I made up a reason to walk down to Itaewon and see if I could set up shop in a coffee shop to do a little blogging just to see how the experience is. I know a lot of people hang out in coffee shops to surf the net, write papers, blog and many other things because they have a lot of free time, want to get out of the dorms or are unemployed and can appreciate interaction with people a lot better when the only other choice is staying at home by yourself. I can say that the experience of sitting here among other people (even if they aren't speaking English) is pleasant. It gives me something to do other than just stare at my screen when I am trying to think about the next sentence.
It was easy enough to plan out how to make this trip. I already had a messenger bag and a sleeve I purchased from Amazon to carry the Surface RT with Type Cover. All I had to do was throw my hotspot in the bag as well as my wallet and phone and I was ready to go. Sadly, my messenger bag is way too big to bring just my RT. I normally use it to travel with as I think a messenger bag is better fort traveling than a backpack. Looks like I will be looking for a smaller bag for situations like this.
After getting to the coffee shop I was able to get a seat by the window so I could get the full "coffee shop blogging experience". The Surface fits nicely on the small table with plenty of room to still have space for my coffee and other things. The Type Cover is easy to use and copying and pasting is easy since I can use standard Windows Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V keyboard shortcuts. Also the ability to highlight one item and hold the shift key while using the arrow keys to select multiple items is a benefit.
I only have two complaints about the experience so. For some reason the Type Cover isn't registering my spacebar presses every single time. There have been times when I'm typing and I have to go back and correct a sentence because two words don't have a space between them. It only happens maybe 1 out of 50 times but it does in fact happen. I know it's not my typing because I haven't changed my typing style and it works most of the time but there are a few times in which it doesn't. Also the Surface wouldn't connect to a wifi point which I know is available. I can see that this place has a different wifi router for every floor and my phone connects just fine to the 3rd floor connection. For some reason the Surface will only see the 2nd floor router which causes me to get a weaker signal. This is the reason why I brought my personal hotspot with me. I knew there would be a freak chance that the coffee shop I found wouldn't have wifi or something wouldn't connect right.
In summary, the Surface RT excels in situations like this which I think it's designed for. This tablet isn't meant to be used as a tablet first but rather as a pseudo computer in situations where using your phone wouldn't be ideal but you wouldn't want to lug around a laptop either. I don't think an iPad or Android tablet would be the best in this situation either. The iPad would lag behind because I am doing a lot of switching between apps to get pictures and links and everyone knows the iPad isn't good at switching apps quickly. A 10" Android tablet would work but I don't know how well I'd be able to cut and paste in multiple locations. I honestly don't cut and paste much on my phone and when I had a Samsung Galaxy 10.1, cutting and pasting wasn't the easiest to accomplish. Also on the Surface I was able to have two browsers open at once. I am blogging from the desktop version of IE and surfing and getting links from the Modern UI version of IE. This is ideal when using multiple accounts which need to be open at the same time.
Anyway, the Surface is getting a 9 out of 10 for use in this situation since I accomplished everything in this post on the Surface. I did use my Galaxy S3 to take most of the pics. The one picture from inside of the coffee shop was taken with the Surface rear camera.
I see you are very into your tech toys lol. I just got the note II,and all that did for me was confirm that i am so far behind in this world of tablets,laptops,and now myphone lol..how you been man..
I've been chillin. Sorry I missed your comment from way back. I guess I should check my comments more often.


15 Ice Fang Ice Physical 65 95% 15 Has a 10% chance to freeze the target and a 10% chance to make the target flinch.
42 Thrash Normal Physical 120 100% 10 Hits every turn for 2-3 turns, then confuses the user.
48 Aqua Tail Water Physical 90 90% 10 Inflicts regular damage with no additional effect.
51 Superpower Fighting Physical 120 100% 5 Lowers the user's Attack and Defense by one stage after inflicting damage.
57 Hydro Pump Water Special 110 80% 5 Inflicts regular damage with no additional effect.
X If it loses a fang, a new one grows back in its place. There are always 48 fangs lining its mouth.
Y Once it bites down, it won't let go until it loses its fangs. New fangs quickly grow into place.


WildlifeGardener was formed to offer a unique reference point on attracting wildlife to your garden.
WildlifeGardener was founded by John Rowlinson, the founder of PtS.
John, through PtS, is involved in a number of ventures including software and property companies. A percentage of revenue from these activities goes towards funding WildlifeGardener and a number of similar sites.


Frigidaire Gallery 30", slide-in dual-fuel range features 4 sealed burners, convection oven with large oven window, and a warmer drawer with indicator light.
Additional Information Cast Iron Grates; Each Burner has a Individual Igniter; Wattage Bake Element : 3000w; Wattage Broil Element : 2750w; Convection Element Wattage : 350 w; Convection Fan : Fan Cuts Off When Door Opens.
Burners/Elements Output 1x 5,000 BTU; 1x 1,3000 BTU; 1x 9,100 BTU; 1x 9,100 BTU.
Additional Dimensions Main Oven Size : Width 22 5/8", Height 15 3/4", Depth 17 3/4".


The Sermon On The Mount is a famous sermon of Jesus Christ, peace be upon him, related in the Gospel of Matthew, verses 5 to 7. Regarded by many as the greatest sermon Jesus ever preached, the sermon contains some of the most well known teachings of Jesus, including the Lord's prayer, the beatitudes, and the golden rule. Though, for obvious reasons, the sermon has always occupied a central place in Christianity, the sermon contains profound wisdom, often recognised even by those not of the Christian faith. We include it here, as we believe and recognise the teachings found within this sermon, are timeless and beneficial for everyone to meditate upon, regardless of their own personal religious affiliations.
(3) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
(5) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
(6) Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
(7) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
(8) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
(9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
(10) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(11) Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
(12) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
(13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
(14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
(16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
(17) Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
(18) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
(19) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
(20) For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
(22) But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
(24) Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
(25) Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
(26) Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
(29) And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
(30) And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
(32) But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
(35) Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
(36) Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
(37) But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
(39) But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
(40) And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.
(41) And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
(42) Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
(43) Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
(45) That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
(46) For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
(47) And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
(48) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
(1) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
(2) Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(4) That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
(5) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(6) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
(7) But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
(8) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
(9) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
(10) Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(11) Give us this day our daily bread.
(12) And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
(15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
(16) Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
(18) That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.
(21) For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
(22) The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
(23) But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
(24) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
(25) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
(26) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
(27) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
(29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
(30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?
(31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
(32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
(33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
(34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
(1) Judge not, that ye be not judged.
(2) For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
(3) And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
(4) Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
(5) Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
(6) Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
(8) For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
(9) Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
(10) Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
(11) If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
(12) Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
(18) A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
(19) Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
(20) Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
(21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
(22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
(23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
(25) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
(27) And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
(29) For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.


With just six weekends to go, BLOODSTOCK release a limited number of day tickets at 9am this Friday, 29th June! Adult day tickets are priced at £65 (+ booking fee) and child day tickets at £20 (+ booking fee) and will be available at http://bloodstock.seetickets.com. You can still also pick up four-day 'weekend tickets with camping', priced £145 (+ booking fee), and children's weekend tickets at just £35 (+ booking fee). Children under 4 years old go free! Weekend tickets are selling faster than ever and just like last year, are highly likely to sell out in advance, so don't delay if you want to guarantee access to the UK's best metal weekender!
BLOODSTOCK can also share that blackened death metal band DEMONIC RESURRECTION (www.facebook.com/DemonicResurrection) are joining the Sophie Lancaster stage line-up on Sunday, replacing BIO CANCER who have regrettably had to cancel. Jetting in from Mumbai, India, DEMONIC RESURRECTION released their fifth album 'Dashavatar' earlier this year. Get familiar with their video for 'Narasimha – The Man-Lion', taken from that album, at: https://youtu.be/DVQkEAdVwUU.
The regional METAL 2 THE MASSES finals have continued to storm across the UK, helping BLOODSTOCK to add the best of up n' coming, grassroots talent to the New Blood stage for your attention this August! Friday brings melo-death Cardiff winners DEMOCRATUS (www.facebook.com/democratusband), Somerset champs KINASIS (www.facebook.com/Kinasis) with their brand of technical extreme metal, and Nottingham's top dogs UNDERDARK (www.facebook.com/Underdarkuk) – think Alcest, Oathbreaker, Deafheaven with a touch of Cult of Luna. Also snatching a guest spot are filthy, southern-fried, metal n' rollers KING BISON (www.facebook.com/kingbisonuk).
Joining the New Blood stage on Saturday, are thrash-tinged Newcastle victors KILONOVA (www.facebook.com/kilonovauk), hard rockers EQUINOX (www.facebook.com/EquinoxBandUK) who took first place in the Merseyside final, and Wrexham's winners CADANCE NOIR (www.facebook.com/cadencenoir), who describe themselves as goth folk n' roll!
Sunday's New Blood bill welcomes Devon/Cornwall conquerors ETHYRFIELD (www.facebook.com/ethyrfield), whose guitarist has even been mentored by the legendary Tony Iommi, doomy sludgers BARBARIAN HERMIT (www.facebook.com/barbarianhermit) who brought along all the riffs to win in Manchester, and from their excellent CD application, SERVERS (www.facebook.com/serversUK), described by Metal Hammer as "Mastodon meets Queen's brand of intelligent riffs." Adding some international flavour, are Polish winners, the anonymous mask-wearing PSYCHOTYPE (www.facebook.com/PsychoType) and Norway victors SKYBRUDD (www.facebook.com/skybruddband), a melting pot of doom/sludge/black/dark metal, as well as black n' roll troubadours, SRD (www.facebook.com/SrdOfficial/), via our band swap with Slovenian festival Metaldays!
Want to meet like-minded metalheads who're going to BLOODSTOCK? Got tips to share, want a camping buddy, or just to chat about bands? Maybe you want to ask if you're the only one taking a Hawaiian shirt for Cannibal Corpse's set (https://youtu.be/8dM_TN7I5m8)? Join these fan-run Facebook groups – Bloodstock Metal Forum 666 at www.facebook.com/groups/bmf666/ and/or Bloodstock Camp Loners & Newbies at www.facebook.com/groups/171715506329753/.
With Friday night headliners JUDAS PRIEST, Saturday headliners GOJIRA and Sunday's bill toppers NIGHTWISH announced, as well as EMPEROR, AT THE GATES, CANNIBAL CORPSE, DEVILDRIVER, WATAIN, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, WEDNESDAY 13, JASTA & FRIENDS, FEED THE RHINO, FOZZY, COMBICHRIST, BLOODBATH, ALESTORM, VENOM INC., MR BIG, ORPHANED LAND, KAMELOT, POWER TRIP, CONJURER, DORO, ORDEN OGAN, SEPTICFLESH, EXHORDER, PALLBEARER, MEMORIAM and many more, we're counting down the final days 'til BLOODSTOCK 2018!


text:
How can government lead during times of digital shake-up?
By Cheryl GeorgeJuly 20th, 2018
As digital tools, big data and a variety of new information technologies cause disruptive change across every sector of society, questions of leadership, direction and regulation feature more heavily in our discourse. Can there be an equilibrium between the regulation of powerful new tools and the maximisation of their benefits for citizens and businesses in a data-driven economy?
We spoke with Cheryl George, Group Leader in Government Business and Stakeholder Engagement at CSIRO's Data61, about government, collaboration and leadership during a time of digital disruption.
The role of government
Algorithm: What's driving governments, when it comes to the collection and analysis of large data sets?
Cheryl George: A major role for government is to provide services, and to do so in a way that makes best use of public money. Becoming more efficient, driving lower cost and greater efficiency and greater return on the investment from services provided and money spent is a key focus.
Governments understand that the interpretation of data, the act of drawing insight from it, helps identify where these efficiency gains can be made, or where you can use the information you have more effectively. Governments have great opportunities to be early movers in this space, as they use innovation to improve the delivery of services to the public.
Algorithm: What about trust, public perception and safety?
Cheryl George: It's always important to be careful about what you do with information. Whenever a government takes action, it has to have standards, consistent processes and practices in place. There are checks and balances – trust is what enables government to do its job.
We have to trust that when government receives our information, it will be handled in a way we're happy with, that makes sense, and that it will be used it for purposes it was intended for that they don't go outside these mutually agreed bounds.
Maintaining that trust is critical. Recent cyber breaches, for instance, have began to erode public trust is how data is stored and managed, so having robust and transparent standards on how data can be handled is important.
So, governments are in a good position to improve efficiency through innovation, but also highly conscious of the need to do it in a way that maintains trust.
Why Data61?
Algorithm: Where does a group like Data61 come into this?
Cheryl George: Maintaining trust in data whilst ensuring that you make full use of it to improve services aligns well with Data61's offering, and what we see as the pathway to successful innovation in this space. You need to have checks and balances, but you also need to be willing to explore out new ideas.
I think government in Australia is really starting to understand the potential value it may unlock through innovating in this space – a great example is its investment in the Platforms for Open Data (PFoD) initiative, which we delivers alongside the Federal Government. It's about supporting government agencies in exploring out new ideas or demonstrating new data-driven solutions, often in parallel to the current mode of delivery, or identifying ways to integrate new, data-driven insights into decision making.
We're watching governments evolve from 'we're just here to deliver services, to do as our legislation dictates' to an attitude of evolution and innovation. Our public expectations are changing too, both in terms of our service delivery expectations and modes, and the level of personalisation we expect. Government needs to keep pace.
Algorithm: Is there anything about Australia that makes us particularly well-placed for this style of governmental leadership?
Cheryl George: We have a pretty sound reputation, particularly regarding a robust approach to regulation. If you look at our medical sectors, as an example, we have a global reputation for having an incredibly strong regulatory framework in place. If you you want to get something approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and to have it approved for consumption by people, you have to go through rigorous checks and balances. Australia is respected internationally as trusted, well regulated market.
Algorithm: So that's something that can engender trust in a global context?
Cheryl George: Yes, that engenders trust in a range of different areas. It's not to say that the best approach is to always to heavily regulate, but it highlights the importance of thinking through the lens of how we ensure reliability, consistency and confidence. We're used to looking at a problem, then coming up with structures or solutions that allow maximum insight or value to be grained without turning a blind eye to some of the challenges.
The power of the network
Algorithm: How does Data61 help lead the growth of networks and knowledge sharing, with the aim of building trust, security and increases the chance of success for these innovations?
Cheryl George: We're working with governments across Australia to support building digital maturity and skills within their workforces, exploring the potential of new technologies in their practices and identifying new innovation opportunities, but it's critical this is a two way street. Government sees the need to embrace new approaches to their data but the onus is also on groups like us to help bridge the gap, and drive a better understanding of how new data-driven approaches can support their activities. There's brilliant research, but that can't happen in splendid isolation. It takes co-development to take these new ideas forward.
Algorithm: So strong networks help?
Cheryl George: We're lucky here. There are already solid connections between our academic landscape, the research community, industry and government. There's a genuine opportunity when we band together to co-develop solutions. In some areas, our local research is right up there with the best in the world – and these networks can be powerful in helping us develop solutions at home for a global context, too.
Algorithm: How does this process benefit from leadership and guidance?
Cheryl George: This is also our big differentiator. Increasingly in Australia, and particularly in Data61, we're focusing our research on finding solutions to real-world problems. We've set as our vision to not just progress and elevate foundational, data research in Australia, but to do so with an eye its real world relevance, and to look at the way Australian research can impact real world problems and challenges.
And this is not just a Data61 story, we're drawing on a national network of highly skilled, passionate researchers and engineers who are having an impact They'll run through walls to get something done. They want to have an impacts. It's a really good place to play, and an amazing story – and opportunity – for the country.
Algorithm: Does this approach have a positive impact in the ecosystem?
Cheryl George: A big challenge for the country is that we have a lot of capability spread across the academic network, but it's really difficult for researchers to gather around projects unless they're supported to do that work.
What our network has thrown into the mix through our formalised relationships with our university partners is an easy mechanisms to enable we can pull in specialist capability to be brought in for short term projects or part time, so researchers get the opportunity to work on interesting ideas or projects outside of their own work and organisation, building new knowledge and linkages.
It galvanises connectivity and understanding of what others around you do, and how it might be relevant. We're starting to really see the valuable outcomes which can come from enabling independent researchers the opportunity to add their capability to the pool and co-develop, and there's not a lot of places doing that well, without great incentive.
D61+ Live 2017: Highlights and speakers
The new program creating Australia's next batch of product leaders
Issue6
Media and Impact – Issue 6
June felt like the busiest month so far in 2018, for Data61 - below are some highlights
CEO opinion – Adrian Turner on why Australia's missing the chance to lead on AI
The key to achieving long-term structural change from AI lies in the power of these emerging systems to learn and modify themselves without human intervention
Leadership and diversity during change and disruption – a personal perspective
Data61's Hilary Cinis is going to be delivering a keynote talk at D61+ Live in September 2018 - read about her personal experiences with leadership, AI and ethics here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Exotic Trade
A Trade in Misery & Death
Despite the risks to local wild populations and despite the terrible toll in suffering and loss of life in capture and transit, wild species are caught in foreign lands, shipped to the UK and sold in pet shops or by other means. Laboratories, in the so-called civilised world, pay for the capture and shipping of primates, for laboratory animal experimentation.
Huge percentages of all these unfortunates die in transit or in lairages. Tropical birds, tropical fish, reptiles and many other species suffer this iniquitous predation.
The extreme profitability of the industry compensates for the drastic wastage involved. Some species are threatened with extinction. To make things worse, some conservation experts advocate, in deprived areas of the world, cashing in on the 'value' of wildlife on world markets, so that its 'value' becomes appreciated by the indigenous human population, thus hopefully leading to conservation efforts. This argument seems full of potential fallacy and is likely to have the opposite effect.
Apart from the terrible toll, whether in loss of life or in serious suffering, we have real-life scenarios in the UK, in which 'escapes' of exotic species colonise their new home country, taking over ecological niches from indigenous species, interbreeding with indigenous species and sometimes destroying environments. Sometimes, the original importation was done with the best intentions. The Parakeets in the London area (1960), the Egyptian Goose (18th Century), the Ruddy Duck (1960), the Australian Black Swan, the Mink, the American Crayfish, the Grey Squirrel and the Canada Goose are clear examples, of varying 'severity'. An added risk exists; that of the spread of exotic infectious animal diseases and zoonoses (diseases transmissible to man). On October 21st, 2005, British authorities confirmed that a parrot imported from Surinam had died in quarantine in Essex, after being infected with avian influenza, which was later confirmed as the deadly H5N1 strain.
The best protection for so-called 'valuable' exotic species (whether mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods etc.) or their products (e.g. fur, hides, snake skins, alligator skins, crocodile skins and ivory) is to remove the market. If people don't buy, no one can sell!
There is some legislation, affecting certain species:
Control of Trade in Endangered Species (Enforcement) Regulations 1997
EU CITES Legislation
An article citing more detailed and authoritative information can be found at:
http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/679/Commercial-Trade-Wildlife-COLLECTORS-RARE-EXOTIC-SPECIES.html
Another example of unwise importation (while not exactly representing exotic trade) is the Harlequin Ladybird. This was imported to the USA from Asia in order to perform biological 'pest control'. It has since taken over in a major way and is invading the UK, too. It is very predatory and is a threat to a great many indigenous species of ladybirds, butterflies and other insects, that are such integral parts of our UK ecosystem, seriously threatening our biodiversity. It is hard to imagine what those who make these mistakes think might happen!
http://www.ladybird-survey.org/harlequin.aspx & http://www.harlequin-survey.org/default.htm


Chocolate Lover | Royer's flowers and gifts - Flowers, Plants and Gifts with same day delivery for all occasions.
The perfect gift for the chocolate lover…a gift selection of chocolate treats including sweets from several local companies! Includes chocolate covered pretzels, chocolate bars, cookies, and more! 11"H x 14"W Item #G-544.