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Is data safe in brands' hands?
From cautious communicators to savvy shoppers looking for deals, brands need to get their hands on our data. Laura Snoad looks at the steps companies are taking to convince us that sharing our information has its benefits.
Privacy is a divisive subject. Consumers are more worried about erosion of personal privacy than terrorism or climate change, according to a study by McCann Worldgroup. Yet at the same time, a new confident breed of shoppers is emerging, who expect brands to keep their data secure and communicate transparently about how using their data will benefit them.
With this contradictory attitude among the public, the UK government chose last month to launch Midata, an initiative which aims to give consumers increased access to their data in collaboration with British businesses. This aims to address privacy fears by alerting consumers to what information is held on them, while offering adept shoppers the chance to seek out the best deals.
The idea is that individuals will then be able to use their own data to gain insights into their own behaviour and so make more informed choices about products and services. Twenty-six companies and organisations have already signed up for the scheme including British Gas, EDF Energy MoneySupermarket, Callcredit Group, Google, and MasterCard.
MoneySupermarket managing director for financial services Graham Donoghue explains: "Allowing consumers to easily access this data in electronic format will allow them to understand whether the products they are currently using are suitable for their own requirements.
"Being able to understand their own spending behaviour should help people switch to more suitable products, and make the most of their finances. At a time when all UK households have been hit by the rising cost of living, any initiative that gives individuals more access to their own data in order to give them greater control must be welcomed."
Anthony House, policy manager at Google Public Policy & Communications, agrees: "There's pretty broad industry acknowledgement that we could all make data more transparent."
But why are British consumers so concerned with their privacy and how data is used? According to McCann, the four factors that have driven new open privacy norms for consumers are:
i) The prevalence of technology;
ii) The omnipotence of over-sharing celebrities;
iii) The integration of social networking into modern civic life;
iv) A feeling that people are more difficult to embarrass than 50 years ago.
These new privacy norms may mean that people are being more open, but it does not make them less inclined to have concerns about their data and how it is used. Consumers worry most about the security of both their reputation and their finances, according to the research.
Somewhat surprisingly, consumers are more concerned about someone hacking into their computer and stealing their bank details (33%) than breaking into their house and stealing their computer (30%).
Perhaps unsurprisingly as a result, financial data is seen as the most central to a person's identity, with only 14% saying that they would be willing to share that sort of data with a brand online, closely followed by medical data at 27%. On the other end of the spectrum, brands may be pleased to learn that 71% of people are happy to share their shopping habits, as this is seen as least linked to a sense of identity.
Location data is the most divisive amongst customers. Those that are acquainted with the world of smartphone apps can see the benefit of brands gathering information about where they are, in terms of finding local deals or finding the nearest cash point for example. Consumers that aren't so familiar with smartphone use are anxious about brands knowing where they are.
Online brands are seen as the greatest threat to privacy, with Facebook, Twitter, Google and Ebay topping the least trusted list for consumers. But many online brands are upping their privacy credentials, in order to win trust.
Google's House says: "For the past several years, we've tried to move beyond thinking about privacy in terms of a strict legal standpoint. We're certainly not at the ideal yet but it's an iterative process."
Several years ago, Google started making videos about privacy topics and posting them to YouTube, as part of its Google Privacy centre.
Often the videos feature Google staff explaining a concept to the camera in very simple language or a set of cartoons showing how each search is personalised. There's a privacy link on the homepage and on every single Google property, which takes users to a large amount of content rather than just a standard privacy policy.
House explains: "Because privacy is a rather dense issue, reader attention is very short when it's very technical information. Our entire business is built online so our continued success and growth is based on people feeling that they have the skills to be safe online.
"If people don't feel safe then they won't spend more time online – some of those people search and some of them click on ads. It's a downstream benefit but it's making sure that the environment in which our business operates is one where people are happy to engage with us."
Google has also started putting links on Search and Gmail ads called 'Why these ads?', which explain to customers what information of theirs it has used to generate the ads for each individual. It has also recently launched the Good to Know campaign, where the online brand teamed up with the Citizens Advice Bureau to give consumers tips to improve their security online (see Viewpoint, above).
Given the importance of financial data to consumers, it is unsurprising that banks are seen as the most trusted type of companies, closely followed by credit card companies and medical companies.
Callcredit Group is tapping into this latent trust in the financial sector with an initiative that aims to give customers back the data it holds on them by providing a free online credit rating. When it launches next year, the Noddle service will not only allow customers to see their credit report but it will also use that data to suggest services, such as financial products and credit cards, suitable for their credit rating.
Callcredit Group managing director of consumer markets Tom Ilube explains: "We've found from research that if you say to consumers 'here's your data, have a look at it' they really like that, but it's even better if you can say 'here's your data and here's how we put it to work to save you time, money or make things less complicated'. That same thinking is at the heart of the Midata initiative."
Similarly energy firm EDF has recently worked to provide data back to its customers on their bill to help them understand their energy consumption. Bills include a consumption graph to help consumers track their energy use and compare it with previous quarters, along with a detailed breakdown and energy efficiency tips.
A spokesperson for EDF claims: "We believe that greater transparency is essential for restoring trust between suppliers and customers."
But even though consumers have anxieties about how their details are used, it appears they are also savvy about how data marketing works.
Sixty five per cent of consumers claim they know companies track the websites they visit, 65% say they realise companies might share personal data with other companies that might be of interest to that person and 44% say that they know companies use computers to analyse the content of people's emails and posts.
Brands tracking web activity to better target marketing does not bother consumers and this area is seen as 'part of life' in 2011. McCann suggests that people understand that advertising helps pay for free services on the internet and that this brings them benefits. They appreciate that targeted ads are more relevant than completely random ones.
To better help brands understand how to target differing attitudes toward security, McCann has created a segmentation based on different attitudes towards data privacy. The biggest group is the 'Savvy Shoppers', who make up 37% of the global population. Although this group does have concerns about privacy, if you can communicate the benefit of sharing data to these people, they are happy to share their data with brands. This is the group most likely to sign up to store cards.
The next group is 'Sunny Sharers', 20%, who are keen to share personal data largely by social media to secure better recommendations for them. 'Walled Worriers', or those that are deeply suspicious of brands accessing their data, make up 19% of the customer spread while 'Eager Extroverts' (15%) have little qualms about sharing copious amounts of personal information online.
The final segment is the 'Cautious Communicators', who although they are less concerned about data security, become very annoyed with brands that send them unsolicited offers. It is this group alongside the 'Walled Worriers' that brands need to up their dialogue with to better communicate the benefit of targeted marketing, the study reveals.
Ultimately, brands must find a way to reassure both nervous people who feel they are revealing too much and those open shoppers that want data-driven deals. Companies need to be transparent and show consumers the tangible benefits of sharing their information. If they succeed, privacy may no longer be such a controversial issue in 2012.
The Good to Know advertising campaign [on internet safety] is obviously a big departure for us. Sometimes we'll advertise individual projects but we've never done a campaign about the internet more generally.
The first phase of the advertising campaign is coping tips, such as how to keep your account safe and how to make sure adult material doesn't sneak into your children's searches. The second explains what both we and other websites do with data and personalises information. It's trying to explain the underlying technologies in a way that people can understand, using offline analogies and making sure that these things are accessible.
The concept came out of our user research – people want practical tips, they want coping strategies, so we decided to give that a try. There's a thirst from consumers to feel more empowered to do these things online. The UK is the first place we've done it and we're waiting to get the feedback from what average consumers thought and whether they found it useful.
If they do, we'd like to do more of this in the UK and then roll this campaign out to more places around the world, as this kind of print and online campaign reaches a much wider base of customers than you'll ever get to visit our privacy page.
As a brand, we've started thinking more about large social questions like how you can raise the level of digital literacy. Schools and parents have a role to play but so do companies that engage with people online. We're trying to take that responsibility seriously and come up with some creative ways to help people cope.


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The University of Georgia School of Law has opened a new Veterans Legal Clinic. The clinic provides veterans in Georgia with legal assistance they might not otherwise have access to or be able to afford, with particular regard to denied or deferred claims before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It also includes an educational scholarship component. The clinic is based at the school's campus in Athens and will serve veterans and their dependents across the state of Georgia.
The state has the ninth largest population of veterans in the nation, many of whom return suffer from service-related disabilities, said Alexander W. "Alex" Scherr, who will direct the clinic's operations. He has more than three decades experience as a public service lawyer and educator.
"Law students will work directly with veterans and their dependents to ensure access to both benefits and services, especially for those with mental or physical disabilities resulting from their time in the military," he said.
"No veteran should be denied benefits simply because they cannot afford legal assistance. We know that the involvement of an attorney can make a tremendous difference in outcome with regard to denied or deferred claims before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs," Scherr said. "Our No. 1 goal is to improve how former servicemen and women receive assistance from the nation they have served."
The new Veterans Legal Clinic was announced last year after the school received initial funding from trial attorney and 1977 law school alumnus James E. "Jim" Butler Jr. in memory of his father, Lt. Cmdr. James E. Butler Sr., who was a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. Butler Sr. was also the grandfather of James E. "Jeb" Butler III, a 2008 graduate of the law school.
"We are excited about the positive impact we believe this clinic will have on those who have served our nation and their families as well as the opportunity it will provide our students to receive real world experience that will prepare them for future careers," School of Law Dean Peter B. "Bo" Rutledge said. "We are grateful for the financial support of Jim Butler and others who have made this important new resource possible for the many veterans who call Georgia home."

subset: commoncrawl


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Our Opinion
Kate Spade & Company is on the list for exploiting animals because many of their products contain leather.
Company Description
Kate Spade & Company, incorporated on April 2, 1981, is engaged in the design and marketing of a range of accessories and apparel. The Company operates through three segments: KATE SPADE North America, KATE SPADE International and Adelington Design Group. The KATE SPADE North America segment consists of the Company's kate spade new york and JACK SPADE brands in North America. [Source: Reuters]
Company Website: http://www.katespadeandcompany.com


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Student athletes pile up awards
Louis Laventure,
Sports and Campus Editor
July 8, 2015
Championships aren't the only way to measure success when it comes to sports. While Cal State East Bay didn't capture a team title this past season, several athletes and teams earned honors and awards for their performances in 2015. The most recent award was given to CSUEB's women's swimming...
Track teams tune up for championship runs
Louis LaVenture,
Sports and Campus Editor
April 23, 2015
In the final tuneup before the California Collegiate Athletics Association Conference Championships, Cal State East Bay men's and women's track teams hosted teams from all over the state in the Cal State East Bay Legacy Invitational at Chabot College on Friday and Saturday in Hayward. The CSUEB wo...


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His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos of San Francisco
With Love in Christ,
Metropolitan of San Francisco
Jeannie Ranglas
Jeannie Ranglas, President
Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos
Welcome to the Metropolis of San Francisco Philoptochos website. We have developed this as a resource for our 58 chapters and over 4,000 members so that we can improve our communication, share ideas and enrich our collective ministry to serve those who are in need of our love, care and compassion.
Read More
O Lord Jesus Christ, we bow our heads before You, and with humble hearts we give thanks to You for the abundant blessings, which You have poured forth upon us. We praise You for gathering us together as members of the Ladies Philoptochos Society in the service to Your Holy Church. We bless You for the selfless sacrifice of countless generations of women who have faithfully fulfilled the philanthropic mission entrusted to them. Through Your ineffable wisdom and Your Divine power, You have enabled us to minister to those who are in need of Your love, Your comfort, and Your care. Make us instruments of Your peace and of Your hope, O Lord. Where there is pain and suffering, may we bring Your healing and comfort. Where there is loneliness and isolation, may we bring the fellowship of Your Holy Church. Where there is despair and discouragement, may we inspire
hope and faith in You. Where there is hatred and strife, may we be peacemakers producing the fruits of love and reconciliation.
We also ask You, O Lord, to guide our deliberations, our decisions, our fellowship, and all our labors, so that in all we do, or say, we may bring glory to Your Holy Name, of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The philanthropic endeavors of the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society during the past nine decades is a genuine expression of Christian charity, which has embraced an enormous manifestation of love. This manifestation of love has been evident in the multitude of meaningful programs and activities undertaken during the eighty years of its existence.
Philanthropia is a tradition of the Greek Orthodox Church, dating from the Byzantine Empire, which was the first State to offer philanthropic and charitable assistance to its citizens.
St. James, in his Epistle, Chapter 1, Verse 22, exhorts all Christians to be "Doers of the Word, and hearers only". The members of the Philoptochos are "doers". Their accomplishments are monumental and are recorded in the annals of every Chapter of the organization.
The beginning of the Philoptochos Society can be traced to the late nineteenth century when hundreds of immigrants were arriving daily in the United States from Greece. Asia Minor and Constantinople. In 1894, Father Paisios Ferentinos, who was serving the Holy Trinity Church in New York City, undertook, with the assistance of Mrs. Amalia Feramoschos and Mrs. Penelope Eleftheropoulos, the formidable task of welcoming the new émigrés and assist them to acclimate themselves to their new environment.


text: My best best friend is visiting from North Carolina this weekend. She has been great supporting me in my efforts to veganize by trying(with me) new foods and interesting plant based restaurants. Everyone needs a best friend, one that gets you and loves despite. I am blessed by my best friend.


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Minna Parikka, Sandals and Slippers5 results
Minna Parikka shoes – amazing Finnish design in footwear
You may be surprised to learn that this fun-filled Finnish brand was dreamed up by a 15-year-old. One day, Minna decided that designing and making shoes was more important than anything else in the world. She moved to London to study footwear design and later also found inspiration in Milan and Barcelona. This eclectic mixture of influences, together with her own creative brilliance has helped to make these fabulous shoes what they are today. Her designs are sold by some of the best fashion retailers including Selfridges, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, and of course Footway!
Keeping your Minna Parikka shoes nice
Caring for shoes is an easy process when you make it part of your routine. We recommend wiping your shoes inside and out after wearing them in order to remove dirt and dust. Later leave the shoes to dry naturally and keep them away from heat sources and sunlight. Before wearing the shoes for the first time you can treat them with a protective agent to prevent moisture and grime from penetrating the material of the shoes. Re-use this treatment periodically throughout the life of the shoes to help keep them protected.
Style tips for Minna Parikka shoes
Part of the attractiveness of shoes is that they can look good even when not being worn. They have natural shape and form, unlike clothes. Minna believes that shoes which are beautiful in their own right can become something truly amazing when a woman steps into them. As well as a couple of inches more height, the right shoes can give you the confidence to face your fears and take that first step towards following your dream. It can also make both men and women take you more seriously. Choose a pair of beautiful Minna Parikka shoes in pastel pink, black or white, and walk tall towards your destiny!
Minna Parikka shoes online at Footway
At Footway we are always ready to help you realise your dreams and we are waiting to send you your chosen shoes. Use our streamlined search function and the convenient filters to narrow down your choice. Then place your order using the easy ordering process. We pride ourselves on our fast delivery, so you may be surprised at how quickly your shoes arrive. If you need any help in choosing or ordering your shoes, just contact us for help. We are happy to lay any concerns you have to rest, and guide you through to getting your new pair of Minna Parikka shoes.


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Links for Self-Improvement
The Awake Net
The Awake Net is a project of The Awakening Center, Inc. With our partners, we bring together groups and individuals to participate in the furtherance of the awakening process of human consciousness.
California Miracles Center
A growing resource for A Course In Miracles, a monthly publication named "Miracles Monthly". You can subscribe from the home page.
The Celestia Server
This site houses several entities that are here to help humanity in the best way that they can.
Complementary Medicine Certification
A non-profit institution approved for degree-granting status offers Complementary Medicine Certification in the world's foremost atural forms of medicine and ancient healing arts.
The book Courageous Souls: Do We Plan Our Life Challenges Before Birth? by Robert Schwartz contains ten true stories of people who planned physical illness, having handicapped children, deafness, blindness, drug addiction, alcoholism, losing a loved one, and severe accidents. The book presents the actual conversations people had with their future parents, children, spouses, friends, and other loved ones when together they planned the challenges they would experience in their upcoming lifetimes.
Crystal Grids Oneness Pendants Manifesting Your Reality
Tools and techniques to break free from the matrix and create your own reality
The Enchanted Self:
The Enchanted Self (r) is your capacity to reclaim, reintegrate and adapt positive states of being to make the present day life a pleasurable, happy and joyful state of being. It is designed to help you celebrate the parts of yourself that result in living a life full of happiness, in harmony with your abilities, resiliencies, strengths and untapped potential.
HAMR, Self-esteem / Self-confidence Building System
Boost your self-esteem and self-confidence with the HAMR self-help, self-improvement site! Complete instructions and plenty of information. Fast, easy and FREE.
Highly Sensitive People Area
created by Jim and Amy Hallowes for Intuitive, Shy, Introverts, Quiet and Spiritual People, also known as HSP, process incoming information deeply and reflect upon it deeply. Highly Sensitive Persons and Ultra and Super Sensitive People are acutely aware of ubtleties in their environment, and are also more likey to become overwhelmed, over aroused and over stimulated because of their Trait of High Sensitivity.
A FREE resource site for professional hypnotherapists and those interested in hypnosis. Includes FREE scripts, case histories, strategies, past life regression, inductions, deepeners, training in hypnotherapy and self hypnotism.
Empowering People to Pursue the Best In Themselves – In Business, At Home and in LIFE!
The Marriage Counseling Blog
Sig Yanosway is a top health blogger on Wellsphere, a community of people who care about health and well being.
Marriage & Family Therapists
The Family & Marriage Counseling Directory provides therapists and marriage counselors in the US, as well as marriage counseling alternatives, articles, books, and live phone counseling.
Marianne Williamson
From this site, you'll find various ways to connect with Marianne's books and tapes and lectures, linked to The American Renaissance Alliance – an entertaining and inspiring experience.
Masters in Counseling
A resource for students to find in-depth and unbiased information about a Masters in Counseling degree. Currently, I think its the only site that lists every accredited counseling school on the web.
Media Positive Radio – Your Internet Music/Talk Station
Providing a positive and uplifting listening experience – All the Time! Featuring the finest music from Independent and Mainstream musicians all focusing on the power and greatness of every individual as well as the collective power of unity and brotherhood.
The Monroe Institute
Acting as a nonprofit research and educational organization, the Monroe Institute promotes an understanding of consciousness through practical explorations and coordinated research efforts using an interdisciplinary approach. Check out their audio technology – Hemi-Sync® as a tool for exploring consciousness.
The Option Institute
We are the International Learning and Teaching Center for The Option Process®, offering personal growth programs to help people maximize their success and happiness as well as overcome adversity leading to improved health, career, relationships and quality of life.
Reality Shifts
Come explore the ways our thoughts and feelings change the physical world. Read about the scientific evidence that confirms that distant healing works, and find out how you can shift reality to make your favorite dreams come true. Free subscriptions to a monthly ezine.
School of Spiritual Development
Learn the hidden secrets with unique visual online learning system at esoteric school
Self Help Zone – A Place for Self Improvement and Personal Growth
A complete source of information on self help, self improvement and personal growth. It has over 500 articles on personal development, covering topics such as self confidence, goal setting, motivation, success and finding your purpose in life.
Soul Wisdom
Soul Wisdom Energy Transformation – Carol Hathor and Cameron Dye Multi Dimensional Energy Work, done remotely, can assist you to absolve lifetimes of limited attitudes. Remove and transmute discordant thoughtform entities. Send that discarnate mother in law who is still attached to your Soul from 7 lifetimes ago to a higher level of existence. Help foster a deeper sense of peace and wholeness as your Soul energy is retrieved from the multitudes of conditions we afflict ourselves with and the emotional pain from those afflictions is absolved.
TED – Ideas Worth Spreading
Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world
Peace Through Development Game, new Buckminster Fuller related site dedicated to his concept of a computer and internet based global strategic game to "Make the World Work for Everyone–100% of Humanity. To join the Tetworld discussion list, dedicated to the exploration of the world game concept and proposal.
Top Synergy
Your key to successful relationships! Test your relationships for commitment, intimacy, passion and synergy with mathematical precision. Identify your best personal and business matches for successful relationships.
Webspirit New Age Resources
New Age Spiritual and Personal Growth Resource. EBooks for free download and purchase. Topics include Personal Transformation, How To, Alternative and Natural Healing, Contemplation and Inspiration, Internet Marketing, EBooks, Music and more great titles added all the time.
Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures
Hopeful reports from the U.S. and around the world on efforts made toward integrating the self, nature, and community life in a collective and responsible way.


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Peter DiGuadio links to a column by my Backstory colleague, Robert Miranda. Essentially, Robert argues that indigent peoples were in the Americas practicing human sacrifice while the rest of us were still on the other side of the pond having jousts and doing all that European knight stuff. (Actually, he didn't mention human sacrifice or jousts, but I needed a little atmosphere.) Latinos, he continues, are part indigenismo and, besides, they didn't kill Kennedy (he does say that and he's right; it wasn't a latino, it was a communist). So, he concludes, don't call "us" "illegal."
So far I get along well with Robert, but this is vintage Miranda in its enthusiasm and in the way it gradually takes leave of reality. (NB: At least I linked to your newspaper; that ought to bump traffic by two, three, maybe even four.)
"Boricua I am," says Robert, so don't mess with me.
Boricua you may be, but illegal are the undocumented. Perhaps the Spaniards stole Mexico from the Aztecs just like Kings Itzacoatl and Montezuma and the Tenocha tribe stole it from all the other indigenismos in the Mexican valley. Just like Muslims stole, to throw out one example, Turkey from the Christians. History is not pretty, but it does have a statute of limitations.


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Tom Green anchors the Emmy-award winning Daybreak, the morning show which airs on KWGN from 5-9 a.m. Monday through Friday.
Tom is a news and sports veteran within the Denver market, with more than twenty years experience and 10 Emmy awards.
Tom made the transition to news anchor when he joined KWGN after three years as the main sports anchor at KMGH-TV (ABC) in Denver, CO. Tom's experience also includes play-by-play, color and sideline reporting for ABC and Fox Sports, hosting a national game show (Sports On Tap) for ESPN. Tom also was radio host for KKFN-AM where he inaugurated shows featuring then-Nuggets head coaches Doug Moe and Dan Issel. Previously Tom was sports anchor for more than 13 years for KUSA-TV ( NBC) in Denver, CO after working for ESPN.
In addition to 10 Emmy awards, Tom was named the Colorado Sportscaster of the Year 4 times by the National sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.
Tom grew up in New York, and attended Ithaca College.
In his spare time he enjoys playing golf.


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Crescent Moon to publish Unreal Powered 'Wraithborne' Action Adventure iOS Game!
Crescent Moon Games has announced a partnership with Alpha Dog Games to publish their new title Wraithborne — an amazing Unreal Engine 3 Powered action adventure game for iOS.
Wraithborne is a visceral action-adventure game set in a dark fantasy future where magic has returned after the fallen Age of Humanity. The title has been created by the new studio Alpha Dog Games — former developers of AAA console and RTS games such as Space Marine, Homefront, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, and Company of Heroes.
Wraithborne's combat is intense and fast-paced action, with a seamless world to explore and discover the story of the title character while learning more about humanity's struggle after the return of magic.
- Unique Gesture-Based Combat: Tap on screen to move, swipe at the enemies to attack, and discover advanced combat maneuvers such as Whirlwind Strike and Power Attack.
- Wield Powerful Runic Spells: Unlock the magic of the Runes of Power to destroy your enemies from a distance or heal injuries. Experiment with interesting combinations that change the way you play, and upgrade them with magical Gems found throughout the world.
- Compete for High Scores: Enter the Challenge Arena to post the highest scores on Game Center's Leaderboards against endless waves of enemies that get more challenging the longer you survive.
The title is priced as a paid game, not "Free To Play", as the developers of Wraithborne believe there are players who simply want a fun, story-driven action experience while exploring the scenery of a beautiful Unreal Engine-powered game. As always, P0cketFullOfApps will keep you updated as we get more info!


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CrayzBees Reviews+ has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.
I am about to take you way back. Remember back in the day, when music came in the form of boomboxes and really big stereos systems with big awesome speakers? The bigger the stereo the better, right?
Fast forward decades ahead and boy have things changed! Stereos have almost become a thing of the past and speakers are getting smaller and smaller. Not many people can say they still have their dinasoar stereos since most people usually get rid of things sooner more than later. But, we all have somebody we know who hangs on to everything. And if that someone is you, than you may very well have your old stereo and speakers.
Which brings me to the subject at hand…the Google Chromecast Audio. When I first heard of this awesome little gadget, I immediately thought of my brother and how much he could really use this for some of his old speakers he hoards lol. He can finally put them to use since the stereo no longer works and it's of course, out of date. Nobody really listens to cassettes anymore lol. No worries though…Google is here to save the day with another awesome product. You may already have heard of the Google Chromecast for your TV. Well, this is the same concept, but it is for your speakers.
This amazing music device is a must have for music lovers. Google Chromecast Audio will redefine how you enjoy your music! Now mind you, the Google Chromecast Audio is not just for your old speakers. It can be used in more modern speakers as well, such as bluetooth speakers . You can also play music wirelessly from your phone, laptop or tablet. The awesome thing about Google Chromecast Audio is that all you need is WiFi, no bluetooth is necessary. And because Chromecast Audio uses WiFi instead of Bluetooth, you can stream crystal clear hi res sound.
How cool is this gadget? I am in total love with it. For anyone who really loves music the way that me and my family do, this device is going to change the game when it comes down listening to music.
Check out some cool reasons that you'll love the Chromecast Audio:
1) Listen to your favorite tunes on your speaker
○ By using your phone, it's easy to play, pause, or change the volume from anywhere in the home. And while streaming, you can still text or call without interrupting what's playing or draining your battery.
2) Crystal clear sound, powered by the cloud
○ Use Chromecast Audio to stream over Wi-Fi which has many advantages over Bluetooth including higher sound quality.
3) Enjoy hundreds of your favorite audio apps
○ Stream millions of songs, radio stations, and podcasts through apps like Pandora, Spotify, YouTube Music, and Google Play Music. Find more at chromecast.com/apps
4) Play music everywhere with Multi-room
○ Now you can easily fill every room in your home with synchronous music. Simply group Chromecast Audio devices together so you can listen to the same song on multiple speakers.
Sound amazing, right? That's because it is!
Pick up your Google Chromecast Audio at Best Buy TODAY or you can stay home and order online HERE
You'll thank me later, trust me! ?
This Post May Contain Affiliate Links – Disclosure Policy


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Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first AL.com user to add photos or videos of C M Services
C M Services is located at 75 Glasscox Rd, Locust Fork, AL. This business specializes in Electricians.
Since 2000 the company has been providing Electrical Work.


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Having seen how they are made and enjoyed several different types, I felt I should adapt it to Korean food and make pasty's with a Korean flavour and filling, hence a Bulgogi pasty.
Pasty's are essentially a filling covered with pastry and then cooked until golden brown. In English history they were made for miners as a day's food, Large pasty's were filled with meat and a miner would take the pasty down the mine and eat it bit by bit during the day.
This is simply my take on pasty's with a Korean filling, It is popular with my friends and family who enjoy them on picnics and days out.
I have used the following ingredients:
400g plain flour 200g butter2 eggsPinch of salt and pepper
400g sliced beef4 tablespoons of bulgogi sauce2 medium potatoes200g swede1 medium onion
The first thing you need to do is marinate the beef and vegetables, it is best if the beef is as thinly sliced as possible. Put the beef in bowl and add about 4 tablespoons of bulgogi sauce, cut the potato, swede and onion in to small cubes and add to the bowl, mix this together and leave in a cool place for about an hour.
For the pastry put the flour, butter and eggs in a bowl, mix together until it forms a thick paste. Wrap in cling film and put in the fridge for about 40 minutes.
Once you are ready to make the pasty's, remove the pastry from the fridge, break it in to handfuls and roll it with a rolling pin until its fairly thin, and roundish in shape. Put a handful or so of filling in the middle of the pastry and lift up the sides of the pastry over the meat and fold them together. You can make the pasty's any size and shape that you want to.
Place the pasty's on a baking tray, glaze the outside with some egg and cook in the oven at 190 degrees for about an hour, after an hour take out and check one of the pasty's is cooked in the middle. Once they are cooked, leave to cool a bit and then enjoy. These are great for picnics, and days out as well as quick filling lunches.
Return from Bulgogi Pasty to Korean food home
Follow @EasyKoreanfood
Bulgogi Recipe
Bulgogi Chicken
Jeyuk Bokkeum
Gochujang Recipe
Korean Pancakes
Slow Cooked Beef
Spicy Ribs
Korean Roast Chicken
Korean Fried Chicken
Mandoo Recipe
Budae Jjigae
Bulgogi Salmon
Ojingeo Bokkeum
Fish Jeongol
Godeungeo Gui
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Uncluttered and refined, the Ludo collection reinterprets an iconic Van Cleef & Arpels creation dating from 1934. The Ludo bracelet is shaped like a belt; distinguished by its flexible mesh, it is punctuated by a bucklelike clasp, set with precious stones.
Reinterpreting the fluidity of fabric in gold has provided the Maison's workshops with a fascinating technical challenge. To create the impression of a delicate weave, the briquette or hexagon motifs are carefully assembled, then individually adjusted to make them as flexible as possible. This meticulous articulation ensures that the piece is fluid and comfortable to wear.
In keeping with the traditional "honeycomb" mesh, contemporary pieces feature hexagonal links adorned with a star-set precious stone at their centers. This setting technique consists in engraving a star motif by hand in each golden link. The complexity for the Mains d'Or™ is to achieve perfectly regular and symmetrical points for each pattern. Finally, the stone is positioned at the heart of the star and set with gold grains.


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A slice with cheese and pepperoni may sate a teenager in middle America, but this is Miami: We want pies with some pizzazz.
New York and Chicago may be more notable pizza meccas, but nowhere else offers Cuban and oxtail pizzas like the Magic City.
In the following list, you can find your pizzas vegan and gluten-free, in sushi or taco variety, celestial, or even psychedelic.
10. Magical Mystery Tour at Mellow Mushroom
Forget the peace train. The stoner-themed pizza chain Mellow Mushroom has brought the Magical Mystery Tour to Miami. It offers all kinds of interesting varieties, such as the Thai Dye with curry chicken, but don't pass up the mushroom pies, like the Holy Shiitake. The one that combines shrooms with extra greenery is the Magical Mystery Tour ($12.99 for a small), a pesto-sauced pie on pesto basted crust with button and portobello mushrooms, feta and mozzarella cheeses, spinach, and jalapeños.
9. Margherita Gluten-Free at Harry's Pizzeria
There are several ways to go at Harry's Pizzeria: the braised fennel, the rock shrimp, or the short rib pizza. But the best thing about Harry's is that it offers gluten-free pies to our G-free and celiac friends. The crust may be a bit thinner and paler than the regular variety, but the flavor remains. Forget gluten-free bread that tastes like cardboard. You get the quality gourmet pizza you have come to love for only $2 more.
8. Star Luca at Visa-O1
If you think pizza is only about round pies and triangle slices, think again. The most stellar pizza in Miami is the Star Luca ($14.90) at Visa-O1, hidden just off Lincoln Road. This superior star-shaped pie has ricotta stuffed into the points and spicy pepperoni, mozzarella, and San Marzano sauce atop it.
7. Cuban Pizza at Montes de Oca
"Cuban pizza isn't the pinnacle of the island's culinary offerings... Instead, it is a symbol of the struggle and hardships endured by tens of thousands of families that fled after the 1959 revolution," says New Times restaurant critic, Zachary Fagenson. But this pizza is distinctly Miami. Montes de Oca has five eateries across the area. The real differentiator lies in the dough, which has much more than flour and water; it is basically cuban bread with milk, oil, sugar, and salt in the mix.
6. Pizza al Taglio at Pizzarium
If you want a slice of pizza downtown, think outside the triangle. Pizzarium sells pizza al taglio, a rectangular Roman pie that's sold by the slice. Step into the arena and tackle the funghetto ($6.84 for a slice), which is as fun as it sounds with porcini mushrooms, garlic, and black truffle cream. The pizza is thick, bubbly, and chewy and will make you feel like a Roman god.
5. Hawaiian Vegan Pizza at Lemoni Pizza and Kitchen
Hawaiian pizza still takes a while to wrap your head around -- ham and pineapple on a pizza? Take that and veganize it. Lemoni's version has a strong point of view and flavor profile with pineapple, jalapeños, "ham" tofu, tomato garlic sauce, vegan mozzarella cheese, and parsley. New Times vegan writer Hannah Sentenac says, "Biting into the first piece, I was floored. The deliciously chewy crust, creamy mozzarella, tangy pineapple, and fiery jalapeños were an unparalleled flavor combo. I hadn't had Hawaiian pizza in ages. I was missing out."
4. Taco Pizza at Café Babbo
Just when you think you've seen it all in food mashups, along comes the taco pizza. Café Babbo in Wynwood serves this Frankenstein food that fuses a folded focaccia crust with arugula, ricotta, lettuce, guacamole, and chicken or shrimp. It's specially offered Tuesdays with two Coronas for $18 during the café's Taco Tuesday, or simply request the concoction other days of the week.
3. Tuna Pizza at Morimoto South Beach
From tacos to tuna. The pie that Iron Chef veteran Masaharu Morimoto serves uses the term "pizza" loosely but delivers the goods with raw tuna, anchovy aioli, and jalapeño rings layered atop a crisped flour tortilla. It has the crunch, the savory, the spicy, and the fishy. It's a classical Morimoto dish that has just recently graced the shores of South Beach.
2. Nutella Pizza at Lucali
Lucali serves some fantastic savory pies, but its dessert pizza is mind-blowing. Perhaps you're accustomed to a crust with flour dust, marinara, globs of mozzarella, and basil leaves. Now envision powdered sugar instead of flour, ricotta instead of mozz, and fresh mint leaves instead of basil. And the sweet sauce is that winning combination of chocolate and hazelnut: Nutella. You gotta try the Nutella pie ($15).
1. Oxtail Pizza at Proof Pizza & Pasta
Do you love a good pizza birth story? Chef Justin Flit came up with the idea for the top-selling pie while prepping for a pre-opening party. He had a black-garlic purée lying around and thought it could work as a pizza base, so he paired it with thyme-infused oxtail, a cost-saving alternative to short rib, and used caramelized yellow onions for some sweetness as the final touch. That is how your new favorite pizza ($14) was born. It encapsulates the plethora of flavors and textures that makes a pizza truly pops.
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text: AmandaArcana Report post Posted June 18, 2010 CYKRANOSHIAN CATNIP PERFUME OIL Nepeta zhothaqquah This Saturnian herb possesses a deep mossy scent that, when crushed, emits a vapor redolent of woody oranges. In the bottle: very clean and fresh, I get the oranges with something green...the moss? Kinda reminds me of fancy shampoo. On me: woody oranges, catnip, mint, and sunblock (?). Very summery to me. I'm more of a foody person so I'm really not good at "fresh scents". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Hotels are almost everywhere in Cebu. That's great for more tourists! Now what? Hans Hauri, president of the Hotel Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu and general manager of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel answers in an interview with the Inquirer that the province needs to do 3 crucial things – identify new markets to tap, bring in more international hotel lines and address the issue of Philippine airplanes being restricted from the United States and Europe due to issues of safety.
Hauri said that the mix of hotel lines and resorts with big brands such as Radisson Blu and budget hotels have increased competition and supply. This means, while Cebu is enjoying a healthy flow of tourists from Japan and Korea, the province now has more room to expand their customer base and should look into new markets such as India, Europe, and others. More international hotels and capitalizing on budget airlines for international flights would help attract different markets. But the restrictions on Philippine airplanes in Europe and the USA are making it difficult to bring in tourists from those countries.
One hotel chain has a new market in mind and operations to cater to those tourists are already underway. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has a new office in Australia prioritizing in promoting Cebu as a global tourist destination.
Australia might be the most strategic next move for Cebu. General manager, Harold Rainfroy, shared with Sun.Star that the Australian market is considered high-value because they're known to be big spenders for long vacations and their love for beach parties. If it's beaches they want, Cebu definitely has a lot to offer as can be read in our article on the Best Beach Destinations in Cebu.
One netizen's comment also points in the same direction. On one of our Facebook posts, he asked if the upcoming First Resort Airport in the WORLD to Open in Cebu would have direct flights between Cebu and Australia. He said Cebu has strong potential to draw the surfing crowd in that country and could become a stopover point for other popular surfing spots in the Philippines.
Signs seem to be pointing to the Australian tourist market as the next big thing for Cebu. What do you think?


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This year, The Online Book Company has had the massive privilege of working with so many people for so many good causes.
We have had the wonderful honour of learning more about and remembering the memory of such inspiring people such as Martyn Heighton (Director of National Historic Ships UK), Nicole Bourque (Senior Lecturer in Anthropology) as well as the firefighters we have lost & the brave people from the Royal Corps of Signals.
We are also thrilled to be able to celebrate the achievements of awe-inspiring people such as Harry Singha who reached a very special milestone of 30 years of professional service in philanthropist. He has helped many young people overcome their fears and problems with his brilliant workshops and meditation services.
This year was also the Queen's 90th birthday and we were given the absolute privilege of creating an online birthday book where anyone can leave a birthday message for her Majesty. Further, at the end of 2016, we were given the opportunity to create "The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries Online Book" in order to help raise money to help fund the historic addition Westminster Abbey which is due to open in 2018!
We are looking forward to seeing who we will meet & what projects come in 2017. We all hope you had a great 2016 and we would like to wish you a Happy New Year for 2017.
To view all of the books we created in 2016, please look at the links below:
Harry Singha – Book of Value
Celebrating Erin
In Memory of Martyn Heighton
In Memory of Nicole Bourque
The Queen's Birthday Book
Royal Corps of Signals
St Catherine's Church
St David's Hospice Care
The Firefighters Memorial Trust
Westminster Abbey – The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Galleries
If you would like to raise awareness, increase engagement and funds for your charity or project or simply honour a loved one, contact us to find out how we can create an online book for you.


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Thank you for considering Futuraskolan International School of Stockholm as a place to work. Working at Futuraskolan International School of Stockholm means you are joining a team of internationally minded, dynamic, progressive and enthusiastic staff members. Here you provide a valuable and innovative international education based on the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) as well as the American Common Core Standards.
Aligned with the recommendations of the International Task Force on Child Protection, we hold ourselves to a high standard of effective recruiting practices with specific attention to child protection. Included in the recruitment process will be a local and national police check as well as a mandatory police background check from the last year of employment in every country worked.
We currently have the following open positions;
All open positions at Futuraskolan International School of Stockholm are also published on the Arbetsförmedlingen site www.ams.se.
If you are interested in submitting your Letter of Interest and CV for our review and database, please email to Nicole MacDonald, Principal – email@example.com


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Here's an article from the UK Telegraph about Iain Duncan-Smith.
I've known Iain for many years since my days working for Lady Thatcher back when he was party leader. Few British politicians understand the Special Relationship as well as IDS, and he has made a concerted effort to cultivate ties with leaders in the United States, frequently visiting Washington over the past decade both in opposition and in government.
It was refreshing to see a British official showing leadership on an issue that few Washington politicians have seriously addressed since the reforms of the 1990s. His message was a compelling one – that Britain (and for that matter the West as a whole) is facing up to the biggest cultural challenge of the early 21st Century – dealing with "entrenched and intergenerational worklessness and welfare dependency." In his speech he attacked "an obsession with inputs – with pouring money into social programmes so that governments are seen to be doing something," a sentiment that tens of millions of Americans would heartily agree with:
So we are now faced with a fundamental challenge. Levels of social breakdown high and rising. Millions of people stuck out of work on benefits. Millions not saving nearly enough for their retirement. And politicians – of all hues – addicted to spending levels as a measurement of success, rather than life change as a measurement of success.
These are areas ripe for reform – but how do you reform when there is no money? The answer – you change the way you reform. Not just cheese-slicing, but recalibrating whole systems so that you change behaviours, and change the culture that allowed spending to get out of control in the first place.
With good reason IDS consistently ranks at the top of ConservativeHome's poll of cabinet ministers, with an approval rating in the latest survey of 84 per cent. Together with Michael Gove (who currently ranks second), he has been the most consistently impressive minister in Cameron's government. It is not hard to see why he is so popular with the grassroots. Duncan Smith is a conviction politician offering clear-cut conservative solutions to major problems, emphasising individual responsibility, a strong work ethic, and traditional values as opposed to big government meddling. His welfare reforms are a major step in the right direction, and the most radical since the system's creation in the 1940s. They deserve widespread support, on both sides of the Atlantic.
Iain Duncan-Smith stands for pro-family policies and welfare reform. What does Michael Gove stand for?
Here's an article about him in the UK Daily Mail. (H/T Dina)
One Cabinet minister is increasingly standing apart from the crowd. Yesterday, this newspaper revealed that Education Secretary Michael Gove wants to bring back O-level-style exams.
Although this brave proposal is popular with parents across England, it is not uncontroversial. It takes us back to a system that separated academically gifted children from those with different aptitudes.
But I would argue that the abolition of O-levels in the Eighties was actually an early sign of the culture of dishonesty in our national life.
Britain fell into the grip of a dishonest kindness. We started to hand out good exam results like sweeties — regardless of whether pupils had really learnt anything at school.
We told ourselves that it didn't matter whether parents spent their time working with their children or just letting them lounge in front of the TV.
We allowed school-leavers to think that a life on benefits was socially acceptable when it's actually a place where they would easily rot and never fulfil their potential.
The statistics that poured out of the schools system suggested that all was well, however.
Like tractor production data from the old Soviet Union the latest exam grades were always better than last summer's.
We were told to rejoice but employers and universities saw through the big lie. They complained that the children graduating from Britain's schools lacked basic literacy and numeracy skills. Britain started sliding down the international league tables that compared the abilities of children in China, Germany, Korea and Britain.
Michael Gove is the first Education Secretary to say that enough is enough. He has said he's not afraid to preside over a drop in exam grades. They'll look less good, he concedes, but they'll be more honest.
The teaching unions that have presided over the 'All Must Have Prizes' system will fight him tooth and nail. They want to protect their jobs-for-life regime where bad teachers are rarely sacked but are instead allowed to damage countless pupils' life chances, year after year.
Gove is undeterred. He's ready to close down a system where children who can't manage their times tables are studying for exactly the same exams as those who are on track to study physics at Oxbridge.
[…]The compassionate politician who cares about equality of opportunity won't accept this status quo, and will point out that the current system is dishonest. It puts children with very different abilities through the same sausage machine and then pretends that those who get 'F' or 'G' grades have still passed.
Michael Gove wants academically gifted children to be stretched by studying O-levels.
He wants other children to have a more appropriate educational experience, albeit an equally rigorous and demanding one.
This Government's investment in high-quality apprenticeships and a new generation of technical colleges is early proof that it is serious about restoring the standing of vocational education.
Michael Gove's specialty is education reform – he wants to stop the left from bashing kids into the same mold, regardless of their individual abilities and aptitudes.
Those are the two guys to watch. They're not perfect, but they are the two best in the UK, in my opinion.


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Avid cryptocurrency and exchange traders with MBAex announcing its status as Southeast Asia's premier blockchain asset trading platform.
MBAex will be one of many trading platforms to have sprout out in recent times, but the promise of a secure and reliable virtual currency trading avenue could well make the difference. In the past, it has been a recurring problem for trading platforms to secure their users' assets (money). However, with the use of a cold storage, SSL, multiple encryption, banking security technology and over ten years of financial security experience, MBAex is seemingly poised like the most secure trading platform available now.
The best trading systems are lauded for a high-speed matchmaking system, much like the MBAex engine. It guarantees real time matchmaking and uses distributed cluster technology to distribute global data center. Nobody ever knows it all, but the platform reportedly has a "user first" policy, more commonly known as the "customer is king" expression. A bilingual customer service runs from 9:00 to 18:00, Mondays to Fridays. There will probably no going wrong with that much attention promised to users.
MBAex permits trades on cryptocurrency, including USDT, BTC, ETH, LTC and WCG. The site uses the all-time favorite trading chart preferred by traders worldwide; with the candlesticks-depth-full screen calibrations. Allegedly, there a bunch of perks to enjoy from working with MBAex, including an affiliate program that lets users introduce people and earn a commission via referrals.
MBAex reportedly uses their own coin, known as MBAex Digital Pass (MDP), the proprietary digital redemption token issued for trading within the MBAex platform. This is a thoughtful invention as traders will have all deposits and withdrawals in the same stable currency.
In coming months, trading will be a more significant source of income and for all the perks that come with MBAex, it seems entirely safe to trade via the platform. You might still be in time to snatch up a double reward bonanza that has been running over the Christmas period.
About MBAex
Established and founded in Singapore as MBAEX ONLINE PTE. LTD., MBAex's core teams of professionals comprise of personnel from Europe, Southeast Asia and China. The company has clocked up extensive background and experience in the foreign exchange industry, banking industry, blockchain assets management and other financial technologies. MBAex boasts over 10 years' worth of experience operating and managing cryptocurrency.
MBAex is reportedly Southeast Asia's largest blockchain assets trading platform, dedicated to promoting the use of a few choice blockchain assets that are safe and possess strong investment value. As a deal sweetener, the Company offers blockchain assets with steady application values to provide clients with a safer, secured and superior trading environment.
The Company dabbles in the belief that that the digital economy will drive the long-term development and expansion of the online platform trade. This is believed to work in making a name for the Company as the premier mainstream financial trading tool. The show of ambition means the Company is here to stay and exchange traders might yet find some profitable joy in working with MBAex.
It looks seemingly a great idea to trade with a Company that has vast potentials and is growing to become the best trading platform in Southeast Asia, and poised to become the biggest blockchain asset trading platform globally. Such lofty ambitions are traits of a good trading platform.
Media Contact
Company Name: MBAEX ONLINE PTE. LTD.
Contact Person: VICTOR YONG
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Country: Singapore
Website: https://mbaex.com/


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|©McCracken & Worthington
And that question is certainly relevant for the more spiritual and pagan side of this deck. In terms of timing, this card would indicate Lammas - the first harvest at the start of August in the Northern Hemisphere. There is also the notion of the Summer King, in the form of corn and other vegetation that is harvested and stored, being sacrificed for people to live through the winter. So, a reminder to think of the spiritual lessons to be learned from painful situations, and of the long-term effects of short-term unpleasantness.
I said that in this deck, the Scythe represents August Eve and the time around it. Obviously, some people already have a particular system for calculating timings. Personally, my favourite is Treppner's (general link, the info is in her German books and in her course, which is also available in English). I find her system logical and clear, however it is a little complex and not very intuitive.
Once again, this is an aspect of the deck which you can take or leave. I hope to offer an intuitive timing aspect based around the pagan calendar, but there's nothing on the cards that says they have to be read that way :)


text: Smooth, strong and exceptionally versatile, this Goodfellow Hardboard Handy Panel is ideal for building furniture, fixtures, cabinets, shelves, mouldings and decorative panels. Crafted from a durable wood composite, it offers uniform thickness, density and appearance without common wood defects. This lightweight hardboard panel is available pre-cut and prefinished, so it's ready for your next project.


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30 Year 7 pupils went on a trip to the Merseyside Maritime Museum on 14th December, as a reward for their effort and motivation on the Titanic Learning Skills project.
The museum put on a play re-enacting the experience of a crew member (a quartermaster) who was on board the ship when it sank.
The pupils asked some challenging questions of the quartermaster, getting him to explain the decisions he had made when the Titanic was sinking. The pupils then went on a tour of the museums' Titanic exhibition.
Everyone conducted themselves excellently and was really inquisitive.


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- ARPDAUPosted 8 years ago
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- Your quick guide to metricsPosted 8 years ago
Smart return hook from Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire
PocketGamer.biz has a damning review of the new Final Fantasy Title from MZ (formerly Machine Zone). Its summary is that it is a machine for separating players from their money, much like their previous incarnations of Game...
- Posted 3 years ago
Should you be paid or should you be free?
Pocket Gamer have written a marvellous, balanced post on whether you should make your smartphone or tablet game free or paid. Here is one quote from Eric Seufert, author of Freemium Economics and head of marketing at...
- Posted 6 years ago
The making of Angry Birds Go!
Pocketgamer.biz just interviewed Graeme Monk, Studio Director at Exient, about the making of Angry Birds Go!. He gives insight into how often we threw away certain pieces of the design (particularly the user interface), the logic behind...
- Posted 6 years ago
I hope GREE never wants developers to trust their platform again
Over at PocketGamer.biz, the mobile mavens have been discussing the decision by GREE to shut down its Open Feint service with 4 weeks notice, at the height of the holiday season. Dave Castelnuovo, founder of Bolt Creative...
- Posted 8 years ago
When will journalists stop whinging at successful companies for "not making games that I like"
Pocketgamer has an interesting debate going on. In the blue corner is Jon Jordan, writing about the rise of ngMoco, impressed by its commitment, its ability to pivot and its successful exit for up to $400 million...
- Posted 10 years ago
Is Apple about to become the dominant mobile games publisher?
As the AppStore struggles under the weight of new games published every day, is the gloss coming off the iPhone? And if so, will Apple respond by becoming the gatekeeper of AppStore – in effect, the most...
- Posted 12 years ago


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Aizaz Azam is a young police detective in Pakistan whose brief career has been devoted to busting minor prostitution and gambling rackets and sorting out street brawls.
Now, though, he's slogging away for up to 20 hours a day, working his first major case. It involves a crime so ruthless that Azam says he and his fellow cops feel "strangely unsettled in our souls."
They are pursuing a group of wealthy surgeons and their network of agents who lured impoverished and illiterate Pakistanis from the countryside and imprisoned them for weeks with the intention of removing one of their kidneys in order to sell these for huge profits.
"There's a lot of crime everywhere, no matter where you are. But taking away someone's kidneys? That's very disturbing," says Azam, 28.
The case burst open last month, when Azam and his colleagues raided an apartment block in the city of Rawalpindi, just outside Islamabad, the capital, and found 24 terrified people — 20 men and four women — who were to be operated on at a nearby clinic.
He says some of these prisoners told him they'd been held there for four months. The doors were locked; the windows had bars. Prowling the streets below were "look-outs" making sure no one escaped, says Azam.
Destitute Pakistanis have for years been selling their kidneys in an effort to pay off loan sharks or buy their way out of bonded labor, a form of slavery that has existed in South Asia for centuries.
These "donors" are usually paid at most several thousand dollars, a tiny fraction of the six-figure sums or more paid to the surgeons by the recipients, including rich, foreign "transplant tourists."
Numbers dropped substantially after 2010, when Pakistan's government passed a law criminalizing the buying and selling of kidneys for transplant. But, with a worldwide shortage of organs for donation, the "kidney mafias" appear to be flourishing anew.
"With the relaxation in enforcement, the wide boys, the fly-boys, the get-rich-quick boys, have got back in there and have continued to prey — particularly in Pakistan — on the indentured workers," says Dr. Jeremy Chapman, an Australian professor of renal medicine and prominent campaigner against organ trafficking.
Azam's case is unusual because, he says, most of the 24 prisoners in the apartment had no desire to sell a kidney, and no idea when they arrived in Rawalpindi that their captors planned to bamboozle them into doing so.
"This is the first time the police have got onto this," says Dr. Mirza Naqi Zafar of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, which has won worldwide acclaim for offering free, "ethical" organ transplants.
"This is something new, that people have been kidnapped and forced to stay in a place like Rawalpindi, and made to give kidneys at a very small price."
The motive for the crime? "Money and riches," says the doctor.
Profits are huge.
There's a saying in medical circles in Pakistan: You want to know if a surgeon's involved in the illegal organ transplant trade? Just count the engines on his private jet.
A man 'with a very sweet tongue'
Saddi Ahmed spent four weeks locked in the Rawalpindi apartment. He says his fellow prisoners spent much of their time weeping.
Disoriented and far from home, they were too frightened to resist their captors, who told them the Taliban were outside and might attack if they made any noise.
Ahmed says they were also worried that they were somehow complicit in the crime and, being poor and powerless, would wind up being punished for illegally selling their kidneys if they complained.
There is a particular reason for this. "They implicated us," says Ahmed.
Ahmed, 39, is a casual laborer in the building trade. He has four kids between the ages of eight and 15. In a good week, he earns the equivalent of $27. Sometimes there's no work at all.
He says he was hanging around the railway station in the city of Lahore, feeling "helpless and jobless," when a fat, friendly man "with a very sweet tongue" accosted him.
Over a cup of tea, the man offered him a full-time job for $335 a month with a new company in Rawalpindi, 220 miles away.
The man, a covert recruiting agent for the kidney mafia, set one condition, Ahmed says. Ahmed must go with him to Lahore's law courts to sign some travel documents — a "passport" which, according to the man, would enable Ahmed to go by bus to Rawalpindi without being stopped at police checkpoints.
Ahmed agreed.
The following day, Ahmed says he met the man in the precincts of the courts, where hundreds of lawyers have desks, for what was in reality an entirely fake legal hearing.
The man insisted that Ahmed agree to be filmed, using a mobile phone — saying this was only to enable him to travel. He was ordered to state on-camera that he was going to Rawalpindi to donate a kidney to a relative. Ahmed did so.
"I asked him, 'What's a kidney got to do with getting a job?'" Ahmed recalls. "He said, 'We're just recording this statement so that you won't be stopped by the police. We won't actually take your kidney.'"
When he arrived in Rawalpindi, Ahmed says he was met by a gang member, driven to the apartment block and escorted to the upper floor, where he found several dozen other people.
As the door locked behind him, he realized he'd been duped: "That's when I got frightened. I said to myself, something's wrong. I've been cheated.
"I told the people in the room, I've been brought here for work; the agents said they had a business. The people said, 'There's no such business. They take away your kidneys here.'"
He repeatedly begged his captors to set him free: "I would entreat them, saying I have small kids and that if my kidney is taken out, I will be useless for whole of my life."
For Ahmed, the police raid came just in time. The cops arrived at around 2 a.m. He says he was due to be taken to a clinic to have his kidney removed just a couple of hours later.
Powerful political connections
Four alleged gang members are now behind bars, accused of abduction and imprisoning people. Aizaz Azam, the detective, says prosecutors also plan to bring charges over the fake legal proceedings.
Police say they're searching for four medical doctors, believed to be key players.
The number of victims isn't clear. One of the accused estimates more than 400 people were imprisoned in the apartment at various times, says Azam.
Ahmed says the prisoners were told they'd be paid $2,800 for their organs; it's not clear if the victims ever received this.
Nor is clear for whom their kidneys were to be transplanted.
According to Global Financial Integrity, a U.S.-based research organization that analyzes illicit financial flows, organ trafficking is among the world's top 10 most profitable crimes, with an estimated annual worth of up to $1.2 billion.
Data on this clandestine international racket is sparse and unreliable. Before outlawing organ trafficking in 2010, Pakistan was believed to be the third most popular destination for "transplant tourists," according to local medics and media reports. Evidence suggests the largest number of patients came from Southeast Asia, but the U.S., U.K. and Saudi Arabia were high on the list.
Mounting pressure
Pressure is mounting in Pakistan to further tighten its laws.
Its Supreme Court has taken up the issue at the urging of the head of the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, where Dr Mirza Naqi Zafar works. "I think this raid we've seen in Rawalpindi is the follow-up from that," he says.
But Pakistan's kidney mafias are known to have powerful political connections and enormous financial resources that they're willing to use to bribe their way out of trouble.
This was recently made graphically clear to Babar Nawaz Khan, chairman of Pakistan's parliamentary committee on human rights.
Khan is lobbying for a list of reforms, including life imprisonment for illicit organ trading, health checks for foreigners seeking Pakistani visas and a nationwide organ donor program linked to ID cards.
He shows NPR texts on his mobile phone, saying they're from the kidney mafia urging him to halt his campaign. He keeps them in a file labeled "Offer."
"They offered me 100 million," says Khan. He was so disgusted he didn't bother to ask the currency. In dollars, that's nearly $1 million. He says while out shopping in the market, he was also accosted by a mysterious man making the same offer.
"I said to him, 'You're lucky you're talking to me in a public place, where I cannot hit you,'" Khan says.
At 30, Khan is Pakistan's youngest parliamentarian. He and his family know the dangers of public life in Pakistan. His father, a former government minister, was murdered in 2008.
Yet Khan says he intends to persevere until Pakistan's poor and uneducated are no longer vulnerable to human predators using power, money and deception to acquire their victims' only assets — their body parts.
Many of us have checked a little box on our driver's license applications. It says we agree to donate organs if we're in a crash. Some people volunteer to give up a kidney while they're still alive. The key there is they volunteer. In Pakistan, authorities say some poor people have been tricked into donating organs against their will while they are still alive. NPR's Philip Reeves has a story of illegal organ harvesting.
Hi, Phil.
PHILIP REEVES, BYLINE: Hi.
INSKEEP: How has this even come to light?
REEVES: Steve, not long ago, the police here got a tipoff saying that some people were imprisoned inside an apartment block. So the cops raided the place in the middle of the night. And they found 24 people, including four women, locked up on the top floor. And some of them had been imprisoned there for months. And all of them were waiting to be taken to a nearby clinic to have a kidney removed.
INSKEEP: Imprisoned, like hostages? Who were they?
REEVES: Very, very poor and illiterate people who'd been lured there from the countryside by a criminal gang. Now, over the years, there have been many, many cases in Pakistan of impoverished people selling a kidney to try and clear debts, for example. But this is a little different. The police are convinced that most of the people in that apartment were tricked and had no intention of selling an organ when they arrived there.
INSKEEP: How were they tricked into that imprisonment, that apartment?
REEVES: Well, these gangs use extreme deception backed up by threats. And they have powerful connections and backed up, also, by money. Let's take, for example, the case of Saddi Ahmed, one of those imprisoned. I spent a long time talking with him. He's a casual laborer, aged 39. He has got four kids. And he makes less than 30 bucks a week, usually. He was hanging around the railway station in Lahore looking for work when he met a charming man who bought him tea and gave him a little money. The man, of course, was in fact a covert agent from the gang. And Ahmed says that the man said that he got a great job for him, except that it was 200-plus miles away in Rawalpindi, which is where that apartment is.
SADDI AHMED: (Through interpreter) He persuaded me in a very sweet and gentle way. He told me not to stress out. He said, don't worry, you'll get your money, a permanent job, and prosperity will come to your house.
REEVES: So, Steve, here's where the trickery really starts. The man arranged to meet Ahmed in the precincts of the local law courts the next day. He claimed this was just to get legal documents that Ahmed had to have to travel by bus to his new job without being stopped at the many checkpoints on the way. In fact, this was sort of a charade. Sitting outside the courts, apparently pretending to be some kind of lawyer, the man took Ahmed's thumb print - remember, he's illiterate. And he also ordered Ahmed to state that the reason he was traveling was to donate a kidney to a sick relative. And he filmed Ahmed on his mobile while he was saying that.
AHMED: (Through interpreter) I asked him, what's a kidney go to do with getting a job? He said, we're just recording this statement so you won't be stopped by the police. We won't actually take your kidney.
REEVES: So Ahmed set off, still full of hope. And when he arrived in Rawalpindi, an agent met him and drove him to the apartment, several dozen other victims already inside. And he was pushed in, and the door was locked behind him.
AHMED: (Through interpreter) That's when I got frightened. I said to myself, something's wrong. I've been cheated.
REEVES: Ahmed was a prisoner for 28 days. He says he didn't resist, for example, when he was taken to the clinic for pre-op tests because he was worried that mobile-phone movie somehow made him party to the crime.
AHMED: (Through interpreter) They implicated us and then imprisoned us. We were worried about being prosecuted.
REEVES: He and the other prisoners spent most of their time weeping, he says. Ahmed was lucky. He says the police raided just hours before his kidney was due to be taken out.
INSKEEP: Well, Philip, I'm sure that the people in that apartment are not the only people to whom this has ever happened. What are authorities doing now?
REEVES: They've arrested four people so far. And they've charged them with offenses, including abducting and imprisoning people. They say they're now searching for four doctors who are apparently the kingpins. Now, Steve, some of those imprisoned in the apartment told me that even though they were held there against their will and didn't know that they were expected to donate an organ when they arrived, they did, after a while, expect to be paid for their kidneys. That's what they were told. They expected about $2,700. So I went to see Aizaz Azam, a detective who's closely involved in this case and who took part in the raid, and asked him if these people really were prisoners.
AIZAZ AZAM: (Through interpreter) You didn't see what we saw. The doors were locked. People were sitting inside, too frightened even to go to the window. Some said they'd been there for three months, even four. No one who enters this slaughterhouse leaves until he's given up a kidney.
REEVES: Azam, by the way, is 28. And this is his first big case. He's finding it pretty distressing.
AZAM: (Through interpreter) I feel troubled, disturbed in my soul. It's the same for all the officers who went on the raid. When we sit down together, we're all troubled by this.
REEVES: These criminal gangs make huge profits. Some of these kidneys go to so-called medical tourists who come in from North America, from the Middle East. And tackling this issue is not easy. Babar Nawaz Khan is chair of the Human Rights Committee in Pakistan's Parliament. He's calling for tighter laws, including life imprisonment for organ trafficking. He also wants a nationwide organ donor program. And Khan says that when the criminals heard about his campaign, this is what happened.
BABAR NAWAZ KHAN: They tried to approach me. I had very good, good offers.
REEVES: What do you mean?
KHAN: Good offers mean money.
REEVES: Who offered you money?
KHAN: Parts of the mafia.
REEVES: They offered you money?
KHAN: Yeah.
REEVES: So the mafia contact you. And they say, we'll give you a lot of money, to do what?
KHAN: To stop making the law, stop implementing it.
REEVES: How did they contact you? Did they call you by telephone?
KHAN: No. I was in the market. One of the guy come to me, and he said that we can do this for you.
REEVES: What? He just walks up to you while you were shopping?
KHAN: Yeah. Yeah, and I was alone.
REEVES: And Khan says he's also been getting similar messages on his mobile. And he's handed these over to law enforcement.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's Philip Reeves telling us about illegal organ harvesting of living people in Pakistan.
And, Philip, what does this practice say about Pakistani society?
REEVES: It says that the judicial system, the legal system and the police system is still extremely weak here. And it is also a reflection of how people are willing to use class, power, money, superior education in order to generate wealth from the most vulnerable people in this society. And that, I think for many Pakistanis, is a very uncomfortable reality.
INSKEEP: Philip, thanks very much.
REEVES: You're welcome.
INSKEEP: That's NPR's Philip Reeves, who's covered South Asia for many years. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Welcome to my website, I'm glad you've found me! My practice is currently full and I won't be accepting any new individual clients until at least February 2020. I am offering a new Emotion Regulation DBT skills training course starting on the 26th January 2020 and running for 8 weeks. I'm also thrilled to be running a DBT course specifically aimed at folks in non monogamous relationships which will run for 10 weeks. Find out more about what I'm offering here.
More about me
I'm a sex and relationship geek and have made that interest into a career as an educator & coach. I work with a range of clients, including sex workers, performers, kinksters, neuroqueers, and people across the gender, sexual and relationship diversity spectrum. That means my clients are cis and trans; women, men and non-binary folks; people that are monogamous and non-monogamous; autistic and allistic; sexual and asexual, disabled and non-disabled.
I've been curious about people and power for as long as I can remember, and my curiosity led me through a PhD looking at how precarious workers found ways to express discontent when they had no legal rights. I wanted to know more about the structures that constrain and empower people. I learned a lot, and after 12 years in academia decided that business schools weren't going to teach me more. I'd already got experience as a sex educator, having run workshops on enthusiastic and embodied consent as well as rope skills. I built on existing skills completing my post-graduate diploma in Counselling to become more effective doing the work I realised that I loved the most.
My approach assumes that my clients are the expert in their lives. I've learned a lot about how to have conversations that can be healing. I've even got some tools that might help people with what they are dealing with. What I'm not is a superhuman that is somehow evolved in all matters personal and relational. I do not see myself as obviously ahead of you in your journey – instead, I see us as on opposite sides of a valley, each climbing our own mountain. My vantage point as an outsider in your life might help me to have a perspective that you don't. I might be able to point out a handhold ahead of you, or that your pick is dangerously placed. This can help you to interrogate assumptions, work out how you feel about situations that you are in, find your way through the challenges of being human in a world that is frequently invalidating and unfair. What I can't do is decide how you act on that information.
I am accepting new clients into my DBT skills groups on Emotion Regulation starting 26th January 2020, and you can join the mailing list to hear about new courses here. Dialectic Behaviour Therapy skills are really helpful in learning to create a life worth living. One of my favourite things about DBT is the starting point that even though we don't create all our problems, we have to deal with them anyway. It is built on understanding that invalidating social environments are a major contributor to distress and problems of living. Fundamentally, DBT is just about learning new skills so you have more options when life gets hard. The skills are grouped into 4 areas: mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance. You can find out more about DBT here and fuller information about my DBT skills groups here.
You're welcome to use this website in lots of ways. You can simply use it to find my contact details to join my waiting list. I have a page which contains lots of resources that you might like to check out, and I've written about topics like creating a user guide, relationshipqueeress, cheap dates, breakup plans, self-consent, boundaries and depression in my blog. Feel free to take a peek.
I only work with adults, so if you are a teenager looking for advice on sex and relationship I'd suggest you start with Bish or the Scarleteen blog or getting in touch with a helpline specifically focused on working with teens, such as Teen Helpline. If you are a teenager looking for support with LGBT issues, in the UK you can contact The LGBT+ Helpline, and in Ireland you can contact BeLongTo.


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|WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings
At the beginning of January I picked out 17 WIPocalypse projects to work on in 2017 but I am going to make a slight change to my list.... (hope that is in the rules!)
1. Prancer (Nora Corbett) - started 3 Jan 2015
2. Comet (Nora Corbett) - started 5 Jan 2015
3. Queen Anne's Lace (Nora Corbett) - started 3 April 2016
4. Queen of Peace (Nora Corbett) - started 8 May 2016
5. Zenia (Nora Corbett) - started 22 Oct 2016
6. Deer and Grapes Mystery SAL (Jean Farish) - started February 2015
7. Jingles Flip-It Series (Lizzie Kate) - started 12 April 2014
8. Moutons de Saisons - été (Collection Tra La La) - started 9 Jan 2015
9. Faces of Joan Elliott SAL (Joan Elliott) - started Sept 2014
10. Snow Story (Lizzie Kate) - started 14 May 2016
11. Dog House Sampler (Little House Needleworks) - started 26 Sept 2016
12. 12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers) - started 25 Dec 2016
13. Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino) - started 1 Jan 2017
14. Mini Mandala II - C (Chatelaine) - started 1 Feb 2014
15. Fashionista Cat (Design Works Kit) - started 1 Jun 2015
16. Birdcage (Design Works Kit) - started 1 Feb 2015
17. Halloween Sneak Peek (The Trilogy) - started 7 Jan 2015
I have swapped "Dressmaker's Daughter" for an old mystery SAL project that I started back in February 2015.
So what did I manage to work on during January?
Faces of Joan Elliott SAL (Joan Elliott)
Deer and Grapes Mystery SAL (Jean Farish)
This is where this project was when I last stitched on it in February 2015! I have now pulled this out for a 17 A Day challenge on one of the FB groups that I am in (this is a different challenge to my 10 A Day!)
So after the weekend of doing 17 stitches each day this is where it is up to now:
17 stitches are day are going to add up really quickly!
I have also had 2 mini finishes for the month....
12 Days of Christmas (Plum Street Samplers)
First Day of Christmas is now complete!
Halloween Happiness (Sandra Cozzolino)
Mini finish - the moon is done and the witch has been started!
So that's the update bit out of the way.... now onto the question of the month:
What Stitch-a-Longs (SALs) are you participating in this year?
Maybe the better question for me is what SAL aren't I doing?? :o)
So besides the monthly Christmas Ornie and Halloween Ornie blogs, Smalls SAL, WIPocalypse, and Gifted Gorgeousness SAL's I am also doing:
Lakeside Needlecraft / Durene Jones - Fantasy SAL
Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery - Happily Ever After SAL
Ingleside Imaginarium - Birthstone Dragons SAL
The Linen and Threads SAL is on my list to think about... it is a huge design.... maybe too big for me to tackle this year!
Stitch Maynia SALs (check out the FB group for the list.... there are few of them!)
Cross Stitch It's Fun (Froggin House / Stitchwats SALs / Weekly & Monthly Challenges)
10 A Day FB Group / 17 A Day Stitchin' Station FB Group....
...and the odd FB SAL that pops up in some of the other groups that I am in....
Most of the FB group SAL's are based around themes for the challenges so I am able to generally use existing stitching projects to fit into/shoe horn into these SAL's.
So that's it for January's WIPocalypse update! Next month's check in is on 26th February 2017.
Til then, happy stitching and good luck with your WIPocalypse projects!


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Talk:Ozy and Millie
I have to admit . . . I always preferred his earlier drawings, prior to the April 2000 redesign. I just liked the style better, regardless of whether or not it was technically "better". Just personal taste, I guess.
I was also a big fan of the huge coloured pencil drawings of Ozy, Millie and friends, as well as those done by Laura Howell, like this one. :-) --GreenReaper(talk) 04:39, 10 Nov 2005 (UTC)
Simpson has stated a number of times in the strip's email list that Ozy is a grey wolf. --Gentaur 07:10, 19 Dec 2005 (UTC)
- As I understand it, he was once a grey wolf, but is now an arctic fox. See here, here and here (and, of course, the official cast page). --GreenReaper(talk) 07:32, 19 Dec 2005 (UTC)
Use of past tense[edit]
The article starts "Ozy and Milly was a webcomic..." but technically, it is still a webcomic. That the article says it has ended three sentences into the article should suffice, should it not? Equivamp 09:20, 9 June 2011 (EDT)
- This was my fault - apparently my opinions on tenses at 4AM do not accord with the rest of the world. --GreenReaper(talk) 10:12, 9 June 2011 (EDT)


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This week's central bank efforts to unfreeze credit markets will offer only temporary relief and more pain can be expected before a market recovery, analysts said at a credit conference on Wednesday.
The Federal Reserve announced on Tuesday that it would inject up to $200 billion to strained credit markets as part of a coordinated effort with other central banks, including the Bank of Canada, Bank of England, European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank.
The action came on the back of an announcement from the Fed on Friday that it would expand auctions of short-term cash to $100 billion in March and launch a series of repurchase agreements expected to be worth $100 billion, bringing the total of recently announced actions to a hefty $400 billion.
That effort is likely a short-term solution. Credit markets will likely stay frozen until banks fully realize more losses as they write down their holdings of mortgage-related bonds after years of inflated values for loan and debt securities, panelists said at a credit conference in New York.
Buyers are unwilling to return to credit markets due to a mistrust of credit ratings and a lack of experience among managers of collateralized debt and loan obligations, which is contributing to opaque pricing, according to Janet Tavakoli, president of Tavakoli Structured Finance.
"Most CDO managers aren't worth what they are being paid," said Tavakoli, who referenced billionaire investor Warren Buffett's description of credit derivatives as "weapons of mass destruction" that have wiped out billions of dollars of value.
In addition, too many investors failed to properly analyze assets in collateralized debt structures that are now crumbling, she said during a conference sponsored by the Information Management Network.
Richard Field, founder of financial consulting firm TYI LLC based in Needham, Massachusetts, said greater transparency in pricing is needed before any recovery takes shape.
"Transparency will be the catalyst driving profitable trades," Field said. "The gold standard for transparency is easily accessible and usable real time, standardized loan details, over the life of the deal."
While many market observers anticipate that loans may be the first market to recover, James Finkel, chief executive officer of Dynamic Credit Partners, mentioned some trader speculation that the next surprise may come from defaults in the loan market.
None of the speakers on a loan panel said they had immediate concerns about loan defaults.
Steve Odesser, a managing director at Sheridan Capital, however, said it might take years for stability to return to the bond insurer industry, which has been roiled by fears that the sector will be swamped by the collapse of structured debt that it guaranteed.
"My guess is that it will be a couple year process," Odesser said.
The Fed has shaved 2.25 percentage points from benchmark interest rates since mid-September in an effort to offset the impact of the credit tightening. Economists widely expect at least another half-point reduction when the Fed's policy-setting committee meets next week.
But Goldman Sachs economist Jan Hatzius said the latest steps from the Fed make a more aggressive cut less likely.
"This announcement makes clear that Fed officials are pulling out all the stops they can think of to deal with financial stress through the increased provision of liquidity into the system,'' he wrote in a note to clients. "To the extent they see this as substituting for rate cuts, this should reduce the probability of a 75 basis point rate cut next Tuesday.''


text: During the recent conference "Exploring the Meta-Values of Authentic Leadership: Moral Literacy in Action", Victor Worsfold (Associate Professor Emeritus, University of Texas at Dallas) sat down with us to discuss some of the themes of the conference. In this clip, he explains what he understands by 'authentic leadership' and 'moral literacy'. (Part II of the discussion can be found here.)


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Second Saturday Trail Project on April 8
Thanks to Westport Boy Scout Troop 8063 and CATS volunteers, the NEW Triple Green Jade Trail in Willsboro is about half done. Join us on April 8 to hike through the cleared section to the Boquet River and continue clearing the trail. Meet on Mountain View Drive in Willsboro (about 1 mile southwest of the NYCO plant) where you'll see a yellow "Trail Work" sign. We will work until about 1:00 p.m. Bring work gloves, loppers and/or a hand saw; we'll have tools too. Call (518-962-2287) or email (firstname.lastname@example.com) if you plan to attend. We can really use your help!
Grand Hike News!
The 2017 Grand Hike is fast approaching. Have you made your plans? If you've joined us in the past for this fabulous event, you know how much fun it is. So, make your plans and sign up today. Tell your friends and family and encourage them to come too! Get together a group of friends, create a "theme," and come as a "team."
Park in Essex around 11:00 a.m. and ride the shuttle bus to Wadhams where the hike begins. You will hike on CATS Trails and back roads to the Block Party at the Essex Inn where you can "bong the gong" to announce your arrival. Along the route, enjoy meeting other hikers, savoring local treats at the oases, and viewing the magnificent Champlain Valley scenery.
When you arrive at the Essex Inn, relax with some restorative yoga or a massage from the practitioners at Lake Champlain Yoga and Wellness. Children will enjoy the kids' craft table provided by Erin Hall Studios. Or just sit back, relax, and enjoy the music of the Zip City Blues band. Hungry? The Essex Inn will be serving a buffet dinner for $15 a person (sign up for the dinner in advance). So, be sure to mark your calendars for May 13 and then click hereto register.
Chris Maron
CATS Executive Director


text:
ABC News reports that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has dismissed the discrimination claim of an applicant to the New London, Conn., police department who was rejected because he scored too high on an intelligence test. The department's reason for rejecting high-scoring applicants was that they might become bored with police work. The policy, the court found, met the rational-basis test.
Obviously, this could be applied to lots of occupations. I leave it to the readers to consider and discuss.


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