text: BUSINESS Guest Post: Allow Artists to Slip Through the Digital Cracks At Your Peril, Streamers 8/14/2014 by Christopher Tin FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Digital Vision/Getty Images Last week, Billboard published a guest editorial by Thomas McAlevey, CEO of streaming startup Radical.FM. The below is in response to Mr. McAlevey's piece. Dear Mr. McAlevey, I read your Billboard guest editorial "Forget the Rhetoric, Streaming Music is Already Profitable." Forgive me for not sharing your enthusiasm about the viability of the current streaming model. As an artist, I found your bright and cheery vision of streaming to be nonsense. I think you need to look up the definition of a "fact." "Pandora and Spotify are still losing money despite tens of millions of users and hundreds of millions of dollars invested" is not a semi-truth, it's a fact. To the contrary, your assertion that "Pandora could be profitable tomorrow if it increased its frequency of commercials" is not a fact, it's conjecture -- especially since you admit that increasing the frequency of commercials would decrease usage, which would in turn decrease advertising revenue. I'll allow that, given time and the right management strategies, services like Pandora and Spotify could potentially be profitable to shareholders. I'll even allow that the major record labels they work with can find profit working with these services. But your editorial omits any mention of how these services would ultimately put a living wage in the pockets of the artists and songwriters who make up the heart and soul of these services' products. At the core of your argument is your assertion that streaming music could be instantaneously profitable, should streaming services choose to make it profitable. Naturally you, the owner of a startup streaming service, have every incentive to paint as rosy a picture as possible of this industry's possibilities. In light of the fact that the two largest streaming services have appeared unable to turn a sustained profit, what hope does your company, whose core business model relies on a large 'Donate' button, have for ever becoming profitable? But as an artist I have to wonder -- after tallying up your Paypal and Bitcoin donations, and deducting your rent, employee salaries, electricity and server costs -- how much money do you have left over to pay for the 25 million songs you serve your consumers? Much has already been written by artists more famous than me about the tragically small artist payouts from streaming. Many of us acknowledge that the industry is inexorably moving towards an access model over an ownership model. However, your article fails to address the fact that this transition is going to be incredibly painful for a great number of artists, for whom each micro-penny royalty payment is a cutting reminder that their music is (literally) worth less than a piece of copper most people wouldn't bend over to pick up off the sidewalk. So when someone like you comes along and says "The future is so bright, I gotta wear shades," well, that's when you invoke the collective ire of the musical working class. Had you phrased things differently, perhaps I would have stopped reading after the headline, but instead I browsed the full text of your op-ed on your company's website, and in so doing was shocked by something I'd never seen before: a CEO of a music company with an outright disdain for the musicians whose work you're building your business on. And nowhere is your disdain for the musicians more obvious than in this sentence: "Now if Thom Yorke, David Byrne, Taylor Swift, or any other artists with more creativity than business acumen read this, please refrain from using my knowledge to fuel idiotic arguments about how the new streaming paradigm is ruining the music business (though you may want to review your label contracts)." You can condescend all you want, but I'm fairly certain Thom Yorke, David Byrne and Taylor Swift have little interest in your "knowledge," much less care that you discredit their opinions simply because they're musicians. And then there's this horrifying paragraph: "Musicians will rejoice when they realize that streaming radio shares the massive ad revenues with them that terrestrial radio never did in the U.S. Then well-fed artists will create great new songs for innovative streaming services to distribute to happy consumers who whole-heartedly support a born-again music industry, one more glorious and lucrative than ever before." It's insulting that, in your utopian vision of music's future, the gold standard that a musician should strive for is the ability to afford food. Secondly, your bold prediction that streaming radio will share "massive ad revenues" with artists is naïve. How do you know that music will generate large advertising revenue? Even if streaming music channels became the advertisers' format of choice (which seems unlikely, given the rise of interactive entertainment, the web, and streaming TV) what happens when someone invents a service that, like Tivo, will allow listeners to buffer a Spotify stream and automatically skip commercials? And even if the advertising dollars were to start flowing in, what incentive would Spotify, Pandora or YouTube have to dole out massive portions of that ad revenue to musicians? Why wouldn't they just continue to do what they've always done, and look for ways to pay less money to artists that you yourself so clearly disdain? Do you think corporations have the same generosity-of-heart that music fans do? This brings me to the one thing I agree with you on: Your average music fan will voluntarily pay money for the music they listen to. I, like many artists, sell my music on my website. And I give my fans the ability to pay more than they need to for it. Nearly half of them do (bless their hearts!), which I think is a testament to the fact that fans know that the artists they love need to be supported. You seem to think that same enthusiasm will translate to a streaming services company, and have built Radical.FM on a pay-what-you-want model. And perhaps there are some people that will make contributions. But corporations are not people, and music fans have a long history of being suspicious of any company that tries to profit off the backs of music-makers. And if there's one thing I'm fairly certain of, it's this: If you ask your average music fan whether they want their $10 to be paid to the band they love, or instead to a company's profits, I'm almost certain they'll choose the former. Christopher Tin is a two-time Grammy-winning composer, and a Governor of the L.A. Chapter of the Recording Academy. Although the Recording Academy actively lobbies for fair compensation from streaming services, the views contained herein are his own. Billboard welcomes responsible commentary. Submit concepts and op-eds to firstname.lastname@example.com. FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME


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|This page is a text version of the Beckoning Hills History Book. This is the story of the Turtle Mountain Area of Manitoba. You can get a PDF copy of the book on our full version page. The PDF copy is an exact page by page representation of the original book. This text version has been reformated for the web and contains text recognition mistakes. These mistakes do not appear in the full version. The full version also includes each image in the original book.
Page Index of Beckoning Hills History Book
Previous - Page 48 or Next - Page 50
Photographer Meirs visits Henderson Bros. threshing outfit in the Caranton district northwest of Boissevain 1887 - Courtesy W. D. Henderson, Brandon
In looking back over the experiences of those early days, we who today live in our good homes with electric light and appli ances, telephone, radio, television, cars and tractors, our highways and market roads, should stop and pay tribute to the fortitude, perseverance, the high hopes, farsightedness and many heart-aches of the pioneer men and women who laid the foundation for all the privileges we enjoy today.
Allen J. Haight
In the late 1890's and early 1900's Whitewater consisted of five elevators, built in the following order: Morton No.2, later known as the "King Coal" elevator, so named after the fellow who was grain, buyer, John Brondgeest, who had been given that nickname. Then followed Dominion Grain, Lake of the Woods, the Imperial. Imperial had a lumber yard which also housed Bill Hanley's butcher shop, the beef being killed at Boissevain. Sid Fyson, employed by Hanley, drove a meat van throughout the district at this time. A large general store, operated by George Morton, with living quar ters above, did a big business. He also had a boarding house of con siderable size. Tom Sheppard and Son had the John Deere and McCormick machinery agency. Billy Scott apparently had an interest in this agency for a short time.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW HOPE, Minn. - A German Messerschmitt fighter plane was bearing down on Don Stoliel's B-17 bomber as he flew a mission during World War II.
Stoliel, the pilot, looked out the windshield of his cockpit and saw the enemy plane zooming straight at him with machine guns blazing.
"This is it," he thought, as he braced for the barrage of bullets that he expected to blast through the glass and tear into his body.
It didn't happen. Not one piece of lead penetrated the cockpit. The reason? Stoliel, a member of Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale, believes he had a layer of protection no German machine gun could penetrate - a first-class relic of St. Therese of Lisieux.
Tucked into the pocket of his uniform pants, it was with him on every mission. He believes St. Therese kept him alive in the cockpit during six months of bombing runs that ended in 1944 when he reached the end of his tour of duty and returned to the United States.
The then-22-year-old got the relic from a chaplain, Father Edmund Skoner, at an airfield in Molesworth, England, shortly after arriving in December 1943.
After surviving 31 bombing missions into Germany, Stoliel came to believe that St. Therese was watching over him. He escaped several close calls and saw other planes flying near his get hit and go down. Nary a bullet touched his cockpit. Only once did a member of his 10-man crew get injured. None were killed.
"St. Therese, oh, she took care of us - absolutely," Stoliel told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. "She means just about everything because I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for St. Therese."
Today, the 98-year-old, who married after the war and had four children with his late wife, Shirley, is as passionate as ever about his favorite saint, "The Little Flower."
Fittingly, he lives at a facility in New Hope that bears her name: St. Therese of New Hope. He has told his story numerous times, both to Sacred Heart parishioners and students at Sacred Heart Catholic School.
Stoliel crossed paths with the relic by chasing his boyhood dream of becoming a pilot. He had what he called "a romance with the clouds." Growing up in Olivia about two hours west of the Twin Cities, he often would run out of his house to watch World War I-era planes fly overhead.
After graduating from high school in 1938, he enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1940 with the hope of becoming a pilot. He was placed into the regular Army after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. Transferred to Camp Haan in California, he noticed a nearby aviation training facility called March Field.
"I used to watch those B-17s take off over at March Field," he said. "My body was in Camp Haan; my heart was over there across the road at March Field. I wanted to get in the (Army) Air Corps."
It took some persistence. Initially, he was assigned to operate anti-aircraft artillery. That landed him in Alaska, where U.S. forces were anticipating a Japanese attack. For several months, it looked as though his military tour would involve firing at enemy fighter planes.
"But, I still had my heart in the air," he said. "I wanted to do that more than anything else in the world."
With the help of a commanding officer, he was able to go to Anchorage to apply for aviation cadet training in the Army Air Corps (now called the Air Force). He was rejected the first time because of a medical condition, but eventually passed in June 1942. The news "was like going to heaven," he said.
Once in flight school, he chose to be a bomber pilot and was assigned to the 303rd Bomb Group in Molesworth. There he met the chaplain who gave him the relic.
Stoliel wants to make sure his story - especially the part about the relic - lives on. After carrying the relic in his pocket for decades after coming home, he gave it to the pastor of Sacred Heart, Father Bryan Pedersen, three years ago.
The two met just a week after Father Pedersen came to Sacred Heart in 2008. They forged a friendship through weekly breakfasts at a local restaurant after morning Mass, and built a trust that motivated Stoliel to place the relic in his pastor's care.
"I just felt humbled that he would want me to have that relic," Father Pedersen said.
Meanwhile, Stoliel continues his devotion to St. Therese. He currently is reading her autobiography, "The Story of a Soul," and also makes regular visits to a smaller, secondary prayer space at his care facility called Little Flower Chapel. He goes to this chapel for Mass twice a week and tries to stop by daily to acknowledge the saint's help in the cockpit of his B-17.
"I go by there and I'll say, 'Thank you, Therese, for 31,'" he said. "She got me through those 31 missions without a scratch. There were some mighty, mighty, mighty close calls."
Father Pedersen is glad to have the chance to know someone from what is known as The Greatest Generation.
Stoliel is "a man of service, and dedicated to country, to family and to his faith, the Catholic faith in particular," he said. "We need more men like Don Stoliel today. Our world, our country would be far better off."
The Diocese of Trenton is committed to the initiatives outlined
in the U.S. Bishop's Charter for the Protection of Children and
Young People in regard to the reporting and investigation of
sexual abuse allegations involving minors.
If you have been sexually abused as a minor by a member of
the clergy or anyone representing the Catholic Church, or if you
know of someone who was, you can report that abuse through
the diocesan Abuse Hotline.
To report the sexual abuse of minors call our hotline
1-888-296-2965 or email us at email@example.com
Please note: The Diocese of Trenton reports any allegations of sexual abuse to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Anyone with an allegation is also encouraged to provide that information to local law enforcement authorities.


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This was published 9 months ago
Risk averse Australians not 'having a go' in a culture of compliance
"Have a go, you get a go," goes the daggy-dad maxim of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The problem is that too many Australians are not having a go. The "lucky country" has become complacent and its increasingly raising concerns among central bankers, business leaders and policymakers.
Australians are among the most risk averse in the developed world. An Infosys survey of 9000 people aged between 16 and 25, in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, put us at the bottom of the pile when it came to taking risks. That is a bad omen. We only become more risk averse as we get older.
Why should we be taking risks? Because in the magic pudding of our current economic environment (low wages, economic and productivity growth) risk, and its byproduct, innovation, might be the one thing that stimulates us back into action.
At least two converging factors have led us here. Stronger oversight of companies and a shoutier public debate that has made tough decisions that much harder.
Let's take the first factor. There is no better argument for a greater scrutiny on corporate practices thank the banking royal commission which exposed endemic financial malpractice among some of Australia's largest companies.
But there is an unintended consequence that is worth considering. A rising culture of sacrificing risk and innovation for the sake of compliance.
Back in 2014, well before the royal commission, the issue of cultural attitudes to risk was on the radar of then Reserve Bank deputy governor, Philip Lowe.
"Our preferences appear to have shifted in such a way that we increasingly focus on risk mitigation and risk control," he said.
He listed off examples including an increase in compliance activities in boardrooms to attitudes about the design of children's playgrounds.
"In each of these areas, our society has been prepared to limit options or to spend more of our scarce resources to reduce risk."
In other words, if you have 20 staff and five have to be dedicated to compliance, that's five who are not taking risks, innovating or creating.
That is not always a bad thing - especially if it avoids the scandals of the royal commission - but as Lowe pointed out: "It is appropriate occasionally to ask whether we have got the balance right".
ANZ Bank chairman David Gonski is not sure we have.
"The board member who's had a glorious career and is now 55 or 60 has an enormous amount to lose in a listed company board, the listed company senior management has a tolerance for risk which is much less than what it was when I started out 35 years ago, as a director," he said last week.
"Now, growth is becoming really quite difficult. And it will continue to be extremely difficult unless we do take some risk. The clever board doesn't just increase risk but takes a calculated look at risk."
Part of that risk assessment is increasingly public relations focussed. In an era when everybody must win, it's increasingly easy to find someone who has lost out from any given policy or business decision. Social media has magnified the risk profile.
Treasury deputy secretary Meghan Quinn alluded to this in a speech at the Committee for Economic Development in Parliament on Friday.
"We're much more contested in our jobs and in the contest of ideas than in the past. It's something that wears on us a bit. It makes decisions that much harder," she said.
"Survey after survey suggests people are more uncertain than they were in the past."
Uncertain, risk averse, compliant. The new Australian business doesn't want to take a punt lest it go up in flames on Facebook or draw the ire of regulators.
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who has continued the Coalition's tradition of a bit of business bashing in public while serenading industry behind closed doors, knows this complacency has its own risks as productivity slows and economic growth falls to its lowest level in a decade.
In August, he put a target on businesses with "healthy balance sheets and record low borrowing costs" and questioned whether they had been "aggressive enough in the pursuit of growth".
As the government searches for a narrative, three ministers - Frydenberg, Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter, and Assistant Minister Ben Morton, who has responsibility for deregulation, are now working together to see if they can get a coherent productivity policy together that will examine the need to balance risk and compliance.
Expect it to be a major part of the Coalition's pitch from next year.
Ross Gittins is on leave
Eryk Bagshaw is the China correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Due to travel restrictions, he is currently based in Canberra.


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Location: SAVA Charter School Elk Grove
Position: Clerk
Education: American Intercontinental University and Seattle Art Institute
About Me: I was born in Seattle, WA and spent most of my growing up years in the Bellevue, WA area. My background is in the art field and I spent many years as a Graphic Designer and Marketing Director for several companies. I decided to go back to school online and completed my Associates in Visual Communications. I relocated in 2009 to Sacramento after remarrying. I taught an early morning religious class to high schoolers for four years. I have loved my time teaching and the transition to Para Educator was a perfect fit. I began as front desk Clerk 2016-2017 school year and enjoy greeting all our wonderful students each and every day!
Interests: I love reading, crocheting, doodling art, sewing, and cooking. I learned to spin my own yarn and weave a few years ago while raising alpacas. I am happily married and together we have a blended family including 1 daughter and 7 boys. We recently add a son-in-law and daughter-in-law to our brood and our first grand baby!


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A circular walk from Purleigh that passes close to three excellent pubs using footpaths, bridleways, byways and short sections of country lanes. Along the way, it joins St Peter's Way for a while, follows a disused railway track and goes through vineyards before meeting a WW1 airfield. A walk for all seasons, although sections can be muddy after rain.
Please see the Useful Information section for important information regarding the aerodrome.
Calculated time is computed with the distance, the height difference, and an average speed of 2.2 mph. For an intermediate walker, this time includes small breaks.
The suggested parking is on an access road to a BT building. This is used at times, so please park considerately.
(D/A) Walk along the access road to the gates then take the footpath on the left of the BT exchange. Enter the playing field and immediately turn left over the footbridge. Head up the hill, keeping close to the hedge on the left. At the top of the field, cross the stile and keep left. The path follows garden fences for a short distance. When it enters the churchyard, keep straight ahead, on a barely discernible path, with the fence of The Old Rectory on the left. On meeting a white gravelled footpath, turn right, walking between yew bushes to a double metal gate.
Go through the gate to leave the churchyard. Turn sharp left following the paving slabs at the rear of The Bell pub to reach a narrow road at a fingerpost with The Old Gatehouse opposite. Turn right, heading along The Street towards a private road. This is St Peter's Way. Continue along this road, going through the gate adjacent to Purleigh Hall Barn. Where the track curves right, heading towards Purleigh Hall, the path goes straight ahead to a stile.
Cross the stile and pass a pair of field gates on the left that are marked 'No Footpath'. A little further along the fence from the gates is a stile with a St Peter's Way marker. Cross the stile and head for a footbridge and stile on the opposite side of a field. Cross these and, keeping ahead in the same general direction, aim for a gap in the hedge on the opposite side of the field, passing to the left of a power line pole - the path is generally well reinstated. Going under the power line the footbridge in the hedge ahead should now be obvious.
(1) Cross the footbridge, climb the steps to cross the track-bed of the disused Maldon to Woodham Ferrers railway line, descend the steps on the other side and continue straight ahead on a cross-field path to a wooden swing gate. Go through the gate and bear half right to another gate at the end of a garden fence. Leave the field through this gate and turn right on Roundbush Road. After a few yards, where the road turns sharp left by farm buildings, take the clearly marked byway on the right.
(2) Just after the byway enters a wooded area the track splits three ways - here keep to the centre track between a hedge on the left and three trees on the right. There is a marker post here but it is often obscured by vegetation. After some way, the track becomes better surfaced, and where it dog-legs left and right, take a footpath on the left through a swing gate into a field. Cross the field diagonally and go through the gate into a narrow footpath between fence and hedge.
After a few yards, ignore a footpath on the right over a makeshift footbridge, continuing ahead to a gate and a path ahead over a raised section of plastic planks. At the end of this, turn left to follow a path between fences with a derelict barn on the left. When the path emerges at a track, turn right; it soon becomes Crown Road which meets Fambridge Road with the Cold Norton village sign opposite. Cross the road.
To visit The Norton pub, cross St Stephens Road and walk downhill on Fambridge Road for 200 yards.
(3) Walk down St Stephens Road, passing the primary school. At the bottom of the hill, ignore a footpath on the right beside an Essex and Suffolk water compound, following the road left and crossing an old railway bridge where there are two entrances to a bridleway. Take either of these, almost immediately ignoring a footpath that goes ahead to join a field edge but instead, turn half right on to the bridleway. Follow this for a little over 1/2 mile to Honey Lane.
(4) Drop down to cross Honey Pot Lane and rejoin the bridleway on the other side. Various tracks from the Three Rivers golf course cross and join the bridleway here, so beware of golf buggies and balls. Ignore all these paths keeping ahead on the bridleway. Just after going under an old railway bridge, at a sign for Stow Maries Nature Reserve, a path joins from the left down a raised earth bank - this was the site of the Stow Maries Halt platform. At a second sign for the nature reserve, at a waymarked post, there is a detour due to an unsafe bridge ahead (see Useful Information below).
(5) Turn left at the post to join a footpath. On meeting a short section of fence, go to the right of this, cross the footbridge and stile going through the hedge. Turn left and follow a field edge path with the hedge on the left. Where the hedge turns left, go straight ahead on a cross-field path heading initially towards a small tree in the field. This path used to be indistinct and rarely reinstated, but at the time of writing, it appears now to be a six foot wide grassy track with cultivated fields on either side.
Pass to the right of the small chestnut tree and then a second one, heading towards a marker that can be seen on the hedge ahead. On reaching the marker turn right to follow a field edge path downhill. At the corner of the field there is a footpath that crosses the ditch on the left - ignore this to stay on the grassy path in the direction of the railway line. Pass under the power lines, swing right and in the field corner cross a stile and footbridge. Bear left to follow a faint path through trees, passing two waymark posts and up steps to the bridleway.
To visit The Prince Of Wales pub take the footpath directly opposite, following it alongside Poorhouse Wood. Cross the road, turn right and walk along Woodham Road for a little over 200 yards.
(6)Turn left to continue along the railway track bridleway. At the end of the path drop down to the right passing beside a gate to meet Woodham Road. Cross the road going half left to enter a bridleway beside a concrete block. Follow it gently uphill until, after 1/3 mile, it eventually curves to the right and enters a vineyard. Go straight ahead uphill between vines and hedge.
(7) At a marker post for a four-way crossing of paths, keep ahead towards the wood ahead, leaving the last of the vines on the right. Continue on the bridleway just inside the edge of Hawe's Wood, still going slightly uphill. At the top of the rise, follow the waymark sharp left, then shortly afterwards sharp right, passing the yellow signs warning that this is a working airfield. Where the bridleway meets a tarmac lane from the left, go ahead on the lane.
(8) Where the lane turns right, follow it, passing a sign for Flambirds Private Road and more yellow warnings. Go through the gate at the end, crossing the track in front of the entrance to Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome and take the footpath that is virtually opposite, walking alongside the airfield fence.
(9) After 200 yards, where there is a defunct stile in the fence, bear half left to follow a usually fairly distinct path that snakes its way towards a gate in the fence ahead. Go through the gate and at this junction of paths turn sharp left to follow the field edge and fence. At the corner of the field, go through the hedge and cross the footbridge, keeping ahead on another field edge path. Cross a second footbridge and again keep ahead along a field edge path. Although the term 'path' is used here, there is no real sign that this is a path - it's just the edge of the fields. Cross a third footbridge, cross the concrete track, and again keep ahead along the side of the field. Go into the next field, crossing the ditch between ash and oak, once again keeping straight ahead.
(10) At the end of this field, cross a fourth and final footbridge and follow the waymark through scrubland with a reservoir bank on the right. The path meets a wider grassy track at a large oak, go ahead and through a gap in the hedge - on the right, there is an attractive pond. There is no waymarking here - keep close to the hedge on the left through this private garden. On reaching a gate and Hackmans Lane, leave the garden to the left of the gate, cross the lane and take the fingerpost marked path opposite - St Peter's Way. Take the path directly ahead, between abandoned trucks on the left and hedge on the right, passing underneath telephone lines.
Follow the path along the field edge with a hedge on the right. Where the hedge ends, continue in the same direction to cross the field aiming for buildings and a (just visible) marker post. At the post (or the other side of the field if it has fallen down completely) do not go into the next field but turn right along the edge of the field and then left to meet Birchwood Road.
Turn right on the road and after a few yards, turn left, down Lodge Lane. Shortly after the entrance to Scotts Farm ignore footpaths left and right, continuing on the lane which begins to descend to the village. At the 30 MPH signs, immediately before the first building, turn right at the fingerpost for St Peter's Way, along another byway. The path doglegs right and left then curves left and begins to climb.
(11) Just before some black farm buildings on the left, look out for a partially obscured adjacent stile. Cross this into a horse paddock, heading diagonally right to a stile in the paddock corner. Cross the stile, going straight ahead to follow St Peter's Way ignoring paths on the left (marked) and unmarked (right). Disregard any side paths, keeping ahead on the wider grassy path. It enters a wooded area and emerges on to Chelmsford Road - the B1010.
(12) Cross the road entering into New Hall Vineyard over the footbridge opposite. The path originally went through the vines but now turns right, following waymarks at the edge of the field with the road on the right. At the last row of vines, with a concrete access road ahead, turn right up a low bank and carefully cross the B1010.
(13) Take the unmarked and undefined path directly ahead between vines, heading towards a large tree at the top of the rise (being a footpath, the width between these rows of vines is slightly wider than between adjacent rows). On meeting a hedge from the right, continue ahead. Looking back for a moment, there are splendid views of the Blackwater estuary. All Saints church tower can be seen ahead (I have been unable to find out why the weather-vane is a fish). Where the hedge bears left, cross into the grassy area beside a vineyard notice board, aiming for the opposite corner. Go through the hedge, down the steps and through a swing gate.
(14) Walk past the church, following the road to leave Church Hill and enter The Street. Pass The Bell and then just past it turn right at a fingerpost and post-mounted letterbox to follow familiar paving slabs to a double metal gate. Go through, follow the gravel path between the yew bushes and just after the church's south door, turn left on the indistinct path close to the Old Rectory fence. Go along Rigbys Path, cross the stile by the seat, retracing the route downhill and across the footbridge to the start. (D/A)
Waypoints :
D/A : mi 0 - alt. 105ft
1 : mi 0.86 - alt. 56ft - Cross the disused railway line
2 : mi 1.4 - alt. 56ft - Three way split
3 : mi 2.18 - alt. 151ft - St Stephens Road
4 : mi 3.1 - alt. 79ft - Honey Lane
5 : mi 3.59 - alt. 56ft - Start of the detour
6 : mi 4.32 - alt. 62ft - End of the detour
7 : mi 5.1 - alt. 144ft - Four way crossing
8 : mi 5.75 - alt. 190ft - Flambirds Private Road
9 : mi 6.05 - alt. 184ft - Disused stile
10 : mi 6.83 - alt. 154ft - Private garden
11 : mi 8.19 - alt. 125ft - Partially obscured stile
12 : mi 8.7 - alt. 95ft - Vineyard
13 : mi 8.88 - alt. 85ft - Vineyard
14 : mi 9.19 - alt. 148ft - All Saints Church
D/A : mi 9.52 - alt. 102ft
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome has Flying Days, when Footpath 3 - running alongside it - is closed; the published diversion is not really satisfactory for this walk. There were three closure days in 2019, in May and July. Check at : https://www.stowmaries.org.uk/whats-on
Unsafe Bridge: the bridleway/footpath is closed due to a privately owned bridge, that the path crosses, being in a dangerous condition. However, locals have created their own way around it that drops down from the trackbed, past the bridge, and up the embankment again. This is not too steep, but care needs to be taken. I am that walkers use this 'bypass'; I am just explaining that it exists. It is only a short way from the detour so it can easily be looked at and assessed.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
The St Peter's Way is a 45 mile walk (and pilgrimage) meandering through the countryside of Essex, from Chipping Ongar to the ancient chapel of St Peter-on-the-Wall at Bradwell on Sea. https://www.essexhighways.org/uploads/fi...
Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome was established in September 1916 during the First World War for the Royal Flying Corps. By 1919, the need for airfields lessened and Stow Maries was closed. The airfield buildings are still mostly intact, with the original windows still in place and were used to store grain and farm vehicles until 2008. The airfield is being restored to a state that it would have been found in 1919. It is open to the public - days and times vary according to the season - details at : https://www.stowmaries.org.uk
The Witham to Maldon branch line was opened in 1848. It was extended to Woodham Ferris (later Woodham Ferrers), opening for passengers on 1 October 1889. The extension was not commercially successful however, so it was closed to passenger traffic in 1939 and completely in 1953.
The Norton (formerly The Barge, The Railway) was saved as an asset for the village by Cold Norton residents who raised £130,000 to secure a mortgage. It reopened in 2009 as a community pub staffed by local volunteers. It was subsequently taken over as a private enterprise by the current landlords in 2016 and was an Essex Life magazine Family Dining Award 2018 finalist.
The Prince Of Wales is an attractive C17th weatherboarded pub which always features an excellent range of real ales and continental beers. It was opened in 1990 by the co-founder of Crouch Vale Brewery in South Woodham Ferrers. Since its opening the pub has gained a reputation not only for its range of beers but also for good food, log fires in the winter and good entertainment.
The Bell dates back to the 14th century. The traditional interior includes an open fire in a large inglenook and three heavily beamed dining areas. The pub has a reputation for good food and up to four ales are usually on offer. Allegedly, it was the home of George Washington's great-great-grandfather, when he was rector of Purleigh church in the 1640s.
Please check for opening/food service times if planning to visit any of the pubs.
An enjoyable stroll near the ancient rural village of Woodham Walter with a nature reserve, arable fields, woodland and The Wilderness. The route is along bridleways and footpaths for the most part, with a couple of short sections on quiet country lanes. There are only two cross-field paths so it's a good winter walk although, like any hike in Essex, it can be muddy after rain.
A circular walk that circumnavigates the village of Little Baddow. Beginning in Lingwood Common, the route follows bridleways, footpaths, the river towpath and quiet country lanes. A good walk for any time of year, but not after spells of prolonged rain when the towpath, especially, can become something of a quagmire. Walking it in spring is highly recommended as Blake's Wood is nationally known for its display of bluebells.
3 village circular walk through Howegreen, Great Baddow, and Sandon
Along pavements, footpaths and bridleways and across fields.
An easy stroll in the countryside near Wickham Bishops, departing close to the redundant St Peter's church, passing beneath the last wooden railway viaduct in the country and then along the meandering banks of the River Blackwater. The return passes through woodland and has some excellent views across the Essex countryside. This is an all-seasons walk but is particularly good in spring and autumn.
An Essex walk that explores the salt marshes between the village of Tollesbury and the River Blackwater. Tollesbury has much of interest inclusing a bustling marina, restored sail lofts and a preserved lightship.
A walk across salt marshes with numerous birds and returning inland via the ruined Hadleigh Castle. Highly accessible from London as the Fenchurch Street line takes under an hour to get you to the start.
For more walks, use our search engine.
The GPS track and description are the property of the author.


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In his 2017 National Day Rally Speech on 20 March 2017, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasized the importance of learning Mandarin as a second language at an early age. He shared his own experience saying that he had begun learning Mandarin at the age of three in a Chinese-medium kindergarten.
He highlighted the difficulty for adults to learn a second language, as it would not be easy for them to get the pronunciation right.
Research has shown that children's early years are the most vital period in their life as that's when they form their main learning abilities, and it is also best time for them to learn a second language.
Harvard University has confirmed that learning a second language at a young age can enhance the children's creativity, critical think skills and mental acumen.
An article in Harvard Medicine magazine said: "At birth, babies already know something about the phonology (sound system) of their language and can tell the difference between their mother's native language and a language that has a different rhythmic pattern."
It also suggested that "the speed with which young children learn language is breathtaking".
The curriculum team at ELFA Preschool understands the co-relation between age and language learning ability, and has enhanced its curriculum with a strong emphasis on Chinese language acquisition.
Immersion in culturally-rich learning environment
ELFA's Chinese Speech and Drama lessons are taught by specialists to immerse children in a culturally-rich Chinese learning environment, to further strengthen the children's confidence in the mastery of the language.
ELFA has a uniquely designed story-based curriculum developed by a panel of advisors from China and Singapore, and comprises of six learning areas – Language and Literacy, Numeracy, Aesthetic and Creativity, Physical, Social Emotional and Environmental Awareness.
At ELFA, all Kindergarten children also have the opportunity to take part in the annual HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi or International Chinese Proficiency Assessment) covering listening, reading and writing to benchmark their skills and help them to further improve. They also have the opportunity to take part in the annual HSK Speech & Talent Competition.
In 2016, children from K2 children from ELFA Serangoon clinched the first prize for their outstanding performance in the event.


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On 16 apr 2007, at 07.31, Anne van Kesteren wrote: > That's not weird. We're all human and make mistakes. Yes, of course. But if nothing tells us when we make mistakes, we can't learn from them (which is why I think browsers somehow warning about errors is a very good idea). > The design has to take imperfection into account. This means > imperfection in the implementation, the generated HTML (whether by > hand or tool), even the specification, etc. To some extent, yes. > Even skillful web developers rely on error handling as can be seen > by the broken tools (no tool is perfect) they sometimes have to > work with. See the following blog entry for instance (I'm surprised > Roger Johansson +100 this thread for whatever reason): I've been thinking about this for a long time now, and I can't understand why you are surprised by that. Maybe I am misunderstanding you? > The web is also not solely for skillful web developers No, but it is my firm (as in Microsoft wants an opt-in switch firm) belief that people who build websites, who develop tools that are used to build websites, and who develop tools that are used to produce content for websites for a living, all have a responsibility to keep up-to-date with current best practices. /Roger -- http://www.456bereastreet.com/Received on Tuesday, 17 April 2007 18:38:56 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Thursday, 29 October 2015 10:15:19 UTC


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UK Size. O…..USA Size. 7.00
This is a lovely antique ring, which is set with a hand-carved cameo of a lady's head.
The picture is not carved out of a soft piece of shell, like in most cameo rings, but is carved out of a two layered hardstone of white over black. This is, of course, much more difficult to achieve, and the carver must be a real artist to accomplish such a feat. The cameo with its gold surround is 1.4cm long and 1cm wide.
The inside of the ring is stamped "585", which is a German mark for solid 14 carat gold and bears the maker's initials of "HD".
Difficult to date precisely, but I would think Circa.1910 or thereabouts.
The ring is a UK Size. O……USA Size. 7.00 and weighs 2.76 grams. It is in excellent overall condition, with just the lightest of wear you would expect of a ring of this age.
An unusual and attractive ring, for those who like something different in their jewellery.


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Board Of Directors
BCom, LLB, Chair
Andrew is a senior banker who has divided his career between the UK and Australia, and between the equities business and commercial banking.
BA (Hons-Math Stats), MAICD, Deputy Chair
Former public servant and blindness service manager. Bill led the integration of Seeing Eye Dogs Australia into Vision Australia in 2008, and he then served on the Client Representative council and the two service-specific advisory committees.
Cameron is a Senior Lecturer at the ANU College of Law, where he teaches and researches in workplace law.
LLB (Hons) (London), FCIS
Caroline is a senior professional with broad-ranging legal and commercial experience gained in the technology, retail, healthcare and professional services sectors.
LLB and BSW
Darren was named in the 2015 Australasian Lawyer Hot List as a "Pillar of the Community" and was the recipient of the 2014 Human Rights Commission Law Award.
BScOptom, MOptom, PhD, GradDipSpecEd, MPH, FAAO, FACO
Sharon is the Director of Clinical Services at the Australian College of Optometry and has an honorary appointment as Associate Professor in the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne.
Associate Professor Julian Rait OAM
Associate Professor Julian Rait is a specialist Ophthalmologist and the President of the Australian Medical Association (Victoria). He also Chairs the Council of Private Specialist Practice for the Federal AMA, and has been a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 2008.
BSc (Sydney), MBA (MGSM), FAICD, FCPA. New South Wales.
Sara is a non-executive director of BagTrans Group, and a trustee of the Australian Museum. She is currently Chair of the audit and risk committee for the Victorian Auditor-General's office and a member of the audit and risk committee for the Independent Broad-Based Anti-Corruption Commission.
Stephen O'Brien has specialised in strategy and business change for service sector organisations.


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"Kiss on My List" is a 1981 song recorded by Daryl Hall and John Oates. It was written by Janna Allen and Daryl Hall, and produced by Hall and Oates. It was the third single from their album Voices, and became their second Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (after "Rich Girl" in 1977).
While two other songs from the album had returned the duo to chart activity, it was the success of "Kiss on My List" that confirmed the start of the duo's sustained run as one of American pop's top-selling acts, a run that lasted into 1989.[citation needed]
According to Daryl Hall, Eddie Van Halen copied the synth part of this song and used it for the song "Jump" by Van Halen.[1]
In popular culture[edit]Edit
"Kiss on My List" can be heard in the films She's Out of My League and You Again.
The song is a popular track for use during "Kiss cams" at stadiums and arenas.
The song is to be featured in a Soft Rock DLC on the video game, Rocksmith 2014.
Cover versions[edit]Edit
In 2010, The Bird and the Bee covered the song as well as referenced it in another song, "Heard It On The Radio", for their tribute album Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates.
In 2014, The Family Crest covered the song for Grey's Anatomy Season 10, Episode 16 as a part of the Grey's Anatomy '80s cover project. The episode aired on March 20, 2014.
Chart performance[edit]Edit
|Chart (1981)
|Canadian Singles Chart
|New Zealand Singles Chart
|UK Singles Chart
|US Billboard Hot 100
|US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks


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"Let me rehearse a true story on this score.
Many years ago, I watched two very different groups of Christians meet together to express their oneness in Christ. One group was charismatic; the other wasn't. After a few joint meetings, the sparks began to fly.
I could rant on about the war-story details, but I'll spare you. Let me just say that a few months after we merged together, we witnessed a church split. And our strained efforts at preemptive peacemaking and spiritual finessing couldn't prevent it.
Yet with our garments still smoking, those of us who remained together came to an agreement. An agreement that would change my life. It was this: that all of us lay down our view of spiritual gifts at the foot of the cross. So we did.
Each one of us agreed to drop whatever we thought or experienced about the working of the Holy Spirit. We died to it completely. We gave it up. And we asked the Lord to teach us all over again as little children (Matt. 18:3).
From that point on, our entire focus shifted from what we thought we knew about the Holy Spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We resolved to strip down to Christ alone, and we set our eyes exclusively on Him. After about a year, something miraculous occurred.
There rose up—out of death, out of the grave in the newness of life—the gifts of the Spirit. But they didn't look like anything we had seen in the Pentecostal/charismatic movement. And they certainly didn't look like anything in the Church of Christ tradition. (All things look different in resurrection.)
Those of us who remained and committed to toughing out the storm were "built together." And I experienced something I had only read about in the Bible—I saw two very diverse groups of Christians love one another through their differences. The result was what Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 1:10.
This experience, while bloody at first, proved to me in living color that the unity of the faith is more than a pious ideal. Healthy church life is nonsectarian, nonelitist, and nonexclusive. It may involve much long-suffering, forbearance, and dying a thousand deaths.
But that's exactly what Paul said the price would be for preserving the unity of the Spirit:
With all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2–3, NKJV)."
Article taken From – Rethinking Christian Unity (Frank.V)


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Got a lot of people to shop for, but maybe not a ton of moola to go around? Don't worry, we've got you covered with this list of five PNW inspired gifts under $20 that are sure to thrill even the most discerning Seattleites in your life.
Three Legged Red
Is there a combination wine and dog lover in your life? If so, they definitely know what's good in life. Treat them to a bottle of Dunham Cellar's Three Legged Red, which is adorned with an adorable three legged dog and is a super tasty Columbia Valley red table wine. This variety is made with fruit from the collective estate vineyards, making this blend is perfect for any occasion.
Theo's Winter Confection Collection
For the sweet tooth in your life, you can't go wrong with Theo's eight piece chocolate package that will only set you back $16. The chocolates aren't made with preservatives, so your lucky giftee will have to make sure these bad boys get consumed within three weeks... which shouldn't be a problem, especially if they have nice friends... aka you! $1 of every box sold goes back to Mary's Place, an organization that empowers the homeless community in Seattle to get their lives back on track, meaning there's plenty to feel good about gifting this sweet treat.
Dank Crystal's Golden Gardens Candle
For the low low price of $16, you can gift the 6 oz encapsulated essence of everyone's favorite Seattle beach. Nothing will set the mood quite like this gardenia and fir needle based candle that is hand poured and envelops a purified crystal inside. Spread the good vibes around, my dudes. Founder Bekah Zietz recommends pairing the burning of the candle with tunes by War on Drugs, The Supremes, Frankie Cosmos, Richard Swift and King Tubby.
Enamel Pins from Kimberlin Company
Seattle's Kimberlin company designs super cute and whimsical enamel pins that dream of days spent out among the firs. Who's not going to love the super tongue in cheek "Stay Wild Child" pin, or the more inspirational "Wander Onward" pin. If it's a bit of PNW flair you're after, Kimberlin also represents Mount Rainier in their collection. Shop here.
Pretty Much Anything From Sock Monster
Sure, sure socks are kind of a lame present... but they're DEFINITELY not lame when they're emblazoned with pandas holding boomboxes or clouds raining literal cats and dogs (a more Seattle-y gift can't be bought). Whether you're discerning gift is into science or beer, you're sure to find the perfect match for the occasion. The Sock Monster's brick and mortar is located on the Ave, but you can shop online as well.


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It seems like you're great at the off-schedule. TE Garrett Celek was saying a couple games ago on the 61-yarder that the coverage dropped and he just kept running because he had confidence you were going to see him. Is that the way you want to play? Would you like to have sort of more control at the line of scrimmage to figure out the matchup that you would like?
"That is what we do most of the time. The off-schedule stuff it's called off-schedule because you can't really plan for that stuff. It just happens, and it's kind of a happening if you see it or not. I think we have plenty of control at the line of scrimmage. We're changing plays versus different coverages and stuff. I think we've got a good thing."
When it comes to scramble drills, in your past with the Patriots or here, I assume happened a little bit organically, how do you work on that with your receivers, your tight ends on what you want to do or looking for when it is off-schedule?
"We talk through it plenty in meetings. Even when it's just on the sideline and practice, I'll talk to them about working toward me or what they see and how we can maximize the potential of the play. It's kind of something that just happens. That's why when I first got here it was tougher, but as you can see week after week, we keep getting better at those types of plays and converting more of them."
On your touchdown pass to WR Trent Taylor, you credited your baseball background to allowing you to make that throw. What exactly did you mean by that? Was it like turning two as a shortstop?
"Basically, yeah."
Did you have history as an infielder? I know you were a pitcher in high school.
"I was a pitcher, played a little shortstop, a little center, bounced around. I always threw sidearm. I threw submarine a little bit. Those different arm angles, baseball you use every type of arm angle. I've been doing those throws since high school, so it kind of just came second nature to me."
Did you have good hands as an infielder?
"Of course."
As a pitcher, did you throw sidearm and over the top?
"Yeah, and submarine sometimes."
Trent said that he wasn't expecting that ball. He said he was kind of surprised to see it coming. What was it that you saw that 'Okay I'm going to put it here because I know Trent can get it?'
"That was off-schedule, and he made a heck of a move. Just the savviness for him to have as a rookie, I haven't seen many guys with it. He did kind of a circle in the end zone, and it got him open. The defender froze his feet, and he made a tremendous catch. I didn't really see it, but I saw it on film, and that was a great catch."
Sounds like the Rams are going to rest a lot of key guys. Is it in any way that a bummer for you guys, just because you won't be able to measure yourself against the division champions?
"Not really. You try to every week say that you're facing a faceless opponent. No matter who it is you want to have the same mindset. No matter what type of game it is, first game of the season, last game of the season. I think we've done that pretty well the last couple of weeks, just coming in, preparing every day, practicing hard, going through the little critiques of certain plays and I think if we keep going that we'll be good on Sunday."
Just to clarify on the Trent Taylor play, him coming back towards the middle, that was just him working to get open?
"Yeah, the play went off-schedule, they did a three-man rush, and then the nickelback came out of coverage. Trent, he's good at finding the soft areas of the defense."
You've obviously spent a lot of time with quarterbacks coach Rich Scangarello since you've been here. How has that relationship developed and how helpful has he been for you to get you up to speed quickly?
"Rich doesn't get enough credit in my opinion. There's a lot of moving pieces, but Rich has been with me since I first got here. Literally the first day I walked in here we were going over stuff after I did all the interviews and whatnot. I think a big part of our relationship was that Bye week though. A lot of one-on-one time. We only had a couple of receivers here, so we got to know each other pretty well. He's a smart coach, and he makes it a lot easier for me to go through my reads when he explains things how I understand them."
The rise of this team obviously has been a really big story in the Bay Area. You've catalyzed that. I know you've mentioned in the past keeping your head down and not listening to outside noise, but at this point is it difficult when the story has become as big as it is? Is it harder for you to maintain that focus and block out the outside noise?
"Not really. All four years of my career there's been big story after big story, just the NFL. I think you just kind of get used to it. You don't listen to the noise. I hear about it from people. It's cool to hear about, but we have a job on Sunday to do, and if you get caught up in all the noise you'll be distracted and have no chance."
How does this area compare to New England-Boston area in terms of--?
"The weather is way nicer."
Just in terms of the intensity of numbers of media and things like that?
"It's different. I don't want to compare you guys, then I'll feel bad. It's all good. You guys are phenomenal. I don't know how to answer that one. That's tough."
A lot of rookies have been contributing recently, one, in particular, TE George Kittle. What does he bring to the offense?
"A lot of excitement. George is a high-energy guy. I'm sure you guys know that from just talking to him in the locker room. It's fun to play with him. He gets the other guys going around him. That tight end group is a unique group, just in their personalities. Little bit of everything. It's a pleasure playing with a guy like that."
What does he do well as a tight end?
"He's got good hands. It's tough to find a big guy like that with good hands and has quickness like he does. George, he makes the most of his opportunities. When he gets called upon, he usually answers it. For a rookie, that's pretty important."
Do you feel you're comfortable and able to incorporate everything that you need to in this playbook that head coach Kyle Shanahan has?
"From what I hear, there's stuff still that I haven't even heard yet. Words, phrases, whatever it may be in the offense. Every week we come in, yesterday I came in, and you hear terms for the first time that I'm like 'What's that formation?' They have to explain it to me. That's what's different than the three years prior to this. In New England, you come in, and you pretty much know what was going on. It's becoming more and more routine I guess, getting the new information and kind of the process of breaking it all down now."
When you're in the flow of a game, can you get a feel for when a play caller is in a rhythm, has an idea, knows what to call, maybe a few plays where he's confident calling it, you're confident relaying it and there's kind of a collective belief it's going to work?
"I think that comes from the week prior to it honestly. All week last week we had a good rhythm of Kyle calling it, there was really no hiccups in the huddle or anything. There was a smooth transition day in and day out. I think it carried over to Sunday. That's what makes these games a lot easier is when you have a good week of practice leading up to it."
How would you describe him as a play caller?
"Awesome. Makes my job a lot easier."
Do you know what you're going to be doing a week from now when the season's over?
"No. I've got to clean out my apartment pretty soon. That'll probably be on the list at some point, but I don't know. We'll worry about the Rams, get through this first and we'll go from there."
Not to put a bad thought in your head, but probably the last bad game you had was in college. What do you remember of it and how did you come back from it?
"It snowed a ton. There was like six inches of snow on the ground. That was one of the toughest games of my career honestly, football career. College is way different than this. The game planning, there really isn't much in college compared to the NFL. It was a good learning experience. You learn things about yourself and how you bounce back from adversity. I've had plenty of it in my career. I'm sure it'll happen at some point. We're just trying to keep this good thing going."
Who was it against, do you remember?
RB Carlos Hyde predicted that the 49ers will be in the Super Bowl next year. Do you agree or disagree on that?
"That's Carlos' opinion."
Did you feel the earthquake last night?
"Yeah, second one. I had one my rookie year. It was weird. You don't get those in Illinois."
Did you get the gifts for your offensive linemen?
"I did, they actually just arrived before I came in."
They don't have them yet?
"They're getting them today."
So you can't tell us yet?
"No. Come on, why you trying to ruin the surprise? They just arrived actually right before I came in. Those guys will be happy to get them."
* Transcript provided by the San Francisco 49ers


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So, Week One of Madness is done, the moon is full and Gonzago folded like a cheap card table. This year, you may as well pick the winners in your bracket by uniform color or your favorite mascot. Or, go with the Biggest Thing in College Basketball. Guard Play. Who has the clutch shooter two guard, or the best point? Guard play is the thing. Gonzago had the good big man but when that broke down they had no superior guard to make it all come together. So, now they go home to enjoy the rain and snow. So, who has the best guard play? I still have three of my four Final Four picks in the Sweet 16. No, I did not pick Harvard over New Mexico, LaSalle or St. Louis over anyone. Now I am embarrassed. The MWC conference did not come through as my upset conference of the year pick. What is left? Pick the guard play, forget about who plays the most physical. Fouls are not called in the tournament. Hack and attack is the order of the day. Anyone left for the second week knows that is true and adjusts accordingly. Forget about depth. Any team that goes beyond a rotation of seven or eight guys is gone but, barring injury, that is no big deal because fouls are not called in the tournament. If you have any other hesitations, remember these two truths:
- Guard play is foremost.
- Fouls do not get called.
So, since guard play is vital and depth is less important, I stick with my first prediction that Florida, Miami and Louisville will come out of their regions. Florida will beat Miami and Louisville will beat, well, not the Zags, since they have returned to class and their futile search for their post man's biceps.
With the Zags gone, who will come out of that region?
I love Arizona. I believe in Arizona. I should have picked Arizona in the first place, over the guard poor Zags. I didn't and now I have to live with it.
So, I am picking Ohio State. Arizona has better talent, good coaching, et alia, but, frankly, I put them with Duke. I often picked Duke to get to the last weekend and I will again, the year after they do it the next time. Duke has let me down for years, as has Arizona. I love them, believe in them and cannot pick them.
L'ville over OSU and Florida over UM in the semis.
L'ville over Florida in the Big Game.
Guard play.


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The Magic of Native Genius: 5 questions for Kristen Wheeler
If you've been around Little Bird Marketing our our Podcast, Ponderings from the Perch for awhile you'll be familiar with the term "native genius". We're quick to mention the amazing Kristen Wheeler who coined this phrase. She is the founder & creator of Native Genius® and basically the person wearing the best blazer you've ever seen with a stunning regularity.
You might remember her amazing Tedx Boulder appearance where she challenges us about how we sleepwalk through our work, and maybe even our lives when we are not keenly aware of our native genius. She is not wearing an epic blazer in this appearance, but her words carry none the less. Since you might not get a chance to bump in to her as we do, we asked her great questions which may just change your life. Yeah, I said it.
Don't miss her amazing resources including downloads and audio.
When you're ready to move past mediocrity and dig into the juicy awesomeness that is at the core of who you are here is the beginning of that journey. I pose 5 questions to Kristen and she works her magic to help you see that the small things you can't help but do, once noticed and celebrated, can move you into meaningful work and life that kicks a$$.
What are the typical pain points your clients have when they first reach out to you?
Leaders reach out to me for lots of reasons. But at the root of their interest is the belief that enjoying work is not a "nice to have" but that it's necessary for exceptional work. They either hope or already know that a culture where people get to the greatness in each other will address many common pain points. They're often faced with bigger challenges and need more from their people in a way that feels great to them. Or they've inherited or merged teams and need to understand what makes each person tick and for the team to gel quickly. Or they feel spread too thin and want the team to rely on each other more, or work better with other teams.
For individuals, they're struggling at work because they're drained, bored, frustrated and feeling ho-hum. They know they can do and bring more. They want work that's aligned with who they really are. They've settled for less at work because of other demands and now they're thinking, "This has got to change. I'm ready." They want more meaning and aliveness at work so it ripples out into the rest of their life.
What are your clients hoping can change in their lives through your workshops and programs?
For companies, leaders want to go from having a so-so team culture to having a culture that makes work a place they want to be. They want to get more from their people in a way that feels great to them. They want people to feel like others have their back and are invested in helping them bring out their best work. They want a place of safety, respect and thriving and amazing results they're proud of together. Leaders don't want to leave this to happenstance and they don't want to be the one to "systematize" their values—they want help with that.
Individuals want to go from not loving their work to loving their work. They want to be more in control of that—they want it to be more predictable. They want a better job or role—and they don't want to go broke "doing what they love." They want to feel fulfilled and alive at work and be well paid. They want to know what their innate talents are and be using them. They want to feel clear and confident about their decisions. They want more support for this journey.
You talk about "native genius" as a set of micro behaviors. What do you mean by that?
Typically we think of innate talents at too high of a level for it to be useful for people to take action. We think of work at the role level: Architect, Actor, Accountant. But regardless of the role we're in, we have these kernels that both drive us and deeply fulfill us. Those kernels show up in "micro behaviors." I call them "micro" because they feel so small you might miss them. For example, I love asking soul searching questions. Whether I'm sitting next to someone on a plane, coaching an executive, teaching a workshop or developing content, I can't not ask searching questions. That's one of my Native Geniuses—and it shows up as very small behavior that would be easy to miss.
In all aspects of my career, from when I was helping my mom and her partner with their real estate business when I was 15, to when I was implementing big software projects, to doing user interface design, to being a psychotherapist and a coach, I've been asking soul searching questions the whole time. And while it feel small to me, other say it makes a big impact. When helping ourselves or someone else, noticing these behaviors and doing them more often is way more valuable than waiting for someday to make a big career change. By intentionally doing these behaviors rather than relying on happenstance, you'll morph your career towards more and more of your Native Genius.
What do you wish we were teaching kids and college students about themselves?
There's nothing wrong with you if you're not good at something. It's natural to be good at some things and not good at others. Desire is way more important than ability. Listen first inside yourself—to your desire. Listen outside yourself sparingly and carefully—to what others say you should do or what "experts" say will or won't succeed in the job market.
Take tiny leaps of faith and to do what lights you up—even if you don't know "where it will go." The work you'll be doing twenty years from now may not even exist right now. In fact, you may make-up that work. Don't let the world shape what you do—shape the world to fit your Native Genius.
What is your Native Genius?
Native Genius is not one thing, it's many things. A person's Native Genius is a bit like a net of gems. We can't ever describe in totality. But we can describe the different actions. Here are four of my Native Geniuses: 1) asking soul searching questions; 2) helping people be deeply real with themselves and others; 3) representing complex ideas simply—in a way that gets you in the gut—especially when it comes to the human condition; 4) others say that it's my Native Genius to help people find their Native Geniuses. Yes, I love doing that so I claim that as one of my Native Geniuses too.
These are things that I reflexively think, "Uh yeah but anyone would or could do that." Almost everyone feels dismissive like that about their Native Geniuses, "Yeah, but these are nothing." Just because they feel like nothing, doesn't mean that their impact is nothing.
So I'll end with this reminder about Native Genius, It's your nothings—the things you love doing that you dismiss—that are something. Your nothings are your somethings. Pay attention to them.
You're in luck! The Peeps have created for your perpetual encouragement a series of six free mobile wallpapers. Were positivity downloadable, it would assume this form.


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Real Estate Agents – A Lesson in Reality
In a bustling economy, it seemed everyone wanted to become service residence in kl. Some individuals even quit their regular jobs to get into a marketplace they had an opportunity to take full advantage of.
Of course, before being able to work the business, you need to go to jesselton penang. Different states have different requirements but in general all you need is a high school diploma. Schools average about 40 hours of coursework and this can be broken down into perhaps a few weekends, or other schools advocated one night a week for a few months, giving students a better opportunity to understand and remember the coursework.
After school is over you are then required to take your state's licensing exam. Once you pass you are typically recruited by every real estate agency in your town because they have access to all the new licensee names.
As you go to interview with these agencies, you are rarely told how much money it's going to cost you to get into the business. These agencies will do and say anything to get you to work for them because of course the more people they have, the better chance they have to increase sales.
As you see dollar signs in front of your eyes, you don't realize that you are truly working for yourself. Period. And as any independent contractor, because that's what you are, it costs money to be in business. Typically you will need to come up with over $1,000 just to start working at most agencies. You will be charged for MLS fees, office administrative fees which include use of phone, space, etc., along with business cards, general advertising expenses, liability insurance, and a host of other possibilities.
Once you are shown to your new desk, you're pretty much on your own. This is where you realize that what you learned in real estate school isn't helping you much at all. Real estate school teaches you about tax stamps and deed rights, but it doesn't teach you a thing about how to sell property. Most agencies don't provide much on the job training and you'd better find a mentor quick before you quit.
To help you get some customers you will probably be given the opportunity to answer phones for specific periods of time. You're probably saying you didn't sign up for this, but in reality this is how you will get your first customers. People see for sale signs with your company name, and they call in for information. This is your chance to try to schedule an appointment with them and sell them the home.
With a little experience you might be lucky to get your own listings, meaning you are being hired by sellers to put their home on the market. Of course, you are also responsible for spending your own money to advertise the house, and you need to spend money on gas driving customers around to see all your houses for sale.…


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By Jim Taylor, Editor MACS ACtion Magazine
Meet the teacher
Introducing more of the teachers and leaders that will be presenting classes at the upcoming MACS Training Event and Trade Show in February. Each of these class leaders has been chosen for their detailed knowledge of their topic and their ability to present it to you.
Jim Graham, Global Compressor Engineering, Delphi Product & Service Solutions
"Up and coming compressor technologies"
Jim Graham began his engineering career in 1970 at the University of Dayton Research Institute and then joined the Delco Moraine division of General Motors as a test technician in the Brake Systems Lab. In 1981 he transferred to GM's Delco Air Conditioning division with responsibility for noise analysis of compressor applications.
In 1984 he transferred to GM's Harrison Radiator division, assuming the responsibility of developing tests for validation of the division's thermal products. After moving to Harrison's International Systems Engineering Group, he held various assignments as Product Development and Engineering Liaison. Now, as Global Compressor Engineering manager – Thermal Products in Delphi's Product & Service Solutions division, Jim is responsible for the validation and release of A/C compressors to the global independent aftermarket.
It's not an overstatement to say Jim Graham knows his stuff. Describing his upcoming presentation in Orlando, he said, "There have been quite a few changes in compressor technologies over the last several years. These changes have, and will continue to, affect they way customer air conditioning issues are resolved. This class will explain a few of the different type of compressor technologies, why they were developed and how they function.
"These explanations are intended to help you diagnose and correct problems more quickly thus saving you time and, of course, money. We will also be able discuss real world cases with other technicians that may help you in the future."
The Mobile Air Conditioning Society's blog has been honored as the best business to business blog in the Automotive Aftermarket by the Automotive Communications Awards and the Car Care Council Women's Board!
When having your mobile A/C system professionally serviced, insist on proper repair procedures and quality replacement parts. Insist on recovery and recycling so that refrigerant can be reused and not released into the atmosphere.
If you're a service professional and not a MACS member yet, you should be, click here for more information.
You can E-mail us at email@example.com or visit to find a Mobile Air Conditioning Society member repair shop in your area. Click here to find out more about your car's mobile A/C and engine cooling system.
The 33rd annual Mobile Air Conditioning Society (MACS) Worldwide Training Conference and Trade Show, Be the Best of the Best will take place February 7-9, 2013 at the Caribe Royale, Orlando, FL.


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Welcome to WORDPEACE's Winter/Spring 2020 issue!
WORDPEACE is a literary journal dedicated to peace and justice.
This issue features poetry, fiction, non-fiction and artwork.
Cover art is "Camp Views II Arizona Border 2019" by Josh Stein
Issue 5/2 Summer/Fall 2020 coming in August!
We ARE OPEN for submissions March 1 – April 30, 2020
We publish semi-annually, with submissions open in March / April (for August/Sept. publication) and October /November (for January/February publication).
Letter from the Editor:
– February 19, 2020
Stepping into this election year, it becomes hard to keep a level head while being barraged by the news of what is happening here in the United States. Soon, we may find ourselves either mired in another four-year cycle of back-stepping (goose-stepping?) inanity, or we are on the verge of a re-definition of democracy for the better, providing all of us who believe in the possibility of an open-hearted, open-minded, moral and intelligent future decide enough is enough and we VOTE. On that note, it is imperative that we find ways to speak out, to find the courage inside ourselves to protest the myriad of injustices – unfair actions by the powers that be against immigrants, voiceless children, people of color, women, LGBT and other marginalized communities, in which I and members of my family can count ourselves. We continue to see, on television and the internet, the angry posturing of our unhinged and unqualified president, school shootings (more than 250 now in one year), the fraying away of immigrant rights and trans rights. Some days our country seems unrecognizable.
Monica Hand and I founded WORDPEACE in the hope of making a difference, despite having to live our lives, care for our families, and continue writing and publishing. Monica isn't with us anymore to see the continuation of this vision, and I miss my friend. Every issue of this journal will be dedicated to her. We are so blessed to have Monica Barron (non-fiction), Ciona Rouse (poetry), Lisa C. Taylor (fiction) and Russell Taylor (art) choosing work for the journal. We all want to stand up to indifference by publishing work that inspires people to think, in the hope that it will spur someone to activism, and, hopefully will help pave the way to kindness, sensibility, peace and social justice.
Lori Desrosiers
Founding Editor & Publisher, WORDPEACE.CO


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Subjects taught at LSE | Services and divisions (administration)
All research groups | Research subject areas
It should be made easier for groups to set up their own co-housing communities says a new report which will be launched in the House of Commons today (Wednesday 22 June).
According to the report, written by academic housing researchers working with the UK Cohousing Network, cohousing could be much more widely adopted if it were easier for groups to get planning, financial and development support.
Cohousing communities provide a neighbourly, supportive lifestyle. The people who live in them share facilities and often eat together while retaining private dwellings. There is a niche market for this style of housing in the UK but interest is growing strongly. However groups often have problems finding suitable land and then actually developing their plans.
Dr Melissa Fernández Arrigoitia, an author of the report and researcher from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) said: "There are fantastic social, political, ecological benefits that make cohousing a real alternative to conventional housing for some people. While each initiative will be unique, we should find ways to make it simpler for newly formed groups to get their plans off the ground without having to reinvent the wheel each time."
The report recommends that local government should make more land available cheaply, especially in urban areas, to groups who want to set up cohousing communities.
It also says that social and private developers should think inventively about how to integrate cohousing into mainstream housing developments, as happens in some other countries. According to the report there are 19 established cohousing communities in the UK in comparison to over 600 in Germany.
Cohousing groups should look for ways to incorporate ecological and sustainable technology, for instance for heating, in the design, construction and operation of their communities. This includes ensuring that members of the community know how to use the technology.
Kath Scanlon, an author of the report and LSE researcher, said: "Cohousing can be attractive to people as they get older and need to downsize. These communities provide a ready-made social network and could help promote 'healthy ageing'. In countries with a more established cohousing movement, these communities are also seen as great places to raise children."
Dr Helen Jarvis, one of the report's authors from Newcastle University and non-executive Director of the UK Cohousing Network said: "This project drew inspiration from pioneering community projects and new research and evidence. The aim was to stimulate a bigger conversation on the current crisis in housing. The next step is to translate inspiration and knowledge into action. Building on cohousing idea will allow more people to achieve low-impact lifestyles and a sense of belonging through the efficiencies of sharing".
The report draws on two years of seminars and site visits across the country. Researchers met residents of cohousing communities as well as activists, practitioners and academics from continental Europe, Australia and the USA. LSE collaborated with the universities of Newcastle, Leeds, Lancaster, Nottingham and Sheffield, and the UK Co-housing Network, to organise the project.
Posted: 22 June 2016
Notes to Editors
Image: Duwamish Cohousing (formerly Ciel Cohousing), West Seattle, Seattle, Washington, Credit: Joe Mabel, used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
For more information
Sue Windebank, LSE press office, T: 020 7955 7060, E: firstname.lastname@example.com
Use of this website is subject to, and implies acceptance of, its Terms of use (including Copyright and intellectual property, Privacy and data protection and Accessibility). The London School of Economics and Political Science is a School of the University of London. It is a charity and is incorporated in England as a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Acts (Reg no. 70527).The registered office address of the School is: The London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK; Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 7686


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Mean Bean Co.
Coffee Dessert Box
This is a perfect gift for any coffee lover, including yourself.
- Wide variety of cookies with two types of coffee (250 gms each) & an instruction card.
Only available for shipping in Delhi/NCR.
To create your own customized box or for placing bulk orders.
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"Dreaming of a Vetter World" to play at the Storefront Theater
Release Date:
Rhea Landholm, brand marketing and communications manager, firstname.lastname@example.com, 402.687.2100 ext 1025
LYONS, NEBRASKA – The documentary, "Dreaming of a Vetter World," will be presented at the Storefront Theater on Main Street in Lyons, Nebraska, at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7.
Hosted by the Center for Rural Affairs, no admission will be charged.
The movie follows three generations of a Nebraska farm family who share the struggles they have faced as small-scale organic farmers in an era of industrial agriculture.
"Dreaming of a Vetter World" is directed by Bonnie Hawthorne.
"The Vetters understood that modern agriculture was ailing, and found a cure," Hawthorne said. "From farmer's son to soil scientist to missionary and back to farmer, organic pioneer David Vetter has dedicated his life to a 'ministry to the soil.'"
Vetter has an interest in regenerating soil, a trend that has emerged worldwide.
"With both historical context and an eye to the future, 'Dreaming of a Vetter World' shows it's possible to jump off conventional agriculture's pesticide treadmill," Hawthorne said. "It's also a story about love, hope and place; an inspiring example of perseverance and doing what you know is right – against all odds."
Please RSVP to Trish Darnell, at the Center for Rural Affairs, at firstname.lastname@example.com or 402.687.2100. If there's enough interest, Vetter will attend for a question and answer session.
The presentation is weather permitting.
- Posted on 1.10.2020
- Posted on 1.10.2020
- Posted on 4.24.2020
- Posted on 4.29.2020
- Posted on 1.17.2020


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Not to put too fine a point on it, but sometimes I swear that all there is to one politician's attack on his or her rival is an extroverted confession of their own flaws and sins. Take for example all the hoopla Wisconsin Republicans have made about "outside money" and "out-of-state union thugs" meddling in Madison and running the recalls. Saying little of how next to nothing could be further from the truth, one needn't do anything more than keep tabs on the company our politicians keep to understand whose pillow talk lies in bed with creeps. Scott Walker has been the governor for only 16 months, and yet the man has been able to raise at least $25 million, which for a mostly agricultural state like Wisconsin, with a population of only 5.7 million, is eye-gaugingly staggering. True to form — and the show & tell-all panhandling act of this is too poetically perfect to make up — the day that nearly one million signatures to recall Walker were submitted in downtown Madison, His Nibs was on Park Avenue in New York City at a fundraising event hosted by one of the richest men in America, Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, where a mere $2,500 donation got you inside the door. In case your invite was lost in the mail, here's what it looked like:
(thanks to scottwalkerwatch.com for the document)
Just to jog our collective memory, Hank Greenberg is the former CEO of AIG, American International Group, a ginormous insurance company that received over $100 billion in taxpayer bailouts during the 2008-09 fiscal fiasco. Greenberg also was a "Bush Ranger" back in 2004, having raised around a quarter million dollars to Dubya's presidential run.
But apparently this kind of association is entirely consonant with Wisconsin conservative values, fiscal responsibility, and Tea Party etiquette.
Of Walker's $25 million war chest, we would do well to consider that at least 60 percent of that money has come from out of state — meaning that only $2 of every $5 is coming from Wisconsin. Whichever of those 49 others, Walker has been country-trotting like a cross between a Revivalist preacher and rockstar on tour, raising money faster than a relief organization after a calamity from coast to coast in order to avoid the state which he is supposed to be governing because half of its inhabitants absolutely hate his guts. Walker has successfully loose-shaken the pockets of rich moneybags who are notorious for funding horrible campaigns and scumbag people. Folks like Texan tycoon Bob Perry, aka the guy behind the Swift Boat ads against John Kerry. Folks like the living evil of the billionaire Koch Brothers, Charles and David, whose shit-eating grins excrete an effluvium of hell-fire and foul vapors while funding far-right Republican causes and anti-environmental campaigns and own everything that can be owned — except elections (though they're working on that!) — and have nothing left to waste their endless profits on but politicians and policies that seek to do nothing more than reverse time and take us all back to a late 19th Century society of robber barons and business magnates screwing every working family, woman, man, and anti-child labor law you can imagine.
I'm probably being too harsh. After all, it is true that Walker's most generous individual donor is the if not lovely then at least talented billionaire heiress of Beloit and bride of Skeletor, Diane Hendricks.
Woops! Must've been a Freudian Slip. Sorry Evil-Lyn!
Now that's the Diane Hendricks we remember well, you know, the one whom Walker assured back in January 2011 that step 1 of making Wisconsin a right-to-work state was dividing and conquering the public sector unions. Hell, no one likes a lazy baby, especially the widow Hendricks, who was raised on a farm, married before she finished high school, and had seven children — or eight, if you count her ward, Scott Walker, for whom she is his sugar mama and has given him over half a million dollars, outspent only by the Republican Party of Wisconsin itself.
For a fun interactive map comparing Tom Barrett's out-of-state donations (about 20 percent) to Walker's (again, 60 percent), I encourage to play around here.
To be sure, Barrett himself has received money from flatlanders, but it's not even comparable to Walker's windfall. One thing both men do have in common is non-Wisconsinites working on their campaigns: Barrett's campaign manager is a man from Pennsylvania by the name of Jay Hoswer who has successfully overseen races in Ohio, Indiana, and Louisiana. Walker meanwhile has two outsiders comprising his top staff: his campaign manager is from Ohio and his communications director is from Nevada. (Always Ohio… What is it with that state?)
But whaddabout all dem union thugs, huh? Those big-boy union bosses from D.C. and the Chicago Stockyards? According to the Friends of Scott Walker, Big Government Labor is ready to shell out $40 million to the Madison Liberals. For real, in a mailer that was sent out earlier this month (and you really should check out this link), "Friends" decried the influence of out-of-state interests who seek nothing more than revenge and power and send us reeling backwards to the Doyle-old days of tax and spend free-falling spree sprawls. As I began earlier, such incredible cognitive dissonance bespeaks nothing more than a projection of one's own guilty deeds. I mean, really, any time a politician has to say "The facts are my friends. The truth is on our side," the whiff of shit-doth-stink is enough to knock ya over.
For what it's worth, so far in 2012 the state and national unions have kicked in $7 million to recall Walker, most of which went towards Kathleen Falk, labor's loudest cheerleader, who got drubbed by Barrett in the Democratic primary. Not that such facts make one whit of difference to the scare tactics of Walker's Friends.
Now, I understand that not everybody has the badge-of-honor of coming from so illustrious a place as New Jersey like I do, but you needn't hail from there to see from a mile away the agonizing arrogance and hoof-in-mouth disgrace the likes of Chris Christie, who was in our beloved badger state only a couple weeks ago on the stump with Scott. That warmup of dynamic duos will be complemented only next week by none other than Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina who, in the words of the Wisconsin State Journal, "frequently bashes unions and considers South Carolina's low union membership rate an economic development tool" and in no uncertain terms laid it out flat in her State of the State address that "unions are not needed, wanted, or welcome in South Carolina."
And this is something (OK, one more thing) I just don't get about Scott Walker: he does not even pretend to care about the other half of the state who hates his guts. All that trotting out the big dogs like Chris Christie and Nikki Haley — both out-of-staters — does is rev up the Republican base in such a way that is simultaneously insulting and injurious to the non-Waukesha County, non-Fox Valley, non-North Woods knuckledraggers factions of the state. Walker is supposed to be a leader, he is supposed to govern the whole state, not just the state of mind about which he is indecently doctrinal.
Let's consider it this way: it is widely held that around 340,000 Wisconsinites belong to a union; I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest they're all eligible to vote. So too are 4 million other Wisconsinites who are not members of organized labor. Thus, of the 4.37 million eligible voters in Wisconsin, only around 7.8 percent are represented by a union. So what the hell is all this hullabaloo about? Despite the 25 million ways Walker is trying to frame the whole recall as Big Labor versus the taxpayers (after all, public employees pay no taxes, right?), despite this we know that the recall is about so much more than collective bargaining. For sure, that may have been the impetus that birthed the Occupy movement in the middle of a Wisconsin winter last year, but it was a spark — an important one, certainly — but the inferno of passions and fidelity to a cause has everything to do with what Wisconsin isn't, which is what Walker represents.
It's telling that Russ Feingold has teamed up with Barrett as they tour the state to get the vote out. Or when not Russ, the grandfatherly Herb Kohl. Or when not them, the Wisconsin 14 (now a sweet 16 — and soon to be even more!). We'll be sure to see that veritable badger himself, Dave Obie, growling with grace shoulder to shoulder with Barrett. They're all true blue Wisconsinites, the way it oughta be.


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Malta Upscales Its Anti-Money Laundering Policy After Pressure from the EU
New regulations and policies regarding anti-money laundering acts are to be deployed in Malta after multiple notices by the European Union, and the International Monetary Fund, which pressured, what some refer to as the most blockchain-welcoming country in the world, to upscale its process on tracking and fighting money-laundering activities within the country's network.
In a recent announcement, Malta's Financial Services Authority (MFSA) revealed a three-year strategic plan to fight money-laundering among other illegal activities that used to rely on the country's flexible laws when it came to cryptocurrencies and distributed ledger technologies.
Malta is known for its approach to crypto and blockchain startups, who moved their operations to the European Island due to the friendly taxation plans, and almost non-questioning protocols offered by the country.
Some notable distributed ledger companies operating from Malta include but are not limited to the world's leading cryptocurrency exchange platform, Binance, which struggled with the regulations back in China, Japan, and Singapore, where it previously attempted to settle, before ending up in Malta.
The crypto island's financial regulator MFSA is said to be establishing close ties with the Financial Intelligence Unit of the country, as well as the Malta Digital Innovation Authority in order to fight money-laundering activities generated by malicious actors who take advantage of the country's welcoming attitude towards digital assets, such as Bitcoin, for their own self-centered purposes.
Malta's three-year (2019-2021) strategic plan was a response to showcase the country's commitment to anti-money laundering acts, professionalism and integrity towards international monetary authorities who started to doubt Malta's role in the global financial system.
According to MFSA, not only new policies will be tailored and deployed to fight cyber-crimes linked to illegal monetary activities such as money-laundering or terrorist financing, but also new technologies will be developed and used to help with the job.
SupTech is an AI-backed monitoring technology that will help Malta's governing ecosystem to identify and prevent users from participating in illegal activities, whether directly or indirectly linked to them or their respective transactions.
In addition, similar to recently announced Swiss, and Dutch financial regulations, Malta will be auditing a series of blockchain-powered companies to ensure transparency between the regulators and the legal entities.
New operation licenses will be also required by some already established companies and all new companies trying to enter the island's traditional monetary and/or crypto-scenes.
According to the official statement, Malta's mission is "to be an independent, proactive and trustworthy supervisory authority whose purpose is to safeguard the integrity of markets and maintain stability within the financial sector for the benefit and protection of consumers."
It seems that we live in a world, where cryptocurrencies are not being judged in a negative way, as we used to see a couple of years ago, but instead they've been adopted, used, promoted, and now secured even more by governmental agencies, central banks and financial authorities on a global scale.
Malta is just one more "open-minded" country in Europe to submit its faith into technological advancement and its fruits, such as blockchain technology and artificial intelligence, to ensure the integrity of accurate information flow within the country's digital governing body.


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Iran: Persepolis take honours in Tehran Derby
On Wednesday evening there was a grand occasion befitting one of the great stadiums in world football, where two of the game's fiercest rivals went toe-to-toe in the latest meeting of one of the world's great football derbies. Real Madrid v Barcelona? Liverpool v Manchester United? River Plate v Boca Juniors? No, it was none of these. The game we're talking about is the Tehran Derby between Persepolis FC and Esteghlal FC, the heavyweights of Iranian football.
This is a thoroughly modern footballing rivalry with the first encounter between these two great clubs having been played in 1968 (for the record it finished 0-0). The Azadi stadium, home to both clubs, is always full to its 90.000 capacity when these teams meet and Wednesday was no exception. Esteghlal, defending champions of the Persian Gulf Cup (the trophy given to the league champions), have struggled a bit this season but were lying in third place before the game ahead of their arch-rivals on goal difference. With Sepahan FC currently leading the table by a comfortable distance (six points with a game in hand on nearest challengers Zob Ahan FC) the priority for both teams is to finish in the top three which would guarantee them an automatic place for the 2011 AFC Champions League. Fourth place, similar to the UEFA Champions League, will only be good enough to qualify for a play-off round so Wednesday's game still had plenty of importance to both teams' seasons.
Esteghlal FC had the upper hand on the overall head-to-heard record before kick-off with 20 wins compared to Persepolis' 16 wins in 67 matches (31 drawn). Early in the contest it looked as though they would improve on their record when they took the lead after 16 minutes, Fehrad Majidi was put through and got the better of Persepolis' keeper Haghighi in a one-on-one situation to put the Blues ahead. However Persepolis, record champions in Iran with eight titles compared to Esteghlal's six, were in no mood for letting their rivals have their own way and with nine minutes of the first half to play had scored the equalizing goal thanks to Hamid Ali-Askar. Typically in any derby match the second half became tense with both teams going all out for three points. After the first derby match of the season had finished 1-1 it was evident that both teams wanted to win the game and secure the local bragging rights for the rest of the season. Just as the game appeared to be heading towards another stalemate the crucial goal was struck three minutes from the end as Karim Bagheri secured the three points for Persepolis with a wonder goal from long-range to give the Reds a 2-1 victory (see video at top of the page).
The win meant that Persepolis replaced their arch-rivals into third place whilst Esteghlal must be wary of the threat posed by Steel Azin FC, for whom Iranian legend Mehdi Mahdavikia signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in the recent transfer window, who lie just a point further behind in the table. With eight games to go in the Iran Pro-League it will prove to be a fascinating fight to the finish.