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Texas Rangers
Has DeShields raced his way into Rangers' 2018 lineup?
Carlos Gomez, bad ankle and all, finally talked himself back into the Texas Rangers' lineup Thursday, though it helped that a left-hander was pitching for the Seattle Mariners.
Gomez, who hadn't started since Sept. 9, patrolled center field at Safeco Field, no small task, and Delino DeShields moved from center to left field while Nomar Mazara sat to rest his sore quadriceps and to avoid lefty James Paxton.
So for one day, in the finale of the three-game series, playing Gomez, bad ankle and all, made some sense — an extra right-handed bat and a day to freshen up Mazara.
But what happens with Gomez and DeShields on Friday, when the Oakland A's will throw a right-hander? Everyone will know soon enough, but bet on the center fielder being DeShields.
He's earned it.
What isn't known is what the Rangers plan to do with center field next season. The final 11 games of 2017 are the Rangers' only concern, with the second wild card within reach, but DeShields has made the case that he should play somewhere every day in 2018.
He makes the offense more versatile and helps the Rangers win.
"He adds a dimension that there's not but a handful of guys in baseball that are like that," manager Jeff Banister said. "That is a skill set that used to be extremely prevalent in baseball, but with the addition of power, there's not as many of those guys out there.
"Even with the increased home run rate this year, the home run doesn't just show up every night. It's not the main focal point of winning baseball games. There are other elements in this game that can help you. The whole, 'Speed doesn't going into a slump?' It doesn't, unless he's hurt."
The Rangers entered Thursday 31-25 in DeShields' past 56 starts, which includes 19 in September. He was batting .294 in his past 86 games, dating to May 12, and his improvements defensively have bolstered the confidence of the coaching staff in him.
All of his success, at the plate and in the field, is rooted to his speed. It's elite speed, top-five-in-the-game speed, beat-out-a-routine-grounder-to-second speed.
DeShields' wheels routinely change a game, as they did Tuesday in the eighth inning.
He dropped a perfect bunt that Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, a former Gold Glove winner, had to put in his pocket.
"It was a good bunt," DeShields said. "It's something that I've really taken pride in. After my first year in professional ball I got convinced that it could be used as a weapon, especially with my speed. ... If I put it where I want it, no one can defend it."
He then stole second when everyone in Safeco Field knew he would try, even against a pitcher with a quick delivery home and a catcher with a solid throwing arm.
DeShields was safe, though the play was close enough that the Mariners considered challenging the call. DeShields then raced home on an Elvis Andrus chopper toward third after it forced him to wait to get through the infield.
"Everybody knows I'm going to run, and everyone knows I'm going to bunt," DeShields said. "It's just part of it. It's something that I do. People are always anticipating me bunting and steals. I've got to live with that. I've got to do the little things to perfect it. It's more having a mental approach instead of just getting out there and wanting to go every time."
His run gave the Rangers a 3-1 lead, and they will take every extra run they can get with their bullpen continuing its season-long adventure.
"It was game-changing," Banister said. "It was as perfect a bunt as you can put down. He stole a base also to get in scoring position. His speed gave us an opportunity to get both of those in that [inning]."
The Rangers haven't closed the door on bringing back Gomez for 2018. They have fallen in love with the person and the player, a quality defender with speed and pop who brings energy to the lineup.
Gomez likely wants a multiyear contract after playing this season on a one-year, $11.5 million deal. He has enjoyed his time with the Rangers and wants to spend the rest of his career with them, if the right deal can be found.
The obstacle facing Gomez is that the Rangers need to pour as many of their available funds as possible into the pitching staff. DeShields would be an affordable quality option for center field, and the Rangers could fill the opening in left field with Mazara and keep Shin-Soo Choo in right field.
If the Rangers like the idea of continuing to feed Choo games at designated hitter, Willie Calhoun, Ryan Rua or Joey Gallo would be budget-friendly options in left field.
If Gomez's price tag isn't too outlandish, the Rangers could re-sign him and play DeShields in left.
The constant in those scenarios is DeShields, who has made a case that he should play somewhere every day in 2018.
He helps the Rangers win.
Jeff Wilson: 817-390-7760, @JeffWilson_FWST
Rangers at Athletics
9:05 p.m. Friday, FSSW


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Andrew and Laurel Quady were looking for a way to celebrate the 80th Anniversary Party of their longtime English importer, Hallgarten Druitt, and in the process they found a delicious way to drink up their succulent peaches. The Summer Peach is newly created in honor of our much loved importer, we wish them 80 years to come!
The orange-apricot character of Essensia Orange Muscat, the subtle herbaceous notes in the the Vya Whisper Dry, and the soft bubbles of Prosecco unite with a summer peach like never before…
¼ ripe fragrant peach, with peel (white is preferred, must be fresh and aromatic)
1 ounce Essensia
1 ounce Whisper Dry Vermouth
2 ounces Prosecco
How to make The Summer Peach:
Using a muddling tool, mash the peach in a 12 oz cocktail shaking glass.
Add Essensia and Whisper Dry Vermouth.
Continue to mash a little more.
Fill the glass with ice and shake until contents are very cold and frothy.
Strain into a chilled champagne flute or a saucer shaped champagne or cocktail glass (use a strainer with 1/8 inch holes).
Top up with 2 oz chilled Prosecco.
Enjoy the sweet fruits of your labor!
The Summer Peach, created this weekend by Andrew and Laurel Quady at Quady Winery.

subset: commoncrawl


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Keep Boots Dry When The Rain Sets In
For those rainy or snowy days. Fill a shallow container with stones (found at your local garden centers). Ice and snow will melt and any water on your shoes will drain through the rocks to the bottom of the tray, so your boots don't stand in their own wet puddle. Most of the moisture will evaporate off after a few hours.


text: Uncategorized Posted on September 16, 2004 aaaaaaah….i LOVE it!! Thank you for subscribing to my blog! Do consider leaving a comment – or just reply to this email! I'd love to know what you think. Cheers! Vidya Namaste! I am glad you are here. May your day be filled with smiles! For a regular dose of happiness, subscribe to get updates in your email inbox Follow Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles on WordPress.com 0 Comments By Vidya Sury No Comments Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyName * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Current ye@r * Leave this field empty


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Kamal is currently heading bKash which provides financial services through an extensive network of community-based agents and existing technology, including mobile phones. Kamal is one of the most-cited (recently in the Wall Street Journal) thinkers in mobile innovations who has been credited for "grass-root level market creation" with emerging technologies.
Kamal is a founding member of Open World Initiatives, a Lausanne, Switzerland based organization of young thinkers. He is involved with Anwarul Quadir Foundation which recognizes innovations in developing countries. He is a First Mover Fellow of The Aspen Institute. In 2009, TED selected Kamal a TEDIndia Fellow and the World Economic Forum recognised him as a Young Global Leader.


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Bookmark This Site.
It's a pillow and a pet in one, cute and huggable pet that folds and pops open from a pillow, soft and cuddle. Just undo the hook and loop strap, and it is becomes a full size pillow. Just return the lock and it back to cuddly animal. Great for travel, overnight trips and every night sleep. Every pillow pet is unique and cute. Made of ultra soft high quality fabric and stitches are high durable and pillow pets are machine washable.
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Time to Sell Your Business?
Every business owner has dreamt of selling his or her business. The question is: Will the dream keep you hitting the snooze button or will it be a nightmare that you can't wake up from fast enough?
Assuming you have been grooming your business for sale for a few years, the first question to address is: "Do I hire a business broker or go it alone?"
You've probably been self-employed a long time and you've seen a thing or two in that time, but selling your own business is almost certainly the first time you haven't been in control of what happens in your business. The thought of handing over any amount of control to a virtual stranger can be overwhelming.
There are a few things to consider in making the decision about whether or not to use a business broker:
1. If you already have a buyer lined up, perhaps a key employee who has been with the company a long time, you could go it alone. Just keep in mind that a broker would be able to manage the purchase process separate from the employee/employer relationship, which is important if an agreement can't be worked out and you want to keep that person on your payroll.
2. There is a reason doctors don't treat their own family members. For most business owners, the company is just another one of the kids. Will you be able to remain objective in negotiations when it comes to high stress issues like the selling price? An unmeasured reaction by either party at a critical point could kill the best possible deal for you.
3. You need to be realistic about the weakness of your company and honestly ask, "What does a buyer see when he or she looks at your business?" If you can do that, then you will likely see some things that need to be addressed in order to maximize your value. You may need to reduce old or outdated inventory, tidy up some of your bookkeeping or get your HR records in order.
4. You will also need to do some homework on the difference between selling the shares and the assets in your business. There are significant tax implications that need to be considered before agreeing to anything. Meeting with a Certified Professional Accountant prior to negotiations will give you the understanding you need to propose a deal that will work well for everyone.


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Natural Stone Roofing
Have you been thinking of natural stone roofing styles which are hand-crafted and calibrated to make your roof look stunning? The natural stone roofing option involves laying the tiles in parallel rows, each row overlapping the penultimate row. Having high functionality, the natural stone roofing provides structural support to the building, controls water ingress and provides protection from environmental factors such as air and heat flow.
Products for Roofing
With hand dressed edges, these natural stone roof tiles come with natural split surface finish on both the sides. Aushen Stone provides a stellar range of roofing options. These stones are highly durable and offer excellent weather resistance.


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There has been a lot talk recently on what a Facebook Fan is worth to a company or a brand. Estimates of the value of a Facebook Fan have ranged from zero to $136.38. While people may question the value of a Facebook Fan, there is little debate that Brand Advocates have real business value. Take this example of an Advocate for Joie de Vivre Hotels. Christine F. is an executive assistant at a large networking and telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the heart of Silicon Valley. One of her responsibilities is booking hotels and meeting rooms for company offsites. Recently, Christine held an event at the Hotel Los Gatos, which is managed by Joie de Vivre, an owner and operator of California-based boutique hotels.
Christine was so pleased with her experience at Hotel Los Gatos that she booked several additional company events at the hotel. Christine estimates that the total amount for the events that she's held at Hotel Los Gatos over the last 18 months is $100,000. But Christine's real value to Hotel Los Gatos goes beyond $100,000, given that she has recommended the hotel to her friends and colleagues over 12 times over the last 18 months both online and offline.
Based on her recommendations, Christine's peers also booked meetings and guest rooms at Hotel Los Gatos and other Joie de Vivre hotels. This generated an additional $75,000 in revenues for the hotel group.
Importantly, Joie de Vivre did not pay or provide financial incentives to Christine to recommend Hotel Los Gatos. She recommended the hotel to her colleagues because she had an excellent experience and wanted to share this with others.
To learn more about the value of Brand Advocates, sign up for our upcoming webinar, "Your Brand Advocates: How to Find Them and What They Are Worth" on Wednesday, July 28 at 10 AM PDT/ 1 PM EDT. The webinar will feature a panel of three social media practitioners that work with large consumer brands. Click here to learn more about the panel.


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Swedish bitters is a traditional herbal tonic, said to have been formulated originally by Paracelsus and rediscovered by 18th century Swedish medics Dr. Claus Samst and Dr. Urban Hjärne. In modern times it has been popularised by Maria Treben, an Austrian herbalist. It is claimed to cure a large number of ailments and help digestion. However these claims are presented with little in the way of scientific evidence to support them.
(Summarised from Wikipedia)
My granny has been preparing Swedish bitters for about 20 years now. She doesn't make it from scratch, but she goes to the local pharmacy, where you can buy a bag, with the mixture of all the necessary herbs for the Swedish bitters. She also owns Maria Treben's book Health Through God's Pharmacy (the book on the link for Amazon may not be the same, because granny's book is from 1997), where there are herbal remedies for dozens of different disease (heart diseases, stroke, injuries, even cancer…). I strongly recommend this book to everybody, and especially to those, who have a disease, and tried everything, but it didn't work.
If you want to make the Swedish bitters from scratch, this is the recipe, directly from Maria Treben's book (when preparing, be sure you weigh all ingredients accurately):
Soak Swedish mixture of herbs in 1.5 liters of 38–40 % grain spirit, or any good fruit spirit, in a two-liter bottle with a wide neck. Leave the bottle for 14 days on the sun or near a stove. Shake the content each day, do the same before filtering the liquid into a small bottle, and before use. The remaining amount may be indefinitely on herbs. Pour the liquid into small bottles, for which make sure that they are well sealed and kept cool. In this way, the elixir may be stored for several years. Longer as it rests, the more effective it becomes.
- 10 g of aloe¹
- 5 g of myrrh
- 0.2 g of saffron
- 10 g of senna leaves
- 10 g of camphor²
- 10 g of rhubarb roots
- 10 g of zedoary roots
- 10 g of manna
- 10 g of theriac venezian
- 5 g of carline thistle roots
- 10 g of angelica roots
¹ Instead of aloe, wormwood powder or gentian roots may be used.
² Use only natural camphor.
(Source: Health Through God's Pharmacy by Maria Treben)


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Popular Science Monthly/Volume 46/January 1895/Literary Notices
Schools and Masters of Sculpture. By A. G. Radcliffe. New York: D. Appleton & Co. Pp. 598. Price, $3.
Considering the scope of this volume, we may well believe the opening statement of its preface that the difficulties of condensation involved in its preparation have been extreme. Yet there is none of the aridity of condensation noticeable in its pages. It has been the aim of the author "to tell the story of the progress of plastic art clearly, vividly, and accurately, with entire correctness so far as possible, but without needless technicalities"—to give "not only the strict history of sculpture, but some glimpses of the fresh vistas of description lately opened up, of the strange illuminations cast by modern discovery, and of the new promise discernible in modern achievement. Successive schools of sculpture are therefore shown by the flashlight of single chapters, and the personality of the great masters is brought briefly before us." The Egyptian, Assyrian, and Asiatic types of sculpture are treated before the wonderful works of the Greeks are taken up. In no case does the author rest content with a bare enumeration and description of the works named, but adds facts concerning discoveries of ancient sculptures, and bits of mythology or notes on customs connected with them. Five chapters are devoted to Greek sculpture. Its nature and subjects are first discussed, after which the chief known examples of successive periods are described. A single chapter suffices for Roman sculpture, and the same for the early Christian and the Mediæval Cathedral groups. The works of modern times are taken up by countries. Those of Italy are described under the two divisions, the age of the Renaissance and the age of Michael Angelo and his successors. Then follow accounts of the sculptors and sculpture of France, Germany, and England, and of the nineteenth century in general, the last period being brought down to include the exhibits at the Columbian Exposition. Two closing chapters on the study of sculpture in the museums of Europe and in those of America, together with the one that precedes them, are of especial value in pointing out where the masterpieces of art are now to be found, and how we may grow familiar with them. The author's style is concise yet picturesque, and the vivid panorama that is afforded by the text is splendidly re-enforced by the illustrations. There are forty-two full-page engravings, representing all the schools described, and including works by the Americans D. C. French, W. W. Story, and Thomas Crawford.
The Principles of Modern Dairy Practice from A Bacteriological Point of View. By Gösta Grotenfelt, President of Mustiola Agricultural College, Finland. Authorized American Edition by F. W. Woll. With Illustrations. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Price, $2.
As the translator and editor states, few industries have changed more during the past twenty years than has that of the production of milk and its manufacture into butter and cheese. The shallow-setting system of cream-raising has been superseded by the deep-setting system, and the latter by hand or power separators. Better knowledge of butter manufacture and milk preservation have been acquired, together with a fuller understanding of the nature and properties of dairy products and the changes to which they are subject. This volume is intended to substitute knowledge for speculation, and to give the dairyman data whereby he can best utilize his products.
There is a preliminary introduction on bacteria and their relation to dairying, so plainly written that all may comprehend it. With this information as a basis, the author proceeds to consider milk as it is drawn from the udder—properly sterile—and describes the sources of infection in the stable and their prevention. He calls attention to the danger of pouring abnormal milk on the stable floor or of feeding it to swine. Both in Germany and Denmark swine fed on centrifuge milk slime have been found tuberculous.
The author states that milk from tuberculous cows should not be used without being freed from its infectious qualities. This is unfortunate, for there is no certain and safe method of disinfecting such milk, and Prudden's experiments have shown that the sterilized products of tubercle bacilli will produce organic lesions that are severe and permanent. Such milk should never be used for any purpose, and the cow should be killed.
We are glad to note the author's emphasis on better lighting of cow-stables; he might have cited the fact that bright light is inimical to the best growth of microorganisms. Hesse's experiments, here cited, that in the air of a cow-stable there were one hundred and twenty bacteria and molds while in that of an occupied schoolroom there were only eighty micro-organisms to the litre, only evidences the bad ventilation of each of those places.
In the section on cooling milk he refers to the value of ice to the dairyman, though it is in a subsequent chapter that he calls attention to the fact that the ice should not come in contact with the milk, because ice may contain pathogenic micro-organisms.
It would seem that the objection to the use of soda in cleansing milk-vessels is not well founded. In surgical and other disinfection alkaline water is of value in securing an aseptic condition, and its employment in the cleaning of these vessels seems to us particularly appropriate, though, of course, the vessel should be subsequently scalded with boiling water. A thorough steaming of these vessels is one of the best procedures that can be employed.
The annual cleaning of the stable is a hygienic necessity, and the means of disinfection herein indicated are easily applied.
The difference in the number of bacteria in one cubic centimetre of milk that has been obtained in a pasture and in a barn is striking:
after milking.
|Half an
|Pasture milking
|Barn milking
Knopf has found from 60,000 to 100,000 bacteria in one cubic centimetre of recently drawn milk, and the author found in milk from a filthy stable from 670,000 to 780,000 bacteria per cubic centimetre. The investigations made by Sedgwick and Batchelder in Boston showed that milk sold in that city contained from 1,438,000 to 4,577,000 bacteria per cubic centimetre. The author gives a useful review of the various microorganisms found in milk, and calls attention to the fact that the kinds are more important than the number of organisms.
Due importance is attached to the cleanliness of employees in butter and cheese factories, to their clothing and the cleanness of their hands.
The chapter on milk for city consumption is well written, but State dairy inspectors will have to be much further removed from political influences than they are at present before milk supplied to cities will cease to be a fertile source of causation of tuberculosis.
There is no doubt that properly condensed unsweetened milk is one of the best articles that can be used as a milk foodstuff, because it may be diluted with water as necessary, and it does not contain the pus and blood corpuscles, hair, and manure particles that are in any milk sterilized by heating. Filtration sterilization has not proved practical. A chapter is devoted to milk pasteurization, which the researches of Freeman and others have shown to be so much more satisfactory than sterilization by heating.
The advantages of the centrifugal method for cream separation and pasteurization of cream receive due consideration.
The manufacture and handling of butter and cream are treated in the same careful manner as the preceding topics, and one can not but wish that the volume would be in the hands of every dairyman in this country.
An Elementary Manual of Chemistry. By F. H. Storer, Professor of Agricultural Chemistry in Harvard University, and W. B. Lindsay, Professor of General and Analytical Chemistry in Dickinson College. New York: American Book Company. Price, $1.20.
The authors state in the preface that this work is the lineal descendant of the Manual of Inorganic Chemistry of Eliot and Storer, and a thorough revision of Eliot, Storer, and Nichols's Elementary Manual of Chemistry. These works have been so well and favorably known that it is scarcely necessary to commend the present volume for the comprehensive and intelligent manner in which the subject is presented.
The experimental and inductive methods are employed to acquaint the student with the main facts and principles of the science, and by such discipline the observing faculties are developed. As a rule, the experiments mentioned are of a simple character, and the directions are so explicit that a novice in chemistry may repeat them before a class. The work is an excellent one for the purposes intended.
Eskimo Life. By Fridtjof Nansen. London and New York: Longmans, Green & Co. Pp. 350. Price, $4.
It is for the most part with genial humor, but now and then in sadness and indignation, that Dr. Nansen describes the life of these hardy children of the North. His knowledge of them was gained mostly in one winter, during which, he says, "I dwelt in their huts, took part in their hunting, and tried, as well as I could, to live their life and learn their language." Their daily life is presented with much fullness of detail; their appearance and dress, their houses for winter and tents for summer, their cookery and what they regard as delicacies, their woman-boats, excursions, etc., receiving due attention. A chapter is given to a careful description, with measurements, of that wonderful boat, the kaiak, and the weapons and implements that constitute its outfit, which is followed by a vivid story of a day's hunting in these boats. Some less familiar sides of Eskimo life are presented in the chapter on art, music, and poetry, and in that on the drum dances, which served both as judicial proceedings and as entertainments. Nearly a hundred pages are devoted to religious ideas, in which some curious bits of mythology and folklore are presented. Dr. Nansen represents the character of the Eskimo as gentle and patient. It is seldom that an Eskimo does anything that his own race deems wrong, crimes of violence being especially rare. Some things, however, that he does, deeming them proper, come into our category of immoralities. In his closing chapters on The Introduction of Christianity, Europeans and Natives, What have we achieved? and his Conclusion, Dr. Nansen laments the enervating influence of the civilization that Europeans have inflicted upon the Eskimos. The introduction of firearms has led them to exterminate or scare away their game. The imposition of religious commands and civil laws in a mass too great to be assimilated has driven out the old restraints and obligations and caused the victims of the process to fall between two stools. The ability to read and write has been gained at the expense of diminished skill in the kaiak, so that deaths from drowning have largely increased. A long catalogue of this sort could be gleaned from Nansen's pages, and he does not hesitate to urge that his countrymen should entirely withdraw from Greenland. The text is well illustrated with plates and small cuts.
The Penokee Iron-bearing Series of Michigan and Wisconsin. By Roland Duer Irving and Charles Richard Van Hise. (Monographs of the United States Geological Survey.) Washington: Government Printing Office. Pp. 634, with Plates.
This report was designed by Prof. Irving to be the first of a series which should treat each of the important iron-producing districts adjacent to Lake Superior. For a time, in 1885 and 1886, Prof. Irving accompanied the surveying party in person, Mr. Van Hise gave the seasons of 1884, 1885, and the larger part of the following year to the work. When the survey began, the district was one which explorers had but fairly entered, and which was reached by railroad at only one point. The district has since developed into one of the most important iron-producing areas of the country. Before the beginning of the investigation, Prof. Irving had done a large amount of field work upon a portion of the range for the Wisconsin Geological Survey and had prepared a systematic report upon this part of it. He was thus able to direct the more detailed examination of the whole area, so that no loss of time should occur. This is the first of the iron-producing districts of Lake Superior in which the geology has been worked out in detail, and the fundamental conclusions reached are in opposition to those expressed by some geologists. Hence, in order to make the facts fully accessible to those who desire to have them, the descriptions of the formations and their sections are given with especial particularity. The first chapter of the present report was prepared by Prof. Irving; the third, fourth, and fifth chapters were jointly prepared; and the rest is the work of Mr. Van Hise.
Thirteenth Annual Report or the United States Geological Survey, 1891-'92. By J. W. Powell, Director. In Three Parts. Part I, Report of the Director. Washington: Government Printing Office. Pp. 240.
The work of the Geological Survey is the examination of the topography and the preparation of topographical maps showing the distribution and characteristics of the rock formations of the country with their various mineral contents. Usefulness in various other ways than for the geologist is justly claimed for the maps that result from the surveys—such as the location of roads, railways, and canals, for planning towns and extensive manufactories, for drainage and irrigation systems, and for all other works depending on the configuration of the ground. These uses are multiplying, as the resources and industries of the country are developed and increase, with every decade. The geological survey of each district requiring, by reason of the diversity of rocks and resources in the different parts of the country, special knowledge of that district, the work is organized in divisions, each assigned to a particular district or series of formations, in each of which are subdivisions in which work is carried on by independent parties; and there are other divisions of special kinds of work. The topographical surveys of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Rhode Island are completed. The surreys of this branch during the year covered by the report serve to complete eighty-eight atlas sheets, of which thirty-six are on a scale of 1:62,500 (or about one mile to the inch), forty-five are twice as large, and seven are drawn to special scales. The general maps, it is claimed, are among the first to represent with approximate accuracy the relief of any considerable part of the country. A summary of the more important features of the surveys and the administrative reports of the chiefs of divisions, showing in general terms the amount of work done in each, are given in connection with the director's report.
In Part II, Geology (pp. 872, with numerous illustrations and maps, largely swelling the thickness of the volume), are given the full and detailed reports of the second expedition to Mount St. Elias, by I. C. Russell; The Mechanics of Appalachian Structure, by Bailey Willis; The Average Elevation of the United States, by Henry Gannett; The Rensselaer Grit Plateau of New York, by T. N. Dale; The American Tertiary Aphidæ, by S. H. Scudder.
Part III (486 pages, with illustrations and maps) relates to irrigation, and contains papers on Water Supply for Irrigation, by F. H. Newell; American Irrigation Engineering, by H. M. Wilson; Engineering Results of Irrigation Survey, by Mr. Wilson; a report upon the construction of topographic maps and the selection and survey of reservoir sites in the hydrographic basin of the Arkansas River, Colorado, by A. H. Thompson; and a report upon the location and survey of reservoir sites during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1892, by John Thompson.
Clinical Manual for the Study of Diseases OF the Throat. By James Walker Downie, M. B. New York: Macmillan & Co. 1894. Pp. xiv-f 268. Price, $2.50.
When one recalls the six or eight hundred octavo pages of most of the popular text-books on diseases of the throat, it seems that the author of this manual has undertaken a difficult task to dispose of his topic in such small compass.
The first of the two sections into which the book is divided discusses the systematic examination of the fauces, pharynx, and larynx, and describes the various manifestations of disease of these regions. The second section considers individual diseases and their necessary medical and surgical treatment.
It seems to us that the author would have enhanced the value of his work by referring, if even briefly, to the necessity of examining the nose, especially the posterior nares, which is the starting point for so many of the diseases described in the volume.
The section on diphtheria is too meager. Insufficient directions are given for staining the Klebs-Loeffler bacillus; nothing is said of the importance of determining the latter's presence as an early indication of the character of the disease, nor is the distinction between the true and pseudo bacillus defined. Nothing is said of the antitoxine treatment of diphtheria.
What the author does describe is clearly explained, but it seems that in his effort to write a concise work he has somewhat abridged the complete consideration of his subject.
The Diseases of the Will, By Th. Ribot. Authorized translation by Merwin-Marie Snell. Chicago: The Open Court Publishing Company. 1894. Pp. vi-l-134. Price, 75 cents.
The well-known psychological works of this author are sufficient guarantees of the treatment a subject will receive at his hands. In this volume he studies the will from the standpoint of dissolution—that is, he reviews the anomalies of the will, and from these deduces conclusions regarding its normal state.
He classes volitional impairments as defects of impulse, excess of impulse, impairments of voluntary attention, volitional instability, and extinction of will. From his survey of these pathological conditions he concludes that there are two distinct elements in every voluntary act: that state of consciousness, the "I will," that indicates a situation but that has in itself no efficacy, and a very complex psycho-physiological mechanism in which resides the power to act or to restrain. Therefore volition is defined as a final state of consciousness that results from the more or less complex co-ordination of a group of conscious, subconscious, or unconscious states that, united together, express themselves by an action or an inhibition.
He formulates this theory in the words, "The 'I will' testifies to a condition, but does not produce it." He aptly compares it to a jury's verdict that may be the result of a very long criminal examination and of fervid argument, and that will be followed by grave consequences extending over a long future, but that is an effect without being a cause.
The author sedulously avoids any discussion of the problem of free will, but a careful reading of the volume will greatly enlighten the student's mind regarding the scope of that metaphysical entity.
The volume is a readable one, and a most useful contribution to popular scientific literature.
Educational and Industrial System of Drawing. By Langdon S. Thompson. Boston: D. C. Heath & Co. Seven series, thirty-two books, including drawing books and manuals.
The author deduces from a general analysis of the subject that drawing is related to every other department of intellectual education, but has no departmental existence of its own, and should not be treated as an independent subject. In every school or system of schools, therefore, the actual practice in drawing or other art work that is required should depend on the regular course of study. The seven series of which the present system consists are the manual-training, primary and advanced free-hand, model and object, aesthetic, mechanical, and institute series. The order in which these several series should be used is not laid down, but is left to be determined by circumstances. The two books of the manual-training series are not drawing books proper, but are intended to develop the analytical phase of form study. They also treat of form expression in three dimensions. The more advanced manual. No. 2, treats of elementary mechanical drawing, clay modeling in relief, lessons on color, wood-carving, cutting and pasting in design, and working drawings, and is adapted to go with the advanced free-hand series. The four books of the latter series are intended to interest and instruct the mind of the learner, and improve his taste by giving information on the principles of pottery design and the conventionalization of plant forms for purposes of decorative design. The diagrams to be drawn are mostly historical examples of approved form. The model and object series is likewise a freehand series, but has no drawings to be copied; the cuts and explanation being designed to illustrate the underlying principles of model drawing and the method of procedure, and to send both teacher and pupil directly to the object itself. The manual presents a clear and concise statement of the principles of model and object drawing, and can be used independently of the drawing books. The æsthetic series gives the principal elements of the best known styles of ornament, and explains them in such a way as to enable the learner to recognize those various styles at sight. The drawings are intended not to be copied, but to be studied and to point out the method to be pursued in inventing designs. The mechanical series is wholly instrumental. The institute series, with its primary grade book and grammar grade book, is made especially for teachers' institutes, normal classes, summer schools, and intelligent classes having only a limited time for study. A great elasticity is allowed in the use of these books, in numbers used, length of course, and purpose.
Annual Report of the Board of Regents OF the Smithsonian Institution. Showing the Operations, Expenditures, and Condition of the Institution to July, 1893. Washington: Government Printing Office. Pp. 763.
The secretary calls attention to the desirability of securing an appropriation to meet actual outlays incurred in administering Government trusts. These outlays, for matters not equitably chargeable to the fund of James Smithson, are increasing; they are incurred in serving purely governmental interests, and are not met by any of the present appropriations. In the line of research the secretary. Prof. S. P. Langley, has investigated in aërodynamics and astrophysics; aid has been given in Prof. E. W. Mosley's determinations of the density of oxygen and hydrogen; Prof. A. A. Michelson has been assisted in his study of the application of interference methods to spectroscopic measurements; Prof. Holden is engaged in lunar photography; and other investigations are reported upon. Mention is made of Mr. W. W. Rockhill's adventures in Tibet and other explorations described in the Report of the Bureau of Ethnology. Volume XXVIII of the Contributions to Knowledge consists of the memoir of Captain Charles E. Bendire on the Life Histories of North American Birds. Prof. Michelson's memoir on interference methods was also published. The thirty-fourth and thirty-sixth volumes of the miscellaneous collections contain respectively two articles previously published separately, and Dr. H. C. Bolton's new Bibliography of Chemistry. A gift of two hundred thousand dollars has been made to the institution by T. G. Hodgkins, of Setauket, Long Island, for the encouragement of the study of the nature and properties of atmospheric air in connection with the welfare of man. Mr. Hodgkins also made the institution his residuary legatee. The appendix to the report contains a large number of articles on current science, mostly selected.
Human Physiology. By John Thornton, M. A. With 268 Illustrations, some colored. New York: Longmans, Green & Co. 1894. Pp. 436. Price, $1.50.
The scope of this work indicates that it has been prepared for the use of high schools and colleges.
Commencing with histology, excellent ideas of a cell, of karyokinesis, of the properties of protoplasm, and of the various forms of tissue are given. Physiology proper is then taken up and considered in its various phases. The chapters on the blood and circulation are excellent, and that on the brain is especially good in its treatment of our modern knowledge of that nervous center.
The book has been prepared with great care and judgment, and is deserving of wide popularity in the field for which it is intended.
The Amateur Telescopist's Handbook (Longmans, Green & Co., New York) has been prepared by Frank M. Gibson for that large number of students of astronomy whose instrumental equipment is not adequate to the satisfactory observation of a considerable proportion of the objects described in Smyth's and Webb's catalogues of celestial objects suited to observations with common telescopes. Those who have equatorially mounted telescopes of more than three or four inches aperture may find these works all they need; but those who have only altazimuths of smaller apertures will be liable to embarrassment from the difficulty of locating the objects described in these works, and by the presence in their lists of many that can not be seen at all with those instruments. For the purposes of this work objects are selected which are within the powers of such instruments, and the attempt has been made to describe their location so that they may be easily found without the aid of a map or lantern light. Price, $1.25.
Hermon C. Bumpus has had in mind, in the preparation of his Laboratory Course in Invertebrate Zoölogy (Henry Holt & Co., New York, $1), the requirements of a class of students who are pursuing a course of laboratory work on the subject. An effort has been made to direct the work without actually telling the student all that is to be learned from the specimen. An instructor is supposed to be present to assist with the hard points, and to demonstrate what can not well be elucidated by written descriptions. Not always the most typical animals are selected, but forms easily procured and preserved have been looked for. The orders of Protozoa, Cœlenterata, Echinodermata, Vermes, Mollusca, Crustacea, Limulus, Arachnoidea, and Antennata are represented by from two to seven genera each.
The work of Dr. Hermann Adler on Alternating Generations, based on A Biological Study of Oak Galls and Gall Flies, is published by Macmillan & Co., translated with the permission of the author, and edited by Charles R. Stratton. The translator became acquainted with the work while studying galls as a branch of comparative pathology, and was struck with its originality and the light it threw upon certain great biological problems. Dr. Adler began his observations of gall flies in 1875, and in the course of his investigation was able to unfold their life history, and to prove that, while many species are linked together in alternate agamous and sexual generations, others are wholly agamous. Since the existence of alternating generations was discovered by Chamisso, fresh instances of like phenomena have accumulated in which the life-cycle of the species may be represented by two or more generations, differing in form and organization, existing under different conditions, and reproducing themselves in different ways. While the galls and their generations are described by Dr. Adler, the translator suggests in the introduction a number of inquiries respecting the philosophy of the phenomenon, and especially concerning the nature and operation of the excitation by which the peculiar fruitlike forms are produced upon the trees as the result of the gall fly's work. Colored illustrations are given of forty-two species of oak galls. Price, $3.25.
Canadian Independence, Annexation, and British Imperial Federation (Putnams, 75 cents) is the amplification of an essay first written for Canadian readers by a Canadian, James Douglas, long resident in the United States. The imminence of political change in Canada, independence as an essential factor of imperial federation, annexation as an alternative to independence, Canada's slow progress, the probable effect of annexation on Canadian industries and wages, annexation from the point of view of comparative politics, and annexation from American and Canadian points of view are considered. The author believes that all the advantages expected from annexation can be obtained by reasonable trade arrangements.
An elementary text-book, with the title Geometry for Grammar Schools, has been prepared by E. Hunt, LL. D. (Heath). Large use of drawing is made in it, and paper cutting and folding are somewhat employed. The problems are an extension of those on mensuration usually found in text-books of arithmetic. Two copies of a protractor are printed in such a manner that the pupils may cut them out and use them in drawing.
Prof. Dolbear's book, Matter, Ether, and Motion, the first edition of which was noticed in this magazine in 1892, has reached a second edition (Lee & Shepard, $2). Three chapters have been added, dealing respectively with Properties of Matter as Modes of Motion, Implications of Physical Phenomena, and Relations of Physical and Psychical Phenomena. In the first of these he shows how each property of matter could be regarded as a manifestation of energy; in the second he points out the bearing of certain principles of physics upon the probability of various claims of the spiritists and theosophists, while in the third he argues that whatever wonderful things really take place at séances are done in conformity with the laws of matter, not in opposition to them.
In the mathematical series for graded schools, by John H. Walsh, Part II, or Intermediate Arithmetic, comprises Chapters VI to X. The subjects taken up are fractions, decimals, denominate numbers, bills, measurements, and, in the last chapter, algebraic equations. Part III, or Higher Arithmetic, completing the series, comprises Chapters XI to XVI, dealing with the various subjects involving percentage computations, with proportion, square root, mensuration, and the metric system. There is also a chapter on algebraic equations and one on elementary constructive geometry. As special features of the series, the author calls attention to its division into half-yearly chapters, instead of by topics, the small number of rules and definitions, the great number and variety of examples, and the use of the equation. (Heath, Part II, 40 cents; Part III, 75 cents.)
The Complete Graded Arithmetic, prepared by George E. Atwood, begins with a Part I, in which the usual elementary work with integers and the manipulation of fractions are taught. It provides work for two years of three terms each. The author has aimed to incorporate enough review work in each lesson so that the teacher shall not need to do any planning of reviews. The rules and definitions are put at the end of the book and referred to by number. Part II provides exercises for three years, passing from elementary decimals through denominate numbers, the various commercial calculations involving percentage, and ending with mensuration. The making of bills, receipts, notes, drafts, etc., is a feature of the examples. (Heath, Part I, 45 cents; Part II, 85 cents.)
Any one who wishes to know what Modern Theosophy is will find an attempt to tell him in a book with the above title, by Claude Falls Wright (New England Theosophical Corporation, 24 Mount Vernon Street, Boston, $1). To the strict adherent of modern scientific thought the book will be meaningless, for it is full of assertions unsupported by anything that he is accustomed to regard as evidence—conflicting, in fact, with many things that are so supported. Perhaps not entirely meaningless, for it may serve as an instructive example of the vagaries that the human mind is capable of when not forced to occupy itself with something useful or reasonable.
An Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of the Stress and Strain of Elastic Solids has been prepared by Benjamin Williamson, a Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin (Longmans, $1.50). The book is small, but its author hopes that "it is sufficient to enable the student to understand the mathematical theory of the internal strains and stresses that arise whenever external forces are applied to solid bodies." The rapid increase in the size of the structures that modern engineers are undertaking makes a thorough understanding of the distribution of stress extremely important.
In The Science of Vital Force, by W. R. Dunham, M. D. (Damrell), the idea that the author talks about and around seems to be that medicine has no active property, but that disease is cured by vital activity.
Captain Willard Glazier has published another book in support of his claim to have discovered the real source of the Mississippi River (Rand, McNally & Co.). It is entitled Headwaters of the Mississippi, and describes the adventures of explorers of that river from De Vaca, in 1528, down to the present time. Captain Glazier's expedition which resulted in his discovery of Lake Glazier was made in 1881, and, as the importance of this lake became a matter of controversy, he made a second expedition in 1891, to obtain more convincing proof of his assertions. The story of his second expedition forms the latter part of this volume, and is followed by an appendix of letters and other documents in support of Captain Glazier's position. The volume contains a great deal of descriptive matter concerning persons and places in Minnesota, and is fully illustrated.
The little book on Gas-lighting and Gas-fitting, by William Paul Gerhard (Van Nostrand, 50 cents), contains specifications and rules for gas piping, hints on the choice of fixtures, burners, globes and globe-holders, on the management of gas, and on the reduction of high gas bills. It also tells how to read a gas meter, how to search for a leak, and how not to search for it, and gives the advantages of cooking and heating by gas, certain historical facts, etc. Its treatment of these and other topics included in its scope is full, clear, and free from technicalities, and, while it is doubtless valuable to all who have to do with gas and gas appliances, it is especially needed by the user of gas, who has little chance to pick up the knowledge it contains in any other way.
A progressive course of Mechanical Drawing, arranged by Walter K. Palmer, has been issued (Charles B. Palmer, Columbus, 0., 80 cents). It comprises projection drawing, isometric and oblique drawing, and the making of working drawings. The successive principles are stated briefly, and the student is expected to verify them with the aid of explanations and illustrations by the teacher. No drawings are shown and as few figures as possible are used, as it is expected that the teacher will supply what is needed to clear up individual difficulties. What shall be drawn under the head of working drawings is left altogether with the teacher. A liberal number of review questions is provided.
A series of newspaper letters under the title Joint-metallism, by Anson Phelps Stokes, has been published in the Questions of the Day series (Putnam, 75 cents). Mr. Stokes describes "joint-metallism" as "a plan by which gold and silver together, at ratios always based on their relative market values, may be made the metallic basis of a sound, honest, self-regulating, and permanent currency, without frequent recoinage and without danger of one metal driving out the other." In brief, his plan consists in the use of a new silver coin equal in weight to a fivedollar gold piece, which may he named "a standard." The Secretary of the Treasury shall determine at the beginning of each month what whole number of "standards" comes nearest to the value of a five-dollar gold piece, and any payment of ten dollars or over may be made half in gold and half in "standards," at the current ratio fixed by him. This mode of payment shall not apply to debts contracted earlier than six months after the passage of the act authorizing the use of the new coin.
What may be described briefly as a popular account of modern biblical criticism is presented by Joseph Henry Crooker under the title The New Bible and its New Uses (Ellis). Mr. Crooker shows very clearly how the present Bible has been constructed—by combining two or more versions of the same events, by writing down oral traditions, by mingling history with legend, by writing in prophecies after the event, and by adding various tributes of reverent fancy. He points out numerous errors and contradictions in the Bible, and shows how the Old Testament is misquoted in the New. Having thus demonstrated that the Bible is not the message of an omniscient Deity, he proceeds to show that it does not itself claim to be such. The statements of Jesus concerning the Old Testament writings were those of a man with the limited knowledge of his time. Mr. Crooker does not here raise any doubt that Jesus really said the things that he is reported to have said. Regarding the Scriptures in this light gives us in effect a "new Bible," and the author devotes a closing chapter to a discussion of the proper use of the renovated book. He says that it will be a great gain for humanity to have the surviving misuses of the Bible stopped, as many others have been already. This book must no longer be held superior to reason. But it will not therefore die. To quote from his closing paragraph: "When the bondage of a literal, a textual, and a dogmatic use of Scripture ceases, then we shall rejoice in a use of the Bible that allows reason and sentiment free scope. It is a joy to read the Bible as we would any other book, feeling that no dogmatist is near to club us if we doubt, and no roaring hell yawning for us if we reject a text here and there." The author makes numerous references to modern authorities for support and amplification of his statements.
The Manual of Topographic Methods, published by Henry Gannett, Chief Topographer, as Volume XXII of the Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey, is intended to present a description of the topographical work, instruments, and methods used by the Geological Survey, primarily for the information of the men engaged in the work. It is not designed to be an elementary treatise upon surveying, as it presupposes a knowledge of the application of mathematics to surveying equivalent to that to be obtained in our professional schools; and it is not intended to be a treatise on topographical work, although it may to a certain extent supply the existing need of such work.


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Token Sale
Token Distribution
The Team
xDAC WHITEPAPER
About this document
1. Introduction
2. Existing Problems
3. Solution
4. What is xDAC?
4.1. Why customers trust xDAC more than traditional businesses?
4.2. Why businesses prefer xDAC over traditional companies?
4.3. Why support for Internal Autonomous Agents?
5. Architecture
5.1. xDAC Blockchain
5.2. xDAC Platform (Core)
5.2.1. Account Types
5.2.2. Identity Management
5.2.3. Governance and Disputes
5.2.4. xDAC Ownership and Equity Token Issuance
5.2.5. Wallets and Payment Processing
5.2.6. xDAC Liability Fund
5.2.7. Team Member Retirement Fund
5.2.8. PoP Rating
5.2.9. Team Management and Privileges
5.2.10. Project Management
5.3. xDAC Client
5.3.1. Company Overview
5.3.2. Voting, Bylaws and Company Assets
5.3.3. Team
5.3.4. Project management
5.3.5. Wallet
5.3.6. List of xDACs
6. Xworks, xDAC
7. Platform Profit and its Distribution by PoP
8. XDAC Coin
With a focus on creating true global in-discriminatory economic growth, organizations, entrepreneurs, and investors need a sustainable ecosystem free from the influence of regulatory agencies and malicious third-parties. As companies seek ways to raise capital through ICOs, streamline operations by using blockchains, enhance growth, and increase profitability, they need to determine the advantages of establishing and managing a business in different locations worldwide. Most significant barriers they face are hiring local talent, keeping up with innovation, the increased cost of operating in foreign countries, corporate taxes, and government regulations [1].
This document highlights the benefits of creating a business-oriented Decentralized Autonomous Companies (xDAC), a subclass of DAO, on a decentralized network with Proof of Performance (PoP) incentive mechanism, its governance, management tools and an alignment system built on top of the xDAC blockchain. xDAC governance is regulated by an xDAC Platform, which is designed to be a self-sustainable decentralized ecosystem consisting of businesses motivated to participate and reap the rewards of their success without geographical restrictions or limitations. Initially, the xDAC Platform will be designed specifically for profit-driven companies but is modular enough to accommodate other types of organizations.
The paper first highlights the principles of an organization and the function of xDAC. Finally, the paper defines the three major interconnected services xDAC plans on implementing to ensure its overall success; governance, finances, and workforce.
About this document
This document and any other documents published in association with this white paper relate to a potential token offering to persons (contributors) in respect of the intended development and use of the network by various participants. This document does not constitute an offer of securities or a promotion, invitation or solicitation for investment purposes. The terms of the contribution are not therefore intended to be a financial service offering document or a prospectus. The token offering involves and relates to the development and use of experimental software and technologies that may not come to fruition or achieve the objectives specified in the white paper. The purchase of tokens represents a high risk to any contributors. Tokens do not represent equity, shares, units, royalties or rights to capital, profit or income in the network or software or in the entity that issues tokens or any other company or intellectual property associated with the network or any other public or private enterprise, corporation, foundation or other entity in any jurisdiction.
The token is not therefore intended to represent a security interest.
1. Introduction
The Internet is a powerful vessel for exchanging information whether you're the head of a multinational corporation in China or a hedge fund manager on Wall Street. The exchange of real-time information is one of the major reasons our global economy has seen extensive growth over the past decade. But with any great advancement in a shared technology, comes with it a series of drawbacks and limitations. The Internet is no exception. Simply put, the Internet is an incredible resource for exchanging information, but it lacks the economic means of tracking financial transactions across its vast platform.
The introduction of Blockchain technology has given the digital world a secure digital ledger to track financial transactions. Hardened against forgery by trusted time stamping and through the dissemination of its distributed database, a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) provides business owners with a collective way to manage their company transparently and more efficiently. By eliminating the need to involve a mutually accepted trusted third party in a financial transaction, the focus of a DAO is not entirely on company creation, but on establishing a set of standards for decentralized businesses.
As a subclass of DAO, an xDAC is a company on a decentralized network with a built-in Proof of Performance (PoP) incentive mechanism, comprehensive governance, and management tool, and a support system for DApps and internal Autonomous Agents – all housed on top of the xDAC blockchain. The benefits of an xDAC are limitless. For one, the instant creation of an xDAC allows for seamless dispute resolution; whereas, traditional companies face never-ending roadblocks financially and administratively if arbitration is necessary.
Secondly, fundraising through ICOs, crypto payment processing, and automatic payrolls provide support for DApp and internal autonomous agents. We believe xDAC, an advanced decentralized platform, will pave the way for Bots and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to become a part of company structure challenging developers to create internal autonomous agents that are sophisticated enough to join company teams. In other words, the future is bright for profit-driven decentralized companies established on an xDAC platform. This will be highlighted throughout this paper.
Finally, by analyzing two of the key features of an xDAC (dispute resolution and seamless payment processing), owners reap the benefits of decentralized ledger technology, security of stored information, and automated dispute resolution. In addition, an xDAC provides users with an open-sourced platform establishing the governance for the decentralized application (DApps) and Autonomous Agents.
Whether it's the ability to issue voting or non-voting equity tokens through smart contract distribution channels, an automated PoP performance rating system or the creation of an established Liability Fund, an xDAC allows participants to reap the benefits of their success without geographic limitations. In the subsequent chapters, we will not only highlight the benefits of establishing an xDAC company but address the many challenges that face Blockchain technology.
2. Existing Problems
Business is defined by three important components: governance, finances, and the workforce. In existing systems, these components are separated and therefore highly ineffective. Companies are making every attempt to comply with laws, but in today's global marketplace, each customer can be regulated by different laws and companies are required to create a network of branches across different countries.
Finances are held by third parties, banks, payment processors or other financial institutions. Companies, therefore, are often forced to offshore their accounts to avoid jurisdiction issues. Paying employees require using third parties to process payroll from funds stored in third-party institutions. In other words, companies have very little control over their business transactions and are wasting precious time and money on mundane tasks versus concentrating their efforts on managing their business operations.
Company stakeholders are able to see the overall mission statement of a company but are unable to uncover the maze of jurisdiction issues, offshore finances and employees' performances behind closed doors. This leaves investors and customers no recourse to initiate dispute or litigation. The normal procedure is to secure representation by way of retainer and lock in a court date; meanwhile, a company can dissolve, and money transferred out of company accounts. This puts a potential investor in a difficult situation and leaves them exposed without proper arbitration.
Centralized businesses have a single point of failure and legal challenges with operations worldwide. Businesses store internal information about their relationships with employees, partners, and customers on centralized services and their bank accounts are under constant government surveillance which makes businesses vulnerable. Payment processing account can be disconnected at any time and reason never unveiled at the will of payment processing company which often results in business failure. A business license can be taken away from business by a government or business type not supported by financial institutions. In case of disputes, businesses have to deal with complicated negotiations or lengthy and expensive court hearings. Business success is being punished by higher tax rates, but taxes are not being used to stimulate their progress.
In recent years a number of new projects were backed by ICOs on platforms like Ethereum. In most cases, they were not business platforms and do not provide any governance. Many of these ICOs have been identified as fraudulent and are designed to take advantage of investors. There needs to be a decentralized authority to re-establish investor faith by way of a systematic, unbiased arbitrator.
Another problem xDAC is trying to solve is that people currently use cryptocurrencies mostly for speculation and trade on exchanges while converting from or to Fiat currencies. This is causing large volatility on crypto markets as there are no values being created within the crypto ecosystem and people are forced to use exchanges in order to convert their wages into crypto or from crypto to spend their profits; therefore, exchanges are the weakest point of an ecosystem and easy to attack by hackers or governments.
3. Solution
xDAC Platform aggregates three components together in one place, automates them, so the system is beneficial for the company and its customers. Companies have control over their governance, finances and their respective team. Business partners have confidence that companies they deal with are reliable and solvent by using a transparent system of governance and dispute resolution. An xDAC Platform is focused on creating a comprehensive framework for entrepreneurs, teams, autonomous agents or investors in crypto space who can benefit from decentralization.
xDAC helps owners to operate a transparent decentralized company in front of their investors. Company owners can manage their team, tokens, and financials, and securely store data on a decentralized ledger. Automated governance and dispute resolution will add to the speed of business evolvement and reward systems will make companies and their teams more productive, efficient, and motivated.
4. What is xDAC?
xDAC is an entity created and operated on the decentralized digital ledger by one or multiple human or Autonomous Agent [2] owners or a mixture of both that share a common purpose and unites in order to focus their various talents and organize their collectively available skills or resources to achieve specific, declared goals.
The decentralized company owns capital and other, primary digital, assets. It can also collaborate with other partners or businesses inside and outside of the decentralized network – making it a highly versatile entity.
Such a company exists as long as it is able to self-update its most basic components and continue being recognized as the same entity or until it decides to terminate its existence.
xDAC companies can use an xDAC extension for better recognition in forms: Company name, "xDAC", "Xdac" or "xdac".
4.1. Why customers trust xDAC more than traditional businesses?
• Fast and automated dispute resolution: xDAC provides an arbitration system for any given dispute between two parties which allows arbitrators to resolve the dispute based on documents provided by the applicant and defendant very quickly.
• Liability fund that can cover the company's debts or liabilities: Liability Fund is liability coverage in case of the xDAC's debts or liabilities. It is created as a percentage from a received payment that is stored on a separate wallet until certain limits are reached.
• Transparency: Ownership in public xDAC organization is transparent and transferable. Voting token holdings are public, and owners have the right to transfer ownership to another party. There are four transparent functions of ownership built into public xDAC:
(a) List all voting token holders (and their holdings)
(b) Issue equity tokens, arbitrarily or with parameters
(c) Sell or transfer tokens
(d) Issue new non-voting tokens
4.2. Why businesses prefer xDAC over traditional companies?
• Same governance across the entire platform
• Control over teams and finances
• Easy fundraising
• xDAC platform profits distributed back to xDAC's, not to other projects
• No local government registrations and interference
• Less administrative adherence, more time to focus on business
4.3. Why support for Internal Autonomous Agents?
Automation is a necessity in today's fast-paced, digital world. The benefits of automation far outweigh the drawbacks especially for companies using 3rd party external services. Trading bots, SEO bots, or other subscription services are prime examples. If companies begin using services on other platforms, they have a more difficult time managing their data and analyzing the efficiency of the service.
Our goal is to encourage developers to create internal autonomous agents that are sophisticated enough to join company teams. This will allow for tailored solutions instantly measurable in-house versus relying on third-party services. Automated agents are paid as team members by performance rather than by subscription models that companies have to pay even when service end up being ineffective.
5. Architecture
The ecosystem can be viewed as several distinct technological layers strategically connected together.
5.1. xDAC Blockchain
Among the decentralized smart contract platforms, xDAC blockchain (EOS fork) is the most advanced, feeless, blockchain platform. Only in its testing phase, the growing developer community is in the midst of testing on top of the EOS platform, creating a vibrant ecosystem of second layer protocols and projects.
EOS is a dynamic blockchain with a large contingency of developers. With the introduction of WebAssembly, developers are allowed to use C++ with smart contracts to receive higher performance of native code. C++ has already extended a number of libraries with tested and proven code available to developers. This limits the margin of error and can be used in smart contracts.[4] EOS lays a reasonable foundation for running smart contracts that are managed by xDAC Platform functions.
Scalability in a secure blockchain environment has become a hot topic in the industry and one that must be addressed. EOS is scaled to perform tens of thousands of transactions per second while other blockchains are seemingly congested with smaller projects. Nonetheless, the xDAC Platform developer team is willing to adopt a hybrid solution, such as side chain settlements, should in fact network congestion on the public EOS network pose a significant problem.
5.2. xDAC Platform (Core)
xDAC Platform is the public's smart contracts layer which provides an open-sourced implementation of the key components creating not only an environment but the governance for decentralized applications (DApps) and Autonomous Agents to be built on.
The xDAC platform will be generating revenue from fees that will be used to reward the most productive xDACs based on their PoP rating to incentivize their productivity on the xDAC platform.
5.2.1. Account Types
Three types of accounts will exist on xDAC Platform:
i. New xDAC: By creating an xDAC, owners will create a new company and are permitted to add team members, set their privileges, issue equity tokens, and other functions related to xDAC management. xDACs can make their information public and distribute equity tokens to the public through ICOs or any other public offering. xDAC will become automatically transparent to investor accounts. Investors will have full access to review company processes and may vote from their investment account which, in turn, makes future ICOs more secure.
ii. Team Member: This account is designed for company employees, contractors, freelancers or autonomous agents looking to join a specific xDAC team or any other team looking to hire new members into their team.
iii. Investor: From access to the database of public xDACs to information about their teams, productivity, financials, investors have the power to vote from their xDAC account.
5.2.2. Identity Management
All owners, members, and investors need to verify their identity. By combining blockchain with identity verification, a digital ID is created for ecosystem participants and function as a digital watermark. Such an ID can be assigned to every smart contract transaction. Suitable identity verification protocols which aim at tackling consumer identity theft and reduce online identity fraud are readily available in the xDAC Platform.
5.2.3. Governance and Disputes
Governance within xDAC companies is the most important component of the platform. It establishes digital jurisdiction over xDACs created and operated by business owners.
xDAC must be a platform that its customers and business partners can easily trust. It's imperative that special attention is paid to automation and decentralization of governance and disputes resolution protocol.
Voting on proposals between xDAC owners and investors will be governed by a DAO concept that was deployed on the Ethereum network [5]. xDAC owners cast votes based on the value of equity tokens they control.
Simply stated, conflicts and disputes between xDAC owners, customers, employees or other third parties can arise. Traditional judicial systems offer multiple methods of resolving disputes; they include negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation [6]. If the dispute is not resolved by negotiation, often businesses are required to seek council which can be an arduous yet expensive approach especially if the dispute involves two business jurisdictions.
In decentralized environments, reliable dispute resolution should be automated and swift. Decentralized dispute resolution has the potential to create a new industry of independent arbitrators capable of resolving business disputes faster than traditional judicial systems.
Furthermore, consumer protection is critical and possible xDAC freezing in real time can prevent further damages to other customers. This trickle-down effect must be monitored at all times via an automated system – safeguarding customers and business partners.
Recent problems with BitGrail exchange is a prime example. BitGrail became insolvent three months prior to ownership disclosing the truth. Customers were sending money to the exchange the entire time and most fiscal damages took place during the last three months. Customers were powerless, unable to freeze the company's account since the company ended up being outside of their jurisdiction.
i. Dispute Resolution
Any third party with payment history with xDAC can start a dispute.
If disputed amount is less than xDAC's liability fund (see section 5.2.6), the dispute can be resolved directly between both parties unless one party does not agree with the result and wish to escalate the dispute to Dispute Representative Board.
In case the disputed amount is larger than xDAC's liability fund, the company will be automatically frozen until the dispute is resolved by voting of Dispute Representative Board.
ii. Dispute Representative Board and Voting
The Dispute Representative Board (DRB) is a group of at least five anonymous arbitrators (representatives) which are XDAC coin holders. A quorum of 60% of all votes is required for any dispute to be resolved. Representatives are casting their vote based on documentation provided by both sides. 60% is needed to resolve any dispute.
xDAC can set the per vote bounty for each dispute resolution and dispute will wait for resolution in the pool of disputes available to random representatives.
Representatives will be paid per dispute in XDAC coins. The higher the bounty for dispute resolutions the xDAC sets, the faster the dispute will be resolved as representatives will be looking for the highest rewards. This results in expedient resolutions in the most objective way imaginable.
Any selected representative can review the dispute, vote on it accordingly and receive a bounty for resolution. Representatives can decide to resolve any dispute from a pool of disputes based on the bounty amount.
If the applicant or defendant does not agree with the result, they can escalate dispute two more times until a resolution has been reached. Disputes will be resolved if 60% of votes are reached in two out of the three hearings.
iii. Assigning a Representative
xDAC has the ability to choose voting representatives on their behalf. This is a powerful decentralization tool that has no strong analog in Proof of Work or Proof of Stake protocols. In conventional PoS systems, the account owner's node must be running to participate in voting. xDAC has the ability to reassign consensus to any account at any time. A change of xDAC representative is performed by subtracting the vote weight from the old representative and adding the weight to the new representative.
Further jurisdiction rules can and will be evolving continuously.
5.2.4. xDAC Ownership and Equity Token Issuance
With the creation of xDAC, owners have the option to issue a certain number of voting or non-voting tokens and distribute tokens between the owners/public through ICOs or token sale. Issuance of tokens will be performed through a smart contract on the xDAC blockchain.
Equity Tokens
The goal of equity tokens is incentivizing voters that are involved in the project, separate voters from speculative token holders and remove exchanges that hold large volumes from participating.
Equity Tokens are fully transferable and represent a stake in the xDAC and voting rights. Owner or multiple owners with more than 50% of equity tokens controls the xDAC. If xDAC wishes to raise capital, they can use their own tokens to sell to investors or to the public.
Non-Voting Tokens
Non-Voting Tokens enable platform development and support of the associated ecosystem. It is intended to give contributors the ability to support and transact on the platform.
While realizing the technological benefits of the xDAC blockchain and its developer ecosystem, launching an EOS compliant token removes friction by providing liquidity to token holders. An EOS token offer enables xDACs to break down the technological barriers to exchange listings, default support from decentralized exchanges, and peer-to-peer trading protocols such as 0x and AirSwap.
The amount of equity tokens held by each owner determines their stake in xDAC and is used for voting rights. A company can raise capital by voting to sell existing equity tokens held by owners or issue additional tokens.
Transfer of company ownership will be part of the xDAC platform and will be instrumental in streamlining due diligence while avoiding escrow services. Transfer of company assets (see section 5.3.2) can be resolved by smart contract and will be based on payment from the buyer to the seller's wallet.
5.2.5. Wallets and Payment Processing
The xDAC platform will provide xDAC with two hot wallets as well as two hot wallets for each team member for XDAC coins.
xDAC Wallets: One wallet is for operational transactions accessible to xDAC owners or to authorized team members. The second wallet will be liability fund.
More wallets can be provided to xDACs to store their own company tokens or other tokens they receive as payment for their goods or services.
Team Member Wallets: Primary wallet team members use for receiving payroll salary whereas the second wallet will be a retirement fund.
xDAC Payment Processing will be automatically available within each xDAC wallet. Every time xDAC receives payment, payment to liability fund will be subtracted from proceeds.
5.2.6. xDAC Liability Fund
An xDAC Liability Fund
is coverage in case the xDAC's debts or liabilities exceed a certain debt-to-equity ratio. It is calculated as a percentage of received payments stored in a separate wallet until a certain threshold is reached. Liability fund is not accessible to owners during the company's existence and is available for transfer 90 days after the company is ceased or transferred to a new owner. Default settings on percentage and limits will be specified later; however, it can be changed by xDAC owners and it is entirely in their power to establish a liability fund limit based on their business type. When setting up a liability fund it is advised to set a higher limit to avoid company freeze when small disputes are initiated.
For example, if xDAC's limit is set to 100 XDAC coins and your customer disputes a transaction equal to 150 XDAC coins, xDAC will be frozen until the dispute is resolved.
After a company is acquired, liquidated, or closed, a Liability Fund will become a Retirement Fund and will be distributed between owners. This will be based on their respective stake in the company.
5.2.7. Team Member Retirement Fund
Team members have automatically set up their own retirement fund on their second wallet where a certain percentage of their wages will be transferred accordingly. Furthermore, profit from the xDAC platform will be distributed between xDACs and team members retirement fund based on their Team Member Rating (TMR) (see 5.2.8). This will motivate team members to stay on the platform for a long time. Profit will stop being paid once a team member is not under contract. The Retirement Fund will be available for transfer after team member's accounts is closed. If a team member wants to rejoin the platform following account cancellation, TMR will restart.
5.2.8. PoP Rating
xDAC's PoP mechanism allows for an automated rating system by incorporating Democratic Collective Welfare (DCV)[3] based on tracking work ethic and delivering tasks on time. Each task will be rated between 0 and 1 (0 means task not finished, not delivered, or not paid on time) whereas (1 means task was finished and payment initiated). Team Member Rating (TMR) is the sum of the overall rating R divided by the number of tasks T. By calculating TMR, we can rate the entire team or company by using the following algorithm:
Team Rating:
TR = (TMR1+ TMR2+… TMRn)/n
Company Rating:
CR = (TR1+ TR2+… TRn)/n
is the number of team members or teams within the unit.
TMR is productivity rating of single team member and can be used in team members working profile as a recommendation in the future if they decide to join other team or company as companies will be looking for highest rating members to benefit from their rating at platform profit distribution (see section 7).
TR can be used to measure the performance of the team and compare with other teams.
CR is used for calculation of platform profit distribution and it is possible to use it publicly for investors to show how effective company is in terms of delivering on their plans.
Both TR and CR are also important information for new team members looking for a job so they have an idea what team or company they are about to join and how they can benefit from platform profit sharing in case company rating is higher.
The company is all about people and teams. This rating model is going down to the lowest point in company hierarchy and measures the productivity of everyone and that is being reflected in rating number. The system is automated, transparent, self-motivating and removing problems with fake reviews many freelance websites like Upwork have [7].
The majority of the revenue coming from platform fees are split between xDACs and awarded based on CR. This incentivizes xDACs to compete with one another; which in turn, boosts productivity and forces them to use the platform and XDAC coins.
5.2.9. Team Management and Privileges
Each team member creates a Team Member account on xDAC Platform and the xDAC owner adds this team member to the company. xDAC owners designate a supervisor and members are automatically placed into the company's hierarchy. Members without a designated supervisor assign themselves as the owners.
Privileges are available for each member. Owners specify access restrictions based on the position of each member separately. Owners can select from a list of member privileges or a maximum monetary value they have the ability to manage alone or with co-signer.
5.2.10. Project Management
Project management is a critical component of PoP Rating. It also helps xDAC keep up with the task and future plans and it automates payments to team members. Project managers can specify tasks for team members. After a task is marked as finished and approved by the project managers, payment to team members is automatically initiated via smart contract.
The xDAC Platform will be further developed by xDAC Foundation based on feedback from platform users. Platform users can financially incentivize features for the sake of expediting the adoption of certain features.
5.3. xDAC Client
xDAC Client is a user interface that aggregates all available DApps and Autonomous Agents in one place. The initial plan is to build website and desktop applications for easier interaction with xDAC Platform.
Listed applications might not be available with initial releases and could be added in a different order as work on project progresses. Here are some of DApps features:
5.3.1. Company Overview
To maintain xDAC culture across all owners and team members, it is important to specify the xDAC name, company vision, social profiles, contact information, targeted customers, brand identity and other important company information related to brand and company goals.
5.3.2. Voting, Bylaws and Company Assets
Each xDAC will have the option to issue a specified amount of equity or non-voting tokens at creation and split tokens between owners or launch token sale or ICO. All issued tokens are compliant with the EOS token standard which means that stakeholders' addresses can be linked to a name or tag or fetched by a secure identity provider.
i. Voting
Each owner of xDAC equity tokens has the right to vote for ideas or important company decisions. In the case of voting, a new task is assigned to token owners in their account where each owner of the equity token can vote.
ii. Bylaws
Owners are able to specify their own bylaws as the rules of an xDAC, established by the board of owners during the process of starting an xDAC.
iii. Company Assets
List of company assets and their value can speed up a company sale, acquisition or liquidation. The list will be available to all xDAC owners.
5.3.3. Team
The xDAC team consists of team members (employees, contractors, freelancers or autonomous agents, etc.) that can work from the same or remote locations. Initially, the company can hire team members after signing up for a membership account.
Designed for xDAC team members, managers will add each company's personnel to hierarchy. With placing team member into an xDAC hierarchy, each employee will get privileges allocated to specific xDAC functions tailored to their responsibilities.
Furthermore, the user interface will let owners choose the amount to pay, the frequency, the tokens to reward, and the parameters. This is to safeguard the company in case xDAC doesn't want to pay certain employees based on assigned tasks. Team members are paid in XDAC coins.
5.3.4. Project management
Project and task management is an important part of xDAC DApp ecosystem. It is the productivity DApp that forces leaders to manage their team effectively. Each assigned task has price options in XDAC coins which keeps the team motivated while increasing coin usability. Project management DApp provides the option to create projects, task lists and tasks and assign tasks to any team member.
5.3.5. Wallet
The most important part of each company is payment processing and digital wallet. xDAC Platform will create a wallet for each xDAC upon company establishment. Wallet will contain merchant features like a "Buy Now" button and streamlined billing. The "Buy Now" button can be placed on the company's website and billing options allow for the creation of invoices.
New xDACs will have to establish a liability fund from received payments used to back disputes resolutions and/or fraud (see section 5.2.6).
Payments can be accepted in different cryptocurrencies and converted by using third-party services like ShapeShift or atomic swaps. The third-party payments can be easily integrated for currencies that support this option.
The most important feature of Wallet is keeping track of all financial transactions, dates, and notes in key financial reports.
5.3.6. List of xDACs
Investor accounts will be able to view and sort lists of existing public xDACs. Lists will highlight information like Market Cap, Price, Circulation Supply, Employees, Company Rating, etc. Full disclosure of information will instill investor confidence when making the purchase tokens of existing xDAC through the token sale.
6. Xworks, xDAC
xDAC Platform and the xDAC client is developed by Xworks, xDAC – the current team responsible for the development and deployment of the xDAC project. Xworks initiates fundraising through XDAC coin and proceeds will be transferred to finance further development.
7. Platform Profit and its Distribution by PoP
xDAC Platform will generate profits from transaction fees, exchange fees, and fees for token creation, distribution through the token sale and other related services.
We want to make sure the profit generated on xDAC Platform will stay on the platform and gets distributed between xDACs and Team Members by way of participation. Participation is calculated from xDAC CR (see 5.2.8), the sum of all CRs and generated profit P.
Profit is then distributed between company team members by dividing xDAC profit by the calculated percentage from the sum of ratings in the team. Profit sharing within the team is defined by Distribution Coefficient (DC).
Where Team Size (TS) is a number of people team member manages.
Token Distribution to each Team Member will be:
In our following example, an eight-person team received profits from a platform of 1,500 XDAC tokens. Distribution is as follows:
Platform users can change profit distribution requirements by voting. This requires a majority vote by XDAC coin holders.
8. XDAC Coin
XDAC coin is a platform currency representing value and wealth in the decentralized economy used for the exchange of values between xDAC companies, employees, customers, and other third-party entities.
The coin will be used on the xDAC Platform for dispute resolutions, pay team members, accept payments for services, profit distribution, and incentivize development.
XDAC coin is mainnet coin distributed on the xDAC blockchain. Ethereum tokens distributed in the pre-sale phase are pre-existing tokens and will be migrated to another protocol on the xDAC blockchain.
The XDAC coins or tokens do not have any rights, uses, purpose, attributes, functionalities or features, express or implied, including, without limitation, any uses, purpose, attributes, functionalities or features on the xDAC Platform.
[1] Daniel Bangser: Top 4 factors for determining a foreign business location
[2] V. Buterin, 2014: "DAOs, DACs, DAs and More: An Incomplete Terminology Guide"
[3] Ralph C. Merkle, 2016: "DAOs, Democracy and Governance". Cryonics Magazine, July- August, Vol 37:4, pp 28-40; Alcor.
[4] Dan Larimer, Interview with Dan Larimer
[5] Christoph Jentzsch: DECENTRALIZED AUTONOMOUS ORGANIZATION TO AUTOMATE GOVERNANCE
[6] Wikipedia: Dispute resolution
[7] Abdullahi Muhammed, Can Blockchain Solve The Common Problems Freelancers Face?
[8] Ralph C. Merkle, 1988: "A digital signature based on a conventional encryption function"
[9] S. Nakamoto, 2009: "Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System"
[10] V. Buterin, 2013: "Ethereum: A Next-Generation Smart Contract and Decentralized Application Platform"
[11] J. Izquierdo, 2017: "How Aragon approaches identity and the Ethereum Keybase Resolver"
[12] F. Vogelsteller, 2015: "ERC 20 token standard"
[13] W. Warren, A. Bandeali, 2017: "0x: An open protocol for decentralized exchange on the Ethereum blockchain"
[14] Dexaran, 2017: "ERC23 token standard"
[15] Consensys, 2015: "HumanStandardToken"
[16] Liquid Democracy:
[17] R. Hanson, 2000: "Futarchy: Vote Values, But Bet Beliefs"


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Beyoncé, Robbie Williams, The Police, Bob Marley, Aretha Franklin, Enya.
What do all these artists have in common? Apart from the fact they'd have made a heck of a supergroup, they've all shifted somewhere in the region of 75 million records (give or take the odd platinum disc). But only one of them has done it in quite such a singular fashion: no tours, no Twitter, no premieres or parties or soft drink sponsorship deals.
There's a word for this: Enyanomics. Coined by a US businessman, it describes the phenomenon of continued commercial growth in inverse proportion to public exposure. But if you think Eithne Ní Bhraonáin – or Enya Brennan, to use the Anglicised version – sits at home dreaming up ways to game the system, the truth is a lot more prosaic.
'I'm a very slow writer,' Enya tells Weekend. Immaculately poised on a sofa at The Dorchester, the 54-year-old has returned to the fray – or as close to the fray as things get in Enya's world – to promote Dark Sky Island, her first album in seven years. 'It's important to have time to work on the songs, then set it aside and come back to it. There's a lot of trial and error. It's quite demanding on me. Someone asked me if I have a vast library of songs and I said no – what you hear is all I've got!'
There was a time when Enya grew weary of the image of her as an enigmatic recluse, a musical Miss Havisham hiding away in the tower of her Irish castle. But she says she doesn't worry about it any more.
'I used to be very resistant to criticism that I didn't share everything with everyone. I just valued my time and I thought, I give enough, I give the music, and I need time to myself, because I feel the music will suffer if every aspect of my life is read about. I kept saying, "Why are you so fascinated by what I do in my spare time?" But over the years, you do mellow out.'
As for 'Enyanomics': 'It's not intentional. That's not how we approach things. I'm a very strong, independent person, always have been, and when anything's put forward to me, I think about it, and if it's the right step to take, I take that step.' Which is to say: if it isn't, she doesn't.
Enya is, to all intents and purposes, a trio – 'a strong example of the power of three, omne trium perfectum' – as the press biog states, with suitable mysticism. Producer Nicky Ryan is the visionary who lured Enya away from the family business, Irish folk stalwarts Clannad, with the idea of multi-tracking her voice (on some songs, up to 500 times) to create an ethereal 'virtual choir'. Ryan's wife Roma is the lyricist, charged with putting Enya's music (which she writes and performs virtually single-handed) into words. It's a formula that found an instant worldwide audience on 1988's Watermark, with its signature hit Orinoco Flow, then just kept on growing, making Enya Ireland's best-selling 'solo' artist of all time, and its second-biggest musical export, after U2.
Dark Sky Island (named in honour of Sark, which the inhabitants have designated a 'dark sky area' in order to better appreciate the constellations) doesn't stray too far from this successful blueprint. With a loose theme of 'journeys', it is full of the sort of spiritual, elemental imagery – rain, seas, stars, moons, time – that has allowed Enya's music to cross all cultural and language barriers. (Some songs are even sung in Ryan's invented Loxian language, while their contribution to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings soundtrack was in authentic Elvish.)
Having pursued such a distinctive musical style over the decades, does she ever feel like wigging out and giving us, say, Enya's thrash metal album?
'If I wanted to, I would,' she smiles. 'But it has to feel like a natural progression. That would feel like being pressured to be someone else, and I would ask you: why would I want to be someone else?'
It's a fair point: being Enya seems to be working out pretty well for her. The sixth of nine children from Gweedore, Country Donegal, young Eithne began performing with her family – as every Irish child appears contractually obliged to do – at the age of 3. 'Music is a strong part of the Irish culture,' she explains. 'Even now, though teenagers are listening to their own music and doing their selfies or whatever, you'll still see them sitting with their grandparents, learning the fiddle or the concertina.'
She briefly joined her siblings in Clannad, but left with Nicky – then their manager and producer – when the rest of the band resisted his attempts to update their sound with synthesisers and other perceived crimes against musical authenticity. It was acrimonious, but Enya insists any bad blood is 'absolutely' in the past: 'Family is family, and we see each other,' she says.
For a while, she lived with Nicky and Roma, but is dismissive of Freudian analysis casting them as a surrogate family for the estranged real thing. These days, they live in separate, nearby castles, Enya having bought her crenelated Victorian pile near Dublin in 1997.
She has had high-profile problems with stalkers over the years, including one who got into the castle and tied up a maid, and another who stabbed himself outside her parents' pub. She describes the situation as 'ongoing'. 'When it happens, I have to notify the police. I know immediately, from reading letters, "this is a very disturbed person". I'm more concerned about them getting care. It's not something I'm traumatised by any more. At the beginning, yes, but not now.'
Does it come with the territory, or has she been particularly unlucky? 'Well my gates are very well photographed,' she says.
Would she ever be tempted to move? 'Absolutely not. The break-in that happened, they never got into my main home, it was an outhouse, so I feel very safe. And I know how to deal with it now. There are a lot of things to worry about, and that's not one.'
Weekend asks if it's fun being Enya. 'I love it,' she says, before expounding further on the rewards, frustrations and technical craft of songwriting.
But 75 million record sales, four Grammys, an Ivor Novello, an Oscar nomination, travelling the world, performing for the Pope: it's been quite a ride. Does she ever just sit back, take a moment and wonder where it all went right?
She considers the question, then says: 'It doesn't make it any easier writing songs.'
Dark Sky Island is out now on Warner Bros
Published in Waitrose Weekend, December 3, 2015
(c) Waitrose Weekend


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