text:
Bathroom Fixtures and Accessories
- Ideal Standard
- American Standard
- Oli
- Geesa
- Arca
- Schell
- Sloan
- Domestic Kitchen
- Industrial Kitchen and Laundry Equipment
- Ceramic Surfaces
- Resilient Flooring
- Laminate Flooring
- Finishing Profiles
- Ironmongery
- Waterproofing
With timeless styles in versatile patterns Tarkett compact homogeneous vinyl floorings provide tough and ultra-durable solutions for heavy and very heavy traffic areas. High-quality raw materials and innovative surface treatments ensure long-lasting performance and appearance, low maintenance and excellent life cycle costs. Ideal for commercial applications such as healthcare, education, retail and industry.
The Tarkett Premium collection has been renewed to become, with Eclipse (Spirit Collection and Eclipse Classic Collection) and Premium, the largest homogeneous vinyl flooring offer in non-directional patterns. With an increased number of colours and a new offer (Primo Safe.T, Primo Acoustic and Primo SD), it helps in the conception and coordination of projects (Education, Healthcare and other types of public buildings), with the possibility to mix and match any type of flooring solutions within the same fully coordinated design offer.
– Eclipse Premium
Excellent value for money with durable multi-purpose floorings in a variety of classic and contemporary colours.
– Vylon Plus


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The EU Global Strategy outlines an ambitious set of objectives to refashion the EU's foreign and security policy. Fostering state and societal resilience stands out as a major goal of the strategy, conceived both as a means to enhance prevention and early warning and as a long-term investment in good governance, stability and prosperity. This book collects the results of a research project designed and implemented by FEPS and IAI exploring different understandings of resilience on the basis of six MENA state and societal contexts, mapping out the challenges but also positive reform actors and dynamics within them as a first step towards operationalizing the concept of resilience.
This book is the result of a IAI-FEPS project entitled "The EU's New Resilience Agenda in the MENA Region". Presented at the event "Resilience and Reform in the Middle East and North Africa", Brussels, 8 March 2018.
Read it here

subset: commoncrawl


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I am recommending we sell a call on our uncovered D.R. Horton (DHI) shares.
We will be tracking and managing this as an ongoing position. However, you can enter today's trade even if you were not in the previous position. Just be sure to buy 100 shares of the stock first for every call you plan to sell.
Current Stock Price: $69.63
Cost Basis: $74.37
Action: Sell to open the DHI Nov Monthly (11/20) 72.50 Call for around $2.57
New Cost Basis: $71.80


text:
PCO2 CARIOCA Buoy
CARIOCA is an automatic drifting or fixed buoy designed to measure the concentration of pCO2 at the surface of the ocean in order to qualify the CO2 exchange between atmosphere and ocean. The buoy is equipped with the pCO2 sensor of NKE Instrumentation that used a revolutionary approach based on spectrophotometry.
CARIOCA buoy performs hourly measurements of several parameters:
Concentration of seawater dissolved pCO2
Sea Surface Temperature (SST)
Practical Salinity
Air temperature
Atmospheric pressure
Dissolved Oxygen
Examples of use
Technical data
Range: 250 to 550 µatm
Initial accuracy: +/- 3µatm
Range: -2 to +32°C
Initial accuracy: +/-0.01°C
Range: 0.03 to 75µg/l
Sensitivity: 0.03µg/l
Range: 0.01 to 60 m/s
Initial accuracy:
+/-3% 0.01 m/s to 40m/s
+/-5% 0.01 m/s to 40 m/s
Range: -40 to 70°C
Initial accuracy: +/-0.3°C @ 20°C
Range: 300 to 1100 hPa
Initial accuracy: +/-0.5 hPa @ 25°C
Range: 0 to 65.5 mS/cm
Initial accuracy: +/-0.003 mS/cm
Range: +/-0.002 (-5 to 35°C)
Initial accuracy: +/-0.01 (35 to 45°C)
Range: 0 to 500 µmol/l
Initial accuracy: <8µmol/l
Range: 0 to 36°C
Initial accuracy: +/-0.1°C
Weight: 130 kg (including yellow floating body)
Height: 2.5m
Hull diameter: 0.2m
Float diameter 0.6m


text:
mobile - desktop
3 months for $50.00
News & Events:
Posted by genaroleon on May 09, 2003 at 17:25:13:
In Reply to: Hi, I'd like to spend $20,000 on..... posted by Skooter777 on May 09, 2003 at 17:22:13:
:Sunset Boas that I could easily reproduce by buying a Hog Island Boa and a Hypo Boa for less than $1000. Who can I contact? Please note, I will only purchase $20,000 worth if they are the breeder is the first to ever produce these and the babies must be proven!
:thank you


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Discovering our aloha on Oahu
Aloha. It's a word synonymous with the Hawaiian islands. One word that holds many meanings. In Hawaii, "aloha" may be a greeting, a farewell, and can even mean love. But there's an even deeper meaning to aloha in how Hawaiians interact with the natural world. On our latest trip to Oahu, we wanted to discover what aloha meant to us. To do that, we looked to Expedia's new Discover Your Aloha tool.
Chris and I were excited not only to try the new facial recognition technology but to also be partnered with our animal guide to the islands. We watched the gorgeous video (which alone would have us pandering for a visit to the islands), smiled at the images that spurred something within us, and waited as we were paired with our Hawaiian animal guide.
Between the three Hawaiian animal guides, Pua'a (the pig) seemed like the most obvious choice. Pua'a, the pioneer, appeals to those that love the outdoors and are naturally adventurous. My husband and I are adventurers at heart. We've bungee jumped in Korea, received magical tattoos in Thailand, and trained falcons in Bahrain. We're typically up for anything.
Imagine our shock when we ended up being paired with He'e as our animal guide. He'e (the octopus) introduced himself as the warm-hearted guide that loves sharing what makes Hawaiʻi special. It dawned on us that our animal guide was given to us based on where we are in our lives right now. And that means in the throes of parenthood.
Since welcoming our son eight months ago, our focus has shifted. We're no longer chasing after the high that's achieved from sky diving or swimming with sharks. Now, our primary focus is showing our baby the wonders of this world—even down to the little things. We were both ecstatic and anxious the first time we boarded a plane with our son. Our hearts melted when we introduced him to the ocean (and then were broken when he hated it). And we are absolutely tickled at the faces he makes when trying new foods. So like He'e, we truly enjoy sharing experiences with those that are closest to us. Both Chris and I were eager to explore the island using our customized itinerary from He'e.
Kualoa Ranch
The big recommendation from He'e was a visit to Kualoa Ranch. We had previously visited the 4,000 acre nature reserve three years ago on our honeymoon. And while Kualoa offers a variety of thrill seeking adventures from zip lining to ATV adventures, the ranch also boasts tot appropriate activities. We decided on the catamaran tour and the movie sites tour with a delicious buffet lunch in between the two.
Our ocean voyage tour was in the morning before the weather got too hot. We boarded the catamaran and sailed around Kaneohe Bay. Holden seemed to enjoy cruising on the water while I took in the gorgeous scenery of the windward side of Oahu. Mokoli'i island stood as statuesque as ever while the Ko'olau mountains beckoned from the shore. We stood at the bow with the wind in our hair and searched for baby sea turtles as we cruised past a small reef bed.
Once we docked and headed back to the ranch, we were ushered to the cafeteria. We were greeted by two long buffet tables stocked with delicious local food. I filled my plate with kalua pig, rice, kimchi, and ribs while making sure to leave room for the pineapple upside down cake for dessert. We had a few minutes to spare before our next tour and decided to wander around the property and love on some of the resident horses.
The afternoon movie sites tour was quite popular and we wanted to arrive early to ensure the best seating on the bus. Our guide drove us through secluded parts of the ranch where huge blockbuster movies were filmed. A few notable movies filmed on Kualoa were Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, 50 First Dates, and Battleship. Our driver made a few stops to let us off the bus to explore a few of the sets on our own and take as many pictures as we wanted.
And while we weren't careening down a mountainside on a zipline or riding horseback through a lush valley, our family time at Kualoa was well spent. Seeing Holden take in the scenery on our catamaran ride and posing with him in front of the Jurassic Park sign were moments that I'll treasure forever.
Polynesian Cultural Center
He'e also recommended a visit to the Polynesian Cultural Center. It had been over a decade since I have last been to the "PCC" and I was excited at the opportunity to bring my family back with me. The Polynesian Cultural Center is an educational theme park that celebrates the beauty and diversity of the Polynesian islands. The PCC showcases six islands: Tonga, Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, and Aotearoa (New Zealand) with traditional activities around every corner.
Once we entered the park, we gave into our senses. Our noses followed the incredible smells coming from Samoa where a meal was being prepared. We stopped for a few samples before heading on our way. A ukulele beckoned in the distance and we inevitably found ourselves in Hawaii where hula dancers were swaying to the music of a Hawaiian band. Chris' favorite stop was in Tahiti, where he tried his hand a tolo, traditional Tahitian underhanded spear throwing. I was particularly enamored with the beautiful floral haku that Chris bought for me. I don't think it left my head until we were back at our hotel.
Our Ambassador Luau Package included park entrance, a personal guide, and entrance to the Ali'i Luau and the evening show,"HA: Breath of Life". We worked up quite an appetite after wandering the park and were more than ready to feast on traditional Hawaiian fare at the luau. After a lei greeting, we were seated front and center (mahalo, Ambassador status) with the stage directly in front of us. We were crooned by the MC as we dined on kalua pig, rice, fresh poi, and lomilomi salmon. I was happily satisfied, or at least thought I was, until I laid eyes on the dessert table.
It was a long day but hands down one of my favorites on the island. I love that the PCC is fun for the whole family. Even Holden enjoyed watching the shows and playing with my haku. Full disclosure: we had to dip out of the evening show a little early due to Holden's bed time and impending meltdown but I look forward to bringing him back in the future.
Byodo-In Temple
As is tradition, our time on the island wouldn't be complete without a visit to Byodo-In Temple. We've been visiting the temple since our first visit to the island together. Every time we return, Chris takes the same photo of me, in the same pose, in the same patch of bamboo.
You'll see that things have changed over the years. Just like our photo, our way of travel has also evolved over the years. While we might have been guided by Pua'a in the past, He'e is the perfect animal guide for where we are in our lives right now. We are still outgoing and adventurous, but not tend to focus on sharing the world with our son.
To discover your aloha (and receive a customized itinerary for your next Hawaiian vacation), take the quiz and meet your animal guide at discoveryouraloha.expedia.com.
What animal guide did you get?
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We've rounded up some of the best forest bathing spots around the globe where can combine your newfound houseplant obsession with breaking free from your home's four walls.


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Rwanda and Cricket: A Story of Reconciliation
Tags: Charity, Sports, Development, Reconciliation
"At one point, I saw my mother try to run away. She made it out of the door, but they killed her under the tree with machetes. When the killing was done, they pulled all the bodies out of the house and into the courtyard. I couldn't recognise anyone. They were all cut up. Disfigured. Dismembered. Unrecognisable."
— The testimony of Helen, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide.
The Rwandan Genocide occurred within a 100-day period and resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 Rwandans. It has been over two decades since these horrific acts took place and now — there is a new Rwanda. Some have compared the country to a phoenix, rising from the ashes of this devastating violence to become a story of success in the Great Lakes region of Africa, where 5.4 million people have been killed in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1998 to 2008. To put that in perspective, the combined U.S. death tolls in Afghanistan and Iraq is about 7,000 soldiers over a longer period.
Today, CAF America is joining the world in recognizing International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda and encouraging the country's desire to incorporate its troubled past into its bright future. While reconciliation must come from the citizens of Rwanda, philanthropy and charities can play an extraordinary role in facilitating this process.
Not surprisingly the process of reconciliation has been difficult, and it continues to be a challenge some twenty years later. Philanthropists and nonprofits, local and international, are committed to help bring the country together again. Both conventional and more innovative approaches to reconciliation have been utilized and often times the best success stories have actually materialized as a result of the confluence of these efforts and some unexpected circumstances. Take cricket for example. Cricket is truly only popular in countries where the British Empire left its mark, such as India, Pakistan, and Australia. Rwanda, however, has a colonial history that was instead largely shaped by Belgium and France, not Britain. So why now, of all times, is cricket not only becoming popular in Rwanda but is increasingly seen as one of the best avenues for reconciliation? Well, we have to ask a Brit of course.
In a moving piece in the Telegraph, titled Field of Dreams, we encounter part of the reason why cricket has taken roots in Rwanda. In spite of lacking proper facilities and equipment, there is a great will and ambition among Rwandans to make cricket their own. The Telegraph details challenges such as the hilly nature of the capital city, Kigali, and how it is not conducive to a sport that requires fairly flat and level ground, in addition to the fact that the teams do not have easy access to the appropriate equipment or even team uniforms. But these challenges are surpassable with dedication and Rwandans are determined that if Afghanistan, a country wracked by violence for decades, can win a match in the 2015 Cricket World Cup — against Scotland nonetheless — then Rwanda can too.
One could argue that there could be many reasons behind this determination, such as the love for the sport, however many are convinced that the game is embraced also due to its power to foster healing.
A British charity called the Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation (RCSF), founded by Christopher Shale and now run by his son, Alby Shale, is working to build Rwanda its first true cricket stadium. Alby says that the sport has been effective in bringing Rwandans together, even those whose families were on opposing sides of the genocide: "Our ultimate ambition is reconciliation through sport. Cricket is an amazing medium that brings people together. It teaches you to work as a team. You can't do anything in cricket without working together".
As construction of the stadium begins in 2016, RCSF is partnering with SURF, a British survivors fund that supports victims of the genocide and has been a grant recipient of CAF America in the past. SURF, previously engaged in helping Rwandan university graduates find employment — a project Alby's father, Christopher Shale was actively involved in –will play an important role in ensuring that reconciliation efforts are central to the new stadium. The partnership will enable SURF to hold courses at the stadium's facilities to encourage reconciliation, and to help the players and their families. The hope among all involved is that cricket will become Rwanda's sport and that it will serve as a symbol of unity for years to come.
Yesterday was the International Day of Sport for Development, a day that celebrates the role that sports have in bringing communities together, curing social ills, and lifting populations out of poverty. Fortunately, such stories of unification around sports are not rare and they continue to provide one of the best platforms for a society to confront itself — and to move forward.
Photo courtesy of RCSF.


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How Long Does It Take To See Digital Marketing Results
In a world where 'instant' thrives, it's hard not to want to get immediate results for whatever action you take. You've published a blog and you expect instant feedback. You expect your social media campaign to produce a result immediately. You want to drive in traffic, get leads and increase sales all in an INSTANT.
More often than not, it feels like you need instant results to stay competitive and relevant.
I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news but it doesn't always work that way.
But we live in a digital world. Shouldn't the results be immediate?
Yes, I know! Since we live in a digital world, some business owners expect to see results once they launch a campaign. Not always the case. This leads to an important question:
How long does it take to see my digital results? A month? 3-6 months? A year or more?
In this blog, you will learn some factors that can affect your digital marketing results. They are your goals, budget, product life cycle stage and digital marketing service.
To answer the question, I'll say it depends. The reason being that each site and niche are different.
There's no general rule stating when to expect results. But studies reveal you can start seeing digital marketing results in 6 months.
Let's dive in….
What kind of business do you run? Are you a business-to-business (business conducted between companies)? Or a business-to-consumer (business conducted between a company and consumers)?
For a business-to-consumer company dealing with food, results show on time since your audience already know what you're about. But, for a business-to-business company, results tend to take a while since your audience is yet to figure out what you're about. In other words, the more general your brand is the wider your audience.
SMART Goals
The importance of goal setting can never be over-emphasized. Your goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. These are the kind of goals you should set if you hope to see results.
Do you want to increase sales by 30% by the end of the year? Do you want subscribers to double up within four months? Do you want to have 2000 website visitors by the end of the year? All of these are examples of SMART goals.
In other words, if your goals are SMART, you are more likely to see results.
How long you'll see digital marketing results will depend on your budget. Do you have a part of your cedis allocated to paid ads? Are you willing to pay to boost or promote your content? If you are, you're much likely to see results pretty fast.
Digital Marketing Activities
Your digital marketing activity also contributes to how quick results begin to show.
Content Marketing
You have a great content, keywords are on point and goals well defined. But, it's hard to see immediate results. When it comes to content marketing, it could take about six months before results begin to show.
You could start seeing results anywhere from 6-9 months. Companies with more than 400 published blog posts get more traffic than those with less.
It takes between six and nine months for a content marketing strategy to start working.
Companies who blog 20 times a month gets five times more traffic than those who blog four times or less. It takes an average of 15 to 17 months of consistent content creation and distribution to reach results.
To boost your content marketing results, you need to pay attention to SEO. Also, how consistent you are with your posts, the quality of these posts and its relevance to your industry counts.
Source: Hubspot, Lead Generation Lessons from 4,000 Businesses, 2011
Developing a clear strategy is key in defining how long it'll take to see your digital marketing results. Now, this doesn't mean results will show up at once. Having a good strategy means you have a defined audience and know how they buy.
You might have a great content but that doesn't mean you'll produce immediate results once you publish a post. It could take some time before your content begins to rank in Google.
Content marketing results happen over time. With some patience and consistency, you can produce valuable and lasting results. The key is to create content that consumers value and trust.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Wouldn't it be lovely to see your site ranked #1 on Google? That's the main aim of SEO after all, isn't it? For Search Engine Optimization, seeing results could take up to four or six months. It's worth mentioning that SEO is never a onetime deal. It's an ongoing process.
Results could take as little as 2 weeks or as long as six months. Your SEO result will depend on certain factors. These include website design, domain age, geographic location and competition. Keyword, website content, target audience and meta-description are also included. When it comes to SEO, results grow over time.
SEO is an investment. Before you can begin to see results, you will have to be consistent over time. Only then can you deliver greater results in the long run. It's an ongoing process which means you will have to optimise your site from time to time.
Social Media
If there's one area of digital marketing that takes time, it is social media. Why? Partly because it's hard to define what metric to track. Do you focus only on shares, likes and followers? When it comes to social media, engagement is key!
And creating an engaging post will depend on your kind of industry. Business-to-consumers industries are more likely to see results faster than business-to-business industries.
It's a lot easy to see results such as an increase in followers, likes and shares. But when it comes to Return on Investment (ROI), it takes more time.
From the chart, about 80% awareness growth produced a 30% sales in less than a year. The chart shows that social media has a great impact on your awareness and sales.
Pay-Per-Click (PPC)
PPC is often considered the fastest way to get results and increase sales. But, PPC results will depend on your budget and goals. PPC increases website traffic, brand awareness, sales and profitability at a fast pace. But it could take six months before you see optimal results.
If you research your PPC keywords well, you can see results from your PPC campaigns immediately.
Product Life Cycle
This is a marketing concept used to describe the various stages a product goes through. From the period it's developed to the time it's removed from the market. These stages include the introduction, growth, maturity and decline.
Knowing which stage you're in helps you know how much digital marketing effort to put in.
Introduction Stage
Here, the public becomes aware of the product and begins to create demand for it. This depends on the number of competition and how new the product is.
The company seeks to build brand awareness about the product and develop a market for the brand. The importance of the introduction stage is to create awareness for demand generation.
At this stage, you can go for paid ad campaigns (social media ads, PPC).
Growth Stage
Now the public is aware of the product and sales and revenue begins to increase. Consumers have come to trust and accept the product, thus, causing the company to gain a wide audience.
At this stage, brands are looking to establish their position in the market. And also to increase sales and improve profit margins. As a business owner, you would want to position your brand as an authority. Thus, investing in content marketing.
Maturity Stage
Here, companies want to maintain their market share. This is because of the number of competition and the challenges they face. Sales are at its peak and the market becomes more saturated.
It's difficult for companies to increase sales and make profits. At this stage, you can invest in online or social media reputation management.
Decline Stage
This is the last stage of the product lifecycle. At the stage, the product 'dies' because of a drop in sales. Competition, change in technology and customer needs causes the product to decline.
Companies will be looking to redesign their website, re-strategize or change their logo. At this stage, your option will be to invest in social media campaigns and content marketing.
The length of a product depends on the product's complexity and newness. Also, how it fits the customer's needs and the presence of competition.
At any given stage of the product cycle, digital marketing activities will differ. This, in turn, will determine when you'll see digital marketing results. It's important for business owners to know at which stage their service or product is.
In conclusion,
Consistency is key! Don't expect to see results immediately. That doesn't mean you should be inconsistent in your social media posts or in the publishing of blogs. These things take time. Yes! But posting 3 times a day and then waiting for a whole month before another post comes, will not bring in results.
So, how long will it take to see results from digital marketing? It depends! Your level of commitment makes a difference. If you're investing in digital marketing, how long did it take you to start seeing results?
Please share your experience in the comments below. Let's know what worked and what didn't.
[cp_modal display="inline" id="cp_id_2016e"][/cp_modal]


text: Once a year the M/V Fram stays for 2 nights in the Norwegian city Bergen. We use this time for maintenance, meetings, loading new supplies and cleaning. And this year we can really say 'major' cleaning, all the carpets and the chairs were cleaned by Norwegian professionals. And the result is there, they look brand new again. We also received a lot of new supplies here, the crew was working to the last minute to load everything on the car deck. Today the first guests arrived between 13 and 15 o'clock. This is the first bunch of them, the rest will come aboard in Hamburg. Most of the current passengers stay on board until Las Palmas (Canary islands), but some only stay on board until Hamburg. After the check-in procedures and the safety drill we left the harbour of Bergen, bow of the Fram heading South: sunshine here we come!! And as soon we were loose from the pier it stopped raining and we could enjoy the coastline of the many islands scattered around Bergen city. Many of these island are connected by bridges. We sailed under the bridges called Askøybrua and Sotrabrua. Askøybrua is a suspension bridge and crosses Byfjorden between Bergen and Askøy. It opened in 1992, and is the longest suspension bridge in Norway. It is 1057 meters long and has a main span of 850 meters.


text:
New Castle County Police are currently investigating a shooting that occurred in the community of Dunleith.
(New Castle, Del. 19702) Wednesday (January 31) at approximately 10:11 p.m., New Castle County Patrol officers were dispatched to the Wilmington Emergency Room for the report of a 35 year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. Patrol officers were dispatched to the Dunleith community and located the scene in the 400 block of Morehouse Dr.
Detectives from the New Castle County Police Criminal Investigation Unit responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to contact New Castle County Police at (302) 573-2800.
Citizens can also submit a tip via our website at http://www.nccpd.com. Tipsters may also call Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or visit us on Facebook at New Castle County Police Department.
A reward of up to $20,000.00 is available to anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of those responsible for violent crimes being investigated by this agency.


text:
Divide and Conquer:
The Politics of Palestinian Human Rights
by Lana Habash
August 9, 2005
I recently had occasion to talk with a professor at a well-known human rights center on the subject of Palestine. Although the center claims to derive its mandate from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a declaration whose very title insists on universal application — I quickly found that the professor's commitment to universality grew less firm when the rights in question belong to Palestinians. Although the Declaration is unequivocal in affirming the right of refugees to return to their homes and reclaim their property, the professor stated that she didn't support this particular right in all cases, specifically NOT in the case of Palestine. When I asked her about the validity of a Jewish state that practiced Apartheid, she told me that she saw the establishment of a Jewish state on Palestinian land as past history, and she didn't see the significance of debating it now. When I asked her what she thought of the ongoing practice of ethnically cleansing Palestinian communities within the Green Line (in what is now called Israel) in areas like the Naqab (Negev) through land confiscation and poisoning crops, she admitted that she knew nothing about it.
This conversation with a human rights professor at an academic institution wouldn't be a cause of great concern if it weren't also fairly typical of the human rights discourse on Palestine in American activist circles. This discourse is generally governed by two rules:
(1) The discussion of Palestinian human rights must be strictly limited to the rights of Palestinians after 1967. The human rights of Palestinians before this period must consistently be ignored, denied, or deemed negotiable; and
(2) The "Green Line" defines the players, their privileges, their rights, and the legitimacy or illegitimacy of their claims to protection under international human rights law.
These two rules have helped to ensure that the discourse on "human rights" does not serve Palestinians in a struggle to obtain their rights, but rather facilitates the ongoing colonization of their land.
• On human rights discourse and the rights of Palestinians before 1967
Imagine for a moment a discussion of the human rights of indigenous South Africans absent a discussion of the racism and colonialist ideology that laid the foundation for the oppressive policies of white South Africa. Those advocating for the human rights of South African native people would decry the prison conditions of jailed indigenous South Africans, denounce the horrifying exploitation of their labor, and would oppose the most repressive policies of white South African violence against popular resistance to Apartheid, but would say nothing about Apartheid itself. In such a case, one of the fundamental human rights violations "necessary" to maintain the privileges of a minority white population on South African land would be deemed acceptable (the system of segregation and racist laws called Apartheid) because the security of white South African "rights" (read dominance) would otherwise be threatened. Such a human rights framework would not only have been flawed because it failed to address the fundamental crime of Apartheid, but also because in doing so it would have failed to change in any way the human rights violations built on that foundation. It would rather have helped support the lie propagated by the Apartheid regime: the notion that Apartheid and human rights were compatible. Such a discourse would neither question nor oppose racism but only the most repressive manifestations of it and even this "opposition" would have been meaningless, since repression was a necessary consequence of the system of Apartheid.
In Palestinian human rights advocacy in America, this framework is the norm. The human rights of Palestinian people prior to 1967 are neither part of the discussion nor part of the aim of advocacy. In 1948, over 780, 000 Palestinians (over 82% of the indigenous population of Palestine at that time) were forcibly transferred from their land, in some cases at gunpoint, in other cases through threats of massacres like the massacre of over 250 Palestinians in Deir Yassin. 530 of an estimated 550 total villages were depopulated. Over 78% of Palestinian land was confiscated for the establishment of a state for Jewish people. The establishment of the Law of Return and the Absentee Property Law in the 1950's — racist laws which defined the boundaries of inclusion (Jewish people) and exclusion (indigenous Palestinians) — were cornerstones in the establishment of an Israeli Apartheid state that continues to this day. None of these facts are part of the predominant American human rights perspective on Palestine. All of the human rights abuses noted above are rooted in and justified through Zionism.
Zionism is a European colonialist ideology and political process of creating and maintaining a Jewish majority in Palestine, granting rights and privileges to Jewish people that supersede any rights of the indigenous people of Palestine. In Zionism, the process of "Judaizing" or "redeeming" the land (expropriating the land of indigenous Palestinians and using it for exclusively Jewish use) is used as justification for all policies, no matter how repressive, both preceding and following 1967.
This demographic war waged on the Palestinian people meets the definitions of both the crime of Apartheid and the crime of genocide as defined in international law. Recognition of these crimes is startlingly absent from most mainstream discussions of Palestinian human rights in America. Utilizing the framework of Zionism, "Palestine/Israel" peace groups maintain that Israeli rights to Palestinian land and resources (justified through racism and taken by military force) and Palestinian rights to their own resources and land (defined as specifically the West Bank and Gaza and not the rest of historic Palestine) are somehow equal.
In this framework, rights for Palestinians, like the right of return and the right to resist occupation, become debatable and negotiable because they threaten the existence of the Jewish state. This resembles the argument by the slave owner that freeing slaves might cause the economic collapse of the plantation. In both cases, a fundamental injustice becomes the justification for further injustice.
In the human rights framework, racism and genocide should neither be morally acceptable nor morally defensible in any context. This is true in South Africa, it is true in the Americas, and it is true in Palestine.
• On Palestinian human rights and geography
The Green Line is the name given to the lines established in 1949 that constituted the de facto borders of what is called pre-1967 Israel, the part of historic Palestine militarily occupied by Zionists in 1948. It should be stressed at the outset that the Green Line has not been observed as any kind of "border" by the Israelis as demonstrated by continued expansion of settlements, Israeli bypass roads, water theft, and the Annexation/Apartheid Wall. In spite of Israeli attempts at disruption, contiguous Palestinian communities on both sides of the Green Line have remained deeply tied to one another through culture, family, and economy. The Green Line does not describe a real boundary in the world, not even a recognized political boundary. It exists almost entirely within "discourse."
Palestinians are denied and Israeli settlers granted privileges, rights, and legitimacy based on where they exist geographically in relation to this line. This involves definitions of who is a Palestinian, an "Arab Israeli", an Israeli "civilian", or an Israeli "settler."
To clarify, Palestinians currently living in the West Bank and Gaza are the most commonly understood definition of "Palestinian." There is a general acceptance in America that these Palestinians inhabit what is to be a future Palestinian state, that this land is under military occupation, and that the occupation of this land should eventually end. We will, for the moment, ignore the fact that the material circumstances that would make such a state possible are being eliminated daily by the occupier. The human rights abuses perpetrated against these Palestinians are well known, though they continue unabated despite extensive reporting and documentation. Collective punishment, home demolition, torture, illegal detention, illegal settlement, destruction of infrastructure and farm land, water and land theft are justified by proponents of Israel as necessary to preserve the "security" of the Jewish state.
The Palestinians currently living within the boundaries of the so-called Green Line are subdivided into "Arab Israelis" and the Palestinian Bedouin of the Naqab. These Palestinians also live under military occupation (in their case since 1948). Racist laws and policies prevent these Palestinians from equal citizenship on their own land. Their villages within the Green Line are unrecognized on Israeli maps, making the process of "Judaizing the land" nearly impossible to oppose, as there is no acknowledgement by Israel that they exist in the first place. Palestinians in unrecognized villages within the Green Line pay taxes as citizens but are often denied water, electricity, and education. They are subject to the same type of severe military repression experienced by West Bank and Gazan Palestinians when they resist confiscation and settlement of their land. The history of Land Day illustrates this well: on March 30th, 1976 the Israeli government killed six Palestinians and injured hundreds to suppress a general strike protesting further theft of Palestinian land in the Nazareth area. Another example is the case of the thirteen Palestinian "Israelis" killed within the Green Line at the start of the Al Aqsa Intifada in September 2000. This second Intifada has represented a serious threat to the Israeli colonization project. It is the manifestation of Palestinian resistance to colonial occupation on both sides of the Green Line.
In the case of the Palestinian Bedouin, an ongoing program of land expropriation and dispossession has continued since 1948, when the vast majority of Palestinian Bedouin were dispossessed of their land. The remaining Bedouin, like the rest of the Palestinian population, were placed under military rule from 1948 through 1966. Many were relocated to urban townships through a process of land confiscation, home demolition, and other coercive methods. The Israeli government has rendered Bedouin cultivation of their own land illegal and has poisoned their food crops with toxic chemicals to destroy their way of life.
In the case of both the "Arab Israelis" and the Bedouin, human rights violations perpetrated against Palestinians within the Green Line are not commonly discussed or known within the American human rights community. In fact, the "rights" of Palestinians within Israel are often paraded as part of the mythology of Israel's singular "democracy" in the region. On those rare occasions when the question is discussed, it is discussed as the problem of "a minority" struggling for equal rights within the state of Israel. This is another lie propagated by the discourse on Palestine by means of the Green Line: although the total population of Palestinians living within the boundaries of historic Palestine is now greater than or equal to the number of Jewish-Israelis, and Palestinian communities have maintained strong interdependent relationships throughout their historic land, the imaginary Green Line creates a false impression of separate communities so that one becomes a "minority" struggling for inclusion, and the other a "foreign people" struggling for independence.
The Palestinian refugee population living in Jordan numbers approximately 80% of the current Jordanian population. These Palestinians have historically engaged in resistance struggles to return to their land in historic Palestine and as a result have been repressed in horrific ways. In the case of Black September (September, 1970) over 3,000 Palestinians in Jordan were massacred by the Jordanian government as part of a regional attack on Palestinian resistance to colonial occupation of historic Palestine.
There is another significant Palestinian refugee population in Lebanon. This population has also suffered severe human rights violations. At Sabra and Shatilla in September, 1982 the now twice-elected Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon presided over the massacre of over 2,750 Palestinian refugees by Lebanese Christian Phalangists.
Finally, there is the wider Palestinian diaspora in areas outside of Jordan and Lebanon who have an internationally recognized right to return to their homes in historic Palestine. These Palestinians also suffer political repression when they attempt to advocate for the rights guaranteed to them. When members of the Palestinian diaspora living in the United States, for example, support anti-racist, anti-colonialist politics and support the right of return and the right of Palestinians to resist colonial occupation, they are typically deported, detained without trial, and in some cases tortured — all in the name of American and Israeli security. They are often marginalized as "fanatic" or "extremist" by the very human rights groups that claim to be in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Green Line functions in other ways to obscure the process of colonization. Israeli settlers so often mentioned in the news are defined as those Israelis who are in settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. These settlers are armed and protected by the full force of the Israeli military. They engage in routine and unprovoked attacks on the Palestinian population, sometimes attacking children with knives, guns, and rocks in an effort to intimidate Palestinian families into relinquishing their property. When the Palestinian community attempts to defend itself against these attacks, the Israeli occupation forces march in to "restore order." The human rights community at best asserts that these settlers should be relocated to areas within the Green Line. As the Israeli government claims "disengagement" from Gaza and claims this as a concession for "peace", it promises to relocate these Gaza settlers to other areas now occupied by indigenous Palestinians (the Naqab within the Green Line, for example, and ironically, other areas of new and expanding settlements within the West Bank and Al Quds (East Jerusalem)). These individuals who have defied international law are being compensated by the international community for the "trouble" of resettlement to the tune of $227,000/settler.
"Israeli civilians" within the Green Line are portrayed quite differently from Israeli settlers of the West Bank and Gaza, despite the similarities in their material relationship to the indigenous people of Palestine. These people are often portrayed in American media as innocent individuals who "want to live in peace" with their neighbors. These "civilians" are also settlers on Palestinian land occupied through military force. They live in houses and on property that belongs to Palestinian refugees. They claim rights to land and resources that have been taken by force and over which they maintain exclusive control under a system of laws based on racist ideology. The vast majority of these Israeli civilians advocate for separation and segregation. Even the Israeli Peace movement continues to maintain that Israeli injustice in Palestine does not include the forced displacement of Palestinians in 1948, but rather only the occupation of Palestinian land since 1967. These civilians fight for the preservation of their privileges as Jews within Israel that allow them to buy land (Palestinians cannot), travel freely (Palestinians cannot), settle in historic Palestine permanently (Palestinians born and raised in historic Palestine cannot return despite international laws guaranteeing their right to do so), express their political opinions freely without fear of detention or torture (Palestinians who are considered Israeli citizens do not enjoy this freedom), enjoy education, electricity, and free use of the water of historic Palestine (Palestinian "Israelis" often have none of these freedoms in the unrecognized villages).
Israeli civilians are often armed and their privileges are protected by Israeli soldiers. In places like Nazareth, a Palestinian community within the Green Line, these Israeli civilians also engage in violent rampages against Palestinians. And, as in the West Bank and Gaza, if Palestinians within the Green Line resist, the Israeli military again marches in to "restore order." We who work for Palestinian human rights are not supposed to speak of how these Israeli civilians came to be in Palestine. We are not supposed to speak about how it is that these Israeli civilians own and continue to live on property previously inhabited by a majority indigenous Palestinian population, or how it is that they maintain racist privilege over indigenous Palestinians in historic Palestine. We are not supposed to talk about mass forced transfer of over 82% of the population, the thirty-five massacres, "present absenteeism", the 530 depopulated Palestinian villages, Apartheid laws and other laws preventing Palestinians from owning land or even earning wages for their labor, during the birth of the much celebrated "oasis of democracy."
If we turn away from the purely imaginary lines that have been drawn for the purpose of maintaining a discourse on Palestine, and turn instead to the historical and material realities of life in Palestine, much false "complexity" dissolves. Israeli settlers are settlers whether they settled in 1936, 1948, 1967, 1980, or 2005, and whether they settled in Jaffa (Tel Aviv), the Naqab (Negev), Khalil (Hebron), or Gaza. The "rights" of these settlers in all instances are based on land theft and racism against the indigenous population. The "rights" of these settlers in all instances are preserved through military force. The material relationship of these settlers to Palestinians will continue to be genocidal as long as they continue to live on stolen Palestinian land, utilize stolen Palestinian resources, and advocate for their privileges as Jews to do all of the above.
The indigenous people of historic Palestine are Palestinian whether they are refugees of 1948, 1967, or 2005, and whether they are the "internally displaced" Palestinians living within the Green Line called "Israeli Arabs", or Bedouin, or the "externally displaced" Palestinians of the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, and Lebanon, or the larger Palestinian diaspora. All of these Palestinians have the right to live freely in their homes in Palestine.
We are left, then, with only one essential human rights question to be answered. This question is capable of reframing the discussion in such a way that actually advances the cause of Palestinian human rights: Do the rights and protections of international humanitarian law apply to all Palestinians?
The bulk of human rights discourse has focused on applying humanitarian law to Israeli government policy in the West Bank and Gaza and has focused human rights advocacy on Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. Historically it has been shown over and over again that genocide begins with separation of the indigenous people. Once the work of separation has been accomplished, the work of the colonial power — whether it be in the Americas, South Africa, or Israel — is to split the indigenous population into subgroups to further the project of colonization. This is done through a variety of different methods, including all of the following: empowering a minority sector of the indigenous population to police its own people (as in the case of the Palestinian Druze); establishing racist Jim Crow laws which grant some "rights" to Palestinians within the Green Line while simultaneously assuring that these rights never challenge the fundamental racist privilege of Jews over non-Jews; negotiating "peace" treaties at gunpoint where chosen Palestinian representatives on the other side of the Green Line sign away rights and land while seemingly assuring (but not really) a limitation on the genocidal conditions imposed by the colonial power; and imposing collective punishment to isolate Palestinians who resist colonial occupation from larger communities of Palestinian support.
In accepting these divisions, the American human rights framework as it has been applied to Palestinians has not only failed to stop human rights violations, but has facilitated the colonization and genocide of Palestinian people. It has done this by accepting the validity of the Jewish state and by giving only limited and conditional support to certain human rights for certain Palestinians living in certain areas at certain times.
The American human rights framework as it currently functions in Palestine has become a tool used by Israel and its proponents to legitimize colonial land theft and genocide rather than oppose it. True human rights advocacy that supports the rights of the indigenous people of Palestine must start by acknowledging the rights of all Palestinians, whether they are from 1948 Jaffa, 1967 Nablus, or the Naqab or Jayyus of 2005. It means necessarily that we must discuss Zionism from its origins in Europe in the 1880's to its present manifestations in Palestine. We must reject the idea that colonialism, genocide, Apartheid, or any form of racism is ever justifiable or defensible. We must also reject the idea that colonial governments like the US or Israel will ever negotiate against their own interests. These are the first steps in creating true international solidarity that supports the Palestinian people's legitimate resistance against ongoing colonization, occupation, Apartheid, and genocide in all of historic Palestine.


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American History Colloquium. I'll be talking about outlaw Joseph Thompson Hare, pictured above. The full title is: "'We raked the wilderness': The Dying Confession of Joseph Hare and the Image of the Highwayman in the Antebellum South". It starts at 4pm, and, I believe, is in Peter Froggatt Centre (PFC) 2/018.
This paper comes out of work I was doing last summer, so it'll be nice to finally give it a public airing. And should you wish to make the acquaintance of Hare and his misadventures, there's a version of his story contained here, in P. R. Hamblin's 1836 collection United States Criminal History; Being a True Account of the Most Horrid Murders, Piracies, High-Way Robbers, &c. (Fayetteville, Mason & De Puy). Enjoy. You'll be hearing more about him in due course.


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Ms. Bebe Brown- Flash Teamwork Nominee
Lexi Pejnovic, C-3 Traditional Horsemasters member of Mobile Bay Pony Club in the Deep South Region sent in this lovely submission for the 2017 Flash Teamwork Award. Ms. Bebe Brown has had a grand impact on many Pony Club members and displays great sportsmanship and teamwork skills as described by Lexi.
The flash award recipient should be one that epitomizes Pony Club. My nominee is Ms. Bebe Brown of Plantation's Pride Pony Club in the Deep South Region. I met Ms. Bebe as she is affectionately known in the Deep South Region in 1986 at my first Pony Club Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park. Her daughter Nicola was on my team.
When you first meet Ms. Bebe you immediately recognize she is British by her infectious laugh and her larger than life smile. She has been the D.C. of Plantation's Pride Pony Club for years. She also runs her successful riding stable Tally Ho Stables from her farm. When you arrive at her farm you are greeted by a pig, a goat, a sheep, a miniature horse on the back porch, numerous cats and dogs and horses and ponies and all sizes of kids surrounding her. She instills her love of horses to all who ride with her. Nearly every single student is in Pony Club member. She brings confidence and enthusiasm to all who ride with her or are around her. It is not uncommon to see Ms. Bebe at the Deep South Region rallies wearing multiple hats and never bating an eye. You might see her in the barns as a Horse Management Judge, in the ring walking courses, or in the warm up coaching not only her kids, but others who need a coach too. She has a way about her making the bad days turn into a day of sunshine. When the floods came last year to her farm in Louisiana instead of being stressed her kids and students were galloping though the gigantic water feature that used to be pastures or the jump ring. Her life has come full circle, her granddaughters are now in Pony Club and are a force to be reckoned with. She wants her students to be successful equestrians with an emphasis on horsemanship as well as becoming successful in life. Her former students often return to see her when visiting home in Louisiana. I cannot say enough good things about Ms. Bebe. She is so good at what she does and cheers on and is encouraging to every rider in her club and in the region as well. Isn't that what pony club is all about?


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Mass-Tech Roofing and Building Co. Company is a premium provider of commercial roofing and residential roofing in Plymouth MA and the surrounding areas.
The largest number of commercial and residential steep-sloped roofs in the United States are shingles. Developed over a century ago, the more common paper based asphalt shingle has come far; giving way to a more durable and affordable fiberglass reinforced and recycled rubber shingles. When it is time to replace your roof, you'll have to decide if you are going to strip the existing roof or go over it with another layer of shingles. We highly recommend stripping the roof, as it allows for full inspection of the deck surface (plywood or planks), transition points, skylights, chimneys or any other areas that may be prone to leaking. Mass-Tech Roofing and Building Co.'s most basic shingle is the 25 year 3-Tab shingle. For years this was the only shingle available on the market, however, today there are over 20 types of shingles to choose from. The most popular and most cost effective is the Architectural shingle, which comes with a 30, 40 and 50 year warranty. Typically, the weight of the shingle determines the number of years of warranty associated with it
Natural cedar shake and shingle roofing enhances the look and value of your home. The main difference between shakes and shingles is that shakes are 'split' giving them a more natural appearance while shingles are 'sawn'. Shakes often require more maintenance; however, they are a renewable resource, non-toxic, energy efficient to produce, recyclable and biodegradable. Woods versatility, different cuts, and variety of colors, gives every home or building a unique appearance. Wood shingles also enhance energy efficiency: it helps to insulate the attic, and allows the house to 'breathe', circulating air and removing hazardous toxins through the small openings under the felt rows on which the wooden shingles are laid. If you are looking for an aesthetically pleasing addition to your home, be sure to inquire and learn more about wood shake roofing.
At Mass-Tech Roofing and Building Co., we provide an array of metal roofing options for both residential homes and commercial buildings. Our roofing specialists will help you determine the correct design and material necessary for your home/buildings needs. Some of the benefits of a metal roof include durability, portability, snow shedding, low maintenance, as well as being lightweight, fireproof, and windproof. The most common forms of metal roofs in the South Shore area include 'standing seam' and 'aluminum'. These types of roofs are most efficient in areas of high snowfall and extreme seasonal change. Aluminum's lightweight characteristics, longevity, and energy efficiencies are deciding factors when choosing a metal roof.
You can also use metal roofs to accent your current roof regardless of the current material. They can be installed over entryways, lower roofs, bays, and they are most commonly used for protective or aesthetic reasons. Copper roofing is another option typically used for accenting your current roof. It can be used over archways, bay windows, overhangs or other places that may be visually pleasing.
Rubber roofing has become more popular today due to its recyclable qualities. It's a great alternative to conventional wood roofing as it is far more durable and flexible. With changing weather conditions during the seasons, rubber roofing acts as a strong barrier to the elements. Rubber roofs are also a top choice when considering a material to use with a flat roof as other materials often witness leaks over time.
There are two types of rubber roofing; whole roof and shingled. Whole roof systems use a single piece of seamless rubber to cover the entire roof. A shingled system is similar to other shingling layouts on steep roofs as rubber shingles are layered to provide a barrier between the home and the outdoors. Although being potentially more expensive, rubber roofs last longer than traditional asphalt or slate roofs and carry longer warranties.


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As a child of the 60s, my formative years included Spangles, being frightened by Alvin Stardust, and deeply loving LEGO®. These days, I am a facilitator that makes use of the LEGO Serious Play methodology – something that appeals to my love of facilitation with a half-century relationship with plastic bricks.
LEGO was pretty much the default toy for me and my brothers through the 70s. In fact, even 1982's Sinclair ZX Spectrum only temporarily knocked LEGO off the #1 spot in our house.
The great thing about LEGO of that time was that it held no limits to your imagination – sticking a few pieces together could be a sword, a light sabre, a small car (remember, this was a house of boys) – as we got a little older, we built football stands to go with our Subbuteo pitch.
But life moves along – the teenage years; the pub & club years; the courtship, love & marriage years!
Whilst I had been changing and growing, so had LEGO – but I didn't like what I was seeing. I loved the freedom of LEGO bricks and yet everything on offer from my first childhood sweetheart seemed to be prescribed kits – picture on the front, instructions inside: "place this brick here".
Where had the creativity gone? Was there fun to be had in doing what you are told?
Concurrent to this apparent mid-life crisis of the search for the mystical brick, I had been reviewing my career choices. What did I want to do?
I'm lucky inasmuch I am doing what I want in terms of writing my books, contributing articles, speaking to audiences, facilitating workshops (as opposed to having to be the subject matter expert / know-it-all) and a coach / mentor. I'd steadily moved away from relying on PowerPoint / Keynote and, instead, fell back in love with flipcharts, post-it notes and coloured pens.
Yet, haunting me… the bricks.
LEGO Serious Play came to the rescue: giving me the same flexibility and desire for creative exploration and playing with LEGO with both my hands and my imagination.
Another brick in the wall? from Eskil on Vimeo.
LEGO Serious Play
Like I say, I've played with LEGO for a fair old time. Having kids has been an ideal excuse to empty a large crate of bricks onto the floor and make stuff (and to also stand on it, of course!). Straight away, intuitively, the kids have gone about making their own forts, cars, houses, aeroplanes, rockets, etc.
No instructions required.
I think that this is why my learning & development interventions (workshops, coaching & mentoring, turnarounds) are activity-oriented and (dare I say it?) fun-based.
Now I know that every organization promises its staff that "it will be fun", "we should have fun", "this is a fun company".
The truth is that, when we get down to it, no, it isn't.
In fact, the reality of it is that it's the activities where we are at the centre that we enjoy the most. In this instance, executive coaching, performance coaching, mentoring are the ones that are more enjoyable. This is down to the fact that it's where the individual gets the chance to talk and reflect without being talked at.
Let's pretend that we're in a meeting
I'm pretty sure that this won't be hard to do as many organizations (particularly during times of stress) sure do love a meeting.
So let's have 15 people in the room – how many people do you think are actually involved?
More than 10 out of 15?
Consider the learning styles of Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic and most internal meetings are a talking shop (auditory). There may be some use of whiteboards and pens as a nod to the people who process information through visuals, but there's nothing to touch / feel and so the kinaesthetic people are out of the game already.
More than 5 out of 15?
People are either introvert, extrovert or (like me) ambivert.
Definition: Introvert – "someone who prefers calm, minimally stimulating environments. Introverts tend to feel drained after socializing and regain their energy by spending time alone. This is largely because introverts' brains respond to dopamine differently than extroverts' brains." (source: Introvert, Dear)
Definition: Extrovert – "often described as talkative, sociable, action-oriented, enthusiastic, friendly, and out-going. On the negative side, they are sometimes described as attention-seeking, easily distracted, and unable to spend time alone." (source: Very Well Mind)
Definition: Ambivert – "someone neither strongly introverted nor strongly extraverted. Research by Adam Grant of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Management has found that ambiverts make the best salespeople; tend to be adept at the quality of attunement; know when to push and when to hold back, when to speak up and when to shut up. On the flip-side, ambiverts may feel torn between which side of their personality to follow, leaving them feeling stuck."
Click here to see if you are introvert, extrovert, or ambivert.
In the meeting, introverts will want to reflect on what is being discussed – to think before they speak. How does this fare in a modern organization where time pressures push people for instant opinions and decisions? If you don't give them enough advanced warning about the meeting, the agenda and desired outcomes… well then they are sidelined too. Let's assume that, of the 5 potential ambiverts in the room, 1 of them is inclined more to introversion.
So here we are with 4 people left out of fifteen. But here's the rub: in a meeting are you looking for someone to be creative or someone who is analytical?
Given the recruitment process of many organizations, it is likely that more than 70% of your staff have analytical leanings. So let's assume that 3 out of the remaining 4 are analytical.
Your meeting of 15 is a meeting of 3. If we're honest, one of the fifteen called the meeting. There's also a strong chance that the same person has decided the issue and identified a solution. They just need to appear democratic as they push through their idea.
Move from 80 / 20 to 100 / 100
Regardless of the type of meeting, we rarely want 20% of the room dictating the outcome. This kind of 80 / 20 sucks – 20% of the people talking, talking, talking… successfully disengaging a room. There is a better way than having 80% of a room just sitting back and watching the show. Wouldn't it be better to have 100% of the people engaged and 100% of them joining in?
I've sat in these meetings. Now, some of these meetings are essential (e.g. monthly operational reviews) but there's a myth to address. Many organizations tell their people that they are inclusive, innovative, 'fun to work for' (insert value statements here). The truth is that organizations rarely demonstrate their 'fun' side.
The caveat to this is simple: you might want Extrovert Auditory Analytical people making all the decisions.
A recent workshop with a team of banking directors was convened to explore employee engagement. We started with a review of the data gathered by an employee engagement survey. We then discussed behaviour before undertaking a pre-lunch activity designed to raise the appreciation of non-verbal communications, feedback and 'interference'. After lunch, we explored communications from a DISC perspective and then played with LEGO.
This was a 16-minute activity (5 minutes to explain, 5 minutes to assign, 6-minutes of activity). It led to a 40-minute discussion about workplace communications, colleague empathy, importance of feedback and building employee engagement.
The follow-on to this is drawing out plans of action so that the team goes beyond rhetoric into practicalities.
I had the chance to meet a really impressing speaker yesterday who is a walking treasure of experience and knowledge about intrapreneurship and organizational change, how to transform organizational dinosaurs and arouse the entrepreneur within employees. Neil has totally owned the stage and after his talk I was full of thoughts, ideas. Neil made a big impression and I am admiring him for what he did/is doing, what he knows and for his openness to share that experience and knowledge. I am looking forward to future cooperation with him. Unicorns do exist! 😉
Corporate Speaker
Neil is one of the most charismatic and interesting people that I came across. He is one of the best presenters that I ever saw in action with a great ability to keep his audience engaged through his entire lecture/presentation. Neil is a pure leader, Intrapreneur and entrepreneur, always demonstrated out of the box thinking, business orientation, leadership and consistency.
Corporate Social Responsibility
We had the pleasure of working with Neil mid-October 2016 to further develop our framework for Corporate Social Responsibilty. Neil demonstrates impressive knowledge in this field and he is very skilled in transferring this in a practical way to our business needs. I can strongly recommend Neil.
Personal Accountability
Before we actually met, Neil already had very positive reputation on his approach and teaching style in his previous engagements in Croatia. Knowing my people from Comping and having clear view of what they need (not what they expect to get), we worked closely as we agreed on focal points of his 'intervention'. Combining his practical experience with creative and provocative teaching style, Neil fully confirmed his great reputation as a trainer and managed to incite and engage our people in fun, approachable and interesting ways. But, even with such a flexible and relaxed approach, he didn't risk losing their focus on the most critical point – emphasize personal accountability for the common organizational goals. I hope that we'll have a chance to jointly add much more value to our people in the following months and years.
Management Development
I commissioned Neil to design and lead intrapreneurship and commercialism training for senior and middle managers at Chelmsford City Council. The sessions were meticulously planned, tailored expertly to our needs and brilliantly delivered. Neil brings a refreshingly different approach, he is motivational, inspirational and engages expertly with different learning styles. He comes very highly recommended.
Reflective Thinking
After only one session with Neil I came away feeling more focused and confident than I had in a while. He gave me some great ideas, a bit of constructive provocation and the beginnings of my career plan for the next five years. He's already been as good as his word and hooked me up with a potential mentor and has shown great integrity. Neil seems pretty unique in that he doesn't seem to be out for himself but rather the betterment of local government. A big thumbs up from me.
I was privileged to work closely with Neil to bring about a magnificent learning experience to our guests in the first international organization development & leadership conference, in the MEA region and the Entrepreneurship hub event, few weeks ago. Neil was one of our key speakers in both events, and I was not only impressed with his capability of delivering a truly effective and memorable learning experience, but how beautifully he constructs and designs the whole experience to be enlightening, engaging and enjoyable. He is definitely an expert in his field and I used to think of him as a genius and highly innovative speaker. Working with Neil is an emblem for real partnership, and he is a true partner who is really keen on delivering value to you, your audience and your team.
Leadership Speaker
I was lucky to meet Neil at 2 great events in Egypt in 2017 organized by MSA University; Leadership and Organization Development Conference and Entrepreneurship Hub. I was truly impressed by his intense knowledge and interesting way of delivery. During the panel discussion, his success story was an inspiration for our young entrepreneurs and his profound experience is something to surely learn from. I'm definitely looking forward to another fruitful co-operation.
Culture Shift
The interim health market is a relatively new area of business for us, and in the absence of a Health Business Development Manager, Neil has been absolutely instrumental in providing me with support and guidance as to how I can build our health offering. This has resulted in the establishment of solid and trusted relationships both internally within Tribal and externally with our associates, interims and clients. Neil's introduction of 1:1 mentoring and coaching sessions are a testament to his 100% dedication to developing and supporting his team. Neil's approach is very much "where there's a will, there's a way". His empathic nature and his ability to bring a fresh perspective enables you to refocus on the task at hand and to derive key actions to achieve your goals. Without a shadow of a doubt, Neil is a huge asset to us and to anyone looking for an energetic and enthusiastic personality to develop, mentor or coach their business team.
Intrapreneurship Speaker
We invited Neil to deliver a workshop on intrapreneurial ecosystems and company culture and I must congratulate ourselves for this decision, the workshop was brilliant and a highlight of our Intrapreneurship Conference as per delegates feedback. It is a pleasure to work with Neil, and I hope we will have many more collaborations in the future.
As my professor for Entreprenuership at ESLSCA, I found Mr. Neil Fogarty to be uniquely capable of capturing my attention and helping me learn confidently. His tactics of open space learning and free contribution helped me in understanding and archiving good grades in his subject. Comments from many of my classmates confirm that I am not alone in this impression of Mr. Neil Fogarty. This university has many fine professors, and Mr. Fogarty is a credit to it.
Sales Skills
Neil facilitated host of sessions for 120 of our retail sales employees at various levels and did a splendid job of it. The feed-backs were testimonial to the amount of effort gone in to design and customize the program and linking it to the business goals. His ability to translate complex concepts into simple to understand methodologies was the biggest asset. I would recommend him for sales and business development programs
Sales Excellence
As someone who helps guide and develop salespeople in the world of New Business Development, Neil is equally fanatical about effective account management. His approaches are proven and effective and have been applied in numerous environments including his work with Tribal – a global professional services company. Having known Neil for 15 months, his coaching and mentoring style has been particularly useful in assisting me in strengthening relationships with existing and new clients – and seeing him apply his knowledge in a hands-on manners means that I have learnt a lot from him during the time I have known him and plan on learning a whole lot more!
Team Cohesiveness
I had the pleasure to attend a workshop given by Neil about "Entrepreneurship – Collaborative Intelligence". Moreover, My business partner & I received a very informative startup mentoring session from Neil which had lasted for more than 30 minutes. I have to admit that Neil's coaching skills are beyond expectations. The content was very well organized and presented. The workshop was given in a very interactive manner. As a result of the workshop and the mentoring, my partner and I have managed to spot multiple ways to scale our business.
Neil made a thought provoking presentation at the Compliance conference AIM Norway organized in Farris Bad. Not only it was excellent, but it was almost as if it was not a presentation but a real conversation. It left me enthusiastic about the discussions it brought up.
Problem Solving
Working with Neil was truly inspiring. Personal and professional benefits gained through his workshops will have a deep impact on my future decisions and interpersonal skills. I hope that I will have another chance to work with Neil again someday and find additional motivation in his unconventional sessions.
Management Programme
I was totally prepared to just another boring session … 30 minutes of role-playing … another 45 minutes of deliberating which shade of red actually I am … and so on … and eventually 5pm will approach soon enough. But from the first introductory minutes Mr Neil Fogarty successfully got my attention and kept it alive till the end of the day. I have got my fair share of various workshops, but not many of them were as vivid as this one and not many of them gave me another perspective to old issues. A day was too short at the end … loads of fun successfully delivered new insights! Thanks Neil!
Collaborative Intelligence
I had an amazing experience when I attended the speech and the workshops that Neil gave in Cairo last month. But this is the least that could be said as he doesn't hesitate to help you when you ask him or even if he knows you need something that you haven't asked about. He has helped me and my partners to reach better grounds through his collaborative intelligence module which has helped us kick-start our own startup. He doesn't just TALK about collaboration, he actively demonstrates it!
Organisation Development & Leadership
I met Neil the first time in the Organisation Development & Leadership Conference in Cairo. In person he is very attentive and very willing to help, he creates opportunities for growth for all the people around. I have personally learned a lot from his open selfless attitude. On a professional level his breadth of experience plays a great role in the customized solutions that he provides. I recommend Neil as a powerful consultant in the field of leadership and as an equipped speaker for leadership related topics.
Condition : Recondition
Being mentored by Neil is not always comfortable but the challenges posed are always focused on exposing the underlying currents that constrain or inhibit positive action. There is no room to either hide or procrastinate so whilst I whole heartily endorse Neil as an effective business mentor, beware, he will challenge you and take you out of your comfort zone.
Leadership Team Workshop
It is not an easy task to facilitate a short workshop and to meet clients desires while creating the environment for insight gathering. It requires great knowledge and skills to pin-point those specific needs. And when you get all that you wanted, even more for some, with loads of fun, then you have to thank Mr Neil Fogarty for delivering The Workshop.
All of my learning & development interventions are serious play based, ranging from 0.5 day through to my 100-day tailored intervention programs.
Click here to discuss your interest in serious play facilitation
Mail: email@example.com
Call: +44.1527.852.405
Cell: +44.7592.350.945
Eskil: eskil.co


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From December 30 to January 10, you will have a 15% discount on all our instruments. Use the coupon HNY15 on checkout page.
The RAV 432 Hz is here! It's been a great interest in 432 Hz RAV lately, so now you can order it! Number is limited, hurry up and get a unique RAV!
28.06.2020: Deal of the month:
Free shipping to European countries from our Perm warehouse and
Discounted shipping from our Estonian warehouse to EU countries and no additional customs fees or VAT (if shipped from Estonia) You will save about 150-250 EUR! ! We have some scales available in Estonian warehouse now, harry up! [click here to check available scales] You will also get a free bag with E Low Pygmy, Double Ding, B Kurd and F#In Sen. For the rest of the countries we offer a free bag with your RAV order.
RAV Vast B Major
30% discount for the most professional Handpan tutorials Handpan Dojo is included with your purchase! You will get discount code in your order confirmation.
Free bonus download of new RAV CD by Nadishana is included with your RAV purchase! You will get a download link after your order.
Model: RAV Vast 2, new 2019 model, with hydrophobic protection and golden band
Scale: B Major
Notes: (B2) E3, F#3, G#3, A#3, B3, C#4, D#4, F#4
Material: 2 mm steel
Diameter: 51 cm
Height: 17 cm
Weight: 5.9 kg
Production: We have some RAVs in stock. If you see green notification "In Stock" on the product image, that means we can ship this model in next few days.
Delivery: We ship by EMS transport company around the world.
Payment: Payment is made via PayPal, credit card (also through PayPal, but you don't have to have a PayPal account) or bank transfer. Paypal\credit card payment is done automatically on checkout. If you prefer to pay by bank transfer please write us and we provide you with the details. We recommend to use PayPal. it's very safe payment system which gives the customer 180 day buyer protection guarantee.
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FAQs about RAV Drum
RAV VAST2 is made from thicker steel and it's approx. 15% louder then RAV VAST, but has a bit less overtones. Both models has nice long sustain.
Please note:
- VAST2 is not an improved model of the instrument. It's just a variation with slightly different tone. Some scales works on 1,5mm steel and some works better on 2mm steel.
- It's not technically possible to make VAST scales on VAST2.
- VAST and VAST2 is the same price.
The RAV Vast is about 4.9kg, and the Vast 2 is about 5.9kg. The models are scale related. To hear the examples of the sound of the each model please scroll up this page.
Cover: thin hydrophobic covering, requires periodic wiping.
Weight - 4.9-5.9 kg like handpans.
Size: 51 cm, height :17 cm. Color is dark-green.
Europe (Zone 1) - 58 EUR;
USA, Japan (Zone 2) - 70 EUR;
Taiwan (Zone 3) - 84 EUR;
Australia, Africa, New Zealand (Zone 4) - 97 EUR;
Honduras (Zone 5) - 116 EUR.
1)A Integral + D Celtic Minor
2)A Integral + C Golden Gate
3)E Low Pygmy + B Celtic Minor (or B RUS, B Celtic Double Ding)
4)A RUS + D Major
5)B Celtic Minor (or B RUS, B Celtic Double Ding) + D Major
6)E Low Pygmy + B Celtic Minor + D Major
7)G Pygmy + D Major (not all notes are fit together but it's an interesting combination)
8)G Pygmy + D Celtic Minor
9)G Minor Pentatonic + D Celtic Minor


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When it comes to choosing a travel destination, 63% of global travellers said that they are likely to take the offering of outdoor activities into consideration. If you love a bit of an adventure, a challenge and the great outdoors, why not make your next trip a hiking holiday to remember.
Booking.com*, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay around the world, has selected some of the most breath-taking, once in a lifetime treks for you to conquer for your next getaway.
From the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, to setting your sights on the highest mountain in the world from Everest Base Camp, here are some incredible hikes around the world to put on your bucket list.
1. Kilimanjaro – Arusha, Tanzania
This famous trek to the highest mountain in Africa is a once in a lifetime experience, taking roughly five to seven days and covering 35 miles. Hikers can choose from a number of trails to take on this incredible challenge which all boast amazing views and wildlife.
Arusha is a gateway to many safari destinations including the Serengeti National Park as well as Africa's highest peak Mount Kilimanjaro, and has been endorsed by Booking.com travellers for safaris, friendly people and wildlife. The top nationalities that visited over the past year were German, American and British and the top accommodation types booked over the past year were hotels, lodges and hostels.
Where to stay: Arusha Coffee Lodge is a great place to stay before or after you take on the incredible Mount Kilimanjaro. This stunning lodge offers an outdoor pool and restaurant while rooms offer lovely garden views.
2. The Inca Trail – Machu Picchu, Peru
The Inca Trail is one of the most incredible and popular hikes in the world with its 26 miles of ruins, jungle and beautiful scenery into the Andes before you get to Machu Picchu where adventurers will be wowed by the beauty of the snow-capped peaks and cloud forest.
The top endorsements from Booking.com travellers include Inca Ruins, scenery and history and the top nationalities that visited over the past year were Brazilian, American and Chilean. The top accommodation types booked over the past year were hotels, guesthouses and bed and breakfasts.
Where to stay: Panorama B&B is in the perfect spot, just 200 yards from the town market and walking distance to the train station, so super easy to get to Machu Picchu. Guests will receive a complimentary buffet breakfast and rooms have spectacular panoramic mountain and river views.
3. Everest Base Camp – Kathmandu, Nepal
One of the world's most iconic hikes, taking hikers across 70 miles over 16 days where they can experience the culture and people of the Himalayas before becoming face to face with the highest mountain on earth. You'll need to be fit to take on this challenge, hiking three to six hours a day, so take some down time in Kathmandu to relax once you've finished.
Booking.com travellers endorsed Kathmandu for its temples, culture and friendly people and the top nationalities that visited over the past year were Chinese, British and Indian. The top accommodation types booked over the past year were guesthouses, bed and breakfasts and hostels.
Where to stay: The Life Story Guest House is a great place to stay for meeting fellow travellers and offers comfy rooms in an ideal location with friendly hosts. You are just a few minutes' walk from the temples here or if you prefer you can hire bikes to explore.
4. Bay of Fires – St Helens, Australia
The Bay of Fires in Tasmania Australia covers 16 miles and takes about four days. This hike has to be done with a guide but is worth it as it takes travellers to beautiful beaches with incredible sea views.
Most hikers will start from St Helen's on the north east coast, known for its game fishing and endorsed by Booking.com travellers for the beaches, scenery and relaxation. The top nationalises that visited over the past year were Chinese, British and German.
Where to stay: Bed in the Treetops B&B is a truly unique Bed & Breakfast hideaway nestled high on a 37 acre property at the Bay of Fires, situated on Tasmania's North East Coast. Perched 160 metres above sea level this stunning accommodation enjoys expansive birds eye views of Binalong Bay, Moulting Bay, Georges Bay, St Helens Island and the Southern Ocean. Guests also get a complimentary afternoon tea on arrival and wholesome cooked breakfast each morning.
5. Tour du Mont Blanc – Les Houches, France
Another of the world's greatest walks, the Tour du Mont Blanc ensures trekkers are in for a challenge, covering 170km and 10,000m of ascent and hiking through France, Italy and Switzerland. The views are stunning and hikers can expect to see wildlife such as deer and eagles and take in views of glacial valleys and alpine meadows.
Travellers will start in Les Houches, Chamonix which is worth spending some time in – Booking.com travellers endorsed it for mountains, scenery and nature and the top nationalities that visited over the past year were British, Swiss and Italian.
Where to stay: RockyPop Hotel is located in Les Houches in the Rhône-Alps Region tucked away from the busy centre, a few miles from the Chamonix Ski station. Guests can relax on the sun terraces and sample French cuisine at the food court and take on some skiing, if they've any energy left after the hike!
6. Rangitoto Island Loop – Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand is one of the best places for endless, beautiful scenery and incredible diverse hikes and the Rangitoto Island Loop is no exception. This is about 12km long so you can do it in a day from Auckland and once you reach the summit you will have amazing views of the city.
Make sure you spend some time in the city which is endorsed for its food, sightseeing and harbour by Booking.com travellers, and the top nationalities that visited over past year were Australian, Chinese and British. The top accommodation types booked over the past year were aparthotels, motels and hostels.
Where to stay: Lakeside Paradise is located on the ground floor of the owners' home, who live upstairs, and is just three minutes' walk from the beach and has access to a beautiful park on Lake Pupuke, which offers a range of activities including swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding, or guests can simply relax and take in the stunning view.
7. Appalachian Trail – Ellijay, USA
This trek is one of the longest hiking only footpaths in the world, taking you through 14 states from Georgia to Maine, over a timeframe of five to seven months! The trek is over 2,000 miles long with the majority of the trail going through the wilderness – definitely one for a big adventurer!
Hikers will pass through Ellijay in Georgia, which is endorsed for its mountains, scenery and autumn leaves. The top nationalities that visited last year were British, Australian and Israeli and the top accommodation type booked over the past year were motels.
Where to stay: Bearadise Retreat Cabin makes you feel warm and welcome with its cosy cabin feel. You'll find a roaring fire in the wood burning fireplace. The perfect place to take a much deserved break before you continue on with this gruelling trek!
Get Inspired For Your Next Trip: