text:
As part of the strategic review of the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, David Russell of The Social Enterprise submitted a response to the call for contributions as to the future direction of the organisation. The response was first published on the PHF should… website.
Practice and promote the concept of 'mission-driven ambition'
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation should seek to lead by example in practising and promoting the concept of "mission-driven ambition" of charitable foundations. The concept was flagged up to me by my fellow Clore Social Fellow, Nikki Jeffery, who attended the recent annual conference of Association of Charitable Foundations where this concept was a key discussion area for the day.
The concept relates to how charitable foundations can best maximise all assets at their disposal – financial, physical, intellectual etc. – to deliver their goals. This approach can in turn be adapted by grantees, resulting in broader and deeper social impact across the sector.
Though there is ever greater focus on the field of social investment, this as yet has not meaningfully extended to how foundations can "socially sweat" their other assets. There is a huge social return that can be generated by doing so. For example, not only assessing how a foundation's endowment can be put to best use to deliver mission-related goals through its investment strategy – but how its procurement policy, property portfolio, people's potential, etc., can also generate social returns.
A commitment to mission-driven ambition extends beyond assessing the triple-bottom line of the foundation – in respect to the financial, environment and social impact of its work. It envisions a 360° perspective of the foundation's contribution to the sector through its work. This should be fundamental to everything that it undertakes. It matters less as to whether this should be reported, but more that all stakeholders are aware that this philosophy is driving its decision-making process. Thus, it is factored into the grantmaking, procurement, investment etc.
Over my five years in post at Survivors Fund (SURF) I have tried to realise to some degree this ambition. As an organisation committed to support survivors of the genocide, we have tried where possible to recruit survivors on to our staff – who now account for 50% of our ten person office. When travelling to Rwanda, I stay in accommodation run by and benefiting survivor's organisations. In the UK, it is more difficult to translate that commitment into contributing to our mission to rebuild the lives of survivors, but it is still possible, such as by sharing our winning proposals with organisations that share our commitment to survivors.
The next best thing when a mission-driven decision is not possible is to account for how a decision can add value to the sector – hiring our meeting rooms at a charitable organisation, commissioning other charities to undertake our evaluation, investing in an ethical pension.
PHF has already established itself in a position of leadership amongst charitable foundations in this regard, but there is more that it can do. And in turn, there is more that it can help its grantees to do in this area too and certainly a great deal more to encourage other foundations to do. Maybe its influence can even extend beyond the sector.
This is as much about culture and mindset as it is about measurement and evaluation. The focus of monitoring and impact reports is often on the outcomes of work. As important, but often ignored, is an assessment and audit of whether and to what degree an organisation's assets are contributing to its mission, which includes how and what means it is employing to achieve those outcomes.
Therein lies the missed opportunity, and unrealised potential, of the charitable foundation today, to challenge the sector's current obsession with outcomes – and to determine how other contributions to social impact that are less easy, but potentially more meaningful and relevant, can be measured.
By definition, all charitable foundations and their charitable grantees are united by a shared mission of delivering public benefit. PHF should have the ambition to leverage all its drivers to lead the sector in achieving this mission by utilising all means and maximising all assets at its disposal.


text:
A couple years ago, TechRepublic writer and IT consultant Steven Warren told me that if he were starting an IT department from scratch, he would seriously consider buying a giant server and simply virtualizing all of the desktop machines. I've been trying to get to Steven to flesh out this plan into a TechRepublic article for over two years (maybe calling him out publicly will provide new motivation).
This whole idea of the virtualized desktop was thrust back into the forefront of my cluttered mind this week when Microsoft announced that it was changing the licensing terms of Windows Vista to support diskless desktops. With diskless machines, the strategy is a little different than virtualized desktops, but the goal is essentially the same.
Virtualized desktops
In brief, the biggest motivation for virtualized desktops for Steven was to increase the manageability of desktop machines — one of the biggest pain points for any IT shop — by centralizing them in the data center and taking advantage of the power of a virtualized version of Windows, which can be customized, upgraded, and even replaced much easier than a traditionally-installed version of Windows. Meanwhile, users could work in the same PC client environment that they are accustomed to. In fact, they could work in that environment from anywhere — from their home PC, in the airport, at a client location, etc.
Without stealing Steven's thunder, here's the kind of setup he had in mind. In the data center, it would feature a big server box running virtualization server software (and 100s of virtualized versions of Windows XP, for example). At the desktop, the client machine would be a thin client (like the ones from Wyse) or a bare bones PC running Linux. The user could then access their desktop by opening their client and clicking a basic HTTP link or shortcut which connects them to their virtual machine in the server room. Then the user could click the virtual machine into full screen mode and have the same experience as sitting in front of a standard PC.
Diskless desktops
The diskless desktop scenario that Microsoft was talking about earlier this week involves a slightly different scenario. A user has the same desktop PC hardware that is widely in use today, except that the hard drive no longer lives inside the PC. Instead, the drive is located in the data center and the PC accesses it over the network.
Right now, this diskless desktop scenario probably has a better chance of being widely adopted than the virtual desktop scenario, even though it is not as robust. The biggest advantage of the virtual desktop scenario is that a user can potentially access her work machine (with the help of an Internet connection, a Web browser, and a VPN) from anywhere, even from PCs running different operating systems such as Mac OS X or Linux.
So why is the diskless desktop more likely to succeed? In the short term, it is simpler and easier to understand for enterprise IT departments, and it is more likely to be supported and pushed by the big hardware vendors (i.e. IBM, HP, and Dell) because it is not such a radical departure from the current hardware and software model.
Conversely, the virtualized desktop solution feels a little too much like the current Citrix and Wyse solutions, which have never gained critical mass as a desktop user model. Nevertheless, I do think the virtualized desktop solution is a better and more powerful solution than either Citrix or the diskless desktop, and both IBM and HP are talking about jumping on the virtualized desktop bandwagon. Those vendors could potentially help simplify and popularize this solution, and enterprise IT would be better for it if they did.
Final word
Distributed full client desktops are overkill for so many users and they create a bevy of additional storage, security, and manageability problems for IT. This is a long-standing issue that has needed to be resolved for almost two decades. The predominant desktop model simply wastes too many resources, locks the user into one physical machine, and is a manageability nightmare. Virtualized desktops offer the best long-term solution — at least the best solution currently on the horizon — while diskless desktops could be an interim step to help break up the conventional wisdom of putting a full client PC on every desktop and open the door for virtualized desktops.
Of course, I should also mention that the biggest caveat to a virtualized desktop environment is that it puts a lot of additional pressure on the network and on IT to make sure the network is bulletproof and redundant. If it is to become a mainstream solution, this solution will likely need to be accompanied by a local caching option in which mail and important documents can be available to the user even if a network connection is down or unavailable.
TECH: Virtualized desktops and diskless desktops could finally provide a viable alternative to the inefficient full client PC model that dominates most enterprise IT departments.
SANITY CHECK: Diskless desktops aren't a radical departure from the current desktop PC model, but they do provide some centralization and manageability improvements and could help break up the current PC model. Virtualized desktops are a much more powerful solution, but they will require more simplification and support from big vendors, better local caching options, and better network uptime and redundancy from IT.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Web 2.0 and English Language Learning
Web 2.0 and English Language Learning
A New Model or A New Muddle?
" In the electronic age, we wear all mankind as our skin"
– Marshall McLuhan
(this article is one of a series on my blog – highlighting how educators can publish and get readers online instead of keeping their knowledge behind the heavy iron doors of academia. See the original at "The Captive Mind".)
Download this to read as a pdf
There are over a billion English as a foreign or second language learners worldwide. In the United States alone it is estimated that over 25% of the population will speak a mother tongue other than English at home within the next 10 years AND be in need of acquiring the English language for success in school, business and the social realm. It is no overstatement to say that access to and acquiring the English language will be the key ingredient and imperative need of citizens of the 21st century, everywhere in the world. Not just professionally but also socially, as the world meets on the common playing field of the English language.
Language is empowerment and especially so with regards to the very unique paradigm shift happening this early century. As technological advances make travel easy, communication instantaneous and populations more heterogeneous – a common language, that of English will be the requirement and passport of this new world.
The internet will become a driving force of change this century. It is growing exponentially and access will most certainly become almost ubiquitous within the next few decades. It offers a revolutionary way to empower people globally. Not just politically and socially but mostly personally — through their own education and voice. Just as the printing press led to the Enlightenment as millions began to learn to read print, the internet will increase the possibility – the voice and perception of billions.
The combination of a proliferating internet along with the need of millions of people to learn English, offers a vast potential in the educational online market. Also the vast possibility of reaching millions with a tool that will benefit their future. I would offer a quote of William Gibson who summed it up well, "The future is already here, it's just unevenly distributed." The internet and online learning offers a unique way to address that imbalance.
The Internet and Language learning
Why the internet?
The internet offers the best way to learn language other than immersion in an English speaking milieu. (and even then, it offers support and a great way to assist language acquisition). The advantages of online learning can be summarized under the following headings;
1) Access – the internet offers the possibility to experience English without the need of travel. Even without the need of leaving home or bedroom.
2) Flexibility– the internet allows for users to learn language when they want, where they want.
3) Response – the internet offers the possibility of instant feedback to learners. This greatly enhances the learning experience.
4) Repeatability – the learner can encounter the language in a repetitive fashion until mastery is achieved.
5) Durability – the internet is 24/7. It never tires. It doesn't take coffee breaks.
6) Modality – the internet is a multi modal learning tool. It stimulates in a rich sensory and cognitive and thus fertilizes language acquisition successfully.
7) Specificity – the internet allows the language learner choice and variety in both what and with who will be learned. Learning can be tailored to the language learner's precise makeup and needs.
8) Cost – the internet is a business model which due to economies of scale, can offer services for pennies. It also offers to widen access through a "pay as you can" dynamic.
Why is the internet specifically good for language learning?
Besides the above points, the internet offers both a controlled, repeatable and secure environment for language learning. New technological advances of recent note in the realms of voice and video make it the perfect tool for learning a language.
Web 2.0 in particular is a driving force online which will transform language learning. As learners from diverse geographic, social, political and religious backgrounds gather in the common language learning arena, they will be a social presence to be reckoned with. User generated content and the internet as a society of its own will offer the possibility of learners learning English through controlled interactions. Much like present day "Content Based Instruction", online language learning will scaffold the learner and give them a helping hand with English while they learn other types of content.
The internet is cheap. Billions of dollars are currently spent learning English as a second language. Books, teachers, facilities, travel – they all cost. The internet offers the potential of completely avoiding these cost so long as the language learning model is successful.
What are the guiding principles of this new kind of learning?
Online learning is guided by several transforming principles that are very different from the traditional models of learning.
1) Process before Product — it is all about the interACTION and not the thing / product itself. The product is no longer the focus but it is the social realm and service that is the focus and of import.
2) User generated content. The "market" is not sold but rather sells. We go from passive construction to active construction. Individualization, personalization pervade.
3) Education is unhinged from old authoritarian constructs. It is the use of knowledge that is important and not who controls said knowledge. Know less to be more….. No longer do we need to know when the facts arrive instantly at our fingertips. It is about service, it is about connections and not just that at the ends of the wires. Meritocracy will one day have complete ascension as the old and dusty formal structures of education slowly erode……We will no longer ask – "What have you done and prove it? " but "Can you do it and prove it?" Sugata Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" project / research is a perfect example of this.
4) Learning is fun, motivational and is gender and age neutral. Online learning doesn't know if you are 50 or 5. What counts is how you perform. It will transform how we learn and schooling because it frees the learner to learn on their own, their own time, space and way.
5) Pictures, images are paramount. The world is regressing into the primitive and "cold" media are what really will drive the new learning. Pictures and images are taking over from the old forms of print driven learning. This is a big consideration of any new learning model. (see McCluhan and his The Mechanical Bride especially).
What would a successful language learning model look like?
It would have to meet some specific criteria to be a success and also be driven by those savvy in the new age of "people". This is an important and crucial factor. More than anything, decisions in the new social networking, online realm will be decided by perceived trust and personality. There are many possible avenues to proceed but they would all have some key similarities. I will discuss what measures I think would be best given the following:
The site must have a steady and overriding rationale. This is commonly referred to as a "mission statement" in business but in the realm of online learning and business, it must be much more than just a buzz word. The rationale will guide all the strings holding the site together. It is the puppet master.
I see the best rationale as one focused on RESULTS. It is a human need to see, feel, want results and to see change. None more so or greater than in language learning. The best schools, those with the most students knocking on their doors have and will always be those that get results (be they real or perceived, this point is really mute when it comes to a rationale).
Many language learning models focus on accessibility or entertainment or social mingling……these are driving forces but none so basic as the compulsion to SEE, HEAR, FEEL real language growth. If you can show a user that they are improving, you will have a successful model – all else equal.
The problem with language is that it is not results friendly. It takes a long time to acquire a language. A person must encounter a word in a new context, up to 100+ times before they "know" it / own it. An online site must mitigate this through motivational techniques, constant encouragement and testing and even the false promotion of progress (an age old technique of any wonderful teacher…..).
The best possible framework would be to age and grade the users. This would mean a site with at least 3 different groups; children , teens, adults. Also, a site which would allow for grading of ability within these core groups and the ability to acquire grades/points to advance up in excellence. If some kind of system that is untraditional could be implemented, so much the better. Not grades/levels but some kind of organic scale ?????
I do not believe it beneficial to focus in on just one area such as business, travel, teachers etc……. The framework should be built upon the age and level of students given that the core technique/technology is such that it will offer the greatest benefit to the greatest number. The internet is about either very small scale or very large NOT in between. In fact, in between doesn't really exist but is rather a purgatory of "will it succeed or won't it?"
The Look and Feel of the site is also paramount and to be tailored for each grade/level. A human feel is very important. Language is closest of all to "humanity" and thus, the site must be flush with faces and warmth. It can't be cool and steely.
There is definitely a real need for a physical space. I don't think 3D is the way to go and I have spent endless hours on Second Life and really consider it a failure. Especially for education because it is just too disorienting…..Virtual is NOT real and this plain fact runs against learning and interferes fundamentally with the learning process.
What kind of physical space? There are many options. I could envision for the young a physical space which runs along narrative lines. A quest. Going from world to world and gaining in language ability until the secret treasure map is filled. For teens, obviously it would have to music. The city street, alive with music. Making friends and talking music. For adults, it could be a shopping mall where people mingle, eat, do stuff…..It could be an office/business space….
I think though, the physical space should be a community. Or maybe even just a Learning Center with lots of rooms for different groups / levels. As users gained language efficiency and were tested, they could take the elevator up until finally reaching the top floor swimming pool. There could be areas for video (cinema), socializing (bar/lounge), sleeping (hotel room), fitness (vocabulary building), performance (theatre) , eating (self study), singing (karaoke bar) etc…….
I do think rather than just an arid focus on technology, this kind of space is needed. But it has to be open ended and flexible.
Know How / Technology
Presently, technology and especially streaming video and VOIP (voice over internet protocol) have made it not just possible but absolutely certain that the internet will be the place most people learn / study English in the future. There simply aren't enough native speakers to meet the demand.
The technological focus must be on only a few key components. They should drive all the various aspects of learning. I see the most fruitful and those which are the most "human". This is key in language learning. If you want to succeed, you have to offer what real life offers and MORE…..(this is a rule of the net, an undeclared one).
How to make it human?
User generated content is a must. It must allow users the ability to make content and deliver/share with others. This is a sine qua non of any Web 2.0 site. It should also have personality, be people driven. Highlighting people and showcasing members. The model of this next century for all business will be not that "the customer is right" (the last century's business crie de coeur) but rather, "It's about ME, stupid". Businesses that get that right, will thrive.
Making it human will be real time voice. Speech recognition and its use as the core technology for learning will be a marvel and draw learners to the site. It could be something that will drive users to the site and for sure, this technology is key. Use of bots are a very live possibility and though it might not be fruitful to focus fully here, it should be a consideration for just a few years down the road.
Translation technology in my opinion should be avoided like the plague. People don't want to pay money or spend time on anything but the REAL THING. Just Coke Classic please. The translation area would be a whole other business altogether but I see people learning English before wholly adopting any translation tool (even if it be a fantastic one) wholly because of my above noted "human" premise when it comes to language.
Strict attention to pedagogical principles are necessary. I see 4 key areas to focus on; the affective domain, comprehensible input/repeatability, testing/assessment and content/curriculum
The affective domain
People learn because they feel good, secure and safe. This is very much the case with language in particular. Stress, boredom, outside interference, lack of confidence in the class or teacher – all effect the learning process. An online language site should proffer happiness and positive feedback. It should provide constant reinforcement along with content. Signally, "Well done!" "Great job". As well, learners should be allowed to be reflective and judge their own performance (monitored). This is crucial in language learning and making learners "self – aware and correcting". The site should be a happy and spirited place.
Comprehensible input and repeatability
Learners fail to learn language quickly for many reasons but most prevalent among all are that they don't encounter the same language enough (repeatability) nor at a comprehensible enough level. Input is primary and the online environment should introduce new language and structures slowly and incrementally so as to avoid "interference" in the learning process. We learn language even when we conscious think we know it. Why so? Because first language appears masters and then it IS mastered or as Heraclites so well stated, "latent structure rules obvious structure."
Learners must be set up to succeed. That entails manipulating their learning environment so they believe they are learning but not at too fast a level. Guided/leveled reading has been an instrumental movement in this regard but this kind of "extensive reading" format through the power of technology can be applied to oral language. Further, technology can provide control of the learner and feedback to the learner in terms of new vocabulary, word counts, mastery, speed of speech, comprehension etc…..
Testing and Assessment
Based on a rationale of results, this component is fundamental and must be strong. Learners need to be constantly challenged in fun, motivating and "non traditional" methods. They should have access to detailed data on their learning and this is one very significant plus of language learning – the ability to endow the learner with confidence through constant feedback.
Learners should also be able to gauge their progress through proper leveling and promotion and even a certification process. Though not necessary, a certification process should be an option and would lend authority to any type of pedagogical focus the site would have…..
Content and curriculum
What would the students learn? Obviously, the curriculum is the whole English language but what would be use and how would it be tailored to the learner?
Content should allow for much user choice. This is something the internet offers and should encourage. But the curriculum should have some structure and not just in the sense of "level". I think the proper curriculum for the English language (but not all languages), is one based on competencies. What the speaker can do. This would also compliment a "results" based focus.
Learners could chose the content but would have to gain some mastery or competency for the particular content before they could move up in level. For example a business man could study introductions in a business setting but the same competencies as a youngster on the street would be mastered – the ability to greet and say good bye.
Competencies would govern the level and achievement. The content would add variety and motivation and be learner driven. We learn best when we choose something we are interested in…..
I don't have much to say here. Only that untraditional means should be tried and the market should not be primarily thought of as "those people using the internet." This might seem wrong but it is my opinion that those who really succeed in promoting their business or their internet application are those who drive new users to the internet and reach "outside the cables". If people have a desire to learn a language, you have to market outside the internet and drive people online – to get your product. Think of the internet as a store. Would you just advertise your sales in store or along the street outside?
Obviously there would have to be a sustainable business model. Traditionally this is in the form of some ratio of user payment and advertisement revenue. I think user revenue has a huge potential in language learning, with businesses and organizations (especially governments) paying vast sums for access to proven educational tools. Teachers could also offer services online and pay a premium. Personalization of services in many forms would offer revenue streams.
I think though, the best economic model is to have a transformational idea. You have to be first to the pot (why? So you can get your hand on the spoon ….others may come afterward but it will be you spooning that soup!).
As I stated at the beginning, the right "personal" touch on the site would be so important. In this new century, learners will want the human touch (because we are beginning to lose it so much in our every day life). The site should ooze this and parade it. Further, there must be a focus on the personal and on gossip/human interest. People like to talk about people. It is a basic fact. This should be a large part of the curriculum along with stories. Of course, guided with a pedagogical focus which would sell the whole learning approach.
The potential market is vast. Even though the window of opportunity (of massive English language learning as we go through this transformational period) may be as short as 30 years, it is long enough. Further, I believe that providing a language learning tool for so many is somehow revolutionary. You can say all you want about technology but unless it really offers learning – it is just another toy and tinkle in the sound room of life. But give a person learning , like the old adage of "teaching them how to fish", you really profit the whole world……an amazing thing to do and be involved in.
Here is a presentation offering some more quotes/inspiration. Also here.


text:
Crow was alone. So he brought form and shape to the Earth. From the Earth's belly creatures emerged, swarming, swimming, and walking each according to its type.
But still Crow was lonely. So he played a trick, holding in his beak a shiny pebble, round as the sun and smooth as a lake. The Earth wanted the shiny thing and grew a grasping hand. Quick as a tornado, Crow seized the wrist, pulling until the hand stretched into an arm. Twisting until it rose from the mud, he made a torso. The mud sat up, looked around, and said "Wow!"
Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here
Fancy sharpening your skill with writing exercises? The Scrivener's Forge offers a new exercise every month to hone one aspect of your craft. Take a look at this month's exercise on character and world-building


text:
So in the final analysis the 2012 Olivier awards ended 'not with a bang but with a whimper'. The relentless march of the Matildas' continues apace, more than a match for T-2 in terms of remorselessly crushing all that stand in their way. The Evening Standard Awards pointed towards what was to come but the warnings weren't heeded and on Sunday, at approximately five o'clock in the afternoon, the Matildas' laid waste to another awards festival. The destruction, when it came, was all but total.
Nominated in ten categories, the Matildas' blitzed the competition in seven to break the RSC's own record that has stood firm for over 30 years; back when Nicholas Nickleby made all bow before him. They took a clean sweep of almost all the major musical catagories, including Best Actor, Best Actress, Best New Musical, Best Director & Best Theatre Choregrapher – the only break in the chain came with the surprising victory of Nigel Harman in Shrek: the Musical. It is thought his victory, as the vertically-challenged Lord Farquaad, only come about as judges mistook his diminutive stature for the infamous fifth Matilda, and awarded him the prize accordingly.
The other musicals kneel before the newly crowned queens of the West End. The big loser of the evening being the box office smash hit Ghost: The Musical. As unappealing as the concept may sound, it has unsurprising and dispiritingly been 'box-office dynamite'. However not so much of a hit with the judges; going home empty-handed despite nominations in 5 categories.
Two rather more depressing news items is that London Road also managed to lose out in each of its 4 categories. Each time nominated against a Matilda, each time losing out. Crush, Kill, Destroy. The other woeful piece of news is the fact that Les Miserables managed to somehow win the BBC Radio 2 Audience Choice Award. Seriously, how many awards does it need to win? Hasn't it had enough, haven't people had enough? We are going to get it rammed down our throats later in the year, as Oscar-magnet Tom Hooper and hotel-destroying-magnate Russell Crowe have been handed the reigns to put it into every multiplex in the country. Can we not have a break, please?
The Open Air Theatre's production of Crazy for You continuing its late-blossoming West End success story, managing to snag two awards in just three nominations and taking home for hotly contested Best Musical Revival – fending off stiff competition from Singing in the Rain, South Pacific and the Wizard of Oz.
In the non-musicals (or plays, as some like to style them) it was a much closer fight. With no overall winner, Frankenstein and Anna Christie both walked away with two, whilst Collaborators and Roadkill ended up with one apiece. In the battle of the celebs, Jude Law lost out again (following the Evening Standard Awards) to the Jonny & Benny show in Frankenstein. If this seemed strange, what seems almost perverse is that Frankenstein picked up Best Lighting Design but Underworld's magnificent pulsating score failed to win Best Sound Design and Mark Tildesley failed to even get a nomination for his epic set that made full use of the Olivier's vast open spaces.
Ruth Wilson picked up a richly deserved Best Actress gong for Anna Christie, in doing so she fended fending off a series of 'A-List' stars in Kristin Scott-Thomas, Lesley Manville and Celia Imrie; all of whom gave solid performances in rather less solid plays. Still a much-deserved win and one that suggest a bright future is ahead of her (if she can be kept away from the bright lights of the silver screen).
And talking of bright futures – in some of the most heart-warming news of the evening, Sheridan Smith completed her double by walking off with Best Performance in a Supporting Role for her role in Flare Path. This follows her Best Actress win in Legally Blonde last year and marks a triumphant return to the stage and is proof that she is capable of doing serious alongside light and frothy.


text:
ENTERPRISE54 – President Barack Obama has announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest more than $38 million toward four regional Leadership Centers that will train thousands of Africa's emerging leaders and foster connections, creativity, and collaboration in sectors critical to Africa's growth and development. USAID's investment was more than matched by
ENTERPRISE54 – President Barack Obama has announced that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest more than $38 million toward four regional Leadership Centers that will train thousands of Africa's emerging leaders and foster connections, creativity, and collaboration in sectors critical to Africa's growth and development. USAID's investment was more than matched by African and American companies and foundations, including a $10-million, five-year commitment by The Mastercard Foundation, a premier partner. The President made the announcement during a town hall event for 500 Mandela Washington Fellows, a program for distinguished African youth that is part of the President's Young African Leaders Initiative, or YALI.
"In meetings with young leaders across Africa, I have seen firsthand the incredible energy and creativity among youth that has powered and shaped progress throughout the centuries," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. "By connecting these bright leaders to the world's innovation highways, President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative will empower a new generation to transform the continent and their communities."
The Centers will focus on engaging leaders between the ages of 18 and 35 from a variety of backgrounds and a diversity of experience, providing accessible leadership training, incubating organizations and entrepreneurship, and supporting professional connections among African leaders. Based in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa, each center will be run as a public-private partnership, capitalizing on the ingenuity and dynamism of the private sector and the programmatic and educational resources of USAID. Ten private sector partners and foundations have joined USAID in supporting the effort.
Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation, said, "The MasterCard Foundation is delighted to partner with USAID on the next stage of the Young African Leaders Initiative. YALI offers great promise for talented young men and women of Africa, and includes critical education, entrepreneurship and leadership development opportunities. We are proud to invest in this next generation of African leaders who are poised to drive change in their communities, countries and across the continent."
USAID partner contributions include:
The MasterCard Foundation: $10 million in financial resources over five years to develop the centers. This commitment from The MasterCard Foundation continues their investments in the education, entrepreneurship and leadership development of young people who come from economically disadvantaged communities in Africa.
The Dow Chemical Company: $3 million in financial resources toward training facilities and equipment at the centers and $1 million in in-kind resources to develop leadership training, sector expertise, and mentoring programs for the centers. Dow's commitment continues their efforts to promote youth development in Africa, and supplements existing programs that provide housing and clean water facilities to those in need as well as shelters for children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Atlas Mara: $25 million in loans for young entrepreneurs, financial training, and leadership development.
Microsoft: $12.5 million in propriety business software and hardware.
McKinsey Corporation: $1.5 million in dedicated consultants to assist with program design, as well as management support and access to McKinsey's Africa Knowledge and Research center.
IBM: $500,000 in committed staff time to serve as volunteers at the centers.
General Electric: program design, training and mentoring.
Procter & Gamble: leadership training.
The Mara Foundation: networking mentorship program.
Intel Corporation: Up to $5 million in training entrepreneurship basics and technology trends, as well as volunteer support and coaching.
YALI Fellows and others are in Washington as part of the lead-up to the first U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, a three-day event hosted by President Obama to welcome leaders from across the African continent to the Nation's Capital. The Summit, the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government, will build on the President's trip to Africa in the summer of 2013 and it will strengthen ties between the United States and one of the world's most dynamic and fastest growing regions. The theme of the Summit is "Investing in the Next Generation." Focusing on the next generation is at the core of a government's responsibility and work, and this Summit is an opportunity to discuss ways to stimulate growth, unlock opportunities, and create an enabling environment for the next generation.
USAID seeks to end extreme poverty by investing in Africa's greatest resource–its people–to sustain and further development, opportunity, and human rights for this and future generations. Across the continent, we are implementing major initiatives to improve health, food security, electricity access, trade, and resilience that are underpinned by commitments to good governance, education, gender equity, and the environment.


text:
Facebook's believed to be going public, which means that Mark Zuckerberg and his company will be beholden to the stock market for the first time.
What's nice about the really successful tech start-ups, generally, is that the idea is the thing and the money is just a nice extra.
Twitter, Spotify, Facebook, Tumblr... sure, they might be schilling around for cash now but when they started, the end product was the focus to the point where there was no real money making game. That's why they worked and that's why we all flocked to them.
Passion – that's what makes a great product. Passion and straight-forward thinking. Know what the markets are passionate about? Money. Money and then some more money.
While Facebook is already working on swelling its coffers, going public will mean it has to answer to outside shareholders who don't give a hoot about Facebook itself as long as the revenue comes flooding in.
Mo money mo problems
The pressure on Facebook to include ever more advertising will increase because if there's one thing share holders universally demand, it's a Y-axis filled with lots of big numbers and plot-points that move in a definite upward direction.
And once you start making a lot of money, you have to keep making a lot of money. So more ads, more targeting, more mining of your personal inner-most desires and subconscious marketing intended to part you from your hard-earned cash.
Obviously there's no guarantee that Facebook will go advertising mad. At the moment, its adverts are fairly unobtrusive, and although you might get more from brands you've 'liked', you can always unlike them and they'll go away. How long before that stops being an option once the company has serious financial targets to meet?
What's more, there'll be new pressure to put Facebook's vast database of user info (that's all the secrets you and I have unwittingly told the social network about our likes and dislikes) to advertising work – and this will lead to ever more privacy concerns and a growing number of users ditching the service.
Freedom to innovate?
Once public, Facebook's actions will be scrutinised by financial analysts instead of just bloggers. Now, I'm not one to knock financial analysts, but I'm pretty sure the bloggers know more about what makes a good social network than they do, so what effect will this hard-nosed scrutiny have on Facebook itself?
Facebook apparently has an internal motto: "Facebook's only 1% finished". Elegant it may not be, but it is admirable in a tech company. The constant tinkering with profile layouts and new features might annoy users at first, but it's part of what's kept Facebook alive where its competitors have failed. Of course, it can go too far – maybe up that percentage to 10 soon, Zuck – but it's exciting.
Having to answer to the markets could put an end to this kind of freewheeling experimentation. Any change that may impact its income in the short term is likely to be mercilessly abandoned – that kind of thinking is dangerous to a company that has always thrived on a hotch potch of new ideas.
The similarities with Google are hard to ignore – before Google went public it came across as a cool young company that did what you needed it to and seemed to be sticking to its "Don't be evil" motto. Now it has fingers in every pie going, aping other companies' ideas and greedily Hoovering up any user info it can in order to increase its advertising revenue. Google Labs is out, Google+ is in.
You might not notice it at first, you might not notice it for a year, but as far as Facebook goes, the glory days are behind us. It's all downhill into corporate doom and marketing speak from here on out.


text:
Of all the electronic resources available for anyone interested in Black history, www.BlackPast.org is the richest gold mine on the planet.
Developed by University of Washington history professor Dr. Quintard Taylor – the foremost historian of African Americans and African descendents in the West – BlackPast.org has attracted millions of visitors to its hundreds of free and easily-searched features since its launch in 2005.
"Our mission is to provide as much information as we can on the historical experiences of African Americans and of people of African ancestry all around the globe, to as many people as are interested and who have computer access," Taylor says. "The main goal is to bring that information together at one source, one central location, and to then make it available to the entire world."
So far, that includes people from more than 100 countries. The site's most popular features, Taylor says, are the seven timelines featuring the history of the African diaspora from 5,000 B.C. to the present; the online encyclopedia with more than 1,700 entries; and the database of speeches from 1789 to now.
The most popular individual entry on the website is an encyclopedia blurb about Michelle Robinson – also known as Mrs. Barack Obama — which has been viewed by 41,861 people. The second most popular entry is the Bill Cosby "Pound Cake Speech," his controversial scolding of youth and their parents from 2004, which has been read 39,000 times.
"We had 400,000 visitors in 2007, over one million visitors in 2008, and we're already up to 320,000 for this year," Taylor says. "This is not a University of Washington project, a Pacific Northwest project or even an American project – this is going all over the globe."
Taylor and a small crew of graduate students started the site in 2004, when a student expressed concerned about the fact that the same questions kept coming up in classes – who was Frederick Douglass? What is the Negro National Anthem? Who is Booker T. Washington?
"We added all of this information to my faculty website, and then about a year later, in 2005, lo and behold, I got an email from someone who clearly was not a university student – you could tell from the way she wrote – she seemed like a high school student or even younger. And she said, I have 10 questions on African American history, can you answer them? And I distinctly said no, I am not going to answer 10 questions about African American history via email, why don't you come in my office and we'll talk about it?
"I didn't hear from her for 24 hours, and then she wrote back and she said, I can't come to your office, I live in New Zealand."
Taylor says that was the moment he and his students realized their little website had a global audience.
Two months later, Taylor was invited by the U.S. State Department to go to Siberia for a lecture on African American history – students there had been using BlackPast.org and had worked through channels to bring him over in person to talk about it.
"At that point, in the summer of 2005, I realized that this was something that was growing rapidly and it was far beyond what we'd envisioned," he said.
He assembled a team of volunteer scholars to help; today some 300 volunteers from three continents are continually building up the encyclopedic resource – and the international traffic onto BlackPast.org grows faster and faster every month.
"I think that one of the most gratifying aspects about this is that African American history is of interest not just to Black folks, it's of interest to people all around the world," Taylor says. "I think one of the reasons for that is because our story is a heroic story, and people around the world identify with that."
Books by Quintard Taylor Include
Shirley Ann Wilson Moore and Quintard Taylor, eds., African American Women Confront the West, 1600-2000 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003)
Lawrence B. de Graaf, Kevin Mulroy and Quintard Taylor, eds., Seeking El Dorado: African Americans in California (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001)
In Search of the Racial Frontier: African American West, 1528-1990 (New York: W.W. Norton, 1998) Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in History
The Forging of a Black Community: A History of Seattle's Central District, 1870 through the Civil Rights Era (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1994) Fifth book selected since 1968 for the Emil and Kathleen Sick Series in Western History and Biography
The Making of the Modern World: A Reader in 20th Century Global History (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall-Hunt Publishing Company, 1990)


text:
After nearly twenty years of teaching gender studies at a community college, I've got a little saying that elicits knowing smiles whenever I share it around campus: "sisterhood is easier in winter." I'm referring to the reality that when the weather is cold (or as cold as it gets in Southern California) and my students are in sweaters and jeans, there's considerably less intra-female hostility in my classrooms than when the weather turns warm.
I've seen it happen a hundred times. On a hot day, a young woman arrives late to class. She's wearing short shorts or a miniskirt, perhaps with a sleeveless, low-cut top. Students turn to stare as she walks in, and on more than one occasion, I've heard low murmurs of feminine disapproval from the back of the classroom. Sometimes you can catch the sotto voce whispers: "Who does she think she is?" "What a slut." Or my favorite, "This is school, not a nightclub." A few of the male students seem on the verge of drooling. Some students watch me carefully, to see if I'm checking out their scantily-clad classmate. Meanwhile, the object of all the judgment sits stiffly, trying to pretend she's impervious to all the animus coming her way.
A new Canadian study finds that it's not just my students: many young women really are more likely to become judgmental about and hostile towards their female peers when those peers are wearing "sexier" clothing. As reported in the current edition of research journal Aggressive Behavior, researchers — using dozens of Toronto-area female college students as subjects — essentially replicated the experience I see so often in my classroom. When the subjects were exposed to a young conservatively dressed woman, they barely noticed her. But when the researchers' confederate entered the room wearing revealing clothing, she drew intense hostility. The researchers rated the responses on a "bitchiness" scale.
One woman implied that the [woman] was dressed to have sex with one of her professors and another said that the confederate's ''boobs were about to pop out''. Importantly, all comments about the confederate were made after she left the room with one exception. One woman said ''What the fuck is that?'' directly to the [revealingly-dressed woman] after blatantly looking her up and down while showing disgust.
Presumably that last response topped the "bitchy" chart. Of course, a little of the investigators' own "bitchiness" seems to slip through. Writing about the risks of having the subjects figure out that they were taking part in a study, the authors assure us that while other women often "dress provocatively in a university context," serious "research assistants would likely not be dressed in such a sexy manner." In other words: our deception worked because everyone knows only airheads wear miniskirts.
The findings aren't astonishing. What is disturbing (besides the unconscious prejudices of the authors) is the degree to which the researchers minimize men's role in driving "bitchiness" and judgmentalism among young women. They note, for example, that the subjects reported that they were less likely to consider befriending the "sexy" confederate. The reason?
We suspect that women who appear sexually available are not perceived as ''safe'' friends — they are expected to be mate poachers and they likely devalue a person's mate value (guilty by association).
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Powerful performance
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
That may accurately describe a perception, but the researchers completely miss the root cause of this intra-female competitiveness: the widespread belief that men lack sexual self-control. Several times in the discussion section of the study, the investigators cite research or repeat their own hypotheses that "women are threatened by, disapprove of, and punish women who appear and/or act promiscuous." But that "threat" only exists because of the nearly-universal acceptance of the idea that men are hardwired for infidelity and will inevitably cheat on their mates if given a chance.
As this study makes clear, women still police other women's sexuality. It reminds us too of what we already know: that policing does tangible damage to women's relationships with other women. Few things do more to fray the already tenuous bonds of sisterhood. But what this study (and so many others before it) miss is the obvious point that this competitive "bitchiness" towards other women rests on the assumption that men are so unreliable that there's no point in trying to "police" their behavior. If women believed that men had the power to resist sexual temptation, if they believed that male infidelity was the result of a choice rather than a biological inevitability, then women wouldn't feel nearly as threatened by cleavage.
This "myth of male weakness" outsources men's sexual self-control to women. For decades now, junk science has foisted the "caveman mystique" onto us, insisting that testosterone, Y chromosomes, and evolution trump the willpower and empathy of even the most well-intentioned dude. We're hardwired to be promiscuous, hardwired to stare at nubile young women, and hardwired to cheat if given half a chance. Ignoring the reality that women have their own libidos (and their own demonstrable propensity to stray), the male myth advises women to accept men for the perpetual adolescents we are. So women need to control those whom the myth promises are within their power to influence: other women. Women learn to slut-shame and ostracize the miniskirt-wearers whom they see as sexual rivals; men get let off the proverbial hook.
Bitchiness (at least as defined by this study) is rooted in the same set of beliefs as the requirement in other parts of the world where women wear burqas. We demand that women cover up to protect men from temptation because we don't believe that men are capable of self-control. We also pressure women to cover up as a sign of solidarity with other women; modesty is, as this research reminds us, promoted as currency for buying female friendship. By that calculus, revealing clothing gets interpreted as a sign of hostility towards other women. The "slut" is hated not just because she attracts male attention, but because she refuses to play by the "rules" that are supposed to keep women safe.
It's not news that women are socialized to be competitive with each other. It's not news that, as my students remind me, sisterhood is easier in winter. And it will continue to be the same old news until we name the real root of the problem: our collective refusal to believe that men are capable of being strong, responsible, reliable adults.
Hugo Schwyzer is a professor of gender studies and history at Pasadena City College and a nationally-known speaker on sex, relationships, and masculinity. He blogs at his eponymous site and co-authored the autobiography of Carré Otis, Beauty, Disrupted.
Image via Luba V Nel/Shutterstock.


text:
Story by
Jon Russell
Jon Russell was Asia Editor for The Next Web from 2011 to 2014. Originally from the UK, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand. You can find him on T Jon Russell was Asia Editor for The Next Web from 2011 to 2014. Originally from the UK, he lives in Bangkok, Thailand. You can find him on Twitter, Angel List, LinkedIn.
NYSE-listed identity theft protection company LifeLock has upped its presence on mobile after it acquired Lemon Wallet, the smart mobile wallet service which has three million registered users.
The price of the deal is unclear since there has been no official announcement yet (see update below), but we noticed that Lemon Wallet for iOS has been renamed LifeLock Wallet, and a note in the changelog confirms the deal: "We're excited to announce that Lemon Wallet has been acquired by LifeLock."
Already iOS users are seeing the first benefits of the deal, which gives them access to LifeLock's 'Identity Theft Protection' from inside the LifeLock Wallet app. The Lemon Wallet Android app has not been updated at the time of writing.
LifeLock, which listed on the NYSE last year, has raised $178 million in funding to date — including a $100 million venture capital round in March 2012. Lemon Wallet has raised $8 million from Maveron, Lightspeed Venture Partners and other investors.
We've reached out to both companies and will update this article with more details when we have them.
UPDATE: TechCrunch reports that the deal was worth $42.6 million.
Related: Lemon wallet app adds a payment network to connect merchants with its 3 million users
Headline image via daffodilred / Shutterstock
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.


text:
Getting shipments where they need to be safely and on time is something we've been doing for over one hundred years. Not only that, but we offer the most comprehensive range of services with earlier delivery to more postal codes and more countries than anyone. Did you know that we're also the world's largest customs broker, and we run the world's ninth largest airline? For domestic and international shipping, you can rely on UPS to deliver where and when you need.
Do you need express delivery for time sensitive shipments or more economical shipping options? Are you shipping a lightweight envelope or a heavy box? Selecting the right service is about understanding what you need and knowing your options. Let us help.
The UPS Service Guide contains information on all our shipping services. You'll also find help on shipping rates, service restrictions, packaging, and optional services like Saturday Delivery or UPS carbon neutral shipping.
For shipping services at a glance, take a look at the online shipping service guide. You'll get a view of all services available and you can see value-added options that complement various shipping services.
Or request an online quote to quickly see your options for shipments and service levels. Simply enter specifics about a shipment and we'll figure out the shipping costs for you.
If you've ever ordered from a website or catalog, at one time or another, you may have wanted to return an item to the shipper. Often, shippers will provide prepaid return labels to their customers making it easier to return purchases. When the company that shipped your package has arranged for returns, all you need is a return label to send that package right back.
Whether you're at the office, at home, or on the go, it's easy to get your packages to UPS. You can drop off your shipment at a location near you or for a small charge, you can request a pickup.
Schedule a Pickup for Today, Tomorrow, or Next Week
UPS tracking solutions show the progress of your shipment every step of the way, across town or around the world.
Remarkable services that go beyond shipping and tracking to help you expand your business.


text:
Super cute loose-fitting harem pants for Kids.
Made with the same breathable flowwy rayon material as the classic adult harem pants. Now your whole family can be comfy and cozy together.
Size: 2-3 YRS.
Size: 4-6 YRS.
Size: 6-10 YRS.
is backordered. We will ship it separately in 10 to 15 days.
Add to Cart
Interested in new products, discounts and deals?
© 2023 Harem Pants


text:
Kent Bush: Mitt Romney doesn't need Donald Trump's support
As someone who expresses opinions for a living, I have learned two things.
First, it can really hurt when someone you respect disagrees with you or thinks you were out of line. Second, it is more troubling when people you don't respect think you were right on target.
If a racist shares your opinion about race issue or immigration, you would be well-advised to revisit your position. But if a racist agrees with you about which hot dogs taste best, it may just be a coincidence. After all, racists are known for their excellent taste in hot dogs.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney might want to rethink appearing at fundraisers with Donald Trump.
Romney says he doesn't agree with everything Trump says, but he needs the support to beat Barack Obama in November.
No he doesn't.
Donald Trump is a huckster who sells bravado and bluster to gain notoriety for himself regardless of which shell game he is currently running. He overhypes his reality shows. He buys and sells golf courses and high-end real estate. Everything he does is based on skirting the truth to gain excessive attention and profit for himself.
If Romney associates himself with Trump, he will be tied to his overstated false beliefs. The only one who will win in this deal is Trump who will gain credibility he does not deserve.
Romney says he doesn't agree with "everything" Trump says.
Does he believe Obama was born in America? Trump doesn't. He is one of three idiots left in the world who hold tightly to the birther movement.
Does Romney agree with Trump on China? During the early stages of the campaign for the GOP nomination, Trump said of the Chinese, "These are not our friends. These are our enemies. These are not people that understand niceness. And the only thing you can do to get their attention is to say either we're not going to trade with you any further or, in the alternative, we're going to tax your products as they come into the United States."
How many things can Trump say that Romney doesn't agree with before he decides allowing him to host a fundraiser is a bad idea?
These are the politics that have led to incredible apathy and low voter turnout over the past generation.
When you can consort with people you claim to disavow, how can people trust you on policy matters?
Romney needs to push away from the table and tell Trump that he doesn't need him to beat Obama. He needs to show people that he still holds the courage of his convictions and he doesn't need dirty money to win.
He won't say any of that because the dirty money is the easiest to get.
Would you rather work hard to get money from people who are productive members of society or let super-rich casino owners and their super PACs or Trump and his big money buddies fund your campaign? One takes time and a lot of hard work. The other merely requires you to make an appearance that may be less than admirable.
I wish I had some doubt about which way Romney will go. It's the same direction Obama would go.
In four years, two more candidates will make the same bad decision.
I hate that voters haven't found a voice that will allow them to help put an end to this system.
As long as Congress and the Supreme Court allow big money to control elections, no one will be able to afford to campaign honorably and eschew dirty money.
Thanks to the Citizen's United decision, it might take a Congressional Amendment to get change the rules enough to change the game.
Whatever the cost, it is worth it.
Kent Bush is publisher of the Augusta (Kan.) Gazette.


text:
Andersonville Parklet is Chicago's first parking space park, or "people space" as they're calling it, and hopefully the first of many. The urban oasis took over two parking spaces at Clark and Farragut and will serve as a green retreat in the dense commercial district of Andersonville. The park's amenities include an herb garden, native Illinois plants, built-in benches, bike parking, and a planted hill for lounging. Moss Design led the design efforts and helped raise money for the park through a Kickstarter campaign and received additional funding from the Andersonville Development Corporation.
"We wanted to design and provide much needed green space for the community, which is all too often missing from urban living. My experience with PARK(ing) day has been that people really love to have a place, the more random the better, where they can stretch out and enjoy the day," said Matt Nardella, principal architect at Moss. "I think it will create a friendlier environment for pedestrians and cyclists that will help small businesses and everyone else. The art of sitting and doing very little is essential to our health."
The parklet's features were fabricated by Demeter Millwork and clad with recycled HDPE panels (made from recycled milk jugs) donated by Loll Designs of Duluth, MN and Intectural and the native perennials came from Gethsemane Garden Supply. Weather in Chicago is not as temperate as some other cities who are building parklets, so the Andersonville oasis will close in November to be reopened in the spring.
Images ©Moss Design


text:
Private equity fund formation around oil and gas investments is on the rise, with a majority of respondents to a recent survey stating they plan on raising funds around the opportunity, according to fresh research. Drivers of the opportunity in the sector include growing capital requirements in the oil and gas industry, as well as availability of financing, according to the survey from accounting firm EY.
Press Release
Fifty-five percent of private equity (PE) executives cite the growing capital requirements of the oil and gas industry as the foremost driver of their investment activity in the industry, according to a newly-released report Financing the Future Energy Landscape: Private Equity Trends in Oil and Gas by EY and Mergermarket. The next largest driver is availability of financing, according to 44% of the 100 respondents surveyed, followed by global expansion (36%).
"The oil and gas industry is in a period of major capital investment. PE firms are well positioned to be a key player in driving future growth of the industry. Fitting well into their evolving model, PE firms can leverage their operational and commercial insight, oil and gas sector expertise and financial discipline to influence outcomes," says Michael Rogers, EY's Global Deputy Private Equity Sector Leader.
Fund formation targeted at specific oil and gas subsectors is a growing trend, with 64% of the survey respondents believe that the fund-raising opportunities in the next year will increase. Illustrating this point further, 65% of the respondents say they will actively be raising funds.
Increased interest in emerging markets
While the bulk of PE investment in the oil and gas industry is heavily focused on North America and is likely to remain so, Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions are expected to receive the highest increase in attention from PE firms over the next two years. Eighty-two percent of respondents expect PE activity to increase in Latin America and 79% expect it to increase in Asia-Pacific. When asked which four countries will see the highest level of PE activity, respondents most commonly cite the US, China, Russia and Brazil.
Andy Brogan, EY's Global Oil and Gas Transaction Advisory Services Leader comments, "We are seeing an influx of capital investment into the emerging markets. The risk profile of emerging markets investments can be very different from those of developed markets. Companies are exercising caution, but optimism around the potential returns from acquisitions remains high."
PE funds are acutely aware of the risks they need to manage and the risks considered most important vary from region to region. With the effects of the Eurozone crisis and political instability in North Africa still being felt, political risk was rated highest in Africa and Europe. For Latin America and the Middle East, respondents singled out operational risk, including health, safety and environmental (HSE), as one of the main threats to investments in these regions. In North America and Asia-Pacific, fiscal and tax risks were the primary concerns.
PE firms will continue to diversify their investment portfolios, and new oil and gas opportunities are emerging globally. PE firms in all regions will continue to adjust their business strategies to respond to the evolving landscape and to target oil and gas subsectors accordingly.
About EY
EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.
EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.
This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.
About EY's Global Oil & Gas Center
The oil and gas sector is constantly changing. Increasingly uncertain energy policies, geopolitical complexities, cost management and climate change all present significant challenges. EY's Global Oil & Gas Center supports a global network of more than 9,600 oil and gas professionals with extensive experience in providing assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services across the upstream, midstream, downstream and oilfield service sub-sectors.
The Center works to anticipate market trends, execute the mobility of our global resources and articulate points of view on relevant key sector issues. With our deep sector focus, we can help your organization drive down costs and compete more effectively. For more information, please visit ey.com/oilandgas.
About EY's Global Private Equity Center
Value creation goes beyond the private equity investment cycle to portfolio company and fund advice. EY's Global Private Equity Center offers a tailored approach to the unique needs of private equity funds, their transaction processes, investment stewardship and portfolio companies' performance. We focus on the market, sector and regulatory issues.
If you lead a private equity business, we can help you meet your evolving requirements and those of your portfolio companies from acquisition to exit through a highly integrated global resource of 175,000 professionals across audit, tax, transactions and advisory services. Working together, we can help you meet your goals and compete more effectively. For more information, please visit ey.com.
About Mergermarket
Mergermarket is an independent Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) intelligence service, with the largest network of dedicated M&A journalists on the ground in 65 locations across the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This team focuses on gathering actionable proprietary intelligence, creating the only origination database of live targets and bidders. Mergermarket is also an unrivalled source of deal history. Public and private deals across a range of sectors can be searched using an exhaustive database. This proprietary intelligence and historical deals database is available to over 145,000 individual subscribers from more than 1,600 of the world's principal advisory firms, investment banks, law firms, private equity firms and corporates. Mergermarket is part of The Mergermarket Group, which has over 600 employees worldwide and regional head offices in London, New York and Hong Kong.


text:
Sparks of Light (Paperback)
List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $17.76
(Save: $2.19 11%)
Warehouse, In Stock | Usually Ships in 1-5 Days | New
Hasidism—a mystical branch of Judaism that is today the object of renewed interest—traditionally has as its leaders well-trained masters whose way of counseling their followers may be of interest to those in other helping disciplines. Sparks of Light examines the history and techniques of their advising people on the problems of everyday life—health, finances, family—as well as more spiritual concerns.
Schachter and Hoffman take a close look at the techniques of the Hasidic masters—dream interpretation, shock, problem solving, and the prescription of spiritual exercises to unlock the door of the mind. They also focus on such intriguing topics as how Hasidic masters are trained, the range of difficulties for which struggling Jews seek their help, the intuitive methods of counseling that are used, and the kinds of mystical and practical advice offered in response to life's challenges. This book—based on original translations of Hasidic tales and writings, many never before translated—will appeal to those in the helping profession, as well as readers of Jewish history.
About the Author
Edward Hoffman is the author of numerous books on Judaism, Kabbalah, and psychology. He is a psychologist and adjunct professor at Yeshiva University in New York City. He writes extensively for leading Jewish newspapers and magazines, including the National Jewish Post & Opinion, and the Jewish Week, and his articles have appeared in New York Newsday and Yoga Journal.


text:
You are currently browsing the daily archive for February 5, 2010.
Good golly . . . what hangs there? Find a color clue in the lower left corner as to ownership of the crane, …
Why . . . it's Miss Holly aka these days as Paul Andrew. If you click the Paul Andrew link, check Sarah Ann. And if you own a crane like this, who needs a dry dock to lift a vessel into the high and dry?
Paul Andrew (ex-Miss Holly) built in 1968, 63′ x 23′ x 8 draft and 2400 hp. Anyone
Miss Holly hanging around?
Sorry, but I couldn't resist. Nor could I resist listening to Little Richard Miss Holly . . . er something.
Top three fotos (taken in March 2008) taken by Mr Bill Benson of Hydrographic Surveys. Thanks much, Bill. The last two, by Will Van Dorp.
Unrelated: A peak moment in 2009 for me was seeing Onrust lowered from a crane into the Mohawk for its very first float event.


text:
Canadian TV Channel Accidentally Airs Gay Porn During Morning News Program, Blames Crossed Lines
An Ontario-based television station was forced to issue an apology to viewers after its morning news program was briefly interrupted by breaking hardcore gay porn.
The gaffe occurred at approximately 9:30 AM last Friday, when the cable feed transmitting CHCH's News Now AM to Cogeco and Shaw Cable customers was temporarily replaced with the feed of an adult TV channel, which happened to be airing gay porn at the time.
The transmission disruption lasted some three minutes.
CHCH news director Mike Katrycz issued a statement of apology to viewers on the network's website, claiming the blunder was the result of an error made during the repair of severed cable lines. "Apparently some cable lines had been cut, and in the splicing back together some inappropriate content went to air," Katrycz said. "Again it was beyond the control of CHCH, but we do apologize to our viewers."
Cogeco, Shaw Cable, and the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council have all launched independent investigations into the matter.


text:
Kwadwo Asamoah insists he can play a key role for Ghana when the Black Stars chase a fifth Africa Cup of Nations title in South Africa.
The 24-year old has emerged as one of Ghana's highest profile players after a summer move to Juventus for whom he has become a regular in both the Italian Serie A and the Champions League.
But although he has made more than 40 appearances for his country, he has often been criticised for his performances with suggestions that his performances are below the standard he reaches for his club.
It is a perception Asamoah is desperate to change as he heads into his fourth straight Nations Cup having played for Ghana in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
"We have our way of thinking as footballers and fans have theirs too," he told BBC Sport. "There is a big difference in the way we play at Juventus and the way we play at Ghana. The training is different too so you can't compare the national team to a club side.
"I always try to do my best. It is not like I am here and I don't want to play and do my best. I always want to fight for the nation. There are days that people say I didn't do well but it doesn't kill my spirit. It rather motivates me to do more."
One of the biggest dilemmas facing Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah will be where best to utilise Asamoah's huge talent.
At Juventus he has played as wing-back on the left, putting in a great shift when tracking back and providing a vital source of assists when the side has gone forward, while for Ghana he has always been played in a central role. Asamoah insists he is not fussy about where he will play in South Africa. All he wants, he says, is to be part of a team that will function efficiently as a unit and win games.
He said: "If we are united, I think we have the quality of players to win it with the right fighting spirit. Football is not about individuals. It's about team spirit and the hard work."
Asamoah barely featured for Ghana at the 2008 Nations Cup when he was a surprise inclusion in the squad. But two years later, he was very influential as Ghana reached the final, where they lost to Egypt.
Earlier this year in Gabon he was again a key member of the squad that came short after falling at the semi-final stage to Zambia.
He understands the expectation to win again will be huge and he is confident the Black Stars will thrive on it.
"I am not surprised because every fan would like to win something for their country, so for me the expectation is normal," he said.
"For us, the players, it has to motivate us to say 'okay our country needs this so we have to work and push hard to win it and bring the cup home'. So I agree with the mentality of the fans. It will motivate us to do our best."
Asamoah is playing with confidence which comes from the start he has made at Juventus since his move from Udinese in the summer. Not many people gave him a chance of playing but he has become a regular at the Italian champions and credits that to the sort of company he trains with on a daily basis.
"My first day at training when they all returned from the European championships I was so happy because I used to watch Andrea Pirlo play for AC Milan and Gianluigi Buffon on TV so it is amazing playing with them now.
"The motivation they give us can help a young player achieve more if you learn from it and for me it has been really helpful."
Ghana's fans will hope Asamoah has learnt a lot from the likes of Pirlo and will be able to produce his own brand of magic on the big stage as he attempts to help Ghana end their long trophy drought
Source: BBC
|Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.


text:
Login Form
Profile Information
Login Details
or login
Product Description
Additional Information
Strong, sturdy and personalised. The PERFECT backpack
Made from durable soft poly canvas and designed with longevity and style in mind, our Large Backpack with inside personalisation will be treasured by your child for years to come!
The Backpack comes with cool features that make it easy for little ones to use: padded and adjustable shoulder straps, a handy hang hook, a small front zipper pocket, a drink bottle holder and a special book compartment inside.
Additional Information
Padded and adjustable shoulder straps
- Durable poly soft canvas
- Fully waterproof lining in fun designs
- Chunky zipper with circle embellishment
- Front pocket with chunky zipper
- Inside elasticated book compartment
- Inside mesh drink bottle holder


text: We value your trust. All of our employee-owners adhere to the highest ethical standards in gathering, using, and safeguarding any information you choose to give us. We do not rent, sell, or exchange information about our website visitors. We restrict access to visitor information to qualified Herman Miller employees. Third parties who need access to Herman Miller visitor information in order to provide operational or other support services to us are required to comply with our high standards of security. We gather only the visitor information that is needed to administer our business and enhance and improve our website.


text: Kunming Satellite Conference (August 16-18,1998) 18th International Congress of Genetics ANNOUNCEMENT Dear Sir/Madam, A exciting breakthrough of cloning of a speciation gene, the first time in the evolution history, is going to be announced FIRST in the satellite conference by Prof. Chung-I Wu. Would you like to share in his pleasure? His title is: The cloning of the Odysseus gene of speciation in Drosophila: a novel homeobox gene and its rapid evolution. Local Committee of Conference ========================================================== P.S. Now, please visit our homepages posted on the journal of Molecular Biology Evolution's web site. You also can send your registration and abstract form via WWW. Its address is http://www.hgc.sph.uth.tmc.edu/others/kunming/ Please use Internet Explorer 4.0 ,Netscape 3.0 or higher version. And we will contact you within five working days after you kick the buttons of submit on registration and abstract form. If you have any questions and suggestions, or an error message is shown when sending forms, please feel free to contact us directly. Our e-mail address is ypzhang at ms.kmb.ac.cn


text:
summer leaves fall
but petals always bloom,
in memory
Copyright 2017 Brenda Davis Harsham
Notes: Here is echinacea for health and to celebrate meeting my goals with NaNoWriMo. Yay, I have a new book! I am well in excess of my goal of 30K words.
I'm also pleased and honored to announce the publication of two poems, Summer Vacation!? and an excerpt from Children of Privilege, on November 2017 in the Best of Today's Little Ditty Anthology 2016 (Volume 2). If you're interested, click on the title and the link will take you to Amazon where you can buy a copy.
Hope everyone else had a happy, healthy November.
Happy Poetry Friday! Thanks to Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading for hosting!
41 thoughts on "Summer Leaves"
Happy News is healing, too – thanks for sharing all, Brenda! And, way to go on all those wonderful NaNoWriMo words! :0)
Congrats on writing your book through NaNo! And on the publication of your poems, too. Your post is just chock full of good news. I love your haiku that reminds us that memories bloom even through winter.
Congratulations on all the words! So happy for you. You must feel great! And, petals bloom in memory….so lovely.
Oh I love echinacea – a a herb and as af flower, And your poem is divine. Well done on meeting your goal!
Congrats on meeting your goal!!! Laura Shovan did too.
Your echinacea are beautiful (and I like the snow in the background of your blog).


text:
Microsoft is denying reports of the Black Screen of Death on a number of PCs. A fraction of Windows users have been complaining their computers were locking up and displaying a Black Screen of Death (BSOD, not to be confused with Blue Screen of Death, which is usually due to hardware or driver failure) after the last Microsoft Patch Tuesday on November 10, 2009.
"Microsoft has investigated reports that its November security updates made changes to permissions in the registry that that are resulting in system issues for some customers," a Microsoft spokesperson told Ars. "The company has found those reports to be inaccurate and our comprehensive investigation has shown that none of the recently released updates are related to the behavior described in the reports."
"While we were not contacted by the organization who originally made these reports, we have proactively contacted them with our findings. Our support organization is also not seeing this as an issue. The claims also do not match any known issues that have been documented in the security bulletins or KB articles."
Security company Prevx first claimed the latest patches were making changes to the Access Control List (ACL), a list of permissions for a logged-on user, in the registry. The result was some installed applications (especially security products) failing to run properly, causing a BSOD on Windows -2000, NT, XP, Vista, and 7, according to Prevx. The security company released their own fix that reportedly makes the appropriate changes in the registry (this can also be done manually) to match the ACL settings.
Today though, Prevx has changed its stance on the issue: "Having narrowed down a specific trigger for this condition we've done quite a bit of testing and re-testing on the recent Windows patches including KB976098 and KB915597 as referred to in our previous blog. Since more specifically narrowing down the cause we have been able to exonerate these patches from being a contributory factor."
"We apologize to Microsoft for any inconvenience our blog may have caused. This has been a challenging issue to identify. Users who have the black screen issue referred to can still safely use our free fix tool to restore their desktop icons and taskbar."
When we contacted Microsoft yesterday, the software giant wasn't yet ready to comment on the reported issue. Instead, the company said it was investigating, and apparently that stage is now complete; Microsoft has concluded its patches are not to blame. We have not encountered computers that have had this problem, so we're not sure of the scope of affected users, but since the problem still remains, we'll follow this story closely as it unfolds.


text:
Currently offering a Move In Special: Up to $1000 off! Apply Today!
Welcome to one of Fairfield's finest apartment communities. The tranquility of water oriented living in a close and convenient location can be yours when you join us at Round Hill Creek Apartments. Our waterscape gardens and extensive landscaping truly set the standard for quality. Inside our spacious apartments homes you will find a dedication to detail that sets us apart from the competition. We also know you will appreciate our friendly and dedicated on-site staff. Round Hill Creek Apartments…experience the difference.


text:
December 10, 2013 at 3:44 am #1739MikeKeymaster
May 2008
Harmful Algal Blooms and Bird Die-offs in Chesapeake Bay: A Potential Link?
Barnett A. Rattner, Glenn H. Olsen, Peter C. McGowan, Betty K. Ackerson, and Moira A. McKernan
USGS-Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and Fish and Wildlife Service, Chesapeake Bay Field Office
Autumnal die-offs, involving hundreds of migratory birds, occurred in Chesapeake Bay in 2001, 2004 and 2005. The most prominent events were at the Poplar Island Complex in proximity to brackish impoundments with algal blooms and elevated cyanobacteria counts (Anabaena spp.). Although avian botulism was documented as the cause of death of some individuals, recent evidence suggests that cyanobacteria toxin microcystin (MC) may play a role in the initiation of such botulism outbreaks. During these outbreaks, many dead and dying great blue herons (Ardea herodias) were observed at or near these impoundments at the Poplar Island Complex. Nearly half (9 of 22) of these individuals collected had detectable quantities of MCs (but not other toxins) in liver tissue, while MCs were not detected in herons collected 50 kilometers southeast at Blackwater NWR. Affected herons presented clinical signs of emaciation, lethargy, inability to fly, firm distended abdomen, anemia, dehydration and diarrhea. Rehabilitation efforts were unsuccessful, and moribund birds were euthanized. Necropsies revealed excessive abdominal deposits of waxy yellow fat (i.e., steatitis, inflammation of the adipose tissue) compared to controls (mean + standard deviation; 371 + 90.6 grams versus 78 + 54.7 grams). The gastrointestinal tract of affected birds was nearly empty, containing small amounts of greenish vegetation and insects, in contrast to fish found in herons from the reference site. The most significant hematological changes in affected birds included anemia, depressed plasma cholesterol and potassium, and remarkably low Vitamin E concentration (1.37 + 0.53 µg/ml versus 17.32 + 5.19 of reference herons). These observations are consistent with historic findings of steatitis in great blue herons from the Chesapeake (Nichols et al. 1986). We hypothesize several potential causes of steatitis in herons, including (i) a dietary shift by herons to fish species that are high in polyunsaturated fats (e.g., herring)("Alternate Prey Hypothesis") (ii) consumption of dead (or possibly dying) rancid fish containing large quantities of oxidized fatty acids ("Rancid Fish Hypothesis"), and/or (iii) exposure to algal toxins by ingestion of water with their prey or indirectly by ingesting prey containing microcystins ("Harmful Algal Bloom Hypothesis"). In support of this Harmful Algal Bloom Hypothesis, elevated cyanobacteria counts (Anabaena spp.) were detected in impoundments near the die-offs and microcystins were frequently detected in water samples and in liver tissue of dead and dying great blue herons. Alteration of Vitamin E levels in affected great blue herons is suggestive of depletion of cellular antioxidants (well recognized detoxication response), and possibly one of the independent or inter-related events associated with cellular dysfunction and toxicity evoked by MCs. We hope to more thoroughly investigate the role of MCs and other phycotoxins in recurring waterbird die-offs in Chesapeake Bay through controlled exposure and field investigations. Such data would provide information on trophic transfer of toxins, and potentially delineate the role of toxins in the development of steatitis in great blue herons.
The forum 'Strange Animal Deaths' is closed to new topics and replies.


text:
The NAS Panel used Esper et al 2002 as a comfort series in their spaghetti graph, but did not perform any due diligence on it. As some of you may recall, I've had prolonged correspondence with Science, after being stonewalled by Esper, and, as a result of that, have obtained versions of the chronologies used by Esper for all but one site (Mongolia). I've been unable to obtain any sort of coherent explanation of Esper's methodology. However, any robust result should be valid under an average of the site chronologies. This is what I've done here, adding in the Mongolia version used in Osborn and Briffa 2006. A simple re-scaled average fits the Esper reconstruction well up until the late 20th century when they diverge.
I'va also showed the foxtail impact separately. Esper uses two foxtail sites despite them being extremely close to one another – this does not happen anywhere else. As noted elsewhere, foxtails interbreed with bristlecones; Graybill collected strip-bark foxtail sites. The Esper foxtail sites are from Graumlich rather than Graybill but no information is provided which permits one to conclude that strip-bark forms have been avoided. The two sites used here are reported in Bunn et al 2005 and are the two sites with the largest HS. The graph below shows my emulation of Esper's results (red dashed) together with my estimate of results in which foxtails are excluded.
Figure 1. Esper et al 2002 reconstruction. Archived, emulation and without foxtails.
The Esper reconstruction is unusual in that it is the only one that uses a series from the Polar Urals area not calculated by Keith Briffa. Here Esper uses the Polar Urals Update rather than Briffa's Yamal Substitution or the predecessor Briffa MXD series.
My emulation of Esper obviously has a substantial Divergence Problem – which becomes a twofold Divergence Problem: a divergence between ring widths and temperature and a divergence between results as archived by Esper and as emulated. Esper has been totally unresponsive to any attempts to examine his data and methodology beginning long before climateaudit existed. It is hard not to draw an unfavorable impression from this obstinacy, especially when there are major discrepancies between archived results and replicable results.


text:
For your initial visit you will need to bring your insurance card, photo ID, co-pay and/or physician referral if applicable. If your referring physician has previously ordered any tests, please bring all test results and radiology films with you the day of your appointment.
In order to facilitate your visit, print out and complete the appropriate registration form below and bring it with you.


text:
Get followers and friends by retuning the favor.
Location: The Blog World
Members: 48
Latest Activity: Feb 1, 2016
Started by Richelle Connors Aug 1, 2012. 0 Replies 0 Likes
I just posted a new entry in my blog! If you read and decide to follow, please let me know so I can return the favor!! :) I'm really trying to get the name out there and let people see my blog, since it's so new. Thanks!!!…Continue
Started by Richelle Connors Jul 17, 2012. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Hi all! I just started blogging, and need all the support I can get! :) If you follow me, please comment something so I know, and I can return the favor!http://shelconnors.wordpress.com/Continue
Started by Kechell Jackson. Last reply by Kechell Jackson Jul 16, 2012. 4 Replies 0 Likes
Reply to this discussion with your give-a-ways and contest. Be sure to include the direct link and deadline. Continue
Started by Sugar Plums and Lollipops Nov 17, 2011. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Hi all you mommies, I'd love to gain some followers and in return I will follow you back. You can find me at www.sugarplumsandlollipops.blogspot.com look forward to meeting you allContinue
Started by karen whitehead Oct 4, 2011. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Hi mommies...Im a foodie blogger and would love to meet new friends and followers. As always I will follow back. Thanks so much!!!www.captaincooksblog.comContinue
Started by Christie Denham May 25, 2011. 0 Replies 0 Likes
Please "like" my page and I will "like" you back. Post your Fanpage link here and I will like back. If I really like your page I will "suggest" it, too. Let's keep sharing the love, and "like" others here and "like" back those who do!…Continue
We are taking applications for "Featured Author Of The Week' on Jody's Book Reviews blog, so if you are an Author, Writer or a Self-Publisher, and are interested in being a part of it, please feel free to submit your information anytime. Or if you know someone who may be interested in being a part of this, please feel free to pass this information along. CLICK on the image to fill out the submission form. IT'S FREE!
FYI: It's first come first serve.
Stop by and join the New May Blog Hobnob! Whats that you say! It's a networking hop where you link up your blog buttons and make new friends and gain new followers! See ya there!http://madeinaday.com/2014/05/01/blog-hobnob-linkup-may/
7 Giveaways.
All giveaways end tonight. Low entries.
I recently moved my blog to self-hosted, and am loving the new freedom I have! Come check out my new blog and let me know what you think! :)
Haven't blogged in over a year, but my son is at his 1st sleep over, and I'm back at it! Please read and leave your thoughts, let me know if I'm not alone in my feelings. http://ning.it/10T6rU0


text:
Lyrics: [none]
Music: Adepoju, Hart, Hussain, Moreira, Olatunji, Purim
A song (no words) on Mickey Hart's "Planet Drum" CD. He gives the following background:
Lost River is a high-spirited song that demonstrates an interplay between the human voice and percussion instruments. To Zakir, this song brought to mind the singing of children in the mountains of India. The drums provide the strong rhythm which lays a foundation for Flora's flowing melody.
|Mickey Hart Recordings
|Recorded By
|Planet Drum
|Mickey Hart


text:
Tuesday, 28 May 2013 03:31 AM EDT
BEIJING — The United States called for deeper military ties with China Tuesday, including working closer together in areas like peacekeeping, fighting piracy, and disaster relief, despite growing tensions between the two on a range of security issues.
White House National Security Adviser Tom Donilon made the remarks at a meeting with senior Chinese military leader Fan Changlong, two weeks ahead of a summit between the U.S. and Chinese presidents in California.
"An essential part of building a new model for relations between great powers is ensuring we have a healthy, stable and reliable military to military relationship," Donilon told Fan at the Chinese Defense Ministry, in brief comments before reporters.
He added the two countries should work to face "non-traditional security challenges" including peacekeeping, disaster relief and countering piracy.
Fan, the vice chair of China's powerful Central Military Commission, called for a "new type of major power relations."
Neither Donilon nor Fan mentioned the numerous sensitive areas Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Barack Obama are expected to discuss in June, including tensions on the Korean peninsula and a string of cyberattacks the United States has linked to China.
Donilon met Xi on Monday, during which Xi said Sino-U.S. relations were at "an important stage connecting the past and the future," according to China's official Xinhua news agency.
Neither side has given details about what will be discussed at the summit, set for June 7-8 at a sprawling California estate called Sunnylands, which lies southeast of Palm Springs.
While military relations between the world's two largest economies have thawed considerably in the last two years, deep suspicions and sticking points remain, including China's role in pushing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.
Fan and Xi both met with Choe Ryong Hae, a special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, earlier this month. The United States will likely continue pressuring China to enforce international sanctions on Pyongyang.
© 2023 Thomson/Reuters. All rights reserved.
Receive breaking news and original analysis - sent right to your inbox.
Newsmax, Moneynews, Newsmax Health, and Independent. American. are registered trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc. Newsmax TV, and Newsmax World are trademarks of Newsmax Media, Inc.