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Noob to both the forum and biking and my Tracer (Fj-09) is my first bike. Had lots of comments and i'm sure will get a few that it's not an ideal first bike but i think it's great. Lots of safety features, high seating position, loads of torque and the range to commute 60 miles each way when the weather is good.
I'm 6' 190lbs, ride mountain bikes and am doing my helicopter training so good motor skills and good sense of self preservation. Also do car track days in a Honda S2000 so i know how to spot poor road conditions!
I wanted a bike to help me decide what my long term bike would be and this one allows me to explore torquey relaxed cruising, motorway (highway) commuting and high revving, great handling almost sports bike style. So give me a year and i'll know where to go next.
Done 1000 miles in the month i've had it and loving it.
Race Blu ex-demo with Touring screen, lots of rubber bits and a few add ons and a great tailbag and good to go - always in B mode!
Have found the forum interesting so wanted to say thanks.
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Posted July 3, 2015
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location: Gloucestershire
Premium Member
Posted July 3, 2015
don't be surprised that in a year, you find yourself still being happy on the Tracer
where do you live?
where is your chopper training? I live just a couple of miles from Bond's Staverton HQ and take regular rides into the Cotswolds and South/Mid Wales.
This signature is left blank as the poster writes enough pretentious bollocks as it is.
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Posted July 3, 2015
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Posted July 3, 2015
That would a great result - i hope so!
I'm south of you down in Poole, Dorset.
Training at Bournemouth airport so up and down the jurassic coast and isle of wight mostly. only a few hours in though so far! The Tracer put a dent in the budget!
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As I’ve been reading partials this week, I’ve noticed some common missteps that I’d like to talk about. If you are one of those people who has a good request rate from agents that keep turning into rejections, then follow my blog as I do this series about things you can do to make your manuscript awesome (even without a Pitch Wars mentor.)
One thing I’ve noticed is that you people really know how to write great first chapters and you’re getting to your inciting incident right on time. That’s awesome! But what comes between the inciting incident and your first turning point (somewhere around the 25% mark) is hugely important and can be very hard to get right.
What I see happening a lot is the main character just sort of wandering, rather aimlessly through the book. They’re actions are all reactions. Often, we spend the first 50 pages simply reeling from the inciting incident. You can do this for a few pages, but when it goes on too long, your reader feels restless and starts thinking, “Okay, where is this going? When is something going to happen?
You want the first quarter of your book to feel like it has direction. It needs to moving towards something. I want to feel as I’m reading, like we’re building and building and building to that first turning point.
So how do you do that AND introduce all your characters AND lay down all your foreshadowing details AND set up your subplots. There’s so much you have to do in those first pages!
The reason your book might feel directionless in the first quarter might stem from a few different things. So I’m going to talk about possible reasons and some strategies to diagnose and fix.
Your character must always want something. Unfulfilled desire is what creates tension. Tension keeps readers reading. Your book, of course, has one big unfulfilled desire that the entire story is about. (Harry wants to defeat Voldemort. Katniss wants to survive the Hunger Games. Hamilton wants to create a legacy. Despereaux wants to be brave and noble like the knights in fairy tales.) But your character must also have smaller, micro-desires for every scene and every chapter. (Harry wants to read that mysterious letter. Katniss wants to take her mind off the games by going hunting. Hamilton wants to move up the ranks in the military. Despereaux just wants to be curious and read the fairytale book.) If your MC has goal or desire in a certain scene, then it will feel directionless. It will lag. People will get bored.
So how do you fix this? Maybe try out a scene map. It sounds intimidating but it doesn’t have to. Write down, in order each scene in your book and then identify what your character WANTS in that scene. Don’t know? Time to revise. Then, after you identify your character’s desire, make sure they are pursuing it in that scene. The goal can simply be not letting other people know how sad they are. Or not thinking about something painful. Or getting the person they’re talking to to admit something. It doesn’t have to be huge or action packed and it doesn’t even have to be what the entire scene’s action is about. Something else may be going on entirely. But your MC’s desire must thread through in internalization, in reaction, in all of it.
2. Things are coming too easy for your MC.
Okay, so you’ve made sure your character has a goal/desire in each scene but people are telling you the pacing isn’t right. It might be because your character is achieving their scene goal way too easily. There should be an obstacle to every scene goal. Don’t let your character off the hook! So go back to that scene map. Can you name what the obstacle is for every scene? (Uncle Vernon won’t let Harry read the letters. Hunting is forbidden and they could get caught. War is dangerous and Hamilton keeps getting passed over for promotions. Curiosity is frowned upon by mice and Despereaux’s sister doesn’t approve.) Remember, your character should always have a goal. So, once they accomplish the goal set for that scene, they either need a new goal or the scene needs to end pretty quickly.
3. A lot of threads but no binding.
This is so easy to do in the first quarter of the book and I have issues with it, too. You are trying to set up your subplots. That’s important. The thing is, each time you bring in a new thread to the story, I need to feel like it fits in and not like the story is going in a bunch of different directions. I need to still have a feel for the long term direction of the story. As your book continues, you will braid these story threads closer and closer together until by the end they are like a tight rope. All supporting and relying on one another for the resolution of your story. In the beginning, I just need to have a small idea that the subplots are connected. I don’t have great process advice for this, just try and think, “How does the main plot LEAD me into this subplot. Does the MC’s unfulfilled desire lead them to need to talk to someone and that someone is involved in something? Do they need help from another character and that character will only help if the main character does something for them? Could the subplot be a result of certain rules or expectations at home or work that get in the way of the story goal. Whatever it is, just make sure the reader sees up front the relationship of the story goal to the subplot. whether it’s that the subplot is a reaction to the goal, an obstacle to the goal, or helps with the goal.
If you have all these things in place, then the first quarter of your book is going to move along at a really nice clip. Yay!
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August 12, 2017 at 4:22 pm
What an excellent article. I really needed this today. I will mull it over, make sure I understand each piece, and make a game plan on working it into my manuscript. Thank you.
Sherry Howard says:
August 12, 2017 at 5:18 pm
Thanks, Amanda! These are great exercises to help clarify movement.
Lori says:
August 12, 2017 at 6:16 pm
Thanks, Amanda! These are the exact kind of helpful bits of advice I’ve been floundering for. Now that it has clicked I am on my way to improving my ms.
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To Go with Jo: The final feast
There’s absolutely no good way to start this column. And trust me, I would know. I’ve spent hours agonizing over how to begin, typing and deleting and typing and deleting until finally, my head just ends up in my hands. After four years on the Evanstonian, four whole years of interviewing, writing, editing and loving every second of it, you’d think by now I’d be a pro. Well, unfortunately for both of us, you’re wrong.
This senior column, just like all of my other articles, and years of high school, is imperfect. The past four years have been filled with an immeasurable amount of tears– I’ve cried over the seemingly endless amount of schoolwork, the pandemic that rocked my extroverted world upside down, and the unrelenting pressure of feeling as though I need to look perfect and perform perfectly and my inability to be perfect. I’ve cried because I’ve felt lonely, burnt out, overwhelmed, and pissed off. But the past four years have also been filled with tears of joy and laughter, usually around a table of damn good eats. From fluffy, fresh bagels to perfectly seasoned, mouthwatering burritos, Evanston is not only home to an abundance of beautiful people and the best high school newspaper of all time, but also a culinary mecca that would make even Julia Child’s knees go weak. As excited as I am to leave, I’m unbelievably grateful I have so much to miss.
So, for my final feast, and my last ever article in The Evanstonian, it’s only right that I pay homage to three of my favorite restaurants in Evanston. And to Sarah, Ellie, Grace, Brigid, Julia, Lulu and Eden, thank you for filling my meals with love.
According to the Book of Genesis, on the first day of creation, God made light. Then came the sky, the seas, the sun, you know the rest. But what Genesis fails to address is when God created Evanston’s own little slice of heaven: Bagel Art.
Clearly, the first time I went to Bagel Art was a spiritual awakening. Now, many, many trips later, my order has been perfected to a tee: either a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich or an everything bagel with chive cream cheese. It’s a toss up, but I usually end up leaving with the ladder and an iced chai latte in hand. The pairing is an unrivaled match of savory and sweet, a mouthwatering emblem of harmony for my grateful taste buds. But aside from an amazing menu, a few other factors grant Bagel Art its title as my favorite eatery in Evanston. The proportions are always perfect, whether it be cream cheese to bagel or milk to iced chai. The bagels are always fresh and fluffy, warmed to perfection but not hot enough to send the cream cheese sliding away. Not once have I ever been disappointed with the food I’ve been given, something that cannot be said for many other restaurants out there. And just as important as the food itself, the bagel oasis is homey, local, and inviting. It’s been the home of morning debriefs after an entertaining night out, and the destination for a much needed carb pre-game before playing spikeball at Dempster.
To put it simply, one of the coolest college essay prompts I heard this year was the question, what is the truest thing you know? Well, the truest thing I know is that Bagel Art on a sunny summer morning is a different kind of love.
If a genie flew out of my Nalgene right now and gave me three wishes, I know exactly what the first one would be. Spoiler alert… it’s not for more wishes. Instead, it would be to pluck Sea Ranch right up from its Dempster St. roots and bring the sushi haven with me to college.
Say what you will, but pretty much no sushi, or even food for that matter, brings me more joy than a tightly packed California roll from Sea Ranch piled high with ginger. The fish lovers paradise is the ideal spot for a sushi lover x broke high school student; somehow, I average about $10 a meal for one of the most expensive cousines there is, and yet, the quality of the fish is always pristine. But price aside, Sea Ranch is so much more than just another one of Evanston’s many restaurants. It has the power to completely make my day, and contains a corner table packed with memories of good company and good eats that is incredibly bittersweet to leave behind. While I didn’t develop the courage to try sushi until a few years ago, so my relationship with the fishy delicacy is still fresh, it somehow feels like I’ve known Sea Ranch for my entire life. It’s just that good.
The Beatles once said, “all you need is love.” But clearly, The Beatles never tried Gigio’s pizza.
Everything about Gigios exudes warmth, starting with the 800 degree pizza oven in the middle of the restaurant. It’s a welcoming solace from the icy, dark January nights, the perfect destination to gossip and kill time before a basketball game as my friends and I have done many times. The pizza palace is an Evanston staple, and for incredibly good reason.
When noshing on a piece of Gigio’s pizza, you will notice three crucial factors that set the slice high above its competitors. To start off, the slice is big. If I’m dropping over $3 on a single slice of pizza, it better not only be great, but also substantially large. Luckily, a slice of Gigio’s checks both boxes, which brings me to point number two: sauce. A good pizza sauce is the main event on a slice of pizza. Of course, the cheese and crust are important, but in terms of taste, sauce should win gold. Gigio’s sauce does exactly that, packing a rich, seasoned tomato flavor that is reminiscent of a sweet cherry tomato popping in your mouth. And last, but most certainly not least, is the most important factor of all… the crust. Gigio’s crust is what truly sets it apart from the rest, and in my personal opinion, earns it the title as the best New York style pizza of the North Shore. Just like any good New York Style pizza crust, Gigio’s crust is thick enough to keep all of the contents of the pizza on the slice, but still requires the piece to be folded in order to properly take a bite. Even further, the outer crust is thick and chewy, but still maintains a crunchy outer shell. For those of you that don’t eat the outer crust (which saddens me, to be honest), even just the body of a slice of Gigio’s is enough to make me weep with joy. But the crust, oh the beautiful crust, is worthy of worship. As a self-proclaimed foodie, I take my pizza very seriously. And Gigios, I can confidently say, is easily the best pizza in the town.
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I'm running some experiments. Pretty much all the time. In case of stuff I feel insecure with (but such one that still feels promising), I usually experiment with it in pet projects & during my semi-random hacking sprees (when I try some tricks on code I throw away later anyway). But I also tend to experiment regularly (once I feel confident enough ...) in solutions I get paid for - in code that ends up in production systems.
Frankly speaking:
I don't always use the most obvious, simplest, least risky ways
I don't always use stuff I'm the most familiar with or I find the most fit for the purpose
if I go for an experiment, I do it only with a strong belief (based on theoretical knowledge & usually some tinkering) that there' will be a worthy premium (not just for me, but for product / client / company) for the risk / uncertainty / additional effort
I aim to be as transparent & fair as possible about what (& why) I do (about the outcomes as well)
However, don't be fooled - some of the experiments fail - they either don't bring the benefit I've expected or cons overcome pros (in the final aftermath).
So why do I risk my reputation, time, comfort & even money just like that? And why I'm going (just now) to convince you that you should to? :D
There's no learning w/o experiments
Obviously - I do it all to learn, Learn & LEARN.
Not just for the sake of pure learning itself. Learn to improve & broaden - both my working toolset & the work products as well. Simple metaphor explains it perfectly - you can easily tighten the loose screw with a manual screwdriver. But does it mean that you should do the same way once you have to assemble new set of furniture? Well, what about using cordless, electric screwdriver in this case? Yes, you have to pay for the tool first, but don't you think it could quite likely save you a lot of time?
You won't know for sure until you try. And once you do, you'll learn much more than "better or worse":
that it's ok, but only for 2 hours (until the battery gets drained completely)
it works well for beaverboard, but for solid wood you'd need a more powerful model
if you use the highest speed on plywood, you're most efficient, but you may damage the material if you're not careful
Not all ideas are good
Yes, some may experiments will end bad - and it's crucial to keep the risk under control - to minimize the damage.
But in the end, there's still space for benefit in failing - you may still be learning a lot from being erroneous. Of course failing again & again in exactly the same way doesn't feel like much progress in any dimension - if you don't (can't?) draw conclusion from experiment failures (so you can avoid them in future), there's something very wrong going on.
I'm not going to convince you that the only worthy (applicable & valid) knowledge is from own practical past experience. Learning from theory & other's endeavours is very important of course (you've got to start based on some foundation, legacy of past generations of engineers, right? ;D), but in a real life, once confronted - theory always loses with practice.
Always.
The path to excellency is endless
The truth is - you can always get better. Not every, tiniest aspect can be improved whenever you need it, but be reasonable about that: you don't have to utilize your recent findings immediately, use them to broaden your palette of skills/tools for future, so once the corresponding problem/challenge/opportunity appears, you'll be prepared - armed to the teeth with suitable, battle-proven solutions.
So, always have some experiments running - not too many, because:
negative consequences of shit hitting more than one fan in the same time may synergize & escalate quickly in a shitstorm beyond any recognition ...
... & experiments are useless once you can't assess their actual outcome in reliable way (yes, I mean "to measure") - when you run plenty of experiments, you may have problems with proper identification of what was the actual & exact cause of that particular effect
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Arm's Systems IP team based in Bangalore, is growing, and we’re looking to recruit a Functional Safety Lead Engineer to work on some exciting new SMMU IP developments!
At Arm, we are building the next wave of compute technologies, processors and IPs. Interested in participating in the development of such IPs for the Automotive and Functional Safety markets? You are at the right place: apply now!
The Systems IP team engages with the world’s foremost technology companies, driving innovation into all areas that compute is possible, to help build better solutions for the billions of people using our technology worldwide. The team is responsible for the creation of a range of sophisticated Arm IP, like Interconnects/NoCs, MMUs and ISPs used in multiple innovative products for many different market segments.
This role is within the System Memory Management Unit (SMMU) team.
Stop thinking and take up the challenge to shape the IPs of tomorrow!
This position is an excellent opportunity for an expert Functional Verification Lead with experience in Automotive Safety domain. The Functional Safety Verification Lead will own the functional Verification activities for SMMU IP and will be responsible for Functional Verification signoff of Ips.
Responsibilities:
As Functional Safety Verification lead, main role will consist of:
Defining and implementing a comprehensive Functional Safety requirement tracing flow, from product specification to verification evidence collection, with a particular focus on the functional verification part
Applying the Functional Safety development process, and providing the required support to your functional verification colleagues
Participating in IP Group Functional Safety activities, proposing and developing methodology enhancements.
Working among our design and functional verification engineers, you will have the opportunity to broaden your experience and expertise.
Required Skills and Experience:
Experience of working in a functional safety related development project (applying standards such as ISO 26262 and/or IEC 61508).
Leadership skills with exposure to functional Verification and UVM methodology, plus in-depth programming and scripting skills (Verilog, SV, Perl, Shell etc) (>8 yrs exp)
You truly believe processes are here to allow us to deliver high quality Ips, and you are ready to contribute to them
You communicate clearly and easily with other teams (in particular with design/verification teams and Functional Safety community), in a multi-site and multi-cultural environment.
You have already worked on Functional Verification of Safety IPs for the Automotive market
A functional safety qualification would be a bonus.
Why you will love this job?
You will work directly with engineers across the company to design next-generation IPs. You will have a direct impact on our bottom line and the ability to deliver improvements for our customers. You will be part of a growing, fast-paced, and fun team. You will have ownership for the implementation of your work.
Arm is committed to global talent acquisition, offering an attractive relocation package. With offices around the world, Arm is a diverse organisation of dedicated, creative and highly talented engineers. By enabling a dynamic, inclusive, meritocratic, and open workplace, where all our people can grow and succeed, we encourage our people to share their unrivaled contributions to Arm's success in the global marketplace.
Arm is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal opportunities are available to all applicants and colleagues. We are a diverse organization of dedicated and innovative individuals, and don’t discriminate on the basis of any characteristic.
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To apply, please send your application to: https://careers.arm.com/job/bengaluru/principal-verification-engineer-functional-safety/33099/38346430896. Please indicate the name of the position in the subject line of the e-mail: Principal Verification Engineer -Functional Safety.
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There is a global health epidemic in regards to physical inactivity, and we believe this partnership can serve as a motivating factor for everyone to exercise. Through Kinomap’s technology, fans can virtually join our athletes on rides and together we can continue to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes and help change the health of the world.
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Kinomap will allow fans to ride alongside Team Novo Nordisk athletes in a variety of training situations from the comforts of their home trainers
Team Novo Nordisk, the world’s first all-diabetes professional cycling team, and Kinomap, cycling's largest geo-located video sharing platform, announced a new partnership that will allow fans to train and compete alongside Team Novo Nordisk athletes in various team rides through simulation.
“Since we launched in December 2012, Team Novo Nordisk has always stood for more than a professional cycling team. Exercise is the billion-dollar drug that never gets prescribed, and we want to continue providing hope and inspiration to the more than 425 million people affected by diabetes on a daily basis,” Team Novo Nordisk CEO and Co-Founder Phil Southerland said. “There is a global health epidemic in regards to physical inactivity, and we believe this partnership can serve as a motivating factor for everyone to exercise. Through Kinomap’s technology, fans can virtually join our athletes on rides and together we can continue to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes and help change the health of the world.”
Through home trainers, fans will be able to practice and ride alongside Team Novo Nordisk athletes in countries like Rwanda, Japan, United States, Denmark, and many more locations as they race globally to inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes. Team Novo Nordisk athletes will record original training footage from various UCI events and training camps, and through Kinomap's technology, participants will be able to experience lifelike conditions such as road variations and elevation changes through the resistance of their home trainer.
“Kinomap is delighted to offer this unique workout experience to ride year-round with Team Novo Nordisk riders in real life videos. Whether you’re an elite athlete or just trying to keep in good shape, you’ll find the content and level that suits your needs,” Kinomap President Philippe Moity said. “Our users have discovered that they stick with their fitness routines an average of thirty percent longer when they workout with Kinomap, so whether you are at home or in the gym, you can ride along with Team Novo Nordisk.”
Team Novo Nordisk’s men’s professional team will kick off the 2019 season with a training ride from our November 2018 camp in Mojácar, Spain. Follow Team Novo Nordisk on Kinomap throughout the season for more videos from our training sessions, camps, and races as we inspire, educate and empower everyone affected by diabetes.
Kinomap turns a bike trainer, spinning or exercise bike into a powerful and fun training device. With more than 140,000 kilometers of video content, the Kinomap app transforms an indoor ride into an engaging live-action experience in places around the globe. In addition to cycling, Kinomap also offers videos for runners and rowers.
Throughout 2019, Team Novo Nordisk and Kinomap will be giving away free trials and discounts for Kinomap memberships. Follow Team Novo Nordisk on social media to find out more.
Kinomap is the world’s first video-sharing platform to offer live-action videos synchronized with corresponding maps. As of January 2019, the site features over 140,000 kilometers of video courses, enabling users to train on pre-recorded, geo-located outdoor routes with accompanying route maps. Additionally, users can monitor their progress, compare their performance with other athletes, and compete with the Kinomap community using the multiplayer feature. For more information, visit: www.kinomap.com
Team Novo Nordisk is a global all-diabetes sports team of cyclists spearheaded by the world’s first all-diabetes UCI Professional Continental cycling team. In 2012, Phil Southerland, co-founder and CEO of the team, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, came together to create Team Novo Nordisk, based on a shared vision to inspire, educate and empower people around the world affected by diabetes.
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Robert Marks, Baylor University Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering, once again finds himself in the spotlight.
Less than three years ago, Marks was at the center of an intelligent design-related controversy at the school.
But Marks now is being honored for his work, notably his research in the area of evolutionary informatics.
Marks was named one of “The 20 Most Brilliant Christian Professors” by CollegeCrunch.org.
CollegeCrunch.org, a college resource Web site, named Marks as one of “the 20 most brilliant Christian professors.”
CollegeCrunch said professors included on the list “shine brightly among their peers as towering figures in the academic world.”
Included are professors from such renowned universities as Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Notre Dame, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Cambridge and Oxford. The list was limited to professors in English-speaking countries.
Marks said he was humbled by his inclusion on the list.
“For the record, I don’t deserve this,” he said. “But I have lower back pain and don’t deserve that, either.”
Ian Gravagne, a tenured electrical and computer engineering professor at Baylor, disagrees with Marks’ self-assessment.
“This list would simply be incomplete without mention of Bob,” said Gravagne, who has worked closely with Marks for seven years. “Brilliant: This description is absolutely spot-on. . . . His career spans practically the entire breadth of the fields of electrical engineering, and, what’s more, his contributions in those fields are deep and substantial.
“To modify an overused cliché, Bob is a jack of all trades and master of most.”
Walter Bradley, Baylor Distinguished Professor of mechanical engineering, also praised Marks’ work in areas directly related to faith and science, referring to Marks’ research as “pioneering.”
In August 2007, though, Marks’ research led to legal wrangling with Baylor, which removed his Evolutionary Informatics Lab’s Web site from its server without notifying him.
Much of his research was, and still is, conducted with William Dembski, former director of the controversial and short-lived Michael Polanyi Center at Baylor.
It was the first center formed on the campus of a research university to study intelligent design.
University officials said at the time that the site was removed because of a lack of clarification that the research was Marks’ own and that it contained no disclaimer stating the research was not endorsed by the university.
Marks, Dembski and their attorney, John Gilmore, said the real issue was academic freedom. They claimed Baylor did not want to be associated in any way with intelligent design or related research.
The Marks case was one of many instances of purported academic persecution highlighted in the 2008 movie “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.”
Marks acknowledged that Baylor was in a tricky position, balancing its research goals with its Christian heritage. But he said in the movie, “The fact that (his Web site) was singled out, let alone shut down, is jaw-dropping.”
The site remains off Baylor’s server. Baylor spokeswoman Lori Fogleman said the school has “no plans to add anything called the Evolutionary Informatics Lab Web site to the Baylor server.”
Fogleman, though, said Baylor is “immensely proud of the quality of our faculty and welcome it whenever their many accomplishments or the high caliber of their scholarship is publicly recognized.”
Fogleman congratulated Marks, along with Peter Berger, a visiting Distinguished Professor of church-state studies at Baylor. Berger, who is early in his contract as visiting professor from Boston University, also was named to the College-Crunch list.
Natural systems
Evolutionary informatics uses the natural, mathematical and engineering sciences to study systems as they change and evolve.
Marks said the work is intelligent design-friendly, though he points out that evolutionary informatics eliminates the “spooky forms of causation that have no place in science,” according to the lab’s Web page.
He said information contributing to a mutation can be shown scientifically, through established engineering and mathematical “information theory,” to be the result of input external to the evolutionary process.
Critics of intelligent design and evolutionary informatics contend that Marks and others in the field are not conducting science but are attempting to prove the existence of God.
Marks said evolutionary informatics is not a quest to prove God, but rather to show that external intelligence plays a role in evolution or mutation. He said “one has to ask the question, ‘Where does the intelligence come from?’ ”
Marks said the recent recognition of his work is not vindication for criticism that has been directed both at him and the field in general.
“I think that when truth emerges, that will be the ultimate vindication,” he said. “And I think that’s going to come someday.”
That day may be sooner than later, Marks said, noting that peer-reviewed publications in his field in 2009, if printed and stacked, “would exceed the height of the Empire State Building.”
Said Gravagne: “Bob’s research will vindicate itself. He finds himself at the center of a firestorm that is really not of his own making, and one day — yes, this day is coming, eventually — after the controversy wanes, Bob’s work will still be standing, simply because it is powerful and true.”
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Kashmir (J&K: Jammu & Kashmir) is India's northernmost geographical region. Located between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range. The Sanskrit word for Kashmir was káśmīra.
During ancient and medieval period, Kashmir has been an important centre for the development of a Hindu-Buddhist syncretism, in which Madhyamaka and Yogacara were blended with Saivism and Advaita Vedanta. The Buddhist Mauryan emperor Ashoka is often credited with having founded the old capital of Kashmir, Shrinagari, now ruins on the outskirts of modern Srinagar. Kashmir was long to be a stronghold of Buddhism. According to tradition, Adi Shankara visited the pre-existing Sarvajñapīṭha (Sharada Peeth) in Kashmir in the late 8th century or early 9th century CE. The Madhaviya Shankaravijayam states this temple had four doors for scholars from the four cardinal directions. Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir (reigned 1339–42) founder of the Shah Mir Dynasty, was the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir. Shah Mir was from Swat, and his ancestors were Kshatriya, who converted to Islam. Later years, Mughal emperor Akbar conquered Kashmir, taking advantage of Kashmir's internal Sunni-Shia divisions, and thus ended indigenous Kashmiri Muslim rule. Today Kashmir, is an integral part of democratic India although its westernly neighbour Pakistan constantly ferments trouble in the region and has even forcefully occupied a part of Kashmir.
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Dal Lake view from the floating house boats on Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. They are usually moored at the edges of the Dal Lake and Nageen lakes. Some were built in the early 1900s, and are still being rented out to tourists.
Shikaras come to the floating house boats on Dal Lake, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India and sell everything from photography rolls/chips to food to flowers and gift items. They are usually moored at the edges of the Dal Lake and Nageen lakes. Some were built in the early 1900s, and are still being rented out to tourists.
Panoramic view of Dal Lake from the floating house boats. Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. They are usually moored at the edges of the Dal Lake and Nageen lakes. Some were built in the early 1900s, and are still being rented out to tourists.
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These days, when I stop at my local newsstand to pick up the New York Times, I almost invariably think about the 1950s sci-fi film, The Incredible Shrinking Man. In it, a fellow on a vacation in the Pacific passes through an irradiated mist — assumedly from U.S. atomic tests — and subsequently shrinks down to doll size, then to nothing at all. Now, the newspaper of record seems to be doing the same thing. In August 2007, it literally shrank, losing an inch and a half in width, and has been thinning ever since, while only its price has grown. Its almost ad-less magazine section is now a wisp of its former self. As the paper dwindles, it increasingly puts the news on a starvation diet. And it’s in good company, if you’ve been paying attention to other papers nationwide (the Wall Street Journal excepted), to the newsweeklies which are shadows of their former selves, or to so many other magazines.
It’s strange that, when it came to the Internet challenge, the print editions of newspapers generally reacted like deer in the headlights. To take an example, you might think that, faced with the “voicey-ness” of the online world, newspapers, which already had a near monopoly on reporting, might have transformed their op-ed pages into far wilder, more expansive, more inviting places. But no such luck. Most have, in fact, done next to nothing in print that might be considered a response, other than committing hara-kiri by gutting themselves and their newsrooms. The major move of the Times in this regard was to create a two-page, expanded table of contents (of the paper you were about to read!) in 2008, a forlornly useless feature which it axed a year or so later.
All of this has revealed just how mistaken most of us were about what a newspaper was. We thought it was a medium for the news, but it turned out to be, above all, a vessel for the distribution of ads. And once those ads began to flee (mainly online), the news has had little choice but to curl up and prepare to die. How surprising then to run across one fat, confident new publication, filled with strangenesses and wonders: Lapham’s Quarterly. Run by the famed former editor of Harper’s Magazine, Lewis Lapham, it picks a single topic four times a year — recently, “Medicine” and “Religion,” and this week, “Arts and Letters,” mixing what it calls “Voices in Time” with original work. In other words, it ransacks history for gems and so, like the poker game in Star Trek involving the android Data, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Stephen Hawking, you can find Doris Lessing, Mikhail Bulgakov, Barbara Ehrenreich, George Orwell, Hammurabi, and Atul Gawande all discussing “doctors and patients” or “remedies and treatments” in LQ’s pages. To say the least, it’s invigorating, so much so that I gave asubscription to my son-in-law this Christmas.
Lapham, who wrote an essay introducing every Harper’s issue, has transferred that habit to his new publication and, in an experiment for both LQ and TomDispatch, has agreed to let this website release the March “Arts and Letters” essay online. So just remember, you read it here first. (And if you have an extra moment, don’t miss Timothy MacBain’s latest TomCast — in which Lapham discusses art, money, and his magazine — by clicking here, or, if you prefer to download it as a podcast, here.) Tom
Or How the “Lively Arts” Became “the Media”
[This essay appears in the March 2010 issue of Lapham’s Quarterly and is posted at TomDispatch.com with the kind permission of that magazine.]
Art as a medium of exchange is the gift in the hand of its creator, alive in the mind of its beholder, converting the private to a public good, and thereby adding it to the common store of human energy and hope. It’s the embodiment of the spirit in the flesh to which Leo Tolstoy refers as “a means of communion among people… the capacity of people to be infected by the feelings of other people,” by “feelings, the most diverse, very strong and very weak, very significant and very worthless, very bad and very good.”
The supposition that art is a gift as opposed to a collectible, something that doesn’t try to sell you anything, runs counter to our contemporary notions of what constitutes a meaningful exchange. If I couldn’t deduce that fact from the price paid for Damien Hirst’s shark afloat in formaldehyde, I was reminded of it some months ago when asked by the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan to mount a discussion about the role of the artist in postmodern American society.
The Y’s auditorium serves as a trendsetting display case for the city’s high-end cultural merchandise, and the booking agent requested participants — an author, an actress, possibly a musician or a film director — deserving the cost of ad space in the New York Times. I offered the names of several individuals apt to say something of interest on the topic, but none was deemed fit to print. What the participants said or didn’t say was of no consequence. What was important was the magnitude of their celebrity, and the names on my list were rated as low-burning flames unable to convene a gathering of moths.
I can’t say I was surprised. To a young writer who had asked for advice about advancing his literary career in the late 1960s, Gore Vidal had provided clear directions to Mt. Parnassus. “Never miss a chance,” he said, “to have sex or appear on television.” Forty years have passed, and these days a young writer applying for consultation with the muses assembled on East 92nd Street probably would be better advised to combine the two initiatives.
The record shows that, throughout most of the country’s history, the circumstances haven’t been much different. John Adams associated the arts with “despotism” and “superstition.” “To America,” said Benjamin Franklin, “one schoolmaster is worth a dozen poets, and the invention of a machine or the improvement of an implement is of more importance than a masterpiece of Raphael.” The Nobel Prizes awarded almost every year to American chemists and economists suggest that the inspired play of the American mind takes place in the theater of the sciences and the concert halls of money.
My own great expectation of the arts is an accident of birth, in San Francisco in 1935 in a household filled with books. At the age of six, attracted to the Rockwell Kent illustrations in the Lakeside Press edition of Moby-Dick, I persuaded my mother to read the novel aloud by agreeing that, if on any subsequent evening I couldn’t remember where it was that the story had been left off — Queequeg sharpening his harpoon, Ahab steadfast in his quest for vengeance — she would close the book and move on to the travails of Peter Rabbit. The reading took the better part of the same year in which the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and by the time we’d come to the end of it — the Pequod sunk, Ishmael tangled in the shroud of the Pacific Ocean — I could imagine, sometimes almost see, if not the great goddess on the page, the looming of the great white whale in San Francisco Bay.
My early meeting with Melville’s prose dates the formulation of my idea of what was to be construed as literature. Both at home and at school in the 1940s, I kept company with authors in whose writing I could hear the music in the words, in the novels of Joseph Conrad, Edward Gibbon’s history of the Roman Empire, the poems of Coleridge and Kipling. I’m still subject to the predisposition.
On first opening a book that I’m not obliged to read for professional reasons, I’m content to let it pass by unless I can hear some sort of melodic line, even if the author offers to name the man who shot Jack Kennedy. With authors of great reputation, I blame myself for whatever fault can be found, and after a decent interval of years I return to the book in question in the hope that I’ve learned to hear what is being said. When I was 20 I didn’t know how to read Ford Madox Ford or George Eliot. By the time I was 50 I no longer could read J. D. Salinger or Ernest Hemingway. I’ve yet to learn how to read Finnegans Wake.
Regarding myself as neither art historian nor literary critic, I escape the chore of having to discern zeitgeists and deconstruct paradigms. At liberty to indulge my enthusiasms without apology or embarrassment, I’m free to take as much pleasure from the novels of Raymond Chandler and John le Carré as from the poetry of Wallace Stevens. Because I look for the value of the human currency (“very strong and very weak … very bad and very good”), I don’t much care whether an author chooses for her mise en scène the court of Henry VIII or the roof of a Harlem tenement, whether the artist draws a bandit on the beach at Yokohama or paints an angel on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
In Goya’s etchings of the Napoleonic Wars, I discover an enlarged state and sense of being of the same order as the one met with in the second movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no. 27 or in the sequence of images on exhibition in Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts.” “Feelings, the most diverse” follow from the awakening of more than one mind to the excitement of simultaneous discovery, which is the means of communion that distinguishes the making of a work of art from the passive and single-minded consumption of a camera angle or an applause track.
To the generation coming of age in the forties and fifties, the distinction was important, maybe even bearing on what was to become of the American future. It was a generation infected with the idea that the arts were serious business, sharing with the late Walker Percy his novelist’s belief that all fiction can be used as an instrument of exploration and discovery, that “the novelist or poet in the future might be able to go further, to discover or rediscover… how it is with man himself, who he is, and how it is between him and other men.”
During the years of the Eisenhower administration, the portraits of novelists decorated the covers of Time magazine, the views of Saul Bellow and Norman Mailer accorded the deference now placed at the feet of Warren Buffett. New plays on Broadway from Arthur Miller and Tennessee Williams were as eagerly received as the musicals by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Under the aegis of the Congress of Cultural Freedom, the CIA was deploying American art as a Cold War weapon of mass instruction. Although the Allies had won the war against Hitler (won it in the name of democratic freedom and Western civilization), they appeared to be losing the peace to Stalin and the systems of totalitarian repression, and what was afoot in the 1950s was a contest for the good opinion of mankind. The communist agitprop on offer in Europe in 1947 pictured the United States as a materialist wasteland inhabited by gum-chewing shoe salesmen, lynchers of negroes ignorant of the works of Gramsci and Lukács.
The CIA undertook to suppress the rumors, directing the tactical movement of art exhibits to Venice, music festivals to Rome. Not satisfied with the wholesale distribution of wholesome texts, the agency pressed forward into the no man’s land of the avant-garde, seeking to show its prospective friends in Bremerhaven and Marseilles that American art was something more than a provincial reflection of European decadence.
No, by God, America was a great country, as rich in artists as it was in steel or corn, and here to prove it on the wall in Paris is the Abstract Expressionism of Jackson Pollock — a real American from Cody, Wyoming, not a Hungarian refugee or a Princeton homosexual; virility incarnate, reckless and heavy-drinking, a fountain of acrylic orgasm; just the sort of fellow to represent the virtues of free enterprise, and whose paintings, nonfigurative and incoherent, embodied the antithesis of Soviet socialist realism. The aesthetic stamped with the seals of government approval matched the one embraced by the Beat poets howling in the California wilderness, marking out the road into an ecstatic future unregulated by death and taxes.
As trickled down to the undergraduate elements of the avant-garde at Yale College in the 1950s, questions about the uses of art (its place in society, its promise of a career) resolved into a “pandemonium” of words like those described by Stefan Zweig as a “collective, eager, competitive curiosity.” Usually I found myself on the wrong side of the critique, in some quarters regarded as an obsolete romantic, in others as a trivial bourgeois. Introduced to the modernist doctrines of alienation and despair, I took the notes but didn’t learn the lesson. The Bauhaus architecture I thought better suited for a barracks or a penitentiary; in the paintings of Mondrian and Kandinsky I could recognize little else except the surface of a decorative design. Nor in the works of Berg and Shostakovich could I identify the sound that from seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century composers I’d learned to recognize as music.
The apparatchiks in the English department employed the techniques remarked upon by Billy Collins — “tie the poem to a chair with rope / and torture a confession out of it,” beat it with a hose “to find out what it really means.” I was less interested in what it really meant than in A. E. Housman’s definition of poetry as that which raises the hair on the chin while shaving. Despite four years of being told that art was somehow sacred, divorced from all sakes other than its own, I never learned to prefer the comprehension of the theory of the thing to a naive delight in the thing itself.
But in what was then the spirit of the times, the side of the argument on which anybody came down, against Haydn and for Stravinsky, with the early or the late Picasso, mattered less than the shared belief among all the voices in the room that it was art and literature that were to be looked to for the light on the far and fair horizon. This certainty was in line with the generous idealisms expressed in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Second Bill of Rights as well as with the intent to furnish the newly emergent American empire with the trophy of a civilization.
America’s victories in World War II had established its military and economic predominance. In the 1950s, it was thought that a determined courting of the arts would bring forth works of genius of a match with the arriviste hegemon’s spiritual and moral grace. Other empires had done so, most notably Periclean Athens, Elizabethan England, France during the reign of Louis XIV. Surely the United States could produce something equally impressive. Was not America richer than any other country known to history? Were not its weapons more terrible, its virtues more abundant? How then could its painting not be more luminous, its literature more profound, its music more sublime?
These fond hopes and great expectations didn’t survive the epistemological shift during the 1960s to political and commercial sets of reference. The locus of advanced artistic opinion moved from the Greenwich Village bars to the pages of Women’s Wear Daily; Andy Warhol discovered a market for portraits of Campbell’s Soup cans, and the several forms of expression previously known as the “lively arts” were melted down into the alloy of the “media.” By the time President Ronald Reagan danced onto the White House stage in 1981, politics was fashion, news was entertainment, celebrity was art, literature a regional dialect spoken only in the universities.
It isn’t that the country now lacks for painters painting pictures or poets writing poems, nor is it to say that stores of human energy and hope aren’t to be found in the novels of Elmore Leonard or the songs of Bruce Springsteen. It is to say that with the dawn of Reagan’s bright new morning in America, the notion of art as the way into a redemptive future had withered on the vine. Once again, as had been customary throughout most of the country’s history, art was seen as an embodiment of the good, the true, and the beautiful only to the extent that it could be exchanged for money.
If, in the 1950s, the young and aspiring writer hoped to become a novelist or a playwright, 30 years later that ambition had been replaced with the thought of becoming a critic, a journalist, or a policy intellectual, possibly even a television talking head. The conversations revolved around the names of Hollywood agents and the grooming of resumés fit for the favor of a foundation grant.
The generation of writers weaned on Cold War propaganda and CIA subsidy adopted the trade craft of literary realpolitik to variant doctrines of political correctness, the combatants on both the left and right construing culture as ideology, the frivolous adjective modifying the sober noun — cultural identity, cultural diversity, cultural policy-objective. The love of language once inherent in a distinctive literary style not only fell out of favor but was placed under suspicion as an un-American activity. Among New York editors it was assumed that a writer who clogged the data streams with arresting turns of phrase could not be trusted to impart the truth.
At the downtown exhibitions of conceptual art in the early nineties, the gallery walls served as bulletin boards on which to post a syllabus of moral lessons imbedded in twisted steel and fluorescent neon light. Ugly was a show of virtue, and so was the lack of talent, the bombast recurring in the explanatory notes (“imperialism,” “otherness,” “void,” “difference”) pointing as garishly as road signs to the injustices of gender, race, wealth, and social class.
It was not enough merely to look at a battered rubber woman or a pair of gold-plated tennis sneakers. What was important was the theory of the thing, not the thing itself, the knowing that beauty was reactionary and that the artists labeling the merchandise had come to think of history as a “dysfunctional idea.” The message brought with it the great good news that the arts, when not otherwise employed as political agitprop or commercial advertising, offered refuge from a dysfunctional grasp of reality with welcome escapes into the prison of the self. Novels that in the 1950s set out to discover how it is with man in the company of other men gave way in the 1980s to the writing of memoirs intent upon discovering that, when one really had a chance to think about it, the world and its troubles were really all about me. The authors who would be king placed stylish gestures of self-loathing on the altar of self-promotion.
Art in Formaldehyde
The United States Census Bureau now counts almost two million Americans working in the arts, many of them under the impression that the occupation designates them a law unto themselves, granted the equivalent of the “moral waivers” that the U.S. Army bestows on those of its sorely needed recruits burdened with a chronic illness, poor test scores, or a prior record of criminal assault and felony arrest. Never before in the history of the known world have so many people trooped through so many museums, been provided with so many handsome reproductions, dance recitals, string quartets, lectures, libraries, postcards.
The opinion polls report two-thirds of the citizenry defining art as a necessity, but for the most part it is a constituency in the market for distraction, more interested in what Van Gogh’s deranged hand did to his ear than what his incomparable eye saw in the sunlight at Arles. This constituency was likened by Jack Tworkov to a circle of spectators watching a sidewalk artist sketch portraits of Scottish terriers — what they admire having “nothing to do with art, but everything with performance: even costume plays a role (beard, beret, smock).”
This preference has shaped the framing of the American mind since its inception in the colonial wilderness. It’s a sensibility noted by Benjamin Franklin as being most attracted to the invention of a machine or the improvement of an implement, as being more apt to make communion with objects that move and do things than with those that merely stand there waiting to be spoken to or heard. Not the kind of audience likely to object to the processing of the lively arts into the machine-made product distributed as media, the metamorphosis similar to the one visited upon the livestock in a Nebraska meat-packing facility. The songs and dances come with a factory-inspected guarantee that the commodity in the hand of the manufacturer will remain dead in the mind of the consumer.
The country continues to turn up individuals making works of art — among those in the literary theaters of operation I can think of many — but they traffic in a medium of exchange on which the society doesn’t place a high priority. Maybe it never did; maybe the way I remember the forties and fifties is a tale told, if not by an idiot, then by a trivial bourgeois or an obsolete romantic trapped in the dream of a lost golden age.
The existence of a civilization presupposes a public that has both the time, and the need, to draw sustenance from the high-wire acts of the artistic imagination. The United States never has produced such a public in commercial quantity, a fact remarked upon by the art historian Robert Hughes in The Shock of the New, who also wrote: “Art discovers its true social use, not on the ideological plane, but by opening the passage from feeling to meaning — not for everyone, since that would be impossible, but for those who want to try. This impulse seems to be immortal.”
Happily so. What blocks the passage from feeling to meaning is the replacing of the thing itself with the price or theory of the thing, which is the difference between money and art as the universal medium of human exchange proposed by Arthur Schopenhauer: “Money is human happiness in abstracto, consequently he who is no longer capable of happiness in concreto sets his whole heart on money.” The dictum accords with the twentieth century’s wars and devourings of the Earth, accounts for the modernistic expressions of alienation and despair, speaks to the price paid for the shark in formaldehyde.
Although it’s frequently said that the truth shall make men free, the precept is almost as frequently misunderstood. Truth as synonym for liberty isn’t a collectible. It is the joyous discovery of the enlarged sense and state of being that is the change of heart induced by the presence of a work of art.
Lewis H. Lapham is editor of Lapham’s Quarterly. Formerly editor of Harper’s Magazine, he is the author of numerous books, including Money and Class in America, Theater of War, Gag Rule, and, most recently, Pretensions to Empire. The New York Times has likened him to H. L. Mencken; Vanity Fair has suggested a strong resemblance to Mark Twain; and Tom Wolfe has compared him to Montaigne. This essay introduces the March “arts and letters” issue of Lapham’s Quarterly. You can listen to Timothy MacBain’s latest TomCast — in which Lapham discusses art, money, and his magazine — by clicking here or, if you prefer to download it as a podcast, here.
Lewis H. Lapham is editor of Lapham’s Quarterly. Formerly editor of Harper’s Magazine, he is the author of numerous books, including Money and Class in America, Theater of War, Gag Rule, and, most recently, Pretensions to Empire. The New York Times has likened him to H. L. Mencken; Vanity Fair has suggested a strong resemblance to Mark Twain; and Tom Wolfe has compared him to Montaigne.
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We were pelted about noon by a short, heavy rainstorm, sublime thunder reverberating among the mountains and cañons,—some strokes near, crashing, ringing in the tense crisp air with startling keenness, while the distant peaks loomed gloriously through the cloud fringes and sheets of rain. Now the[Pg 123] storm is past, and the fresh washed air is full of the essences of the flower gardens and groves. Winter storms in Yosemite must be glorious. May I see them!The trees round about them seem as perfect in beauty and form as the lilies, their boughs whorled like lily leaves in exact order. This evening, as usual, the glow of our camp-fire is working enchantment on everything within reach of its rays. Lying beneath the[Pg 96] firs, it is glorious to see them dipping their spires in the starry sky, the sky like one vast lily meadow in bloom! How can I close my eyes on so precious a night?
June 22. Unusually cloudy. Besides the periodical shower-bearing cumuli there is a thin, diffused, fog-like cloud overhead. About .75 in all.
July 11. The Don has gone ahead on one of the pack animals to spy out the land to the north of Yosemite in search of the best point[Pg 100] for a central camp. Much higher than this we cannot now go, for the upper pastures, said to be better than any hereabouts, are still buried in heavy winter snow. Glad I am that camp is to be fixed in the Yosemite region, for many a glorious ramble I’ll have along the top of the walls, and then what landscapes I shall find with their new mountains and cañons, forests and gardens, lakes and streams and falls.An eagle soaring above a sheer cliff, where I suppose its nest is, makes another striking show of life, and helps to bring to mind the other people of the so-called solitude—deer in the forest caring for their young; the strong, well-clad, well-fed bears; the lively throng of squirrels; the blessed birds, great and small, stirring and sweetening the groves; and the clouds of happy insects filling the sky with joyous hum as part and parcel of the down-pouring sunshine. All these come to mind, as well as the plant people, and the glad streams singing their way to the sea. But most impressive of all is the vast glowing countenance of the wilderness in awful, infinite repose.
Mr. Delaney arrived this morning. Felt not a trace of loneliness while he was gone. On the contrary, I never enjoyed grander company. The whole wilderness seems to be alive and familiar, full of humanity. The very stones seem talkative, sympathetic, brotherly. No wonder when we consider that we all have the same Father and Mother.
How fine the weather is! Nothing more celestial can I conceive. How gently the winds blow! Scarce can these tranquil air-currents be called winds. They seem the very breath of Nature, whispering peace to every living thing. Down in the camp dell there is no swaying of tree-tops; most of the time not a leaf moves.[Pg 37] I don’t remember having seen a single lily swinging on its stalk, though they are so tall the least breeze would rock them. What grand bells these lilies have! Some of them big enough for children’s bonnets. I have been sketching them, and would fain draw every leaf of their wide shining whorls and every curved and spotted petal. More beautiful, better kept gardens cannot be imagined. The species is Lilium pardalinum, five to six feet high, leaf-whorls a foot wide, flowers about six inches wide, bright orange, purple spotted in the throat, segments revolute—a majestic plant.September 20. The weather still golden and calm, but hot. We are now in the foot-hills, and all the conifers are left behind, except the gray Sabine pine. Camped at the Dutch Boy’s Ranch, where there are extensive barley fields now showing nothing save dusty stubble.“Whenever,” said the hunter, “I saw a bear before it saw me I had no trouble in killing it. I just studied the lay of the land and got to leeward of it no matter how far around I had to go, and then worked up to within a few hundred yards or so, at the foot of a tree that I could easily climb, but too small for the bear to climb. Then I looked well to the condition of my rifle, took off my boots so as to climb well if necessary, and waited until[Pg 30] the bear turned its side in clear view when I could make a sure or at least a good shot. In case it showed fight I climbed out of reach. But bears are slow and awkward with their eyes, and being to leeward of them they could not scent me, and I often got in a second shot before they noticed the smoke. Usually, however, they run when wounded and hide in the brush. I let them run a good safe time before I ventured to follow them, and Sandy was pretty sure to find them dead. If not, he barked and drew their attention, and occasionally rushed in for a distracting bite, so that I was able to get to a safe distance for a final shot. Oh yes, bear-hunting is safe enough when followed in a safe way, though like every other business it has its accidents, and little doggie and I have had some close calls. Bears like to keep out of the way of men as a general thing, but if an old, lean, hungry mother with cubs met a man on her own ground she would, in my opinion, try to catch and eat him. This would be only fair play anyhow, for we eat them, but nobody hereabout has been used for bear grub that I know of.”
The cheery little chipmunk, so common about Brown’s Flat, is common here also, and perhaps other species. In their light, airy habits they recall the familiar species of the Eastern States, which we admired in the oak openings of Wisconsin as they skimmed along the zigzag rail fences. These Sierra chipmunks are more arboreal and squirrel-like. I first noticed them on the lower edge of the coniferous belt, where the Sabine and yellow pines meet,—exceedingly interesting little fellows, full of odd, funny ways, and without being true squirrels, have most of their accomplishments without their aggressive quarrelsomeness. I never weary watching them as they frisk about in the bushes gathering seeds and berries, like song sparrows poising daintily on slender twigs, and making even less stir than most birds of the same size. Few of the Sierra animals interest me more; they are so able, gentle, confiding, and beautiful, they take one’s heart, and get themselves adopted as darlings. Though weighing hardly more than field mice, they are laborious collectors of seeds, nuts, and cones, and are therefore well fed, but never in the least swollen[Pg 172] with fat or lazily full. On the contrary, of their frisky, birdlike liveliness there is no end. They have a great variety of notes corresponding with their movements, some sweet and liquid, like water dripping with tinkling sounds into pools. They seem dearly to love teasing a dog, coming frequently almost within reach, then frisking away with lively chipping, like sparrows, beating time to their music with their tails, which at each chip describe half circles from side to side. Not even the Douglas squirrel is surer-footed or more fearless. I have seen them running about on sheer precipices of the Yosemite walls seemingly holding on with as little effort as flies, and as unconscious of danger, where, if the slightest slip were made, they would have fallen two or three thousand feet. How fine it would be could we mountaineers climb these tremendous cliffs with the same sure grip! The venture I made the other day for a view of the Yosemite Fall, and which tried my nerves so sorely, this little Tamias would have made for an ear of grass.We were pelted about noon by a short, heavy rainstorm, sublime thunder reverberating among the mountains and cañons,—some strokes near, crashing, ringing in the tense crisp air with startling keenness, while the distant peaks loomed gloriously through the cloud fringes and sheets of rain. Now the[Pg 123] storm is past, and the fresh washed air is full of the essences of the flower gardens and groves. Winter storms in Yosemite must be glorious. May I see them!I rambled along the valley rim to the westward; most of it is rounded off on the very brink, so that it is not easy to find places where one may look clear down the face of the wall to the bottom. When such places were found, and I had cautiously set my feet and drawn my body erect, I could not help fearing a little that the rock might split off and let me down, and what a down!—more than three thousand feet. Still my limbs did not tremble, nor did I feel the least uncertainty as to the reliance to be placed on them. My only fear was that a flake of the granite, which in some places showed joints more or less open and running parallel with the face of the cliff, might give way. After[Pg 118] withdrawing from such places, excited with the view I had got, I would say to myself, “Now don’t go out on the verge again.” But in the face of Yosemite scenery cautious remonstrance is vain; under its spell one’s body seems to go where it likes with a will over which we seem to have scarce any control.
August 30. This day just like yesterday. A few clouds motionless and apparently with no[Pg 238] work to do beyond looking beautiful. Frost enough for crystal building,—glorious fields of ice-diamonds destined to last but a night. How lavish is Nature building, pulling down, creating, destroying, chasing every material particle from form to form, ever changing, ever beautiful.
September 9. Weariness rested away and I feel eager and ready for another excursion a month or two long in the same wonderful wilderness. Now, however, I must turn toward the lowlands, praying and hoping Heaven will shove me back again.
We saw another party of Yosemite tourists to-day. Somehow most of these travelers seem to care but little for the glorious objects about them, though enough to spend time and money and endure long rides to see the famous valley. And when they are fairly within the mighty walls of the temple and hear the psalms of the falls, they will forget themselves and become devout. Blessed, indeed, should be every pilgrim in these holy mountains!
August 3. Had a wonderful day. Found Professor Butler as the compass-needle finds the pole. So last evening’s telepathy, transcendental revelation, or whatever else it may be called, was true; for, strange to say, he had just entered the valley by way of the Coulterville Trail and was coming up the valley past El Capitan when his presence struck me. Had he then looked toward the North Dome with a good glass when it first came in sight, he might have seen me jump up from my work and run toward him. This seems the one well-defined marvel of my life of the kind called supernatural; for, absorbed in glad Nature, spirit-rappings, second sight, ghost stories, etc., have never interested me since boyhood, seeming comparatively useless and infinitely less wonderful than Nature’s open, harmonious, songful, sunny, everyday beauty.
July 28. No cloud mountains, only curly cirrus wisps scarce perceptible, and the want of thunder to strike the noon hour seems strange, as if the Sierra clock had stopped. Have been studying the magnifica fir—measured one near two hundred and forty feet high, the tallest I have yet seen. This species is the most symmetrical of all conifers, but though gigantic in size it seldom lives more than four or five hundred years. Most of the trees die[Pg 167] from the attacks of a fungus at the age of two or three centuries. This dry-rot fungus perhaps enters the trunk by way of the stumps of limbs broken off by the snow that loads the broad palmate branches. The younger specimens are marvels of symmetry, straight and erect as a plumb-line, their branches in regular level whorls of five mostly, each branch as exact in its divisions as a fern frond, and thickly covered by the leaves, making a rich plush over all the tree, excepting only the trunk and a small portion of the main limbs. The leaves turn upward, especially on the branchlets, and are stiff and sharp, pointed on all the upper portion of the tree. They remain on the tree about eight or ten years, and as the growth is rapid it is not rare to find the leaves still in place on the upper part of the axis where it is three to four inches in diameter, wide apart of course, and their spiral arrangement beautifully displayed. The leaf-scars are conspicuous for twenty years or more, but there is a good deal of variation in different trees as to the thickness and sharpness of the leaves.
Poison oak or poison ivy (Rhus diversiloba), both as a bush and a scrambler up trees and rocks, is common throughout the foothill region up to a height of at least three thousand feet above the sea. It is somewhat troublesome to most travelers, inflaming the skin and eyes, but blends harmoniously with its companion plants, and many a charming flower leans confidingly upon it for protection and shade. I have oftentimes found the curious twining lily (Stropholirion Californicum) climbing its branches, showing no fear but rather congenial companionship. Sheep eat it without apparent ill effects; so do horses to some extent, though not fond of it, and to many persons it is harmless. Like most other things not apparently useful to man, it has few friends, and the blind question, “Why was it made?” goes on and on with never a guess that first of all it might have been made for itself.[Pg 27]
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Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events. If you come from the world of tourism, we’re sure you know what MICE stands for. Since decades MICE tourism has been an important part of business tourism and its share of the world’s economy is rising every year. To attract quality MICE tourism leads, you must nurture them with your hotel CRM software and need to be well versed on the specifications of the MICE market. We also do recommend you to get updated with the ever-evolving trends of MICE hotel.
In this Blog, you will find some essential tips from AP LBC experts, to attract quality MICE tourists, that helps to boost the revenue of your hotel through events and business programs.
Why MICE tourism is important for your hotel?
Are you planning to expand your services to the market of MICE tourism, here are some facts for you to consider?
Europe is spending more on MICE tourism. According to American Express, overall MICE spending of Europe is increasing the most, comparing to Central and South America, and it will reach the growth rates of North America.
According to UNWTO and IPK international, the share of MICE within business travel is estimated to be at 54% in 2014.
The majority of MICE travellers ‘ expenses are paid by their client, while leisure travellers generally pay for themselves. MICE travellers still have a higher spending capacity, as they haven’t had to spend their budget on the costliest travel items.
Best ways to attract MICE tourists to your hotels
Many hotels simply attract business and MICE travellers with their venue, but often hotels need a much more sophisticated marketing plan to be competitive on the MICE market. Here are some good techniques handpicked by AP LBC MICE hotel experts to make your hotel effective for prospected business and MICE tourists.
1. Define your market and know the needs of MICE clients
Get a good understanding of the value you have to offer, and which type of clients appreciate this value. Your hotel sometimes has a strategic location which will be in demand for a particular event. Or perhaps your hotel has some stand out facilities stand out, such as a spacious plenary session hall that can accommodate a large number of delegates. Most hotels are doubling their ballroom as plenary session rooms.
When you are considering facilities, here is the ultimate list of expectations that you must cover in your hotel.
Accommodation Facilities
Equipment for the event
Location of the venue
Security of the clients and hotel policies
When identifying your business, consider the extent of MICE’s growth and popularity in the various countries. Many countries spend more than others in MICE and this knowledge is key to reaching the best audience and preparing an effective marketing strategy.
Through evaluating the growth rate (2019), the Global Business Travel Association studied the most attractive European target markets for MICE. Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Italy make up 75% of the European business travel industry. Germany and the UK seem to be the two economies with the most promise.
With your target audience already in sight, you now know what you must offer to them. Now it’s time to act and spread the word about your wonderful MICE tourism venue. Having a unique landing page would help you explain clearly what facilities and services you are providing to the guest-clients.
Some hotels also create the entire new websites for the particular services they offer. Why would you ask? Just because the hotel’s positioning for MICE tourism can be quite different from the hotel’s positioning in a leisure travel market.
While the general brand will remain untouched, you may want to change the website’s layout, design and content presentation to make your MICE landing page (or MICE website) more enticing to online visitors.
Be sure to build long-lasting relationships while developing your plan, as this is important for the MICE market. MICE is a regular activity so you can expect for returning customers if you manage to’ wow’ your clients. Word-of-mouth is a very powerful channel of communication in the MICE industry and your happy customers would most definitely support you and recommend you to their colleagues.
Build a reputation for a MICE rock-star venue, and see new customers come to you. Remember that MICE customers want unique experiences that provide good value for money, and that value for money is more important for European MICE customers than price.
Based on the team experience of AP LBC, we have listed some of the prominent features that will help you to attract MICE tourists to your hotel. These tips from our AP LBC MICE and business travel experts will help you in converting leads to your hotel. We hope that these tips will bring new opportunities for independent and MICE hotels this year.
Independent hotel partners and global chains prefer AP LBC, the solutions and revenue management partner where brand awareness and global sales happen. As an independent hotel representation company, we address the specific business needs of our partner hotels by providing sales and marketing solutions.
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APLBC announces partnership with Founder of The Travel Coach Network to drive understanding of Wellness Travel.
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If you are considering a hair transplant, it is important to understand the basics of the procedure. This article will provide an overview of hair transplants, including what they involve and how they are performed. By understanding the basics of hair transplants, you can make an informed decision about whether this is the right procedure for you.
What is a hair transplant and how does it work?
A hair transplant is a surgical procedure that is used to treat hair loss. The procedure involves taking hair from an area of the scalp where hair is thick and transplanting it to an area where hair is thin or bald. Hair transplants can be used to treat both men and women. The most common type of transplant is called follicular unit transplantation, which is a technique that transplants individual hair follicles. This method is considered to be the most natural-looking and effective. During the procedure, the doctor will make tiny incisions in the scalp and then insert the follicles into the incisions. The transplanted hair will then start to grow on its own. In most cases, patients will need more than one surgery to achieve the desired results. Hair transplants are considered to be a very safe procedure, and complications are rare. However, it is important to have realistic expectations about the results of the surgery. Most patients will notice some regrowth within 6-9 months, but it may take up to a year for the full results to be visible. Additionally, not all patients will experience complete regrowth, but most will see an improvement in their hair density.
Who is a good candidate for a hair transplant surgery
While hair transplant surgery can be an effective treatment for hair loss, it is not suitable for everyone. The best candidates for the procedure are those who have lost hair due to genetic factors or trauma, and who still have healthy hair follicles in other parts of the scalp. The surgery is less successful for those who are balding due to medical conditions such as alopecia or who have extensive hair loss throughout the scalp. In addition, personal factors such as age and lifestyle can also affect the success of hair transplant surgery. For example, smoking and exposure to harsh chemicals can damage hair follicles and prevent new hair from growing. As a result, it is important to consult with a qualified surgeon to determine if hair transplant surgery is right for you.
The cost of hair transplant surgery
Hair transplant surgery is a cosmetic procedure that can be used to restore hair growth in areas where the hair has been lost. The surgery is typically performed on the scalp, but it can also be used to restore eyebrows, eyelashes, and facial hair. The cost of hair transplant surgery varies depending on the complexity of the procedure and the experience of the surgeon. However, in general, hair transplant surgery can range from $4,000 to $15,000. In some cases, patients may also need to pay for additional treatments, such as medication or Rogaine, to maintain their results. As with any surgery, there are also risks associated with hair transplant surgery, such as infection and scarring. However, these risks are typically low when the procedure is performed by a qualified surgeon.
How long does the procedure take and what are the side effects
Hair transplants are a popular way to restore hair growth, but many people are unsure about the procedure itself. The first step is to remove hair from the donor area, which is typically the back of the head. The next step is to make tiny incisions in the recipient area and insert the hair follicles. The entire process usually takes between 4 and 8 hours, depending on the size of the transplant. There are also a few potential side effects to consider, such as pain, swelling, and bruising. In rare cases, it is also possible to experience numbness or infection at the transplant site. Overall, however, hair transplants are considered to be a safe and effective way to restore hair growth.
Post-operative care instructions
Although hair transplants are considered safe, there are some risks involved. It is important to follow your post-operative care instructions carefully to minimize these risks and ensure a successful outcome. After a hair transplant, it is normal to experience some redness, swelling, and bruising. You may also have scabs on your scalp where the follicles were harvested and transplanted. It is important not to pick at these scabs, as this can lead to infection. You should also avoid exposing your scalp to direct sunlight or heat for at least two weeks after the procedure. Protecting your scalp from the sun will help to reduce the risk of scarring. It is also important to keep your scalp clean after a hair transplant. Gently wash your hair with a mild shampoo every day. Avoid scrubbing or rubbing your scalp too vigorously. You should also avoid swimming or using saunas for at least two weeks after the procedure. When washing your hair, be sure to use lukewarm water rather than hot water. Following these simple post-operative care instructions will help you to heal quickly and enjoy a successful outcome from your hair transplant.
A hair transplant is a surgery where healthy hair follicles are transplanted from one area of the scalp to a bald or thinning area. The procedure can be used to restore not only the hairline but also eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard hair. If you are considering having a hair transplant, please give a call at New Hair Clinic. They would love to answer any questions that you have about the procedure and help you take the next steps towards getting your confidence back.
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She is a health/beauty expert, and freelance blogger from FL. She contributes to local, regional, and international publications on the topics of Health, Fitness, and Beauty.
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I know it’s been a while since I have posted but life has been a complete whirlwind since about mid June when my husband and I decided to move back to New York City from Santa Cruz, California. Once we said yes, the locomotive of life was full steam ahead.
I drove cross country with my mom from California to New York over 12 days. It was a beautiful adventure and I am working on my post. While the food was meh at times, the sights were beautiful. South Dakota, I am talking about you!
Once I arrived in NYC, I had to wait forever for my furniture to arrive from California. I honestly couldn’t take it anymore. We had a few causalities of the move, including a container with more than 2lbs of sugar dumping EVERYWHERE, but overall the worst part was the wait.
I’ve been back just over 5 weeks and I am settling back into city living. I have to say, I am beyond thrilled to be back. For one, my anxiety of living in Santa Cruz has just about vanished. I didn’t talk about it openly on my blog, but we were the unfortunate victim of multiple felonies while living there. The worst was coming home in the middle of the day to find a man in my house robbing me. It seriously was one of the scariest moments of my life. Sadly, we have a list of other things that happened to us out there and I am beyond relieved to be out of there. (And people think NYC is unsafe. ha!) But seriously, my year plus of anxiety literally melted away once I got back here. That is a HUGE sigh of relief.
After being gone for more than 2.5 years, it is so wonderful to be home again. I belong here. My heart and soul thrive in New York City. I love reconnecting with old friends and exploring familiar neighborhoods that have both completely changed but strangely stayed the same since I was gone. I also have been actively updating my list of dedicated gluten-free restaurants and bakeries in New York City. Sadly, there are many lists floating around with places that are NOT safe for people with celiac disease. (Just because someone uses the word safe, doesn’t mean they are.) I will do my best to keep this as current as possible.
One of my favorite things about being back is meeting so many new celiac friends that have followed my California adventures and my #crosscountryceliac trip. I absolutely LOVE when I run into people that I don’t know in gluten-free restaurants in NYC who say “welcome back.” Strange, maybe? But it’s now happened THREE times and I get a kick out of it every time! I am always surprised yet giddy when I meet a gluten-free stranger who “knows” me. If you see me, say hello!
So now I am back and trying to get into a routine of blogging again while also balancing work, life, health, etc. Additionally, I am trying to maintain some of my California slow vibes in a city that is running on adrenaline at all times.
I’ve missed you all but I want you to know that I haven’t forgotten you. Thank you for all of the Tweets, Facebook messages, and Instagram comments. You keep me going!
Much love and thanks for sticking around,
p.s. Have you signed up for my Gluten-Free Globetrotter newsletter yet?
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Published by Erin Smith
Living with celiac disease since 1981 and eating gluten-free long before it was "trendy", Erin Smith has a unique perspective of growing up in the gluten-free community; Founded Gluten-Free Fun in 2007; Founded Gluten-Free Globetrotter® in 2011; Founded GlutenFreelancer® in 2014. Erin was the lead organizer of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group, a social community of more than 2,000 members for over a decade. She is the founder of the Santa Cruz Celiac support group. Erin currently resides in New York City and lives 100% gluten-free. View all posts by Erin Smith
Denise says:
August 27, 2018 at 8:41 am
Love your posts. Have you ever been to Quebec City? I’ve always wanted to go, but do not speak French. Do you think I would be asking for trouble trying to dine out for a week? I would prefer not to cook on my vacation. What do you think? Do you have any info on gluten-free dining in Quebec City?
Also, FYI… I visited the Canadian Atlantic Provinces two summers ago, and I am happy to report it is a celiac diner’s dream! They “get it” there, and you won’t find nicer people anywhere. I particularly liked Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton Island. Very quiet and laid-back, and the food was wonderful– especially if you like lobster and fresh produce.
This year, I’ve had good experiences in the Canadian Rocky mountain communities. And Victoria, British Columbia was pretty easy. Some of smaller communities on Vancouver Island were tricky, but I survived a week of eating out in restaurants.
Thanks again for all the valuable info you are putting out to the celiac community. We really appreciate it.
Denise from Edmonton, Alberta
Erin Smith says:
August 27, 2018 at 9:15 am
Hi Denise, thank you so much for the kind comments! I love hearing about your excellent experiences in PEI and Cape Breton Island. Thanks for sharing!
As for Quebec City, I haven’t been since the early 1990s so I am sure much has changed since then. I would suggest getting a French translation card. Here are some options: https://glutenfreeglobetrotter.com/resources/glutenfreetranslations/
In addition, I would recommend visiting the CCA of Quebec website where they have a list of restaurants: http://www.celiacquebec.ca/
I hope this helps! Enjoy your trip.
Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Hi, I’m Erin Smith! Living with celiac disease since 1981 and eating gluten-free long before it was “trendy”, I have a unique perspective of growing up in the gluten-free community. I am glad you are here.
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Odisha FC is all set to take on its neighbouring team Jamshedpur FC in the next game of the ongoing Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2021-22 tomorrow. Ahead of the crucial clash, Head Coach Kiko Ramirez, Assistant Coach Kino Garcia and Spanish footballer Javi Hernandez addressed the media during the virtual pre-match press conference.
Speaking about his message to the players, the OFC gaffer stated, “They have to be focussed and they have to be 100% committed to the team and to the match. We know that we are going to have tough games so it’s important that the players are focussed and they are paying attention to everything on the pitch until the last minute.”
Odisha FC won the first two games of the season but then lost to Kerala Blasters before winning 1-0 against NorthEast United FC in the previous encounter last Friday. However, Aridai Cabrera was in some discomfort towards the end of the game against the Highlanders and had to go off the pitch.
“We don’t think that we will have any trouble in seeing Aridai (Cabrera) on the pitch. But, we will have to wait until the last moment like every week. The other thing is that during the training sessions, we recovered almost all the players,” the 51-year-old Spaniard mentioned.
When asked about Jamshedpur FC and their Head Coach Own Coyle, he commented, “He (Owen Coyle) is doing a really good job. It (JFC) is a team that one of the best teams during this season. They have a clear idea of what they have to do in the pitch and they are doing a great job.”
The Juggernauts are pretty happy this season so far as the Club has started off well in Goa and they must be expecting the team to be consistent in the performance and maintain the performance throughout the entire duration of the League.
Speaking about being one of the top teams on the table, Assistant Coach and Head of Football Development Kino Garcia explained, “I think it’s not a challenge, I think it’s something good because when you are winning or you are in a good position on the table, you can keep training and keep improving. And, the players will believe in what we are doing on the pitch. So it is better to grow winning.”
Javi Hernandez, who has already made an impact in the first few games for the Bhubaneswar-based side, is also looking forward to continuing his good run in the tournament. When asked about tomorrow’s game against the Red Miners, he opined, “I think it’s going to be a tough game because like the coach said before they put a lot of intensity during the games. They have started their season really well and it’s going to be a difficult game for sure.”
The Spaniard is into his third consecutive season here in India and he believes that the Hero ISL has improved a lot and the Indian players are also getting better day by day.
“I think it’s (the League) improving every year. Since I came in, till now, I can see better players. I think all the local (Indian) players want to improve and learn. This is good for the League as well,” Javi concluded.
Players have to be focussed and committed, asserts Coach Kiko Ramirez
December 13 2021
Odisha FC is all set to take on its neighbouring team Jamshedpur FC in the next game of the ongoing Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2021-22 tomorrow. Ahead of the crucial clash, Head Coach Kiko Ramirez, Assistant Coach Kino Garcia and Spanish footballer Javi Hernandez addressed the media during the virtual pre-match press conference.
Speaking about his message to the players, the OFC gaffer stated, “They have to be focussed and they have to be 100% committed to the team and to the match. We know that we are going to have tough games so it’s important that the players are focussed and they are paying attention to everything on the pitch until the last minute.”
Odisha FC won the first two games of the season but then lost to Kerala Blasters before winning 1-0 against NorthEast United FC in the previous encounter last Friday. However, Aridai Cabrera was in some discomfort towards the end of the game against the Highlanders and had to go off the pitch.
“We don’t think that we will have any trouble in seeing Aridai (Cabrera) on the pitch. But, we will have to wait until the last moment like every week. The other thing is that during the training sessions, we recovered almost all the players,” the 51-year-old Spaniard mentioned.
When asked about Jamshedpur FC and their Head Coach Own Coyle, he commented, “He (Owen Coyle) is doing a really good job. It (JFC) is a team that one of the best teams during this season. They have a clear idea of what they have to do in the pitch and they are doing a great job.”
The Juggernauts are pretty happy this season so far as the Club has started off well in Goa and they must be expecting the team to be consistent in the performance and maintain the performance throughout the entire duration of the League.
Speaking about being one of the top teams on the table, Assistant Coach and Head of Football Development Kino Garcia explained, “I think it’s not a challenge, I think it’s something good because when you are winning or you are in a good position on the table, you can keep training and keep improving. And, the players will believe in what we are doing on the pitch. So it is better to grow winning.”
Javi Hernandez, who has already made an impact in the first few games for the Bhubaneswar-based side, is also looking forward to continuing his good run in the tournament. When asked about tomorrow’s game against the Red Miners, he opined, “I think it’s going to be a tough game because like the coach said before they put a lot of intensity during the games. They have started their season really well and it’s going to be a difficult game for sure.”
The Spaniard is into his third consecutive season here in India and he believes that the Hero ISL has improved a lot and the Indian players are also getting better day by day.
“I think it’s (the League) improving every year. Since I came in, till now, I can see better players. I think all the local (Indian) players want to improve and learn. This is good for the League as well,” Javi concluded.
Up Next
Preview: Eastern India derby as Odisha FC takes on Jamshedpur FC this Tuesday
December 13 2021
Odisha FC announces Russell Roof Tiles as Community and Kit Partner
December 13 2021
Super-sub Jonathas De Jesus leads Odisha FC to 1-0 win over NEUFC
December 13 2021
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Sometimes in life it is helpful to talk to someone about difficulties we are facing. Even when we have other people in our lives, there can be a benefit in speaking to someone outside our usual sphere. I believe this is why counselling works.
Contact to find out more
My name is Naomi Kefford and I am a qualified counsellor and member of the BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). I practise in Guildford from a private therapy room and offer ‘in person’ (face-to-face) counselling as well as Zoom and telephone consultations.
I offer space for individuals and couples to talk about and explore areas of life that are troubling, challenging, and perhaps resulting in feelings of anxiety or depression. I offer this support within a safe and non-judgemental environment.
I strongly believe that the relationship between a client and therapist is crucial to healing and progression, which is why I encourage clients to call or email me, with no obligation. I am happy to chat through with you on the phone what it is that you are looking for, and for you to ask me questions about how I work. Then I can offer an initial session at a reduced fee, so that you can be sure that I am the right therapist for you.
If you would like to discuss how I might be able to help you please contact me.
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My location
Close to Guildford town centre.
Available daytimes, evenings and weekends.
I practise from a private therapy room and offer ‘in person’ (face-to-face) counselling as well as Zoom and telephone consultations.
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The Protestant Theological Faculty (originally known as the Hus Czechoslovak Protestant Theological Faculty) was founded in Prague on 28 April 1919. Before the First World War, there had been many restrictions on Protestants in the Czech lands (which were part of Catholic Austria at the time) and candidates for the ministry had to go to Vienna to study. With the establishment of the new Czechoslovak state after the War came full religious freedom.
Reformed and Lutheran Protestants united to form the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, and one of its first actions was to establish a Faculty of Protestant Theology to train its theology students and those from other churches. In the first year of its existence, the Faculty had 14 students, but this soon grew to 78 in 1923 and 160 in 1929. Women started studying at the Faculty in 1922; their number increased considerably after the Synod of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren decided to ordain women to the ministry in 1953. During the German occupation, the Faculty was closed down, along with most other institutes of higher education, but it resumed its activities when the Second World War was over. In 1949-50 there were 230 students.
In 1950 the Communist state decided that the Faculty should be divided into two schools: the Hus Theological Faculty for students from the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, and the Comenius Protestant Theological Faculty for students from the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren and the smaller churches. Under the Communists, the Comenius Faculty experienced many difficulties and the number of students dropped to below 100. For most of the 1950s and 1960s, the Dean was the leading Czech Protestant theologian Josef Lukl Hromádka. After the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, new opportunities opened up for the Comenius Faculty. There was a tremendous increase in the number of students. In 1990 the Comenius Faculty was incorporated into Charles University and renamed the Protestant Theological Faculty. In 1995 it moved to larger premises on its present site. In 2007-2008 the Faculty had around 500 students and some 25 teaching staff.
Faculty Seal and its Symbol
Think – Act – Speak: Theology as Salt
Some reflections on the emblem of the Faculty
When the Prague Protestant Theological Faculty was established in 1919, its founders were faced with one small task, in addition to many more major ones: how to represent symbolically the traditions they were building on and the goals they were aiming at. They, therefore, designed a new emblem, which is still used today as the seal of the Faculty.
How is its symbolism to be understood?
In the center of a circular design, we see a chalice. This symbolizes clearly enough the link with the heritage of the Czech Reformation, especially with the Hussite Reformation, which reintroduced reception of the chalice by laypeople at celebrations of the Lord’s Supper. In 1417 the entire Theological Faculty of Prague University called for communion under both kinds, taking the side of the revolution and thus risking its very existence: within a year the Council of Constance had withdrawn its license to teach. In choosing this symbol, the new Faculty demonstrated that it was committed to the chalice (with all this might entail) just as the Hussites had been and that it rejected any kind of clericalism, including theological clericalism.
In the top half of the round design we can read the Latin words: SAPERE, AGERE, LOQUI, which means in English: think, act, speak. The historical origin of this motto goes back to Jan Amos Komenský (Comenius), the last bishop of the old Unity of Brethren. The choice of these terms and the way they are linked together can be understood without any further explanation. The theology the new Faculty wants to cultivate should be scholarly, requiring a rigorous intellectual discipline; it should be practical, leading on to action; and finally, it should be based on dialogue, rejecting all other means of putting across the truth apart from the Word. The order in which the terms are placed is perhaps surprising, with “speak” in third place, forming the climax of the motto. But this surprise disappears when we remember the tremendous importance the Czech Reformation attached to the freedom of God’s word. Freely proclaiming the liberating Word is in itself “the freest of actions” (actus liberimus omnium) and is capable of freeing Christianity from its Babylonian captivity. Again and again, even in times of the greatest oppression, Czech Protestant Christians have experienced the fact that “God’s Word is not chained” (2 Tim. 2:9), and that on the contrary, it creates a space for free speech around itself. Following on from this experience and tradition, the Faculty founders committed themselves to establish the Faculty as a refuge of free speech, rooted in the freedom of God’s word.
In the central part of the emblem, to the left and right of the chalice, is a conundrum in the form of two references to Scripture – Leviticus 2:13 and Mark 9:49. In both passages, the word “salt” (Latin sal) is to be found. The connection between the motto and the Scripture quotations becomes clear when we realize that the initial letters of the three words in the motto (Sapere, Agere, Loqui) together form the Latin word SAL.
But what have theology and a theological faculty to do with salt? What led our predecessors who chose the design of the emblem to select these two passages from among the many places in the Bible where salt is mentioned? Today we can only guess at the exegesis they had in mind. We can however be reasonably certain that the version of the quotation from Mark that they had in front of them was one that is not perhaps borne out by the original manuscripts but is often found in Reformed translations of the Bible. According to this version, Jesus' words were: “every sacrifice will be salted with salt.” We are struck by the fact that in both passages the word “salt” is closely linked with the concept of sacrificial offering. Leviticus 2:13 enjoins: “You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings. Add salt to all your offerings.”
Theology as a reference to sacrifice? Did the founders of the Faculty want to emphasize that the Faculty should continue to direct its attention to the core of the Christian message – Christ’s sacrifice on the cross? Maybe. But perhaps they had something else in mind when they designed the emblem. For in both quotations salt is referred to as an additional ingredient that becomes dissolved and dispersed throughout the sacrificial offering. And this self-dissolution and self-dispersal are one of the basic functions of theology. By calling into question its own instincts of self-preservation it commits the whole of its thinking, acting and speaking to the service of both Christian and civic communities, warns and protects them against the corruption of egoism, and encourages them to serve selflessly those who are considered to be of least importance in this world. In this way, theology can make its contribution towards ensuring that the human family does not lose the dimension of self-denial and voluntary renunciation, without which neither a life of human dignity nor peaceful coexistence is possible.
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Bollywood’s upcoming thriller movieMurder 3 held its press conference in Mumbai with its lead stars in attendance. Aditi Rao Hydari, Sara Loren and Randeep Hooda were seen posing and chatting for the media.
Sara Loren & Aditi Rao Hydari Murder 3 actress
The stars were beaming with joy at the conference and why not, they have been a part of a successful franchise in Bollywood. It is the first time that these actors have been portraying such bold roles in a film. Sara Loren, for instance is a Pakistani actress and has been renamed from her original Mona Lizza. Aditi Rao Hydari portrays the role of Roshni and Randeep Hooda plays a wild life photographer in the movie named Vikram.
Murder3 is directed by Vishesh Bhatt, a new entrant in the Bhatt camp. “It is not only about erotica. It is a fantastic story” said Aditi in an interview.
Aditi Rao Hydari
The actress charmed the onlookers in a monochromatic look, a white blouse with puff sleeves paired with a black high-waist pencil skirt and nude peep-toes were combined with pin curl hairs sweeped to one side of her shoulders and a pretty face.
Aditi Rao Hydari Murder 3 actress
The glossy pink pout and bright sparkly eyes added radiance to her look. A gold watch sparkled on her wrist making the look in tune with the formal event.
A polka dotted black blouse with a tie-up neck line and rolled up sleeves was worn with a short pencil skirt and a wide black belt. The look worked for the pretty Sara Loren and she donned a pair black heels and a gold watch for the event. The starlet kept her hair open and sweeped to one side as Aditi and flaunted a pink glossy pout.
Sara Loren 2013 Murder 3 actress
Randeep Hooda was spotted posing with the leading ladies and wore an orange tee with blue denims and semi formal shoes. Eye-catching movie posters and promos are titillating the viewers for a watch. The film will hit the theatres on the 15th of February.
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As a qualified Shreveport probate attorney, it is not uncommon to hear the question “How long does probate take?” It only makes sense that people would want the probate process to hurry along. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is devastating enough as is, and...
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After the car dropped him off, Coldwater was able to get the blindfold off just in time to see them race around the corner, down 55th Place, a quaint old Main Street type of block with a couple of recording studios, an art gallery, and some other shops that had come and gone. It had been a white Cadillac, vintage 1980s, and he made a note of the license plate number. When he first started his agency, he’d spent time practicing and gotten good at quickly memorizing numbers.
The Desert Island Supply Company stood in a storefront on the ground floor of an old Masonic temple in Woodlawn, a once-venerable neighborhood just east of downtown that white flight in the 1960s had left to rot. In recent years, some people had been trying to build it up again. Desert Island Supply, aka DISCO, ran creative writing programs for area kids but was disguised as a shop that sold supplies you’d need if you were in danger of becoming stranded in the South Pacific with only a volleyball as company. At night, they had other events, and this Nitty Gritty Magic City poetry reading was one of those.
When he walked in the front door, he was immediately confronted with a giant wooden pelican, the size of a cigar store Indian, facing the sky with its beak open in a state of creepy ecstasy. The front room was divided from the back by a large shelf where they sold Imagination Spray, empty wine bottles for sending messages across the sea, and an “Official Survival Kit” containing a pencil, notepad, compass, and other items. Against the east wall, next to a giant plank of driftwood, an unknown party was selling beer and wine, and (hallelujah) mixed drinks. Coldwater needed something badly and made his way to the bartender, a youngish fellow, prematurely balding on top, and tall, thin, and squared off enough around the corners to serve as a doorjamb. What hair he had was red, which matched his goatee. Only about half of the dozen people milling about had that long curly hair that English majors, both male and female, frequently seem to go in for. Coldwater asked Doorjamb what he was making.
“We call it the Nitty Gritty Cocktail. It was invented for us by a friend who died recently. It’s got rye whiskey, Fernet Branca, and tawny port in it.” A Manhattan variation. The stiff he was talking about had to be Professor Hornbuckle. Doorjamb said it was. “He used to make drinks for us. The reading tonight is, in some ways, a tribute to him.”
The cocktail was six bucks, a bargain, but it was a little heavy on the Fernet. Coldwater took a seat on one of the box-shaped stools in the back at a table that seemed to have been constructed from the door of an old ship. The room was infested with maps and globes, model ships, and other seafaring-related trinkets. A small p.a. system was set up underneath the formidable shadows of a swordfish and a hammerhead shark that were hanging from the wall. Everyone looked pretty gloomy, but a short-haired brunette with cat-eye spectacles sitting by herself in a corner looked gloomier than the rest. She was dressed more conservatively too, in a buttoned-up white blouse with a long, black skirt. The reading hadn’t yet started, so Coldwater moved over to the seat next to her.
“Do you mind?”
“Suit yourself,” she replied.
“I’m a private detective, and I have some interest in the case of Professor Hornbuckle. I’d like to talk to you if you have a moment.”
“What makes you think I have something to do with it?”
“Are you kidding? Among this bunch of hippies and hipsters, you stand out like a pink flamingo in a black velvet cape. My guess is that you loved him. Maybe he loved you. Maybe you know about some trouble he’d gotten into. Maybe he left out on you. Maybe you came here thinking you might get some answers.”
“You have some kind of ID that shows you’re a detective?”
He opened his wallet to flash his APIB license. Up until a couple of years ago, you didn’t need any kind of license to hang your shingle as a PI in Alabama. Now there’s a whole rigmarole of college courses and an examination and continuing education credits, and you have to shell out a couple of hundred dollars every two years to keep it current.
After examining the credentials, she said, “Shall we talk here, or do you have a better idea?”
“I got dropped off here. If you can give me a lift back downtown, I’ll buy you a drink.”
She looked at him slonchwise and pulled a smirk that knocked his necktie askew. “I’ll pass.”
“After the reading, of course. I wouldn’t want you to miss anything important.” He felt his phone vibrate in his pants pocket, but he didn’t want to disrupt the informative conversation he was having.
“Tell you what,” she said. “Let’s skip the poetry, skip the drink, and go straight to your place.”
“You’re being sarcastic.”
“You bet I am.”
“We can start here and figure out the rest later. First of all, maybe you could tell me your name.”
One of the curly haired English majors, a female who looked to be about 6’5”, took the mic. She thanked the audience for coming, etc. “Most of you know…knew Professor David Hornbuckle, who helped us out with this reading series from time to time by making some awesome cocktails. Tonight we have some of his friends, colleagues, and former students who will be reading work.”
Colleagues and former students made sense, thought Coldwater, but he didn’t know Hornbuckle had any friends.
“Some of these pieces,” the hostess continued, “were influenced by Professor Hornbuckle’s seminars on medieval poetry and medieval rhetoric; others are on topics that he was interested in, which ranged from basketball to beekeeping to the finer varieties of whiskey. Everyone here, I’m sure, has his or her own story to tell. We’ll start with someone who probably knew him better than anyone, also one of the most accomplished poets I know, his wife, Flora Hornbuckle.”
Coldwater felt a cold draft as the woman with whom he had been speaking quietly took the stage and pulled some folded sheets from her handbag. “Good evening, everyone. Thank you for being here. I know it would have meant a lot of David. For those of you who are interested, there will be a wake tomorrow at the Buck Mulligan’s in Five Points, starting at six o’clock. The poem I want to read for you is called ‘Hazel and Honeysuckle’. It references the tragedy of Tristan and Iseult, one of David’s favorite stories from Arthurian legend.”
She unfolded her packet of papers and began to read with a deep mellifluous voice. Coldwater wasn’t much of a literary critic, and he wasn’t familiar with the legend. He wished he had a hard copy to read along with. From what he could follow, the poem had to do with a kind of love triangle, and there were some trees growing out of graves. His ears perked up at the mention of “Lyonesse.” Obviously, there was something significant about this. It was what Hornbuckle and Ashley Rose had argued about at the Nick, but he still didn’t know what it meant. While he was still making a note about it in his pocket moleskein, the poem ended, followed by a steady stream of applause. When he looked up again, Mrs. Hornbuckle had already left the room.
Posted in novel Tagged cocktails, Desert Island Supply Company, detective novel, DISCO, drinkwire, Fernet Branca, Magic City, Manhattan, Nitty Gritty, poetry reading, rye, tawny port
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If you are a CEO, president, owner (or in any senior position of your company), being your own “boots on the ground” in the office is part of your job no matter how much you delegate to others.
The origin of the term [“management by walking around”] has been traced to executives at the company Hewlett-Packard for management practices in the 1970s. However, the general concept of managers making spontaneous visits to employees in the workplace has been a common practice in some other companies as well. Also, the management consultants Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman had used the term in their 1982 book, In Search of Excellence. Historian Stephen B. Oates asserts that Abraham Lincoln invented the management style by informally inspecting the Union Army troops in the early part of the American Civil War.
This is clearly an idea worth paying attention to if both Tom Peters and Abraham Lincoln thought it was something worthwhile.
It’s also much more than simply “visiting” with your employees (or troops) regularly. Asking detailed questions and showing you care will go a long way as you build your business for the long run.
Another great author and patriot, Dan Kennedy, takes this concept a step further by specifically applying it to marketing.
He calls it, “marketing by walking around”…and he is also not talking about simply “visiting” either.
Applied to marketing, you need to do lots of walking around inside your company and outside your company as well.
There’s lots of exercise (and knowledge) to be had by CEO’s walking around a lot more, for both management and marketing purposes.
Chapter 8 of my new book, Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing is titled, “Customer Service and Fulfillment” and asserts that these crucial “back end functions” of your business are essential elements of marketing…and they need to be a key focus of the business at every level, from clerk to CEO.
I open the chapter with this quote (which I came up with after being lectured many times on this subject by Dan Kennedy):
“Marketing by walking around is a requirement, not a choice”
Throughout the chapter I discuss many concepts and techniques to make sure this part of your business is top priority including:
The importance of listening in on customer service calls regularly
Using “secret shoppers” effectively
How to plan for disasters in advance
The best ways to create “barriers to switch” from your brand
I hope you will pre-order the book right now at www.OverdeliverBook.com (and snatch up some incredible bonuses)…and then let me know what you think of this chapter in particular once you have the book after April 9th.
While I can’t send you the entire chapter today, what I would like to share with you is an excerpt (and how I open the chapter) from “customer service and fulfillment.”
Many of you have heard versions of this before at this special time of year–the opening of the baseball season in the United States.
Here is how I tell the story in Overdeliver:
In the early 1980s, baseball writer Thomas Boswell wrote a book called How LifeImitates the World Series. As a lifelong, diehard baseball fan, I loved this title. Baseball, like direct marketing, is a big part of my life, and I often look for ways where my two passions collide. It happens surprisingly often.
I am not just a casual fan of the game (or of this direct marketing thing either). I was a pretty good catcher in Little League—a legend in my own mind at 12 years old. But in youth baseball, when you turn 13, you go from a miniature field to a much bigger one—the same size field major league players play on.
Being a fat kid (“husky” to my family), that big field was a problem for me. I was quite slow, and navigating all that real estate just to get on base was a problem. And while I could still catch, the distances to throw the ball were too far for me as well. But I still loved the game and wanted to be part of it even if my body type (and ability) was standing in the way of my future baseball career.
How could I get on the field competently? That’s when I became an umpire, often the most hated man on the field, but in my mind, I could be the savior, creating order out of chaos, especially with little leaguers. I knew they needed me, even if they didn’t know it. I loved the game, I knew the rules, I had a loud voice, and being a little husky and slow was not an issue. In fact, it seemed like all the umpires I ever saw on TV were fat.
But umpiring gave me much more than just a hobby (inside a passion) and, as it turned out, a way to avoid obesity—it is also related to my passion for direct marketing in more ways than I ever would have imagined.
Back to why I love the title, How Life Imitates the World Series. I became an umpire at 16 years old and have done it my entire life: Little League, high school level, men’s and women’s soft- ball. My dream is to umpire at the Little League World Series. You probably also have passions in your life that, on the surface, have no relationship to your “work” . . . however, ask anyone about their hobbies, interests, exercise routines, etc., and they will tell you how the things they do outside of work give them more focus when they are back at their desk. I maintain that—as it said on the back of [my mentor] Marty Edelston’s business card—“the master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play.” But for this part of the discussion let’s assume there is a distinction. At least a little one.
As with all the activities in your life, the concentration required to do something well is demanding—whether it’s being a lawyer, an accountant, or a dentist, or if it’s mountain biking, skiing, or yoga—and in all cases and situations, distractions will lead to failure. In the case of your livelihood, you could lose a client, have a downturn in business, or even get fired from a job; in sports, it could lead to physical injury.
With umpiring, while you could get hit in the head with a baseball if you are daydreaming, the real injuries come when you get yelled at for missing a call. I know you might get a correction during an imperfect downward-facing dog in a yoga class, but missing an obvious call in a baseball game will have a coach loudly arguing with you—in your face and possibly kicking dirt at you—while the parent of the kid who was the victim of your awful call will be screaming from the stands about what a despicable person you are.
Maybe I should take up yoga.
A copywriter friend once asked me, “Why would anyone want to be an umpire?”
There had to be something motivating me to be abused so much, and I came up with three answers. The first two I have already touched on:
I love the focus required to do it well.
I love creating order from chaos by applying established principles (in this case to the game of baseball).
I love that underneath it all, umpiring is about customer service and fulfillment.
This chapter is about #3, and when I say fulfillment here, I am not talking about my personal fulfillment but rather fulfillment for the customer. No one comes to a baseball game to see the umpire, just as no one goes to any sporting event to see the referee or official of that game. The best an umpire can get at the end of the game is “Nice game, ump.” But the moment an umpire makes a mistake, all hell breaks loose.
If you have ever worked in customer service, fulfillment, or any part of a business that is all about making the behind-the-scenes stuff seamless, I think you might be getting the connection. Most customers don’t interact with a company just to experience their customer service and fulfillment. They are buying, receiving, and enjoying their product (sort of like playing in a baseball game on a beautiful spring day); but if something is not right with the experience, it will be time to get satisfaction for the wrong that has been inflicted upon them.
No one wants to feel wronged—and if you don’t make it right for them (quickly), I guarantee that the lifetime value of this customer will decrease significantly, maybe even to nothing, or less than nothing. This is the marketing after the marketing—and when we screw up on delivering for our customers, it is absolutely the worst thing we can do in business. As I’ve said in other ways throughout this book already, it’s much easier to keep a customer happy (and increase their lifetime value) than to get a new customer . . . although it does feel sexier to get new customers all the time.
Saving a loyal customer after they feel you have not fulfilled your promise (at any point in the relationship) is your most important sales function. You do this by making world-class customer service your highest priority. While I worried about the title of this book being Overdeliver, worried that potential readers might think it is only about delivering impeccable customer service, I decided to go with it because it is such a core principle of marketing. And now you know that “over delivering” is also much more than this.
The fact that so many marketers today put up with 30 per- cent to 50 percent return rates on an initial sale (I guess because keeping 50 percent to 70 percent of new customers is good enough) makes me cringe. And even if accepting that return rate on the initial sale is the prevailing philosophy, these marketers still don’t spend enough time caring for and nurturing the folks who don’t return the product initially, losing them later by not being laser focused on doing everything to keep these customers happy and coming back for more.
Having a total commitment to the highest quality (and integrity) on the initial sale is the most important first step…but that same mind-set needs to be in place with all customers throughout the lifetime of their relationship with you. And when you are thinking about customer service and fulfillment, it’s even more important to have this maxim front and center all the time, one that I made up and one that I try to live by (and which you have seen at the opening to Chapter 1): “Everything in business (and in life) is not a revenue event, but everything is a relationship event.”
Here’s another way I like to put this as it pertains to customer service: Lifetime value increases the longer someone loves you and wants to buy from you in the future like they have in the past; but this requires you to take care of them like they are family, even without any exchange of funds.
Unfortunately, too many entrepreneurs and business owners treat their customer service and fulfillment as afterthoughts, and not just the function but the people they hire for those jobs too. These shortsighted executives act as though the actual real-world interaction with real-life people who buy from them doesn’t matter once a sale is made. This is a big mistake. Alas, the fulfillment manager, or customer service rep, on their best day, will get the feedback equivalent of “Nice game, ump.” If there are no problems, these folks remain invisible. But when they blow a call (i.e., make a mistake) they become the least popular employees in the company.
It takes a certain kind of personality to umpire . . . or to be a fulfillment manager or customer service representative. Taking pride in giving exquisite service—and being willing to do it without being noticed—is extremely rare. These are the people who over deliver at the highest level. Pay close attention to people you hire for these roles, and pay them well too. They are your first line of defense in protecting against leakage of your existing and potential customers; and they are your last line of defense against customers leaving you forever.
The wonderful telephone operator who solves a customer’s problem behind the scenes and saves an order or avoids cancellation feels like they are part of sales and revenue creation (or what we can call revenue saving). And the delighted customer, who receives a positive outcome, will have their day made and might just become a customer for life. The folks I know who are the best at customer service receive satisfaction in saving the day, whether it’s noticed by one or by many. But while they may not be looking for positive reinforcement, go out of your way to applaud them. Give them accolades for their excellent skill at keeping customers; they deserve this just as much as the sales rep or copywriter deserves praise for figuring out creative ways to add new customers.
Make sure you look after every part of your customer service and fulfillment, because the only way to stay in business for the long haul is to focus relentlessly on keeping your customers happy. And that includes keeping your employees happy too. Even if things go wrong, if you are committed to making things right and saving every customer with every interaction, no matter how negative or potentially damaging, you will build resilience into your business—because, as we know, all businesses thrive on repeat purchases.
You can even base your entire differentiation strategy as a company on how you treat your customers. Look at such well- known retail businesses as Nordstrom, Stew Leonard’s, Ritz Carl- ton—they are differentiated in extremely competitive industries due to their unrivalled customer service. I love tracking what companies have done to create superior levels of service for their best customers, especially with commoditized products. Premium services such as Amazon Prime and the American Express Black Card over deliver and create customer experiences like no one else.
The rest of the chapter in the book on customer service and fulfillment is not about baseball—I promise—but it is about the importance of servicing your customers at the highest level and not just selling them.
And whether we are talking about management by walking around or marketing by walking around it’s always about leadership by walking around.
And that’s what I really mean when I get out on the field over the next 5 months and begin each game with “play ball!”
Warmly,
P.S. I hope most of you have at least taken a look at the bonuses I am offering with my book, Overdeliver…and if you pre-order today (the book launches April 9th), you can still get everything at www.OverdeliverBook.com immediately.
Please pre-order now and also feel free to share the link above with anyone else who might benefit from these incredibly useful resources from the greatest direct marketers ever, past and present.
P.P.S. As I continue to talk about all of my mentors and friends mentioned and discussed in the new book, I have been getting inquiries about some who are not represented at www.OverdeliverBook.com– marketing royalty known for their genius (and their own form of “overdelivering”).
One of those is Bill Jayme. He just had too much material to add!
“The Bill Jayme Collection,” a swipe file of 210 monumental control packages written by one of the most prolific copywriters ever, is now available in a new format.
I was out of stock (of the 12 disc set) but based on the demand for the content (and your feedback on changing the format), I created a small quantity of this priceless collection on one USB thumb drive in a protective plastic case (rather than on discs).
If you would like to hear more about the legend of Bill Jayme and why he is considered one of the best and most beloved copywriters ever, please read “Deeply and Irrevocably Personal.”
To order one of the limited edition Bill Jayme Collections in stock now, click here.
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Welcome to DC Public Safety – radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.
– Audio begins –
Len Sipes: From our microphones in downtown Washington, D.C., this is D.C. Public Safety. I’m your host, Leonard Sipes. We have, I think, a really interesting program today. Day reporting: These are individuals who come to my agency, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency. They go to Day Reporting when they haven’t done all that well and there are problems in their supervision or they’re not getting jobs and what we do is we say, well, you’re going to have to go to the Day Reporting Center on a day-to-day basis and you’re going to be talking with Mr. Walter Hagins. He is the program manager of the Day Reporting Center and we’ll also have two folks who are currently under our supervision. Again, we are a federal agency providing parole and probation services in Washington, D.C. and I’m not going to use their real names. I’m going to refer to them as Pookie as the first person and Cool as the second person. Ladies and gentlemen, before we get into the gist of our show, want to remind everybody that we are again very, very pleased with the amount of people who are listening to the show. We are up to close to 200,000 individuals, 200,000 requests I should say, for D.C. Public Safety radio, television, blog, and transcripts at media M-E-D-I-A.csosa C-S-O-S-A.gov. Really interested in your comments in the show, suggestions, criticisms; feel free to give them. You can either comment in the comment box at D.C. Public safety; again, media.csosa.gov or you can get to me directly by email, which is Leonard L-E-O-N-A-R-D.sipes S-I-P not T, [email protected] or you can follow me by Twitter. It’s Twitter.com or Twitter.com/lensipes (without any separation). So, back to our program. Walter Hagins, the program manager of the Day Reporting Center. How ya doing, Walter?
Walter Hagins: Good morning, Len. How are you today?
Len Sipes: I’m all right. You know, Walter, I’ve been to the Day Reporting Center maybe three, four times in the past and I remember we were doing fugitive safe surrender, which was a program designed to get people who are wanted on criminal warrants to voluntarily surrender. So, I did a couple focus groups with the folks at Day Reporting and, boy, were they an interesting bunch of folk. You really got the sense that a lot of these individuals were on the edge that they’re in the community today but they may go back to prison the following day. And I just did not get the sense that these were the most disciplined bunch of folks on the face of the earth. Walter?
Walter Hagins: Well, Len, part of that is partially true and the reason I say that because at the Day Reporting Center it is sort of a one-stop shop to try to get folks back into compliance as well as to try to get individuals to become more employable and that can range from anything from dealing with issues of substance abuse, dealing with issues of homelessness, dealing with issues of literacy, dealing with issues of mental health, dealing with a lot of host of things; personal problems. And so that can trigger one’s supervision that causes them to make decisions that places them at risk. So, the Day Reporting Center, so you do get those folks and it’s our job to kind of mow them back and get them refocused in order to be productive, not only in their lives but in the community.
Len Sipes: But they’re close to going back to prison.
Walter Hagins: Well, yeah, a lot of them because if you don’t follow conditions of supervision, you will go back to prison if you don’t follow those conditions.
Len Sipes: Uh-huh. If you keep pulling positive drug tests, if you don’t show up for drug testing, if the neighbors keep complaining that you’re out on the corner at 1:00 in the morning smoking reefer and raising hell, you’re close to going back to prison.
Walter Hagins: And that’s correct and, fortunately, for us, CSOSA understands that there is a way to kind of intercede, to give another opportunity, another resource, and still hold accountability to try to avoid that going back to prison.
Len Sipes: The bottom line in all of this, and this is the larger question for parole and probation agencies throughout the country, Walter, is the whole concept of maintaining individuals in the community as long as they are not a threat to public safety. So, if the person is arrested for a violent crime, he goes. Nobody’s questioning that. If he’s arrested for a burglary, he goes. But the point is that there’s a lot of stuff that goes on in the middle, in between, and the larger sense for all of us in parole and probation in Canada, in England, and, believe it or not, in China because we’ve provided technical assistance to China on this very issue, is how you maintain folks in the community safely, not threatening public safety, and help them basically stop the drug positives, get the job, clean up the attitude. Am I right or am I wrong? Am I in the ballpark?
Walter Hagins: You are right on point and I think CSOSA is unique because I believe that we are on the right path because what you’re talking about is in a time of financial constraints. Roughly we have anywhere from 40 to 50 that’s always in the Day Reporting Center. Now, to house a federal prisoner, it’s $22,000. So, if you take our 50 guys, that’s roughly over $1,100,000 and my math might be a little bit off but it’s roughly over $1 million. So, what CSOSA has done with this Day Reporting Center is offer a one-stop shop, a place where folks on probation can come and (1) can get structure, can get programming, and can get discipline as well as get the resources from our community partnerships, from what we have in-house to kind of try to combat that so you don’t have to deal with folks returning to prisons and giving them an opportunity. So, that’s been the dilemma and CSOSA’s answer is to let’s not bring folks in who may be drifting and bring them, if it’s substance abuse, bring them substance abuse education. If it’s dealing with structure, have a place where these individuals can come in and they report in for five to six hours, but make that time constructive, make that time where they can receive positive information as well as have a positive support system.
Len Sipes: Okay. Got it. And, just for the record, I want to tell the listeners that there are a variety of programs here at the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency where it is, oh, I don’t know what we call all of the different programs that we have, but they are designed to provide a variety of activities, a variety of, I don’t know what the word is, opportunity, a variety of modalities based upon the offender’s unique individual needs all the way to a 30 day placement in a treatment center to deal with either mental health or substance abuse or other problems. So, this is just one of a variety of programs where we try to do the best to protect public safety and, at the same time, try to get that individual to understand that he’s got to work every day, he’s got to stop pulling drug positives, he’s got to cooperate, and he’s got to lose the attitude.
Len Sipes: All right. Cool. Pookie, we’re going to go over to you now. Really appreciate your being here. Now, you are part of the Day Reporting structure now?
Len Sipes: I’m doing good. The interesting thing, Pookie, is that, boy, you don’t fit the stereotype. Last time I was at Day Reporting, everybody was young and dressed young and looked young. You’re an older gentleman.
Len Sipes: Well, in a suit and tie, you look good. You look like you’re president of a bank.
Pookie: Well, half my battle has been because of my appearance.
Len Sipes: You know what? Who said that? Somebody said, oh, I forget who said it, some famous celebrity, Woody Allen, I think it was, who said that 80 percent of life and life’s battle’s just showing up. And then somebody came along and said, well, it’s 80 percent just showing up and dressed in a suit or dressed appropriately and that’s 80 percent of life, 80 percent of the success in life is just showing up and looking good. And that’s, you figured that out.
Len Sipes: All right. How’d you get into the Day Reporting program?
Pookie: Well, I got into Day Reporting program because I violated conditions of parole. I came home, I tried unsuccessfully to get a job and it’s been, like, four months. Me and my parole officer decided to try something new, which was he referred me to the Day Reporting Center. I’m not there because of sanction because my urine is positive. I’m not there because I failed to report to his office and I’m not there because I failed to be at my home when he had a home visit. So, I’m basically there to try something new, to try another avenue, to try to get myself back in the mainstream of a job.
Len Sipes: What’s your background, by the way? Somebody listening can, hopefully, get you a job today.
Pookie: Well, my background is being raised in a juvenile institution from the time I was 8 up until, let’s say, 47, I’ve always been a leader, even in prison. I’ve always been able to motivate. So, I say, okay, I’m going to try to use these skills when I get into the community. I got a job cleaning the streets. Made me feel good. The pay wasn’t that great, but I felt good about making an honest dollar. I advanced from team leader to supervisor to senior supervisor to acting project manager. Right? And I normally motivate and I talk to my co-workers.
Len Sipes: What happened? Something happened.
Pookie: However, I did come up with a dirty urine.
Pookie: Over a 5-year period in the community; first I’ve ever had in my life.
Pookie: But what I’m saying is that my first dirty urine, kind of, it had a conflict between me and my parole officer because my dirty urine was alcohol and, see under conditions of parole, you can’t drink alcohol but in moderation, not in excess.
Len Sipes: So, but you’re out of work now, right?
Pookie: I’m out of work now.
Len Sipes: And why’s that?
Pookie: I’m out of work now because I just came home last year in November.
Pookie: Right? I had to go through the Reentry Center program.
Len Sipes: Right, which is another of our alternative programs.
Len Sipes: Or not in the case, not an alternative program, but a mode of transitioning being back into the community through intensive drug treatment, mental health; that sort of stuff.
Pookie: In-patient. I also went through drug treatment, which is Second Genesis.
Len Sipes: Cool. Okay. So, you went through the whole she-bang.
Len Sipes: Our drug treatment, by the way, ladies and gentlemen, is not what most people think of drug treatment. It’s not twice a week for an hour in a group setting. It is pretty intensive.
Len Sipes: A thorough analysis of the individual and then placing this person into a residential group setting and a plan for follow-up, relapse prevention for when the person gets out. Correct?
Len Sipes: Okay. Did it work?
Pookie: It worked. I successfully completed each and every component of the Reentry Program.
Len Sipes: All right. So, you’re not doing drugs?
Pookie: I’m not doing drugs. Matter of fact, I haven’t been home since November 28 of last year and all my urines are negative.
Len Sipes: Okay. So, you’re one of our success stories. So, instead of throwing you back in prison, you’re back in the community and you’re trying to make it.
Pookie: I’m trying to make it. I’m not asking for welfare. I’m not asking for a hand-out. I’m just asking for an extended hand, you know?
Pookie: I’m asking for, give me an opportunity, because my last job, I was given an opportunity.
Len Sipes: But why’d you lose the last job?
Pookie: Because I was violated, not because of anything on the job.
Len Sipes: Okay. But you went back to prison.
Pookie: I went back to prison.
Len Sipes: What’s your skill set? What do you do? What are you good at?
Pookie: Well, I’m good at scrubbing floors. I’m good at carpentry. I’m good at motivating. I’m good at supervising. I’m good at fixing small equipment; lawn mowers, weed whackers. I’ve been able to use
Pookie: Because I learned each and every phase of my job; that’s why I got to the point of acting supervisor.
Len Sipes: Okay. Cool. And you were working for the city at the time?
Pookie: Well, I was working for a private company but it does work for the city.
Len Sipes: A private company that works for the city. Okay. Anybody out there that’s got a job for Pookie, let me tell you, he looks like a bank president sitting here. I mean, he just looks like a bank president. We’re going to go over to another gentleman who came in today. He’s currently under supervision and we’re just going to call him Cool. I’ve heard the name 40 years in the criminal justice system; Cool Breeze, Cool Man, Cool Kid. I’ve heard about every variation of Cool on the face of the earth. How ya doing, Cool?
Cool: I’m doing good. How ya doing?
Len Sipes: All right. Now, you look like a rock star. You look like you’re just fresh off of MTV doing something or other. You’ve got this fresh face, young man look going about you. And tell me a little bit about your involvement in the Day Reporting system, Cool.
Cool: Well, the Day Reporting Center has done very good for me. Instead of my CSO sending me back to jail, she send me to the Day Reporting Center, which is good.
Len Sipes: Right. And the CSO’s the Community Supervision Officer, what most people would call a parole and probation agent throughout the rest of the country. So, what did you do that got you instead of going back to prison you went here?
Cool: Well, I participated. I mean, I could have said, no.
Len Sipes: Now, what did you do? What was your violation?
Cool: Oh, I didn’t catch any violations. I had no violations. It was because I didn’t obtain employment.
Len Sipes: All right. So, you’re not out there finding work.
Cool: Yes.
Len Sipes: Do you have work now?
Cool: No, not at all, sir.
Len Sipes: All right. But you’re getting work?
Cool: Yes.
Len Sipes: Cool. All right. What’s your impression about the Day Reporting Center? Is it a huge pain in the rear? Is it helpful? Is it, what’s your gut perception of this?
Cool: Well, the Day Reporting Center to me, it offers a lot of good programs. I mean, everyone has their own opinion, but for me, I think, the Day Reporting Center is a good program. I can relate to, I’m down at the Day Reporting Center five days a week, so out of those five days a week, I can relate to at least about 4 1/2 classes out of there. I say 4 1/2 because at one point in time it’s from 1:00 to 3:00. So, it’s a certain speaking at 1:00 till 2:00 and then from 2:00 till 3:00.
Len Sipes: I’m going to reintroduce all three of you because, believe it or not, we’re halfway through the half hour program. Ladies and gentlemen, this is D.C. Public Safety. Walter Hagins is the program manager of the Day Reporting Center for our agency, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency. Walter brought in a couple gentlemen with him today who are part of the process of the Day Reporting Center and we’re not using their real names. We’re calling just one, Pookie, the bank manager, and Cool, the gentleman from MTV, and that’s how I’ve got them all figured out in my mind. Let’s have a larger discussion for the last 15 minutes and I’m going to go back to you, Cool, because I didn’t give you a lot of time. What society is saying and the emails I get and the communications that I get from people who hear these shows and I’m also teaching a class at the University of Maryland right now and I’m giving sort of, like, half down the middle where half the folks are saying, you know, these individuals try to do what you can to keep them in the community. If they don’t have to go back to prison, I really don’t want to pay all the money to send them back to prison, but I want to be protected. That’s the bottom line. So, if you can figure out, Mr. Sipes, you and your agency, if you can figure out who’s going to do well in community supervision and who needs to go back to prison, well, then cool, but I’m not really quite sure I trust your judgment. Pookie and Cool, Cool, we’ll go with you. How do you respond to people on the outside who basically said, look, my man, you’ve been in prison. We expect you to work and pay your taxes and don’t have any dirty urines. We don’t want you doing drugs. We want you to be a model citizen and that’s what we want out of you. How do you respond to that?
Cool: I mean, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being a model citizen. It’s harder for certain people. They do say most of the time a person that’s been convicted, go to jail for five years and come back home and stay on the streets for six months and then go right back to jail for another 5 to 10 years.
Cool: Yes. When I’ve totally went over that opinion, like, I’ve been out on the streets longer than I’ve been in prison.
Len Sipes: Okay. And how long you been out on the streets?
Cool: About two years now and I was locked up for about 20 months.
Len Sipes: All right. Why aren’t you employed?
Cool: Well, because, I mean, I’m not going to say because people aren’t hiring. Maybe it’s because I’m not doing my best, to be honest with you. I’m trying, but I’m not doing my best. There’s a lot of other things on the outside world as far as financially, other things.
Len Sipes: See, the thing that blows me away and this is something that deals with some stereotypes and I apologize for those stereotypes, nevertheless, they are there. When the public out there hears the word, “criminal,” somebody’s caught up in the criminal justice system, they have a prearranged vision in their minds as to who that individual is. I’m looking at both of you and both of you look and sound like anybody else that you’re going to find on the street. I mean, there’s not an ounce of stereotype in either one of your presentations. So, the public is now sitting back and going, okay, well, I’m not quite sure what Len Sipes is looking at and I’m not there so I can’t make my own judgments, but, daggone it, I want people who come out of prison to toe the line and not go back and to be responsible. So, that’s their emphasis. Now, is it that we don’t provide enough programs, society provides too many temptations, you don’t have enough self-discipline. I mean, speaking for yourself and people who you’ve been in contact with out on the street, what’s up with the folks who go back? Because there’s no hope for them? What’s the issue?
Walter Hagins: Let me jump in for a second because you talked about, and I liked what you said, but keep in mind, these two gentlemen have had a place to practice. Okay? You have the DRC. You have this haven where, we have this saying, the lion’s den, where you can have a place where you can bring up those issues into this forum and we discuss it and
Len Sipes: As a group.
Walter Hagins: As a group or individually. We do some things individually. Part of that is when society is talking about the whole rehabilitation and we want you to get a job and things like that. I think enough attention is not paid to the steps to get a job. Do I have the sort of skills as far as my dress, communication? Can I deal with conflict? When my boss says something or my supervisor says something I don’t like, do I go off the handle like I’ve seen growing up if I didn’t have structure and role modeling? Or do I go and deal with that person and use some of the skills; conflict resolution, pull my supervisor to the side and do the things that we’re talking about in group. See, I think a lot of that stereotype is because not everybody has had the benefit, maybe not everybody has had a positive role model, maybe there’s not been that type of intervention like the DRC. So, to stick someone into a job and say, be successful. What does that mean? If I’ve never been successful and never had that type of training, then what are we talking about?
Len Sipes: And that’s something the public struggles with because our reality is that recovery, let’s just say drug treatment, an addict wants that drug, an alcoholic wants that drink every single day of their lives. How they cope with that every single day becomes a learning process. And they’ve got to be taught how to do that, but relapse, which means positive urines, is a daily reality for us because it’s part of the addictions process and it’s part of the recovery process, where the average person says, man, he’s out of prison. He’s got three positives for cocaine. Please send him back to prison. And that’s what we have to struggle with every single day. And the other part of it is what we call, cognitive therapy, where it’s thinking through stuff and thinking in a different way. And you’re right. How many people have been fired because they simply mouthed off to the boss?
Len Sipes: I mean, how many times do I want to tell bosses, not my current boss certainly, but in the past, how many times did I want to tell him or her to go do something? And I came close more than a couple occasions, but that’s in me; that’s in everybody. That’s in these gentlemen, that’s in you, that’s in me, that’s in everybody listening to the program, but how you respond to that provocation is what makes the difference and, within your program, what I hear is you teach them how to respond.
Walter Hagins: And we role model. I mean, and these gentlemen will attest, we actually do scenarios where we may do mock interviews or we may role-play that we’re on a job and someone might make an inappropriate response when advanced and you’re under the microscope or understudy and how do you respond? And then we’ll stop it and we’ll get critiqued. So, now that becomes a part of your muscle memory or your experience. So, if I’m ever placed in that situation before, at least I have a frame of reference.
Len Sipes: It’s automatic in terms of how you respond. Instead of responding with a mouth, you respond appropriately.
Len Sipes: Because, Lord knows, we all have difficult bosses.
Walter Hagins: Including myself.
Len Sipes: Everybody on the face of the earth has a difficult boss. Why is that? Pookie or Cool, either one of you, I mean, what we’re saying is that a lot of folks under supervision. You don’t have to talk specifically for yourself but talk specifically or generally in terms of the people that you’ve been in contact with. What we’re saying is we’ve got to retrain a lot of human beings that may not have been brought up correctly, I don’t know if that’s an appropriate term to say, but people get my drift, and people have got to learn basic skills in terms of how to work with other human beings throughout life. I mean, how many people in the domestic violence unit, which is another one of our programs, I mean, you can’t hit your wife. You can’t even raise your fist to your wife and that is something that they didn’t know. Now, people sitting there are going, well, I don’t believe that. I don’t believe that folks don’t know this. There are a lot of folks that we supervise who don’t know this stuff. Cool, you’re trying to say something and say it into the microphone.
Cool: Okay. Well, as you all were just saying, I mean, there’s some people who were brought up with different views. If someone grows up as a child seeing their mother being hit on all day or seeing someone selling drugs around them their whole life being brought up, they think that’s the right thing to do to make money or the right way to treat a female. I mean, in this program, in the DRC, they get to know you. You have open discussions, scenarios that other people can relate to. I mean, I think with your CSO, my CSO, she gave me a chance. She introduced me to the DRC and it’s helped me a whole lot. It’s motivated me to go on job interviews and go seek out employment because I’ve never really had a job so coming here gave me the skills to know what I needed to do to obtain the job. And, if you don’t know a person, if you don’t know why they’re acting the way they’re acting or why they speak the way they speak or their behavior, I mean, you can’t really help them unless you get to know them. You’ve got people out here who are on drugs their whole life, who are abused their whole life and certain people don’t know that so, of course, you’re going to have people going back to jail and violating probation because after awhile they’re going to say, I don’t care anymore. But with the DRC, man, you get see that the stereotype isn’t always right. Like, as you said about me, most people look at me on the street and say, hey, there’s this young looking guy. He’s probably out here selling drugs. He’s probably, I’m not doing any of that.
Len Sipes: But your presentation is somebody that has a college degree. I mean, the way you present yourself is pretty daggone impressive. So, I’m sitting here going, okay, if you’ve got the look. If you’ve got the whole thing down in terms of how to interact with people, why can’t you get a job.
Cool: Good point. That is a good point. That is a good point. Well, to be honest with you, I mean, maybe, like, the stereotype. They look at me, they see me, and they’re, like, unh-huh, and they look at my past, my criminal record and they’re, like, I’m not going to hire this guy before they sit down and have a conversation with me. I think if someone was to actually sit down and interview and have actual conversation with me, I think I’d have 100 percent shot at getting the job.
Len Sipes: Uh-huh. Pookie, one of the things that always astounded me is two things. I understand that there is discrimination. In some cases, when I’m talking about discrimination, I’m talking about law, saying that you can’t hire a person with a particular background. So, if you’re going to go into a day care center, you can’t hire somebody who’s a sex offender. I mean, that’s pretty obvious. But the overwhelming majority of people under supervision are employed at a certain point in their lives. I mean, guys with criminal records get jobs all the time. So, how do you frame this to the American public and 20 percent of our audience is beyond the shores of the United States, so what do you say to the folks in China and France? And what do you say to folks about this whole sense of succeeding?
Pookie: Well, I can only look at myself. It seems like most employers now are asking for resumes. It’s not like a personal, you go in the office and you have an interview, and you sit down with somebody and you explain and you tell them your story about why you need the job. It’s about resume. Resumes are just basically built on what is your criteria for this job. What else do you have to offer? Because you are looked at as commodity.
Len Sipes: Right.
Pookie: So, if you don’t have that experience or that knowledge of, let’s say, working or that work ethic or that motivation, you’re not going to get the job. I mean, you can write anything on a piece of paper, but they can always just put that piece of paper on the side. I have walked these pavements for the last four months each and every day. I had to bring my parole officer verification that I went to this business, to the point where I had blisters on my feet
Len Sipes: And basically nobody hired you is what you’re saying.
Pookie: Nobody has hired me, but that hasn’t really folded up or thought about using drugs or thought about committing a crime; all I need is a job.
Len Sipes: I hear you.
Pookie: That’s all I need is a job. Now, because I’m in the DRC program, that program is another avenue into maybe, let’s say, training me in various apprenticeship programs. As a matter of fact, I’ve been referred to CDL, the greater Washington, is a component of CSOSA community.
Len Sipes: Are you talking about commercial drivers licenses?
Len Sipes: Because there are a lot of guys who have served heavy-duty time in prison who are now out there driving trucks and there are some of them out there hiring other truck drivers. They’re doing extraordinarily well. The half hour has gone by way too fast, but what I’d like to do is invite you all back, the three of you, come on back in three months and give me a progress report and I’d love to have you back on the radio because we really haven’t gotten enough time to discuss all the different things I wanted to discuss. Our participants today: Walter Hagins, program manager of the Day Reporting Center for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency. We have Pookie, not his real name obviously, but the gentlemen looks like a bank manager. He’s looking for work, has lots of skills, hard skills. And Cool is somebody who you would upfront impress everybody because he’s got that look going on. And, gentlemen, I wish the best of luck. Anybody out there looking for what seems to be wonderful individuals to hire, we’ve got them right here. Contact me, [email protected]. Ladies and gentlemen, I really appreciate everything that you’ve done for the show, 196,000 requests last month. Have yourselves a very, very pleasant day.
Meta terms: Police, law enforcement, university, college, criminal justice, education, leadership, professional development, crime, criminals, criminal justice, parole, probation, prison
Filed Under: Anger Management, Audio Podcast, Criminal Justice, Day Reporting, Drug Treatment, Education and Vocational Assistance, Interviews with Offenders, Interviews with Staff, Parole and Probation
Leadership Development in Criminal Justice Agencies
May 17, 2010 by CSOSA
Welcome to DC Public Safety-radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.
– Audio begins –
Len Sipes: From our studio in Downtown Washington, DC this is DC Public Safety, I’m your host, Len Sipes. We have and I think an extraordinarily interesting program today; Leadership in Criminal Justice. I’ve been in the Criminal Justice system for almost 40 years. And I can tell you that there’s no issue more contentious than this concept of leadership within the criminal justice system. Do we really breed free thinking people who are going to attack crime problems or correctional problems or court related problems through innovation, through interesting concepts. Through exploration, through research. It’s difficult within a bureaucracy and there is probably no bureaucracy more stodgy than the criminal justice system. So we have two, I think really interesting people to talk to today. One is Debbie Owens. She is the Deputy Commissioner of the Baltimore Police Department. And I’m going to give out her email address in a little while. And the other interesting person we have is Doctor William Sondervan. Doctor Sondervan is a Professor and Director of Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland University College. And again I’ll give out his email address and his website afterwards. The interesting thing about the University of Maryland, the University College, 94,000 students throughout the country and throughout the world. They have a European division, they have an Asian division. So we’re talking about a major administrative academic effort coming together with mainstream criminal justice to develop this concept called Leadership in Criminal Justice. Debbie Owns and Doctor Sondervan, welcome to DC Public Safety.
Len Sipes: All right, I want to start off a little bit with you, Bill; 94,000 students, the University of Maryland, the University College, the whole concept, I mean, is this the normal college? Or is this something that brings a new and innovative way of offering higher level academic programs to students?
William Sondervan: Well, we’re actually quite unusual. A very interesting university. We’re part of the University system of Maryland. And there’s 11 colleges and universities in this system. And our distinct mission is the adult part time learner. And working with the professional in the field. And I’ve been a practitioner my whole life. I’ve had 23 years in the Military Police retiring and Lt. Colonel and then the States Correction Commissioner. I was asked to come in and create a program specifically for practitioners to help the people in the field to better be able to do their job. And that’s what makes us a little bit different.
Len Sipes: Debbie, first of all, congratulations to you all in Baltimore City, you’ve reduced the homicide rate to its lowest point in many years. You’ve also recorded recently a 2 percent reduction in violent crime. Debbie Owens is Deputy Commissioner of the Baltimore City Police Department. Debbie, why did you get involved with the University of Maryland, the University College? What advantages do they bring to the folks at the Baltimore City Police Department?
Debbie Owens: You know, actually it’s Commissioner Deerfeld’s(?) idea. I know that he’s worked with Bill before and we have done some things with universities and toyed around with various types of leadership development. And we just were taken aback by the effectiveness and the accomplishments that the University of Maryland, University College has made. And so we sat around, I remember Bill one morning at breakfast talking about this whole subject of leadership and Bill and his cohorts just brought years and years of knowledge and experience to the table. And we just felt comfortable and it has ended up being a great partnership.
Len Sipes: All right. Now we’ve got the easy questions out of the way, the introductions out of the way. Debbie Owens can be reached at [email protected]. debra.owens – o-w-e-n-s at baltimorepolice dot org. Bill Sondervan can be reached at [email protected], the website is www.umuc.edu. Okay. The niceties are out of the way. Now let’s have the fun part of the conversation. Again, I’ve been in the criminal justice system for 40 years. It is a stodgy, bureaucratic system, whether we’re talking about corrections, whether we’re talking about the judiciary, whether we’re talking about pre-trail, it doesn’t matter. Parole and probation, it’s a system of hierarchies. It’s a leader at the top setting the tone for everybody else in law enforcement. In some cases it’s very paramilitary. In corrections it’s very paramilitary. Is this a structure, I’m talking specifically about the criminal justice system, not IBM or not Google or not, you now, the big automotive companies. Is the criminal justice system conducive to creating people who are going to think for themselves, create for themselves, try things for themselves and take risks?
William Sondervan: Well, Len, if I may, that’s what this program is all about. And the way we kicked it off and the way we got started was sitting around the table with Commissioner Fred Deerfeld and some colleagues and this is all about relationships and friendships that go back years. And as a new Police Commissioner for the Department, Fred Deerfeld sincerely wanted to make a better, a safer city and create a better police department by giving his mid level managers and his officers the tools to do that. And we kicked around a lot of different ideas and by going back and forth we came up with a model which is really unique. It was new to Baltimore City police and it was new to the university. He had some selling to do on his end, I had some selling to do on our end. The people at University of Maryland, University College were skeptical at first, but then became very agreeable. And now they really love the program, our Dean, our Provost, our President are all involved in it. And Fred wanted something where the mid level managers in this program could actually help solve problems. Well, we’re teaching them leadership skills and problem solving skills for them to go into the city and to tackle some problems and to come up with solutions to problems is part of the learning process. And I think that’s really neat and that’s really kind of what we did. And I’m going to ask the Deputy Commissioner to talk about that a little bit. But what we did in our format is we started out with, we have four credit classes that lead to a 16 credit criminal justice leadership certificate. And all those credits apply to a Bachelor of Science degree. And a part of this whole thing is the Commissioner wants to encourage these people to get their Bachelor’s degrees. But the way we have it set up is we have a week in the classroom, which is intensive, in classroom learning, and then we follow that with six weeks of online environment. And in the online environment the students have to do a journal, they have to do pape
rs, they have to do research. But really what’s unique about this is our faculty working with the Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner and your senior staff is that they come up with projects. And they basically give our faculty the projects. The projects are then assigned to the students who are broken down into teams and the teams go and they actually research those projects, they come up with solutions. And at the end of each class those students have to brief the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner and other members of the command staff on their solution to problems. And I think this is really remarkable. And I think a lot of the things that the students were able to do, the Commissioner adopted them for actual implementation. And another part of this thing, as I think for the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, they really got to see their people. Some of those folks in the class they didn’t know that well because it’s a huge police department. But they got to watch their people in action and they really learned a lot about them and they really saw who has leadership ability, who doesn’t and who’s going to come to the top.
Len Sipes: Okay, well, Bill, I think we answered the question in a roundabout way. Debbie, I’m going to put the question to you, now, what Bill just said makes sense. I mean, within an academic setting, you’re allowed to do lots of different things. You’re allowed to explore. What about people when they get beyond the academic setting? Is the Baltimore Police Department, and I would, I’m going to venture and say most criminal justice bureaucracies are pretty stodgy. They want leadership from the top and not leadership from mid level, street level management. Am I right or wrong?
Debbie Owens: No, you’re absolutely right, Len. And your earlier comment about law enforcement agencies and paramilitary organizations that are somewhat single minded, you’re right from the top down where we’ll give you the directions, we’ll give you the orders, we’ll tell you how to think, we’ll tell you what to do.
Len Sipes: Right.
Debbie Owens: That’s the way it’s always been in law enforcement. But this new Commissioner, this new command staff, this new mayor and regime in this city, we’re looking for more creative ways to have leaders, the new young future leaders of this police department and law enforcement in general, to begin to be creative and to think for themselves and to step outside of this whole paramilitary thing, concept. And be able to come up with, be able to analyze problems, situations, issues in their communities and develop programs or processes or better ways to manage those issues rather than the top forcing thoughts and movements downward.
Len Sipes: Can either one of you give me some examples as to how ideas came up from street level managers to improve the situation in the City of Baltimore?
Debbie Owens: You know, essentially we sat down with several different groups of people. And once again this was sergeants, lieutenants up to deputy majors, which are similar to a captain’s rank in the military.
Len Sipes: Right.
Debbie Owens: We looked at some of the issues that we were facing or had been facing over the last several years in the City of Baltimore and issues that we thought is corrected or altered would help with the reduction of crime and the improvement in the quality of life for the citizens of Baltimore. And we looked at things like foot patrol. Many, many, many years ago, as both of you well know, you’ve been around for a long time, foot patrols, that’s the way cops got around. They were on foot and they were in neighborhoods. And neighborhoods felt good about knowing the name of their cop. And as years have gone on we’ve gotten away from that. So we talked about things like our foot patrol project. We talked about recruitment. Recruitment is a huge issue in law enforcement and the criminal justice ,
Len Sipes: Law enforcement agencies were at least having a tough time recruiting people before the recession.
Len Sipes: I don’t know if that’s, I don’t know where we are now, but at one point some law enforcement leaders described it as being a bit of a crisis.
Debbie Owens: It was. And everybody was fighting for the same pool of candidates. And so one of the groups in this class actually had concerns about what the advertising, the types of advertising the locations that we were advertising for recruitment. So they took it upon themselves to work with one of the local TV stations and developed probably one of the most successful recruitment videos that we’ve ever had. So literally everybody sat down and looked at issues that we thought that people could analyze and make an impact on. And that’s pretty much how we decided on what projects or what groups the groups will get.
Len Sipes: Now, the whole idea of exporting this, now, again both of us, all three of us have been in the criminal justice system a long time. We’ve talked about similar issues decades ago in terms of taking line managers and providing the opportunities for a college education, more and more people coming to law enforcement, by the way, as you all know in corrections have Bachelor’s degrees, have advanced degrees. But the rank and file ordinarily most of the people in law enforcement do not. We’ve talked about developing leadership throughout the years in terms of college courses, but the thing that’s intriguing me is this concept of leadership. A sergeant basically saying, you know what? I think what the hierarchy is doing in the City of Baltimore, or a correctional sergeant in a prison saying I think what the hierarchy is doing is wrong. I think there’s a better way of approaching this. And I’m going to use it from a research point of view, a best evidence point of view. And present my ideas to these individuals. Are those ideas going to receive a welcome reception? And I’m going to put myself out on a limb and say for a lot of criminal justice agencies the answer is no.
William Sondervan: Well, I think the answer is no. And I think there’s a big leadership gap in police departments and juvenile justice across the whole system. And I think that’s something that really needs to be addressed. There’s a rapid turnover of senior leaders and mid level managers and these are the kinds of things that have to be explored. And that’s exactly what’s going on in this particular program. We’re encouraging the mid level managers in this class to think for themselves and to come up with ideas. And the police commissioner, the deputy commissioner have welcomed this and their open. And they’re sitting down and they’re talking, you know, with the people in the class about their ideas. They’re getting it from the line people out in the field and they’re learning a lot by talking to the people and they’re actually taking what they’re telling them and they’re putting it into action. I think this is what really makes it remarkable.
Len Sipes: I think from a , go ahead, Debbie.
Len Sipes: No, please.
Debbie Owens: One of the most, probably one of the most interesting things about the program and one of the most successful things about the program, if you could go back and speak to those that went through the original, the first program was that they had an opportunity for their voice to be heard and their thoughts and concerns about issues that are going on, not only in this police department, but that are going on in concert with other law enforcement agencies or other partners, whether it be parole and probation, whether it be corrections. Those folks are out and about day in and day out working on the street and they have concerns. And they felt like their voice wasn’t being heard. But in this case I think that they have now realized that it’s very open minded at the top of the police department and that their voice can be heard and that they had some great ideas and that they were able to be very successful in not only looking at these projects but putting together finished products that they could carry away with them and actually implement. That was actually one of the biggest things, Bill, that we talked about was them being able to not only devise programs, but literally go back and implement them into their own districts or divisions or sections and then go back several months later and evaluate how it worked. So I think that’s been a huge success.
William Sondervan: And let me add to what the Deputy Commissioner just said, one of the things that was really unique that came out of this was, you know, sometimes universities are like criminal justice agencies. They don’t listen either.
William Sondervan: But in this case they did. One of the things that came out of this class was a need for a graduate program for criminal justice practitioners. So we’ve sat down with the class and we did some brainstorming and said, okay, if we’re going to create a masters program for mid level police officers or mid level correctional officers to prepare them to go up to senior leadership, what should be in this masters program? What should it look like? What are the skills that you need to have. And by going to that process, we listed all these things out. And we went back to the university administration. We took the Dean, the Provost and the President of the university and we said, hey, these police officers in Baltimore City wants to do a masters program. And here’s the kinds of skills that we need. And we went round and round and we came up with a couple of models. But what we settled on was a Master of Science in management that has leadership management, communications, skills for strategic planning, all those kinds of things plus a core of real solid criminal justice courses that would create just a perfect degree for them. And then what we did with it is we set it up as a dual degree program so that if they finished this and they wanted to go on by taking three more six credit classes, they can get an MBA. Well, we took what the officers told us, we put it together in a packet and it went all the way up to the President of the university and got approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and by our Criminal Justice Advisory Board. And we now have a masters program that’s coming, that’s going to be avaiable in the Fall online and in the classroom and it’s exactly designed to take this group of mid level managers and prepare them to be senior leaders. And I think this is great.
Len Sipes: Well, my guess is that the combination of criminal justice in leadership and business is exactly what’s needed instead of a straight criminal justice degree. Ladies and gentlemen, you are listening to DC Public Safety. I am your host, Len Sipes. Debbie Owens is the Deputy Commissioner of the Baltimore City Police Department. You can reach Debra at debra – d-e-b-o-r-a-h dot owens – o-w-e-n-s at baltimorepolice dot org. Also at our microphone is Doctor William Sondervan, Professor and Director of Criminal Justice for the University of Maryland, University College. It’s a sort of a non traditional college. It’s been around for a long time. I, as a budding police officer, close to 40 years ago took courses from the University of Maryland, University College, so I have a direct connection with UMUC; 94,000 students throughout the world, www.umuc.edu. Okay, so we have, again, this idea of leadership. We have, what we’re saying is that we all admit that the criminal justice system is a bit stodgy. And really doesn’t jump up for joy when that sergeant comes up and says, you know, I’ve done a little bit of research. In fact I’ve done a lot of research and I’ve checked with this organization and that organization. And one of the things that they suggest is we do whatever it is, blah, blah, blah. And now, possibly, some of the criminal justice agencies throughout the country are embracing that concept. Now, I’ll direct the listeners and I can’t remember the names of the television shows, I’m sorry, movies that were about say 30 years ago, about the rogue cop in Los Angeles. In other words cops who were not listened to. Cops who were just part of the system, they were just pawns in the system, if you will. And they took it out against themselves through drugs and alcohol and to the larger society. It was this whole concept of the rogue cop. And there were some textbooks devoted to the whole concept of – one textbook called the Ambivalent Force back from the 1970s. So this concept of cops not being listened to, developing a subculture amongst themselves because they were isolated from the command structure, isolated from the ability to provide the information directly. That’s part of the folklore of policing. You know, it’s top down and we’re being ignored, so if we’re being ignored, we’re going to act out. Am I making any sense?
William Sondervan: Yeah. I think you are.
Len Sipes: And doesn’t that apply to the entire criminal justice system? And won’t this concept not only improve the keeping of good personnel within the criminal justice system because they have a way of getting directly involved in the policy process. It’s going to recruit people into the criminal justice system. I think this is a win/win situation for everybody. But I’m not quite sure how people outside the criminal justice system have a good understanding of what it is that we’re talking about. So that’s why I go back to those movies in the 70s and the book, the Ambivalent Force, and I think the author was Joseph Wambaugh(?) who did a series of books about dysfunctional police.
William Sondervan: Well, Len, this is what it’s all about. It’s all about good leadership. It’s about good management. It’s about strategic planning. It’s having good quality communication up and down the line where people feel empowered. That the officers are a part of the solution where they’re contributing their ideas, they’re contributing their knowledge, they’re being listened to carefully and there’s ownership and there’s buy in and there’s communication and you get the whole department, you know, going in one direction and feeling good about their leadership and what they’re doing and feeling good about contributing, to making their city or their state a better place. And, you know, anybody who works in policing or in corrections or in juvenile justice has to be that kind of person because those kinds of jobs are more than just the money. You know, there’s got to be that kind of character about a person to do well in those jobs.
Len Sipes: Well, we have a high , go ahead, Deb. Please.
Len Sipes: We have a high turnover in law enforcement. We have a high turnover in corrections. And I understand that depends upon the economy and that depends upon what law enforcement agency throughout the country we’re talking about or what correctional agency we’re talking about. But the turnover problem is there. And it just seemed to me that other people would say, you know, this is not only a career with a future, this is an opportunity, this is a career that treats me not as an equal, I understand that, but it allows me to give input as to what the burning issues are.
Debbie Owens: Exactly. I mean, I think that Bill hit on it perfectly and you have as well, Len. One of the things that this program has also done, you know, these guys and girls that have attended this, they’re going home and talking to their wives and their girlfriends and their parents and their friends and they’re talking about their involvement in the University of Maryland Leadership program. But it also has given the everyday street cop, detectives, those folks that are out on the front line day in and day out, it also has given them the hope and the opportunity that their voices can be heard as well. So that it’s not just for the mid level supervisors, but once again this is an open minded police department and an era in law enforcement and juvenile justice where everybody’s voice is able to be heard. It’s not just one person who is saying this is the way things are going to be handled here. But everybody, you know, as many ideas as you can get involved in, solving, whether it be juvenile crime or social issues or partnering with the various agencies in cities. Everybody now understands that they have an opportunity to be heard and that their suggestions will be accepted.
Len Sipes: And that’s the heart and soul behind problem oriented policing. The concept that, you know, you have an issue, I think the most frequent example problem oriented policing is a commercial environment. It could be a bar, it could be a restaurant, it could be, oh, who knows? But the bulk of the calls for that particular police district are from that location. And from areas directly related to that location. So there’s a problem. How, instead of endlessly running to calls for service at that locations, the officers and the sergeants and the lieutenants figure out what it is about that location that is necessary and how can we solve that problem in that particular location. In the case of problem bars it’s taking their liquor license away from them. But problem oriented policing is designed to take just about any criminal justice problem and to analyze it, not necessarily by the hierarchy but more by the people who are at that line level. So there is a bit of a tradition in law enforcement, at least. And I think a merge in tradition in corrections to look at things from a problem solving point of view, that requires the rank and file.
William Sondervan: Absolutely, Len. And part of doing leader development is preparing those mid level leaders and managers to listen to the people below them as well. It’s not just from them up, it’s from them down. It’s teaching them how to do those very things you talked about.
Debbie Owens: And Len, we’ve also involved the, I know wherever I go the Commissioner goes. The other senior command members. And I’m sure the folks that have gone through this class. But wherever we go, whoever we’re involved with, especially in the community, we’re talking about programs like this and specifically about this program and how we’re developing leaders and police officers and folks to analyze problems. And their involvement and their suggestions on what they see and what they would like to see.
Debbie Owens: This goes out further than just the police department itself.
Len Sipes: That’s the other part of it, Debbie, with the whole concept of community oriented policing. Now, there is, nobody has a clear definition as to what community oriented policing is. It is principally a concept, a philosophy. But the bottom line is that not only is rank and file involved in solving problems, and when I say rank and file, I’m talking about the officers, sergeants, lieutenants, people directly involved in that particular district, but community members themselves. And that’s very difficult for us. I mean, what we’re talking about throughout this entire program is that the concept is difficult from the part of the criminal justice system, the bureaucracy, difficult concepts to implement. Number one, listening to rank and file, number two, listening to community people giving them an opportunity to have direct input into and how a law enforcement agency or for that matter a corrections agency or judicial agency how they conduct business. Again, that’s , it’s tough for the bureaucracy to embrace both, but this embraces all of that, correct?
Len Sipes: You know, I can remember being a part of the community crime prevention movement a couple of decades ago for the two Department of Justice Clearinghouses and (chuckle) and I ended up going around the country talking to law enforcement folks and they were looking at me like I was crazy in terms of, you know, just forming that bond with the community, in terms of empowering the community folks to come along and solve that problem. You know, the bottom line is that unless we get the community involved, unless they own the problem, the problem is never going to go away. Unless rank and file owns the file, the problem is never going to go away. I think that’s what we’re basically admitting to, so we’re not talking so much of an educational program, we’re talking about a different way of looking at crime and criminal justice issues.
William Sondervan: And the same concepts apply in running a prison system, inside of a prison, when you do, when people leave and you do their exit interviews and ask them why they’re leaving, you know, a lot of times they’re leaving because they feel like they’re not empowered, that they’re not able to solve problems. That they’re afraid in their work environment. And that they just basically are going to have a low morale. And a lot of people under good leadership will grow and prosper. And if they’re not listened to and if they’re involved, if they’re not empowered, they’re going to not be motivated and you’re going to tend to lose them.
Len Sipes: Well, Bill, a direct example of that is that you, when you ran the Maryland Prison System, implemented in the most dangerous prisons we had this problem oriented approach and got the rank and file involved and let them make decisions for that particular pod in terms of how they handle violence, how they handle interactions between very, very disruptive and in some cases, dangerous inmates and correctional folks, violence went down and violence went down dramatically in those areas.
William Sondervan: Well, it’s very similar to policing, only in a different environment. You know, for example, we took the – Maryland has a correction annex which was just full of the most violent maximum security prisoners we had in the state. And the violence there was just through the roof. And what we did is we implemented unit management. It’s almost kind of like community policing where we put a lieutenant in charge of each housing unit, we put the same people assigned to that housing unit on a constant basis and they worked together as a team and they engaged in problem solving and they came up with their own solutions in how to reduce violence. And it worked. It worked very, very well. And it got to the point where this very dangerous prison where nobody wanted to go to became a very nice place to work and people were happy to be there. And the concepts are similar.
Len Sipes: And you know it’s interesting you can go into a prison and feel the energy and feel the emotion as soon as you walk into the institution. And you can go into other prisons and you feel the lack of the tension immediately upon entering into the institution, so it’s amazing what philosophy or what change in philosophy would do just in terms of managing a prison. And I would imagine Debbie Owens, just in terms of managing crime within a neighborhood.
Debbie Owens: Yeah. You’re exactly right, Len. I’ve noticed a huge change in the areas where these participants in this course are now working, whether it be in a district or in a detective unit, you could just sense that there is some renewed motivation on their part and they’re eager to take everything they’ve learned. You know, one of the issues that I thought we would have problems with was how the course was set up and that they would be gone. Because we had to take different things into consideration, one being deployment. This is a very long program over the course of weeks and to have 25 people, especially mid level managers missing from your day to day crime fight would be tough. And you know we toyed back and forth with time frames and the fact that they are there for a week in class working together as teams, tossing around ideas is great. But what was even more encouraging to us is when they came back to their own environment for six weeks and did everything online, you could see that the things that they had learned and discussed and the topics that they had talked about in the week that they were all together that they were already implementing. So it wasn’t like we had to wait to the end of a semester or wait until class was finished and they got a certificate to see any results, we saw results every six weeks. They’d go away for a week and they’d come back for six weeks and they just had this energy about them. And once again they’ve encouraged others, whether it be a street cop or a detective or others that they’ve worked with, the community member, they’ve convinced them now that it’s okay to talk about together how we can fix these problems and how we can be creative and think in different ways that we’ve never thought before.
Len Sipes: Debbie, you’ve got the final word. Debbie Owens, Deputy Commissioner of the Baltimore City Police Department. Again, congratulations in the huge reductions in homicide in the City of Baltimore as well as the two percent reduction in violent crime over the course of the last year. It’s Debra, d-e-b-o-r-a-h dot owens, o-w-e-n-s at baltimorepolice dot org. And Doctor William Sondervan, Professor and Director of Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, University College. William Sondervan, I’m sorry, wsondervan, w-s-o-n-d-e-r-v-a-n at umuc dot edu. Or the website for the University of Maryland, University College, www.umuc.edu. Ladies and gentlemen, this is DC Public Safety. I really want to thank all of you for the comments we’re getting, a ton of them now that I’m on Twitter and the other social networking site such as FaceBook and MySpace. And as well through the email in this show and through the comment section in this show. Keep your comments coming in. We really are listening to them. We really do examine them all, discuss them all and we respond to every comment. We appreciate it. Ladies and gentlemen, please have yourselves a very, very pleasant day.
Meta terms: Police, law enforcement, university, college, criminal justice, education, leadership, professional development, crime, criminals, criminal justice, parole, probation, prison
May 17, 2010 by CSOSA
Welcome to DC Public Safety-radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.
– Audio begins –
Len Sipes: From our studio in Downtown Washington, DC this is DC Public Safety. I am your host, Len Sipes. A lot of reporters have been calling lately about the stimulus package and what it means to the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system will be receiving approximately $4 billion dollars to the system to improve the system, to improve law enforcement, to improve the entire criminal justice system, to improve the research package. So what I thought I’d do today is to bring on some people who really deal with the criminal justice system authorities, one from the National Criminal Justice Association and we have Cabell Cropper, the Executive Director of the National Criminal Justice Association. We also have back at our microphones, we have Pat Dishman, the Director of the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. And we also have Kristen Mahoney, the Executive Director for the Maryland’s Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention. To come to grips with the $4 billion dollar, approximately $4 billion dollars that we’re getting, the criminal justice system is getting, and what does it mean in terms of crime control? What does it mean in terms of improved public safety? So Executive Director Cropper, I can not pronounce your first name correctly. I’m just going to go ahead and use that. What does it mean? Sum up the whole thing for us, Cabell.
Cabell Cropper: Well, I think the funding that is coming through the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the criminal justice system is intended to support the overall purpose of that bill. And that’s to retain jobs or expand jobs that will allow all components of the criminal justice system to retain programs that could have been lost because of the lack of funding at the state and local level as well as create and expand already existing programs. And that’s really what Kristen and Pat are here to talk about.
Len Sipes: Because they control that money at the state level, and an awful lot of that money is coming to the state level in terms of the discretionary spending, correct?
Cabell Cropper: Right. A large portion, not all of the $4 billion goes to the states, but a large portion of it does.
Len Sipes: Cabell, can you summarize what we’re getting? We’re getting money to hire new police officers. We’re getting money to improve the criminal justice system at the state level. We are getting money for research. Now, again, ladies and gentlemen, it goes way beyond our discussion today. I urge everybody who is interested because there’s a nice list on the website of the National Criminal Justice Association at www.ncja.org and I will be repeating that throughout the program, www.ncja.org because there’s money going for victims’ issues, there is money going for women victimization, victimization issues. There is money there for tribal issues. But we’re going to be talking broadly about all the money that’s coming down the pike today, correct?
Cabell Cropper: Correct. I think the two major programs within the $4 billion dollars are the cops hiring program which is being funded at $1 billion dollars. And the burn JAG program administrator at the state level that’s being funded at the $2 billion portion which is administered by the Criminal State Justice Agencies and a portion of it goes directly to localities. Kristen heads up offices that administer the portion that goes to state agencies to work within the criminal justice system within their states.
Len Sipes: Now, any one of you can come in and basically answer this question, so we’ve had a deficit in terms of spending out of Washington that’s going to the criminal justice agencies at the state level, correct? There’s been a problem. It’s been reduced and reduced dramatically in the last couple of years, correct?
Cabell Cropper: Yes, it was the burn JAG program was set by 67 percent in fiscal year 2008. So the state agencies are really struggling to maintain the programs that they already had underway as well as to implement new programs.
Len Sipes: Okay. And the heart and soul, what I have found in the 40 years that I have been in the criminal justice system, is that money drives everything. Now, feel free to disagree with me, anyone of you, Pat or Kristen, money drives the criminal justice system. It’s not so much, I mean we all went to school, we all studied sociology, or law or criminology and we’re all taught and we all read the research and we all have a pretty good understanding as to what works, what doesn’t work. But if you don’t have the money it doesn’t matter what works. And I get newspaper clippings every day, here at the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency and what I hear is this steady, steady drumbeat of states laying off people, closing prisons, eliminating parole and probation agents, the states are in a dire fiscal situation all throughout this country. So it seems to me two things; A) money drives everything, regardless as to what works, and B) the states are already suffering tremendously.
Pat Dishman: Well, you’re exactly right, Len. You know, we have been struggling at the national level with the BURN program as Cabell talked about and literally that has been going on for seven or eight years, up and down that funding. So it’s very hard to maintain programs or start new programs if you’re in a retrenchment mode or you don’t exactly know where you’re going to be. In the last year, year and a half, the deficits facing the states have really become a problem. And much of that is driven, of course, by the economy and states are different in the way they raise revenue, but I know in our state, Tennessee, because we rely on sales tax revenue for much of the revenue we used to fund our programs and services, because of the sharp decline there, we are looking at a horrible deficit situation.
Kristen Mahoney: Yeah. For Maryland, I mean BURN and JAG, BURN JAG is driven innovation and collaboration and in places like Baltimore City where that’s a big old city that has a police department annual technology budget of only $80,000 dollars. You know, they rely on this type of discretionary funding to help them keep up with technology. You know, over the last eight years technology has moved forward, CSI, you know, expected and gotten juries to expect better and better technology, but the discretionary fund for local law enforcement has just not kept up.
Len Sipes: Well, it’s funny that you mentioned that because I can’t stand to watch those shows because the reality and what people see on TV are so far apart. It’s silly.
Kristen Mahoney: Right. I mean, generally the locals are good at hiring and retaining but during a depression or a recession like right now, we’re not even so good at hiring and retaining public safety folks. And you can forget overtime. You know, the officers, we’re not having additional presence on the street and we’re actually not filling the vacancies that we have. So all of this kind of comes together for us at the best possible time.
Len Sipes: So, again, to summarize, we have money and I think it’s Cabell, what? Two billion dollars going to the cops program which is to hire new police officers?
Len Sipes: Two billion. Okay. And , that’s basically going to put literally thousands upon thousands of police officers on the streets in the various cities throughout the country. From what I understand in the past, under the old cops program, there was a match, a 25 percent match. In this case there is no match, correct?
Len Sipes: Okay. So that is a huge plus. What we’re talking about are literally tens of thousands of police officers going into the cities throughout the country, going into the Metropolitan area, I should say throughout the country. So I think people are going to appreciate that. The other $2 billion dollars, we say the BURN program, in essence that’s money that’s going to go to the states. The states will, in essence, decide what their priorities are. And if those priorities are prosecutorial, if those priorities are corrections, if they’re parole and probation, the states are probably in the best position to decide for themselves what it is that they want to do. And the third would be basically research but the research money is coming out, when I say research, help me and feel free to disagree with me, anybody, that the bulk of the innovation that comes from the criminal justice system comes from the state level in terms of localities trying new and unique and innovative things with partial funding
or full funding from the Federal government. Am I right or wrong?
Pat Dishman: Well, I certainly think that’s a piece of it. And also to echo what you are talking about as far as these different pots of money, the states are really in a position to look at everything whether that’s coming directly from the Federal government through the COPS program or the BURN funds that will come through the states and then be past down to state agencies and locals. One of the things that I think will be the most difficult for us is to balance all of this in. We want to make sure that we don’t, we spread the money out as far as it would go because in this tight budget situation that we’ve been in for the last year and a half, every part of this system is hurting.
Len Sipes: And people need to understand that. I’m not quite sure that everybody fully understands the fact that the criminal justice system in this country is hurting. And hurting badly from not just a couple of years. I mean, people see this as a recession within the last year and a half. Most of the states that I’ve encountered through newspapers reports, through either state line or other sources, this has been going on not just for one or two years in terms of this recessionary period, but four or five or six years and longer that states have been struggling to meet their own budgets. So when that happens that means the criminal justice system does not expand, it actually shrinks. And that means innovation doesn’t take place, correct?
Kristen Mahoney: Right. The BURN JAG money and the Federal support can test specific drug, gun task forces. And those task forces, when those officers come to those task forces, they generally can’t bring their equipment from home. That equipment, you know, needs to stay with their home police department and they’ve got it, something’s got to motivate that collaboration and the location and the equipment that’s needed to go out and serve, you know, 10,000 violent offender warrants. For example, you know, that just doesn’t happen by people coming together and saying we ought to do it. I mean, there’s got to be, there is some real equipment needed.
Pat Dishman: Exactly. And I think back about the program that we did on drug courts, Len. That’s a very good example. We used the BURN JAG money and also some other drug court money that was made available by the Department of Justice, to pile that type of improvement inside Tennessee as we did in lots of states. And it was so successful here that it convinced our legislature to appropriate $3.5 million recurring dollars for drug courts across the state. And we now have 45. So in my mind that worked exactly the way that the BURN JAG can when you’re trying to look at new innovative programs and see whether or not you want to expand them.
Len Sipes: Well, that’s my point in all of this is that I think the bottom line for anybody looking into the stimulus package and anybody looking into the approximately $4 billion dollars that the states are going to get through the federal government is that it is an opportunity to once again develop drug courts. And there’s a uniform research that says that drug courts all over the country are reducing crime. They’re reducing recidivism, they’re making our society safer. So either through innovative police strategies, innovative court strategies, either parole and probation joining with law enforcement or reentry programs to be sure that there is sufficient resources to provide for reentry programs and we can tell through a variety of research that those lower recidivism approximately 20 percent. Now 20 percent doesn’t sound huge, but that, in terms of the fiscal realities for a state, can forestall the building of a prison or two. And more, that means more money going into the elderly, more money going into education and more money going into colleges. If you’re going to look at it from a fiscal reality point of view that this money is the seed money that creates all of that. And I think that that, and feel free to agree or disagree, I think that’s the heart and soul. That this money, the $4 billion stimulus dollars, allows these states to once again become innovators in terms of what’s good for that particular state.
Pat Dishman: I think you’re exactly right and I would another piece to that. Our governor’s office is very interested in looking at all the different pots of stimulus money and the different areas that are going to be covered. For example; education. And how collaborations can happen between those pots. There’s a lot of money there for improvements in education. And, you know, we do innovative things with education. Kris and I think of our school resource officer program. I think everybody is convinced that that’s sound and solid and where we can have it, it helps.
Kristen Mahoney: Another great program that we’ve been able to deal with the BURN JAG money is to fund crime analysts, to assign them to police departments because that’s not something that you learn in the police academy. And rather than take a police officer the street and stick him in front of a computer to map crimes, you know, there are GIS mapping majors coming out of major universities that are in positions to assist law enforcement agencies. And this funding can get us started with a lot of those programs with agencies that want to go in that direction.
Len Sipes: We’re half way through our program and we’re doing this through the osmosis of the National Criminal Justice Association, our fifth program in a series. You can find a full list of all of the stimulus money, the $4 billion dollars broken down piece by piece at www.ncja.org. www.ncja.org, the website of the National Criminal Justice System. The National Criminal Justice Association. Now, Cabell Cropper, the Executive Director of the National Criminal Justice Association is here with us today. Kristen Mahoney, the Executive Director of the Maryland’s Governor’s office of Crime Control and Prevention and Pat Dishman, the Director of the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. Cabell, I’m going to ask this question to you, because it’s a bit dicey and a bit political, there are people out there who would simply say it’s not the role of the federal government to fund local criminal justice agencies that the overwhelming majority of what we call the criminal justice system in this country is a state function, is a local function. And they’re saying to themselves; A) why is the Federal government giving, you know, supplementing what is in essence a local and state function? Why is my tax paid dollar going to say Baltimore to do crime analysis or to provide a crime analyst or provide innovative policing. And B) what does all this have to do with the stimulus package?
Cabell Cropper: Well, I think that the way that we would answer that is what we’ve said for years about the BURN JAG program, what both Kristen and Pat have said is that it supports innovation. It allows the states to experiment with programs to see what works and then to continue them. The BURN JAG program is structured so that the funding is available for three years for a particular program and by the third year either the federal funding is no longer available for the state, it either picks it up or makes a decision not to because it hasn’t shown its effectiveness. So I think the role of the federal government, in terms of state and local criminal justice, is that of providing you might call a venture capital to try new things, to try new solutions, see what works, to do the research, to provide training. In addition a lot of states are facing criminal justice issues that cross jurisdictions. And so that also invokes the federal role. So I think that, yes, generally crime is, as the saying goes, all crime is local. That there is a definite constructive role for the Federal government and Federal assistance with state and local criminal justice.
Kristen Mahoney: To a degree. I couldn’t agree more with that, Len. There’s no point in all of the states reinventing the wheel. If something works someplace then we certainly need to use what’s already been found out about that and not have to sit down and put time and effort into finding out ourselves.
Cabell Cropper: A prime example of this, Len, is that the drug courts. Drug courts were funded by BURN JAG back in Miami years ago. And proved to be very effective. And now they’re a national, it’s a national program supported by federal assistance, but states and localities have invested a lot of money in the drug court programs and are now branching out into other problem solving type courts. So I think that’s a really good example about federal assistance, a lot of local jurisdiction will experiment with something that became a national model.
Kristen Mahoney: I think one of the emerging trends in policing right now is this concept of intelligence based policing and probably the people that own the most intelligence or data that local law enforcement need to do their job are the states. So, for example, in Maryland, you know, we have the mug shots of everyone that’s gone through prison. We know who are gang members in prisons. We know whose on parole or probation, whether they’re in compliance. We know whether they have children that are in the juvenile justice system. And all of this stuff is data that is not generally accessible at the lower level and using BURN JAG money we’re able to create ways to knock down silos in information and make sure that we get that information to the local level so that they can start targeting offenders who are causing problems in neighborhoods.
Len Sipes: And Cabell, I’m sorry, Cabell, the concept of this being part of the stimulus package. Somebody would come along and say, and I’ve heard this, somebody would come along and say, well, all this is wonderful, you know, I have no disagreement with it. Why is it a part of the stimulus package? We’re trying to revive the economy, not improve criminal justice agencies.
Cabell Cropper: But the response to that is these programs are people based. And so if we can expand or create new programs or retain programs for retaining people on the payroll.
Len Sipes: So what we’re saying is that the quality of the criminal justice system has a direct relationship to the economy?
Cabell Cropper: Correct. Because the criminal justice system is very people dependent.
Len Sipes: Right. And say for cities, it seems very clear to me that as a citizen of the Baltimore Metropolitan area and as a person who grew up and was born and raised in Baltimore City, Kristen, that the health of Baltimore City, the economic vitality of Baltimore City is tied into citizen perceptions as to how safe the city is and tied into investor’s perceptions as to how the safe the city is. To me that’s a pretty straight forward analysis, correct?
Kristen Mahoney: Correct. And when Governor O’Malley was mayor of the city that was how he ran the city and as the Governor of the State of Maryland, he has us committing as many resources as possible to grow the health and safety of the City of Baltimore.
Pat Dishman: Exactly. It’s actually infrastructure capacity building. And when you talk about, you know, whether that is in the form of bridges or roads, Cabell, I agree with you completely, the criminal justice system is very personnel driven and personnel based.
Kristen Mahoney: Yeah. The police have to be able to be responsive to emerging trends, and sometimes those trends happen in hour ten or eleven of their shift. And cities have to be able to keep them on the scene at a homicide or on a scene during an event to protect us. And when we’re in the middle of a depression or a recession, those overtime funds at the local level are not there. So, you know, that’s going to impact, you know, they’re going to have to pay the overtime somehow, so where are they going to take that from within the city budget if we can allocate some of these JAG BURN funds to directed overtime violent initiatives, the violent prevention initiatives, then we’re going to help offset some of the costs within the local government and we’re not going to have to worry about closing recreation centers and offsetting other important city services.
Len Sipes: The bottom line I think, but I’m preaching the choir here, I’m not quite sure that I’m going to appease the critics, is that unless you have say cities, unless you have sufficient money to pay overtime, unless you have sufficient numbers of police officers, unless you have money to try new things to deal with new sets of circumstances, this system is not going to be able to say to anybody in any particular area come invest with us. Come invest your money here. We’re looking forward to the jobs. We’re looking forward to everything that you can bring to our community or to a company that is in a particular city. Look, please expand. I would imagine once again that that person is going to say to himself or herself, you know, this city is just too out of control. I don’t want to do this, I’m going to go to Georgia, I’m going to go to the suburbs, I’m going to go overseas because I just don’t believe that my employees like working here because their afraid to do that, to deal with that. You need sufficient person power. You need sufficient police officers. You need the intelligence. You need the drug courts. You need the parole and probation police cooperative endeavors. You need the reentry programs which cuts recidivism considerably. I’m preaching to the choir here, correct?
Pat Dishman: Well, I think Len, also and Cabell, you can speak to this more than I, there is an accountability piece to this for critics who are looking at, you know, is this a good investment for us and for our tax dollars? And I think we’ve obviously learned some lessons as a system over the last, the country has over the last six months, and we feel and know that the Department of Justice will be making it very clear to us what types of outcome measurement they want and what types of accountability they want for this money that’s going to be passed down in the stimulus bill.
Len Sipes: Cabell, has there been talk about accountability in terms of the follow up to that. Is there urban talk about accountability to make sure the people understand that their tax paid dollars are being spent wisely?
Cabell Cropper: Very definitely. There’s provisions in the bill as Pat said that offsets management and budget that’s established to metrics to measure what’s happening with this money and how it’s contributing to the economic recovery of the country. Now the government’s also setting up a website, www.recovery.gov that will show how the money is being spent and what the results of that funding is.
Kristen Mahoney: And beyond that I think this morning we heard from a number of states where governors in our state, Maryland Governor O’Malley has established the office of recovery stat where we are managing the entire stimulus recovery package, you know, to make sure that we are being held accountable and the funds that are coming to Maryland. We’re getting as much funding as we can to support the state. And the funds that we’re getting re going to justifiable uses that are going to support the initiative of the President.
Pat Dishman: Kristen, that’s great. And, you know, Len, we’ve talked about this before. We don’t ever, as public servants, do a good enough job to let the public know the good things. They only hear about the bad things. And this is going to help, quite frankly, I think this is a really good part of saying what this money is going to be able to do and how it’s going to be able to help the country.
Len Sipes: Well, I think that’s part of this whole series with the National Criminal Justice Association, they are doing their best to basically say this to the public, that there are successful programs. We have measures in place to check out their success. And there are programs that have been extraordinarily successful. We did a program with NCJA a couple of weeks ago dealing with a community in Brooklyn where the courts actually took the lead on the program and they went from one of the highest crime precincts in New York City to one of the lowest crime precincts. That, to me, is a statement that we can make to the citizens of this country, in essence saying that, you know, give us the funding. Let us try different things, let us take a look at what works throughout the country. And we can do, we can provide a certain level of safety. Now, that, on my part, sounds like boosterism. I guess it’s a bit disingenuous because I am part of the criminal justice system, but I personally believe that there
are innovative programs out there that need to be brought in to Baltimore, need to be brought into Portland, need to be brought into Detroit. And this is the money that possibly can do that.
Kristen Mahoney: Yeah. And beyond that, like I’ve mentioned before, Baltimore is poor and there are other poor cities out there. And, you know, the cost of a police radio, $5,000 dollars. The most important piece of equipment a police officer uses every day. And as cities and counties work together to create interoperable systems and build these enormous $700 megahertz systems where everybody could talk to each other seamlessly, those old 450 megahertz radios and 800 megahertz radios don’t’ work anymore. So you’ve got this little baby town that suddenly has found itself, that it’s got to buy 15 new radios. How do you come up with that kind of money? Right? This is a basic reality of running a police department, $5,000 dollars a radio.
Len Sipes: I couldn’t agree with you more. And it’s, again, it’s like reentry programs. They cost money. If you’re going to treat a person, if you’re going to take a person from, whose coming out of the prison system, he or she has a mental health problem. And God forbid a mental health diagnosis for the 16 percent of offenders throughout the country who were coming back, you know, that needs to be treated or the odds are that that person is going to go out and harm another person or will certainly create a problem for citizens and for the criminal justice system. We know through research that you could dramatically reduce recidivism if that individual is treated, but that costs money.
Pat Dishman: Exactly.
Kristen Mahoney: And people, you know, and we’ve got this great technology that can help us figure out stolen cars through license plate recognition. But, you know, do you think that, you know, not to pick on Akron or Toledo or Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, I mean, do you think any of these places have the funds in their budget to do license plate recognition? But their cars, people are getting their cars stolen there. And we have the technology that exists to help find those cars and pay the overtime to use the technology.
Len Sipes: Right. And just think about that for a second. We have, as you just mentioned, it’s a wonderful example, the technology to just set up in any particular section of the city, to run the license plates through a computer and pull the people over with stolen cars. And we can recover a gazillion stolen cars in a very short amount of time. That’s a big bang for technology, but the question is can the individual jurisdictions and individual states afford it? And everything that I’ve been reading over the past, over the course of the past five years, is not acquiring that technology, but it’s simply holding on to what you have.
Pat Dishman: Right. Installing it and maintaining it. So any kind of technology purchase is going to have an economic impact in a locality because somebody’s got to get up on a light post and hang that camera. And somebody’s going to have to maintain it. And those are generally not police officers. It goes back to your point, Len, of what it looks on CSI, it’s not what it’s really like.
Len Sipes: I know and it drives me absolutely crazy because people say, is real life anything at all like that? And my response is, my heavens no. Not even close. No, we have wonderful technology in terms of criminalities. Again, the question becomes how many people do you have, how well are they trained, how well can you maintain that crime lab? Do you have 24 hours coverage? Do you have the vans? Do you have – you know, it goes on and on and on. These sort of things cause money, enormous sums of money as somebody just said. And without the money you can’t do it. It’s just as simple as that. So if anybody wants to get a full blow by blow description of the entire, approximately $4 billion dollar stimulus package again, our friends at the National Criminal Justice Association, www.ncja.org has the complete list and Cabell Cropper, the Executive Director of the National Criminal Justice system has been by our microphones today. Back at our microphones. And it’s really a pleasure to have her back,
Pat Dishman, the Director of the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs. And Kristen Mahoney, the Executive Director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention who helps keep me safe as a citizen of Baltimore County. I thank you all. Any final words that we need to say to finally summarize this whole concept besides sending people to the website at the National Criminal Justice Association?
Cabell Cropper: That’s what were there for, to provide whatever information we can direct people to where the resources are.
Len Sipes: And you guys, quite frankly, have been the leader at the national level in terms of being sure that there is money for the state and local criminal justice systems, Cabell. And so you all can feel very good about quite a victory in terms of convincing the new administration and the members of Congress who support this. So congratulations to you guys.
Cabell Cropper: Well, thank you. I’ll take some of the credit but not all of it. Members like Kristen and Pat are really the ones that get the job done with their delegations here in Washington.
Len Sipes: And they’re the ones who also at the same time lobby their own members of the Senate and the House in terms of what it is they could do if they had money. So we’re appreciative to all the directors of the criminal justice programs, office of crime controls throughout the entire country. Ladies and gentlemen, this is DC Public Safety. I’m your host, Leonard Sipes. Feel free to give suggestions and input as you’re doing on a constant basis. We respond to all of your suggestions, to all of your input in terms of how to make the program better. Please have yourselves a very, very pleasant day.
Meta terms: Stimulus, COPS, police, law enforcement, criminal justice, leadership, professional development, crime, criminals, criminal justice, parole, probation, prison
May 17, 2010 by CSOSA
Welcome to DC Public Safety-radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.
– Audio begins –
Len Sipes: From our studios in downtown Washington D.C, this is D.C. Public Safety. I’m your host, Leonard Sipes. Today’s guest is Dr. Gary Dennis. Gary is the senior policy advisor for corrections bureau of justice assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, and if you think that title was long enough, wait until you hear what Gary does! He is the administrator for the Second Chance Act. What is the Second Chance Act? Well, I’m going to let him explain that, but in essence, it is new federal funding coming down for re-entry programs, and people from throughout the country can apply for these new monies. Before we get to Dr. Dennis, always, thank you for the comments that you have provided us. We respond to every comment, feel free to get in touch with us. My email address, which is leonardsipes – Leonard dot S-I-P-E-S – @csosa.gov, or you can follow me on twitter/lensipes, and with that introduction, Dr. Gary Dennis.
Gary Dennis: Well, Len, I’m glad that you had the opportunity to talk about the Second Chance Act. This is something that is particularly exciting to those of us who are in the corrections field, and I should say that I work now, as you indicated, for the bureau of justice assistance, but prior to that, I worked for 34 years in the Department of Corrections in Kentucky, and had a really –
Gary Dennis: Well, you know, I had a little experience, I started as a correctional officer and retired as a deputy commissioner in my first career, and my wife refers to what I’m doing now as re-launching! [laughter] But I always said that corrections was a very good business to be in, it was a growth industry, there was a lot of job security. I never thought I’d see the day when we would be closing prisons and laying off correctional officers –
Len Sipes: Which is happening throughout the country.
Gary Dennis: It’s an effect of the current recession, and so, yeah, I think that puts responsibility on us as corrections professionals to find alternate ways of dealing with folks who are offenders. The Second Chance Act, which was signed into law in April of 2008, I think, is a cultural marker. It’s an indication that the Congress and the policy makers in the Executive Branch are aware that we need to move away from this policy of mass incarceration, that we can’t build enough prisons to house all the folks that are committing offenses, many of whom don’t need to be in prison. Substance abuse offenders who need treatment, they don’t need to be locked up. You know, for instance, of the 23,000 inmates in my state of Kentucky where I worked, 1,000 of those inmates are serving time in prison simply because they aren’t able to pay child support. So what the Second Chance Act does is create the opportunity for people to design comprehensive re-entry programs, it has actually 11 sections that were authorized by the Congress. Only two of those sections received appropriations in the Omnibus FY2009 budget. Section 101, which is the demonstration grant section, was authorized at $55 million, and we received an appropriation of $15 million, and Section 211, which is mentoring grants to non-profits, was authorized in the original legislation at $15 million, and we have received an appropriation of $10 million. The demonstration grants portion of Second Chance, we currently have a solicitation that was posted February 27th, it is due to close on April 20th, people can get a copy of that by going to the bureau of justice assistance website or a governmental website called grants.gov –
Len Sipes: And what we’re going to do is we’re going to put the links to all of these websites up, so we’ll make it easy, if you go to D.C. Public Safety, if you go to media.csosa.gov and find this program under the radio section, we’ll have links to everything that Dr. Dennis is talking about today.
Gary Dennis: Very good. So I’m going to talk primarily about the section 101, the demonstration grants. The solicitation that is on the street allows for grants of up to $750,000 of federal money. Unfortunately, this particular section of the act has a relatively onerous match requirement. There is a 50% matching requirement of which 25% has to be hard cash put up by the applicant, but this will fund roughly a $1.5 million dollar project, and what –
Len Sipes: Whoa, wait a minute, back up. Now, it’s $750,000 over the course of how many years? Is that each year for several years?
Gary Dennis: Actually, very good question. The, this particular section of the act allows for 12-month grants. So the $750,000 federal and the additional matching money would be to fund a project for 12 months.
Gary Dennis: Now, what we anticipate, the act allows for up to 2 years or two additional funding periods, so for people who are awarded funding projects, and by the way, we really hope to have decisions made in the late summer so we can have these awards made by the end of the federal fiscal year, September 30, 2009. But, so if people get one of these grants and the project is meeting its goals and being successful, they could expect supplemental awards for two additional grant periods, so we’re –
Len Sipes: Two additional grant periods meaning two additional years?
Len Sipes: So there is the possibility, if they handle this well, and if they show an impact, because I would imagine you’re going to request an evaluation as to whether recidivism is lowered –
Gary Dennis: And the interesting thing about the Second Chance Act, one of several interesting things is, there is a requirement that the people who are given demonstration grants money are able to reduce recidivism for their target population by 50% in 5 years.
Len Sipes: In 5 years, okay. Wow.
Gary Dennis: And that’s a really ambitious goal –
Gary Dennis: Well, it really is unheard of, and actually, the folks in Congress, the folks who wrote this bill have made it clear that this is a goal, so what we are anticipating is, if people are making satisfactory progress, defined somewhere around 10% a year reduction, then that’s going to be enough to consider –
Len Sipes: But that’s reductions that I’ve seen from research that, and I apologize to the audience for being a little high-fallutin’ here, that is methodologically correct, is 20%, and that comes from the Washington State Public Policy Institute, which seems to be the de facto leaders in terms of providing stats, unfortunately, in terms of recidivism, so the 50% is, I don’t want to scare people off, because if people hear 50%, they’re going to go, nah, excuse me, that’s just undoable.
Gary Dennis: Well, I think what we’ve tried to do, first of all, the definition that you’ll see in the solicitation for recidivism is a person who does not return to prison or jail as the result of committing a new offense or a violation of conditions of supervision within 1 year.
Len Sipes: And in terms of jail, you’re talking about, not pre-trial, but you’re talking about an incarcerative sentence.
Len Sipes: Persons found guilty.
Gary Dennis: One of the good things about the Second Chance Act, under the previous administration, we had a prisoner re-entry initiative, where the Justice Department partnered with the Department of Labor, and these grants were primarily focused on allowing people to come out of prison and get some type of job placement and job readiness skills, but Second Chance provides a full wraparound –
Len Sipes: And I want to get to that, but let’s summarize again, we’re talking about $750,000 per entity. They have to provide a 50% match, so we’re talking about a $1.5 million investment per year from the Department of Justice and this local entity with the idea that it could extend up to 3 years.
Len Sipes: Okay, and what part of the grant is this under?
Gary Dennis: This is under section 101, which is demonstration, adult and juvenile demonstration –
Len Sipes: All right, and what pot of money is this?
Gary Dennis: This is actually an appropriation that we received, the department of justice, office of justice programs in our FY2009 –
Len Sipes: I’m sorry, let me back you up, is it the $15 million pot, or the $10 million pot?
Gary Dennis: Yes, the $15 million.
Len Sipes: So this is $15 million, this is not going to go very far at $750,000 per. How many are we talking about?
Gary Dennis: Well, the, you can probably do the math, we’re probably not talking more than 18-20 awards nationally, if everyone comes in for the full amount.
Len Sipes: Right.
Gary Dennis: And the kicker here is that this particular piece of federal legislation, unlike the prisoner re-entry initiative, which had to go to a state department of corrections, a city, or a county, or a state can apply directly for this money.
Len Sipes: Okay, so 20 jurisdictions throughout the United States are going to get $750,000, and they have to do it with a 50% match, $1.5 million over the course of 3 years. And they have to be able to show a reduction in recidivism.
Len Sipes: Okay, and again, ladies and gentlemen, I want to remind you, all the links, in terms of applying for this money, are going to be at D.C. Public Safety, if you go to the main page, go to radio, and you will find the links there. Again, that’s D.C. Public Safety, or it is media – M-E-D-I-A – .csosa – C-S-O-S-A – .gov, our guest today is Dr. Gary Dennis from the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance, and go ahead, Gary, so I interrupted you, so that’s the demonstration grant, and you’re saying that those grants need to be in by when? April?
Gary Dennis: April 20th, and they have to be submitted electronically through grants.gov.
Gary Dennis: The $10 million pot is for section 211 of the act, and this is mentoring grants to non-profits. Section 101, the applicants have to be a unit of state or local government, but Section 211 is exclusively targeted to non-profits, and it allows for projects, we have not published the solicitation yet, it’s in the final stages of preparation, but –
Len Sipes: And the solicitation, you mean basically the language that enables you to give out the money.
Gary Dennis: That’s exactly right. This is what will be posted which is online now for the 101 grants, but this will probably be posted in the next 2-3 weeks, and right now, it looks like it’s going to allow for grants of up to $300,000. These grants can be made for up to 24 months as opposed to 12, there is the possibility of supplemental awards for an additional 2 award periods.
Gary Dennis: That’s what I was getting to –
Len Sipes: Boy, you’re going to be the most popular person in town, let me tell you!
Gary Dennis: Well, and what you hear what these grants can be used for, they can be used to provide mentoring services, they can also be used in conjunction with mentoring to provide a whole variety of transitional services like supportive housing, employment, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, as well as treatment and training on victims issues. So this is going to be a very broad solicitation, and we’re anticipating a lot of applications from the non-profit sector.
Len Sipes: When do you expect the application process to begin?
Gary Dennis: Well, probably within the next 3 weeks, it will be posted, and we’re hoping to allow people at least 45 days to respond to those.
Len Sipes: Okay, and will they be as well as www.grants.com[sic]?
Gary Dennis: That’s correct, and then their solicitation will also be posted for informational purposes on the BJS website.
Len Sipes: Okay, for the Bureau of Justice Statistics of the Office of Justice Programs of the Office of the United States Department of Justice – boy we just love our titles here in D.C.!
Gary Dennis: Yes we do! And actually, if you just Google BJA, you’re going to be led to our website or –
Len Sipes: BJA, Bureau of Justice Assistance? Not the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Bureau of Justice Assistance! There you go, there we go. But that’s interesting, because I did not know that there was a centralized point, www.grants.com? c-o-m?
Len Sipes: dot-gov! I thought so! Okay, now wait a minute, everybody. www. – G-R-A-N-T-S – .gov. Not dot-com, dot-gov. All right, so we’re going to repeat that several times throughout the programs, and again, in the show notes, I’ll do the links. Dr. Dennis will give me the links, and I’ll put them in the show notes to make it as easy as possible for you to pull this off. And so, wow, this is interesting, so we’re talking about a total of $25 million.
Gary Dennis: That’s correct, but keep in mind that the act, when it was written, was authorized at a level of roughly $170 million –
Len Sipes: Yeah, but authorized and funded are two different things.
Gary Dennis: Two different things. One of the things I learned very quickly when I started working for the federal government is the difference between an authorization and an appropriation, but let me say that, you know, these are tough economic times, and we are very, very pleased that Congress gave us the $25 million, we are anticipating in 2010, the budget that will be coming up soon, that we’ll have additional funding, and Pres. Obama is requesting in his budget upwards to $75 million to support Second Chance re-entry efforts.
Len Sipes: Okay, so that’s $75 million that the President is proposing, comes when, so we’re talking about next federal fiscal year.
Gary Dennis: That’s correct. The federal fiscal year that would start October 1, 2009.
Len Sipes: October 1, so this October 9, there is the possibility of an additional $75 million more.
Gary Dennis: That’s right, we are cautiously optimistic and confident that there will be additional funding for Second Chance, and we’re also hopeful that some of the other nine sections of the act will be able to be funded in addition to these demonstration acts.
Len Sipes: So at least what we have now is $25 million on the table that we know we have, the possibility of $75 million in terms of the President’s proposal for the next federal fiscal year, October 1, 2009, and we’re talking about other aspects of the Second Chance Act if Congress decides to fund them, there would be even more money, but at the moment, we’re talking about $25 million on the table with a possibility of $75 million more.
Gary Dennis: Well, it is, and it’s enough money to make a significant impact, particularly if you look at focusing that on particular counties or states where, and one thing I didn’t mention when, the projects, in terms of the recidivism rate, the general universe of people who are eligible are any who is 18 years of age or older who’s currently incarcerated in a prison or a jail, but we’re asking people to narrow down a target population. For instance, they might say all female offenders who are coming back into the District of Columbia, or all female offenders who might be coming back into a particular county –
Len Sipes: Bear with me for a second, because now that we have the basics of the program down, I’m going to repeat your name for the people out there, they can copy down your telephone number. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re talking to Dr. Gary Dennis. He is a senior policy advisor for corrections, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, this will be in our show notes, so don’t worry if you can’t get all that down. His telephone number: (202)305-9059. I’m going to repeat that now and at the end of the program: (202)305-9059, and his email address is gary – G-A-R-Y – .dennis – D-E-N-N-I-S – @usdoj.gov, and we’re going to be putting the links into the show notes at media – M-E-D-I-A – .csosa.gov, or D.C. Public Safety, look at the radio programs. Okay, Dr. Gary Dennis. Now we have the outline in terms of the funding, and you started getting into the particulars in terms of what it is that you’re looking for, so second half of the show, let’s do that. 15 minutes. What are the particulars of what it is that organizations can do with all this money?
Gary Dennis: Well the, the allowable uses for the money are very broad. In the 101 demonstration grants project proposals, we are asking that they have a strategic plan which talks about their, how they plan to affect a re-entry program, we also are requiring, or the act requires that they establish a re-entry task force comprised of people who have a stake in the community, this could be people from non-profits who are providing services, it could be people from the law enforcement community, someone representing victims, so they need to have been thinking about an effective strategy to help people transition from prison and jail and back to the community.
Len Sipes: Okay, so there’s going to be collaborative efforts on the part of the larger community, but you were just talking before about women offenders, there’s no way that this money can encompass every offender coming out of the prison system.
Len Sipes: What could those subsets be? You’ve mentioned women offenders –
Gary Dennis: Women offenders, it could be, it could be violent offenders, or people who have committed a violent offense, it could be sex offenders, for instance, who have committed a sex offense –
Len Sipes: Is this a reflection of the research that basically says that whatever moneys you have should be focusing on the higher risk offenders and not so much on the lower risk offenders?
Gary Dennis: That’s exactly right. In other words, we’ve made efforts to divert the lower end offenders out of the system. One of the problems that correctional systems has, primarily state prison systems, is now they have a whole lot of very serious offenders there, and I mentioned sex offenders. We all know from reading the paper and watching TV that everyone that’s convicted of a sex offense probably is going to have to register under Megan’s Law, they’re very seriously stereotyped, and it’s almost impossible for them to find places to live, and so they are very difficult to place, and we’re hoping that this money can be targeted, in some cases, to help folks like sex offenders provide a transition back into the community, and let me say that we look at re-entry, offender re-entry as an evidence based process. In other words, some folks would say that re-entry actually starts on the very first day that a person comes into prison or jail, and what second chance requires in the proposals is that once a applicant has identified the target population, and let’s just simply say it’s female offenders that are coming back into the District of Columbia, that they use a validated assessment instrument to determine what the individual needs of these women might be when they come back into the community.
Len Sipes: Okay, let me stop you right there. What it is that you’re saying is that, at this moment, and we can agree to disagree in terms of how strong the evidence is, and how precise the evidence is, but there is enough evidence out there from good solid research that indicates that you can take individuals coming out of prison, providing them with comprehensive services, and by that, we’re talking about drug, substance abuse, mental health, job, finding a place to live, those sort of things, interacting with the family, and you can lower the rate of recidivism according to the Washington State Public Policy Institute, which seems to be the leader in terms of providing these stats for recidivism and re-entry. You can lower the rates of recidivism 10-20%, possibly even more, so when you’re talking about evidence base, you’re saying that there’s enough there that leads us to believe that these programs will reduce recidivism.
Gary Dennis: That’s exactly right! I think I need to take you back to the office to be my spokesperson here! But you’ve summed it all up in a nutshell! That’s exactly right!
Len Sipes: But people hear evidence base, and they say, what does that mean? But, at the same time, you know, in terms of areas of substance abuse, it’s laid out from point A to point Z! It is very comprehensive, we know exactly what to do in terms of substance abuse, but in other areas of re-entry, we’re not quite sure as to what the ratios of the parole and probation agents should be to be effective, we’re not quite sure when you begin the re-entry process, when it ends, how much of an intervention is necessary, I mean all of that is still a great unknown. We know that the projects reduce recidivism, but we’re still struggling with the particulars.
Gary Dennis: That’s right, there are some things that we know, from history, do work, and I think one of the benefits of the Second Chance act, with these demonstration projects, it’s going to allow us to continue to accumulate that research and that evidence to support those particular interventions that really do have an impact on recidivism.
Len Sipes: And that’s the exciting thing, Gary, because we need more data. We need more precision in terms of what it is that we do, and in what methods and how, what case loads and when do you start mental health treatment, and is medication, or does it have to be medication as well as therapy, depending upon the diagnosis, I mean there’s a whole lot, I mean job treatment, or job placement, you can find a person a job, but do you expect, like substance abuse, problems along the way with this individual that you may have to re-place this person 2-3 times, do you fund it 2-3 times, or do you basically say, eh, we gave you your chance, sorry it didn’t work out for you, we’re going to move on to the next person. I mean, all of those things are, in essence, unknowns when it comes to dealing with offenders and re-entry, so I’m very excited to hear that for many of us, this is a great learning opportunity in terms of how to do re-entry right.
Gary Dennis: That’s exactly correct, and one of the things that we’re going to require the applicants to do, is there’s a list of performance measures, and they will be asked to keep particular metric data about what happens to the people that are involved in the project, and what we anticipate at the end of probably two years is selecting various sites and asking the National Institute of Justice to come in and do in depth evaluations –
Len Sipes: Which is yet another organization under the Office of Justice [overlapping voices] U.S. Department of Justice, and they do the research –
Gary Dennis: But they’ll come in and take a really researched look at using control groups to determine again, and document through evidence, well through research what these practices are so we can have a little bit better idea when we say evidence based, that we have actually a body of evidence.
Len Sipes: Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. www.grants – G-R-A-N-T-S – .gov – G-O-V – not .com, as I said before, .gov, and we have Gary Dennis contact points, and I’ll mention them right at the end of the show, (202)305-9059, that’s Gary’s telephone number. Boy, I’ll tell you, I’d be scared to death to give out my cell phone number to the re-entry community of the United States, or my desk number! Your phone must be ringing non-stop. His email is garydennis – D-E-N-N-I-S – @usdoj.gov. Now Gary, you’re not getting a lot of additional staff to pull this off, I mean, we’ve been struggling, when I say we, in terms of the Office of Justice Programs community, and they have all these agencies under the Office of Justice Programs, they haven’t been getting, OJP has not been getting a lot of money, and now OJP is getting scads of money, and this is just one piece of the pie. Did a radio show a little while ago about the stuff that’s coming down in terms of, which also could be applied to re-entry, as far as I know, in terms of grants coming out of certain, a million dollars to hire more police officers, and $2 million going to the states to plan criminal justice programs, so there are other pots of money, but you’re just dealing with the re-entry part of it, thank god, as far as you’re concerned.
Gary Dennis: Well, that’s going to be true until a couple more days, and I’ll be the lead person on some corrections elements of solicitations that’ll be going out with the new Recovery Act monies, there will be, there is the allowance in some of those for additional staff to be hired, obviously the aim of the recovery act is to create jobs and preserve jobs, but we’re going to be able to hire additional probation and parole officers, community corrections staff, jurisdictions will be able to hire additional jail and detention officers to support increased law enforcement efforts as a result of the recovery act, so yes, and you mentioned $2 billion, the Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance administers burn money, this is money that comes through the Edward Burn Memorial Program, and there are two parts of that. There is some discretionary money, but the largest portion of that are formula grants to the states, and we have roughly $2 billion under the Recovery Act – I guess I shouldn’t say this, but I guess pushing out to the states, but grants are being made to states, 60% of which they have to pass through to locals, and that’s based on crime statistics, UCR statistics that they report, metropolitan, size of population –
Len Sipes: Are they on www.grants.gov as well?
Gary Dennis: Actually, the formula grants are not, they go directly to the states –
Gary Dennis: And 40% will go to specific units of government, so that portion of it, the formula grants, we refer to those as JAG grants, Justice Assistance Grants –
Len Sipes: Okay, and they go, and 60% is reserved for pass-through monies to in terms of state and local entities, so you would have to go to your governor’s office of criminal justice services and apply through there, but again, that’s additional possibilities in terms of re-entry dollars, but that would be discretionary on the part of the state criminal justice planning agencies.
Gary Dennis: That’s correct, and in the state authorizing agency, it could be a crime commission, it could be an office –
Len Sipes: But if you go to the website of the National Criminal Justice Association, because I did a radio show with them on that part of it, www.ncja.org – I hope it’s dot-org! – www.ncja.org, I’m pretty sure you can get information about those grants. All right, so Gary, we’re going to summarize, because we only have a couple minutes left in the program. Gary Dennis, Dr. Gary Dennis, and oh, by the way, I want to say something that Gary probably wouldn’t say, being, he’s taking on so much of this, and being, I’ve worked for this structure in my past, the grant applications that you use, please make them as good as humanly possible, because that’ll make you shine, and it’ll be easy to give you the money if you present a really good grant application, so do the very best you can on that, his telephone number, (202)305-9059, (202)305-9059, email gary-dot – D-E-N-N-I-S – @usdoj.gov, the monies in terms of the $25 million for the demonstration grants and the other grants that I can’t remember the name of them, they will be at www.grants – G-R-A-N-T-S – .gov – G-O-V, so we have, I think, a unique opportunity everybody in terms of the re-entry folks out there to get money to do these demonstrations, there’s a possibility of an additional $75 million coming through the Obama administration that possibly could be here, that’s what he’s asking for, that possibly could be here at the beginning of the federal fiscal year, October 1, 2009. Did I summarize it?
Gary Dennis: You did quite a good job.
Len Sipes: All right. Final words, you have one minute.
Gary Dennis: Well, I just appreciate the opportunity to share this information. As I said earlier, those of us in the field who’ve worked in corrections know that re-entry is absolutely critical, and the people that are in our prisons and jails are our mothers and brothers and fathers and relatives, and they’re just like us, they’ve just, unfortunately, gotten on the wrong side of the law, and if we’re going to help them become productive citizens and taxpaying citizens and back to their families, we’ve got to provide them with the resources in the community to support that, whether it’s employment or housing, substance abuse counseling, mental health counseling, family reunification, and Second Chance provides money to do that.
Len Sipes: Dr. Gary Dennis of the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice, thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being with us at D.C. public safety. Again, we take all of your comments, all of your concerns, feel free to get in touch with us, my direct email address is Leonard – L-E-O-N-A-R-D – .sipes – S-I-P-E-S – @csosa or follow me on Twitter at twitter/lensipes, please have yourselves a very pleasant day.
Meta terms: Second Chance Act, Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, reentry, criminal justice, leadership, crime, criminals, criminal justice
Filed Under: Audio Podcast, Criminal Justice, Drug Treatment, Education and Vocational Assistance, Employment, Interviews with Policy Makers, Mental Health, Reentry, Stimulus Package, What Works
May 17, 2010 by CSOSA
Welcome to DC Public Safety-radio and television shows on crime, criminal offenders and the criminal justice system.
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Len Sipes: From our microphones in Washington, D.C., this is D.C. Public Safety. I’m your host, Leonard Sipes. At our microphones today is Will Marling. He is the executive director for the National Organization for Victim Assistance. Also along with him is Janette Atkins. She is the administrator of the Green County Prosecutor’s Office in Xenia, Ohio, and to Will and to Janette, welcome to D.C. public safety.
Len Sipes: I think the big thing that is on everybody’s minds is this sense of victimization, victims’ issues. We promise, we say that we’re improving, we say that we’re going to be better in terms of victims of crime, and the average person listening to this program will declare that to be, oh, I don’t know, bureaucratic speak from a bureaucrat of all people, and I certainly am one, and I think there’s a basic mistrust that people have of the criminal justice system in terms of its ability to be sensitive to victims of crime. Will, you want to start with that?
Will Marling: Yeah, I can speak to that a little bit, and let me give a little bit of history just for your listeners, so we understand maybe the big picture first historically. I won’t go back too far, but you know, ultimately, the justice system is the state vs. the perpetrator, and when you have that kind of context, you immediately discover that, historically anyway, there is no place for the victim, unless that victim is a witness in the process of the state vs. the perpetrator. Well, we didn’t realize the implications of that, I think, in many ways, you don’t realize it until you become a victim and find yourself actually on the outside of the system looking in, you know, in a group of people who are discussing your victimization or the murder of your loved one, so it’s a strange perspective that people discover historically where victims actually aren’t technically a part of that system even though, really, justice is about victims. So we’ve been working for the past 25 years directly and officially, and far longer than that unofficially in some ways, to change that perspective, so that involves victims’ rights, for instance, and 33 out of 50 states now have a constitutional statement regarding the rights of victims, and those revolve around, you know, similar things to any proceedings, the right to information, the right to a speedy trial, and this kind of thing.
Len Sipes: And there’s also federal legislation, right Will?
Will Marling: That is Federal. That’s exactly right, through the victims of crime act, 1984, and then crime victims rights that came after that. We’ve had other legislation at a federal level. So that’s kind of the big picture, and we’ve been working at that, and even issues like the victim impact statement, which some people now are aware of where a victim in the course of proceedings, particularly in the aftermath of a judgment can state the impact of this crime upon their lives or their loved ones’ lives. All of that is relatively recent in terms of the justice system. So the justice system actually was never designed to be sensitive to anybody. It’s a system of laws, the rule of law, and unfortunately, victims who are impacted by this stuff significantly, physically, emotionally, financially, they discover that it’s not sensitive to them, and it sometimes create secondary victimization.
Len Sipes: Janette Atkins, I had occasion to assist, unfortunately, a neighbor who, their home had been broken into, and weeks had gone by without being contacted, and that person was about to engage the criminal justice system, and did so with this abiding dread. They were saying, “Leonard, can you help me figure all this out?” And I said, “Why don’t you contact the victims’ advocate at the county police department and discuss it with him or her? That would be a good place to start.” And his response was, “Well, that’s just going to tick off the cops, and nobody’s going to take it seriously if I’m complaining about not being contacted.” Again, this immediate sense of fear of working with the criminal justice system, that even though the victims’ movement, I think it’s been around for 30 or 40 years, there’s still this overall sense of reluctance of contacting us within the criminal justice system? Do you think it’s right or wrong?
Janette Atkins: I think that that perception that people have, Leonard, is absolutely true, particularly if people have not had a friend or a loved one or themselves been a victim of crime, and they’re finding themselves in that position for the first time, particularly in the larger, more urban areas, I believe that there is a general distrust, and an idea that nobody’s really going to help me, or I’m going to upset someone in the system, when in fact, I was listening to what Will was saying, I was thinking back to being in this business since 1982, and Will’s absolutely right. 25-30 years have passed, and even further back for some of the grassroots crisis centers and domestic violence shelters that were put into place before many of the system-based victims’ assistance programs like you just mentioned, police-based victims’ assistance programs, and back then, I think, it is absolutely true. Your neighbor’s perception was I will anger the police if I make a complaint to anybody that no one has contacted me about the burglary of my home, and I do think that things have changed dramatically, even since I’ve been in this business for about 27 years now, and the unfortunate thing is, for a burglary victim in a very large urban area, they are not going to get the same service than someone who has had a loved one murdered or may have been sexually assaulted, or their child abducted, they’re not going to get the same type of service that they would if they were in a smaller, rural area where there’s a little bit more hands-on victims’ assistance for all types.
Len Sipes: There’s a profound difference in terms of how an urban criminal justice system responds to individuals and how a suburban or rural criminal justice system responds to victims, but before we get into that, let me give out a couple contact numbers. The number for the National Organization for Victim Assistance is 1-800-TRY-NOVA, the website is www.trynova.org. Let me re-introduce the participants, Will Marling, the director of NOVA, and Janette Atkins, she’s an administrator with the Green County Prosecutor’s office in Xenia, Ohio, and before getting further into the program, I’d like to thank everybody for listening to D.C. Public Safety, we are now over 2 million requests for the program, very close to 150,000 requests on a monthly basis. We appreciate all of your letters, all of your phone calls, all of your emails, and all of your twitters. So you can contact me directly at Leonard, L-E-O-N-A-R-D, dot-sipes, S-I-P-E-S, @csosa.gov. I work for the Criminal Justice system in Washington, D.C. for the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, a federal criminal justice agency, or get in touch with me by twitter, and that is http://www.twitter.com/lensipes. So we go back to that larger issue of fear, Will Marling, in terms of contacting those of us in the criminal justice system. When I started off as a Maryland State Trooper decades and decades ago when I was first introduced to the criminal justice system, I was formally trained that the victim and the witness were supposed to be left out of the criminal justice system to ensure the impartiality of the process, that if the victim and the witness was specifically designed to be a cog that you would insert into the process as needed, nothing more.
Will Marling: Right. Yeah, that’s exactly right. And the problem is that people still treat victims that way, even though with law enforcement, we’re constantly doing training with law enforcement to remind them that a cooperative witness is a good witness. It’s a much better witness than an uncooperative one, and just the process of, while some people might not feel compassion, even for victims, they should, even with that, just from a practical standpoint, working with these folks who are providing evidence for the case they were trying to prosecute, it’s just crucial, and recognizing the traumatic situation they’re in can be significant to helping them provide the evidence that you need. So it’s really important to recognize the role of victims, either as just the victim, or as a victim witness.
Len Sipes: The time as a police officer, and I spent a total of 6 years in law enforcement. You can’t come across a rape victim, you can’t come across somebody who is assaulted and somebody badly beaten, you can’t come across people who suffer through that victimization with their child or suffer through the victimization with a loved one without feeling a profound sense of attachment to that individual. They are going through one of the worst moments of their lives, and all they’re looking for, I think, is a little bit of common decency and respect from those of us in the criminal justice system, and Janette, I tell people all the time, we’re not that distant as you think we are, it’s simply a matter of contacting the right person in the right organization if you feel that you’re getting the runaround, if you feel that you’re not getting the cooperation that you need, that there are victims’ advocates, and prosecutors’ offices, there are victims’ advocates, and my organization, which is a parole and probation agency, there are victims’ advocates at the law enforcement level, that we exist to serve your needs, but still, people have this abiding fear of dealing with any bureaucracy. Janette?
Janette Atkins: That is very true, and I think that’s one of the ways that NOVA comes into play, because when I worked there, and as a volunteer for them for years, one of the things that we found, and I’m sure Will still finds today, is that people call NOVA who are at the end of their rope. They are the very people you’re describing that are feeling like no one is listening, they don’t know who to call or talk to, and everybody that they talk to puts them off to someone else or tells them, I’m sorry, we can’t help you, and NOVA’s role is to hook them up with the exact people you’re describing: the victim advocates, the people with knowledge about the criminal justice system, it could be a detective that’s investigating the case, or a uniformed officer, or a local victim advocate that can answer all their questions for what’s happening with their case and why. And I think the unfortunate thing we see is that, because, as I mentioned earlier, in the urban areas, they are so overwhelmed with their case loads, they are not doing the proactive approach of outreach to people, they’re waiting for those people to call them, if they can find them.
Len Sipes: When you’re running from call to call to call, and you just don’t have the time to take to sit down and deal with the family.
Janette Atkins: Unfortunately. And that comes with financial constraints, as you know, working in a city that is experiencing the same thing I am here in a more rural area in Ohio. Budget cuts are happening, staff layoffs occur, that’s where I think volunteers come in, and a lot of programs aren’t using volunteers effectively to do that outreach, or to provide that actual person that can call and talk to someone, or to give them information, and that’s where the disconnect happens, and then an organization like NOVA steps in, or someone can call an 800 number and be connected, many of the people that, I’m sure Will and the staff take calls from don’t even know a victims’ assistance program exists in their community.
Len Sipes: Will, I want to clarify something. Now is there federal legislation for federal crimes, and 35 out of the 50 states have constitutional amendments that protect victims’ rights? Do I have that correct, or do I have that wrong?
Will Marling: That’s right. There is federal legislation that addresses federal victims’ rights specifically, and then 33 out of 50 states to date have constitutional amendments that include victims’ rights.
Len Sipes: So the people hearing this throughout the country, or for that matter, throughout the world, because 20% of our audience is international, but people hearing this throughout the country as well as the District of Columbia metropolitan area, they probably have a better than even shot of being lawfully protected by their own state’s constitution as to basic rights, correct?
Will Marling: That’s exactly right. And of course, there’s legislation, even in the other states that would affirm services for victims and other things, so even without the constitutional amendment issue, they still could have accessibility to services and also advocacy. One of the challenges we face is the issue of enforcement, and if I could just give you an example, we had a call recently, a woman who had basically been raped, and she was looking forward to her day in court, they had caught the perpetrator, they accused, she received her subpoena, and the subpoena said, you’re to show up at 9:00 at the court, you’re going to be a victim witness, basically, because it’s basically her statement against the perpetrator, the evidence. Her, she showed up at 10 to 9 at the courtroom, and nobody was there, and this is just recent, and so she started inquiring what’s going on. “Well, the trial was at 8:30, and you weren’t here, so basically, we had to dismiss the case.” You see, everybody else had a subpoena for 8:30, she had a 9:00 subpoena.
Len Sipes: And that would make me so outrageously angry, and so mistrustful of the entire criminal justice system, that is almost inexcusable. We in the bureaucracy are so used to saying, “Look, it’s a big bureaucracy, it’s bustling, we handle hundreds of thousands of cases every year, mistakes are going to be made,” and they are. Within any bureaucracy, those sorts of mistakes are going to be made. But, if I’m that victim, and if I’m a family member of that victim, or if I’m the husband of that victim, or if I’m the brother of that victim, I’m going to be outraged by what happened.
Will Marling: Here’s what she said, and I quote, she said, “Emotionally and physically, I’m drained. Every time I even think about this tragedy, it sends me into a seizure. So I’m willing to put it behind me and go on with my life, what I have left, but I’m basically giving up. I can’t deal with this any longer,” so that’s a miscarriage of justice, in my view.
Len Sipes: Either one of you can comment on this one. When we, I’m looking at close to 40 years perspective of being in the criminal justice system, and I remember so vividly, I was a police officer working directly with individuals who were victimized, and understanding fully that this is not what we read in the paper. This is not what we brush off in the morning, this is a huge event in the lives of that individual, a huge event in the lives of the family, a huge event in the lives of everybody associated with that individual, and you know, the taste that leaves in your mouth forevermore is one of mistrust of the criminal justice system, you’re not willing to interact with the criminal justice system, and in many cases, the fear and the anger that goes along with that victimization, and it doesn’t have to be a violent victimization for that to happen, the fear and the anger lingers for the people directly connected to that individual, not for days, not for months, but for years. Without the criminal justice system coming to the aid of those individuals, that sends a fear and a mistrust lingers, it’s what causes people to move from urban areas, it’s what causes people not to invest in urban areas, it causes our schools to suffer, our businesses to suffer, so this is just not one individual fighting the bureaucracy, this is what happens when you’re victimized by crime, that’s bad enough, but especially when the criminal justice system doesn’t come to your emotional and factual aid, and I think that has a huge and devastating impact on our larger society.
Will Marling: There’s no question, and I would say this is the beauty of the victim advocacy network that we do have in our country. It’s why I myself am proud to be aligned with these folks, because they have obviously a difficult job, because they’re dealing with people traumatized continually, they’re dealing continually with people traumatized by crime, but also they provide that buffer, because if you can actually interface with the justice system with somebody who understands you and can get information and help for you, that can recalibrate your expectations, which sometimes is the issue. People think the justice system is out for them. Victims do. The justice system is only out for the rule of law. That’s all it’s there for, and that’s what frustrates people. It makes perfectly good sense that somebody should be convicted of a crime, in their mind, because they were violated. But there are, there’s a bigger picture to that, and we respect that. At the same time, if they can interface with a victim advocate who can assist them, that can change everything, because that can get them to resources and help they need, help them understand what’s transpired. Many times, we take our expectations into something, and those expectations were never accurate in the first place. They’re formed by TV and other things.
Len Sipes: Well, that’s just it, that’s part of the problem, because individuals see CSI on television, and they watch the endless number of crime related shows on television, and what happens on television, ladies and gentlemen, is not even close to being reality. This is why I cannot watch these shows, I cannot watch CSI, because the reality and what happens on television are two different things entirely, but I think managing expectations on the part of individuals, because the criminal justice system is a system of due process. That due process is not the victim’s due process, that due process is the accused due process, and that’s the backbone of our criminal justice system, so I would imagine, when I was trained by the Maryland State Police, decades and decades ago, that sense of the victim as being somebody that you simply plug in as necessary almost makes sense. I mean, due process is due process. 90%, 95% of what’s been written about our criminal justice system in terms of trying individuals accused of crime is due process and how you apply due process.
Will Marling: Well, and if you think about the big picture, if you violate due process working in law enforcement, and I worked in law enforcement in a previous life, and if you violate that against an accused, you basically wreck that case. If you violate due process against the victim, there’s significant harm done, but not necessary to the case.
Len Sipes: Well, nobody is going to, I suppose, theoretically at least, nobody is going to endanger your job by violating the victim’s due process, although now that we have a constitutional amendment in 33 of the 50 states and a federal constitutional amendment, that has changed, but it just strikes me that the emphasis still, to this day, is on the rights of the accused, and if you do not follow due process, if you screw up in terms of the application of the search warrant, or how you talk to that individual, whether or not it’s an in-custodial interrogation, or just a street interrogation, and whether or not you read his Miranda rights or not read his Miranda rights, whether or not you provide an attorney or not provide an attorney, those are all questions that we within the criminal justice system have to deal with on a day-to-day basis. So even today, 90% of our discussion is based upon that, and 10% of the discussion probably is, oh, we should do right by the victim. We should do right by the witness.
Janette Atkins: Leonard, I think there’s a phenomenon though, that I’ve watched evolve in the years that I’ve been doing this work as a victim advocate with television, and I agree with you, absolutely, that what people are watching on television in the CSI shows and those type of criminal justice related programs is not accurate. However, we’re seeing a phenomenon in cases like Caley Anthony, Natalie Holloway, Jessica Lunsford, I’m thinking of these children who were kidnapped, raped, the attention goes to them from the media from these tabloid shows, from the Court TV shows, and suddenly, the nation is now watching cases that you, back as a Maryland State Trooper dealt with isolated within your jurisdiction, and maybe the people in the local area heard about it in the newspaper and the television news, but the world didn’t, and now the world is watching.
Len Sipes: That’s a good point, that more and more these national, especially the cable shows, are taking on cases of interest from the victim’s perspective and pursuing it from the victim’s perspective. I agree. I’m not quite sure that I’m all that happy about the fact that they seem to be focusing on specific people, or every day, day-in day-out in our cities throughout this country, specifically African American, especially lower income African Americans are not paid any attention to, because the great bulk of the victimization is within our urban areas, and in many cases within the African American community, but that’s another story for another day. The larger issue here is that we seem to be growing little bit by little bit through a constitutional amendment or state constitutional amendments, or by media interest, or by just the pure human interest on the part of law enforcement personnel, we seem to be inching to a greater sense that the victim needs to be honored – not honored, respected in terms of their role within the criminal justice system, and the victim needs to be protected.
Will Marling: Yeah. And Leonard, if I could speak to one issue too that I thought of, sometimes it’s contrasted between defendants’ rights and victims’ rights, and so there’s this kind of lore that’s put out there, and I’m not sure who, maybe defense attorneys or others, who say, “Well, if we enhance victims’ rights, then we’re going to diminished the accused rights,” and the fact is, it’s not true. You can have both. You can respect the rights of victims, and also respect the rights of the accused, due process, and so on, but what we need to do is emphasize the enforcement of those rights as well, and some are working hard to do that. You know, the example I gave you represents the fact, you can have all kinds of constitutional amendments, but if nobody’s protecting and enforcing those rights, then this poor woman, she has no place to turn.
Len Sipes: I did a program on victim assistance, and specifically within the Washington D.C. area, and I turned to the people who were advocates from the prosecutor’s office, and from my agency, and I said, “How many times do you have to remind those of us in the criminal justice system, the bureaucrats, that a constitutional amendment does exist?” It’s not a matter of do we or don’t we, we are required by law to provide these services to victims and to respect victims in terms of every process of the adjudicative process. Every part of the adjudicative process.
Janette Atkins: [overlapping voices 24:58] victims that are actually getting counsel and actually looking for somebody to do something when those rights are violated, and Will’s absolutely right, many of the constitutional amendments, and even the state statutes, there’s no real consequence if they are violated, but we were just now seeing victims who, there are attorneys out there who will represent their interests.
Len Sipes: And I don’t, and before ending the program, because we’re into our final 5 minutes of the program, I do want to emphasize that things have changed significantly. I don’t want anybody listening to this program to be scared from contacting the criminal justice system. I want them to contact the criminal justice system, and if they feel that they’re not getting their due sense of respect, that there’s somebody, specifically the victims advocates within every law enforcement agency in this country, practically, there’s somebody there who will take their case, take their point of view, and advocate for them, correct?
Will Marling: Yes, that’s correct.
Janette Atkins: Yes, in many law enforcement programs, and then also prosecutors or DA’s offices, states’ attorneys’ offices, even in the municipal or city programs, there are many, many victims’ assistance programs, and that’s where I would start if I was them. I don’t want to leave people, your listeners, that there is a horrible void in this country when it comes to victims’ assistance, and people are not getting the services, and they can’t trust the criminal justice system, because I have seen it evolve over almost 30 years, and it is much, much better than it used to be, and there are, victims’ assistance programs are much more common now than when I started in this field. You are hard pressed to find one, particularly a system based program. So you’re absolutely right, Leonard, in saying that people should not be afraid, they should call, if they don’t know who to call, they can start with NOVA, and NOVA will guide them to their local resources.
Len Sipes: 1-800-TRY-NOVA, 1-800-TRY-NOVA, or the website, www-dot try, T-R-Y N-O-V-A, dot-org, that would be the place that they would turn to, so I’m feeling guilty. There’s part of me that has a historical point of view that’s always been outraged in terms of how victims of crime are treated, but there’s also a side of me that says things have improved dramatically, and there are people within every bureaucracy that are empowered to go to bat for them, and empowered to fight for them if they feel that they have been mistreated.
Will Marling: Yep, you’re exactly right. I’m glad you have the perspective that you have, it’s an informed perspective, and you know, it’s something we’re trying to make people aware of. We sometimes do advocate directly for people with law enforcement for people, if they have a problem, I can call, I know how to talk the language a bit, and so those kind of things, we can do for people.
Len Sipes: And I think a call from NOVA is impressive enough. I mean, the National Organization for Victim Assistance has been around for how many years, Will?
Will Marling: Well, since 1975, actually.
Len Sipes: 1975, and you’ve been around the block, you’ve been established, you know how to work with the criminal justice system, but the criminal justice system, nobody likes to get a call from NOVA, because we all know who you are, and nobody is, because when you hear that NOVA is on the line, you say, “Uh oh, who has mistreated who?” Right, Janette?
Janette Atkins: That’s very true! And people can get the peer pressure from a national organization, or a state attorney general’s office, for example, or it always helps if the victim is just totally exhausted and not getting the assistance he or she needs, the news media can really help them as well. People, our elected officials don’t want to have the news media knocking on their door either.
Len Sipes: I remember talking to a woman one time who went to her state senator, and her state senator stopped whatever she was doing, picked up that phone, and called that chief of police for that jurisdiction and simply said, “I never, ever, ever want to hear something like this happening to my constituents again, and I want to meet with you personally on this issue, and I want this case taken care of!” And guess what? It was, pretty quickly. So there are ways that people can employ leverage to get what they need in the criminal justice system, but again, I do want to emphasize that there are individuals within every law enforcement agency in the country, just about, who are there to protect you, and you do have a constitutional right to make sure that your rights are respected, and there is a federal constitutional amendment to make sure that you do have access to services and get the respect from the criminal justice system. So with that in mind, I just wanted to say thank you today to our guests, Will Marling, the executive director for the National Organization of Victim Assistance at 1-800-TRY-NOVA, 1-800-TRY-NOVA, the website is www.trynova.org. We’ve also had at our microphones today, Janette Atkins, she is the administrator, the Green County Prosecutor’s Office in Xenia, Ohio, and to both of you, in the final seconds we have left, anything that I’ve left out?
Will Marling: I don’t think so. You’ve covered quite a bit. We really appreciate you.
Janette Atkins: Yes, it’s been a pleasure. We appreciate you bringing this kind of information to your listeners.
Will Marling: Absolutely.
Janette Atkins: The key is that this is the first of six programs we’re going to be doing with the National Association of Victim Assistance over the next year, and we’re going to be looking at victims’ issues in, I think, minute detail to see how we in the criminal justice system can improve. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you. This is D.C. Public Safety. You can contact me, Leonard Sipes, at Leonard Sipes, L-E-O-N-A-R-D dot S-I-P-E-S, @csosa.gov. Please have yourselves a very pleasant day.
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Cantor was not an enemy of the Tea Party. He was in fact the Tea Party’s guy in the leadership for much of the Barack Obama era. He carried the tea into the speaker’s office. And still he got creamed. Creamed! Has a party leader ever lost a primary like this? Stop and take this in. Like any political journalist, I’m a little bit of a historian of this sort of thing, although I readily admit my knowledge isn’t encyclopedic. But I sure can’t think of anything. Tom Foley, the Democratic House speaker in the early 1990s, lost reelection while he was speaker, but that was in the general, to a Republican, which is a whole different ballgame. And he was the first sitting speaker to lose an election since…get this…1862! But a primary? The No. 2 man in the House, losing a primary?
He declares that “immigration reform is D-E-A-D”:
There is no chance the House will touch it. That means it’s dead for this Congress, which means that next Congress, the Senate would have to take the lead in passing it again. (The Senate’s passage of the current bill expires when this Congress ends.) And the Senate isn’t going to touch it in the next Congress, even if the Democrats hold on to the majority. Those handful of Republicans who backed reform last year will be terrified to do so. And it’s difficult to say when immigration reform might have another shot. Maybe the first two years of President Clinton’s second term. Maybe.
[T]he biggest issue by far was immigration reform. Cantor was no reformer, really. He rejected the bipartisan immigration reform deal that Marco Rubio and other Republicans had negotiated in the Senate. But he did hope to salvage some partial compromise, perhaps allowing some illegal immigrants who had been brought over the border as children, and thus could not be deemed personally guilty, to stay unmolested. Brat rejected even that. Any token of conciliation was too much. He still uses the old lingo, calling undocumented immigrants “illegals.” The immediate, and probably correct, reaction in Washington is that Cantor’s defeat wipes out whatever tiny shred of a hope that remained for immigration reform.
Some observers cautioned against drawing sweeping conclusions about immigration, and when the dust settles, it may prove that Cantor’s problem was less ideology and more a sense that he stood more for his own ambition than for any definable policies. He frequently reinvented himself with splashy policy speeches, and toured the country raising money and gathering chits for an eventual run for House Speaker.
“Was immigration an issue? Yes. Was it the deciding factor to the tune of 11%? Not no, hell no. It’s a fairy tale,” Virginia Democratic strategist Dave “Mudcat” Saunders said.
Ben Jacobs and Tim Mak also downplay the immigration angle, claiming Cantor beat himself:
One Virginia Republican familiar with the race suggested that Cantor’s loss was due to “a perfect storm” brought about by the fact that Cantor seemed to be schooled in “the George Armstrong Custer school of tactics as opposed to Sung Tzu school.” The Republican suggested that while immigration was a factor, the bigger issues were internal party politics. As opposed to other Virginia Republicans in Congress, Cantor didn’t show the most basic respect to Tea Partiers in his district. It wasn’t about Cantor’s votes but rather that he didn’t even show up to explain himself and get yelled at. If the Majority Leader, who was the only Jewish Republican on Capitol Hill, had paid more attention to the words of Woody Allen, who said “80 percent of life is showing up,” he would be in much better political shape.
Cantor lost his race because he was running for Speaker of the House of Representatives while his constituents wanted a congressman. The tea party and conservatives capitalized on that with built up distrust over Cantor’s other promises and made a convincing case Cantor could not be trusted on immigration either. Cantor made it easy trying to be a congressman from Virginia and a worthy successor to the Speaker in K-Street’s eyes.
Ezra makes a bunch of smart points. Among them:
Of late, there’s been a lot of talk about “reform conservatism,” a gentler, more inclusive, more wonkish brand of conservatism. Cantor, a founding member of the “Young Guns,” was one of reform conservatism’s patron saints. His loss suggests reform conservatism doesn’t have much of a constituency, even among Republican primary voters. The Republican base, at least in Cantor’s district, isn’t in the mood for technocratic solutionism. It’s still angry, and it still believes that any accommodation is too much accommodation.
It is easy enough to attribute his defeat to the sentiment among conservatives that Cantor is not sufficiently hostile to an amnesty for illegal immigrants, and that the Republican establishment is too squishy: too willing to raise the debt ceiling, vote for bank bailouts, and so on. But then why did Senator Lindsey Graham, who vocally championed the immigration bill while Cantor distanced himself from it, win walking away in conservative South Carolina? Why did Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is just as much an establishment figure as Cantor, and more favorable to the immigration bill, thump his primary opponent a few weeks ago?
There’s a certain poetic irony to Cantor, who exploited Tea Party frustrations in order to undermine Boehner, falling to a Tea Party challenger himself. And as my colleague Danny Vinik points out, this probably isn’t good news for the Republican Party’s political prospects in national elections, given how out of sync the Tea Party is with the rest of the country. But there’s a long way to go before 2016. In the interim, the country needs a government that can actually function—which means it needs an opposition party that can bring itself to compromise, at least once in a while. In the wake of Cantor’s loss, Republicans may be even less enthusiastic about that than they were before.
(Photo by Gage Skidmore)
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Many think that the God of the Bible is a partial God, biased in His dealings with humankind. They quote many instances in the Bible to prove it. This is a common misunderstanding. On a superficial reading it may appear that God favoured the Israelites above all other nations.
Partial means unfair, prejudiced, biased, predisposed. In another sense, it also means incomplete. But our knowledge of God as a perfect and loving God does not agree with this incomplete understanding of Him.
Let’s search the Bible to find out more about this.
Many think that the God of the Bible is a partial God, biased in His dealings with humankind. They quote many instances in the Bible to prove it. This is a common misunderstanding. On a superficial reading it may appear that God favoured the Israelites above all other nations.
Partial means unfair, prejudiced, biased, predisposed. In another sense, it also means incomplete. But our knowledge of God as a perfect and loving God does not agree with this incomplete understanding of Him.
Let’s search the Bible to find out more about this.
Blessed to be a Blessing
The Bible begins with the creation and God telling Adam and Eve to fill the earth. Their disobedience resulted in God driving them out from His presence. Later we find all of the people of the earth gathering at Babel to build a tower to make a name for themselves. God foiled their efforts by confusing the language and thus many languages, ethno-linguistic groups and clans were formed. Out of this diversified group of people, God called one man, Abram, to obey him. God said, “Leave your people and go to the land I will show you.” God then made a promise which is being fulfilled to this day.
"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you." Genesis 12:2-3
The larger plan of God is revealed in the promise he gave to Abraham. God intended all the peoples of the earth to be blessed through this man.
Through the line of Abraham, God made a nation, Israel, to show forth His glory. Through Israel, the seed of Abraham, God intends to bless all the families of the earth. In the phrase “all families” God is including all of humankind, irrespective of their colour, race, language and creed – He is including the non-Israelites too. Does that sound like the plan of a partial God?
We find many occasions in the Bible where through mighty acts and miracles, God proves to many other peoples that He alone is to be worshipped and feared. He wanted Israel to be the channel of his blessing to all the nations. But the sad part
of the story is that the Israelites misused their God-given blessing and were not willing to share it with others. Even in this situation God proves His love for all humankind by selecting many non-Israelites and blessing them. Some examples are:
Rahab, the prostitute in Caanan who hid the Israelites spies and was later saved from the destruction of the land and its people by Joshua;
Ruth, a Moabitess who decides to follow the God of her Israelite mother-in-law Naomi, and later marries Boaz, who became a forefather of Jesus;
Naaman, a Syrian commander with leprosy who was cured of his leprosy by the Israelite prophet Elisha – and Naaman was persuaded to go to the prophet by the witness of a captive Israelite slave working in his home.
Jonah, the unwilling prophet was selected by God to preach to the Gentile Ninevites to repent of their sins. Jonah was angry that God wanted to love the Ninevites and bring them back to Him – as an Israelite, Jonah felt that the blessing belonged to him and to his people.
In all these examples we see a change of heart towards God by these non-Israelite people. If God was simply a feudal God of the Israelites, would He have reached out to the nations the way He did?
The culmination of God’s love for the world is the life of His son Jesus, a descendant of Abraham. Jesus walked and talked with non-Israelites – he journeyed into places like Tyre, Sidon and the Decapolis. He often accused the Jews of having less faith than the Gentiles, and spoke of God's special care for the Gentiles. At Capernaum, he healed a Roman centurion’s paralyzed servant and marvelled at the centurion’s great faith. He cleansed the Temple of money-changers who were defiling the Court of the Gentiles, where Jesus said, “My house shall be a house of prayer for all the nations.” He gave a message of salvation to a Samaritan woman. He healed a Caananite woman’s daughter of demon-possession.
Jesus condemned the prideful and possessive attitude of Israel, which stemmed from the belief that they were the “sons of Abraham” and so the blessing of God was theirs by right and by inheritance. Jesus told them that “God can raise sons of Abraham from stones.”
The blessing is revealed in Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross which saved the world from the terrible consequences of sin. Through faith in Jesus, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, both Jews and Gentiles, can inherit the blessing. Jesus came to redeem all the families of the earth.
We then see Jesus handing over to his disciples and to the church, the mandate of spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth. But how faithful has the church been in carrying out this responsibility? History shows that the Church also used the privilege and was not willing to share God’s blessing.
Christians down the ages have been guilty of hoarding the blessing. Isn’t this true in India also? The Gospel reached this country even before it reached many other nations — but we still have so many unreached people groups in India. Selfish Christians interested only in “my God, my church, my family, my people” have thus “proved” to the world that the God of Bible is interested only in certain groups of people.
We learn from the Bible that it is not God who is partial but the people whom He entrusted to bless others. God’s desire is to bless all the nations or families or people groups of the earth.
So who is responsible for the present world-picture of God: Is it God or us? Aren’t we responsible if some unreached people groups blame God for showing partiality to a select few? The answer lies within each one of us.
Are you ready to bless others, that God may receive all the worship due to His name? Are you ready to share the blessing with the world?
Think about it, and do your part in making it happen.
Questions to think about
a) Do you have any instances in life when you felt that God is partial?
b) Do you agree that believers in India show partiality in their dealings with people?
c) In what ways can we prove to others that God is impartial?
Who is responsible if some people groups in India blame God for being partial? God or Us?
Do you have stereotypes in your mind about non-Christians or even about Christians who are not from your own church or denomination? Examine your behaviour and attitudes towards them in the light of God’s promise. How can you change your behaviour to be a blessing to them?
Find out if your Church supports a missionary and get his name and address and write an encouraging letter.
Include the nations of the earth in your prayers. Pray that they may receive the blessing of the gospel.
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| 8,077 |
The University City Council voted 5-2 in favor of a proposal to contract out for municipal ambulance services. The five year contract, which is expected to save University City taxpayers upwards of $500,000 each year, would utilize Gateway Ambulance, a private ambulance company. Read the Post-Dispatch’s coverage here and here.
Gateway Ambulance is able to provide a potentially better service than existing ambulance services because of an innovative delivery system. Rather than keep ambulances at a fixed location such as a firehouse, Gateway plans to keep ambulances ready to go out in the community. These locations will be chosen based on a statistical analysis of where they would be most useful. If the city’s needs change and the community is better served with ambulances posted in different locations, the solution is as easy as driving the ambulances to the new posting points. You can’t move a brick-and-mortar firehouse like this.
From reports we’ve heard, Gateway Ambulance can provide a better turnout time than the fire department. “Turnout time” is the length of time between an alarm and when an ambulance starts moving. Most fire departments in St. Louis County have an average turnout time of about 90 seconds. This makes sense because staff need to transition from whatever they are doing, get ready, get to the ambulance, and get the vehicle moving.
Gateway operates out of their ambulances. If it’s hot or cold outside, the vehicle is already running. All the Gateway Ambulance drivers need to do is find out where they are going and they’re ready to go. With the private option, turnout time is virtually eliminated.
Spending less money for a better services sounds like a win-win, right? It’s the sort of outcome that we often see when contracting out for public services. Private companies have a strong incentive to provide a superior service because if consumers, in this case taxpayers, don’t like the service, they can simply go to a different company.
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Essentially a grand opera in three acts (complete with two ballets and a large cast of soloists), this relatively recent opera is a Ukrainian offering evoking near comical comparisons to Boris Godunov and Alexander Nevsky. The composer Georgi Maiboroda lived from 1913 to 1992, with this being the last of his four operas. Like Svatopluk or Nerone do not be fooled by the very late premier date, this score is conservative and diatonic. I probably would not have bothered if it were not. The title character is an 11th century Prince of Kiev known as Yaroslav the Wise in English, but if he were wise, that is hardly indicated by the plot of this opera. The general consensus is that although the first two acts have a strong narrative (although the rationales for the male characters are confused) the third act is brief (18 minutes) and dramatically inept with most of the action occurring offstage and ending in a symbolic final tableaux with no plot value. Yaroslav in particular is incredibly passive, more reacting than actually taking matters into his own hands until the end of Act 3 Scene 1 (the last scene in the opera in which any action actually takes place on stage). The libretto was by the composer, drawn from a dramatic poem by Ivan Kocherga.
SETTING: Kiev, between 1044 and 1053. The plot, such as it is because it is very confusing, recounts how indecisive human beings can be. Yaroslav (bass) is threatened by three major forces, all represented by various characters. First is Novgorod in the form of the rather docile Mykyta (tenor) the son of the mayor Kosnyatin who (while disguised as a monk) gives up plotting to assassinate the prince when he falls unrequitedly in love with his daughter, Elizaveta (soprano). Elizaveta, however, is in love with Harald Hardrada (baritone) a Norwegian nobleman who becomes King of Norway. Meanwhile (there are a lot of these) Zhureyko (tenor) a native Kievan, kills a Varangian who attempted to rape his wife Mylusha (soprano) and swears revenge on Yaroslav for letting the attempted rapist (who also murdered his brother-in-law) free at the rather idiotic pleading of Elizaveta (she isn’t very smart). However, at the same time, Zhureyko revealed to Yaroslav that his queen, the Swedish princess Ingigerda (soprano) and a Viking named Ulf plotted to assassinate him, sending Ingigerda to a convent. After Elizaveta marries Harald and becomes Queen of Norway, Mykyta finds solace with the Sicilian girl Gemma (mezzo-soprano) who happens to be a part of the court of Harald. In the end, Elizaveta dies in Norway between acts two and three, they fight the Pechenegs, Mykyta is revealed to be the son of the mayor of Novgorod, dies in battle, and Yaroslav is acclaimed as a wise ruler (no reason given, the Kievans just praise him as such). Confused?
Scene 1: A room in the palace being used by scribes. (18 minutes)
0, 9, 14, 16: The opening choral scene * as the ladies of the court go off to Matins with the blessing of Silvestr, the head scribe, who from his vestments appears to be an Archpriest. He prays as he supervises the scribes under him. He speaks with Mykyta, who he knows is hiding something (but what?). There is also a comic bass named Svichkohas who spills his ink all over the floor, but the first items of real interest is the arrival of Elizaveta * who turns her conversation with Mykyta into a full-blown aria ** before her servant, Gemma, arrives, announcing the arrival of a blond stranger. This is Harald, who comes to woo the beauteous Elizaveta, and embarks on a dramatic aria ** after speaking with Princess Ingigerda, followed by a furious symphony as everyone else leaves except Mykyta who decides not to kill Yaroslav after all *.
19: An energetic prelude * brings us to the rather docile Yaroslav as he speaks with Silvestr, who is attended by Mykyta. This is okay plot forwarding, but musically it is only so-so. Elizaveta shows up, which at least brightens up the situation.
25: The arrival of Harald provides as opportunity for a pick-up in the music * as Yaroslav tells him that he can marry Elizaveta, when he, Harald, is a king.
30: The Harald-Elizaveta love duet ** is a mild piece, lyrical, but mostly lacking in passion, better resembling a mazurka actually. It starts off really more as an aria for Harald before Elizaveta finally pops in (the music falls apart at this point). It does, at least, have a good finish.
34: The act finishes off with a good crowd scene *** in which the stonemason Zhureyko takes his case against the viking Turvald, who has attempted to rape his wife Mylusha and has already murdered his brother-in-law. Yaroslav passes judgment, but is convinced by Elizaveta to be lenient with Turvald and reduce his sentence to a fine (which is paid by Harald). Turvald is killed by Zhureyko for repeating his assault of Mylusha, who flees. Elizaveta is (rightfully) publicly humiliated for this bad turn of events as the curtain falls. Maiboroda accomplishes a surprisingly effective scene dramatically, and embarrasses the soprano (wildly anticipated) in rapid succession, something even Verdi failed at doing.
Scene 1: A room in the palace. (10 minutes)
1: A furious prelude (based on themes from the previous scene and very dark), flows directly in a four-minute mono-cant for Yaroslav **.
5, 9: He gets into an argument with Ingigerda when she asks him to pardon Ulf, a Viking Yaroslav plans to banish. She insults him, but much of this is another mono-cant *. A noble shows up with news that Novgorod has rebelled. Yaroslav orders the execution of the mayor, Kosnyatin *.
Scene 2: Gardens of the Palace as in Act 1 Scene 2 but dressed up for a wedding. (6 minutes)
11: The Wedding Procession *** gets broken into by a very good passage of mono-cant from bride-groom Harald and his chorus of Norwegian knights. Probably the best singular number in the entire opera. The remainder of the scene consists of a choral-ballet scene which is very effective. Brief, all of six minutes, but perhaps the best overall scene in the opera and dead centre in the score.
Scene 3: The Palace Gardens, night. (31 minutes)
19: Mykyta bemoans his loss of Elizaveta (did he ever really have a chance? where was this subplot going really?). Mykyta is told by messenger of the death of his father (to a rather good female background chorus).
25: Gemma, a Sicilian woman who happens to be part of the wedding party brought by Harald, has fallen in love with Mykyta and expresses her desire for him *** (although he tries to claim that he is a monk to stop her). This is the first number in the opera that really gets the blood racing, and probably one of the best mezzo cameo parts.
31: Svitchkohas shows up with Mylusha. Zhureyko returns and goes over some plot details with Svitchkohas, who then leaves. Ingigerda and Ulf plot against Yaroslav. Basically, it is the middle of act 3 of Figaro until Ingigerda is left alone and embarks on an aria **.
34, 38: A slightly chromatic love duet for the reunited Mylusha and Zhureyko * (little do they know). She reveals the plot between Ulf and Ingigerda and gets dispatched by Ulf. The wedding party comes on and Mylusha gets about half-way through incriminating Ingigerda for treason against her own husband before succumbing and Zhureyko (who has lost an awful lot already) tries to get through the rest while also embarking in mourning his wife **.
41: After a whirlwind chorus from the women, Yaroslav is accompanied by a very strong lower string feature which brings with it a very dramatic finish ***. We end up with one of the few ensemble numbers (a brief quintet including Elizaveta who has been silent up to this point), climaxing on Yaroslav banishing Ingigerda to a monastery. The act ends with a choral requiem for Mylusha.
0: The closest thing to a Verdian scene as Yaroslav holds court awaiting news of the invading Pechenegs **. Ingigerda is brought in and the parents are told news by the newly returned Mykyta that Elizaveta has died in Norway. But the Pechenegs will not wait, prompting a quintet before Zhureyko appears with news that Novgorod is also under attack and is offering to join forces with Yaroslav to defeat them. Mykyta takes the opportunity to make a vicious comment to him about needing Novgorod which causes Yaroslav to make to strike the younger man but is stopped by Gemma who reveals who Mykyta actually is (finally!). The scene ends abruptly with Yaroslav making preparations for battle.
9: The Battle against the Pechenegs occurs entirely in the form of a orchestral intermezzo with ballet **.
15: The finale consists of the Slava! chorus followed by final remarks from Yaroslav about how Rus is immortal and Kiev will live forever to a very catchy tune *** with continued Slava! Slava! and ending with church bells (there is a false ending, so watch for the very end).
The role of Elizaveta is a false lead, one expects her to be the primary female character given act one but the sudden humiliation of her poor judgment in the Turvald rape-murder case causes an immediate demotion and she is basically window dressing during her act two wedding (and dead afterwards). Ironically, the very moment Maiboroda demolishes the intelligence of his soprano as a character is also one of the best executed moments in the score and certainly its first great moment.
From that point, the second act takes on an entirely different plot, now with Queen Ingigerda as the prima donna, until she, too, is found guilty of problematic judgment. The comparatively minor figure of Mylusha gets the death scene, her husband the better tenor anger scene than the slightly annoying Mykyta (to me anyway).
The third act is brief and most of the action is taken up by the orchestra. After two large acts the rapidity of the final act can seem odd.
The title of the opera is rather ironic, as Yaroslav does nothing to actually indicate that he is personally wise.
I wish the role of Gemma was bigger, there are so many elements in the libretto which could have been expanded upon but simply were not.
The plot is rather ridiculous, and the cast is sprawling, but the music does have its merits. There are dull mechanical theatre scenes for sure, but next to them are some very well crafted and dramatically effective numbers which made reviewing this entry worth it. And it really is not that long either!
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my back is still quite sore. i'm expecting it to be that way for the next couple of days. as long as it doesn't get much worse, thus preventing me from doing anything but laying on my stomach, i should be fine. sitting and laying down i can handle, beding down to pick something up on the other hand is a total pain (pun not intended, but definitely works). but all in all, it was totally worth it, even if i can't see the tattoo that well for myself, 'cause it's on my lower back and it's really hard to bend around enough to see it.
getting the tattoo hurt less than i thought it would, at first anyways. drawing the lines hurt next to none and even filling up the picture didn't really hurt until at the very end. i don't exactly know why, but the last five or so minutes were pure agony. my guess is that the tattooer (yes, that's a word, because i said so) was going through areas he had already color once, and that's why it hurt. or maybe my skin was just getting sensitive towards the end. who knows. but actually sitting on the chair for two bloody hours completely still "hurt" more than making the tattoo itself. my arms fell asleep after 10 minutes because i was forced to constantly rest my chin on them. breathing was also rather difficult.
all in all it wasn't as bad an experience i initially thought it would be, but i'm definitely not jumping at the chance of doing it again any time soon. XP
i think i'll go and have a salad now. this hunger is so totally killing me. i'm actually thinking that maybe i should start eating at school, since from now on 'til the end of january i'm going to have to be at school from 8am 'til 4pm every day, except on fridays when i can go home at 3pm. though i've managed through 10+ hours without eating these past few weeks, the constant gnawing feeling of hunger is not a very nice thing to feel.
also, i want a new layout. something ringwraith or eva related. i can't decide which. >.<
listening to: bryan adams - get off my back
awww, why the hell not?! ;_; you almost had me jumping through the roof with that! you drawing jecht x auron would've so totally made my day. you are such a kill-joy. *sticks tongue out*
seeing as i could've used a little cheering up of that sort. the studia generalia (latin for "general studies", cause our school is so fancy ¬_¬)-lecture we just had must've been the most boring ever. there was a guy talking about the future of industrial and service fields when it comes to jobs, or some bs like that. i couldn't have cared less, it was so boring i damn near fell asleep after the first 10 minutes. and truth to be told, i can't remember a single thing the guy said because i just couldn't be bothered to pay that much attention. in fact, the most interesting thing about the whole one-hour-long lecture was that they guy had a shiny bald spot on the back of his head and for some reason i couldn't stop chuckling at this fact. i'm awful, i know. XP
i could kill for a hesburger chickensalad at the moment...
feeling: yaaayyy~!
listening to: bryan adams - brothers under the sun
i'm so totally loving this new portable cd-player o' mine! it's so swanky i could almost eat it! i never knew it's this cool to be able to listen to the music of your own preferance instead of people talking and making stupid noises. and the fact that this little sweetheart is also able to play mp3-cd's makes it all even better. now all i need to do is get some of those... stupid computer with no re-writing cd-rom. ¬_¬
whee! my exams for this period are done! i just had my last exam, which was maths. is it just me, or was the exam insanely easy? i finished 45 minutes early, but i hope that's because the questions indeed were that easy and not because i made stupid mistakes and didn't give proper answers. i answered all the six questions to the best of my ability and if i didn't make any stupid mistakes due to my own carelessness, they might all even be correct. now i'm not bouncing up and down with the expectation of getting an A, but i am expecting a good grade on this.
...though getting an A on maths would totally kick ass. ^_~
"don't let go" from the spirit: stalion of cimarron soundtrack reminds me of auron and jecht (see lyrics). is my head totally screwed up due to looking at too much yaoi? o_O
on another note, i'm gonna see the seamstress who's gonna do my gown for our prom-kind-of-thing today at 4pm. that makes kat a very happy gurl. ^_^ also, i'm getting nervous about tomorrow. i think i'm subconsciously afraid of getting an infection from the tattoo needle. XD
and just because i'm bored:
XD XD XD
26th november 2002
listening to: nothing
someone please tell me, what the hell is lainsäädäntö in english? the word was a part of my english exam and i couldn't remember it for the life of mine. no thoughts whatsoever came to mind, so eventhough it was against my better judgement, i ended up leaving it blank. don't you just hate it when you cram all the wrong things for your exams? i studied the names of different diseases (i know how to spell diarrhoea! ^o^) and environmental words for my exam, but as it turned out, i should've focused on political vocabulary. one of the reading comprehensions centering around the above-mentioned politics was especially tricky, and i think by far the worst i've seen so far. though i pretty much understood the text itself answering the questions about it was pretty hard. i'm still expecting to get a good grade on the exam, as i think overall i did pretty well. and of course, if i get anything lower than 9 as my grade, i'm going to seriously hurt someone. most likely myself.
oh yeah, and also...
NEVER EVER answer the phone by saying "hai, moshi moshi?" [yes, hello?] in finland unless you're sure the person on the other end is either japanese or at least knows what the hell you're saying. because i did that last night and it was really embarrassing. i actually thought it was mom calling, and as she knows what the before-mentioned sentence means, i felt secure enough to use it when i answered the phone. hilariously enough, it wasn't mom, but someone else who apparently didn't know what "hai, moshi moshi?" means. i suspect this because there was a long silence on the other end and then they just hung up the phone. i felt like being swallowed by the earth right there and then, it was so embarrassing. my face must've been beet-red, whether from laughing so hard inwardly or from embarrassement, i can't say. but i'm so not answering the phone from now on. XD
feeling: somewhat weird
* the weather
* slipping on ice and almost falling on my butt several times
* tripping over my own feet and almost falling on my face
* sucking at my physics exam
* not feeling energetic enough to pick my new walkmans from the post office
* being able to see my breath in the buss 'cause it was so cold
* people not remembering it's my name day today (i'm petty, i know)
* the keyboard i had to use at school
* having to make the decision to skip school on thursday in order to get that tattoo of mine done
chiko-chiko is also harrassing me about making a "proper entry" (meaning i have to talk about neon genesis evangelion ;P), so i guess i'll give it a go.
anyhoo, as chiko-chiko already mentioned, we watched the whole 26 episodes of neon genesis evangelion this weekend, most of it on saturday. there were several things i didn't understand, but it's all starting to clear up as chiko-chiko is explaining me things from faqs. there are still some things the faqs don't answer, so i'm wondering about them on my own. figures i'm asking questions about things that never occured to anyone else, or better yet, everyone else understood. XP
my first question is still why 01 was such a loonie. through the faqs i understood the main reason why all the eva units are a bit wrong in the head, but that still doesn't explain why unit 01 was so much worse than 00 and 02. i mean, he (she?) ate the dead angel, for gaea's sake! O_O and while we're on the subject of it, that was one freaky scene. it was amusing and disturbing at the same time to watch 01 walk on four legs. he reminded me of those nobody-monsters in devil may cry. though i gotta say, i *heart* it every time 01 goes berserk. ^.^
all in all, nge is one kick-ass show. i just hope shinji had a bit more guts to go on. sometimes his constant wimpiness got on my nerves so much i wanted to punch him. he's piloting an eva unit, for cyin' outloud! it's the coolest thing one ever gets to do, if you ask me, and he should be very very proud of the fact that he's able to do it. i'd kill to be able to get his "job"! O_O
also on the plus side, the eva units have got to be included among the sexiest mechas ever! gotta love the slim-with-overly-long-legs design! ^_^ i lost count on the times something they did made me squeal like a little girl. though one scene in particular is worth a mention; the person who came up with the scene where units 01 and 02 are half-buried in water/ground with only their long legs sticking in the air after losing to an angel totally deserves to be given loads of ice cream! that scene had me laughing/squealing for ages! XD
feeling: nauseous
listening to: my head pounding
i just got a nasty headache from eating. hm, figures.
i just screwed myself over in yet another physics exam. i'm too tired and too headachy to dwell on it, but it still makes me angry at myself. why is it that i just can't make myself understand and be good at physics? it's just a matter of practice, right? it seems that whatever the main subject of the physics course is, i can't master it enough to do well on the exam. makes me feel pretty pooey...
i'm thinking of making an appointment for next thursday to get a tattoo. it will cost me around 150 euros, plus the appoinment fee of 20 euros, but i figured it would be worth it. and since i want to have it done before xmas, and since i'm not allowed to take a sauna for two weeks (O_O!!) after getting the tattoo done, i should get it done as soon as possible. don't want to miss the ultimate coolness of xmas sauna at grandma's place. ^_^
anyone with experience on getting a tattoo done: it doesn't hurt that much, does it?
i still have an english lesson before i can go home. i'm still thinking that these prep lessons during the exam week are a total waste of everyone's time. i've never been on a prep lesson that would prove über-useful in the exam itself. and i'm sure all of you can pretty much guess what the prep lesson for english will consist of. grammar grammar and more grammar. oh, and have i ever told you that i hate studying grammar? ¬_¬
*goes to look at some yaoi*
listening to: nothing
one down, three to go.
my philosophy exam today was a disaster, more or less. i didn't study for it pretty much at all and it's definietly going to show on the grade. i managed to scribble down some answers, so i should at least pass the exam, but i'm so not going to get any kind of decent grade on it. i didn't even write the essay that was required because i couldn't think of anything to write. the questions were weird (as can be expected in a philosophy exam) and i realized i don't know a damn thing about the subjects, and i was too tired to come up with anything original. so there goes six points... ahh well, i'm a little too tired to care. i don't even like philosophy and it's definitely not going to have anything to do with my future profession.
speaking of which... the signs indicate that i'm going to have to attend university either in oulu or abroad. neither seems really tempting at this point, but at least oulu has some interesting subjects to study. would you look at this! O_O
oi, chiko-chiko! text me the address of the new tattoo shop. y'know, the one who's ad you found at my hairdresser's? text me the addy and i might check it out today after school to ask them about prices and getting a tattoo of a picture of your own choice. okie?
i need some yaoi...
feeling: surprisingly well
listening to: guys goofing around
this must be the first time in a long while that i'm not hungry in school. granted, i did eat a piece of bread during lunchtime, but that was more for the sake of keeping company to one of my friends than for the sake of hunger. besides, there was rice pudding (why the hell is it called pudding? it's not pudding, it's porridge!) for lunch, and i'm so not eating anything even remotely related to porridge. i'm guessing this, along with my surprisingly good mood, is due to the fact that i got the assignment for my adp lessons done in time. plus because of the neon genesis evangelion: perfect collection box set that i finally managed to buy and the fact that things for my prom- kind-of-thing are finally starting to sort themselves out. we're meeting with the seamstress, who's going to do my gown, on wednesday and today we'll (hopefully) get chiko-chiko's tux rented. i'm also going to talk to my hairdresser about making an appointment to get my hair done early in the morning on the big day (14th february). i still haven't decided whether i'm going to get extensions done on my hair or if i'm just going to keep it short, so i'm also going to talk to her about that.
phew.
oi, sis! claim one more time that your yoshi or any other drawing of yours sucks and i'm going to go very violent on you. i have never seen a single drawing from you that would really "suck", and i don't think i ever will, either.
so shut up, and draw me what i asked from you as an xmas pressie. ;D
you're actually telling me that it wasn't kakashi and iruka who smooched in your dream, but the buss driver? yeah right, as if i'm gonna believe that! XD
feeling: w00t!
listening to: some girls make weird noises in the hallway
I GOT IT DONE!! *dances wildly around anyone who happens to be reading*
in case you're wondering, i'm talking about my adp course assignement. it took me two hours (¬_¬), but i finally got it to do everything it's supposed to do and it should even be mostly bug-free at the moment. major yayness at that. i figure this incredible task was accomplished mostly because i came to school today earlier than i was supposed to freely work on the assignment. in reality my lessons wouldn't start today until at 12:30pm, but i dragged myself here already at 9am so i would get this sucker done. seeing as the deadline for these things is next monday, today is the last day i have the chance to work on it before my exams begin tomorrow. so in all, i think this was worth sacrificing a few hours of extra sleep.
phew. i feel so much relieved now that i got the assingment done. perhaps my grade won't be such a disaster after all. ^_^
i'm also thinking that i got an extra boost of energy from the package i picked up from the post office last night. that's right, i was finally able to bring home the spiffy-looking case that contains all 26 episodes of neon genesis evangelion. at least i know what i'm gonna be doing the whole weekend. ^_~
we're gonna go and rent a tux for chiko-chiko today. should be interesting. i'm hell-bent on getting her a swallowtail (is that what it's really called? o_O) but i don't think she's so thrilled with the idea. i bet she's hoping all the rental shops are all sold-out on swallowtails and we'll have to get her a tuxedo in stead. i just think it would be so adorable if she wore a swallowtail. i blame this on black waltz 03. ;P
feeling: somewhat amused
listening to: people talking. i want my walkmans. ;_;
...nani? o_O oh yeah. *whipes drool off cheeks* i have nothing constructive to add to your topic. you know i can't say diddly-squad when it comes to art-stuff. all i can say is "wow!" or "awesome!" and things like that, and that's hardly constructive. not to mention it's embarrassing to talk like that about your art when everyone else is going on about shading and pencil work and such. O_O
perhaps the musquito froze to death or something. not to say that there's cold in our house (XD), but i mean that maybe it came from outside all frozen-up and stuff, and then when it came in it started to melt and just...died from it. like that whole brain- freezing thingy, y'know?
*looks at what she just wrote* some ethologist i'm going to be... ¬_¬
ookay, time for me to head to the bank. i shall bring goodies as i come home - in the shape of evangelions. ^_~
hurr hurr. i guess drawing a pyramid head to your sister isn't exactly the ultimate show of affection in other people's opinion. poor souls, they don't know what they're missing. XD
w00t, i just figured what to buy drew for xmas! ^o^
gonna pick up my neon genesis evangelion: perfect collection box set from the post office later today. major yayness. ^^
listening to: comps humming
so much for a well-done hairdo. i hate the weather today. ~_~
help me! i'm not getting anything done! O_O
i <3 the computers here, though.
19th november 2002
feeling: hungry. didn't see that coming, didcha?
listening to: bryan adams & sarah mclachlan - don't let go, which is stuck in my head
hurr. it seems to be a constant state for me these days, but i'm - again - extremely tired and hungry. i'm on my lunchbreak at the moment, and if i were smart i'd go get something to eat. but i'm not smart, and hence won't get anything to eat. from the school cafeteria, at least. eesh.
i'm gonna have to stay in school today 'til 6pm. how sucky is that? today of all days, when i'm feeling ready to fall over from exhaustion any minute, i'm gonna have to stay at school to develop photos for my photography lessons. in all actuality, it isn't a hard task at all, i just don't feel like it today. four extra hours...i must be out of my mind. thankfully time really flies in the dark room, so if i just manage to contain my hunger, i should be alright. but still, getting home well after six isn't exactly a charming idea. x_X
hopefully i'll get something meaningful done on my adp lessons today. it drives me up the damn walls to be so clueless when it comes to my course assignment. i just hope that i'll get it done in time. getting a lousy grade on something i initially found so easy would be embarrassing. ~_~
thanks for the p-head-butt, sis. it sure cheered up my day. and no, for more cheer-up, i shall go look at some yaoi. ta-ta! ;P
18th november 2002
listening to: nothing
i'm so sick of everyone's attitudes that i could just cry. lately there's been something wrong with everyone, and all they do is complain and feel sorry for themselves. i've had it up to my ears. i wish they would stop pulling me into it.
i definitely need to learn how to say 'no'. i'm so damn tired that i could just fall over right here and right now, and going home is the first thing on my mind at the moment. but alas, i promised a friend i would check out a few rental shops for gowns for our up-coming prom-kind-of-thing today. well, she gets off school at 4pm and i have to wait for her, since i got off at 2pm. what a total turn-off. at the moment i'm not the greatest company, and to be honest, neither is she. some personal issues she has to deal with, and quite frankly, i don't feel like listening to her go on and on about them. no offense, but i'm really not on the mood right now. being told off by our physics teacher wasn't exactly the kind of experience that leaves one smiling for the rest of the day...
the worst thing about this is that it could actually be fun to go around the town with her, if you exclude the fact that she might be complaining about her relationships the whole time. but simply don't feel like going anywhere but home today, least of all out at the town when it's freezing cold and otherwise an all-around nasty weather. i know it would be extremely bitchy of me to drop her a text-message saying that i don't feel like doing this today and that we'll do it another time if she wants to, but that's what i'm tempted to do at the moment.
besides, i'm hoping that my neon genesis evangelion: perfect collection box set might've arrived today. so naturally i want to go pick it up, instead of checking out some rental shops for gowns when my own gown is going to be custom-made and visiting rental shops has nothing to do with me. except for the part where i have to rent a tux for riikka, but that's beside the point.
ahh well. i guess i'll live. *shrugs*
listening to: teacher talking
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH~~!! the assignment for adp is driving me up the walls!! i don't know what the hell i'm doing and i'm probably never gonna get it done in time. i'm so gonna fail this course... *faints like sakura*
15th november 2002
feeling: tired and hungry
listening to: spirit - rain, which is stuck in my head
I am Shiva! I may not be one for comradery, but I get the job done with icy precision. Beware of my Diamond Dust!
What Final Fantasy summon are you? Click here to find out!
This test created by Cp's Coo Coo Planet
i think that's pretty true. i really am not the one for comradery. XD
very hungry. still three hours of school to go, and then it's weekend. thank waltz. if only i could not attend my art lessons. they're so boring they make me want to throw things. ~_~
still waiting for neon genesis evangelion: perfect collection box set to arrive...
14th november 2002
listening to: my stomach growl
inkblot test, from emode:
"Katri, your unconscious mind is driven most by Self-protection.
Whether you know it or not, your unconscious mind is defending your internal emotional experiences. It acts like an emotional dam that helps you keep things in check. One reason for this could be that you have a deeply-rooted fear of being flooded by emotions. In response, your unconscious acts in the opposite manner, by protecting you from unpredictable, emotional tidal waves. While this tendency might be useful in some circumstances, it may also at times make your emotions hard to articulate or grasp. And that can lead to some frustration.
Since you tend to appear level-headed to others, they feel they can count on you for sound opinions and advice. Another benefit of your unconscious drive is that it allows you to remain calm in the toughest of situations. This can be a real benefit for you during business negotiations or personal arguments because you're not apt to say damaging things that you'll have to apologize for later.
The only hazard with this drive towards self-protection, is you might filter out good emotions as well as the bad. That can leave you feeling like something is missing, something you can't quite place.
But ultimately, your unconscious is wise and will know if there is a time in the future where it would be beneficial to be different. Though your unconscious mind is driven most strongly by Self-protection, there is much more to who you are at your core."
ack! that's actually true. i know i have a tendency to "hide" away my feelings, whether it be consciously or spontaneously. figures that inkblot-thing actually knows something... o_O
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You are an... OUTCAST! Nobody hates you, you just hate them. Or vice versa. You really don't like being around people, being by yourself is much better company. You are not accepted by the norm and are deemed "weird" or "freaky". You appreciate things that others don't, and you dwell in your indifference.
a bit over-the-top, maybe, but mostly true. especially the hating people-part. it seems that they would usually accept me a lot easier than i would accept them. i just think people are generally idiots, and that's why i don't really get that many new friends. and it really is true that i can't stand being around people for long that aren't really dear to me (i love being around my sis!). and yes, most people think i'm weird and freaky. mostly probably because of my interests (it's weird that i wasn't a geek, like my sis). and like it says, the things that i don't aprreciate and mostly indifferent to me.
on another note, i feel weird spending 200 euros on this (neon genesis evangelion: perfect collection box set, the second item on the page). but i figured that if i won't buy it for myself now that i for once have enough money, then no one is gonna by it for me, either. besides, it'll be well worth it. ^_^
listening to: people talking
dude, if this isn't a good enough of a motivator to finish upper secondary school, i don't know what is! O_O
12th november 2002
listening to: humming of the comps
geez drew, your swedish is almost better than mine! i ph33r your 1337 swedish skillz! O_O
glad you like my hair. ^^
thanks inanna, i'll try to keep that in mind. it's just a bit hard at times... oh, and i want to become an ethologist when i grow up. though designing videogames would be wicked, as well. ^_^
i've got maths next. i hate explaining the teacher where i've been, 'cause she always thinks i skipped the lessons that i missed. which in this case is true, but she doesn't need to know that. i wanna go home and get some more sleep. the lack of shut-eye combined with the fact that i'm a bit hungry but refuse to eat at school (you'll get a food-poisoning from the food here for certain!) is giving me a nasty head-ache.
*goes to look at some yaoi to make self feel better*
the course assignment for adp is very definitely going to be the end of me. i'll never get it done on time. x_x
oh, shut up maccie! i get up at 6:30am every morning for school. getting up at 8am is a friggin' walk in the park, you lazy bum! ;P
11th november 2002
feeling: stupid
listening to: bryan adams - i will always return
i'm so pathetic. i can't even win an argument against myself. ~_~ i spent the whole morning debating with myself whether or not i felt studious enough to go to school today. one side of me (that would be me) felt that i would have to go to school no matter how tired i was and that i could easily manage 5 hours in that hell-hole. this side of me also felt that it would be highly embarrassing to yet again explain where the hell i've been the whole day. but the other side of me (that would be the lazy me that simply doesn't give a toss) argued that it would be so much more fun just to stay at home and do stuff i really want to do instead of stuff that i'm told to do. besides, one day more won't get you into trouble as long as you explain where you've been. and in the end, explaining isn't so embarrassing if just do it without thinking too much about what the teacher thinks of you. eventually that side of me was more convincing, and i stayed at home. and i hate myself for that because i know going in tomorrow will be twice as hard since i didn't go in today. anyone know if there's a cure for lazyness?
on a more happy note, i'm going to get a haircut today. at long last. my hair isn't exactly overgrown yet, but it's starting to be increasingly difficult to manage it in the mornings. especially when i'm in a hurry, and that's not a good thing. wanting to look good and having to be at school at 8am aren't the best buddies, as you can probably imagine.
i should also visit the library today. i need to find a book about esp and psychokinesis that also has discriptions of actual events where they have been used. it also needs to have some sort of scientific explanation whether or not something like esp and psychokinesis can actually exist, and why/why not. i need this for my philosophy assingment.
i wish riikka would wake up soon so i can turn up the volume of the music. :P
a quizzy-thing, stolen from sissy:
2 songs that make you happy:
2 songs that make you cry:
zone of the enders - jehuty will self-destruct?
2 songs that describe relationship with parents:
o_O can't think of any...
2 songs that make you ponder life:
2 songs that remind you of you:
bryan adams - you can't take me
2 songs you want played at your funeral:
2 songs you want played at your wedding:
2 songs that make you want to mosh:
2 songs that are best played at maximum volume:
2 songs that sum up your teenage years:
2 songs best played in the car:
2 songs you like to fall asleep to:
2 songs that remind you of a crush:
rod steward - have i told you lately (that i love you)
bryan adams - you're still beautiful to me
9th november 2002
feeling: extremely fangirlish ^^
listening to: final fantasy 8 - melodies of life
*eyes buldge out and mouth hangs open* O_O
delightful, indeed. :D~~ *plays it again and again* ^^
i think i should start working on that philosophy assingment we were supposed to be doing yesterday. it appears that my partner just assumeed i would follow the others to the school library and work with her there (she should know me better than to assume that i would follow anyone anywhere), while i went to the computer lab (where we usually work on this kind of assingments) and waited for her there. i don't know if she got anything done (i sure heck didn't. *drooled over auron x jecht yaoi the whole time* ^^;;), but it doesn't really matter since we'll have to work separately anyways. this kind of stuff always seems to happen to me... ~_~'
8th november 2002
listening to: people making noises
oh yes, yesterday indeed was a good day. my sides are still sore from laughing so much, and if i do so much as think about yesterday, an idiotic grin starts to form on my face. that was really some good stuff. ^^
oh yeah, i'll make her visit the site. i included it in an email i sent her. if she doesn't visit on her own, i'll make her visit it on monday when i see her on adp class. ^_~
feeling: extremely tired
listenign to: people talking
people at the computer lab are giving me weird looks as i browse through these. i wonder why? XD
i want to go home so bad. i'm really really hungry, but i've quit eating at school. i feel like just leaving and not looking back, but i have to be here for my english and art lessons. mostly because i can't afford to skip them anymore, plus because i promised a friend i'd develop some photos with her today. suck. i'm also supposed to meet my dad after i get out at 3pm, so it would be really pointless to leave now and come back after two hours. so i guess i'll just have to hang in there.
we were supposed to work on a philosophy assingment today, but my partner decided to vanish into thin air. so we didn't work on it. i guess we'll have to work on it separately on our spare time, since we're supposed to present to assingment next wednesday. whatever, i don't really even care.
6th november 2002
feeling: heavy, but amused
listening to: annoying noises
w00t, two people said "go!" for me! ^^
i don't know why, but lately i've been feeling so very very... lifeless i guess would be the word. last friday i left home in the middle of the day because i couldn't stand being at school. i skipped the whole following monday, and yesterday and today though being physically at school, it feels like my mind - or me is somewhere a whole lot farther away. i get the distinct feeling that i don't belong here, and i feel like a zombie among the living, or something. i get annoyed at the tiniest noise or stupidity, i can't stand people talking to me or touching me, and somehow i feel like i'm not really even here. it's feels so unreal that at times i wonder if i'm still asleep, or if people even actually see me.
my next lesson is philosophy. waltz knows that's the last place i want to be right now. as i've mentioned before, i can't stand the lessons and i can stand the teacher even less. grr. i just want to go home, take a long nap and play some ffx all day long. but no, i'm going to have to be here until 4pm. i'm not at all sure i can survive that long.
school is playing ever smaller part in my life by the day. i guess it's the season. all this darkness is really getting to me. they should cancel school for the duration of winter, like they do for summer. a holiday from november 'til february would be extremely nice.
friday five:
(again, i know it's not friday, but i don't care)
1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith?
yes. christianity.
2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not?
no. haven't believed in god for a long time now, and finally managed resigned myself from the church last month.
3. What do you think happens after death?
nothing. when you die, you die. period.
4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)?
i don't have a favourite. though weddings are always nice, religious or not.
5. Do you believe people are basically good?
i believe people are basically idiots.
5th november 2002
feeling: anemic XD
listening to: the teacher talking
whoo! i went to school today, and also managed to stay there for the whole day! now everyone say: "go yoz!" ^^
| 33,893 |
Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, said the bill would not prevent private groups from educating voters separate from the government.
By
Published March 21, 2022 at 7:51 am
Updated 2:15 pm
Voting Rights activists gather for a picture at St. John's A.M.E. Church in Montgomery, speaking out against HB194. The bill would ban the acceptance of private donations, of both money and services, by public election officials. (Jacob Holmes / APR)
Alabama voting rights activists are continuing to raise concerns about a bill sponsored by Rep. Wes Allen, R-Troy, prohibiting election officials from accepting funds or “personal services” from private entities.
Grassroots organizations have expressed fears that the language could chill their efforts to conduct voter education programs that involve public officials, while Allen has rebutted that the bill does not hamper organizations from getting out the vote.
The Alabama Voting Rights Coalition held a press conference Thursday stating that the bill keeps organizations from “filling the gaps.”
“This bill would drive a wedge in between groups that want to pick up some of that slack and fill in that gap and then it would drive a wedge between those groups and community members that might really appreciate those resources,” said Evan Milligan, executive director of Alabama Forward. “I would urge everyone to think about that this is a pattern right now of bills that are really undermining what our democracy and democratic institutions actually exist to do. We saw this with our electoral maps that were voted out of the legislature and signed into law by the governor. We see that as an example in the response to critical race theory. We see that as an example with the things that are happening in response to reproductive rights. We see legislators really taking it upon themselves to define norms that have historically been defined by professional associations or already resolved in courts.”
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Allen told The Troy Messenger last week that the statements are “full of falsehoods.”
“HB194 does not, in any way, make it illegal for grassroots organizations to collaborate with local elections officials to educate and help voters ‘get out the vote,’ as they claimed in their press release,” Allen said in the article. “HB194 does make it illegal for these groups to compensate an elected official or to purchase election equipment or to purchase ballots or other elections supplies. If this group would like to have a voter registration drive and invite their local probate judge or secretary of state to participate, nothing in this bill would stop that. It does, however, prevent them from paying that election official to be there.”
The bill is a response to a series of grants in the 2020 election cycle funded by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg donated nearly $400 million, most of it distributed through the non-partisan nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life. Seven Alabama counties received grant money through the program, with Joe Biden winning each of those counties in the presidential election.
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But voting organizations aren’t convinced that the bill will allow them to continue business as usual.
“This is not just about money. It is not just about Zuckerbucks,” said Kathy Jones, president of the Alabama League of Women Voters. “This is about an attack on the ability of people who are trying to provide services to the citizens of Alabama.”
Sam Robson, an Andrew Goodman Ambassador for Vote Everywhere at the University of Alabama, detailed a program he believes would be illegal if the bill becomes law.
Robson said he helped with a board of registrars registration event with the Andrew Goodman Foundation. He said under Allen’s law it would be illegal for that to take place.
He also spoke about working some voting rights restoration events he’s worked with Pardons and Paroles. Robson said that he found while working with formerly incarcerated people who were eligible to vote that they had been told they were not eligible but when the group looked it up in AlaCourt, they were in fact, eligible.
“The whole purpose of Vote Everywhere UA is to provide the sort of cross-institutional infrastructure that is needed to engage and enable students and other voters to participate democratically and this bill criminalizes that behavior,” Robson said.
The bill passed the House on March 10 and could be considered by the full Senate when the Legislature returns from spring break next week.
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Jacob Holmes is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can reach him at [email protected]
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Written by Poppy Skinner Created: 21 August 2018
Don't let these common mistakes stop you from getting ahead.
Sure, we all know the obvious rules about what not to say in the workplace and in professional correspondence, but did you know that there are many more ways you can lose a deal or ruin a relationship with just the language you use?
According to a recent study by business etiquette experts, while there are many hidden minefields in work emails, the beginning and end is where most people struggle with their tone, despite this being the most important part of any communication. As US-based business expert and author Barbara Pachter explains, the key thing is to strike the perfect balance between formal and friendly, without seeming too stiff, or overly relaxed and casual. She says that while opening an email with 'Dear Sir or Madam', for example, is often perceived as being far too proper, and can therefore be off-putting to the recipient. 'This salutation tells the recipient you have absolutely no idea who they are,' she claims, explaining that it may leave the reader feeling like a complaint or something negative will follow. So how to open an email? Pachter suggests that the perfect way to start a professional email is to keep it simple but respectful. Opening your correspondence with with, 'Hi' is be a good starting point Ms Pachter claims, or, if you want to make things slightly more formal, she suggests beginning with 'Hi [person's full name]'.
Melbourne-based workplace expert Karen Gately also warns of watching ones language in communications, warning off any slang phrases or colloquial greetings and if in doubt - to just be yourself and write with sincerity.
So, onto the main event, which are the four phrases to avoid at all costs?
Although a formal sign-off, experts warn that this is nowadays considered outdated and overly formal.
Again, overly formal and has no place in day to day email correspondence.
Ending with x's
Unless you are writing to a close friend, experts agree that kisses have no place in a work email - even if you know the recipient well.
Ending with Thanks
Ending an email with simply 'Thanks' and nothing else can seem aggressive and standoffish, according to business experts.
Written by Poppy Skinner
Poppy covers a wide range of topics at Billionaire, having spent the past 13 years at companies including Singapore Tatler, Her World Plus and Harpers Bazaar UK. She has a passion for fashion, jewellery and travel as well as an avaricious fascination with crime novels. Follow her at poppypskinner on Instagram.
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A strong culture is a vital component of any thriving organization. Yet, this is a concept that many company leaders find relatively elusive. In some ways it can feel like an intangible idea, based around values and attitudes. But the truth of the matter is that building a culture is as practical as any other task in your organization and tends to have a direct impact on your success.
That said, building a culture isn’t simply about developing a company mission and maintaining high ethical standards. You need to dive deeper. Your approach must consider how visible and less visible elements coincide to ensure your culture is strong and sustainable throughout all areas of your operations. Having a good understanding of the iceberg model of culture can guide you during this process.
Let’s take a closer look at this topic.
What Is the Iceberg Model of Culture?
By now, most people are familiar with the deceptive appearance of icebergs. What you are able to see above the surface of the water only represents a tiny portion of the mass of the iceberg. In the late 1970s, anthropologist Edward T Hall suggested a similar division when it comes to culture. This is one of various comparisons he made to describe how the more obvious components of culture aren’t the be-all and end-all. Rather, there are many subtle elements that contribute to making a culture strong, secure, and rich.
Hall’s perspectives on this iceberg model of culture were primarily directed toward how societies function. Nevertheless, it is just as relevant when applied to organizational culture. Businesses are equally influenced by the strength of their cultural elements. Employee engagement tends to be bolstered by a positive and supportive culture. Consumers often make purchasing decisions as a result of values. A company’s ability to be innovative relies upon a culture that drives creativity and productivity.
Some of the common tip-of-iceberg cultural elements include:
One of the most visible aspects of culture is the working environment. This can be key for both employees and consumers alike. How your company designs and maintains the surroundings of operations sends a distinct message. An atmosphere of chaos can suggest that your culture is one of disorganization. Surroundings that have a lot of plants, natural light, and recycling facilities communicate a cultural dedication to sustainability.
By their very nature, branding elements should be immediately visual representations of what’s important in your organization. This doesn’t just mean the logos and color schemes you utilize, although these are certainly strong cultural communicative tools. It’s also the language you assign to your brand voice. Even the other businesses and influencers you partner with are reflective of your brand and the cultural and ethical standards your organization prioritizes.
Representatives
The people your organization chooses to represent it are important visual influencers of the culture. Certainly, your members of leadership are instrumental in making key decisions about the overall direction of your company, the values that are important, and the activities the business engages with. Nevertheless, your choice of staff at all levels influences various areas of both below and above-surface iceberg aspects of culture. After all, they closely interact with your company’s consumers, employees, partners, and resources on a daily basis. They meaningfully contribute to how effectively your company maintains and represents its culture.
Employee Benefits
The benefits and perks your company offers its employees are visible indicators of your culture. After all, these are components that communicate how highly you value your workers and the talents they bring to the organization. It’s also a gauge of your company’s recognition that your workers are the driving force behind any success you experience, and that they must therefore be compensated accordingly.
Below Surface Components
Some of the key below surface components in the iceberg model of culture include:
The values of a company tend to have an impact on every aspect of the organizational culture. There can certainly be visual elements related to company values, such as a mission statement or collaborations with good causes. But for the most part, this is an unseen component that is perpetuated through the actions and attitudes of stakeholders. When employees truly understand the organization’s core values, these are expressed through their tasks, their interactions with colleagues and third parties, and their approach to their career progression in the business. For leaders and executives, these values influence and express the culture through operational decision making.
Safety and Security
An organization that fails to prioritize safety and security effectively weakens its culture on various levels. From an ethical perspective, maintaining solid safety practices helps to ensure all stakeholders are able to interact with the organization without being exposed to unnecessary risks. It also means that your company’s resources, the interests of investors, and the jobs of workers retain a strong element of protection. As such, this supports everyone to contribute effectively to cultivating a healthy and successful organization.
When there is a deep commitment to transparency in your organization, this can influence trust throughout your wider culture. This may include protocols for being open with employees, investors, and other stakeholders regarding the financial position of the company. It might involve providing clear information about the origin of your company’s raw materials or your labor practices. This type of unfiltered honesty not only gives stakeholders confidence in the positive culture of your business, it also encourages all those connected to your organization to act with greater integrity.
Leadership Styles
How those in leadership positions approach their roles may be a beneath-surface aspect of the iceberg model of culture, but it has a very tangible impact. This isn’t just from the perspective of the direct influence on making sure projects come in on time and on budget. The choices leaders make here shape employees’ impressions of the direction of the company. Leaders utilizing strategies that empower workers rather than dictate to them creates the foundations for a culture that enables everyone to thrive.
It is vital for you to better understand the makeup of your organizational iceberg. The more you know about the visible and invisible elements that contribute to your company culture, the better you can adjust them to bolster your success.
Start by performing an analysis of your company culture. Specifically, review the balance of surface and below-surface cultural components in your business. If your company has primarily surface aspects, you need to do some work to implement a greater cultural support system. Reach out to your employees for their perspectives, too. Utilize employee experience surveys and pulse surveys to dig into how your workers interact with the company culture and where they feel improvements could be made. This shouldn’t be a one-and-done circumstance. Keep utilizing your understanding of the iceberg model of culture to maintain a positive balance.
The iceberg model of culture communicates the idea that it isn’t just the visible elements of organizational culture that matter. You also need to ensure your organization is bolstered by less obvious but no less impactful influencers. Take the time to recognize what factors can both clearly promote positive culture and support its efficacy. This empowers you and your workforce to cultivate a positive organization in which everybody can thrive.
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“Following careful consideration, the auditor general will not be invited to conduct a performance audit of the House of Commons”
– A parliamentary statement released last Thursday afternoon
There was a time when the above statement made sense. It was a time when accounts were kept on paper, when copying and shipping such papers was expensive and time consuming, and when the number of people who would have gone through a giant binder of accounts would have been quite small.
In such an era, auditors had a unique role – they represented the interests of the public since the public could not review the books themselves. Thus, picking the auditor mattered. Since this person would be one of the few people with the time, resources, and access to review MP’s accounts, it became a powerful and politically sensitive position. The public demanded someone they could trust, the politicians – justifiably – wanted to ensure that this person would not abuse their role by shedding light on certain members or applying standards unevenly. Hence, choosing who would see the books mattered, since few people, if anyone, would review the work of the auditor.
So should Parliament acquiesce to the auditor general and hand over their books to her? She meets all the standards set above so the answer seems like it should be yes. But it isn’t. the auditor general does not oversee parliament, and she should not receive special access, nor should we begin to establish precedent that she does.
However.
We don’t live in an era described above. Today, the accounts are kept in a digital format. It should be easy to convert them to Microsoft Excel or another computer format. They could be posted online where anyone could download and look at them at no cost. And, as the Guardian newspaper proved last year, thousands and thousands of people would be interested in using their computers to analyze and write about them.
What Parliament should do is hand their expense accounts over to everyone. Indeed, I am today making that formal request: I would like Parliament to invite Canadian taxpayers – the people who vote for them, who pay their salaries, and who cover their expenses – to review their books. Please take all the expenses and post them online. Today.
As in the United Kingdom I am confident that many Canadians will take an interest in the accounts. The Guardian asked people to help review the accounts and ordinary citizens from across the UK found a number of unusual claims. Others took the information about expenses and visualized it in interesting ways, ways that allowed citizens to better understand how their money was being spent.
Would the process be painful for MPs? Possibly for some. Would it lead to a clamp down on MP’s expenses? I have my doubts. I think most people recognize that MPs engage in a tremendous amount of travel and, more importantly, want their MPs to use these funds to educate themselves, conduct research, think independently and, of course, better represent their constituents. But there will be little or no money for these important activities if people feel that expense accounts get used up on other activities.
More importantly, posting MP’s accounts could reduce the likelihood of misspending in the future – a truly good outcome. Our goal shouldn’t be to catch problems after the fact, but to prevent them in the first place. Knowing that constituents will be able to see one’s expenses can be a more effective constraint than any ethics or spending guideline. Indeed, this is the same argument I made around why publicly accessible charitable receipts should be downloadable as such an act might have saved taxpayers $3.2 Billion. Here the stakes are smaller, but no less important.
In the end, as this is our government, this is also our money, and these are our documents. Parliament, we would like you to invite us to see what is already ours, so that we can collectively do our own analysis. If the auditor-general wants to do hers as well… power to her. But we agree that you are not accountable to her. You are accountable to us.
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This entry was posted in canadian politics, open data on May 19, 2010 by David Eaves.
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8 thoughts on “Parliament: invite me to audit your books (I'm not really asking)”
actinolite May 19, 2010 at 5:40 am
Pingback: I second that! Re: Parliament – Invite me to audit your books – Aaron McGowan
actinolite May 19, 2010 at 12:40 pm
Aaron McGowan May 19, 2010 at 1:15 pm
Agreed!I also would like to see this data opened and available to the public!
cjottawa May 19, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I emailed a link to this article to my MP and MPP, citing your specific and clear request and making it my own.I would encourage others to do the same.
Aaron McGowan May 19, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Where can I locate the appropriate email addresses to send it to?I also “seconded” David's requested on my blog located here here.
cjottawa May 19, 2010 at 2:09 pm
To find your MP, see this link:http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/M…For Ontario MPP's, see this link:http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/members/member_addre…Outside of Ontario, this link may be useful:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Assemb…
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Hey everyone! I am so not happy to be dealing with what I highly suspect is ES but am SO happy to have found this forum. What a wonderful resource in the face of such a rare and confusing syndrome.
A quick intro to me- my name is Lauren, I’m in my early 30s, have always been very healthy, was very into weight lifting, am a creative type and use my dominant arm and voice heavily for a living. All that has been interrupted and I’ve been completely unable to work as my throat and right arm have been highly effected by what’s going on.
How it started- perhaps the silliest backstory you may come across on here. My symptoms came out of NO WHERE this past September, four months ago, a day after I spent hours in a contorted position trying to pick ~150 splinters out of the back of my leg. I even asked my partner to push my neck down further so I could try to see better (he tired to get them out himself but I stubbornly took over after a while). What a huge mistake this was. I was twisted with my neck looking to the left, and as far forward and down as possible. The next day, I noticed a very weird sensation where I now can assume was my stylohyoid ligament on the right side of my throat. This sent me into a panic because the only thing I could think of was that I was having a stroke and I spiraled into some major health anxiety. This was also the same day my sore throat began, but I attributed it to smoke in the air at the time from CA fires.
Despite the anxiety and a lot of symptoms that came along with just that, I knew something was still genuinely wrong, and it only got worse after I saw a chiropractor two weeks later. He gently twisted my neck while I laid on my stomach, and when he pulled to the right side, it felt very different to the left- resistant and not right. After that, my symptoms got five times as bad. I had extreme neck tension, especially when I spoke, felt like my throat was closing up, arm pain went from a slight symptom to debilitating.
Many things ruled out, countless nights googling symptoms, dozens of anatomical diagrams, thousands of dollars in band-aid type treatments, 2 diagnoses, 15 different doctors and specialists later, I strongly started to suspect ES was actually the root of the problem. (For reference, I was first diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia, and then a hive condition which I will more so assume is anxiety related).
Just before the new year, I got a CT scan with and without contrast which confirmed that I have elongated styloid processes (to my surprise, on both sides- 33mm and 32mm) and ossified stylohyoid ligaments on the upper portion. The ENT that’s been seeing me would not diagnose me with ES, however, as he’s never seen a case of it in his 30 something years of practice, and told me to get a second opinion.
That’s where I am today. I’m in the process of finding an ENT I can see who has seen ES before. I’m still unable to work, I just started to do light cardio again and I can’t believe how much my life was turned upside down overnight. It’s hard not to look back and think about how much I took feeling ‘normal’ for granted.
Some of my most prominent symptoms (almost entirely on the right side of the body)
hoarse voice, strain/running out of air quickly when speaking
feeling of right eye “pulling”… it may just be dry, but it feels… slow compared to the left
jaw and occasional shooting facial pain
sometimes pain at salivary glands under tongue and near back teeth
easily excitable heart rate from mild activity (getting up and walking across the room- this has persisted even as my mental anxiousness has relaxed over the months)
heart palpitations that seemed linked to head position (cardiologist cleared me, could be more anxiety related)
pulling and poking sensation in right side of stylohyoid complex area depending on head and spine position
occasional muscle spasms under my chin (I believe this is the tongue based on what a speech therapist told me)
Have had slightly low BP
difficulty swallowing, particularly with getting good contact from the back of the tongue (this has led to some issues with choking on food more easily, as it sometimes feels like it gets stuck at the top of my throat and can’t be pushed down)
There are more but they come and go and this is what’s coming to mind first. I’ve had two concussions earlier in my life. One from a car accident at 17 (but was hit from the side and not sure if I had whiplash), and one in 2019 from falling and hitting my head (which probably mimicked whiplash much more). But all symptoms came overnight this past September.
Really hoping to avoid surgery, as I’m terrified of permanent damage to something like the trigeminal nerve. So far the only thing that has significantly helped is getting my c1 (atlas) adjusted by an upper cervical chiropractor using the Blair Technique. I’m not sure why this is, but after an adjustment my arm pain goes away as does a lot of my muscle tension in my neck, back and traps. It’s like I’m creating space between my transverse process/c1 and taking some pressure off whatever the elongated styloid process is probably pushing on). I can tell when I’m out of alignment because the arm pain and jaw pain comes back first. I thought the atlas misalignment was my true issue for a while, until even after adjustments, the poking and pulling sensation in my throat, and sore throat persisted.
I don’t know where to take it from here but, thank you to everyone who contribute to this community. I’m so so so happy it exists to make this very scary syndrome just a tiny bit less scary.
Jules January 8, 2021, 1:39pm #2
Hi, nice to ‘meet’ you!
As you’ll see, they could be ES related- for example the Vagus nerve can be irritated by the styloid processes, which can cause heart arrhythmias, & anxiety among other symptoms. I think you’ll see that others have experienced all or some of these!
I would be wary of having any chiropractor do techniques unless they’re knowledgeable about ES, although you say it helps, it could potentially do more damage. (Although I’m UK, & I think that chiropractors are more qualified in the US than here, but might be an idea to check they know about ES) One of our members is a PT & wrote a paper with info other PTs, here’s a link:
We have had members with elongated styloid processes & also C1 elongated processes, C1 mis-alignment, it might be an idea when you find a doctor with experience to check about the C1 process as well. Also, was there any mention in your CT report about whether the stylo-hyoid ligaments are calcified? This can often happen too, & can also cause symptoms.
Unfortunately there is no ‘cure’ for ES other than surgery. There are medications which can help with nerve pain for example, or muscle relaxants to help with extra tension from irritation & pain. Steroid injections/ lidocaine injections into the tonsillar region can help, but these are only temporary & it’s not something you can repeat too often.
But surgery, if done by an experienced surgeon, is less risky & generally successful. It’s a personal decision whether to have surgery- we all have to balance how badly the symptoms are affecting our quality of life, versus the risks of surgery. It sounds like yours have been pretty bad, if you’ve not been able to work or do much exercise, so personally I would think it’s worth looking into. Dr Samji in CA is one of the most experienced US surgeons that we know of, so I’d suggest getting a consultation with him (He does do phone consults if it’s a way for you to go). See what he says & take it from there! There’s info about contact details, & what he needs re scans etc in one of the discussions:
You can contact Dr. Samji’s office by emailing his medical assistant Yerelin - [email protected]
“So the only 100% needed item is a CT neck NON-contrast styloid protocol which specifically measures the length of the left and right styloid bone. This is the only way to guarantee a diagnosis of “eagles syndrome” in our office. Once that scan is received with the report that states the measurements of the styloids then we book a new patient visit to discuss options.”
Also Dr Chettri in UCLA has done surgery:
Great Dr in los angeles UCLA just had ES surgery - Symptoms and Treatments / Doctor Information - Living with Eagle
Dr Milligan in Arizona also is very experienced.
Snapple2020 January 8, 2021, 5:58pm #3
32mm converts to 3.2 cm. Anything over 2.5cm is considered in the Eagles realm diagnosis. Some of the ES diagnosis show a history of whiplash or neck injury and tonsils removed.
I had 2 whiplash myself early in life and seeing chiropractors (and all kinds of body workers) for decades. My first ES symptoms I became aware of what I describe as a bone in my throat. The pain started on the point in throat I felt this and traveled up my neck to ear and exploded like a firework. The pain was severe. The only thing to knock it down was dexamethazone - a steroid. I had increasing pain flairs over 5 years and was diagnosed with ES in Dec 2019. I had surgery in April and then the second side in Dec about 4.5 weeks out. Since you are in CA, our favorite doc (or mine) is Dr. Samji in San Jose. He is one of the more experienced in this country and done over 500 of ES surgeries. You can send him you CT scan and get tele-health appt.
Snapple2020 January 8, 2021, 6:02pm #4
medical assistant has changed at Samji’s office. It is: [email protected]
phillyeagle January 8, 2021, 7:26pm #5
Thank you both for the info. I’ve already sent an email to Dr.Samji’s assistant to see if I can get a proper diagnosis from him.
Jules, sorry I didn’t explain the c1 situation very clearly- I was found to have a c1 misalignment before I knew about my elongated styloid processes and ossified ligaments. This is sometimes called atlas subluxation by chiropractors and the symptoms of that are all over the board but many aligned with the issues I was feeling ,so I thought this was the source of my issue for some time.
An upper cervical chiropractor, who only deals with the top vertebrae, took 3D imaging and diagnosed this misalignment (but missed my elongated styloid process which I later saw when I asked to re-examine my 3D images as I was starting to suspect ES). The Blair Technique he uses to adjust the c1 misalignment is EXTREMELY gentle, to the point that it almost seems like nothing is even done, but it’s had all positive impacts on relieving a lot of my symptoms. A general chiropractor made my symptoms worse with a slow neck twist to the side very early on in my symptoms but I have not gone to a general chiro since then.
The symptoms that persist even after a c1 adjustment are sore throat, difficulty speaking, and the sensation of a dry or pulling right eye. Almost all of my neck pain, trap and shoulder tightness, arm pain, and jaw pain is eliminated with the c1 adjustment about once a month. When I am out of alignment I can tell because all those aforementioned symptoms return all at once, and disappear again upon adjustment. Curious if anyone else here with ES has tried C1 adjustment with the Blair Technique and had any relief as well.
But the sore throat not going away is an issue since my job relies on my ability to speak for quite long periods of time. I’ll update after I can meet with Dr.Samji!
Snapple2020 January 9, 2021, 6:16pm #6
You are in good hands Philly with Dr. Samji. A recent CBCT at TMJ specialist shows my C1 C2 rotated left which I think is pretty much a chronic state. When they are out, I have some bad occipital headaches and all the same symptoms as you. Just made my monthly appt with chiropractor for adjustment. It is the only thing that helps along with deep tissue massage. Unfortunately, I have found the Blair method to be too gentle and need a good crack.
naturelover January 9, 2021, 7:28pm #7
Welcome to the site @phillyeagle! It sounds like you have had some terrible pain. My symptoms also happened over night. One day I was fine & the next, I couldn’t stand up or work. I am so glad that you are seeking out Dr. Samji in your area. He sounds like he is an expert & will take good care of you. You have definitely done your homework. That is great! I have found that the stories & people on here are such a great resource, especially with such a rare condition as we have. Keep us posted on your journey.
Isaiah_40_31 January 10, 2021, 2:52am #8
Your symptoms list is very similar to mine. My very first ES symptoms were that I began choking on my food when eating. That happened a couple of years before I began having symptoms from irritated nerves including heart palpitations, racing heart w/ exercise & blood pressure drops among many other things. This syndrome is one crazy bird!! I’m so glad you’ve found us & that you’ve contacted Dr. Samji’s office. I hope he gives you some good food for thought when it comes to surgery vs no surgery.
As we say on here, ES symptoms often get to a point where one can no longer live a normal life. That’s the time at which we recommend considering surgery. If symptoms are well managed & not affecting life much then surgery should be put off.
We are here to walk this road with you. Please feel free to lean on us as your journey continues.
phillyeagle January 11, 2021, 12:16am #9
Oh, interesting! You’ve already had surgery for your ES?
phillyeagle January 11, 2021, 12:18am #10
Thank you so much! It’s actually really helpful to hear I’m not alone in having this all happen out of seemingly no where. It’s hard not to feel like you’re going crazy with something like that. And then what a strange feeling it is to both feel incredibly validated and incredibly scared at the same time to see that elongated styloid process for the first time. Have you had surgery or are you treating yours in other ways?
phillyeagle January 11, 2021, 12:21am #11
Makes sense! I’m sure everyone’s ‘breaking point’ is different.
What would you say is the most common non-surgical treatment those on this forum have found some success with? Have you noticed any common threads between the people here besides things more clinically associated with ES (like trauma injuries)? Lifestyle? Work? Posture? Stress level? Have you ever seen anyone on this forum 'recover, whether through some form of treatment or lifestyle change, or coincidentally, from their symptoms without surgery?
naturelover January 11, 2021, 1:30am #12
Yes! I totally agree. My doctor called me while I was at work after she got my CT results. It was unbelievable to think that there was a name for what I had & possibly a cure for all my symptoms. I am scheduled for surgery on Jan. 20th for my left side. I am excited to start this final phase (hopefully) of this ordeal, but I am also nervous about the recovery. The more I read on here, the more I feel I know what to expect. So that helps. I don’t know what I would have done without this support group.
Snapple2020 January 11, 2021, 6:40pm #13
Yes. I had first one last April and 2nd in early December. Im actually heading in today for my first chiro visit since last surgery. I had some acupuncture on Friday in both sides of neck & jaw without problem. I wasnt expecting much but on Saturday I did feel some changes and improvements in the nerves and tightness in neck. Ill be going back for more. It was a pleasant surprise. I have noticed since having the right out in December, I seem to have better rotation to the right now. Its pretty subtle but a change.
Isaiah_40_31 January 12, 2021, 2:01am #14
You asked some good questions & I can only give an opinion based on my experience on this forum.
I would say that many of our members have acquired ES after an injury such as whiplash or head trauma. There are a few who have bodies that mismanage their calcium levels & have parathyroid problems &/or hormone imbalance. Some have gotten it after a tonsillectomy while others seem to have a hereditary predisposition toward it. In a few cases it may be caused by excessive bruxism (jaw clenching) & there are those who have no known cause.
As far as non-surgical recovery goes, there is no particular type of therapy that seems to help for the long term. A very members have had symptoms sufficiently decreased by nerve pain meds so they felt they didn’t need surgery. I think things like lifestyle, posture & stress level definitely can make symptoms worse. We have noted that here repeatedly.For example, “living life in the fast lane”, sitting in a slumped position in front of a computer all day, a high stress level at work/home all contribute to making symptoms worse. They all raise the adrenaline level in our bodies & that raises inflammation which exacerbates symptoms. We have also known of members whose symptoms became less severe w/ diet change (i.e. starting on an anti-inflammatory diet), slowing down the pace of life & working on correcting posture, but no one has been cured by any of these efforts.
kmcgrsha March 31, 2021, 10:46am #15
@phillyeagle - I have many of your symptoms. And they’re so hard to describe but you did a very good job! I actually ended up at a Blair Chiropractic and that’s who found my bilateral stylohyoid ligament ossification. I will go to Great Lengths and spend so much time going to a chiropractor just to get a relief at the base of my skull. Just like you with the atlas. It can go from night to day in 10 minutes. When it works. And it’s such a huge relief I can actually do what I usually normally do with my daily life for about 1 or 2 days. And then it all comes back and my neck is out of place again. Anyways I’d like to hear where you’re at now on your journey I’m also in California
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Just to be up front. I will VOTE for President Trump again if he decides on a 2024 run. BUT you have to admit in midst of MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN and AMERICA FIRST, he made some glaring bad choices. For example one of the best Presidents EVER (and I have no doubt about that) had a revolving door of politicos in his Cabinet, his Advisors, his White House and so on. The revolving door was a mixed bag of backstabbers and incompetent failures he should never have trusted. And I know a one-time contributor who accurately pointed out his International Economic Treaties had the potential to squeeze American Sovereignty just as much as NAFTA did. Other legit Conservatives might even have other case in points about questionable Trump decisions or policies (PLEASE do not include Leftist-Liar points because if it’s not the truth it is a LIE!!!).
In spite of Trump bad decisions – whether it was a learning curve issue or just a plain bad choice/policy – America was Great Again until the Deep State bureaucracy was able to extra-legally shelve everything with illegitimate COVID/Medical Tyranny even while Trump was in Office. THAT is another example of Trump bad choices. Trump should NEVER have listened to Globalist-oriented science dominated by a one-world agenda and Big Pharma Greed.
Another bad Trump choice (REMINDER: Trump currently is America’s best hope for Liberty and Prosperity even with his flaws – VOTE TRUMP not Dem-Marxism nor RINO!): WAS Operation Warp Speed which was and still is, the thrusting of the harmful mRNA Jab that has harmed more Americans than the combined adverse effects of other Vaccines in American history.
ERGO, I am sharing three posts focusing on the mRNA Jab based on science not controlled by Globalists and not controlled by Big Pharma. First is Dr. Paul Alexander writing about the lie that brought Medical Tyranny (including bad Trump decisions); NEXT is Dr. Joseph Mercola using a Dr. Ryan Cole video as commentary on DOCUMMENTED mRNA Jab adverse effects; AND LAST is The Exposé with a self-explanatory title (AGAIN documented) relating to the mRNA Jab: “74.2 million people in the USA have not had a single dose of a Covid-19 Vaccine…”
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It was all a lie! A scam, you will come to learn the last 2.5 years of your life, our lives were taken away for no sound reason, a lie, a fraud of COVID response, lockdown lunacy, the fraud injections
The lockdowns, school closures, business closures, mask mandates, the PCR test, asymptomatic spread, equal risk, no early treatment, the COVID gene injection; all, all were lies! did not need happen!
July 3, 2022
Sssssshhhhhh, did you just tell me that the MPs in Canadian government who did not take the COVID injection and were barred from entering the house of commons and spoke out in disgust, still got their salaries and benefits, while regular federal employees were locked out and denied pay for months, no benefits when they refused the shot? Is this true? How could those MPs be paid and regular public servants not be paid? Some public servants then took the shots in desperation to put bread on the table, and may have been harmed by them. Is this true as to MPs getting paid? This has to be investigated.
The tragedy is that they have taken a non-issue with COVID and now with these fake ineffective, unsafe, non-neutralizing vaccines, are driving the virus into more infectious and potentially lethal variants, making this now a potentially catastrophic situation. This could have been done. I argue COVID was done January 2021 before the injections were rolled out. This virus could have been long tamped down and dealt with, yet our governments are, with these injections, creating a monster and IMO, they know it. This virus and variants will never ever stop if the injections continue. 100 years. We are going to experience ‘life-long’ COVID.
Now to my main sharing.
You were lied to by your governments and public health officials. All of us were lied to! From day 1 on all things COVID, all the lockdowns and the COVID injections. Pure lies! By all those officials you ‘trust’ in US, Canada, UK, Australia etc. All!
The disaster started March 15/16th 2020 when Trump locked down the US. The world followed. I was told by high level people in various nations that they locked down their nations out of fear the US would ostracize them, blacklist them, cut off western union and money gram money transfers back to their home nations. No other reason. They knew it was a fraud lockdown and they knew the injection was insane to bring in a few months but they had no choice. They had to go along. It was out of fear their nations would be blacklisted directly or indirectly. I tried to tell them (those who spoke to me informally) Trump would have not done that yet as was not that type of person, but as time went by, I grew to realize he had no control over the State department and deepstate. They carried on as they wished. He was powerless to the deepstate, largely because he did not move to fire them day 1. He did not use the tools he could have used. He should have.
The point I am making is that nothing, not one COVID action by our governments, was needed! Not one, and not one government official can defend their actions or show us why they were needed. All of 2.5 years locked down and the like was for nothing. We could have dealt with COVID with none of this. Just life as normal with reasonable precautions and protections of the high risk. That’s all. Maybe 2 weeks to wrap our arms around the issue. Instead they, these craven moronic, illogical, irrational, and specious unsound government officials and their COVID advisors conspired and worked together, power-drunk, and harmed our healthy people and children and it will take decades to recover! It is difficult to wrap your heads around this but this is the truth and I think you know it.
Every COVID lockdown lunatic policy is and was a failure! Everyone! The data has accumulated, the evidence is clear! There is no data, no sound objective data, none, to show any worked. But I and others were telling them one month after, in April 2020, to open up and stop the lockdowns, stop the school closures, but they refused to listen. All in Canada at all levels of government. All in the US. Not one lockdown lunatic deranged policy was needed yet were imposed, and they harmed and killed people. Needlessly. We locked down the well and healthy in our societies yet still failed to protect the vulnerable. All backwards! A bunch of very inept, nonsensical, reckless bureaucrats that not one lost a day’s pay as they took ours.
Why?
In US, Canada, UK, no where. None! I challenge any doctor, any scientist out there, anyone, anywhere, I challenge the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the Ontario Science Table, to debate me or my group on any policy! A live public discussion. On these failed fraud of injections. On all your policies. Live, open. Public.
The reality is that we need all federal and provincial and city government officials in US and Canada etc. to be held to account, investigated, to be examined under oath.
All policies were devised, yes, for you to comply for the shot, all of it, not one aspect of this COVID response was needed and had science to back it up, not one! In time, we must take each policy maker and government person into court, and get them to show us how they made their decisions and if they were right or guided by science, we praise them, but if it is shown they had no science, were reckless, knew what they were doing and imposing was harmful, we take all their money and imprison them! No mea culpa. No matter who. We take them into proper legal inquiries. Proper.
We have thousands of police and military in Canada and US vaccine injured and they do not know it YET. It is sad. Horrible what our governments did with these fake shots. It is coming. Many will be harmed and die at some point due to these injections. Auto-immune disease, and harms will come. It has already. We took healthy people and mandated something we did not properly study as to safety. I fear we will pay a dear price on the backs of our police and military. Our nurses etc.
Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola
July 3, 2022
[Posted by Mercola
First Published June 29th, 2022 16:25 UTC
In the wake of the COVID jab rollout and additional boosters, a number of health conditions are on the rise, including cancer, most notably cancers of the uterus, endometrial cancers, and very aggressive blood and brain cancers
Cancer has been on the rise for decades, thanks to dietary factors, but the COVID jabs appear to dramatically accelerate the disease process. Many doctors report cancer patients with stable disease, and those who have been in remission for years, will suddenly and rapidly develop Stage 4 disease
A military whistleblower has come forward with data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) database showing dramatic increases in medical visits for cancers and other conditions, post-jab
For neurological side effects of the shot, four remedies that can be very helpful are fluvoxamine (an antidepressant that blocks cytokine production in neural tissues), pharmaceutical grade methylene blue (improves mitochondrial respiration and repair), near-infrared light (triggers production of melatonin in your mitochondria) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (boosts mitochondrial function, decreases inflammation and much more)
The COVID jabs also downregulate toll-like receptors 7 and 8, which allows latent viruses such as herpes EBV4 — Epstein-Barr, aka, mononucleosis — to flourish that would otherwise have been kept in check
Dr. Ryan Cole, an anatomic clinical pathologist with a subspecialty in skin pathology and postgraduate Ph.D. training in immunology, has been on the frontlines exposing the fraudulent COVID narrative.
Since 2004, he’s been operating his own business, a pathology laboratory, which gives him rare freedom and flexibility to comment on what he’s seeing. Most others would lose their jobs for speaking out the way Cole has.
That doesn’t mean he hasn’t paid a price for speaking out about and defending real science though. He’s triple board certified and has 12 state licenses, and because of his stance against COVID recommendations, some of the credentialing organizations have taken action against him.
“I’ve seen 500,000 patients diagnostically in my career through the microscope. So, I have a long track record of diagnostics. I have not had a patient care complaint against me in 26 years of being a physician,” he says. “I still don’t, and this is what’s fascinating.
Of those 12 licenses, four were under attack, three are still under attack — in Washington, Arizona and Minnesota — [yet there’s] not a single patient care complaint. All the attacks against me have been political complaints to boards of medicine, which is not legal for them to do. Not a single one of those complaints is from a patient.
And then — really the most egregious thing — was ex parte, without me being present, without even sending a certified letter, the College of American Pathologists removed my fellowship status, which is defamatory.
I went back and found their complaint and looked at what they did, and I actually have a wonderful defamation lawsuit against them, because everything they did was anti-scientific. So, they can either restore [my fellowship] now, or just pay me a big check down the road. One or the other.”
He’s also lost about half of his business, as two insurance companies canceled him for “unprofessional behavior,” i.e., for sharing and discussing the science of COVID, and one of his best friends, whom he’s worked with for 12 years, canceled their business relationship as he didn’t want Cole’s outspokenness to affect his business. “All because of the defamation by the media, so to tell the truth in this day and age is a dangerous thing,” he says.
From his Ph.D. work in immunology, Cole was very aware of SARS-CoV-1 and MERS, having studied both, so when the warp speed program to develop a pandemic SARS-CoV-2 vaccine was announced, he became immediately suspicious.
“I thought, wait a minute, you can’t vaccinate against corona viruses!” he says. “This family of viruses is not amenable to vaccination, based on mutation rates. So, my concern was very high, early on.”
Cole’s lab ramped up PCR testing, using a cycle threshold (CT) of 35, rather than the recommended 40 to 45, as he knew that high a CT would result in 98% false positives. On a side note, pathologists not only assess tissue samples and biopsies, they’re also in charge of testing. The head of every major clinical lab is a pathologist. They’re basically in charge of quality control.
“As pathologist, we’re constantly looking at patterns, be it under the microscope or be it in lab data. We’re looking at blood reports. We’re looking at what’s out of range on blood reports. We’re looking at microbiology. We’re looking at molecular biology. We’re looking at cultures. We’re looking at pap smears. We’re looking, across the board, at those clinical parameters in addition to tissue biopsies,” he explains.
“I have 70 employees, and if there’s a blood smear that looks unusual, they bring it to me. If there are parameters on a test that look widely out of range, they bring it to me. And I call and talk to the clinician — [I’m the] doctor to the doctor. We have a consultation practice with the clinicians so I can help them understand what’s happening with their patient, and then they can make clinical decisions going forward.”
One of the apparent side effects of the COVID jab that Cole has been warning and talking about is cancer. He explains:
“Obviously, during COVID, we saw some parameters change in blood tests. There was a concern about clotting. We saw elevated clotting factors. We know that the early variants were pretty severe in terms of inducing clotting, which was a shame because the whole world should have been simply using anti-inflammatories, steroids and anti-clotting agents, and so many more people would’ve lived.
My colleague, Dr. [Shankara] Chetty in South Africa, was having phenomenal success with antihistamine steroids and anti-clotting agents. So anyway, that first year, we saw drops in white blood cell counts, we saw decreases in certain subsets of T-cells. But when the shots rolled out, things changed.
At first I noticed kind of an innocuous little bump that we see usually in children. It’s a little virus called molluscum contagiosum [that causes] a little white bump.
Usually, by the time you’re a tween or early teen, you’ve built immunity to that and you never get them again, or rarely get them again. But after the shots rolled out, all of a sudden, in 80-year-olds, 70-year-olds, 60-year-olds, 50-year-olds, I started seeing literally a 20-fold increase in this little innocuous viral bump. And I thought, ‘Uh oh, this means they’ve lost immune memory’ …
Those subsets of T-cells that keep viruses in check are very important for keeping cancer in check. And this is where immunology jumps into the picture. All of us have some atypical cells, and we have the ‘Marines’ of our immune system, our natural killer (NK) cells. They’re on the frontline circulating. We have about 30 billion T-cells circulating in our blood, many of which are killer cells and NK cells.
Our other innate cells are our macrophages, monocytes and dendritic cells. They’re on that frontline. They’re shaking hands with every cell in your body all day long saying, ‘Friend or foe? Friend or foe? Oh gosh, this one has some mutations, it’s now a foe.’ They’ll poke a little hole in it, throw in a little enzyme called a grandzyme — a ‘hand grenade’ — blow up that cell, and we’re good.
But what happened after these shots rolled out is that many of those cell subsets started decreasing in number. The first cancer I saw uptick was cancers of the uterus, endometrial cancers. Usually, I would see maybe two endometrial cancers a month. All of a sudden, a few months after the rollout of the shots, I was seeing two or three a week.
Another subspecialty area of focus for me is melanoma. And I started seeing melanomas, not only in younger patients, as the shots dropped down in age cohort, but they were thicker. The other fascinating thing was they’re more aggressive in terms of how many dividing cells was present in each tumor. I’m still seeing this.
Beyond that … I’ve been traveling the country and the world quite a bit … and wherever I go now, I have doctors and nurses approach me saying, ‘What you’re saying, we’ve been seeing.’
I was having a conversation with a chair of a large oncology department in Tallahassee, and he said, ‘I usually see an aggressive brain cancer in a young patient maybe every decade.’ After the boosters rolled out, he saw five astrocytomas, five aggressive brain cancers, in one month.
Then, I’m in Jacksonville the next day, having a conversation with a family doctor. He said, ‘Gosh, it’s strange, I usually see a kidney cancer in a young patient every decade or so. I’ve seen five in the last month.’
Then I was in the UK a couple weeks ago. I had a doctor from Ireland who’s been a practicing family doc, GP, for 36 years, and he said, ‘I have seen more cancer in my young patients ever since the shots rolled out, and the booster, than I have ever seen in my entire career.’
Same thing, a nurse that works emergency department in the UK, [said she’s seen] not only the heart inflammation in young children, but cancers in young patients and aggressive leukemias. So everywhere I go, I have doctors confirming my observations … I’ve had many of them approach me and say, ‘Hey look, I’m seeing what you’re saying, but I can’t say it because I’ll get fired.'”
Aside from what Cole has seen in his own lab, a military whistleblower has also come forward with data from the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database (DMED) database showing dramatic increases in medical visits for cancer, neurological diseases, infertility, autoimmune diseases and several other conditions, post-jab.1
The DMED is one of the best databases in the world, as the Department of Defense keeps very close tabs on what’s happening with our troops. This DMED data was presented during a hearing led by Sen. Ron Johnson. A week after that hearing, the DoD froze access to the DMED, and when it reopened a week later, the data were all changed to eliminate the data spikes.
“That’s what was really shocking,” Cole says. “I think this is basically fraud to the level of Watergate, in terms of [there being] somebody behind the scenes, and then the private company that actually manages that database … manipulated it.”
The DoD has tried to explain this suspicious activity claiming a “bug” in the system had resulted in underreporting of medical conditions in the five years prior to 2021. The number of cancers and other health problems were actually higher in 2015 through 2020 than initially indicated, they said.
However, how can a program error cause data corruption for five consecutive years and then self-correct, resulting in perfect numbers for 2021? And how did they not notice the error earlier? Again, this is one of the best-kept databases in the world. And how come this “bug” only affected conditions that also just so happen to be known and/or suspected side effects of the jab?
Clearly, cancer has been on the rise for decades, thanks to dietary factors, but the COVID jabs appear to dramatically accelerate the disease process. There are no published studies to help us foretell the future, but based on what Cole has found so far, how long does he think it’ll be before conditions like cancer spiral out of control?
“That’s a great question,” he says. “One of the important findings I’ve heard from many of these clinicians is that many of their patients who have been cancer-free for three, four, five years, their PET scan looks great, no detectable disease, and after that second or third shot, all of a sudden there’s Stage 4 disease. It’s like wildfire.
And this goes back to immune suppressive mechanisms, the damage that the persistent spike protein and the persistent modified RNA (mRNA) cause. So, aggressive cancers arising very quickly are one thing we’re seeing. Because it’s a dose-dependent poisoning curve — in terms of the more spike you have circulating, the worse your immune system seems to be doing — the No. 1 thing is, don’t get another shot.
Because it is causing that immune suppression that’s allowing those cancer mechanisms. Over time … I would say we’re going to see a consistent twofold to threefold increase in certain cancers, endometrial cancers, breast cancers, cancers of the prostate, cancers that are testicular or ovarian, neurologic cancers.
This spike protein has a propensity to cross the blood brain barrier and invade neural tissues. We know what it does to mitochondrial activity in terms of inhibiting it, blocking it, ruining cytochrome C oxidase systems, decreasing ATP.
Cancer is a hypoxic state. When you don’t have good cellular activity and cellular respiration and hypo-oxygenation, you end up with mechanisms that can induce more aggressive cancer. So, I think, at a minimum, [there’ll be a] two- to threefold [increase] … over the next year or two.
We can only hope that the immune system can normalize and we come up with enough interventions and treatments that will reverse some of this, what some people call spikeopathy, or the different diseases that are being caused by this persistent spike. ‘I don’t know’ is the honest answer, but that would be my projection based on I’ve seen.”
Excess Mortality Has Dramatically Increased
Abnormal blood clotting is another commonly reported side effect of the jabs. Post-mortem investigations have revealed thick, extremely long rubbery clots, including in the arteries, which is rare. The longest Cole has seen was about two feet. We’re also seeing a lot of micro-clotting, heart inflammation (myocarditis), strokes and heart attacks — all of which can have lethal consequences.
“It’s highly concerning that we have regulatory agencies allowing the most dangerous medical product ever released on humanity to persist in the marketplace. ~ Dr. Ryan Cole”
In early January 2022, OneAmerica, a national mutual life insurance company, announced2 the death rate of working-age Americans (18 to 64), in the third quarter of 2021, was 40% higher than prepandemic levels. And this excess mortality was not due to COVID infection. Many of those deaths were in fact cardiac deaths and strokes, which fits the injury profile of the COVID shots.
“After they came forward, additional insurance companies said, ‘We’re seeing anywhere from 30% to 50% increase in claims as well.’ They have no horse in the race. They’re just observing. And I say that as a pathologist too. Look, I don’t create disease. I don’t prevent disease. I’m a reporter at the scene of the crash.
My job is simply to report patterns, and then we can scientifically confirm those data patterns. And the all-cause death is increased in those who’ve gotten two, three shots. Again, it’s a dose-dependent curve. The more spike your body is making, the worse people tend to do over time.
Even Walgreens came out a couple weeks ago and showed their data. Individuals that got shots are getting COVID at higher rates. Even the mainstream media finally, last week — I think it was Good Morning America — said, ‘It’s looking like the boosters are a bad idea because it’s immune suppressing people.’
So, we’re finally making some progress and getting traction in the mainstream where at least the narrative is cracking. There’s a crack in the dam and it’s starting to leak. Hopefully it’ll rush forward and people will go, ‘Whoa, this was a bad idea. Let’s stop this chaos.’ But the FDA is trying to roll it out on [infants] of all things now … It’s really tragic.”
Considering autopsies have shown spike protein is still present at least four months after their last shot, it seems reasonable to assume that severe health problems can arise months or even years down the road. In fact, we still don’t know if the body ever stops producing spike protein once this genetically modified mRNA is injected.
“We know the spike is the inflammatory aspect of the virus, and our cells are made into spike toxin factories,” Cole says. “Studies out of the Salk Institute show that the spike is the cytotoxic aspect of [COVID-19], so we’re giving a shot that makes the toxic part of the virus, and it’s persisting.
That’s why I think we’re going to see this consistent elevation of different diseases related to the spike, be it cardiac, strokes, chronic clotting conditions, individuals dying from pulmonary emboli … It’s highly concerning that we have regulatory agencies allowing the most dangerous medical product ever released on humanity to persist in the marketplace.”
As predicted by MIT researcher Stephanie Seneff, Ph.D., we’re now also starting to see reports of Creutzfeldt-Jakob — human mad cow disease — which is a prion disease that basically destroys the brain.
Strokes in young people and children are also on the rise. Media are now trying to convince you that this is “normal,” but it is anything but. Historically, children and teens do not die from strokes. This is a brand-new phenomenon, courtesy of the COVID jabs.
Microvascular clots (microvascular infarcts) are also a known contributing factor, in the long term, to early onset dementia. So, that’s yet another potential health avalanche in the making.
I’ve quickly become a fan of pharmaceutical grade methylene blue, as it’s been shown to improve mitochondrial respiration and aid in mitochondrial repair. At 15 to 20 milligrams a day, it could potentially go a long way toward resolving some of the fatigue many suffer post-jab and post-COVID. It may also be helpful in acute strokes. The primary contraindication is if you have a G6PD deficiency (a hereditary genetic condition), in which case you should not use methylene blue at all.
Another important remedy is near-infrared light. It triggers production of melatonin in your mitochondria3 where you need it most. By mopping up reactive oxygen species, it too helps improve mitochondrial function and repair. Natural sunlight is 54.3% near-infrared radiation,4 so this treatment is available for free.
For neurological side effects of the shot, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressant called fluvoxamine may be helpful. Cole explains the mechanism behind it:
“[Fluvoxamine] upregulates a receptor called sigma-1, which blocks another receptor called inositol-requiring enzyme 1, which is a precursor for cytokines. So, fluvoxamine will block cytokine production in neural tissues. And that’s why [it works]. It’s not because of its antidepressant effects. It’s a cytokine precursor blocker. So, you actually are decreasing a cytokine storm in neural tissues.
This is why one uses fluvoxamine. There are other SSRIs, but this mechanism is very specific to fluvoxamine. It’s a tough to tolerate drug for some people. It makes some people anxious and agitated, but if you can tolerate it for two weeks, you can really turn down those inflammatory pathways in many patients. I’m not going to say everybody, but I’ve seen it work in many patients.”
A fourth treatment suggestion is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). This too can be phenomenally helpful for strokes, heart attacks, autoimmune diseases and neurodegenerative disorders. To learn more, see “Hyperbaric Therapy — A Vastly Underused Treatment Modality.”
Seneff also warned about potential unknowns arising from fragmented mRNA and impurities, as tests have shown these jabs really are NOT pharmaceutical grade, as you’d expect. Cole comments:
“These aren’t pure products, and I think this is a very important point. When Pfizer submitted vials to the European Medicines Agency to look at purity … they were in the 50% range … The TGA in Australia looked at it and said, ‘Look, these are only about 60% pure.’
This means you have a lot of fragmented sequences of mRNA that don’t have a stop or a start code on. They’re not coding for what you think they’re coding for. They’re coding for other tinier, shorter fragments. Are those mitogenic? Probably, but we don’t know. Can those reverse transcribe into our own DNA? Studies out of Sweden … show yes, they can …
And then, when they manufacture, they can’t spin and agitate these, so you get all these lipids that collect at the top of these big vats. So now you get some batches that are hyperconcentrated and some are hypoconcentrated. It appears about 5% of the batches are responsible for about 80% of the harms.”
As explained by Cole in the interview, there’s a reason there’s never been a successful mRNA gene therapy product brought to market, despite 20 years of research effort. The persistence of synthetic mRNA with pseudouridine always caused too many problems in the animal trials to move into human trials. It caused autoimmune disease. It caused mutations. The manufacturers don’t even know if the nanolipid used to protect the mRNA is safe in humans.
“Based on the animal trials, we know there were problems and we can only predict that that’s going to happen in humanity. I want to be wrong, but from a basic immunology point of view, I don’t think I am,” Cole says.
“The nanolipid particles vary in size, interestingly. I’ve looked at some under the microscope. Some of them congeal and some of them stay tiny. But because of the fatty nature of them, they will carry their little mRNA and fractionated mRNA package to any cell in the body. And that’s the biggest concern. Now it has turned any cell in your body to a potential target [for your immune system].
An important paper came out in the European Journal of Immunology just about a month ago by Dr. Hagemann. There’s a condition called antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity. What that means is that [the mRNA] sequence gets into your cell [and] that cell now becomes the spike factory.
That spike is on the surface of your cell. Now your NK cells that I talked about earlier say, ‘We better blow that cell up.’ So now, because there’s that spike on the surface, your immune system will destroy your own cells. This is another one of the detrimental effects.”
Pipeline Now Filled With Risky mRNA Shots
Making matters worse, even though the COVID shots have been shown to be a complete disaster, the drug industry is already working on dozens of different mRNA “vaccines,” thinking they now have carte blanche to put out whatever they want using this platform.
And the reason for this continued insanity is because our health and regulatory authorities are corrupted to the core. They are completely dishonest. They’re covering up the shocking harms, and unless something radically changes, they will allow dozens of equally dangerous mRNA gene transfer injections to be put out.
The COVID jabs also downregulate pattern receptors in your body called toll-like receptors. Specifically, toll-like receptors 7 and 8 are downregulated by the mRNA and pseudouridine in these shots. What does that do? It allows latent viruses to flourish that would otherwise have been kept in check.
“We’ve seen a big uptick in herpes family viruses, especially herpes EBV4, which is Epstein-Barr virus [aka] mononucleosis,” Cole says. So, for those with post-COVID or post-jab fatigue, long-COVID and those with MS-like symptoms, he recommends checking for Epstein-Barr.
About 80% of MS patients have high Epstein-Barr titers. “You will find that a lot of these individuals will have reactivated mono,” he says. For reactivated mono, methylene blue, HBOT and nebulized peroxide would all be indicated.
In the interview, Cole also reviews the potential impacts of the COVID jabs on the reproductive system. Menstrual dysregulation appears extremely common, as is the inability to become pregnant, despite trying for months, and spontaneous abortions are off the charts. The DMED database also showed a strong signal for fetal malformation before it was frozen and altered.
“What we’re doing to society and humanity with a previously never before used modality and product is causing horrendous harm to the human race, with no regard for science, with no regard for scientific integrity. It’s a machine gone amuck,” Cole says.
“There are darker forces behind it. A lot of people are making billions, but they’re killing people to do it. And it’s just so unethical what we’re experiencing societally. Yes, we’re causing infertility. Yes, we’re causing mutations in cancers. Yes, we’re causing heart attacks and strokes. Yes, we’re destroying the longevity of a younger generation. It is horrendous.
There’s no justification for any doctor who can look themselves in the mirror and say, ‘I feel comfortable giving this experimental product to my patients all day long.’ They need to reflect and realize they’ve lost their mind, [their] critical thinking skills.”
Sadly, almost everyone who’s credible and trustworthy has been censored and deplatformed at this point, so finding them can be a challenge. To follow Cole’s work, be sure to bookmark his website, RColeMD.com. You can also find him on the GlobalCovidSummit.org forum.
If you are vaccine injured, the Global COVID Summit has a blockchain-based forum where you can share your experience and it will never be taken down. You can’t be censored or deplatformed. Cole is available to answer questions in that forum.
They’re also starting up another website to compete with WebMD and similar pharma-run medical sites. It will eventually be available on DMED.com, which stands for “decentralized medicine.” This site is not yet live, but you can try it later. Cole will have a page there as well.
Other thought leaders worth tracking down and following include Dr. Peter McCullough, Dr. Robert Malone, Dr. Pierre Kory, Dr. Paul Marik, Dr. Richard Urso, Dr. Paul Alexander, and Dr. Kirk A. Milhoan, a pediatric cardiologist, and his wife, Dr. Kim Milhoan, just to name a few.
“These have been wonderful leaders in this movement for truth and sharing science,” Cole says. “All of us are part of the Global COVID Summit. We are 17,000 doctors strong and it’s very important that people understand that.
I mean, that’s more doctors than they have at the CDC or the FDA or the NIH. This is a group of critical thinking people standing up for your health, your freedom and your right to your own bodily autonomy.
I think, going forward, as people are starting to wake up and part of this narrative is cracking, let’s come back together, let’s communicate, let’s be kind, let’s help each other get back to a more loving, peaceful, communicative society. I think if we can forgive — obviously, there are things we don’t want to forget, because we don’t want this to happen again — but try to forgive people and try to help people ‘come to’ again.
Just come back together in community. I think it’s important that we really try to circle the wagons again as humanity, and hopefully come back to our senses. That’s a hopeful message I would like to share.”
Sources and References
1 Steve Kirsch Substack February 5, 2022
2 The Center Square January 1, 2022
4 Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology February 2016; 155: 78-85
My latest book, “The Truth About COVID-19,” is an instant bestseller. After thousands of reviews it has a nearly perfect 5-star rating, so grab your copy today before it’s too late!
74.2 million people in the USA have not had a single dose of a Covid-19 Vaccine, & another 157 million have refused a 2nd or 3rd dose according to CDC
By THE EXPOSÉ [Staff]
July 3, 2022
The Exposé
The American people have seen right through President Biden’s propaganda and lies on the effectiveness of the Covid-19 injections because according to CDC data, 70% of the entire population of the USA have not had either a first, second or third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Percentage U.S. Jabbed & Not-Jabbed per Dose
President Joe Biden has lied to the American people and is still lying to the American people. In July 2021, Biden falsely stated that “You’re not going to get COVID if you have these vaccinations,” and “If you’re vaccinated, you’re not going to be hospitalized, you’re not going to be in the ICU unit, and you’re not going to die.”
Then in December 2021, Biden falsely claimed “This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. The unvaccinated. Not the vaccinated, the unvaccinated. That’s the problem. Everybody talks about freedom and not to have a shot or have a test. Well guess what? How about patriotism? How about making sure that you’re vaccinated, so you do not spread the disease to anyone else.”
There is plenty of evidence out there that proves the above statements made by President Biden are outright lies (see here), but the most hilarious evidence of all must be the recent outbreak that occurred due to journalists and Government leaders attending the ‘Gridiron Dinner at the beginning of April 2022. An annual event in Washington DC.
All guests at the event were required to show proof of vaccination. A week later at least 72 of the 630 fully vaccinated/boosted guests tested positive for Covid-19.
But it would appear the majority of the American people can already see through President Biden’s lies without us needing to put the record straight. Because according to data published by the US Centers for Disease Control, 74.2 million Americans are still completely unvaccinated, and a further 157 million Americans have refused a second or third dose of the Covid-19 injection.
Meaning 50% of the entire country has potentially become wise to the propaganda and lies spouted by the American Government, Dr Anthony Fauci, and the mainstream media over the past two years.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides the following data on Covid-19 vaccinations in the United States –
Date for Dose 2
We’ve created the following chart based on the figures provided by the CDC above, showing the total vaccination uptake vs the total vaccination refusal in the USA per dose –
As we can see from the above according to the CDC, 257 million people have had a single dose, 219.7 million people have had a second dose, and 100.7 million people have had a third dose as of May 2nd 2022.
This means on top of the 74.2 million unvaccinated, a further 38 million people who had the first dose refused the second dose, and a further 119 million people who had the second dose refused the third dose.
This equates to 70% of the entire population of the USA who have not had either a first, second or third dose of a Covid-19 injection.
However, the above chart includes children under the age of 5 who are not eligible for Covid-19 vaccination. So we’ve created the following chart based on the figures provided by the CDC above, showing the total vaccination uptake vs the total vaccination refusal in the USA per dose among those who are eligible for vaccination –
Jab Uptake vs Jab Refusal among eligible USA
On top of the 54.7 million people eligible for Covid-19 vaccination who have chosen to remain unvaccinated, a further 37.9 million people who had the first dose refused the second dose, and a further 90.2million people who had the second dose refused the third dose.
This brings the possible number of people who have now woken up to the lies and propaganda spouted by the Government and mainstream media over the past two years to 182.8 million; 55% of the entire population of the USA.
Approximately 183 million people in the USA are now refusing to partake in the largest real-world experiment ever conducted, even though their “elected” President told them it was their patriotic duty to get vaccinated because he falsely claimed the vaccinated do not spread Covid-19.
President Biden is probably breathing a sigh of relief that so many people have chosen to ignore his lies. Because a study of official data published by the Government of Canada has found triple vaccinated individuals are now four times more likely to be infected with Covid-19, 2 times more likely to be hospitalised with Covid-19, and 2 times more likely to die of Covid-19 than unvaccinated individuals.
One reason why this could be occurring is that the Covid-19 injections are causing Vaccine-Associated Enhanced Disease and antibody-dependent enhancement. But this would not explain the increased risk of infection.
But there’s another condition that would explain the increased risk of infection as well as the increased risk of hospitalisation and death.
And that condition is Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. (Read more here)
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Author: oneway2day
I am a Neoconservative Christian Right blogger. I also spend a significant amount of time of exposing theopolitical Islam. View all posts by oneway2day
Author oneway2dayPosted on July 4, 2022 Categories Activism, Conservative, Conspiracy/Secret Society, Democrats, Health and wellness, Left Wing, News and politics, Organizations, Persecution, Science
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July 5, 2022 at 10:18 AM
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What possible kinds of salad greens can one grow when it is 105 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday and 50 degrees Fahrenheit (and spitting hail the size of nickels) on Thursday of the same week? Granted, it has been a strange week, but it still points to the problem: if one is looking to grow salad greens when it isn't fall or winter (or early spring) in Southern California, one is almost out of luck. It's warm so the lettuce turns bitter and bolts quickly, the arugula gets hotter than wasabi, the spinach goes to pot, and even the chard (though not technically a salad green) gets sad. For someone who eats a lot of salads, it's a pretty dismal salad-growing scene, I tell you.
Or at least, that is what I used to think.
Let me say here, before I go any further, that I still supplement my salad greens from the farmer's market. I religiously buy bags of baby arugula and sometimes lettuce too. However, I've found that I've been able to supplement these purchases very substantially with the following three crops that seem to be growing quite happily, despite the variations in weather and water that Southern California has thrown our way.
Orach stays leafy in the cool weather, and like other green vegetables, goes to bolt when it warms up, but unlike other leafy greens, the flavor stays great, even as it goes to seed. What's even better is that the flower heads are slightly grainy, salty, and succulent, and taste fabulous tossed in a salad or stir fry too. In fact, I think I sometimes like the flower heads more than the leaves. Overall, the flavor is very mild and slightly salty. The leaves are very flexible and don't have too much texture, but they add a lot of color and nutrients to a green salad. The small leaves are remarkably tender, but the larger leaves need to be stripped of their tough veins before tossing into a salad. Orach is a good vegetable, indeed a beautiful one, and I'm happy to have planted it in late February, for it has been treating my salad bowl quite wonderfully for a couple months now.
I love beets in all forms. My parents have pictures of me as a baby with red beets smeared from head to toe. (Can you imagine what it must have been like to clean up after baby-me? It couldn't have been fun. Thanks, Mom and Dad.) I like beets even when they're green, their greens, that is. One of the venders at the Santa Monica farmers' market sells baby beet greens unmixed with any other green, and on the few occasions a year I get to go to the Santa Monica market, I always buy myself a big bag of baby beet greens as a gift to myself. I love their salty succulence, the way they feel between my teeth as I bite down on my cool salad. This fall, I culled my beet crop relentlessly, every "throw-away" seedling hitting my salad plate. But here, in the late spring and summer, beets just don't grow as well. The roots get woody and bitter quickly, so I didn't plan on planting a summer crop. That was until I found this little heirloom from Scotland (Scotland? Seriously? How can a Scottish plant do so well in SoCal?) who is breaking all my beety-expectations. It's a beet grown primarily for the leaves, which are lance-shaped and tender, even when mature. Although planted in late February, McGregor's Favorite has livened up my salads for only a month or so.
Once again, this is a plant that bolts, but it grows so fast and the flavor doesn't diminish in the heat, that as long as I have succession-planted a steady supply of this little number, I'm in good hands. And oh, good is indeed the word. The texture of a healthy butter lettuce and a good, green flavor, combined with many more nutrients than lettuce, this is a quality addition to the garden. As well, it reseeds itself happily and provides me with seeds to spare. (Speaking of seeds, would anyone like some mâche seed? I could send a few people seed I've collected from my own plants to get them started in their own gardens. Let me know in the comments if you're interested.) I imagine that once the days are consistently over 90 degrees Fahrenheit here this may not hold up as well, but I've been enjoying this for months and expect to enjoy it another month or so. Then, I'll plant it again in September.
And on to the beans, planted in late February, of which I've already been able to harvest a handful of each snap variety.
Although the soft gold color never fails to attract me to wax beans at the market, when I get home and taste them, they unfortunately usually live up to their name: they're waxy, tasteless, and have none of that juicy-beany-goodness that I love in a bean. That experience, so disappointing, hasn't not proven true with this bean. I'm not sure if it is because they are just so fresh when I pluck them and eat them right in the garden, or if it is the variety—an oldie but a goodie—but these are just darn good beans. They snap loudly. They crunch juicily. They make me smile.
Covered in gorgeous green and purple foliage and lavender flowers, this variety is a visual knockout. Luckily, it's good in the kitchen as well as the garden. This bean has two distinct types of crops. When I catch the beans young and slender, they're amazingly sweet and beany, perfect french-type beans to eat raw or lightly steamed. When I'm slower on the draw, the beans mature to be large and flat, and are still great eating, but in this case, they need to be stringed and cooked longer, preferably with olive oil and garlic. In either case, they're delicious. As a side note, like every other purple bean I know, they turn green as soon as they've been blanched.
A contender indeed, especially in the realm of productivity. I didn't plant many of these guys, but boy, the few that I have are covered with beans. The beans are relatively straight, perfectly cylindrically-podded, and sweet and crunchy. They're an all-around good bean. I'd like to try planting them again in the fall, for I think I can get two happy crops from this variety.
I've been combining all of these crops lately in large salads drizzled with a mustardy vinaigrette. But now, I'm putting the challenge in your hands. Consider this palate of vegetables: what masterpiece would you create with them?
Posted by Christina at 2:28 PM
This spring has been wicked on the garden. This oscillation between 90s and 60s is making even getting stuff started tricky. My tomatoes seem to be doing ok but my pepper seedlings weren't strong enough when I transplanted them to survive the hot weather we had in April. My spring seeding of chard didn't even come up!
I'll have to try the orach and mache. They sound like they'd be a good addition. Last spring I also had luck in the spring with radish greens for stir fry but you have to get them while they're really small.
Anonymous said...
What an inspiring collection of beans and greens you've got there Christina! I wish I had room for the mache, but after planting my peppers and basil today, I fear I've maxed out the amount of space I feel safe co-opting on our fire escape! Maybe next summer if you've still got some perhaps?
Wendy said...
You always grow such interesting varieties of vegetables. Loved the bean pictures. In fact, I received some "Salford Black" runner bean seeds in the post today. Hope they grow. My garden doesn't seem to be doing very much at the moment.
Lucy said...
The orach sounds rather good. Tried to grow it here, I did, but it never took hold. Shall try harder next time. Love the soft small tongues of mâche, too. Delicious soft green.
What about a lightly cooked ragout of beans? Gently fry an onion in butter, add a clove of garlic, the chopped beans, some double-peeled favas, too if you have some. Simmer briefy in stock. Add some cooked raviloi or gnocchi and more butter, a knob or two, melting on top.
I really love your photography. You also have a real talent at story-telling. Keep up the great work!
Sarahliz: It has been a tough spring, indeed. My peppers are alive, but they aren't happy. The tomatoes are though. If you want mache seeds, let me know. I've got plenty to spare.
Ann: Thanks, lady. I'm sure I'll have to share then. Just remind me when/if you'd like them.
Wendy: I can't wait to hear about your Salford Black runner beans. I've never read about that variety before.
Lucy: Oh dear, my favas are long gone. I cleared them out about a month ago after a huge harvest. I had to share with others because it was just too much for me. However, combining the beans I do have with gnocchi is a wonderful idea. And butter, oh yes!
Busy Person (aka Who Has Time to Cook?): Welcome to ATS. I'm glad you stopped by. Thank you for the very kind words.
Mrs. K's Lemonade Stand said...
You may want to give rattlesnake pole beans a try also! :)
Brent said...
Great blog post! I hope you don't mind if I appropriate some of your garden selections for myself this fall. Since I'm just across town, I'm hoping that all that vegetable goodness will translate directly to my garden.
The last of my own lettuce and arugula bolted several weeks ago, but the tomatoes are coming on strong, so I won't have to wait too much longer for meals made entirely from tomatos!
As for how I'd prepare your selections, I like to cook the less tender of my beet greens like I would spinach in a saute pan with a bit of water (after ripping the tough central ribs out) and then plate them with sliced cooked beets on top. A vinaigrette covers the beet combination and I flake out some feta cheese on top.
Your tender greens I might make into a greens wrap sandwich with Thai peanut dressing.
Mrs. K.: I've heard grate things about Rattlesnake pole beans--I think they're on my list for next season.
Brent: Great ideas for the garden goodies. Thanks for the inspiration. As for appropriating the vegetable selections--the more the merrier. In fact, I'd be happy to share seed with you come next planting time, even in you don't have something for exchange. I usually have more than I need anyway.
GS said...
Is Orrach also known at arrach aka "wild and stinking"?
Hi Outspoken Female: I had to do a little searching around to answer your question. What I found on botanical.com is that, according to Culpepper, the orach that I grow (Atriplex hortensis) is different from the "wild and stinking" orach (Atriplex olida) often used as a medical herb. What I can tell you from my own observation is that there is nothing either wild or stinky about the orach that I'm growing, nor does it fit the description of round-leaves and low-growth. The leaves are pointed and the plant grows quite vertically. I hope that answers your questions. Thanks for stopping by A Thinking Stomach.
Anonymous said...
We've been having huge success with bok choy. It's way too easy to grow and although we are in Brisbane. The latest crop has battled against drought, high winds and week-long-rain.
tk said...
I remember "Nuesslisalat" (aka Mâche) since I was an exchange student in Germany some 20 years ago. It was commonly served in the student cafeteria. I'll try growing some in NC.
Unknown said...
I wouldn't mind trying some Mâche in my garden if you still have any extra seed... and if you think it might do alright in the Niagara Falls area of the country...
TK and Brock: If you're interested in some seed, please email me at niezcka at gmail dot com. You can send me your address, and I'll some your way.
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On Saturday, August 8, President Trump signed four executive actions in response to a Congressional stalemate on the next round of COVID-19 relief. This brief covers the memorandum deferring some employees’ payroll taxes to Social Security without affecting the program.
There are two types of payroll taxes:
Social Security rate is 12.4% on wages capped at $137,700—half is paid by the employer, half is paid by the employee (though employers typically pass on this tax in the forms of lower wages and higher prices).
Medicare rate is 1.45% for both the employer and employee with no wage cap.
Employee payroll taxes are withheld by employers and paid on their behalf.
The CARES Act (March) deferred payments of employer payroll taxes until either 2021 or 2022.
Details of the August 8 memorandum on deferring payroll taxes to Social Security:
Defers employee payroll taxes to Social Security from September 1 to December 31or until an unspecified later date, without penalty, interest, or additional tax.
Applies only to those earning before tax less than $4,000 biweekly ($104,000 annually).
Requests that the Secretary of the Treasury “explore avenues, including legislation” to permanently eliminate these deferred payroll taxes.
The stated intention of this action are to:
“put money directly in the pockets of American workers”
“generate additional incentives for work and employment”
Economic effects questionable from increased uncertainty & fiscal effects are uncertain:
This is effectively a no-interest loan from the government (i.e., taxpayers) to workers, with uncertainty about if, and when, it will be repaid.
The change doesn’t affect incomes for unemployed workers and may not increase disposable incomes of employed workers who will likely save any income increase or the employer with withhold the funds to eventually repay the payroll taxes, unless they’re forgiven by Congress.
The action could add about $150 billion to the FY21 budget deficit, which weighs on the economy, depending on whether Congress cuts the payroll taxes owed, as funds will be transferred from the General Fund to cover the reduction in payroll taxes to Social Security.
There is much uncertainty from the memorandum by employers about how they will handle the employee payroll tax deferral. It’s not clear when the deferred taxes are due or how they will be paid (directly by employees or through employers). These questions should be resolved soon, as Secretary Mnuchin recently indicated employers can choose whether to withhold the taxes.
The memorandum doesn’t change the cost of hiring employees, so it will not increase the number of jobs available. That is inherently constrained by limited business activity from government-mandated lockdowns.
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Dr. Katie Williams, a pediatrician and urgent care specialist at Seattle Children’s Bellevue Clinic and Surgery Center, lived every parent’s worst nightmare when her 1-month-old son turned gravely ill one Saturday evening in January. Here, Williams shares how her infant escaped the grip of death — and how she gained a new level of gratitude — thanks to her colleagues’ expertise in pediatric life support.
Dr. Katie Williams with her son, Grayson
The Saturday that is forever burned in my memory started out typically. My husband David DeTerra and I took our three kids — 4-year-old Evan and 1-month-old twins Elisabeth and Grayson — to an afternoon birthday party for a friend. On the way home, we stopped for takeout and looked forward to a relaxing evening at home. I remember sitting in the car thinking how glad I was that the twins had reached the 30-day mark, because that’s the point where infants are less likely to get serious infections.
What happened next came totally out of the blue.
Grayson started breathing funny and he had this strange rhythmic cry. I figured he was hungry and wanted out of his car seat to nurse. When we got home, David noticed he felt cool and clammy and his face looked pale. We both tried to feed him, but he wouldn’t eat. His eyes, normally so alert, couldn’t connect with us at all. When his tiny body went limp, we frantically called 9-1-1.
The ambulance came and the team tried to take us to the community hospital that’s five minutes from our house, but I pushed back because emergency room physicians at community hospitals tend to treat more adults than children. They do pick up some pediatric training, but medical care for very critically ill infants is incredibly specialized these days. Instead, I insisted they make the 40-minute drive to Seattle Children’s Hospital. In hindsight, that was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Ready for any medical crisis
When we got to the emergency room (ER), we were greeted by attending physician Dr. Eileen Klein while a team readied to treat our son in the large resuscitation room. (Later, I learned that the ER team built a full- scale cardboard mockup of their resuscitation room in a warehouse in order to test that the design could handle absolutely any medical crisis.)
Dr. Klein immediately comforted us and included us in Grayson’s assessment, even asking if there were other lab tests that I thought he needed. We never felt like bystanders, which is the team’s goal with every family: we felt empowered and our involvement gave us something to focus on besides the fear that our son might not survive.
At first, Grayson seemed to bounce back. I started to feel a little embarrassed, like we’d overreacted. All of a sudden I heard a nurse yell, “he’s crashing,” and we watched a monitor show his heart rate drop dangerously low.
I remember Evan asking, “Will Grayson die?” That’s when the ER social workers stepped in and took Evan and Grayson’s twin, Elisabeth, to a room away from the busy scariness, fed them and distracted Evan with a movie. I am forever grateful that they were so protective of our family at that very vulnerable time. I can’t thank them enough for making sure our preschooler didn’t witness the intensity that followed.
Leaning on life support
Grayson on life support at Seattle Children’s
For 48 terrifying minutes, the team used CPR and medication to keep Grayson alive. He was close to flat-lining…his pulse was so faint. As I braced myself in the doorway of the resuscitation room and David sat slumped on the floor — both of us in shock — Dr. Carmen Coombs, an emergency medicine specialist, stayed by our side and talked us through every step of what was happening and answered all of our questions. She even called our parents, since we were in no shape to talk with them. Throughout the ordeal, Dr. Klein continued to check in with us. I dreaded she might recommend we stop CPR and let our son go.
But Dr. Klein never gave up even when it was clear Grayson wasn’t improving. Instead, the team made the call to put him on an extracorporeal life support (ECLS) machine, or ECMO, that would take over the work of his heart and lungs. While ER clinicians kept our boy alive with CPR, surgeons worked in concert with them to hook him up to the life support system — a process known as ECPR. This was only the second time that Seattle Children’s doctors performed the delicate procedure to put a child on life support in the ER – something that’s almost never done outside of an operating room or intensive care unit and has probably never been attempted by any other hospital in our region.
Once Grayson was stabilized, we started the journey to move him from the ER to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The clinicians stretched out into a long line that moved very slowly; it felt like a funeral procession, even though our baby was alive. We were so scared. That night, in a daze, I sent the following Facebook post to our friends and relatives:
Jan. 18, 2014
Please pray for our son Grayson. He became lethargic and went into cardiac arrest tonight. We are at Children’s PICU and he is on heavy life support. He needs all the positive thoughts he can get. Forgive us for being out of touch in the coming weeks. We will update as we can.
Though the life support system was saving our son, it also put him at risk for complications, including internal bleeding and infections. The entire five days Grayson was on the ECLS machine, two nurses were in Grayson’s room round the clock to ensure his health and safety. I didn’t know much about ECLS before and I was surprised — and so very grateful — for the intense monitoring.
Jan. 21, 2014
Grayson had another good night. He was able to open his eyes and I cried from happiness to see him looking at us again. There are so many people at the hospital watching out for him. He (and we) are in good hands.
The road to recovery
We spent 11 days in the PICU and the doctors and nurses made us feel like we were the only family there. Through all the emotional ups and downs, they were by our side. Dr. Reid Farris, Grayson’s lead physician, would come to our room to sit and talk with us after he finished his rounds — a daily occurrence that never felt rushed. (Even after Grayson was transferred to the general medical floor, members of the PICU team continued to visit us on their lunch breaks!)
And it wasn’t just my husband and I who received such compassionate care. Child life specialists gave Evan a medical kit so he could practice putting medicines and tubes into a special doll. He got so comfortable with all the medical supplies that when my dad finally brought him to visit Grayson, he gave his little brother a kiss and said, “Can I go play now?” (Evan thought the hospital was a fun hotel where he could visit the Playroom and Therapy Pool and watch the helicopters land outside Grayson’s window.)
In total, we lived at the hospital for a month. Though many doctors tried to crack Grayson’s diagnosis — including me — no one has yet to figure out why he got so sick. We had a running joke that everybody but Adolescent Medicine tried to solve Grayson’s puzzling case.
Grayson and Elisabeth are now 11 months old and he’s as sweet, social and smiley as she is spirited. Though he’s a bit behind his sister in gross motor skills — and still sees doctors in a number of Seattle Children’s clinics including cardiology, neurology and urology — our little fighter is making his way back to peak health. We also remain connected to some of the team who cared for Grayson in his darkest hour — a testament to the love and compassion that is at the very foundation of this amazing hospital.
As for me, I grew up in Renton, Wash., and attended the UW School of Medicine. I completed my medical residency in Milwaukee, but I always hoped to do my life’s work at Seattle Children’s. What I didn’t know was that our son would end up owing his life to the hospital. Sometimes I work a shift in the ER and every time I walk past that resuscitation room, I think about the night Grayson crashed. Every time, I am grateful for my son and Seattle Children’s.
Donate now to Seattle Children’s Greatest Needs and help patients like Grayson receive the most advanced lifesaving care in our region.
Seattle Children’s Emergency Department
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Seattle Children's complies with applicable federal and other civil rights laws and does not discriminate, exclude people or treat them differently based on race, color, religion (creed), sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin (ancestry), age, disability, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Financial assistance for medically necessary services is based on family income and hospital resources and is provided to children under age 21 whose primary residence is in Washington, Alaska, Montana or Idaho.
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Our news editor, Patrick Ripley, made some phone calls yesterday to find out more about Tim Nulty's departure from Burlington Telecom. Here's the story that will appear in tomorrow's newspaper (and online):
by Patrick Ripley
BURLINGTON — Is the City of Burlington thinking big enough about its telecommunications business? Not according to the longtime and soon-to-be-former head of Burlington Telecom.
BT General Manager Tim Nulty handed Mayor Bob Kiss his resignation Monday morning, opting to accept a job with ValleyNet. That White River Junction-based nonprofit communications group is dedicated to providing community-based information resources similar to the fiber-optic infrastructure BT provides. Nulty says he is accepting a “significant” cut in pay to go to ValleyNet. His last day on the job at BT is November 21.
Based on BT’s initial success — 2200 subscribers, a $2.7 million annual revenue and rapid growth rate — Nulty says BT is poised to expand into, and earn revenue from, other communities. But he’s encountered resistance from Mayor Kiss, he says, citing “nervousness” and “political pushback.” Kiss decided earlier this month to hold off on BT’s growth outside Burlington. Nulty doesn’t want to wait around and let the opportunity pass. The municipally owned network is “the first, it’s the best, it’s the biggest, but it’s not the only game in town,” he warns.
The mayor insists the city is still considering BT’s expansion, just not yet. He says he would like to see more Burlington households enrolled in the program before committing to growth outside the city limits — BT is still in the process of building infrastructure in Burlington. “I think everything is in place for Burlington to be a success story,” suggests Kiss. “As we get closer to our goals, we will share the hub with other communities . . . I think that’s a prudent process.”
BT Marketing Sales and Customer Service Manager Richard Donnelly notes that municipal government processes can sometimes be at odds with entrepreneurial ventures. “Burlington [Telecom] certainly could expand,” says Donnelly. “Now it’s time to explore that, and I don’t think that work should stop [just] because Tim has moved to an organization that is ready to do that tomorrow.”
For his part, Nulty is sure “other flowers are going to bloom” soon, as he puts it, and even more sure he’s going to be there to smell the roses, whether the City of Burlington gets a whiff or not.
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Throughout this journey I have been communicating with a PPROM mum in the US who was about a week ahead of me in gestation, and a week behind me in rupture – she ruptured at about 14 weeks (15 weeks for us), and all through her pregnancy she was given the same dire predictions as we have had. All along she has been advised to terminate, and had to fight to get decent care for her and her baby. She has not had enough amniotic fluid to measure in any of her scans, and all along she remained positive and upbeat, and has been an amazing role model for others of us on this rough ride.
And this morning I woke up to the news that she has had her baby, and he is doing well. Hes probably in NICU, and will be for a while, but the fact that he is able to breathe at all, with no measurable fluid for the critical weeks of lung development is such an inspiration to me.
Author laranettlePosted on October 30, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of Lara2 Comments on Ks baby was born!
27 weeks today, and no real news to report. Im having my blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturation and temperature taken three times a day, pulse and temp another two times, pads checked, blood tests twice a week, urine checked once a week, and ultrasounds every two weeks. Babys heartbeat is checked every day, and I have to count kicks until I count 10 each day.
Apart from that (and a strange fascination with my bowel movements), everything is pretty quiet, and I am having enough visitors to help the days pass and make me feel quite loved.
Just a note in case you are considering a visit – visiting hours (for my ward) are 8am to 8pm, but from about midday to 3pm it can be very difficult to get a park in the hospital car park, so if you can, plan your trip to aid that time. The car park costs $8, and it only takes coins, which you have to pay on the way in (no credit cards, and nowhere to park while you check under the seat for spare change).
And I am in Westmead Hospital (not Royal North Shore). Take the Westmead Hospital exit from the M4 and follow the signs, or take the train to Westmead Station and walk about 500m to the hospital.
And today marks 3 months of captivity. Twelve whole weeks since I ruptured my membranes, 92 days of bed rest, and over 8 weeks since we last had any terrible news
Author laranettlePosted on October 30, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of Lara6 Comments on Still here!
Day 4, adjusting to captivity
Yesterday, my lovely nurse brought me a new bed – an electric jobbie with a remote control, and a slightly better mattress, and last night I slept enough for the first time. They did evening obs early, and morning obs late, so I was able to get a full 8 hours sleep, and wake up before the banging and yelling started. Bliss.
I am about to have my last blood sugar test, which will hopefully clear me of gestational diabetes, and I can relax and eat a normal diet again. Well, as normal as it can be on hospital food.
Mark brought Inigo in last night for a movie night, we all had dinner together and then Inigo snuggled up with me and we all watched Shrek. It was bliss to have such a long cuddle with my boy, and to spend such a long time with both my boys.
I am not expecting any visitors today (apart from my boys), so I think Ill get started on my Percy Shawl (have a look on M-Hs blog for the beautiful one Sandra knit) – Ive been saving it up for a rainy day
Author laranettlePosted on October 23, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of Lara4 Comments on Day 4, adjusting to captivity
After my first 24 hours in hospital, Im exhausted. But in a good way.
I have seen the two resident doctors, and my specialist. Apparently they arent going to start CTG (monitoring the babys heartbeat) until 28 weeks, and they arent intending to give me steroids. Which all makes me wonder about what the hell I am doing here, costing the public health system about $1000 a day. But who am I to ask?
I have seen the head of the perinatal support team, and the social worker. I have seen the pharmacist, and am starting to get to know my team of nurses. I have become aware of the fact that the helipad is just above my room, which becomes patently obvious when they deep off a sick person, which has happened (very loudly) about three times today.
I’ve had a growth scan, which showed that the fetoid is above the 97th percentile for weight, and on the 97th percentile for head circumference. Looks like we are keeping that in the family
The scan gave me a bit of a rush, I was all excited that growth was going well (inter uterine growth retardation is often a problem with pprom babies), so I was bummed when my doctor came in to say she suspects I have gestational diabetes (which I have posted about before, but am too lazy to link here), and that I have to do a 24 hour sugar test, with finger pricks before and after every meal for 24 hours. And those mothers HURT. I say that as someone who used to be needle phobic, but got over it with regular blood donations, and having a blood test a week for the past few months has killed off any remaining nerves around the veins in my left arm…
The food is, unsurprisingly, execrable.
Exhibit A, Tomato omlette with green beans, pasta, and cabbage. Yes, boiled cabbage.
I have a lovely view of the car park (if you’re coming to visit call ahead and I can tell you if there are any spots), and I have unpacked my clothes, brought in flowers, put up pictures, and installed my essential electronics and an extension board to power them all.
And Id love more visitors! Not all at once, but if I am here for as long as I hope I will be, I will need visitors over a very long period, so dont all rush at once! I am in the Womens Health Ward, level 4, Bed 10.
And a note to anyone that has had trouble commenting – you may get an error message, but your comments still seem to get through, just ignore it. Tech support has more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. Like the fact that Squishy wants to call his brother Cowbell.
And yes. I do know the difference between median and average. To suggest otherwise is just plain mean
Author laranettlePosted on October 22, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of Lara3 Comments on Updates
They have a bed. Just finishing lunch, and Im heading in.
Author laranettlePosted on October 21, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of Lara10 Comments on Wrong again
At home, waiting for a bed.
Author laranettlePosted on October 21, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of LaraLeave a comment on Still free
When I first started researching Pre-premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), I found that with a rupture at 15 weeks, the median latency (how long the pregnancy continues) is 72 days, or 10 weeks, 2 days. That would take me to 25 weeks, 2 days. Which takes me to Monday.
Let’s hope I am better than “average” on this one
Author laranettlePosted on October 16, 2010 Categories Spawn, The Life of LaraTags Spawn, The Life of Lara12 Comments on Median Latency
I am so buying this shirt…
Author laranettlePosted on October 16, 2010 Categories Green Politics, Politics, The Life of LaraTags The Life of LaraLeave a comment on I am so buying this shirt…
Author laranettlePosted on October 15, 2010 Format ImageCategories Spawn, The Life of Lara1 Comment on Babys first pedicure
The Governator has a heart
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has filed a legal motion to allow same-sex marriages to return in California.
And in news closer to home, Im now almost 25 weeks, baby is still going strong, Im still (relatively) sane, and I am expecting visitors this afternoon. I am going to enjoy my last week of freedom!
And yesterday was magical. Dad spent the afternoon at my place with Inigo, and we had a lovely time together. I dont get to see him much at the moment, but I was reminded yesterday just how gorgeous he is. I have some pictures, but they are still on the camera. I might be able to get Mark to transfer them for me on the weekend so I can print some pics to take to hospital with me.
Author laranettlePosted on October 15, 2010 Categories Green Politics, Politics, Spawn, The Life of Lara2 Comments on The Governator has a heart
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The death of Green L. Bussell, an esteemed citizen of Algood, brought sorrow to his many friends in Algood, Cookeville and the surrounding community. Mr. Bussell passed out of this life on Saturday afternoon, March 25, at the age of seventy-three years and twenty days, having lived a useful Christian life. He unity with the Baptist church in 1875.
Mr. Bussell is survived by his devoted wife, who was Miss Sarah J. Stone, and seven of the eight children born to them. On Christmas day, 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Bussell celebrated their golden weddingat their home in Algood, with a reception attended by their many relatives and friends. Their daughter, Mrs. J. A. Mitchell of Oklahoma, died in 1918; the seven children living are: Mrs. M. H. Ellis, Cookeville, Mrs. B. P. Allison, Gallatin; Mrs. Marving K. Bennett, Algood; Asbury and Robert Bussell, Kansas City, Mo.; Thomas and Alpheus Bussell, Livingston. The sons are successful businesse men in the community in which they live, as are his sons-in-law, and he leaves these living monuments of good daughters and sons, to his upright honorable life.
Mr. and Mrs. Bussell were members of the Baptist church of Cookeville, and the pastor of that church, Rev. Sam Edwards, conducted the services in an impressive and beautiful way, assisted by Rev. Cullom Hosale of the Methodist church of Algood, with appropriate music conducted by Elder Collins of the Christian church of Algood. The pall bearers were: Hinson Judd, Vance Hunter, Harvey Peek, R. L. Hamlet, Will Wright, R. C. Boatman, and the interment was in the Algood cemetery on Monday morning, March 27.
30 March 1922
Vol. XX, No. 43, Page 11
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The contents of this site was researched by the owner. Information, photos, etc. may be used for genealogical purposes. No part of this site may be used for commercial purposes without the express written permission of the owner.
| 1,956 |
Here are 7 Bible verses about the holocaust from the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible (King James Version), sorted from most to least relevant.
And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
Read full chapter
And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Read full chapter
Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.
Read full chapter
They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel, and have no mercy; their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses, set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion.
Read full chapter
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Read full chapter
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Read full chapter
So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
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http://mesothelioma.com This site includes information about asbestos exposure, how American military members were exposed over time, treatment options and legal assistance. http://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma Asbestos.com is a resource site that provides information about this devastating cancer. The site includes the names of doctors specializing in treatment and lawyers managing legal cases. Mesothelioma is caused by ingesting asbestos into the lungs. This asbestos is usually found in the work place.
2020-04-14
Published by Mary Mann
There is one good thing about chemotherapy. It is the Look Good Feel Better program. Fun. A time to share. Like Christmas. It is a two-hour appointment with a cosmetologist in a small group of women who have cancer. I had participated in a program five years ago when I was in radiation treatment for breast cancer. That appointment was at MD Anderson on Indian School near Kaseman. This session was at the Rust Cancer Center and was equally as good as the one five years ago. We are each given a cosmetic bag full of cosmetics that matches our skin tones. The bags come sealed and ready for us. At our places we each have a mirror and cosmetic wipes. Opening the bag is like Christmas. My bag had Chanel powder, lipstick and blush. Clinique foundation, Estee Lauder face cream and eye makeup, IT brow powder and a set of brushes, body lotion and sun screen. Pure joy. Our instructor walks us through the steps of taking care of our face during cancer treatment. …
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This would suit overseas groups that can source a range of beer styles (not just pale lager). Our expert would teach them how to taste beer like a professional. She will talk about the beers the group has sourced and explain what aromas and flavors to look for. She will also chat about how beer is made, where the aromas and flavors come from, what it is that determines a beer style, beer history, and how to taste beer like a professional. Guests can ask beer questions throughout the whole event.
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The L-1A visa allows an international company to transfer a foreign worker who qualifies as an executive or manager to one of its U.S. branches or subsidiaries. The executive is allowed to live in work in the United States for a period of less than seven years.
Since the L-1A is a highly sought-after visa, it is essential that all information be filled out accurately and truthfully. Incomplete information will result in the denial of the application.
1 Forms Required for an L-1A Visa
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Forms Required for an L-1A Visa
The primary documentation for the L-1A visa is form I-129, which is completed and filed by the employer but includes information about both the company and the individual. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has very particular instructions for completing the form. All answers should be typed or printed in either blue or black ink. Employers need to fill out a response for every single section; if a certain section does not apply to the individual or company applying, they should write “N/A.” If a question asks for a quantity, and that quantity is zero, the employer should respond with “none.” No boxes should be left blank.
An explanation page is included if any additional information is necessary. It is encouraged that employers make use of this section, as giving a fuller account of the applicant’s situation usually results in more favorable treatment. Finally, employers should include a duplicate copy of the application and all supporting documentation.
The two processing centers for L-1A visas are in Vermont and California. E-filing is available and is usually the easiest option. However, if an applicant wishes to file a physical copy, the addresses for the clearing centers can be found in the official instructions for the I-129. Most applications are subject to a $325 application fee as well as a $500 “fraud detection” fee. Payment can be made by check or money order, payable to Department of Homeland Security. Payment is non-refundable and must match the exact amount that is owed. Applicants can verify the amount that they pay at the USCIS web site or by calling 1-800-375-5283
Applications should be made as soon as it is known that a foreign employee’s services will be needed in the United States. At a very minimum, it is advisable to file at least 45 days before the scheduled beginning of employment. Any falsified information on the application is punishable with a denied application and potential further legal action.
Much of the information that is asked for on form I-129 is straightforward and deals with the employees past work history, residence history, and qualifications. Employees must fit a certain category that demonstrates that his or her employment in the United States is necessary for the proper functioning of the parent company. Employer-based information includes the size of the company and the scope of its operations as well as information about past visas that have been filed, successfully or unsuccessfully. Thus, it is important for employers to do their best to successfully apply on their employees behalf the first time they file.
Let us help you
Our firm has extensive experience filing L-1A visas successfully. If you need help with any part of the process, please contact us today by calling 703-594-4040 or using our online contact form.
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June 19, 2009 Maria Hoisington El Salvador 0
As a result of ever-increasing rates of violence, number of gang members, and citizen insecurity, the government of El Salvador implemented a series of ‘zero tolerance’ policies in 2004, known as Mano Dura, or the Iron Fist. However, the gangs are not understood as the product of social and economic factors that leave youth with little opportunity for alternatives to crime.
As a result of ever-increasing rates of violence, number of gang members, and citizen insecurity, the government of El Salvador implemented a series of ‘zero tolerance’ policies in 2004, known as Mano Dura, or the Iron Fist. Estimates put the number of youth gang members in El Salvador between 15,000-30,000. The dramatic increase in their numbers can be attributed to mass deportations of Central Americans from the United States. The youth gang has been sensationalized as the primary threat to public security in El Salvador and in the region as a whole. The gang is not understood as the product of social and economic factors that leave youth with little opportunity for alternatives to crime, but rather as a manifestation of organized crime and terrorism. Because these issues were seen as transnational, the solution was constructed through coordination between the governments of the United States and El Salvador. The Mano Dura approach focuses on exerting massive police force, extended prison sentences, and criminalization of illicit activities to eradicate the problem of gangs. As a result, the number of police arrests, arbitrary detentions, and jail populations skyrocketed.
Not only have these policies been unsuccessful in gang abatement, police repression and targeting of youth has, in effect, criminalized the act of being young. In the past five years, there have been constant outcries from non-governmental organizations, human rights groups, opposition party members, and civil society denouncing repression and calling for alternative solutions. I spent April and May of 2009 in El Salvador researching one of these alternatives; a violence prevention program implemented in 2006 by the local government in San Martín, a municipality located outside the capital city, San Salvador. San Martín has historically been one of the most violent municipalities in the country, but has enjoyed substantial success in lowering its crime statistics and providing opportunity for youth during the past three years. The manner in which the local government in San Martín discusses and treats youth issues is drastically different from that of the national government, and directly affects how local youth view their own opportunities and participation in society. A key aspect of the program, known as Plan ‘San Martín Seguro’, or ‘A Safe San Martín’, is a soccer league for youth ages six to eighteen. My investigation focused on the experience of young men who participate in the league. Our discussions centered around the marginalization of communities due to gang presence, the soccer league as a tool for violence prevention, and their experiences of police repression.
Youth Soccer League: Strategy for Gang and Crime Prevention
The soccer league consists of seven levels for youth ages six to eighteen, and one elite team for ages eighteen to twenty-six. The teams compete against eight other municipalities in the department of San Salvador. Edgar, the league coordinator, identified continual gang warfare and rivalry as the principal factor affecting the population’s mobility, yet believes that the comradeship gained through involvement in athletics helps to diminish their isolation and polarization. He says:
The youth come from all sectors and don’t see each other as rivals. They are growing up as brothers. So, what do we gain? That from very young they hang out together, they don’t speak bad words, they have good behavior, and when they see each other in the street, they don’t see each other as rivals, they aren’t enemies, although they come from different parts of the municipality.
Building this sense of comradeship and community is essential for combating embedded distrust and insecurity, which are products not only of gang violence, but also years of civil armed conflict and government repression. Instead of reinforcing individualism and suspicion, the soccer league serves to create connections and personal relationships between people, and to slowly break down the barriers that isolate them.
The soccer league has one other very basic function, which is to keep the kids occupied. Rogelio, age 18, has played in the league since 2007. He lives just minutes away from the soccer fields and studies mathematics at a university in San Salvador. He told me his thoughts about the program:
I feel that it’s a good program because for kids of my age, it distracts us, we don’t think about other bad things. So, this program is excellent. I think that the best thing that has happened to me
is comradeship. We all know each other and everyone gets along.
The manner in which the futbolistas speak about distraction is an acknowledgement of how easy it is to fall into a violent lifestyle or get involved in gangs. Because of the obvious presence of gang members in their communities, the lack of after school programs for youth, and the absence of adult supervision, it is no surprise to the boys I’ve spoken with that so many other kids choose that lifestyle. They frequently use the language, ‘no caer en la delincuencia (to not fall into delinquency)’, as if it were a gaping, growing crater that must be actively avoided.
Marginalized Communities and Perceived Violence
A reoccurring theme in my interviews with the futbolistas was the marginalization of communities due to constant insecurity and perceived violence. The gangs are present in every community, although certain zones are perceived to be calmer and less affected by inter-gang violence. The two dominant gangs in the area are Mara-Salvatrucha 13 (MS-13) and the
18th Street
Gang (Calle-18). The majority of people are very aware of which one dominates their community and can identify many of its members. Therefore, even if one has never had an encounter with the gangs themselves, their presence is ingrained in their knowledge of the community and inseparable from their sense of security.
The situation is even more precarious for young men over the age of twelve. Many of these boys feel more secure within their own community because the gang members, or mareros have known them since they were small, and therefore do not see them as a threat. Yet, once young men venture into a neighboring community, it is more likely they will be mistaken for a member of the opposing gang. David explained to me how in San Martín, he has to be careful where he goes. He explained:
It’s pretty complicated, including leaving the neighborhood where one lives. There are quite a few kids, of my age more than anything, that when someone says to them, ‘let’s go mess around in ‘X’ community’, and their answer is ‘no, do you want them to kill us?’ And things like that. And maybe they aren’t involved in anything, they aren’t gang members or anything, but it comes from the same fear.
Rogelio echoed this lack of mobility and bluntly stated, “I’m not involved in anything, but only for going somewhere I shouldn’t go, it could be that don’t leave alive.”
Youth Experiences with Police Repression and Mano Dura
The demand from the broader society to produce results is the base of the repression and excess of power that characterize tactics of El Salvador‘s National Civilian Police (PNC). It is very common that the police enter communities at night and arrest ten to twenty suspected gang members. Though the local government has shifted its focus away from repression and toward prevention, the police continue with the same policies prescribed by the national government and police headquarters, which do not respond to the specific local context. Therefore, in San Martín, the local government and PNC are experiencing a clash between local and national responses to the same problem.
The policies of Mano Dura, specifically the Ley Antimaras, or Anti-Gang Law, have directly affected the lives of the young men on the soccer team. The law prohibits ‘illicit associations’, or groups of two or more minors found in public or abandoned spaces who are intimidating, being disrespectful, inappropriate, carrying or selling arms and drugs, drawing graffiti, wear tattoos, and more. In theory, the law gives police the right they had previously lacked to arrest suspicious groups of gang members, which most citizens support and view positively. In practice, it gave them the justification to harass and arrest any group of minors just for the simple state of ‘appearing’ to be a gang member, and has more specifically resulted in the targeting of young males. Not surprisingly, the law against illicit association has shaped the behavior and mobility of the young men I spoke with in San Martín.
David, age 17, studies education in San Salvador, and lives in one of the most dangerous communities in San Martín. I spoke to him one afternoon before practice. We were sitting on the cement stadium stairs next to the soccer field. He described his reality as a young man in San Martín:
One can’t be like we are right now, talking between two or three young people, because the police arrive and without saying anything, they arrest you, and they say it’s because of illicit association. They imprison you for three of four days. Or maybe they invent things.
Rogelio described the contradictions of political rhetoric and police activity: “If they see a group that seriously is gang members, they don’t detain them, they only sit there watching, and pass by. So people that aren’t doing anything wrong are the ones that they stop.” Therefore, not only the presence of gang members in the communities, but also fear of police patrols and harassment limit the mobility of young people in San Martín.
Several of the futbolistas have told me anecdotes about their encounters with the police. The most common occurrence is that they are mistaken for a marero who has committed a crime. José Luis, age 16, was arrested one day on his way home from high school. He told me that the police had confused him with a marero who looked like him, so they stopped him and handcuffed him. He was never brought into the police station, because several people, including some teachers from his school, attested to his innocence. They accounted for the fact that he was in class at the time of the crime, and assured the police he did not belong to a gang. José Luis was only able to prove his innocence through the support he received from community members. This illustrates the reality in which the police hold all power and there are few ways for youth alone to prove their innocence. He learned to be much more careful after that day and is painfully aware that at any moment, just for appearing suspicious, the police could arrest him again.
Several of the futbolistas commented on the ineffectiveness of Mano Dura policies, explaining that mareros don’t fear the police or respect the laws that they enforce. José Luis explained in order to enter the community where he lives, the police must be in a group of at least five or six officers. If they enter alone, they will be killed. Because of the frequency of arbitrary arrests, the majority of those brought in for questioning are released within days. Enrique, age 16, says he doesn’t see government policies as ‘strong fisted’ because,
When they take the guys in, they always get out. They release them and they start to create disorder again. [Mano Dura] hasn’t worked. The government needs to give them more time. It’s not fair that they commit crimes and days later are walking free.
I spoke with a police officer in San Martín who acknowledged this same ineffectiveness and explained to me how there is a constant cycle of the same kids getting arrested and released. Eventually, the kids get sick of being thrown in jail and learn to hide from the police whenever they enter their community. The officer suggested that this was a result of society’s demand for tangible results, such as more patrols and arrests.
Even though many of the futbolistas have had negative experiences with excessive police power and avoid certain activities that put them in vulnerable positions, they recognize that the police play a crucial role in providing safety and controlling gang activity. Alejandro, age 16, suggests,
The problem with the police is maybe that they are a little badly orientated in terms of their job to protect. Because they, as a body of security, should, before beating up someone, is talk to them. But what they do is say, ‘I’m going to register you’, and because of this the kids go running, because even if they weren’t doing anything, they hit them. And already because they’ve run from them, the police have a pretext to bring them to jail.
Rogelio mentioned that it is often the community members themselves who call in complaints, but instead of being resentful, he understands why they do it. “There is so much violence,” he told me, “and people are distrustful.” Therefore, it is evident that youth don’t perceive the problem with the police to be the patrols or the questioning of suspicious people. For the most part, there is an understanding that the police must do their job. The problem is the assumption of guilt, which results in fear and avoidance even when kids know they aren’t doing anything wrong. Juan Carlos even mentioned that he would like to see more police patrols so that “people can walk safely where they live, without fear that something is going to happen to them.” Their reality is one of constant insecurity due to violence. The impunity of both mareros and every-day criminals creates an atmosphere of fear, distrust, and frustration.
El Salvador has a serious violence problem that can be attributed in part to youth gangs, high levels of extreme poverty, and the legacy of armed conflict. The national response to date has been characterized by Mano Dura policies that focus on the arrest and detention of suspected gang members and a discourse that has, in practice, criminalized a generation of young men. I found that the manner in which the youth in San Martín perceive violence and insecurity is deeply personal and inseparable from their own experiences. Therefore, their lifestyle, habits, and politics are a direct manifestation not only of contemporary challenges, but also of the historical legacy of violence and distrust in Salvadoran society. Limited mobility, loss of friends and family, police harassment and government discourse have all shaped the way in which the futbolistas interviewed view their own position and participation in society.
Plan ‘San Martín Seguro’ is a local initiative intended to address the greater issues of endemic violence, gang activity, ingrained insecurity and distrust, and the lack of viable opportunities for youth. Through its programs of vocational training, civic activities, renovation of public spaces, and the municipal soccer league, the local government has shown its dedication not only to providing economic and political opportunities for youth, but also to valuing recreation and expression of youth energy and passion. These local efforts have challenged the idea that the young people are by definition delinquents, rebellious, unproductive and all expressions of their culture, lifestyle and criminality must be repressed. They combat the assumption of guilt that is perpetuated by Mano Dura policies and police repression. Alternatively, a new emphasis is being placed on the experience of being young, which is to say, on building character, comradeship, leadership, friendly competition, and the simple act of having fun. It is evident in from my interviews with the nine futbolistas that their participation in the municipal soccer league has significantly impacted their lives. My discussions with youth from San Martín reaffirmed the importance of local violence prevention programs and illustrated the way in which policy, discourse, and violence directly affect the lives and experiences of youth. It is evident that both actual and perceived violence are very real factors that influence lifestyle, discourse, and personal politics. Ultimately, these personal experiences and perceptions of violence must be taken into account in order to heal divides within society and design prevention programs and government policy.
Maria Hoisington is a student of Latin American Studies and Human Rights at the University of Washington. She is currently living in San Salvador, writing her thesis on local violence prevention programs. Photo from Flickr by LShave
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Vice President Harris, seen here in the White House Rose Garden earlier this month, will visit Singapore and Vietnam, her second foreign trip while in office.
Vice President Harris on Friday will travel to Singapore and Vietnam with the goal of cementing U.S. relationships in the region against the rising influence of China.
The trip has long been in the works but is now complicated by the chaotic and messy U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which is drawing dire comparisons to the fall of Saigon in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
A senior administration official said Harris will continue to be briefed on the situation on the ground in Afghanistan during her time abroad.
"Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific are really important and that's why she's going," the official said. "We can do more than one thing at a time and we're going to do more than one thing at a time as we focus on these two huge priorities for the United States."
Still, Afghanistan is a major crisis for the administration. Democrats and Republicans have been deeply critical of the White House's handling of the evacuation of Americans and Afghans who helped the U.S. military.
Brett Bruen, who served as director of global engagement during the Obama administration, said Harris will not be able to escape the shadow of the situation in Afghanistan.
"It's the elephant in the room and it is going to walk thunderously behind her every step of her trip in Vietnam," Bruen said.
Bruen argued that Harris has the opportunity to help restore trust in the U.S., but it will take meaningful action from the administration and not just rhetoric.
Harris, the first Asian American vice president, will kick off her trip in Singapore, where she will give a major speech outlining the United States' commitment to the region.
In Vietnam, Harris will help launch a regional office for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and hold talks with leaders about responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
Administration officials declined to say whether Harris will make any big announcements on vaccines or economic deals.
The officials also pushed back against the idea that the situation in Afghanistan would affect U.S. relationships elsewhere in Asia, saying that the challenges in the countries are very different.
This is Harris' second foreign trip as vice president. Her first outing in Central America received some negative reviews from U.S. media.
Gregory Poling of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said this trip is a chance for Harris to build up her policy credentials in a critical region.
"You've got to get your feet wet in Asia or nothing else matters," Poling said. "So, this is a big opportunity for her, but it's also a risk if it doesn't go great."
Ayesha Rascoe is a White House correspondent for NPR. She is currently covering her third presidential administration. Rascoe's White House coverage has included a number of high profile foreign trips, including President Trump's 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's final NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast.
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I’m on a basket-for-Christmas kick. Like knitting then felting. Photos 1 and 2 are finished baskets (one already received and one not on social media) and the third is the only before-felting photo I’ve remembered to take!
Rug wool! (Yay for spinner neighbor-friends with giant stashes!) Finally getting started on Christmas presents. Any guesses what these will be?
My 4 year old has a winged unicorn piggy bank named Laura (previously named Snowman). Today she made her extra fancy!
I make a habit of not sharing kid photos but there’s something so perfect about this one
Today in library treasures
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Header photo by Briana Daily
September 29, 2013
Let’s talk about influences. I’ve always had a hard time pointing to mine. Tamora Pierce, definitely. I discovered her books when I was seven and have been obsessed ever since. To find some of my favorite themes, just refer to the Song of the Lioness quartet. Anne McCaffrey and Andre Norton are the only other […]
Posted in Love, Writer Writing. Tagged Andre Norton, Anne McCaffrey, fantasy, fighting, growing up, guilty pleasures, influence, princess, stories, storytelling, storytelling voice, Tamora Pierce, warrior, writer, writing, Xena, xena warrior princess. 3 Comments
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In the coming months the Orange County BOE will be setting the early voting plan for the 2014 election cycle. Since there have been issues with the Rams' Head one-stop site, we are looking for alternatives for an early voting location that will serve Chapel Hill, and the campus community in particular.
Keeping in mind that certain factors -- parking, ADA compliance, internet access, the ability to secure the ballot box, etc. -- are mandated by statute, we would appreciate your input about sites that would best serve the students, faculty, staff and residents during the abbreviated 2014 early voting period.
While we all mourn the loss of Morehead Planetarium as a one-stop site, that facility has been repurposed by the University and is no longer available to us, so we need your help in finding somewhere that can be just as successful.
The State BOE has given us until March to establish our early voting plan, so we need your input ASAP.
Thanks in advance!
Board of Elections
voting
early voting
Issues:
Elections
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Comments
Submitted by gercohen on November 12, 2013 - 12:12pm
floor at Woolen Gym was a polling place from '70 to around '80 but parking issues are the same or worse than RamsHead. Is Smith Center floor available? Plenty of room for set up. Not sure what ADA access is like. Lots of surface parking that could be dedicated. There are bus routes and it is walking distance for thousands. 10 day period might make scheduling a facility easier.
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Dean Dome far from ideal
Submitted by Travis Crayton on November 12, 2013 - 1:32pm
Very few students walk past the Dean Dome on any given day. If the goal is to have voting accessible and easy for most students to do in just a few minutes, having a voting site any further south than Ram's Head simply won't suffice.
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Dean Dome
Submitted by gercohen on November 12, 2013 - 6:25pm
I'm just throwing out an idea when I mention Dean Dome. Remember with 10 days rather than 17 an area needs to be able to handle a higher volume per day. If there is somewhere near central campus that can handle volume that's great. I do think that parking does not need to be the main concern. With a transit dependent population on campus, the fact that there is one site with limited parking should not be a negative if there are 3 or 4 other sites in south orange with lots of parking. There should not be a requirement that everyone be able to park easily at every site if it means that some with no cars can't get to any site at all.
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Thanks for the suggestion!
Submitted by rjamescoxjr on November 13, 2013 - 9:24am
Thanks for the suggestion! We will look into the Dean Dome as a potential site-- although I do worry that it is somewhat remote for a majority of folks. I don't disagree that the parking requirements for a campus site should be different given the pedestrian orientation of the community, but sadly we are constrained by statute in the minimum requirements for early voting locations.
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Submitted by Jason Baker on November 13, 2013 - 9:54am
Hi Jamie,Since I'm not familiar with that portion of the legislation around early voting sites, could you share with us here what the minimum parking requirements are?
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plenty of parking at Rams
Submitted by gercohen on November 13, 2013 - 2:02pm
Rams has tons of parking, albeit in a deck. The statute requires "sites in the Plan as a whole provide adequate coverage of the county's
electorate" meaning you can look at the totality of access -- and not just focus on one site's limitations (as long as the limitations don't violate ADA). If Rams were the ONLY site in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area this would be a big problem. Looking towards Fall 2016, with the requirements to shorhorn 17 days of hours into 10 days it is quite likely that there will have to be four sites in Chapel Hill/Carrboro rather than the current three anyway.
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another challenge
Submitted by gercohen on November 12, 2013 - 1:22pm
another challenge is that under the new law (other than the BoE office) each site must have the same DAYS and the same number of hours each day. eg some could be 11 to 7 and some could be 9 to 5, but if the campus site was closed on a Saturday for a home football game (as Rams was in '12) no site (other than BoE office) could be open that day.
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hillel building
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 12, 2013 - 3:01pm
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Submitted by ldhintz on November 12, 2013 - 8:02pm
Rams Head Dining was a great place for early voting. Hundreds of students go by it every hour. It is easy for faculty and other employees to walk to. The bus goes near it and it is easy to bike there. It has free parking in the deck for people who are voting. I campaigned there several days. A number of students said they were registered at their parents home or in Durham County where they lived. Others still thought they needed a NC drivers license with a Chapel Hill address in order to vote or that their parents would lose their tax deduction. (I explained this wasn't the case but it illustrates the impact of the Voter ID law discussion has had on the electorate) The reality is that for this election the vast majority of students opted not to vote. The location was not the reason. One negative is that you could not leave your campaign signs there. Also the front door didn't have any sign saying the voting site was upstairs. I can't think of a better place on campus.
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Thanks for the feedback on
Submitted by rjamescoxjr on November 13, 2013 - 9:19am
Thanks for the feedback on Rams Head. There have been significant issues for our poll workers accommodating curbside voting at that site, and we have heard that lunch lines got mixed into voting lines, among other problems. Because there have been concerns, I feel that it is important to do our due diligence to make sure that all alternatives have been explored and evaluated. Just to clarify, at the end of the day, it may be that Rams Head is the best or only option for a campus area one-stop site.
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Submitted by gercohen on November 13, 2013 - 9:55am
I am not quite sure how lunch lines at Rams would get mixed with voting lines because they were on separate floors. On the other hand I learned as an undergrad that if you saw a line the first thing to to do is get in it then find out what the line is for. I understand the curbside issue and hope this can be resolved in a satisfactory way as Rams is certainly the most convenient site to accomodate those who DON'T have cars.
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Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on November 13, 2013 - 12:19pm
That sounds like an issue of inadequate signage.
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A shame it has to change
Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on November 12, 2013 - 9:49pm
Stability in voting sites is one way to get folks knowing where to vote.
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CDA
Submitted by Travis Crayton on November 13, 2013 - 9:38am
Has the Center for Dramatic Art been previously considered as an early voting site? As it is already an Election Day voting site that many students would usually vote at if they didn't early vote, I could see some good coming from providing a bit of consistency from early voting to Election Day.
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CDA is a HUGE issue
Submitted by mghughes on November 13, 2013 - 10:28am
I don't recall if we discussed this last year, but it's a terrible election day site as it has limited ability to accommodate the existing voters for Country Club precinct due to parking. To have it overwhelmed as an early voting site would be an unmitigated disaster. I think you'll also run into the problem of students showing up on election day thinking they can vote there and being denied because provisional ballots outside your actual precinct will no longer be available. It's already an issue and it'll be made worse.
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Submitted by Travis Crayton on November 13, 2013 - 1:18pm
Yet the CDA is one of few buildings on campus with easy access to parking spaces nearby and has historically been a fairly low-turnout precinct on Election Day. Certainly it has problems as a site, but if we say that the CDA is so problematic is also must be changed, just like Ram's Head, then what sites are we left with on a pedestrian-oriented campus that yet still must meet statutory regulations?
It's unfortunate that, given the political climate, even if we were to ask our legislative delegation to attempt to get a statutory change, such a change would likely go nowhere. Given that a campus site is going to be utilized overwhelmingly by students and employees already on campus, and the availability of ADA-compliant sites within a mere minutes drive (Carrboro Town Hall & Seymour Center), it's truly a shame we can't have a stable, dedicated voting site on campus.
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School of Government Was Original Site
Submitted by mghughes on November 14, 2013 - 10:23am
Country Club used to vote at the School of Government. There just aren't that many sites that can be used in the area for precincts that haven't already been explored and/or vetted. Many of the precincts that are clustered in that area barely vote within the boundaries of their precinct to begin with. In that area you have CDA, General Administration, Glenwood Elementary, and the Friday Center used as voting locations. I think most of them are outside of the boundary they serve (I need to look at a map to verify that). Of course it's worse in Carrboro as the boundary of Lion's Club contains three voting sites and Town Hall actually isn't located within the Town Hall precinct.
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Glenwood isn't a site
Submitted by James Barrett on November 14, 2013 - 11:21pm
Glenwood Elementary isn't a polling place. You might be thinking of Aldersgate Methodist, which also is across the street from our Kings Mill precinct. http://www.co.orange.nc.us/elect/precincts.asp#precincts
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Glenwood was
Submitted by gercohen on November 15, 2013 - 9:50am
Glenwood Elementary was a polling place for Glenwood precinct for about 25 years. No longer though
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You're Right
Submitted by mghughes on November 15, 2013 - 11:45am
I often interchange the precinct name and polling locations, much to my own chagrin. You'd think after visiting all 44 precincts in the last two years I'd have a better memory.
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What Ever Happened to Morehead?
Submitted by George C on November 13, 2013 - 2:18pm
I know that Early Voting at Morehead was suspended while it was undergoing renovations, but that was several years ago. Is it no longer suitable?
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"repurposed"
Submitted by gercohen on November 13, 2013 - 3:06pm
we've been told that Morehead space that was used for early voting has been "repurposed"
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At ECU they change every year
Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on November 13, 2013 - 9:57pm
At ECU they basically change the on or near campus early voting site every year or two based on complaints in the time I've been paying attention.No one ever gets to vote as the same place throughout their 4 years in undergrad. And every new site turnouts out to have its own unique issues not realized until the site is utilized prompting it to be replaced.The pursuit of perfection not only leads to continued imperfection, but it adds in the negative of constant switches that prevent people from learning and getting in the practice of using a specific site. And it's worse than if they just stayed at a decent but imperfect site. A lot of early voting sites are stable, but not for students and it seems like a disservice to them.I'm not saying that's what is happening with UNC, I just don't want to see it go that route between Morehead, Rams Head, and that off site location near Time Out, and now maybe another new site and how many after that?
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After reading thru all these comments
Submitted by Danelle on November 16, 2013 - 9:09pm
After reading thru all these comments, it appears that the majority of everyone's focus and concern is to find a location that "students" can walk to. (A few of you have mentioned voters other than students). Is there not bus service all over Chapel hill/Carrboro? If "students" walk to the Dean Smith Center for a Game and then up to Franklin Street after the game, it seems that "if" that person (student or not) wants to vote, they can and will find a way to get to the voting location; even if it means setting their alarm clock 15-30 minutes earlier to go and vote before going to their class.
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Too many hurdles
Submitted by Jake Gellar-Goad on November 16, 2013 - 10:02pm
Eliminating same day registration that students as first time voters and voters that move a lot use, cutting early voting that young people use, and down the line requiring government issued IDs with the exception of government issued student IDs. I think enough road blocks are being put in front of the people who have the least experience and familiarity with voting.The justification is always, it's not that much harder. But it adds up. In practice, the harder you make it to vote, the less people that vote, even if in a perfect hypothetical world everyone would still vote no matter how much harder you make it. North Carolina went from one of the worst to one of the better states in terms of turnout because of structural changes. You say "they can and will find a way" but we know based on historical data that isn't the case.
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siting issues
Submitted by gercohen on November 17, 2013 - 1:13pm
Danelle, if we have three or four sites in southern orange, seems to me that a good goal would be putting at least one of the sites close to where thousands of people are all day. somewhere on campus.
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Currently serving my second term as the Democratic appointee to the Orange County Board of Elections.
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Information on Nicholas Pucci is gathered and extracted from military records. We have many documents and copies of documents, including military award documents. It is from these documents that we have found this information on SSGT Pucci. These serviceman's records are not complete and should not be construed as a complete record. We are always looking for more documented material on this and other servicemen. If you can help add to Nicholas Pucci's military record please contact us.
Bronx NY
The information on this page about Nicholas Pucci has been obtained through a possible variety of sources incluging the serviceman themselves, family, copies of military records that are in possession of the Army Air Corps Library and Museum along with data obtained from other researchers and sources including AF Archives at Air Force Historical Research Agency and the U.S. National Archives.
This information is by no means complete, we are adding information based upon documentation in our possession.
If you have more information concerning the service of Nicholas Pucci, including pictures, documents and other artifacts that we can add to this record, please Contact Us.
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Harold was a United States Army veteran who served in the South Pacific during World War II as a paratrooper.
Wars Involved:
Harold was a life long resident of Hill City (Spang Township, Itasca County, Minnesota).
He worked construction most of his life. He enjoyed hunting, fishing, and visiting with his family and friends.
Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, Deette; two brothers; and one sister.
Harold is survived by three daughters, Kathleen Johnson, Becky Osborne, and Michele (Larry) Hector; two sons, Tom (Cheryl) and Pat (Carla); two brothers, James (Pat) and William; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Harold died at Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital in Grand Rapids, Minnesota and will be buried in Macville Cemetery in Swatara, Aitkin County, Minnesota.
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Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare has acknowledged God for leading what he described as an infant nation Solomon Islands to another independence anniversary- the 44 Independence Anniversary.
To formally acknowledge God and the heavenly hosts for leading the nation, a ‘Thank giving Service’ program was held at Maranatha Hall in East Honiara.
Prior to the service, a float parade was convened early in the morning from White River to Maranatha Hall.
In his speech Prime Minister Sogavare said as a Christian nation, Solomon Islands was duty-bound to acknowledge God for his kindness and guidance which led the country to where it is today.
“Forty-four years ago, we were granted independence,” he said.
“Looking back over our journey of 44 years, we’ve got everything to thank God for.
“We nearly broke up as a nation, but God guided us through,” he said.
Prime Minister Sogavare said the thanksgiving service was to acknowledge God’s faithfulness to Solomon Islands as a nation.
Solomon Islands gained its Independence from Great Britain on 7th July 1978.
Mr Sogavare said as the prime minister, he ought to thank God for his ‘sufficient grace and protection’ over Solomon Islands.
He added that present generation of Solomon Islands owe it to the country’s past leaders who led Solomon Islands into independence 44 years ago.
“…44th years ago, today (yesterday), we had political independence from Great Britain.
“…we don’t fight for it, it was virtually given to us,” he said.
The Prime Minister said Solomon Islands national anthem is a prayer song and Solomon Islands should sing it prayerfully.
“How many of us Solomon Islanders have meditated on the lyrics of our National Anthem?” he questioned.
Prime Minister Sogavare said our national anthem was selected out of many songs submitted because it is a prayer.
He also acknowledged the founding fathers of the nation for their contribution to Solomon Islands nationhood.
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to highlight Solomon Islands rapid high population growth rate which he said is one of the biggest challenges facing the country’s development growth.
He also pointed out social cohesiveness, finance and leadership as other major challenging issues facing the country.
“…we have to move to the positive side of everything that has happened to our country,” he said.
The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to thank the country’s donor partners’ foreign diplomatic missions in Honiara, business owners and all other stakeholders as well as Solomon Islands citizens for continuing to support the growth of the country in the past 44 years.
Categories: News, News - NationalBy Sol Star News July 8, 2022
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Our blog is where KIPP teachers, leaders, and students share their experience, expertise, and innovations.→
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February 17, 2022
From transitioning to remote learning at the start of the pandemic to the adjustment back to in-person learning this fall, to meeting the practical needs and trauma experienced by students and families, COVID-19 brought on new complexities and challenges to the job of being a teacher. Throughout all of this, our teachers have been heroically committed to the well-being and learning of our students and yet the toll is real. Every day we hear about how teachers across the country are feeling more exhausted and burned out than ever before.
Danna Thomas is a former Baltimore City Public School teacher turned founder of a global initiative to support the mental health and wellness of educators. Her organization, Happy Teacher Revolution, is on a mission to increase teacher happiness, retention, and professional sustainability by providing educators with the time and space to heal, deal and be real about the social-emotional demands they face on the job.
Check out her personal tips below to help combat teacher burnout below and listen to KIPP Co-Founder Dave Levin interview Danna to learn what more we can collectively do to prevent it here.
One of the most powerful practices in our Happy Teacher Revolution meetings has been to offer personal, positive affirmations. Some sentence starters include: “I’m proud of myself for,” “I forgive myself for,’’ “I recognize the courage it took for me to,” and “I’m grateful for.” Write these affirmations down. Say them out loud. Text one to a well-being accountability partner and invite them to share their own. We also utilize opportunities to prioritize autonomy in Happy Teacher Revolution meetings by using the sentence frame, “I choose.” Some choices include: “I choose what to let go of,” “I choose to prioritize the relationships that matter,” and “No matter how the school year started, I choose to finish well.”
2. Create a self-care action plan.
One of our Revolutionary educators in Alabama, Benita Moyers, suggests creating a self-care action plan. Just as you create intentional plans for your students, consider what it could look like to implement a time every week to pour into your own cup, so that you can continue supporting your students and the community of individuals surrounding you. Carve out a time in your schedule to spend time on YOU. Actually, put it into your calendar so that it will happen. Put in a reminder. Even if it feels indulgent to spend time on yourself, recognize that self-care isn’t selfish; self-care is professional development.
3. Find community.
Self-care is an incredibly individualized industry, but we are collectively craving a reduced sense of isolation and an increased sense of community. Now, more than ever, it is of utmost importance to check in with one another. The mental-health crises I experienced personally as a student were intercepted by my heroes, my teachers, because of the relationships they fostered in and out of their classroom community. The mental-health crisis is only getting worse, and we are often asked to prioritize workplace well-being as a best-practice approach, not only professionally with each other, with our students, and with our stakeholders… but also personally with ourselves.
An accommodation that teachers often make for their students is to provide them with opportunities to take frequent breaks. This applies to us, too. Take time to disconnect and detach with love. Unplug from technology and the demand to be “available” all of the time. Put up an auto-response that you are currently unavailable. Go outside in nature. Move your body and take a moment to let your mind rest and digest the stimulation of the day. Disconnect for a time so that you can better connect with those you serve once you are back “on the grid.”
This inspired practice comes from one of our very first Happy Teacher Revolution pilot sites and trauma-informed schools in Nashville. To pre-forgive is to acknowledge that you will probably make mistakes and to be prepared to forgive yourself when things don’t go absolutely perfectly. This strategy is the opportunity to be gentle with yourself, just as you would be gentle with any friend or student who could benefit from a nurturing/encouraging sentiment rather than an accusatory one. Acknowledge that the pandemic of COVID-19 was something we could have never expected or “practiced” for. Offer yourself pre-forgiveness and self-compassion around the immense amount of change that has upended our lives over the last few years. Give yourself the space to grieve the losses, the changes, the ways that our lives will forever be different. Acknowledge that you will continue to make mistakes as you set one foot in front of the other. Pre-forgiveness is knowing that the road may still be bumpy in life post-COVID and recognizing that the healing process is never linear.
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About the Episode
The fourth industrial revolution is upon us. How can your company adapt to the ever-evolving world of technology? On this episode, IT experts Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas of CNM Ingenuity explain how to adjust during this time of rapid change. From design thinking to automating workflows, this duo of IT professionals has a lot to share. Listen now for tips on how to improve processes and make your workday better.
Rethink education
Certifications, hands-on training, and boot camps can be career game changers for students and professionals.
Process is everything
It’s important to review and refine your process before adding new technology.
As we move into the fourth industrial revolution, it’s crucial to adapt to technology and update skills.
Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas are part of the IT team at CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit that helps Central New Mexico Community College pursue cooperative ventures in technology and entrepreneurship. As Senior Technology Advisor, Bill focuses on finding innovative technology that the next next generation of students can learn. In Erin’s role as Digital Platform Architect, she helps automate business processes to ensure the organization runs as efficiently as possible.
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
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Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
Panelists
Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas of CNM Ingenuity share tips on how to use design thinking, improve processes, automate workflows, and make your workday better.
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
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Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
Chris Byers: Welcome to Ripple Effect, a podcast from Formstack revealing how simple decisions can have a lasting effect on. I'm your host, Chris Byers. On today's show, we're joined by Bill Halverson and Erin Maestas from CNM Ingenuity, a nonprofit created by Central New Mexico Community College under the Research Park Act. Their program engages with the community to find employment needs and provide new educational and training opportunities.
Bill Halverson: So if we go to a for credit mode and we need to build a new education course, it normally takes two years for that full accreditation process. So we can fire up and test bootcamp type operations. So we do boot camps in Java coding and this year we're launching our IOT courses and our data science courses and our blockchain courses that are all very in response, I should say, to community needs. So it allows us to fire up those courses in a very rapid mode and respond to community needs and then help the college move forward to develop a full curriculum and full accreditation from those courses as we see the need.
Chris Byers: Although the long term goals may point to full accreditation courses. The immediate results of their programs have been striking, to say the least.
Bill Halverson: We recently also had a student who came in as an apprenticeship. We run our apprenticeship program where he worked with us closely in our IT team and he ended up getting several certifications in Salesforce development, in Formstack development, in development itself and was able to obtain a job at a very high paying industry for around 90k a year with just the certifications and just the one year of apprenticeship. So it really is changing the model in what employers are looking at. You know, as we know the Googles and Amazons, they're really kind of doing away with some areas that require a full degree and really looking for those skilled up tech areas that they need in real time and rapidly growing.
Chris Byers: Bill and Erin are already making an incredible impact on their community through these programs. But for them, it's not just about the initial reach, it's about the innovations that will extend their reach to a global audience. But how do they plan to achieve this? Where do they get such ambitious notions? Let's listen in and get the full story.
Erin Maestas: I'm a digital platform architect here at CNN Ingenuity and a lot of my work revolves around automating business processes and digitizing a lot of our workflows. So moving to Formstack, moving to Salesforce, has been my biggest initiative. I've only been here since last July and being able to ease pain points in your day to day processes by, you know, bringing them to the cloud, bringing them to a digital platform, that's primarily what I focus on here at Ingenuity.
Bill Halverson: And she's done a great job I may add. It's been quite exciting for her to see her take on these Salesforce and these opportunities to really bring operational processes to a digital platform. My role Chris, is to be kind of the innovator of technologies, connect to the community, find out what their needs are, and work with them to build the classroom and, you know, find apprentices, if you will, and those potential students that can help those employers grow. And really get right into the employers and work with them closely. We're building a platform architecture right now where we'll be putting student credentials on blockchain and validating their degrees, credentials, and certificates, transcripts, etc. on blockchain and connecting them real time to employers. So those are the types of initiatives that we're really, you know, leapfrogging, if you will, forward to help not only employers get the skill sets that they need, but help the students retool or tool up to the point where they're really a viable candidate for the employers in our area, our community and, you know, nationwide, worldwide now.
It's not just taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and finding where it can be automated.
Chris Byers: So one of the ideas you talked about there, Erin, in your title is architect. You've talked about as you're innovating, putting systems and workflows together, how do you think about that word architecture and the importance of it in creating lasting impact?
Erin Maestas: In my work as a digital platform architect, you do build solutions and those solutions should be efficient, effective, and they should be long lasting. So digitizing a lot of work processes, I have to really understand your workflow, your business flow, where is this information coming from and where should this information be going? And what is the best way we can architect a solution around this and build you a solution that is meaningful to you and is useful to you and makes your process more efficient? I'm not here to build a solution that is more pain points or more painstaking, but I'm here to build a solution that helps ease a few more of your processes throughout the workday.
Bill Halverson: I think to your point, Chris, that was a great question. You know, what we do is we do some design thinking workshops, you know, thinking about what does your process look like right now, but what does it really need to look like? Right. To better align to be more efficient. It's not just about, you know, taking technology and trying to apply it to the current process. It's about refining the process and really finding those areas where it can be automated and how can it live long. Right. So we're using more current technologies, IPASS Solutions, the cloud solutions like Salesforce, automated form solutions like Formstack, that really empower us to look at problems in a different manner. But think about, you know, how do we change some of those processes and how can we automate them and remove some of the roadblocks, like our application process that we recently launched in Salesforce. We reduced the steps of application process in the college from almost 80 steps down to nearly half of what that's required to get through the application process. So, you know, really looking, taking deep looks at what the architect looks like right now and what is our development process and what is our processes that we can automate.
Chris Byers: So I bet plenty of people in our audience have heard that phrase design thinking, but probably most of us have not really experienced it in real life. Love for you to talk a little bit more about what design thinking is and maybe some processes you've gone through to really create a better solution.
Bill Halverson: It really is a matter of getting all the stakeholders together in a process. Right. So really getting everybody together from somebody processing in HR, somebody processing in the budget office, someone processing behind the scenes in the data architect, if you will, and the IT infrastructure and getting these key stakeholders together. And you start by actually outlining what does the process look like right now and really labeling that. You're taking active sticky notes and you're kind of saying this is the process. Here's the 15 steps that we go through to make that process happen, right. And then realizing, oh, wait a minute. Here's a touch point I didn't even think about and maybe a stakeholder that's involved in that process and you really try to sit down and evaluate that process holistically throughout the entire lifecycle of it.
You know, we're a pretty large organization of 5,000 people, but we can do it with a small process too, look at it in very fine detail. You kind of outline it in user stories, right. I'm a bookkeeper who takes a purchase order form from you that brought it into my office and I need to enter it in the system with this amount of detail. Right. And once I enter it in the system, the purpose of me entering it in so I can send it to a purchasing agent to actually make the purchase. And then how does that process happen? Right. That purchase station picks up that P.O. Hopefully they have all the information where they're gonna make that purchase. And you really detail those steps and really look at the process in that design thinking workshop. And then from that you start evaluating, do we really need all these processes? What are we trying to achieve in every step of the process for the viable outcome? Right. So what is the viable outcome for this process? Ultimately, I have to make that purchase in this analogy. Right. So do I actually have to go through all these steps and am I taking into account, are those processes still required? Does the state and local governments still require me to do those processes or have I just been doing it so long that I really haven't reviewed that.
So in that design thinking workshop, you walk through all those processes. And then once you get that nailed down and you know exactly all the detailed steps, you go back and you rethink the process. Right. Reevaluate, look at all those little sticky notes that put up there on the board and say, OK, in this process, I don't know that I need to do this anymore. Or I have electronic signature capability, maybe I can automate that component in this way. And then maybe I can also eliminate a few of these processes or create a better workflow that bypasses some old legacy information that we don't need anymore. And then once we have that, we refine that, we look at those processes, discuss what we can eliminate. And then finally, when you're done with the workshop, you've refined this, all this process. And now we begin to look at what technology do we have that can help solve some of these pain points and help automate some of these processes. Right. So I can build this form. I can pull all this data in. I can create electronic signature in this process. And I've just all of a sudden created a machine workflow that automated maybe 70 percent of this whole process. And I don't need those touch points anymore.
And then you sit down and you start building the new user stories. Right. What does the new process look like? And as that person, I need this outcome and this tool could potentially have me walk through that outcome. And usually, it's depending on the processes, it can be a couple hours design thinking process or it can be a couple of days design thinking workshop, because you have to get all of the players involved. And it's really about the conversation, right, sitting down and talking through the process and making sure, because you're not buying technology to create it and, you know, automate a process you're already working on. You're trying to rethink those processes and think about what do I need to do to automate those processes and what can I do, and what can I do to eliminate things that are just bottlenecks.
Chris Byers: And one of the things I hear there is, at least for me, I really love things that get more productive or get more efficient or save time. I think about how so much of my motivation in my own work has to do with my own personal frustrations with how long it takes to do something. And I want to provide tools to make it just easier to get some of those repetitive tasks done. But I also have learned to understand over time that my desire to get to something faster doesn't always create the right solution. I'm curious if you've run into times before where you've actually skipped that design thinking process or maybe before you even knew that was a thing. And given examples of where maybe you didn't build the right process because you wanted to do it fast and you thought you knew how to solve the problem and then you delivered it to your audience and they were like, this didn't quite work.
Bill Halverson: Yeah. So I can give you a really good example when I was executive director at ITS. We wanted to automate the purchasing process. So instead of getting all of the stakeholders involved as like I mentioned in the design thinking, we just kind of outlined the process, brought up SharePoint as a tool, did some development work, brought the paperwork in, kind of eliminated some of the paperwork, and made that tool kind of work on the current processes that we have. And early on, probably a month into it, we realized we were dropping the ball in a lot of areas because, one, we didn't think through the whole process effectively all the way through the budget office, all the way into purchasing, making sure that it gets in the right systems. So there were definitely some sticking points. It ended up being a fairly good solution, but it had to be retooled and redesigned to really fit all of the stakeholders that were involved in the entire process. Because in the IT environment, we probably do most of the purchases for the entire college throughout a year. Right. It was a huge pain point for us. But to your point, we didn't go through an entire design thinking workshop and we didn't really recognize all the stakeholders and some of the pain points that we were causing because of the automation we put into place.
Chris Byers: Well, we learned from those mistakes. And you know what? People will often see, I think, later in our lives and our careers, as they'll say, man, look at the success that person is having or look at the effectiveness they have. And I think what they often miss is that wasn't the case always. We learned over time and we grew and we are built on our mistakes. But all that goes back to, we all started somewhere. And I'm curious for both of you. What is it that got you into, you know, let's call it IT in general, but maybe that's not even quite the right category. But what got you started? What was that spark? That was the first step for you?
Bill Halverson: Well, it's so I'm not going to give away my age, Chris. I'm just going to tell you a little story, OK? When I was a young man in the Air Force in Hawaii, I was working as a bomb assembler for an organization in Hawaii. And it was a pretty inspiring career. But I had a friend that actually came to me and said, hey, you know, I'm in this development class in University of Hawaii and I'm having all this fun with these new computers and stuff. And he kind of inspired me to go check it out. So I went, checked out the class with him, did an actual study group with him that kind of let me know, you know, what they're doing, the kind of things they're doing. And it started me thinking about; I was put in the operations as the Q.C., the quality control for bomb assembly. So it was kind of a nerve wracking position because nobody really appreciates your role. You were there to really check them off and stuff. But I saw the opportunity right away that man, if we did this in a computer based architecture as opposed to the sheets that I'm taking down and checking off and stuff, this could really automate some processes that they're doing. Not only that, but hopefully eliminate some of the errors that we're entering, if you will, by hand and things of that nature. So those two things, when I put it together, kind of inspired me to go into development and IT track. And I started off at the University of Hawaii in a development program in basic language, if you will. And yes, I did use a couple of punch cards with IBM and Erin's probably sitting here wondering what that even is. But that was my inspiration. And it took off in the career and I went into satellite communications and mainframe programming, things of that nature. I just really liked education all my life. So I've worked for the University of New Mexico for CNM, and I'm both a faculty member and operations staff as well.
Chris Byers: Awesome. Yeah. We'd love to hear your story too Erin.
Erin Maestas: I love telling this story all the time. I think I was naturally intuitive as a kid, so I was always interested in some form of engineering. And when I got to high school, my school didn't offer STEM courses except automotive technology. So I took automotive technology classes for four years. And that's where I was introduced to information systems architecture because of the information systems that are embedded in vehicles now. And so as I was learning to change spark plugs and tires, I was also learning the information system side of it. And that really made me think, well, I don't really like working with my hands. I don't think I'm going to really be cut out for a mechanical engineer. But the systems are what really interested me. I really enjoyed my systems engineering work and that inspired me to pursue my education in systems engineering. And this semester I'll be finishing my masters of Science and Information Systems. And so it all kind of started with changing a spark plug, that's what I like to say.
Chris Byers: Yeah, I love really both of those stories. You've got the bomb assembler to block chain, you know. And then starting in automotive tech. Those are, really neither one of them I would have guessed. And so those are some great histories and kind of where that all originated. So you talk about the fourth industrial revolution. It's a phrase that I know has come about in the media. And, you know, plenty of people have begun to think about. But what does that mean to you and what do you think the implications are that we need to be thinking about?
Bill Halverson: So, you know, industrial revolutions really mean there is a revolution in industry. And that revolution is hitting us at a rapid pace right now, and it's a technology revolution. Right. So as you think about things like A.I. and Quantum Computing and IBM and the Googles and Amazons, how they're changing the whole paradigm of business and operations and being able to work from home, being able to order your groceries and have them delivered, being able to use and acquire an autonomous vehicle. Those are all fourth industrial revolution technologies moving, you know, at mind boggling speeds. And in order for us to get skilled up, it's no different than some of the other industrial revolutions. Right. We have to adopt to those skill sets that are moving with that industrial revolution. And right now, it's technology, right. It's great that we're looking at even bringing, you know, this revolution into our grade schools. We kind of have to, right. How do we learn how to start adapting to technology and technology solutions and really stemming up, if you will, our capabilities as we move through our education system and changing the paradigm of education and work. It's changing the paradigm of work. We have to be able to respond to it as an education provider. And so as that industrial revolution scales up and A.I. and all of these technologies begin to advance at these rapid paces, that is our fourth industrial revolution. Right. And we need to tool up and be ready and help our students be prepared. And not only that, but help our industry be competitive. Right. We need to be competitive with the rest of the world in this industrial change and move forward.
Chris Byers: I love how Bill stretched our minds into the future. I know for me, I often get stuck trying to solve problems right here, right around me. And yet, we as an organization love to give people technology and tools, specially for the non-technical user, to solve problems themselves. And so we're trying to ask the question, how can we help them solve problems five years from now, 10 years from now, all the more efficiently. Think for a minute on this idea of the fourth industrial revolution. What ripple effects do you see resulting from these new and emerging technologies and the opportunities they're creating?
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Lindsay is a writer with a background in journalism and loves getting to flex her interview skills as host of Practically Genius. She manages Formstack's blog and long-form reports, like the 2022 State of Digital Maturity: Advancing Workflow Automation.
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Before I type, write, think or shed another word, I have to apologize to playwright Susan Yankowitz. Let me explain.
Several weeks ago, I was approached by publicist Jacky Agudelo regarding a new play by Yankowitz called The Tragical-Comical Trial of Madame P and Other 4-Legged and Winged Creatures. The play also has a neat subtitle: “a multi-media phantasmagoria-in-progress.” I was immediately intrigued.
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What’s more (and with direction by Daniella Topol), the piece would incorporate myriad approaches (“actors, songs, animation and interactive video”) to dramatize the centuries-long history of animals that have faced criminal trials. There’s even a book, The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, first published in 1906, dealing with the subject. (The book also has a subtitle: “The Lost History of Europe’s Animal Trials.”)
Fortunately, the play received some neat coverage (click here) when it was presented on Nov. 29 and 30 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College.
Here is a little bit more verbiage from Agudelo’s press release:
O’ the glory of the Middle Ages! The Spanish Inquisition, the boiling-in-oil and the elaborate ritual of bringing animals into court to try them for crimes ranging from petty theft to murder! The accused beasts — cows, dog, cats, sheep, goats, rats, bees and even termites — were provided were defense counsel, held in the same jails as humans, sometimes even given human garb to wear in court and, almost always, sentenced to death by hanging in the public square.
Interestingly, these strange but true tales of animals in court continue today in all corners of the globe — from France where a Great Dane named Scooby was a courtroom witness during a 1996 murder trial to the 2010 on-camera bust of a talking parrot for acting as “look-out” for a Colombian drug cartel to the 2009 arrest and trial of a goat in Nigeria for armed robbery.
I mean, who could resist this? I know I couldn’t.
But, alas for me, and as I noted in temporary post on the CFR (now removed), the last two weeks were very consumed with family stuff, namely my parents’ move from New York to a sunnier and more southern state, which happened on Wednesday. It was wall to wall packing and boxing and, unfortunately, not much else. I’d enjoyed, I should note, a very nice conversation by phone with Yankowitz, who presumably knows more about animal prosecution now than anyone, and we agreed that she would contribute a 5 Questions piece to the CFR in the form of an interview with Madame P. She is totally game (pardon the, um, pun) and really kind.
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Who is Madame P? Glad you asked. According to the press materials, she was “an enormous sow who was tried for the murder of an infant in 16th century France, along with her alleged accomplice, a dog named Lilah.” Pork jokes abound, yes, but what I found especially exciting was how clearly Yankowitz sees the comedy, absurdity and the immensity of the subject, all operating simultaneously within the same play. Together, Yankowitz and I thought an interview with the aforementioned sow would give the CFR coverage a sheen of cleverness while offering Yankowitz herself, writing in character, an opportunity to outline on her own dramaturgical insights. As it worked out, some questions were more pertinent to Yankowitz, some more pertinent to the pig. I loved how Yankowitz, um, didn’t muddy things up!
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So here is the interview. Please, please, dear readers, keep the play firmly affixed to your radar, because I do think it’s going to come around again for our collective consumption.
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And now, 5 questions Susan Yankowitz and Madame P have never been asked — and a bonus question:
1) What’s the most perceptive question anyone has ever asked you about your work?
“Why do you so often write about the voiceless — the deaf-mute in Silent Witness, the aphasic Anna in Night Sky and now animals — when you are so articulate?”
2) What’s the most idiotic question anyone has ever asked you about your work?
“Why do you keep writing for theater when you could write for television?”
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3) What’s the weirdest question anyone has ever asked you about your work?
“Is your work going to live after you?” and/or “What is the meaning of life? Please answer in one sentence.”
4) Madame P, in Susan Yankowitz’s play there are scenes depicting your trial for the murder of an infant in 16th century France. Did you feel the trial was fair and just? How could the French justice system then have been fairer to you? Any words you’d still like to share with the court?
I honestly believe that my trial was unjust at its core. The law had absolutely no flexibility or understanding when it came to pigs or other animals; it just squeezed us into the system as if we were humans. Well, of course you’d prosecute a woman who killed a baby! But me? What did I do wrong? Everyone knows that a pig will eat anything. I was just obeying my God-given nature. I didn’t know it was a child; I didn’t even know that eating it would cause its death! In fact, I don’t even know what death is! But that’s the word that kept cropping up in my trial. My lawyer did his best for me but, face it, a sow can’t compete for sympathy with a mother who’s mourning her infant.
5) Madame P, we’d love your view on more recent animal trials. Should Lorenzo, lookout parrot for a Colombian drug cartel, stand trial? What should be his defense? As for the Nigerian goat arrested for a 2009 armed robbery, is that just persecution or is there a case?
Lorenzo was just parroting his master’s voice, which is what parrots do, so I think his defense is obvious. You don’t put the gun on trial for shooting someone, do you? Although in my time, and in many periods before and since, objects were prosecuted. For instance, quite recently in China, 15 wooden idols were tried and condemned to decapitation for falling off a ledge and causing the death of a military man. The viceroy residing at Fouchow ordered the culprits to be carried out of the temple and brought before the criminal court of that city, which, after due process of law, sentenced them to have their heads severed from their bodies and then to be thrown into a pond. The execution is reported to have taken place in the presence of a large concourse of approving spectators. And there are plenty of other cases like that. As for the Nigerian goat, I hear that he was a shape-shifter. Whether he should be prosecuted or not will depend on how shifty he is in court.
Bonus question:
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6) Susan, picking up on the final part of question #5, what’s your stance on animal-rights laws? More broadly, by what mechanism should society ensure animals aren’t needlessly persecuted? Should it be through the law? Through education? Through animal revolt?
I’m just a playwright. I pose the questions, and leave the answers to others. Which is why I’ve invited experts to discuss these issues and any others evoked by the play after the presentations. Unfortunately, Madame P won’t be with us for the debate. But I believe there will be several passionate voices to speak for her.
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Leonard Jacobs is Founder and Executive Editor of The Clyde Fitch Report, and CEO of Clyde Fitch, LLC, a media company that produces and publishes opinion and reporting at the crossroads of arts and politics. In other contexts, he was founding editor of Theatermania.com, National Theatre Editor of Backstage, and Director of Cultural Institutions at the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs.
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And then there was Jerry Falwell, Jr., with his open pants, evangelical FUPA and his hands veering into prime side-boob territory with -- hey, doesn't she have a name?
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The war for talent is heating up this summer with the recent news that there are more job openings than unemployed job seekers. In many ways, it’s a job seeker’s market. This is not only putting more pressure on employers to engage, develop and retain their top talent, but also to link their development to fill those critical, vacant roles.
With so many vacancies, it’s more important than ever that employers do what they can to retain their high-potential employees. These employees looking to advance their careers are well-positioned to move into their next role or expand into new areas and responsibilities — whether with you or another company. But employers can encourage them to stay if they develop their people and hire from within. And in this market, it’s the ultimate strategy. Succession planning not only ensures cultural fit, it also saves companies thousands of dollars on external hiring costs, ramps up employees in less time and accelerates productivity.
Employers looking to futureproof their organizations know that their people are their greatest asset. The ability to retain and engage top performers means organizations will be able to keep valuable, core knowledge and skills in-house and fill mission-critical roles quickly. Supporting employee career progression is a key element of a strategic talent management program.
High potentials and your skills gaps
Effective succession planning and leadership development strengthens your workforce from its core. Succession planning requires a strong understanding of the skills your organization needs, plus the ability to identify those individuals who have the necessary skills – or the potential to develop new ones – to be able to step into a new role and be successful.
In short, it all comes down to how well a company’s talent development strategies align with its succession planning and business goals. With a clear organizational vision in place and an understanding of both current and future business needs, company leaders need to start by asking two fundamental questions:
Who are the high-potential employees best suited to start developing into these critical roles; and
What are the skill gaps that need to be filled
Management and HR leaders who support their employees’ development in alignment with their business needs and goals are able to identify high-potential employees who want to move up, or across, to fill those critical roles as they become available. Once your people start to show an interest in developing themselves for their next career step, that’s the perfect time to start creating and curating talent pools.
Talent pools are groups of high-performing, high-potential employees actively being developed to assume greater responsibility in a particular area. Maintaining talent pools ensures your organization always has several potential employees at various levels of readiness prepared to take on more responsibility. This also helps current leaders impart knowledge to up-and-coming talent.
Using your talent management system, you can identify and group diverse skills and competencies into skill profiles and talent pools, which will give you the ability to identify potential successors and compare profiles. These employee capabilities are linked to both current and future business outcomes to maintain strategy and goal alignment throughout the organization. Talent pools will also help managers keep track of employees’ progress as they close skill gaps outlined in their development plans.
Once you’ve identified your organization’s vision, goals, high-potential employees and skill gaps, the next key step is to engage your employees by focusing your programs on self-development and personal accountability.
Create a culture of development
Encouraging employees to explore relevant training and learning opportunities that will help them on their development journey helps them to feel more engaged throughout the process. Saba customer West Marine, a national boating and fishing supply company, created a culture of personal development, empowering their employees to feel part of the succession process. HR and management leaders helped to manage and direct their growth to fill existing and anticipated skills gaps, improving their performance along the way.
Helen Rossiter, West Marine’s senior talent development specialist, says that focusing on employees’ self-directed personal growth helped them to engage in their own development because they could see how their learning and performance results related to opportunities for advancement within the company.
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Employee growth must directly relate to a company need, and management needs to be trained to host these personal development discussions. Managers are key to the success of a talent development and succession program – they not only help identify high-potential employees, but also will actively coach them and guide their growth to fill those critical roles.
Actively involve your managers
Smart succession plans involve regular coaching between a manager and an employee. A collaborative approach to goal setting gives managers greater insight into how to leverage an employee’s strengths to help them achieve their goals. Collaborative goal setting ensures that employees have a voice in setting performance expectations that are fair, relevant and challenging.
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Only 30% of employees strongly agree that their manager involves them in setting their goals at work, according to Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace report. But that third of the workforce is 3.6 times more likely than other employees to be engaged, leading to better overall performance.
Coaching conversations are an opportunity for employees to talk about their development and career growth, while managers can help their employees reach their full potential. It helps employees stay focused and aligned in their career and development goals while giving managers insight into progress and challenges.
Developing existing talent to hire strategically from within is never a one-and-done undertaking. It’s an ongoing process. And how well a company engages and develops their talent will determine its ability to weather any potential storms – including markets where there are more jobs than job seekers. All it takes is vision and strategy.
West Marine leveraged their internal development program to identify potential candidates for several district manager (DM) roles that would become available within three years. Twenty-eight employees submitted development applications to be considered for advancement. Six candidates were ultimately selected as viable successors – all of whom were promoted or took on more responsibilities, adding value to the business in different areas as they continue in the development program.
Forward-thinking business leaders will increasingly rely on their talent management programs to gain valuable workforce insights and identify the high-potential employees who are well suited to develop into strategic roles. And, in this market especially, those forward-looking business leaders who prioritize hiring from within can feel confident that they’re working to make their organization futureproof.
As the principal product manager, customer success in Saba's Strategic Services group, Anita Bowness draws on more than 20 years' experience in consulting and professional services to help HR leaders recruit, engage, develop and retain their talent. Anita has been published in HR Daily Advisor and HRO Today, featured in an interview on BBC Capital and presented at DisruptHR Ottawa, Saba Insight and Halogen TalentSpace Live. Although she's worked with hundreds of organizations from IT to healthcare, Anita never loses sight of what HR is really about: people. Anita loves helping organizations manage performance so people are more engaged, happier and productive.
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The number of factors contributing to a student's holistic success is innumerable. In the whirlwind of our modern society, it can be very difficult for stakeholders to keep track of what is taking place in a student's success plan. What is an e-file? EdHub’s student e-file delivers pertinent information to teachers, parents, and other relevant stakeholders. It gives a concise, up-to-date snapshot of a student's progress. Parents and educators can view learning plans, benchmark data, performance information, behavior incidents, and more relevant information throughout a student's k-12 career. Utilizing an e-file is a convenient way to track student data year-over-year. Why should my school use EdHub? Access Our student e-file logs all student information in one convenient place accessible to parents and educators. Gathering data into this view offers everyone involved in the student's education accurate and up-to-date information. Having this data brings transparency while removing barriers to student success. E-files unveil the most impactful route for achieving individual success. Progress Monitoring Once everyone has access to the e-file for students, not only does it allow stakeholders to create the most impactful learning map, it also allows everyone to monitor a student’s progress along the way. Having real-time information allows immediate tweaks and changes to be made to a student’s plan without having to wait for the next parent-teacher conference. Having real-time data allows interventions to happen earlier rather than later. If it’s noticed that a student is struggling in one area, then student interventions for tutoring or other services can be made immediately. Real-time progress monitoring allows educators to strategically increase student success without depleting resources. Forward Planning Our student e-file not only helps aggregate a student’s progress while in high school but can also be used to assess college readiness and prepare for degree planning. If a student knows early on in their high school career what they are interested in studying, this can be utilized to help shape their sophomore and junior years of high school. Using the historical information, educators can work with their students to identify and create post-secondary education plans to map the route it will take to get there. Both parents and educators can access this plan through the e-file to ensure the student is staying on track. Assessment & Reporting EdHub’s data integration system allows schools to track their key performance indicators while aggregating data from multiple sources. This can be especially helpful when it comes to state reporting and monitoring district benchmarks. There are several important factors to consider when determining the best data integration tools for your institution. Choosing one that offers a seamless student e-file like EdHub, ensures that your educators are not just integrating information but taking action on the data. With actionable steps documented in a student’s e-file, student success outcomes can do nothing but increase! To find out more information about EdHub click the link here.
Laura Slover, CEO, CenterPoint Education Solutions Sean Slade, Head of Education, BTS Spark North America Alignment is frequently referred to as a key element of success in multiple contexts. In the workplace, alignment is important for things like mission and purpose. People who are aligned with one another tend to accomplish more as they are working in sync to achieve common goals. In the sport of rowing, which Laura participated in, alignment is about timing and effort: All rowers must put their oars in the water at the same instant to get the boat to reach maximum velocity. And of course, we all know the concept of tire alignment: tires that are out of alignment wear unevenly and prematurely, make driving more difficult as the car pulls off its course, and can in certain circumstances be dangerous. What does alignment mean in terms of education? Here we lay out the components of a system that is aligned to achieve its maximum potential of success, which we define as strong outcomes for students and efficacy of teachers. At a time when the field is in the midst of major shifts, it is more important than ever for schools and districts to have a cohesive, internally aligned system. Visioning and Values: Successful alignment relies first and foremost on a common vision and set of values as a starting point. This may be obvious, but too often change is embarked upon without taking the step of determining – and conveying the rationale behind an approach or a change. And a lack of shared vision can undermine the success of a change effort. Leaders must be clear in establishing a compelling vision and direction - and then in turn must engage and build ownership among other stakeholders. Everyone must own the vision to work in tandem (i.e., row in the same direction) and accomplish their goals. Core values are the fundamental beliefs of a person or organization. They help a team determine if they are on the right path and fulfilling their goals by creating a guidepost. In this way, the vision rests on a foundation of values. Both visioning and establishing values are examples of mindset shifts that are necessary for true change to occur. Too often plans are made without deep reflection on the purpose or overarching desired outcome. Does the vision fit with the actions taken? Do the actions align to the values? Do all stakeholders and staff understand what is being advocated for and why? Leading change can be sidetracked or diluted if there is not alignment to the purpose - and if this purpose is not owned by those implementing the change. It is the role of system leadership to make sure that such mindset shifts have taken place or are underway. True change comes when everyone is on board and heading in the same direction. With clear goals and targets in place, actions can then be modified to suit changing circumstances. From this frame of a common vision aligned to shared values, the processes of aligning curriculum, assessments, professional learning, and high-quality instructional materials and practices, can begin. Curriculum: Selecting a high-quality, standards-aligned curriculum is more important than ever. Organizations such as EdReports externally validate curricula based on objective criteria to aid schools and districts in their selections. Curriculum covers the letter and the spirit of the standards, giving all students the chance to learn meaningful content that prepares them for the next grade and ultimately for success in college and careers. An unaligned curriculum doesn’t fully cover the standards. For example, it may cover only some of the standards or it may cover them all but at a lower level of rigor that the standards require. While curricula may vary in terms of sequencing or pedagogical approach, they should not veer from the standards they cover. Educational leaders should select curriculum that is aligned with their values and vision. If they value equity and excellence, they should ensure a curriculum that is culturally responsive and aligned with quality criteria. Assessments: Assessments aligned to curriculum measure the concepts contained in the curriculum, which are aligned to the standards, and which were taught in the classroom. Effective assessments can be formative, diagnostic, and/or interim so long as they are administered to match the scope and sequence of the curriculum. When used in-step with instruction they measure what students are learning now, not what they’ll learn next or what they learned several months ago. The resulting data tells the true story of student learning to strategically inform future classroom instruction. Teachers can use the data to quickly pinpoint areas of growth and identify instruction and resources to fill any gaps. Assessments that are not aligned may test only some concepts and leave others out, they may test out of sequence, or they may test things that aren’t in the curriculum at all. Results from these assessments can misrepresent student learning, and cause confusion for teachers and parents. And just like a car with misaligned tires is harder to keep on course, a mismatch between assessment and curriculum is likely to cause extra data interpretation work for teachers for a clear roadmap to get students where they need to go. A cohesive, aligned system empowers educators and accelerates student achievement. Data and Assessment Literacy: Professional learning focused on data and assessment literacy boosts teacher capacity to understand the right type of assessment and how to analyze the data to inform instruction. Overall, this helps educators lean into and improve their practice. By delving into the features of alignment and using data to drive instruction, teachers strengthen how they engage students in deep learning. This process is particularly effective when teachers work together, and professional learning is connected to both the implementation of the curriculum and results from assessments. Targeted training for district and school leaders and educators is a vital component of every aligned system. When teachers work with peers, they learn from one another and build a shared understanding of the vision and goals for students. Professional learning that isn’t aligned to curriculum and assessments may result in a lack of understanding, improper use of assessments, or inconsistent use of data. Putting it all together: An aligned system isn’t just nice to have — it’s a necessity for an effective and equitable system that helps keep all educators and leaders moving in sync towards their collective goals. This is true in the best of times, and it’s more important than ever in our current reality. With a clear vision based on shared values, a quality curriculum and aligned assessments, and strong professional learning in place to support the understanding of data, teachers and leaders will have the direction, the information, and the support they need to optimize the effectiveness of the school or school system and advance student learning and growth. *****
Over the last year, Social Emotional Learning started to debut itself as an important topic to conquer with students. COVID broadened that definition to include teachers. One thing is for sure, and that is that social emotional learning is here to stay no matter what school situation we find our students and or teachers enduring. The main question that has been buzzing around the last few weeks has been; how do we help our teachers and students gain valuable techniques to incorporate social emotional learning to cope both inside and outside of the school building? According to CASEL, a national leader in SEL research and action, the most effective social and emotional learning (SEL) requires a strategic, systemic approach that involves everyone, from district and school leaders to community partners and family members, working together to ensure students receive the support they need. Successful SEL is not a standalone program or an add-on. It is central to how schools, communities, and families value and support the social, emotional, and academic development of their children. Although COVID has brought Equity and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to the forefront, prior to the pandemic, SEL was actually already present in all 50 states! So how are school districts going to adopt and implement social emotional learning components across schools and grade levels in the new educational world we face? Districts and Administrators especially feel that implementing key measurable components of SEL is essential. Because we are a company of educators, we started thinking about how we could assist schools with this new need; incorporating social emotional learning components into the daily activities of teachers. We found that the research suggests incorporating SEL into schools and or classrooms can have positive short and long term effects on students. These range from improved academic achievement and classroom behaviors to reduced psychological or behavioral issues in the future with overall improved lifespan outcomes as adults. To jump start the integration of SEL teaching and learning behaviors inside classrooms, Silverback felt integrating a SEL framework into Teacher Vitae was vital. Partnering with SEL expert Dr. Kristina Brinkerhoff of Brinkerhoff Consulting; National Equity Expert Dr. Donna Elam from The Elam Leadership Institute and Educational and Policy expert Dr Judy Warden- Fields; Silverback will very soon launch a brand new teacher evaluation framework called SEADES- The Social Emotional and Academic Development Evaluation System-our new revolutionary teacher evaluation framework that proudly incorporates social emotional learning components. This simplified and effective evaluation framework will help teachers build capacity; while providing guidance for teachers to actively incorporate SEL and Equity into their classrooms. If you are interested in helping us pilot this new framework via your Teacher Vitae subscription, please let us know!!!!!! Contact us here today!
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Unpack the Gap Data with EdPower Supported Systems Contact Us UNPACK THE GAP: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES The Elam Leadership Institute provides personalized support, to strengthen the academic skills of their students, better engage them in learning, and increase student achievement. More Information PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Analysis of the data informs professional development to support what teachers need to know to impact student outcomes. The combination of training and consultative coaching is a powerful motivator for building educator confidence in tandem with student achievement. As teachers study their practices and their data, they gain the tools and information they need to chart the instructional path to high levels of achievement for all groups of students. WHAT IMPLEMENTING RESEARCH-BASED PRACTICES IN EQUITY LOOKS LIKE: Elam Leadership Institute's 5 Dimensions Professional Development needs and schedules are determined through a series of scheduled events Sample Schedule of Events: Each schedule is tailored to district needs; however, a typical schedule of events includes: Data Collection Data Team Meeting Reviews Formation of Logic Model School Walk-Throughs Quarterly Professional Development Trainings Data Literacy Consultations Bi-Monthly Check-ins Custom Forms Creation and Review PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFERED: INTRODUCING THE EQUITY OF EFFORT FRAMEWORK A new mindset LEADING IN EQUITY Developing a leadership philosophy for equitable outcomes EQUITY PRIORITIES A "must" for buy-in with students, families and teachers GROUNDING EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP With equity indicators THE POWER OF DATA Creating equitable outcomes and opportunities EQUITY AND ASSESSING PROFICIENCY In early childhood LEADING WITH EQUITY For multilingual learners EQUITY AND STUDENT BEHAVIOR Behavior, SEL, Culture Classroom practices in equity OVERVIEW OF THE 5 DIMENSIONS GAPS, TRENDS AND PATTERNS Impacting student achievement ENSURING AN EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT Knowledge and skills for systemic equitable practices MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION Inclusive Curriculum CONNECTING FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS Creating equitable practices HOW RIGOR ENSURES EQUITY FOR ALL STUDENTS Observing and documenting rigor QUESTIONING FOR SUCCESS Techniques for all groups of students OBSERVING EQUITABLE PRACTICES How and What to observe HOW TO PROVIDE EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK Challenges and effective strategies Implications of readiness to learn BUILDING EQUITY IN THE EARLY GRADES SCALING FOR EQUITY Developing Equity Teams with all Stakeholders EXPANDING ACCESS TO DUAL LANGUAGE/BILINGUAL PROGRAMS For all students REALLOCATION OF RESOURCES Ensure equitable distribution MODELING AND SUPPORTING CONVERSATIONS Hard Truths ANALYZING POLICIES Ensure equity EQUITY AND DISCIPLINE Effective practices WHAT PLANNING FOR EQUITY LOOKS LIKE Logic Model BUILDING TRUST AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY Challenges and effective strategies Inclusive in voice and action EQUITY AND STUDENT VOICE NOW WHAT? Using Data for Needs Sensing for the Upcoming Year A USING DATA A More Complete Picture Results in highly effective programs MEASURING OUTCOMES Elam Leadership Institute is working with schools and districts throughout the nation to help change the educational landscape so that we can understand the barriers and begin to effectively close the academic gap(s). We are driven by passion and believe that every student deserves the opportunity to be successful and to thrive! Take Action! 2022 EDPOWER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Data with EdPower
Unpack the Gap Professional Development Supported Systems Contact Us DATA ANALYSIS WITH EDPOWER Unpacking the gap starts with the DATA! Dashboard Demo As education leaders, we understand that it's hard to keep up with the latest data trends and make data-driven decisions without the right tools. It is overwhelming and hard to know where to start, and even harder to know if you're making the right decisions based on your data...YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Many schools find themselves in the position of needing tools that can help make sense of the data. EdPower can help. Let us show you how our revolutionary tool, EdInsights, can shorten your process, seamlessly organize raw data into actionable insights, and drive data discussions to guide instruction in real time with brilliant data visualization reporting. See for yourself! The strategic partnership between the Elam Leadership Institute and EdPower brings your data to life! We maximize teacher toolkits to help you simplify the process of data analysis and application. Our interactive data platform drives personalized research-based professional development. Hands-on professional team helps analyze your data reports. Get more information about our services More Information EdPower fuels the Elam Leadership Institute by providing data correlations to help districts understand how to move forward. EdPower has the unique ability to pull in data from any system currently being used in a district. EdPower helps identify and analyze multiple data points (achievement, behavior incidents, and tiered interventions) for educators to clearly make connections to effective practices as well as identify the root causes of your gaps. DID YOU KNOW? Disaggregating data is important! Aggregated data can mask inequities Dis-aggregation provides an accurate account of what's really going on Dis-aggregation can help inform why disparities are present in the data GIVE TIME BACK TO YOUR TEAM! TIME. We give your team back precious time. We collect your data, analyze the data for you. WHAT ARE CLIENTS ARE SAYING: I used to think... Now I know... Interpreting data is easy Data was overwhelming and foreign Looking at data was not complicated That data is so broad and it can be misread. I learned the importance of analyzing data and the creation of action plans When you ask the right questions as a collaborative team the answers are revealed It is very nuanced Ready to UNPACK your gap? With Elam Leadership Institute and EdPower together, we provide the tools and support you need to boost student and teacher success! Let's Chat 2022 EDPOWER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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Stay at home moms who spend most of their day running around and taking care of their families, finding lost socks, making dinner…
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Cannabis addiction treatment / December 20, 2012
Marijuana Abuse is a Serious Matter for Addicts
The cannabis plant will thrive pretty much anywhere and can grow about 2 inches each day for a total of up to 18…
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Hello Texas - Thanks for visiting our site. We carry news, financial info and weather for San Antonio and other articles we are sure you will enjoy.
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Unsurprising to us locals, Canada’s tech scene has blossomed in 2018. Toronto has added more jobs in the sector than any other city, Canadian funds are being announced left, right, and centre, and we have businesses leading the way in sectors ranging from crypto to cannabis.
As our ecosystem develops, more and more Canadian companies will grapple with the challenges inherent to scaling. For many, this will require adding layers to their onboarding process, particularly in engineering teams where technical learning dovetails the interpersonal transition that every new hire experiences.
Through Peersight, I’ve had the chance to chat with 14 engineering leaders, who shared their perspectives on how to run an effective onboarding process for their teams.
The best onboarding starts before the hire does
No hire has ever complained that their employer provided too much context before their start date. CareGuide CTO Ed Lui said that “as soon as a candidate signs their offer, [the engineering team] creates a new checklist,” outlining the many to-do’s that exist prior to the new hire’s start date. This includes sharing “a PDF of [the company’s] last monthly meeting and a peek at [the individual’s onboarding] curriculum” a week prior to their arrival.
There are important expectations to be set with respect to where the organization is headed and how it interacts with users.
Thinking on an even longer time scale, OneEleven CTO George Eichholzer said that, when selecting a front-end framework at Top Hat when he was VP of engineering, “onboarding ease and timeline was one of the most heavily weighted items in [their] selection criteria.” At one point, this enabled them to successfully onboard “over 40 developers in 40 weeks” while still delivering on deadlines.
Don’t assume senior hires will just “figure it out”
While it would be wonderful if senior additions to the team didn’t require coaching, the reality is that much of everyone’s experience is company-specific. “No matter where [your hire] comes from,” said AT&T associate director of software engineering Christine Wood, “it’s imperative to help them through your organization’s processes.”
In the case that your company has a niche tech stack, you’ll likely need to go a step further. To help teammates spin up on their blockchain-based tech application, CTO Thanasi Karachotzitis’ team at Authenticiti created an entire internal Wiki. Central to this are tutorials tying requisite conceptual topics in blockchain to their application within the company’s code base.
While getting developers ramped-up technically is understandably crucial to their success, every leader I spoke to also pushed on the importance of interpersonal integration. For this reason, both Ritual mobile head of engineering Michael Welsh and Ollon CTO Chris Ellefson swear by pairing each new hire with a buddy. This one-step-removed peer allows hires to expand their social circle, while benefiting from an impartial sounding board.
Fundthrough engineering manager Matt Belanger is particularly fond of this approach as it allows “someone on the team to exercise their leadership muscles.” The manager, in turn, is able to better “focus on the parts of onboarding that too often get forgotten… the spoken and unspoken culture of the team.”
Get aligned on expectations
Continuous improvement, more than anything else, is what makes for successful onboarding.
To ensure a robust working relationship between the new hire and their direct manager, many companies set ultra explicit expectations early on. At Uppercase, CTO Jeffrey Ling shared that new teammates and managers “co-create a document outlining expectations and explicitly make it as ambitious as [the hire feels] comfortable with.”
Statflo CTO Steve Pereira is a big believer in having hires define an individual Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, Measurements document. “[At Statflo], new hires have two weeks to read the V2MOMs of peers and leadership before sharing their own path. This naturally fosters alignment across the team, and largely prevents early performance issues.”
Take time to zoom out
In addition to expectation-setting for the individual, there are also important expectations to be set with respect to where the organization is headed and how it interacts with users. Freshbooks director of engineering Susan Davis noted that every Freshbooker starts on “front-line phone and email support” to provide “a very thorough grounding in [their] customers.”
At Drop, employees meet with team members across every functional team to get a sense of where each group is headed. Drop VP of engineering Ian Logan advocates that “understanding the bigger picture and making connections” with other teams is crucial to an engineer’s long-term success. Similarly, Kowsheek Mahmood believes that sharing the product vision early and often is a crucial part of keeping new hires “product-focused and oriented towards delivering great results.”
Make onboarding two-way
Tying things together, a number of technical leaders stated that continuous improvement, more than anything else, is what makes for successful onboarding. Software developer Gabrielle Quilliam sees onboarding as an opportunity to expand “the skillset of [her] team [by] ensuring that the knowledge [new hires] have from previous experiences translates to positively impact the company.”
Mike Gill is the co-founder & CEO of Peersight, an employment marketplace that helps job seekers get to know their potential colleagues before accepting an offer. As CareGuide’s former Director of Performance Marketing, he led the team responsible for over $7 million in annual paid acquisition spend. Venture for Canada Alumni & McMaster Mathematics/Integrated Science Grad.
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When this organization was initially formed we were focusing on normalizing the conversation about mental health. While that is still part of what Here Tomorrow wants to accomplish, we learned that the greater immediate need was to help those contemplating suicide “now”. Like I was, many folks are astounded to find out that resources are scarce outside of someone answering an initial call to a “hot line”. Here Tomorrow’s “now” solution to provide immediate and ongoing help for those contemplating suicide is a game changer. Uniquely simple, yet easily replicable in what Here Tomorrow is doing, makes it easy for a board member like myself to promote it for obtaining funding initially in NE Florida, but with goals to go much further.
My Reason Why
Kevin's Reason Why
My Reason Why
Steven's Reason Why
I first backed Here Tomorrow because a friend in need requested me to. He had a vision to help individuals and families avoid the agony that he and his family had gone through. I wasn't sure how my tiny contribution could help, but I've since found that Here Tomorrow's local approach has made an incalculable difference in the lives of so many people. It's unfortunate that the organization's founder had to lose his son for me to grasp how help is typically given in tiny acts of compassion rather than in a spectacular setting.
My Reason Why
Sheryl's Reason Why
A disease should never be used to define someone’s value or character. The negative perception of mental illness – societal stigmatization, provider stigmatization and self-stigmatization – makes the mental health treatment journey more difficult and shameful. But, mental illness is not a personal choice and should not be treated as such. I work in honor and memory of our sweet son, Alex, who lost his battle with depression and anxiety in 2017. A collaborative, welcoming solution that includes the family, without regard to ability to pay, should be the model for care. Here Tomorrow delivers that model.
Retired Educator
My Reason Why
Denise's Reason Why
Here Tomorrow was fueled by the need to create a place that may have helped our Gary. Here Tomorrow is a space he would have felt comfortable walking into, experienced unconditional acceptance, offered immediate help, without worry of cost. The family and friends would be supported too. This is the mission with the model I believe will save lives.
My Reason Why
Joe's Reason Why
Email Joe
Joe is a serial entrepreneur and founder of several companies including Commercial Fire, a nationwide fire and life safety company, of which he served as CEO until he sold the company in 2017.
On April 19, 2019 Joe lost his son Gary, age 30, to suicide. Prior to Gary’s death, Joe did everything he could to help Gary who was battling severe depression. When he and his son needed help the most, Joe encountered a healthcare system that was not equipped to advise him or help him keep Gary safe. He couldn’t find any help; he didn’t know where to go or what to do – and he felt he knew everybody. On the day of Gary’s funeral Joe made a decision. He decided to, again, create something that did not exist before, an entity designed to be there for people who are feeling hopeless and families that have no place to turn to for help.
Spurred to action by this greatest of loss, Joe set out to solve the most vexing problem of all, preventing suicide. When Here Tomorrow opened its doors in 2021, Joe thought, if Here Tomorrow can ensure that one son, one father, one brother, or one sister is here with us tomorrow, it would all be worth it. The Here Tomorrow Team is now connecting daily with people who are seriously contemplating suicide and offering real help when the stakes are highest.
Joe credits his success in business to his ability to envision the future and create something that did not exist before. Commercial Services was born out of a gap he saw in the market. Over time, he built the largest Kitchen Exhaust Cleaning company in the world and the largest nationwide independently owned Fire Services company in the US. Recently, he saw a gap in the mental health field that no one was filling: working with those contemplating suicide NOW, when they are most vulnerable, and helping them NOW. Just because it doesn’t exist doesn’t mean it can’t be attained.
According to Joe, the team at Here Tomorrow is a godsend that has created the most innovative answer to preventing suicide one could ever hope to imagine.
Lead Pastor, Beach Church
My Reason Why
Jerry's Reason Why
My passion is to help those who suffer with mental illness and to save lives!
Advisory Board
My Reason Why
Payton's Reason Why
My passion for suicide prevention originates from a deeply personal place. Throughout my adolescent years of my life, I endured overwhelming suicidal ideation and hopelessness. If it were not for the access to the resources I had, I may not be here today. I believe that if everyone had access to the support and help they need, the world would be a vastly different place. The services offered by Here Tomorrow are revolutionary and can be the catalyst for such a change – in our community and the world.
Thank you,
My Reason Why
Brandon's Reason Why
My younger brother, Justin, was just 11 years old when he had his first of many suicide attempts. He was later diagnosed with Bipolar type 2. At the age of 25, he lost his life to suicide. I witnessed first-hand the gaps in our healthcare system that exists with our ability to provide appropriate, timely access and cost-efficient care for people struggling with mental illness and suicidal thoughts. Those gaps ravaged, and continues to ravage, our family. It has also fueled my career in non-profit healthcare. I believe ultimately, that not only did a broken system potentially cost my brother his life, but I do know that if my parents and I had access to the services that Here Tomorrow provides when we were in crisis, it would have changed our lives for the better. Here Tomorrow fills those gaps by providing no-cost mental health care and support to not only those feeling hopeless and suicidal, but their families, too. There is no way to overstate the importance of this combination, and I see it as the cornerstone that will not only change our community, but truly the world. I feel blessed to be part of this much needed and amazing organization by serving on the advisory board.
Caitlin Kenney
My Reason Why
Caitlin's Reason Why
My personal connection to Here Tomorrow stems from the loss of my brother to death by suicide in 2019. The work that Here Tomorrow is doing gives me hope that others like him, who are struggling with depression and feel left behind or left out of the system, will find connection and help when they need it most. I am proud to be part of this organization that puts people first, and strives to do a very real and very hard thing: save lives.
My Reason Why
Cindy's Reason Why
Losing my son to suicide in 2007 was devastating to say the least, my life was forever changed. I decided then I had to take my sadness and do something to stop suicide and the pain it leaves behind. I have been been a co-facilitator for about 5 years for a support group to help survivors after a suicide has happened. HereTomorrow is a ground breaking organization that gets help immediately to those that need it and I’m honored to serve on the advisory board. Change is coming and it’s coming because of Here Tomorrow!
My Reason Why
Danielle's Reason Why
We hear a lot about “breaking the stigma” of mental health and suicide. However, saying “we want to break the stigma” isn’t enough. Talking about other peoples’ mental health challenges and life challenges isn’t enough. Suicide prevention training isn’t enough. The only way we will begin to truly break the stigma is by becoming vulnerable enough to be honest and open about our own struggles, and our own mental health challenges. We will begin to truly save lives when we model vulnerability, share our stories, and allow others to see that they are not alone. My work with Here Tomorrow as a member of the Advisory Board has motivated me to become more open and honest in sharing my own mental health struggles (as well as my positive experiences with therapy) with those around me. As I head back into teaching at a high school level, I am driven to open the dialogue around mental health and suicide prevention amongst my colleagues, so that our students can feel comfortable sharing their needs and exposing their vulnerabilities to us as their educators. We need to teach our kids that vulnerability is strength, not weakness. A powerful connection can be formed when the “helpers” admit to needing help themselves at times, and through those connections, lives can be saved.
My Reason Why
Francesca's Reason Why
When I was 20 years old, I was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward following my third suicide attempt. I have seen the lack of accessibility and lack of quality care in our mental health care system firsthand, which is why I am so grateful for the work Here Tomorrow is doing. As a mental health nonprofit founder, one of my goals is to make quality resources accessible, a goal I share with Here Tomorrow and a goal that I look forward to being part of.
My Reason Why
Bill's Reason Why
As a long-term Employee Assistance Professional (EAP) helping people has been my personal mission for nearly 40 years. I am passionate about helping Here Tomorrow be successful, sharing my experience and my own successful recovery with others. I am so happy to be part of the team! Bill
Marsha Sargeant, M.S., Ph.D.
My Reason Why
Marsha's Reason Why
The mission of Here Tomorrow speaks to the very fabric of my personal and professional journey. The harsh and sometimes violent bullying I experienced throughout childhood and adolescence led to my struggles with anxiety and depression. Even in early adulthood, I suffered from “shame attacks” coupled with the perpetual feeling of being fundamentally different from and inferior to others. It wasn’t until my early 30s that I sought help. Clearly, the stigma of “not being ok” was a formidable obstacle.
With this personal lens and also as the partner of someone who lives with Bipolar II and chronic PTSD, mental wellness has become a main personal and professional focus. So for me, it has always been important to be involved in helping people who are suffering in silence or in darkness. Here Tomorrow is doing exactly that.
She/Her/Hers
Clinical Psychologist
My Reason Why
Jon's Reason Why
I think it is important to let others know that it is ok to ask for help. It takes a far stronger person to ask for help and be willing to open up to share their struggles with others. Here Tomorrow has helped me tremendously on my journey and has been instrumental in helping me heal. By sharing my experience hopefully it can help others that are struggling to take the first step to ask for help and realize that its ok to not be ok, but there is help available.
My Reason Why
Sherry's Reason Why
We are all impacted by mental health whether for ourselves or a loved one and as a community. After spending decades of my life with unprocessed childhood trauma and struggling to raise children with significant mental health diagnoses, I found myself drained, broken, and confused. I felt like no one understood the pain I was experiencing and everyone had an opinion about how I should respond to my situation. I wasn't dead, but I also wasn't alive. I know what it feels like to be alone in the trenches. People can and do recover, but they need the necessary hope, education, resources, and a supportive community to do so. At Here Tomorrow we are changing the question from, "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" and assisting people with a unique peer model approach that really works. I am excited to be a part of something that is saving and changing lives.
Read our 2021 Report to the Community.
Annual Report
Access special resources with our Press Kit.
It's okay to not be okay.
And it’s also okay to ask for help.
book appointment
Here Tomorrow strives to transform lives by building a community where mental healthcare is acceptable and accessible.
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Find words is an exciting game that is full of fun and it also increases your vocabulary. So here we tell you about those games related to words that not only exercise your brain but also give you fun and a great time pass.
There are also different websites on the Internet that aim to help you in finding words. in this article we also gave you information about these websites.
What Are Find Words?
A very exciting and full of a fun game is finding words. It has the ability to train your brain. It is a totally free online playing game. The most important thing in this game is to concentrate on the letter so that you can find the hidden word and in return get coins and fabulous prizes, you moved to the next level.
The advantage of playing this game is that it increases your vocabulary and also makes you understand correct spelling skills.
The best feature of this game is full of fun, the game starts with an easy level and gradually takes you to the hard to hardest level.
It is addictive gameplay.
There is a total of 900 levels in the game.
You will find thousands of new words in the find word game.
If you get bored while playing games and finishing level now switch to the find words type of game.
There is no time limit to the game you can take your time.
This game also runs without internet, so don’t worry if you do not have internet.
Fun and time pass game.
Find game is an addictive game it increases your vocabulary and power of spelling check. So, try out the find words game with your family and friends.
Other alike games are also available to let us have a look. This helps to find words on the internet. The aim of these websites is to help you find the right words.
Scrabble word finder cheat word friends help you if you are stuck in the middle of the game and you need help. This helps you in the game.
This is also a word finder for the very popular word game wordle. Like Scrabble word finder this also helps in finding the right word for your wordle puzzle game. Wordle puzzle at present is the top puzzle game that is being played by millions of players.
These games increase your vocabulary and also aims to train your brain. In this game, you need to find the correct word mostly 5 letter words are involved in the game.
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Wirksworth is an ancient market town located at the heart of the Derbyshire Dales on the edge of the Peak District National Park. It is four miles from Matlock 12 miles from Bakewell and 10 miles from Ashbourne. Wirksworth is a vibrant place with a strong arts based community. It has a range of independent shops cafes pubs and restaurants and even an independent cinema. The beautiful Carsington water is within easy reach if exploring the miles or rural footpaths isn t your thing try your hand at windsurfing canoeing and fishing or for those who like dry land push your limits on an eight-mile mountain bike course. You will also find a restaurant playground shops bird hides and miles of footpaths and bridleways to explore nearby. The property is split over three floors and reached via a few steps to the front door which leads into a hallway providing space to kick off boots and hang your coats. There is a king-size bedroom decorated beautifully and offering space to pop a travel cot if needed. There is a shower room with shower and WC and nearby utility room with washing machine. Heading up the stairs to the first floor you will find a twin bedroom and a king-size bedroom which is bright and airy. The family bathroom offers a freestanding bath shower and WC. Head up the final staircase to the second floor to the open-plan lounge/kitchen/diner a perfect space for entertaining. The kitchen area offers an electric oven and hob microwave dishwasher and fridge/freezer. Come together around the dining table and enjoy a celebration meal followed by relaxing on the comfy sofas in front of the Smart TV. Enjoy relaxing evenings sat outside in the courtyard style garden with hot tub and outdoor dining furniture. There is a parking space for one small car and a public car park is nearby (local charges apply). Need to know: 3 bedrooms 2 king size and 1 twin. 1 bathroom with bath, shower and WC and 1 shower room with shower and WC. Electric oven and hob, microwave, dishwasher and fridge/freezer. Utility room with washing machine. Parking for 1 small car, public carpark nearby (local charges apply). Shops and pubs within walking distance. Smart TV in the lounge. Courtyard style garden, with hot tub and seating. Travel cot and highchair available. Accessed via a short hill with steps to the front door.
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Pearson claims that as your ADHD partner has such a way that is unique of, being conscious of one another's computational distinctions is essential. - Roots Blower ANLET
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Pearson claims that as your ADHD partner has such a way that is unique of, being conscious of one another’s computational distinctions is essential.
Pearson claims that as your ADHD partner has such a way that is unique of, being conscious of one another’s computational distinctions is essential.
Pearson claims that as your ADHD partner has such a way that is unique of, being conscious of one another’s computational distinctions is essential.
I’m most likely (perhaps) smarter than you. “you’re someone that is dating has an entirely various thought process than you are doing. It is because likely as something that they truly are smarter than you. Yourself and your partner super miserable,” she says if you don’t understand why, you’re going to make.
I will be forgetful and I also ‘m going to cancel plans. “Remind them the method that you feel frequently simply because they forget. Individuals with ADHD have a tendency to be extremely ‘in the minute’ and also if things are getting great, they’re going to doubt or forget it a later,” says Pearson week. It is beneficial to be great with reminders, not merely about logistic things such as appointments and birthdays but additionally about emotions. As an example, i am aware you stated you like going out you haven’t responded to my text from five hours ago with me but things could change in a week and. Five! Hours! Ago!
But i shall keep in mind your Sandra Bullock that is favorite quote! Pearson says ADHD individuals prioritize emotional information ; i could forget that we stated we had been likely to fulfill for coffee fourteen days ago, but i’ll cause you to feel so unique once I keep in mind that you have constantly wanted that Crystal Castles t-shirt (the main one with all the internet upon it, maybe not the Madonna one) you could not allow it to be to the concert in grade 11 so I special purchase it from an eBay guy in Iowa for your birthday celebration. You’re welcs.
Never make me feel more shame that is irrational. Pearson states self-confidence isn’t the reverse of low self-esteem and numerous women that are ADHD both. “Females that have ADHD very nearly usually have confidence and insecurity they are so powerful and passionate but constantly hear, ‘Why don’t you just…?'” says Pearson because they live in a world where. She claims she’s got caused decades-long marriages by which effective how to see who likes you on ethiopianpersonals without paying company professionals are created to feel so ashamed they’ve never ever also discussed their partners to their ADHD. Do not repeat this if you ask me.
Be honest and simple. We cannot help but state the way I feel when I feel it, therefore I speak out about injustices and set up ensemble you will be using appears good. You will possibly not appreciate this but this is actually the best way that produces feeling from you, too for me and I expect this. “People with ADHD despise bullshit and, generally speaking, they wear their hearts to their sleeves and so they defintely won’t be doing offers,” claims Pearson.
Additionally, my space is in pretty bad shape, simply allow that one get
I am for certain gonna interrupt you! Often times. There isn’t much to express concerning this one, apart from i am certainly sorry about that one, friend. It is going to take place, please let me know whenever i will be carrying it out making sure that i am aware to quit. EVEN, HAVE THE THEORY is read by you ON HOW AROUND WILL BE ZOMBIES ON RIVERDALE?
. Exactly like my feelings, We have my very own means of arranging my things. I possibly could let you know in which every bit of clothes I possess is based on to the floor, but I do not understand in the event that you simply stepped on a bag of chips or a water that is plastic and I also’m sorry once more.
Your ADHD enthusiast doesn’t need become coddled and so they lack a get out of prison card that is free whenever they forget one thing essential or behave like an asshole. You may be undoubtedly permitted to be frustrated because I have already been late conference you every single day when it comes to past two days. But we do require understanding while you are frustrated, particularly when the discussion we are having is merely one of many things that are many are taking place inside our minds.
I became additionally considering composing an item regarding how jet skis are douchey—just a thought.
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Acupuncture and herbal medicine often go hand-in-hand. Herbal medicine is often used in conjunction with acupuncture, as appropriate, to support the body’s healing process. Just like a traditional medical prescription, herbs are prescribed by Oriental Medicine practitioners to address a variety of health concerns. They are often prescribed as formulas rather than specific individual herbs and are tailored to the needs of the patient. And just like traditional prescription medicine, herbs are adjusted as the patient’s needs change. Some Western hospitals are now utilizing Chinese herbs in their treatment protocols. For example, the Cleveland Clinic has a licensed and certified Chinese herbalist on staff. continue reading »
Three Things to Know About Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine was last modified: January 31st, 2022 by admin
As we learn to navigate this new world where an ever looming virus is present, it’s important to learn which ways we can help ourselves and loved ones,get through a time of illness.. Below are herbal remedies and acupressure points for self-care to help aid with symptoms of COVID-19 such as coughing, shortness of breath and fevers. continue reading »
Herbs & Acupressure Points for Coronavirus was last modified: August 31st, 2020 by admin
Successful Herbs to Move Liver Qi
We often say in Traditional Chinese Medicine that the liver is the system most easily susceptible to stress. Stress knots the Qi (energy) and makes its flow stagnate – this happens most quickly in the liver energy system. The liver, in TCM, is in charge of the smooth flow of Qi throughout the body. This means that if Qi flow is impaired (ie, by stress), the liver system will suffer. Likewise, if the liver energy system is weak or stagnant (from lifestyle choices, diet, trauma, emotional stress, illness or genetic factors), Qi flow throughout the body may be impaired. continue reading »
Successful Herbs to Move Liver Qi was last modified: March 30th, 2020 by admin
Ginseng is said to resemble a human body in shape, and it has been used for years in Asia. Recently, it has become a popular item in Western culture. Many claims about this root have been advertised, such as its reputation for extending longevity and its use for stamina and endurance. Let’s look at the types of ginseng and the differences.
There are three main types of ginseng used: continue reading »
Boost It With Ginseng was last modified: February 25th, 2019 by admin
Next time you’re in a wide open field, pasture or meadow dotted with beautiful yellow dandelions, know that these prolific little delights are not only beautiful, but packed with nutrition and offer a host of healthy benefits. Let’s explore this amazing flower. continue reading »
Dandelion: Detox With This Yellow Charmer was last modified: February 25th, 2019 by admin
Digestive disorders can be simple like flatulence or gas, or they can be much more serious, such as Crohn’s disease. But regardless of the severity of the disease, there is no doubt digestive disorders affect far more people than they should, especially in the United States. A recent survey reports nearly 74 percent of all Americans are living with digestive issues. Most people don’t report it to their doctors either, because they assume it is normal to have gas, bloating or abdominal pain. But these symptoms can be indicators of much more serious underlying problems. continue reading »
Herbal Tonics for Digestion was last modified: January 28th, 2019 by admin
Stress is something that affects everybody. Stress is defined as a state of mental or emotional tension or strain resulting from demanding or adverse circumstances. This can result in a multitude of symptoms, including headaches, muscle tension, pain, insomnia, worry, anxiety, depression and even disease. And according to a recent survey, nearly 77 percent of all Americans regularly experience physical or psychological symptoms caused by stress (American Institute of Stress, May 2017). continue reading »
Herbal Tonics to Reduce Stress was last modified: August 27th, 2018 by admin
An allergy occurs when your immune system reacts to a foreign substance, called an allergen. This could be anything from something you inhale to something you touch to something you eat. An allergic reaction may cause sneezing, coughing, watery eyes, a running nose, a sore throat and rashes. In severe cases, allergic reactions can induce something known as anaphylactic shock, which can actually be deadly. continue reading »
Herbal Tonics for Allergies was last modified: March 27th, 2018 by admin
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Deep Tissue Laser Therapy has become preferred by those who have long sought relief without success. Its ability to impact pain on a cellular level provides pain relief for complex and simple conditions alike.
April 2019
“6 months ago (November 2018) Dr. Steve Gooding from the Good Life Healing Center came to our work place to talk about acupuncture and natural medicines for chronic illness. Honestly, I didn’t know much about acupuncture. After the presentation I talked with Dr. Steve about his services on skin care and weight loss.… Read the rest
September 2018
“I first met Steve at an educational luncheon, they provided at King Middle School 2 years ago. I went for the free lunch and I quickly became very intrigued with their methods and philosophies at the luncheon. As a sufferer of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I had become discouraged with the Western Medicine approach to my ailment.… Read the rest
February, 2018
“My son and I LOVE Good Life. My son used to have terrible allergies but since going to see Steve and Cathy for Acupuncture his symptoms have disappeared! If we miss his routine visits they start to flare up again. My son is 8 and loves going – no pain and very relaxing.… Read the rest
August 4, 2017
My name is Chris, I had a bad accident that aggravated a congenital defect I had in my lower spine. For a few years, I tried the same things – take pain meds, get steroid injections the whole run around that pain management offices always give.… Read the rest
July 2017
The very BEST procedure I ever tried to eliminate pain as a result of a car accident and a bathtub fall. I’m so relaxed once the needles are all in that most times I fall asleep and feel like I’m in a different zone.… Read the rest
April 2017
My experience with Dr. Gooding and Dr. Hoffman at Good Life Healing Center has been therapeutic both mentally and physically. I have been experiencing chronic pain for years and finally decided to incorporate acupuncture into my life. This eastern approach toward healing the body along with modern medicine seem to be the solution I have been searching so desperately for.… Read the rest
November 30, 2016
I am so pleased to have found Good Life Healing. I have had serious back problems for many years. Was told by other doctors that there was nothing that could be done to help me. I have received 6 acupuncture treatments and am now starting to see results with less pain.… Read the rest
September 21, 2016
There seldom is a week that passes when I don’t have an opportunity to share my positive experiences about Good Life Healing Center. I had never tried acupuncture and honestly only went to the first session to support a work colleague who had scheduled this opportunity.… Read the rest
September 15, 2015
Steve has been wonderful listening to all concerns that I have regarding my daughter’s overall health and my own, often making very helpful and educated suggestions to further assist our needs. My daughter has found relief from seasonal allergies and congestion, and increased energy.… Read the rest
July 2015
I highly recommend Good Life Healing Center! As a loyal client for the past several years I have personally experienced the difference acupuncture treatments make on your overall Health. Being a person who suffered multiple food allergies for several years while unsuccessfully trying the traditional methods of treatment, a good friend suggested I try acupuncture.
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Poet is a nice text editor for Windows with a friendly interface. It's easy and free, but there are impressive capabilities. The program is suitable for different users: students, poets, web-masters, programmers, novices, and professionals, etc.
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garretthylltun reviewed v1.0.5153.26433 on Mar 27, 2014
Nice and clean interface. Good feature list. Starts a bit slow for me. My only real complaint is that I use Windows 7 without aero themes which means I use classic and I use a dark theme and Poet, while supporting some theme support, does not change the theme of it's tool bar, menu's etc. With the theme support it does offer, it also has an issue for me with the texts of the menus and tabs being too light in color which makes it a bit hard for my old eyes to see properly.
One feature I do like is the window options, such as setting the window to a static size or allow resize. Also allows changing the type of window from a tool window to normal and such.
4 stars. Fix the theme support or allow for native themes to fully take over and I'll give it 5 stars.
Overall though, great job and a very nice program.
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Someone reviewed v on Jul 5, 2022
garretthylltun reviewed v1.0.5153.26433 on Mar 27, 2014
Nice and clean interface. Good feature list. Starts a bit slow for me. My only real complaint is that I use Windows 7 without aero themes which means I use classic and I use a dark theme and Poet, while supporting some theme support, does not change the theme of it's tool bar, menu's etc. With the theme support it does offer, it also has an issue for me with the texts of the menus and tabs being too light in color which makes it a bit hard for my old eyes to see properly.
One feature I do like is the window options, such as setting the window to a static size or allow resize. Also allows changing the type of window from a tool window to normal and such.
4 stars. Fix the theme support or allow for native themes to fully take over and I'll give it 5 stars.
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The Tom Joyner Morning Show reaches more than 8 million listeners each week in more than 115 markets. Catch TJMS weekday mornings 6am-10am Here: http://bit.ly/TJMSWOL @TJMSWOL
Majic 102.3/92.7
Mellody Hobson is President of Ariel investments, a Chicago-based money management firm that serves individual investors and retirement plans through its no-load mutual funds and separate accounts. Additionally, she is a regular financial contributor and analyst for CBS news.
TOM: Digital security is our topic this morning. It seems this topic is raised almost daily!
MELLODY: Unfortunately, in the tech driven world we all live in, it is something we need to think about on a regular basis now. And if this year’s cyber breaches are any indication, protecting your personal and financial information is going to become more and more important, and require ever greater vigilance. In the first six months of 2014, there have been major attacks against big-name retailers like eBay, Michael’s, and Neiman Marcus, as well as hotels and other websites. Five million credit cards were compromised and over half a billion web accounts were breached just through June! And last week, a group of Russian cyber thieves pushed that number up by 1.2 billion.
TOM: What are our financial vulnerabilities because of this?
MELLODY: The biggest vulnerabilities here are your credit and debit cards, precisely because they are the most wildly used financial tools with your information attached to them. Every year, Americans swipe credit and debit cards millions of times per day. On top of that, online transactions with cards are booming. In each of these transactions, whether it is simply letting your waiter walk away with your card, or making an online purchase, there is potential for your information to be stolen.
Beyond cards, online banking or financial management sites are vulnerable. With the rise of online banking tools on your laptop or phone, greater risk accompanies the greater convenience. If you are using your phone, use your cellular data network rather than wireless networks if you are using financial management apps. If you are using a laptop, be very careful about the security of your network. Both of these are vulnerable to hackers seeking access to your information.
Finally, the most long lasting impact that you could suffer could very well be the impact to your credit score. If you don’t catch the breach of your information and any subsequent financial fraud, you could be in for a world of hurt when it comes to future financial plans, such as mortgages or auto loans.
TOM: What steps should we take to prevent fraud from happening to us?
MELLODY: As I mentioned, the uptick in information breaches means that we have to place increasing emphasis on our efforts to secure our information. There are a number of ways that we can do this. First, be conscientious about credit card and debit card use. Any time you hand you card to someone there is potential for hackers to gain your information – particularly when they walk away with it, as is the case a restaurants. If you are going to hand your card over, give them a credit card if possible, as credit cards have more fraud protections.
Secondly, you HAVE to stay on top of your passwords, and make your passwords strong. This means changing your passwords frequently – experts actually suggest every month for sensitive sites – using different passwords for each site, and using as many layers of security as possible. If you are given the option to set security questions, do so, and do not make the answers well known information.
Next, make it a habit to use secure connections and websites. Watch out for wireless networks. If you have your own wireless network, be sure to secure it from hackers. Also, avoid using public wi-fi networks that are not password secured. If you do have to use public wi-fi, make sure that your phone or laptop is not set to share with other users, and that your device is not set to automatically connect, and that your firewall is on.
When it comes to websites – especially online retail or sales site – make sure the site begins with “https” rather than just “http” and try to stick to trusted, well-known retailers such as Bed Bath & Beyond or Amazon.
TOM: What if we have already been a victim of fraud?
MELLODY: If you have just been a victim or identity theft or fraud, the first thing that you should do is put an initial fraud alert with one of the three main credit agencies. Once you have done this, the agency you have notified must inform the other two. An alert lasts for 90 days and will make it more difficult for credit accounts to be opened in your name.
Next, order your credit reports. Since you have filed an initial fraud report, you are entitled to your credit reports free of charge. This will allow you to check recent activity and identify potential tampering or new changes that you were not responsible for.
Once you have proceeded with these stops, there are also a few items that will help you recover. A major step? Filing an Identity Theft Report. To create one, you need to file a complaint with the FTC and print your Identity Theft Affidavit, then use this to create your Identity Theft Report with your local police. This is important because you are entitled to certain rights, such as having fraudulent information and charges removed from your credit report, and preventing companies from collecting on debts incurred through fraud.
You should also consider placing a security freeze on your credit reports and signing up for a credit monitoring service so you’ll be alerted to changes in your credit report.
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Based in Argostoli Dreamy Cruises sails out of here and the port of Lixouri on a daily basis. We are all about relaxing and fun daily trips to nearby beautiful destinations.
We are 2 brothers(-in-law), Vagelis and Thanasis and we own the "Konstantinos" a traditional wooden Greek fishing boat, a "trexandiri", built in 1984 in Patra and refitted in 2017 into a very comfortable, safe and luxury daily trip boat. We offer to show our guests hidden gems of our beautiful island and give you the experience and tradition of both Kefalonia and Greece. Owning one of the most iconic boats Greece has shown we wouldn't want to be doing anything else!
So after boarding our boat get ready to experience traditional tastes, drinks, music and much more, that will make you love Kefalonia and who knows maybe make you want to again visit our beautiful island again. Dreamy Cruises sail every day just across Eurobank at Argostoli harbour, and we have multiple choices to offer, like a day trip, sunset trips and of course our availability for private hiring for any occasion like, birthdays, weddings, stag and hen events for the competitive prices on the market!
We expect nothing more than seeing happy faces at the end of every trip! and our motto is "Let your dreams set sail!"
For more information and for bookings please visit the links below
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If this looks like the boat for you then click above to make a direct enquiry via their website.
Want to see more socially? Give the button above a click and we'll send you virtually there.
If you would like to chat drop us an email, we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
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If your enquiry is regarding any accommodation or business please contact them via the links on their associated page. Please do not email us as we cannot act on their behalf
Join our community
Planning a holiday to Kefalonia the ionian paradise island? Then look no further, we have built and are growing a passionate community of over 50,000 friends on our social media groups. Come and say hello to the KBU team John, Joanna, Judith, Joe, James and Joel and share all of our wonderful experiences with us.
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The Biden administration proposed this week what would be the most significant expansion of education programs in at least a generation with a $1.8 trillion package focused on families and children. The proposal calls for universal pre-K for 3- and 4- year-olds, two years of...
Federal Grant Will Help Kansas Continue to Improve Early Childhood Education Statewide
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and childhood leaders statewide announced this week “that an $8.9 million grant from the Administration for Children and Families has been awarded to continue efforts to strengthen the early childhood system” across the state. The funds are “provided through the Department...
Oklahoma Rises to Top 3 in Pre-K Access
According to this new report from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), Oklahoma now ranks third in the nation on access to pre-K education for 4-year-olds. Perhaps this shouldn’t come as a surprise: “Oklahoma’s commitment to early education is evident in the state’s...
Early Education in Colorado Receives Significant Boost in Early Education Funding
More young children will have “access to quality early childhood services” thanks to a $34 million federal grant awarded to Colorado late last year. The new federal money represents 90% of the $38 million state officials had requested and “comes via the Preschool Development Grant...
Early-Childhood More Segregated than K-12 Programs
In Education Dive, Linda Jacobson reports on how early-childhood programs of all kinds are “twice as likely as kindergarten and 1st-grade classrooms to have all black or all Hispanic children,” and are “also less likely to be ‘somewhat integrated’ with 10-20% of children being black...
Linda Jacobson reports that New America has put forth “two fresh resources” to help make transitioning to kindergarten easier. The first is “a set of four profiles describing schools and districts taking a comprehensive approach to this major transition.” The “second resource details state, federal and other...
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The release of the 2020 census figures last month revealed how Chicago has grown slightly and become more diverse over the past 10 years, but a look at the data at the neighborhood level shows that while some neighborhoods have exploded overnight. of the Great Recession, others never did. .
Nowhere is this more evident than in Englewood and West Englewood, where the loss of residents coincides with a decline in the number of housing units during the 2010s.
As the city saw its population increase by 2% between 2010 and 2020, Englewood’s population fell by more than 20%, from 30,654 to 24,369, according to a Sun-Times analysis of Census Bureau data. .
West Englewood’s population declined from 35,505 in 2010 to 29,647 in 2020, a drop of 16%. The two community areas – often grouped together by residents, who call it “the great Englewood” – recorded the highest percentage loss in the city.
Between 2010 and 2020, Greater Englewood lost 2,856 housing units – the largest loss of any community area in the city, and a figure that towers over Roseland, in third place, which lost only 494 units.
In total, 14 of the city’s 77 community areas lost housing units, but the losses were concentrated in 10 areas of the South Side, which saw a combined decline of 4,622 housing units. Of the four other community sectors that lost units, one was on the west side, two on the northwest side and one on the north side.
The five community areas with the largest increases, grouped together in the city center, have combined to add 25,182 housing units. These areas were the Near North Side, the Loop, the Near West Side, the West Town, and the Near South Side.
Asiaha Butler, co-founder of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood, said the significant decline in population and housing units was predictable and was the result of government neglect, noting that 16 public schools have closed in Englewood since 2001.
But the housing crisis has also devastated the community.
According to the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, predatory loans resulted in an average of 500 foreclosure filings per year from 2007 to 2012 in Englewood. Englewood was also a destination for buyers straw buyers commit mortgage fraud.
Asiaha Butler, Executive Director of the Resident Association of Greater Englewood, shown in June next to a mural at Englewood Market & Resource Days, 6608 S. Halsted St. in Englewood.
These foreclosed homes deteriorated, and in an effort to combat the scourge, the city began to demolish them, creating blocks with large tracts of vacant land.
“It happened personally in my neighborhood where houses just disappeared,†Butler said. “In particular, it seems there were some aggressive demolitions in 2012. It was like waking up and seeing a new demolition crew every day.”
In 2012, the city approved 199 demolitions in Englewood and 163 demolitions in West Englewood – more than any other community area that year, according to city data.
Then there was the city’s decision in 2013 to sell 105 city-owned lots for $ 1.1 million to Norfolk Southern Railway, which wanted to expand its rail facility at Englewood, although that expansion is still not complete. This sale set in motion Norfolk Southern’s aggressive tactic of buying homes that were not vacant.
“Our local government has played a huge role in destroying the old homes where families have lived since 1948,†Butler said. “These were real houses the owners lived in, and our government had no problem helping to remove these people and for what?”
“This project, which still hasn’t come to fruition, hasn’t brought in jobs, investment or anything else – just destruction,†Butler said.
Norfolk Southern has demolished over 100 homes since the start of its expansion project.
Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DePaul University, said the reduction in the number of housing units usually manifests itself in one or two ways. This involves the de-conversion of single-family homes or demolitions.
“Englewood and West Englewood, which already had a history of divestment, were among the hardest hit during the housing crisis that led to much of its housing stock going into foreclosure,†Smith said. “It then goes to abandonment, to the deterioration of the building and finally to demolitions. “
A vacant lot in the 6400 block of South Honore Street in Englewood. According to the 2020 census, of all the community areas in Chicago, the community areas of Englewood and West Englewood experienced the largest population decline.
Smith does not believe that the decimation of the housing stock and the decline in the population were inevitable. Going forward, he said, a strategy is needed to stabilize the housing stock in Greater Englewood.
The city has made efforts to increase housing in the area in recent years. This includes the new Montclare retirement home in Englewood, 6332 S. Green St., and Hope Manor Village Veterans Housing, 6002 S. Halsted St.
Hope Manor replaced 16 vacant lots, offered by the city, with 12 two-apartment buildings and four three-apartment buildings. Award-winning buildings offer 36 affordable units for families; each is fully furnished. The city also participated in the financing of the project.
Last week, city council also approved the sale of 35 city-owned lots for $ 1 each to Englewood Phase One. The plans call for a five-story building with 56 rental units – 33 one-bedroom units and 23 two-bedroom units. And 40 will be reserved for households earning between 30% and 60% of the region’s median income level, while 14 will receive Section 8 rent assistance.
The Grand Englewood is also one of the areas that Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Invest South / West initiative aims to help.
The idea behind this effort is “to mobilize the resources of several city departments, community organizations and business and philanthropic partners to 10 communities on the south and west sides of Chicago,” said Eugenia Orr, spokesperson for the Department of City housing. “As the investment returns to the community with increased resources, the community is expected to prosper and grow. “
Vacant lots in the 6400 block of South Honore Street in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago.
The Department of Housing also runs several programs that can help homeowners stay in their homes by help ease the burden of costly repairs. The agency said it is also working to increase neighborhood stability in Greater Englewood through its Micro-market relaunch program, which encourages reinvestment in vacant buildings and supports homeownership, even offering up to $ 15,000 in down payment assistance to eligible buyers, as long as they plan to live in the home.
Butler said it was a good program, but the city should promote it more; a program that is not used is useless.
Just as the local government was instrumental in the divestment of Greater Englewood, said Butler, it must also be involved in the development of the community. But she is skeptical.
Even housing projects that are growing in the community will not bring the change everyone is hoping for, she said.
The most important thing to do in Englewood is to support homeownership by discouraging investors who gobble up vacant buildings but have no intention of moving into the neighborhood.
“We need to increase the number of owner-occupiers here because that’s where the change is going to happen at the block level,†Butler said. “I’m living proof that if you show that you care and transform your home, then other neighbors will be lining up. But someone who owns a building that just collects rent has no interest in seeing that community thrive.
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This week The Fetch London’s Curator, Chloe Nicholls, interviews Andreea Magdalina, a Community Manager & Social Media Specialist. Andreea is the latest member to join the team as our community ambassador!
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to live in London?
Two weeks into the UCAS deadline I decided to leave Romania for the more promising lands of Britain, after having spent a good few months preparing myself for a career in law. Choosing Media Communications for a degree was partly serendipitous, partly based on the fact that I’m a people person. Good writing skills didn’t hurt either.
Is there much of tech scene in Romania?
Oh yes, there’s more to Romania than horse carts and vampires. In fact, the tech scene there is highly developed and famous startups hungry for talent are scouting Romania for the next Tim Cook. Plus, there is a very engaged entrepreneurial spirit springing from Bucharest as well with communities such as Bucharest Hubb, the first to ever bring these people together, the more recent franchise The Hub Bucharest, Startup Weekend Romania which takes place in a couple of weeks plus much more. Plenty of Romanians went on founding very successful tech businesses too: Summify (recently acquired by Twitter), Brainient (based in London, video advertising), eRepublik (gaming), UberVu (social media marketing), Redutti (the Romanian Groupon) and lots more.
As a community manager, what do you think are some of the myths about your role and what has been your biggest challenge to date?
The most popular myth about Community Managers is that their job is to be on Facebook and Twitter all day long. While it’s true you may have to do a bit of customer service here and there, there’s a lot more strategic planning involved. The biggest challenge I have and am still facing is dealing with negative feedback – you can’t make everybody happy but as a Community Manager my role is to tone that down to zero.
You have a strong background in music and tech, do you have any hot tips for any up and coming music startups?
Looking at how fast things are moving, my only fear is that they get distracted. As long as music people do what they do for the love of it, they’ll stand a chance of survival in the music tech scene. Belief in your product, as well as a strong understanding of your audience are they key to success for any startup.
What are some of your favourite eNewsletters you subscribe to (apart from The Fetch of course!)?
I keep complaining about flooding emails every day but to be honest I don’t know what I’d do with a zero inbox. It’s a total delight to read emails from Swissmiss, Seth Godin, PSFK and others for my marketing and design inspiration plus a bunch of entrepreneurs who blog, such as Andrew Chen, as well as community management tips from Feverbee.
Where do you like to hang out in London?
I’ve been working in Angel for over a year now and I absolutely love it. Just up the road from Silicon Roundabout, it’s buzzing with creatives on their bikes and good places to eat and drink but still close enough to the madness in East London when I’m in a party mood.
Do you think being a ‘women in tech’ means that you have to code?
Absolutely not, although it doesn’t hurt to know the basics. I’m learning code as we speak and it’s quite a lengthy process which I’m not sure I’ll ever master to a ‘fluent’ level but ever since I found out how websites work I’m much better at my job and get a lot more ideas that I can implement using soft skills only.
Finally, what’s next for you?
I’m currently switching jobs, part-time postgrad student, doing a few projects on the side and planning a trip to the US. I look forward to plunging into the tech music scene with the guys at Mixcloud, they are a great team and the industry is hot hot hot with lots of development and new models to be explored. Planning to change the way people consume music!
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There is a point on the spiritual path where someone knows that they have to make a change. It’s a critical time. It’s right at the edge of breaking free, and while there often are many of these types of moments as the many veils of illusion are shed, there is usually one really key moment where a person knows there’s no going back. They suddenly see that there is a price to pay–or at least, this is how the ego views it. In truth, at this stage, the ego is still very much holding sway in the individual. The deeper awareness is still kind of an idea/myth/or some other distant possibility. At this moment when the person starts to see what awakening really means, that deeper awareness is preparing to come forward. And it’s right at this moment, that a person often realizes just how truly scared they are of breaking free.
Here is the unfortunate reality of 90% of the people on the spiritual path: they were not looking for freedom. They simply weren’t. What most people are looking for on the spiritual path is the way out of pain. Buddhism talks about following the path to enlightenment as the way out of suffering. Christianity talks about turning to God to find salvation. But leaving suffering and finding salvation does not mean that your life will be free from pain and difficulty. Jesus ended up facing great adversity and pain in his life, but clearly, he was walking the spiritual path. I think it’s important to really appreciate this reality as many people will find that their spiritual freedom leads them into great difficulty. This is where those of you who still look to the outside world to confirm and affirm that you are doing the right thing will suddenly have great doubt. If the world is always supposed to like you and be easy for you to validate you as walking the “correct” spiritual path, then suddenly you may think that you are doing something wrong. This is a grossly unfortunate misunderstanding, and it is why the many great teachers out there will remind people that success in the external world does not reflect success in the internal world and vice versa.
As people suddenly find this adversity, this is usually where many people stop, shut down, and turn back. It is of course right when the opportunity to transcend this difficulty has arrived. So this possibility is also not realized, and it is because many of you were not looking for freedom. Furthermore, you had no idea what would be asked of you. You thought that the spiritual path would be some kind of endless ecstatic trip to an amusement park. Or you thought it would simply make everyone like you all the time. Or you thought that it would make your healing process completely easy.
Very rarely are any of these things true, and if any of these resonate for you (and resonance in this case will probably mean making you angry or upset), then it is time to get out the pen and paper (or computer word processing program) to write down what you really want.
Fear is one of the great gatekeepers on the spiritual path. There are some interesting ways where fear keep you from places that you are not ready to go. There is much on the spiritual path that is intensely challenging, and I’ve come to have a great esteem for fear and how it keeps people who are not prepared for the road ahead away from it. This may seem odd to you, but I encourage you to appreciate that every emotion and every part of life has its sacred role to play. I am not here to keep you locked in the bondage of fear, but I am definitely willing to say that it has its role. If you cannot face your fear, you are not ready for the next part of the spiritual path.
Because you will find that you cannot carry that much luggage on the plane. There is no way to fly with all those bags full of your fear. As you do take off in that plane, you will find that you have to keep throwing things out to keep flying. You will find that all your attachments keep you chained to old and unhealthy ways of being. You will find that you feel like you are “losing” everything, and that will include the idea of loss. Because its the ego that’s trying to gain things, and if you came to the spiritual path trying to gain a new identity for yourself or anything else, you will be sorely disappointed when suddenly this idea and attachment must be severed.
Scared By the Long Drop
One of my students said that she felt like I was asking her to jump off a cliff. It sure does look like that. It’s the unknown really. Most people would rather cling to the familiar misery of the known life that they live in than to jump off into the free space where anything is possible.
And anything is possible. That includes the good and the bad. So the ego will feel very triumphant when something bad happens that you could not have foreseen. It will run in and say, “Ah-ha! Look there. I told you this spiritual foolishness was a mistake. Look what has happened. You have lost your job and your wife is divorcing you. Go back to your old life. It was much safer.” Only the truth is that that is lie. You may still have lost your job and your wife/spouse if you’d stayed on the edge of the cliff. Perhaps, you were already falling and you just had assumed that the rush of the air was the wind. Many times, we find that we are falling as we come into our awareness. The spiritual path didn’t push us off a cliff; it simply made us aware that we are already plummeting to our own destruction.
The only thing to do now is to learn to fly.
So here you are looking at your fear of breaking free. Here you are staring at the wall and metal, iron-barred doorway that keeps you inside. And you are holding the key.
Turning that key will take courage, love, hope, faith, God, and every other ounce of strength and support you can call on.
And yet it can be so easy.
I had a beautiful story share with me recently by a spiritual friend who found her truth in a courtroom speaking up for herself and her daughter. In a space where she had had so much fear and trepidation, in the moment of speaking, she was unafraid. She did not have an attorney to represent her. It was simply her speaking her own Truth. The court ruled in her favor.
This is a small snapshot of what may be asked of you to break free and firmly step onto the your soul path. It doesn’t have to be hard, and in truth, when you are fully present, the difficulty and fear that we create in our minds dissolves. From that space, you are a rock. You are unmovable in love and Truth, and from that space, you are free and limitless.
You may feel that you face many tests, but that too is the ego trying to define itself. You do not need defintion; you are already a profound, loving, and infinite being. What you may need is time to understand how to act from this space. You may need practice, and you may need community to help you break down old patterns and develop new patterns. That’s a big piece of what this blog is dedicated to. I am not here to awaken you. If you wake up while reading these words, that’s beautiful. But the awakening comes from within. It always comes from within. There’s no other place from which it can come.
Consider that you are seed in a garden. All the sunshine, rain, and fertilizer cannot make a seed sprout. That comes in its own sacred time. But once it springs forth, there is much work and much growth that it goes through as it learns to develop its roots and live in the world it is part of. This is the real spiritual awakening process–this is the embodiment process that I am always talking about. Because it is so important to learn how to be grounded in truth and love in this world. In so doing, you can be in it, but not get lost in it–even if it feels like you get a little lost from time to time. So long as you have those deep roots in spirit, you will find your way back.
In the instance of this blog post, this may be the first time you have ever truly gone within a fear. You will likely do this again many times. Meeting the doorkeeper this time is just the first time, not the last. You will likely find many fears and many other doorways on your spiritual path. You may try to run back to the door that you have just walked through. But that is impossible. When that shift within happens that starts the internally opening process; there is no going back. Sure, you can close your eyes and turn up the music really loud, but the new harmony and sights and sounds of your true life are already there. So let go of the struggle.
And if you are not past this first main fear yet, let go of the struggle here too. That’s part of what is energizing fear. Our attention and our struggle to escape it have given it form and life. Now it’s time to learn how to surround it with love. Now is the time to simply breathe into that space and dissolve it from within. That really is my best tip for facing fear. Imagine you can breathe into the fear. Imagine you are within it, and simply breathe all the love you can into this space. See what happens. If emotions come up, just be with them, and continue breathing. Let the relaxation that comes with deep breathing soothe away this fear, and see what comes next.
The Safety of the Jail Cell
For many of you, the jail cell feels safe. It has its walls and bars. You know where you can go. You don’t really want to have wide open spaces in your life. This too is fine. This is not me being facetious. This too is part of the grand unfolding of life. So do not run from your cage. Sit in it. Be with it as it is whether it is a horrendous job, a bad housing situation, an unsavory lover, uncontrollable children, or some other situation. Look at all aspects of it. Be with it completely until you no longer can accept any aspect of the cage. Be with it until freedom is the only thing you want in the world. Then and only then turn to face the jailkeeper. Face your fears that have keep you in this imagined box.
Until then, consider your fear of breaking free a gift. Consider that it is keeping you safe until you truly want to focus all your love, attention, and awareness on finding your spiritual liberation. Then go. Go with everything you have inside of you. Take nothing else.
Because you cannot fly with any extra weight. You can only fly with love, and that has no weight at all.
Author Jim Tolles
I'm a spiritual teacher who helps people find freedom from suffering.
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Wow. I really needed to read this! The jail cell is all too comfortable and familiar and you are right! Breaking free of it and exploring the freedom of the unknown, while appealing as a fantasy in reality it terrifies me! I pray this year for courage to have faith in my higher consciousness that I do not need the safety of the familiar chains that bind me. To freedom in 2013!
G'day Jim
You & I are on the same wave length & I thought I only thought like this, love the pure honesty, very refreshing I must say. Sorry to say most spiritually aware people are not honest with themselves.
I've been on a couple of spiritual forums in the last twelve months, I have not been very well received at all by most, all they want to do is live in this make believe fairyland or manifest for their own desires & still call themselves true spiritually aware, there is very little acceptance on their part I'm afraid as most of them taboo the ego & anything else that makes them feel uncomfortable.
I like your stuff that much I'm going to insert your address into my favorite site section on my blog if you don't mind. We are true pioneers!!
I had a blog before called Science of spirituality that was based on similar stuff which became quite popular, it ended up going poof so eventually I started up another one called The World of True Spiritual Acceptance.
Mathew
Thanks so much for your support, Matthew. I appreciate the link and your kind words. Yes, many people confuse the spiritual path as a new kind of feel-good drug. It's not. It's the complete acceptance of everything, and in a world with drug-abuse, rape, and murder, the reality of total acceptance can be stark and overwhelming at first blush. But acceptance isn't passive or without taking action, so in truth, the only way to offer healing to the world is through acceptance. Because otherwise, we are ignorant or in denial, and that doesn't even allow us to see the problems before us.
I hope Jim doesn't mind me replying to this…..We can only find true peace, harmony & spiritual awareness through acceptance & the more we accept the more peaceful & spiritually aware we become.
This concept seems strange because you can't accept all the wrong in the world…in actual fact you can as it's just the sign of the times. The more accepting one becomes the less traumatic life becomes because non-accepting of anything is conflict & a true spiritualist doesn't have conflicts with anything it just is.
People who try to manifest there way out of the mess are actually manifesting more of the mess by acknowledging it more by trying to escape it but by accepting it for what it is gives you more freedom & peacefulness without conflict.
Mathew
Very well said, Matthew.
Michelle, just let go of the fear and trust that it will unfold as it should. Letting go is all we ever really have to do with fear. With the letting go, the natural impulse to act or not to act will arise. It gets much simpler than the ego would have you believe. But the more committed you are to your ego or controlling the outcome, the more difficult it all becomes. The ego is a master of creating closed loops, impassable blockages, and jails without doors. Don't believe in these things. Don't give the fear and the old stories any of your energy. Because when you don't energize those things, you really don't need that much courage to do what you want and what you love to do.
Thank you Jim, I love your way with words. You are a gifted teacher!
You're very kind, Amy. But if you can hear the wisdom in me, that is simply you being able to hear the wisdom that is already within you. I am just an external excuse to hear what you already know inside.
Every bit of this is me right now. Kicking and screaming. I wasn't looking for freedom, I just wanted peace. My jail cell is/was security and freedom feels like when you get dumped by a wave at the beach and you're desperately trying to find the surface before you run out of breath because you can't touch the bottom and therefore have no orientation.
I was bawling most of the way through this, so obviously it resonated and I needed to read it. I feel much better and I now know what to do with my fear. I don't lack courage, so I'm sure I'll get there.
Thank you Jim for sharing your wisdom and insight.
You're welcome, Claire. I'm glad the post can encourage you to face your fear and let it go. Just keep breathing and watching the fear. Without your energy and belief in it, the fear can dissolve.
Anonymous 4 years ago Reply
I feel traumatized. Some collective suffering of humanity became abruptly realized to me too suddenly, I wasn't prepared for it. I was cringing, violently shaking and wheeping on the floor. It makes me want to turn away from the spiritual path, but I'm not sure if thats possible. You say to just accept it, but I feel that if I do, I'll approach the next walls too quickly while being unprepared and die of a heart attack.
This was not at all what I thought I was looking for, can you please tell me what to do. Quickly please.
It sounds like you have repressed trauma coming up (unless you know that you've had trauma in the past, then it isn't repressed). I encourage you to find a therapist to work on what is coming up. The realization about humanity is just a trigger for something deeper in you.
Anonymous 4 years ago Reply
Your post on how to release pain from the energy body is exactly what I needed, thank you (or the algorithm) for reccomending it to me. God bless.
Anonymous 4 years ago Reply
I know I've had trauma in the past. I know why this is something I have to work through, I just dont know how. I was able to calm myself down some. Be not afraid, in spite of everything, it's alright. I just need some guidance on maybe some grounding techniques or something, I'm not sure, would really appreciate further advice. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I'm glad you found that post. I can only encourage you to reach out to a therapist for help. We all need help from others from time to time.
Anonymous 3 years ago Reply
Thank you for sharing your wonderful perspective. I found your article through a search as I have been struggling with so much fear and anxiety around committing to the spiritual path. I myself have a history of anxiety and depression, been on meds, through therapy, etc. I have become more and more spiritual ever since the awakening (precipitated by my intense psychological pain) which you spoke about in your blog. I actually called it forth with great intention. This resulted in a domino effect beginning with the end of my marriage. However, every time I start to read more about overcoming ego (especially through the likes of ACIM) I become so anxious. It's like losing the ground from under me. Suddenly, I feel disoriented and unable to understand what to think and how to act. It's like I now have to hold myself to this higher standard that I do not have the skills to meet. Not sure how to get past this place, for even as my spirituality and belief in God grows, this fear persists and I really feel ashamed when I break my commitment to be a better person, non-judgmental, loving. Any insight you can provide would be so appreciated as I feel ready to drop the extra baggage and move ahead. Thank you!
Jim, thank you so much for your amazing videos and blog posts. I'm at exactly the point you are describing right now. My ego is screaming to stop but there is something deeper that knows stopping isn't an option. A big part of me wants freedom no matter what. There is both terror and excitement, churning and bubbling. I find it so useful reading about your experience – in this and so many other topics you have covered. It's heartening to know that others have experienced similar points in their journey. I'm very grateful to you for sharing so much. Wishing you much love and joy. Clare
You're welcome, Clare. I'm glad my work can inspire you towards spiritual freedom.
If you ever feel you need support in finding your deeper attachments that are holding you back from freedom, I do one-on-one sessions. Feel free to reach out.
Practice staying as awareness, Tami.
Staying as Awareness Video
That's great thanks Jim. I've been working with a coach, but if we reach a point where she cannot help me I'll be in touch. It seems possible that I may need a spiritual perspective as well as or instead of a more psychological approach. I'm very grateful to have found you and your work and know that I can take you up on the offer of sessions if I reach a roadblock. I think not knowing where to turn for help is worse than facing the deeper stuff!
You're welcome. I often have students who work with someone on the psychology side and work with me on the spiritual side of stuff.
Learning to live again is a tall order and operating from this new space takes readjustment to function in an utterly different manner than before as its unchartered territory in terms of human life as is currently known!
Choosing the option of not stepping into the unknown is understandable and requires great courage as when we look around the world at large is still in the previous stage of evolution.
We have to become adventurers with truth as our map and faith as our reason.
Terrifying, but what worthy adventure isn't?
The process of dissolving the ego makes this next step manageable. Losing the ego and learning to explore life from a renewed sense of curiosity help us to navigate the initial newness you’re speaking of as well as the rest of the lives we get to live. All of life is ultimately unknown. It is too vast to be fully knowable, so we are constantly stepping into the unknown moment by moment whether or not our ego realizes it.
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The Schwinn family business was teetering on a financial precipice at the beginning of the 1990s. The company still had many popular bicycle models, but its business was faltering. At the corporate headquarters in Chicago, the managers of Schwinn were still in disbelief that their company could no longer sustain itself as a viable business. Afterall, this was Schwinn, the biggest bicycle name in the USA. How could the company fail?
In the late 1980s, Schwinn’s profits from its traditional bicycles had evaporated. A sign of trouble was that the exercise bicycles were keeping the company financially afloat. Schwinn had a virtual monopoly on stationary exercises and the Air-Dyne in particular had very high profit margins.
Unfortunately for Schwinn, in the early 1990s Sears, Roebuck and Co. came out with a comparable model at a lower price. The result was that sales of Air-Dyne plummeted by 35%. Schwinn said goodbye to 8 million in profit. Without the Air-Dyne and exercise bicycle sales, Schwinn was in trouble.
The decline of the Air-Dyne and other exercise bicycles was a symptom of Schwinn’s larger financial problems. In the early 1990s, the company lost $2.9 million with outstanding debt $80 million. The caused Schwinn to violate one of its bank covenants. Schwinn’s bankers called a meeting to see if something could be worked out.
Despite being deeply in debt, Schwinn took a hardline position against its creditors. Edward Schwinn figured that the bankers wouldn’t want to lose their equity in Schwinn if the company declared bankruptcy. Unfortunately, for Schwinn this was a miscalculation. Frustrated with Schwinn’s excuses, the Banker’s increasingly began playing financial hardball.
Schwinn Family Pride Didn't Help
The confrontation with the bankers in the early 1990s had been set up by an earlier decision not to raise money in the private capital markets. The Schwinn family did not want to have outsiders controlling the fate of Schwinn. This decision to rely on bank loans had the opposite of the desired effect. Instead of being dependent on outside investors, Schwinn became overdependent on the banks.
In the early 1980s when Schwinn had struggled financially. The decision ws made to take out bank loans. The wary banks put in place strict covenants on the loans. The covenants were still in place during the early 1990s. The violation of the financial covenants meant that the banks were in the driver’s seat. They insisted that Schwinn prepare a financial recovery plan.
Some of the bankers began to send the loans to the workout department to see how much money they could recover from Schwinn. This was not only meant to put pressure on Schwinn to come up with a reasonable financial workout plan, but also was to hedge their bets on a company financial failure. The pride of the Schwinn family in its outright ownership of the company had come back to bite them.
The Family Trust
The Schwinn family Trust indirectly played a role in the demise of Schwinn. The Trust was originally set up to share a modest amount of Schwinn’s profits among a small group of heirs. Most heirs either were discouraged or had no interest in working for Schwinn.
Still, the fourteen beneficiaries of the trust gladly accepted dividends from Schwinn. They also played a role in not wanting Schwinn to take on public investors.
To be fair, the payments to the Trust stopped after Schwinn experienced financial difficulties in the 1980. When the good times started rolling again, the dividends were reinstated in 1987.
With growing financial pressures, the final payments to the family trust were made up until 1990. The family knew that a Schwinn bankruptcy could wipe out their payment for good. They were prepared to received nothing unless Schwinn survived the new crisis.
Predictably, the family members were hopping mad at the demise of the Schwinn business. They expressed themselves in no uncertain terms and the focus of their fury was Edward Schwinn.
The Schwinn family also was partly to blame. The company had passed up several offers for private investors to bail out Schwinn. On the insistence of Schwinn family--including Edward Schwinn--the company declined all offers. This was a mistake that would haunt the company until its very end.
Meanwhile, Schwinn’s competitors were not sitting by idly. The Schwinn problems came at a fortuitous time for Trek. They were in the process of trying to strengthen their balance sheet and began to take sales away from Schwinn.
Some of Schwinn’s dealers saw the writing on the wall and they began to carry Trek and other bicycle brands. For Trek, this strategy began to work and during 1990 and 1991. During that period, Trek moved from fourth to second rank in the bicycle industry.
With all the financial constraints, Schwinn finally pulled the plug on the money losing Greenville plant in 1991. The early 1980s decision to not modernize the Chicago factory came back to haunt Schwinn.
The closing of the Greenville factory combined with the globalization of the bicycle industry meant that Schwinn would never again be making bicycles in the USA.
The fabled Schwinn was beginning to teeter. Schwinn had taken a hit on its balance sheet in the early 1980s with the closing of the Chicago factory. The Greenville closing virtually wiped out its balance sheet.
Suppliers Turn into Competitors
The main producers of Schwinn bicycles in China and Taiwan were not being compensated for shipping their products. The banks were swooping in and taking any cash from the business to hedge their possible losses. In essence, the Bank loans were taking away any possible way for Schwinn to pay its suppliers.
Making matters worse, these were not just ordinary suppliers. They were producers of strong competitive bicycle brands such as Giant. The Asian suppliers even talked about taking over Schwinn and assuming its debt, but the deals did not pan out.
The suppliers saw the writing on the wall and quit sending bikes to Schwinn. This caused a death spiral for Schwinn. The banks were calling in their loans. The dealers were screaming for inventory. The family was carping about Schwinn leadership. The Schwinn Family Trust recipients were irate over a cessation of payments.
Ed Schwinn is often blamed for the Schwinn family business failure. Despite his calm demeanor during difficult times, he was in the unenviable position of being hit from all sides.
Edward Schwinn also knew that his company was running out of options. He decided in October 1992 that the company had to file for bankruptcy to keep creditors at bay. Consequently, the storied family bicycle business filed for relief from paying its debt under Chapter 11.
In the US, Chapter 11 allows for a company to stay in business while restructuring its debt obligations. Edward Schwinn’s hope was that he would be allowed to make changes necessary to emerge from bankruptcy as a stronger company. However, he was rolling the dice by putting Schwinn in the hands of a bankruptcy judge.
Things didn’t go well for Schwinn. Trying to reduce costs, the company laid off many employees, including a handful of Schwinn relatives. Key employees also were jumping ship if they found another job. The mood within the company was bleak.
The Schwinn bankruptcy also froze payments to many small businesses which were owed money by Schwinn. The small companies knew they would be at the end of a long line of creditors asking for compensation. They had to move on to other brands and would not wait for a new Schwinn to emerge from its financial difficulties.
China Bicycle which was one of Schwinn’s bicycle suppliers made a bid to acquire the company. Schwinn had previously purchased large amounts of China Bicycle stock. The Chinese company was wary that a competitor such as the Taiwanese company Giant might purchase Schwinn. They had no desire for their competitor to own any of their stock.
Another wild card was the Schwinn Family Trust. The Trust was the legal holder of the family business name. The main value for a company wishing to purchase Schwinn would be the Schwinn name. The lawyer for the Trust played hardball and stated that the family wanted compensation for the name.
The request for compensation for the Schwinn name caused a great deal of turmoil in bankruptcy court. Other companies would not want to acquire Schwinn without having legal right to use the family name. The right of the Schwinn Family Trust to the name could be challenged in court, but this would lead to significant delays. Without the family name as part of the deal, acquiring Schwinn could become a messy affair.
In 1992 I bought my tall 12-year-old daughter a Schwinn Crosscut. It was a bit pricey for a pre-teen, but the bike was well-built. I knew it would last for many years. The Schwinn catalog description of entry for Crosscut revealed that it was a well-designed bike.
“Crosscut is Purebred performance featuring double-butted True Temper frame, quick handling geometry, and fast tracking 38 Special tires. It also has a new Shimano 500CX/400LX 21 speed Cross package and user-friendly Grip-Shift indexed shifting.” (slightly reworded from 1992 Schwinn Consumer Catalog)
My daughter was in middle of a growth spirt and she outgrew the bike in one short season. However, this mistake was fortuitous. My wife was riding a 1970s 10-speed. Now with two kids, the drop handlebars did not suit here. I asked her to take the bike for a ride to see if it fit here.
She came back with a smile on her face. She liked the idea of moving from drop handlebars to riding a performance “cross” or “mountain style” bicycle with straight handlebars. After 30 years she is still riding this bike. This is a testament to the durability of Schwinn bicycles made overseas.
1992 Schwinn CrossCut that was Made in Taiwan
Note: This was among the last bicycles sold by the Schwinn family business.
Attesting to the quality of the bicycle design, I have made very few modifications to this Schwinn. As expected, it was necessary to keep the bike in good working order by replacing its tires, chains and rear cogs. The original Grip-Shifters were a bit awkward to use, so I replaced them with the modern thumb shifters.
In all likelihood, the bike probably was manufactured for Schwinn by Giant in Taiwan. This 1992 Crossfit was one of the last bicycle models produced for Schwinn family bicycle company.
The quality of these cross series bikes indicated that if Schwinn had played its cards right, they could have been a viable company. Schwinn clearly had the ability to produce quality of bicycles in Asia.
The vulture capitalist Zell -Chilmark ventured into the fray. The fund was worth $1 billion and was well known for purchasing troubled companies. Sam Zell, one of the funds owners, was often called the grave dancer. Zell-Chilmark was quite attracted to the economic potential of acquiring the Schwinn name at a fire sale price.
Zell-Chilmark made its move in December 1992 and gave a hard deadline for the completion of the deal to purchase Schwinn out of bankruptcy. The firm did not want the transaction to drag out because this would mean the company would miss the Spring bicycle selling season.
Zell-Chilmark first tried to buy Schwinn’s $30 million debt from the banks. They thought that this would put them in good stead to succeed in acquiring Schwinn during the bankruptcy hearings. They were wrong. The banks were first in line of about 1200 creditors to get payments from Schwinn and they wanted to get the full value of their investments back.
In the smoke filled rooms, deals for Schwinn were churning. China Bicycles asked to join the Schwinn bid by Zell-Chilmark. The logic of working with a supplier did not fit well with Zell-Chilmark’s plan so they declined the offer. As the number two creditor, Giant also wanted to cut a deal. But Zell-Chilmark was not thrilled with working with a Schwinn supplier and brand competitor.
With deals flying in all different directions, China Bicycle Company finally hit on a solution. They would waive their 18 million debt claim on Schwinn in exchange for stock in the new company. Further, they would sell a limited amount of that stock and provide the proceeds to the Schwinn Family Trust.
China bicycles offered $2.5 million to the Family Trust and it was grudgingly accepted. After nearly 100 years of sweat, tears, and bicycle innovations, the family received a paltry sum. The bright side was that the deal would mean that the Schwinn family name would be kept alive adorning bicycles for many years to come.
The deal was virtually complete for a Zell-Chilmark takeover of Schwinn. A deal that included the elimination of the China Bicycle Company debt was attractive to the other creditors because this raised the value of the remaining company assets. This increased the chances that they would receive higher payments for their debt. The total Zell-Chilmark deal including the debt waiver by China Bicycles was valued at $61 million.
The last catalog produced by the Schwinn family company also was in 1992. Bicycles coming after that date have the Schwinn nameplate but had no other relationship to the original family company.
Zell-Chilmark firm knew nothing about running a bicycle company. Consequently, they decided partner with Scott USA, a burgeoning sports company with strong ties in Europe. Another youth movement was about to begin at Schwinn bicycles.
The first act of Scott USA was to move the corporate headquarters to Boulder, Colorado. Scott had a diverse product line but their main brands were sold in Europe.
For Scott USA, Schwinn was a good fit for them to be able to sell bicycle in the USA without making the substantial investments necessary to start a new company. The company revamped the bicycle line and ended the long tradition of building bicycles in the USA.
None of the Schwinn Chicago employees were seen as a good fit for the new company. This was the end of the road for the Schwinn family bicycle company. The Schwinn name would live on adorning the tubes of bicycles made in Asia.
In 1993, Richard Schwinn, the great-grandson of the company founder Ignaz, and Marc Muller made a deal with Zell-Chilmark. They were able to purchase the Schwinn Paramount design group and production facility in Waterford, Wisconsin from Zell-Chilmark.
Zell-Chilmark had no use for the Waterford plant which specialized in high-end bicycles. The investment group had decided to focus on the wider markers of less expensive bicycles.
Zell-Chilmark did contract to purchase Paramounts from the new company created by Richard Schwinn. Sales turned out to be disappointing and after a few years the new owners of Schwinn discontinued the arrangement.
First Schwinn Paramount Made by Waterford, 1993
Note: The first Schwinn Paramount Contracted by Zell-Chilmark and produced by Waterford.
Waterford Precision Cycles continues to build high quality bicycle under the direction of Richard Schwinn. Due to the bankruptcy agreement, Richard Schwinn is not allowed to use his last name or the Paramount brand.
The new bicycles Richard Schwinn produces in the iconic Waterford bicycle facility are mostly called Waterford bicycles. Today, his company still makes top-of-the-line bicycles in the old Paramount factory under the name of Waterford Precision Cycles and some other selected brands.
Zell-Chilmark got off the line quickly. Along with Scott USA, the company developed new models and created a retro brand to cash in on Schwinn nostalgia. The company also was fast to adapt to new trends in both cycling and technology. However, the Scott USA and Schwinn combination was never a comfortable fit.
Just four years after purchasing Schwinn, in 1997 Scott Sports Group and Zell-Chilmark sold Schwinn to Questor Partners Fund for $80,000. Questor tried to breath new life into Schwinn again developing an updated line of historic models.
Questor also purchased GT Bicycles and merged it with Schwinn. This resulted in the production of the Schwinn homegrown series and mountain style bikes. The Schwinn bikes were among the best quality sold in the big box stores.
This new strategy by Questor was not enough. In 2001, Schwinn/GT was once again in bankruptcy court staving off creditors. During the court proceedings, Pacific Cycle outbid Huffy Corporation to purchase the Schwinn/GT bicycle brand from Questor. The amount of the purchase was $86 million.
In Pacific Cycles, Schwinn was finally owned by a stable partner. Pacific Cycles moved the Schwinn headquarters to Madison, Wisconsin. They focused on selling Schwinn branded bicycles at low prices in companies like Sears, Kmart and Target. The Pacific approach for selling Schwinn bicycle combined with several other major brands worked quite well.
The corporate maneuvering saga wasn’t quite yet t over for Schwinn. In 2004, Dorel Industries of Canada sensed an opportunity to strengthen its bicycle business. The company purchased Pacific Cycles and this meant that in 11 years Schwinn had changed hands four times.
Finally, Schwinn was in a corporate partnership that would last for many years. Pacific remain as a subsidiary of Dorel for more 15 years. During the period from 2004 to 2021, Pacific would accumulate many brands of bicycles by 2021 that include Cannondale, GT (included in Schwinn purchase), Iron Horse, Mongoose, Murray, and Roadmaster.
The 1990s and the Globalization of the Bicycle Market
The story of Schwinn can be seen as a reflection the new business climate of the 1990s. Gordon Gekko famously said in the movie Wall Street, “Greed is good.” The vulnerability of Schwinn was on clear display in this new age of financial wheeling and dealing accompanied by outsourcing of bicycle production to Asia.
Schwinn went from a family-owned bicycle company in 1992 to being purchased for $67 million by vulture capitalist Zell-Chilmark in 1993. In 1997, Schwinn was sold to the investment group Questor Partners Fund for $86 million making a nice profit for the vulture capitalist Zell-Chilmark. This purchase by Questor did not work out well and the Schwinn/GT brand was sold for $86 million to Pacific Cycle during a bankruptcy hearing in 2001.
The identity conferred upon Schwinn by Pacific Cycle was the antithesis of the vision of its founders during the early part of the 20th Century. The purveyor of high-quality American made bicycles sold through dedicated retailers was replaced by Asia-produced Schwinns marketed by Walmart, Kmart and Target.
Schwinn was not alone in this fate. The company was joined iconic brands such as the English Raleigh and the French Motobecane. The high-quality American and European bicycle makers from the 1970s and 1980s all were impacted by the globalization of the bicycle market. The three major bicycles companies that would prove their mettle in adapting to the new business climate were Trek, Giant and Specialized.
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Bicycle and Pedestrian Policy (1)
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Schwinn Lightweight Bicycles, 1983 (Photo: Schwinn Bicycle Company 1983) My interest in Schwinn bicycles started in childhood. As a child, I...
What Would an 1895 Wright Brothers Bicycle Cost Today?
The answer of course is priceless. However, this does mean we can't try to find a comparable price today based on exchange rates or pur...
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The Story of my 1976 Sekai Competition Bicycle
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© Doug Barnes, 2016-19. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used when clear credit is given.
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Safeco began with Ross Omari and his pursuit of the American Dream at the young age of 17 as a dishwasher. Using his keen skills of observation, he noticed an opportunity. With diligence and hard work he earned the chance to begin his quest to break into the world of business ownership. Taking small calculated steps, focused continually on going above and beyond, in 2009 he started SAFECO and it has grown into a very successful business located in several states. Now, many years later, Safeco is poised to continue to grow and excel in this industry.
As you do your research to come up with the right team for your company, use these bullet points to remind you of the value Safeco brings to the game. Each point speaks to the tangible benefits that we can provide to your clients and the positive returns to your bottom line.
Safeco is privately owned and operated which assures access to our executive management team is available when necessary.
Our diverse team of industry specialists who understand the unique needs of your business have the experience you expect and deserve.
Safeco is a full-service company that addresses all of your parking needs, including front service management
Safeco’s SOP’s and training programs adhere to all of AAA Four Diamond Standards.
We provide brand new vehicles to service the needs of your guests. Vehicles are replaced every two years.
Safeco will go the extra mile and place a full-time manager on site to assure your needs and expectations are met.
As you do your research to come up with the right team for your company, use these bullet points to remind you of the value Safeco brings to the game. Each point speaks to the tangible benefits that we can provide to your clients and the positive returns to your bottom line.
Safeco is privately owned and operated which assures access to our executive management team is available when necessary.
Our diverse team of industry specialists who understand the unique needs of your business have the experience you expect and deserve.
In today’s world security is tantamount. Our Front Service Agents are required by Safeco Parking to carry a Guard Card License in order to ensure guest safety.
Safeco is a full-service company that addresses all of your parking needs, including front service management
Safeco’s SOP’s and training programs adhere to all of AAA Four Diamond Standards.
We provide brand new vehicles to service the needs of your guests. Vehicles are replaced every two years.
Safeco will go the extra mile and place a full-time manager on site to assure your needs and expectations are met.
In each area, excellence is expected and delivered. Our size allows us to be nimble and flexible and the product we deliver is customized to your needs. With locations in California, Texas, and Nevada the company is well-positioned in this industry.
Which includes properly trained and attired personal parking attendants for regular or special events where that extra touch is required. This is our flagship service and we pay very close attention to every detail. Our attendants are tested to make sure they can deliver our high standards. Our employees will work seamlessly as if they are yours to manage. You can be confident that your clients will be pleased to the utmost and your revenues maximized.
Which includes properly trained and attired personal parking attendants for regular or special events where that extra touch is required. This is our flagship service and we pay very close attention to every detail. Our attendants are tested to make sure they can deliver our high standards. Our employees will work seamlessly as if they are yours to manage. You can be confident that your clients will be pleased to the utmost and your revenues maximized.
Our specially trained and attired attendants will address the particular needs of your guests. These easily identifiable staff members will embody the time when customer service was king. The benefit to you is peace of mind knowing your clients are specially cared for.
Our specially trained and attired attendants will address the particular needs of your guests. These easily identifiable staff members will embody the time when customer service was king. The benefit to you is peace of mind knowing your clients are specially cared for.
Transportation
Where luxurious and safe vehicles will be provided with our driver to deliver your clients to their appointed destination. Professionally trained drivers will provide hassle free service for your guests as requested and always in style.
Transportation
Where luxurious and safe vehicles will be provided with our driver to deliver your clients to their appointed destination. Professionally trained drivers will provide hassle free service for your guests as requested and always in style.
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Greetings! Our official census headcount summary and reports for summer 2020 were distributed by email this morning. If you did not get it and would like to be added to the distribution list, or have any questions about summer enrollment, please email [email protected]. Hope you have a great semester!
Filed Under: Strategic Enrollment Management, Uncategorized
summer enrollment
June 8, 2020 by Rob Hornberger
Greetings on the first day of the summer semester! Our official headcount summary and reports for summer 2020 were distributed by email this morning. If you did not get it and would like to be added to the distribution list, or have any questions about summer enrollment, please email [email protected]. Hope you have a great semester!
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Raleigh's Rialto Theatre is a charming, historic theater that dates back to 1942. The theater shows a variety of classic films, as well as art house and foreign films, and screens the Rocky Horror Picture Show every Friday.
Our team of researchers has confirmed that this attraction is kid-friendly, free/cheap, indoors and a good date idea
98% of 43 visitors to TripBuzz and other popular sites across the web rated this attraction favorably
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After court decision being in Johnny Depp’s favor against his ex-Amber Heard, fans are now more furious around the world and now they demand an open apology for him.
Depp got $10 million in compensatory harms and $5 million in corrective harms after the court pondered for around 12 hours north of three days. Virginia state regulation cutoff points corrective harms to $350,000.
The jury likewise granted 36-year-old Amber Heard $2 million for harms in her $100 million countersuits.
A jury unanimously found Amber Heard liable for defamation against Johnny Depp — here’s the moment the verdict was read in the courtroom Wednesday afternoon pic.twitter.com/PyPGUgSkLk
Following Depp’s success, his fans are looking for an expression of sorry from both Disney and Warner Bros. for dropping the entertainer from both the Pirates of the Caribbean and Fantastic Beasts establishments, individually.
As per an Instagram post from the entertainer, Warner Bros requested that he leave the job of Gellert Grindelwald following titles with respect to his exhausting split from Heard and his resulting defamation argument against The Sun.
Johnny Depp’s vocation in the entertainment world has been hard for the beyond couple of years. Regardless of his unbelievable and remarkable commitments to film, he has experienced serious blows following his ex, Amber Heard, composing a commentary against him in The Washington Post.
Johnny Depp started losing jobs gradually. He stood in opposition to what it was prefer to be eliminated from his industry during the preliminary of Amber Heard:
“It’s been six years of trying times,” “It’s pretty strange when one day you’re Cinderella, so to speak, then 0.6 seconds [later] you’re Quasimodo.”
He lost Grindelwald from Harry Potter and the Secrets of Dumbledore in one of the new films. The role was given to Mads Mikkelsen. Disney chose to dispense with his notorious job as “Jack Sparrow” from the forthcoming Pirates of The Caribbean sequel giving him a significant blow.
We can’t even think of a Pirates of the Caribbean film without Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow. Johnny Depp was the person who made Jack Sparrow into the famous and remarkable person he is today.
As per Depp in his declaration, his expulsion from the gigantic establishment was additionally because of Amber Heard’s allegation:
“My opinion is that it was related to the accusations that Amber has made,”
For what reason how about Disney and Warner Bros apologize to Johnny Depp? Share your considerations in the remarks underneath.
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The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.
President Clinton Meets With Congressional Democrats
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release February 12, 1998
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, the minute I get back to the White House I am going to sign an executive order mandating the widest possible dissemination for free of whatever it is the Vice President had for breakfast. (Laughter and applause.) Thank you, Mr. Vice President, for what you said and for all the work you have done over these last five-plus years to help make our country a better place.
I want to thank Dick Gephardt and Tom Daschle, members of the Senate and the House who are here, members of our time -- Mr. Bowles and others. I want to thank Barbara Turner and Judith Lee and Kate Casey for reminding us why we're all here.
You know, I, as we have established in painful and sometimes happy ways over the last five years, I'm not exactly a Washington person, you know. I just sort of showed up here a few years ago for work. (Laughter.) And sometimes I really get lonesome for why I came here. You can go for days, weeks here, and hardly ever spot a real citizen. (Laughter.) I mean, somebody that's just out there living, trying to do the right thing, showing up every day, trying to make this country a better place by making their lives and their families and their workplaces and their communities better places.
These women reminded us today of why we are all here, what our charge is, why we are here. (Applause.) And we should draw two lessons from what they all said. Number one, we should never, ever believe that what we're doing here does not make a difference and is just some personal power trip or some political party's power trip. That is not true. What we do here makes a difference -- and you've just heard it.
The second lesson we should draw is that we shouldn't spend too much time patting ourselves on the back because we still have a lot more to do to make this country what it ought to be in this new century. And they gave us that. And for me, it was a real jolt of adrenalin, and it touched my heart and engaged my mine, and I know you all felt the same way. And I think we should give them another hand. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Let me just say to all of you, I am very proud to be a member of the oldest political party in this country, and maybe in any free democracy. I am proud to work with all of you not only to strengthen that party but, more importantly, to make our country a better place. I want to say a little bit more about the Democratic Party at the end of my remarks, but I'd like to say a couple of words about our leaders, Dick Gephardt and Tom Daschle. And I could say many things about both of them, but two things strike me because they, in different ways, reflect them at their moment of greatest challenge.
In 1993 and 1994, we were in the majority, all right, but Dick Gephardt knew that we were risking that majority by having to pass a Democrats only budget and passing a crime bill which, along with the Brady Bill, not only put more police on the street, but took more guns off the street and out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. And he was well aware that if we did those things the problem for the House was they had to run every two years and that we would be doing the right thing, but people would not be able to feel the right thing by the next election, but they could hear all the fears -- the Democrats are taking your guns away; the Democrats are taxing you -- all things that were wrong. But he did it anyway.
And by the narrowest of margins, we prevailed on the budget; by a very narrow margin we prevailed on the crime bill. The crime bill was written, in effect, by police officers and community anticrime activists. And five years later we're going to have a balanced budget, and we've got safer streets, and there are all kinds of people like the three women who talked here today who have different stories to tell because Dick Gephardt did the right think when it was required. And I appreciate that. (Applause.)
Consider Tom Daschle's plight. He becomes the Senate Democratic leader when we're in the minority and he has to deal with the almost unbelievable roll of bad luck -- because, you know, a third of the Senate comes up every year -- that even though we're now in the majority, we have two more elections where we have more people running than they do. You couldn't -- no mathematical statistician could sit down and figure out a bigger nightmare for a party.
Now, you go into the minority for the first time in a while -- and by the way, you've got two more elections where you have to put more people up to bat than they do. They'll have more money, but you've got to have more candidates. And, oh, by the way, you have to show up for work tomorrow and figure out how to get something done for the American people consistent with what your members believe in and consistent with what you know is in the interest of the American people.
But he did it. I defy you to find a time in the last 20 years when more Democratic ideas have made their way into the life blood of America than they have through the balanced budget, raising the minimum wage and the other things that were done -- many of them came right out of Senate Democratic ideas, in no small measure because Tom Daschle proved that he could stand up for our party and reach out a constructive hand to the other party and get something done for the American people. And I thank him for that. (Applause.)
We have taken our party in a new direction for the 21st century to help our country go in a new direction -- a new direction rooted in the future, not the past; bound by fiscal discipline, but unlimited in imagination and dreams and hopes for our people; determined to invest in their future; grounded in our traditional values.
We've shaped a new kind of government, as the Vice President said. It is leaner, it's more flexible, it's a catalyst for new ideas, it's determined to give the American people the tools they need to solve their problems and make the most of their own lives. It may be the smallest government in 35 years, but in many ways it is more progressive because of all the things we are trying to do. And it is giving us a stronger nation.
You know, of course, that we have the lowest unemployment in 24 years. And I think it's important to say, because of what we care about, we have rising incomes again and we have diminishing inequality. Child poverty is now lower than it was in 1989 at the top of the last recovery. Why? Because of the Earned Income Tax Credit that these Democratic Caucuses insisted on, saying we are not going to tax hard-working people who do go out there and work full-time -- we're not going to use the tax system to put them into poverty, we're going to use the tax system to lift them out of poverty so their children can have a dignified and successful childhood. And I thank you for that. (Applause.)
So what we're doing is working, but what the American people want us to do is to keep showing up for work -- to spend precious little time celebrating what has been done. That's what we got hired to do. I remember one time when I was thinking about running for a fifth term as governor, and I went out to the state fair. I used to have Governor's Day at the state fair. And this old boy showed up in overalls to the booth where I was sitting there talking to people. And he said, well, Bill, you going to run a again? And I said, I don't know, I might. I said, if I do will you vote for me? He said, yeah, I will, I always have. But he said, I don't know if you can win. He said, you've been in an awful long time. But he said, I'll vote for you. And I said, well, don't you think I've done a good job? He said, well, of course, but that's what we hired you to do. (Laughter.) He said, you picked up a paycheck every two weeks, didn't you? (Laughter.) We should all remember that.
Our citizens are focused on the future, in their own lives and in our own lives. And we're here today not to talk about the past, but to talk about that future. We're here today not to talk about the positions our party seeks to take against the Republicans in Congress, but the positions our party seeks to advance in the debate with the hope that we can write them into law and change the lives and the futures of the American people, so we can have more stories like the three we heard from these distinguished Americans today. (Applause.)
Now, most of this has been talked about, but let me say the things that I think are most important and what I hope will be our common agenda. First of all, we've got to stay the path of fiscal discipline. We've got to stay the path. Because the reason this economy is booming is that it's clear that we are serious about running a disciplined shop here, and we've got interest rates down, investment up. It's creating jobs -- almost 15 million new jobs. We can't back off of that.
If I had told anybody, any economist, five years ago, look, five years from now we'll have 14.7 million new jobs, an unemployment rate for months on end under 5 percent, and the lowest inflation in 30 years, and the highest homeownership rate in 30 years, the lowest Hispanic unemployment rate on record, the lowest black unemployment rate in nearly three decades, they would have said that I needed to see someone for my sense of reality. That has all happened because we began first with discipline, and we dare not abandon it.
Now, that means, among other things, we have to recognize that this balanced budget which is about to happen will maintain itself for many years, but only because of the high receipts we're getting from Social Security taxes, and yet Social Security is not all right for the long run. That's why we have to say as a party, before we spend any of this surplus, even a penny of it, we ought to have a commitment and a plan that we will implement to save Social Security first.
The baby boom generation, when we retire, there will be less than three people working for every one person drawing. Sometime in the middle of the next century, in about the, oh, fourth decade of the next century, there will be only two people working for one person drawing if present retirement rates and work force participation rates continue.
I am the oldest of the baby boomers. I can tell you, all of my friends at home -- I'm talking about my middle class friends, people that -- even people that didn't have a college degree or anything -- they're all worried about, number one, will they have a retirement; and number two, if they have one will it be so costly to our children that their ability to raise our grandchildren will be compromised. None of us want that; none of us need that. That would be a wrong result, and we must save Social Security in a way that binds us together across the generations and across our income differences instead of tearing us apart. So we must say as a party, we want to save Social Security first. (Applause.)
Now, Judith pointed out she had a 401(k) plan. I'm really proud of the work we've done in this Congress, going back to '94, to stabilize and save private pensions and to make it easier for people to take out their own private retirement. That must be a part of this. Whatever we do with Social Security, most people won't be able to maintain their living standard on it. And that's good, because they've got a higher living standard. But that means we have to do more to enable people to save for their own retirement.
We have to make it easier; we have to make it more secure; we have to make them more options; we have to tailor the plans for the economy that they're living in, not the one that existed 10 or 20 years ago.
The second thing we have to do is to do more to preserve the quality of health care. This has already been mentioned by the previous leaders, but I want to say I think it's imperative that the Democratic Party work in this Congress to actually pass -- and there are members of the Republican Party who want to do this with us. This need not be a partisan issue. We ought to pass a Consumer Bill of Rights that establishes baseline protection for people.
We have 160 million Americans in managed care plans now -- they ought to be entitled to the benefits of those plans without giving up quality health care and the right to have a doctor make the best prescription for them. We ought to pass it, and we ought to work and work and work until it becomes the law of the land. (Applause.)
We are now working, we in the administration, to implement that you passed, that you generated out of this Caucus, to extend health care coverage to 5 million more children. And that will be very important. Child poverty is down in the last five years. Visits to the doctor are up in the last five years. That is good. But we also have to recognize there are a lot of other populations that still don't have health insurance. And people between the ages of 55 and 65, people who lost their jobs and can't get hired again, people who retired early and were promised health coverage but their companies broke the promise, people who have a spouse that's old enough for Medicare and they're not and they're ill -- those people -- all we want to do is let them buy into the Medicare program.
Now, there are some who say, well, they can't afford it -- $300 a month. I'll tell you what -- that's a lot of money; it's a lot less than one trip to the hospital. One trip to the hospital will cost them three times as much as the annual premium would.
Secondly, we cannot afford to do anything that undermines the stability of the Medicare fund. We've got a Medicare Commission -- thank you, Senator Breaux -- that's going to try to figure out what to do about the long-term financial problems of Medicare. So we have to let people buy in in a way that doesn't affect the stability of the fund. A lot of these people have children who will help them pay these premiums. They may have brothers and sisters who will help them pay these premiums. What have we got to lose by trying? It is wrong to leave all these people out there between 55 and 65 at a vulnerable time, when we can simply give them the option to pay into the fund at the real cost in a way that will not upset the stability of the Medicare trust fund. I implore you to get behind that, and let's pass it for the benefit of the people. (Applause.)
We have a great agenda. We have to finish hooking up every classroom -- a great agenda for education -- we have to finish hooking up every classroom to the Information Superhighway. We have to finish our work to raise standards and have these basic exams in the basics. We are offering now -- I seek, at least, to offer new options for schools to follow the Chicago model, not just to end social promotion, but to give all these kids that are being left behind an actual chance to learn and the tools with which they can learn.
But perhaps the two most important things we have proposed that I hope all of us will be united behind, are the idea of putting 100,000 teachers out there to lower our average class sizes in the first three kids to 18 kids a class, and then helping either build or repair classrooms in 5,000 more schools, so we can actually lower class size, improve the physical conditions, and improve education in those early grades. It will make a dramatic difference to American education. And I hope that we will be out there fighting for that. (Applause.)
Lastly, let me say I want to join the chorus of those who believe we should raise the minimum wage. Now, every time we have raised the minimum wage in my lifetime there have been those who say, if you do this it will cost jobs. The last time we did it, it didn't cost jobs; we continued to create jobs at a very brisk pace. But we know that the real value of the minimum wage today is actually less than it was 20 years ago. We know that.
We know that there is a limit to how much we can do with the Earned Income Tax Credit, in terms of giving people back money to the tax system to lift working people and their kids out of poverty, without running a risk of having the system abused and having people take advantage of it. But we know if people just get a fair wage for the work they do, they're not going to get paid if they don't do the work.
So I believe it's time to raise it again. And again I say, with our economy the strongest in a generation, our prospects bright, but with our efforts to overcome 20 years of increasing inequality among working people just beginning to take hold, I think we should raise it again, by a dollar in two equal steps by the turn of the century. That will raise the living standards of 12 million hard-working Americans.
I thank Senator Kennedy. I thank you, Congressman Bonior, for your leadership on this. I think we ought to reach out a hand just like we did before. We raised the minimum wage once in this Congress. We can do it again, and the economy will support it. We just have to look at the statistic of what's happened to these working families over the last 20 years, and let's just simply say -- we say we favor work over welfare; we've set up a system to promote that; now, if people are going to show up for work, they ought to be able to raise their children in dignity. And we ought to say this. (Applause.)
Save Social Security first. Establish the Patients Bill of Rights. Let people buy into Medicare. Reduce average class size and build more schools and schoolrooms. Raise the minimum wage.
I also want to associate myself with what has already been said and with the proposals I've already made on child care, on campaign finance, on the tobacco legislation, on environmental protection and medical and other research, on making our streets safer by passing the funds I've asked for through the Justice Department and the Education Department to keep these schools open late hours. All these kids that are getting in trouble, a bunch of them will never get in trouble in the first place if you give them something positive to do after school and before the parents get home from work. I hope you will pass the Community Empowerment Initiative to bring free enterprise and jobs and investment to poor neighborhoods in urban areas and rural areas where it still hasn't reached. We have a lot of other things to do.
And let me just say this. You know the American people agree with this agenda because you saw the response to the State of the Union. I urge all of us to resist the temptation to have the whole agenda to take to them next November. Let's pass every bit of it we can into law. Let's make every bit of it we can real in the lives of our people. Believe me, we have enough honest disagreements with our friends in the Republican Party that some of this agenda is going to be left for us to take to the American people in November and debate about it. You know that. If they make their best efforts to honestly work with us based on what they really believe, and we make our best efforts to honestly work with them based on what we really believe, there will be some things left on the table next November that we can probably go to electorate with. And we don't have to be ashamed of that.
But we owe it to our people to make sure that if any of these things that could become law and could change their lives and could make more stories like these three we've heard -- that if it doesn't happen this year, we owe it to the American people to make sure that it is not our fault, that we showed up and we did the work here. (Applause.) We owe it to them.
What is the purpose of a political party? I spent a lot of time last year reading about the 19th century and about places in the 1800s, periods of time that most Americans don't know much about anymore. I've spent a lot of time studying the history of our party. I believe the purpose of our government and, therefore, the purpose of any political party, at every important period in our history if you look back through it, has been threefold: to widen the circle of opportunity, to deepen the meaning of freedom, and to unify the nation.
Now, that's what Thomas Jefferson did with the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and then became President and he bought Louisiana -- thank you very much; it put Arkansas in the Union -- (laughter) -- and sent Lewis and Clark out West. Right? Widened opportunity, deepened freedom, unified the country.
Now, any honest Democrat will say that the Republicans did more of that than we did, from Abraham Lincoln through Theodore Roosevelt. And, frankly, I'm sure we had a lot of nice people in our party during a lot of that period, but they were asleep at the switch. But from Woodrow Wilson to Franklin Roosevelt to Harry Truman to John Kennedy to Lyndon Johnson to Jimmy Carter to the present day, through all of our leadership in Congress in the 20th century forward, our party -- we haven't always been right, we haven't always been up to date, but we have always been for widening the circle of opportunity, deepening the meaning of liberty and freedom, and uniting and strengthening the United States of America. That is what we ought to be about. (Applause.)
That is what we ought to be about. And if we do it, the American people will respond. Thank you and God bless you. (Applause.)
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There is a common problem that I hear from my clients. It’s an issue that affects female leaders, female business owners, and probably lots of men as well.
I was coaching with a group of clients in my She’s Goaled Program. We were reviewing how their goals went that month.
One of them said that she felt she wasn’t getting everything done because she wasn’t at her optimum level of health:
She said she's tired
She said she's got so much on the go
She just doesn't have the energy to do it all
I'm guessing you've had those moments, too. Maybe even today! But the next thing she said was, “I have to remember what my age is and not work like I’m 20 years old again.”
What it comes down to is how you want your lifestyle and your every day to look like. This is especially true if you're in control of your own time and is important even if you work a nine to five.
It’s not about age. It’s not about your life before kids. It's about how you want to live your life right now.
How much do you want to work?
When do you want time off?
What do you want to do in your free time?
Answer these questions as the person you are, not even thinking about age. Think about what you want and what you want your life to look like.
If you're tired, try asking yourself: What’s the cause?
Is it because you're working too much?
Is it because you've taken on too many responsibilities that it keeps you up late at night doing everything?
Are you tired because you're stressed with all the things you're doing?
Do you want it to continue like that?
Does it mean you need to cut back on your work?
Do you need to take time off?
I had one client who had so much vacation time banked at her company that she basically could take a whole year off! She was a great employee, but she was working herself into the ground.
I asked her, “What do you want?” She said she just wants to work less. She was working 80 hours a week. She wants to have a bigger impact in the work she does, but she also needs to rest. She said she wants to be able to take her time off and doesn’t feel she can.
She knew she needed to take it, but she worried. She felt like she couldn't have the same impact that she wanted to have if she was to take time off. Surprisingly, since she also worked so much she worried she wouldn’t know what to do with her free time.
If you run a business, maybe you think you can't have the results you want if you take some time off. I'm not saying take a whole month off, but if you want to that's totally doable because that's actually what this client of mine did.
Not only that, but she continued to take every single August off moving forward. She also took a personal day every so often. It was a day for herself where she would just book a day off with no major plans and just wake up that day and think:
What am I going to do today?
What am I going to experience today?
How am I going to use my time today?
If you're at a place where you're feeling like you don't like how things are, you can't handle what you used to handle, or you wish things were different, STOP. Take a moment. Really ask yourself:
What is it that I want?
How much do I want to work?
How do I want to work?
It's not about comparing to how life was in the past. It's about getting super clear about how you want life to be right now.
What do you want to accomplish, what goals do you want to have, and what priorities are in your life? Basically, it comes down to three words: Design your life.
You can actually do that. A lot of times people just go with the default or they settle for what's happening in their life. Or they take options that are presented to them.
If you want to balance your life better then I’ve got you covered.
For the upcoming Black Friday, I’m offering the Ultimate Success Toolkit which contains tools that can help you reach your goals and surpass the feeling of being tired, busy, and overwhelmed!
Grab your toolkit here.
Read my other blogs here:
1. Stop Juggling everything! Tips to help you avoid overwhelm
2. How to Stop Feeling Tired: The ONE thing I do every year to run on full cylinders
3. Overwhelmed with Overwhelm
How to Make a Name for Yourself at Work - Part 1
Have you ever wondered how to stand out at work or how to make yourself noticeable to get a promotion?
This came from a conversation I was having with a professional whose company was overtaken by another company. They were bought out. They went from a company with around 50 employees to now in the 1000s.
She had some valid questions:
When you’re bought out by the big guy, how do you really prove that you should be there?
How do you continue to move up the ladder when now the ladder seems very big with a lot more competition?
(Or for my entrepreneurs, These ideas can still apply to you. Ask yourself, “How can I be chosen out of all of my competitors?” Stay tuned for my next blog where I will specifically cover this for you.)
Here are five specific steps that you can do right now no matter where you are in your company and no matter what level you’re at.
Even if you’re not in a company, you can still think about:
How you can apply these to make a name for your industry because you have your own business
How you can make a name for yourself on the board that you’re on
How you can make a name for yourself in your circle of friends
And with every topic I cover, you can always think about how you can apply these to other areas of life.
If you are about to be bought out by another company or even if you are working for the same company, you have to think about:
What are the company's values?
What's their mission?
What's their culture?
What is most important to them? Is it efficiency, productivity, sales, customer service, humanitarian efforts?
What is it that they really regard highly?
If you can align yourself with that, it’s going to help you to stand out. When you have your next meeting, performance review and even in an interview, plan how you’ll share this alignment. Have examples or stories of your ideas, experiences, and actions to prove that you're in alignment with them, especially in casual conversations that happen, it's going to help you to make a name for yourself.
Second: Connect with Others
Whether you know every person in your company or not, this is an opportunity to reach out and get to know them or maintain and nurture that relationship. How do you do that?
There are so many different platforms that companies are on like Slack or you have another in-house messenger system. Shoot them a short voicemail or a short video or even just reach out and just say, “Hey, how's it going?”
If you don't know each other well, why not do a virtual coffee? Especially with Zoom and people being in their own homes, you get to learn a little bit more about them than you maybe normally would if you were talking in the office, workspace, or staff room.
Get to know them. Ask questions like:
What do they do on the weekend?
Do they have family?
Do they have a pet?
What do they like to do?
What are their hobbies?
I know these are basic questions, but when you get to know these things about them, then you can easily refer back to it the following week. You could say:
“Hey, did you go skiing again this weekend?”
“Have you seen any other great movies?”
“Did you finish that book you were reading?”
There are so many things you can talk about just based on you asking one question the week before or the last time you saw them. It might help to even write it down especially if you're going to be meeting a lot of new people. Write down one interesting fact about them. Then when you see them next time, follow up with that.
The cool thing is, in them sharing something about themselves, you can then acknowledge them. If you get to know them on a personal basis, acknowledge them for who they're being like:
“Wow, you sound like a really great chef.”
“Oh, I hear that you're a really loving sister.”
Whatever it may be, you can do a very simple acknowledgment. You can use this formula:
For example: You are a wonderful mother.
You can also compliment them. It can be simple or on a more professional basis:
“That's a great colour you’re wearing.”
Whatever it may be, you can compliment them on how they were doing in the job or how they were performing:
“That was a really great email you wrote.”
“I really loved the presentation you made. Congrats on such great slides!”
You can compliment them on who they were being like:
“Wow you're really organized.”
“You were really patient with that customer.”
You can give people an acknowledgment or a compliment. There are so many different ways and versions of it and it can be personal or professional. You have two choices.
Third: Speak Up
You don't need to be the boss. You don't need to be the one that is going to dominate the conversation, but you should at least say something in meetings. Come up with ideas and share them.
When you have that opportunity to present something or even ask a question, do it. You need to have a voice to the name and the email. You need to have people see you when they normally just see your name up on a board somewhere.
If you're feeling like there's not really an opportunity for you to add ideas you can just add in one of these:
You can agree with someone, “Yeah, I agree with Ronnie's idea to do that at the next event we're hosting.”
You can give someone kudos, “I appreciate the work Helen has put into this project.”
You can ask a clarifying question, “So if you’re saying X, does that mean Y?” or “So am I understanding that XYZ? Is that what you're saying?”
That shows interest. That shows that you care to know that what you’ve heard is right. If you don't have anything else to say, you can at least ask a question or provide a statement.
There can be many employees in a company and many people in your industry, so that everyone can start to blend into one another, especially for anyone that has a specific uniform that you have to wear. But:
Can you be yourself in other ways?
Can you have a snazzy email signature?
Can you have a certain way that you close off or open up in your email writing?
Can you have some other way to show that you're fun, creative, or smart?
Can you change your Zoom name or put something besides the Zoom name?
If you wear glasses, could your glasses be a bit more fun or a bit more unique?
Could you wear a statement necklace or a brighter colored shirt?
Just be yourself so that you stand out in your uniqueness.
I don't know how many times I finally got to meet in-person someone I had only emailed with or spoken to on the phone and I was thinking, “Oh, I thought they’d look like this or thought they’d look like that.” People can be more connected to you when they know what you look like. In your emails, can you put an image of yourself so that you're recognizable when they see you?
When you jump on the meetings, get on video. I don't know how many times I've been on calls and people are not on video. They don't even have a photo when they're not on video, so it just says their name on a black screen. That’s not very memorable.
Get on video. Have people see you. Even if you're not the one speaking, be on video, to be smiling, nodding, looking thoughtful as if you're really listening, that goes a long way for someone who's presenting as a speaker.
I know I notice that. I was at a little meet and greet event the other week and one of the other women, as everyone was introducing themselves, was smiling and nodding and showing that she was really listening. That prompted me to reach out to her in a private message through the chat function of Zoom.
I told her something like, “Hey, who are you? You are doing such a good job smiling and nodding at people. I love it. Congratulations.” What started up as our own little conversation ended up having a virtual coffee date. She was making herself not just recognizable, but she was standing out as a good person.
When you go to a meeting or an event and you have a question or comment to make, start by saying your name. Don't assume that people know your name or know your department. You could say:
“I'm Janie Smith from accounting.”
“I am Tony Lee, and I've been working on XYZ project.”
Let people know who you are. Say your name and say what you're working on or something just to connect people if they don't already know.
Those are the five ways that you can make a name for yourself in your company or industry. Most of them are focusing on great ideas for being an employee. However, if you are a business owner, you work for yourself, or in a different capacity and you want to make yourself known in the industry that you work in, then stay tuned in next week. This is exactly what I am going to cover. I'm going to share some of the tactics that I use as well.
Read more of my blogs here:
1. Stand out from your competitors... without it feeling hard or overwhelming
2. The Price We Pay for our Decisions
How my Facebook profile got deleted and what I did to take back control (Part 2)
In my previous blog, I shared how my Facebook profile got deleted and how I gained back control to my Facebook groups and Facebook page. Now let me share more about my experience PLUS the steps I followed when I rebuilt my new profile.
More specifically, I'm going to talk about the ins and outs of Facebook profile deletion. I’ll share how to protect yourself now, so you don't get booted off, lose your precious images and videos, and how to keep your business pages running. Also, even if you get deleted, how to gain back control of groups and the steps I put in place that saved me. And what I now know about rebuilding a profile plus the silver lining of this whole experience. And yes, there is one.
Did I lose all of my images and videos? Yep, I did. 15 years worth at least. That many photos and videos as well as that many friends. I probably had about 4000 friends. The idea of having to find all those friends again, it's overwhelming. At least one business page and most of my groups were still there. That was helpful.
There are steps that you can take on your personal profile to protect it a little bit more. After finishing this blog, go to the bottom, open up your Facebook account and follow along to the steps.
What did I actually do?
I got a completely new account. Remember, when you create a new account, you can’t use any of the emails that were linked to the account that was disabled. Facebook won't let you. Thankfully, I had another Gmail account that I could use. You might have to end up making a new one.
In making my new account, I made sure to be starting to add in some personal information (e.g. civil status, school, etc.). The kind of stuff that you'd hope hackers or scammers wouldn't know. I wanted to make sure that people were adding me as a friend, even though they probably like we're already friends. Here are a few steps that I did to make sure that people knew it was me:
I created my Facebook banner for my personal profile to say things like it's really me and added a bunch of pictures of me.
I also uploaded a photo from my phone rather than something that people have already seen online like a business headshot of mine as my profile picture. It seemed more believable than if someone could just steal my headshot from my website.
I also wrote what was happening on my personal page/wall.
I did a Facebook Live talking about what had happened and asked people to friend me because getting 4000 to 5000 friends back is not an easy feat.
I went to a few key people in my life who have big lists of friends who have similar friends with me. Added them first. After adding them, I was able to go through their friends and add all of them as my friends as well.
With this process, I started getting friends added and then Facebook would suggest friends, which was awesome. Do you know Marie Kondo? She’s a home organizer who says to look at an item and then ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?” I kind of feel like I was Marie Kondo-ing my Facebook friends. I was like, Yes I want to accept that person because they bring me joy, but this other person's super negative, confrontational, or just post some crazy stuff.
I now get to choose who I am friends with, which is really great. Maybe you would enjoy that part of it as well. I'm at just over 1000 friends now, and I'm working my way up.
What I kept hearing from people was they weren’t sure if it was me. They asked if it was a real or a fake account. To confirm, what I did was I sent voicemails back to them to say that it was me.
The silver lining is I've reconnected with a bunch of people that I haven't talked to for a long time. Now in my Facebook feed, I'm seeing the people I know, and I'm seeing more of the people I really like. I’m also seeing more of my clients’ content and their lives, which is a wonderful thing.
I've covered a lot in this blog as well as the previous ones… the things that you should be doing to back up your information. Remember, you're playing by Facebook's rules. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. You just have to be respectful of that.
If you are doing business on your personal profile, it might be time to stop or at least have a backup of everything. Now, please know that also every single message, photo, comment, or post that I had on my page, on other people's pages, on my profile and on other people's profiles as well as in groups all disappeared.
Every banner in a group that I uploaded is gone.
Every video that I put up is gone.
Every comment I made to people in my client groups is gone.
Be aware that it will happen. It's like I never existed. I got completely wiped in my personal profile off of Facebook.
Business-wise, remember that if you have a group with a bunch of people in it and you lose that group, if you don't have the email addresses of those people, you will lose those connections. If you're using Facebook for business, like me having 21,000 people follow me or like me on Facebook business page means nothing if I don't have their email because if that got shut down completely, if I lost everything, then I would lose all of the connections to those people.
Be aware that there are some strategies you need to put in place to make sure you bring your connection on Facebook into the email world.
I could have been angry with Facebook and spent time trying to track someone down to talk to, but my feeling is like, just move on. See the silver lining in it. It did suck. There's a lot of hours that I had to put into just getting back on my feet with my Facebook profile.
Compared to some of the things that have happened like COVID, having speaking engagements canceled, not being able to go anywhere in the summer, my father passing away, just all kinds of crazy stuff, losing my personal profile on Facebook doesn't matter as much as other things in life.
Think about that. If you ever have something happen to you, in the big picture, does it really matter? If everyone's still healthy and happy, then it's okay. Things can be rebuilt. I do believe sometimes that negative things happen to me so that I can share them with my clients and with my community. That includes you. Thank you for being one of my readers.
P.S. Add me on Facebook! I have so much room for new friends now: Diane Rolston. You can also join the Dynamic Women Global Community.
Read my other blogs here:
1. How my Facebook profile got deleted and what I did to take back control (Part 1)
Go to Facebook
Check the settings of following:
a. In “General,” go to “Memorialization Settings”. This means when you pass away or something happens to you, you can have someone else be able to go in your Facebook and take care of it. So choose your person.
Make sure that you have a strong password and use two-factor authorization.
You also want to let them know about authorized logins so that you have it on your phone, iPad, tablet, or on your computer, and anyone else who's going to be logging into your account.
Set up extra security. Get alerts about unrecognized logins because you might be locked out or disabled because someone else has come in and is trying to “be you” on your account because they've hacked you.
You can choose three to five friends to contact if you get locked out. Pick a few people that you trust that will help you to be able to get in.
In the “Advanced area,” you can see the different recent activities between you and Facebook and to recover accounts and other items are in this area.
Check out “Transfer a Copy of Your Information.” Here, you can copy your photos, videos, posts, or other information to another service. This way, if anything happens to your account, you already have a copy. I suggest that you have it set up in your calendar that every few months or once a month (or however often you want) to go in that and you get a backup of all of your stuff on there, if you care to.
Another way to do this is to go to a website that's free called If This Then That (IFTTT). Here, you can set up what they call a recipe. For example, every time you post on your Facebook, IFTTT can save a copy in your Dropbox folder. You want to make sure that you have your information backed up.
How my Facebook profile got deleted and what I did to take back control (Part 1)
At this time, many people use Facebook for the following:
Connecting with friends
Because I did. My Facebook personal profile was disabled! I had to create a new one, recover my pages and groups, and rebuild my profile.
It was an early morning, and I went to jump on my phone and just do a quick check of a few things on my Facebook. It was weird because Facebook was asking me to log in. I don't have to log in usually because I just have it set up where I'm always logged in on my phone.
That was the first alarm that something was wrong. When I went to log in, it actually told me “Your account has been disabled.” I quickly clicked through and tried to find a place where I could talk to someone about it. But you see, that's not so easy to do.
There was an option where I could have them review my account or what was going on to hopefully reactivate my account. I went through the procedures of putting in my email address. I even took a picture of my driver's license and uploaded it, thinking that in a few hours, days or maybe even a few weeks, I'd eventually get a response, plead my case, and get my account back.
Instead, I got a red message instantly. It said, “This account cannot be reactivated because you have violated Facebook community rules.”
I have no idea what that means. I don't know what I did:
I don't post hateful things..
I don't talk about politics.
I don't talk about religion except maybe I was at my women’s church group or something.
I don't bash people.
I don't talk about conspiracy theories or anything that is untrue.
People have warned, “Don't do business on your personal profile.” I thought about the things I have shared recently. I shared an event about the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers that I am a part of. I also did a call out for different types of people in different industries so I could connect with them. That's it. That's all I could think about.
I ask you, what are you doing on your personal profile that could possibly get you into trouble? Facebook has a 55-page long list of rules. I haven't really read them all myself. Basically, it comes down to this: when you're in someone else's sandbox or establishment, they have the right to remove you. I guess they have a right to not tell you why either.
While my personal Facebook profile was deleted, some of my groups and my main business page “Life Coach Diane” was still active. That was great because I have around 21,000 people liking or following that page. But my “Dynamic Women” page one was not.
I was relieved at that and relieved that I still had my Facebook groups. However, I didn't have control of them!
Here’s what I previously did that helped me keep my one Facebook page and most of my Facebook groups.
For your Facebook pages: Have someone you trust to be the admin
Make a team member, employee, social media manager, or even your partner or friend an admin on your page, as well as on your groups. That's probably why I was able to keep some of my groups and pages. I had my assistant as an admin on them. It was fabulous because all she had to do was go into my “Life Coach Diane” page and suggest that I become the admin. Then BOOM I was back in charge!
One of the women in my community told me to have multiple admins AND to check the admin status every six days. Why? Because if someone hacked in and added themselves as a new admin, after seven days of being on your account, they can delete or remove any other admins.
Imagine someone sneakily coming onto your page, hacking in and controlling your groups, and then one day, all of a sudden, you're not the admin of the group. Then your assistant or your team members are not running the group anymore. It's just this person who is now basically taken over your page, and try proving to Facebook that it is really yours.
We're both admins again AND I didn't lose my 21,000 followers there.
For your Facebook Groups: Make sure you have another admin or a backup
Now as for my groups, it was quite interesting. In my groups, I had my assistant who was an admin to add me back in. She then made me admin of the groups.
Now some of the groups that I found, I didn't have her as admin because it was just my clients. I had to ask my clients to let me in again, and then I had to go into the member’s page and see who was admin to add me as one.
Sadly, on some of them, there was no admin. So the admin was up for grabs. If you're running a group with a whole bunch of people, (maybe not just your clients) it can be scary to think that when you are kicked off Facebook someone else could just step in and take over the group.
You want to make sure that even in some of your more private groups that you have someone else as admin, even if it is a friend or another account that you have created, just make sure you have a backup. This is how I was able to keep my business page running, even though my personal profile got deleted. That's also how I was able to gain back control of my groups.
It was those steps that I put in place that saved me. Go check your Facebook account and make sure you have someone else as the admin or multiple people as admin for your groups and your pages. That way, you will be able to gain back control if you ever get kicked off Facebook.
In my next blog, I will share more tips on how you can protect your Facebook account and how I rebuilt my profile.
Read more of my related blogs here:
1. What does your Social Media say about you?
How I Made $18k in a Few Hours
Have you ever had that urgency where you’ve got to make an extra $500, $1000 or even $10000?
You may think:
“I need to pay that bill.”
“I have to buy a new hot water tank.”
“I'm need spending money for my vacation.”
“I have to pay for that in cash.”
“I need to pay my taxes.”
“I need to get a downpayment for a home.”
You tell yourself, “It’s impossible to do it QUICKLY? I don’t know I will raise that kind of money.”
You still can feel these negatives around it, and you can still struggle.
Why is this an issue for most people
I’ve seen people struggle. This came up very recently with a client of mine. I also have had clients in the past, people I’ve met in my masterminds, and even people who’ve come up to me after different events I was speaking at.
It's so easy to get overwhelmed, to think how could I possibly make $500 or $2000 in like 10 working days, five working days, whatever it may be.
This was my situation about 4 years ago, at a time when I really wanted to hire this high-level coach. I was upping my game, but I'd never put out over $10,000 for a coach before. At just over $13K US and then it was over $17k to work with this coach. I really wanted to do, it would be worth very penny. It was a great investment for my business. The solution I’m going to give you came from that moment.
When you feel overwhelmed, you're not going to be able to get focused at all. You're not going to be able to go for it. Overwhelm puts you in that fight or flight. That stressed place. Creativity is gone. Focus is gone. The fog comes in… so do two culprits:
lack of belief in yourself and in your ability and
lack of confidence to step into those actions that you need to take.
What do you do? Oftentimes, nothing. Otherwise, you're procrastinating, right?
The issue is, you're not coming up with a plan. When you are running a business, you need to have a plan. You need to have a system and a process that you go through.
The System and Process I would use
The system and process I’m giving you now may seem super basic, but it works. This is like the tip of the iceberg. I'm not going super deep into it, just give you an overview of this concept so that you can go and apply it.
I want you to be able to be thinking about, “How do I put this together?” Not “This is hard, I can’t.”
Ask yourself: “In my business, what is the fastest way to cash?” “What is the fastest way I can get a customer, a client, a patient, or a company to purchase something from me?”
The following are examples of actions you can do that can be fastest to cash:
Emailing your list with a special for so many people
Putting together a quick event and offering in that event, if you can successful prepare for it 7-10 days out
Calling people on the phone who have been prospects
However, there are actions that may NOT be the fastest way to cash. For example, starting a podcast or writing a book.
Doing these things that have a longer game to them that take a longer nurture sequence is not fastest to cash. That is a nurturing process that happens over time that will eventually bring in some cash flow for you.
So how do you do it? Find what is fastest to cash for you, think of some of those ideas. You really want to be breaking it down into how you're going to get this money earned.
Let's look at this example.
If you needed $10,000, what you could do is sell 10,000 units or products at $1 apiece. Now, is that really good for your time? Probably not. It takes a heck of a long time to sell 10,000 products to 10,000 different people, right? You probably need 10,000 clients or at least 5000 clients where everyone buys two.
Let's break it down in another way.
Could you sell 1000 products at $10 apiece? It could be a workbook, a mug, or a smaller product that you would sell. Now you need 1000 customers to buy a $10 product.
You could choose a $100 product to sell to 100 people. Are we starting to see how this is a little bit more doable? Could you potentially sell to 100 people in two weeks? Yeah, you totally could. Selling to 10,000 people a $1 item that's a little bit harder. It depends on what your reach is.
If you have a really good reach or your item would be something your client could buy lots of, like a pen, then a dollar item could be a good idea. You have to see what your product is and how you would sell it.
Let's go to the next level.
Could you take a $1,000 product and sell 10 of them? You totally could. That would make sense.
Let's go to a higher level.
How about an even easier option? Do you have a $10,000 product that you would only need to sell one of them? You only have to sell one! Could you find one buyer in 10 days to buy a $10,000 product? Now depending on what you do, you really have to look at this and think:
What am I offering?
Can I add more value to my current offerings and raise the price?
What kind of network do I have or kind of different avenues do I have to offer?
What favours can I call in?
What makes the most sense?
I did this recently with a client. She needed to make $4000 in sales. I asked her, “Do you want to be selling the $4 product or do you want to be selling the $40 product?”
Do you see the difference? Think of how many fewer customers she has to find. That $40 product helped her feel, “This is doable. The fastest to cash option for me is to put a bundle together of $40 for 100 people to buy in the two-week period to get $4000 in sales.” That made so much more sense for a $4 product.
Or how about this one? How about 40 people spend $200? That's probably a little bit more easier depending on your product. That would have been another option for her.
SECOND STEP: Choose how do you want to do it
You break it down, and you figure out how you want to do it. For example, if I'm selling x amount of products, then how do I want to sell them?
Do I want to sell them with phone calls, emails, social media with organic traffic?
Do I want to sell them in paid ads?
Do I want to use other people to sell them like affiliates, referrals, joint ventures and promote to their lists?
Do I want to reach out to past customers or clients or patients?
Do I want to run a special over a short period of time?
Am I going to do a video and audio of some sort?
Am I going to put a lead magnet out with a sales funnel?
Am I going to do a masterclass, a webinar, a training, a workshop or an event?
Figure out the avenue. Don't pick too many because you want to be able to actually get it done.
If you don't know anything about the option (ex. Facebook ads), it’s not the best choice. Unless you have someone in your network you can easily pay to bang that out and get it going.
This is the thing that I see people screwing up on all the time. You've made this commitment, “I want to make $1k, $4K whatever it may be.
Then you start doing other stuff. You're like:
“I'll go and make a new newsletter”
“I think I'll go listen to a podcast.”
“I'm going to start writing my book.”
“I'm going to do that Facebook quiz.”
Cut everything else out. You have one goal. Now, this is not how you're going to be every second of every day, but if you have an immediate need for $, everything else needs to go to the wayside.
Let me go back to my example.
It was December where I've got birthdays for both my kids, I have two other family birthdays and Christmas.
So this is what else happened that one specific December. I go to an event, and I buy a $17k+ coaching package (Worth every single penny. I totally beIieve that.) But I'm like, “Man, I don't want to get a credit card bill that is going to be probably 20 grand because I have other business expenses and many gifts on it.”
And I'm doing the full pay option because I'm all in and I'm getting this done rather than the payment plan. That's just the way I like to do it. I like to save money by doing it all at once. I thought, “I have to pay for this ASAP. I'm not pulling from my savings and not pulling from a bank account. I got to pay for this from what I've made.”
In that moment, I was like, “Okay, in 10 days, I'm going to run an event. Get as many people in there as possible, and I'm going to offer them something.” I thought, “Am I going to offer an $8,000 program to a big room?” No, that I haven't had time to build up that relationship with them.
“Am I going to sell 100 $200 products?” I could but I don't have 100 people in the room so that's not going to happen. Instead what I did is I thought I need about 12 people to buy about a $1500 product so that I can pay this off right away.
Now, as I was going into it, I thought, “No, instead I'm going to change this. I'm going to make it $1,000 and I'm going to sell like 17 of them.”
At the end of the day, I sold 18. I actually made money. Now, obviously, I still have to put my time into delivering the product. I still have expenses in delivering that product. However, my credit card bill was covered. That investment in that coach was covered.
What did I do? I used the steps, what is fastest to cash? Fastest to cash for me is a coaching package. Then, I'm going to break it down. How do I want to do it? I'm going to do a $1,000 product and have 17 people buy.
Then, how do I want to do it? I'm going to fill a room with people and hold an event. I had 74 people register in those 10 days. I had 63 show up, which is really high show up rate. Of that, I had 18 purchases. Perfect, right?
What did I do? I had to cut everything else out. Why? Because I had a bill to pay. Why? Because I had an event to run. Why? Because I had to prepare my offer. I had to prepare my package. I had to prepare my content. I had to market to get everyone there. I had to be on point for when I was showing up there. I had one opportunity to sell.
Now granted, yes, I would have many more opportunities after to nurture and follow up. But I wanted it done that day. I didn't want that on my mind.
In your mind, do you feel it is too much stress to have it all on one event, one home party, one online cooking class, one webinar, one masterclass, one training? Is that too much pressure for you? Then pull it back.
Give yourself that time and space. You could:
You have to be laser-focused when you want to achieve a financial goal in a short amount of time. It is doable. To make money in a short amount of time you must believe that it is doable, and you have to focus on it. You have to get into action. Getting into action is going to build the confidence that you need to actually pull it off. And choose that breakdown of how many products for how much money. Something that is doable for you potentially or a bit of a stretch, but make sure that it's the doable one.
What I love doing that with my clients is:
figuring out the right break down for them
what is fastest to cash for them
the best strategy of how to sell them and when they should do it
the best words to say and in the best way to convert in that sales conversation or in their marketing
Now you may not look at me or think of me as a sales and marketing coach. I'm not saying I specialize in it. I will never say that, but I'm a business coach who can do strategy. Why? Because that's what I do in my own business and as you can see I can do it well.
If you want to have one of these “Fastest to Cash Strategy Sessions” with me where we figure out how you can get the fastest to cash in a short amount of time, then go to https://bit.ly/FastestToCashSession. By the end you’ll have the clarity on the right approach, the confidence in the strategy and the plan to actually go for it, so you can get great results.
How I Hit Rock Bottom (and how it actually got me to the top)
How did you get where you are? This is often a question that I receive. It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows.
It means we have spent time together. Especially if you’re a client, I know you quite well. Maybe I don't know your childhood story. Maybe I don't know how you got into what you did or what you're doing currently, but there's some merit in sharing.
I’m going to go back a little bit to when I was a little girl. Why would I share a little bit more about myself?
So you can learn about yourself. As I go through this, I want you to think of what you resonate with and what you can apply to your own life.
Ever since I was little, I have loved to teach. I also loved to talk as well, but teaching was something I was praised for. With speaking, I was told by my mom that if I spoke for a living, I’d be rich. This is because I spoke so much. Haha! I can’t blame my parents!
I have two older brothers. They were four and eight years older. I was often told what to do or I'd run behind them doing my best to get them to play with me. Eventually, I found some friends in my neighborhood.
I taught them how to do crafts.
I showed them the best place to toboggan.
I led them to some really cool places in the ravine behind my house.
In school, the teacher would put the kids who struggled beside me, so I could help them understand things in a different way if they didn't catch on to how the teacher taught it.
I loved doing this. Using my creativity to teach it in a new way, that moment when they got it, the appreciation they felt, and how my teacher would continue to give me that responsibility... I then felt I was a leader.
I went on to be my elementary school valedictorian, captain of sports teams, chair of clubs, and President of Student Council in high school. Again, using my communication, teaching, and leadership skills. This drove me to do double honors in English and Media Information and Technoculture (MIT) at The University of Western Ontario.
I kept the door open to become an English teacher or a broadcast journalist. And I continued to play sports by being part of the varsity rugby team.
Maybe you've been in that place of having two different passions. Two things you wanted to pursue. When you weren't sure which to pick, you just kept both doors open. That seemed to be a pattern for me through quite a bit of my youth.
After graduating, I spent three years in Japan, teaching ESL and doing narration work for companies like Toyota. And so there I was, teaching and speaking, and a little bit of leadership.
When I returned, I did my ESL certification and started teaching right away in Toronto to immigrants. I loved that I wasn't just teaching them English, but a way of life. I was almost mentoring them in what they needed to do to be successful in starting their new life in Canada.
When I moved to British Columbia from Ontario, for love, I started teaching for a company right away. I quickly moved up the ranks to become the head instructor who helped hire, train, and support the teachers and develop curriculum for the students.
So again, I'm using my teaching, speaking, and leadership skills. I was living in a beautiful city, making lots of new friends. I got engaged to my boyfriend at the time and my desire to lead, teach, and speak were being rewarded in every possible way. This was about 12 years ago.
Even with all of my success, why was I going home every night wanting to re-energize somehow, sitting on the couch, drinking wine, eating crappy foods. Maybe you've had that kind of situation where you're looking to escape.
Even worse, I didn't care to exercise, and coming from the life of being a competitive athlete, a varsity rugby player, a soccer player, and a gym rat, it was crazy.
I gained a lot of weight and that was really hard. I shut myself off from others. I was still going to Toastmasters and other commitments as I was just keeping up appearances, putting on a happy face or so I thought...
Until one day my friend Rozz said, “Diane, what's up? You've lost your spark.” That was the moment where I couldn't hide it any longer. I knew something was missing. But I didn't know how to fix it. That was the time that I couldn't put on a brave face and just grin and bear it anymore. And the craziest thing was that people around me who really knew me, knew something was up!
Then began some of the hardest times of my life. I didn't know what was wrong with me:
Why was I so tired?
Why was I feeling unhappy?
Was I just getting old?
Why was I feeling empty?
I didn't know what it was. I didn't know what was wrong with me or what was wrong with my life. I then postponed my wedding. But that wasn't it either! I was looking for something outside of me to make it all better.
Then one day, while at work, I hit the bottom. It was at that moment I realized I needed someone outside to help me to get some clarity on what I really wanted, what I needed to do, and how I could get there faster than on my own.
I got on Craigslist, and I typed in “life coach”. That's what everyone does at that moment, right? Haha! I just had an urge to do it. You won’t believe it, a girl in my area had posted only an hour before offering complimentary coaching to four people!
I'm not going to go into too much detail about what happened next. But the Coles Notes version is that I did eventually marry that man. I left that job. I bought a house and we now have two beautiful children.
I found my calling and started the coaching certification process very shortly after working with her and immersing myself in not only the program but applying everything I was learning by working with clients.
I read books.
I listened to webinars.
I hired a master coach.
I started training on how to get my message out there and deliver presentations that weren't lectures, but workshops - hands-on, real-time learning, application style workshops with full engagement.
I had found my purpose and I finally was able to know the piece that was missing:
The piece that energizes me now
The piece that has me in alignment
The piece that has me in resonance
I'm so blessed to have been able to coach men and women from all over Canada, the United States, and beyond.
I help them get back in tune with what really matters to them.
Is it building a business that's profitable?
Is it becoming more confident to go for what they want?
Is it to get clarity of what they really need and want in their lives, not just in their career, but balancing it with all the other areas of life?
Just like when I was little and sat beside those kids in school, I feel like the lucky one being able to blaze a trail and stand beside female business leaders coaching them to succeed. I've also become a mom to two kids, and am just so fulfilled that my business is in leading, building community, coaching and teaching, and doing it all my way, according to my values and my priorities.
Can I ask you something? What was it that stood out for you? Was there some insight that you gained? Drop it in the comments.
or you have a lack of energy,
or a lack of clarity,
or the question “What do I want?” is hard to answer...
Share with me. Let's set up a coaching session. I'll walk you through it.
Another cool place that I love to hang out is my Dynamic Women Global Club. Join this community so we can spend more time together.
I hope this gave you a little bit of insight into why I love to do what I do. There are definitely more stories and more things that have happened to me and for me in my life. They have shaped me and put me into positions and opportunities where I've been able to grow and stretch and have the life I do today.
Read my other related blogs here:
1. 5 ways I am grateful for women who came before
Many of us receive direct messages from people we don’t know (or just met) on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and other social media sites. I receive A LOT of these. One thing that I notice with them is that their messages sound salesy or like a pitch, especially with new connections.
If you’re wanting to DM people, I will answer two questions in this blog:
What is the best way to connect with people so you don’t come across as salesy or pitchy?
What is the best way to connect with people so they reply back?
There are a few kinds of questions that I receive on my DMs:
Have you received any of these messages:
“Hi, how are you?”
“Hello, how are you doing?”
I hate these kinds of questions because it puts the pressure on me to get things going. I’m then entering into a full conversation with someone who I don't know and I don't know why they're trying to reach out to me.
These questions are so open-ended, and I don’t know how to reply. I can reply “Good” or “Great” then they’d ask “What do you do?” Well, if this person looked at my profile, they would know what I do. Don't make me work because you want to talk to me. If you're going to reach out to someone, say more.
Have you received messages like:
“Hey, I love what you're doing. Have you thought about optimizing your website?”
“Hey, I'd be a really great speaker for your community.”
“Hey, I see you could be doing much better with your Instagram marketing.”
“Hey, do you want to get more leads on Facebook?”
Who doesn't want good things for their business? Who doesn't want these things? But it doesn't mean that I'm ready to enter into a sales conversation with you about it because I don't know you. So you have to ask yourself, “What are you leading with when you're messaging people?”
Because when people lead with optimizing my website, increasing my Google ranking, or whatever, I am not shopping for that. Your first message should not be a solicitation. You should not be offering to help me for a fee in that first message. I did not request solicitation in my inbox.
I also receive messages like:
“Diane, can I speak to your community?”
“Diane, I have a really great topic that your community wants.”
Well, how do you know that my community wants it? Right, you're leading with your own offer. You're not leading with anything that I should care about. This is something you have to think about. What are you leading with? Are you leading with your own agenda? Or are you leading with something that would actually be for them?
The other thing that I often see is people saying:
“I love what you're doing to help others.”
“I love how passionate you are about what you do.”
That type of message could be almost for anyone in the world. But if you’re going to say such things, be specific! For instance, if you want to be on the Dynamic Women Podcast, send me an email that says something like, “Hey, I love what you're doing. I listened to Episode 34 about changes for the new year! I love the five things that you shared! I totally resonate with this piece.”
If you message me something along these lines, it would show me that you actually took the time to consume some of my content and get to know me.
Sometimes, people send things like:
“Hey, Diane. I know we don't know each other, but I'm expanding my business in your area. And I was just curious, would you be open to taking a look at what I'm doing and make some extra weekly income? If not, no big deal.”
This is okay because I have permission to not answer her. However, sometimes what'll happen is people will send that but not the “no big deal.” And then they'll come in again and like, “Hey, you didn't reply to my message” or “Hey, I'm sending this again because you haven't replied.”
If that's through my business page on Facebook and I don’t reply to their spam, that messes up my response rates!
You might ask, “If they want to friend request you and you don’t know them, then what's the point of accepting their friend request?”
Good question. My response to this is as a business owner and speaker who is in the public eye quite a bit, I will say yes to their friend request if:
They are female business leaders because that’s my target client,
I recognize them or
We have people in common.
I’m trusting that they're good people and we should be connected. If you want to accept a friend request from someone, then you need to make the decision if that is a good decision for you or not. Have your own criteria for accepting friend requests.
Your being salesy happens when you lead with your own agenda.
You’ll come off as kind of awkward and weird in messages when you don't have a clear intention or you're not trying to connect with the person. So the keyword here is CONNECTION. Connect with the person. And so in order to connect with someone, you need to have a topic that is worthy of connecting about.
If you want to connect with them, you've got something specific that you can say or to talk about THEM, not talk about YOU. I don't know how many times I've had someone email me and the email tells me how awesome they are.
One of the easiest ways to connect is to acknowledge the person in a true way for something that you admire about them, that you like about them, or that you want to compliment them for. Acknowledge them for something and then speak about what's in it for them.
How can you connect with the person?
How can you lead off the conversation?
What’s in it for them?
Now here are some tips you can do to NOT sound salesy:
Go like some of their posts, comment on them and/or share some of their content. When people do this on my stuff, I do notice! If someone shares my content and I realize they've shared it, I will thank them. Then I’ll be more receptive when they DM me.
2. Find out what’s important to them.
Not what you think is important, but actually what is important to them. You'll find out what's important to them by listening to some of their videos, their audios, and their podcasts. Or by reading stuff on their website and their bio.
3. Don’t make them do all the work.
Don’t just say “How are you?” That's an annoying start to a conversation (unless I know them). Instead, tell me what you want to talk about. Acknowledge their work, and be detailed in the message. Refer to something that they have done and just come from a place of serving them first, and then they'll potentially reciprocate.
These are the things you can do to not come across as salesy and pitchy in direct messenger. Now, how are you going to show up differently?
P.S. I have to take my own words of wisdom here. Sometimes I try to get straight to the point with people without connecting. That's my A-type. It’s a learning curve!
Read my other blogs here:
Hacks to Save Time with Your Social Media Posting
Life can feel full and unbalanced and then you need to find more time to be on top of your social media. And while social media truly has some great benefits for your business, it can get in the way of your personal priorities and take a lot of time.
Since I love efficiency and saving time, in this blog, I’m going to share some tips to post on social media faster and easier. But before you try to cut time in any activity, ask yourself these 3 coaching questions I ask other female business leaders:
Will you get the same results with this time saving approach?
What are the penalties for doing it in a time-saving way?
If the result is not as good, are you okay with that because it saves you time?
Think about these questions as we go through the tips.
(Take note: I’m not a Facebook expert. These are some tips I chose to do in my business as I grew it with 2 young kids. In case you didn’t know, Facebook can penalize you for using an external posting system. You’ll be penalized by not having your posts show up as often as posts that are organically posted straight to Facebook.)
Now, there are ways on how you schedule posts for Facebook and other social media platforms:
You could copy and paste your posts on different Facebook groups and schedule them. But if you really want to post organically, one tip I’ve heard is to stay in the box that you’re pasting in for 10 seconds because that is of Facebook's way of knowing did you actually write this post or if you went on a copy and paste spree.
Extra Tip: Create an Excel or Word document where you have all your posts ready. This way, you can have your posts more organized and planned out and you will not be distracted by Facebook.
There are different tools that you can use to schedule posts for different platforms (not just for Facebook) at the same time like Buffer, Hootsuite, CincShare, and Planoly. I used Hootsuite before where I would create an Excel spreadsheet that contains all the information (what and when I’m going to post, hashtags, etc.) then I would bulk upload it to Hootsuite. Right now, I am using Planoly where I can schedule my posts for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And even better I have my VA do it.
Your reach may not be as good using this way so you have to ask yourself, is it more important to do this and have more time? Is that more important than having it have a bigger reach? In coaching many busy business owners, my thought is, "if using a scheduling system means you’re actually consistent in your posting, is that not better than being inconsistent in organic posts?" It all comes down to what you value the most.
Extra Tip: Work on better content. Work also on staggering times like 1:07PM instead of 1:00PM or 1:23PM instead of 1:30PM so your post is not competing with posts at those times. Another tip is since you’re using these tools to schedule your posts, you can post on different social media platforms so you’re also present on those platforms.
Facebook has its own platform called Creator Studio. Use Facebook's own platform because it might be better because Facebook is going to like that more and maybe push more of your content out.
Facebook doesn't like this as much, but you can always push content from one platform to another. I can post to Instagram and have it fly over to Facebook and or Twitter.
Is this the best thing for my time? Yes. Is this the best thing for my business? Maybe not. I'm dealing with the time that I have. So I encourage you to do the same - to think about what is the best use of your time.
Extra Tip: Have someone manage all of your social media platforms then they can engage and post organically for you. Even if you don’t feel you have the budget, think about how you can make it happen. This will free you up to do more income generating activities.
Pick one platform and make sure you're doing some organic posting by posting straight to the platform. Then get on there and actually engage with your posts, reply to people’s comments, like them, and ask them a question back.
If you push content from one platform to another - great! If you bulk upload to other platforms, great! But at the very least pick one platform and really put a lot of energy into it. Ideally, focus on where your clients already are.
Extra Tip: Have good content. Create content that's engaging. Create content that could go viral because it looks good. Create something that people want to consume.
Which of these tips will you try out? Let me know in the comments! If you have questions that I can help you solve, comment down below, so I can answer that in my next blogs. Join my FREE Facebook group Dynamic Women Global Community, I love sharing tips and techniques there.
Read my other blogs for more time-saving hacks:
Get Focused with this Time-saving Technique
In my last blog, I talked about four aspects to supporting your success: networking, accountability, mastermind, and a coach.
The best is when you can have networking, an accountability group, a mastermind, and a coach all in one group. I share this with my clients. It helps them achieve more, stay focused, and get new opportunities.
Why is this good? Think of an iceberg and water.
When you spread yourself thin and do a lot of different things, you only really get the tip of the iceberg because your bandwidth is so spread apart. When you have ONE group that you're working with to satisfy your masterminding, networking, coaching, and accountability needs, you get to go:
super deep in reaching your goals
super deep in getting to know each other
super deep in your reach with those people
super deep in the history of the things that are going on
What are the other benefits of having these four things in one?
You only have one group to commit to.
You have one group to prepare for.
You're not coming up with different goals for here and there and everywhere.
Your brain isn't thinking about or working on a whole bunch of different goals
You have one thing and one place to focus your attention.
You don't have to remember aspects of each person in each group
3. You save money.
You're investing in one thing.
You don’t have to mark off more time on your calendar. Time you can use to now earn.
When I was able to see all of these benefits for myself and how it was a better way of up leveling my business I started looking for it. In the end, I created it for my clients. It was a huge difference.
You’re probably searching for something like this - for something that would just ease the burden of all the things you have to get done. A speed course to help you reach your goals, a program that has four in one. Your one-stop shop to help you reach where you want to get to.
This is why I put all my years in my education, my teaching, coaching, delivering workshops, delivering speeches, presentations to groups of people, and all my personal and professional development, put them into one program - the She's Goaled Program.
Check it out and apply to be able to reach your goals with the 4 point system.
Here are some of my blogs that you may also enjoy:
2. Two Things to Ask YOUR Mentor or Coach (Part 2)
I’ve struggled in my business at different times. I thought I was making the right decisions based on what others had suggested, but the problem was they weren’t actually doing what they shared with me.
I was constantly reviewing and making changes. Of course those mistakes were really learning opportunities. But the thing is, what if you just knew how to NOT make those mistakes?
What I learnt is how quickly you decide to make a change and how fast you take action actually determines how successful you're going to be. If you can't make changes when problems come or you stay in the wrong decision for too long, then you're going to have more negative outcomes.
As a coach, they don't teach us how to run a coaching business. So, I did these things:
1. I joined a networking group.
Networking groups are great, but the problem was that the networking group I was in wasn't giving me a strong level of information that I needed on how to run a business that's in alignment with me.
2. I hired a good business coach.
It was really great working with her. She helped me with business foundations, but I was missing that group interaction. I want a group of people, especially women, to come together and we can move our businesses forward together and I can get some information.
3. I joined a Mastermind.
I joined a mastermind, but I wasn’t getting that high-level strategy that I needed from it. This mastermind was self-led wherein the participants were to lead it. I was the only coach and facilitator in the group. I ended up having to run it. That just felt weird. I started to feel like the coach, where I'm not able to chill and relax and just be part of this experience. And so I thought to myself, that's off. That's not right.
4. I had an accountability group.
I thought maybe I just need a little accountability group to get things going and help me get things happening. But I realized, these people are not doing what they said they would do. And it was quite frustrating for me because at the time, I was pregnant. I was spending more of my time there coaching them how to reach their goals, and how to actually do what they were supposed to do. It was frustrating. That level of accountability wasn't there.
I had a networking group, a coach, a mastermind group, and an accountability partner. They were all serving partial needs for me, but none of it was like fully encompassing all of my needs.
It takes a lot of time to attend four different events. It was costing me time and brainpower. Each of them had its own set of requirements and expectations. I couldn't keep my head straight with all those things. It was also costing me money!
What I wanted was ONE single track to put my business train on. To be able to just go to one group of people and have them serve all of my needs and get my business moving forward so that I am not wasting my time, energy, mind power, and money.
Why isn't there something where a group of people can have the following aspects:
1. Networking - We get together and have networking opportunities. We start referring each other and can use each other's services.
2. Accountability - We can have accountability with someone in charge. Having an actual facilitator, coach, or someone in charge of that accountability can lead to better results so that the participants don't have to hold each other accountable.
3. Mastermind - In some groups, certain people take more time because the time isn’t being managed. When there’s a facilitator to facilitate the timing, everyone gets their time. It's not just the power of the group, but I want someone in charge that knows so many different things.
4. Coaching - Having someone in that group who can coach. The cool thing is, as they're coaching someone else in the group, you can learn so much, too. By being coached in front of others, you also have that feeling of we're in this together.
Which of those four pieces do you like the most? You can have networking, accountability, mastermind, and a coach for your life as well in your business.
In my next blog, I will share with you the ONE step I took that helped me achieve more, stay focused, and get new opportunities.
You can also read my other blogs:
2. Hire Help: 1 of 5 Tactics to get more done in life or business (Part 1)
3. 5 Tactics to get more done in life or business (Part 2)
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A: Individual Plungers need to raise at least $150. By raising $150, you will receive an official Polar Plunge hoodie the day of the plunge. Raise more money and receive more great prizes! Be one of the first 30 to raise $500 by Friday, October 20th and YOUR name will go on the back of the Polar Plunge hoodies! Incentive prizes will be sent out after the plunge.
Q: Where/how do I turn in my money on Plunge day?
A: Any money you have in-hand should be turned in at the Registration area on Plunge Day. This includes cash, checks, and money orders. Credit card donations are also accepted at Registration. Please have checks made out to Special Olympics NY.
Q: What prizes are available to participants who raise more than the minimum?
A: Anyone that raises $250 or more will qualify for additional incentives. These incentives will be sent out AFTER the plunge. Check out our Incentives tab to see what other fun swag you could win.
Q: How far do I have to go into the water?
A: As far as you want! There are no "plunge police" making sure that you go in. Some choose to go all the way under, while others go ankle-deep and then go home. Everyone is a Plunger in our book!
Q: How old do you have to be to Plunge?
A: While we do not have any age restrictions, participants under the age of 18 must have written consent from a parent or legal guardian. Over the years, many young children have participated quite safely and we defer to the parents on what makes the most sense for their family. Remember, Plunging can mean dipping a hand or a big toe, which is plenty of cold water for a little one!
Q: Is there someplace where I can change before and/or after the Plunge?
A: Yes, there are bathrooms on site to change after the Plunge.
Q: What should I wear to the Plunge?
A: Pretty much whatever you want, within the following guidelines:
You must wear shoes of some sort. We recommend old sneakers, crocs, or water shoes. Flip flops fall off easily. Lewd or indecent bathing suits or outfits are not permitted. Please remember that this is a family event. Participants who disregard this policy will be asked to cover up, or will be escorted from the park. There is a costume contest!
Q: I am a first-time Plunger. Can you tell me what I should expect when I arrive?
A: The most fun you'll ever have at the beach in the winter! This year will look different from past years as we are not allowed to have a big tent on the property, however there will still be a DJ and the energy will be flowing!
Q: Do you have any other tips for plungers?
A: Bring a plastic bag for your wet clothes. Don't wear any jewelry that you are afraid to lose. If you want to take your cell phone with you, put it in a plastic bag so it won't get wet. Be careful of your keys! If you decide to go all the way into the water, consider leaving your keys with a spectator or with your things on the beach!
Q: Who should checks be made out to?
A: Checks should be made out to Special Olympics New York.
Please include in the memo area of the check the Plunger's name that will receive the credit.
Q: I am trying to make an online donation but it doesn't seem to be going through. What can I do?
Q: I have received additional donations for the Plunge but the event is over. What should I do with them?
A: Donations to the Plunge are accepted at any time of the year, and simply need to be mailed or delivered to: Special Olympics New York, 560 Broadhollow Rd, Suite 106, Melville, NY 11747. Please be sure that the name of the individual or team that the donations should be credited to is clearly indicated.
Q: I have registered online but I also have cash and checks that people have given me, what can I do with these?
A: All donations should be turned in at the event Registration, these additional funds will be added to your fundraising total. You can also drop your donations off to our offices at 560 Broadhollow Rd, Melville, NY 11746. Please contact Casey Maloney to coordinate a time.
Q: Does Special Olympics New York issue refunds?
A: Charitable contributions are non-refundable, and the minimum Plunge registration fee is considered a charitable contribution and is therefore also non-refundable.
Q: I have received some cash donations and I want to update the fundraising total on my webpage to include these. How can I do this?
A: Individual Plunge participants can enter donations in the system, but they must be confirmed by the staff at Special Olympics New York. All donations – cash, check, money order – received via mail or in person are entered by the administrative support staff for the Plunge. Contributions in this form should be mailed to Special Olympics New York, 560 Broadhollow Rd, Suite 106, Melville, NY 11747 for processing. Please allow at least 5-7 days from receipt of the donations for totals to reflect online.
Q: How long does it take for checks that are mailed in on my behalf to show up in my fundraising total?
A: Generally speaking, contributions will be entered no more than 5-7 days after they are received by Special Olympics New York. When checking on a donation that has been mailed, please remember to allow 2-3 days for handling by the USPS. During the week of the Plunge, processing time WILL increase due to the volume of mail received. In this case, contributions may or may not appear on your webpage prior to the event.
Q: My company offers matching gifts. If I get my personal contribution to the Plunge matched, does that count towards my fundraising total and how do I go about getting credit for it?
A: Yes, that is an excellent way to raise additional funds on behalf of your Plunge. All you need to do is complete a request with your employer. They will have us verify your donation and will send us the matching funds — usually within 6 weeks, sometimes longer.
Q: Can I get blank receipt forms to give to my donors?
A: Blank receipt forms are available for you to give back to donors upon receiving a contribution. They are at the following LINK.
Q: What is the minimum amount that my team needs to raise?
A: Teams are not required to raise any specific amount; however, we do recommend that all participants raise at least $150 to get this year’s sweatshirt.
Q: Can general donations made to our team be split up amongst team members so each team member reaches the minimum?
A: All Plungers must fund-raise individually. However, we are aware that in some cases a family member or a company will issue one check that is intended to cover multiple team members, but will just use the team name. You can help us to avoid this by asking donors to indicate in advance exactly who they are sponsoring and in what amounts. If that information is not included ahead of time but the donor did intend for it be split among team members, please contact us at [email protected]. If you are bringing a bulk check or dollar amount with you to the event registration, PLEASE have exactly how you would like the funds split up between each Plunger written out or the donation will go to whichever team member is handing it in during registration.
Q: My team would like to put out some banners/posters/flyers/other promotional materials to promote a special fundraiser and/or our general participation in the event and help us raise money. How can we get these?
A: We are happy to work with teams to assist in promoting participation in this event. Send us the information and we will post it on our social media accounts. Please email Casey at [email protected].
Q: As a spectator, where is the best place to watch the Plunge?
A: Spectators are welcome to stand along the outside perimeter of the fence line designating the official "Plunge Zone" in order to watch the action; however, they will not be allowed entry into the Plunge Zone. For those Plungers who need photographic proof, we recommend taking a waterproof camera to the water with you and asking a fellow Plunger to capture the moment. Another option is to delay your Plunge until the bulk of the crowd has already entered and exited the water, making it easier for your supporters to see you from the spectator area.
Q: Is there any charge to get into the event if I am just coming to cheer on a Plunge participant?
A: No! Spectators are welcome to the event free of charge. However, there will be tons of great food and other merchandise for sale at the event so you might want to have some money on hand for when you see that sweatshirt you just can't live without!
Q: I was going to participate but now I can't. Is there a way for me to cancel my registration?
A: If you simply want to let us know that you are no longer attending, there is no need to cancel.
Q: I was going to participate but now my schedule doesn't allow. Is it possible for me to turn in my money early and still receive the Plunge sweatshirt?
A: Absolutely! Please contact your regional Plunge staff and they will help you arrange that!
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Our Instructors at The Creative Teacher Education Institute are highly qualified NYS Certified Teachers working in the classroom every day. Their course content is based upon NYS standards best practices, research, philosophies, and resources for practical classroom use. Our instructors use their own classroom models as the key to student success. Please review our instructor bios highlighting our extensive educational credentials. We look forward to forming a close educational relationship with you through our online learning management system called Moodle for the best quality of teacher professional development for your learning needs.
Hi and welcome! My name is Sandy Catapano and I am a second grade teacher. I have been teaching for 15 years and have taught kindergarten, third grade, and fourth grade as well. I am married to a wonderful husband and have two beautiful boys who are both in elementary school. I enjoy reading, exercising, and traveling. One of my favorite books is the “Orphan Train”…if you get a chance read it! I am looking forward to sharing the journey of learning with you and my hope is that you will walk away with something that will be meaningful and inspirational to you.
Jennifer Crispo has been teaching for 15 years. She is dual certified in Elementary Education and Special Education for grades K-12. She started her career teaching grades 3-5 in a general education setting; eventually, she moved to an inclusion 3rd grade classroom, and presently, she is teaching Resource Room for grades K-5 for the Bayport-Blue Point Schools. When she is not teaching, she is enjoying spending quality time with her husband, daughter, and son.
Angela is a Reading Specialist at Patchogue Medford High School. She has a BA in English from St. Joseph’s College and an MS in Reading from Dowling College. She has been awarded numerous grants for literacy based projects and has presented workshops for several affiliations including The New York State English Council and most recently for NYSUT at SUNY Farmingdale at the conference titled, Collaborating for the Success of English Language Learners. She also appeared in the feature article in the October 2009 edition of New York Teacher magazine for her use of successful reading strategies in the ELL classroom.
Brigit DiPrimo has been an educator for over 17 years. She has taught a variety of grade levels and subjects. Ms. DiPrimo is currently the principal of the Amagansett School District and was formerly the assistant principal of the Arrowhead Elementary in Three Village School District. She received her MA degree as well as her administrative degree from Stony brook University. She is currently the Assistant to the Principal at W.S. Mount Elementary School in Three Village School district. Ms. DiPrimo has taught a variety of courses for educators both online and onsite.
Melissa has been working as a certified school psychologist for the past 6 years. She began her schooling at Stony Brook University where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. She then continued on to St. John’s University to work on her Master of Science in School Psychology. She has worked in various programs across all grade levels and is currently carrying out her tenure at Islip High School.
Jennifer Hair calls Kansas City home. She has taught for over 17 years in the Visual Arts Pathway in Career and Technical Education in the metropolitan Kansas City area. She has also been a team lead for the integration of 1:1 Apple MacBook roll out and has completed many trainings through Apple Education. She is also an Adobe Certified Associate. Recently her new adventure in her school district is piloting eSchool courses for initial credit offerings for high school students. She received a B.A. in Business and Marketing through William Woods University, B.S. in Secondary Business Education from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri and finally her Masters in Literacy from the University of Missouri (Go Tigers!) She currently teaches online and on-ground for several Universities across the United States and also has taught courses Johnson County Community College in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. She is passionate about helping other teachers implement technology that will impact student learning and outcomes. She is convinced technology and building amazing relationships with your students go hand-in-hand. She lives with her husband who is a head boys' basketball coach and 4 very busy kids in the Kansas City area.
Valerie has been working in the field of education since 1995. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and her Master’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on Technology at the University of San Francisco. Her teaching experiences have been in both California and New York and have ranged from pre-K to middle school, inner-city and suburban schools. In addition, Valerie taught adult ESL classes for several years and worked as both a reporter and copy editor for a local newspaper. She currently is a busy educator who teaches both middle school and online courses for educators through CTEI. When she isn’t working, Valerie can be found gardening, reading, writing, or exploring with her two children and husband in Water Mill, New York.
Katie has been teaching Visual Art, grades Kindergarten through 12 on Long Island since 2005 for the Comsewogue School District. She has a Master’s degree of Science in Education with a concentration in Art Education from Hofstra University.
Tracy has been teaching Elementary Art for 13 years. She works in the Island Trees School District in Levittown. She has an Art History and Studio background. Tracy earned a BS in Art History with a Minor in Studio Art from Radford University, Radford, Virginia. She has her Master’s degree in Education from Dowling College, plus 60 credits above her Master’s degree. Within the past few years she has run several Art Supervisor Association workshops for Art Teachers. “The Internet is an incredible tool for art resources and I look forward to sharing them with other colleagues.”
Vincenzo is currently a fifth grade teacher in the Bay Shore School District with ten years of experience. Before becoming a teacher, he studied Psychology and Elementary Education at SUNY Geneseo and photography at FIT. After graduating from college, he worked at an advertising agency in NYC for two years creating print, radio, and TV advertising for Advil. He then became a Math and Science Teacher in Queens as part of the NYC Teaching Fellows Program. After a year, he was hired at Gardiner Manor School in Bay Shore where he happily resides. While at Gardiner Manor, he traveled to Japan to visit schools in Tokyo and Hiroshima. He also visited polar bears in Canada and received over a dozen of grants from small and large organizations for projects ranging from an Italian Club to clay animation projects and extra field trips.
Janice received a Bachelor of Science in Art Education, 1987 from Long Island University, Southampton, New York where she graduated Magna cum Laude. She continued to work for her Master of Liberal Studies in Art Education, August 1991 at the State University at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York. She is a New York State Certified Permanent Art Teacher N-12. She is currently a tenured Art Teacher at the East Quogue Elementary School. Her thesis emphasis was on the benefits of Interdisciplinary Studies and Integration of Art Education into the Classroom Curriculum. Janice has continued to further her education beyond her master’s degree in the area of curriculum development and behavior management. She has spent the last providing professional development opportunities to enhance creativity in the classroom.
Richard Faber has been teaching at Syosset High School for over 26 years. He obtained his BS in Physical Education and Health Certification from Ithaca College. His Masters and School District Administration Certificate is from Stony Brook University. Richard is also a certified Driver Education Instructor and he has been the Coordinator of Driver and Traffic Safety at Syosset since 1999. Richard teaches Peer Leadership at Syosset and he also teaches wellness classes. He is also the DASA Coordinator for Syosset Senior High School. He has trained numerous teachers in Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution and he has presented workshops on Character Education, Conflict Resolution, Student Engagement across Long Island. Richard is no stranger to teacher education; he has been teaching in-service and graduate classes for the past 20 years. He looks forward to continue educating teachers in all of the different types of courses he offers.
MA, MS.EDL NYS Certified School Psychologist~ I am a NYS certified school psychologist with 18 years professional working experience at various Nassau BOCES special education programs. At present, I work in a school-age program that educates students with moderate to severe developmental disabilities including Autism. Additionally, I have completed the coursework necessary to qualify for Certification as a School building leader and most recently I earned a MS degree from Nova University- Shepard Broad Law School with a concentration/specialty in Education Law. In my role as school psychologist, I have prepared and facilitated countless staff development trainings, workshops, and parent groups. For several years I have been working as an instructor providing both face to face and online professional development and in-service classes.
Caterina started her career at Bay Shore UFSD by teaching the accelerated language arts program for first and second graders. She also taught the second grade accelerated mathematics program. Currently, she teaches first grade regular education. She holds a Masters Degree in Elementary Education Dowling College, Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at SUNY Westbury, Permanent Certification in Elementary Education Pre K-6.
I currently serve as the Coordinator of Special Education and chair both the Committees on Preschool Education and Special Education. I am currently the school psychologist at the East Quogue Union Free School District and I also have been a school psychologist for more than 20 years! I am an avid reader and love to attend workshops to increase my own understanding of the field I have grown to love! I am an adjunct in the Secondary Education Department at St. Joseph’s College where I teach the courses: Educational Psychology and Adolescents with Exceptionalities. I truly enjoy this experience as I see eager students preparing to enter the teaching world! I am married and have two children: age 16 and age 6! I look forward to getting to know something about the students in my online class and am excited to use this forum as a learning tool.
Laura graduated with a BFA from Syracuse University and a Masters Degree in Art Education from Hofstra, "my school loans will be paid off after my mortgage". She taught for one year at the Lorge School, a charter school for the New York City Board of Education. It was a K-12 school for children with special needs and she was their Computer Teacher. Then she was hired at Harborfields Central School District, “a little closer to home," and she has been there since 1999, teaching over 700 students Art in grades 3-5 a week. She has shown her work on Long Island and in NYC. "I also painted a huge mural in Chelsea! It is in between two buildings so that the Large School kids did not have to stare at a brick wall."
Alissa has been a licensed Speech-Language Pathologist since 1997, and has been in the field since 1994. Currently, she works in the Harborfields School District with middle school and high school students. However, over the course of her career, she has worked with children ages 2-21 years old. Recently, her focus has been on the remediation of students with high functioning autism and Asperger’s Syndrome. During February, 2009, Alissa had the privilege of mentoring with Michele Garcia Winner at her Social Thinking clinic in California.
Michelle Rosenoff has been teaching health education at Syosset High school for the past 17 years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oneonta and her Master of Science in Health Education from Adelphi University. Michelle teaches an esteemed Peer Leadership program at Syosset and a community service class that meets the K–12 NYS mandate for health education. Additionally, Michelle has been teaching graduate and in-service courses to teachers for the past 13 years.
Laura Ruotolo
Hello! My name is Laura Ruotolo and I have been teaching orchestra at Plainedge High School for the past ten years. I earned my Bachelor of Music degree from Ithaca College and completed my Master of Science in Education at Queens College. My primary instrument is violin and my secondary instruments are viola, cello, bass, and piano. I am married with two children named Christopher and Samantha. Christopher is four years old and Samantha is a year and a half. Both children fall asleep to music every night. I love being a mom! Teaching music to students in grades nine through twelve is very satisfying. I really enjoy working with advanced young musicians. I started teaching at Plainedge schools when the orchestra only had forty students. Currently, my class consists of ninety- seven students! It is an absolute pleasure teaching at Plainedge High School. I truly enjoy my job. I look forward to working with you!
Jenni has been teaching Spanish for 18 years at the middle and high school levels. She received her Spanish 7-12 certification at SUNY New Paltz. In the past, she was an ESL and GED instructor for adults through BOCES. She enjoys sharing her love of culture with people of all ages.
Lauren graduated from Concordia College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. Soon after, she earned her Masters Degree in Reading from LIU Southampton. While working for her Masters she was already getting experience in the field as a TA in a self-contained classroom in the Southampton Public School system. After completing her Masters she was hired as a 2nd grade teacher at the East Quogue Elementary School where she currently works. In her 20 years of teaching at EQ she has had experience teaching second, first and six grade classes. Many of her experiences over the years have included being a teacher in an inclusion classroom and team teaching with special education teachers. "I love what I do and hope my courses with help to make what you love do, more fulfilling."
I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the State University College at Oneonta, and my Master’s degree in Secondary Science Education from the State University College at Albany. In the past, I have worked in the Catskill Mountains and while there I taught Regents Chemistry and Regents Physics and coached Science Olympiad and Tennis. I also advised a Boys-on-Track team, a STEM program, and tutored students in both Science and Math. Currently, I am tenured at Rhinebeck High School in the Hudson Valley Region of New York, where I teach Regents Chemistry, Advanced Placement Chemistry, and advise a Science Club. I, myself, have utilized the Creative Teacher Education Institute to continue to grow in the fields of Science, Math, and Childhood Development. I have also attended many Science conferences including STANYS and the College Board’s Annual AP Conference for Experienced Teachers. I am married and have two beautiful children. I truly love what I do and I receive fulfillment and satisfaction out of helping guide my students and watching them succeed. I look forward to working with each of you and sharing many resources and strategies to add to our bag-of-tricks while making our classrooms even more exciting and increasing our students’ chances at succeeding.
Melissa Stone has been teaching for 15 years for the East Quogue School District and is currently co-teaching a fifth-grade inclusion classroom. Melissa has had various teaching experiences including regular education as well as special education in grades K through 6, inclusive. She attended York College of Pennsylvania and received her BA in Elementary Education with Special Education concentration, graduating Magna Cum Laude. She then attended Stony Brook University and received her Master’s in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Education. She holds certifications in Pr K, K and Grades 1-6 as well as Students with Disabilities Grades 1-6 and has 60 credits beyond her masters in areas such as technology integration, reading and writing. Melissa lives in the Hamptons with her family and enjoys reading at the beach and walking her Yorkie. “I believe that every child has something special to offer and it is my job to find that and showcase it so that every child can shine.”
Dr. Malka Ismach is a Certified School Psychologist and Licensed New York State Psychologist who currently works in several school settings including a public special education school, a private elementary school, and a private high school. She also maintains a private practice in Roslyn, Long Island. Dr. Ismach has experience working in multiple school, agency and clinical settings. Dr. Ismach offers a variety of courses with a focus on mental health and positive psychology but that are relevant for all who work in schools with children of all ages and functioning levels. She brings enthusiasm and dedication to her work and to her courses.
Jessica Corcoran is a NYS certified School Psychologist currently working in Wappingers Central School District. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychologist from Marist College and her Master’s Degree in School Psychology from Marist College. Jessica received the Ted Bernstein Award for Excellence in the Practice of School Psychology in 2006. She has worked with students in grades Pre-K through 12th, ages 5-21. Her experience includes working with Out of District students in a variety of different educational settings, as well as preschool students coming up through the aging-in process. She is currently the full time school psychologist in Wappingers CSD Elementary Schools. Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, doing puzzles, taking exercise classes, and organizing.
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Day 80 – At sea in the Arabian sea. The air temperature this morning is 79, the skies mostly clear with a 20 MPH wind out of the North. The humidity is 70%. The seas are about 3 feet and we are cruising at 18.5 knots, the fastest we have run the entire voyage. The ship has negligible pitch and roll, but occasionally gets hit broad side by a larger wave that makes everything rattle for a few seconds.
I was scheduled to have dinner with the captain tomorrow night, but received notice this morning that dinner has been canceled. The captain is required on the bridge to meet minimum manning requirements as we travel thru the piracy threat area. I suspect this change in his schedule might be the result of an officer departing the ship in Mooloolaba.
Since I first checked, razor wire has now been installed around the stern of the ship. We also have some additional security personnel on board. How many, I have no idea, but at least two that wear a "Security Guest" ID nametag.
Barbara gave her presentation on Dubai this morning. No question, we will not be there long enough. I will have some time after my excursions each day, but I know it won't be enough. Tall buildings, ski slopes, aquariums, gold markets, floral gardens, Atlantis, just too much to see in two days.
One of her most interesting comments was that beyond a chance encounter with a stranger in the mall it is very unlikely we will encounter any UAE citizens. Most workers are foreigners in the country on temporary work permits, and have zero to little chance of becoming local citizens.
Last night after sunset the skies became clear. Two of the navigation officers could be found on deck ten "shooting the stars". They were using modern versions of ancient maritime instruments to calculate the ships position using star sightings. They do this on a regular basis, just as they still plot our course on paper charts. Who can predict if someday something disables all the GPS satellites we all have become so dependent on. Solar flares? Terrorists? Political foe? Software error? There are many possibilities of the unimaginable.
Last night I learned another trick to get booze on board. Befriend a passenger that is leaving the ship. Have them buy a case of Scotch, and when the ship returns the case to the passenger the night before disembarkation, transfer it to your cabin. I must admit this is so simple I am surprised HAL hasn't caught on. I was told it occurs very frequently on the long cruises with multiple segments. So many passengers knowing each other just makes it easier.
This afternoon I listen to Revell Carr talk about the history of tea from the time seedlings were stolen from China and taken to India and eventually other parts of the world, to the multitude of unfounded health claims being made today that echo claims made hundreds of years ago. I stay awake, but there were several others that don't.
Tonight we have another performance by Graffiti Classics. They will play different songs, but the style will be a repeat of their previous show. I wasn't impressed last time, but it's about the only game in town tonight, as there is a party for the crew in the Crow's Nest. I'll probably go. I did, I left after 10 minutes. I'll look for a movie on TV.
Again it is time to set our clocks back another hour. Dubai time is 8 hours ahead of Florida. Port Everglades is approaching too rapidly.
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The Author
I have been retired since 2005, and moved to central Florida in 2009. With 5 ports within driving distance I soon realized the ease of cruising. Despite having cruised many times, it was only as I was booking a 115 day cruise circumnavigating the world that a number of my friends convinced me to start writing a blog. Since internet speed on the high seas is often only slightly better than non-existent, my cruise postings may be erratic, and pictures will be a seldom included luxury. My other passion is model railroading and for several years I have been constructing the SP&K in my home. I hope you enjoy following my travels and the construction of my railroad, and invite you to post any comments or questions. Thank You.
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35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 38 But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 39 They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 41 When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. 42 So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
I have had the good fortune of not having to deal with an overabundance of success in my life. This probably isn’t what you are hoping to hear from the pastor of a church that’s currently experiencing some significant financial strain, but it’s true. I’m not a professional failure – in fact I feel pretty good about what I’ve been able to do in the various places to which I’ve been appointed, but I’ve never performed in a manner that has been overly impressive to our institutional leaders.
I say I’m fortunate in that way because I’ve never really had to struggle with an over-inflated sense of self-importance. I’ve never been lead to believe that I was God’s gift to the United Methodist Church and had to deal with the egotistical demons that come with that territory. It could still happen. The Newport Miracle may take place in 2016, and if it does I’m sure I’ll become overly impressed with the role I’ve played and it may be that I’ll have to learn how to deal with some new types of sin.
It’s not that I don’t have any demons to wrestle with, but I just don’t have that variety of demons that comes with massive adoration.You might say I understand the sin of envy more than the sin of pride, but I’m sure I could go there, and I’m willing to deal with a new set of sins. Arrogance isn’t my default fault, but if our attendance were to double I’m sure my ego would readjust to a higher sense of self-importance. Like James and John, I’d be wanting to have that conversation with Jesus about where I might best fit in the kingdom of God.
So that’s why I think of myself as being blessed with moderate success in ministry and in life. Now I’ve had a taste of lime-light, and I’ve had some nice photo-opportunities with some A-list people, but I’ve never had trouble keeping myself in perspective. Maybe God has been watching out for me in that way, but in all honestly, I think I can take most of the credit for that myself.
For example, a few years ago Sharla and I went to Boston for a vacation, and before we went I was telling my cousin and her husband about our trip, and they said, oh, you’ve got to go to a Red Sox game and have some clam-chowder at Fenway Park. This wasn’t on our list of things to do, but they said they knew someone with the organization and that they could get us some tickets. It sounded great to me, and I talked Sharla in to going, so they lined it up for us.
My cousin told us to go to the VIP window to pick up our tickets, which felt a little out of place for us, but we did, and sure enough there were tickets waiting for us. We went where we were told, and in order to get to our seats we went through this nice club room, and we emerged into the stadium in this elevated and canopied area that was directly behind home plate. After finding our seats we actually went back down in to the more public area of the ball-park to get something to eat and drink because we didn’t want to pay the prices of the club menu.
When we got back to our seats we noticed that our area was serviced by a waiter, and before long he came and asked if we wanted anything. We didn’t want to be too cheap so we ordered something to drink and some clam chowder, and when I gave him my credit card he said he didn’t need it because the seats we were in were covered by Larry Lucchino.
We didn’t know who Larry Lucchino was, but we were grateful, and soon our neighbor asked us how we knew Larry. We explained how we got the tickets and that we had no idea who Larry Lucchino was, and he explained to us that Larry Lucchino was the CEO and General Manager of the team. And that sort of changed everything for us. I was already having a good time, but I began to have an even better time. I probably shouldn’t own up to this, but I have clear memory that the price of a beer was $8.50, which was a very moderating factor for me, but that suddenly went away.
By the middle of the game I had become great friends with many of the people sitting around us, and I’m sure our conversation was filled with impressive details of our lives in Arkansas. I was living large. The waiter came out at the beginning of the 8th inning and announced that the restaurant and bar was closing, but he leaned down and said that didn’t apply to us, so I took full advantage of that by buying a final beer for a couple of people sitting around us.
Soon after that Larry Lucchino, himself, came out and sat down with us. I felt like I was in the presence of baseball royalty, but that didn’t keep me from talking. I began talking to him like we were old friends at a reunion until all of a sudden a batter hit a hot foul ball that went straight from the bat to Larry Lucchino’s forehead.
I don’t know if he could have dodged or stopped the ball if he had been paying attention to the game – I never saw the ball until it hit him in the head. But I instantly felt like I had been a huge distraction to him. I certainly hadn’t helped protect him from the ball. A couple of guys suddenly appeared and ushered him away for medical attention, and I felt horrible about the situation. I was haunted by the thought of how much better it would have been if I had reached over and saved the CEO and General Manager of the Boston Red Sox from that blow instead of contributing to the circumstances that lead to his injury.
I left Fenway Park with a terrible sense of regret. I had an opportunity to be the hero, and I felt like the goat. He had provided us with this tremendous sense of hospitality, and I had caused him to go home with what the news reported as a detached retina. I texted my cousin about what had happened and they thought I was joking until they had the story confirmed by Larry Lucchino’s wife.
That really was an unfortunate turn of events, and I hate that he got hurt in the way he did. I still wish I could have been the hero, but what I also know is that it’s not the great successes we have in life that put us in touch with the source of true life.
I’m currently reading a book called Falling Upward, by a man named Richard Rohr. Richard Rohr is a Franciscan monk, and he is in high demand as a speaker and teacher. He has what many consider to be a profound understanding of spiritual truth, and in particular of how Jesus taught us to live in relationship with God. I’m oversimplifying his message when I say this, but Richard Rohr believes that its our failures and our various forms of inner restlessness that motivate us to seek understanding, and often it’s our outward successes that cause us to remain distracted from that which is deeply real.
Rohr believes that God hides in the depths, and that we will never find true comfort and satisfaction if we remain on the surface of life. In this book I’m reading he talks a lot about the first half of our lives as compared to the second half of our lives. On some level that breaks down in to the early part of our lives and the later years of our lives, but I don’t think he would describe these two halves of our lives as being strictly chronological. He knows we all have to spend a good amount of our time seeking to establish and maintain our physical lives, but that it’s often when our outward lives are disrupted that we begin to seek an inner life, and that it’s the inner life that provides us with the greatest satisfaction.
James and John weren’t yet full of understand of how God’s kingdom is structured when they began asking Jesus for places of honor in his kingdom. They were thinking that God’s kingdom is like every other kingdom on earth, where there is clear ranking about who is most important and who is of the least consequence, but that isn’t how it works in the kingdom of God.
In the kingdom of God, it’s the people who are the least regarded on earth that have the easiest access to the deepest truth. Now nobody has automatic access. People can remain ignorant of the way God operates in our lives regardless of their station in life, but Jesus didn’t want us to be confused about who is greatest in the Kingdom of God. He didn’t want us to think that God rewards us in the same way that the world rewards us.
This isn’t easy territory to navigate. The desire to be successful in life is not a bad thing. We all enjoy a higher quality of life because there are people who are driven to do things well, but success in life has a cost, and failure has it’s rewards.
Jesus wants us to live large in a truly grand way. He wants us to find our way in to the kingdom of God and to experience the true richness of life. James and John weren’t wrong to want to abide in important places in the kingdom of God – but they didn’t know what they were asking.
I hope to be a success as the pastor of this church. I hope we experience the kind of growth we need that will enable us to pay all of our bills and to expand our work in the community. But I hope we will never be so impressed with what we do that we forget to go where God abides – which is not in the numbers or in the headlines – it’s in the depths. God’s kingdom isn’t like any other kingdom. It doesn’t shine on the surface, but it provides us with nourishment from the deep, and it’s only by the grace of of God that we find it.
It’s hard not to seek success in conventional ways, but its often when we stumble that we connect with that which is most real, most lasting, and most satisfying. The Kingdom of God is beautiful in that way.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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Posted by twmurray
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2 Responses to “Proper 25B, October 18, 2015”
October 22, 2015 at 3:01 am
We so look forward to your posts of your weekly sermon, but nearly not as much as we miss not seeing you in the pulpit.
October 22, 2015 at 2:51 pm
Thanks Earl!
I’ll be joining Jack and other family members in Fayetteville this weekend, so you won’t find a sermon next week, but I’ll get back to work soon. Thanks for your kind words!
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Next PostNext Most readily useful Questions To Ask Your Tinder complement – which are the Very best Tinder principal time Ideas And motion questions you should ask the fit / Receive the beverage just before meet.
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Today as I was browsing Facebook posts, I saw the news this country...No, this world, has been waiting for for 10 years now. Bin Laden is confirmed dead and in United States custody. My first instinct when I clicked on the link a friend had posted on their wall was, "Oh no! Did I click one of those notorious Facebook links that contain viruses?" You know the ones I mean...The alleged news stories that sound so outrageous, yet so possible, that they can easily persuade a user to unwittingly click on the links and then end up with spyware, adware, a hacked account, or even contract nasty computer viruses. I was skeptical, to say the least. And then I got confirmation from a few friends that yes, Bin Laden was in fact killed in Pakistan.
I don't know why, but this news made me get a bit emotional. No, I wasn't a sobbing wreck, but it DID bring back all of the sadness, fear, confusion, and rage I felt on September 11, 2001. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was barely 20 years old, married to a man who was not so nice to me, and I had a toddler. My oldest child was barely even walking on 9/11. I remember it was quite hot and humid here in Virginia that day, and the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky. I tried to beat the heat by cutting the grass early in the morning, before the heat of the day really kicked in. I came inside after cutting the back yard and turned on the television set. All I see is one of the Twin Towers destroyed, the other still standing. I incorrectly assumed that it was an action movie on TV and went to change the channel....again...and again...and again... The same horrifying images were on every single channel.
That's when it hit me: This was HAPPENING. This was REAL. Nothing I had taken for granted as an American citizen felt "safe" any longer, and my life and the lives of my child and future children would be forever altered because of these events. The world would never be the same again. America would never be the same again. I remember getting confused. I didn't want to believe what I was seeing. And then the 2nd plane flew into the other tower. And I started sobbing. I was terrified and sad and irate all at once. I never once believed that American soil was immune to attack, or that we as a nation were impermeable because we were a world power. Yes, we as Americans fight for what is right. We stand up for our beliefs and are often at odds with one another over differing views. But that's what America STANDS for. Freedom. The right to think, to feel, to worship God in whatever form we see fit without fear of persecution. The right to be individuals, yet be united as one nation in pursuit of the greater good. (Usually. You never know with those politicians,lol) Those freedoms that our great nation was founded on, the veritable backbone of our society, were rattled to the core that September morning. Nothing seemed real. Nothing seemed rational, as violence rarely is....
And all I could do was sob, staring in disbelief at the chaos that was unfolding right before my eyes. The attacks on our soil that day were not simply an attack on America. They were an attack on the free world. The World Trade Center did not only hold US interest...People from many, many other nations were employed within its walls...This was an attack on humankind. A cold, calculated, callous attack, strategically made to invoke the fear of the people on the very deepest levels.
Thousands of innocent lives were lost that day. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers...It hit close to home for almost everyone I knew. Everyone seemed to know somebody who was directly affected by this tragedy. I had a friend whose father works in the Pentagon and was supposed to be in his office that day. He called in sick at the last minute because he wasn't feeling well. Had he been in his office, chances are, he would have been instantly killed. Others I knew had friends or loved ones who worked in the Twin Towers. Even more could hear and "feel" the impact of the plane hitting the Pentagon, as they were living or working in the very close vicinity.
All of these images came rushing back to me today when I heard the news that the mastermind behind these senseless and depraved acts was finally shown justice for his evil acts. I felt every emotion rush back. It was almost surreal. But the images that came back the strongest were those of a blond-haired, blue eyed little boy sitting in the room right next to me as I watched this scene unfold. I remember his smiles, his laughter, and his innocence. He was too young to understand, and I was so incredibly grateful for that. While the world was going to Hell in a hand basket and it seemed that nothing in this world was sacred, I could hear my baby's innocent laughter and see the brightness of those big blue eyes, still trusting the world around him and everything in it. I remember scooping him up in my lap, holding him tight, smelling his freshly washed baby hair, playing Patty-Cake, and thanking God for small miracles, like the innocent wonder of a child, even in our darkest hour. Things like this keep hope alive when it seems all is lost.
Today, the world is a very different place. We as a society are more guarded, less trusting, more alert, and more fearful. Maybe a healthy dose of fear is necessary in the world we live in, but as a mother, I do not want my children to grow up in fear. Do I think that the demise of Bin Laden is going to miraculously restore safety to the world and to our country? Of course not. Where there is one leader, no matter how evil and sinister, there are 100 more like-minded sociopaths waiting to take their place. I am not ignorant. But I CAN feel good knowing that just once, even if it took years, the "good guys" came out on top and there is one less mad man in the world today. We have won this singular battle, but definitely haven't won the war.
So tonight, I am filled with relief and gratitude for all of the men and women who are proudly serving this country. My favorite Uncle is currently in Afghanistan, and I hope that he feels the pride today that many Americans are feeling. I am glad I live in a country that will hold evil accountable and will not stop until justice is served. No, war is not a good thing. But this is not a war we ASKED for; it was brought to our doorsteps. And we KICKED SOME BIN LADEN BUTT!....Even if it DID take a decade of hunting him down! I am proud to be an American, even if it seems that the world is going to sh...you know what I mean,lol
I am so proud right now, I feel like celebrating. In honor of this occasion, I would like to offer any readers who are actually READING this 10 EXTRA ENTRIES into ANY and ALL giveaways they'd like...Just leave a comment on the post or submit the following into the entry form: +10 GOT HIM. For the form entries, you will have to do this one time per giveaway. For comments, you will have to leave individual comments to make 10 entries, and you will have to do this for EACH giveaway. Luckily, most of my active giveaways are form entries, so it won't take too much time! Good luck!
I remember 9-11and glad this monster is finally gone. I thought when I got home from fishing it was a practical joke. But of coursed it wasn't.
I saw it on twitter first.. didn't believe til I made them turn on the news.. although I am happy, I really hope this doesn't cause a revenge attack.. I am thankful my son is only.3months old. I couldnt imagine trying to justify why it is okay to celebrate his death like we won the lottery! Haha I love " we kicked some bin laden butt :) ..." thanks for xtra entries u rock
I was in the Czech Republic when I heard about it. It sounded so unreal. I never got to see it unfold on TV though.
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I'm Brandy, a happily married, proud Mom of 3 amazing kids. If you're interested in building a working relationship, please feel free to e-mail me at: [email protected]
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Irish Tech News are Ireland's number one online tech publication and often Ireland's number one tech podcast too.
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How to earn Royalties with Lithographic Prints using Zero Knowledge Proofs, with TreeTrunk and John Wolpert
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Constant Monitoring by Artificial Intelligence with Dr Phillip Alvelda
Constant Monitoring by Artificial Intelligence Description: The future of healthcare and machine intelligence, featuring Dr Phillip Alvelda, the founder and chairman of Medio Labs. The pandemic accelerated the introduction of direct-to-consumer healthcare with clinical grade accuracy. Phillip explains how AI will amplify this process by reducing cost to scale. But the prospect of constant surveillance raises other concerns, and that leads to a lively Futurists debate about China’s advances in AI and a new round of US export controls. Subscribe and listen to the Futurists Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Brett King is a world-renowned entrepreneur, futurist, speaker, international bestselling author, and media personality. China’s President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his 2018 national address; the same book that was listed as a Top 10 non-fiction book in North America. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia for that year. Robert Tercek is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and educator focused on the process of dematerialization and innovation. In his professional capacity, Mr. Tercek is a seasoned business executive with deep expertise in digital media and internet services. He is a prolific creator of interactive programs and products. He has designed and launched successful consumer experiences on every digital platform, including digital television, game consoles, broadband Internet, and mobile networks. In 2021, Mr. Tercek was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Media Excellence Awards for his leadership in designing and launching COVID SMART™, an interactive training program designed to keep workers safe on the job during the pandemic.
November 27, 2022
Sandipan Chakraborty Conversations and Insights The future of Cash and the growing CashTech ecosystem #cash#digital #payments #Fintech CashTech, believe it or not, is an emerging Fintech ecosystem globally. Cash is increasing but cash payments are declining. I discuss CashTech with the founder and CEO of the Swiss-based CashTech Sonect, Sandipan Chakraborty. He also shares insights and takeaways from the recent `Future of Cash` conference in Madrid. Sandipan Chakraborty - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandipanchakraborty/?originalSubdomain=ch Sonect - www.sonect.net The future of Cash https://thefutureofcash.com/ Sandipan is the founder and CEO of SONECT. Prior to founding SONECT, he spent well over a decade at Credit Suisse in various management roles and specializes in payments, core banking and regulatory compliance. He is an engineer by education and passionate about new technology. He believes technology change management is necessary to adapt any human behavior particularly in the space of payments. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
November 26, 2022
The proliferation of digital assets has accelerated rapidly in recent years. From crypto and NFT to CBDC, security tokens, and beyond, digital assets are disrupting the financial services ecosystem. While blockchain might have begun as a cryptocurrency payment platform, it has evolved to cover much wider and interesting use cases. Going back to the original roots of One Vision (originally known as Rhetoriq), we are delighted to introduce our new regular co-host, Max Tee, to join us on the show and to bring us new storylines from the digital assets and web3 world. Get ready to mix things up and get max’ed out — right here on One Vision.
November 24, 2022
The power of thanks Derek Irvine, senior vice president client strategy and consulting at Workhuman
After the past three tricky years coping with Covid-19 and hybrid and remote working, businesses have had a lot to deal with. One thing they can do to shape the future of work and redefine their company culture is by using recognition. By using recognition as a tool, businesses can ensure that employees are happy and engaged and in turn, will stay for the long term. One of the world’s foremost experts on employee recognition and engagement is Derek Irvine, a senior vice president at Irish tech unicorn Workhuman. Derek talks to Ronan about his background, how organisations can use recognition to shape the future of work, lack of trust and more. More about Derek Irvine: As senior vice president, client strategy and consulting at Workhuman, Derek helps clients - including some of the world’s most admired companies - leverage proven recognition strategies and best practices to elevate employee engagement, increase retention, and improve bottom-line results. While he currently leads the company’s strategy & consulting services division, Derek oversaw the company’s global marketing and rewards functions from 2000 to 2010, growing Workhuman from a start-up to the Unicorn organisation it is today. Derek is one of the world’s foremost experts on employee recognition and engagement and continuous performance management, helping business leaders set a higher vision and ambition for their company culture. As a renowned speaker and co-author of three books - “Making Work Human,” “Winning with a Culture of Recognition” and “The Power of Thanks” - he teaches HR leaders how to use recognition to proactively manage company culture.
November 22, 2022
What do customers want for their cloud solutions, insights with Shawn Deegan, Head of Cloud at Presidio
In this conversation we catch up with Shawn Deegan, Head of Cloud at Presidio, to get his take on the latest trends in technology and cloud based solutions Shawn Deegan, Head of Cloud at Presidio Shawn joined Presidio in 2021 and is responsible for Presidio’s Cloud Solutions Group in EMEA. He has over 20 years’ experience helping customers get the most out their IT investments. Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, Shawn moved his family to the UK in 2017 after stints in the US over the previous 10 years. He has been working with Cloud technologies since 2008 and is passionate about supporting customers accelerate their digital innovation initiatives utilizing the most powerful cloud solutions on the market. When not working, Shawn loves to travel and explore new places and cultures with his family. About Presidio Presidio is a global digital services and solutions provider accelerating business transformation through secured technology modernisation. Highly skilled teams of engineers and solutions architects with deep expertise across cloud, security, networking and modern data centre infrastructure help customers acquire, deploy and operate technology that delivers impactful business outcomes. Presidio is a trusted strategic advisor with a flexible full life cycle model of professional, managed, support and staffing services to help execute, secure, operationalise and maintain technology solutions. Presidio has an unrivalled network of partnership accreditations with leading global IT vendors and is an AWS Gold and consulting partner, Microsoft Gold, Cisco Gold, Citrix Platinum, Dell Technologies Titanium, HP and Lenovo Platinum and an IBM Gold partner. Presidio is a global scale Apple Authorised Enterprise Reseller. In Ireland, Presidio employs over 300 people and generates revenues of over €260m. Headquartered in New York, USA, Presidio serves approximately 7,300 middle-market large and government organisations across a diverse range of industries. Presidio employs approximately 3,200 professionals including 1,600 technical engineers and drives revenues of over $3.1 billion. https://www.presidio.com/europe
November 21, 2022
NFTs has its roots in experimentation, according to Alex Mitrovitch, CEO of the innovative Unique Network, which in turn has its roots in carbon neutral technology and innovation. This is the basis of Mitrovitch’s tenets – technology does not have to burn the planet, in fact the opposite is true, innovation in technology can help save the planet. To find out more, tune in. Your host is Jillian Godsil
November 21, 2022
Humility and Curiosity: The Antidote to Hubris, Zoe Routh
Australia’s foremost trainer of futurist leaders, Zoe Routh, shares practical insight into her business. She explains how senior executives can improve the entire organization when they master the skill of foresight. Zoe is the author of five books about futurism and leadership and foresight practice to be better leaders. WEBSITE: https://www.zoerouth.com Subscribe and listen to the Futurists Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Brett King is a world-renowned entrepreneur, futurist, speaker, international bestselling author, and media personality. China’s President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his 2018 national address; the same book that was listed as a Top 10 non-fiction book in North America. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia for that year. Robert Tercek is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and educator focused on the process of dematerialization and innovation. In his professional capacity, Mr. Tercek is a seasoned business executive with deep expertise in digital media and internet services. He is a prolific creator of interactive programs and products. He has designed and launched successful consumer experiences on every digital platform, including digital television, game consoles, broadband Internet, and mobile networks. In 2021, Mr. Tercek was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Media Excellence Awards for his leadership in designing and launching COVID SMART™, an interactive training program designed to keep workers safe on the job during the pandemic.
November 20, 2022
This week on The Futurists, HG Wells, Philip K Dick and Prometheus award wining author and Singularity University faculty Ramez Naam talks the future of the world’s energy systems, and how the Russia-Ukraine conflict has had an accelerating effect on systemic energy thinking. Beyond that we get into sci-fi, multi-generational systems thinking, large scale systems design of the 21st and the incentives and levers in the system for leading humanity to a world of free energy and abundance. Subscribe and listen to the Futurists Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Brett King is a world-renowned entrepreneur, futurist, speaker, international bestselling author, and media personality. China’s President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented: Life in the Smart Lane on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his 2018 national address; the same book that was listed as a Top 10 non-fiction book in North America. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia for that year. Robert Tercek is an award-winning author, entrepreneur, and educator focused on the process of dematerialization and innovation. In his professional capacity, Mr. Tercek is a seasoned business executive with deep expertise in digital media and internet services. He is a prolific creator of interactive programs and products. He has designed and launched successful consumer experiences on every digital platform, including digital television, game consoles, broadband Internet, and mobile networks. In 2021, Mr. Tercek was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by the Media Excellence Awards for his leadership in designing and launching COVID SMART™, an interactive training program designed to keep workers safe on the job during the pandemic.
November 19, 2022
Markets, Money, and Mathematics with Prof. Alexander Lipton
Responding to Nassim Taleb`s `bashing` of Bitcoin & Cryptocurrencies in the same Journal of Quantitative Finance, can only be attempted by a few. Enjoy a lively & witty discussion on thinking through Markets, Money, and Mathematics with Prof. Alexander Lipton whose credentials include MIT Connection Science, Sila, and more. He is also the co-author of two new books Mathematics, Technology, and Economics, A. Lipton & Adrien Treccani, Ph.D. (July 2021) Building the New Economy Data as Capital, By Alex `Sandy' Pentland, Alexander Lipton, Thomas Hardjono (Oct 2021) We spoke about value, price, religion, money, technology,... https://lnkd.in/d7GTnZj Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
November 19, 2022
Bank of Ireland, has launched their anti-smishing campaign to mark the start of International Fraud Awareness Week, which takes place from the 14th to the 19th of November. The main purpose of this campaign is to bring awareness to the dangers of smishing, calling for people to 'Stop. Think. Check' before opening any suspicious text messages that may be fraudulent. Supporting this campaign is Professor Mary Aiken , who will act as an ambassador. Ronan talks to Professor Mary Aiken. Professor Aiken talks about her background, the Bank of Ireland campaign, examples of fraud SMS's and more. More about the Bank of Ireland anti-smishing fraud awareness campaign : Bank of Ireland has launched a new Text-Checker service that verify's if text messages are legitimate has been launched for their customers. The new Text-Checker service coincides with the revelation that fraudsters are targeting the Irish population with increasing frequency. A Red C survey revealed that 74% of adults surveyed have received fraudulent text messages that appeared to be from their bank, an increase of 37% on 2021 figures. 43% of adults surveyed have received a fraudulent telephone call from a fraudster saying they were from their bank, an increase of 25% on 2021 and 52% have received a fraudulent email, an increase of 8% on 2021. You can find more information here and here.
November 18, 2022
Every company is a fintech company
What does the future hold for the world of payments? How might we leverage technology to enable opportunities for more people, in particular the small business sector, which is the backbone of our economy? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Shilpa Bangera, Chief Revenue Officer of Finastra on digital transformation and the future of finance. From the rise of open banking to the proliferation of super apps and embedded finance, there is hope for a more customer centric and seamless experience.
November 17, 2022
Data changes everyday, Ray Ryan founder and CEO of The Noledge Group
One of the most important things to a business is data, but is it being used correctly? Did you know that data tells the story of your business so that it can grow? One person who is an advocate of this is Ray Ryan founder and CEO of The Noledge Group. Ray talks to Ronan about his background, what the Noledge Group does, ERP systems, and data. More about The Noledge Group: The Noledge Group, has OSSM (Leading NetSuite Solution Provider) and Envisage (Ireland’s Largest Sage Partner), these are two long established cloud ERP specialists companies. Through these companies they use the skills and experience of theirr people to assist theirr customers achieve their business ambitions by delivering the right advice and the right technology. Most importantly they adhere to their philosophy of "Right First Time”. The Noledge Group recognises that while the cloud can be right for lots of things, it is not always right for everyone. They know It is important that they listen to their clients needs to make sure that they are proposing the correct solutions for them. Their clients may have made serious investments in current systems which are business critical and these aspects need to be considered as part of an overall proposed solution. They want their customers to have the ability to choose the best solution for their business now and in the future.
November 15, 2022
Cognitive AGI and robotics In this weeks episode of The Futurists, cognitive scientist and AI researcher Ben Goertzel joins the hosts to talk the likely path to Artificial General Intelligence. Goertzel is the founder of SingularityNet, Chairman at OpenCog Foundation, and previously as the Chief Scientist at Hanson Robotics he helped create Sophia the robot. Goertzel is on a different level, get ready to step up. Welcome to the Futurists where your hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Brett King, Bestselling Author, Founder, Radio Host https://thefuturists.com
November 14, 2022
The Soul of Startups: Culture, culture, culture.
What attracts you to a company and what makes you stay? In the chaotic world of startups, what are the essential elements that enable teams to not only survive, but thrive? In this episode of One Vision, we chat with Sophie Theen, a Strategy, People & Culture Leader, on her latest book, "The Soul of Startups: The Untold Stories of How Founders Affect Culture". We went down the memory lane (or rabbit hole) of some of our shared experiences, and the good, bad, and ugly in fintech startups. Spoiler alert: All hope is not lost. Always the optimist, Sophie reminds us that it is indeed never too late to change.
November 10, 2022
The 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) is taking place in Egypt this week. Climate Change has become more relevant these days and you only have to look at the weather we have been recently having to see its impact. One of the biggest industries that is impacting on climate change is the aviation sector so how can change to live in a world where Climate Change is taking seriously. Ronan talks to Cathal Foley the CEO of PACE about the solution that PACE has for the aviation sector. Cathal talks about what PACE is, how PACE helps to achieve Net-Zero, how they power the consumer, sustainability, airlines carbon footprint, creating shareholder value, how Fexco helps them, and how being based in Kerry helps. More about PACE: Financial technology and business services company Fexco launched PACE (Platform for Analysing Carbon Emissions), to enable airlines, aircraft lessors, and financiers of the aviation sector to accurately measure and manage their carbon emissions to align with Net Zero targets. It is a really interesting new technology that allows those in the aviation sector to have an accurate sense of where they are and also model potential future changes – for example, someone like SMBC can model what impact the introduction of Sustainable Aviation Fuel across its fleet. It’s particularly timely given the recent announcements by Ryanair and IAG of their adoption of sustainable fuel. The technology will also be most helpful as lenders are increasingly seeking to understand carbon emission data when evaluating requests for credit.
November 08, 2022
Artpool is Pauline Foessel’s baby. A professional Art Curator, initially she created a social network for other professional art curators working in galleries and museums all over the world. Curators in this public sense are different from curators in private galleries and organisations. For starters they work across a range of public access spaces, with museums for example, but also with communities, schools, and social initiatives. They have a very important role in selecting the artists but also working closely with them, ensuring their art is displayed in the right environment, often challenging them in the process. “If you visit an exhibition and you really enjoy it, then it’s likely the curator did a very good job. The role of curator cannot be underestimated,” explains Foessel. Tune in the podcast to find out more. Your host is Jillian Godsil
November 07, 2022
Why we we need a new mission for humanity, Gerd Leonhard
Gerd Leonhard, renowned Futurist and Humanist, bestselling author and thought leader joins The Futurists this week to talk a positive future. Like many of our previous guests Gerd is an optimist, but warns us that we need a new mission for humanity writ large. One that is inclusive, sustainable and purpose driven. We dive into his new “Good Future” project as well as talking his books, the future of capitalism and the planet. Brett King Bestselling Author, Founder, Radio Host Welcome to the Futurists where your hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! https://thefuturists.com
November 03, 2022
Building on belief - For the love of running
Running is about belief, determination, and community. How we get to the finish line and who joins us along the way are memories we all want to cherish. Have you ever wondered about the humans behind the marathon and the technology that brings them together? In this episode of One Vision, we chat with Frank Diana, Managing Partner and Futurist at TCS, as well as Susanna Sullivan, a public school teacher and competitive runner, and part of a group of teachers sponsored by TCS, about the upcoming TCS New York City Marathon and the tech innovation that serves to enrich the race experience. As in years past, technology will play a key role in bridging our physical and digital worlds and creating lasting memories of key moments. From the past, to the present and the future, the way we connect to each other will continue to evolve and be reinforced — from bits and bytes to true human connections — with the power of data.
November 03, 2022
Remi Tuyaerts is no stranger to startups. While studying at Nottingham University, he used an exchange year to work on a series of social entrepreneurships in Malaysia. Holding a position of COO for the student project he oversaw the setting up of three self-sustaining projects involving the local populations setting up a black soldier fly farm to eat organic waste (and using the larvae as food for local animals), setting up a mushroom farm in abandoned houses and another project which converted plastics into beanbag and employ homeless people. While he first came across bitcoin in his first year in university, it wasn’t until his final year as a computer scientist that the technology really interested him. With two other fellow students he set up a platform to provide credit for small and medium sized companies. His two fellow students knew nothing about technology and he knew nothing about finance, all three went on a journey that led them to a successful exit for a company that had great ideas but no actual turnover three years later. “We did look at blockchain as part of the solution but this was in 2017 and it just wasn’t ready.” Tuyaerts stayed on as CTO for a period until the business was acquired by a Dutch bank with 350 employees. At this stage he wasn’t getting his hands dirty anymore and he wanted to build again. tune in to hear the full interview. Your host is Jillian Godsil
November 03, 2022
It is now undeniable: climate change and extreme weather caused by carbon emissions is here, and the need to transition to a green energy economy in America is imminent. But supporters and critics alike have reasonable questions and concerns, how can we transition the energy economy at scale without upending whole markets and suffering massive job losses? Many argue the answer is Green Hydrogen, including Michael Hecht, CEO for Greater New Orleans Inc. (GNO Inc.) Ronan talks to Michael about his background, green hydrogen, Irish tech, the American energy mix in the future, New Orleans, and how tech has helped. More about Green Hydrogen in America: The global Green Hydrogen market is on track to grow 6,000% by 2031, and with tax credits thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, could become much cheaper than traditional gray hydrogen - hydrogen that is produced using environmentally harmful natural gas or fossil fuels. Three cities are leading the way for America’s transition with regional Green Hydrogen hubs: New Orleans: Louisiana is the #1 consumer of gray hydrogen in the country - 3 times as much as the next state and produces more oil and gas jobs per capita. Southern Louisiana is now at the forefront of the energy evolution, leveraging scale to kickstart a Green Hydrogen hub that will reduce the cost of Hydrogen to $1/gallon, retain and create 100,000 jobs, grow regional GDP by 3.5%, and shrink carbon emissions by 68%. New York: The Empire State is leading a regional "hydrogen ecosystem" for the northeast. By leveraging a 4-state partnership with New Jersey, Connecicut and Massachusetts, offshore wind and PV to decarbonise the entire hydrogen value chain. The Port Authority will even be taking advantage, acting as a customer and facilitating Green Hydrogen exports. Utah: The ACES Delta Green Hydrogen project located in central Utah is a one-one-of-its kind- clean energy storage project that will be crucial for a a 100% clean energy economy in the region. The Green Hydrogen hub will have the capability to store energy for months at a time. Once completed, the hub will be able to provide Green Hydrogen to other states in the Intermountain West.
November 01, 2022
Powering the investment space with predictive analytics, Ruchi Nanda
Description: The power of predictive analytics in the Investment space is undeniable. Bambu is a new Microsoft ecosystem partner and this prompted my curiosity to discover more use cases within the Microsoft ecosystem. Capital Markets is no low-hanging fruit within financial services and its digitalization requires in-depth expertise. I discuss these topics with Ruchi Nanda, an Industry Advisor in the US Capital Markets business at Microsoft. Ruchi Nanda is an Industry Advisor in the US Capital Markets business at Microsoft where she helps business and technology executives in the industry digitally transform their firms using advanced software. Her areas of specialization include wealth management, market infrastructure, and regulatory compliance. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruchinanda/ Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
October 31, 2022
Demystifying angel investing: Convo with a purpose-driven investor
When you invest in an early-stage startup, you are making a bet on the founder and the co-founding team — the humans who are authentically connected to the mission. It is a privilege to be an angel investor, a unique role that can make a real difference for a startup, not only because of cash flow, but because of non-financial support — including the real world knowledge and experience you have earned through your own journey. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Maya Ghosn Bichara, an early-stage, purpose-driven investor and advisor, on the ins and outs of angel investing. Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an angel investor? Tune in to find out! It is an absolutely inspirational conversation that you would not want to miss.
October 27, 2022
Earlier this month the EU passed a new law on common chargers that comes into effect by the end of 2024, requiring all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops. The new law, is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices. Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices. Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port. Alex Agius Saliba, the Maltese EU lawmaker who steered the common charger bill through the EU assembly talks to Ronan about this new law and why it was badly needed. More about Alex Agius Saliba: Alex is a Maltese politician who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 on behalf of the Labour Party. Alex has been serving on the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, the Committee on Petitions as Coordinator and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
October 25, 2022
Who owns your streaming TV service? Insights with Jeffrey Cole
Who owns your streaming TV service? A computer maker, a retailer, or a search engine? This week on The Futurists we learn about the never-ending cyclone of disruption that has been tormenting the media industry for years. Our guest is Jeffrey Cole of the Center for the Digital Future, a longtime advisor to the major motion picture studios. URL for Jeffrey Cole: https://www.digitalcenter.org/jeffrey-cole-director/ Welcome to the Futurists where your hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! https://thefuturists.com
October 24, 2022
A platform for Financial DEI activism at conferences & for media, Sonya Dreizler,
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. Imagine if the financial industry events and the voices in financial media, truly reflected the diversity of society. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) must be measured and we can choose to become accountable and transparent about our intentional practices. Sonya Dreizler, is the co-founder of Choir,a US-based tech platform that aims to empower and lift voices of women, people of color, non-binary folks, in our industry that white men traditionally dominate. Event organizers can become ChoirCertified, experts can choose to sign the Choir Pledge and be profiled as a Voice on the tech platform. Choirs and orchestras are all about diversity and harmony. Sonya Dreizler https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdreizler/ Choir https://hellochoir.com/ Sonya Dreizler is the co-founder of financial services diversity tech platform Choir. She is a sought after speaker for national financial services conferences, writes for Morningstar, and is the author of the acclaimed Do Better Series about sexual harassment, assault, and discrimination in financial services. She is a former financial services CEO with two decades of industry experience. She spent 13 years at Protected Investors of America, a boutique Broker Dealer and SEC registered Investment Adviser. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
October 23, 2022
PlayEmber is a free to play mobile gaming studio which has incorporated blockchain into mobile gaming and at the same time shifted the advertising paradigm. Ultimately, it has done the hard work in creating a simple Unity based SDK to transform any mobile games into a web3 mobile game in under 2hours! Games studios can focus on making a great game whilst PlayEmber's SDK takes care of all the web3 elements - NFT's, smart contracts, wallet, meta game, community. A conversation with the CEO and CMO Hugo Furneaux and Jon Hook Your host is Jillian Godsil
October 21, 2022
Gartner predicts that 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the Metaverse by 2026 either for work, shopping, education, social or entertainment. McKinsey found that the Metaverse could be worth US $5 trillion by 2030 and the opportunity is simply ‘too big to ignore’. But what exactly is the Metaverse, how does it work, and what are its key building blocks? What are the seven layers of Metaverse and why are the big technology firms taking such a keen interest in them? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat with René Schulte, Director of Global Innovation at Valorem Reply and Leader of the Spatial Computing and Metaverse practice at Reply, on the opportunities and challenges of this new immersive Internet. From form factor and social acceptance, to interoperability and responsible usage, what does the future hold? Do we need virtual bouncers for the Metaverse? Tune in and find out!
October 20, 2022
Increased digital dependency means that ransomware is the next global pandemic, and this time there is no vaccine that can act as a silver bullet to prevent it. The last twelve months have witnessed an explosion of ransomware incidents across the world. These incidents have also started to have real life consequences, with the attacks on both the Colonial Pipeline and Ireland’s Health Service Executive highlighting that ransomware can impact the public’s everyday life. As society becomes more reliant upon technology and digital systems, driven by the pandemic and the advent of remote working, Andrzej Kawalec Head of Security at Vodafone Business, believes ransomware is set to become the next global pandemic. Much like the COVID-19 pandemic, ransomware is a global problem, and we even see different variants of ransom across the world. The nature of modern cybercrime means that these attacks are now targeted, with cybercriminals undertaking research to understand exactly how much money to demand as ransom. In the future, Andrzej believes we will see misinformation used as a ransom. With an individual or organisation’s brand more important than ever, cybercriminals will look to hijack social media profiles in exchange for a ransom payment. This is the future of extortion. Ronan talks to Andrzej about this and why the focus should be to minimise the impact of an attack and ensure that those businesses that are hit are able to survive without too much damage. More about Andrzej Kawalec: Andrzej Kawalec is the Head of Security Portfolio at Vodafone Business. Andrzej manages Vodafone Business’ global portfolio of security offerings. He is widely recognised for his expertise in cyber security and digital change. A former CTO himself, he has a vast amount of experience working at the board-level across public and private sectors, helping to define and promote cyber security strategy. He believes that Security is the enabling layer for innovation. From autonomous driving to digital healthcare, the technologies and societies of the future will not reach their full potential without secure digital foundations. Prior to joining Vodafone, Andrzej was Global CTO for security and Director of Security Research at HP, as well as head of Strategy and CTO at Optiv the world’s largest security Systems integrator.
October 18, 2022
Thomas Frey is who you will undoubtedly find when you do a Google search on “futurist speaker”. Having shared the stage with many A-listers, Frey has earned that moniker. But his true skill demonstrated repeatedly in this week’s episode is taking an event or innovation and the extrapolating the future. In this episode we see him do that in real time. It’s a unique glimpse into the futurist process. https://futuristspeaker.com Why a futurist? As a futurist, my goal is to expand our understanding of the future. Every day, thousands of emerging technologies spring to life, thousands of researchers make new discoveries, and thousands of new trends start to reveal themselves. As we move down the path of advancing technology, our relationship with the future has never been clearer; making this both the most exciting and scariest time to be alive, in all human history. There is a constant battle being waged over the needs of the present vs. the needs of the future. Naturally the future cannot be our only priority; otherwise, we lose our ability to function in the present. Near-term issues invariably take precedent over long-term potential; yet, our ability to prioritize importance is directly tied to our vision of the future. Still, it is our vision of the future that determines our actions today. I use this phrase a lot: “The future creates the present!” Yes, this is just the opposite of what most people think. They believe the work we’re doing today will automatically create the future, but from a little different perspective, it is the images of the future that we hold in our head that determines the decisions we’ll make today. Welcome to the Futurists where your hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future!
October 17, 2022
If you believe that insurance is boring, then you will change your mind after listening to our conversation with Sabine VanderLinden, the Insurtech Queen. We talk about the risks that are increasing like climate-related risks and the new risks like cloud outages and supply chain disruptions, that need to be insured. We talk about the new business models in insurance which are following the footsteps of those in Banking. In the second part of our conversation, we discuss Sabine`s takeaways from the largest insurtech event, ITC 22 in Las Vegas. She organized an event on Commercial Sustainability at ITC and shares with us insights- Sabine is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur. She is the CEO and Managing Partner of Alchemy Crew a venture lab that accelerates the curation, validation, and commercialization of new tech business models. Sabine is renowned within the insurance sector for building some of the most renowned tech startup accelerators around the world working with over 30 corporate insurers and accelerating over 150 startup ventures. Sabine is the co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, a top 50 Women in Tech, a FinTech and InsurTech Influencer, and an investor, and multi-award winner. Twitter: SabineVdL LinkedIn: Sabine VanderLinden Website: www.alchemycrew.com Website: www.sabinevdl.com Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
October 16, 2022
Host in Ireland Pro Bono Partnership 2023 competition explained with Garry Connolly and Alma Sottile
In this podcast we chat with Garry Connolly Host In Ireland founder and Alma Sottile from Rebelleon to learn more about the Host In Ireland Pro Bono Partnership Host In Ireland are delighted to announce that we will once again run our Trailblazers - Pro Bono Partnership competition for 2023. The competition offers one-year free partnerships of Host in Ireland to two Republic of Ireland based trailblazing start-ups/scale-ups with products and services that target the digital infrastructure sector. Host in Ireland’s journey began with five data hosting companies who shared a vision of ‘co-opetition’. They set aside competitive differences and came together to share the story of why Ireland makes good business sense for international companies hosting their digital assets in Europe. Over the past eight years, our partnership has grown from the original five to over 50 in 2022. The organisation has evolved Host in Ireland is now a unique community of people who have a collective interest in promoting Ireland as a centre of excellence for data-related products and services both in Ireland and globally. In 2022, we were joined by Beeyon, Rebelleon and Fuartech, all of whom benefitted from the opportunity to share in the knowledge, experience and networking opportunities that Host in Ireland is renowned for. As we look forward to 2023, we are delighted to announce that we will once again run our Trailblazers - Pro Bono Partnership competition. This competition is aimed at Republic of Ireland based start-ups/scale-ups with products and services targeting the digital infrastructure sector. Host in Ireland Pro Bono Blog https://www.hostinireland.com/post/pro-bono-partnership-with-host-in-ireland-2023 Host in Ireland Trailblazers Pro Bono 2023 Application Link https://bit.ly/3RuMpyr Alma Sottile is a Sustainability Consultant for Rebelleon, a startup based in Farringdon, London. Rebelleon’s mission is to radically impact climate action and local communities. Alma’s job involves supporting data centre businesses with their Net Zero ambitions, from measuring their impact using tools like LCA and carbon footprint, to implementing a company wide sustainability strategy in line with their business model. Rebelleon is on a mission to change the world. Founded in 2020, the company strives to challenge traditional ways of working and bring sustainability to the forefront of decision making within the construction and high-tech industries. Rebelleon aligns to the UK Green Building Council’s five pillars of climate change, resource use, nature and biodiversity, health and wellbeing and socio-economic impact, and offers sustainability consultancy, project management and R&D services related to those. A team of graduates, along with three more senior members, ensures to bring innovation while offering realistic solutions tailored to clients’ needs.
October 13, 2022
What if the metaverse could really help make banking better?
Web3 has been called a lot of things: the future of a decentralized web, the money layer for the internet, and the identity layer for the internet. Some see Web3 as a new patron model for the internet—a way for artists and creators to get compensated for their work through new communities and cooperative ownership, as well as the sale, trading and ownership of NFTs and other digital goods. Much of the gaming economy is centered around these types of communities, as are the half dozen or more versions of the metaverse, in which avatar-led facilitators act as the primary-user experiences, and digital goods can be acquired and communities formed. But web3 and the metaverse can mean a lot more for banking. In this episode of One Vision, Bradley hosts a conversation with Caroline Hughes, Co-Founder and CEO of Lifetise, a metaverse that is focused on financial education and helping people create the opportunity to be financially secure and create a life they love. You’ll be sure to love what they are doing.
October 13, 2022
Scaling Ireland to support small businesses, insights with Martina Fitzgerald
In the podcast today Melanie Boylan speaks to Martina Fitzgerald of Scale Ireland about the work they do to support business owners. Tech StartUps and ScaleUps all need support and essential sign posting to get started. Martina Fitzgerald is the CEO of Scale Ireland, the independent not-for-profit organisation which represents and advocates on behalf of Ireland’s tech start-up and scale-up companies. Martina has two decades senior communications experience, including as RTÉ’s political correspondent. She is the author of the best-selling and critically acclaimed book, ‘Madam Politician: The women at the table of Irish political power’. Scale Ireland is the independent not-for-profit representative organisation for Irish tech start-ups and scaling companies. Our purpose is to make Ireland a leading location for innovation and entrepreneurship. There are currently more than 2,100 tech start-ups and scaling companies in Ireland employing over 55,000 people. The link to scale Ireland is here www.scaleireland.org. About Melanie Boylan Melanie has been a Freelance Journalist on the Irish Tech News senior team for 5.5 years. Her background knowledge and interest in a diverse field has allowed for some great chats with some amazing podcast guests. Melanie also is a Social Media Trainer, Social Media Manager, Co-Founder of The Monday Morning Marketing Podcast, Mentor and Brand Ambassador for AgoraPulse UK and Ireland. She is also a Moderator on Clubhouse for Small Steps and Giant Leaps and Space for All Nations at @melanieboylan If you would like to learn more, please visit her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanieboylan/
October 13, 2022
Why well being needs to be a business goal Cara de Lange, Founder of Softer Success
Covid has helped usher in a change of how we work. Remote and hybrid working has become the new norm but there are also other work trends that we should be aware of such as Quiet Quitting and Quiet Firing. Cara de Lange the founder of Softer Success talks to Ronan about this and what she refers to as the Work Reset Revolution. Cara talks about her background, Quiet Quitting, Quiet Firing, wellbeing and burnout. Cara also talks about bosses, trauma infused burnout, rewiring our brains, eradicating burnout, four day work week, and our inner wisdom. More about Softer Success: Softer Success is dedicated to improving employee wellbeing by providing evidence-backed burnout solutions for organisations. Leading in science, it works with the world's top universities, researchers and psychologists to understand & resolve the causes of burnout in a hybrid work environment. Its ground-breaking, 90-second anonymous risk assessment 'A Walk Through the Forest' quickly diagnoses the threat of burnout and toxicity in organisations. The core ethos of Softer Success is to end the global burnout pandemic by changing the way we work. By offering companies solutions, workshops, talks and training courses which equip executives with the skill set to thrive in their working lives. Softer Success mission is to start a cultural revolution in the workplace that is laying the stepping stones for and helping the next generation profoundly. Their ‘Burnout Proof’ programmes enable corporations to stress-proof employees & combat the risk of burnout. Softer Success works on the ethos that knowledge is power. The more people who understand burnout, the better equipped we will be as a society to prevent it. By helping rewire our neural pathways, Softer Success® delivers solutions that help employees connect better with their colleagues, understand what burnout is, assess the risk and help them find solutions to dissolve that risk.
October 11, 2022
In this week’s show futurist, digital analyst and anthropologist, along with being a Global Innovation Evangelist for Salesforce, Brian Solis joins us to talk adapting to life in the future. As a renowned specialist on engagement, CX and digital transformation, Brian discusses what it’s like to be a futurist at one of the worlds largest tech companies that is increasingly mission focused. And we get into the implications of his book Lifescale as we emerge from the pandemic. Brian Solis - https://www.briansolis.com/about/ Brian Solis is Global Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce, the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM). Brian’s work at Salesforce focuses on thought leadership and research that explores digital transformation, innovation and disruption, CX, commerce, and the cognitive enterprise. Brian Solis has been called “one of the greatest digital analysts of our time.” Brian is also a world renowned keynote speaker and an award-winning author of eight best-selling books including, X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, What’s the Future of Business and The End of Business as Usual. In his latest book, Lifescale: How to live a more creative, productive and happy life, Brian tackles the struggles of living in a world rife with constant digital distractions. His model for “Lifescaling” helps readers overcome the unforeseen consequences of living a digital life to break away from diversions, focus on what’s important, spark newfound creativity and unlock new possibilities. For almost 30 years, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business and society. His research and books help executives, and also everyday people, better understand the relationship between the evolution of technology and its impact on people and also the role we each play in evolution. As a result of his work, Solis also helps leading brands, celebrities, and startups develop new digital transformation, culture 2.0, and innovation strategies that enable businesses to adapt to new connected markets from the inside out. Welcome to the Futurists where your hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future!
October 10, 2022
Description: One of the core challenges in the digital transformation of wealth management, is Integration. We discuss this complex topic with the founder and CEO of Ezra Group, Craig Iskowitz, with a focus on their newly launched WealthTech Integration Scoring which ranks an application’s ability to integrate with other applications. The digitalization of the wealth management industry with all its stakeholders and the breadth of products and services, is no low-hanging fruit. The world of broker-dealers, banks, asset managers, independent financial advisors, tech vendors is a dynamic and complex ecosystem. The trend is toward Embedded Wealth, so how do we get there? Craig Iskowitz https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigiskowitz/ is a business and technology strategy consultant who is a recognized expert on fee-based advisory platforms and wealth management technology. He is the CEO and founder of Ezra Group www.ezragroupllc.com, a strategy consulting firm providing technology and business advice to banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, private equity and fintech firms. Craig also publishes WealthTech Today, a blog and podcast https://wealthtechtoday.com/ Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
October 08, 2022
The future is now: Banking in a changing world
In recent years, artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives, driving much of what we do and what we experience. Financial services is no exception. To meet the needs of changing demographics, being able to attract and retain the right talent is crucial. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Abhijit Bose, MVP, Head of Center for Machine Learning and Enterprise ML Platforms at Capital One, on financial services innovation and how the bank is leveraging AI and machine learning to improve customer experiences. As the line between banking and technology continues to blur, the time is now for banks to nurture talent of today to tackle the challenging questions of tomorrow.
October 06, 2022
In this week's episode of the Futurists, top-ranked Female Futurist (Forbes), science fiction author and TV presenter Elina Hiltunen joins us to talk her unique brand of futurism from Finland. Elina takes us through some of her more concerning forecasts on potential climate collapse, and the role that futurists have to play in setting policy responses, galvanizing public opinion, and helping us navigate the unknowns of the future. https://www.thefuturesagency.com/speakers/elina-hiltunen Dr. Elina Hiltunen – Futurist, Author, D.Sc (business), M.Sc (chemistry) Elina Hiltunen has been as one of the 50 top female futurists in the world in the Fortune. She has extensive experience of key note speeches both in English and in Finnish. She is also an author of 11 books (numbers 12 and 13 on the progress…) for example about future of technology and strategic foresight. She is also a well known columnist in Finland and participates a Finnish TV- science show. Elina Hiltunen is a Finnish futurist, keynote speaker, author of 11 books. Elina has been listed in Forbes as one of the 50 leading female futurists in the world. Her background is D.Sc. (business) and M.Sc. (chemistry). Elina is currently an entrepreneur, but she has experience in working in organizations like Nokia, Finpro (Finnish trade promotion organization) and Finland Futures Research Centre as a futurist. Elina has a vast experience in keynote speeches about futures thinking, megatrends, future technology, consumer trends and weak signals- of which she has written also books. TheFuturists.com Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert TerceK interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. More about the show Subscribe and listen to TheFuturists.com Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert TerceK interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! https://thefuturists.com/episodes-blogs/
October 04, 2022
Step into the Metaverse with Mark Van Rijmenan
The vision of an Open Metaverse includes six main characteristics. Consumer and enterprise brands should experiment with the potential of the future immersive internet. This blue ocean will shape the future of many industries. A discussion with Dr Mark Van Rijmenan from Sydney about his new book: Step into the Metaverse: How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy Dr Mark Van Rijmenan https://www.linkedin.com/in/markvanri... Dr Mark Van Rijmenam is The Digital Speaker. He is a future tech strategist who thinks about how technology changes organisations, society and the metaverse. Dr Markvan Rijmenam is an international keynote speaker, 4x author and entrepreneur.He is the founder of Datafloq and the author of the book published by Wiley on the metaverse: Step into the Metaverse: How the Immersive Internet Will Unlock a Trillion-Dollar Social Economy detailing what the metaverse is and how organizations and consumers can benefit from the immersive internet. He is the publisher of the ‘f(x) = e^x‘ newsletter, read by thousands of executives, on the future of work and the organization of tomorrow. The Digital Speaker has spoken in 25 countries across the globe and collectively inspired over 100.000managers, directors and C-level executives. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
October 03, 2022
Do you ever meet an individual and feel very inspired? I met Jonny a month ago at an event in the UK and found him truly inspirational. His journey into sustainability and reducing single use plastic in his house, his local community and one day soon hopefully, his town is well worth a listen. Can you engage your community into action? Listen in for tips and remember, every little helps.. Jonny Prest is a brand strategist based in Leicester, UK. From environmental to social, Jonny's role is to help leaders build brand and communication strategies with purpose. He specialises in enlightened brand strategy. It's brand building with a conscience: remodelling brands to leverage skills and resources for the protection of our planet and its people. What do you stand against? What do you fight for? Does your identity truly represent who you are? If you're ambitious, hungry for positive growth and feel that you were meant for more, then it's probably time to rethink the way you have always done it. It's time for new ideas, to reconfigure your game plan. @seedcreativity @brandmasterflash
September 30, 2022
Happy 200 — Celebrating stories with purpose
4 years. 200 episodes. From “Blockchain and Financial Inclusion”, to “Shades of Grey”, “Judge me by my cover”, “Red Envelope”, “The Other 50”, and finally “One Vision”, it has been our privilege to share the platform with over 170 guests on the show to talk about wide-ranging topics from innovation and fintech to the future of work and emerging technologies; from founders to funders and evangelists across geographical boundaries, we were united with a common goal: to tell stories with purpose. Thank you for your support through the years. It has been an honor to bring you the show every week and we look forward to the next 200.
September 29, 2022
In this podcast Melanie Speaks with Charles Seadon about a brand new approach to flight that uses no fuel! This transformational method also looks to have zero impact on our planets environment as well. Listen in to find out more about ultra high-frequency engines that started as a concept for an engineer in Ukraine and looks to become a reality in the next year. “Our UHF Drive Propulsion System is a totally unique technology. Nothing like this has been built or tested before. It’s radically and fundamentally different from all currently known propulsion systems. The UHF drive can work in any environment and does not interact with the environment in any negative way: It is capable of working in or out of the atmosphere and even under water,” said Charles Seadon, CEO of Aerospace Propulsion Systems.
September 28, 2022
The Irish Data Protection Commissioner has fined Instagram €450M for failing to protect children’s data. proving yet again that data breaches can happen anywhere, anytime to organisations we entrust with our personal data. Tilo Weigandt Co-Founder & COO of Vaultree thinks it shouldn’t be this easy for scammers to get their hands on our most sensitive information. Ronan talks to Tilo Weigandt talks about his personal mission, what Valultree does, data governance, data access, encryption technologies, the €450M Instagram fine, companies updating their security culture and transparency. More about Tilo: Tilo Weigandt is an entrepreneur whose mission to combat hacks and leaks. As Co-Founder & COO of Cork, Ireland based Vaultree, his goal is to fundamentally change the way we work with data: from vulnerable to fully encrypted.
September 27, 2022
Creating far flung futures and epic space operas from scratch, Gareth L Powell
TheFuturists.com Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert TerceK interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically. In this week’s episode of the futurists, award winning British Science Fiction author Gareth L Powell joins the duo to talk far flung futures and creating epic space operas from scratch. Powell talks through his process as well as discussing the possible future of humanity, and where we might go next. More about the show Subscribe and listen to TheFuturists.com Podcast where hosts Brett King and Robert TerceK interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! https://thefuturists.com/episodes-blogs/
September 26, 2022
Description. A cross-industry must listen to understand deep transformation for leaders and their teams. Most transformation initiatives in business and at a personal level, fizzle away. Iris Welten sat in the hot seat at the C-suite and CEO level and shares with us her insights from her personal deep transformation and how she helps leaders at the top of businesses and their teams to deeply transform. We are talking at the Neural Patterns level, the infrastructure level. Iris Maria Welten https://www.linkedin.com/in/iris-welten-4274772b/ is Chair and Board member of several companies as well as co-founder of the consulting firm Welten & Welten AG in Switzerland. She is a Responsible Leadership coach focused on transforming life patterns for a happier and more successful life. Further, she teaches at the University of Applied Sciences Bern Corporate Governance. Her profound experience includes international capital markets, leadership of 8 country representatives, broad industry experience (6 industries) and the management of 9 units. In addition, she is well connected economically as well as politically (communal, state and federal level). She worked in Munich, Miami, Hong Kong and New York for large stock exchange listed companies in leading Group Corporate functions as well as CEO. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
September 24, 2022
In this podcast Melanie Boylan chats with Manuel Bustelo and Alana Alvarez Vernice about their ongoing mission to highlight ocean acidification. Listen in to find out how you can help to make everyday changes to improve our planets oceans. The Sustainable Tour is DAN EU's project to raise awareness of the need to drastically reduce our CO2 emissions if we want to maintain a healthy ocean. Manu and Alana are touring Europe and its surroundings (UK and Ireland in 2022) in an electric vehicle - recharging it only with renewable energy - visiting dive centres and other interested parties to give lectures on ocean acidification. Brief intro about Manu: As a mountain climber Manuel Bustelo has witnessed sunsets at 7000 metres and as a diver scuba dived all major coral systems in the world. He is a PADI Open Water Instructor, Fourth Element Ambassador and DAN Europe's Business Developer manager, helping the Foundation to run new projects that are inline with their Corporate Shared Values. Brief intro about Alana is an ocean conservationist with a background in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and a Master's degree in Corporate Sustainability. She currently serves as Sustainability & CSR Manager at DAN Europe Foundation. DAN Europe is a Non-profit Organisation that assists and protects divers, conducting scientific research and safety campaigns to make diving a safer, more accessible, and sustainable activity for all. Find them on their Social Channels IG: @daneurope / @manubustelo / @alanafromthesea - FB: DAN Europe / Manu Bustelo / Alana Alvarez Vernice - Twitter: @DAN_Europe / @Manuel_Bustelo / @AlanaGabriella - LinkedIn: DAN Europe / Manuel Bustelo / Alana Alvarez - Youtube: DiversAlertNetwork / Manu Bustelo • Website address: www.daneurope.org / www.sustainabletour.eu
September 24, 2022
It’s not all doom and gloom for fintech. Now is the time to build.
We consume a lot of information each day. When we read the latest news about what’s going on in fintech, venture capital, and the different spectrums of new technology, we aren’t always provided context around the broader story, nor are we often brought into the lives of those building what’s next. Context is important, as is understanding how technologies are impacting our lives. Those that shape the news can either remove or fan the flames of biases around our perception of these changes and how they impact our communities. In this episode of One Vision, Bradley chats with Mary Ann Azevedo, Senior Report at Techcrunch, about how she sees the current fintech landscape, and how she approaches the craft and responsibility of reporting the changing face of technology.It’s not all doom and gloom for fintech. Now is the time to build.
September 22, 2022
Connecting Music Artists to their Fans - using NFTs as a gateway
Alex Nahai, co-founder and CEO of DancingSeahorse.com, has a long music career both in working with some of the most prominent artists and companies in the industry. He speaks fondly of times where he was backstage at some of the biggest names in the business including Prince and Calvin Harris and attending events at Coachella. “Each time, the energy was amazing and I felt so privileged to be present. I really wanted to be able to share that feeling with other fans.” With 20 years in showbusiness, Nahai became involved in Web 3 about 18 months ago. He had witnessed the rise of NFTs and the growth of utility in NFTs, and with his partner Andy Nematalla, felt there was an opportunity to use NFTs in the music business. “As NFTs grew in utility, we could see a way of providing relationships between fans and artists, giving the fans access to events and experiences. We certainly felt we had the access to the top names in the music business to make this work.” To find out more, tune in. Your host is Jillian Godsil
September 21, 2022
Tech is a game changer for any industry Natalie Kaminski, JetRockets CEO
The war in Ukraine has been going on for seven months now and during that time we have seen some great leadership in action. One great example of this is CEO Natalie Kaminski of software startup JetRockets. When Russian invaded Ukraine, she did something pretty unbelievable: she helped 46 of her Russian engineers (plus spouses and children) safely relocate out of the country. In the first days of the war, Natalie realised their Russian employees were in physical danger because of their association with an American company. Natalie feared that the Russian police might suspect employees of anti-Russian sentiment and that they could be arrested or have their bank accounts shut down. Where other tech companies have abandoned their employees in the region, Natalie helped every single person who wanted to relocate to get out safely. She's also dedicated significant effort to hiring tech talent based in Ukraine, many of whom had been left unemployed by the war, with 6 Ukrainians already onboarded. Ronan talks to Natalie about this and more. More about Natalie Kaminski: She came to the US at 18 by way of Russia, Ukraine, and Israel with $500 in her pocket and a desire to be financially independent. She had no one to fall back on. Two decades later, she's an active supporter of female leadership in her own and other businesses, has great insights into how the tech industry has changed and the struggles that female founders specifically still face. She is also the acting CTO for many of JetRockets’ clients, so she sees this again and again firsthand.
September 20, 2022
Latest episode from the Futurists Podcast, where hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Real Time 3D computing is vast, but most people are not aware of it. RT3D tech powers online and mobile games, digital twins, industrial simulations and the much-ballyhooed Metaverse. And it has important implications for training machine learning and autonomous systems. This week’s guest expert, technology innovator Sylvio Drouin, has been working at the forefront of RT3D for decades. Join us for a tour of the emerging 3D future. Follow @sylviod Sylvio is Senior VP at Unity Technologies (U:NYSE), where he is revolutionizing the game and enterprise industries with Unity, its breakthrough development platform for creating games and interactive 3D and 2D experiences across mobile, consoles, VR and AR platforms. Unity made games have been installed on more than 3.5 billions devices so far. Related Episodes Start at the Start with Robert Tercel & Brett King Universe of Dune with Kevin J Anderson Robot Avatars with Dr Harry Kloor Super Forecasting with Regina Joseph The Genesis Machine with Andrew Hessel Ethical Futures and the Noosphere with PJ Manney Dao Governance & the Future of the Firm with Wulf Kaal The Economics of the Future with Dr Richard Petty & Brett King The Future of Marketing with Rishad Tobaccowala Why Technology Always Wins with Brad Templeton Ranking Futurists with Ross Dawson
September 19, 2022
Why decarbonisation and Irish Datacentres will only increase in importance going forwards, Garry Connolly, Host in Ireland
We catch up with Garry Connolly, founder of Host in Ireland, to learn more about why Datacentres do not run in isolation from society (Work, Rest & Play, but rather they are there because of it! We look at the growth, of two major global Meggatrends of Digitalisation and Decarbonisation, are they friends, foes or both? As well as -> You don't have to be Irish to be I.R.I.S.H ! With the well-documented challenges of Ireland decarbonising its grid, Irish and Irish-based companies have moved a fair proportion of their capital and talent outside of Ireland whilst continuing to use Ireland as a base. More about Garry Garry Connolly is the founder of Host in Ireland, a global initiative created to increase awareness for how and why digital infrastructure coming from Ireland – with global and Irish companies – plays a unique role around the world. A self-proclaimed “stubborn digital optimist,” Garry is a much sought-after keynote speaker, panelist and moderator at global industry events. Host in Ireland paragraph Host in Ireland is a community of global and Irish companies with a collective interest in raising awareness of the unique role Ireland plays in digital infrastructure around the world. With more than 50 partners across the digital infrastructure ecosystem, Host in Ireland operates under a spirit of success through collaboration. Market competitors come together with an action-oriented mentality to promote Ireland as a trusted centre of data excellence. For more information about Host in Ireland, visit www.hostinireland.com.
September 19, 2022
Description: Are all these verticals GameFi, DeFi, and SocialFi, integral parts of the Metaverse? Why should we get rid of Play-To-Earn category and replace it with `Play & Earn`? How will sustainable tokenomics really enable the shift to the Web3.0 ethos, which is about empowering the creator economy? In this episode, Arun Krishnamumar shares his insights on these topics. He believes that Gamefi is the growth hack for Web3 and shares with us his excitement around the innovations that are being built during this crypto downturn. Arun Krishnamumar (https://www.linkedin.com/in/arunkumar...) is the Chief Strategy Officer at Bullieverse (https://bullieverse.com/). He is a web3 strategy expert, author, and investor, with 20 years of technology and financial services experience. Arun has also founded, raised and deployed two VC funds and holds a few board positions. He has had a career within global organisations such as Barclays Capital and PwC. Arun has published two books - "Quantum Computing and Blockchain in Business" where he explored the synergies and areas of collision between the two technologies, and "Restartup" which is a crisis management strategy guide for venture founders. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
September 17, 2022
Break through and lead with empathy
Our world has changed, and along with it, our workforce and their expectations. Employees are increasingly looking for purpose beyond a paycheck. "Make inclusiveness part of your culture" is a crucial cornerstone of successful companies; yet, driving a long-term D&I strategy is easier said than done. In this episode of One Vision, Theo welcomes Vanice Hayes, Chief Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Dell Technologies, to discuss how businesses can break through and lead with empathy – from reskilling to more diversity to digital inclusion. Vanice also shares insights from Dell’s Breakthrough Study and the company’s latest efforts in advancing digital inclusion and education for underserved communities around the world.
September 15, 2022
The temptation of an entrepreneur with Phil Teare, co-founder PureVolt
Serial entrepreneurs are always reinventing themselves as they see new opportunities and take them. One such serial entrepreneur is Phil Teare and his latest venture is PureVolt, a company that provides solar panels installations for homeowners. So, how did Phil get into solar panels? Ronan talks to Phil about this and more. Phil talks about his background, what PureVolt does, the challenges of setting up a new business, working in a power crisis, government grants, how solar panels reduce your bills, solar farms and EV’s. Phil also talks about range anxiety, renewable energy, and digital nomads. More about Phil Teare: Despite his background in science and engineering, it was in business that Phil found his passion. He always believed that successful businesses are built onsustainability. As the science of climate change became clearer over recent years, he came to see that sustainability was just as important in other areas of his life. While switching to an electric car and solar PV electricity, he saw the appeal of a company which offers clear information in an open, honest and transparent way.
September 13, 2022
In 2010, Alessandro De Grandi, CEO and founder of The Nemesis, was playing Second Life, basically a rudimentary Web2 Metaverse, when he bought his first bitcoin, two of them actually. They cost less than a dollar each and he sold them for around $75 a few years later to his great satisfaction. However, it was the sensation of buying bitcoin in a metaverse that changed his thinking. “It was a beautiful sensation. Something changed in my mind when I realised that we could make the metaverse into something that everyone could enjoy. While Web3 had not been invented, I just understood the internet was going to merge with the metaverse.” De Grandi was not a hardcore game, preferring casual games, he instinctive understood that casual gaming would be the gateway drug to the metaverse. He also understood that people, and indeed brands, would need handholding to move from Web2 to Web3. He and his co founder Riccardo Zanini, together with The Nemesis’ CTO Andrea Bernasconi (who had several years of experience in 3D graphics and in the world of videogames) first began working on The Nemesis back in 2018. De Grandi stresses that over the past four years the team has not spent a penny on marketing but focussed all their time, money and energy on building the platform. To find out more, tune into the episode
September 12, 2022
Climate Alpha a world impacted by climate change
Climate Alpha In this week’s episode of The Futurists, bestselling author of MOVE and futurist Parag Khanna joins us to talk about climate migration, geopolitics, real-estate and agriculture in a world impacted by climate change. Khanna is the founder of futuremap and climate alpha, and has worked with the US government, World Economic Forum and others on climate change adaptation strategies and policy. Welcome to the Futurists where your hosts Brett King and Robert Tercek interview the worlds foremost super-forecasters, thought leaders, technologists, entrepreneurs and futurists building the world of tomorrow. Together we will explore how our world will radically change as AI, bioscience, energy, food and agriculture, computing, the metaverse, the space industry, crypto, resource management, supply chain and climate will reshape our world over the next 100 years. Join us on The Futurists and we will see you in the future! Related Episodes Start at the Start with Robert Tercel & Brett King Universe of Dune with Kevin J Anderson Robot Avatars with Dr Harry Kloor Super Forecasting with Regina Joseph The Genesis Machine with Andrew Hessel Ethical Futures and the Noosphere with PJ Manney Dao Governance & the Future of the Firm with Wulf Kaal The Economics of the Future with Dr Richard Petty & Brett King The Future of Marketing with Rishad Tobaccowala Why Technology Always Wins with Brad Templeton Ranking Futurists with Ross Dawson
September 11, 2022
The role of Humans in executing Sustainability goals
Description: The complexities of NetZero journeys are real and people need to be upskilled to be able to execute their strategic goals. In this episode, we discuss these topics with Helene Li, Top voice in Sustainability & Impact in the APAC region. We also touch on Greenwashing, Cop27, and the current macroeconomic environment. Helene Li (https://www.linkedin.com/in/helene-li-1555bb16/) is the CEO and co-founder of Go Impact Capital Partners (https://goimpact.today/home), and Co-Chair of Sustainability & ESG Action CouncilCo-Chair of the Association of Family Offices in Asia. She is a leading voice on Sustainable Finance, DigitalTransformation and Fintech, TEDx Speaker, Top Financial Services Influencer in APAC, (Refinitiv), Top 2 Sustainable Finance Influencer globally (Onalytica). Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
September 10, 2022
What does it take for your financial brand to go beyond the arc?
There are so many interesting paths that financial services and fintech have taken the past decade. How we serve customers across the landscape of products and services has seen a sea of change and the addition of digital experiences as the business model has changed. Yet, when we think about the ways that financial brands can go down the wrong path, the list of lessons is a long one indeed. To avoid some of these pitfalls, it is important to truly understand and appreciate your customer experiences, those journeys that shape the connectivity between brands and the customers and communities they serve. In this episode of One Vision, Bradley speaks with Steven Ramirez, CEO of Beyond the Arc, as he speaks about how his firm works with financial brands to better understand their data, their technologies, and their relationships with the people they serve.
September 08, 2022
Thriftify, is a sustainable E-Commerce company that acts as an online retailer for 98% of Ireland’s charity shops and plans to expand its workforce with 20 new hires planned across the tech, e-commerce and sales and marketing sides of the business. As well as their expansion plans, Thriftify has just received a huge financial boost having just signed a €1.6m investment deal. Ronan talks to Rónán Ó ’Dálaigh, Thriftify CEO about how Thriftify and more. Ronan talks about his background, what Thriftify does, the pandemic, the adoption of tech, sustainability, fashion, and planned obsolescence. ABOUT THRIFTIFY: In 2018, Thriftify was founded by Rónán Ó Dálaigh, Timur Negru and Rahil Nazir, as the only dedicated online marketplace connecting charity shops with consumers. By combining their passion for social impact business with their love of thrifting in charity shops, the company was born. Since then, Thriftify has grown substantially and is now working with over 98% of the charity retailers in Ireland and expanding rapidly with charity shops across the UK.
September 06, 2022
Description: Mini-programs and the ecosystem design of WeChat, are unique. We discuss these and other differentiations of the WeChat journey (which continues) with Kevin through several examples and juxtapositions to the Western apps and BigTech companies. Are SuperApps going to make it in other parts of the world? Kevin Shimota was the global head of marketing and partnerships at WeChat (2016-2019) and has just published a book on this topic. The world envies the business model that was born in China and baptized SuperApp in the West. In this episode, we also touch upon Tencent`s strengths that WeChat continues to leverage. Mentions: Ron Shevlin`s Forbes `SuperApps aren`t going to make it in the US` article https://www.forbes.com/sites/ronshevlin/2022/08/01/super-apps-arent-going-to-make-it-in-the-united-states/?sh=5c6fcf1b2e7d Kevin Shimota - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-shimota-48277022/v `The FirstSuperapp: Inside China's WeChat and the new digital revolution` by - https://www.amazon.com/First-Superapp-Inside-digital-revolution/dp/9888769421/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+first+superapp&qid=1659435806&sr=8-1 Kevin Shimota is a leading specialist in digital products and platforms, having been a senior executive at WeChat (Tencent) with over a decade of experience in the industry. His ongoing work includes understanding innovations and trends coming out of Asia and how they will impact and adapt to the global community. Originally from Seattle, Kevin now lives in Sydney with his wife and dog. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
September 03, 2022
How to Transform Photovoltaic Power Stations into a Power of Good with Shafi Kadem
In this episode Melanie Boylan spoke with Shafi Kadem about his most recent work on photovoltaic power stations and how to optimise energy storage using artificial intelligence. He and his team found solutions that would be easily adapted to current stations without a reduction in levels or massive increased costs. Listen in as Shafi talks through his findings. IERC The “Intelligent Grid (iG)” Research Group @ IERC aims to design, develop and demonstrate (3D) intelligent and innovative solutions for decarbonising the smart grid and energy networks. For more information on the current projects and activities, you can visit: https://www.ierc.ie/current-research/
September 01, 2022
The 5 Ways We Should be More Inclusive with Sinead Daly
Have you ever sat down and really drilled out how to make your business more inclusive? In this podcast Melanie Boylan and Sinead Daly have a fast paced chat on inclusion/culture/employee experience/sustainability and impact in fast-growth tech companies. These are very much the topics discussed in the recent book that she contributed to called The Key to Inclusion. This book isn't only to read but gives practical advice and guidance on how to implement as well and uses case studies and examples to help. The whole mindset of inclusion has developed so much over the years and its time we become more of an activist in this field! Sinead Daly is a leader who’s passionate about helping fast-growth tech companies balance purpose, not just profit. As Director of Culture, Experience and Impact at Beamery, Sinead takes a leading role on areas that make a positive impact on people, communities and the planet.
September 01, 2022
That time when magic robots helped you get a loan
When was the last time you applied for a loan or some form of credit? Was it a magical experience? Did it take just a few minutes from application to funding? What if robotic process automation could mimic the human element for the more common requirements for lending and what if the majority of these, often tedious, parts of the loan application process could be done simply through a mobile phone? There are many efficiencies still to discover in financial services, and automating more and more of the customer experience can make perfect sense while it frees up real well-trained humans to talk to customers when they need you most. In this episode of One Vision, Bradley chats with Joseariel Gomez Ortigoza, founder of Shastic, a companion application that helps make any process at your financial institution or fintech that much more efficient and customer-centric. Join us to hear why this matters, and how more processes can go Beyond Good when it comes to customer experience.
September 01, 2022
What does the company do when nobody is looking, Tim Christophersen VP, Climate Action Salesforce
Sustainability is becoming more important as climate change impacts more and more on our daily lives. Everyone has to do their part especially the tech sector. So, how is the tech sector doing this? Ronan talks to Tim Christophersen Salesforce VP, Climate Action about this and more. Tim talks about his background, if it was a logical progression moving to Salesforce, setting goals, why things are not as they should be, and why Salesforce are different from those merely greenwashing or looking to do the bare minimum. More about Tim Christophersen: Tim Christophersen joined Salesforce as VP, Climate Action in May 2022. Within the global Sustainability Team, he is focused on the role of nature-based solutions to climate change. Tim is based in Denmark. Before joining Salesforce, Tim was Head of the ‘Nature for Climate’ Branch at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and led a growing global movement backed by all UN Member States and over 120 partner organizations to ‘prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide’: the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. He holds a degree in Forestry and Forest Conservation Engineering from Dresden University of Technology. He previously worked for the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), where he led the portfolio on the conservation and sustainable use of forest biodiversity. From 2017-2019, he was elected Chair of the Global Partnership on Forest and Landscape Restoration. From 2002-2007 he was Regional Programme Coordinator for Europe, the Caucasus and the Commonwealth of Independent States at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). He also worked for the Danish Ministry of the Environment, and for the European Commission.
August 30, 2022
How can more spending lead to more giving?
When we think about the way we spend money, we might think that the opportunity cost of that spending is what we cannot save or what we cannot invest. But what about the opportunity cost of not giving? Think about how much you have donated to charities or causes throughout your life, whether it was in the form of money or your time. What if every time we spent money, we saved some and simultaneously helped the organizations that take care of people in the most need across our communities? This needs to become standard practice within the financial services ecosystem, because we can make banking better. In this episode of One Vision, Bradley chats with Susan Langer, the CEO of Spave – recent winner of Best of Show at Finovate Spring – as she talks about how her team has built a way to integrate spending and savings activities that help share purpose and value everyday. It’s time to rethink spending and savings and giving – now we can do all three at once.
August 29, 2022
Nick Vale - on how to rent, loan or borrow NFTs - and why
Nick Vale – ahead of the NFT pack Some ideas make sense – once you hear them, like the infamous luggage on wheels and why did no one think of that before 1972. Others require a bit more imagination such as the touch screen and pinching to change the size of images. If hindsight is 2020 vision, it makes utter sense that these developments took place, but the trick is being the first to have the vision before everyone else. For our example today, enter the reNFT platform which offers the rental infrastructure for the metaverse. Co founder and CEO Nick Vale first came across NFTs in the form of Crypto Kitties. Unlike others who first pooh poohed these loveable digital assets or even those who later saw art with a capital A as the sole preserve of NFTs, that is the provenance feature, Vale saw much more. It probably helped that he came with a gaming background, working in the traditional indie video game development realm. He helped create Total Miner, the first port of Minecraft to Xbox which went to be the number one, best selling indie game on Xbox. Afterwards he worked on Miner Duty, a shooter game using a lot of UGC components, which climbed to the number three best seller position. Tune in to listen to more. Your host is Jillian Godsil
August 29, 2022
Redesigning Finance with the new modalities of Trust - Networks, China, Blockchain
Description: We now have the technology to link finance with the real economy in a sustainable way. The flow of money can be connected with the flow of things, business process and people in a cost efficient way. We can create networks that ennable trust in new places in supply chains. Professor Warwick Powel`s clarity on these topics is captivating. In the second half of our discussion we discuss about China`s adoption of these tech architerctures and its strategic commtiment to Blockchain technology. Warwick Powel joins us from Brisbane Australia - https://www.linkedin.com/in/warwickpowell/ His upcoming book is “China, Trust and Digital Supply Chains: Dynamics of a Zero Trust World” - September 2022. Professor Warwick Powell is a seasoned executive and research innovator and leader, with strong academic and industry experience. He is the founding Chair of Smart Trade Networks, a blockchain research, development and global applications group of companies. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, and has published many peer-review papers on blockchain applications and issues. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
August 27, 2022
Some companies reinvented themselves very quickly, Michelle McDaid the Senior Director of Engineering at Workhuman
In February 2020 I recorded my last ever face to face podcast with Jason Adams and Michelle McDaid. Shortly afterwards the pandemic hit and remote working became part of our daily lives with the acceleration of the digital workplace. As how we worked has changed I reconnect with Michelle McDaid the Senior Director of Engineering at Workhuman, and talk to her about remote working and more. Michelle, talks about how the pandemic impacted on Workhuman, what she thinks the future workplace will be, if remote and hybrid working has made staff more productive. Michelle also talks about creating more diverse teams, different skillsets, solving problems and mental health.. More about Michelle McDaid: Michelle McDaid is the Senior Director of Engineering at Workhuman, one of the world's fastest-growing integrated Social Recognition and management platform and a keen supporter of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Michelle is also a Member of TU Dublin Saer Advisory Board, and a mentor on their mentoring programme. In 2019 she was a finalist in the Trailblazer category at the 2019 Women in Tech Awards.
August 23, 2022
When we lose privacy and rights, we lose democracy
Data is central to everything that we do. But as we go about our daily lives, how do we ensure we are protected? It’s not just about what data is being collected and what is being done with it; it’s also about who holds the power to make those decisions. And what guardrails do we have in place to ensure companies are acting ethically? Can we push them to change? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Joe Toscano, author of Automating Humanity, on data privacy and rights. When we don’t have protected communications, we lose democracy and freedom. As Joe said, “Democracy is an active fight.”
August 22, 2022
Description: An Inclusive Financial System goes beyond reducing the number of people with no bank accounts or with no access to credit & investment opportunities. This long but colorful discussion with Theodora Lau from DC and Richard Turrin from Shanghai touch on the complexity and the nuances of the topic. This discussion was prompted after reading the WEF paper on `Shared principles for an inclusive financial system`https://www.weforum.org/whitepapers/s... Both guests are authors of books that cover such topics. `Beyond Good` Theo Lau & Bradley Leimer https://www.lehmanns.ch/shop/naturwis...`Cashless`Richard Turrin https://richturrin.com/ Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
August 20, 2022
We know our listeners are shakers and movers in their sphere but today Melanie Boylan and Siobhán Finn are talking about Champion ChangeMakers (TM). Hear how the Community Enterprise Association Ireland has created ‘hackathon’ type events that bring local communities together to solve real world, everyday societal or economic challenges in ways that will positively impact our ever-changing world. Hosted as Champion ChangemakersTM, individuals of all ages as well as local groups, special interest organisations, societies and networks are invited to take part in these weekends across a number of locations from September 23rd – 25th 2022. Do you want to be a part of social change? Then visit their website and join them in locations all around Ireland. Under 18's are allowed with the permission of an adult. https://communityenterprise.ie/champion-changemakers/
August 19, 2022
Tom Serres, VC, on how to invest
Many entrepreneurial students start their first company while in college, but few start a company that will go on to be the largest political fundraising platform in the US. By the time Tom Serres came to sell his company, Rally, in 2014 it was powering 70,000 political operations across the US from aspiring senators to dog catcher campaigns. At its heart was a mechanism to raise funds efficiently over the internet and by 2014 it accounted for 50% of all political donations collected online. The experience of running his own company and raising money saw a natural segue into opening an advisory firm, Animal Ventures in 2016 working with Fortune 100 companies. And in 2019 he opened Serres Warburg Investments, a private equity entity, which was to invest in all things Web 3. “I was ten years in Rally but the last three showed me how to scale and fast. Learning from my own company means I can really identify with other founders – I’ve got the tee-shirt.” Tune in to find out more about how Tom invests in Web 3 Your host is Jillian Godsil
August 17, 2022
Practical Sustainability in Disruptive Times, Corey Glickman and Jeff Kavanaugh
Earlier this year my colleague Simon Cocking reviewed the book Practical sustainability, circular commerce, smarter spaces and happier humans. Written by Corey Glickman and Jeff Kavanaugh, the book shares specific examples and case studies as well as reinforcing the concepts outlined by the authors. Ronan talks to Corey and Jeff, about the book, practical sustainability tips and more. More about Corey and Jeff: Corey Glickman is vice president and head of the Infosys Sustainability & Design business, which develops and deploys Smart Space technologies at private and public organisations. Corey has over 35 years of experience in industry consulting, providing advice on technology and business. He is an expert in strategic design, digital transformation, customer experience strategy, and the use of visualisation applied to the development of innovative products, processes, and services. Corey specialises in the formation of design and innovation programs, overseeing execution teams, working in a global centers of excellence that creates breakthrough business solutions and technologies. Corey is a member of the World Economic Forum Pioneer Cities working group, and he is also a Singularity University faculty expert guest lecturer. He has served on review boards for publications like the Harvard Business Review, and he has won international design awards, including being named one of the 100 most influential designers of the decade by the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He lives in the Pittsburgh area. Jeff Kavanaugh is vice president and global head of the Infosys Knowledge Institute, the research and thought leadership arm of tech services leader Infosys, and previously led their manufacturing consulting unit. He also serves as an adjunct professor at the Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. Under his leadership, the Knowledge Institute’s team of award-winning producers, editors, journalists, and analysts publishes a wide portfolio of thought leadership each year. Jeff is the author of the books The Live Enterprise: Create a Continuously Evolving and Learning Organisation(McGraw-Hill, 2021) and Consulting Essentials: The Art & Science of People, Facts, and Frameworks (Lioncrest, 2018). He has also been published in Harvard Business Review and other leading periodicals. Jeff lives in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
August 16, 2022
Maarten Ectors - on creating an index token that gets invested in such a way to beat the market - From Pollen DeFi
Maarten Ectors is a man of many parts, mostly disruptive. He joined the Pollen DeFi team in October just after the initial founders put the project together. He reckons it’s all about the money, follow the money. “Take a step back,” Ectors advises. “Ten years ago if you had money it was relatively easy to invest through a broker or asset manager. Then Warren Buffet came along and burst the bubble pointing out that most of the managers never beat the market. So the next opportunity was indexed funds which were expected to go up – continually. Except that is not sustainable so where can money go now? “So, why not create an index token that gets invested in such a way to beat the market. But if the market goes down, then you go short. If the market goes up, you go long. And what if we can make something that the investors pay gas fees to rebalance their assets? And that last part is the key to Pollen.” To find out more, tune into the podcast Your host is Jillian Godsil
August 15, 2022
An inclusive plan to deal with AI, Inequality, and Climate
#AI #Technology #Economy Description: Technosocialism is the way the authors of the new book `The Rise of Technosocialism` suggest we tackle the complex large-scale problems that are facing humanity - Inequality, AI, and Climate.In this episode, I discuss new concepts with futurist Brett King for our socio-economic future. Brett King https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettking/ The Rise of Technosocialism https://riseoftechnosocialism.com/ Brett King is a world-renowned futurist and speaker, an International Bestselling Author, and media personality. President Xi Jinping cited his book Augmented on the topic of Artificial Intelligence in his address to the nation in 2018. In 2019 his book Bank 4.0 was awarded the Top Book by a Foreign Author in Russia. In 2020 he was inducted into the Fintech Hall of Fame by CB Insights. King hosts the world's #1 ranked Radio show and Podcast on FinTech called "Breaking Banks" and is the Chairman and Founder of Moven. Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
August 12, 2022
If you could be anyone in the world, who would you be? Would you be a spy, a lead singer in a rock band, a legendary product designer, or something else? What happens when fintech minds collide in the most random fashion? In this episode of One Vision, which at times feels more like a family dinner conversation, Theo reunites with Barb MacLean and Chris Garrod to talk about our virtual selves, technology, and Barb’s fintech playlist. While we might all be at different physical locations, fintech will always be the common bond that brings us back together. All aboard the crazy train, shall we?
August 11, 2022
Zhanat Makhataeva, PhD candidate in Robotics Engineering at Nazarbayev University School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, on the human memory augmentation app she is developing
A very common problem amongst older people is the development of cognitive disorders. This results in more round the clock care needed which can be very expensive. But it’s not all doom and gloom as there is a solution being developed that will help. Zhanat Makhataeva, PhD candidate in Robotics Engineering at Nazarbayev University School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, has developed an app for digital headsets called ExoMem , an AR-based human memory augmentation system. Zhanat talks about the app, the equipment used with the app, future versions of the app, the freedom users will have, and Microsoft HoloLens. Zhanat also talks about how developing the app came about, how improving technology has helped, battery life, memory, trying to live a normal life, future plans for the project, AI, and her internship with Microsoft in London. More about the app Zhanat is developing: The app works by recognising and remembering objects and their location to aid individuals and mitigate the effects of conditions such as dementia or Alzheimer’s. Zhanat believes that AR head-mounted displays, computing technologies, and AI algorithms can significantly benefit research in assistive systems and human-technology interaction, especially for people affected by cognitive impairments and memory decline. The augmentation of hearing and vision in humans, which can help both healthy people and people with cognitive impairments, is a possible direction for AR and AI research. By restoring the perception and memory functions of people with cognitive impairments, we can improve not only the lives of patients, but also those around them.
Description: The role of humans in the Deep Digital Transformation required to build a sustainable and resilient business, is ever more important. In this episode, we talk about Digital Maturity from the mindset point of view. We highlight the broken customer journey in financial services, the shift in values of Millenials, Gen Z and Gen A. Kamales Lardi, beleives that the futureof business is not just about your company and your offering to customers, it isan ecosystem, a collaborative and co-optive environment which includes suppliers, partners and employees,rather than a competitive one. This is one of several points that she discusses extensively in her upcoming book to be published by Wiley. Kamales Lardi is a leading emerging technology professional who has recently been appointed as MD for Switzerland for Valtech. Kamales Lardi is a bold and strategic thinker in digital andbusiness transformation. She combines over 22 years of deep cross-industryexperience with the latest digital and technology solutions. Kamales is listedin the “Top 10 Global Influencers & Thought Leaders in DigitalTransformation” (Thinkers360) and Top 50 Women in Tech Influencers 2021 (TheAwards Magazine). Since establishing Lardi & Partner Consulting GmbH in2012, Kamales has advised many multinational companies across variousindustries in Europe, Asia and Africa for over a decade. In June 2022, Kamalesjoined Valtech, a global business transformation company, as the ManagingDirector Switzerland. Kamales is aTeaching Fellow at Durham University Business School, and is the Chair of theFORBES Business Council Women Executives. She is a dynamic and influentialspeaker and presents regularly at corporate and industry conferences. In 2022,Kamales was recognized in International 40 Over 40 - The World's Most InspiringWomen by CapGemini Invent and Female One Zero. Kamales Lardi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamaleslardi/ Upcoming book The Human Side of DigitalBusiness Transformation, by Wiley Hardcover – 27 Oct. 2022 https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Human+Side+of+Digital+Business+Transformation-p-9781119871019 Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
Intro: Henry Fox from Irish Tech News interviews Bob Coggins, co-founder of the craft beer brewery, the White Hag. The White Hag is the first brewery in Sligo in over 100 years, who are hosting their annual Hagstravaganza craft beer festival this week. We discuss his business, the upcoming Hagstravaganza event, travel, and the culture and lifestyle in Sligo. Bios: Bob Coggins is a co-founder of the White Hag Brewery. Bob originally got his start in marketing but changed career paths to get into the brewing business. Craft beers and brewing being a large part of his lifestyle, he wanted to bring this to others. Bob enjoys cycling and the laid-back lifestyle of Sligo, though he originally was based in Dublin. Henry Fox is a freelance journalist and student at Coventry University in the UK, currently interning at Irish Tech News. Originally hailing from Limerick, Henry has a passion for all things nerdy, from emerging computer technology to cult movies.
August 07, 2022
People, Planet, and Profit: Creating a better world through business principles
Can we create a positive impact through dialogue and mindset change? How does our supply chain impact sustainability? How does our marketing campaign impact diversity, equity, and inclusion? From governance structure to financial metrics, how are we sparking economic growth for the entire ecosystem? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Nima Farshchi, Director of the Center for Social Value Creation at the University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business, on creating a better world through what we do. It’s time to re-imagine our impact and grow the pie, one action at a time.
August 04, 2022
We catch up with Dmitry Radkovskiy to learn more about his journey and the exciting new project he is working on as CTO of Marsbase. Dmitry Radkovskiy's brief biography CTO of dOTC Marsbase. Developer and engineering manager with 15+ years of experience, open source contributor. In DeFi since 2018, winner of multiple web3 hackathons, including 0x + Coinlist Hackathon and EOS Global Hackathon Hong Kong. https://linktr.ee/MARSBASE The first decentralized OTC desk. Make large crypto transactions while skipping order books and decentralized liquidity pools with smart contacts of Marsbase https://otc-marsbase.gitbook.io/marsbase/mars-knowledge-base
August 04, 2022
In this podcast Melanie Boylan chatted to Matthew Tirman about how Satellogic has spearheaded low orbit research in climate change, resource differentials and even for finance and insurance. They have also built strong relationships with researchers who can tap the data flow for ongoing Earth research as often as they want. Compelling information! Founded in 2010 by Emiliano Kargieman and Gerardo Richarte, Satellogic (NASDAQ: SATL) is the first vertically integrated geospatial company, driving real outcomes with planetary-scale insights. Satellogic is creating and continuously enhancing the first scalable, fully automated EO platform with the ability to remap the entire planet at both high-frequency and high-resolution, providing accessible and affordable solutions for customers. Satellogic’s mission is to democratize access to geospatial data through its information platform of high-resolution images and analytics to help solve the world’s most pressing problems including climate change, energy supply, and food security. Using its patented Earth imaging technology, Satellogic unlocks the power of EO to deliver high-quality, planetary insights at the lowest cost in the industry. With more than a decade of experience in space, Satellogic has proven technology and a strong track record of delivering satellites to orbit and high-resolution data to customers at the right price point.
August 03, 2022
Soft Leadership and Mindfulness in the Modern World, Professor M.S. Rao
Description: Join us for the Irish Tech News Podcast where Henry Fox interviews mindfulness expert and the Father of Soft Leadership, Professor M.S. Rao in a talk about his work, what inspired him to work in mindfulness and gender equality, and the professor’s advice for the younger generation. Bios: Professor M.S. Rao, PhD, is an international leadership consultant and leadership guru from India, known as the Father of Soft Leadership. His past work has been in a multitude of sectors, from teaching, consultancy, and philosophy to research and the military. He has written over 50 books, including the award-winning See the Light in You, with a foreword written by the Dalai Lama. Professor Rao has a vision of gender equality and soft leadership in business. He currently works as a C-Suite advisor and global keynote speaker, while also contributing to Entrepreneur Magazine, CEOWorld, and other publications. Professor Rao was recently ranked #1 Thought Leader and Influencer in Business Strategy globally by Thinkers360. Henry Fox is a freelance journalist and student at Coventry University in the UK, currently interning at Irish Tech News. Originally hailing from Limerick, Henry has a passion for all things nerdy, from emerging computer technology to cult movies.
August 02, 2022
We have to be impressive Anne Keogh, CFO Ambisense
As diversity has become a major part of working life, it’s great to see an increase of women in senior management positions in Ireland. Anne Keogh is the CFO of Ambisense, and the perfect role model for women in business. Ronan talks to Anne about women in c-suite management role and more. Anne talks about her background, what Ambisense does, why choices are good, women in c-suite management roles, mentors, and quotas at work. Anne also talks about being impressive, willing to learn from mistakes, what Michael Smurfit taught her, the art of the possible, work environments and having respect and manners. More about Anne Keogh: Anne is the CFO of Irish start-up and environmental analytics company Ambisense, an IoT and AI analytics business focussed on monitoring environmental risks including risks from climate change and Covid 19. Prior to this, Anne was the CFO and COO of Pharmapod, an innovative cloud-based software developed by pharmacists for pharmacists to maximise patient safety across the global healthcare system. Anne also has 7 years experience in being a woman of the c-suite.
August 02, 2022
Description: Henry Fox from Irish Tech News speaks with Survival International's Sarah Shenker, a human rights campaigner and organiser about the work she does, what inspired her to join Survival International, and the progress still to be made in protecting indigenous lands. Bios: Sarah Shenker is a British campaigner for Uncontacted Tribes with Survival International. Her work has spanned the world, from the Amazon to South East Asia. She has a passion for human rights and protecting indigenous lands. Henry Fox is a freelance journalist and student at Coventry University in the UK, currently interning at Irish Tech News. Originally hailing from Limerick, Henry has a passion for all things nerdy, from emerging computer technology to cult movies.
August 01, 2022
Why Climatenomics is a word now with Bob Keefe of E2
In this podcast Melanie Boylan speaks with former Tech Journalist and Executive Director of E2 and author of the very recent book on the subject entitled Climatenomics: Washington, Wall Street and the Economic Battle to Save Our Planet. It's sad that we have reached this pinnacle in our climate journey, but with Bob's attitude and the shift that we can make using economics alone, this is not just a job for the children now. It's a whole new area where we can capitalise and actually help protect our planet and find other communities that want this as badly as we do. Bob Keefe is executive director of E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs) a nonpartisan organization of more than 10,000 business leaders who advocate for policies that are good for the economy and good for the environment. In addition to overseeing E2’s work and its nine U.S. chapters, Bob speaks regularly about the economic benefits of smart environmental policies, the clean energy economy, jobs and related issues, and has been widely quoted in publications nationwide. He is the author of “Climatenomics: Washington, Wall Street and the Economic Battle To Save Our Planet” (Rowman & Littlefield, May 2022) and co-author of several other business-related books. Prior to joining E2 in 2011, Bob spent more than 20 years as a political, business and environmental journalist. He served as the chief Washington correspondent for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as a California-based national reporter for Cox Newspapers/Cox News Service, as technology editor for the Austin (Tx) American-Statesman and as a business and investigative reporter for the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was a fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
August 01, 2022
Ian Foley is an executive with over 20 years' experience in sales and finance in Silicon Valley. He is currently the Chief Business Officer at Arweave, a Web3 company with an innovative business model for decentralized cloud storage for ever (permenanty). Ian has been the CEO/founder or head of sales for 4 startups, which resulted in 3x M&A and 1x IPO. He has also been a venture investor in 8 companies, which resulted in 4x acquisitions and 6x return. His industry experience is in FinTech, Marketing Tech, Cyber Security and Telecoms. He started his career in investment banking, strategy consulting and journalism. #fintech #tech #SiliconValley Ian`s monthly cartoons in Fortune Magazine - https://fortune.com/newsletter/termsheet Ian Foley Twitter - https://twitter.com/Ian_california Ian Foley`s Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/foleyian/ Ian`s Cartoons - https://iantoons.com/ Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal Listen to more podcasts here.
July 30, 2022
Recent market volatility has decimated fintech valuations and funding has become harder to come by. Instead of growth at all costs, startups are facing increased pressure to show profit. In this new episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Tiffani Montez, Principal Analyst at Insider Intelligence, on the era of uncertainty. Can neobanks continue to drive user growth rates and move to black fast, while weathering regulatory changes and intense competition? How will BNPL evolve as delinquency goes up and economic uncertainty continues? And as big tech pushes further into financial services, how will the industry respond?
July 28, 2022
Bit.com and Toya Zhang - Building in a Bear Market
Toya Zhang hails from a traditional communications background in Finance, but in 2015, part of her job involved investigating Bitcoin for a client. She went down the rabbit hole and never looked back. “The whole industry is evolving – from ICOs, IDOs to Web3 and NFTs – I am really fascinated by the evolution, and now as CMO at Bit.com, a cryptocurrency exchange specializing in options trading, I am evolving with everyone else.” Zhang joined Bit.com in January 2022 and is very committed and connected to the growth of the exchange. Bit.com was founded in 2020 as a spinoff from Matrixport, a crypto bank established in 2019. Matrixport was valued at $1 billion in 2021, while Bit.com is ranked in the top 3 crypto options exchanges in terms of trading volume. Bit.com is registered in Seychelles with offices in Singapore and Hong Kong. “Bit.com has a solid team. They began at the hard end, if you will – by launching a sophisticated crypto options exchange. It took eight months to go live, but it propelled them into the top of the space.” Two years on, Bit.com has fleshed out its offering from just options trading to adding futures, perpetual futures, spot markets, and several savings products. “We are consolidating this growth and looking to expand further in Europe. Beginning life as we did an options exchange, we also have a lot of institutional traders, many of which are registered with offshore companies.” It is evident from our conversation that Zhang aligns her personal values with that of Bit.com and the care it extends to its customers – from building solid products to ensuring client money is genuinely theirs. And the good news is that Bit.com is hiring despite this bear market. When asked why now, the answer is uncomplicated. “We weren’t aggressive until we were ready. We began with options, futures, and the spot market. Today we have about 50 tokens listed and added yield products. But they are only added once everything was fully bedded in and our UI was fine.” Not that Zhang likes the bear market, but as she says, it’s possible to breathe and take time to think in a bear market. “It’s exciting to have this time to consider what might be coming down the track next. Web 3 – however it is defined – is the next big thing, along with GameFi and the metaverse. We are all building now. “As an exchange, we are at the heart of the cryptocurrency movement. We are deeply rooted in this space, the engine of the industry, if you will. We need to keep on offering the best services, provide liquidity, and continue to manage risk. “It’ll take time, but bear markets provide great building opportunities. I’d say within five years; these innovations will be here.” And where does Bit.com fit into all this? “We are simply a centralized service provider on top of the decentralized digital world.”
July 28, 2022
Tech recruitment trends with Ed Rossiter, founder and co-CEO of Phoenix
During the pandemic how we worked has changed for ever. Hybrid and remote working has become the new norm and this has impacted on tech recruitment. Phoenix is a global specialist search agency that was set up by founder and co-CEO Ed Rossiter in 2018. Offering recruitment services to companies in tech, fintech, financial services and professional services, Phoenix has scaled rapidly throughout the course of pandemic, while servicing many Irish companies with the same ambitions. Ronan talks to Ed Rossiter about the latest tech recruitment trends and more. Ed talks about what Phoenix has seen in the work place, remote working, the tech jobs that are most in demand, videoconferencing, the pandemic, interviewing for jobs remotely, working for startup or an established company and up skilling. More about Phoenix: Phoenix is redefining the way recruitment is executed, by creating a more personalised, modern and bespoke approach. They are helping companies scale globally and conquer the world by finding the right people at the right time. Providing agile, tech-enabled recruitment services to help scaling companies reach their goals. As a young company who have grown rapidly throughout the pandemic, Phoenix understands the needs of a new workforce, helping companies expand internationally and hire top talent in targeted areas.
July 26, 2022
Henry from Irish Tech News speaks with Professor Wulf Kaal about his experience with DAOs, horizontal governance, equity online,and his own project, Menagerie. How does this counter big companies’ data farming? How can this upgrade level 1 governance? We speak about all this and more. Bios: Wulf Kaal is a professor, lawyer, and economist. Originally hailing from Germany, he immigrated to the United States as a young adult, where he worked with top US firms, such as Goldman Sachs and Swain & Moore. He has taught at several universities across the globe, and is the co-founder of Menagerie.is, an internet tool that helps anyone begin their own decentralized community online. Wulf’s vision is to decentralise the internet in a way that will lead to more equity among users – this includes employing the use of DAOs and combatting data farming by large corporations. He is currently working at the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minnesota, the United States. Henry Fox is a freelance journalist and student at Coventry University in the UK, currently interning at Irish Tech News. Originally hailing from Limerick, Henry has a passion for all things nerdy, from emerging computer technology to cult movies.
July 25, 2022
Change management is a real challenge Tony Frawley, CEO of Macmarts
During these strange times global manufacturing companies who are in heavily regulated sectors, such as pharma and healthcare face several issues. The biggest being maintaining budgets as raw materials prices and other costs swing upwards. Macmarts a Limerick based provider of cloud applications for manufacturing companies has the solution. Spendbooks is a one of a kind spend management software for manufacturing companies or companies who are in heavily regulated sectors such as pharma and healthcare. Ronan talks to Tony Frawley, CEO of Macmarts about Spendbooks more. Tony talks about his background, what Macmarts do, sustainability, how Spendbooks works, budgeting, digital transformation, approval of requisitions, change management, why they are a scale up, their future plans, and Brexit. More about Macmarts: Macmarts was originally developed by their parent company Macnovate in 2017, Macmarts delivers spend management and project resource management applications for the life science, healthcare and other heavily regulated industries. Macmarts is a flexible and fully customisable platform ideally suited to manufacturing organisations ranging from medium-sized businesses to large enterprises. With four decades of real life experience working at the coalface in the ever-changing, high-octane manufacturing arena, we’ve harnessed our collective industry intelligence to develop a SaaS platform to support manufactures in building Digital Manufacturing Enterprises.
July 22, 2022
Welcome to the curated world of Metropolis
Curated metaverse platform Metropolis World engages Flare as a key interoperability partner powering seamless movement between different metaverses and blockchains Metropolis World, a soon to launch curated metaverse platform, announces a partnership with Flare, a new blockchain which enables secure decentralized interoperability between chains and metaverses. Flare’s blockchain technology will allow for the seamless movement by users between different metaverse ecosystems and blockchains, such as Decentraland and Sandbox, which is a key aspect of Metropolis’ vision for the metaverse. The Flare partnership means that Metropolis World becomes a one stop destination as it now has a bridge into other metaverses. Metropolis users will be able to move into other worlds easily without borders. Metropolis World differentiates itself from other metaverse platforms due to its design aesthetic: its cities are created digitally by hand and every property is a unique standalone piece of art. Unlike the majority of NFT collections Metropolis is not utilizing generative art to create the actual cities. The real-world ecosystem is already developed as it has formed partnerships with a wide range of high-profile ambassadors from the worlds of music, art, gaming, NFT, crypto and business whom it is calling founding citizens. These include — 3LAU, Bored Elon, Chad Knight, Dillon Francis, Diplo, Fvckrender, Valfre, Meltem Demirors, Outlier Ventures, Steve Aoki. Metropolis’ first metaverse city called Celeste is launching in the fall and over the next 12 months it will drop its avatars and the ecommerce platform. Within 18 months it expects to launch six cities with each property sold as an individual NFT. Hugo Philion, CEO & Co-founder of Flare, said: “Interoperability is a critical challenge, not just for blockchains, but also for metaverses. We share Metropolis’ vision for a seamlessly interconnected metaverse universe, and as their key interoperability partner, we will be implementing decentralized and insured LayerCake bridges to ensure safe transit for all user assets.” Rashid Ajami, Co-Founder of Metropolis World, said: “The backing of Flare enables us to offer users the seamless movement between different metaverse ecosystems — this really sets us apart and reflects our big picture vision of how the metaverse is going to evolve.” Rania Ajami, Co-Founder of Metropolis World, said: “Metropolis will offer a metaverse experience unlike anything else out there. We see huge scope for the platform globally as the melding of digi-physical immersive experiences for our users blends into one life, but not just in our capital cities of the metaverse but on other platforms too thanks to our partnership with Flare.” To listen to a podcast with Rashid and Rania - tune in here. Your host is Jillian Godsil
July 22, 2022
A fintech founder’ story: For the love of people and love of hope
When we reflect upon who we are and where we are in our career path, who has influenced us the most in our journey, to become the person we are today? In this episode of One Vision, we welcome the return of our co-host Stephanie Foster, as we chat with Dana Wilson, CEO and Founder of CHIP, on wealth management and the importance of empowering others to live their financially authentic lives. There is no magic bullet — nor a single set of remedies — when it comes to fostering diversity and inclusion. From family endowment, education, employment, access to finance, to representation, and social attitudes, there are many factors that influence both equality of opportunity and equality of outcomes. But if we are intentional about creating space for others at the table, and making sure people are seen and their voices are heard, we can fight for — and effect change — together. We belong here.
July 21, 2022
James West and Globe Derivative Exchange
James West, CEO Globe Derivative Exchange James West is a man who likes numbers, preferably lots of them. His PhD is in Biostatistics and at one stage he was also an ergodic theory researcher. For reference this is the definition of ergodic mathematics: relating to or denoting systems or processes with the property that, given sufficient time, they include or impinge on all points in a given space and can be represented statistically by a reasonably large selection of points. I rest my case. Although West explains ergodic dynamic systems using doughnuts because doughnuts are more interesting than regular planes as fundamentally there’s a hole in a doughnut. When asked if it mattered if it was cream filled or chocolate covered the answer was no, neither made a difference, although usually the math department preferred chocolate filled. For a time, West was also an entrepreneur in residence which was much more than just about numbers. He was employed by a VC to come up with business ideas in an incubator-like environment with 100 other like minded people. “It was like being in college, only being paid for it,” suggests West. To find out more, please to this very discursive and interesting podcast. You host is Jillian Godsil
July 20, 2022
How can organizations help gender Equity at work with Melanie Ho
On this Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by author and multi-media creator, Melanie Ho. She talks about her book Beyond Leaning: Gender Equity and What Organizations Are up Against, a new kind of novel to spark discussion and change. Melanie Ho talks about the reason she decided to write about this subject and the problems and solutions for gender equity in society. She also explained how arts can help gender equity at work. Melanie Ho is the author of BEYOND LEANING IN: GENDER EQUITY AND WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE UP AGAINST, a silver medalist in the 2022 Axiom Awards recognizing the world’s best business books. She speaks, facilitates workshops, and consults on a variety of topics, including women in leadership; diversity, equity, and inclusion; the future of education; and the use of creativity and the arts in business. Formerly SVP at education technology and consulting firm EAB Global, Melanie now works with organizations ranging from small start-ups to multi-billion-dollar global conglomerates to leading universities. She started her career teaching literature, leadership, and visual culture at UCLA, where she received her PhD in English. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master’s in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
July 20, 2022
Customers now want to consume technology as a service Robert Price, Digital Infrastructure Practice Director for Logicalis
With remote working now part of daily lives, the technology to do this has become more sophisticated. Logicalis is one of the companies providing the technology to enable seamless remote working. Their Intelligent Connectivity solution is empowering customers and enabling connectivity by supporting agility, scalability, security, and sustainability. Ronan talks to Robert Price, Digital Infrastructure Practice Director for Logicalis about this and more. Robert talks about his background, what Logicalis does, the Logicalis’ Intelligent Connectivity solution, software defined solution’s, AI ops, the pandemic, and some of the current mega trends. Robert also talks about the cloud, IT as an industry, the role logically plays in remote working, what we will see in the next thirty years, and IOT devices. More about Logicalis: Logicalis is an international solutions provider of digital services currently accelerating the digital transformation of its 10,000 customers around the world. Through a globally connected network of specialist hubs, sector-leading experts in education, financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, professional services, retail and telecommunications. As well as strategic partnerships including Cisco, Microsoft, HPE, IBM, NetApp, Oracle, ServiceNow, and VMware.
July 19, 2022
What to expect from the metaverse, Sandeep Aggarwal, Logix Coin
ITN's Henry Fox interviews Droom and ShopClues CEO Sandeep Aggarwal, one of India's most successful entrepreneurs, about his business, e-commerce in India, and expansion into the modern day. We go into the future of his company, and what he imagines life to be like in the metaverse. Bios: Sandeep Aggarwal is a serial entrepreneur and a self-described pioneer in the field of the manufacturing and supply chain industry. Sandeep is an investor in cryptocurrency and a blockchain enthusiast. He is the CEO of Logix Coin, an upcoming cryptocurrency, and has channelled his over 20 years of experience as a business owner and director into his current work. Henry Fox is a freelance journalist and student at Coventry University in the UK, currently interning at Irish Tech News. Originally hailing from Limerick, Henry has a passion for all things nerdy, from emerging computer technology to cult movies.
July 18, 2022
Caroline Hughes is the CEO and co-founder of Lifetise, a Web 3 consumer fintech in the metaverse where people can plan and visualize their goals. She is a Tech lawyer by training. She an activator in SheEO, a global community of radically generous women transforming the way we fund, support and celebrate women-led Ventures working on purposeful business ventures. She is also included in the Crypto Goddess and God community (CG) of 1,000 thought leaders across finance, fintech and web3 featured in 1 of 1 rare portrait NFTs. Caroline Hughes - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-hughes-46494915/ Lifetise - https://lifetise.com/ SheEO - https://sheeo.world/ CG Pantheon NFT: https://magiceden.io/marketplace/cgpantheon?activeTab=auctions Caroline Hughes Goddess NFT : https://magiceden.io/item-details/EUdN66kc74D8jkqng2EPtFW95ipVrSK9gHB51x2Bk5QK?name=Caroline-Hughes-%23162 Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal Listen to more podcasts here.
July 16, 2022
According to a recent staff memo circulating across social media, Elon Musk recently made his stance on hybrid working clear, demanding the end of remote working for all Tesla employees or else they would face termination. As employees make decisions to return to the office there has been global concern that the gender imbalance will be stretched further. The permanent switch to more home working following the pandemic will cause an increase in inclusivity issues within the workplace, according to experts, unless employers carefully monitor their new working policies to make sure everyone’s performance is recognised equally regardless of whether they work from the office or not. There is a fear that those who receive more “face time” with management will benefit from more recognition and preferential treatment. Ronan talks to Aislinn Mahon, General Manager of Huckletree D2 about this and more. Aislinn talks about her background, Elon Musk’s stance on hybrid working, the positives of co-working spaces, Zoom meetings, mental health and meditation. Aislinn also talks about the different types of companies based in Huckltree, the help companies can get in co-working spaces, and the best strategy that works for companies. More about Aislinn: Aislinn is expert in new market entry and identifying new opportunities for strategic growth, and helped launch Huckletree in Ireland in 2017. She's also deeply passionate about the practice and teaching of yoga. Superpower: Building inner confidence.
July 15, 2022
2022 has been an eventful year, to say the least. From positive gains in financial inclusion, to crypto winter and the Metaverse, much is evolving. What will be the new players in the emerging Web3 ecosystem as we continue to iterate? And what role will traditional finance play? In this episode of One Vision, we chat with Lex Sokolin, Head Economist at ConsenSys, about what’s next for fintech innovation, cryptocurrency, and regulations, as he moves with the edge of the world.
July 14, 2022
The Future City ESG Innovation Index The newly developed deep ecosystems have provided a thorough analysis of the capabilities of cities and their innovation ecosystems to capture the immense economic opportunity from the future demand for solutions in the ESG sectors worldwide. The report reveals a total of $60bn being invested in ESG focused start-ups across over 100 cities since 2018. ESG solutions included, are those that will likely see a surge in demand in the future, when the transition to a more green and sustainable economy accelerates. It includes solutions for ecology, waste management and clean energy in the environment sector, health, and education solutions in the social ESG sector and e-government, public transport, and smart city solutions in the governance related ESG sector. With all the potential of creating a more green and sustainable future, Erica Santini discusses the aim of the deep ecosystem, sustainability valley’s effect on the public and more. Dr Erica Santini- Head of Research deep and Professor of University Trento
July 14, 2022
LGBTQ+ issues and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace, insights with Nick Drouet
Providing technical and technological support to a vast range of customers is no easy job. It is even harder and stressing for the CTO of a fairly new company to get it all together, manage their team and solve the issues of the clients. This is exactly what Nick Drouet has been doing. Nick is a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and a Distinguished Engineer for Kyndryl United Kingdom and Ireland. In today's podcast, he talks to Tanjima Elham Khandaker about his work and experience and why more people should build their career in the field of technology. Nick also shares his thoughts and steps he has taken for the LGBTQ+ as a member and advocate of the community. About Nick: Nick Drouet is a CTO for Kyndryl United Kingdom and Ireland, a role in which he serves as the glue which binds the company’s technical groups together. Drouet was selected to be part of the inaugural class of Kyndryl Distinguished Engineers, leading innovators who are shaping the future of Kyndryl and driving change in the industry. About Tanjima: Tanjima Elham Khandaker is an MA student of Journalism, studying at the University of Roehampton, and an intern at the Irish Tech News. She is from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Back in her country, Tanjima worked for six and a half years as a journalist, sub-editor and senior sub-editor with a TV channel, an online news portal and a daily newspaper. She plans on becoming a better-skilled newsperson by pursuing further studies in the UK. Tanjima is a tech-enthusiast and dreams of walking on the moon one day.
July 13, 2022
In this episode Melanie Boylan chats with Peter McMahon, Founder and MD of the new Irish business called Clear Energy set up in November 2021. Here we learn about an innovation in solar glass that can help reduce your carbon footprint, remove costs entirely for electricity bills and looks pretty good too! Peter tells us his journey and how he brought this concept from Spain to Ireland and how it well complements what he already does at European Industrial Chillers Ltd. Listen in and find out why this technology should become the go-to way to protect our environment and how funding is also available for it!
July 12, 2022
AI technology has opened up ethical concerns about the technology when it comes to privacy, surveillance, bias and discrimination. The £7.5m fine imposed by the U.K. on facial recognition company Clearview AI for breaking the UK’s data protection laws reflects the scale of the problem emerging. The Government’s recent appointment of Dr Patricia Scanlon as the country’s new AI Ambassador will help lead a national conversation on the role of AI in people's lives, emphasising Ireland’s commitment to an ethical approach to the use of the technology. The strong emphasis on deploying an ethical approach in the technology’s application should help prevent mishaps similar to the Clearview AI scandal in the U.K, but how can the public be safeguarded from such practices? Ronan talks to legal AI specialist, Victor Timon, Partner at Lewis Silkin about this and more. More about Victor Timon: Victor Timon is Partner in the London and Dublin offices of the international law firm Lewis Silkin. He heads up the commercial, technology, data and intellectual property practice in Dublin. He has over 35 years of legal experience having been an in-house counsel and then a partner in leading law firms in London and Dublin. He authors the Ireland chapters of a number of international publications on AI, Digital Business and Cybersecurity. He is also on the Advisory Board of Digital Business Ireland, the representative body for the digital commerce sector, and chairs its Policy Committee.
July 12, 2022
Designing robust tablets for forests, events and outdoors rough and tumble, Brian Saunders, Tablet EX Gear
ITN's Henry Fox interviews Tablet EX Gear president Brian Saunders about his business, what inspired him to begin, and the foundations of his business. We go into the range of uses for tablet computers in the modern workplace, from event management to forestry, and learn what the future holds for this innovative company. Bios: Brian Saunders is the president and founder of Tablet EX Gear, using his close to 30 years of experience in forestry on Canada's west coast and the emerging to design his first prototype in 2012, alongside his friend Lorraine, for his company's chest rigs, which hold and work as a standing desk for the then-emerging technology of tablet computers. Since then his business has expanded, and these products can be found across the world - between Brazil and Bangladesh. Henry Fox is a freelance journalist and student at Coventry University in the UK, currently interning at Irish Tech News. Originally hailing from Limerick, Henry has a passion for all things nerdy, from emerging computer technology to cult movies.
July 11, 2022
Dr.Boeckenfeld has more than over 20 years of experience (Asia, Europe, Switzerland) as a Financial Service Executive andNon-Executive in Institutions, such as UBS, Unicredit, Generali, KleinwortBenson and Axa. She focused on the platform economy, dynamic ecosystems, digital business, digital transformation and customer experience, over the past decade. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-martha-boeckenfeld/ The Metaverse Academy https://www.metaverse-academy.ch/
July 09, 2022
The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) took place for the time in Ireland. FIRST’s 34th Annual Conference, entitled ‘Neart Le Chéile: Strength Together’ took place in the Convention Centre, Dublin, from June 26 to July 1, 2022. One of the speakers was Maddie Stone a security researcher on Google Project Zero. Ronan talks to Maddie about what Google Project Zero does and more. Maddie talks about what Google Project Zero does, their most interesting find, where they decide were they will go next, members of the team having their own expertise, flaws in products, only fixing bugs that are exploitable, and what they consider are security bugs. Maddie also talks about why the OS you use is not important to attackers, the dark web, and her FIRST talk, and the serious vulnerabilities they found so far this year. More about Maddie: Maddie Stone is a Security Researcher on Google Project Zero where she focuses on 0-day exploits used in-the-wild. Previously, she was a reverse engineer and team lead on the Android Security team, focusing predominantly on pre-installed and off-Google Play malware. Maddie also spent many years deep in the circuitry and firmware of embedded devices. Maddie has previously spoken at conferences including Black Hat USA, REcon, OffensiveCon, and others. She holds a Bachelors of Science, with a double major in Computer Science and Russian, and a Masters of Science in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University.
July 08, 2022
Unfettered data collection coupled with powerful emerging technologies have given rise to a new digital era. With so much data at our fingertips, how do we separate information from misinformation and propaganda, and parse facts from fiction? Just because something is trending, it doesn’t mean it’s real. In this episode of One Vision, we chat with Alaric Aloor, CEO and Co-Founder of Archonsec, and advisor for MATR Ventures, about the benefits and perils of technology. In a world of fractured conversations, sound argument is becoming a lost art and insanity can be contagious. Unless collectively, we are willing to learn and do what is right to solve the hard problem — with intention — together. But will we?
July 07, 2022
July 06, 2022
The ideas of cryptocurrency and blockchain are still fairly new to most of the people. Even those who are involved in it need to educate themselves on the way with the introduction of newer aspects of this world, where very few women could be found investing their precious talent, time and money. In this podcast, Shelle Fantastic, Founder and CEO of SheFan Pro, shares her ambition and plans to include more women in the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency through empowerment, education and motivation, and balance the gender gap evident in this new field of work along the way. About Shelle: Shelle Fantastic, Founder and CEO of SheFan Pro - thought leader - showing the world when we come together we are stronger. It’s never too late!Empowering “the girl next door” to navigate the world of blockchain and cryptocurrency as safely as possible through education, collaboration and empowerment. About Tanjima: Tanjima Elham Khandaker is an MA student of Journalism, studying at the University of Roehampton, and an intern at the Irish Tech News. She is from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Back in her country, Tanjima worked for six and a half years as a journalist, sub-editor and senior sub-editor with a TV channel, an online news portal and a daily newspaper. She plans on becoming a better-skilled newsperson by pursuing further studies in the UK. Tanjima is a tech-enthusiast and dreams of walking on the moon one day.
July 06, 2022
Insights into Russian Cyber Attacks in Ukraine with Victor Zhora, Yevheniia Volivnyk and Yevhen Bryksin at FIRST
The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) took place for the time in Ireland. FIRST’s 34th Annual Conference, entitled ‘Neart Le Chéile: Strength Together’ took place in the Convention Centre, Dublin, from June 26 to July 1, 2022. One of the speakers was a team from Ukraine, Victor Zhora (The State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine, UA), Yevheniia Volivnyk, Yevhen Bryksin (CERT-UA (SCPC SSSCIP), UA). Ronan talks to the team about their FIRST talk and more. They talk about their experience of cyberwar in the Ukraine, the new challenges Ukraine faces in cyberspace, their talk at FIRST, and the worst cyber attacks Ukraine has faced. They also talk about If the cyber attacks have stayed the same, what we can learn from the cybersecurity attacks on Ukraine, how social media has helped, and why communication is so important. More about FIRST: The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) is an international not-for-profit organisation bringing together a variety of security and incident response teams. Today, FIRST is comprised of over 600 member teams from over 90 countries representing government agencies, academia, commercial enterprises, and financial corporations. FIRST is a front-line enabler in the global response community, providing access to the best practices, tools, and trusted communication with its member teams.
July 05, 2022
Helping Agri-related businesses to stay profitable while choosing sustainable choices with Brijesh Thoppil
On this podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by Brijesh Thoppil, Director of Strategic Partnerships at EOS Data Analytics. He talks about EOS Data Analytics, a global provider of Al-powered satellite imagery analytics and the climate issues that data analytics is more focused to improve and help. Brijesh Thoppil also explained about lucrative agro-partnership in his company and helping agri-related businesses to be more sustainable while staying profitable. About Brijesh Brijesh Thoppil is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at EOS Data Analytics, a global provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics that helps businesses get fast and actionable data and preserve the planet. He is primarily responsible for the management, growth, and development of the company's strategic partnerships, both existing and new. Brijesh holds a Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from Anna University (Chennai). He has over 11 years of experience in various roles, including business development, implementation of technical projects, and management. Currently, Brijesh is responsible for strengthening the company’s approach to partnership development by developing and implementing a partnership strategy to expand EOSDA products across targeted verticals; coordinating partners' training and communicating to partners EOSDA solutions’ updates and collaborating with EOSDA Sales, Marketing, Product, and Technology teams to deliver partners’ feedback. He is also responsible for assisting in product development to ensure the EOSDA offerings are aligned with the products adoption strategy and tracking the progress of the partnership goals achievement. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brijesh-thoppil/ About Diana Paiva About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master’s in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
July 04, 2022
Greek Gods and the Metaverse, Crenguta Leaua interviewed by Dr. Efi Pylarinou
Crenguta Leaua is a professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies in Bucharest, Romania, where she teaches international comparative arbitration and alternative dispute resolution, the law of communication and new technologies and business law. She is the director of The Swiss Institute for Alternative Thinking in Lugano, Switzerland and a member of the Board of Directors of The Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC), chair of the SVAMC Initiative for Arbitration and Mediation for Blockchain-based Transaction. She is practicing international arbitrator and counsel ( founder of LDDP, a GAR 100 lawfirm). Title: Greek Gods and the Metaverse A delightful and thoughtful perspective on the reality we can build through the Metaverse by Law Professor Crenguta Leaua. As a specialist in international arbitration and New Technology law, Professor Crenguta Leaua, shares her thoughts on arbitration in an AI-driven world, and her takeaways from the events in Davos during the WEF2022. In the second part of our discussion, she animates her alternative thinking on the Metaverse, which she has presented during the 2022 European conference on international arbitration and is the topic of her Long article: `The Greek Gods and the Metaverse: Legal Order in the Layered Universe` Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
July 02, 2022
Arm your kids from as young an age as possible Mick Moran, An Garda Síochána
The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) took place for the time in Ireland. FIRST’s 34th Annual Conference, entitled ‘Neart Le Chéile: Strength Together’ took place in the Convention Centre, Dublin, from June 26 to July 1, 2022. One of the keynote speakers was Mick Moran who with Romain Wartel delivered Online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM): The Insider Attack You Have Not Seen Coming. Ronan talks to Mick about his keynote and more. Mick talks about his background, how people abuse technology, encryption, the EU privacy debate, parents educating children about ICT, the traps out there for kids, and his keynote. Mick also talks about blackmail, self harming, Orla’s story, and access to pornography. More about Mick Moran: Mick Moran is a member of An Garda Síochána who formerly worked as Assistant Director in charge of the Vulnerable Communities team dealing with all aspects of Human Trafficking, People Smuggling Networks and Crimes against Children. This team manages the development of the International Child Sexual Abuse database (ICSE) and the implantation of the victim identification discipline in global policing. He has a MSc (Hons.) in Forensic Computing and Cybercrime Investigation from University College Dublin and currently teaches on that course.
July 01, 2022
The confusing world of Tokenomics - made clear in this podcast with Roderick McKinley
Roderick McKinley studied economics to master’s level motivated to understand what drives economic inequality and environmental mismanagement. After taking his CFA exams he began working with private equity investors to finance renewable energy infrastructure in Chile. An exciting opportunity but it also ate into his personal autonomy and, combined with 20-hour days, resulted in burnout. “So, I decided to use my quantitative skills to set up my own business modelling consultancy instead, which I ran right up to 2020 when my first tokenomic engagement turned up. I had first heard about Bitcoin back in 2013, but dismissed it as a naïve fad, and did not give it serious scrutiny – which was a mistake of course.” McKinley is now a tokenomics expert in crypto coming full circle around to cryptocurrency and the irony is not lost on him. He committed to this career pivot after realizing that the fundamental view of economics is similar across traditional and cryptocurrency domains. [R1] [JG2] McKinley explains this in terms of his view of economics as the study of human behaviour involving scarce resources, and the effects these behaviours have on those resources Tune in to listen to Roderick explain the dark arts of Tokenomics. Your host is Jillian Godsil
July 01, 2022
Let the good times roll — at Finovate
Can you believe that Finovate turns 15 this year? The Disneyland of Fintech, as Bradley would call it, has played a pivotal role in moving the fintech ecosystem forward and bringing us together from all corners of the world. In this episode of One Vision, we chat with Greg Palmer and David Penn on what goes on behind the scenes and share some of our most memorable moments. One of the best things about Finovate is, and has always been, about the community. Times might change and tech might evolve; but some things always stay the same: The best times are spent together with our friends at Finovate.
June 30, 2022
Podcast summary: In a time when life seems impossible and incomplete without the internet, maintaining data security and privacy can be a luxury sometimes as it is pretty easy to steal personal data and breach privacy using the same internet. Access to uncensored internet for all also looks like a hard-to-believe concept. This is where technologies such as dVPN come to the rescue. In today's podcast, Tanjima Elham Khandaker talks to Aleksandr Litreev, Founder and CEO of SOLAR Labs, the world’s leading developer of dVPN technology. Aleksandr shares his background, how he came to work on dVPN and Web3 technologies, how they work to support users with internet safety and privacy and human rights which are intertwined with these issues. Aleksandr's bio: Aleksandr Litreev is Founder and CEO of SOLAR Labs, the world’s leading developer of dVPN technology. The SOLAR Labs mission is to promote free speech, truth, and human rights globally, by empowering all people to have uncensored, untraceable, blockchain-enabled access to the internet via its decentralized applications and consumer hardware products, built exclusively at this time for the Cosmos blockchain ecosystem. Tanjima's bio: Tanjima Elham Khandaker is an MA student of Journalism, studying at the University of Roehampton, and an intern at the Irish Tech News. She is from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Back in her country, Tanjima worked for six and a half years as a journalist, sub-editor and senior sub-editor with a TV channel, an online news portal and a daily newspaper. She plans on becoming a better-skilled newsperson by pursuing further studies in the UK. Tanjima is a tech-enthusiast and dreams of walking on the moon one day.
June 29, 2022
Project New Era – Why the Government needs the Private Sector to test Digital Currencies
With Paul Sisnett, CEO of SMD Group, and Kunal Jhanji, Partner & MD at Boston Consulting Group Project New Era is a privately-led, cross-industry initiative that will evaluate a future digital currency ecosystem in the UK that could include stablecoins and a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). Differing from other initiatives which seek to promote policy theories for digital currencies, Project New Era is about testing them in practice through a private sector pilot, using a live Digital Sterling (‘dSterling’) asset. The pilot, set to launch in September, will be run by the private consortium but aims to engage with The Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Payments Systems Regulator to update them around the progress and learnings in order to help them make informed decisions on implementing a CBDC in the future. These authorities are not, however, directly involved in the pilot itself. Tune in to hear more - your host is Jillian Godsil
June 29, 2022
The 22nd Accenture Tech Vision report is out and it places a big emphasis on the metaverse. So besides seeing the metaverse as something businesses should be prepared for, what else does the Tech Vision report mention. Ronan talks to David Kirwan, Head of Technology, Accenture Ireland about this and more. David talks about his background, what he does in Accenture, trust and transparency, Accenture's latest Technology Vision report and the metaverse, . David also talks about AI, Star Trek, and what technology will become ubiquitous. More about the Accenture Technology Vision report: The annual Technology Vision report identifies the latest technology trends that will have the greatest impact on companies, government agencies and other organisations in the next three years. The Technology Vision explores disruptive technology that impacts digital business and includes examples, bold predictions and critical decision points for leaders to consider related to their digital technology investments. The research is based on input from the Technology Vision External Advisory Board comprised of public and private sectors, academia, venture capital and entrepreneurial companies. Insights are also drawn from nearly 100 Accenture business leaders who have deep expertise with digital technology. To understand the perspectives of both business leaders and consumers, the research process includes a global survey of more than 6,000 business and IT executives, and a global consumer survey.
June 28, 2022
What you need to know about diabetes, John Simpson interviewed by Sangeeta Waldron
John Simpson Talks About Neuropad®: A Game-changer For People Living With Diabetes In this episode of the Irish Tech News podcast, I am joined by John Simpson, CEO of Neuropad®, a biotech company, which is a game-changer for the early detection of diabetic foot syndrome, a condition which can lead to serious complications such as foot ulceration and amputation. Feet are important, especially if you have diabetes, because with diabetes, it means you’re much more likely to develop problems with your feet – problems that could end up as amputations. But most amputations can be prevented. If you take good care of your feet and check them regularly, you can reduce your risk of developing foot problems, and this is how Neuropad is changing things. It is a pain-free, ten-minute patch test, which can be done by you at home or with your carer or doctor. This simple patch test has been recommended by the National Advisory Panel for Care Home Diabetes in its new national guidance for care home operators and their staff. In this timely podcast, we discuss why National Diabetes Week, which took place between 13 to 19 June was a tumbleweed moment with the UK media; how the global pandemic has severely impacted people living with diabetes; and about the unnecessary foot/leg amputations that are currently happening, can be avoided with better care. Alarmingly, 30 percent of people with diabetes are unaware that foot complications are common and serious if detected late. Another sobering statistic is that the five-year mortality post amputation is worse than most common cancers and much higher than breast cancer. John shares his in-depth knowledge about diabetes and talks about these staggering statistics and how foot complications are the most feared of all the complications of diabetes. This podcast conversation with John Simpson is a real eye-opener and shines a light on the things that we take for granted. To know more about Neuropad visit www.neuropad.co.uk Twitter @neuropadtest; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neuropadtest LinkedIn: John Simpson
June 27, 2022
The need for Governance in the Defi space, Insights with Dr. Eelco Fiole, interviewed by Dr. Efi Pylarinou
The meltdown of Terra`s algorithmic stablecoin, Celsius, and the systemic risk that has emerged, is evidence of the lack of Governance in the Defi space. We discuss with Dr. Eelco Fiole, the kind of Governance that is lacking and that has been ignored at the expense of the entire ecosystem. We are witnessing a monumental value destruction as a result. Dr. Eelco Fiole is the founder and managing partner at https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiole/ Alpha Governance Partners - https://www.alpha-gp.com/ . He is a seasoned banking professional. Over the past 10 years he has been in fiduciary COO and CFOroles in blockchain and investments. He also teaches Ethics at two Swiss universities and recently got award the CFA inspirational Leader award for Ethics. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fiole_cfa-institute-inspirational-leader-award-activity-6940688810359848961-9cSz?utm_source=linkedin_share&utm_medium=member_desktop_web Dr. Efi Pylarinou is the No.1 Global Woman Influencer in Finance & the Data conversation by Refinitiv, a Top Thought Leader by Onalytica, and a Top Digital Futurist, Linkedin and Twitter Voice, by Engatica. A seasoned Wall Street professional & a recognized technology thought leader on innovation topics. Founder of Efi Pylarinou Advisory servicing Big Tech, Financial Services and Fintech clients. She strongly believes in building bridges between the old and the new economy. She shares her passion of content creation with her 190,000+ followers on Linkedin and 18,000+ on Twitter. Join her on the social platforms https://linktr.ee/Efiglobal
June 24, 2022
The NFT requests marketplace matching users with artists Jonathan Chen, Head of Operations at Creaticles
NFT’s are becoming more popular and are being used in a variety of interesting ways. One company that is doing interesting things with NFT’s is Creaticles, the NFT requests marketplace matching users with artists. Ronan talks to Jonathan Chen, their Head of Operations about what they are doing and more. Jonathan talks about his background, what Creaticles does, Creaticles mission, Creaticles contests and Creaticles been selected as one of eight of the most promising projects in CoinList’s Seed batch for Fall 2021. Jonathan also talks about Creaticles' partnership with Fantom, and the recently announced charity NFT contest in aid of Top 7 for Ukraine. More about Creaticles: Their platform allows anyone to source custom NFTs through ‘Creaticles contests’, using a Request for Proposal (RFP) model, in which users submit an NFT idea request to the platform’s roster of verified artists, who are remunerated for their work in ETH and other cryptocurrencies. Creaticles was also selected as one of eight of the most promising projects in CoinList’s Seed batch for Fall 2021, out of a field of over 500 crypto projects, and recently announced a partnership with Fantom.
June 24, 2022
Crypto, capitalism, and the moral compass: Is the party over?
Is cryptocurrency a gamble or an investment? Can it truly be an enabler of financial inclusion? Recently, Charlie Scharf, CEO of Wells Fargo, remarked that "crypto can be worth something as long as someone believes it's worth something." From cryptocurrencies to stablecoins to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC), what is the next version of capital markets and what does the future hold? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat with Richard Turrin about the aftermath of the Terra Luna crash, the ripple effect for decentralized finance, regulatory differences between regions, and potential path forward.
June 23, 2022
Solving the challenges of liquidity, why being first to market could be a massive advantage, Nick Cote, Marsbase
We catch up with Nick Cote, founder of Marsbase to learn about his promising solution to the challenges of liquidity by creating a new way to access it. We ask him why now, why his team has the ability to make this work, and what impact the current state of the market will have on this project. Nick was also recently at recent high profile crypto events in Texas and NYC and we discuss his take on current trends and opportunities to watch out for. Nick Cote (CEO) - Nick has been entrenched in the crypto space since 2012, joining the 1Broker / 1Fox team in 2013 and growing the CFD / to over 100,000 users. In 2015, he started and currently manages a primarily institutional-focused OTC network for digital assets. See all their relevant links and more information here -> https://linktr.ee/MARSBASE More about Marsbase Marsbase is the first decentralized secondary market, a defi OTC desk. We’ve built this as an infrastructure project, we believe that we’ve created a new alternative source of liquidity by concentrating liquidity of large orders in one place and becoming the platform for OTC in crypto. Our platform works through bid auction deals and discount model orders – this type of functionality perfectly covers our niche. Additionally, we are moving towards becoming the first compliant marketplace of unvested tokens and equity. Marsbase Mission -trading without slippage price -Decentralized OTC deals -Available for whales & retail investors -Best coin offers with discount prices -Full ERC-20 coin range Marsbase opens access to 2 types of OTC trades with a choice of 150 currency pairs, as well as a launchpad for projects with vesting and the ability to resell vesting tokens. We have combined all this in a single marketplace for all market participants, lowering the threshold for entering OTC deals literally to satoshi and providing tools for managing the reputation. Moreover, the MBASE native OTC token of the Marsbase platform, as well as staking and farming will make your trading experience as profitable as possible. You will be able to receive cashback from your transactions and instantly calculate the profit from transactions on Marsbase.
June 23, 2022
How communities self-organize in web3 and cryptocurrency ecosystems, Dr. Andrea Baronchelli
Ian MacRae talks to Dr. Andrea Baronchelli about how communities self-organize around cryptocurrencies and web3 ecosystems, and what we can learn about network effects and resilience from these communities. How communities self-organize in web3 and cryptocurrency ecosystems What is self-organization and how does that happen in a decentralized system? How is it different from organizing in physical spaces? Web3 was initially designed for peer-to-peer transactions, so how do larger networks form out of peer-to-peer transactions? After they form are these networks more static or dynamic? Some communities have emerged out of black markets, and these systems tend to be extraordinarily resilient, even under constant threat. What can we learn from how they’ve evolved, and are there any lessons we can apply to making our own communities, businesses, or society more resilient? Are self-organizing systems possible outside of web3 and decentralized environments? What is needed to make them possible and effective at large scales? How do web3 and cryptocurrencies currently overlap with our society and economy, and how are they likely to impact us in the future? Dr. Andrea Baronchelli is Associate Professor in Mathematics at City University of London and Token Economy theme lead at The Alan Turing Institute. He researches how we shape, and are shaped by, the socio-technical systems we inhabit using data science, mathematical modelling, and lab experiments with human subjects. His work has appeared in a wide range of top scientific journals (including Science, PNAS and Nature Human Behaviour) and has been extensively covered by the media. He was warded the 2019 “Young Scientist Award for Socio and Econophysics” of the German Physical Society. Find him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/a_baronca Ian MacRae is an award-winning author, psychologist and psychometrician, He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage and Develop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the darker side of work, personality and social media. His books have been translated into ten different languages. @iansmacrae on Twitter.
June 22, 2022
One of the most important tools every business has is data and unlocking it is key to customer success. During the pandemic this was very important as was digital transformation. So, how is this done best? Ronan talks to Deirdre Purcell, Country Sales Leader & AVP for Salesforce Ireland about this and more. Deirdre talks about her background, digital transformation, lego, making sure customers data is secure, handling the pandemic, and remote working. More about Salesforce: Salesforce, is a cloud-based software company that provides CRM services. Salesforce is a popular CRM tool for support, sales, and marketing teams worldwide. By using CRM services, businesses can track customer activity, market to customers, and go deeper with their metrics and data.
June 21, 2022
Helping people to limit their carbon footprint with David Boles
On this Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by David Boles, CEO of climatemoney, a banking app that allows customers to automatically know the carbon footprint of their purchases and lifestyle emissions. He explains the purpose of climatemoney and the change they are making to fight against climate change. David Boles also talks about blockchain in the environment and talks about climate change activist Greta Thunberg. David Boles is the CEO of the Climatemoney Fintech, climatemoney. A graduate of UCD’s Civil and Environmental Engineering programme, he was honoured in 2018 for his work on carbon mitigation in the multipoint emission sectors. David’s innovative approach to emission reduction programmes, expressed via the startup climatemoney lays out a pathway to achieving net-zero emissions beyond political soundbites of pledges and targets set. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master’s in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
June 17, 2022
Is fintech transitioning from teenager to adulthood? If so, how do we learn and grow together as a force for good? Are we making the right choices? And how can we help shape the future of this industry, from what we do, to who we include at the table, and how we get there? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Raf De Kimpe about the upcoming Fintech Week London (July 11-12). With a full suite of partners including the Department for International Trade, London & Partners, and the City of London, along with conference topics ranging from open finance, identity, big banks and big tech, to crypto, sustainability, and fintech for good, there will be no lack of thought-provoking conversations. It’s time to celebrate the human connections, make memories, and be part of something truly special.
June 16, 2022
How do algorithms work on digital communication platforms? Aaron Brace explains more to Ian MacRae
Ian MacRae talks to Dr. Aaron Brace about how algorithms shape our online relationships and interactions, with a focus on the influence of algorithms in the world of online dating. How do algorithms work on digital communication platforms? What is their purpose, how do they filter social interactions and prioritize certain types over others? What kind of messages tend to get through? How do algorithms encourage certain behaviours, emotions, presentation styles? Are algorithms on dating apps essentially the same? Do they encourage different behaviours or have any effect at all? Do we even know what the algorithms in dating apps are doing? None of them are open source... so do we really know what they're doing, or if they're any good? How and why are online dating apps different from other ways of meeting people for romantic or sexual relationships? Can we really compare? And what long-term effects do the algorithms in dating apps have on our relationships and our society. Do we even know…? Dr. Aaron Brace is the Co-Founder of ad-tech start-up Tack Tech, the first platform of its kind to enable advertisers to automate AI-driven audience testing and deploy ads across multiple ad networks simultaneously. Prior to this he spent 3 years at Facebook in Dublin, and many more as a Data Scientist in the media industry. Aaron has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Sussex. Find him on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-brace-data Ian MacRae is an award-winning author, psychologist and psychometrician, He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage and Develop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the darker side of work, personality and social media. His books have been translated into ten different languages. @iansmacrae on Twitter.
June 15, 2022
Dr. Julie Fratantoni interviewed by Ian MacRae, science communication, social media and brain health on Tiktok
Ian MacRae talks to Dr. Julie Fratantoni about science communication, social media and her work talking about brain health on Tiktok. Where do young people primarily get their information about mental health? What are the most common sources of information... and misinformation on social media? Why use Tiktok as an education platform? Is there anything about the platform that makes communication easier? And what are the risks and drawbacks? What are the risks that psychologists, neuroscientists or other experts should know about being active on social media channels? What can you learn about people on social media that an academic or research setting doesn’t teach you? How will the role of science communicators change in the future? Dr. Julie Fratantoni is a cognitive neuroscientist at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. She serves as the head of content innovation and user experience for The BrainHealth Project™ – a 10 year, longitudinal research study seeking to define, measure, and improve brain health and performance across the lifespan. She is passionate about science communication and finds great joy in creating and sharing content that equips and empowers individuals to live a happier and healthier life. She is @drjuliefratantoni on Instagram and Tiktok, and her website is: www.drjuliefratantoni.com Ian MacRae is an award-winning author, psychologist and psychometrician, He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage and Develop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the darker side of work, personality and social media. His books have been translated into tendifferent languages. @iansmacrae on Twitter.
June 15, 2022
How a cough analyzer will be able to identify various diseases Alessandra Clementi, Assistant Professor from the NU School of Medicine
AI, the cloud and smartphones has ushered new innovations and apps that will help us as we deal with the current pandemic and future pandemics. One such app that uses AI and smartphones is being developed by Nazarbayev University (NU), the Republic of Kazakhstan. The app analyses the sound of a cough using AI with the aim to help doctors make diagnoses in the future. Ronan talks to lead researcher Alessandra Clementi, Assistant Professor from the NU School of Medicine about this and more. Alessandra talks about her background, talks about the app she helped develop that analyses the sound of a cough using AI, how smartphones are helping, eradicating TB, helping doctors to distinguish cough sounds, and stethoscopes. Alessandra also talks about smart watches, how the university will use the data they capture, when they hope to commercialise the app, and AI. More about the Cough Analyzer: Cough Analyzer is a research project from the NU School of Medicine in collaboration with their School of Engineering and Digital Sciences. The goal is to record, define, analyse, and differentiate cough sounds through a free mobile app. The future goal is that the app will be able to identify various disease by the sound of a cough and distinguish them to speed up diagnosis by a doctor. Scientists are training the programme to distinguish patterns among four main diseases: Covid-19, asthma, allergies, and pneumonia.
June 14, 2022
Spark World is billed as a win win platform - NFTs with the owners doxed in broad daylight
James Verheul likes to keep things interesting. He studied a triple major at the University of Cape Town in economics, finance and environmental finance. After college he entered into traditional finance working alongside wealth professionals, but his love of interesting things pulled him into crypto back in 2013. What interested him was Web 3, although it had not been named that as yet. Instinctively, he knew that change was happening in this space. “It’s definitely the hottest buzz word now, but even back in 2013 I knew I had slipped into the interesting section of the finance market.” Verheul defines Web 1 as read only, Web 2 as read and write, but Web 3 as read, write and own. “Going from centralised finance which is so laborious to decentralised finance is very exciting. And to be here at the beginning is off the charts.” Verheul was not only excited to be part of Web 3, but he also wanted to be part of the creation of Web 3. To that end he teamed up with Joly Horsfal to co-found Spark World. For both founders, NFTs are seen as core to DeFi. Tune in to hear more... Your host is Jillian Godsil
June 13, 2022
Understanding the importance of innovation in corporations with Andrew Binns
On this Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by the director and co-founder of Change Logic and co-author of Corporate Explorer, Andrew Binns. Andrew gives an insight into his new book, Corporate Explorer and the highlights that readers can expect. He talks about the difference between large companies and start-up businesses, and he explained the importance of innovation in companies, even in those that are prospering. He also talks about the reasons companies go bankrupt. Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master’s in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn. About Andrew Binns Andy works with CEOs, boards, and senior teams as they lead significant business change. He is a co-founder of Change Logic and manages the firm on behalf of the partnership. Andy has twenty-five years of consulting experience as both an external and internal consultant for McKinsey & Co., the IBM Corporation, and Change Logic. At IBM, Andy was deeply involved in the ‘Emerging Business Opportunity’ program, for which he received an award from IBM’s Vice-Chairman.
June 11, 2022
It’s been said that the metaverse could be the next trillion-dollar opportunity. From retail and fashion, to gaming, sports, and even financial services, brands are actively trying to figure out how to engage with a new audience and capitalize on the excitement. But what is it like to be fully immersed as a creator? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat with Jyothee Murali (@jyxdi), a talented painter and NFT artist, on her journey, the virtual community, and what the future holds for the fast-evolving space.
June 09, 2022
Why use Tiktok as an education platform and it's impact on brain health, Dr. Julie Fratantoni
Ian MacRae talks to Dr. Julie Fratantoni about science communication, social media and her work talking about brain health on Tiktok. Where do young people primarily get their information about mental health? What are the most common sources of information... and misinformation on social media? Why use Tiktok as an education platform? Is there anything about the platform that makes communication easier? And what are the risks and drawbacks? What are the risks that psychologists, neuroscientists or other experts should know about being active on social media channels? What can you learn about people on social media that an academic or research setting doesn’t teach you? How will the role of science communicators change in the future? Dr. Julie Fratantoni is a cognitive neuroscientist at the Center for BrainHealth at the University of Texas at Dallas. She serves as the head of content innovation and user experience for The BrainHealth Project™ – a 10 year, longitudinal research study seeking to define, measure, and improve brain health and performance across the lifespan. She is passionate about science communication and finds great joy in creating and sharing content that equips and empowers individuals to live a happier and healthier life. She is @drjuliefratantoni on Instagram and Tiktok, and her website is: www.drjuliefratantoni.com Ian MacRae is an award-winning author, psychologist and psychometrician, He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage and Develop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the darker side of work, personality and social media. His books have been translated into tendifferent languages. @iansmacrae on Twitter.
June 08, 2022
Oleg Fomenko explains how orgasms keep the human race on track with Sweatcoin offering the exercise orgasm to keep us walking. Later this year all those Sweat Coins will be converted into crypto - making fans thinner and richer. Your host is Jillian Godsil
June 07, 2022
Investment is never risk free Pim Hannay, Senior Product Owner at BUX
In recent years it has become much easier to invest and Neobrokers alongside technology are helping to facilitate this. BUX, Europe’s fastest growing Neobroker has seen growing interest in building wealth for the future amongst their European base, particularly around female clientele. Ronan talks to Pim Hannay a Senior Product Owner at BUX about this and more. Pim talks about her background, what BUX does, crypto, investing in women in Technology, investment risk, what women invest in, and ethical investing. Pim also talks about making things as frictionless as possible, why financial inclusion is important, and the investment journey. More about BUX: In just one year their female user base has jumped by 200% and their assets under management have increased by more than 3 times since 2020. Interest in socially responsible investing skyrocketed during the pandemic. While that could have been a temporary trend, numbers show that women are still investing in companies that have a positive impact on the world. Up until now, numbers show that 20.4% of women started investing in crypto since it was introduced in January 2022. They have noticed an interest in socially responsible investing skyrocketed during the pandemic. While that could have been a temporary trend, numbers show that women are still investing in companies that have a positive impact on the world. It is also evident that innovation and tech-focused companies are still favoured by female investors. Adyen, an e-commerce company, ranks first on the list of most purchased shares by BUX’s female clients.
June 07, 2022
What you need to know about Web 3.0 with Jeremy Lindblad and Chibi Dinos
Why Your Web 3.0 Journey should be viewed as an Expedition and not as a Panic Room, with Jeremy Lindblad and Chibi Dinos About Jeremy Lindblad Prior to joining Lindblad Expeditions he was with LivingSocial, where he managed sales and business development while building out their Escapes travel division. Previous positions include Director of Sales and Customer Service on the founding team at Bloomberg Ventures and prior to that, Corporate Business Development Manager at Quintessentially, the world's leading Lifestyle Management company. From a very young age Jeremy has traveled extensively aboard the Lindblad--National Geographic fleet, which has provided him access to all aspects of global culture. Combined with his executive experience, Jeremy is ideally positioned to cultivate strategic brand partnerships and deliver a world class experience to customers on a global scale. Born and raised in New York City, he graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in Management & Business. About Chibi Dinos Chibi Dinos LLC is a blockchain gaming company providing the most innovative and entertaining utility for gamers and sports fans through NBA Street-esque gameplay with playable NFT characters. Boasting a robust in-gaming ecosystem and real world experience and prize rewards, Chibi Dinos are redefining the definition of play-and-earn. Use your Chibi Dinos NFT to play on one of the ten basketball teams in the Chibi Dinos universe to earn tokens, potions, rankings, gear, and more. Compete in tournaments, PVP games, or explore the Chibi Dinos adventure universe for rare items, unlockable content, asset advancement and staking opportunities. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
June 04, 2022
It’s such a competitive landscape Cormac McLoughlin, Director of Product Management at Workvivo
Building and growing product teams and organisations, understanding of go-to-market strategy and SaaS business models, technical background, and irresistible entrepreneurial streak is very important in todays startups. If your product and design is not easy to use and understand, you will end up losing customers. Ronan talks to Cormac McLoughlin, Director of Product Management at Workvivo about this and more. Cormac talks about his background, what Workvivo does, one of Workvivo’s core tenants, increased usage of their app during the pandemic, and the old legacy internet. Cormac also talks about how Workvivo helps communities foster, the importance of product and design, preparing for the latest technologies, working in a startup, being very customer focused, and advice for people doing product development in a startup. More about Cormac: Cormac is an experienced product leader with experience of building and growing product teams and organisations, understanding of go-to-market strategy and SaaS business models, technical background, and irresistible entrepreneurial streak. Prior to joining Workvivo, he worked in a number of senior product management roles, most notably at HubSpot and Paddy Power. Since joining Workvivo, he has spearheaded the development and company mop growth which has seen year-on-year growth of 150%.
June 03, 2022
According to a recent survey by the CFA Institute, 85% of investment managers across countries are increasingly incorporating ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) criteria into investment decisions. While opportunities abound in this fast-growing sector, what gets measured and how it’s measured can quickly grow in complexity. And are we focusing too much on what investors care about, and missing the broader picture of the impact on our planet and its people? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Alexandria Fisher, Sustainable Finance Manager of Global Risk Institute on social responsibility, ESG standards, and regulations. While perfection may not exist, we need to start somewhere.
June 02, 2022
How to keep our brains healthy at every stage of life, Dr. Harris Eyre
Ian MacRae talks to Dr. Harris Eyre about brain health, and what we should know about keeping our brains healthy at every stage of life. Harris Eyre is an advocate for brain health and for Brain Capital. Brain Capital is a novel economic measure which integrates brain health and brain skills. Our brains are arguably our biggest assets as individuals and communities. Harris seeks to place Brain Capital at the centre of economics, policy and finance in the current brain economy. In his career, Harris has operated as a physician, scientist, entrepreneur, executive services provider, author, new economic and finance thinker, and neuroscience diplomat. He is President of PRODEO, a brain health technology executive services group. This work has been written up in Neuron, neo.life, Forbes, the Financial Times, STAT, the Financial Post and People Management. He is Senior Fellow for Brain Capital with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Harris has authored 120+ papers. He co-edited the book ‘Convergence Mental Health’ (Oxford Press). He is from the Great Barrier Reef region of Australia and is now based in the USA. Ian MacRae is an award-winning author, psychologist and psychometrician, He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage andDevelop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the darker side of work, personality and social media. His books have been translated into ten different languages. @iansmacrae on Twitter.
June 01, 2022
Buying habits have changed Fergal O'Carroll, Chief Revenue Officer of Scurri
The global pandemic and the war in the Ukraine has put a strain on the global supply chain. How do businesses deal with this and what is the impact for consumers. Ronan talks to Fergal O'Carroll, the Chief Revenue Officer of Scurri about this and more. Fergal talks about his background, the future plans for Scurri, working out of Wexford, the pandemic and online commerce, how buying habits have changed, Brexit. Fergal also talks about the war in Ukraine, shipping costs, sustainability, drones, and the improvements in technology. More about Scurri: Scurri is a kind of "Stripe for shipping", which provides cloud-based software that optimises the online ordering, shipping and delivery process for retailers. They have recently announced a €9 million investment to accelerate growth in the European markets. This brings the Wexford-based company’s total funding to €15.3 million to date. They currently derivs over 70% of its revenue from the UK, and will power over 100 million parcel deliveries this year by enabling merchants to present the most efficient delivery option via more than 700 carrier services. Scurri’s platform allows retailers to create accurate labels, track shipments from dispatch to delivery and provide analytics and it helps businesses ship their products anywhere in the world through its network of carrier integrations. Customers include eBay, Vision Direct, and Gousto.
May 31, 2022
Protecting the lives of indigenous communities with Priscilla Schwarzenholtz
On This Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by communications and research officer at Survival International, Priscilla Schwarzenholtz. Priscilla talks about the 30th anniversary of the demarcation of the indigenous territory, Yanomami. She talks about the Yanomami people, and she raised the issue of the vast number of illegal gold miners operating in Yanomami. She also explained other problems in the community and how survival international is supporting indigenous communities. Priscilla Schwarzenholz is an anthropologist with a master degree in Latin American studies. She is currently working as a researcher and activist at Survival International, the global movement for indigenous peoples. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master’s in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
May 30, 2022
Controlling and Sharing your Data with Data Unions, Ethereum maximalist Shiv Malik
Controlling and Sharing your Data with Data Unions, a view from Ethereum maximalist Shiv Malik Shiv Malik is CEO and Founder of Pool, the data marketplace and payment rails redistributing power, value and control in the data economy. He is an award-nominated broadcaster, former Guardian investigative journalist, author, and co-founder of the Intergenerational Foundation think tank. After three years advising the Web3 projects, Golem and Streamr and co-creating a revolutionary framework for monetising personal data, he co-founded Pool in 2021 and currently leads the foundation on its mission to bring Data Unions to the world and ensure people have control of their data and a genuine stake in the digital economy. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 28, 2022
Live from Davos: How Switzerland can become the global leader in cryptocurrencies, with Felix Honigwachs and XChange Monster Felix Honigwachs is CEO of Xchange Monster, an easy-to-use crypto platform that connects thegaming community and publishes through a value-driven ecosystem.He is a technology entrepreneur, an experienced blue-chip manager and has a background in software development, management and product management. In these areas, he worked for Siemens, Microsoft and SAP for many years.Prior to founding Xchange Monster, Felix was a successful entrepreneur and an active investor. He invested in two startups, which he led to successful exits, and with the proceeds from the sales and profits he started Xchange Monster. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 27, 2022
Collect, Own, Gamify - the future of esports and NFTs
Meet Noah Diskin Kline, founder of Wincast, talking about his career and how he loves to build things. Jillian Godsil is your host
May 27, 2022
Sustainability and supporting victims of domestic abuse, Liz Roche, Vodafone Ireland
On this podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by the head of the foundation and sustainable business at Vodafone Ireland, Liz Roche. Liz talks about Vodafone Ireland's new launch, Vodafone Foundation's in-person digital skills training classes for over 65s across Digital Hubs. She talks about how Vodafone created HI digital and how helpful it can be for people. She also talks about Vodafone's support for victims of domestic abuse and sustainability. About Liz Roche Liz Roche is the head of Foundation and Sustainable Business at Vodafone Ireland, where her role is to lead on Vodafone's sustainable business strategy and manage Foundation partnerships. Serving on the Board of Directors of Friends of the Elderly as well as the Board of Directors of Boardmatch Ireland Specialist areas that Liz Roche works, include: - Sustainability, ESG strategy and reporting - Diversity and inclusion - Digital skills programmes - Corporate social responsibility - Community development projects - Organisational strategy and planning - Corporate philanthropy & partnerships - Development & delivery of large national campaigns - Donor cultivation and stewardship - Advocacy and campaigning via social media - National corporate partnerships & initiatives About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master’s in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
May 26, 2022
How can we bring tech and finance together to create a better world, one that would be around for the next century and centuries thereafter? Our most vulnerable populations are increasingly facing impossible choices with rising inequalities and worsening impact of climate change. There is no time to waste: We must make sure that our actions can help to create opportunities for those who don’t have a seat at the table; and we must do so ethically, responsibly, and with haste. Stand for something or you will fail. In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Chris Skinner about his latest book, Digital Good, and how values will become a key differentiator in banking.
May 26, 2022
Ian MacRae talks to David Robson about his new book, The Expectation Effect: How your mindset can transform your life. How can we understand our own emotions, and what strategies can we use to reduce the experience of stress and how we perceive it? How can we use The Expectation right to set and accomplish goals. How do we balance positive and realistic expectations, without setting unrealistic expectations? How do social expectations lead to social anxiety? How does this relate to managing stress and shifting expectations, especially alongside public health campaigns and a health crisis that have changed social behaviour and expectations? How much do digital behaviour and culture shape our expectations about food, about exercise, about stress and about other people? What do we need to know about how the media we consume shapes our expectations? David Robson is an award-winning science writer based in London, UK, specialising in psychology and neuroscience. He has previously worked as a features editor at New Scientist and as a senior journalist at the BBC. Hs writing has also appeared in Guardian, Mens Health, the Atlantic, the Psychologist, and Aeon. He is @d_a_robson on Twitter. Ian MacRae is an award-winning author, psychologist and psychometrician, He has written six books about workplace psychology including High Potential: How to Spot, Manage and Develop Talented People at Work, and his latest book is Dark Social: Understanding the darker side of work, personality and social media. His books have been translated into ten different languages. @iansmacrae on Twitter.
May 25, 2022
Do you want to emigrate to El Salvador - tune in here
Joey Langenbrunner, the deputy representative to US for the Free Republic of Liberland, talks all things Bitcoin and emigrating to El Salvador. Your host is Jillian Godsil.
May 25, 2022
We are going to see a war on talent Joe Dunleavy, Head of Innovation Endava
Irish business has a huge opportunity to bolster its international competitiveness, but if innovation is the engine for competitiveness, then people are its fuel. The challenge lies in having the capabilities, the people power, available to create a platform for innovation. One Irish company that is helping Irish businesses bolster their international competitiveness is the Donegal based digital transformation company Endava. Ronan talks to Joe Dunleavy, their Head of Innovation. Joe talks about his background, digital transformation, how Ireland can remain competitive as it competes against other markets, the scalability of the cloud. Joe also talks about the key to innovation, how we make sure it speaks to the end user, and solar technology. More about Joe: Joe is an experienced executive in the Innovation, Software Delivery, FinTech and Business areas. In previous positions, he has held several leadership roles including Innovation Head, Interim CIO, Software Development Lead, and Technical Project Manager. His experience spreads the range between IT start-up and global corporation, which helps him support a diverse range of clients. Joe also holds degrees in UX, UI and Innovation, Innovation & Leadership, and Computer Science, and he is a certified Amazon Cloud Practitioner and Microsoft Azure Fundamentals professional.
May 24, 2022
Cloudmoney: Cash, Cards, Crypto, and the War for Our Wallets, an interview with author Brett Scott
Brett Scott is an economic anthropologist, financial activist, and former broker. In 2013 he published The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance: Hacking the Future of Money, and since then has spoken at hundreds of events across the globe and has appeared across international media, including BBC World News and Sky News. He has written extensively on financial reform, digital finance, alternative currency, blockchain technology, and the cashless society for publications like the Guardian, New Scientist, Huffington Post, Wired, and CNN.com, and also publishes the Altered States of Monetary Consciousness newsletter. He has worked on financial reform campaigns and alternative currency systems with a wide range of groups and is a Senior Fellow of the Finance Innovation Lab (UK). He lives in Berlin. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 23, 2022
Building a Better Metaverse with Better Architecture, with Tomas Zacek
Tomas Zacek Tomáš Žáček is an architect and visionary. During his studies, he has worked in renowned architectural studios such as Dominique Perrault and Mitchell + Associates. After graduating he has worked for BIG and later did experimental works for Willy Muller arquitectos. In 2009 he has founded the architectonic studio Nice Architects awarded by multiple international prizes. Since 2014 he is leading the successful self-sustainable micro-home company Ecocapsule. Since 2017, he is also co-leading the new studio nice&wise. In 2021, he stumbled upon the Web3 world and founded Better, to bring good architecture into the metaverse. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 22, 2022
The Collector's Dilemma, Role of Crypto Experts, and the Intersection of NFTs and Blockchain Innovation with Sarina Charugundla
Sarina Charugundla is a creative thinker with a background in mechanical engineering, marketing, telecom, and business. Prior to joining TreeTrunk, she worked as VP of business development, analyzing businesses for VC deployment at Eagle. Sarina thrives in the intersections of art and technology. Fostering relationships is at her core, she has worked to uplift communities in NFT, art, and STEM via student entrepreneurship opportunities, art events, and grants for technological advancement. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 21, 2022
Transitioning from Traditional Finance to Decentralized Finance : Creating and Building DeFi products and protocols with Bifrost
Thibault PerradBio: Thibault has over six years experience working in the traditional financial markets under his belt, leading business development initiatives for a Swiss boutique currency overlay company (30bn in currency overlay assets). After getting into crypto in 2017, he moved to Beijing just before COVID struck, dedicating himself to the topic of DeFi and joining Bifrost as head of strategy. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 20, 2022
The quest of a financial literacy advocate: The journey continues
If you give a kid one $100 bill, what would they do with it? How do you teach a kid the discipline of saving especially when it is so easy to spend and consume? And where (and whom) can they turn to, to even learn the basics of money management and investing? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Stephanie Foster chat with Mac Gardner, Founder & CEO of FinLit Tech, two-time author of The Four Money Bears and Motivate Your Money, on his quest to promote financial literacy and financial wellness.
May 19, 2022
Helping people reduce their footprint by buying lower carbon products with Eammon Galvin
On this Podcast Diana Paiva, is joined by the CEO and co-founder of KnowCarbon, Eammon Galvin. Eammon talks about KnowCarbon, an innovative startup that helps consumers and companies measure their footprint and to reduce it by buying lower carbon products. He explains how the company help its clients. He also talks about what led him to build this business and the company’s future plans. About Eammon Galvin Eammon Galvin is the co-founder of KnowCarbon and has over 20 years of executive experience at eBay, Betfair and Daft and deep experience of online marketplaces. Eammon Galvin is based in RDI Hub a world-class centre for design-led, digital innovation located in Ireland’s South West. A first of its kind, RDI Hub focuses on digitisation, ideation and commercialisation of innovation and research in the Digital, AI, Data and related technologies sectors. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
May 18, 2022
The Fight for Sanity and Freedom, and the Revolution of Dignity - a Ukrainian mother and artist's story of Courage
Kate Taylor was given the opportunity to study under the prominent Ukrainian artist and architect Borys Kutcher for several years, which is where her foundation as an artist started. Throughout her early years, she focused primarily on realistic watercolors and oil paintings. After many years of painting in watercolours, Kate moved forward, experimenting with abstract art in various mediums. This progression helped Kate to broaden her horizons and discover new areas of painting. When Kate decided to explore more on a professional level and entered The Contemporary Art School in Kyiv at the Modern Art Research Institute of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, she successfully completed the course and earned the title of contemporary artist. Exhibitions: 2013 a number of vernissages at residences in the historical part of Kyiv 2015 Colours of Life State House of Art Kyiv, Ukraine 2017 Reality As an Error the Modern Art Research Institute of National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Collections: Private Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark Private Collection, Toronto, Canada Private Collection, Southport, The United Kingdom Private Collection, Scotland, The United Kingdom Private Collection, Kyiv, Ukraine Texts: In 2017, Kate contributed to “The Heroine’s Journey”, an online collection of stories from artists encouraging women to pursue creative careers. The Heroine’s Journey of Kate Taylor – The Heroine's Journey (wordpress.com) Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 18, 2022
It is mind blowing the capacity of this technology Juan Castillo, Marketing Director of DNAverse
NFT’s are becoming more and more popular especially NFT art collections. This growing popularity has also inspired and increased innovation, and the latest company to get involved is DNAverse who have created the world's first art NFT collection customised with real DNA data. Ronan talks to Juan Castillo, Marketing Director of DNAverse. Juan talks about his background, what DNAverse does, and their recent strategic partnership with Polygon Studios, to spearhead the development of the BIOmetaverse on the Polygon blockchain. Juan also talks about what the BIOmetaverse is, and his vision of bringing human verification to the metaverse in response to the proliferation of AI and bots. More about the DNAverse art NFT collection: Each NFT is one-to-one handcrafted and includes a genetic study and a fully personalisined artistic interpretation of collectors' own DNA, presented as ‘DNArts’. The DNAverse team comprises a range of seasoned NFT specialists, scientists, designers and 3D animators at the vanguard of innovation in the biometaverse. DNAverse also recently announced a strategic partnership with Polygon Studios, to spearhead the development of the BIOmetaverse on the Polygon blockchain.
May 17, 2022
David Long is a Swedish American citizen with in depth tech and asset management experience. Prior to joining CV VC, he served as Managing Partner & Investment Manager at an ESG Asset Management Firm and served as an Advisor to multiple tech companies. He currently still serves on the Board of Directors at LaunchSource, an HR SaaS platform headquartered in Boston. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 16, 2022
Christopher McGregor is CEO and co-founder of Vesto, a multi-token protocol for decentralized services.Prior to co-founding Vesto, Christopher was the Vice President of Engineering for Telemac Corporation, where he developed and launched Pay & Go with O2. With more than 20 million mobile handsets sold, Telemac became the most successful pre-paid mobile solutions in the UK. In 2004, he became the co-founder and Vice President of Engineering for Validus Technologies Corporation, where he developed the biometric technology that powered the VALIDcard™. Christopher conceptualized and developed multiple technologies including BT Cellnet's (O2) original Pay & Go, QoS (sold to Root Metrics)/ QoE solutions for 3G / 4G LTE mobile, mobile authentication for the U.S. Federal Government, the first pre-production prototypes of the world’s first ISO biometric powered card (now being offered by MasterCard internationally).A full stack engineer and serial entrepreneur who has held various other CTO and Senior Software Engineer roles, he is a named inventor on numerous issued patents and patents pending in the areas of biometric authentication, QoS (Quality of Service) for 3G, OIS (Open Internet Security) for 3G, mobile payments, social commerce, and dynamic marketing automation. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 15, 2022
Dilek Sezen Dilek Sezen is an interdisciplinary designer with an award-winning career. She has been focusing on incorporating cutting edge technology into her art over half-decade. Her unique approach by juxtaposing luxury, technology and circular design principles demonstrates her contemporary art degree and keen understanding of how technology has forever changed the design, art, manufacturing of fashion and everyday items. Her designs have been commissioned by local and global clientele and well-established brands including, SF Hearts Foundation, LGBT Asylum Project, Santa Barbara Art Museum, Oakland Art Museum, Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Montage Resorts, Inglenook and Beringer Vineyards. Selected Recent Works Recipient of two, IDA-International Design Award 2022 Selected to showcase at the largest NFT exhibition, both in virtual and physical gallery in Beijing 2021 SF Design week, selected to as one of the innovative designs 2020 SF Hearts foundation collection, “Heart2Heart” sculpture for public art 2018 Santa Barbara Museum of Art, American portraits jewelry collection, 2017 Oakland Museum of Art, History of Hip-Hop exhibition collection, 2017 Smart Hat & scarf design Wearables fashion show, Canada, 2017 Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 14, 2022
Conducting Early Stage Market Validation and Building No-Code Storefronts for NFTs and Web 3.0
Alex Kehaya is a technical entrepreneur capable of developing high level product strategy and communicating technical requirements to engineering teams and key stakeholders. He is Founder at NFT MarketPlace HolaPlex and a Member of the Solana Blockchain. Alex is currently working in the blockchain space and has spent the past several years working as a consultant and entrepreneur with Fortune 500's and startups to accelerate the development of new software products and go-to-market strategies. His work has been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, FastCompany, Product Hunt, Pando.com, and several large Medium publications. Core Skills: Market Validation: Leading Fortune 500 companies and startup teams through a data driven customer discovery process to accelerate development of new business models. Working with stakeholders and engineering teams to take products from concept to prototype Marketing and Sales: 8 years of sales experience, and proficiency in Business Development, Facebook Advertising, Content Marketing, Viral Marketing, Influencer Marketing, and PR Full Stack Developer: Proficient in Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap. Experience working with AngularJS, Ionic, and Agile Development. Currently learning Smart Contract Development, Python and ReactJS Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 13, 2022
What are bridges in Blockchain and how do they work?
A conversation with Glitter Finance co founder David Dobrovitsky on bridges in blockchain - what are they, how do they work, what can be the problems? Benefits of bridges Interoperability – Cross-chains solve the problem of interoperability within the blockchain ecosystem, and users can transfer assets to other blockchains without sacrificing the advantages of the host network. Cross-chain collateral – This feature enables DeFi users to transfer assets from a blockchain with value but little decentralized applications (such as Bitcoin) to another blockchain with a developed ecosystem (like Ethereum, Cardano or others). Scalability – Blockchain bridges designed to handle high transaction volumes ensure greater scalability. The scalability makes it possible for DeFi developers to deploy their applications and users to enjoy such services without giving up the original blockchain’s liquidity and network effect. Efficiency – DeFi users can make and receive micro-transfers faster with cross-chain bridges without paying high transaction fees. This is especially important for the blockchain gaming and ecommerce experience. To learn more, tune into this episode. Your host is Jillian Godsil
May 13, 2022
Data plays a huge role in our daily activities. But does technology truly make our lives better?
It is often said, digital technologies are driving transformative change in our society. But at what cost? As consumers, do we truly understand how information is being collected and used, and the associated risks and implications? Can we truly trust companies enough to just ‘click and ignore’? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Barb Maclean chat with Hessie Jones, Venture Partner at MATR Ventures on venture capital model, community building, and tech ethics. From data rights to privacy and security, there is still a lot of work to be done. Hessie’s advice: Ethics needs to become a standard. And remember, just because you can — doesn’t mean you should.
May 12, 2022
Using DeFi to fund impact infrastructure projects
Jillian Godsil talks with Stanley Boots, a man of many hats from Zoo Keeper, to Lawyer to Crypto Advocate and co founder of Silta Finance - a company funding impact projects by crowd funding with cryptocurrency Stanley Boots is a co-founder of Silta Finance, the DeFi bridge to a sustainable future. He is also a co-founder of Frontier Law & Advisory, an advisory firm in the project finance and infrastructure sectors. Stanley has 23 years legal experience in project finance, renewable energy and infrastructure development mainly in Southeast Asia. He was previously an renewable energy and infrastructure lawyer with DLA Piper and Hogan Lovells. Stanley is a well-known voice in Vietnam's PPP development. Linkedin Twitter
May 11, 2022
I found computers to be a huge enabler, Kyran O’Mahoney NCBI Chief Technology Officer
Something that is not mentioned enough is accessibility and thankfully technology has proven to be an enabler and lifeline to many, especially for people who are blind or vision impaired. Using technology has unlocked so much opportunities for them in their daily lives but also in education & employment. There is now less of a dependence on assistive technology as the strides in mainstream technology, devices, software and apps in embedding accessibility features has been impressive in recent years. The NCBI is heavily involved in making accessibility a part of everyday life, and Ronan talks to Kyran O’Mahoney NCBI Chief Technology Officer about this and more. Kyran talks about what NCBI does, his role with NCBI, accessibility is so important, accessibility tips for users of mobile phones and computers and where he sees the future of accessibility heading. More about NCBI: They have been around for more than 90 years and they want people who are blind and vision-impaired to have the same opportunities, rights and choices as others to fully participate in society. They also want to enable people who are blind and vision impaired to overcome the barriers that impede their independence and participation in society. NCBI’s core values give effect to their vision and permeate their mission and inform all of their actions to ensure that they achieve the highest standards in everything they do.
May 10, 2022
Pandora’s Toolbox: The Hopes and Hazards of Climate Intervention by Wake Smith
On this podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by a lecturer at Yale University and climate researcher Wake Smith. Wake talked about his recently published book Pandora's Toolbox, in which he talks about climate interventions and net-zero. He also talks about COP27 and the challenges to achieve climate targets. Wake Smith As a lecturer at Yale University, Wake Smith teaches a world-leading undergraduate course on climate intervention, which forms the basis for this book. Smith is also a Senior Fellow at Harvard, writing scholarly articles on costs, aeronautics, and governance of solar geoengineering. Prior to his academic career, Smith served in several executive roles in the aeronautical industry. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
May 09, 2022
How Tapping into Our Creativity and Memories can Eradicate Toxic Happiness and Improve Mental Health
Jonathan Dickson About the artist Born in Dublin, Jonathan is a Kildare based visual artist. After graduating from the National College of Art and Design in 1991 he went on to lead a successful career as a multi-award winning illustrator and designer. During 2006 he dedicated himself to further artistic development outside the design industry. Positive reaction to work created subsequently led him to make the decision to leave this career behind and commit full time to painting. Since then he has taken part in numerous solo and group exhibitions. His work is held in public, corporate and private collections in Ireland, Europe and the USA. He has also been the recipient of a number of public, corporate and private commissions. Artist statement I paint and document what I experience around me (the visceral as much as the visual) as acutely as I can. Certain places and objects I experience resonate and won’t let me go until I work through them, sometimes I know why during the process and sometimes the obsession is revealed afterwards. I’m ever increasingly aware that hindsight reveals far more about my work than anything I could ever conceive up front and I’m happy to allow this to continue (for now). Allied to this I have a deep curiosity about the nature of perception and memory (both visual and conceptual) and how it affects the subjects that call to me. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 09, 2022
How Gardening and Sculpture NFTs can make a massive difference in creating a healthy mindset, with Ken Folan, co-founder at Kildare GalleryMy name is Ken Folan and I am from Maynooth County Kildare Ireland. I am the co owner of The Kildare Gallery , an art gallery specialising in Fine Art paintings, Sculpture, Garden Sculpture and we have now stepped into the world of NFTs. I take great pride in organising art exhibitions and promoting the artists I represent The gallery was established in 2015 and it has gone from strength to strength. I have a keen interest in Art and also Cryptocurrency. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 08, 2022
SupraOracles About SupraOracles SupraOracles aims to connect traditional capital markets with the web3 environment. Our aim and objective is to provide a revolutionary Oracle toolset to the developer community, allowing them to easily construct, deploy, and manage data applications with superior performance, robustness, and agility. Our team includes experts with backgrounds in consensus mechanism design, randomness research, real-time data services, investment banking, digital securities, traditional stock exchanges, big data, Ph.D. academia, big 4 consulting, blockchain/DLT, and DeFi. SupraOracles wants to solve the oracle conundrum and eventually power the future of finance with the help of our developer community and an increasing number of partners. Joshua D. Tobkin - Co-founder and CEO of SupraOracles Architect of Supra BFT Consensus Algorithm. Blockchain Designer & Developer. Lateral Thinker, Josh has been building SaaS companies for the last 10 years. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 07, 2022
On this Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by Entrepreneur, Andrew Thorton. He talks about his book Putting the Heart back into Business, in which he advises how business owners can lead their businesses in the best way. He values the importance of a healthy environment between employers and employees, and he mentioned that business leaders shouldn't only care about profit. He also explains sustainability in companies. About Andrew Thornton Andrew Thornton is an entrepreneur, speaker, author and advisor and coach to business leaders who see that businesses can be a force for good in society. Along with his partner Eudora, he developed the heart way of doing business in his award-winning London supermarket, Thornton’s Budgens. Together they founded Heart in Business, whose purpose is ‘to uncover the authentic leader in us all, trusting that profit will follow’. He lives, writes, speaks and coaches the principles of Heart in Business on a daily basis. He considers himself to be a ‘visionary heart surgeon’, having demonstrated that helping business leaders to open their hearts is the best way to build a sustainable and profitable business. He was the co-founder of social enterprises The People’s Supermarket and Food from the Sky, and founder of the consultancy SRCG. Prior to that, he worked at Mars and Ogilvy & Mather. He is co-author of “Putting the Heart back into Business”, which comes out in April 2022. Holding a Masters degree in Marketing from University College Dublin, Andrew splits his time between London and the Allgäu region of South Germany. He has two sons and a daughter. He loves to ski, run, swim and cook and eat great food! About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology, fashion, and the environment. Starting her master’s in journalism made her realise that she has a passion to report and write people’s stories. After graduation, her main priority is to find a job in communications or public relations. Diana Paiva is active on social media platforms, including Twitter, and LinkedIn.
May 06, 2022
How to Overcome Depression When Trading and Investing in Cryptocurrencies, with Jay H. Tepley
Jay H. Tepley is an author, entrepreneur, international speaker and passionate mental health advocate.A lifelong geek and a research aficionado, she helps entrepreneurs overcome depression through her proven masculine-focused system of spiritual evolution. Her Unbreakable ONE program has shown many men the road to personal power and renewed hope, and is credited with saving many lives. She has spent the last 20 years teaching and coaching students around the globe.Her charity work supporting mental health has been featured in the Guardian, The Jeremy Vine Show and BBC 1. When she's not teaching or writing, Jay enjoys reading about Japan where she studied and lived for a time (she also speaks fluent Japanese, and her unique novel, the Lightwatch Chronicles, begins in Tokyo).You can connect with Jay through a dedicated Telegram channel where you can also receive exclusive book excerpts, students-only news and video training. Join here:https://t.me/UnbreakableEntrepreneur Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 06, 2022
Can blockchain and gaming exist in the same space?
Phil Ingram, CEO of Lepricon This is the question I pose to the new CEO of Lepricon Phil Ingram, can blockchain and gaming exist in the same space? Lepricon is celebrating its first birthday and Ingram takes on the CEO mantle with a hill to climb. “We’ve achieved a lot in the first year but now we need to tackle the elephant in the room – if gaming is going to be the first killer to on ramp people for mass adoption, then we have to make blockchain gaming more like video gaming,” says Ingram. “Blockchain is all about owning assets and that they can’t be taken away from you unless you leave your private keys at a bus stop. This is the point that enables a subtle shift from publisher first economies to player first.” Ingram makes a distinction between Play2Earn (P2E) and blockchain gaming. It’s not the same according to him. To find out more, listen to the podcast with your host Jillian Godsil
May 05, 2022
If you have seven minutes to showcase a fintech idea, what would you say? In a world full of unicorns, or even decacorns, the next best thing might just be at your fingertip, waiting to be discovered. In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Mary Wisniewski chat with Jim Bruene, the Godfather of FinTech and Founder of Finovate, reminiscing the good old days of what once was, and looking at what has yet to come. There is still a lot of momentum and tons of good that can be done — if we look hard enough. Speaking of, what is your favorite Finovate moment?
May 05, 2022
Can blockchain and gaming exist in the same space?
Phil Ingram, CEO of Lepricon This is the question I pose to the new CEO of Lepricon Phil Ingram, can blockchain and gaming exist in the same space? Lepricon is celebrating its first birthday and Ingram takes on the CEO mantle with a hill to climb. “We’ve achieved a lot in the first year but now we need to tackle the elephant in the room – if gaming is going to be the first killer to on ramp people for mass adoption, then we have to make blockchain gaming more like video gaming,” says Ingram. “Blockchain is all about owning assets and that they can’t be taken away from you unless you leave your private keys at a bus stop. This is the point that enables a subtle shift from publisher first economies to player first.” Ingram makes a distinction between Play2Earn (P2E) and blockchain gaming. It’s not the same according to him. “P2E risks focusing on grinding in video gaming – the place where you need to kill multiple monsters or repeat actions to move up to the next level. It’s very different and no one plays video games just to grind.” But the fact that rewards or assets earned or won in the game actually belong to the player is what is moving blockchain gaming in the right direction. “The problem is that blockchain is dictating the gaming and not the other way around. Indeed, many blockchain games seem to be glorified ways to sell NFTs. And what about those limited NFT runs – how does the 10,001st player get to play?” Your host is Jillian Godsil, award winning journalist, broadcaster and author
May 05, 2022
Working with Influence with Dr Amanda-Nimon Peters On this Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by the academic president, Professor and Research Fellow at Hult International Business School, Dr Amanda Nimon-Peters. Dr Amanda talks about her new book, Working with Influence, a new book providing ambitious professionals with actionable insights on how to increase their personal influence in real and virtual workplace environments. About Dr Amanda-Nimon Peters Dr. Amanda Nimon-Peters is Academic President, Professor and Research Fellow at Hult International Business School. She is a global expert on how behavioural science can develop measurable leadership capabilities. Amanda graduated with Honours from university at the age of 19, and began working as a Junior Lecturer in Psychology at the Flinders University of South Australia. Many of her undergraduate students were the same age as her – and she felt they would probably be sceptical when they saw her walk into class. That is when Amanda started to work on projecting authority and influence in professional situations. Outside of work, Amanda has completed Ironman and half-Ironman races, and was elected the sixth female member of the British Antarctic Club, following three expeditions spent in a field camp off the Antarctic Peninsula.
May 04, 2022
Minter Dial catches up with Roger L Martin in this episode BIO Roger L Martin is a renowned professor, expert in strategy and author. In 2017, he was named the world’s #1 management thinker by Thinkers50, a biannual ranking of the most influential global business thinkers. Roger is a trusted strategy advisor to the CEOs of companies worldwide including Procter & Gamble, Lego and Ford. Roger Martin is a Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto where he served as Dean from 1998-2013, Academic Director of the Michael Lee-Chin Family Institute for Corporate Citizenship from 2004-2019 and Institute Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute from 2013-2019. In 2013, he was named global Dean of the Year by the leading business school website, Poets & Quants. His new book, from HBR Press, is "A New Way to Think." is the culmination of a lifetime's work in education and advising CEOs. In it, he addresses key issues within leadership and strategy, applying his trademark scepticism for received wisdom. DESCRIPTION OF EPISODE In this conversation with Minter Dial, Roger Martin discusses the premise behind his new book, the retooling of existing business models and frameworks, working with and transforming culture, his work with ex-P&G CEO AG Lafley, and many more elements to help make leadership more effective. MY BIO Minter Dial is an international professional speaker, elevator and a multiple award-winning author. Minter's core career stint of 16 years was spent as a top executive at L’Oréal, where he was a member of the worldwide Executive Committee for the Professional Products Division. Previously, he was MD of L'Oréal PPD Canada and MD Worldwide for Redken. He's the author of one WWII biography and three business books, Futureproof (2017), Heartificial Empathy (2019) and the last one on leadership, You Lead, How Being Yourself Makes You A Better Leader (Kogan Page 2021). He's currently working on a new book that he's publishing in weekly installments: Dialogos, Fostering More Meaningful Conversations which you can find via Substack. https://minter.substack.com.
May 03, 2022
The startup journey Adrian Fleming Director of Environment, Social and Governance at Diligent Corporation
One of the most interesting and stressful times for an entrepreneur is founding a startup and helping it grow and thrice. Along the way mistakes may be made, mistakes that can make or break a startup. One entrepreneur who knows the startup journey all too well is Adrian Fleming, Director of Environment, Social and Governance at Diligent Corporation. Adrian founded Accuvio, a sustainability enterprise SaaS company in 2009, and scaled it from a scrappy start-up to a thriving company until getting acquired by Diligent Corporation in 2021. Ronan talks to Adrian about the highs and lows of the startup journey, including how Accuvio started, fund raising, selling Accuvio to the Diligent Corporation and startup hints and tips. More about Adrian: Adrian founded Accuvio to provide leading innovative sustainability reporting solutions to multi-national and public sector organisations all over the world. His experience working for companies such as Dell, Accenture, Ingersol Rand, and JP Morgan, has helped him with Accuvio. Adrian built Accuvio to provide a purpose built software platform which gives incredible flexibility and customisation to suit clients big and small in different industry sectors.
May 03, 2022
The steps to make your house more eco-friendly with Josh Jackman
On this podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by Josh Jackman a senior writer at EcoExperts. Josh explains how people can create their own eco-home and how much people can save by investing in it. He also talks about government support and the struggles that some people might have when changing to an eco-home. Josh Jackman - Born-and-bred Londoner, Josh Jackman has written about and reported on eco-friendly home improvements and climate change for the past three years. Josh’s data-driven work has been featured on the front page of the Financial Times and sites including the Daily Express, Fox News, and Simply Switch, and earned him a spot as the resident expert in a BT initiative to bring smart home tech to more households. He’s been interviewed on BBC Radio as an expert on renewable ways to heat your home, because he’s absorbed a tremendous amount of knowledge about solar panels, heat pumps, and more boilers than you could throw several sticks at. Josh has also used the journalistic skills he developed at The Jewish Chronicle and PinkNews to investigate and analyse every green government grant in existence, and examine the impact of cryptocurrency – and Henry VIII – on the climate.
May 02, 2022
On this Podcast Diana Paiva, is joined by the Director of Science for Society at Science Foundation Ireland, Dr Abigail Ruth Freeman. Dr Ruth talked about the SDG challenge, which involves sustainability and the difficulties the society will face to become more sustainable. She also talks about the engagement of the Science Foundation Ireland and partnerships to work on the SDG challenge. About Dr Abigail Ruth Freeman Dr Abigail Ruth Freeman was appointed Director of Strategy and Communications in 2013, and following department restructure in 2018, became Director of Science for Society. Prior to her current appointment Ruth has held a series of positions at Science Foundation Ireland, including Director of Innovation, Communications & Education and Director of Programmes, Enterprise and International Affairs, with responsibility for overseeing all Science Foundation Ireland research funding programmes and management of funded awards, as well as the Foundation’s activities in conjunction with industry and international partners. Ruth joined Science Foundation Ireland as a Scientific Programme Manager in November 2006. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ruth worked as a researcher at Trinity College Dublin (TCD). She holds PhD and Bachelor degrees in Genetics from TCD, where she was awarded a Trinity scholarship, the Eli Lilly Chemistry Prize and the Roberts prize for Biology. Ruth’s PhD research, on population genetics in hybrid zones, was funded by a prestigious studentship from the Wellcome Trust and was carried out at TCD and ILRI, Nairobi.
May 02, 2022
Dr. Gordon Jones is an Author, curator, and Investor. A former healthcare executive turned entrepreneur. With more than 30 years of digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and business development experience, Dr. Jones has founded and invested in a variety of projects and startups. Alongside his role leading the emergence of Thrivacy, he is the Adjunct Professor of Blockchain, Data Privacy and Self Sovereign Identity at the University of South Carolina. Creating a Thriving Self Sovereign Identity through Privacy and Thrivacy Wallet, Dr Gordon Jones Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
May 01, 2022
Marcello Mari is the CEO and co-founder of SingularityDAO, a project pioneering Artificial Intelligence for Decentralized Finance. 2x TEDx speaker with deep expertise in DeFi & Blockchain Marcello is a regular fixture to most of international speaking events. Marcello has also participated to the foundation of SingularityNET working closely with Sophia the Robot. Active Crypto Investing using On-Chain Analytics and Social Sentiment Data by Leveraging Artificial Intelligence, with Singularity DAO Marcello Mari Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 30, 2022
Rolling with the Punches: How JUSTTIP is transforming the service sector for tipped employees in Ireland
James Fahy, with his co-founder, Ciara Walsh are the brains behind the most flexible and robust cashless tip payment service on the market. As the Covid pandemic was at its height, James had noticed that cash was literally disappearing from sight as the whole world embraced digital and mobile based payment systems. As a result, when businesses finally started to reopen, thousands of service and hospitality staff saw their income drastically reduced because no one had any cash to tip. In addition, the customers that added a tip to the bill often did not know if their server got the tip. James realised that something had to be done and JUSTTIP™ was born in July 2021 Since then, James and Ciara have successfully on boarded over 160 locations across Ireland and built an executive management team brimming with talent and experience. But that was just the start; Justtip is now live in London and Las Vegas. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 29, 2022
We are giving them an active pipeline, Martin Fitzgerald, CEO and Co-founder of Kwayga
Covid-19 has focused businesses more and more on their supply chains. Covid-19 has also made trade fairs and face to face meetings more or less a thing of the past. On top of that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has disrupted supplies of certain products such as sunflower oil. This has resulted in businesses seeking new solutions to help buyers diversify their suppliers, and suppliers to diversify their markets. Kwayga, an Irish start-up from Cork has identified an opportunity to bring better security to the global food supply chain by matching food buyers and suppliers in a trustworthy way. Ronan talks to Martin Fitzgerald, CEO and Co-founder of Kwayga about this and more. Martin talks about his background, what Kwayga does, dealing with pandemic and Brexit, their future plans, dealing with different languages and cultures. More about Kwayga: Kwayga is a B2B matching platform for buyers and suppliers in the food and beverage sector designed around trust and security. Using the platform buyers and suppliers discover, verify, match, connect, communicate in any language and trade. Finding new, good quality national and international suppliers or buyers, and being able to establish trust is a huge challenge that takes too much time and costs too much money and resources, especially for mid-sized companies. If a business is great at what it does, it should be easy for it to establish trust and securely trade with other businesses anywhere, in any language, at any time. Empowering buyers and suppliers to do this is Kwayga's mission.
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April 29, 2022
Remember the song by Pattie Page, “How much is that doggie in the window?” If the virtual worlds continue to proliferate, are we going to ask, “How much is that doggie in the metaverse?” In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Arun chat about the evolution from Web2 to Web3, the promise of decentralized tech in a creator-led world, and the challenges that we still need to overcome. In a world powered by cryptocurrency assets and NFTs, what roles do incumbent financial institutions and traditional brands play? Is the promise of decentralized power too good to be true?
April 28, 2022
The importance of compassion in leadership, Laura Berland,
Today, Shane is joined by Laura Berland, founder of the Centre for Compassionate Leadership to discuss the importance of compassion in leadership. She begins by discussing her background before explaining why compassion is so important. She also discusses why compassion is important now more than with everything that has happened in the world in recent times. She also discusses her past experiences and how they have helped her on her journey to where she is now. Finally, she discusses the Centre for Compassionate Leadership's plans for the near future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/lauraberland?s=21 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraberland Centre for Compassionate Leaders: https://www.centerforcompassionateleadership.org About Laura Laura Berland is the Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Compassionate Leadership. She is a weaver of transformative organizations and experiences, as a serial tech entrepreneur, Fortune 500 executive, meditation educator, transformational facilitator, nonprofit board member, executive advisor, and digital media creator. Laura is a visionary activist who advocates that compassion for ourself, for each other, and for the greater whole is the key shift for these challenging times. She sees leaders as catalysts to open hearts and minds to our shared common humanity, and to develop solutions to global crises and suffering at scale. Laura’s groundbreaking approach brings evidence-based principles of modern leadership and the latest scientific research together with the wisdom of contemplative practices. Laura and her team have extensive experience working with executives, entrepreneurs, educators, students, military veterans, and yoga/meditation teachers. For nine years, she built Neil deGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk science media network into a top-ranked podcast and a 4X Emmy nominated TV show on Nat Geo, with a 1.5M+ YouTube following and extensive social footprint across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. She is an E-RYT500 (accredited educator) from Yoga Alliance, and C-IAYT (certified yoga therapist) from International Association of Yoga Therapists. Laura is an alumna of Cornell University and New York University.
April 27, 2022
Building an engagement OS, Emmet Connolly senior director of product design at Intercom
UX/UI has evolved over the past 30 years and one of the biggest evolutions is the GUI interface. Every iteration of the GUI interface has brought along new and exciting features including push notifications. But how do we make sure these UX/UI evolutions are user friendly and designed with the user in mind. Ronan talks to Emmet Connolly, senior director of product design at Intercom about this and more. Emmet talks about his background, how Intercom has evolved since he has been there, an engagement OS, thirty years of design lessons, emoji’s. Emmet also talks about bad design, fonts, and some UX/UI tips. More About Intercom: Intercom, the Engagement OS, enables businesses to build stronger customer relationships that drive growth and scale. With its all-in-one customer communications platform, Intercom offers next-generation solutions for sales, marketing and support teams to convert prospects into paying customers, engage customers throughout their journey and provide world-class support. Intercom is redefining the customer journey and unifying business silos to deliver ongoing, personalised engagement through in-context interactions. More than 25,000 organisations, including Atlassian, Amazon and Lyft Business, rely on Intercom to deliver unparalleled user experiences at any scale. Over 600 million end users actively use Intercom every month, sending more than 500 million messages.
April 26, 2022
Building a Vibrant Gaming Community and Agility with WAX and Blockchain Brawlers, with Michael Rubinelli Michael Rubinelli - Chief Gaming Officer at WAX Studios Michael Rubinelli is a technology & gaming leader with 15+ years’ progressive experience in executive leadership, product development, and continual revenue growth and is renowned for his success at top corporations (including Disney, THQ, Electronic Arts). Michael has now turned his attention to Play-to-Earn games and spends most of his time expanding the Gaming Division of WAX Blockchain. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 23, 2022
According to CIO, in 2021, 77.3% of companies globally rated digital transformation as their new top priority, pushing cybersecurity down to second place. John Mitchell, CEO of All human (formerly Strata3), believes that companies digital transformation is currently too focussed on aesthetics. He thinks that it should be focused on what consumers appreciate in a real, everyday sense. John also feels that the industry needs to take a step back and inject more pragmatism into the digital transformation process to drive measurable sales-focussed results. This includes using an analytics-first approach, hard metrics and testing. Ronan talks to John Mitchell CEO of All human (formerly Strata3) about this and more. John talks to Ronan about the digital experience, the metaverse, immersive shop experiences, Apple, and the brands investing in micro changes. John also talks about the democratisation of information, not having a distinct brand proposition, outsourcing to third parties, recreating the real word in a digital world, and the provenance of goods. More about All human: All human are one of Dublin’s leading digital transformation consultancies and have recently gone through a rebranding process. They are behind the digital experience of many of Ireland’s biggest brands including An Post, Discover Ireland, Irish Life, LetsGetChecked, Energia, Irish Rail as well as Bank of Ireland. John and the team believe that the web industry is on the precipice of major transformation away from “fluff” towards a much more pragmatic experience that consumers actually value.
April 22, 2022
Power of possibility: Investing in the future of work
Much has been written about the Great Resignation where people have left their jobs in search of more meaningful work and personal fulfillment. We are at a critical juncture in history; how we work, where we work, and when we work, are all being redefined. What might work look like when the dust is settled and how can we help to reshape the culture? In this episode of One Vision, Theo, along with guest co-host, Danielle Guzman, chat with Diana Wu David, Future of Work strategist and author of Future Proof, on finding purpose and our place in the future. As Oprah Winfrey once said: “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance — and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” It’s time to seize the opportunity to reboot and commit to creating a better future, together.
April 21, 2022
John Mitchell, CEO All human part 1 search is a big problem
According to CIO, in 2021, 77.3% of companies globally rated digital transformation as their new top priority, pushing cybersecurity down to second place. John Mitchell, CEO of All human (formerly Strata3), believes that companies digital transformation is currently too focussed on aesthetics. He thinks that it should be focused on what consumers appreciate in a real, everyday sense. John also feels that the industry needs to take a step back and inject more pragmatism into the digital transformation process to drive measurable sales-focussed results. This includes using an analytics-first approach, hard metrics and testing. Ronan talks to John Mitchell CEO of All human (formerly Strata3) about this and more. John talks to Ronan about what All Human (formerly Strata3) does, why search is a big problem, developing Discover Ireland, and working with well known Irish brands. John also talks about what is online and offline, brands ceding brand equity to a third party, cookies and privacy, advocates of a different way of thinking, and the generational shift. More about All human: All human are one of Dublin’s leading digital transformation consultancies and have recently gone through a rebranding process. They are behind the digital experience of many of Ireland’s biggest brands including An Post, Discover Ireland, Irish Life, LetsGetChecked, Energia, Irish Rail as well as Bank of Ireland. John and the team believe that the web industry is on the precipice of major transformation away from “fluff” towards a much more pragmatic experience that consumers actually value.
April 19, 2022
On this podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by a full-time paramedic, William Fahy. William decided to create an application to help people find nearby automated external defibrillators in Ireland. He explained how he created his AED locator app and what motivated him to build his own application. William talked about the impact of his application in the Irish Community and his future plans for his application. William Fahy William Fahy is a full-time paramedic based in Ireland. After helping on countless cardiac arrest responses, he noticed a pattern: most people don't know where to find nearby AEDs. William built an AED Locator app using Google Sheets and Retool, and he manages a database of thousands of life-saving AEDs all over Ireland as a one-person team. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
April 18, 2022
VC Investing in Projects with Usability and Sustainability, Rui Zhang, gumi Cryptos Capital
Rui Zhang, CFA, CPA, Co-founder & Managing Partner of gumi Cryptos Capital. Rui co-founded gumi Cryptos Capital (gCC) at the beginning of 2018. Through gCC, he invested in the early rounds of companies and protocols including OpenSea, Qredo, YGG, 1Inch, Agoric, Celsius, etc. Recently he launched $110million gCC Fund II, continuously investing in the early stage blockchain and crypto sector. Before gCC, Rui led the global investment of gumi Group, investing in gaming, social media, VR&AR markets, with successful investments including inXile (acquired by Microsoft), Beat Games (via VR Fund, acquired by Facebook), Theta Network, etc. Rui also had his successful entrepreneurship experience before getting into VC industry. After about 7 years banking and consulting firm experience in his early career, he co- founded Zenith Group Holdings, which successfully exited via acquisition. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 17, 2022
Creating art and smart rings from microbes and biology-based NFTs, David Kvitsiani, CNICK
David Kvitsiani Information about me: Tech entrepreneur from Georgia, Co-Founder and CEO of CNICK, a startup developing smart rings that work as a contactless payment card and a Tesla key. David started entrepreneurship at the age of 20. He has worked on many tech projects, including social ones, like Hand4help, a project developing high-tech and low cost hand prosthetics for kids in need. He is among Forbes Georgia 30 under 30 and TEDx speaker.About CNICK EVolution: CNICK Evolution is the world’s first agar art NFT, every artwork is hand drawn using living microbes. While the microbial art has a very short life span, which is usually up to one month, they are digitalized first and then immortalized on the blockchain. The total supply of the collection is 500, this limit is encoded in our Ethereum smart contract, making it a very limited NFT collection. Every NFT comes with a special edition smart ring that enables Tesla lock&unlock, contactless payments and also stores NFT artwork. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 16, 2022
In this podcast, Shane is joined by Ken Stern, best selling author and host of the Century Lives Podcast from the Stanford Centre of Longevity. Ken discusses the future of work in light of longer life, which is how we rethink work to accommodate careers that will likely last 50/60 years. Ken also discusses how technology is helping to increase longevity and how it will continue to do so in the future, how well employers and policy makers are doing in addressing longer lives and what the retirement age might be in the future. Twitter: https://twitter.com/kenpstern LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sternken/ Century Lives Podcast: https://longevity.stanford.edu/century-lives/ About Ken Ken Stern is the Founder and Chair of the Longevity Project, which he founded in collaboration with the Stanford Center on Longevity. The Longevity Project fosters public conversation and research on the impact on longer lives on civil society. Stern is the host of multiple podcasts, including Century Lives and When I’m 64, from the Stanford Center on Longevity. He is also the chair of ASCEND, an organization dedicated to building a new leadership culture for American business. Stern is the author of national bestseller, Republican Like Me (HarperCollins 2017) and With Charities For All: Why Charities Are Failing and A Better Way to Give (Doubleday 2013). He is also a regular correspondent on political and business issues for Vanity Fair and has also been a frequent contributor to publications such as The Atlantic, Slate, The Daily Beast, The Washington Post and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Stern also leads the creative and business teams at Palisades Media Ventures, focusing on creating new and innovative programming for digital platforms. Prior to launching Palisades, Stern was the CEO of National Public Radio. During his tenure, NPR’s radio audience more than doubled, to more than 26 million weekly listeners. Stern also launched NPR’s world class digital efforts which included satellite channels, mobile and podcast services, and NPR Music and oversaw the successful expansion of NPR.org. During a period of significant retrenchment at major news outlets, Stern led the dramatic expansion of NPR News, both domestically and abroad, and its evolution as a key daily news source to tens of millions of people. Prior to joining NPR, Stern was a senior executive in American International Broadcasting. Earlier in his career, he held positions in Democratic politics. He began his media career with Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty in Munich. Stern, a lawyer by training, holds degrees from Haverford College and Yale Law School. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife Beth Cooper and their son Nate.
April 15, 2022
My 2 passions in life, Software Development & Entrepreneurship, have given me a unique opportunity to develop IT solutions & Projects around the globe. Besides my passions that have been a significant factor in my journey, I firmly believe in creating additional value in the world through technology and making it a better place one small step at a time. At the age of 19 I founded my first company AM2 Studio I later expanded into a software development agency with over 50 people around the world. A few years later I merged my agency with myZone Media where I joined as a partner and a CTO, and continued working on strategy, architecture & development of multiple platforms both internally and with our strategic partners. As my role has evolved from a Founder & CEO of an IT startup into Entrepreneurial ventures around the globe, I have gained valuable experience in PM, Sales, HR, Architecture, and team management, as well as business strategy, process optimization, and automation. I am a firm believer in lifelong learning and I am continually expanding my interest in emerging technologies such as Blockchain, Web3 & NFTs - that are positioned to have a tremendous positive impact on the world. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 15, 2022
Walking the talk and driving authentic inclusion
One step forward, two steps back. Despite increasing awareness and promises from corporations, metrics such as the gender pay gap and funding for female founders have barely budged. How then, can we truly move the needle for workplace gender equality in financial services and beyond? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Nadia Edwards-Dashti, co-founder of the Harrington Starr Group, on her new book, FinTech Women Walk the Talk. As Nadia pointed out, FinTech, as an industry, has always been about driving changes. Together, we can ignite the passion of our allies, and build an ecosystem that is fully representative of the diversity of the society whom we serve.
April 14, 2022
Insights from the Devil’s Kitchen with green dynamo Dale Vince, Eco Entrepreneur, and Forest Green Rovers owner
Eco Entrepreneur and Climate Campaigner, Dale Vince, OBE There’s a saying that goes, ‘don’t meet your heroes as they may disappoint’, well I pleased to say this wasn’t the case when I spoke to green entrepreneur, Dale Vince, OBE for this episode for Irish Tech News Dale is one a what I would call a conscious CEO, where his work focuses on three key areas – energy, transport, and food. In 1995 he launched Ecotricity, the world’s first green energy company, which today, powers around 200,000 homes and businesses across the UK with renewable energy from the wind and sun. Dale also owns Devil’s Kitchen, which makes vegan school dinners, and his latest business, Skydiamond creates lab grown diamonds from the wind, rain and sun. If that wasn’t enough, Dale is Chairman and owner of Forest Green Rovers recognised by FIFA as the “world’s greenest football club” and became a United Nations Climate Champion in 2018. He launched his first book, Manifesto in 2020, and is Executive Producer of the Netflix Original documentary, Seaspiracy. In this interview, criss-cross a range of issues from the increase of energy prices in the UK, to how can we make oil companies more accountable, politics, COP26 that took place in Glasgow last year, to veganism, and of course the Netflix success Seaspiracy, which Dale produced. We also have some light-hearted banter about ‘lentils and sandal’ and where he wears his underpants…intrigued, well you will have to tune in! At the end I had to ask Dale, that burning question, of what’s next for him, and his answer might surprise you and give you that little bit of hope for a better tomorrow. On 29 April, Dale is one of the speakers, at the GEI 14 conference in London, which is a partnership with not-for-profit sustainability specialists A Greener Festival and the International Live Music Conference, the world’s leading platform for the touring and festival sectors. Dale will be on a panel discussion, looking at the energy and transport sectors that will play a key role in the fight against the climate crisis, which will impact live music and events significantly in coming years.
April 13, 2022
Dark Social: Understanding the Darker side of Work, personality, and social media Ian MacRae is the author of six books, the most recent of which is Dark Social. He is a work psychologist, consultant, speaker, and author who writes about a variety of psychology and workplace topics. We’ve all heard of the dark web, but what about dark social, where expressing yourself becomes difficult and interacting with people in our workplaces brings fear. Ian discusses how this affects workplaces and work ethic in businesses. His previous books looked at the positive aspects of leadership and what a leader should look. Dark social is a continuation of those subjects delving into what happens behind the veil of our workplaces, personality, and social media.
April 12, 2022
We are significant users of cloud, Eoin O’Reilly, EY Ireland Assurance Partner and Head of Data Analytic
During the pandemic we have seen a greater usage of cloud infrastructure. This, has resulted in a greater usage of broadband as remote working became part of how businesses operated. As we use the cloud more we rely more on data data driven strategies which can increase security risks. Ronan talks to Eoin O’Reilly, EY Ireland Assurance Partner and Head of Data Analytics about this and more. Eoin talks about his background, cloud usage, the security risks with data driven strategies, data centres, and his views on the National Development Plan More about Eoin O’Reilly: Eoin O’Reilly, is EY Ireland Assurance Partner and Head of Data Analytics. He focuses on providing consulting and assurance services to listed, multinational, Government and large private companies, and is responsible for driving the growth of EY Ireland’s Data Analytics practice. In his role, he helps organisations design and deliver data-driven strategies to help grow revenues, optimise cost and manage risk. He also has deep experience delivering analytics and AI projects including reporting and visualisation, predictive analytics, simulation modelling, machine learning and text/image processing.
April 12, 2022
Minter Dial interviews Michele Nevarez Michele Nevarez is Founder and creator of the Beyond EI suite of Coaching and Training programs, Michele’s vision is to democratize EI as a means of igniting personal and global agency. This driving force for Michele is at the core of how our programs translate EI from theory to a powerful and practical vehicle for meaningful transformation and lasting habit change. Michele brings 25+ years of executive leadership experience working for industry leaders in healthcare, investment management, management consulting, and manufacturing. A founding member of Rangjung Yeshe Institute based in Kathmandu, Nepal, Michele has practiced mindfulness-based training for 27+ years. Michele received a B.A. in Religion from Bryn Mawr College and a Master of Science degree in Positive Organizational Development and Change from the Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. In Beyond Emotional Intelligence, renowned educator and leadership expert S. Michele Nevarez delivers a powerful guide to building ingrained mental habits to help us achieve desired outcomes, improve our relationships, and live in alignment with our values. The 12 Self-Discoveries discussed in the book provide clues and insights into who we are and what motivates our decisions and behaviours. Functioning as an internal barometer for our emotional and mental habits, they provide a clear path to uncover and work with our cognitive patterns and tendencies of action and reaction. Beyond Emotional Intelligence is the perfect guide for anyone interested in self-discovery and growth. Readers will discover how concealed thought patterns influence life, relationships, and goals, and how to build emotional intelligence by recognising your reactions and perceptions for what they are: changeable. Containing proven methods for influencing your outcomes, decluttering your mind, and shifting your own awareness to a more positive, productive place, Beyond Emotional Intelligence offers a solid foundation from which readers can begin to build mental habits that will serve them, their family, colleagues, and friends as they work together to achieve their goals. Minter Dial is a professional speaker, elevator and a multiple award-winning author, specialized in leadership, branding and transformation. An agent of change, he's a three- time entrepreneur who has exercised twelve different métiers and moved country fifteen times. Minter's core career stint of 16 years was spent as a top executive at L’Oréal, where he was a member of the worldwide Executive Committee for the Professional Products Division. He’s author of the award-winning WWII story, The Last Ring Home (documentary film and biographical book, 2016) as well as two prize-winning business books, Futureproof (2017) and Heartificial Empathy (2019). His latest book on leadership, You Lead, How being yourself makes you a better leader (Kogan Page) came out in January 2021. His newest project is being published weekly on Dialogos, Fostering More Meaningful Conversations via Substack. He’s been host of the Minter Dialogue weekly podcast since 2010. He is passionate about the Grateful Dead, Padel Tennis, languages and generating meaningful conversations. @mdial / minterdial.com
April 11, 2022
How to predict rug pulls when making crypto investments and donations Nick Smart
Prior to his role as Director of Blockchain Intelligence at Crystal Blockchain, Nick spent 12 years as a senior analyst working for the British Government followed by four years as an analyst in Threat Intelligence and Cyber Security, finally working as a compliance officer for an Over The Counter cryptocurrency trading desk. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 10, 2022
Jamil chats with Demian Klenk As a lifelong globe trotter and adventurer, Demian has lived a unique lifestyle that afforded him the time to become the knowledgeable expert he is today. As an autodidact, he has spent the last 10 years becoming obsessively engulf in crypto and fintech from trading to market theory. It was when he first saw the voting prototypes on the Ethereum platform, he knew how profound blockchain is as a bridge to a better tomorrow. After he focused all his attention into researching the most potent transformational applications, he saw the clearest path to leveraging his knowledge and a desire to create good for the world. Since 2020 he has lived, breathed and slept the carbon markets. He coined the phrase ¨regenerative tokenomics¨ in his economic theorem outlining the potential of distributed ledger technology to transform capital market reserves to Neo-agaraian revenue models . His company 6c-index is at the forefront between ESG and blockchain, helping to redefine carbon as investment and a solution to combat climate change. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
5G insights with Declan Gaffney, Director of RAN at Three Ireland
During the pandemic connectivity was very important and 5G came of age as it was rolled out. How easy was it to do this? One of the telecoms company’s rolling out 5G was Three and how did they cope with the roll out and the increased usage of their network courtesy of hybrid and remote working? Ronan talks to Declan Gaffney, Director of RAN at Three Ireland about this and more. Declan talks about his background, the benefits of 5G, the future of 5G and if Three is planning for 6G. Declan also talks about rolling out 5G during a pandemic and how the pandemic affected Three Ireland and their customers. More about 5G: 5G is the fifth generation of wireless technology, providing higher speeds, lower latency and greater capacity than 4G LTE networks. 5G is being used more and more to power IoT devices, smart cities, and remote working. With speeds of over 1 GB per second streaming services, it is the perfect match for streaming services and online gaming. You also don’t have to worry about latency as numerous devices can connect to the same network.
How Abstract Artists can Start to Create NFTs on OpenSea and use them for Philanthropy.
David “Oz” Osterczy is a multi-award winning abstract visual artist described as a “digital impressionist.” Displaying from New York to Los Angeles, Oz has brought joy and creativity to the masses for over a decade. His unique visual interpretations of nature stand out and elicit questions and curiosity from patrons and clients. Whether creating large installations for corporate buildings or selling a single print at a Comicon or art stroll, Oz is always prepared with a sarcastic wit and a big smile for all who engage him in conversation. During the Covid-19 protocols of 2020 Oz shifted all work to online. After repeatedly being asked “how do you do that?” pertaining to his abstracts, Oz realized that people truly wanted to know “how he does that” and began to teach free online courses in Digital Abstract Art creation to give back to a society hungry for beauty and community. “I am of service to mankind, and I serve with my creations” is his credo. “My art is unique in several ways. First it is infused with Reiki healing energy to not just be a joy for your senses, but to heal you mind, body, and soul. And I can match any color, any pattern to produce a perfect match for any space, anywhere!” Oz has won several awards for his service to mankind that have nothing to do with art. When need or disaster strike, Oz shows up. After Hurricane Sandy on the east coast in 2012, Oz volunteered for 20 straight months of weekends to gut and rebuild hundreds of homes in New York and New Jersey. He flew down to Texas after Hurricane Harvey to assist along the Texas/Louisiana border and Houston. And when hungry children are in need, Oz delivers food backpacks to schools so that the kids can eat over the weekends. If you are a decision maker in need of unique, abstract art, Oz will guide you to a joyful direction. His dream contacts are interior designers that deal with high net-worth clients, or anyone in the position to display his artwork in large commercial spaces.
In this Podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by Breandán Goss, European Accelerator Manager at Tangent, Trinity College Dublin. Breandán Goss is also the lead partner on the Circular Cities ClimAccelarator. Goss talks about the Climaccelerator sustainable goals and about the programme application, which is looking for talented entrepreneurs to foster the circular economy in urban areas. Goss also explains urban challenges and how ClimAccelarator is working to build a better sustainable environment. Breandán Goss Breandán is the European Accelerator Manager with Tangent, Trinity College’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre. He is the lead partner on the Circular Cities ClimAccelerator, a pan-European programme funded by EIT Climate KIC supporting 15 start-up companies each attempting to scale their circular economy propositions. Breandán has over 25 years of entrepreneurial and investment experience built on a firm grounding in public administration, having begun his career with the European Commission in Brussels. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
April 07, 2022
Artificial intelligence is embedded in almost every aspect of our lives, from financial services to healthcare, retail, and beyond, and will play an increasingly important role in everything we do and what we create. But we have merely scratched the surface of what the technology can deliver; ample opportunities exist for us to build solutions that can work together with humans and help us make better decisions, especially for high-stake use cases where human emotions play an important role. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Francesca Rossi, IBM fellow and IBM AI Ethics Global Leader, on the foundational properties for AI ethics and putting the principles into action. https://ibm.co/3DB8F4w
April 07, 2022
Rebuilding Communities with Ukraine's ArtforLife NFT Campaign, Peter Ivanov
Jamil talks with Peter Ivanov to learn more about this initiative. Fintech and innovations analytic and strategist with background in international companies. Until 2020 worked for UK-based cryptocurrency exchange CEX.IO, and before that – for Amsterdam-based VEON—telecommunications services company with subsidiaries in 10 markets across EMEA region. CIPR (Chartered Institute for Public Relations) certified strategist with over 10 years of experience on multiple markets. https://artforlife.noosphereglobal.com/ https://opensea.io/collection/ukrainianartforlife Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 06, 2022
Why sustainability must be part of doing good business, Donal Sullivan, Future Planet
Shane is joined by Future Planet CEO Donal Sullivan to discuss the work Future Planet is doing, his experience has been since taking over as CEO and what challenges he has faced so far. He also discusses making sustainability part of doing good business, how legislation is changing and why it’s important for businesses to understand and adjust to it and how there is an urgency to climate action and sustainability and how it requires mass mobilisation to make the necessary changes. Finally, Donal speaks about Future Planet's plans for the near future. LinkedIn: https://ie.linkedin.com/in/donal-sullivan-0a7121b Future Planet: https://www.futureplanet.com About Donal With 25 years of experience in the technology industry, prior to Future Planet, Donal was a senior global executive in Johnson Controls, Tyco and Flextronics. He is a recognised authority on sustainable buildings and how technology can be used to accelerate sustainable progress at an enterprise scale. Donal has been a leading voice on low carbon, sustainability projects around the world, with a great example in his home city Cork, where he built Ireland’s smartest building as a new global HQ for Johnson Controls at One Albert Quay. About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and is studying programming and web development.
April 06, 2022
Insights into the EU Digital Markets Act with Amandine Le Pape founder of Element
Two weeks ago the EU parliament and Council negotiators agreed new EU rules to limit the market power of big online platforms. The Digital Markets Act will ban certain practices used by large platforms acting as “gatekeepers” and enable the Commission to carry out market investigations and sanction non-compliant behaviour. Before the Digital Markets Act was agreed I spoke to Amandine Le Pape founder of British tech start-up, Element about it. Amandine talks about her concerns on the EU Digital Markets Act and why she thinks enforcing interoperability between apps through Open APIs. Essentially allowing Big Tech to control the process, which will build weak solutions to keep regulators at bay. More about the Digital Markets Act: EU lawmakers agreed that the largest messaging services (such as Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger or iMessage) will have to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms, if they so request. Users of small or big platforms would then be able to exchange messages, send files or make video calls across messaging apps, thus giving them more choice. As regards interoperability obligation for social networks, co-legislators agreed that such interoperability provisions will be assessed in the future. Parliament also ensured that combining personal data for targeted advertising will only be allowed with explicit consent to the gatekeeper. They also managed to include a requirement to allow users to freely choose their browser, virtual assistants or search engines. If a gatekeeper does not comply with the rules, the Commission can impose fines of up to 10% of its total worldwide turnover in the preceding financial year, and 20% in case of repeated infringements. In case of systematic infringements, the Commission may ban them from acquiring other companies for a certain time.
April 05, 2022
Using Comics to explain complex issues such as blockchain and AI
William COO De’Ath GBC.AI. GBC.AI is leading blockchains towards intelligence. We make products that secure, protect, and allow the mass adoption of the Metaverse, NFT’s, gaming, DeFi, DAO’s, shopping, social networking, travel, banking, healthcare, insurance and infinitely more applications using Blockchains. But William has decided to explain this complex project using the form of comics - going live this week on his website http://GBC.AI/COMIC Your host is Jillian Godsil, journalist, broadcaster and creator - her latest NFTs can be found here https://artmine.playform.io/projects/15
April 04, 2022
Tom's bio:Based in London, prior to Metaphysic, Tom founded OmniSci (previously MapD), the world's fastest database and first GPU in-memory analytics engine backed by Tiger Global, NEA, in-Q-Tel, NVIDIA and Google. He is co-founder of Codec.ai, a content marketing analytics tool used by Redbull, Unilever, L'Oreal, Nestle and more. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 03, 2022
Ruben Merre is CEO and co-founder of NGRAVE, a digital asset security provider offering user-friendly maximum security solutions for blockchain and crypto use cases. At NGRAVE, Ruben created "ZERO", the world's most secure hardware wallet for crypto storage. A seasoned entrepreneur, he was selected for Belgium's 40 under 40 last year, as well as being a Google Digital Pioneer nominee in 2020. This week, NGRAVE will play a key role at Metaverse Fashion Weel by having a store in Boson Portal a metaverse marketplace located in the virtual world Decentraland. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 02, 2022
Silta Finance is Ben's fourth startup and here is where he finds his passion. His corporate career was in infrastructure finance and he first heard about Bitcoin in 2011 but ignored it initially. It was only around 2016 that he took a bigger interest, crucially in the functionality. “I got that it was an immutable database but then I saw the functionality in the dApps and that piqued my curiosity.” With Silta Finance, his blockchain startup which is described as bridge connecting DeFI with infrastructure investments, Ben believes he can bridge the world of TradFi and DeFi. For him, Silta Finance sits right in the middle of these two worlds and can take the best from both. Your host is Jillian Godsil - journalist, broadcaster and creator - check out her latest NFT collection here https://artmine.playform.io/projects/15
April 01, 2022
Achieving the U.N. Sustainable Health and Food Goals with Food and Health Data Aggregator Esca, Shalom Osiadi
Achieving the U.N. Sustainable Health and Food Goals with Food and Health Data Aggregator Esca Shalom Osiadi Bio: A data analyst by trade but an entrepreneur by life Shalom started his first business at 15 and hasn't stopped since. An award winning MBA graduate, he's passionate about using technology to help everyday people become financially independent. My Socials: Twitter = iamshal93Instagram = iam_shalTelegram = @maskdonEsca Socials: Twitter = twitter.com/escacryptoTelegram = https://t.me/escacrypto Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
April 01, 2022
Betting on people: Bridging the gap between fintech and innovation
A significant amount of money has been invested in FinTech in the past decade; according to CFTE, the FinTech sector is now equivalent to 38% of the banking sector in terms of market capitalization. If FinTech was considered a city, it would rank 3rd as an employer in financial services, after New York and London. In a world where we are playing buzzword bingo on a seemingly daily basis, how do we stay on top of the real innovation trends in this fast developing world? And how can we facilitate pathways to these new opportunities and make sure that no one is left behind? As the saying goes, talent is equally distributed; opportunities are not. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Tram Anh Nguyen, co-founder of CFTE, whose mission is to leverage the power of education to create a more inclusive and welcoming new world of financial services. That’s certainly a purpose we can all get behind.
March 31, 2022
In this podcast, Diana Paiva is joined by Richard Stengel, a political analyst at MSNBC. Richard discusses disinformation about the War in Ukraine and how can people defend themselves from disinformation. Social media has proved an essential channel for the spread of information about this war and Richard explained the impact of social media since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He also talks about Russia's propaganda. More information about The Social Media Summit - https://ide.mit.edu/events/the-social-media-summit-mit-smsmit-2/ About Richard Richard Stengel served under President Obama as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs from 2013-16. While at the State Department, he modernized the State Department’s communications efforts by promoting social media at State to help the United States tell its story abroad. Stengel led the department’s counter-disinformation efforts, heading its anti-ISIS efforts and starting the first counter-Russian messaging group at State. About Diana Paiva Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
March 31, 2022
How Crypto donations have become Ukraine’s financial lifeline, Alex Tapscott
Today Shane is joined by author, entrepreneur and Managing Director of Ninepoint's Digital Asset Group Alex Tapscott. Alex discusses how Crypto donations have become Ukraine’s financial lifeline since the beginning of the conflict with Russia. Since the Russian invasion, Ukraine has received over $100m in Crypto donations. He discusses why this is happening, the possibility of Crypto being used by Russia to bypass sanctions, how concerned governments should be about censorship free technologies and what it means for the future of money. About Alex Mr. Tapscott is an entrepreneur, author and seasoned capital markets professional focused on the impact of Bitcoin, blockchain and other digital assets on business and financial markets. Mr. Tapscott is the co-author of the critically acclaimed non-fiction best-seller, Blockchain Revolution, which has been translated into more than 15 languages and has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. He is also the Editor and Co-author of Financial Services Revolution (January 2020). Mr. Tapscott is sought after worldwide for his expertise by business and government audiences. He has delivered over 200 lectures and executive briefings at firms like Goldman Sachs (Talks at GS), Google, Allianz, IBM, Microsoft and Accenture. His TedX talk, “Blockchain is Eating Wall Street” has been viewed over 700,000 times. Mr. Tapscott has also written for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Globe and Mail, National Post and many other publications. In 2017, Mr. Tapscott co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), a global think-tank investigating blockchain strategies, opportunities and use-cases. Previously, Mr. Tapscott was Director of institutional equity sales at Canaccord Genuity. Mr. Tapscott is a graduate of Amherst College (Cum Laude) and is a CFA Charterholder. Twitter: https://twitter.com/alextapscott LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-tapscott-117638b/ About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and is studying programming and web development.
March 30, 2022
Government remote working regulations and Ireland Inc, Andrew Lynch the Co-founder and COO of Huckletree
Late last year I interviewed Andrew Lynch the Co-founder and COO of Huckletree, and since then a lot has happened. Businesses are opening up again and the hybrid working model has been embraced as the government introduced new remote working regulations and got rid of all the Covid restrictions they had in place. As we get back to some form of normality in the workplace what can we expect. I talk to Andrew about this and more. Andrew talks to me about the new government remote working regulations, pandemic related issues, job enjoyment, tech predictions for the year, startup funding and sustainability. More about Andrew Lynch: Andrew moved back from the UK last year, where he did a master’s degree in real-estate investment, before working in private equity and then co-founding Huckletree. During that time Huckletree has opened 5 co-working spaces in the UK and one in Ireland. Andrew has seen companies join Huckletree Ireland as start-ups and grow and expand and, as they take on investment, grow very quickly to 30 or 40 people. The Dublin space brings its global member count to 2,000 people.
March 29, 2022
Mark Faghy is an Associate Professor in Respiratory Physiology in the School of Human Sciences and an active researcher in the Human Science Research Centre. After completing an undergraduate (2011) and PhD programme (2015) at the University of Derby, he joined the teaching team as a tutor in exercise physiology at Loughborough University (2015) before returning to Derby on a lectureship in 2016. In this podcast, Diana is joined by Mark Faghy, associate professor in respiratory physiology at the University of Derby. Long-tem effects of Covid-19, are still an issue for a lot of people. Mark started a pioneering international to improve the lives of people suffering from prolonged and life impairing impacts of long-Covid. He explained how he started his research and raised concerns about the consequences of Post-Covid-19. He also talks about the achievements of his study and how it can help patients suffering from long COVID. About Diana Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
March 28, 2022
Transforming the Logistics Industry by accessing the Metaverse, with Sandeep Aggarwal and Logix. A pioneer in the field of the manufacturing and supply chain industry, Sandeep Aggarwal is the founder & CEO of Logix Coin. He is an active investor and a blockchain and crypto enthusiast with the vision of making changes in a positive direction. Having a plethora of experience in the logistics domain, currently working on developing a blockchain based aggregator model for solving the challenges in the logistics industry. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 27, 2022
How Cannabis and Crypto are Helping This Artist Survive Terminal Cancer, with Arabella Proffer
Arabella Proffer Arabella Proffer is a visual artist based in Cleveland. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and bred in Southern California, she has a BFA from CalArts. Her loose narrative themes revolve around the history of medicine, psychedelic visions, and biomorphic organisms. She delves into the practice of oil painting, tying together its relationships to nature, biology, and emerging sciences. Arabella’s work appears in over 80 private collections and she participates in solo and group exhibitions throughout the world. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, SF Weekly, The Plain Dealer, Hi-Fructose, Juxtapoz, The Harvard Gazette, NPR, Hektoen International Medical Journal, The Portland Review and more. Her achievements have been recognized by the Ohio House and Senate. She has received grants from Ohio Arts Council, Akron Soul Train residency, Rauschenberg Award, Andy Warhol Foundation Satellite Award, and ArtsCleveland. She balances a studio practice of commissions, transcendental painting, drawing crude comics for cheap laughs, all while living with terminal cancer. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 26, 2022
Betting Your Future with Conviction in BolieCoin, with Craig Curtis
CL Curtis has over 20 years of business experience and he’s also a published author. CL Curtis was raised in an impoverished neighborhood in the city of St. Louis Missouri. Mr. Curtis was exceptionally good in sports, particularly American Football and Baseball. Mr. Curtis was so good in American Football that he got a scholarship offer to play in college. Mr. Curtis never played High School football and yet a friend who was going to college on a football scholarship, he took Mr. Curtis to his coach and Mr. Curtis was offered a scholarship.However Mr. Curtis refused the scholarship offer to college. Mr. Curtis always felt it was a better way to earn money without running the risk of getting injured.CL Curtis had his first job at the age of 12 years old, getting paid cash everyday to clean up a flower shop in St. Louis Missouri Central Westend. Mr. Curtis went on to graduate high school and to attend one year of community college studying business.CL Curtis has owned record companies, a computer company, a restaurant, nightclub and real estate investment company.Today present CL Curtis is the founder and CEO of Bolies Technology, BoliesTV and Boliecoin.CL Curtis also has a book entitled; “Boliecoin The Next Big Thing “ this book can be purchased through Amazon or LuLu, but if you purchase directly from the Boliecoin website you will receive an autograph copy from CL Curtis himself. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 25, 2022
Communities that thrive — with meaning, value, and purpose
How can we create an environment where innovation thrives? In a world where we are constantly distracted by dazzling new technology, it is easy to get caught up with cool toys and forget what we are trying to do. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Dave Cunningham, Chief Commercial Officer at LexTego on lessons learned around bringing innovators, creators, entrepreneurs, and leaders together, and what it takes to build sustainable communities. You might even learn an Irish word (or two) while following along Dave’s yoga journey. Who says fintech isn’t fun?
March 24, 2022
Bio Dmytro Dolyna Dmytro Dolyna is the Vice President of IT and Security at GeeksForLess. He was born in Mykolayiv and lived there until 2014, then moved to Lviv and established operations there. GeeksForLess is a Software Development, Staff Augmentation, and BPO company with offices in Toronto, Canada; Ukraine (Mykolayiv, Kyiv, and Lviv); European Union (Krakow, Poland), BPO center in the Philippines (Clark), and headquarters in Nassau, Bahamas. GeeksForLess Inc. was founded in 2003 as an offshore IT services and staff augmentation provider for businesses seeking to extend their knowledge and team capacity while preserving control and improving costs and quality. We provide access to the top personnel with excellent work ethics at a lower cost while being able to integrate and manage them as an extension of our clients' local teams. This allows companies to achieve high productivity without any loss of About In this podcast, Diana is joined by Dmytro Dolyna, Vice President of IT and Security at GeeksForLess. Since the war started in Ukraine, companies in the country have been relocating employees. Dolyna explained how GeeksForLess is managing the relocation and the safety of the employees. He also talked about the impact of the war on the IT firm and how that will affect the business. About Diana Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
March 24, 2022
How to inspire clear future perspectives, a conversation with Ron Immink
Marieta talks to Ron Immink, a Dutch/Irish entrepreneur with extensive experience in the areas of publishing, (social) entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, strategy, innovation, and SME engagement. In this podcast, they discuss what perception pioneering is and how implementing this new concept can improve companies and individuals’ decision-making and scenario planning. MEET RON Ron believes in thought leadership and self- expression. In his view, the best forms of self-expression are running your own business and writing (books) or both. Entrepreneurs and good books can change the world in a better way. He likes to help you to do that. Entrepreneurship, innovation and strategy He is a Dutch/Irish entrepreneur with extensive experience in the areas of publishing, (social) entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, strategy, innovation and SME engagement. He is an entreprenerd and is probably one of the best-read entrepreneurs in Europe. He has read over 10,000 books. He wrote 15 books and sold over 250,000 copies. https://ronimmink.com About Marieta: Marieta is a student journalist, currently pursuing a degree in Coventry University. She is from Bulgaria and moved to the United Kingdom three years ago to prepare for a career in journalism since she believes it best suits her interests and strength. Marieta has a passion for writing and is keen on producing digital content. She is a driven and creative aspiring journalist who is always on the lookout for a good story.
March 24, 2022
How To Come Back From Rock Bottom, Coach JV, John Vasquez talks with Martin Eastwood
Description: Coach JV, John Vasquez is best known for being a social media star with over 1 million followers across TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. However, what some may not know about this internet sensation is that he had a very dark and depressing past. JV, found himself in a very dark place back in 2006, so much so that his depression led him to attempt to take his own life. However, now in 2022, life couldn’t be any different for the former banker turned online coach. He first rose to fame on TikTok after joining the social media platform during the 2020 Covid-19 outbreak. The entrepreneur and online coach who runs the 3T Warrior Academy, began making TikTok videos with his daughter, but never expected to build such a massive audience. Coach JV now finds himself running his own 7 figure companies, he has amassed over one million followers from his heartfelt and helpful videos and most importantly of all, he has the freedom to spend his time how he chooses, which often involves as much quality time as possible with his children. Not alone this but he also dedicates his time to helping others who might be where he once was in life, to achieve their own freedom and happiness. Martin Eastwood is an Award Winning Entrepreneur, Investor & a familiar face from many well-known Irish & UK TV shows. After spending some of his younger years working in the music industry, Martin entered the public spotlight for the first time when he appeared as a contestant on The X Factor UK in 2012. In the years that followed, Martin turned his sole focus to entrepreneurship, following on from starting multiple businesses during his childhood. In July of 2015, he launched his company Wide Variety Entertainment. The company now comes in two parts Wide Variety Media - which specialises in marketing and social media for global businesses and brands. And Wide Variety Events - which provides services for small to large scale events across Ireland. In his videos and speaking engagements, Martin regularly discusses topics such as business, self-confidence, overcoming fear & failure and reaching your potential. He has spoken to in person audiences in excess of 9,000 people at a time and his work has been viewed collectively more than 10,000,000 times from people all around the world. In 2019, he starred in the TV show First Dates Ireland on RTE 2. Martin was also interviewed by Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show on RTÉ One.
March 23, 2022
CBDCs, Digital Transformation, and the Aid for Ukraine Initiative, with Sergey Vasylchuk at Everstake
Sergey Vasylchuk is the founder of the biggest decentralized staking services provider Everstake and the blockchain development company Attic Lab. He is a software engineer with 15 years of experience involved in the blockchain industry since 2014. Sergey is the director of the Metaplex Foundation, the organization behind Metaplex, the permissionless on-chain protocol for NFT creators on Solana. He closely cooperates with Ukraine’s National Bank and Ministry for Digital Transformation as the initiator of the extensive project for the tokenization Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 22, 2022
In this podcast, Diana is joined by Lynn Cassels, farmer and owner of Lynbreck Croft. Lynn talks about her new book, Our Wild Farming Life: Adventures on a Scottish Highland Croft, where she explains her life with her partner, Sandra Baer and the journey they took to build their own business and produce their food. Lynn also talks about the struggles that farmers face, and how hard it was, in the beginning, to adapt to farm life. About Lynn Cassels and Sandra Baer Lynn Cassells and Sandra Baer met while working as rangers for the National Trust and soon realised that they shared a dream to live closer to the land. They bought Lynbreck Croft in March 2016 – 150 acres of pure Scottishness – with no experience in farming but a huge passion for nature and the outdoors. Now they raise their own animals, grow their own produce and are as self-sufficient as they can be. Diana is currently interning with Irish Tech News. She graduated from Birkbeck University, with a degree in modern languages and she is currently doing a master's in Journalism at the University of Roehampton. She has an interest in technology and the environment.
March 22, 2022
Building the decentralized global blockchain infrastructure on TRON, with TRON DAO
David Uhryniak David Uhryniak is the Director of Blockchain Strategy at TRON DAO. David is a digital transformation and blockchain technology expert and well-regarded in the industry. Following early work in equity research and analysis, David has since focused on emerging blockchain markets as a management consultant and senior practice leader. His ability to leverage emerging technologies to create customer-focused solutions is proven, and he is always seeking out new means of minimizing risks and capitalizing on emerging opportunities. David’s reputation as a subject matter is expert is also backed by an MBA in finance and entrepreneurship as well as credentials as a Certified Blockchain Solution Architect. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 21, 2022
Phil is a global entrepreneur who has founded and developed natural resources, renewable energy, FinTech, and AI- driven enterprises. His current role as CEO and Founder of Nature’s Vault, a GreenTech platform accelerating impact investments to combat climate change and ecosystem damage, is a natural progression of his diverse experience, Phil was formerly CEO and owner of one of the largest mobile payment companies in Southeast Asia, pioneering micropayments for premium mobile content. He was also founder and executive vice president of NASDAQ-listed ActiveIQ Technologies that developed an AI tool to analyze documents and was later acquired by Oracle. On the natural resource side, Phil was chairman and CEO of BlackGold Energy, a Singapore Exchange-listed energy company. He is also a founding shareholder of three renewable energy companies: Terrasys Energy, Sawa Energy, and Solarsys and is also the founding shareholder of Indo Gold Mining and a partner in Ensbury Kalteng Gold Indonesia. Fluent in Indonesian, Phil contributes to his community as chairman of the Jakarta Intercultural School and the co-founder of the Artha Graha Peduli COVID-19 Response Center.) He has worked with organizations such as Save the Children, UNHCR and Red Cross, focused on emergency supplies and distribution, housing reconstruction, and improving mental health facilities. He is also founding president of the Association of Catalyst Companies for the Singapore Exchange (SGX) Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 20, 2022
Sophie Watts Executive Chair and Co-founderSophie is a global media executive with a focus on venture creation for A-list stars, including “Mike Tyson’s Legends Only League,” the sports enterprise which, in November 2020, staged the Tyson-Jones fight, the 8th most profitable pay-per-view event of all time. Previously, Watts served as the President of STX Entertainment, playing an instrumental role in the company’s formation and growth, including the establishment of a fully-fledged movie studio, and both reality and scripted TV studios. During her tenure, STX grew from a start-up into a multi-billion-dollar media company that includes several studios, and which secured capital from investors including private equity firms TPG and China-based Hony Capital; Tencent, the Chinese internet giant; Liberty Global, the media conglomerate; and PCCW, the global telecommunications provider. Early in her career, Watts worked in music film, videos and programming in London. She moved to Los Angeles in 2007, where she was a producer and financier on film projects including the award-winning documentary Bully, and the NBC show “State of Affairs”. Watts has been named one of Hollywood’s Top Dealmakers by Variety, listed in Fortune magazine’s 40 under 40, and featured in Variety’s Power of Women Report, Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power100, and in ELLE magazine’s power list. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 19, 2022
A State in a Smartphone: How Digital Transformation is Helping Ukraine in its War with Russia
Alex Bornyakov — the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine on IT industry development, Head of the Diia City project. Bornyakov was appointed as the Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation in October of 2019 and has been boosting the growth of Ukraine’s IT industry and working on creating a legal space for Ukrainian and international VASPs to officially conduct their businesses in Ukraine. Alex Bornyakov is the Deputy Minister of the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation for IT Development, the Head of the Diia City project. He has more than ten years of experience in IT management. He founded and managed a number of successful companies and startup incubators, including the American video monetization platform Adtelligent and the outsourcing company Intersog, which was included in the TOP-5 App Developers in Chicago according to Clutch and TOP-10 best employers in Odessa. In 2015, he became Best CEO/COO — IT BIZ AWARDS 2015, and in 2016 he was included in the ranking of 25 trailblazing business leaders in Ukraine. He has an MBA (University of New Brunswick) and an MPA (Columbia University). International Communications & PR Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine thedigital.gov.ua Official page in Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mintsyfra Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 18, 2022
GlobalLogic stands with Ukraine: An update from the ground in Ukraine's war with Russia
Andrii Yavorskyi, Senior Vice President Strategy and Business Operations, GlobalLogic. Experienced manager with a proven background in new business development, vertical and horizontal practices build out, strategic leadership, and financial performance attainment. Technological and engineering enthusiast, these days focused on the future of Machine Learning and Decentralized Distributed systems. GlobalLogic, a Hitachi Group Company, is a full-lifecycle product development services leader that combines chip-to-cloud software engineering expertise and vertical industry experience to help our customers design, build, and deliver their next generation products and digital experiences. We expertly integrate design, complex engineering, and agile delivery capabilities to produce superior business outcomes for global brands. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GlobalLogic operates design studios and engineering centers around the world, extending the benefits of our true global presence to customers in the telecom, automotive, healthcare, technology, media and entertainment, manufacturing, and semiconductor industries. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 18, 2022
Transfer Agency as a "Good Control Location" for Cryptocurrencies, Scott Harrigan
Transfer Agency as a "Good Control Location" for Cryptocurrencies, and Reverse M&A (crypto firm buys TradFi company), with Scott Harrigan Scott Harrigan is CEO of Securitize Markets, leading the business strategy and operation of the broker-dealer and alternative trading system (ATS), which assists with primary issuances and enabling secondary trading of private securities, including digital asset securities. Securitize Markets is a broker-dealer and ATS designated by the SEC, and a member of FINRA and SIPC. Securitize Markets is the largest secondary marketplace for digital asset securities. Previously, Mr. Harrigan was at Carta as the Head of Public Markets and Chief Executive Officer of Carta Securities, where he led the public market business which included Carta’s most valuable private clients, and led Carta’s secondary exchange business which allows late stage privately held companies to provide liquidity to employees pre-IPO. Prior to Carta, Mr. Harrigan led the U.S business at Computershare where he was responsible for exponential growth in revenue and client base, as well as several key acquisitions. Mr. Harrigan also held senior roles at Merrill Lynch. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 18, 2022
As the saying goes, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” — have you ever wondered what stops people in their tracks, and how we can overcome obstacles in our lives? As it turns out, you can use the power of the mind to rewire your brain and achieve the extraordinary. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Frederique Murphy, author of “Lead Beyond the Edge: The bold path to extraordinary results” about her book and her personal transformation journey. As Frederique noted, an engaged brain learns better, retains better, and performs better. We hope you too can be inspired to step out of your comfort zone and take the leap to the edge and beyond.
March 17, 2022
Ukrainianpool, the Ukrainian Fund to Support Ukraine Government in its war with Russia, Dominic Rohde explains more
Donations to Ukrainian Fund to Support Ukraine Government in its war with Russia Ukrainian Fund advisor Dominic Rohde ABOUT US The tragic events that transpired in Ukraine on the February 24 were a catalyst for the team to take initiative and find fast and trustworthy ways to offer support to the Ukrainian people. The initial idea of an ISPO-based fundraising was born to Ugnius and Karolis. The final concept of “Ukrainian pool” was developed with the help of Laura and Paulius. Who are we Ukrainianpool is an ISPO-based charitable crypto fundraising project for the needs of Ukrainians affected by the war. We don’t give away financial benefits to investors but call the international crypto community to unite their forces and stand up for freedom. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 16, 2022
At the age of 21 with little business knowledge or experience, Ken Mack acquired his first business using none of his own money down. This strategy, which is typically referred to as a leveraged buyout, allowed Ken to inherit a 6 figure income and become the owner of an already successful existing business. Now with 16 years of business buying and investing experience, Ken Mack works as a coach to help others achieve financial freedom and success. Ken's experience has seen him acquire over 9 figures in deals spanning across countries such as UK, USA, Spain, Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. He is also an active investor in cryoptocurrency, precious metals and decrentralized finance platforms. MARTIN EASTWOOD is an Investor, Entrepreneur, TV & Social Media Personality & Public Speaker. His company Wide Variety manage the online marketing of businesses and brands across Ireland and the world.
March 16, 2022
Hi I am from Ukraine, I am 25 years old. I work as an IT specialist, I have my own web development team, designers, programmers and other specialists. Now I'm in my apartment, but we sounded sirens all night and we were sitting in bomb shelters, today the Russians dropped bombs on our city again, several dozen people were injured and several died, people are buried in the backyards of their homes, it's very awful in relation to ordinary civilians. You can probably see this in the news. Yesterday in Irpin near Kyiv, terrorists killed a journalist from the United States who worked and showed the truth to the New York Times. Two more of his comrades were injured and are currently in hospital in Kyiv. Crypto worms is my own NFT project that I started creating six months ago. Most of the NFT from it was sold in the beginning and now people are just trading it. The game itself is for 2 people who play in battle with each other with different skills and weapons (the game is still under development.) These are people who trade NFT for resale and people who want to wait for the release of a game where they can reproduce their NFT to treat others, receive crypto tokens worms and health elixirs. Crypto game is not just a game, you can play it and earn more. 5. pUtin is a small man who is not friendly with the head and creates big problems for the whole world, Ukraine suffers the most in this confrontational people are losing their homes. The city of Mariupol, where 500,000 people lived, has been wiped off the face of the earth. It is scary to look at it. Now everyone is helping the country as best they can, some are volunteering to prepare food for soldiers and refugees, some are defending our land and their city with a machine gun. I, in turn, joined the funds and decided to make a charity project for people who lost their homes and to support our army, our army is many times smaller than the Russian, but our people are much smarter. Pictures for the NFT project are ready now I am working with NFT crypto markets where we will be added. The project already has the name Strong Ukraine. Each picture of the project is unique and reflects the strength of spirit of the people. The NFT theme has been popular for a year now. I also successfully trade various collections and help with creation. Now there are a lot of videos on YouTube to create a collection in different languages, everyone can understand this. Or write to me if you want to trade or create your own collections, I can help if I am interested in the project. I have 50 unique pictures and the time provided is no longer needed as my collection is created in one style and other creators will find it difficult to understand my style. Now there is a greater need for advertising the project on a large scale not only in Ukraine but around the world. We now buy a lot of helmets and body armor, as well as night vision devices and thermal imagers. All this is needed. Now our volunteers bring us money, we buy it with money donated by people and add our own when needed. To say what you can help us need to understand what country you are from and how you can help. It is a financial aid whether you can buy the things we need and transfer or accept women with children. Sites such as solsea and solanart help in the quick verification procedure, and I will ask them to post on the main page and on social networks as much as possible. The Crypto worms project has nothing to do with the Strong Ukraine charity project, these are different projects. Soon we will win over and return our territories, and all the partners who supported us and the people who helped financially and in all other ways will celebrate our common victory. Glory to Ukraine!
March 15, 2022
Connect The Dots: The Art and Science of creating good luck, with author Christian Busch
In this episode, Shane is Joined by Christian Busch, Author of The Serendipity Mind and the recently released Connect The Dots: The Art and Science of creating good luck. Christian starts by explaining his background and how it lead him to where he is now and what the Serendipity Mindset is all about. Christian goes on to talk about the role technology can have in helping each individual to create their own luck, gives his top bits of advice for someone looking to start creating their own look going forward and finally, he discusses his plans for the future. About Christian Prof. Dr. Christian Busch is the bestselling author of Connect the Dots: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck – “a wise, exciting, and life-changing book” (Arianna Huffington) that provides “excellent practical guidance for all” (Paul Polman, former CEO, Unilever) – and an internationally known expert in the areas of innovation, purpose-driven leadership, and serendipity. He is the director of the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU), and also teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is a co-founder of Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network and a former director of LSE's Innovation Lab. His work has been featured by outlets such as the Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The Guardian, Washington Post, and the BBC. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Expert Forum, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and on the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 thinkers "most likely to shape the future." Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisSerendip LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christianwbusch Connect the Dots: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Serendipity-Mindset-by-Dr-Christian-Busch-author/9780241402122 About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and is studying programming and web development.
March 14, 2022
How to set up a crypto Cayman fund and a crypto license in Lithuania
Aldemaro Fonseca is an entrepreneur based in Panama. He is currently NTL Wealth´s head advisor for LATAM and Spain Markets. He originally graduated as an Electronic Engineer and Project Manager but he devoted his entire career to business and has successfully founded and managed several companies which operate in different fields. He has been dealing with financial licenses processing (Forex, Securities Broker, Banking, E-money, Investment Manager, Asset Management, electronic games, Cryptocurrency Exchange/wallet, Hedge Funds and Money Remittance) and is also a wealth management expert with a global approach in different jurisdictions. Aldemaro currently offers advice to several family offices worldwide and is also the CEO of a Technology Company based in Panama. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 13, 2022
Serge Gianchandani is the Co-founder of Metamall. Serge is a serial entrepreneur with twelve patents on 3D and VR imagery. He founded Egg Solution Optronics. In 2001 Serge became the leader in immersive technology. The company was initially based in France and later was acquired by a US technology group. He also co-founded Moksha and scaled from zero to $20 million with 300+ clients across the globe like Amazon,Kmart, Flipkart etc. Serge sold his 1st company to Wave Com (Anant Nahata) the owner of KOOVS. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 12, 2022
In this podcast, Shane is joined by Harry Glorikian, author of The Future You: How Artificial Intelligence Can Help You Get Healthier, Stress Less, and Live Longer to talk about his inspiration behind writing the book and discuss how technology is changing healthcare and the overall wellness of each individual. He also gives his advice on the steps each of us can take to improve our overall wellness and discusses the future of technology and AI in healthcare and what new technologies we can expect to see more of in the near future. About Harry For over twenty-five years Harry Glorikian—healthcare entrepreneur, author, podcaster, and company leader—has been at the intersection of the fast-moving science and business of healthcare and biotechnology. Harry has always been at the forefront, helping invest in and grow innovative healthcare companies that are tackling ground-breaking areas such as precision medicine and the human genome. Whether growing and selling his own consulting company, Scientia Advisors, or as an entrepreneur-in-residence at GE Healthcare, or as a general partner at Scientia Ventures, Harry’s insatiably curious mind has led him to explore and tackle all sides of healthcare and biotechnology innovation. Harry is the author of MoneyBall Medicine: Thriving in the New Data-Driven Healthcare Market and the diagnostics textbook Commercializing Novel IVDs: A Comprehensive Manual for Success, and is the host of The Harry Glorikian Show podcast series. In The Future You, Harry brings his learnings to the general consumer who wants to understand how all this new technology and talk of artificial intelligence can make their lives and those of their family and friends more fulfilling through better health. The Future You: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Future-You-Artificial-Intelligence-Healthier/dp/1883283825 Twitter: https://twitter.com/HGlorikian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryglorikian/ About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and is studying programming and web development.
March 11, 2022
Building the metaverse city of Lobsteropolis - the future of lobsters as sentient and metaversal beings.
About Philip Colbert Graduating with an MA in Philosophy from St. Andrews University, Colbert’s work has received international acclaim in museums and galleries worldwide for his energetic new approach to painting and pop theory. Following on from early Pop painters such as Richard Hamilton, Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist. Colbert’s paintings cross high art themes from old master paintings and contemporary art theory with everyday symbols of mass contemporary culture, all narrated through the eyes of Colbert’s cartoon Lobster alter ego. He has been championed as a contemporary Pop master by art world figures such as Charles Saatchi & Simon de Pury. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 11, 2022
We don’t have a pipeline problem; we have a listening problem
How well are women and communities of color being represented in financial services? And how many brilliant ideas don’t get the opportunities they deserve because we are not listening to all the voices? Many people assume that we have a pipeline problem, that there are no women or prominent female leaders in financial services. But that cannot be further from the truth. We don’t have a pipeline problem; rather, we have a listening problem. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Sonya Dreizler and Liv Gagnon, founders of Choir, who are on a mission to change whom the finance industry listens to. You can’t be what you can’t see. Together, we can help change the status quo, one conference at a time.
March 10, 2022
Jamil talks to Irish software entrepreneur John Dennehy to learn more about this important initiative. This project has been launched with the goal of making an immediate and timely action to help in Ukraine. See more on the Safe HarThis positive and practical initiative has been launched with the goal of making an immediate and timely action to help in Ukraine. See more on the Safe Harbour for Ukraine website here and on the gofundme page here.bour for Ukraine website here and on the gofundme page here. Safe Harbour for Ukraine A group of friends in Ireland are sending a bus filled with essential supplies to the Polish/Ukraine border and are returning with 40 women and children displaced by war. The goal is to provide accommodation and integration support for our guests for as long as is necessary. They will be treated with dignity and respect. This is a community based project with support from Cronin’s Coaches, Dennehy Commercials, and the enormous goodwill of the Irish people. The bus is leaving on St Patrick’s Day and will return approximately five days later. We are relying 100% on the goodwill of people in Ireland to make this happen. If you can help, especially by providing shelter in your home we’d love to hear from you. If you can’t provide shelter we have a list of urgently needed supplies below. In the coming days we will launch a GoFundMe page so you can make a cash donation. Our GoFundMe page is here. OFFERING ACCOMMODATION Finding suitable accommodation for our guests is the most challenging part. Your help would be greatly appreciated. You might have a spare bedroom you can offer, or even an entire property that’s not fully used. Right now we’re looking for properties in Cork and Limerick city, preferably within walking distance of shops and a bus route. It’s a big thing to offer a room in your home. Most of our guests do not have fluent, or even any, English. They’ve all been through a horrific experience. None of us know how long this war will go on for but we would ask that if you are making a commitment it is for at least three months. If you feel you could help, please fill out the form by clicking here DONATING ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES Refugees arriving at the Polish/Ukrainian border are tired, hungry and many are sick. We are providing supplies to those who have managed to cross the border and make it safely into Poland. If you can help we would greatly appreciate it. Please pack goods ideally into cardboard boxes or transparent plastic bags, label them, and deliver them to us at Cronin’s Coaches in Cork (Eircode: T23 A0CX), or Dennehy Motors in Limerick (V94 FYY6).
March 09, 2022
You have to move with your customers Mathworks Ireland MD, Richard Haxby
Mathworks the US mathematical computing software company is amongst a large number of tech companies that have setup their EMEA offices in Ireland. They recently celebrated their 5th anniversary in Galway and lot has happened in those five years including the pandemic. Ronan talks to Mathworks Ireland MD Richard Haxby about this and more. Richard talks about his background, what Mathworks does, their work with startups, their biggest selling product and their 5th anniversary. Richard also talks about how the pandemic affected Mathworks and their clients, the new staff they are hiring, and the metaverse. More about Mathworks: MathWorks is the leading developer of mathematical computing software for engineers and scientists and, looking ahead to 2022 and beyond, MathWorks Ireland is working towards the establishment of a dedicated Commercial Customer Success Team which will ensure seamless end-to-end customer support for those looking to implement MathWork’s products into their workflows.
March 08, 2022
Enter the .IE Digital Towns Awards 2022, March 25th deadline, insights with Oonagh McCutcheon
Applications are now open for the .IE Digital Towns Awards 2022, an initiative of .IE, the managers of Ireland’s trusted online .ie address. People and towns across Ireland are being called on to enter the annual .IE Digital Town Awards 2022, an initiative of .IE, the managers of Ireland’s trusted online .ie address which celebrate the digital achievements of local towns and citizens across the country. Now open for applications, the .IE Digital Town Awards has a total prize fund of €100,000 across 14 categories to honour local towns and people that, through digital projects and innovation, have contributed to enhancements in areas such as e-health, digital tourism, community, education, and digital business. Welcoming the launch of this year’s awards, Oonagh McCutcheon, National Director, .IE Digital Town Programme said: “While the past two years have undoubtedly challenged us all, there are lots of great examples of how communities and community leaders have stepped up and adopted new ways of thinking and doing, with digital tools and innovation helping them to not only survive but thrive. “Whether this is creating an online visitor experience to drive tourism in a town, or a digital voucher scheme to encourage local commerce, there are many inspiring examples of everyday champions and digital leaders in our communities that are transforming local life and society in innovative and creative ways. “The ambition of our awards is to recognise these people and projects that have created opportunities against the odds, as well as inspiring and motivating others to see how digital tools and technologies might benefit their towns and communities too. “As we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we are excited to see how towns and communities have continued to embrace digital tools and are applying innovative digital-first thinking with transformative results for citizens, business, and local society. Last year’s winners set the bar exceptionally high, and we are looking forward to once more shining a light on the towns, digital champions and smart ideas that are breathing new life into communities and their people.” “We are delighted to welcome our category sponsors Western Development Commission, Connected Hubs, Vodafone and AIB Merchant Services” Categories and Awards Ten of the awards will be digital projects in the areas of education, tourism, health, business, and community, with a further four special awards recognising a Digital Changemaker, Digital Rising Star, Digital Local Hero, and an Overall Winner, which will be decided on by an independent judging panel. Applications are open now and will close at 17.00 on Friday, 25 March 2022. The winners and runners up will be announced at a gala awards ceremony on 8 June 2022. Apply through the following link: https://www.weare.ie/about-ie-digital-town-awards/
March 08, 2022
There are many metaverses in Web3 with more springing up overnight. Some bright spark recently called the metaverse just space on someone’s computer (or more correctly computers) but on February 15, JP Morgan issued a report on metaverses which concluded by saying that the metaverse will most likely infiltrate every sector in some way in the coming years, with the market opportunity estimated at $1 trillion in yearly revenues. It’s a bit loose on specifics but the report leaned much more heavily into the hype than reality (from the title of the report). Someone who knows first-hand the opportunities involved in the metaverse, before it was even given that common term, is Sebastien Borget, co-founder of Sandbox, arguably one of the most successful metaverses and certainly leading the pack in this increasingly crowded field. To hear more tune into the podcast Your host is Jillian Godsil, award winning journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book can be found at https://persons-of-interest.io/
March 07, 2022
James Ryan is Co-Founder and CEO OmGeneum, ÉlpisÉremo, and ARMADYNE.. He has over 25 years expertise in pioneering research, development and clinical translation of cutting-edge cellular regenerative medicine technology. Established Japans first pluripotent stem cell company (Jimmy’s Invest-ment Group “JIG”) for his son, Jimmy. In 2000 partnered with RGI (Reproductive Genetics Institute). In 2004 Cofounded Asclepius Thera-peutics, a venture with Dr. Yury Verlinsky, and served as the CEO, to establish the world’s first patient-specific pluripotent somatic stem Cell reprogram-ming company. (STEMBRID). Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 06, 2022
Max KrupyshevMax has a Bachelor’s degree in Physics and Master’s in Business Administration.Max heard about Bitcoin for the first time in late 2013 right after completing his Master’s degree in Management. Max was immediately inspired by the innovative and disruptive technology behind Bitcoin and quickly made a name for himself in his local Bitcoin community in Kiev.Eventually, Max’s passion for Bitcoin drove him to co-found a Kiev-based software development studio and to found the Bitcoin Foundation Ukraine and Satoshi Square Kiev.Max moved to Berlin in 2015 where worked on various crypto projects, spoke on various conferences and meetups.Max was invited to co-found and become CEO at coinspaid.com. Cryptoprocessing.com - one of CoinsPaid brands, is the biggest cryptocurrency payment provider with one Billion USD monthly volume. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 05, 2022
The world's largest anti-food waste app, Too Good To Go, insights with Jamie Crummie
In this podcast, Shane is joined by Jamie Crummie, co-founder of the world's largest anti-food waste app, Too Good To Go. Jamie discusses the work Too Good To Go does and what the inspiration behind the company was as well as the importance of solving the issue of food waste and how tech can be used to solve it. Jamie also explains the steps consumers can take to tackle the issue of food waste at home and gives his tips for businesses trying to become more sustainable. Finally, Jamie discusses how big of an issue food waste is now compared to when he began working to tackle the issue, Consumer trends in Ireland since launch compared to other countries and Too Good To Go's plans for the year ahead. About Jamie Crummie Jamie Crummie trained as a lawyer before pursuing his mission of fighting food waste. He is the co-founder of Too Good To Go, the world’s largest marketplace for surplus food. The app lets consumers buy unsold food from restaurants and retailers so that it doesn’t go to waste. Too Good To Go is now active in 17 countries and has 45 million users who have rescued over 100 million meals collectively. Jamie was named a Trailblazing Activist in the 50 Next class of 2021, One Young World’s Entrepreneur of the Year in August 2020, one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Europe in February 2019 and was shortlisted for the Entrepreneur For Good Award at the Natwest Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jamiecrummie Too Good To Go: https://toogoodtogo.ie/en-ie About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and has an interest in programming and web development.
March 04, 2022
How to earn Royalties with Lithographic Prints using Zero Knowledge Proofs, with TreeTrunk and John Wolpert
John Wolpert, CEO TreeTrunk John Wolpert serves as ConsenSys Mesh group executive, researching and commercializing ways to use public Ethereum to conduct business. John is co-founder and co-chair of the Baseline Protocol, an initiative focused on zero knowledge cryptography run by the standards organization, OASIS. Prior to ConsenSys, John was global product executive for IBM Blockchain and CEO of the ride hailing service, Flywheel. His writing on business model innovation can be found in Harvard Business Review and other publications. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
March 04, 2022
In this podcast, Shane is joined by Simon Haldrup, Co-Founder and CEO of Agreena. Danish AgTech startup Agreena has recently raised a €20M Series A round to enhance its regenerative farming carbon certificates with a new classification system and novel carbon farming marketplace. Simon Discusses the inspiration behind Agreena and briefly explains what Carbon Farming is and how a Carbon Farming platform works. He also discusses the Agreena Carbon solution, explaining what it is and how it works. Finally, Simon shares his top tips for farmers during their transition to Carbon Farming and gives his thoughts on the Future of the Carbon Farming Market. About Simon Simon Haldrup is the Co-Founder and CEO of Agreena. He is a digital-minded business leader with 15 years of transformation experience from the Banking industry with a primary focus on business model innovation, end-to-end digitalisation and regulatory implementation. He is also energised and driven by transforming businesses to release dormant potential with clear results through fruitful collaboration and influential/dynamic leadership. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonhaldrup Agreena: https://agreena.com/ About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and has an interest in programming and web development.
March 03, 2022
Jamil talks with Victor Gry, from Kiev to understand what is happening on the ground there. See more on their YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WY8sDvZdWEA What is your background? Is it a logical background for what you have been doing up until now? Hi Jamil Thank you for the opportunity to communicate with you. Russia started a war against the civilian population of Ukraine. At the moment, hostilities on the side of Russia continue for the seventh day. And my experience as a journalist tells me about the need to tell what is happening in my country to the citizens of Europe. Russia attacked Ukraine on February 24 at 5:00 am, when the civilian population was sleeping, unaware of Putin's terrible plans. Of course, today, the second of March, the key to victory is the united actions of Ukrainians in the struggle for their freedom. It is understandable and pleasant that we receive support from the European Union and the understanding that Ukraine can become a full-fledged member of the community. Ukrainians proved their masculinity, unbreakable temper and will to win not by word but by deed. Your communication tower was struck late last night. What’s the current state of affairs where you are in Kyiv? Ukraine is being invaded throughout the country. You probably know that the President of Belarus, Lukashenko, adopted a number of amendments to the constitution of Belarus in an emergency referendum, which now makes it possible to place nuclear weapons on the territory of the country. Two dictators, Putin and Lukashenko, should be brought before the tribunal, the court in The Hague intends to investigate the crimes of the Russian army in Ukraine. Their actions are a direct threat today not only to Ukraine, but also to Europe. You can observe the rhetoric of some of the leaders of the Kremlin towards Europe. From Belarus, fighter jets are flying towards us, bombing not only military bases, but also civilians, who are forced to hide in the basements of their houses from bomb attacks. One of these attacks was intended to leave the country without television, one rocket was aimed at destroying the TV tower in Kyiv, and the second rocket bombed the Babi Yar Holocaust memorial complex. Now the connection is established, the blow was inflicted on the building of the control room near the TV tower. The building where people worked. What is happening in Ukraine, you can see directly broadcasts on YouTube channels. It is pleasant to realize that volunteers are coming to Ukraine from 16 countries of the world who are ready to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people against the aggressor. Their total number has already exceeded 1000 people. You organized a volunteer organization. What is your organization doing right now? Fighting? Mobilizing people? How’s it going? Volunteer organizations work in Kiev, and my son is organizing in one of them. As a journalist, I keep in touch with them. All forces have been gathered to fight to prevent the capture of the Capital. The territorial defense, created from the men of Kyiv, is designed to prevent looting in the city during the curfew. A very active mobilization of people, the civilian population helps the military and local activists from the territorial defense in cooking, there are volunteer centers for cooking and providing food. We need help to purchase and provide food, essential goods to everyone who is now on the defensive and in the mobile volunteer groups in Kyiv. my mob Viber WhatsApp +38 050 831 24 02 email [email protected]
March 03, 2022
Come for the content; stay for the community
What makes a community? And what comes to mind when you see the word, community? A common bond, perhaps — around our mutual love for technology, and a conviction to bring inclusive finance to more in our society. Or perhaps a love of music, craft beer, and human connection. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Lisa Moyle, Chief Strategy Officer and Co-founder VC Innovations / Fintech Talents on the fintech community, and the trends we expect to see in what’s shaping up to be a very busy 2022 in the financial services industry and beyond. There is never a dull moment in the land of fintech.
March 02, 2022
Alex Mashinsky, the serial US entrepreneur well known for installing broadband on the US subway, once famously declared Bitcoin the slowest database on the planet. It wasn’t until he understood it solved the issue of the digital double spend, that he got interested and when Mashinsky gets interested, he moves fast. The result is a Celsius Network, a crypto platform that has grown 20x in one year. Coupled with his interest in crypto was a singular dislike of how the banking system served its customers, or rather it didn’t. “I’m not alone in this opinion,” he says. “There was a recent survey where people said they’d rather visit the dentist than go sit with their bankers. We all have this visceral reaction.” Right now the banking system is particularly broken. As he points out, people work hard, get paid a salary, lose half it in taxes and then people can’t earn any interest on their remaining money. Indeed in this zero/negative interest climate, their money is devalued on top of which they get charged all sorts of bank and credit card fees. “The system is rigged. For most unaccredited investors you cannot participate in different investments, and you are excluded from value creation. That’s what we set up to change in Celsius. We are the opposite of Wall Street – where insiders get to call retail investors the plankton because they feed on them. For more please tune in Your host is Jillian Godsil, award winning journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book can be found at https://persons-of-interest.io/
March 02, 2022
Why Waivlength can transform Social Networking, Caolan Ward, CMO and Head of Community
Caolán is CMO and Head of Community at Waivlength, an Irish startup creating a decentralised social media platform releasing later this year. While still studying Marketing, Innovation & Technology in DCU, he has previous startup experience with Merlin Mask - a project designing a better, cheaper, more sustainable face mask during the COVID-19 pandemic which placed in the top 5 out of 1000 entrants in the XPRIZE Next-Gen Mask Competition. Currently, Caolán is managing the current Waivlength community, all social outreach, and wider strategy surrounding their equity fundraise and Beta sign-up. Technology to Transform Social Networking Through seamless blockchain and cryptocurrency integration, Waivlength adds many features which set it apart from current mainstream channels. There’s a lot of buzz around the Web 3.0 movement and the changes it will bring to the industry, but few people actually know why it began and what it will bring. To understand this, let’s take a look back at its predecessors - Web 1.0 and 2.0. Web 1.0 or ‘World Wide Web’ as it was known, was just a set of static websites with lots of information and no interactive content. Slow dial-up connections for chat rooms and MSN messenger, AltaVista and Ask Jeeves. Then came 2.0. Faster internet speeds paved the way for interactive content. The web wasn’t about observing anymore, it was about participating. New platforms provided users with faster, more reliable, and feature-rich services. The global sharing of information spawned the age of ‘Social Media’. Youtube, Wikipedia, Twitter and Facebook gave voices to the voiceless and a means for like-minded communities to thrive. With the vast increase in internet users and volume of data floating around, big digital corporations soon realized how valuable of an asset personal information is. So began the mass stockpiling of data in centralized servers, with Amazon, Facebook and Twitter the biggest custodians. People sacrificed privacy for the convenience of these services; whether they knew it or not, their identities, browsing habits, searches and online shopping information was sold to the highest bidder. While the Web 2.0 democratized many power structures and created new opportunities, the economic engine is largely privatized and monopolized. Almost all online services are hosted on hardware owned by the “big three” cloud providers, which consist of Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google. Facebook now boasts 2.9 billion users worldwide. Uber and AirBnB have created private networks for public infrastructure which they dominate. The Web 3.0 is the antithesis of this, it’s about multiple profit centers sharing value across an open network. The primary purpose of the Web 3.0 movement isn’t focused on expanding the functionality of the internet. Instead, Web 3.0 is focused on restructuring the way in which the internet is accessed and interacted with. We now have the development of what is described as a human-centred internet.
March 01, 2022
Already one million trees have been planted, Padraig Power refurbed Market Managing Lead for Ireland
Refurbished devices such as smartphones are becoming more popular for various reasons. These include buying a smartphone that is as good as new, less CO2 is generated and the money you can save when buying a refurbished smartphone. Ronan talks to Padraig Power, refurbed Market Managing Lead for Ireland about this and more. Padraig talks about his background, what refurbed does, refurbed long term goal, their average customer age, and their biggest selling smartphone last year. Padraig also talks about what’s important to phone users, and where they plant their trees. More about refurbed: Refurbed launched in Ireland in March 2021 and the company has already managed to get a refurbished device into 1% of Irish households. The company’s long-term vision is to get at least one refurbished device into every household in Ireland. Each device undergoes a rigorous 40-step refurbishment process to ensure products are brand new when the customer receives them and refurbed offers a wide range of products from household brands such as Apple, Microsoft, Sony, and Samsung just to name a few. In addition to generating 70% less CO2 compared to the manufacturing of a new device, for every product sold the company plants a tree to offset carbon emissions created during the refurbishing process. On that point, since launching in Ireland, Irish consumers have managed to help plant 20,000 trees.
March 01, 2022
Pradeep Goel is the Chief Executive Officer of Solve.Care, a global healthcare and blockchain-focused company that redefines care coordination, improves access to care, empowers consumers with information, reduces benefit administration costs, and helps reduce fraud and waste in healthcare around the world. Pradeep has more than 25 years of healthcare experience, developing groundbreaking software for the insurance industry, and co-founding four healthcare IT businesses where he has served in a number of management roles. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 28, 2022
EyeMyth Media Arts Festival, India’s premier media arts festival, is back in March 2022, in a digital avatar
Unique in its intersection of Indian and global art, culture and technology, EyeMyth Festival explores present and future cases of immersive storytelling and new media. It brings together young creative professionals, artists and performers from India, South Asia & the Global Media Arts space. The 2022 edition of the festival brings together creative professionals from around the world to create an environment of learning, skill building and showcasing with prime examples from Indie gaming and media arts industries. This year brings back the second edition of the Massive Mixer Conference, the centerpiece of the festival programming. With support from various institutional partners, the festival will feature a delegation of experts from the U.K., Switzerland, Russia, China, Sri Lanka and India addressing themes of creative practice, processes, and challenges for media artists through free workshops, talks and showcases. Tejas Nair, co curator and producer of this unique festival explains its origins and how this year it has gone fully viral on the Lemonade.social platform. Find out more here https://eyemyth.in/ and here Your host is Jillian Godsil, award wining journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book can be found here.
February 28, 2022
Richard Carthon is Managing Member of Acacia Digital and Host of Crypto Current. He is on a journey to learn as much as possible about cryptocurrency while educating everyday people so they can have confidence in cryptocurrency investment opportunities. Maybe you invested in one of the various ICOs, mining or other scams that were going on during late 2017/early 2018. Let’s address the elephant in the room: cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is new and unfamiliar to most. How to Identify Early Crypto Opportunities and Build Conviction to Make Life-Changing Profits Several people invested in cryptocurrency without knowing much about the technology that is supporting the various crypto projects that are going on in the space. Knowing this, he began to research and create content, Crypto Current, to educate himself and inform others so that they could begin to make more educated investment decisions in cryptocurrency and blockchain. If you are curious in the space, he welcomes you to connect. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 28, 2022
Crypto trends to watch in 2022 and beyond with Caroline Bowler, BTC Markets, CEO, Blockchain Australia
Caroline Bowler is CEO of BTC Markets, where 325,000 Australians have traded more than $21bn dollars since 2013. Formerly Director, Asia-Pacific for Red Flag Consulting. Caroline was the founder of Bowlah PR, the first FinTech PR agency in Asia with offices in Singapore and Melbourne. She has worked in Financial Services since 2004, both in Europe and Asia Pacific. Over her career, Caroline has worked with a variety of financial institutions. These include investment banks, hedge funds, financial technology companies, and financial advisors. This has extended to blockchain and digital asset companies since 2015. Caroline is a board member with Blockchain Australia, representing digital currency exchanges. Follow her tweets at @CaroBowler. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 27, 2022
Closing the Poverty Gap by Repurposing Blockchain for Good to Help People Participate in the 4th Industrial Revolution Helen Hai Helen is the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Goodwill Ambassador for Industrialization in Africa. She is heading the Binance Blockchain Charity Foundation with the mandate to use Blockchain for Social Good. Ambassador Hai was named a 2015 Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, and she is the co-chair of the Global Future Council on the Future of Consumption for the World Economic Forum. Ambassador Hai was named 2017 Wu Fellow by UC Berkeley, Global Visionary by UBS, and she was also featured on the "Ones to Watch" for Bloomberg's 50 People Who Shaped 2018 in Unexpected Ways list. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 26, 2022
Rene Stefancic is Partnerships Lead at Enjin, where he oversees ecosystem adoption and partnerships. A results-driven professional who thrives at the intersection of product, marketing, IT, and growth, Rene enjoys finding pragmatic and scalable solutions to tough problems and creating long-lasting, fruitful business relationships. His mottos are “swim or drown” and “AB test everything.” Building the Infrastructure for Decentralized Identity within the Metaverse, Enjin Rene Stefancic Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 25, 2022
There is no lack of Buy Now, Pay Later news in fintech, with hundreds of BNPL startups around the world vying for a piece of the pie. The trend has also attracted the attention of established giants, from Citi, J.P. Morgan Chase, and American Express, to Apple, PayPal, and Amazon, all competing for customers who want the ability to spread payments over time. Even the B2B space is catching on, with ACI Worldwide launching a new product for merchants to enable them to offer customers payment options with more than 70 BNPL lenders. While paying in installment isn’t new, the rapid rise in popularity of BNPL and easy access to credit has sparked concerns that it will encourage excessive consumerism and debt. In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Michael Hershfield, founder and CEO of Accrue Savings, on balancing consumption and savings, and seeing the world with a human lens.
February 24, 2022
How to benefit from the eCommerce boom, insights with Daniel Vogler, AMZSCALE
We talk with Daniel Vogler, Co-founder and Co-CEO of AMZSCALE to learn more about how he has grow the business and the massive opportunities for companies to grow via Amazon and also specifically with AMZSCALE. Daniel Vogler (33) is Co-Founder and Co-CEO of AMZSCALE, the leading Amazon full service platform founded in 2016 in Osnabrück, Germany, enabling investors of all backgrounds to benefit from the eCommerce boom. AMZSCALE builds and scales profitable Amazon brands from scratch as a service and enables fastest possible growth for brands through access to working capital and a scalable distribution infrastructure. Daniel has worked in e-commerce leadership roles for more than 10 years.
February 24, 2022
It's all about the DAO - interview with Jordan Gray of NEAR Foundation
Everything you wanted to know about DAOs but were afraid to ask ... Jillian Godsil interviews Jordan Gray from NEAR Another really crucial part of the community aspect to Web3 are DAOs or Decentralised Autonomous Organisations. “I like to break DAOs to their constituent parts,” says Gray. “Decentralised can mean the people are geographically disbursed or indeed the work is. There is not one person at the top telling everyone what to do – the work is collaborative or like a co-op.” When it comes to the autonomous portion, this is akin to the royalty split mentioned before at Codame. “Even decision making can be automated thereby eliminating boring or repetitive tasks. And unlike companies like Uber or Lift where automation is key to the success of the company, the rewards are spread evenly amongst the participants.” Tune in to hear more. Your host is Jillian Godsil, award winning journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book can be found at https://persons-of-interest.io/
February 24, 2022
Fighting Climate Change with Technology
Miroslav Polzer is convinced that he is destined to play an important role in mastering the global climate crisis. His main vehicle is the International Association of the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges or IAAI for short. This organisation is accredited to the United Nations through the Economic and Social Council, the Department for global communications, the UN climate change process, UNFCC and the Green Climate Fund, which is the biggest international public climate finance mechanism of the UN system. The message of IAAI is big because the global challenges are big and as Polzer explains: “We are already partially in crisis mode and these global challenges affect everyone, hence the need to respond in a global manner.” Polzer argues that the world needs systemic solutions - we need to create an institutional framework, along with economic and societal frameworks. “The problems that we see don’t stop at national borders and the solutions rely on everyone taking action, right down to individual grocery shopping and choices. As a result, we are building an ecosystem on blockchain to capture our activities. We want to build on culture, technology and organisational innovation to get everyone engaged and empowered to take meaningful and rewarding action for the local and global public good, aligned with the goals and programs of the United Nations’ system.” Polzer is passionate about the UN. He sees it as the only player which has a true global mandate and he is actively building a United Citizens Organisation for Action for Climate Empowerment, based on the blockchain. To find out more, please listen to the podcast Your host is Jillian Godsil, award winning journalist, broadcaster and author. Her latest book can be found at https://persons-of-interest.io/
February 23, 2022
Shant Kevonian the founder of NFT.Physio bringing your NFT to life
NFTs have been around since 2014 but in the past couple of years they have really taken off as new ways of using them are found. One of the NFT innovators is Shant Kevonian who appeared on the Irish Tech News podcast last year and is the founder of NFT.Physio, a Barcelona based startup is bringing NFTs to life with its 3D printing solution for users to create physical renderings of their NFTs, increasing revenue generated for past, present and future NFTs. NFT.Physio’s platform also offers multi-chain support across Polygon, BSC and Ethereum blockchains.Shant talks to Ronan about what NFT.Physio does, the metaverse, bringing your NFT to life, the future of NFT’s, blockchain, the growth and adoption of wallets, NFT’s in the music and luxury brand world, and NFT’s and gamers. Shant talks to Ronan about what NFT.Physio does, the metaverse, bringing your NFT to life, the future of NFT’s, blockchain, the growth and adoption of wallets, NFT’s in the music and luxury brand world, and NFT’s and gamers. More about NFT.Physio: NFT.Physio is working with brands, marketing agencies and visual designers to provide a novel value-add for users, increase the value of, and demand for NFTs, and broaden the scope of NFT utilities, opening the door to unprecedented levels of mainstream usability. The company’s 3D printing process offers rapid turnaround times from rendition to premium prints, shipping to Europe, the US and Canada. NFT.Physio is also launching a special Q1 campaign for Irish Tech News readers, offering users a 20% discount by using the code ITN-001.
February 22, 2022
Capturing the Intersection of Social, Economic and Technology Advancements with a Robust Developer Blockchain Toolkit John deVadoss leads ngd enterprise inc, in Seattle, WA, with a focus on the blockchain developer experience and tooling; he and his team build the premier developer toolkit for the blockchain industry – the N3 Blockchain Toolkit.John is a Governing Board Member of the Global Blockchain Business Council where he works on industry standards for blockchain interoperability. He was a co-founder of the InterWork Alliance, which merged with the GBBC in 2021.Earlier in his career at Microsoft, John incubated and built Microsoft Digital from zero to $0.5B in revenue. During his two-decade career at Microsoft, he built and led the architecture capability and team for .NET, Enterprise Strategy et al. He also led the team that build the Enterprise Frameworks and tools for Visual Studio .NET. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 21, 2022
William Je is the Chief Executive Officer of Hamilton Investment Management Ltd, a global fund manager with multi-billion assets under management. His portfolio includes private equity investments in licensed banks, Fintech and social media projects and multi-strategy algorithmic trading funds. He is also the founder of Himalaya Exchange, a global digital exchange with a full ecosystem including a blockchain payment App, a stable coin and a trading coin. Prior to that, Mr. Je was the Chairman of Equity Capital Markets, Greater China at the Macquarie Banking Group for 10 years, managing its Greater China capital markets and principal investment activities. Prior to Macquarie, Mr. Jeserved as the joint venture partner and managing Director of China Merchant Securities (Hong Kong) Limited, help building its business in Hong Kong from scratch. Mr. Je also served as an Executive Director at Credit Agricole Indosuez and a Board member of its securities arm, Indosuez W.I. Carr Securities; Director & Head of Business Development at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein and a Vice President at NatWest Markets. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 20, 2022
Why Wall Street is Running Scared of Inclusive Capitalism
Carter KleinCarter is a Software Engineer and Head of DeFi at cmorq, where he's responsible for driving the product and engineering efforts behind the cmorq app. Prior to cmorq, Carter has worked on exponential-growth financial products responsible for processing $350M+ MoM at Capital One. He holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin, working as an early engineer at a seed-funded data analytics startup throughout school. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 19, 2022
The Real Estate Development Opportunities Await for Buying Virtual Land in the Metaverse, with Erin Sykes Erin Sykes’ perseverance and ability to anticipate trends are what have driven her success. Erin strives to help clients reach their unique goals with discreet, individualized attention and action-orientation. Specializing in helping UHNW clients year-round in Palm Beach, The Hamptons, and New York City, Erin utilizes her combined background in finance and construction to take an analytical and qualitative approach to amplifying clients’ return on investment. With a background in commercial and luxury residential construction at her family’s 120+ year-old firm and certification as a LEED AP – New Construction, Erin understands how to optimize new development and intricate renovation using sustainable materials and methodology. As Chief Economist for Nest Seekers International, Erin is responsible for developing and translating real estate trend data into consumer and industry insights. She reports on monthly housing starts, new developments, rate changes and general industry trends for all major news outlets. Erin is often interviewed by Fox Business News, CNBC, TODAY, CNN, NBC Nightly News, The Real Deal, Bloomberg, Mansion Global, Forbes, Bloomberg, TechCrunch, Inc., and Mashable. She holds a MBA from Pepperdine University and a Bachelor in Finance and International Business from Villanova University. Erin resides between FL and NYC. Follow Erin on Instagram and Twitter @SykesStyle
February 18, 2022
From opening a bank account and rebuilding credit, to finding employment and securing housing, the challenges that millions of justice-involved individuals and their families face are immense. How then do you design for a community of 20 million people who are trying to get back on their feet? If not now, then when? In this episode of One Vision, Theo chats with Yassi Hadjibashi and Keith Armstrong, founders of Stretch, a fintech company dedicated to empowering communities impacted by incarceration to become financially strong. There is hope for impact for community players, if we are intentional.
February 17, 2022
We chat with Niall O'Reilly, who is the CEO and founder of Waivlength. See more about their crowd funding campaign on Spark Crowdfunding here. Waivlength is an autonomous social media platform backed by a fully verified userbase. More about Niall O'Reilly We're changing the social media landscape and putting the power back into the hands of the user. Transitioned into Web 3.0 after KPMG in 2021 and have been exploring the many new opportunities presented with the evolving tech space of blockchain, cryptocurrency, business and finance. Identified huge potential for this technology to be utilized in a social media environment. Excited to grow network and connect with other thought-leaders and entrepreneurs in this space. Every day brings a valuable lesson for those prepared to heed it. Formerly of KPMG. Specialized in financial statement audit, working with top global aircraft leasing companies including GECAS, Goshawk, Orix Aviation Systems, Nordic Aviation Capital and several ABS vehicles. Undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from University College Dublin. Waivlength Waivlength is a verified, autonomous social media platform built on blockchain creating a fairer and more rewarding network for its community. The Waivlength platform is in the build phase but has already received backing from the Algorand Foundation and a 10,000+ person community from a prior token offering to support the creation of its network. We're delighted to share that we are now listed live on Spark Crowdfunding for our first investment round! We are targeting €300k of investment from Spark investors in exchange for equity in the Waivlength company through a SAFE Note. As an Irish startup it meant a lot to be given our first vote of confidence from an Irish group, especially one with such a proven track record for successful raises. Given the decentralised nature of the Waivlength project, doing our first equity fundraise via crowdfunding seemed most fitting. If you'd like to get involved, you can sign up with Spark here
February 16, 2022
DC Cahalane on the new revised All-Ireland First Fridays for Startups
First Fridays for Startups is back and Google, HubSpot, Microsoft and Salesforce are on board as the new revised All-Ireland version launches today. To help lead it veteran startup advisor and founder of Cork’s Republic of Work innovation hub, DC Cahalane, will join Dogpatch Labs as Director of First Fridays for Startups. Ronan talks to DC Cahalane about the new First Fridays for Startups, the Irish Tech ecosystem, unicorns and more. More about DC Cahalane: DC is passionate about Disruptive Innovation, Business Models, Starting and Scaling Businesses, Entrepreneurship and his home city of Cork, Ireland. DC has led Growth and Marketing with some great companies like Teamwork.com and Trustev. DC is the ex CEO of REPUBLIC OF WORK and has now joined Dogpatch Labs as Director of First Fridays for Startups.
February 15, 2022
In this podcast, Shane is joined by Rick Pastoor, Author of GRIP: The Art of Working Smart (and getting to what matters most) which launched at the beginning of the month. Rick discusses the inspiration behind writing the book and explains what the GRIP system is and how it can each section can be used. The three sections of the GRIP system are GRIP your week, GRIP your year and GRIP your life. Rick is also an entrepreneur and co-founder of Rise Technologies. He discusses the recent investment Rise has received and the Rise Calendar Application he is currently working on. Finally, Rick shares his tips for anyone struggling to set realistic goals for the year ahead and what his plans are for the year ahead. About Rick Pastoor Rick Pastoor has always liked experimenting at work. He’ll try things out, then keep what works, ditch what doesn’t. Try. Rinse. Repeat. In his time at Blendle, the New York Times-backed journalism startup, Rick steadily refined his methods. That’s where GRIP was born, a flexible collection of tools and insights that helped the team do their best work. Originally self-published in Dutch in 2019, GRIP became an overnight bestseller in Holland. Rick’s mission today is the same: helping people make smarter decisions about their time. He divides his own time between his young family in Amsterdam, giving talks on GRIP, his weekly newsletter “Work in Progress,” and a new startup, where he’s building a next-generation calendar called Rise. Rick's Twitter: https://twitter.com/rickpastoor GRIP: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grip-working-smart-getting-matters/dp/0008510571/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1637239821&sr=1-2 About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and has an interest in programming and web development.
February 14, 2022
Pitfalls and Rewards of Options Trading with 100X Leverage and its Impact on India's Crypto Adoption
Jitender Tokas is Co-founder and Chief Business Officer of Delta Exchange, a High-Performance Bitcoin & Altcoin Derivatives Exchange that offers Futures & Options with 100x Leverage. Since 2018. www.delta.exchange Twitter: @tweetofthetokas Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 14, 2022
Squirrel Syndrome: Why chasing 'Bright and Shiny' in Gaming NFTs often leaves investors and gamers empty handed, Jawad Ashraf
Jawad Ashraf is CEO and Co-Founder at Terra Virtua, a NFT ecosystem Jawad is a top performing technical specialist and entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience. n focus. Jawad has managed and built projects in the UAE, USA, Turkey, Australia, Norway and the UK – with teams consisting of onshore/offshore developers, business analysts, quality assurance engineers, third party suppliers and partners. Terra Virtua is an original metaverse and NFT gaming pioneer. www.terravirtua.io @jawadterra Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 13, 2022
400 Deaths and an Explosion in Private Market Crypto Valuations as Wall Street is eaten by Bitcoin
Mr. Alex Tapscott is an entrepreneur, author and seasoned capital markets professional focused on the impact of Bitcoin, blockchain and other digital assets on business and financial markets. Mr. Tapscott is the co-author of the critically acclaimed non-fiction best-seller, Blockchain Revolution, which has been translated into more than 15 languages and has sold more than 500,000 copies worldwide. He is also the Editor and Co-author of Financial Services Revolution (January 2020). Mr. Tapscott is sought after world-wide for his expertise by business and government audiences. He has delivered over 200 lectures and executive briefings at firms like Goldman Sachs (Talks at GS), Google, Allianz, IBM, Microsoft and Accenture. His TedX talk, “Blockchain is Eating Wall Street” has been viewed over 700,000 times. Mr. Tapscott has also written for The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Globe and Mail, National Post and many other publications.In 2017, Mr. Tapscott co-founded the Blockchain Research Institute (BRI), a global think-tank investigating blockchain strategies, opportunities and use-cases. Previously, Mr. Tapscott was Director of institutional equity sales at Canaccord Genuity. Mr. Tapscott is a graduate of Amherst College (Cum Laude) and is a CFA Charterholder. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 12, 2022
How to Build a Sustainable Brand, insights with Andy Last,
In this episode, Shane is joined by Andy Last, CEO of MullenLowe Salt and Author of Business on a Mission: How to Build a Sustainable Brand. The First Edition of the book launched in 2016 and with the second edition launching recently, Andy explains the inspiration behind the book and why he wanted to write a second edition. Andy also talks about the effect the pandemic has had on businesses and their ability to build a sustainable brand, what influence gen z can have on a business and finally, Andy gives his top tips for businesses trying to build a more sustainable brand. About Andy Andy Last co-founded salt, one of the first UK companies to be accredited as a B- Corporation, and has advised businesses for the last 20 years on how they can improve performance by addressing social issues. He has worked since 2006 on Lifebuoy soap’s award-winning social mission, described as the ‘best social program ever’ by David Aaker, Professor Emeritus at the Haas School of Business, Berkeley. He led the launch of salt Singapore in 2012 and salt’s acquisition by MullenLowe Group in 2017. He is a regular speaker on the role of business in society, at conferences in Europe, America, Asia and Africa and as a visiting lecturer, including for Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership and ESADE Business School in Barcelona. He is a member of the Medinge Group, the Brands with a Conscience Think Tank, and a B-Corp Ambassador Witnessing firsthand the success of Unilever’s life-saving handwashing project in Nairobi, Kenya, Andy saw how Unilever was building its business in Africa by giving it a social mission. He was inspired to write his book, Business on a Mission: How To Build a Sustainable Brand, sharing not just the Lifebuoy story, but the wider story of how business lost and then refound its social purpose and how different organisations have developed social missions, reinforcing the idea that businesses can be both profitable and fulfil a social purpose. The first edition won a bronze medal in the AXIOM Business Book Awards and the second edition of Business on a Mission was published in January 2022, featuring new chapters, interviews and case studies charting the rise of ESG investing, the growing pressures on business from the effects of climate change and demands for social equity, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is available from the publishers, Routledge, at https://www.routledge.com/Business-on-a-Mission-How-to-Build-a-Sustainable-Brand/Last/p/book/9781032009414 and Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Business-Mission-Build-Sustainable-Brand-ebook/dp/B09LX19Z9B. Andy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/saltylast About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and has an interest in programming and web development.
February 11, 2022
In this podcast today Melanie Boylan sits down to chat with Dr Benton about Mental Health and how even though we are stepping out of the pandemic, it's not a case we are doing any better. In our chat she offers her insight on the importance of embracing work-life balance, addressing anxiety in the workplace, recognizing the signs of career burnout and even how to implement mental health awareness in a work setting. Dr Benton introduces us to the new app that has been created that supports its users in building better habits, supportive tactics and reducing overwhelm. Some great tips in this podcast. About Dr. Benton: Dr. Sherry Benton, founder and Chief Science Officer of TAO Connect, is an esteemed psychologist in both research and practice, and has more than 25 years of clinical and research experience in counselling and psychology and college student mental health. Her experience as a director in the college counselling world revealed a need for a more efficient and effective way to deliver mental health therapy. She saw students in need of treatment sit on a waitlist, and by the time they received services, they may have already lost an entire semester due to mental health problems. Sherry is Board Certified in counselling Psychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology, and she is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association. She served as President Emeritus of the American Academy of counselling Psychology and President of the Association of counselling Centre Training Agencies. Dr. Benton has many professional publications and presentations, particularly related to college student mental health. The book Dr. Benton co-authored, “College Student Mental Health: Services and Strategies,” is published by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and regarded as an important resource in the college counselling arena. About TAO Connect: TAO Connect is a virtual platform committed to reducing behavioral health disparities by bringing affordable, effective, and accessible treatment to people who have limited access. The online program provides therapeutic educational resources for common behavioral health problems using a comprehensive platform of virtual tools for therapists and clients. The tools provide information about client education, interaction, accountability, and progress assessment to facilitate effective results. TAO’s tools can be used as self-directed, minimally supported help with peer counsellors or case managers, custom group support, brief psychotherapy sessions, traditional (50-minute) psychotherapy, or as a transition from inpatient back to the community.
February 11, 2022
How to Launder Billions in Bitcoin and Hide in Plain Sight - Lessons from the Bitfinex Hack and Mars Stealer Malware Threats Justin Choo - Cabital Justin currently heads the global Compliance function at Cabital, a global cryptocurrency company based in Singapore with business presence in Lithuania, Malaysia and China. He is responsible for global licensing and Compliance risk management initiatives for the company’s cryptocurrency business, and is the point of contact for Compliance matters for the company’s banking partners and venture capital investors.A seasoned Compliance professional with global experience in the crypto, fintech and banking industry, Justin has led successful fintech licensing and registration initiatives in Singapore (Payment Services License) and the European Union. Having held regional Compliance leadership roles in leading fintech firms YouTrip and Airwallex, as well as previously heading the Global AML/CFT Policy & Governance function at United Overseas Bank (UOB), Justin is familiar and conversant with the regulatory requirements on AML/CFT/Sanctions in the APAC region (Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Australia), as well as various financial crime risk management technology solutions.He has, over the years, had regular engagements with regulators, particularly on new Compliance initiatives. Being one of the first payment services companies licensed under the Payment Services Act, Justin was (when at YouTrip) consulted by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) extensively on key areas of risks that the new law should address when regulating fintech companies. As the lead policymaker for the UOB Group, he represented the bank in the National KYC Utility Project, which was initiated and sponsored by the MAS to align the AML/CFT Compliance policies and workstreams amongst the major banks in Singapore. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 11, 2022
The future of banking is in the cloud
What role do cloud solutions play within today’s financial services industry? How has the infrastructure and partnership ecosystem evolved to support the needs of the global market? In order to compete in today’s fast changing world, how can fintechs of all sizes best embrace and accelerate innovation? In this episode of One Vision, Theo and Bradley chat with Briana Frank and Chris Rosen from IBM about market trends — from the future of work to cybersecurity and data compliance — and how banks and fintechs can adapt to these changing dynamics in order build faster, more securely, and anywhere — across clouds and on-premises.
February 10, 2022
Resilience by Design: How to Survive and Thrive in a Complex and Turbulent World, insights with Mike Weeks
In this episode, Shane is joined by Mike Weeks, Co-Author of Resilience by Design: How to Survive and Thrive in a Complex and Turbulent World. Throughout the conversation, Mike shares his top tips for eliminating stress from our everyday lives and explains why we often mislabel situations as being stressful. Mike also discusses the work he has done in the past with Frontline Mind, his past experiences in high-pressure situations such as free soloing on rocks, the inspiration behind his writing and finally, he shares a few valuable lessons he has learnt throughout his career that he believes everyone should learn. About Mike Weeks Mike Weeks is a free climber, adventurer, entrepreneur, and coach to elite athletes, military special forces, business executives, and high performers in many fields. He currently advises governments on eco defence and resilience, which is a far cry from famously coaching Jack Osbourne to climb a 1000m wall in the globally broadcast Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie. Twitter: https://twitter.com/imikeweeks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-weeks-aa559819/ Resilience by Design: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Resilience-Design-Survive-Complex-Turbulent/dp/1119794935 About Shane Shane is currently interning with Irish Tech News. He is in his third year of studying Journalism at NUI Galway where he also studies IT and has an interest in programming and web development.
February 09, 2022
The Suite Spot: Reaching, Leading and Delivering the C-Suite John Jeffcock interviewed by Minter Dial
In this conversation between Minter Dial and John Jeffcock, we discuss John's work as CEO at Winmark, how being an officer in the army informed his leadership style, what defines success, the profound importance of governance, ethical frameworks, purpose and much more. More about John Jeffcock: John Jeffcock is Chief Executive of the award winning C-Suite network business Winmark. As CEO of Winmark he has oversight of 16 C-Suite networks, with 700 multinationals, across 18 countries, including the world leading Chief Sustainability Officer network. He is a former infantry Captain in the British Army, decorated for distinguished service, first Gulf War, and he later ran the Northern Cordon around Sarajevo for the UN, during the war in Bosnia. He has an MA and MBA, sits on five educational boards and his external work focuses on social mobility. He has written two books of war poetry, proceeds from both going to injured soldier charities. In 2020 he was commissioned to write a book on the C-Suite by Bloomsbury. His book The Suite Spot: Reaching, Leading and Delivering the C-Suite is being launched in the UK in January, USA in March and Australia in May 2022. Minter Dial is an itinerant bohemian in search of experiences and interesting people. His mission is to elevate the debate and connect people, dots and ideas. As a metier, he relishes being an energetic speaker on leadership, brand and digital strategy with a specialisation in digital transformation since setting out on his own in 2009. Check out his speaker reel, showing his off- and online speaking credentials. After a bountiful 16-year international career at L’Oréal, including being head of Redken Worldwide and on the Executive Committee worldwide of the L’Oreal Professional Products Division, Minter returned to his entrepreneurial roots to become a thought-leader, author, consultant and professional speaker. He is based out of London and focuses on leadership and transformation.
February 09, 2022
Google Hash Code insights with Jennifer Petoff Google's Global Director of Site Reliability Engineering Education
Hash Code, Google’s flagship team programming competition, is back. and fully virtual. Join developers around the world as they grow their coding skills and work to optimise real Google engineering problems. To find out more about it Ronan talks to Jennifer Petoff Google's Global Director of Site Reliability Engineering Education. Jennifer talks to Ronan about what Hash Code is, how long Hash Code has being going, and how to apply to set up a hub. Jennifer also talks about what hub organisers and the people taking part in Hash Code get out of it, and what are the prizes for the winner. More about Google Hash Code: Hash Code is a team programming competition, organised by Google, for students and professionals around the world. You pick your team and programming language and Google picks an engineering problem for you to solve. This year’s contest kicks off with a Qualification Round, where your team can compete virtually from wherever you’d like, alongside your virtual Hub. Top teams will then be invited to compete from Google’s virtual World Finals.
February 08, 2022
Marie Poteriaieva fell down the crypto rabbit hole over 5 years ago, progressively realizing how a 9-page Whitepaper could change the world. 3 years ago she quit her job in fashion to dedicate herself to the research on all things blockchain together with her associate. The results of this research took the form of a mindmap easily explaining crypto-related notions, which was published on a newly created d.center website. D.Center now is a crypto education company, animating its website with both theoretical content and the analysis of the newest crypto events, as well as providing blockchain-related trainings. However, it has far-going ambitions in bringing crypto knowledge to the masses, and many more cool features are to come. Join the discussion on the future of crypto on D.Center’s pages on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook! Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 07, 2022
Colin Fitzpatrick is a 20 year veteran of the tech industry having a distinguished career working for companies such as Oracle, Salesforce, HubSpot and Dell, in roles spanning Sales, Marketing, Programs & Management. He has a real passion for people, leading teams and working with high growth businesses. Originally from Ireland but now living in Dubai, Colin has always had a keen interest in the technology space, but has been fascinated by the Crypto space since he first became a Crypto convert in 2015. His other main passion is Music, having been a DJ and club-night organiser for many years - Colin has fantastic energy and enthusiasm with everything he does. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 06, 2022
What NFT Life is Like as an Original CryptoPunk
Josh Doner is one of the first people in the world to buy an NFT and is a CryptoPunk OG from June 2017 Josh is a h leader working on a DAO called Tracer, a decentralized Perpetual Contracts Protocol on Ethereum used to hedge risk to both digital and real world assets. Join Tracer DAO on Discord, and tag @Josh | Tracer, https://discord.gg/kvJEwfvyrW Josh does talks and is a Speaker on NFT's,, Metaverses, Defi and Blockchain. He has done talks at RBC, TD, CPA Ontario, Abacus Agency, GA.co and various Podcasts. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s primary focus outside of podcast hosting is helping former corporate employees gain the necessary skills and vision to build their own crypto portfolios and create wealth for the long-term.
February 05, 2022
Graham Wallington Co Founder and Chief Executive Officer Graham developed a passion for nature during his first career as a SCUBA diving instructor. In 1998 he co-founded Africam.com (which grew to [one of] the biggest African websites in the early 2000s) and since then has been wholly focused on sharing nature with humanity. He is deeply inspired by the Internet and the opportunities it provides for making the world a better place for ALL its inhabitants. Jamil Hasan is a crypto and blockchain focused podcast host at the Irish Tech News and spearheads our weekend content “The Crypto Corner” where he interviews founders, entrepreneurs and global thought leaders. Prior to his endeavors into the crypto-verse in July 2017, Jamil built an impressive career as a data, operations, financial, technology and business analyst and manager in Corporate America, including twelve years at American International Group and its related companies. Since entering the crypto universe, Jamil has been an advisor, entrepreneur, investor and author. His books “Blockchain Ethics: A Bridge to Abundance” (2018) and “Re-Generation X” (2020) not only discuss the benefits of blockchain technology, but also capture Jamil’s experience on how he has transitioned from being a loyal yet downsized former corporate employee to a self sovereign individual. With over one hundred podcasts under his belt since he joined our team in February 2021, and with four years of experience both managing his own crypto portfolio and providing crypto guidance and counsel to select clients, Jamil continues to seek opportunities to help others navigate this still nascent industry. Jamil’s pr
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I'm a total sucker for the "What's In My Bag" posts... Maybe I just like being nosey, but I dig seeing what folks carry around with them. Since I've been busy doing the whole doula thing as of late I thought it'd be fun to share what I carry with my in my doula bag. Notice how there's no fancy gadgets or gear really? While it's not rare for me to go into a birth (or postpartum shift) with nothing in tow, this is what I tend to keep handy in my car.
// The Bag: The perfect doula bag is not too big, and not too small. Bonus points if it's not totally ugly, too haha! Sometimes that's a tall order. I use this Eva leather tote bag because it's pretty much the best of everything. It doesn't look like a "work" bag, so it doubles as a really great purse, too. And it doesn't get dirty from being thrown around my car or ending up on the floor somewhere.
// The Sling: I always have a baby carrier (or three) in my car. Always. While I'm an avid babywearer and I will always cherish those days with Linden, our wearing days are pretty much over. However I always keep a sling in my car because they're my favorite type of baby carrier, and they come in *so* handy for postpartum clients (or even at the postpartum visit for labor clients). I love teaching my clients how to babywear! Ring slings also come in handy for things like hip squeezes if you don't have a traditional rebozo (bedsheets work also!). This gorgeous sling is the Summer Rainbow from Hip Baby Wrap (I have a size 6 woven wrap from them, too -- this one actually -- and it was such a great learning wrap. Not too thick, not too thin.)
// The Lens: While birth photography isn't part of my doula duties, and it's not something I do always, I sometimes have my camera handy in my bag, and I'll snap a few shots here and there of clients if they want. Even if I only have my iPhone handy, I know how precious those moments are and if I can give a family a photo they'll cherish, I'm happy and eager to do so. This guy is my trusty ol' Nikon D300s.
// The Juice: With labor clients I live an on-call lifestyle. Luckily I have a partner to split call with, but I do one week on call, one week off. We alternate to allow the other to have at least a little bit of a life haha! But because I'm on call so often and I have a tiny window of time to get to the birthing location, my phone always has to be charged. ALWAYS. I always keep a backup battery pack with me. This one is the myCharge HubPlus power bank and it can fully charge my phone 4 times. It plugs straight into the wall and it has a built in lightning cable and micro USB cable for charging different devices. I cannot sing the praises of this thing enough. I used to always buy those single charge power banks but then get frustrated that I needed my charger cord *plus* a charging base if I wanted to charge it. I probably have no fewer than 6 random little power banks because I always forget one piece of the equation. This thing is an all-in-one heaven send. It can charge my iPad, too.
// The Cash: Parking tolls, hospital vending machines and/or cafeteria food, whatever. Cash is always necessary to have on hand for labors. I'm not typically a cash-carrying kind of gal but I've learned to change my ways thanks to needing tangible dollars a few too many times.
// The Snacks: Snacks! Always snacks! Labors can be long. Overnight postpartum shifts can be long. And I can get hungry so. I usually keep a bottle of water and some crackers or a mini thing of granola in my doula bag. 2am is a little more manageable if you're not starving haha
// The Deets: Music City Doulas business cards. Always on hand for random opportunities. OB ask for your info? Meet an L&D nurse out and about? Someone asks you what a doula is? Boom. Biz card all up in that. They're pretty too, right?
That's it. My doula bag. No fancy gadgets to hear heartbeats or turn babies because that's 110% outside my scope of practice. I'm there for the emotional/physical/informational support, not to provide medical advice or procedures. To be honest, my hands are plenty enough and often the only tool that gets used. Still, I like to feel prepared just in case the need arises. It's a definite honor to be invited into such an intimate and sacred space. I really love being a doula.
xo KB
PS! Next month (May 27th) is our 2nd annual Nashville Diaper Dash! It's a 5k race and a 1 mile family fun run, and we'll have a bouncy house, face-painting, etc etc! It's a super family friendly event and the race is even stroller-friendly. Each year we raise money (and diapers!) for Nashville Diaper Connection, a non-profit here serving the families of Music City. Last year we collected 12,000 diapers for NDC, but this year we're aiming for even more. If you can't attend our event but want to help a wonderful cause, please consider donating some diapers to our efforts! 100% of profits from our event go straight to Nashville Diaper Connection, along with every. single. diaper. donated. This is an event we're really really proud of and we'd be so grateful if you considered contributing or at least sharing with your friends! If you're not local but want to help, you can buy diapers off of our Music City Doulas Amazon page and they'll go straight to our collection!
Here's the Facebook event page if you're interested in joining us!
3 comments:
Katie Dahl April 28, 2017 at 1:21 PM
This is such an interesting post! I'll admit that I don't know much about doulas so I enjoy seeing what you carry around!
That race sounds awesome, too! I wish I was closer because I would totally do it! Hopefully you have a great turnout. :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
Christine May 10, 2017 at 3:37 PM
where is the watermelon pouch from?
ReplyDelete
Replies
Katie July 19, 2017 at 4:41 PM
Couldn't agree more, I absolutely love 'whats in my bag' posts and videos! Also I love your watermelon purse!
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Perhaps as if on cue, this past month of May also offered me a unique opportunity to read an advance copy of a new book by our “Ethics in Finance” columnist, Marianne M. Jennings. The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse How to Spot Moral Meltdowns in Companies Before It’s Too Late will be published by St. Martin’s Press in August. It is a superb book that I recommend highly to all our readers (and no, FEN has no pecuniary interest in the success of the book). Some of Professor Jennings’s seven signs of ethical collapse are straightforward (e.g., Weak Board of Directors). But one in particular caught my attention: “It’s All About the Numbers”(sign and chapter #1).
With her inimitable writing style, she points out how corporate cultures and management that become obsessed with numbers and meeting numbers targets for sales, profit and stock price are at the greatest risk for that oldest of corporate ethical lapses: Cooking the books. (At one company she uses for an example, she notes the practice went beyond “cooking”to London-broiling the books). And, it is often that confusion of personal net worth as the metric of self-esteem and achievement- either directly or through the economic, political and social power and status money conveys- that motivates people to do things they can later regret.
In the final analysis, the most important number for each of us to keep in mind is unknowable: The date of our own passing. And that date itself is much less important than the fact it represents: There is an end to our time here on Earth, and it’s not all about the numbers (unless you are planning to have a graph of the growth in your lifetime net worth on your tombstone). Those of us who work in or comment on the financial industry may be at greater risk of this confusion. Finance is a highly quantitative, numbers-oriented profession where markets provide a near continuous flow of updated data. And unlike the numbers that other professions serve up as their metrics of success (conviction rates for district attorneys, student graduation rates for teachers, OSHA injury rates for plant managers), our numbers are typically preceded by a currency sign giving them additional gravitas in our consumption-oriented (and status-obsessed) popular culture.
Oh, don’t think that I’m tossing out that elaborate spreadsheet with my past, current and forecast future net worth. In the same amount of time it took me to go from 35 to 50 (a mere blink of an eye in retrospect), I’m hoping to retire; so I need to continue planning for that day if I make it. But unlike my focus at 35 years old, at the half-century mark I’m less concerned with maximizing the size of my net worth and more concerned about how people will remember me and what I accomplish in my working career and life. And I’ll let each of you draw your own conclusions as to whether this change of thinking represents the onset of wisdom or senility.
Foreword by Dr. Laura C. Schlessinger Author and internationally syndicated radio talk-show host
I’ve been as frustrated as the next person with the reality that life and people just aren’t always fair, the good guys don’t always win, goodness doesn’t always win out, the best (wo)man doesn’t always get the job, honesty isn’t always the winning policy, and noble convictions don’t always pay off; nor does doing the right thing guarantee success, accolades, or even appreciation, much less a brass ring.
In fact, “doing the right thing” will often put you in a risky position. You could lose position, power, material success or your very life. Why? Because in the real world there is a constant battle between good and evil and evil has no shame, no limits, no rules, and largely, no fear. Against that formula many people crumble, acquiesce, and even abdicate their values. After all, there are profits to be made, children to be sent to private school, job opportunities too good to lose, connections to be made, perks to enjoy, an ego to satisfy, competitions to be won, vacations and lovely homes to be had and it seems that bending ethical rules or points of law is what everybody has to do if they want to be competitive.
Whew! Difficult choices. Why would you ever choose to buck the system and do the right thing, the ethical thing, when it’s so clear that you could pay a real and depressing price? Why would you choose to sacrifice profits, opportunities, and power for some noble ideal of personal and professional ethics and morality that clearly isn’t shared by those in your sphere? What’s really wrong with not speaking up for what or who is right if it’s going to hurt you? What’s really wrong with doing things you don’t believe in to keep and grow your job? What’s really wrong with sucking up or selling out when you’re only doing so to get yourself in a better position? What’s really wrong with making quality and service secondary to profit when there are supervisors to please and stockholders to satisfy?
These are good questions. These are questions you’ll face in one form or other just about every day of your personal and professional life. When the noble, idealistic convictions you were taught as a child come into conflict with your career goals, opportunities, and unforeseen circumstances, one very important thing happens: you come face-to-face with the truth of who you really are.
When you were a child you had dreams of what you’d do when you grew up. Don’t dismiss these dreams as silly, unrealistic fantasies. In your childhood dreams you were idealistic and altruistic. Your childhood dreams were directed toward a noble goal representing your special gift. Is the world ever better off when these dreams are set aside as naive, impractical, unrealistic, or foolishly innocent? Is it worth it to sacrifice being a good person in order to “do well”? Does “what” you are matter more to you than “who” you are?
Too many people answer “yes” to these questions. Many are willing to sacrifice the “good person” role for that of the most powerful, most known, most rich, most liked, most feared, or most (superficially) beloved. There is a tremendous amount of societal pressure to do just that, and currently there is also a paucity of societal shame, rejection, or punishment of wrongdoers.
Why then would any reasonable, sane person refrain from cutting that corner if they could get away with it? For many, the answer is in their upbringing: They just can’t make themselves break the rules and disappoint or shame their parents. For others, the answer is that they believe it would be an affront to God. For still others it is as simple as that they find that success without integrity brings no joy.
Success and possessions without integrity frankly are just a big letdown. To avoid that letdown feeling, many people compulsively grab for more and more and more only to feel let down time after time. That’s when some turn to drugs, alcohol, or compulsive sex in order to push away that letdown feeling.
The letdown is due to your soul and psyche not being satisfied. Those elements of your being can be ignored but ultimately not denied. When your goals or motivations are not worthy, when your tactics are not worthy of your goals, when your end result has no true nobility involved, your soul and psyche are starved of pride and true satisfaction. In addition, you will not be a happy person.
There is no happiness in a life scraped clean of integrity, morality, and ethics; life eventually feels meaningless.
As I prefaced my book How Could You Do That?! The Abdication of Character, Courage, and Conscience: “I don’t wonder that so many people search blindly for the ‘meaning of life.’ What they don’t seem to understand is that life does not have meaning through mere existence or acquisition or fun. The meaning of life is inherent in the connections we make to others through honor and obligation.”
I’ll leave you with this “gimmick” I use with callers on my radio program who are struggling with a moral/ethical dilemma after they’ve rummaged unsatisfyingly through their lists of pros and cons in order to formulate a decision. It involves a Dickens moment in which I become the Ghost of Christmas Future. I tell them that, “By the power vested in me because of this radio program I can project you twenty years into your own future and you can view yourself in live action as you are today. You get to watch yourself as you make this choice today. What do you want to see that will make you proud?”
Then, as the Nike commercial says, “Just do it.”
Well, I’ll always be proud of writing the foreword for Professor Marianne Jennings’s wonderful book about business ethics. Considering recent scandals of corporate greed and corruption, polls showing that high-school honors seniors believe cheating is one of many acceptable tools, and a general societal decline in valuing sacrifice, spirituality, and integrity (voting instead for acquisition, power, and self-actualization) this book ought to be considered a must-read in every classroom, every office, and every home.
Venture Literary Press Release:
The relationship between Greg Dinkin and Marianne Jennings goes back to the spring of 1997. Dinkin, an Arizona State MBA student at the time, was breezing through the final exam for his ethics class, when he came to a question that stumped him. Having developed a great rapport with professor Jennings, he figured that if he couldn’t get it right, he could at least make her laugh.
Jennings is so passionate about teaching ethics that she tends to get alarmed when her students don’t see the severity of a company’s ethical transgressions. She’s constantly trying to convince revenue-minded students not only that there’s more to business than the bottom line, but also that good ethics leads to the bottom line. When her students don’t show the concern that she does when presenting one of many case studies on poor ethics, her signature reaction is to scream, “Where’s the outrage?”
So when Dinkin couldn’t come up with an answer to the question on the final exam, rather than leaving it blank, he simply wrote, “I can’t remember the company’s name, but I remember feeling outrage.”
Jennings has another distinct memory of Dinkin. One day after class, Dinkin challenged her with a hypothetical question. “If one of your family members was about to die and you didn’t have the money to pay for an operation, but you were offered a bribe to cook the books at your company that would give you enough money to pay for the operation, would you do it?” When Jennings said no, Dinkin responded by saying, “You’re a heartless wench.”
Equal parts sarcasm and mutual respect, a friendship was born and the seeds for a fruitful business relationship were planted. Four years later, Dinkin, who is also the author of two books, cofounded a literary agency. During a meeting with a business book publisher, an editor told him that she was looking for writers who are Top 5 in their fieldâ€â€not such an easy find. It then dawned on Dinkin that he didn’t have to go very far to find a business writer who was number one in her field. He called Jennings, who not only expressed interest in writing a book for a trade audience (she’s the author of six textbooks), but also had already started writing one.
That was the good news. The bad news was that when Dinkin called the editor back, she told him that books on ethics don’t sell. Other publishers didn’t have any better news, and one editor summed it up best by saying, “The word ‘ethics’ on a business book is the kiss of death.”
Frustrated, Dinkin brainstormed with his business partner, Frank Scatoni, who had worked for eight years at New York firms Doubleday and Simon & Schuster. Having been on the publishing side of the business, Scatoni has a knack for knowing how publishers think. He also knows that they love to copy a successful formula. “How about a fable?” he asked. “If it worked for Who Moved My Cheese?, Fish, and The One Minute Manager, why couldn’t it work for a book on ethics?”
Dinkin called Jennings with the idea, and to his surprise, Jennings had never read those books. All of a sudden, the roles had reversed, and Dinkin assigned homework to his former professor. “Go read Who Moved My Cheese?, Fish, and The One Minute Manager and then let’s talk.” Since all three books were runaway bestsellers, were less than 115 pages, and used a “fable” to teach important business lessons, Jennings agreed.
After reading all three in less than an hour each, Jennings was unimpressed. “There’s nothing to these books,” she said. “I can’t see why they were so successful.” But after giving it some thought, she came to a simple understanding. Good writers show rather than tell, and since biblical days, writers have used stories as a way to teach lessons.
Inspired by the mythical pooka character in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Harvey (and award-winning movie starring Jimmy Stewart), Jennings began working on a proposal. The book, still untitled, focuses on Edgar and Ari, a pooka who follows Edgar around with the words, “Wouldn’t be honest. Wouldn’t be right,” whenever Edgar is tempted to follow his richer and more successful friends up the corporate ladder by bending the rules. The book not only weaves a page-turning fable, but also provides a ten-step action plan for applying ethics in order to build and maintain.
With Enron, Tyco, and Worldcom making front-page news, ethics has jumped to the forefront of business news and put Jennings, America’s leading expert on business ethics, into the media spotlight. She has appeared on CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and CBS Evening News. Her weekly columns are syndicated around the country, and her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and Reader’s Digest. She was also given an Arizona Press Club award for her work as a feature columnist and has been a commentator on business ethics on All Things Considered for National Public Radio.
When Ellen Kadin, a senior editor at AMACOM in New York, read the proposal, it struck a chord. Her best friend was an attorney at Arthur Andersen, and ethics had dominated their conversations for months. After a conference call with Jennings and Dinkin, Kadin offered an advance on the book, which will be published in the spring of 2003. “Compromising ethics isn’t the ‘no harm, no foul’ violation so many people may have imagined where living with one’s own guilt was the only price to pay,” said Kadin. “All that Andersen and Enron did, and what Jennings’ book will do, is demonstrate that good ethics leads to greater success in the long run.”
When the next corporate scandal breaks, you’ll likely see Marianne Jennings in the news. And if her media appearances aren’t enough, her book not only has a chance to become a bestseller, but also will have Americans nationwide screaming, “Where’s the outrage?”
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*The Cathedral area is near to downtown and has sidewalk cafes and boutique type stores, mostly along 13th Avenue. This area was one of the first residential areas in Regina and many of the houses date from the early 1900s.
*The Cathedral area is near to downtown and has sidewalk cafes and boutique type stores, mostly along 13th Avenue. This area was one of the first residential areas in Regina and many of the houses date from the early 1900s.
*As the City developed from the centre, the further away from downtown you get, the newer the houses, with most of the brand new subdivisions being located in the south east and north west.
*As the City developed from the centre, the further away from downtown you get, the newer the houses, with most of the brand new subdivisions being located in the south east (The Creeks), south west (Harbour Landing) and north west (Lakeview/Lakeridge).
*The most expensive houses are located in the south east part of the City.
*The most expensive houses are located in the south east part of the City.
Revision as of 23:47, 29 November 2011
4 Education
5 Local Attractions
With a population of about 200,000, Regina is Saskatchewan's capital and the province's second largest city after Saskatoon.
Regina is located on the Trans Canada Highway, about 350 miles west of Winnipeg and 500 miles east of Calgary.
Although the weather is really cold in the winter and hot in the summer, we have lots of sunshine. Regina is Canada's sunniest provincial capital.
Downtown
Downtown is the business area.
Wascana Centre is a large park with a man made lake just south of the business area.
Saskatchewan Legislative Building is located in the park.
Recently there has been a lot of development of office buildings into luxury condominiums in the downtown area.
This is the poorest area of the city. There are lots of rental properties; many people on social assistance, with the usual resulting high levels of crime.
Residential
There are many residential areas in Regina.
The Cathedral area is near to downtown and has sidewalk cafes and boutique type stores, mostly along 13th Avenue. This area was one of the first residential areas in Regina and many of the houses date from the early 1900s.
As the City developed from the centre, the further away from downtown you get, the newer the houses, with most of the brand new subdivisions being located in the south east (The Creeks), south west (Harbour Landing) and north west (Lakeview/Lakeridge).
The most expensive houses are located in the south east part of the City.
In recent years, a lot of big box stores have opened up in the east of the City, along Victoria Avenue, which is actually part of the Trans Canada Highway. First to open was Costco, and after that many stores and restaurants have sprung up mostly on the south side of the highway.
A new commercial development called 'Grasslands' has come up in the south-west corner of the city adjacent to the aforementioned Harbour Landing development. Regina's only Walmart Supercenter resides here, along with several other big name tenants such as Lowe's, Urban Barn, Golf Town, Co-op etc.
In addition to these areas, there are several shopping malls:
Normanview and Northgate in the north
Southland in the south
Victoria Square in the east
Downtown Regina is regaining it's popularity as a place to shop. However, you have to pay to park and, apart from The Bay, which is in the old Eaton's store (the Eaton's store closed some years ago), there really isn't much to attract shoppers. New stores have started to set up shop in the downtown Cornwall Centre mall though which may boost the number of shoppers downtown. Skechers and lululemon athletica are the latest stores to open downtown as of November, 2011.
Education
There are two school divisions
Public Schools
Separate (Roman Catholic) Schools
We also have the University of Regina.
Local Attractions
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Centennial Museum
RCMP Training Academy
We also are getting a huge brand new museum in a beautiful building designed by Arthur Erickson, who is one of Canada's leading architects.
What you hear about Regina. I heard mostly negative things about Saskatchewan (SK) before moving here. When Canadians found out where I was moving their reaction would be ‘Why?! Its too cold! Its too flat! Its so boring! It’s the backwater of Canada! Nothing is there!’
My first recommendation would be to dismiss these comments from your mind completely, just because you wouldn’t go somewhere on holiday does not mean it is a bad place to live. In fact you may find the exact opposite is true.
The City The city has a population of 210,000 people in it. So it’s a comparable size to Brighton, but a little more spread out (with the next town Saskatoon, a two hour drive away). Looking at a map, the downtown of Regina is North of Wascana park, centred a few blocks in each direction around Victoria Park. In the summer Victoria Park becomes the cultural square of the city, hosting festivals and events almost every weekend. There is a great deal being done to ‘revitalise’ the city centre. They have pedestrianised the streets from the park leading into the downtown ‘Cornwall’ shopping centre. It already looks great despite not being fully finished yet (they are hurrying to complete it before winter). The shopping centre is a good size with a decent range of shops inside and a nice Hudson’s Bay Company shop (like a John Lewis). To the east of this the city is has an exciting plan for a $1 billion investment to develop what is currently a massive railyard into an entertainment complex. Three new towers are also currently being built in the city centre. Once all these projects are completed it will revitalise downtown even further.
Skirting around this are the different neighbourhoods. North of the railway tracks is known as ‘The Warehouse district’ made up of blocks of Victorian brick warehouses. This place is where quite a few of the nightclubs are, as well as lots of antique shops, discount shops, restaurants and a few ‘NewYork style loft’ apartments. To the West of downtown is The Cathedral area, this is the Artisan area of Regina, with lots of individual boutiques, and trendy resturants, bars and pubs decorated with bright paintings and murals on their walls. It is like a hyper-diluted version of Camden, with lots of organic food places and the like. South is the University area, with the University of Regina campus, the IMAX Cinema and large food shops. Off the main road there are nice residential streets with large wooden Victorian houses. In the East are huge ‘box stores’ which come off the main road that sell everything you could ever need.
A quick word on box stores – skip if you don’t care [Box stores are all the rage out here - these are like the Cinema, bowling, MacDonald, or Tesco Extra Super Store monstrosities that have started popping up in the UK. In Canada they will even put bars and restaurants in these places that are usually a few miles out of town and inaccessible by foot. It is like making your city a massive parking lot with shops chucked in. I believe it was in the 70s and 80’s that people thought this way of making a city was awesome. The downtown areas died, as after 5pm people scurried away to cheap suburban houses then to their boxstores to do shopping… at somepoint someone realised this was actually soul destroying and no way to build a community and thus in the late 2000’s people began to come back. Downtown areas are now once again back on their feet and a fun place to be.]
Clothes Shopping As a man I find the shopping OK here. But there is definite absence of recognisable large name clothing stores. So no H&M, Zara, Primark, TopShop etc. I tell you something; whoever opens the first H&M in Regina will be a millionaire. Easily. Regina has Canadian stores that are similar and sell similar stuff but none are huge like the three-storey clothes shops we are used to. Probably for the next few years I definitely recommend booking an extra case on the plane and bringing loads of English clothes, and then enjoy the compliments until you go back home or go on holiday to get more. You can get everything you need here just not perhaps the variety you are used to.
North Central North Central is a deprived area that sits north of the Saskatchewan Rough Riders stadium (more on that later), it is widely known as the impoverished area of the city. I walked around it to check it out and it wasn’t that bad. It is just like your average British council estate, with more poorer people, visable minorities and Aboriginal people than perhaps elsewhere in the city (more on Aboriginal people later). That said; it is going to be right next to the $1 billion investment area, so much like how Shoreditch used to be not be a desirable place to live, but now its one of the hottest spots in London, I think give NorthCentral 10-15 years and who knows?
Eating and Drinking There are restaurants for every taste. They have good Indian food, fine dining, and excellent restaurants for vegetarians. The pubs I have been to have been great. Reginans are really into their eating out, and it seems ‘restaurants’ is a great conversation topic that Canadians enjoy. People eat out a lot and friends will call you midweek to check out this restaurant or take advantage of midweek deals. There are bars and clubs downtown and in the wharehouse district. I have yet to go properly clubbing in Regina but am going this weekend. So if anyone wants to know, message me. What I have found is that people have a lot of parties of their own. Every weekend I have been here someone has been hosting, which has been great fun.
Newspapers The city is well served by two excellent local papers The Leader-Post and Prarie Dog. The Leader is their daily newspaper and Prarie Dog is a cool, weekly freebie, that is more artsy and community-event based. I recommend reading both of them, and the leader-post daily for the first month. It has really helped me settle in, know what is going on and feeling part of the community. www.leaderpost.com www.prairiedogmag.ca
Sport Reginans are hugely into their sport, and talk about Hockey, Baseball and American football like Brits talk about Football, Rugby and Cricket. They have an indoor winter soccer league here which I know for some people will mean a lot. Reginans will often participate in mixed sport teams. So like a husband and wife will both play in the same mixed ‘softball’ team (baseball underarm with a big ball). Or play mixed ultimate Frisbee. I know this is all a bit happy-clappy for us but apparently it is a lot of fun. Reginans are really active and outdoorsy. So like to go camping, hiking, running and mountainbiking, hunting, boating and so on. Wascana park is my morning run place and it is always busy. Older people will also say ‘hello’ as you run past which is nice.
The Roughriders The Roughriders are the local football team(there is only one). When I say football I mean American football, but when talking about that with the Canadians we must call it Canadian Football or they get ticked off. Going to see them play is a treat. Unlike English premier league matches where the swearing and x-rated songs from the fans is legendary, Canadians will shout things like; ‘What was that? Has the ref lost his glasses?’ or ‘Oh come on! My grandmother could have hit that shot!’. Going to see the Riders is a PG family affair with the crowd a huge mix of people. With things like ‘KissCam’ the big screen camera find couples in the crowd that have to kiss, plus cheerleaders and raffles to keep everyone entertained it is great family entertainment and a good place to get battered before a night out. The fans are insanely loud. For just a 30,000 seater stadium it really has to be heard to be believed. The team play in green and so people will dress head to toe in Green with… a cut out green melon on their head. I have not yet deduced why people from Saskatchewan have taken to wearing an actual cut out melon on their head, but it seems like people really enjoy it. Yes. People in Regina support The Riders with a semi-religious frivolity. In my office when the Riders play we have to wear green. It is not optional. Our manager walks around work wearing an oversized roughriders jersey in high heels. It’s absolutely awesome. On lunchbreak you will walk around town and the city is wearing green. It is then when I started to think that actually this is a pretty special place to be. That brings me nicely on to;
The people of Saskatchewan The most important thing, what are the people like? Well good news. The people of Saskatchewan are awesome. The people I have met have been incredibly welcoming, kind and become fast friends. I have put some thought into why and this is what I think.
1. Small towns = nice people. Coming from London I am used to being an anonymous human. Get on the tube listen to my ipod and close my eyes. But Regina is a small town and its worth looking at the people walking past because you see people you know all the time and will see people again and again in different contexts. If you play soccer (yup better get used to that word) your teammate’s wife is your work colleague. Because of this small town feel people make an extra effort to be nice and make an effort to remember you. After all who knows when you might bump into the person again? I opened my bank account went back a few days later and the bank worker remembered my name! When has that ever happened? In my local (independent, organic ;-) grocery shop, I do my shopping and the cashier is asking if I liked X and Y that I bought last time. Doing a City 10k run the Mayor Pat Fiacco is there announcing it in his running gear, then on the start whistle lines up with the runners and literally runs off and crushes the 10k. At work everyone takes time to come by your office for a chat just see how you are doing. Its great, very different from home and I really like it.
2. Prairie Pride Remember the comments at the beginning? Quite a few people don’t have much nice to say about Regina. So what do you do when everyone is saying your city is rubbish? Well in Regina they have decided to say ‘I LOVE REGINA’ and make t-shirts, have an I love Regina day, an I love Regina run and give out balloons merchandise, and an almost excessive amount of pin badges. Coming from England it does seem a little bit mental. But here is why- Regina is growing. This city is going places, it is being revitalised and invested in (it is the 3rd fastest growing city in Canada) and people know it. People want a say in the way that their city grows up and it is hard not to find that exciting. For us coming from towns so old that our cities are fully-grown. Space at home is kind of recycled. In Regina for me it feels like the London of the 17th century, it is just beginning to boom and I think it is pretty cool to be here for the ride.
3. They like to Enjoy Summer In Saskatchewan the summers are hot and the winters are cold. The weather since I have been here has been consistently in the high 20s with plenty of days in the 30’s - awesome. Almost every evening the people I have met are doing things; going for beers in the pub garden, having friends on their balcony, going running, biking, to hot dog & movie nights and then spending weekends at ‘the lake’ (of which for some time I thought there was just one, as everyone says ‘the lake’ they actually mean their lake; there are over 100,000 lakes in SK). It seems that many people in what we would call the middle-class have access to a family lakehouse and Reginans like to go most to the lake most weekends in summer. So for us English people getting friends with lakehouses is a massively important… play your cards right and you get lots of mini weekend holidays visiting people. Spending my weekends laying on a raft drinking cold beer in mid twenties in a lake has been awesome.
4. They Don’t care People from Saskatchewan just don’t seem to care too much what people think. They seem perfectly happy to be themselves. This includes happily running around with a melon on their head shouting ‘woo’ and ‘go riders’.
Aboriginal Peoples & Ethnic diversity In England we have a somewhat romantic view of what we would call ‘Red Indians’ or Native Americans (Red Indians would be racist out here). We imagine Red Indians to be In Regina they call the native population Aboriginal people, First Nations People and Native people. Although aboriginal sounds racist to us- apparently that is the best term to use and so I will use it here. Aboriginal people are the decedents of the original inhabitants of Canada before European settlement. Upon moving here as an British person you will find it quite visually shocking how quickly and how clearly you can see that people of aboriginal descent are not doing so well. Regina is, for its size, really quite multicultural and from what I see people of all other ethnicities mix with ease and very well. However, I only have a few examples of people of aboriginal descent mixing everyone else. There are many reasons for this, historic and cultural issues, high levels of alcohol abuse and prevalent inter-family abuse that has created what we would call an underclass of just one group of people. It is a large topic that deserves more sociological study than what I can do here. It has to be flagged though as in Regina you may feel sometimes that there is an elephant in the room. It is a complex problem and not one of Canadian’s favourite subjects as people can have quite varying opinions on Aboriginal issues. So is more of a one-to-one conversation topic.
Winter I have visited for three weeks in November, a week in December then a week in January and March. When I visited in January the flight from Gatwick almost didn’t make it because we had nearly four inches of snow at home. I arrived into SK and there was a meter and a half. And it was -32’c. It gets really cold in Regina to almost a comedic level. But it is bright in SK and the sun is shining even in this cold. I have spoken to Reginans that lived in London and they said that they found our dreary winters harder because of the rain and it was so hard to dress for the wet cold. In Regina the cold is very dry. So the answer is simple, just epically wrap up warm. The parks and everything are deserted and I quite enjoyed trudging through the snow to the pub or the library. The strangest thing is that there was so much snow, but absolutely no snowmen. I didn’t see a single one there. I haven’t done a full winter here yet obviously but I am excited to go kite-snowboarding and ski-doing which is pretty big out here.
Public Transport I live walking distance from work so don’t have to play that game. There is a bus network and lots of bus stops. Though bear in mind waiting for a bus in winter might be a pain (in the toe and the fingertips…) No train. No underground. But there are lots of cars…
Roads The number one way of getting anywhere. Driving in Regina is a joke. It feels like someone made the road system for eight year olds and then we all have to drive in it in toy cars. The roads in the city are a grid system with lots of 4 ways and stop lights. No roundabouts, no fast flowing traffic, no gears and no skill needed. I think this is why there are so many accidents, people must literally get into their massive trucks and disengage their brains. However even in rush hour there is not much traffic and everything is just 10-15mins away from each other. No speedcameras is a plus. There is an insane amount of customer parking for shops at box stores but parking in the city is limited. I have only done a few roadtrips but the highways are basically empty by British standards. The province is basically the same size and the entire geographical area of Great Britain but with only 1.1million people floating around in it hence the little traffic. Though I found out that no speedcameras does not mean no speedlimit, as got nabbed by old bill. In Canada it doesn’t mean points on the license thank god. He had an aunt in England and was very nice about it all but still gave me the $80 fine.
The Land & the Sky This is land of the Prairies. The great grasslands of the world. It is incredibly flat, as far as the eye can see, and it is hard not to be awed by it. Before European settlers came, it was this seemingly endless grasslands that supported a massive animal eco-system with 60 million buffalo and countless other big animals, like bears, wolves, moose and deer. From Regina you can look out flat into the horizon which gives it incredible skies and massive cloud formations.
Going off the beaten track is awesome. Though don’t expect the sort of charming villages that we stumble across in England. You will come across ghost towns, old settler towns or ranches from the time of the Wild West that did not make it to modern day. This may have due to a change in fortune; disease, a poor harvest or a change in the railway line. It is awesome and creepy to hunt these towns out. It is difficult to explain the size of the prairie, you have to be in it to appreciate the full 360’ view. However, check out below for some prairie pictures to give you an idea.
Negatives Are there negatives to Regina? Heck yes. As anywhere in the world. Quite a few of these actually apply to the whole of Canada and some to all of North America. In order…
1. The toilet stalls. OK I have been waiting to get this off my chest for a bit. The public toilets in Canada are clean, flush well etc. however whoever designed the actual toilet stall must have had some sort of weird public pooing fetish. You have no privacy. There are massive gaps inbetween either side of the door, about half the size of a fist, so that anyone outside the stall can quite clearly see you attempting business in there. This is the worst thing ever and I am pretty sure is some sort of human rights violation. Canadians however seem quite happy to basically poo publically in front an entire crowd of people in the loo. So even if you are not in the stall you are forced to watch someone do a poo. It is a huge lose-lose situation. Someone told me they were designed like this to stop employee’s hiding in the stall to take breaks. What a load of rubbish. Its unacceptable and almost led to a terrible situation for me in Calgary airport.
2. Alcohol They have some ridiculous laws around alcohol in this country and seriously need to sort it out. Firstly you can’t buy alcohol at a normal shop. So you can’t pop into your local Waitrose and grab a bottle of red, you have to trek to a special ‘Liquor store’. The people hanging around outside the liquor store are in such a state it usually makes me want to quit drinking before I have even made it in… but once inside, this is where it really starts to go wrong. Beer is ridiculously expensive here. It is about three times as much as at home. Remember the Tesco deals 3 x 24 bottles of beer for £20? Try spending $35 for one case of 24 cans. They had a big sign saying $2 off. Are you kidding? Mate you need to pop into Tescos and get a load of the Buy One Get One Free deals! (Flipping how is $2 off a $35 case a deal?! Rubbish). Then you join your friends who are having a picnic in the park and…. You can’t drink your alcohol. Any public drinking is illegal. So you think fine! Lets go to the pub… wait a second a pint is $7.50? That is £4.68 for a flipping pint in my local! Not cool Canada… not cool.
3. Corner shops They don’t exist in Regina. (probably because if they cant sell alcohol they cant make money). So if you are out and about on foot without chewing gum/1000 other useful items you are pretty much screwed.
4. Cost of food When I am not in my local (organic) shop trying to be cool I go to a Safeway here. Looking at the prices of food is like punching yourself in the face for each item, it ranges to comparable to triple what we pay at home. Except cucumbers. Cucumbers are cheap in Canada.
5. Tipping on pints Don’t get me wrong. The service in Canada is fantastic, the cultural norm is to tip 10% if it was average and 20% if your waitress/waiter was good at their job or just goodlooking. For a full meal, OK I can take it. But going to the pub, getting the barman to pour you a pint that costs double that it does back home, then being expected to tip him an extra dollar for the 30 second of action of pouring you a pint? You have to be kidding right? Ha no way! Oh wait… your friends are looking at you disapprovingly, where was that dollar, oh there it is and now you are giving it to him. Now you have just bought a beer for £5.30. That sucked.
6. Jaywalking So you are walking in a Canadian crowd downtown. You look left, you look right. There are no vehicles coming either way. The man is red but the road is empty. Does anyone cross? No. Why? Because in Canada they have invented the crime of jaywalking. So you actually cannot walk where you please when it is safe. One drunk guy stumbles out into the road and crosses. Great, you think I be the person to follow him. We all have to wait for the green man before it is ‘safe’. 30 precious seconds of your life drip away and finally the man turns green (actually it is white in Regina) and you can walk. However, after just a few blocks away there are no white men or red men. You will be there waiting on the pavement for a gap in the traffic and then someone will see you waiting and brake to halt so you can pass awkwardly.
7. Holiday I love my job. Its great, the people are great. In my old job I had 28 days holiday. Ill admit it was quite generous. But I really liked that about it. In my new job I get… 15 days. You have to be kidding me. FIFTEEN DAYS? This would actually be illegal in England. Wholly illegal. I spoke to the Canadians about it- they said 15 days was actually really good. Most people start on 10 days. I have decided that I will use the cash from the 3 weeks I would have had as holiday abroad in the UK to instead invest in fully enjoying the weekends in Canada.
8. Flashing (using the full-beams on headlamps to say things while driving) I love a bit of flashing action while driving at home. We use it to let people out, let someone ‘go’ on the motorway, we say thank-you by winking our indicators or hazards in a colourful little display of thanks. Us Brits are quite a communicative bunch with all our lights. So whereas in the UK flashing means, you go or thank-you in Regina it means ‘F_ _ k you!’ instead. Want to let someone out? ‘F_ _ ck you!’ Let someone overtake? ‘F_ _ ck you!’. Say thanks, ‘F_ _ k you!’. You can see the problems flashing might cause. So in Regina you will get to a four way stop sign with no lights. And you…. Wait. The perfect time to give someone a flash ‘you go’ (f_ _ c k you!) and instead you just… sit there squinting to see if you can see a gesture behind the windscreen. Occasionally a gnarled Canadian hand will casually wave you on but more often than not you just wait, or go... then brake suddenly to let them go. We need to bring flashing to Canada.
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Once again, the moment has arrived for TheCenterLane.com to present its Jackass of The Year Award. Our 2010 recipient is Alaska’s Senatorial candidate, Joe Miller.
Joe Miller’s campaign to defeat Senator Lisa Murkowski in Alaska’s 2010 Republican Primary got a big boost when Governor Sarah Palin decided to leave office to become a full-time celebrity. Palin’s decision was immediately criticized by Senator Murkowski. Palin responded to the criticism by endorsing Murkowski’s opponent in the Republican Primary: Joe Miller. Miller then won the support of the Tea Party Express, who – according to The Washington Post – spent more than $150,000 on pro-Miller television and radio ads during the week before the primary. In addition to the mobilization of the Tea Party activists, Miller benefited from an initiative on the Alaska Republican Primary ballot requiring parental consent before a girl aged 17 or younger could receive an abortion. Alaska’s most conservative voters were out in force on Primary Day. The Washington Post article highlighted some of Miller’s positions that helped him curry favor with Alaska’s “hard right” voters:
He has called for phasing out Medicare and Social Security, as well as eliminating the Education Department because it is not mandated in the Constitution.
Never mind the fact that neither the FBI nor the Department of Homeland Security has been mandated by the Constitution. The “lack of a Constitutional mandate” litmus test is only applied to those bureaucracies considered repugnant to Joe Miller.
Because the deadline for filing as an “Independent” candidate on Alaska’s November (general election) ballot had already expired by the August 24 primary, it was necessary for Lisa Murkowski to run as a “write-in” candidate in order to retain her Senate seat.
During the course of the ensuing campaign, Miller’s foolishness provided the news media with plenty of entertainment. Despite Miller’s rhetoric, which called for limited government and fiscal restraint, Anne Applebaum of Slate recalled that Miller’s background became an issue in the campaign, since it was so inconsistent with that of a Tea Party hero:
During the course of the campaign, it also emerged that he had once collected farm subsidies; that his wife had once collected unemployment benefits; and that his family had received state health benefits.
Upon hearing that Murkowski would not abandon her quest to retain her Senate seat after her Republican Primary defeat, Mr. Miller immediately made a foolish statement, which he attempted to blame on an unidentified staffer. Jim Carlton of the Washington Wire blog provided this quote of the now-infamous message sent out from Joe Miller’s Twitter account:
“What’s the difference between selling out your party’s values and the world’s oldest profession?” said the message under Mr. Miller’s Twitter address early Friday.
Mr. Miller said the tweet was sent by a staffer who was temporarily manning his account. He added that the remark was aimed not at the senator herself, but at suggestions that Alaska’s Libertarian Party might allow Ms. Murkowski to run under its banner in November if she ends up losing to him in a final count of absentee ballots.
He blamed the tweet on “poor judgment” by the unidentified staffer, who he “relieved of his duties.” He said he quickly removed the message from his Twitter feed.
If Miller had not already done enough to alienate female voters — his Halloween-themed campaign ad, likening Lisa Murkowski to a witch, immediately drew the ire of the New Agenda website, which embedded a YouTube feed of the ad in this posting.
The most infamous event of Miller’s campaign occurred on October 17, when Tony Hopfinger, editor of the Alaska Dispatch website was handcuffed by Miller’s private security guards, when he attempted to interview the candidate at the conclusion of a “town hall” meeting at the Central Middle School in Anchorage. The incident caused Miller to become the butt of many jokes on national television.
Hopfinger was attempting to question Miller about an incident that had become the subject of an e-mail that had originated a few days earlier from Mike Rostad, a Republican activist in Kodiak, Alaska, based on a discussion between Rostad and Miller’s father, Rex Miller. The Anchorage Daily News provided this report:
Joe Miller was a part-time Fairbanks North Star Borough attorney in 2008 when he led an attempt to oust state Republican Party chief Randy Ruedrich. Rostad wrote in the email that Rex Miller told him there was a poll being conducted during that effort against Ruedrich. Rostad wrote that Rex Miller told him what happened:
“One noon hour, on his own time at the borough, Joe participated in an online poll voting against Randy. He used four office computers in the office to do it, thinking this was his chance to boost numbers to get rid of Randy. He emptied the cache files on the computers so the users wouldn’t know what he had done. When the users asked what had happened to their caches, (Miller) admitted to what he did. He was reprimanded and docked in pay for several days, but was not suspended or fired.
Miller’s improper computer use as a part-time attorney for the Fairbanks North Star Borough has been an ongoing controversy, which was the subject of this December 31 article from the Anchorage Daily News.
The handcuffing of Tony Hopfinger was not the only misstep by Joe Miller’s campaign on October 17. Shira Toplitz of Politico reported on October 29 that the Murkowski campaign was running an ad, critical of two October 17 blunders:
The same night as the incident with the journalist, Miller told an audience that if “East Germany could, we could” secure the borders of the country — a controversial statement that Murkowski also uses in the new spot.
“Joe Miller’s answer to illegal immigration: Use East Germany as an example,” continues the narrator. “Exactly what kind of America does Joe Miller live in? . . .”
Miller had nobody else to blame for his stupid remark exalting East Germany as a model for border security.
Once it became obvious that Lisa Murkowski made history as the first write-in candidate to win a Senate election since Strom Thurmond in 1954, Joe Miller took his battle to the courts. He initially filed an action in Federal Court, although U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline stayed proceedings pending resolution of the dispute in the State court, where the action should have been brought. Once the case was filed in the State Court, Judge William Carey dismissed the suit and it was appealed directly to the Alaska Supreme Court. U.S. News reported that when the ballots were still being counted, the Miller camp was determined to turn the election into a spelling bee:
Shortly after the second day of write-in ballot counting began on Thursday, a Miller observer challenged a vote for Murkowski that appeared to have her name spelled and printed correctly, though the “L” in “Lisa” was in cursive handwriting. Later, at least 10 ballots in which Murkowski’s name appeared readable were challenged, including one in which the vote read: “Lisa Murkowski Republican.”
Miller’s campaign said observers are simply challenging votes that don’t meet the strict letter of the law — including those with minor misspellings of Murkowski’s name or those with legibility or penmanship issues.
In addition to the “spelling bee” demand, Miller also attempted to pursue a claim of misconduct by election officials amounting to election fraud. The Christian Science Monitor provided this report on Judge Carey’s dismissal of that count:
“Nowhere does Miller provide facts showing a genuine issue of fraud or election official misfeasance,” Carey wrote. “Instead, the majority of the problematic statements included in the affidavits are inadmissible hearsay, speculation, and occasional complaints of sarcasm expressed by [elections] workers. Nothing rises to the level showing genuine material facts of fraud.”
The stupidity of Miller’s “spelling bee” requirement became more apparent once the Alaska Supreme Court was asked to reverse the dismissal of that claim. During oral arguments, Justice Dana Fabe directed a Why are you here? question to Miller’s attorneys. Here’s how that moment was described by KTUU News:
With unofficial results showing Miller behind Murkowski by 10,328 votes, or 2,169 when ballots challenged by Miller observers are excluded, Justice Dana Fabe asked Miller’s legal team what — if any — impact the court’s decision would have on the outcome of the election.
“Even if you win on this argument and every one of the challenged ballots is set aside, it makes no difference in this count, and it makes no difference in the outcome of this election unless you win on one of your other counts — isn’t that correct?” Fabe said.
In other words: even if the contested ballots were not counted in accordance with the guidelines advanced by Miller’s legal team – Miller still would have lost by over two thousand votes!
So seriously: What was the point of filing suit? Was Miller hoping to get some sort of deal from the Republican Party for conceding defeat? His lawsuit was as idiotic as his entire campaign had been. As late as December 27, Miller was vowing to continue his battle in the Federal Court to contest the election result. Nevertheless, as Miller should have learned at Yale Law School, the pursuit of such a specious claim in a Federal Court, would likely result in rather expensive sanctions against Miller and his attorneys under Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, once his case was inevitably dismissed. If that concern had not been enough to motivate Miller to abandon his Federal suit, it should have been enough to convince Miller’s attorneys that the game was finally over. Miller ultimately conceded his defeat in the election on December 30, although he never made a concession call to Lisa Murkowski. He explained that he had not made the call because he did not have Murkowski’s phone number.
Joe Miller may not have won the election to the United States Senate — but he did win the 2010 Jackass of The Year Award from TheCenterLane.com. Congratulations, Jackass!
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TheCenterLane.com offers opinion, news and commentary on politics, the economy, finance and other random events that either find their way into the news or are ignored by the news reporting business. As the name suggests, our focus will be on what seems to be happening in The Center Lane of American politics and what the view from the Center reveals about the events in the left and right lanes. Your Host, John T. Burke, Jr., earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College with a double major in Speech Communications and Philosophy. He earned his law degree (Juris Doctor) from the Illinois Institute of Technology / Chicago-Kent College of Law.
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Next month the Living by Giving Trust is proud to celebrate a year of registered charitable status! Our first cycle of projects (2010 – 2013) will be associated with the young and our theme is: ‘Living By Giving… Young People New Experiences’, more details of which will be published here soon.
As we grow as a charity in the UK we would like to set up a small fundraising committee of like-minded people to help us in our fundraising goals. If you would like to be a part of our fundraising committee, please email Dail Maudsley at [email protected].
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You probably came across this article because you’ve noticed some hard water spots on your vehicle’s windows. You are probably wondering where those came from, how to remove water spots from car windows. Or perhaps both. Well, the good news is that you are exactly where you are supposed to be.
No matter how glossy the car’s exterior looks, if a car arrives with dirty windows that are completely covered in dust and dirt, people will turn their heads away. Because driving a dirty car is a massive turn-off. But most importantly, you must be able to see out of your windows in order to drive safely. Although water spots appear to be relatively harmless, they can eventually accumulate and fog up your entire window or, worse, make your window structurally unstable and vulnerable to breaking. Nobody wants that, right?
As a result, knowing how to remove water spots from car windows is critical. But rather than taking your car to an expensive full detailing service, let’s look at some ways you can remove those water spots by yourself at home. Let’s get right into it!
Common types of stains or water spots in car windows
Normal water spots or stain
Typical water spots form when hard water leaves a mineral residue on your vehicle’s windows. Typically, these minerals are magnesium, calcium, or something similar.
Unfortunately, water from any source, including rainwater, sprinkler water, and even water from certain car wash services, can cause these spots. These mineral deposits form over time, much like line scale, and end up causing a permanent water spot that won’t go away without extensive treatment.
Stains with etched patterns
Regular mineral deposits do not cause etched water stains. Instead, these stains occur when puddles or small pools of water are exposed to intense heat or high amounts of sunlight for extended periods of time.
As the temperature of your car’s windows rises, water spots can eventually become “etched” into the glass. This is one of the reasons why it is critical to thoroughly dry your car after washing it – you cannot simply leave it out in the sun to dry. Etched stains are among the most difficult to remove and may necessitate professional assistance or abrasive removal methods such as wet sanding.
Mineral stains, also known as bonded mineral stains, occur when rainwater containing particularly corrosive or acidic elements strikes the glass or body of your vehicle. Acid or toxic rain can be caused by a variety of factors, and you can even get these stains if you get rained on anywhere around smoke from vehicle exhaust pipes or manufacturing plants.
They leave corrosive or toxic mineral deposits on your car’s glass, similar to regular water stains. These minerals can eventually bond to the glass, making removal extremely difficult. Worse, the minerals can corrode the glass over time, making it fragile and prone to shattering or simply making it look bad.
How to remove water spots from car windows?
Fortunately, there are several methods to remove stains or water spots from car windows without having to replace them. As a safety measure, always wear gloves and protect yourself, especially your eyes, from any contact with the solutions when you are cleaning.
Research and identify a good window or glass cleaner. Use a microfiber cloth to scrub away the water stain or spot. In most cases, this method works best with the normal spots, as you will not accidentally wear down the glass material. We recommend using a microfiber cloth because it does not leave pieces of fabric behind and does not scratch the glass.
Vinegar is extremely acidic in nature, and you can remove water spots by combining it with water. This combination can neutralize the minerals present in a water spot or stain without damaging the glass beneath if you do it correctly. Make sure to use a microfiber cloth once more to wipe it clean.
We recommend using a spray bottle filled with vinegar and water solution. Make sure the solution contains an equal amount of both liquids. If you use too much vinegar, it can permanently damage the glass of your windows. Allow the solution to soak on the glass for a minute or two before scrubbing away the mineral buildup in the areas of the water spot with the most mineral buildup. If you’re working on the interior, spray your microfiber cloth rather than the glass itself to keep the mixture from contacting internal components. To clean up any accidental messes, use a reliable interior cleaner.
As a substitute for vinegar solution, you can cut a lemon in half and extract its juice. You can use it to dissolve minerals in a water spot or stain. Since squeezing enough lemon juice to fill a bottle is probably too time-consuming for most people, you can simply rub a slice of lemon on water spots instead.
Make sure to apply a lot of pressure so that you get enough acidic juice to do the job. Then, dampen a microfiber cloth and try to rub the water spot away over time. A gallop of glass cleaner over the top should help remove any smears or dirt that remains.
Make a paste by combining a small amount of water with baking soda. Apply this paste to a microfiber cloth and vigorously scrub the water spot. The baking soda paste contains abrasive granules that can wear away the water spot’s minerals and limescale-like buildup.
After scrubbing the spot to the best of your ability, thoroughly rinse the glass with water. Because there is a chance of debris or paste scattering around your car’s interior, we advise you to use this method only for outside windows. To remove residue and streaks from your window glass, we recommend using a regular glass cleaner and newspaper.
You can also use a water-to-toothpaste mixture here. Apply this paste to your windows, let it sit for a few minutes, and then rinse with water. Following this method, you should clean and thoroughly dry your car’s glass with a conventional glass cleaner.
Lemon or orange essential oils can help remove hard water spots on your car’s windows. They can also help to prevent hard water deposit buildup in the future. Apply the solution to your window with a sponge or microfiber towel after combining a few drops of essential oils with water. Allow it to soak before removing it with a reliable glass cleaner.
How to protect your car windows from these water spots?
While removing water spots is the first step, you are not truly finished until you protect your glass from future spots. To protect your car windows from water spots, you should:
Avoid buildup and treat your water spots as soon as possible.
Remove any water that has accumulated on your windshield and windows.
Park your vehicle in a covered area to keep your windshield from getting wet.
Apply water repellent to your windshield and windows.
Water spots can be extremely difficult to remove, especially if they cover the entire surface of your car windows. However, the good news is that you do not need to spend money on expensive spot cleaning products or send your car to a full detailing service. Simply use one of the simple solutions listed above, and remember to pair it with a good glass cleaner and a glass coating.
Wondering how to find the best car wash for your car. We recommend you to visit Way.com or download the Way app (available on iOS and Android). Enjoy a safe and contactless car wash experience with Way. Just scan and drive away with a spotless car!
Read our blogs for information on the best airport parking and hourly parking spots near you and the most affordable insurance for your car.
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OK, there's one more growl coming yet, I've learned that.... and, there's his third growl. Three, three, always..cuz that's how he rolls.
The tinny rasp of a dinosaur's mechanical voice box wakes me up for the second time this night. I have to smile, because there is only one way that Steggy got here, right in the path of my bulldozer butt (for more on this sad subject, see March 16) in bed.... and that is via Baby Emperor.
Which means only one wondrous thing to look forward to in the morning: Baby Emperor's fuzzy curls in my face when I wake up for the day. Baby E has found his way in between my husband and me in the big bed, sometime during the night.
I don't fight the nightime intrusions on my time anymore.
Not with this third baby.
I've learned, with this last one, that it is all gone too quickly. And I learned it the sad way, through my error. The older two are now 14, and 13...the days of their fuzzy curls in my face are over. The only way I capture that now is when I sneak and grab and hold them in my arms on their way out the door, more force is required with the one who has become taller than me. These two were once the size of Baby Emperor.
I first decided to post this last week, and began work on it then. Over the weekend, I've come across so many other bloggermoms , like Motherhood in NYC, who write of time flying and fleeting and their children growing up.
A few years back, I was in the throes of the most unconquerable sadness over how the days with my little ones were flying, that I knew I had to look outside of myself for help. I did find someone professional (ack..I just hate the way that sounds, but, so be it...) to talk with, and the gems she left me with have changed my days.
I was missing the now of it all, because of the "pre-mourning" of it all. Something felt so wrong, and we figured it out together. Now, it almost makes me laugh, my sadness over it all--almost, because it was pretty sad back then, believe me. I just didn't know how to figure out what all the sadness was about. What scared me into action, into finding someone to help me, is my memory of growing up in a household with no laughter...anyone know what a house sounds like with a mom who doesn't laugh?? Pretty scarey, huh. Exactly. Makes you shiver...none of that for my kids, thank you. So, back to how mama got her groove back.
I would sit across from my "expensive friend," as I called my therapist. I'd lament the passing of the days, complete with back of the hand on the forehead, looking off mid-distance. The whole deal. Stuff they give out Academy Awards over. I'd sigh to her,
Me: "but..but...the days of toy trains are gone.."
$he: "but they're still home with you now."
Me: "but..but..it's all over, my days of fullness are all over."
$he: "but they're still home with you now."
Over time (ha! try 2 years...) I got the picture.
What she was "saying" (finger quotes in air) since she couldn't tell me directly since insights arrived at on one's own are much more meaningful (I'm good, aren't I?), was that my sadness was over not living in the moment. Being with them in all the glory of their being there. At that age, at that stage, with them.
Revel in it all, it's still in your hand. Put down the dirty dish, and play trains when they ask you to play trains with them. Let that last load of the almost done laundry sit, if they ask you to shoot buckets outside. If they suddenly want to see a movie with just you, get a sitter for the little one, and go with them. Suck every minute dry, so you have no regrets, so you don't look back and say "Ugh. I could've done it so very much better than I did."
My expensive friend left me with a quote when I "graduated" (expensive translation: "gained a life skill"), and I refer to it daily: " Who forces time is pushed back by time, he who yields to it finds it on his side."
Yield, give it the right of way, let it go first, and go with it.
Stepping down off soapbox now. Thank you for coming. No need to thank me for saving you all beacoup bucks in not having to find your own Special Expensive Friend.
By Royal Decree of Alexandra at 10:02 AM
18 comments:
Robin Monday, March 22, 2010
Thats really beautiful and profound..too bad so many dont head that warning...enjoy the now..thats all there really is...did you read the "Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle..its my favorite book...maybe you and I are practicing being in the now and that s why we can laugh..I laugh all the time..at least a couple hours a day..bWaHahahah...Lolol..LLMAO..!!
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Alexandra Monday, March 22, 2010
Beautiful Robin: I know...I've become a laughing idiot. "Fat, dumb and happy.." that's me. Love ya, girflriend.
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dusty earth mother Monday, March 22, 2010
That was lovely, Empress. (And particularly loved the expression "expensive friend"--gotta use that one). My heart gripped a bit at this post, because I had a crabby day with my kids. They've been home sick for three days and are. driving. me. crazy. Having said that, now I want to go in and kiss their little heads. All because of you. Nice to have that kind of power, huh? :-)
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Alexandra Monday, March 22, 2010
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Organic Motherhood with Cool Whip Tuesday, March 23, 2010
OH yes! The power of now. It is so true. This is a beautiful and very insightful post and so so important. Thank you for these wonderful nuggets of wisdom, Empress.
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Alexandra Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Dear OMwCW: Somehow, I knew this would be right up your alley. :) xoxoxo
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Anonymous Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I like this, but I feel guilty cuz I want to rush time. Thank you for the reminder of enjoying our children where they are right now since they won't be where they are right now ever again.
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Alexandra Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Dear lovely anon: we all have those days. We have to be deliberate about reminding ourselves that life is now. xoxoxoxo
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Anonymous Tuesday, March 23, 2010
much of this is the reason why i now only post 3-4 times a week. i read something similar on motherhood in nyc (i see you have her on your sidebar) yesterday and it made me tear up--how much i let get in the way of spending time with my little ones while they still want to spend time with me...
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Alexandra Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Dear Tiffany: I know, makes you stop and think. I was caught off guard by Motherhood in NYC. And I read some other posts on this subject, too. One mom quit, and one mom had like 3 different blogs going, and now she only does blogging after all are in bed. She said she decided she'd rather go without sleep, then lose daytime minutes.
It is scarey..I wonder what other chagnes people will come to...
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dusty earth mother Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Hey Empress, I done gived you an award. Check it out.
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Miss Welcome Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Oh shucks. Do I want to live in the moment even when one hand is covered in poo?
Yes, I suppose so - I too get sad by the fleeting days. I loved this post. Great (expensive) insight and great writing. :o)
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Alexandra Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Dear Dusty Eath Mother: you'll be my first bloglove, and you'll be my last bloglove. I'll be true to you.. THANK YOU! for my first blog award ev-er! xoxoxoxoxo Pls email me and tell me how to pick it up, and "refer it back to the original source."(blogger etiquette guidelines, per blogger.com)
It's all a sham, I've been smoked out...I don't know what I"m doing! The truth: my 14 yr old set me up on bloggerspot.com and now I can't get out!! :)
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Alexandra Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Oh, Miss Welcome! Welcome! Yes, you gotta take the poo with the good, too.
The poo, I could do a whole page on that. I've had some momentous ones...mostly on vacation, up the back, in 94 degree weather, while at Wally World. We had to spend 10k to have poop like that? I can get that at home.
Thanks for the visit! Sincerely happy to see you! xoxoxoooxo
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mep Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The mom of one of my good friends raised six kids of her own. I will always remember seeing her when my firstborn was a baby and her telling me, "I wish had enjoyed my kids more. I wish we had had more fun. I wish I had worried less."
Thanks for a post that reminded me of a great mom's great advice and for the advice of you and your expensive friend -- it's right NOW.
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Alexandra Wednesday, March 24, 2010
HELLO MEP!!!! How awesome to see you here!! I know, I know, I was almost too late in learning. My mother said the same thing. Now she tries to hog my kids b/c she said she didn't get a chance the first time around. She would literally beg to just hold my babies while they slept..and she'd hold them for their entire nap. *sob*
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countryfriedmama Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sounds like perhaps your expensive friend has been there. We all do this, this pre-mourning. Mine seems so much sharper with baby #2. Will there be a #3? Not sure, and so, I try to breathe my girls in fully every single day and look forward to all the great things that will come next.
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Alexandra Thursday, March 25, 2010
Hey, CFM! So happy to see you! I have fallen head over heels for your posts! Hilarious, can't wait to catch up on all I missed. You remind me of Jen Lancaster. VERY FUNNY stuff. Thanks for the laughs, and thank you so much for the visit!!!
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Adam Pearce is a born-and-raised Louisiana vocalist, lead guitarist, and song writer with a passion for rock n’roll. With a later start than most musicians, Adam didn't pick up a guitar until the age of eighteen. He soon fell in love with playing and songwriting and knew music was his calling. Before long, was looking to put together a band and hosting try-outs for singers. It wasn't until friends kept insisting that his voice "didn't sound half-bad" that he put any thought into singing.
Adam has since been involved in multiple projects. His first original band, Black Magnolia, released their debut album, “Fields Are Burning," in 2012 featuring Randy Jackson of Zebra. Adam later appeared on NBC's "The Voice," landing a spot on Adam Levine's team and finishing in the Top 20 on Season 13 (as the "comeback kid"). In 2017, Adam Pearce fronted the band for Maroon 5's annual Halloween party covering ACDC songs with Adam Levine on drums, James Valentine and Andrew Watt on guitar, and Milo Decruz on bass. Sammy Hagar crashed the stage to join in singing "Highway to Hell" with Adam Pearce. Thanks to the support of his amazing Kickstarter Backers, Adam released his newest original album in 2018: "Adam Pearce: WARBIRD." This album features Kyle Thomas of Exhorder, Terry McDermott of Lotus Crush, and Paul Mirkovich who plays keys for and sings duets with Cher. "Adam Pearce: WARBIRD" and “Fields Are Burning” by Black Magnolia can be found on this website as well as on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and other major retailers.
Currently, Adam tours the country as a solo acoustic act. He performs locally with his original band, Adam Pearce & The Warbirds, and (as a true Zeppelin fan) thoroughly enjoys singing lead for Mothership: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin.
SHANE WESLEY
A very skilled guitarist, Shane brings excellent riffs and melodies to the band. He's a guitarist on Adam Pearce: WARBIRD as well as co-writer for both "Out of My Prime" and "Ain't That Something." He's recently been touring Europe and America playing bass for the heavy metal band called Crowbar.
Follow Shane on Facebook and on Instagram as @shanewesleymusic
A brilliant bass player, Casey adds depth and rhythm to the band. Casey's been a part of multiple bands in the past and featured on other albums.
Follow Casey on Facebook and on Instagram as @camino_thrash78
Jordan “Ngoma” Lewis is a drummer born and raised in New Orleans. He started playing drums at the age of 3. Upon attending college he began working towards his calling of being a professional drummer. Ngoma has played and toured with many local artist and bands such as Tereasa B. & N’ Style, Shaggadelic and Raw Revolution, Natalita, Bujie and The Highrise, Southern Arrow. With the release of Adam Pearce: Warbird, Nogma has recorded drums and percussion on three entire albums. His drum influences include “Ilan Rubin, Carter Beauford, Thomas Pridgen, Eric “Boots” Greene, Chris Dave, Weedie Braimah and many more.
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An award winning media company committed to sharing the perspectives of people of colour from marginalised genders
My South Asian name became my school’s biggest joke
07 May 2019
Illustration by Mariel Richards
Exactly a decade ago, I started high school in the suburbs of southern Virginia. The beginning of 9th grade wasn’t particularly extraordinary, but it signified new responsibilities, harder classes, and more studying – much to the satisfaction of my Indian parents.
But aged 14, I was blindsided by a strange phenomenon occurring at school.
“What the POOJA?” several teenage boys cackled through the hallways.
Let me backtrack. In the spring of 1995, my parents battled over the perfect name for their second daughter. Archana? Sanjana? Monica? All of these names were on the table. Finally, my father picked out a short, yet powerful name: Pooja. Pooja is a form of prayer in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word “pūjā”, meaning honour or worship. The name is sacred and symbolises devotion.
Aside from the majestic meaning, let’s be real. “Pooja” is also the “Becky” of Indian names. If you’re South Asian, the chances you’ve met a girl named Pooja are very high. This wasn’t the case in the small town I grew up in, however, where only a handful of South Asians resided. As well as the childish allusions to “poo”, those around me met my name with distaste. As soon as I recited my name, I would notice a look of confusion cross people’s faces. Their expression inquired, “Why would your parents name you that?”
“Their expression inquired, ‘Why would your parents name you that?’“
Suddenly, my name became an ad hoc expletive. “What the Pooja is going on?!” my peers laughed in class, or “How the Pooja did this happen?” they would question mockingly. The desecration of my name expanded and rapidly became a huge inside joke amongst the boys of my high school. Instead of trying to understand the cultural significance of my name, they used ignorance as a coping mechanism for unfamiliarity. Some of them didn’t even know me, they just knew of a 5’11”, dark-skinned, frizzy-haired Indian girl who happened to be different from those around her. She was unique, and that was the ultimate fuel to the fire.
As an Indian-American, many of us have faced some form of ridicule growing up in the United States. When people asked me if I was upset by the misuse of my name, I merely shrugged it off. At the time, I had internalised this type of derision and felt general apathy towards the whole situation. At least my name was in their mouths, right? Perhaps this pseudo-popularity was something to be proud of.
In the fall of 2009, our 9th grade class was introduced to one of the most infamous traditions of American high schools: homecoming. A homecoming dance and court were established for the festivities at my school. A representative from our 9th grade class was to be nominated to the homecoming court, and usually this was awarded to a blonde, “popular”, and athletic Caucasian girl. I didn’t fit any of these descriptors, but 2009 proved to be a different year.
By this point, the buzz around my name had garnered extreme popularity. As a result, my classmates decided to nominate me to homecoming court as a joke. When I made the shortlist, I was shocked. When I ultimately won the position, I was speechless. I remember hearing my name announced on the speaker system for the whole school to hear, as a sudden pang of embarrassment struck through my body. In that moment, I prayed for invisibility. I fended off questions from teachers and peers regarding my sudden ascent to the spotlight with feigned indifference. In reality, I was confused. Deep down, although I wouldn’t admit it, I was hurt.
“I had to stand in front of the whole school while the teacher announced my name. I felt so much shame as my fellow classmates laughed at me”
I remember the dismayed stares from “popular” kids at my school who were annoyed that I had somehow wiggled my way into their sacred homecoming court. For them, this was their territory, and I was an outcast. This delineation was made extremely apparent during an assembly, where I had to stand in front of the whole school while the teacher announced my name to the court. I felt so much shame as my fellow classmates laughed at me. After the assembly, I ran to the bathroom where I hid until all the students had left the school. I stared at myself in the mirror as a single tear fell from my eye, wondering what had gotten me here.
For years after, I pretended the whole incident never happened. I moved on. But every now and then, the events of my 9th grade year would creep back up in my memory and I could feel the same heat on my face as I did when I ran to hide.
What pained me most was the subtlety of it all. This wasn’t blatant racism: no one attacked me, no one called me derogatory slurs, and no one outright bullied me. But I was made to feel like an outsider due to my name, one who was erroneously given the opportunity to join a space typically reserved for white-Americans.
Names are such a big part of our identities: before, during, and after life. Prior to our actual birth, the first questions about us are what our name is going to be and in death, we are remembered by this title. Regardless of race, a person’s name holds an intimate significance. Some are named after an elder as a sign of respect, others take their namesake from a famed author or actor.
“This wasn’t blatant racism: no one attacked me, no one called me derogatory slurs. But I was made to feel like an outsider”
As women of colour, we are ascribed names that beautifully reflect our parents’ heritage and background. In western society, however, these names hold a cultural weight that rarely benefits us. This often leads to the erasure or whitewashing of ethnic names. In my case, my name was weaponised against me.
As a woman of colour, these incidents shape you and cause you to wonder. Are we supposed to be superhuman? Are we supposed to pretend this is what comes with being a different colour, a different ethnicity? Is it our burden to ignore the inequities we face and pretend everything is okay? Do we humbly accept our fate?
I will not anymore.
In reality, the society we live in is not set up for women of colour to succeed, especially those who are the daughters of immigrants. We are told to stay in our lane, not to make a scene, and to follow the paths that have already been paved for us by our previous generation. As a South Asian woman, I am speaking up against this racial hegemony. The apathy from my younger days has been replaced by ambition for change. I will continue to advocate for agency.
Ten years ago, I was involuntary propelled into a position that was not created for people like me. I now intentionally enter these spaces with the determination to change the narrative surrounding women of colour. We are not one size fits all. We come in different forms, with different backgrounds, and with different personalities that add perspective, culture, and insight into the ideas and tasks we contribute.
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The writers of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution based these documents on the Bible. 29 of the 56 signers of the Declaration held what we would call today seminary degrees. The historical evidence overwhelmingly shows the influence of the Bible on them and the founding of America. Biblical principles abound even today in the laws of the land. Only a rabid denier of God would attempt to assert otherwise. One example is the concept of restitution. It is not enough to pay society in general for crimes committed. In some cases restitution must be payed directly to the victim. The law of Moses commanded restitution. If a man stole another's animal and it was killed, the thief was to restore fourfold (Exodus 22:1). David quoted this law in response to Nathan's story of the lamb (2Samuel 12:6). If the animal was still alive, he was to restore double (Exodus 22:4). The same was true of money or stuff (Exodus 22:7). Proverbs 6:31 speaks of sevenfold restitution. When someone was freely confessing their theft rather than being caught, they were to add one fifth (Leviticus 6:5; Numbers 5:7). Judges today can order jail time and fines, but also restitution.
We have all sinned against God, and thus owe Him a debt that we can only pay ourselves by eternal damnation in hell (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23). Yet God loves us so much, that He came in the flesh and paid the price Himself (Isaiah 59:1-17, Matthew 20:28, John 1:1-3 & 14, John 3:16, 2Corinthians 5:19, 1Timothy 3:16). The word ransom in Matthew 20:28 means the price paid to free someone from slavery, captivity or death. Sin causes all 3 of these (John 8, Romans 6, 2Timothy 2:26). The history of man is woven with his futile efforts to free himself without God. Only He can save us (Isaiah 43:11, Acts 4:12). Only the blood of Jesus can pay this terrible price (Matthew 26:28). It is applied to us in water baptism in His name (Acts 2:38, Acts 10:43-48, Acts 22:16). The water has no special power. It is His name and His blood applied to us in faith and obedience to His command (Colossians 2:8-13, 1Peter 3:20-21).
However, we should be careful not to think that just asking God to forgive us is always enough to eliminate all accountability and consequences. King David committed adultery, and tried to cover it up with murder (2Samuel 11). God sent the prophet Nathan with a story about a lamb as mentioned above to confront him (2Samuel 12). One of the things that made David great was not his perfection, but his repentance. He later wrote Psalm 51 as a record of his repentant prayer to God. It is still a great example to us today. One of the things David said to God was, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest (Psalm 51:4)." While it is true that all sin is ultimately against God, especially as it pertains to judgment of sin; it is not true that there is no aspect of sin against man. David sinned against Bathsheba, her husband, his own family, and the whole nation of Israel over which he was the leader and influence. He also sinned against his own legacy. The punishment for both adultery and murder in the law of Moses was death (Leviticus 20:10, Leviticus 24:21). Bathsheba was also guilty of adultery. When David confessed, he was immediately told by the prophet that the death sentence would not be carried out (2Samuel 12:13). However, Nathan also told him of consequences for his sins which he would have to deal with the rest of his life (2Samuel 12:7-12). This would particularly affect his family. Bathsheba was pregnant, and the baby died. David literally lived out the words of James 1:14-15. Later his sons Absalom and Adonijah fulfilled other parts of Nathan's words (2Samuel 13-19, 1Kings 1).
This shows we can be forgiven but still have consequences. We need to understand this, or we can become confused about what God is doing, and what is going on in our lives. The devil would love nothing more than for us to get discouraged and think God does not love us, or that He has not forgiven us; and then give up our faith in God. God does not hold us accountable because He hates us. He does it to save us from making further errors, and to teach us responsibility and accountability. He does it because He loves us and wants what is eternally best for us (Proverbs 3:11-18, Hebrews 12:5-13).
Sometimes we not only need to make things right with God, but also with others. This includes asking for their forgiveness whether or not they give it (Matthew 5:23-26). It may also include making restitution if possible. Zacchaeus was the chief of the tax collectors (Luke 19:1-10). The tax collectors were Jews who worked for the Romans to collect their taxes. Needless to say, they were hated by their fellow Jews and looked at as traitors. To make things worse, they sometimes took more than they were supposed to. When Jesus passed through Jericho where Zacchaeus lived, he repented. He promised the Lord he would give half of his possessions to the poor, and would restore anything he got dishonestly fourfold. Jesus declared that salvation had come this house, and declared Zacchaeus a true son of Abraham. Sometimes it is impossible to undo our sins, and God will give us peace when we are truly repentant. He has already paid the eternal debt for our sins. However, if we have the opportunity, we should make reasonable efforts to also make restitution to our fellow man. This can be more than just money. God wants to restore damaged relationships (Matthew 18). Trust lost can be hard to win back, but is certainly worth the effort. Even if the other person does not respond, we can be made better by it.
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DENVER (KDVR) – A June fentanyl recovery on a Colorado interstate may have been the largest highway bust in U.S. history. Drug Enforcement Administration and local prosecutors touted Interstate 70 operation a few weeks later. But officials did not mention what happened to the man behind the wheel.
Fentanyl traffic bust, then an agreement
Colorado State Patrol stopped 27-year-old David Maldonado on June 18th for weaving, according to court documents. The state trooper noticed Maldonado was “exceptionally nervous” and even lied about where he was coming from.
A K-9 search revealed 114 pounds of powdered fentanyl in floor traps in his car, according to law enforcement. Maldonado later admitted that he was taking the drugs to South Bend, Indiana, according to Colorado State Patrol (CSP).
Domestic violence calls among most dangerous for law enforcement
Health officials in South Bend confirmed with Nexstar’s KDVR that they’ve had a string of fentanyl deaths. South Bend police also said they were made aware of the fentanyl coming to the city sometime in the summer.
CSP took Maldonado into custody on several potential drug charges, but after speaking with a DEA agent, he agreed to cooperate with federal investigators. The day after that stop, and after agreeing to continue to South Bend, agents lost contact with Maldonado ane he apparently removed a tracker from his vehicle.
Seizure touted, but no mention of eluding
Local prosecutors, members of law enforcement and the DEA held a news conference back in July talking about several fentanyl seizures in Colorado, including the one from Clear Creek County, where the stop was made, but they never mentioned Maldonado broke away from the DEA.
“Sometimes law enforcement has to take risks in order to get a greater return,” KDVR legal analyst Chris Decker said. He talked about how this situation is unfortunate but isn’t rare with drug investigations.
“We just don’t know. We can assume this was a calculated decision. Obviously, it didn’t go the way they had expected,” Decker said. “If they knew everything and didn’t need anything from this individual, they probably would’ve arrested him.”
FOX31 reached out to the DEA and received this statement, in part: “Those drugs have remained in law enforcement’s possession ever since. DEA is relentlessly pursuing the individuals that were involved in the trafficking of the seized fentanyl and will continue to do so.”
The agency told KDVR they would not comment further.
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I can’t believe my eyes….a flotilla of thirty-eight…yes THIRTY-EIGHT…white pelicans are passing before me on my lake. And each and every one of them is scooping up my fish as fast as they can. Damn!
I check my console and discover I left the default for ‘enable birds’ on. Oh well, there’s nothing I can do about it now. Dialing down the temperature a bit – seeing those annoying birds heated me up – I enjoy my cup of coffee on the dock while I revise my plan for the day. Fishing is still on, of course, but I won’t pack a lunch, I’ll spend some time at my desk researching a humane way to eliminate the pelicans.
Keeping an environment in balance is trickier than you’d imagine. The giant trout taught me that. If I bring in super raptors to hunt the pelicans, what will they eat when the pelicans are gone? My fish? When my neighbour engineered a virus to combat mold on his pineapples, the damn thing turned on him, would have killed him if I hadn’t gone over to complain about the peacocks’ continuous screeching.
But, my god, this is fun. Possibly more fun than fishing. It reminds me of the computer games I played when I was a boy, so very many years ago. In fact, I keep expecting to hear my mother pounding on my door, demanding, “Robert, get outside into the real world and turn that fake world off.”
No chance of that now.
The Story 365 project is a year-long marathon of short story writing, with a new story posted every day on this website from May 1, 2011 – April 30, 2012. Â Stories must be a minimum of 200 words. Â Please help me by adding first line suggestions in the Comment section.
Today’s first line was suggested by Arlene Dahl. Â Thanks, Arlene.
Story 27 – Pelicans. I really liked this one – it makes me think of my feeling about how the world was created -hm… there’s this big computer in the sky…
I had no idea what you would do with that line…totally took me by surprise…which I thoroughly enjoyed!
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May 10, 2022 by JoAnn Yao
Safiya Mirza dreams of becoming a journalist. And one thing she’s learned as editor of her school newspaper is that a journalist’s job is to find the facts and not let personal biases affect the story. But all that changes the day she finds the body of a murdered boy.
Jawad Ali was fourteen years old when he built a cosplay jetpack that a teacher mistook for a bomb. A jetpack that got him arrested, labeled a terrorist—and eventually killed. But he’s more than a dead body, and more than “Bomb Boy.” He was a person with a life worth remembering.
Driven by Jawad’s haunting voice guiding her throughout her investigation, Safiya seeks to tell the whole truth about the murdered boy and those who killed him because of their hate-based beliefs.
This gripping and powerful book uses an innovative format and lyrical prose to expose the evil that exists in front of us, and the silent complicity of the privileged who create alternative facts to bend the truth to their liking.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
So first, I was just wondering if you could tell me a little bit about your own personal background in terms of academics, ethnicity, anything you would like to share?
Sure. Well, I share some things with a lot of my protagonists. I’m an Indian-American Muslim, and you know, those are the stories that I focus on telling. I am actually not just a child of immigrants, I’m technically an immigrant myself because I came to the States when I was just a little baby. I was born in India.
Growing up, I didn’t really imagine being a writer. I mean, I loved reading. I kept a journal since I was in middle school and I loved writing poetry and stuff like that, but I never really thought of pursuing writing as a career. It wasn’t even that somebody had told me, you can’t do that, it was just that it was never in my mind or my imagination. There were a lot of other things I wanted to do, of course, I’m Indian, I wanted to be a doctor for a while! But I faint at the sight of blood, so that was out.
But I was a high school teacher for a while which I really loved, I taught high school English and I had really been inspired by my high school English teachers and I really loved literature just talking about literature, you know? And so I was a high school English teacher for a while, and the main thing that I really thought was so amazing about that job was just interacting with my students around, you know, the concepts of literature because those were so applicable just to life in a broader way. I think that’s one of the powers of literature. It connects us with each other to ourselves, and it also connects us with the wider world, to a world beyond the school walls. So I really, really enjoy that part. I didn’t love the bureaucracy and the grading so much.
Then after I left the classroom, I worked for a while in some education nonprofits in New York City, including one that sued the state of New York for inadequately funding the public schools. It was a victory we won, which is pretty cool! It was supposed to bring two billion plus dollars to high needs districts all across the state. But that, of course, is still being not litigated, but argued about in the Legislature because the money has not fully gotten to our schools. I also worked in an education nonprofit that helped create new small public high schools throughout New York City. One of the cool things about both of those jobs is in both of those positions I traveled to so many schools and I got to interact with all kinds of stakeholders, with students, with parents, with teachers, the broader community, and that was something that I really loved. Especially with the organization that was suing the state, it was also a very political job which fit really well with me because I got to go around the state of New York telling everyone how the Republican governor was underfunding schools and how that was terrible. So I really enjoyed being able to do that.
The whole time, though, I sort of wrote on the side, kind of just for fun, and eventually I got this idea for a story. So in college, I was an English major. I did my master’s in education. I never took a creative writing course in college. There was one visiting poet who came and was teaching a course at the University of Chicago, where I went to school, and I applied for that course, you submit poetry for it and they would choose because it was like a small seminar, and I did not get selected. So it is still possible to become a writer, even if you don’t have all those sorts of creative writing creds on your educational resume. Right? So all that time I was writing and then I got this idea for a story, but mostly the stuff I was writing was like poetry and personal narratives. And I placed like a few poems and a few little creative writing pieces and know sort of some online journals and that kind of thing. And I had done some poetry readings, and then I got this idea for a story, and it just would not leave my brain. And I was like, I think this is actually a novel. And that became my first book Love, Hate and Other Filters, which I wrote over a very long period of time because I was also working and all this other stuff.
So from there I was like, ‘You know what? I think I want to be a writer. I might as well try.’ As I always say to students, you know, it’s worth it to take a bet on yourself. The worst thing that could happen is I could write this whole book and it never gets published, I would “fail,” but you know, failure is part of just being a human. It’s part of our lives. Some people think of failure as a terrible risk, but to me, the risk was greater to not even try.
“The risk is greater to not even try.” That’s so true! So you mentioned that you were interested in writing; you kind of wrote on the side for a little bit. Were you ever interested in writing in a non-creative sense, so journalism, kind of like what the topic of this book is about?
Like my main character in Hollow Fires, I was also editor of my high school newspaper, which was really fun. When I was in high school, I wrote a column for a local paper. It was called “On Campus” and I lived in a small town, so it was a local paper that was actually a free paper, I think it was called the Windmill News. So I had a weekly column called “On Campus.” I can’t remember how much I got paid, like ten or fifteen dollars a column, I think. They were pretty short, it was just reporting on things that were happening in school, at the high school. A lot of it could be arts related, like a play, or interviews with certain things that were going on. But I also had some, as both an editor of my school newspaper and in writing for that column, I did have some sort of what some people would consider controversial topics. I talked about what some of the failures of the administration were. I wrote an op-ed about how I felt like the administration was really out of touch with the students and wasn’t visible and they were like the Wizard of Oz, hiding behind a curtain, trying to control everything. So that was interesting. It was actually pretty cool that the sponsor of the school newspaper, the teacher who kind of oversaw it, let that piece be published because that definitely got attention from the school administration because it was calling them out.
So, you know, like I said, I was always a political person. Even in high school, when our teachers were negotiating a new contract and were picketing, I organized the students in the school to wear like black armbands in support of our teachers and their union negotiations with the school board. I always enjoyed that and I really think that journalists have an incredible responsibility to report the truth and report facts. But you know, the more I learned about journalism, I could see ways in which biases seeped into this profession and into journalism. Over the course of my life, especially during the Trump administration, I really saw many ways that many journalists were shirking their responsibilities and so many professional news outlets were essentially being used by the administration to spread misinformation, and they would quote the president or other politicians without fact-checking them. And, you know, even as someone who was only trained as my high school newspaper editor, I knew how wrong that was and what a failure of journalistic ethics that was.
So all of those things, really: my experience as a teen who was writing both for the community and for my high school, and seeing how adults reacted to any time I wrote about things that were political—which is to say they often did not like it—plus seeing how misinformation is spread, it really made me want to address this. Because journalism is really, really important, right? It’s how the public can learn the truth of what’s happening. But at the same time, it can be used and manipulated as propaganda, and that’s incredibly, incredibly dangerous. So I wanted to sort of address some of those things because journalism also exists within our culture. Within structural white supremacy, within patriarchy, within all of those things. So journalists have a very important obligation to address those things and speak to it, and I think when we see Fox News say they’re fair and balanced, that’s just literally a lie. And sometimes I think we see this compulsion of some outlets to say, “Well, we have to cover both sides.” But the problem is, what are you going to do when you have, let’s say, a Nazi, versus someone who was saying, you know, “this is completely wrong”? Giving those sides equal time is wrong.
So a lot of that discussion was incorporated into my work in Hollow Fires. I mean, when I was a high school teacher, one of the things that I did in my classes was bring in newspapers or even advertisements, and I always wanted the kids to look at those and ask questions like, “What are they trying to convince you of? How are they trying to persuade you? And what of this is fact based? What of this is appealing to your emotions?” I do think it’s so important to apply those critical thinking skills to journalism, as the reader or the viewer we can’t just take it all as truth. And, you know, I was teaching it at the rise of the internet. It hadn’t quite become what it is now, but we need that even more now because young people and older people are just bombarded with all sorts of information, and it’s really, really important to know and to verify the truth.
But unfortunately, you know, especially under the Trump administration, we saw this rise in this concept of alternative facts. There is no such thing as an alternative fact, right? There’s the facts, and then there’s your opinion, and if you choose not to believe the facts that’s because you either want to spread misinformation or are willing to think that somehow your ignorance or your desire to spread ignorance is more important than actual facts and truth. Each of my chapters is in qualifiers for Safiyah’s voice and the whole book starts with this glossary on truth, fact, alternative facts, and lies. And right now, so much in our culture, those things are really getting twisted and mixed up, and that’s where a lot of gaslighting comes in, too, like when we know truth and facts, when we literally see it with our eyes. And then you have a president of the United States saying, “That’s not what happened.”
Yeah, definitely. There’s a lot of debate on whether objectivity even exists in journalism right now, right? Everyone is going to come at something with a subjective lens.
Of course! I mean, I say this all the time. There is no neutral. There is that neutrality is a myth. Objectivity is a myth. There’s no way to be 100 percent objective. But what you can do is be cognizant of that. Recognize that and be transparent about it.
Yeah, definitely. I agree. And I think you bring that into your book in really interesting ways by including the different clips from these new sources, like the alt right news sources that are kind of painting this terrible white supremacist view of all the events that unfold, and then the other news clips that are kind of like reporting, “Oh, this is what happened to this boy,” and then we have, of course, Safiyah’s columns and her own reporting on Medium and her “Be The Change” column. I thought that the structure of that was really interesting, and I wanted to know how you came up with that and how you put all those clips together.
So the novel has essentially three parts. It’s a dual POV. So we have Safiyah’s voice and we also have Jawad’s voice. Jawad—I mean, I don’t think it’s going to be a surprise and it’s not a spoiler because it’s literally on the book cover—Jawad is a ghost. And then we have the found document pieces: there’s newspaper articles, there’s blog posts, there’s things from social media, there’s transcripts from podcasts and from TV news. And I wanted to incorporate all of that because I wanted to really show how so much of what we consume, that media we consume, can just influence our worldview and how it can twist our worldview. And Safiyah is, as a young journalist and as an aspiring journalist, really learning how to grapple with all of those things.
And I wanted to show Safiyah’s story and Jawad’s story as they meet, and I wanted Jawad to have a voice too, because in listening to so many murder podcasts, one of the things that I find disturbing about a lot of murder podcasts is that it’s so solely focused on the perpetrator of the crime and the voice of the victim of the person who’s been murdered is lost. It’s necessarily lost because they know their life has been ripped away by the murderer, but there’s so much focus on the murderer, and the life of the person who was murdered, the victim, is completely almost erased, taken away. That person’s life was important. They were loved and they had dreams and hopes. And especially when we see media reporting about crimes, we know that they report crimes very differently when the perpetrator is Black or brown and the victim is white, versus when it’s the opposite.
I reference the Stanford rapist in the book, and I refer to him as a Stanford rapist because so much of our press referred to him constantly as the Stanford swimmer, the swimmer from Stanford. The photos that are often used when the person who’s committed a crime are white are not just their mugshot. They’re not just their perp walk shot. It’s, “Hey, this is them in their graduation cap! And this is them in their athletic shot for their varsity team! And they were an honor student.” And, you know, all the neighbors are interviewed and can’t believe that this kid would do this. “He was such a great kid.” But meanwhile, when the victim of a crime is Black or brown, so much of the press puts out their mugshot; their backgrounds are dug into as if somebody smoking pot 15 years ago made it okay that the police shot them now. It’s just such an unfair representation.
And this is not just my opinion. To write this book I did a lot of research. There’s a lot of people who investigate how crimes are reported in the press, and the terminology that is used for white criminals is totally different than what is used for what happens when the perpetrator is Black or brown, and the same thing for victims. When the victim is white, especially a white woman who goes missing—we recently had a case like this that was all over the press—they are going to get a lot more attention than when a brown kid goes missing or a Black child goes missing. And we see this time and time again.
This book was really inspired by real life events, things that have actually happened. I’m not going to say what all of them are because it ends up being spoilers. But a lot of my books are inspired by things that have happened in real life, in our history because history repeats itself and it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. So I wanted to try to address these issues of white supremacy and Islamophobia and racism and how those things are often perpetuated by media. Even though a journalist might say, “Well, I’m not perpetuating that. I’m not supporting this. I’m not a white supremacist. I’m not a Nazi.” And yet in their reporting style and in what they’re choosing to report—because everything the media reports is a choice, right? It’s not as if only one child has gone missing today—but, if one child is going to be reported about, what we’ve seen historically in the press is that it is a white child and most often a young white woman.
There has been, in both the United States and Canada but especially in Canada, a huge number of indigenous women who have gone missing. Where’s the reporting on this? Where is the attempt to solve these crimes? What’s happened to these women? You know, Tiffany Jackson has written books that kind of address this issue too. A young Black girl goes missing—why isn’t everyone looking for her? And in the case of this book, Jawad is a young Iraqi American, his family are refugees, and especially recently with what’s happening with the horrible situation in the Ukraine, we are seeing how refugees are treated very differently. In this country, in the United States, we want to reject refugees who are brown and Muslim, but we are more welcoming of refugees who are white. And I believe we should be welcoming all refugees. No one chooses to be a refugee.
So I did incorporate all those things that I just really wanted people to see; I didn’t try to exaggerate in those found documents. I did a lot of research, reading, unfortunately, a lot of right-wing blogs and listening to that, which was pretty painful to do, but I wanted to make sure that I was using the voice of those far-right blogs and “journalists,” because I didn’t want to present it in a way that made it seem fantastical or completely absurdist.
Yeah, it was very realistic. Scarily realistic. It must have been hard for you to write.
You know, honestly, I tell people this often: this book was really the most emotionally challenging book for me to write. We’re dealing with the murder of a young person, and I did have to research and go down these rabbit holes of how white supremacists prey on young people, how far right media casts aspersions. It was really so hard to look at that and think of how so many Americans believe that. It’s really painful, especially for our kids and how many of our kids are subject to that. And I especially think of how many of our kids are just lost that we never know about.
Right. Yeah, it was definitely a very heavy topic. But you did put it into this context of high school and the main person who is actually looking for Jawad is also in high school. Like you said, you do have so many similarities. Do you feel yourself relating to Safiyah at all or a lot?
Well, I’m an adult and Safiyah is not, but I definitely think that as a young person, when I was Safiyah’s age, I definitely could relate to her in a lot of ways. I mean, she’s very different. I try to create all my characters to be individual and not really based them on real people. But as authors, part of us exists in the book, whether we can recognize those pieces of ourselves in there or not. Safiyah really believes in what she’s doing. She has a strong bent toward social justice, and she really wants to make the world a better place and she also has a little bit of a naivete. She is just trying to figure out what her place is in the world and trying to understand her voice. That type of character is so inspired by so many young people that I taught.
I just feel like it was such a privilege to teach high school and to see so many young people. And even now when I’m not teaching anymore but I get to visit schools a lot, I’m so inspired by young people who are in school right now. How social justice is just part of their vocabulary in ways that it wasn’t in the ’80s and how there’s so many young people in the world who just want to do good, who want to be good, to try to make the world a better place, who are much more inclusive and welcoming of our diverse world than when I was a kid. When I was a kid, there were not diverse books, there was no We Need Diverse Books, and there were very few books from authors of color on our bookshelves in school. There were very few, if any, books by queer authors. There were no books by Muslims. That just wasn’t on our high school shelves. It was just classics.
And so do I relate to Safiyah? Yes, I relate to her in a way. But I also relate to the parents in the book because they’re my age. Their impulse is to protect their child, just like Jawad’s parents’ impulse to protect their child. And maybe that’s part of why it was so hard for me to write this book as someone who has interacted with so many children. When I was just in my first year of teaching, one of my students died in a terrible accident from a drunk driver and I think so much about that young person’s life. They were just this amazing, wonderful kid, and they meant so much to the community and it was devastating for their parents. I put a lot of that into the book. It was tough in a lot of ways because I just think as an adult, it is really my job and the job of all adults to create a world where all of our children, all young people, can thrive, where they can be themselves, where they understand that they’re loved and their voices matter, and that their identity is important, that we believe they are who they say they are. That’s so important to me and adults, time and time again, have failed.
In Hollow Fires, you see Safiyah being put in this position where she’s forced to find her courage. In a lot of my books, young people are placed in these difficult situations because of terrible choices adults have made or because of the willingness of adults to just, you know, turn away from a horrific situation. And then there’s Safiyah, she’s left with this tragedy that no one seems to want to address, and she’s like, “Well, no one else is going to do it. So I have to.” And I just really wish that adults weren’t putting kids in that position. I’ve met so many smart, brave, courageous young people and they end up having to be that way because of the world that adults have created and because of choices that adults have made.
So I do really like to address those things in my novels too, because, you know, right now we’re living in this world where books are being banned, where adults are constantly acting like they have to protect kids from stories by queer authors, from Black authors or Muslim authors. They’re banning books; they’re trying to erase us. They’re doing this under the guise of kids being uncomfortable or whatever. You know, it’s never kids who are uncomfortable with that. It’s always adults who are. I just think adults don’t give young people enough credit and they don’t understand how truly observant and smart they are. It doesn’t mean that young people don’t have to grow and mature and their brains are growing, and there’s a lot of things for them to learn, but I think adults give young people too short a stick, way too much.
So is that why you decide to write in a genre meant for a younger audience? Like young adult, realistic fiction?
Yeah, definitely. I write young adult, I have some middle grade fantasy, and I’m also writing Miss Marvel. So all three of those things seem really different, but I like to say that I always have this throughline of what I call revolutionary girls. Those are young women who are really finding their voices, who are standing up so often in difficult situations and saying, “This is wrong and this is the way we should be.” And sometimes, you know, those acts of revolution that I write about are very loud. Like Internment, it’s a young woman, Layla, trying to literally fight for her life and her family and to have her faith. And in other books, like my first book, Love, Hate and Other Filters, it was really about Maya fighting for her voice and for the life that she envisions for herself. And as her aunt says in that book, sometimes just being yourself is an act of revolution.
In Hollow Fires, in some ways, it’s really both. Safiyah is trying to find her voice, trying to grapple with expectations of everyone in the world around her, and unfair expectations, in a lot of cases, or unfair rules that are being placed on her. And she’s trying to emerge from that morass with herself intact, she’s finding her politics, and she’s developing her voice in this chaos. At the same time, she’s saying, “A young boy has gone missing and his life mattered and I’m going to make sure that all of you care about this person, that we try to find some justice for this young man because his life was important, and I don’t want to let that go.” In that way, she’s also fighting against the system. So she kind of encompasses both parts of this revolutionary girl thing that I like to write about. She’s trying to stand up against the system that is very broken, and she’s also trying to have her voice rise out of that chaos.
Safiyah definitely doesn’t get that happy fairy tale ending and, of course, neither did Jawad. I was wondering, why you think it’s important to have that type of representation—that not everything ends in the best way. So why did you decide to put her through all of that emotional conflict?
Saifyah faces incredible hardships. Obviously, Jawad is murdered, and she’s going through a deeply traumatizing experience, right? And I write about these experiences because they exist in reality. So many of our young people have to deal with trauma. They’re so often traumatized by what’s happening in the world around them, what’s happening to them, and not because of anything that they have done, but just by the mere fact that they exist. I do try to still put hope in every page because I don’t want my stories to be bleak, even when young people are dealing with difficult situations, and I do think that Safiyah at the end of the story knows that she has almost a mission in life, right?
Also, I really feel as an author for young adults that I have a responsibility and ethical obligation to write the truth and I want to bear witness to what happens to young people. Whether it’s in my own family or my community or into all the schools I visited, the students that I’ve taught, I just think that’s so important as a writer for young adults. I feel like I have an incredible privilege to be able to write for young people and to be a part of their lives. I remember books that were important to me that I read when I was in middle school and high school and how they really shaped who I am and my worldview. That’s an incredible privilege, but I also have this responsibility—which is to trust my reader, to write for an intelligent reader because my readers are intelligent. Young people are smart and savvy. I often say that I write the world as it is to imagine the world as it could be. Because young people are creating that world, as it could be.
And so even when my characters are faced with bleak situations, difficult situations, they still emerge. They’re able to emerge from those situations, not as totally broken, but I still hope I’m instilling in them a sense of hope, you know? Maybe they’ve fallen down, but they get back up. Even in writing Miss Marvel, it’s part of it. She is a superhero, right? So she has powers that other people don’t, but what is most amazing about her is that she’s also just a regular girl. She’s a girl like all the other girls, and she’s imperfect, she falls down just like all of my characters that I create, but they learn to get back up, they learn to persist and endure and fight back.
I’m so inspired by young people that I see around me. We have examples of young people who are doing incredible things like Malala, or Greta Thunberg, or the Parkland students or Little Miss Flint. Those are people who are in the press, but here in Chicago, high school students have been on the forefront of trying to ensure that they receive a higher quality education, that they have the same educational opportunities as other people do. They are advocating and marching out for school safety, against gun violence, and you don’t always see this in the press, but I see it because it’s in my community. During COVID, there was a young person in my community who was very young, like middle school young, and he knew that the nursing homes in the area didn’t have masks. Remember, there was a shortage of masks in the beginning of the pandemic? And he learned to sew, to make masks, to deliver to nursing homes. He got some of his friends to learn to sew, and they created masks together to go and deliver to nursing homes because nursing homes were so horribly affected by the pandemic. That to me is amazing, that this young person did that. He was a middle school kid and he learned to do this. To me, that was a revolutionary act. My characters are inspired by all these incredible acts of kindness and revolution that I see in young people from my community to our broader world.
Earlier, you were also mentioning that when you were in middle school and high school, there weren’t really these characters that you could see yourself in. There weren’t really diverse books. What do you hope that characters like Safiyah and Jawad will do for the young readers of today?
I think that every child deserves to see themselves as a hero on the page and I also believe that our shelves should reflect our world. Literature and stories are ways that we connect to each other, right? Humans have been telling stories since the advent of language. We tell stories as a way to show a piece of ourselves to connect to another person. And for so many young people, definitely in my generation and through generations, they haven’t been able to see themselves as the hero on the page—as the astronaut, as the superhero, as the brave one. When you see it, you can be it. Imagination is so, so, so important.
I remember when I was in fourth or fifth grade, the teacher had this poster in her classroom with a picture of Einstein with this quote that says, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” And I was a total bookish kid, and I was like, “What does that mean?” It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that when you could imagine yourself in a place, that is how you can build a scaffold to get yourself there. I want young people who read my books, young brown kids and Muslim kids, to find a piece of themselves in the story. But I also think that more broadly, if you don’t share any of the intersections of the main characters in my books, then that’s okay. You should read it too, because that’s a way to expand your world. It’s a window into someone else’s life. When you can see that, you can also realize that there is no other, it’s only us.
I once had a librarian say to me, “Well, you know, there’s no Muslim kids in my town or Muslim families, so how do I convince the library director to buy your book and have it on our shelves?” And I was like, “You don’t need to be from the exact same background as the author or the characters. You don’t need to be the same as the characters to read a book.” I read Lord of the Rings and I’m not a hobbit! And I still enjoyed some parts of the books. Not the racist part, but I enjoyed a lot of those books, and I never saw a character that looked like me, and I just imagine how empowering it would have been to see that. To have a Safiyah when I was a high school journalist and to see her doing what she was doing. Sometimes those stories can make you feel a little bit less alone. Sometimes those stories can empower you. Sometimes those stories can make you think, “Wow, I don’t really share much in common with any of these characters, but, I also feel burdened by the expectations that others have put on me. I also feel like I need to help my family in certain ways, I also butt heads with my parents just like this character who doesn’t share a single intersection with me.”
I met this one teacher who was teaching in southern Illinois, a rural community. Everybody was white in that community, white and Christian. It was a small, small rural community, and she was teaching Internment and I was like, wow, it’s a pretty brave choice to teach this. And she said that most of the kids, they had never met a Muslim. They never met a Muslim and there were no Indians who lived in their town, and she said that it was a pretty amazing experience to teach it because it was really the first time the kids had come across seeing a Muslim character that wasn’t a terrorist. So much of media portrays Muslims as the bad guy, the terrorist, the person to be scared of. It was just so profound of a moment when she was telling me this, to think that this was the first chance these kids had to see a Muslim character who was a teenager in a terrible, terrible circumstance was but was still a teenager and who was fighting really for her country to be a better place. And she said that she was really surprised at how much the kids could relate to that character.
When districts and adults try to ban diverse books or books from authors with diverse backgrounds, they are causing so much harm and damage. Deeply, to the kids whose identities are essentially being banned, when they’re being told, “Well, you’re erased. You don’t have a right to exist.” But they’re also damaging the lives of every single kid in that school because all kids should have a right to access those stories. I’ve seen in my own experience and in talking to so many teachers how powerful it is for people who aren’t from your exact background to read those stories too. I just find it absolutely infuriating when I hear, especially politicians, talking about, “Well, these stories don’t reflect our values” or “These stories don’t reflect our community.” What you’re saying is, oh, so human values don’t reflect your community. The existence of human beings on this earth is something that you reject.
I mean, the fact is the global majority is not white. In our public schools now, we’ve essentially reached the majority minority or we have equal numbers of white students and non-white students. Are you actually going to deny the world in which we exist? In my point of view, our shelves should reflect our world and they don’t yet. Organizations like We Need Diverse Books have been pushing since its entire existence for this and we have made some inroads, but we still have a long way to go. Part of the issue is that stakeholders in so many of these school districts and libraries and even in bookstores have to step out beyond themselves to really understand that our shelves should reflect our world, that every child should see themselves as a hero on the page and the stage. I just think that’s so important. I’ve met a ton of people who are doing incredible work and trying to really move the needle on this.
And at the same time, I’ve been in districts where there were flurries of complaints after I spoke because I’m too brown, too Muslim, too political. And a lot of parents in a couple of districts in particular were really enraged that I had been invited to speak there. But, I won’t be erased and I won’t let them censor me. All of these stories deserve to be told.
They definitely deserve to be told. Do you have a feeling that this book might be censored, just given what’s going on with book censorship right now?
Well, all of my books have been challenged! All my young adult books have been challenged, or I call it silently banned. I know because teachers are emailing me or DM’ing me and telling me, “Well, I tried to get your book, but they won’t allow us to teach your book.” And different things like that. So I know that my books have been challenged in districts, and I know that they have been soft banned or silently, quietly banned. I’m sure this book will be no different, and this book very specifically addresses white supremacy. That is the reality of the world in which we live. I am not afraid of it.
But I will fight it, because like I said, I will not allow malicious powers and bigots to erase me or to erase the voices of people who are writing from marginalized backgrounds in this country. No. There’s more of us than there are of them. There are more people who believe this story should exist, and we just need our voices to get louder and we need to work locally to raise our voices, to run for school board, to flood school board meetings and say this is wrong. I mean, Nazis banned books, Nazis burn books. That’s literally history, first books are banned and then they’re burned, and we cannot allow that to happen.
Well, thank you! I think that was a really good note to end on. I did want to ask about any future projects you might have, or if you maybe wanted to tell me what you can about Miss Marvel?
Sure! I’m not doing the Miss Marvel TV show, I’m doing the Miss Marvel comic and I’m doing a mini series, and the final one is coming out at the end of April. And then the collection, where they’re all put together into a single graphic novel, is going to be coming out in June around the same time as the TV show, which I’m excited about, but I’m not working on.
So Hollow Fires comes out in May. In September my next middle grade fantasy, the second book in my middle grade duology, comes out, Amir & Hamza: The Quest for the Ring of Power. In 2023, I’m working on this very exciting project co-editing an anthology of South Asian voices who are writing science fiction fantasy, and that anthology is called Magic Has No Borders. So I’m very excited about that too! We’re editing those stories right now and they’re so good! I can’t wait to share all those. So those are just some of my current projects.
Well, I’m excited to see them. I saw your tweet about the anthology and I was like, wow, I can’t wait to read this!
I know, I’m excited about it, too. The stories are just so good and we actually got to do an open call. To find a couple of new voices, because I think it’s so important that once you’re in the industry, you help open the door for others. This is one way that we can do that. We had this open call for unpublished writers to submit short stories for the anthology, and we got almost 100 submissions. It was amazing; there are a lot of good ones. It’s been taking us a while to read through all of them—I mean, a hundred submissions? It was pretty cool and it was just amazing because I can’t imagine when I was a kid in high school, if I saw an anthology of YA stories written by other South Asians around, South Asian stories and mythology and folklore and epics, I would have been wowed. And then to think that there’s 100 people who submitted and took the time to send us these stories, it’s blown me away. It’s so amazing.
Credit: Erielle Bakkum
Samira Ahmed is the New York Times bestselling author of Amira & Hamza: The War to Save the Worlds Love, Hate & Other Filters, Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, Internment, and Hollow Fires. She was born in Bombay, India, and has lived in New York, Chicago, and Kauai, where she spent a year searching for the perfect mango. She invites you to visit her online at samiraahmed.com and on Twitter and Instagram @sam_aye_ahm.
Dhanika Pineda is a Literary Journalism and English student at the University of California, Irvine. She is an aspiring journalist who is passionate about storytelling in a way that is more helpful than harmful, more accurate than trend-worthy, and more honest than persuasive. When she’s not reading and writing for classes, she’s usually still reading and writing for fun. She especially enjoys cultural narratives, poetry, and fantasy. To give her eyes a break from words, she likes to cook, bake, and nap. You can find her on Twitter @DhanikaPineda.
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Tagged: Asian American author, Hollow Fires, Indian American author, Muslim author, Samira Ahmed, South Asian author, YA, young-adult
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