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The Papacy 2018 –
Written by Diana Thebaud Nicholson // February 4, 2020 // X-cutting Issues // No comments
Pope Francis arranges for 19th century Palazzo Migliori to be converted into a homeless shelter
Sitting on prime real estate just off St Peter's Square, the building could have generated significant income for the Catholic Church as a luxury hotel, but Pope Francis had other intentions.
On its news website Vatican News, the Vatican said Pope Francis personally directed his Almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski (his officer in charge of distributing services to the poor) to convert it into a homeless shelter.
15 January
Pope names 1st woman to Vatican's top management position
(AP) — Pope Francis has tapped an Italian lawyer to be the first woman to hold a management position in the Vatican's most important office, the Secretariat of State.
Francis on Wednesday named Francesca Di Giovanni, a 27-year veteran of the Vatican, as undersecretary for multilateral affairs. In that role, she will be responsible for running a division that coordinates the Holy See's relations with the United Nations and other intergovernmental organizations.
Francis has called for women to be given greater decision-making roles in the Vatican and the Catholic Church at large, though no women head a Vatican congregation or other important office.
8 September
The Canadian who helped craft Pope Francis's statement on climate change will be our fourth cardinal
(CBC) Last weekend, Pope Francis named 13 new cardinals — who one day, upon the eventual death or resignation of Francis, will select a new pope.
One of them is Michael Czerny — a 73-year-old Czech-born Jesuit priest who was raised in Montreal. Once the appointment becomes official on Oct. 5, 2019, he will be the fourth Canadian cardinal.
For several years, Reverend Czerny has been one of Pope Francis's lieutenants, serving as the Vatican's Undersecretary of the Section for Migrants and Refugees.
He also was instrumental in the drafting of one of Francis's most celebrated, controversial and debated public pronouncements — the papal encyclical called "Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home" in 2015.
The encyclical outraged hardline conservatives who wish the pope would just stick to the business of celebrating mass and condemning same-sex marriage, and it put climate activists and progressives in the unusual position of saying that we should do what the pope tells us to.
11 April
Ex-Pope Benedict contradicts Pope Francis in unusual intervention on sexual abuse
In his intervention, Benedict did not assess his own role in the crisis, during which he held power for decades, first behind the scenes and then for nearly eight years as pontiff. But the letter bears his hallmark: in particular, a conviction that Catholic teaching can show the way out of a crisis
(WaPo) "There is not one moment of recognition that the abuse crisis was also the result of a collective lapse of judgment by the entire church, including by the Vatican, for a long time," said Massimo Faggioli, a Villanova University professor of theology.
Faggioli said Benedict "tells a tiny part and a very idiosyncratic version of the story without mentioning his role in the Vatican for almost four decades."
"He speaks only a little about victims," said Vito Mancuso, an author who has written books about Catholic theology and philosophy. "It's almost an excuse for the one thing that he is truly interested in: the traditionalist restoration inside the church."
4 April
Pope names first African-American to highest U.S. post
(Reuters) – Pope Francis named the first African-American to the Catholic Church's most senior U.S. position on Thursday… Former Atlanta archbishop Wilton Gregory, 71, was made new head of the Church in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C., and is also likely to become a cardinal eligible to vote in a conclave to elect the next pope after Francis.
He would be the first African-American to hold the rank of cardinal too. The U.S. embassy to the Vatican noted that Gregory's appointment coincided with the 51st anniversary of the assassination of black rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
Gregory, who converted to Catholicism as a teenager, is considered a progressive who prefers dialogue and has largely shunned the U.S. Church's often strident culture wars over issues such as abortion and homosexuality. , seeking to end a period of upheaval in a job whose previous two occupants were caught in sexual abuse scandals.
22 February
The Corruption of the Vatican's Gay Elite Has Been Exposed
By Andrew Sullivan
This may seem like hyperbole, but in my view, the last drops of moral authority the Vatican might hope to have evaporate with this book. It is difficult to express the heartbroken rage so many of us in the pews now feel.
(New York) I spent much of this week reading and trying to absorb the new and devastating book by one Frédéric Martel on the gayness of the hierarchy at the top of the Catholic Church, In the Closet of the Vatican: Power, Homosexuality, Hypocrisy. It's a bewildering and vast piece of reporting — Martel interviewed no fewer than "41 cardinals, 52 bishops and monsignori, 45 apostolic nuncios, secretaries of nunciatures or foreign ambassadors, 11 Swiss Guards and over 200 Catholic priests and seminarians." He conducted more than 1,500 interviews over four years, is quite clear about his sources, and helps the reader weigh their credibility. He keeps the identity of many of the most egregiously hypocritical cardinals confidential, but is unsparing about the dead.
The picture Martel draws is jaw-dropping. Many of the Vatican gays — especially the most homophobic — treat their vows of celibacy with an insouciant contempt. Martel argues that many of these cardinals and officials have lively sex lives, operate within a "don't ask, don't tell" culture, constantly hit on young men, hire prostitutes, throw chem-sex parties, and even pay for sex with church money. How do we know this? Because, astonishingly, they tell us.
As for me, someone who has wrestled with the question of homosexuality and Catholicism for much of my adult life, this book has, to be honest, been gutting. All the painful, wounding Vatican documents on my "objective disorder" that I have tried to parse and sincerely engage … I find out they were written, in part, by tormented gay men, partly to deflect from their own nature. Everything I was taught growing up — to respect the priests and hierarchs, to trust them, to accept their moral authority — is in tatters. To realize that the gay closet played a part in enabling the terrible, unimaginable abuse of the most vulnerable is a twist my psyche is having a hard time absorbing.
16 February
Ex-cardinal McCarrick defrocked by Vatican for sexual abuse
(WaPost) The Vatican on Saturday said it had defrocked former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, leveling a historic penalty against a onetime church power broker and former archbishop of Washington after the church found him guilty of sexual abuse.
It is the most significant abuse-related punishment given to a former cardinal in the modern history of the Roman Catholic Church.
The defrocking, which strips McCarrick of the rights of the priesthood, marks the conclusion of a closed-door Vatican proceeding and comes just days before Pope Francis plans to gather bishops from around the world for an unprecedented summit on abuse.
Frank Bruni: The Vatican's Gay Overlords
A sensational new book mines the Catholic Church's sexual secrets. Will right-wing homophobes exploit it?
Whatever Martel's intent, "In the Closet of the Vatican" may be less a constructive reckoning than a stockpile of ammunition for militant right-wing Catholics who already itch to conduct a witch hunt for gay priests, many of whom are exemplary — and chaste — servants of the church. Those same Catholics oppose sensible and necessary reforms, and will point to the book's revelations as proof that the church is already too permissive and has lost its dignity and its way.
Part of my concern about the book is the timing of its release, which coincides precisely with an unprecedented meeting at the Vatican about sexual abuse in the church. For the first time, the pope has summoned the presidents of every Catholic bishops conference around the world to discuss this topic alone. But the book "is also bound to shift attention away from child abuse and onto gay priests in general, once again falsely conflating in people's minds homosexuality and pedophilia," said the Rev. James Martin, a best-selling Jesuit author, in a recent tweet. He's right.
6 February
Pope Francis's visit was a touching display of unity and common purpose between two great faiths
This historic moment illustrated the core values of the UAE and sent a message of peace and brotherhood to the wider world
It was a sight to behold: Pope Francis, the leader of the world's estimated one billion Roman Catholics, celebrating Mass in a stadium in Abu Dhabi. Please read that sentence again and reflect upon what it means.
It is easy to lose sight of the importance of what took place in the capital this week. Consider the repeated embraces between the pontiff and Dr Ahmed Al Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar – two great men, two great faiths, one enormously significant display of brotherly affection, understanding and respect. The declaration that they signed in Abu Dhabi enshrines this relationship and calls for a more peaceful world.
Open letter to the US Catholic bishops: It's over
(National Catholic Reporter) Dear brothers in Christ, shepherds, fellow pilgrims,
We address you as you approach this year's national meeting in Baltimore because we know there is nowhere left to hide.
It's over.
All the manipulations and contortions of the past 33 years, all the attempts to deflect and equivocate — all of it has brought the church, but especially you, to this moment.
As a class of religious rulers, the loudest among you have become quite good at applying the law and claiming divine authority in marginalizing those who transgress the statutes. The prolonged abuse scandal would suggest, however, that you've not done very well taking stock of yourselves.
We have no special insight into why this moment — the Pennsylvania grand jury report, the downfall of Theodore McCarrick — has so captured the public imagination and pushed the church to this outer limit of exposure and vulnerability. There are theories, not least of which is that the opportunists among us are attempting to use this moment to bring down the only pope who has actually dethroned bishops and a cardinal for their crimes and indiscretions. (9 November 2018)
16 November
Bishops continue to define response to sex abuse despite Vatican call for delay
(NCR) As the U.S. bishops' meeting in Baltimore ends Nov. 15, the most newsworthy happening is still Monday's last-minute instruction from the Vatican to delay any vote on new procedures to sanction or otherwise deal with bishops who had either abused children or failed to remove abusive priests from ministry.
From any vantage, the Vatican intervention was extremely disappointing. It contradicts everything Francis has said about empowering bishops' conferences and decentralizing decision-making in the church. It was also a public-relations disaster for the pope, who is already losing the confidence of Catholics on the abuse issue, according to a September poll from the Pew Research Center: Only 31 percent of Catholics thought the pope was doing a good or excellent job handling the sex abuse scandal, down from 55 percent three years ago.
Though DiNardo didn't release the Vatican's letter, he and others explained that the Vatican worried that any procedures American bishops agreed on could pre-empt discussions at a meeting of the world's top bishops called by the pope for February. If the American procedures for dealing with bad bishops became a de facto template for the rest of the world, the congregation also sees the proposed actions as an infringement on its authority, arguing the conference has no authority over bishops.
The day was saved by Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, who suggested that the bishops continue discussing the proposals and treat them as recommendations that DiNardo, as USCCB president, could take to the February meeting.
12 November
Bishops' meeting bombshell: Vatican says no voting on abuse crisis
(NCR) The plenary meeting of the Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops opened with a bombshell. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the conference, announced that the Holy See had insisted the U.S. bishops not vote on any concrete action items regarding the clergy sex abuse crisis, pending the February meeting of the presidents of all episcopal conferences that Pope Francis has announced. DiNardo said he only learned last night of the Vatican's decision.
People were whispering that the pope should not have intervened, certainly not at such a late date. Is this a case of Rome not grasping the situation in the U.S. or, more worrisome, that Rome still doesn't grasp the enormity of the sex abuse mess? Obviously, the surprise evidenced by DiNardo shows the lack of healthy and regular communication between the leadership of the conference and the pope. Was Cupich trying to put lipstick on a pig? What is really at work here?
We do not know for sure. … But, the obvious place to start finding an answer came in the address delivered by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio, immediately following the announcement. He did something too few bishops and other commentators have done, or even sought to do, this year: He placed the sex abuse crisis in the broader ecclesiological context.
12 September
Pope Francis Summons World's Bishops to Meet on Sexual Abuse
(NYT) Pope Francis summoned bishops from around the world to Rome for an unprecedented meeting focused on protecting minors. The order on Wednesday comes as the pope wrestles with a global clerical sexual abuse crisis and explosive accusations of a cover-up that have shaken his papacy and the entire Roman Catholic Church.
The extraordinary meeting marks the first time that presidents of bishops' conferences worldwide have been summoned for a meeting on a specific topic — more than 100 will be there — and the choice of topic was telling. Just last month, the Vatican's former ambassador in the United States accused the pope of willfully ignoring a history of sexual misconduct by an American cardinal.
The pope called on the bishops' conference presidents to gather from Feb. 21 to Feb. 24, the Vatican said.
"It's a crucial decision by the pope because the conferences play a crucial role in implementing all the prevention measures to protect against sexual abuse in the church," said Prof. Ernesto Caffo, a member of the pope's Commission for the Protection of Minors.
27-30 August
Conservative media move to front line of battle to undermine Pope Francis
(Reuters) The full extent of journalists' involvement in the statement – from conception and editing to translation and publication – emerges from a series of Reuters interviews that reveal a union of conservative clergy and media aimed at what papal defenders say is a campaign to weaken the reformist Francis's pontificate.
Since his election in 2013, conservatives have sharply criticized Francis, saying he has left many faithful confused by pronouncements that the Church should be more welcoming to homosexuals and divorced Catholics and not be obsessed by "culture war" issues such as abortion.
Francis' supporters say the statement contains holes and contradictions and note that Vigano prepared it with help from two journalists who have been critical of Francis, citing this as evidence that it forms part of an ideological anti-Francis strategy. The journalists deny this.
The Man Who Took On the Pope: The Story Behind the Viganò Letter
While Archbishop Viganò, who was once criticized by church traditionalists as overly pragmatic, has aligned himself with a small but influential group of church traditionalists who have spent years seeking to stop Francis, many of his critics think his personal grudges are central to his motivations.
The 'coup' against Pope Francis
(CNN)Even before Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano called for Pope Francis to resign on Sunday, the two men had a history, and it wasn't good.
Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to the United States, angered some church officials in 2015 by arranging a meeting at the Vatican's embassy in Washington between the Pope and Kim Davis, the Kentucky clerk who refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates.
During his trip to the United States, the Pope had tried to stay above the country's culture wars. Vigano foisted Francis right into the fray. The Vatican, which tried to distance the Pope from Davis, was displeased. Two years later, Francis quietly accepted Vigano's resignation.
On Sunday, Vigano struck back.
Pope Francis, the Accusations and the Back Story
The Sex-Abuse Scandal Has Come for Pope Francis
A letter calling for his resignation shows how serious his crisis of credibility has become.
(The Atlantic) Pope Francis's credibility has taken a major hit as the crisis over clergy sex abuse continues to roil the Catholic Church. Following weeks of horrifying revelations about the Church's long-standing mismanagement of allegations against priests, the pope visited Ireland this weekend, asking forgiveness for a long list of "abuses" and "exploitation." Reporters observed that crowds were nowhere near as large for Francis as they were for John Paul II, the last pope to visit Ireland. Protesters also called for more extensive apologies.
24 August
New Catholic sex abuse allegations show how long justice can take in a 16-year scandal
Almost two decades after the Boston Globe's reporting, secrecy and bureaucracy have delayed justice.
(Vox) The Catholic Church found itself at the heart of one of its most serious crises yet when a Pennsylvania grand jury released a report last week, detailing the extent of child sex abuse allegations by Catholic priests in six of the state's eight dioceses. The report estimated more than 300 priests across the state abused at least 1,000 known victims, and it condemned the wider clerical culture that allowed senior priests to turn a blind eye to the abuses, often quietly shuffling offending priests into new dioceses, where they would have unfettered access to new victims.
The allegations pointed to a systemic culture of secrecy in the Catholic Church, and implicated a number of church officials — including Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington, DC — in the cover-up.
22 August
Catholics Are Desperate for Tangible Reforms on Clergy Sex Abuse
Pope Francis says he supports a "zero-tolerance" policy, but some insist those words are not enough.
This week, Pope Francis convenes the World Meeting of Families in Dublin, a massive, triennial gathering of Catholics to celebrate "joy for the world." The timing could not be more awkward. The event comes in the wake of a terrible period for Catholic families amid revelations about clergy sex abuse, including the release of a massive new report detailing years of misconduct and cover-up in Pennsylvania.
These new findings are the latest entry in a long list of scandals from around the world: reports that Theodore McCarrick, the former cardinal in Washington, D.C., sexually harassed children and adults for decades; the mass resignation of Chilean bishops who mishandled sex-abuse allegations in their country; Cardinal George Pell's return from Rome to his home in Australia, where he is standing trial on several charges of sexual abuse.
A decade and a half after the first major wave of sex-abuse scandals upended the global Church, clergy, theologians, and lay people are desperately calling on the Church to take concrete steps to prevent abuse or cover-ups from happening again. Some say the greatest problem lies in the hierarchical structure of the Church, and are advocating for more power for lay people and an overhauled seminary system.
In an unusually forthright letter "to the People of God" on Monday, Pope Francis himself seemed to agree that the Church's structure presents a real problem. After calling for "a culture of care that says 'never again' to every form of abuse," he identified what he sees as the major cause of the sex-abuse crisis: clericalism. It's what you might call the "old-boys' club" of the Church hierarchy—a system that gives the clergy immense influence over the laity, that exalts them with pomp and pageantry, and that some say has enabled many priests to abuse their power without accountability for too long.
"Clericalism, whether fostered by priests themselves or by lay persons … supports and helps to perpetuate many of the evils that we are condemning today," Pope Francis wrote. "To say 'no' to abuse is to say an emphatic 'no' to all forms of clericalism."
It's a strong statement from a pope who has been denouncing clericalism for years. But some Catholics argue that this is not enough: New, concrete steps are now needed to reform the Church, an institution with an embedded culture of secrecy that won't dismantle itself. For many years, the Church failed to report sex-abuse allegations to law enforcement, preferring instead to handle matters internally by shifting accused priests to different dioceses or having them quietly treated at psychiatric clinics, for example. Some Catholic leaders are concerned that the pope's letter—and the Church itself—lack specific recommendations for preventing this from happening again.
15 August
Scathing report reveals 300 Pennsylvania Catholic priests sexually abused over 1,000 children
The report is a watershed moment in the Catholic child sex abuse crisis
29 July
A Catholic cardinal has weathered sex abuse allegations for years. Now they're finally public.
Theodore McCarrick has resigned from the College of Cardinals after allegations of abusing both children and adults.
(Vox) … this week, a former papal nuncio (a position similar to that of an ambassador) has accused Pope Francis of covering up McCarrick's misdeeds. In an open letter published on a number of Catholic websites, Carlo Viganò, a longtime enemy of Francis's, wrote that Francis had personally lifted sanctions against McCarrick imposed by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI. Viganò has since called for McCarrick's resignation.
19 January
Pope's Defense of Chilean Bishop in Sex Abuse Scandal Causes Outrage
(NYT) A number of Chilean Catholics reacted with disappointment and anger on Friday, a day after Pope Francis spoke in defense of a bishop who they say protected a pedophile priest. The remarks, made on Thursday just before Francis left Chile for Peru, upended his efforts to rehabilitate the Catholic Church's reputation while visiting South America.


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Angel was invited to Philippine to organize the first Chinese pastry training course
As Angel Yeast Cup Chinese fermented pastry contest is exerting more influence abroad, a lot more users and consumers become deeply interested in the Chinese fermented pastry. As a pioneer of Chinese Pastry innovation, Angel has been invited to give training courses of Chinese pastry. Till now, Angel has given training courses to many users of Malaysia,Thailand,Philippine and other countries, which is cordially welcomed.
From June 29 to July 1, Angel Bakery International Division cooperated with Feihua Bread & Pastry Union, and organized the first training course of Chinese Pastry in Bali. The Chinese pastry masters from Angel gave lectures of Chinese traditional pastry and Kwangtung style pastry to more than 30 trainees at present.
Master cao firstly introduced the current status and market opportunities of Chinese Fermented Pastry, and prized the great efforts made by Fermented Pastry Branch of China Grain and Oil Academy in promoting and broadening of Chinese fermented pastry. He also introduced some typically excellent companies of industrialized fermented pastry, which make the trainees see the potentiality of fermented pastry industry.
During the 3 day courses, two masters taught many like baozi, bun,rice cake,fried bread stick, sesame ball and others. The trainees also learn and practise in groups. From the bun at start level to all kinds of perplexities of pastry, the trainees fully understand the profoundness of Chinese pastry. The trainees also tasted authentic dimsum made by shrimp and rice fillings flavored by Angel seasonings. By most popular pastries like flower like bun, Kwangtung cream bun, brown sugar cake and others, they also witnessed the combination of health and optic art. During the leaning hours, the trainees were really active in practice and interaction, which make the learning atmosphere quite moving. More important, this course has wholly changed the Philippine trainees' mind upon fermented pastry and broadened their vision about this.
At the finish of training, Chairman of Feihua Uion, Mr. Zhen, has issued diplomats to the trainees. He also gave thanks to Angel for this content and knowledge rich training course on behalf of the Union. He furthermore expressed his determination of promoting more fermented pastry styles to Philippine by the platform of the Union. And finally he wished that both sides could organize targeted training regularly afterwards.

subset: commoncrawl


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Guided Namibia Safari
Namibia for the First Time (14 Days)
1. Day: Arrival in Windhoek
After your arrival at the Hosea Kutako International Airport we bring you to Namibia's capital city, Windhoek, about 40km away. Once we have checked you in at your accommodation, you can make use of the remainder of the day to settle down and relax. The inner city invites you to take a stroll down the main street and do some sightseeing, alternatively we can take you on a guided city tour.
Kilometres for the day: ±40
Overnight with Breakfast at Hotel Casa Blanca.
2. Day: Kalahari
Your safari begins in the early morning towards the South of Namibia. The drive through the ever-changing landscape brings you to the western extents of the Kalahari. The destination for the day is one of the available lodges in this area, either Anib Lodge or Intu Afrika Lodge. A sun downer in the dunes of the Kalahari brings this day to an end.
Kilometres for the day: ±350
Overnight with Dinner ,Breakfast and Sundowner drive in Anib Lodge.
3. & 4. Day: Sossusvlei
The drive through the breathtaking landscape along the Namib leads you past the Duwisib Castle, built in the early 1900's and presently serving as a museum and well worth a visit. Your destination for today is one of the lodgings near Sossusvlei, a mostly dried out vlei surrounded by the highest dunes in the world. Surrounded by the tranquillity of the desert you let this day fade out. In the early morning hours of the next day your second trip to Sossusvlei is planned allowing you to experience the sunrise in the vlei. In the afternoon you will visit the Sesriem Canyon, probably the smallest canyon in the world. Alternatively we can organise a scenic flight over the Namib at your request (not included in the original offer).
Kilometres for the day: ±250 (1st day)
Overnight with Dinner and Breakfast in Sossusvlei Lodge.
5. Day: Swakopmund
Today's journey through the seemingly endless scenery of the Namib brings you to Swakopmund, Namibia's most favoured holiday resort on the coast of the Atlantic. Approximately halfway you can take a break at the Rostock Ritz, a welcome oasis in this barren landscape. Swakopmund offers many different interesting possibilities to relax and a magnitude of activities can be organised for you from here, e.g. countrywide scenic flights, boat trips, Dune boarding, Quad biking, and many more.
Kilometres for the day: ±350
Overnight with Breakfast at Hansa Hotel.
6. Day: Swakopmund's surroundings
The surroundings of Swakopmund host many interesting sightings, for instance the pre-historic plant Welwitschia Mirabilis with specimen over 2500 years old. A tour through the "Moon landscape" and the Swakopriver guarantees an eventful day.
Kilometres for the day: ±100 (depending on your choice)
Overnight with Breakfast at Hansa Hotel.
7. Day: Twyfelfontein
Your safari leads you further North through the vast gravel plains of the Namib along the Atlantic coast. The cape fur seal colony at Cape Cross along your way is an amazing sight and worthwhile a visit. In the closer surroundings of Twyfelfontein Lodge, today's final destination, you will have the possibility to view the oldest rock engravings in Namibia (ca. 6000 years old). Similarly interesting phenomena are the "Burnt Mountain" and the "Organ Pipes".
Kilometres for the day: ±350
Overnight with Dinner and Breakfast at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge.
8. Day: Vingerklip
The next leg of the tour brings you to "Vingerklip", a bizarre rock formation caused by erosion in the Ugab terrace valley. Your accommodation for today, the Vingerklip Lodge, lies amidst this peculiar landscape. A hike to nearby the "Vingerklip" in the afternoon is recommended.
Kilometres for the day: ±150
Overnight with Dinner / Breakfast at Vingerklip Lodge.
9. & 10. Day: Etosha National Park
The Etosha National Park, named after the Etosha pan within the park, is one of the largest and most beautiful game parks in Africa and the next destination of your safari. The extensive roads network in the park invites you to undertake game drives, on which you will have the opportunity to view elephant, giraffe, zebra and many other animal species. Depending on availability you will be accommodated in one of the three rest camps within the national park or in one of the available lodgings close by.
Kilometres for the day: ±200 (1. day); ±150 (2. day, depending on your choice)
Overnight with Dinner / Breakfast in Okaukejo Bungalow.
11. Day: Etosha National Park / Mokuti Lodge
Today is also spent in the national park. With a bit of luck, you might even be spoilt with a sighting of lion, cheetah or other predators roaming the park. The diversity of the animal kingdom in the park will ensure that this day won't be boring. In the afternoon you leave the park and drive to a private nature reserve nearby, Mokuti Lodge, which is also your accommodation for this evening.
Kilometres for the day: ±100
Overnight with Dinner / Breakfast at Mokuti Lodge.
12. Day: Waterberg Plateau Park
After a drive through the typical bush savannah of northern Namibia you reach the Waterberg Plateau Park. The impressive mountain range invites you to undertake a hike in the afternoon. The rest camp of the game park is your lodging for the day.
Kilometres for the day: ±400
Overnight with Dinner / Breakfast at Waterberg Wilderness Lodge.
13. Day: Okahandja / Windhoek
Today's drive brings you to the small town called Okahandja, just north of Windhoek, where you have the opportunity to visit a local wood carver's craft market and purchase a few last souvenirs. In the afternoon you reach Windhoek, where you are again accommodated in one of the hotels or pensions. Enjoy the evening in the capital city with a final sun downer and let the impressions of the previous few days sink in.
Kilometres for the day: ±300
Overnight with Breakfast at Hotel Pension Steiner.
14. Day: Departure from Windhoek
After a satisfying, relaxed breakfast we take you to Hosea Kutako International Airport. The time has come for you to say:
Kilometres for the day: ±40
Price per Person: N$ 47 600.00 min 2 Persons.
Rates valid: 01.01.2019- 01.01.2020
Included in the Price is the following:
- 1x Accommodation at Hotel Pension Blanca with Breakfast, Transfer from / to the Airport / City Tour.
- 1 x Accommodation at Anib Lodge with breakfast and Dinner / Dune drive.
- 2 x Accommodation at Sossusvlei Lodge with Dinner, Breakfast and Dunes Excursion.
- 2 x Accommodation at Hansa Hotel with Breakfast.
- 1 x Accommodation at Twyfelfontein Country Lodge with Breakfast and Dinner / Rock Engrving excursion.
- 1x Accommodation at Vingerklip Lodge with Dinner and Breakfast.
- 2 x Accommodation in Bungalow – Okaukejo, with Breakfast and Dinner / all Game Drives.
- 1 x Accommodation at Mokuti Lodge with breakfast and Dinner.
- 1 x Accommodation at Waterberg Wilderness Lodge with breakfast and Dinner / Game Drives.
- 1 x Accommodation at Hotel Pension Blanca with Breakfast, Transfer to the Airport.
- Vehicle (Airconditioned ) with Full insurance, 24 Hour Recovery Service.
- Non alcoholic Drinks during the drives.
- Road Maps.
- Guide / Driver.
- all Park Entrance fees.
- Fuel kosts.
Not included is the following
- Meals not mentioned, Personnel Souvenirs, Flight from / to Namibia.


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Leg injury
Pain in the upper leg and lower leg are common problems. Leg pain can present itself as a sharp, stabbing sensation or simply a dull ache. Sprains and strains are
Pain in the upper leg and lower leg are common problems. Leg pain can present itself as a sharp, stabbing sensation or simply a dull ache. Sprains and strains are
Hip pain is a common complaint and can be a result of many different reasons. In fact, patients will often report pain in the hips when the root cause is actually
Low back or buttocks pain is a very common condition in the United States, and can be a result of an acute injury or may be associated with a more long-term injury
In the United States, people visit physicians for symptoms related to back pain almost as much as they do for a common cold. Back pain can be a result of an acute
Arm pain can be a very mild experience or an extremely painful one. Arm pain can even be life-threatening as it can be associated with symptoms of a heart attack
The shoulder consists of multiple joints along with muscles and tendons which to allow your arm to move freely. Considered the most mobile joint in the body, the
At some point in life, most of us will deal with headaches and other pain under the eyes, at the top of the neck, and in our jaw. The pain can last for a few days;
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Knee pain is very common and can have significant effects on quality of life. Both chronic and acute knee pain can hinder your ability to walk and perform everyday
The most common cause of ankle pain is due to an ankle sprain. Sprained ankles occur when the foot exceeds its normal range of motion and as a result, the ligaments
Foot pain is common, but with treatment you can eliminate your pain and lessen its impact on your quality of life. If your foot pain is mild, you may be able to


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Businesses seek refunds from Bulli's Festival of Foam and Light, NSW Fair Trading offers advice
Several business owners have raised concerns over the proposed Festival of Foam and Light planned for Bulli Showgrounds on October 7.
The event date has changed twice, a development application to Wollongong City Council is yet to be signed off after four months, while no deposit has been made to the venue or suppliers.
Early this year Tia Veech of The Oil Hut was cold-called by Jagat Deniau asking her to trade at the then proposed April event. Mrs Veech paid her stall fee on March 8 but only discovered a date change when she read a story in the Illawarra Mercury.
She has requested a refund though it is yet to be honoured.
"We're all small home business people who work hard for our money," Mrs Veech said. "It's really disappointing that people do this."
A Mudgee food producer (who asked not to be named) also paid for the initial April event. He too has asked for a refund on numerous occasions but claims the organiser "will not return calls or emails".
Sonja Moore of Moore Than Candles was approached by a Riya Deniau just last week, also soliciting for her to trade at the Bulli festival. Mrs Moore said after doing some "digging" and discovering a trail of failed events she asked for a refund - which is also yet to be honoured.
All three were given different pricing schedules to hold stalls, and all charged different rates.
Some were also promised the festival would have '10,000 attendees'.
Every time we tried to contact her we couldn't get the same name. It just got worse and worse as it went on.Cairns Show President Ian Allen
Meantime, nearly three years on and gourmet food producer Emma McCoach is still waiting for a refund from Ms Deniau over two "failed" markets held in Victoria in 2016.
Ms McCoach and a group of disgruntled businesses had tried to take legal action but eventually gave up, believing their money would never be returned.
"The last two years I've been getting messages from other people who have had shady dealings with her," she said. "I can't believe this is still happening."
Ms Deniau - a Cairns resident who goes by aliases Jagat Deniau, Riya Dewanji and Liril Dewanji - admitted to the Mercury her events had failed in the past but wanted to assure people the Bulli festival would go ahead.
"The last couple of years have been very hard on personal grounds ... because of which, seven events - especially the one in Cairns - didn't go ahead," she said. "As far as this particular event is concerned I am putting my 100 per cent into it."
She also claimed to have submitted all required documents to Wollongong Council for her DA, while her aliases were due to a "previous marriage", a "maiden name" and being forced to change her name "because of bullying".
At the time of publication, a council spokeswoman said the DA was still pending as they had requested further information from the applicant on three separate occasions (the last being on July 29).
The extra information was relating to environment management, waste management, noise/amenity considerations and event management details, she said.
The spokeswoman said DA approvals vary but usually occur "within six to eight weeks" of being submitted.
Operations manager of the Bulli Showgrounds Darren Hull said he has fielded many concerned phone calls about the festival.
Mr Hull confirmed he has been telling vendors not to pay the organiser money until the DA was approved, as it's their policy not to book an event without council consent.
Ms Deniau is also yet to pay any deposit to her main supplier, Pro Sound and Lighting.
Some stallholders have been told in writing there are "4000 subscribers for early-bird tickets" on the Festival of Foam and Light website and were also advised in writing that a marketing campaign had begun in May - with advertising on social media, radio, flyers and posters.
No advertising or promotional material can be found, other than one URL with the event name.
In April 2018, Ms Deniau had planned a Big Colour Festival at Cairns Showgrounds, which was forced to be cancelled.
"I had to step in and say 'lets can it' because she used that many different names and every time we tried to contact her we couldn't get the same name," President of the Cairns Show Society Ian Allen said.
"It just got worse and worse as it went on ... we couldn't take that risk and run an event when it was badly organised."
The Mercury understands NSW Fair Trading has also received complaints against the operator.
"Fair Trading's advice to customers who are dissatisfied in their dealings with Jagat Anusree Deniau, Riya Deniau, Liril Dewanji or their associated aliases is to contact the trader and try to resolve the matter in the first instance," a spokesman said.
"Where customers have paid by credit or debit card, they should contact their credit provider and make enquiries about applying for a credit card chargeback."


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Stettler residents are assessing the damages after being slammed by an extremely destructive hail storm July 30th.
"I was actually outside, and was going to be teaching an outdoor fitness class for the Performance (Health and Fitness Centre," said Shannon Rost. "When I initially looked outside in the afternoon, I thought this is perfect! It's beautiful out; I posted on Facebook that it was a beautiful night for an outdoor class."
When she arrived at West Stettler Park, she noticed the darkening skies.
"I thought we can handle a little rain. We are tough! We were under the gazebo and we were just going to get started. I thought this doesn't look good at all – it got really black.
"I said, we better get out of here. So we gathered our stuff, and we just got out from under the gazebo and it just pounded down hail. We had our workout clothes on and we were just running, making a bee-line for our vehicles," she said. "I got pounded in the head and all over. I got back to my vehicle, and I realized that I was bleeding. There is blood everywhere – I have a massive goose egg on my head.
"I'm like, oh my God – where am I bleeding from," she recalled.
"I was looking for something to put on my head to stop the bleeding, and then realized I had dropped my phone as I was running."
She grabbed a piece of chalkboard, put it over her head and scrambled out of the car to grab the phone which amazingly wasn't damaged.
Rost also was hit in the elbow, which today is swollen as well.
"I have welts all over my legs – it was painful," she said. "My house and garage are pretty much destroyed also."
Meanwhile, local officials are checking out the damage to property as well.
"We've just been in contact with all of our department heads," said Niki Thorsteinsson, director of communications with the County of Stettler.
"They are out surveying all of our equipment and all of their fleets because besides the County of Stettler fleet we have agriculture services and all of their trucks and equipment.
"You can imagine how much equipment is under our care."
Thorsteinsson, who lives just outside of Stettler, said the storm didn't hit her property too badly. "But when I spoke to some people, they said what they noticed first was the sound. One girl said the first thing she heard was this noise.
"Is there a freight train coming, or a wind? Then they realized it was a storm and they all high-tailed it inside as fast as they could.
"Someone said she got her car into the garage but then she couldn't get her garage door to close because the hail kept knocking off the sensors because it was flying into the garage. The door wouldn't shut," she said. "She also said the hail was of such a size that the gravel was bouncing up.
"The side of her house, which faces west, took quite a hit. And as you go down the street and come around the corner, all the houses that face west – their windows are smashed out and the siding is damaged. It was crazy."
Winnie Bissett, executive director of the Heartland Youth Centre, had just headed to the golf course for a round.
"We were just getting our groups organized to go out and we thought we should just wait a few minutes," she recalled. "It's a good thing we did – the course is now closed today because of the damage.
"You could see this scary, kind of dark gray 'shelf' cloud. My husband, who was at home, got stuck in the garage because he was trying to cover up our plants. He said it was kind of a 'whirring' sound with the wind."
Bissett's garage, house and shed on the west and north sides have all been destroyed, she said.
"We had a really nice yard and not it's shredded. Our truck, car and trailer are all damaged, too. But there are places in Stettler that are a lot worse off than us. We drove around last night, and there are living room windows broken and trees down."
More to come.


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Addiction, Depression, Anxiety & School Shootings: Does Anyone Want to Save the Children Anymore?
"Hey, did you hear that there was another school shooting today down in Texas?" my daughter casually mentioned as we were coming home from school on Friday, in a tone similar to that that she would have used if she had said, "Hey, did you hear that Khloe Kardashian named her baby True?"
Yes, school shootings are still making the front page news, but they are becoming so commonplace that the shock factor is beginning to wear off, not unlike our dulled senses when it comes to political scandal.
As an educator, I have turned my attention to helping people to understand the brain's response to challenge. Recently, I am particularly focused on teaching the brain science of addiction, anxiety, depression, and violence, and trying to help explain how we are priming kids brain's for mental health issues. Sometimes I feel like Chicken Little, running around telling people that the sky is falling. With each news article about teen suicide or the next school shooting, I become more desperate, because I know that there is an answer: the brain science points to it. It is not the easy answer. There is no quick-fix. But there is an answer.
We need to proactively teach kids resilience in response to challenge
When the brain senses a threat, it switches control to the limbic system, which is in charge of our "fight, flight, or freeze" response. This is a survival mechanism; it is what gets us out of the way of the oncoming car and is responsible for the fact that we still exist. As we mature, we are supposed to gain more control of that response, enabling us to over-ride the "fight, flight, or freeze" when we are not in immediate danger. Throughout childhood, we should be learning to handle challenges. As we navigate those challenges, we become more resilient, which is critical in being able to over-ride the stress response. It is kind of like our brain saying, "Hey, I got this!"
Fight, flight and freeze can be roughly translated to violence, anxiety and depression. When we do not learn to handle challenges, we don't learn to become more resilient and we are more likely to overreact to threat responses and stay in that fight-flight-freeze response. One of the best ways to prevent and alleviate violence, depression and anxiety? Proactively teach resilience.
2) We need kids to practice delayed gratification and purpose
Think about brain chemicals as being little text messages to the brain. Dopamine is a message that says "Oh, that felt good—do it again." We can get dopamine in a number of ways, in either smaller doses or bigger doses. When we get a ping on our phone saying that we got a "like" on our instagram post, it is like a little dopamine chocolate chip. If we struggle hard toward a goal, working hard, failing, and continuing to work until we succeed, we get a much larger burst. You know, that "Yess!!!" feeling.
If kids are not exposed to opportunities to work hard toward a goal and struggle until they succeed, they never experience those larger bursts, and so they never get the dopamine text message telling them how good it feels. This limits them to those immediate, quick rewards, which can be lead to addictive tendencies. I often like to tell parents that "Self-esteem is not a gift you can give to your kids, it is a neurochemical response you rob them of when you do things for them that they can do themselves."
The brain needs neurochemicals, particularly during adolescence. When we are rob them of experiences that release dopamine (reward), serotonin (self-confidence), oxytocin (belonging), and adrenalin (thrill), we rob them of a sense of purpose. With no sense of purpose, we are at risk for addiction, anxiety, depression and violence.
3) We need to teach "grey"
Right now, the world seems so black-and-white. We are more partisan then ever. This actually presents a major threat to the brain. Our brains respond in the same way to social threats as they do to physical threat. So in the same way that our brain switches control to the limbic system when we see that on-coming car, it switches control in response to social threats.
REACTS is an acronym that I use for the social threats and rewards for the brain: respect, equity, alliances, control, territory and similarity. The more partisan we become, the more threatened our brains become, making us more vulnerable to fight, flight and freeze (violence, anxiety, and depression), and the less trusting we become of one another. We need to model and teach that there are colors and grey in the world, it is not black and white.
This last point is particularly important in regard to school shootings. There has been so much distrust built up between partisan parties that we are unable to have productive conversations, which undermines any progress toward passing any legislation that might be helpful in regard to mental health supports or reasonable gun laws. When the brain experiences trauma, it imprints that trauma on the memory center, so that we are able to react more quickly in response to future trauma. We are a nation that has been traumatized, and, therefore, our brains are set to react, rather than think, trust and work together towards a solution. When we react, or brains do not have access to our highest level thinking skills, which are required for collaboration, impulse control, and problem-solving.
The Box
When I was young, my favorite poem was The Box by Lascelles Abercrombie, which uses a box and a ball as a metaphor for the horrors of war. In the poem, there is a message of hope: "Now there's a way to stop the ball, it isn't difficult at all. All it takes is wisdom, and I am absolutely sure that we can get it back into the box and bind the chains and lock the locks," but it is followed with, "But no-one seems to want to save the children anymore."
Each time I read about a school shooting, those lines comes to mind. There is a way to stop this trend. It is not an easy fix, and there is no quick solution. It takes wisdom, and patience and hard work. It takes working together. It takes compromise. It takes setting priorities of long-term benefits over short-term gains. It takes understanding. None of these is easy, but the question we need to ask ourselves is, "Do we want to save the children?"


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Main expected learning outcomes are:
- Understanding of theoretical concepts of quality, quality assurance and quality enahncement and the ability to evaluate them according to the different/specific/divergent visions and missions of HEIs.
- Ability to design and carry out questionnaires and evaluations scientifically and to control the related processes.
- Ability to apply appropriate techniques and scientific methods to reflect upon the results of quality assurance and to establish a quality loop with follow-up-processes on all levels of a HEI.
- Dealing with the requirements of quality assurance of study programmes and their revision including the linkage to external quality assurance.
- Recognizing cross connections between quality development, staff development and organisational development.
- Formulating ideas about how quality culture can be developed at the institutional level.


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The process of securing a wall mount mailbox outside your house remains the same regardless of what your house is made. The only thing that changes are the tools that are used to secure the mailbox. Most houses are made of plywood with carpet or some sort of brick or block. If you have a wooden house with siding, you can use the standard tools found around the house. If your house is brick or block, specialized tools required to do the job properly. Place the box on the wall and put a spirit level on top of it. Place the niello mailbox and mark the mounting holes in the wall with a marker. As advice, consult your local post office or building inspector to see if your area has regulations about where you can place and height suitable soil.
Drill holes in the wall mount mailbox where you placed each brand. If your house is coated plywood, using a standard drill and drill bit. Make sure the bit is large enough for the wall anchor. Using a wall anchor designed for wood. Also, make sure to be careful when drilling through the coating. The vinyl coating is generally and will break if not directly go through the wall at an angle of 90 degrees.


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Over the past few years, the South African Revenue Service ("SARS") appears to have created a new category of doubtful debts allowances which they have termed a "specific" doubtful debts allowance, as distinct from the "ordinary" doubtful debts allowance to which a taxpayer is entitled under section 11(j) of the Income Tax Act, 1962 (the "Act") in the ordinary course in respect of its doubtful debts.
The "specific" doubtful debts allowance category has been created by SARS for the purpose of replacing a taxpayer's bad debt deduction (claimed under section 11(i) or (a) of the Act) where SARS has taken the view that the pool of debtors in respect of which a taxpayer claimed such a bad debt deduction is not in fact bad, but merely doubtful. Regardless of effort expended by any taxpayer in the collection process prior to the writing-off of a debt as bad and the claiming of a section 11(i) or (a) deduction in respect thereof, if any recovery processes take place post write-off, SARS has expressed the view that as a matter of principle, the entire pool of debtors is tainted and as such merely doubtful. The percentage of the specific doubtful debts allowance granted by SARS in these circumstances is generally based on the inverse of the bad debt recovery rate. For example, if a taxpayer's bad debt recovery rate is 25%, then SARS would grant a specific doubtful debts allowance of 75% in lieu of the bad debt deduction.
Section 11(i)
Arguably, the SARS approach is contrary to the correct interpretation of section 11(i) which provides (with our emphasis) as follows:
"11. For the purpose of determining the taxable income derived by any person from carrying on any trade, there shall be allowed as deductions from the income of such person so derived -
(i) the amount of any debt due to the taxpayer which has during the year of assessment become bad, provided such amount is included in the current year of assessment or was included in previous years of assessment in the taxpayer's income..."
The words "bad' or "become" are not defined in the Act. They have also not been authoritatively interpreted by the South African courts, although the courts have held that the question of whether a debt is bad or not must be decided at the time when the bad debt is claimed and according to the then-existing circumstances of the debtor. It has been pointed out further by our courts that subsequent circumstances (which we would submit include a future recovery of all or part of the debt, or of some other debt which was written off at the same time) cannot influence the determination made for that year of assessment. The foreign jurisprudence tends towards taking an objective and commercial approach in determining whether a debt is bad and aligns such a decision to that of a reasonable and prudent businessman.
Accordingly, we submit that it is the effort expended in respect of the collection procedures that takes place prior to the decision to write off a debt as bad, which should be of fundamental importance when evaluating a taxpayer's bad debt deduction. In addition, if evidence shows that a substantial percentage of debts written-off by a taxpayer as bad are in fact never recovered, it seems illogical to contend that those debts were not bad when written -ff at year end, and to subject the entire pool of those debts to a mere doubtful debts allowance. This approach seems unrealistic and uncommercial, given the volume of creditors and the sophisticated analytical and statistical methods adopted by the large corporate taxpayers, which appear to be the SARS targets in respect of this methodology.
The 2018 Budget Speech
On 21 February 2018, the Minister of Finance delivered the 2018 Budget Speech and tax proposals, which included a proposal relating to "clarifying the tax treatment of doubtful debts". His proposal stated as follows:
"In 2015, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) Commissioner's discretion in administering the Income Tax Act was reviewed and amended in anticipation of the move to a self-assessment income tax system. In 2015, the Commissioner's discretion on a doubtful debts allowance under section 11(j) of the act was deleted with effect from a date to be announced. The intention of such a deletion was that, in future, the allowance would be claimed according to criteria set out in a public notice issued by the Commissioner. However, no criteria have been formulated for the claiming of the allowance. To provide certainty, it is proposed that the criteria for determining the allowance should instead be included in the Income Tax Act."
It is notable that no mention is made of the section 11(i) or 11(a) requirements which feed into the determination of which debts are "bad" and which are "doubtful". It is also worthwhile mentioning the considerable gap that has arisen between the debts assessed as "doubtful" for accounting and financial reporting, as opposed to those allowed as doubtful under section 11(j). It remains to be seen as to whether, and if so, how the "specific" doubtful debts allowance will feature and/or be catered for in terms of the amended legislative regime.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.


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Check Out N.E.R.D.'s First 'SpongeBob' Song
It's been four long years since they released their last album, but N.E.R.D.'s back, baby! The reunion's first stop: Bikini Bottom. Pharrell Williams, Chad Hugo, and Shae Haley recorded three new tunes for The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water soundtrack. Are you ready, you ready, you ready to hear 'em? Well, songs "Patrick Star" and "Sandy Squirrel" are not out yet, so you'll have to wait. Sorry, pal. HOWEVER, N.E.R.D.'s "Squeeze Me" is on the Internet now. And it is a barrel of SpongeBob laughs. You can check it out via Spotify below.
As if the buoyant beat wasn't as delicious as a Krabby Patty, the lyrics are hilarious and effin' weird. So, so effin' weird. I love all of it. Here are a few choice lines from the song:
Play with us before we meltEverybody enjoy yourselfThe best part is the middle of meI'm your sponge, baby, go on and squeeze
LOLOLOLOL should I be blushing?
I'm better than pillows, won't you believe meSqueeze meSqueeze me 'til I popSqueeze me 'til you drop
"I'm better than pillows" is my new go-to positive affirmation.
Dang, dang, diggy-dangEverybody in the rainTell me shine like a chainWipe it up like a stainUppercut, yup againA double dutch with Lil WayneDo it 'til you vomit againThe job done now
Um, what?
Oh, how are you now?Come again with the hot smileHydro glow styleJellyfish with the hot galsAdidas let me go far outSo you could be the superstar nowGet a big head that's roundMrs. Puff style
From here on out, "Mrs. Puff" = "cocky".
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water will swim into theaters Feb. 6.


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Winning Elements
Winning Elements
Sabre responded to the tight labor market by developing an integrated approach to retention between 1997 and 2000. According to Haefner, the four-point approach of Sabre's "Winning Elements" strategyopportunity, reward, compensation and communityinvolved rewarding workers through total compensation and recognition, offering them work-life balance and providing them with a meaningful community of co-workers. Also critical: granting stock options to all employees, tying compensation to business performance, putting benefit information online and training managers. The result? IT staff turnover at Sabre has decreased dramaticallyfrom 12 percent to 5.5 percent. And Sabre is not alone: Harrah's Entertainment Inc., another company that developed its own integrated HR strategy, slashed its turnover rate from 35 percent to 9 percent.
Still, CIOs are concluding that focusing on recruitment and retention alone isn't enough to battle the chronic shortages. Among CIOs who outsource their IT work, 64 percent cite a lack of internal staff or skills as the top reasons they've done so, according to a May 2001 CIO Insight study on outsourcing. Outsourcing is clearly a component now of many companies' IT human relations strategies. According to McKinsey's Roberson, CIOs need to weigh which skills needs should be met through full-time staff, and which through outsourcers or part-timers. What can be better done through outsourcing? "Be clear about what you're uniquely good at," Roberson advises.
Another question CIOs should consider is how long they want to keep their full-time staff. The obvious answeras long as possibleisn't necessarily the right one, according to University of Dayton, Ohio, professor Tom Ferratt, co-author of Coping with Labor Scarcity in Information Technology: Strategies and Practices for Effective Recruitment and Retention. Retention strategies that encourage long employee tenures make little sense in companies that demand high achievement, high energy and high rates of change. The reason: Stress inevitably leads to high burnout rates. In addition, some IT jobs do not require in-depth business knowledge, and therefore don't benefit from many years of experience in a company. Encouraging long-term retention makes more sense for IT jobs that put a premium on industry and company knowledge, says Ferratt.
Whatever you do, be selective. Between 1998 and 2008, the five fastest-growing occupations will be in IT, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statisticsbut there will be fewer and fewer people to fill them. There has been a 4 percent drop in the 18- to 34-year-old population since 1990, and the Census Bureau predicts that supply of 35- to 44-year-olds will decline by 14 percent by 2015. The lesson? If you haven't taken a good hard look at your company's hiring and retention strategies lately, get moving. Your e-business initiatives could hang in the balance. Says human resources expert Walker: "HR strategy isn't about the people in the organization, it's about how the organization gets its strategy implemented through people."
Alan Horowitz, the author of The Unofficial Guide to Hiring and Firing People (Macmillan, 1999), has written about business, technology and human resource issues for 20 years. Comments on this article can be sent to email@example.com.
This article was originally published on 06-01-2001


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I didn't get chance yesterday to do a full rundown of the Sunday Times poll, so with full tabs long since up, here are a couple of things worth noting.
1) The problems of the new child benefit rules. The principle of withdrawing child benefit from households with a higher rate taxpayer remain very popular, with 64% of people supporting it and only 25% opposed. However, the practicalities whereby a household with two earners paying basic rate could have a higher income than a single higher rate taxpayer, yet still get child benefit, is still seen as unfair by 68% of people.
2) Perceptions of coalition. In principle 22% of people now think that coalitions are a better form of government than single party government, 55% think single party government is better. 21% of people say that the experience of the current coalition government has made them more positive about coalition, 39% more negative (ideally of course there would a "attitudes towards the principle of coalition" question from before the last election to compare things to, but alas, I couldn't track one down)
3) Selective education. 37% of people would like to see more schools select by academic ability, 20% are happy with existing grammar schools to stay but oppose any expansion, 27% think the existing grammar schools should be opened to children of all abilities. There was a surprisingly positive response to the idea of re-introducing the assisted places scheme, suppored by 67% of people.
4) Religion. 12% of people think religion is more often the cause of good in the world compared to 58% of people who think it is more often the cause of evil. Conversely, only 17% think Britain is too religious while 36% think it is too secular (the apparantly paradox is probably a difference between thinking globally, and the thoughts of terrorism and armed conflict linked to religion that would almost certainly have come to some people's minds, and thinking locally)
36 Responses to "Some pickings from the YouGov/Sunday Times poll"
My take away from this is that the Conservatives have done a very good job at selling the "Principles" behind their actions, and also then done a good job at putting more media time on those "Principles" than the actions themselves. This re-enforces my continued assumption that there will be big shocks to come on implementation, and a great deal of 'buyer remorse' is about to set in.
(Continued from the previous thread)
"Fair points about AD policy. But the BoE levers are very much about long-term strategic direction. QE and interest rates set the overall scene for the economic game. What they don't and can't do, is to give more focussed jolts to try to get spending/economic activity going again."
Actually, I'd argue that under the post-1997 regime, the case is precisely the opposite. However, there are two points here:
(1) Strategic direction vs. tactical moves: the BoE can move very, VERY quickly. While in practice, they work on a month-to-month basis, they can theoretically change bank rate as quickly as they can announce it. That's why we were able to have the Black Wednesday fiasco, where we had about four macroeconomic policies in 24 hours.
In contrast, we rarely have more than one budget a year and the government's room for maneuvere between budgets is comparatively limited. Back in the day, Brown very sensibly gave fiscal policy the jobs that it can do best: boost long-term productivity and finance expenditure. Although there is an argument for fiscal stimulus in a deflationary situation under current arrangements (the liquidity trap argument) that doesn't apply when inflation is well above target and expected to stay that way.
(I don't agree with the liquidity trap argument, but it is accepted by a lot of economists whom I respect and if it applied right now I wouldn't think that Ed Balls would be foolish to use it.)
(2) Can monetary policy create quick jolts to spending? If done seriously, it certainly can even under very unfavourable circumstances. For example, in 1933 FDR made a committment to boost gold prices through an early form of QE (exchanging new money for gold). The results were spectacular: industrial production soared and for a brief time the US economy firmly turned around.
Equally, most of the fall in output during the Great Recession (or the Little Depression, as it should be known) took place before QE in the UK and US, when interest rates were still above 0.5%. QE2 in the US began to have an impact when markets started expecting it back in mid-2010, i.e. even the expectation of monetary policy has instant effects.
The big mistake the coalition has made (and in my pretentiousness I warned Vince Cable about this back in 2010 when he came to Scotland) is that it has done only half of the strategy that saved the UK economy from the Great Depression. The National Government's approach was to have a very loose monetary policy and a tight fiscal policy. That turned the UK economy around from Depression in 1931 to near-record growth in 1934. Instead, we've had largely neutral monetary policy and tight fiscal policy, and consequently nominal GDP (real growth + inflation i.e. actual demand/expenditure) is growing about 2-3% less than what we need during a recovery.
In June 2010 (after the emergency budget) Osborne should have announced a change in the BoE's mandate from a 2% CPI target to a 5.5% NGDP target (5.5% being roughly the trend from 1992-2007). That would have given the BoE a mandate for stimulus to offset the cuts. Incidentally, the better growth would have probably given the coalition room for some softening of the cuts in 2011.
If Ed Balls would propose such a change to monetary policy, he'd have done more to lead me to Labour than any politician since Michael Howard.
"the apparantly paradox is probably a difference between thinking globally, and the thoughts of terrorism and armed conflict linked to religion that would almost certainly have come to some people's minds, and thinking locally"
Yes, but if it does terrible things abroad, why would you want it here?
Seriously, the more I read this site…
Has Lansley had a Mrs Duffy moment outside Number 10? Certainly a huge pr disaster.One wonders what the
media coverage will be?
The" Mrs. Duffy moment" was the result of Brown's disastrous reaction, nothing whatever to the presence of Mrs.Duffy. Anyone can Rent-a-Mob to attack a politician – this will be forgotten tomorrow.
So, should Lansley be completely and obnoxiously dismissive of the questioning, then he might have a problem? Should he, for instance, fob her off by saying "I promise you waiting times in the NHS are coming down, it will not go private" then later dismissing the protesters as just insulting and to be ignored… Then he might have a problem?
"One wonders what the
media coverage will be?"
Ann as usual the right wing press will have a media blackout. If this was Labour being heckled, it would be all over the press.
It is right and proper that the PM. Lansley and this government understand the deep resentment to any changes to the NHS that threaten its existence and indeed promote privatisation.
We need more confrontations with MPs and Cabinet members.
And, just as importantly, we want media coverage not blackout.
I imagine today's PR disaster for the gov will affect VI in the next day or two.
Com Res tables now up
Q1 " Thinking back to the general election last year, which party if any did you vote for?"
They really are making a dog's dinner out of this poll.
I think that the polling reaction to Lansley's barracking will be more nuanced. There were some special factors with GB's infamous moment that don't apply here:
1) He was caught saying something different in public and in (what he thought was) private
2) It was in the middle of a GE campaign that was ratcheting up tensions
3) He was making negative comments about people who should have been his core supporters.
From Lansley's perspective the issues are very different. People who think he's privatising the NHS are extremely unlikely to be his supporters, so he won't lose by upsetting them. Conversely those who think he's saving the NHS will have already discounted the noises from a set of people they think are dead set against any change.
That only leaves the undecided centre ground. Unfortunately the polldrums seem to be indicating that we are in a pre-polarised electorate, with people already having made up their minds and largely being unwilling to shift. In this situation I'm not certain that there will be any significant shift in the polls as a result.
PR disaster? Have I missed something?
Reading the transcript it sounded more like a dyed in the blood ex union rep decided to have a confrontation without actually making any points apart from the fact she hates tories (no surprises there).
I can't see it making the left hate the tories more than they do already. Did Lansley call her a silly old duffer or anything else disparaging about her? No, so it can hardly be compared to the contempt that Broon showed Mrs Duffy.
Reading the transcript Lansley was polite and when it became clear she was just there to create a confrontation (once she brought up 1979 it was clear she had no genuine arguments and was only there to try and grab a headline) Lansley had no business carrying on any impromptu discussions with her.
The partisan left stirring up trouble hardly surprises me and it certainly doesn't aid any arguments they may have. I'm sure the left love it though and think it's a huge success.
"…it can hardly be compared to the contempt that Broon showed Mrs Duffy"
I don't recall GB showing any contempt for Mrs D. Perhaps you can explain? Indeed, I recall he went back to see her.
The only thing GB was "guilty" of was hearing something other than "flocking".
That it was a PR disaster is not in doubt
I think you may have also missed that this brings the media spotlight back on what Lansley was going to No.10 for… A 'NHS Summit' that excluded every Royal College, nursing and doctors group that had voiced their opposition to the reforms. It's hard for Lansley to come off looking good from that.
This is a PR disaster for the Tories because it diverts from the positive aspects of having a summit(even with few invitees) to the public anger against the reforms…It keeps the NHS reforms in public focus and may start to reduce Lib Dem and indeed Tory commitment apart from No 10 who are very steady in support it seems.
@ Ann and Colin,
Andrew Lanslay has had his Sharon Storrer moment, not Mrs Duffy moment (Sharon Storrer, you may remember, was the woman who button-holed Tony Blair outside a hospital and just shouted at him). It highlighted an issue but didn't, on its own make a huge amount of difference (although that might have been because Prescott punched a protester on the same day!).
My own take is that the rowdy scenes just reinforce the message that there the reforms to the NHS are deeply unpopular. It will be that image that remains from the day.
As I always say – NHS in the news, Labour boost (and probably behind the inching up of the lead).
I'd say the term "just a sort of bigoted woman" was pretty condescending.
The flocking excuse that was dredged up even later frankly was pathetic in my eyes (ears?), it was a desperate transparent attempt. Even if he did "mishear".
The groups in opposition have made it very clear the only thing they want is to "kill the bill", I can't see any productive talks coming from them as to how the changes can be best implemented, as they aren't interested.
There are still plenty of groups who are willing to enter productive talks and it's good these talks take place. Maybe the heckling will further polarise opinions but ultimately what will determine Lansley's and the government's fate is what effect the changes will have on the NHS, not how much noise is made about them beforehand.
Back to the poll, I think the main point of interest is the appently paradioxical views on the CB changes.
Jay may be right about Buyer Remorse but perhaps a more important lesson is the danger of policy making on the hoof having unforeseen consequences.
It was pointed out on the previous thread that raising tax thresholds also helps 2 earner families more than single earner families.
Now this does not bother me in itself but it does seems at odds with some conservative family values rhetoric to have 2 policies seeming to reward 2 earner familes more than single earner families. I guess this expains IDS' tranferable allowance preference.
If Cameron/Lansley are looking to plough on with the NHS reform bill by ignoring opposition from within the NHS, I think they are making a mistake, which will be reflected in polling.
I see the Royal College of Paediatricians is now going to consult with its members on asking for the government to withdraw the NHS bill.
"(the apparantly paradox is probably a difference between thinking globally, and the thoughts of terrorism and armed conflict linked to religion that would almost certainly have come to some people's minds, and thinking locally)"
Agreed, although another factor is probably some people with strong religious beliefs who would not like to see a more secular Britain, but might believe that other religions are false and therefore more often a cause of evil.
I imagine, also, that a fair few people who believe religion is more often a cause of evil feel that Britain is already pretty secular, and there's little need for it to become more so.
As usual the usual left-wing public sector Luddites are rolled out, I would imagine that the sight and sound of an abusive harridan, obviously a boxing fan, would be enough to gift a few bonus points to the Tories. :-)
It's possible that people are thinking of different religions on those questions.
It would also be interesting to see breakdowns of the religion questions by religious identity/affiliation. It would tell us much more about the responses than the standard crosstabs do.
Don't know if it's been mentioned in the previous thread, but there's a new Guardian/ICM –
Lab 37 (+2)
Con 36 (-4)
Lib 14 (-2)
So perhaps the last ICM was a bit of an outlier?
Because if we go change from December, we get –
Lab +1
Con -1
Lib -1
An ex-union rep who hates Cameron and Lansley, now that is a surprise. I don't think this lady's screaming remarks will make a huge amount of difference to the argument on the NHS.
I did think the lady doctor who said that her practice was well on the way to implementation without too many problems, might in fact carry more weight with TV viewers.
The Guardian/ICM poll already shows that Tories have dropped 4 percentage points in a single month. Also 52% say the bill should be dropped.
Link to the Guardian ICM poll:
Ken's partisan outburst is rubbished by the ICM finding which says :-
"A third of Conservatives (31%) and a significant majority of Lib Dem voters (57%) also want the proposed law to be ditched."
Much as I'd like to believe that the tide has turned and Lab is going back into a strong VI lead, we will have to see a few more polls first.
Probably it's just minor fluctuation.
OZWALD………….I think you'll find that the rent-a-mob faction was well in evidence today, if the majority of Tories were against the changes I would be worried, but they aren't, so I'm not. :-)
But the five point lead was already denounced on here as an outliner – so those very same people cannot then clutch onto the 4 point drop in the ICM Tory lead which has pretty much reflected YouGov data of a neck/neck with 1 point Lab lead. So did ComRes. I suspect other polls will show the same too.
I agree, the Tories down the tubes 4 points, does indicate damage to there cause. That only 52 % want "the bill" dropped is a pleasant surprise to me, I would have guessed 60-65%. BTW, the old dear ranting at Ransley got a big hearing on BBC, virtually nothing on ITV. The only people who will consider it a political disaster for the Tories are dedicated Labour voters. The average bod will think she is a daft old bat. There is no comparison with Gordy's bit of bother.
@Amber, @Roger Mexico
I have replied to your points on the previous thread. Should you offer further rebuttal, I shall not be able to reply tonight because I'm working and will not be back 'til very late.
Regards, Martyn
I must say the heckling woman was a bit strange – at one point she shouted "this is like 1979". I'm not sure in what way (apart from the LDs being at 7% in the polls).
"4) Religion. 12% of people think religion is more often the cause of good in the world compared to 58% of people who think it is more often the cause of evil. Conversely, only 17% think Britain is too religious while 36% think it is too secular (the apparantly paradox is probably a difference between thinking globally, and the thoughts of terrorism and armed conflict linked to religion that would almost certainly have come to some people's minds, and thinking locally)"
Or perhaps the 36% who think Britain is too secular are amongst the 42% who don't think religion has been a greater cause for evil then good in the world.
I used to believe religion was a cause of evil. But I've changed my mind on the subject. I feel that religion typically isn't the actual cause of evil, it's just the excuse for evil. People do evil, horrible things and then claim religion as a justification. Well it's not really the religion that's the cause is it? No, the people who committed their acts of evil were always going to to do it, they just decided that they could defend their actions by using religion.
Charles Manson had a church of his own (his blend of Christianity) and used religion to justify what he did to Sharon Tate and Rosemary and Leno LaBianca. Was it really religion that was the cause of those horrifying murders? No. The root cause of his evil was his own screwed up life, the failures of the juvenile penal system, and his way of exacting revenge on people he felt had scorned him. Religion was just one of the ways he justified it. Or take the Zebra Killers in San Francisco. They went around killing random white people. They had some weird alternative spin off of Islam. Was it Islam that actually commanded these men to go out and randomly and brutally murder white people? No. They wanted to do it and found religion as their excuse.
"2) Perceptions of coalition. In principle 22% of people now think that coalitions are a better form of government than single party government, 55% think single party government is better. 21% of people say that the experience of the current coalition government has made them more positive about coalition, 39% more negative (ideally of course there would a "attitudes towards the principle of coalition" question from before the last election to compare things to, but alas, I couldn't track one down)"
I like single party government too. I'll tell you one reason why. When I think of a President, even if I like my system of checks and balances and even if I like having divided government, I feel like the President should get to pick his own people for the executive branch and that includes cabinet secretaries. Generally the President gets to do that (except in extreme cases).
Now a Prime Minister in a single party government typically gets to do that as well. He gets to pick and choose his own government and which MPs are going to be cabinet secretaries. When you have a coalition government, this becomes more difficult to do because the cabinet positions are doled out according to the coalition agreement. It also makes accountability to the voters more difficult.
You might have a Prime Minister who's doing fine but perhaps some Cabinet Secretaries who are just total screwups and do things to offend the population. Now, when you have single party government, you know what you have to do if you want to get rid of them. Vote the Prime Minister out. You vote him out, you get new cabinet secretaries. But in a Coalition government where you have secretries of different parties, who do you vote for? Who do you hold accountable?
I'm reminded of this December 2009 concerned parents meeting at a high school in Georgetown (it's a neighborhood in the District of Columbia). Most (if not all) the kids who go there are bussed in from outside the neighborhood and racial minorities. The D.C. Schools Chancellor, an awful labor union hating woman, fired a very popular and well respected principal there who the parents of the kids who actually attended the school liked. The Chancellor, in her infinite wisdom, wanted to bring in a different principal who would work to bring in local students and would be favorable to those living in the neighborhood (fat chance). The parents were unhappy. They showed up at public meeting to voice their concern. The Chancellor was there and she brushed off their concerns and refused to reconsider he decision.
At the end of the speech, a Councilwoman, Yvette Alexander, got up on stage and gave an impromptu, rousing speech about how the only way to get the schools run the way that the parents wanted would be to get rid of the Mayor. The audience of angry parents responded with cheers. Why's this? The Chancellor is appointed by the Mayor.
And the parents did just that. In December of 2009, the Mayor had no opponent for reelection and looked like a lock. In September 2010, the voters fired his ass.
Now in a single party government, this sort of thing is possible. But not in a European style coalition where you could get rid of the Mayor but you couldn't get rid of the Chancellor because she's part of another party that had to be included in order to form a government.
Watched VC receive wave upon wave of Labour support over his appointment of Proff.Ebdon, whilst being castigated by Con. backbenchers.
All in strange contrast to the YG Poll :-
"Would you support or oppose universities
giving applicants from underperforming state
schools lower entry requirements than
applicants from higher performing private
2010 Vote-Oppose:-
Con. 75
Lab. 52
" Do you believe it is the role of universities to be
involved in improving social mobility or should
they admit students purely on the basis of
academic merit?"
2010 Vote-admit on academic merit :-
Con 77
Lab 52
Rather leading phrases in my humble.
I wonder what the response would have been if the question had been posed
Student A, from a family with a record if high academic achievement, went to a top fee-paying private school and achieved AAB at A Level. Student B, from a family from which no member has ever gone to higher education, went to an inner city comp and achieved ABB at A Level. Do you think it fair that Student A gets a place at University X and Student B does not?
No I don't.
If student B was as able as student A, the I blame the inner city comp for not getting him to university.
And I wouldn't think it fair either if University X was instructed by the State to refuse a place to student A in order to give one to student B.


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Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Winter Sycamore - "#*^!"* paper! - demo
This comes from my recent trip to the central Calif. coast and may not be final. It was surprisingly tricky maybe because it`s a palette I`m unfamiliar with. The California Sycamore is a tree I`d see back in the hills when I was a kid. It always grew in a wash or ravine and it`s shade was so welcome. My Mom used to take a bunch of us neighborhood boys out of town to an undeveloped group of sun scorched hills. We`d jump out of the car and head for high ground while she stayed behind and read under a gigantic Pepper tree. We were a storm of chaos disrupting whatever creatures were awake in the heat of the day. That was sure nice of her! Today she might be arrested for child endangerment. The smell of this tree takes me right back to the dust and thorny bushes there. Here is a clump of them outside of Palm Springs;
They are so beautiful and in the desert, shed their bark and become absolutely ghostly.
This was painted on the fancy, linen-cotton, $16 a sheet paper from Ruscombe Mills in France. I hadn`t been working on this five minutes when it began to shred. Totally unacceptable! I had to coat it with a layer of acrylic medium just to proceed. The buckling was so severe that if I care to ever show it, I will literally need to press it with a steam iron. Piece of shit paper! The catalog said these were the sort of papers Turner used! Ugh! At the demonstration I did in my studio Saturday I had a creamy, sensual, bright white sheet of Arches 88 taped to the board. The clerk thought it would be great for watercolor! I had a still life set up before me, I did a quick sketch to guide me and with the first stroke of paint I knew it was all wrong. Like a paper towel! Someone whipped out a phone and within seconds read to me that this paper was developed for printing purposes. Absorbency would be important for that, but not for painting! So I grabbed a block of Fluid paper and began again. It`s cheap and dependable. This is what I painted;
Not too inspired but everyone was quite supportive. They want me to succeed!
I fear my tribulations with paper will embitter me and become embedded in my soul. My suffering will become part of my very identity!
The real problem is I`m not John Singer Sargent.
I`m so glad he was commissioned to do all those portraits of the wealthy. They financed his trips to the Alps, Greece, Florida and Venice where he did the most startling, breathtaking, and fresh watercolors ever done. I have never met a watercolorist who would disagree. This is a new one I just discovered;
This seems to be a page out of a sketchbook and I suspect the values are actually darker. But look at those distant hills and the cumulus clouds above them. To me, he captures the whole 'myth' of summer. That there will always be the gentle lake to swim in, sun warmed towels awaiting, a slow lingering evening ahead.
Great landscape painting can conjure the bittersweet sublimity of living. Make you want to stay as long as possible.
Margaret Glew is a fearless abstractionist I`ve admired for a long time. She digs deep. I just came upon this one recently and think it`s one of her finest. Though her application of paint is gritty, the colors and spatial ambiguity are lovely and lyrical.
Here`s a great little animated short by Alain de Botton on the purpose of art. It asks serious questions and offers thoughtful reasoning. It`s fun.
Tom Cramer and I will talk about our show 'Environments' this Thurs. night, March 19 at 6:30 pm in the Museum 510 Gallery in downtown Lake Oswego.
What could we possibly say?
Thurs. March 26 at 11 am, I will be demonstrating my watermedia techniques at the gallery. I will test the paper first.
work for sale in my studio
I support President Obama
Posted by Randall David Tipton at 7:40 PM
Labels: Alain de Botton, California coast, contemporary landscape painting, Margaret Glew, Sargent, sycamore trees, watercolor papers
2 comments:
- E.M. Corsa said...
I love how you expose me to new artists like Margaret Glew - fabulous! Thank you for that.
Though I'm not a lover of still life work, I do like your camellia and magnolia.
- March 18, 2015 at 8:17 PM
- RH Carpenter said...
I, too, learn new artists (for me) from your blog and I thank you for sharing them. I smiled when I read this:
"Great landscape painting can conjure the bittersweet sublimity of living."
And you ask what can you say about art? You just said it! Glad the horrible paper didn't cause you too much stress and you got through the demo okay.
- March 19, 2015 at 8:13 AM
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Uber and Airbnb have quickly become commonplace. Each has presented society with challenges in deciding whether and how to regulate disruptive technology. How are regulators responding to individuals making rational choices and adopting new technologies which are changing our society? Legal innovators and their regulators should take note.
The tl;dr answer is:
- Regulators are having a hard time balancing the need to protect the community with allowing real people to vote with their feet. The result is an absence of targeted regulation and resulting uncertainty for developers and consumers;
- We think that a laissez faire regulatory approach to new technologies which lets developers and consumers try out new ideas and work practices without fear of breaking the law, breaching obligations or imperilling others is important – particularly for otherwise highly regulated industries, such as the legal profession; and
- Regulators should be articulating the outcomes they see as acceptable, and only stepping in and regulating if it is evident that individuals or the common good are at risk.
1. What's the sharing economy doing to the real world?
Real people like cheap, clean, comfortable and convenient car-transport. Real people don't really care about whether the person driving them is complying with transport regulations, has appropriate insurance, or is complying with anti-discrimination laws. Real people dislike taxis. As a result, the taxi industry appears to be in terminal decline.
Aside from price, the contrast between traditional bed and breakfast or hotel choices and Airbnb is less stark. While Uber wins on quality, Airbnb's charms depend on the property. Sure, some real people want to rent a family home for the weekend because having a kitchen is great. Other real people just want a party pad metres from the casino or King Street, and I guess a party pad is better when there's no officious receptionist to evict you at 3am after you've clocked your 37th noise complaint.
Real people are embracing the sharing economy both in spite and because of limited regulation that's hard to enforce. That might be great for the real people who are using the services, but third parties are suffering. They aren't just taxi drivers or hoteliers. They include the neighbours to Airbnb properties and users of wheelchair accessible-taxis supported by government subsidised schemes that rely on effective regulation to let them enjoy their apartments or even to get around who are finding it hard to enforce their rights or even to persuade a taxi driver to pick them up.
At its core, the fundamental disagreement is between an "each according to their needs" philosophy and a disruptive libertarianism under which the internet and technology will fix everything.
2. The regulators – stuck in the middle
Government intervention is not unexpected by the companies or the users. While the users might be libertarians (at least when they are using exciting and disruptive technology), they know parliament and society will stick up for public safety and the interests of less powerful citizens. The Atlantic describes both companies' modus operandi as follows:
'Roll out a convenient, cheap product with scorched-earth marketing tactics, and rest easy knowing that city officials can't write regulations as quickly as consumers get hooked. So, as cities continue to enact regulations that slightly alter Uber and Airbnb's platforms, this is what the future of the platform economy might look like: a series of similar products that differ slightly from city to city, based on local customs, regulations, and tolerance for yielding to platforms' visions of the world.'
Uber and Airbnb have provoked a patchwork of regulatory efforts. Uber's now been okayed in NSW, the ACT and WA, but the Victorian government is still working through the details. It is expected that legislation will be put before Parliament by the end of the year. If the legislation is based on the existing private member's Bill, then it will codify background checks of Uber drivers, plus legislate for standards of car safety and insurance. Sensible stuff. But largely already done by the company itself.
For Airbnb, the Victorian government is beefing up owners corporations' rights to take action against operators of party pads. But striking an appropriate balance is hard. The proposed new law (currently a bill before Parliament) follows an Independent Panel report on unruly parties in short-stay accommodation in the CBD. The Panel admitted that most of the proposed reform ideas were 'too broad, heavy-handed, unworkable, inapplicable to existing building or insufficiently enforceable'. Who would've thought?
Without legislation, we are left with the slow and piecemeal development of the law as Courts respond to isolated factual circumstances. Decisions on Airbnb show there's no uniform approach and participants in the sharing economy are left to wonder whether they will fall foul of the law. That's not the Courts' fault; it's simply not their job to legislate.
3. What can legal regulators and innovators learn from Victoria's Uber and Airbnb experiences?
For innovators, the lesson is simple. If your product is indispensable, regulators are going to find the prospect of disallowing your service unpalatable.
For regulators, the questions are different. Are current regulations holding back the development and uptake of new technologies? What strategies should we put in place to protect users of new and cutting-edge technology so that real-world usefulness can be assessed without inadvertently breaking the law or harming others? Afterwards, when should we regulate?
In the law, there are many examples of the risks run by innovators. In her Disruption, Innovation and Change report for the LIV, Katie Miller identifies a number of Victorian regulations that are unclear in their application to innovative legal practice, such as referral fees, consent to costs agreements, use of fixed fees with trust accounts and online verification of identity requirements. She notes that innovators are increasing access to justice by giving clients legal services as cost effectively as possible, while increased regulation risks hampering this.
In light of this greater goal, Katie Miller encourages the legal insurers and regulators to consider issuing statements of regulatory intent in respect of innovative practices.
But instead solicitors are being held back by being told to avoid innovation, to be hesitant to charge less for simple documents, and to tell clients to '[w]rite down any questions or comments you have and bring them to meetings with us rather than emailing …. This will save you money as each phone call and email takes time for us to respond to which we will charge you for'.
Miller suggests that an outcomes-based regulatory system would let lawyers pursue innovations that uphold the public interest, without inflexible prescriptions as to the manner and form of legal practice.
We agree. This comes close to the safe-harbour model for innovators and early adopters alluded to above, and it means that regulators can regulate when it is clear that particular technologies or work practices are actually problematic if left unregulated. As we've said before, we think the LIV report is the most enlightened commentary we've seen on regulation of legal innovation in a long time (or hotels and taxis for that).


text:
Mobile remanufacturing experts EcoRenew have announced the acquisition of Lancashire based, data protection specialists ICT Reverse in a multi-million pound deal.
With over 16 years' experience in data disposal and an impressive portfolio of top blue chip clients, ICT Reverse will enable EcoRenew to continue with their ambitious global growth strategy.
Since joining the group as CEO earlier this year, Mark Chambers has facilitated the impressive opening of multiple mobile remanufacturing facilities in Dallas, Dubai and Tokyo.
The latest collaboration will enable the group to offer a larger range of services for the full spectrum of electronic data bearing assets rather than solely mobile devices whilst also establishing a European presence to compliment the traditional Asia and US based business.
Mark Chambers commented:
ICT Reverse is highly regarded within the industry. With impeccable accreditations, outstanding levels of service and an experienced team, it was an obvious fit for the Eco Renew Group both commercially and culturally.
With a shared passion for professionalism, innovation, and high quality, the collaboration with ICT Reverse perfectly met our aim of investing in companies that can deliver new customers for our products and services.
Craig Smith, Founder of ICT Reverse, commented:
We see this as a great opportunity for ICT Reverse to not only join a fast growing and industry respected company but also to migrate our service provision globally.
This acquisition has now extended the EcoRenew Group activities beyond just physical devices and into the fast-growing and strategically important area of information assurance.