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You don't have long to wait now before the next volume arrives from the Armadaverse: I Dream of Damastion is now available as a Kindle pre-order!
It's been a dry couple of years for Armada Wars fans, and this expansion episode should hopefully slake your thirst prior to the release of the final full novel in the current series.
Set during the events of The Ravening Deep, IDOD takes a sideways step from Caden and the others, and follows a different set of characters as they discover and resist Voice on a smaller and more claustrophobic scale.
The People pages under the Universe category have now been completed for all characters seen or mentioned so far in the Great War of the Shaeld series. This literally includes every named character, from civilians seen in passing to each and every member of Tanker Regiment seen in the last book.
[Edit: since this article was first posted, new index pages have also been added for all characters by surname, all the women, and all the men.]
This feels like a great achievement, since there are over 100 named characters, many of them linked to various events throughout the four existing novels and beyond.
The "upcoming characters" page has now been removed, so the new characters who will be arriving in Perseus Aflame will be added to this site when the first book from that series — On Vicious Wing — is actually approaching its release date.
Some characters from the first of the upcoming GWOTS-era novellas, however, do have partial profiles on the site already. These are:
That novella is of course I Dream of Damastion, which should be released before the end of the year and may help to tide people over until the much-delayed release of Whom Gods Shall Fear. The protagonist of another novella — A Storm to the Savage — also now has her own holding page. Watch this space.
For serious fans of the Armadaverse, it's highly recommended that you take a deep dive into lore by reading the background and insights into your favourite characters!
The roadmap for The Great War of the Shaeld has now been updated to include the covers of From Shattered Stars and the two omnibus editions, as well as the placeholder for Whom Gods Shall Fear.
Many of you will have been disappointed at the postponement of 2016's promised novellas, I Dream of Damastion and The Granite Whistle, and I imagine even more disappointed at the lack of From Shattered Stars appearing on the Kindle store and Amazon paperbacks list.
Firstly, an abundance of profuse apologies for the wait. And I really do mean that, because I know that a year is a long time to wait between books. Granted, many series gain new entries over several years (and sometimes even decades), but this was not supposed to be one of those.
The reason for these delays is, essentially, the curse of 2016. As it was for many people it was a horrible, horrible year for me. Just because it will be remembered — amongst other things — as the year in which gravitational waves were proven to exist, doesn't mean it wasn't lousy, demoralising, demotivating, and generally... well, shit.
I'm not going to go into the details here, because they are quite personal. Also that would feel very much like proffering excuses. Suffice to say that if you're angry at me for not having these titles out yet you can rest assured that I've paid for it.
So my plan now is to act as if 2016 never happened, in writing terms. The launch of From Shattered Stars is now the priority, since the novellas are not essential to the overall story; they are merely there to expand the universe a bit and offer different perspectives on the Great War.
The good news here is that the delay has allowed me to further develop several major plot points and character arcs. The novel which will be released this spring is going to be quite different from the book which would have appeared in December had I slogged away at it through all the heartache of 2016. The opening few chapters now have a more logical, internally consistent structure than I originally planned. Some key characters are now exposed to events and conversations which better utilise their established personalities and recent histories, and which also set them up wonderfully for all the terrible things they will have to face in the finale, Whom Gods Shall Fear.
So in some ways, this has actually been a helpful interlude!
Those of you who were looking forward to reading the side-episodes for The Ravening Deep will of course have noticed by now that they have not yet materialised.
Long story short, real world events have hampered my progress with the two novellas. My pre-readers and 'inner circle' fans are aware of what has happened to get in the way, but that's not for here.
The outcome is that if I continue to work on I Dream of Damastion and The Granite Whistle, then the fourth novel — From Shattered Stars — will suffer a delay.
That's not something I want to happen. I very much want to maintain the release cycle, and I'm pretty sure readers will be more interested in the resolution of TRD's cliffhanger ending and the continuation of what is now a full-blown war story.
So my plan now is to pause the novellas and get working on FSS to ensure it's out on time. I'll just have to come back to IDOD and TGW. Nothing is really lost, because although the novellas all link to the main story arc they aren't required reading. They simply expand the events a little with some different characters, places, and situations.
I'd imagine most fans will support this decision. But if not, by all means leave a comment!
If you're enjoying Armada Wars, you may also like The Calypsis Project by Canadian author Brittany M. Willows.
The Calypsis Project is the first volume in a duology (with the second part, TCP: Rebirth, due soon), and will also get an additional prequel volume, TCP: Pulse.
As anticipated the Throam T-shirts have arrived in the store today, as have the posters with text (Steal from the Devil, List of the Dead, The Ravening Deep, the value packs of those three, and I Dream of Damastion.)
The sharp-eyed might notice lots of prices have dropped since the store first appeared, in particular the poster value pack and the T-shirts.
To make things extra special we are launching the store with some voucher codes. These are valid to the end of May 2016. The codes are:
Further voucher codes are available, but you need to be a member of the official Facebook fan group to access them.
The synopses for two upcoming episodes have now been made public, here and on Goodreads.
You may have read the synopsis already for the imminent novella I Dream of Damastion, which is due within the next month. Added this week was the synopsis for the second novella — The Granite Whistle — which also expands the third novel in the current story.
Sneaked onto the site at the same time was the book page for the fourth novel in the series, which also includes that all important, panic-and-joy-inducing synopsis. That's right: you can get your teaser fix for From Shattered Stars right now!
The cover art for the imminent novella I Dream of Damastion is here at last! Behold.
The book page for the upcoming novella I Dream of Damastion now exists, and with it comes a summary of the plot.
Pre-order links and so on will arrive in due course, and you can expect the cover art reveal to happen some time in the next week.


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The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his deep concern over the continuing violence in occupied East Jerusalem, as well as the possible evictions of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan neighborhoods.
In a statement issued by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, the UN Chief urged "Israel" to "cease demolitions and evictions, in line with its obligations under international humanitarian and international human rights law."
"Israeli authorities must exercise maximum restraint and respect the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. All leaders have a responsibility to act against extremists and to speak out against all acts of violence and incitement," he stressed.
The Secretary-General urged that the status quo at the holy sites be upheld and respected.
The Secretary-General reiterated his commitment, including through the Middle East Quartet, to supporting Palestinians and "Israelis" to resolve the conflict on the basis of relevant United Nations resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.
Source: This news first appeared in the Gulf Times, along with the cover photo, captioned as: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

domain: politics


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Darleni Silva gets out of bed before 6 a.m. every day. The 34-year-old walks for about an hour along a dirt road in Macapá, the capital of the state of Amapá in northern Brazil. She holds her daughters Dhaffiny, 4, and Djennifer, 2, by the hand as they navigate mud and puddles, trying to keep their balance as they edge over a sewer pipe and cross a busy road.
There is no time for rest in the 3 miles that separate the family home from the girls’ school in the Jardim Felicidade neighborhood. Silva has just been able to enroll one of her six children in a state school — and being late could mean she loses that precious place.
“I wasn’t able to go to school, and I want her to have an education so that she can have a better future,” Silva, who works as a domestic cleaner, told HuffPost Brazil. “We can’t risk losing our spot. I’m a single mother and count on the school lunch. Sometimes I can’t feed her.”
Silva’s story is far from rare in Amapá. The state has one of the worst rates of access to education in Brazil: About 48,000 children under 4 are not currently enrolled in school. In Macapá, only 104 out of 39,300 children have been able to benefit from the city’s lone state-run child care facility, according to the 2018 education census.
Given these numbers, it’s no surprise that unemployment among Macapá’s women is over 54%. The lack of child care is only one of the many difficulties mothers face in Brazil’s unforgiving labor market.
Only 32% of all children under 3 in Brazil have access to day care. The law mandates that children must be in school from the age of 4, and in 2014 the government set a goal of providing child care for at least half of all children under 3 years old by 2024.
Women are legally entitled to 120 days of maternity leave, which can be extended to 180 days at the discretion of companies (public sector workers are entitled to the full six-month leave). Maternity leave guarantees job stability for a certain period of time, but is not enough to keep women in work in the medium term, according to a December 2016 survey from the think tank Fundação Getúlio Vargas. Mothers between 24 and 44 years of age with children under 1 have an employment rate of 41%, the survey found, while 92% of fathers in the same age bracket are employed.
FGV also found that 48% of the women surveyed had to leave their jobs in the first year after giving birth.
That’s what happened to Gisleine Moreira, 30. She lost her job earlier this year after returning from maternity leave because she couldn’t find adequate child care for her 8-month-old son, Mateus.
“They said I was missing too many days of work. And I had no one to look after him, so I had to make the decision of not showing up,” said Moreira, who lives in São Paulo and is separated from Mateus’ father.
She is still waiting on a day care spot to open up for her son. “The only way I can make it to work is by leaving him in day care,” she said. “There’s no other solution.”
Brazil ranks 77th out of 179 countries on a list of the best places to be a mother, according to figures released as part of Save the Children’s State of the World’s Mothers report. The ranking evaluates mothers’ economic and education status, as well as children’s health and well-being. Brazil is far behind countries such as France (23rd), the United Kingdom (24th) and the United States (33rd), but it is also lagging behind its neighbors Argentina (36th), Ecuador (61st) and Venezuela (74th).
One Day Care In Town
In Loteamento Amazonas, a poor neighborhood in the north of Macapá that lacks basic sanitation, Vitória Veloso is about to turn 6 without ever having set foot in a classroom. She lives with her parents and eight siblings.
Vitória’s mother, Maria Edina Veloso, said she couldn’t secure a spot for her daughter in either day care or school. More than 4,000 people live in the neighborhood, but it has just one elementary school, which only holds 240 children over the age of 6.
“The only available day care is far away, in a different neighborhood,” Veloso said. “I’d have to take three buses, and I can’t afford it. My older boys, for example, spend two hours every day commuting to school.”
Veloso is a domestic cleaner, and she often brings Vitória and Pedro, 3, along with her — when her employer agrees. The boys’ grandmother also lends a hand in caring for the children.
Not far from the Velosos’ home, there’s a plot the size of a soccer field that was meant to be the site of a new day care facility for the Lagoa Azul municipality. Construction was expected to start in June 2018 and last a year. Ten months later, there are still no signs of the work having been started.
The project is part of the “Fazendo Escola” (Making Schools) program, a 2014 campaign promise from the Rede Party that was signed into law in 2017 by then-Mayor Clécio Luís. The plan was to build 10 day care facilities in Macapá, as well as renovate and upgrade many elementary schools. In the program’s first phase, around 53 million reais (about $13 million) were invested, but only one day care center has been delivered so far.
When questioned, the city’s education department said work had stopped because it is still waiting for funds from the federal government.
“Cities lack the resources to implement public policies and reach goals,” said Francisca Antônia da Costa, Macapá’s undersecretary for education.
The situation is somewhat better in São Paulo, Brazil’s largest city. In the past two years, over 61% of children under 3 have been enrolled in day care. But a survey from this year found that over 34,000 kids were still waiting for a spot to open up.
Hairdresser Adenilda Ramos da Silva, 37, is one of those in line. She has been trying since 2016 to secure a place in a special school for her daughter Jennifer, 21, who has cerebral palsy. For the last two years, she’s also been waiting for a day care spot for Lorena, 2.
“There’s no way I can work and care for them,” she said, with a sigh. “I bake cakes to make ends meet. But only when there are orders, and those are rare.” Her husband works as a superintendent in an apartment building, and his is the sole source of income for the family.
An Ambitious Goal
Reaching the government’s ambitious goal of having 50% of all children under 3 enrolled in day care by 2024 would mean securing places for more than 1.9 million children — an unlikely prospect, experts say.
All of Brazil’s major cities are lagging behind the target, according to data provided by the respective education departments. One possible reason is that investment to build day care facilities is just part of the picture.
“If you spend 2 million reais [around $500,000] on construction, which is the average amount needed, you’ll need the same amount every year to keep it running,” said Daniel Cara, who runs the nongovernmental organization Campanha Nacional pelo Direito à Educação, or the National Campaign for Educational Rights.
Cara said this is one of the reasons for the abandoning of Proinfância ― a program from the Dilma Rousseff administration, which lasted from 2010 to 2016, to build and equip day care facilities.
“Mayors stopped construction works because they couldn’t afford to run the operations,” he said. “They would rather not open them.”
Education budgets as a whole have been shrinking in the past few years, from 1.9 billion reais (about $460 million) in 2014 to 332.3 million reais (about $81 million) in 2017.
And it’s the poor who are hit especially hard by the lack of child care: About 46.2% of richer Brazilians have access to some form of day care, compared to only 22.3% of the poorest 20% of the population.
“These are the most worrisome numbers, as lack of access to day care only reinforces the social and economic gap that divides these families and these children. This perpetuates the poverty cycle,” said Beatriz Abuchaim of the Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, an organization focused on childhood development. “These are mothers who have to care for their children and can’t hold a job, which makes the family even poorer.”
The wage disparities between women with children and women with no children is also telling. The average monthly salary of a woman with no kids is 2,115.39 reais ($516), according to IBGE, the federal government agency responsible for official statistics. Mothers make 25% less than that ― 1,560.50 reais, or $380.
The gap is not as wide among men. Those who have children make 2,000.28 reais a month, on average, while men without kids make 2,228.77 reais ― 11% more.
Even if mothers are able to secure a spot in day care for their children, they face many other obstacles.
After a year trying, Vanderléa Ferreira, 33, finally managed to secure a place for her 1-year-old son, Lucas, in February. But in order to keep up with work and household chores, she relies on her older children to pick up the slack.
Ferreira, who has six kids, leaves work at 5:30 p.m., and her commute takes over an hour. Sabrina, 13, is responsible for picking up her little brother from day care at 4:30 p.m.
Public defender Edgar Pierini Neto said the city of São Paulo needs more day care facilities ― and that they should be full-time and closer to where people live.
“Full-time day care is the ideal,” he said. “Mothers would have the opportunity to truly enter the job market, and would be able to drop their children off at day care and pick them up afterwards.”
A Collective Effort
Whether it’s in a metropolis like São Paulo or an area like Macapá, women everywhere are rallying together to make up for the shortcomings of the state.
Nurse Carmem Duarte, 60, welcomes moms and kids at her home in the Congós neighborhood of Amapá’s capital. Hundreds of families there live on palafitas, or shacks supported by stilts and built above a contaminated lake formed by the overflow of the Amazon River. Congós has no electricity or basic sanitation.
“We have seen kids drowning here. Mothers have no alternative but to leave them at home when they go to work,” said Duarte, who oversees tutoring for the kids, as well as capoeira classes and playtime. Her current goal is to have local women take technical classes so they can find better jobs.
In Heliópolis, a poor neighborhood in São Paulo, Roselaine Oliveira Gralha, 46, has been doing the same thing for the past 12 years: caring for kids under 5 while their mothers go to work. She is known as a “mãe crecheira,” or a “day care mom.”
Gralha said she loves what she does, even though it’s an informal occupation. In São Paulo and in Distrito Federal, there have been bills to regulate the “mãe crecheiras,” but they never made it into legislation. Gralha is paid 150 reais a month (around $35) for every kid who spends the day at her place.
She said most local women — regardless of whether they’re mothers — don’t have full-time jobs and rarely make more than the minimum wage, currently 998 reais a month ($243).
“I can relate,” she said. “I’m a mother, too. They still have to pay rent, electricity bills. How are they supposed to make ends meet? There’s no money left, not even to eat.”

domain: news


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What is the definition of Pagan vs Wiccan? This question is asked over-and-over-and-over in the spiritual community. And some people claim to be one or the other without even truly knowing the difference themselves. If you want to know the difference between these two spiritual terms, the answer is really simple.
What is Paganism?
Paganism, by definition, is any spiritual practice or religion that doesn’t fit under the umbrella of the world’s majority religions. To be specific, any religion or spiritual belief that isn’t Christian, Jewish, Muslim or Buddhist can fall under the pagan umbrella. Paganism is also used to describe ancestral pre-Christian beliefs and practices, such as old Celtic and Norse traditions.
What is Wicca?
Wicca is a modern pagan religion founded in the 1930s by a man named Gerald Gardner, which began growing in popularity around the 1960s and 1970s. It is a nature-based witchcraft-centered religion that borrows a multitude of symbols, beliefs and traditional tid-bits from other cultures. Wicca is also the most commonly cited religion among people who identify as pagan or as witches.
What’s the difference?
The Pagan vs Wicca definition is simple. If you think about pizza, you know that there are many different flavors and types of pizza — but every different pizza is still a pizza. This same observation can be applied to knowing the difference between Paganism and Wicca. Paganism is the pizza, and Wicca is just one of the many different flavors of pizza. Get it yet?

domain: sociology


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When the NFL released it's 2023 schedule back in April, things were looking grim for the Arizona Cardinals. At first glance, there weren't a whole lot of games that seemed like sure victories for head coach Jonathan Gannon's group. In fact, a number of the league's analysts believed that the Cards would struggle to win a single matchup.
The Cincinnati Bengals, this coming weekend's opponent, are just one of the teams that were expected to beat up on the Cardinals. Fortunately, things haven't been going great for the squad that will pay visit to State Farm Stadium in Week 5. Cincy's offense, in particular, has looked mostly dreadful through the first month of the season.
Just last month, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was signed to a five-year, $275 million extension by the club's front office. A few days later, the 26-year-old began one of the worst stretches of his four-year professional career.
Through the first four contests, Burrow has completed an ugly 57.6% of his throws for the Cincinnati offense. This from a passer who just two years ago led the league with a sparkling 70.4 completion-percentage rate. Burrow has been credited with just two touchdown tosses, and the Bengals have stumbled to a disappointing 1-3 start.
Week 5 opponent's underperforming offense could be just what the Arizona Cardinals defense needs
Burrow's subpar play has obviously filtered down to Cincinnati's talented set of wide receivers. Ja'Marr Chase, a two-time Pro Bowler, has yet to find the end zone and is averaging a lousy 9.6 yards per reception. Number-two wideout Tee Higgins has had a bad case of the dropsies, and Tyler Boyd has been somewhat of a non-factor.
The Bengals rushing attack has also been nothing to write home about. Joe Mixon is averaging a mediocre 4.2 yards per carry, and has scored just once. A huge difference from what the Arizona defense had to go up against in Week 4.
Last Sunday, the Cards basically had zero answers for the San Francisco 49ers running game. Christian McCaffrey registered 106 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and also added another 71 yards and a score on seven catches.
What McCaffrey did to the Cardinals is nothing new. The two-time Pro Bowler, when healthy, may be professional football's most explosive weapon. It was the ease in which McCaffrey knifed his way through the Arizona defenders that raised some concerns.
Following last week's debacle, defensive coordinator Nick Rallis' contingent desperately needs a bounceback performance. Burrow's injured calf could make him a sitting duck for a Cards pass rush that has looked formidable at times. Putting an ample amount of pressure on the Cincinnati signal-caller will go a long way in assuring that Arizona notches their second triumph of the '23 campaign.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference and ESPN.com)


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Throughout the history of the British Isles, the land that is now the United Kingdom has been a major music producer, drawing inspiration from church music and traditional folk music, using instruments from England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Each of the four countries of the United Kingdom has its own diverse and distinctive folk music forms, which flourished until the era of industrialisation when they began to be replaced by new forms of popular music, including music hall and brass bands. Many British musicians have influenced modern music on a global scale, and the UK has one of the world's largest music industries. English, Scottish, Irish, and Welsh folk music as well as other British styles of music heavily influenced American music such as American folk music, American march music, old-time, ragtime, blues, country, and bluegrass. The UK has birthed many popular music genres such as beat music, psychedelic music, progressive rock/pop, heavy metal, new wave, and industrial music.
In the 20th century, influences from the music of the United States, including blues, jazz, and rock and roll, were adopted in the United Kingdom. The "British Invasion"—spearheaded by Liverpool band the Beatles, often regarded as the most influential band of all time—saw British rock bands become highly influential around the world in the 1960s and 1970s. Pop music, a term which originated in Britain in the mid-1950s as a description for "rock and roll and the new youth music styles that it influenced", was developed by British artists like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, whom among other British musicians led rock and roll's transition into rock music.
Background and classical music edit
Music in the British Isles, from the earliest recorded times until the Baroque and the rise of recognisably modern classical music, was a diverse and rich culture, including sacred and secular music and ranging from the popular to the elite. Each of the major nations of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales retained unique forms of music and instrumentation, but British music was highly influenced by continental developments, while British composers made an important contribution to many of the major movements in early music in Europe, including the polyphony of the Ars Nova and laid some of the foundations of later national and international classical music. Musicians from the British Isles also developed some distinctive forms of music, including Celtic chant, the Contenance Angloise, the rota, polyphonic votive antiphons and the carol in the medieval era.
Church music and religious music were profoundly affected by the Protestant Reformation which affected Britain from the 16th century, which curtailed events associated with British music and forced the development of distinctive national music, worship and belief. English madrigals, lute ayres and masques in the Renaissance era led particularly to English language opera developed in the early Baroque period of the later seventeenth century. In contrast, court music of the kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, although having unique elements remained much more integrated into wider European culture.
The Baroque era in music, between the early music of the Medieval and Renaissance periods and the development of fully fledged and formalised orchestral classical music in the second half of the eighteenth century, was characterised by more elaborate musical ornamentation, changes in musical notation, new instrumental playing techniques and the rise of new genres such as opera. Although the term Baroque is conventionally used for European music from about 1600, its full effects were not felt in Britain until after 1660, delayed by native trends and developments in music, religious and cultural differences from many European countries and the disruption to court music caused by the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and Interregnum. Under the restored Stuart monarchy the court became once again a centre of musical patronage, but royal interest in music tended to be less significant as the seventeenth century progressed, to be revived again under the House of Hanover.
British chamber and orchestral music drew inspiration from continental Europe as it developed into modern classical music. The Baroque era in British music can be seen as an interaction of national and international trends, sometimes absorbing continental fashions and practices and sometimes attempting, as in the creation of ballad opera, to produce an indigenous tradition. However, arguably the most significant British composer of the era, George Frideric Handel, was a naturalised German, who helped integrate British and continental music and define the future of the classical music of the United Kingdom that would be officially formed in 1801.
Musical composition, performance and training in the United Kingdom inherited European classical traditions of the eighteenth century (above all, in Britain, from the example of Handel) and saw a great expansion during the nineteenth century. Romantic nationalism encouraged clear national identities and sensibilities within the countries of the United Kingdom towards the end of the nineteenth century, producing many composers and musicians of note and drawing on the folk tradition.
These traditions, including the cultural strands drawn from the United Kingdom's constituent nations and provinces, continued to evolve in distinctive ways through the work of such composers as Arthur Sullivan, Gustav Holst, Edward Elgar, Hubert Parry, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Benjamin Britten, Michael Tippett, Peter Maxwell Davies and Harrison Birtwistle. Notable living British classical composers include Michael Nyman, James MacMillan, Jeremy Peyton Jones, Gavin Bryars, Andrew Poppy, Judith Weir, Sally Beamish and Anna Meredith.
Timeline of British classical music, and its preceding forms edit
Folk music edit
Each of the four countries of the United Kingdom has its own diverse and distinctive folk music forms. Folk music flourished until the era of industrialisation when it began to be replaced by new forms of popular music, including music hall and brass bands. Realisation of this led to three folk revivals, one in the late-19th century, one in the mid-20th century and one at the start of the 21st century which keeps folk music as an important sub-culture within society.
English folk music edit
England has a long and diverse history of folk music dating back at least to the medieval period and including many forms of music, song and dance. Through three periods of revival from the late nineteenth century much of the tradition has been preserved and continues to be practiced. It led to the creation of a number of fusions with other forms of music that produced subgenres such as British folk rock, folk punk and folk metal and continues to thrive nationally and in regional scenes, particularly in areas such as Northumbria and Cornwall.
Gaels folk music edit
Northern Irish folk music edit
Ireland, including Northern Ireland, has vibrant folk traditions. The popularity of traditional instruments such as fiddles has remained throughout the centuries even as analogues in Great Britain died out. Perhaps the most famous modern musician from Northern Ireland influenced by folk tradition is Van Morrison.
Scottish folk music edit
Scottish folk music includes many kinds of songs, including ballads and laments, sung by a single singer with accompaniment by bagpipes, fiddles or harps. Traditional dances include waltzes, reels, strathspeys and jigs. Alongside the other areas of the United Kingdom, Scotland underwent a roots revival in the 1960s. Cathy-Ann McPhee and Jeannie Robertson were the heroes of this revival, which inspired some revolutions in band formats by groups like The Clutha, The Whistlebinkies, The Boys of the Lough and the Incredible String Band.
Welsh folk music edit
Wales is a Celtic country that features folk music played at twmpathau (communal dances) and gwyl werin (music festivals). Welsh music also includes male voice choirs and songs accompanied by a harp. Having long been subordinate to English culture, Welsh musicians in the late 20th century had to reconstruct traditional music when a roots revival began. This revival began in the late 1970s and achieved some mainstream success in the UK in the 1980s with performers like Robin Huw Bowen, Moniars and Gwerinos.
Early British popular music edit
In the sense of commercial music enjoyed by the people, British popular music can be seen to originate in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries with the arrival of the broadside ballad, which were sold cheaply and in great numbers until the nineteenth century. Further technological, economic and social changes led to new forms of music in the 20th century, including the brass band, which produced a popular and communal form of classical music. Similarly, the music hall sprang up to cater for the entertainment of new urban societies, adapting existing forms of music to produce popular songs and acts. In the 1930s, the influence of American Jazz led to the creation of British dance bands, who provided a social and popular music that began to dominate social occasions and the radio airwaves.
Modern British popular music edit
Pioneering and developments edit
Britain has influenced popular music disproportionately to its size, due to its linguistic and cultural links with many countries, particularly the United States and many of its former colonies like Australia, South Africa, and Canada, and its capacity for invention, innovation and fusion, which has led to the development of, or participation in, many of the major trends in popular music. Forms of popular music, including folk music, jazz, rapping/hip hop, pop and rock music, have particularly flourished in Britain since the twentieth century.
In the early-20th century, influences from the United States became most dominant in popular music, with young performers producing their own versions of American music, including rock n' roll from the late 1950s and developing a parallel music scene. During the early 1960s, the British Invasion, led by the Beatles, further entrenched British performers as major drivers of the development of pop and rock music. According to the website of The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the term "pop music" "originated in Britain in the mid-1950s as a description for rock and roll and the new youth music styles that it influenced".
The Oxford Dictionary of Music states that while pop's "earlier meaning meant concerts appealing to a wide audience [...] since the late 1950s, however, pop has had the special meaning of non-classical mus[ic], usually in the form of songs, performed by such artists as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, ABBA [a Swedish act], etc." Since then, rock music and popular music contributed to a British-American collaboration, with trans-Atlantic genres being exchanged and exported to one another, where they tended to be adapted and turned into new movements.
Britain's most significant contribution to popular music during the 20th century was towards the expansion of rock music. Progressive rock was predicated on the "progressive" pop groups from the 1960s who combined rock and roll with various other music styles such as Indian ragas, oriental melodies and Gregorian chants, like the Beatles and the Yardbirds. According to AllMusic, the emergence of psychedelic rock in the mid-1960s resulted from British bands who made up the British Invasion of the US market. Many of the top British bands during the 1960s experienced art school during their youth, and espoused an approach based on art and originality—which came to create art rock.
As a diverging act to the popular pop rock of the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, heavier-driven sound that came to define hard rock. Heavy metal was created by British musicians, including acts like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Glam rock, which was developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s, was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter—this is widely associated with David Bowie. Rolling Stone argued that the Sex Pistols, a prominent punk rock band, came to spark and personify one of the few truly critical moments in pop culture—the rise of punk during the 1970s.
Music historian Vernon Joynson claimed that new wave emerged in the UK in late 1976, when many bands began disassociating themselves from punk. Gothic rock emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s by bands including Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure. Other subgenres of rock invented by or radically changed by British acts include blues rock, ska, British folk rock, folk punk, shoegaze, and Britpop.
Post-rock era edit
In addition to advancing the scope of rock music, British acts developed avant-funk and neo soul and created acid jazz. Whilst disco is an American form of music, British pop group Bee Gees were the most prominent performers of the disco music era in the mid-to-late 1970s, and came be to known as the "Kings of Disco" by media outlets. The Second British Invasion, which derived from the British Invasion of the US in the 1960s, consisted of music acts from the United Kingdom that became popular in the United States during the early-to-mid 1980s primarily due to the cable music channel MTV.
These synthpop and new wave associated acts often featured on the American pop charts, and according to Rolling Stone, brought "revolution in sound and style". New Pop became an umbrella term used by the music industry to describe young, mostly British, androgynous, and technologically oriented artists such as Culture Club and Eurythmics. Boy George of Culture Club was a leading figure in the new romantic movement which became a major part in the Second British Invasion of the US. British rock bands, most notably Def Leppard and Iron Maiden, also became part of the renewed popularity of British music. Newsweek magazine ran an issue which featured Scottish singer Annie Lennox of Eurythmics and Boy George on the cover of its issue with the caption Britain Rocks America – Again, while Rolling Stone would release an "England Swings: Great Britain invades America's music and style. Again." issue in November 1983. Pop-star George Michael was one of the most popular acts of the MTV Generation, cementing this position with his hugely successful Faith album in 1987.
During most of the 1990s, Cool Britannia—a period of increased pride in the culture of the United Kingdom, inspired by the 1960s Swinging Sixties—was coined due to the success of the girl band Spice Girls and Britpop acts Blur and Oasis, which led to a renewed feeling of optimism in the United Kingdom following the pessimistic tone of the 1970s and 1980s. The electronic subgenres trip hop, dubstep, and industrial originated in Britain during the 1990s. During the 21st century, blue-eyed soul came to be dominated by British singers, including Amy Winehouse, Duffy and most notably Adele, who has broken several sales and chart records. Adele has won more Grammy Awards than any other woman who was born outside the US. This wave of popular British soul singers led to a consideration of whether a third British Invasion was taking place—this time a soul invasion—in contrast to the 1960s rock and pop, and 1980s new wave and synthpop invasions.
English singer Ed Sheeran was the foremost folk-orientated artist of the 2010s; the Official Charts Company named him artist of the decade, with the most combined success in the UK album and singles charts in the 2010s. Globally, Spotify named Sheeran the second most streamed artist of the decade. London formed English-Irish pop boy band One Direction were one of the biggest teen idols of the 2010s. Little Mix, a pop girl group and the winner of the eight series of the British version of The X Factor, established themselves as the UK's biggest girl group and one of the best-selling girl groups in the world.
Immigration musical impact edit
Highlighting the influence of immigrants in the United Kingdom during the 21st century, British African-Caribbean people created grime, Afrobeats, and afroswing. Grime has been described as the "most significant musical development within the UK for decades." In addition, British Asians have popularised Bhangra within the South Asian diaspora.
See also edit
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Curtis' death wrapped an already mysterious group in legend. From the press eulogies, you would think Curtis had gone to join Chatterton, Rimbaud and Morrison in the hallowed hall of premature harvests. To a group with several strong gothic characteristics was added a further piece of romance. The rock press had lost its great white hope, but they had lost a friend. It must have made bitter reading.
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- (in French) Audio clips: Traditional music of the United Kingdom. Musée d'ethnographie de Genève. Accessed November 25, 2010.
- Some traditional sea shanties

domain: history


text:
A compromise and settlement is defined as an amicable settlement of bonafide differences or uncertainties. Construction and enforceability of a valid compromise or settlement agreement is governed by the legal principles applicable to contracts[i]. A settlement agreement is a contract and is governed by the traditional requirements for contracts[ii]. In other words, a valid compromise and settlement must have the same elements as a contract. Generally, a valid compromise and settlement is considered as final, conclusive, and binding upon the parties. However, a compromise and settlement can be put aside if there is evidence of bad faith, genuine mutual mistake undue advantage or fraud[iii].
A compromise agreement operates as a merger and bars all preexisting claims and causes of action. Merger is defined as the substitution of rights and duties under judgment or decree for those under property settlement agreement[iv]. A compromise agreement which results in a dismissal with prejudice of the claims asserted constitutes a final judgment on the merits which bars any new actions[v]. In other words, a judgment entered by the court on consent of the parties after settlement or by stipulation of the parties is as valid and binding as a judgment between the parties and bars a later action on the same claim or cause of action as the initial suit[vi].
The compromise agreement is substituted for the antecedent claim or right, and the rights and liabilities of the parties are measured and limited by the terms of the agreement. It was observed in Pacheco v. Delgardo, 46 Ariz. 401 (Ariz. 1935) that a minor can repudiate any compromise or settlement of any right of action s/he has before his/her majority, unless it is made by a authorized guardian. Similarly, if a former guardian voluntarily comes into court for the purpose of obtaining a settlement of his/her late guardianship, this is fully authorized by law even without a summons or other process of the court[vii].
All preliminary discussions are merged into the settlement agreement. If a court finds that an agreement is enforceable and valid, it cannot look behind it or beyond it in order to determine damages. If the language of the agreement shows any intent to make it part of the divorce decree and the agreement is incorporated in the decree, then the provisions of the agreement can be enforced as an order of the court[viii]. However, a property settlement agreement incorporated into a divorce decree cannot be enforced as a court order, unless the agreement is merged with the divorce decree[ix]. If a settlement agreement or any of its provisions are incorporated in the decree and the decree orders the performance of such agreement, then the agreement or provisions so incorporated are merged in the decree and can be enforced only as the order of the court[x].
However, a merger clause in a settlement agreement will not bar the assertion of claims of common law fraud allegedly inducing a party to enter into the agreement. Likewise, when a party enters an agreement settling a prior action, such party will not waive any current claims that such settlement agreement is breached. If more than one remedy or theory of liability initially is available for the antecedent claim, and if one remedy or theory is pursued and results in a compromise and settlement, a subsequent action to obtain relief for the same claim is barred even if it is based upon a different theory. However, bar of an election of remedies will not apply to the assertion of distinct causes of action against different persons arising out of independent transactions with such parties[xi].
[i] United States v. Fairway Capital Corp., 433 F. Supp. 2d 226 (D.R.I. 2006)
[ii] Am. Nat’l Prop. & Cas. Co. v. Nersesian, 2004 WI App 215 (Wis. Ct. App. 2004)
[iii] Holland v. Virginia Lee Co., 188 F.R.D. 241 (W.D. Va. 1999)
[iv] Johnston v. Johnston, 297 Md. 48 (Md. 1983)
[v] Webb v. First Nat’l Bank, 219 Mont. 160 (Mont. 1985)
[vi] Willerton v. Bassham by Welfare Div., 111 Nev. 10 (Nev. 1995)
[vii] M’Leod v. Mason, 5 Port. 223 (Ala. 1837)
[viii] Sonder v. Sonder, 378 Pa. Super. 474 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1988)
[ix] Garcia v. Garcia, 19 Phila. 502 (Pa. C.P. 1989)
[x] Shogren v. Superior Court of San Francisco, 93 Cal. App. 2d 356 (Cal. App. 1949)
[xi] Lomas & Nettleton Co. v. Huckabee, 558 S.W.2d 863 (Tex. 1977)

domain: law


Hyundai Motor Increases European Production Capacity to Half a Million Units
- Hyundai Motor expands capacity at Turkish plant to 200,000 units
- Investment of EUR475 million creates more jobs and expands supplier
- 90% of vehicles sold in Europe will be built in the region by 2014
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwired) -- 07/23/13 -- Hyundai Motor
has completed the expansion of its European manufacturing plant in
Turkey, increasing the company's new-car production capacity in
Europe to 500,000 units per annum.
Built in 1997, Hyundai Assan Otomotive Sanayi (HAOS) in Izmit,
Turkey, is Hyundai's longest-operating manufacturing facility outside
Korea. Originally capable of producing 60,000 units per annum, a new
shift was introduced in 2007 which saw this rise to 125,000 cars per
year. This latest investment will increase capacity further, to
200,000 vehicles annually by 2014. The upgrade will allow the
facility to build the forthcoming New i10 city car in addition to the
New i20 hatchback.
The success of HAOS, in which Hyundai has invested more than EUR1
billion in total, led to the construction of Hyundai's second
European facility, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech. Located in
Nosovice, Czech Republic, the factory produced 114,000 new cars in
its first year. Production has steadily increased since then, and the
factory now works around the clock at full capacity, producing
300,000 cars per annum.
95% of all Hyundai's new cars sold in Europe are designed and
developed in Europe. The latest investment in Hyundai's Turkish
facility means that by the end of the year 90% of vehicles sold in
Europe will also have been built in the region.
Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor
Europe, commented: "The expansion of the plant in Turkey and our
manufacturing capacity in the region demonstrates Hyundai's
increasing commitment to Europe. Our European factories will allow us
to build the right cars for the region and to continue supporting
communities and suppliers throughout Europe."
The expansion of Hyundai's factory in Izmit, Turkey has created a
further 2,804 jobs at HAOS and at its suppliers.
Hyundai has a further 150,000 units of annual production capacity at
its plant in St Petersburg, Russia, supplying the domestic market and
About Hyundai Motor
Established in 1967, Hyundai Motor Co. has grown into the Hyundai
Motor Group, with more than two dozen auto-related subsidiaries and
affiliates. Hyundai Motor - which has seven manufacturing bases
outside of South Korea including Brazil, China, the Czech Republic,
India, Russia, Turkey and the U.S. - sold 4,4 million vehicles
globally in 2012. Hyundai Motor, which employs over 80.000 worldwide,
offers a full line-up of products including small to large passenger
vehicles, SUVs and commercial vehicles.
Further information about Hyundai Motor and its products is available
About Hyundai Motor Europe
The company designs, engineers and manufactures cars in Europe,
specifically for European consumers. In 2012, Hyundai achieved
European sales of 444.000 units, taking a new-car market share of
3,5%. Almost 95% of the vehicles Hyundai sells in the region are
designed, engineered and tested in Europe. And more than 70% are
built at its two local factories (Czech Republic and Turkey),
including the New Generation i30, which was shortlisted for Europe's
2013 Car of the Year award and has won 14 awards throughout the
region. Hyundai sells cars in 28 European countries across 2.500
Hyundai offers its unique, Europe-only, Five Year Triple Care
warranty package with all new cars sold in the region, providing
customers with a five-year warranty with no mileage limit, five years
of roadside assistance and five years of vehicle health checks.
More information about Hyundai Motor Europe and its products is
available at www.hyundai.com/eu.
Head of PR
01494 428646 or 07771 975692
Media Relations Manager
01494 428685 or 07817 264224
Product & Corporate PR Manager
01494 428634 or 07584 702031
01494 428617 or 07812 086167
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text:
A former Royal Air Force (RAF) engineer claims that British intelligence agency MI5 paid people to create crop circles in order to discredit UFOs and the crop circle phenomenon.
The UFO cover-up conspiracy isn’t limited to the United States. And at the recent UFO Truth Magazine International Conference, David Clayton, who reportedly served at RAF Netheravon in Wiltshire in the 1960s, alleged that MI5 actively attempted to discredit UFO sightings.
Clayton reportedly acknowledged that most crop circles since the 1990s have been manmade. But he alleged that most of those were created at the request of MI5. They were “paying people to muddy the waters” in an effort to make UFO research seem laughable, he claimed.
Event organizer Gary Hestletine (British ufologist and retired police detective) supported Clayton’s claim, adding that the government has a policy to debunk claims of UFOs or other mysterious phenomena.
UK media outlet Express says it has contacted MI5 and is awaiting confirmation of Clayton’s claims.
I don’t think MI5 will be too quick to come out and say, “Blast! That bloody UFO bloke is right. You got us!”
But a former government official has already gone on record stating that the British government attempted to cover up and downplay UFO reports.
Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) had a dedicated UFO desk responsible for investigating UFO reports. The MoD closed its UFO desk in 2009 and released its UFO records to the public. Nick Pope, who was the desk officer from 1991 to 1994, told Huffington Post journalist Lee Speigel in 2011, “What’s abundantly clear from these files is that, while in public we were desperately pushing the line that this was of no defense interest.” But he continued, “We were telling the public we’re not interested, this is all nonsense, but in reality, we were desperately chasing our tails and following this up in great detail.”
Pope also acknowledged the government’s efforts to mislead people. He said one tactic used to downplay UFO reports was to refer to witnesses as “UFO buffs” or “UFO spotters” to make them sound less credible. The government also used terms like “little green men” in reports to make UFO sightings seem silly, attempting to reduce the chance of the media picking up the story.


This time of quarantine can have a wide range of effects on people depending on life circumstances as well as their age.
Barrette Plett is a counsellor at Recovery of Hope in Winkler and is also a teacher with the Garden Valley School Division. Plett says his training and specialization as a counsellor is with families and children, however, he sees clients in all areas.
Plett says the pandemic has forced an upheaval in our daily routines, and we’ve been left making our new routines and schedules as we go. He says, for a lot of people, that has been leading to something that can be referred to as decision fatigue.
He says we’re usually on autopilot for many of our decisions throughout the day, and now we have to make decisions about more things throughout the day. Having to make more decisions takes mental energy, Plett added. “The more decisions we have to make about small things we used to not have to make, like, do I take the kids along to the grocery store or not? Should I use my hand sanitizer before or after I go into the grocery store? There are all these decisions, and it just makes us feel drained.”
Plett says, because this is new territory for almost everybody, we don’t have any comparison points to past experience, so it’s hard to know whether we’re doing a good job or not. He says we can only compare to what we see on social media, and on social media, we are often getting a false picture, as it often looks like someone else is handling the situation perfectly.
The decision fatigue Plett is seeing right now is something he would often see when someone experiences a major life transition like a death in the family or employment change, where someone or a family is trying to establish a new normal. The difference now, it’s happening so rapidly, and it’s happening to everybody. “Most of us have that one solid friend we could turn to, and now that friend is trying to figure things out.”
Even if it’s only week by week, Plett recommends wherever possible, to try and set new routines.
“As we go through this journey, it’s important that we give ourselves grace, and we need to forgive ourselves, and not hold ourselves to too high a standard,” says Plett. “We’re all doing the best we can.”
Plett adds, for parents, wherever possible, they should try to find ways to do self-care. “Especially for a lot of parents who are spending more and more time with their kids than they’ve been used to. If they can find ways to get out, and get a break, that’s important.”
As we remain in a time of waiting, and with the uncertainty of not knowing when this will end, Plett says that can become an uncomfortable place to be. “I think it’s important, because of the uncertainty, to not put things on hold and just feel like we’re waiting, then we feel trapped. I think, if we like we can act, if we take actions that are manageable for us, it will help us to feel like we’re not just stuck and waiting.”
Unplugging from social media and news as much as possible can also help reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed by the situation. “To unplug and disconnect from that as much as possible, and to get outside and be in nature is therapeutic. Just being outside and getting fresh air, those are important things.”
Just like adults, the uncertainty of the situation surrounding COVID-19 can cause similar stress for young kids and teenagers.
For a lot of young kids, Plett says not getting to see family and friends, and not getting hugs from their grandma can be stress triggers. “Even if they see people, not getting to touch them or hug them. Kids don’t respect personal space the way that adults do. They like to be close, they’re close talkers, they are tactile, so it’s really tough for kids not to be able to connect in those ways.”
Plett says kids can also take on the stress of their parents. “I don’t want to say that, and make parents worry, that now, because they’re stressed, they have to not be stresse,d so that their kids aren’t stressed, that’s just a vicious cycle. But it is something to notice.”
Kids also thrive on routine, so that may also be causing some stress for kids.
Meanwhile, since social distancing measures began in response to the pandemic, Plett notes he’s spoken to a few other practitioners who work with kids that have behavioural challenges. He says they’ve noted a number of those kids aren’t having as much trouble because some of the daily pressures they usually face have been reduced.
When it comes to teenagers, Plett notes one big difference is that many are feeling an acute lack of connection with their peers. He says developmentally teenagers are looking to differentiate with their parents and to connect with peers. “They’re very focused on friendships so it’s very hard not being able to see their friends although with technology they can feel connected. I think the other thing for some teenagers, especially those in grades 11 and 12 and maybe just after high school, they’re wondering how this will affect their graduation and plans for after high school.”
Plett says when kids do talk to their parents or an adult, it’s important for the adult to know that they won’t always have an answer or solution. “If a kid raises a concern that we can’t solve, like when are we going back to school? Kids are going to have lots of concerns right now that we can’t do anything about, and it’s really okay for us as parents to say, you know, I’m wondering about that too, it’s really hard not knowing.”
Plett says we can hold back on our instinct on trying to solve the kid’s problems because it’s also validating and helpful for people just to have their concerns heard and validated, even if there isn’t anything we can do to alleviate those concerns.”
Reprinted with permission from Pembina Valley Online


text:
Santa Fe Real Estate: What to Expect in 2023
Exploring Santa Fe’s Popular Neighborhoods
Santa Fe is a vibrant city with a variety of different neighborhoods that offer a variety of living options. Whether you’re looking for a quiet residential area, an up-and-coming urban district, or a bustling downtown area, there’s something for everyone in Santa Fe. Popular neighborhoods include Downtown Santa Fe, the Railyard District, and the Southside, all of which offer unique shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
What Types of Homes Are Popular in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe is a city full of historic charm, and that is reflected in the types of homes that are popular in the area. Many of the homes in Santa Fe are adobe-style homes, with thick walls and flat roofs. These homes are often tucked away in hidden courtyards or nestled in the hills. There are also many modern homes in the area, built in the last few decades. These homes often have a more modern look and feel, but still have many of the same features as their older counterparts.
What Are the Benefits of Living in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe is a great place to live for many reasons. It has a low cost of living, a vibrant cultural scene, and a wide variety of outdoor activities. The city is home to several colleges, including the University of New Mexico, which is just a short drive away. The city is also home to numerous parks and trails, making it the perfect place to live if you love the outdoors.
What Are the Drawbacks of Living in Santa Fe?
As with any city, there are a few drawbacks to living in Santa Fe. The city is located in a semi-arid climate, which means it can be quite hot and dry during the summer months. Additionally, Santa Fe can be quite expensive, especially if you’re looking for a more luxurious home. Finally, the city is home to a wide variety of different cultures, which can make it difficult to find a sense of community.
Are You Ready to Move to Santa Fe in 2023?
Santa Fe is a great place to live, and it has a lot to offer potential homeowners. With its diverse neighborhoods, low cost of living, and vibrant culture, it’s no wonder why so many people are choosing to call Santa Fe home. If you’re ready to move to Santa Fe in 2023, make sure to do your research and explore all of the city’s offerings to find the perfect spot for you and your family.

domain: geography


text:
Isle of Palms, SC - Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies announced today that Julie Peeples has recently completed the requisite FINRA exams and an internal training program to become a financial advisor with the company. In this position, Julie’s responsibilities will include developing comprehensive financial plans, reviewing client portfolios, conducting investment research, and handling the day-to-day operational needs of the company and its clients.
Julie began her career as a client advisor in the property and casualty insurance markets at PURE insurance, a New York-based high-net-worth insurance carrier, and then at New York Life as a life insurance agent. To fulfill her entrepreneurial spirit, and interest in fitness, health, and wellness, Julie co-founded Baseline, a personal fitness training company in Charleston, South Carolina. At Baseline, Julie spent a year developing the company’s business and marketing strategies and helping people achieve their health and wellness goals. In early 2022, Julie joined the Jeter Hrubala team, realizing she could combine her diverse background with a passion for building relationships through exceptional service, helping people achieve life goals, and developing and implementing sound financial wealth strategies.
Julie is a graduate of Wofford College with a Bachelor of Science in finance and a minor in economics.
During her time at Wofford, she served as a member of the James-Atkins Student Managed Investment Fund, was a research assistant for the economics department and led the Purple Scarf Society, a female mentor and business organization.
Beth Jeter Hrubala, President and Founder of Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies, added “We are very fortunate to have Julie join our team. She has already been a great help in supporting our client’s needs and our growing business, both in the Lowcountry and the Upstate of South Carolina.”
“I am thrilled to join the team at Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies,” said Julie Peeples. “I look forward to having the opportunity to make a positive impact on our clients’ lives by helping them achieve their financial goals and live the life that they desire.”
Julie is based in the Isle of Palms office located at 103 Palm Boulevard, Suite 2C, Isle of Palms, SC 29451.
Julie can be reached by phone at 843-405-7219 or via email at firstname.lastname@example.org.
The team of advisors at Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies offers investment management and financial planning services to individuals and families throughout South Carolina. The team works with clients who are seeking an ongoing partner to assist them in making financial decisions and growing, managing, and sustaining wealth. Although the team enjoys serving a diverse group of individuals and families, each with their own goals and interests, the team is particularly proud of the services they provide to women who are experiencing a major life transition, such as a divorce, the loss of a loved one, or a career change. The company has offices at 101 West St. John Street in Spartanburg, SC, and 103 Palm Boulevard in Isle of Palms, SC.
More information can be found at www.jhwealthstrategies.com or by calling 864-764-1789.
SCBIZtv is part of the SC Biz News family, serving 100,000 high-level business execs throughout South Carolina. Click for more from SCBIZtv.

domain: finance


text:
Dividend Visa Infinite credit card spot from Juniper ParkTBWA showcases how cash back rewards can help further client ambitions
CIBC has launched a new campaign for the CIBC Dividend Visa Infinite credit card, reminding responsible spenders of the benefits of having a credit card with cash back rewards. The campaign, which taps into the nostalgia of youthful hobbies and the joy of pursuing creative passions as an adult, was created in collaboration with Toronto-based creative agency, Juniper ParkTBWA.
The spot opens with a reference to the past, showing a young girl taking photos with several cameras, including a one-time use model, while her older self simultaneously muses about her longstanding ambition for a professional camera. In the present day, the now adult woman contemplates purchasing a new camera, but battles with the decision as she considers the cost. Reflecting on her love for photography, the protagonist remembers that with cash back from CIBC’s Dividend Visa credit card, she has access to extra funds. True to CIBC’s new brand platform ‘Ambitions Made Real’, the CIBC logo, modelled as a metaphorical portal to achieving her ambitions, enables her to upgrade her equipment and continue her lifelong passion for photography.
“Canadians love rewards, and we wanted this campaign to be a celebration of what you could do with cash back from a CIBC Dividend card to pursue your ambitions,” said Esther Benzie, vice president, marketing and client communications, CIBC. “This spot speaks to making long-held dreams a reality, with the CIBC Dividend card as a means to achieving this, responsibly.”
“By tapping into happy memories of hobbies or passions that may have been on the backburner in recent years, this spot demonstrates that the cash back from the CIBC Dividend card can be used for something that makes you happy – whatever it may be.” says Paul Little, group creative director, Juniper ParkTBWA.
To encapsulate the feeling of nostalgia and differentiate between the past and present, two different camera styles were used within the spot. In the scenes set in the past, the use of a Hi8 camera gives a vintage, home video look-and-feel. Custom music was also created for the spot, courtesy of OSO Music, to connect the past and present with a soundtrack that has both modern and retro elements.
This is the first credit card campaign, and the sixth campaign overall, launched as part of CIBC’s new and transformative ‘Ambitions Made Real’ brand platform. The campaign launches nationally this week across TVC, OLV and social, and will be in market until the end of the year. Supplemental digital assets are also set to be released later into the campaign, showcasing around 30 additional hobbies or passions that CIBC clients care about. The campaign was directed by James Lees and produced by Soft Citizen. Post-production was handled by Rooster, music and sound design by OSO, and Media was handled by MediaCom.
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER: Des Jones
VP STRATEGY: Sohail Bhatia
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER: Jenny Glover
GROUP CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Paul Little
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Gira Moin
MANAGING DIRECTOR: Nicole Glickman
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR: Melissa Barfield
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Sasha Watson
SR. PRODUCER: Dena Thompson
SVP, BRAND & MARKETING: Tammy Sadinsky
VP, MARKETING & CLIENT COMMUNICATIONS: Esther Benzie
SENIOR DIRECTOR, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, PRODUCT & SERVICES: Angela Sarino
DIRECTOR, CREDIT CARD MARKETING: Cindy Chen-Ng
SENIOR MANAGER, CARDS ACQUISITION: Jeff Timmons
PRODUCTION CONSULTANT: Lori Estabrooks
DIRECTOR: James Lees
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Eva Preger
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Link York
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Rob Burns
LINE PRODUCER: Rob Jacklin
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Melissa Khan
EDITOR: Michelle Czucar
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domain: artistic


The PAP Community Foundation website has been hacked by the group of hackers calling themselves 'The Messiah'.
Citizen journalism website STOMP was alerted to the defaced website by their reader Jim Jones, who provided a link to the site and a screengrab.
This is the second case of vandalism targeted at childcare centres today, the first being a case of obscene graffiti scrawled on the wall at Sweetlands Childcare Centre in Woodlands.
Thus far, there is nothing to indicate that the two attacks were linked, and it could well be a coincidence that both acts happened on the same day.
The Messiah had also previously targeted the personal website of singer Sun Ho, wife of City Harvest Church founder Kong Hee.
Visit STOMP for more stories.