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US online lender OnDeck had a tough Q4 2016, but it acknowledged its problems and introduced several measures to get itself back on track, including a "cost rationalization" plan that called for tighter credit management and job cuts.
Its Q1 2017 results, published on Monday, indicate that these measures are paying off. Net losses, at $11.6 million, narrowed by an impressive 68% from $36.5 million in Q4, partly down to provisions for loan losses decreasing by 17% from $55.7 million to $46.2 million. Moreover, although the company previously said it planned to become profitable by 2018, it has now brought this forward to the second half of 2017, suggesting that its performance is exceeding its earlier expectations.
Here is how OnDeck will go about reaching profitability:
- Further headcount reduction. In its Q4 2016 results, OnDeck expected staff reductions of 11%. This has now been revised to 27%, indicating that the company has seen benefits from the strategy, and is now intensifying it to help further reduce costs.
- Increased credit performance improvement. CEO Noah Breslow said a top priority for the company would be to continue improving its credit scoring methodology, likely in order to reduce defaults, and thereby costs. He admitted this would bring down loan originations in the short term, presumably because it will narrow OnDeck's pool to more creditworthy applicants. This suggests that, like many other marketplace lenders, OnDeck was originally overconfident in its scoring methodology, and is now doubling down on making amendments to this core part of its business.
- Moving away from a marketplace lending model. OnDeck said it would continue reducing the volume of loans sold through its marketplace, to less than 5% for the rest of 2017, in an effort to boost long-term "financial performance." OnDeck's decision to transition away from a marketplace model and rely more on its own balance sheet likely reflects its desire to be less impacted by the flux of supply and demand.
OnDeck's turnaround strategy is a good indicator of where the marketplace lending industry is headed. Following the 2008 financial crisis, marketplace lenders emerged as some of the most successful fintech players. However, subsequently, factors including a series of scandals within the sector, and higher-than-expected default rates, took the wind out of their sails. As a consequence, we have seen several players not just retrenching, but reevaluating their models, with varying degrees of success. One thing we can expect to see more of is lenders that originally offered a hybrid model, like OnDeck, moving away from marketplace lending. Peers like Lending Club and Prosper, which operate an exclusively marketplace model, may consider making a similar shift, but this would require a more fundamental overhaul of their operations, and could be prohibitively complex. As such, it seems possible that players who never relied exclusively on marketplace lending will be those that come out on top.
We've entered the most profound era of change for financial services companies since the 1970s brought us index mutual funds, discount brokers and ATMs.
No firm is immune from the coming disruption and every company must have a strategy to harness the powerful advantages of the new fintech revolution.
The battle already underway will create surprising winners and stunned losers among some of the most powerful names in the financial world: The most contentious conflicts (and partnerships) will be between startups that are completely reengineering decades-old practices, traditional power players who are furiously trying to adapt with their own innovations, and total disruption of established technology & processes:
- Traditional Retail Banks vs. Online-Only Banks: Traditional retail banks provide a valuable service, but online-only banks can offer many of the same services with higher rates and lower fees
- Traditional Lenders vs. Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces: P2P lending marketplaces are growing much faster than traditional lenders—only time will tell if the banks strategy of creating their own small loan networks will be successful
- Traditional Asset Managers vs. Robo Advisors: Robo advisors like Betterment offer lower fees, lower minimums and solid returns to investors, but the much larger traditional asset managers are creating their own robo-products while providing the kind of handholding that high net worth clients are willing to pay handsomely for.
As you can see, this very fluid environment is creating winners and losers before your eyes…and it's also creating the potential for new cost savings or growth opportunities for both you and your company.
After months of researching and reporting this important trend, Sarah Kocianski, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has put together an essential report on the fintech ecosystem that explains the new landscape, identifies the ripest areas for disruption, and highlights the some of the most exciting new companies. These new players have the potential to become the next Visa, Paypal or Charles Schwab because they have the potential to transform important areas of the financial services industry like:
- Retail banking
- Lending and Financing
- Payments and Transfers
- Wealth and Asset Management
- Markets and Exchanges
- Insurance
- Blockchain Transactions
If you work in any of these sectors, it's important for you to understand how the fintech revolution will change your business and possibly even your career. And if you're employed in any part of the digital economy, you'll want to know how you can exploit these new technologies to make your employer more efficient, flexible and profitable.
Among the big picture insights you'll get from The Fintech Ecosystem Report: Measuring the effects of technology on the entire financial services industry:
- Fintech investment continues to grow. After landing at $19 billion in total in 2015, global fintech funding had already reached $15 billion by mid-August 2016.
- The areas of fintech attracting media and investor attention are changing. Insurtech, robo advisors, and digital-only banks are only a few of the segments making waves. B2B fintechs are also playing an increasingly prominent role in the ecosystem.
- It's not all good news for fintechs. Major hurdles, including customer acquisition and profitability, remain. As a result, many are becoming more willing to enter partnerships and adjust their business models.
- Incumbents are enacting strategies to ensure they remain relevant. Many financial firms have woken up to the threat posed by fintechs and are implementing innovation strategies to stave off disruption. The majority of these strategies involve some interaction with fintech firms.
- The relationship between incumbents and fintechs continues to evolve. Fintechs are no longer viewed exclusively as a threat, nor can they be ignored. They are increasingly viewed as partners, but that narrative alone is too simple — in reality, a more nuanced connection is taking hold.
This exclusive report also:
- Assesses the state of the fintech industry.
- Gives details on the drivers of its growth.
- Explains which areas of fintech are gaining traction.
- Outlines the range of current and potential models for fintech and incumbent interaction.
The Fintech Ecosystem Report: Measuring the effects of technology on the entire financial services industry is how you get the full story on the fintech revolution.
To get your copy of this invaluable guide to the fintech revolution, choose one of these options:
- Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
- Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT
The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you've given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of the fast-moving world of financial technology.


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Debate rises on saving N.C.'s eroding beaches - Health/Science - NewsObserver.com: "Kids splashed last summer in the waves under an oceanfront row of cottages on the eroding south end. Huge sandbags fortified pilings, the steps of condemned houses dangling above the sand.
'We wanted close to the beach, and that's exactly what we got,' vacationer Rod Daugherty of Greenville, Pa., said as the tide lapped under the deck of his rental house."

subset: commoncrawl


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This Girl is (well, WAS) On Fire – HELP!
In August, I started to write this post and I've finally gotten around to finishing it. In one of my earlier posts, I talk about being in 'robot mode' for a while. I think being burnt out was definitely a huge contributing factor. After a good two months of travelling, I was still burnt out and I was definitely not myself. Dangerous, right?
Just to give you a little background, I usually took 20 credits per semester (I was a double major and double minor in university), worked part-time interning at companies, and ran my non-profit. I was also involved in other extracurricular activities, many of which I held leadership positions for. You're probably thinking I'm crazy and to tell you the truth, I probably am, but there are probably many more 'Rinas' just as crazy out there too. You guys are probably doing or have done exactly what I did: working so much to the point where you are no longer thinking or feeling. I can't quite figure out where along the way I stopped feeling the purpose of my actions. Anyway, that doesn't matter. It's all starting to come back. After almost five months of traveling, my mind and my heart are in sync again and I'm feeling like myself again.
The point of this post isn't to go on talking about me, but it's for others who might be going through something similar.
I want to write this because I know how overwhelming it can be to love something so much that you put your entire heart, time, and energy into it. I've met fellow entrepreneurs who talk about the amount of work they put into their companies amongst the other things they have going on in their lives. We're blinded by our passion and forget to take care of ourselves.
It's so extremely important to understand that balance is needed, especially when your work depends on it. Scheduling that extra time for yourself is crucial. Prior to leaving to travel, I was a chicken with its head cut off. I was in a serious relationship, I was graduating, was getting ready to leave (which meant tying up A LOT of loose ends, and doing tons of other things). I wanted to put my all into everything and that's what I did, but something had to give. That ended up being myself and I now realize that it didn't have to be that way.
I could have easily scheduled time in for myself- going for walks, creating projects for myself, taking bike rides, etc. Instead of taking these steps early on, I paid the price later. I kept going and pushing myself, but was less efficient.
The thing with being burnt out is that you won't feel it right away. It's gradual and it'll get to you. For weeks, I literally lost all of my creativity and passion for everything. I watched as the emails piled into my inbox and saw my to-do list remain stagnant.
It's taken me a while to sit down to write this for a lot of reasons. I think the first reason was mainly because I haven't wholesomely talked to anyone about it. That was probably my first mistake.
I didn't want to make it seem like I was complaining, like I had regretted my decision to do the things I've done, or even have anyone question my strength. It sounds stupid, but it's true. So, talk to people, especially those who can relate to where you're coming from.
One of the reasons I never talked about it was that I didn't want to make it sound like I was complaining. I don't have student loans to pay off, my parents have always been supportive, my sisters have always been there, and I've always had a strong ecosystem of supporters.
Here are some things that I started doing that have worked wonders. It's not much, but they work:
- Set yearly goals
- Plan objectives for each day and each week
Take breaks and schedule time for yourself
- Go for walks (or runs, which is what I do)
- Watch the sunset
- Find your 'thinking' spot
- This one is my absolute favorite: journal, journal, journal
Schedule in time for your loved ones
- Whether this is your friends, parents, family, cousins, boyfriend, girlfriend- do it.
- Last year I told my sister I didn't want to date someone because I didn't have the time to wholesomely commit to someone. She asked me, "When are you ever going to have time to wholesomely commit to someone?" which is completely true. Life is only getting crazier from here. Point is, if you find that special someone, they shouldn't add to the stress. If anything, they should help it.
I've found that finding balance isn't rocket science. It's actually really simple and a matter of taking a few simple steps to keep your sanity. Life doesn't slow down, but keep in mind that you do.
It's a rude awakening when one day you realize that you're 22 and already burnt out. No family, no kids, no major bills to pay. Like I said earlier, it only gets crazier from here. Control what you can, stop controlling the things you can't, take care of yourself both mentally and physically, and everything will fall into place.
I've traveled halfway across the world and am finally finding myself again. It certainly didn't take crossing the sea to figure out what keeps me fired up. However, it did take a lot of reflection, a long break, a few great conversations, and a change of scenery to get me going again.
With Love,


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I have developed a process of making art on a regular basis which I call the Every Day Project. In January 2015, I challenged myself to come up with 14 days of designs. In a way, I wanted to prove to myself that I had many creative ideas and wouldn't hit the wall of creator's block. I knew that designing my projects is my favorite part of the process so I decided to do more of it every day. I started a notebook in Evernote and added an entry each day. At first, I started out with sketches of completed projects with actual measurements of each design element and decisions on which fabric I would use. This quickly became such a burden that I did not want to do it every day and Resistance (See last week's article about Steven Pressfield's book War of Art) reared its ugly head. So I improvised and decided I really like the design part and could commit to at least coming up with a design idea and document it each day. I completed my 14 day challenge, but by the end of the 14 days, I ended up just adding photos of design inspirations for my daily entries. This was enough. I really did not want to come up with an entire project idea every day. It would create a mental backlog of projects I could never complete. I really just was training myself to look for inspiration around me. I was hooked on doing something every day. But I had no idea where to start.
In April 2015, I found out about a program called Creative Mornings. There are chapters in cities around the world where they hold breakfast morning meetings every month with great speakers. I followed a link from their website to a list of newsletters that they really liked. I stumbled upon the 100 Day Project for 2015 being sponsored by Elle Luna and The Great Discontent magazine. But the start date was April 6 and it was just a few days away.
I was quite nervous to delve into the 100 Day Project, but I knew that feeling was a sign to pursue this and just do it. In hindsight, this project changed the way I work and make art.
I needed a small size project I could make and post a photo of every day. I decided on a 6 inch square and an improv sewing process. I picked a variety of colors to use and stayed with them. I needed something to tie all the pieces together. I knew the designs would purposely by varied, every day. So colors needed to be the connecting link. I sew 25 days together in consecutive order into a larger square. The process is a traditional quilting style of piecing a quilt top but the subject matter is decidedly modern with an abstract art emphasis seeing each 6 inch square as a piece of abstract art all in itself.
The 6 inch square became such a habit in 100 days that I decided to continue. I went 250 days of creating every day in 2015. I only took a two week break over the Winter Holidays (And I missed it). I was more productive than ever by just making one 6 inch square a day. I have contemplated this phenomenon for a long time because it is so counterintuitive.
The 100 Day Project in 2015 was a challenge for me artistically. As I mentioned, I had color themes of bright bold colors balancing hot and cold with neutrals. However I had no design restrictions.
The freedom was intoxicating at times, but a huge burden other times. When the sky is the limit, it is often hard to get started.
So I knew the next series would have to have some design guidelines if I was going to keep going. Going forward, I decided to pick a theme for the 25 day pieces. I preselect the fabric and decide on general design guidelines for a sort of structure and then ask what if I do this…and I push the limits of that design. I play with the possible variations and allow myself to break some rules if need be. This must have kicked the Resistance to the curb because I am still making art every day.
Now the 100 Day Project is running again from April 19 to July 27 in 2016. I am going to do it again, or rather just continue to do it. This year I am designing the next 100 days to be a coordinated theme. I have chosen to use the 4 Elements: Fire, Earth, Sky and Water. I have been sketching ideas searching for the balance of constraints and freedom. I need the design and color guidelines to be easily accessible with enough freedom to play around and make each day interesting and new.
Interested in joining me? Here is a link to Elle Luna's Instagram page.
Debating what would be a good project to do? What have you always wanted to try? Watercolors? Try a 5 inch square a day. Like listening to new music? Make a new playlist on Spotify every day and post them. Play the piano? Learn a few measures of a song out of a new music book each day. Like your phone camera? Take a photo each day and explore new photography apps and filters. Like smoothies? 100 days of smoothies. New to knitting? Knit for 30 minutes a day on a project. You get the idea.
After 100 days of doing any creative activity, you will learn what you like to do and what you do not like to do. It will change you, I guarantee. You will be learning how to use your creative voice. You can decide to share what you make or not. Post on any social media platform you like. If that is not your cup of tea, document in a journal or photo album. The community on Instagram for the 100 days project is so supportive. They become your accountability partners and I still follow several of the people from the 100 Day Project last year.
Take the leap and join in.


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Travelling in Transylvania with kids
What does responsible travel recommend?
Hay making, horse drawn cart rides and learning how to milk cows are just some of the reasons why a trip to Transylvania with kids will have families extolling the virtues of life without technology. This is a chance for families to get back to basics where imaginations can run riot listening to stories over supper in a candlelit cellar or keeping eyes wide open whilst exploring bat caves by torchlight. The dinosaur park near Rasnov is definitely worth a roar or two as is the tree top adventure park in Brasov; and if you can't resist the urge any longer there are more than enough castles to keep little vampire hunters happy and safely tucked up in bed from dusk till dawn.
Activities for families in Transylvania
What to do with little ones
Families with children over 14 will find volunteering at Libearty Bear Sanctuary a unique and rewarding experience as they roll up sleeves, pitch in and learn what it takes to attend to the wellbeing of over 80 bears. Food prep, monitoring welfare and aiding staff with tours are part and parcel of volunteering with bears alongside free time to let you explore Transylvania.
Staying in the foothills of the Carpathians will get you back to basics with horse drawn cart rides, horse riding and traditional methods of farming. Kids will love helping out on the farm almost as much as the locals will enjoy their enthusiasm with hand drawn milk, freshly laid eggs, homemade cheese, and potato bread, just rewards for little helpers.
Theres plenty to get excited about when the snow falls in Transylvania, not least of all horse drawn sleigh rides, tobogganing and snow shoeing before returning to a guesthouse complete with log burning stoves and candlelit cellar suppers. The snow also makes for ideal tracking conditions with lynx, bear and wolf tracks to be found en-route to glistening bat caves and frozen volcanic lakes.
If you'd like to chat about Transylvania or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Rosy & team.
If you'd like to chat about Transylvania or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
Rosy & team.
01273 823 700
Travelling in Transylvania with kids
responsible travel asks the experts
Laura Vesa, tour leader of our travel partners Transylvan, shares memories of growing up in Transylvania: All across Transylvania and Maramures families can learn how cheese is made, listen to stories about wolves and bears told by the shepherds, track the footprints of wild animals, collect wild mushrooms in the morning and count in the evening how many hay crowns they have made during the day. As a child I made haystacks at my grandparents in the Apuseni area; I was very proud at the end of summer to keep a record of the crowns Id placed on each completed haystack.
Count Tibor Kalnoky, owner of carefully-restored Transylvanian guesthouses, reveals some of the pleasures of travelling in Transylvania with kids: Transylvania is certainly good for families. Kids love to explore the bat-caves with torch lights, go for a swim in the volcano crater lake and drive out into the hills on horse-drawn carts. Or they can follow the tracks of wild animals in the winter snow - bear, wolf, lynx, boar and deer. Plus they can help milk cows in the village or help the blacksmith in his forge. It's like living in a fairy tale.
Mihai Olenici, of our suppliers Eco Transylvania, talks about travelling in Transylvania with kids: The meadows in the Apuseni Mountains are famous for their richness and diversity. The landscape is very accessible for children they can do hiking, biking, alpine touring skiing and snow shoeing no matter what their age or level of outdoor experience. They can do light wall climbing and caving too. The landscape is a living, outdoor laboratory where adults and children alike can learn about karstic systems how they are formed, how they work.
Photo credits: [Top box: lucianf] [Libearty bear sanctuary: Beverly & Pack] [Helping on the farm: Damien Boilley] [Snow in Transylvania: kirandulo] [Laura Vesa quote: andirares sandina] [Mihai Olenici quote: George Damian]
Transylvania walking and nature holiday in Romania
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Carpathian Mountains holiday, conservation & culture
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From £1249 8 Days inc UK flights
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Written by Katie Byrne, published 17th mar 2017
Minnie and Paul's charmingly laidback al-fresco celebration was peppered with boho-inspired details
Minnie Brown, a hairdresser, and Paul Elkerton, an engineer, both 28, married at the Casa Felix in Olivella, Spain.
Budget: £25,000-£35,000
Paul and I grew up in the same area and met when we were teenagers. We hit it off straightaway and he proposed in New York.
We opted for a chic bohemian-style theme for our big day; I wore a custom-made two-piece dress which really fitted my quirky, boho style.
Being an outdoor wedding in Spain, we wanted to incorporate some of the country's elements, so we had an acoustic playlist playing throughout the day which really set the mood.
Sunflowers were a prominent feature within our decor, as they complemented the Spanish sunshine perfectly.
We had a buffet-style BBQ menu which was great as it kept the day flowing - and meant that our guests weren't forced to stay in their seats in the sweltering heat! It was also a great way to get our guests mingling.
Our naked cake had three tiers filled with vanilla buttercream and was topped with fresh fruit. Everyone said how delicious it was.
My gran Philomena (who I am named after - Minnie for short!) passed away some time before the wedding, so a friend gave me a photo frame charm with a small picture of her inside to attach to my bouquet.
Paul and I love to dnce, so we had a wedding mantra of 'Get up and dance!' as we were keen for our guests to just let go and enjoy themselves.
As it was, Paul and I were the first and last on the dancefloor - we got to bed at 4.30am!
My tip for brides-to-be: Go with what you truly want and don't stress out too much. All that matters is that you and your groom are tying the knot for a reason - so make your day one big party that's a celebration for all!
Steal their style!
Photography: En Route Photography Venue: Casa Felix Florist: Marie Lynch (tel: 0034 369824) Dress: Selina at The Seamstresses in Nuneaton Cake: Red Velvet, Barcelona Caterer: El Sabor de Sitges


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Events for June 21, 2018 › The Donna Seebo Show
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The Headache Healer's Handbook: A Holistic, Hands-On Somatic Self-Care Program for Headache and Migraine Relief and Prevention – Jan Mundo
Just the other evening a woman commented on how she experienced on a regular basis migraine headaches. Are you aware that there are other kinds of headaches such as cluster, primary and inorganic? Jan gives us some welcome insights into the world of pain and how to relive it. Share this with friends.Find out more »


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Status: Opens in 39 minutes
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first MLive.com user to add photos or videos of Side Door Bait & Tackle
Len And Laynes Little Store was founded in 1973, and is located at 3585 Woodlawn Dr in Spruce.
Side Door Bait and Tackle is located at 3585 Woodlawn Dr, Spruce, MI. This business specializes in Fishing and Sporting Goods.


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The Cambria-Friesland School District is located 40 miles north of Madison, 25 miles east of Portage and 19 miles west of Beaver Dam. The school district community includes the villages of Cambria and Friesland and six townships. The Cambria-Friesland School District enrolls about 380 students in one building.
There will be students that come to us with different kinds of gifts, but they attend Cambria-Friesland School with one dream; academic success.
There will be different levels of achievement, but one goal; graduation with skills to compete.
There will be different kinds of future service, but one vibrant personality in his/her sharing with society.
In the Cambria-Friesland School District, our Vision is to educate ALL through educating each student as one.


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Blogging is not new to me. I created a blogger account back in 2006 for myself. From time to time I got to update it. Then Friendster blogger came. But the height of my blogging (career?) was not to blog about my personal experiences, but to use the power of internet to work on my advocacy for young girls and young women. I started the fun blog for the Girl Scouts of the Philippines back in 2007. It became a personal project and is still on the web. My personal whatnots are only posted on my social networking sites, Multiply, Facebook and Tumblr.
My first job description was actually a New Media Writer. That's a powerful combo. But I didn't own a personal space for myself in the Internet.
Then what motivated me to start this blog (and decided to continue updating it)?
First is that I am now here in South Korea. I am blessed to be in this wonderful country. And I get to experience a lot on my free time. Graduate school is tough, and I think I will also need a breather from the nosebleed Economics readings and gruelling exams. And a big factor here is I have a really fast Internet connection, which makes blogging a hassle-free hobby.
Second thing is that I've got a lot of friends to support me. This blog is actually a product of various minds. I love how this whole thing was conceived by a suggestion of Ate Evita in Twitter, then my two super friends Michelle and Michelle (isn't it cool when your bestfriends have the same name as yours?) supporte d my newest endeavour (as always!). In one cold night friend Rhan and I brainstormed via Skype for the blog name and tagline, and other stuff. Then I realized I know some geek guys who are experts in computer stuff, Markdhel and Amir. See, when you want to achieve something, the universe actually conspire to make things easy for you.
Time is running out fast, and I am one day closer to my dreams.


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Students in grades 6–12 walk into school listening to history teacher Mr. Emanuel's daily music selection blaring from the hallway speakers. The school environment, and the style of education prepares them for the rigors of college (and life after) in ways that inspire a love of learning. From southeastern Conncticut to coastal Rhode Island to Fisher's Island, New York, parents seeking that kind of opportunity are turning to The Williams School for more than state-of-the-art facilities and the finest educators. They are turning to The Williams School for a philosophy.
Located on the campus of Connecticut College in New London, The Williams School has nurtured the college-bound for over 125 years. The school's stated mission is "… to foster the intellectual, moral, aesthetic, and physical development of young women and men in preparation for college, a lifetime of learning, and active participation in a changing society." As much as times change, this kind of wisdom never goes out of style.
The rare advantage of being located right on a college campus plays a distinctive role in the philosophy of learning at The Williams School. The enthusiasm of the campus energizes young scholars, and with guidance of Williams' strong team of college counselors, helps them plan their own future. It is a wonderful setting where motivated young people from a broad range of backgrounds discover who they are.
The Williams School is based on the simple belief that respect, integrity, self-disci- pline and a high level of motivation can be learned. From arts to athletics to purely academic pursuits, this unique institution celebrates and instills these ideals.
For mor information visit williamsschool.org
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What's in Store: New Products and Openings
There are plenty of trunk shows to hit this week, as well as new store openings and items. Support Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Nordstrom. Plus, get ready to trick-or-treat in style.
Trunk Shows
This Friday through November 3, visit Pave Fine Jewelry for some new accessories. Sarah Graham's cobalt chrome and 18K gold pieces, Alex Sepkus's statement necklaces, and Michael Zobel's Aztec-inspired style will all be featured at the store's Berkeley and Oakland locations. Bonus: If you spend $500, you'll get $200 off. That's a lot of bang for your buck.
If foot candy is more your thing, stop by (or perhaps linger) at the Saint Laurent trunk show at Neiman Marcus. Now through Sunday, stop by the shoe department for red-studded boots, or these black-and-white mod zipper booties for $995 (pictured). They are my personal favorite from the new collection.
New Products
It's National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so show your support and stop by Nordstrom for a new brassiere. Friday and Saturday, your can get professionally fitted for one at the store's "We Heart a Great Fit" event. Your chest will thank you, and two dollars of every bra purchase will go to the Young Survival Coalition, an international organization that focuses on women under 40 who have breast cancer. You'll also receive a free panty with a $50 purchase.
Nothing pairs better with anything pumpkin than a fashionably cozy scarf. Stop by Specialtees through Thursday to score a free scarf with any $100 purchase.
Venture Quality Goods in Lafayette, which is well known for its menswear, is now carrying items for the ladies. Stop by to browse their new items just in time for a seasonal wardrobe update.
More Movement and Openings
There has definitely been a lot of change going on in the East Bay shopping circuit lately. In Walnut Creek, Bracchiale, an accessories store, will be taking over the old Brighton location across the street from Nordstrom by November 1. Victoria's Secret is also rumored to be taking over the old Bath & Body Works location next month, just a few doors down from its current location. If you are a fan of The Walking Company in Broadway Plaza, you may want to visit soon, as they are closing their doors Saturday.
Decorators will be happy to hear that when Barnes & Noble in Pleasant Hill closes, HomeGoods will be moving in. This will not be happening until early next year.
Fans of Mr. Mopps' toy shop in Berkeley will be pleased to hear that the store now has a second location—just for books! Check out new reads for your kids, just two doors down from the original shop.
Danville has gained a new art gallery. Fine Art 360 is now open on Railroad Avenue, next to Peet's Coffee & Tea.
Thrift shoppers in the Tri-Valley can now stop by Savers. The chain thrift store will open Thursday, October 24 on Regional Street in Dublin.
Trick-or-Treat in Style
Take your little ones to Broadway Plaza for Halloween. From 5:30-7 p.m. on October 31, stop by participating stores to snag some candy for them, and shopping finds for you.


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Michael Poss is a lifelong resident of Dallas and holds law and
accounting degrees from the University of Texas at Austin. After
beginning his career with Arthur Young and Company, he worked for many
years as an attorney and CPA for Ross Perot. He currently serves as
webmaster of PerotCharts.com, a website devoted to explaining the
current economic problems facing the country. Poss has been married
for more than thirty-five years to former Dallas Mayor Pro Tem Mary
Poss, who is a sales agent with Ebby Halliday Realtors.


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I was under strict instructions that our holiday around Oz wasn't to be all to do with caching and I was happy with that. Setting off on our 6 month trip I thought if we found 20-25 caches a week I'd be happy with that, I was more interested in using the trip to highlight some of the great hidden spots that mostly go undiscovered if it wasn't for geocaching or finding the unique cache types that I don't regularly get to find around home. So wherever possible we would go out of our way to find an earthcache, a virtual cache or the odd webcam.
On many occasion we took advantage of the plethora of highway caches that litter Australia as a way of breaking up a long day in the car or the need for a wee stop. If we spent a few days in a town we'd often look at the number of favourite points added to caches to determine the better ones to seek out.
In a few locations around Oz I submitted new earthcaches based on unique features that we'd seen, we hosted a "meet n greet" event in Perth as a way of getting to know other geocachers, I tagged along on a Roymerc day in Denmark and stopped by our own virtual cache in SA.


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hardships and trials and the rough attachés of that "vast aggregation" can never be forgotten. If the showmen were rough, so also were our patrons. The sturdy sons of toil came to the show eager to resent any imagined insult; and failing to fight with the showmen, would often fight among themselves; for in the days of Abraham Lincoln's childhood the people divided themselves into cliques, and county-seats were often the arenas selected to settle family feuds. In other words, "fighting was in the air," and, as may be imagined, the showmen received their full share of it. It was no infrequent occurrence to be set upon by a party of roughs, who were determined to show their prowess and skill as marksmen with fists and clubs if required. As a consequence showmen went armed, prepared to hold their own against any odds. Not once a month, or even once a week, but almost daily, would these fights occur, and so desperately were they entered into that they resembled pitched battles more than anything else. Many years later, when describing this part of my career and later battles and circus fights to General Grant and Governor Crittenden at St. Louis, in which city my show was exhibiting, they admitted that my experience in thrilling and
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Our economy keeps trying to pull itself away from a double dip recession. Scores of cities across the nation are struggling to deal with the Occupy movement. Our nation is trying to extricate itself from two costly foreign wars. Political discourse has reached an all time low, and polarization an all time high. The only icing this layered cake needs is an election year.
That is an awful lot to take on in the first post on this blog, so I thought we could start with the Occupy Wall Street movement.
What is the source of this rage?
I have seen and heard people that I respect, people of intellect and moral character, condemn the Occupy movement as nothing more than a mob. I want to take a moment to point out that I am neutral on the subject. I can understand the sentiment that labels the movement as counterproductive, fragmented, even misguided. On the other hand, I think I can understand the rage that the movement is tapping in to.
I want to talk about this latter aspect. What is the source of this rage? What is fueling it, what is magnifying it, and why now?
One of the mystifying things about Occupy is of course that it has no leader and no set agenda. The last time that the US experienced this sort of protracted, coordinated (though that may be overstating it) movement was of course the anti war movement of the 1960s and early '70s. There were many ways that the message was articulated 50 years ago, but they all pretty much revolved around 'end the war.' There was little ambiguity about the single thing that every protester most wanted; cease hostilities and get out.
With Occupy, if you asked 100 people, you just might get 100 different answers. The nice thing about this, from a journalistic perspective, is that we can infer what their agenda is. And so I shall infer away.
How small will the top of the pyramid get?
To me, the thing that I hear and feel, and the element of this anger that I can tap into, has to do with the diminishing lack of economic opportunity in America. Simply put, the American Dream that we have woven into the past three generations appears dead, or at least on life support.
Fewer and fewer people believe that if they work hard they will have an opportunity to advance. Fewer and fewer people believe that they can achieve a degree of security for themselves and their families, formerly referred to as the middle class. Bizarrely, there actually seem to be more people who cling to the notion that they can become not just better off, but wildly better off. Perhaps that is a byproduct of the despair that leads to the rage.
Again, I am not endorsing or condoning these feelings. A large part of me says we all need to be more personally responsible, and less concerned with others. But I can certainly understand the feelings that are referenced above.
The economic tension in this country is so palpable you could cut it with a knife.
But where is this coming from? Is their data to support that despair?
I don't feel that any data is necessary to support the fact that the average American is currently under severe economic distress. The economic tension in this country is so palpable you could cut it with a knife.
Where the data gets interesting, and perhaps instructive, is in the distribution of wealth over the last 25 years. Starting in 1986, we have seen a dramatic growth in the income of the top few percent of Americans. A staggering percentage of the wealth in our country is now controlled by a diminishing minority, and that is reflected and fueled by their ability to earn a vastly disproportionate amount of income.
As the graph shows, the top .1%, or roughly 300,000 individuals, were earning 8% of the total income in the US in the last year charted (2008). In 25 years, that percentage quadrupled from ~2%.
Now let's visualize the top 1%, or roughly 3 million Americans. We can see a nearly identical growth curve… though despite the sample being 10 times larger (from the top .1% increased to the top 1%), the total income percentage earned only doubled, to ~18%. So the top 1% of Americans earn 18% of its total annual income, but we can already feel the diminishing effect.
Next let us look at the top 5% of wage earners, and how much of the nations income they earn. If you have to look twice, that is ok. The charts are freakishly similar in their trajectories, just not in their values. As the saying goes, a rising tide raises all ships – the question that is never posed of this truism is of course, does it raise them all enough to float on their own?
Finally the top 10%. We are talking about roughly 30 million folks here.
FYI, in 2008, these folks were earning just under 250k per year, not including capital gains. You can see the growth in monetary terms for this top 10% here. (Graphs generated from "The World Top Income Database" at ParisSchoolofEconomics.us).
What can be gleaned from all of this? Well, interpretation is always dangerous, but when I look at the charts, I think these truths are self evident:
- This is not new, as all of the graphs show, we saw this same gravitational pull of liquidity before the great depression. In 1913 there is a precipitous drop in the percent of total wealth earned by the the uber wealthy, the .1%, and another in ~1940. This corresponds of course to a growth in income for the remainder of America, which created a new broader based prosperity that was dubbed the middle class.
- 1986 marked a watershed year in which income started to again flow in a dramatically disproportionate fashion to a very small base of Americans.
So what happened during the 80's and 90's to drive so much of the nations wealth to the existing wealthy? Tax reform enacted under Reagan in 1981 and 1986 had a lot to do with it. Taxes on the wealthy were slashed by almost 300% (this is not a criticism of Reagan era policies in the least – reagan also did a great deal of base broadening by closing numerous tax loopholes).
Of course the increase also corresponds with rising prosperity in America as we shook off the malaise of the 1970's (yes, there may be a causality here; this article is not meant to judge the reasons why or the overall impact, only to chart the flow of wealth).
Then in the 90's two immensely impactful pieces of deregulation were cemented as the icing on the cake (again, not a criticism of Clinton era policies). In a nutshell, restrictions put in place on financial institutions during and after the great depression were lifted or reinterpreted. You could easily argue that this ensured that 'too big to fail' would come to pass.
1994, Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act – This bill eliminated previous restrictions on interstate banking and branching. It passed with broad bipartisan support.
1996, Fed Reinterprets Glass-Steagall – Federal Reserve reinterprets the Glass-Steagall Act several times, eventually allowing bank holding companies to earn up to 25 percent of their revenues in investment banking (source OpenTheGovernment.org)
Finally, the 'commoditization' of all manner of speculation became all the rage. Not a lot of people are aware of where and when this began – a fascinating read that is outside the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that the Exxon-Valdez disaster spurred Goldman Sachs to invent a new way to parcel and package liability and debt (insert word 'toxic' later) as a broker-able commodity (see an exceptional article on this topic here):
What got the J. P. Morgan team rolling was this thought: instead of swapping bonds or currency or interest rates, why not swap the risk of default? In effect, it could sell the risk that a borrower won't be able to pay back his debt (source New Yorker article by John Lanchester)
So no real news here. The rich get richer, the poor get poorer. It is so well understood, it is a saying. But what if it is not a cycle, but a progression? Lets think about that for a moment. If the current rate of wealth accumulation continues, how long will it take for all of the wealth to trickle to the top 10%? The top 1%? .1%? Or just the top 1 – one person controlling all of the worlds wealth?
Of course it is impossible for that to happen in reality. The nature of wealth dictates that it cannot exist in a vacuum. There is a limit to how far the polarization of wealth can go before it is reined in. But I ask you, what does that penultimate phase look like? Is it market factors that will reverse that flow naturally? Or is it outrage by everyday citizens who are tired of feeling that they cannot get a break, while they in turn work themselves to the bone only to see breaks given to the existing wealthy? To corporations deemed too big to fail (and made too big by legislative favoritism)?
I took the time to extend the charts shown above in the hypothetical. Of course there are numerous (unsupportable) assumptions made in doing so, but it is instructive to see graphed this way. What I found was that if the current trajectory continues, that by 2040 the top .1% will command over 15% of the nations income. Add capital gains and that number exceeds 20%. Two dollars out of every ten 'earned' would go to only 1 in 1000 'workers.'
If we make the same assumptions and extend the current trajectory for the top 10%, the numbers are staggering. Fully 70% of every dollar earned in America would go to the top 10% of wage earners by the year 2040.
Capitalism is not meant to create equality. Disparity is the natural result of a capitalist system, and in a just system, that disparity should be celebrated, as it is presumably the result of excellence. But when a system seems to inherently favor the existing wealthy, when taxpayer dollars fund the failures of those that take inordinate risks, it is hardly surprising that the working class should feel the rage that has manifested in the OWS movement.
Consider – between 2008 and 2010, large financial institutions made a net profit of 13 billion dollars solely on the essentially free money they received due to their too big to fail status (Source Bloomberg). Clearly, the deregulation of the financial industries have allowed for, even encouraged, a very unfortunate tilting of the playing field. Can I understand the rage directed at this system? Absolutely. Can't you?
The first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying This is mine, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not anyone have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows, "Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody." ~Jean Jacques Rousseau, A Discourse on the Origin of Inequality


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Colon cancer has been found to be the third most important disease resulting in deaths of people around the world. Colon cancers initially start in the large intestine and gradually spread to the other parts of the body, thereby putting the life of the individual in danger. Consumption of red meat in large quantities, Crohn's disease in the individual, colon polyps' formation, history of colon cancer in the family are some of the most important reasons for the development of colon cancer in an individual. There are individuals who may not experience any symptoms with colon cancer. Stomach pain, weight loss, anemia, narrowing of the stools, blood in stools is the other symptoms of colon cancer. Colon cancer can be treated if it is detected in the initial stages with the help of colonoscopies. These increase the chances of treating the patient quickly and help in eliminating the cancer effectively. Natural remedies are also very useful for individuals in the treatment of colon cancer. There are individuals who want to avoid the complicated surgeries and radiation method. For them knowledge of the natural home remedies for the treatment of colon cancer should be known so that they can use them effectively when required.
Green tea
Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols and this is a powerful anti-oxidant. This compound found in large quantities in green tea also helps individuals in inhibiting the formation of cancer cells. Green tea has also found to be very effective in the killing of cancer cells without harming the tissues. The processing involved for making green tea helps in retaining the good elements in it and makes it more beneficial for cancer than the black or the oolong teas. The green tea leaves are fermented and this helps in the retaining of the catechin polyphenols which are the cancer destroying compounds. Recent research conducted by clinical researchers has proved that drinking green tea helps in the killing of the colon tumors in the initial stage. About fifty seven percent of the people who consumed green tea have been found to have been cured from colon cancers, which have been detected in the initial stages. A glass of green tea every day can be consumed by an individual for preventing the spreading of colon cancer.
Greater celandine
Greater celandine is a Chinese traditional herb which can be used by individuals to prevent as well as to cure colon cancer. This herb not only helps in fighting cancer, but also boosts the immune system of an individual. It is also helpful in the treatment of diseases like asthma and atherosclerosis. Scientists have brought forth facts which clearly show that the herb greater celandine helps in starting the process of apoptosis. This is a kind of programmed death of the cells and this process helps in the stopping of the cancer cells from further spreading to other parts of the body of a person. Greater celandine are available as supplements for the consumption of individual.
This is herb commonly used by the ayurveda practitioners. Ashwagandha is a kind of adaptogen, which increases the resistance to stress and also increases the energy levels of the person. This herb also has been found to boost the immune system of an individual. According to research conducted on the herb, ashwagandha helps in the slowing down of the growth of the cancer cells and also inhibits the growth of tumor cells without harming the good cells. This herb is available in capsules and powdered forms. Before taking the herb, one should consult his doctor as large doses of the herb can lead to feelings of depression in individuals.
Increase the consumption of raw vegetables rich in fiber
For fighting against the problems caused by the colon cancer, an individual must increase his intake of raw vegetables which is also rich in fiber. This will help in eliminating the disease from the colon and restoring the health of the individual. Carrots, potatoes, yams, beans, avocados, guava, kiwi, are useful fruits and vegetables in the flushing out of the cancer causing element in the colon. These fruits and vegetables should be most preferably consumed in their raw form to derive the maximum benefits from them. This step will help in the prevention of the formation of colon polyps which later lead to the formation of colon cancer in individuals.
Colon cleansing
Colon cleansing after every six months using the three day liquid fast method is also effective in the treatment of colon cancer. Fresh juices must be regularly consumed to start the process of decaying the injured tissues and deposits in the colon area. This also helps in the removal of undigested materials from the colon. Aloe vera juice fasts and apple cider fasts are some other techniques of colon cleansing. Kidney cleansing has also been found in preventing colon cancer in individuals. Using different herbs, the kidney can be cleansed as this will prevent the breakout of a colon cancer.
Ginger or ginger roots can be consumed by individuals to prevent as well as to cure colon cancer. Inflammation is reduced greatly by the intake of ginger in individuals. This inflammation has been found to have led to colon cancer in individuals. The inflammation markers which have been earlier proved in clinical researches as precursors to colon cancer can also be reduced significantly by the consumption of ginger or ginger roots. Research conducted on individuals who have been given two grams of ginger root supplements daily for one month have shown lessened amount of colon inflammation. Ginger soothes and heals the digestive tract and hence has been suggested as one of the best home remedies for the treatment of colon cancer. Ginger root supplements are available for the consumption of individuals. Even consuming raw ginger twice daily has beneficial effects on the health of the individual.
Garlic has been used extensively in different cultures of the world mainly for the medicinal properties that it possesses. It is used not only as a spice but also for the treatment of various diseases. Recent researches have proved that garlic can also be used for the treatment of colon cancer in many individuals. It is in recent years that the popularity of this herb has increased as a colon cancer treating element. Garlic is a rich storehouse of organo-sulphur compounds. These compounds are the reason behind the pungent odor of garlic. Research has proved that these organo-sulphur compounds in garlic help in the prevention of the formation of colon polyps in the large intestine. These polyps actually are the precursors of the colon cancer. Consumption of raw garlic is therefore very helpful in the treatment of colon cancer in individuals. A few strands of garlic can be made into a paste and can be consumed daily for the colon cancer treatment. The juice of the garlic is the most essential element as it contains the organo-sulphur compounds and helps in restoring the health of the colon.
Flax seed
Flax seed is the yellow or brown colored seed derived from the flax plant. Flax seed is a very important source of oil. The oil from the flax seed is rich in proteins and often consumed by individuals for the treatment of various diseases. The seeds of the plant are grounded so as to derive the main nutrients from the plant. Flax seed is rich in fibers, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients lignan, omega 3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid. These elements help in maintain the good health of the colon and helps in cleaning the colon from the undigested wastes that remains in the colon and also helps in preventing colon polyps' formation. These minerals can be effectively utilized by the digestive tract and this is the result why flax seed consumption helps individuals suffering from colon cancer. The high amount of lignan present in flax seed is also helpful in the prevention and in the treatment of colon cancer.
Turmeric can not only be used for spicing up the dishes that an individual cooks but also is helpful for the treatment of various diseases including colon cancer. Turmeric is a relative of the ginger plant. The bulbs, roots and the rhizome of the plant are used for medicinal purposes. Turmeric has anti-inflammatory qualities and is also helpful in improving the kidney and liver functions of an individual. Curcumin is the active ingredient found in turmeric and is responsible for the treatment of the various diseases. Curcumin is an anti-oxidant and helps the human body to clean itself from unwanted elements known as free radicals. These free radicals can alter the DNA build up in the body of an individual and also damage or destroy the healthy cells in the human body. The anti-oxidant quality of curcumin makes it effective in treating these damaging particles. Curcumin helps in the cleaning of the digestive tract from the unwanted food elements and prevents the formation of colon polyps there.


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Music Review: The Brains Drunk Not Dead
CD Review
Artist: The Brains Drunk Not Dead
Label: Stomp Records
Drunk Not Dead is an unholy collection of mind-bendingly ear-scorching tracks that grab you by the neck, stare straight into your eyes and dare you to fight back. The impossibly fast, tight rhythm section of Pat Kadaver (skins) and Colin The Dead (stand up bass) threaten to push the limits of sanity and safety to the very edge. Rene D La Muerte's (vox/gretsch) haunting croon sends shivers up the spines of even the most jaded listener while his signature guitar stylings fuse the rockabilly sounds of the 50's with the intensity of a chainsaw-wielding maniac in a pitch black room full of teenagers. The Brains continue to blur the lines between rockabilly, psycho, punk and rock n' roll; kicking down genre barriers and demanding undying loyalty at every show they play. Incorporating elements from whatever the hell they feel like, The Brains concoct an irrestible brew of Motorhead-esque ferocity and sexed up latin swagger while adding a pinch of new-wave and a whole lot of booze-fueled punk rock mayhem.
This album displays the bands versatility by far. Some of our favorite tracks include "Pourquoi Me Laisser" a heart-wrenching song sung entirely in French, while "Gato Calavera" is a proper raging Spanish shout out to one of the sickest venues in Mexico. Check them out for yourself at www.unionlabelgroup.com!


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Our Support Desk is where our clients and community come together to find solutions.
Some programs have multiple reward target hours, and it looks like they are only receiving reward notifications for the greater reward target amount. For example, WT Participant in the U.S. Reward is eligible for two specific grants: 20 hours and 40 hours. But notifications were only sent out for participants reaching the 40 hours, and not the 20 hours.
In the Reward Target field in the back-end only "40" was entered as the reward target amount, so this is most likely why the notifications for 20 hours were never sent. Is it possible to enter to multiple Reward Target amounts?


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Friday Round Up: April 3rd – April 9th
Wild and Loose
Lisa of +Tiny Pinecone Teahouse and Bakeshop has been sharing some truly incredible blog posts about her travels in Taiwan. I'm living vicariously through each one of them.
Journeys and Passings
+Geoffrey Norman definitely has a way with words. He managed to respectfully discuss the recent passing of tea industry great Devan Shah alongside the exciting new beginnings of Tea Journey Magazine.
Zhang Ping Shui Xian Production in Photos
+Tony Gebely shared a very interesting collection of pictures showing how an unusual compressed oolong is made. Those little pillows of tea look absolutely delicious!
Bellocq Tea Atelier in Brooklyn
+Bonnie Eng visited one of my favorite NYC tea shops. It's a place that is hard to describe to those who haven't seen it. Now I can just send them this post. Her beautiful pictures really do their space justice.
Gardener's Intuition & The Ancient Tea Bud
+Linda Gaylard had a very timely post this week as there's been a lot of debate lately about Ya Bao. Some claim that it isn't really tea at all. She brings up some excellent points and my inner tea nerd really loves the cross section photograph that illustrates them so well.


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Introducing the First Episode of Nathan Rabin's Happy Cast! Episode #1 This Might Totally Suck
It is my distinct honor to welcome you to the very first episode of Nathan Rabin's Happy Cast. It is a new, biweekly podcast spin-off to Nathan Rabin's Happy Place featuring me, Nathan Rabin, and also my pal Clint Worthington of Alcohollywood.
Here's a rundown of the segments in the first episode:
00:45 - Introductions
06:30 - The March on Washington
28:34 - Scalding Hot Takes: Thor Ragnarok
47:22 - Harvey Weinstein/WTF is Wrong With Men?
1:02:35 - The Weird Accordion to Al
1:16:47 - Listener Mail
1:23:15 - Happy Places
We were running long, so we left a segment about Cannon film and Electric Boogaloo on the cutting room floor, where it will be accessible to anyone who pledges to the podcast. Yep, I'm funding this bad boy through Patreon, since that has worked out well for this site, and Clint and I will be splitting the money evenly.
Huzzah! This is really exciting. I'm really happy with how the first episode turned out but it was my first time ever doing my own podcast, so there are some rough edges. I plan to talk a lot less in the upcoming episodes, and cut down on all the fucking profanity but for the most part this is a good indication of what the podcast will be like, albeit with a greater emphasis on bad movies going forward.
Listen! Tell friends! Subscribe, rate and review on iTunes! Pledge! Say nice things on social media! Literally anything you could do to spread awareness of our newfangled existence would be appreciated. I could not be more excited about launching this exciting new addition to Nathan Rabin's Happy Place.
Plus, stick around to the very end to hear (most of) my speech at the Juggalo March on Washington!
UPDATE: We're on iTunes, baby! Give a listen, rate, review and subscribe!
Join the community and get access to patron-exclusive content over at https://www.patreon.com/nathanrabinshappycast


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The trend is your friend.
Currency Markets
There was an intense focus on Italy Wednesday thanks to speculation that its new coalition government would request that the ECB write-off the bank's QE-acquired debt of EUR250bn. Panic ensued with the EURUSD plunging to 1.1760 before recovering after the report was denied.
But the Italian political noise proved to be little more than a distraction from the markets complete focus on US 10-year yields as investors continue to challenge their conviction on both the USD and the trajectory of US bond yields. But, what's new with this picture as the market has been second-guessing the emerging bullish dollar narrative since Mid-April and missing out on 550 pips EURUSD downside move
If the market continues to trade off US yields and diverging economic data between the US and EU, it's hard to argue against the current direction in yields or the dollar. Forget the VIX the DXY is the new fear index if we consider the number of market cracks the dollar has exposed on its recent move.
On the US economic data front, the consumer remains the economy's backbone, and if this robust trend in the retail space continues to build, factor in a bit of wage growth pressure and the US dollar will continue to move higher on the back of higher yields.
However, the Pound has firmed considerably on Brexit news breaking news from The Telegraph explains. "Britain will tell Brussels it is prepared to stay in the customs union beyond 2021 as ministers remain deadlocked over a future deal with the EU, the Telegraph has learned." which has towed the EURUSD gingerly higher in early APAC trade
EUR: With the EURUSD back above 1.1800, we're at a make or break point for judging near term trader sentiment. Over the next 48 hours will be telling, as the bulls and bears jostled for position but provided the EURUSD can finish the week below 1.1850, that would suggest the bullish USD story remains intact. But a close below 1.1775 would be even more convincing
JPY: Similarly, a weekly market close above 110 indicates the near term USD rally continues. The correlation between rates feels right, and the USDJPY could be the best bet to express the USD dollar bullish bias near-term
AUD: It remains to confuse by not trading in line with US fixed income. And even more frustrating for the Aussie bears is the copper continues to sell poorly. After yesterday miss on the wage price index, a lot of buying emerged. Far much more than usual, suggesting some real cash interest on the dip possible from resting orders. ( Exporters??)
Oil Markets
Oil prices resumed their climb Wednesday after shrugging off Tuesday's API data as investors turned focuses on the key Energy Information Administration report which highlighted an unexpected draw of 1.4 million barrels for the week to May 11. Of course, more attention will fall on EIA given that the API is a voluntary metric and, at times entirely off the wall, whereas EIA reporting is a mandatory industry regulation and the preferred metric for short-term investors. None the less, divergence in the reports will leave some investors scratching their heads as this week's API data provided traders with more questions than answers.
With the dual supply shortcomings from Iran and Venezuela providing substantial support and given we're not even in peak July driving season, at least for the short term, it's hard to imagine Oil prices giving up too much ground especially on bearish inference from one of highly unpredictable US Oil inventory reports. Dips continue to look attractive in this environment.
Gold Markets
Gold remains under pressure from the US dollar and utterly vulnerable to higher US bond yields which are showing signs of a significant topside breakout after the 10-year Treasury note yield hit 3.1 % overnight. The inflationary overtones from oil prices coupled with a substantial US retail sales print have increased Fed rate hike expectations. As the trickle-down effects from US fiscal stimulus continue to show in the data, bond yields will move higher, but ultimately the positive data prints will leave a larger than life footprint on Fed members interest rate views and challenge the current dot plot scenario.
Malaysia Markets
Not unexpected the political noise, stronger USD and higher US Treasury yields continue to dent sentiment in local markets. But given the higher US Bond Yields, I expect the USDMYR to grind higher over the short term in line with the broader USDASia basket.
Stephen Innes OANDA Head of Trading APAC


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Our fiction editor, Robin Lauzon, recently spoke with Amanda Pauley, author of Issue #8's "Butchering." Here's what she had to say about the inspiration behind the story, her approach to research when writing fiction, and how she's learned not to let ambition get in the way of enjoying the work of writing.
What inspired you to write this piece?
I grew up watching the process of butchering animals, and I never thought it fair. It seemed the perfect metaphor for the subject of this piece. The feeling behind the idea was that combination of wanting to be yourself, whatever that means for an individual, and at the same time, knowing who you may lose in the process.
What do you hope people take away from this story?
An awareness of what some people still go through with their families. While I'd like to think society is farther along than this, "coming out" with regard to sexual orientation can still be such an emotional bloodbath for some people – especially in a conservative area. It wouldn't hurt my feelings if the readers' thoughts lingered on the metaphor either – the misconception that people can count on "humane killings" taking place on small, local farms.
In the story, you choose to have Melinda postpone her coming out, and let the story work itself out in a symbolic dream, incorporating the butchering she just witnessed, instead. Why did you choose to sidestep the direct confrontation? Did you experiment with or consider other ways of telling the story?
This story has been through countless revisions, but the one thing that remained consistent was the postponement of her coming out. I felt like the literal butchering was about as much current negative action as the story could hold, and that as long as it was clear how similar the two events would be, it was better to leave her in that awful place of "just before," with only that tiny light coming through, which is Melinda's knowing that her child will be raised differently. This was something we discussed often in my graduate tutorial – how with dark or sad stories, you need, at the very least, a tiny speck of light to come through. Otherwise, a story could be a real turn off.
Can you go more into detail about the butchering? You said you grew up watching this. Was this also a yearly tradition in your family? If so, when did that happen and why? Does it still go on? What impact do you think seeing this had on you?
It was a yearly tradition in our family. It took place on Thanksgiving Day when the relatives were at our home so my parents would have help. The tradition finally fell to the wayside about five years ago but not for the reasons one might think – and that's another story! Regarding the impact of growing up with the practice, it's a terrible internal contradiction. I wish I'd never seen any of it. I still have nightmares. At the same time, if I hadn't seen some of what I've seen, I might not be as anti-animal cruelty as I am now. I might still be ignoring it like most people.
You said this was based partially on your own observations, but also that you like to do research. I wonder if you can talk about the tension between what you already know and what you need to find out when writing–both in this story and others.
My research usually begins in search of detail. I usually have a story in mind already. For example, my story "Braids," published in The Masters Review Anthology, was about a federal prison inmate. I already had the plot in mind, but I visited the prison so I could go through the motions of checking in and learn about behavior restrictions. For instance, if my character wanted to go to the lunchroom, could he just walk there? Sometimes, the research is about the small stuff. Then for my story "Secret Flock" (aka "The Window"), winner of the 2013 Arts and Letters Prize for Fiction, the opposite was true. I had a story in mind, but after interviewing a chicken catcher for details about his employment, I learned of so many issues surrounding his job that an entirely new story surfaced.
What are you working on now?
More short stories! I usually have several going at once. I'm working on a story about a disease intervention specialist who has to track down the partners of people infected with STDs. Another about some strangeness in a public library. And another about a sixty-seven year old woman who begins internet dating.
What is the best advice about writing you have ever received?
To enjoy my time BEFORE the book! It seems like common sense, but it wasn't. After two Masters Degrees, one of them an MFA in Creative Writing in 2014, publishing a collection seemed like the next step. It hasn't happened yet. A friend of mine, who is an editor of a small press, reminded me of the benefits of that time before the first book. Short story writers can write without worrying about book promotion, marketing, and readings. You can write whatever you want, publish in a variety of journals, and build a community of supportive readers. Letting go of the idea that there is an expected route or time table for a writer has allowed me to produce more work – more published work – than ever.
How do you support yourself while you work on your writing?
I work part-time in McConnell Library at Radford University. It's wonderful to work in a place that has a shelf of books by Cormac McCarthy, a shelf of books by Flannery O'Conner, etc. I pick up other odd jobs as well – anything from participating in brain studies to selling junk on Craigslist. I've been paid to hull walnuts, mow lawns, rake leaves, and clean up a tire dump.
Could you describe your writing process?
It varies. Sometimes there is a feeling and an idea (sometimes that happens in reverse) and I sit down and write a whole story. Then there are feelings and ideas that I know will need research in order to do them justice. I love to investigate. I get on the phone or on the internet and find someone who can fill me in on how something works – a job, a process, whatever – to give a story a real life feel. And as often as possible, I have friends read and critique my stories.
What is the first story you remember writing?
I remember writing a brief non-fictional story in elementary school about how on Saturday mornings my brother and I would get out of bed early because we knew The Dukes of Hazzard came on television at 7 a.m. We would end up pushing each other around and making noise until my mom woke up, at which point we lost our allowance for the week. It happened a lot. I remember that my teacher complimented me, and the feeling that came with knowing that someone had read what I had written, something I grew to love about school.
What is your best (or worst) workshop experience?
There were several standout workshops in my Hollins graduate tutorial. Those in which you turned in a story you believed in, one you felt good about, but you learned in the process that it could be so much better.
What's your favorite children's book, and why?
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt. The story made me think about a very adult concept – our temporariness. It also had me daydreaming about living forever – even though the downside was clear.


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About St. Lawrence
Saint Lawrence was born in 225 A.D. in Osca, Hispania. Today this area is known as Spain. He died on August 10, 258 A.D. He was martyred during the Valerian persecutions.
Saint Lawrence the Martyr
Saint Lawrence was martyred at San Lorenzo in Panisperna. It is believed that Saint Lawrence was burned alive on a grill. Many works of art associate Saint Lawrence with a gridiron because of the manner in which he died. The Basilica of San Lorenzo was erected over the spot of his death and the gridiron on which Saint Lawrence was burned was placed in the San Lorenzo Church of Lucina by Pope Paschal II.
Patron Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of many causes and places. He is one of the most venerated of the Roman Catholic saints, especially in Rome where many churches are named for him. Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of:
San Lawrenz
San Lorenzo
San Pablo City
Sri Lanka
Monks of Ampleforth College
Saint Lawrence Remembered
Many Catholics who have Saint Lawrence as their patron or live in one of the countries in which he is patron saint wear a Saint Lawrence medal or a Saint Lawrence pendant. They pray for his intercession to help them to carry on the work of Jesus Christ in their everyday lives. Wearing a Saint Lawrence necklace is a reminder to always remain steadfast in the Christian faith and words of Jesus.
Prayer to St. Lawrence
You called Saint Lawrence to serve You by love
and crowned his life with glorious martyrdom.
Help us to be like him
in loving You and doing Your work.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.
St. Lawrence
If you cant find what you are looking for email us. We can probably get it for you.


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The Weblog
This page contains news, event information, and other items added by the market managers.
May 25
The online farmers market is open for orders. New for this week is the first outside lettuce and green onions. We are in the prime of asparagus season. Asparagus has about 3 weeks left yet. The strawberries are starting to bloom. In one month we should be into lots of ripe berries.
Both the cucumbers and zucchini in the greenhouse have half grown fruit on them. They should be ready next week. Tomatoes also have fullsize fruit; they are still green though. The greenhouses are about 7-10 days behind normal schedule. I am pretty happy with this as we had a long, cold, cloudy winter. It could be worse. God has promised seedtime and harvest, summer and winter- He is reliable. Daniel
Asparagus for freezing
The online farmers market is open for orders. We have lots of asparagus now. If you wish to get asparagus for freezing get your orders in. Freezing asparagus is $2.00 per lb when it is available. Freezing asparagus is top quality, fresh asparagus,available whenever the supply is too much for other markets. Minimum order is 30 lbs. We are also preparing for the future- I planted another patch of 5000 crowns this last week at the corner of 11-b and 47. Right now it just looks like a patch of deep furrows in the dirt. I will fill them slowly through the summer as the asparagus grows. It takes several years for the roots to get strong before it should be cut. The expected life-span of a well cared for patch is 15-50 years. Enjoy the springtime. Daniel
Asparagus tips
The online farmers market is open for orders. I just came in from cutting the first 100 lbs of asparagus of the season. It feels good to have some warm sun on the back and to smell springtime fragrances.
We will be opening the stand here at the farm at 3 pm today. After today we will be open 10 am- 6 pm, Mon- Sat. the same as past years.
We are excited about welcoming a new baby. Erika was born Thursday evening. She is a big baby (9 lbs 11 oz). We have 8 children now. Phillip is the oldest at 10 years. Emma turned 2 this winter and Brenda is 15 months old. Our house is wonderfully full of little children. Daniel
May 5, 2014
The online farmers market is open for orders. We have lots of nice salad greens from the greenhouse. The tomatoes and cucumbers look nice. It will probably be about a month till they they are ready. They do grow slower in cloudy weather. The asparagus is up but not ready to cut yet. Look for it starting next week through the middle of June.
We got all the onion and leek plants (about 15,000 plants) planted on Tuesday of last week. It was raining by the time we finished but we finished and they can enjoy the cool, moist weather to root fast. We are blessed in that there are many differant soil types on our farmground. The sandiest ground is the only soil that has been at all workable so far this spring. Daniel
The online farmers market is open for orders. There is a lot of good mild arugula in the greenhouse right now. In the last week it has doubled in size. The peas I planted two weeks ago are coming up and the asparagus tips are sitting right under the surface. The maple trees will get their leaves and the asparagus will be grow sometime during the first full week of May. (in Potsdam area)
A farmers life is characterized by a lot of waiting and patience. In the spring we tend to be impatient- it is so cold and wet. Then after things are planted we need to wait many days for the harvest.
If you are a gardener you have also probably noticed that plant growth is not linear. Little plants tend to grow very slowly for a number of weeks and then in a short time grow a great deal.
The farmers life is also characterized by a great deal of precision. Besides waiting we need the be prepared to act in a precise window of time when it is time to plant, harvest etc.
The seasons also come and go more than we tend to be aware of in the spiritual realms. If it is time to reach out and love someone, or listen to your child etc. do it now- tommorrow life has moved on. Daniel
Strawberry update
The online farmers market is open for orders. New for this week is arugula from the greenhouse. There are also wild leeks and chives to add the fresh allium flavors into your diet. I eat wild leeks with popcorn on Sunday afternoons.
In you own backyard you will be able to find dandelion greens soon. I mostly eat dandelions and leeks raw in sandwiches and cut fine into dishes such as potato salads.
I have most of the strawberries out from under their winter cover. They have come through the winter beautifully. I put lots of leaf mulch on then in November to protect them and now this time of the year I rake it back off into the walkways where it helps to keep the berries clean. They are still wonderfully dorment yet. One of the major hazards a strawberry faces is the flowers or buds freezing. The later they start growing in the spring the less chance of losing the crop. If we have a normal May and June look for us to open for U-pick around June 16th give or take a few days. Daniel
I like springtime
I have a limited amout of salad greens ready to eat from the greenhouse. I plan to mix a batch of salad greens on Thursday.(See market page of Martinsfarmstand to order) We plan to open the stand here at the farm the first week in May as soon as the asparagus is ready. I planted the first planting of about 20 lbs of pea seed on Saturday evening. (I plant peas no-till right into the old crop residue as it is still to wet to till ground). They should be ready to eat in about 70-75 days. The overwintered spinach came out of the ice and looks as green and nice as it did in the fall. The sweet tender new growth should be ready to eat in May. In the greenhouse there are flowers on the tomatoes. It takes 7-8 weeks from this stage to ripe tomatoes. The cucumbers also look good.Daniel
Will the gardens grow?
Winter is running out of time. In 5 weeks the asparagus will be ready to eat.
How does this cold March effect us that are growing market gardens. The first thing is it was aweful hard to keep the greenhouse warm enough. Plants got close to freezeing a few times but they did not freeze and the tomatoes are about a foot tall. They look good and are only about 7-10 days behind schedule. This is pretty good with all things considered.
Most of the annual crops are not effected at all as they are cozy and dry in their seed packets.
I will report about the strawberries and raspberries in a few weeks after I get a chance to look at them. Right now all I can see is snow. They stand a good chance of being OK. God has promised us seedtime and harvesttime. Daniel
What do we plan to grow in 2014
Hello, We are excited and ready for another growing season. Here is a list of crops planned for our farms in 2014 with the estimated available dates. These dates are my best guess. The online farmers market is open for orders today. Daniel
Asparagus May 5- June 20
Apples Aug15- Dec 1
Arugula June 20- Nov 15
Blue berries July 15- Sept 1
Basil July 8- Oct1
Beans Green and Yellow July10- Oct 15
Beets Red and Golden July10- Dec 30
Beet Greens June 30- Aug 1
Brussel Sprouts Sept 10- Nov 25
Broccoli June 30- Nov 15
Cilantro and Dill June 25- Nov 10
Cabbage Green and Red June 30- Dec 30
Carrots July 30- Dec 30
Cauliflower Aug 1- Oct 15
Cantalope Aug 15- Sept 15
Celery and Celeriac Sept 10- Nov 15
Cucumbers and pickles July 12- Sept 15
Greenhouse Cucumbers May20- July 15
Greenhouse Kale and Arugula April 30- June 10
Greenhouse Tomatoes May 30- Nov 1
Green Onions (scallions) May 30- Aug 20
Glads, Zinnia , Sunflowers July 15- Sept 20
Eggplant June 15- Oct 1
Garlic July 25- Oct 15
Greenhouse zucchini May 20- July 15
Kale June 30- Dec 15
Kolrabi July 15- Sept 30
Leeks Sept 15- Nov 25
Leaf Lettuce Green and Red May 30- Nov 1
Romaine Lettuce Green and red June 15- Oct 20
Head lettuce June 30- Oct 1
Onions Dry Aug 15- Dec 30
Onions Sweet July 15- Sept 20
Parsley curly and italian June 25- Nov 5
Parsnip Oct 10- April 15
Peas Snap and Hull June 30- July20
Peppers Sweet and Hot July 10- Oct 15
Pears several Kinds Aug 20- Sept 25
Potatoes New July 10- Sept 30
Potatoes white, Red, Russet, Yellow Aug 25- March 10
Rhubarb May 5- June 20
Raspberries Summer July 10- Aug 10
Raspberries Fall Aug 25- Oct 15
Radish June 15- Nov 10
Radichio Sept 1- Oct 30
Rutabaga Sept 15- Feb 1
Salad Mix May 30- Nov 5
Spinach Overwintered May 10- May 25
Spinach June 15- Nov8
Swiss chard June 25- Nov 6
Sweet Corn July 25- Oct 15
SweetPotatoes Sept 10- Nov 1
Strawberries Picked June17- July 4
Strawberries U-pick June 17- July 4
Tomatoes canning Aug25- Sept 25
Tomatoes Many Kinds Aug 10- Oct 15
Tomitilios Aug 10- Oct 15
Turnips Sept 15- Feb 1
Winter Squash Many Kinds Sept 1- Nov 25
Watermelons Aug 15- Oct 15
Zucchini and Yellow Squash July 10- Oct 15
Winter Vacation
Due to a Winter vacation, The market will not open this week (January 13th) or the week of January 20. Thank you! Daniel


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Jan 30, 2003 - 7:20 pm
Please say a prayer for a friend of mine Phil Doane he just found out that he has bladder cancer today. They have removed the tumor from his bladder and also found that he has pencil lead sized spots on his liver. The lymph nodes came up clean so they can't figure the spots on the Liver. He goes Wednesday to find out what kind of treatment he will have. He needs Mega Prayers.


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Verizon Adds 'Post to YouTube' Feature from Phones
As LG recently demonstrated, the iPhone got a lot of people thinking about the connection between YouTube and the mobile phone space. Verizon is taking things in the opposite direction however, making their users the "first in the nation that can record video with their wireless phones and upload the videos directly to YouTube."
Verizon users can upload camera phone videos directly from their mobile device to Youtube, using the text code YTUBE (98823). The videos will appear on the site in a matter of minutes. Pretty neat, and exactly what the Internet needed: a new influx of grainy amateur video. In cases like the London bombings, where bystanders captured a lot of footage on their phones, this could prove another avenue for the ever-increasing representation of citizen journalism.
Read the rest of this post at Gearlog: "Verizon Adds 'Post to YouTube' Feature from Phones"


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For the second time, over 400 senior C-suite executives and digital leaders from Australia's prominent enterprise and government organisations gathered at the elite, invite-only event - CeBIT Black. On Tuesday night, attendees were treated to great food, wine, entertainment, and a dynamic presentation from the event's sponsors Accenture and Commonwealth Bank, titled 'Fast Forward Future'.
"We really have some big questions to address in the next few years," said Justin Baird, Managing Director of R&D, Technology & Innovation Lead at Accenture. "It's not about the trends impacting business in the next 2-3 years, but how we can use technologies like AI in a responsible way, so that they don't take jobs away, but make them better."
Commonwealth Bank's General Manager of Innovation Labs, Tiziana Bianco proceeded to talk about the challenges businesses in the digital era face in order to stay competitive. "Disruptors can be hard to spot. Netflix went after a niche market initially before moving into the mainstream," she said. "If you add pace to this, effectively transforming your business goes from hard to complex."
However, there were some guidelines organisations could follow to stay on track:
Bronwyn van der Merwe, Group Director at Fjord (part of Accenture Interactive) took the stage from there to introduce the audience to a 3rd wave of digital transformation we were about to experience. "We're about enter an era of living services and we believe that the predominance of the smartphone is likely to disappear," she predicted. This trend was largely driven by AI powered devices such as Alexa which learn about the user's preferences and starts to proactively to reach out to them to make their lives better.
So what strategies can organisation looking to stay competitive in a fast changing digital era adopt to stay ahead? "Stay focused on the customer, it will answer why you should drive innovation in a certain direction and the technology solution becomes the how", advised Nick Aronson, Managing Director of Institutional Banking & Markets at Commonwealth Bank.
In addition to a relaxing evening of food, drinks and networking, attendees were there for a good cause: to raise money for the Smith Family. The event brought in over $30,000 to support the Smith's family '5 of 5' pilot program, a mobile game aiming to tackle school attendance in some of the most disadvantaged communities in Australia.
The event was delivered in partnership with the NSW Government, Accenture and the Commonwealth Bank and hosted by radio and media personality Adam Spencer.
Digital Transformation
CeBIT news in your inbox.
© Hannover Fairs Australia Pty Ltd


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50 years on from the Abortion Act, pro choice campaign calls for renewed push
The 1967 Abortion Act, which was passed 50 years ago today, saved the lives of thousands of women. The Act, based on a private members' bill by David Steel, set out specific circumstances that allowed women access to a legal abortion. It created exceptions to an Act from 1861, the Offences Against the Person Act, still standing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which makes abortion a criminal offence.
The act did not bring in abortion on request and women had to get the agreement of two doctors before an abortion was permitted. Yet from the day the act became law it has faced attack from the anti-abortion lobby and pro-choice campaigners have consistently had to defend not only the law but access to abortion as well.
Abortion Rights was formed in 2003 as a merger of Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRA) and the National Abortion Campaign (NAC). ALRA has been front of stage this week, with their lead activist Diane Munday appearing on Women's Hour, the documentary made by Anne Robinson, Abortion on Trial and alongside me this week at a conference documenting the Act and its impact.
Abortion Rights stands on the shoulders of giants of all those who have fought in the past. Those who campaigned for and brought in the law as well as all those defended it— within trade unions, on the streets winning mass support for what is seen as (but shouldn't be) a difficult issue. One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime yet everywhere we look in culture and the media abortion is treated as a negative occurrence.
The ability to plan if, when and how many children we have, allows us access to so many of our other rights. Our ability to campaign for equal pay, against violence against women and for equal representation is all built on the ability to have control of our own bodies. We also believe that being pro-choice means ensuring that abortion is part of a free health care system that is not subject to postcode lotteries or misinformation from GPs.
On the other side those who oppose abortion rights call themselves 'pro-life". Yet this is a dishonest description of activists who take absolutist positions, who refuse to contemplate abortion in any circumstance even when the woman's life is in danger. Such dogma leads to women dying—only five years ago Savita Halappanavar died in an Irish hospital because she was refused an abortion that would have saved her life when she experienced complications in her pregnancy.
The strategy used by the anti-abortion lobby in recent years is to pretend to be generally pro-choice but to just want to correct or shave a little off abortion rights here and there. They try and claim the moral high ground about "human rights". But there is nothing moral or conscientious about a campaign that encourages pickets outside abortion clinics to hand out materials containing anti-choice science lies – for example that abortion causes breast cancer. Those who seek to shame people in private and advocate forced pregnancies are bullies and harassers. Religion cannot be used to justify such actions. Abortion Rights recently set up Christians for Choice, the founders come from a broad section of Christianity and supporters include an MP and a Reverend. There is also a Facebook page for Muslims for Choice set up to highlight the breadth of views in one religion: Islam and abortion.
We find ourselves in interesting times. The government does not have an overall majority and the deal struck with the DUP created cracks in the wall. Theresa May had to cave in to the call for women from Northern Ireland to have access to NHS funded abortions in England to pass her Queen's Speech. Now the government has also announced that some limited funds to aid travel and accommodation to England will also be available. Women in Northern Ireland still need to be able to access safe, legal and free abortion at home, but nevertheless these are significant changes that will assist women facing an unwanted pregnancy and help to expose the hypocrisy of barring abortion in one part of the UK.
There is a growing awareness of the injustice faced by women wanting to exercise their right to control their fertility. Labour MP Diana Johnson recently passed a successful Ten Minute Rule Bill that demonstrated that parliament is in favour of decriminalisation.
Diane Munday of ALRA recalls the celebrations at Westminster after the 1967 Act passed. She said then that their glasses of champagne should only be half full because although abortion became legal in certain circumstances, control was in the hands of doctors. The next task is to put control into women's own hands. Abortion rights have become a central political issue today; this gives us a historic opportunity. Join Abortion Rights and our struggle and next time our champagne glasses will be full.
Abortion Rights has brought together a fantastic array of speakers spanning the life of the Act on a broad range of pro-choice debates including speakers from Ireland, academics, lawyers, and activists tomorrow (Saturday) in London. Come along and join the discussion,
For tickets and more information visit: www.bit.ly/AR28thOct
Kerry Abel, Abortion Rights Chair