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|You are in: Talking Point
Tuesday, 28 August, 2001, 11:08 GMT 12:08 UK
Do we need more holidays?
Union leaders in the UK have called for three extra bank holidays for British workers to bring them in line with the rest of Europe.
The Trades Union Congress says British workers lose out with just eight bank holidays a year in comparison with the European average of 10.8.
There is also no statutory right for UK employees to take public holidays, or to be paid for taking them as time off.
The British don't only get fewer public holidays, they also have the least statutory annual leave in Europe.
Would extra public holidays improve Britain's productivity? Would it make for happier workers? Or is it just a predictably popular cause for unions to champion?
This Talking Point is now closed, but here are a selection of your comments:
Yes, there should be more holidays. A break boosts morale, so workers would work harder. The same would be true in Japan. There are many national holidays here, but most people work them. Also, most people here do not use all their annual leave. People feel bad about taking time off. They should not have to feel so. Rather, they should be encouraged to use their annual leave to help them relax. I'm sure this would improve productivity - and people's quality of life.
I find the patronising tone from some of the US contributors on this subject typical. Don't they realise that if everyone else in the world adopted their lifestyle model, they would have no one left to rip off and the world's resources would disappear in a decade. What a legacy!
If the UK gets the three extra bank holidays a year, what dates would they be? Knowing scholars' luck they would probably fall during a school holiday or half term. Personnaly, I prefer to have three extra days added to my leave entitlement.
Philip S Hall, England, UK
Well done all you Americans who survive on two weeks holiday a year and can hardly find time to take them, you keep working hard, destroying your family life and creating more and more disparity between the rich and poor. We Europeans will continue to enjoy our five weeks holiday a year with our families. Who's got the better lifestyle?
Yes I think we should have more holidays, but what about us poor people in the retail trade! Can we have a holiday where large stores have to close!
What a lot of horror stories! All I can say to the American contributors is to join a union as soon as possible. Two weeks off a year! You might want to double check you're not actually working in hell.
More holidays - No! More evenly spread holidays - Yes! It is a nonsense to have three bank holidays in one month and then have nothing at all for almost four months.
Remember also when comparing with holidays received in Europe, in some countries whilst they may have a high number of (theoretical) bank holidays, if one of those days falls on a weekend, that day is lost - it does not automatically transfer over to Monday like in the UK.
Take for example Norway - if Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall on a weekend - tough!
Yes we should. In most other countries, especially European, consideration is given to the physical and mental health of the employee. Here, in Britain, individuals sometimes feel overworked and they are powerless to change the situation. Let's work to live and not live to work.
Bank Holidays - too Christian for me - I would rather work on Xmas day and have that day off another time.
I feel sorry for the Americans and Canadians. Instead of being jealous and saying we are complaining maybe they should get together and campaign for a better working life. So they have a better economy - possibly due to all the sweatshops, low wages and people having to do 3 jobs to get by. They have some of the worst poverty there.
In Scotland we have different public holidays to the rest of the UK and in fact there are variations between different cities. The company I work for employs people who live in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. When the office opened, a lot of staff moved up from England. Trying to cope with 3 different sets of public holidays was impossible, so they took 4 of them away. We now have 4 public holidays a year, but 4 extra days of annual leave to take when we like, and it works much better. And getting to work on a public holiday is so easy, there's no one else on the roads at that time in the morning.
Individuals should be left to choose when to take their holidays and bring an end to the totally mad rush which accompanies these fixed holiday Mondays. Perhaps then we would feel we have more holidays to choose from without actually needing more days.
I think you should stop complaining and enjoy the time you do have off. You have no idea how lucky you actually are. I'm only 16 yet I work EVERY day of the week. I currently attend a private school which takes up about 47.5 hours a week (including homework). To help pay for this I work about 25 hours a week at a part-time job. Let's do some math that's over seventy hours a week. And you think you're over-worked? So I get a couple of days off at Thanksgiving and Christmas and that's it. Even during the summer, which is supposed to give people my age a time to relax and have fun, I'm extremely lucky to get two days off a week and only work 30 hours a week. So would you please realize how well off all of you are?
First, let's rearrange the Bank holidays we have now. It seems daft to have so many in April-May.
Second, how can so many of the comments above claim "Most people want x" or "Everybody wants y"? People want different things depending on their circumstances. Not everyone wants more holiday, not every one wants to be told when to have their holiday. Not everyone wants to go on holiday on the same days as everyone else.
"Good working conditions" do not imply lots of holiday, instead they mean the freedom to choose.
If you really want more time off, lower your standard of living and go get a part-time job!
Marther Adders suggests that employees should only be paid for the days they work. Surely they should be paid for the amount of useful work they actually get done? That way, the people taking a little more holiday but who are 50% more productive when they're around would be rewarded for it.
Chris, UK
The average US worker works longer hours than most UK workers. We get less vacation days off(2 weeks/year if your're lucky and 7-10 public holidays). Sometimes we don't have time to take any of our earned time off. What has it got us? We have the number one economy in the world. We have some of the lowest prices for goods and services. We can afford more and we certainly buy more. I think we are on the right track. So quit winching about how much you all work. In reality you all are very lucky you get so many weeks off per year. However, you all do pay for it in higher prices for goods and services.
More days of having employers pay you for no work? How very European and how very unethical.
Forget Bank Holidays!! They only lead to gridlocks. Why not stipulate minimum annual leave? Time-off when you really need it.
Many people I know get so little time off they have no idea how to cope with a no-work day. Their "lives" have been effectively smothered and obliterated by their jobs. This can't be good.
It would be nice to have a few extra holidays but it gets very boring hearing the unions whinge. If it's not one thing it's another - either bosses are too demanding, or they aren't paying enough, or there aren't enough holidays. In case you didn't notice, our unemployment is far lower than Europe's. In the US where they have even fewer holidays and fewer workers' rights the economy is even more dynamic.
More days of having employers pay you for no work? How very European and how very unethical.
Bob Ezergailis, Canada
I need a holiday but if I'm away from work with things to do I find myself getting super bored. It's not 'Do we need more holidays?', it's should we be working so hard?
Mark Saunders, UK
We in the US find it amusing that our friends in Europe and the UK moan about holidays. Most here consider themselves lucky to take a week or two per year. Bank holidays really do not exist, either.
I am sick of Brits whining about rip-off Britain and how hard they work. If they want more paid holidays, how is this going to be paid for? Higher prices of course. Therefore more whining about rip-off Britain. Of course prices are lower in the USA. People work harder but earn less.
Stop snivelling and try working in the States with one day off at Christmas, two weeks vacation if you're lucky and sometimes not paid and no paid sick leave plus your employer can fire you with no notice at any time for any reason.Get a life and stop being so greedy.
As a British ex-pat in the US, I long for the amount of holiday time I had in the UK. At my current employer, we get 2 weeks of vacation, plus a maximum 1 week of paid sick time. In addition, public holidays are few and far between. (For example, we have to work Good Friday and Easter Monday so Easter is just like any other weekend).
I frequently feel burned out and depressed about always working.
I think it is a necessity to a productive worker to have more vacation time.
Who cares if a worker has two more weeks of vacation if he gets his motivation back and does the job 200% better when he gets off of vacation. I think vacation is a very essential part of working.
Forget the idea of more bank holidays and just give us more annual leave or shorter working hours! Most people don't get to take bank holidays off as there is no legal requirement to do so.
Jack, US
How about the Spanish system of 3 hour siestas? This means the working day ends at 8:00pm or alternatively, a 10 hour day but let the weekend start on Friday and we would all be better off with a 3 day weekend.
More holidays? YES!
More BANK holidays? NO!
Let's enjoy our leisure at OUR leisure and not when the government forces us to.
With the 24 hr/7 day society that we are becoming, extra bank holidays will mean little for the many of those that have to work them and for those of us that get paid only for what we work then yet another enforced day off is not welcome as it means yet another week when pay is less.
More important is to develop a better and more humane set of working conditions for the time when we are working.
If workers are stressed then maybe some extra time off is warranted. However, shutting the nation down for a holiday would only add to stress; industry would have to shoulder higher wage costs for essential operations.
I think it would be better to credit people with a flexiday every four months, this would be subject to performance and attendance assessment.
It all sounds like a fantastic idea. But having tried to negeotiate extra holidays in return for a salary reduction with all three of my last employers, and recieving a firm 'no' I am somewhat doubtful as to how achievable this is.
I strongly agree that there is more to life than work. I dearly wish that the Canadian Goverment would observe the above comments. We receive
less than eight bank holidays a year over here!
I work in the food production industry, we work 24/7 364 days per year, and the day off we do get, someone has to go in and check the stocks. Bank holidays are not really considered, apart from whether you get double time or a day in lieu.
Also, this industry works to such fine margins that we cannot afford to over-staff to take into account, holidays, sickness etc so we are all working our own jobs and part of somebody else's.
So if you do manage to get a day off here and there, spare a thought for the guys producing the food that's on your bar-b-q earning minimum wages!
Technology has changed the way we work but the benefits are going to shareholders and the very rich rather than to improve the quality of our lives. Working efficiently for 4 days a week is something we should all aim for in the 21st century.
I think we should have a referendum on substantially increasing the number of public holidays as the overwhelming majority of people are in favour of such an increase.
Working time is the most important issue in Britain today and a solution that will benefit the economy is readily available. I don�t think we should let the Europeans set the standard - the question should be what is best for Britain.
What's the reward for being the 4th richest country on the planet... more work. I think I'd settle for 5th or 6th and have an extra week a year off.
Life's too short to spend it all working and no one is indispensable. The job will still be there after you're long gone. Workaholics suffer more stress, heart attacks and experts say even some cancers are exacerbated by stress. So I say, chill out and enjoy life - you only get one!
Most managers focus on the number of hours their staff spend at the job, when they should be more concerned about how much work is getting done. A productive efficient staff member who works out quicker methods of working will be seen as a slacker and penalised, therefore there is a disincentive to work more productively. This is harmful to Britain.
High-flying businessmen admit that incentives are important to them and claim high wages without claiming that that this damages business. Many people want more holidays rather than more money from their jobs. More holidays could mean more highly satisfied, more productive staff who over the year do more work. Obviously this is more difficult for certain types of job when the main thing is being there such as shop staff, but generally the question is what is the right balance.
I think in Britain shorter working weeks and more holiday would up to a point increase productivity, and therefore be good for business.
The majority of us work in order to create wealth for others. We need to get away from the idea that a person is judged purely by the job that they do and learn to calm down.
More days off is a good thing. I would be a lot happier if people would realise that there is more to life than work, and your success in life is not measured by your job.
Give us more days off.. allow us to enjoy our lives.
We should all be planning to work the 4-day week instead... just think of sharing working hours, less unemployment and we will all have more recreation time.
Might also be poor but that's another matter...
America has the longest hours, the fewest holidays, the least paid vacation in the developed world and you can read in each day's headlines that the stress is literally driving people insane.
Jeff (USA) may have a point though with changing demographics causing Europe difficulty in giving people more days off work. Maybe the trade-off is work a long week and year and go mad, or work a shorter one and not have the resources to take care of retired people.
I work as a public servant trying to provide medical care to a population 365 days a year. I find Bank Holidays quite disruptive. People want Bank Holidays but expect me or my colleagues to be there for them.
They disrupt the smooth running of my practice: it takes the whole of the week to catch up on one day not at work, hospital clinics and lab facilities are usually disrupted for more than one day, and the bin men manage to take about 2 weeks to get back to work.
Why don't we all just get more annual leave - not more Bank Holidays!
I have always thought Bank Holidays are a waste of time. Most things are shut and one tends to sit in interminable queues of traffic for the privilege of finding that out. More holidays are long overdue though as we do work far too many hours in this country filling Gordon's war chest, but let's take them when WE, the workers, actually want them.
We have some of the lowest wages in Europe, the least holidays, the least caring employers and managers, the worst weather- no wonder British productivity is the lowest in Europe!
The CBI is a whinging collection of ingrates. More money, more holidays and quick about it!
Not only do our continental cousins have more public holidays, they also have 3 hour lunch breaks!
No, if Britain has a declining population rate. I don't see how EU countries like France and Germany will be able to retain their liberal holiday policies for much longer. With declining populations and people working less hours, how is the working population going to continue to support the welfare state?
Ade Vickers, England
Chance would be a fine thing - I don't manage to use all the holidays I do get!
Your facts about the official free days in Holland are technically right but what you don't say is that if Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day fall at the weekend then here we don't get the one or two days extra - it's just tough luck and you just have to accept that. Also working in a shop I am not allowed any free time in the month of December because of it being one of the buisiest times of the year.
At my job, no one does my work if I'm not there. A week's holiday will result in me finding a week's work waiting when I get back. I might as well have all the time off I want...I have to catch up when I get back. On a sunny day like today I think the hunter-gatherers of 10,000 years ago had it right. Hunt a deer in the morning, have a BBQ in the afternoon and put your feet up. Progress since then? Not a lot I can see in terms of being happy!
Michael Carrillo, UK
I work for a US Company and the only public holidays we get are Christmas Day and New Year's Day (even then we have worked them in the past - y2k etc), however we are given a sizable holiday allowance. I think this is fair enough as we can take our holidays when we want them and not when we have to, providing greater flexibility. I don't really see the need for more bank holidays.
The fact that we work the longest hours in Europe and have the fewest holidays shows we are all too tired to be any good at our jobs.
The UK should follow the example of France where productivity increased after the number of hours in the working week were reduced.
Until more holidays come along, I suggest we all call in sick on at least four working days throughout the year. Preferably when the weather's good.
Work is still very much a taboo subject - try taking a discussion beyond the boundaries of "employment is good, unemployment is bad", and you quickly get an anxious or angry reaction. This is, after all, the 21st century. While we don't yet have hover cars or robots, society still clings to its Victorian ideas about work.
I don't believe the point of human existence is to be stuck in an office for seven hours a day in misery. Or on a shop floor asking customers if they need any assistance.
Hopefully one day we can live with four or three days work a week. Until then, give us a break. Please?
David Heffron of Glasgow seems to be a thinker - he realises that with the labour-saving machinery and computers of today, we ought to be working less and less for the same pay. But, the establishment will never understand that - they want all the gain from modern inventions.
It's a brave step to take more holidays because we'll be happier and happy workers work better.
UK workers do work longer hours but there are a lot of people who still have the attitude that less work is better. Monday mornings the offices are full of people moaning that it's the first day of the working week. They should come back refreshed from their break and have a more positive attitude.
Those of us who run our own companies take precious few holidays as it is. By all means nominate an extra Bank Holiday, but some of us will probably be working regardless!
Yes, we should be in line with Europe
If we are in the EC then let us be in it 100%
Yes yes yes!!!
High time the EU did something useful and decreed that all workers should have the same holiday allowance in all EU countries!
And we definitely need another bank holiday between now and Christmas!
Of course more bank holidays would be great, but for the people who don't get bank holidays off and have to work through, it would be like rubbing their noses in it!
Of course we do! I work a 44 hour week and never have time to take up all my annual leave. Bank holidays are a way to ensure that us workaholics get some sort of break...
All the public holidays also seem to be centred around the Christian religion, which is okay for me as I am Christian. However, there are many people in this country who follow different religions. Shouldn't we respect their beliefs as well by declaring public holidays that coincide with their traditional events? It's only fair after all in the multi-cultural society of today.
Stop complaining, at least you've got jobs.
If employees only got paid for the days they work (as should be the case), then the number of bank holidays, maternity leave taken, sickness, etc. would become irrelevant. End of argument. Anything else would be a subsidy of one group by another.
Chris, UK
I work as part of a global operations team, with members in US, SG and UK. It is noticeable that we have fewer public holidays than those locations but a greater number of annual days, esp. in comparison to the US. Should the comparison not go a little further than Europe?
Also, as part of a flexible working scheme here, we are able to "purchase" additional days of annual leave.
See also:
24 Aug 01 | UK
Call for extra bank holidays
09 Aug 01 | Business
Bosses failing to make the break
05 Sep 00 | UK
All work and no play
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"Ironic, isn't it?" Shawn said.
"It's not ironic at all," Gus said.
"Dude, it's so like a black fly in your chardonnay."
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"'Irony' is the use of words to convey a meaning that's opposite to their literal meaning," Gus said. "That stupid song came out fourteen years ago, and we still have this exact conversation at least once a week."
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― William Rabkin, "Psych: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Read"
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That was pretty early in my fourth grade school year. By the end of that year, I would have written a poem for a show-and-tell presentation that set me on my path to becoming a writer. Heck, I am a writer because I write.
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Teresa Edmond-Sargeant is an Orlando, FL-based poet, author and former reporter originally from northern New Jersey. During her time as a journalist, she won two NJ Press Association awards. She is the author of her debut poetry book, "How Fate's Confusion Connects" and a short story ebook "Eve the First", now available on Amazon Kindle.


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On days when my frizzy corkscrew hair doesn't want to cooperate, or I need to get out of the house before piling up my locks (most days around here), a hat covers the madness I call my hair. Luckily, it looks like our little one's will be much more managable than my own and she won't need to rely on hats. Addie refuses to wear hers, despite our gusty El Paso weather, but she apparently enjoys wearing mine. Yesterday, she was tugging on my train conducter-esque brim so I placed it on her head as she giggled with glee. Of course, I had to the grab my camera to capture the cuteness. You can click on each image to enlarge.
1/12/2014 03:01:15 am
Well, this is just too cute! What a little model and ham she is!
1/12/2014 09:22:05 pm
I miss you guys! I did some catching up on your blog this morning; always brings a smile to my face and encouragement to my heart. I love you guys dearly! Hugs and kisses!!!!!
1/13/2014 12:58:06 am
We love you, too! Thanks for checking in with us =). We'll be sure to call you when we come back home, probably around Easter. And you're always welcome in El Paso!
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This 19th century building provides cover for a permanent sawpit and is typical of many such buildings in villages and on estates. Inside can be seen a range of tools used in the handling and conversion of timber.
The sawpit shed from Sheffield Park was probably built at about the same time as the complex of farm buildings on the same site — a model farmstead of the early 19th century.
In his 1813 report on the agriculture of Sussex, the Reverend Arthur Young included an illustration of the main farm buildings at Sheffield Park and commented that Lord Sheffield has paid particular attention to the growth of timber, and there is no estate in the county on which there is so great a stock of fine young oak.
About 1920 the sawpit was filled in, having been used latterly for halving logs too large for the new steam-driven saw bench.
Dates From
Early 19th century
Original Location
Sheffield Park, Sussex
Building History
Sawpits were often roughly constructed for short-term work in the woods, but many permanent pits, like the one from Sheffield Park, were also built, usually sited near workshops in villages.
There was, for example, a substantial brick-lined sawpit close to the highway opposite the smithy and wheelwright's shop at Southwater. Logs could be directly unloaded from the tug (timber wagon) and rolled on top of the pit.
These permanent sawpits were usually covered by a shed with one open side to allow timbers to be rolled down, and the Sheffield Park sawpit shed is a good example of this.
In the Middle Ages sawing was done on trestles rather than over a pit. Medieval drawings usually show logs slung up on trestles with the top sawyer (who guided the saw) standing on the log and the bottom sawyer (who pulled the saw) underneath.
Sometimes logs were sawn propped up on a single trestle, a method which produced characteristic oblique saw marks on the timber; these can be seen at the Museum in the hall from Boarhunt.
16th Century
Sawpits were certainly in use by the early 16th century and where the ground was suitably drained they eventually took the place of trestles. When the oak of the Weald provided the essential structural materials for ships, mills, barns, houses, and cathedral and church roofs, as well as being used for fuel, hundreds of sawyers must have been employed within the Wealden area.
By the 16th century, sawmills powered by wind or water were already producing timber, and by the 18th century mills of this type were to be found in the Weald. There was rapid expansion in the use of machine cut weatherboard, particularly in the eastern parts of the Weald, although a great deal of timber was still pit-sawn.
According to a report of 1813 on agriculture in Hampshire, the following payments were standard in this area:
- Sawing and hewing, per 100 feet oak, ash, elm, beech and poplar under 18 inches in width of board, from 3/6d to 4/-
- The cost of sawn elm boards 3/4 in. thick, 4d per square foot, beech and other weatherboarding, 3/4 in. from 12/- to 18/- per 100 feet
- Common five-barred gates from 12/- to 18/- each
Twelve square feet per hour is an average rate of production for pit-sawn boards.
Top 3 Interesting Facts
Sawpit Structure
This covered estate sawpit dates from the early 19th century, and was typical of many in villages or on estates.
Sawing Wood
The building structure reflects its purpose, that is to cut timber along its length for use around the estate.
Speedy Sawing
An 1813 agricultural report in Hampshire suggests 12ft² per hour was an average rate of production for pit-sawn boards.


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New York county sues Purdue, J&J over opioid marketingMay 16, 2017
By Nate Raymond
(Reuters) – A county in New York state has sued Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson <JNJ.N> and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing that played down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, leading to a drug epidemic.
The lawsuit, which also named units of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd <TEVA.TA> and Endo International Plc <ENDP.O> as defendants, was announced on Monday by Orange County, New York, which is located in the southeastern part of the state.
The case, filed in a New York state court on Thursday, is the latest lawsuit by local and state governments seeking to hold drugmakers accountable for a national opioid epidemic.
The lawsuit claims the drugmakers through deceptive marketing misrepresented the dangers of long-term opioid use to doctors, pharmacists and patients.
Those misrepresentations about drugs like Purdue's OxyContin and Endo's Opana ER led Orange County to incur health care, criminal justice and other costs related to addiction, the lawsuit said.
Orange County, which has a population of about 379,000, said it recorded 943 opioid-related emergency department admissions in 2014 and 44 deaths from overdoses involving opioid pain relievers in 2015.
Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus said in a statement the county has been working with non-profits and doctors to increase awareness to opioid-related problems.
"At the same time, we want those responsible to compensate the taxpayers for the public funds the county has had to pay to address opioid addiction," he said.
The lawsuit also named four physicians as defendants.
J&J in a statement called the allegations "unfounded" and noted its drugs carry U.S. Food and Drug Administration-mandated warnings.
Purdue said it shares officials' concerns about the opioid crisis and is "committed to working collaboratively to find solutions."
Endo did not respond to a request for comment. Teva declined to comment.
Opioid drugs, including prescription painkillers and heroin, killed over 33,000 people in the United States in 2015, more than any year on record, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Orange County's lawsuit is the fourth since August by a New York county seeking to recover costs related to opioid addiction. Several other counties are also considering suing.
Drugmakers also face lawsuits by Santa Clara and Orange counties in California, the city of Chicago and Mississippi over their marketing practices.
Some state attorneys general have started similar investigations. J&J this month said New Jersey's attorney general had issued a subpoena related to opioid marketing.
(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Bill Trott and Lisa Shumaker)


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The steamy and suspenseful conclusion to the bestselling THAT MAN trilogy…
Let's cut to the chase. A sweet little Midwestern girl with a dimpled smile had shown me there was a connection between my cock and my heart. She was in my bloodstream bringing them together. Making me feel emotions and sensations I'd never felt.
The Kiss had changed everything. This painting had turned my heart upside down and torn me apart. I could no longer deny my feelings. I missed him for only one reason. I was in love.
Blake and Jennifer finally succumb to their passion and are unable to get enough of one another. A shocking discovery, however, threatens to pull them apart. And danger looms.
Will the two survive an outside force that promises to bring their love to a cruel and tragic end?
This 55,000-word full-length novel is intended for Readers 18+
(The steamy and suspenseful conclusion to the bestselling THAT MAN trilogy is a full- length novel intended for mature readers.)
Blake, always full of surprises, had one more in store for me before the New Year dawned. The Jacuzzi. Big enough to accommodate a dozen people, it was built into an expansive deck outside the house.
Our bare bodies buried in the bubbly water, Blake sat close to me. One strapping arm curled around my shoulders while the hand of the other held a lit cigar. The stars and the full moon sparkled overhead in the blackened sky. The steamy water gurgled while Céline Dion piped through hidden speakers, and in the near distance, I could hear the waves of the ocean softly ebb and flow. The intense warm jets of water sprayed my upper back and between my thighs, feeling so tingly good. I was in love, lust, and paradise. It couldn't get more magical than this.
"Tiger, do you mind if I smoke this cigar?" Blake asked, already blowing out a puff of smoke. "It's kind of a New Year's tradition."
I inhaled. The smell of the tobacco mixing with the salty sea air was heady. To my surprise, I loved it. I took the cigar from him and put it to my mouth. I inhaled and choked.
"No problem," I coughed out, reaching for my flute of champagne. I took a calming sip.
"Stop showing off," he laughed, taking the cigar back in his hand. He inhaled another puff and I glared at him. Mesmerized by the way he held the cigar between his long fingers and sucked on the tip, drawing in his cheeks and lowering his eyes. Equally sexy was the way he pursed his kissable lips and blew out the smoke.
"You know, baby. My father once told me a fine cigar is like a fine woman. You have to warm her before you assault her."
His words made my heart flutter. "Blake, when was the first time you knew you loved me?" I asked as a ring of smoke mingled with the steam from the Jacuzzi.
He placed the cigar on a close by ashtray and turned to face me. His eyes glinted in the moonlight. Damn he was beautiful. And oh so sexy. He twirled my damp ponytail with his hand.
"It could have been love at first sight. When you kissed me blindfolded at my club. Something changed in me. Then after the Springer thing, I knew if something happened to you, I couldn't live. You're my air, baby. I need you to breathe."
A trail of sparks blazed through my body. He loved me right from the beginning. He repeated my question.
Tracing his soft lips, I said, "Vegas. When I danced with you." Ironically, a Céline Dion version of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," the song we danced to, was piping through the hidden speakers. Maybe he'd intentionally programmed it. I shifted a little and the powerful jet beneath me stimulated my clit.
He tugged at my ponytail. "It took you that long?" His voice was playfully miffed.
I twisted a smile. No, it hadn't. The truth: I think I'd loved him the minute my mouth set down on his in that game of Truth or Dare too. I'd felt the earth move in my heart. Maybe it was lust. It didn't matter because I wasn't going to tell him.
We imbibed some champagne and glanced up at the starry sky. My head rested on his rugged chest.
"Jennifer, do you know why the moon and the stars shine?"
I shook my head. The words of the beautiful song were affecting me. The jets were affecting me. He was affecting me. Desire was bubbling inside me. "Why?"
Because they're making love to the sky."
"Lighting it up," I replied dreamily, my eyes focused on the many constellations above us.
He drew me closer. Passion sparked in his eyes. "Jennifer McCoy, you are my moon and shining star. My universe."
In a breath, I was sitting on top of him. Riding him to the heavens. Lighting him up. Lighting myself up.
We came together like comets flaring and whispered, in unison, three celestial words.
"I love you."
Nelle L'Amour is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author who lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, twin teenage daughters, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. A former executive in the entertainment and toy industries with a prestigious Humanitus Award to her credit, she gave up playing with Barbies a long time ago but still enjoys playing with toys with her husband. While she writes in her PJs, she loves to get dressed up and pretend she's Hollywood royalty. She writes juicy stories with characters that will make you both laugh and cry and stay in your heart forever.
In addition to the GLORIA'S SECRET series, she is the author of the current best-selling erotic romance trilogy, THAT MAN, the SEDUCED BY THE PARK AVENUE BILLIONAIRE boxed set, and the highly rated Amazon bestseller, UNDYING LOVE.
Nelle loves to hear from her readers and responds to everyone. Connect to her at:
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Twitter has acquired the mobile-focused ad exchange, MoPub, for a reported $350m (£223m).
MoPub's technology lets mobile application publishers manage their inventory and optimize multiple sources of advertising — direct ads, house ads, ad network, and real-time bidding through the MoPub Marketplace — in a single product.
The deal represents the micro-blogging site's largest acquisition to date, and comes as the company ramps up its commercial offering for brands ahead of a widely-tipped IPO next year. Current advertising across its platform takes the the form of Promoted Tweets and its July launch of its ad retargeting services in the US.
Kevin Weil, vice-president of revenue at Twitter, said: "The two major trends in the ad world right now are the rapid consumer shift toward mobile usage, and the industry shift to programmatic buying.
"Twitter sits at the intersection of these, and we think by bringing MoPub's technology and team to Twitter, we can further drive these trends for the benefit of consumers, advertisers, and agencies."


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Wildcats Remain Undefeated!
Westminster varsity football team remains undefeated after beating Twiggs Academy this past Friday.
Westminster varsity football team remains undefeated in region play after beating Twiggs Academy 63-18 this past Friday. The defense was stellar once again, led by Jake Heaton, Ben Bayliss, and Sam Carter. Bayliss had a fumble recovery and plenty of tackles, but it was Caleb Lindman with the play of the game with his interception. After a long drive by Twiggs and only yards away from their endzone, Lindman made a shoestring interception two yards deep and returned it for a 102-yard "pick-six." The offense was led by Thomas Saul, Grant Fuller, Joseph Jackson, Jack Baker, and JD Kassner. Baker was the leading rusher and had 2 TD's, but Jackson (2 TD's) and Kassner (1 TD) contributed as well. Jackson also had a punt return for a touchdown. The leading receiver on the night was Kassner with help from Sam Carter, who caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Grant Fuller. To read more about the game visit the Augusta Chronicle for more coverage. The Wildcats will be in action again this week as they travel to Dominion Christian Friday at 7:30 pm. For "behind the scenes" footage of the team's road trips you can check out the Instagram story highlights @wsa_athletics.


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Jin-mi, right, plays with a friend before attending a dancing class in Pyongyang in this scene from"Under the Sun." / Courtesy of Nal-Gae Entertainment
By Park Si-soo, Kim Da-hee
|Vitaly Mansky during a press conference in Seoul on April 26. / Yonhap
To get an answer, he and his film crew have visited Pyongyang, the capital, three times since 2013, hoping to learn what people really think. To try to get to the truth, Mansky carried out an in-depth interview and filmed the lives of Jin-mi, 8, and her parents, whom Mansky believed would give"candid and honest" opinions of their leader and state.
But the director quickly realized that he had been naïve.
"It was impossible to listen to their true voices in an official setting," Mansky told The Korea Times in Seoul. "Because the North Korean authorities strictly controlled everything, including every single word they (Jin-mi and her parents) speak to us and how to react to our requests and questions.
"Everything was done in a tightly controlled and manipulated setting. We were not even allowed to talk with them during a coffee break."
Jin-mi stands with her parents at her fictional home in Pyongyang. For the film, the family was forced to move to a clean and spacious apartment. / Courtesy of Nal-Gae Entertainment
But such intervention did not derail his project. Rather it inspired the Mansky, 53, to pursue his original goal under cover. His team secretly filmed and recorded moments when the family did talk with their emotional guards down.
He also peeked into the house at night through a telephoto lens installed in his hotel room one block away from the house.
"I did the night shooting with my room's light turned off and the lens barely poking through the curtain," he said.
Mansky then smuggled the unauthorized clips out of the North and produced a documentary titled "Under the Sun, laying bare the dismal reality facing North Koreans.
He received several threatening letters from the reclusive state when the documentary was released last November, but he did not retreat. The film opened in South Korea last week.
The following is an excerpt of the interview with Mansky.
Q. How did you cast Jin-mi?
We organized the film making with the North and the North cast Jin-mi. The scenario of the documentary was written by the North. Some episodes in the scenario were written in detail, instructing every move.
Q. Why did you decide to make a documentary about North Korea?
I was born in the Soviet Union when Stalin governed the state with communism and totalitarianism. Although many films were produced during the period, there was no film showing the reality of Russia under a communist dictator. Thus, I wanted to make a film telling about daily life under an authoritarian regime.
Q. How long did it take to film the documentary?
I went to the North with my proposal in 2013. After obtaining permission, I visited the country twice for filming in 2014. I stayed about 15 to 20 days each time.
North Korean children in a classroom. / Courtesy of Nal-Gae Entertainment
Q. How was the filming process?
We could not meet the North Korean family without North Korean minders. When we tried to talk with them, the minders restrained us, saying, "Don't bother them." The minders instructed the family in every detail. For example, we had to reshoot because a minder pointed out that Jin-mi's father had ironed a cloth on the floor. He ordered Jin-mi's father to use an ironing pad.
Q. Didn't you expect there would be some restrictions from the North?
I did, but I didn't expect such strong restrictions.
Q. How did the North hinder you from releasing the documentary?
First, the North Korean foreign ministry made an official request to the Russian foreign ministry not to release the film because the documentary was made against the regime's wishes. The North also requested me to scrap the film and that I be punished. However, the Russian authorities refused the North's request, explaining there was no legal basis.
After my documentary was screened and won an award at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2015, the North sent me very kind messages, asking me visit the North for an important issue. However, I knew what would happen if I returned to the North. I am not stupid.
A calm and empty street in Pyongyang / Courtesy of Nal-Gae Entertainment
Q. Are you afraid the North will retaliate?
I think I can encounter retaliation. However, I believe telling the world the real state of the North Korean society has a certain value, so I will handle any retaliation.
Q. Do you have anything you want to say to Jin-mi?
I sincerely wish Jin-mi the best all the time. However, my wish is meaningless. As long as the North regime does not change, the life of Jin-mi won't change. They cannot even dream. Even dreaming is a luxury for children in North Korea.


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It's gotten so I can't think about writing any code without fretting about security while I'm doing it. I know, I know, that's a good thing. Still one does long for the old days when the makers of small to medium-sized websites could get away with lax security just because the big sites had enough security holes to keep the hackers busy. And those hackers didn't have as many automated tools to make hacking lots of sites easier.
Anyway, those days are long gone and none of us has to be labeled paranoid, because they really are out to get us.
So, on my security checklist was to start using HttpOnly cookies for potentially sensitive cookies (like those related to login). HttpOnly cookies have been supported for a while by Internet Explorer, and Firefox has recently started supporting them. What's good about HttpOnly cookies is that their values can not be accessed through javascript, which stops a variety of cross-site-scripting attacks. For more info, here is a good page:
The problem that comes up immediately for a ColdFusion developer is that the CFCOOKIE tag does not support httponly cookies. This seems like a gross oversite, especially since it should be very easy to implement. In order to use httponly cookies, you need to use the CFHEADER tag to to write the specially formatted cookie header to the browser. I looked around but couldn't find anyone online that had created a function that handled all of the functions of CFCOOKIE with the addition of httponly. Anyway, here is what I came up with.
<cffunction name="SetCookie" hint="Replacement for cfcookie that handles httponly cookies" output="false" returntype="void">
<cfargument name="name" type="string" required="true">
<cfargument name="value" type="string" required="true">
<cfargument name="expires" type="any" default="" hint="''=session only|now|never|[date]|[number of days]">
<cfargument name="domain" type="string" default="">
<cfargument name="path" type="string" default="/">
<cfargument name="secure" type="boolean" default="false">
<cfargument name="httponly" type="boolean" default="false">
<cfset var c = "#UCase(name)#=#value#;">
<cfset var expDate = "">
<cfswitch expression="#Arguments.expires#">
<cfcase value="">
<cfcase value="now">
<cfset expDate = DateAdd('d',-1,Now())>
<cfcase value="never">
<cfset expDate = DateAdd('yyyy',30,Now())>
<cfif IsDate(Arguments.expires)>
<cfset expDate = Arguments.expires>
<cfelseif IsNumeric(Arguments.expires)>
<cfset expDate = DateAdd('d',Arguments.expires,Now())>
<cfif IsDate(expDate) gt 0>
<cfset expDate = DateConvert('local2Utc',expDate)>
<cfset c = c & "expires=#DateFormat(expDate, 'ddd, dd-mmm-yyyy')# #TimeFormat(expDate, 'HH:mm:ss')# GMT;">
<cfif Len(Arguments.domain) gt 0>
<cfset c = c & "domain=#Arguments.domain#;">
<cfif Len(Arguments.path) gt 0>
<cfset c = c & "path=#Arguments.path#;">
<cfif Arguments.secure>
<cfset c = c & "secure;">
<cfif Arguments.httponly>
<cfset c = c & "httponly;">
<cfheader name="Set-Cookie" value="#c#" />
It's actually pretty simple, with the expires portion of the header being the only thing that required a little work. I have attempted to mimic the CFCOOKIE functionality so that this can be used more or less as a simple replacement for that tag. Here's an example of usage:
<cfset SetCookie(
I hope this proves helpful to others.
Posted on October 8, 2009 3:13:19 PM EDT by David Hammond
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Winter sure tends to put on the extra pounds. Being so cold outdoors you can't even go for a walk. I picked up one of those exercise workout video's but that gets boring after a while. I spent quite sometime thinking about how I was going to fit into my bikini this summer. The next thing a started my search online for the best diet pills eventually running into lipozene reviews at least this is a place to start to see what will work best for me.
Lipozene reviews
Saturday, February 26, 2011
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In stock
Purchase insurance with signature confirmation (USA only) ($5.00)
Bezel set marquise shaped crystal pendant hangs from beautiful gold filled bar chain 18-20″ adjustable. Layer this with your favorites pieces or wear alone.
Lexi Lu was born from a true passion and love for being both feminine and beautiful. Our jewelry is inspired by vintage clothing, gems of all colors, shapes and sizes and the beauty that is naturally held in every unique woman.
Read more »


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Solar IS Civil Defense - what we are all supposed to have on hand in case of emergency - flashlight, cell phone, radio, extra set of batteries - can be powered by a few square inches of solar electric panel. Add a hand crank or bicycle generator and you have a reliable source of survival level electricity, day or night, by sunlight or muscle power.
This is also entry level electrical power for the 1.5 billion people around the world who do not yet have access to electricity. Civil defense at home and economic development abroad can be combined in a "buy one, give one" program like the Bogolight (http://www.bogolight.com) which is a solar LED light and AA battery charger.
Solar IS Civil Defense and could be much more.
I wish the mainline environmental groups had been broadcasting practical material like this for the last twenty years or so instead of devoting almost all their advertising to scaring us about climate change.


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Best read I've found this morning: this profile of T-Rac from The Times Daily in Florence Alabama. Seriously, it's a pretty good read covering the man inside the costume, Pete Nelson, and his love for playing the role. Of course, Adrian McPherson probably disagrees...
Frank Bush is still in the mix to be the Titans' LB coach. I'd seriously doubt any offer is extended until the defensive coordinator spot is filled though. Munch will want to build some consensus with the DC when it comes to the staff he'll have, and that's a wise move.
I don't know why this NFL ad featured tons of Simpsons characters with various NFL jerseys. Any good Simpsons fan knows Springfield is Titans country!
Annie Johnson of the Nashville Business Journal examines the state of the Titans' brand, and rightly finds it indestructible!
Gotta agree with Blaize on this one: if the Titans can't pry Gray loose, they should at least interview Eric Mangini.
Here's a handy chart breaking down the number of Free Agents on each team who are waiting with bated breath to see what happens with the next CBA. Until there's an agreement these guys are stuck in limbo. because the major reason for a CBA is to layout the rules for player contracts and team limitations on signing/trading player contracts.
If Brett Favre really is going on Dancing With The Stars, what's the over/under on how many shows he makes it before the sexual harassment lawsuit is filed? My money is on mid-way through the first episode.
Jeff Fisher's NBA doppelgänger, Jerry Sloan, has retired from the Utah Jazz.
Email me at email@example.com and be sure to follow me on Twitter @AugustWest_MCM


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The development of the insurance market in the Republic of Macedonia
The aim of this paper is to measure the level of the development of insurance in Macedonia and reveal the factors that have influenced this insufficient level of the development of the insurance market compared to other Western Balkan countries and EU countries.
The deep political and socio-economic transformations in countries in transition since the 1990s within the framework of structural reforms imposed essential changes in the system of social insurance as the foundation of the insurance market in general. The successful implementation of insurance in life, economy, business and other public spheres based on the regulations of the market economy in countries with low development levels, imposes the need to understand and learn more the practices of insurance markets based on the most successful experiences from more developed countries of the region, which have already become members of the EU.
Financial instruments of the insurance market have great influence on the level of financial markets in developed economies and they also influence the performance of individuals, the business sector and the political sector. Such a conclusion could partially apply to Western Balkan countries and especially Macedonia as a candidate country for accessing the EU.
The period to be analyzed (2007 – 2013) is identified with the beginning and the ending of the global financial crisis as well as the period when the sector of insurance mainly owned by foreign shareholders in Macedonia was consolidated on the legal aspect.
The paper analyzes the performance of participants in the insurance market as part of the financial market with an insufficient development level in Macedonia compared to the EU countries.
The flaws of the paper are identified through the fact that the performance of the analyzed insurance companies has partially been compared to Croatia and to the EU average, but not to the insurance market in the majority of Western Balkan countries and other countries with similar economic development level, especially with regard to the financial and insurance markets.
E.Banks, "Catastrophic Risk, Analysis and Management", 2005,
Robert E.Keeton & Alan Widiss, Insurance law, A guide to fundamental principles, legal doctrines and commercial practices, 1988,
Malcolm Clarke, Policies and Perceptions of Insurance Law in the Twenty-First Century,Claredon Law Series, Oksford university press,2007,
Dr. Majed Abdel Majid Kabajeh, Dr. Said Mukhled Ahmed AL Nu'aimat (2012),,The Relationship between the ROA, ROE and ROI Ratios with Jordanian Insurance Public Companies market share prices"
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on 'The European Insurance Contract Law'2005] OJ C157/1,2005 ,
Jürgen Basedow, John Birds, Malcolm A. Clarke, Herman Cousy and Helmut Heiss (eds), Principles of European Insurance Contract Law (Sellier, Munich 2009),
Rufi Osmani "The improved Business Climate and FDI in the Western Balkans ICESoS'14, BURCH University,BiH, Sarajevo, (2015),
Osmani & Mazllami "A challenging path toward the UE: The fulfillment of the Maastriht Criteria in the case of Macedonia and Albania in Regional Economic Development, IBU,Vol.9/2014,
Helmut Heiss, 'The Common Frame of Reference (CFR) of European Insurance Contract Law', 1 European Journal of Commercial Contract Law 2, (2009),
O'Neill, P. T. and Woloniecki, J. W. The law of reinsurance in England and Bermuda, First Supplement to the 2nd Edition, Sweet and Maxwell, London (2006),
Group of Thirty The Reinsurance Study Group ,Reinsurance and International Financial Markets, Consultative Group on International Economic and Monetary Affairs, Washington, DC. (2006)
W.Wang, (2003) Reinsurance Regulation: a contemporary and comparative study, Kluwer Law International, The Hague and London. LoWry, J. P. and Rawlings, P. Insurance Law: Doctrines and Principles, Hart Publishing, Oxford and Portland, Oregon,(2005),
S.A Rea, The Economics of Insurance Law, International Review of Law and Economics,Vol.13 (1993),
K.Popovski, "The role of insurance companies in the development of the capital market" Economic Faculty, Skopje (2006),
Dr.Alen Sharekj, " Investment in insurance companies in Croatia" – Split (2004)
Law on Traffic Safety, Official Gazette of RM no. 88/2005),
Law on Insurance Surveillance, Official Gazette of RM no.27/2002),
Law on Insurance, Official Gazette of RM no. (35/2001),
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.


text:
***News Release***
Biblically Responsible Investors See Comparable Returns—Or Better
According to Timothy Plan, Investors Who Take Their Faith to Heart in All Things Do Not Have to Sacrifice Their Bottom Line
ORLANDO, Fla.—When it comes to obeying the Lord in every aspect of their lives, tens of thousands of Christians around the country ensure that their finances also honor God. For those who are committed to Biblically Responsible Investing (BRI), it is of upmost important to honor God by aligning their investments with their values.
But does this mean sacrificing their return on investment? Certainly not, says Timothy Plan, which has helped investors achieve their financial goals while investing in a biblically and morally responsible manner by thoroughly researching each company to determine the actions of the firm on several levels.
For instance, Timothy Plan does not invest in companies that support pornography, the abortion industry or have other agendas contrary to the teachings of Scripture, or that are actively participating in activities that have proven to be destructive to our communities-at-large.
When it comes to comparable returns, a considerable body of research indicates that investors do not have to compromise their bottom lines while engaging in BRI and may even reap higher returns in some cases.
"Investors who want to honor God with their God-given resources should not fear the unknown when it comes to comparable returns," said Timothy Plan founder and president Art Ally. "After all, as the Bible tells God's followers in I Samuel 2:30, 'Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained' (NIV)."
A 2016 study at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business found that screened investments performed favorably against unscreened investment funds: "Impact funds in the sample that seek market-rate-returns demonstrate that they can achieve results comparable to market indices, while still reporting mission preservation in the vast majority of their exited investments."
The study, "Great Expectations: Mission Preservation and Financial Performance in Impact Investing," posited that, "Market-rate-seeking impact investments in the sample, therefore, may be financially competitive on a gross basis with other equity investing investment opportunities. This financial performance may be why impact fund managers often assert that there is little inherent tension between profits and purpose."
Additionally, an Oxford University 18-year study of screened funds comprising 180 U.S. companies for "sustainability" and other factors, such as excluding firms that employed child labor, showed better returns, including lower cost of capital and "stock price performance." The authors compiled evidence "that High Sustainability companies significantly outperform their counterparts over the long term, both in terms of stock market as well as accounting."
In 2015, a Christian Investment Forum study also noted that previous studies had established that Socially Responsible Investing, of which BRI is a subcategory, performed as well or better than unscreened funds.
The first of its kind, Timothy Plan is a family of mutual funds that screens its funds to ensure that no money is invested in companies that are supportive of ideals that are contrary to their biblical, moral imperative. The trend of biblically responsible investing, or BRI, is growing rapidly. In fact, last year, Timothy Plan alone reached $1 billion of assets under management.
Since 1994, Timothy Plan has existed to help advisers and investors achieve their financial goals through a pro-life, pro-family approach to investing—not only to benefit the investor but the broader culture. Timothy Plan is firmly committed to running a mutual fund company with the integrity, excellence and wisdom that brings honor and glory to Jesus Christ and is a beacon for Godly stewardship in the financial community.
Mutual funds are available through a prospectus by contacting the fund or a financial professional. When considering a mutual fund, investors should always carefully read the prospectus before investing to analyze the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses.
Timothy Plan is distributed by Timothy Partners, LTD a member of (FINRA).
For more information on Timothy Plan, visit timothyplan.com or connect on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Vimeo or YouTube. View the media page for Timothy Plan here.


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Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicates Deendayal Hastkala Sankul to the Nation
Varanasi: Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today dedicated to the nation, the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul – a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts – at Varanasi. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of this Centre in November 2014. Today, he visited the Centre, and was given an overview of the facilities developed there, before arriving on the dais for the dedication.
He described the Trade Facilitation Centre as one of the biggest projects for Varanasi for a long time. He said this Centre would help the artisans and weavers showcase their skills to the world, and facilitate a brighter future for them. He asked the people to encourage all tourists to visit this Centre. He said this would result in increased demand of handicrafts, and also boost the tourism potential of Varanasi, and indeed the economy of the city.
The Prime Minister said the solution to all problems is through development. He said the Government is focused on bringing about positive change in the lives of the poor and of succeeding generations. In this context, he praised the efforts of Utkarsh Bank.
Speaking on the occasion, the Union Textiles Minister Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani said that the Ministry of Textiles is fortunate that the Rs. 300 crore Deendayal Hastkala Sankul has been dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister, on the auspicious occasion of Nav Durga. The Minister recalled that the foundation stone of the Sankul was laid by the PM on 7th November, 2014 and that the first phase was inaugurated by the PM on 22nd December, 2016. She said that the dedication of the Sankul today is a demonstration of the leadership of the Prime Minister. She said that it will help increase the earnings of weavers and artisans, and help better showcase their products to the world.
The Textiles Minister said that Government wants every member of the families of weavers and artisans to be able to fulfil their dream of acquiring good education. She informed that towards this, the Ministry of Textiles has entered into MoUs with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), whereby children of weavers and artisans are able to avail school and university education, with 75% of fees being borne by the Government of India.
Speaking about the success of the MUDRA scheme, the Minister said that beneficiaries receive security-free loans ranging from 50,000 rupees to 10 lakh rupees under the scheme. She said that more than 33,000 weavers have benefited by MUDRA scheme, receiving loans worth more than 170 crore rupees. She added that weavers receiving MUDRA loans have been able to increase their income by more than 50% within just two months. The Minister said that the Government will reach out to artisans across the country, in order to provide them benefits of MUDRA loans and other facilities.


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Venture Capital Fund Bill 2019
Video of First Reading in Parliament of Venture Capital Fund Bill
NZ Super Fund Welcomes Introduction of Venture Capital Fund Bill
10 Suggestions For The Venture Capital Fund Bill – by Steve Outtrim
Executive Summary
First let me say that I am in general supportive of this Bill. The more capital that can be invested in New Zealand's fledgling venture capital industry, the stronger that industry may become in the future. Our agricultural base is limited by available land and water, and our tourist industry is limited by the size of the global traveling population and the infrastructure we have here to host them. Our innovation economy is limited only by our imagination. New Zealand makes world-class technology and we have a robust and respected system of laws that mean licensing of intellectual property is a viable and scalable business model.
It is important that New Zealand play to our strengths and be realistic about our weaknesses.
A stated purpose of this Bill is to help address one weakness: that companies in the $2-$15 million revenue range find it difficult to attract the capital necessary for growth. Unfortunately the structure of the Bill offers little to actually assist businesses in this range. Instead it suggests that nothing will really change; the "industry darlings" who are already the most likely to attract funding will suck up most of the capital. This may work well over the 15-year timeframe expected with respect to repaying this $300 million; or it may not. Venture funding is inherently risky. Capital alone does not guarantee success. Many well-funded businesses have failed, and across the industry there is only a 10% likelihood of a successful investment.[i]
We should spend 10% of the funds on education and business incubation to ensure that the nation's companies are "Series A ready". This would be more beneficial overall than picking a handful of winners. Even if every winner lost, the nation would still be left with a benefit. A further 10% should be set aside to foster investment in social enterprises that are financially sustainable.
In this submission I will suggest 10 ways that the Bill could be enhanced to deliver its goals and highlight some of the country's potential that I believe is not adequately addressed by the Bill. A great strength of New Zealand is diversity; it is important that when building a vibrant Crown-assisted Venture Capital industry we take steps to include Māori, Pasifika, women, youth and those with special needs.
My Qualifications to Speak on This Bill
I moved from Wellington to Melbourne to create my startup Sausage Software, which was the first "dot com" company in Australasia to go public in 1996. I also founded Urbanise, which went public on the ASX in 2014. After 25 years of living between Melbourne and San Francisco, I returned to New Zealand in 2017. In Silicon Valley I contributed to KEA, Kia Ora USA, SF Kiwis and the Kiwi Landing Pad. In NZ I have participated as keynote speaker and delegate at the Morgo entrepreneurship conferences.
In addition to raising more than $200 million of capital for my own businesses, resulting in 2 IPOs and 2 trade sales, I have been an early-stage venture capital investor in more than 50 companies and sat on Advisory Boards of dozens of startups.
My current role as Entrepreneur in Residence at the University of Auckland's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship has put me in a unique position to observe most aspects of New Zealand's innovation ecosystem, and compare it to world's best practices I've experienced in Silicon Valley and elsewhere.
Once In A Lifetime Opportunity
We will not be doing one of these every year – so is this it for the next 15 years? If so, it is important to get it right.
The Venture Capital Fund Bill helps encourage Crown-owned NZ Super funding to be redeployed as venture capital, which offers the enticing appeal of outsized returns balanced with the practical reality of extreme risk. NZ Super has had an Actual Return of 1.49% p.a. since its inception in 2003.[ii] The idea is that rather than the Government managing risk as if it were a Venture Capitalist, private sector fund managers will co-investment with the Government. This de-risks the investment somewhat for the fund managers, perhaps helping the size of funding rounds to increase; but it does nothing to help new businesses scale up to be global winners, and very little to help the social fabric of our great nation.
1. Clarify Target Deal Size
When introducing the bill, Minister David Parker gave examples of a number of Wellington-based IT firms seeking $1 million in Series A funding – US$633k. With all due respect to my home town, to me this indicates parochial thinking which does not scale to a global market. For a tech startup competing on the global stage this would be about enough to pay one good sales rep to attend half a dozen trade shows per year.
A technology company seeking $600k Series A is unlikely to even get a meeting with a Silicon Valley VC firm. This is barely a big enough size to get in front of an angel investors' group.
2019 Average US Early Stage Investment ($NZD):[iii]
Seed: $1.75m
Series A: $21.4m
The intention of the fund is to invest the $300 million in the first 5 years, and liquidate its holdings entirely in 15 years. This means $60m investment per year – enough to fund 3 US-sized Series A deals, 15 in total. If the VCF invests in 5 different funds, each fund can do 3 deals in 15 years.
If the fund were to invest at the size Minister Parker referred to – $1m deals – this would require one investment per week for the first 5 years. This would be one investment every month for 5 funds, which is also unrealistic. The sweet spot is perhaps a combination of big and small deals.
2. Consider Payback Time
Perhaps there is some thought that the investments will exit before the 15 years is up, and those returns could be re-invested at least once more before the final liquidation. It is a long time between funding and exit for most investors. Peter Thiel's legendary initial investment in Facebook took 9 years before a liquidity event. My own in Urbanise took 14. The US median time for companies to raise funding rounds is 20 months and from funding to IPO is 8.2 years.[iv]
It is quite possible that even if the fund invests in companies that continue to be successful, they will not go public or get acquired within 15 years. What then? Venture capital is patient, it doesn't seek dividends. Liquidating an investment before an official liquidation event may have a significant cost in lost profits.
Rather than planning the liquidation of the fund in the future, why not make it perpetual and continue to invest the funds in New Zealand startup businesses? The fund could begin repaying the initial loan to the Superannuation Fund after 15 years, at a rate of interest superior to the 1.49% actual return to date. Over a 50 year horizon an initial $300 million seeding into the Venture Capital industry has the potential to become one of New Zealand's greatest assets – at 15 years, we would just be getting started.
3. Global Competitiveness
US firms raise bigger earlier stage rounds and economies of scale give them smaller operating costs. The reason they raise large investment rounds is they intend to dominate. To absorb or crush all competition, no matter what. If we are going to inject $300 million of taxpayer money into stimulating startups, we should do so the way we would spend that money on sports: to win, to enhance the brand of the whole nation, and to attract new talent to New Zealand.
Kiwis have succeeded in sailing because wherever you go round the globe, wind is wind, sea is sea and a boat is a boat. A boat can be built in New Zealand that is equal or better than any made anywhere else in the world. This process begins with the intention to be the best. If the intention is to build a dinghy, you could make the greatest dinghy the world has ever seen, but don't be surprised if the competitor's 75-foot hydrofoil monohull sails away with the Cup.
We need to be producing startups that are globally competitive from the very beginning. This is the gap in our Innovation and Entrepreneurship ecosystem that most needs to be addressed. Extra venture capital funding injected into the existing system sounds good in theory, but in practice will not change the percentage of startups that fail. Funding 15 companies with Series A rounds will not help the thousands of other businesses in the $2-$15m revenue range who don't get funded by professional Venture Capital. If we increase the percentage of successes the whole industry will benefit. Capital can do that, but on its own more money does not automatically result in more productivity.
The key to a company raising Series A investment is Product-Market Fit, meaning being in a good market with the right product for that market. At least 40% of surveyed customers would be "very disappointed" if they could no longer get that product or service. Most Kiwi businesses do not understand this, and as a result struggle to raise Series A funds. Education about this concept and how to achieve it would cost much less than $300 million, and would greatly benefit the nation because our companies could then attract venture capital from anywhere.
4. Māori and Pasifika
New Zealand is a world leader in its treatment of indigenous issues, renowned for our racially diverse and integrated population. The global Venture Capital industry is not renowned for its treatment of racial minorities. This is an opportunity for New Zealand to take a lead role on the world stage, setting the way for others as we have so many times before.
A percentage of funds could be co-invested with Iwi. Venture capital should benefit them as well. Iwi projects may not need an international focus, but there should be no limitations to success.
Likewise, New Zealand's role as the largest Pacific Island nation puts us in a position to help encourage Pasifika peoples to participate in startups. A cultural shift towards embracing failure is important, and could be assisted with government-backed funding.
The bill suggests a proportion of funds could be invested outside NZ. This should be for Pasifika or for NZ owned companies in foreign markets. There is no requirement for the Guardians' NZ Super Fund to invest in NZ assets, as a result only 18% of the fund is invested domestically.[v] Replicating this in the allocation of the Venture Capital Fund would be disastrous for local startups.
5. More Than Money – Incubation
In the U.S. if you receive investment from top-tier Venture Capital firms you are almost guaranteed to be successful. This is because you don't just get their money. You get expertise, with the lead investor usually taking a Board seat and being very actively engaged with senior management. You get access to the best boutique recruitment agencies, with massive rolodexes of people who have worked together in past companies – whether they failed or succeeded. The V.C. will help you build a team, infuse them with the right culture, and introduce you to corporate partners to form strategic alliances with.
There is nothing in this bill to do this, it is assumed that this function will already be done by private industry. There are some good incubator initiatives with a track record of success such as Icehouse Ventures and the Velocity program at CIE. However there is no "Y Combinator" of New Zealand. What is needed is a combination of training, skills exchange, and shared business infrastructure. 10% of funds should be set aside to provide incubator-based funding which will help Kiwi entrepreneurs develop the skills and thinking needed for global success while sharing business infrastructure.
6. Growth Hacking
Partnering with larger companies is a way to grow quickly without the founders having to dilute equity. Sometimes this can include selling regional licenses or franchises. It is difficult for small Kiwi companies to build international networks; yet there is a large international network of Kiwis abroad. A global marketing agency for Kiwi companies could facilitate partnership and licensing deals. This would accelerate the growth of Kiwi companies faster than each one raising capital and trying to build these networks from scratch on their own. This model has worked in the past for other export industries in New Zealand.
7. Social Enterprises
There is no particular focus on social enterprises that make money and do good at the same time. This would be beneficial to the whole nation. There are already 3500 social enterprises in New Zealand, but they are falling through the cracks of the system.[vi] The country needs to create the right legal framework for this fast-growing new business type, and reflect that returns from these enterprises do not have to be the outsize Venture Capital 10x returns for the enterprise to be considered a success.
8. Fintech, Ethical AI and Robotics
We are moving into an exciting new era where FinTech innovation will transform society as much as the Internet did. New Zealand should lead the way in embracing blockchain, with regulations that match the needs of the global banking system with the requirements of blockchain startups. A vibrant cryptocurrency and blockchain industry will attract Venture Capital to our shores and create jobs.
Part of the funding should be routed through a Centre for Excellence in FinTech, A.I. and Robotics. The right regulatory market is required for these industries, with that New Zealand could lead the world.
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics are going to be some of the biggest industries of the 21st century. There is a great need for Ethics and Trust in these fields. Medical advances such as organ printing, genome editing, stem cell harvesting and cloning also raise a need for BioEthics. New Zealand is well respected as a politically peaceful and neutral country with a high reputation for trust and integrity. This positions us well to lead the 21st Century in FinTech as the banking system is transformed and banking of non-financial data such as DNA, medical records and personal information becomes important.
9. Bring Talent To Us: Reverse the Brain Drain
A perverse incentive of this bill could be that our best companies get enough funding to expand internationally and then are forced to leave our shores because they can't hire enough people from the domestic talent pool to grow at the pace required. I can see nothing in this Bill to prevent this situation.
In fact, we should try to do the opposite: attract people from all around the world to come here to start their high-tech businesses. Making it easy for startups to get short-term visas for their workers would be crucial. We may not be the highest paying nation in the world for tech workers but we can offer quality of life that is world class – as many global billionaires seem to be noticing. If our well-funded companies can draw from the global pool of talent to build teams they are more likely to be internationally successful and to retain significant operations here. Right now if every startup got funded and doubled in size there would not be enough people to work in them all.
The existing Entrepreneur work visa is the right idea, but expanding it so that whole teams and their families could apply at once would be beneficial. This would result in an influx of talent, ideas, and new companies that can provide employment and training for local citizens.
10. Inclusiveness
This Bill should include language focusing a small amount of funds on these important areas which need support from the public sector because they do not get enough from the existing Venture Capital Markets. If we only incentivize them to do more of the same we will end up with more of the same.
An unspoken problem that I hear frequently at the University is the difficulty for youth to access these professionally managed funding sources. The opposite is true in Silicon Valley, where even a teenager with a good idea can get funding. They focus on the business and the technology, not the traditional investment manager's list of red flags. Youth should be a green light not a red flag. The financial needs of youth are often less than the expenses of mums and dads, which means that they can do more with less. The social consequences of trying something and failing are less, and they have the greatest amount of energy. The video game industry offers many opportunities for youth. Teaming up youth with experienced elders on Advisory Boards will help their companies become investment-ready.
This year is the 126th anniversary of universal suffrage and we have come a long way in addressing gender equality issues. Culturally we recognize the importance of women in this country, but in the world of startups we lag sadly behind. Kiwi females in senior leadership positions are at an all time low (18%).[vii]
While there are some female-only seed investment groups such as Arcangels, there needs to be more support from the traditional V.C. industry to encourage more female entrepreneurs and leaders.
Special Needs
In the Internet
era, there is no reason why learning or hearing difficulties, mental illness,
autism or other increasingly prevalent debilitating conditions should exclude
participation in startups. Any of these are usually instant deal-breakers in
Venture Capital. Only the government is in a position to do something to pave
the way for inclusion of people with special needs in startup businesses.
Thank you for your time in consideration of this submission.
I have spoken to many people in developing my perspective on Venture Capital in New Zealand. I would like to acknowledge and thank their contributions, however all thoughts here are presented solely as my own opinion as a private citizen.
Thanks to Andy Hamilton at Icehouse Ventures, Andy Shenk at UofA University Services, Jenny Morel at Morgo, Michael Murphy at Callaghan Innovation, Steve Saunders at Robotics Plus, Gower Smith at Swyft Inc., Wendy Kerr at UofA Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Mark Bentley at UofA Alumni Relations and Development, Jenna Ash at UofA CIE, Blair Harrison at ASX (NZ), Simeon Burnett at The Snowball Effect, Katie Carson at DLA Piper, John Holt at TAINZ/Kiwi Landing Pad, Lesley Tilley at Kia Ora USA and David Teece at UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.
Alicia Syrett 2018 TED Talk "Why VCs and Angel Investors Say No" to Entrepreneurs" https://www.youtube.com/?v=IK7HkSp1KBI
[i] https://medium.com/@efeng/a-stats-based-look-behind-the-venture-capital-curtain-91630b3239ae
[ii] https://nzsuperfund.nz/performance-investment/returns-vs-ref-portfolio
[iii] https://www.fundz.net/what-is-series-a-funding-series-b-funding-and-more
[iv] https://venturebeat.com/2017/05/19/vc-investing-still-strong-even-as-median-time-to-exit-reaches-8-2-years/
[vi] https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/04/17/539070/social-enterprises-frustrated-by-nz-law
[vii] https://www.grantthornton.co.nz/press/press-releases-2018/proportion-of-women-in-nz-senior-leadership-roles-has-hit-rock-bottom/


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The guys recap their 2016 trip to the Barber Vintage Festival including the ride home and activities from the last day of the festival.
Vintage Festival Day 3
- Interview with Lee Conn, President of Motus Motorcycles to update changes for 2017, thoughts on the festival, and more.
- Previously in episode 56, Rich got his first taste of the Motus MST
- Episode 20 was our first introduction to Motus after Rico toured the factory
- Quick update from Brian Case, Vice President of Motus Motorcycles and Head of Design
- Rico rides the Motus MST and MSTR with Lee Conn just outside the Barber Motorsports complex
- Ride home from Birmingham to Atlanta area set us up nicely for completing the trip home
We want to give thanks to some great people we met at Barber
- Guys at the beer stand from Five Star Event Catering for handing out some additional coozies
- Ken Ciocci (apologies, we said Mike during the recording) from Spectro Oils for helping Jon with his Spyder leak. Please check them out, great people and some fine products as well if you are looking for performance oil.
Help keep the show AD free and receive rewards for your contribution by visiting loudpipes.net/donate. Patreon is our focus and is an ongoing support model. There is also a link for one time donations and support of any size is greatly appreciated.
Running time: 1 hour 13 minutes
Questions or comments: firstname.lastname@example.com or the Feedback pageSupport Loud Pipes!


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DETROIT (AP) -- U.S. auto safety officials are investigating complaints that doors won't close properly on more than 39,000 cars made by Mazda.
The probe affects Mazda 6 cars from the 2009 model year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received four complaints that the doors wouldn't latch. In one case, a passenger door opened while a car was being driven. The agency says the owners complained that some of the door-latch mounting screws were missing.
The agency will check to see if the problem is big enough to cause a recall. It also will determine if the doors have caused any crashes or injuries.


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Miky iPad Sleeve
About Bleu de Chauffe
Bleu de Chauffe is a modern brand with traditional values, based in Aveyron, France. Reinterpreting styles of eras gone by to meet the needs of the present day, their bags are perfect for urban living. Launched for Spring/Summer 2015, their Traminot collection features attractive dual-tone waxed canvas, available in a range of designs.
- Exterior Dimensions (WxHxD)
- 27.0 x 23.0 x 0.7 cm
- Material of Construction
- 100% natural felt
Organic tanned leather
- Type of Closure
- Press stud fastener
- Accommodates
- iPad or similar size tablet
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