text:
Category: Capitalism
Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual (human) rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned.
On September 21, 2020 September 21, 2020 By southwerkIn business ethics, Business Ethics, Capitalism, code of ethics, Corpoorate Social Responsibility1 Comment
This week in Business Ethics is marred by the death by ovarian cancer of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She died during the week of Rosh Hashanah which in Jewish lore means she is particularly blessed. Here is a guide for my readers unfamiliar with the surrounding concepts.
Rosh Hashanah 2020 — A Guide for the Perplexed
Currently that American Institution, the Post Office, is under attack. Don't believe me? A federal judge called the changes: "a politically motivated attack on the efficiency of the Postal Service" It is very poor business ethics indeed to sabotage a public agency, a public good for all Americans, for private gain. I found a good article on the importance of the sorting machines which I include here as well as the article I got the federal judge quote from.
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/federal-judge-slams-dejoy-s-politically-motivated-usps-attack-n1240453
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/mail-sorting-machines-are-crucial-for-the-u-s-postal-service/
Tragically there appears to be increasing violence surrounding requests that people wear masks and practice social distancing. In a particularly callous attack, a 67 year old gas station worker suffered a fractured skull after being assaulted with a pipe. It is a particularly bitter reality that during a worldwide pandemic, many Americans are unwilling to pull together in the wake of the viral threat to protect each other from infection. This generation of Americans is half helpless to act on behalf of the common good. Many believe in the crass nonsense of libertarianism and similar beliefs that the only interest is self interest. The generations of Americans that sacrificed in the face of war and epidemic must be astonished at this willingness to sacrifice our fellow Americans out of simple pig headedness.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/long-island-social-distancing-attack-arrest_n_5f66b573c5b6480e89700af8
Are we entering the Pyrocene, the age of fire? Stephen Pyne suggests in the High Country News that is indeed the case. He says that in previous ages we had ice ages and this current situation is the other side of the coin, that is, ages of fire. It's a good read and a fairly brief one. It is attached below.
https://www.hcn.org/articles/wildfire-west-coast-wildfires-signal-a-planetary-fire-age
Over the last twenty years, financial institutions including the often mentioned five, HSBC, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered and Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon), conducted about 2 trillion dollars in suspicious activity. Rest assured this is a developing story and we are going to hear more as the particulars work their way to the surface.
https://www.aljazeera.com/ajimpact/banks-moved-alleged-dirty-money-red-flags-reports-200920203410592.html
Federal charges of among other charges, commercial bribery, were filed against six individuals who are charged with bribing Amazon employees to gain an unfair advantage. The bribes totaled about $100,000. Temporary suspensions of competitor accounts was one of the means used to gain advantage.
This kind of crime causes people to buy inferior or even dangerous goods. Let's hope Amazon acts to clean up its staff.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-marketplace-fraud-scheme-six-indicted/
New York filed a 2 billion dollar lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson for its role in the opoid crisis, that is, encouraging opoid use and downplaying the risks of addiction. Since Oklahoma has already won a case and 500 million dollars from the company, one has to wonder why the state has waited this long and is that the correct amount?
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/johnson-johnson-opioid-epidemic-new-york-lawsuit-2-billion/
In positive business ethics, a firm from the UK is making protective masks out of peas which is very environmentally sound.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/u-k-company-makes-environmentally-friendly-plastic-out-of-peas/
How is it that a video in which a man committed suicide live on Facebook does not violate their standards and is still up? Facebook says it has a policy against suicide and videos showing self harm but isn't enforcing it.
Very poor business ethics indeed.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54176205
Movie Theatres have been open for about a month but the economic returns have been disappointing. Mulan's crash at the box office could not have helped matters.
https://apnews.com/a4f6d83f14c902b0ce182dbc17f385cc
On September 13, 2020 By southwerkIn business ethics, Capitalism, Corpoorate Social Responsibility, Economic Justice, Editorial, morality
We begin with the wave of fires creating waves of destruction in the American West. Governor Gavin Newsom says the debate over climate change is finished. He says in these California fires you can see the results of climate change with your own eyes. I strongly agree but I felt that the fires in Australia last year should have ended the debate. This is further evidence.
Climate change is going to be a continuing issue in business ethics. How are businesses, particularly, the international corporations, going to act on this issue? Their responses will be as important as that of many medium size nations.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54128872
Sir David Attenborough tells us in his latest documentary that 60% of the vertebrate animals have disappeared since 1970 and the rate of natural extinction has been accelerated 100 times.
Many businesses impact species extinction. The international trade in animals and animal parts is savagely destructive of the earth's species. And we have only a limited time to act.
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54118769
Let's segue to a somewhat nostalgic and yet current note, that is, vinyl records have outsold CD's for the first time since the 1980's. That may be just a chimera though since streaming services are seizing the lion's share of the market.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/13/tech/vinyl-records-cd-sales-riaa/index.html
There is a famous insurance fraud case making the rounds on social media. A woman in Slovenia cut off her hand with a band saw claiming it was an accident that happened while cutting branches. Unfortunately for her claim, she had just taken out five insurance polices which would have resulted in an award of more the equivalent of more than a million US dollars. This was certainly suspicious but her boyfriend's internet searches on artificial hands done before the loss clinched the case for fraud.
Apparently another case of stupid criminals but a very sad one (although the hand was reattached).
California's legislature faced with a shortage of firefighters and inmates showing bravery and tenacity fighting the wave of fires has passed a law making it easier for them to expunge their records and become firefighters.
As a form of positive business ethics, I am impressed by the act. It seems to me simple justice that those on the frontline of fighting these terrible and now increasingly regular fires should be rewarded.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/9/12/21433678/wildfires-california-law-inmate-firefighters-fire-departments-release
Rio Tinto's CEO Jean-Sébastien Jacques, is going to resign following the destruction of sacred aboriginal sites. The company attempted to deal with the crisis by canceling bonuses but considering the harm done this was a non-starter.
This was an appalling crime and there is no real penalty. Under the law, they could destroy at will any cultural artifact on the land they controlled. The Juukan Gorge rock shelters had shown evidence of continuous human habitation for 46,000 years. They were an irreplaceable evidence of human history completely unique.
What kind of people are these to disintegrate and destroy cultural artifacts at will? And what kind of nation allows its cultural treasures to be annihilated without a hint of caution or penalty?
And finally, I would like to add my voice to Emily Stewart's writing in Vox. She is calling for providing all citizens of the United States with Internet. I strongly agree. If we are going to advance as a nation, that is a minimal requirement. Further, in a crisis like the current pandemic we have already seen the importance of being connected.
But please read the article, the author is detailed and impressive.
Business Ethics Roundup Aug. 30th – Sept. 5th
On September 6, 2020 September 6, 2020 By southwerkIn Business Ethics, Capitalism, Editorial, ethics
This week had some interesting aspects. After a deluge of foreign seeds began arriving in the United States, Amazon was caught without an appropriate policy. Well, now they have one. You can't send seeds by Amazon. Looks like they went for simplicity in their policy making.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/06/business/amazon-bans-foreign-us-seed-sales-china/index.html
John Oliver's feud with Danbury, Connecticut is reaching a crescendo. Will the city rename its sewage treatment plant in his honor? Will the feud come to a peaceful outcome? Stay tuned.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/06/media/john-oliver-danbury-mayor-sewage-plant/index.html
The Atlantic story about our president's general contempt for veterans has made major waves in the political world. However, the editor of the magazine says there is more to come! More dramatic news than this is hard to imagine but nothing about our current political climate can be described as normal. Next week should be interesting.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/06/media/jeffrey-goldberg-atlantic-trump-reliable-sources/index.html
An alligator skin handbag worth roughly $26,000 was destroyed in Australian customs for lacking a permit. This calls attention to the crime of animal parts being marketed to our jaded upper class. The struggle against this kind of nonsense is critical to preserving endangered species.
To close on a somber note. deaths in the United States due to our pandemic may reach 400,000 by the end of the year.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-19-united-states-coronavirus-deaths-projection-400000-by-end-of-year/
Self Improvement and Cults
On September 4, 2020 September 4, 2020 By southwerkIn Business Ethics, Capitalism1 Comment
Self-Improvement and Cults
Americans appear to be obsessed with self-improvement. They want to be smarter, better looking and more confident. And to satisfy this need, there are books, films, courses, and the occasional cult.
The Nxivm cult used its clients' needs for self-improvement, in particular the quest to find meaning in their lives, against them.
Sometimes I walk through the self-help sections of bookstores and marvel at the offerings. The books say you can be better at any worthwhile goal, often immediately. I am a Black Belt and it takes years (in my case – seven) to learn martial arts. This has given me a healthy skepticism about claims of speedy success. There is no golden road to improving yourself.
For instance, weight training. I learned a lot about lifting weights when I was using it to supplement my body development. Many of the books promise powerful benefits in six weeks of training and they are very often illustrated with before and after pictures. In actual fact, it takes about six months to get visual results with weightlifting and only with a strong routine. There are good internet articles on how the before and after pictures can be manipulated.
So, I have a healthy skepticism about claims of speedy improvement, etc.
But Nxivm got around the skepticism. Your first intro was someone of the first rank in society, often an heiress or a leader in a field. (The same method of recommendation is often used in Ponzi schemes.) And as you progress in the training you meet more and more opinion leaders and everything is designed to appear professional and well organized. The elements that in America are the epitome of our ruling class were used to sell what eventually turned out to be a tawdry sex cult where women were systematically degraded and manipulated in the name of liberation.
I would love to name a simple cure for cult recruiting, but there is none. We are taught or more correctly sold on the idea that self-improvement can be made easy and that it is purchasable. The fact is that we develop meaning in our lives by focused thinking, by experience and by our actions. Each of us can generate self-worth in multiple ways.
I know — I know. Relying on our own efforts seems like such a slender reed when confronted with our often-overwhelming reality of pandemic, bizarre politics and global disasters. But that is where the struggle for meaning takes place. You can quit, embrace a cult, settle for a religion, do just whatever your group does, conform, …
But the battle for who we are is always going to be internal, intensely personal, and dependent on our own struggles.
James Alan Pilant
Income Inequality in Britain
On June 2, 2016 June 2, 2016 By southwerkIn Capitalism
Below is a selection from my friend, Jason Michael McCann's, blog, Random Public Journal's, latest offering, Westminster's Power is Unjustified.
Power in the state is justified only by the state's ability to protect the people over which it asserts that power. British rule over the whole of the United Kingdom has been self-serving to the point of criminal inequality. Its power is no longer justified.
If you want power over me then you had better be ready to prove to me that you deserve that power. The sole justification of the state's power over the lives of people is its ability to provide for the freedom, security, and the welfare of those people. Britain is currently ranked as the twenty-third wealthiest nation in the world, and yet, staggeringly, it is the six most unequal in the developed world in terms of income. After four decades of unchecked Thatcherite neoliberalism, with money being sucked up to the top of the economy, no less than twenty percent of the population are trapped below the poverty line. Income inequality in Britain is greater today than it was when Charles Dicken wrote Hard Times.
I believe that income inequality here in the United States as well as in Great Britain and Ireland have a moral component. There is something unseeemly in the economic benefits of a society flowing to a handful of its members while much of the population loses ground and becomes more insecure.
If you watch the actors in 1960's television programs like Gunsmoke, you'll often seen the stuntmen playing small parts as members of crowds, parties, jurors, etc. In the episodes where there were no stunts to be performed it was customary to make sure they still had some income. And it wasn't just in Hollywood that this kind of kindness was practiced, there was an expectation that there would be human decency in all walks of life.
But somehow, somewhere, the accountants took over and the world of business began to focus not on human beings, making a product, or even some modicum of service to the nation, but on pure profit. And that profit is realized more and more by turning away from investment and from making products to stock manipulation chiefly by stock buy backs – companies buying their own stock instead of looking toward the future or anywhere else.
Human decency, compassion, and kindness are outmoded models of conduct in the modern business world. In fact, they are often considered gateway "drugs" to the theft of monies from the shareholders. Pensions, disaster relief, scholarships, etc; are all stealing from the worthy investor and giving to the undeserving fellow citizens like our children.
Morality and citizenship are key factors in the success of modern civilizations. What can become of us in a land where greed is the only rationale for every action? We'll get what's happening now, a loss of faith in our basic institutions, the perception that every politician, every pundit, every newspaper, every television station are bought and paid for, and that playing by the rules is a game for suckers.
We are seeing the breakdown of this society and quite possibly the end of our civilization.
"Politicizing" Crisis?
On January 18, 2016 January 18, 2016 By southwerkIn Capitalism
Rick Snyder is upset that Hilary Clinton is "politicizing" the Flint water crisis. He is upset at her cruel, cruel words. He did not comment on the even crueler words of Bernie Sanders calling upon him to resign. It is wrong to politicize events beyond the control of elected officials such as natural disaster but the Flint water disaster is natural only if you consider the Governor and his decision making natural and I do not. For at every single turn from the decision to change Flint's water to the lies told the public about the water and finally the refusal to take action until weeks after the city declared a state of emergency, the responsibility rests in the hands of Governor Rick Snyder.
Snyder set up a system where bankrupt municipalities were seized and run as feudal provinces by a direct appointee of the Governor. The Governor's choice to run the city decided to save a few million dollars by changing the source of the city's water. When the city residents and the city officials complained, they were ignored. When the complaints grew in size and seriousness, the people of Flint were deliberately lied to. The agencies of the state government tasked with protecting the citizens concealed evidence and lied about the danger. Only when the evidence became overwhelming did the Governor take action.
And now, now at the last moment when the damage is done – when thousands of children have been exposed to forbidden levels of lead in their water, Rick Snyder is now doing something for the people of Flint, years too late to cure the results of his own decision making. And when he gets called on his actions, on his decisions and often his lack of them, he says we shouldn't politicize the issue.
It is a political issue. It is the result of political decisions by Rick Snyder and the city managers he appointed. And when you have a political issue, you solve it by political means.
Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are not politicizing crisis. They are talking about a political crisis, a crisis of judgment in government. It is fair game. No lead laden meteorite struck Flint. No storm commingled sewage and fresh water. The city manager appointed by Governor Rick Snyder decided to use a contaminated water supply to save money. That's politics.
Like the Wizard of Oz, Snyder is asking us to ignore that man behind the curtain. But that man failed to act when his citizens were being harmed by lead contaminated water. That man is very much the center of this story. And whether or not the Governor now gets it and is now delivering clean water and testing kits is irrelevant.
It was the willingness to consider democracy an unfortunate obstacle in the way of an efficient government that is at the root of the problem. Flint could have continued with its elected government, that government, an elected government responsible and living among their own citizens, were hardly likely to have poisoned their children to save money. But the State acting through the office of the Governor seized control of the city and ran it with only one priority in mind, to squeeze as much money as humanly possible out of the municipality.
Snyder was imposing a corporate ethos on a city in a democracy. The bottom line is everything in a corporate environment. In a city, the lives and health of children get higher priority. When those priorities collided, which one prevailed? The corporate ones. — "So the water tastes bad? Get used to it."
This is the United States and the people are supposed to have redress of grievances. Their local government rendered irrelevant and ignored, the people of Flint had nowhere to turn.
And this may be the future of all us. The corporate ethos is invading every part of law and decision making. If the bottom line is all that matters – if, as in this case, avoiding bankruptcy was the only goal, then of what importance are your lives, your jobs and the welfare of your families?
Take a look at the children of Flint. Their ordeal is just beginning. The consequences of lead poisoning are permanent and incurable.
Please read below from the New York Times –
During Sunday's debate, Clinton said "every single American should be outraged" by the water crisis, adding that "if the kids in a rich suburb of Detroit had been drinking contaminated water and being bathed in it, there would have been action."
Following a speaking engagement at a Martin Luther King Day event in Flint, the Republican governor said her tactic doesn't help solve the problem.
"We're going to keep working on putting solutions in place," Snyder told The Detroit News. "And what I would say is politicizing the issue doesn't help matters. Let's focus in on the solution and how to deal with the damage that was done and help the citizens of Flint and make Flint a stronger community."
Visit the Blog, Word Journeys!
On December 27, 2015 By southwerkIn Capitalism
A fellow blogger said something very kind about my work and I went and looked at his. I like it. It's reflective and intelligent. Below is a paragraph that I not only like but I have wondered exactly the same thing!
Back to the question. I still have no answer for why work is so important yet so difficult to gain. Perhaps all important things are (difficult to gain). I sent somewhere between 100 and 200 job applications while un and under-employed. Too many people told me during that time and since that I should have been more proactive. I should have gotten out there face-to-face with employers, and called them again and again after applying. But why? If I've made the effort to register my interest in working for them, most often without them having even advertised a position, then haven't I made things easy for them? It seemed to me that by simply emailing them my resume and cover letter, from that point on, the ball was in their court. And if I was to hassle them repeatedly for work then, to continue the tennis analogy, all I'd really be achieving was running over to their side of the court and hitting the ball back to myself. A waste of their valuable, and my much less (or so it felt) valuable, time.
So, just maybe, you can take a minute and go see what a struggling fellow blogger thinks.
Paycheck to paycheck?
One of the strangest phenomenon I see in dealing with wealth in this country is the bizarre dichotomy between the view of what is enough for "them," and what is enough for "me." In a Koch brothers interview, one of the brothers pointed out that if you put a 30K workers salary on an international scale that put the worker in top one percent of the planet's income earners. Apparently this made him feel that Americans should be content and maybe consider themselves a little fat and happy.
On the other hand we have this from the short selection below where a man struggles from paycheck on an annual salary of 450K.
There has to be some kind of conflict between these two points of view.
When people run businesses they don't come in neutral in regard to how the feel about what is and is not an adequate income. What does a person who feels that 450,000 dollars a year is a week to week struggle do in regard to paying the workers? And what does it say when a multi-billionaire can statistically analyze away income inequality by simply increasing the sample size to encompass the entire planet?
If you believe that 30k is a worthy and fully adequate income, what kind of business ethics are you likely to practice? Are you more likely to sell payday loans? – attach some new fees to your banking practices?
If you believe that 450k is so little money that you have to struggle paycheck to paycheck what kind of business are you likely to run? I have to acknowledge here that I have no concept what that would look like mentally but it is still troubling.
Income inequality is a wound on this country driving us apart and it by its very nature is an ethical problem that drives business wrong doing.
The short passage below is from the Guardian – http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/dec/25/wealthy-americans-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-income-paying-bills
Marguerita Cheng, a certified financial planner and CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth, has a client in the Washington, DC area who makes $450,000 to $600,000 a year but lives paycheck to paycheck. He spends a lot of it on keeping peace with his ex-wife.
Close to half a million a year sounds like a lot, but he has to pay $8,000 per month to his ex-wife and both of their kids are in private high school. Four years of private high school cost $150,000.
"He basically uses his bonus to cover the private high school tuition," Cheng said. "I understand that this is an extraordinary situation. I'll share a saying that my dad taught me: 'Money may not buy happiness, but it can buy peace.' In this situation, sometimes you have to do what you have to do to keep an ex-spouse happy."
Cheng's client is not alone. Many Americans struggle to make-ends meet on six-figure paychecks – which by some are considered "upper income" or even rich.
A German Fantasy
On July 27, 2015 By southwerkIn Capitalism
Reading as I do about the crimes and stupidities of humankind in the field of ethics, it is hard to surprise me, even harder to astonish me. And yet, today that happened. The German ambassador to the United States wrote an essay entitled, "Germany Wants a Strong Greece." And that is easy to believe if I wipe away the memories of the last five years.
Greece wants a strong Greece. Yes, when the Russians bombed Helsinki in 1939, the Russian foreign minister, Molotov denied it and said they were dropping bread to the poor oppressed people of the city. Maybe the Germans will drop a similar brand of bread on Greece. After all the Greeks are poor and oppressed.
Forgive me if I sound angry but I seem to recall an IMF study that shows under the agreement imposed almost entirely by the German Minister of Finance, Greece will not be able to pay off its debt in fifteen years and quite possibly never. Call me a cynic but a fifteen year period of austerity (possibly for much longer, eternity?) doesn't sound like a deal someone made with a great love for the Greeks.
The events of the last few weeks include a refusal to deal with Greece by the European Union until it agreed in advance to their demands. Once this had been done, the Greeks were made to sell off 50 billions Euros worth of government property which is to be placed safely outside Greek control. The agreement doubled the sales tax in Greece putting the hammer down on any hope of a healthy tourist industry, one of Greece's vital sources of revenue. I could go on, but why bother? It's item after item after item.
The only large group of people who believe that the Germans have been kind to the Greeks are other Germans.
The Germans have almost single handedly imposed an economic regime on Greece which is almost certain to fail. The hardship imposed on the Greeks in roughly equivalent to that endured in the United States during the Great Depression and if the International Monetary Fund is right, it could last for decades.
Does that sound like a strong Greece?
Maybe the German word for strong means servile, weak and helpless?
I'm use to corporate flacks saying anything they are told to. But this? Maybe when you have needlessly crippled a country so that it will never pay off its debts, maybe when your own enormous debts have been forgive twice in the last century, maybe when you appear to all the world as great cruel bully, you should just keep a low profile?
Or maybe your self-righteousness is so overpowering, you just can't believe that everyone just needs a little push to understand how wonderful you are. This is a German fantasy. The real surprise is that they apparently believe they are kind and generous, acting out of a genuine concern for the Greek people. God save all of us from that kind of love.
Germany Wants a Strong Greece | Peter Wittig
Germany wants a strong Greece, because a thriving Greek economy benefits the eurozone as a whole. This is why Greece and the other 18 eurozone members agreed on a comprehensive reform package that will help Greece regain economic competitiveness. Some of these reforms were quickly approved by the Greek parliament — by an overwhelming majority. They will make Greece more competitive and economically sound.
via Germany Wants a Strong Greece | Peter Wittig.
No One Here Is Elected
On July 13, 2015 July 12, 2015 By southwerkIn Capitalism
Below is a quote from an article from Huffington Post. It is reported in it that the Eurozone is not just demanding that Greece capitulate to its desires, they must do it before negotiations can even start. There is not even the semblance of respect for a nation state or its people.
Picture yourself in negotiations. You've gotten behind in your mortgage and you want more time. The bank says that before they will even talk to you, negotiate with you in any way, you must sign over your income and submit to the banks's recommendations of how and what kind of work you should do. That's what the Greeks are being asked to do. Take all your bargaining chips off the table. Only when you are powerless and helpless, will we deign to speak to you. Give in now and we may show mercy.
There is really not much historical precedent for this. The only thing I can think of are the Austro-Hungarian demands on Serbia to yield up its sovereignty in the wake of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand.
There are five things about these bailout talks that really bother me. First, the unfairness of it. To start with, the bulk of the bailout money has gone to foreign lenders and little has been used to bolster the economy. Second, we're not dealing here with sovereign states or even groups of sovereign nations. We're dealing with finance ministers and technocrats, essentially international bankers. They're not elected. They can't be voted out. Essentially, they can do pretty much what they want and the only people they are beholding to are other bankers. Democracy is irrelevant. Third, the Greek people are suffering terrible pain. The unemployment rate is more than 25% and the youth unemployment rate is more than 50%. And I can on and on about the other damaging effects of austerity. Fourth, the Greeks are being told with great specificity what they must do. The Eurozone is making a mockery of the power of national governments to conduct their own affairs. The Greeks want to impose a tax on businesses. The Eurozone says no. But the Eurozone doesn't stop there. They tell the Greeks how they want the money raised and expect them to do it. They want a value added tax (VAT) and cuts in pensions. There's more but you get the idea. The Greeks want to do a variety of things to raise revenue and the Eurozone and the IMF are staying on script: privatization, lower income taxes, cuts in social services and reduced regulation. And the last thing that bothers me and most important, it can happen to us. Whole nations, states, counties and communities can get into financial trouble and if we do, who we will turn to for help? Banks, the IMF, or state imposed administrators, technocrats from business, banking and corporate law will be our only choices and what will they demand? You can see it right here, right now. This will be the prototype in the future for dealing with creditor governments, whatever their size. If we have a great a power differential like they have in Greece there will be no negotiations. You will accept what is offered to you and you will do it without question. And above all else, forget that democracy things.
What is being implied her is that it is not the people that are sovereign, it is the international financial system of interlocking banks, finance ministers and multinational corporations.
I am sure that there are people reading this that believe that I am over reacting. Many hold the belief that if the Greeks overspent they should pay the money back. That does not sound unreasonable. But it is the highest level of hypocrisy imaginable to impose conditions that will make paying the debt impossible.
If you were one of my students, I would expect one of you to ask, "How do you know that the Greeks can't pay under those conditions?" And I, of course, delighted by student intelligence and initiative will reply that the IMF has a paper out saying that they can't pay under current conditions. Read below from The Guardian.
Greece would face an unsustainable level of debt by 2030 even if it signs up to the full package of tax and spending reforms demanded of it, according to unpublished documents compiled by its three main creditors.
The documents, drawn up by the so-called troika of lenders, support Greece's argument that it needs substantial debt relief for a lasting economic recovery. They show that, even after 15 years of sustained strong growth, the country would face a level of debt that the International Monetary Fund deems unsustainable.
The documents show that the IMF's baseline estimate – the most likely outcome – is that Greece's debt would still be 118% of GDP in 2030, even if it signs up to the package of tax and spending reforms demanded. That is well above the 110% the IMF regards as sustainable given Greece's debt profile, a level set in 2012. The country's debt level is currently 175% and likely to go higher because of its recent slide back into recession.
So, the Eurozone already has evidence that they are essentially putting Greece into a state of permanent depression. Why would they want to that?
They aren't saying. But I have a theory. All over Europe, there are people who are worried about what's happening. Like me they wonder why nation states should bow before financial interests. They wonder why whether people should go without education, pensions and healthcare while the rich have a reduced tax burden and they pay higher taxes for less and less. They wonder much the same way we do in the United States, why their votes matter so little. Greece is an example of the power that can be brought on any show of defiance. Questioning the economic order has consequences, severe consequences. Don't vote, comply. Economic value is the sole determinate in policy and practice. Humanity, compassion, honor, patriotism, and Christianity are all irrelevant concerns. The money must be paid, not to the people, not to the governments but to the banks. It is the money that votes.
Eurozone Leaders Meet, As Greece's Debt Crisis Talks Continue
Euro zone leaders told near-bankrupt Greece at an emergency summit on Sunday it must enact key reforms this week to restore trust before they will open talks on a financial rescue to keep it in the European currency area.
Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will be required to push legislation through parliament to convince his 18 partners in the euro zone to release immediate funds to avert a state bankruptcy and start negotiations on a third bailout program estimated at up to 86 billion euros ($95.5 billion).
Six sweeping measures including tax and pension reforms must be enacted by Wednesday night and the entire package endorsed by parliament before talks can start, a draft decision by Eurogroup finance ministers sent to the leaders showed.
via Eurozone Leaders Meet, As Greece's Debt Crisis Talks Continue.


text:
Elections to Liverpool Town Council were held on Monday 1 November 1872. One third of the council seats were up for election, the term of office of each councillor being three years.

The Ballot Act 1872 received Royal Assent on 18 July 1872, introducing the
Secret Ballot.

Six of the sixteen wards were uncontested.

After the election, the composition of the council was:

Election result

Because of the large number of uncontested seats, these statistics should be taken in that context.

Ward results

* - Retiring Councillor seeking re-election

Abercromby

Castle Street

Everton

Exchange

Great George

Lime Street

North Toxteth

Pitt Street

Rodney Street

St. Anne Street

St. Paul's

St. Peter's

Scotland

South Toxteth

Vauxhall

West Derby

By-elections

Aldermanic By Election 6 January 1873

The death of alderman Oliver Holden was reported to the Council on 1 January 1873.

Former Councillor John Birch Melladew (Conservative, West Derby, last elected 1 November 1869) was elected as an alderman by the Council (Councillors and aldermen) on 6 January 1873.

Aldermanic By Election, 9 April 1872

Alderman William Bennett resigned on 12 February 1873.

Thomas Carey was elected as an alderman by the Council (Councillors and Aldermen) on 9 April 1873.

No. 15, South Toxteth, 28 March 1873

The death of Councillor John Parrat (Conservative, South Toxteth, elected 1 November 1871) was reported to the Council on 24 March 1873.

No. 12, Lime Street, 22 July 1873

The death of Councillor Henry Hornby (Conservative, Lime Street, elected 1 November 1871) was reported to the Council on 6 August 1873

See also

 Liverpool City Council
 Liverpool Town Council elections 1835 - 1879
 Liverpool City Council elections 1880–present
 Mayors and Lord Mayors of Liverpool 1207 to present
 History of local government in England

References

1872
1872 English local elections
1870s in Liverpool

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Whatever the occasion, Topshelf Party Bus has the right vehicle for your special night. Choose from a wide variety of party buses or limousines and take the stress out of driving. It's your special evening, let our experienced drivers safely transport you around town in comfort and style.
It's a special night to remember and nothing beats a party bus experience!


I learn what makes you laugh, we find something to reminisce about on the wedding day, we walk around the venue and plan how the day will run. What locations will we use? What time will the group shots start? How long before dinner starts? These little details are CRITICAL for the day to run as perfectly as you can imagine. We will then take a little walk and shoot some images, very relaxed and informal. I will guide you all the way and then by the time your big day arrives you are already going to know exactly what you are doing and the Photographs then seem to be the easy bit! Children and animals encouraged! This usually happens a month before your big day.


While there are no estimates available for Canada, our friends to the south landfill ~2 billion razors each year. Opt for a reusable razor and be part of the solution instead.
The R1 is the perfect razor to get started with double-edge shaving as it makes it nearly impossible to cut yourself, while providing an incredibly smooth shave. Features an impressive butterfly head that lets you load blades with ease. This entry-level safety razor is sure to put you off cartridge razors for good so that you can finally get an excellent shave at an incredible value.
Check out our selection of razor blades here.


text:
Formazioni delle squadre di pallavolo partecipanti alla stagione 2012-2013 della Superliga brasiliana.

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Pallavolo nel 2012
Pallavolo nel 2013
Campionato brasiliano di pallavolo femminile


With all the changes in our society, there has probably never been a more challenging time to be a parent. That is why you should consider Holy Trinity Catholic school for your child's education.
A school where your child will receive individual attention and have opportunities to excel or receive extra help?
A school that will instill the love of God and service to others along with high academic standards?
A school with a warm, friendly, family atmosphere?
A school where technology is used as a tool to enhance learning of the 21st century?
If you answered YES to any of the above, Holy Trinity is the school for you.
For 145 years, Holy Trinity has been educating students from many area counties. In fact, recently students came from 11 different school districts and from as far away as Grant to attend our school.
To schedule a tour, please call 616-784-0696. We welcome the opportunity to show you the learning atmospheres at our school.
Calling all HT Alumni! Help us locate other HT alumni - simply enter the word "Alumni" in the Subject box and include your graduation year, mailing address, and phone number.


Spa City contemplates a future where cyclists drive tourism.
FLYING HIGH: Josh Olson, a trail building contractor with IMBA Trail Solutions, demonstrates one of the jumps he predicts will draw throngs of mountain bikers to the Northwoods Trail.
The hippest new place to stay in Hot Springs leans heavily on the past while peering into the near future. The Best Court Motel, 638 Ouachita Ave., is a fully renovated motor court, that bygone brand of motel designed with the early car traveler in mind. It's a U-shaped collection of connected brick cottages, each with a small front porch and an attached garage.
But the garages aren't for cars anymore, co-owner Jimi Brazil says. He's expecting visitors to soon stow their muddy (and often expensive) mountain bikes there.
Like Brazil, Steve Arrison, the longtime CEO of Visit Hot Springs, the Hot Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission, envisions a not-too-distant future for Hot Springs where cyclists contribute as much to the tourism economy as folks coming to take in the natural baths, boat on Lake Ouachita or Lake Hamilton or to play the ponies and the "electronic games of skill" at Oaklawn (which would become an actual casino, with real cards and table games, if voters approve Issue 4 on Nov. 6).
The excitement surrounds the Nov. 17 opening of phase one of the Northwoods Trail project, 14 miles of multiuse trails designed especially for mountain bikes just minutes from downtown. The trails are the centerpiece of the newly opened Northwoods Urban Forest Park, 2,000 acres of pristine woodlands north and west of downtown's Park Avenue. The park includes three lakes that were built as drinking-water reservoirs: 13-acre Lake Bethel, 24-acre Lake Dillon and 28-acre Lake Sanderson. The lakes, along with much of the park, have been closed to the public since Sept. 11, 2001, for security reasons.
The park's craggy hills and dense groves of oaks would be reason enough for outdoor enthusiasts to flock to the new park. But Arrison and other Hot Springs officials are positively giddy about what sets Northwoods apart: Because mountain biking happens in the wilderness, it's rarely as accessible to other tourist attractions as Northwoods will be. "Mountain bike, get a beer at a place like Superior Bathhouse Brewery and soak in a bath — what a vacation!" Bill Solleder, marketing director for Visit Hot Springs, offered as a quick pitch during an October tour of trail construction.
A drive from downtown to Northwoods' Waterworks Trailhead takes under 5 minutes. Sometime next year, Arrison hopes to see a new connection at Pullman Avenue, which would allow mountain bike tourists to easily pedal from wherever they're staying downtown to Northwoods. Because the Pullman Avenue Trail Connection crosses about an eighth of a mile of National Park Service land, it will require an environmental assessment in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act. The process is proceeding smoothly, Arrison said.
The other key differentiator for Northwoods: Most of its trails, though officially multiuse, won't be mistaken for hiking trails. They're being built like racetracks, with huge angled berms, hairpin turns, rocky obstacles and massive dirt ramps. One black section — like ski runs, mountain bike routes are designated green for beginner, blue for intermediate riders and black for advanced — features a jump that sends a rider more than 20 feet across a man-made gap some 6 feet deep.
Hot Springs was in 2015 designated a bronze-level ride center by the International Mountain Bicycling Association, thanks to its proximity to three trails IMBA has designated as "Epic — iconic, adventurous, backcountry trails": the 33-mile Womble Trail, the 108-mile Ouachita National Recreational Trail and the 45-mile Lake Ouachita Vista Trail (LOViT). Those routes fit in the cross-country category. Although Northwoods will offer a diverse range of trails for all skill levels, it's likely to especially be a draw for dirt jumpers, advanced mountain bikers who are looking for trails that ride like rollercoasters, but with cars flying off the track.
IMBA's Trail Solutions, an international leader in mountain bike trail development, designed and constructed phase one of Northwoods. The $1.3 million project was funded by Visit Hot Springs and a matching grant from the Walton Family Foundation, which has put $74 million into cycling infrastructure in Northwest Arkansas. Josh Olson, a contractor for Trail Solutions, has been working on the trails since February and living with his crew in an Airbnb just above the Lucky 13, a black diamond trail designed by Randy Spangler, a famed mountain bike pro and designer. Olson has traveled abroad and around the U.S. — to Austria, Utah, Idaho, West Virginia, Colorado, Alabama — building trails.
LIKE A ROLLERCOASTER: Northwoods Trail includes steep chutes and wide berms.
Another Trail Solutions specialist designed all the trails, considering topography and hydrology, and input them with GPS coordinates, so Olson and his team could access the layout. Olson and Co. are using mini-excavators and chainsaws to clear and build up trails. A "hand crew" follows behind to do fine detail work to try to make the trails look like they've been around for a while. "At first it looks like a construction zone, that it's disturbed," Olson said. "But at the end we want to naturalize it. We're going for an aesthetic that's connected to nature — with jumps."
For a demo, Olson rockets his fully tricked-out Specialized bike — carbon frame, carbon wheels, disc brakes, rear shocks (somewhere in the range of $7,000) — down a hill, swinging around a tree and gaining speed before climbing a short incline and launching off a rocky perch down into a short valley. He's a Colorado native, but peripatetic. "Jumping really makes me want to travel," he said.
Local riders may be wary to take some of the big jumps initially, Olson said. An alternative route accompanies each jump feature. Because most of the mountain biking around Hot Springs has been geared to cross-country riding, that's what local cyclists favor. Hot Springs' Cayden Parker, 14, is the USA Cycling Mountain Bike national champion in cross-country, but he hasn't been interested in taking the big jumps in Northwoods during demo sessions, Solleder said. But, as pro-level riders come to town for dirt jumping, locals will take notice and start developing the skill, Olson predicted.
AN AERIAL VIEW: The Northwoods Urban Park extends even beyond what's show on the map.
Visit Hot Springs and IMBA have already planned phase two of the project, which would expand the total number of miles in the park to about 44 and include loops around each of the lakes. A trail over the Lake Bethel dam is also envisioned. Nonmotorized water sports could be another attraction. Funding has not yet been promised for the second phase, though the Walton Family Foundation would seem to be a likely prospect.
Arrison said he's watched closely at how bike projects have stimulated the economy in Northwest Arkansas. A study commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation found that it provided $137 million for the region in economic impact in 2017. "We've worked very closely and watched the blueprint of what Tom and Steuart Walton and the Walton Family Foundation have done in conjunction with Visit Bentonville," Arrison said. "If you think about it like 'Star Wars,' they're the masters and we're the Jedi in-training."
The first phase of Northwoods will connect to Garland County's 10 miles of Cedarglades mountain bike trail. With the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail, a 4-mile trail from downtown Hot Springs to Lake Hamilton, nearing completion and the Southwest Trail, which would link Little Rock Central High National Historic Park with Hot Springs National Park, looming somewhere on the horizon, Hot Springs may be known first and foremost as a biking town before too long.
After you've pedaled hard and spent through all the adrenaline in the Northwoods, of course you're going to want a beer. SQZBX (236 Ouachita Ave.) is the city's top new spot. Spouses Cheryl Roorda and Zac Smith, known widely as the polka duo Itinerant Locals, co-own the pizzeria and microbrewery (Smith handles all the brewing) and share space with KUHS-LP, 97.9, the solar-powered radio station they helped found. The structure used to house a piano repair shop; Roorda and Smith won a preservation award for their work restoring the beautiful building, which they've creatively decorated with retired accordions and old piano parts. The couple also just bought Starlite Club (232 Ouachita Ave.), the dive bar next door and, naturally, it's become the place to be after dark, too. Another beautifully renovated space: Superior Bathhouse Brewery (329 Central Ave.), in the old Superior Bathhouse along Bathhouse Row, is the ideal spot for unwinding and people- watching downtown. Its beers, perhaps unique worldwide, are brewed using thermal water.
BEST COURT: Where Marilyn Monroe once stayed, according to legend.
If it's been a minute since you ventured to Hot Springs and left scratching your head wondering why there weren't any nice places to stay in such a tourist mecca, take note! The boutique Waters Hotel opened in 2017 in the 1913 George R. Mann-designed Thompson Building, 340 Central Ave., and raised the bar on downtown accommodations. In its lobby, The Avenue does fine dining with a Southern flair. At 658 Ouachita Ave., Best Court Motel reopened in July after an extensive renovation. The large rooms have been updated with a modern but understated touch and include vintage-looking mini fridges and Adirondack chairs in the garage for sheltered, open-air lounging. Co-owner Jimi Brazil called one of the larger units the Marilyn Monroe suite. According to local lore, a baseball teammate of Joe DiMaggio's owned the motor court next door to the Best Court, but its rooms were too small for Monroe, who insisted they stay next door in the Best Court suite.


text:
Randfontein (gemeente), gemeente in Zuid-Afrika
 Randfontein, een zogenaamde hoofdplaats (main place) in de gelijknamige gemeente in Zuid-Afrika


copper globe pendant light ivy and wilde globe pendant light globe pendant lights over island.
globe shaped glass lantern ceiling light fitment globe pendants light globe pendant light globe pendant light black and white.
harvey guzzini large globe pendant light for sale at 1stdibs globe pendant light globe pendant lamp shades.
ideal lux 149868 symphony black outdoor modern globe pendant light globe pendant light globe paper pendant lamp shade.
country vintage globe pendant light for dining room lightingocouk globe pendant light white brass globe pendant light.
clear glass globe pendant light etched with stars by glow lighting globe pendant light globe pendant lamp shades.
globe pendant light bathroom holloways of ludlow globe pendant light antique brass globe pendant light.
mercury row yearby 1 light globe pendant reviews wayfair globe pendant light globe pendant light revit family.
bubble spiral chandelier globe pendant lamp 3 hanging clear etsy globe pendant light antique brass glass globe pendant light.
ice glass globe pendant lamp from peill putzler 1960s for sale at globe pendant light globe pendant light brass.
lightscom ceiling pendant lighting powell led 7 matte black globe pendant light antique brass globe pendant light.
ameico nyta tilt globe pendant light 2modern globe pendant light explosion art glass globe pendant light shade.
globe shape glass ceiling light globe pendant light globe paper pendant lamp shade.
clear glass globe ceiling pendant light hereford retro globe pendant light white globe pendant light kitchen.
modern nordic lustre globe pendant lights glass ball lamp shade globe pendant light glass globe pendant light kitchen.
globe glass multi light pendant light brass stem takeluckhomecom globe pendant light globe pendant light kitchen.
globe pendant lights lighting the home depot globe pendant light glass globe pendant light diy.
globe shaped clear glass ceiling pendant light with bronze detailing globe pendant light explosion art glass globe pendant light shade.
atom 300mm single globe pendant ceiling light fitting 6077 globe pendant light globe pendant light lowes.
mullan globe pendant light 250mm globe pendant light silver explosion art glass globe pendant light shade.
antique brass wire globe pendant light farmhouse fresh homear globe pendant light globe pendant lights over island.
lightscom ceiling pendant lighting powell led 14 aged brass globe pendant light globe pendant light black and white.
north europe led glass globe pendant light minimalist light globe pendant light black glass globe pendant light.
10 easy pieces white globe pendant lights remodelista globe pendant light globe pendant light kitchen.
copper ball shade pendant lighting modern glass globe pendant lights globe pendant light antique brass globe pendant light.
one of eight limburg globe pendant lights brass and smoked glass for globe pendant light antique brass globe pendant light.
clear glass ribbed globe pendant ceiling light hereford retro globe pendant light white brass globe pendant light.
clear glass globe pendant light fixture with 8 shade etsy globe pendant light globe pendant light shade.
modern globe pendant light fitting for entrance halls or above tables globe pendant light antique brass glass globe pendant light.
e27nordic globe pendant lights white glass ball pendant lamp lustre globe pendant light globe pendant light lowes.


The site petsitting–ology.com/site3 provides services which are related to questions of breeding, care and support in the education of pets. The site was created on the Wordpress CMS and it is using the Genesis theme. The task was to implement new functionality, which provides users with simple and easy implementation of some elements on the site. The list of works: During the work, we created the separate section for data filling in the settings section of Genesis theme in the admin panel of Wordpress. This data should be displayed in the specially created widgets. The created widgets: 1)The Facebook Likebox widget. We implemented the custom field in the admin panel of Wordpress (Facebook URL), on which user entered URL of account on Facebook. The data from this field was placed in the specially created widget (Facebook Likebox), which displays the block Facebook Likebox with all necessary data using the filled data with URL. 2)The ASKBOX widget. We implemented the separate section for data input, which should be displayed in this widget. This section has 6 fields. Three fields for text input and three fields for links input, which the fields with text should refer to. The data is placed in the specially created widget (ASKBOX Widget) and is displayed on the site. 3)The Footer Custom Images Widget. We implemented the separate section for data input, which should be displayed in this widget. This section has 6 divisions by 3 fields. The first field is intended to upload and choose images, the second field contains the tag "alt" value for images, the third field is intended to input hyperlinks to initial images. It allows user to upload up to 6 images, which are displayed in the special created widget (The Footer Custom Images Widget).


Stimulating, original, and formally experimental, this is a dazzling reflection on being an outsider at a time of change. Later Oscar nominated for Strawberry & Chocolate, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea established his reputation with this stylish, fascinating film that occupies a defining place in Latin American cinema.
With a brief introduction and after film discussion led by Dr Guy Baron, Senior Lecturer at Aberystwyth University, whose edited volume The Cinema of Cuba: Contemporary Film and the Legacy of the Revolution will be released by I. B. Tauris later this year.


A fun, interactive way to learn about the cost of living in college. This program was implemented at East Carolina University as a way to engage students and give them the knowledge about what the true cost of living is. Come to this program to learn for yourself or to bring this program to your school.
Assessment has become a vital component of most collegiate financial well-being programs. How can you create an assessment program that evaluates and communicates powerful financial wellness learning outcomes of students? The leaders of three collegiate financial wellness programs will share their assessment program experience from concept to development to reporting. All program models can easily be replicated on any campus.
The presentation will demonstrate how a budget can help students get a good financial start and achieve their financial goals through their college lifecycle and as they start their career. Key topics for college students and their budget will be addressed including student loans; debt management in general, including credit scores; and saving, including saving for retirement. We will highlight the agencies' resources, tools for students, and the power of collaboration. Students will be empowered to act and make financial planning a rewarding habit.
Terms such as "financial affidavit," "unsubsidized loan," and "emergency aid grant" may seem confusing to first-generation students and English-language learners. This hands-on session allows financial wellness professionals the opportunity to learn why postsecondary students may struggle with the language of financial aid and wellness and what they can do to ensure clear, equitable communication.


I'm making a chat and i need to catch the Questionmark key (?), however i can't figure out how to do that, since i can't find it in Slicks keylist.
Override keyPressed(int, char) in BasicGame or BasicGameState and check the char value against '?'.
What davedes said, check the char value in keyPressed. Reason for this is on most keyboards, question mark is a shifted key -- the integer codes are for unshifted keys. You could check for KEY_SLASH and shift being down, but that is extremely not recommended, since it'll break on many non-US keyboards.
The first two, no problem. The rest ... I don't know how slick deals with the encoding involved, or if it does at all. You could try checking the char value in keyPressed the same as suggested before, perhaps print it to stdout.
There must be a way to get those characters from the keyboard to a string in the render method. No-one knows how to achieve that?
Most people here are probably not using Slick2D.
Seeing as Slick has its Input class already made and keys premade, Im not sure. If you were going to use just LWJGL Keyboard class and create the InputHandler class yourself, it would be easy.
Well, since Slick is built on LWJGL, wouldn't it be possible to implement that in some way?
the Input class gets passed around inside the update method yeah?
Dont think you can, you would need to create your own InputHandler class I think.
It's good practice to use the unicode character escape codes rather than embedding the characters themselves in your source files; so that your source files make sense to people not using ISO 8859-1 or UTF-8.
In your case that'd be '\u00C6' and '\u00E6' respectively.


Julie is wearing a pair of black high-sided shoes Michele bought for her the day before. She has on her black bubble gum jeans, a white blouse that laces in the front and is done up at the back and a little black quilted jacket. She puts on a pair of sunglasses, checks her hair and walks out the gate with her Mum.
They walk past numbers five and three Wallace Place towards Good St and they stop at the corner house.
"See you then. I'll be home for tea so don't worry."


text:
Dining Picks
Where to eat in Austin right now
The Farmer Diaries
Aspiring Texas farmer fights the freeze and wins
Meet the Tastemakers: Austin's top sommeliers share inspiration and favorite wines for celebrations
Top sommeliers share their inspiration & favorite wines
By Matt McGinnis
Apr 8, 2013, 11:45 am
Top from left, Nathan Prater, Scott Ota, Chris McFall Bottom from left, Bill Elsey, Mark Sayre
Nathan Prater of the Driskill Photo by Jessica Pages
Scott Ota of the Driskill Photo by Jessica Pages
Chris McFall of Paggi House Photo by Bill Sallans
Bill Elsey of Red Room Lounge Photo by Bill Sallans
Mark Sayre of Trio Photo by Hayden Spears
Just as a winemaker has to combine an artful flair with precise chemistry to make fine wine, a sommelier needs to combine a skillful touch with customer service and deep wine knowledge to master their craft. In the wine world, success is a case of "Right brain, meet left brain. You two play nicely."
The dazzling emergence of a serious culinary scene in Austin in recent years has been accompanied by an equally stunning development of a fine wine culture fostered by a community of highly trained wine experts. Austin has a growing number of sommeliers who have dedicated long hours to studying all aspects of wine and proper service techniques to be able to provide a memorable experience at area restaurants and wine bars.
Nominees for the 2013 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards share their inspirations and their favorite wines for celebrations.
Bill Elsey, The Red Room Lounge
Advanced Sommelier Bill Elsey started in the wine industry at Duchman Family Winery right out of college. He rose through the ranks from part-time tasting room to bar manager at Trattoria Lisina, the Italian restaurant on the Duchman property. That is where he first discovered his passion for wine by tasting high-end Italian Barolo, Barbaresco as a wine buyer.
"I also fell in love with Champagne. I was introduced to Guy Larmandier Champagne Blanc de Blancs, and it was the first time I tasted small production, grower-producer champagne. My reaction was, 'Wow! I love this stuff.' It was a catalyst for getting into Champagne, and it's still my favorite beverage."
That passion turned into a focused pursuit of the coveted Master Sommelier certification, the fourth level in the Court of Master Sommeliers. He studies for hours each week on his own and in study groups with other dedicated sommeliers — including fellow Tastemaker nominees. The studying paid off and he won the Texas' Best Sommelier 2011 title at TexSomm five years to the day after starting in the wine industry. Elsey recently added winner of the 2013 Cocktail Quick Mix Challenge at Somms Under Fire to his resume.
In October 2011, he joined Personal Wine as sommelier and later expanded his role to run the wine program at The Red Room Lounge. Elsey's "awe, shucks" small town background (he grew up in Wimberley) and easy-going demeanor allow him to easily talk with a wide range of customers. He is adept at finding the right wine for the casual customer with little wine knowledge and able to impress the best informed wine aficionados who are eager to explore the depths of the Red Room's deep cellar, no matter the cost.
"I love the interaction with the customer. Our place is small enough that I can talk to every customer that comes in. I like to find out what style of wine they are into, find how much they want to spend and present them a wine that over delivers for the price. The ultimate is to see their reaction to the wine. It's instant gratification," says Elsey.
While wine started Elsey on the sommelier journey, he has a deep interest in other drinks as well. "The job takes a lot of studying beyond wine. It is a pursuit of learning about all things you can drink. We put a lot of effort into things like spirits and beer. It's not all just wine," he says.
The job may not be all about wine, but when Elsey is ready for a big celebration, he reaches for Champagne. "My favorites are vintage-dated, small production, grower producers in the Special Club category from houses like Pierre Gimonnet or Marc Hébrart. I like to saber bottles of it and let it flow," says Elsey.
Chris McFall, Paggi House
Certified Sommelier Chris McFall stumbled upon his love of wine while serving as an organizer for the International Student Foundation at Southwestern University. A friend in the club, who happened to be from the famed Bertani Italian wine family, introduced him to the world of fine wine by uncorking a well-aged Amarone.
"The bottle of 1968 Bertani Amarone swept me off my feet. My palate was youthful and inexperienced in the world of fine wine at the time, but it blew my mind and I could not stop smelling it and all of its nuance. It changed the way I lived my life from that moment on," McFall says.
From frat to front of the house, after college McFall entered the wine industry and worked at restaurants like Monica's in Georgetown, Lamberts and Sullivan's before joining Paggi House as a wine buyer. He has recently chosen to pursue another project, which has yet to be disclosed. He honed his skills with experience and study, and is currently preparing for the Advanced Sommelier exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers.
"I love the discovery. I love being wowed by wine, people, food and travel. I think when you realize how vast a subject wine, spirits and cuisine is, you realize no matter how much you know, you will always be a student. That's the true joy for me," he says.
That hunger for continued improvement and his skill in the dining room earned an impressive national accolade as a nominee for the Best New Sommeliers of 2012 by Wine & Spirits.
While the life of the sommelier may sound glamorous, McFall confides there is actual work to be done.
"The most misunderstood part of what we do is perception of the job. People assume we sit around and drink wine all day. Although we get to do that sometimes, it's not the focal point of the gig. There are spreadsheets, pricing, training and research just as in any other field. Ours just happens to pair nicely with cuisine and taste delightful."
McFall would gladly give up the spreadsheets for a day of merriment. "If I was to drink a wine for a celebration, it would have to be Champagne, of course. But, if I had to pick the desert island wine for that celebration, 2002 Etienne Sauzet Montrachet. All day long!"
Scott Ota, the Driskill Hotel and the Driskill Grill
Certified Sommelier Scott Ota was recently chosen by a panel of expert judges as the champion of 2013 Somms Under Fire for his outstanding performance in food and wine pairing, service and knowledge. At the fresh-faced age of 30, this service-driven wine professional has quickly risen in prominence in the community. He also credits his growth to a deep-seated interest in the culinary experience and the help of friends.
"I love to eat, drink and travel. I owe much of my success to my study group, family and lovely girlfriend," says Ota.
He got his start in the wine industry as a server at Restaurant Jezebel, where he had an opportunity to taste 2004 Bodegas El Nido, Monastrell from Jumilla, Spain. That introduction to fine wine set Ota on a course of exploration and study. He is now the wine captain and sommelier at the Driskill Grill, where Ota prides himself on providing top-notch wine service to enhance the dining experience.
"I strive to deliver the most complete service experience in a fun and personal way. There is no need to show off how much I know about wine. It's about presenting all the information in a sincere and succinct manner that makes it unforgettable to each guest. What counts is delivering a unique experience that is memorable and enjoyable," he says.
Improving the wine knowledge in the community seems to be a common trait among sommeliers, and it's an important part of Ota's approach. "I love being able to share my passion for beverages and service with others. It is my favorite part of the job. However, teaching our staff about wine and service — and watching them blossom on the floor — is the most rewarding."
Ota's go-to wine for celebrating is Special Club Champagne. "Pierre Gimonnet is a favorite of mine, but I could drink it just to celebrate a Tuesday. There is no need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy a great bottle. You can't have a bad day when you're drinking Champagne!"
Nathan Prater, the Driskill Hotel and the Driskill Grill
Advanced Sommelier Nathan Prater is a native Austinite. He began his career in wine in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2005 as a wine manager for a retail wine outlet before stepping into the role of wine director and sommelier at Bistro Sofia, an intimate, independently owned neighborhood restaurant. Prater quickly gained a reputation at both locations for providing a phenomenal wine selection, excellent customer service and consumer wine education.
Fortunately for Austin, he returned home in 2010, and worked for Spec's Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods and Good2Go at the Grove Wine Bar. He is currently the grill manager and sommelier at the Driskill Grill and the wine director for the Driskill Hotel.
Like with many sommeliers, it was a bottle of exquisite juice that lured Prater to the profession.
"A bottle of 1983 Château Lynch-Bages sparked my interest for wine, while a 1978 Bodegas Muga Prado Enea inspired the drive to become a sommelier. I began my journey with the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2007. After five years of dedicated study and practice, I hope to sit for the Masters Exam in 2013," Prater says.
Prater is known among the Austin sommelier community for his keen understanding and appreciation of classic cocktails, his dedication to top-notch service and his hard-nose study habits. He writes wickedly difficult practice quizzes for his sommelier study group. He sums up his role nicely: "I am first a service professional, second an educator and mentor, and lastly, a sommelier."
When he isn't working, he likes to spend time with his wife Kathryn and their dog Picasso, or teaching and mentoring other wine professionals. Prater has a passion for "dry rosé, and perfecting the craft of the Gin Martini."
Mark Sayre, Trio Restaurant Austin
Houston native and Master Sommelier Candidate Mark Sayre presides over an impressive list of 260 wines and 35 wines by the glass at Trio in the Four Seasons Hotel. The barrel-chested Sayre may look like a bouncer for a bar on Dirty Sixth, but he has the demeanor of a priest taking confession as he holds court from table to table.
His exquisite palate, attention to detail in customer service and deep knowledge of the industry have put him on course to become the the third Master Sommelier in Austin. Sayre's remarkable wine acumen has won him praise in Wine & Spirits' "7 Best New Sommeliers in 2010" and the title of Texas' Best Sommelier 2007.
Sayre caught the wine bug while working his first restaurant job. "The first wine I fell in love with was a 1995 Traviglini Gattinara. It's the first wine I had a personal connection with, and the first wine I realized I could hand sell."
Sayre sees his role as integral to restaurant operations. "Sommeliers should be vital to the flow of the restaurant. That means bussing tables, serving, clearing, etc. when not providing wine service and sales," he says.
As a winemaker who introduced his own private-label Syrah in 2009, he also feels a deep connection with wine and the people in the industry. "I love the soul that goes into the job. I love the people that make and sell wine, their stories, their passions and their experience. I love the wines themselves and their stories. Stories about where they come from, the weather and what they experienced that year," he says.
"I love the communal enjoyment of wine, whether studied upon or enjoyed with friends and family. I love giving my heartfelt advice and experience to guests wanting something special. All of these things have that soul which developed into a life-long relationship with me."
Winners of the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards will be announced live at the Driskill Hotel on April 11, 2013.
7 can't-miss food and drink events happening in Austin this week
Popular South Austin eatery narrows concept and changes name
Austin's best cake shops for beautifully decorated desserts
Related City Guide Listings

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home/East Africa/7 of Zanzibar's Best Beaches and The Zanzibar Islands' Top Beach Resorts
East AfricaTanzania
7 of Zanzibar's Best Beaches and The Zanzibar Islands' Top Beach Resorts
Whether you're heading from Tanzania to Zanzibar for some post-safari relaxation, a peaceful beach vacation, or a romantic East Africa honeymoon, the beaches are the major draw of this African island paradise.
However, how can you choose which beach is best for your Zanzibar holiday when there are so many kilometers of white sand to choose from?
7 of Zanzibar's Best Beaches
Also Read: What are the Best Places to Visit in Africa?
1. Paje Beach:
Best for Kitesurfing & Diving Paje Beach, on the southeast coast, has all the characteristics of a stunning Zanzibar beach: vast stretches of white sand, palm palms that sway in the wind, clear seas, and breathtaking sunsets.
The excellent kitesurfing conditions at Zanzibar's Paje Beach draw both amateur and expert kite surfers from across the world to this area of the island.
Paje Beach is widely recognized for its water sports. With turtles, starfish, trumpet fish, moray eels, and other vibrant marine creatures populating the offshore reefs, the clear, warm waters are also perfect for scuba diving.
2. The Best Beach for Relaxation Is Bwejuu
Unquestionably, Bwejuu is one of Zanzibar's top beaches. Stone Town is around an hour and a half's drive from this white sand beach with palm trees on the southeast coast of the island.
It's one of Zanzibar's quietest neighborhoods and a popular choice for anyone seeking total relaxation, peace, and privacy.
A few of the excursions and activities offered in the region include a mangrove forest and dhow boat ride, a journey to the nearby village of Bwejuu, a reef safari, snorkeling and diving, a trip to Stone Town, or a day trip to the Jozani Forest, which is home to the Red Colobus Monkey.
3. Nungwi Beach, which is renowned for its lively atmosphere
One of the most stunning and well-liked beaches on the island is Nungwi Beach on Zanzibar's northwest coast, which was recently included in TripAdvisor's list of the Top 25 Beaches in the World as part of its Traveller's Choice Awards 2018 program.
Undoubtedly, one of the island's liveliest areas is Nungwi, where a variety of beach resorts, hotels, restaurants, and bars offer nocturnal entertainment. However, this beach isn't only for partygoers.
The coral reefs off the coast of Nungwi are excellent for diving and snorkeling, and depending on the season, you could even see dolphins, green turtles, and whale sharks.
A sunset cruise in a traditional dhow sailing boat is a must to see Zanzibar's breathtaking sunsets, which can be seen from Nungwi Beach, which faces west.
Also Read: The Big 5 Africa: The Ugly 5, The Shy 5, and The Small 5 Animals of Africa
The Big 5 Africa: The Ugly 5, The Shy 5, and The Small 5 Animals of Africa
4. Dolphin safaris are the main draw of Kizimkazi Beach
This little fishing village is located on the south coast of Zanzibar and is comprised of the towns of Kizimkazi Dimbani and Kizimkazi Mkunguni.
The shoreline here is very different from the traditional palm-backed lagoon of the east coast.
Popular in the village of Kizimkazi are dolphin excursions. However, bear in aware that boat tours that allow you to swim with dolphins are not advised if you're in Kizimkazi.
Instead, stay with tour operators who provide responsibly swimming with dolphins.
The remote coral lagoon at Michamvi Beach is its main draw.
On the island's central east coast lies a peninsula called Michamvi. Despite the existence of two enormous beach resorts, Michamvi has a rural vibe and provides large expanses of undeveloped beaches to explore.
Both Michamvi-Pingwe and Michamvi-Kae make up the peninsula. On the eastern side is Michamvi-Pingwe, which boasts a stunning palm-lined beach, a coral lagoon, and sheer coral-rag cliffs.
On its western side, Michamvi-Kae looks westward toward Chwaka Bay.
6. Kendwa Beach is renowned for its swimming and sunsets
The greatest beach in Zanzibar is great for diving, snorkeling, and swimming. One of the few beaches in Zanzibar with little tidal fluctuations is this one.
Additionally, colorful starfish may be found on this Zanzibar beach near offshore (but be sure not to pick up these creatures or disturb them in their natural habitat).
Be on the beach as soon as the sun starts to set to see the renowned sunsets at Kendwa Beach. Once the sun has dropped below the horizon, the beach comes to life in a different way with nightlife and relaxed beach parties.
7. Matemwe Beach: Popular for Scuba Diving & Local Culture
Some of the greatest sand on the island can be found on Matemwe Beach, Zanzibar's longest beach, which also offers a fascinating look into the native way of life with its traditional fishing huts hidden amid the palm trees.
Two kilometers offshore, just beyond the main reef, lies the famed island of Mnemba Atoll, which is encircled by beautiful and reachable coral reefs.
On the island, Matemwe Beach offers some of the greatest diving, snorkeling, sailing, and kitesurfing.
Also Read: What is a Safari, and How Does a Modern-Day Wildlife Safari in Africa look like?
What is a Safari, and How Does a Modern-Day Wildlife Safari in Africa look like?
The Zanzibar Islands' top beach resorts
1. Zanzibar's Tulia Unique Beach Resort
The Best Luxury Romantic Beach Resort 2020 was chosen by the Luxury Hotel Awards to be this stunning beach resort in Pongwe on the island's east coast.
To access your private patio with views of tropical plants or a pristine private beach, pass through your lovely room.
Before a yoga session or an hour-long full-body massage, which are both included in the hotel rate, indulge in a cold beer from the minibar or a cup of Nespresso coffee.
2. The Residence Zanzibar
This House 66 brown-tiled brick bungalows in Zanzibar may not immediately scream luxurious, but each one's meticulous attention to detail will.
The bathroom cabinets are stocked with coconut body products, while the bedroom table is topped with fresh truffles.
A sizable wooden terrace with a plunge pool is present in each cottage. The Pavilion serves a range of Middle Eastern cuisine beside the pool, while the Dining Room has a delicious assortment of African, Omani, and Indian cuisines. The hotel has a view of a mile-long, creamy-colored beach that is regularly cleaned.
3. The Sands Beach Resort Zanzibar
To guarantee you have a stress-free stay, Sands Beach Resort Zanzibar has made this problem-free philosophy its guiding principle.
Just 20 rooms and villas make up this little resort on Zanzibar's east coast, which is surrounded by 12 acres of tropical gardens.
The Seaview Villas stand out because they include an additional outdoor shower and a private terrace with views of Dongwe's expansive white sand beach.
Remove your sandals and make your way to the nearby coral reef to go snorkeling with the vibrant fish.
4. DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Zanzibar
If you stay at the Zanzibar location of a well-known hotel chain, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Zanzibar Nungwi, the hotel blends the ancient and the new.
This Zanzibar beach resort offers first-rate services and amenities, such as an outdoor freshwater pool, a fitness center, live entertainment, and an opulent spa.
Five minutes away from the hotel's palm-leaf roofs, on the lovely beach, local fisherman and dhow builders practice their age-old trades.
Also Read: Tanzania Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area – The Biggest Crater in the World
5. Next Paradise Boutique Resort
While many individuals prefer spending the entire day lounging by the pool, not everyone does.
At this Zanzibar beach resort, which is located to Zanzibar Extreme Water Sports, the place to experience the wildest thrills of the Indian Ocean, you may do all of that and more.
Try water skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, or jet-ski safaris near Mnemba Island and the protected coral reefs. The hotel includes 25 suites and villas with sea views and four pools where you may unwind while sipping a glass.
Also Read: Lake Natron In Tanzania' The Medusa Water that turns Animals into Stone
6. Zanzibar's Baraza Resort & Spa
All of the wood furnishings, Omani trunks, and brass lamps were created exclusively for this Zanzibar beach resort by the proprietors.
The 30 one- or two-bedroom villas each have a plunge pool with views of the lovely gardens or the seclusion of the 240-meter Bwejuu beach.
The spa provides treatments including facials and Thai massages and features golden mosaic floors. For burning off those substantial breakfasts and dinners, there is also a kids club and tennis facilities.
The African Wild Dogs Facts: Why they are Endangered?
Top African Safari & Tours
Languages in Namibia' Namibia's Lingua Franca - Africa Facts Zone
What Is the Price of a Safari?
African Tribes, Culture, & Traditions: Top Five Tribes of Africa with Traditional Cultures
Tanzania Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area – The Biggest Crater in the World
The Red Sea' the Most Saline Bodies of Water in the World
Business Africa
Key Investment Opportunities in Rwanda – Africa Facts Zone


If you spent any time building apps for the Enterprise or business space odds are you have turn into the requirement to check if the device has a passcode enabled.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) Solutions are full of tools that handle this for you. More often I'm finding that organizations are opting for lighter weight solutions to simplify their deployments.
The approach of checking for a passcode would easily become an anti-pattern in that the user at anytime can disable this feature. I would recommend keeping this in mind and implement the check as only one part of a larger more comprehensive security strategy.
I would call the approach of checking for a passcode somewhat of an anti-pattern in that the user could disable this feature at anytime. If you implement this approach I would highly recommend that this is only one part of your security strategy.
Starting in iOS 8 you could finally check, without jailbreaking, if the device had a passcode set. All you have to do is create a new Keychain entry using the new kSecAttrAccessibleWhenPasscodeSetThisDeviceOnly access option.
Below is an example of using the Keychain to test if the device passcode is enabled.
Then in iOS 9 Apple introduced a much better way to perform this check. In the same way you check if Touch ID is enabled you can check if the device has a passcode.
Below is an example on how you can do this using canEvaluatePolicy.
The below PasscodeUtils.swift combines the two approaches to allow for you to support this functionality back to iOS 8.
Keychain sharing is an easy and secure way to share information between apps on the same device. This is even more useful when you think about sharing information between an app and it's extensions. In my opinion Keychain is just as easy as using NSUserDefaults but provides a greater level of security.
Although Keychain sharing is easy to use, I found the use of Access Groups or kSecAttrAccessGroup somewhat tricky. There are a few different ways of working with Keychain Groups I thought it might be useful to go through the approach I adopted for others looking to implement Keychain sharing within their own apps.
First you will need to setup Keychain sharing in your app. The below are some great tutorials to get you started.
Next, you will need to try to pass information between apps in your Keychain Group. Here is where I ran into my problem. At first I assumed that you simply set the kSecAttrAccessGroup value to the name of the Keychain Group you want to use. No matter the KeyChain Group value I tried, it always returned a nil.
Why? If you open your app's entitlement file you can see why. Your keychain access group is a calculated value of your Keychain Group and your $(AppIdentifierPrefix).
This means if you set kSecAttrAccessGroup to your keychain access group of com.bencoding.awesome-group it would always return nil. You would need to add the App ID Prefix (also called Team ID) to your Keychain Group. In our example this would be something like ABC1234DEF.com.bencoding.awesome-group.
Getting your App ID Prefix from the developer portal isn't the end of the world and the tutorials at the beginning of this article do a good job covering why this is necessary.
What is another "magic" string in your app?
If you are building enterprise apps which are often resigned or just hate using "magic" strings this approach leaves you looking for an alternative.
Another approach is to use the Keychain's own meta data find the App ID Prefix . All you need to do is create a keychain item and then read the returned kSecAttrAccessGroup value from the meta data. Using the provided kSecAttrAccessGroup value you can parse the App ID Prefix and default Keychain Access Group. Removing (or at least reducing) the need for "magic" strings.
I've encapsulated this approach into the KeyChainAccessGroupHelper.swift shown at the end of this post.
This approach makes using Keychain sharing with any of the popular Keychain libraries easier. Below demonstrates how to use KeyChainAccessGroupHelper with the KeychainAccess library.
KeyChainAccessGroupHelper is also used as part of the KeyStorage project.


text:
Nightclub banned from keeping live crocodiles
A nightclub has been banned from bringing in crocodiles as a new attraction for customers. Arabian Nites in Birmingham had already bought four of the reptiles. But council bosses have blocked the creature feature at the venue.
Club owner Qamran Rafique had hoped revellers would be able to feed the crocs. "It's a bit of a blow because I've paid for them," he said. "A friend is looking after them and I intend to have another go at getting permission.
"The idea was to let customers feed them but the council thought it was too dangerous." Birmingham City Council pulled the plug on proposed croc'n'roll nights on the grounds of public safety and animal welfare.
A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: "Arabian Nights made an enquiry about gaining permission to have crocodiles on its premises. The officer advised this would be unlikely, so the business decided not to pursue it any further." Qamran, who opened the venue a year ago, added:. "There are plenty of other plans. We're thinking of a shark tank."