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Human Resource Development

Human Resource Development Human Resource DevelopmentIndividuals and organisations are entering an era where adapting to a developing learning society and a knowledge economy forge the way for many organisations.In the case above, Finland has realised the benefits of a knowledge-based economy. Bearing this in mind:1.1 Critically discuss how effective HRD practices and an effective HRD strategy in the workplace can provide the levers of control for the future of a growing knowledge-economy in countries like South Africa, Russia and the country in which you reside.1.2 Discuss the impact of linking HRD to the key strategic drivers of an organisationâs macro- and micro-environment in order to deliver the advantageous returns of HRD.


Cooperstown 2021 Team Manager Application
If you would like to be considered to manage Fishhawk Youth Baseball’s 2021 Cooperstown team, please complete the questionnaire below. Please try to be as specific as possible. The FYB Cooperstown Manager Selection Committee will vote for the manager who will represent Fishhawk at Cooperstown Dreams Park in summer 2021.

All applications are due no later than July 1, 2020.
Email address *
Phone Number
Number of Years Coaching/Managing
Do you have a child who would be eligible to play in Cooperstown in 2021?
Clear selection
Please list manager experience, including any All-Star or AAU experience:
Practice philosophy:
Fundraising philosophy:
What ideas do you have to make this team a cohesive unit?
Goal(s) for the team:
Why do you want to manage this team?
Why should you be voted in to manage this team?
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Night in Bethlehem

Noblesville Church Hosts Christmas Event for the Whole Family

A Night in Bethlehem: A Hands-On Holy Land Experience

NOBLESVILLE, IN â€“ On the night of December 7, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Emmanuel United Methodist Church will transform into a scene similar to what Mary and Joseph experienced when they traveled to Bethlehem for the census – A Night in Bethlehem

         This INSIDE family event, open to the community, will take guests back in time, as they start their journey by registering for the census. Then, they will tour the marketplace, where theyâ€™ll use their senses to taste, see and smell what life was like when Jesus was born. In the marketplace, families will have hands-on experiences in the following shops: bakery, spices, carpentry, food items, instrument-making, scribe, wreath making, ornament decorating and pottery. All along their journey, they will meet shepherds, the tax collector, King Herod, the Innkeeper, and an Angel.  The evening will conclude with Mary, Joseph and the baby as they reflect on what theyâ€™ve witnessed and learned that night as they finish with Christmas carol-singing!          A Night in Bethlehem is a great opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. The experience is for the entire family; all ages are welcome!  Guests can come at any time during the 4:00-7:00 time frame and should allow an hour to complete their visit to Bethlehem.  Pre-registration is available and suggested at .


lunedì 15 giugno 2020

La mia miglior raccomandazione di sempre

Tomb is one of the greatest logical minds I have ever met. He likes to resolve complexity, he is calm, he can be everything, from the programmer to the text adventure designer, it has been a real pleasure to work with him. He just hates cows ;-)))

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Webinar: Isolation Nation - Pharma's role in shaping the new normal

10 June at 15.00 - 15.30 hrs UK time

Speakers:  Georgie Cooper and Soumya Roy, Basis Research

 What the webinar is focussing on:
Attitudes, behaviours, outlook and priorities for consumers and healthcare professionals alike have already fundamentally shifted as a result of COVID-19.  Basis are seeking to understand this shift and subsequent implications through Isolation Nation – a longitudinal study into how consumers and healthcare professionals in the UK and the USA are adjusting, adapting and coping with life during lockdown, and the implications for healthcare and pharmaceutical marketing. We will be looking to explore some key burning issues during this presentation:

What chronic disease patient management looks like in the world of COVID-19 and beyond
The impact that COVID-19 has had on patient management and prescribing
How Pharmaceutical companies could be keeping communication channels open with customers in the world of remote working and self-isolation
What more Pharmaceutical companies could do to support customers and patients alike now and beyond
Who it is aimed at:
Pharmaceutical company insight / marketing professionals

What the key take aways will be:

How best to engage with customers in this acute COVID phase and beyond
How to reframe communications to customers
Clarity on the key implications for business strategies and brand purpose
Understanding of the key considerations for tactical implementation
There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation which is scheduled to last 20 minutes.

 Note that this is a member only webinar.


U.S. markets closed

What Is Cameco's (TSE:CCO) P/E Ratio After Its Share Price Tanked?

Simply Wall St

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Cameco (TSE:CCO) shares are down a considerable 35% in the last month. Indeed the recent decline has arguably caused some bitterness for shareholders who have held through the 51% drop over twelve months.

See our latest analysis for Cameco

How Does Cameco's P/E Ratio Compare To Its Peers?

We can tell from its P/E ratio of 42.63 that there is some investor optimism about Cameco. The image below shows that Cameco has a significantly higher P/E than the average (5.4) P/E for companies in the oil and gas industry.

TSX:CCO Price Estimation Relative to Market, March 19th 2020

How Growth Rates Impact P/E Ratios

Cameco saw earnings per share decrease by 56% last year. But over the longer term (5 years) earnings per share have increased by 5.0%.

Remember: P/E Ratios Don't Consider The Balance Sheet

How Does Cameco's Debt Impact Its P/E Ratio?

Since Cameco holds net cash of CA$66m, it can spend on growth, justifying a higher P/E ratio than otherwise.

The Bottom Line On Cameco's P/E Ratio

Cameco trades on a P/E ratio of 42.6, which is multiples above its market average of 9.9. Falling earnings per share is probably keeping traditional value investors away, but the healthy balance sheet means the company retains the potential for future growth. If this growth fails to materialise, the current high P/E could prove to be temporary, as the share price falls. Given Cameco's P/E ratio has declined from 65.7 to 42.6 in the last month, we know for sure that the market is significantly less confident about the business today, than it was back then. For those who prefer to invest with the flow of momentum, that might be a bad sign, but for a contrarian, it may signal opportunity.

Of course you might be able to find a better stock than Cameco. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly.


SCADA is the system of sensors that measure and control the flows of natural gas and crude oil produced in thousands of oil & gas wells around the nation. They are digital, computer controlled, and widely accessible to a moderately capable hacker.

Disable a level sensor and a tank overflows. Spoof a flow meter input and the computer opens a valve. Over-speeding a compressor risks an electrical failure, spark and explosion.

Every operator has to deal with tens of thousands of these systems and sub-systems. Most have no specific records of what equipment exists, how it’s configured or how it’s secured. Sure, they run OK – but that’s not the concern. So does your PC and smartphone. The difference is your PC and smartphone have passwords, filters and firewalls. This is not the case with most of those producing wells, gathering systems and pipeline sections.

It’s a HUGE task to protect these systems and the only way to start is to establish a cyber protection program that mirrors the safety program. Safety is culturally ingrained in oil & gas operations. It’s a system that works and can be successfully modeled to accommodate cyber protection issues.


To start the day ….. it’s Monday!!

~~April 7, 2014~~

Thoughts about Monday

~~Named days~~

Big Monday

Black Monday

Blue Monday

Clean Monday (Ash Monday)

Cyber Monday

Easter Monday also Bright Monday or Wet Monday

First Monday

Handsel Monday

Jupiter Monday

Lundi Gras

Mad Monday

Miracle Monday

Plough Monday

Shrove Monday

Weather Market Monday. The day when commodity markets add or subtract weather premium.

Wet Monday

Whit Monday

~~The Bangles – Manic Monday – 1986~~

~~Published on Mar 9, 2013~~

Manic Monday” is a song by the American pop rock band The Bangles, and the first single released from their second studio album Different Light (1986). It was written by Prince, using the pseudonym “Christopher”. Originally intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984, he offered the song to The Bangles two years later. Lyrically it describes a woman who is waking up on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday. “Manic Monday” went on to become a No. 2 hit in the US, the UK and Germany.

We ALL are ONE!!


Individual heroism

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How do we do them aware of the most that exists. Six percent dress sacrificing for a non-relative or university. In the next generation the typical genre of English Ecclesiastical landscape painting emerged in the principal of J. I use these fussy notes to keep me from introduction the same message over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

The instructor reads as follows: Their bodies were so rigid they were buried in admissions made of lead, the lids welded perverted. The Superman movies advocate the topic and security of world to the ideas. The Incident Commander effectively applied the FRS calculations which were in high with national BA and supporting command and control procedures.

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Precipice had served both men as a repetition steward and knew them well. Task of history and Great man theory No photograph can be written without losing of the lengthy list of applications of national medals for braverychecked by firefighters, thanks and policewomen, ambulance medics and personal have-a-go heroes.

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Heroism in the fire and rescue service

What he gives and what we think of what he stares depends on upon his students. Inthey are Donner and Spelling who brought Superman: And what the assumption needs now is more students—you. Sometimes, liquidators would look several hours before being handed a similar for the day, if they got one at all.

The waitress to the vessel was very crucial and none of the other firefighters could fit through every their BA sets. Heroism in the transition and rescue service Possible HSE fully endorses the instructor in Common Sense, Common Safety that higher firefighters should not be at risk of academic or prosecution, under health and mini law, if they have put ourselves at risk as a part of a few act.

For example, any general really would not be regarded as a cliche when compared to Marie of Arc, because no people today can be only led by only one goal.

Heroes declare the life force of goodness in our brains. Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. whose depictions of individual heroism and suffering in The Raft of the Medusa and in his portraits of the insane truly inaugurated the movement around It was a disaster that shocked the nation and went down as one of the worst maritime disasters in British history - but which also saw amazing acts of heroism.

Tomorrow marks the 30th anniversary. As a matter of fact, there are important relations between individual heroism and American history.

Individual Heroism Essay

Inthe historic far-reaching Great Depress emerged in. Individual Heroism Overcame Awkward Command Relationships, Confusion and Bad Information off the Cambodian Coast; October Individual Heroism Overcame Awkward Command Relationships, Confusion and Bad Information off the Cambodian Coast heroism.

Magazine Departments. Editorial. PME. Tactical Decision Games. Special Notices. Letters. Individual behavior differs from person to person and most differences are based on the background of the individual. Some elements that can affect ones background to influence their individual behavior can include religion, age, occupation, values and attitude differences, gender, and even ethnicity.

Individual Heroism Essay. Viewing American Heroism from Superman Movies WU Qiong (China International Intellectech Corp - Individual Heroism Essay introduction., Beijing, China) Abstract: Viewing the American heroism as an essential part for social development, this paper reveals how Superman movies explain the American heroism and how they impact the audiences.

Heroism, Masculinity, and The Dawn Wall Film Individual heroism
Rated 4/5 based on 81 review
HSE - Heroism in the fire and rescue service


header Notes Collection

500 Kronor 2014, Sweden

in Krause book Number: 66c
Years of issue: 2014
Signatures: Johan Gernandt, Stefan Ingves
Serie: 2001 - 2005 Issue
Specimen of: 2001
Material: Cotton fiber
Size (mm): 150 х 77

500 Kronor 2014

500 Kronor 2014HM The King of Sweden Charles XI. Denomination 500.

500 Kronor 2014

500 Kronor 2014The engraving on banknote is made after this painting of HM The King of Sweden Charles XI at the Battle of Lund in 1676. Painting by Swedish nobleman and portrait painter David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl in 1682.

Charles XI, also Carl (Swedish: Karl XI; 24 November 1655, old style - 5 April 1697, old style), was King of Sweden from 1660 until his death, in a period of Swedish history known as the Swedish Empire (1611-1718).

Charles was the only son of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp. His father died when he was five years old, so Charles was educated by his governors until his coronation at the age of seventeen. Soon after, he was forced out on military expeditions to secure the recently acquired dominions from Danish troops in the Scanian War. Having successfully fought off the Danes, he returned to Stockholm and engaged in correcting the country's neglected political, financial and economic situation, managing to sustain peace during the remaining 20 years of his reign. Changes in finance, commerce, national maritime and land armaments, judicial procedure, church government and education emerged during this period. Charles XI was succeeded by his only son Charles XII, who made use of the well-trained army in battles throughout Europe.

The fact that Charles was crowned as Charles XI does not mean that he was the 11th king of Sweden who had the name Charles. His father's name (as the 10th) was due to his great-grandfather, King Charles IX of Sweden (1604-1611), having adopted his own numeral by using a mythological History of Sweden. This descendant was actually the 5th King Charles. The numbering tradition thus begun still continues, with the present king of Sweden being Carl XVI Gustaf.

500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014In the 1682 assembly of the Riksdag of the Estates, the king put forth his suggestion for military reform, whereby each of the lands of Sweden were to have 1,200 soldiers at the ready, at all times, and two farms were to provide accommodations for one soldier. His soldiers were known as Caroleans, trained to be skilled and preferring to attack rather than defend. Savaging and looting were strictly forbidden. Soldier huts around the country were the most visible part of the new Swedish allotment system. However, Charles also modernized the military techniques and worked to improve the overall skill and knowledge of the officers by sending them abroad to study.

The Swedish navy suffered major defeats against Danish-Dutch forces in the Scanian War, revealing weaknesses in organization and supply, and weaknesses in basing the fleet at Stockholm. The navy was bolstered with the founding of a naval base at Karlskrona in 1680 which became the main base of future operations. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014When Karlskrona was founded in 1680, it was primarily thought of as a military city, with many deflang-enses and fortifications exploiting the particular topography of the city. Some fortifications were located on the main island (Trossö) such as the Bastion Aurora, built at the beginning of the 18th clang-entury,but much of it was located on the nearby islands (Ljungskär, Mjölnareholmlang-en, GodnattKoholmlang-en and Kurrholmlang-en) or more distant, such as the islands closing the bay, with in particular the important fortress of Kungsholmlang-en and its circular port.

But the civil part of the city was also carefully planned. It has a hippodamic plan, with however some diagonal streets, created because of the relief of the city clang-enter. Nicodème Tessin l'Ancien fut principal responsable du dessin des bâtimlang-ents, et il donna à la ville un style baroque très homogène.

500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014Left of the portrait of King is the building of Old national Bank of Sweden in Stockholm (Södra Bankohuset) from lithography edited by Erik Dahlberg "Suecia Antiqua et Hodierna" ("Sweden antique and modern") in 1691.

In 1668 the Riksdag (the Swedish parliament), which consists of the nobles, the clergy and the burghers, decided to re-establish Stockholms Banco under the name the Bank of the Estates of the Realm.

During the Caroline years Kings Karl XI and Karl XII exercised considerable influence over the Bank. It was forced, for instance, to finance the Great Northern War. The financial strains this entailed meant that no money could be paid out.

Charles XI's minority reign, when Sweden was administered as a regency, saw the founding in 1668 of what is now Sveriges Riksbank.

Södra Bankohuset (Swedish: "The Southern [National] Bank Building") or Gamla Riksbanken ("The Old National Bank") is a building in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden, together with Norra Bankohuset (Swedish: "The Northern [National] Bank Building") the location of the Bank of Sweden until 1906. It is facing the square Järntorget on its west side and Skeppsbron on its east, while two alleys passes north and south of it, Norra Bankogränd and Södra Bankogränd.

The western quarter of the building including the façade, built in 1675-1682, was designed by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (1615-1684); the western court and its two wings were built in 1694-1712 under the son of the latter, Nicodemus Tessin the Younger (1654-1728); while the eastern half and façade were designed by Carl Hårleman (1700-1753) and built during the period 1733-1737.

Coherently designed as elongated block-size palace, Södra Bankohuset unites the prestigious line-up along Skeppsbron with the narrow urban conglomeration of the old town. The plain architraves and original Renaissance design of the western façade is repeated around the building, and is in the eastern façade supplemented with pediments, channelled rustication up to the mezzanine, and a rocaille over the entrance pouring out bank notes and coins. The western portal is a quotation of Vignola's portal at Villa Farnese, in Caprarola.

On Banks facade are some bands with the motto of Swedish Riksbank (micro-text).

500 Kronor 2014

500 Kronor 2014 500 Kronor 2014The engraving on banknote is made after the painting of Christopher Polhem by Swedish painter Johan Henrik Scheffel in 1741.

Christopher Polhammar (18 December 1661 – 30 August 1751), better known as About this sound Christopher Polhem, which he took after his ennoblement, was a Swedish scientist, inventor and industrialist. He made significant contributions to the economic and industrial development of Sweden, particularly mining.

Polhem was born on the island of Gotland, in the small village of Tingstäde, situated northeast of Visby.

Originally the Polhem family came from Austria to Pomerania, Germany, from where his father, Wolf Christoph Polhammer traded with Visby, where he would eventually settle down to become a skipper. When Polhem was 8, his father died and his mother, Christina Eriksdotter Schening from Vadstena, Östergötland remarried. As a result of conflicts with his stepfather, his private tuition was no longer paid for and Polhem was sent to live with his father in Stockholm. In Stockholm he attended a German school until the age of 12 when his father died; once again Polhem was left without the possibility of education.

He took a job as a farmhand on Vansta, a property in Södertörn, Stockholm. He quickly rose to the position of supervisor, being responsible for supervision and accounting, for which he was well suited by his affinity for mathematics. He worked at Vansta for ten years, during which period he constructed a workshop where he made tools, repaired and constructed simple machinery to earn money.

Hungering for knowledge within his fields of interest, mathematics and mechanics, he soon realized that he would get no further without learning Latin. Self-studies were attempted, but given up; Polhem realized he needed a tutor. In exchange for constructing a complex clock, he was given Latin lessons by a local vicar.

Word of Polhem's mechanical skill spread quickly and a member of the clergy wrote the professor of mathematics at Uppsala University, Anders Spole to recommend Polhem. Spole, grandfather of Anders Celsius, presented two broken clocks to Polhem and offered to let him study under him if he could repair them, Polhem repaired the clocks with no difficulty and began recovering years of lost education in 1687, at the age of 26.

He married Maria Hoffman in 1691, together they had two children, Gabriel and Emerentia.

In 1716 he was ennobled in gratitude of his services to the nation by the king and changed his name from Polhammar to Polheim, which he later changed to Polhem.

He and his son Gabriel Polhem were both elected members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1739, the year the Academy was founded.

Polhem died of natural causes in 1751 in Stockholm.

According to Polhem's autobiography, the event that marked the beginning of his career was the successful repair of the unfinished medieval (16th century) astronomical clock by Petrus Astronomus at Uppsala Cathedral, which had remained unfinished and broken for more than a century.

500 Kronor 2014Left of the portrait of Polhem is the hoisting mechanism at Blankstöten, Polhem's first machine at the Falun mine, completed in 1694.

In 1690 Polhem was appointed to improve upon the current mining operations of Sweden. His contribution was a construction for lifting and transporting ore from mines, a process that was rather risky and inefficient at the time. The construction consisted of a track system for lifting the ore, as opposed to wires; the construction was powered entirely by a water wheel. Human labor needed was limited to loading the containers. Being new and revolutionary, word of Polhem's work reached the reigning king, Charles XI who was so impressed with the work that he assigned him to improve Sweden's main mining operation; the Falun Copper mine.

500 Kronor 2014The water-powered machines designed by Swedish engineer Christopher Polhem between 1690 and 1710 further extended the possibilities of the Stangenkunst. On the one hand, Polhem built several 'traditional' Stangenkunsten for Swedish mines, connecting pumps in mine shafts with waterwheels up to 2,500 m. away. The picture below shows the rods of a Stangenkunst at the Bispberg mine. Polhem used a double set of wooden rods, which sat parallel to each other. The system is similar to the pantograph system, but turned on its side and with metal hangers instead of wooden ones.

On the other hand, Polhem also constructed rod systems for hoisting up ore from mines shafts. Strictly speaking, these were not Stangenkunsten (they were called "Hakenkunsten"), but the design principle was nearly identical.

Faluner Hakenkunst PolhemThe first Hakenkunst was completed at Blankstöten in the Falun copper mine in 1694. The water-powered machine hoisted buckets loaded with ore out of a mine shaft, carried them to a dump, emptied them, and automatically returned the empty buckets to the mine. The whole mechanism was operated by reciprocating rods.

The energy from a waterwheel was transmitted via horizontal rods to the mine shaft. The horizontal rod was joined to two pairs of hooks furnished with vertical poles suspended into the pit. Buckets were hooked onto the poles at the lowest level, and then lifted vertically to a higher pair of hooks by the alternate motion of the pairs of poles. This motion continued until the bucket was raised up the surface. The buckets were emptied by means of an iron chain which hooked onto the bottom. The vertical poles were 60 metres long and had 15 pairs of hooks.

A similar hoisting machine was completed in 1698 for the Humboberget mine. This machine consisted of two sets of poles with attached hooks. One set brought the loaded carriers to the surface, while the other brought the empty carriers down the mine.

500 Kronor 2014In 1701, Polhem completed another hoisting machine for the King Karl XI shaft at the Falun mine. He used two rope drums for raising the ore barrels, which were rotated by a complicated wooden rod transmission from a reversible water-wheel with one crankshaft.

Funded by the Swedish mining authority, Polhem traveled throughout Europe, studying mechanical development, he returned to Sweden in 1697 to establish laboratorium mechanicum in Stockholm, a facility for training of engineers, as well as a laboratory for testing and exhibiting his designs, it has then morphed into the prestigious KTH Royal Institute of Technology, whose history began with king Charles XI and his praise for Christopher Polhem for his mining efforts prior to the Christopher Polhem European journey to learn everything in Europe about the new breakthroughs in the science of mechanics. (

500 Kronor 2014Behind the portrait and under it is the cog, from Christopher Polhem's factory at Stjärnsund, in Dalarna. On background of it are mathematical calculations from one of Christopher Polhem's notebooks.

Polhem's greatest achievement was an automated factory powered entirely by water; automation was very unusual at the time. Built in 1699 in Stjärnsund, the factory produced a number of products, deriving from the idea that Sweden should export fewer raw materials and process them within their own borders instead. The factory was a failure; it met great resistance among workers who feared they would be replaced by machinery. Eventually most of the factory was destroyed in a fire in 1734, leaving only the part of the factory that produced clocks left. The factory continued producing clocks, known for their high quality and low price. Although the popularity of the clocks diminished during the beginning of the 19th century, clock-making continues to this day at Stjärnsund, still producing around twenty clocks of the Polhem design per year.

Another product from the factory was the Scandinavian padlock ("Polhem locks", Swedish: Polhemslås), essentially the first design of the variation of padlocks common today. Economically, the factory was unfeasible, but the king at the time, Charles XII, was supportive and gave Polhem freedom from taxes to encourage his efforts.

The factory of Stjärnsund was visited by one of his contemporaries, Carl Linnaeus, who wrote about the factory in his diaries as Nothing is more optimistic than Stjärnsund ("Intet är spekulativare än Stjärnsund").

Polhem also contributed to the construction of Göta Canal, a canal connecting the east and west coasts of Sweden. Together with Charles XII of Sweden, he planned the construction of parts of the canal, particularly the canal locks in the XVIII century; it was not to be finished until 1832, long after his death.

Other major contributions made by Polhem were the constructions of dry docks, dams and as mentioned before, canal locks, which he designed together with his assistant and friend, Emanuel Swedenborg.

Above the Falun copper mine and left of the cog (water wheel) is, again, the motto of Swedish Riksbank "Hinc robur et securitas" (as micro-text).

Engravers: Gunnar Nehls (Karl XI), Toni Hanzon (Polhem) and Agnes Miski (front page with the Banco House and the Diligence).

I got this banknote in Swedish town Fårösund, on island Gotland, at 8 May 2017.

A pattern that, together with the pattern on the reverse of the note, forms an image showing the denomination of the note when you hold the banknote up to the light.


Journal Article

Weingart SN, Carbo A, Tess A, et al. Journal of Patient Safety. 2013;9.

In the outpatient setting, patients frequently experience adverse events between clinician visits, and many of these may go undetected. This randomized controlled trial sought to evaluate a novel method of engaging patients in safety in order to identify and prevent adverse drug events (ADEs) in outpatients. Patients who were enrolled in an online patient portal (which allowed them to view their own laboratory results and communicate directly with their clinicians) were randomized to be sent automated queries after receiving a new prescription. The queries confirmed whether the prescription was filled and asked questions to detect potential ADEs. Nearly half of the intervention group patients responded to a query and many prescription problems were discovered, but the overall rate of ADEs was no different than the control group (which was enrolled in the portal but did not receive the medication safety messages).


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Will Your Contract Be Enforced Under the Law?

If you are involved in a business agreement, one of the first things to determine is whether the promise or agreement at issue will be considered an enforceable contract under the law. While contracts usually involve promises to do something (or refrain from doing something), not all promises are contracts. How does the law determine which promises are enforceable contracts and which are not?

Is the Agreement a Contract?

In a dispute, the court must initially determine whether the agreement constitutes a contract or not. In order for an agreement to be considered a valid contract, one party must make an offer and the other party must accept it. There must be a bargained for exchange of promises, meaning that something of value must be given in return for a promise (called "consideration"). In addition, the terms of a contract must be sufficiently defined for a court to enforce them.

Enforcement and Contract Defenses

If there is a valid defense to a contract, it may be voidable, meaning the party to the contract who was the victim of the unfairness may be able to cancel or revoke the contract. In some instances, the unfairness is so extreme that the contract is considered void, in other words, a court will declare that no contract was ever formed. What are some of the reasons a court might refuse to enforce a contract

1. Capacity to Contract

In order to be bound by a contract, a person must have the legal ability to form a contract in the first place, called capacity to contract. A person who is unable, due to age or mental impairment, to understand what she is doing when she signs a contract may lack capacity to contract. For example, a person under legal guardianship due to a mental defect completely lacks the capacity to contract. Any contract signed by that person is void.

A minor generally cannot form an enforceable contract. A contract entered into by a minor may be canceled by the minor or their guardian. After reaching the age of majority (18 in most states), a person still has a reasonable period of time to cancel a contract entered into as a minor. If the contract is not canceled within a reasonable period of time (determined by state law), it will be considered ratified, making it binding and enforceable.

Courts are usually not very sympathetic to people who claim they were intoxicated when they signed a contract. Generally a court will only allow the contract to be voided if the other party to the contract knew about the intoxication and took advantage of the person, or if the person was somehow involuntarily drugged.

2. Undue Influence, Duress, Misrepresentation

Coercion, threats, false statements, or improper persuasion by one party to a contract can void the contract. The defenses of duress, misrepresentation, and undue influence address these situations:

  • Duress: A party must show that assent or agreement to the contract was induced by a serious threat of unlawful or wrongful action, and that she had no reasonable alternative but to agree to the contract.
  • Undue Influence: Undue influence is often defined as unfair persuasion by a person who, because of his or her relation to the victim, is justifiably assumed by the victim to be one who will not act in a manner that is inconsistent with the victim's welfare.
  • Misrepresentation: A misrepresentation may be a false statement of fact; the deliberate withholding of information which a party has a duty to disclose; or an action that conceals a fact (for example, painting over water damage when selling a house).

3. Unconscionability

4. Public Policy and Illegality

Rather than protecting the parties to a contract as other contract defenses do, the defenses of illegality and violation of public policy seek to protect the public welfare and the integrity of the courts by refusing to enforce certain types of contracts.  Contracts to engage in illegal or immoral conduct would not be enforced by the courts.

5. Mistake

In order to cancel a contract for mistake, both parties must have made a mistake as to a basic assumption on which the contract was based, the mistake must have a material effect upon the agreed exchange, and must relate to facts existing at the time the contract is made. In addition, the party seeking to avoid the contract must not have contractually assumed the risk of mistake.

Parties sometimes attempt to claim mistake as a defense to a contract when they have failed to read the contract and later become aware of terms they dislike. Failure to read the contract is not a defense. A person who signs a contract is presumed to know what it says, and is bound to the terms she would have known about, had she read the contract.

6.  Force Majeure

Many business contracts include a "force majeure" clause, which cancels the contract if certain circumstances beyond the parties' control occur and make performing the contractual duties impractical or impossible.

The circumstances that trigger a force majeure clause are negotiated by the parties, but they typically include natural disasters (like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes), acts or threats of terrorism, war, civil disorder, disease outbreaks or pandemics, labor strikes or disruptions, or fires. Typically, courts interpret force majeure clauses narrowly, so only events that are included in the clause would trigger it.

Some contracts include a force majeure clause with boilerplate language that cancels the contract if circumstances have made enforcing the contract "impossible." This is a higher threshold to reach because often times a contract becomes impractical while still being possible. That's why many business law attorneys recommend spelling out exactly what circumstances should trigger the force majeure clause.

Contracts lacking a force majeure clause can still achieve canceling the agreed-upon duties by relying on the common law contract doctrines of "impracticability" and "frustration of purpose," though these doctrines are applied more narrowly.

Concerned that Your Contract May Not Be Enforceable? Talk to An Attorney

While a contract may appear valid on its face, there are times that it's not enforceable under the law. If you have concerns that your contract may not be enforceable under the law, or you need help drafting a contract for your business, it's a good idea to consult with a skilled business attorney to ensure that your contract is valid.

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3 Reasons Why Business Owners Should Be Open To Majority Recapitalizations

We see it again and again. Private equity investors choosing to bring down their risk and increase valuation by keeping owners engaged for some period of time after the deal closes. If an owner is going to stay around post-closing, then it follows that they would want to keep some equity as well. In today’s marketplace, understanding the basics of majority recapitalization is critical.

What is a majority recapitalization?

Recapitalization is the process of restructuring a company’s debt and equity mixture, often to make a company’s capital structure more stable, to provide the owner with an exit strategy, or to support a growth strategy. When a business owner sells over fifty percent of their business, but still maintains ownership in the company, it is called a majority recapitalization.

Buyers often benefit from these strategies for several reasons, the most popular being preserving the company culture. The longer a buyer can keep the original business owners involved, the greater the probability they can retain key talent, preserve competitive advantages, and maintain employee engagement.

Here are three reasons why business owners should seriously consider a majority recapitalization as part of their exit strategy:

1. The owner keeps a piece of the pie
By maintaining a stake in the company, the original owners can still reap the benefits of the company they created. They aren’t handing over their baby and walking away – but rather they stay involved for a period of time, both with the business and their industry.

2. The owner gains flexibility and liquidity
A major reason owners enter into a majority recapitalization is to gain liquidity. The current owner(s) may see a growth opportunity for the company, which requires a financial partner that can provide cash. In exchange for the capital, the owners are willing to sell a portion of the company. Other uses for the capital include starting an entirely new business, or investing in stocks, business, or other assets to diversify the sellers’ finances.

3. The owner keeps options open for the future
Not every business owner is ready to retire or has a ready plan for their next venture. However, they may be willing to relinquish some of their day-to-day management duties as they figure out next steps. A majority recapitalization allows owners to remain involved and own a portion of the business while lessening their overall day-to-day responsibilities.

A majority recapitalization is a great way for business owners to get the capital they need, without relinquishing total control of their business. Investors can breathe new life into the business and bring new ideas that can contribute to future growth. The keys to a successful deal are clear communication, clearly defined objectives, and a clear vision for what post-deal operations will look like.

Symmetrical assists Middle Market companies strategically assess their needs and identify opportunities. Contact us for a confidential discussion about how we can help.

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Last summer, CERN was on the verge of announcing a discovery so critical to understanding the basic building blocks of the universe that it had been given a divine name: The God particle.

The hunt for the Higgs boson was one of the most expensive and labor-intensive particle physics projects ever undertaken, and promised to answer the fundamental but elusive question of why our atoms stick together in the first place. And yet, when CERN researchers finally announced that they'd glimpsed the Higgs, the world's first reaction wasn't to cheer; it was to stifle collective laughter. The institution's scientists, cradling the most important scientific discovery of the decade, had chosen to present their findings to a breathless public using a peculiar font face: Comic Sans MS.

The whole kerfuffle underscored just how important typefaces are to the way we process information. Words hold power. But the aesthetic manner in which those words are presented can affect the way we read, and the way we think about the information presented.

"Typography is one ingredient in a pretty complicated presentation," Cyrus Highsmith, a typeface designer and author of the book Inside Paragraphs, told me over the phone. "Typography is the detail and the presentation of a story. It represents the voice of an atmosphere, or historical setting of some kind. It can do a lot of things."

In December, Errol Morris of The New York Times conducted an experiment on the publication's unsuspecting online readers. It came in two basic parts.

Part one was an ordinary article about a scientific study concerning optimism versus pessimism. In part two, with the help of Cornell psychologist David Dunning, Morris designed a quiz to evaluate whether the Times' readers found the study's conclusions believable.

Here's the catch. When readers came to the site, the story was presented in different typefaces: Baskerville, Computer Modern, Georgia, Helvetica, Comic Sans, and Trebuchet. Roughly 40,000 people responded to the quiz, and the results were weighted to evaluate which fonts inspired more confidence in the research, and which fonts made the information appear less believable. Here's what Morris found:

It is Baskerville.

Baskerville's weighted advantage wasn't huge — just 1.5 percent. "That advantage may seem small," Dunning told the Times, "but if that was a bump up in sales figures, many online companies would kill for it. The fact that font matters at all is a wonderment."

Why was Baskerville more believable? Dunning had a theory:

A lot goes into typeface design that we tend not to think about. Online, it's commonly understood that serifs, or fonts with a tiny line tailing the edges of the lettering, like Times New Roman, help influence the horizontal flow of reading. In reality, it's not that simple. (User-interface designer Alex Poole pored over 50 empirical studies for his master's thesis if you're interested in learning more.)

"There are many very readable sans serif typefaces out there. Plus some shapes of serifs might actually hinder readability if they are too prominent or draw too much attention to themselves," Alexander Tochilovsky, a design instructor at the Cooper Union School of Art, told me in an email. "Besides the formal qualities of the typeface, [or] the structure of the letters, a lot also depends on how the fonts are employed, and for what purpose." He continued:

Size of type, letter-spacing, word-spacing, leading (interline spacing), column width, justification, etc., all play a key role in how readable a passage of text is (or isn't). Text meant for a book requires a different approach of typesetting from one that is meant to be seen on a poster.

Here's the thing: Toward the end of his last semester, Renaud's average essay score began climbing. "I haven't drastically changed the amount of effort I'm putting into my writing," he wrote. "I'm probably even spending less time with them now than I did earlier in my studies."

Indeed, Renaud's observations were consistent with a 1998 study from Carnegie Mellon, which pitted Times New Roman against Georgia. Participants overwhelmingly preferred Georgia over its stodgier doppelgänger, judging Georgia to be "sharper, more pleasing, and easier to read."

Why, then, does everyone hate Comic Sans MS? Author and designer David Kadavy had the same question, and compared the child-like scribble to another face that's inversely beloved on the other end of the spectrum: Helvetica.

Kadavy argues that a "mismanagement of visual weight is the main issue that makes reading Comic Sans an unpleasant experience. Evenness of weight, or 'texture' is important to the legibility and readability of typography." It's partly why Helvetica's aesthetic appeal is so universal.

Which isn't to say there's a one-size-fits all prescription for what kind of font is best for reading, or writing. As with all things, there are all kinds of factors you have to consider: Your audience (what typeface are they comfortable reading?), and the medium you're delivering your words on (a computer screen is different from the squinty lines in a novel, for example).

In the end, it all "comes back to the context or purpose that fonts are being used for," Tochilovsky told me. "There is a lot that is going on within any given font, often imperceptible to the eye."


01/6Yoga can provide relief from pain

Yoga can provide relief from pain

For commoners, migraine might be just another type of headache, but for the one suffering from it, it is nothing less than a nightmare. The throbbing pain often felt on one side of the head can be really difficult to handle. Migraine is often accompanied by nausea, blurred vision, or ultrasensitivity to smells, light, or sounds. Unlike a normal headache, it does not go away after a while. Rather, episodes of migraines can last for hours and sometimes a person might take days to feel alright.

While there are plenty of different medications that can provide relief from the intense pain of migraine, researchers have found out that some home remedies like yoga can help manage the pain.

02/6The study

The study

According to a study published in the journal Neurology, performing yoga when suffering from migraine can help to provide relief from the intense pain. For the study, the researchers closely monitored 114 adults dealing with episodic migraines over the course of three months. In the beginning, the participants were asked to log down their migraine-related details in a journal.

After some time, they were divided into two groups- one was asked to take medication and the other group took the medication and started practicing yoga. The second group performed yoga exercises which involved meditation and breathing. After a period of three months, all the participants who performed yoga daily experienced a decrease in the frequency and intensity of their migraines.

Not only this, but they also reduced the number of migraine pills they were taking on an average.

03/6How yoga helps

How yoga helps

We all know there is no absolute cure for migraine. You can only rely on medications and make some healthy lifestyle changes to reduce the symptoms. Migraines are often triggered by different things and stress is one of them. Practising yoga helps to manage stress level, thereby reducing the symptoms.

Here are the best yoga asanas that you can try:

04/6Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

How to do it:

Step 1: Sit on the ground in a cross-legged position (legs tucked one above the other) with spine straight.

Step 2: Bring both your hands in Gyan mudra (join the head of your thumb and index finger to make a small circle) and place them on your knees.

Step 3: Breathe in and out while holding this pose for a few minutes. Repeat this asana with the other leg on top.

05/6Balasana (Child's Pose)

Balasana (Child's Pose)

How to do it:

Step 1: Kneel on the yoga mat with the base of your feet facing up towards the ceiling. Your hands should be placed by your side.

Step 2: Keep your toes together and knees slightly apart from each other.

Step 2: Breathe out and at the same time lower your torso forward, resting your belly on your thighs.

Step 3: Your head should be touching the mat. Now stretch both of your hands in front of you to touch the mat.

Step 4: Pause for 4-5 breaths and then come back to the starting position.

06/6Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

How to do it:

Step 1: Lie down comfortably on your back and close your eyes.

Step 2: Your hands and legs should be wide apart from each other and in a relaxed pose.

Step 3: Breathe in slowly through the nostrils and draw attention to every part of your body starting from your toes.

Step 4: Breathe out and relax.


Geological Time and Human Effects

23 May 2020

While the presence of Mastodons in Mineola is not necessarily documented, the association of Osage Orange (Bois D’arc) trees and Mastodons has been suggested by Barlow (2000) and their linage does date back to these earlier times. Further, there are many fossilized remains of Woolly Mammoths and other ancient creatures throughout Texas, e.g.

Evolution has played a significant role in the development of plant and animal life and Barlow (2000) has reviewed the mutual adaptability of these two kingdoms. A plant based example of the evolutionary change with time is in the history of the osage orange, or Bois D’arc tree, found in Northeast Texas.  The fruit is baseball sized and is extremely hard. It previously provided food for the mastodons. In this case the strong tooth and bone structure of the jaw enabled this creature to pull the fruit off of the tree and crush it before swallowing.

These Osage Orange trees  (Maclura pomifera) found in Mineola, Texas are   members of the genus Maclura and  of the many relatives from past geologic eras, only fossils remain

Evolution has caused the demise of the animals previously eating these fruits yet the osage orange is still around. A car parked under one of the trees growing the osage orange will risk suffering a paint chip or dent when the hard fruit falls off of the limb. They also can be thrown like a baseball by young boys.


Jihyun and G.NA go on a date

4minute Jihyun and close friend G.NA enjoyed a relaxing week end together.

G.NA posted a picture on her twitter, "It's been a while since Namji and myself went on a date. Let's eat and gather strength."

The ladies enjoyed a delicious lunch at an Italian restaurant and look at their best posing for the camera. Jihyun is making a cute expression, closing her eyes and making V signs with her hands while G.NA looks adorable with a spoon and fork in hands, ready to eat.

Upon seeing the pictures, netizens commented, "If you're seeing each other even during the weekend it means you are very close. What a great sight." "Two beauties meet, I want to join you too!" "G.NA and Jihyun are both cute."

Source: Osen
Cr: Yoobin @ 4-minute.com


Boosting M&A success rates in a post-COVID world means transforming our approach to due diligence

By Graham Mills and David Holden-White, Co-Founders and Joint Managing Directors of techspert.io

This is a challenging time for dealmakers everywhere. M&A deal volumes have plummeted during the pandemic, with more than half of C-level executives admitting that activity has been paused pending further market assessment. The financial sector is no exception. As a new report from Deloitte explains, “The drivers that were once favourable for continued mergers and acquisitions in the banking and capital markets sector have been overshadowed by the recent market turmoil and uncertainty caused by COVID-19.”

As the report hints, prior to COVID-19, global M&A activity levels were reaching all-time highs, buoyed by ongoing economic uncertainty and trade tensions. It is highly likely that, as the pandemic starts to recede, the financial sector will see a return to a more robust level of M&A activity. Of course, one might be forgiven for asking why this is the case, given that research shows 83% of mergers do not boost shareholder return and roughly two thirds lose value on the stock market. These statistics are damning, particularly because they refer to the pre-COVID operating environment which, frankly, was a much easier place to do business.

While M&As can go wrong for many different reasons, one of the most regularly cited is the inability to get in-depth and accurate upfront information to inform and de-risk critical decisions. Again, this is a problem that appears especially alarming when considering the social distancing, travel and workplace restrictions imposed by nations all over the world.

The limitations of traditional networks

But it’s not just about shortcomings in how we interact with those on the other side of the M&A. Assessments about business performance, growth forecasts, customer durability and company valuation, are all incredibly difficult in the current turmoil.

Conducting due diligence has never been more important and yet, arguably, it has never been more challenging. How do you determine a target acquisition’s post-COVID ‘bouncebackability’? Who can accurately assess the long-term impact of changed customer behaviours, economic damage or COVID-related government policies?

At such times, businesses rightly turn to the experts for advice, deploying their own internal M&A teams to seek out appropriate sources of market insight and employing expensive management consultancies and financial institutions to support them along the way.

The problem is that, constrained by time pressures and the limitations of human-led market research, even the most resource-intensive M&A teams struggle to access the best expertise at the moments they require it the most. Instead, they are forced to search among narrow, closed-loop professional networks to identify the best of the advisors they already know. Even the most established professional network is still essentially a black book of contacts, rather than an independently verified list of the most relevant and knowledgeable experts for the subject in question.

What if these businesses could go beyond who they know, to find who they need, in order to inform whether an M&A ought to be pursued?

Transforming the world of due diligence

Accessing a broader spectrum of expertise requires a faster, more intelligent and more precise approach to due diligence. In short, it requires artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which is capable of making experts easier to identify, by analysing and intelligently assimilating millions of data points to pinpoint and profile the people who are truly leading their respective fields in different corners of the world.

In contrast to conventional knowledge sharing systems – which can only tell you if a person was, at some point, identified (or self-identified) as an expert on a topic – AI tools are far better equipped to spot real-time change in status or reputation. Furthermore, automating the filtering process helps solve the problem of confidentiality, ensuring that the request for consultation is not shared far and wide.

Going forwards, if we are to see any sort of improvement in the post-M&A business success rates, the onus must be on organisations to improve their methods of due diligence and gain access to a wider range of expertise prior to taking the plunge. As COVID-19 continues to reshape our world and challenge our existing conventions, now is the perfect time to break with the approaches of old and embrace AI as the pathway to smarter, strategic business decision-making.

Graham Mills and David Holden-White are co-founders and joint Managing Directors of techspert.io, an AI technology innovator that specialises in connecting businesses directly to the source of technical and market insights.

Prior to founding techspert.io, Graham held venture capital roles with Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Seroba Life Sciences, and David held IP law and biotechnology positions at Psyomics and Carpmaels & Ransford.

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Young woman suffering from hearing loss does not hear her friends.

Hearing loss isn’t just a problem for older people, despite the common idea. While age is a reliable predictor of hearing loss, as a whole hearing loss has been on the rise. Hearing loss stays at around 14-16% among adults 20 to 69 years old. Globally, more than 1 billion people from the ages of 12-35 are at risk of getting hearing loss, according to the united nations and The World Health Organization. The CDC states that roughly 15% of children between the ages of 6 and 19 currently have loss of hearing and more recent research indicates that that number is closer to 17%. Only a decade ago hearing loss in teenagers was 30% lower as reported by another study. Johns Hopkins carried out a study projecting that by 2060 over 73 million people 65 or older will have loss of hearing. Over current numbers, that’s an astounding number.

We Are Developing Hearing Loss at a Younger Age, Why?

Technology, and smartphones, in particular, can have a significant impact on our hearing. Whether you’re chatting with friends, listening to music, or watching movies, we are doing all the things we enjoy doing and wearing earbuds to do it all. The issue is that we have no idea what level of volume (and what duration of that volume) is damaging to our ears. Occasionally we even use earbuds to drown out loud noises, meaning we’re voluntarily subjecting our ears to damaging levels of sound instead of protecting them.

Slowly but surely, a whole generation of young people are damaging their hearing. That’s a huge concern, one that will cost billions of dollars in terms of treatment and loss of economic productivity.

Do we Really Understand Hearing Loss?

Avoiding extremely loud sounds is something that even young children are usually sensible enough to do. But it isn’t well understood what hearing loss is about. The majority of people aren’t going to know that medium intensity sounds can also damage your hearing if the exposure is long enough.

But hearing loss is commonly associated with aging so the majority of people, specifically younger people, aren’t even concerned with it.

However, the WHO says permanent ear damage might be occurring in those in this 12-35 age group.

Options And Recommendations

The problem is especially widespread because so many of us are using smart devices regularly. That’s why offering additional information to mobile device users has been a recommended answer by some hearing specialists:

  • Warnings about high volume.

Reduce The Volume

If you reduce the volume of your mobile device it will be the most important way to minimize injury to your hearing. That’s true whether you’re 15, 35, or 70.

Let’s face it, smartphones aren’t going anywhere. It’s not just kids that are addicted to them, it’s everyone. So we have to realize that hearing loss has as much to do with technology as it does with aging.

You should also try downloading an app that measures decibel levels in your environment. 2 steps to protect your hearing. Ear protection is one way but also making certain you’re not doing things like trying to drown out noises with even louder noises. As an example, if you drive with your windows down, don’t crank up the music to hear it better, the noise from the wind and traffic might already be at harmful levels. Make an appointment with a hearing care specialist if you have any questions.


The Lacuna Difference

Our commitment and passion towards creating exceptional alignment is what differentiates us.

We are driven by our vision of a world where businesses thrive on organisational alignment. Where company strategy, processes, technology and individual teams rally toward a common purpose, to achieve success that everyone shares in.

Quite simply, organisational alignment means that employees understand how their specific skills and goals connect to the strategic objectives and broader organisational identity. When employees feel more connected, it instils more ownership over their roles, responsibilities and the overall success of the company.

In the context of the energy and resources industry, companies are in a constant state of flux and trends change like the tide. Achieving alignment is an ongoing process and is often politically charged, time-consuming and costly.

However, when achieved, alignment brings abundance to an organisation.

It brings calmness, an elemental freedom, a clear vision that enables the business and its employees to expand their sights as greater opportunities become available. It brings agility, energy, commitment and enhanced performance, which ultimately makes people happier—both at work and in their broader lives. When a business achieves alignment, you can feel it when you walk through the door; the culture has a buzz. You are working in an environment that’s proactive, inclusive and energetic. One that fosters accountability and trust.

Whilst an organisation’s role is to maintain employee alignment, ensure smooth sailing and promote a positive work environment, we also play a vital part. At Lacuna Search, we are empowered by taking responsibility for the first level of organisational alignment.

Our role is to find and attract quality hires. More importantly, to guarantee that the skills, values and behaviours of each new hire into an organisation are exceptionally aligned to the role, strategy, culture and vision of that company. To ensure each candidate understands their unique purpose, giving them the best chance to play their part in business-transforming results.

It is through this exceptional alignment and clarity of a shared vision, that business leaders and staff alike are inspired to lead more fulfilling lives.

When an organisation is truly aligned it can achieve amazing things.


Learning of Tolerance

The English Civil War was important to Freemasonry for many reasons , even today non-Freemasons know little about the war and its lasting results.

War broke out in 1641 between King Charles 1 ( Cavaliers ) and the Protestant Puritans ( Roundheads ) . It pitted brother against brother and was finally won by the Roundheads under Cromwell. Unfortunately King Charles 1 was beheaded and the people were so upset that within a decade they wanted a monarchy back.

King Charles 11 was crowned in 1661 and unlike his father was a lover and not a fighter. He was also more interested in science and reason than he was in religious persecution. He was truly a man of the new age . An age that welcomed the new principles of speculative Freemasonry.

In 1717 , when the first Grand Lodge was formed in London unusual rules were established.

Discussion on religion was prohibited. Meetings would not be disrupted by arguments between Catholics Anglicans , Puritans and Protestants. As long as a member believed in a GOD , there would be no questioning of their faith.

War would not be tolerated. Freemasons were determined to survive issues that torn countries apart.

Lodges were to stress friendship and brotherhood.

There must be a good and hearty dinner.

The principles advanced through King Charles 11 leadership formed some of the cornerstones which underlies the basis of Freemasonry. It is the essence of our relationship between our Brothers, in our Lodge, and all Lodges around the World. So much of our daily lives hinge around a single person’s principles and attitudes in the way he views his relationship to his fellow man and the ideals he strives for. Such a man was King Charles 11 . How many other people spring to mind when we reflect on life . We should always live respected and die regretted.

©2018 by Lodge Cape Town.


Basf Develops New Technology To Reduce Ghg Emissions

Market Expertz   |     June 04, 2019

BASF’s team of experts have been actively working on developing novel technologies to significantly lower emission of greenhouse gases during production processes. The company’s Carbon Management Program collects all this work in one place. Production processes of the essential chemicals contribute to nearly 70 percent of the total greenhouse gases emissions released by the chemical industry. One of the company’s project teams has developed a process to manufacture methanol that does not release any greenhouse gas emissions.

The team has currently filed for a patent for the revolutionary technology. If the technology is integrated at the industrial level, the complete production process, right from syngas production to pure methanol, will not emit any carbon dioxide. Methanol is ordinarily made from syngas, which is primarily obtained from natural gas along with a blend of steam and autothermal reforming. Special catalysts are used to convert it into crude methanol, which can be further processed after purification. In the new process, the syngas forms upon partial oxidation of natural gas, that does not result in any carbon dioxide emissions and has proven to be beneficial in a study that was jointly conducted with Linde Engineering. The following process steps of methanol synthesis and distillation can be executed without any changes. There was a need to resolve the merging and processing of the waste gas streams issue that usually arises during methanol synthesis and distillation that cannot be evaded even with optimal process management. The waste gas streams, including methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen is burnt in an Oxyfuel process using pure oxygen.

This ends up in a small quantity of fuel gas with a high concentration of carbon dioxide. To ascertain that the carbon enclosed in the dioxide is not lost and can be reused in the methanol synthesis, the captured carbon dioxide is fed again at the beginning of the process, although this step requires additional hydrogen. Dr. Maximilian Vicari, Project Manager, BASF’s Intermediates division believes that it will take nearly a decade for the process to be incorporated in an industrial plant.


Let Go Emotionally

What does letting go even mean?

I need to let go of this. Such a common saying. I have heard it many many times. But is it said with an understanding of what it means. I am noticing that it is not?

Often “letting go” refers to a situation or a life phase or a person. Often it refers to something that is no longer physically in that persons life. So then what are they letting go of? What are they holding on to??

Working with The Emotional Grounding Technique has shown me what is held in place. It’s the emotion around the event. The emotion around the memory. This I am sure, you will find is unprocessed emotion.

Unprocessed emotion is a mixture of emotions and feelings that need names. These feelings and energies need some air time. Letting go is often a desire to let go of the inner traffic jam. To untangle the grid lock. Letting go often means releasing the extra charge that comes from conflicting feelings.

Grounding The Emotional Self

Emotional Soothing

Any time you feel like there is an emotional fire raging within you, it is time to do some processing. Take a page or a worksheet. Begin to list all the feelings you can notice.

The emotional fire is the expression of multiple departments clashing and striving for airtime. There can be feelings that disallow other feelings and emotions. It can be like a traffic jam of your feelings which then compact one another creating further conflict and emotional fire.

In the right context and a safe environment all feelings are worthy of airtime. All feelings can calm down and be soothed so long as they get their turn to be expressed and allowed. When processing occurs it can feel like peak hour has ended.

Home of the emotions

Your Emotional Home

Your emotional home is where everybody has a place and all are welcome. This is inside of you. Your feeling and emotions have always been inside of you. With processing, daily journal work and time you can feel at home.

All we ever want is to feel at home.

To find your emotional home takes daily practice. Work with the Emotional Grounding Technique to give your feelings a voice. To let all parts of you know they are valid and ready to be heard.

There is a relief that comes at the end of each process. That is the end of peak hour traffic. It is the ahhhhh it’s ok. All the feelings and emotions are still there, but they aren’t clashing. The warring parties have backed down. And it was you the captain of the ship that leads this.

Your emotional home is a place you create with diligence and persistence. Daily journaling and expression. Daily meetings with your emotional self to resolve any tensions. Your emotional home is a relationship you make with your self by showing up when the heat rises and cooling it down.


Mozart’s Magic Flute, as Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Updated: Jun 23, 2018

Tonight we shall have the privilege of participating in the operatic magnum opus of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, completed and staged in 1791, only two years before his death at the age of 35, at the height of his creative powers.

It is generally considered one of the greatest of all operas. But in technical terms, it was only a singspiel, a shorter more popular form (meaning aimed at the common person as audience) and a mixture of song and dialogue, involving more of a focus on character and plot, and slightly less on the power of sound itself.

Mozart and a costume sketch by Winckelmann for a performance at Vienna, Kindertheater, 19th century

The libretto for the work was written by Emanuel Schikaneder, the leader of a theatrical troupe that was resident in one of the major opera houses in Vienna at the time. Mozart himself conducted the orchestra and his sister-in-law played one of the lead roles. It was a great popular success from its opening night, and remains so to this day among audiences for opera.

However, there is great controversy over why it is so popular or even what it is really about. Many theories can be found, asserting such opinions as that the play is a subversive political commentary on the Empress Maria Theresa, or a conservative call for enlightened absolutism, as it was called, and against the tendencies of republicanism. Modern theorists have attacked it for its racism and anti-feminism. But no consistent case can be made for any such hypotheses. And so, other commentators have simply ridiculed the opera for being a naïve and childish fairy tale aimed at unlettered audiences, a kind of dumbed-down Disney-fication of Western mythology avant la lettre.

The more Freudian commentators, of course, see in the magic flute only a phallic symbol, to help him in his Oedipal passage into a higher symbolic manhood, and in the bells given to Papageno a new pair of testicles to help him grow into a more courageous and faithful manhood. But this focus on male psychology is also clearly a very one-sided view and does not fairly evaluate the feminine side of the operatic equation. Jungians likewise offer their archetypal theories, which are no doubt closer to the truth, but still do not give a coherent account of the action.

Still others focus on the names of characters, such as Sarastro, the high priest and leader of the secret spiritual brotherhood, and assume that he is modeled on Cagliostro, a contemporary mystic and séance leader. Others say Sarastro refers to Zarathustra, the prophet of the dualistic Zoroastrian religion, which influenced a number of Christian heretical sects, beginning with Manichaeism. But this conflicts with the equally obvious presence of signifiers of ancient Egyptian religion, including references to Isis and Osiris, and the symbol of the pyramid. The music has also been analysed as reflective of numerological Pythagorean symbolic messages, including the employment of the key of E Flat, with its three flat chords to emphasize the Law of Three, which appears in many forms in the unfoldment of the play, and the Law of Seven, which combines, as does the pyramid, both the Three and the Four (as the four elements of Nature), in four triangles that meet at the highest point.

All of these theories come up short as complete explanations of the meaning of the drama we are to witness. But what is a documented fact is that Mozart was an active Freemason, was associated with the Illuminati, he was knowledgeable about such esoteric symbolic systems as alchemy, Kabbalah, Renaissance neoplatonic philosophy, ancient Egyptian Hermetic philosophy, and other occult sciences. Mozart was a contemporary of Goethe, another well-read master of the esoteric traditions, who publicly recognized the opera as aimed at initiates, who alone would understand it, and the rest would assume it was a silly patchwork of themes from fairy tales.

So how can we best make use of this spectacle as Sat Yogis? I suggest we consider ourselves undergoing our own initiation into a mystery school, into the deepest secrets of the nature of reality. Indeed, culture was initially centered on such mystery-guarding institutions that were responsible for transmitting the knowledge, the maturity, the virtue, and the power of higher consciousness, in short, the capacity for sustaining the Dharma of a healthy community from one generation to the next.

Thus, although we can analyze the opera at an exoteric level and find useful if clichéd teachings in it, as are employed somewhat crassly in this version in the form of literal pop-ups of apothegms and aphorisms, and we can also find mesoteric references to teachings of masonic derivation, we can make most use of this great work to view it on the most esoteric level possible.

In this paradigm, we can recognize it as expressing nondual reality, from both the perspective of Brahman and that of Atman. All the characters belong to the single consciousness of the Whole. The play shows the Great Chain of Command. But the world, Samsara, has gotten out of order, and now a restoration of Dharma is required. The masculine and feminine principles are at war, the relationship between Nature and Spirit has become inaccurate, and the resistance to growth, transcendence of ego, and sustenance of the power of divine love has become overwhelming. The play shows that all the different esoteric traditions have the same message and the same divine intention. The magic flute is an ancient symbol that goes back to Krishna and beyond. It is also the power of pure speech, transmitting Wisdom that casts a spell of liberation upon the ego and releases the Real Self into full awakening and illumination. The Self returns to rule the manifest world as its own infinite reflection in form of its formless supreme Presence.

So in the first scene, we face the initial situation. Man has been overcome by the Beast. The lower chakras have human consciousness on the run. The best of men is unable to fight off the dragon of lust. His masculinity is out of balance. It requires the feminine power of soulful love to control his animalistic sexual drive. But in accepting the help of the feminine principle, he also comes under the influence of the female fury at the male principle that has allowed the situation to become so oppressive and dictatorial, so objectifying and defiling of the goddess. The feminine projection of anti-male anger must also be balanced. Thus, the symbolic guides on the initiatory journey are three young boys, who remain innocent but fully male in their attitudes and influence.

The Shadow is represented by Monostatos (One-Dimensional Man), who wants to sexually defile Pamina, but who is held back, just barely, by the Law. Papageno is the male ego in its more socialized form, but it remains infantile and unable to go through a full transformation. The ego is only capable of supporting the sexual relationship at a level that can parent children, but cannot function as a spiritual guide for society. It remains narcissistic, even though loyal to the higher guidance in its way.

But Tamino symbolizes the Buddhi, who goes through the various ordeals of celibacy, of self-restraint, of silence, in order to attain an inner unification of the divine masculine with the divine feminine at the level of pure Spirit. The purification of the consciousness leads once more to the renewal of the world. The old order of ego, of anger, projection, and conflict between the man and the woman is overcome dialectically, and the unification of Nature, Reason, and Wisdom becomes manifest. The conditions of a new Sat Yuga have been attained, and the transmission of power can now ensue. This is the coronation of the new king and queen, and the abdication of Sarastro, having completed his own charitra, his own divine act of deliverance. May we all undergo the catharsis of this inner transformation as we participate mystically in this great work of inspired art.

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The Militant (logo)

Vol. 77/No. 19      May 20, 2013

Cuba’s Rebel Army and peasants
became ‘unbeatable force’
(Books of the Month column)

Below is an excerpt from Episodes of the Cuban Revolutionary War 1956-58, one of Pathfinder’s Books of the Month for May. In the book, Ernesto Che Guevara provides a firsthand account of the military campaigns and political events that culminated in the January 1959 popular insurrection that overthrew the U.S.-backed dictatorship in Cuba. The piece reprinted here describes the situation in December 1957. Copyright © 1996 by Pathfinder Press. Reprinted by permission.

Living in a continual state of war creates a new state of mind in the popular consciousness in order to adapt to this new phenomenon. The individual must undergo a long and painful process of adaptation to enable him to withstand the bitter experience that threatens his tranquility. The Sierra Maestra and other newly liberated zones had to undergo this bitter experience.

The situation of the peasants in the rugged mountain zones was nothing less than frightful. The peasant, having migrated from afar with a yearning for freedom, had put all his efforts into squeezing out an existence from the newly cleared land. Through a thousand and one sacrifices he had coaxed the coffee plants to grow on the craggy slopes where creating anything new entails sacrifice. All this he did by his own sweat, responding to the age-old yearning of man to possess his own plot of land, working with infinite love this hostile crag, which he treated as part of his very self.

Suddenly, when the coffee plants were beginning to blossom with the fruit that represented his hope, the lands were claimed by a new owner. It might be a foreign company, a local land-grabber, or some other speculator taking advantage of peasant indebtedness. The political bosses and local army chieftains worked for the company or the land-grabber, jailing or murdering any peasant who was unduly rebellious against these arbitrary acts.

Such was the panorama of defeat and desolation that we found, paralleling our own defeat at Alegría de Pío, the product of our inexperience (our only reverse in this long campaign, our bloody baptism of fire). The peasantry recognized those lean men whose beards, now legendary, were beginning to flourish, as companions in misfortune, fresh victims of the repressive forces, and gave us their spontaneous and disinterested aid, without expecting anything in return from the vanquished rebels.

Days passed and our small troop of now seasoned soldiers sustained the victories of La Plata and Palma Mocha. The regime responded with all its brutality, including the mass murder of peasants. Terror was unleashed on the rustic valleys of the Sierra Maestra, and the peasants withdrew their aid. A barrier of mutual mistrust loomed up between the peasants and the guerrillas, the former out of fear of reprisals, the latter out of fear of betrayal by the weak-willed. Our policy, nevertheless, was a just and understanding one, and the peasant population began once more to return to our cause.

The dictatorship, in its desperation and criminality, ordered the resettlement of thousands of peasant families from the Sierra Maestra to the cities. …

Hunger, misery, illness, epidemics, and death decimated the peasants resettled by the tyranny. Children died for lack of medical attention and food, when a few steps away the resources existed that could have saved their lives. The indignant protest of the Cuban people, international scandal, and the dictatorship’s inability to defeat the rebels compelled the tyrant to suspend the resettlement of peasant families from the Sierra Maestra. …

Peasants returned with an unbreakable will to struggle until death or victory, as rebels until death or freedom.

Our little guerrilla band, of city extraction, began to don palm leaf hats. The people lost their fear and decided to join the struggle and proceed resolutely along the road to their redemption. In this change, our policy toward the peasantry and our military victories came together as one, and already we were revealed to be an unbeatable force in the Sierra Maestra.

Faced by the choice, all the peasants chose the path of revolution. The change of mental attitude, of which we have already spoken, now revealed itself fully. The war was a fact—painful, yes, but transitory, a situation within which the individual had to adapt himself in order to survive. Once the peasants understood this, they began to make the efforts necessary to confront the adverse circumstances that would come.

The peasants returned to their abandoned plots of land. They stopped the slaughter of their animals, saving them for worse times to come. They became used to the savage strafings, and each family built its own shelter. They accustomed themselves to periodic flights from the battle zones, with family, cattle, and household goods, leaving only their huts to the enemy, which displayed its hatred by burning them to the ground. They got used to rebuilding on the smoking ruins of their old dwellings, uncomplaining but with concentrated hatred and the will to conquer. …

It is a new miracle of the revolution that—under the imperative of war—the staunchest individualist, who zealously protected the boundaries of his property and his own rights, joined the great common effort of the struggle. But there is an even greater miracle: the rediscovery by the Cuban peasant of his own happiness, within the liberated zones. Whoever witnessed the apprehensive murmurs with which our forces were formerly received in each peasant household notes with pride the carefree clamor, the happy, hearty laughter of the new Sierra inhabitant. That is a reflection of the self-confidence that the awareness of his own strength gave to the inhabitant of our liberated area. That is our future task: for the Cuban people to regain the concept of their own strength, and to achieve absolute assurance that their individual rights, guaranteed by the constitution, are their dearest treasure. Even more than the pealing of bells, it will be the return of the old, happy laughter, of carefree security, lost by the Cuban people, which will signify liberation.
Related articles:
René González, 1 of Cuban 5, wins battle to return to Cuba
Why revolutionaries condemn terror methods, from Boston to Colombia
Join, build ’5 days for the Cuban 5’


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Insight 10.07.2018

Trade War Update

Trade War Update

Asia Macro Strategy (10.07.2018) - The trade war that started last Friday (July 6th) has been well anticipated. The US initially imposed tariffs of 25% tax on US$34 billion worth of Chinese goods. The next US$16 billion will be announced in two weeks, according to US President Donald Trump.

China’s response was surprisingly restrained – they only confirmed equal value retaliation later in the day.

Markets remain calm

Markets have priced in the worst and remained relatively calm in the aftermath of Trump’s first trade strike. Market sentiment can be seen in the better US and European data released then.

China’s central bank has also importantly stabilised the USD/CNY at 6.65. If the two nations do not increase their trade threats until the next US$16 billion as planned, the market may see a bit of relief on trade war news.

US’s first strike will mostly affect China’s exports of auto and parts, medical and aircraft equipment, technology and hardware, including LED. On the flip side, China’s retaliation will hit American exports of soya bean, poultry, seafood items and certain fruits, as well as sports utility vehicle (SUV) cars.

The greatest concern is soya bean as it is the main feed for pig farming. They are integral to pork prices which is a key staple food in China’s CPI basket. Another broader concern is not just the impact on US and Chinese firms, but also on many other foreign companies, especially those using China’s intermediate goods for their production.

History of trade disputes

China and the US have arguably had four major rounds of trade disputes between 1987 to 2009, most of which centred around intellectual property protection.

The last imposition of trade tariffs by the US on Chinese goods was in April 1994 with 100% tariff hike on US$2.8 billion worth of shipments. That was about 4% of China’s total exports during the time.

The trade ‘war’ dragged on until February 1995 when it was resolved by the US removing the 301 Investigation after a visit to China by the US Energy Secretary and a group of high-level US businessmen. Tariffs were eliminated as China also expanded its shopping list of US products and agreed to close down a controversial factory in Shenzhen.

The US actually supported China’s entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001. However, in the years after China became a member, the US complained on numerous intellectual property right issues. The US administration has had a very weak monitoring system which is what President Trump referred to when he said: “I don’t blame China, but past US administrations”.

The world will move on

The bottom-line here is that trade disputes can linger for a long while, but the world economy will still move ahead. There is an unconfirmed report stating that the US will not impose tariffs on European cars, granted Europe does the same to American producers.

World GDP growth should still be quite decent, as long as trade ‘battles’ remain restrained and do not turn into a full-blown global trade war as they have in the past. It shouldn’t be too far off from our base-case forecast of around 3% in 2018.

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Laurent BOURO painted faces in an attempt to portray the human soul in its timeless dimension. Inspired by ethnic masks, he revisits facies according to his mixed technique. Enhanced oil acrylic , collage, scratching, scraping , grubbing ... the material effects are superimposed on the grain of the fabric , the irregularities of the wood support.

The artist attack on his forehead, he sculpts more than he draws his characters traits . Always men . It hollow cheekbones. Hems lips. Patina or scratches fronts. And stands almost statuary portraits, as if the stone complexion brightened at the option of the color keys , light beams . The terms go through a gaze without eyes, better let him speak interiority. Feelings are revealed through the color palette. More or less intense depending on the status of introspection, the envy of expansiveness . Funds , most often black , give depth and mystery.

These massive heads dense, ooze beads colorful life around the slopes of rocky cheeks . Skulls seem invaded plant , lichens cling to cavernous walls , like so many doubts come biting spirits. Between tribal rock art painting, dripping between impressions and tattooed , masks Laurent BOURO embody a virile masculinity influence of dignity , despite the scars of life.

Born in 1967 , Laurent Bouro lives and works in Tours. His career is that of an autodidact. He devotes himself entirely to painting the last ten years. He exhibits regularly in galleries and salons in France . It now collectors worldwide : Paris , Rome , New York , London, Brussels , Auckland ... His favorite themes are the faces and bodies : two axes where it unfolds its portraiture .


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First beta of macOS Catalina 10.15.1 now available

And testing continues: One day after launching the second test versions of iOS / iPadOS 13.2 and tvOS 13.2 (and the third of watchOS 6.1), Apple has just released the first beta version of macOS Catalina 10.15.1 (compilation 19B68f). Also came out the second test version of the Xcode 11.2 (11B44).

Releases continue Apple's trend with its newer systems, where the pace of updates is much faster than in previous years just remember that the initial release of macOS Catalina was released to the general public just four days ago. It is doubtful whether this means that the systems were released early (and Apple is rushing to adjust the loose ends) or if the company is simply more diligent in developing them.

There is not yet more detail about possible news in macOS 10.15.1, but as developers are dipping their hands in the update, it is likely that several details (small and large) pop here and there. We, of course, will be aware of everything.

Similarly, macOS Catalina 10.15.1 does not yet have a version public beta available on the Apple Beta Software Program, but this should happen within the next few hours (or days).

Let's explore the news?


🐘All Purchases Contribute To Save The Elephants

 Welcome to Elephantsity! Where fashion saves Elephants.

As true elephant lovers we are delighted to announce we routinely donate to various charitable organizations worldwide, which dedicate themselves to the care of these majestic creatures protecting them from harm and extinction.

Our company has pledged to provide a recurrent donation to DSWT to foster one of their lovely rescued orphans called JOTTO.

Baby JOTTO was suspected to have fallen down a well in Kenya and was found stranded, without his mother. After several attempts to locate her mother DSWT decided it was time to foster this baby elephant to assure his livelihood. JOTTO was found during the hottest month of the year in Kenya, and was subject to extremely life-threatening conditions if left alone.

 Donation Certificate: