text:
A Social, Political and Cultural Appreciation of the French Fry
By Charles Ebeling
Presented on October 31, 2005
© 2005 Charles Ebeling
This Halloween night's essay is, perhaps disappointingly, not one about skulls and bones and things that moan in the night. And I hope it's not received that way either! My topic is about one of those little things that we so often take for granted, yet one of those many small presences that make the world go 'round, and that add some of the color, flavor and zest, if not romance, to our everyday world.
What follows is a social, political and cultural appreciation of that humble, crisp, vilified, salty, glorious and slivered bit of teased and fried tuber that is called – at least on occasion when Congress is not in a snit of geopolitical retaliation – the french fry.
As the old saying goes, it's not wise to go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. So now that our appetites are in check, let's enter the big wide world of that very tiny, yet surprisingly powerful influence on human life.
This story is both part personal journey and part research, with a dash of whimsy thrown in for good measure. It is a personal journey in that, for years, my curriculum vitae began with this sentence: "Chuck has loved McDonald's french fries since he was a teenager, and has been talking about them ever since." And yes, my McDonald's corporate bio really opened that way.
Indeed my first memory of french fries was from the time when I was 15, hanging out with some of my buddies on a bench at the new McDonald's in LaGrange – one of the early ones in the chain – munching bag after bag of 15 cent french fries and quaffing paper cups of orange drink, watching the girls drive through the lot, long before there was any such as thing as a drive-thru.
As my disclaimer, McDonald's – yes THAT McDonald's of Dow Jones industrial strength and french fry fame – later paid my salary, directly or indirectly, for nearly a quarter of a century, first as a Michigan Avenue public relations consultant, and later as a member of the corporate staff at, what one author calls Hamburger Central, in suburban Oak Brook, Illinois.
I retired on the cusp of the Millennium, partly because I'd decided that working in just one century was more than enough for me. Until then, I'd been serving as the corporate communications officer and chief global spokesperson for the Golden Arches. And just for the record, as a McRetiree, I no longer speak for McDonald's in any official capacity, other than as a McFan of the McBrand.
Notwithstanding all these disclaimers, I never had the time to become a true expert on much of the lore of the french fry, at least until now, as my professional interest in fries was primarily from an economic perspective, mingled with frequent and fully voluntary samplings in the corporate test kitchens and frequent research trips to the "field." Hence, my comment that this story is also the product of new research, primarily on the trusty internet, but including at least one field trip, this time to the legendary and quite remarkable site of the humble fried tuber's earliest introduction to America.
It was there, at Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello, in historic Virginia, last June, that the tour docent confirmed to me that the adventurous farmer, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and former ambassador to France, Jefferson, had indeed brought the french fry to America in 1802. In fact the recipe for french fries was noted in a manuscript in Jefferson's own hand, and almost certainly came from his French chef, Honore Julien.
So tonight, I've brought together my professional and personal perspectives, my own culinary propensities, and new research for your after-dining pleasure, in this global appreciation of a tiny, tasty thing, called a French fry.
When I say french fry, do you envision the word 'french" as capitalized? If you do, you no doubt consider the french fry to be of French origin. But they don't call them French fries in France, do they, except maybe at McDonald's. But at your typical bistro on the left bank, they are called what? Pommes frites, the fried version of pommes de terre, literally means "fried apples." Piled high on a sizzling platter next to a grilled steak topped with seasoned butter, we're talking Steak Frites, right?
Ponder this, when a potato is "cut into thin lengthwise strips before cooking," according to Webster, it is considered to have been "frenched." The English verb "fry," is ambiguous, and can refer both to sautéing and to deep-fat frying. The French verb it derives from refers unambiguously to deep-fat frying. Indeed, when Francophile Thomas Jefferson had his staff over at the White House serve his guests from large silver bowls of fried potatoes, prepared using a recipe he'd picked up in Paris, they became known as – riddle solved — french fries – in lower cased 'french'.
Of course, to complicate matters, and the entomology of the french fry is indeed a bit complex, the french fry may have actually been created in a french-speaking area of southern Belgium, which however was not to become part of France until 1830. More on this puzzle later.
With this argument about capitalization and origins of the fry itself under our belts, let's consider the early origins of the potato. How the potato found its way from the South American highlands into those fry boxes at McDonald's is one adventurous story, indeed, involving Conquistadors, Marie Antoinette, Thomas Jefferson, of course, and a pair of entrepreneurial brothers named Dick and Mac McDonald.
Down in Peru, the Inca Indians were the first people known to have cultivated potatoes, as early as 750 BC. They had many uses for potatoes, which ranged in size from a small nut to an apple, and in color from red and gold to blue and black. They didn't fry them, but they did worship them, and even measured time with them, correlating units of time to how long it took to grow a potato crop. The Spanish conquistadores came across the knobby little tubers they called "truffles" in the high Andean village of Sorocota. In 1533, Pedro de Leon discovered they prevented "scurvy," and finding they remained fresh longer at sea than did limes, the potato quickly became standard issue to the crews of Spanish and English ships. That's how what the Spanish came to call the "edible stone," arrived in Europe.
In 1596, Sir Francis Drake sailed for home after defeating some Spanish in the Caribbean, grabbed some potatoes for the trip, and welcomed aboard a human cargo of homesick colonials in Virginia. One of these passengers handed a potato to a horticulturist in England, who dubbed it a Virginia potato. In Germany, there is a monument to the potato with the inscription, "To God and Sir Francis Drake, who brought to Europe for the everlasting benefit of the poor – the potato." But it was not until the next century that the potato would actually gain a footing in Virginia.
Being a member of the nightshade family, superstitions in Europe categorized the potato as evil and poisonous, and even as a dangerous aphrodisiac. But then entered King Frederick William of Germany, where the tuber was considered only suitable for livestock and prisoners. As a deterrent to famine, the king took up the cause and ordered peasants to grow and eat it – or have their noses cut off. Ouch!
France's Antoine Parmentier helped King Louis XIV popularize the potato in France. Parmentier, in a burst of public relations genius, created a feast with only potato dishes, a concept he found possible while imprisoned in Germany and fed only potatoes.
This 1767 dinner – a potato-eating extravaganza — was attended by another American Francophile, Benjamin Franklin, and Marie Antoinette, wearing potato blossoms in her hair. The feast even included a potato liqueur. Master promoter Parmentier proceeded to plant an acre of potatoes in the countryside, with highly visible armed guards during day, as if the potato field were highly valuable. But, cleverly, he had it left unsupervised at night. Peasants soon concluded that the potatoes were highly prized, so they stole them, planted them in their own fields and soon the potato became a staple throughout France. Then it proceeded to gain acceptance throughout Scotland, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy.
Potatoes even led to a war. In 1778, Prussia and Austria fought a war by trying to starve each other's army by consuming their food source, mostly potatoes. It became known as the Potato War.
It took none other than Sir Walter Raleigh to bring the potato to Ireland, when Queen Elizabeth I granted him 40,000 acres there to grow potatoes and tobacco. In 1733, an English seeds man summed up popular opinion of the potato this way: "it shall henceforth be reckon'd as a food fit only for Irishmen and clowns." As a side note, do you know why the potato is sometimes called a "spud?" The name came from the type of spade the Irish used for digging potatoes.
It is odd to think that Sir Walter Raleigh's contribution to the explosion of potato growing in Ireland was what led indirectly to the ultimate immigration of many Irish to America, when the potato blight hit in 1845, and a million Irish starved. The Irish had previously suffered from inadequate food supplies, so had readily adopted the tuber, which grew well in their climate until the potato famine set in. Only today is new DNA research on dried potato blossoms from that time, which had been preserved at Kew gardens, promising to identify the disease that caused the deadly potato blight.
The potato itself made the trip to America a bit earlier, when in 1762, the governor of Bermuda sent two large cedar chests containing potatoes and other vegetables to Frances Wyatt, governor of Virginia at Jamestown. Today, the potato is grown in every state and in about 125 countries worldwide.
But, from whence comes the french fry? Notwithstanding Jefferson's introduction of the treat to America, the French and the Belgians still debate who created it first. Expert opinions are divided, but by the 1830's deep fried potatoes were a taste sensation in both countries. Recipes for fried potatoes in French cookbooks go back at least to 1755. The first reference to french fries in English appeared in O. Henry's book "Rolling Stones" in 1894. He wrote: "Our countries are great friends. We have given you Lafayette and French fried potatoes." Yet, when the controversy over Freedom Fries began, in 2003, as part of a Republican protest against France's opposition to the war on Iraq, the French embassy claimed that the food was actually Belgian in origin.
Belgium itself lays claim as the originator of french fries, partly based on reference to poor inhabitants of an area of the Meuse valley near Liege, Belgium. They often accompanied their meals with small fried fish, but when the river froze and they couldn't fish, they cut potatoes lengthwise the same size as their favorite little fish and fried them in oil. Even more proof arises to foster their claim in that a Belgian named Frits opened a stand selling fries in 1871, giving his own name to the product, which is the French name for the dish in Belgium to this day. Some four thousand such friekot or friture stands appear everywhere in Belgium. There, Belgium fries, made with Belgium Bintje potatoes, cooked twice and served in paper cones, are traditionally enjoyed with tangy mayonnaise rather than catsup. Today, a growing number of Belgium fry shacks or frietkots are to be found in the U.S., mostly in New York and the northeast.
Then there are the Spanish. They once controlled the area that is now Belgium and claim that the recipe for french fries first appeared in Galicia, where it was served as an accompaniment to fish dishes. From there they say it traveled aboard Spanish galleons to Belgium.
Well, to bring it back home to the USA, how did the contemporary ubiquitous french fry ever become so popular among the masses over here, given its early and elite domestic launch by Thomas Jefferson?
At the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904, a potter from Athens, Texas named Fletcher Davis, who wasn't selling enough pottery back home, opened a lunch counter. He served potato strips there, an idea from a friend back in Paris, Texas. But a reporter thought he'd said "Paris, France," and thus another legend took root regarding the origin of the name.
French fries really took off in America after World War I, when thousands of hungry soldiers returning from stations in Northern France and Belgium, demanded them. It was "over there" that the "Doughboys" were introduced to the tasty fries.
Today, less than one hundred years later, more than 7 Billion pounds of french fries are served in America alone each year. Some 140 pounds of potatoes are consumed per person, including 50 pounds of french fries, and that's just half of what the typical European consumes. Potatoes have become the world's fourth largest food staple, after wheat, corn and rice. And just as Steak Frites is a dish synonymous with French cuisine, today's "hamburger and fries" is shorthand for all things American.
May I make a brief diversion to the history of the ubiquitous hamburger? As you might guess, the hamburger traces its roots back to the great port city of Hamburg, Germany, where it was thought to have arrived from the eastern ports of the Baltic Provinces, as a spiced dish of raw shredded beef, "Steak Tartare." Before that, it's believed that nomads on the Russian Steppes developed a taste for a dish of such raw spiced chopped meat, wrapped and tenderized beneath their saddles as they rode.
It was from Hamburg, that German sailors carried their favorite meat loaf-like patty, now grilled, over to the states in the 1800's. In 1974, shortly after I became a public relations consultant to McDonald's, I received an international phone call from the advertising agency for McDonald's in Germany, which was about to open up the large Hamburg market, and was looking for PR ideas. I thought a bit, and reflected on that hamburger history, and suggested their theme be "the hamburger returns to Hamburg." When McDonald's opened in Hamburg, the idea became an enormous hit with the local folks – those original Hamburghers.
That same Fletcher Davis, who was selling french fries at the 1904 World's Fair, also brought along to the fair his recipe for a ground-beef patty served between slices of home-made bread. The ground beef sandwich was named the hamburger, as recognized by some visitors of German descent, and the rest, as they say, became history. Of course, there are other legends of the hamburger's origin, one dating to 1885 in Seymour, Wisconsin, which is also home the Hamburger Hall of Fame, and another to 1895 in a Yale off-campus eatery called Louie's Lunch.
Hamburgers have come a long way since then. Are any of you familiar with the Economist magazine's Big Mac Index to explain international exchange rates? The Economist's website explains it this way, "Burgernomics is based on the theory of purchasing price parity, the notion that a dollar should buy the same amount in all currencies." In their shopping basket lies a single McDonald's Big Mac hamburger, a fast food staple available in 120 countries. The Big Mac purchasing-power parity is the exchange rate that would mean hamburgers cost the same in America as abroad.
When I first heard of the Economist's desire to create the index, I and my associates at McDonald's thought they were crazy, because the index would be vulnerable to criticism for ignoring price variables such as taxes, profit margins, and the cost of non-tradable goods and services. Economist editor, Pam Woodall, commented that, "If you were to look at this from a purely economic point of view, there are reasons why the Big Mac Index is a flawed measure of purchasing price parity. But what is curious is that it is actually a good predictor over time. If more investors believed in our index, they'd be a lot richer today," Woodall concluded.
More recently, a major wire service published results of research in the form of a question: "What is America's biggest selling food: hamburgers, french fries or pizza?" The answer: french fries are served with 22% of all restaurant meals, and hamburgers with 17% of all meals in restaurants.
French fries have been a secret of economic success all right, evidence McDonald's. Here's a quote on how important french fries were to his building of McDonald's into the world's largest food service organization, from Ray Kroc's autobiography, "Grinding it Out." "Now, to most people, a french-fried potato is a pretty uninspiring object…just something to kill time chewing between bites of hamburger and swallows of milk shake. That's your ordinary fry. The McDonald's brother's french fry was in an entirely different league. They lavished attention on it. I didn't know it then, but one day I would, too. The french fry would become almost sacrosanct to me, its preparation a ritual to be followed religiously."
McDonald's recipe for fries, like the finest gourmet french fry recipes, call for the classic Russet Burbank Idaho potato to be twice fried. Julia Child once called McDonald's french fries the finest in the world. McDonald's fries are the product of continuous research. According to former Business Week Chicago Bureau Chief, Jack Love, who wrote the definitive McDonald's history, "Behind the Arches," "The fabled McDonald's french fries were no accident." He concludes that fries "gave McDonald's its most definitive product differentiation…and some say fries were even more important in building McDonald's than the hamburger itself."
Today's french fry is something of a wonder. Luther Burbank, the father of the Idaho french fry potato, lived from 1849 to 1926, and became, with just an elementary education, one of history's most inventive and productive breeders of plants. He conducted as many as three thousand experiments at once, painstakingly crossbreeding foreign and native species of plants, cultivating the resulting seedlings, and using grafting to arrive at new and better breeds. A hundred years after their invention his breeds of peach, plum and nectarine, to name a few, are still on the market.
But his greatest success was the Russet Burbank potato of 1871, better known as the Idaho potato. This was soon exported to help Ireland recover from the devastating potato blight of 1840-60. Even today, despite all the horticulturists who followed, Burbank's large, hardy, fine-grained potato is unsurpassed and a staple of agriculture.
Speaking of the popularity of hamburgers and fries, the topic of nomenclature is unavoidable. I previously mentioned the 2003 flare-up that led the House of Representatives cafeteria to rename french fries as Freedom Fries, and French Toast as Freedom Toast. In fact, this silliness has come up before. As part of the anti-German sentiment during world War I, sauerkraut was renamed liberty cabbage and hamburgers became liberty steaks. Even German measles fell to this "sick" game, becoming liberty measles. In World War II the frankfurter bowed out to the hot dog, and although frankfurter is still recognized, it is not in common use.
Other similar examples include filete imperial (or "imperial beef") in Spain, replacing filete russo (or "Russian beef"), after the triumph of the anti-communist General Franco, and kafe elliniko (or "Greek coffee") replacing kafe turiko (or "Turkish coffee") on Greek menus after the Turkish-Greek collisions of the 1920's. So beware, Spaghetti Bolognese could become noodles with hamburger — the next time we cross with the Italians.
More on french fry nomenclature: In a quick trip around the world, the ever-present fry is called many things. In Brazil, it's batata frita; in French Canada, it's patatas fritas; in Chinese Mandarin, it's Shu Tiao (Shu for potato and Tiao for stripe or stick); in Denmark, it's pomfritter, in Israel it's tuganim; in Ireland – it's chips, not be confused with crisps, which are really potato chips; in Mexico, it's papas a la Francesca; in Poland, it's frytki; in Swedish slang, it's strips; and in Thailand, it's man fa rang tod, meaning potato fries, and in Japan, a familiar-sounding furaido poteeto.
Back in the U.S., we have many names for fry variations, most descriptive and some of which you'll recognize from your own background: there are slim shoestring or matchstick fries, crinkle or waffle cuts, hearty cottage fries or thick steak house fries (often with the skin on) , and concertina or curly fries. Then there are seasoned fries made with breading and spices, and even Burger king's new turnabout on fried chicken called Chicken Fries, which are pseudo fries: thin strips of fried chicken served in a french fry-type box.
Then there are tasty nationalistic variations: in Quebec and New Brunswick, fries are the main component of a dish called poutine, a mixture of french fries with fresh cheddar cheese curds, covered with hot gravy. In the Netherlands, they like satay peanut sauce with their fries. Speaking of fries going global, a book, by Canadian George Cohon, on opening up the Russian market to McDonald's is titled: "To Russia With Fries," and includes a forward by Mikhail Gorbachev.
Back in the U.S., in Utah and surrounding areas, french fries are often served with fry sauce that is a mixture of spices, mayonnaise and ketchup, and in many areas of our country, good old messy cheese fries are popular with the younger generation.
Speaking of messes, we've already looked at some of the international debates that have ranged around issues about the nationality of fries, so let's dive a little further into some of the other issues that have been associated with the friendly French fry.
One of my favorite political photos hangs in the office of my successor at McDonald's, Walt Riker. It's a picture of Bill Clinton receiving the traditional welcome of new President's by the Senate leadership. There, in the Senate dining room, sits Democrat Clinton holding out a box of McDonald's fries, surrounded by arch Republican, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and fellow senators. Walt was then Dole's press secretary, and came up with the idea of warming up that first meeting with Clinton by serving him the kind of egalitarian fast food lunch he'd often enjoyed as a governor.
Moving slightly away from politics, to energy, have you heard of the Green Grease Machine? It was cobbled together a few years ago, and is a van that runs on clean-burning biodiesel fuel made from cheap, readily available used restaurant vegetable cooking oil. That's right, French fry oil. Builders claimed the van "got 1300 miles per acre." While there's been plenty of controversy about the health issues around french fries, now there's also an upside to french fry oil – it could help solve the growing energy shortage. And, the exhaust smells like fries!
Today, after years of careful observation and experimentation, research is beginning to show that maybe we can sometimes have our fries and eat them too. Using basic principles of chemistry and engineering, scientists are finding new ways to make better fries that strike a balance among flavor, texture and nutrition. Their work could, eventually, propel french fries into a more modern version of perfection.
Some scientists have tried chemically engineered, low-fat oils such as Olestra to make healthier fries. Other researchers have been working to make edible coatings that will keep oil from penetrating the potatoes. Another idea on the table is to pack potatoes full of vitamins, through bio-engineering. And there is a promising new technique for making fries that are good and healthy which involves infrared energy – a sort of heat lamp. By controlling the intensity to mimic the heat transfer involved in frying, it might be possible to produce more perfect fries. Meanwhile, research continues to reduce trans-fats, while expanding nutritional disclosures and extending healthy lifestyles education programs.
On a less pedantic note, maybe you saw the McDonald's commercials from last year's Super-Bowl about a supposed Lincolnfry, a French fry that seemed to contain the profile of Abraham Lincoln. The fry was marketed on Ebay, and may have become the most expensive French fry of all time – it sold for $21,600. By the way, the Lincolnfry proceeds were donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
On another note, this time of judicial irony, some of you may have seen that a legal case about a single French fry recently became a factor in the Congressional hearings relating to Judge John Roberts candidacy for the Supreme Court, and ultimately as Chief Justice. It was the case of Ansche Hedgepath, a 12-year old girl. She was sitting in a Washington, D.C. metro station and opened and ate a single French fry from a bag in her lap. She did this in plain view of an undercover officer, who arrested and handcuffed her, removed her shoelaces, then fingerprinted and incarcerated her for 3 hours at a police station. Her offense was eating in a metro station, for which zero tolerance applied. An adult would have received a zero tolerance citation, and paid a fine. Ansche however, as a minor, was not eligible for such a citation, so was arrested.
On appeal, Judge Roberts ruled that the arrest was legitimate. She ate that fry in obvious violation of a legitimate city ordinance, and in the clear view of a police officer. No leniency for Ansche. To Judge Robert's credit, he did sympathize that the subway policies were "foolish," but he upheld the lower court. That single fry did her in.
By now, you're probably about done in, as well. So, I'll bring this "appreciation of the french fry" to a close. But, I realize I've left out, until now, one final dimension from the title of this essay, which again is — French Fried: From Monticello to the Moon. What's this about french fries and outer space, you ask? Well, in 1995, NASA and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, created a new technology with the goal of feeding astronauts on long space voyages, with a view to eventually feeding future space colonies. In October of that year, the potato became the first vegetable to be grown in outer space.
It's a funny thing, because one of my first assignments shortly after becoming a McDonald's consultant, some 30 years ago, was to help associate McDonald's image, as it approached its 30th anniversary, with the space age.
One of the fun facts we worked up in support of the premise that McDonald's menu might literally reach space one day, was to compute the number of McDonald's french fries, strung end to end that it would take to reach the moon. To figure it out we sent for a box of fries and measured each one, then divided and determined the average length, and multiplied by the average mileage to the moon – a quarter million miles. If you're curious, pick up a box of fries at McDonald's, do the math, and see how close you get to 4.5 billion fries to the moon.
I'd like to take that long ladder of moon-bound french fries just one last step farther into the future, as I wrap up this voyage through history. Albert Einstein thought that perhaps the greatest challenge facing mankind is to "widen our circle of compassion" across both time and space. Our ethnic and geopolitical squabbling might pale into insignificance if our compassionate circles were wide enough, he reasoned.
So let's no longer worry whether the little fry is French, Belgian, American or Russian, but take it with us into the future, even into space, as a tasty treat for our frail band of wandering humanity, and continue to enjoy the good little things in life.
John Calvi, in a 1982 poem called "French Fries," perhaps said it best, in his final stanza, when he wrote:
"Some think the army, the bombs and the guns
Will one day save all of our lives,
I don't believe it – heat up your pans
Make peace, and lots of French fries."
So, thanks very much for coming along on tonights french fried journey, "From Monticello to the Moon."
I wish I could have brought in some sample fries, but you know they only stay crisp for a few minutes. However, as a consolation prize, I do have a small McDonald's gift certificate for each of you. Have a safe journey home, and no one could blame you if you stopped for some fries on the way! Happy Halloween, and goodnight.


text:
Kim Kuesel
Associate Partner
Kim Kuesel is an associate partner with Clarkston Consulting and specializes in delivering transformational solutions to a myriad of supply chain related challenges. She is based in San Francisco and focused on retail, consumer products, and life sciences clients on the west coast.
Kim has a passion for the intricacies and challenges involved in digitizing large-scale supply chain operations. She has devised effective strategies to overcome obstacles from cost containment, to process improvement, to discovering the precise enterprise software solution to meet current and future needs.
Kim received her B.A. from the University of California, Davis, in International Relations and Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcometo Finborough Hall
Built in the late 18th century, Finborough Hall is one of Suffolk's most resplendent examples of Georgian architecture, set in 40 acres of private grounds. A rural oasis surrounded by unspoilt countryside, the view is patchwork shades of green as far as the eye can see.
And what better place to embrace the view than The Sky Room, purpose-designed to host private events for those looking for something special – something more than you get from conventional function venues for weddings, parties or corporate events.
Located just outside the picturesque village of Great Finborough, it's well positioned for easy access from both J49 or J50 of the A14 or from Stowmarket Station, taking little more than 5 minutes drive from each.
- Weddings A room with a view…from the Sky Room at Finborough Hall spectacular, far-reaching views of unspoilt Suffolk countryside provide the perfect backdrop for your special day.
- Celebrations Whatever 'big day' you're planning to celebrate, make it one to remember at Finborough Hall.
- Meetings A great meeting space for creative thinking, away from the hustle and bustle of the office.


text:
Albright duffel bag
Inspired by nautical materials and the importance of knotting in marine culture, the Albright bag collection is made of canvas, grommets and 550 paracord. Bright contrasting colors update the nautical palette. Available in six different color-ways the Albright duffel is a great overnight, weekend or beach bag.
14" x 24" x 7"


text:
Some parts of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania will be hit by floods between March and May, meteorological experts have said.
According to Kenya Meteorological Department director Peter Ambenje, Coast, Nairobi, Eastern and North Eastern will be the hardest hit in Kenya.
"Despite the fact that at the end of the season whatever amounts you have might not be sufficient, one small rainfall event in one day will give rise to floods in those areas in Kenya," he said.
He was speaking during the 48th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum for March to May at Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa.
The outlook included input from scientists and various global climate centres including World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Global Producing Centres and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society.
Mr Ambenje noted that the outlook shows an increased likelihood of normal to above normal rainfall in parts of the region.
He assured Greater Horn of Africa countries including Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda that WMO will provide El-Nino status
"In areas of enhanced rainfall, there will be a chance of flooding. These are South Sudan, Western Ethiopia, South Western Uganda, North Eastern Rwanda and Southern Tanzania. In Kenya we are not safe," Mr Ambenje said.
The director said an increased likelihood of normal to below normal rainfall will be experienced in Somalia, South-eastern Ethiopia and Eastern Kenya.
"The consensus means temperature outlook for the season indicates an increased likelihood of warmer to normal temperatures over much of the eastern parts, normal to cooler than normal temperatures over central parts and cooler to normal temperatures in the western areas of the region," he added.
Mr Ambenje said an episodic heavy rainfall event leading to flash floods might occur in areas with an increased likelihood of near to below normal rainfall.
Dry spells may also occur in areas with increased likelihood of above normal to normal rainfall.
"However, parts of the region that have been having drought conditions and persistence of depressed rainfall would have a far-reaching implication," the director said.
He noted that IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre will provide regional updates on a regular basis while the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services is to downscale the forecast to country level.
Mr Ambenje, who is also the permanent representative of WMO in Kenya, said the prediction will help the countries in developing a regional consensus climate outlook to avert any calamities.
"We reviewed the state of the global and regional climate systems and their implications on the March to May seasonal rainfall. Among the principal factors taken into account were the observed


text: Connect with Us June 5 – Featured photos on Star and Sky Star and Sky Share on Facebook Pin from: Kevin M Roberto: "" from: Sorin Paul Ene: "" from: Tom Collier: "" BREAKING: Senate Vote Sanctions The Killing Of Wolf Pups And Bear Cubs In Their Dens: Click "Next Page" below! Next Page Share on Facebook Pin DFP: SAS_DTOP_Belowcontent Recommended Photos Of The Day – June 22nd Amazing Footage Of A Meteorite Burning Up In The Atmosphere! This High Quality Footage Of Apollo 8 Launching Into Space Is Extraordinary! An Earthly Perspective: Evolution of the Telescope, From Galileo to Hubble and Beyond


text:
With a level playing soon to be achieved, in terms of which lenders pay retention proc fees and which ones do not, what is next in the debate on broker remuneration?
Last month the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA) asked a group of brokers and lenders whether trail commissions will become a feature of the market going forward, a question Mortgage Solutions has put to this week's three experts.
Martin Reynolds, managing director of SimplyBiz, thinks it is unlikely because of the number of factors which need to be balanced in order to deliver good customer outcomes.
David Copland, director of TMA mortgage club, says trail commission could form a valuable form of a broker's revenue stream and recommends lenders and brokers strike up a charter.
Pat Bunton, director, London & Country, believes paying for retention business is already a form of trail commission and is the furthest the market will see this type of remuneration policy developed, in the near future at least.
Martin Reynolds, managing director, SimplyBiz
Trail commission has been muted many times over the years but apart from a brief incursion from Intelligent Finance we have not seen it activated in the mortgage market. My personal opinion is that I think we are unlikely to see it any time soon.
There would be a number of challenges to overcome for this to happen. It would be an interesting challenge from a regulatory position as to how a firm explained on the ESIS the fee structure, as any commission trail would be dependent upon longevity post the initial rate.
What would the fee structure look like? It may be the current fee scale plus trail or lenders may want to drop the initial rate to compensate, it could even spell the end of product transfer fees in their current format. It would also need to be debated whether trail would be on a client specific basis or based on an adviser's firm book size with the lender. If the introducing adviser moved firms or a firm moved distributor would they be able to novate (replace or add the legal obligation – ed.) as happens in the protection market?
All challenging questions and considerations in their own right when based against good customer outcomes, which has to be the main focus at all times.
Even if all parties felt that it was a viable option, we then have the final hurdle of a technological solution. We have seen with the roll out of product transfers that having the desire to engage is only stage one – getting a technology solution adds many more months to formal launch.
David Copland, director, TMA mortgage club
It's fair to say that trail commissions are not universally popular. Their value has been questioned in the broader financial markets by both regulators and lenders in the past.
Even today, lenders sometimes claim system issues make it difficult to track what they owe, whilst others suggest brokers would not like to see their upfront commission reduced to pay for the trail.
I, however, continue to believe paying trail commission after an initial period of 24 months is the right way to go. Fundamentally, brokers should be rewarded for doing what is best for their client.
In addition, not as a substitute, a standard rate of 40/45 bps should be paid for the first 24 months of a product's life. Following this, a further 5pbs should be commissioned each year the client stays on the lender's books.
This would alleviate any concerns about their being a product bias towards shorter-term promotional rates, and even up the disparity that exists with longer-term fixed rates and offset mortgages.
Of course, however, there would need to an agreement – perhaps a charter – between lenders and brokers to ensure the customer continues to be contacted at regular intervals. For example, a broker must still be in a position to advise whether it's best for the client to remortgage, pursue a product transfer, or to remain on an SVR.
What's more, this form of trail commission would help create lasting value in a broker's business – it will establish a steady revenue stream. If a broker builds up a portfolio of mortgages, they will be able to track every trail commission that is owed to the business, increasing its overall value.
Pat Bunton, director, London & Country
Personally I don't think that trail commissions are on the agenda at the moment, nor do I see that changing as we move forwards.
What we have seen though, is the market switching to a model where lenders pay a fee for product switches and it can be argued that this is in itself a form of trail, albeit one where consumers are advised on the best switching option versus the best remortgage one
The recent trend of lenders working in partnership with intermediaries in this area of retention is really welcome and works well for customers.
I believe trail commission in its purest sense is very unlikely in the foreseeable future and if it ever was on the agenda it would be vital that it didn't mean those who should change lenders were ignored in order to maintain trail income.
As with all things the most important starting point has to be what is best for consumers and ensuring that interests are aligned, not placed in conflict.
While there is commission in the protection space, it is really very small – typically 2.5% of premium so it is really of little consequence and at that level I can't imagine it influences behaviours
General insurances are typically annual contracts and as with motor there has to be a question mark about whether or not just rolling these contracts over every year, rather than looking at the market price again is in customer's best interests
My personal view is that rolling contracts over year after year is not in consumers' best interests and this is an area where the FCA has rightly started to ask some questions.


text:
Research Output per year
Personal profile
Research interests
Professor Fernandes' research over the last few years has concentrated on addressing fundamental issues relating to the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems. The main focus of this research has been: (1) assessment and management of eutrophication, (2) assessment and management of aquaculture impacts, (3) assessment and development of biomarkers of pollution, (4) development of a sustainable sprat fishery within the Firth of Forth, (5) study of intertidal habitats as nursery for flatfish, (6) development of approaches for the management of coastal systems, and (6) the assessment of effects and management of nanomaterials in the environment. The above have led to several publications (see below), work on projects funded by a variety of national and international organisations and invitations to speak at a variety of national and international meetings. Projects include: The development of approaches towards the sustainable management of aquaculture (EU project MARAQUA; http://www.lifesciences.napier.ac.uk/maraqua/) a study of 'Undesirable Disturbance in the context of Eutrophication' (http://www.lifesciences.napier.ac.uk/research/Envbiofiles/EUD.htm) carried out for the UK environment ministry, DEFRA; An EU FP6 project entitled "Oceanographic Applications to Eutrophication in Regions of Restricted Exchange" (OAERRE; http://www.lifesciences.napier.ac.uk/oaerre/index.htm; 2000-2003); Another EU FP6 project on the management of marine aquaculture (ECASA, Ecosystem Approach to Sustainable Aquaculture; http://www.ecasa.org.uk/; 2004-07); a European Project "Development of guidelines for the Management of Aquaculture in Sensitive Areas" (2005-06), Involvement in UK-Japan co-operation on research on endocrine disrupters in the aquatic environment, sponsored by DEFRA; and consultancy work (2004/05) assessing the potential for the development of development of a sustainable sprat fishery within the Firth of Forth (2004-05), An EU FP6 project on Science and Policy Integration for Coastal System Assessment (SPICOSA, http:/www.spicosa.eu; 2006-2010). More recently, Teresa's work in the area of ecotoxicological aspects of nanotechnology has led to two PhD studentships sponsored by DEFRA and by UNILEVER, and a post-doc funded by the Danish Government, which address the ecotoxicological impacts of nanomaterials on a variety of test species and endpoints. In addition, a project funded by NERC (UK) focussed on wider aspects and links between human health and environment in the area of potential impacts of nanomaterials. Currently Teresa has a range of projects on the environmental effects of nanomaterials sponsored by Industry, NERC and EU FP7 (see below for details). She also continues her research work on the management of marine coastal systems, with projects on the management of coastal lagoons (in collaboration with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and the development of marine spatial planning approaches (in collaboration with Marine Scotland Science). Teresa has long-standing expertise in invertebrate ecotoxicology and marine ecology. Recent research projects EC FP7 funding – NanoImpactNet, Qnano, Marina. Unilever - Ecotoxicology of nanomaterials. US-UK (NERC) – Manufactured Nanomaterial Bioavailability and Environmental Exposure (NanoBee) Past Projects Assessment and development of biomarkers of endocrine disruption (Napier/RAE) Study of intertidal habitats as nursery for flatfish (Napier/RAE) Study of sprat populations in the Firth of Forth (Fife Council) Feasibility study on ecological impacts of flood defence works in the Water of Leith, Edinburgh (ARUP, Edinburgh Council). EU MARAQUA – The Monitoring and Regulation of Marine Aquaculture in Europe, funded by EU Fair Programme. EU ECASA - Ecosystem Approach for Sustainable Aquaculture, funded by EC DG Fisheries. EU Socrates Thematic Network in Aquaculture, Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Management. EU SPICOSA Project - a project on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). EC FP7 project: Engineered Nanoparticles: Review of Health and Environmental Safety (ENRHES). NERC led JEHH programme – Human and environmental effects of nanoparticle exposure". Danish Government – Impacts of climate on the effects of stressors (e.g. metals, NPs) on the reproduction of the marine macroalga Fucus serratus. Defra – Defining Undesirable Disturbance in the Context of Eutrophication. Defra - A review of completed and near completed environment, health and safety research on nanomaterials and nanotechnology (EMERGNANO). CSL/Defra, UK – Assessment of environmental impacts of nanoparticles.
Professor Teresa Fernandes has been working in environmental science for the last 20 years. Most of her work has focussed on the effects of anthropogenic activities on marine ecosystems with a view of understanding direct impacts on single species and communities, and the recovery process. Recent work has focussed on the environmental impacts and management of diffuse pollution, the assessment of endocrine disruption in invertebrates, the effects of nanomaterials on a range of species and models, the management of aquaculture, and the development of numerical models for the management of coastal activities. She is fluent in English, Portuguese, French and Spanish. Teresa Fernandes has published over 100 scientific publications. Qualifications • BSc (Hons) Environmental Engineering, Lisbon, 1986 (1st class)• MSc (Marine and Fisheries Science), Aberdeen, 1988• PhD (Oil Pollution: Assessment and recovery in the marine benthos), Aberdeen, 1992• PGDip (Applied Statistics), Napier University, Edinburgh, 2001 (Distinction) Employment • Jan 1993 – March 1994: Higher Scientific Officer, English Nature• March 1994 – May 2000: Lecturer, Napier University• May 2000 – Jan 2003: Senior Lecturer, Napier University• Jan 2003 – Oct 2008: Reader, Napier University• Oct 2008: Professor of Environmental Science, Director of the Centre for Environment and Marine Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University.• February 2011: Professor of Environmental Science, Heriot-Watt University.
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics where Teresa F. Fernandes is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
- 5 Similar Profiles
Co Author Network
Recent external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.
Research Output
A framework for grouping and read-across of nanomaterials- supporting innovation and risk assessmentStone, V., Gottardo, S., Bleeker, E. A. J., Braakhuis, H., Dekkers, S., Fernandes, T., Haase, A., Hunt, N., Hristozov, D., Jantunen, P., Jeliazkova, N., Johnston, H., Lamon, L., Murphy, F., Rasmussen, K., Rauscher, H., Jiménez, A. S., Svendsen, C., Spurgeon, D., Vázquez-Campos, S. & 2 others, , 8 Aug 2020, In : Nano Today. 35, 100941.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Exposure to Pb-halide perovskite nanoparticles can deliver bioavailable Pb but does not alter endogenous gut microbiota in zebrafishPatsiou, D., del Rio-cubilledo, C., Catarino, A. I., Summers, S., Fahmi, A. M., Boyle, D., Fernandes, T. F. & Henry, T. B., 25 Jan 2020, In : Science of the Total Environment. 136941.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Importance of Surface Coating to Accumulation Dynamics and Acute Toxicity of Copper Nanomaterials and Dissolved Copper in Daphnia magnaGajda-Meissner, Z. A., Matyja, K., Brown, D., Hartl, M. G. J. & Fernandes, T. F., Feb 2020, In : Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 39, 2, p. 287-299 13 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
Species Distribution Modeling Predicts Significant Declines in Coralline Algae Populations Under Projected Climate Change With Implications for Conservation PolicySimon-Nutbrown, C., Hollingsworth, P. M., Fernandes, T. F., Kamphausen, L., Baxter, J. M. & Burdett, H. L., 14 Sep 2020, In : Frontiers in Marine Science. 7, 575825.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access
Differences in Engineered Nanoparticle Surface Physicochemistry Revealed by Investigation of Changes in Copper Bioavailability During Sorption to Nanoparticles in the Aqueous PhasePatsiou, D., Kalman, J., Fernandes, T. F. & Henry, T. B., May 2019, In : Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 38, 5, p. 925-935 11 p.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
Open Access


text:
The latest updates from the world of social media
Recently, it seems as though the biggest names in social media have simply been sharing (or in some cases stealing) each other's ideas and features. For example, take a look at this article over at Recode to see the similarities and differences between the recent 'innovations' of the major networks.
Even so, this doesn't mean to say that today's social media landscape is slowing down or becoming stale. Nearly every month you can be guaranteed that at least one platform releases an update it hopes will steal a march on every other industry opponent.
So, what social media updates have recently been released?
- Related articles
In order to help users discover more stories about trending topics, Facebook is testing its related articles feature. This means that it will show you related stories before you actually click on an article.
"These additional articles, which appear for topics many people are talking about on Facebook, will appear in a unit below the link," said the social network. "That should provide people easier access to additional perspectives and information, including articles by third-party fact-checkers."
Facebook used the example of discussing an article about a new medical advancement with friends. The feature would then show you a few other articles from different publishers about the same medical topic.
- Video metrics
Seeing as video is playing an increasingly important role for both Facebook users and content marketers, it makes sense that better metrics should be made available. After all, Facebook users are now watching more than 100 million hours of video every day.
Five changes to video metrics that Facebook have made include:
- New: Aggregate Minutes Viewed
- New: Video Metric Benchmarks
- Change: Aggregate Video Views
- Update: Date Range Analysis
- New: Sorting Options
- Matched audiences
In a move that will bring it more in line with what Facebook and Twitter already offers, LinkedIn has launched Matched Audiences to give advertisers three new targeting tools: website retargeting, account targeting, and contact targeting.
"With Matched Audiences you can use LinkedIn to retarget your website visitors, market to your contacts from your customer databases and marketing automation platforms, and reach decision makers at target companies for your account-based marketing programs," said senior product manager Eva Chau in a blog post.
"Matched Audiences helps increase ROI by enabling you to focus your efforts on the audiences and accounts that are most likely to drive revenue."
- Live streaming
When YouTube introduced live streaming back in February, channels needed to have at least 10,000 subscribers to take advantage of this feature. However, it has now significantly reduced the threshold to 1,000 subscribers, potentially to compete with other live stream providers like Facebook and Instagram.
Anyone using the Android, iPhone, or iPad app can live stream from their mobile too, but your channel must be verified and not have received any live stream restrictions in the past 90 days, which can happen if you violate YouTube's terms of service in any way.


text:
Tips to consider before booking your wedding venue in the Canadian Rocky Mountain areas of Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, Jasper and beyond!
One of the most common complaints of wedding couples is that they aren't happy with the wedding venue they booked or are having issues in communicating with them. We offer 5 tips to Know before booking your wedding venue, but even if you've already booked, we hope you will benefit from this post.
So what do you need to know to avoid problems with your venue? First off, don't expect there to never be any issues. Consider yourself extremely fortunate if everything runs smoothly from the start to finish off your wedding. With any service you contract for your wedding, there is always communication and with communication, there is the potential for misunderstandings. Good communication is an ongoing process and takes work. However, you can potentially avoid headaches if you follow these
Five Tips:
- Take your time choosing a venue. Take your time to go out and visit several venues. The perfect venue for your friend might not be perfect for you. If you can, take several weekends to go out and look at various venues. You definitely don't want to be pressured into signing on with a venue when there might be other spots that are better suited to you, your budget and even to the style of wedding you are envisioning. Even if there are only limited booking spots left at a venue, you may want to ask if they could hold the date for you for one week so that you can review the contract and get back to them. This tactic doesn't always work in your favor, but at least you won't be pressured into signing a contract only to find that with "hidden costs" it far exceeds your budget.
- Know the "hidden costs" of a venue. Okay, hidden costs might be a bit misleading. Most venues are not out to deliberately deceive you, but it may feel like it when you only hear about 'corkage fees', 'cake-cutting fees' 'gratuity charges' after you've signed a contract. Many of these terms are fairly standard within the industry, but when it's your first time planning a wedding you may not have heard about them. Other costs that may not be on your venue contract might include; AV equipment, dance floor set up, ceremony set-up fees, overtime fees, SOCAN fee, and the list goes on. Ask the venue what other costs you can expect to pay that are not on the written contract. If you don't ask, you may not know until you get the final bill.
- Carefully review the venue contract. If you really want to avoid surprises, read your contract over thoroughly. Know exactly what services the venue is offering to deliver you and for how much. Know the "fee schedule" for when deposits and payments are due. Know the cancellation clause. Also, be sure you know what is not included. Hopefully by the time you receive a contract you've already asked the venue all sorts of good questions. If the answers to these questions are not addressed in the contract, ask for them to include it.
- Get it in Writing. Bottom line, if it doesn't say it on your contract, don't expect it. While it's nice if someone offers you something verbally, it's even nicer if it's in writing. The truth is people make mistakes. Sometimes they don't know the correct answer or weren't in a position of authority. There's also lots of turnover in the hospitality industry and you may be dealing with a different person on your wedding day. Without having something in writing, there may be no way to verify your claims.If necessary, ask them to "mark up" your contract to include items of concern to you.
- Keep copies of all communications with venues. Mistakes happen, staff turnovers… Keep copies of emails, keep telephone logs of conversations and be prepared to pull these out if you need to clarify any issues. You never know when you may need these documents.
Bonus Tip:
6. Keep a Positive Attitude. Everyone prefers to deal with people who are positive and kind. Keeping a good attitude goes a long way!
At Naturally Chic we also offer a "Getting Started" Service where we will assist you from the start to find the venue best suited for you! There's no obligation to do any other services once you've found your venue. However, Naturally Chic also offers consultation services. Even if you are not wanting to have a wedding coordinator present on your wedding day, you may benefit from hiring us for just an hour or two to discuss specific issues such as venues and contracts.
We know the area and the venues, hopefully, we can save you lots of leg-work by recommending wedding venues that are suited to your wedding style, guest list, and budget. We can review contracts with you (though we do not dispense legal advice) or give you the heads up on costs to expect . We may be able to offer suggestions to save money or to negotiate some costs with your venue. What is in the best interest of a venue or venue coordinator is not always what's in your best interest. A wedding planner does have your best interests in mind.
The best of luck and Happy Planning!
Contact Naturally Chic or email@example.com for more information on our planning services, or visit our sister blog Canadian Mountain Chic for more wedding planning inspiration!


text:
How to Be Innovative with Your Leadership: A Practical Guide
"Innovation everywhere" is a mantra for many new-practice leaders, but how do you do it? Here is a look at some of the terms that are used, such as everyday innovation, "speedboats," and hypothesis-driven activities, plus some practical advice to set up and drive within an innovation-oriented organization.
Move—Or Fade Away
In a business world that keeps changing, you need to constantly stay relevant to the market and customers. This requires "innovation everywhere," both regarding products and processes, and culture and leadership. If you don't keep moving, you'll slowly fade away.
Clearly, this can instill a sense of anxiety or even paranoia in organizations; a feeling that either manifests itself through talent leaving the company or with a false positive understanding of the competitiveness. I've heard many leaders say: "We're in good shape. We'll keep the strategy we have and deliver the same product line as last year, only better, faster, and with more features. Our customers want more of the same. Let's deliver that."
Chances are, though, that you end in Red Ocean, that is, side-by-side with other similar companies competing on price, rather than in Blue Ocean competing on solving problems in a new way to create value for the customers.
Staying relevant in the future—both in Red and Blue Ocean—requires constant movement, curiosity, new thinking, new delivery channels, technology, and much, much more. You need to stay relevant, constantly. You need to be innovative, and the key lies in answering just one question:
How can I solve the right problem for the customer, in the right way?
Note that it's not about products and price. It's about problem solving and value creation. All your innovation focus and power must be directed toward this challenge, and innovation must be everywhere, and handled by everyone.
Innovation in the Modern Workplace
In the modern workplace, everyday innovation, "speedboats," and hypothesis-driven activities are familiar terms.
Everyday innovation, or "innovation everywhere," is a central way of thinking and is a part of the culture. Traditionally, innovation is considered to be something that happens in special, dedicated departments by special people with special skills. It's associated with madly creative hipsters with beanbags and Post-it notes everywhere. In a modern organization, this alienation is replaced with curiosity, encouragement to test and experiment, and a drive for challenging the status quo, both with everyday production and strategic activities. Can we do it better? Can we do it differently? It's the role of management to invite and allow experiments, and it's the role of all leaders and employees to conduct the experiments and ensure progress. Creativity and innovation is nothing without progress.
Speaking of experiments: Sometimes you get an idea or see an opportunity that you have only a vague feeling about regarding feasibility. This is where "speedboats" come into play. A speedboat is a fast-moving unit that acts and turns faster and more vigorously than the super-tanker that the organization is. A speedboat has a small crew (two to six employees), a firm quest to seek (e.g., is it possible to use software to conduct weekly happiness measurements?), a timeframe (you have 10 days to investigate it), a learning objective (can we use the software to help our team leads succeed?), and freedom to act.
Often your innovation activities will seek to give better answers to known problems. This is called optimization or efficacy improvement. Sometimes you seek new answers to known problems. We'll call this change-oriented innovation, propelled by lateral thinking. And once in a while, you seek new answers to new problems. This is where hypothesis-driven activities appear: We have a hypothesis that the customers have this problem, and that this solution will suit them. This is a fresh approach to innovation, one that requires a shift in maturity regarding decision-making, exploration eagerness, and skillful learning mechanisms: You form a hypothesis, a test, and a pretotype/prototype approach. The classic plan-do-check-act circle applies here, but with the major change that the cycle time is very low: You strive to get through the phases maybe within a week, as described in Google Sprint.
Two very central points for management in this approach are:
1. Y ou must encourage employees, colleagues, peers, and yourself to experiment, to challenge the existing, and to embrace changes when they surface. Too often I see managers decline or reject new solutions to existing problems because they are not change ready, or they were not part of the creation process.
2. You must be able to make decisions way earlier than you're used to. Classically, you make a decision when you have the full overview and knowledge of all details. This has to change. As soon as you can see the outline and contour of a solution, you must be able to say, "Yes," or "No," or be willing to start a speedboat and an experiment.
Where Do You Start to Be Innovative with Your Leadership?
Stop requesting compelling business cases before initiating an activity. Look for business justification and good prototypes instead. "Let me see your running prototype" should replace "What payback time is there?"
Ask for an impact account as a supplement to a financial statement. You need to focus on the value-creation, as well as the economic health.
Make innovation everybody's task and a part of all project and service deliveries. Make it a habit to ask: "Can we solve this problem in a new way?" and "Is there a new opportunity we have not exploited yet?"
Use a department day for training innovation and problem solving.
Set time aside in your own calendar to be curious, read articles on Twitter or LinkedIn, write blog posts about your findings, and share the ideas at meetings.
Most of all, to stay relevant, you must quit focusing on products. Look for problem solving instead. This keeps your focus on the customers' arena.
Erik Korsvik Østergaard is a global thought leader, speaker, and author of "The Responsive Leader." He is a partner at Bloch&Østergaard and holds an M.Sc. from the Technical University of Copenhagen with a thesis in chaos mathematics, and an EBA in cross-cultural project management. He is also a regular guest lecturer at Copenhagen Business School.
LID Publishing, Europe's fifth largest publisher for business books, is giving away 10 free copies of Erik Korsvik Østergaard's book, "The Responsive Leader," to the first 10 readers who e-mail their names to firstname.lastname@example.com (she will send out the books).


text: The Long Road to Bill Clinton's Big Gay Media Moment 8:00 AM PDT 4/19/2013 by Michael Walker FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Charles Ommanney/Contour by Getty Images Bill Clinton Portrait - P 2013 With the former POTUS publicly renouncing his Defense of Marriage Act and set to accept GLAAD's first ever Advocate for Change award, his appearance at the April 20 event comes with its share of political baggage. This story first appeared in the April 26 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. The 24th GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles will honor nominees in films and television series as broadly mainstream as ParaNorman and Modern Family, casual evidence that the organization's mission to further the positive portrayal of the LGBT community is making headway. But when the curtain goes up at the JW Marriott in downtown Los Angeles on April 20, an event frequently at the intersection of culture and politics will reach a watershed when President Clinton is awarded GLAAD's first Advocate for Change Award. The announcement that Clinton would be honored, coming a month after the former president renounced his 1996 signing into law of the Defense of Marriage Act, puts the ceremony squarely in the forefront of the gay marriage debate as the Supreme Court weighs its constitutionality and that of California's Proposition 8. "I know now that even worse than providing an excuse for discrimination, [DOMA] itself is discriminatory," Clinton wrote in a March 7 Washington Post op-ed. "It should be overturned." VIDEO: Brett Ratner Accepts GLAAD Award: 'I Learned a Valuable Lesson' (Exclusive Video) GLAAD's Wilson Cruz said in a statement: "President Clinton's support of the LGBT community and recognition that DOMA is unconstitutional shows that the political landscape continues to change in favor of LGBT equality. Leaders and allies like President Clinton are critical to moving our march for equality forward." Clinton's largely gay-friendly record during his two terms as president -- including a landmark executive order banning discrimination based on sexual orientation for federal employees that served as a model for the nongovernment workplace -- is cited by Clinton's fellow GLAAD honoree Steve Warren, a partner in the powerhouse Los Angeles entertainment law firm Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush & Kaller Llp. Warren will receive GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award, presented to openly gay media professionals for their accomplishments promoting equality in the LGBT community. (Previous recipients include Ellen DeGeneres and Ian McKellen.) "I couldn't be more thrilled he's doing this," says Warren, whose clients Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence and Charlize Theron will be presenters at the GLAAD Awards. "His administration set the stage for so many breakthroughs in gay rights that he's incredibly deserving of this. When you look back on the history of the gay rights movement, so many leaders have been generated from his administration, and so many firsts happened in his administration." STORY: GLAAD Media Awards to Honor Bill Clinton The prominence of gay characters and themes not only in movies but on hit television series like ABC's Modern Family, adds Warren, shows that the public increasingly accepts them as routine. "I mean, when you have Ann Romney saying that Modern Family is her favorite show, that speaks volumes. You cannot say that unless implicitly you're stating that you have empathy with the characters. And even when someone says, 'I'm not for gay marriage,' it's very difficult to have any level of animosity when you're feeling empathy. And that's what these shows have done. Like Dawson's Creek with the first gay kiss. Little by little, we've been building empathy." heart" as he accepted the Ally Award."] FACEBOOK TWITTER EMAIL ME Michael Walker email@example.com @thr


text:
Although the course covered just 20 blocks of New York City streets, the event offered a range of opportunities for different types of runners.
For locals, it was a chance to outsprint their crosstown rivals in the 2017 NYRR Club Points standings, or to earn credit toward their 9+1 program in only a matter of minutes; for the professional athlete fields, it meant one final race to close out their season; but for all runners who lined up at East 80th Street today, the race served as a way to challenge themselves and chase a new personal best with a straight shot down 5th Avenue.
The Local Races
With 23 heats of one mile, plus three shorter-distance races for kids, the morning was filled with milers speeding down 5th Avenue. The day began with age-group heats, followed by specialty races—including the NYPD/FDNY Mile, the brand-new New Balance 5-Borough Mile, and the second-annual NYRR Youth Wheelchair Invitational Mile—as well as the NYRR Road Mile Championships for local elites.
Young athletes in the spotlight at the start of the second-annual Youth Wheelchair Invitational Mile at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile
Young athletes in the spotlight at the start of the second-annual Youth Wheelchair Invitational Mile at the New Balance 5th Avenue Mile
In the battle of New York's Finest versus New York's Bravest, the FDNY's Timothy Clarke, from Brooklyn, followed up his win last year with a 4:38 to break the tape today, although the NYPD claimed the team victory.
In the New Balance 5-Borough Mile, pitted teams of 20 runners from each of New York's boroughs against one another, all decked out in custom New Balance race-day kits.
Daniel Lewis, representing Staten Island, crossed the finish line first in 4:27, but Brooklyn proved to be the fastest borough, winning the team title.
Then in the NYRR Road Mile Championships, Jack Hallas, from Liversedge, England, broke the tape in the men's race in 4:06.4, while Kristin Andrews of Englishtown, NJ won the women's race in 4:42.4—just minutes before her brother, Robby Andrews, competed in the men's professional race.
The Pro Races
The men's and women's professional athlete fields featured 29 athletes who had competed in this summer's IAAF World Championships in London, all of whom looked for one last fast performance to end their 2017 season.
In the men's race, a steady pack held together through the quarter-mile mark, cracking slightly as Drew Windle and Craig Engels dashed ahead to take the $1,000 prime for leading at the halfway point.
Windle and Engels try to outlean one another for the $1,000 halfway prize as they cross East 70th Street; Engels finished behind Windle here, but finished the race under 4:00 to earn the prime.
Windle and Engels try to outlean one another for the $1,000 halfway prize as they cross East 70th Street; Engels finished behind Windle here, but finished the race under 4:00 to earn the prime.
As the pack's pace wound up in the second half, Nick Willis of New Zealand used his experience with the course to power away in the final quarter-mile. The Kiwi became a four-time 5th Avenue Mile winner in 3:51.3, tying Isaac Viciosa of Spain for the most victories by a male athlete in event history. Finishing second was Chris O'Hare of Great Britain in 3:52.0, with American Ben Blankenship third in 3:52.3.
In the grand finale, the women's pro race featured Jenny Simpson of the United States looking to break her own record with a sixth win on 5th Avenue, and she delivered on her pre-race goals. Keeping toward the front of the pack for all 20 blocks, she held off persistent challenges from Jessica Judd and Laura Weightman of Great Britain to break the tape in 4:16.6, equaling the event record time set by PattiSue Plumer in 1990. Weightman would finish second in 4:17.6, as Judd rounded out the top three in 4:18.3.
The women's race also rewrote the 5th Avenue Mile record books, as runners recorded five of the top 10 times in event history today. Brenda Martinez of the United States—the 2012 5th Avenue Mile winner—placed fourth today in 4:18.4, while Great Britain's Eilish McColgan ran 4:19.2 for fifth.
Post-race, Simpson commented on what it meant to match a time that had stood for 27 years, and to end her season with a record-setting performance:
"I thought the course record would have been out of reach for my whole career, so I'm really proud to have equaled it." She added, "I've had all the range of emotions before on 5th Avenue. I've finished this race before and cried because the season felt so long. I've finished this race before and hoped there was another race the next week. I feel so appropriately in the middle of those two emotions right now."
After earning her fourth global championship medal this summer, and then breaking her own record for most 5th Avenue Mile wins and equaling the event record today, Simpson has plenty to celebrate as she looks back on this season and ahead to next year.
Ted Doyle


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
I am Donald A. Sauviac, Jr. a criminal defense attorney. As of Thursday Sept 1, 2005 at 7:49 a.m., I am holed up in a third generation family home located at Weiblen and Vicksburg Streets in the Lakeview area of New Orleans. My wife and four daughters left just before the storm and managed to make it to Memphis, Tenn. where they have three rooms with friends who left Metairie. I have two collie dogs and a bird here with me. The dogs are holding up on the second story flat roof with the generator. I am on the second story of the house a converted double. I have a 22 ft. pontoon boat tied up on the side street. I have plenty of food and water. I keep using the generator to charge up my phone and listen to the radio to figure out what is going on around me. I just moved into this house from a house in Metairie, which is known for flooding. As fate would have it the Metairie house that was up for sale is high and dry with no apparent damage.
The house I'm in had calf high water up to the second step of the inside stairwell. The water has subsided in the last day it only covers the first step. (the house is up on piers and from the sidewalk it comes up to my chest standing -- I guess the total depth was about 5 ft. Until yesterday I had clear running water in the upstairs sink, toilet and tub -- probably ok for washing off but not to drink. In a two block are there seems to be about a dozen people who are staying at this time. We check in on each other and talk by wading down and/or from windows or rooftops.
For the past few days I was charging on neighbors cell phone with the generator and used that phone occasionally to get a call out. At this time I have cell service in the very early a.m. and late p.m. I even have wireless Internet service which just started working. My wife and children are frantic they want me to leave but I won't. This was my maternal grandparents' house that I as a child evacuated to during hurricane Betsy when my parents home in Gentily went underwater and we were evacuated by boat.
This is a very strong house, I laid on a mattress on the second floor during this hurricane with a rosary in one hand and the other hand uplifted praying the Hail Mary over and over probably 10,000 plus times. I am Catholic but no ultra religious -- until now. I promised never to not evacuate in the future when told to do so if I just made it through this one. I kept hearing the 140 mph, wind hitting the house a nearly 100-year-old wood framed shot gun. I kept waiting for something to give. It never did. A tree fell on the back added on portion but seems to have done little damage and quite a bit of the seal tab roofing has blown off in certain places from what I can see.
As I stand now, I have 5 gallons of gas for the generator (So far I have used 5 gals since the storm) I have I have 16 gals of water (I have used 3 on me and 5 for my dogs) have two 101 qt ice chests that still have some ice (the 5 day story is probably true) and I have food for about a week I have been trying to eat the things that will probably spoil and my dogs have been eating better than normal -- they won't touch the dog food since they are getting the extra table food so to say.
My fan and radio batteries have held out very well. I call in a list of things to my brother in Baton Rouge and he is gonna try and get them to me if he can find a friend with a flat boat. I have a lot of furniture and clothing on the second, floor, which is fine. I have a lot of things downstairs, which are either ruined, or about to be ruined in the dark cold water that came inside. Everything in my two garages is probably ruined. My N.O. law office is a few blocks away on Canal Blvd.
Historically I never got water at Weiblen or at Canal Blvd. I went there by boat two days ago and have about 5 feet of water in the office, which is on a hill with a deep underpass. I parked a 1983 El Camino that I was restoring there and it is either completely under water or gone. I had a second small boat there, which has sunk. My daughter's car was in the shop and I would bet money it is under water. Also my car sunk when I tried to get in from my house two blocks down when I noticed the storm was over and the water was surprisingly starting to rise.
The water is from a breech in the 17th Street Canal levee which separates Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. I believe the extra water in N.O. is from the pumping efforts in Jefferson. Jefferson pumped into Lake Pontchartrain, which went into the 17th street canal which went into Lakeview.
I did assist in one rescue while surveying my office from a distance I was summoned to help get an old lady off the roof of her house. My boat a party (fishing) barge was too large to go in the back way and a small flat boat got to her first.
Again, my wife and kids want me to leave but I really can't risk that for the past few days I have had numerous offers from police, fire and volunteers in here in boats but there are too many things I am attempting to save by carrying out when the chaos settles for now I'm fine. My boat does not allow me to get over railroad tracks or under the flooded underpasses. If I left now I would have to abandon the boat and contents. I am searching for an alternate route, probably going to mid city, Gentilly or further then getting into Lake Pontchartrain and then going to the Bonnable Boat launch in Metairie.
Unfortunately I would be on ground level without all of the items I have here and would still be without car, electric, running water and probably few neighbors to assist. I might also be precluded from returning to my N.O. home. Right now I don't have the looting etc., which has made the news, I am sitting here with a 5 ft moat and armed to the hilt. If I get out I will be at the mercy of maybe being picked up after days of waiting without necessities and without any say so where I may be relocated -- probably in the opposite direction of my wife and kids and certainly away from the multiple properties I am trying to protect.
Therefore I am waiting and planning to survey, pack and remove what I can, so my family will have some clothes and items other than what they left town a few days ago with. I have to survey my new satellite office in Houma as a possible temporary office relocation site. I think the damage there is also bad but my wife thinks otherwise I have had no contact there to make that determination at this time.
I have no idea of how long I can hold out but know it won't be more than 1 1/2 - 2 weeks more. My family will be in desperate need of assistance, which I am trying to coordinate from here by passing on info through my wife and brother. I love this house and neighborhood. ... I would like to get some info out to my friends nationwide that I am alive and holding up well.
To return to the CJ Eyewitness: Hurricane Katrina, click here
For materials you post or otherwise provide to MSNBC (a "Submission"), you grant MSNBC permission to (1) use, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, modify, translate and reformat your Submission, each in connection with the MSNBC Web Site, and (2) sublicense these rights, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. MSNBC will not pay you for your Submission. MSNBC may remove your Submission at any time. For each Submission, you represent that you have all rights necessary for you to make the grants in this section.


text:
My friend Tom emailed me this morning saying that it seems I've gotten more political lately.
It's true! And it's really unlike me. Generally, I'm a very superficial person far more preoccupied by things like the latest Junya Watanabe shoe collection and the state of the large black handbag market.
But this election is different.
When I was in grad school abroad I always used to joke that the President of the United States was more important to the daily lives of non-Americans than he is to American lives. But not this time around. Now's the first time in my adult life that I feel things changing. I can honestly say that I, personally, was better off three or four years ago when I joined the workforce, than I am today. Our dollar is incredibly weak. It's hard to buy nice stuff -- I know this is superficial, but it's a great indicator of the way things are going that the new average price of autumn-winter shoes on the main floor at Barney's hovers around the $1200 mark. Just a few years ago, they were hovering around the $600 mark.
So it's that. And another reason I've found myself so interested in the election is that in my life, the quality I despise most in people is duplicity and dishonesty, especially when people haphazardly lie about unimportant things -- just because they can and for no reason at all. And I feel that the McCain-Palin campaign is running a flagrantly hypocritical and duplicitous campaign -- they would be a lot better off just telling the truth about stuff. Stop trying to distract us from the issues by wasting campaign time with lies. They are a truly horrible reflection upon the Republican party and I'm surprised they've been allowed to carry on like this. But I supposed that it's more of a reflection on the party as a whole that the GOP strategy is to pander to the basest, most uninformed irrational beliefs of their constituency to garner votes.
If that's what they call "strategy" then maybe they ought to hire new consultants.


text:
Coupon Clip and Swap
Come clip your coupons with us at the library. Bring your coupons and supplies and join us clipping coupons and swapping the ones you don't use! This will take place every week alternating between Wednesday at 5:30 pm and Saturday at 10:00 am. If you have any questions, feel free to call the library at 262-2409.


text:
March 2nd, 2004, fell on a Tuesday. It was day 62 of 2004. The decade was the 2000s.
16 years, 7 months and 17 days have passed since March 2nd, 2004.
Events that occurred on March 2nd, 2004:
Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on March 2nd, 2004:
What movie was on top of the box office?
The date is March 2nd, 2004 and it's a Tuesday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Pisces. Spring has started to creep in and the evenings are beginning to get longer.
In America, the song Yeah by Usher is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Mysterious Girl by Peter Andre is the number one hit song. George W. Bush Jnr. is currently the President of the United States and the movie 50 First Dates is at the top of the Box Office.
A popular software program called LimeWire is being used by many people to share MP3 files (and viruses). Internet users are using MSN Messenger to chat with each other online. It's 2004, so the music charts are being dominated by the likes of Usher, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, OutKast, Mario Winans, the Terror Squad and Ciara.
People are watching popular TV shows such as "JAG", "The Wild Thornberrys", "The West Wing" and "8 Simple Rules". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic", "Call of Duty", "Need for Speed: Underground" and "Manhunt". Children and teenagers are currently watching television shows such as "Rugrats", "The Powerpuff Girls", "My Wife and Kids" and "That's So Raven".
Popular toys include the likes of "PlayStation 2", "Bratz (dolls)", "Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game" and "Beyblades (spinning top toys)".
Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent throughout this time period. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on March 2nd, 2004.
"Million Dollar Baby" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004.
Movies released in 2004 included Shrek 2, Mean Girls, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Spider-Man 2, The Incredibles, The Passion of the Christ, The Day After Tomorrow, Meet the Fockers, "I, Robot", Troy, Shark Tale, Ocean's Twelve, The Village, Million Dollar Baby, Saw, Man on Fire, A Series of Unfortunate Events and DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.
Pop singer Britney Spears is listed as FHM's sexiest woman in 2004.
US President George W. Bush is listed as the Time Person of the Year for 2004.
Popular music artists in 2004 included Beyoncé, Twista, Usher, J-Kwon, Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, Outkast, Juvenile, Christina Milian, Ashlee Simpson, Destiny's Child, Eminem and Snoop Dogg.
"Here We Go Again" by Ray Charles would go on to win a Grammy for 2004's Record of the Year.
Basic facts and information about this date:
Notable events that occurred around March 2nd, 2004:
Zodiac & Birthstone information:
TV shows that you might have been watching around this time.
Children's and Teen TV shows that would have been airing on this date in 2004.
"Drake & Josh" - "One Tree Hill" - "My Life as a Teenage Robot" - "Teen Titans" - "That's So Raven" - "Jimmy Neutron" - "The Fairly OddParents" - "My Wife and Kids" - "Grounded for Life" - "Malcolm in the Middle" - "Rocket Power" - "Dora the Explorer" - "SpongeBob SquarePants" - "Ed, Edd n Eddy" - "Bob the Builder" - "The Powerpuff Girls" - "The Wild Thornberrys" - "That '70s Show" - "CatDog" - "Bear in the Big Blue House" - "7th Heaven" - "Friends" - "Rugrats"
Toys and games that would have been popular on this date in 2004:
Celebrities and historical figures that were born on the 2nd of March:
Weather information for March 2nd, 2004:
Who was the US President on this particular date?
Interesting facts about conception dates.
Popular video games that you might have been playing around this time.
Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on March 2nd, 2004.
Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to March 2nd, 2004. Please note that videos are automatically selected by Youtube and that results may vary! Click on the "Load Next Video" button to view the next video in the search playlist. In many cases, you'll find episodes of old TV shows, documentaries, music videos and soap dramas.
Here are some fun statistics about March 2nd, 2004.
A list of random dates that you might be interested in:


text:
Banane, Terrasse, Appartement, 50m², 4 couchages
0 € *
Réf. 60896
Back to the list
Book Informations See location
4 bedroom(s)
x 1
x 1
Bathroom / Shower room
x 0
x 1
Housing description
One bed-room apartment, situated in 7 minutes on foot by the Palace of the Festival, ideal for 4 people. Apartment of 50m2 including a living room, an US kitchen, a bed room, a shower-room, a WC, and a big terrace on the roof. WIFI
* The price includes the final cleaning


text: Toward Memorial Hall Craft Fair by david | Oct 23, 2016 | Uncategorized | 0 comments Excellent day today, lots of lovely people and great support for our Red Squirrels. Many thanks for everyone's generosity. Superb day had by all, stalls and visitors alike. Great turnout from the people of Cowal. Submit a Comment Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.


text:
Many entrepreneurs enjoy the luxuries of time and healthy budgets when launching their new businesses. But for the 1.6 million Americans laid off or fired every month, time and cash are generally in short supply. It seems starting a business would be a bad move for them, right? After all, the fastest way to restore one's income – and make sure the bills get paid – is to go find a new job, right?
Actually, that's not necessarily the case. On average, companies take 22.9 days to interview and assess new hires. When you add the time it might take for you to actually get called to an interview – perhaps 2-4 weeks – you could be looking at two months before you are back in a job, no matter how much time you dedicated to sending out resumes.
On the flip side, there are a lot of pop-up business you can launch in just a few days. It could be that, for you, starting a business is actually the best way to bring in money quickly.
Of course, not all businesses are ripe for pop-up situations. For example, you won't be able to make the next Facebook in seven days. That's just a fact. Sorry.
But there are plenty of more modest businesses that you launch rapidly with little or no financial investment – and a business of this sort could save you from the financial ruin that often comes with sudden unemployment.
Take a look at few examples of businesses you could launch in just about week. Who knows – maybe one of them is right for you?
1. Gardening
Even if you don't have a green thumb, you can still offers some in-demand gardening services to your local community. Lawn mowing, weeding, and waste clearance are all fairly easy to do, regardless of one's gardening skills. They're also tasks that many working homeowners don't have time to attend to themselves.
All you need to get your gardening business off the ground is some form of transportation that can carry your equipment, a lawn mower, garden tools, and some leaflets about your new company. Within hours, you could have yourself a suitable client base.
2. Food Preparation
Are you a good cook? Then you can start offering domestic catering services (for dinner parties, children's parties, barbecues, and the like) to households in your area right away.
But even if you can't cook, you can quickly develop a niche kitchen skill with the help of some Internet training. For example, you could learn how to make pizza in just a few hours. Within days, you can rent or buy a mobile pizza oven and start selling your pies at festivals, farmer's markets, and other similar events.
3. Man-With-a-Van
All you need for this is a van. Then, you'll want to put together a website, a Facebook page, some business cards, and some leaflets. List your service on sites like Yelp and Craigslist. You could be up and running, transporting bulky goods for your clients, within just a few days.
4. A Mobile Bicycle Repair Service
Obviously, you'll need to know a little something about bikes to carry out this plan, but as long as you have that knowledge, you're set. You can target high-end users who love cycling but lack the time (or skill) to perform maintenance on their own bikes. Offer a boutique service that meets them wherever need be: at home, at work, or even out on the bike trails.
5. A Digital Business
If you have a computer-based skill that can be performed virtually for clients, then you can run a successful business out of your own home – especially if your skill is in high demand and low supply. Hit the freelance marketplaces, like Upwork and Freelancer – to find yourself a few gigs.
I hope I have opened your eyes to some of the fast-to-market startup opportunities that exist for people who want to get moving quickly. Of course, just because these businesses can be set up in a few days, that doesn't mean setting them up will be easy. You'll need to put a little blood, sweat, and tears into it, but you can make it work.