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Fursonalities: An Interview With YouTube Creator Ryv and Lerks
Today's Fursonalities interview is a 2 fur 1! (See what we did there?).
Furry YouTubers have swept the fandom in recent years, and we received a lot of requests to speak to today's YouTube creator who goes by the name Ryv and Lerks.
Attracted to the fandoms art and characters. Ryv loves the open, welcoming and accepting nature of the fandom.
Though he was first turned off by the coverage furries received in the early 2000s, Ryv now owns 2 suits (Ryv and Lerks) and attends multiple conventions per year.
Below is our conversation with Ryv of Ryv and Lerks!
"Don't be worried about the bad rumors surrounding the fandom. If you want your involvement to be clean and innocent, its pretty easy to filter out the stuff you don't want to see. Getting involved in the fandom changed my life!"Ryv And Lerks
Hi Ryv, thank you for joining us here at Good Fur News! We're excited to talk to you about your super fun YouTube videos and more!
Ryv and Lerks:
I'm equally excited to be talking to you. I love the idea of a source dedicated to positive news about the fandom. I'm all about positivity!
Thank you! Let's talk about your characters Ryv and Lerks. Tell us more about them!
Ryv and Lerks:
Ryv was sort of like the kid I planned to have, and Lerks was the accident! Ryvahn, Ryv for short, began with a drawing I fell in love with and purchased on Fur Affinity. I was having a hard time deciding on a fursona, and I just sort of stumbled across this gorgeous fantasy canine creature and knew that was it! He was just a drawing, without even a name, so I created his entire character and species from there.
I'm in the early stages of writing a novel about his backstory. I commissioned a full fursuit of Ryv in 2017, and the suit maker stole my money. She sent me a derpy, poorly made, black wolf head and tail and never made my custom suit. I got feet and hand paws just to have something to wear to MFF that year, and later had a full body suit made. That character became Lerks. Lerks is actually going to become a Vherain, the same original species as Ryv, once his new head arrives.
What is a Vherain?
Ryv and Lerks:
Vherain (same singular and plural) are my original species. They are generally canine in appearance, but can't be classified as anything we have in our world. In their world there are both Vherain and humans, but they live on different continents. Ryv's backstory takes place during the very first contact between the humans and the Vherain.
That is really cool! Original species are just such a neat thing to see. I'm very sorry to hear about the troubles with your firs suit. Who created your new one?
Ryv and Lerks:
My new suit was created by my favorite suit maker in the entire world, Sparky Can Do. I was incredibly lucky to win her first commission auction in 2018. I'm really honored to join the small, but amazing family of Sparky suiters. Lerks' new head is being made by Kaiju Costumes, and I hope to have them make a new body suit for him eventually.
It's a great looking suit! Thank you for sharing the maker with us! 🙂
As your characters you produce a series of YouTube videos talking about various aspects of the fandom. Can you tell us more about that and what got you interested in producing the videos?
Ryv and Lerks:
When I first got active in the fandom around 2016, I was watching a lot of furry YouTube. I immediately realized that I could make videos and use that medium to make a positive contribution to the fandom. I really like helping furs with advice and sharing my convention experiences. The YouTube channel also gets my furry face out there a little and helps me meet new people. My channel hasn't been quite as successful as I'd hoped, but that might be a blessing in disguise from what I've heard from some of the more well known YouTubers. It can be overwhelming if you get too big.
It does seem with increased attention, negativity can follow. Hopefully pacing will help for you. 🙂
Ryv and Lerks:
The videos have also helped me get better as a guitarist and learn a ton of new songs. I randomly select a song that a viewer has challenged me to play every week and learn it for the video.
Haha Jinx!
We were just about to ask:
Your video themes range from tips and tricks to addressing some current issues. But one theme that is in almost all of your videos is guitars! Tell is more about your guitar interest.
Ryv and Lerks:
I've been playing guitar since I was 12. Its been my main source of creativity. I've probably owned close to 30 guitars. I've settled on 7 of my favorites lately and my collection has been more stable. I think I've featured 6 of the 7 in my videos so far.
Ryv and Lerks:
By my last count I've done around 40 challenges now.
That's awesome! Do you have a favorite type or style of music you play?
Ryv and Lerks:
Blues rock is my favorite, but I also like playing classic country and bluegrass. Some hard rock and metal too, but I'm not really one of those ultra-fast shredders. My style is a little slower and more melodic.
Very nice!
You said you attend 5 or 6 conventions per year. Which have been your favorite or are must attends for the future. Say, top 3?
Ryv and Lerks:
Midwest Furfest 2017 was my single favorite con so far. By 2018 it had gotten too big in my opinion. Not sure if I'll go again, but MFF is a con every furry has to experience once in their life!
Texas Furry Fiesta, Denfur, and Alamo City Furry Invasion are 3 that I'll probably attend every year. They were all great in their own way.
This year I'm making the trip down under to FurDU, which I'm super excited about. That might be a once in a lifetime con for me because of the distance.
Awesome! You'll have to report back on how furcons differ from in and out of the US! 🙂
Ryv and Lerks:
I'm sure FurDU will give me material for a few videos.
You have a lot of content on your page so far, if someone were just getting started, which videos would you recommend they start with? Maybe, another top 3?
Ryv and Lerks:
The later ones have better production quality. I'd tell people to check out my recent 2 part series on furry social media first.
My Fursuit Commission Nightmare one is the most watched. The production isn't as good but its worth a watch. I'd say How the Furry Fandom Has Changed My Life would be another one to watch.
Anything special you're working on for future videos you'd like to share?
Ryv and Lerks:
I'm going to do one that's really personal for me in the future about the perception of "older" furries in the fandom. I can't think of anywhere else where someone is labeled as "old" when they turn 30.
I have a lot to say on that topic. I'm possibly doing one where I edit together a bunch of furries singing parts of a song in their fursuits, and maybe a hidden camera joke video filmed at a convention.
Those sound great! We can't wait to see them!
If you were to give 1 piece of advice to someone just starting out on YouTube, what would it be?
Ryv and Lerks:
Don't just jump in without doing research first. Spend some time learning how to film good quality video and make sure you have decent equipment and lighting.
Ryv and Lerks:
I actually host a panel on this topic at some of the conventions I attend.
Do you have any panels coming up?
Ryv and Lerks:
I'll be doing one on getting started with YouTube at Anthro Weekend Utah.
Well, we've taken up quite a bit of your time now. Is there anything you'd like to share with the readers before we go?
Ryv and Lerks:
I love meeting new people at conventions, so come up and say hi if you see me. I'm going to try to keep making better and better content on YouTube, and I hope to have my first furry novel out in a year or so. Stay positive!
Ryv, thank you so much for taking time to talk with us, you have some very informative and positive videos, and can't wait to see what else you do in the future!
Ryv and Lerks:
Thank you!
Be sure to check out Ryv and Leaks on YouTube! You can also follow them on Twitter @Ryvhan.
Do you have a favorite Furry YouTube creator? Let us know in the comments!


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We know that both parties have a love affair with military spending. This point has never been so plainly demonstrated as it was last Friday night, when Congress approved a 6-month Continuing Resolution to overcome a budget impasse. The budget that was approved to keep the federal government running not only took 4 billion from domestic programs to spend on additional "defense," it inordinately stole from programs that serve organic and sustainable farmers. While agricultural programs could provide a real chance for sustainable job growth, they're never deemed a high priority.
Here is a rundown of how agriculture will be affected by the new budget:
Funding for the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (ATTRA), a program that provides information and technical assistance to sustainable farmers, educators and county Extension agents, was never restored after being eliminated in an earlier bill.
The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) petitioned for continued federal support for ATTRA when Congress released the 6 month draft CR last Tuesday. It was then that NSAC said in a press release:
"The justification for cutting ATTRA appears to be a misperception that it is an earmark. Indeed, like earmarks, many Senators and Members of Congress request funding for ATTRA every year, as they do for many programs. However, unlike earmarks for projects in specific congressional districts, ATTRA is a nationwide program, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, and it has been included in presidential budgets through many administrations over several decades. As provided in the Farm Bill, it is funded through a cooperative agreement between USDA and a national non-profit organization with expertise in sustainable agriculture and information delivery. NSAC strongly objects to cutting this exemplary program that for over 20 years has provided important research-based information to people nationwide annually, many of whom have no other reliable source of information."
Spending on conservation programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) were greatly reduced. This means that for the remainder of fiscal year 2011, the USDA's largest working lands program will be short $500 million in its continuing efforts to improve the soil, water, and air quality of farms in sensitive areas. Sustainable farmers will also find it more difficult to maintain existing conservation systems.
What's harder to justify is the fact that the government would break the terms of the five-year CSP contracts that farmers had already signed in '09 and '10, and even attempt to get a refund on some payments. Those who signed up for the program in 2011 will be subject to the reneging as those folks won't receive their first payments until the next fiscal year.
Organic advocates will be happy to learn that the Organic Transitions Integrated Research Program was saved at the last minute after it was targeted for elimination, although, it will see a 20 percent reduction in funding. The National Organic Program is also here to stay.

subset: commoncrawl


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Buffalo Sabres Evander Kane Accused of Grabbing a Woman by Throat
Reports say Evander Kane (left wing for the Buffalo Sabres) was kicked out of Bottom's Up by security on W. Chippewa Street this past Friday after trying to stop an altercation from occurring .
A report was filed by a woman who claims Kane called her derogatory names and tried to push her into his car by her throat. Another woman filed a report and said Evander grabbed her arms and tried to force her out of the club.
David Robida, manager of the nightclub, says the incident was with Kane's friend and not the Sabre.
This is not the first incident this year that Evander had a women accuse him of assault.


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Just a quick write to share with you my latest parcel from eBay France, containing US diecast. We have M2 Machines, Aoshima Gran Champion and AutoWorldRead more
M2 Machines Dials Up the Datsuns with a New 620.
Every holiday, M2 Machines sneaks a shot of either a new tool or a new take on an existing one. This past Mother's Day, an image of a raw Datsun 620, featuring fender mirrors, a lowered chassis and a front bumper guard, was shared.Read more
Lamley Daily : M2 Machines Datsun 510 Auto Meets
Model: 1970 Datsun 510 Release: M2 Machines Auto Meets (7000 pieces worldwide) Where to get it: Hobby dealers, eBay, got mine on ModelCarWorld. Why it is in the collection : loved it when I saw it listed. Did not really plan to get it, but it is my first 510 3-doors from M2 Machines (well, […]Read more
More Guests Arrive at My M2 Party.
It's been a long time since I've been a completist collector. The year was 1997 and I was 13 years old.Read more
Squarebody madness takes a twist with this upcoming M2 gem
M2 Machines dropped this preview today: View this post on Instagram Hey M2 Fanatics, Here's a sneak peek of the upcoming Hobby Only release of 32500-HS01, "Col. Square Body." Please check with your die cast hobby provider about availability. Or please go to http://www.m2machines.com, and click on the top header "WHERE TO BUY." More information […]Read more
M2 Machines is expanding its Auto-Japan lineup with the Datsun 620 pickup. It looks fantastic.
Hakosuka, 510, 240Z. Hakosuka, 510, 240Z. Hakosuka, 510, 240Z. M2 Machines generated a ton of excitement awhile ago when it dropped its first group of JDM models, expanding from its Muscle and American Classic roots. Sure, those models had been done by other brands, but the M2 take was most welcome. Because of the many […]Read more
Building a massive M2 Machines Skyline Collection
Collecting diecast really means keeping up. I have no idea why we do this to ourselves. I mean, do I REALLY need all the M2 Nissan Skylines? Obviously, no. I don't. I definitely is NOT a "seen one, seen 'em all" scenario either. M2 definitely uses its castings, but the variety is pretty exciting. There […]Read more
Check out the new M2 Machines Auto-Japan/Coca-Cola line.
M2 Machines announced this today. The Coca-Cola lines from M2 have been fantastic, and obviously well received, and now they are coming for the JDM collectors. There will be a retail and hobby-only release, with three Chase models, including one Super Chase, mixed in both sets. With my limited space for my collection, I have […]Read more
How rad is this M2 Machines Skyline with vintage Yokohama livery?
The crew at M2 Machines sent their Thanksgiving greetings with the unveiling of this super cool Auto-Hauler set: View this post on Instagram Hi Guys, M2 would like to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving Day!!! The sneak peek shown here is a set from our M2 1:64 scale Auto-Haulers. This set includes a 1957 […]Read more
Things I saw on the Internets.
Occasionally you come across some cool things on the world wide webisphere. Here are some: View this post on Instagram So this showed up today… EP sample of the 1964 Chevy Nova gasser. Coming soon to a retailer near you @hotwheelsofficial #hotwheelsdreamteam #hotwheels #diecast #chevy #nova #gasser #yousawitherefirst A post shared by HOT WHEELS™ Dream […]Read more
This was a first: Knee-deep in sealed M2 cases.
Sometimes you don't think too much about what you found. You just find it, enjoy it, and move on. That happened several years ago when I came across a dump bin at a rural Kmart and pulled not one, not two, but seven Super Ford Focus (Focii?). It was there, and I enjoyed the find. […]Read more
The second MiJo Exclusives Auto-Japan set from M2 Machines is now out.
I am still all in on M2's Auto-Japan series. Sure, they have done the same three castings – but all with M2-esque mods – but they have done them all right. The decos follow interesting themes, stay connected, and most importantly, look really good. I just found the next set of Auto-Japan at Walmart, and […]Read more
Well that was a fun day.
After work yesterday I decided to take a quick jaunt to Las Vegas to visit my good friend Jay Kho. We made a video – coming later this week – and dined on Korean food. The only reason I am telling you this is that my trip back ended up being quite fruitful. I rarely […]Read more
M2 Machines previewed their cool new Coca-Cola line at the NY Toy Fair. Here is a look.
It has been a few weeks since the New York Toy Fair ended, but there is one thing I want to make sure gets shown here. Coke and M2. And it's cool. My friend Tim Pagano from MVE Collectibles was there, and he was able to take some pics of the upcoming M2/Coca-Cola collaboration, and […]Read more
M2 Machines previews Auto-Japan Series 2 at the New York Toy Fair
The last few days has been a toy fest in NYC. February means the New York Toy Fair, which is a massive gathering of toymakers and retail reps, previewing all that is to come. Every year a good friend of mine, Tim Pagano of MVE Collectibles, heads over to check out all the goodies, and […]Read more
M2 Machines unveils it's latest 1/24 scale Datsun 510. I wish they would stop making me want these larger scale models.
I've said it before, and the rule continues. I am ALL IN on M2 Machines Auto-Japan. As space for my collection keeps dwindling, I have to be very specific in what I collect. And with M2's prolific output, I need to be extra picky. They made it easy with the launch of Auto-Japan. Taking my […]Read more
The latest M2 Machines Auto-Trucks is out. I'm staring at the new Chevrolet C60
This is a release I had to write about. M2 Machines releasing a new Auto-Trucks mix is not necessarily huge news. But when the new Chevrolet C60 is part of that set, it's news. At least for me. View this post on Instagram Hi Guys, Here's a little sneak peek to get you through those […]Read more
Check out the M2 Machines SEMA Exclusive Hakosuka Skylines
These were made available today at the M2 booth at SEMA: Nissan C10 Skyline, done in a special livery for SEMA, and only 600 regular and 300 Chase models. The cases were being gobbled up, and for good reason. These are gorgeous. More on these later. Thanks to Jay Kho for the pics.Read more
I'm locked in with Auto-Japan from M2 Machines. LOCKED. IN.
I am sure the folks at M2 will really love the fact that I am starting a post about their stuff by mentioning a line from Hot Wheels. But Sean & crew, stay with me. You will like what I am going to write. I am very excited about the upcoming Car Culture Japan Historics […]Read more
M2 Machines unveils Auto-Japan Series 2, upcoming 1/24 scale Datsun 510
Will everyone stop making such awesome stuff!?! This is getting really hard to keep up with. A month ago I was all about M2's new Auto-Japan, then Auto World sent over the Lead Sled, plus I've been hunting Red Editions, and JCCS is coming, and the Hot Wheels Convention, and HW Modern Classics is coming. […]Read more
The "Hobby-Only" M2 Machines Mooneyes set is now out.
Another heads up for you Mooneyes collectors. (That includes me, and interestingly enough, my 11-year-old daughter.) On the heels of the Mooneyes Walmart-exclusive set that hit last month, M2 Machines has released the Hobby Exclusive Mooneyes set as well. And it is available now at SURPLUSgoodies: M2 Mooneyes Hobby Exclusives at SURPLUSgoodies I really like […]Read more
I opened the M2 Machines Auto-Japan models (Chases too), and they are even better.
There are two questions that come up with M2, and they have definitely come my way with the new Auto-Japan series: How do they compare with other small scale models size-wise? How is the quality, and do they roll? Well, let me answer those. In order to answer them, I need to open them. So […]Read more
M2 Machines goes JDM with the new Auto-Japan Walmart Exclusives. Here is a preview.
Don't say it. DON'T SAY IT!! This is not Lamley Hype. This is not JDM Hype. This is not a diecast manufacturer just trying to tap into the JDM buzz. This is a new set of tremendous models from M2. This is M2 reflecting the interests of the car world, and nailing it. This is […]Read more


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This is lag central. A stupidly large almost box map with lots of pillars, washed out light and no idea about vis-blocking techniques. Railgun is the weapon of choice, on zoom!
Nothing to worry about here.
Ranked: 1.8 out of 5 (5 votes)
Download from: MH Gaming or ..::LvL
For options and more


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Banglarbhumi is the main web page of the West Bengal Government. WB is one of the biggest state in our Country. More than 9 crores of citizens are living in the West Bengal state. WB state is the first Metropolitan city was done by the Indian Central Government. Now coming to "30 Days Notice Mutation Case" it is one of the most important service provided in the Banglarbhumi official web portal.
Each and Every WB citizen must check the "Mutation Case" either Registration office wise Search or Plot-Khatian wise search. Here i will provide the detailed instructions on "How to check 30 Days Notice Mutation" under Citizen Services option in banglarbhumi.gov.in website.
Checking 30 Days Notice Mutation Case at banglarbhumi.gov.in
- Citizens who are know the "30 Days Notice Mutation Case" status by checking in the official website. Please follow the guidelines below…
- First of all visit the banglarbhumi.gov.in
- Hit the "Citizen Services" tab as shown in the banglar bhumi official web page
- After that you can again choose the "30 Days Notice Mutation Case".
- Then who can search either Registration office wise or Plot-Khatian wise.
- Choose one option only.
- If you can select "Registration office wise Search". You must choose District and Registry office. Hit on Submit Button.
- If you can select "Registration office wise Search". You must choose District, Block, Mouza and Enter the Khatian & Plot Number. Hit on Submit Button.
After that you can see the "30 Days Notice Mutation Case" data on the monitor.


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I am pleased to announce that the vinyl for the new Nerve Beats full length has arrived! I now have the daunting task of screen printing and hot gluing 500 record jackets ahead of me. In 2018, Nerve Beats will tour in support of this release. Personally- this is representing some sort of "full circle" stylie of circumstances, given that I recorded this album on my tascam 424 mkiii 4 track machine at the end of their last US tour.
I just made the album available to stream for yallsies to listen to while I color match the chosen art color with ink and warm up the hot glue gun.
All advance orders are much appreciated because they will help to fund the costs of promoting the record-- which includes sending "free" records out to possible reviewers and buying (hopefully) some ads in underground publications-- all hopefully before the record is released.... eek.... which is slated for either the beginning of or midway thru January of 2018.
Stream the whole album at our BandCamp page!
Pre-Order the album at our BandCamp page!
Also available is the new Trashies LP and the recently released Straight Crimes cassette which you should also check out!


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All new clients introduced to New Beginnings by one of their mates will have come from closed conditions and their new found freedom can often be hard to cope with. We are sometimes asked what they have to do to get back to the safety net of closed conditions. A simple answer 'Just walk through the gate' But all they need is a gentle chat introducing them to all that goes on in Leyhill and maybe linking them up with one of the guys we already serve. We reassure them that within a couple of weeks they will feel quite settled, and the next time we see they're fine.
We attend the prison on the first weekend of every month, visiting 2 prisoners on the Saturday and 2 more on the Sunday listening to their worries and concerns, but cheering them up with a few treats from the Canteen in the visit's hall. We have 3 other visitors working alongside us and others waiting for when we can increase the work, for which there is such a need, but at present we are restricted by lack of financial resources.
We work with 8 other small Charities under 'Sixty-One' a Charity set up about 6 years ago in Bristol. Mentor Me do similar work to us in Bristol Prison and run excellent training courses
We are also members of the South West Mentoring Alliance who meet for teaching and encouragement in Exeter 3 times a year.


text: And now we have the head coach putting the coup de grace into the team's head by saying openly he's effectively done because he's not having anymore fun. Just great, now that we've seemingly gotten the players to go all out all game we have the coach wimping out. Coach Mac can have his old job back, if he even would want it now, Rolo too.


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Basic Information
Educational Backgrounds
- University at Buffalo-State University of New York, USA, 1987/09, 1990/06
- The Johns Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health, behavioral science, USA, 1990/09, 1991/08
Academic Degrees
- Ph.D., University at Buffalo-State University of New York
- Master of Arts, Arizona State University
Research Fields
- Social sciences;Management;Management
- Complex systems;Social / Safety system science;Social systems engineering / Safety system
- Social sciences;Psychology;Educational psychology
- Medicine,dentistry, and pharmacy;Society medicine;Medical and hospital management
Research Keywords
- organization theory
- organizational behavior
- organizational culture
- corporate culture
- cross-cultural
- corporate social responsibility
- qualitative research methods
- phenomenology
- corporate crisis management
- business ethics
Affiliated Academic Societies
- Academy of Management, 1997
Educational Activity
Course in Charge
- 2020, Liberal Arts Education Program1, First Semester, Introductory Seminar for First-Year Students
- 2020, Undergraduate Education, Second Semester, International Business Administration 2
- 2020, Undergraduate Education, First Semester, Organization Theory
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , Second Semester, Corporate Social Responsibility
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , First Semester, Research Literacy
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , First Semester, Organization Theory
- 2020, Graduate Education (Doctoral Program) , First Semester, Special Seminar III
- 2020, Graduate Education (Doctoral Program) , First Semester, Special Seminar V
- 2020, Graduate Education (Doctoral Program) , First Semester, Special Seminar VI
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , 2Term, Science History for Humanities and Social Sciences
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , 1Term, Research Method and Ethics for Humanities and Social Sciences
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , Intensive, Organization Theory
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , First Semester, Research Literacy
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , First Semester, Organization Theory
- 2020, Graduate Education (Master's Program) , Second Semester, Corporate Social Responsibility
Research Activities
Academic Papers
- Communication network liaisons as cultural interpreters for organizational adaptation in Japan-Europe business environments, Management International Review, special issue(2), 27-37, 19950401
- Exploring the life-world of organization by linguistic oriented phenomenology in sub-cultural analysis of organization: A comparison between Japanese and U.S. Banks, Management International Review, 37(2), 169-183, 19970401
- Generating reflexivity from partnership formation: A phenomenological reasoning on the partnership between a Japanese pharmaceutical corporation and Western laboratories, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 35(3), 287-305, 19990901
- The state of collective myopia in Japanese business communities: A phenomenological study for exploring blocking mechanisms for change, Journal of Management Studies, 36(1), 69-86, 19990101
- A phenomenological approach to inquiring into an ethically bankrupted organization: A case study of a Japanese company, Journal of Business Ethics, 28(1), 59-71, 20001101
- Collective myopia and defective higher educations behind the scenes of ethically bankrupted economic systems: A reflexive note from a Japanese University and taking a step toward transcultural dialogues, Journal of Business Ethics, 38(3), 205-225, 20020701
- Collective myopia and disciplinary power behind the scenes of unethical practices: A diagnostic theory on Japanese organization, Journal of Management Studies, 39(3), 289-307, 20020501
- Learning or correction in a safety culture of Japan Rail West: A Foucaultian analysis.Paper presented at Academy of Management 2008 Conference, Anaheim, U.S.A., Academy of Management 2008 Conference, 20080811
- Collective hyperopia and dualistic natures of corporate social responsibility in Japanese companies, ASIAN BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT, 8(2), 169-184, 200906
- If human errors are assumed as crimes in a safety culture: A lifeworld analysis of a rail crash, Human Relations, 62(9), 1267-1287, 200909
- Reinterpreting corporate apologia as self‐discipline, Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 15(4), 397-409, 2010
- A messy inquiry into some causes of the Toyota Recall Crisis 2010. (Past President Best Paper Award Nominee), 55th Annual Meeting of the Western Academy of Management, 7-7, 20140319
- Corporate misconduct and trust repair: Integration of Organizational Behavior and Corporate Discourse Perspectives, 27th Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics Annual Meeting Proceedings, 101-101, 20150703
- Beyond natural disaster vs. man-made disaster debates on an explosion of a nuclear power plant. (AOM 2016 ONE-Kedge Unorthodox Paper Award/ nominated for AOM 2016 Carolyn Dexter Award), Proceedings of the Seventy-sixth Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management (Best Paper Proceedings), 1-5, 20160808
- Toward a Transcultural Learning after Fukushima Disaster: Promoting Reader-Centred Reflexivity, Academy of Management Proceedings, 1-1, 201608
- The curse of the #1 carmaker: Toyota's crisis, Critical Perspectives on International Business, 14(1), 66-82, 201811
- Understanding bribery and Islamic ethics in organizations: A phenomenological study, 1st International Conference on Islamic Economics, Business, and Philanthropy, 521-526, 2018
Publications such as books
- 2019, Responsible People: The Role of the Individual in CSR, Entrepreneurship and Management Education, Corporate Wrongdoing and Reputational Risk: A Genealogical Analysis of Toyota's Recall Crisis, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019, 5, 英語, 2662-1304, 283, 259-277
- 2013/03/26, Handbook of Asian Management , Our understanding of management in Asia has not kept pace with the demands of managers and students. The Handbook of Asian Management provides in-depth critical reviews of central topics in strategy and organizational behavior research in Asian contexts. Leading scholars take stock of what has been learned and give clear directions towards greater rigor and relevance for research in this region., The Double-Edged Sword of Organizational Culture in Asia: Toward Transnational Reflexive Dialogues, Asia, managemernt, cross-cultural, organizational culture, critical theory, ethics, corporate wrongdoings, Confucianism, China, Korea, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2013, 03, 英語/English, Kwok Leung, Steven White, Jai B. P. Sinha, Kluwant Singh, Michael Carney, Eric Gedajlovic, Lu Yuan, Gary Bruton, Hailin Lan, Nitin Pangarker, John E. Butler, Stephen Ko, Wai Chamormarn, Nobuyuki Chikudate, Dayl Koehn, Alicia S. M. Leung, Oded Shenkar, Zhixing Xiao, Steven K, Su, Chun Hui, Jessica Y. Y. Kwong, Cynthia Lee, Dean Tjosvold, Alfred Wong, Chun Hui, Richard, W. Brislin, Brent R. Mc Nab, Mara Olekalns, Catherine H. Tinsley, Susan E. Brodt, K. Yee Ng, Soon Ang, 1475788398, 544, 19, 245-263
- 2013/09/13, The Dynamics of Japanese Organizations, This book assessess the organizational flexibility and pragmatism of Japanese management styles and contrasts this with Western management approaches which focus more closely on patterns of stability. Issues in change and organizational renewal are covered by analysing the dynamic processes by which a Japanese company organizes itself, exploring such areas as networks, informatics, quality control circles and human systems management., Communicating through On-line Database Systems: A Strategy for Monitoring Corporate Environments, crisis communication, environmental monitoring, boudary spanning, Routledge, 2013, 9, English, Tsuyoshi Numagami, Toshizumi Ohta, Ikujiro Nonaka, Haruo Hata, Charles Adamson, Magoroh Maruyama, Vera Calenbuhr, Tetsuori Koizumi, Haruo Takagi, Kenshu Kikuzawa, Shigekazu Ishihara, Keiko Ishihara, Mitsuo Nagamachi, Alfredo Pinochet, Frank-Jurgen Richter, Yoshiya Teramoto, Milan Zeleny, Nobuyuki Chikudate, Kenji Tanaka, B00FDR1DK6, 208, 11, 178-188
- 2013/09/13, Asia and Europe in the New Global System: Intercultural Cooperation and Competition Scenarios, This book examines the need for cooperation between Europe and Asia, particularly in view of China's accession to the WTO. It looks at the cultural implications for closer cooperation between the two parts of the world, exploring corporate culture and leadership in integration management through mergers and acquisitions. It then goes onto discuss whether the world is big enough for several cultures or whether further integration will result in homogenization., Limitations and Potentials of Intercultural Communication in Unethical Business Conventions: A Theoretical Scrutiny of Intercultural Communication, Business Ethics, Habermasian Discourse Ethics and Foucaultian Aethetics, intercultural communication, business ethics, Habermas, Foucault, Palgrave macmillan, 2003, 10, English, Tetsuo Obo, Hasegawa Harukiyo, Kenji Suzuki, Ulrich Jurgens, Martin Hemmert, Sayeeda Bano, Zahiruddin Ghazali, Mohamad Hanapi Mohamad, Romdej Phisalaphong, Tadamasa Imaguchi, Xinjian Li, Dieter Beschorner, Thoraiya Younes, Mohamad Hanapi Mohamad, Zahiruddin Ghazali, Zahiruddin Gazali, Norlida Abdul Manab, Rusmawati Ismail, Nurwati Ashikkin Ahmad Zaluki, Habibah Tolos and Munauwar Mustaffa, Akira Kuroda, Nobuyuki Chikudate, Hendrik Meyer-Ohle, Fred Robins, B00FDR1DK6, 325, 21, 262-282
- 2015/10/08, Collective Myopia in Japanese Organizations: A Transcultural Approach for Identifying Corporate Meltdowns, Collective myopia has been the downfall of Japanese organizations, from the collapse of the financial systems at the turn of the century and the subsequent wrongdoings in Japanese blue-chip companies nearly a decade later. This book examines collective myopia and its role in global business through various case studies of Japanese organizations, including the Tokyo Electric Power Company. Drawing on European philosophies including phenomenology, critical theories, post-structuralism, and postmodernism, this book engages transcultural learning and will inform students and researchers interested in business ethics, corporate crisis management, and white-collar crimes from a global perspective., organizational culture corporate culture phenomenology hermeneutics interpretation corporate wrongdoings corporate crisis Husserl Schutz Berger Luckmann Foucault Habermas Gadamer Rioeur Meleau-Ponty Japanese corporations, Palgrave macmillan, 2015, 10, English, Nobuyuki Chikudate, 9781137450845, 240
Invited Lecture, Oral Presentation, Poster Presentation
- A genealogical analysis on wrongdoings by anthropomorphized corporations in Japan, Nobuyuki Chikudate, 6th International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainability Business Conference, Without Invitation, HTW Berlin, Berlin, Germany, The author presents an genealogical analysis on corporate wrongdoings in Japan.
- Understanding bribery and Islamic business ethics in organizations: A phenomenological study, Nadiatus Salama, Nobuyuki Chikudate, Nadiatus Salama, Nobuyuki Chikudate, International Conference on Islamic Economics, Business, and Philanthropy, 2017/11/15, Without Invitation, International Conference on Islamic Economics, Business, and Philanthropy, Bandung, Indonesia, This presentation is about an analysis on bribery practices in Indonesian organizations.
- Understanding unethical business in Indonesia: A phenomenological study of bribery, Nadiatus Salama, Nobuyuki Chikudate, Nadiatus Salama, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, 2018/62, Without Invitation, Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics, Doshisha University, This paper reports the in-depth analysis of bribery practices in Indonesia.
- 1998/08, Academy of Management Conference Management Education and Development Division Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management
- 2001/08, Academy of Management Conference Management Education and Development Division Outstanding Reviewer Award, Academy of Management
- 2014, Western Academy of Management Conference Past President Best Paper Award Finalist, Western Academy of Management, A Messy Inquiry into Some Causes of the Toyota Recall Crisis 2010
- 2016/08/08, Academy of Management ONE Kedge Unorthodox Paper Award 2016, Academy of Management, Beyond Natural Disaster vs. Man-Made Disaster Debates on an Explosion of a Nuclear Power Plant
- 2016/08, Academy of Management Carolyn Dexter Award 2016 Nominee, Academy of Management, Beyond Natural Disasters vs. Man-Made Disaster Debates on an Explosion of a Nuclear Power Plant
- 2019/10/08, Emerald Literati Awards 2019, Publishing Director, Emerald Publishing Limited


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June 19, 2015
Surprise Engagement
I love engagement photo shoots, but surprise engagements are the bomb! And Austin and Melissa's was like the grand finale of a fireworks show!!! I so loved working with them.
Austin and Melissa both have a desire to serve in the mission field. They knew that long before they ever met. They both wanted a spouse that would serve God with all their heart, soul, and mind. Austin grew up in the states, here in Midland, Michigan, while Melissa grew up in a mission family in Bolivia. Melissa had moved to the states in 2005, and to the Midland area 1 1/2 years ago.
Austin says the first time he met Melissa she was working at Tropical Smoothie. Her smile was radiant, lighting up her whole face. Every time he saw her she had a smile on her face. As you can see, I never had to tell Melissa to smile once during the photo session.
Austin was helping his roommate move out of the same house that Melissa happened to be living in. Needless to say, Austin wasn't much help to his roommate that day, as he was very distracted and captivated by Melissa's beauty and the fact that she loved children and was a mission kid growing up.
It was later, during the World Cup Soccer Tournament that they first held hands and Austin became very nervous, but mustered the courage to ask Melissa to court him. That was exactly one year ago... June 19, 2014.
After ten months of courtship, Austin knew he wanted Melissa to be his wife. So, when her family came for a visit to the USA, Austin mustered up the courage to privately ask her father for her hand in marriage. Once he got the okay and was accepted into Melissa's family, he began planning this amazing surprise proposal at Dow Gardens in Midland, Michigan on June 19, 2015.
Austin had it all planned. He would bring Melissa to the gardens for an evening picnic. Then, when everyone was in place (me, the photographer on site and ready as well as a mission buddy of his who was also taking photographs) he would walk Melissa over to the Sun Bridge and propose. It was a beautiful day and such a romantic setting as Austin got down on bending knee and popped the question. Melissa's face lit up like an angel, her smile so captivating. Of course, she said YES!
After meeting Austin and Melissa, not only are they deeply in love, and have a passion to serve God on the mission field, but they also have a unique pattern. So, I'm keeping June 19th free in 2016 just in case they need a wedding photographer. But this is only my prediction and theory, they may wait until June 19, 2017. I'll leave that up to them. But whenever they decide to tie the knot, I will be very excited for them and to share their love story as it continues. Thank you Austin for choosing me to be your photographer, it was a blast!
I would love to take your engagement portraits. I have some really great half off specials going on right now with our shoots, as well as nice print packages. Don't miss out. I also do wedding photography, and if you book your engagement shoot with me, you get $200 off your wedding photography!!! BONUS!!!
June 1, 2015
One Happy Photographer
Did I say that I love photography?
I love having the amazing opportunity to capture the story of a newborn baby, a growing family, a graduating senior, a couple who just got engaged, those intimate moments on a wedding day, the fun times at birthday and anniversary parties, and let's not forget nature at its rawest, brightest or darkest moments, or those professional headshots for business, acting, and modeling.
I absolutely love it all! And want to produce the best, hi-quality portraits so my clients will continue to come back for years to come.
On a recent engagement shoot, the woman said, "Lisa, you do such an amazing job that you'll be in our family for the babies, as the children grow, and when we get old." -Kristine B.
Another wedding photography client just wrote this in an email: "Lisa, all my portraits are stunning! You did an amazing job. They are all so beautiful I don't know which to choose for the package." -Kaitlin R.
Not hearing back from a recent teenager whom I did senior portraits for, I called him and asked if he was satisfied with the pictures. He replied, "The pictures are great! I like them all. I'm just having a hard time deciding which ones I want for my print package." -Lazaro
When my customers and clients are happy, I'm happy.


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Here is the fourth in a series of five flash fictions from Marc Nash. "Geiger Countering" comes from his collection, 28 Far Cries, which your can pick up here (UK version) or here (US version).
Geiger Countering
by Marc Nash
With our mutual leaden marital cores, affection was stopped up by my blockish shields, while it merely passed through yours like gamma rays.
We are each charged with containing the neuroses and blind spots of our partner, it being rare that we both share the same agitators. But such were the reciprocal irritations that more and more were classified as neuroses and blind spots, until it reached the critical mass of every single word out of our mouth, or every single one of our actions being deemed as being beyond containment. We were both balls of seething fissile material.
In respect of cleaving together in a fusion that makes us more powerful, we manage to effect a fission that only serves to cleave us apart and bleed away any supposedly enriched energies. We were both left depleted.
Each live radioactive substance will naturally decay and transform into another element, which if isotopic will in turn decay further, until finally a stable, inert element is rendered. My spouse and I have hit our inert basal states and yet I cannot say we went through the transmutations into other constitutions along the way. Spontaneous half-life decay takes eons to occur. We achieved a rapid acceleration of the process.
It has been pointed out to me that smashing the atom in order to release the pent up energy of rage is a particularly destructive practice. And yet it was one we were both content to pursue.
In order for a chain reaction to be unleashed, we both had to stockpile an impressive and intricate battery of sleights, grudges and other grievances. We conducted our own arms race to mutually assured destruction with barely a bat of an eyelid in the direction of the concept of deterrent.
We made the grade in one phase of the fission process. Parts of our material corpus divided and split off. Eczema, weight loss, hair loss, hearing loss, incontinence, ulcers, thrush, hives and a host of other dermatological rashes afflicted us. Although perhaps some of these could be viewed as a gaining rather than a reduction. In a quantitative rather than a qualitative way of course.
Though long decommissioned from one another, we remain contaminated with one another's toxic waste, rendering us useless for future generative power.
Two half-lives do not make a whole.
Copyright (c) Marc Nash 2014
Next: sound and vision! Marc performs "Ladettes on Tour".


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April 16, 2019
Francis Campbell: If it's false or fake don't call it news
January 23, 2019
Francis Campbell: A new day dawning for Maritime Church
Published in Register Columnists
December 21, 2018
Francis Campbell: Invitation from Jesus open all year round
May 4, 2018
The question remains: To whom shall you go?
February 1, 2018
Francis Campbell: Making the most from our mulligans
January 5, 2018
Francis Campbell: Our faithful friend set a golden standard
Published in Register Columnists
November 30, 2017
Francis Campbell: Tragedy brings out the best in humanity
Halifax Mayor Mike Savage was in a reflective and reminiscent mood during a recent state-of-the-municipality address.
September 1, 2017
Comment: Something good can come from nothing
Making something out of nothing. When somebody pulls that off, it tends to evoke wonder and admiration.
September 24, 2015
Restless hearts and the thrill of the chase
For weekends on end now in the tiny western Cape Breton seaside community of Inverness, more and more people have been seeking a bonanza of easy money by chasing the ace.
June 18, 2014
Today's St. F.X. forgets its Catholic past
A few weeks back, I attended a funeral Mass about a half hour from my home. With the priest's comforting words and the heavy smell of incense still commandeering our senses, the congregation filed out and into the nearby church hall for sandwiches, tea and a story or two about Sandy, the deceased. The elderly man, from all accounts that flowed from inside the church and out, was a kind, gentle soul who put family and God above all else.


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I put a bulletin board on my pantry door-inside-where it's hidden
Rather than my refrigerator being cluttered with these important reminders, I bought a cork bulletin board that fit my pantry door....attached it with screws.
Thank you for coming to my World. Here, you won't be bothered by "pop-up-ads". You will find lots of free printables, some furniture make-overs, Some of my gardening tips, and a few tutorials. I'm thankful to have you visit. DO check out my sponsors, they make it worthwhile to do what I do just for you.


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December 13, 2019
December 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 & 26-28, 2019
(Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays)
Alexandria Zoo is lighting up the season with Holiday Light Safari. Create wonderful holiday memories with a casual stroll through the Zoo's colorful environment sparkling with thousands of lights and whimsical lighted animal figures.
Holiday Light Safari features hundreds of thousands of lights, holiday train rides, Santa, kids' activities, and more!
5 (Thursday) 5:30 pm - 28 (Saturday) 8:30 pm CST
Name: Alexandria Zoological Park
Address: 3016 Masonic Drive
City: Alexandria
Location: Alexandria Zoological Park
Website: http://www.thealexandriazoo.com/index.html
12 (Thursday) 4:00 pm - 15 (Sunday) 5:00 pm CST
Name: Downtown Alexandria
Address: 915 Third Street
Location: Downtown Alexandria
SAVE THE DATE!! 2019 Pineville Christmas Parade rolls Friday evening, Dec 13th at 7 pm! Promises to be the BIGGEST Christmas Parade we've had!
(Friday) 7:00 pm CST
Name: Main Street in Pineville
Address: Main Street
City: Pineville
Location: Main Street Pineville
Back to Full Calendar
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Driving an automobile is one of the biggest risks you can take, making it critical that you have the right insurance policy. Your policy can protect your vehicle in the event of an accident, fire, theft or vandalism. More importantly, it can also protect you and your loved ones in the event someone is injured or losses their life. Make sure you are adequately protected.
Understanding Your Massachusetts Auto Insurance Policy
Your MA car insurance policy is made up of twelve coverage options. These twelve insurance coverage options include four compulsory, or mandatory, coverages and eight optional coverages. We want to make sure our insured's understand their car insurance options and obtain the coverage they want and need. We also have specialty endorsements for transportation network companies, such as Uber & Lyft.
Automobile Insurance FAQs
We've listed off many of our client's frequently asked questions. An associate at Zawada Insurance would be happy to walk you through the details of your automobile policy to explain your coverage options.
Auto Insurance Discounts
Companies are offering significant discounts and preferential rates to many drivers. Please take a look to see if you qualify for any auto insurance discounts and let us know if there are any that apply to you. We want to make sure we can offer you the best rate you are eligible for on your auto insurance policy. We can even help you replace your cancelled insurance policy
Call (508) 831-0133 to contact an associate at Zawada Insurance to walk you through the details of your auto insurance policy and explain your coverage options.
Zawada Insurance Agency, Inc. is a family-owned and operated independent insurance agency, located in Worcester, Massachusetts. We have been serving your automobile insurance needs since 1989.


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Warband is Coming!
Fearing what terrors this new enemy may unleash upon The Realms, the God-King Sigmar threw open the gates to The Sacrosanct Chamber and called forth those most attuned to the magic of the Realms.
Now Averon Stormsire and his fearless Cursebreakers hunt the Legions of Nagash, casting any that they find into oblivion. However, these brave warriors may have met their equal in the Briar Queen and her Thorns, a Chainrasp Horde fuelled by the need to harvest the souls of the living.
Peer into the future and battle against the cards held within the upcoming Warband Pack in these two brand new campaigns. Take on Averon Stormsire's and his noble Cursebreakers followed by The Briar Queen and her deadly Thorns in our latest, deadly update. The Warbands of Order and Death are primed and ready to repel your forces; do you have what it takes to withstand the Warband?
To find out more about the power contained within the Warband Pack, take a look at our overview here.


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Several SriLankan Airlines flights delayed due to various reasons
A variety of reasons have caused delays to several SriLankan Airlines flights today (May 3).
The untimely sickness of a passenger inbound from the Gulf initiated a diversion to Cochin on one flight while another aircraft inbound from Kuwait was caught in a dust-storm and required attention from Engineering.
Two other aircraft were delayed for technical reasons that have since been resolved, SriLankan Airlines said in a statement.
The lack of aircraft meant that a number of flights, namely UL884 Colombo-Melbourne, UL281 Colombo-Jeddah, UL314 Colombo-Kuala Lumpur, UL406 Colombo-Bangkok and UL 604 Melbourne-Colombo suffered prolonged delays.
SriLankan Airlines expressed deep regrets for any inconvenience caused to customers and pointed out that all passengers who had checked in were provided complimentary hotel accommodation and/or meals at the airport by the airline.


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SYA has partnered with CYA for another "Lax 4 a Cause" event at Centreville High School. Teams from CYA, SYA, DullesSouth, and Herndon/Reston will scrimmage each other. All of our boys and girls from 4 to 14 will take advantage of this preseason game opportunity. The event will run all day Saturday, March 14th from 8am to 6pm.
The Centreville boosters will man the Snack Stand and provide food and drink. Fundraising is ongoing for both CYA and SYA. Both groups will continue raising funds for two separate charities. CYA has chosen Life with Cancer as their charity and SYA will support The American Boy Foundation. Our fundraising efforts will continue through April 2020.
This charity is important to us, as it has impacted our community. The Megale family has shared an excerpt with us about their foundation:
AMERICAN BOY was formed after the tragic death of our son to a heroin/fentanyl overdose. He loved lacrosse, so in honor of his life, we have dedicated our efforts to helping young adults struggling by raising money for long term treatment scholarships. We proudly have placed nine candidates in treatment after a few short months of launching our initiative, some from our area, and one lacrosse player. We assist families seeking treatment for their loved one, and our youngest daughter Shea, wrote AMERICAN BOY, the Opioid Epidemic and the Sister Left Behind chronicling her observations of addiction and her close relationship and love of her brother. This is a problem millions of families are struggling with, and as US Lacrosse magazine noted, the lacrosse community has a high prevalence of athletes struggling with opioid addiction.
On behalf of AMERICAN BOY, we thank you for granting us the honor of benefiting from your event. Together, we may have just saved a life.
Visit us at: [http://www.americanboy%2Corg/]www.americanboy,org
LAX FOR A CAUSE: 2019 Cancelled
For the last 5 years SYA and CYA lacrosse have joined forces and raised over $100,000 for 3 different charity organizations, Wounded Warrior, Fisher House Foundation and Special Love. We could not have done this without the generous support of our corporate sponsors, community and our players and coaches.
During the late planning stages of Lax4ACause 2019 CYA informed SYA that they decided to take a break from this year's event. We tried to find other clubs to participate but it was too late to make it work for this year. SYA Lacrosse has started to search for additional clubs to partner with to make the 2020 Lax4ACause and even bigger event.
SYA Lacrosse still needs the help of our corporate sponsors for banner advertisement at ECL for the 2019 spring season. These donations to SYA lacrosse provide better equipment, uniforms and coaching supplies for the 2019 spring season. If you would like to have us hang your banner again this year, we are offering a discounted sponsorship rate for the spring.
SYA Lacrosse, CYA Lacrosse Join Forces to Host Fourth Annual Fundraising Event to Benefit Special Love and Children with Cancer;
Hope to Raise $20,000 for Special Love
Centreville, Virginia, March 17, 2018 – Following on the success of the past four years, Southwestern Youth Association (SYA) and Chantilly Youth Association (CYA), are joining forces to host the Fifth annual "LAX for a Cause" day of lacrosse. The eight-hour lacrosse event features dozens of lacrosse games and will be held March 17, 2018, at Centreville High School. The goal? Raise $20,000 to directly benefit Special Love and children with cancer. http://specialove.org
In 2017 LAX for a Cause was recognized by the United States Congress for its charitable efforts on behalf of our nation's veterans, wounded warriors, and children who are battling pediatric cancer. One of our own SYA lady warriors is still battling cancer. Last year it was Tatum Foster's choice to select special love as our charity for 2017. Once we learned about special love and their camps and programs for children with cancer, we knew that with the help of our special lacrosse community the funds raised from Lax for a Cause could help special love continue to grow, helping more children fight this terrible disease.
The lacrosse marathon will feature more than 20 teams – with players ages five and up – which will play at a different time slots throughout the day. Funds will be raised through both individual player and corporate sponsorships, as well as through concessions and t-shirt sales on the day of the event.
Individuals and businesses are encouraged to sponsor our young players … and come out and enjoy a great day of lacrosse," says SYA Lacrosse Vice Commissioner Scott Stewart. "We want to show our youth that they can be a powerful force for good – to benefit kids like them who are sick with a terrible disease."
SYA Lacrosse and CYA Lacrosse, are local, volunteer, non-profit youth sports organizations that serve the youth of Western Fairfax. Proceeds beyond the money raised for Special Love will be used to improve player safety through the purchase of updated equipment and gear. Funds raised also will help keep these sports programs accessible to every household in Western Fairfax by keeping registration costs low, as well as help subsidize the organizations' free off-season training programs and clinics.
More than 500 boys and girls are involved in these fast-growing community programs, which are dedicated to ensuring positive experiences – in a safe environment – for players of every skill level.
SYA Lacrosse and CYA Lacrosse, need your support. Businesses and individuals can sponsor a designated team or player and help show the children of our community the importance of giving back, while making a difference in the lives of children with cancer who need a place like special love to escape their fight and be a kid again.
For more information about "LAX for a Cause" and sponsorship opportunities, please visit
Player and Team Fundraising
Individual player fundraisers will need to download the pledge forms and fund raising directions at below on this page. There is also a pay pal link on this page you can give to donors make donating easy via credit card.
Corporate Sponsorship
Our success last year with Lax4ACause could not have been reached without the help of our corporate sponsors. SYA Lacrosse thanks you for you generous support. If you would like to be a corporate sponsor SYA lacrosse has the following sponsorship opportunities listed below. Please contact Scott Stewart,if you are interested in a sponsorship. CONTACT SCOTT
Banner Sponsorship: $500
SYA will make a banner with your approved artwork and hang the banner at Centreville High School the day of Lax4ACause as well as hang the banner on our new fence at ECL during every weekend of lacrosse games this spring.
T-Shirt Sponsorship – LAX4ACAUSE
Your company logo will be put on the back of the Lax4ACause t-shirts and the Lax4ACause banner.
Platinum – $500
Gold – $300
Silver – $150
Use the pull down menu to select your donation amount. MAKE SURE TO ENTER THE PLAYERS NAME AND TEAM. Make sure to mark PayPal on your pledge form so we can track your fundraising.
EXAMPLE: Dalton Stewart, U12A
You can help make our fourth annual LAX for a Cause a big success! By getting donations from friends, family, neighbors and others in your community, we WILL make our goal for Special Love for children with cancer–and beyond. Your goal is $100 in pledges.
The top five fundraising boys and girls will be recognized and rewarded with prizes from lacrosse companies like STX, Warrior, Cascade and others.
Prizes: We are gathereing prizes from our lax sponsors and this year we hope to do more and better prizes for top fund raisers.
Teamwork Always Matters.
Once you are placed on a team, your individual efforts will be tallied with your teammates' efforts. There will be prizes for the top 3 fundraising teams.
Here is a Sample Script you can use when speaking with prospective supporters.
"Hi my name is (YOUR NAME!!) and I am playing in an all-day lacrosse game called "Lax for a Cause" on March 18th. Our goal is to raise over $10,000 for Special Love for children with cancer. Can you help out with a small donation? Please visit our website syalacrosse.org to watch a video about one of our own Warriors, Tatum, who was diagnosed with cancer last season. We can except cash or a check made out to SYA lacrosse. We will be presenting a check to the Special Love on March 12th at the end of the day. You are invited to attend the games that day. It is going to be a fun day of playing lacrosse and giving back! You can get your tax deductible donation receipt on syasports.org/lacrosse – Lax for a Cause. THANK YOU!"
1. Download the Pledge Sheet and get donors to fill it out
2. Download and print tax deductable pledge sheets for your doners.
3. Collect your checks (made out to SYA lacrosse) and cash donations and put in an envelope. If donors used PayPal link make sure they put your name and Age Group so you get credit for the donation. For example, John Doe, U13LB. If you don't know your team yet just have your donors put your name in the paypal payment field when asked.
4. Report how much you have raised to your coach at your first practice with your total amount. Continue to fund raise until March 9th. On March 11th your coach will need to get your pledge forms in an envelope along with your donations. Write your name and team name on ther front of the envelope. Example: John Doe, U11 A
PLEDGE SHEET – Click Here
DONATION RECEIPT – Click Here
PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS – Click Here
Click here to return to Lacrosse's Home Page.


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Sponsored: Petzl Tikka XP
Petzl's Justin Roth talks with BACKPACKER about the design of the Tikka XP headlamp.
Petzl's Justin Roth talks with BACKPACKER about the design of the Tikka XP headlamp.
Buff® ambassador Joe Grant talks with BACKPACKER about UV Insect Shield technology.
Life is a journey. What you pack can take you to the outskirts. What you wear can take you to the edge. In fact, truly great gear can take you to places you'll never forget. Video by Chris Burkard.
We believe that life should be demanding, but never dull. When the daily grind sets in, trade in your suit and your briefcase for gear that answers to a higher call. Video by Chris Burkard.
Life moves fast. So pack. Pack for the highs. Dress for the detours. And always make sure that you're outfitted…for adventure. Video by Chris Burkard.
The ultimate integrated cooking + eating solution.
The ENO DoubleNest Hammock is built for two and packs down easily to go anywhere.
When you hear the call to get out and go, the Granite Gear Crown VC60 is the ultralight performance pack for you.
LEKI Micro Vario Carbon poles feature a push-button release mechanism for quick assembly and disassembly.


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- This event has passed.
Bikes and Beer in Gateway — Benefit for Gateway Green
October 8, 2016 at 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Bikes and Beer in Gateway — Benefit for Gateway Green
What: Gateway Brewing's Bikes and Beer in Gateway
When: Saturday, October 8, 2016, noon to 6pm
Where: 10625 NE Halsey St. Portland, OR 97220
The Outer Rim Bicycle Shop and Gateway Brewing, two locally owned and operated businesses are extending our summer beer garden with monthly events showcasing a local partner or non-profit. We'll be pouring Gateway beers at the NE Halsey bike shop on the 2nd Saturday of the month, rain or shine. All ages are welcome. The Gateway District is located at the juncture of I-84 and I-205 with easy access from the 205 bike path and the Gateway Transit Center Max.
This month, we'll support Gateway Green and their current crowdfunding campaign by donating a percentage of beer sales.
About Gateway Green
Gateway Green is one of Portland's newest park acquisition – 25 acres of unused open space to be developed into a world-class recreation destination featuring a multi-use park with unique mountain bike features. Located inEast Portland between I-205 and I-84 Gateway Green will cultivate social equity, demonstrate innovative urban habitat restoration and energize local economic development. gatewaygreenpdx.org
About The Outer Rim Bicycle Shop
The Outer Rim is Portland's bicycle shop for Sales and Service. Located in the Gateway District, The Outer Rim stocks BMX, Road, Mountain, Hybrids and more. They pride themselves on their "Free Lifetime Tune-ups" and stand for quality good old fashion customer service. www.outerrimbicycles.com
About Gateway Brewing
Gateway Brewing is a Portland, Ore – based craft brewery launched in 2015. Available in bars and restaurants around Portland, Gateway Brewing invites you to come on over. For more information, contact email@example.com.


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Scott is an expert software developer with over 30 years experience, specialising in education, automation and remote data.
Scott Penrose
Scott is an expert software developer with over 30 years experience, specialising in education, automation and remote data.
Interesting and important video produced by http://www.horseracingkills.com/ talking about wastage in horses in horse racing. The message, the slaughter, the waste, the fact the industry itself should be dealing with the omes for the horse, the fact it is killing so many. This is important message.
Unfortunately it has then backed this message by disturbing footage of horse being killed point blank by a rifle.
They follow that up with footage of the animal being bled and cut up. This is so they can use the meat in dog food, again, reducing waste.
The fact that they are killing so many, wasting, is important.
Think about some of the words used. They emphasise the "Point Blank" - should the person stand back and take approximate pot shots. Point blank is best. That technique is also used on wild animals hurt on our roads by rangers, and is endorsed by RSPCA.
As an owner of horses I have, over the past 30 years, lost 3 horses. All three were extremely old. All three died effectively of old age. (BTW. One of them was an ex race horse). The first did pass, with me, of very old age. Probably in the end of pneumonia in his last few days. The second and third though got very sick, one didn't get up at all, the other lost lots of weight and mucus out of his nose. I am not cruel, so I did the best thing, I had them put down - a nice way of saying killed humanely. How do they do that - a very very nice and compassionate man comes along and when you are ready (I always have to turn away) he humanely shoots the horse right in the brain. Yes his body twitches after, there is blood, and the only way to move him afterwards (remember they way 500kg or more) is to drag them by neck or leg.
I think their cause is important. I think their sensationalising the humane way to kill the animal is bloody stupid and makes me then question the organisation.


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I wrote this blog in 2010. I also used it on my student radio series. It was around the time Justin Bieber's career exploded and everyone was slinging as many harsh criticism his way as…okay it wasn't so much harsh criticism as much as it was "urgh, Justin Bieber, he must be a lezzer!" and other witty banter like that. And given recent events, him getting thrown out of night clubs, accusations of doing weed, the fan he supposedly got pregnant (I have no evidence of the last two, don't sue me) and the fabulous being two hours late for a gig (Guns N Roses do that all the time, seriously, are you fucking surprised?) I thought maybe it was time to dig this entry out on my position in the argument: is it right to thrown such harsh words at a child in the world of business?
23 May 2010
I thought I might vent this, because its a bizarre occurance. I've taken a position in a philosophical debate that you would never usually expect of me. I'm in the unamiable position…of defending Justin Bieber.
Yes, I thought that might shock you.
Justin Bieber was first seen on youtube doing his whiny girlish unoriginal "singing" and was spotted by a record producer, taken into an office somewhere and got a contract with Island records. And since 2007 his career has really taken off, its divided people really, some, mostly little girls are awing over him and buying the records, while the rest of us wish that he would fuck off and die already.
Thing is though I feel a bit bad for the kid. I mean of course he has absolutely nothing to offer the world of music. He's a teenage fad like all the others and sings exactly like Britney Spears and all that lot, he's doing nothing new and is never going to inspire the creative tendons of some undiscovered genius, he's just there for the sake of being there. The record company feel they can exploit the kid and so they do.
Thing is though its record company to blame for this, not the kid himself. Think about it, he was on youtube. He had no connections and no money, he was thirteen years old. They look at that and go "ooh, we can make a bit of money off of this".
He's a child in the world of big business, he's a kid. And if he sees all these hateful comments then I can safely say: well done everyone, you've made a child cry, you happy now? That made you feel all special? Admittedly I hate kids but the rest of you clearly don't since you're all happy and go "ooh you're pregnant, ooh, one of life's miracles" when there are plenty of unhappy kids in the world without parents, go raise them if you want one so much.
Justin Bieber is a child and a teen icon. Teen icons come and go, we've seen more of them in history than we've seen viable excuses for war, but then again we've never seen a viable excuse for war so…hmm, more accurate comparison, we've seen more teen icons than we've seen bigmacs shovelled down our throats, that'll do. And they almost always end badly. Alright, Justin Timberlake is still around despite his lack of talent, but Justin Bieber has already divided people and won't last much longer.
Just think about it. Gareth Gates, Darius, Scooch, Milli Vanilli. By the time this kid turns 18 everyone will have known and completely forgotten who he is. His records won't be selling well since the current kids buying them will have grown out of it. He'll be dropped from his record label. He'll have no money out by because fame does weird things to people, he'll piss it all away. It'll screw him up really badly. At the moment he's only on chapter two of what is going to be a very sad and twisted tale, he's already on his way down.
All I ask is that if you at least show a little bit of sympathy for this poor doomed individual. Popstars come and go and given how vapid they get with the ego boost, this kid's gonna be on the streets before he turns 18. Fine, ignore him because he is musically worthless, but if you're gonna be harsh about Justin Bieber, just think to the future when the ninteen year old kid is stood in an alley. He kneels in a pile of tear stained one dollar bills and opens his mouth for another couple of bucks that might keep him alive for a bit longer. I for one think that's rather sad.
Thank you


text: We had a lovely time with Kevin and Roxanne at their wedding on Lovers Key with their family. They were down from Minnesota to celebrate their nuptials with their close family. It got a little stormy towards the end, but their family was a hilarious group that really knew how to enjoy the special moment weddings really are. We love spending time capturing these beautiful moments with such beautiful people. Enjoy some photos below!


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Website Honeywell_Home Honeywell
Regional Distribution Manager Sensing & Internet of Things (IoT)
Honeywell Sensing & IoT is a leading global supplier of standard and custom-engineered Electromechanical Switches, Electronic Sensors, Gas Sensors, Barcode Scan-Engines and Test & Measurement Sensors.
With more than 50,000 products ranging from snap action, limit, toggle and pressure switches to pressure, position, speed and airflow sensors, Honeywell Sensing & IoT has a product portfolio to meet any industry's requirements and any company's needs.
On top of our impressive product line, we also bring to bear engineering expertise and value-added capabilities no other company offers. While our switch and sensor solutions meet a wide array of basic and complex applications, our custom-engineered solutions offer enhanced precision, repeatability and ruggedness for each industry of our expertise.
Our clear focus is around Aerospace, Transportation, Medical, Industrial and Test & Measurement applications, where our switches and sensors are a key component of the total solution.
With our extensive application experience and high performance products, we are able to create compelling and unique value propositions for our customers. Paired with our global sourcing and manufacturing capabilities and a superior technical and customer support organization, we are able to drive the difference.
We are currently seeking a
Regional Distribution Manager
. As a Regional Distribution Manager for Honeywell, you will be responsible for managing a set of assigned local distributor branches to drive new business opportunities, ensuring effective retention and fulfillment of existing business in a growth oriented, fast-paced environment.
Key Responsibilities:
• Manage regional distributors and the branch offices of the national distributors
• Develop distributor goals and plans on an annual basis
• Manage distributors in assigned geographic territory, ensuring revenue targets are achieved
• Drive regular business reviews with distributors
• Own the distributors lead generation and new business opportunity (NBO) creation programs
• Drive the corporate strategy to the branch level
• Serve as liaison between local distributor branches and Honeywell sales resources, pulling in support when NBO's are identified
• Develop relationships w/ distributors through training, coaching and management
• Increase penetration of Honeywell products/services into distributor base
• Communicate Honeywell value propositions, products and services
• Co-sell w/ distributor reps where appropriate; coordinates additional Honeywell support. Manage channel conflict between branches.
Educational Qualifications:
• Bachelor's degree with 3-5 years of field sales experience in a technical or electronic environment
High School Diploma with 8+ years of field sales experience in a technical or electronic environment.
Additional Skills/Certifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Electronics, Physics, or other related technical field preferred
• Experience working in a team selling environment (Business Development/New Account focus desired)
• Ability to translate customer requirements into product offerings
• Exceptional track record of identifying new business opportunities
• Understanding of how to apply products/solutions to fulfill customer needs in new markets
• Keen understanding of customer decision-making processes
• Ability to quickly identify, define, and articulate business winning strategies (price, capabilities, etc.)
• Knowledge and/or interest and ability to learn Sensors and Controls products and markets
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills – ability to gain trust quickly
• Ability to coordinate and co-sell with internal sales resources
• Adept at quick thinking and ability answer questions and problem solve in the field
• Advanced written/verbal communication and negotiation skills
• Willingness to travel 75%+ of the time
Honeywell is an equal opportunity employer.
Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, sex, or veteran status.
To apply for this job please visit tinyurl.com.


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"Thy Way, Lord"
If you truly desire to give it all up and say, "Thy Way, Lord," nothing can stop you from your decision to lead a victorious Christian life in Jesus.
Welcome to the family where we empower and strengthen each other, convincing ourselves it is possible to live in the Christian standards with dignity and respect.
At the time of adversities, we all are with you as a family to see you through the challenges to help you live a victorious life in Christ Jesus in purity and Spirit.


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GrubStreet Launch Lab: The Writer's Journey
discussing their books
Only the Longest Threads
Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Know the Night:
A Memoir of Survival in the Small Hours
This event includes a book signing
December 5, 2014
Harvard Book Store
1256 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138
This event is free; no tickets are required.
Harvard Book Store and GrubStreet welcome scientist TASNEEM ZEHRA HUSAIN, debut novelist TILIA KLEBENOV JACOBS, and memorist MARIA MUTCH for a panel discussion on how these three authors found their stories. They will discuss their books Only the Longest Threads; Wrong Place, Wrong Time; and Know the Night: A Memoir of Survival in the Small Hours.
On Only the Longest Threads
Only the Longest Threads will thrill readers with its dramatic and lucid accounts of the great breakthroughs in the history of physics—classical mechanics, electromagnetism, relativity, quantum mechanics, quantum field theory, and string theory, each from the viewpoint of a (fictional) witness to the events.
Tasneem Zehra Husain re-imagines the pivotal moments in the history of physics when radical new theories shifted our perception of the universe, and our place in it. Husain immerses the reader in the immediacy and excitement of the discoveries—and she guides us as we begin to understand the underlying science and to grasp the revolutionary step forward each of these milestones represents.
On Wrong Place, Wrong Time
When Tsara Adelman leaves her husband and two young children for a weekend to visit her estranged uncle, she little dreams he is holding several local children captive on his lavish estate. Mike Westbrook, father of one of the boys, kidnaps her to trade her life for the children's. Soon Tsara and Mike are fleeing through New Hampshire's mountain wilderness pursued by two rogue cops with murder on their minds.
On Know the Night: A Memoir of Survival in the Small Hours
In this debut memoir, Maria Mutch explores the miraculous power that care and communication have in the face of the deep, personal isolation that often comes with disability. A chronicle of the witching hours between midnight and six a.m., this meditative book takes place during the two year period in which Mutch's son Gabriel, who is autistic and also has Down syndrome, rarely slept through the night. In this tapestry composed of interwoven memories, we see both Gabriel's difficult childhood and Maria's introduction to the world of multiple disability parenting.
As a counterpoint to Gabriel's figurative isolation is the story of Admiral Richard Byrd, the polar explorer who journeyed alone into the Antarctic wilderness in the 1930s. His story creates a shared and powerful language for the experience of feeling alone.
In these three characters—mother, son, and explorer—Mutch reveals overlapping and layered themes of solitude that, far from driving us apart, enlighten, uplift, and connect.
Walking from the Harvard Square T station: 2 minutes
As you exit the station, reverse your direction and walk east along Mass. Ave. in front of the Cambridge Savings Bank. Cross Dunster St. and proceed along Mass. Ave for three more blocks. You will pass Au Bon Pain, JP Licks, and TD Bank. Harvard Book Store is located at the corner of Mass. Ave. and Plympton St.
Unable to attend a Harvard Book Store author event? You can still pre-order a signed book by one of our visiting authors.
While we can't guarantee fulfillment of a signed book pre-order, our authors are almost always able to sign extra books to fulfill such orders.
Ordering a signed book on harvard.com:
- Add the book to your shopping cart and then click Checkout.
- Specify in Order Comments that you want a signed copy of the book.
- Please note: online orders for signed copies must be placed at least one business day before the event. If you are ordering the day of, please call us instead.
Ordering a signed book by phone:
- Call us at (617) 661-1515 and one of our booksellers will take your order. Specify you'd like a signed copy.
- If you are requesting a personalized inscription and/or requesting your book be shipped, we'll need to take down credit card information. If you are planning to pick up the signed book in the store, you can pay on pick-up.
Can I request a personalized inscription?
Unless otherwise noted, we are happy to take requests for the author to sign your book to a specific person, but we can't guarantee it. If you do get a personalized inscription, the book will be non-returnable. We will require credit card information when you place the order.
Do signed books cost more?
There is no extra fee for a signed book!
Do I have to pick it up in the store, or can you deliver my signed book?
As with all web or phone orders, we can hold your book for in-store pickup, or ship it anywhere in the country.
I am planning to attend an author event. Do I need to pre-order a book?
No need. We'll be selling books at the event, and nearly all of our events include a signing at the end of the talk.
More questions? Give us a call!
GrubStreet is one of the nation's leading creative writing centers, offering 500+ classes a year in all genres, for writers of all levels. We believe that narrative transforms lives, builds bridges, and produces empathy. By rigorously developing voices of every type and talent and by removing barriers to entry, GrubStreet fosters the creation of meaningful stories and ensures that excellent writing remains vital and relevant. To learn more or find a class, visit grubstreet.org.
These days, authors, no matter how they are published, are frequently on their own when it comes to marketing and promoting their books. Publishers now expect their authors to be active partners in the marketing process, cultivating their audience with all the new tools available to them via social media and innovative marketing. In the midst of all these changes and this unavoidable reality, GrubStreet seeks to build community and share expertise around these crucial new responsibilities.
The Launch Lab is a pioneering program that will equip writers with the knowledge and tools they need to be effective in their efforts while also facilitating friendships and community so that they remain inspired, connected, and engaged in the process. Learn more about the Launch Lab at https://grubstreet.org/
GrubStreet: https://www.grubstreet.org/
Featured event books will be for sale at the event for 20% off. Thank you for supporting this author series with your purchases.
(617) 661-1515
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Review our guidelines for visitors and other updates on hours and services at Harvard Book Store this summer.Learn More »
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Join our Signed First Edition Club (or give a gift subscription) for a signed book of great literary merit, delivered to you monthly.Learn More »


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The $200 billion industry that's
causing massive global disruption
The $200 billion industry that's causing massive global disruption
8 Minute Read.
Ten years ago, Amazon Web Services (AWS) invented a multi-billion dollar industry responsible for all Amazon profits today. This in turn, helped Netflix, to achieve a $156 billion valuation in just fifteen years, with a stratospheric growth rate of 77 times.
By any standard, that's an incredible achievement as according to McKinsey, one of the greatest obstacles to sustained growth is the ability to scale IT resources. However, with the availability of almost unlimited cloud-based computing from Amazon, Microsoft and Google, that is no longer an issue.
This article describes how this $200 billion industry is causing the biggest technology upheaval since 1981 when the IBM PC was launched. It will explain the business benefits of Cloud Computing, and the most common ways to get started.
What is Cloud Computing?
To put it in context, when you use the web you are connected to: -
Your device: A mobile, desktop or laptop computer.
The local network: The immediate WIFI network.
The Cloud: The thousands of commercial services you use every day which are hosted on 3rd party cloud servers. These include Google Search, Gmail, Dropbox and Microsoft Office.
Cloud computing however, refers to more than just simple data storage and utility services. It has been extended into the provision of general-purpose computing, and was invented almost by accident by Amazon in 2006.
How did it all start?
Twenty years ago, Amazon executives were frustrated that projects estimated at weeks to complete, took months just to provision the hardware. This included the network, compute resources and storage, as each team started from scratch.
In an attempt to resolve this, Amazon set up an internal division to provide standardised compute resources, delivering the world's first infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS). By 2006, it had developed into a viable business, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) was launched with two products, the Simple Storage Service (S3) and associated compute platform, Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2).
Initially appealing to small start-ups, just seven years later, AWS was a major player in the market winning a $600m contract for the CIA against competition from market leader IBM. By 2017 it delivered over $17b in annual revenues, nearly 10% of the entire Amazon group turnover.
[AWS has] been radically disruptive to everything. HP is breaking up, IBM is divesting and retooling businesses, and Oracle is moving its revenue stream to the cloud as fast as it can. – John Furrier - Forbes Magazine.
AWS is Leading the Pack
What's the benefit?
Two common misconceptions about cloud computing are that it's not secure, and it's all about reducing cost. If you believe either of these, you may be missing the point.
"Nearly all the high-profile breaches in the past year have targeted on premises IT infrastructure. Maintaining in house infrastructure is clearly not a guarantee of information security" – Tripp Smith – Clarity Insights.
The benefits of cloud computing include: -
Agility: It's possible spin up an entirely new hardware architecture from whiteboard to keyboard within a day. There's no need to waste months justifying capital expenditure, and ordering and deploying hardware. As cloud computing is available on a pay-as-you-use basis, it provides a significant capability to experiment, and with it, the ability to adapt quickly to events.
Innovation: One outcome of the potential for agility, is the ability to innovate. To try out new ideas, test prototypes and quickly shut them down without significant impact if they don't work out. This let's you fail fast, one of the key tenets of successful innovation.
Scalability: As much an advantage to a small IT department as a fast-growing start-up, you can deploy a tiny server with a few gigabytes of storage, and quickly scale it to a massive supercomputer. As an example, the Snowflake Elastic Data Warehouse can scale from a single database server to a massive 128 node behemoth within seconds, without any disruption to service.
"Invention requires two things: The ability to try a lot of experiments, and not having to live with the collateral damage" – Andrew Jassy. (Amazon Web Services).
Although it's understandable to think of cloud computing as simply the on-premise systems hosted by somebody else, it also brings the potential advantage of extending agile DevOps methods to hardware provision.
Using an Infrastructure as Code process, it's possible to quickly, deploy, test and adjust system configuration. This means for example, it's possible to quickly readjust the hardware to cope with an anticipated increase in demand, for example at month end or in preparation for a Black Friday sale.
Common Use Cases?
Data Warehouse and cloud-based Big Data analytics services are available from a number of vendors. Often this is used for near real-time data ingestion, or to capture, store and analyse massive data volumes.
While you could simply "lift and shift" to the cloud, the real benefits are available from the DWaaS providers. The clear leaders in this field are Snowflake Computing, AWS Redshift and Google BigQuery. Essentially, there's no hardware or software to install, just load your data and run queries.
Often considered the top of the cloud food chain, Software as a Service is an entire software solution delivered as a subscription-based service. In addition to the benefits of buy don't build, it has the advantage of avoiding the on-going cost of maintenance, as applying upgrades and new features are automatically deployed.
The best examples of SaaS include Salesforce the customer relationship management system and Microsoft Office 365 in addition to niche products like Slack for enterprise cross-platform collaboration, and the Intuit suite for financial accounting.
Often one of the easiest ways to start, effectively this uses the agile and elastic nature of cloud computing to provide backup and recovery services. AWS provide a range of solutions including supporting applications on-premises, entirely in the cloud or a hybrid of both.
Especially valuable to SMEs, this provides the possibility of fail-over to a cloud-based disaster recovery solution without the expense of building and maintaining another data centre.
Virtual desktops are quickly replacing desktop devices, as a fast-emerging way to support a more agile way of working. In addition to supporting a hot desking method of working, it means IT departments can efficiently standardise content and security patches across the entire estate.
Cloud based virtual desktops are the next logical step, and provide an additional level of disaster recovery, as the desktop is available from any device, anywhere there's a web connection. Prices are charged on an hourly or monthly rate, and start as little as $29 per month for a Linux based machine.
If correctly implemented using an Infrastructure as Code process, it's possible to quickly configure, deploy, test and remove a highly resilient and secure hardware setup within hours. In addition to avoiding the lengthy budgeting, planning and inevitable delays in installing new hardware, this converts a capital investment into an adaptable operational expense, and helps smooth cash flow.
Having worked in Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing my entire career, the benefits of Cloud based Data Warehousing are clear. The ability to quickly scale up the hardware, and securely store almost infinite data volumes, make the cloud the perfect location for Big Data analytics.
However, I'd argue the benefits of cloud deployment extend across the entire IT and business landscape.
The ability to quickly deploy, test and reconfigure both hardware and software is a game-changer. It allows hard-pressed IT departments to truly innovate. To try new technologies, to prototype new solutions, and quickly build and tear-down full-size pilot or test systems. It's enabled Amazon, a company that started less than 25 years ago to become larger than all its bricks-and-mortar competitors combined, and to compete with Apple to become the most valuable company in the world.
A final word of caution. In the same way Amazon, Netflix, Airbnb and Uber disrupted their respective markets by being agile and innovative, the advantages of extreme agility from cloud deployment is causing disruption in almost every industry, and the cloud service providers are at the vanguard of that change. If you don't adapt to the new reality, it may be your market that's disrupted.
"[The] best time to deploy a public cloud strategy was two years ago, the second-best time is now". Tripp Smith - CTO Clarity Insights
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Highlighting importance of boosting British-Georgian Cultural relations
The British Council will soon mark its 80th anniversary. At the same time, it so happens that Georgia is one of the countries where the demand to study the English language is very high, which is confirmed by the British Council - Georgia. On the other hand, the fact that our country is subject of concern to the UK was acknowledged by the visit of the British Council Chair Sir Vernon Ellis whomet with journalists on November 8 at British Council - Georgia office.
Sir Vernon Ellis' visit is viewed as confirmation of the British Council's strong interest and support for Georgia and for the work that is carried out with Georgian partners. He told the journalists that he always wanted to visit Georgia, as he had heard a lot about this country. Sir Vernon says that he likes how English is taught in Georgia and the aspiration of the people to learn and teach English. "I think that the energy of our team [British Council Georgia] is an example of that. We have a small but very important team here", he noted.
Sir Vernon Ellis named teaching, exams, working in educational system and working in culture as main directions of the British Council - Georgia. He also mentioned a wide range of the partners that British Council - Georgia collaborates with, including Rustaveli National Theatre and National museum in culture, BP in the corporative sphere and ministries of culture and education in the governmental sector.
To the question of Georgian Journal, how his visit would influence the bilateral cultural relations, he responded: "It's important to develop cultural relations, and part of that is doing it through English language, which we have as one of the tools. The long-term relations are training the University (Ilia University) students in English. The cultural understanding we have gained by working in arts projects, working for example with our theatre in London with young playwrights here to develop new plays and hopefully, find ways to staging them the next year. Also we work with National Museum here in the area of Fashion show, which will give you the best understanding of something creative that we have in Britain. So, all these, I think, are the opportunities to understand each other and work together and learn."
British Council operates in Georgia for 18 years now. Zaza Purtseladze, Director of British Council Georgia told Georgian Journal: "The main purpose of Sir Vernon Ellis' visit is to emphasize the importance of developing the British-Georgian cultural relations and the role of the British Council in this context. Our main priority is still raising the skill of English teachers and assisting those who wish to learn English, but our office is distinguished from others with a wide range of arts projects, including literature, theatre, fine arts, etc. I am glad that all these were mentioned by our distinguished guest with admiration."
Sir Vernon Ellis is a Chairman of Martin Randall Travel Ltd, the leading cultural tours company and of One Medicare, a company providing primary health care services. He is a non-executive Director of FTI Consulting. He was a Chairman of English Opera from 2005 to 2012 and led the organization through a period of transformation to its position now as one of the most innovative and productive opera companies in the world. He is also involved in several musical organizations and charities, and many more.
Sir Vernon Ellis' visit featured numerous meetings with British Council's key contacts in the fields of education and culture, while a rich cultural programme also constituted an integral part of his schedule, including the presentation on the history of fashion exhibitions in UK and screening of fashion films on November 9 at Georgian National Museum, as well as the play that was taken to Britain called "We Resemble Refugees", now already at Rustaveli Theatre, Tbilisi.


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Stephen M. Gray, 51, of Latrobe passed away Sunday December 29, 2019 at UPMC-Shadyside Hospital. He was born June 3, 1968 in Latrobe, a son of the late John J. "Red" Gray Sr. and Dolores M. Henkel Gray.
Stevie was a 1986 graduate of Derry Area High School. He was always the "life of the party" and would put a smile on your face. He was an avid sports fan and sports enthusiast. He played basketball in high school and after high school played softball. Stevie had previously worked as a butcher at Mastrorocco's Market and as a bartender at the Kingston Club.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by his uncle Jim "Turtle" Gray.
He is survived by his former wife Shelly Douglas, his best friend of 20 years, and her parents Robert and Marlene Keefe, his dog Bella Marie, his godchild Taylor Short, a brother John J. "Boomer" Gray, a sister-in-law Deborah Gray, two nephews Alan and Gary, his aunt Fran Gray, uncle Charlie Gray and several cousins. Stevie will be greatly missed.
A funeral mass will be celebrated Saturday January 25, 2020 at 11am in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church of Derry with Father Salvatore R. Lamendola as celebrant..
A special thanks to Excela Latrobe Hospital ICCU, Dr. Kahn and his staff, Dr. Lee and staff at UPMC-Shadyside Hospital.
Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Online condolences may be made to www.mccabefuneralhomespa.com.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Stephen Michael Gray, please visit our floral store.