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Tuesday the 11th of September 2001 started off as just any ordinary working day, personally and for the vast majority of the rest of the world, notably, that ever-numinous idea – the 'Western World'. By 2 pm GMT, though, there had been a mammoth, irreversible tectonic shift in the global political landscape. I speak, of course, of the 9/11 attacks. Ten years on from that fateful day, I take a look at the wider effect the attacks have had on politics and relationships between peoples.
I remember returning home from school that day and putting on MTV to see some nubile, young girls gyrating to their over-produced schlock, a vainglorious bastard essentially masturbating over his swimming pool, home cinema and expensive array of cars. Or some such shit. But even the shallow self-absorption of MTV recognised the enormity of the harrowing events taking place, which were undeniably more real than the fluff it was peddling, with bulletins at the bottom of the screen and once or twice I think even interrupting some bint dancing to show footage of the attacks. At this stage in my life (just gone 13), I was far too interested in collecting Pokemon and gawping at Britney Spears to be interested in such 'boring' matters as current affairs and politics. But even I could gather that this was kind of state of the nation stuff going down, if not state of the world, if you will, which it has turned out to be.
As explained, I was distinctly indifferent to and uninformed about serious matters before the 9/11 attacks, and for a good while after too. I can, however, say with a fair deal of confidence that relations between different nations, religions, races and classes – so inherently ambiguous and debatable – were significantly less strained than they are now. Arguably, this seeming relative peace and co-operation, in fact, merely stemmed from people viewing their countries and communities as distinct entities, with causes and effects nearly exclusively self-contained.
9/11 was a dagger to the heart of this. Relations between countries and religions were always problematic (and have always been), but 9/11, so intensely broadcasted, blogged and brandished across front pages, thrust pressing issues inexorably into mainstream consciousness and the forefronts of peoples' minds. The attacks were such an unavoidably 'real' attack on, if not actual home turf, then at least metaphorical home turf, as the twin towers represented, or at least came torepresent, all that the Western World stood for (this is largely why I focus on Western politics here). Therefore, the anger, and for some – pain, was very visceral, even personal. No longer could many people live happily in their particular communities, largely unknowing and uncaring to issues elsewhere in the world. Their issues have increasingly become our issues, and our issues have increasingly become their issues. Not that I realised this at the time, but my first hearing of 9/11 was extremely apposite in a way; woken up to the brutal realities of this world from my cocoon of escapist MTV. And, indeed, fitting in the sense I was part of what caused the attacks; the supposedly vacuous, materialist, Western 'ills' of pop culture in part fuelling the attackers' deep contempt of the Western World, particularly America.
The political climate we inhabit today is one in which we are increasingly perceiving issues as global ones. Although many – typically on the left – believe we still do not do this enough, we now consider impacts of actions and potential actions not just to the organisations or countries directly affected but to those other companies and countries indirectly affected. Where once we saw countries as somewhat absolute, independent, self-affecting entities, we are coming to see the earth as inter-connected, fragile whole subject to very complex webs of causes and effects, with the former view merely caused by rather arbitrary division. This is largely because of the incidence of pressing global issues not directly related to 9/11 – such as global warming and the recent global recession – but the suggestion that this has somewhat been caused by the increased global awareness engendered by 9/11 is a persuasive one.
Simmering, or just non-existent, social tensions have now erupted like a hitherto dormant volcano. In the Western World, the latter half of the 20th century history – and before and elsewhere, of course – included many harsh, brittle, authoritarian political systems and environments: General Franco's regime in Spain; the Cold War waged between an America ruled by Nixon and others and Soviet Russia; and Thatcher's premiership of Britain. By the end of the century, though, it seemed that the Western World was making significant – or at least well-intentioned – steps towards peace and prosperity. 9/11 has proved a dagger to the heart of this collective effort to build unified societies and a unified world.
The outrage was such that many began to distrust or disdain Muslims (often through rash misconceptions of the religion), and many people called for or employed reactionary measures, such as far harsher policy on immigration and even a vengeful war on a nebulousthem. Whatever the actual reasons for the Iraq War, George Bush (or, perhaps, rather his spin doctors) ruthlessly played on this fragile, EDGY political environment. 9/11 confirmed in the head's of those in Bush's premiership that they were in a 'war on terror'. This zeitgeist was then ruthlessly manipulated by the US goverment, with the conflict painted as largely black (again, the nebulous them) and white (U…S…A!!), over political, religious and ethical lines. Republican spin-machine masquerading as news channel, Fox News, was instrumental in this. And, indeed, is to this day, 'terror' having become a buzzword, if you will, largely due to Roger Ailes and his reactionary hold of so much of the American media, most notably Fox News.
This spin, even 'propaganda', proved a vital basis upon which the U.S. could justify the invasion of Iraq (and, to an extent, in other countries, too). The idea that there was a sizeable, significant enemy played very well into the illiberal, patriotic/nationalistic forthrightness of many Americans, particularly in the Mid-West where Christian Manichean thought prevails. Generally speaking, while the aggressive imperialism of the 'war on terror' succeeded in unifying such people against a common enemy, it had the opposite effect on many through alienating them from the supposedly short-sighted, power- (and oil-)hungry, war-mongers.
Since the turn of the century, extreme far-right groups, notable for their tough laws on immigration or 'racist' views depending on your opinion, have prospered across the West. Neofascist groups have gained momentum in both Germany and Britain, whilst right-wing politics has become, ashamedly, more commonplace, with groups such as the BNP (GB), Front Nationale (France) and the Tea Party (USA) having found sympathisers. That this rise is happening in the wake of 9/11 (and incidents such as the 7/7 bombings) is no coincidence. Leaders of these parties/movements (/'angry mobs'?) passionately proffer the idea that theyunjustly come over to their country and take their jobs, yet stubbornly refuse to buy into their culture (the desired culture is always homogenous) and just generally don't give back to the country which has freelygiven them so much. Particularly in areas where racial violence is rife, some groups/strands thereof even imply or explicitly call for the physical protection their country and communities (the consensus in such cases is usually that these groups mix up cause and effect). Carefully selected local news and isolated tragedies such as 9/11 and 7/7 bombings are now increasingly seen to support this purported image of most foreigners being ungratefully insular, even thieves, especially so when conveyed to the public with rousing rhetoric by party leaders. Though such groups are still on the fringes of political thought, they are definitely gaining support and sympathy.
It is still hard to conclusively gauge how much and how irrevocably the world has changed in the wake of 9/11 – that will be left to history and posterity – because we are still dealing with so much of the direct and indirect fallout of the catastrophic, world-changing event. But what is clear is that is that the world has changed. A lot. Not even Paul the Psychic octopus could predict what the next ten years have in store; but what we can be sure of is that whatever this decade (and a bit) does throw up will be of vital importance…
Joel Durston


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Monday morning Daughter and I cross the Golden Gate Bridge in our rented Chevy and head north on 101 to Geyserville, an unincorporated town on the Alexander River, midway between Cloverdale and Healdsburg, population somewhere between 862 and 1600, with one "downtown" block consisting of: three tasting rooms, two restaurants, two markets, a general merchandise store and a coffee café. My kind of town. There's an inn or bed and breakfast or two but we're staying at Isis Oasis Retreat Center. And it doesn't get any better, or more ironic than these digs.
Described online as: Animal Sanctuary, 501(c)3 Non-Profit Temple, and Community Event Center guided by the Divine Feminine, I just couldn't resist the mother-daughter opportunity here. (You know, Divine Feminine and all…) And lovely Isis Oasis is, a few steps from town and a short drive to Healdsburg, via wineries and panoramic vineyard stops. The Egyptian-themed rooms and grounds replete with world-religious statuary, including a pool, spa, sauna (for a hobbit, I think), "hello!"-ing parrots, endangered cats, three stately but stoned looking llamas, plus a 400+ year old fir tree, under which a circle of chairs await worshipers. Not us, we're on wine…and hula hoops, Daughter and I hoop away under the fir tree, happy on sauvignon blanc.
Lunch at Diavola Pizzeria and Salumeria the first day. Perfect wood-fired pizza Daughter says, as good as she had in Italy. I have a luscious chopped radicchio salad. So good, we return the following night for pizza at the bar, now two full days of wine country under our belts, feeling sassy and all, then Daughter points out that the two guys next to us swirling their rose are wearing Camo. I'm looking right past them of course, to the pizza operation because I like to watch. Mom. They. Are. Wearing. Camo.
Well, why? So I nose in to a conversation. Find out they are eating sweetbreads. Find out they live in Santa Rosa and are on their way home from a day of boar hunting. Find out they like that bottle of Sonoma rose they share and swirl. And I know, from my two days in wine country, rose here is not your high school sweet buzz-juice, but sparkling-white-purely-quaffable stuff with the grape skins left on a spell for a touch of color. The men are crusty and humorous, like they are straight from Myakka, Florida. Irony of a different edge than that of our beloved Isis Oasis Retreat.
Healdsburg, a short drive out of Geyserville, is a larger and more serious Tasting Room town, surrounded by so many wineries, we cannot possibly visit them all! We dine at the Spoon Bar the first night, which is lovely and sorta cheeky and the food is good but all bites do fit into a spoon. Don't they realize nouvelle cuisine went out of vogue years ago? The wine is good. The company, perfect.
After romping through the vineyard and wildflower garden (and tasting room) at Quivira Winery on day two, we happen across Bergamot Alley in Healdsburg for lunch. What a Yelp find. We're the only ones at the wine bar at two in the afternoon, agonizing over which of their nine grilled-cheese sandwiches to order. Me: "TANZBODELI: taleggio and fontina cheese, roasted mushroom, fresh thyme, lemon rub/sourdough/ wild, earthy and herbaceous." (I'm so glad these reminders are online because my menu-stealing days are long over.) Daughter orders: "SALAMI GET THIS STRAIGHT: provolone, salami, olive spread, mustard fennel/sourdough/don't you love olive these food puns…" The words "delicious" and "satisfying" are too trite to describe the sensation of our lunch. Let it be known that the divine bitches are very quiet as they eat and sip.
After our two days luxuriating at Isis and surrounding wine enclaves, we leave our beloved divine accommodation and head via meandering vineyard roads to Sebastopol, to explore Sonoma's central valley. Daughter drives and provides soundtrack (Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, other folk/alt artists I learn about), I provide mom-mapping via Google and two actual paper maps. The scenery, the sunny 75 degree weather, the hills, the grapes, the redwoods, the vineyards… we are agape. Or maybe we're a-grape? (Sorry…)
Sebastopol is more a fully fleshed-out town, like people actually live here NOT having to do with wine. I cruise Main Street as Daughter naps, and feel the retro-hippie-ness of the area. Bookstore, Indian clothing store, metaphysical shop (I eavesdrop on two meta-ladies here and takeaway this saying, "The world cracks open at night…that's when conception happens," which I like, very much.) This first night in Sebastopol we break from the tasting room world and venture to the local "dive bar," The Lucky Star, after sumptuous grilled artichoke at Hopmunk Tavern. Dive bar, yes! We decide it's time to divert from the Sonoma way to be with "our people."
I ask the youngster behind the bar what's on tap.
"We have this –––––––– cider, it's got a fruity nose and an earthy finish…"
I really am a nice gal but in my mind I'm saying. "Shut the fuck up! I'm here to drink BEER, not to hear more shit about fruit-forward wine." But I politely wave my hand and say, "Beer, Beer, Beer please!"
I get a bottle of beer.
Turns out he's the owner.
Oh well.
A dive bar in wine country. . . .
Our last day in wine country we go on a formal tour at Sonoma-Catrer Winery. I love knowledge and information and I'm in HEAVEN. We learn about the grapes, the vines, the vineyards, the Harvest, the sorting machine, the tanks, the oak barrels from France, the Wine. From grape to glass, we are now privy to it all. I feel so ALIVE, I am ready to drink more wine. And they comply!
After our tour with the magnificent Alison, we sit at a teak table overlooking the Sonoma-Catrer croquet field, sipping various chardonnays, the Northern California sun on our faces, listening to the excitement of Spanish-speaking workers gearing up for next week's harvest. Sonoma Catrer is putting on an ice cream social for their returning harvesters, a nice offset to those snotty looking croquet fields stretched out before us like a fake green blanket. Daughter and I sip and grin for the last time before we return to our cottage in Sebastopol, to drink that bottle of sauvignon blanc I bought at Locals in Geyserville, and pack, and get ready for reentry into the real world.
P.S. I am wine-spoiled now, I can barely slurp down the ten dollar bottles of wine in my wine refrigerator at home. That last night in Sebastopol, giddy on sauvignon blanc, on my smart phone I joined three wine clubs of the wineries we visited. I am so looking forward to my first shipment in September. And when I get frustrated with the swampy-wet-mulchy-south-Florida-summer-sloppy-bug-filled-air and back to work-work-work, I cut through it all with the ultimate whine, "I want my wine!"

subset: commoncrawl


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How to Make It
Combine yogurt, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, dill, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon paprika in a bowl; cover and chill.
Sprinkle chicken with oregano, pepper, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat; add chicken, and cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer chicken to a plate; cover and keep warm. Add onion to pan and cook 7 minutes or until browned; stir frequently.
Cut chicken into 1/4-inch-thick slices and return to pan with onion. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Arrange lettuce and tomato evenly over pitas; top evenly with chicken mixture. Drizzle each with 2 tablespoons yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with 3 teaspoons feta cheese. Roll up.
Oxmoor House Healthy Eating Collection


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Fully Licensed & Bonded
No expense was spared building the Venetian Hotel, which aimed
to recreate the city of Venice in the Nevada Desert and the result
is fairly spectacular. Guests can travel around the hotel in a
gondola - real canals run through the hotel - and a replica of St
Mark's Square and the Basilica turns from night to day every three
hours; visitors have to look carefully to notice that the sky is
actually a vast fresco. The only things missing are the pigeons and
the backpackers. The casino itself is massive, featuring 2,500 slot
machines and 125 gaming tables. For guests taking a break from the
tables, there are five swimming pools, a fitness centre, and 17
restaurants - mostly pizzerias. One of the main attractions is
Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, a wax museum presenting some of the
world's biggest icons including stars, politicians, record-breaking
athletes and legends.
The US Dollar (USD) is the unit of currency and is divided into
100 cents. Only major banks exchange foreign currency. ATMs are
widespread and credit cards and travellers cheques are widely
accepted. Travellers cheques should be taken in US Dollars to avoid
hassles. Banking hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm.
Looking for something a bit different? Check out our selection of cultural & adventure holidays or if you're looking to go it alone then see our selection of solo holidays.


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Taking amazing photos is often an act of looking closer and in more detail into objects.
Here is a selection of free e-cards reminding on trips along the coast, through bush, and rainforest.
The more attention we pay to the natural environment the closer we look the more it is clear how amazing nature's designs and solutions are.
Any image available throught he internet can be send as an egreeting card. A right click on the mouse lets you choose the command image info, where you find the URL. Copy and paste it into the field below and carry on writing your virtual card.
Visit the KiaOra New Zealand Store ... or find out how to use your digital photographs to create postcards.


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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Thanx for donating/ split
(Of course I love my readers who comment and just take in my work. Thanks.)
Split outta that small grim little town. Oh I need to give a thumbs up to a hotel there in Victorville, its awesome. Its now a Quality in with a green sign and a big Q on it, but it used to be Green something or the Pine Inn. Its on 7th street across from Denny's near off rt 15. No I did not stay in one of the rooms but the older gentleman who works there just let me stay on a big couch in the quiet, roomy, lobby. The charm of this place is that it looks like time froze circa 1970 very early as I remember it as a kid. I stated that to the man behind the desk and he said they were frozen about 1963. Its great. If there are cameras all over the place you cant see them and so there is not that creepy stalking feeling of intrusion from black half spheres hanging from the ceiling.
The guy working had quality I do not see in men much anymore..a quiet dignity or perhaps class. The first response to me telling him I traveled this way was "are you writing a book?" He got it immediately, most modern average folk dont understand what I am doing out here. He was wonderful.
I simply said I was stranded and he just let me drop in right there. And NO I would not recomend that as a traveler you try to go there and pull such a stunt. However if you are stranded I have noted that sometimes motels will take pity on you if they are a moderate chain and let you hang there instead of being stranded out in the cold. The bigger more expensive places are a toss up. Some dont care if you hang out there at all and some are uptight sticklers who dont want riff raff in thier perfect nice posh lobby. I have fantasies about homeless people lying around on the floor in places like that, nice big unused WASTED space that people hog to themselves.
It was probably the best and most peaceful sleep I had in years..even though I sat up the whole time to not look like I was lying around in the lobby and even waking up alot.
Gang stalking is all about keeping love, attention and physical touch from a Target. Human babies have been shown to suffer or die without positive human contact. All a TI needs is for someone to be kind to them and not focus on them. I dont mean ignored I mean given PRIVACY and respect. This can begin the healing immediately and one feels the difference in quality of life and health the next day...even after years of abuse.
It just demonstrates how the changes we have made to our society are stressing people out more than improving quality of life. Perhaps younger people dont care as they dont know anything else other than the modern world.
Once again there is something to older structures that have not been refurbished..something about them retains the more peaceful past.
I learned the high desert gets cold. This is when being a New Englander becomes useful. The cold here is nothing compared to Boston right now. But it sneaks up on you and you will begin to feel your digits get numb.
As usual foreigners are helpful as has been the case all my life. No one would pick me up and this great Latin guy from what appeared to be Mexico but was prob south American extraction picked me up. His car was fast and he was on the phone in Spanish as he picked me up. It was so casual so great compared to all the locals gawking at me for trying to get a ride.
My mother hates foriegners..she calls everyone an "immigrant", which is laughable considering all of my great grandparents were from Europe or Eastern Europe. I have experienced in the past the perps being utterly confused becuz ethnic people dont bother me or I am in harmony with thier existence. Becuz its intergenerational the perps tend to think that one will be able to be harassed in the same way as family members..its glaringly obvious thats what they are doing at times.
Just like the same confusion and dumb looks they give when I dont respond to missing hubcaps...its just too random its stupid. They just sit there trying to make me see them and react..they genuinely cannot understand why I am not responding.
Like this one time on a a bus in Cambridge on the way back from Burlington MA it was perp central on the buses then- this kid had a drummer magazine and some sticks with him and thought becuz he was into music I would just start talking to him, that he could bait me with that. The look was hysterical when I just ignored him. They tend to look surprised or agast. Its great.
Remember PERPS ARE LAZY, PERPS ARE NOT CREATIVE MINDS. They do what they do by training. They often describe themselves as "actors". They actually believe this about thier lives.
Baiting you and you not responding is like a camera not watching them perform or no audience when their littl curtains open on the stage. This is another example of the networks seeing a target as less than they are or stupid.
Ignore them and mess up the games.
3 comments:
- Anonymous1/19/10, 4:43 PM
Very good advice: perps are nothing more than actors. Quite possibly they've been given a script to go by. That's why it's funny when you throw something spontaneous at them related to their script, but you know is not on their script, to watch them get all confused.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous1/19/10, 4:50 PM
Also it's a good point that our handlers see us as nothing special, nothing more than trained circus animals that are supposed to fly into a rage on cue. I've fallen for the reaction bit far too many times. And I've learned not to post too much about specifics, because perps are always trolling these forums to further harass me. I had one idiot troll me in the comments section of another forum. So nice not being able to think for oneself, to delude oneself into thinking that one is an actor just because the person is trained to harass innocent victims.ReplyDelete
Also, perps are very quiet sometimes, but don't ever get fooled. Don't ever fall for that when things get a little too quiet: they are always there, and will be there always until there is legislation specifically aimed towards eliminated organized stalking. I would be very suspicious if such a law does get passed, because the perps will do their little denial dance, saying the person was crazy or imagined it. It may be impossible to eradicate organized stalking via law.
- Anonymous1/19/10, 9:46 PM
I get a lot of mocking/imitating/doppelgangers (of me). I have no idea who these twits think they are doing this. Do they really think they are "being me" by doing this? You're very right about the lack of imagination they have. That must be why every harassment I encounter centers around echoing/mirroring my thoughts and actions.ReplyDelete


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Please don't mind me, I'm going to free write:
This wedding was the last of my 2-month journey around Asia / Oceania.
If someone asked me
"What is the most spontaneous thing you have ever done in life?"
This would be it.
I know a lot of you were asking a lot of questions:
"WTF are you doing out there?"
"Are you coming back?"
"How much better is it over there vs the States?"
After not fully explaining myself to you all, I hope these photos showcase what I was up to.
Honestly, I fell in love with Australia – and I was trying to find any reason to go back.
It was probably the most foolish thing I've ever done, but I truly think it was necessary to start off my 2018 wedding season by making this trip.
I had not been a 2nd photographer for about 5 years – so this was a little new to me.
A lot of my perspective on weddings were inspired on this trip.
All my 2018 couples know what's up 😛
Anyway, I'm sure a lot of you need some questions answered:
I had the great opportunity to work with Sarah Godenzi on this one.
All of this transpired through some random Instagram messages and e-mails back in 2016 when I was trying to get connected with some locals (long story – I won't bore you with my life lol).
I don't know how you trusted me Sarah, but it says a lot about you to embrace someone so easily.
After about a year of contact, she invited me to photograph Ben + Ash's wedding with her.
I don't think it rained hard enough lol
Side note:
Please check out her work~!
Sarah is one of a few photographers work I truly love and feels genuine to me.
Ideally, I'd like to mimic her style, but I realize there are some things I am incapable of.
I know I can't take on every wedding, so she is the highest recommendation I have for you all.
You can find out more about her here:
She loves dogs and her pup, Kerm, is absolutely the cutest.
Sarah, I am super grateful for the amazing experience, not just in photography, but taking me in and just hanging out together and showing me around Melbourne / Victoria.
I promise to make it up to you and next time, we will find a N64 controller somewhere so we can play Mario Kart <3
Hope to see you soon – Maybe March?
Please be ready to order 100 meat pies and tim tams for me.


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I've been meaning to write this entry for a long time, but until now, I've avoided trying to figure out how to embed a video into a post. Apparently, it's way easier than I thought, so now it seems silly I waited so long.
If you know me, you probably know that I absolutely love dumplings and have been known to spend hours wrapping them by myself without complaints. When I was growing up in Hong Kong, I was recruited to help wrap wontons every time we made them at home and I prided myself on being fast and efficient. Once I got good enough at wontons – which let's face it, it's not that hard because you just sort of bunch the wrapper all together around the meat – I wanted something a little more challenging. So I sat down and tried to figure out how to make pot stickers.
It took me a few tries but finally, I figured out how to shape pot stickers that looked like the kind you get at restaurants. I then started looking around for different fillings and of course, the possibilities there are endless. Some of my current favorites are a pork and super-gingery filling and a green curry chicken with thai basil filling. But finding a good all-vegetarian filling has always stumped me… until now.
Ming Tsai dubbed these the "Best Vegetarian Pot Stickers" and before you scoff like I did when I first read it, you really should give it a try. They definitely are the best vegetarian potstickers I've ever had.
Adapted from this recipe from Ming Tsai. The only thing I changed is to chop everything relatively finely, so that you don't have large chunks of one ingredient hanging out in a pot sticker


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May Earthworms
Image courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
One evening this spring I took my dog out for his late-night constitutional when I heard some rustling in the leaves. Thinking it was the paparazzi yet again trying to obtain some illicit photos of this reporters private life, I turned and made a beeline for the door. I soon discovered that the dog was not only not keeping up, but was stationary and otherwise occupied. When the leash grew taut and he was disrupted from his repose, I surprisingly came face to face with the source of the rustling: earthworms. As the worms hightailed it or, more accurately, low-tailed it back into their holes, and the dog delivered a not very subtle what-is-your-deal?!? look, I began to ponder worm-life as we know it.
First of all, their numbers are simply astounding. There are about 1,500 species of segmented worms or annelids on the planet. They live throughout the world, except in the Arctic and Antarctic. You should also know that all earthworms found in Minnesota are non-native. Yes, sports fans, there are about 15 species of earthworms in our state, all introduced from Europe and Asia.
Next point to ponder: why do earthworms exit their burrows? During heavy rains, worms will exit their burrows to escape drowning. Makes sense. At other times, worms will move to the level of soil that meets their needs. If the upper reaches dry out, they will move down to moister areas. Moisture is important to terrestrial worms because they obtain oxygen through their skin. Blood in the skin distributes the oxygen to other parts of its body.
Earthworms also have interesting reproduction methods, as they are both hermaphroditic and homosexual. Each can function as both female and male, but only as one sex at a time. During mating, both partners are male and they exchange sperm. Later, each becomes female and develops mature eggs. There isnt space here to discuss the exact process; suffice it to say that the individual worm uses sperm obtained during its encounter with the other male to fertilize its eggs. After a few weeks, these hatch as small but fully formed earthworms, except for a lack of the sex structures, which develop two to three months later.
While it may be hard to believe, Minnesotas natural communities developed over the millennia without earthworms, i.e. earthworms are not native. In fact, earthworms can have a significant negative impact on our forests. As the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources website explains: Without worms, fallen leaves decompose slowly, creating a spongy layer of organic duff. This duff layer is the natural growing environment for native woodland wildflowers. It also provides habitat for ground-dwelling animals and helps prevent soil erosion. Now, worms eat these fallen leaves, eliminating this duff layer. Tree seedlings and herbaceous plants cannot survive in these conditions.
Please do not release your unused worms be it from fishing or your home composting bin into the woods or anywhere outside. Dispose of them in the garbage.
Learn more about the earthworm problem from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Tom Lewanski, Conservation Director


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02 Mar Fstoppers Reviews Skillshare.com (Or: My New Favorite Tool for Learning)
Source: Fstoppers
We live in a world of excessive options, often leading to crippling cases of "analysis paralysis." This reality is particularly prevalent in the world of online learning. I can't even count the number of YouTube videos I have to search when I want to learn a particular skill, before I finally find a half decent one or give up and teach myself. So when the folks over at Skillshare reached out to see if I was interested in checking out their library of classes, the answer was obviously yes. Spoiler Alert: Skillshare is offering our readers two free months of Premium classes. Read the review below then check out Skillshare for yourself.
[ Read More ]
Fstoppers Reviews Skillshare.com (Or: My New Favorite Tool for Learning) posted on Fstoppers on .
Read the full article on FstoppersHome


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By Dr Umberto Russo MBBS (Adelaide) FRACGP
When you're living in a foreign country far from home, going to the doctor is probably the last thing on your mind – until suddenly you're sick and need medical attention. While you might not think it's important, it's a really good idea to find a General Practitioner (GP) you like – and stick to them! Many patients don't realise the importance of having a regular doctor whom they see over a number of months and years, sometimes even a lifetime.
Here are just a few of the reasons why it is so important to have your own GP:
Someone who knows you
Having a regular GP means he or she can get to know you. Developing a relationship with a doctor will make you feel more comfortable and allow more open communication. The relationship builds mutual knowledge, understanding and trust. Having a regular GP will mean that you won't have to repeat information about the medications you take, or your previous medical history, as your GP will always have this important information in your medical notes.
Your GP is a generalist
One of the powerful qualities of GPs is that they are generalists. This means they do not focus on just one part of the body or certain diseases only. They are not specialists, such as a paediatrician, who only treats children. A GP, with a wide array of knowledge, is well positioned to help you with the many physical and mental symptoms that can arise. Issues with one system of your body can impact on the rest of your body. An example is chronic lower back pain, where patients may present to their GP with depression.
Advice on preventative health
Health is not just about treating and curing illness. It is also about taking sensible, preventative measures to ensure you can live your life in the best of health. GPs are involved in many preventative activities throughout a person's life, such as:
- advice on all types of immunisations to prevent diseases, especially when travelling
- advice on contraception and sexual health
- advice on how to prevent or detect early cancers such as skin checks, PAP smears and breast
- checks
- advice on how to reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, such as how to give up smoking,
- lower your cholesterol, regular BP checks, how to maintain a healthy weight range.
- how to prevent diabetes and early detection of diabetes
- prevention of osteoporosis
Your GP is best placed to advise you what preventative activities are available for your stage of life.
Continuous, coordinated care
Your GP is the main person responsible for coordinating your care if your condition requires involvement of other health professionals. This could be a referral to a medical specialist, or allied health professionals such as a psychologist or podiatrist. Other health carers acknowledge this important role of your GP and therefore communicate details of any consultations with you to your GP. By doing this, your GP can take responsibility for your continuity of care.
Management of chronic conditions
GPs are best placed to manage chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and arthritis, just to name a few. GPs can also complete a Care Plan for many chronic conditions. This has been shown to significantly improve outcomes for patients. The Care Plan approach involves you more in the ongoing care of your condition. It also allows a team-based approach to your care by involving other health professionals such as physiotherapists, podiatrists, and dieticians, giving access to Medicare rebates for their involvement.
Local knowledge
Your GP will have detailed knowledge of what services are available in your local area to support you when needed. This is important for many conditions, but particularly so for people who suffer from mental health issues where counselling services are crucial. Your GP should be your first port of call for all your health care issues. However, if you need to see a Doctor urgently, and your GP is closed, then you can call 13SICK and arrange for a Doctor to come to your home. If you have a Medicare card, the visit is bulk billed, so there's nothing to pay. If you are an overseas student with overseas student health cover (OSHC) with Allianz, Medibank Private or Bupa, you will not be charged a fee for the doctor home visit.
Dr Umberto Russo MBBS (Adelaide) FRACGP is the General Manager of Clinical Governance in South Australia for National Home Doctor Service. He has more than 23 years experience both as a GP and a visiting home doctor, with a special interest in after-hours medical care.


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Intellectual Property and Technology
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Internet domain names are linked to trademark issues. Technology makes it easy to copy and distribute music and movies without paying royalties. Business conducted on the internet raise security and privacy issues. What legal concerns are raised by these issues? Predict which of these issues will be of major concern in the future in regard to the law and business practices.© BrainMass Inc. brainmass.com June 4, 2020, 3:42 am ad1c9bdddf
Solution Preview
There are a few different legal concerns that can be raised. The Internet has proved to be a technology comparable to no other technology in history. However, there are various legal concerns that are unique to the Internet.
Contract law is one issue. We have people entering into legally binding contracts on sites like eBay and on various financial websites. The problem is that if the party withdraws, there is no reasonable legal recourse, in most cases, for ...
Solution Summary
This solution explains the legal concerns raised with intellectual property and technology issues, and future concerns related to the law and business practices addressed. Includes 1 reference.


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Work With Us has developed a number of resources for you to use in your workplace. Starting with our infographic, which you can download here in 3 different sizes.
For presentations, ask us about our Workplace Presentation which comes with a helpful Presenter's Guide. Listen to individual stories from people who have experienced depression, such as:
Download our Elephant in the Room poster and display it any high traffic place in your workplace. See Mood Disorders Society of Canada's 'What is Depression' and write to us to order copies.
The Arthritis Society also offers a number of workplace sessions that focus on arthritis specifically, including:


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Built to Serve the Needs of Our Clients
At Susan E. Kamman & Associates, we are passionate about helping our clients. We blend a thorough understanding of the law, tireless advocacy for your family and proven abilities at the highest level.
We don't just work for you — we work with you to find solutions. In the Greater Chicago area, rely on Susan E. Kamman & Associates for experienced and informed representation in family-law, divorce and paternity matters.
Our Commitment to You
Lake Zurich divorce attorney Susan E. Kamman is recognized statewide for her achievements in the law. She was selected in 2009-2018 for inclusion in the Leading Lawyers Network, and 2012-2015 and 2017-2018 for inclusion in Super Lawyers, as the top five percent of family lawyers. Mrs. Kamman has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for 2013-2018. Mrs. Kamman is also a member of the Million Dollar Family Law Council, and is recognized in the Global Directory of Who's Who Top Attorney's 2016. In 2011, she earned a spot among the 100 Female Consumer Lawyers in Illinois.
Mrs. Kamman has worked with the DePaul University Law School Family Law Center Advisory Board, the Illinois HFS Support Advisory Committee and the Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) Family Law Section Council. Mrs. Kamman has chaired the ISBA Family Law Section Council's QILDRO (Qualified Illinois Domestic Relations Orders) Subcommittee, as well as the Child Support Subcommittee four times. Mrs. Kamman was instrumental in the process of moving Illinois to an income-share model for child support.
Most importantly, we are proud of our close relationships with and respect from our clients.
We help individuals solve family conflicts. Whether you are part of a high-asset divorce involving property division, or need a skilled attorney to protect your parental rights in a child support or parental allocation dispute, we offer:
- Experienced representation
- Personalized coaching
- Knowledgeable guidance
- Top-notch service
- Mediation services
- Adaptable and sophisticated strategies for litigation or negotiation, including asset recovery
With a clear understanding of complex financial, business valuation and tax issues, along with an unwavering interest in serving the needs of our clients, we take on the problems and cases that affect people's lives and families.
Representation Tailored to Your Needs
Our clients include executives, union members, doctors, business owners and stay-at-home parents. Mrs. Kamman is a top family-law attorney in the Eastern European community, and has been featured regularly on Russian Radio 1430 AM. Whether you need a fierce litigator or a savvy negotiator, we can apply the right technique and strategies to your case.
To schedule a free one-hour consultation with Mrs. Kamman, call 847-241-4156 for an appointment in Lake Zurich and Antioch. You can also contact us online.
Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover are accepted. Flexible scheduling is available by request.
See Mrs. Kamman's recent comments in the Daily Herald about the Rolling Meadows Judge Hyman Riebman leaving the bench.


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Manufacturer: Coleco
Format: Cartridge
Controller ports: 2
Save Capability: None
Number of Games: Over 110
Video Output: RF
Initial Price: $175
Colecovision made a huge splash in 1982, thanks to its superior arcade-quality graphics and a killer pack-in: the insanely popular Donkey Kong. The system offered a wide variety of other arcade hits, although most were second-tier titles like Venture, Time Pilot, Ladybug, and Pepper II. Constantly pushing the envelope, Coleco released a series of hardware "expansion modules", including a rollerball (trak-ball controller), a steering wheel (with pedal), and an Atari 2600 adapter (which resulted in a major lawsuit). The Colecovision proved quite popular initially, but then Coleco overextended themselves and released an ill-fated home computer version of the Colecovision called the Adam. This poorly constructed system was both a commercial and technical failure, with a large number of units returned defective. The Adam fiasco, combined with the video game crash of '83 would spell the end of Coleco's video game business.
Console design: B-. Rectagular in shape, the Colecovision console is black with a silver strip along the front. Like the Intellivision, its flat design includes two bays to house the controllers (not very well I might add). The cartridge port is located on top of the unit, and the expansion slot is in the front. It's easy to plug in cartridges, but the short, coiled controller wires force you to play close to the console. Making matters worse, the "player one" controller port is located closer to the back.
Console durability: F. If you can find a Colecovision console that works perfectly, consider yourself lucky. Apparently Coleco wasn't known for making the most high quality products, and this is apparent in the number of broken Colecovision consoles I've encountered. Even my best one has occasional screen abnormalities.
Controllers: D. The controllers feature a directional "knob", a keypad, and one button on each side. Unlike the Intellivision controllers, the side buttons are easy to press, but their location makes them hard to press rapidly. The controllers are okay for short play sessions, but the knob-shaped joystick will cramp your hand during extended play. Like the console, the controllers are cheaply constructed and easily broken.
Media: B+. Colecovision's cartridges are only slightly larger than the Atari 2600, and include a space in the back to slide in keypad overlays. Most games simply feature a colorful logo on the front with minimal artwork.
Packaging: F. I'm not sure what Coleco was thinking, but they packaged their games in the most hideous boxes ever. Besides the dull gray color scheme, the front always featured the game's logo and some kid playing the arcade version of the game. It hardly conveyed any information about the game itself, and looked ugly to boot.
Games: A-. Colecovision was all about bringing home the arcade experience, and it generally fulfilled that duty. The Donkey Kong pack-in game in of itself sold many of the systems. Easy to play and fun, most Colecovision games have held up well over time. In addition to its impressive arcade games, the system also boasted some amazing sports games, although these never played as well as they looked. The system's one technical drawback is its inability to scroll smoothly, which is most evident in side-scrolling titles like Tutankham.
Graphics: A-. In 1982, no other console could match Colecovision's graphics. Adaptations of arcade hits like Donkey Kong and Time Pilot are nearly arcade perfect, and look far better than versions available for other consoles of its era. Only some choppy animation prevented these from being arcade quality.
Audio: B. Colecovision wasn't known for its audio, but it did a fair job of emulating the sound effects of its arcade lineup.
Collectability: B. The Colecovision is not easy to collect for, but its fine selection of fun arcade games make it attractive to collectors. The hardest part is finding a console and controllers in good working condition - they don't come cheap. It's hard to find complete Colecovision games with boxes, instructions, and overlays, but loose cartridges are fairly common.
Innovations: Arcade quality graphics, steering wheel controller, Atari 2600 adaptor.
Pros and Cons:
+ Fun, arcade style games.
+ Excellent graphics.
- Hardware cheap and prone to breakage.
- Poorly designed controllers.
- Choppy scrolling.


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Looking around at their cousins taking in the sun,
Life for flora was definitely a whole lot of fun,
All they had to do, was bide their today as a bud,
And tomorrow would show the magic that grew from mud.
Swaying along to the lilting tunes of the breeze,
Proud of the persistent visit from the bees,
By morning, they too would wear the colours of blossom,
Spreading the fragrance that rose from their bosom.
At the crack of dawn, a dozen people came silently,
And plucked them from their future thrones, violently,
They showed no guilt, no remorse, only the boredom of the chore,
Their fatigue, the only indicator that they had to do a lot more.
A clinical snip cut off a thousand dreams in a single instant,
Into the truck, with every moment, their home grew distant,
Wrapped along with a thousand brothers of a dozen colours,
They wondered if this was the only reason for the existence of flowers.
To be taped together and cast into a shapely vase,
While a guy waited nonchalantly for his lass,
To bear the unabashed, if only momentary, gushing of the woman,
Before the talk moved to important things, things that were human.
When there were no more guests left, to come and stare,
Their wilted figures were too much for the waiter to bear,
So they landed up unceremoniously into the trash,
End of story, a thousand lives terminated in a flash.
Only one thought was on their mind, as they finally closed eyes,
What would happen to their siblings at the next sunrise,
Ones who were innocently sleeping with dreams of tomorrow,
Unknowing, that theirs too would be a journey of sorrow.
This one is for the one of the most important Beacons of them all, Veturi Sundara Rammurthy. Words are insufficient to describe what he has contributed to my life, and hence suffice it to say, i am forever indebted to him.
This is also my personal belief on flowers. Flowers were made by God to be seen on plants and enjoyed, not killed and planted in vases, like tigers in a zoo. Sure, a hundred thousand get to see the tiger at the zoo, people who would never have got to the jungles, but do you think the tiger likes it one single bit. Atleast animals have PETA since they can growl/howl/scowl/cry. Flowers have nobody.
Every time someone passes by a bouquet, they exclaim at the sheer beauty of the flowers, and then go their way, probably because that is all the flowers mean to them, some nice looking toy to look at for a moment, and get going with life. They see my complete disinterest in the flowers and ask me if i hate them. The truth is unfortunately very far from it. I love flowers, but not as corpses to fulfill a girl's fantasy, not as objects to admire after killing, not as useless rot the next day. Even the previous day's newspaper has some resale value the next day, so people preserve them despite the information no longer being useful, flowers, well that's another story.
So enough of rambling, i just don't like flowers away from their plants, period.


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The Florida College Investment Plan opens for business Monday and the timing couldn't be better for Safety Harbor mom Gena Cox, who plans to check out her new option.
"I've been looking for another savings vehicle," she said. For good reason. Her 12-year-old daughter Marin Jones, a seventh grader at Safety Harbor Middle School, has expensive educational ambitions.
"She wants to be a lawyer," Cox said. "She did a research project on careers and found out litigators get paid to argue, so she figured that was her thing."
The new plan will be offered alongside the existing Florida Prepaid College Program, in which Marin already is enrolled. Parents can choose between the two plans or sign up for both of them - or for any of dozens of other states' plans, most of which are open to any U.S. resident.
College savings plans, dubbed 529 plans after a section of the IRS code, have become one of the hottest products in the financial services business. Investment plan assets more than doubled over the past year, to about $14-billion, with another $8-billion in prepaid tuition plans. Florida's prepaid plan is by far the largest, with $3.9-billion in assets.
The 529 plans offer three big advantages:
+ Investment earnings can be withdrawn tax-free for qualified education expenses, including housing, books and required equipment such as computers.
+ The plans can be used at most any college or vocational school, some of them in foreign countries.
+ The donor who sets up an account maintains control, including the ability to change the beneficiary.
The law allowing tax-free withdrawals kicked in this year and expires at the end of 2010 but could be extended. Previously, investment earnings were taxed at the child's rate when withdrawn.
Florida's prepaid college plan promises to cover tuition, fees and, under some plans, dorm costs at state universities. It has enrolled 538,000 students over the past 14 years, most of whom are still younger than college age.
The new investment plan, which is more flexible but potentially riskier, was authorized by the state Legislature three years ago. It has taken this long to put the details in place because Florida chose a do-it-yourself approach. The state selected its own investment managers and is selling the plan directly to the public. Most other states turned over their programs to a mutual fund company or brokerage.
"The best thing is that our program is all about sending kids to college, with nothing about profits," said Stanley Tate, chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Board, which manages both plans. Neither plan pays commissions to financial advisers, which helps keep costs low for participants.
Although other states' plans have a head start in signing up customers, Tate said Florida shouldn't have much difficulty catching up. The stock market's lousy performance over the past two years means other plans are not in a position to brag about great results. In addition, Florida already has forged strong relationships with thousands of college savers.
The prepaid program is a way to lock in the cost of some expenses at a state university or community college at today's prices. Many people buy only a tuition plan, which covers less than 20 percent of the cost for students who live away from home while attending a state university. If they attend a private college or go out of state, they can use the prepaid plan, but its value won't make much of a dent in the higher costs.
Nationally, the average yearly cost of tuition, fees, room and board for an in-state student at a four-year public university is $9,663, according to statistics compiled by the College Board. Go to a private college, and you'll spend an average of $25,052. At both public and private colleges, add at least $700 a year for books and expect to kick in $3,000 or so for miscellaneous expenses. In Florida, tuition costs at public universities are below average, but other expenses are just as high, or higher since many students drive cars to class.
Of course a thrifty freshman in Pinellas County could live at home and attend St. Petersburg College, where tuition and fees are just $1,628 this year (calculated on 15 hours each semester). But the official price tag for a year at Stanford University in California is $39,106, of which $27,204 is tuition.
And costs go up every year.
"With the high cost of college and the inflation of this cost, I believe that any who can do either plan should," said Robert Ferraro, 49, a Palm Harbor accountant. He bought the prepaid plan eight years ago for his two children, who are now teenagers. "I would consider the new 529 plan if I was saving for a young child, giving the money I invested the chance to grow long term."
While the potential tax benefits are largest for those signing up young children, even older children may benefit because the investment plan can be used to pay costs for graduate or professional school.
No matter which plan you use, the withdrawals are tax-free as long as the student has sufficient qualifying expenses. Expenses paid for by a scholarship cannot be counted as qualifying expenses. However, prepaid plan students who receive a scholarship can use their prepaid money tax free to pay for housing or other qualifying expenses.
Using both plans not only covers more of the cost of college, it offers diversification. The prepaid plan is safe and state-guaranteed, like a government bond that matures when you need to spend the money. The investment plan offers five mutual-fund-style investment options. A college saver can choose funds that invest in stocks, bonds, a money-market account or a combination of those. One fund allocates money to stocks and bonds based on the child's age, becoming more conservative as college enrollment approaches.
The tradeoff is that the investment plan carries more risk. You can lose money in stocks and bonds, so the value of an account can go down.
"I like the prepaid plan because it is a conservative option; I didn't have to worry about it as the stock market deteriorated," said Gena Cox, 41, an organizational development consultant. "The College Investment Plan is complementary because of the opportunity to increase my principal and the opportunity to use the funds for a broader range of college-related expenses. For me, it makes sense to diversify using both."
But the extra risk is a definite drawback for some college savers.
"For a wealthy family, the 529 (investment plan) might be a better plan, but for me the prepaid plan offers more peace of mind," said Rob Williams, 42, a St. Petersburg bartender and carpenter. He purchased a tuition plan for his son, Robbie, 11, and is now making installment payments on dormitory and fee plans.
Yet Cheryl Hadley, 31, of St. Petersburg, said she considers the investment plan more affordable for low-income families who don't have the lump sum required to buy a prepaid plan and find it difficult to commit to the alternative of monthly installment payments. A four-year university tuition plan costs $8,241 as a lump sum, $173 a month under a 55-month payment plan or $64 a month under a plan that extends payments over 18 years.
Hadley, an unemployed mother of two, said she tried making installment payments on the prepaid plan but had to drop out.
"The (investment) plan offers the flexibility of being able to increase or decrease monthly contributions over time depending on financial ability," she said. "It further allows for other family members to make periodic contributions, which is an attractive idea for birthdays and holidays."
People who like the discipline of automatic savings can sign up to fund their plans through automatic drafts from a bank account or through payroll deduction if they work for a participating employer.
Grandparents are big contributors to all types of college savings plans. James Geoghagan, 78, of Tampa, covered tuition and fees for his granddaughter, Phoebe Terry, 11.
"I started when she was born, buying a $100 savings bond every month," he said. "Then I thought this prepaid program was better than the bond program, so I bought it."
Geoghagan, a retired Army master sergeant, said he never completed college, but wants to be sure Phoebe has the opportunity. Why?
"Because I love her," he said. "She's special."
Liz Alonso, 61, of Wesley Chapel, has purchased prepaid tuition contracts for eight of her grandchildren and plans to buy another for No. 9, who was born last month.
"I just wanted to do something that when they got big, they could say their grandmother did it for them," she said. "I think it's a really fabulous program."
Alonso, a real estate agent, said she will not open accounts with the new investment plan because she already has another type of investment account for each grandchild. She opened Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, formerly known as Education IRAs.
"Instead of giving them toys when birthdays or Christmas roll around, I buy a stock for them," she said. "I let them pick the first stock and I thought it would be another learning experience for them."
The accounts offer similar tax advantages to 529 plans, but are more flexible in some ways. The money can be used for private school tuition for younger students. However, contributions to those accounts are limited to $2,000 a year.
Florida grandparents can use the new investment plan or a Coverdell account to benefit out-of-state grandchildren, who are not eligible for the prepaid plan. The investment plan even can be used to benefit children who are not yet born. Parents or grandparents can name themselves as an account's initial beneficiary, changing after the child is born. Generally, beneficiary changes within the family are permitted.
Money that ends up not being used for college can be withdrawn, although regular income taxes and a 10 percent penalty will be assessed on investment earnings.
For the wealthiest grandparents, investment plans like Florida's new plan are appealing because of their generous limits on contributions. They make it possible to remove a large chunk of money from an estate _ up to $283,000 in the Florida plan _ without giving up control.
Florida's plan is flexible in several respects, including the ability to transfer in money from another state's investment plan or from a minor child's bank account. Rolling over a prepaid account to an investment account is not permitted.
"It looks like they've tried to make it as flexible as possible," said author Joseph Hurley, who rates 529 plans on his Web site (www.savingforcollege.com). He is not a big fan of the prepaid plan, citing its rules and restrictions, but has not yet rated Florida's new investment plan.
"I have to see how it operates before I can rate it," he said.
Hurley said the investment plan's annual management fee (0.75 percent of the account value) is below average, but that the $50 application fee, which both plans charge, could discourage participation.
"There may be a significant number of people who are turned off by the enrollment fee since so many other programs don't have one," he said.
While many investors are more comfortable keeping their money close to home, there is no reason Florida residents should not consider other states' savings plans.
That is especially true if the intended beneficiary lives in another state with a state income tax. Many states offer tax incentives to residents who participate in their own plans. Since Florida has no income tax, the only state tax benefit the plans offer is exemption from the intangibles tax.
Information about the new Florida plans is available on the Internet (www.florida529plans.com) or by calling toll-free (800) 552-4723.
_ Helen Huntley can be reached at huntleysptimes.com or (727) 893-8230.
Saving for college
Here are some Internet resources on saving for college:
+ Florida Prepaid College Plan and Florida College Investment Plan (www.florida529plans.com)
+ "Evaluating Section 529 Savings Options," Better Investing magazine, National Association of Investors Corporation (www.better-investing.org/ articles/bi/289/4077)
+ "Smart Saving for College _ 529 Plans and Other College Savings Options," National Association of Securities Dealers (www.nasdr.com/529saving.asp)
+ "Help! I Am a Parent of College-Bound Children," Investor Protection Trust (www.investorprotection.org/ college.htm)
+ "A Guide to Understanding 529 Plans," Investment Company Institute (www.ici.org/pdf/bro529plans.pdf)
+ The Internet Guide to 529 Plans (www.savingforcollege.com)
+ College Savings Plan Network (www.collegesavings.org)


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Tom served as Editor-at-Large for IndustryWeek for many years. He wrote a popular column and was the originator of IW's "On the Edge" series and seminars.
His 400+ articles and other writings have appeared in many influential publications, including strategy+business, The Drucker Foundation's Leader To Leader, Harvard's Management Update, and The Wall Street Journal.
He was also a founding columnist for Marketplace on Public Radio.
He served as Editor of the Management General webzine as well as BrownHerron Publishing, which pioneered the e-document concept for Amazon.com.
Tom's view has always been that true leadership has to come from within, powered by important new ideas. As he has often said, no one can give you a License to Lead.


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The range of machinery used to manufacture rubber or elastomer parts comprises
- 40t to 250t REP, Maplan and Desma presses for rubber injection moulding
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- mixers, sand blasters, lathes and milling machines
- CAMM stations
For more productivity and large piece molding, Alliance Caoutchouc invest in a brand new Desma 630 T rubber injection moulding. We are ready for your order !


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Women of Character – June WhitfieldJuly 26, 2019
'I am the girl who says loudly and clearly the unfunny line before the comedian's funny line. I prefer to leave it at that'.
June Whitfield stated in a 1961 newspaper interview that 'I am the girl who says loudly and clearly the unfunny line before the comedian's funny line. I prefer to leave it at that'. It was a modest statement, one that anticipated her subsequent observation that with Terry and June her role was to 'drift the laughter towards Terry's lines'. A rather more accurate observation was that without this subtle and utterly brilliant character actress, there would be not so much a gulf in British comedy as an echoing void.
In a career that spanned 72 years Whitfield partnered Arthur Askey, Stanley Baxter, Tommy Cannon & Bobby Ball, Tommy Cooper, Harry H Corbett, Leslie Crowther, Dick Emery, Tony Hancock, Benny Hill, Frankie Howerd, Roy Hudd, Peter Jones, Alfred Marks, Bob Monkhouse, Leslie Phillips, Peter Sellers, Terry Scott (of course) and Harry Worth. Until the 1990s, her radio and TV work frequently involved responding to the (frequently puerile) antics of various male comedians and comedy actors. A recent tweet by the ever readable Matthew Sweet remarked that he interviewed Whitfield that it was 'impossible it was to get her to take credit for anything, and how kind & compassionate she was about the many wounded & sometimes monstrous comics she worked with'.
'June always understands what we are getting at and gets more out of it than we put in. She is the answer to a scriptwriter's prayer. She is phenomenal'.
Frank Muir thought that 'June always understands what we are getting at and gets more out of it than we put in. She is the answer to a scriptwriter's prayer. She is phenomenal'. Indeed, just think of the ward Sister in The Blood Donor, reacting with resigned patience, subtle mockery and utter bemusement to Hancock's self-aggrandisement. As with all the greatest straight men and straight women, her art was to conceal her art.
June Rosemary Whitfield was born in South London in 1925. After she graduated from RADA in 1944, the majority of her work was for the theatre and during a performance in the West End musical Love From Judy, Muir and Denis Norden invited her to join the cast of the BBC Light Programme show Take It From Here. By November of 1953, the writers created the show's most enduring characters – The Glum Family, and "Eth" would frequently utter romantic pronouncements in a shabby-genteel accent suffused with suppressed lust. But no matter how much she cajoles her fiancée (Dick Bentley) – 'Ooh, Ron, It's not natural for hot-blooded people like you and me to remain unmarried indefinitely' – he will always possess the innate pasion of a Standard Vanguard.
In 1968, Whitfield appeared in Terry Scott's BBC sketch comedy Scott On… Their on-screen chemistry proved so popular that when the series ended in 1974, they were paired as husband-and-wife in sitcom Happy Ever After, which, following a change of writer in 1979, transformed into Terry and June. A certain mythology has evolved that every story had a) Reginald Marsh (as "the boss") unexpectedly arriving for dinner, b) Scott uttering 'Cor!' from behind the wheel of a Leyland Princess and c) our heroes dressing as punk rockers for no clearly defined reasons. The last-named happened as late as 1987 but the fact that Terry and June ran for eight years is a testament to the Scott/Whitfield screen partnership. The 1983 episode A Day in Boulogne, shot partially on location in France, is a highlight of the series, not least for the "suitcase routine" with the incredulous gendarme of Peter Bland.
Between 1992 and 2012, Whitfield was often the sole watchable element in the increasingly self-indulgent Absolutely Fabulous. Her underplaying, as immaculately timed as always, was frequently a welcome relief from the scenery-chewing of the principals. She was made Dame June in 2017, a year before her death – a very belated honour. If there is one line to encapsulate the work of June Whitfield, it is 'unassumingly great', as demonstrated by her appearances in Life With Cooper and so many television and radio appearances.
Whitfield too seldom appeared in films, but two of my favourite of her performances were for the big screen. The first is opposite Mr. Scott but in the 1972 film version of Bless This House. "Ronald Baines" is pompous rather than juvenile, affording his co-star greater opportunity for expressing, as only she could, resigned tolerance. Add the Sidney James/Robin Askwith father/son double-act, and you have an extremely likeable picture that is quite possibly the Citizen Kane of 1970s sit-com spin-off films. Secondly, we have Carry On Abroad, the 24th of the series and one displaying several fault lines. On the one hand, we have a visibly ailing Charles Hawtrey and the appalling performance of Jimmy Logan but to save the day are Peter Butterworth, Hattie Jacques, Ray Brooks – and June Whitfield.
Devotees of the Carry Ons treasure those odd moments of pathos – Sid James's sense of betrayal in Cabby, Elke Sommer's kind but very firm dismissal of Kenneth Connor's pathetic "Major Leap" in Behind or the death of Peter Gilmore's "Private Hale" in Up the Khyber. With Abroad Whitfield's depressed middle-aged hausfrau "Evelyn Blunt" embarks on a holiday romance with Brook's's "Georgio" the barman. It is a genuinely charming moment and one that makes the viewer realise just how indispensable Whitfield truly was to post-war British entertainment. After all, she could express more with a reaction shot and a 'yes dear' than a lesser actress with pages of dialogue.
Film Historian Andrew Roberts MA PhD FRSA
Order Cannon and Ball: The Complete Series 1


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Today is my grandmother's birthday – she is 89. She looks the same as she always has to me, but moves a little slower these days. I went back through many years of pictures to pull out the ones that look like she does in my head when I think of her. I have this universal youthful picture of her in my mind when I think of her. The picture I remember seeing most was a picture taken of her right after she graduated from nursing school – that's how I remember her.
I remember her working at her desk coloring well logs for my Grandfather's geology business. She even had the patience to teach me how to color those well logs.
She taught me to have love and appreciation for music. She played the cello and viola. She would trot out her stringed instruments and play them for us whenever we would ask. She always had a few about the house that we could try our hand at. I never wanted to cut my fingernails to play a string instrument so I stuck to the trombone and piano. She tolerated my playing her piano (with washed hands, of course) and teaching myself to play during the time we spent at their house in the summers.
She and my grandfather made me the most wonderful jewelry that I wear whenever I have the chance. I have stones of all colors. My favorites are a malachite set and the amethyst pendant shown here. This was a 70's Halloween costume, but that hardly matters…
She made incredible mobiles. When I started having children, she and my grandfather made us a cat mobile which included stones that they had polished and turned into pendants. It's hard to tell from the picture, but the cats are all made from sheet metal that my grandfather cut out using templates made from wrapping paper with cat pictures.
I love that my grandmother wanted to live closer to us. My grandfather didn't want to leave Pittsburgh, even after he retired, and even though all three of their kids were in California. After he died, she moved to California and is very near us. I love having her close by and it is nice that she can know my sons (her great grandchildren). I'm not sure all of the things that I love about her will rub off on them, but I do know they like to play Qwirkle and Mah Jong with her!
Happy 89th Birthday Grandma Edith!
Tell me what you love most about your Grandmother in the comments!


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Meet Genesis! When you travel on holiday by jet airliner, you can owe the speed and comfort (depending on the airline) to this, the de Havilland Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner and the start of what would become the most revolutionary age in aviation. With the invention of the jet airliner, the demographics of the world quickly changed. Speedy travel from continent to continent could now be done in a matter of hours rather than days or weeks, the once luxury privilege of travelling abroad by plane would soon be handed to the masses, and it would destroy the tourist industry of many domestic holiday resorts such as Skegness and Blackpool. But the Comet, the leader of the pack, would soon become the biggest victim, as the cutting edge was the one to find all the problems, and would become the beginning of the end for Britain's aviation industry.
Considerations for the Comet went back to before the end of World War II in 1943. While plans were being made for Britain's first jet fighter to combat the Luftwaffe, there were also ideas for a new and revolutionary airliner to be built upon the war's conclusion. With developments in presusrisation and increased range being placed onto contemporary high-altitude bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and the Avro Lancaster, designers were eager to incorporate these into the their new airliner, which, at the time, was a proposed transatlantic mail carrying plane that would travel at
400mph and could carry 1 ton of mail between London and New York. The contract for building such an aircraft was given to De Havilland founder Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, whose personal influence and expertise was used to champion the development of a jet propelled aircraft; and proposed a specification for a pure turbojet-powered design, dubbed the Type IV.
The Type IV was quickly renamed into the De Havilland Type 106, and by 1944 a small framed aircraft had been drawn up. Various demands for increased size and performance quickly meant that the design had to evolve. Following the end of World War II, British national carrier Imperial Airways merged with British Airways (not related to the current airline) to form BOAC, British Overseas Airways Corporation. BOAC desired to start their new career and enter their brave new world with a world beating aircraft, and became involved with the Type 106 project, requesting that the 1946 design, which consisted of 24-seats, be increased in size to 36-seats. By 1947, the Comet had almost completely taken shape to its final design, a long smooth body with an angled rudder and powered by four Rolls Royce Avon engines mounted within the wings next to the fuselage. The aircraft was christened the name Comet in December 1947, by which time BOAC had ordered 14 for delivery by 1952.
In order to achieve perfect, the Comet had to be tested to destruction. From 1947 to 1948, de Havilland conducted an extensive research and development phase, including the use of several stress test rigs at their Hatfield factory for small components and large assemblies alike. Sections of pressurised fuselage were subjected to high-altitude flight conditions via a large decompression chamber on-site, and tested to failure. However, tracing fuselage failure points proved difficult with this method, and de Havilland ultimately switched to conducting structural tests with a water tank that could be safely configured to increase pressures gradually. The entire forward fuselage section was tested for metal fatigue by repeatedly pressurising to 2.75 pounds per square inch overpressure and depressurising through more than 16,000 cycles, equivalent to about 40,000 hours of airline service. The windows were also tested under a pressure of 12 psi, 4.75 psi above expected pressures at the normal service ceiling of 36,000ft. One window frame survived 100 psi, about 1,250% over the maximum pressure it was expected to
encounter in service.
The first DH 106 Comet Prototype, G-5-1, was completed in 1949, and after several ground tests, the first production jet airliner took to the skies on July 27th of the same year, flying for 31 minutes. Registered G-ALVG, the aircraft made a spectacular public performance at the 1949 Farnborough Airshow prior to the start of flight trials. A year later, the second prototype G-5-2 made its maiden flight. The second prototype was registered G-ALZK in July 1950 and it was used by the BOAC Comet Unit at Hurn from April 1951 to carry out 500 flying hours of crew training and route proving. Australian airline Qantas also sent its own technical experts to observe the performance of the prototypes, seeking to quell internal uncertainty about its prospective Comet purchase. Both prototypes could be externally distinguished from later Comets by the large single-wheeled main landing gear, which was replaced on production models starting with G-ALYP by four-wheeled bogies.
For ease of training and fleet conversion, de Havilland designed the Comet's flight deck layout with a degree of similarity to the Lockheed Constellation, an aircraft that was popular at the time with key customers such as BOAC. The cockpit included full dual-controls for the captain and first officer, while a flight engineer controlled various key systems, including fuel, air conditioning, and electrical systems. The navigator occupied a dedicated station with a table across from the flight engineer. Several of the Comet's avionics systems were new to civil aviation. One such feature was irreversible powered flight controls, which increased the pilot's ease of control and the safety of the aircraft by preventing aerodynamic forces from changing the directed positions and placement of the aircraft's control surfaces. Additionally, a large number of the control surfaces, such as the elevators, were equipped with a complex gearing system as a safeguard against accidentally over-stressing the surfaces or airframe at higher speed ranges.
Though the Comet prototype was powered by Rolls Royce Avon engines found in the English Electric Canberra bombers, De Havilland chose in-house designs for the production models, these being the De Havilland Ghost gas turbine engine turbojet engines, distinguishable from Rolls Royce models by the smaller engine intakes. Engines were mounted within the plane's wing so as to reduce the drag of pod-mounted engines. These engines provided 20,000lbf of thrust, whisking the Comet to a 460mph cruising speed, an operational ceiling of 42,000ft, and a range of 1,500 miles.
On January 22nd, 1952, after heavy proving tests, the fifth production aircraft, G-ALYS, received the first Certificate of Airworthiness awarded to a Comet, six months ahead of schedule. This was followed in May of the same year by proving flights by BOAC, flying from Heathrow to Johannesburg as the first scheduled jet airliner service with fare paying passengers. The final Comet from BOAC's initial order, registered G-ALYZ, began flying in September 1952 and carried cargo along South American routes while simulating passenger schedules. The Comet was a hit with passengers including Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret, who were guests on a special flight on June 30th, 1953, hosted by Sir Geoffrey and Lady de Havilland, and thus became the first members of the British Royal Family to fly by jet.
Flying by Comet was 50% faster than even the most advanced Piston-engined aircraft, the Douglas DC-6, being on average 180mph faster and having a faster rate of climb. In August 1953 BOAC scheduled nine-stop London to Tokyo flights by Comet for 36 hours, compared to 86 hours and 35 minutes on their Argonaut piston airliner. The five-stop flight from London to Johannesburg was scheduled for 21 hr 20 min.
In terms of design, the Comet was actually quite a small aircraft, being only the size of a later Boeing 737-100, and only able to carry half its capacity. This didn't bother designers at the time, as travelling by air was similar to the Victorian ideal of travelling first class by steamship, with luxury service and interiors for the top members of British society. Seats were reclining, known as 'Slumberseats', on-board catering was second-to-none, with white-jacket waiter service at your seat. Essentially, early jet travel was the equivalent of a business jet you had to share with other rich fogies. BOAC also lauded the fact that the Comet was infinitely more quiet internally than piston-powered propeller planes, and had no vibrations due to the lack of moving parts.
As mentioned, the Comet's pioneering speed and comfort meant that it would quickly give rise to foreign tourism, something that previously had not been easily possible. With following successful jet airliners, and the later offering of low-cost carriers spearheaded by Laker Airways and Virgin Atlantic, meant that travelling abroad was no longer a distinction for the extremely wealthy, but for anyone who wanted to take a trip to an exotic location. In my life I've travelled to New York 9 times, every one of which I owe to the technology mastered by the Comet. However, such innovation came at the price of the UK tourist industry, which, with our cold, unpleasant and unpredictable climate, meant that potential visitors to British resorts such as Blackpool, Skegness and Southend now had the option to go to places such as the Canary Islands, Florida, Dubai and other modern megaresorts. As such, financially this has sucked many UK towns and cities dry, though some have seen a revival in recent years thanks more to nostalgia and being made incredibly cheap.
However, before the Comet was even a year old, this cutting edge piece of technology began to suffer losses, and that's even before we got to the biggest problems of them all. On October 26th, 1952, the Comet suffered its first hull loss when a BOAC flight departing Rome's Ciampino airport failed to become airborne and ran into rough ground at the end of the runway, injuring two passengers and writing off the aircraft. A year
later on March 3rd, 1953, a new Canadian Pacific Airlines Comet 1A, registered CF-CUN and named Empress of Hawaii, failed to become airborne while attempting a night takeoff from Karachi, Pakistan, on a delivery flight to Australia. The aircraft plunged into a dry drainage canal and collided with an embankment, killing all five crew and six passengers on board. The accident was the first fatal jetliner crash, as well as the Comet's first accident to result in fatalities. In response, Canadian Pacific cancelled its remaining order for a second Comet 1A and never operated the type in commercial service.
The Comet's second fatal accident occurred on May 2nd, 1953, when BOAC Flight 783, a Comet 1, registered G-ALYV, crashed in a severe thundersquall six minutes after taking off from Calcutta-Dum Dum (now Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport), India, killing all 43 on board. Witnesses observed the wingless Comet on fire plunging into the village of Jagalgori, leading investigators to suspect structural failure. The inquiry concluded that the aircraft had encountered extreme negative G forces during takeoff; severe turbulence generated by adverse weather was determined to have induced down-loading, leading to the loss of the wings.
However, while these early crashes had been largely associated with Pilot Error, the worst for the Comet had yet to come, and it would spell the end for this pioneering aircraft's days in the sunlight of success. On January 10th, 1954, 20 minutes after taking off from Ciampino, the first production Comet, G-ALYP, broke up in mid-air while operating BOAC Flight 781 and crashed into the Mediterranean off the Italian island of Elba with the loss of all 35 on board. On April 8th the same year, South African Airways Flight 201, operated by hired BOAC Comet G-ALYY, broke up after departure from Rome, killing all 21 aboard. In both instances, a lack of witnesses and only partial radio communication with the aircraft meant that investigation of these crashes was made difficult.
Almost immediately however, word had spread to the Press regarding these tragic accidents, and speculations of sabotage by rival manufacturers such as Boeing and Douglas began to spread. To investigate the crashes, the Abell Committee was formed by the British Government, and focused on six potential aerodynamic and mechanical causes: control flutter (which had led to the loss of DH 108 prototypes), structural failure due to high loads or metal fatigue of the wing structure, failure of the powered flight controls, failure of the window panels leading to explosive decompression, or fire and other engine problems. The committee concluded that fire was the most likely cause of the problem, and a number of changes were made to the aircraft to protect the engines and wings from damage that might lead to another fire. This was followed later the same year by the Cohen Committee, which superseded the investigation into the crashes.
With the recovery of large sections of G-ALYP from the Elba crash and BOAC's donation of an identical airframe, G-ALYU, for further examination, an extensive "water torture" test eventually provided conclusive results. This time, the entire fuselage was tested in a dedicated water tank that was built specifically at Farnborough to accommodate its full length. Stress around the window corners was found to be much higher than expected and stresses on the skin were generally more than previously expected or tested. This was due to stress concentration, a consequence of the windows' square shape, which generated levels of stress two or three times greater than across the rest of the fuselage.
In water tank testing, engineers subjected G-ALYU to repeated re-pressurisation and over-pressurisation, and on June 24th, 1954, after 3,057 flight cycles (1,221 actual and
1,836 simulated), G-ALYU burst open, being ripped apart at a corner of the forward left escape hatch cutout. A further test reproduced the same results. Based on these findings, Comet 1 structural failures could be expected at anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 cycles. Before the Elba accident, G-ALYP had made 1,290 pressurised flights, while G-ALYY had made 900 pressurised flights before crashing. Dr P.B. Walker, Head of the Structures Department at the RAE, said he was not surprised by this, noting that the difference was about three to one, and previous experience with metal fatigue suggested a total range of nine to one between experiment and outcome in the field could result in failure.
With the discovery of the structural problems of the early series, all remaining Comets were withdrawn from service, while de Havilland launched a major effort to build a new version that would be both larger and stronger. All outstanding orders for the Comet 2 were cancelled by airline customers. The square windows of the Comet 1 were replaced by the oval versions used on the Comet 2, which first flew in 1953, and the skin sheeting was thickened slightly. Remaining Comet 1s and 1As were either scrapped or modified with oval windows and rip-stop doublers.
However, by the time the Comet eventually returned to the air, it was too late to save either itself or its reputation. As British investigators worked on discovering the cause of the Comet crash, waiting eagerly with baited breath were Boeing and Douglas, who, at the time, were planning competitive aircraft, the Boeing 707 and the Douglas DC-8. After discovery of metal fatigue due to square windows, Boeing and Douglas redesigned their aircraft to incorporate the stronger oval windows, and before Comet flights resumed in 1958, Boeing burst onto the scene with the 707, followed by the DC-8 in 1960. Immediately, the 707 was lauded for its design, performance, stylistic beauty and reliability, and before long pretty much every major airline in the world would have at least one on their books, including Comet launch customer BOAC.
Though the Comet had been extensively redesigned with the later Comet 3 and Comet 4 variants, which extended the body, improved the range and increased capacity, it was too late to save the reputation of the ailing aircraft, and both the credibility of the Comet
and the British Aviation Industry in general had been compromised. Many airlines cited the failure of the Comet as a British fault, and thus were sceptical to buy later British aircraft such as the Trident and VC10. In 1965, BOAC retired its last Comets from service after only 13 years, and while the aircraft would go on to be popular among airlines in Asia and Africa, including ex-BOAC aircraft being used by charter airlines such as Dan-Air, only 114 (including prototypes) were ever built, a fraction of the 1,010 Boeing 707's and 556 Douglas DC-8's that continued to be built long after Comet production ended in 1964.
Comets remained in commercial passenger service with a variety of large, mostly non-European, airlines into the 1970's, including carriers such as Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA), East African Airways, British European Airways, Dan-Air London, Kuwait Airways, Middle East Airlines, Misrair, Mexicana and South African Airways. Eventually, by the end of the decade, all airworthy Comets belonged to Dan-Air, and were operated on internal European flights until they were retired from commercial service in 1981 without ceremony. While a few were preserved, several saw later service with the Royal Air Force, largely as trainers for crews flying with the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod, a maritime patrol aircraft that was built from converted ex-BOAC Comets from 1967. RAF Comets were also used as VIP transports and given other useful tasks before the last airworthy Comet, Comet 4C serial XS235, named Canopus, was retired on March 14th, 1997, bringing an end to the pioneer Jet Airliner.
In all, 11 Comets, three Comet 1's (including the sole surviving square-windowed
example), one Comet 2 and 7 Comet 4's are preserved in varying conditions. While XS235 is kept in a taxiable condition, plans are in progress to possibly return this aircraft to the skies for airshows, though there is difficulty in gaining a license to do so, especially after the Shoreham Airshow crash of 2015.
Today, the Comet is regarded as both one of the greatest successes and most monumental failures of aviation history. While the aircraft was, at the time, arguably the most revolutionary aircraft since the Wright Flyer, and spent its early days being lauded for being the pinnacle of style, luxury and performance, it's subsequent crashes have tarnished its once gleaming reputation. Today, most aviation enthusiasts will look back on the Comet with mixed opinions. However, one must not blame the Comet for everything as it was a very adventurous leap for mankind at the time. In an age when trains were still powered by steam, the idea of a jet airliner was something utterly audacious and extreme by every definition of the word. But cutting edge came at a price, and it was unfortunately the Comet that had to bear the brunt of entering into a new world of discovery. If the roles had been reversed, and the Boeing 707 had been in the Comet's shoes, and the Comet profited off the 707's many crashes, then perhaps the UK aviation industry would still be alive and kicking today.
But as is, the UK paved the way with the Comet and ultimately suffered the blows being a pioneer have to offer. The Comet is sadly now gone, but its legacy remains to this day in all jet airliners that continue to arrive and depart the airports of the world, the Boeing 747's, Airbus A380's and so forth of today's aviation industry can all owe their construction to that plucky Silver Bird that rocketed away from Hatfield in 1949 and would alter the face of society almost overnight.


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Some new images of the alleged low-cost iPhone were found in the wild packing an ugly looking green plastic shell.
More and more evidence appearing every other day leads us to believe that the low-cost iPhone is indeed real, and is out there in the wild. Here is a new pair of images that show off the supposedly "budget" iPhone's green plastic shell. I feel like calling it ugly but I fear of being kidnapped and tortured by iFans. Okay, I'll just say it. Yuck, that looks ugly Apple, what were you thinking?
The low-cost iPhone will skimp on a number of things to achieve the lower price tag (must be really hard for the company), and the most apparent of them all is the design and build quality. A quick recap, the low-cost iPhone will reportedly have exchangeable back covers, a design cue undoubtedly taken from Nokia's Lumia phones (the Lumia 620 anyone?).
Source: WeiPhone
Analyzing the leaked image further, we are happy to spot an LED flash at the back (phew). The phone specifications will obviously not be at par with the latest iPhone, but instead carry something from one or two generations ago. We'd feel lucky if we do see a dual-core SoC inside, and of course, the latest iOS 7 would literally be the highlight of such a device.
Apple is expected to launch the low-cost iPhone towards the end of 2013 in developing markets like India and Africa for an off-contract price of $329.
Source: NoWhereElse


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Driving the Future of Finance
Finance as a Strategic Advisor and Insight Provider, enabled by Technology
Over three weeks in spring 2017, we conducted a survey of 30 CFOs and Finance Executives, on the subjects of Finance Strategy and Technology. Deloitte believes that Finance is in transition towards the role of Strategic Advisor, helping to grow the core business. The CFO is not just leader of Finance Operations, but more importantly acts in the role of critical sparring partner, supporter, trigger and catalyst for company-wide innovation and business growth.
Key Findings of the Survey
Our Finance Survey provides insights on three topics:
- Strategic Advisor
Most CFOs understand the need to transform their Finance organisation to a Strategic Advisor to the company. However, there is still a long way to go before the transformation is complete.
- Insight Provider
The importance of providing insights is widely understood and there is a willingness amongst CFOs to invest. However, the applicability of insight-generating tools and technologies is still at a development stage in most Swiss Finance organisations.
- Technology Enablement
Technology is seen as mean for driving efficiency and enabling innovation within Finance organisations. However, Swiss Finance organisations have only partially implemented new finance-related technologies such as Robotics & Automation, Big Data and Cognitive Technologies.
Finance as Strategic Advisor
Finance is used as Strategic Advisor to executive management
Finance as a predictive Insight Provider
From a financial data processor to a predictive Insight Provider
Finance as an effective and efficient operator
From a bean counter to an efficient Finance operator


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It's time to plan your next spring getaway! Spring in Jesolo Beach is a spectacular time to visit. The skies are blue and the sea's breeze meets you with relaxation. We have the perfect combination of sun, sea and space for you to explore. Pre-paid, not refundable rate.
Ths offer is subject to availability.


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Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
What is Platelet Therapy?
Platelet therapy / platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a revolutionary new treatment that relieves pain by promoting long lasting healing of musculoskeletal conditions using the healing power of your own body. This rapidly emerging technique is showing exciting success with osteoarthritis of the knee, shoulder, hip, spine, rotator cuff tears, chronic plantar fasciitis, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, pelvic pain and instability, back and neck injuries, tennis elbow, ankle sprains, tendonitis, and ligament sprains.
How does PRP therapy help?
The body's first response to soft tissue injury is to deliver platelet cells. Packed with growth and healing factors, platelets initiate repair and attract the critical assistance of stem cells. PRP therapy's natural healing process intensifies the body's efforts by delivering a higher concentration of platelets. To create PRP therapy, a small sample of your blood is drawn (similar to a lab test sample) and placed in a centrifuge that spins the blood at high speeds, separating the platelets from the other components. These platelets have been further refined and concentrated depending on their specific use. The concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into and around the point of injury, jump-starting and significantly strengthening the body's natural healing signal. Because your own blood is used, there is no risk of a transmissible infection and a very low risk of allergic reaction.
What are the expected results?
Unlike a typical injection that is done for pain relief, these injections do not immediately remove pain. However, because the goal of PRP therapy is to actually heal you, the results are usually long term, often permanent. Initial improvement may be seen within a few weeks, gradually increasing as the healing progresses. Research studies and clinical practice have shown PRP therapy to be very effective at relieving pain and returning patients to their normal lives. Both ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue repair after PRP therapy, confirming the healing process. The need for surgery can also be greatly reduced by treating injured tissues before the damage progresses and the condition is irreversible