text:
In 2017, Tyazhpromexport completed two ЕРС projects (engineering, procurement and construction) in India. The project dealt with the construction of sinter plant in Visakhapatnam and modernization of sinter plant in Bokaro, both steel plants being the top leaders of Indian metallurgy.
03.08.2017. TPE received Final Acceptance Certificate under Contract T&C(M)/B351/CSA/141 dated December, 10 2011 for modernization of sinter machine No. 1 at Bokaro Steel Plant.
The objective of modernization of sinter machine No. 1 was to enlarge sintering area from 276 tо 312 m2, replace the material and design of pallets with sinter layer increased from 400 tо 500 mm and improve the quality of blending. These measures, along with modernization of gas collecting main and additional actions taken by the Customer to replace exhausters and filters, made it possible to improve machine performance and reduce pollution levels.
18.12.2017. TPE received Final Acceptance Certificate under Contract VSP-6.3 MTPA EXPN/SP-3/CONT/TPE/44-187/02200/M-706/2007-2008 dated May, 01.2007 for construction of sinter machine No. 3 at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.
The construction was part of the program of plant expansion to 6.3 mln. tons of steel a year.
The scope of work performed by Tyazhpromexport included the delivery of design documentation and core process equipment, construction management and supervision, installation, testing, startup and сommissioning of facilities, as well as training Indian operating personnel.


text:
Introduction to Tuple Data Type in python:
In this article we are going learn python Tuple data type in detail. Topics which we are going to cover are, What is tuple data type, How to create tuple? How to use it and what are the methods available with tuple date type. Also the basic difference between python list and tuple.
Out of many available python data types, Tuple, String and List data type have one common characteristic.
- All of these three data types belongs to Sequence Data type. Hence they all behave like an ordered sequence of data.
- Also they support operations like sequence Indexing, Slicing etc.
Difference between List and Tuple:
Both the List and Tuple data types are used to store the data in list format. So it might confuse us where to use list and where to use tuple. There is slight difference between them which we need to understand. So the basic difference between the list and tuple is that, List is mutable while the Tuple is immutable.
Individual data item of List or Tuple is called as an element. So in case of Tuple it is not possible to change the tuple element once it is assigned. Which is not the case with the list data type, For the list data type we can edit (Add/Edit/Remove) the list elements after assigning as well.
So the basic definition of tuple is, "It is an ordered sequence of immutable data". It is basically a list of items/elements which is immutable (Non modifiable) in nature.
How to create a Tuple:
In python Tuple can be created by placing its elements in parenthesis and each element is separated by comma. Tuple may have any number of elements. Also Tuple elements can be of any data type. Like we can have a tuple of numbers, strings or mixed data type.
number_tuple = (10, 20, 30, 40) string_tuple = ('One', 'Two', 'Three') mixed_data_tuple = (8, 'John', 2.8, 65)
So the basic difference between list and tuple is that,
- Tuple is immutable while the list is mutable.
- Tuple is created by placing its elements inside parenthesis "( )" while list elements are placed inside square bracket "[ ]". You may check the article "List Data type in python" for more information about python list data type.
Accessing the Tuple items/elements:
To perform any operation on tuple we need to have access over each tuple element. To get the access of each tuple element we need to perform tuple indexing. So let's see first, What is tuple indexing?
Tuple Indexing:
Tuple indexing means, For each tuple element we will assign an unique number (Index number). Which enables us to access any tuple element. To access tuple element we just need to specify its index number in specific format.
Positive Tuple indexing:
There are two ways of indexing a tuple in python. First approach is to start the indexing from first element till the last element. This way of indexing a tuple is known as positive tuple indexing. In positive tuple indexing all the elements are assigned with positive index number.
Which means the first element of tuple will always have zero index number. Suppose we are having a tuple with 5 elements in it. Then the first tuple element will have zero index number and the last element will have index number "4".
Negative Tuple indexing:
On the other side the second approach of tuple indexing is to start the indexing from the last tuple element and proceed towards the first element i.e in reverse direction. This way of indexing is know as negative tuple indexing.
In negative tuple indexing last element of tuple is assigned with "-1" index number. Suppose we are having a tuple of 5 elements in it. Then the last tuple element will have "-1" index number and the first element will have index number "-5".
Printing the single tuple element:
For printing the single tuple element see the example below.
tuple_variable = ('Red', 8.5, 'Green', 'Blue', 2, 60)
To print the single tuple element we have used indexing operator "[ ]" along with index number of element we want to print.
This is how we can print single tuple element. However sometimes we may come across the scenario wherein we may need to print multiple tuple elements. Let's see tuple slicing for accessing multiple tuple elements.
Tuple Slicing:
For accessing multiple tuple elements we have to specify the range of tuple elements separated by colon ":". It will slice the tuple and will provide us the access of elements in that range. This way of accessing tuple elements is known as the tuple slicing.
tuple_variable = ('Red', 8.5, 'Green', 'Blue', 2, 60)
('Green', 'Blue', 2)
In above example we have sliced the tuple from index number 2 to 5. So the format for tuple slicing is as below;
Operations possible on python tuple:
As we already know that python tuple is immutable. Hence once the tuple assigned it can't be changed afterwards. Due to that, there are very less operations possible with python tuple. However there are still few operation which can be performed on python tuple data type. Let's see them one by one.
- Delete python tuple:
Since tuple is immutable, It is not possible to delete any of the tuple element. However it is possible to delete the entire tuple itself. We can delete entire tuple using "del" keyword.
tuple_variable = ('Red', 8.5, 'Green', 'Blue', 2, 60)
del tuple_variable #Delete the tuple
Even If we execute this program it will show us an error. Since on the second line we have deleted the tuple "tuple_variable" and at the last line we are trying to print the deleted tuple. Therefore it is showing an error.
- Other available methods for python tuple:
Addition of new element or removal of existing tuple element is not possible. However there are following methods available with python tuple.
|Method Available
|Result Obtained
|Return the number 'x' elements present in tuple
|Return index of first found 'x' element
tuple_variable = ('Red', 8.5, 'Green', 'Blue', 2, 60) count_Result = tuple_variable.count('Red') print(count_Result) #Result 1 #Since only one element with value 'Red' is present in tuple. index_result = tuple_variable.index('Blue') print(index_result) #Result 3 #Index number of 'Blue' will be printed.
Also there are few other methods available with python tuple:
|Tuple Functions
|Result Obtained
|Return number of elements present in tuple.
|Return the largest tuple element.
|Return the smallest tuple element.
|Convert an iterable (list, string, set, dictionary) to a tuple.
tuple_variable = (2, 8, 12, 20, 45, 60) print(len(tuple_variable)) print(max(tuple_variable)) print(min(tuple_variable)) #Result 6 #Number of elements in tuple 60 #Maximum number between tuple elements 2 #Minimum number between tuple elements
Continue Reading…

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Call: 416-309-8789
You are here
Visitor Visa
A business visitor visa allowing the holder to enter the us on business matters that do not mean taking up employment. For the purpose of making business decisions for investment purposes and/or purchasing. Valid up to 6 months on every entry and may be given a multiple entry up to 10 years.
A visitor based visa granting the holder the privilege of visiting the US up to 6 months as a tourist. Visa may be issued multiple entry up to 10 years.
Contact us now at 416-309-8789 or fill out our ASSESSMENT to see which program you qualify for!


text:
During Great Lent we are called upon to fast not only for reasons of self-control and prayer, but also for reasons of love: to deny ourselves something that we may share what we have saved with a needy person.
This Lent, our parish family of St. Elia will be collecting items to include in "blessing bags" intended to provide a few necessities or comforts for someone who is homeless or otherwise in need. Look for the bin located near the entrance of church, and drop off your items as you come in each week. The blessing bags will be assembled following Divine Liturgy on Sunday, April 2, so all items must be turned in by then.
The bags will be available for distribution during Holy Week and after. We ask each individual or family to take at least one of the bags to distribute, with one string attached: You must learn the name of the person you give the bag to, so that you (and the Church) can pray for them by name.
Below is a list of ideas of items that may be contributed. Thank you for doing your part to help those in need!
- Gallon sized plastic bags (Ziploc or generic)
- Prepaid phone cards
- Fast food restaurant gift cards
- Pocket Bibles or small prayer books/pamphlets
- Notes of encouragement
Food items
- Small water bottles
- Granola or protein bars
- Small packs of nuts, trail mix, crackers or other snacks
- Mints or gum
Toiletries and personal items (travel sized)
- Wet wipes
- Hand sanitizer
- Deodorant
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Comb
- Chapstick
- Tissues
- Feminine products
- Band-aids
- Socks


text:
John Mcafee launched a cryptocurrency Exchange platform, mcafeemagic.com, that was designed to work as a portal to numerous cryptocurrency exchanges at once. Hence, a user who doesn't have access to a particular cryptocurrency can connect the API of another Exchange on the platform to seamlessly trade in all cryptocurrencies.
While one would argue on why to use a combined Exchange platform when it requires opening an account on every Exchange whose API we wish to connect, the platform offers added functionalities and added security for all types of traders professionals to the novice.
The 'Magic' is that traders have those advanced features even if they do not exist on many exchanges! – that's McAfee Magic.
The advanced features that McAfee Magic would offer are Auto Buy, Auto Sell, Trailing Buy, Trailing Sell, Stop-Loss, Complete Auto Trade, etc. It also includes a Shadow portal functionality, which enables novice traders to copy the trades of notable professionals on multiple Exchanges.
Also Read: Founder of Tron and Litecoin along with Binance CEO to Play Poker for Charity
The native cryptocurrency or fuel of the Exchange is Arbitrage (ARB). Arbitrage is an ERC-20 token that runs the arbitraging smart contracts which have designed Bots to generate profit from arbitraging between different Exchanges.
The Portal Faced a Launch Time Attack
The Exchange launch was soon affected by a DOS attack. John Mcafee gave regular updates of the attack supposedly originating from Texas. He tweeted,
McAfeeMagic.com got hit with a cloaked version of hoic. It was a DOS attack. My enemies must be losing sleep in their attempts to annoy me. However, I will track them down. I never fail:
Nevertheless, on early on 13 June 2019, he confirmed the launch and the fact that they have gotten rid of the attackers. He tweeted,
"WE ARE UP!!!!! The hackers are banished to the writhing mass of nothing from which they came. http://McAfeeMagic.com is up, live, and waiting for your caress. I believe the wait was worth it. Tidbits of the Magic listed below. Enjoy my friends, followers, and detractors."
Mcafee, himself, vouch for the security, authenticity, and functionalities of the Exchange which according to him, "its the only second software to be worthy of the McAfee brand."
Do you think that Mcafeemagic is better than the existing Exchanges? Please share your views with us.
Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of CoinGape. Do your market research before investing in cryptocurrencies. The author or publication does not hold any responsibility for your personal financial loss.
Nivesh from Engineering Background is a full-time Crypto Analyst at Coingape. He is an atheist who believes in love and cultural diversity. He believes that Cryptocurrency is a necessity to deter corruption. He holds small amounts of cryptocurrencies. Faith and fear are two sides of the same coin. Follow him on Twitter at @nivishoes or mail him at nivesh(at)coingape.com


text:
Firm Profile > DLA Piper > Frankfurt, Germany
DLA Piper Offices
DLA Piper > The Legal 500 Rankings
Unfair competition Tier 1
Alongside its strong trade mark practice, DLA Piper has in-depth expertise in competition and advertising law. The team led by Stefan Engels advises on matters pertaining to pharmaceutical, tobacco, gambling and food law but also receives regular digitalisation-related instructions. This includes, among other issues, influencer marketing, native advertising and SEO marketing. The team provides full assistance with marketing campaigns, including discounts, combined offers and prize competitions, but also advises on matters at earlier product stages such as the development of new products, packing and labelling.
Practice head(s):
Stefan Engels
Other key lawyers:
Burkhard Führmeyer; Kai Tumbrägel
'Excellent team, always available, which covers the whole range in the IP and media sectors, nationally as well as internationally.'
'Kai Tumbrägel: Excellent solicitor and a very good strategist.'
Key clients
About You GmbH
Bauer Media
Coty Inc.
Guccio Gucci
Lufthansa Technik AG
Organisation Werbetreibende im Markenverband (OWM)
Rituals Cosmetics
Samsung Electronics
Ty Inc.
Verivox GmbH
Advice to companies Tier 2
DLA Piper's expertise encompasses the whole spectrum of white-collar crime, including advice on corruption and fraud matters, money laundering offences and cyber crime. The group regularly acts for national and international clients from the banking, automotive and manufacturing sectors and additionally fields a strong investigations practice. Christian Schoop is proficient at representing clients in preliminary proceedings and has additional expertise in criminal environmental law. Senior counsel Jürgen Taschke has extensive experience particularly in cross-border matters. Emanuel Ballo joined the team at the beginning of 2019 from Gleiss Lutz and enhanced the practice's criminal compliance offering.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts (CD:leitet das DR Team aber hat keine Strafrechtserfahrung deswegen nicht erwähnt)
Other key lawyers:
Christian Schoop; Jürgen Taschke; Emanuel Ballo; Daniel Zapf
Advice to insurers Tier 2
Working in close conjunction with various adjacent practice areas plays a significant role at DLA Piper. The team led by Ludger Giesberts is also dedicated to consolidating its insurance supervisory practice, not only with regards to Brexit-related work but also with regards to product and distribution law. Advising pension funds and reinsurers on compliance matters is another key element of the practice. Its client portfolio includes an increasing number of international insurance companies, resulting in an increasing amount of cross-border mandates. Gunne Bähr, who is rated for his expertise in insurance supervisory law and also advises insurtechs, is recommended. Christian Schneider regularly demonstrates his expertise in product development and the structuring of insurance solutions. As of October 2019, the firm was able to further strengthen its Cologne and Munich offices with the arrival of of counsel Thomas Fausten from Ince.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
'The unbureaucratic and open type of team at DLA Piper combined with an enormous legal expertise brings particular added value.'
'The expert knowledge in insurance and insurance regulatory law is comprehensive, but does not exclude expertise in other areas of law.'
'Gunne Bähr is an outstanding expert in insurance law.'
'The team surrounding Christian Schneider and counsel David Buntenbroich is very experienced. Both are clever negotiators with very good legal expertise.'
'Christian Schneider has outstanding knowledge in the area of insurance, corporate and insolvency law. He is extremely competent and working with him is friendly and professional.'
'Christian Schneider is an insurance law encyclopedia; he has comprehensive legal expertise paired with a deep understanding how insureres works. His advice is competent, solution-oriented and creative.'
Key clients
Allianz Real Estate
Assicurazioni Generali
Athora Deutschland
Basler Versicherungen
Gothaer Gruppe
Compliance Tier 2
DLA Piper comprehensively advises on all relevant compliance aspects including the establishment of compliance management systems, the implementation of international guidelines as well as on compliance due diligence and workshops; notably, the team cooperates both across its practices and its offices. Practice head Ludger Giesberts impresses with deep knowledge of public commercial law and Christian Schoop combines his compliance expertise with experience in white-collar crime matters and internal investigations. Counsel Stefanie Bischof joined from Hengeler Mueller and advises on corporate governance issues.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Christian Schoop; Jürgen Taschke; Stefanie Bischof; Daniel Zapf
Data protection Tier 2
Clients and competitors alike recommend DLA Piper's data protection practice which shows particular strength in the automotive and finance area and has recently handled topics such as big data, AI and privacy-by-design projects. Other pillars of the practice lie in advising clients on compliance applications, employee data protection and cybersecurity. In collaboration with the firm's global data protection group the team often acts in international data protection projects. In 2019 the team grew significantly: In May Hamburg-based Verena Grentzenberg, who focuses especially on data protection advice in connection with new business models, was promoted to partner and at the same time senior associate Jan Spittka made counsel in Cologne. Renowned university professor and data protection expert Jürgen Taeger already joined the firm in February 2019 as of counsel and in Munich the practice was further strengthened with counsel Katia Helbig from Baker McKenzie in September 2019.
Other key lawyers:
Jan Pohle; Jahn Geert Meents; Verena Grentzenberg
'The team has a hands-on mentality and always searches for a pragmatic solution.'
Key clients
Reckitt Benckiser
Information technology and digitalisation Tier 2
DLA Piper is doubtlessly continuing its engagement with IT law topics and continues to advise numerous DAX 30 companies while also gaining new mandates for prominent clients, particularly in the automotive industry and financial services sector. The firm's advice ranges from IT procurement, IT compliance, IT transactions and IT litigation to new key drivers such as digital transformation, cloud services, big data, cybersecurity, AI and fintech. With the partner promotion of Sylvia Ebersberger in May 2019, who has expertise at the intersection between distribution and trade law matters in the IT sector, the firm is planning a further expansion of the practice towards alternative and innovative business models and technologies. Jan Geert Meents has 20 years' experience in complex and strategic IT other technology projects and is also managing director (UK & Europe) of the firm. With 'solid and targetted, always reliable' negotiator Jan Pohle the practice has an 'extremely good IT-lawyer'. In February 2019 the firm was also able to gain academic Jürgen Taeger as proven expert and of counsel in the areas of internet law, data protection and e-commerce and thereby was able to extend its contacts in relevant public bodies.
Other key lawyers:
'Surely one of the best teams in existance. Very good lawyers with extremely good and longstanding industry knowledge.'
'In IT law DLA Piper has a very good partner (Jan Pohle) and able lawyers, which stand by his side.'
'Senior Associate Thorsten Ammann is a very good IT lawyer and always reliable.'
Key clients
Insurance litigation Tier 2
The insurance law practice at DLA Piper has opted for a clear division of responsibilities: In Cologne, the firm primarily represents insurers, while the Munich office mainly acts for policyholders. Post-M&A disputes pertaining to W&I policies as well as patent law-related claims are as much part of the team's general workload as are matters pertaining to fake CEO cases, D&O liability and investment fraud. The team is led by Ludger Giesberts and includes arbitration specialist Thomas Gädtke, who has a fine reputation in D&O liability. Handling claims in the context of liability and property insurance is the responsibility of Christian Schneider, who also represents insurance companies in litigation. The highly acclaimed Gunne Bähr also represents insurance and reinsurance law clients in litigation and arbitration and handles disputes with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin).
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Thomas Gädtke; Christian Schneider; Gunne Baehr
'Thomas Gädtke has longstanding experience with D&O insurers and comprehensive contacts both with insurers and their law firms.'
Key clients
Bayerische Landesbank
VOV D&O Versicherer
Outsourcing Tier 2
DLA Piper's range of services includes advice on IT and business process outsourcing, development and implementation projects, including agile programming procedures, and strategic IT procurement. The firm's portfolio recently again featured several disputes with IT outsourcing providers as well as a particular sector focus on the banking and insurance industry. Jan Pohle is the key figure.
Press and publishing Tier 2
The 'high skills of each individual lawyer' manifest themselves in DLA Piper's press and freedom of speech advice, which also includes crisis communication and the representation in proceedings around false assertions. In press and privacy matters the team traditionally acts on the side of the media but also has experience in representing those affected by press coverage. Stefan Engels is considered a 'very good strategist and tactician, who handles matters with confidence and professionalism'.
Practice head(s):
Stefan Engels
'Total experts are available for all areas of media law and various related practice areas.'
'Strong team with broad market expertise.'
Key clients
Axel Springer SE
Discovery Communications Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
dpa – Deutsche Presseagentur GmbH
Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG
Jochen Schweizer Project Holding
Magic Leap Inc.
Mr. Green & Co. AB
NeoLotto Ltd.
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE
Sat. 1 Satelliten-Fernsehen GmbH
Stillfront Group AB
Tele München Group
Trustly Group AB
Welt N24
Wort & Bild Verlag
ZeniMax Media
Real estate finance Tier 2
'As well as its excellent technical know-how', DLA Piper also stands out for its 'very good international cooperation between individual teams'. The team focuses on lenders work, but also acts for borrowers, and puts emphasis on the asset classes logistics, hotels, offices and shopping centres as well as project developments. Much of this work pertains to mezzanine financings, which are frequently provided by debt funds, while the team is also experienced in senior financings and refinancings. The 'level-headed, attentive and very precise' Torsten Pokropp heads the practice together with 'honest, straightforward and extremely strong negotiator' Frank Schwem.
Practice head(s):
Torsten Pokropp; Frank Schwem
'Sehr gute grenzüberschreitende Kooperation mit einem hohen Maß an Professionalität.'
'Perfekt aufeinander eingespieltes Team.'
'Short distances and a constant good atmosphere are some of the advantages.'
'Very accurate and specific knowledge.'
'Torsten Pokropp has excellent expertise and the ability to differentiate between essential and unnecessary matters in negotiations.'
'Torsten Pokropp follows a solution-oriented approach.'
'Frank Schwem is reliable, quick, precise and prescient.'
Key clients
Aareal Bank AG
pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank
Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen Girozentrale (Helaba)
Landesbank Baden-Württemberg (LBBW)
Collmezzo Investment GmbH & Co. KG
CAERUS Debt Investments
Allianz Real Estate GmbH
Arbitration (including international arbitration) Tier 3
The client base of DLA Piper's dispute resolution practice is predominantly composed of DAX 30 companies, which the group assists with various proceedings. Thus the team has particular experience in arbitration proceedings pertaining to post-M&A, W&I insurance and energy disputes. While the practice is led by litigator Ludger Giesberts, it is Thomas Gädtke, who focuses on corporate conflicts, and Frank Roth, who is well versed in the IT, health and infrastructure sectors, who are particularly noted for arbitration. Wolfgang Jäger is a key contact for enforcement and trade issues and Daniel Sharma has broad expertise in national as well as international disputes.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Thomas Gädtke; Frank Roth; Wolfgang Jäger; Daniel Sharma; Sebastian Schneider; David Buntenbroich
'Das Team ist juristisch sehr stark und extrem international erfahren. Man hat außerdem sehr gute Indienexpertise.'
'Thomas Gädtke is a smart negotiator and very experienced lawyer in the arbitration area, also in cross-border matters.'
'Frank Roth is a very good and experienced lawyer, who works thoroughly and behaves confidently.'
'Wolfgang Jäger is to be lauded for his client focus, his experience and his pragmatic approach.'
'Daniel Sharma impresses with his intelligent, smart and always vigilant manner.'
Key clients
Commercial litigation Tier 3
DLA Piper impresses with a diverse dispute resolution team that can access expertise in areas such as insurance, energy, automotive, real estate, IT and IP whenever necessary. A strong focus of the practice is on disputes related to D&O insurances and Thomas Gädkte is particularly experienced in this field. Practice head Ludger Giesberts represents clients in proceedings before EU courts, German administrative courts as well as civil courts. The team also includes Wolfgang Jäger, who has 20 years of experience and frequently acts in criminal proceedings, particularly related to the prosecution of civil damages claims for corporations against criminal offenders, as well as Frank Roth, who is well versed in trade disputes as well as in all kinds of national and international arbitration proceedings.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Thomas Gädtke; Frank Roth; David Buntenbroich; Wolfgang Jäger; Christian Schneider; Sebastian Schneider
'The short response times of the team and the availability of competent lawyers is noteworthy.'
Corporate Tier 3
DLA Piper's corporate advice portfolio includes the handling of annual general meetings, executive liability issues, national and international restructuring and mergers of large and medium-sized companies and cross-practice expertise in insurance and trade law as well as compliance. Benjamin Parameswaran, who has M&A expertise and provides ongoing advice to executive boards among other matters, as well as Nils Krause, who assists national and international corporations with restructuring, jointly lead the practice. Roland Maaß joined from Latham & Watkins LLP and acts at the interface of stock corporation law.
Practice head(s):
Nils Krause; Benjamin Parameswaran
Other key lawyers:
Kerstin Schnabel; Mathias Schulze Steinen
'Strong core team, which acts as a one-stop-shop.'
'One receives fast responses also for complex issues.'
'The team is always available and delivers precise guidance on how to act.'
Key clients
Ahlers AG
Matica Technologies AG
Nordzucker Holding AG
Deutsche Beteiligungs AG
DIC Asset AG
Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA
HanseYachts AG
LPKF Laser &Electronics AG
EWE TEL GmbH
Georgsmarienhütte Holding GmbH
Hans Otto Mahn / Manus Vermögensverwaltung GmbH
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
Senvion GmbH
Varex Imaging Corporation
Sopra Steria Group S.A.
Entertainment Tier 3
DLA Piper's 'excellent, always available' media law team advises its clients in the digital media, film, TV and music sectors on classic media, regulatory and copyright issues and on digitalisation. The firm's expertise ranges from gambling regulation and licensing agreements to gaming, media transactions, and broadcasting and online issues. Stefan Engels heads the practice which recently saw the promotion of Christoph Engelmann to counsel.
Practice head(s):
Stefan Engels
Other key lawyers:
Michael Stulz-Herrnstadt; Kai Tumbrägel
'Kai Tumbrägel: Excellent lawyer and very good strategist.'
'Michael Stulz-Herrnstadt represents fundamental regulatory issues with outstanding expertise and an impressive success rate in the higher courts.'
Key clients
Axel Springer SE
Discovery Communications Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
dpa – Deutsche Presseagentur GmbH
Heinrich Bauer Verlag KG
Jochen Schweizer Project Holding
Magic Leap Inc.
Mr. Green & Co. AB
NeoLotto Ltd.
ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE
Sat. 1 Satelliten-Fernsehen GmbH
Stillfront Group AB
Tele München Group
Trustly Group AB
Welt N24
Wort & Bild Verlag
ZeniMax Media
Foreign trade law Tier 3
Due to the close cooperation with its M&A practice, DLA Piper puts significant emphasis on investment control work. The team led by Ludger Giesberts, who predominantly advises on export control, also has a niche in insurance law-related sanction compliance. Counsel Thilo Streit assists several companies from the automotive, mechanical engineering, IT, chemical and insurance sectors with foreign trade law compliance. The team also handles issues pertaining to Iran and Russia sanctions.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Dasan Zhone Solutions
exceet Group AG
Georgmarienhütte Holding GmbH
Samsung Oak Holdings Inc.
Internal investigations Tier 3
Led by Ludger Giesberts, DLA Piper has wide-ranging experience in assisting with internal investigations pertaining to corruption, banking and capital markets criminal law, money laundering torts, disclosure of trade and business secrets as well as to cyber crime. In addition, the group advises on work accidents and environmental issues. Christian Schoop, senior counsel Jürgen Taschke as well as Emanuel Ballo, who joined from Gleiss Lutz, add white-collar crime expertise to the practice.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Christian Schoop; Jürgen Taschke; Emanuel Ballo; Daniel Zapf; Marius Haak
Key clients
François-Blanc-Spielbank GmbH
M&A: mid-sized deals (sub-€500m) Tier 3
The good global integration of DLA Piper's German M&A practice allows for consistent comprehensive advice to national and international corporations in cross-border matters, which is complemented by wide-ranging sector expertise in various industries including manufacturing, technology, automotive, insurances, real estate and media. New arrivals Simon Vogel, previously at Dentons, and Gerald Schumann, who joined from Baker McKenzie, are expanding the group's private equity and venture capital capabilities. Practice co-heads Nils Krause and Benjamin Parameswaran are particularly recommended for complex cross-border deals.
Practice head(s):
Nils Krause; Benjamin Parameswaran
Other key lawyers:
'Very good lawyers, great blend of experience and social skills.'
'Highly qualified advisors.'
Key clients
Abry Partners LLC
Avnet, Inc.
Basler Versicherungen
DAZAN Zhone Solutions
ERG S.p. A.
exceet Gruppe
HCL Technologies
H.I. G. Europe Capital Partners
JDA Software, Inc.
KCK Group
Luye Pharma AG
Nemetschek SE
Ping An Global Voyager Fund
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
Samsung Electronics
Stillfront Group AB
The China Navigation Company/ Swire Group
Patent litigation Tier 3
DLA Piper provides assistance with infringement and nullity proceedings and, despite its relatively young practice, is one of the best contacts for disputes at the intersection with technology and automotive sector matters. Its spectrum of technical expertise goes well beyond these two sectors however and also includes production and life sciences-related work. Markus Gampp's role as head of the German and co-chair of the global patent practice illustrates the firm's international approach.
Practice head(s):
Markus Gampp
Other key lawyers:
Philipp Cepl
'The German patent rights practice of DLA Piper, under the guidance of Markus Gampp, has firmly established itself on the market over the last few years. The strong, very dynamic team delivers top-quality and works very efficiently. Further strong points are creativity and the development of arguments, the profound industry knowledge, particularly in the IT and automotive sectors, as well as the 24/7 reachability and outstanding communication.'
'Especially to be recommended is the practice team-leader Markus Gampp. He combines comprehensive proceedings-experience and his distinct strategic thinking with an extraordinary industry knowledge. He is also characterised by his pragmatic, thought-through and structured approach and the clear, direct communication.'
Key clients
Alpinestars S.p.A.
Becton Dickinson
British Airways
Harman International Industries, Inc.
Nike Inc.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
Versicherungskammer Bayern
Real estate Tier 3
The 'highly professional' real estate practice at DLA Piper has manifold capacities in assisting with transactions across the entire spectrum of asset classes, first of all hotels, student housing and logistic units. Under the joint leadership of Lars Reubekeul and Fabian Mühlen, the team also advises operators of specialist real estate on the realisation of data centres among other matters. The renowned Martin Haller was able to unfold his competencies in assisting with project developments, particularly in the hotel area. Another strength includes the advice to institutional investors on acquiring large-scale conversion sites as well as fully-let city quarters. Transactions are handled by Christian Lonquich among others; he also assists with asset management and financing issues.
Practice head(s):
Fabian Mühlen; Lars Reubekeul
Other key lawyers:
'DLA Piper has a highly professional team in the area of real estate and construction law. The group has best possible expertise in assisting with transactions and project developments of all kinds.'
'With regards to letting contracts, rental law and acquisitions contracts, the team is always up-to-date with current market conditions.'
'Martin Haller's expertise and market knowledge as well as his empathy for the client's needs are unrivalled.'
'Martin Haller is always there for his clients and always has a sympathetic ear.'
'Martin Haller: very professional manner with good instincts in negotiations on when "the hard way" is necessary.'
'Manuel Indlekofer: very pleasant and conciliatory manner, which can ground especially effervescent conversation partners on the other side of the table.'
Key clients
InterContinental Hotels Group
AEW Europe
Trade, distribution and logistics Tier 3
The commercial team at DLA Piper acts for clients along the entire value chain. The practice led by Thilo von Bodungen stands out for its attention to the clients' operating business and coordinates matters that require interdisciplinary cooperation. As well as its chemical, aviation and mechanical engineering sector work, it also handles consumer goods and retail industry matters. Von Bodungen is also well versed in contract law and advises on joint ventures and outsourcing. Automotive expert Sylvia Ebersberger, who focuses on providing assistance with transformation processes and innovation projects, made partner in May 2019.
Practice head(s):
Thilo von Bodungen
Other key lawyers:
Sylvia Ebersberger; Susanne Weckbach
'The commercial practice of DLA Piper is characterised by fast response times, excellent legal advice and client-oriented service.'
'Very experienced and well balanced team on all matters of distribution law and purchase contract rights, but also on matters of product liability and general commercial law.'
'Thilo von Bodungen and Silke Goschler are outstanding solicitors, who immerse themselves in complex scenarios and give practical and usable legal advice. Their qualities, in particular regarding contract design, are excellent.'
'Thilo von Bodungen possesses a wealth of experience and excellent skills regarding all matters of distribution law and purchase contract rights. The specific purchase- and distribution processes of the company are understood immediately and are reflected in the contractual clauses according to the client's wishes.'
Key clients
Bauer Media Group
EWE Vertrieb GmbH
Shure Incorporated
Sixt Leasing SE
Employment Tier 4
With four German offices, DLA Piper advises national and international clients on the development and expansion of companies as well as employment law disputes. The team led by Kai Bodenstedt has a forward-looking focus on employee data protection and, with Marco Arteaga, also has specialist expertise in occupational pension provisions. Benefitting from its cooperation with the firm's white-collar crime practice, the team is also well placed to handle employment law compliance. Sascha Morgenroth moved to Simmons & Simmons in August 2019.
Practice head(s):
Kai Bodenstedt
Other key lawyers:
Jens Kirchner, Marco Arteaga
'Very flexible, internationally oriented, high availability.'
'Very competent assistance also with most difficult tariff negotiations with negotiation partners.'
'Pascal Kremp is a very skilled, client-oriented expert and a very good strategist.'
'Jens Kirchner and Thomas Olbrich are both individually as well as a team always well informed and prepared.'
'Eva Einfeldt ensures seamless and for the client very good execution.'
Key clients
Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
BorgWarner Europe GmbH
Cisco Systems, Inc.
Emirates Airlines
Etihad Airways
Francois-Blanc-Spielbank GmbH Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe
H.I.G. Capital
H & M Hennes & MAURITZ VB.V. & Co. KG
Holzverpackung Hüfingen Gmbh & Co. KG
JDA Software, Inc.
Milacron Gruppe
Newell Brands Inc.
Qualcomm Gruppe
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
SoftwareOne AG
Zwilling J. A. Henckels AG / Zwilling J. A. Henckels Deutschland GmbH
Energy Tier 4
DLA Piper's energy team stands out for its strong transactional and project practice as well as for its expertise in energy contract and emissions trading law. In regulatory work, the team is particularly active in the gas sector, including liquid gas, where it focuses on infrastructure mandates and complaint and abuse proceedings before the Federal Network Agency. The team has also been handling an increasing amount of e-mobility work, such as charging station infrastructure matters, while also having experience in contentious proceedings, including arbitration. Cologne-based Michael Cieslarczyk heads the practice, which includes Carlos Robles y Zepf in Frankfurt, who made partner in May 2018 and frequently acts at the corporate and M&A interface. Former counsel and regulatory lawyer Stefan Schröder joined Hogan Lovells International LLP as partner at the start of 2020.
Practice head(s):
Michael Cieslarczyk
Other key lawyers:
'Quick professional familiarity with the special features of the client. High availability and commitment to the interests of the client. Practical solutions. '
Key clients
Credit Suisse Energy Infrastructure Partners
EFET – European Federation of Energy Traders
E.ON Climate & Renewables
Fluxys TENP und Fluxys Deutschland
Gastrans/South Stream
NetConnect Germany
Planning and environment Tier 4
DLA Piper's environmental and planning practice in Cologne has particular strength in product law. In addition, the group, which is instructed by DAX 30 companies as well as other national and international corporations, advises on planning law issues and assists with planning law aspects of various infrastructure projects as well as transactions. Ludger Giesberts heads the partner duo, in which Guido Kleve is the other key figure. The latter has significant expertise in the infrastructure area, where he advises on approval issues, financings, compliance matters and contracts.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Guido Kleve; Thilo Streit
'The collaboration with the firm in environmental matters is excellent. Besides its outstanding competencies the firm also stands out for its high communication capabilities. During the intensive professional exchanges on equal footing, an almost collegial work atmosphere developed, which gradually increased the quality of results.'
'Particularly the collaboration with Ludger Giesberts and Hildegard Falter is characterised by a mutual, for both parties beneficial appreciation. Their legally outstanding competencies are paired with a personally approachable manner, which makes dealing with them uncomplicated and pleasant.'
Key clients
Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit
CCR Logistics Systems AG
Restructuring Tier 4
DLA Piper advises its clients, including energy and real estate companies alongside automotive and retail sector players, on financial restructuring models and assists debtors, creditors and sellers with distressed M&A transactions and real estate-related restructurings, including real estate transactions. Executive boards and insolvency administrators receive assistance with insolvency-related liability claims and insolvency contestation. As well as advising on the restructuring of loan liabilities, team head Dietmar Schulz also handles regulatory matters arising from insolvency and insolvency rescission proceedings.
Practice head(s):
Dietmar Schulz
Key clients
Dr. Axel Bierbach als vorläufiger Insolvenzverwalter der Bayerischen Energieversorgungsgesellschaft (BEV)
FMS Wertmanagement AöR
Global Investment Bank
Holzverpackung Hüfingen GmbH & Co. KG
Katharina Kasper ViaSalus GmbH
Schletter Group
Senvion GmbH
Antitrust Tier 5
Handling cross-jurisdictional mandates constitutes a key portion of DLA Piper's antitrust workload. The practice led by Ludger Giesberts regularly advises on international merger control aspects under German and EU law and has a specialism in handling work pertaining to the life sciences, chemical, automotive, telecommunications and energy sectors as well as the media (advertising in particular) and IT industries. Jan Dreyer frequently defends clients in antitrust infringement proceedings and advises companies on antitrust compliance. Bertold Bär-Bouyssière covers the interface between German and European law and is therefore primarily instructed by international companies. Semin O, who focuses on the design and implementation of compliance systems, made partner in May 2019.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
'What makes the cooperation with DLA unique is that the key contact remains the same over several years, who then has a very good understanding of the business models.'
Key clients
Audemars Piguet
Boston Consulting Group
Discovery Inc.
EWE TEL GmbH
exceet Group AG
exceet Group SE
H.I.G. Capital
JDA Software, Inc.
publity AG
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
Lending and borrowing Tier 5
DLA Piper focuses on project and real estate finance, which are both particular areas of expertise for team head Torsten Pokropp, but the practice also handles corporate and acquisition finance.
Practice head(s):
Torsten Pokropp
Other key lawyers:
Frank Schwem
Public procurement Tier 5
The procurement law practice at DLA Piper has significant experience in the IT, health and infrastructure areas and thereby maintains close cooperation with other practice areas such as antitrust and corporate law. In the health sector, practice head Ludger Giesberts' team saw an increase in instructions related to tenders for technology partnerships, while the infrastructure sector still generates the highest volume of instructions. Here, the group advises on port projects among other matters. Frank Roth, who assists clients with review proceedings, and counsel Regina Fock are also part of the core team.
Practice head(s):
Ludger Giesberts
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Flughafen Köln/Bonn
Tax Tier 5
DLA Piper frequently handles tax law matters as part of M&A, real estate and restructuring transactions, including associated financing matters, alongside cross-border compliance issues, such as global insurance premium taxation, while also advising companies and government institutions on VAT regulations. This offering is complemented with experience in transfer pricing and investigations into tax regulation compliance. Clients include German and international corporations, partnerships, financial investors and banks. Konrad Rohde stepped down as co-country managing partner and tax law team head in December 2019.
Other key lawyers:
Marie-Theres Rämer; Björn Enders
'DLA Piper has brilliant legal expertise and excellent client service.'
'DLA Piper's research and argumentation is precise.'
Key clients
Aareal Bank AG
BIA Group
Enmon GmbH
JDA Software, Inc.
Lone Star
NTT America
Qualcomm Inc.
Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Trade marks Tier 5
The team at DLA Piper is particularly experienced in the media and entertainment, technology, consumer goods and fashion as well as food and drinks sectors. Its extensive trade mark law expertise includes portfolio management and development as well as infringement proceedings, most notably summary proceedings. Handling digitalisation-related work is another key strength. Thanks to its international network, the team also provides one-stop support in cross-border mandates. Stefan Engels heads the practice from Hamburg.
Practice head(s):
Stefan Engels
Other key lawyers:
Kai Tumbrägel; Burkhart Führmeyer
'Excellent team, always available, which covers the whole range in the areas of IP and media, nationally as well as internationally.'
'The team at DLA Piper revises our cases with high priority, efficiency and expertise. The cases are researched brilliantly, prepared, explained clearly and we feel well advised.'
'An internationally well interconnected team.'
'Kai Tumbrägel: Excellent lawyer and very good strategist.'
'Kai Tumbrägel is a very pragmatic lawyer with a distinctive hands-on-mentality.'
'Wolfgang May is an experienced expert on trademark law. Due to time spent in-house, he understands a client's need very well.'
'Gabriele Engels overlooks the whole case at all times, does quick research and composes documents clearly, gives excellent legal advice and always tries to reach an out-of-court settlement first.'
Key clients
About You GmbH
BRITA GmbH
Coty Inc.
Guccio Gucci
Nike Inc., Nike European Operations Netherlands B. V.
Rituals Cosmetics
Ty Inc.
Wort & Bild Verlag
Zuru Inc.
DLA Piper > Firm Profile
Global Co-Chairs: Roger Meltzer and Andrew Darwin
Co-Chief Executive Officers: Simon Levine and Cameron Jay Rains
Number of partners: 1,500
Number of lawyers: 5,000
Languages: The firm speaks over 60 languages
Offices: Lawyers located in more than 60 countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
Please see https://www.dlapiper.com for further information about the firm.
Lawyer Profiles
|Christian Lonquich
|View Profile
|Frank Schwem
|View Profile
At DLA Piper we are firmly committed to diversity and inclusion. For us, diversity isn't just about visible differences, it's the unique blend of talents, skills, experiences and perspectives that makes each of us an individual and we know it's crucial to have a culture and environment where those differences are genuinely valued. As a global business law firm, with a diverse client base, we know that our clients expect our people to represent the communities in which we work and value our ability to advise them on both local and global cultures and markets. We believe that our approach to diversity and inclusion enables us to attract the best talent, build the most effective teams and deliver the highest level of client service.
For more information on our specific D&I initiatives please see www.dlapiper.com
Comparative Guides
Peru: Banking & Finance
Published: March 2020
Authors: Sergio Barboza Nelly Espinoza
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Banking & Finance laws and regulations that may occur in Peru.
Colombia: Mergers & Acquisitions
Published: March 2020
Authors: Juan Manuel de la Rosa Felipe Quintero
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Mergers & Acquisitions laws and regulations that may occur in Colombia.
Colombia: Banking & Finance
Published: March 2020
Authors: Camilo Martínez Sebastián Celis Camila Liévano
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Banking & Finance laws and regulations that may occur in Colombia.
The Netherlands: Tax
Published: September 2019
Authors: Jian-Cheng Ku Rhys Bane
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Tax laws and regulations that may occur in The Netherlands.
Morocco: Data Protection
Published: May 2020
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Data Protection laws and regulations that may occur in Morocco.
Belgium: Tax
Published: September 2019
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Tax laws and regulations that may occur in Belgium.
Colombia: Competition Litigation
Published: August 2019
Authors: María Claudia Martínez Beltrán Daniela Huertas Vergara
This country-specific Q&A provides an overview to Competition Litigation laws and regulations that may occur in Colombia.
Top Tier Firm Rankings
Firm Rankings
- Advice to companies
- Advice to insurers
- Compliance
- Data protection
- Information technology and digitalisation
- Insurance litigation
- Outsourcing
- Press and publishing
- Real estate finance
- Arbitration (including international arbitration)
- Commercial litigation
- Corporate
- Entertainment
- Foreign trade law
- Internal investigations
- M&A: mid-sized deals (sub-€500m)
- Patent litigation
- Real estate
- Trade, distribution and logistics
- Employment
- Energy
- Planning and environment
- Restructuring
- Antitrust
- Lending and borrowing
- Public procurement
- Tax
- Trade marks


text:
Like many CEO's in December, my head has been down for the past few weeks as we plan for 2016. And one of the things that's been on my mind is process.
We've recently implemented a new lead management process and CRM to help triage our inbound project requests. We've built better systems to allocate our team's time across all of our projects. We've put in place a process to request vacation time and perform other HR tasks using Bamboo.
Basically, we've been focusing on getting a lot of things out of our heads and into a more organized, trackable structure.
It's something that we've struggled with and resisted for a long time.
When we were small, it was easy to keep everything — what everyone was working on, new clients in the pipeline, those sorts of things — in my head.
But more and more, I've come to believe in the power of structure and processes for growing a business, and ultimately in the necessity of it once you reach a certain point.
This has been one of my biggest perspective shifts this year, and I hope that by sharing my thinking on it, I can convince some of you to embrace process, structure (and the discipline to follow through on them) for your team's benefit, too.
Why so many young businesses resist process
The ethos of many young companies is built around what makes them different from the big guys. You've heard all of the cliches: We move fast and break stuff. We disrupt and innovate. We do things differently.
In our quest to remain nimble, we think that process is what slows the larger companies down. That process is the curse bogging down innovation on large teams. That process, in all its evil, is a "big company trait".
In reality, it often has a lot more to do with culture than process. And contrary to what many think, large companies are responsible for a lot more innovation than most in the startup world would admit.
But when it comes to avoiding process solely because large companies rely on it, young businesses couldn't be more misguided.
The big, "slow" companies aren't dumb (well, not all of them anyway)
MojoTech is the largest company I've worked for, but many of us have worked at large companies or have at least experienced their red tape in some way.
We've seen process poorly executed, and it has scarred a lot of us who have ached to do things faster. That's what drove many of us to leave those large companies and pursue the paths that we did.
And to be sure, you can grow with a flat org chart and without much process. To a point.
We've grown MojoTech to more than 40 employees in three offices that way. But at a certain level — which I'm finding is about right now for us — the need for process becomes clear.
Employees want to feel safe in making decisions, knowing that they're still doing the right thing and won't be penalized for wrong choices. They want to know what to do if they come up against issues and challenges, or even how to do simple things like request time off.
There's a comfort in process and structure that most of us feel, but hesitate to admit to.
We all grew up with it: in school, you always know what you should be doing at any given time because you're told to do it. I never liked school very much, at least, the classroom parts, and I'm certain that's one of the reasons for my long distrust of structures and processes which diminish an individual's unique abilities and own judgement.
When you're thrust into a world without any structure, it's easy to get overwhelmed and flounder. Most of us create structure in our personal lives to replace what we lost when we left the structured world; things like project management apps and to-do lists are an obvious example.
Even for those of us who hate the idea of process, actually having it makes most of us more comfortable, whether we like it or not.
To be frank, I still dislike the idea of process.
But it's become clear that it's what's best for the culture, the team and the business. Every large company learns that at some point in its growth. Most of them started out just like we did, with a free-for-all structure that they shed when they came to the same realization: that approach only takes you so far.
They needed process eventually. And you will too. The key is to develop the right processes for your businesses. What works for Google will not work for you.
And on an even more granular level, what works for you today might not work for you five employees later. You can't simply copy process from other companies, as you'll end up with the wrong fit and the wrong conclusion that process simply doesn't work.
Our CRM, our HR app, our lead management process...might be terrible for you.
Process and structure are deeply individual pursuits that each company must find the best fit for on its own, based on your culture, values, team and challenges.
But choosing is the easiest part. There are great options for companies of all sizes. It's letting go of your hesitation and embracing the value of process that's the hardest, and most important part.
Getting your team onboard and making process work for you
Overcoming your own fear of process is one thing.
But when you've built a company and hired dozens of employees based on the premise that you're committed to "always operating like a small, agile business," selling the idea of process to your team can be tricky.
There are two important things to note here:
1) Successful process starts with purpose
If you've hired well, you don't have a team of lemmings ready to blindly do whatever you say. They may believe in your leadership and vision, but smart people are more motivated by purpose than confusing directives.
And really, you should be, too. Before you pick the process, determine the purpose.
Why are you putting a process in place?
In most cases, it's to reduce or eliminate a particular inefficiency or to accelerate or improve a specific part of your business. Know what that purpose is, and when you introduce the process, lead with that purpose. Understanding why you're doing what you're doing will (ideally) help your team embrace the process, too.
If everyone knows the purpose of the process it also empowers them to improve upon it or even ignore it in cases where they feel as though it's hurting rather than helping the team.
2) Why process fails
Process fails for two reasons: it's either the wrong process for your purpose or your team isn't adhering to the process.
If it's the former, having a stated purpose at the outset will make it a lot easier to track and realize that your process isn't working. If you're not accomplishing what the stated purpose of the process is after a few weeks, then perhaps it's time to try a new process.
But often, processes fail not because of the chosen process, but because teams aren't disciplined about following through on the execution of the process.
If you don't exercise discipline and stick to the process you've chosen, the process won't work for you.
Making your team accountable to each other for adhering to your process, either in regular meetings, in a team chat room, in a project management tool or in whatever app you've chosen for your process, is key to making process work for you.
Process is not a failure
Too many people look at process as a failure, assuming that you only need process because your company is too bloated or your team isn't good enough. Or they see it as a hindrance, slowing you down and crushing your agility.
But in reality, when done well and created with your organization in mind, process can be both a success and a catalyst. I plan for it to be both of those things for MojoTech in 2016.


text:
The prototype website can be viewed here:
This includes a portal for Cape Town, with a number of datasets, infrastructure records, graphs, tables, and other information. Data portals for a number of other cities are being worked on, and will become available as they become sufficiently populated.
Interested in adding your city? Click here to read more.


text:
No matter your background or industry, it is common knowledge that working at heights can be extremely dangerous. There are a number of factors that must be considered when working at heights to ensure that the work is kept as safe as possible.
Statistics have shown that falls from heights are one of the most common causes of injuries within the workplace. In many circumstances, they can result in serious injuries and even fatalities. On some occasions, falls can even put members of the public at risk should they be passing by. As a result, it is crucial that anyone carrying out any form of work at height understands how to work both safely and responsibility while also working in accordance with the law.
Course Details
Our working safely at height training course is designed to provide employees and employers with all of the information required to work at height while controlling all of the risks involved. It helps to comply with Work at Height Regulations (2005), allowing you to work in accordance with the law. We will teach you how to assess the risk involved in working at a height, as well as how to access and use equipment as safely as possible. This helps to manage and control risks, while at the same time reducing the overall risk of falls from any height. Our training course is:
Our training course helps to ensure that you, your staff and the public are kept as safe as possible when work is being conducted from a height.
Who Is This Course Designed for?
Our course is designed for any business or person who works at any height above ground level, in order to prove that they have an understanding of how to remain safe in the work that they are completing. It is the employer's responsibility to ensure that all employees undergo such training if they are to undergo any work from a height. This includes professions such as:
Such training is not exclusive to these professions, however it is often required for them. Should you have any questions or queries regarding our training, please contact us directly via our email. Our team will get back to you as soon as possible to provide you with any answers that you may need.


text:
To participate go to our Facebook
Do not miss the opportunity to win 2 Natural Fancy Pink Rosé Brilliant-Cut Diamonds. Test your knowledge about natural color diamonds and win a dream jewel.*
The winner may choose the setting: A bracelet or earrings!
2 Pink Rosé Diamonds of 0.1 carat each set in an elegant pair of pink gold stud earrings. The pink gold setting brings out their beautiful color and the classic design will add a touch of discreet elegance and beauty to the wearer.
Pink gold bracelet with 2 Pink Rosé Diamonds of 0.1 carat set in a figure-eight form representing the concept of infinity. This timeless emblem bracelet is a delecate and effortlessly elegant.


text:
Almost every day, I read about a new driverless car or truck, a new driverless test, a city's efforts to get 'smarter.' Recently I attended the ITS World Congress in Montreal, where global leaders in transportation show and evaluate the latest innovative concepts, active prototypes, and live systems. I saw an abundance of grandiose ideas of how we will all get around in the not-so-distant future.
As exciting as those technology-driven ideas are, what is noticeably lacking in the North American discussion is any mention of the digital location infrastructure required to make these ideas viable. For instance, a driverless vehicle needs to know in advance when a road is closed for maintenance or sewer repairs.
Today vehicles are littered with sensors that allow it to interpret its surroundings, and we've come to depend on these fast, reliable sensors to keep us safe. They tell drivers how close other vehicles are and will engage the brakes if you don't. They nudge you back into the right lane when you drift. They let you know that something's in your blind spot.
In the future, the car will use lidar (light radar) to know exactly what is in your blind spot. It will swerve to miss a tree you can't see in the blinding snow. It will brake if what in front of you is not a too close car, but a person.
Driverless vehicles will need even more. They require a large array of infrastructure-based communication assets to relay data to all vehicles in the vicinity, in order to drive safely. These vehicles need to know when the traffic light will be changing, the position and speed of an approaching emergency vehicle, and any disruption beyond the range of the vehicle's sensors.
Imagine the problems if those vehicles are relying on outdated maps or using an unreliable GPS system. We've all experienced the inconvenience of a GPS-based navigation system showing something is a field when in fact, since that data was entered, it has become a developed community. Both the style of operation of autonomous vehicles and our own increasing demands require authentic and reliable data.
Autonomous vehicles need a highly detailed and constantly updated map provided by the local authoritative source in order to make sound decisions. Gone are the days of static, outdated maps. Today, an outdated map is more than just an inconvenience; it is a safety hazard.
The connected cars of tomorrow will be making millisecond decisions about how to react to live road conditions, other vehicles and errant pedestrians. With the amount of current transportation infrastructure development in both urban and rural areas, current information on any changes or updates will be a prerequisite for connected cars. More importantly, changes to the data must come from a trusted, authoritative source that can be interpreted from all vehicles regardless of brand.
Most Canadian cities today manage their municipal assets within a modern geographic information system. This data is typically considered authoritative and highly accurate. We will all need the same level of comfort from a common and trusted source so that our connected cars of the future know what the lane geometry of the upcoming intersection is, the height clearance of all the bridges on a planned truck route and of course, the location and status of upcoming roadwork projects.
The future landscape of firms providing sensor data and 'smarts' to our cars is certainly going to be exciting. But the foundation of our digital transportation infrastructure rests in the hands of Canadian municipalities, many of which already have the technology to begin serving the data to support our future transportation systems. The question is: are they getting ready?
Arif K. Rafiq is a transportation professional, consulting with federal, state and provincial governments on best practices and methodologies for road infrastructure management. He is currently a subject matter expert for Esri Canada helping guide transportation practitioners on the effective use of GIS-based transportation systems.


text:
The questions for my nominator (for the Liebster Award) Amit Rahman. Of course anyone is welcome to answer 🙂
- If you are a butterfly what would be your favourite tree to go and hide yourself in ?
- What sort of path would you want to walk upon ? A. a one that leads through a forest B. a one that leads through an open field C. a one that would lead through a rocky mountain D. a quiet street
Why ?
- What would you like to watch on top of a mountain ? A sun rise or a sun set ? Why ?
- If you have just one minute to live ? What would you do ?
- Describe in three words or less the "crescent moon"
- When walking on a rainy day without shoes, what is your favourite thing ? A. The feeling of mud B. The feeling when crossing puddles C. The feeling of wet grass D. Yuck…None of the above
- If someone taps at your door and says that he is god, what would you do ?
- If you see a falling star and someone says to make a wish, what would that be ?
- Who will be your most respected person if you are to have dinner with someday ?
- You have just won the Nobel prize for literature. and you are to give a speech of ten words. What would those be ?


text:
Histoplasmosis Endophthalmitis – Case Report and Review
Christopher J. Parronchi1, *, Vatsal Doshi2, Ronald G. Nahass1, 3
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:Year: 2018
Volume: 10
First Page: 71
Last Page: 75
Publisher Id: TOIDJ-10-71
Article History:Received Date: 17/03/2018
Revision Received Date: 31/05/2018
Acceptance Date: 08/6/2018
Electronic publication date: 29/06/2018
Collection year: 2018
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Histoplasma Capsulatum (HC) is one of the most common endemic mycoses in the United States of America, and has also been reported in large numbers in various regions of Central and South America. It can cause disease ranging in severity from an upper respiratory tract-like infection, to deep single organ disease and most concerning, widely disseminated disease resulting in harmful sequelae. Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis Syndrome (POHS) is the most common ocular manifestation of histoplasmosis and usually results in permanent disability.
Discussion and Conclusion:
In this study, we describe a rarely reported case of histoplasmosis endophthalmitis that was treated with itraconazole and resulted in almost complete resolution of all retinal findings and symptoms.


text:
The AD-1 Series are professional quality, agile audio/video demodulators. These units provide audio and video output from any channel in the 54 to 88 and 108 to 806 MHz frequency range. The AD-1 Series is ideal for signal monitoring and signal conditioning (audio/video processing and remodulation) applications. Agile channel selection permits on-the-fly channel changes. The AD-1 Series takes a single channel in the 54 to 88 and 108 to 806 MHz frequency range and demodulates the audio and video information. Baseband audio and video, as well as 4.5 MHz audio subcarrier and multiplex audio, are provided as outputs. The AD-1 features phase locked loop synthesized frequency control with a tuning increment of 250 kHz. Channel selection is accomplished with the use of simple to use front panel accessible
dip switches. A Nyquist filter provides stable, accurate demodulation of the vestigial sideband signal. Additionally, this filter minimizes distortion and preserves the timing of the signal. Delayed AGC circuitry automatically compensates for input signal variations. The AD-1 Series also utilizes a quasi-synchronous video detector that has low differential gain and minimal phase distortion. A quadrature audio detector delivers a very low distortion audio output. Broadband multiplex audio and 4.5 MHz audio subcarrier outputs permit use in BTSC
stereo applications.


text:
Enjoy The Butter Tart Tour all year long at your own pace!
When you're tasting your way along Ontario's biggest culinary tour, there are dozens of different places to visit and many butter tarts to sample. Got a butter tart craving but you're short on time? Plan a day-trip and visit two or three spots! Really want to sink your sweet tooth into it? You can choose from five tasty regional tours that can be explored at your own pace!


text:
Please Check your Bats:
As of May 3, 2018, the Easton Ghost X YBB18GX10 30/20 2 5/8" (or the "Easton Ghost X 30/20 5/8" at retail) is de-certified by USA Baseball and illegal for Little League play. This only applies to the 30" 20 oz (drop-10) model listed above. If you're looking for an alternative or replacement before Saturday, I have 1 Rawlings Velo composite, 30" 20 oz., left. Please email me. I've included the email from Little League below, which includes return/refund information Easton Ghost.
Of course, the best option is for everyone to check their bats and leave the illegal ones at home. If you, as a manager, player, or parent, have any worries about another teams bats, ask to check them before the game starts. Some umpires will ask if they notice a bat that may be illegal. But it is not the umpire's responsibility to check all the bats. The onus for checking bats is generally on the defensive manager.
Per Little League rule 6.06 (d): A batter is out for illegal action when...
- A rule violation occurs when a batter "enters the batters box with one or both feet entirely on the ground with an illegal bat or is discovered having used an illegal bat prior to the next player entering the batters' box." , i.e. once the next player enters the batters' box, its too late to call the previous batter out, but the other stipulations apply.
- Any bat discovered to be illegal must be removed from play immediately upon discovery.
- If a player advances runners and is discovered to have used an illegal bat before the next payer enters the batters' box, the batter is out & runners return to their previous bases.
- Defense has the option to decline the penalty, again prior to the next player entering the batters' box. So if the player with an illegal bat hits into a double play, the penalty can be declined & both outs stand.
- First violation results in the offensive team losing one eligible adult base coach.
- Second violation results in the offensive manager being ejected from the game.
Thanks for checking before you come to the game,
Text of Little League email:
Dear Little League Parents and Volunteers,
On Thursday, May 3, USA Baseball informed youth organizations, including Little League, that effective immediately, the bat identified as the Easton Ghost X YBB18GX10 30/20 2 5/8" (or the "Easton Ghost X 30/20 5/8" at retail) has been decertified by USA Baseball and is no longer an approved bat under the USABat Standard. This applies to the 30-inch drop 10 variation of the Easton Ghost X only. Pursuant to Rule 1.10, this is now an illegal bat. At the time of this decertification notice, all other lengths and drops of the Easton Ghost X bat remain approved for play.
All parents, coaches, and umpires must check their bats and remove these bats from play if they are in possession of these bats.
Any questions regarding returns, refunds, or warranty claims for the Easton Ghost X 30/20 should be directed to Easton at [email protected].
Please visit USABat.com/Decertified-Bats for more information.


text:
There is nothing as sinful as this mezze. Cheese saganaki is one of the most popular mezzes in Greek tavernas. It's really rather simple to make, a nice square cut of cheese, pan-fried and served warm in the company of lemons. You will see it disappearing from your table within minutes.Continue reading by
Category: mezze
Authentic Pork tiganiá
When it comes to minimalist dishes, pork bites nail it! This dish goes by the name tiganiá – an informal Greek word for shallow pan cooking, almost like a stir fry. Greek cuisine is teeming with quick, few ingredient dishes and tiganiá is the classic winter mezze you will definitely love.Continue reading by
Fasolia hantres, mezze files
Have you had a go at cranberry beans? This time of the year we find them fresh at the farmers market. I couldn't possible leave them out of the menu, they make the best mezze.by
Bulgur wheat dolmathakia
a short guide on preserving fresh vine leaves
Vines, so many reasons to love them. For the juicy grapes in August, the aromatic wine that warms up our souls and the abundant shade in our gardens as we stay outdoors to cool down from the summer heat. Of course, there are dolmathakia too, stuffed vine leaves, a mezze to die for. Continue readingby
Octopus in vinegar, aka htapodi ksidato
Greek summer flavours can be put on a table on just two small plates: a sea creature and fruit from a tree. It will have to be octopus, in vinegar and just a few sharp, cracked green olives.
Watermelon and feta
Summer coolers
Some recipes can hardly be called recipes. They are mere suggestions of which ingredients match together, the good old roast cannot exist without a good handful of onions and garlic and similarly potatoes cannot go amiss. But we are well into summer. This is all about watermelon and feta, Greek summer on a plate. Continue reading by
Greek potato salad
The simplicity of Greek cooking
If you were to search for a potato salad in the world wide web, you would find yourself tangled in a long list of recipes with a million and one variations. The Greek potato salad however, in its traditional version, is a humble and simple dish. Perfect for the BBQ season that here in Athens was official started with Easter. Let's go make it. Continue reading by
Asparagus mimosa,a taste of spring
The first day of spring is officially here. If there is one dish that signals spring to me, it's asparagus. Asparagus mimosa to be precise, it's their exact time to flourish as well. Continue reading by
Giant beans bake, gigantes plaki
Greek classics
There are some recipes that are so simple, you never give them a second thought. Giant beans bake, gigantes sto fourno is just one of these. In all the time I have been blogging, I never thought of bringing this Greek classic into the list. Here we are though: giant beans bake – gigantes plaki, a super easy recipe. Continue reading by
Baked cauliflower with chervil, sourmilk and almonds
It tastes seriously good
I'm back to Athens for the winter. December has brought in many fairy lights in preparation for Christmas and very little cold weather. A mild southern breeze brings the smells of the sea in the streets of the city. Blessed with the occasional sunshine, I started digging in my cookbooks for winter vegetable recipes. Love them, hate them? I baked some cauliflower, it's better than you think. Continue reading by


text:
Jack Chow
Mention unmanned drones, and most people think of a technology with a fairly dark job to do. But for years, Jack C. Chow has argued for drones as simply a very efficient delivery system—one with enormous possibilities for doing good.
In recent foreign policy papers, Chow has written that "drones for humanitarian missions could save many lives. Imagine drone convoys flying overseas to deliver health aid. Amid all the current controversy over drones' military uses, we need to recognize that these machines are simply flying platforms. Nobody debates that the 787 or a conventional airplane can deliver goods and services from point A to point B. I predict that someday unmanned drones for civilian use will be as commonplace as UPS flying a plane to deliver things."
Envisioning a beneficent intersection between medicine, public service, and business comes naturally for Chow. He has been a part of each of those realms since completing his five degrees, including his bachelor's from Penn. A medical doctor with an MBA from the University of Chicago and a master's in public administration from Harvard, Chow was the first U.S. diplomat of ambassador rank appointed to a public health mission. As special representative of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Global HIV/AIDS, Chow led diplomatic efforts immediately after 9/11 to begin the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, addressing global infectious diseases and bioterrorism threats.
To his way of thinking, world health, income disparity and political instability are interrelated. "I think the greatest goal is to reduce abject poverty. If one can see the villages and communities that are hard hit by poverty, you can see that poverty is fertile ground for discontent, political instability, and even for terrorism to take root."
Chow's focus on health public policy emanates from early aspirations to be a doctor. "In the 1970s and '80s, the roles of doctors were still rooted in establishment types of role models—the clinician, the researcher—and at the time, with all the world in crisis, the ability of a doctor to be a contributor to humanitarian ideas and speak to new ways of alleviating suffering entranced me," said Chow. At the same time, coursework at Penn as a political science major "crystallized the value of good governance and the struggle of government to do good for its people."
He interned in the Philadelphia office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where he could see "how policy from D.C. percolated into places like Philly with its struggles and challenges." From there, he enrolled in the U.C. Berkeley-UCSFJoint Medical Program that prepared "doctors to undertake hybrid missions, along with a more social innovator role."
At Berkeley, he became interested in healthcare budgeting in government, and soon landed a job as a budget analyst for Silvio O. Conte, whose 16 terms in the House of Representatives earned him a reputation as a stalwart advocate for health and scientific research funding. "He was a very demanding task-master, but I learned so much about the front lines of working in Washington and how you navigate a good idea to the end goal."
By the time Chow began working as a health appropriations aide for U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, the full scale of the AIDS crisis had become apparent, both in America and elsewhere. "The disease had become a leading threat to social stability, and more and more of my budget work involved finding ways to confront global HIV/AIDS. In the last year of the Clinton administration, I helped start the State Department's new Global AIDS office at the time when activists were demanding action on the international scene. When Clinton finished up, and Powell became the next Secretary of State, I was tapped to be the special U.S. envoy committed to confronting global AIDS, a major plank of Powell's conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Secretary Powell felt that health and other similar social initiatives were force multipliers—if you do humanitarian work and do the right thing and downplay any diplomatic gain, you win many friends by the generation of goodwill. I happened to be in the right place at the right time."
Chow, now distinguished service professor at Carnegie Mellon University, looks back on the Bush administration's embracement of global health in foreign policy as "enlightened. And President Obama has built upon that and advanced it in new ways."
Never has the linking of Chow's disparate realms seemed as urgent as it does now.
"Poverty is a crushing force to the social fabric—not only elsewhere, but also here in America. In a world where there is tremendous wealth generation, I think education and health are certainly two major ways in which we can get a great deal of advance for a modest investment, and that is where I think the Wharton community can have a high impact, with students and others who might create programs for job creation and the dissemination of health. What I think would be good for public health and wealth generation is to have teeming middle classes who can spend on health and nutrition. There is so much public gain to be won."
Academic Information:
University of Pennsylvania - Arts and Sciences - 1982
- Bachelor of Arts
- Major(s): Political Science


text:
MAEA AwardsMay 13, 2018
Congratulations to the following who were recently recognized by the Maine Art Education Association!
- Maine Art Educator of the Year – Holly Houston, Yarmouth High School
- Middle Level Art Educator of the Year – Amy Cousins, Gorham Middle School
- Art Education Supervisor of the Year – Beth Lambert, Maine DOE
- Distinguished Art Educator Award – Maura McHugh, Mt. Ararat Middle School
- Outstanding Service Through the Profession, Bobbi Tardif, SeDoMoCha Middle School
- Outstanding Service to the Profession – Cory Buckham, Brunswick Middle School
- Outstanding Service to the Community – Kate Cargile, Lewiston Middle School
- National Board Professional Certified Teacher – Vanessa White-Capelluti, Wells High School


text:
The Vandals are an antagonistic race of mutant, anthropomorphic, tribal animals from the planet Vandal, who also occupied the Blue Sentient planet.
Unlike the Sark, the Vandals are driven by aggression and value strength gained through combat above all else. While the Sark conquer worlds, the Vandals loot and vandalize them, enslaving alien beings for their necessities. The position of Vandal Warlord is decided by a ritual (trial by combat) called Kio Hakoko, and even in everyday life, the slightest insult is settled through fighting. Apparently they are also very superstitious and often explain unknown things due to sources of magic. Due to their dependence on scavenged Sentient technology and their enslavement of the Kharamanos, their war machines were destroyed in Rumble in the Jungle when a bomb was detonated at their power source, thereby robbing them of their ability to ravage other worlds. Currently, with no technology, the only way to access planet Vandal is with a Battle Key. However, Kalus succeeded in his revenge and executes Grimian for his betrayal.
- Captain Kalus (voiced by Colin Murdock) - A lion-like Vandal and Vandal Warlord. He uses a crossbow mounted on his right arm. He also has a wide assortment of spears, axes, and throwing projectiles. Kalus rules over the Vandals through intimidation and brute force, and considers humans and other races inferior. He is also shown to have aquaphobia and gets seasick easily, since he very closely resembles a cat. After the final defeat of the Vandals, Kalus is last seen approaching a captured Grimian with a spear, implying that he will execute him. He has shown extremely good hand to hand combat prowess being able to go head to head with Krytus. He has a dimension counterpart who has silver armor, and wears a crossbow on his left arm.
- Krocomodo (voiced by Brian Drummond) - A crocodile-like Vandal. He planned to overthrow Kalus and take control of the Vandals as leader, but gives up when Kalus discovered his intentions. It was later revealed that his ancestors and Stanford's started the war between the Vandals and Sentients. He is also adaptable to water environments, though not as much as Sever. He was previously Kalus' second-in-command, but with Grimian being appointed to that position, he was demoted to third-in-command. With Grimian's banishment and eventual execution, he returned to second-in-command.
- Sever (voiced by Colin Murdock) - A shark-like Vandal. Sever has a keen sense of smell which allows him to detect life forms from a mile away, similar to Krocomodo's. However, he isn't very bright, especially since he often thinks about food. So far, he is the only Vandal on the team who has not tried to overthrow Kalus. In the Vandal Ocean, he leads a team of shark-beings like himself called the Aqua-Jaws, and can communicate with them using high-pitched screeches similar to a whale.
- Hatch (voiced by Kathleen Barr) - A crustacean-like Vandal. It is shown that he is an expert in making crude electronics as well as poisons and chemicals, and is able to perform black magic, which he actually confuses with science and technology. His position is as a sorcerer, though most of his 'spells' are actually bits of Sark and Sentient devices he had scavenged. Hatch is capable of creating a magical aura with his antennas that makes him (and others) as he pleases invisible to insects. He is cowardly and sycophantic, and will not hesitate to grovel in the event of a new leader, though he does show more loyalty to Kalus.
- Vandal Warriors - Kalus's soldiers (seen so far: Felines, Crocodiles, Sharks, Crustaceans)


text:
The New Yorker, December 14, 1957 P. 39
Maida Allen and Guy Allen had been married for eleven years. Though Maida didn't realize it Guy had been fed up with their marriage for the last 6 years. One evening he came home and said he could not go on any longer. He went to live at his club and sent for his clothes. Maida was distressed, and complained to all her friends. They got bored with her plight, which was rather commonplace that year. Dr. Marjorie Langham, healer of troubled minds, finally helped her. Maida turned into a brave, patient woman who knew her misguided husband would come back. He did come back - to pick up a suitcase - and firmly stated their marriage was over. But she reasoned that he would come back some day & she'd make him eat crow.


text:
Is there interest for official NS2 Discord channel ?
There exists some unofficial NS2 channels on discords, but of course it is always better to have own, official communication channel .. we are considering creating official one, if there is demand for such communication platform. Is there anybody interested for that, is there anybody using Discord for realtime chat communication ?
Nope. I'm in Slack constantly for work and don't need another one
It's so much easier to find good information in thread form. It's eternal. Personally, I would never hang out in discord.
i see it same way .. was just curious, last year i was active in cryptocurrency comunity and there was Discord used a lot ...
I agree that forum is much better..
For tech support stuff one on one? Sure, it's quick and interactive. I personally just don't have enough cycles to get interrupted all day long. I have to get in the zone to be productive to make money to feed my family!
This forum is fine for me.
You won't see me on Discord. So maybe it's not such a bad idea after all.
nah.. i want to see you cause you have often good ideas ;-)
anyway.. looks like discord is totally uninteresting form of communication for this community Which is good, less work for us
As I feel way more comfortable writing here rather than in the audiobus 'official nanostudio thread' ... there'd be much to say about what's going on over there, but all I'd like to comment on is how much I'm digging @drez's musicality :-)
'A day off' in 'Six years' ... comparing those songs the evolvement of the melody sequences and the advancement of the compositions that are developed, definitely show the experience and sophistication of your musicianship.
@Stanley_V thank you so much for saying that about my music. I really appreciate it. I've been playing for 45 years through many different stages of life and I am blown away by the ease at which we are blessed to create with this magical iPads and phones wherever we want. I am greatly influenced by my surroundings when I write and things like NS2 allow me to fuel that fire in very unique places. Going anywhere and letting creativity happen is a true joy in my life.
I've got another tune cooking and hopefully I'll be able to share it soon.
I'm in the chorus of 'not for me' singers. The low, off key part of the chorus.
Similar to @drez, I use Slack for work all day and that's already more than enough real time communication for me.
Actually, let's get rid of the forum entirely and go all 1994 with a list-serv. "I miss those impossible to follow threads" said no one, ever.


text:
Commanded by Blog Master Behan to write something that connected summer to advocacy I winced as I read the various well thought out, eminently reasonable contributions about advocacy from sundry bloggers these past few weeks.
My wincing was a form of avoidance. Unable to match the seriousness of their topics and the elegance of their writing I feared the inevitable, adverse comparisons.
While searching for an escape or, failing that, a topic that made me a very, very small target, I reviewed my collection of advocacy titbits. These are pages that I have torn from casefiles, textbooks, and course notes these past two decades because the text captured my attention, gave me a new insight, or demanded some reflection by me.
I found, and it was a surprise, that when I sorted out all these scrappy notes the dominant topic was the need to note down an insight that might be needed again (be it an evidentiary foundation, or an instruction on how to achieve some questioning purpose, or how to accentuate an aspect of personal style), and then to collect those notes in a manner that ensured they were easily found when needed. (How lucky are today's advocates with the search routines that are just taken for granted. Indexing is a task of the past. Search by term and all your discreet references come together on one, new screen page.)
The result is my Book of Advocacy Tips and I'm ever so grateful for the work of various writers who have made invaluable suggestions for it. Without it I will not produce a good trial notebook, or efficient preparation, and I will lack a sense of security that my preparation and delivery will be adequate.
On the matter of 'adequacy' I was co-teaching an advocacy class very recently. My colleague, an excellent teacher and a good advocate, gave away his place on the path of life by telling the class that, "Of course, you have to make yourself believe you can win. Lacking that determination you can't be persuasive". I didn't interrupt, nor did I correct. After all he's entitled to be wrong for at least another twenty years. During that time he'll find the wisdom that the important aim is to minimise the extent of any loss. This requires considerable attention to persuasion. It is often more than adequate. Winning is just a bonus.
Another reason to leave well alone was that his ignorant audience of eager, young students, think as he does: winning is everything. Winning makes it right. He was, no doubt unconsciously, meeting their need to have their emotional demands approved. Now if he or I had just taken his comment and used it to drive home the point that figuring out and meeting the needs and wants of the various audiences is a critical component in all persuasion - then that would have been truly effective teaching. Sadly, as so often happens in real life advocacy and in advocacy teaching, it is Ol Hindsight who seems to know best.
It was he who told me to keep it short. 'The readers will come back if you're not a bore', he said. ' And, if you are a bore, let em off early.' So off you go. I'll be back.