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The aim of this contribution to the debate is to combine historical insights into the meaning of money with the latest technological developments in the digital age, to compare visions with realities and to develop options for action for shaping the digital transformation of money.
The 10 most successful bank robberies in human history, in which the equivalent of US$1.62 billion was taken at sometimes massive expense, seem like the work of amateurs compared to the US$3.78 billion taken by cybercriminals in 2020 alone. In a world where tech companies are spearheading campaigns to create a new cryptocurrency and bitcoin is surpassing the US$50,000 mark because a visionary electric car maker wants to recognise the cryptocurrency as a means of payment, some fundamental questions arise: How must money be defined in a digital world to reliably fulfil the characteristics of a universally recognised store of value and medium of exchange? And what changes will result if so-called stablecoins challenge the banks’ classic deposit business and their traditional business models?
SAVE THE DATE: 29 September 2021 – 11.30 a.m. Berlin Time
It‘s a great pleasure giving a keynote at the VÖB-Service GmbH #VSK2021 Conference and to discuss with financial industry experts fundamental questions about the FUTURE OF MONEY
The ten most successful bank robberies in human history, in which the equivalent of US$1.62 billion was captured at great expense, seem almost like the work of amateurs compared to the US$3.78 billion captured by cybercriminals in 2020 alone. In a world where tech companies are spearheading campaigns to create a new #cryptocurrency, where bitcoin is surpassing the US$50,000 mark because a visionary electric car maker wants to recognise cryptocurrency as a means of payment, Jochen Werne, Member of the Executive Board Prosegur Germany, asks some fundamental questions. “How must money be defined in a digital world in order to fulfil the characteristics of a generally recognised and reliable store of value and medium of exchange?” Or also: “What changes are coming to the financial industry when #Stablecoins spread and challenge the classic deposit business of banks?”
In our stream Digitalisation at #VSK2021, Jochen Werne presents possible answers to these and other questions.
Be there and register today for the #Kreditwirtschaft congress on Wednesday, 29 September! 👉 https://lnkd.in/gMe2g59
Reflections by Jochen Werne, Chief Development & Chief Visionary Officer Prosegur Germany (published in Prosegur Express 02/2021)
In all debates on analogue and digital means of payment, “trust” is always at the centre of the discussion: trust in the state-social order, which stands as a guarantor for stability and security of the fiat money issued. In this respect, some would almost like to marvel at how Bitcoin & Co. have managed to gain such trust in such a short time that a market capitalisation in the billions has been achieved. One of the points is certainly the technological confidence in the non-manipulability of the blockchain. But is the blockchain really not manipulable, or is it rather a question of time before an attack will succeed? And what conclusions are central banks around the world drawing from this as they look at creating central bank digital currencies? Currencies designed to bridge the gap between the stability of analogue central bank money and the demands of our digital age.
Perhaps the solution for a trustworthy and generally accepted today and now lies in a hybrid model: in a cryptocurrency, in form of a stablecoin, that is 100 per cent backed by physical central bank money. This means that every digital token has a unique physical counterpart (euro). Due to the tradability of the tokens, the flexibility of book money is paired with the guarantee of physical central bank money. Last but not least, a regulated trustee function guarantees that the existing and securely stored central bank money is always paired with its digital twin. Thus. the best of both worlds is firmly united.
The possibility to buy Bitcoins with cash in a regulated process at a designated ATM intelligently combines the best of both worlds. As Germany’s market leader in cash transport and processing, Prosegur guarantees secure cash handling for Europe’s largest operator of Bitcoin ATMs.
Find details about the project in this article from t3n, translated with Deepl.com. Find original HERE
Sutor Bank has announced a number of cooperations in the fintech sector in recent years. In the future, the tradition-rich bank will set up Bitcoin ATMs in Germany. The project will be implemented as a cooperation with the Hamburg-based Sutor-Bank, the Austrian Kurant, which claims to be Europe’s largest operator of Bitcoin ATMs, as well as the startup Spot9 with the participation of IDnow, Coinfirm and Prosegur. According to the participants, this is a unique cooperation that meets all the requirements of the German banking supervisory authority Bafin – and the number of participants already suggests how high they are. Their rules include, for example, compliance with money laundering guidelines and the secure identification process of customers, which IDnow takes over. Finally, Prosegur is involved as a security service provider in the area of cash transport and processing and is supposed to guarantee secure cash handling.
Last week, the first machine was set up in Berlin – in the medium term, a nationwide network of Bitcoin machines is to be set up. “Spot9’s vision is to enable everyone, even without extensive prior knowledge, to use our Bitcoin ATMs. That is why it is very important for us to understand exactly how customers behave at the vending machine before we open the additional locations,” says Johannes Gorski, CEO of Spot9.
Vending machine solution: Easier than buying bitcoin via an exchange
The vending machine solution is intended to be a safe and easy-to-understand alternative to buying online and carries fewer risks than buying cryptocurrencies on Bitcoin exchanges, the parties involved explain. The purchase process works via cash and is similar to the operation of a conventional ATM. Thus, the offer is aimed at customers who want to buy cryptocurrencies in their normal everyday life.
After the first vending machine has been set up in Berlin, but can be used by a selected test group for the time being, the primary goal is to get to know the user behaviour of the customers better and thus ensure an optimal user experience. The opening of further locations is to take place in the course of the first quarter of 2021, whereby the Corona Factor will of course still have an impact.
It should be possible to use the Bitcoin ATMs with any digital Bitcoin wallet. The user is thus independent of an ATM-specific wallet. However, in order to use the Bitcoin ATMs, the customer must first go through the registration process with verification on the Spot9 website.
The Tyto Tech 500 Power List is an objective, data-based survey of various technology sectors in Germany, France and the UK. The study is the first of its kind to measure who has what influence in the tech sector on the basis of various key figures from the online and offline world.
It is a special pleasure to be ranked #35 (Jochen Werne / Prosegur) in the just published Top50-List 2020 of the most influential Germans
DIE 50 EINFLUSSREICHSTEN DEUTSCHEN DER TECH-SZENE
Die Tyto Tech 500 Power List ist eine objektive, datengestützte Untersuchung verschiedener Technologie-Bereiche in Deutschland, Frankreich und dem Vereinigten Königreich. Die Studie ist die erste ihrer Art, die auf Basis verschiedenster Kennzahlen aus der Online- und Offline-Welt misst, wer welchen Einfluss im Tech-Bereich hat.
Es ist eine besondere Freude in der soeben veröffentlichten Top50-Liste 2020 der einflussreichsten Deutschen den Rang #35 (Jochen Werne / Prosegur) zu belegen und dies neben Persönlichkeiten wie (nach Ranking): Sascha Dolling, Jens Pöppelmann, Oliver von Wersch, Sven Bornemann, Sven Stuehmeier, Carol Starr, Bastian Krüger, Norman Wagner, Miriam Thome, Maike Abel, Nico Winkelhaus, Naren Shaam, Robert Jacobi, Ramin Niroumand, Claudia Kemfert, Mallikarjun Rao, Matthias Reinwarth, Ben Shaw, Tessa Niemann, Maren Wulf, Miriam Wohlfarth, Karin Libowitzky, Afseneh Afsaei, Dr. Oliver Vesper, Tim Sievers, Milos Rusic, Felix Falk, Markus Forster, Martin Schmid, Alen Nazarian, Hartmut Giesen, Peter Altmaier, Murat Vurucu, Chris Bartz, Eduard Singer, Alexander Schott, Ritavan ~, Joachim Hensch, Tim Höttges, Dr. Jan Kemper, Andreas Schierenbeck, Hans-Dieter Kettwig, Jost Backhaus, Jens Spahn, Paul Gauselmann und Frank Puscher
We reflected with the expert auditorium, topics as Cash versus Crypto, The rise and fall of cash through the ages; Why we Germans, of all people, stick so closely to cash and if ATMs – will soon be a thing of the past or will they withstand digital disruption?
A crypto currency challenges technology, regulation and humans.
Author: Jochen Werne
“Money is perhaps the most concentrated and acute form and expression of trust in the social-state order.”
In this clarity, the German philosopher and sociologist Georg Simmel, born in 1858, formulated the value of a currency in his work “Philosophy of Money”. This clear and comprehensible insight also provides a simple basis for understanding why, for example, states rely on the independence of their central banks. And just as simply the question arises, which order do you trust when it comes to crypto currency?
Almost 4,000 of these currencies now exist worldwide. After Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Litecoin and Co., Libra now wants to establish itself as a future heavyweight in the market – and with a noble goal. Libra is to become the cashless payment option “for mankind” and make international payment easier.
Libra Coin – the currency of the future?
No crypto currency received comparable media attention, triggered only by the announcement of the project. And the emotionality and toughness with which the discussion is already being conducted shows how seriously the topic is being taken. It’s about reputation, influence, control, responsibility and only in the last instance about technology. Central banks and government bodies are sceptical about the “currency of the future” on a broad basis, even though the advancing globalization could argue for a single currency in the long run. A currency that supports a consistent free exchange of goods and services. Also under discussion is whether Libra Coin could be the means of payment for the approximately 1.7 billion people who have no access to banking services and whether the familiarity and the large target group of Facebook, combined with the announced low transaction costs, could make it possible to reach billions of people worldwide.
Challenges at all levels
Technically, not all hurdles have been cleared yet: In order to make a stable coin possible, it is necessary to find the right technology. It is precisely this stability that is supposed to distinguish Libra Coin from other crypto currencies and thus also make it suitable for skeptical end consumers. Members such as Mastercard, Paypal or Ebay should also provide the Libra Association with their names and brand promises additional confidence for the end consumer. But already today the alliance is not as stable as the founding members had hoped and the exits of Mastercard, Visa and Paypal weakens the consortium.
The Libra Association has repeatedly emphasized that it wants to comply with all regulatory aspects, but there are voices at the political and banking levels that are extremely sceptical about the project. The new payment system raises many questions in monetary and legal terms. Central banks and supervisors want to keep an eye on the influence of the potentially new currency and usually share the view that whoever acts like a bank must be treated like a bank. In other words, comprehensive requirements must be met and regulations observed – especially at the international level. This is difficult because current regulations are designed for the classical financial system, with which the Libra system has largely no points of contact. The aim is to keep total regulatory influence and not to allow any possible loopholes.
Despite its American origin, the Libra Coin is to be administered from Geneva by the Libra Association. The idea here is to be regulated by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA. Although Facebook has paid a lot of attention to the underlying technology, the legal issues still need to be clarified. Especially with regard to money laundering, consumer protection and possible misuse of the currency for illegal activities. Within the Association, there will be no special treatment for the founder Facebook, but equal voting rights for all members.
Acceptance and European values
With regard to Germany, it can be said that its citizens are within the international average as far as their affinity for digital is concerned. However, a historical-cutlurell caution can certainly be observed with regard to the topic of money, which certainly explains the well-known love of cash. A more pronounced European awareness of data protection with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) makes many people, especially in Germany, sceptical about the subject. The fact that Libra was launched by Facebook is hardly a confidence booster after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The fear of the transparent customer meets with security concerns about one’s own savings. Every German knows the quote: “Friendship ends with money” and thus new things are always put test. Culturally different in Sweden, where sometimes it’s only possible to pay by card. The same in China, where WeChat Pay and Alipay are no longer just a trend.
As always, changes are taking place step by step. It remains to be seen whether Libra Coin in its current form has future prospects. In any case, any change can only work if it is accepted and used by the end consumer despite all skepticism.
And this stands and falls – also in the digital world – with what Georg Simmel already put in the centre in terms of money in the 19th century: CONFIDENCE.
There is no lack of buzzwording when it comes to trends in the financial sector: Disruption, FinTech, block chain, crypto. Currently, another term is climbing the zenith of a media hype – platform banking. And not without good reason. “Platform Banking” was voted “Financial Word of the Year” in 2018. Behind this lies the call for banking institutions to open up to third-party providers. Banks and savings banks should not only offer their own services on open platforms, but should also integrate third-party offers and services. Consistently thought through to the end, banks will thus become more intermediaries for all possible services and less providers of their own financial services. The legally necessary prerequisites for such an approach in the strictly regulated financial market have already been set in motion by the adoption of the Payment Services Directive PSD2. Will platform banking become a new hope for the industry, or another risk component in the attempt to lose fewer customers to new technology competitors?
The hype surrounding the topic is understandable: Eight of the ten world’s most valuable companies – Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple and Co. – have a platform in their business model. And even more striking: Only one of these companies was already among the top 10 worldwide in 2008. This growth potential, which is the result of the platform expansion, is of course intended by many industries to benefit themselves. The world of finance is also changing rapidly. In recent years, a variety of innovative developments have taken place in the areas of payment transactions and payments. The arrival of third party providers and fintechs has changed the market sustainably and comprehensively. According to a recent whitepaper by Deloitte Consulting, banks will also have to consider a platform strategy in the future: In the future, the customer base will also be able to access products and services from third-party providers in addition to the existing offering. The long-term goal behind this is well known – to retain existing customers, acquire new ones and increase margins.
Platform as recipe for success?
In general, a platform can be seen as a place where supply and demand meet. Economists call such a market – not a new discovery. Due to the digitization of all areas of business and life, geographical boundaries of the marketplaces belong to the past. The result: an almost unlimited number of supply and demand meet on a digital platform – and competition is known to stimulate business. In these business models, the so-called “network effect” ensures that with each new provider on a platform, the incentive for demanders and customers also increases. And in general the more demanders there are on the platform, the more lucrative it becomes for the suppliers. Both sides save enormous search and time efforts and transaction costs are reduced. In short, reflects this the recipe for success behind industry giants such as Amazon, AirBnB, Uber and Co. Nevertheless, there are existing fundamental reservations. The desire of many bank managers to grab a straw in order to grasp a component of hope in a difficult market environment seems understandable. However, blind action is fatal in this situation. Banks must not forget what the emergence of competition in the form of FinTechs has already revealed: frightening weaknesses with regard to their own modern hardware and software solutions, organisation and innovative corporate culture. The fact is that the challenge facing change management is proving to be enormous. And this already now, without having given space to the idea of creating a single platform. The current wave of closing down banking or partnership-based Robo Advisor solutions shows how quickly these carriers of hope can become problems. The commission model behind this, which is always transparent and low priced, is hardly profitable for the banking infrastructure and marginalises the added value that an institution is able to provide for its customers.
The complexity of the changes on all levels, starting with the completely changed, technological possibilities and their effects on the transformation of long-established business models, over the resulting new economic situation of the enterprises are enormous. The difference to the past decades lies in the temporal component. If companies today do not react directly to market changes, they open the way for competitors to their own customers. And this faster than ever before. In such disruptive times, all those involved want an “efficient” change process. However, active, well-considered and vital change management is often criminally neglected. For this one opens door and gate to blind actionism.
The business model of a financial platform is complex, the regulatory framework is strict and the willingness of customers to switch is only slightly visible. For this reason, this business model has so far been too uninteresting for Internet groups. And now, of all things, the banks, often perceived as conservative and unmodern, are to be transformed into digital platforms that can compete with Amazon & Co?
Enormous change management challenge
Banks need a forward-looking and sustainable strategy. That is beyond question. At the latest since the massive “democratization” of the Internet at the end of the 1990s, our lives have been shaped by leaps in technology. In short, the world feels like it is turning faster than ever before. What does this mean for the banks of the 21st century? Anyone who does not understand this exponential dynamic of technical possibilities or does not take them sufficiently into account in his business model can quickly lose touch – with the customers of today and tomorrow. Open banking is both an opportunity and a technological challenge for the banking industry. The European Payment Service Directive 2 – or PSD2 for short – has inevitably made opening up to third parties the focus of the digital strategy.
At the technical level, this is primarily associated with the use of programming interfaces, so-called APIs, which enable both internal and external cost-effective and fast access to data, as well as functions of software applications. What provides the end customer with a cross-product customer experience, means for banks to strategically cooperate with external partners. For FinTechs, cooperation is also advantageous. It creates fast access to customers and their data, as well as to the necessary financial and structural prerequisites.
Anticipating these developments requires a good eye for tomorrow’s customers. After all, customer data is a success driver for future business models. A few years ago, FinTechs began to “poach” their digital offerings among the customer base of traditional institutes. All of this culminated in Robo-Advisors, standardized, computer-controlled asset managers with low fees. It was therefore time for the banks to set sail anew. The plan was to enter into symbioses with FinTechs or “buy” their products directly into their own portfolios. For many large banks, it has become good form to enter into cooperation with small, independent and innovative financial service providers. This is also clearly demonstrated by the current situation of FinTechs. Mergers and co-operation are nothing else than a proof for the fact that the search for sustainable business models is not easy with a fixed idea to solve, not even with the platform strategy. Nevertheless, neither the previous business models nor the product possibilities seem to be mature.
Don’t forget the human factor
The personal relationship, the touchpoint between customer and consultant in the real world, has been increasingly reduced by the acceptance of digital banking. Nevertheless, even if a digital experience is a good thing for a modern bank, consumers continue to appreciate human contact points – especially in economically or politically turbulent times.
This is precisely the added value that banks can really deliver in this environment today. And this without having to rely on the healing promises of platform banking. Be a guide in the digital jungle and protect customers from ill-considered gut decisions. In addition, it is important to include the customer’s background, apart from monetary issues, in the decision-making process. This usually requires a counterpart. Not a digital one, but a human one. A person of heart and soul who generates trust and can provide a place for personal encounter. Today, it is the customer alone who determines where this is located and what it should look like. The same goes for when this meeting takes place. The modern customer expects the best possible service regardless of space and time, not only in view of the phenomenon of digital gadgets.
Artificial intelligence is finding its way into the highly regulated world of banking. And not only GAFA Silicon Valley high-tech companies see it as the technology of the future, but also FinTechs and established banks. How it came to this, what possibilities and limits there are at the moment and why humans will remain irreplaceable not only when it comes to money – the commentary
by Jochen Werne, innovation and transformation expert Munich private bank Bankhaus August Lenz
Original published in German in the IT-Finanzmagazin (31 July 2018). Translation by DeepL
After “FinTech”, “Blockchain” and “Crypto”, “AI” is the new buzzword in the banking world. Whether chatbots in the digital customer center or self-learning algorithms for highly complex investment strategies are being discussed – the omnipresence of the term suggests that the integration of artificial intelligence into one’s own business model seems to be virtually vital.
Artificial intelligence and big data are currently the strongest and most vibrant innovation trends in the financial sector …
… was also one of the guiding principles of Prof. Joachim Wuermeling, board member of the Deutsche Bundesbank, in his speech on “Artificial Intelligence” at the second annual FinTech and Digital Innovation Conference in February 2018 in Brussels.
The choice of the conference venue, which like rarely any other city combines both a belief in progress and a deeply rooted European tradition, can hardly be more symbolic of the forthcoming change. In fact, the topic is by no means new: the development towards an increased use of so-called non-human intelligence is based on approaches from the 1940s – with the invention of the first computers
Artificial intelligence: revolution as a reaction to mountains of data?
But what is now possible in times of exponential technologies is in fact nothing less than a revolution. The financial industry is sitting on a valuable mountain of data, the extent of which is currently difficult to estimate. The maturing AI systems would not only make the preparation and processing of this data easier, but also much more cost-effective, faster and more targeted. Data already collected could become the most valuable raw material and a resource due to the technological leaps in the field of AI, which, in combination with the enrichment of external, non-structured data, must be “usable” in a meaningful way.
The industry is asked to use private data in a sensitive way for the benefit of the customer, – a goal that should certainly apply to all AI-based approaches.
To find meaningful regulations for the handling and the effects of the use of AI on society, economy and thus on our life and the work of tomorrow is the task of politics. The fact that this topic is taken very seriously is evident not only in national initiatives such as the German Platform for Artificial Intelligence “Learning Systems”, but also in the European Artifical Intelligence shoulder-to-shoulder approach, which is being pushed forward by France and Germany.
“Digital hand holding” in the event of a financial crash is not enough
At present, it is still too early to say which operational areas of the financial world will sooner or later be supported – in part or even entirely – by the use of AI systems. However, the financial crises of the past have shown this time and again:
Trust is crucial when it comes to money. Trust in the markets, the banking system and the human contact as an intermediary in a complex issue”.
However, the banking industry knows very well from its own experience how easy it is to loose customer’s trust. An experience that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook recently also had to make in connection with the Cambridge-Analytica scandal. As with every new technology and every new approach, the same applies to the topic of “intelligent” systems: a lot of trust, coupled with half-knowledge and a big dash of emotionality results in a popular trend cocktail, which, however, bears a certain risk of headaches on the following day.
Jochen Werne is the authorized signatory responsible for Marketing, Business Development, Product Management, Treasury and Payment Services at Bankhaus August Lenz & Co. After two years as navigator of the sailing training ship ‘Gorch Fock’, the international marketing and banking specialist completed his studies as client coverage analyst at Bankers Trust Alex. Brown International and in Global Investment Banking at Deutsche Bank AG, he has worked on numerous projects in other European and American countries. In 2001, he joined Accenture as a Customer Relationship Management Expert in the Financial Services Division before joining Bankhaus August Lenz & Co. AG in Munich, where he has since been responsible for various areas of the institute. As part of the Innovation Leadership Team of the Mediolanum Banking Group, a member of the expert council of Management Circle and the IBM Banking Innovation Council, Jochen Werne is a keynote speaker at numerous banking and innovation conferences.


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Legend slates Manchester United defender...
Les Blues were dogged with controversy and rumours of in-fighting throughout the tournament, with the problems seemingly coming to a head when Nicolas Anelka was sent home for abusing head coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during the group stage defeat to Mexico.
The following day the squad all refused to train after the incident was reportedly revealed to the press by physio Marc Rohan, who Evra branded "a traitor". Senior members of the team, including the Manchester United defender and Barcelona left back Eric Abidal, were then excluded from the team's final group game and shock loss to South Africa.
Speaking to L'Equipe, Thuram - who is the most capped player in France's history - blasted Evra's behaviour and demanded he be excluded from the international set-up.
"I ask that the players are severely punished and Patrice Evra will not return ever for France," said Thuram.
"When you're captain of France, there is a responsibility, a respect for the shirt people should have."

domain: news


Microsoft will launch its new Lumia 650 smartphone on February 1 “with little fanfare,” according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. We had initially expected its arrival at Mobile World Congress, but it seems we won’t have to wait quite so long.
The Lumia 650 will be a midrange device powered by Windows 10 Mobile. It is expected to offer a 5-inch 720p display, a Snapdragon 210 or 212 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with a microSD card slot, and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera.
Unlike other midrange Lumias, the Lumia 650 is expected to look and feel a little more high-end, with a metal chassis and matte plastic back that will be available in black or white — as demonstrated in the mockups above for Windows Central.
The Lumia 650 was approved by the FCC early this month with the RM-1152 model number. We expected the device to get its official unveiling at MWC, which kicks off on February 22 — but sources speaking to Windows Central say it will be announced on February 1.
That’s the good news. The bad news is, Microsoft isn’t expected to bring any other smartphones to MWC in late February, and there are whispers that the Lumia 650 will be its only Lumia smartphone of 2016. In fact, it could be the last Lumia ever.
Microsoft will instead focus its efforts on a new lineup of smartphones that will be released under the Surface brand, recent reports have claimed.
We’re not expecting a keynote or press conference for the Lumia 650; sources say it will be announced on the Microsoft blog.


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In the summer of 2023, we set on a new adventure to the village of Gungang, nestled near Xiaohusai. The village has introduced to us many new needs and hopes, which compelled us to further our fundraising efforts to alleviate some of the hardships endured by the residents. However, amidst the various problems the village is currently facing, we also stumbled upon the village's own specialty: honey. Even now, we simply cannot forget the imprinting taste of the honey that the villagers drew straight from their beehives, with its natural sweetness and exquisite flavor. With that, we planned to expand our product line to include their delicious honey and reinvest all the profit back into our mission.
By offering the village's honey to a broader market, we aim not only to provide a treat for all the honey lovers out there; but even more --- we hope to allow hardworking farmers in the village to gain a sustainable income from their work and expand their ability to connect with outlets outside the limiting market of their village. Every jar of honey sold would contribute directly to enhancing their livelihoods and supporting the community's well-being.
This transparent, floral-flavored liquid is what bees at Gungang normally offer. Always can't go wrong with the original flavor!
Winter Honey can be distinguished by its special creamy-like color and sweeter flavor. Yum!
Black honey is comparatively much rarer than the other two types of honey, only produced when bees meet a special kind of flower. However, that does not halter people's huge cravings for this type of incredibly delicious and dark-colored honey.

domain: agronomy


What they're saying: Twitter reaction to proposal
- By Golf Channel Digital
- Nov 28, 2012 10:12 AM ET
One of the most controversial topics in the sport’s history finally reached a resolution Wednesday, with golf’s governing bodies announcing that they have proposed a rule change that would ban the anchored stroke.
Not surprisingly, the proposed rule created quite a stir on Twitter.
Here are some of the best tweets:
Contributions from writers and editors on the Golf Channel Digital team.
- LIVE STREAM: Crowne Plaza Invitational, Rd. 3
- SCORING: BMW PGA | Colonial | Senior PGA | LPGA
- Westy in position for first BMW PGA Champ. win
- Monty: All afraid to talk | Zoeller: Will 'blow over'
- Euro chief: 'Colored' friends | Unfortunate
- Sergio's 'chicken' jab | Apology | Tiger: Hurtful
- Colonial's Rd. 2 concludes with Kuchar on top
- Scott joins legal coalition against anchor ban
- Mickelson, Stricker not among Memorial field
- Friends Cochran, Perry share Senior PGA lead
- Pettersen trails Bowie Young at Bahamas LPGA
- USGA, R&A ban anchored stroke | Explanation
- Tip of the Week: Stop scooping your chip shots


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Words are blameless in their form,
yet heavy fall the wrong phrases when spoken.
In graceful descent come those desired,
all dependent on quiet agreement
met between the eyes.
Diving off of tongues,
boldly forward forage words in their form,
and when discovered in time that no agreement is made,
blame falls at their feet,
for fear of recognizing the fault of me.

domain: literature


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CARRBORO - Condo owners voted after a contentious discussion last week to levy a special $5,406 repair fee on 332 units at the Collins Crossing complex.
Aspen Square Management also agreed to consider several suggestions, including whether to let the owners of 75 individually owned condos pay the fee in installments over the next few years.
Most owners were concerned the fee would be a major burden on lower-income residents. Some said it could price them out of their homes if they had to pay it by spring.
Resident-owner Christine MacPherson said the lack of a payment plan suggests Aspen wants to foreclose on individual owners. She and her husband live on Social Security disability and her part-time job, she said. Even installments over two or three years would help, she said.
“There’s no way that I can come up with $5,400, even in three months,” she said.
National supervisor Brenda Wishart said Aspen would have to research its options. More details could be available by the annual Old Well Owners Association meeting, typically held in February.Vote a formality
Aspen owns 77 percent of the condos, so Wednesday’s vote was largely a formality. Association President Jeff Strole, who is also Aspen’s vice president, was the only board member present.
Strole said he had proxy votes from other board members who couldn’t be there but declined to name them.
Carrboro Mayor Mark Chilton, representing condo owner Empowerment Inc., a nonprofit housing group, asked for more details about the work and urged Aspen to set up monthly payment plans.
The company has a majority and can do what it wants, but residents who own their condos have the most at stake in trying to make Collins Crossing a better place to live, he said.
“I’m a lawyer that has a lot of extra time on his hands. … We don’t want to be getting into the nitty-gritty of this in an ugly way,” he said. “If y’all are going to try to make (these residents) pay $5,000 over the course of three months, I’m going to find a way to stop you.”
While most support the long-delayed repairs, they asked Aspen officials to prioritize the work, provide a detailed budget, seek competing bids for the work and fairly allocate the cost.
The association is only responsible for common areas, which doesn’t include repairs to windows, doors and stairs, residents said. Landscaping, swimming pool repairs and architectural details also aren’t immediate needs, they said.
The fee could raise roughly $1.8 million to completely renovate the building exteriors and landscaping. That cost includes $470,950 for windows, $547,500 for roofing and $249,000 for plants. About $90,00 would be spent repairing stairs, which town officials ordered the company to do after a 10-year-old boy fell and was hurt in November when a concrete stair tread gave way.
The town posted condemned signs Dec. 13 outside stairwells at 25 buildings.
Earlier this month, the town gave the company a March 4 deadline to make the repairs, but Assistant Town Attorney T.C. Morphis Jr. has since advised the town that state rules also require two notices and a hearing.
If the work is not completed on time, the town could sue Aspen Square and force them to make the repairs or the town could make the repairs and charge Aspen Court for the work.
Strole said the repairs would reduce liability, while improving safety and residents’ quality of life.
“When you let it go for years and years, which is unfortunately what happened here, you run into some major repair work that has to be done,” he said.Dates to 1970s
Aspen paid Tar Heel Companies of Raleigh nearly $7.1 million in June to buy 252 units at the former Abbey Court complex, where some buildings date to the 1970s. Individual owners sold them another five units since then, and the remaining 75 are privately owned.
The complex is home to mostly Latinos and African Americans and some immigrants from Burma, who have complained for years about neglected housing, crime, drugs and discrimination. The complex is also one of the area’s most affordable places to live, with two-bedroom apartments starting at roughly $500. Wishart has said the rents will go up as tenants renew their leases. The Collins Crossing website lists a two-bedroom apartment at $725 a month and a three-bedroom apartment at $940 or more.
The Massachusetts company also owns Berkshire Manor and Berkshire Manor West on N.C. 54 West in Carrboro, and Ashford Lakes on South Churton Street in Hillsborough.


text:
Is attacking the mosquito or curing the patient the best way to manage this disease? Join The Guardian debate on 11 September, 1-3pm BST
What's the best way to stop malaria? Is it to prevent the mosquito from transferring the parasite to people, or to treat the person who has the parasite in their blood? Logic suggests it's more cost-effective to focus on the former, but in low-income countries even the cost of mosquito nets is a struggle when government budgets and aid won't stretch to cover food and basic healthcare. The World Health Organisation's (WHO) 2013 malaria report said that despite impressive gains against the disease, the expansion of interventions to keep mosquitoes away from human skin had slowed due to "a lack of funds to procure bed nets".
Is it time for new innovations in combating the disease to shine? Or to focus on better training and supplies for community healthcare workers to diagnose and treat the disease? As malaria endemicity (disease intensity) is declining, is it time for a new approach?
Over the past several decades, malaria diagnosis has changed very little.
Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) interventions can reduce malaria transmission by targeting mosquitoes when they feed upon sleeping humans and/or rest inside houses, livestock shelters or other man-made structures.
Current methods of delivering ITNs, i.e., one mass campaign every five years and regular distribution of ITNs from health center can barely maintain the current effective coverage. Inaccessibility and loss of physical integrity of ITNs are major hindrances to achieving and maintaining universal coverage.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared, "A post-antibiotic era—in which common infections and minor injuries can kill—far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st century".
Last year, Prof Henk Bouwman of North-West University and co-authors published a paper in a respectable journal, Environmental Research, claiming that DDT spraying led to thinning of bird eggshells.
The environmental science journal Environmental Research has published an article by nine malaria experts exposing major errors in a research paper on DDT and bird eggshells.
In Southern Africa, the malaria season typically begins with the summer rains in November and ends in April. In this region, the co-ordination of malaria control efforts between neighbouring states has dramatically reduced the incidence of malaria.
Al Jazeera's report by Mara Kardas-Nelson (DDT's pesky proponents Apr. 21, 2014) rakes over old ground and is replete with misstatements and falsehoods.Read more »
A genetic region responsible for red blood cell invasion was among a small number of areas found to differ between the genomes of malaria parasites that affect chimpanzees and Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deaths of more than half a million children each year.
The head of the US Agency for International Development said on Tuesday poor understanding of Ebola was undermining the fight against the epidemic, pointing out that the fever is harder to get than malaria.
On Wednesday, the world marks World Mosquito Day to commemorate the 1897 discovery by British doctor Sir Ronald Ross that malaria in people is transmitted to and from mosquitoes.
When Rachel Carson's book, "Silent Spring", was published, filled with totally false claims about DDT, the Environmental Protection Agency looked it over and concluded she had used manipulated data.
French drugmaker Sanofi has released its first batches of a malaria treatment made from semisynthetic artemisinin using a new manufacturing process that will allow it to make tons of the ingredient and so help stabilize its volatile global market.Read more »
The return of chloroquine-sensitive Plasmodium falciparumto the limited area of Blantyre, Malawi, has been well demonstrated in several studies.
Insecticide-treated nets ownership and utilization among under-five children following the 2010 mass distribution in Burkina Faso
Ownership rates were high, but real access to bed nets remained limited.
Prevalence of asymptomatic malaria and bed net ownership and use in Bhutan, 2013: a country earmarked for malaria elimination
With high coverage and regular use of LLINs, and a zero prevalence of malaria infection found in historically high-risk communities during the peak malaria season, it appears Bhutan is on course to achieve malaria elimination.
In vivo efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine and artesunate-amodiaquine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children
Mozambique adopted artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in the year 2006, and since 2009 artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) have been proposed as alternative first-line treatments.
While significant advances have been made in the prevention and treatment of malaria in recent years, these successes continue to fall short of the World Health Organization (WHO) goals for malaria control and elimination.Read more »

domain: medical


The contrast is great: one party can’t eliminate the personification of its problems, while the other is moving swiftly to dump its baggage. The Dems can’t bear to part with Nancy Pelosi, who gets another stint at the helm of the increasingly liberal House Democratic caucus. Yet the Republicans have no qualms when it comes to booting Michael Steele from the RNC chairmanship:
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s prospects for a second term dimmed Wednesday as Republicans went public with their concerns about the committee’s fundraising and two prominent governors indicated a preference for new leadership atop the party.
Asked in an interview at the Republican Governors Association (RGA) meeting here if there should be a new chairman of the party, Mississippi Gov. and outgoing RGA Chairman Haley Barbour flatly said: “Yes.”
Tim Pawlenty echoed that sentiment, citing a letter by outgoing RNC political director Gentry Collins. (“You have to have a high-functioning, effective ground game and the RNC has to be able to deliver that consistently every cycle and it appears based on this letter that that didn’t happen.”)
Unlike Pelosi, there is no “Steele constituency” pleading to keep the gaffe-prone chairman. And unlike the House Dems, the RNC isn’t about to pretend that everything is just swell at the RNC.


The German economy has fallen for the first time since 2015 in the third quarter of this year, as global trade disputes have affected the traditional growth engine for exports, giving rise to fear that a decade of growth has stopped.
The Federal Bureau of Statistics said Wednesday that gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe's largest economy fell 0.2 percent from the previous quarter, compared with a decline in the Reuters forecast by 0.1 percent.
Compared to the same period last year, the economy increased by 1.1 per cent between July and September according to revised data in the light of the calendar.
Economists demanded by Reuters predict economic growth of 1.3 percent year on year.
This decline in GDP in the third quarter is the first since the first quarter of 2015.
The government indicated last month that the third quarter was weak and attributable to bottlenecks in the automotive industry due to the introduction of new pollution standards and other factors.
Concerns grow in the German economy and enter its ninth year following growth, the consequences of global trade disputes and Britain's breakthrough with the EU.
Last month, the German Chamber of Commerce and Commerce reduced its growth forecast for 2018 to 1.8 percent from 2.2 percent and expected a decline of 1.7 percent next year as the economy faces increased risk at home and abroad.


text:
- Case Report
- Open Access
Multifocal subdural hematomas as the presenting sign of acquired hemophilia A: a case report
© Burish et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2014
- Received: 2 March 2014
- Accepted: 4 March 2014
- Published: 8 March 2014
Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare coagulopathy linked to a variety of etiologies including autoimmune diseases, neoplasms, diabetes, respiratory diseases, and the post-partum state. While bleeding in AHA is often seen in mucocutaneous or intramuscular locations, intracranial and intraspinal bleeds are exceedingly rare.
We report an unusual case of spontaneous multifocal subdural hematomas in a 25 year old Asian woman with lupus who presented with headache and backache, and was found to have an elevated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) level and new diagnosis of AHA.
Subdural hematomas as the initial sign of AHA are all but unknown in the medical literature. We bring this entity to the attention of the neurology community because lumbar puncture and/or conventional angiogram are often indicated in the work-up of idiopathic multifocal subdural hematomas, but may be dangerous in patients with AHA.
- Acquired hemophilia A
- Nontraumatic subdural hematoma
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Secondary headache syndrome
- Spinal cord
- Critical care
Acquired hemophilia A (AHA) is a rare disorder (approximately 1 in 1 million persons per year) but carries a significant mortality of 8–22%. While bleeding in AHA most commonly involves mucocutaneous or intramuscular locations, it can also involve the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tracts. Hemarthrosis, which is considered a hallmark of congenital Hemophilia, is rarely encountered in AHA. While intracranial hemorrhage has been well documented in congenital hemophilia A[3–6], there are only a limited number of publications on intracranial bleeds in acquired hemophilia A[7–10], suggesting that it is a very rare phenomenon. Diagnosis is made based on the finding of 1) an elevated partial thromboplastin time (PTT) which does not correct after 2 hours of mixing with normal plasma (mixing study), 2) no administration of heparin, which can be determined by a prolonged thrombin time but normal reptilase time, 3) negative testing for lupus anticoagulants, and 4) the presence of an inhibitor as shown on the Bethesda assay, which mixes serial dilutions of the patient’s blood with normal plasma[11, 12]. The etiology is idiopathic in 50% and post-partum in 10%, with the remaining 40% covering a wide spectrum of autoimmune, allergic, neoplastic, diabetic, and respiratory diseases[11, 13]. Treatment in part depends on the underlying etiology of the AHA, with pregnancy- or allergy-related AHA often responding to steroids or cyclophosphamide and resolving spontaneously, tumor-related AHA often depending on treatment of the malignancy, and autoimmune-related AHA often requiring stronger immunosuppression and rarely resolving spontaneously.
A 25 year old Asian woman with a history of lupus presented to the emergency room with headaches not responding to over the counter analgesics. The headaches started 6 days prior, with no reported history of trauma. She described the headaches as a gradual onset of intermittent 10/10 sharp right-sided head pain which lasted for several seconds only, and occurred multiple times per day. The pain occasionally spread to the right neck with a pulsating quality but without tinnitus. There was no postural component, no associated migrainous features (including nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, or vision changes), and no trigeminal autonomic symptoms (including facial pallor, facial flushing, lacrimation, or rhinorrhea). In addition, she occasionally had brief lower back spasmic-type pain with no radiation. She did not have any symptoms of coagulopathy including easy bleeding, GI bleeds, epistaxis, or hemoptysis. She carried a diagnosis of lupus with discoid rash and arthralgia as predominant symptoms for which she was taking prednisone 15 mg daily and mycophenylate 500 mg BID (she had self-discontinued the mycophenylate 1 week prior to admission), and a family history significant for a sister who died of anemia of an unknown etiology at the age of 24. Our patient’s neurologic examination was unremarkable.
Of the multiple etiologies of AHA[11, 13], our patient’s disease was most likely related to her systemic lupus erythematosus. Our patient’s headache and backache description, specifically the very brief and intermittent nature of her symptoms, is unusual for pain related to mass lesions. One previous case report of subdural hematomas and AHA described more classic symptoms of headache and drowsiness, but given the paucity of cases in the literature, it is difficult to say if there is any characteristic headache associated with AHA.
On initial work-up of our patient, a variety of diagnostic tests were discussed. The differential diagnosis for non-traumatic intracranial and intraspinal subdural hematomas is broad, and etiologies include neoplasms such as myelodysplastic disorders or meningiomas, infections such as mycotic aneurysms, vascular diseases such as arteriovenous malformations, aneurysms, or primary CNS vasculitis, and coagulopathies such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. Thus a thorough investigation for non-traumatic subdural hematoma may lead to a lumbar puncture or a conventional angiogram. The risk of bleeding after lumbar puncture is not known in patients with AHA, or even for similar procedures such as epidural injections in more common coagulopathies. However the risk of bleeding after lumbar puncture is presumably higher for patients with untreated AHA than for the general population. Before performing a lumbar puncture on patients who are otherwise stable, providers might consider initiating treatment or awaiting results of the AHA testing. Similarly conventional angiogram may pose unnecessary risks in patients with AHA, and deferral or avoidance of angiogram should also be considered, especially if other vessel imaging such as MRA or CTA is not suggestive of vascular malformations.
Written informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this Case report and any accompanying images. A copy of the written consent is available for review by the Editor of this journal.
We thank our patient who was incredibly generous with her time after her hospital discharge.
- Collins PW, Hirsch S, Baglin TP, Dolan G, Hanley J, Makris M, Keeling DM, Liesner R, Brown SA, Hay CRM: Acquired hemophilia A in the United Kingdom: a 2-year national surveillance study by the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors’ Organisation. Blood. 2007, 109: 1870-1877. 10.1182/blood-2006-06-029850.PubMedView ArticleGoogle Scholar
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This article is published under license to BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.


text:
Subject: I have found a DVD that I think you would enjoy
|Cream Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 2005 |
Genres: Music Video & Concerts, Musicals & Performing Arts
Movie description Cream's set of reunion shows in May 2005 was a justly hot ticket. The legendary rock trio of Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton--two jazz musicians and a blues guitarist--was one of the most infl... more »
Similarly Requested DVDs
LESS CLOTTED CREAM....
o dubhthaigh | north rustico, pei, canada | 10/07/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"... than before. Cream was always one of those shizoid bands: studio efforts overdubbed, well produced psychedelia, live shows a tsunami of three soloists having a go at it simultaneously on an Anglo-blues catalogue. Here, for the first time I can remember hearing, they play more like a BAND. There is a locked in cohesion to this show that was never present before, as you can clearly hear when you compare this to the farewell show from '69. These three coined the cliche "supergroup" and were known for playing with a ferocity fueled by their competitive egos. Perhaps as age has slowed them all down and as time has taken its toll on them and their colleagues, the notion of working more in step with each other brings more significant rewards.
It certainly does to the material. Their take here on Willie Dixon, Booker T Jones, Skip James and T-Bone have all the swagger of the masters and less of the youthful unrestrained testosterone of the late 60's. "Born Under a Bad Sign" and "Spoonful" would make their authors proud. "Badge" suffers from Clapton having so thoroughly redefined it with his band that it seems nothing but perfunctory here. However, Baker's bizarre reading of "... Wart..." is so weird that it seems to have gained in its spooky evocation of something both Dickensian and psychedelic. In the case of each of the musicians, they are clearly listening to each other and playing better as a unit than you would ever have any right to expect. There is a supple pwer and subtlety to how integrated they are in each other's rhythms that is inspiring. Given the mediocrity of Clapton's BACK HOME, this is a delightful return to form. He isn't the GOD that he was on Cream's first surfacing, but that was just another way of clotting the music from flowing. All the years have served each of them well. They have not just not missed a beat (still with me?), they're actually a much better band.
The DVD is spectacularly shot. It is the kind of rock film Martin Scorcese would shave his bushy eyebrows for. Miraculously, Baker has survived well. Bruce looks almost as old as Steve Howe, and Clapton is amazing. It is a joy to watch their technique as they play. This really was a brilliant coda that eclipses the original legend. There is much to celebrate on both CD and DVD here. Enjoy!"
Cream Is Back
Thomas Magnum | NJ, USA | 10/07/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The original power rock trio Cream reunited for the first time in thirty-seven years for a string of concerts at the place they played their last shows, Royal Albert Hall. Anyone expecting the band to be as fierce and experimental as they were then is just unfair. Most acts mellow with age and lose their youthful aggression. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce & Ginger Baker are no different. Despite this, the band is quite tight on the album. There aren't the lengthy jams of the old days, but that is made up for by sharper and more focused playing. Mr. Bruce's bass is still quite heavy and although he can't hit all the high notes, his voice is still fluid. Mr. Clapton doesn't cut loose as much, but his phrasing and styling is impeccable. Mr. Baker's drumming is less erratic and adds a more solid backbeat. All the favorites like "Crossroads", "White Room", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "I'm So Glad" and "Spoonful" are included as well as some nuggets like "Pressed Rat & Warthog", "Deserted Cities Of The Heart" and "Badge"."
Best Classic Rock DVD EVER!
Roger E | Tracy, Ca. USA | 04/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A review I read about the Live CD's of Cream in the 1960's not inspiring, well I can say to you, "Cream's reunion 2005 DVD". I can not stop watching this performance, it is so outstanding. Eric Clapton's fantastic guitar work during this reunion is inspirational, and is essential listening to any Cream or Eric Clapton fan.
Eric, with original members Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker performing like the superstars of old, rock the Albert Hall to the delight of thousands who were fortunate enough to be there. For us, the unlucky, this great 2 DVD Set can be ordered, and when played on a surround sound/ big screen system, this show comes alive. With outstanding editing, a high quality soundtrack, excellant near HD quality picture, this concert is at the top of my top ten list. This DVD sets the standard for outstanding music DVD videos."
OK, everybody, it's own-up time
Mr. Thomas Thatcher | Salisbury, UK | 01/22/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"First, I know that Amazon doesn't encourage too many personal comments but in this case I just have to offer some background. In 1966 and 1967 I had a power trio with Mike Wedgwood, later with Kiki Dee, Curved Air, Caravan and so on, and George Hart, who wrote much of the legendary "Death may be your Santa Claus" by Secondhand (see Amazon.co.uk). We loved the Beatles, the Kinks, the Who and the Stones as encapsulating harmony, melody, humour, whimsy, rhythmn and almost heart-stopping musical ability: and so we played tons of their songs. But we also loved Eric Clapton and the blues, and along came Cream. So we played the whole of "Fresh Cream" except for Toad - don't ask. I loved the band so much that I followed them around, and some of my souvenirs and memories are in Chris Welch's superb book "Cream", for review see Amazon.co.uk - and if you like/liked Cream, get Chris' beautifully produced book. So mad- keen was I that I hitch-hiked from Salisbury to London to see Cream at the Saville Theatre in London (now long-closed) on the chance of getting a ticket - I did, and the only surviving programme is in Chris' book. They were on with the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, believe it or not, and The Action.
Well, memory is a strange and deceptive mistress. I have a 19 year old son who s a demon sax player, and I am afraid that I have skewed his view of music by the "in my day..." nostalgia, although I don't regret introducing him to old school friend (yes, the same school!)Andy Sheppard on sax, because Andy is the best soprano player in the world: but I am aware that young kids can miss out on a lot of the good new stuff because "Dad thinks it's rubbish" - dangerous territory.
But then, out of the blue, along comes a chance to see if all those old memories are just rose-tinted or actually quite accurate, with the announcement that Cream were reforming for 4 gigs only. So, after virtually remortgaging the house, I bought two tickets for the Thursday night and off son and I went.
When the three old boys walked on stage, the ovation was deafening. There was Jack, fresh from a liver transplant, the type of which poor old Rory Gallagher did not survive: there was Ginger, riddled with arthritis and in his sixties: and there was Eric, after a life of hard times, addiction problems and mixed musical fortunes.
And off they went. My God, and off they went. Several things I had forgotten: they can all sing and the harmonies were exceptional: Ginger's drum sound is the most exciting thing you could ever hear: Jack has the voice of an angel with a range denied to all but a very few: and Eric can play anything.
I know that it sounds unbelievable to those who were not there, but they were just about note-perfect from start to finish - and now we have this fantastic DVD to prove it. On a personal note, the "Stormy Monday" and "Toad" were both recorded the night we were there and both are just brilliantly played - what's that about the band jamming, everybody? After Toad, my son said that this was the best ten minutes of his musical life, having seen Jeff Beck, Stevie Winwood, Meatloaf, Eric and Andy Sheppard in the same 12 months. Other high spots are "We're going wrong" "Sunshine" (of course) "Rollin and a tumblin" and "Crossroads" (although the Wheels of Fire version is definitive).
The whole DVD is a joy to watch and the playing is mind-bending. It's not just three old mates having a good time, it's three absolutely faultless musicians having a good time. For once, son and I could compare notes and agree that perhaps' Dad's memory was not too bad after all. If you have not bought this DVD you should: the Stormy Monday alone is worth the price of admission on its own.
A few weeks ago, my wife was waitressing at a shoot on the downs (hills) near us. Eric was there and signed two programmes - one from 1967 and one from 2005. Same line-up, same music, same magic. He also signed a mug for my daughter, "To Izzie, Eric 2005". What an incredibly talented, nice and gentle man.
Cream rule. No competition."

domain: entertainment


text:
On August 17, 2020, the Assam Government is to identify beneficiaries of a new scheme called “ORUNODOI”. The scheme is being launched to help in women’s financial empowerment.
Under the new scheme, district-wise selection of beneficiaries would begin from August 17 and the beneficiaries would start receiving the amount in the bank account of a female family member on the first day of every month, starting from October
The ORUNODOI will be the biggest scheme in Assam that will benefit more than 17 lakh families. The scheme aims to empower women while boosting economic development. The State Government of Assam has allocated Rs 280 crores for the new scheme. Under the scheme, Rs 830 per month is to be provided to poor households. This is in addition to an annual income of Rs 10,000 that will be provided. This will help to meet their nutritional, medical and academic needs also to will aid in meeting their additional spending during festivals.
The scheme will give priority to households that are run by divorced women, widows, separated women and unmarried women. The only condition is that their composite income should be less than Rs 2 lakhs per annum.
The Assam Government has introduced several policies and schemes recently to improve economic development in the state. This includes Biotechnology Policy, Industrial and Investment Policy, Handloom Policy, Sugar Policy, Tourism Policy and Start Up Policy.
This is to be implemented between 2018-22. Assam is one of the biodiversity hot spot and biotechnology industrial development is yet to take place in the state. Therefore, Biotechnology Policy has greater significance. The policy is to focus on tissue culture, medicinal plant processing, microbial based bio fertilizer production, vermi compost production, mushroom production, etc.
The Handloom sector in the state provides employment to a large number of people in rural areas. The third Handloom Census conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) indicated that the total weaver households in the country are declining. GoI has taken several measures to boost the handloom sector in Assam. The Muga silk of Assam was the 38th product to receive the GI tag. The Handloom Policy is to stay effective between 2017 and 2022.

domain: sociology


text: I strongly oppose this guidance which removes the rights of parents from raising their children as they see fit, usurps their authority, and gives it to special interests that have no business meddling with the lives of their children. Schools should not be indoctrination centers. Freedom of speech to express one child's identity should not take away freedom of speech for another to reject the idea that sex and gender aren't biological constructs that have been normally followed since the beginning of mankind. To drastically change those norms without sufficient evidence of harm to society as a whole is a radical idea and one that can negatively impact the mental health of children for generations to come. Instead of making everyone else confirm to gender dysphoria, you should focus more on affirming to every child that they are loved in their own body and not to be ashamed of how GOD created them. For children who are confused about their gender, you should get them psychological help that will help them cope with and overcome gender dysphoria, not affirm their mental illness. Considering the suicide rate for transgenders is much higher than the normal population, you might want to think twice about further promoting such a lifestyle. You cannot change a person's dna no matter how hard you try so these children will grow up constantly feeling inadequate. If you stop promoting transgenderism, most of them will eventually revert back to their biological sex. The rest of society doesn't have to go along for the ride while they figure themselves out. And you certainly do not have the Constitutional authority to infringe on the rights of others to sit out the transgender bandwagon without being persecuted for their lack of conformity. Transgenders should have equal rights, not special rights.

domain: psychology


Ford announced today, Feb. 6, that it is showcasing two new products at the Chicago Auto Show that it says will bring new levels of productivity to the commercial truck customer.
First is the introduction of the Transit Connect, a European-engineered compact van. Transit Connect is designed to bring American small business owners a new vehicle choice that offers improved fuel economy, bigger load capacity and better cargo accessibility than today’s commercial vehicle offerings.
Second is Ford Work Solutions, a collection of affordable technologies designed to provide customers connectivity, flexibility and security to better run key aspects of their business from their Ford Truck – even on the jobsite.
“Ford Transit Connect is built on a dedicated, commercial vehicle platform to meet the rigors business use demands,” says Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development. “This workhorse is like nothing available today in the American market. The Transit Connect provides another example of Ford’s commitment to deliver 100 percent new or upgraded products that people truly want and value by the end of 2010.”
With its standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and automatic transmission, Transit Connect delivers fuel economy estimated at 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. Describing its closest competitors as cargo vans offered by Chevrolet and Dodge, Ford says Transit Connect will provide a significant city fuel economy advantage, while offering more cargo space; both are increasingly important to small business owners in today’s changing marketplace.
“More than ever before, consumers are making the bulk of their purchases from the Internet and smaller, specialty businesses, which is increasing the volume of small package deliveries,” Kuzak says. “Transit Connect is ideally suited to meet those delivery needs because of its flexible package, compact size and fuel-efficient powertrain. It will make the delivery process for small business owners easier and more affordable.”
Ford says the compact van was built around the following key attributes:
Transit Connect has cargo doors on both sides and at the rear – dual sliding side doors and 180-degree-opening rear doors – designed to make accessing its cargo area convenient. Its front doors have large openings, making getting in and out of the vehicle easier – an important design feature for delivery people, according to Ford.
The Transit Connect cargo capacity is 143 cubic feet, Ford says, and it can accommodate loads up to 6.5 feet in length and 4.7 feet in width. “Transit Connect can swallow far more cargo than its users might think,” said Len Deluca, director of Ford Commercial Trucks. “Its versatile cargo area gives Transit Connect an unequivocal advantage, accommodating for large flat-sided loads and providing a totally flat load floor.”
Straight and square side walls of the Transit Connect help provide a clean surface and perfect positioning for commercial branding logos and messages. Inside, storage systems can make Transit Connect ideal for specific businesses.
Ford Work Solutions delivers four innovative features, according to the OEM:
Ford says the Work Solutions features were developed through hands-on research with contractors and skilled tradespeople in multiple markets across the United States. “Ford Work Solutions provides truck customers new technologies and tools to help them work even smarter and further boost their productivity,” says Mark Fields, Ford’s president of The Americas.
All four Ford Work Solutions will be available this fall on the new 2009 Ford F-150 XL, STX, XLT and FX4 trucks; F-Series Super Duty XL, XLT and FX4 trucks; and all 2009 E-Series vans. Transit Connect vans join the lineup in mid-2009. In time, several of the features will be available for dealer installation to upgrade Ford Trucks already in service.


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The staggering facts of the British mission in Afghanistan
Given today's grim news from Afghanistan there is clearly no need for any further proof of the dangers facing British forces in the country.Â But some of the bare facts around the British mission in Helmand remain staggering. For instance, British forces in Afghanistan are firing their weapons at a rate of more than 11,000 rounds every single day.
That figure is based on the MoD's latest disclosure in a written Commons answer, which shows that between December 2007 and May 2008 inclusive, British troops used a total of 2,096,0000 rounds.
The total is broken downÂ by month here:
Number of rounds of ammunition used
Month 5.56mm 7.62mm 12.72mm
It's a rough projection based on previous figures,Â but how long before the total since major operations began in 2006 reaches the 10 million mark? And will John Reid ever live down his remarks from those early days?
P.S.Â Spare a thought for the military author who presumably thought he'd found a dramatic title for a book about Afghanistan, only to discover that the facts have overtaken him.
Immigration: the real fight is now between the Conservatives and the businesses they used to back
March 6th, 2014 18:24
Immigration shock: you, dear reader, are a member of the 'wealthy metropolitan elite'
March 6th, 2014 11:25
Conservatives and Lib Dems squabble over Europe and tax as the Coalition runs out of steam
March 4th, 2014 14:22
Ukip conference: Nigel Farage's damnation of Britain as a foreign land will do him no favours
February 28th, 2014 17:03
David Cameron is miles away from delivering on his immigration promise. Will he repeat it at the election?
February 27th, 2014 17:27

domain: politics


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|Day Low/High||51.11 / 51.43|
|52 Wk Low/High||45.01 / 53.59|
Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the PowerShares S&P 500 Low Volatility Portfolio where we have detected an approximate $125.0 million dollar outflow -- that's a 1.8% decrease week over week (from 150,400,000 to 147,750,000). Among the largest underlying components of SPLV, in trading today AFLAC Inc is up about 0.7%, Arthur J.
J.C. Penney posts a 3.4% uptick in same-store sales in the nine-week stretch ended Dec. 30, while Macy's reports a 1.1% increase for the combined November and December period.
Precima, a Global Retail Strategy and Analytics Company within the LoyaltyOne Business, Will Provide Consulting and Analytical Services to Canada's Leading Food and Pharmacy Retailer
This is not necessarily something to fear, but must be understood.
Stanley Black & Decker, which bought the brand from Sears Holdings in January, will begin selling Craftsman items in Lowe's, broadening its reach away from Sears.
Even Patriots owner Bob Kraft and Jets owner Woody Johnson, the president's friends and donors, condemned his remarks about protesting football players.
Many types of funds have a mandated balance between debt and equity that must be adjusted.
U.S. stock futures rise Monday following a record closing high for the Dow Jones Industrial Average to end last week.
May kicks off with a busy first week filled with earnings, monetary policy and a snapshot of the health of the economy.
It's no secret that the Fed intends to remain on its current trajectory of tightening monetary policy.
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domain: economics


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Come on in! Join Pinterest today...it only takes like a second or so.
by ...love Maegan on Flickr
Make it yourself.. braided bracelet out of random fabric/rope and old necklaces and chains that will never be worn again-good idea!
great gift idea
Leopard Print Short
tassel lariat necklace diy
so cute. That is a great idea
here's an idea! Tin Tea Canister Cuff Bracelet!
Cute idea for bathroom! letters with scrapbook paper!
Says it uses some trim from Simplicity that's under $5. Sounds good to me! DIY Color Chain Bracelet

domain: artistic


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NFL isn’t applying a double standard to Jim Irsay, yet
It’s become fashionable over the last two days to accuse the NFL of applying a different standard to Colts owner Jim Irsay than the rules that are applied to players. The truth, however, is that the NFL hasn’t applied a double standard when it comes to Irsay.
The NFL has treated Irsay no differently than players facing first-offense accusations of driving while impaired. In those cases, discipline isn’t imposed until the legal process has concluded.
For Irsay, formal charges haven’t even been filed. The league, under the standard applicable to players, won’t take action until charges are filed and resolved.
The better question isn’t whether the NFL has applied a different standard to Irsay, but whether the NFL should. Misguided allegations of hypocrisy from the likes of Redskins safety Ryan Clark flow from the belief that owners should be held to an even higher standard than players. The notion that L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling may lose his franchise for privately expressing pigheaded -- but hardly illegal -- views on matters of race invites a compelling argument that creating a public safety hazard should at a minimum result in swift and decisive discipline of some sort for one of the 32 people who hold the paper on NFL franchises.
The eventual question is whether the NFL will impose apples-to-apples discipline on Irsay, if he pleads guilty to or is convicted of DUI or a similar offense. For players, the NFL collects a pair of game checks. For a billionaire owner, what should the sanction be? Two-seventeenths of the owner’s annual slice of shared revenues?
A truly fair punishment would result in a fine that would be regarded as staggering to the average fan -- and that arguably would violate the league’s current bylaws. Way back in 1988, the NFL increased the maximum fine to $500,000, the amount imposed on Patriots coach Bill Belichick for the Spygate violation.
The most pressing question, then, may be whether the rules should change to permit greater sanctions to be imposed on owners. The idea that the owners are the ones who would vote on that change mirrors the dynamic of elected representatives voting on their own raises.

domain: sports


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Leave the Leaves!
Piles of leaves along roadway in the fall – it costs money to pick them up and dispose of them. They cause unsafe driving and biking conditions, clog storm drains, and can become a source of unwanted nutrient runoff into our streams and rivers causing unhealthy algae blooms.
We encourage you to leave your leaves on your property to help create a “healthy yard.”
- Shred your leaves with a mulching mower and leave them in place on your lawn.
- Shred them with a mulching mower and use them as mulch in your borders and flowerbeds.
- Blow them to the back of your beds where you can leave them to decompose over time providing habitat for the little critters that will become next year’s butterflies, moths…
- Leave them (shredded or not) alone in wooded areas.
- Compost them in a pile or container (with or without shredding).
All you need are your trusty rake, a mulching mower, leaf shredder or weed whacker in a garbage can. A leaf blower or vacuum can help you remove leaves from your beds for shredding.
- Landscape beds – esp. with perennials – carefully remove leaves to shred them and return them in-place as a mulch. Use a leaf vacuum for easiest process.
- Too many leaves – (remember that shredding reduces up to 10:1 in volume). “Hide” excess shredded leaves in landscape beds or (unshredded) in wooded areas. Or compost excess shredded leaves on-site.
- Last resort – transfer shredded leaves off-property for use elsewhere – share leaf mulch with a neighbor or community garden!
- Save money! Reduce the need for commercial fertilizers. Never buy mulch again.
- Save effort! Mulching (shredding) leaves in-place is easier and faster than raking and bagging. Requires less manpower. (Faster, smaller work crews.)
- Returns much-needed nutrients to lawn, landscape beds and/or wooded areas.
- Supports wildlife providing shelter for the insects that pollinate our gardens, that feed the birds and other wildlife.
- Helps retain moisture, reduced need for watering in dry spells and reducing runoff.
- Protects landscape beds from frost over the winter and cools root zones in the summer.
- Lightens clay soils and gives fluff to sandy soils.
- Feeds the soil Increases biological activity of fungus, earthworms, microbes & beneficial soil organisms.
- Grass-cycling (mulching-in-place of lawn clippings) provides similar benefits for turf.
- Eliminates or reduces yard waste from the entering municipal “waste stream.”
CONCERNS (about the current leaf management approach)
- Blowing of leaves off landscape beds removes all leaf duff, loose top dirt, and beneficial organisms. Creates a biologically “sterile zone.”
- Blowing leaves leads to unnecessary noise pollution and results in airborne dust & fumes that can aggravate certain health conditions including asthma and allergies.
- Filling bags and bags with leaves is time consuming and unnecessary.
- Picking up of bags of leaves curbside often requires overtime for DPW or Parks staff.
- Transporting and disposing of leaves from curbside pickup wastes fuel and contributes to air pollution. Leaving leaves curbside results in decomposition, leaching nutrients (e.g.; excess phosphorus) into storm drains.
Make your autumn clean up easier. Love ’em and Leave ’em!
These practices will help you to go one better than the mere basics of autumn leaf disposal. This spring the Township enacted new leaf and brush disposal guidelines in Ordinance 21-08, which prohibit piling leaves at the curbside unbagged for pickup. Bagging leaves is time consuming, and expensive if you have a lot of leaves. So, we encourage you to gift yourself and the critters that survive in the habitat you can provide by loving and leafing ’em!


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We didn't actually stay all night. But, we wanted to. The fishing was slow. There were hundreds of "mullet fish" around the Pier. People were catching catfish and white fish. There were a few little sharks feeding on the shrimp off our hooks. But, I just couldn't hook one.
Bring water, soda and snacks, but no booze. You can't sleep here, fishing only! If it is late, be sure to bring a blanket. The weather and wind are the only reason we left.
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domain: travel


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Acrylic on canvas
123 x 127 cm
Glenys lives and paints in the remote Kaltukatjara (Docker River) Community. This is located in the Petermann Ranges, near the legendary Lasseter's Gold Reef area. She is one of the well known artists in the area and paints the renowned Western Desert Dot paintings.
This painting depicts various Women's Gatherings.
30% OFF - SALE PRICE $2100
AUD 3,000.00Print this Page


MAMARONECK, New York (WABC) -- There is a murder mystery in Westchester County.
A young woman, who was just 12 when her father was killed, is continuing her fight for justice.
Despite a hefty reward offer, and several solid leads, police in Mamaroneck have yet to solve the murder of Stephen Spina.
The postal worker was found stabbed and killed in his apartment.
"This week has been really hard," Skyler said.
For Skyler, the memories come flooding back, thoughts of happier times with her father Stephen who was killed 10 years ago this Sunday.
"He was a great dad, he taught me a lot of stuff," Skyler said. "He coached me in softball, he was great all around."
Stephen was stabbed to death in his apartment in Mamaroneck. There was no forced entry, meaning he knew and let in his killer.
Investigators have been stymied by a lack of physical evidence.
Despite many tips, the murder has gone unsolved for a decade.
"There was a truck set up across the street here looking in the woods, dumpsters," said John McGuire, a neighbor.
Stephen grew up in Mamaroneck, and worked as a letter carrier in neighboring Larchmont.
He was well-known and well-liked in the community, where he also umpired Little League games.
But a month before his death, the tires on Stephen's car were slashed, and that raised concern back then to his coworkers.
"I asked, 'Is someone out to get you?' He kind of poo-pooed it, so I don't know," said Jim Buckley, former coworker back in 2007.
Skyler has a note from her father tattooed on her wrist, the artist duplicating Stephen's handwriting.
On the other wrist is his initials and softball number.
The now 22-year old is in school, and has moved away from Mamaroneck, in part because the killer is still loose.
Someone who she has no doubt will be found.
"It's been 10 years, we can go 10 more. We'll found out who you are eventually," Skyler said.
Daughter searching for leads in father's decade-old murder in Mamaroneck


According to a report from Advertising Age, Apple may not be the heartless, money-grabbing company many suggest it is.
The report highlights that Apple is leaving money on the table by refusing to hand over valuable users’ information to advertisers.
“Measuring U.S. mobile ad revenues only, Google and Facebook tower over Apple,” Kate Kaye reports for Advertising Age. “Top dog Google garnered $3.98 billion in mobile in the U.S. in 2013 while second-ranking Facebook generated $1.53 billion, according to eMarketer. Apple collected $258 million in U.S. mobile-ad revenue last year. It mainly sells ads in mobile apps, and introduced its iTunes Radio streaming ads in September 2013. The company does not sell online display advertising or search ads.”
Apple reportedly knows names and addresses, geographic locations and app and music-purchase histories, and can show ad buyers that a group with specific characteristics also likes certain types of apps or music.
“Apple’s user tracking and ad targeting are not cookie-based, meaning agencies can’t do automated buys via their cookie-centric trading desks, which allow them to mesh lots of data from different sources. Instead, they have to go to Apple, ask to reach a given audience and, well, trust Apple that it will deliver it,” reports said.
“It’s one of the best in terms of data quality and accuracy … but I think Google is a little more open,” said Dan Grigorovici, co-founder of mobile-ad firm AdMobius, who was a software manager at Apple until 2012 and a principal developer of iAd’s measurement and analytics capabilities.
“One person familiar with the situation exec said Apple’s refusal to share data makes it the best-looking girl at the party, forced to wear a bag over her head,” according to the report.


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Climb aboard the Fjord Marine Shuttles to discover the majestic Saguenay Fjord, its breathtaking capes and the villages that border it. 6 departure and stopover docks allow you to travel the 100 km between La Baie and Tadoussac, passing through Saint-Fulgence, Sainte-Rose-du-Nord, Rivière-Éternité and L'Anse-Saint-Jean.
Choose what suits you best with a selection of set or customized routes. Use the luggage transport service and board with your bike to travel the Véloroute du Fjord.
Whether you are travelling as a couple, a family or a group of friends, this can’t-miss activity allows you to discover this unique environment and explore the villages along the Fjord.
Consult the directory of attractions and events that are members of Événements Attractions Québec

domain: geography


Haaretz featured an op-ed this week by one of its chief opinion writers, Rogel Alpher, provocatively titled “I oppose peace with Saudi Arabia.”
In the past, the author was well known for writing highly controversial pieces attacking the ideas of the Israeli mainstream, including the center-Left. Once talk of Israel concluding a peace treaty with Riyadh began to surface, as has been the case over the last year, Saudi Arabia became one of his new targets.
The main issue Saudi critics dealt with during that period were the allegations about the possible role of the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman (MBS) in authorizing the assassination of Saudi journalist and regime critic, Jamal Khashoggi, in Istanbul five years ago.
But Khashoggi was not even mentioned in the Haaretz piece. Neither was MBS. If Rogel Alpher was opposing an Israeli-Saudi peace, his position had nothing to do with this episode. What he did make clear, however, was that his considerations for the position he was taking primarily emanated from the impact of an Israeli-Saudi peace on Israeli domestic politics in the future, and its role in strengthening the present Israeli government.
Saudi Arabia: A potential partner for Israel going back many years
Actually, Saudi Arabia has been a potential strategic partner for Israel for many years. Looking back over the past century, the main adversaries of Riyadh in the Middle East were the Hashemite states, Jordan and Iraq, followed by Nasserist Egypt.
The great backers of the Hashemites were the British who supplied arms and training. They began the scramble for Middle East oil through their conglomerates, such as the Anglo-Persian Oil company, which secured the first oil concessions.
Anyone who studies the diplomatic documents from the end of the First World War can see that this was the main preoccupation of the early Saudi state – not the potential revival of a Jewish national home.
By the 1950s, once Moscow entered the Middle East mix, especially in Yemen, Israel and Jordan joined forces under the table to bolster the Imam of Yemen, while a pro-Soviet Yemen became the main danger to Saudi Arabia.
Soviet aircraft with Egyptian pilots attacked Saudi border towns. America had its own priorities, although US president John F. Kennedy approved the limited deployment of US fighters to help defend areas in the Saudi Kingdom that were being increasingly threatened.
The new strategic trends in the Middle East region have accentuated the need for Israeli coordination with its Saudi neighbor. Operating through its Yemeni allies, Saudi Arabia now had to contend with Iranian-supplied drones and cruise missiles that struck at Saudi oil facilities in 2019. The attack disrupted about 5% of global oil production and half of Saudi Arabia’s oil output.
The fact that Washington did not effectively counter these military dangers in the years that followed best explains the Saudi quest for new global partnerships with the Chinese and the Russians this year.
The writer served as the permanent representative of Israel to the UN and as the director-general of its Foreign Affairs Ministry.