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Scott Walchek, CEO and founder of San Ramon, Calif.-based Trv, has been around the technology block. He's been in the industry for nearly 30 years, working at firms like Macromedia in the '80s and Entertainment Arts in the '90s. He was a founding investor and served on the board of Baidu, the "Google of China," and has been involved in several technology startups over the years.
"I'm a died-in-the-wool, caution-averse entrepreneur in the software technology space," he told Investment Advisor in October.
He's used that experience to build an application that allows consumers to easily compile information about valuable property they own and store it online.
"There's a lot of value latent in the information about the things that people currently own and what they're buying, and no one is doing a satisfactory job of liberating that latent value," Walchek said. The reason people haven't been able to capitalize on that information is that it's been hard to collect.
"At the core of what we do is something we call the 'personal trov'," Walchek said. "It's a cloud-hosted, secure, personal digital locker in which all the information about the things people own is collected, actively managed and then connected to a large and growing ecosphere of partners."
There are clear applications for Trv in the insurance community, but a trov is not just a list of stuff, Walchek said. After the information is collected, consumers can use it in various ways.
"The real magic happens after we've collected it all and it's actively managed within the personal trov," Walchek said. "Then we enable these actions, these connections. So it's collect, value and connect."
What can clients do with that information? Walchek said that with everything in one place, and with the connections that Trv provides through its partners, users can insure their property or borrow against it. Soon, they'll be able to sell it. "I'll be able to maintain it, value it, leverage it, donate it. Once all this information is digitally captured and actively managed, a world of opportunity is opened up," Walchek said.
Anyone can use Trv, but Walchek acknowledged it'll be most valuable to high-net-worth consumers.
"Like all emerging technologies, it's really funded by the wealthy," Walchek said of Trv. "In our case it's particularly important that we target the high-net-worth because the value proposition of understanding what I own and what's it worth today is really best associated with those who are the most acquisitive."
There's a big audience, too. Walchek estimates there are about 30 million high-net-worth people around the world, and he has plans to bring Trv to a wider audience over time. "We believe that there are 400 million people worldwide who can take advantage of the trov, and we will make it a mass-adopted opportunity in the future."
Walchek noted there are two main channels that service the wealth of those high-net-worth, acquisitive users: "One is the P&C insurance space, which is asset protection, and the other is the wealth management space. For the wealth managers, we complete the picture of wealth."
By that, Walchek means a trov can provide a full and accurate representation of where a client's wealth lies: not just in investable assets, but in real estate, jewelry and other personal property.
"Most RIAs today are using some form of data aggregation," Walchek said. However, "generally there's one line, maybe two, in the balance sheet that exposes real property and personal property. With a Trv account and the users opting in to allowing that information to flow freely, to either the aggregation platform or directly to the RIA, [advisors] will be able to see what's been added."
Because the information stored by Trv is actively managed, advisors can also see when the value of that property changes. "That creates a whole new capacity for them to be better informed about their clients' whole wealth picture. They can help them with asset protection. They can help them with liquidity planning. They can help them with estate and legacy plans in ways that they haven't been able to do before."
Remember, it's not just about stuff. Clients' expensive collections represent a significant investment of time, money and heart.
"For a good number of these high-net-worth clients, the trov is a perfect picture of the passions that drive those clients," Walchek said. "Those passions are reflected in the things that they use their discretionary income to buy, whether it be art, cars or types of wine. The passion or heart connections that can take place because that information is now more actively a part of the conversation creates a new way for advisors to connect with their clients, as well as a greater set of information from which they can draw conclusions."
Of course, security is a primary concern. A trov, by definition, is a single source of information on all of a user's most valuable possessions. The potential for damage hasn't been lost on the team at Trv, and the firm uses a four-pillared strategy to protect users' information: technology, policy, process and business model.
To address the first pillar, technology, Walchek has built a team with employees from huge tech firms like Google and Microsoft to build proprietary technology solutions, some of which they've applied for patents.
"We have a full-time employee, a former Google employee, whose title is director of information security and privacy," Walchek said. "He is tasked with making certain that everything we do in the code, in the way we manage our servers, in the way we collect and move data is at the highest end of the spectrum for data security."
The firm employs a policy that ownership of any data collected in a trov remains with the owner of the property.
"Our policy is that our users own their data—we don't," Walchek said. "We have no right, title or interest in the data that we collect on their behalf. They license it back to us on a limited basis for use in the application that benefits them. We know it's what has to take place when we're collecting this very personal information."
The firm also addresses security in the way it conducts business day to day: the way employees talk about clients in the office, who has access to information and where servers are located, Walchek said. "We believe that data in itself is an asset and that asset can be protected in asset-protection-friendly jurisdictions."
Finally, the firm makes no income from advertising to ensure that its business model is aligned with end users' privacy and security needs. "We don't collect anything that would expose our end users to goods and service providers who wish to get to them," Walchek said of the firm's no-advertising model. "We make money through transactions that are initiated by end users. We'll make money through opt-in data feeds that our end users choose to participate in."
Although Trv doesn't charge users to use the application, some services may come with a fee, such as hiring an appraiser. Consumers don't have to use those services to continue using Trv, though. "Using all the value that's in Trv is absolutely free to the end user. It's up to us to then give them opportunities to leverage that information for their benefit, and in some cases we will make money on the transactions that are the fall out of that."


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Badminton Training
If you are looking to improve your badminton skills and techniques, this website is for you. Most recreational players like myself do not have the time and money for professional badminton training. However, I believe that as your badminton skills advances, your enjoyment of the game of badminton increases as well. That is why I have built this free badminton training website, so that everyone around the world can learn and play more badminton. Check out this jump smash training video by former world champion, Peter Rasmussen. But first, don't forget to bookmark or share these badminton skills with your friends.
Video Source: This video tutorial is part of Peter Rasmussen's DVD/Online training series:
The Essentials of Badminton Technique available at Badminton Life.
Now, let's meet the rest of the badminton coaches...
Zhao Jianhua
Coach Zhao Jianhua, nicknamed the Badminton King, is the former 1991 World Champion. Competed in Men's Single, Zhao Jianhua was deemed one of the most talented players of his time. Teaming up with Coach Xiao Jie (right), the Complete Badminton Training by Zhao Jianhua & Xiao Jie television series is one of the best produced badminton training series to date. Coach Zhao Jianhua has a great sense of humor and a mean backhand.
Xiao Jie
Coach Xiao Jie, nicknamed the Badminton Professor, is an actual professor teaching at the Capital Institute of Physical Education university in Beijing, China. With a Master of Education degree from the University of Maryland (United States), Xiao Jie has taught the sport of badminton all over the world. Xiao Jie was also on the first Chinese national women's badminton team. Coach Xiao Jie has an amazing ability of being able to break down the technical aspects of any badminton skill or technique.
Chen Weihua
Coach Chen Weihua was a former coach of the popular world and olympic champion, Lin Dan. With the China PLA National Badminton Team, Chen Weihua created a comprehensive 55-episode badminton training video series. Each Chen Weihua Badminton Training video focuses on the detailed mechanics of one badminton skill, so it is ideal for beginning, intermediate, and advanced players who wants to learn or refine their badminton techniques.
Peter Rasmussen
Coach Peter Rasmussen was the 1997 Badminton World Champion in Men's Single. He was always very goal-oriented and structured; keeping a detailed training diary. Peter used many deceptive strokes and was very good at the net. When Peter was very young, he hired a Chinese coach. Hence, he has been called "the white Chinese" due to his Chinese-inspired style of hop smashes and powerful footwork. Peter Rasmussen was one of the most talented players coming from Denmark, yet he is very modest.
Badminton Drop Shot Skill
The badminton drop shot is an offensive badminton skill. Its purpose is to pull the opponent to the front corners of the court, opening up a large area of their court for consequent attack. A high quality drop shot is difficult to return and has the potential of winning the play.
There are two types of badminton drop shots; a slow drop shot and a fast drop shot. The main differences between the two are speed, as the names indicate, and placement. A slow drop shot lands close to the net, while the fast drop shot lands farther from the net.
Badminton beginners and those who have not been properly instructed may not be aware of the fast drop technique. Most simply think that to hit a drop shot is to hit the shuttle as close to the opponent's net as possible, which translates to hitting the shuttle softly. However, by hitting the shuttle softly, the slow flight of the shuttle gives the opponent time to reach the shuttle making the shot mostly ineffective.
The proper technique for hitting a badminton drop shot involves the face of the racket slicing the head of the shuttle. One can slice the shuttle in a clockwise or counter-clockwise motion to either straight or crosscourt. This slicing motion allows for deceptive placements of the shuttle, because the shuttle does not necessarily fly towards the direction of the swing, it's a bit harder for the opponent to predict.
|Drop Shot Badminton Training
|Chen Weihua
Forehand Badminton Drop Shot
- How to slice shuttle clockwise.
Smooth Badminton Drop Shot - How to slice shuttle counter-clockwise.
|Zhao Jianhua
Forehand Badminton Drop Shot
- Power and speed.
Forehand Badminton Drop Shot - Drop shot for shorter players.
Smooth Badminton Drop Shot - Grip, deceptive elements & contact point.
|Xiao Jie
Forehand Badminton Drop Shot
- How much power to use. Swing refinement.
Smooth Badminton Drop Shot - Fast smooth drop shot.
|Zhao Jianhua
Backhand Badminton Drop Shot
Coach Zhao Jianhua shows us an unorthodox backhand grip that makes it easier to return a shuttle that has already flew passed our body.
|Chen Weihua
|Backhand Badminton Drop Shot - Grip, footwork, & swing.
Badminton Clear Shot Skill
The purpose of the badminton high clear is to push the opponent into the backcourt opening up their frontcourt for attack. There are two types of high clear shots; the Long High Clear and the Flat High Clear.
The Long High Clear is a defensive badminton shot. Its purpose is to create time for yourself while under pressure allowing you to return to base position for the next shot. Much like the tennis lob, the flight path of the badminton shuttle is high and as deep into the opponent's backcourt as possible. The contact point for hitting the badminton shuttle is directly above your head.
The Flat High Clear is an offensive badminton shot. Its purpose is to put your opponent under pressure in the backcourt. The flight path of the badminton shuttle is flat and fast. If your opponent is not able reach the badminton shuttle in time, their return shot will be less effective and thus vulnerable for attack. The contact point for hitting the badminton shuttle is directly above your head and about 10cm to 20cm forward.
|Clear Shot Badminton Training
|Chen Weihua
Badminton High Clear Basics -
Basic footwork, swing, & contact point.
Long vs Flat Badminton High Clear - Difference between the 2 techniques.
|Zhao Jianhua
|Forehand Badminton Clear - How to focus power.
|Xiao Jie
|Forehand Badminton Clear - How to improve your swing.
|Chen Weihua
|Backhand Badminton Clear - Grip, footwork, & swing.
|Zhao Jianhua
|Forehand & Backhand Badminton Clear - Grip, contact point, & footwork.
Badminton Skills & Techniques Training
Badminton Doubles
Badminton Footwork
Badminton Training Videos - Favorites
Build Explosive Speed into Badminton Footwork
Coach Xiao Jie shows you how to add speed to your game by incorporating this technique into your badminton footwork training.
Focus Power on Badminton Smash
Coach Zhao Jianhua shows you the technique behind a powerful badminton smash.
Mixed Doubles Badminton Tactics
Coach Xiao Jie shows you badminton tips for mixed doubles training.
Smooth Badminton Drop Shot
Coach Chen Weihua shows how a badminton smooth drop shot should really be executed.
Hot Badminton Players
Wang Shixian
Lin Dan
Wang Lin
Lee Yong Dae
South Korea
Carola Bott
Bao Chunlai
Reiko Shiota
Cai Yun
|More Pictures of Badminton Players >>>
Where to Play Badminton
Find where to play badminton around the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, and more:

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm piggybacking Holly's great blog on Eid al-Adha – i.e. Tabaski – to give you a peek into how another West African country celebrates this highly anticipated holiday. Turns out, as you will learn, the brouhaha differs a bit from place to place.
My introduction to Tabaski began several weeks ago when I arrived for my first day at UIMCEC. Within the first 30 minutes of being seated at my desk, conversation with my supervisor was interrupted twice by clients seeking to take out loans for Tabaski. Both times, my supervisor shot me a look of: "Much more of this to come…"
Even the most destitute of families celebrate this holiday, trying as best they can to save up for months in advance. This year proved particularly financially challenging for families, as the celebrations coincided with the payment of electricity and water bills (both of which, here in Senegal, are collected once every two months) as well as beginning of school year costs. Unfavorable timing of this sort only happens once every +/- 15 years.
Activities began weeks in advance. For women, preparation consisted of getting their hair braided, and carefully crafted outfits ordered (anywhere from one to three outfits, depending on one's budget). For men, in addition to ordering attire about which they care much less than the women, their energy was poured into purchasing their family's sheep (prices ranging from $100 to $500,000, again depending on their budget).
Tabaski's date each year is dependent upon the lunar calendar. This year, the dates were Friday, October 25 – Sunday, October 27; three full days. The first day kicked off with sheep washing at 6am.
Around 7am, all family members headed to their respective mosque for prayer time. Upon return home somewhere between 30 minutes to one hour later, folks were fast at work, tending diligently to their assigned task. At our home, there was a vegetable chopper, a tea maker, a floor sweeper, etc. My role was "photographer," a position for which, being a Tabaski neophyte, I suppose I was uniquely suited.
Around 10am, the sheep sacrificing began. Once the animals are "sacrificied" (I'll spare you of more detail than that…), the eating begins. According to my family, it was an honor to take the first slice of very rare meat. Peppering me with encouragement and pressure – the kids especially — I politely declined. After everything I had seen, it felt it was a bit too much like playing Russian Roulette with my health.
Throughout the day, the kids danced in circles and played all sorts of creative "homemade" games. I was invited to take a turn and participate in one game, which required me to kick an empty water bottle through a makeshift hoop. Off the record, please, my performance was a pitiable 0 for 12.
When the sun began to set, females donned their most elegant dresses and polished faces. The kids skipped around in groups of two to five, visiting as many neighbors and family friend's homes as they could squeeze into a three hour window. During these visits they asked for small amounts of money. Parents were waiting outside with glowing grins, ready to shake the children's right hand (the standard Senegalese gesture), extend warm greetings, and fulfill their request for pocket change. It was clear to me that even those who had so little were willing to give so very much.
As for day two and three, see above and put on repeat (less the sheep washing/sacrificing, which only happens once). When 10pm Sunday evening struck, there was finally a return to the zen-like-calm that ordinarily fills the streets of our neighborhood.
The festivities were colorful, lively and extravagant, and the food similarly impressive and memorable. Though I recognize that nodding my head in response to my host family's suggestion that "I must return to Senegal every year for Tabaski!" will most likely be unattainable, I do sincerely hope it's not my last.
Anna Forsberg (KF19) is a Kiva Fellow, working with UIMCEC in Dakar, Senegal.


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River life
Rubber once made Manaus rich, and now the city on the Amazon – which hosted four FIFA World Cup games – is experiencing a great renaissance
Amazon river boats cluster along the quay like grapes on a huge vine, while dock workers rush back and forth bearing heavy loads. André Peres Araújo, the boats' 33-year-old owner, urges them on. "We were supposed to cast off two hours ago, but the freight isn't even here yet," the strapping Brazilian thunders. And it's not just Araújo who's having to wait – while the perspiring laborers stow heavy sacks of beans and rice below deck, the passengers higher up have long been comfortably ensconced in the hammocks they have brought along. The news of the delay doesn't seem to put them out unduly, either. After all, what's an hour here or there in the middle of the jungle?
The river is the artery, the very lifeblood of the entire region
Manaus, one-time center of the legendary rubber boom and now the venue for four FIFA World Cup matches, is surrounded by jungle. The city's only link with civilization – excepting the airport – is the Amazon river, on which mighty cargo and cruise ships tie up at the quays of the constantly expanding municipal docks. "The river is the artery, the very lifeblood of the entire region," says Araújo.
Long ago, in the 1870s, thousands of explorers and laborers flocked to Manaus because factories all over the world were calling for rubber, and that important material came from the sap of the rubber plant – back then endemic to the Amazon.
Suddenly, the once sleepy jungle community saw a surge in its fortunes, and the rubber barons, wealthy overnight, even built themselves magnificent palaces. "Manaus was the first Brazilian city to install electrical power and a sewage system," says historian Ibrahim Base, 48. At the height of the rubber boom, the city resolved to build a splendid opera house, for which marble and -crys-tal were brought from Italy, and furnishings from Paris – no price, in fact, was too high for the barons to pay. In 1896, the Teatro Amazonas opened with a performance of La Giocondo by Amilcare Ponchielli. "Although the building's acoustics are perfect," says Ibrahim Base, "the big stars stayed away for fear of tropical diseases. "The boom came to an end almost as suddenly as it had begun. A British natural scientist traveled to Amazonia, where he collected roughly 70 000 rubber seeds. The British used these to lay down extensive plantations across their Southeast Asian colonies. In 1910, the price of rubber began to nosedive and never recovered – causing Manaus to fall into seeming oblivion.
Rescue arrived after the city was declared a free-trade zone. In 1967, it gradually began to awaken from its slumbers and regain its old vitality. Manaus' famous landmark, the opera house, was reopened after an extensive period of restoration in 1990, and the city has now spruced itself up for the World Cup championship. Many of its old buildings, including the Mercado Municipal market building designed by Gustave Eiffel, have been restored to their former glory. A stroll through the market reveals the regions's tremendous diversity of native species. There's a fantastic array of stalls laden with fish and fruit bearing (unless you speak the language) wholly unfamiliar names – like pirarucu and tambaqui, cupuaçu and bacuri.
Water taxis wait outside the market to take passengers to a point roughly 20 minutes downstream, where Nature stages a spectacular performance – the place where the Amazon and the Rio Negro rivers converge but continue to flow side by side for another six kilometers before their waters, each a different color, fully merge. This point is also the favorite haunt of the Amazon river dolphins that feature in numerous legends. They are said to be able to assume human form by night, making them capable of transformations just as amazing as those the fabulous jungle city has achieved.


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Whether you're throwing a BBQ or need relief on a hot day, this strawberry-watermelon smash is the perfect refreshment. A special shout out goes to celebrity chef Tim Harley and the Montgomery County Strawberry Festival for this recipe!
1 cup. Watermelon Juice (freshly pressed)
4 Strawberries
1 basil Leaf
¼ cup. Simple Syrup
½ cup. Sour mix
½ cup. Sweetened Lime Juice
Small Watermelon wedge for garnish
1. In a shaker glass, muddle the strawberries and basil until chunky.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously.
3. Pour into desired glass and garnish with a watermelon wedge.
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2008. december 29., hétfő
vermin - john cochran
As I mentioned in the introduction of the Sceptre interview, Los Angeles was one of the best places for US thrash metal. Vermin were also in the first movement of the US thrash movement, but unfortunately -like Sceptre- they can't step further and splitted up. The story of the band was told by John Cochran...
So John, do you still recall, how did you get in touch with metal music and what was so amazing in this music for you?
When I was 12 years old a friend of mine had a few tapes his older brother had given him, one was the first Black Sabbath album. We listened to that tape over and over, we'd never heard anything else like it before. That was in 1973. After that, I really got into Deep Purple after seeing them on TV for the California Jam concert, which was in 1974. When I saw Ritchie Blackmore with that Strat, I knew that was what I wanted to do! After that I got into UFO, Thin Lizzy and the old Scorpions stuff with Uli Roth.
Would you call yourself a metal freak or rather a hard rock one?
I would say that first and foremost I am a hard rock guy; I didn't discover real metal until I went to see Judas Priest in 1979. Shortly after that I saw Iron Maiden open for UFO, and I was hooked on metal. My favorite bands of all time are Deep Purple and UFO.
At which point did you start playing guitar and how did your choice fall on this instrument? Do you perhaps play other instruments as well?
I wanted to play guitar after seeing Blackmore on TV in 1974. I got my first guitar the next year in 1975, it was a cheap $30 Japanese guitar my mom bought me at a swap meet. I play bass and a bit of keyboards now, as well.
What were your influences to become musician?
My mom played guitar, she was a folk singer in the 1960's, she played at little coffee houses and small clubs in Los Angeles when I was a kid. She also played bass in a country band, so there were guitars around the house all the time when I was little. My biggest influence was seeing Blackmore on TV.
Were self taught or did you take lessons as well?
My dad bought me a small Fender amp when I was 14. The condition was that I had to learn properly and take some lessons, which he paid for. I took lessons once a week for about 1 year. My teacher taught me to play Led Zeppelin and UFO songs, no real music theory to speak of.
Before you being involved with Vermin, what were the acts that you've played with or was Vermin your very first group?
I had a little band in High School, we didn't have a name, just me and my friends Ralph Oshiro on drums, and Chuck Greene on bass. We played at a lot of parties, things like that. If someone's parents were going to be out of town and they had the house to themselves, we'd have a jam party. We played lots of UFO, Van Halen, Rush, stuff like that. The year before I formed Vermin, I played with a band called Hanz Krypt, who later turned into a doom rock band more like Black Sabbath or St. Vitus. We never did any gigs when I was playing with them.
Vermin was founded in 1982 by original members you guitar, Dean Coffey on bass, Craig Hall on drums, Greg Cekalovich on guitar, and Vince Sollami on vocals, how did you hook up together and what about the musical background of the other guys? Did you know them earlier or…?
I met Craig Hall and Dean Coffey when I replied to an ad in a local paper called The Recycler. That paper had a large section for musicians seeking bands, etc. Craig had run an ad looking for a guitar player who was into 'NWOBHM', or New Wave of British Heavy Metal. I knew what that meant, since I was already into Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. I gave him a call and we had a jam. We played Maiden and Priest stuff the first time. We all got along very well and decided to get to work writing some original music. Dean and Craig had been jamming together for a couple of years already, they both lived on the same street and went to school together. The last guitar player to jam with them before me was Gilby Clarke, who later went on to play with Guns n' Roses. He wasn't metal enough for them!
What about the L. A. scene at this point? How about the first generation of the US thrash, such as Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Shellshock, Abattoir etc.?
The scene at that time was dominated by bands like Motley Crue, Ratt, stuff like that. Thrash was just starting, Metallica was still playing weeknights at small clubs. Mustaine was still with them, so Megadeth did not exist yet. Slayer was basically a Judas Priest cover band at that point. Abbatoir was around then, I think. The scene really took off when Brian Slagel, president of Metal Blade Records, started pushing the clubs to have more real metal bands.
Were you famliar with those acts? Did you build up a strong friendship with them?
There were very few true thrash metal bands around at that time, so we all knew each other. Our first vocalist, Vince Sollami, was good friends with Lars Ulrich. We met Slayer when we played with them at the Troubadour in Hollywood, so we used to hang out and party together a lot with Tom and Jeff. We were friends with Overkill. When we didn't have gig to play, we would go to all the shows in LA to see what was happening.
As far as the LA scene, in my opinion, it existed two different ones: there were the speed/thrash acts and the glam/hair ones, such as W.A.S.P., DOKKEN, MÖTLEY CRÜE, RATT, do you agree with me? Were these commercial acts more popular and known than the speed/thrash ones?
You are correct, there were two very different scenes. On one side, you had Motley Crue, Ratt, Dokken, W.A.S.P., and Quet Riot, and about 100 other bands who all looked and sounded like those bands. Then you had bands like Vermin, Metallica, Slayer, Savage Grace, Abbatoir, Overkill, Bloodlust, etc. The commercial acts were much more popular with the clubs because they would draw a much more diverse audience than the thrash bands. The thrash metal audience was mostly young guys; the glam/hair bands audience was mostly girls. Guys like to hook up with girls, so lots of guys (us included) would go to the glam/hair band's shows to pick up girls. Guys buy girls drinks, so the clubs made a lot more money selling liquor when they had the glam/hair bands play. Thrash fans were young, too young to drink, so the clubs didn't make as much profit when thrash bands played. Plus, thrash was a real crossover for hardcore punk rockers, so we attracted those people as well. The big clubs were afraid of punks.
Which clubs did start opening their doors at this point?
The first clubs to start having thrash bands were in Orange County. Radio City and The Woodstock were the first clubs to have thrash bands. Then the Troubadour in Hollywood started a thing called 'Metal Mondays'. The very first one was Witch, Vermin and Slayer. When the thrash bands started packing the clubs, we all began doing headline gigs on the weekends.
Would you say, that in L.A. was a great underground buzz and a healthy club scene?
The buzz was above-ground, not underground at that time. There was a magazine called BAM (Bay Area Music), which was published in San Francisco and Los Angeles. That is where all the bands ran ads for their shows. That was the place to learn about who was doing what. I remember the first big ad Metallica ran, it was in the center fold of the magazine, two pages wide, very impressive. It said they were the loudest, fastest, heaviest band in America. Seeing that ad is what made me curious about them, and I went to their next show at the Troubadour. We had a lot of great clubs, with live music 7 nights a week, so, yes, it was very healthy indeed.
Though heavy metal did of course exist in the seventies, it really came of age in the eighties, both as a popular form of music in the mainstream as well as a booming underground movement, what's your opinion about it?
I think that MTV had a lot to do with the metal popularity in the '80's. Kids who lived in places without good record stores (the ones with great import sections) were not exposed to this type of music until they saw these bands on MTV, like on Headbanger's Ball. We were lucky in big cities where we had great indpendent record stores, with very good import sections, so we were exposed to all the new metal that was coming out of the UK and Europe at that time. Plus, Kerrang magazine. When metal became less popular in the late '80's, it was forced underground. I'd say that 1982 to 1989 were the best years for metal.
Do you think, that some of metal's genres didn't really come into being until the mid-late eighties or later, but a basic style of metal (sometimes referred to in the press as Priest/Maiden, named obviously for two of 80's metal's biggest influences) began to take hold during this period?
Again, I think it goes back to exposure. With the advent of MTV, metal was exposed to many more people. Not to mention the concerts. I can remember seeing Priest and Maiden 2 or 3 times in a row, because they would play several nights at a time in LA. The big Preist and Maiden tours of the '80's surely contributed to the popularity of the music. They were great shows. During that time, bands like Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and Anthrax were touring as opening acts for Ozzy, stuff like that. So, the exposure that the big 4 thrash bands got as opening acts on big tours helped them gain popularity. Some kid in Kansas who buys a ticket to see Ozzy suddenly gets exposed to Anthrax, and now he's an Anthrax fan. Thrash was not getting played on the radio, that is for sure. It was MTV and the tours that did it.
Did you take the band seriously right from the start?
Yes, very seriously. We were determined to play gigs and do all original music.
What about your rehearsals? How often did you rehearse?
We would rehearse 2 or 3 times a week. We rented professional rehearsal studios.
Did you start writing originals or were you jamming on covers?
At first we jammed on covers, then started writing originals. We'd always jam on covers even when we had a good set list. Playing metal is like lifting weights, you have to keep in shape! The more you jam, the better you get. We never played any covers live, only originals.
How about the songcomposing? Did everybody have a great hand into it or was a main songwriter?
I was the main music writer at first, then when Greg Cekalovich came on he started writing both music and lyrics. Whoever was the vocalist at the time wrote most of the lyrics. When Cyriis was in the band, we'd all try to write together when we were in the studio rehearsing.
This lineup played at Southern California's most legendary clubs, including The Troubadour, Madame Wongs, The Waters, Cathay de Grand, and Radio City, what do you recall from these gigs?
All the clubs were very different. The Troubadour is a very classy place, I mean, everyone from Elton John to Miles Davis has played there. They were not very tolerant of wild behaviour. We were eventually banned from playing there because our crowd was considered to rowdy. Radio City pulled the plug on us once for playing too loud; I told the crowd to show the club how they felt and they tore the shit out of the place. We were banned from Radio City after that. Madame Wongs and Cathay de Grande were both hardcore punk clubs, so they welcomed thrash bands with open arms. The Waters Club used to be a latin music place, like salsa music with dancing, so they were experimenting with rock music. It was a huge club. We had a lot of fun gigs at The Waters Club.
You also played the inaugural Metal Monday at the Troubadour with another bunch of aspiring young upstarts called Slayer and that gig was like a nuclear explosion - the Thrash scene in SoCal was running full throttle, any memories from that particular show?
Yes, it was very exciting. It was our first club gig; prior to that, we had only played a couple of shows at local parks. We didn't know Slayer at that time; Greg Cekalovich had seen them before when they were playing Priest covers. Nobody knew who Witch was. The club was packed, Brian Slagel from Metal Blade Records was there taping everything. Witch opened the show, then Vermin, and then Slayer. I remember watching Slayer and being completely blown away. After the show I was talking to Brian Slagel, and I described them as being like standing behind the engie of a jumbo jet when it was taking off – they were the heaviest, most kick ass thrash band in LA that I had ever seen. He told me that he was trying to get them recorded, he really liked them. Evidently, they really liked us, too. That's why they thanked us on the liner notes of Haunting the Chapel. Good lads, those Slayer boys.
A new genre came into being which rooted in the NWOBHM, how do you view it?
I assume you are talking about stuff like Def Leppard? Not hair metal, but not thrash? My view of it is that it sucked.
Thrash metal is generally characterized by a fast pace, a staccato, chunky guitar riffing style, and aggressive vocals, is that correct?
Yes, thrash is based on that fast picked, chugging/machine gun type rhythm, with a double-time beat, and lots of double-bass drumming. It is a cross between hardcore punk rock and hard rock/metal. It has the brutal energy of hardcore punk, and the musicianship of hard rock/metal. Lots of anger and agression.
How do you view, that Metallica's "Kill 'Em All", released in 1983, is arguably the first true thrash album, with healthy thrash scenes sprouting in the USA (particularly the San Francisco area), Germany, and elsewhere by the late eighties?
I may be going out on a limb here, but I think that Metallica may have invented thrash metal. They were certainly the first band I had ever seen who played music like that. Seeing them inspired me (and scores of other people) to start writing fast paced, heavy riffs. The did play a lot of covers at first; the first time I saw them, about half of their set was covers. The scene in San Franciso was much more pure in terms of being all thrash and no big hair crap. They were the best crowds to play to. The first German thrash band I had heard was a band called Destruction. I would say that Metallica started it all, and everyone else was inspired by them. However, at that time Anthrax was in New York doing their thing, which sounded nothing like Metallica.
Talking about the L.A. scene, there was a lot of "musician crossed their paths", I mean Kerry King was playing in Megadeth, Dave Mustaine was the member of Metallica, I mean, a lot of musicians were auditioning for several bands, can you tell us more about it? How did it happen exactly?
Everyone met through The Recycler, or at gigs. Or, a lot of people shared rehearsal studios and met that way. The thrash scene was pretty small back then, and everyone knew each other, or knew someone who knew someone, etc. When you would go to see a show at the Troubadour, everyone who didn't have a gig that night would be there. You'd see Mustaine, the guys from W.A.S.P. (Chris Holmes used to come to our shows), the guys from Ratt, Jeff and Tom from Slayer, Felice and Ron from Overkill, it goes on and on. Then, a lot of times, we would all party after the shows with the bands that had just played. It was a tight community of musicians. We'd loan each other gear if someone needed an amp or something. We were all cool with each other.
At which point did Craig Hall leave the band and how did Mike Chacon, one of the local scene's most explosive double-bass drummers enter the picture exactly? What about his musical past?
Craig left the band after about 9 months or so. We auditioned a few drummers, but none of them could play double-bass. Greg Cekalovich had played with Mike Chacon at some point and remembered that he always played way too fast. I said, 'get this guy over here, now!'. Mike was a perfect fit. I don't think that Mike had played in any gigging bands before that, just party bands in high school. A funny story is that after Jeff and Tom from Slayer heard us play with Mike the first time, they told Dave Lombardo that he needed to learn to play double-bass drums like Mike Chacon, or he was going to be fired... or so the story goes! Mike is Costa Rican, so that Latin rhythm thing is in his blood.
Was he the first choice of the band or…?
Yes, Mike was the only drummer we auditioned who was up to the task.
Vince Sollami was released from vocal duties, to be replaced by none other than John Cyriis, formerly of Abbattoir, and later to lead the progressive speed metal outfit Agent Steel, what went wrong with Vince?
We were advised by our most trusted advisers, Brain Slagel of Metal Blade Records, and Ron Cordy of Overkill, that if we wanted a record deal, we needed a different singer. Vince was raised on Black Sabbath, and he idolized Ozzy, so his style was more like that. He was no Halford or Dickinson, not much range. So, we took the advice and fired Vince after a gig at The Waters club. So, we proceeded to run an ad in The Recycler for a new lead vocalist. Cyriis was the first one to respond. He had just been fired from Abbatoir.
I have to tell you, that John Cyriis is my favourite singers and I read a lot of about him, that he is a difficult person, how was he back then? How would you charakterize him personally?
To be honest, John Cyriis is one of my favorite singers of all time, too. I have a lot of respect for his talent, he is a very special person with regard to his vocal abilities and songwriting. I don't want to go into too much detail here, but yes, he is very hard to get along with, let alone be in a band with. He caused a lot of unnecessary tension within the band.
Was it hard to work with him?
Very easy at first, then more and more difficult as time went on. That amazing voice of his forced you to put up with his diffucult personality. He is a great talent. Like a girlfriend who is a great piece of ass but a real bitch – the ass wins you over for a while..... until you can't take the bitch part any more.
Do you think, that he has/had a unique vocal style, which can't be compared to anybody?
I think that he can be put into the same category as the great metal vocalists, such as Geoff Tate, Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, and Ronnie James Dio. He had incredible range and control of his voice. His tonality was very musical, too. When you hear John Cyriis sing, you immediately know that it's him, and not one of the other four guys I mentioned. They all have their own signature tone. He was unique.
With this line up you recorded a one track demo "Demo '84", what can you tell us about this tape? Was it your first recording experience by the way?
We went into the studio to record four songs. That's what is know as the '84 Demo. Our goal was to put one track on the next Metal Massacre album, then put out all four tracks on an EP on Metal Blade. If the EP did well, then we'd do a full LP. Yes, it was my first time in the studio. We recorded at a local college recording studio on the weekends when the students were not there.
How did happen, that you recorded only one tune?
We recorded four songs, but Cyriis only did the vocals on one song, Satan's Reign. He left the band before he could finish singing on the other three tracks. Since that's the only song with vocals on it, a lot of tape traders have a copy of it.
Did you heavily promote the demo in the underground scene? Did it start developing a great buzz surrounding the band or…?
Like I said before, the scene was not underground at that time. Cyriis sent a copy of the tape to a radio guy in New York, who played it on his show. He also sent it (without our permission) to Roadrunner and Combat records. We already had plenty of buzz in LA and San Francisco.
This powerhouse lineup with Mike Chacon on drums and John Cyriis on vocals continued to headline gigs in both SoCal and San Francisco, how did these shows go? Did the shows help the band getting new fans?
The shows went very well. We had a cool stage setup, with a huge drum riser and black screens in front of the amps, it looked very clean. Exodus came to see us in San Francisco, they were very cool guys. I'm sure the exposure by playing more gigs helped us expand our fanbase.
A four track demo was recorded in 1984, with interest from Metal Blade and Roadrunner records, what about this tape compared to the first one? How was it recorded at all?
This is the same tape as the first one; there was only one tape.
Was it a better representation of the band?
We scrapped it after Cyriis left. The live bootlegs are the best representation of the band at that time.
Do you still remember at which point did the aformentioned label start showing interest in the band? Did they also offer you a deal or…?
Metal Blade was interested from the first time that Brian Slagel saw us play. All we had to do was supply him with a tape, and he was ready to put us on vinyl.
I don't understand, while almost all of the underground L.A. bands, such as Omen, Armored Saint, Abattoir, Savage Grace, Metallica, Slayer etc. were performed on the legendary "Metal Massacre" compilations, Vermin never was on it, how did it happen?
We didn't want to submit a song to Metal Blade with Cyriis on it as he had quit the band. After the band changed to L.S.N., they submitted a Vermin song, 'Deadly Kiss', which was on Metal Massacre 8. They re-recorded the song; I did not play on that version, although I wrote the music.
What do you think about, if you would have had the opportunity to be featured on one of the "Metal Massacre" compilations…?
It would have been cool, as all of the other bands in LA that we knew were on those compilations. We all really like Brian Slagel. He's the Godfather of Metal, that guy. No one else has done more for metal than Brian.
Unfortunately, with personality conflicts causing tension within the band, John Cyriis left, followed by you, what were the reasons of these conflicts and did you part ways with each other on a friendly term at the end?
Yes, it was friendly. It was over money, unfortunately, that he owed us. He kept in touch with me for about a year after that, telling me about his Agent Steel project.
In 1984 Dean Coffey left the band as well, is that correct?
No, Dean stayed on for a while and played a few more shows with a new vocalist named Mike Torres. After Dean quit, Greg and Mike changed the name of the band to L.S.N.
Vermin also had the honor of being thanked in the liner notes of Slayer's "Haunting the Chapel" EP, as both bands often gigged and partied relentlessly together, does it mean that you were very close to the Slayer guys and you were great friends?
We were pretty good party buddies. We would go to all of their gigs, and they (Jeff and Tom) would come to all of ours. We'd all hang out together back stage. They used to come over to our house and party with us, get drunk and sing Priest songs, etc. Good times. Great guys. We did a few more shows with them before they headed off into the big time.
How did you feel being on the thanks list of the EP?
We were the only band that they thanked, so it was pretty cool. They considered us the only other true thrashers in LA, not just because of the way we played music, but because of our attitudes and how we lived our lives – hard! We were hard drinking, womanizing, crazy fuckers. So, we had a lot in common with Slayer.
How happened, that Vermin never had the opportunity to record its first full length? Would it have been a thrash classic in your opinion?
We went into the studio to record an EP, 4 songs, that Metal Blade records was going to put out. This was right after our friends Slayer had released their first LP. However, we parted ways with John Cyriis prior to completing the tracks. I left the band shortly after that. Yes, I do believe it would have been a classic thrash album, due to our popularity in California at the time, and our close relationship witih Slayer. Our plan is to record all of our classic songs this summer and have a CD available before the end of the year.
A new vocalist, Mike Torres joined, and the band soldiered on for a few more months fulfilling prior gig commitments in both SoCal and San Francisco respectively they released a 4 track demo in 1985, did you remain in touch with the members of Vermin after your departure? Have you ever heard that demo?
Yes, I heard that demo. They used the same four songs we had recorded when Cyriis was in the band, and had Mike Torres sing over them. I thought he sounded awful. From what I understand, he was very good live, but in the studio he could not stay in tune. Some people call it 'red light syndrome'. That's when the recording starts, they get nervous and it affects their performance. I did not keep in touch with the band after I left.
What have you done after you left the band? Can you tell us more about it?
I quit the band, sold all of my gear, cut my hair, got a good job, and got married and had two sons. I was burned out on the scene.
Do you agree with that at the mid '80s the L.A. scene (and thrash metal as well) reached its peak, new bands were popping up, such as Viking, Recipients Of Death, Bloodlust, Bloodcum, Sadistic Intent, Majesty (later Nausea, then Terrorizer), what were your vies on this scene?
All those bands came about after I had gotten out of the scene, so I don't know much about them. We did a show with Bloodlust at The Waters club in 1984. I just ran into their singer, Steve Gaines, who now fronts Anger As Art, at the Seattle Metal Fest last month. Small world!
Wanting to take the musical vision in a new, more hardcore direction, Greg Cekalovich, along with Mike Chacon, created L.S.N., which stands for Loud Senseless Noise; George Robb (ex-Agent Steel) was recruited for bass duties, along with Tony Vargas on vocals, the later, Angelo Espino joined as a second bass player, what's your opinion about L.S.N. compared to Vermin?
A lot of the L.S.N. catalog were Vermin songs which I wrote. When I left Vermin I told Greg that he could keep playing the songs that I wrote, I didn't have a problem with it. The stuff that Greg wrote after that was much more hardcore. He was really into GBH and Discharge at the time, so that influenced his writing style. The songs were fast, short, and agressive in L.S.N. His guitar sound was much more distorted. Vermin had more of a punchy sound, like Motorhead, L.S.N. had more grind to it.
By the early nineties the genre was a bit oversaturated, and in later years fewer bands played the style, but it's still a viable style today, with veteran bands such as Overkill, Testament, and Destruction, among others, still producing quality thrash albums, while bands such as The Haunted have spurned a new generation of thrash in the new millennium, how do you explain this?
Everything comes around in cycles, like 20 year cycles. Every genre of rock or metal has done this. Look at all the 'stoner rock' type bands that are around. St. Vitus and Witchfinder General were doing that stuff 25 years ago, now it is fashionable again. It's great that the new, younger bands are inspired by the stuff guys from the original thrash wave did, are making that style their own, and riffing like motherfuckers and having a great time making classic sounding music. There is a Mexican thrash band called Strikemaster, they are big Vermin/L.S.N. fans. They sent us an email and told us that one song on Metal Massacre 8 influenced them.
Did you have an eye what's going on in the underground at all or did you turn a back on thrash and metal in general?
All I knew after 1985 is what I saw on MTV, just like everyone else. I was aware of bands like Biohazard, Prong, stuff like that. I continued to go to concerts. Then Grunge happened and everything changed. But, I loved Soundgarden and Alice in Chains – both great bands.
A few years have passed by since the glory days of West Coast Thrash.... and now the core players from both Vermin and L.S.N. have re-connected and are ready to create music again, how did it come in the picture exactly? What about the line up?
This is a long story. Here we go:
Every once in a while, I would do an internet seach for Vermin, L.S.N., etc. One day, about 2 years ago, I did a search and some guy's page came up who had a bunch of bootleg tapes. One of them was Vermin live at the Troubadour. He was in Budapest. I sent him an email and asked if he'd let me have a copy of the tape (I didn't even know that it existed, and had never even heard it). He told me that he'd trade me for a CD that he could not get, Metal Massacre 4. He was a huge Cyriis fan. So, I sent him the CD, and he uploaded the bootleg of us at the Troubdour.
I also noticed when I did the search that we were listed on the Encyclopedia Metallum, but none of us had put the info on there. So, I wondered, who knows about us? I emailed the webmaster and told him who I was. It was a guy in Germany, again, who had a bunch of our bootlegs and was really into us. He sent me more songs, including the original demo with Cryiis on it. It was through him that I came into contact with Laurent from Snakepit Magazine in France, another Vermin/L.S.N. fan. All these people in Europe who had bootlegs and liked our music got me thinking about a reunion.
Next I contacted Angelo Espino, who played bass in L.S.N. Angelo was interested in getting together, so he contaced Greg Cekalovich and Mike Chacon. I had not seen any of these guys since about 1987 or so. We planned a jam. I flew down to LA in December of 2006 and we got together and jammed on the old songs. Greg, Angelo and I did the vocals since we could not find Cyriis or Tony Vargas. After we made our Myspace page, Tony Vargas found it during an interet search and he contacted us. The next time we got together Tony came and sang. We had a complete unit again, all original members of either Vermin, L.S.N., or both. Just recently Angelo was offered a full time slot as bassist for a band called Anger As Art, which he accepted. Original L.S.N. bassist George Robb is now on board with us.
Do you want to re-record all of your early materials or did you pen some new tunes as well?
We are only interested in re-recording all the old songs. We have not written anything new since we reunited. However, anything is possible.
How does Vermin/L.S.N. sound like these days?
People who have come by the studio to listen to us have told us that we sound better, tighter, and punchier than we did back in the '80's. Part of this is because we are all much older and have been playing for a long time, and are just better musicians now than we were back then.
Did you already start the recording sessions or…?
No, the plan is to start recording the drum and bass tracks as soon as possible. I am going to LA on June 20th 2008 for some practice and a band meeting.
Do you consider this record a kind of gift for the old thrashers and headbangers?
Yes, that is what it is. This is for all the people who have our bootlegs and demos from the '80's who like our music. They deserve to listen to something of better quality. Plus, we want to get the songs recorded for our own history. We all have kids and would like our kids to have a copy of what we did. We get email all the time from young kids who like the stuff they hear on our Myspace page, so who knows, mabye a few of the new, young thrash fans will like what we record. Then, maybe a tour with some of our old friends.......
John, thanks a lot for this interview, anything to add what I forgot to mention?
Feel free to list our page at www.myspace.com/verminlsn
Also, send me any more questions you might have after you read this. I'm happy to answer anything you would like to know. I'll email you some MP3's.
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Enfield Repair Café - St Pauls Centre
102A Church St, Enfield Chase, EN2 6AR
10 November 2018 11:00 - 14:00
Click here to read the NLWA PRIVACY NOTICE for Repair Cafés
- Introduction.................................................................................................................................................
- Important information and who we are.......................................................................................................
- The data we collect about you....................................................................................................................
- How is your personal data collected?........................................................................................................
- How we use your personal data.................................................................................................................
- Purposes for which we will use your personal data...................................................................................
- Recipients of Personal Data.......................................................................................................................
- Our Websites and Cookies.........................................................................................................................
- International transfers...............................................................................................................................
- Data security.........................................................................................................................................
- Data retention.......................................................................................................................................
- Your legal rights....................................................................................................................................
This is a general privacy notice which tells you what to expect when we (North London Waste Authority (referred to as "NLWA", "we", "us" or "our" in this privacy notice)) collect personal data. Personal data means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified such as a name, address or one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that person. Personal data does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).
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This privacy notice gives you information on how NLWA collects and processes your personal data, what we do with your personal data and what legal rights are available to you.
We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This notice together with the NLWA Data Retention Policy sets out:
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Some sections of this privacy notice are provided in a layered format so you can click through to the specific areas easily. Alternatively, you can download a pdf version of the policy here.
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Contact details
Postal address:
Data Protection Officer
North London Waste Authority
Unit 1B, Berol House, 25 Ashley Road
Tottenham Hale
London, N17 9LJ
Name and title of DPO: Barbara Herridge, Data Protection Officer
Email address: firstname.lastname@example.com
Telephone number: 0208 489 5654
You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.
We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together as follows:
- Identity Data includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, title, date of birth and gender.
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- We record your ethnicity when you apply for our Nappy Voucher Scheme.
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- We only collect information about criminal convictions and offences in order to carry out a check with the Disclosure and Barring Service for the purpose of employment for a position which requires staff to be checked with the Disclosure and Barring Service.
We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through:
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- request for information to be sent to you, including information requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOI) or the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 (EIR);
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We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:
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- Where needed to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you. For example where we hold details of key personnel or account manager of a supplier.
- Where you have provided us with consent to do so. For example where we have sought your consent to send you information about our annual waste prevention conference.
- Where we needed to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation. For example if we are responding to a request for information under the Environmental Information Obligations (EIR) we will need the name and contact details of the person to whom we must send the information requested.
Paragraph 6 below sets out more about the types of lawful bases that we will rely on for the specific processing activities we undertake.
Where we are relying on consent to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw consent at any time by emailing us at firstname.lastname@example.com
We have set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways we may use your personal data, and which of the legal bases we rely on to do so.
Note that we may process your personal data for more than one lawful basis depending on the specific purpose for which we are using your data. Please contact us if you would like an explanation about the specific legal ground we are relying on to process your personal data where more than one ground has been set out in the table below.
Table 1: Purpose and Lawful Bases
Type of data
Lawful basis for processing your data
To register you on our database to receive updates and newsletters about our future public waste prevention events
Identity and Contact
To provide you with information about waste prevention services we offer
Identity and Contact
To invite you to our waste prevention events, to pre-register your attendance e.g. for a repair service, or to obtain feedback on the events
Identity and Contact
To notify you about changes to our waste prevention services or events
Identity and Contact
To organise NLWA's waste prevention annual conference – the Waste Prevention Exchange
Identity and Contact
To respond to your request for progress reports or updates on our activities or projects
Identity and Contact
Performance of a contract with you
To manage our relationship with you which will include notifying you about changes to our privacy policy.
Identity and Contact
Necessary to comply with a legal obligation
Public tasks to perform our official functions
To enable you to partake in a prize draw or competition
Identity and Contact
Performance of a contract with you
To enable you to complete a survey or feedback questionnaire
Identity and Contact
Necessary to comply with a legal obligation
To respond to your request for information, including Freedom of Information (FOI) or Environmental Information (EIR) requests.
Identity and Contact
Necessary to comply with a legal obligation
To process grant applications you make to us or our appointed contractor
Identity, Contact
Performance of a contract with you
To receive and process real nappy voucher applications you make to us or our appointed contractor
Identity, Contact and Special Category Data
Explicit Consent
Performance of a contract with you
To identify users of our Reuse and Recycling Centres (RRCs) to prevent unauthorised entry to the RRCs
Public tasks to perform our official functions
To process your compost delivery requests
Identity and Contact
To issue recycling third party credits.
Identity and Contact
To carry out consultations required by law
Identity and Contact
Necessary to comply with a legal obligation
To carry out a procurement process, or to respond to your request before entering into a contract
Identity, Contact and Employment History and Qualifications
Performance of a contract with you
To carry out our obligations under the contract between us
Identity and Contact
Performance of a contract with you
To grant access to data on waste movements or any information we are required to provide as part of our statutory functions
Identity and Contact
Public tasks to perform our official functions
To investigate and respond to a complaint you submitted to us
Identity and Contact
Public tasks to perform our official functions
To carry out a survey to find out if residents are happy with our services e.g. surveys of Reuse and Recycling Centres in our area
Identity and Contact
To carry out research that will facilitate the delivery of our public functions
Identity and Contact
Public tasks to perform our official functions
To send to our constituent borough councils on a need to know basis or as a result of a request e.g. if you ask us at an event to pass on your contact details to one of the north London boroughs in order to access services.
Identity and Contact
To share information with other public bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for fraud, bribery and crime prevention
Identity and Contact
Necessary to comply with a legal obligation
To use (a) photograph(s) of you to promote waste reduction, reuse and recycling and to enable our partners (usually the constituent boroughs) to do so too in a cost efficient way
Identity, Contact and
Special Category Data
Explicit Consent
We do not share personal data with third parties outside NLWA except in the following limited circumstances and for the purposes set out in the table in paragraph 6:
- To our service providers and professional advisers to deliver our contracts for the performance of our public functions or to meet a legal obligation. Any information provided to our service providers or professional advisers is subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations;
- To our constituent borough councils and only on a need to know basis or as a result of a request from you, in order to perform our statutory functions or to meet a legal obligation or so that you can access a borough provided service. For example, we may pass on your contact details with your consent if you attend our event for which you will be eligible to receive local green points or credits from the borough for attendance. We also have contractual arrangements with some of our constituent boroughs which are explained below.
- NLWA is part of the London Borough of Haringey's IT network. London Borough of Haringey provides all our IT and system administration services. Any email sent to us, including any attachments, may be monitored and used by us for reasons of security and for monitoring compliance with office policy. Email monitoring or blocking software may also be used.
- NLWA staff are employed by the London Borough of Camden. London Borough of Camden handles all appeals relating to complaints made to NLWA regarding any of our services or our actions. Where appeals in relation to complaints are made to the London Borough of Camden in accordance with NLWA's complaints procedure, personal information held by NLWA in relation to the complaint may be shared with Camden's Central Complaints Unit. A copy of our complaints procedure is available
Details on NLWA and our relationship with our constituent boroughs can be found here
- To regulators and other authorities acting as processors based in the United Kingdom who require reporting of processing activities in certain circumstances.
- To other public bodies to comply with any applicable law, regulation, code of practice or enforceable government guidance. Please see our National Fraud Initiative Statement below showing when we share personal data with other public bodies to prevent or detect fraud.
We require all recipients of personal data from us to respect the security of your personal data and to treat it in accordance with the law. When our service providers are processing your personal data on our behalf, we do not allow service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes and only permit them to process your personal data for specified purposes and in accordance with our instructions.
NLWA National Fraud Initiative Statement
NLWA is required by law to protect the public funds it administers. We may share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, or where undertaking a public function, or order to prevent and detect fraud. The Cabinet Office is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.
Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body to see how far they match. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it may indicate that there is an inconsistency requiring further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.
Working with our constituent borough councils we participate in the National Fraud Initiative: a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Minister for the Cabinet Office for each matching exercise as detailed here.
The use of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out under Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. Data matching by the Cabinet Office is subject to a Code of Practice.
Further information on the Cabinet Office's legal powers and reasons why it matches particular information can be found here. For further information on data matching at NLWA and the reasons why particular information is matched please see here .
Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site. We do not store any personal information in cookies. For detailed information on the cookies we use and the purposes for which we use them see our Cookie Policy.
We do not make any attempt to find out the identities of those visiting any of our websites, namely nlwa.gov.uk, wiseuptowaste.org.uk or northlondonheatandpower.london. This privacy notice applies to all our websites. Our sites may, from time to time, contain links to and from the websites of our constituent boroughs or related organisations. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements or policies. If you follow a link to any of these websites, please note that these websites have their own privacy policies and that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for these policies. Please check these policies before you submit any personal data to these websites.
We do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). However, when we share your personal data with our service providers, it may involve transferring your data outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
Whenever our service providers transfer your personal data out of the EEA, we will require all service providers that are processing your personal data to ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to our information by ensuring at least one of the following safeguards is implemented:
- your personal data is transferred to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data by the European Commission.
- specific contracts approved by the European Commission are used which give personal data the same protection it has in Europe..
- your personal data is protected as the service provider requires all its group companies to follow the same rules when processing your personal data. These rules are called "binding corporate rules".
- Where your personal data is transferred to the US, the transfer data to them is made if they are part of the Privacy Shield which requires them to provide similar protection to personal data shared between the Europe and the US.
Please contact us if you want further information on the specific mechanism used by a service provider when transferring your personal data out of the EEA.
We have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They are all subject to a duty of confidentiality.
We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.
Where we carry out research for statistical purposes, we always ensure that we anonymise the personal data we hold.
How long will you use my personal data for?
We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.
Our Data Retention Policy is based on the following principles:
- compliance with data protection legislation;
- regular reviews of data we hold;
- sensible retention periods that allow us to use the data for the purposes for which it was collected; and
- active deletion of personal data that is no longer used.
Details of retention periods for different aspects of your personal data are available in our Data Retention Policy.
Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data. The lawful basis of processing identified in this Privacy Policy can affect which rights are available to you. Please contact us if you want further information regarding which rights apply to your personal data. Please click on the links below to find out more about these rights:
- Request access to your personal data.
- Request access to your personal data (known as a "data subject access request"). This enables you to receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you and to check that we are lawfully processing it.
- Request correction of your personal data.
- Request correction of the personal data that we hold about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data we hold about you corrected, though we may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to us.
- Request erasure of your personal data.
- Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to delete or remove your personal data where there is no good reason for us continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask us to delete where we may have processed your personal data unlawfully or where we are required to erase your personal data to comply with a legal obligation or where we are relying on consent as the lawful basis or processing and you withdraw your consent. Note, however, that this right is not absolute and we may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request. For example, you will not have this right where the legal basis for processing is the performance of a public task or compliance with a legal obligation.
- Request restriction of processing your personal data.
- Request restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask us to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios: (a) if you want us to establish the data's accuracy; (b) where our use of the data is unlawful but you do not want us to erase it; (c) where you need us to hold the data even if we no longer require it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims; or (d) you have objected to our use of your data but we need to verify whether we have overriding legitimate grounds to use it. Note, however, that this right is not absolute and we may not always be able to comply with your request to restrict processing for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.
- Request transfer of your personal data.
- Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party. We will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for us to use or where we used the information to perform a contract with you.
- Right to withdraw consent.
- Withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide certain services to you. We will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent.
- Object to processing of your personal data.
- Object to processing of your personal data where there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. Note, however, that this right is not absolute and we may not always be able to comply with your request to stop processing if (i) we have compelling legitimate grounds for the processing, which override your rights and freedoms or (ii) the processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. We will communicate our reasons to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.
- If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact our Data Protection Officer.
- No fee is usually required. You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.
- What we may need from you
- We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.
- Time limit to respond
- We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.
- Changes to the privacy notice
- This version of the privacy notice was last updated on 22 June 2018 and historic versions are archived here. Any changes we make to our privacy notice in the future will be posted on this page and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to our privacy notice.
- It is important that the personal data we hold about you is up-to-date and accurate. Please keep us informed if your personal data changes during your relationship with us.
Click here to read the TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION FOR ATTENDEES at Repair Cafés
1. What are the Repair Cafés?
1.1. Repair Cafés are meeting places where experienced repair specialists provide free repair consultation and assistance to help local residents mend broken or damaged household items. Where possible, broken items will be fixed on the day of the event and the repair specialists will discuss how to carry out repairs. Local residents can bring in to the Repair Café, clothes, household items, or bicycles (Eligible Items) that are in need of repair. Working together, the specialists will endeavour to repair the Eligible Item that has been brought in. The required repair tools are provided by the repair specialists on the day. Attendees also have the opportunity to see how repairs are being carried out and get inspired too.
2. Who can attend the Repair Cafés?
2.1. Anyone living in one of the seven north London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest can attend one of the north London Repair Cafés.
2.2. Repair Cafés are free and residents are not to make any payment to NLWA or any of the repair specialists for repairing their items.
2.3. Each Repair Café is only open to residents of the borough where the event is taking place and residents are required to bring proof of address on the day.
2.4. NLWA welcomes families and people with children. However, parents and carers will be directly responsible for their children. NLWA expects that parents and carers supervise their children at all times.
2.5. Repairs can be requested by any resident aged 18 years old and over.
3. How can residents register to attend a Repair Café?
3.1. Anyone wishing to attend a Repair Café must register their attendance in advance with NLWA.
3.2. Residents can register online by completing the online registration form available at http://www.wiseuptowaste.org.uk/reuse/repaircafes or can register on the day by completing a printed registration form.
3.3. In order to register, residents will be required to provide the following details:
• full name and address
• type and condition of the item of the item to be repaired
• email address (or phone number if no email address is available)
Please note that pre-registered repair bookings are restricted to one item per person, but see below for further details.
3.4. Residents will need to read and agree with the Repair Café's Terms and Conditions of Participation. By registering to attend a Repair Café, the resident is deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by these terms and conditions.
3.5. Based on availability, residents registering online will select a suitable time slot for their item to be repaired and residents registering on the day will be allocated with the first available time slot.
3.6. Residents can only pre-register online one item for repair but, at the discretion of NLWA, they may be able to register additional items for repair on the day - based on available slots.
3.7. Residents are required to arrive on time for their appointment. NLWA reserves the right to reject any late arrival and allocate the time to another resident, or not allocate the time.
4. What items can be repaired at the Repair Cafés?
4.1. Items that can be repaired include the following:
o clothes;
o household items such as small soft furnishings, bookcases, cabinets, tables, chairs, mirrors, frames and wall shelves;
o bicycles; and
5. How do the Repair Cafés work?
5.1. Upon arrival, the identity of residents will be confirmed. Residents will be required to bring proof of address (e.g. recent utilities bill, current council tax bill or bank statement) on the day. Residents whose identity is confirmed will be asked to wait in an allocated waiting area, where the repair pre-assessment will take place. NLWA reserves the right to refuse entry to a resident that fails to produce an identity, or where NLWA deems the item as unsuitable for repair.
5.2. Repair specialists will pre-assess the items brought and provide residents with information on whether the item is acceptable as an item eligible for repair and how likely it is that their item can be repaired. An allocation of a slot after an online registration or registration at the venue on the day of an event is not a confirmation or representation by NLWA that an item will be accepted or will be eligible for repair. If missing part(s) and/or consumables are required, residents will need to source them and subject to availability of slots, will be required to book another appointment for later in the day, for the item to be repaired. If there are no suitable later time-slots then the repair specialist will discuss how the item can be repaired by the owner or alternative repairers in the area, who will charge. Consumables (e.g. batteries, leads, plugs, fuses, zips, buttons, etc.) will only be provided if in stock on the day.
5.3. Residents will bring any items for repair at their own risk. NLWA cannot guarantee that all items will be repaired or that repairs will last a certain amount of time. Any accidental damage to an item that occurs during the repair is not NLWA's responsibility. Residents are responsible for any acts or omissions relating to any repair carried out after discussions with a repair specialist. NLWA and the repair specialists shall not be responsible for any act or omission either directly or indirectly resulting from the discussion with the repair specialists at the Repair Café.
5.4. If a repair involves dismantling an item after the item has been taken apart, repair specialist may decide that the item is beyond repair and may decide not to reassemble the item. The resident agrees not to hold NLWA or the repair specialist responsible for the items.
5.5. Residents must stay with the repair specialists whilst the repair of their item is carried out or, if possible, and under repair specialists' supervision, residents should be able to carry out their own repairs.
5.6. During the Repair Cafés, items cannot be left unattended and residents are required to be responsible for their items at all times. NLWA or the repair specialist shall not be responsible for any lost or stolen items left unattended.
5.7. Items cannot be left in the venue for recycling or disposal; residents are required to take back any items that cannot be fixed.
5.8. Extra waiting time may be required if events become busy and/or if repairs are running behind schedule. In such cases, residents will be informed in advance about the estimated waiting time and be asked to remain in the allocated waiting area.
6. Health & Safety and Equal Opportunities
6.1. NLWA is committed to the safe running of the Repair Café for both staff and visitors and is also committed to creating a safe environment for all. Residents must be considerate to others. In case of disturbance, they will be asked to leave the venue.
6.2. NLWA reserves the right to ask attendees to leave the premises in the event that their actions towards NLWA staff, the repair specialists or other attendees, is determined by NLWA to amount to one of the following:
• public disturbance;
• intimidation or harassment;
• aggressive and threatening behaviour;
• violence; or
• deliberate damage and misuse of the venue.
6.3. NLWA is committed to equal opportunities and Repair Cafés fully comply with the Equality Act 2010. All venues are accessible to wheelchair users and all visitors and staff are treated equally, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation
7. Data Protection
7.1. One of the requirements for attending a Repair Café is for residents to provide NLWA with their name and contact details as set out in paragraph 3.3 above. NLWA takes data protection seriously and complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act 2018.
7.2. NLWA will only use residents' name and contact information for the purposes of running the Repair Café, for example NLWA requires contact information so that if a repair specialist is unable to attend on the day, we can get in touch with residents who have booked their items in for repair to advise of the difficulties.
7.3. NLWA will also pass on the first name of pre-registered attendees, the items being brought for repair and the time of attendance to the relevant repair specialists working on the day so that they know who to expect. Therefore, if residents have pre-booked to bring in an item for repair, we will pass the person's first name, type and condition of the item and time of attendance to the repair specialist working on the day. We will not pass on contact details such as phone or email or provide personal details to any other specialist working on the day.
7.4. First names of individuals, items being brought in for repair and time of attendance will be passed in hard copy to the repair specialists working on the day, this information will not be retained by the repair specialists after the event.
7.5. NLWA will retain personal details in line with our personal data retention policy available here: http://nlwa.gov.uk/media/2448/personal-data-retention-policy-2018-v12-issued-04-05-18.pdf. For more information about NLWA's approach to personal data protection residents can see our Privacy Notice available here: http://nlwa.gov.uk/data-protection/
7.6. When registering to attend an NLWA Repair Café residents will be asked whether they agree to give their consent for us to retain their personal details for the purposes set out above. Attendees will also be asked if they wish NLWA to retain their personal details after the event so that they may be contacted about other Repair Cafés and events in north London in the future too. Agreement to the second of the above is not a requirement of attendance.
8. Liability
8.1. NLWA shall not be liable for any loss or damage to an item or any property of an attendee caused directly or indirectly from the act or omission of NLWA or any of the repair specialist. To the extent permitted by applicable law, NLWA shall not be liable under or in connection with these terms and conditions, the Repair Café or any item or property brought by an attendee for any indirect, special or consequential cost, expense, loss or damage suffered by an attendee at a Repair Café even if such cost, expense, loss or damage was reasonably foreseeable or might reasonably have been contemplated by the attendee and/or the repair specialist and whether arising from breach of contract, tort, negligence, breach of statutory duty or otherwise
8.2. NLWA is not excluding any liability where it is not lawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by the negligence of NLWA or the negligence of NLWA employees or sub-contractors (including the repair specialists) or agents; for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
8.3. The Repair Café are only for use by individuals (natural persons) that are resident in one of the constituent boroughs of NLWA and the eligible items must be for only domestic and private use of the resident. If the item is used for any commercial, business or re-sale purpose NLWA and the repair specialist will have no liability to the resident or any third party for any loss of profit, loss of business, business interruption, or loss of business opportunity.
9. Cancellation or Suspension
9.1. NLWA will use its reasonable endeavours to run the Repair Cafés as advised or advertised to residents. NLWA is however not responsible for factors or events outside its control. In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond NLWA's reasonable control, NLWA reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend a Repair Café or these terms and conditions, either in whole or in part, with or without notice. Where a Repair Café is cancelled, all attendees who registered to attend online will be notified by email to the email address provided on the registration form.
9.2. NLWA reserves the right to suspend a Repair Café before or after the start of a Repair Café session. Where NLWA exercises this right, all attendees will be advised and all attendees agree to vacate the venue immediately.
9.3. NLWA shall be entitled to amend these terms and conditions. Where it is deemed necessary to amend these terms or the allocated slot for a repair after registration by a resident, NLWA shall notify the resident of the amended terms and request the resident to confirm attendance and accept the new terms and conditions. Failure to submit an acceptance and confirmation of attendance will result in the name of the resident not being admitted to the venue for the Repair Café.
10. Other Important Terms
10.1. These terms and conditions are between the resident that completes the registration form and NLWA. No third party shall have any right to enforce any of its terms.
10.2. Each of the paragraphs of these terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of them are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect.
10.3. These terms and conditions are governed by English law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of the services in the English courts.
10.4. NLWA is a public body providing this service in accordance with our statutory powers. Any complaints on the events should be submitted using our complaints handling procedure available on our website http://nlwa.gov.uk/contact/making-a-complaint/. Appeal procedures are specified in the procedure.


text:
BERLIN (Reuters) - The European Central Bank (ECB) is checking whether it may have contravened its own strict rules by lending to Spanish banks on overly generous terms, an ECB spokeswoman said on Sunday.
German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag, citing the results of its own research, said that banks had borrowed funds from the ECB and taken a haircut of 0.5 percent even though the creditworthiness of the Spanish T-bills they provided as collateral should have required the ECB to apply a haircut of 5.5 percent.
The rating of some paper should have made them completely ineligible as collateral for the ECB, the newspaper added.
"The ECB is investigating the matter," the bank spokeswoman said.
At issue is nearly 80 billion euros ($102.8 billion) worth of 18-month T-bills the newspaper said had been wrongly classified as carrying a top-notch A rating whereas many are rated only as B by leading rating agencies Moody's, Fitch and Standard & Poor's.
"Dealings with certain Spanish government bonds casts doubt on the quality of the ECB's risk management... because the bonds pledged by the banks as security meet the central bank's requirements only in part," Die Welt am Sonntag said.
If the bonds were downgraded, the affected banks could have to produce other collateral amounting to as much as 16.6 billion euros in value, Die Welt said.
Like other conservative German media outlets, the newspaper has been critical of the ECB's efforts to combat the euro zone crisis, especially its offer to buy unlimited amounts of debt from struggling countries such as Spain under certain conditions to help reduce down their borrowing costs.
($1 = 0.7785 euros)
(This story corrects the second paragraph to make clear haircuts, not interest rate, reduced)
Reporting by Frankfurt bureau, writing by Gareth Jones; editing by Jason Neely