
Retrieved from //www.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Kuwait_City&oldid=1012373 | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744810 |
__label__wiki | 0.561845 | 0.561845 | Mapping Your Land
Auburn University forestry researcher John Gilbert recently created an instructional booklet, "Mapping Your Land: An Overview for Landowners," to help landowners use five online mapping program. It allows landowners to utilize maps, aerial photography, topographic layers, soils information, data collected with GPS units and even a visual simulation, such as adding images of trees on open fields.
Airflow across a wing
"It is often said that the lift on a wing is generated because the flow moving over the top surface has a longer distance to travel and therefore needs to go faster. This common explanation is actually wrong." Here, aerodynamics expert Professor Holger Babinsky from the University of Cambridge's Department of Engineering debunks a popular, yet misleading, explanation of how wings lift. For more information, read the accompanying story published by the University of Cambridge http://www.cam.ac.u
The Empire That Was Russia
Offers photographs of the Russian Empire on the eve of World War I and the coming revolution. Medieval churches and monasteries, railroads and factories, and daily life and work of Russia's diverse population are among the subjects. The photos were taken by Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944), who, in the early 1900s, formulated a plan for a photographic survey of the Russian Empire that won the support of Tsar Nicholas II.
Rivers, Edens, Empires: Lewis & Clark and the Revealing of America
Looks at historical maps, relations with Indians, and expedition artifacts -- the blunderbuss, Jefferson's secret message to Congress, his instructions for Meriwether Lewis, and speeches. Subsequent expeditions of America are also examined, including those by Lieutenant Zebulon Pike, Thomas Freeman, Major Stephen Long, Father de Smet, and John Fremont.
Madison's Treasures
Presents the most significant documents from our fourth President, James Madison. Most relate to two events in which Madison played a key role: the drafting and ratification of the Constitution (1787-8) and the introduction in the First Federal Congress of the amendments (1789) that became the Bill of Rights. Other documents relate to the freedom of religion and the burning of Washington, D.C., by the British in 1814 -- perhaps the major embarrassment of Madison's career.
The Republican nomination: Not so fast, Newt
Ch 9 review
SKA and Meerkat: Major Milestones in Radio Astronomy
Dr Kurt van der Heyden
Presented by: Dr Kurt van der Heyden, Department of Astronomy, University of Cape Town | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744812 |
__label__wiki | 0.756596 | 0.756596 | Types of Trees
There are approximately 3,800 cherry trees within the park. This list is provided to show the relative populations of the different varieties. Due to fluctuations in population resulting from the removal of dead trees and the planting of new trees, the exact numbers of trees are not provided.
Find cherry tree locations on Maps.
Yoshino Cherry (Prunus x yedoenis) - Comprising approximately 70% of the total number of cherry trees. Habit: a round topped, wide spreading tree that reaches 30 to 50 feet at maturity. Flowers: white, single in clusters of 2 to 5, and almond-scented. This hybrid cherry of unknown Japanese origin was first noticed in Tokyo about 1872 and is now one of the favorite cultivated cherry trees of Japan. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6: Range of Average minimum temperature 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Kwanzan Cherry (Prunus serrulata "Kwanzan") - 13% of total population. Habit: an upright-spreading tree to 30 feet, with a rounded crown and stiff ascending branches. Wider than tall at maturity. Flowers: double, with about 30 petals, in pendulous clusters of 3 to 5, sometimes more, clear pink and fading but small, up to 2½ inches across, with many more or less petaloid stamens often partly concealing the two green leafy carpels which protrude from the center of the flower. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5: Range of Average minimum temperature -10 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Takesimensis Cherry (Prunus takesimensis) - 5% of total population. Habit: an upright spreading tree that can reach 30-40 ft. at maturity. Flowers: white, in large clusters with short pedicels. This species is known to grow in wet locations in its native habitat and is currently being tested in East Potomac Park for tolerance to excessive moisture. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6: Range of Average minimum temperature 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Autumn Flowering Cherry (Prunus subhirtella var. autumnalis) - 3% of total population. Habit: an upright rounded tree to 25-30 ft. with a 15-20 ft. spread. Flowers: semi-double, pink. During warm periods in the fall and winter months they will open sporadically and then fully flower the following spring. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4: Range of Average minimum temperature -20 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Akebono Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis "Akebono") - 3% of total population. Habit: a round topped, wide spreading tree that can reach 30 to 50 feet at maturity. Flowers: single, pale pink that fade to white, in clusters of 2 to 5. This cultivar is loosing popularity in the nursery trade and is being replaced with the cultivar Afterglow (Prunus x yedoensis "Afterglow") which has pink blossoms that are deeper in color and do not fade. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6: Range of Average minimum temperature 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Weeping Cherry (Prunus Subhirtella var. pendula) - 2.4% of total population. Habit: tree 20 to 40 feet high, with a round-flattened, gracefully, weeping crown. Usually grafted about 6 feet on the understock. Flowers: single, pink. This variety is very variable and select cultivars differ in form and color. (i.e., "Pendula Rosea", single deep pink flowers; "Pendula Plena Rosea", double, pink flowers; "Pendula Alba", single, white flowers; "Rosey Cloud", double, bright pink flowers; "Snowfozam", single, white flowers etc.). Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5: Range of Average minimum temperature -10 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Usuzumi Cherry (Prunus spachiana f. ascendens) - 1.3% of total population. Habit: tree to 40 ft. with a round, gracefully ascending crown. Flowers: single, white, truning to grey. The trees in West Potomac Park are propagations from the 1,400+ year old Usuzumi tree growing in the village of Itasho Neo, in Gifu Prefecture of Japan. It is said that that the 26th Emporer Keitai of Japan planted this tree to celebrate his ascension to the throne. The Usuzumi tree was declared a National Treasure of Japan in 1922. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 6: Range of Average minimum temperature 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sargent Cherry (Prunus sargentii) - less than 1% of total population. Habit: Upright to 40-50 ft. with spreading branches approximately equal to height. Flowers: single, deep pink, in clusters. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4: Range of Average minimum temperature -20 to -30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Afterglow Cherry (Prunus x yedoensis "Afterglow") - less than 1% of total population.
Shirofugen Cherry (Prunus serulata "Shirofugen") - less than <1% of total population. Habit: a flat topped, wide spreading tree to 20-25 ft. Flowers: double, in large clusters, white when open aging to pink. Hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 5: Range of Average minimum temperature -10 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Okame Cherry (Prunus x "Okame") - less than 1% of total population. Habit: Upright tree to 25 ft. with a 20 ft. spread. Flowers: semi-double, pink. The earliest flowering cherry. USDA Hardiness Zone 5: Range of Average minimum temperature -10 to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. USDA Hardiness Zone 6: Range of Average minimum temperature 0 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bloom Watch | Plan Your Visit | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744813 |
__label__wiki | 0.628997 | 0.628997 | Expert Blog › Peter Miller
Diablo Canyon Legislation Signed into Law by Governor Brown
September 19, 2018 Peter Miller
Legislation to protect the environment, workers, and local communities during the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant was signed into law today by California Governor Jerry Brown. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is now required to fully fund the worker retention and community impact mitigation programs and to require electricity providers to submit integrated resource plans that avoid a spike in greenhouse gas emissions when the giant power plant is permanently closed in 2025.
This humpback whale, photographed near the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, is just one of many species that depends upon a healthy, thriving ocean ecosystem near the site.
(c) "Mike" Michael L. Baird/flickr.bairdphotos.com
The Diablo Canyon legislation, SB 1090, received overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature, along with the enthusiastic support of a wide range of organizations and businesses, including the workers who operate the plant and the communities that have hosted it since it began operating near San Luis Obispo in 1984. The bill also represents final vindication for the historic Joint Proposal to Retire and Replace Diablo Canyon, which NRDC helped negotiate in 2016.
As NRDC testified before the California Public Utilities Commission, replacing Diablo Canyon with zero-carbon energy efficiency and renewable energy will save PG&E customers at least $1 billion. The replacement of Diablo with lower cost, zero carbon alternatives will more than offset the near-term costs associated with the bill’s restoration of worker and community protections to the levels envisioned in the proposal. Based on updated estimates of likely participation, the additional worker retention payments and Community Impact Mitigation mandated in the bill will cost approximately $89 million and $85 million, respectively: a small fraction of net savings. When spread across customers’ bills over the collection period from 2018 through 2025, the additional payments will increase the average PG&E household’s bill by at most 18 cents per month. Any savings from lower than expected participation in the worker retention program will be passed through to customers, and all these expenditures will cease after the plant’s 2025 closure while the net savings to customers will continue to grow.
The package of policies included in SB 1090 offers a model for the phaseout of aging power plants with clean, increasingly less-expensive energy while providing a just transition for workers and communities affected by the shutdown. NRDC has estimated that Diablo Canyon’s closing will save Californians at least $1 billion, because it would cost more to refurbish the aging plant than to replace the nuclear power with non-polluting energy resources.
Diablo will be the first nuclear power plant retirement to be conditioned on full replacement with lower cost zero-carbon resources. The historic agreement to close the two reactors no later than August 2025 reflects specific findings by the plant owner that giant “baseload” power plants no longer fit the needs of modern power grids, which require greater flexibility and resilience. For example, California at times throws away solar energy at midday because it exceeds customers’ electricity needs and storage capacity is insufficient. Under these circumstances, a baseload nuclear plant that is designed to operate around-the-clock becomes a roadblock to replacing polluting power plants with emissions-free renewable energy.
The giant Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is located on the California coast about 250 miles south of San Francisco. It accounts for about 9 percent of California’s in-state power generation and about 20 percent of the electricity serving the 16 million people who live in PG&E’s service territory in northern and central California.
SB 1090 directs the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to fully fund the worker retention and community transition provisions in the agreement reached between Diablo Canyon’s operator Pacific Gas and Electric; environmental groups including NRDC and Friends of the Earth; labor organizations, and others. The employee retention program and the community impact mitigation program are needed to ensure that the plant is adequately staffed and essential emergency services are provided through the end of the license period in 2025. The CPUC had earlier balked at funding the labor and community provisions of the Joint Proposal, asking for legislative direction, which SB 1090 provides in full measure.
SB 1090 also directs the commission to require that the state’s electricity providers’ plans for serving customers include needed investments in zero-carbon resources in order to avoid a spike in emissions, which is what occurred when the San Onofre nuclear plant, California’s other large nuclear facility, closed earlier in this decade. The CPUC’s Diablo Canyon decision in January expressed an intent to avoid a spike in emissions when Diablo is fully retired in 2025, but failed to approve even a down payment on the needed investment in replacing the plant’s generation with pollution-free resources like energy efficiency, and wind and solar power.
Director, Western Region, Climate & Clean Energy Program | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744814 |
__label__wiki | 0.924076 | 0.924076 | Movies|Watch Your Back, Even in the Family
https://nyti.ms/18BOqyy
Watch Your Back, Even in the Family
Clive Owen and Andrea Riseborough in "Shadow Dancer."Credit...Magnolia Pictures
NYT Critic's Pick
Directed by James Marsh
By Stephen Holden
In the prologue of James Marsh’s taut, somber conspiracy thriller “Shadow Dancer,” the 12-year-old Collette McVeigh (Maria Laird), idly stringing beads into a necklace, ignores her father’s request to go out and buy cigarettes. It is 1973 in Belfast, and the city is a powder keg. Her younger brother goes instead, and is shot to death outside the house in cross-fire between British and Irish Republican Army forces. As the McVeigh home erupts in anguished chaos, the father casts a recriminatory glare at Collette, who is guilt-stricken.
The story leaps ahead to London in 1993, when talks have begun over a peace settlement for Northern Ireland. In a tense, wordless sequence, Collette (Andrea Riseborough), now a single mother and a fervent member of the I.R.A., leaves a bomb on the stairs of a subway station and makes an elaborate underground escape to the street, where she is arrested by MI5 agents who have been tracking her every move.
Interrogated in a hotel room by an officer named Mac (Clive Owen), Collette is given an ultimatum. She faces 25 years in prison and separation from her young son unless she agrees to return to Belfast and inform on her two brothers, Gerry (Aidan Gillen) and Connor (Domhnall Gleeson), both I.R.A. operatives. Mac also has photographs suggesting that an I.R.A. bullet, not a British shot, had killed her brother 20 years earlier. After initially resisting, she reluctantly agrees to report to him at clandestine seaside meetings in Belfast. The title of the film is the name of a secret MI5 file on the McVeigh family that is withheld from Mac.
Mr. Marsh, who directed the celebrated documentaries “Man on Wire” and “Project Nim” and the middle film of the “Red Riding” television trilogy, directed “Shadow Dancer” from a screenplay by Tom Bradby, the author of the novel on which the film is based and a television correspondent in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. The movie takes no political positions. With an icy detachment, it peers through the fog of war and examines the slippery military intelligence on both sides to portray a world steeped in secrecy, deception and paranoia.
Collette’s brothers’ antennas are so attuned to the tiniest signs of betrayal that she warns Mac that “they’ll know” that she has been turned into a mole. The McVeigh siblings live in the same house with their mother (Brid Brennan), who has her own agenda. In their family interactions they treat one another with a complicated mixture of love and wariness.
The tensions in Belfast are mirrored at MI5 headquarters in London, where Mac’s cold, imperious boss, Kate Fletcher (Gillian Anderson), has no qualms about betraying him to pursue a broader agenda that is suggested but never detailed. While clashing with Kate, Mac develops protective feelings for Collette. An undertone of sexual attraction eventually emerges, adding another layer of uncertainty.
When the attempted assassination of a detective for Britain’s security forces is foiled by information gleaned from Collette, the head of the I.R.A.’s internal security (David Wilmot) decides that the mole must be someone in the McVeigh family. Ruthless interrogations begin.
“Shadow Dancer” is ominously subdued and grimly taciturn. The dialogue is minimal. Only what has to be said is said, and the tone of most of it is one of quiet urgency. Except for a red jacket that Collette wears, everything is photographed in shades of gray. Characters are glimpsed through reflecting glass, curtained windows and half-opened doors.
Ms. Riseborough’s gripping performance is remarkable for its stillness. Even at the most stressful moments, Collette never loses her composure, except in one desperate moment with Mac, when her bottled-up emotion escapes like a scalding burst of steam from a pressure cooker. Soon enough, she dons her mask of sphinxlike calm.
“Shadow Dancer” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian) for strong language and violence, including torture. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744817 |
__label__wiki | 0.993302 | 0.993302 | Fashion|A Hollywood Party at a Picasso Brownstone
https://nyti.ms/2p01w9u
A Hollywood Party at a Picasso Brownstone
A Hollywood Party in a Picasso House
Rebecca Smeyne for The New York Times
By Laura M. Holson
“It is a great tradition in France, the salon,” said Diana Widmaier-Picasso, a granddaughter of Pablo Picasso, who hosted a crowd of Oscar and Emmy winners at her Gramercy Park brownstone in Manhattan on Monday night.
The party was sponsored by SAG-Aftra, the union that represents performers in movies, radio and television, and the guest of honor was Ryan Murphy, the director and producer of “Feud,” “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson.”
“I don’t know why I’m nervous,” Mr. Murphy said as he spoke to a crowd that included Matthew Broderick, Robert De Niro, Ron Howard, Debra Messing, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, David O. Russell and Susan Sarandon. “I’ve employed half the people in this room.”
Marisa Tomei sat on a fur-covered bed in the living room, her feet dangling over the edge. “Isn’t anyone going to sit with me?” she said. Questlove laughed and took her photograph. In another part of the house, the director Baz Luhrmann told Ansel Elgort, the 23-year-old actor and son of the fashion photographer Arthur Elgort, about his recent trip to Disney World. Nearby, Mr. Murphy huddled with two stars he has worked with, Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson.
Mr. Murphy, 51, has done a lot for women in Hollywood, having started a foundation to hire women and minority candidates to direct half the episodes of the shows he produces. But he is going against the tide: The number of women working in top jobs in the entertainment industry declined in 2016, according to a report by the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University.
“We need to find a way to create access,” said Gabrielle Carteris, a former star of “Beverly Hills 90210” and the union’s president. “We have been talking about this for decades. Now it is time to commit to the process.”
Mr. Howard and Ms. Messing were among those gathered around a table in the dining room, which was lined with books on artists, including Ms. Widmaier-Picasso’s grandfather. Dinner included red snapper and asparagus.
For some, it was an evening to catch up with old friends. Mr. De Niro took out his iPhone to show Ms. Tomei a video of his youngest daughter playing tennis. “She looks just like you,” he told her. Mr. Russell quizzed Mr. Howard about his new series on Albert Einstein, “Genius.” Peter Brant Jr., a son of the industrialist and art collector, talked with his brother Harry by the fireplace as Mr. Luhrmann extolled the virtues of spring in New York. “People are on some adjusted chemical,” he said.
Ms. Widmaier-Picasso, an art historian, pointed to a wall-size photograph by Nobuyoshi Araki of a woman in bed, eyes closed. “You don’t know if she is sleeping, resting or just had an incredible orgasm,” she said. “I like it because it is mysterious. It stirs conversation.” | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744818 |
__label__cc | 0.690016 | 0.309984 | University Policies and Guidelines
Compensation Policy for Administrators and Staff - New York, District of Columbia, and California
Compensation Policy for Administrators and Staff - New York, District of Columbia, and California (PDF)
This Policy on Compensation applies to Administrators and Staff, as set forth below.
To Whom the Policy Applies
New York. This Policy on Compensation applies to the following positions at New York University in New York: (i) Administrators and Professionals, and (ii) positions covered under the collective bargaining agreements (“CBA”) between the University and Local 1, 30, 153, 810, and 3882 (hereinafter, “Bargaining Unit Positions”) ((i) and (ii) collectively, “employees”).
- For Bargaining Unit Positions, please also refer to the applicable CBA for any provisions concerning compensation. Should this Policy conflict with any of the provisions in a CBA, the CBA shall apply.
- For current University employees, please also refer to the Promotions and Transfers Policy. Should this Policy conflict with any of the provisions in the Promotions and Transfers Policy, the Promotions and Transfers Policy shall apply.
Washington, D.C. and California. This Policy on Compensation also applies to Administrators and Professionals at New York University in Washington, D.C. and California.
Note: This Policy does not cover: (i) temporary employment opportunities or (ii) unpaid internship or volunteer opportunities. For these opportunities, please refer to the Temporary Employee Policy, and Unpaid Internship and Volunteer Policy, respectively.
I. POSITION CLASSIFICATION AND EVALUATION
A. Exempt vs. Non-Exempt
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), New York Labor Law, D.C. wage and hour law, and the California wage orders define which positions are exempt from overtime requirements. The University’s Office of Global Compensation reviews and approves job descriptions to ensure that employees are properly classified as exempt or non-exempt under applicable law.
B. Salary Bands (Administrators and Professionals)
NYU’s compensation structure for Administrators and Professionals consists of five salary bands (52-56). The band structure intends to foster greater mobility within the University, promote employee growth and broad-based career development, facilitate team-building, increase employee responsibility, and reduce layers and support a more transparent organization.
The chart below provides examples of the types of positions that fall within a given band:
Types of Positions (Examples)
56 Senior Leadership Team
55 Senior Director, Assistant/Associate Vice President, Assistant/Associate Dean
54 Director-Level
53 Manager-Level
52 Analyst
2. Assigning Positions to Bands
All Administrator and Professional positions are assigned to one of the above-listed bands through the position evaluation process conducted by the Office of Global Compensation. As part of the evaluation, the Office reviews the job description and considers several factors, including, but not necessarily limited to, the scope of the responsibilities, the reporting structure, required skills, and the level of accountability. Such evaluations are conducted in consultation with the appropriate Human Resources Officer/Business Partner (HROs) and/or department managers.
3. Assigning Salaries to Positions
Once an Administrator/Professional position has been assigned to a band, the Office of Global Compensation, together with the appropriate HRO, Finance Officer (“FO”), and/or department manager, determines the salary of the position. Note: HROs, FOs and department managers may not be involved in the process of determining their own salary; in such cases, approval should be sought directly from University Human Resources, including the AVP of the Office of Global Compensation.
In determining salary, the decision-makers consider several factors, including, but not necessarily limited to, the band of the position, the job family/function, the employee’s experience and performance, the market value of the job, and budgetary constraints. Salaries are subject to periodic reviews and may be adjusted in accordance with Section III (Salary Adjustments) below.
C. Wages (Bargaining Unit Positions)
Bargaining Unit employees are paid—both for straight time and, if applicable, overtime—in accordance with the hourly rates set forth in the applicable CBA.
II. HOURS OF WORK & MEAL PERIODS
Hours. Each School, Department, or Unit shall determine work schedules and hours consistent with business needs, applicable law, and the appropriate CBA (where applicable).
Meal Periods. Each School, Department, or Unit shall set employee meal periods in accordance with applicable law, the appropriate CBA (where applicable), and University policy. Please take note that Bargaining Unit employees are not paid for the time spent during the meal period unless otherwise provided under the applicable CBA.
New York. Please also take note that New York Labor Law § 162 requires that employees working in New York receive meal periods that meet the minimum standards set forth in the chart below:
Meal Period*
Six hour shift extending over the “noonday meal period” of 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. At least a 30 minute meal period between 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Shift beginning before 11:00 a.m. and ending after 7:00 p.m. At least an additional 20 minute meal period between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Six hour shift between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. At least a 45 minute meal period at a time midway between the beginning and end of the shift
California. Additionally, California Labor Code § 512 requires that non-exempt employees who work five or more hours in a day receive a non-compensable meal period of at least 30 uninterrupted minutes, unless not required pursuant to applicable law. The time when meal periods are scheduled varies, depending on the needs of the employee’s position, however the meal period must begin no later than the end of the employee’s fifth hour of work. A second non-compensable meal period of at least 30 uninterrupted minutes is provided to all non-exempt employees who work 10 or more hours in a day, unless not required pursuant to applicable law. The second meal period must begin no later than the end of the employee’s tenth hour of work.
*During the meal period the employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purpose of eating a meal. It is not necessary that the employee leave the premises if he or she is otherwise completely freed from duties during the meal period. The employee is not considered “relieved from duty” if he or she is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating.
Rest Breaks (California). Please note that California wage and hour laws requires that non-exempt employees working in California receive one (1) ten (10) minute paid rest period per every four (4) hour worked, or major fraction thereof, except that no rest period will be provided when an employee works less than three and one-half hours total in a day. “Major fraction” means any period over two hours. Thus, an employee is entitled to a second paid ten (10) minute rest period for shifts over six hours, a third paid ten (10) minute rest period for shifts over ten (10) hours, and so forth. Employees are expected to schedule their rest breaks at their discretion, unless otherwise instructed by a supervisor. However, to the extent possible, rest breaks should be scheduled in the middle of each four (4) hour period of the employee’s work schedule. Rest periods may not be combined with or added to an employee’s meal period, or used to cover tardiness or leaving early. All breaks must be taken on University premises.
III. SALARY ADJUSTMENTS (Administrators and Professionals)
The following section on Salary Adjustments applies to Administrators and Professionals only; for Bargaining Unit employees, please refer to the appropriate CBA for any applicable provisions on salary adjustments.
All salary adjustments under this Policy are discretionary and subject to the review and final approval of the Office of Global Compensation. Except as noted below, all recommended salary adjustments should first be reviewed by the appropriate FO, HRO, and Executive Vice President/Senior Vice President or Dean* before being submitted to the Office of Global Compensation for review and final approval, in accordance with the terms of this Policy. *Note: The aforementioned Administrators and Professionals may not be involved in the process of determining their own salary adjustments; in such cases, approval should be sought directly from University Human Resources, including the AVP of the Office of Global Compensation.
To be eligible for any type of salary adjustment, Administrators and Professionals must be “meeting expectations,” as defined under the applicable University performance management policy.
A. Annual Merit Increases
Administrators and Professionals may be eligible to receive an annual merit increase (AMI) at the discretion of their supervisor. In determining whether the employee receives an AMI, and the percentage increase of the AMI, the supervisor considers factors that include (but are not necessarily limited to) employee performance and budgetary considerations.
B. Internal Equity and Market-Based Salary Increases
An Administrator/Professional may receive: (i) an internal equity salary adjustment increase to align his or her salary with the salary of another Administrator/Professional with similar skills, responsibilities and experience; and/or (ii) a market-based salary adjustment increase to align his or her salary with that of the external market. Internal and market-based salary adjustments can occur at any time during the academic year.
C. Career Progression Salary Increases
Career Progressions include: (i) Band-to-Band Promotions, (ii) Within Band Growth, and (iii) Role Enhancements.
A Band-to-Band Promotion is a move to a different role and title in a higher band (whether in the same or different department), and Within Band Growth is a move to a different role and title within the same band. Both Band-to-Band Promotion and Within Band Growth may result in an increase in salary. The amount of the increase may be based on several factors, including, but not necessarily limited to, the role of the new position, change in responsibility, the external market, and budgetary considerations. Increases for Band-to-Band Promotions generally will be greater than those for Within Band Growth, as movement to a higher band tends to come with greater responsibility and authority.
Finally, Role Enhancements are career progressions that add significant additional responsibility within the same role (with or without a change in title). Any increase in salary resulting from a Role Enhancement is dependent on the abovementioned factors.
D. Temporary Salary Increases/Additional Compensation
Administrators and Professionals may receive salary increases/additional compensation for assuming responsibility for: (i) a higher level vacancy for an extended period of time at the request of the department head; and/or (ii) a special project that is outside the scope of the employee’s regular job responsibilities and is a significant additional work assignment.
IV. REPORTING AND RECORDKEEPING
In accordance with the applicable CBA and University policy: (i) non-exempt employees are responsible for completing their timesheets, and (ii) supervisors are responsible for reviewing and, if approved, certifying the timesheet in myTime.
Any time out of the office shall be recorded for exempt and non-exempt employees in myTime under the appropriate designation. Please refer to the applicable “time off” policy for more information on the specific process and procedure.
V. OTHER COMPENSATION POLICIES
For the University’s Policy on Pay Transparency, please click here.
For the University’s Policy on Wage Deductions to Recover Overpayments Made Due to Clerical Error, please click here.
Dates of official enactment and amendments: Not Available
History: Jan 18, 2019; Dec 11, 2018; Apr 4, 2018; May 3, 2017
Cross References: N/A
Effective Date Jan 18, 2019 Supersedes Dec 11, 2018 Issuing Authority Executive Vice President Responsible Officer Human Resources | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744820 |
__label__cc | 0.610355 | 0.389645 | https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Dolores-M-Bonewitz-Coleman-6972779.php
Dolores M. (Bonewitz) Coleman
Dolores M. (Bonewitz) Coleman, 79, of Sebring, Fla., passed away Wednesday, March 21, 2012, in Sebring. She was born Nov. 27, 1932, to Ellis and Lucille (Redfern) Bonewitz in Decker, Ind., and had been a resident of Sebring since 1989, coming from Vincennes, Ind. She was a registered nurse and started the school nursing program in the Vincennes Community School Cooperation in 1963 and served as the director until her retirement in 1989. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Vincennes, Ind., Psi Iota Xi Philanthropic Sorority and the Women's Association of Golf Hammock.
Dolores is survived by her husband of 59 years, Jim Coleman of Sebring; daughter, Cassie (Michael) Coleman Gambrell of Midland; son, Jim (Cheryl) Coleman of Indianapolis, Ind.; brother, Michael Bonewitz of Vincennes, Ind.; grandchildren, Jennifer and Jason Coleman, Myriah Gambrell-Glenn and Mycah Gambrell; and great-grandchildren, Ainsley Glenn, Carter Glenn and Jackson Glenn. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Debra Lynn Coleman.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m., Monday, March 26, 2012, at Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, Sebring, with The Rev. Darrell Arnold officiating. Memorial donations may be made in her memory to The Arthritis Foundation, 6221 14th St., West, Suite 305, Bradenton, FL 34207-4637. Arrangements were entrusted to Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home, Sebring, Florida 33870, 863-385-0125 www.stephensonnelsonfh.com | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744823 |
__label__wiki | 0.84888 | 0.84888 | Paraguay’s President Impeached and Removed
President Fernando Lugo of Paraguay was impeached and removed from office this week.
Steven L. Taylor · Saturday, June 23, 2012 · 12 comments
Via the BBC: Paraguay President Fernando Lugo impeached by congress
Both houses of Congress had voted on Thursday to begin impeachment proceedings over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died.
Mr Lugo likened the move to a coup by the right wing-controlled parliament, but said he would accept the decision.
Vice-President Federico Franco has already been sworn in as president.
He will serve the remainder of Mr Lugo’s five-year term, which ends in August 2013.
After previously trying to get the Supreme Court to stop the impeachment vote, the fallen president said he accepted “what the law has stated, even though the law was twisted”.
My knowledge of Paraguayan politics is limited, but a quick perusal of the constitution indicates that the impeachment process is fairly similar to that of US. According to USAT, the vote was 39 Senators for removal, 4 against and 2 not present. The process was fast: the House impeached on Thursday, a five-hour trial was held in the Senate and then, adios Señor Presidente. The USAT piece also notes that Lugo’s lawyers requested 18 days to prepare for the Senate trial, but were denied the request. Regardless of anything else, that is a remarkably short process for a very serious action and it is likely to have long-term political consequences.
These types of situations are tests for countries like Paraguay which have histories of authoritarianism and where politics is very much influenced by power inequities within the society. Lugo’s accusation of a coup are potentially quite inflammatory, but at the moment it would appear that the situation has proceeded in an orderly manner (albeit quite quickly). Well, relatively orderly, as there have been street protests.
The background for the political confrontation was a confrontation of a different kind:
During the clashes in eastern Canindeyu province that prompted the impeachment move, more than 300 police officers tried to evict 150 landless farmers from an estate owned by a wealthy businessman who is also a political opponent of Mr Lugo.
The eviction escalated into violence and the farmers opened fire on the police.
The farmers have argued the land was illegally taken during the 1954-1989 military rule of Gen Alfredo Stroessner and distributed among his allies.
Land disputes are not unusual in Paraguay, where a small fraction of the population owns about 80% of the land.
Mr Lugo – a former Catholic bishop who abandoned priesthood to enter politics – campaigned for the needs of the poor.
Before being elected in 2008, he promised land for some 87,000 landless families.
The above-linked USAT piece also notes:
The president also was tried on four other accusations. They include that he improperly allowed for leftist parties to hold a political meeting in an army base in 2009; that he allowed about 3,000 squatters to illegally invade a large Brazilian-owned soybean farm; that his government failed to capture members of a guerrilla group, the Paraguayan People’s Army, which carries out extortion kidnappings and occasional attacks on police; and that he signed an international protocol without properly submitting it to Congress for approval.
FILED UNDER: Latin America, World Politics
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is Professor of Political Science and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Troy University. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter
Saturday, June 23, 2012 at 11:19
This was a classic political coup. The President and Vice-President were from different parties,elected as a coalition. Over time, the coalition broke down and the vice president joined the opposition. He supported the impeachment, naturally. Very similar to a vote of no confidence in parliament, but they don’t hold new elections.
Ron Beasley says:
Franco – now there’s an appropriate name for a right wing president.
Largely troublesome because the former president broke 60 years on one-party rule and since he wasn’t even allowed to complete a term, it calls the democratic nature of the Paraguayan leadership into question.
I think Obama was born in Paraguay.
@Ron Beasley:
Franco is the leader of the Authentic Radical Liberal Party, which is considered a center party.
Also, 87% of the Senate voted to have Lugo impeached, so it doesn’t seem to be a right wing coup exactly.
I do wish I knew more about Paraguayan politics though….
tps says:
Nei@neil:
How is it a coup? They removed him following the proceedure in their constitution. You may disagree, and there are some questionable tactics, but its certainly not a coup.
In my book, whenever control of the government transfers from one party to the other without an intervening election, it’s a coup to some degree. More than one Latin American coup has had a shroud of constitutional legitimacy, such as Chile in 1973, where the military took power as it was technically authorized to in a state of emergency. But to argue this wasn’t a coup is an extreme position. I’m not certain the Paraguayan senate is fully an elected body, either.
But as I said, it was a political coup, and obviously took place within a constitutional framework. That doesn’t automatically legitimize it, and it merits further watching.
@neil:
In my book, whenever control of the government transfers from one party to the other without an intervening election, it’s a coup to some degree.
Lugo was elected as the candidate for an eight party coalition, The Patriotic Alliance for Change, Franco was his running mate.
And the party Lugo represented, The Christian Democratic Party, is tiny, it got between 0.1% and 0.2% in 2003 election.
al-Ameda says:
How did Germany take this news?
André Kenji de Sousa says:
No, it´s not similar to the US because Lugo was removed over “incompetence” charges. It´s something like recall elections in the US, but without the popular legitimacy. Imagine Obama being president and the Senate being able to impeach him without any justification.
Paraguay is a much complicated issue because there is deep guilty in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina over the Paraguay War(Many people think that Paraguay was a industrialized nation that was going to become a world superpower and then England used Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay to wage a war against the country). There is tolerance to the fact that Stroessner allowed people to use stolen cars from Brazil and Argentina, Paraguay is known to sell counterfeit and for the contraband of eletronics.
Paraguay- where I lived from 1995 to 1999- has a partisan tribalism that makes the Dem/Rep divide in the U.S. seem like a picnic at Disneyland. The entrenched Colorado Party has ruled with an iron fist since the 1950’s (disappearances, tortures, and all), and they weren’t going to take an opposition president lying down. Neil is right to view this as a political coup. Legal, perhaps, but this is not a victory for democracy. It’s the same old thugs from the dictatorship, in the same feudal structure, finding new strings to pull.
As to the “landless peasant” movement, they aren’t worth much pity. They are best thought of as small-scale timber contractors who are skilled at repeatedly talking the government into giving them access to forested land. They make a quick buck on the deforestation, and once the trees are gone they move on to squat on someone else’s forest. Rinse, Repeat.
Paraguay has a severe inequality problem, but the “landless peasants” are cynical players.
Craigo says:
@neil: Classic political coups don’t proceed according to previously enacted constitutional processes. And instead of darkly hinting that the Paraguayan Senate is not an elected body, you could have actually looked it up and discovered that it is indeed a democratic legislature.
This is an indictment of Madisonian presidentialism, but not a coup.
Paraguay Suspended from MERCOSUR Over Lugo Impeachment
Polling On Impeachment Largely Unmoved On Eve Of House Vote
Banner Year for Drug Seizures in Paraguay
James Cason, Ambassador, Paraguay Singing Sensation
More Than Half Of House Democrats Want Impeachment, But Pelosi Is Standing Firm | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744825 |
__label__cc | 0.520117 | 0.479883 | Zaydi
Muslim dynasty that ruled in parts of the Yemen from the late 9th century ad to the 20th. The Zaydi imams traced their descent to the Prophet Muhammad and took their name from Zayd (dad 740), the son of the fourth Shi‛ite imam. The Zaydi imamate in the Yemen was established by Yahya al-Hadi (854–911) who arrived there in 889, but his austere code of behaviour initially won little success and he was forced to leave. He returned in 896 and established his seat at Sa‛da, to the north of San‛a’. He won the allegiance of several tribes by acting as a mediator in tribal disputes, but his influence remained precarious. After his death his followers remained in the Yemen, and the Zaydi imamate continued to claim authority by divine right, although there was no strict dynastic criterion for the election of imams. Based in the north of the country, the power of the Zaydi imams varied over the centuries; occasionally it reached as far as San‛a’. The movement was forced underground by the advent of the ...
Encyclopaedia of Islam, 8 vols and suppl. (Leiden, 1913–36/R 1987) | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744826 |
__label__cc | 0.68415 | 0.31585 | Return to Kahn
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’m taking a Rhetoric & Composition and Anthropology class called Media Ethnography with Professor Lyndsey Beutin this semester. I totally love it, since it brings together topics and themes that relate to my interest in media studies and telling “true” stories ethically.
Professor Beutin has structured the course as a “methods class,” meaning that we’re trying out a variety of ethnographic techniques in our various assignments. Our most recent project – one in a series of ethnographic exercises – was a “place- and movement-based observation.” The assignment instructions told us to “pay special attention to what new insights you have, what new details you notice, when you engage a space through a combination of history and movement.” We were instructed to research a space and then visit it, reflecting on our experience. There was one question I was particularly interested in investigating: "What displacements have happened here?"
We could turn in the piece in a variety of formats, from a standard essay to a podcast to a series of images. I chose to do it in writing, and thought it would be the perfect assignment to share on the Oberlin Blogs. Below is my place- and movement-based observation, posted here with my professor’s permission.
I return to my freshman dorm, Kahn Hall, on a cloudy Friday during the second semester of my senior year. I’ve been back only a handful times since moving out, each time feeling more like an outsider, unknown to the groups of first-years who look up from their Snapchats and bags of Decafé chips as I pass. I moved into Kahn in the middle of my freshman year after living in Barrows during the first semester. Kahn felt like a dream. It had a single-use bathroom with a shower and a door that locked, a gorgeous common space with a window overlooking the sunset, a small gym, and practice rooms with pianos. But best of all, it had my community. Through persistence and a bit of luck, I found a wonderful roommate on the same hall as my entire friend group. As the spring 2016 semester began, I was excited about my new living situation.
One of the newest dorms on campus, Kahn Hall was built by Oberlin College in 2010. Though it’s unclear to me what stood on the exact spot before, there is plenty of history about Oberlin College’s land. The school’s founders appreciated the remote, swampy nature of the area, feeling that it would be appropriate for their religious school. Over time, the college departed from its theological roots. Known for the unprecedented decision to accept students regardless of race and gender, Oberlin has a reputation for progressivism and courageous activism. Just miles from Kahn Hall, in the nearby town of Wellington, the famous Oberlin-Wellington Rescue occurred in 1858. A group of Oberlin residents banded together to free a man who had been captured under the Fugitive Slave Law; together, they helped him escape to Canada. This was a major event in abolitionist history, of which Oberlin is a major part, having been a location on the Underground Railroad.
But despite this, Oberlin College – like most institutions – has been historically complicit in acts of displacement and violence. According to the website Native Land, the land where Kahn stands belongs to the Potawatomi people, who were forced to sign treaties giving up their land in the late 1700s and early 1800s, close to the time that Oberlin College was founded. In addition to that, I think about unrecorded displacements that have taken place in Kahn Hall and on Oberlin’s campus, as on many college campuses. I think specifically about the many students who are unable to complete their studies due to accessibility barriers like the high cost of tuition and experiences with identity-based trauma. Though we have a generous financial aid office, a college education remains difficult to attain for many. I have the privilege to navigate campus without thinking about all of these dynamics every day, but try to remain conscious of the displacements that have happened in the places on Oberlin’s campus that I love.
When I get to Kahn on a chilly Friday in March, I feel a stirring of anticipation. I swipe my ID and make my way inside, pushing through the familiar front doors. I walk past the glowing orb, which reflects the amount of water and energy that students in the dorm are using. Today, it’s bright pink to symbolize a large amount of energy being used. Though Kahn is the official "sustainability" dorm, all dorms on campus have the energy orbs.
I run up the stairs quickly, remembering how my partner used to climb over the railings and lift himself to the second floor like a nimble superhero. No one is in the common room of my old hall, so I feel comfortable flopping onto one of the couches. I chuckle to myself, remembering the many nights that my friends and I spent here, laughing and eating microwave popcorn. As I look around the room, I relive moments and textures of emotion through the objects I see. There’s the board where our RA made a display with photos of baby animals. There’s the room where we had a dance party. There’s the room where my friends unwrapped a box of walkie-talkies and came up with code names, unintentionally leaving out a few people who felt hurt. I think about my own history at Oberlin, recognizing that many of the choices I made as a first-year would not be choices I would make today.
I run my fingers over the wooden wall on the side of the kitchen unit. The surface is smooth against my hand, just as I remember it. Gingerly, I pull a panel aside and smile. There, on the painted wall beneath, remain my friends’ messages of love and farewell to Kahn. At the end of our first year, most of the people on my hall gathered with Sharpies to write notes and leave our mark on the dorm. Now, a group of first-years enter loudly as I re-read the messages to myself. I put the panel back, hoping they’ll take a look at it later and think about all the people who loved this space before they did. Kahn doesn’t belong to me anymore, but I will always feel a strong emotional tie to this place. It belongs to these first-years for now, but soon they’ll be like me, a visitor to a place that used to be home.
College: Majors, Minors, & Courses
Kira Findling ’19
Comparative American Studies
burritos, storytelling, blue skies, reproductive justice, baking, documentaries, swimming in rivers, Broadway, pickles, journalism
Winter at Warner: Taking My First Dance Class
Emily Humphreys
I didn’t realize I was living in my comfort zone until I finally stepped out of it.
What I Read This Semester
Meredith Warden
Now that my first semester in college has officially ended, I can safely say that I’ve read a lot these past four months.
Declaring a New Major: The Value of Late Starts
Olivia Huntley
While college seems to fly by, there is still more than enough time to be curious, take chances, and follow my dreams. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744828 |
__label__wiki | 0.775671 | 0.775671 | The World's Moving to Less Structured Ways of Working
Why we still need connections in the age of the ‘gig economy’
With greater technological capabilities at our fingertips, the way we work is gradually becoming less rigid and structured. The growth of technology has allowed people to work more flexibly and remotely than ever before, but how is this impacting the relationship we have with engaging in a physical space like an office?
It’s important to look at how this may impact what a career could look like for the upcoming generation. As Kate Kendall, Founder and CEO of CloudPeeps suggests, the future could be more about people leading without managing, creating a self-driven yet still collaborative model of work.
The rise of the ‘gig’ economy
The emergence of the ‘gig’ economy has come from the allure of ditching the 9-to-5 in favour of more flexible work. For many students, creatives, retirees or parents, for example, this kind of work can make a lot of sense. But what does it mean to get involved in this new economy?
Its definition is quite broad, extending to a variety of different career paths. According to OFX customer and partner Rob Rawson, Chief of Staff at Time Doctor, “It can apply to a lot of things, like Uber and AirBnB. It also could apply to people who are doing project work from home, like web design and development, and it could also apply to people who are hiring and working with people from different countries.”
As to why so many people are jumping on board the gig bandwagon, Rob explains that it’s often hard for people to go back to the way they used to work once they’ve become accustomed to the flexibility of working remotely.
“People are living in cities where the traffic is so horrible that they’re travelling 2 hours to work each day - so the opportunity to work from home and save yourself those 2 hours each day is really valuable to people,” Rob explains.
“People who go to that style of working, it’s very hard for them to go back.”
Rob from Time Doctor on why so many people are working remotely today.
What this means for businesses and their employees
Companies today should work towards adapting values that reflect the changing economy so they can retain the best talent and have the ability to hire from anywhere. This also shifts the way employees gauge their commitment to work – the investment they show is far more transparent and this blurs the lines of what makes a person ‘committed’.
“There’s the perception that as an employee you’d be more invested because you’re working full-time, but then an overseas contractor could be working full-time too, or they could just be a very enthusiastic and invested person.”
For more ‘traditional’ companies however, outsourcing their work is built on more than the loyalty a contractor can provide, but also a sense of trust in knowing where their money is going. This is where Time Doctor steps in. The product aims to provide a way for freelancers to track their work and avoid distractions so their employer knows exactly how much work they’ve done. That way, they can be more comfortable in making a transaction remotely.
“The idea is that as an employee or a contractor you can prove to your boss that you are working and they feel more comfortable with allowing people to work remotely. But it’s controlled by the employee, so they control the software and they can start and stop whenever they want,” Rob explains.
It’s important for Rob that the use of Time Doctor strays from being used as a tool to spy or intimidate, instead to be used responsibly for people who want to work this way. This drives out the need to ‘see’ people working, which may inspire a greater sense of trust and transparency in the future.
“Most companies don’t allow remote work because of trust, so if you really want to work remotely and you can control the software, then people are happy to use it for that purpose.”
The importance of maintaining connections
“Once people become more educated, I think the barrier then is cultural. The educational barrier that companies don’t culturally feel like they could run a business remotely, because they’re not used to it and they haven’t learnt how to do it.”
Despite the remote barriers within their own company at Time Doctor, the team is taking steps to overcome these obstacles so people can still engage with each other more fully.
“We have video game nights, where our team goes and plays with each other within their teams. We have virtual coffees where we chat to each other. We have weekly meetings and sometimes we’ll put on funny hats to make each other laugh – so there’s still some level of connection there and you’re creating more of a bond.”
For companies considering the switch to more flexible working conditions in the midst of the emerging ‘gig economy’, there are some key motivations that would suggest this might be the next best move. In our global world, the expectation can be that a company needs to be ‘on’ 24/7, and the ability to hire from a global pool of talent can make this a reality. The development of new technology in the face of new ways of working also works to eliminate idle capacity and ensure that people can work in the most fulfilling way possible.
Where The World's Moving
Welcome to the Where the World's Moving content series that celebrates what it means to be a global citizen told through the eyes of the people that are living and breathing this ethos every day.
Go to Hub | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744829 |
__label__wiki | 0.939694 | 0.939694 | Whicker: Prospects Akil Thomas, Samuel Fagemo…
Whicker: Prospects Akil Thomas, Samuel Fagemo gives the Kings hope
Thomas scored the game-winner in the World Juniors Finals, and Fagemo was the top scorer.
Swedish winger Samuel Fagemo, left, and Canadian center Akil Thomas, right, were two of nine Kings draft picks who participated in the recently completed World Juniors event in Slovakia, the biggest contingent of any NHL team. (Photos courtesy of NHL.com)
PUBLISHED: January 8, 2020 at 8:28 pm | UPDATED: January 9, 2020 at 12:29 pm
LOS ANGELES — Akil Thomas turned 19 on Jan. 2 of last year, which made him a legal drinker in Canada.
For the foreseeable future, he will never have to buy.
Late in a 4-4 game with Russia, Thomas freed up the puck and drove between two defenders. Without braking, he showed a forehand shot and then pulled it away for a backhand goal as he barged into goaltender Amir Miftakhov.
That won the World Juniors for Canada in the Czech Republic last week. Thomas landed in Toronto amid a nest of cameras and microphones. The goal might not yet put him on a postage stamp. But he gives Kings fans another reason not to mail in this season.
He is not alone.
Swedish winger Samuel Fagemo was the leading scorer in the tournament, with eight goals and 13 points in seven games.
Aidan Dudas, the 5-foot-7 winger from Bobby Orr’s hometown of Parry Sound, Ontario, was a skating abrasion and chipped in four points, too.
Defenseman Kim Nousianen, from Finland, produced four points. His countryman, Rasmus Kupari, was poised for a big tournament as the Kings’ first-round pick last June, but he suffered a torn ACL against Sweden.
Overall the Kings had nine drafted players participate in the World Juniors, the most of any NHL team. Combine that with a young and skilled American Hockey League team in Ontario, and maybe the future is more silver than black.
“It’s a hard tournament,” said Nelson Emerson, the Kings’ player personnel director. “It happens quick. After you get through the preliminaries, it’s like the NCAA basketball tournament, not like a playoff series. It’s really a 19-year-old tournament, for players in their last year of juniors. They play pressure games, with the pressure of the country on them.
“You can get real excited but it’s only a two-week event. For these 17- to 19-year-olds who go through it, it’s a little crazy.”
The final goal of the tournament was Thomas’ first. He had been skating on the third and fourth lines. Coach Dale Hunter said he put him on the ice “as a hunch,” but it was a fairly educated one, considering Thomas had 102 points in 63 games for Niagara in the Ontario Hockey League last year and has 44 in 27 this year.
Thomas’ touch never has been an issue. His reach, into the tougher corners of the rink, has been.
“We’ve asked him to dig in a little more, be heavier, win puck battles,” Emerson said. “But they put him in that type of role, and he showed that side of his game. He killed penalties, won races to pucks, blocked shots. And when it came time, he used that talent. He might have been frustrated by his ice time. But when players accept roles, that’s why those teams win.”
Fagemo’s role was clear-cut: Do everything. He was the Kings’ second-round pick in 2019, behind Alex Turcotte, who is a freshman at Wisconsin and also played at the WJC.
“He is so much fun to watch,” Emerson said. “He’s tenacious, gets after it. He’s always skating, his forechecking feet don’t stop moving. And he works hard getting back because he wants the puck back.”
Dudas played on Canada’s bottom six, which required the snarl that fits his personality. He is 5-foot-9 but has 30 points in 23 games for Owen Sound, which is Bobby Ryan’s old junior squad.
Kings approach second half knowing change is coming
Alexander: Kings prospect Cal Petersen enjoys AHL All-Star experience at home
Anze Kopitar continues adding to his rich Kings legacy
Kings at the All-Star break: What’s right, what’s wrong and what’s next
Travis Konecny leads Flyers past Kings
Tobias Bjornfot, who was on the Kings’ varsity in October, had a solid tournament when called up for Sweden. Arthur Kaliyev scored four goals for Team USA, which was bounced by Finland in the quarterfinals.
Nothing means anything until they turn pro. But the Kings at least have some names and numbers. The wisdom was that the Ducks’ young players were both better and more advanced. That may yet come true, but those players are struggling for an NHL foothold. The Ducks certainly expected to be ahead of the Kings by more than one point, going into Wednesday’s Dallas-L.A. game at Staples Center.
“We’re starting to develop a library of players,” Emerson said. “Before, we had maybe a couple to watch and to hope for. Now we have a collection, and we’ll add to it. In Ontario, we have 15 guys in their first or second year. We’re seeing some excitement.”
The Kings and Ducks, with some lottery luck that they’ve rarely had, could wind up with a Tiffany pick. That’s where the difference-makers usually are, like Connor McDavid and Patrick Kane and Auston Matthews.
Canada’s Alexis Lafreniere is supposed to be that guy this June. He was the MVP of the World Juniors, but Akil Thomas will always remind him where the gold came from.
.@AkilThomas2 with the go-ahead goal for Team Canada in the Gold Medal game 😱😱😱#GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/Y2RRgP2wMM
— LA Kings (@LAKings) January 5, 2020
los-angeles-kings
mark-whicker
More in Los Angeles Kings | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744830 |
__label__wiki | 0.561064 | 0.561064 | openpolitics.com
ted nelson
The Anatomy of the Coming Recession
Unlike the 2008 global financial crisis, which was mostly a large negative aggregate demand shock, the next recession is likely to be caused by permanent negative supply shocks from the Sino-American trade and technology war. And trying to undo the damage through never-ending monetary and fiscal stimulus will not be an option.
NEW YORK – There are three negative supply shocks that could trigger a global recession by 2020. All of them reflect political factors affecting international relations, two involve China, and the United States is at the center of each. Moreover, none of them is amenable to the traditional tools of countercyclical macroeconomic policy.
The first potential shock stems from the Sino-American trade and currency war, which escalated earlier this month when US President Donald Trump’s administration threatened additional tariffs on Chinese exports, and formally labeled China a currency manipulator. The second concerns the slow-brewing cold war between the US and China over technology. In a rivalry that has all the hallmarks of a “Thucydides Trap,” China and America are vying for dominance over the industries of the future: artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, 5G, and so forth. The US has placed the Chinese telecom giant Huawei on an “entity list” reserved for foreign companies deemed to pose a national-security threat. And although Huawei has received temporary exemptions allowing it to continue using US components, the Trump administration this week announced that it was adding an additional 46 Huawei affiliates to the list.
The third major risk concerns oil supplies. Although oil prices have fallen in recent weeks, and a recession triggered by a trade, currency, and tech war would depress energy demand and drive prices lower, America’s confrontation with Iran could have the opposite effect. Should that conflict escalate into a military conflict, global oil prices could spike and bring on a recession, as happened during previous Middle East conflagrations in 1973, 1979, and 1990.
All three of these potential shocks would have a stagflationary effect, increasing the price of imported consumer goods, intermediate inputs, technological components, and energy, while reducing output by disrupting global supply chains. Worse, the Sino-American conflict is already fueling a broader process of deglobalization, because countries and firms can no longer count on the long-term stability of these integrated value chains. As trade in goods, services, capital, labor, information, data, and technology becomes increasingly balkanized, global production costs will rise across all industries.
Moreover, the trade and currency war and the competition over technology will amplify one another. Consider the case of Huawei, which is currently a global leader in 5G equipment. This technology will soon be the standard form of connectivity for most critical civilian and military infrastructure, not to mention basic consumer goods that are connected through the emerging Internet of Things. The presence of a 5G chip implies that anything from a toaster to a coffee maker could become a listening device. This means that if Huawei is widely perceived as a national-security threat, so would thousands of Chinese consumer-goods exports.
It is easy to imagine how today’s situation could lead to a full-scale implosion of the open global trading system. The question, then, is whether monetary and fiscal policymakers are prepared for a sustained – or even permanent – negative supply shock.
Following the stagflationary shocks of the 1970s, monetary policymakers responded by tightening monetary policy. Today, however, major central banks such as the US Federal Reserve are already pursuing monetary-policy easing, because inflation and inflation expectations remain low. Any inflationary pressure from an oil shock will be perceived by central banks as merely a price-level effect, rather than as a persistent increase in inflation.
Over time, negative supply shocks tend also to become temporary negative demand shocks that reduce both growth and inflation, by depressing consumption and capital expenditures. Indeed, under current conditions, US and global corporate capital spending is severely depressed, owing to uncertainties about the likelihood, severity, and persistence of the three potential shocks.
In fact, with firms in the US, Europe, China, and other parts of Asia having reined in capital expenditures, the global tech, manufacturing, and industrial sector is already in a recession. The only reason why that hasn’t yet translated into a global slump is that private consumption has remained strong. Should the price of imported goods rise further as a result of any of these negative supply shocks, real (inflation-adjusted) disposable household income growth would take a hit, as would consumer confidence, likely tipping the global economy into a recession.
Given the potential for a negative aggregate demand shock in the short run, central banks are right to ease policy rates. But fiscal policymakers should also be preparing a similar short-term response. A sharp decline in growth and aggregate demand would call for countercyclical fiscal easing to prevent the recession from becoming too severe.
In the medium term, though, the optimal response would not be to accommodate the negative supply shocks, but rather to adjust to them without further easing. After all, the negative supply shocks from a trade and technology war would be more or less permanent, as would the reduction in potential growth. The same applies to Brexit: leaving the European Union will saddle the United Kingdom with a permanent negative supply shock, and thus permanently lower potential growth.
Such shocks cannot be reversed through monetary or fiscal policymaking. Although they can be managed in the short term, attempts to accommodate them permanently would eventually lead to both inflation and inflation expectations rising well above central banks’ targets. In the 1970s, central banks accommodated two major oil shocks. The result was persistently rising inflation and inflation expectations, unsustainable fiscal deficits, and public-debt accumulation.
Finally, there is an important difference between the 2008 global financial crisis and the negative supply shocks that could hit the global economy today. Because the former was mostly a large negative aggregate demand shock that depressed growth and inflation, it was appropriately met with monetary and fiscal stimulus. But this time, the world would be confronting sustained negative supply shocks that would require a very different kind of policy response over the medium term. Trying to undo the damage through never-ending monetary and fiscal stimulus will not be a sensible option.
Source: www.project-syndicate.org
Tags: 5g-wireless, 5g-wireless-surveilance, china-us-currency-war, china-us-technology-war, china-us-trade-war, deglobalization, iran, next-recession, nouriel-roubini, oil-prices, stagflation, supply-chains, supply-chains-decoupling-china, thudcydides-trap, us-iran, us-iran-conflict
U.S.-China ‘cold war’ threatens global recession and financial crisis by 2020, says Roubini
Dr. Doom lives up to his moniker
.. Roubini pointed to the ongoing U.S.-China trade conflict as the likeliest trigger of the next crisis. “There is a cold war between the U.S. and China,” he said. “We have a global rivalry . . . about who is going to be controlling the industries of the future: artificial intelligence, automation, and 5G.”
Because the standoff has evolved into a one about national security and geopolitics, Roubini predicted that “there will be a trade and tech war between the U.S. and China that’s going to get worse.”
Roubini dismissed the trade truce declared by U.S. President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinpeng over the weekend as mere talk, though stock market investors appeared to think otherwise this week. The S&P 500 index SPX, -0.05% closed at a record high Monday, while the Dow Jones Industrial AverageDJIA, -0.09% and Nasdaq Composite index COMP, -0.11% also gained to be within 1% of their record closes.
The uncertainty that the standoff has created is forcing businesses to delay or cancel plans to make additional investments, Roubini added. “There’s already been, in the data, a collapse in [capital expenditures] and once capex is down, industrial production is down, and then you have the beginning of a global recession that starts in
tech, then spreads to
manufacturing, then to
industry and then it goes to
services,” he said.
The Sino-American trade dispute will have even further consequences than just triggering the next recession, as it will cause “a complete decoupling of the global economy” as private entities and countries will have to choose whether to do business with China or the U.S., and it will lead to a reconstruction of “the entire global tech supply chain,” which will be a drag on economic growth going forward.
He compared the predicted U.S.-China “cold war” with that between the Soviet Union and the U.S. during the last century, arguing that the coming war will be more disruptive. “This divorce is going to get ugly compared to the divorce with the U.S. and the Soviet Union,” because there was little economic integration between America and Russia prior to the conflict.
Source: www.marketwatch.com
Tags: 5g-wireless, ai-artificial-intelligence, automation, china-us-cold-war, financial-crisis, next-financial-crisis, nouriel-roubini, supply-chains, supply-chains-decoupling-china, us-china-rivalry
Trump’s stunning decision to escalate trade wars with China and Mexico signals a turning point for U.S. policy
President Trump’s plan to slap new tariffs on Mexican imports, weeks after escalating his trade war with China, leaves the United States fighting a multi-front campaign that threatens more instability for manufacturers, consumers and the global economy.
The president’s bombshell announcement that he would impose 5 percent tariffs on Mexican imports, with the possibility of raising them to 25 percent if Mexico doesn’t stop migrants from crossing into the United States, left some economists fearing there were few limits to Trump’s appetite for trade conflict.
“In our view, if the U.S. is willing to impose tariff and non-tariff barriers on China and Mexico, then the bar for tariffs on other important U.S. trading partners, including Europe, may be lower than we previously thought,” Barclays economists said in a research note. “We think trade tensions could escalate further before they de-escalate,” Barclays added.
Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, called Trump’s move against Mexico a turning point for financial markets and the U.S. economy.
In global markets Friday, investors spooked by new tariff threats sought safety in German government bonds and the Euro rather than their customary dollar-denominated havens. This “seems to me an indicator that the concerns about the U.S. are rising,” Posen said.
The president’s latest move rocked business leaders who were already scrambling to reshape supply chains to avoid fallout from the U.S. confrontation with China. The added uncertainty may paralyze executives who can’t be sure their next supply chain location will be any safer than their last.
“A lot of companies feeling pressure to get out of China are looking at Mexico if they want to serve the US market, Vietnam if they’re more focused on Asia,” said William Reinsch, a former Commerce Department trade official. “Trump’s action yesterday scrambles all those plans.”
In one example of a company caught in the crossfire, GoPro of San Mateo, Calif., last month announced it would move manufacturing of some of its cameras from China to Mexico, so that it could stop paying tariffs to import them to the United States — tariffs resulting from the U.S. trade war with China. Weeks later, GoPro now faces new tariffs to import those goods from Mexico. The company declined to comment Friday.
As U.S. companies race to find new tariff-free places to manufacture, so far few have reported returning production to the United States, despite the president’s stated aim of using trade policy to help bring jobs back home. Many are still seeking alternative locations overseas, where labor is cheaper.
Trump said he would impose the new tariffs because the Mexican government wasn’t doing enough to stem the flow of migrants, many of whom travel through Mexico from Central America. Some White House officials who support Trump’s approach believe the threat of tariffs is the only way to get the attention of Mexican leaders.
The Mexican government tried to defuse the tension Friday, saying the two sides would meet in Washington on Wednesday for high-level talks.
If no solution is found, Mexico is certain to impose retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, with likely targets including U.S. pork, beef, wheat and dairy products, said Former Mexican diplomat Jorge Guajardo.
Some prominent Republicans, including Senate Finance Chairman Charles E. Grassley, raised concerns that the new tariffs could threaten a trade agreement the Trump administration clinched only months ago with Mexico and Canada, to replace the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.
Others said the about-face treatment of Mexico would damage Trump’s ability to negotiate trade deals it is pursuing with other partners, including China and Europe.
“You can’t negotiate a trade agreement with someone and then turn around and whack them,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a Republican economist and former Congressional Budget Office director.
In late March, Trump threatened to shut the entire southern border to curb illegal immigration, but backed down a week later after an outcry. That has left some wondering how seriously they should take the latest tariff threat.
If Trump follows through with new tariffs on Mexico, it would hurt U.S. economic growth and increase the possibility of the Federal Reserve reversing course and cutting interest rates this year, economists said.
“The drag to the US economy could be meaningful, especially if the tariffs reach 25%,” the upper limit that Trump has set, Bank of America Merrill Lynch economists wrote Friday. Even if the tariff remains at 5 percent, the effective cost could be higher because many parts cross the border several times as products are assembled, and the tariff must be paid upon each crossing into the United States.
U.S. automakers will be among the principal casualties. Last year, the United States imported roughly $350 billion in merchandise from Mexico, including about $85 billion in vehicles and parts, according to the International Trade Administration.
A full 25 percent tax “would cripple the industry and cause major uncertainty,” according to Deutsche Bank Securities.
“The auto sector – and the 10 million jobs it supports – relies upon the North American supply chain and cross border commerce to remain globally competitive,” said Dave Schwietert, interim president of the Auto Alliance, an industry group. “This is especially true with auto parts which can cross the U.S. border multiple times before final assembly.”
“Widely applied tariffs on goods from Mexico will raise the price of motor vehicle parts, cars, trucks, and commercial vehicles – and consumer goods in general — for American consumers,” the industry group said. “The potential ripple effects of the proposed Mexican tariffs on the U.S. North American and global trade efforts could be devastating.”
Consumers could pay up to $1,300 more per vehicle if the tariffs are implemented, according to Torsten Slok, chief economist for Deutsche Bank Securities.
Retailers, technology companies and textile manufacturers also will be hurt. U.S. mills now ship yarn and fabric to Mexico, where it is turned into apparel and exported back to American retailers. Last year, the U.S. textile industry exported $4.7 billion in yarn and fabrics to Mexico, its largest single market.
“Adding tariffs to Mexican apparel imports, which largely contain U.S. textile inputs, would significantly disrupt this industry and jeopardize jobs on both sides of the border,” said Kim Glas, president of the National Council of Textile Organizations.
The new dispute with Mexico came as the U.S.-China trade conflict continued to deepen.
China on Friday announced it would establish a blacklist of “unreliable” foreign companies and organizations, effectively forcing companies around the world to choose whether they would side with Beijing or Washington.
The new “unreliable entities list” would punish organizations and individuals that harm the interests of Chinese companies, Chinese state media reported, without detailing which companies will be named in the list or what the punishment will entail.
Chinese reports suggested the Commerce Ministry will target foreign companies and groups that abandoned Chinese telecom giant Huawei after the Trump administration added Huawei to a trade blacklist this month, which prohibited the sale of U.S. technology to the Chinese company.
At a time when Western corporations have cut back executive travel to China after authorities detained two Canadians on national security grounds in December, the new blacklist sent another shock wave through the business community.
“I think foreign and especially U.S. firms now have to worry that China is creating a new ‘legal pretext’ to at least impose exit bans on foreign individuals who make this new list, if not worse,” said Bill Bishop, the editor of the Sinocism newsletter, referring to the Chinese practice of not allowing designated foreigners to leave China.
Aside from the new blacklist, China in recently days also escalated threats to stop selling the U.S. so-called rare earths — 17 elements with exotic names like cerium, yttrium and lanthanum that are found in magnets, alloys and fuel cells and are used to make advanced missiles, smartphones and jet engines.
Analysts said it could take years for the United States to ramp up rare-earths production, after its domestic industry practically disappeared in the 1990s. Roughly 80 percent of U.S. imports of the material come from China, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The People’s Daily, the Communist Party’s official mouthpiece, carried a stark warning for the United States this week in an editorial about rare earths: “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
That commentary surprised China experts because the People’s Daily, which often signals official positions with subtly codified language, uses that phrase sparingly: It famously appeared before China launched border attacks against India in 1962 and Vietnam in 1979.
Tags: auto, auto-supply-chains, beef, china-blacklist-unreliable-foreign-companies, china-us-trade-war, dairy, escalation, finance-flee-to-safety-germany-euro, huawei, huawei-boycott-abandon, jobs-return-to-us, pork, pretext, rare-earth-metals, supply-chains, trade-war, trump-mexico-immigration-tariff, turning-point, us-mexico-trade-war, warning, wheat
Geopolitics Trumps the Markets
America led a 30-year hiatus from history. It was nice while it lasted, but it’s over.
That crashing sound you heard in world markets last week wasn’t just a correction. It was the sound of the end of an age.
During the long era of relatively stable international relations that succeeded the Cold War, markets enjoyed an environment uniquely conducive to economic growth.
.. The results were extraordinary. Between 1990 and 2017, world-wide gross domestic product rose from $23.4 trillion to $80.1 trillion, the value of world trade grew even faster, more than a billion people escaped poverty, and infant-mortality rates decreased by more than 50%. The number of people with telephone service grew roughly 10-fold.
This hiatus from history was, by most measures of human flourishing, a glorious era. Now it has come to an end, or at least a pause, and the world is beginning to see what that means.
.. the basic elements of economic globalization appeared firmly in place.
Russia, the most obvious challenger to the geopolitical order, was an insignificant and diminishing player economically.
And China, notwithstanding its rapid economic growth and its anxiety about American military power, was unlikely to challenge the economic basis of its own success. Geopolitics might have been back, but that wasn’t an issue for markets.
That complacency was misplaced. The return of geopolitics means the basic framework for economic policy has changed. In periods of great-power rivalry, national leaders must often put geopolitical goals ahead of economic ones. Bismarck’s Germany could have saved money buying armaments from Britain, but building a domestic arms industry was worth the cost. If the U.S. is in a serious strategic competition with China, an American president might well be willing to sacrifice some economic growth to banish China from important supply chains.
,, by invoking “national security,” the Trump administration has found a legal basis, with roots in the Cold War and even earlier, to assert sweeping powers over the nation’s commerce. It has upended a generation of U.S. trade policy in a dramatically short period of time.
.. The new era of geopolitics is unlikely to be an era of small government.
.. The Trump administration is
reversing some of the regulatory excesses of the Obama era, and
the president’s judicial appointees are prepared to rein in the administrative state.
.. A recalibration of the U.S.-China relationship was likely inevitable as the world’s oldest civilization became an economic superpower.
Hillary Clinton, who as secretary of state clashed with Mr. Obama over the need for a tougher approach to China, would not be a popular figure in Beijing if she had won the 2016 election.
Source: www.wsj.com
Tags: arms-sales, china, china-supply-chains, deregulation, geopolitics, Germany, growth, hillary-clinton, hillary-clinton-china, otto-von-bismark, post-cold-war, rivalry, russia, small-government, supply-chains, wwi
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__label__cc | 0.581351 | 0.418649 | EC approves €3.5 billion support to three offshore windfarms in Belgium
Staff Writer | September 27, 2018
The European Commission (EC) has found Belgian plans to support three offshore windfarm projects to be in line with EU State aid rules. The measure will further EU energy and climate goals without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market.
Europe Offshore windfarms in Belgium
The Commission has approved under EU State aid rules Belgium's support of a maximum of €3.5 billion to the Mermaid (235 Megawatt), Seastar (252 Megawatt) and Northwester2 (219 Megawatt) windfarm projects, which are located in the Belgian territorial waters of the North Sea.
After receiving the notification of the support to the three offshore windfarms by Belgium in August 2018, the Commission assessed the measure under the Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy and found that the projects will promote the integration of renewable electricity into the market, in line with the Guidelines.
The Commission concluded that the projects will increase the share of electricity produced from renewable sources in Belgium and reduce pollution, while limiting any distortions of competition caused by the state support. They will help Belgium meet its target of producing 13% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.
Today's decision complements the Commission's Energy Union Strategy to deliver secure, sustainable and competitive energy in Europe and to meet our Paris agreement commitments.
Moreover, the Commission found that the aid to the three projects is necessary and has an incentive effect, given that, without public support, the projects would not be financially viable. Based on the information provided by Belgium, the support level is in line with the Guidelines and does not result in overcompensation. ■
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Trump: China tariffs to remain during Phase 2 talks | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744838 |
__label__cc | 0.740922 | 0.259078 | Police Arrest Reports
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Arrest Records Search for Matthew Pelli
1 Traffic Violation, DUI and Criminal Records Matched for Matthew Pelli
We have found 1 matching profile in Clarke, GA for Matthew Pelli.
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Police Reports & Mugshots for Matthew Pelli
MATTHEW THOMAS PELLI
Arrest Date: 11-10-2017 06:37:00
Height: 5'10"
Eye:
Place of Birth: Georgia
Address: 10965 DONAMERE DR JOHNS CREEK GA 30022
Total Bond: 500
Booking Date: 2017-11-10 06:37:00
Summary: Matthew Thomas Pelli, arrested November 10, 2017 in Clarke, Georgia. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Further information about Pelli’s status may be obtained from the following: Clarke County Law Enforcement.
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__label__wiki | 0.817877 | 0.817877 | You are here: Home / Business / No overnight arrests of “Occupy Des Moines” protesters
No overnight arrests of “Occupy Des Moines” protesters
Over 100 people gathered on the statehouse grounds late Monday afternoon to plot strategy for their “Occupy Des Moines” movement, but there were no more arrests.
[singlepic id=28 w=320 h=240 float=none]
Thirty-two people were arrested late Sunday, charged with trespassing after an evening curfew as the group tried to stage an “occupation” on the state capitol grounds. For a few hours on Monday evening, the group debated whether to stage a full-time occupation of the area or apply to state officials for a permit to meet at the site.
“Occupy has a very specific meaning and if we’re getting a permit, even to sleep overnight, we are assembling at that point. We’re not occupying. They’re allowing us to assemble,” one man said. “…I’m here for an occupation. If it’s going to be an assembly, that’s where I’m out at that point.”
A man named Tim offered up his opinion of staying put and facing another round of arrests.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea and I don’t think everybody wants to stay here and get arrested and play with this game with the state troopers every night,” he said. “Nor should we put them through that.”
By 11 o’clock, when the curfew took effect, about 50 “Occupy Des Moines” protesters started walking back and forth across the street in front the park, avoiding any arrests as they all left the statehouse grounds. Troopers remained on the scene for a while, as the “Occupy Des Moines” crowd stood on a city sidewalk across the street.
It was the kind of peaceful end to the night that 57-year-old Peggy Galletley of Lake City had argued for earlier Monday evening, during the group’s “General Assembly” gathering.
“I went to law school and I just don’t understand bucking things that don’t need to be bucked. Our argument here is about corporate greed,” Galletley said. “…I’ve never been arrested. I’ve never seen the inside of a jail. I don’t want to start at 57.”
Britney Taylor, a mother of two young kids from Des Moines, suggested the news of arrests every night would discourage others from joining the movement.
“I think it’s more about getting more people out here and giving people the real message and that’s, you know, fighting corporate greed and giving everyone a fair chance,” Taylor said. “So why spend a night in jail if you don’t have to?”
A majority of the group agreed to ask state officials for a permit to “occupy” the park on the capitol grounds. Thirty-seven-year-old Misti Craig of Des Moines isn’t a fan of that approach.
“We went to Washington, D.C. and we went to Ben Bernanke’s house and we went to ‘The Fed’ and we went to the White House and we asked, ‘Please, let’s not do this…You’re going to bankrupt our nation,'” she said. “And it seems to me that the time for asking has passed.”
Filed Under: Business, Crime / Courts, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Democratic Party, Employment and Labor, Legislature, Republican Party | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744842 |
__label__wiki | 0.840173 | 0.840173 | College and University Directory
View our A-Z directory for schools that strive to support diversity initiatives!
Cambridge College
Cambridge College offers a unique environment where working adults can build their education on a lifetime of learning. Cambridge College recognizes diversity as an asset to the classroom, the community, and to our society. Our innovative teaching and learning model helps adult students meet the challenges of higher education and earn the degree credentials they need to advance their careers. Visit Site
Claflin University is a comprehensive institution of higher education affiliated with the United Methodist Church. A historically black university founded in 1869, Claflin is committed to providing students with access to exemplary educational opportunities in its undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs. Visit Site
Colorado School of Mines is a public research university devoted to engineering and applied science. It has the highest admissions standards of any public university in Colorado and among the highest of any public university in the U.S.
Mines has distinguished itself by developing a curriculum and research program geared towards responsible stewardship of the earth and its resources. In addition to strong education and research programs in traditional fields of science and engineering, Mines is one of very few institutions in the world having broad expertise in resource exploration, extraction, production and utilization.
Since its founding in 1874, the translation of the school’s mission into educational programs has been influenced by the needs of society. Those needs are now focused more clearly than ever before.
Mines offers all the advantages of a world-class research institution with a size that allows for personal attention.
Columbia University- Data Science Institute
The Data Science Institute at Columbia University is training the next generation of data scientists and developing innovative technology to serve society. With over 250-affilated faculty working in a wide range of disciplines, the Institute seeks to foster collaboration in advancing techniques to gather and interpret data, and to address the urgent problems facing society. The Institute works closely with industry to bring promising ideas to market.
FAMU’s academic achievements are what set it apart as a unique learning experience. In 2014, FAMU was recognized among the 2014 U.S. News & World Report’s “Best National Universities.” The U.S. News & World Report lists FAMU as the top public historically black college or university in the nation for 2015.
MIT Sloan School of Management, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of the world’s leading business schools — conducting cutting-edge research and providing management education to top students from more than 60 countries. The School is part of MIT’s rich intellectual tradition of education and research. Visit Site
Founded in 1867 as the Centenary Biblical Institute by the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, the institution’s original mission was to train young men in ministry. It subsequently broadened its mission to educate both men and women as teachers. The school was renamed Morgan College in 1890 in honor of the Reverend Lyttleton Morgan, the first chairman of its Board of Trustees, who donated land to the college. Find out more about Morgan State University and how to enroll today! Visit Site
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Since 1956, the NRAO has designed and operated the most advanced radio telescopes for use by scientists and students around the world. Visit Site
With over 130 online and on-campus bachelor’s and graduate degree programs, National University is a leader in on-campus and online education.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities
As a consortium of major Ph.D.–granting academic institutions, ORAU cultivates collaborative partnerships that enhance the scientific research and education enterprise of our nation. From our 115-member university consortium to our strategic partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), we bring together university faculty and students to collaborate on major scientific initiatives that help keep America on the leading edge of science and technology. Visit Site
Ohio State University- Fisher College of Business
There has been and always will be a need for the careful study of accounting, finance, management, management sciences, marketing and logistics. They’re the building blocks of a successful career.
But a business education today—one that prepares students for immediate relevance and lasting impact—goes deeper. It places these fundamentals into a new and broader context. It’s about cultural awareness. Challenges to traditional thinking. And a mindset that balances ambition and ethics.
At Fisher College of Business, we believe business leadership requires a distinct and nuanced set of skills for a business world that’s changing at a pace never before seen. Innovation and entrepreneurial leadership create new markets and disruption virtually overnight. A strong global perspective challenges familiar traditions and forges untold partnerships. All of these test the balance of risk and reward, and the principles necessary to navigate new ideas and opportunities.
Pearson is an education publishing and assessment services to schools and corporations—as well as directly to students. Pearson owns leading educational media brands including Addison–Wesley, BBC Active, Bug Club, eCollege, Fronter, Longman, MyEnglishLab, Penguin Readers, Prentice Hall, Poptropica and Financial Times Press. Visit Site
Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management
Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management is the aspiring business leader’s most vibrant ecosystem for mastering the analytical problem-solving and tech-commercialization skills that move industry forward and change the world.
Krannert is uniquely positioned alongside a globally renowned STEM school, inside a dynamic corporate-partnership R&D community. Students in our unique MBA and specialized Master’s programs are immersed in a highly collaborative, workman-like culture that has produced leaders of some of the largest companies in the world.
Are you ready to take your career to new heights? The Krannert School of Management can take you there. Visit Site
Region IV Educational Service Center
Region 4 Education Service Center (Region 4) is one of 20 regional education service centers established by the Texas Legislature in 1967 to assist school districts and charter schools in improving efficiencies and student performance. Regional education service centers are non-regulatory, intermediate education units. Visit Site
South Carolina State University- HBCU
Since 1896, South Carolina State University has maintained a legacy of excellence in education. We have been home to generations of scholars and leaders in business, military service, government, athletics, education, medicine, science, engineering technology and more. Located in Orangeburg, S.C., SC State was founded as a land grant college with a mission of providing education and service to the citizens of the state. Visit Site
UCLA Anderson School of Business
When UCLA Anderson was founded during the Great Depression 75 years ago, its mission was to provide business education and thought leadership to individuals and communities in the Southern California region. Today, we are recognized internationally as an innovator in management education and research. UCLA Anderson offers both degree and non-degree programs to meet the diverse educational needs and professional goals of students. UCLA Anderson’s rigorous programs offer exceptional academic preparation, a cooperative and congenial student culture, and access to a thriving business community, as well as support services for scholastic and career advancement. Visit Site
Founded in the wake of the gold rush by leaders of the newly established 31st state, the University of California’s flagship campus at Berkeley has become one of the preeminent universities in the world. Its early guiding lights, charged with providing education (both “practical” and “classical”) for the state’s people, gradually established a distinguished faculty (with 21 Nobel laureates to date), a stellar research library, and more than 350 academic programs. Visit Site
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, often referred to as UMBC, is an American public research university, located in Baltimore County, Maryland. Established as a part of the University System of Maryland in 1966, the university specializes in the natural sciences and engineering, while also offering programs in the liberal arts. Visit Site
The University of Notre Dame provides a distinctive voice in higher education that is at once rigorously intellectual, unapologetically moral in orientation, and firmly embracing of a service ethos. Founded in 1842 by a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Notre Dame is an independent, national Catholic research university located adjacent to the city of South Bend, Indiana, in a metropolitan area of more than 300,000 residents approximately 90 miles east of Chicago. Visit Site
University of Pittsburgh- School of Information Sciences
At the School of Information Sciences (iSchool), our curriculum and research activities are focused on people, their information needs, and the technology to manage such information. It is estimated that the amount of information available for human use doubles every three years. As society enjoys an escalating amount of available information, corporations and organizations need highly trained professionals to manage information and access.
For more than 100 years, the iSchool has educated students to become leaders in the information professions. They may work in libraries and archives, companies and manufacturing industries, or governments and nonprofits. They may work with books, artifacts, digital documents, routers, networks, or databases. They solve problems in the boardroom, the operating room, or the schoolroom. They have a set of skills and the theoretical knowledge to harness the power of this influential resource, information.
Our school offers degree programs in Information Science, Library and Information Science, and Telecommunications. Our graduates have the skills and knowledge to help advance society through effective use and management of information.
We’re USD – the state’s flagship university: The big-time university with a small-college feel. We’re memorable mentors and lifelong friends. We’re world-class academics and out-of-class opportunities. We’re innovative technology and long-standing tradition. We’re your university. We are South Dakota.Our Campus has been called “elegant”, “eye-catching” and “naturally beautiful” with a “striking combination of old and new structures.” Most of all, it’s called “home” by our students, faculty and staff. Come and experience the beauty of USD for yourself. Visit Site
University of the Virgin Islands-HBCU
The University of the Virgin Islands is a public, coeducational, liberal arts, land-grant institution. Founded in 1962, UVI is the only HBCU outside the U.S. mainland. With campuses on St. Croix and St.Thomas, UVI enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students in 45 degree programs. Visit Site
University of Texas EI Paso College of Business Administration
The College of Business Administration at The University of Texas at El Paso shares with the University its fundamental mission to provide the highest quality education to the citizens of El Paso and the West Texas region, commensurate with AACSB International standards for business education. The border location of the University and the expertise developed by the faculty provide an environment that affords opportunities for students to become knowledgeable in international business. Visit Site
Dedicated to its motto (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech offers an Online Master of Information Technology (MIT) program that prepares students to be technological leaders in their fields and communities.
Ranked #2 by U.S. News & World Report, the VTMIT program is designed specifically for the working professional. The program allows students the flexibility to manage professional and personal priorities while also pursuing an advanced degree.
The VTMIT program offers eight optional areas of study (modules) from a variety of industries allowing a student to customize their program; examples include Security, Software Development, Big Data and Health Information Technology.
Designed for individuals desiring to advance their career, Virginia Tech’s Online Master of Information Technology program will prepare students to lead in their chosen technological profession or field. To learn more visit site.
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the northwest United States. Founded 125 years ago in 1890, WSU is the state’s only land-grant university. Washington State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Educator and Employer. Members of ethnic minorities, women, special disabled veterans, veterans of the Vietnam-era, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans, persons of disability and/or persons age 40 and over are encouraged to apply. Visit Site | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744843 |
__label__wiki | 0.821714 | 0.821714 | Celebrating Our Newest Chapter: PSR Colorado
Physicians for Social Responsibility is thrilled to announce that PSR Colorado is now officially the newest full chapter. Formerly PSR Colorado Working Group, PSR Colorado has already served as an impactful health voice in the state regarding environmental hazards to health, mobilizing the medical community in the state and advocating on key issues, including fracking and the climate crisis.
Since its founding two years ago, the Colorado chapter has grown into a powerful force, working with coalitions and partner organizations to highlight the health impacts of legislation such as Prop. 112 and S.B. 181, as well as the serious health and safety risks associated with fracking and other fossil fuel extraction methods.
“PSR Colorado has been working for two years fighting fracking,” said Catherine Thomasson, MD, a PSR Colorado member and former Executive Director of PSR. “It has been so rewarding to recruit and work with so many health professionals across the state.”
PSR Colorado is also deeply engaged in the fight for bold climate solutions.
“Colorado health professionals are committed to fight climate change,” said Thomasson. “Not only do we fight against health threats of fracking, but we are also launching a positive campaign to electrify homes.” Energy efficiency and energy optimization are vital to ensuring a just transition from fossil fuels to clean, safe renewable energy. PSR Colorado’s full chapter status will enable them to expand their work on this and other critical issues.
“We are thrilled that PSR Colorado is now officially a full-fledged chapter,” said Jeff Carter, Executive Director of PSR. “This is a great opportunity for Colorado members to build upon and grow their advocacy efforts, which have already had an impact since they became active as a working group. We congratulate PSR Colorado on this critical step in their work to advance issues regarding human health and survival, and look forward to seeing the chapter grow further.”
Check out the PSR Colorado website here. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744845 |
__label__wiki | 0.537367 | 0.537367 | W. L. French
W. L. French Consolidates to One System and Doubles Efficiency
About W. L. French
W. L. French Excavating Corporation is a union site contractor and soil and waste management firm. Established in 1972, the family-owned specialty contractor provides a wide range of construction services including mass excavation, site remediation, heavy utility installation, contract trucking services, soil management, aggregate material supply, snow services, and more. In an effort to find a one-stop shop for all project information to ensure all collaborators were working off the most updated information, the team turned to Procore.
2x Boosted Efficiency
With more efficient processes, W. L. French can do at least two inspections in the time it would have taken to do one.
95% Increased Accountability
With Procore, 95% of paperwork is turned in properly and on time with automated workflows.
One Streamlined Solution
Instead of using three separate systems, the team consolidated project data into one comprehensive platform.
"As a subcontractor, having Procore is a huge benefit. To say that we use Procore, I know we are aligned with the best in the industry."
Jessica French Goyette
W. L. French Excavating Corporation
W. L. French Excavating Corporation was using three separate systems to manage project information, making it difficult to stay up-to-date with the most recent set of drawings and safety plans. Not to mention their software’s per-seat licensing model limited the number of collaborators—creating even more isolated information. They wanted to find a solution that would not only boost communication, but also track purchase orders, contracts, and other project details.
Teams could view, update, and share documents instantly, from any device— eliminating any confusion about which was the most recent set of drawings.
One Centralized Platform
Instead of having information scattered across different systems, W. L. French consolidated data into one platform resulting in increased efficiency, improved safety, and higher margins.
Unlimited User License Model
With Procore’s unlimited user license, W. L. French ensured collaborators had the information they needed at all times.
As with most specialty contractors, W. L. French’s set of drawings were frequently changing. However, without a single repository for all project documents, it was cumbersome to find the most recent version. The team wanted to find a way to ensure all collaborators were working off the same documents.
Vice President, Jessica French Goyette, says they had previous experience using Procore in their clients’ accounts. “When we understood how we could maintain updated plans and drawings and have changes updated immediately—rather than having somebody spend hours trying to delineate what the changes were—that in itself was a huge selling point for us.”
The team began to research project management software and ended up deciding between three or four options. “Procore had the best reputation out of all the software we explored,” Goyette explains. “When we did our research, the return on investment was off the charts. It was something like 900% when the program is fully utilized. But even if we were only using 25%, the investment was going to pay for itself in short order. Now, after purchasing the software and as we use the product more and see what it can do, we’re more productive, more efficient, have less mistakes and less room for error. It’s just bringing out internal communication and processes to a higher level. It has also provided us many opportunities to improve our current processes.”
Easy to Use, Easy to Adopt
During implementation, Procore’s intuitive and user-friendly interface made it easy to use, which was especially welcomed by the field team. After implementing Procore they became more engaged, proactively inputting information in the platform. They especially liked the Drawings Tool which helped ensure the foreman, project manager, and the rest of the field team were all working off the most recent set of drawings.
Goyette recalls, “The drawings change so frequently. With Procore, we know we are all on the same version—the latest version—and what changes have been made to the plans. That in itself could cover someone’s salary. That ROI right there alone paid for the software.”
The team also used Procore to ensure commitments were getting signed and executed completely. Leveraging the DocuSign integration, they were able to send, receive, review, and return signed documents and contracts online—all within Procore.
Goyette says, “The DocuSign integration was seamless. After sending out our purchase orders or subcontractor work orders, we now know if they’re in a pending status and whose signature we are waiting on. It is saving a significant amount of time. Instead of emailing, printing, signing, scanning, and emailing it back—the documents are sent off through DocuSign. The entire process has been simplified, to the point that people can execute documents from their phone. It’s a massive time saver, hugely efficient, and there’s traceability in tracking documents in place that was not there before.”
In addition to having a record of signed documents, W. L. French was also able to track items using Procore’s Photos Tool. Instead of having photos stored on individual devices, teams had access to all photos in one location. In doing so, they had an internal history of what was installed and proof of completed work for the general contractor.
Having robust documentation not only helped mitigate risk and liability, it also bolstered the business’s reputation for high standards of quality and safety. “We put our pre-excavation checklists and job hazard analysis—which were in our previous software—into Procore,” Goyette explains. “Our inspections of our projects and our equipment can be easily provided to our clients or our GCs with a click of a button. There is a level of comfort knowing we have these capabilities to share our information in real time. It speaks volumes about our efficiencies and how we can bring those efficiencies to our projects.”
She adds, “Clients as well as subcontractors are impressed by Procore and the capabilities that come along with it. It lends itself to building our company’s brand and credibility.”
Reinforcing the Highest Standards of Quality and Safety
With Procore’s unlimited user license model, Safety Director Tim Hunt says that it has helped improve their existing quality and safety programs. “We’re able to assign negative observations on our inspections to people, and they are able to follow up, which we weren’t able to do before because we didn’t have licensing for everybody. Procore has given us better accountability for negative observations in the field. Everyone, including our subcontractors have access. There has been a demonstrated decrease in at-risk observations,” says Hunt.
Plus, he says, having unlimited users ensures full collaboration and communication across teams. Before Procore, only he and another team member had software licenses, which meant they couldn’t send a daily inspections report. He recalls, “We had to email the actual inspections, and that got tedious. Now we just have an auto report generated at the end of the day that says, ‘Here’s the inspection we did.’ Someone can click on it and look at the full inspection. It has really helped us communicate safety throughout the company a lot faster and a lot more thoroughly.”
Hunt says now they have all safety plans in Procore which users can view at any time, from any device. He says, “We have actually put up a lot of reference documentation. Everyone can access information on the fly which is really helpful. When we’re doing our inspections, we go back and forth between the forms and our inspection, and we don’t get logged out. It’s very easy to switch between screens, so that helps us when we’re doing our inspections on the paperwork side as well.” Procore’s Forms Tool has also relieved paperwork pains. Hunt estimates that before, about 75% of paperwork was properly turned in on time. Now, Procore has pushed that to about 95%. Additionally, his team is able to do at least two inspections in the time it would have taken to do one before.
With more streamlined processes, they have become more productive, giving them more time to focus on the work that matters the most. “Procore is invaluable. So far, we have saved at least the salary of a single person,” Goyette says, noting that by using Procore at its fullest capacity, they could save close to $900,000 a year. “We have reduced risk exposure in multiple areas. We have reduced risk and exposure by ensuring my field staff is not installing a utility that was moved or taken off the plans. We have reduced and reduced; it goes on and on.”
She adds, “We have also increased productivity, improved communication between departments, and improved processes. I would highly recommend Procore to contractors, subcontractors, and second tier subs. As is the case with any purchase and implementation of software, you have to invest the time to get it up and running. It is an investment of time but if you are committed to doing what it takes, the benefits are well worth it. The process is not that difficult once you have allocated the time to implement it.”
"Procore is a single solution for us. We’re going to continue toward utilizing it to its fullest capacity because the benefits are tremendous."
Procore for Specialty Contractors
Ultimately, Procore has given W. L. French a one-stop shop for all project needs, from ensuring safety on the jobsite to keeping everyone working off the most upto-date documents.
Goyette says, “We are constantly pulling back the layers on how many things Procore can do—every week, every month. In the beginning it was like an iceberg, and as time goes on we can see more of the possibilities for continued improvement and how we can utilize and benefit from it.”
But having a best-in-class platform that also offers key integrations, from accounting to scheduling, has proved invaluable. “Procore is a single solution for us. It integrates with SmartBid, it integrates with DocuSign, and integrates with our accounting system, Foundation for Construction. We’re going to continue toward utilizing it to its fullest capacity because the benefits are tremendous,” says Goyette.
Tremendous, she says, especially for specialty contractors. She says, “As a subcontractor, having Procore is a huge benefit. To say that I have Procore, I know we are aligned with the best in the industry, and I know that it’s only going to continue to get better. The world of technology is constantly changing. I know that the product is going to continue to evolve. They are rolling out new modules and new developments on a regular basis. As a subcontractor, it has been a great investment.”
But for Goyette, the benefits extend beyond that; it’s a platform that supports everyone and every trade. “It’s a tool for every component of the construction industry. Everybody can utilize it—the GCs, the subs, the owners. It works for everyone, and there’s an abundance of tools and other incredible benefits that subcontractors can utilize,” she says. “A project that is utilizing Procore is a job equipped with the tools and potential to be a better managed project than a job without it—no matter who you are on the job or what level you may be.” | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744856 |
__label__wiki | 0.519829 | 0.519829 | +44 (0) 1394 822025|info@prodpoint.com
Privacy PolicyFelix Fried2018-07-03T20:51:00+00:00
ProdPoint Ltd understands that your privacy is important to you and that you care about how your personal data is used and shared online. We respect and value the privacy of everyone who visits this website, //www.prodpoint.com/ (“Our Site”) and will only collect and use personal data in ways that are described here, and in a manner that is consistent with Our obligations and your rights under the law.
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If you have any questions about Our Site or this Privacy Policy, please contact Us by email at info@prodpoint.com. Please ensure that your query is clear, particularly if it is a request for information about the data We hold about you (as under section 12, above).
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We will assume your consent by continuing to navigate this site OK RejectPrivacy Policy | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744857 |
__label__cc | 0.730211 | 0.269789 | Commonsense Wisdom from African Farmers – Article by Kelvin Kemm
June 20, 2012 Kelvin Kemm Comments 0 Comment
Kelvin Kemm
Recommend this page.
If you want to learn what farmers think (and need), talk to African farmers – not to bureaucrats, environmental activists or politicos at the Rio+20 United Nations summit in Rio de Janeiro. You’ll get very different, far more honest and thoughtful perspectives.
The recent (May 24) Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network conference in Pretoria, South Africa brought together delegates from agricultural communities in many African countries. FANRPAN’s primary objective is to improve food security in Africa, by ensuring that small-scale farmers can become more productive. Their obvious enthusiasm and commonsense views were heartening.
FANRPAN chair Sindiso Ngwenya of Zambia gave an incisive presentation, pointing out that agriculture is the key to reducing poverty and ensuring food security in Africa. “We call upon the world to assist us,” he said, “not by treating us as beggars, but by treating us as equals.”
Ngwenya criticised many First World attempts to use climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development arguments to prevent African agriculture from advancing. “If you are using implements that were there before Christ, how much chance do you have?” he wanted to know.
And why would anyone think these UN-EU-US issues are important to African farmers and families who are trying to feed their families and neighbors, and improve their living standards by exporting their products?
Africa does not need foreign aid in the form of handouts, Ngwenya emphasized. African farmers need modern technology and reliable, affordable electricity. They need the world to buy African produce. Instead, far too often, European and other First World countries impose rules or block African exports, using a multitude of excuses that can no longer be tolerated.
FANRPAN has decided to go “Africa-wide,” Ngwenya announced. Africa is huge –larger than the United States, China, India and Europe combined. And yet 60% of its arable land is not used at all. On the arable land that is used in most African countries, crop yields are typically a quarter of the norm in South Africa. What’s needed, he said, are modern farming methods, seeds, fertilizers and equipment –at the level of every individual farmer.
Referring to the 2011 COP-17 world environment congress in Durban, South Africa, Ngwenya pointed out that the FANRPAN slogan is “No agriculture, no deal.” However, agriculture, and particularly the advancement of rural African agriculture, was not included in past COP objectives. Many delegates criticised this, saying it reflected the First World’s hope that Africa and African agriculture will remain primitive and underdeveloped, so that rich countries can praise Africans for being “sustainable” and protecting the planet.
Africans are being told by First World activists, politicians and pressure groups to “stay in tune with nature,” delegates noted – when this attitude really reflects a well-fed First World’s maneuver to retard African agricultural improvements.
When it came to the eternal climate change saga, FRANRPAN delegates emphasized “climate-smart agriculture” and noted that Africa has always experienced dramatic weather and climate variations. What’s needed now, they stresse, is sensible, fact-based science, to predict and adapt to local and regional climate cycles and variations.
Equally impressive was learning that a group of small-scale farmers from Burkino Faso had paid their own way to attend a meeting in Windhoek, Namibia, nearly 3,000 miles (4,500 kilometers) away, to present a petition calling for the development of evidence-based policies, to replace what to now have been emotional, harmful and oppressive policies, rules and treaties.
The delegates said they were tired of the First World telling them what to do, based on First World interests and perceptions. They understand all too well that calls for “sustainable development,” “biodiversity” and climate change “prevention” really mean demands for policies and practices that ensure sustained poverty and malnutrition.
FRANRPAN CEO Dr. Lindiwe Sibanda emphasized that the real work is done on the ground, at the level of individual countries – and “policy comes from people.” Individual countries must come to their own conclusions about what works for them, and countries must align their policies to ensure food security for their people, she said. Modern methods and technologies are also required, to enhance intra-Africa food trade and enable countries to export what they are good at producing.
Her enthusiasm was praised by a farmer who spoke from the floor, with a strong French accent. “There’s a lack of resources for small farmers to come here,” he said, even for important meetings like this, but he was glad he had spent the time and money to be there. Certainly, those that did attend exhibited enough excitement and enthusiasm for the millions who could not join them.
Chairman Ngwenya wrapped up the proceedings by criticising the apparently intentional side-stepping of agricultural issues during COP-17. The First World must stop impeding African farmers and end “the paralysis by analysis,” he said. Absolutely right.
There is far too much First World smoke and mirrors, telling Africans they are saving the planet – when the real intention is to stop them from acquiring modern technology and electricity that would allow them to surge to middle class or even rich country status.
This FANRPAN conference serves notice to the United Nations Environment Programme, Rio+20 Sustainable Development Summit, Europe, United States and other obstructionists that Africa has caught on to what they are doing – and is no longer willing to play their game.
That’s good news for every African, Asian, Latin American and other poor family that wants to eat better, live better and have the freedom to pursue their dreams.
Dr Kelvin Kemm is a nuclear physicist and business strategy consultant in Pretoria, South Africa. He is a member of the International Board of Advisors of the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), based in Washington, DC (www.CFACT.org). Dr. Kemm received the prestigious Lifetime Achievers Award of the National Science and Technology Forum of South Africa.
Politics, Technology
affordable, Africa, agricultural policy, COP-17, Durban, electricity, energy, environmentalism, environmentalist, European Union, FANRPAN, farmers, farming, food security, Kelvin Kemm, modern technology, poverty, Pretoria, produce, progress, prosperity, small farms, South Africa, technological progress, United Nations, united states
Doing a Happy Jig Over the Sand Dune Lizard Decision – Article by Marita Noon
Communist and Fascist America – Article by Kyrel Zantonavitch | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744860 |
__label__cc | 0.527593 | 0.472407 | Older, Sicker Populations Mean AR Will Need More Nurses
Report: ACA Has Reduced Racial Coverage Gaps
Expanding Palliative Care on South Dakota Reservations
The Will of the People? Indiana Bills Tackle Marijuana Laws
"Cover the Uninsured Week" in NH: 150,000 Without Coverage
Concord, NH - Doctors, churches and voters in New Hampshire say more people are losing their health insurance coverage every day. It's national "Cover the Uninsured Week," and organizers say more than 150,000 New Hampshire residents are in exactly that situation. That's as many people as live in Manchester and Concord combined, and 16 percent more than last year. Concord physician Gary Sobelson adds, they're not who you'd expect.
"The uninsured in our society are not the poor; in fact, the poor are covered under Medicaid. And they're not necessarily the chronically and severely ill, because they're often covered by the Medicare system. It really is about our children and our neighbors, and it's hard to ignore this and say it's about somebody else."
Steve Gorin, with the New Hampshire chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, explains that lack of health insurance is often the reason that people wait too long before they seek care, even for serious illnesses.
"People without healthcare coverage are more likely to go without screenings that are needed. Between 2000 and 2006, nearly 400 people in New Hampshire, between the ages of 25 and 64, died because they didn't have health insurance."
Organizers report that nationwide, eight out of ten Americans without health insurance come from working families.
The data on deaths among the uninsured is part of a study by Families USA, which is available online at www.familiesusa.org.
John Robinson/Eric Mack, Public News Service - NH | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744866 |
__label__wiki | 0.56785 | 0.56785 | Public News Service - ND: Hunger/Food/Nutrition
A Changing Menu for Children: Food Allergy Prevention
BISMARCK, N.D. – The food choices of some new parents across North Dakota and the nation are changing, as those meal decisions could impact whether their child develops a food allergy. For years health professionals suggested that parents withhold allergenic foods until one-year of age, but
Keeping Families Fed: North Dakota is Best in the U.S.
BISMARCK, N.D. - While a new survey finds North Dakota has the lowest rate in the nation of people struggling with hunger, there are still many North Dakotans who have a hard time putting food on the table. A Gallup poll found just over nine percent of North Dakota respondents said there were times
Rise and Shine: More Children Eating School Breakfast
BISMARCK, N.D. - More kids across the nation are starting the day with a healthy meal. The latest study shows another increase in the number of low-income children taking part in school breakfast programs. The report from the Food Research and Action Center shows that participation increased by abo
More North Dakotans Dealing with Diabetes
BISMARCK, N.D. – The arrival of November means it is American Diabetes Month. It comes as the prevalence of the disease continues to rise across the state and nation. David Becker, executive director of the American Diabetes Association in Minnesota and North Dakota, says the latest number
Cheers and Jeers for Proposal to Clarify Clean-Water Rule
BISMARCK, N.D. - A plan to better protect vulnerable waters across the state and the nation is earning praise from some, although others have expressed concerns. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule aims to end the long-running legal battle over how to apply the Clean Water Act by
Signup Underway in ND for Conservation Stewardship Program
BISMARCK, N.D. - With the deadline less than a month away, farmers and ranchers across North Dakota are being urged to get their applications in for new contracts under the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). According to Traci Bruckner, senior policy associate, Center for Rural Affairs, CSP pro
More Younger North Dakotans with Adult Onset Diabetes
BISMARCK, N.D. – It is a disease that can have negative lifelong impacts, but the good news is that there are some simple lifestyle changes that one can make to delay or even prevent the onset of diabetes. Rhonda Pfenning, a registered nurse who is the chronic care coordinator at the Coal Co
Fighting the Fat in Fargo as ND's Waistline Expands
FARGO, N.D. - With the growing obesity epidemic leading to more chronic disease and pushing up health-care costs across the country, a new strategy is emerging among some providers. At Family HealthCare in Fargo, according to registered dietitian Venessa Berg, patients can come in for a doctor visit
4 of 8 pages « First < 2 3 4 5 6 > Last » | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744867 |
__label__wiki | 0.89914 | 0.89914 | January 9, 2011 / 5:32 PM / 9 years ago
Economists foretell of U.S. decline, China's ascension
Mark Felsenthal
DENVER (Reuters) - To hear a number of prominent economists tell it, it doesn’t look good for the U.S. economy, not this year, not in 10 years.
Leading thinkers in the dismal science speaking at an annual convention offered varying visions of U.S. economic decline, in the short, medium and long term. This year, the recovery may bog down as government stimulus measures dry up.
In the long run, the United States must face up to inevitably being overtaken by China as the world’s largest economy. And it may have missed a chance to rein in its largest financial institutions, many of whom remain too big to fail and are getting bigger.
On the one hand, Harvard’s Martin Feldstein said he believes the outlook for U.S. economic growth in 2011 is less sanguine than many believe.
First, the boost to growth from government spending will be drying up this year, he said. Renewal of expiring tax cuts is no more than a decision not to raise taxes, and the impact of one-year payroll tax cut is likely modest, he said.
“There’s really not much help coming from fiscal policy in the year ahead,” he said. Woes from the dire situations of state and local governments may actually be a drag on growth, he said.
Growth got a lift from a lower saving rate in 2010, but that probably will not last this year as households worried about an uncertain future return to paring back debt and socking more away, Feldstein added. Discouraging declines in home values mean there is less to save from, he said.
“People are worried, so there’s a strong reason for precautionary saving,” he said.
THE RACE IS ON
On the other hand, there is the race with China and the dynamic Asian economies, including India. Most estimates put the size of the Chinese economy on par with the United States by the early 2020s, said Dale Jorgenson, also of Harvard.
Jorgenson sees Asian emerging markets as the most dynamic in the world, eclipsing other emerging market contenders such as Brazil and Russia with steady growth over the next decade.
“The rise of developing Asia is going to accompany slower world economic growth,” he said.
The United States will need to come to terms with the fact that its prevalence in the world is fated to come to an end, Jorgenson said. This will be difficult for many Americans to swallow and the United States should brace for social unrest amid blame over who was responsible for squandering global primacy, he said.
MIT’s Simon Johnson put it more bluntly, saying the damage from the financial crisis and its aftermath have dealt U.S. prominence a permanent blow.
“The age of American predominance is over,” he told a panel. “The (Chinese) Yuan will be the world’s reserve currency within two decades.”
Johnson said he believes the United States has failed to learn its lesson from the financial crisis and continues to implicitly back its largest financial institutions.
“I’m concerned about the excessive power of the largest global banks,” he said. “Who are the government-sponsored enterprises now? It’s the six biggest bank holding companies.”
To be sure, Raghuram Rajan, a former IMF chief economist now with the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business, could still envision an ongoing U.S. leadership role.
Nothing proceeds in a straight line, he said, and there are many pitfalls along the way even for dynamic Asian economies.
“I would say the age of American dominance may be nearing an end. But America as the biggest mover will be in place for a long time,” he said.
Reporting by Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Maureen Bavdek | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744874 |
__label__wiki | 0.509428 | 0.509428 | info@personallyspeakingbureau.com
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With the traditional January 're-set' not too far away (we won't mention the C word), many organisations are looking to find out what the hot topics are and who's talking about them with authority and impact. So here's our Top Ten list of topics and some of our many speakers who are able and happy to speak about them to you and your team. Read on.
[caption id="attachment_3157" align="alignleft" width="300"] Making the leap to trust others yields dividends[/caption] This is a big one. More and more research shows that the best business outcomes are delivered when trust between co-workers is optimal. Makes sense, right? But how exactly can you build trust, especially where it’s been damaged by poor leadership or communication, or even simply where the problem is fear of change. The best speakers on this offer not just inspiration but also actionable insights that will help guide you on your path to building a culture of trust in your organisation. +Margaret Heffernan +Dr Celine Mullins +Matthew Syed +Clare Dillon +Anita Sands +Deborah Rowland
Courageous Leadership
[caption id="attachment_3158" align="alignleft" width="300"] Courageous leaders see how things can be, go for it, and bring others with them[/caption] It’s something everyone would like, but sadly there’s no magic recipe for courage. Real courage means tackling something despite your fear or doubt that your strategy won’t work, because, quite simply, doing nothing is not an option. Courageous leadership means many things, but we know it when we see it. We recognise it when leaders lead confidently in spite of doubts and uncertainty. And we see it when they get buy-in from stakeholders and team members alike because they believe in you and trust in the outcome. It’s easy to see why this topic is so ‘hot’ on the conference circuit right now. Perhaps it’s the ultimate reflection of these uncertain times, but people want leaders who are both human - open about their failings - and tenacious enough to realise their dreams, without trampling on others in the process. +Cindy Solomon +Christine Armstrong +Caroline Casey
[caption id="attachment_3159" align="alignleft" width="300"] Sustainability is about seeing whole systems, not just the individual ones[/caption] Can there be a more urgent topic on the global agenda? As individuals we all seem better informed about what we can do in a private capacity to help create positive change, but when it comes to business and the bigger picture, we seem to draw a blank. In a world of finite resources but a rapidly growing population that is further depleting those resources, is it possible to reconcile business objectives (growth, profit etc) with values that prioritise and preserve our ecosystems and the people that depend on them? Our speakers on this topic help organisations to be more clear-sighted, positive, motivated and engaged on key issues relating to sustainability. +Marga Hoek +Sue Garrand +Dr. Niamh Shaw
[caption id="attachment_3160" align="alignleft" width="300"] People are at the heart of everything[/caption] Our most important asset: people. And yet so many things can blind us to this simple fact: the excitement (and sometimes hype!) about new technology, business’s inevitable focus on the future, the threat of AI, the myriad disruptors that, like a multi-headed Hydra, we feel just keep popping up one after the other. And yet fundamentally, we remain human beings, all trying to do our best, and sometimes - if we’re lucky and we’ve created the right conditions - actually achieving our best. Human Capital, especially in this technological age, has become a byword for maintaining our focus on the people that are at the heart of every business endeavour - as idea generators, visionaries, sherpas, doers and thinkers. +Magaret Heffernan +Susan David +Neil O'Brien +Susan Cain +Yves Morieux
[caption id="attachment_3161" align="alignleft" width="300"] AI - it's not just a disruptor. We can embrace it to our advantage[/caption] Do we need more reminders about the possibilities and threats that AI presents? Well, yes, it seems we do, judging by the demand for speakers on this topic. The key is to find ways that integrate AI into an organisation’s activities so that it is embraced rather than reviled, and welcomed rather than feared and misunderstood, notwithstanding its capacity to displace certain roles. Our speakers unpick the problems and offer guidance on how to make the most of AI whatever your industry. +Clare Dillon +Terence Mauri +Anita Sands
Geopolitics/Global Economics
[caption id="attachment_3162" align="alignleft" width="300"] Global events can now have local impacts[/caption] Whatever about most organisations needing more insight into and knowledge of geopolitics, as mere individuals we can often feel overwhelmed by the fast-changing face of politics and political regimes around the world. The answer? Find people whose passion it is to know, understand, analyse and predict the behavioural and psychological changes we can all expect to see or experience in this era of unprecedented uncertainty, political upheaval and polarisation. And here at Personally Speaking, we are proud to have many of them. Here are just some. +David McWilliams +Alan Dukes +Alastair Campbell +Dr Dambisa Moyo +Shane Coleman +Matt Cooper +Yves Morieux
[caption id="attachment_3163" align="alignleft" width="300"] The right speaker can inspire us to choose the right path[/caption] It will be no surprise to many that in this ‘age of anxiety’, more organisations are searching for speakers who can offer them the tools to live purposefully and joyfully in an era that often feels not just defined but also constrained by disruption. Faced with the very real fear of making a misstep or mistake, companies want speakers who tell it how it is and yet who can also inspire, motivate and move you to move beyond inertia and hesitancy to a place of confidence and promise. +Terence Mauri +Deborah Rowland +Tobias Degsell +Ian McClean +Nancy Rademaker
Our understanding of what mental health is and means is changing. And thank God for that. Increasingly, we are coming to view mental health in the same way we view physical health. In other words, it’s not some fixed, pre-determined state. It’s a continuum, a spectrum, and we move along it as we evolve in and respond to the world around us. Most importantly, we can have some control over our mental health; what we do, eat and think influences it, for the good or the bad. And yet stigma, misunderstanding and even shame are still common. Personally Speaking has a panel of Mental Health speakers that is second to none, from those who have lived with and overcome mental health difficulties or illness, to those who work at the coalface in helping deliver solutions for people both professionally and personally. +Dame Kelly Holmes +Fiona Feeley +Brent Pope +Petra Velzeboer +David Gillick +Cathal Gallagher
[caption id="attachment_3165" align="alignleft" width="300"] The constituent parts of wellness vary from person to person, but there are key principles to follow to[/caption] What is wellness? Well, it’s different things to different people, and we have speakers who can talk eloquently about every aspect of it. The psychological, spiritual, physical, emotional - it's all up for fertile discussion. What we do know is that when it comes to corporate social responsibility or human resources, wellness is seen as being of growing importance. Our speakers codify it and help guide audiences to a better understanding of what it is and how to support it in the workplace and beyond. +Dr. John Briffa +Debra Searle +Neil O'Brien +Sandy Joy Weston
[caption id="attachment_3166" align="alignleft" width="300"] We can train ourselves to develop resilience[/caption] Bounce-backability - that seems to be the most common interpretation of resilience. But in truth it’s rather more complex than that. While the word ‘bounce’ suggests a response that occurs naturally and almost instantaneously, like a reflex, in reality the process of regaining composure, confidence and stability can take time. Much depends, of course, on the nature and severity of the knockback - illness, loss, etc. The good news is that we have speakers who can identify the building blocks and key ingredients of resilience and communicate them to audiences in ways that inform thinking, inspire hope and motivate change. +Neil O’Brien +Nancy Rademaker +Caroline Casey +Sir AP McCoy OBE”
“It's 7.30 a.m. on the unseasonably mild morning of October 17th, and already people are arriving at the Merrion Hotel for our first collaborative event with GP Strategies, a leading global provider of learning solutions, technical training, and organisation and leadership development for diverse industries, often at large scale. [caption id="attachment_3124" align="alignleft" width="300"] All set up and ready to go[/caption] By the time registration is done, we have almost 50 people joining us and our three guest speakers (Tech evangelist Clare Dillon, psychologist and author Dr. Celine Mullins and author, broadcaster and learning expert Nigel Paine) to explore why a #LearningCulture is important, and what organisations need to do to create one. [caption id="attachment_3123" align="alignleft" width="300"] Your Learning Culture is a reflection of your general culture[/caption] It's a topic of growing importance, not just now, but for the future. Almost everyone who took part in the event came to the same, stark, conclusion. If you don't build a strong Culture of Learning, your organisation will, quite simply, die. The only question is how long it might take.
Give your company the edge
All the evidence (and many anecdotes too judging by our break-out sessions) shows that a robust Culture of Learning gives companies a definite edge. This is especially the case today, when so much business seems defined and constrained by disruptions and distractions, retention challenges and what many see as the 'threat' of AI.
Concentration of knowledge = exchange of learning
Given the very considerable collective knowledge in the room, with people from Learning & Development, Leadership and Training across various industries, Personally Speaking and GP Strategies wanted this to be an event that got people really talking to each other. So the morning followed an innovative format devised by the GP team, which was designed to do just that. [caption id="attachment_3119" align="alignleft" width="300"] One of the three 'exchange groups' in action.[/caption]
Open dialogue, positive energy
After short introductions from the speakers, participants broke into three groups (each chaired by a speaker) and went into separate rooms for 20-minute exchange sessions. In these, everyone who wanted to shared their own industry knowledge, ideas, concerns and experience around the topic. The dialogues saw people be hugely generous and open, and because guests had to physically move from one space to another, the energy kept flowing. [caption id="attachment_3120" align="alignleft" width="296"] The three speakers introduce themselves[/caption]
Making connections, delivering results
To conclude, everyone came back together for a feedback session to talk about what they learnt over the course of the morning. It was a real pleasure to see that many stayed long after the event proper had ended, to chat to each other and the speakers. Real connections were made and meaningful conversations had. The buzz was fantastic, with great positive energy throughout!
It was a fantastically open, honest exchange of ideas and a really interesting morning. We really look forward to seeing the value and opportunities for growth that it brings to our clients. Thanks to everyone who came, to the brilliant GP Strategies team and their colleagues at Bath Consulting Group, to the Personally Speaking team and, of course, to our wonderful speakers! Here are some of the comments we received from those who attended.
“Great speakers and great event!”
Justyna Wozniak Szoka, Business and Career Coach/HR Professional
“I really enjoyed it. Thanks very much for organising it.”
Eoin McDonnell, Head of Learning Innovation in a dynamic Learning Services company
“Thank you GP Strategies Ltd team. Challenging topics and loved the format and group discussion.”
Fiona Claridge, Head of Ireland @ Own the Room
“Enjoyed the session. Some interesting insights and experiences from a wide-ranging group of people. Thanks for having me”
Scott McInnes, Founder and Director, Inspiring Change, Consultant, Enterprise Ireland
****************************************** [caption id="attachment_3139" align="alignleft" width="300"] The GP Strategies team with Personally Speaking CEO Frances Keane[/caption] Afterwards, we grabbed the speakers for a quick video in which they shared their impressions of the morning, and offered their key take-aways. These videos sum up really well the energy on the day, and show how much can be achieved even in a 20-minute session, once people are really engaged on a particular topic. Here they are. First up, the impressions of Peter Dean, Business Lead, Strategy, Leadership and Culture, Europe, GP Strategies Ltd. [caption id="attachment_3135" align="alignleft" width="300"] Frances Keane, CEO of Personally Speaking Bureau, with Peter Dean, Business Lead, Strategy, Leadership and Culture, Europe, GP Strategies Ltd[/caption] Next, the impressions and take-aways from the speakers [caption id="attachment_3137" align="alignleft" width="300"] Dr. Celine Mullins (left) with Nigel Paine and Clare Dillon[/caption] Clare Dillon - reflections on the morning Clare Dillon - 1st take-away from the morning Clare Dillon - 2nd take-away Dr. Celine Mullins - reflections on the morning Dr. Celine Mullins - take-aways from the morning Nigel Paine - reflections on the morning Nigel Paine - take-aways from the morning ”
“Courage tends to be thought of as an innate attribute - something we’re born with, or we’re not. But what if courage could be taught? Cindy helps audiences understand and identify their unique type of courage and shares what every leader and individual needs to know to “build their courage” and create teams that communicate, innovate and learn from every experience.”
“Most organisations know that they should be promoting a culture of learning, but do they really understand its importance? In this week's blog we look at this crucial issue, because as we all know, without the acquisition of new knowledge - the right knowledge - companies lose their edge, under-perform and fall behind the competition. [caption id="attachment_3070" align="alignleft" width="300"] A Culture of Learning is Key to a company's success[/caption]
The Power of L&D
So, what does a culture of learning look like? Well, most of us will know that it falls under the umbrella of Learning & Development, better known by its acronym, L&D. And the first thing to understand about a learning culture is that it is a hallmark - and defining feature - of high-performance organisations.
New Knowledge/Skills = Better Performance
The most successful organisations actively cultivate and nurture an #organisationalculture where employees are encouraged - and challenged - to continuously seek out, share, and apply new knowledge and skills in order to improve individual and organisational performance. And importantly, if the people in the know have created the right culture, those employees - at all levels - will do so because they want to, not because they think they should. [caption id="attachment_3069" align="alignleft" width="300"] Understanding why a culture of learning is so important motivates companies to nurture such a culture from within[/caption]
Embed it in Your Company DNA
In companies where a culture of learning has become embedded in their DNA, there's a recognition of - and an excitement about - the individual's contribution to the 'collective' that is the organisation; everyone can see that the whole is somehow greater than the sum of its parts. People take personal responsibility and actively seek out new knowledge, new experiences, in relation to their work and professional development because they know they are supported in doing so and because they understand and see the difference it makes to the bottom line.
Key to Retention
It's also widely recognised that in companies with a strong learning culture, staff are happier, work harder and will stay put for longer, which at a time when staff retention is a key issue for many, is worth highlighting.
Coming up: Event on Culture of Learning
[caption id="attachment_3068" align="alignleft" width="300"] Breakfast Event October 17th at the Merrion Hotel, Dublin, on the Culture of Learning[/caption] In recognition of the importance of promoting a learning culture in organisations, Personally Speaking has partnered with GP Strategies, a global leader in this area, to host a complimentary breakfast at the Merrion Hotel on October 17th, where three speakers (Nigel Paine, Dr Celine Mullins and Clare Dillon) will offer their perspective on the culture of learning. [caption id="attachment_3053" align="alignleft" width="150"] Nigel Paine[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3052" align="alignleft" width="150"] Dr Celine Mullins[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3048" align="alignleft" width="150"] Clare Dillon[/caption]
Speakers on a Culture of Learning
If you have an event coming up where you would like someone to speak or lead a workshop or panel on this topic, we also have a host of other leading speakers who bring their knowledge, insight and expertise in this area to the stage as MCs, keynote speakers and panellists. Here they are. If you would like to know more about any of these speakers for an event you're planning, get in touch by emailing joanne@personallyspeakingbureau.com.
Entrepreneur, TED Speaker, Business Author & Former CEO
Healthy Human Systems Advocate & Motivational Speaker
Tobias Degsell
CEO of Combiner and Creativity Expert
Deborah Rowland
Founder of Still Moving, Author and Anthropologist
Harvard Psychologist, Best-selling Author and TED Speaker
Best-selling Author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Matthew Syed
Best-selling Author of Black Box Thinking and Bounce
Nigel Barlow
Keynote Speaker on Innovation
Irene Murphy-Schwitzer
Facilitator & Team Coach
This week's guest blog is from creativity expert Tobias Degsell, CEO and founder of Combiner, and a former curator at the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. Tobias, who has just joined our roster of speakers, travels the globe to talk to companies and organisations and help them to think and act in new ways in their efforts to innovate and grow. [caption id="attachment_3020" align="alignleft" width="300"] Creativity expert Tobias Degsell[/caption]
"Ideas are easy, execution is everything." Doesn’t that sentence perfectly sum up one of the biggest challenges professionals face - the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it.
So how do we bridge that gap? I think it has everything to do with successfully communicating and collaborating with people different from us; diversity of thought delivers more ideas - and more different ideas - than you will get from a group of people who are more or less the same. In 2016 I left my position as a curator at the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden. Since then I have been travelling around the world helping companies and organisations to think and behave in new ways.
We need ideas - and we need to execute them
I realised years ago that one thing shared by all Nobel Laureates is that they have all executed their ideas, from new discoveries to writing a book. I think we can learn a lot by looking at their creative processes, analysing their successes and failures, and explaining the dos and don’ts. Much as we do with elite athletes, we often put Nobel Laureates on a pedestal, but it’s not always about being super smart or having the best ideas. Personally, I think it’s more about being able to communicate and collaborate with people who are different from yourself. This is why, in many cases, the Nobel Prize is in fact awarded jointly.
If you want to increase your chances of success, collaboration is the key. And while this might sound easy, it’s not. Most collaborations fail. The problem can be boiled down to a couple of critical points. One of them is about trust. Another is about diversity. Trust is the most important business and brand asset you manage, especially in relationships with customers, clients, employees, and stakeholders. Our economy works because people trust each other and the businesses they support. Trust requires a relationship between two people, and all relationships are complex. Despite the whole “opposites attract” thing, most people tend to like people who are similar to themselves. We tend to trust those whom we like. As the saying goes, “great minds think alike”. [caption id="attachment_3017" align="alignleft" width="300"] Different ways of thinking lead to bigger, better ideas[/caption] I believe, however, that great minds thinking alike is often a problem. What we need today is as many good yet different ideas as possible, so we can pick the absolute best one. And that means coming up with different perspectives and different ways of approaching and meeting particular needs. Diversity, then, is about ROI (Return on Investment), not just about being ‘nice’.
It takes a team to win
If you were to look at universities that have contributed the most Nobel Laureates, you'd see a pattern emerge. By and large, these universities designed courses, spaces, labs, and other interventions that encouraged interaction between diverse groups of people. [caption id="attachment_3038" align="alignleft" width="300"] Good teamwork is everything[/caption] Building collaborative spaces and cross-functional teams probably feels doable, at face value, for most organisations. But ensuring that people like or trust one another? That doesn’t feel as easy, does it? Make no mistake, it can be done. It comes down to understanding and encouraging behaviours that build trust - things such as active listening, transparency, authenticity, empathy, helpfulness, recognition - and discouraging ones that break trust. This recipe works not just for universities. This is relevant for companies and organisations, for everyone in fact. I saw the same pattern when I studied Google’s Project Aristotle. In looking at what makes teams successful, Google also concluded that trust was the single most important factor. [caption id="attachment_3039" align="alignleft" width="300"] Trust is the glue that holds things together[/caption] Without trust, collaboration simply doesn’t happen. And without collaboration, you can’t achieve innovation. In other words, you can have the smartest, most incredible ideas in the history of mankind, but if you can’t communicate them and collaborate well with others, you won’t be successful. The same is true for companies undergoing massive transformation efforts right now. If people can’t collaborate well across functions and teams, failure is inevitable. Let me be clear. Without risk there is no reward. There is no innovation without failure. “Fail fast” is often associated with the lean startup methodology. I prefer another approach: learn from your mistakes. Sometimes you are a fast learner, sometimes you are slow. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
From Projects to Experiments
Words mean a lot to me. Many people talk about change. I prefer to talk about improvement. Everything can be improved. This year, for example, I updated my website. Instead of “Projects” it now says “Experiments”. I believe in learning by doing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. “Human progress has always been driven by a sense of adventure and unconventional thinking.” Andre Geim, Nobel Prize in Physics 2010
People call me Change Maker, Collaboration Evangelist, Thinker-Doer, Thought Leader. Once one of the Big Five Tech Companies even called me a Gold Finder. Personally, I don’t care about titles. I like to inspire diverse teams to face reality, problem-solve, and contribute innovative solutions, no matter what. I believe in bridges. If I can add at least one 'brick ' to a bridge that helps span a gap somewhere, then I’m satisfied. It's back to that idea of bridging - or at least narrowing - the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. P.S.. I also believe that it not only takes a team to win, but also that winning teams can change the world. ”
David McWilliams is a leading Brexit commentator, and one of our most popular speakers on economic issues. This week he gave us an exclusive short interview on what he thinks Brexit will bring for Ireland.
[caption id="attachment_2347" align="alignleft" width="150"] David McWilliams[/caption] Q. 1 Brexit, the upshot - good or bad for Ireland? It's a huge medium-term opportunity for Ireland. As well as trading together, Ireland and the UK are in competition for talent and capital and Brexit will unleash forces in the UK which will make Ireland look like the best place to invest in the EU. Q. 2 You do a lot of talks on Brexit. What do companies most want to know and why? Companies trading with the UK need to know what supply-chain implications Brexit suggests. The international trading system makes a mockery of notions like the national economy idea; all economies are interdependent, and where the Brexit people have got it wrong is the idea that they can insulate their economy. Most companies want to know how bad the short-term disruptions will be and what the long term opportunities look like. Q. 3 What areas of trade will be most immediately impacted if there is a hard Brexit? Manufacturing will be most hurt, plus importing or retail and some food. But it will not last too long. Q.4 We talk a lot about the downside of Brexit, but what are the opportunities if any? The opportunities are enormous. Brexit will see the UK enter a 10-year period of political conflict, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland . You will also have a situation where there is an economic chasm between a rabid Tory party and an extreme Labour Party; the former wants to destroy workers’ right, while Labour wants to destroy capital’s rights. Business doesn’t like uncertainty, and the result is that Ireland Inc will look like a fantastic destination in this world. Q.5 What impact has the diplomatic fallout from Brexit had on Ireland’s ability to do business with the U.K.? I don’t think this will be a big deal. Lots of anti-Irish stuff going around but this will cool down. See here.(you will need a Financial Times subscription to read this) https://www.ft.com/content/eaae31b2-c004-11e9-9381-78bab8a70848 Q.6 Do you think there will be any long-term damage to relations between the two countries, or that the current tensions will ease once the shape of Brexit - and the Border issue - is finally clear? See here (you will need a Financial Times subscription to read this) https://www.ft.com/content/7d5244a0-f22d-11e8-ae55-df4bf40f9d0d Q.7 And finally, the million-dollar question. If you had to devise a workable alternative to the backstop, what would it be? Wait for the next election. The DUP won’t hold the balance of power and NI becomes a special economic area. ”
“Brexit is around the corner, and businesses and organisations everywhere are keen to know what it will bring and how they can approach it with confidence. We've assembled a panel of economists, journalists, broadcasters, business figures and politicians who, as MC, keynote speaker or panellist, can speak with authority, knowledge and insight about the opportunities and challenges that it presents to Ireland - and indeed the island of Ireland - in terms of its trade with the UK and Europe. Here they are. ”
“It’s almost here. Whether it’s hard or soft, and under the stewardship of Boris Johnson, Brexit is happening at the end of October. And while arguments rage about the scope and nature of its impact, there’s no doubt that it will impact trade and the way we do business with the UK and Europe. [caption id="attachment_2981" align="alignleft" width="591"] Whatever way it goes - no deal, or deal - it seems to be down to the throw of a dice[/caption] This week we got a vox pop of the opinions of some of the economists and business speakers on our roster who write and/or talk extensively about Brexit and what Irish business can expect if, as predicted, the U.K. leaves the EU at the end of October. Because whether they leave with a bang or a whimper, it seems the U.K. is certainly going, even if not in the way they originally imagined. And we need to adjust to the changes Brexit brings sooner rather than later if we are to make the transition to a different but still positive and productive relationship with our soon-to-be-former EU neighbour. So here are our speakers on Brexit - the people with something to say that is important, interesting, compelling and engaging. If you would like to get in touch with us to inquire about having one of them come in to talk, email joanne@personallyspeakingbureau.com.
Author, Journalist, Lecturer, Broadcaster and Documentary Maker
"Brexit is a great opportunity for Ireland......... Capital and talent will flow in here, as the UK loses its lustre for investors." David is well-known and highly regarded for his strong yet informed opinions on Brexit (and much else besides). He has written widely on the topic in his column in the Irish Times, and also spoken about it to organisations and companies across the country. For David, it's all about the facts, not the fantasies, of Brexit.
Matt Cooper
Broadcaster, Journalist, Author
Matt, who has called Brexit 'a shambles', is an incisive MC and speaker who brings energy, wit and intelligence to the debate on this crucial issue.
Chief Economist, Institute of International and European Affairs
Dan's unique selling point on Brexit is that he was the only Irish commentator to critique the backstop from the very beginning (Nov 2017), arguing that it risked collapsing the exit talks and bringing about that which it was designed to prevent. Unfortunately, as he argues, that analysis now looks as if it will be proved right.
John Stapleton
The Authentic Entrepreneur - Turning Uncertainty into Competitive Advantage
Expert on Future of Housing and Cities
Broadcaster, Entrepreneur, and former Politician
Ivan is never less than entertaining and well-prepared and is also provocative in the best meaning of the word - highlighting issues and angles that others are often unwilling to tackle and unpicking them with energy and his unerring sense of the political realities of Brexit.
Ian Kehoe
Journalist, Author, Broadcaster, Editor of The Sunday Business Post
Ian brings his broad experience and journalistic nose for a story to the tricky topic of Brexit. Expect a measured, knowledgeable talk full of insights.
Padraig O'Ceidigh
Aer Arann Founder, Entrepreneur and Independent Senator
Padraig looks at Brexit from the unique perspective of someone who is both a highly experienced businessman and a seasoned politician.
Marc Coleman
Economist and Best-Selling Author who Predicted Ireland's Miracle Recovery
While with IBEC, Marc set up the first industry task force on Brexit and together with the City of London brought in industry leaders to identify the key challenges and opportunities for Ireland arising from Brexit. He also set up the first task force to analyse the challenges and opportunities of Fintech and produced the first comprehensive budget submission and strategy report.
Bright and Engaging Columnist, Broadcaster, MC and Speaker
Economist and Journalist
Shane Coleman
Author and Current Affairs Broadcaster
"Business hates uncertainty and right now every business, large or small, that exports or imports goods is left in limbo because they cannot know how Brexit is going to play out. It makes planning impossible. My worry would be if some of the predicted fall-out from a no-deal Brexit comes to pass - multi-month slowdowns at ports, medicine shortages, food supply issues etc. - then we are in uncharted territory and the impact on consumer confidence here and in Britain will end up being far more severe than anticipated. "
Gerard Howlin
Public Affairs Consultant, Columnist with The Examiner, Commentator and Former Senior Political Adviser
"Boris Johnson’s real objective is to use Brexit to win a general election, rather than use a general election to secure Brexit"
Professor of Economics and Public Policy at Oxford University and world leading expert on developing markets
Pat Cox
President of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe
Mark Carruthers
Broadcaster and Political Scientist
Margaret Doyle
Reuters Economic Journalist
Jim Power
Chief Economist, and one of Ireland's leading and best-known economic analysts.
"In the face of this Brexit challenge, Ireland will have to display confidence and strength and make sure that we do what needs to be done to ensure future growth and prosperity. We need to understand what sort of future relationship we have with the UK, but we cannot be obsessed about it. As a country we need to be mature and prove to the world that being part of an economic and political union with the UK is not what defines us."
Journalist and Broadcaster for BBC Northern Ireland
Journalist with The Irish Times, Author and Broadcaster
Fintan's columns for The Irish Times are always conversation starters on the pressing issues of the day, but few topics have exercised him as much as Brexit - as much for the cultural fallout as for the economic impact. This has made him a leading voice on the issue. Expect thoughtful, well-reasoned arguments, strong opinions and smart insights.
Fergal Keane
BBC Special Correspondent and Author
Fergal has straddled Irish and British cultures for years as a special correspondent for the BBC, giving him a unique perspective on what Brexit might bring in its wake for both Ireland and the U.K., including - of course - Northern Ireland and the Border Area.
Alan Dukes
Chief Economist and former Politician
Alan has a unique understanding of the long and complex relationship between the U.K. and Ireland thanks to his years in politics and government during the historic period around the passing of the Anglo Irish Agreement. He is also an astute and highly experienced economist with a passion for the bigger 'world picture'.
Journalist, Broadcaster, Political aide, Author, Communicator and Strategist
Alastair has long experience as a commentator on, and participant in, the political landscape of the U.K. He is not entirely convinced that the U.K. will leave the E.U by the October 31st deadline, despite the claims of Boris Johnson. As a movement against Brexit, Alastair has talked much recently about the People's Vote campaign, arguing that "where we can make a difference, as we have shown, is in changing opinion."
“This week's blog is by the remarkable Marga Hoek, who recently joined our speaker roster. Marga is an award-winning author, a successful businesswoman and a global thought leader on sustainable business and capital. This year her influence and impact were recognised when she was chosen to be one of the Thinkers50 - people in business who come up with the leading management ideas of our age. [caption id="attachment_2894" align="alignleft" width="211"] Marga Hoek, thought leader on sustainable business and capital[/caption] In this blog, her message here is that addressing climate change and succeeding in business are not mutually exclusive. Sustainable business is possible. Now that's a message I think people want - and need - to hear more. _______________________________________________________________ Last year, more than 24 million people were displaced by weather-related disasters, affecting the economy, business and society at large. The number of such events has nearly quadrupled since 1970. It’s a trend, sadly, that’s likely to continue. But if approached correctly, climate change represents a remarkable opportunity for business to succeed economically and become a powerful force for good - one that works for the benefit of business, humanity and the planet.
Climate change affects every aspect of life
Climate change has detrimental consequences - many more than meet the eye. Globally it’s creating energy inequality and resource scarcity, for example, which are intertwined: a negative impact on one has a negative impact on the other. Poverty is also closely related to these negative climate impacts, with many millions having no access to basic energy services, fresh water or sanitary provisions. [caption id="attachment_2903" align="alignleft" width="300"] Survivors walk amongst the ruins left in the wake of Hurricane Irma in Florida[/caption] Despite being faced with this, we are not slowing down the use of energy and resources; instead, use is growing — rapidly. Growing material and resource use is driven by expanding populations, consumption trends in mainly developed economies and the transformation of developing economies. Demand for resources has shifted from traditionally agriculture-based economies to modern urban and industrial economies.
Make business a force for good
Climate change adversely affects important aspects of everyday life. If we want to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement of 2015 as they are incorporated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), there is a turning point right here, right now. And business is poised to be a real force for good – if it chooses to be. [caption id="attachment_2906" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Sustainable Development Goals is a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 for the year 2030[/caption] As John Pearley Huffman says in a recent satirical piece in which he jokingly compares Earth to a car, "No one owns Earth, but 7.7 billion humans are supposed to do regular maintenance". But the truth is, sadly, that many of us don't.
The power of business
For business, and capital, there is a major role to play — a role more impactful, crucial and meaningful than ever before. Just imagine, for one second, the power that business has. Fifty of the largest economies are in fact corporations, operating throughout the entire planet. And consider the investment potential of private capital, which today is a much larger percentage than public investment potential; for instance, the percentage of total capital flows of donor countries’ ODAs into emerging markets has decreased from over 50% to less than 10%, while private capital flows have increased in scale and volume.
“Climate change is not only a societal disaster but also an economic catastrophe”. Business leaders like Feike Sijbesma, Gerard Mestrallet and Paul Polman point this out regularly. And rightly so, since we cannot have business without a planet. When it comes to climate change, business has a choice about what to do and it needs be aware that it makes that choice: be part of the solution or continue to be part of the ever-growing problem. Business and capital can be a huge power for good. And economically, there is no reason not to be.
Without a planet there is no business
We need the planet so much more than the planet needs us. This means that we have no option — even and also from a business perspective — other than to help solve the global climate and resource crisis that is now staring us in the face. [caption id="attachment_2901" align="alignleft" width="300"] One planet, but millions of people - and businesses[/caption] Business and private capital can thus be a huge power for good. It’s important to be aware that business solutions are as much needed as they are profitable. And that certainly applies to business solutions addressing climate change. Solutions for reducing food waste dramatically, for instance, prevent huge economic loss, gets more people fed — which is imperative since there are still nearly 800 million people going to bed hungry — and has an enormous impact on climate change since food and land-use systems account for over 25% of greenhouse emissions.
Real-life examples of innovation
Examples of such business innovations exist right now, around the globe. One case in point is the private equity fund InterEnergy, which has invested in the development and construction of the Laudato Si wind park in Penonome, Panama. As Central America’s biggest wind farm, the 215-megawatt Penonome plant will eliminate 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year — roughly the equivalent of taking 84,000 cars off the road. [caption id="attachment_2899" align="alignleft" width="300"] Wind farm. Photo: Stephanie Sawyer for Getty Images[/caption]
Adopt a model that works for business and humanity
Creating business models that respond to both energy efficiencies and people’s everyday needs can deliver solutions with major societal impact. As the largest environmental cause of disease and death, air pollution has become one of the major health risks on the planet. Business can be part of the solution here as well. In Mexico City, one of the biggest and most polluted cities in the world, the hospital Torre de la Especialidades was designed to transform air pollutants into harmless chemicals such as water. The building’s outer layer is made up of a new type of tile called ‘ProSolve370e’, which has the ability to neutralise the pollution of 8,750 cars a day. A building that gives back to the environment and society, rather than draining either, is really quite something. [caption id="attachment_2900" align="alignleft" width="300"] Air pollution thickens the sky over Mexico City[/caption] Another inspiring example is that of the flooring company Interface, which has made CO2 their friend instead of their enemy. They discovered that the CO2 could be used as an ingredient for their carpet tiles. They now call that project ‘Climate Take Back’ and are scaling it up throughout the world.
Scale up radical solutions
The list goes on, but even more is needed. We need more solutions, at a larger scale to succeed. So let’s get down to business. Which in the end is in its own best interest. And will save our planet.”
“Every now and then, a new business book hits a sweet spot. And in the last fortnight, I’ve been lucky enough to encounter two: US marketer Michael Hyatt’s Free to Focus, and WIRED UK former founding editor David Rowan’s Non-Bullshit Innovation, recently named by the Financial Times as one of its Business Books of the Month. In that tight space somewhere between topical and necessary on my reading list, I regularly – where I can – fit in books that spark the grey cells and lubricate my creative thinking. Now, for large swathes of the year ……..cue the sound of tumbleweeds ……that list remains shamefully under-resourced. I try not to beat myself up about it, but when I heard recently that the average (I’m presuming, successful) CEO reads at least 60 books a year, I thought I’d better up my game.
Make Your Reading Multi-task
And if I’m going to read a business book, if it can overlap with my private life and offer learnings there, well, so much the better. Two birds, one stone. You get the picture. [caption id="attachment_2869" align="alignright" width="300"] Free to Focus, by Michael Hyatt[/caption] So when Michael Hyatt’s hardback Free to Focus thumped onto the doormat last week I was thrilled to read that, just as he had promised, this is a book that does just that. No surprise that I found the strapline particularly inviting: "A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less". Who wouldn't like that idea?
Speak to Your Audience
For those not familiar with him, Hyatt is a U.S. author, blogger, speaker and leadership mentor with a nice line in best-selling books on planning, leadership and goal-setting. Hyatt shares his knowledge widely and generously. A shrewd businessman and leader, in his books he has an ability to speak simply and directly both to the reader and to the problem at hand. [caption id="attachment_2875" align="alignleft" width="294"] Michael Hyatt, marketer, leadership mentor, CEO[/caption] In Free to Focus, the problem is a knotty one: in a world full of distraction and pressures – Hyatt calls it the ‘Distraction Economy’ - how can we focus on what matters and get it done well?
Do away with the 'clutter'
Hyatt identifies and then strips away all the ‘clutter’ we fill our time with, whether through habit or in response to demands placed on us (including the unreasonable ones), and shows us how to set and reach the goals that matter, personally and professionally. I especially love the recommendation that concludes the chapter titled ‘Eliminate’: build a Not-to-Do List. Now there’s a list I’d like to stick on the fridge! When you complete this list, he says, ‘you should be able to look back at it and recognize each of the items listed as being too low-leverage, unimportant or irrelevant to occupy your attention at all.” I’m not quite finished the book yet, but already I can feel ideas from it coming into my head when I am planning the week/month/quarter ahead. I like it because like all good business books, it gets me asking questions, like ‘What do I really need to focus on? Where or how can I create value, serve a purpose, build a great or better relationship, or generate goodwill or impact?
Innovation, but not as you know it
[caption id="attachment_2868" align="alignright" width="196"] Non-Bullshit Innovation, by David Rowan[/caption] The second book I came across is very different in content but is also guaranteed to get you thinking. Just like Hyatt’s book, David Rowan’s brilliant No-Bullshit Innovation has a deeply compelling byline: "Radical Ideas from the World’s Smartest Minds". In a breezy, engaging style, Rowan, in his search for approaches to innovation that really work, tours what he regards as some of the most innovative people and companies in the world.
It's not just the big companies that innovate
As the title strongly suggests, he deplores bullshit of any variety, particularly some of the titles used to describe a person or department charged with ‘innovation.’ Titles like ‘innovation sherpa’ (that one made me chuckle). Rowan invites us to look beyond labels and formulas to explore what really makes for true innovation: diversity of thought, resilience, collaboration across disciplines, ages, cultures. There are some familiar names in the books, like Google and Qantas, but it’s not all about the big guys. I found the example of a London bookshop particularly interesting, perhaps because the end of the bookshop has seemed imminent for so long (and I do love books). [caption id="attachment_2877" align="alignleft" width="300"] Heywood Hill in Mayfair, London[/caption]
Re-invent your business
Heywood Hill, in the very upmarket neighbourhood of Mayfair, found a way of reinventing itself as a high-end book-subscription or library-assembly service (piece of trivia: the shop was mentioned in John le Carré’s novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and is owned by the wonderfully named Peregrine Cavendish, 12th Duke of Devonshire). In one case, Heywood was even commissioned to assemble a vast library of books for a wealthy client’s overseas home. For a small business to make a leap like this takes not just courage, but real imagination. So inspiring! And that’s the main word I would use for Rowan’s book. Inspiring. This is a book that gets you thinking - and thinking hard - about what innovation really means and who really creates it best. The Financial Times reviewer puts it well, "Innovation can be encouraged, but it is a mistake to think that it can be planned, predicted or summoned to order. It is a thing that emerges from an ecosystem of experimentation, in unexpected ways, and it grows in a seedbed called freedom". So, how can we find ways to provide that kind of freedom? I'd love to know your thoughts! ”
“A former professional rugby player who has recently joined our speaker roster, Aidan McCullen of Flow Consulting Group speaks around the world on topics like Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Leadership, Innovation, and Sports Principles for Business. [caption id="attachment_2851" align="alignleft" width="300"] Aidan McCullen, consultant and champion for change[/caption] A champion for change, Aidan is also the host of The Innovation Show podcast. At heart, in the topics it covers and the people he interviews, this show speaks to the human need to learn: how to adapt and love a changing world. And it was this very theme of change that we chose to feature this week in a piece adapted from a blog post that Aidan published last year. Enjoy! ________________________________________________________________ “The Phoenix Must Burn to Emerge.” — Janet Fitch I’m incredibly fortunate to have grown up in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, Ireland, where my father (now retired) was the Park Superintendent. He is largely responsible for renovating the Park to its current glory, but when we first moved there it was neglected and in need of investment. [caption id="attachment_2852" align="alignright" width="300"] Mature trees alongside saplings in the Phoenix Park[/caption] My father immediately saw that the beautiful mature trees adorning the main avenue would all die in the coming decades, so he set about securing budget to plant new trees in between; the older trees would shelter the younger ones as they grew to maturity. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” — Chinese Proverb Something similar has to happen when it comes to business succession planning, or what I like to call “Phoenix Businesses”. These businesses consistently renew themselves by using the ashes of their previous incarnation as sustenance during their early fledgling years. Just like the mature trees in the Phoenix Park, the mature business protects its successor saplings to ensure the species’ survival, with minimal disruption to the ecosystem. [caption id="attachment_2854" align="alignnone" width="300"] The mythical phoenix bird, which arises, reborn, from its own ashes and thus regenerates over and over[/caption] The challenges we experience in personal transformations echo those experienced by any business. When we are operating in a certain paradigm or pattern, it can be very difficult to change our perspective, or so involved in protecting current profits that we cannot foresee possible disruptions. We (and forgive the analogy) cannot see the wood for the trees. But if we’re to succeed in life - and in business - we cannot stagnate. When we can achieve even marginal gains today compared to the person/business we were yesterday, then we’re progressing. It is when we’re blind to necessary evolution, wilfully or not, that we risk stagnation, decline and death.
First an Act of Destruction: Fire Regimes
“Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” — Pablo Picasso A fire regime refers to wildfire patterns in an area over long periods of time. Since the 1900s, humankind has tampered with natural fires. However, wildfires are actually essential for the renewal of natural ecosystems. If too infrequent, plants may mature, deteriorate, or die without releasing their seed, but if too frequent, plants may be killed before they mature or release their seed. [caption id="attachment_2853" align="alignright" width="300"] Lodgepole pine cones, which open when exposed to the heat from a wildfire or from direct sunlight[/caption] In forests prone to fire, plant life has adapted in fascinating ways. Some trees produce resin-coated cones containing mature seeds that are activated only when fire breaks out. Other plants’ seeds have a thick outer coating that needs to be burnt off by fire to release the seed. Just like the phoenix, they then rise from the ashes. Businesses can learn a lot from forest fire ecosystems (as can humans).
Decay Rate”S”
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus 535 BC — 475 BC Just as forest life has adapted to wildfire, businesses must evolve to meet new market expectations. Disruption and/or evolution demands new skillsets and, crucially, new mindsets - before they are ever required. These can then be called upon when, say, an unexpected change in market conditions makes the old skills/mindsets obsolete or ineffectual. The key here is that the new skills involve unlearning as much as learning anew. Today, a company’s “competitive relevance” has an increasingly shorter lifespan, especially if that company does not believe in succession planning. The sheer speed of change means the linear lifespan of companies is declining rapidly. But it is not helpful to envisage businesses — nor lives for that matter — in a linear fashion. Linear suggests a start and a finish, a straight line until you die, but we’re not made for that, and nor is business. Instead, we need to visualise evolution in ways that are helpful, such as S Curves and Decay Rates. [caption id="attachment_2858" align="alignright" width="300"] S curves are a helpful way to illustrate continual innovation[/caption] S curves can be used to map company/product performance over time. There is flat growth at the bottom of the S, followed by rapid growth and then a dominant market position at the top of the S. After dominance, businesses or products start to plateau and experience stagnation, process optimisation, automation and job cuts.
Innovate, don't stagnate
While market dominance is desirable in any endeavour, success can be a terrible teacher. When we’re dominant in any field we often become complacent and so stop learning, seeking or being curious. We become fixated on maintaining growth by optimising, cost cutting and entering new geographical markets. If they’re to innovate, companies and leaders must ALSO (not instead) manage the - evolutionary - jump from one S curve to the next. This means succession planning. Think back to the mature trees and the saplings; they are grown simultaneously, side by side, well before the older trees expire. Similarly, businesses must invest in new directions long before their current business experiences any decline. One great champion of jumping the S curve and thus securing its future is IBM. For decades now, IBM has been dabbling in the world of AI, machine learning and algorithms. Those AI seeds have been incubating carefully and are now ready to bloom. Now, imagine if IBM hadn’t incubated, invested, or taken a punt? That would mean the end of the road for IBM, a long, painful kiss goodnight.
Be in Control
“Death is nature’s way of making things continually interesting. Death is the possibility of change. Every individual gets its allotted lifespan, its chance to try something new on the world. But time is called and the molecules which make up leaf and limb, heart and eye are disassembled and redistributed to other tenants.” ― Peter Steinhart Most of us, I imagine, would rather be in control of our destiny than leave it entirely to fate. So as well as managing the business as it is today, we need to lead the business of tomorrow. It makes for a powerful combination. Businesses simply must devote effort to the future of their business - the saplings - or the lineage will end with them.
Know your constraints
On an innovation show I recorded last October (EP 125: The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time), I talk with Allen Gannett, Big Data entrepreneur, CEO of Trackmaven and author of “The Creative Curve”. [caption id="attachment_2859" align="alignright" width="300"] Allen Gannett, CEO of TrackMaven[/caption] In it Allen shares frameworks for creativity in everything from movies to ice cream. There is power in understanding frameworks, particularly constraints. When you understand your constraints, you understand what you’re working with. As a former professional rugby player, retiring at a young age was one such constraint. For me this was a tremendous gift - to understand that you have a decay rate. To rise from the ashes of that world, you must be willing to ‘kill’ that old version of yourself. You can then take the best bits from the ashes and merge them with your new skills to create a better, evolved version of yourself. This has become a framework to live by: killing yesterday’s version of yourself every night and rising anew every morning. Like businesses, humans have decay rates; the one great certainty is death (and taxes. Thank you, Marvin Gaye). Life is a framework. Knowing you are going to die makes living all the more exciting, and sometimes we need to be reminded of that. “Death twitches my ear. Live, he says, I am coming.” — Virgil”
“Are we doing enough to support inclusion and diversity? That’s a question that comes up often in my work on the conference circuit. I guess it’s because at heart, events are all about ideas, and to get the best ideas, we need to tap as wide and diverse a network as possible, which makes inclusion and diversity key concerns for all of us. These days, these terms are buzzwords, and rightly so, with many formerly under-represented or oppressed groups finally finding their voice. And people are listening, too.
Effecting change from the top down
Caroline Casey has been speaking about diversity and inclusion for years through the prism of disability (she is legally blind), but today she is tackling it from a different angle – from the top down. [caption id="attachment_2832" align="alignleft" width="300"] Valuable500's slogan[/caption] With the slogan 'If disability is not on your board agenda, neither is diversity', The Valuable 500 is a campaign (led by Caroline) to get the CEOs of 500 leading companies to put disability at the heart of their business agenda, because doing so makes sense financially and ethically. As Caroline says, it simply makes good business sense to acknowledge, engage and tap into a cohort that makes up 15% of the global population (yep, that's one-five, fifteen).
Look past your limits
[caption id="attachment_2833" align="alignright" width="300"] Caroline during her 2010 TED Talk, 'Looking past limits'[/caption] Eight years ago, Caroline gave a TED Talk urging people to look past the limits we place on others when we see only their disability, not their ability. She spoke from the heart, from her own experience (she is legally blind). That talk has since been viewed over 20 million times.
Don't be 'divers-ish'
Her work today with Valuable also comes straight from the heart. And it’s striking a chord with people across the globe, from Colombia to Iceland. Caroline believes it’s because real inclusion and diversity are about something far bigger than box-ticking or using the right pronouns. As Valuable campaign puts it so well in its hilarious video, we need to do far more than being ‘diversish’.
Be yourself - and belong
Ultimately, we need to be fostering a sense of belonging - a belief that we are all part of humanity, but also that we are free to be ourselves, and are valuable just as we are. [caption id="attachment_2828" align="alignright" width="300"] Caroline grabbing a 'disco nap' before taking the stage[/caption] Caroline and Valuable are travelling the world to find remarkable people willing to commit to this new vision of diversity. She’s barely had time to sleep (except for a nap before a gig, caught on Instagram), but we did manage to get a few words from her as she waited on the runway for yet another flight. **************************************************************** I’m sitting on the plane to Canada ahead of a ten-day whirlwind trip that includes stops at Israel and Iceland via London and back. It comes after an extraordinary ten days in New York and London where it felt as if something had shifted. Finally, it feels as if the time is “now”. [caption id="attachment_2829" align="alignleft" width="300"] Caroline on Bloomberg in NYC with Janet Riccio of Omnicom, one of the Valuable500 Leaders[/caption]
Leading Valuable
I have a deep sense that everything in the past 19 years has prepared me for this time. Every disappointment, failure, pivot, celebration, success, idea, heartache, mistake, reset - all of it has brought me to this extraordinary place where I have the capability and capacity to lead the Valuable 500. People who have watched my 2010 TED talk believe that my grit, my trademark characteristic, is a result of living with a visual impairment (I can't see beyond the end of my hand). But while it may play a part, it is a very small part.
My work, not my disability, is my story
My ferocious tenacity comes from surviving much more complex and painful life experiences. I have chosen not to make them my story, and instead channel the learning and survival of them to progress this work I feel so passionately about. No one can tell a survivor to “give up”, especially when they see their survival in the rear-view mirror.
Don't choose one category over another
The Valuable500 goes far deeper than our clear call to action to 500 global business leaders to put Disability on their board agenda. It is a roar from my belly about human belonging and the complete injustice that has made it acceptable to choose one category of humanity over each other. This tendency - and it's a common one - is played out beautifully in our #diversish film. [caption id="attachment_2834" align="alignright" width="300"] Caroline in NYC ahead of the first public screening of 'Diversish' - May 2019[/caption] Valuable is a cry for the invisible to become visible; a plea to acknowledge that we are all equal and have the right to be seen and understood as ourselves. It is about being believed and taken seriously.
Keep going, keep the faith
In the process of building this movement, I've learnt that it is all the “trying” and “failing” that has been a potent tool for change. I’ve learnt, too, that you cannot timetable change. You simply keep going, head down in the snowstorm, having faith.
Find the 'Head-Heart' leaders
[caption id="attachment_2835" align="alignright" width="300"] The best leaders combined a great head with a big heart[/caption] I’ve learnt that in the beginning, you don’t have to change everyone. You just need a handful of risk takers: visionaries who will bet on you, leaders willing to stand up in empty rooms and keep their word, those who will stick by you until the job is done, those willing to start, to say they don’t know, to admit when they’re wrong. I call them Head-Heart Leaders. And somehow The Valuable 500 have found them. But mostly I have learnt that I needed to let go of my ego - my disease to please; to trust my heart, instinct and intention; work on my demons; and dance with failure and joy in equal measure.
Do better with diversity - it's better business
I am on the most extraordinary journey of my life. And have never felt so alive. I want to deliver The Valuable 500 more than anything I have attempted or done to date, and somehow I have the complete faith it will happen. [caption id="attachment_2836" align="alignnone" width="300"] Caroline with some of the Valuable500 team and others at St. James's Palace, London, May 2019[/caption] I have been training for this moment my whole life. It's been a long time coming, but it's happening. And I believe we will all be better people - and do better business - because of it. ”
“Mental health affects everything, including our work life. This week is Mental Health Week in the U.K. so we thought we'd get the thoughts of some of our speakers on a complex subject that more and more companies are trying to address. In this guest blog, Dr. Mark Rowe makes a powerful case for embracing stress if we are to become happy. [caption id="attachment_2796" align="alignleft" width="506"] Dr. Mark Rowe. Author, speaker, expert in positive health and lifestyle medicine[/caption] ************************************************************************** John (not his real name) was at breaking point when I saw him - burnt out. Years of ‘all work and no play,’ combined with the physical and mental strain of trying to be all things to everyone, had eventually taken their toll. Negative equity and debt had left him emotionally wiped. With mild depressive symptoms, relationship issues and so much negative stress, his life was definitely on a downward spiral. To get back on track, John needed not just medication but ‘talking treatment’ (counselling). But to get back to his best, he needed to learn some habits that really supported his well-being and vitality.
Progress, not Perfection
Change rarely happens overnight, so I encourage clients to make small improvements, step by step, with the focus at all times on progress, not perfection. [caption id="attachment_2797" align="alignleft" width="600"] Progress, not perfection, is the key[/caption] I encouraged John to keep a journal. Slowly he became more aware of how negative thoughts were holding him back, and how to reframe situations in a more positive light. By writing about things he felt genuinely grateful for, he learned to express gratitude regularly. He set goals for his physical health and personal development, built a great exercise habit and learned to reduce his exposure to negative ‘noise’ in the media and in his relationship by creating what I call micro moments of positivity – a short coffee break, a friendly call. More importantly, by being more present, John opens himself up to listen and to share himself with others.
Today John is utterly transformed. Having had the courage to take back control of his life, he is healthier, off medication, more engaged with family and friends, more in touch with his emotions, happier and more fulfilled. In his own words, his breakdown became his breakthrough, enabling him to really grow as a person.
The Epidemic of Stress
The World Health Organisation calls stress the health epidemic of the 21st century and claims that learning to manage your own stress is one of the most significant health challenges of the future. This is because chronic negative stress can have significant harmful health consequences including increased blood pressure, heart disease, fatigue, impaired concentration and compromised immunity. [caption id="attachment_2798" align="alignleft" width="651"] Stress can tie us up in knots - photo by monkeybusinessimages[/caption]
Your beliefs can be the difference
What does ‘stress’ mean to you? Is it health depleting or health enhancing? The prevailing mindset is that stress is the all-pervasive destroyer of physical health, psychological fitness and emotional vitality. And this belief is backed up by a wealth of data highlighting the potential impact of negative stress.
Stress: good or bad?
But what if the impact of stress was down more to your beliefs about stress than the stress itself? That's what a brilliant piece of research found in 1998 when 30,000 American adults were asked two questions.
How much stress are you experiencing in your life?
Do you believe the stress you're under is harmful to your health or not?
[caption id="attachment_2799" align="alignleft" width="592"] Not all stress is bad[/caption] Over the following eight years, those people who had said they were under a lot of stress had a 43% percent increase in mortality. But – and here's where it gets really interesting - these adverse effects were found to apply only to those people who answered the second question by saying they believed stress was harmful to them. The same research found no adverse effects whatsoever in those who had said they were under a lot of stress but didn't actually believe that stress was harmful! Perhaps the effect you expect tends to be the effect you get.
What if we embraced stress?
Eradicating stress is neither possible nor necessary. Rather, I believe we can – and should - embrace stress by developing resilience and by ensuring we recharge from stress. By choosing to embrace stress, you become more effective at seeing the setbacks, struggles and so-called failures as opportunities to grow and to learn something useful - and ultimately, to become stronger. Letting go becomes much easier, so you cope in healthy ways and grow psychologically. And finally, by recognising that a certain amount of stress is needed to move forward and perform at your best, you become resilient. [caption id="attachment_2800" align="alignleft" width="645"] Embracing stress can energise us, not drain us[/caption]
Six Strategies for Embracing Stress
But as I said above, the process of embracing stress takes time. It can be a tricky enough idea to get your head around, so I’ve developed six strategies to consider as you embrace stress. Recognise The Need For Mindset Change Recognise that stress in and of itself is neither good nor bad. What’s important is your ability to recharge from stress. Instead of trying to eradicate stress, learn skills to embrace it. Reframe Consider how can you use a difficult experience as an opportunity to grow. In medicine we talk about post-traumatic stress disorder, which can occur after serious life events, but post-traumatic growth is also possible, where adversity leads to a new perspective and to emotional and spiritual growth. Keeping a written journal is a powerful way to reframe experiences positively. Remember to focus on what you can control Choosing to focus more of your attentive awareness on those things you can control and positive actions you can take is empowering and builds autonomy, a key variable in well-being. Viktor Frankl puts it beautifully in his book 'Man’s Search for Meaning'. Despite the depravity of his incarceration in a Nazi concentration camp, he believed he was free to choose how to respond in any given moment. You too can choose how to respond. Realistic Optimism I call realistic optimism the oxygen for opportunity in life: the belief that things can get better because you’re going to do something about it. Realistic optimism is your commitment to turn your ‘can I or can’t I, will I or won’t I?’ into ’when will I and how?’ In so doing, through your own efforts, you increase the likelihood of these events becoming reality. As you learn to reframe challenging situations in a more positive way, realistic optimism enables you to dissipate negative stress, helping to tip the scales of positivity back in your direction. You develop more grit and the determination to keep going, and cultivate real resilience. Remember Self-Care It’s so important to recharge, to build your own personal ‘well-being buffer’ that encompasses physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects. I prescribe a strategy I term radical self-care because it really is that important: regular exercise, restorative sleep, eating healthfully, ensuring enough time to unplug and unwind. Strengthening your mindset and investing in your ‘emotional bank account’ establishes a reservoir of psychological fitness and positivity that you can draw upon when you need it. We all need to connect to our sense of purpose, knowing that what we do and who we are in the world really does matter. Reach out to others Just as our stress response releases powerful stress hormones like cortisol, it also releases oxytocin, which builds a sense of compassion and the willingness to connect with others. Recent research from Harvard University has found that oxytocin can heal heart receptors damaged by stress hormones. So our bodies have a solution built in. It’s good to talk, to friends, family or a trained therapist, and build rich relationships that will support you to share the inevitable worries of life.
Embrace stress - enjoy success
[caption id="attachment_2801" align="alignleft" width="355"] Mindset change is possible - it just takes time - image, VectorStock[/caption] It's certainly a mindset change for many of us, but if we choose to view stress as something to be embraced, we can be more present and far more effective at what we do. The result is enhanced levels of success in relationships, work, creativity, energy and health. And isn't that what we all want? ”
From highly experienced sports and business men and women to people who are just moving into ‘Speaking’, all our Rising Stars have something to say that is different, new, interesting, topical or important - or all of the above.
Whatever the topic, these are speakers worth shouting about!
“Just as in rugby, tactically in business you need to shake things up every so often if you’re to succeed. In conversation this week, former Irish rugby International turned performance expert Bernard Jackman tells me that while the Irish rugby team had an average Six Nations Championship, they are still our best rugby team ever and 2019 will be another year to remember in Irish Rugby. [caption id="attachment_2782" align="alignleft" width="290"] Bernard Jackman[/caption] Why is he so sure? Because this team has a renewed focus on what Bernard calls 'The 4 Cs': Character, Culture, Cohesion and Coaches. This means they can bounce back and be better than ever. Once the players come back from holiday in mid June they will go into the Irish Camp with a laser focus on the Rugby World Cup in Japan this September. When I met him this week, I asked Bernard (who will be covering the tournament for RTE) to explain his thinking to me.
[caption id="attachment_2778" align="alignright" width="300"] Scene from Ireland's historic win over the All Blacks in 2018[/caption] 2018 was an amazing year in Irish rugby. Provincially Leinster won the Double, whilst Ireland won a Grand Slam and beat the All Blacks for the first time in Dublin. We soared to number 2 in the World Rankings and bookings spiked for the World Cup in Japan. Yet after all that success, we had an average 6 Nations where we struggled for form. Despite this though, I feel that we will still have our best ever World Cup and if things go our way we could win it. Even better, I’ll be there to see it!
First up, Character
The #IrishRugby #HighPerformance system is now producing multi-skilled, robust, powerful athletes who also have the #mentaltoughness and maturity to handle pressure and expectation, and actually embrace the mantle of being favourites. These men see that pressure as a privilege - the privilege of being respected and feared - because it comes on the back of their dedication and hard work. [caption id="attachment_2775" align="alignleft" width="300"] Some of Irish rugby's many leaders: (clockwise from top left: Rory Best, Rob Kearney, Keith Earls, Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony, Johnny Sexton[/caption] It's a team full of strong #leaders - Best, O’Mahony, Murray, Sexton, Earls and Kearney - who drive the standards on and off the field that in the long run deliver success. They help Joe Schmidt and his coaches create an environment where it has become second nature to know your role in every moving part of the game and then deliver effectively and consistently. #Accountability is just one area where they really push to extremes, holding themselves and their teammates to account if they fall short. Business can learn a lot from this.
Put #Culture Firmly on the Menu
In business they say 'Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast', and while the ideal scenario is to be strong in both, if you could have only one, then culture is the more important as it’s the motor that drives behaviours. And the culture in the Irish dressing room is very strong. They work incredibly hard on the rituals they feel are important to represent the type of environment they want to be part of.
Create 'social glue' - Cohesion
Ben Darwin, the former Australian rugby International, now has his own consultancy, Gain Line, which works with elite teams across a range of businesses and sports. Ben argues that great teams are more than just the sum of their parts; they’re the product of the connections within the organisation. Building those connections takes time, and requires buy-in from everyone. Schmidt has made sure that every player that he thought could go to Japan was involved in Irish squad sessions well before they were ever officially in the squad; guys like James Ryan, Jordan Lamour and Jack Carty would have been used as opposition in camp long before they made the squad. Taking the long view clearly pays off. [caption id="attachment_2776" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hanging out socially together creates stronger bonds[/caption] The Irish team also create ‘social glue’ – #Cohesion - by spending time at social events together, whether that’s having Christy Moore come to the team hotel for a trad session, or learning more about Irish history by visiting the Titanic Museum in Belfast. When playing for their country, players will act and behave differently than they do in their province as it’s vital that each team has its own way of doing things – one that’s true to their identity - but it’s clear, too, that the Irish team puts great focus on respect and humility.
Coaches: Lead, Communicate, Delegate
Lastly, Ireland has the Coaches to succeed. Joe Schmidt is one of the best coaches in the world. He is an incredible student of the game, ahead of the curve technically and tactically. Schmidt is also a brilliant communicator and leader. He has the respect of every single rugby player in Ireland, and when he presents his game plan the players believe that if they deliver they will win. Joe doesn't leave anything to chance either, recruiting and then mentoring other quality coaches who also lead - people like Andy Farrell (Defence, who will replace him post World Cup), Richie Murphy (Kicking and Skills), Simon Easterby (Forwards) and Greg Feek (Scrum). The Irish team has all four Cs, and all were evident during the 6 Nations. Yet we didn't win the competition. Why? I think there were several reasons why we were not as good as we could have been. We had some key players either injured or coming back from injury and who were not match fit. Despite the focus on building depth over the last four years we don't yet have the luxury of replacing one world-class player with another, and unfortunately if Sexton and Murray are coming back from, or carrying, knocks we are going to struggle, plain and simple. England implemented a very smart kicking game but we had a rookie full back and Keith Earls went off at half time. Being exposed is positive once you learn from it, however, and I’ve no doubt that as a team Ireland will have learnt a lot from that loss and also the loss to Wales, who got an early lead and then defended high up that pitch and were very disruptive at the ruck.
Strong Brain, Great Results
Many believe that when Tiger Woods won his fifth Masters last month, nearly 11 years after his last Major win, it was the greatest sporting comeback of all time. Now, smarter and more qualified people than me can debate where Woods ranks compared to the likes of Monica Seles, Muhammad Ali or Nicki Lauda, but one thing I’m sure of: it proves once again that quality endures, and that as long as the brain remains strong, the body will follow. This Irish rugby team is full of players with great brains and fit bodies, but it has also has real heart. This makes them a force to be reckoned with. And Japan the place to be this September. ”
“[caption id="attachment_2758" align="alignleft" width="665"] Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto[/caption] I can get overwhelmed by all the jargon and the many claims about its potential to change the world. I am not a tech head but I really do want to understand more about #AI, particularly from a business perspective. What is it that businesses need to be considering? I’m very lucky at Personally Speaking to work with speakers who are experts on AI, and I learn a lot from my conversations with them. They are my favourite kind of experts, the type who can make the complex simple, who don't make me feel stupid, who talk to me in a way that I totally get what they are saying. And I like that. I really like that. Terence Mauri says Disrupt or be disrupted [caption id="attachment_2557" align="alignleft" width="202"] Author, speaker, futurist Terence Mauri[/caption] #TerenceMauri urges businesses to take their lead from tech companies and start-ups, who are natural ‘disruptors’ and are an example of new approaches and ways of working that succeed in this new age. He urges leaders to involve everybody in #innovation, to be brave, to move fast and adapt early. He makes me feel inspired by the possibilities - armed to deal with them rather than hesitant about what to do. Now I need to challenge myself about how I, in my business, can disrupt rather than be disrupted. Note to self: Be brave! Involve everybody! Move fast! Margaret Heffernan says When it comes to ethics, keep Tech out of Tech [caption id="attachment_2768" align="alignleft" width="200"] Author, CEO, speaker Margaret Heffernan[/caption] #MargaretHeffernan is passionate about #technology but she challenges the power of AI to fix everything. In a recent piece in the Financial Times, she talks about the importance and complexities of establishing ethics committees that can offer truly objective oversight of the implementation of AI. Tech companies, she claims, are simply not very well equipped to do it, because their passion for the possibilities – the Blue Sky stuff - can ‘blind’ them to potential problems. Such 'wilful blindness' makes social, political and even financial risks impossible to quantify, not least because technology is advancing at often-breakneck speed. And if we can't quantify risks, how can we prepare for them? Margaret's solution? To ensure that ‘ethics committees are made up of disinterested individuals who are capable of crafting a consensus of what is socially acceptable, not merely technically feasible.’ This really challenges the tech companies, but surely it’s better for wider society? Margaret also says Watch your #language! [caption id="attachment_2764" align="alignleft" width="300"] Be careful of the words you use[/caption] AI needs legitimacy if it is to be embraced fully by society, but often, the language that tech companies use is not one that builds trust. Tech companies, Margaret asserts, need to use a different language – one (in Plain English) that allows everyone to understand what they do, for good and bad. Margaret explores this brilliantly in a recent piece published on Jericho Chambers. ‘The only way that the public will trust AI is if the public is involved in debating and deciding where its limits and boundaries are’. Without that participation, she concludes, AI simply won’t be seen as legitimate. Engage your #CriticalThinking I think AI offers many exciting possibilities, particularly for health-care, retail, food production, education, manufacturing and travel. I especially like the idea of driverless cars that allow me to sit in the back and read a book! I feel the downsides are very real too though. We’ve become so accustomed to surveillance cameras, for example, that we forget they are everywhere - on our streets, in the workplace, even - some say - on our mobiles! Surveillance is of course AI; we just never called those cameras AI, but that’s what they are. And when we become so accustomed to something that we simply carry on regardless, our critical faculties can get blunted and we can forget to question things in the way we should. After chatting with Terence Mauri and Margaret Heffernan I feel much better equipped to engage in conversations about some of the things that businesses need to be considering regarding AI. Now that feels brave! ”
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“Frances Keane and her excellent team at Personally Speaking are a pleasure to work with. They prioritise win: win relationships alongside finding the best speaker for the right client. What stands out for me is speed, quality and a relentless commitment to exceeding expectations at every turn. They truly value the personal relationship and getting to know you as a Speaker or a Client. - TERENCE MAURI, INC. MAGAZINE WRITER & Thinkers50 SPEAKER”
“Frances and her team at PS are a joy to work with. Utterly professional, completely reliable, they also care; I’ve never had the experience that any speaker or event is just another piece of business for them. They fully understand the work that I do and have an exceptional knack for matching audiences, clients and speakers. In this day and age, working with people who are both professional and human is a privilege. - MARGARET HEFFERNAN, TED Speaker, Business Author, Entrepreneur, former CEO ”
“There can’t be many speakers who allude to the childhood habits of serial killers in order to make a point, but then, Margaret Heffernan – CEO, coach and mistress of the keynote – is full of interesting ideas. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="474"] Margaret Heffernan, CEO, Author, Speaker[/caption] Margaret, who has spoken at events around the world, is nothing if not a straight talker. And while the language she uses is beautiful – rich with texture – she doesn’t mince her words. It's this directness that audiences connect to; they appreciate the forthrightness, the humour, the authenticity, because if nothing else, they can see that Margaret Heffernan is a woman who walks the talk. In a business world where corporate ‘performance’ can at times mean all style and little substance, this makes her all the more compelling.
Mentor, Author, CEO
Margaret has done a lot in her life and worked with many people across different industries, including being a business coach to a rugby team (the Saracens, no less), authoring books on business and mentorship, and being the CEO of a number of companies. This not only makes her keynotes varied and entertaining, but her insights are all the more useful because her learning has come from so many fields and experiences; she speaks as insightfully about leadership as she does about AI, team building or playing to people's strengths. [caption id="attachment_2698" align="alignleft" width="474"] Frances Keane, CEO of Personally Speaking, with Margaret Heffernan[/caption] Having heard Margaret speak at many events and seen such a positive response to her, I thought I’d share some of the ideas that have caught my imagination. I would love to know what others think of them. For starters - are we brave enough to bring conflict into the open?
Bring on the Conflict
An amazing statistic, this: some 85% of people have concerns about stuff that goes on at work but don't mention it. Margaret Heffernan’s advice? Catch and deal with problems early, and make room for tough conversations because change really happens only when that room exists. Irrespective of size, all organisations need to be building the kinds of teams where it is safe to have frank and #openconflict where team members air their differences rather than dwell on them in private. Which brings us neatly back to that serial killer allusion. Studies show that serial killers’ impulses are first nurtured by killing small animals. If this behaviour isn’t identified early and stopped, it doesn’t, to put it mildly, end well.
Beware of Silence
Margaret’s point, well made, is that in business it doesn’t pay to let things fester. As our grandmothers often said, clean up as you go along. Otherwise, businesses end up with a culture of what she terms 'Organisational Silence’, where everyone knows something is wrong but nothing is being done about it because no one feels they can say anything. In situations like this - and I think we have all experienced them at one time or another - silence is safer for the individual. But at what cost?
It's not the Bricks, it's the Mortar
Margaret is very strong on #socialcapital; what matters most in any organisation is what is happening between individuals. Because we’re human, we judge - we make assumptions. And because in many companies, particularly large ones, people often don’t really know each other well enough, these assumptions are often wrong. The best teams tend to spend time together outside of work, so one of the best ways to guard against assumptions is to hang out and get to know each other. In Margaret's time with Saracens, one of the reasons for the team's success was that they all mucked in together on jobs (like sweeping the changing room floors!) and they also knew each other and their families. This kind of social 'glue' means that people know what is going on for each other, and this sense of ‘having each other’s back’ nurtures social capital. Or as Margaret puts it: "A great team is made up of great individuals who care about each other". How good does that sound?
And then there is the size of a company. Many of the biggest companies in the world are now unwieldy behemoths, but that can hinder meaningful social interaction as team members can end up feeling a bit lost. As an example of how optimal size can help build social capital and the bottom line, in her keynote at the Talent Summit in Dublin this year, Margaret pointed to the company Gortex. On principle, Gortex doesn't allow any of its sites to get bigger than 120 people; that way, it finds, everyone knows each other. So, keep things small - a radical idea! Margaret Heffernan is certainly a woman who invites audiences to think differently about things, so if you want to book her to speak at your next event, simply contact us today to discuss your audience, budget, and goals. #leadership #organisationalculture #teambuilding #teamperformance #success #margaretheffernan #openconflict #socialcapital Follow us on Facebook ”
Paula Mee
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“You could have heard a pin drop during Monica Lewinsky’s afternoon keynote at Wednesday’s Talent Summit in Dublin, but hers was just one of many compelling presentations in what was a really engaging event. Organiser Sigmar Recruitment and sponsor EY deserve hearty congratulations. The all-day conference in Dublin’s Convention Centre featured a varied programme of speakers who addressed a packed audience keen to hear insights into how companies can identify and nurture talent. [caption id="attachment_2616" align="alignleft" width="300"] Frances Keane and Margaret Heffernan[/caption] I had the pleasure of accompanying keynote speaker Margaret Heffernan, author and CEO and one of our most popular keynote and business speakers. Margaret took the stage at 12 noon to a full room of senior executives interested in talent retention, engagement and how to lead in a time of constant change.
Making the Workplace More Human
Margaret’s take-no-prisoners, straight-talking style and evidence-based insights struck a chord with everyone I spoke to. Passionate about human capital and how we need to nurture it, Margaret believes that all organisations – irrespective of size - need to be building the kinds of teams where it is safe to have frank and open conflict. Change really happens only when there is room made for tough conversations, and Margaret’s examples certainly backed this up. Hers was a really compelling and popular talk, and the audience loved it.
Great Flow
One of my bugbears with event organisers is that at times they don't think enough about flow: how energy levels, tone and content combine to maximum effect. Happily, Sigmar had not made this mistake, and the result was a full yet energising day with engaging panel discussions slotted seamlessly between fascinating and, most importantly, relevant keynotes whose content flowed and connected.
Rewarding Mistakes
I enjoyed hearing from Robert Gibbs, Chief Human Capital Officer with NASA. (I do love that job title). My biggest take-away from his talk was that at NASA they actually reward mistakes. People share their mistakes so they can learn from them in order to improve. Again, this linked in with Margaret’s talk, in which she highlighted how few good ideas come from successes; in fact, mostly, the best ones come from mistakes.
For Positive Change, Change Your Perspective
Neil Gibson, Chief Economist from sponsor EY, gave a very thought-provoking, intelligent and humourous keynote on the economy and the future impact on human capital. The big take-home for me was that unless we try to understand those who think differently to us (e.g Brexiteers v Remainers), we won't be able to effect change or work together to create better change that works for everyone.
Listen to those Conversations
Unfortunately I did not see Ian McClean from the Flow Group but I did hear from others that his presentation – about how every conversation matters - was great.
The Power of Empathy
And then came the final keynote from Keynote Monica Lewinsky. A complete hush descended on the room as she talked passionately and elequently about cyber abuse and its serious, sometimes deadly implications. She counts herself lucky that her parents knew what she was going through after the Clinton Affair just as the whole world knew what was happening, but she said that for other innocent people who experience cyber abuse every day, often no-one knows.
Clicking as a Moral Act
Speaking with passion and compassion about how public humiliation has become an industry, Lewinsky argued that today " Clicking is a moral act," and posed the question "are we aware we are public shaming when we click on some gossip or shaming stories"? T Throughout her talk, she highlighted the importance of fostering and showing empathy, maintaining that "Shame cannot survive empathy". Lewinsky made a big impact, and I think one of her closing comments will stay with me for a while: "There is power in small numbers when there is consistency over time". Such statements certainly get you thinking and believing that even on your own, you can make a difference. Congratulations and thanks to EY and to Robert Mac Giolla Phádraig and Adrian McGennis of Sigmar Recruitment on putting on a really great event. Already looking forward to next year!”
Insights Galore at Talent Summit
You could have heard a pin drop during Monica Lewinsky’s afternoon keynote at yesterday’s Talent Summit in Dublin, but hers was just one of many compelling presentations in what was a really engaging event. Organiser Sigmar Recruitment and sponsor EY deserve hearty congratulations. The all-day conference in Dublin’s Convention Centre featured a varied programme of speakers who addressed a packed audience keen to hear insights into how companies can identify and nurture talent. I had the pleasure of accompanying keynote speaker Margaret Heffernan, author and CEO and one of our most popular keynote and business speakers. Margaret took the stage at 12 noon to a full room of senior executives interested in talent retention, engagement and how to lead in a time of constant change.
“The Personally Speaking Bureau are delighted to welcome Petra Velzeboer as a guest blogger on our website this month.
How to Support Mental Fitness in the Workplace By Petra Velzeboer
As a mental health consultant, I frequently get asked about the business case for mental health at work. Finally we’re living in a time where businesses are waking up to the financial cost of not putting a prevention plan in their workplace. A prevention plan focuses on supporting issues such as long term absence, presenteeism and staff turnover. Reports such as Thriving at Work and Seizing the Momentum have been helping that cause.
What is a mental health at work plan?
A mental health at work plan simply pulls together all your initiatives to do with well being . It creates a plan that is strategic and can impact everyone. A great way to start is getting your senior leadership (CEO, President) to speak about their mental health. They should also speak about the importance of looking after their people. This has the single biggest impact in ensuring the company is leading by example and isn’t just ticking a box. While awareness days are great for challenging stigma and getting everyone involved, it’s often leadership training that has the biggest impact long term. Some of the biggest fears leaders and managers have when it comes to mental health are:
Time – they simply don’t have enough time for all these empathetic conversations.
Opening Pandora’s box – they’re worried that if they start the conversation no one will do any work.
Skill – they’re worried they don’t have the skill to know how to fix the problem or may even make it worse.
Our leadership training challenges all of these fears by teaching that empathy can be embedded in the conversations you have already. It doesn’t need to take more time. We teach active listening. This shows that we don’t need to have all the answers to make things better. Simply taking a minute and signposting to appropriate support can be enough to make the individual feel supported. And finally, mental health is about all of us. It’s about culture, engagement, team building, loyalty, productivity, success mindset and growth mindset. Furthermore, it's the ability to build something special together. The reports listed earlier can act as a guide on frameworks for creating a mentally healthy workplace long before crisis point.
How do we get started in changing our work culture?
We get started by simply being present and learning to really see each other again. When I give keynote talks we think about the effect of technology on our society’s ability to connect. We show empathy and do simple challenges to remind ourselves of what eye-contact and human-contact are like. It’s amazing how disruptive a little exercise where we look into each other’s eyes and touch hands with our neighbour can be. As Brene Brown says ‘it’s hard to hate each other up close’ . There are some really simple steps to learn how to connect which ultimately creates a mentally healthy culture.
What can mental health mean to me personally?
So just a reminder, we all have mental health just like we have physical health. During my Keynotes I’ll show images of how physical health is viewed in the media, (aspirational, victorious, cool etc.) and then show how mental health has traditionally been portrayed (despair, hopeless, broken). Then I show how in the past year this message is starting to change. We’re showing mental health as aspirational, a healthy mindset, success, good leadership etc. So really what we’re talking about is investing in our minds just like we invest in our bodies in order to be the best version of ourselves, at home and at work. The way we can do this is through meditation, exercise, connecting authentically with people and practicing self-awareness. This allows us to notice the signs of burnout or poor mental health well before a crisis point. At work, we want to have conversations at this stage as ultimately, we save money, enhance productivity and retain staff long term.
Is mental health at work just a fad?
Mental health at work is here to stay. With momentum building in the UK and across the world, there’s talk of mental health guidance being added to health and safety legislation. There is an incentive and framework to support businesses to focus on their people. The world of work is changing. New businesses filled with the younger generation know that they need to prioritise mental health, invest in their people and provide a sense of team and purpose if they’re to retain talent. Remote working means we need to utilise more skills than ever to ensure our connections are real and authentic. People need to feel like they're building something and not just showing up. It truly is an exciting time to be part of this conversation, not just awareness raising but really being in a position to help businesses figure out how to put these initiatives into practice in order to create real change. Read more about Petra Velzeboer here. Contact us today to inquire about Petra's availability to speak at your next event!”
“Resilience. Now there’s a buzzword. Whether you’re parenting a child or running a company, resilience is an attribute in much demand. As we see daily with clients looking for the best business speakers on the subject, people everywhere want to know what it is and how to get more of it. Practice makes perfect Evidence shows that while resilience is a quality you might not have been born with, it’s something you can certainly cultivate. It’s also a topic exemplified by one of the very first business speakers that we worked with, Caroline Casey. Caroline speaks passionately about resilience and other topics at events around the globe, including in Davos. In a live broadcast on Thursday 24th last, at WEF 2019, I watched with great pleasure and pride as one of our most in-demand keynote speakers declared on the world stage that after 20 years of hard work, and many setbacks, she had finally achieved her goal of getting disability inclusion firmly on the agenda of some of the world’s biggest companies. Twenty years is a long time. Call it what you will – bounce-back-ability, tenacity – but to me, that’s the very definition of resilience. Valuable Campaign Caroline was there as founder of Binc (inclusive business) and the increasingly influential Valuable campaign, which aims to get business to recognize the value of the 1.3 billion people on the planet who live with a disability – their value as workers, customers and members of society. But it was actually 20 years ago that Caroline’s personal campaign began, when after hiding it for years she finally admitted to her then-bosses in Accenture that she was (is) legally blind. Closing the Circle So there’s a lovely symmetry in the fact that one of the first six companies to sign up for Valuable is Accenture. As Caroline says, ‘It’s closed the circle.’ She’s not stopping there though. The Valuable 500 campaign is seeking to get 500 companies to put disability inclusion on their business agenda. And with the kind of resilience Caroline has always shown, I’ll bet they’ll do it too. Soon. Resilience in Business In business, resilience is often talked about in reverential tones. But while we know it’s something we want to have, it can feel unattainable. I think this is because it (wrongly) can have certain negative connotations. Resilience, to some, suggests ‘putting up with’ something we perhaps shouldn’t be tolerating. And when we feel like this, it can trigger resentment, fear, insecurity. Resilience also inevitably brings obstacles to mind. So particularly when it comes to the workplace, when asked to be more resilient, often what people actually hear is ‘brace yourself’. True Resilience Brings Freedom With true resilience, in contrast, there’s a certain joy to it – a freedom. Freedom from the fear that we won’t reach our goals or be able to overcome the obstacles. Because come they will; that’s life. Use It or Lose It As Caroline will tell you, resilience is like a muscle; you need to exercise it. Over time then, that muscle gets bigger, leaner, stronger. We become more energized and focused. We feel we can take on – and overcome - anything. The converse of this, of course, that if we don’t use it, it atrophies. Start Small And just as Caroline has demonstrated with her work, with resilience, we start small. And then practice, practice, practice. Know Your Enemies As a starting point, it’s useful to identify your stressors. Observe how you respond to them and remember, however trivial they seem, for you they are real. Only then can you tackle them. You’re Not the Only One All of us have faced adversity of some kind and come out the other side, and it’s important to remember that. Celebrate your victories, however small. And celebrate others’ victories too. Find Your Tribe We all need encouragement, and it’s important to tap your best resources when you’re stuck or struggling. That usually means friends, colleagues, mentors, business speakers, family. Make the best of what you have We’re all aware of at least some of our strengths. So make the most of those while working on the skills you feel need improving. And if you aren’t sure, seek advice from others – a mentor, a career counselor, business speakers, whatever it takes. These are just some of my thoughts on resilience. I would love to hear from others because I know there’s plenty more to know. Like Caroline and the Valuable campaign, I believe we all want to feel like we can conquer the world. Even if it takes more time than we think. Because, the most hard-won victories – the dreams we cherish and hold aloft the longest - are the sweetest. If you are interested in booking Caroline to talk about resilience at your event, please contact us today for more information about our business speakers.”
“Today we were very proud to hear that one of our esteemed speakers, Terence Mauri, has been listed by Thinkers50 as one of the Top 30 Thinkers to watch this year when it comes to management ideas. Great news! Described by Thinkers50 as an Influential and outspoken expert on the future of leadership, Terence Mauri was recognised for his idea Mindset 2.0. ‘A future-proof leadership mindset and set of behaviours to turn disruptors into opportunities. Future leadership is the ability to reinvent the future today and embrace early trends and weak signals as an opportunity. It’s about having an eye on the future so that we might make better leadership decisions in the present.’
Having worked with Terence as a keynote speaker over the last couple of years, I have seen how his insatiable curiosity about almost everything, and his ability to visualise the future and help leaders succeed in a world of constant change, have earned him a reputation as a leader in his field.
This reputation as one of the best means that since he joined our portfolio of keynote speakers, Terence has been hugely in demand as both a business speaker and innovative speaker, booked by organisations looking for thought leadership for disruptors, incisive thinkers and smart ways of staying one step ahead for the future. Terence’s content could not be more relevant for 2019, with The Fourth Industrial Revolution taking centre stage at the World Economic Forum this week in Davos, where the world’s foremost political, business and other leaders have come together to discuss global, regional and industry agendas, and to explore what each of us, personally and professionally, can do to survive and thrive in a fast-changing world. Other international business speakers and experts in this area to keep an eye on are: Claire Dillon Nancy Rademaker Ade McCormack Jamie Anderson Mike Walsh Kate Adamson If you would like information on any of these speakers, contact us today!”
“Excited to see Caroline Casey at WEF in Davos this week! And sharing the stage – and a packed schedule - with thought leaders from the worlds of philanthropy, business, news and culture.
(Pictured: Caroline Casey, with some of the many people she shares the stage with in Davos, among them Mike Fries, Shamina Singh, David Gergen, David Rubenstein, Mike McBride, Precious Moloi-Motsepe, Andria Zifarakou, Paul Polman).
About Caroline Casey
Caroline is one of our marquee keynote speakers. She never fails to deliver with her energy, passion, heart and vision. She speaks around the world on issues including leading with purpose, resilience and collaborative leadership. At Davos her focus is on her work with the Valuable campaign. The Valuable campaign seeks to place disability inclusion at the heart of the business agenda. And while at Davos, there will be a big announcement from Valuable, so watch this space!
About Davos
Davos is a high-profile global gathering of political, economic and cultural heavyweights. Perhaps the best thing about Davos is the sheer number and diversity of people and ideas to be experienced. Furthermore, the range and complexity of the topics addressed, from climate change and economic inequality to poverty, health and well-being all make this event memorable. For Caroline, as for so many others attending and participating, this means rich, fertile ground where different disciplines, fields of research/endeavor and cultures meet to form a potent mix. Davos never fails to yield new ideas and approaches to the problems and challenges facing the world, especially now, when there appears to be so much instability and uncertainty. And at least for the Valuable campaign, which is gaining momentum around the world, Davos presents many opportunities for discussion, dialogue and collaboration.
The first of these takes place today, Tuesday, at 3pm. At Storytellers: The Road to Resilience (to be streamed live from 3pm on TopLink and the Forum website), Caroline will share the stage with luminaries such as National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Pete McBride and award-winning teacher Andria Zafirakou. Next up, on Wednesday at 4.30, Caroline leads the discussion in the workshop Disability Inclusion: Making it Work, which explores how to unlock the potential of diversity in the workplace. But perhaps the highest-profile event is the Thursday 4pm workshop (preceded by a busy press conference), Fostering Inclusive Business. This workshop convenes leaders and experts to build consensus on inclusive business practices in the new economy and society. We are confident that whatever emerges, it will be interesting and stimulating. We will be watching! You can follow Caroline on twitter at @carolinebinc and on Instagram at @onthecasebinc. We will also be publishing an in-depth interview with her next week, after Davos. During the interview she shares her thoughts on her busy week there and a whole lot else besides. Read more about Caroline Casey here.”
I may be addicted to listening to Podcasts if such an addiction is possible. I have always loved talk radio but then along came Podcasts and I was hooked. Podcasts are useful for me for work research, self development, business development, escapism, pursuing hobbies or just because…
With Christmas on our doorstep and time to chill out, walk or indeed escape, I thought it might be useful to share some of the Podcasts I have enjoyed this year.
The Adam Buxton Podcast is great with lots of humour, great conversations and interesting interviewees. If you log in there are plenty to choose from but one of my favourite interviews was Adam Buxton interviews Jon Ronson. I am lucky enough to work with Jon a little as a keynote speaker and have always found is insights and research fascinating.
Recently I started listening to Karl Henry’s Real Health Podcast which offers some great simple tips to better health. A great one to tune into for the new year.
I particularly liked his Improve your Mental Wellness with Neil O'Brien and Dermot Bannon. Neil O'Brien is one of the most in demand motivational speakers at the moment.
I love tuning into Alec Baldwin’s Here's The Thing where Alec skillfully brings listeners into the lives of artists, policy makers and performers.
As cooking is one of my main hobbies and is where I go to to de-stress or chillax I do like to listen to the BBC The Food Programme and Ottolenghi's Simple Pleasures.
A friend recommended I tune into Blindboy this year and I am glad I did. Again that perfect combination of humour and intelligent conversation makes for great listening Blindboy Interviews David McWilliams.
For business development I get a lot from Sarah Green Carmichael interviews on Harvard Business Reviews HBR Ideacast. Sarah Carmichael interviews business people, world leaders, motivational speakers, economists and many more who offer interesting insights and advice for anyone in business.
When I am running or walking, I love a good thriller and it is good for my exercise routine too! Here are a few I got into this year.
1. The Los Angeles Times - Dirty John
2. The Australians - Teachers Pet
3. And on audible - West Cork
If you want to change habits, be happier, improve relationships, get on better at work I recommend tuning into Gretchin Rubin’s Happier Podcast.
Finally TED continue to bring their audience thought provoking and inspiring content. There are thousands of motivational speakers to choose from on TED.COM but one that I particularly like is Margaret Heffernan's TED Talk - Forget the Pecking Order in Work.
There are many more but I hope there might be something for everyone here. I would love to hear of any Podcasts you have enjoyed this year, please do let me know.
“As the end of the year is fast approaching I am taking time to take stock of the year gone by. In particular I am focusing on the trends and topics for keynote speakers and events. Like most businesses we have enjoyed a better market this year and have placed speakers in all continents. We have been part of events for a board of 10 people and also events that had up to 30,000 in the audience. 2018 has seen Personally Speaking be part of corporate events of all shapes and sizes. Here are some of our observations that we noted this year: 1. Leadership Strategy Meetings are taking place more often. These meetings are moving from annual to quarterly for many of our clients. This year we had more requests than ever for Keynote speakers and facilitators to help put shape and flow to these two to three day events. 2. With the increase of smaller events this year, we wondered if big conferences would be out of fashion but they are still very popular and are very well attended. I wonder with more agile staff, are events now being used more as a place for people to connect with others, network and improve knowledge? 3. We noticed a lot more internal events in organisations especially in the area of Learning and Development. Bringing in outside experts for leadership programmes, wellness and team development was definitely a big part of our business this year. 4. Wellness and Wellbeing are firm on the agenda for every organisation. Keeping talent well and happy is not a tick boxing exercise for organisations. Our clients are investing time and money, bringing programmes/talks/expertise to their staff. This helps to manage their mental health, physical wellbeing, energy, sleep and happiness.
Most Popular Trends
The most popular themes and topics in 2018 were: Leading With Purpose Collaboration Agile Teams Robotics and AI - The Future of Work Wellbeing - Mental Health, Purpose, Resilience and Happiness Blockchain Brexit, Brexit and Brexit Globalisation Communication Talent acquisition and retention It is hard to pinpoint the highlight of the year or to choose a favourite talk but I think BCG Fellow Yves Morieux's talk on SMART SIMPLICITY is more relevant than ever as the world become more complex and we are in a constant state of change. If you are planning an event, contact Personally Speaking to discuss what Keynote speakers may suit your audience, budget and goals. ”
“What’s the secret of choosing a great after-dinner speaker? That means a speaker who skilfully navigates from thoughtful reflection on the year gone by to excitement about the challenges ahead, all served up with a good dollop of humour and entertainment leaving the audience feeling really good about life, plus giving them something to think about. It felt like only yesterday I was writing about restarting after the summer break. Time seems to fly at this most busy time of year. Holidays are over and businesses are operating at full pace (or somewhere close to it). It may only be October but preparations for Christmas parties are well underway because finding the perfect after dinner speaker that suits your event is never easy. Years of attending after dinner speeches has taught me that it is definitely the most difficult speech to deliver. But when you find the right speaker, whether you are planning a small dinner for clients or a big company event, the impact is tremendous, and people will also talk about it for months and months afterwards! Back of an envelope and pen at the ready?
Here are questions to get you thinking:
1. Think of after dinner speakers you’ve heard speak and write down what you liked and what you didn’t. This 3-minute exercise is a good way of nailing the characteristics of the kind of speaker you want. 2. Who is your audience? What are they particularly interested in? For example, there are economists, business people, and sports pundits who can do humour and entertainment too and make for terrific after dinner speakers. Likewise, there are comedians and media personalities who can also cover the more serious territory of business. 3. What extra things has your company been trying to do this year? For example, if your company launched a Wellness Policy this year maybe an entertaining sports speakers would be a good fit? Also you could look for a speaker to endorse and amplify your efforts. We have handpicked a number of after dinner speakers who have proven track records of delivering really excellent after dinner speeches. David Mc Williams is hugely popular on the after dinner speaker circuit both in Ireland and internationally. His insights on all aspects of the economy, national and global, are both fascinating and entertaining in equal measure. I have heard David talk on numerous occasions. I always learn something new and go away thinking differently about how the economy and society function. Keith Barry is very much a Christmas favourite. An event with Keith is always great fun and a great way of rounding off a hard year at work. The audience participation keeps everybody involved. Keith reveals to the audience how to tap into their subconscious minds to break through barriers. Also, he disrupts unhealthy thought patterns and shows how to exceed expectations both in their business and their personal lives. If humour is top of your list then look no further than Oliver Callan. His impersonations of high-profile personalities makes for a memorable night. Check out some of his impersonations here. Conor O'Shea is a personal favourite. Conor speaks about how to build high performing teams and is a very natural presenter. He always seems to hit the right notes no matter where he is speaking. Furthermore, his combination of humour and experience in both the worlds of sport and business make him perfect for the after dinner speaker slot. Unusual in the world of rugby, Brent Pope speaks honestly and eloquently about his mental health issues, having suffered anxiety attacks for many years. Brent is an ex-New Zealand rugby player, broadcaster and author. Above all he is cheerful, easy-going and witty, and his talks focus on a mixture of wellness, team performance and lessons from sport. Other popular after dinner speakers include Nigel Owens, Sean Fitzpatrick, Paul Mc Neive, Jason O’Callaghan, Ruby Wax, Jon Ronson and also Erin Fornoff. Please do contact us with any queries you may have. We’d love to help you choose that after dinner speaker who is going to make your event truly memorable. ”
“It is 9 pm on a Friday night and I have just boarded my flight home to Dublin from Munich. I have had a very enjoyable week visiting customers in Munich to discuss speaker requirements for their L&D programmes and upcoming conferences. Before I settle into my weekend I check my emails one last time. Phew, only one mail from a customer who had one of our sports speakers at their annual conference today, like me, she just wanted to send off one quick mail before she closes down for the weekend. The email read something like: ‘ Hope you’re enjoying Munich. Conor was fantastic! Everybody really enjoyed the session and personally, I learned loads! He is a very natural presenter and the themes are truly translatable to business. And of course, very nice guy. Thank you so much for managing to secure him in such a short space of time. Let's meet up soon.’ Conor O’Shea, Manager of the Italian Rugby team and a former Ireland International is the speaker she was referring to and the feedback is consistent with all the feedback on Conor for any event but no matter how sure you are that a speaker will be a good fit nothing tops hearing this sort of feedback from customer and reminds me of the purpose of the business I set up over ten years ago. On the flight home as I sip a glass of red wine I think back about when I set up Personally Speaking after 10 years in public relations. The business grew from a place of passion rather than business acumen in the early days. Having come from a background in communication I truly believe that people who can tell stories are a wonderful resource and more compelling than most books or clips. A good storyteller with experience, expertise, knowledge or a funny story to share AND has is a good storyteller can change the shape of an event, excite, interest and challenge any audience, even the most cynical! The trick is in the selection of the speaker and then the briefing. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind if you are looking for a speaker for a big or small event, try to answer these questions before you go looking for the speaker;
What is the main objective of this event? What would success look/feel like? Tip - I often ask my customers what would you want the audience to say about the speaker for e.g, that he/she was inspiring, thought-provoking, a change maker, challenging, funny, empathetic, passionate, gave useful tips etc.
How can a speaker help you make this event a huge success?
Who is the audience and what do they enjoy? Sport, music politics, travel, adventures, personal development.
If you have booked speakers in the past who worked really well and who didn’t and why? Make a list
Who are the other speakers at the event? Consider these when selecting your speaker and the time slot for the speaker.
What is your budget? This is important and best to know from the beginning.
Talk to you preferred speaker agency, they will be delighted to recommend some great speakers and will probably have some fresh and interesting ideas too.
As we are heading into a busy season for conferences I hope this helps you in your search for external speakers. Aim to feel like my customer did after her recent event, she will not have been alone, the impact Conor made will have touched everyone in the audience and there lies the real brilliance of a great speaker. ”
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“Thank you so much for organising BRIAN O'DRISCOLL to speak. It was an absolute pleasure working with you guys at PS. What we had anticipated to be complicated processes – was one of the smoothest and was certainly one of our most successful events to date! We have many events and launches coming up soon and will certainly be in touch should we require any speakers again. - AIMEE SCANLON, GLOBOFORCE”
“Hi Joanne, thanks so much for setting up the gig for DEBRA SEARLE last week. She found the team at the Henderson Group lovely which is always a perk! If they come to us directly for anything in the future we’ll refer them back to you at Personally Speaking. - STEF CLIFTON SPRIGG, OPS MANAGER, SHOAL PROJECTS Ltd.”
Personally Speaking Events
16 Nov 2016: Thought Leadership Roundtable on WILFUL BLINDNESS with guest TED Speaker Margaret Heffernan
AUDIENCE COMMENTS: "I just spoke to Audrey a little while ago – she (like me) was hugely impressed by Margaret … to quote … “one of if not “the” best speaker she has heard”. Personally I think this talk would be hugely beneficial(to leaders and managers) given all of the challenges that the banking industry is facing with conduct risk / culture change required etc. Thank you again for including me this morning" - Mary Kennedy, AIB
"Thanks a million for invite to yesterday morning’s talk with Margaret. You were so right; superb speaker and what a lot of sense she makes. All highly relevant to the IT at the moment too! And it looked like others in the room felt exactly the same." - Deirdre Veldon, Irish Times
"Again many thanks to you and your team for this morning's talk. I don't think I have been at a talk like that where I saw so little use of the iPhone in a long time, which is quite an achievement in this day and age! Margaret Heffernan was incredibly strong (though that didn't surprise me, I have seen a number of her TED talks on YouTube)." - Bryan Bourke, William Fry
In this provocative talk based on her bestselling book ‘Wilful Blindness’ named by the FT as one of "best business books of the decade” Margaret spoke about:
· What blinds companies to their risks
· Why most employees don't share their knowledge
· How companies can kill creativity - or stoke it
· The power of noticing and acting on what you see
· How diversity can make companies smarter
By invitation only. If you would like to get on the invite list for future Personally Speaking events please email irene@personallyspeakingbureau.com
6 OCT 2016: Speaker Breakfast 'WORK BETTER, GO HOME HAPPIER!' with guest speakers Neil O'Brien and Mark Downey
AUDIENCE COMMENTS: "It was great to hear from passionate and creative professionals – experiencing their energy and drive. Thank you." - Lisa Grace, Senior Business Engagement Manager, Redwood&Co. "Thank you again to you and Irene for including me at your Breakfast Event this morning in the Merrion Hotel. It was good to see Neil O'Brien again, and Mark Downey's approach is very interesting and entirely novel." - Barry Dempsey, Irish Heart Foundation "Thank you for the very enjoyable and informative session this morning. I really enjoyed it!" - Mary Donohoe, Director of Learning & Development, CarTrawler By invitation only. If you would like to get on the invite list for future events please email irene@personallyspeakingbureau.com”
“We will be in touch very soon. We will do our best to contact you within the next 24 hours. Please note that we only reply to Commercial and Corporate Speaking enquiries. Due to the volume of emails we receive on a daily basis, we regret that we are unable to respond to other requests. Sorry about that. ”
“We will be in touch very soon. We will do our best to contact you within the next 24 hours. Please note that we only reply to Commercial and Corporate Speaking enquiries. Due to the volume of emails we receive on a daily basis, we regret that we are unable to respond to other requests. Sorry about that.”
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1 Landing Page inquiry for David McWilliams [your-name] frances@personallyspeakingbureau.com Contact Form YOUR NAME: [your-name] PHONE: [your-phone] COMPANY: [your-company] eMAIL: [your-email] YOUR ENQUIRY: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Bureau - Making events memorable (http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/) Reply-To: [your-email] [your-subject] [your-name] <[your-email]> [your-email] Message Body: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Making events memorable (http://localhost/psb) Your message was sent successfully. Thanks. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Validation errors occurred. Please confirm the fields and submit it again. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Please accept the terms to proceed. Please fill the required field. This input is too long. This input is too short. Date format seems invalid. This date is too early. This date is too late. Failed to upload file. This file type is not allowed. This file is too large. Failed to upload file. Error occurred. Number format seems invalid. This number is too small. This number is too large. Your answer is not correct. Your entered code is incorrect. Email address seems invalid. URL seems invalid. Telephone number seems invalid.”
“Thank you for smoothly organising DAVID McWILLIAMS to join us for a 2 hour session to think about and discuss the big global trends in geopolitics and economy. Simply outstanding! - TILL OLBRICH, PMI”
“Frances, thank you so much for coming to our rescue at the last minute. DAVID McWILLIAMS went down so well with the audience, he was outstanding. - ELEANOR BLOEM, THUNDERMARK”
“Frances, thank you for including me last Friday, I thought DR JOHN BRIFFA was fabulous, I liked his delivery and the way he wasn’t evangelical! I have already made a few food switches :) - GILLIAN OWENS, CPL RESOURCES PLC.”
“CAROLINE CASEY stole the show! The feedback has been fantastic, she opened a lot of people’s minds to new possibilities and ways of thinking. Thanks for your help in organising this! - ANTHONY WHITE, ALLIANZ, GERMANY”
“I really appreciate the creativity and flexibility you’re using to find me these opportunities Frances — your willingness to be imaginative encourages me to be likewise! Thank you so much. - MARGARET HEFFERNAN, TED Speaker, AUTHOR OF 'WILFUL BLINDNESS', former CEO”
“Thank you Personally Speaking for always exceeding our expectations, for replying to emails within minutes, even though there was a 7 hour time difference. This was our first time using a speaking agent located outside of the USA, but the Personally Speaking team made the whole experience stress free.”
Ryan Rowland, New England Logistics, USA. January 2015
“Margaret Heffernan, TED Speaker, was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. She worked in BBC Radio for five years where she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas. As a television producer, she made documentary films for Timewatch, Arena, and Newsnight. She designed and executive produced a thirteen part series on The French Revolution for the BBC and A&E. She also produced music videos with the London Chamber Orchestra to raise money for Unicef's Lebanese fund. Leaving the BBC, she ran the trade association IPPA, which represented the interests of independent film and television producers and was once described by the Financial Times as "the most formidable lobbying organization in England." In 1994, she returned to the United States where she worked on public affair campaigns in Massachusetts and with software companies trying to break into multimedia. She developed interactive multimedia products with Peter Lynch, Tom Peters, Standard & Poors and The Learning Company. She then joined CMGI where she ran, bought and sold leading Internet businesses, serving as Chief Executive Officer for InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and iCAST Corporation. She was named one of the Internet's Top 100 by Silicon Alley Reporter in 1999, one of the Top 25 by Streaming Media magazine and one of the Top 100 Media Executives by The Hollywood Reporter. Her 'Tear Down the Wall' campaign against AOL won the 2001 Silver SABRE award for public relations. Margaret was featured on BBC Radio 4 in Changing the Rules, which won the 2008 Prowess Media Award. She devised and led a programme for female entrepreneurs at Simmons College, one of the few all-female business schools in the United States. She continues to advise global businesses on effective global strategies and to support women’s networks and industry associations involved in diversity and inclusion. She teaches at the School of Management at the University of Bath and has been invited to speak at business schools around the world, including Harvard Business School, the Rotman School, London Business School and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. She also lectures widely at organizations as diverse as the Federal Bank of the United States, Accenture, Roche, KLA-Tencor, State Street, Khosla Ventures, Standard Chartered Bank, J.P.Morgan Chase and Procter & Gamble. Margaret Heffernan Business Author & Former CEO is amongst our most popular conference and keynote speakers. Margaret has been invited to speak at all of the world’s leading financial services businesses, the leading FTSE and S&P corporations as well as the world’s most successful sports teams. She advises private and public businesses, mentors senior and chief executives and writes for The Financial Times and Huffington Post. She was born in Texas, raised in Holland and educated at Cambridge University. She worked in BBC Radio for five years where she wrote, directed, produced and commissioned dozens of documentaries and dramas. As a television producer, she made documentary films for Timewatch, Arena, and Newsnight. She designed and executive produced a thirteen part series on The French Revolution for the BBC and A&E. She also produced music videos with the London Chamber Orchestra to raise money for Unicef's Lebanese fund. Leaving the BBC, she ran the trade association IPPA, which represented the interests of independent film and television producers and was once described by the Financial Times as "the most formidable lobbying organisation in England." In 1994, she returned to the United States where she worked on public affair campaigns in Massachusetts and with software companies trying to break into multimedia. She developed interactive multimedia products with Peter Lynch, Tom Peters, Standard & Poors and The Learning Company. She then joined CMGI where she ran, bought and sold leading Internet businesses, serving as Chief Executive Officer for InfoMation Corporation, ZineZone Corporation and iCAST Corporation. She was named one of the Internet's Top 100 by Silicon Alley Reporter in 1999, one of the Top 25 by Streaming Media magazine and one of the Top 100 Media Executives by The Hollywood Reporter. Her 'Tear Down the Wall' campaign against AOL won the 2001 Silver SABRE award for public relations. Margaret was featured on BBC Radio 4 in Changing the Rules, which won the 2008 Prowess Media Award. She devised and led a programme for female entrepreneurs at Simmons College, one of the few all-female business schools in the United States. She continues to advise global businesses on effective global strategies and to support women’s networks and industry associations involved in diversity and inclusion. She teaches at the School of Management at the University of Bath and has been invited to speak at business schools around the world, including Harvard Business School, the Rotman School, London Business School and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. She also gives talks regularly to organizations as diverse as the Federal Bank of the United States, Accenture, Roche, KLA-Tencor, State Street, Khosla Ventures, Standard Chartered Bank, J.P.Morgan Chase and Procter & Gamble, Hiscox, Standard Chartered Bank, Lloyds, ARM and Microsoft. ”
David McWilliams Economist is an uncompromising thinker, with a relaxed, confident and entertaining style. He was voted the most influential economist in the UK and Ireland in 2015.
He is a regular conference and keynote speaker at international financial conferences where he speaks about trends in the global economy and how we might profit from them. He speaks to businesses and industrial groups on how the trends in growth, currencies and financial markets will uniquely affect them. Consistently accurate in his forecasts, David McWilliams was the only economist in Ireland who accurately forecast a strong UK Brexit vote. He was also the first economist to identify the Irish boom as nothing more than a credit bubble, warning of its collapse and the consequences for the country. His objective is to make economics as widely available and easily understandable on as many platforms as possible. David is currently hosting a weekly chat David McWilliams Ireland on TV3 where he explores the big issues facing Ireland's society and economy He is the co-founder of the world’s only economics festival 'Kilkenomics', an eclectic combination of economics and stand-up comedy, described by The Australian as “Davos without the hookers”. "David was brilliant as he always is, couldn't have been better, he's a legend, had everyone eating out of his hand as usual! We'll do it again, will be in touch." - John McDonnell, Cathedral Finance, April 2016 "David joined us for a 2 hours session - smoothly organized by Personally Speaking - to think about and discuss the big global trends in geopolitics and economy. Simply outstanding! This is a guy who is simultaneously a deep thinker on substance and totally entertaining in the way he engages his audience. It was inspiring, informative, provocative and hilarious. So: Thanks, David!" - Till Olbrich, PMI, August 2015 "David went down so well with the client, he was outstanding!" Eleanor Bloem, Thundermark, July 2015 "David's delivery was super. His content was thought-provoking as always of course!" Andy O'Callaghan, PwC, June 2014 "David's speech was fantastic and very well received by the audience. Many thanks to you and your team for assisting us in organising this wonderful conference." Suresh Thyagarajan, FX & Interest Rate Sales, Treasury & Capital Markets, Bank Muscat, Nov 2013 "Your presentation to the Annual Investment Summit was perfectly pitched and brought exactly what we had hoped: a clear articulate view of the world with which we have a great deal of sympathy, delivered with wit and intelligence in an engaging and entertaining style. Our best Summit yet, and your contribution clearly helped’” - Neil Woodford, Head of UK Equities, Invesco Perpetual, July 2013. “Your insightful presentation on ‘The European Outlook’, as well as your contribution as moderator on the Economists’ Panel Discussion at the 5th Global Financial Markets Forum 2013 was extremely well received and significantly contributed to the overall success of the forum. We sincerely appreciate your efforts in joining us for the 2nd time at this event and making yourself available for the private lunches and round-table sessions with our key clients.” - Michael H. Tomalin, Group Chief Executive, National Bank of Abu Dhabi "We would like to express our sincere appreciation and delight in your attendance. Furthermore we are thankful to you for sharing your unique expertise on internationally sensitive topics. The ideas presented surely will leave a lasting impression on us all." - Abdullah Al-Ahmadi, ICA Chairman, November 2012 "It was a huge success...The event was a compete sell out and David responded generously. If David is in town again please let us know!" - Eamon Eastwood, The Landsdowne Club, Sydney Australia, November 2012 "Last Thursday went very well and was a success for us. David’s presentation went down very well to the audience of about 150" John Lucey, INVESCO, October 2012 "Everything went very well and we were absolutely delighted with David. He was just what we needed for the day." - Ciara Pelly, ICOS, May 2012 "I would like to thank you for your efforts in participating in our Fourth Financial Markets Forum 2012. The Event was remarkably successful with over 600 attendees and it would not have been possible without your efforts and contribution. Your participation certainly enhanced the profile of our line-up of international speakers" - Mahmood Al Aradi, SEVP - Financial Markets Division, National Bank of Abu Dhabi - 1st March 2012 "I would like to thank David for speaking at the event. His contribution very much helped to ensure a successful conference that has since been the focus of a great deal of positive feedback from the participants" - Venessa Heywood, Conference Director, IIR Abu Dhabi - 1st March 2012 "The conference in Rome was indeed a success and David's speech added great value to our plenary session" - Olivier Bedois, Director - Marketing & Communication, SDV - 13th February 2012 "Our event was a great success, we have received such positive feedback from our guests who attended. We were all very impressed with David, his speech was very entertaining, humorous and easy to listen to. He interacted very well with our guests and with our own Actavis team and he seemed very knowledgeable of our industry. It was great to see our guests so animated throughout David’s speech." - Debbie McDonald, Marketing Executive, Actavis Ireland, October 2011 "The entire audience was pleasantly shocked to see an economist could be so connected with reality and also were delighted that he delivered a clear message that we can control our destiny despite all that is going on around us especially sales leaders and business owners (who were the audience). The overall feedback was very positive.” - Charlie Mernagh, Managing Director, Ask Solutions, September 2011 "David's relaxed, yet confident style, coupled with the ability to debate with him and frankly discuss matters of huge importance, both to our advisers and their brokers, was really well received. We consider this small event for our key clients a great success." - David Walls, Axa Financial, June 2011 "On behalf of the board and the members of the FPP I would like to thank you most sincerely for chairing the FPP Annual conference in the Westbury Hotel, Dublin on February 25th. YOur expert contribution on the day was much respected by both speakers and delegates to make the conference a great success." - Lionel McCarthy, CEO, Forum on Public Procurement in Ireland "The Event went really well last night, we were delighted with David; he was a delight to deal with and an excellent and very entertaining speaker. He related very well with the audience, he was enjoyable to listen to and very insightful" - Nuala Martyn, Financial Solution Skillnet "Thanks for your support in securing David McWilliams for our conference. He was fantastic and has had superb feedback!" - Geraldine D’Arcy, Irish Primary Principals’ Network "On behalf of the chairman and the national Council of ISME may I thank you very much for your excellent and valuable contribution to our national conference, it was very well received" - Mark Fielding, Chief Executive, ISME, The Independent Business Organisation. "I am writing to thank you on my own behalf and on the behalf of Cork City Council and the University of Ulster for your participation in the recent conference of the Isles. We have received an amazing number of letters and emails congratulating the conference on the quality of the speakers and their presentations" - Stephen Kearney, Director Housing and Community Cork City Council "We were most fortunate in having you as our guest speaker on the occasion of this celebration. It was a great success and we were thrilled with the feedback from our guests. All in attendance found you most entertaining and some people were talking about you for days afterwards…again David, thank you very much and continued success for the future." - Conor McCarthy and David Kiely, Directors Jennings O’Donovan & Partners Consulting Engineers "Provocative, entertaining, stimulating------A man who dares to differ---That’s David!" - Frank Mc Donagh, Commercial Branch Manager, Bank of Ireland”
“TED Speaker, MDRT Main Stage Speaker 2017, Award Winning Social Innovator. Caroline Casey Motivational Speaker is one of our most popular speakers . She believes that authenticity, vision, self belief and resilience are crucial for business and personal success. With her energy and down-to-earth personality, this motivational TED speaker has an amazing ability to captivate any audience. Her passion and ambition for leading a life without limits and labels is truly contagious. In 2017 Caroline successfully launched a global campaign #valuable…to spark a global revolution of inclusion that puts disability equally on the business agenda. Taking a life-changing decision at 28 to leave her successful career as a management consultant and travel across India on an elephant, Caroline has been committed to building a global movement on inclusive business to build an equal society for the 1 billion people in the world with a disability. Collaborating with some of the world’s leading organisations and CEOs Caroline has identified what she often refers to as “The New Green” – the new business imperative for success – Inclusive Business. An advisor, mentor, board member and international speaker, Caroline has a real ability to connect with people. Her extraordinary personal story of coming to terms with her own hidden disability and turning that perceived “weakness” into professional and personal success is relatable, funny, humbling and deeply meaningful. She is in her own words a ”dangerous dreamer” and someone who has learnt the art of never giving up and "failing fabulously”. Despite being the recipient of many awards and accolades, she believes true success only comes to those who can really be themselves! She is still working on it!”
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1 General Enquiry from Website Personally Speaking website@personallyspeakingbureau.com Contact Form YOUR FIRST NAME: [your-first-name] YOUR LAST NAME: [your-last-name] PHONE: [your-phone] COMPANY: [your-company] EMAIL: [your-email] BEST TIME TO CALL: [please-choose] YOUR ENQUIRY: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Bureau - Making events memorable (http://www.personallyspeakingbureau.com/) Reply-To: [your-email] [your-subject] [your-name] <[your-email]> [your-email] Message Body: [your-message] -- This e-mail was sent from a contact form on Personally Speaking Making events memorable (http://localhost/psb) Your message was sent successfully. Thanks. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Validation errors occurred. Please confirm the fields and submit it again. Failed to send your message. Please try later or contact the administrator by another method. Please accept the terms to proceed. Please fill the required field. This input is too long. This input is too short. Date format seems invalid. This date is too early. This date is too late. Failed to upload file. This file type is not allowed. This file is too large. Failed to upload file. Error occurred. Number format seems invalid. This number is too small. This number is too large. Your answer is not correct. Your entered code is incorrect. Email address seems invalid. URL seems invalid. Telephone number seems invalid.”
“Many thanks to you Frances and your team for assisting us in organising this wonderful conference. DAVID McWILLIAMS' speech was fantastic and very well received by the audience. - SURESH THYAGARAJAN, BANK MUSCAT”
“Frances, thanks very much for helping us to organise our dinner with Jon last night. Everyone had a great time and Jon was really superb. I look forward to organising some more events with you. - LIZ LEE, PUBLICIS LONDON ”
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“This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this:
Hi there! I'm a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my blog. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin' caught in the rain.)
...or something like this:
“The founder and CEO of COMBINER, creativity expert Tobias Degsell worked for several years as curator at the Nobel Prize Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, before becoming an entrepreneur. Passionate about data, and with a rare ability to see the world through patterns, he has given talks around the world which help companies and organisations be more creative around change so they can think and act in new ways.”
I spend a lot of time looking at videos of speakers, change makers and influencers. I listen to Podcasts and surf the net searching for inspiration and fresh ideas that we can bring to our customers around the world. There is some good content out there and an awful lot that is tepid, that is being generous! There are some excellent resources such has HBR IdeaCast, NPR, Desert Island Discs and many others however the one place I keep going back to and am endlessly impressed with, is TED.com and their range of TED talks!
In my opinion the folk at TED talks have nailed curation to a T. They have created a world class centre of excellence and thought leadership. From the design of the RED SPOT and black background set, the research put into finding interesting ideas to share and the grace that is given to the people sharing their stories. Whether you are in the audience or watching a talk on your mobile, the experience is always a memorable one. Chris Anderson and his team are brilliant curators and if you are interested in curation it's well worthwhile observing their methods.
The big TED conferences (TED Global, TED Women, TEDYouth) are events I depend on for finding talented speakers. No one gets on any of those stages without great content, thoughtful messages, ability to engage and personal journeys of interest - the perfect combination in my book.
The TED Mission
The TED Mission includes: "....welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. We believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world."
Recently one of my favourite speakers Mark Pollock and his fiancé Simone George were invited to speak at TED Global in Vancouver to share their journey and the outstanding work they're undertaking to cure paralysis. Feast your mind and take some time to take a look at their TED talk: A Love Letter to Realism in a Time of Grief.
Over the last ten years I have been lucky enough to attend many TED conferences. Forget about the line of work I am in, the few days at TED is always a life enhancing experience. It is hard to select only a few talks as I work with many of the TED speakers. But for today I am selecting these five TED talks that I admire. I know from speaking with my clients that they admire these speakers too.
The Dangers of Wilful Blindness - Margaret Heffernan Looking Past Limits - Caroline Casey The Power of Introverts - Susan Cain As work gets more complex, 6 Rules to Simplify - Yves Morieux Brain Magic - Keith Barry
Finally a huge congratulations to Mark Pollock and Simone George on all they have achieved, and their sheer tenacity. The world is a better place because of people like them! Read more of our blogs here! [caption id="attachment_2417" align="aligncenter" width="500"] TED talks[/caption] ”
“With over 20 years' experience of leadership development, business strategy and technology evangelism, Clare helps organisations maximise the opportunities presented by the latest trends in technology, from AI to Virtual Reality. Passionate about how technology is changing and shaping the world we live and work in, she regularly speaks on topics related to digital transformation and organisational change. Clare Dillon was a key member of the Microsoft Ireland Leadership Team for 8 years as Microsoft transformed from a software product to a cloud services organisation, giving her first-hand experience of leading through times of change. Heading up the Developer Experience and Evangelism team, she was focused on establishing partnerships with software as a service (SaaS) companies to drive their success on the Microsoft platform, from both a technical and business perspective. She has also served on the board of the National Digital Research Centre, the Irish Internet Association and on the Industry Guidance Board of the Irish Centre for Cloud Computing and Commerce. Technology trends shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution The Fourth Industrial Revolution and changing shape of business in the 21st century Culture change required for a digital world Lessons learned from Microsoft’s digital transformation Introduction to AI for non-techies AI and the rise of the machines: should we be afraid? Ethics of AI – the potential pitfalls of implementing AI”
Are you ready to survive and thrive in the age of AI, automation and algorithms?
Terence Mauri tackles the age of disruption that all businesses are facing and looks at smart ways to stay one step ahead. His role as an Inc. magazine Columnist and entrepreneur mentor at London Business School and Oxford University ensure you get new thinking to become the CEO of tomorrow.
Inc. Top 100 Speaker 2018”
At Personally Speaking Bureau, we’re listeners, problem-solvers and critical thinkers. We see what’s happening around the world and who has the most interesting things to say about it. And we bring them to you.
Personally Speaking Bureau takes a highly curatorial approach based on our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of the international speaking circuit. Our team promises never to partner you with someone just for the sake of it. Every client’s needs are different. We understand that creative solutions are needed to ensure those needs are met. We offer just such solutions, and we endeavour, always, to do so with efficiency, integrity and a good dose of humour.
Our roster of speakers spans the globe and includes thought leaders and innovators, disruptors and experts, new voices and old souls. We know who the most exciting speakers are right now, where the next generation is emerging, and what they have to say. Speakers who can move a room to tears, get an audience to their feet or inspire a team to reach new heights. Above all, speakers who can make an audience - your audience - sit up and listen.
1. speakers from the worlds of business, economics, sport, philanthropy, science, broadcasting, current affairs, politics and much else besides. 2. keynote, business, motivational and after-dinner speakers. 3. MCs, hosts, panelists and chairpersons. 4. facilitators for corporate programmes in areas such as Wellness, Mental Health, Collaborative Leadership and Talent Development.
In 2005, Frances Keane, CEO of Personally Speaking Bureau, founded the agency with just a handful of speakers. After an international role in PR and communications, for Frances it felt like the logical next step to connect people and audiences with the key messages and innovations they needed to hear. Today the Personally Speaking Bureau agency has offices in Dublin, London and Innsbruck, and a panel of speakers that stretches from New York to New Delhi. Contact us today for more information on which speaker may suit your audience, budget and goals. ”
“Neil O'Brien is an advocate of Healthy Human Systems and a hugely popular motivational speaker on the subjects of Mindset and Mental Fitness. In his engaging and humorous talks Neil loves to take the audience out of their comfort zone and into their growth zone. He equips attendees with tools for a growth mindset and has built a stellar reputation for helping business leaders and their teams through transformation by teaching them to embrace the small steps that lead to big changes. Neil set up Time To Fly in 1998 to bring his skills and passion for human potential and growth to organisations. Prior to that he worked in banking for 23 years - in sales and then L&D where he realised his innate ability to motivate and coach others to be their best. Neil has built an award winning performance programme for the banking sector and continues to develop and deliver development programmes as well as speak at conferences throughout Europe. His clients include Accenture, Abbott Labs, Airtricity, AIB Bank and Group, Allianz Capital Partners, Bank Of Ireland, Google, Grant Thornton, IBM, 3M, Irish Life Corporate Business, Irish Life Investment Managers, KPMG, Microsoft, Pfizer, RBS, Sales Institute of Ireland, Institute of Bankers, Zurich Insurance and many others. Neil is also one of Ireland’s top sport coaches and he has worked with professional and amateur golfers including Ryder Cup and Walker Cup players. He has coached at inter-county and club level with GAA teams and he is currently coaching some of Ireland’s elite athletes. To summarise, Neil has helped psychiatrists with their stress management, psychologists with their personal development, directors with their sense of direction, sales people sell more, footballers score more and golfers score less!”
“Matt Cooper Broadcaster, Journalist, and biographer of Tony O'Reilly
Matt Cooper presents and edits the daily news, current affairs and sports programme The Last Word on Today FM from Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 7pm.
He is the author of three critically acclaimed and commercially successful books: “The Maximalist”, his biography of the iconic Irish sporting, business and media figure Tony O’Reilly, was published in 2015; "Who Really Runs Ireland" was published in 2009; "How Ireland Really Went Bust" was published in 2011.
He is also an experienced television sports presenter. He hosted TV3’s Rugby World Cup coverage in 2007 and 2015 and will be hosting the station’s Six Nations Coverage from 2018 when it takes over as host broadcaster for the Irish market. He was previously anchor for the six years that TV3 broadcast championship GAA games from 2008 to 2013.
He is a former editor of The Sunday Tribune, having been appointed at the age of 30 in 1996. He left for a career in radio in 2003 but continues to write a leader page column for the Irish Daily Mail each Wednesday and also writes on business, economics and politics for The Sunday Business Post. He was twice National Journalist of the Year and twice Business Journalist of the Year.
He is a partner in the television company Playmaker-media, which devised and made the rugby series Area 22, and which made the acclaimed Olympics documentary “No Earthly King” in 2012. He also made current affairs documentaries for RTE and TV3, most recently “Ireland’s Housing Market – What’s Next?” (TV3, November 2014) and “The Brexit Dilemma” (TV3, June 2016).
He was the narrator on the British made documentary “Dennis Rodman’s Big Bang in Pyongyang” about a controversial international basketball game staged in the “hermit kingdom” of North Korea in January 2014 and which was attended by its dictator Kim Jong-Un. Matt travelled to North Korea as part of Rodman’s group for the filming of the documentary and had a ringside seat to the proceedings, making him the first Irish journalist to ever have such extraordinary access. The documentary is available on Netflix US.
In the landmark biography on Tony O'Reilly 'The Maximalist', Matt Cooper draws on an abundance of new material, including interviews with many of O’Reilly’s closest family, friends, associates and rivals, to uncover the man behind the myth. An Irish epic, it documents in unflinching detail and with great subtlety the meteoric rise and slow unravelling of an Irish icon.
“Double Olympic Champion Col. Dame Kelly Holmes MBE is one of the UK’s most popular athletes, respected throughout the world as a role model and an inspiration. Since retirement she has been honest about her battle with mental ill-health throughout her career. She also founded the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and has become an award-winning writer.”
“It is the end of a long and warm summer, kids are going back to school, folk are returning from holidays and sun dresses are being packed away. While it is the end of the traditional holiday season that most of us love, it is also the beginning of a new semester and the upcoming season for ‘Think Tanks’. This is a time of great positivity, motivation, decision making, putting new plans in place, innovation and lots more. For me the break over the summer with family and friends spent exploring new places, eating different food, speaking different languages and letting go in general really energises me. I feel I can now make bold decisions which might just result in monumental shifts in the right direction in work and at home. Some of my biggest decisions have been made in the month of September, that can't be a coincidence can it? Does this sound familiar? Over the next few months businesses will get their Leadership Teams together for their annual Think Tanks. These are a great opportunity for the Leadership Team to review the business on micro and macro level and make big decisions to help the business grow, indeed flourish, in the next year and longer. Experts in Economics, Collaboration, Innovation, Culture, Organisational Psychology and so on are brought in deliver keynotes, facilitate round table discussions and workshops to help inform, inspire and help the leaders in their task to build road maps that meet their business goals.
Some factors really help to get the most from Think Tanks.
Make sure you put the date in all participants’ diaries at least 6 months in advance.
Pick a good location; for me the following are important: outdoor space, natural light, tasty & healthy food, creative spaces, activity, fresh air, & excellent event customer service.
Engage a facilitator - so everyone gets to make their point and people are encouraged to listen· (Current hot favourites include Margaret Heffernan, Yves Morieux, Dambisa Moyo, Costas Markides, Dr. Pippa Malmgren, Terence Mauri, Nigel Barlow, Viktor Mayer Schönberger, Stephane Garelli and David McWilliams)
Get feedback as the event progresses, if something is not working don't be afraid to change course.
Make sure topics that are not relevant to a Think Tank are parked for another time.
And don't forget to have a bit of fun! Play is good - build in at least one activity or/and fun thing to do together, this is about a team working together as much as anything else.
Contact us today to discuss what speaker may suit your audience, budget and goals. ”
“From delivering a keynote to emceeing an event to training your team, Emmy-winning former CNN anchor and global campaign strategist Gina London knows how to encourage, motivate and inspire people to life-changing action. Gina creates a custom experience which both highlights your organization’s goals and truly uplifts and connects with your audience. Gina London is an Emmy winning former CNN correspondent and anchor who now serves as an internationally recognized speaker, facilitator and communications expert based in Ireland. Her predominantly Fortune 500 clients include SAP, McKesson, Heineken, Deloitte, Daimler and the United States Department of State. She has facilitated or compèred hundreds of events - interviewing high profile speakers including Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr; Huffington Post CEO Jared Grusd and Nobel Peace Prize winners Oscar Arias and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. In a more humanitarian role, Gina has also chaired a two-day event for UNICEF at the United Nations in New York, worked with the first Iraqi women running for Parliament, women’s civil rights leaders in the Persian Gulf, and issues activists in Ghana, Egypt, Tunisia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Macedonia and Romania. A published author and regular news analyst on radio and TV, Gina currently writes a weekly business column for Ireland’s largest newspaper, The Sunday Independent titled, “The Communicator”. She has also featured in a wide range of global media outlets including (Italy): Le Notizie; La Repubblica (Nigeria): The Nation, Your View, TVC, Channels TV; (Romania): In Business Today; (Egypt): The Rose; (UK): BBC; (US): CNN, Fox News, The Orlando Sentinel, The Denver Post, and Fast Company.”
“Áine is a teacher turned journalist and entrepreneur who can talk education, media, business and technology. She is an expert in moderating lively discussions and professionally MC-ing memorable events, having taken part in some of the biggest media industry events in the world. Áine Kerr is the Co-Founder and COO of Neva Labs; a new start-up venture with Mark Little. Previously, Áine led global journalism partnerships at Facebook in New York, overseeing a team focused on building products, tools and services for the news industry. She was instrumental in creating the Facebook Journalism Project and the News Integrity Initiative (NII). Before joining Facebook in March 2016, she spent five years at Storyful, where she served as head of content and political editor before being appointed managing editor in at the time of the company’s acquisition by News Corporation. Prior to that, Áine spent over seven years working as a political correspondent and news reporter with The Irish Times, The Irish Independent and The Irish Examiner. Áine is on the board of the NII, an advisor to the Institute for Future of Media and Journalism (Fujo), and co-founder of Online News Association (ONA) Ireland. She is currently undertaking the Sulzberger Leadership Program in Columbia University, New York. The Future of Journalism Role of Technology in Journalism Women in Leadership Social and New Media The News Industry Leadership and Management “I have worked with Áine since Web Summit 2014 and she has never let us down. She’s always super enthusiastic, incredibly willing to be involved in any capacity and brings a unique spin on any session she’s involved in both as a speaker or moderator. Together with her experience across traditional and new media, she’s a wonderful addition to any talk in this area and more insightful than most when it comes to challenges and opportunities facing this industry. I’d recommend Áine for any event and look forward to having her join us again soon at future Web Summit events.” - Stephen Twomey, Speaker Director, Web Summit "Áine Kerr was the opening keynote address at our most recent #GetStarted2017 entrepreneurship conference, attended by over 700 delegates at the Helix, DCU (November 21st, 2017). Her engaging and open manner as well as her clarity and authenticity set the tone perfectly for the entire event, capturing the audience from the moment she stepped on stage. Both as an internationally recognised thought-leader on the future of news, journalism and content consumer behaviour and as courageous and innovative business leader, Áine was the perfect choice to inspire our audience of both established and aspiring entrepreneurs." - Centre Director IC4”
“Designer and entrepreneur Sonya Lennon is a tiny bundle of fearless passion who loves to tell a good yarn. All her experience is woven into story of style, creation and starting from scratch to build value. A seasoned speaker with clients including Google, Accenture, Citi, AIB, Eversheds, UKTI, Irish Life and Dublin Chamber.”
“Mark Little, Digital Entrepreneur, Broadcaster and Innovator Mark Little is a journalist and digital media innovator. He spent more than 20 years in broadcast news, as an award-winning foreign correspondent and TV anchor for Irish public service broadcaster, RTE. In 2010, he founded the world’s first social news agency Storyful, which pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. He was most recently Twitter's VP of media partnerships in Europe and is now exploring new business models to sustain trust in media. Mark Little is a journalist and digital media innovator. He spent more than 20 years in broadcast news, as an award-winning foreign correspondent and TV anchor for Irish public service broadcaster, RTE. In 2017 Mark co-founded Neva-Labs a Digital Media company to help publishers beat the problem of “information overload” and deliver personalised news to paying users. In 2010, he founded the world’s first social news agency Storyful, which pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. He was Twitter's VP of media partnerships in Europe before he started Neva-Labs. Mark has more than two decades of experience in journalism. He was an award-winning foreign correspondent for the Irish national TV station RTE. He also presented the network’s top-rated current affairs programme, Prime Time, and was its first Washington correspondent. He has covered some of the biggest stories of our age, including the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and the election of Barack Obama. ”
“The author of The Mother of All Jobs, which explores how work has changed in the last 20 years and the pressure this has created, communications and leadership consultant Christine Armstrong is a highly engaging, humorous speaker who has done keynotes on the battle with ‘hours cultures,’ the lies we tell about flexible work and what to do about workplace bullying. ”
“Don't you just love easy to follow instructions? I say that as a person who normally rebels against all forms of process in favour of #creativity, #spontaneity and freedom, or so I like to think! It is my daughter's 4th birthday today and I have spent the last 30 minutes assembling a Play Corner Shop and I feel such a sense of accomplishment as I look at it all bright and shiny in our kitchen waiting for her return from crèche. My feeling of accomplishment is totally overkill of course as the instructions were literally Child's Play. However as someone who runs a business and spends a lot of time making decisions, troubleshooting, marketing and selling I really enjoyed the experience of following the clearly laid out #Step-by-Step instructions, each step bringing me a little nearer to completion, #motivating me to finish the task at hand. Ta ta ... job complete, lovely, and my daughter Ruth will be beyond excited. Result! This simple experience gets me thinking, in my quest for an exciting life full of spontaneity and freedom could I possibly be blocking some of my own #potential through my more haphazard approach at times? Full disclosure I am exaggerating slightly, I am a little more organised than I am letting on but there is huge room for improvement. More and more I understand the value of having the basics in place, to have #clearprocesses that everyone in the business can simply understand. It not only removes the need for me to be always available but more importantly gives employees and partners the ability to feel ownership of their own achievements entirely. Even though I am on a steep learning curve, I now truly believe being organised, having systems and processes in place and working to a plan not only helps us be more productive and frees up time and headspace for #innovation and #creativity but also leads to reduced stress, increased happiness and a sense of pride. Now that's #motivating. I recently listened to the #E-Myth, a business book written by Michael E. Gerber over 25 years ago based on the principle that business are set up by technicians rather than business people. The book takes us through a list of examples and helpful tools to move from a #TechnicianMindset to an #EntrepreneurialMindset. He wholly encourages clear processes to build a successful business of any type. I recommend this book to anyone running a team and looking to improve #productivity and #profitability. Also extremely useful is David Allen's book 'Getting Things Done'. I was given this book by my husband when I was going through some changes in the business a few years ago. Reading David Allen’s book fundamentally changed the way I do business and lead others and probably was the beginning of me realising the value of having #clearprocesses, being organised and having the fundamentals in place to allow a business grow. I was so delighted with what I learnt from #DavidAllen that I added him to my portfolio of #MotivationalSpeakers so my clients can book him to speak at events around the world so that they too can gain insights into his methodology and adapt his tools in their own organisations. Today I had set myself the task of completing this blog (rather than just procrastinating) and having done so I now feel free to call it a day and go collect my daughter so we can come home and do some 'play' shopping together. Let the fun begin. I am looking forward to discovering what I learn from her as she runs her new business. It should be #ChildsPlay! ”
“Dr Niamh Shaw is an energetic, witty and lively speaker. Engineer, scientist and performer, Niamh’s future endeavours include a trip to space. A role model for STEM careers and the empowerment of women in business, she is passionate about awakening people’s curiosity and dreaming big. Niamh is a skilled, warm and engaging speaker, drawing on her experience as an improvisation artist and performer. Dr Niamh Shaw, Irish engineer, scientist and performer, is passionate about Space and awakening people’s curiosity. She is actively pursuing her dream to get to space, having recently participated in a simulated Mars mission in the Utah desert, and zero gravity flight at Star City in Russia. She is Co-Chair of Humanities at the International Space University’s 2018 annual Space Studies Programme, and was Core Lectures Associate Chair of this programme in 2017. Recently voted one of Ireland’s leading science communicators and STEAM specialists (merging science, technology, engineering, arts and maths), she regularly contributes popular science topics on national radio and TV and at public science and arts festivals. She has interviewed/moderated and hosted a variety of science-themed events in Ireland and abroad. She collaborates with research and science institutions, arts and media centres, private corporations and NGO’s to attract new audiences of all ages to science and space. Niamh provides specialised communication workshops in the private sector and academic/research institutes and is a keynote speaker on thought leadership and creative mindset in the workplace. Niamh believes that we can be many things at the same time. She is curious, always and embraces failure every day. Recently hired by A&L Goodbody, HP, ESB, Johnson & Johnson, and Inspire Fest 2017, she is a competent and experienced keynote, interviewer and moderator for your event. Space Exploration and Ireland's Space activities Niamh's personal journey to Space Connecting science with the general public Dreaming Big”
“Dr. John Briffa, a practising doctor, author, journalist, speaker and trainer”
“"What makes Barra stand out is his attention to detail, his humanity and his ability to bring guests and audience into his comfortable world where they feel good about themselves and can share their thoughts and feelings in the most natural way. Barra is a true professional... does his research rigorously and uses this knowledge to make guests feel important but also allows him to engage in a natural unforced conversation on stage and on screen." Declan Hassett, Senior Licensing Manager - Guinness”
“Take a Spoonful of Lifestyle Medicine Dr. Mark Rowe is a thought leader in the emergent area of health, happiness and high performance in life. Rather than approaching every illness as something to be cured with a prescription and pills, Dr Rowe advocates for lifestyle medicine. Change your habits to remove the root cause of the symptoms. Less stress and pressure in the workplace could have drastic positive effects on health. His goals are burnout prevention and lasting wellbeing, hoping for culture change in business and medical settings alike, in people’s mindsets as well as their organisations. Be a Dangerous Dreamer and Fail Fabulously If disability activist Caroline Casey had a super-power, it would be self-belief. A social entrepreneur leading a life without limits and labels, who describes herself as a “dangerous dreamer” who is “failing fabulously”, Casey manages to be both truly inspirational and relatable. In August 2017 she launched #valuable and started to engage in conversation with over 500,000 businesses to transform their approach to business inclusion to advocate for inclusive business practices. An in-demand speaker, her TED talk has more than 2 million views, and she has the ability to get people acting on their bold ideas. Spinning Plates? You should try Juggling! Dusty Gedge is a professional juggler and circus performer. His speciality is “organised chaos” in order to create accelerated learning opportunities. With his inclusive, hands-on approach, Gedge shows how easily behaviours and habits can be changed through coaching. Not just any coaching, Gedge uses juggling as a coaching method. He reckons fear of failure is the biggest block to experimentation and progress. No one wants to drop a ball, yet it's a necessary requirement when learning to juggle. Educating high achievers to take a risk and accept that they may fail, can be a challenge in itself. It’s often learning through failure that enables us to progress to the next level. What’s the Difference between an Astronaut, an Athlete, and You? Having worked as a performance coach with top athletes, Jamil Qureshi knows all about motivation and ambition. As well as coaching 6 individual athletes to number 1, Qureshi has worked with Premier League Football teams, an Ashes-winning Cricket team, and a Formula One racing team. He is also one of only a handful of external psychologists ever to be allowed to study astronauts on the NASA Space Programme. His expertise with high performing teams combined with his skills as a speaker and stand-up comedian make Qureshi an excellent choice for team motivation days. Look in my Eyes, Look in my Eyes, Look in my Eyes. Jason O'Callaghan, also known as Ireland’s only motivational psychologist, specialises in retraining the unconscious mind for success in life and work through hypnotism. The results are astounding, and often amusing to witness! O’Callaghan knows how to work a room, and how to make an impression. Participants might find themselves looking for lost shoes, or unable to drink a glass of water, or quitting smoking while they sleep. He also uses these skills to foster team building and increase motivation. Become an Adventurer in Spontaneity & Creativity Steve Chapman is not your average speaker. He invites the audience to come on an adventure into spontaneity, creativity and innovation with him, asking what it means to be part of an organisation, or part of a team. Chapman approaches any exploration with a deep and abiding sense of curiosity and playfulness, while still retaining a thoroughness that speaks to his academic and business credentials. No team can go through this kind of experience without coming out the other side different, and closer for it. ”
“David Rowan is founding Editor-in-chief and now Editor-at-large of WIRED’s UK edition, and technology columnist for The [UK] Sunday Times. He’s taken 125 flights in the past year to investigate the companies and entrepreneurs changing our world, recently spending time with the founders of WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Google, Spotify, Xiaomi, Nest, Twitter and countless other ambitious startups from Tel Aviv to Shenzhen. For a book, he’s currently on a global quest for successful examples of corporate innovation in the face of technology-led disruption. His recent keynote talks have included events for banks, governments and Fortune 100 companies, and recent stage interviews have ranged from will.i.am to James Murdoch and David Cameron. David has been a columnist for The Times, GQ, Condé Nast Traveller and The Guardian. At WIRED he has extended the brand into conferences and a consulting business. He's an early-stage investor in 40 tech companies and co-founder of FlowJourneys.com, taking amazing people for weekend adventures in the world’s most extraordinary locations. And he is still searching for the future.”
“New Zealand born rugby player, coach and TV commentator Brent Pope played rugby with top New Zealand side Otago University before finally settling in Ireland in 1991 and lining out for three seasons with St Mary's RFC. Later Brent coached Clontarf RFC for two seasons, leading them to promotion to Division One of the AIL. Brent has worked as a TV rugby pundit for nine years and can regularly be seen on RTÉ with George Hook & Tom McGurk. Brent also writes children's books for charities. The proceeds from 'Arnold the Anteater' went to Children's Hospice Homecare while 'Bones' was written for the Irish Osteoporosis Society. Brent has worked for RTÉ Sport for over 15 years and has also appeared in many crossover programmes such as 'The Restaurant' (Irish TV series), and in 'The Den', 'The Afternoon Show', 'The Hook and Popey Roadshow', 'The Late Late Show', 'The Saturday Night Show', and various travel programmes. Brent also starred as a singer in 'Charity You're a Star' in 2007. In 2012 he learned and played the clarinet for the RTÉ reality music show 'Instrumental'. Brent was listed at number 4 in a recent poll for Ireland's hottest male television stars, and in 2012/13 he was nominated as one of Ireland's best dressed men. He is also the curator of a popular art gallery for mental health artists called The 'Outside In Art Gallery', and has a movie script entitled 'Coming out to Play' listed with a major movie production company. Brent is involved in several mental health charities, and is an ambassador for St Patrick's Hospital 'Walk in My Shoes', 'Cycle Against Suicide', and RTE's 'People Of The Year'. ”
“ Do you feel like you’ve heard it all when it comes to managing teams? In this month’s blog, our speakers offer alternate ways of enhancing team collaboration and cohesion, including how to deal with conflict. Building high performing teams is always going to be a question of trial and error as you discover what works best for the individuals in your team, but here are some ideas to get you started. Talk it out Even in the best of teams, workplace conflicts are common under pressure. Here are broadcaster and confidence coach Gina London’s tips on how to deal with them. First of all, be assertive: have the confidence to speak up, but don’t alienate colleagues in the process. Don't use extreme language or absolutes. Love and hate are divisive, while ‘never’ or ‘always’ are accusatory and probably inaccurate. Ask open-ended questions - don’t assume you’ve understood their position on something, ask for clarification, or reasons for their reaction or opinion. It may be that you share a similar outlook and this is all a misunderstanding. If not, at least you’ll get a clearer idea of what they think before calming outlining your opinion. Work together to find a solution by offering ideas yourself and asking the other person how they would like the issue to be resolved. The Generation Game It’s important to spot potential problems before they arise, so you can deal with them smoothly. Nigel Barlow, so-called “business rocker”, highlights the generation gap between millennials and baby-boomers as point of misunderstanding. One thing that goes out the window for millennials in the workplace, is deference to hierarchy. While baby-boomers might feel they have earned their place, millennials are a disruptive force, who think of office relations as a network rather than a pyramid. This is dynamic and can lead to change, but in order to avoid conflict, employers need to maintain the shared values of the different generations. Knowing that their work is worthwhile matters to baby-boomers and millennials alike, and feeling valued within the company is vital for workplace wellbeing. Highlighting the positive differences that each generation brings will reduce resentment, while transparency and communication will mean less resistance to change. Millennials also value collaboration, which is where Nigel’s “garage thinking” comes into its own. Having a space for intense collaboration creates a strong team and leads to innovation. In the short term, innovation doesn’t make much sense: it’s messy, prone to failure, inefficient, and high risk. However, in the long term, innovation is vital for a successful business. Whether located in bricks and mortar, or a virtual space, garage thinking overcomes boundaries and encourages problem solving. Rather than thinking of employees as units of production, think of their collective potential for innovation. How can they, and your business, become more than the sum of their parts? Culture Clash Steve Chapman, author and coach on organisational change and development, describes organisations as “improvised complex social processes… influenced through active participation”. This means that change within an organisation comes from the daily interactions of the people working there. If a company wants to be more collaborative, but the culture isn’t set up to support collaboration, then it requires individuals to be counter-cultural. The risk is transferred to the individual who sticks out, even if theoretically, more innovative and creative behaviour is being encouraged. There needs to be an openness to new ideas at the highest level, especially if those ideas are uncomfortable! Follow the Beat One way to become more flexible in the workplace is to listen to a choreographer. Marguerite Donlon offers workshops teaching business teams techniques and tools from the world of dance to increase cohesion and allow them to work together in a novel way. She aims to bring teams together beyond the borders of language, and teach them that being flexible doesn’t always mean compromising; it can be part of an exciting process of innovation. Music is another powerful way of bringing teams together. Consultant and French Horn player, Ben Hines, promotes reflection, collaboration and team bonding around a business goal through music. Cutting across entrenched workplace barriers, music is an effective form of communication, enhances emotional intelligence, and can get your brain working in a new way. For more insights on how to build and manage high performing teams, simply contact us today to discuss your audience, budget, and goals. ”
“ BIG DATA BIG DEAL? ..... Yes, a very big deal. Your products or services are no longer the be-all and end-all of your company’s identity. You also have lots of raw information that is flowing into your organisation every day, data. Perhaps you analyse a small amount of it? But maybe you could be making much better use of all of it. It’s your Big Data after all. So what do our speakers say about it?
Big Data Blind Spots
The amount of data produced is huge but there are “blind spots” as WIRED’s Executive Editor, Jeremy White, points out. The biggest is that once people have access to big data, they don’t necessarily know what to do with it. You have to be able to interpret the data and implement the insights into your business model.
Your Company is a Data Company
As Mark van Rijmenam, founder of Datafloq, puts it, “any company, regardless of the industry, should see itself as a data company”. Datafloq connects companies with big data providers, as well as offering insights and training on emerging technology. Having more data means being able to improve your business strategy and chose the most efficient way to deliver to consumers.
Design your Company like Software
Futurist Mike Walsh agrees with this position, clarifying what it means to see yourself primarily as a data company. According to Walsh, the “most valuable thing we can create, protect, and leverage is data.” Designing your company like software means it will be data-driven, innovative and efficient - all things that ultimately benefit customers.
Data is a tool, use it
Economist and Professor of Finance Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev thinks that having more data is actually leading us to realise the limits of our data analytics capabilities. Increases in the amount of data and its accessibility can be an advantage, but we should be wary of an “overconfidence bias”. While the data can give us a clearer picture of where we are, it cannot give us an idea of where we’re going. Gurdgiev warns against an over reliance on big data, saying that “Data is not the end of it all. Data is just one of the tools.”
Use Disruption as Fuel
The data also needs to be contextualised, so having a lot of data about search trends doesn’t tell you why people are currently searching for those things. Jonathan MacDonald, digital strategist and thought leader who founded Thought Expansion Network and Balance Ventures, asks whether the way we look at data is more important than the data itself. Back in the nineties, MacDonald was part of a music industry group attempting to sue the internet for sharing music files as it was copyright infringement. They sent a 160 page fax to someone they thought was the executive of the internet. Putting aside how strange this sounds today, there’s another reason he now acknowledges it was not the right move at the time. Instead of suing the disruptor, they should have innovated faster and better to compete with them. Data is a powerful tool which works best when the organisation uses disruption and “perpetual change as fuel”.
The Powerful Players will be creating Markets
Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, Professor at the Oxford University Internet Institute, says when data drives markets, rather than relying primarily on price, financial institutions and traditional companies have less impact. Companies that encourage internal competition to drive innovation are likely to thrive. Instead of just creating products, the powerful players will be creating markets. This is the focus on his new book ‘Reinventing Capitalism in the Age of Big Data’ co-authored with Thomas Ramge, writer for The Economist.
Putting Big Data at the Centre of your Business Model
Last but not least someone who truly understands what it means to put big data at the centre of his business model is Mark Little, founder of the world’s first social news agency Storyful which pioneered new models of verification and collaboration. Storyful mines the social web, taking user-generated content and shaping it into journalism. As digital journalism rebuilds trust, the transparency from Big Data is crucial. So if you need a Big Data expert’s insights, simply contact us today to discuss your audience, budget, and goals. Follow us on Facebook”
“Jim McGuinness Performance Consultant to Glasgow Celtic was born in Glenties, County Donegal. He was only a teenager, when part of a Donegal squad that claimed the county’s first All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in 1992. McGuinness was also a star of Third-Level Colleges football, winning Sigerson Cups with Tralee I.T. GAA in 1998 and 1999 as captain, and again as captain in 2001 with the University of Ulster at Jordanstown (U.U.J.). Jim was player coach when his club captured their first ever Donegal Senior Club Championship title in 2005. He has represented his Province on a number of occasions winning two Railway Cup Medals, and has also represented his country in the International Compromise Rules Series against Australia in 1998, a series which Ireland won. In 2010 Jim was manager of the Donegal Under-21 Football Team that won the Provincial Championship for the first time in fifteen years and reached the All-Ireland Final. In July of that year he was appointed Donegal Senior Football Team Manager. His time at the helm with the senior team has been a major success; in his tenure he has overseen a Donegal team that has won two consecutive Ulster Senior Football Championship titles and this year he guided his native county to win the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, the county's first since 1992. Donegal's victory in 2012 under McGuinness's management is only Donegal's second ever All-Ireland Senior Championship win in more than 120 years. McGuinness' achievements have also been recognised internationally, earning the admiration of, among others, the golfer and Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and the Glasgow Celtic football manager Neil Lennon. On the 9th of November 2012, the Scottish soccer giants Glasgow Celtic confirmed the appointment of McGuinness as a performance consultant, while Paul McGinley has confirmed that McGuinness will have a role to play in the 2014 Ryder Cup. Having been invited to assist Glasgow Celtic in Scotland, McGuinness is the first Gaelic football inter-county manager to have been offered a role at a professional sports team abroad. Jim holds a Master’s of Science in Sport Psychology from Liverpool John Moores University, School of Sport & Exercise Sciences. He previously gained a BSc (hons) Degree in Sport, Exercise and Leisure from the University of Ulster Jordanstown, and a Higher Certificate in Health & Leisure studies from Tralee Institute of Technology. He has previously lectured in Sports Coaching and Sport Psychology at Limavady College, Co. Derry, Northern Ireland.”
“Conor Pope Journalist, Broadcaster, Author, Consumer Affairs & Personal Finance Expert”
“FinTech touches not just the financial services sector, but every single business the financial services industry deals with. Your business is surely one of them? FinTech stands for Financial Technologies, in other words technologies used and applied in the financial services sector, mainly used by financial institutions themselves on the back end of their businesses. However, FinTech is increasingly being used to describe technologies that are disrupting traditional financial services, including mobile payments, crowd-funding, money transfers, loans, fundraising, and asset management. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau we have a range of expert speakers who talk passionately, engagingly and most importantly with great clarity about FinTech. They appeal to both expert audiences as well as to the less expert amongst us, making them ideal for any FinTech focused event. Here are two FinTech hot topics everyone is talking about: Blockchain This revolutionary technology cuts out the need for third parties to facilitate transactions. It is a new way to store and record transactions, similar to that of a traditional database, although in a blockchain each block is computer coded with some sort of information e.g. a contract or statement of authenticity, and is securely connected or ‘chained’ by digital signature to ensure they are tamper proof. Blockchain can be applied to any multi-step transaction where traceability and visibility are required. Blockchain is changing the way business is done. ChatBot This is a form of artificial intelligence. Basically, it is a piece of software you chat with. Think of it as a replacement for all the apps you have downloaded. Imagine that instead of opening up your bank account to see if you can afford to buy something, you could ask your personal financial assistant (i.e. a ChatBot) and it will tell you what you can afford to spend based on your income, pattern of spending and your saving goals. This is just one of the ways in which ChatBots are shaping the way financial institutions operate. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have a range of expert speakers who are available to speak at your next Fintech focused event. Featured speakers include: • David McWilliams • Calum Chase • John Fingleton • Professor Noreena Hertz • Dr. Dambisa Moyo • Dan O'Brien • Dan Cobley • Constantin Gurdgiev • Mark Blyth Simply contact us today to discuss which presenter, MC, or speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals.”
“Dambisa Moyo Global Economist, TED Speaker, & Author Her work has taken her to more than 70 countries over the last decade, during which time she has developed a unique knowledge on the inherent conflicts facing developed economies, as well as the interaction between politics, international finance and developing markets. In particular, her work examines the interplay of international business and the global economy, while highlighting the key opportunities for investment, capitalizing on her rare ability to translate trends in markets, technology, politics, regulatory matters and economics into their likely impact on global business. Dambisa Moyo serves on the boards of Barclays Bank, the financial services group, SABMiller, the global brewer, Barrick Gold, the global miner, and Seagate Technology. She was an economist at Goldman Sachs and a consultant to the World Bank in Washington, D.C. Dambisa is a contributing editor to CNBC, the business and finance news network. Her writing regularly appears in economic and finance-related publications such as the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal. She completed a PhD in economics at Oxford University and holds a Masters degree from Harvard University. She completed an undergraduate degree in chemistry and an MBA in finance at the American University in Washington, D.C. She is an avid tennis fan and has run numerous half marathons and marathons. She received The Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage of the University Philosophical Society at Trinity College Dublin in Oct 2106. In nearly 10 years of practical board experience, Dr. Moyo has been engaged in many key aspects of company oversight and operations including: Board & Management Succession: • Selection process and appointment of numerous CEOs • Oversight of the upgrading and staffing of the executive committee • Corporate governance liaison with shareholders Compensation/Remuneration: • Oversight of the structuring of the company Long Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) • Alignment of compensation in the context of market trends • Approval of management bonus plans Global Perspective • First hand knowledge of economic and political conditions in all major emerging markets • Understanding of recent changes in fundamentals • Able to assess strategic potential Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): • US$100 billion acquisition of SABMiller by Anheuser Busch; US$10 billion acquisition of Fosters by SABMiller • Oversight of multi billion dollar asset sales • Equity raise: Rights issues • Balance Sheet Management: Capital allocation, Dividend Regulatory Affairs: • Oversight of multi billion dollar regulatory fines and redress • Implementation of control environment • Implementation of cultural change agenda • Rollout of corporate restructuring: Spans & Layers, Organization centralization/de-centralization Risk: • Approval of company risk appetite: versus cost of capital, ROIC/Return targets, mandate and scale, liquidity • Assessment and management of Macroeconomic, market (including interest rates, FX, Commodity volatility), credit, geo-political risk • Monitoring of Operational risk • Monitoring Technology and Cyber risk Strategy • Overseen changes in strategy owing to changes in market conditions • Approved new business model in light to industry changes after financial crisis • Overseen changes in business model to reflect structural and regulatory challenges
Board Experience: • Barclays: (2010 – Present); Audit Committee, Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee; Reputation Committee • Barrick Gold: (2011 – Present); Audit Committee; Corporate Governance & Nomination Committee; Risk Committee • SABMiller: (2009 – Present); Chair of Corporate Accountability & Risk Assurance Committee • Seagate Technology: (2015 - Present): Audit Committee, Finance Committee Education: • PhD, Economics, Oxford University (2002) • MPA, Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government (1997) • MBA, Finance, American University (1993) • BS, Chemistry, American University (1991)
Work Experience: • Goldman Sachs, Capital Markets, Economist (2001-2008) • World Bank (1993-1995)
“Best known for her role in Channel 4’s primetime, BAFTA-winning medical series 'Embarrassing Bodies’ and ‘Freaky Eaters’, practicing GP Dr. Pixie McKenna has seen every bizarre condition under the sun. With a sympathetic disposition and real medical expertise, she aims to restore health and dignity to millions of viewers. Pixie McKenna graduated from University College Cork Medical School in 1995. Following a year of medical and surgical internship in Ireland, she joined the Cambridge Vocational Training Scheme in general practice. This involved three years of hospital training at Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge in medicine, surgery, general practice, care of the elderly, gynaecology, rheumatology, rehabilitation medicine and paediatrics. In 1999, she obtained her certificate in general practice training and membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners. Over the last 13 years she has worked both in the NHS and the private sector in Ireland and the UK. Pixie is currently a practicing GP at London's Harley Street. Her media career began in 2006 when she was asked to be the onscreen doctor in BBC Three’s ‘Freaky Eaters’ series, which ran for three seasons. She is best known for her role in Channel 4’s primetime, BAFTA-winning medical series 'Embarrassing Bodies’ and Channel 4’s ‘Food Hospital’. As well these major flagship shows, Pixie makes ad hoc appearances on a variety of other programmes as wide ranging as Celebrity Mastermind to This Morning. When not filming, Pixie spends her time writing columns for the Irish Mail, Mizz, Zest and Best magazines. She also hosts the weekly ‘Air your Ailments’ slot on Ireland’s Today FM. When she’s not busy with her clinical commitments and media work, Pixie can be found strolling, punting or cycling around her UK base in Cambridge, or sailing around the west coast of Cork. Although having given birth to her first child earlier this year, she describes herself as having more “nappy time” than leisure time. Pixie comes from a family background of medicine, being the third generation of doctors in her family, but only the first female medic! Having studied speech and drama from the age of five, she is an accomplished speaker on a variety of medical topics, with sexual health, dermatology, women’s health and health promotion being her specific interests. Pixie released her first book, The Handbag Doctor, through Kyle Cathie books in 2010. Dr Pixie is currently practising at Freedom Health, 60 Harley Street, London.”
“In recent decades, STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths) have driven economic advancements, yet there is now a recognition that STEM fields are missing one vital ingredient which would make them more effective, and that is the Arts. The inclusion of this more creative discipline has been shown to boost other STEM skills and encourage innovation and engagement. Introducing Arts into the equation transforms STEM into STEAM. If you are hosting an event that focuses on the topics of STEM or STEAM, it is imperative that you choose the correct master of ceremonies or keynote speaker to effectively communicate the key message of introducing the Arts into the existing STEM fields. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have a handpicked selection of Keynote speakers for you to choose from who can really engage your audience and bring the themes to life. If your event is in need of an engaging, witty speaker who can really hold the attention of both lay and expert audiences, then Dr. Niamh Shaw is for you. Dr Niamh Shaw is an Irish engineer, scientist, performer, and was recently voted one of Ireland's leading science communicators and STEAM specialists. After she had a successful career in academia, she felt that despite her success, she was still failing. This sense of failure derived from the fact that her artistic desires were not being met by the traditional education system. Clare Dillon has over 20 years of know-how in leadership development, business strategy, and technology evangelism, as well as first hand experience of developing and implementing some of the latest technology trends in Microsoft Ireland. Clare was part of the Microsoft Leadership team as they transformed from a software product to a cloud services organisation. She has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things technology and is the perfect Keynote speaker for any Tech event. Aine Kerr is a teacher turned journalist, and specialises in the areas of media, technology, business, and education. She was instrumental in creating the Facebook Journalism Project and the News Integrity Initiative (NII) which focuses on the reporting of suspicious or false news articles within Facebook. Prior to her time at Facebook, Aine worked at Storyful for five years where she was the head of content and political editor. These projects are brilliant examples of what can be achieved with scientific rigour, emerging technologies and a little bit of creative storytelling. Aine has had an impressive career thus far, having also been a political correspondent and news reporter at The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, and The Irish Examiner. Kate D Adamson is an expert in how mega-trends in technology will impact the way humans safely, sustainably, and profitably protect our oceans, rivers, ports, and canals. Kate offers a visionary perspective on both the future threats and opportunities that technology will deliver to shipping, maritime and the wider blue economy. Her unparalleled understanding will keep your audience on the edge of their seats. If you are planning a conference or event to highlight the importance of introducing the Arts to the existing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths fields, contact us to discuss which presenter, MC, or speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”
Dr Jolanta Burke Positive Psychologist specialises in Positive Psychology. She is a senior lecturer and associate programme leader for Masters in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology at the University of East London, which is the first and largest third level positive psychology qualification in Europe. She is a highly engaging and passionate speaker who has delivered talks and keynotes at many conferences in Ireland, UK, other European countries, Canada and the US. She is published in various psychological and popular magazines and appears in the Irish media regularly (e.g. RTE, Today FM, Irish Times, Irish Independent). She’s also hosted her own radio show about the science of well-being.
Dr Jolanta Burke has extensive business experience and has collaborated with many organizations such as Google, IBEC, Big Lottery Fund, DTZ, Primerica. She is an Irish representative of the European Network for Positive Psychology. She is a visiting lecturer for Trinity College Dublin Business School where she regularly speaks at the MBA programme and has created and delivers a module in Psychology of Management (Managing a thriving organisation) for Masters in Management, ranking the third best general management degree in Europe.
Her last book about “Happiness after 30: The Paradox of Aging” is based on the latest research indicating that our well-being improves with age. Her new book “Flourishing employees: The psychology of people at their best” is coming out soon.
"One of the world's most influential thinkers" (Fast Company)
David Allen is an author, consultant, executive coach, and international lecturer. He is widely recognized as the world's leading authority on personal and organizational productivity. David is the founder of the David Allen Company, which provides services designed to increase performance, capacity and aligned execution through its global partners. Clients include some of the world’s most prestigious corporations, including over 40% of the Fortune 100. His thirty-five years of pioneering research, coaching and education of some of the world's highest-performing professionals has earned him Forbes' recognition as one of the “Top five executive coaches” in the United States, and as one of the "Top 100 thought leaders" by Leadership Magazine. Fast Company hailed David Allen "One of the world's most influential thinkers" in the arena of personal productivity, for his outstanding programs and writing on time and stress management, the power of aligned focus and vision, and his ground-breaking methodologies in management and executive peak performance. The American Management Association ranked him in the top ten business leaders in 2014. David is the author of three books; the international bestseller, 'Getting Things Done: the Art of Stress-Free Productivity' (popularly known by the brand shorthand of GTD ® ), 'Ready for Anything', and 'Making It All Work: Winning at the Game of Work and Business of Life'. Getting Things Done has been a perennial business bestseller since it's publication in 2001, and the 2015 revised edition is now published in 30 languages. TIME magazine heralded Getting Things Done as "The defining self-help business book of its time". GTD has an international following of adopters in corporate enterprises, institutions and entrepreneurs. It has given rise to a thriving GTD industry of websites, blogs and software applications. Internet searches bring up tens of millions of references. David Allen is a rarity in the Twitter world, as one of the few non-celebrities with over a million followers hanging on his informative wit and inspiration. PC Magazine noted him as one of the “Top One Hundred to Follow” on Twitter.”
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics are trending. According to analysis from PWC AI will boost Ireland’s GDP by 2030 by 11.6% or €48 billion. It is expected that 3.7% of that growth will emerge from Augmented Intelligence, which is where humans and machines work together to find solutions to problems. Machines, through a process of learning by experience modelled on our own early learning system, will suggest solutions to problems that humans may not have thought of yet. AI advancements will lead to significantly increased productivity and automation in the workplace. This means employees will be less stressed, more productive, and happier. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau we understand the importance of choosing the right MC, presenter or expert speaker for your tech event, as they play a vital role in communicating the key benefits of investing in AI. That’s why we have a variety of tech experts for you to choose from to fill that important role. If your event revolves around the latest technology trends, then David Rowan is the presenter for you. David Rowan is WIRED’s UK Editor-at-large, and a tech company advisor. David travels around the world speaking to companies about how they can innovate to keep up to speed with, or to profit from tech-led disruption. David is a storyteller, and speaks enthusiastically and engagingly about Big Data, technology trends (such AI), 3D printing, and mobile opportunities. If your event focuses on the likely impacts of AI on people and societies, then Calum Chace is a perfect choice. Following a successful 30-year career in business, Calum became a writer and speaker, specialising in the likely effects of AI. He believes that organisations should be thinking about how they deploy AI in their business, and has an innate talent for communicating the importance of investing in AI early on. Ben Hammersley is a well known author, futurist and technologist, and specialises in explaining complex technological and sociological topics to non technical audiences. Ben is the author of ‘64 Things You Need to Know Now For Then: How to Face the Digital Future Without Fear’, which explains the 64 things that are driving our world forward, from business to politics, and even culture. Ben inspires and motivates audiences, and gives them the confidence to face the digital future and whatever it brings. If you’re looking for a true leader to present at your event, global expert and best-selling author Terence Mauri is the ideal choice. Terence is an Inc. magazine Columnist, and entrepreneur mentor at London Business School and Oxford University. He specialises in tackling the new age of disruption and tells organisations how they can win in a digital world by utilising AI. Ade McCormack is a former technologist who studied Physics and Astrophysics and offers a fascinating perspective on how organizations and people can thrive in the post industrial age. His unique perspective makes him the perfect opening keynote speaker. Ade is a near futurist, and teaches audiences about upcoming technological trends, and how to stay economically relevant in the digital age. If you are planning a conference or event to highlight the importance of investing in AI, contact us to discuss which MC, presenter or speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”
“International Rugby Referee Nigel Owens Nigel Owens is a Welsh International, World Cup and Heineken Cup rugby union referee. Born and raised in a small village in South Wales he was appointed as an international referee in 2005, and that year officiated his first international between Ireland and Japan in Osaka. He was the only Welsh referee at the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups and is regarded as the first openly gay man to referee at the highest level. He made his World Cup debut in Lyon, France in September 2007 refereeing the Argentina vs. Georgia game. He is only one of two referees ever to be appointed to referee two consecutive Heineken Cup finals: Munster v Toulouse at the Millennium Stadium in 2008 and Leicester Tigers v. Leinster at Murrayfield in 2009. Nigel is also one of the presenters on S4C’s ‘Jonathan', a rugby-themed Welsh language chat show hosted by former Welsh international Jonathan Davies. He also co-presents the sports-themed Welsh language chat show 'Bwrw'r Bar'. In 2007, Owens was named ‘Gay Sports Personality of the Year‘ by gay rights group Stonewall at their annual awards ceremony in London. In 2011, Nigel was made a member of the Gorsedd of Bards at their National Eisteddfod in Wrexham. Owens was appointed as the referee for the 2015 Rugby World Cup Final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham.”
“Norah Casey Entrepreneur Broadcaster former Dragon - Until July 2013, Norah was anchor of the successful daily radio Breakfast Show on Newstalk and co-hosted The Today show on RTE 1 every Friday during the 2012/2013 season. In 2013, she decided to leave the successful business entrepreneur show Dragons’ Den to pursue a full time career in radio and television. Her investment portfolio is diverse and includes online and traditional media businesses. Her new television series Norah’s Traveller Academy was aired on RTE in Spring 2015. She presented 13 episodes of The Takeover with RTE 2 – transforming business through staff mentorship. Her documentary titled Way to Go, exploring issues around death and the Irish, aired on RTE 1 in July 2014. Norah is owner and Chairwoman of Ireland’s largest magazine publishing company Harmonia, printing over four million magazines annually for the Irish, British and USA market and selling on average 2.6 million in the Irish market annually. She founded the company and was CEO until October 2013. Harmonia publishes the top three best-selling women’s magazines in Ireland – Irish Tatler, Woman’s Way and U Magazine – along with a range of lifestyle and consumer titles such as Woman’s Way, CookBook, Food&Wine Magazine, Irish Tatler Man, Ireland of the Welcomes and Auto Ireland. With a strong portfolio of brands and events from having run many successful publishing companies in London, Norah bought her own business, Harmonia, in 2004. A journalist and former nurse, Norah was awarded Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year 2007/8, and has been Ireland’s Publisher of the Year no fewer than four times. She has served on numerous boards, and is currently a member of the Press Council of Ireland, the London-based Women’s Irish Network and The International Women’s Forum.”
“International Women’s Day is fast approaching, conferences and events will be held all over the world to celebrate the societal and political achievements of women, while simultaneously calling for gender equality. On this day of all days, you need an engaging female speaker to inspire your audience to think differently and make changes. Here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have wonderful women who as motivational speakers will inject life into your event and mirror the themes of both power and equality for women by opening up and sharing their stories. If your event focuses on motivation and empowering women, then Caroline Casey is the motivational speaker for you. Caroline is legally blind and an award-winning social entrepreneur. She is a keen advocate for equality in the workplace and believes that people should not be defined by their disabilities. Caroline is renowned for her engaging speeches on globally recognisable platforms such as TED Talks and One Young World, just to name a few. In fact, owner of TED Chris Anderson recently held Caroline up as an example of inspirational talks done right, saying “The talk should convey something personal about the speaker in order to give the audience a window into the issue, such as activist Caroline Casey's 2010 talk on overcoming life's obstacles, ‘Looking past limits’. And it should offer hope that a bad situation could still get better.” Caroline is someone who will inspire your audience to engage with and act on bold ideas. If your event needs a bold, energetic and passionate speaker, then Sonya Lennon is the perfect choice. Sonya is a designer and entrepreneur who owns three fashion orientated business. She has an innate talent for storytelling. Sonya’s story is one of inspiration and motivation, in which she merges creative thinking with strategic development. She also runs a non-profit organisation which aims to help women to get back into the workforce. If you are in need of the ultimate business woman for your event, look no further than Chanelle, Lady McCoy. Chanelle is a Dragon’s Den investor and has built her success in the areas of pharmaceuticals and fashion. Chanelle is the co-founder of Chanelle Medical and Chanelle Veterinary which develop and manufacture generic drugs. Chanelle is responsible for over 400 people, turning-over in excess of €100m. With this reputation, it comes as no surprise that she was recently ranked no 23 in the ‘50 incredible people shaping modern Ireland’. Rita Clifton is best known for her expertise on branding. Rita has had a very successful marketing career thus far. She was Vice Chair and strategy director at Saatchi & Saatchi during their most successful period, and London CEO for over fifteen years. Rita was then Chair at Interbrand, a world class brand consultancy, and was shortlisted for the Credit Suisse Outstanding Business Woman of the Year. If you are planning a conference or event to mark International Women’s Day contact us to discuss which speaker would suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”
“Constantin Gurdgiev is currently ranked second on the UK & Ireland Economists Top 100 list by CityAM. Joining high level view of technological, demographic and consumer trends with original data analytics, he provides a unique long-range analysis of evolutionary trends shaping economies and key markets. His thought leadership crosses the boundaries of individual sectors and countries to bring truly global business and economics perspective to boardrooms and conference halls. Dr. Constantin Gurdgiev is the Adjunct Professor of Finance with Trinity College Dublin and acts as an adviser to a range of financial services companies. Constantin is an internationally recognised expert and speaker on topics relating to global business and economic development. His main expertise is in spotting key data-driven trends across economies and sectors, and linking these trends to investment and business strategy. His clients include: Google, IBM, Alltech, KPMG, PwC, IG, Bloomberg, Reuters, CFA Institute, Eon, Allianz, McKinsey, and others. He is a frequent contributor to international media and writes a regular column for Cayman Financial Review. His blog is syndicated to Seeking Alpha and is carried by a number of investment markets platforms. In the past, Dr. Gurdgiev served as the Partner and Head of Research with St Columbanus AG, the Head of Macroeconomics with IBM, and Director of Research with NCB Stockbrokers. Current risks and opportunities in the global economy (European, MENA, Asia Pacific and North American markets; BRICS) The future of financial services (retail and institutional investors perspective, banking, insurance and aggregators) Behavioural and macroeconomic drivers for consumer services and financial services development (on-line and off-line) Big data v Small data and data analytics The role of human capital in economic development and Smarter Cities Current and future trends in financial markets (European and Russian markets)”
“With January just around the corner, this is a critical time for businesses all around the world. Motivational Speakers at January Conferences set the tone for the upcoming year and selecting the right speaker should be a key priority. Choosing the right Motivational Speakers for your event can be difficult. Although it can be an onerous task, there is nothing quite like knowing you have the right keynote speaker who you can trust to inject life, positive energy, and passion into your event. With that being said, here at Personally Speaking Bureau, we have a diverse range of Motivational Speakers for you to choose from, people who can raise the profile of your event, whilst exciting your talent about the year ahead and convey your key messages. If you are looking to motivate your staff and kick-start the year with a positive Mindset and can do attitude, Caroline Casey is the perfect speaker for you. Legally blind, Caroline is an award-winning social entrepreneur and a keen adventurer. She has just returned from trekking 1000 km across Columbia on horseback while igniting her business inclusion and diversity movement #valuable, completing the journey on the mainstage of One Young World in Bogota. Amongst her achievements, she is a TED Speaker, Ashoka Fellow and Young Global Leader. Caroline has a reputation around the world for connecting with her audience, she speaks from the heart and is passionate about making a difference. If your event focuses on team building and bringing people together, look no further than Irish sporting legends Brian O’Driscoll and Jamie Heaslip. Brian is the most-capped player in Rugby Union history. Jamie’s commitment, focus and drive not only guarantees he delivers the best of himself but also gives him the ability to get the best out of the people around him. Their experiences enable them to insert themselves into teams, strengthen and unify them. Nigel Barlow and Terence Mauri will focus on inspiring your audience, encouraging them to look to the future. Nigel has been described as one of the world's most dynamic speakers, inspiring individuals as they face pressing business challenges. Terence helps individuals stay one step ahead by finding smart ways to challenge the age of disruption. Dusty Gedge has the ability to inform, amuse and challenge his audiences. Encouraging them to break out of their comfort zone and focus on the future of their environment. His style is highly active and great fun. If you are planning an event, why not contact us to discuss which speaker may suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”
“Hayley is passionate about inspiring business leaders to adopt the principle that diversity isn’t about difference, it’s about excellence. She tackles issues surrounding unconscious bias and inclusiveness with humour, ensuring that her ideas have real value for audiences’ working lives.
One of our most popular speakers on Diversity and Inclusion, Hayley Barnard is the Managing Director & Diversity Strategist at MIX Diversity Developers Ltd. MIX helps organisations become more innovative and profitable through developing both a more diverse workforce and diverse customer base. MIX’s clients include HSBC, Diageo, T-Systems and Walmart.
After quickly rising to become General Manager of Sir Chay Blyth’s ‘Challenge Business’ at just 23, Hayley took the decision to start her own communications and sponsorship business with her twin sister, which they run to this day. After over a decade of successful trading, their second business was born – MIX Diversity Developers Ltd.
Hayley is a professional speaker, consultant and media commentator on subjects including gender balanced workplaces, inclusive leadership, unconscious bias, harnessing greater ethnicity in business, Autism in the workplace and Age and Employment. She is passionate about inspiring business leaders to adopt the principle that diversity isn’t about difference, it’s about excellence. She tackles issues surrounding unconscious bias and inclusiveness with humour, ensuring that her ideas have real value for audiences’ working lives.
One of the most innovative projects that Hayley has headed up is the LeasePlan Women’s Arctic Challenge in which she co-led a team of women on a traverse of Baffin Island, trekking and camping for 11 days at minus 40 degrees C. MIX worked with LeasePlan to develop this unique platform to communicate the gender balance issue and challenge unconscious bias within their company.
When not at work or at home Hayley can usually be found swimming in the nearest stretch of open water in preparation for a 45Km swim around Manhattan Island in August 2018 and her solo English Channel swim attempt in 2019.
“Siobhan Byrne Personal Trainer and Specialist in Women's Fitness Business Owner and Irish Independent Health & Fitness columnist Siobhan is passionate about helping women of all ages make positive realistic changes in their eating and fitness regime to improve their health, self-esteem and energy. She specialises in training for weight loss and maintaining fitness through pregnancy.”
“Noreena Hertz Economist looks at global culture — financial and otherwise — using an approach that combines traditional economic analysis with foreign policy trends, psychology, behavioural economics, anthropology, history and sociology. Hertz is a bestselling author, economist and strategist who advises some of the world’s top CEOs and Presidents on economic, geopolitical and technological trends and business decisions. She graduated from university at the age of 19. By the age of 23 she was advising the Russian government on its economic reforms and investors on M&A transactions. At the age of 29 she was working with the governments of Israel, Egypt, Palestine, and Jordan on the Middle East Peace Process. Described by the Observer as “one of the world’s leading young thinkers”, by Vogue as “one of the world’s most inspiring women” and on the cover of Newsweek’s September 30th 2013 issue "Noreena is known for her visionary ideas". Noreena’s ongoing research on what she calls Generation Katniss (14 – 21 year olds) was launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos and at the Women in the World Economic Summit in New York City and has already been featured in publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph, El Pais and The Financial Times. A much sought-after commentator on television and radio Hertz contributes to a wide range of publications and networks including The BBC, CNN, CNBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, the Financial Times, the Guardian, The Times of London, Wired, and Nature. She is regularly sought after as a Keynote Speaker and has given Keynote Speeches at TED, The World Economic Forum and Google Zeitgeist as well as for leading global corporations, sharing platforms with such luminaries as President Bill Clinton, Professor Stephen Hawking and David Beckham. Her work was the inspiration for Bono’s (RED) campaign. She is a Board Member of Warner Music Group, on the Advisory Board RWE AG and sits on various charitable boards. Professor Hertz is based at University College London.”
“Susan Cain Author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Through her writing of Quiet, Cain shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose. Introverts make up a third to a half of our workplaces and classrooms, and whose natural talents we can no longer afford to waste. Quiet was the subject of a TIME magazine cover story, and her writing has appeared in the The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. Cain’s TED Talk received a standing ovation and smashed a first-week record with over a million views. It has since passed 5 million views and was named by Bill Gates as one of his all-time favourite talks. She is the recipient of several awards, including Toastmasters International Golden Gavel Award for Communication and Leadership, and Harvard Law School's Celebration Award for Thought Leadership. Amongst some of the organisations Susan Cain has addressed are Google, Microsoft, Harvard, West Point, the SEC, the U.S. Treasury and countless others. Quiet has won favourable comparisons to the best works of Malcolm Gladwell and Dan Pink, and Cain has been featured or appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Harvard Business Review, Scientific American, Forbes, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, CBS This Morning, NPR’s All Things Considered, NPR’s Diane Rehm and many more. Fast Company writes that Cain is “inspiring a reexamination of corporate structure and processes, spurring change through the classic public intellectual approach: by encouraging us to think.” She is an honours graduate of Princeton and Harvard Law School. She lives in New York with her husband and two sons.”
“We would like to introduce one of our most exciting and dynamic keynote and motivational speakers, Caroline Casey. Caroline’s own story makes her an inspiration, and this week she hopes to inspire much more when she brings her call for inclusive business to the world stage. One Young World Caroline, a motivational speaker from Dublin, Ireland, is the founder of the business inclusion company Binc., which focuses on people with disabilities and aims to catalyze a global movement for inclusive business. And on October 6th, Caroline will be at the One Young World Summit in Bogota, Colombia, to urge business leaders around the world (and the young leaders they nurture and mentor) to take the lead on making the powerful world of industry and business a model of inclusion. A Life Without Limits - For Everyone Caroline believes that people with disabilities should not be afraid to live a life without limits or labels to reach their true potential, especially in business, as both consumers and employees. Caroline was diagnosed as being legally blind at the age of 17. After discovering this, she swore to herself that no-one would ever find out that she was visually impaired as she didn’t want to appear weak. For the next 11 years, she would live her life without anyone knowing that she was legally blind. A Turning Point Then, at the age of 28, something happened. While at work, Caroline’s eyes unexpectedly took a turn for the worse, causing her (temporarily) to lose the ability to see all together. After a discussion with her boss, she decided that it was time for a change: she was going to be true to herself, including the fact that she had a disability, and she wasn’t going to let anything stop her. But she also wanted to show other people that they could do the same, so Caroline decided to trek 1,000km across India by elephant to prove that she could still do anything she set her mind to. This trip raised enough money for 6,000 cataract operations, which allowed 6,000 people to see. Raise Awareness of Inclusive Business The India trip ignited Caroline’s passion and ambition to lead a life without limitations and to raise awareness of the importance of including people with disabilities in business. Caroline wants to inspire the business world to be inclusive, not just in terms of people with disabilities but around difference more generally. She does this through public speaking, calling on all of us to be more inclusive whenever and however we can, and to accept that being different, in any way, is the norm and should be celebrated. We’re all #Valuable On the 4th of September 2017, Caroline embarked on another 1,000km trip, this time from Colombia to Bogota on horseback, where she will arrive at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit on the 4th of October. Two days later, on the 6th of October, Caroline will take to the main stage with #Valuable (Binc.) to make a call to action to corporate leaders all around the world, urging them to recognize that everyone is #valuable and to put in place strategies and tools to help put inclusiveness at the heart of a business. Caroline’s trip is being documented by #Valuable.global where you can keep up with her as she makes this daring journey! You can also follow her on Instagram as @caseybinc. If you are planning an event, why not contact us to discuss what speaker may suit your audience, budget, and goals. ”
Jeremy White has spent the last five years as Product Editor for Wired seeking out and evaluating products at the very cutting edge of innovation and design. Now, as an Executive Editor, he edits Wired's GEAR section, which highlights and tests the very best in 'Wired' products from smartphones to wearables, nano drones to supercars, interiors to architecture.
His expansive knowledge of the product world and forecasting design and tech trends has seen him be commissioned for consultancy services to some of the world's largest consumer brands on industrial design and user experience. He has been writing about technology and design for more than 10 years and is also currently the technology expert for Telegraph Luxury and Harrods.
Before Wired, Jeremy was digital editor for 'How To Spend It' at the Financial Times, and prior to that was technology editor at Esquire magazine. Jeremy appears regularly on the BBC and Sky News representing the magazine.
Jeremy curates the live product experiences at Wired's events, charged with bringing together exclusive displays showcasing the latest developments in automotive, technology, design and art.
The future as it happens – as Executive Editor in charge of all product coverage (both in print and online), Jeremy travels all over the world sourcing the latest design and technology innovations before they come to market. Technology trends Internet of Things, and the possible future Luxury technology and the Future of Luxury Brands Artificial intelligence 3D printing and maker culture Product innovation
Quantum computing
FinTech
Retail disruption
Wearables and Health tech
Autonomous cars and transport
Crowd-funding culture
Fashion technology
“Jonathan MacDonald is a Digital Strategist, founder of the Thought Expansion Network (TEN) and an internationally renowned speaker. His core messages focus on expanding people's thinking about change, and how that impacts the future, exploring the opportunities that this perpetually changing, digitally and technologically enhanced landscape create. T hrough all of his work, Jonathan MacDonald enables people and organisations to modify their approach from one-off change management to the management of perpetual change, thanks to his deep knowledge of future trends, disruptive innovation, the world of business, human behaviour, and how to use change to fuel outstanding business and personal success. He also draws upon his extreme depth of thinking to answer the most complex questions from the stage, adding immense consultative value that translates into tangible, bottom-line business benefit. Jonathan has been creating and advising businesses for over two decades, and his various accomplishments include Ministry of Sound’s digital strategy, launching a Sky TV channel and becoming the youngest ever Chairman of the British Music Industries Association. He has recently co-founded a highly disruptive Australian FinTech company that is radically innovating origination using blockchain technology and is also helping to accelerate a similarly disruptive American LegalTech blockchain startup. He is trusted by the senior executives of the most successful global companies including Google, Microsoft, Apple, P&G, Unilever, Nestlé, Lego, Heineken and IKEA to expand their thinking and provide new perspectives and avenues of thought, and is a contributor to Google’s Think Insights and Forbes. Jonathan is charismatic, personable and highly impactful, meaning he is consistently the best-rated speaker at any event, leaving a lasting impression on every audience who hears him. He opens up the minds and the thinking of a diverse range of people; facilitating strategic discussion and dialogue with the most senior level executives, or inspiring an entire workforce to embrace new opportunities for a brighter future, leaving audiences with a clear roadmap of the actionable steps to take to achieve success and competitive advantage. He looks at current and future trends, explores what innovation really means, what disruption looks like, how technology is influencing every part of business, the impact of a disintermediated landscape, and how to use change as a mechanism that can power outstanding business success, rather than something to resist, especially when it comes to 'future-proofing' our businesses and workplaces.”
A GUEST POST by TERENCE MAURI author of The Leader’s Mindset
[caption id="attachment_1751" align="alignright" width="149"] Terence Mauri[/caption]
About six weeks ago I received an email from somebody called Amy Ingram. It was a friendly, professional email to schedule a meeting with the CEO of an exciting new start-up I was writing about for my column in Inc. Magazine.
Not who I thought she was
After a couple of email exchanges the meeting was confirmed and I thanked Amy for her time. When I got to meet with the CEO in person later that week, he looked at me with a glint in his eye and asked, in a rather curious tone, “What did you think of Amy Ingram?” A little confused, I replied that she was very professional and efficient at her job. The CEO smiled again, paused and said that he had a confession to make: Amy was not a human being. She was in fact A.I (#ArtificialIntelligence). And the clue was in her initials (Amy Ingram). ‘Will you forgive me?” he asked with a grin.
A new age
Of course I forgave him, because everywhere around me I am seeing that science fiction is fast becoming science fact. The take-home message is that we’ve entered a new age of AI, automation and algorithms, where the speed and scale of change create tremendous risk but also tremendous opportunity. I call it ‘exponential change’ and it’s happening now. It took 75 years for the telephone to reach 100 million users, WhatsApp 3 years and the game Pokémon Go just 3 weeks. This new age is the Fourth Industrial revolution, and it’s one where data is the new oil and information is the new currency.
[caption id="attachment_1763" align="alignright" width="275"] Artificial Intelligence Brain[/caption]
In this new reality, it’s no longer about big or small. It’s about fast or slow. According to a recent McKinsey study, 80% of CEOs believe that in this new reality, their current business model is at risk and only 6% are satisfied with their innovation performance.
Now more than ever, we need to use brains, guts and an action-oriented #growthmindset to ensure our businesses don’t become a footnote in corporate history. The twin forces of #CloudComputing and #MobileConnectivity are creating massive yet hard-to-predict opportunities, and as ever in business, there will be winners and losers.
Here are three shortcuts for how to not just survive but thrive in the age of AI, automation and algorithms.
Ensure Your Failure is Intelligent Failure
Stop worrying about the rate of failure because as long as those failures are cheap, you can afford a lot of them. As the saying goes, “fail fast, fail cheap and move on”. To fail ‘intelligently,’ you need to focus on three simple rules.
First, know what success looks like and doesn’t look like. I’m always surprised at the lack of focus on a clear outcome. Deciding what not to focus on can also limit any uncertainty.
Second, convert any assumptions you have into knowledge and learning. This is a much smarter use of time than trying to prove how right you are.
Finally, codify and share what’s been learned via a process known as ‘After Action Reviews’ (AAR). Pioneered by the military to ensure continuous learning, the AAR process involves asking three key questions.
1. What did you intend to happen?
2. What actually happened?
3. What are the lessons learned?
Recognise the need to develop “#RippleIntelligence”
Can you navigate the myriad different trends, changes, and contexts that can disrupt an industry or business, for better or worse? It may be, that in order to do this well, you need to develop something that entrepreneur Elon Musk possesses in abundance – a quality called #RippleIntelligence: the ability to see the interactions of business contexts play out like ripples moving across a pond.
Musk, a South African-born Canadian-American business magnate, investor, engineer, and inventor, has a vivid imagination, obsessive focus, and a deep curiosity about the world and business in particular. He is brave not just in his words but also in his actions, and he uses #RippleIntelligence in a systematic way for moving fast.
One of the best ways to develop this intelligence is regularly to step outside your normal orbit and develop a point of view not just about the ideas, trends and issues that excite you, but also about the ones that keep you awake at night. Done well, this can help you anticipate hidden opportunities and catch the next big wave before others do. Early adoption will ensure you stay agile and ahead of the pack.
Think 10 [x], not 10%.
When was the last time you set a challenge for yourself that pushed you to deliver more than you thought was humanly possible? Most people think about how they can grow by 10% or 20%, not by a factor of 10. But what if you conceived of a growth rate in many multiples of that? ‘10 [x] thinkers’ are hardwired to think bigger and bolder, whether it’s wiping out malaria in the next ten years or making space tourism a reality. They have an eye on the future and can spot an unmet opportunity quickly before others.
You don’t have to be a CEO or run a startup to think 10 x. This is a #mindset that involves taking control of your vision rather than having someone else hire you to fulfil theirs. Get started, have a clear destination, fail fast, test ideas lightly and often, and know that those who think 10 [x] hold two beliefs: 1. problems can’t be solved with yesterday’s thinking, and 2. you have the resources to achieve your goals.
Next time you receive an email, don’t assume it’s from a human being. The future has already arrived. To lead in this brave new world, you will have to find the courage to upgrade your #BusinessModel and your #mindset multiple times in order to remain viable. The bad news is, you’re probably not going to learn this at business school.
As a CEO said to me recently, “if it’s not broke, break it.”
Terence Mauri is a keynote speaker, Inc. Magazine Columnist and entrepreneur mentor. His new book The Leader’s Mindset: How To Win In The Age of Disruption is a global bestseller – described by MIT as ‘a fine read for anyone looking to take their leadership skills to the next level’.
The Leader’s Mindset is out now on Amazon and Amazon UK
“Margaret E Ward
Diverse teams create more innovation, improve organisational culture and add to the bottom line but why are they so hard to achieve? What social, cultural and corporate barriers keep us from achieving our optimum teams?
In this short talk, communications and diversity expert Margaret E. Ward defines the most common types of bias in organisation, talks about ways her clients and boards have overcome them and tells her personal story to highlight how culture can block progress within organisations. She explores how new approaches combining behavioural economics, data analytics and communications are “nudging” some organisations toward real cultural change.
The talk will help Boards, Managers and staff think about which levers they need to press in their organisations to ensure diversity becomes part of the corporate DNA and not just a box ticking exercise. A Q&A will follow the talk.
This talk has been delivered to great acclaim at: the European Central Bank, the Central Bank of Ireland and Google. Other highly regarded industry specific talks on diversity have been given in HP (tech), Connecting Women in Technology (tech and media), RTÉ (media), US Embassy (film, TV and theatre), Connecting Women in Pensions, Network Ireland, Department of Justice, IBEC, Northern Irish Assembly, and to many other organisations and networks.
“Chris Bashinelli has interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People on the Planet. His keynotes embody themes of service, productivity and cultural understanding. He helps audiences realize their potential to become Global Citizens, inspired members of their organization, their family, and ultimately- the world! Chris Bashinelli has also interviewed some of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.”
“Ade McCormack Near futurist, Author, former FT journalist
Ade McCormack is a former information technologist who studied Physics / Astrophysics and has worked for the European Space Agency. He has worked in over 30 countries, across many sectors with many of the world’s leading brands. He is a former Financial Times and CIO magazine columnist, and has lectured at MIT Sloan School of Management on digital leadership.
Ade speaks to primarily a leadership audience on how the world is changing, its impact on business and people, and how leaders need to respond both personally and strategically.
Ade has a unique ‘bits to boardroom’ understanding of the issues. He has developed an anthropological hypothesis to explain what is happening as we enter the digital age, and how we might best respond.
Ade is considered original, engaging, provocative and insightful. His zoom out approach makes him an ideal opening keynoter or ‘big ideas’ speaker.
Recent speaking clients include:
European Forum for New Ideas
Salesforce.
“Ian Kehoe Journalist, Author, Broadcaster, Editor of The Sunday Business Post Ian Kehoe is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster. In 2014, at the age of 34, he was appointed Editor of The Sunday Business Post newspaper, one of Ireland’s most respected titles. He is a former presenter and reporter with RTE’s Prime Time programme, where he chronicled Ireland’s economic collapse. He has twice been named as Ireland’s Business & Economics Journalist of the Year. Kehoe has made several major television documentaries, including Namaland and Who’s Buying Ireland. His most recent documentary, The Great Irish Sell-Off, exposed the scale of vulture fund activity in post-crash Ireland. He is the co-author of Citizen Quinn, a bestselling book about the rise and fall of the industrialist Sean Quinn. ”
“The Top Ten reasons to use a great MC at your conference: 1.They anticipate the participant mindset and 'frame' the conference, establishing content relevance from the start. 2. They add a sense of occasion and professionalism. 3. They set the scene for the speakers: introducing them, supporting them as needed (e.g. if nervous) and thanking them. 4. They engage the power of the audience, drawing on their experience, provoking thinking and involvement through insightful and relevant questions. 5. They keep the conference 'on message' by highlighting key points. 6. They summarise, taking the pressure off the audience to remember everything. 7. They use their energy to keep a brisk pace and they know how to elegantly bring a speaker to a close if they are overrunning or going off-message. 8. They make connections and links between the content of different speakers' talks, and draw the threads together in a meaningful way. 9. They can deal with anything that comes up and they know how to make everything flow smoothly even if there is a hitch (e.g. technical, or someone is late or doesn't turn up). 10. They make sure all viewpoints are heard.”
“Ivan Yates Broadcaster, Entrepreneur, and former Politician Ivan Yates has had unique life experience in politics, business and media. A former government minister and Wexford TD for more than 20 years; an entrepreneur who founded and developed Celtic Bookmakers to employ 400 people, with €200 million turnover. He bounced back from bankruptcy in Wales in 2012 to become a highly successful national broadcaster. He presents the radio show The Hard Shoulder on Newstalk weekdays 4-7pm and The Tonight Show on TV3 with Matt Cooper four times weekly at 11pm. He is also a leading columnist with the Irish Independent newspaper. In 2014 he published his best-selling autobiography, ‘Full On’ with acclaimed reviews. He resides in Dublin and Enniscorthy, is married to Deirdre with 4 adult children. His original forthright style of entertaining punditry and analysis on the full range of current affairs and sport has made him a much sought after motivational public speaker at corporate and formal events. He also acts as a versatile conference facilitator/moderator, MC with a flair for asking the questions that need answering. Ivan is a memorable and compelling after-dinner speaker. Ivan’s attention to detail, preparation and client focus ensures your event runs smoothly and efficiently, with humorous asides. He adds value to your occasion by making it special.”
“[caption id="attachment_685" align="alignright" width="170"] Neil O'Brien[/caption]
Let’s be careful that wellness at work doesn’t become the ultimate touchy feely nice thing to do. We should ensure that wellness at work is good for business too. In this regard Neil O’Brien’s definition of wellness at work is ‘working better and going home happier’. Let's not be coy about wanting to work better but let’s also ensure that the culture and systems support this objective while keeping enjoyment at work near the top of the agenda.
Neil’s Top 3 things that will transform your wellness at work today:
DO THE RIGHT THING– Today do the thing you’ve been avoiding lately. You know what it is; it may be a tricky conversation, a difficult report, a difficult person. Today is good.
DO A GOOD THING – Today give someone a ‘thank you’, an acknowledgement, a compliment, an appreciation. Maybe you have one already or you could simply offer a spontaneous random act of kindness.
SUPPORT SOMEONE ELSE'S RIGHT THING – Encourage someone else to do their ‘right thing’. They may not like you for it but they will thank you for it.
These 3 edge-of-comfort-zone-acts will increase your confidence, boost your energy and send you home happy! ”
“Matthew Syed Author of Black Box Thinking and Bounce
Matthew speaks to companies, sports teams and other organisations on psychology, performance and continuous improvement. Recently, Matthew has been booked by many of the most innovative and forward-thinking organisations in the world including Goldman Sachs, Arsenal FC, Vodafone, Rolls Royce, BP, McKinsey, Alliance Bernstein, Oxford University, Saracens, McLaren, Deutsche Bank, Morrisons, Cliffod Chance, Genentech, Orange, the Premier League, United Bank of Switzerland, Lloyds Banking Group, Barclays, the England and Wales Cricket Board, Westminster School, Freshfields, Proctor and Gamble and INSEAD.
He has given keynotes about Black Box Thinking to pioneering organisations around the world including a specially convened meeting of global finance ministers at Harvard University, the commanders and admirals of the British surface fleet, Britain’s chief constables, the Presidents of the medical Royal Colleges, the General Staff of the British Army, the global partners of Goldman Sachs, as well as the Arsenal first team and other top sports organisations. He is passionate about young people and education. His Mindset for Education conferences are about providing brilliant, often busy teachers and school leaders with the latest research and tools to unleash curiosity, creativity and growth mindset in their students. He also provides tailored events for businesses and a learning course on the principles of high performance.
“By sharing his personal stories and unique insights, Mark uses his vast expertise in human behaviour and medicine to create meaningful experiences tailored specifically for each audience. By incorporating his new philosophy of wellbeing with down to earth practical take home messages, he facilitates lasting positive change in people and their organisations. He is a member of "Leading by Design ", an invitation only international collaboration of leaders committed to improvements in health through a more effective design of the environment. He founded the Waterford Health Park as a new paradigm for sustainable improvements in community health. The building was a short listed finalist for World Building of the year at the World Architecture festival awards in 2010. In 2013 , the Waterford Health Park received the Global Health Improvement Award, " A Place to Flourish ". He is author of ‘The Men's Health Book- A Guide for the Irish Man’ which was published by Blackhall Publishing in 2009 with all royalties going to a Cancer Charity. He has also contributed to books on Leadership in Ireland and Healthcare Management. He has a longstanding interest in medical education, as a trainer of young family doctors with the South East G.P. Training Programme in Ireland, as Senior clinical lecturer with the University of Limerick Graduate MedicalSchool, and formerly as an ICGP examiner. Dr. Mark Rowe has a background as a Family Physician based in Waterford City, Ireland. He graduated from U.C.D. Medical School in 1991 and went on to specialise in family practice , becoming a member of the Irish College of General Practitioners in 1995 , having achieved first place ‘Ellerd Eppel’ award. He has worked with national and local media consistently over the years as an advocate for health. He delivers seminars on "health leadership" and is an international keynote speaker on the topics of "New Philosophy of Wellbeing", "Health Leadership", "Generative Space" and "A Prescription for Happiness" He also holds the position of Chairman of the board at Garter Lane Arts Centre in Waterford City.”
“Sarah famously combines her insatiable curiosity and intellectual ability with an engaging, witty style that draws in audiences and brings out the best in expert guests. With a background in broadcasting, there’s no one more comfortable in front of an audience and making them feel part of any event. Sarah Carey is a well known columnist and broadcaster. She’s written for major broadsheets from The Irish Times to The Daily Telegraph on everything from economics to politics, technology and media, and is a highly experienced radio and television presenter. A thorough researcher of big subjects with an open mind, Sarah is highly regarded for her professionalism and warmth. Whatever your subject – be it technology, energy, economics or the business of media and culture - Sarah will bring a lively intellectual curiosity to the proceedings, putting other guests at ease and making sure your audience will be entertained and engaged in your event. An authoritative and charming chair, she can keep conversations moving along but make sure all key points are explored. Acutely sensitive to the moods of an audience she’ll make sure your event stays on track. Sarah is popular in academia, politics and business and of course, with general audiences who love her personal insights and open manner. "Sarah Carey spoke at a DPER conference on contemporary politics, society and economics and made a very strong impression. Sarah is an articulate, witty and engaging speaker with an unrivalled mix of experience as a presenter, broadcaster and commentator. We hope to have Sarah back for our 2018 conference both as a Chair and contributor. We would highly recommend her for high profile and demanding speaking and chairing engagements." - Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Ireland "Sarah was the hit of the First Startup Wake with her highly entertaining insights into life at a fast growing but doomed Tech Company. Having been interviewed by her many times I know she has great abilities to expound on and explain Tech issues in a way that brings them alive for any audience" - Paul Hayes, Beachhut PR and Flounders "Sarah Carey interviewed me onstage at the WebSummit in 2014 and was very thoughtful and prepared. She figured out what was unique about the panel from WebSummit’s perspective. Worked with PR and Communication at Google to figure out the areas of my expertise and worked on a possible set of questions so that I was accordingly prepared [...] She is an engaging interviewer and we all had a great time getting to know her." - Dr. Anna Patterson, Vice President of Engineering, Google Inc., Founder and Managing Partner Gradient Ventures”
“There is no cure for paralysis and I am paralysed. So my motivation to connect people around the world to create a cure may simply seem like a personal desire to walk, to feel, to be my old self again. The fall that broke my back in 2010 leaving me with no movement or feeling below my waist certainly pointed my compass towards this frontier that I now explore, but that alone could never sustain what this expedition requires. By day, I am a lab rat. I am shaved and willingly, joyfully caged in my robotic legs. I am wired to technology that unfolds the map of the inside of my body like the uncharted cosmos and with scientists, amateurs and other pioneers we explore it. By night, I connect. I try to bring foundations, investors, scientists, engineers and paralysed patient advocates together to be part of the solution. I can do all this because I believe that my real motivation, (the intrinsic motivation that comes from deeper within me than the extrinsic reward of walking, feeling, being my old self again), is to find what lies beyond this unconquered frontier of paralysis, to find what is on the other side of the hill. And it is vital that we understand what really motivates us and why. Otherwise we could never sustain the effort. The scientific research programme we have created in which I am a subject is producing incredibly useful data, but it may well lead to a breakthrough that benefits my fellow paralysed. So something more than the inarguable self-interest keeps me in the lab, keeps me working. The heroic age of polar exploration has long been a font of insight for me. And even more so now as I figure out how these explorers faced their frontiers. So, I travelled as close as I could to a man who is to me one of the most fascinating of those explorers, a man called Tom Crean. He was a titan. Born in Annascaul, County Kerry, in my home country Ireland, he returned and opened a pub there in 1916 after his polar exploration ended. Simply called, The South Pole Inn, it is still open and is a memorial to his incredible life. Simone, my fiancée, and I toasted Tom with a beer named after him. Simone described the 18/35 logo on the pint glass, but I couldn’t recall the significance of those numbers even though I had listened to the audiobooks of almost all the stories of polar exploration before my own Antarctic adventure back in 2009. Having lost my sight when I was 22 I turned from international rower to a blind adventure athlete and I competed in the first South Pole Race since Scott and Amundson had competed for the prize of being the true first to the pole over a hundred years before. It was how I had marked my 10-year anniversary of going blind. [caption id="attachment_1313" align="alignnone" width="225"] ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHT MARK POLLOCK TRUST. Mark Pollock reaches the South Pole February 2009.[/caption] Surrounding us on the walls of the pub were articles detailing Antarctic exploration. Crean was on teams led by both Sir Ernest Shackleton and Captain Robert Falcon Scott. As Michael Smith, author of “An Unsung Hero”, points out, Crean spent more time on the ice than either of those two Polar heroes; he was pivotal to three of the four major British expeditions to Antarctica. Initially he served under Scott on the Discovery from 1901 to 1904, then on his fatal Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1913 and finally on Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition on Endurance from 1914 to 1916. It was during Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova expedition that Tom Crean made the numbers 18 and 35 his own. At only 168 statute miles (270 km) from the Pole, Scott ordered Tom Crean, William Lashly and Lieutenant Edward Evans to return to base. Scott recorded the sorrowful moment in his diary: “Poor old Crean wept”. Scott went on to reach the South Pole only to find Norwegian Roald Amundsen’s flag planted there first. Scott and his team then perished on the return journey. Crean, Lashly and Evans made it off the polar plateau one month after leaving Scott and the others, but Evans began to display the debilitating symptoms of scurvy. In the harness for up to 13 hours a day, Crean developed snow blindness and hauled the sledge, his eyes bandaged with a tealeaf poultice. Risking crevasses, broken bones and certain death, the three lashed themselves to the sledge and slid 2,000ft onto the Beardmore Glacier to save three precious days of marching and food. But then Evans collapsed and with two weeks of travel out from the safety of Hut Point, Crean and Lashly began hauling Evans on the sledge. On 18 February 1912, they arrived at Corner Camp with food supplies running low. With one or two days’ worth of rations left, they still had four or five days to travel. So, facing death, Crean volunteered to go for help. He had no sleeping bag or tent and was already physically exhausted. Lashly held open the round tent door flap to allow Evans to see Crean depart. Evans remembered: “He strode out nobly and finely – I wondered if I should ever see him again.” Yet, with only two sticks of chocolate and three biscuits (keeping one in his pocket in case of emergency) Crean completed the 35 statute miles (56 kms) in a punishing 18 hours. The rescue was successful and Lashly and Evans were both brought to base camp alive. Crean more than earned his Albert Medal, then the highest award for gallantry. Crean’s own survival, the rescue of his companions and his desire to return to Antarctica, despite this experience, still intrigues me. I can understand the motivation for Amundsen, Shackleton and Scott - the adventure, the recognition, the money and the influence. My own 43 days in Antarctica racing to the South Pole was fuelled by my desire to compete, to do something bigger than me, bigger than my blindness, maybe to take a small place in polar history. Everyone else, including me, seemed to have an obvious reason to be there. But why did Tom Crean keep going back? He was not an officer or a leader on any of the expeditions; he gained very little public recognition or wealth. So, what drove him to go? What allowed him to survive? I asked Crean’s biographer, Michael Smith. He said: “Crean was the type of man who wanted to see what was over the other side of the hill”. So, maybe curiosity and adventure were the drive. It also may have been that the other side of the hill was a great deal better than life in rural Ireland in the late 19th Century; maybe joining the British Navy was just a job? But this was a job that required him to endure torturous conditions, to put his life on the line. The compelling but probably apocryphal story goes that the men who joined Shackleton did so in response to his newspaper ad for the Endurance expedition: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.” It is unlikely that Shackleton would have created an advertisement with any pessimism in it, but I am interested in the type of people who would have joined any exploratory Polar expedition, because I think motivation is rarely about the extrinsic factors, it’s rarely about money, recognition or status. They are all so easily granted and so easily taken away. People like Crean have a drive that comes from somewhere else, somewhere deep within, something intrinsic. Norwegian explorer, Fridtjof Nansen, whose name and face were on my skis that took me to the South Pole, wrote about this very notion. “It is within us all, it is our mysterious longing to accomplish something, to fill life with something more than a daily journey from home to the office and from the office, home again. It is our ever present longing to surmount difficulties and dangers, to see that which is hidden, to seek the places lying away from the beaten track; it is the call of the unknown, the longing for the land beyond, the divine power deeply rooted within the soul of man; it is this spirit which drove the first hunters to new places and the incentive for perhaps our greatest deeds - the force of human thought which spreads its wings and flies where freedom knows no bounds.” Explorers have a desire to make sense of the unknown. I believe that that spirit of exploration is held deep within us all. Perhaps Nansen articulates what we must try to find as we explore our own frontiers when he says: “It is within us all.” Whatever the challenge, the motivation to keep going must come from somewhere deep inside us. External motivators are always temporary. The answer to the question of why we do what we do is an internal one, often held privately, but one that if answered honestly will be the one that gets us there. I know that Crean must have had an answer to that question when he walked those 18 hours to cross those 35 miles of ice, uncertain if help would be waiting at the end. If he didn’t, he would never have made it. Author: Mark Pollock, Explorer and Collaboration Catalyst, Mark Pollock Trust. He is participating in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos.”
“Dusty Gedge has had a deep and active love of nature since he fell out of his baby chair aged two to chase a robin. A cracked skull did nothing to dull his appetite. During his childhood and youth in Kent, he was actively involved in the Seabird Group and the Kent Ornithological Society. It wasn’t that he hung up his binoculars, he merely put them on reserve whilst he trained as a theatre performer and pursued a precarious life as an actor/street entertainer and circus performer. In the mid 1990s he established off his own back a circus class for disadvantaged children in West Greenwich, London. When it was realised locally that he was a knowledgable ornithologist he began a 5 year study of Deptford Creek. The rest is history. These days he spends most his time in disguise and undercover, wearing a grey or pinstriped suit. Jim Mcclelland, editor in chief of SUSTAIN magazines once referred to Dusty as a “…content terrorist…” Current President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations (EFB and founder of Livingroofs.org, Dusty Gedge is a recognised authority, designer and consultant on green roofs and green infrastructure. He works with Gary Grant for the Green Infrastructure Consultancy Ltd. He is also co-author with John Little of the Small-scale green roof guide that has help lots of small roofs sprout across the globe on sheds, garages and other small buildings. Dusty has been a TV presenter on a number of programmes including Channel 4’s television series ‘Wild Thing – I love you’ He has been a birdwatcher since he fell out of his baby chair aged 2. His interest in birds, bugs and butterflies led to his green roof career. Although birds are his first love, he has a particular interest in invertebrates (especially on green roofs) and solitary bees. There is nothing he likes better than posting reams of things on Twitter, Facebook (he runs a number of pages) and G+. – anything to do with the environment, nature and wildlife. He regularly gets asked to promote things on his social networks. If they are worthy, they are willingly shared.”
1. REGULAR EXERCISE: ideally daily and vigorous – this is the number one weapon in your crap cutting arsenal. Why? Because everything that gets worse as we get older. Our moods, energy levels, sleep, weight gain, heart strength, bone density – all of these are improved by regular exercise.
2. EAT LESS CRAP: Open to interpretation of course, but here is an acronym to help you get around the minefield of dieting and food faddy advice out there, which changes daily. It’s SAPS: Sugar – eat much less of this. Activity – do much more of this. Processed foods –eat much less of this Settling down weight – abiding by the above leads to this. 3. STOP WHINGEING: This is often expressed as ‘being grateful’. But adopting a positive ‘gratitude’ mindset begins with stopping complaining about other people, our jobs, our weight, our partners, whatever it is. It is amazing how much we all whinge and complain about stuff, which saps us of much needed energy reserves, breeding only resentment and inertia. 4. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY: If you are currently whingeing about point 2 because I failed to tell you what you should eat, stop right there. Part of the whole point of adopting a healthier lifestyle is working out for yourself what works for you. There is no point trying to make yourself eat kale if you hate the taste. Fish, green veg, wholegrains, fresh fruit, stuff without crap added to it is an obvious way forward. The closer said foodstuff is to nature the better. So pies, cakes and cookies etc. are all fine - in moderation - providing they are made from scratch. If you are unclear about whether your eating of said treats is moderate enough, get on the scales, work out your BMI and you will have your answer. 5. GET IN PEOPLE’S FACES: In other words communicate openly and honestly. In the flesh ideally, or over the phone. Text messaging, FaceBook and the like, while useful and convenient is no way to keep a relationship alive and email takes forever and can be misinterpreted. 6. GET TO MASS: As a country of churchgoers, brought up on this ritual, it is a good habit worth nurturing. An hour on our knees listening to stories about those worse off, while breathing in incense is humbling and life affirming. It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe in it. I’m not sure that I believe in God, but I believe in going to Mass on Sundays. Meditation, yoga, any and all spiritual activities that take you away from any form of ‘me-wanking’ are just as good. It’s all about being present (and crucially away from screens); if we don’t make time to practise this, it just won’t happen. 7. LAUGHING: At yourself most especially, and at life, is a brilliant life skill to adopt. It stops us feeling sorry for ourselves and from taking ourselves too seriously. Laughter has magical properties: relieving tension and anxiety, strengthening and renewing bonds, lightening the load. And it has absolutely nothing to do with happiness. Take on the belief that we choose our moods, so smile and laugh whenever you can. 8. CLEAN UP YOUR SHIT: Feeling content begins with getting on top of our chores, our admin and cleaning up life’s daily mess. An instant feel good factor is injected into our day by the simple act of making our beds each morning. Tip: tackle one shelf or cupboard in your home and clean it thoroughly. Most invigorating. 9. ACCEPT THE GRIT: …that hard is the new black. Avoiding the hard stuff, shirking grit only makes it grow. This applies every bit as much to the pile of laundry un-tended to as it does to a relationship break-up and death. Life is hard – suck it up. 10. COMPASSION: To be practised daily. Towards yourself and others. This means forgive yourself, which is not the same as letting yourself off the hook for failing to take the above points seriously and being responsible for all your choices. But within whatever we aspire towards, we will fail, we will fall short. Failure is implicit to the human condition. So forgive yourself, forgive forgive forgive and move on. Holding a grudge serves nothing and nobody. Give it up, and laugh about it instead. Go on, I dare you.”
“Brian O'Driscoll Former Captain of the Irish Rugby Team and Leinster Rugby Team”
“Mark van Rijmenam can inspire your audience by telling what it takes to pursue your dreams and achieve such an incredible adventure. Often, he links his adventure to helping organizations achieve a business strategy, which after all also requires focus, discipline, perseverance, a positive mindset and the ability to plan for the unexpected.
Mark van Rijmenam is Founder of Datafloq.com. Datafloq is the One-Stop Source for Big Data, creating the Big Data ecosystem by connecting all stakeholders within the global Big Data market. Datafloq connects data and people.
He is an entrepreneur with a drive for (disruptive) innovation and to make a difference and inspire others. His objective is to be a catalyst for global innovation and to enable organizations and societies to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges. He has been named a global top 10 Big Data influencer. Mark believes in sustainable, social and economic responsibility when doing business or creating companies. He calls for companies to use the latest trends in technology to change and improve the world and create a better place for all.
Currently, he is a PhD Candidate at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has received two scholarships to do so. His research question is how organizations can use Big Data, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence to remain competitive.
He is the author of the book 'Think Bigger – Developing a Successful Big Data Strategy for Your Business', which was published globally in 2014 , with a Chinese translation coming out in 2016. He is a frequent blogger on Datafloq and other platforms.
He is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker on big data and disruptive innovation. Mark has given lectures at the Business University Nyenrode and has spoken in Australia, France, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, South Africa, Colombia, United States, Dubai and The Netherlands among others. He is founding partner of think tank The Digital Leadership Initiative in Sydney.
In 2011 he circumnavigated Australia on a bike for charity. 14.122 km in exactly 100 days. This experience taught him everything about perseverance, focus, discipline, a positive mind-set and how to plan for the unexpected. After this adventure, Mark became an entrepreneur with a drive to have an impact on the world.
The main goal, aside from the mental and physical challenge of the tour itself, was accumulating as much money as possible for KiKa, a Dutch foundation committed to pioneering and innovative research in the area of children’s cancer. 100% of the funds (€ 25.000) collected were donated to this incredible foundation.
“Rugby is not played 'on paper' but 'on grass'; the Irish housing market doesn’t take place in charts and in textbooks but in real life, in real time, involving real people - David McWilliams I lifted this line from an article David McWilliams wrote at the weekend for the Sunday Business Post on the Need for Rent Control in Ireland. It is typical of David's ability to draw on everyday analogies to help us understand or realise what is really happening in the economy and more to the point what we can expect if we don't make changes. On a similar note I listened to a Podcast a while back that David did with Roisin Ingle. He named Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as the first Finance Minister predicting seven years of greed followed by seven years of famine. Seven years of bumper crops are on their way Years of plenty, endless wheat and tons of hay Your farms will boom, there won’t be room To store the surplus food you grow After that, the future doesn’t look so bright Egypt’s luck will change completely overnight And famine’s hand will stalk the land With food an all-time low This made me laugh out loud but I also thought how right he is, how clever he is to draw on this example. Not only does it make us sit up and think ' what the heck' but also it is economics in layman's terms. David is a brilliant economist. I have had the pleasure of working closely with him for almost 10 years now, placing him as Keynote Speaker with business and political world leaders in Abu Dhabi, USA, Canada, London, Sydney, Barcelona, and Ireland. He is asked back time and time again because of his content and his unique ability to communicate it. On the feedback form we constantly get "David was fantastic and very funny". Even at 9am David brings in humour as part of his talk and the audience thank him for it. Because of his own personal experience in front of live audiences I know David recognises when there is a hunger for more discussion and knowledge on economics but he always marries it eloquently with humour - the perfect balance as such. Along with his co-founder Richard Cook, they have again attracted an amazing selection of talent for this year's Kilkenomics Festival where they bravely and artfully mix comedians with world class economists and opinion leaders.”
“One of the world’s most dynamic speakers, Nigel has the singular ability to innovate in the face of the most pressing business challenges. Nigel has been described as a "business rocker". He was the creator of Garage ThinkingTM and has written several books about creativity in business. The key is that he can deliver a vital message and change mindsets in a way that is inspiring, interactive, memorable, and fun. Nigel Barlow is a keynote speaker, facilitator, creative conference designer and host. He was a founding director of the Tom Peters Consulting business in Europe, and runs his own international consultancy. Until recently, he was an Associate Fellow at Oxford University's Said Business School, focusing on innovative change. He has worked in over 30 countries in most sectors of industry and recent clients include Apple, Hewlett Packard Printing, Lilly, Shell, and Tetra Pak. He is also a Trustee for the David Lynch Foundation, whose mission statement is to reduce stress in vulnerable populations through education and meditation. "You were a big hit with our customers – really giving them some clear ideas on how to move forward. Just what we wanted!" - Apple Education, UK "Our event centered around inventing a most successful future . . . . putting the future in the hands in each and every one of us. That day in Toronto was a turning point event!" - Boehringer-Ingelheim, Toronto "The feedback was excellent. Nigel gave a very entertaining speech mixing his knowledge with specific messages related to our business. So it was a great success." - Candriam, Paris "I wanted to say thank you for your session at the conference. I found it very inspirational as did many others who spoke to me afterwards [... ]It was very proactive, thought-provoking and motivational." - De La Rue, UK "Nigel scored the highest marks of the three-day event. He took great effort to make contact with key stakeholders to ensure he was able to create a relevant and engaging workshop." - Danone Baby and Medical Nutrition, Spain "I would like to thank you for taking the time to speak at Averda’s 100 conference, your intervention was truly inspiring to our leaders. The stories and experiences you shared throughout the session connected with an innovative and creative passion not usually witnessed at such events." - Averda, Abu Dhabi”
“Nick Webb Economist and Journalist Nick Webb is one of Ireland’s best known business journalists. Back page columnist for Sunday Times and Today FM’s “The Last Word”. Interviewed some of the biggest names in business and has terrific - if sometimes irreverent - insight into the major events facing business and global economies. Recently hired by Event Strategies for Property developers conference, Supply Chain conference, Onezerocon sports conference and Kilkenomics.”
“I am a self confessed Talk Show - Chat Show - Podcast geek. I usually listen to a Podcast or TED Radio Hour over lunch, or cooking dinner or when I am out walking. I listen both for pleasure and work. I love hearing other people's stories or eavesdropping on a great conversation but also I am always on the look out for interesting speakers on all topics. I am lucky that my work can sometimes be my hobby too. One of the Chat shows I am thoroughly enjoying at the moment is Here's the Thing with Alec Baldwin. Anyone who enjoys good interesting conversation should tune in here. One of the reasons it is great is the calibre of guest, but what makes it really compelling and brings me back time and time again is Alec Baldwin's wonderful interviewing style. He asks good questions and listens to the answer, he doesn't rush, he knows what we want to hear, he engages with the interviewee and brings the listener along on the journey. And you can hear he's really enjoying himself too. Similarly, a good chair, MC or interviewer can change an audience's experience of a conference entirely. Remember - people turn up at conferences because they want to hear the speakers, network, learn something new and ENJOY it . That enjoyment factor is often overlooked in the planning but it is what gets people talking, and this is where the 'MC factor' can make a big difference. With the right MC or Chairperson, an event or conference can go from being just a series of speakers to a terrifically engaging, compelling and memorable conversation. And what event organiser doesn't want that? Having experiencing first hand what works and what does not work at conference and events, having a professional MC or Chairperson leading is something I feel passionate about . Six things to consider when choosing an MC for your event: 1. Has he/she experience chairing similar events? e.g. the scale of the event, the type of audience, the format 2. If there is a panel discussion, are they good at hosting Q&As? 3. Does the MC's profile fit the event profile? e.g a business conference may be best led by a business broadcaster 4. If there are statesmen/women or dignitaries attending, does the MC know the official protocol? 5. Are they good at managing time at events? This needs to be managed very skilfully. 6. Make sure to have a briefing call or meeting so that the MC knows the objectives of the event, what success means to you, learns about the speakers and has the opportunity to think about how they can help build momentum and audience engagement on the day.”
Alan O' Neill The Change Agent
With over 30 years of experience from the board room to the front line, Alan O’Neill mba, The Change Agent - has supported iconic brands to achieve amazing results. In a dynamic world, he knows what it takes to drive change in a business – from top to bottom… and back to front. It’s about having a Customer-centric Culture, Engaged People, and a Supercharged Sales effort.
Across B2B, B2C and the Public Sector, his clients include global brands like Selfridges, Bank of Irl, Harrods, Eli Lilly, Intel, Lufthansa, Mercedes, Moet Hennesy, Ramada Hotels, Scottish Power, Sherry Fitz, St. Gobain, The UN, Vodafone, and more.
Up to 2004, Selfridges for example was a sleeping giant - but in recent years has achieved two significant accolades… it’s officially the best department store in the world … and one of the most profitable (per m²). Alan was their lead consultant for many years.
A consultant, trainer, non-exec director, an author, and a visiting professor with Ashridge, he is also a trusted mentor to many CEOs and board directors who seek his advice on various issues. Alan has a reputation for making the complex simple… being down-to-earth and practical… with a commercial focus that brings everything back to the customer.
It is this unrivalled business acumen that has seen Alan chair and speak at conferences around the world and conduct master-classes with C-level executives. He asks hard and uncomfortable questions, e.g. How do you change an old culture to prepare for emerging global challenges? How do you overcome cynicism and resistance to change? How do you overcome complacency and lack of accountability? How do you differentiate with customer-experience culture?
How do you retain the best talent? How do you increase sales in a challenging and disruptive global market?
“Brian Cody GAA Kilkenny All Ireland Hurling Final Brian is open, engaging and very entertaining on the subjects of leadership, teams and change in sport. He knows all about building and managing successful teams, what it takes to be a true leader and how to successfully motivate and inspire a team to win again and again and again. In his speeches, Brian reveals what it takes to make Kilkenny so successful under his leadership and what keeps him motivated and moving forward. In his speeches, Brian reveals what it takes to make Kilkenny so successful under his leadership and what keeps him motivated and moving forward. Every sport has a great sporting hero. Someone who stands head and shoulders above other champions of their sport. Ireland has few, if any, sports stars or managers that have seen the success and been as dominant in their trade as Kilkenny’s Brian Cody. Mention hurling and you think Kilkenny. Mention hurling managers and it is Cody that is first in peoples’ minds. Following a stellar playing career for Kilkenny in the 70’s and 80’s which saw him win, among other things, three All Ireland Senior Hurling titles and two National Hurling League titles, Cody eventually moved into management. Taking the helm as Kilkenny manager in 1999, there began what can only be described as a dynasty of success. In the seventeen seasons that have followed, so too have the accolades and silverware. Cody tasted success as a player and as a manager he has rewritten the record books, with an astonishing eleven All-Ireland hurling championship titles.”
“Yesterday I was reminded of the importance of looking after our mental fitness so that we are ready to deal with the stresses and challenges we regularly face in work. A friend facilitated a 3 day off-site for senior business leaders in Singapore this week. The feedback from the participants was excellent. The client said it was a ‘huge success’. The organisation really likes this facilitator’s style. They trust her, they fly her all over the world, they pay her very well. What’s not to like about this scenario? You would imagine the facilitator and her client have a good positive relationship except that is not her experience at all. If it were not for the consistent positive feedback from workshop participants, along with repeat bookings, she would think her client does not rate her at all. The client is very abrupt in his communications, picks holes in everything, never praises or thanks, and constantly tries to control the outcome of the workshops, interrupting the flow and generally interfering in something he has asked and paid someone else to do. Of course if we were to get under the skin of their working ‘relationship’ we would probably discover all sorts of things to do poor ‘contracting’ and unrealistic expectations, different communication preferences, fears that belong to past experiences, and old unhelpful patterns of behavior being triggered and repeating themselves, but frankly most of us are not equipped to even start having these kind of conversations at work. If it were not for the resilience, self-awareness and essentially good mental fitness of this facilitator I think the consequences of her client’s behavior could be very damaging to her confidence and work. Sound familiar at all? Perhaps it says something about what we are prepared to tolerate by way of ‘organizational behaviour’, but in our business we are experiencing a big demand for expert advice, training and strategies on building resilience and ‘mental fitness’ for staff at all levels in organisations. Neil O'Brien, one of our top speakers on Mental Fitness has worked with individuals, sports people and organisations for over 25 years helping them improve their mental fitness and overall performance. Here are some of my favorite tips I have picked up from working with him over the years: 1. Simplicity is better than motivation at changing behaviour 2. Discipline is a necessary ingredient to good mental fitness 3. Practice makes ‘nearly’ perfect 4. Effective habits are less exhausting and consistently more successful 5. Panic is the New Comfort – The rate of change in life and work demands that we leave our comfort zones more than ever before 6. When you know what you are, you know what to do”
“This is the title of Margaret Heffernan's latest TED Talk and I was reminded of it at the weekend as I sat in my hairdressers. To be specific I was reminded of the importance of great customer service or as I prefer to call it customer treatment. The salon is currently under renovation so in the meantime they are using a far less sophisticated venue where the units are not as pretty, there are no lovely massage chairs and the lighting is too bright, however the staff are as welcoming, happy, talented, polite, friendly, and professional as ever. At every ‘station’ there is are artists' impressions of what the new salon will look like which I thought was very smart idea. And the salon is as busy as ever with customers like me who share their excitement for the new premises. This experience got me thinking about how an organisation builds this sort of great customer service. Customer service does not stand alone, it is part of the overall culture of an organisation. I can see that the staff at my hairdressers don’t just treat their customers well, but they also treat each other this way. So how do organisations build these sort of corporate cultures? I was in London recently catching up with one of our speakers Margaret Heffernan, Author of ‘Wilful Blindness’ and ‘Beyond Measure’. I love meeting Margaret, she makes me think, reflect and she inspires me to do things differently. I don't suppose she knows she has this impact on me as we are not talking about me or my business but rather about her experiences in other organisations. Her belief in the importance of strong open cultures rubs off on me. I am sure I am the luckier one coming out of these meetings. Margaret travels around the world sharing her knowledge and helping organisations with corporate culture challenges and changes. She truly believes in open communication to enable innovation, creativity and organisational development. In her latest book 'Beyond Measure' she discuss how organisations can create seismic shifts by making deceptively small changes. In my opinion she talks complete common sense and I would recommend anyone who is interested in this topic to take a look at her latest TED talk 'Why it's time to forget the pecking order at work' which you'll find on Margaret's profile under videos. ”
I have never been more convinced that there are so many useful lessons organisations and sports people can learn from each other. Even as a casual spectator of sport I can’t help but notice the amazing drive and resilience of the players in this year's Rugby World Cup, not to mention the variety of leadership styles used to build such high performing teams. I don’t know an organisation that wouldn't benefit from such leadership and teamwork.
I recently had a coffee with Jim McGuinness, Performance Consultant to Glasgow Celtic Football Club and former Donegal Senior Football Team Manager before he spoke at the Irish Management Institute's Annual Conference. Although passionate about performance, his philosophy of leadership is to challenge and support every member of his team to do their personal best rather than focusing solely on winning. Jim stressed the importance of building a strong culture of openness and honesty where you can constantly give clear developmental feedback, adding “sometimes this will mean hearing something you don’t want to hear but it will only help improve your game”. It did make me think do most organisational cultures allow for such openness? such honesty? such opportunities to give clear developmental feedback? I see a move in this direction in some organisations but I know there are many others that would say they have some way to go. During his interview Jim talked about his time with Donegal, taking over the management of a team always at the bottom of the league to leading them to win two All Ireland medals. I, like many others in the audience, scribbled notes throughout his 40 minutes on stage and these were my take-aways: 1. Culture is everything. Culture is the backbone to all the behaviour and stretches as far as the fans. Building a culture means behaving the same way consistently so that the team, supporters, management and everyone involved know they are dealing with loyalty and honesty. 2. Balance collaboration and competition. 3. Planning is a necessity to success. Have a plan in place with a clear measurement matrix. 4. Focus Focus Focus. “Focus is the connection between two things” 5. Reflect and Review - make time to think. Reflection is key for continuous improvement and to understand what might be holding back success. He recommends scheduling at least two hours as week to reflect and review. 6. Know Your team - McGuinness got to know the team really well, he understood their personal circumstances, knew intimately how they played so he could work on individual improvement plans and tactics for each team member. This commitment was part and parcel of the culture Jim embedded during his time with Donegal. 7. You learn more from defeat than you do from victory McGuinness like all the motivational speakers at the IMI at last week's conference left the audience of CEOs, Managing Directors, HR Directors, and Talent Managers amongst others with a copy book of ideas and strategies and lots of food for thought.”
“An expert in high performing teams, Jamil Qureshi is one of only a handful of external psychologists ever to be allowed to study astronauts on the NASA Space Programme. Ranked among the most influential figures in British sport in 2009, Jamil has worked with 22 golfers all inside the top 50 in the world, with Formula 1 racing teams, with 3 English Premier League football teams, the winning 2009 English Ashes cricket team, and he has helped six people get to number one in the world. He is a world recognised speaker, taking the stage at a range of venues including the Groucho Club, the K Club in Ireland and NASDAQ in Times Square. Just ten years ago, Jamil Qureshi was homeless. By changing his thinking and deciding what he really wanted out of life, he managed to completely turn it around. Currently, he holds the position of Director of Consulting Services, focusing on leadership and cultural change, for Shirley Parsons. He has been an Advisory Board Member for 3seven9, and now for Kwikpay Limited. Jamil co-founded the change agencies We Do Things Differently, Loudhouse and JQED, and has worked with business leaders and companies in over 24 different countries last year alone helping teams to fulfil their potential. He also used to be a regular at London’s prestigious Comedy Store and spent two years working with TV’s award winning mind reader, Derren Brown! Fear of failure Mindset for success Changing your perspective and being open-minded Creating purposeful and meaningful change Making choices Motivation and ambition "Fabulous speaker! What a hit. We couldn't have asked for more. The best feedback we've recorded." - Boots Plc "A speaker of immense skill! Informative & tremendously entertaining." - Honda "Brilliant speaker & hugely talented communicator!" - IBM EMEA "Jamil can help anyone on their way to success!" - Graeme Swann, England Cricketer "Jamil truly knows how to get the most of people. He is a genuine expert in his field." - Ian Woosnam, European Ryder Cup Team 2006”
“We have posted the video highlights here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOcr9dPr24k&feature=youtu.be "Frances - that was a great session this morning. Thank you so much for the invitation. Both myself and Deirdre got a lot out of it both personally and also some ideas for what we could do here in work." Debbie Barry, AXA Insurance Limited. "Just a note to thank you very much for extending an invitation to our Company to attend this morning’s event by Dr. John Briffa. I found it most interesting and all the more convincing and engaging when delivered by such a professional." Joan Carey, HR, Servier Pharmaceuticals "Thank you Frances, I thought Dr. Briffa was fabulous, I liked his delivery and the way he wasn’t evangelical! I have already made a few food switches – but I’ve a lot more to do.…" Gillian Owens, Cpl Resources plc. "Just wanted to say, thanks so much for the invite to this event last week. I found it extremely interesting and Dr John Briffa a very engaging speaker." Grace Walsh, Human Resources Business Partner, Davy "Thoroughly enjoyed this morning, already made some small changes to my work space! Well done for organising, and for inviting us along." Patrick Delaney, Recruitment and Talent Development at Irish Life 'Grow' "Thanks again for the invitation to this morning’s talk by Dr. Briffa. I really enjoyed it and took away plenty of good advice." Yvonne Sheridan Director – Tax Function Support KPMG Many thanks for this morning, John’s presentation was very stimulating and interesting. A nice mix of interesting fact based information with humour and a real sense of his expertise too. Brían Sutton, Client Relationship Manager, A Great Place to Work "Thank you for inviting me to join you on Friday, I found the session informative and engaging – very enjoyable." Organisational Development, Datalex "I wanted to send a quick note to say thank you for last Friday, it was a great morning and I really enjoyed the talk." Aisling Ryan, HR, Matheson
Frances, many thanks for the invite I found John very interesting and he dispelled some well founded myths. Thanks again to yourself and Vivienne. Conor Hayes, Londis
“Educated at McGill & Oxford University, with degrees in economics and finance, Diego Zuluaga specialises in consumer finance and banking, capital markets regulation, and multi-sided markets. Diego Zuluaga is a US-based economist and author. He was educated at McGill University in Montreal and Keble College, Oxford, from which he holds degrees in economics and finance. Diego is a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, where he focuses primarily on financial technology, consumer credit and prudential regulation in banking. Prior to joining Cato, he was Head of Financial Services and Tech Policy at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Britain’s most salient free-market think tank, which was instrumental in the Thatcher free-market reforms of the 1980s. At the IEA, Diego wrote on a range of subjects including the taxation of capital, the regulation of online platforms, and the economic contribution of offshore finance in a globalised world. Diego has frequently appeared on international media, including Newsweek, BBC World, The Times, L’Opinion and CNN. His research has often featured in print and broadcast media, and he has been asked to give evidence to official bodies on a range of economic issues.”
“The better you know your audience, their likes and dislikes, the easier it becomes to choose the right speaker for your event. Ask yourself: 1. Are they coming to the event to be informed about something? to share their own insights? or to be entertained? 2. Will they be engaged by personal stories of failure and success? 3. Do they want an outsider's view on their business issues? 4. Are they interested in discovering what the future of their industry looks like? 5. Will they respond better to a speaker who focusses on the power of the individual rather than business issues?”
“Tip 1: Be clear about the theme of your event. Should the speaker have expert knowledge on this subject or not? Tip 2: Be clear about the speaker's role. Is the speaker central to your event e.g. MC, or chair? Or will they turn up for a specific time slot such as the After Dinner speech? Or to deliver a motivational speech during the event? Tip 3: Be clear about the impact you want the speaker to make. Should the speaker give the audience a deeper understanding of a particular subject? or a different perspective on a tricky issue? Should they motivate the audience to do something? Should their style be lite-hearted or serious? Should they provoke questions and encourage discussion? Or should they tell personal stories stimulating admiration and amazement, or should they entertain the audience and make them laugh?”
“An experienced and authoritative current affairs broadcaster and writer, Shane brings out the best in other speakers and his audience alike. Shane has extensive experience of moderating and chairing debates with an inclusive and informed, yet at the same time informal, style. He has particular experience as a interviewer, presenter and moderator. Shane Coleman is the presenter of Newstalk's flagship Breakfast programme. He is a former Political Editor of the station and previously presented The Sunday Show on Newstalk for five years. He was a nominee and bronze award winner for Speech Broadcaster of the Year in the 2016 PPI radio awards (now IMRO radio awards). He is also a regulator contributor to both the Irish Independent and the Sunday Independent. He was previously Political Editor and Business Editor of the Sunday Tribune. He is the author of four best selling books on Irish politics, including 'Bertie Ahern and the Drumcondra Mafia' and 'Scandal Nation'. Business Economics Future Trends Politics”
“Chanelle Lady McCoy is a popular business, leadership and motivational speaker due to her experience of co-heading up Ireland’s largest Pharmaceutical Company, being responsible for over 400 people and turning-over in excess of €100m. She is also a huge supporter of women in business and mentoring young entrepreneurs. Her key-note and after-dinner speeches, Q and A sessions and leadership workshops cover a wide number of subjects such as growing a business on a global scale, time management, career pressures, life balance, team work and using initiative. Chanelle Lady McCoy is the newest dragon on the TV series Dragon’s Den in Ireland. She is married to Sir AP McCoy OBE, Champion Jump Jockey for 20 consecutive years, voted BBC Sports Personality of the year in 2010. When he retired in 2015, AP was awarded with the BBC’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was knighted by the Queen for his Services to Horseracing. Chanelle also reveals during her speaking engagements what it’s like to live with such a highly driven and determined sportsman. She co-founded Chanelle Medical, part of the multi-million pound global company Chanelle Pharmaceutical Group based in Galway. Chanelle Medical and Chanelle Veterinary develop and manufacture generic (copycat) drugs, holding more than 1,500 medical product licenses in over 80 countries. They have won many awards, including Exporter of the Year 2016, Life Sciences Exporter of the Year 2016, Export Innovation of the Year 2016, Winner of ‘Project of the Year’ at the Pharma Industry Awards 2016 and the Ulster Bank Business Achievers Award 2015. Having been recognised as a successful businesswoman in her own right, Chanelle joined Dragons Den in Ireland earlier this year. She enjoys sharing her experience of scaling up a business and taking it to global markets as well as giving opportunities to entrepreneurs who are the future of industries. Chanelle co-presents for other TV stations such as the BBC, and is also an Ambassador for a number of race days and for the charity Tiny Tickers. Chanelle’s love for business has also seen her branch out into the fashion industry. In 2014 Chanelle and 5 partners opened the doors of Mojo & McCoy, a successful boutique in Berkshire.”
“Entrepreneur and Former MD Google UK & Ireland and All Round Marketing Whizz Dan Cobley served as Google’s Vice President of Brand Solutions and as the company’s MD in the UK & Ireland. After almost a decade at Google Dan started a new venture, a FinTech fund and incubator, aimed at building new, disruptive companies within financial services. As MD of Google UK, Dan was responsible for over $5Bn of revenue, and for helping companies large and small harness the power of digital to generate insights, increase sales and transform culture. Prior to his branding role he was the search giant’s VP of Marketing for the EMEA territories, and before that Marketing Director for Northern & Central Europe, responsible for all aspects of European business and consumer marketing at Google. Before joining Google Dan held senior marketing roles at Capital One Europe, where he helped make the company the UK’s leading new card issuer, and Ask Jeeves, Pepsi and Walkers. He began his career in consulting and oil exploration after studying Physics at Oxford. Dan is an advisor to and investor in tech start ups, is on the board of The Marketing Society, is a trustee of the Charities Technology Trust and on the advisory boards of Telegraph Media Group and eHarmony. His TED speech on physics and marketing has been watched over one million times, and he has been rated as one of the influential digital people by both Wired magazine and the Evening Standard.”
“Experienced in government and business, Gerard is a credible and incisive commentator. He can distil knowledge from information and convey both while keeping the attention of his audience. A speechwriter who has written for great occasions at Westminster and Washington, he is a speechmaker and debater at home in the cut and thrust of live debate. Gerard Howlin is a public affairs consultant since 2008, and a columnist with the Irish Examiner since 2012. He is a regular contributor to political debate in the media. He was a Special Adviser at the Department of Tourism and Sport 1997-1999, the Department of Taoiseach 1999-2007 and was Government Press Secretary June - August 2007. He has a master’s degree in history from Trinity College Dublin. His public affairs practice includes MNCs, and a range of NGOs and government bodies who themselves seek to influence public debate and policy outcomes. Being informed and connected is his credential. Being able to crystallise his understanding into strategies that are feasible for his client and to deliver on them is his business. His opinion is frequently sought on radio and television. Programmes he has recently contributed to include Prime Time, Marian Finucane, Yates on Sunday, Drivetime, The Last Word and The Week in Politics. He is a regular speaker at the MacGill Summer School. Politics Policy making Public administration Budgetary strategy "The Irish League of Credit Union is a national and volunteer led body. Gerard has presented to and addressed a wide range of credit union fora. He has a clear command of current affairs. He has a very interesting way of presenting and is enthusiastic for the cut and thrust of the lively Q&A sessions that characterise our meetings. I can definitely recommend him as a conference speaker." - Ed Farrell, CEO, Irish League of Credit Unions "Gerard chaired the first session after lunch at our annual national conference. He really brought it to life. There was no lull and he succeeded in getting a great conversation going between the panellists and the audience. He was lively, dynamic, and ensured that the speakers did most of the speaking and our members had a great input from the floor." - T.J. Flanagan, CEO, ICOS "Gerard has a real command of current affairs. He knows the people, and he has lived the life. As a speaker he can synthesise, get to the point, and make it interesting. He added knowledge and interest to the occasion." - Siobhán Masterson, Head of Corporate Affairs, Ibec ”
“A story of adversity that few will go through, many will come in contact with, and everyone can take away from. Peter Ryan is a 27 year old visually impaired Paralympian. When Peter was 18 he began losing his sight. Now, nearly 10 years on, Peter speaks on a number of subjects and leaves audiences with a new outlook on their own lives. An extremely charismatic person, the audience can really feel a connection with Peter when he speaks. His honesty on his journey over the past near-decade offers an extremely insightful and in-depth look at mental health and the end results of not coping properly with life’s adversities. And his journey is far from over as he targets Tokyo 2020. Peter Ryan’s sporting dreams once revolved around playing hurling for Tipperary in Croke Park. However, in 2010 he started missing balls he should have caught in training. He tired to get contact lenses and instead his whole world shifted as he was diagnosed with Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy [LHON], a rare genetic disorder that left him with between five and ten percent peripheral vision in both eyes. He was legally blind. Without sport or a job, Peter hit bottom and ended up in rehab at the Aiséirí Centre in Cahir, where he began to take his first steps towards rebuilding his life. In 2012 he attended the Paralympics Open Day at UCD where he undertook a test on a watt bike which was to prove that he was a capable cyclist. Dial the clock forward to today and Peter is the stoker of a formidable two man cycling team with Sean Hahessy as the pilot. The two, having been paired together via the national para-cycling programme since 2015, have already made their mark on the Irish Cycling circuit having competed in the Paralympics in Rio in 2016.”
A popular speaker on Health & Fitness, and founder of BodyByrne Fitness, Paul competes in Fitness and Bodybuilding at world class level. As a Personal Trainer he loves helping others achieve their goals through practical and attainable methods.
A popular speaker on health and fitness, Paul has delivered talks for groups including The Westbury Hotel Dublin, Waterford County Council for Harvest Festival and is the is the feature fitness Guru on Keith Barry’s Stop Smoking Now Seminar. He is head of the Professional Division in NABBA the Natural Amateur Bodybuilding Association and also President.
Paul has been working out now for about 25 years and has been training others for almost as long. He has studied and tested in all areas including physical training, nutrition and recovery. Theories are great, but what counts are real results in the gym and your body, and that is why after testing practically every method there is, he has kept only the techniques that consistently produced positive results time and time again, which have helped him and others win many physique titles.
From a competing background coveting such titles as Mr. Ireland and Titan UK Paul has a 10-year background in competing at national and international level. From there he built bodybuilding and fitness events from the ground to the success they are today in Ireland. As the President of NABBA Ireland (National Amateur Bodybuilding Association) he has built a reputation as running the best shows taking the Mr. Ireland event to a sold out capacity level show over the last 14 years with over 130 competitors per event. In 2015 Paul was made President of the Professional division of NABBA Worldwide he is also President of The World Fitness Federation Ireland.
Married to Siobhan Byrne, they recently collaborated with the Market Butcher to bring out a healthy range of meat products
“Sarah is presenter of ‘The Sunday Show’, a politics and current affairs program on TV3. She also regularly writes columns for The Sunday Times. Before moving to TV3, Sarah hosted Newstalk’s drivetime show with Chris Donoghue, which was named IMRO Current Affairs Show of the Year, 2017. She also won the IMRO News Broadcaster of the Year award 2017. RTE TV Virgin Media One Sarah McInerney is a broadcaster and journalist with extensive experience in print, radio and television. She is presenter of The Late Debate on Radio , The Sunday Show on TV3, and is a regular columnist for The Sunday Times. Before her move to broadcasting in 2016, Sarah worked as political correspondent with The Sunday Times for eight years, covering politics during the worst years of the economic crash. During that period she was also a regular stand-in presenter for Vincent Browne on his late night TV3 current affairs show. In 2008, Sarah published a best-selling true crime book about women who were killed or went missing in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains. Sarah McInerney is a broadcaster and journalist with extensive experience in print, radio and television. She is presenter of The Late Debate on RTE Radio One, The Sunday Show on TV3, and is a regular columnist for The Sunday Times.
Previously, Sarah presented Newstalk Drive, which won IMRO Current Affairs Show of the Year in 2017. Sarah was also awarded IMRO News Broadcaster of the Year 2017. Before moving to broadcast, Sarah was Political Correspondent with The Sunday Times for eight years, having previously worked as news reporter in The Sunday Tribune.
She is the author of ‘Where No-One Can Hear You Scream’, a book about women who were killed or disappeared in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains, published in 2008.
https://www.virginmediatelevision.ie/ Sarah is a lively and passionate MC, who uses her experience as a current affairs broadcaster and journalist to command the attention of audiences, ask the right questions, and host events with consummate professionalism.”
Steve Chapman Adventurer in spontaneity & creativity
Steve’s talks have a reputation for being something rather special. Rather than lecture, he invites the audience into his world, to join him on an adventure to explore some important and profound questions as to what it means to be a human being, particularly in these things we call organisations. He brings playfulness, curiosity and creativity to any subject.
Steve is an independent speaker, coach, facilitator, consultant, writer and artist who specialises in spontaneity, creativity and social change in the workplace. Previously he held numerous senior, global roles in the corporate world. He has worked with an incredibly wide variety of organisations in many sectors and is visiting faculty at the Ashridge Business School and Metanoia Institute Organisational Change MSc programmes.
Steve has a reputation for totally embodying his subject matter and, instead of offering a standard plenary lecture, he invites the audience into his world on an adventure to explore some important and profound questions as to what it means to be a human being, particularly in these things we call organisations.
Steve speaks regularly at in house and public events to audiences ranging from 10-2000 on the subjects of creativity, culture change, spontaneity, innovation, identity, shame & the inner critic.
His client list for consulting, coaching, teaching, as well as speaking is huge and includes Google, gsk, Aviva, Siemens, Marks & Spencer, Unilever, Standard Life, Pret a Manager, npower, Nissan, Pentland, Calor, O2 and PwC amongst many others.
“Mike Walsh is the CEO of Tomorrow, a global consultancy on designing companies for the 21st century. He advises leaders on how to thrive in the current era of disruptive technological change. Mike’s bestsellling books include Futuretainment, published by Phaidon and The Dictionary of Dangerous Ideas. He hosts the weekly podcast, Between Worlds, and travels worldwide over 300 days a year researching trends and giving keynote speeches on the future of business and innovation. Rather than focusing on the distant future, Mike takes an anthropological approach - scanning the near horizon for disruptive technologies and consumer innovations on the verge of hitting critical mass, and then translating these into usable business strategies. Mike previously ran Jupiter Research in Australia, and held senior strategy roles at News Corporation in both the Australian and Asian markets. In his current role at Tomorrow, Mike has advised the CEOs and senior management teams of a wide range of companies including BBC Worldwide, Fujifilm, Richemont, Bentley Motors, Star TV, Televisa, Globe Telecom, Philips and HSBC.”
Jason Smyth Fastest Paralympian on the Planet
“he can cover 100 metres in 10.22 seconds, a feat rendering him the fastest Paralympian in history.” The Telegraph“The Olympics has Usain Bolt -- the Paralympics has Jason Smyth.” CNN
'On the track it has been my mission to push the boundaries of what is possible by bridging the gap between Para sport and mainstream sport. It is off the track that my experience has the greatest impact as I assist others bridge their own gaps' - Jason Smyth
“Orlaith Carmody Business Woman Author and Leadership Coach
As a well known communications expert in Ireland and overseas, Orlaith Carmody's day job is working with leaders in the world’s top companies delivering executive training programmes, and preparing leadership teams for frontline communications. As a keynote speaker she has addressed Ireland’s most influential business people, networks and political groups, and has also presented at conferences in the USA, UAE, Canada and throughout Europe.
Following a career as a broadcast journalist with RTÉ, Orlaith became a serial entrepreneur, and is the Managing Director of Mediatraining.ie, which specialises in communications training and leadership development. She is a director of a number of SMEs in media, recruitment and education, and she served on the board of RTÉ from 2010 to 2015.
She is a founder member of the Irish Chapter of EO, the Entrepreneurs’ Organisation, and was President 2014/15.
“Everything you wanted to know about artificial intelligence but were afraid to ask. Following a successful 30-year career in business, Calum has developed a new career as a writer and speaker about the likely impacts of artificial intelligence on people and societies. He has been hired by all kinds of companies, including firms in professional services, financial services, technology, retail, healthcare, defence, entertainment, education, marketing and advertising. Since graduating from Oxford in PPE, Calum Chace has worked as a journalist for BBC World Service, as a director for AMR International and KPMG, for BP in both the UK and UAE, and was the CEO of Weeding Technologies. Currently Calum is a consultant on AI through 3cs, a company he founded. He is also the author of 'The Economic Singularity', a non-fiction book about the prospect of widespread technological unemployment; 'Surviving AI', a non-fiction book about the likelihood and impact of strong AI and super-intelligence; and techno-thriller 'Pandora's Brain'. “Thank you very much for the presentation you gave – it was exciting, and generated a lot of conversation afterwards – which is always a good sign!” - Kindred, October 2017 “On behalf of the entire team, I would like to thank you for participating at EmTech France this year. Your talk was enjoyed by the audience and we heard amazing feedback!” - EmTech, October 2017 “Thank you so much for your presentation last night and for participating in a very interesting and lively panel discussion. I thought it worked really well, and all the feedback I had was very good indeed. I thought you set the context for the discussion really well and warmed up the audience to think more deeply about and around the topic.” - ICAEW, September 2017 “He was absolutely fantastic! All the delegates gave very positive feedback on Calum’s contributions, and he added a great deal to the day, and not just in his allocated sessions. We really appreciated him staying around. We’d like to extend a huge big thank you to him. He was excellent.” - Hymans Robertson, September 2017 “Calum did a fantastic job engaging the whole audience and was very well received. The feedback on was absolutely spot on.” - Barclays, June 2017”
“As a pioneer of Professional Coaching in Rugby, Matt Williams has many years of experience coaching in both Australia and Europe. He is a gifted raconteur and has a unique message that he not only articulates but has lived. During his time coaching, Matt Williams became fascinated with the makeup of individual and team performance. In elite sport, coaching is made up of 3 key areas: Technique, Tactics and Performance - which is the drive to play at one's maximum. Matt takes the "Performance" aspect of sports coaching and applies the enhancing techiques to business teams and executives. In 2006, after seven years in Europe, Matt returned to Australia and linked with the Sydney based HR company EXCEL HR. In partnership they have produced the 'Peak Performance Business Program'. In the media Matt has contributed articles to the Sydney Morning Herald, The Irish Independent and The Irish Times. He has appeared on the Irish radio Newstalk 106 and has been a commenter with the ABC, Setanta Cable TV and RTE Television. He is now the rugby writer for The Irish Times and works as a commentator for Tv3 Group. Matt started coaching in the New South Wales Waratah’s system in 1990. In 1995, after playing an inside role of the winning of the Rugby Wars for the Rugby Union, he rose through the coaching ranks to become manager and Assistant Coach, before becoming Head Coach of the New South Wales Waratah’s from 1997 to 1999. During this time Matt was at the forefront of establishing professional coaching in rugby. Matt was instrumental in mentoring and coaching such great players as David Campese, Matt Burke, Tian Strauss, Phil Kearns and Jason Little. Matt then pioneered the now familiar rugby ‘trek' of Australians coaching in Europe. He was the first Australian Super 12 Coach to move to Europe. He travelled to Ireland coaching the now powerful Irish provincial side, Leinster. In Matt’s three years at Leinster he “was part of a great group of men” who rose through the European rankings from thirty five to second. Leinster won the inaugural Celtic League Final and were Semi Finalists of the European Cup. Matt coached the British and Irish Lions Captain Brian O’Driscoll, as well as Gordon D’Arcy, Shane Horgan, Malcolm O’Kelly and Dennis Hickey. Matt also was appointed Head Coach of Ireland “A” and won the Six Nations title with the “A” team. This led to Matt being head-hunted and appointed Head Coach of Scotland. This unique challenge saw Matt as only the second Australian in over a century to be appointed as a Head Coach in the Six Nations Championship. Matt Williams also has business experience as the current General Manager for RCNM, a software company for sports clubs enabling elite athlete management based in France. He has a background in Education and holds a Masters Degree in Education from Sydney University specialising in Coaching.”
“Liam Griffin hotelier entrepreneur and former hurling manager is available to speak at corporate and industry events on Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Team Building, Customer Service, amongst other topics. "Fantastic - Liam Griffin's presentation really went down well with the group. An extremely interesting and accomplished speaker." - Eamonn Burke, Chairman, IT/Automation Healthcare”
Gavin Duffy Entrepreneur, Dragons Den Investor, Broadcaster and Motivational Speaker is one of Ireland’ top entrepreneurs and most sought after motivational speaker. His witty, engaging and entertaining speaking style is guaranteed to inspire any audience or group.
Gavin is publicly known for his work with entrepreneurs on all seven series of RTE’s Dragons’ Den. Gavin’s career in media started at age seventeen, setting-up a local radio station in County Louth. He was the presenter of the first RTE television business programme, Marketplace, and two years before that in 1985 was one of the first broadcasters on Morning Ireland on RTE Radio One. He won the franchise for regional radio station LMFM in 1989, later sold to UTV.
Gavin’s extensive experience, both in radio and on television coupled with his knowledge and expertise in business ensure that he is a naturally engaging MC and Speaker.
“2“What I’m certain about is that Big Data will be the defining text in the discussion for some time to come.” Forbes Viktor Mayer-Schönberger is Professor of Internet Governance and Regulation at the Oxford Internet Institute, part of Oxford University. He is also a faculty affiliate of the Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. After successes in the International Physics Olympics and the Austrian Young Programmers Contest, Mayer-Schönberger studied in Salzburg, Harvard and at the London School of Economics. In 1986 he founded Ikarus Software, a company focusing on data security and developed the Virus Utilities, which became the best-selling Austrian software product. He was voted Top-5 Software Entrepreneur in Austria in 1991 and Person of the Year for the State of Salzburg in 2000. He has chaired the Rueschlikon Conference on Information Policy in the New Economy, bringing together leading strategists and decision-makers of the new economy. In 2014 he received a World Technology Award in the law category for his work. He is a frequent public speaker, and sought expert for print and broadcast media worldwide. He and his work have been featured in (among others) New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Economist, Nature, Science, NPR, BBC, The Guardian, Le Monde, El Pais, Die Zeit, Der Spiegel, WIRED, Ars Technica, and Daily Kos. He is also on the boards of foundations, think tanks and organizations focused on studying the information economy, and advises governments, businesses and NGOs on new economy and information society issues. He has published eleven books, including the international bestseller 'Big Data' ( co-authored with Kenneth Cukier, translated into more than 20 languages) and the awards-winning 'Delete: The Virtue of Forgetting in the Digital Age'. He is the author of over a hundred articles and book chapters on the governance of information. In his spare time, he likes to travel, go to the movies, and learn about architecture.”
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__label__cc | 0.562592 | 0.437408 | © 2019 D. PLUMP CONSULTING
Pediatrics Endocrinologists of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisana, and Arkansas (PESTOLA) is a 501 c3 nonprofit organization. The primary purpose of PESTOLA is to increase awareness of endocrine and metabolic diseases of young people from conception to adolescence, as well as to provide resources, education, and advocacy within the PESTOLA Membership Region and across the country.
Dr. Joel Steelman
Dr. Richardo Gomez
Dr. Jon Oden
Dr. Melissa Ham
Dr. Jeanie Trygstadd
Joel Steelman, MD grew up a military brat on the move every three to four years to a new home in a different state. Nevertheless, his family roots remained in Texas where he finished high school and attended Texas A&M University both for his undergraduate and medical degrees.
During his second year of medical school, Dr. Steelman realized he had a passion for caring for children. He joined the U.S. Air Force while in medical school and worked as a general pediatrician for four years after completing his pediatric residency. His work with diabetic children, as well as encouragement from endocrine mentors, sparked his decision to leave the military and pursue endocrine subspecialty training.
He trained in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Colorado Children's Hospital. While in Colorado, Dr. Steelman developed an interest in care and research in the area of bone disorders, and he began to treat children with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease - a rare, crippling malady. After completing his endocrinology training, He left the West to enter academic medicine at Vanderbilt Children's hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, continuing his work in patient care, teaching, and research.
The desire to be closer to family brought Dr. Steelman back home to Texas in 2008 to Cook Children's. The growth in the endocrine team has allowed him to expand his emphasis in the care of special pediatric endocrine populations in subspecialty clinics including the endocrine bone health clinic, endocrine cancer survivor clinic, growth hormone clinic, and Di George (22q) clinic.
Outside of Cook Children's, Dr. Steelman is involved in pediatric endocrine advocacy and education. He serves on the board of directors for the non-profit organizations Human Growth Foundation and PESTOLA. He regularly speaks and organizes educational programs on behalf of these organizations.
Dr. Steelman is married and enjoys spending time with family, especially spending time outdoors.
Ricardo Gómez, MD is an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, and a member of the division of Pediatric Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans. He is the Director, of the Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship. He obtained his MD degree in 1990 at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana School of Medicine in Bogotá D.C. Colombia. He did his pediatrics residency in Colombia at the Pediatric University Hospital “Lorencita Villegas de Santos” University of El Rosario, and in New Orleans at Children’s Hospital and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Department of Pediatrics. He did Fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at Children’s Hospital and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Department of Pediatrics.
Melissa Ham, MD is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas and a member of the division of Pediatric Endocrinology, providing care to patients at Children’s Health Dallas. She also serves as an associate fellowship program director for the pediatric endocrinology fellowship program. While enjoying all of the pediatric endocrinologies and seeing patients with a variety of endocrinologic problems, Dr. Ham also has a strong interest in cystic fibrosis endocrinology including cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, growth and puberty problems associated with CF, and bone health. Dr. Ham is a graduate of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed a pediatric residency at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine/ Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina. She completed a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center/Children’s Medical Center of Dallas.
Jeanie B. Tryggestad, MD is an associate professor of pediatrics in the section of diabetes/endocrinology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and holds the Paul and Ruth Jonas Chair in Diabetes/Endocrinology. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Oklahoma Christian University. She completed her medical school education at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center graduating with distinction. Dr. Tryggestad completed her residency in pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center as well. She is board certified in pediatrics as well as pediatric endocrinology.
Dr. Tryggestad’s research interest focus on the impact of maternal diabetes on the future cardiometabolic health of the offspring and the impact of obesity and diabetes on vascular function. She has been awarded a 4 year grant through the NIH to understand the impact of maternal diabetes on miRNA expression and protein regulation in infants. She is a Co-Principle Investigator for the NIH funded TODAY trial and serves on the Comorbidity Assessment Committee.
Dr. Tryggestad’s clinical interests are in the areas of Turner Syndrome and type 1 and type 2 diabetes with special focus on Native American populations. She serves as the director of the Turner Syndrome Clinic OU Children’s and serves as the co-director of the type 2 diabetes comprehensive clinic in youth.
Dr. Tryggestad has been elected to the Society of Pediatric Research (SPR) and serves on the Board of Directors for PESTOLA. In addition to her professional responsibilities, Dr. Tryggestad enjoys traveling and reading. She and her husband have two young girls ages 11 and 6. She also has been involved with medical mission efforts both locally and internationally. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744877 |
__label__wiki | 0.862128 | 0.862128 | Peugeot's best-selling car of all time, the Peugeot 206, celebrates the 20th anniversary of its launch this year.
The original 206 was launched in the form of a hatchback in 1998 and had seen over 5.4 million global sales by December 2005. The car remains Peugeot's best-selling vehicle to date with 5.1 million sold in Europe and 8.3 million globally.
In celebration of the landmark anniversary, Peugeot took on the challenge of recreating one of the most iconic 206 adverts – ‘The Sculptor’. The advert was originally filmed in Jaipur, India, in 2003 and depicted a young man converting his Ambassador into a 206 after seeing the car in a newspaper advert. The man makes the modifications by repeatedly crashing his Ambassador into a wall and encouraging an elephant to sit on it to make it resemble the Peugeot 206. To see the original 206 advert from 2003, visit: Peugeot 206 'The Sculptor'
In homage to this, the French carmaker converted a Hindustan Ambassador into the Peugeot 208 GTi, using a team of engineers at Ajeenkya D Y Patil University, based in Pune, India. Headed up by Ashish Nar, the team spent several months constructing the vehicle. View the recreated advert here.
Mark Pickles, Peugeot Marketing Director, said: “It’s been 15 years since ‘The Sculptor’ advert appeared on TV screens and as Peugeot has recently acquired the Ambassador brand, it seemed a fitting way to mark the 206’s anniversary year. The outstanding work that the Ajeenkya D Y Patil University team has put into the vehicle modification has been incredible to watch.
“The anniversary of the Peugeot 206 is a great opportunity to recognise the vehicle’s success in becoming Peugeot's best-selling model of all time. On sale between 1998 and 2008, the 206’s reliable build and iconic design made it a popular choice of vehicle.”
Ashish Nar, Head Designer at DYPDC School of Design of the Ajeenkya D Y Patil University, said: “It has been an exciting and very valuable opportunity working with Peugeot to create this concept vehicle. To see the original Hindustan Ambassador parked in the workshop and to then be a part of its transformation into a new, shiny Peugeot 208 GTi is extremely rewarding for all of the team, in particular the students who had the chance to be a part of this project.”
SEE OUR LATEST NEWS | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744878 |
__label__wiki | 0.829978 | 0.829978 | Arpaio for Senate: Dear God, This Might Actually Be Happening
Antonia Noori Farzan
SheriffJoeForAmerica.com
Antonia Noori Farzan | January 9, 2018 | 12:56pm
Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Arizona's most prominent proponent of racial profiling, told the conservative Washington Examiner this morning that he's planning to run for Senator Jeff Flake's seat in 2018.
He confirmed the news on Twitter, writing, "I am running for the U.S. Senate from the Great State of Arizona, for one unwavering reason: to support the agenda and policies of President Donald Trump in his mission to Make America Great Again."
As far as campaign rollouts go, this one doesn't seem to have involved much planning. Usually, if you're going to run for office, you hold a press conference and a kickoff rally. Arpaio wrote a tweet and talked to a couple of reporters on the phone.
Maricopa County Paying $10K to Burglar Who Alleged Jail Guards Stood by During Beating
Arpaio Costs County More Than $44 Million in Melendres Expenses
Joe Arpaio Investigating Obama's Birth Certificate at "No Cost to Taxpayers" -- Except for the Deputy in Hawaii Right Now
He also has yet to register as a candidate with the FEC, which is mandatory once you've raised or spent more than $5,000.
Arpaio's website has a disclaimer that says "Paid for By Sheriff Joe Arpaio for U.S. Senate," but that committee doesn't appear in the FEC's database, either.
Also, the Washington Examiner? He couldn't get a spot on Fox News?
If we sound a little skeptical, that's because Arpaio has been threatening to run for higher office for years. But this time, it looks a little more plausible — he's set up a website and changed his profile pictures to an "Arpaio for U.S. Senate" graphic. Also, he's unemployed and has nothing better to do.
If you need a refresher on Arpaio's political career (which involved staging an assassination attempt against himself, arresting New Times' founders, and running a jail that he called a "concentration camp") you may want to check out this collection of our previous stories.
In the meantime, we've contacted Arpaio's handlers and requested an interview. Stay tuned.
Antonia Noori Farzan is a staff writer at New Times and an honors graduate of Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. Before moving to Arizona, she worked for the New Times Broward-Palm Beach. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744880 |
__label__cc | 0.620317 | 0.379683 | Apple Articles
Will Apple reset the iPhone naming scheme in 2021?
by Georgi Zarkov
2020 is around the corner but many are already looking further into the future where 2021 lies engulfed in mystery. One of the constantly hot topics in the smartphone world is “Where will Apple go next with its iPhones?” And while leaks are already popping left and right about the 2020 iPhones, we want to discuss the potential names of the 2021 models and the twist we might get with them.
Before we begin, we need to make a couple of assumptions. First, that the next iPhone will be the iPhone 12 and then that the one after it won’t be the iPhone 12S. That means three consecutive generations without an “S” model, something that hasn’t happened in the iPhone’s history yet. If there is an iPhone 11S and a 12S after it, our theorycrafting will still be relevant. It’s just that these predictions won’t materialize until a couple of years later, perhaps in 2023.
So, let’s assume that one way or another, Apple has reached the point where iPhone 13 ist the next logical model number. Will we ever see that happening? Perhaps not. Here’s why.
Superstitions are alive and thriving in the 21st century
We all know that the number 13 is connected to bad luck in modern culture. But you might be surprised to what extent people go to avoid it. Many buildings, for example, don’t have a 13th floor. That could be either due to the beliefs of the owners or because people wouldn’t want to use an office or a hotel room/apartment on the “fatal” floor.
Photo from Getty Images
It’s not hard to assume then that people might also be hesitant to buy a phone carrying the number thirteen, as absurd as that might sound. Or Apple might want to avoid putting a curse on its precious device and have it go through something unfortunate like the iPhone 6’s bendgate or God forbid, follow the fate of the exploding Galaxy Note 7.
Avoiding the iPhone 13 might not be the first time a number was skipped because of its esoteric value. Just a few years ago, Apple released the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X at the same time, leaving people wondering what happened with 9. One theory is that it was because the Japanese word for 9 is pronounced the same way as the word that means agony or torture. iPhones are super popular in Japan where Apple holds about 50% of the market share. It seems very likely that Apple chose to skip 9 in order to keep its Japanese customers happy while the rest of the world didn’t really care about the jump to ten anyway.
On the other hand, the number doesn’t seem to be a concern if we look at iOS 13. However, the specific number of the version of iOS has never been as important as the names of the iPhones themselves. After all, iOS is not something people buy, it just comes with their phones.
But bad mojo isn’t the only thing that might deter Apple from using the number 13 as a model number.
The “teens” are just too long
All the single digits and ten, eleven, twelve are relatively short words and easy to pronounce. When you get to thirteen, however, things change. The addition might not seem much, but it could be just enough to tip the naming scheme overboard. Imagine saying “I have the iPhone 13S Pro Max.” Things get even worse if we reach the high-teens like seventeen. It’s basically a tongue-twister at this point.
Other companies like Huawei, for example, avoided reaching 13 by jumping from 10 to 20 to 30. Eventually, those short numbers will run out as well, however. So, what’s the solution then?
Time to start fresh
Probably the likeliest solution is that Apple will reset the numbering altogether. Whether the new era will begin with iPhone (2021), iPhone 1 or with simply iPhone, that’s anyone’s guess. By that point, at least 14 years would have passed since the release of the original iPhone so it’s not like anyone will confuse the two devices. To make the new beginning more appropriate, Apple will hopefully pair it with a major change in its iPhones (perhaps the notch will finally be gone for good).
With some of its other products like the iPad or MacBook laptops, Apple has mostly stayed away from numbering, adding the year or generation in parenthesis instead. But if it has to add the year to every new iPhone the naming might become even more cumbersome than it would have been with teen numbers. Maybe we can see iPhone numbers gone if at some point in the future Apple decides that there’s no need to have a smartphone release every year. That moment seems to be far into the future for now.
What other alternatives are there? Adding a name to each phone? The iPhone Steve? Sounds silly, plus Apple has never done something like this before.
Introducing the new iPhone Jobs and iPhone Wozniak
It’s possible that the company might add a prefix or a suffix to the name, to underline that it’s part of the new era. Maybe we’ll see the iPhone X1? 1X? The iPhone 1A? That sounds like a building number, plus it makes the name heavier which is what Apple will be trying to avoid in the first place.
So, will we see a reset after the iPhone 12 or will Apple keep going until the iPhone 20 and reset then? Or perhaps in 20 years, we’ll be talking about the iPhone 31. As always, tell us what you think in the comments below!
2. Skizzo
If anything, Apple seems to be ditching the "i" in their products, so if they were to change the name "iPhone" it would most likely follow that trend like the Apple Watch, and just go with " the Apple Phone" (gen 1).
That way, each year it would simply be "which Apple phone do you have?" "Oh, I have the Gen 3."
4. arsenaljimenez
Who cares, it will be the same phone regardless.
5. Vokilam
I just hope they don’t got the iPad naming scheme. I’m honestly confused, when it comes to some of their names, which is which. | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744881 |
__label__wiki | 0.973204 | 0.973204 | Western Press Review: Rapprochement On The Subcontinent, Georgian Elections, And The World Without Oil
Prague, 5 January 2004 (RFE/RL) -- As much of the world returns to work today following the Christmas and New Year's holidays, attention is being paid in the press to a possible rapprochement between India and Pakistan, as the leaders of both countries meet for an informal "courtesy call" in Islamabad. Yesterday's presidential election in Georgia is also discussed, as preliminary results indicate opposition leader Mikhail Saakashvili, a main orchestrator of Tbilisi's Revolution of Roses in late November, won by a landslide. Other topics of interest in the media today include planning for a world without oil, the unintended consequences of international trials, and a U.S. probe's successful landing on Mars yesterday.
The British-based "Financial Times" says today's meeting between Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf represents a chance "to bring the prospect of peace in Kashmir a fraction closer."
The two leaders met this morning on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit in Islamabad. "They must seize the opportunity," the paper says, and "launch a peace process to defuse the conflict that could easily become the cause of the world's first nuclear war."
But the paper acknowledges that both Vajpayee and Musharraf face a possible "domestic backlash from hard-line nationalists" in their respective countries if they are viewed as making too many concessions. Nevertheless, progress is apparent. "A cease-fire on the 'line of control' across Kashmir seems to be holding. Transport links have been restored," and it seems both sides recognize "that closer economic ties would help toward political rapprochement."
But New Delhi continues to insist that Pakistan crack down on "terrorist and rebel bases" on its territory. Two assassination attempts on Musharraf in past weeks, the suspected work of "fundamentalist jihadi militants including those fighting India in Kashmir," could spur the Pakistani leader to take a much tougher stance -- "provided he can point to progress toward a lasting peace settlement with India."
The British daily says Vajpayee should agree to peace talks, thus presenting himself ahead of re-election as "a global statesman and peacemaker. That would also be the best insurance policy for General Musharraf," the paper says.
THE TIMES:
"The Times" of London says the first face-to-face talks today in two years between Indian and Pakistani heads of state are "the culmination of six months of imaginative diplomacy by both sides." Continuing rapprochement between the nuclear rivals made possible the range of agreements signed at the South Asia summit in Islamabad, including protocols on increasing regional trade, "combating terrorism, and a social charter laying out targets for alleviating poverty, strengthening human rights and improving health."
The long-standing contention between the two countries has "sapped the energy and will of both India and Pakistan to play roles on the world stage commensurate with their population and political weight." Indian troops have in the past played a "valuable" role in UN peacekeeping operations. Pakistan has also contributed troops to international projects and has been active with the Organization of the Islamic Conference. "But both regard foreign ties as a zero-sum game; close relations with Delhi or Islamabad automatically make a neighbor suspect in the eyes of the other."
The development of a new sense of trust on the subcontinent could make "a range of regional integration agreements" possible that might give South Asia -- which contains one-fifth of the world's population, the paper points out -- a much-needed cohesion. As for Delhi, there is another "overriding" interest: "stability on its borders and growth in its region would help it to compete with the giant in Asia and rival for influence: China."
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR:
Georgians went to the polls yesterday and, as widely expected, voted opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili to the presidency. Saakashvili was one of the main architects of November's Rose Revolution, which saw the peaceful overthrow of former President Eduard Shevardnadze.
"Nearly everyone emerging from the voting booths" in the poverty-stricken agricultural town of Sagarejo "said they cast their ballots for Saakashvili," writes Fred Weir in "The Christian Science Monitor." Describing Tbilisi's new president-elect as "a former New York attorney turned opposition leader" -- Saakashvili attended Columbia University -- Weir says Georgians have now "embraced the promise of sweeping change after a decade of economic stagnation, corruption and widespread poverty under Mr. Shevardnadze."
But not everyone is overjoyed at the prospect of a Saakashvili leadership, Weir says. While his supporters characterize him as "canny and charismatic," Saakashvili's detractors think him "an unscrupulous populist." Tbilisi's "telegenic" new leader "has moved rapidly to exploit the near-total defeat and disarray of Shevardnadze's forces."
Still, even the ousted Shevardnadze claims to have voted for the popular Saakashvili. But he had some words of advice for his former justice minister and onetime protege. Shevardnadze is reported as saying Saakashvili "should talk less and work more. Enough of populism. There is a great deal that needs to be done."
THE IRISH TIMES:
Daniel McLaughlin of "The Irish Times" says Saakashvili now "carries the hopes of a nation desperate to escape a decade of poverty, corruption and bloody separatism." His coming term in the presidency gives Saakashvili "a chance to transform what used to be one of the Soviet Union's most prosperous republics. But he must overhaul the nation while pacifying breakaway regions and old master Moscow, as well as satisfying the demands of key financier Washington."
Saakashvili is well aware that, "with a $1.7 billion debt burden and more than half the population living on less than $5 a day, no one can help better than the U.S., which is already Georgia's biggest supplier of aid."
As for Washington, political stability in Georgia is "vital" to safeguard its multibillion-dollar investment in the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which will carry oil from the Caspian Sea "across the volatile Caucasus to Turkey, and then on to Western markets."
McLaughlin notes that good relations with Georgia also provide the Pentagon with "a strategic ally at the bridge between Europe and the Middle East."
In a contribution to the "Financial Times," Michael Meacher, a former British environment minister, discusses the coming shortage of global oil resources. Today, world production stands at 75 million barrels per day (BPD). But to meet projected demand for 2015, the world would need to produce an additional 60 million BPD.
"This is frankly impossible," Meacher says. It would "require the equivalent of more than 10 new regions, each the size of the North Sea." Moreover, oil reserves are falling by an average of 4 percent to 6 percent a year.
Thus, an oil crisis can be expected "sometime between 2010 and 2015, perhaps earlier," says Meacher. And the "implications of this are mind-blowing." Transportation, farming industries, and national defense all depend on oil consumption. It is hard to fully grasp the effects "of a radically reduced oil supply on a modern economy or society."
One option in the "stark choice" the world now faces is to "pre-empt available remaining oil supplies, if necessary by military force." Its own rising demand has prompted the United States to pursue just such "an [integrated] oil-military strategy."
But most of the countries identified as new sources of supply "are riven by deep internal conflicts, strong anti-Americanism, or both." Iraq is "the first example of the cost -- both in cash and in soldiers' lives -- [of] resource wars in key oil-producing regions, a cost that even the U.S. may find unsustainable."
Meacher says, "The conclusion is clear: if we do not immediately plan to make the switch to renewable energy, [then] civilization faces the sharpest and perhaps most violent dislocation in recent history."
THE WASHINGTON TIMES:
In a contribution to "The Washington Times," syndicated columnist Mark Steyn says strong supporters of the idea of an international criminal tribunal "should look at what it boils down to in practice." He notes that on the last weekend of 2003, former Serbian leader and accused war criminal Slobodan Milosevic won a seat in Serbia's legislature, as did his fellow accused war criminal and head of the Serbian Radical Party (SRS), Vojislav Seselj. The nationalist SRS "won more seats than anybody else."
Although The Hague tribunal, which is handling the prosecutions of both men, "forbade Mr. Milosevic and Mr. Seselj from actively campaigning in the Serbian election, they somehow managed to." Steyn says, "In other words, 'international law' is unable to enforce its judgments even in its own jailhouse."
In fact, says Steyn, the international tribunal's prosecution of Milosevic over the past two years is in part responsible for his renewed popularity. In 2000, when Milosevic "was swept from power, he was a discredited figure, a European pariah reviled as a murderous butcher." But after two years on trial at The Hague, "he's all but fully rehabilitated."
Steyn says that "every indictment of [chief prosecutor Carla Del] Ponte's drove Mr. Milosevic's vote numbers higher. Had Serbs prosecuted Mr. Milosevic, that would have been one thing. But once it became Euro-preeners prosecuting Serbs, an understandable resentment set in."
Steyn advises the international community not to make the same mistake with Iraq's Saddam Hussein. For his trial to have real legitimacy in the eyes of his former victims, he must be tried in Iraq, by Iraqis.
An item in "The Christian Science Monitor" discusses the successful weekend landing on Mars of a probe launched by the U.S. space agency NASA. The "Spirit" probe landed as planned on the surface of the red planet and quickly sent pictures back to Earth of Gusev Crater, which is thought by some scientists to have once contained water and, thus, the possibility of forming life. A second robot probe, "Opportunity," is expected to land at another site on the planet on 24 January.
The Boston-based daily calls the twin geologist-robots "the most sophisticated scientific probes ever sent to another planet." Their explorations "will bring a whole new sophistication to the geological understanding" of Mars. They are expected to map over 2 miles of the planet's surface, taking photos and analyzing minerals "for hints of past water, or even reservoirs of ice below the surface, that could suggest Mars was warm and wet billions of years ago."
Probes sent by Japan and Europe failed on their missions in recent weeks, but NASA's success may provide hope that more probes will be sent in the future. The paper says the "hits and misses of space travel, either manned or unmanned, are often discouraging, but the latest images from Mars and the other recent discoveries are exciting reminders of why the human race can, and must, keep exploring outer space, even if the first simple goal is to find water." | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744883 |
__label__wiki | 0.945174 | 0.945174 | CELEBRITY PRODUCTS
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Top 11 Songs from Martin Scorsese Films
By Frank Mastropolo on February 8, 2016 No Comment
Director Martin Scorsese and the Rolling Stones‘ Mick Jagger have teamed as executive producers of Vinyl,
a 10-episode series on the ’70s rock scene that premieres on HBO Feb. 14.
At a Television Critics Association panel, Jagger acknowledged that the acclaimed director “was one of the first people that really used rock ‘n’ roll, like wall to wall. Before Marty, people used music occasionally, like rock music and other kinds of popular music, but not really like he did.”
Scorsese has utilized rock music in his soundtracks since his first feature, 1967’s Who’s That Knocking at My Door? , so we’ve assembled our Top 11 Scorsese Film Songs, each from a different movie. Here are the stories behind the songs.
11. Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum from New York Stories: Life Lessons
Procol Harum lyricist Keith Reid told Uncut that the mysterious song, a No. 5 hit in 1967, was put together like a puzzle. “I had the phrase ‘a whiter shade of pale,’ that was the start, and I knew it was a song. It’s like a jigsaw where you’ve got one piece, then you make up all the others to fit in. I was trying to conjure a mood as much as tell a straightforward, girl-leaves-boy story. With the ceiling flying away and room humming harder, I wanted to paint an image of a scene. I wasn’t trying to be mysterious with those images.”
Lead vocalist and co-writer Gary Brooker told Acoustic Storm that Reid has never told him what the lyrics mean. “There seems to be a girl somewhere amongst it all. That’s all I can see in it, I don’t know what it means. If everybody knew what it meant it probably wouldn’t have lasted so long.”
“The point was not so much what the songs were saying, specifically, as what they were suggesting to each of us, individually, where all those sounds and images would lead us, and leave us,” said Scorsese in Procol Harum: The Ghosts of A Whiter Shade of Pale. “Procol Harum’s music drew from so many deep wells – classical music, 19th Century literature, rhythm and blues, seaman’s logs, concretist poetry – that each tune became a cross-cultural whirligig, a road trip through the pop subconscious.”
Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum from New York Stories: Life Lessons
10. Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon from The Color of Money
Warren Zevon wrote Werewolves of London with friend Roy Marinell and guitarist Waddy Wachtell, his bandmate with the Everly Brothers. Fifty-nine takes were required to record Werewolves. Writing the 1978 hit went much faster.
“We wrote the song one afternoon,” Wachtel relates on his website. “I remember going by Roy’s house one afternoon on my way into town to do some sessions, and Warren was there, and he says, ‘Waddy, it’s great you’re here! Phil Everly gave me a great title for a song. We’re going to write a song called Werewolves of London.’
“Now, Roy had been sitting around for months with this little guitar figure, and we never could do anything with it. I said to Warren, ‘Werewolves of London? You mean like, “ow-ooooo”?’ Warren says, ‘Yeah, yeah!’ I said, ‘That’s easy. Roy, play that lick of yours.’ And he started playing it. I had just gotten back from England so I had all these lyrics in my head, so I just spit out that whole first verse. Warren says, ‘That’s great!’ I said, ‘Really? Okay, fine. There’s your first verse. You write the rest. I’ve gotta go into town.’ And then they worked on the rest of it.”
Werewolves of London by Warren Zevon from The Color of Money
9. Sunshine of Your Love by Cream from GoodFellas
Here is how Jack Bruce characterized Cream‘s Sunshine of Your Love: “When you enter a music shop this is the song that kids always play to try out a guitar.” Eric Clapton revealed that Jimi Hendrix was Bruce’s inspiration for its memorable bass riff.
“We’d been to see Hendrix about two nights before … he played this gig that was just blinding.” Clapton told Rolling Stone. “After the gig [Bruce] went home and came up with the riff. It was strictly a dedication to Jimi. And then we wrote a song on top of it.”
Sunshine of Your Love was a No. 5 hit in 1968. Bruce, Clapton and lyricist Pete Brown shared the writing credits. “The way the song happened was the riff came first,” Bruce said in Ultimate Guitar. “I just played the riff on the double bass. And then I knew that that had to become a song but it took a while to make it into a song until Eric came up with the turnaround part [‘I’ve been waiting so long’], which is the part that he wrote of the song.”
Sunshine of Your Love by Cream from GoodFellas
8. Jumpin’ Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones from Mean Streets
Written by Jagger and Keith Richards, Jumpin’ Jack Flash was a return to the gritty sound of the early Stones after the LPs Between the Buttons and Their Satanic Majesties Request. The song, Jagger told Rolling Stone in 1995, was an escape “out of all the acid of Satanic Majesties. It’s about having a hard time and getting out. Just a metaphor for getting out of all the acid things.”
In his autobiography Life, Richards reveals the inspiration for the 1968 hit. “Mick and I had been up all night, it was raining outside and there was the sound of these heavy stomping rubber boots near the window, belonging to my gardener, Jack Dyer, a real country man from Sussex. It woke Mick up. He said, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s Jack. That’s jumping Jack.’ I started to work around the phrase on the guitar, which was in open tuning, singing the phrase ‘Jumping Jack.’ Mick said, ‘Flash,’ and suddenly we had this phrase with a great rhythm and ring to it.”
Jumpin’ Jack Flash by the Rolling Stones from Mean Streets
7. Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders from The King of Comedy
Back on the Chain Gang was recorded by the Pretenders in July 1982, days after lead guitarist James Honeyman-Scott died of a drug overdose. A No. 5 hit, the song was written by singer Chrissie Hynde with Scott in mind. “That was a song I was writing and I had shown Jimmy Scott some of the chords,” Hynde told Blue Railroad. “I was working on this song which he liked, and then he died, and it turned into more of a tribute to him.”
“When it came to her vocals, Chrissie was great so long as nobody else was in the room,” engineer Steve Churchyard said in Sound on Sound. “The band, everybody was kicked out. They all went upstairs and played pool, and nobody was allowed to come back down until we’d got them. Only [producer] Chris Thomas and myself were in the control room while Chrissie sang … If you catch her on the wrong day, things can be heavy, but she can also be very funny, and she was very easy to work with when we did Chain Gang. Only later did I realize how emotional it must have been for her.”
“Sad? Yeah, but that’s life,” acknowledged Hynde in the Telegraph.
“There is sadness every day. I’m mindful not to get too self-pitying or too revealing of my own pain. Everyone else has theirs. They don’t need mine.”
Back on the Chain Gang by the Pretenders from The King of Comedy
6. Daniel by Elton John from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
Written by Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, the meaning of Daniel has puzzled fans since it reached No. 2 in 1973. “Daniel is probably the most misinterpreted song in our repertoire,” Taupin told the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “One of the reasons supposedly that people have misinterpreted it was because it originally had a last verse, and it was too long, so we had to get rid of the last verse.”
Taupin’s inspiration was a news magazine story he’d read about a veteran returning home from the Vietnam War. “He came from a small town, he went back and there were flags, and banners, and he was brought back as a hero, and he didn’t want to know about that. He just wanted to go back to his life. He was basically driven away from his home by people’s adulation of him. So I made it into this story about his younger brother and him going away to Europe, because he couldn’t stand being in his own country anymore, because he felt he was a freak.”
Daniel by Elton John from Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
5. Baby Blue by Badfinger from The Departed
Baby Blue was a Top 20 hit for Badfinger in 1972. The song was written by singer Pete Ham and produced by Todd Rundgren. Ham wrote Baby Blue for Dixie Armstrong, a singer he’d met during the band’s 1971 U.S. tour.
“She came to one of the shows, they got talking and Pete really liked her,” guitarist Joey Molland told Team Rock. “I don’t know whether they fell in love straight away, but he invited her on the road with us and she came along. She came back to England, too. But we were working in the studio a lot and doing gigs, and I don’t think she was really into that side of it. And then Pete wouldn’t call her when he was away, though I don’t know why. We were just a bunch of guys, and didn’t sit around talking about romantic relationships.
“Pete had written it on acoustic guitar and had some ideas for the linking licks. So I took over that job, we all ran through it a few times, and recorded it. Then we did a couple of overdubs to fatten it up.”
Baby Blue would be the Badfinger’s last hit single. In addition to its use in The Departed, the song was featured in the finale of the TV series Breaking Bad.
Baby Blue by Badfinger from The Departed
4. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man by Aretha Franklin from Cape Fear
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man was a 1967 hit for Aretha Franklin. The tune was the first success for songwriters Dan Penn and Chips Moman. “I had ‘do right’ on my mind,” Penn told the Country Music Hall of Fame. “To me it sounded like black street slang. Everything then was ‘do right’ or ‘uptight.'”
Franklin first tried to record Do Right Woman at FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Al. When Franklin’s then-husband and manager Ted White accused a musician of flirting with the singer, the session was cancelled. Franklin re-recorded the song at an eight-track studio in New York with sisters Carolyn and Erma singing backup. “She had put her sisters on it, she’d sang it over, she’d played piano herself, and I realized then you can make anything out of anything with a lot of tracks,” Penn recalled in Vox. “It was such a wonderful record when they played it back. It’s still one of the best records I’ve ever heard by anybody – not ’cause it’s my song, but just that record. It’ll reach out and get you in your heart.”
Do Right Woman, Do Right Man by Aretha Franklin from Cape Fear
3. Janie Jones by the Clash from Bringing Out the Dead
Janie Jones was an early anti-establishment anthem written and performed by the Clash. The British punk rockers titled the tune for Janie Jones, a notorious pop singer of the ’60s. The Clash song is a lament by an office worker stuck in a boring job who dreams of picking up Jones after work.
Born Marion Mitchell, Jones adopted her more famous stage name and first made waves in 1964 when she appeared at a film premiere wearing a topless dress. Her biggest success as a singer was the novelty song Witches Brew. Jones was famously jailed in the ’70s for running a prostitution ring; she served three years.
In 1982 Clash guitarist Mick Jones worked with the singer to form Janie Jones & the Lash. Their single, House of the Ju-Ju Queen, was produced by Joe Strummer and released in 1983.
Janie Jones by the Clash from Bringing Out the Dead
2. Shotgun by Jr. Walker & the All Stars from Who’s That Knocking at My Door?
In 1964, Jr. Walker had yet to score a hit for Motown’s Soul label. While performing at the El Grotto club in Battle Creek, Mich., the saxophonist noticed dance moves that resembled shooting a gun. Walker asked what the dance was called. “The Shotgun,” he was told.
Walker wrote Shotgun, which was produced by Motown head Berry Gordy and became a No. 4 hit in 1965. UDiscover reveals that its introduction, which features the crack of a gunshot, was not what it seemed.
“The sound effect on the intro is not a gun at all, but a heavily echoed and compressed recording of Eddie Willis, guitarist with Motown house musicians the Funk Brothers, accidentally kicking his amplifier. That effect was not on the version included on the group’s 1965 album of the same name, and when Jr. Walker’s Greatest Hits came out four years later, a recording of a real shotgun being fired was overdubbed from a sound effects record.”
Shotgun by Jr. Walker & the All Stars from Who’s That Knocking at My Door?
1. House of the Rising Sun by the Animals from Casino
The Animals reached No. 1 in 1964 with House of the Rising Sun, called “the first folk rock tune” by the BBC.
Though its author is unknown, versions of Rising Sun have been recorded since the 1930s. Bob Dylan learned the song from folk singer Dave Van Ronk and included it on his 1962 debut album. “The first version I heard was Dylan’s,” Animals guitarist Hilton Valentine told Uncut. “To this day I still think it’s the definitive one.”
“In my mind, the ‘house’ was a polished gentleman’s club,” added frontman Eric Burdon. “It had to be a room full of women of many colors, sizes and shapes. It would have a spiral staircase. It must have had a black man playing ragtime piano. It must be three stories high and smell of cheap perfume – and way too expensive for me to get across the threshold.”
House of the Rising Sun by the Animals from Casino
Animals performance:
aretha franklin, badfinger, Bob Dylan, chrissie hynde, cream, Elton John, Eric Clapton, everly brothers, hbo, jack bruce, Jimi Hendrix, joe strummer, jr. walker, Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger, mick jones, pretenders, procol harum, Rolling Stones, The Animals, the clash, todd rundgren, warren zevon
Top 11 Songs from Martin Scorsese Films added by Frank Mastropolo on February 8, 2016
View all posts by Frank Mastropolo →
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__label__wiki | 0.857323 | 0.857323 | Firestarter (1984)
Action, Drama, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
"Firestarter" contains a little girl who can start fires with her mind; her father, whose own ESP causes him to have brain hemorrhages; an Indian child molester who is a CIA killer; a black scientist; a kindly farmer; a government bureaucrat; and a brilliant scientist whose experiments kill 75 percent of his subjects but leave the others with powers beyond the imagination of mortal man. The most astonishing thing in the movie, however, is how boring it is.
The little girl is played by Drew Barrymore, from "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial," where she was the kid sister. Her father is played by David Keith, who was Richard Gere's buddy in "An Officer and a Gentleman." The child molester is played by George C. Scott. The farmer is Art Carney. And so on. There isn't a role in this movie not filled by a capable actor. And there's not a character in this movie that is convincing, even for a moment, nor a line in this movie that even experienced performers can make real.
"Firestarter" was the fifth movie in a year that was based on a best-selling thriller by Stephen King. The others were "Christine," "Cujo," "The Dead Zone," and "Children of the Corn." The best of those -- and the one most similar to "Firestarter" -- is "The Dead Zone," which starred Christopher Walken as a man cursed with the ability to foretell the future. The movie approached Walken as an ordinary man burdened with a power that should belong only to God, and allowed us to empathize with his terrible gift. But in "Firestarter," we don't feel sorry for Barrymore because she's never developed as a believable little girl -- just a plot gimmick. She gets mad, her eyes narrow, and things catch on fire. Her father is even less interesting; although he can use ESP to hypnotize people to obey his will, he gets a nosebleed every time he does it, and the way he clasps his hands to his head and strains makes ESP look like physical labor.
Of the other characters, the most totally confused is John Rainbird, the Indian played by Scott. Rainbird shows every sign of being a character who was rewritten so extensively that finally nothing was left except the notes. He's an Indian, I guess, judging by his name and ponytail. He wants the little girl because he dreams of killing her with one karate blow to the nose. He has a couple of gruesomely detailed speeches in which he outlines this ambition, but the movie spares us the sight of Scott carrying out his plan. Thanks for small favors. The film's crucial flaw is the lack of a strong point to the story. A little girl has her dangerous power, some government agents want to examine her, others want to destroy her, and things catch on fire. That's about it.
30 Minutes on: "Midnight Special"
by Matt Zoller Seitz
Is it a curse or a gift?
by Gerardo Valero | cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line744890 |
__label__wiki | 0.981592 | 0.981592 | In boom times for Vancouver film industry players bet on bigger boost from video streaming
Derrick Penner, Postmedia News (depenner@postmedia.com)
Updated: Jul 15, 2019 at 11:20 a.m.
TV star Joshua Jackson, right, and business partner Daniel Cruz at their new venture, Liquid Media Group, in Vancouver.
With hits such as Netflix sensation Riverdale in its repertoire, Vancouver industry players prepare for the future of video streaming.
In the middle of a booming B.C. film and TV sector, industry veteran Joshua Jackson is betting that Hollywood North’s star will continue to rise with the convergence of video streaming and higher-powered wireless networks.
Jackson, famous for his parts in front of the camera dating to the 1990s’ TV hit Dawson’s Creek, has signed on as chairman of a Vancouver-headquartered venture aimed at acquiring the intellectual property for video games and animated series to create even more video content.
“The drive to create more things, the drive to create more content has never been higher right now,” said Jackson, chairman of the Liquid Media Group, whose chief financial officer is longtime friend Daniel Cruz.
Behind the camera, Jackson is now betting on being able to ride a wave of increased production that has been untethered from traditional broadcasting models by streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. That dynamic has already disrupted entertainment from the movie studios right back to film schools that have all had to adapt to new ways of doing business as a result.
“As soon as 5G (wireless phone networks) come on line, it’s going to change (distribution) again,” Jackson said. “Because you can already stream a movie on a phone, but that democratization of access has completely changed the business.”
Jackson and Cruz expanded on their vision in the boardroom of a video-game studio in the commercial zone off Grandview Highway in Vancouver. Both worked on sets in Vancouver’s film scene as young actors and watched how it has developed, though Cruz’s career took him to business school and banking.
They like Vancouver as a headquarter for what they’re trying now, Cruz said, “because it’s a supercluster of live-action, video games (and) visual effects (talent).” Within that environment, Cruz said they saw a business opportunity in creating a public company (Liquid Media is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange) and opening it up to investors to own a stake in the library of content they’re acquiring and trying to create.
Last year Vancouver overtook Toronto as Canada’s biggest production centre for film and TV, according to the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) report on screen-based media, making it the second-biggest production centre in North America after Hollywood. B.C. saw $3.6-billion worth of screen-based shows shot in the province during 2017-18, a 21-per-cent increase from the previous year, according to the report; 40 per cent of the almost $9 billion spent on such shows shot across Canada during the year.
Ontario, in the meantime, saw $2.9-billion worth of productions shot in the province in 2017-18, an almost five-per-cent decline from 2016-17.
Financial figures for the fiscal year ending March 31 aren’t in yet, but production in B.C. has remained “very similar to last year,” said Prem Gill, CEO of Creative B.C., the main industry support group for the province’s entertainment sector.
That isn’t to say the explosion of video streaming hasn’t presented its challenges, according to the CMPA.
While overall spending on screen-based film increased, the organization noted that was due to a surge in what the industry refers to as foreign-location service productions, the term used when U.S., European and other foreign studios come to Canada to shoot for the U.S. and international market.
Canadian domestic production, however, decreased eight per cent to just over $3 billion in 2017-18 from an all-time high of $3.04 billion the previous year, with a decline in financing using licence fees from Canadian private broadcasters.
“It’s no secret that ‘cord-cutting’ and shifts in audience viewing habits are upending the system,” said CMPA CEO Reynolds Mastin in releasing the report.
Gill, however, said some of the notable hits coming out of B.C.’s production sector have included shows that have crossed over the lines of traditional TV to online streaming, such as the teen melodrama Riverdale and the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
“We’ve certainly seen an increase in activity globally around content (creation) and more opportunities for producers and creators for distribution through all services,” Gill said.
One thing that she has found surprising is the emergence of more diverse stories involving Indigenous filmmakers, people of colour and women.
“We’re actually seeing that audiences really want more (of that content),” Gill said. “I think it’s a changing landscape and I think the B.C. production industry and independent producers have always been very entrepreneurial and resourceful. Hopefully they will be channelling that into B.C. stories and content.”
The convergence of content with streaming services and mobile delivery via smartphones has altered the way the industry prepares the next generation of filmmakers, or rather, content creators.
“It’s absolutely had an impact,” said Christopher Ian Bennett, executive producer and head of marketing for the Vancouver Film School.
On the technical side, Bennett said they’re teaching students how to shoot video in formats usable on different screen sizes since content isn’t just going to TV or film screens anymore, and then write stories specifically for the phenomenon of “binge-watching.”
However, forecasts that some 3.5 billion smartphones will be in circulation by the end of this year are part of what is driving the change, Bennett said.
“When you’ve got half the world with small televisions in their pocket, that has huge implications for content creation,” he said.
depenner@postmedia.com
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