text:
Successfully Managing a Family Office with Taylor Kirkpatrick
Being the fourth generation President and Chief Executive Officer of Babson Farms Inc., Taylor Kirkpatrick takes his responsibility very seriously running the family office. His job is running the family business and managing assets created over 100 years ago by his great grandfather. Right now, Babson Farms' core asset is based on agricultural holdings, with supporting operating businesses like captive crop insurance company, tiling company, drainage, bin storage, trucking and transportation operations. Taylor shares that running the family business is a demonstration of patience and fortitude because you're charged with seeing the future and trying to take advantage of an opportunity that might occur in the future. He always keeps the mindset that like everything in life, it's a marathon, not a sprint. You have to keep a generational thinking, map out strategies and figure out how to do things on a daily basis as well as look at the bigger picture.
Watch the episode:
Listen to the podcast:
Successfully Managing a Family Office with Taylor Kirkpatrick
We have a treat now. We're in Babson Farms and we're with the CEO, Taylor Kirkpatrick. Taylor, welcome to the show.
Bob, thanks for having me.
Do us a favor, tell us a little bit about your business and who you serve.
The easy answer is Babson Farms is a family office, which is a term that a lot of folks may or may not be familiar with and what it is, I serve one family managing their assets. These assets were created 100 years ago when my great grandfather, Henry Babson, went and visited the Thomas Edison at the Columbian World Exposition in 1893 in Chicago and said that he was willing to go and sell the phonograph for Thomas Edison outside of the United States. He took a prototype of the Edison talking machine and went to China and India and sold several thousand of those over the course of about two years.
When he came back, he took those winnings and started a mail-order catalog that competed with the Sears catalog in the South side of Chicago called Babson Brothers. That sold everything from sundries and fabric and things like that to dairy equipment and other farming equipment. He was selling a piece of equipment that he realized was not that great. It was difficult to clean. There was some sanitation issues. It would taint the central plant of the milk if you didn't have clean vulcanized rubber tubes and things. He ultimately invented and patented and then sold the majority of the world's dairy equipment called Surge Dairy Products for a period of about 50 years. In the'70s, we had a liquidity event when we sold that to Westphalia which is a German conglomerate. The proceeds from that sale lead to the core assets that we have now.
Our core asset is based on agricultural holdings that we have, which are mostly in North Central Illinois. We have a bunch of farms that grow corn and soybeans up in North Central Illinois. Then we have supporting operating businesses or products and services that we use ourselves. Then we said, "We can do this in-house and then we can also help our neighbors as well." Those are everything from a captive crop insurance company to a tiling company, which is a drainage situation to bin storage and some trucking and transportation and then GIS mapping services. Those are the types of things that we do for our customers and that's what we're trying to do. When you say who do we serve? The question for me is the constituents are the family themselves. That's everybody that is a lineal descendant of Henry Babson.
Then there are also the employees that we have that worked within these businesses and then the partners that we have. We have operating partners that manage and work on all these farms. We have to make sure that we're being smart about doing what we can and helping the family members achieve what it is that they want with the proceeds of these businesses. Then also making sure that the employees are happy and that the operating partners are happy. Then the end-user is for us, we don't see that down the chain, but we're selling this corn and soybeans out to either ethanol plants or to the elevator, to the river, on the futures market.
Here in the office, I met a nice lady in the front. We chatted beforehand and you said you guys had a discussion about the firsthand success that Babson had when he went to China. I understand that there was a small hiccup.
When he was making the cylinders, this was the RCA Victrola which ultimately won is what everybody thinks of when they think of a record, that flat desk. Edison had a play on a cylinder on a drum. That was the way that he was trying to record the music. When he knew he was going to go to China, Henry Babson went to Chinatown in Chicago and recorded what he thought was somebody so that they could demonstrate the efficacy of this product in China. What he did is he recorded Cantonese Chinese versus Mandarin Chinese. When he went over, everybody looked at him quizzically and he couldn't figure out why this wasn't working. He found out that it was the wrong dialect that he recorded it. He had to come all the way back to the United States to record in Mandarin. That was a little hiccup, but I guess one learns to adapt and overcome those exciting moments.
You don't just stand up and go to China and then you get to go, "I'm going to go and sell in China and I don't speak the language." He also, with success, got involved in the horse market. We were chatting about just the logistics of what he was trying to do. It was in the Arabian market.
When he was traveling, he fell in love with a type of horse, the Arabian horse, and decided that if he would ever made it big, he was going to try and bring Arabian horses to the United States. When he did get some success, he went and traveled around the world and went to several different countries to try and find the right stock and ultimately ended up with six mares and two stallions that became known as the Babson Blood or Babson breed of the Arabian horse in the United States. It took him years to find those horses and he had to travel all over the world to find them. When he came back and finally did get them here, it was this hand wringing that took months because to get them from a boat to a train to a truck to get them to the ultimate farm that he had in Dixon, Illinois was a real process.
Then after breeding them, it was another several years to see whether or not these were things that people thought were going to demonstrate the right characteristics to be the right Western Pleasure Saddlebred horses. His process was a demonstration of patience and of intestinal fortitude. It ended up being a very successful operation and it arched and crested with about 110 horses in the stables. Then the world moved on past the Babson Blood and ultimately decided to look for other characteristics. There is still a lot of Babson Blood that's out there that's crossbred, but there aren't that many purebred Babson's anymore.
Obviously, he took the long view. It's still evident today because Babson is still here.
That's our goal. We try to think generationally. We try to think not about what we can do in the next year or three years or five years, but what's going to happen in 20 years, 50 years, and 100 years. One of the old saws about the land they don't make it anymore is the reason that we still continue to hold onto these agricultural holdings. I don't think you'll see us sell out of them for the next twenty generations.
You're fifth generation?
I'm Gen Four.
We were chatting about the family office similarities. You had an old axiom about family offices.
It's funny because when you see one family office, you see one. Every family office is very different and some families have huge dispersion and many, many family members and some are very small. We're on the small side of things. Even through Gen Four and Gen Five, we're still in the single digits as far as lineal descendants. If you compare that with some of the bigger families that everybody knows whether that's the Pritzkers, the Rockefellers or the Coors family here in Denver or anything, those folks are numbering in the hundreds in many cases. They come with their own set of problems and having a small, very focused group of constituents also comes with its own excitement.
For a lot of folks, they run their business for their customers. For you, you're running the business for not only these family members, but future family members. What's it like to take and operate in that environment?
It's a responsibility that I take very seriously. It's difficult because there are times when you feel as though everybody knows that your heart's in the right place and you're trying to do the right thing, but just because of the added dynamic of trying to run a business and trying to create additional wealth on behalf of other people that don't have the opportunity to participate. They feel as though they're passively watching, but being able to judge your successes from the sidelines, it's tricky. Taking on that responsibility at the beginning, it had a detrimental impact on my relationship with my brothers to a certain extent in that some of the baggage that came with them knowing me as a brother for my whole life and knowing where my capabilities were and where my weaknesses were as well, that was something that made them anxious and the change that occurred made them anxious. The good news has been through probably way more luck than through my own ability, we've had a pretty good run of things. The level of changes has dropped dramatically over the last couple of years. As we settled into the groove and the dust has settled, everybody has become much more comfortable with the path forward and this strategy that we've articulated about how we are going to continue to grow this business.
The change from the original Babson and Victrola and I think it was on wax that they did the recording. We now have internet and digital. Over the lifespan of Babson, we've gone from rudimentary technology to incredible technology. You're in charge with seeing the future, trying to take advantage of where an opportunity might occur in the future and you're also in charge with day-to-day operations. What do you do on a daily basis or how do you take and populate your mind with the stuff that allows you to get 100-foot view, a day-to-day view? What do you do?
I'm a believer in the more things change, the more they stay the same in some ways. One of the things that we focus on is on the day-to-day side, it still comes down to relationships with family members, with the employees, with the operating partners and with ultimately our end-users. The level of loyalty and respect and creating an environment that is a place that people want to come to work is all still going to be there forever. That piece will always stay the same. The way that things have evolved as it relates to things like technology, we do a lot to try and stay informed about and abreast of different technologies certainly within the ag space but also just another investment spaces. We pilot these new technologies that are trying to be predictive as far as picking the characteristics of the seed that we use. We do precision farming to the extent that we are sending out soil samples every year so that we know exactly how much of the different nutrients that we have in the soil, P and K, and we know what kind of fungicide and herbicide we should be applying and in what capacity. That changes from acre to acre on the fields because depending on the undulations and the amount of water that is leaching those off of the fields, that impacts it very differently from one corner to another.
The level of loyalty and respect and creating an environment that is a place that people want to come to work is going to be there forever.
Click To Tweet
We're also very comfortable with the idea that we're stewards of this land. We make the additional investments to try and do things like keeping the waterways clean and being above the EPA standards as it relates to fertilizer going into the watershed. We are the gold standard as far as how we keep it measured and keep it under control on the properties that we own. Then as far as the investment side, I am a big believer in the fact that the world is going to continue to evolve and it's going to continue to change much, much faster than it ever has before. I'm leaving to go to Austin to go to South by Southwest to go to the Intelligent Future Track of that.
I go to conferences and symposia several times a year to try and stay on top of those types of new technologies and how one can invest in and benefit from those technologies. We, as a family on the investment side, have invested everything from Blockchain to driverless cars to technologies that are being created outside of the United States. We have invested specifically in countries like Israel where they do have this startup nation component to them. We're trying to be smart about how we invest and maybe getting a little bit out of the tracks of equities and fixed income and looking at alternative investments, looking at direct investments in private equity and real estate.
You do have a background. You worked in that industry prior to this job.
I worked in a couple of mutual fund companies involved in product development there. Then I was an investment banker doing mergers and acquisitions for a period of about twelve years.
You've seen the good, the bad and the ugly?
I have.
You have language skills?
I do have some language skills. I was a French major in college, which was helpful once in my life, which I was in a Boston market. I was ordering two rotisserie chickens and the ladies in the back were from Haiti and I heard them saying to each other in French like, "That fat bleepity-bleep needs two chickens." I was able to say to them in French, "I speak French and it's for a dinner party." It helped me then. It's a little tongue in cheek. I lived in Paris for eighteen months after I worked in the mutual fund industry for about five years.
You take that timeframe and you were in Paris, what effect do you think that had on your perspective and behavior in your current role?
It was a wonderful time to be there. I was able to take a step away from being in the work grind. I took cooking classes and art classes and I wrote a book then that was published in the United States later. I was able to touch on some of the components of life. It's hard to find the time to balance when you work in business and when you have a family and all the rest of that stuff. It was a nice departure for me. It was also nice to get back into the mix as well.
When we were chatting and all of us had bucket lists and probably one of the things they may not know about you is your most recent performance.
I'm hesitant to say, but I've always enjoyed stand-up comedy. I did a two-minute set at the Comedy Works here at Larimer Square in Denver. It was just a kick. It was one of the greatest experiences as far as when you get that first laugh up on stage and you hear 200 people enjoying what you're talking about and it's something that was your own joke or your own idea. That's pretty powerful. I'm definitely on the docket to do it again.
You wrote a book and you did comedy and both of them have an element of a hook. I think about the skill set to do that. That application when you're working, you were talking about culture. Trying to preserve the culture of your organization and communication skills between France, the book, and in comedy, do you think those are benchmarks or indicators of the culture that you're trying to keep going?
There are times when in this business, there are conflicts. Comedy is a terrific way to diffuse when tensions are very high in a room. I'm proud of the fact that even though there'll be times when it has to be confrontational, when you're unhappy about something that's happened, when you're at the place where both sides are about ready to have some détente, it's nice to be able to diffuse that a little bit with a joke, get everybody to calm down and realize that the world still turns and all that stuff. That's certainly a technique that I've employed for a long time. I would also argue that people should want to go to work and that creating an environment that people feel like is collegial and that they can laugh and share stories and enjoy each other's company is important to the culture of the organization. I hope that my jokes aren't too corny or aren't too offensive or don't do anything to make anybody feel uncomfortable. I always try and infuse a little bit of humor into every meeting.
That's one of the things when we chatted on the phone first time and I've gone like, "I think we're going to get on because you have a good sense of humor." You're an imposing figure. How tall are you?
A 6'5" guy who has written a child book, comedy and CEO, I would say that's not a normal combination. You're widely read. What is the most recent book or influential book that's altered your perception on your job?
I read a book that I enjoy giving out copies to other people called Against the Gods and it's the remarkable story of risk by a guy named Peter Bernstein. When I think about my role as a CEO, in a lot of ways, it's Chief Risk Officer. It's trying to determine after you've articulated the strategy and so on, how you are going to navigate the risks that are inherent in the business? For us, there are everything from Mother Nature to commodity pricing to execution risk to personal liability in the event of using big equipment that's out there, planning or cutting or tiling or doing whatever it is that we do. This book is a great example of how the notion of bringing risk in our control and it's distinguished in the modern times from the distant past. While I can't claim that all of our future risks can be understood, measured and predicted, it does a good job of crystallizing where we are by understanding where we've been.
Everything from probability theory to statistical sampling to other diverse activities that it's everything for testing new drugs to stock picking to wine tasting to the development of business, forecasting and game theory, insurance and derivatives. Those are all things that have helped us think through our investment strategy and if you try to understand how the great minds of the past tried to quantify those risks, it's an interesting book to consider. Our core assets, we have a crop insurance company, we trade our own agricultural commodities on the futures and options market. It was in engaging and provocative exposé on risk takers that are the true humanists helping to release mankind from the chokeholds of superstition and fatalism.
I think about what you populate your mind with. You're a bright guy from what I can ferret out online. You've got some IQ advantages from what I see. Your exposure to language and education and coming here and risk theory and doing M&A and all of these things and yet you're faced with this multitude of timeframe view, and being enough of an expert in multiple disciplines. I think about your day to day coming in to the office in your focus, do you find that that stays here or does that go home with you?
It goes home with me for sure. I don't think that I take it too far home. I'm a lifelong learner. I love learning. I love being on top of what's happening in the world, whether it's geopolitical stuff or it's trends that are affecting the business or it's keeping track of pop culture or sports or whatever the things are. I'm always hungry and thirsty for more of that knowledge. When I get home, there is a lot of time talking and cogitating and reading and doing things that are still probably related to the things that I do at work, but for me, it's almost more about being a human. I feel like if you don't have that curiosity, if you're not always trying to figure out what's happening in the world around you, that you're on the road to decline.
You have a six-year-old son at home that helps you with that.
The chip off the old block part of this is his teacher say that we need to get him more stories. We need more less non-fiction, more stories. He's a voracious fact-gatherer and whether it's sharks or scorpions or rocks and minerals or whatever it is, he wants to know every single thing about it and he wants to be able to tell you about it. They want him to focus more on the creative side because they say he knows more about igneous and sedimentary and metamorphic rocks than anybody else and he's in kindergarten. He's got time to pick up on all that stuff. Let's get him thinking more on the creative side.
Do you see some vestiges of the original Babson coming out?
I do.
You look at your kids and you go, "I wouldn't have thought that." Looking back, either here or in prior times of failure and what appeared to be a failure, has that served you or your company best or set you up for future achievement and if so, why?
We have some farms out in Virginia and those farms, for whatever reasons, seem like they're always under a dark cloud. If it's not the drought, it's the flood and if it's not the flood, it's the hail and if it's not the hail, it's the plague of frogs or whatever the thing is for that year. For us, the hard part about that is we were custom-farming then and that means that we were paying fee for service to have that planted and harvested and everything and the guy that we had as an operator, I always felt like we were looking over his shoulder too much and he felt like he could do it better if he had done it on his own. What seemed like a very daunting, difficult row to hoe there, we took his enthusiasm and his confidence in himself and we said, "If you think you can do better than us, let's do a complete reallocation of risk here and let's turn this into a cash rent farm," which means that we're strictly landlord collecting rent and allowing him the opportunity to buy all our equipment, buy all our cattle, and run it the way that he wants to run it.
As long as he's making enough money to pay our rent, we're comfortable with him doing that on our property. It took a situation that was a very volatile farm for us that usually was to the negative and turned it into something that was a cash generator that also had completely removed the risk from him. For me, the takeaway from that is if you are a creative thinker and you're wondering about how you can take a look at the current situation that you have, if you take yourself out of the lane of how you're thinking about these little incremental changes, and instead, think about maybe changing the entire arrangement around, you can take a negative and turn it into a positive. The truth is, he's happier now because he's the master of his own domain and he can do what he chooses to do. We're happier now because even though we don't ever have a chance to make any real upside on him, we've certainly protected ourselves to the downside and our relationship with him is much more collegial now that he's not a hired gun and instead, he's a tenant and a partner.
I think about putting your hat on backwards. You're like, "We'll look at this. Now, we'll look at it the other way." It's awesome and I'm sure he's just thrilled because the better he does, the better does. For you, if you could put an ad on page one of the local papers, share your company's message, your advice, what would it say and why?
It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a minute to ruin it.
Click To Tweet
I think about Will Rogers and the quote, "It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and a minute to ruin it." That's the message that at least from the business side that we want to continue to project. I'm very proud of the fact that we have five tenants that have been with us for over 50 years, two of them are over 75 years. Those are multi-generational partners that we've had and the reason that we've had them is because we're fair. We treat people with respect and dignity. We listened to their suggestions and we either agree or disagree, but we always come to a common ground. Because of that, we get the best farmers. We also are in the fortunate position where we can get the best dirt from a productive index perspective and I think we get the best employees as well. The great news is when you're talking about the small little neck of the world that we're in up in North Central Illinois, everybody that's been there for any amount of time knows about the Babson Farms and knows that that is the gold standard upon which all their farms should be measured and because of that, we see the best deals, we see things first and it's become this flywheel of success. I have very little that I've contributed to that. I'm standing on the shoulders of folks that have built that reputation over the last 100 years or so. It is absolutely imperative to me that we continue down that road because that's the right way to do business.
You didn't stick your finger in the pie either and mess it up. It's funny for a lot of folks who's working so well, we decided to change it. I think about integrity and reputation and you guys had been around for a long time. In your exposure to other family office operations, do you know very many family office operations that have been around as long as you guys have?
In the United States, the answer is no. There's a saying that's true in almost every language, which is slightly different, but paraphrased it's, "Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations." It's to say the founder makes it, the son or daughter tries hard not to lose it, but in so doing doesn't do anything to grow the business or stagnates the business and the Gen Three, usually who doesn't have a connection to it, does something to lose all the money. They go back to where they were before the generative dream that occurred. There are some families here that are five, six generations into. We have a fifth generation that's born. I'm very proud of the fact that we are able to weather those storms and that we have through just good familial communication and documentation and celebration and all the governance that we have, maintained a reasonably successful business that also supports everybody's dreams and aspirations as they continue to grow.
I look at places like Europe where you have some families that are sixteen, seventeen, eighteen generations and it's a funny perspective when you see a family that's owned a vineyard since 1200 or since. It reminds me of a funny story. I was on an archaeological dig in Turkey one time and I was talking to a fellow who was from Bodrum in Turkey. He was saying he loved nautical archeology, he loved to go on wreck dives. I said, "I've been on one wreck dive in the Florida Keys. There's a Spanish guy and it's there and it's pretty neat to see a boat that's that old. He said to me, "I don't like to go on modern dives. Anything about 1492 and later to me is too modern." As a citizen of the United States, thinking about the fact that 300 years before we declared independence for him is still way, way too modern. It's a funny way to look at things.
They have an institutional memory. I was in Budapest and we had a guide and the guide was talking about, "The Turks did this and the Turks did that." I said, "When did the Turks do that?" He said, "600 years ago?" I was like, "You all got a long memory." For you, what's the best allocation, either time or initiative that's helped you or your company most and why?
When I first started looking at how I can be helpful, one of the things that we didn't have a cohesive strategy on was portfolio construction asset allocation. We had this core asset that was in the agricultural world and then other than that, it was willy-nilly stocks and bonds and there wasn't a lot of communication amongst different managers. There was a lot of duplication of efforts and things like that. One of the things that has been terrific over the last several years is me as quarterback getting to build that portfolio construction and asset allocation to include lots of other types of assets to diversify out of the long-only equities and fixed income and some farmland. Then also to make sure that everybody knows what seat they have on the bus and that they're fulfilling the roles that they have.
Even if they are underperforming in relation to other managers, as long as they're staying and doing what it is that they said that they're doing and they're performing in line with the benchmarks that we've said and things like that, that we are in a more holistic, thoughtful place than we were eight years ago, ten years ago. That initiative has been very helpful. We've been in a pretty darn good investment environment for those eight years. Even if I wasn't doing a great job, I think you'd still see that there were some pretty good numbers that have gone up. We were in a place now where I feel like there's a little bit of science to it. We're being smart about correlations, were being smart about the way that we've invested and who we've invested with and most importantly that all those folks know what all the other folks are doing so that there aren't duplicative efforts and there aren't any concentration issues.
When I think about the farmer, they could be the world's best farmer and you have a drought, it didn't matter. You look at that guy and you go, "You expect them to grow a crop with no water." Those guys, they work harder in a drought year than they do obviously in a good year. Many folks would be well advised to consider what you had to say there. Over the past three years, what belief or protocol have you put in the company that has most impacted you or your company's success?
The attitude of gratitude. We've talked about that a little bit before. My predecessor was maybe a little bit of a harder touch. When things were going great, he said that that was what he expected and when things weren't going well, he was upset about that. To me there's real value to being transparent and being present and making sure that everybody realizes how much you appreciate the efforts that they're making. We had an employee appreciation event here in Denver. I flew all the folks from Illinois out and we went to the Stock Show and went to the PBR semi-finals this year and everybody had nice dinners and all that stuff. That was one of the first times that they'd all been invited outside of Illinois. We've done some employee appreciation stuff there. We've done other employee appreciation events with the operating partners and because of the milestones that I mentioned, the 50 years of service and the 75 years of service and partnership, we had an event where they all got Lucite plaques and they got photos and they got a thank you note from me and from the folks that have been their primary contacts at the office in DeKalb and cakes and all the rest of that stuff.
It was the first time that we'd ever done anything to commemorate, memorialize the fact that they've been such great operating partners for so long. That's another example. The third one that I like is we as a family have been very philanthropic forever, but we've usually done it in the communities in which we live and work. One of the things that we had been remiss in doing was supporting the community where our farms are, where we are generating capital. Over the last few years, we've given to a forage and to the cattle farm bureau and to lots of other areas that need support and assistance within the community where a lot of our operations are and that's been very appreciated by the county and by the outlying counties that we're also invested in.
That's extraordinarily proactive and not only did you take your employees here, but I'm sure the folks that your partners back there hearing from the locals as well, will appreciate what you guys are doing. What would you say is your most unusual habit or what others may consider out of the ordinary that's helped you or your company most and why?
I think the stand-up comedy. If we go back to that, using humor to defuse situations or to try and create a community or culture has been pretty appreciated amongst the folks. Everybody's keenly interested to know how it went and see the video of it and all the rest of that stuff. The hardest part has been honestly on the stand up. My mother is fascinated that I did this and she's very curious to see the video of my performance. There are a couple of jokes in it that are a little bit blue that I'm loathed to share with her because I can't imagine sitting next to my mother watching her watch this video and hearing her son say these things. I probably am overblowing how blue and dirty it is.
There's this hope with a second career if this one doesn't work out. What advice would you offer a new CEO that's assuming the role of CEO for the first time?
The easiest piece of advice that everybody needs to follow is it's a marathon, not a sprint. What I've done well is I'm very organized. I developed this thing called a heat map and the heat map for me shows six categories of family education and governance and investments and risk. As you look down those, I have the rows across those columns that are done, hot, short-term, mid-term and long-term. If you fill out that map that way, that's a great way to articulate your strategy to show people what has happened, what is happening soon, what's going to happen down the pike.
Everybody can start to follow that vision and they can see how the progress is going and then it's also easy to know what's teed up for next. Knowing that this is a generational thinking and some of those long-term thoughts are five years out there, I think that helps me set strategy and figure out how to do things on a daily basis but also look at the bigger picture. I'll always be able to take a step back. The employees get that as well as well as the family constituents. We have quarterly phone calls and we have a couple of meetings in person a year and one of the things that we always start with that's a touchstone for us is this heat map so that they can see, did he do what he said he was going to do and what is coming up next.
As you look at the business, there's that distinction between in the business and on the business. If you were to look at the allocation of your time, how much is in and how much is on it?
I'm probably 70-30 in and on. There is still a lot of day-to-day stuff that has to happen and we've got to keep the trains running on time, but to be able to think about the strategy and how we're going to try and grow this and how we can be thoughtful about it, it's not an insignificant amount of my time.
For many, so busy with the in that the on just get shuffled to the sideline and you're always thinking about your Paris timeframe. If you know you could take an eighteen-month timeframe right now and then come back, I wonder what kind of things that would strike you for on the businesses and in the business. You don't have the luxury, but it sounded good. If I can tell the constituents, "I'll be checking back in eighteen months, don't worry about it. I'll be back." What's the most common misconception about you or your role as CEO?
There are some family members that aren't exactly sure what happens on a daily basis and that I'm a traffic director, that I'm quarterbacking, but ultimately delegating. Every good CEO is good at delegating and figures out how to empower their employees to do what they're supposed to do. The misconception is that somehow I don't have projects to be working on, that I'm not busy working in the business or on the business. Thinking about grander strategies, thinking about global strategy is something that I wish that everybody knew was an exercise that I was engaged in and also that was an exercise that ultimately bears fruit.
The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.
Click To Tweet
It's very hard, I think for people that don't do what you do and haven't done what you do to appreciate. Let's say you make a decision to do A versus B, and then you had the angst that, I have a handful of people looking over my shoulder. I think I'm right, but I could be wrong and says then it's compounded because if I'm wrong, you have additional input. You go, "Percentage-wise, I better have more rights than wrong." I think the part that folks don't get is the angst of the decision process. Looking back over the past three years, what would or should you have said no to and why?
I don't mean to make this sound weird, but I take more meetings than I ought to. I have this innate feeling that I should help everybody. I have people that realize that hopefully I give pretty okay advice and my willingness to help and to make introductions and because of experience in the past in investment banking, I know a lot of privately held businesses in Colorado and I know a lot of the service providers and professionals that are in accounting or in finance or in legal or wherever it is. There are a lot of folks that try to mine me for ideas or intel or job placement or whatever it is. I take a bunch of those meetings. When I look at my calendar, there are some times when I'm diverted away from what it is that I need to do more than the job at hand. I need to be a better curator of those meetings and making sure that I'm not doing a disservice to the business by trying to save the world.
Interestingly enough in my past, I was a direct report to a general officer twice and so much of that, it was like focusing the canon. A great deal of the job was protecting his calendar from this very same thing that you're talking about. It happens everywhere to everyone. It's a hard thing to do. The day-to-day operation of your company as CEO, what's the personal habit or self-talk dialogue that keeps you and the company focused?
I am an absolutely rabid list maker. I make lists and then I make a list about the lists I need to make. It's the way that I keep myself focused and that I know how to prioritize these things. The heat map is the global list and then I have a weekly list and then I have a daily list and I make poor Meredith right up her list so that I know what she's doing and when we debrief on a daily basis, it's what are the eight things that you have to do now and how are these six things going to get done if I don't do this? I wish I could say that I was digital and that it was somehow I was using the Nexus of technology in my brain to figure out how to make this seamless and all that stuff, but I have Word documents that I fill out every day.
If you have a power outage, you have no degradation of operation. I would tell folks that in the digital world, you're very secure. How do people reach out to you in social media if they want to say hello or talk to you about Babson Farms?
I am not a big Twitter. I'm on LinkedIn. My email is email@example.com other way that people reach me from time to time is I am very involved in the philanthropic community. I serve on a number of boards, nonprofits here in town and if you are ever interested in getting in touch with me through those avenues, that's another easy way to get in touch with me.
What is a quote for you that you find meaningful or one that you use frequently?
I have a little note that I keep on my desk and it is, "The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it," by a guy named William James. It speaks to the legacy piece that we're talking about. I wear this mantle and take this responsibility very seriously that I am a small cog in this wheel that has been successful for a long period of time. If there's one thing that we can all do to leave a mark on the community and make it a better place than once when we found it and whether that's through philanthropic service or whether that's through supporting the employees and the operating partners and the family and the other constituents that we have or continuing to build on the reputation of greatness that was originally established by my great grandfather, those are the things to me that are the drivers. When I read that, it puts into perspective that we're all here for a pretty short time and you don't have that much time to make an impact on the world. If you can do something that will outlast yourself, that's the legacy that you leave.
Anybody that has been successful in the ag, the last thing you want to be is a bad steward because the ground is going to be there after you're gone. I think about that just as a thought process that permeates your family, because obviously it's not just your generation, it was your uncle before and before. If colleagues were asked what you're best at, what would they say and how do you utilize that strength on a day-to-day basis?
One of my favorite sayings and it's a great way to under promise and hopefully over deliver is I always tell people, "I'm chock-full of bad ideas," but every once in a while one will squeak out it's not terrible. A lot of people use me as a sounding board or an advisor or somebody that they can lean on to say, "I've got this business dilemma. I'm trying to buy this thing and I'm looking for a creative way to structure it or I need to figure out how the capital stock works if I'm going to try and finance this or I want to figure out this dilemma that I have with this particular employee or whatever it is. I love being that advisor.
I love being that person to try and come up with creative solutions or to try and ask them questions that they need to be asking themselves so they can arrive at the best answer on their own or figure out ways that I can participate in helping them get to the right decision. The fact that I have this varied background and that I can synthesize information from a lot of disparate sources and that I've been involved with some of the ins and outs on structuring and on negotiating and on pricing and on financial engineering and on investment management and M&A work and all the rest of that stuff, I have this solid base of acumen and then hopefully have the creative thinking as well that allows for good decisions to ultimately percolate from those discussions.
Before you assumed this role, was your career path driving toward this role?
I would say that I was never scheming to have this be the answer, but I followed paths that I thought would ultimately be helpful for this role. When you think about the investment banking and the investment management before that and I worked as an accountant in charge of disbursements at a law firm and I worked on the Chicago Board of Trade on the Agricultural Commodities Floor to learn about futures and options and how to trade those and so on, all those different components in and of themselves wouldn't put you in a position to be qualified for this role. In the aggregate, it makes a pretty compelling narrative to say that if you follow the logic on all that, that I would be a likely candidate for that role.
I think about that as people prepare for roles and sometimes it's on overt, you've been preparing for this role all your life. I quizzed you pretty much to death and we still haven't got a joke, but that's okay. We'll find that video somewhere. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your time and your candor. I appreciate the difficulty of your role in trying to take care of a lot of varied group of customers and taking time out of the middle of your day has been awesome. I sure appreciate your time.
Bob, it's my pleasure. I really appreciate it. Thank you.
About Taylor Kirkpatrick
Taylor is President and Chief Executive Officer of Babson Farms Inc., a family office overseeing operating businesses in agriculture and insurance, diverse real estate investments, mineral interests and public and private equity investments.
Taylor was named to his current position in 2011. In the years since, Babson Farms has been involved in the development of real estate holdings and made direct investments into private equity and alternative investments on behalf of a multi-generational single family with offices in four states. Taylor gained a deep knowledge of financial services working in management and consulting roles at Putnam Investments and New England Funds / CDC-Ixis (now Natixis) in Boston. After a sabbatical in Paris, Taylor repatriated to Denver (his hometown) to pursue work in mergers and acquisitions – first at WG Nielsen & Co, where he worked for close to a decade, and later as a founder of St. Vrain Partners, Ltd.
Links Mentioned:
- Babson Farms
- Against the Gods
- Intelligent Future Track
- Taylor Kirkpatrick's LinkedIn
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- businessleaderspodcast.com
- Business Leaders Facebook
- Business Leaders Twitter
- Business Leader LinkedIn
- Business Leaders YouTube
The post Successfully Managing a Family Office with Taylor Kirkpatrick appeared first on My podcast website.


text:
WKRN Connects With Users
WKRN Nashville has launched News Extra, a blog platform that invites viewers to shoot pictures or video to the station's newscasts. "Viewers on the scene of breaking news can now report what they see by capturing pictures or video and sending it from their cell phone to email@example.com," states the welcome message.
It's an interesting play for the Young station, which which was criticized–primarly by us–for seemingly abandoning major aspects of its Web strategy after GM Mike Sechrist's departure.
WKRN appeared to shelf its Nashville is Talking blog aggregator after newsroom blogger Brittney Gilbert left, but say it's being tweaked for a pending relaunch.
Broadcasting & Cable Newsletter
The television industry's top news stories, analysis and blogs of the day.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I denna artikel presenteras resultaten av en experimentell studie om etnisk diskriminering. Undersökningen visar att det främst är infödda män som tenderar att ha ett diskriminerande beteende. I Sverige finns lagstiftning som förbjuder etnisk diskriminering. Vi har också en särskild myndighet – diskrimineringsombudsmannen – som skall motverka etnisk diskriminering. Den presenterade undersökningen kan ge en ny infallsvinkel. Ett sätt att motverka diskriminering av invandrare kan vara att se till att andelen kvinnor som är personalchefer i företag och myndigheter ökar. Frågan om etnisk diskriminering är kanske också en jämställdhetsfråga.
Background. Regional variations in mortality and morbidity have been shown in Europe and USA. Longitudinal studies have found increased mortality, dissimilarities in mortality pattern, and differences in utilization of healthcare between foreign- and native-born Swedes. No study has been found comparing mortality among foreign-born and native-born Swedes in relation to catchment areas/counties. Methods. The aim was to describe and compare mortality among foreign-born persons and native Swedes during 1970–1999 in 24 counties in Sweden. Data from the Statistics Sweden and the National Board of Health and Welfare was used, and the database consisted of 723,948 persons, 361,974 foreign-born living in Sweden in 1970 and aged 16 years and above and 361,974 matched Swedish controls. Results. Latest county of residence independently explained higher mortality among foreign-born persons in all but four counties; OR varied from 1.01 to 1.29. Counties with a more rural structure showed the highest differences between foreign-born persons and native controls. Foreign-born persons had a lower mean age (1.0–4.3 years) at time of death. Conclusion. County of residence influences mortality; higher mortality is indicated among migrants than native Swedes in counties with a more rural structure. Further studies are needed to explore possible explanations.
Aim: to analyze the pattern of mortality in deceased foreign-born persons living in Sweden during the years 1970-1999 in relation to distance mobility.
MEthods: Data from Statistics Sweden and the National Board of Health and Welfare was used, and the study population consisted of 281,412 foreign-born persons aged 16 years and over who were registered as living in Sweden in 1970.
Results: Distance mobility did not have a negative effect on health. Total mortality was lower (OR 0.71; 95% CI 0.69-0.73) in foreign-born persons in Sweden who had changed their county of residence during the period 1970-1990. Higher death rates were observed, after adjustment for age, in three ICD diagnosis groups "Injury and poisoning", "External causes of injury and poisoning", and "Diseases of the digestive system" among persons who had changed county of residence.
In previous longitudinal studies of mortality and morbidity among foreign-born and native-born Swedes, increased mortality and dissimilarities in mortality pattern were found. The aim of this study is to describe, compare, and analyse the utilization of in-hospital care among deceased foreign- and Swedish-born persons during the years 1987–1999 with focus on four diagnostic categories. The study population consisted of 361,974 foreign-born persons aged 16 years and upward who were registered as living in Sweden in 1970, together with 361,974 matched Swedish controls for each person. Data from Statistics Sweden (SCB) and the National Board of Health and Welfare Centre for Epidemiology, covering the period 1970–1999, was used. Persons were selected if they were admitted to hospital during 1987–1999 and the cause of death was in one of four ICD groups. The results indicate a tendency towards less health care utilization among migrants, especially men, as regards Symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions and Injury and poisoning. Further studies are needed to explore the possible explanations and the pattern of other diseases to see whether migrants, and especially migrant men, are a risk group with less utilization of health care.
Will future immigration to a country with a large public sector alleviate
the increasing burden on the public welfare system due to an ageing population?
The question is based on the experience that the age structure of
immigrants differs from that of the native population. Fiscal impacts due to
immigration depend mainly on the size, the age composition and the labour market
integration of the additional population which arises because of immigration. A
projection from Statistics Sweden about future immigration combined with the
latest Long-Term Survey of the Swedish Economy has been used in this study.
Calculations for Sweden up to the year 2050 show that the positive net contribution
to the public sector from the additional population is rather small even with
good integration into the labour market. The reason is that future immigration will
increase the size of the population and thereby raise not only revenue from taxation
but also public expenses. The fiscal impact is sensitive to the labour market
integration of the additional population. The yearly positive/negative net contribution
effect is less than 1% of GDP for most of the years. On the whole, the
results are about the same even if we change the assumptions concerning the
composition of future public revenues, the growth of public expenses, return
migration, or the age-specific birth and death rates in the additional population.
More considerable net fiscal effects would require a much higher and probably
unrealistic level of future immigration.
Sweden and many other Western countries are facing a demographic development with an ageing population which will burden their public finances. Already today, the sum of yearly public expenditures in Sweden is about 50 percent of gross national product (GNP). Will future immigration alleviate the burden on the welfare system? Immigrants usually have a low proportion of old people and a high proportion of people of working age. Calculations for Sweden up to the year 2050 show, however, that the positive net fiscal contribution of immigrants is small even if they are well integrated on the labour market. The reason is that future immigration will increase the size of the population and thereby raise not only tax receipts but also public expenses. The fiscal impact is sensitive to immigrants' integration into the labour market. If, for example, the rate of labour force participation of future immigrants will be the same as that of foreign born now living in Sweden, the fiscal consequences would be negative, but small also in that case. For most years up to 2050, the calculated positive/negative net contribution effect is less than one percent of GNP. The same positive net contribution could be achieved through a better integration of immigrants already living in Sweden.
This paper presents a Seemingly Unrelated Regressions estimation of earnings differentials between three generations of immigrants and natives in Sweden. The results show that male first-generation immigrants were at an earnings advantage compared to male natives. Among male second-generation immigrants the earnings differentials compared to natives were very small, while third-generation immigrants were at an earnings disadvantage compared to natives. The same pattern was found among females. Thus, the results indicate that ethnic differences in earnings are likely to occur even after several generations spent in a country and that the problem of immigrant assimilation that exists in many European countries may last for several generations.
The article investigates incomes and especially state pensions 2008 among elderly immigrants who arrived in Sweden before 1970. At age 70 and above, the level of state old-age pension for immigrant men was nearly the same and for immigrant women somewhat higher than for natives with similar characteristics. At age 65-66 the state pension was lower for immigrants than for their native counterparts. The differences in pensions for immigrants of different ages are probably due to changed rules in the Swedish state old-age pension system from 2003. The new rules have hit different age groups in different ways. The gaps are partially levelled out when other incomes are included. The extent to which levelling occurs varies greatly between different immigrant groups. For immigrants who have arrived during the last decades, the future state old-age pension outcomes are expected to be worse.
Previous studies have shown that the participation of first-generation immigrants in the Swedish income security system deviates from that of the native population. However, so far there has been no research that has focused on this issue where second-generation immigrants are concerned. This study shows that the rates of participation in different parts of the income security system vary considerably between different groups of second-generation immigrants. Second-generation immigrants whose parents come from Western Europe have low participa-tion rates in all the studied parts of the income security system. Their participation rates are even lower than for natives with both parents born in Sweden. Second-generation immigrants with parents from southern Europe and from outside Europe, on the other hand, have very high participation rates in especi-ally social assistance. The differences between the groups are of course to a great extent explained by differences in their labour market situation. According to the findings of the study, there are reasons to be concerned about the future labour market integration of second-generation immigrants with parents of non-European origin.
Background Refugee immigrants have poorer health than other immigrant groups but little is known about their mortality. A comparison of mortality among refugees and non- refugee immigrants is liable to exaggerate the former if the latter includes labour migrants, whose mortality risk may be lower than that of the general population. To avoid bias, labour migrants are not included in this study. The aim was to investigate mortality risks among refugees compared with non- labour non- refugee immigrants in Sweden. Methods Population-based cohort design, starting 1 January 1998 and ending with death or censoring 31 December 2006. Persons included in the study were those aged 18-64 years, had received a residence permit in Sweden 1992-98 and were defined by the Swedish Board of Migration as either a refugee or a non-labour non-refugee immigrant. The outcomes were all-cause and cause-specific mortalities and the main exposure was being a refugee. Cox-regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) of mortality. Results The study population totalled 86 395 persons, 49.3% women, 24.2 % refugees. Adjusted for age and origin, refugee men had an over-risk of cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.08-2.33). With socio-economic factors added to the model, refugee men still had an over-risk mortality in cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.53, 95% CI = 1.04-2.24) and external causes (HR = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.01-2.50). Conclusion Refugee men in Sweden have a higher mortality risk in cardiovascular and external causes compared with male non-labour non-refugee immigrants. This study suggests that the refugee experience resembles other stressors in terms of the association with cardiovascular mortality.
Background The association between unemployment and poor mental health in general is explained by both causation and selection. The aim was to study whether experiencing unemployment was a risk factor for hospitalisation for depressive disorder specifically, and whether gender and immigrant status modified the hypothesised risk. Methods A register-based prospective cohort study, 2000-2006, of persons aged 18-64 with a strong connection to the Swedish labour market. Outcome: hospital admission for a depressive episode; F32 in International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision. Exposure: employment status. Explanatory variables: gender and immigrant status. Confounders: age group, education and marital status. Cox regression models were used to estimate HRs with 95% CIs. Results The cohort comprised 3 284 896 adults, 47.5% women. An excess relative risk for hospitalisation was found among those who became unemployed (HR=1.94, 95% CI 1.85 to 2.03). Foreign-born women who experienced unemployment had the highest relative risk (HR=3.47 95% CI 3.02 to 3.98). Conclusions Among persons with a strong connection to the labour market experiencing unemployment, is a risk factor for hospitalisation for depressive disorders. Unemployed foreign-born women had the highest relative risk compared with all Swedish born, all foreign-born men and to employed foreign-born women.
Objective: Research into medical and licit drug use in resettled refugee populations is scarce, despite the fact that mental health status often has been found to be poorer than in general populations. Hence the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of self-rated use of medicine and licit drugs among adults who came to Sweden from Bosnia-Herzegovina (1993/94) and who in 2001 were living in either an urban (low employment context) or a rural (high employment context) region (n=4185).
Methods: Prevalence was estimated from a cross-sectional questionnaire distributed to a representative sample (n=650) in 2001 (63.5% response rate).
Results: The study population estimates of usage of sedatives (26.5%), sleeping tablets (26.2%) and antidepressants (22.3%) did not differ by gender but did so by region, with a higher urban prevalence. The consumption of alcohol (5.1%) and cigarettes (41.0%) did not differ by region but men reported higher alcohol consumption than women.
Conclusion: The high consumption of medicine (compared with general populations) raises the question of treatment efficiency and the need for public health attention and evaluation many years after resettlement. Factors to consider for further research with analytic prerequisites concern indications that regional differences may be influenced, not only by urban employment being lower but also by urban/rural differences in prescription rates and/or access to health care; moreover, there might have been a selection to the urban region of older people, with a more vulnerable family situation, and/or poorer mental health. Finally, the overall alcohol (low) and cigarettes (high) consumption in the study population followed prevalence patterns found in Bosnia-Herzegovina rather than in Sweden.


text:
George Wenschhof
|Carol Hirsch (Middle)
My interview by phone, of Carol Hirsch; Democratic candidate for mayor of The City of Frederick, was a first for me.
Carol, who is deaf, quickly corrected me via the interpreter and asked that I refer to her as an ASL User (American Sign Language User).
I had meet Carol twice briefly, and found her to have an engaging personality. The opportunity to discuss her race for mayor was intriguing to me.
I began by asking her a little about herself and she told me she had lived in New York City, has three children and after divorce, was a single mom. One of her children Cj, I met at the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) candidate forum held earlier in the week.
Her education included media technology and she liked film and video. She added she has been working at Wal-Mart for the last nine years. Interestingly, several friends of mine, when hearing I was interviewing Carol, were quick to say they knew her from shopping at the Rt. 26 store and always found her fun and friendly when they went through her line to check out.
When I asked her why she was running for mayor, Carol quickly answered with "why not? I have strong leadership skills, strong organization background and I'm good at politics."
The area Carol mentioned she was most interested in was environmental issues and spoke of the need for recycling to become more standardized.
When I asked her if she supported Frederick County government building an incinerator to handle solid waste disposal, she referred to the Al Gore movie "An Inconvenient Truth" and said "a better understanding and more facts were needed before proceeding."
To help promote environmental awareness, she would propose not using electricity for five minutes one day.
I also asked Carol about blighted properties in the city and she said "the mayor's task force was a good start and she would want a strong focus on this and get it resolved."
In regard to a downtown hotel/conference center, she felt government did not have money to help with this now and she would not support any government funding for the project. She asked "Why do we need it?" She added "there are many other things to work at before this."
In closing my interview, I informed Carol I had noticed she had not filed the first candidate campaign finance report due on August 12. She said there had been some confusion and she would get it in on October 7 when the next report is due.
I thanked her for taking the time to interview with me and I also thank the interpreter services who were very helpful throughout the entire interview.
The three Democratic candidates for mayor are Maryland state delegate Galen Clagett, city alderman Karen Young and Carol Hirsch.
The three Republican candidates for mayor are incumbent Randy McClement, city alderman Shelley Aloi and former mayor Jeff Holtzinger.
Jennifer Dougherty, who does not face a primary opponent, is a unaffiliated candidate for mayor.
The City of Frederick primary election is September 10.
Stay tuned.
Your Donations to Frederick Politics are needed and appreciated - Please click on the Donation Button in right hand margin of page - Thank You!


text: Microsoft Blog For Sale – HTPC – Fractal Design Case, 1TB SSD, 16GB RAM, SFX PSU (ITX Form Factor) May 22, 2019 admin Discussion in 'Desktop Computer Classifieds' started by ZeeStar, May 8, 2019. ZeeStar Active Member Joined: Aug 15, 2010 Messages: 904 Products Owned: 0 Products Wanted: 0 Trophy Points: 28 Ratings: +56 Just gathering interest at the moment to see if anyone wants this setup. If someone is interested, I will have to backup my drives before sending out. I have for sale my beloved HTPC which has been used over the past 2 years as a Plex Media Server. It is quite highly spec'd and runs my 4K content without a hiccup. Please see specs and individual prices below: Fractal Design Node 804 PC Case (Windowed) – £60Intel i5 4590 Processor – £65MSI Z87i AC ITX Motherboard – £70HyperX 16GB DDR3 RAM – £80SanDisk Ultra II 960GB SSD – £100Western Digital 2TB 2.5″ HDD – £50Corsair SFX (SFF) Gold Power Supply – £75Cooler Master Hyper 212 Processor Cooler – £15 All the prices above have been based on sold listings on eBay minus fees etc. to make it fair. I've obviously paid a lot more for all these components, so will take a massive hit on this. Buyer can come round and see it all working before buying, or I can dispatch. I have all the boxes for all the items. Price and currency: £500Delivery: Delivery cost is included within my countryPayment method: PPG or BTLocation: BirminghamAdvertised elsewhere?: Advertised elsewherePrefer goods collected?: I have no preference ______________________________________________________This message is automatically inserted in all classifieds forum threads.By replying to this thread you agree to abide by the trading rules detailed here.Please be advised, all buyers and sellers should satisfy themselves that the other party is genuine by providing the following via private conversation to each other after negotiations are complete and prior to dispatching goods and making payment: Landline telephone number. Make a call to check out the area code and number are correct, too Name and address including postcode Valid e-mail address DO NOT proceed with a deal until you are completely satisfied with all details being correct. It's in your best interest to check out these details yourself. Share This Page Loading… Go to Original Article Author:


text:
Billions of photos are shared daily via WhatsApp, and some of these end up in our galleries. Many people like me (before today) don't turn off media 'auto download' in WhatsApp settings because it becomes tedious to manually download photos every time.
In-comes group chats where everyone is free to share media. The problem is all the shared photos end up in our galleries (without a sieve). Every single image and videos that the group members shares end up in your phone gallery. Soon the phone gallery is filled with images (some inappropriate) that were shared in WhatsApp groups.
So how do you stop WhatsApp groups photos from filling up your gallery? To solve this problem you can use a certain unheralded WhatsApp feature where you can see the photos in the WhatsApp group chat only. I mean, with this feature you will on get to see the sent images of group members in the group chat only and not in your phone gallery.
Here's how to tweak WhatsApp settings to stop WhatsApp Group photos from filling up your phone gallery
- Open the group chat
- Click on 3 vertical dots shown on the right top corner in the group.
- Click on the first option i.e. "Group Info"
- Click on the "Media visibility" from the available options
- Change from the default (written "Default Yes) option to the "No" option
Now the media will not be saved in your phone. As I said before, the photos will now only display in your group chats.
You can use it for individual/personal chats too
You can use this feature for not only group chats but even individual/personal chats as well. I only used the group chats as an example because I think that's where the most unsolicited photos are received from as compared to individual/personal chats.
However, if you still don't want to see photos sent in the individual/personal chats in your gallery, you can tweak the settings too. In that case, the process is pretty much the same, only that instead of clicking on "Group Info" you will be clicking on "View Contact". You can then finish the rest in the same way as you do with group chats.
Quick NetOne, Telecel, Africom, And Econet Airtime Recharge
If anything goes wrong, click here to enter your query.
WhatsApp Discussions
Click to join a Techzim WhatsApp group:
If you find the group full, please notify us on +263 715 071 199 and we'll update the link.


text:
Black History Month calls for a reflection on the rich history of a range of cultures, and we need not explain why there is a whole month dedicated to doing so. Looking back into the past at black history reminds us today how much has changed and progressed in Britain and worldwide and how interwoven our histories are. This encourages us to celebrate peoples roots and heritage both culturally and historically; whilst acknowledging all the events that have led us to way we live now. In this article The Gryphon explores the notion of cultural identity and diversity at university and our campus demographic in terms of Britain.
When getting acquainted with new people some of the first questions you ask are 'What's your name?', perhaps 'What do you study? and maybe 'Where are you from?' particularly at university where people have come from all over the UK and occasionally, the world. When asked the question 'Where are you from?' do you think of your hometown, where you were born or your heritage? This raises various other questions to do with how you conceptualise your identity, the manner of the question asked and how you choose to answer it.
While abroad this summer, I was introduced to group of friends of friends, and after chatting for a bit was asked 'Where are you from?' to which I replied 'London' as its where I was born and grew up. However, when I was asked again and again by the same new acquaintance I had made and found my reply 'London' was met with a confused and unsatisfied 'Right…'. I later realised they probably meant to ask where I was from 'originally', where my family may come from and why I have this mixture of features that make me look the way I do. I also realised I had replied with my hometown, not out of ignorance as to my background, but I felt had been asked the wrong question. The phrasing of a question therefore is important in asking individuals about their identity, asking 'Where is your family from?' or 'What's your background?' are perhaps more sensitive and considerate ways to respect individuals identities and begin to learn about people's backgrounds; without causing any confusion in an environment where people can come from a variety of places and make others feel that theirs origins can be interesting to others. It's not ideal that people ask, but if they're going to ask, then it should be phrased in the right way,
In the same way, when these questions get asked, does this imply a sense of rootlessness? Does this disregard someone's heritage? Or does this make Britain feel more like nation and more integrated?
Nicole who studies International Development at Leeds spoke to the Gryphon about her views on ethnicity and diversity at university 'I think that people will ask where you're from out of curiosity, but I also don't think that there's a good representation of ethnic minorities in higher education. Although I don't feel like I'm in a minority at uni , it is[evident that] there is one'.
I don't feel like I'm in a minority at uni
A student at Leeds from Bradford, with a Pakistani background, told The Gryphon, 'It can be a bit annoying when people ask where exactly you're from because essentially I'm British, but because I look different I'm assumed to be from somewhere else, it can feel like prying depending on how you ask, but I am happy to answer most of the time.'
I'm British, but because I look different I'm assumed to be from somewhere else
We decided to go around campus, investigating how random people reacted after being asked 'Where are you from?' Most replied with their hometown within Britain, some asked 'what do you mean, background or hometown?' and some replied with their ethnicity or nationality straight away, but all participants were open to answering.
This brings us to the question of how people choose to identify themselves. On a national scale, the 2011 National Census carried out by the Office for National Statistics was the first survey to question Britons on their national identity. The results showed that 96.2 percent of people identified with an English or British identity alongside any other ethnic identity, with 29.1 percent of those identifying as British with any other identity. So most of the population, even those from various ethnic backgrounds, identified themselves as British or English. The demographic of Britain is changing, and has been for decades, but this makes it evident that a sense of British identity is still prevalent in society.
According to the last census carried out by ONS, 86 percent of Britain is Caucasian, with the other 14 percent making up other ethnic groups – the census also stating that Britain is becoming 'more ethnically diverse'. However, in the context of higher education why is our increasingly multicultural society not reflected on university campuses across the UK?
A report published in 2013 by the Equality Challenge Unit on Equality in Higher Education found that a small minority of UK resident students were British ethnic minorities, a mere 19 percent. The report also stated that the 'degree attainment gap was highest in England' so in 2013 that for it was harder for BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) students in England to achieve a first in their degree than other non-BME students. In addition to this, there has long been controversy as to the number of British ethnic minorities getting into Oxford and Russell Group universities, particularly those outside of London.
None the less, according to the Race into Higher Education report British ethnic minorities made up 11.3, percent of students at the University of Leeds in the years 2007-2008, which is small but growing. The report also states that 'the proportion of ethnic minorities at university exceeds their share of the 18-24 year old population in the UK' which rather positively reflects the presence of ethnic minorities in higher education on a national level. The Equality Challenge Unit, a body who work to bring about long-term change and progress in racial equality in the workplace produced Equality Charter statistics which demonstrate that more ethnic minority students (22.4 percent of them) are in taught post-graduate education. The ECU also affirm that 'all individuals have multiple identities' to account for further diversity in their findings. Not everything, especially something as individual and subjective like identity, is black or white; there are shades of grey.
The face of Britain is changing, the world we live in is changing, with increasing interconnectedness of people and places, we will see increasing diversity in the UK and further afield in years to come.
So the next time someone asks where you're from, know that its one step closer to the wider population gaining an understanding of the multicultural society we live in and getting to know and understand you better as a human being. Being asked 'Where are you from?' should be asked in a manner of polite curiousness and interest in order to integrate, to understand and to appreciate cultures other than your own and to begin to identify with them.
Stephanie Uwalaka


text:
I am sharing this on their blog too! :)
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Smile Love -- Noel Mignon kit! :)
I am sharing this on their blog too! :)
13 comments:
Your lay-out turned out just lovely. Great colours and details! And Brookie definitely does look like a beautiful little lady already :)ReplyDelete
Beautiful layout! I love the mix of prints and the pop of pink!ReplyDelete
Oh this is so lovely, the papers are so pretty and Brookies shirt is perfect for these colors too.. love the circle element too..ReplyDelete
awesome page :)ReplyDelete
Beautiful layout! At 11 and 4'5", Trevor has the opposite problem. I've never documented his (lack of) height, but maybe I should.ReplyDelete
Ohhhh, the colors of this layout make me swoon! They reallly pop with Brooke's shirt! She is such a beautiful girl!ReplyDelete
Brook is growing into such a beautiful young lady!! Such a gorgeous page for this sweet photo! ~ Blessings, TraceyReplyDelete
These colors are soothing for the soul. Great photo of B.ReplyDelete
Beautiful layout Julie! I also love this collection! Fun papers and great details! Brookie is growing like a weed..love her smile!ReplyDelete
Have a great evening!
Sherrie K
So beautiful! You may be making me purchase more paper!! Beautiful girl too.. what a great pic!ReplyDelete
Oh my goodness this is gorgeous! The color combination is fabulous! Hey, my 11 year old is 5'6" too. He is super tall! Everyone thinks he's 14 or 15 too. What paper line is this?ReplyDelete
Such a great use of green! So pretty!ReplyDelete
This is STUNNING, Julie!ReplyDelete
Thanks so MUCH for taking the time to leave us a comment!! We appreciate that you are taking time from your busy day to visit! :)
This is a public blog, meaning any comments left will be visible by 3rd parties and 3rd parties may be able to access your information from your comment left here. I will not republish any content from this blog, but I am not responsible for republished content by 3rd parties. This is posted to be in compliance with the GDPR regulations.


text:
ARO® Presents Innovations with Technology Advantage at FEIMEC 2016
Ingersoll Rand fluids management unit is one of the industry leaders worldwide
Sao Paulo, April 28, 2016 – ARO® a global manufacturer of products for the management of fluids in industrial operations and a brand of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR), will participate in the 2016 International Exhibition of Machinery and Equipment (FEIMEC) May 3-7 at the Sao Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center in Sao Paulo, an initiative of the Brazilian Association of machinery and Equipment (ABIMAQ).
During the event, ARO® will present air operated double diaphragm pumps, pneumatic piston pumps, and the ARO Controller, as well as its line of filters, regulators and lubricators (FRLs), solenoid valves, among others.
Equipment with significant technological and innovative differences will be exhibited at the Ingersoll Rand booth, at Street I, number I020, like the ARO® Controller, product that is suitable for a variety of applications, such as batch processing, supply tanks and containers of various markets, chemical processing, commercial laundries, paint formulations, electronics (micro-chip), surface finishing, coating and treatment water or waste water. Building on years of innovation and technical expertise, ARO® is responding to customer needs for a closed-loop system that allows them to customize production lines and remotely monitor fluid transfer to ensure greater efficiency and less production downtime.
"FEIMEC is an excellent opportunity to present our many options of pumps and solutions for process optimization to the Brazilian market," says Cristian Drewes, ARO sales leader for Latin America. "The electronic controller, for example, is a simple and practical tool that provides increased productivity and reduced operating costs in fluid transfer processes or dosage of components."
The 2" sanitary diaphragm pump, from the EXP Series line, will also be featured during FEIMEC. This product can be used for high-volume transfer and dispensing applications in the food, beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry and is also Food and Drug Administration compliant. ARO® piston pumps will also be present, represented by CMX portfolio, popular in airless spray applications, and by the Thunder Series, for lubrication systems with grease. This type of equipment can be used, for example, in paint industries and finishing, oil and gas, petrochemical, graphic, sealants, gaskets, extrusion and general lubrication.
During FEIMEC, the full portfolio of Fluid Power, used to treat air and pneumatic automation, such as filters, regulators and lubricators (FRLs), solenoid valves, etc., will be displayed. This line represents auxiliary products that enable maximum performance and control of pumps, tools and pneumatic equipment in any company. The ARO®-Flo series maintain the tradition of the group to offer products with one of the best industry-leading returns.
For more information, access: arozone.com
# # #
About Ingersoll Rand
Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands — including Club Car®,
Ingersoll Rand®, Thermo King® and Trane® — work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a $13 billion global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results. For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.
Larissa Normande e Victor Pereira
GWA Comunicação Integrada
+55 11 3030-3000
email@example.com e email@example.com


text:
This property at 254 SOMERSIDE PK SW in CALGARY.
This is the one you have been waiting for! Nestled on a quiet street directly across from large park & green area. This home is immaculate and well maintained, freshly painted, updated rich dark laminate runs throughout the main floor, ceramic tile in the vaulted front entry, newer carpet, recently updated ensuite with new drywall (diamond board) & tile. You will love the great room on the main floor filled with early morning sunshine - large center island great for entertaining a crowd! Main floor bath and laundry is so handy for young families! Bonus room (21'x11") with unobstructed view of the green park & mountains. Exceptionally large master bedroom is a retreat with it's own freshly renovated 4pc bath and tons of closet space. Basement is framed, wired, insulated, most of drywall and a great office with built-in desk & cabinets. Enjoy sitting on the 2 level deck (runs the length of the house) viewing Gardeners paradise outside; mature rose bushes, lilacs, raspberries, shrubs & trees & garden!


text:
Work for Us
The following represents brief/broad position descriptions. It is not intended, nor should it be construed, to represent a comprehensive and/or exhaustive description of all duties/responsibilities and requisite skills for each position.
Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. Please call (214) 720-3149, or visit our readily accessible station located at 400 N Griffin Street, Dallas, TX 75202, and a member of our recruiting team will assist you.
Organizations that regularly distribute information about employment opportunities to job seekers or refer job seekers to employers may request KDFW/KDFI to provide them with information about full-time openings at the station. Such requests must include the organization's name, mailing address, e-mail address if applicable, telephone number and contact person, and identify the category or categories of job openings for which it requests notices. Requests should be directed to Director of Human Resources, KDFW/KDFI, and 400 N. Griffin St., Dallas, TX. 75202. We appreciate your organization's help in publicizing our job openings! KDFW/KDFI is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR: The Administrative Coordinator will support the VP News Director and the VP Engineering to handle all administrative tasks for the News and Engineering departments, including but not limited to expenses, employee time off records, and ordering and tracking supplies and equipment. Must effectively communicate with vendors and staff on orders, travel arrangements and various departmental projects, as assigned. Will assist the VP News Director and the VP Engineering with expense forecasting and other reports. Perform other duties as assigned.
Four (4) year college degree preferred. A minimum of three (3) to five (5) years' experience in an office environment. Accounting experience a plus. Excellent communication and organizational skills required. The candidate must be proactive when working with staff, vendors, guests and company personnel in the coordination and execution of tasks and projects. The candidate must work well under pressure. Television station experience is strongly preferred. Proficiency with MS Suite, with a high-level of proficiency in MS Excel skills required. Must be able to multi-task and must be detail oriented. Click here to apply.
ASSIGNMENT DESK MANAGER: The Assignment Desk Manager supervises the Assignment Editors as well as daily and future news coverage. Oversee scheduling and assignments of Photographers, Reporters and Assignment Editors. Compile and edit daily story rundown, and leads morning editorial meetings. Assign, coordinate and dispatch crews to planned and breaking news events. Work closely with Managers to plan and coordinate daily and future news coverage. Work closely with Reporters to develop stories and story ideas. Must develop a network of sources to enterprise, gather and confirm information for newscasts. Must have strong knowledge of legal and ethical parameters for mass media. Must have knowledge and execution of all social media platforms. Must collaborate, coach and demonstrate consistent leadership in all facets of the position.
Bachelor's degree required. Five (5) years in a major market experience required. Four (4) to Five (5) years in a Top 15 market preferred. Prior managerial/supervisory experience a must. Must be a strong and decisive manager. Must have knowledge and proficiency in newsroom computer systems and top-notch researching skills. Proven abilities and proficiency in posting and researching on social media. Strong and professional oral and written communication skills a must. Click here to apply.
ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: Must be aggressive and thorough in responding to breaking news. Research and select news stories through multiple sources including, news wires, websites, social media, newspapers, scanners and email. Responsible for daily communication with police and government officials and agencies. Must develop reliable sources to help in obtaining and confirming information for newscasts. Secure and organize elements for newscasts such as electronic audio and video files, photos and documents. Must have broad working knowledge of online databases as well as broad working knowledge of court and police procedures. Write and publish stories for station website. Must consistently publish to social media channels. Coordinate, dispatch and communicate with crews to planned and breaking news events. Work closely with reporters, producers and managers to develop stories and story ideas. Answer viewer calls and emails and speak with community contacts. Perform other duties as assigned.
Bachelor's degree required with emphasis in Communication and/or Journalism. 7-8 years in a medium to major market experience required. Must possess strong phone skills and etiquette. Must have strong knowledge of legal and ethical parameters for mass media. Ability to work under tight deadlines. Strong working knowledge of the technical aspects of television news production required, including digital and web-based newsgathering tools. Must be able to use newsroom computer systems, including editing and graphics programs. Strong communication skills are a must. Must complete required administrative tasks in a timely and accurate manner. Click here to apply.
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Responsibilities include writing stories and teases, editing video, and creating graphics and supers for newscasts, FOX4news.com, social channels and associated news partners. The position works closely with Producers to help develop and format newscasts and communicates continuously with Reporters, Photographers, the Assignment Desk, Managers and other applicable employees or outside sources regarding story developments and changes. Must possess the ability to write stories and post video for social media platforms in coordination with Producers and Managers. Must facilitate communication during newscasts regarding live shots and story development. Associate Producers must have the ability to overcome anticipated and unexpected changes when putting together newscasts.
Bachelor's degree in Journalism or related field required. Two (2) to three (3) years' experience as a TV Newscast Associate Producer in a small to medium to major television market required. Ideal candidate must be able to work under tight deadlines and have the ability to communicate clearly and concisely. Strong writing skills required. Strong knowledge of legal and ethical parameters for mass media is essential. Strong working knowledge of the technical aspects of television news production required, including digital and web-based newsgathering tools. Ideal candidate must be able to use newsroom video and computer systems, editing, and graphics programs. Click here to apply.
NEWS REPORTER: The candidate in this role will perform duties that include studio and field anchoring, live reporting, interviewing, research, writing, story and segment setup and special reports. Proven experience with enterprising local and original content for broadcast and digital. Must execute daily stories with creative storytelling. Skilled at mining and posting to social media channels.
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism or Communications required. Five (5) to Seven (7) years television news experience in a medium to major market. Excellent communication skills, solid news judgment and strong writing and performance skills required. Must understand legal parameters pertaining to news and digital content, and must have a thorough knowledge of current events and governmental, court, police, and other agency procedures. Strong research/data recovery skills. Must be skilled in mining and posting information, video and pictures to social media. Must be capable of using news computer systems and be familiar with television and digital production techniques. Must be capable of working and performing well under deadline pressure. Click here to apply.
NEWS PRODUCER: Strong writing and show production skills are required. Must have strong editorial knowledge and be an active decision maker, including working with Reporters, Associate Producers and on-air personnel. Responsible for producing all elements of newscasts-- including leads, stories, teases and breakouts. Experienced in mining social media information. Must be involved in coverage of news events and participate in selection and development of stories. Perform other duties as appropriate and assigned.
Four (4) year college degree required. Five (5) or six (6) years' experience as a TV Newscast producer in a medium to small market. Must have strong news judgment, good writing skills, knowledge of current events, and excellent communication and people skills. Must handle pressure well including the ability to handle breaking news. Knowledge of TV Production techniques and newsroom computer systems required. Click here to apply.
SPORTS PRODUCER: The Sports Producer is responsible for creating and coordinating all aspects of online sports segments and programs, sportscasts, and other assigned projects for FOX 4's social media channels website, sportscasts, and associated media partners. Enterprise stories, interviews and segments that go beyond highlights and locker room soundbites. The Producer will plan, write, edit and format/produce stories and segments for TV, web, and social media. Create graphics for online sports shows and segments. Strong working knowledge of the technical aspects of online and television news production required, including digital and web-based newsgathering tools. Must be able to use newsroom computer systems, including search, editing, and graphics programs.
Bachelor's degree plus 2-3 years' experience in social media/broadcasting. Must be a strong writer and communicator. Must be able to optimize content for all channels. Must be able to recruit sources, and produce live programming for multiple platforms. Candidate must be able to work in the field on remotes or shoots. The ability to shoot with mobile devices (i.e. tablet, cell phone) is a plus. Handle multiple demands and competing priorities simultaneously in a strict, deadline-oriented environment. Must be available for flexible scheduling, including working nights and weekends. Click here to apply.
ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN: Must perform the duties of Television Technician, including operating a SONY MVS8000 switcher, audio boards, robotic cameras (including shading), floor directing, and News Transmission and Master Control operations. The Technician will install and perform routine maintenance and repair of ENG, SNG, Studio, Control Room and Master Control equipment. Periodically must code and direct newscasts with the use of the SONY ELC production automation system. Must work with Directors and other Technicians in Studio and Control Room operations to execute fast-past newscasts and ensure reliability of equipment. The candidate must have the ability to handle multiple technical responsibilities and changes in a fast-paced environment.
Two-year technical degree in Electronics or IT required. Bachelor's degree preferred. Two (2) or more years' experience in one or more of the roles listed: SONY ELC Technician, Production Technician, Master Control Technician, or Broadcast Maintenance Technician. Position requires the ability to effectively multi-task. Must possess strong communication skills, be a team player, and maintain professionalism. Working knowledge of Windows OS, iNews, and various broadcast software applications preferred. The candidate must be flexible and willing to work nights, weekends and holidays, as necessary. Performs other duties as assigned. Click here to apply.
FOX 4 Internships
KDFW FOX 4 offers an academic credit internship program for college/university junior, senior and graduate students. For more information, click here.
Fox Stations Sales
For job opportunities at FSS across the United States. To apply, click here.
For opportunities at other Fox Corporation companies, please visit www.foxcareers.com.


text:
*UPDATED* William Butler and Transition Entertainment Penning THE SURVIVORS;Horror EXPENDABLES Of Final Girls!!
*UPDATE– Lisa Wilcox (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER), Beverly Randolph (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD), Kelli Maroney (NIGHT OF THE COMET), Donna Wilkes (ANGEL, JAWS 2, SCHIZOID), and LEATHERFACE: TCM III's Kate Hodge have all officially joined the cast, making the project sound even more epic.
This is definitely the news of the week. Horror actor/director William Butler (LEATHERFACE: TCM III, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD remake, director of MADHOUSE) has just announced THE SURVIVORS, an upcoming horror ensemble, featuring quite an impressive cast of some of horrors most beloved final girls, all banding together to stop a serial killer. This is a horror lover's dream, as it's always been a topic of conversation among fans regarding what it would be like if all of horror's final girls got together to kick some ass and thansk to Butler and his Transition Entertainment company, that topic is about to see the light of day.
"Butler and writer Patrick J. Doody (Beneath) are currently penning the story for "THE SURVIVORS" a horror-action feature-film about a multi-generational group of strong female survivors who decide to get revenge as they ban to together and turn the tables on legendary murderer who, during their youth pursued them all. After the killer resurfaces, the women make a pact to track him down and end his twenty-five year killing spree.
Starring in the project so far are an impressive cast of fan favorites including: Adrienne King (FRIDAY THE 13TH) Heather Langenkamp (NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) Jordan Ladd (CABIN FEVER) Amanda Wyss (A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET) Deborah Foreman (WAXWORK, APRIL FOOLS DAY) and Patricia Tallman (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD '90).
Butler is also meeting with with Amy Steel (FRIDAY THE 13th 2), P.J. Soles (HALLOWEEN), Tuesday Knight (NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST 4) in hopes they will also join the dream team.
"As a long time horror-film nerd and filmaker my head is spinning with joy at getting a chance to meet with all of these remarkable actresses. I am so proud of this project, it's really a fan boy's dream come true." He promises to announce many more legendary horror ingénues as they join the cast. "This film is not only going to be one hell of a ride but the ultimate gift to all of the fans that we genre performers love so much."
Butler is writing and producing the project and currently meeting with several potential directors. "You will be the first to know when we settle on the right one"
The women will be kicking serial killer ass as "The Survivors" lenses in late spring of 2015."
I don't know about you fright fanatics, but this is some monumentally awesome news and could very well be one hell of a horror fan's dream. We'll keep you guys and gals updated, when more info on THE SURVIVORS is announced!