text:
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Book Review: "The Other Language" by Francesca Marciano
The characters in Francesca Marciano's story collection, The Other Language, are all facing change of one sort or another. Marciano's stories take place in foreign countriesItaly, Greece, Tanzania, Kenya, Indiabut although the settings may be different from what we're used to, the themes are universal and many of the characters' struggles will seem familiar.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Book Review: "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevinn
"What, in this life, is more personal than books?"
A.J. Fikry is the cantankerous owner of Island Books on Massachusetts' Alice Island (a fictionalized version of Martha's Vineyard). Lonely since the sudden, tragic death of his wife a few months earlier, his business is struggling as much as he is. He's drinking a little too much (maybe a lot too much) and giving serious thought to closing the store, but that doesn't stop his definitive ideas about what types of books he should sell to his customers. (The list of the types of books he doesn't like fills nearly an entire page.)
Posted by Larry at 6:49 PM No comments:
Labels: book reviews, books, business, family, fiction, friendship, loss, love, relationships
Friday, April 25, 2014
Book Review: "Wonderland" by Stacey D'Erasmo
Anna Brundage is a rock musician. While she never was an enormous star, her band's first album made an impact in the music world, and people still talk about it. The second album didn't do so well, and by the third album, she had thrown her chance away, lost in a haze of drugs, insecurity, and a lack of dedication. Her tempestuous affair with a married man she met on one of her tours ended badly, and she couldn't make her marriage work.
Anna now lives in a small apartment in New York City, teaching shop class to young girls at a private school. But she dreams of making it back into the music world. She recognizes that she has one more chance, and she'll do anything she can to make this time last. She sells a priceless piece of her famed artist father's work to fund one more album and a European tour. She's ready to pull out all of the stops.
Posted by Larry at 8:17 PM No comments:
Labels: book reviews, celebrities, family, fiction, loss, love, music, relationships
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Book Review: "The Steady Running of the Hour" by Justin Go
From the attorneys, Tristan learns that in 1924, an Englishman named Ashley Walsingham died while on an expedition to climb Mount Everest. He had left his significant estate to a woman named Imogen Soames-Andersson, with whom he shared an brief yet intense love affair before he went off to fight in World War I. Despite the fact that Ashley hadn't seen Imogen in seven years, and the last time they saw each other they fought angrily, he was determined to leave Imogen his fortune.
Imogen never claimed Ashley's estate, and it has remained in trust for the past 80 years. As a result of new information, the attorneys representing the estate believe that Tristan may be related to Imogen and Ashley, and could very well be the legal heir to the estate, which would mean he would inherit millions of dollars. But time is growing shortthe law firm swears Tristan to absolute confidentiality and bids him to find evidence that proves he is connected to this couple who lived 80 years ago. No mean feat there.
Posted by Larry at 1:01 PM No comments:
Labels: adventure, book reviews, family, fiction, history, loss, love, relationships, war
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Book Review: "A Better World" by Marcus Sakey
When you read a series of books, you always hope that the next book will be as strong if not stronger than the one that preceded it. Marcus Sakey's dazzling, creative Brilliance was one of the best books I read last year, so while I was tremendously excited to read A Better World, the second book in Sakey's Brilliance Saga, I was also a little hesitant. Could it live up to my (perhaps unrealistic) expectations? Would it remain true the story Sakey so deftly created?
Having torn through the book as quickly as life allowed me to, I can unequivocally say yes to both questions.
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Book Review: "The Quick" by Lauren Owen
This was an interesting and well-written book, but so much of its appeal came from not knowing what to expect, so I'm going to be fairly vague in my review.
Siblings Charlotte and James Norbury grew up on an aging estate in the English countryside. With a deceased mother and a virtually absent father, they were raised mostly by servants and a distant relative, and left to their own devices. Charlotte took good care of her younger brother, serving as his teacher, protector, and occasional tormentor. But as the estateand their family's financial positiondeclined, they were free to pursue their imagination and challenge their bravery.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Book Review: "Family Life" by Akhil Sharma
When their father finally does send their plane tickets, and they are forced to give away almost all of their possessions in preparation, Ajay begins to wonder whether migrating to America is really worth it.
"Till then, I had not fully understood that going to America meant leaving India."
Book Review: "Astonish Me" by Maggie Shipstead
Joan Joyce is a ballet dancer in the early 1970s. For as long as she can remember, she has lived for nothing more than to dance, and she is conscious of the sacrifices she must make to do so, knowing that time is the greatest enemy of her dancing career. Deep inside, she knows she may never be more than a member of the dance corps, but she still feels the need to give her body and her emotions fully to every dance.
"She has been trained to believe that the motions are enough. Each motion is to be perfect, repeated endlessly and without variation, strung in a sequence with other motions like words in a sentence, numbers in a code."
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Book Review: "A Few Seconds of Radiant Filmstrip: A Memoir of Seventh Grade" by Kevin Brockmeier
If I had to pick a memorable year in my life to recount in a memoir, I don't know that I would have picked seventh grade, but for Kevin Brockmeier, that year in 1985 clearly resonated, for good and bad reasons. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas, Kevin and his fellow seventh graders were sent to a new school, a combined junior high and high school, so suddenly he was thrown into a world with even more uncertainty, even more potential to make him feel more uncertain about himself.
Seventh grade is an interesting year for Kevin. He falls in and out of infatuation with various female classmates, harnesses his ability to make people laugh, discovers his creative talents (which aren't always as appreciated as they should be), experiences his first kiss, and becomes infamous for his speed in getting ready for gym class. It's also the year when two of his childhood best friends turn on him for no reason and mock everything he does, when he is desperate to outsmart the bully who keeps stealing his lunch out of his locker, when he wants more than anything to fit in, to be loved (or at least liked), to not feel like he always needs to wonder if he's on solid footing.
But Kevin doesn't always make it easy for himself. His desperation to fit in leaves him prone to saying just the wrong thing at the wrong time. He's a little more sensitive and tightly wound than he should be. And for some reason, his schemes to make himself popular (such as dressing up like Dolly Parton for Halloween) make him stand out in the wrong way.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Book Review: "Past the Shallows" by Favel Parrett
Wow, what a brutal, beautiful, sad book this was.
Joe, Miles, and Harry are brothers growing up in Tasmania. Their lives have been harder since their mother's death, and their father, a struggling fisherman, has become increasingly erratic, vacillating between hard drinking, hard working, and unpredictable rage. When Joe gets old enough to move away from their father's moods, it leaves Miles to work on his father's boat, and take care of Harry, who gets easily seasick, often daydreams, and likes finding treasures in the sand near the water.
As their father struggles with the supply of fish, his moods become more volatile, and Miles does all he can to meet his expectations and keep Harry out of their father's line of sight. He'd much rather be surfing all he can, but knows Harry needs his protection, and the more time he spends with his younger brother, the more memories of his mother's death come to the surfaceas does a startling and disturbing revelation. One day during a storm, everything comes to a head. Miles knows he must protect his brother at any cost.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, and although at the start it was hard to figure out exactly what was happening and how the story would unfold, as the entire narrative came to light it became more and more compelling, and more and more poignant. Favel Parrett is a beautiful writerher imagery of the sea at both calm and in fury is breathtaking, and the way she gradually unfurled the plot was very skillful.
I loved the way Parrett drew the boys' characters. Joe isn't as much of a presence as Miles and Harry, but they were all very different. George, the mysterious, damaged man whom Harry befriends, was very interesting, and I wish we had the opportunity to know more about him and what made him tick. Clearly, the boys' father was the heavy in this novel, and although Parrett gave us glimpses of the man behind the rage, he seemed a little too one-dimensional, although understandably so.
This was a short but very powerful, beautifully written book that will definitely leave an impression on you, much like the treasures Harry found in the sand. Not a perfect read, but tremendously intriguing and moving.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Book Review: "Part the Hawser, Limn the Sea" by Dan Lopez
Dan Lopez's short collection, Part the Hawser, Limn the Sea, included five reasonably short but intriguing stories, several of which I wished were longer because I wanted to know more about the characters. The stories are linked by the seathe water and boats factor in each of the stories, as do the roller coaster ride of emotions that relationships take you on.
In "Coast of Indiana," a man must decide if he should give up his own career and life's routines to follow his boyfriend, who will be attending graduate school in a small Indiana town. Time on the beach and on a ferry gives him more time to consider this decision. "The Cruise" follows a group of gay men on a cruise who are all lusting after a deckhand, who has ambitions of his own. In "Volumes Set Against a Twilight Sky," an architect, confronting grief after the death of his partner, decides to take the man's diaries on a cruise with a friend, and must come to terms with what he reads. And in the moving title story, two men are brought together by their shared grief about losing custody of their daughters.
I don't know where I heard about this collection, but it was really beautifully written and several of the stories were very moving. I really wish that some of the stories were longer because I would have appreciated getting to know some of these characters more, and better understand what made them tick. One or two seemed to end sooner than I would have liked, and left me wondering what happened next. But Dan Lopez is a tremendously talented writer, and these stories resonate even after they're done.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Book Review: "And The Dark Sacred Night" by Julia Glass
Kit Noonan is an unemployed professor of art history with a strong interest in Inuit art. He was an excellent instructor but lost his job because he couldn't bring himself to finish his book, a condition of his continued employment. In fact, he can't seem to motivate himself to do much of anything but cook for his family and shake himself out of his daily paralysis to keep some basic routines. This inertia is having a tremendously negative effect on his marriage to Sandra, a strong-willed landscape architect.
Sandra believes that the reason Kit is afraid to move forward with his life is that he's stuck in the pastspecifically the fact that he doesn't know who his father is. Raised by a secretive, stubborn mother, Daphne, who refused to tell him who his father was or even share the circumstances of his conception, Kit has always been curious but has tamped down his desire to know where he came from for fear of causing trouble. So Sandra forces Kit out of their New Jersey home, encouraging him to seek answers from Jasper, the outdoorsman and former ski instructor whom his mother married when he was a young child, and was the only father figure he ever knew.
"To change direction, to go somewhere entirely new, maybe you need to know exactly where it is you came from in the first place. A secure foothold. Don't you think?"
Kit's time with Jasper reawakens feelings of nostalgia in both men, as well as stokes the resentment of both toward Daphne. Despite his promise to Daphne never to share the details of Kit's paternity, Jasper points Kit in the direction of Lucinda Burns, the wife of Vermont state senator Zeke Burns, a woman who has been dealing with her own grief for a number of years, and tried to find ways to carry on with her life the best she could. Lucinda has answers to Kit's questions, and leads him on a path of discovery that has tremendous ramifications in his life and for many others. (Even though some reviews of this book divulge more of the plot, I'm going to leave a little mystery for the readers.)
This is a moving and compelling book about the need to understand who you came from, the need for answers, the need to feel a part of something larger than yourself. It's also a book about the strength of relationships, how they can build us up and tear us down, even years after they've ended. It's about trust and sacrifice, guilt and pain, and the pull of family, those to whom we're related by blood and those we choose to make part of our family.
I really love the way Julia Glass writes, and it was good to revisit a few characters from some of her earlier books. Her characters are so nuanced, so complex, they draw you into their lives and you want to know everything about them and what makes them tick. The plot is at times tremendously emotional, at times tremendously frustrating because of the things left unsaid.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but interestingly enough, I found Kit's character to be the weak link of the book, even though he is the linchpin around which the other characters revolve. It was almost as if the inertia that Sandra accused him of translated into his character, because he seemed almost lifeless despite what was going on around him. However, this is still a beautifully written book worth reading, a book that will make you think and make you feeland maybe it might even make you a little emotional.
Posted by Larry at 9:26 PM No comments:
Labels: book reviews, childhood, family, fiction, friendship, gay, grief, growing up, loss, love, marriage, parenthood, relationships
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Book Review: "Graveyard of Memories" by Barry Eisler
So asks John Rain, the enigmatically magnetic mercenary who is the protagonist of Barry Eisler's fantastic series of books, which include Rain Fall, Hard Rain, and Rain Storm. (I believe that the publisher has changed all of the titles of these books now, but these are the original titles I'm familiar with.) Rain is a deadly, intelligent adversary who has the uncanny ability to separate what he does from whom he does it to.
But how did Rain become a mercenary, a man without a true home and very few real connections? Graveyard of Memories is an excellent prequel that finds 20-year-old Rain in 1972 Tokyo, when he is fresh out of the Vietnam War and still a little shaken by what he had to do in the heat of battle. Working as a bagman for the CIA, he mostly delivers cash to another third party, and doesn't really want to know much about where the money really goes or what it's ultimately used for.
One day following an exchange, Rain's impetuousness inflames his hair-trigger temper and causes him to lash out in violence, at the wrong people, which ultimately leaves him the target of one of Japan's more powerful yakuza families. In an effort to protect himself, and perhaps ingratiate himself with his CIA handler, he takes the only path he cankill before he is killedbut he also agrees to murder a high-profile member of the Japanese government at his handler's behest. It is through these encounters that the roots of Rain's patience and intelligence begin to take root, although they're often obscured by his impulsiveness and the pride of a brash 20-year-old.
As Rain tries to get himself out of the mess he's created, he instead begins realizing he may have found himself in a Gordian knot of sorts, one from which he may not be able to escape. Meanwhile, alone and adrift, without family or any real friends save a policeman he's reluctant to speak with, he finds himself falling for Sayaka, the intelligent, stubborn night clerk at a love hotel. Confined to a wheelchair, Sayaka doesn't know what to make of John, and as his feelings for her grow deeper, so does his dilemma about his "situation" and how to solve it once and for all.
I have loved all of Eisler's John Rain novels so far, and Graveyard of Memories is a worthy addition to this series. Eisler has a true talent for balancing bloody, movie-worthy violence with strong character development, and he does a fantastic job in laying the foundation of Rain's early life, which clearly makes him into the man he becomes in later books. It's a strong writer who can keep you interested in a character who kills people for a living, even if they "deserve" to be killed, but the ease with which Rain ultimately operates somehow doesn't make him seem unsympathetic or psychotic. This book lays bare a little more of how Rain's mindset came to be, and you find yourself utterly compelled.
When I read some of my favorite series of books, I always feel as if getting another opportunity to spend time with characters I enjoy is like spending time with an old friend, no matter how twisted that friend may be. Reading Graveyard of Memories is a unique opportunity to get to understand what makes a character tick, and you realize just why they fascinate you so.
I really hope it's not long before Eisler gives us another glimpse into the world of John Rain. It's a violent but incredibly fascinating world to visit.
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Book Review: "Love Letters to the Dead" by Ava Dellaira
At the start of her freshman year of high school, Laurel gets an interesting assignment in English class: write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses to write to Kurt Cobain, who was her older sister May's favorite singer. Laurel knows that Kurt understands deep emotions, pain, and anguish, feelings all too familiar to Laurel over the last year, because of May's tragic death she can't really talk about, as well as her parents' separation and her mother's subsequent move to California from their New Mexico home.
Laurel's letter to Kurt taps a well in her soul which encourages her to write more lettersto Cobain, as well as Amy Winehouse, River Phoenix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Judy Garland, Amelia Earhart, and poets like John Keats and Elizabeth Bishop. She relates the challenges these celebrities faced and the lessons their lives embodied to the challenges she faces trying to put May's death and the circumstances around it behind her, trying to be a different person, trying to find friends who accept her for who she is, even if she is trying to reinvent herself and hide her feelings of guilt and shame.
"I want people to know me, but if anyone could look inside of me, if they saw that everything I feel is not what it's supposed to be, I don't know what would happen."
The letters chronicle Laurel's experiences in high school, as she starts making friends with a group of people who have more than their own share of problems, and falls in love with a boy named Sky, who hides some of himself from Laurel as she's doing the same to him. The letters tell of the sadness Laurel feels at how much her life has changed since May's death and her parents separated. And many of the letters share Laurel's strong love for May, how May tried to protect her and make her feel at ease, even while May was going through struggles of her own.
The secrets that Laurel keeps inside are slowly revealed, but only after they threaten to disintegrate her relationships with those she cares about. And while the revelations aren't really a surprise, to read about the pain and guilt and burden that one young girl feels forced to carry on her shoulders alone is really emotional. You find yourself wanting Laurel to open up to her family and friends, yet you, too, are worried how they might treat her in the end.
This is a beautifully written, bittersweet, and poignant book about finding the strength to carry on, and finding the person you need to be. It's also a book about learning to trust again when those you depend on have betrayed that trust. While not all of the letters work as well as others, Ava Dellaira's writing is so compelling, so nuanced, I found myself moved nearly to tears while reading this book.
It's interesting: I hadn't heard of this book until I received a targeted promotional email about it from Stephen Chbosky, author of one of my favorite books of all time, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This book tapped an emotional reservoir that Chbosky's book did, albeit coming from a different place, and like Wallflower, it's a book that will stay with me.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Book Review: "All I Have in This World" by Michael Parker
Maria fled her home in Pinto Canyon, Texas just at the end of high school, when a life-changing decision she made resulted in a tragedy she couldn't escape. Ten years have gone by, and Maria has stayed away from Texas, and barely kept in touch with her mother. Maria has moved from place to place, job to job, and, at times, from man to man, although the holes in her life have yet to be filled. But she makes the decision to return home for a little while, and is surprised by how much she is still affected by the events that caused her departure.
Marcus dreamed of breeding Venus flytraps, and building a farm and educational center for them on his family's acreage in a small North Carolina town. But Marcus' lack of business and museum acumen, as well as his lack of foresight, has led to the bank foreclosing on and seizing the land, land which partially belongs to his sister. Marcus decides to leave North Carolina and head for Mexico, with the money he was able to salvage, and did not share with his sister what happened. A stop along the way in Pinto Canyon for a hike along the Rio Grande results in his truck getting stolen with nearly everything he owned inside.
Maria and Marcus meet at a used car lot. Both are looking for a carMaria to avoid having to share with her mother, and Marcus to be able to head to Mexico as he originally planned. The two both set their eyes on the same car, a 1984 sky blue Buick Electra. In a snap decision, the pair agrees to share the car, regardless of the fact that they had never really met (or introduced themselves, for that matter), and both have different plans for the car. But they agree to use the car on alternate days, as both try to gain some footing again in their world.
All I Have in This World tells the story of two people desperately trying to hang on and make some sense of their lives, and find a way forward that doesn't involve giving up. Both need to come to terms with what they've done and move on, but neither can seem to handle either of those monumental steps. As life pushes in around them, they are both unsure of what to do nextface their problems or flee again?
This book also tells the story of the Buick Skylark through the years, from when it was first transported from the factory as a young girl with a heart problem watches the car trailer drive past, to the various people whose lives the car touched through the years, until it wound up on the used car lot where Marcus and Maria found it. For its previous owners, the car was both a point of pride and pain, a talisman and a bittersweet reminder.
Michael Parker is tremendously skilled, and he has created two characters with so much depth and pain in their lives, not all of it their own making. I felt as if the story took a bit to get going, as really the book hit its stride once Maria and Marcus met, but both of their stories are tremendously compelling. At times the book is a little hard to follow, and I felt that the ending was a little more ambiguous than I would have liked, but in the end, this book has stuck with me. I felt for Marcus and Maria and their struggles, and would like to know more about whether they were able to put their pasts behind them and find happiness. A unique, interesting, and emotionally rich book.
Posted by Larry at 7:08 PM No comments:
Labels: book reviews, cars, family, fiction, growing up, losing, loss, love, money, relationships
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Florida businesses have been planning, largely in secret, for the lifting of the U.S. embargo for decades. Among the potential opportunities:
A Boon to Ports
Cuba lacks warehouses that could accommodate widespread shipping. That means importers would need to send smaller and more frequent shipments from nearby ports. Miami would seem to be the best fit for proximity, but larger ports in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Jacksonville will offer competition, as well as the nation's largest port in New Orleans.
Shipping and Cruises
The Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 forbids any shipping or cruise vessel that has traded goods and services in Cuba from visiting a U.S. port within 180 days. An easing of that restriction would allow major cruise and shipping companies to add stopovers in Cuba. First, though, the Cuban government would need to show interest, since Fidel Castro in 2005 turned away most Cuba-bound cruise ships after complaints of trash.
Infrastructure Upgrades
All of Cuba's basic utilities — including electric, water and sewer — rely on decades-old grids that would likely see an entire overhaul after the embargo. The electrical grid especially has suffered from a lack of upgrades and hurricane damage, with blackouts 125 days a year, according to a University of Miami study. Roads, ports, and airports also haven't seen much construction since the Soviets pulled funding for the island two decades ago.
Maintenance Contracts
After the embargo, U.S. companies will seek contracts to run services in Cuba. But that business prospect is fraught with questions, especially since Cuba unexpectedly canceled a contract with an Italian company to run the port in Havana. International companies have also had little success challenging the details of contracts in Cuban courts.
New Wheels
Cuba's 1950s-era vehicles make great photo ops, but a post-embargo run on new cars would be a boon to the port in Jacksonville, already a major hub for imported vehicles.
Help support this work
Public Integrity doesn't have paywalls and doesn't accept advertising so that our investigative reporting can have the widest possible impact on addressing inequality in the U.S. Our work is possible thanks to support from people like you.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
We know that when we strike a metal, it usually has a characteristic "sharp" sound, unlike when we strike wood, say.
What characterizes this "metallic sound"? Does it have a well-defined power spectrum? What are its generic properties?
Also, why do metals have a metallic sound?
My best guess would be that metals have high Young's / Bulk modulus and so the resonances for typically sized metals should be at fairly high frequencies, and since they are very elastic, they wouldn't dissipate energy all that easily, so the resonances would have small FWHM and hence be sharp. So my guess is that a "metallic sound" has distinct resonance peaks in its power spectrum, whereas for a piece of wood, for example, these peaks merge into each other to create a continuum.


text:
INFO:+30-6977210469 email@example.com www.petrostheodorou.gr
There are 2 of my books translated in English.
Both books are to be distributed exclusively
in Greece or delivered in other countries only by order,
after contacting me.
[2nd] Shadow: our silent companion through life's journey
A translation of my 2nd book in Greek.
Info on this 1st edition in English:
[378 pages] [14,2 X 20,2 cm] ISBN 978-618-00-1371-9
100 numbered and signed copies.
A video in first person on the central
ideas of the book and its features
[1st] Notes for you – Notebook Α
A translation of my 3rd book in Greek.
Info on this 1st edition in English:
[110 pages] [17,5Χ22 cm] ISBN 978-618-83861-2-9
100 numbered and signed copies.
A Video in the first person about the coral idea
and the features of this book
THE TRILOGY: To the heretics of love – the eyes in which I was mirrored
1st autonomous Volume of the Trilogy:
The translation in English of the 1st Volume is scheduled to be published in winter of 2022


text: Instagram Roundup + BaubleBar on SALE! September 25, 2017 | Happy Monday Morning, Friends! How are you?? Long time no talk! The radio silence was definitely not planned, but truthfully I'm having trouble finding a groove. I'm interviewing two new nannies to help me out with Lawson during the days, so please say a prayer that one works out. I'd love to get ... Turn on your JavaScript to view content


text:
In August, two Quartz reporters, Allison Schrager, who's also an economist, and Siyi Chen, a video journalist traveled to Carson City, Nevada to visit the famed Moonlite Bunny Ranch Brothel. They interviewed some of the few legal sex workers in America, and found that to really understand the work, they also needed answers to some basic questions. In this piece we invite five of the people we met to speak for themselves. At their request, we used sex workers' stage names, not their real names. The following is lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
We went into this story thinking we'd learn about the economics of brothels and pick up some negotiation tips. But when humans sell their sexuality and personalities as commodities, it is not like any other economic story. Our time in the brothel pushed the boundaries of how we thought about economics and gender dynamics, and brought up questions beyond the scope of our story that nevertheless demand an answer. The people who work at the brothel can answer these questions, in their own words, far better than we can.
Can you sell the most intimate part of yourself and not take it personally?
The ladies all claim they feel an authentic connection with clients, and this connection is what they use to sell them more expensive, time-consuming services. But how real can this connection be when clients don't even know the women's real names or personal details? It seems the brothel sell a totally un-demanding intimacy (they call it "no drama"), where someone listens to your problems, concerns, and cuddles with you—but has no emotional needs of her own. The one-way nature of the interaction may be why the woman can sell emotional, intimate connections, yet not take haggling over it personally.
❝ More often than not, the clients are not interested in who I am as a person. Why am I here? What's my family like? I very, very rarely get asked those types of questions. And if a client ever wanted to know such things, usually I'll just be like, "Hey, that's, you know, personal information, I'd rather focus on us. Let's focus on what we're about to do and all the fun that we're going to have." ❞
Read more on Alice Little, the shortest legal escort in Nevada
❝ I've been doing this for three years and I've sold intimacy, but it was counterfeit intimacy, and I'm only speaking for me. A lot of women would say that it's not counterfeit and even though they're getting paid, there is a genuine connection there. I can't say the same for myself.
I mean, and that's why we're performers and to some extent I think we're actresses. They don't know our real names for the most part. Some women might share more than others. Some women make up completely different stories and personas from their real life.
And others are really candid and forward with their clients, especially the regulars that they've gotten to know after a while. But I always wonder how do the men really know, you know? And some would say at the end of the day does it matter? But I think it does matter to the men.
At least from the research studies that I've read, that they've collected from looking at like message board sites and review sites where men can talk about this kind of stuff. A lot of the men are really concerned with: Is she enjoying herself? Do you think she's faking? Do you think it's all just for the money?
So the research has shown that the men are truly interested in the woman's pleasure, and that they really do want authenticity, and that there is some worry over whether they're getting it or not. ❞
Read more on Christina, who started working in a brothel to do field work for her PhD
❝ One thing I won't do is I will not tell a client I love him. I've had a client ask me that a couple times, and some girls will say, "Yeah, I'll tell you that if you give me more money." Well, even if you offered me double what I asked for, I'm not going to do that because, I mean, that's hard to do that to people, you know? Sometimes they take it seriously or they believe it, and I think that's really cruel to play with someone's emotions and feelings like that, you know? So I want them to feel that connection and intimacy, but I don't want to lie to them and break their heart either. ❞
Read more on Harley, who wants to run a big game ranch in Texas
How can selling your body make you a more confident person?
Nearly all the women we spoke to gushed about how much confidence they've gained working in the brothel. It's surprising because most outsiders (the women call them civilians) would assume selling your body is a sign of low self-worth. The women who are successful claim the experience does the opposite. Some did sex work before the brothel, as strippers or pornography, but most (especially the younger women) worked more typical jobs in retail or other service industry jobs. They say their feeling of self-worth wasn't based on male attention, material wealth, or physical appearance—it came from feeling like a successful business owner.
❝ I definitely am a lot more confident in myself. I have found that even just the way I carry myself and walk around has completely changed. When I was the top booker in [July], I was gifted a really nice Louis Vuitton handbag [from the brothel]. And just carrying that around on my shoulder is just like this big confidence boost of like, yeah, I earned that. ❞
Alice has been at the brothel less than a year. Her first financial goal was buying a bed and breakfast with her college friends. She bought it in a midwest college town a few weeks before we arrived and used the negotiation skills she learned at the brothel to get a great deal. After it opens, she plans to continue to work at the brothel and work at the bed and breakfast part-time.
❝ Oh, man, they [the sellers of the bed and breakfast] did not know what they were getting into as far as negotiating with me. I have definitely gotten to be a lot more sharp in how I look at things. And I view every situation as not just a conversation, but also a negotiation. So when I went to purchase my car, Dennis [Hof] really walked me through what that process looks like when it comes to acquiring a new vehicle. He helped me with the price. He got me a really great deal, which is so, so helpful. And now that I've got that like saved in my knowledge bank, I know the next car I get, I can handle that no problem, I'm a pro. ❞
❝ Well, I think negotiation in general not only can help a woman know her value or worth or, you know, whatever that even means. But I know for me it's been helpful in other areas of life.
I remember being a single woman and you have a crush on a guy and you want him to call you back. So you might do a little more on, you know, an earlier date than you're comfortable with. I think that that might have more negative impacts on women than when a man's coming to you with, you know, a bag full of money and says, "You're beautiful. I'm ready to pay hundreds or thousands or whatever and you're worth it." You know, I mean, that's empowering. Or at least I thought it was. And a lot of the women that I've interviewed have agreed with me.
I really do see prostitution as just another form of work and service labor. I think my confidence came from being good at the job. So it's not only looking good—because there's a wide variety of women that work there. There's heavier women, there's skinnier women, there's all sorts of different women. So it's not always the most beautiful woman that's getting picked in the lineup.
I think when you're successful, and you're savvy, and you understand that it's a total package, and it's not just your looks and money, that's probably where more of the confidence comes from. At least for me it did. Like I made good money. And I know it wasn't just, you know, my looks or whatever. It was because I was intelligent, and I took professional photos, and I worked on my bio, and I would tweet every day, and I put a lot of work into my business. And then it succeeded. And I felt good about that. ❞
Can prostitutes and pimps be feminists?
Many people consider prostitution to be exploitation—the polar opposite of feminist ideals. The notion there is any female empowerment can seem absurd. We spent days with women in their underwear, watched them be leered at and picked out of a lineup by much older men. Watching what went on was, to put it mildly, unsettling.
But all the women say they feel in control and are the ones with the power—not only at the brothel, but in other areas of their life. Many of the women describe having found financial empowerment and independence. Several people at the brothel proudly call themselves feminists, including owner Dennis Hof, who firmly believes women should have their own professional identities, be financially independent, be paid equal to men, and be able to take care of themselves.
For most, the job only lasts a few years; Hof encourages the women to use the money and resources to lay the foundation for future success—buy a business, a house, pay off student loans, and use their negotiation skills in their next job. He readily admits he profits from their empowerment, as better negotiators means more money in his pocket, but that doesn't take away from what the women gain.
❝ I'm all about women's rights. I'm about women doing better. I think it's disgusting that women make 78% of what men do in the workforce. Except in this job where they're making 300% or 400% of what men do because men in the sex business don't make any money. Some of them brag about it. No, they don't make any money. Gigolos don't make any money. If they do, it's gay sex.
I want these girls to have great lives, to be successful; I work with them on goal setting. And you know, it's not just enough to come in and have fun and make money. It's, like, why are you here? You know, and I tell people, you know what, there's a lot of great jobs out there. Work in a bank. You're only going to get 28 hours a week. Get plenty of time off. You're not going to make any money.
I'm trying to make these girls truly independent businesswomen. And if you're an independent businesswoman, you have a choice. You determine your own fate, and you determine the money you're going to make off of what you're doing. ❞
On people who think prostitution is exploitation
❝ You know, they're not wrong, often times in other countries where women don't have the same protection and the same luxuries that we have here in Nevada. In other states where this isn't legal, there is illegal prostitution that happens where women are kidnapped and trafficked. There are women that are forced into this against their will by these horrible, horrible pimps and abusers. And, you know, those situations do exist, and I don't want to discredit their existence. But the way I always like to explain it is: That is true, but that is not true for me. That's not my truth. For me, I chose to go into this for myself. Everything is in my name. My car is in my name. My house is in my name. My savings, all in my name. And for me, it has just been a great experience. I have not had anything terrible happen to me since I have started this job. ❞
❝ In the brothel, they come in ready to pay us. I honestly think it's really empowering. And people say, oh, prostitution is so dirty and it makes women feel so down on themselves. And, you know, I can't speak for all women in the industry. Some probably do come out feeling bad about themselves. And it's not for everybody, and it's not an easy job. But I know that it's definitely elevated my self-esteem, my confidence. I'm not afraid to ask for what I want anymore. ❞
❝ I had a decent set of boundaries, but coming out here, learning things like that, it definitely improved everything and helped. I'm a stronger woman. ❞
How long do women work in the brothel? Can it be a long-term career?
Some women come to the brothel and don't last a week. Some stay for decades. What does it take to make it for the long-haul?
❝ It depends on their goals, how much fun they're having, and their reason for being here to start with. I've seen many girls come in here, split up with their boyfriend once they come to the Ranch. The boyfriend finds out. Three days later they're gone.
I've got a girl, Misty, here now, wanted to make a few thousand dollars. Well, she made it the first day. Now she wants to stay here. So she'll stay longer. And we're not concerned about how long they want to stay, but we do hope that they stay here a long time because it makes them more money and us more money.
It's not a good job, it's a great opportunity. To either make a good amount of money in a short period of time or to work towards retirement by working hard and investing your money…
I like to tell girls, look at why are you here? There's better jobs than this. You really want a real job, go down to Bank of America, work 9 to 5, five days a week, and you'll barely have enough money to make a living…
You get a week off you won't have any money to go anywhere. That's a good job. Mine is an opportunity. Now it's an opportunity to either work, hard-knuckle, focus five years, and you'll never work another day in your life. If you listen and you invest your money properly, you use financial advisers that we tell you to—you'll never work another day in your life. ❞
❝ We know that this is going to be a short-term for them, most of them. Two, three years, if they're lucky. Some have been here for five, 10 years, and they're successful, and they like making that money because you can easily make a quarter of a million part-time. ❞
❝ Some of the highest earners are in their 50s and 60s. And these are women that are making $400,000 – $500,000 a year. I've talked to women that invest in real estate. They open their own businesses on the side, and now all of a sudden they have the brothel income, and they have the supplemental income from their other businesses that they've launched. Obviously if you invest well and you are good at saving your money, if you're making half a million or close to it a year, you can retire early. I've certainly seen a lot of career sex workers. Then other women just want to get in and out. And they might have, you know, student loans to pay. And they say, "Okay, I'm going to start it on this date and I want to be done in a year. And I want all my debt paid off." I think that's probably more common. I think that's definitely more common than the career sex worker. But it can certainly be a lifetime profession. ❞
❝ [Describing Air-force Amy, a woman who has worked at the brothel for 16 years, is 51 years old, is one of the highest earners. We were told she takes home $500,000 a year.] Amy has a hell of a personality. She's a wonderful person to be around. Any time I need help with anything or I'm not sure how to do something or I have questions, Amy is the first person here, as long as she's been here. She isn't too good to help us. She doesn't think, "Well I make all this money, now I'm better than everyone." She's not like that. She's not rude. She's not mean. She sits down and says, you know, "Hey, little one, I want to tell you a little secret," or "Well if that's not working for you, try something else."
[What she's learned from her] Don't give up so easy. She doesn't walk her clients [ending a negotiation without a deal], doesn't walk them at all. She always finds some way to come to an agreement with them, and she told me, she said, "I believe it's bad luck, but I'm here to do a service, I'm here to take care of them, and so I want them leaving with the experience they want." So she doesn't walk clients. She doesn't think she's too good for them or even if they have a smaller amount of money, she really works with them and does what she can, and I really respect her for that. ❞


text:
MIA > Archive > Bernstein
Source: Letter by Bernstein, Justice, 13th February 1897, p.3.
Transcribed: by Ted Crawford for marxists.org 2003.
DEAR COMRADE, In your report on my lecture, What Marx Really Taught (Justice, No.632, page 8, there occurs the following passage, "Engels had overstated the condition of society, but Marx's theory, for all that, holds good all the time." From this the reader might conclude that I presented the co-founder of the theory of historical materialism as having been less conscious in applying the theory than Marx himself. No idea could be farther from me than this. What I said in this respect was literally the following:–
"But it cannot be denied Engels himself has, in one of his last publications, expressly stated that Marx and he in 1848 and 1849 greatly over-estimated the state of industrial evolution attained. They believed the breakdown of bourgeois civilization within hail, if, however, to be worked out in a prolonged series of revolutions. And in their over-estimation of the actual state of social evolution, they did not materially differ from other Socialists of the time." (Here I gave one example, and then I added);: "But we have to distinguish between the social and historical doctrines of Marx and their practical application. In appreciation of actual facts we are always subject to error, and may have continuously to correct ourselves, whilst our theory holds good all the time."
From this it is clear that nothing was further from me than to criticise Engels whilst I was praising Marx. In doing so I should, in my opinion, have wronged the memory of both men. But I trust that your reporter has caught my words in their in right meaning, and that only necessity to be short compelled him to give them a form which people not present might easily misinterpret.
The publication of Engels's alluded to is his preface to a reprint of Marx's Die Klassen-Kämpfe in Frankreich 1848 bis 1850. There, after having stated that he and Marx did not share the illusion of the average democrats of the time that the triumph of the people over its oppressors could be finally settled by one victorious revolution, that in their eyes a prolonged series of subsequent revolutions was required and that in 1849 only the first act was over, Engels adds:– "But history has also disavowed us, it has disclosed our own estimation is illusory. It has done more – it has not only destroyed the mistake we then were led by, it has also completely revolutionised the conditions of the struggles of the proletariat. The 1848 methods of fighting are to-day obsolete in every respect."
Engels, then explains their, Marx's and his own, mistake – viz, the idea that the triumph of the proletariat after all was within hail, that the bourgeoisie, once settled as the dominant class, the next great crisis must bring about a revolution, the end of which could hardly be other than the triumph of the proletariat. "History," he continues, "has decided against us, and against all those who hold similar ideas. It has shown clearly that the state of industrial evolution attained on the continent was by far not complete enough to make the abolition of capitalist production possible." And, more than this, if even the organised worker of to-day – "if this mighty army of the proletariat has still not yet arrived at the goal, if even this army, far from attaining at the triumph by one great stroke, must in prolonged tenacious struggle, slowly advance from position to position, it is proved, once for all, how impossible it was in 1848 to conquer social revolution by simple surprise," and that "the time of surprise, the time of revolutions carried by small conscious minorities leading unconscious masses, has passed. Where a complete revolution of the organisation of society is in question the masses themselves must be engaged, they must have realised what is aimed at, for what they have struggled. To make the masses understand what is to be done long and continuous work is required."
So far Engels, The whole article is highly instructive, and, in my opinion, well worth translating. There are a few more passages in your report which lend themselves to misunderstanding. But they do not call for an immediate rectification
– With thanks in anticipation, yours sincerely,
Top of the page
Last updated on 22.12.2004


text:
What is Social Networking? By Richard Linden – Founder Webvisable in Orange County, CA. March 5, 2014 Social networking, we have all likely heard of it before, but not everyone knows what it means?If you were asked to define what social networking was, would you be able to give an accurate definition. Unfortunately, most individuals cannot, even though it is likely that they participate in some form of social networking, especially online. Social networking is defined as the grouping of individuals together into to specific groups, often like a small community or a neighborhood. Although it is possible in person, Read More
Tag Archives: social media
24 Must-Read WordPress Training Tips and Tricks
By Richard Linden, Founder of WebVisable SEO, Online Marketing & Web Solutions – March 31, 2014 Whenever I do a workshop on WordPress, or any WordPress training, I see the little flashes, the light bulbs that turn on when someone finally "gets it." And it isn't always something earth-shattering. Often it's that tiny problem that's been bugging you forever. You know—the one that when you solve it, life becomes a little easier. Here 24 WordPress training tips and shortcuts that might eliminate some of those bumpy spots in the road: When you do a return in a post or page, Read More
SEO Hierarchy of Needs – Free SEO Tips
Must have Free SEO tips! – By Richard Linden, Founder of WebVisable, an Orange County SEO, Online & Digital Marketing company Free SEO Tips and The SEO Hierarchy of Needs There's a hierarchy to be considered when developing any SEO campaign. To help businesses and marketers apply this strategy of prioritization, the SEO Hierarchy of Needs shows the relative place of search engine optimization tasks. As with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, basic and fundamental needs make up the base of the pyramid, and each higher tier represents needs that can't be realized until all needs below are satisfied. Likewise, in Read More
How Social Networking Can Build Your Business
How Social Networking Services Can Build Your Business By Richard Linden March 5, 2014 If you are a new or growing business owner, you may be at a standstill when it comes to your clientele. You can advertise in newspapers and on local billboards, but the majority of your customers are going to be online. This is why social networking services is becoming a major hot spot for new and budding business owners. You can get your company known quickly without all of the fuss and investment that comes with advertising. But there are a few things you should know about social Read More


text:
This morning, Aston Villa officially confirmed what we all knew was coming: Alex McLeish is the club's fifth manager in the past eleven months. As could have probably been expected, the official statement skirts around the issue of enraged Aston Villa fans. In fact, the only mention of the furor is an oblique one by McLeish himself:
"I know that some of our fans have voiced concerns and I can understand why. It will be up to me to convince you that I am the right man to drive the Club forward and I intend to give absolutely everything to prove that I can be a success at the Club."
I, like most of you, am having trouble coming up with positives for this, but McLeish's track record of successful, winning soccer is undeniable. He manages with a defender's mentality, and that could be good for the club. Last season, the worst part of the team was unquestionably the back line. If McLeish can solidify them, I imagine we won't be seeing so many points dropped from winning positions this year.
And I have to imagine that some of McLeish's negative style at Birmingham City was due in part to the club he was given to manage; one run on a shoestring budget whose primary aspirations were to stay up. Logically, there is no way McLeish can use Aston Villa as he did Birmingham. We've got one of the most dynamic goal-scorers in the game in Darren Bent, and one of the most creative midfielders alive in Barry Bannan. (Heck, maybe the fact that Bannan and McLeish are both Scottish will mean that we see more of Wee Barry.) Couple that with Marc Albrighton and (hopefully) Stewart Downing, and this is a club that begs for a flowing game. Villa almost always looked best last season when they were on the counter-attack. They were incredibly opportunistic at times, and it is possible that McLeish takes advantage of that.
If he can improve the defense (through transfers and training) while adapting his style to what Villa have, McLeish has the ability to be a very successful manager. I'm not convinced that he will do any of this, but I have to stay optimistic, and this is the best route I see.
Two other positives. First, it's obvious that McLeish hates the Scum as much as we do, or he will by the time this is all done. We can relate to that! And hey, at least we don't all have to worry about where to put an accent in this guy's name.


text:
Stone Veneers and More in Albuquerque
The timeless appearance of a brick or natural stone surface can enhance the look of your property, whether it's on your exterior walls, installed on a patio, or inside the home. That's right; people are using brick and stone masonry in their homes at a higher rate, giving interiors an enhanced rustic or modern look—depending on the material and application used.
At Lujan & Sons, we've known that masonry works just as well on the interior of a home as it does on the exterior. In fact, we've been doing it for decades. Something as simple as a durable stone face on a fireplace can transform a room into something you can't wait to show off to friends and neighbors.
To plan an interior masonry project with Lujan & Sons Construction, give us a call at (505) 342-9750 and we'll discuss options that work with the style of your home and your budget.
What is Interior Masonry?
Masonry, in general, is using materials like brick, stone, marble, granite, travertine, limestone, cast stone, concrete block, glass block, stucco, tile, and cob, layered with mortar and stacked in an extremely durable construction.
Unlike exterior masonry, interior construction doesn't usually use an entire slab of stone or whole brick in its installation, opting instead for something called a stone veneer. These are panels of pre-attached rock that are fastened to walls to create an affordable, realistic stone surface on fireplaces, backsplashes, and other areas where only a thin layer is needed.
These stone veneer panels are less costly than a ground-up interior masonry project, and installation can be even more affordable with a faux stone veneer, which is the same thing but made of realistic, imitation stone.
Whether you're having an entire interior rock wall installed or a series of stacked stone veneer panels, interior masonry can add elegance and variation to a living space.
Indoor Applications of Masonry
Though masonry fireplaces are the most popular of interior masonry elements, there are several other unique applications for the use of brick and stone inside your home. For example, master bathroom shower and tub surrounds, stone bars in basements, wine cellars, kitchen cooking areas, and brick or stone accent walls have been very popular throughout the years.
Here is a list of ideas to draw from when planning an interior masonry project:
- Stone Bar Fronts
- Stone or Brick Accent Walls
- Stone Fireplace Faces and Profiles
- Masonry Backsplashes
- Basement Walls
- Bathroom Installations
Contact us today to find out all that can be done with the use of masonry materials inside your home.


text:
Shirley Swimming Pool - Privately Owned, Public Swimming Pool, Southampton
This is a family run swimming club in Southampton where you can learn to swim. Childrens swimming lessons as well as Adult swimming lessons are catered for. It's location is shirley swimming pool.
© 1995-2023 KingBloom Directory Services. All Rights Reserved


text:
"The coaches are invested in helping you reach your goals."
I began my Crossfit journey back around 2010 when a co-worker introduced me to Bayou City CrossFit. My regular ol' gym routine and forcing myself to do cardio was no longer cutting it and I was bored out of my mind. Based on what I had heard from my friend, I thought I had found what I had been looking for in CrossFit. I was right, I became hooked. I went from once a week to 4 or 5 times a week and could run faster, further, and lift more weight when I was 31 than I
could at 21.
However, in 2013 I was involved in a rear end collision and suffered a few partially herniated disks in my back. No big deal I thought, I'll go to the chiropractor and after a few weeks I'll be right back competing in class. Except that's not how it went. I went from "a few weeks rest" to becoming a full-fledged couch potato. One day I looked down and had gained 55 lbs. and it'd been over two years since I had got into a gym of any kind. That was it. I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy when I looked in the mirror, my blood pressure was out of control, and my sleep was terrible.
I'm not sure there was one exact thing that finally motivated me to return in May 2016, I returned to BCCF. I was welcomed back with open arms by Vic, Katie,
and the rest of the staff and members. The coaches knew when to scale the WOD down for me and when to push me. They knew what movements I could do and which ones to modify until I could do them. They know how to properly motivate without coming across as task masters.
The coaches and staff at Bayou City are committed to helping you become the best version of yourself that you can be. It's not just about working out, they help with my diet and recovery as well. On top of that, BCCF fosters a great sense of community and often helps fundraising events for its members and local charities and events. BCCF has been around since 2008 and it'seasy to see why they're one of the oldest and well respected boxes in the Houston area and I'm proud to be a member.


text:
A perfect storm of events is leading a number of small and medium-sized businesses in Vancouver and Toronto to forsake leasing office space in favour of buying office condominiums.
"It's a relatively small percentage, but it's growing," says Scott Chandler, Colliers International senior vice-president of capital markets.
Commercial condo sales have averaged between $70-million and $80-million over the past five years in Toronto, and about double that in Vancouver, according to a Colliers International report. They are gaining in popularity because of low interest rates, the opportunity for buyers to build equity, increasing lease rates and robust price-per-square-foot growth.
The average size of office condos sold within Vancouver was 1,710 square feet last year, while those in the suburbs averaged 2,393, with the overall size of the units smaller than those in Toronto.
From 2010 to 2015, there were 177 office condo sales in 66 buildings in Toronto, mostly adjacent to transportation lines and major highways. End users purchased 74 per cent of the condos available in Toronto last year, and developers are starting to cater to them by building more of them.
While the report looked exclusively at the markets in Toronto and Vancouver, the cities where commercial condos are most widespread, Mr. Chandler says they are present in other Canadian cities and their popularity will grow as time goes on.
"I think it will expand. It makes a lot of sense, especially in a low-interest-rate environment and a leasing market that is growing and has good prospects for capital gains as rental rates go up."


text:
If you were accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the law firm of Kinsell, Zadel & Whitaker is there to help. A
Gainesville DUI lawyer has extensive experience in the
DUI process,
multiple DUI,
out of state DUI,
felony DUI,
BUI, and more. The penalties you could face for being convicted of
driving under the influence range from probation to fines to license suspension to jail. If you have questions about your case and want to see how their team could help you,
contact a Gainesville DUI attorney from the team as soon as possible. Call now for a free consultation.


text:
Petra Szabo
Dévény Therapist
International Schroth Therapist
My name is Petra Szabo, I'm a co- founder of Marbles Movement and Learning Ltd.
I gained my degree as a physiotherapist in Hungary, in 2001. I've always wanted a profession, where I can be in contact with other people, supporting them to live a quality life again after an illness or an injury.
In 2006 I gained my Deveny Therapist title and in the past year I became a special physiotherapist in Paediatric Rehabilitation, because working with infants and children was always the closest to my heart. Children have the passion and the nature for activities and as I lead an active and healthy lifestyle, I find it natural and exciting to work with them.
I found it essential to broaden my knowledge and acquire new techniques to provide the best service for my clients, so I've completed sensory treatment courses (INPP), Maitland Manual Therapy I. and Kinematic Taping.
I've recently became a Schroth Therapist, to support children and adults with postural problems and scoliosis.
Marbles Movement and Learning is the best choice for you and your child, because you can find different professionals working together to find the best treatment options and achieve the best possible results. Our team has a holistic approach, we personalise our sessions for every individual's needs, instead of choosing only one method.


text:
CHINA / Regional
Treasures down with ships continue to dazzle
By Wang Shanshan (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-26 08:24
Believe it or not, archeologists have located the sites of 2,000 ships that sank in China's territorial waters during the heyday of its marine trade.
China was a major maritime power between the 10th and 16th centuries, and the great exploits of Zheng He give an idea of Ming Dynasty's (1368-1644) might on the sea.
The 2,000 wreckages won't be the last to be found, because State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) Director Shan Jixiang says many more are waiting to be located.
Archeologists and other experts are now trying to find the sunken treasures in the Grand Canal, and their number can be "big", Shan says.
Work on the 1,700-km-long canal linking Beijing with Hangzhou began in the 5th century BC. So deft were the engineers of the times, and so farsighted was their vision that the canal is in use even today.
The discovery of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) ship Nanhai-I, which was finally hauled from South China Sea on Saturday, prompted the government to draft a plan to protect its relics lying under water, Shan says. In fact, the work on the plan has already begun.
The discoveries have created the need for regulations and actions, too. "Now that everyone has realized the value of the cultural relics lying under water, it has become all the more urgent to keep thieves and smugglers away from them."
If the country wants to better protect these priceless objects, it has to join the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage, says Zhang Wei, director of National Museum of China's underwater archaeological center.
China has just two instruments to protect its underwater heritage: the Cultural Heritage Protection Law, promulgated in 1981 and amended in 2003, and the Regulation on the Protection of Underwater Heritage, announced by the State Council in 1989.
Most of the relics looted from the seas and rivers often make their way abroad, and smugglers have been particularly rampant over the last two years, Shan says.
Art collectors and dealers across the world have become especially interested in China's underwater heritage since 2005, when about 15,000 relics, mainly 300-year-old blue-and-white porcelain, were found on a 13.5-m sunken ship off the coast of Fujian Province.


text:
Press Release
August 13, 2012
Contact: Laura Rehrmann, 703-516-0621, email@example.com
CBRE Group, Inc. Joins C2ES Business Environmental Leadership Council
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) announced today that CBRE Group, Inc. has joined the C2ES Business Environmental Leadership Council (BELC) and its efforts to address the twin challenges of energy and global climate change.
"Buildings provide a huge energy efficiency opportunity, and as the global commercial real estate leader, CBRE will join other BELC members delivering effective solutions that work for the environment and the economy," said C2ES President Eileen Claussen. "The BELC's growth from 13 original members in 1998 to 36 today is a testament to the business community's commitment to addressing climate change. CBRE recognizes that this issue isn't going away, and we commend them for taking an active role in helping to meet our climate and energy challenges."
CBRE adopted a new environmental sustainability policy in July 2012 committing to measure and report its internal carbon footprint as well as supply chain emissions by 2013. The company will also develop standards and policies to reduce energy and resource consumption and waste production and report those results. For areas under the company's control, CBRE will establish annual reduction targets and verify progress through continued development of environmental management programs. It is also taking steps to establish at least 70 percent of its corporate facilities over 20,000 square feet in space or buildings with recognized green building standards by 2017.
"Our partnership with C2ES is a reflection of our longstanding, leading environmental commitment," says Larry Midler, CBRE's Executive Vice President responsible for the company's Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability programs. "At CBRE, we recognize the responsibility that comes with our industry leadership position. We look forward to engaging with C2ES and other businesses in the BELC to advance solutions related to climate change."
The BELC is the largest U.S.-based association of corporations focused on addressing the challenges of climate change. Launched in 1998 with 13 companies, the BELC now has 36 members representing over $2 trillion in combined revenue and more than 3.5 million employees. Membership includes mainly Fortune 500 companies representing a diverse group of industries including energy, automobiles, manufacturing, chemicals, metals, mining, forest products, consumer goods and high technology. Individually and collectively, these companies are demonstrating that it is possible to take action to address energy and climate challenges while maintaining competitive excellence, growth, and profitability.
The BELC members are: Air Products & Chemicals, Alcoa, Alstom, American Water, AREVA, Bank of America, Bayer, BP, CBRE, Cummins, Daimler, Delta Air Lines, Dominion, Dow Chemical Company, DTE Energy, Duke Energy, DuPont, Entergy, Exelon Corporation, GE, GM, HP, Holcim, IBM, Intel, Johnson Controls, National Grid, NextEra Energy, NRG Energy, PG&E Corporation, PNM Resources, Rio Tinto, Shell, Toyota, TransAlta, and Weyerhaeuser.
For more information about global climate change and the activities of C2ES and the BELC, visit www.c2es.org.
About C2ES
The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) is an independent non-profit, non-partisan organization promoting strong policy and action to address the twin challenges of energy and climate change. Launched in November 2011, C2ES is the successor to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change.
About CBRE
CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBG), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest commercial real estate services firm (in terms of 2011 revenue). The company has approximately 34,000 employees (excluding affiliates), and serves real estate owners, investors and occupiers through more than 300 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers strategic advice and execution for property sales and leasing; corporate services; property, facilities and project management; mortgage banking; appraisal and valuation; development services; investment management; and research and consulting. Please visit our Web site at www.cbre.com.


text:
Writer/Director/Producer: Asghar Farhadi
Country: Iran
A Separation is a drama that would be compelling in any country: the dissolution of a marriage. But this is set in contemporary Iran. Not the Iran you see in the news, but an Iran of middle class, apolitical citizens whose quiet lives are shattered in an instant of anger. As the marriage falls apart the film weaves a maze of intrigue and complex emotions where everyone is right and wrong. A fascinating glimpse into Iran's' legal system, religious hotlines, love and human weakness.
Running time 123 minutes
"The best picture of the year!" – Chicago Sun Times
"A world-class masterpiece, flawlessly crafted, brilliantly performed and elegantly photographed." – The Wall Street Journal


text:
There was a village two miles from Howells' home where he went regularly with a team. That village is thought to have been Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen.
'There was a village a half-mile from Stake's home that had not been touched by the revival even though preachers had been there. There was not one Christian in the village and it was full of drunkenness and gambling. Holy Spirit told Howells to go there, so he obeyed, taking a team with him. In the first home he visited was a woman who was baking bread and she felt so guilty that she was doing this on a Sunday that she allowed the bread to burn rather than let Howells know what she was doing. On hearing this he went back to the house and left a sovereign (a gold £1 coin) for the damage he had done. This act of generosity had a tremendous effect on the village; the woman and her husband became Christians and Howells held meetings in their home. Holy Spirit prompted Howells to not wear his gold watch and to wear simpler clothes to fit in with the villagers. The main breakthrough came when the leading drunkard got involved in a court case. Howells offered to pay compensation on his behalf to keep him out of the courts. At this offer the man broke down. Soon a dozen people had been converted and there were meetings five times a week; with the team visiting different homes in the evenings. Soon there were converts scattered over the neighbourhood.
Howells still had some savings, but he knew that these would not last long. However, he had a promise from the Lord that he would receive £100 for every £1 he gave away. He found it difficult to part with the last of his savings, but he took the plunge and began to rely completely on God for his needs. A threat came to the village through an impending strike; the last one had gone on for eight months. At a meeting he told the villagers, "This strike may last 9 months, but not one of you will be in need of what God has promised. There is no need for one of you to be troubled or fearful." After saying this, the Glory came to the meeting. The next day the strike was settled. Howells went to that village every night for three years.
One day the Lord called Howells to something new, a day of prayer and fasting. He was so caught up with the desire for food that he could not pray, so he went down for lunch to relieve his appetite. However, on going back to prayer he found that Holy Spirit had gone. He thought that he would never be allowed back into His presence, but Holy Spirit returned and Howells learned that you do not disobey Holy Spirit.
The next test was to look after tramps. Holy Spirit told him to give them a new set of clothes, find them lodgings and work. Immediately after this instruction a tramp appeared in one of their meetings and he was treated accordingly. Then there was another and another and the word got around so many tramps came. The small team gave all their money to help these tramps. They came to a place where they realised that the only way that there would be enough money was if they handed over the responsibility to God. When paying the grocer's bill there was often just enough money to settle it. There were setbacks and discouragements, but the little band continued on and several of these tramps became Christians because of the love that they were shown.
One night Howells and his friends were returning from the village when they came across a group of women who never came to the meetings. He was challenged by Holy Spirit to pray the notorious ringleader into the Kingdom without communicating with her. He knew about Matthew 12:29 about binding the strong man and it was now time to put it into practice. Holy Spirit gave him John 15:7 and he realised that this was to be achieved through 'abiding.' The key to 'abiding' is 1 John 2:6, 'Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.' Howells would spend time waiting on the Lord each day and during this time Holy Spirit would reveal areas of his life where he was falling short. It was not just individual characteristics, but the root causes of his actions/thoughts that were dealt with. The more he obeyed, the more he became like Christ, the more the Lord could do through him. As he spent more time 'abiding,' he became more aware of Holy Spirit engaging the enemy in battle and being victorious. Howells would be able to tell when victory had been won, and then he would wait to see the result in the physical. At the end of the sixth week he says, "I was abiding now, without being called to abide, walking in the position, and the Lord told me that I could now expect to see this woman make a move." That very night she was in the open air meeting. Then she started to come to the cottage meetings, but there was no sign of repentance. Holy Spirit told him not to pray for her. Then after six weeks, on Christmas morning, Howells knew that victory had been won. At the Christmas service the woman fell on her knees crying out for mercy and she never went back.'


text:
I am pleased to be a part of the Winter Arts Fair at Musically Minded Academy this Saturday from 10am to 4pm. Entrance at 5776 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94618. The event is a fundraiser for this dedicated non-profit who offer individual or group music lessons to both children and adults. We all wish them much success. Please attend and support their first ever Winter Arts Fair.
For your viewing pleasure more than 15 Artists will exhibit their work. TheArthur Wright, Stacy Presson and I show together with Priority Artists at Open Studios. The other artists all offer an excellent variety of work. I look forward to seeing their work.
Musical selections will enhance the event from time to time for our listening senses.
If your sweet tooth is calling, delicious baked goods will be available to spice up your holiday experience.
You can find more information at http://musicallyminded.org/ or their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MusicallyMindedAcademy


text:
Bretagne – Food & Travel
Culinary photography / Editorial photography / Food photography / Tear Sheets / Travel photography Posted by Miquel Gonzalez / 0 comments
My food & travel impressions from Southern Brittany, published in the german culinary magazine Der Feinschmecker. It's wild coast is home to creative chefs and great seafood.
Frankreich, Südbretagne, Der Feinschmecker 07/2015


text:
TRADES backfire, it happens. Nailing a trade can swing a franchise's future for better or worse and it may take years for us to find out the true worth of some trades. These seven baseball trades can be deemed as some of the smartest and stupidest of all time depending on which side of the fence you are sitting on.
IF you like what you read be sure to check out more SportsbyFry articles by hitting this link. Make sure you keep up to date with the latest MLB articles and follow my fan pages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to never miss a minute of the action!
1989 – No Patience For 'The Big Unit'
Expos get: Mark Langston
Mariners get: Randy Johnson, Brian Holman & Gene Harris
A lack of patience in the young Randy Johnson saw Montreal deal him for a more established pitcher. Mark Langston was just that with a recent All-Star appearance and back-to-back Golden Gloves awards before he landed at the Expos. He was great in his 24 starts but bolted in the offseason to join the Angels. Johnson became a 10x All-Star, with a 3.42 ERA and finished in the top three for Cy Young voting four times in 10 years at Seattle
1990 – Bagwell Reaches Astro-nomical Heights
Astros get: Jeff Bagwell
Red Sox get: Larry Andersen
15 relief appearances (with one save) in exchange for a future MVP and Hall of Famer. Whoops. Boasting a roster full of infield talent the Red Sox decided they had no immediate need for Jeff Bagwell and looked to gain some bullpen help in exchange for the talented prospect. Houston was happy to oblige and Bagwell became the franchise leader in the majority of hitting stats once his 15-year career came to a close.
Image from khou.com
1997 – Pedro Martinez. Say No More
Red Sox get: Pedro Martinez
Expos get: Carl Pavano & Tony Armas
IN 1993 the Dodgers made a brain fart by dealing Martinez to Montreal. It was a great deal for the Expos. The Red Sox trade was not a great deal for the Expos. Neither Pavano or Armas amassed into much at Montreal. Martinez went on to produce perhaps the greatest stretch of pitching dominance baseball has ever seen and helped Boston break their 86-year World Series drought.
1997 – Lightning Strikes Twice
Red Sox get: Jason Varitek & Derek Lowe
Mariners get: Heathcliff Slocumb
JUST months after trading for Martinez the Red Sox swiped another franchise-defining deal. Even at the time, the deal seemed to be head scratching for Seattle who desperately needed bullpen help. Acquiring Heathcliff Slocumb (who owned a 5.79 ERA that year) didn't prove to pan out with the reliever appearing in just 84 games. Lowe and Varitek joined Martinez in becoming key parts of the 2004 World Series win and will live on in Red Sox folklore.
2002 – Three For The Price Of Two
Indians get: Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore & Lee Stevens
Expos get: Bartolo Colon & Tim Drew
THE pain continues for the Montreal Expos. The first three players they traded away all went on to stardom with Lee winning a Cy Young award and forming a lethal 1-2 punch on the mound with CC Sabathia. You know that Bartolo Colon has been in the league for a long when he played for Montreal. He performed admirably for the Expos, but was traded the next year and you can be forgiven for forgetting Tim Drew's career.
2007 – The Brave Move To Go All In
Braves get: Mark Teixeira & Ron Mahay
Rangers get: Elvis Andrus, Neftali Feliz, Matt Harrison, Jarrod Saltalamacchia & Beau Jones
OWNING a roster that apparently had World Series aspirations meant the Braves went all in on their title hopes in 2007. At the deadline, they landed then star first baseman Mark Teixeira who was batting near .300 with 13 homers. That was fine and in fact, he played well in his two-year stay at Atlanta, but after he was traded to LA there was a clear winner in this trade. Making matters worse, even though Saltalamacchia never lived up to his potential, the three players mentioned before him went on to become key parts of the Rangers back-to-back AL Pennants in '10 and '11.
2010 – 267 And Counting
Orioles get: Chris Davis & Tommy Hunter
Rangers get: Koji Uehara
UEHARA had an impressive 2.50 ERA with Texas and stuck out 66 batters. However, he only faced 199 batsmen before the Rangers opted to let him walk in free agency. Further rubbing salt into the wounds, Uehara went on to join the Red Sox's bullpen in 2013 contributing 79 saves in four seasons at Boston with an ERA of 2.19. The power hitter Davis twice has led the MLB in home runs and finished third in MVP voting in 2013, while Tommy Hunter proved to be a solid set up guy during his six-year tenure at the Orioles.
Banner from bostonglobe.com


text:
ReMix:Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! "Blast Beatdown" 3:40
By tefnek, zircon
Arranging the music of one song...
"Nuts and Bolts"Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Nintendo , 1996, SNES), music by David Wise, Eveline Novakovic
Posted 2012-12-03, evaluated by djpretzel
You thought that was IT? Nah son, we got more in store... starting w/ a hard-hitting, grimy, in-your-face, completely unapologetic piece of hard electronica from tefnek & zircon; Emunator writes:
"zircon and tefnek are powerhouses on their own, and have churned out several memorable collaborations in the past. This time around though, I think both artists have outdone themselves in terms of sheer insanity.
"Blast Beatdown" is industrial electronica in its most brutal, unrelenting form, and there's several moments in the song that will hit you hard. Both artists succeeded in ramping up the intensity of the source tenfold, without compromising the gritty atmosphere that made it so memorable in the first place, ultimately producing yet another remix that would feel right at home in a modern-day remake of the original game."
The gloves are DEFINITELY off - this is quite pointedly NOT background music, and if while listening you try to do anything with your brain that involves but a modicum of thought or focus, this mix will slap your cerebrum into submission, handcuff it to a radiator, etc. It's unignorable, it's rude, and - particularly during those triplet runs - it has the potential to induce seizure. I mean this in the best possible way, but playing this piece for someone who ALREADY had a migraine headache would probably kill them. Or they'd end up doing infomercials for the rest of their life, one or the other. I got no beef with Kenny G OR his music, but how excellent would it be for THIS MIX to randomly start playing, full bore, right in the middle of a gig? Pacemakers would short left and right. Andy writes:
"Working with tefnek is just a huge treat. Nobody makes synths as brutal or drums as loud. For this source tune, I knew that a massive, dirty style would fit like a glove, and tefnek was just the man to put it into overdrive. Our collaboration was a simple back-and-forth; I started it off, then sent the project file to tefnek, who worked on it more and then sent it back. Though I laid the basic groundwork for the arrangement, breaks and production, tefnek really injected the whole thing with battery acid and 50ccs of raw adrenaline, handling basically the entire last third of the mix among other things. Prepare to be punched in the face by an 8000 pound gorilla."
tefnek adds:
"Working on this remix was really exciting because of the moments where I would get the track back from zircon and go, "Wow! I would have never thought of that." This was a great song to work on because of the different directions the source would go, giving us a lot of freedom to do different things. My favorite part of the remix is what zircon did with the first drop, where the lower frequencies fade out and come back in full force. So intense!"
These guys know what they're doing, and they apparently know what they've done, which is dropped a megaton bomb on Double the Trouble! and left us all to savor the fallout. If you taste something funny, it's entirely possible that you've coughed up your own spleen. You've been warned... now enjoy ;)
on 2014-12-27 05:46:53
This is why I love this album: the style of tracks varies from hard-hitting electronica to tropics-inspired juicy goodness. Right from the intro I was hooked by the gritty bass and synth, later accompanied by heavy drums. And when and kinda speeds up at 0:57 and then it explodes with energy, my mind was blown away. I love the second "chorus" more, though. While it may be repeatitive a bit and liberal as well, I love this to death. This is one of the best tracks representing the "dark" side of the album. Awesome work, guys!
on 2014-08-31 20:28:01
Singularly kick-ass
on 2013-01-17 23:40:58
This is absolutely ridiculous. Compressed, heavy, and hard-hitting electronica, reminiscent of 'mAEt B0y' by A_Rival. If you haven't listened to either one yet, you are in for some major mind-blowing, either way.
on 2012-12-06 09:19:05
Hands down, one of my favorite ReMixes off of this album. And with Tefnek and Zircon mixing it up, especially in the factory, you knew that this was going to kick so much ass. So gritty, dirty, dark and powerful. And when that main riff hit, it was like a punch in the brain. It just has that menacing mechanical sound that you would expect, but so much more. Yeah, it just further proves that when you need intense and evil levels pushed to the max, you call Tefnek and Zircon.
on 2012-12-04 23:14:20
This is kicking a lot o' asses. This is just plain tefnek and wonderful zircon collab. This mix gives the hype while doing anything phisically heavy.
The bass is pure, the overdrive is crazy and the breaks and fill let you headbang a lot more than usual.
Great track guys! With the rest of the album being beatiful!
on 2012-12-04 19:47:47
If Smash 4 had a good Mekanos map, Cracker Launchers with as much power as Brawl (like the Karbine owls' cannons), and this track, you'd have my kind of battle!
on 2012-12-04 13:35:52
This one caught me off-guard; I was looking forward to it based purely on the zircon + tefnek collaboration, but I didn't realize that it'd become on of my favorite tracks on the album. It's just so freaking intense and there's so much going on. Lord, that bass at the beginning is just so HEAVY. Great work, guys!
on 2012-12-03 02:16:33
What did you think? Post your opinion of this ReMix.
Sources Arranged (1 Song)
- Primary Game:
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (Nintendo
, 1996,
Music by David Wise,Eveline Novakovic
- Songs:
- "Nuts and Bolts"
Tags (5)
- Genre:
- Industrial
- Mood:
- Aggressive
- Instrumentation:
- Electronic
- Additional:
- Effects > Glitching
Origin > Collaboration
File Information
- Name:
- Donkey_Kong_Country_3_Blast_Beatdown_OC_ReMix.mp3
- Size:
- 6,699,111 bytes
- 6f412c69b05e32a32eec7d67c10c901f
- Bitrate:
- 239Kbps
- Duration:
- 3:40
Donkey Kong Country 3: Double the Trouble!
By OverClocked ReMix
Latest Albums
Latest ReMixes
- Size: 6,699,111 bytes
- MD5 Checksum: 6f412c69b05e32a32eec7d67c10c901f
Right-click one of the mirror links above and select "Save Link As" or "Save Target As"!!
Help us save bandwidth - using our torrents saves us bandwidth and lets you download multiple mixes as a single download. Use the tracker below and scroll for more information, or visit https://bt.ocremix.org directly, and please don't forget to help us seed!!
ocremix.org is dedicated to the appreciation and promotion of video game music as an art form. more...
Please support us on Patreon if you can!
Content Policy
(Submission Agreement and Terms of Use)
Page generated Fri, 29 Sep 2023 21:19:10 +0000 in 0.0742 seconds
All compositions, arrangements, images, and trademarks are copyright their
respective owners. Original content is copyright OverClocked ReMix, LLC. For information on RSS and
JavaScript news feeds, linking to us, etc. please refer to resources for webmasters. Please refer to the Info section of the site
and the FAQ available there for information about the
site's history, features, and policies. Contact David W.
Lloyd (djpretzel), webmaster, with feedback or questions not answered there.


text:
Delta 4 rocket blasts off on GPS mission
(AP) -- After several day's delay due to technical issues, a Delta 4 rocket has rumbled into the sky from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral carrying a GPS satellite.
Officials said the military craft that blasted off Thursday night would be used for national security and navigation.
It's the first of a new generation of Global Positioning System satellites going into orbit. A dozen such Boeing-built satellites will be launched over the next several years to replace 20-year-old satellites now in service.
This will be the first GPS mission to launch on a Delta 4, after 49 missions launched atop the smaller Delta 2 between 1989 and 2009. Future GPS spacecraft will be lifted into orbit on the Delta 4, on the Atlas 4 and on ULA's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle.
©2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
bzcompress() compresses the source string and returns it as bzip2 encoded data.
The optional parameter blocksize specifies the blocksize used during compression and should be a number from 1 to 9 with 9 giving the best compression, but using more resources to do so. blocksize defaults to 4.
The optional parameter workfactor controls how the compression phase behaves when presented with worst case, highly repetitive, input data. The value can be between 0 and 250 with 0 being a special case and 30 being the default value. Regardless of the workfactor, the generated output is the same.
See also bzdecompress().


text:
Two years with GDPR
On 25 May 2020, the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR) had been in force for exactly two years. At Implement, our main argument through these two years has been, and still is, that working with GDPR in the right way can ensure more than just compliance – it can drive significant business impact.
At this two-year mark, we take a look at our top-five list of the most expensive – but avoidable – mistakes that organisations make when working with GDPR. The list is based on experience from organisations we have worked with and experience from our DPO courses with Kammeradvokaten/Advokatfirmaet Poul Schmith (the Legal Adviser to the Danish Government).
The five mistakes are listed in random order and are of equal importance. At the end of the article, we will also list our five recommendations for succeeding with the GDPR implementation journey.
The GDPR requires that certain documentation can be disclosed upon request. But equally important, the organisation must also show how they live up to the rules. And that is a quite different thing.
Compliance is not only a question of papers and documents but just as much a matter of people. Want to get compliant for real? Ignite the human firewall – to make your people the strongest link.
If your employees do not understand the "why" of documenting, there is a significant risk that they will not change their behaviour. Without behaviour change, all your time-consuming work of documenting processes and policies is more or less worthless.
This also applies to the need for continuously reviewing and updating your documentation. If the business does not perceive this as a crucial task, it will not be done, as this – for most people – is an extra and secondary task to their daily job. Hence, the documentation will quickly be outdated and therefore not compliant.
GDPR cuts across many functions in the organisation and relies on many stakeholders to work. Hence, relying on solely one function – no matter if it is Legal, IT or the DPO – it will be impossible for that function to handle all aspects of GDPR without extreme cost and low positive impact.
However, we have experienced organisations relying too heavily on just one function or role to drive GDPR compliance. This can lead not only to a lot of wasted time but also heavily frustrated employees due to bottlenecks and unanswered challenges. This time and energy could instead have been spent on developing the organisation and achieving true business impact.
It is important to understand that everyone has a crucial role in GDPR that only they can fulfil. Legal must handle all interpretations of the regulation, how to obtain a correct consent etc., but they cannot automatically be expected to know a lot about privacy by default or design or sufficient levels of security.
In fact, neither IT, Legal nor the DPO is responsible. The data controller is – and the organisation is the data controller. And to live up to that responsibility, the organisation must understand that an organisational focus on privacy is a necessity in a digital age with many incidents of unintended and intended disclosure of data.
Because no single function can handle GDPR alone, it can be beneficial to set up a governance structure that appoints responsibility and provides mandates where needed. If the responsibility and accountability – yes, you need to dust off your RACI – are not appointed, you risk ending up in a situation where all tasks are passed on in an endless loop, as no one sees it as their job to get it done.
To be able to support technical and operational demands effectively, processes and information architecture must be known, managed, documented and controlled. This requires mature processes and governance. Maintenance of documentation and protection of information to comply with GDPR are not easy and can be costly if sufficient governance and process maturity are not in place.
In our experience, some organisations tend to overestimate their own process and governance maturity level. When the resources required to work with GDPR are estimated, this estimate is then based on wrong assumptions. Thus, the implementation ends up taking far longer and being more costly than was initially expected.
Over the past two years, we have met organisations that, in their eagerness to "get GDPR done and over with", have started all processes and initiatives at the same time. At best, this is a challenging strategy for (at least) two reasons.
First, GDPR has a risk-based approach, and so it follows that an organisation needs to assess risks to understand which areas are most vulnerable and in need of attention. If this is not done, the organisation runs the risk (no pun intended!) of spending a lot of effort and money in the wrong places.
Second, the organisation can easily feel overrun with GDPR-related requests and tasks. This is a challenge, because the organisation needs to be on board with both understanding what is needed and helping to establish and ignite the human firewall as mentioned above. If there is no support amongst employees to do this, the GDPR initiatives are never going to gain momentum and get going.
It is essential for the organisation to apply the risk-based approach in two steps: get an overview of what needs to be done and then prioritise and divide the tasks into smaller pieces that will not strangle the organisation along the way.
Let's just be frank: 100% compliance does not exist and aiming for that will get you nowhere. This might sound a bit provocative, but remember this:
The regulation is risk-based. Therefore, you need to focus on the most critical areas first and work your way through them. If your focus is 100% compliant, although an admirable goal, our experience tells us that you will get caught up in the details that only impede the implementation.
GDPR is like a highway being built while in use. You start by building the main road with crash barriers between the lanes to ensure that the cars have a safe road to drive on. Then you continue with the exits – some of these may even be built along with the main road if they are crucial. Then you will move on to placing crash barriers along the ditch, painting markings and setting up street signs and lights. Along the way, you may have to go back and fix a hole in the asphalt in the beginning of road. Consider if the contractor closed the highway for weeks or even months, just so they could set up signs, paint markings on the road and ensure that there were no holes in the asphalt. In the second example, the contractor would not get the next road construction job.
The same goes for GDPR. We cannot stop daily operations and pause the actual purpose of the organisation to set up GDPR. Instead, we need to implement it as we go along, getting the important things in place first, so we can continue to run the organisation as much within the regulation as possible. It is not easy, but it can be done.
Saying that 100% compliance is nearly impossible is not an excuse for doing nothing. Compliance is a never-ending story, so you need to consider how to utilise the resources to ensure progress and a sufficient level of compliance.
We know that GDPR is a topic that can make most CXOs look annoyed and frustrated. However, we also know that organisations can utilise GDPR to drive significant positive business impact. In this article, we have listed the top-five most expensive GDPR implementation mistakes, and by reverse-engineering the mistakes, we can present our five recommendations for any organisation wishing to succeed on their GDPR journey.
The first two years of GDPR have presented their share of trouble for organisations across Europe – but also a great deal of learning. We look forward to continuing supporting and helping organisations harvest the benefits and positive business impact that GDPR can bring along – if you avoid the mistakes – in the coming years.
Article in Danish: A guide to artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Implement Consulting Group
Follow us
Expertise Areas