Globalization pros and corns essay

Definition of globalization in the World Globalization simply refers to the global or worldwide process of technological, economic, political and cultural exchanges, brought about by modern communication, transportation and legal infrastructure as well as the political choice to consciously open cross-border links in international trade and finance. It mainly involves goods and services, the economic resources of capital, information and technology. Advances in the means of transport such as the Standard They employ about people in the United States.

Globalization pros and corns essay

You might have heard the term globalization used before, whether in an economics lecture or in a political debate. As the world grows more connected through the Internet and greater international trade, globalization is becoming more important — and more controversial — than at any other point in history.

In this blog post, we look at the benefits, the downsides, and the interesting realities of globalization. What exactly is globalization? Simply put, globalization is the process of changing to an integrated world from an isolated one.

Globalization - Pros and Cons | Essay Example

Globalization can be summed up as a long-term change towards greater international cooperation in economics, politics, idea, cultural values, and the exchange of knowledge. Globalization has largely been made possible by advances in technology, particularly the Internet.

As the world grows more connected, people in all nations achieve a far greater level of interdependence in activities such as trade, communications, travel, and political policy. In many ways, globalization has been taking place for centuries.

What was once a slow process became a far simpler one.

What is globalization?

What are the core features of globalization? From an economic perspective, globalization has truly changed the world. The core features of globalization are increased free trade between nations, easier movement of capital between borders, and a massive increase in foreign investment.

This has resulted in growth for both small businesses and multinational companies, which can now access new markets across the world. What are the key benefits of globalization? There are many pros and cons of globalization, ranging from economic benefits to a freer, more equal labor market.

Free trade reduces the barriers that once stood between nations trading freely with one another. Free trade has numerous benefits for economies and consumers.

Globalization pros and corns essay

Consumer enjoy a greater choice of goods and services, since foreign companies can easily offer their products for sale. They also benefit from lower overall prices for goods, as a greater variety of goods for sale increases competition and drives prices down.

Manufacturers in countries with free trade agreements also benefit from free trade in the from of a larger export market. Rather than being able to export to just a few countries, exporters can now sell their goods to wholesalers and consumers in a large variety of counties. Free trade also allows nations and economies to specialize, producing higher quality goods at better prices.

Another key benefit of globalization is the free movement of labor. In a globalized world, workers can more easily move from one country to another to market their skills to employers and contribute to the economy. For example, the United Kingdom has hired nurses from India to fill positions in its public hospitals that were previously empty due to local labor shortages.In this globalization pros and cons essay related to businesses, we have reviewed the effect globalization has had on markets, the economy, and the environment.

Globalization pros and corns essay

It is difficult to make a ruling on whether globalization is the best way for the world to go owing to such controversial outcomes and reactions from different zones. For instance, the. Pros & Cons of Globalization. Advantages of Globalization The pros of globalization are many and they are as follows: • There is a worldwide market for the companies and for the customers there is a better access to products from different countries.

• There is a steady cash flow into the developing countries, which gradually decreases the dollar difference. 15 Globalization Articles to Support Your Pros and Cons Essay. globalization is a complex topic, and if you’re writing a pros and cons essay about it, you’ll want to make sure you find good sources to back up your ideas.

In this blog post, A pros and cons essay requires an argumentative approach. In most globalization pros and cons essays, writers forget that employment is as meaningful as any other aspect of human livelihood.

Globalization Has Brought About Cultural Erosion The rise of civilization can also be viewed as the downfall of cultural heritage. For better or worse, globalization is a complex topic, and if you’re writing a pros and cons essay about it, you’ll want to make sure you find good sources to back up your ideas.

In this blog post, I’ll provide 20 globalization articles to help you get started. The 19th century witnessed the advent of globalization in something approaching its modern form.

Industrialization permitted the cheap produ.

Globalization Essay: Pros And Cons |


Skin Tags

Skin Tags are very common and most frequently found on the neck and face. They can vary in size from a tiny speck to the size of a large pea or even larger. Not to be confused with moles.

Skin Tags are a common fibrous skin condition commonly found in areas of friction such as the axillae, under the breasts, groin or around the neck where necklaces or collars may irritate.

Skin Tags are very easily treated using Advanced Cosmetic Procedure techniques and whether they are tiny ones between the eyelashes or large ones under the arms there is a safe technique suitable for them.

Advanced Cosmetic Procedure is one of the quickest, easiest way of removing the problem in a safe and effective manner.

Milia appear when keratin (dead skin cells) gets trapped beneath the skin and blocks the pores. They are usually white or yellow in colour and are hard to the touch. They are often found around the upper cheek and eye area.

Their exact cause is unknown although they are often associated with dry skin or low-quality oil production. They can be caused by using beauty products which are too thick for the skin which stop the skin from natural exfoliating.

At The Skin health Clinic we use a simple and safe method of successfully removing Milia using Advanced Cosmetic Procedures.

Age Spots

The term age spot, or lentigines, refers to the brownish spots that, over time appear on the face and body as a result of over exposure to the sun. As we age our skin is subjected to more and more sun damage.

Our skin produces melanin pigment which absorbs sunlight and helps naturally to protect our skin from UV rays. However, as we age, our skins natural ability to fend off UV rays from the sun begins to deteriorate, and as a result, we see the development of age spots.

These age spots can be effectively removed and treated with ACP.

Spider Naevus / Blood Spots (Campbell de Morgan spots)

Spider Naevus is a central, dilated blood vessel with capillaries radiating away from the centre. They can be found in isolation or grouped together in areas such as the cheeks.

Blood spots are bright red, vascular blemishes which develop on the body (very often on the trunk or torso) and develop naturally as the skin ages and cell renewal slows down. They are known as Campbell de Morgan spots.


...or not.

Red is going with the flow and creating a contest - a one-shot, short-story contest. You must choose one of the characters below, and no characters can be used twice, one character per participant. There will be four participants. The deadline is December 25th.

The cats to choose from are as follows:

Shellskip ~ A cream she-cat with blue-green eyes. Very bright and intelligent, but has a very volatile temper. To compensate for this, she works very hard and doesn't talk much. WindClan

Oakflight ~ A dusty brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Possesses a sharp tongue, but tries to curb his retorts. His father is unknown, but a certain tom has always been very caring. ThunderClan.

Rowanfur ~ A ginger tabby she-cat with white patches and green eyes. Very hard-working but very chary and shy. She has very brittle bones, the source of her introvertedness. ShadowClan.

Heronpelt ~ A gray tom with one white paw and blue eyes. Has very strong hindlegs, most likely from a SkyClan ancestor. Is mocked because of a dislike for water and a like for trees. RiverClan.

Duskflower ~ A black she-cat with blue eyes. Not a very good fighter, but excels at hunting and gathering edible berries. Very intelligent, but is disparaged because of medicine-cat-like behavior. SkyClan.

This is a short story - meaning there won't be any chapters, it will be a one-shot. The theme, moral, or author's message about life in your story is as follows:

It shouldn't hurt to be different.

I won't specify on how to include this, rather, it will be something you will have to come up with on your own. Regardless, the theme should be in your story somewhere. The deadline for this contest is December 25th, which isn't that long, but this is a short story not a multi-chapter novel.

I hope you enjoy!

~ Rowanvur - Silverstar10 ~ Change of the Heart

~ Heronpelt - Roboflight ~ Strange Tom

~ Oakflight - Cinderstar of ThunderClan ~ Strong Oaks

~ Shellskip - Rainsplash987 ~ By The Shore

~ Duskflower - IcewrathXFeatherswirlXCraneheart ~ The Other Flower of Dusk


Shu's Diaries - Askuzai

Available ➡ here ⬅ in the following languages!

To His Imperial Majesty,

The Huns arrived in Celtica and brought with them terror. The village gate burst open and an endless horde of mounted warriors stormed through. Shields broke, traps snapped shut and soldiers cried out. After a few minutes of mayhem, the battle was over and the victorious Huns began ransacking the town. I kept my eyes fixed on my belongings. Soon, the dust would settle and I would be able to leave this place.

A group of warriors walked towards my bag and searched it. They opened the diary, stopped, and began to look around. They paused when their eyes reached the direction of my hideout. Terrified, I stayed completely still. A few moments later, they looked at each other and put the diary back into the bag. There was definitely something peculiar about their behavior. I tried to listen to their conversation, but they were just too far away. As they mounted their horses and left, I thought I heard them mention one name: Gnaeus Titianus. Surely a mistake.

They left a horse behind. Strange. Trap or not, I had to follow them. I put together a Hunnic outfit, climbed on the horse and rode through the broken gates of Celtica. I was then joined by another band of warriors. I attempted to blend in, but they strangely paid no attention to me at all. They sang and cheered to celebrate the successful attack. Some stood with both feet on the back of their horses and put on a little dance while riding along.

We rode across empty plains and grasslands towards Askuzai, the home of the Huns. I struggled to keep up the pace of my company, who must have learned to ride before they could walk! Nenet was following me at a distance. He was probably afraid of the deadly archery skills the Huns had displayed earlier. The village was already visible from far away, as nothing was here to obstruct the view. Everything in this area appeared to be accessible on horseback by design. Yet, something else felt unusual about this region. Something strange was in the air…

We rode through the gates at breakneck speed and only slowed down when we arrived at a wide, open square in the center of the village. The troops from the raid were gathering here. In front of us was the statue of a Hunnic warrior on a horse standing on its hind-legs, while the warrior held out his bow. The Huns were cheering and sharing stories of the attack, one braver and less believable than the next. I noticed Nenet circling another a corner of the village

I got off my horse and walked in Nenet’s direction. There were barely any traditional houses, but I passed plenty of tents. Smoke billowed from a large chimney that stood in the open, next to a wooden shack with a roof made of felt. A hammer and anvil as well as various weapons and armor were placed around it.

Noise came from nearby. I walked past a shelter where several horses ate fresh grass and rested. The shelter had two roofs, one made of wood and one of felt. Hay was stored in a separate compartment. It was certainly odd to see horses without a Hun rider on their back. I moved on toward Nenet. He was flying over a building of considerable size. It stood on wooden posts with walls made of hard fibers and a roof made of felt. I walked toward the opening of the building, between two burning bowls, and entered. I found myself in a spacious, circular room.

Here sat the senator, Gnaeus Titianus. He was inspecting my diary, before looking up to greet me. A smile spread across his face. Then he began to talk. He told me that he now knew who I was. And that, while I had been gone for 10 years, this world had changed entirely.


5 Maths Tips for People who Hate Maths

With all its unfamiliar symbols and notation, mathematics can be daunting. However, a few simple techniques can take the fear factor out of maths, and give you the confidence to tackle the most challenging questions. Here’s 5 easy tips for how to embrace the challenge of maths:

1. Get comfortable with the basics

Part of what puts people off attempting the most difficult maths problems is when they find themselves tripping up on the basics. Make sure you understand the rules for using basic operations, rearranging equations, fractions, powers & roots, and expanding brackets, before you look at more difficult techniques, such as differentiation. The best way to understand the basics is to practise them, so maybe spend a few hours going over plenty of examples.

2. Break down big problems into small steps

You’ve come across an exam question with a lot of marks available, and you don’t know how to answer it. What do you do? Break the question up into more manageable chunks! If you know what your endpoint is, ask yourself: what do I need to know before I can work out the answer? Anything you don’t already know, you will need to work out. Now what do you need to know to work that out? Continue working backwards until you are left with only the information you have already been given, and hey presto! You now have all the intermediate steps required to get to the final answer.

3. Write everything down

One of the frustrating parts of maths is getting your final answer, only to discover that you had made a simple mistake early on, and will have to do everything all over again. To minimize the chance of this happening, write down each step of your working, rather than trying to do several steps at once in your head. This not just a good way of avoiding silly mistakes, but also is good exam technique, as examiners can easy identify when and if you have gone wrong, so you will only lose one mark rather than more.

4. Use all of the information available to you

It is all to easy to forget how much information is available to you, and start to feel as if a question is impossible to answer. Read through the question carefully, and note down any formulas, facts, and figures (including units!). Look through your formula booklet for help, you might be surprised by how much is in there! Think about how the formulas you are given can be adapted to your specific problem. Lastly, always remember that your calculator can do a lot of your work for you. With all that behind you, plus the techniques you’ve learned, you should have everything you need to answer the question.

5. Think about ways to check your answer

If you struggle with confidence, think about ways to check your answers as you progress through questions. That way, you can take heart from your successes, helping you to remain calm when you come up against the nastier questions. Try running your method ‘backwards’ to see if you can get back to the information you were given in the question. Check that your coordinates are solutions to the graph equation you have. Think about whether your answer is a reasonably sensible figure for the question.

With these tips, you can overcome your fear of mathematics, allowing you to reach your potential, and maybe even start to find the fun in maths!

About Canis Major

Canis Major is an elite group of tutors, handpicked for their experience and expertise, who tutor students of all ages and have worked with clients from around the world. All Canis Major tutors have a first class undergraduate degree from a Russell Group university, a postgraduate degree from either Oxford or Cambridge, a 4.5 star rating or above from former students, and at least two years of private tuition experience. Online or in person, students receive the best support available from some of Britain’s brightest minds.


The Ultimate Guide to Gelato

With temperatures soaring in Italy, particularly during last week’s heatwave, the one saviour for holiday-makers in the heat has to be the Italian gelato!

elato choices in a gelateria near our villas in Puglia with a pool.

The term gelato is commonly mistaken for meaning ‘ice cream’. However, authentic gelato is made using less fat and is churned at a much slower rate, which means that less air is added into the mixture. These processes mean that the texture is a lot denser, and also contributes to the more powerful flavours in comparison to the whipped ice creams experienced back at home. Additionally, Italian gelato is typically served at a higher temperature than ice cream in the UK, which helps to develop the flavours further and makes for a creamier texture.

Unfortunately, because there are so many shops selling gelato in all of the main Italian holiday-hubs, how can you spot which is offering the best and most authentic gelato experience? Well, you have no need to fret because with our comprehensive guide we will help you to highlight the main features of a good gelato to make sure none of you are left disappointed.

The Container

The famous saying goes you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover- however, in this case, you should! Refrain from buying any ‘gelato’ from plastic tubs, because it is likely that this won’t be the real deal. Instead, look for metal containers which help to keep the gelato at optimum temperature. Since mass-producers have caught on this key element, metal containers will not always guarantee quality however, so be wary.

Another feature you should look out for is lids, which demonstrates the sellers are being careful to ensure the gelato is being stored at the perfect temperature.

The Colours

Quality gelato will contain a high percentage of natural ingredients, which means that little to no additional colouring has been added into the mixture. If you come across gelato that is vibrant in colour, there is a strong chance that it is an immitation gelato. Instead, you should look for more muted and natural colours that will indicate authenticity. For example, berry flavours will be much more muted reds rather than deep pinks. Additionally, you should look out for the tone of the gelato, if it looks somewhat shiny, it means that there is a lot of sugar in the mix, or that it has oxidised and is therefore old.

The Texture

One of the most noticeable features of gelato is its thick texture. Because of the way it is made, gelato is a lot denser than ice cream, so when looking at the different options, keep this in mind.

The Flavour

Regardless of whether you know which flavour you would like to choose, it is worthwhile seeing what the other options the gelateria has available, as this can help you decipher the quality. Usually, if the gelateria offers the cookies and cream and bubblegum (often referred to as ‘puffo’) then this can be a sign that the gelato will not be authentic.

Additionally, if they are offering flavours of fruit that are not in seasons, chances are the mix has been made using artificial flavouring rather than fresh ingredients. You only have to look at the local fruit markets to know which fruits are in season at the time of your visit!

The flavours should be creamy, and served without sauces or chocolate chips. Many gelaterias will offer a ‘try before you buy’ option so that you can sample the flavours before you commit. Good gelaterias will also serve a flavour known as fior di panna/latte, which is a pure flavour of milk or cream and is simply delicious. We recommend trying the fior di panna first, if it is bland or masked with added flavours, it could foretell the quality of the other gelato options.

The Ingredients

All Italian gelaterias are required to display the ingredients used within the gelato recipe. Take a close look at the list and if you catch things such as, ‘vegetable oil’ (olio vegetale) or artificial colours and flavourings (these will be labelled with a number and letter code), and these factors will likely indicate a poor-quality gelato.

The Design

Avoid any gelaterias that make a big song and dance to try and entice you into their shop. Often, the premium gelaterias won’t need these gimmicks, because the word has spread about the quality of their produce. Generally, the best gelaterias will have a select collection to choose from because they will all be premium quality, the time, care and passion has been blended into the finite selection. If there are a seemingly unlimited number of options, chances are it’s unlikely that they will be of high quality.

The Recommendations

Perhaps one of the best ways to source the best gelateria is researching the recommended options online. Reading some reviews may help you find the best options near to you, or chat with the locals (or us) when you arrive to find out where they would most recommend!

Gelato is a staple of the Italian summer, so regardless of whether you’re renting villas in Puglia with a pool or an apartment in one of Italy’s cities, it is important to remember these points when selecting your gelateria so that you can enjoy the best and most authentic experience of a classic Italian treat!

Image Credit: Ragesoss, available under Creative Commons.


CapMetro, Austin-Bergstrom increasing health safety measures due to coronavirus

Crowds are hard to avoid, especially while using public transportation. On Wednesday Capital Metro announced they've started disinfecting common "hand contact areas" because of coronavirus concerns. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is also increasing measures there.

“You take your keys out and place it in the bin that's a guaranteed place where all travelers will be touching something and come out on the other side and it's right there waiting for you," Bryce Dubee with Austin-Bergstrom International Airport said.

Dubee says COVID-19 may be a new virus but they've had plans in place for a while now.

He adds, “we're also in the middle of flu season so travelers are always coming through so there's potential for exposure, last year we had a measles pass through the airport we've dealt with Ebola and other illnesses in the past this is something the airport is prepared for.”

RELATED: Officials: No evidence closing SXSW will make community 'safer'

But recently they've ordered more hand sanitizer stations and placed the ones they already have in more "prominent places", like ticketing stations, TSA checkpoints, and restrooms.

“All of our restrooms and facilities are cleaned multiple times a day. For example, in our restrooms, all our sink facilities are all hands-free so you can wash your hands use the dryer get soap all of that without having to touch anything but if you're going through TSA security you'll have to touch bins and stuff like that," Dubee said.

With SXSW soon approaching, Dubee says they do see an increase of travelers but it isn't their busiest weekend or month of the year. It usually peaks late spring and summer.

RELATED: List of companies, speakers that have pulled out of SXSW due to coronavirus

Dubee adds, “for current federal regulation pilots, inbound flights to the United States must report to the CDC if they have passengers on board displaying issues or symptoms.”

What about before you get to the airport? Whether that's ride-sharing services, your own vehicle or public transportation, there may be concerns.

On Wednesday, CapMetro released a statement saying to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including flu and COVID-19, please follow standard hygiene measures.

RELATED: Far East Fest indefinitely postponed due to coronavirus concerns

“In addition to daily cleaning procedures of all CapMetro vehicles and transit facilities, we have begun applying a disinfectant to common hand contact areas such as poles and handrails, armrests, door handles and stop request buttons.” The press release added.

Austin Bergstrom says they don't have flights that go directly to any of the areas currently under a high travel restriction, but they want travelers to know they're in constant contact with state and federal health authorities including the CDC.

Austin Bergstrom says they've also been in communication with Austin Public Health who have a number of tips, including covering cough and sneezes with a tissue, washing hands often with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, not touching your face with your hands, and staying home if you do feel sick.


Regarding "North Port strives to re-energize its flagging economy":

Only now are people beginning to realize how much our economy depends on construction. And yet the biggest projects in North Port are given to outside contractors. Why?

The company doing the expansion of Sumter Boulevard is bringing 90 percent of its help and equipment from up North. How does that help us locals?

When Interstate 75 was built, I worked on it through local outfits; that was to the benefit of all.

Check out where all these companies doing the local work are from. Most likely they're not from North Port, or Sarasota County, for that matter.

We can't boost are economy by outsourcing all our construction.

Ron Smith

North Port


On Our Way to Longevity—Why We Introduced Sabbaticals to Monterail's Organizational Culture

Earlier this June, we introduced the possibility of taking a sabbatical, available to all employees. A paid, extra month-long leave for anyone reaching their five-year mark with the company, which they can spend in any way they see fit. Dreaming of a road trip across Europe? No problem. Need time to touch up a new house? Perfect. Want to hole up in a cabin in the woods with a pile of books? Why not. We don’t interfere and there are no loyalty provisions attached.

Sabbaticals are quite popular in the US and offered by corporations like McDonald’s, Deloitte, Adobe, Accenture or Microsoft—and frankly, the arrangement may be a kind of a necessity. American labor law does not require employers to provide either paid or unpaid vacation leave. In Poland, on the other hand, where every employee is granted twenty or twenty-six days of mandatory annual vacation days, a sabbatical is still a rare thing. So why did we implement a solution like that?

Below, you'll find a brief outline of the story behind the decision, details from our internal feasibility study on the subject, and the ins and outs of the implementation process. And yes, I’ll also be answering the most frequently asked question about sabbaticals, namely “How does it pay off for the organization?”

Why Sabbaticals?

The truth is, we’ve been thinking about an arrangement like that for years. The idea of implementing sabbaticals at Monterail dates back to around 2013, when I first watched Stefan Sagmeister's TEDx talk "The power of time off." Inspired by his story, his approach to work-life balance, and his focus on resilience and longevity, I shared it with Monterail co-CEO, Szymon Boniecki. While we took an immediate liking to the ideas outlined in the talk, I knew that we would need to wait a few more years to make the sabbatical a reality at Monterail.

Well, we did. And now it’s here.

Halfway to our ten-year anniversary, we began asking ourselves serious questions about the company’s future. On the one hand, there was a tempting vision of an ever greater market share, skyrocketing growth, monopolizing the market. On the other hand, however, there was longevity—creating an organization to last decades rather than mere years. As we both consider longevity a superior value, the latter option won out. The idea of longevity drives us, and we use phrases like long-term in our day-to-day operations so frequently, they almost sound like mantras.

We also keep saying that we want Monterail to be a healthy organization. We focus on long-term relationships with both our team members and our clients.

So, introducing sabbaticals ultimately felt like walking the walk.

Unfortunately, adverse results of this unusually close approach involve a high risk for burnout, itself a well-diagnosed and unavoidable phenomenon in creative work. Although we use a plethora of tools in the company to combat it in our day-to-day efforts (Monterail employees can work on their own projects, changing their career path, work remotely, work flexible hours, etc.), sooner or later everyone falls prey to burnout. We did, too.

I have gone through this cycle many times. From absolute excitement about what we do every day to the need for complete mental isolation from everything related to work. Many people have been working with us for a long time. And even a few years spent in a creative industry almost always means increased risk of burnout. While ours is an ‘always-on’ culture, a large part of what we do happens outside of what we see as a work environment. Ideas pop into our heads during a walk or in the shower—sounds familiar? How does a creative mind draw the line between what's work and what isn't? What allows you to truly relax is breaking away and turning off mentally.

What finally encouraged us to implement the concept was the way Monterail was being positioned as an employer. When we opened our beautiful office in downtown Wrocław a few years back, we offered our employees a range of benefits such as free lunches, fresh fruit and vegetables, or in-office entertainment. All of these have since become standard practice, especially in IT. Offering additional, sometimes over-the-top benefits aimed at keeping employees longer at the office didn’t exactly suit our vision of long-term and healthy growth. This, in turn, led us to ponder the alternatives we could potentially offer to our current and future employees.

We liked the idea of giving people time as a bonus. Often enough, when working long stretches, people start to think that they don't need that much rest. As they receive financial bonuses for their efforts, they plan their next purchases: a new bicycle, a new TV, etc., and the list of "needs" never ends. From an organizational standpoint, that might be a problem—locked into such a vicious cycle, people burn out, their productivity falls drastically without rest, and their job satisfaction soon follows suit.

Besides the risk for burnout, we noticed another phenomenon. After a few years spent working in the same place, people often feel the need to change something. And while changing jobs usually seems the only viable option, what these people may really need is to take a longer break. Sabbaticals are supposed to address this need. We want to nip burnout in the bud.

Szymon Boniecki and Bartosz Rega - Monterail co-CEOs

Szymon and I discussing the sabbatical concept

Sabbaticals Step by Step

The shape of our sabbaticals initiative has been more or less outlined for years, but we only kicked it off in early 2019. Why the delay? The maturity of our organization in terms of structure and key processes has finally reached a high enough level. In practice, this means that every person serving in a key role in the organization has a replacement ready. In case of a longer absence, the company will continue to operate smoothly and no one will be overburdened with someone else’s responsibilities. This year, we also reached a record number of people coming up on five-year job anniversaries, which meant that our sabbaticals concept could go live immediately. It was more than just an aspirational initiative—we were truly committed.

We started the implementation with creating a schedule and holding regular meetings with our People, Finance and Operations teams. They conceptualized our ideas. The biggest challenge in the process included defining the specific shape of the sabbatical. Several options were created: of various length, fully or partially paid, tailored to different job seniority levels. The driving principle was making the mechanism as simple as possible. Finally, we agreed on a month-long, fully paid leave, available to everyone with five years at the company. We wanted to avoid a situation in which people wondered whether taking a sabbatical would affect their personal budget and calculate whether they can “afford” it.

The most frequent question to appear when sabbaticals come up in a conversation is "But how does it pay off?"

Well, before doing any work on the project, we conducted a feasibility study. Step by step, we checked who exactly would be entitled to a sabbatical across the company and how many people would that be. Compiling detailed calculations and modeling scenarios, we were able to forecast the impact of introducing our sabbatical policy a year and five years down the line. Discussing edge cases was also an important part of the process. That meant tackling questions like “What will happen if someone goes on sabbatical and then puts in their notice right afterwards?” Well, nothing. We keep that possibility in mind, but it was decided early on that that no punitive action would be taken with respect to anyone making such a decision.

So after some hard work and countless late-night talks with Szymon, we announced our new sabbaticals policy at our weekly company-wide gathering, calling it the “Hi!5 leave” in tribute to Monterail’s own five-year anniversary (that’s what we called the anniversary celebrations back then). We knew that there would be no turning back after the announcement. The sabbatical is a form of the debt that the organization has incurred and needs to repay but this commitment is something that exactly illustrates Monterail values.

"Decisions like these is what makes running a business worth it."

When discussing solutions that contribute to building a good organizational culture, the question of measuring their effectiveness always comes up. In a matter as subjective as this, it’s rather difficult to suggest simply tracking quantitative metrics and quantifiable effects. A relatively small size of the sample doesn’t encourage statistical analysis, either.

We know it might never be possible to draw a straight cause-and-effect line between our introducing sabbaticals and some change in the company’s performance results. But that was never the point of the whole exercise.

We wanted to promote a more humane approach to employee wellbeing and enrich our company culture. We always say that we value long-term relationships. Sabbaticals are the „walk the walk” part. Their purpose is to show appreciation to people who are with us for the long run. And we’re very curious to see the company-wide implementation and how it all will look like in practice.

Regardless of what the future might hold, responses from the market, various communities, and the press—not to mention Monterail team members—led us to believe that we made the right decision. The feedback from individuals and on social media outlets was overwhelmingly positive.

"People congratulated us and praised us for the move, I was even asked a couple of times whether we had any job openings because our new policy convinced them to try us out as an employer. It’s also reshaped our recruitment experience, as candidates mention sabbaticals during job interviews all the time—it’s become a competitive advantage for them. What I’m most glad about, however, is that right now it seems that our hypothesis about the benefits of focusing on the long-term might have been true, and this commitment has become attractive to employees as well." - Szymon says.

szymon-boniecki Szymon Boniecki co-CEO
at Monterail

Naturally, Monterail team members with enough years on the job under their belts began to think about their sabbaticals the moment they policy went live. I could hear some heated discussions in the company kitchen about planned directions and ideas as to how to spend four weeks off from work.

The first people to take their leaves have already returned from their sabbaticals. UX designer Marzena Kawa spent two months in Italy exploring the country, learning the language, and immersing herself in the culture. She summed up her sabbatical as "a time of high-quality rest, planned boredom, and doing things that would not have been possible otherwise." That’s just a little snippet of her first impressions—a longer piece on her incredibly interesting journey will be coming up on the blog soon.

In lieu of a recap—the idea for sabbatical has been growing inside for a long time, and we never lost faith in its potential. And now, watching the sabbatical policy becoming a real benefit for Monterail and seeing it reshape the employee experience, is definitely the best reward. It’s worth running a business for such decisions. But that’s definitely not our last word when it comes to building a modern organization and creating a culture focused on longevity. We may just be starting out—but we’re here to stay.

Want to work at Monterail?

We are a team of specialists working with passion and sharing the knowledge to build beautiful and meaningful software. If you feel these values are close to your soul join us!

Check our career page and apply directly for a vacancy that you find most appealing.

home_office_covid Has Software Development Adapted in the Age of Masks and Remote Work?


The Stops Along a Multi-Protocol API Lifecycle

I spent the last week looking through open source tooling built around leading API specifications. If you are tuned into the RSS or Twitter feed from this blog you probably saw the exhaust from my research. People who don’t understand what API Evangelist is about often see these as listicle posts, and are confused by my erratic scheduling and release of these posts. If you understand that API Evangelist isn’t a tech blog in the normal sense, and that it is my professional API workbench, then you understand I am often times working towards some sort of research goal with each post. Well, this post is the next step in that research, taking me 12 separate research sprints to look through the API specification layer of our industry.

I am very interested in the top open source tools developed on top of these API specifications. However, I am also very interested in understanding how each of these tools contribute value to different stops along the API life cycle. These are the essential building blocks I identify to help me understand what people on the ground within organizations are needing when it comes to delivering APIs. Resulting in a pretty interesting list of capabilities, which are ordered based upon the frequency they are mentioned across all to the tooling for each of these dimensions. The results of this research is all pulled from GitHub, so I recognize it is an incomplete snapshot, but I still see it as the most representative source we have from across the API industry of how people are investing across the API life cycle.

Postman (See Open Source Tools)

Collections, Testing, Data, Repos, Run,  CRUD, CLI , Client, Database. Requests, Automation., Framework, Learning, Load, Generate, Integration, Files, Send, Authentication, Scripts, Documentation, Runner , Import, Export, Local , Operations,  Search, Routes, Users, Clone, Design, Examples, Chain, Parse, Template, Mock, Environments , Training, Converter, Browser, Network, Visual

OpenAPI (See Open Source Tools)

Generate, CLI , Client, Documentation, Server, Schema. Data, Types, Repos, Codegen, Framework, Files, Definitions, Testing, Validation. Run. Template. Mock , Automatic, Parse, Graph, Package, Search, Gateway, Design, Collection, Load , Parser, Wrapper, Middleware, Models, Requests, Integration, Examples, Boilerplate, Cache, Starter, Process, Visual, Serverless, Database, Sync, Transform, Samples, Router, Local , Import , CRUD. Render, Controller, Converter, Markdown, Security

Swagger (See Open Source Tools)

Documentation, Generate, CLI , Server , Data, Client, Codegen, Framework, Template, Testing, Types, CRUD, Files, Integration , Schema, Repos, Store, Database, Starter, Boilerplate, Mock, Definitions, Run , Automatic, Validation, Security, Package, Gateway, Authentication, Load, Entity, Design, Parse, Graph, Middleware, Controller, Search, Microservices, Architect , Learn, Parser, Sync, Architecture, Local, Collection, Models, Versioning, Annotations, Routes, Examples. Track, Filter. Query, Converter

JSON Schema (See Open Source Tools)

Schema, Data, Generate, Validation, Files. Types, Transform. CLI, Parse, Models, Server, Database, Load, Transforming, Define, Package, Graph, Exploring, Query, Definitions, Meta, Run, Draft, Client, Dynamic, Repos, Collection, Framework, Template, Dates , Documentation, Design, Check, Active, Render, Time, Tables , Store, Converter, Process, Testing, Require, Search, Mock, Automatic, Import, Markdown, Filter, Extract, Examples, Record, Export, Tree, Visual , Event, Row, Match, Middleware, Scheme, Resources, Allows, Fields, Including

GraphQL (See Open Source Tools)

Graph, Server, Data, CLI, Client, Schema, Type, Database, Query, Boilerplate, Starter, Learn, Framework, Load, Relay, Clone, Store, Repos, Run, Generate, Time, Authentication, Event, Sync, Fetch, Learning, Search, Template, Serverless, Design, Subscriptions, Parse, CMS, Testing, Mock, CRUD , Wrapper, Users, Files, Track, Playground, Local, Active, Hooks, Integration, Examples, Sources, Sequelize, Aging, Collection, Recipes, Action

AsyncAPI (See Open Source Tools)

Generate. Template, Schema, Documentation, Parse, Definitions, Action, Examples , Proxy, Markdown, Documents, CLI, Server, Data, Load, Streams, Messages, Codegen, Versions, Filter, Wrapper, Visual, Types, Objects, Converts, Collection, Converter, Bindings, Templates, Repos, Process, Extensions, Playground, Files, Topic, Automatic, Browser, Client, Including, Tasks, Export, Setup, Store, Publishing, Annotate, Artifacts. Readable, Database, Local. Catalog, Memory, Workers, Automate, Consumers

RAML (See Open Source Tools)

Generate, CLI, Client, Parse, Documentation, Server, Data, Files, Schema, Mock, Design, Repos, Types, Framework, Converter Template, Load, Codegen, Run, Testing, Databas, Modeling, Validation, Store ,Examples, Automatic, Definitions, Security, Integration, Syntax, Local, Markdown, Learn, Package, Check, Export, Render , Process, CRUD, Starter, Search, Time, Collection, Experiment, Action, Requests, Transform, Mocks, Sources. Boilerplate ,Cache, Automate, Import . Converts, Middleware, Usage, Storage, Dates

gRPC (See Open Source Tools)

Server, CLI , Client, Protobuf, Data, Framework, Gateway, Microservices, Distributed, Load, Files, Learn, Run, Examples, Generate, Store, Experiment, Proxy, Streaming, Graph, CRUD, Repos, Testing, Sync, Time, Search, Types, Package, Remote, Network, Check, Wrapper, Starter, Architect, Middleware, Process, Async, Architecture, Event, Storage, Servers, Authentication, Running, Performance, Training, Block, Calculator , Chain, Database, Balance, Mock, Collection, Definitions, Requests, Change, Integration, Discovery, Aging, Tracing, Boilerplate, Playground, Action

Protobuf (See Open Source Tools)

Data. GRPC, CLI , Server, Automatic, Export, Client, Files, Generate, Framework, Schema, Serialization, Messages, Network, Time, Store, Definitions, Run, Parse, Types, Learn, Objects, Storage, Repos, Database, Performance, Sync, Prototype, Package, Change, Embedded, Fork, Track, Distributed, Event, Wrapper, Examples, Binary, Process, Architecture, Architect, Graph, Cache, Common, Tree, Load, Streaming, Aging, Functional, Async, Copy, Remote, Testing, Tracking, Bindings, Documentation, Action

Thrift (See Open Source Tools)

CLI, Client, Server, Framework, Data , Generate, Store, Distributed, Run, Parse , Transport, Files, Common, Proxy, Requests, GRPC, Protobuf, Package, Sync, Examples, Automatic, Async, Repos, Clone, Types , Database, Definitions, Track, Time, Export, Wrapper, Search, Aging, Objects, Integration, Row, Load, Binary, Patch, Servers, Compare, Remote, Starter, Performance, Storage, Bindings, Calculator, Local, Mirror, Learn, Messages, Tree, Block, Functions, Running, Fork, Branch, Mock, Query, Template, Schema, Architecture, Architect

Avro (See Open Source Tools)

Schema, Data, Files, Consume, Generate, Serialization, Consumer, CLI, Streaming, Messages, Record, Streams, Automatic, Export, Client, Topic, Repos, Process, Examples, Conversion, Store, Event, Framework, Storage, Query, Converter, Records, Load, Types, Learn, Server, Objects, Transform, Run, Database, Parse, Common, Search, Local, Topics, Time, Package, Coding, Protobuf, Converting, Binary, Testing, Tables, Integration. Deserialization, Wrapper, Pipeline, Change, Utilities, Performance, Analysis, Encoding, Samples, Cluster, Playground, Row, Logs, Functional

API Blueprint (See Open Source Tools)

Collection, Schema, Documentation, Generate, Files, Converts, Server, Descriptions, Data , Export , Controller, Persistence, Parse, Automatic, Wrapper, Maintained, Contracts, Exports, Models, Elements, Integration, Helper, Process, Types, Sources, Collections, Tree, Run, Extensions, Load, Coding, Dates, Transform, Inject, Markdown, Search, Graph, Playground, Attributes, Mock

Some of these words are more meaningful and precise than others, but their order tells a pretty compelling story. It tells me what the priorities are for organizations across the API life cycle, but it also shows me where the challenges and opportunities are when it comes to realizing a diverse API toolbox across an organization. Demonstrating how more mature organizations who have been on their API journey for a lot longer are investing in multiple protocols and patterns across their operations. Fully understanding the HTTP 1.1 is the dominant protocol, and request / response is the leading pattern, but that many more mature organizations are operating across multiple protocols, and are investing in more event-driven and real-time approaches to putting APIs to work. This open source blueprint represents the diverse API toolbox I began talking about a couple years back, coming into focus for me just a little bit more.

I have over 100K open source repositories referenced as part of this research. I’m working on a more intelligent and efficient tagging mechanism to apply across this corpus of data. As part of these last few sprints I hand curated some of what I see as the top tooling providers in each of these communities. Next I will consider the innovation that is occurring in the long tail of it all, but I am eager to identify what some of the most obvious opportunities are across this landscape. Concepts like management and testing for event-driven APIs, or multi-protocol orchestration using common API definitions that use OpenAPI and AsycAPI. Lots of work ahead. I just wanted to take a breather and dump this view of the landscape to help articulate what I am seeing unfold across teh API landscape.


Wednesday 03/22/2017

Does Your Business Need an Audit?

Sean Brady, CPA shares some key benchmarks that may indicate it’s time for an audit:

“The times, they are a-changin’,” is not just a title of a well-known Bob Dylan song. It’s commonly indicative of why your organization may need an audit.

Audits are typically brought about by change, primarily a change in the stakeholders. To clarify, we are not talking about the “dreaded” IRS audit. Instead, we are talking about a financial statement audit, the type of audit that is performed by CPAs. This is the type of audit that allows you to understand your business, provide assurance that your financial statements are materially correct, and allows your stakeholders to sleep easy at night. In this post we are going to explore the changes that can cause this type of audit to be necessary.

To begin, a stakeholder is anyone who can be affected by the actions, objectives, and policies of an organization. Most commonly in a small- or medium-sized business, the typical stakeholders are the owners and the employees of the company. In the day-to-day these stakeholders have some sort of understanding of what is going on. But what happens when that close circle begins to expand to include other stakeholders who may not be as connected to the daily operations, such as creditors, suppliers, unions, governments or potential investors? These new stakeholders need a reliable way to understand the operations and financial performance of the company so they can make their decisions. A way to gain this understanding is to read the audited financial statements.

An audit provides the highest level of assurance to stakeholders, both inside and outside the company. It requires that an independent CPA verifies that the numbers and disclosures presented in the financial statements are presented fairly in all material respects.

Here are some examples of “changin’ times” that may require a small- or medium-sized business to have an audit:

  1. New loans or financing arrangements: It is not uncommon that banks include covenants in loan agreements that require an audit to be performed on an annual basis and delivered within a specified timeframe after year end. Be sure to talk with your CPA when you are seeking new financing from banks.
  2. Funds received as a federal contractor: Often, the federal government will require audited financial statements when a company is engaged to perform work under a federal contract. It is important to review those contracts with your CPA when preparing to take on such work.
  3. Federal or local government financing of not for profit organizations: Under the Uniform Guidance requirements (formally known as A-133,) not-for-profit organizations are required to have a financial statement audit when they expend $750,000 or more of federal funds in an annual period. There are also numerous other federal, state and local funding situations that commonly require audits for not-for-profit organizations. Make sure you discuss the various funding sources with your CPA.
  4. Prospective buyer or new shareholders/members: Whether you are talking about bringing on new partners or looking to sell your business entirely, the prospective new party will probably want to see multiple years of audited financial statements to provide comfort that they are getting what they are paying for. If you have considered such a situation, it is important to talk well in advance with your CPA about audited financial statements and a company valuation, also.

This list is not exhaustive. Audited financial statements can be necessary for a multitude of other reasons. Sometimes a significant vendor may request them before providing your company credit. Other times, a customer may request them so they know that your company can reliably provide what they need. Audited financial statements are also commonly relied on in joint venture situations.

The bottom line is, when you notice the times are a-changin’, it is important to talk with your CPA. Contact your CPA at Corrigan Krause for assistance exploring your situation.

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RBI Assistant Reasoning Test 9

Study the following information carefully to answer the given question :
Eight persons - P, Q, R, S, T, U, V and W - are sitting around a circular table facing towards the centre but not necessarily in the same order. Q is sitting third to the left of W. Two persons are sitting between Q and P. R is sitting second to the left of S. S is not an immediate neighbour of W. T and U are immediate neighbours of each other. Only one person is sitting between U and V.

Q 1

Who among the following is to the immediate left of W ?

Q 2

How many persons are seated between R and Q, if we go anticlock wise from R to Q ?

Q 3

What is the position of V with respect to P ?

Q 4

Who among the following is sitting second to the right of S?

Q 5

If all the persons are asked to sit in a clockwise direction in an alphabetical order starting from P. the position of how many will remain unchanged, excluding P ?

# Name Overall Score
1 Bhuvana 5
2 Nandhu Me 5
3 Dhammapal Wadhekar 5
4 harini harini 5
5 Kalai 5
6 Naresh Goud 5
7 Supriya Mane 5
8 Helna Soji 5
9 Deepika Subburaj 5
10 Subashish Naik 5

Boost your Prep!

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A Ping-Pong Affair

By understanding the presence and role of sport in different cultures, we learn why nations hold sport close to their hearts and why they are seen as a part of their national identity.

To understand culture, and our own cultural experiences, we often turn to Asia. The Earth’s largest and most populous continent, enriched with diversity and culture. Digital Asia open’s the doors to a variety of concepts, ideas and functions throughout the Asian culture. Research has shown that apart of this culture, sport is influencing factor that not only show cases athletic ability, but also opens the doors to understand diplomacy and history. For this digital artefact, I have chosen to explore China’s reigning sport, Ping-Pong also known as Table Tennis.

Culture throughout the ages has progressed, it is “always evolving, dynamic and hybrid” and “cannot be understood as static, eternally given and essentialist”. In order to understand culture, and we must understand its foundations past and present. Table tennis is apart of Chinese history; we acknowledge its integration into society through communism and its role as national identity. Understanding these components allow us to broaden our intercultural understandings, due to my own cultural background and worldview, my research on Asian sporting culture and more broadly has been very much characterised by new understandings.

By applying autoethnography as a research methodology, we are enabled to have an authentic and unaltered experience. Ellis describes autoethnography as “an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyse (graphy) personal experience (auto) in order to understand cultural experience (ethno)”. Autoethnography combines the characteristics of autobiography and ethnography, which allows you to selectively write about your past, thoughts and perceived moments that you feel influence your understanding of your area of study.

Through my existing topline understanding of table tennis, I found a likeness to tennis. This is significant as tennis is a sport I grew up playing and was heavily involved in – and this connection allowed me to find a commonality with my research topic. Ellis explains, “[autoethnographers] study a culture’s relational practices, common values and beliefs, and shared experiences.” Self-narrative “can take us to the depths of personal feeling, leading us to be emotionally moved and sympathetically understanding.” Exploring the culture and training of table tennis, I have been able to empathise with the athletes and take an appreciate to the consistency and focus of the game.

The following digital artefact will explore the game of table tennis in China and its cultural value, and how my understanding has been bolstered and impacted by my personal experiences and culture.

Paddle Back in Time

Table tennis made its first impression as a “parlour game” in that it was open to anyone who was able to access a table, paddle and ball. The name “Ping-Pong” was first coined by the English firm J. Jaques and Son at the end of the 1800s, and later trademarked in the US by gaming company the Parker Brothers.

Ping-Pong has long been a revered game in China, and at the beginning of its emergence it was one of the only sports nationwide. Today, China sits at the top of the leaderboard across nearly every table tennis category and since the sport was introduced into the Summer Games in 1988, Chinese players have won 28 out of the 32 gold medals. It is estimated that China’s win percentage is 57.7 of the players, and of this they have managed to achieve 87.5% of gold medals.

But why is China so good at the game?

Table tennis took China by storm in 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was in power. At the time, officials felt the sport was able to connect the People’s Republic to the rest of the world. CCP’s leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai were playing the sport and, as a result, it quickly became the national sport of the country.

In 1959, the country made its first major breakthrough in the sport; Rong Gutuan won the men’s singles title in the World Table Tennis Championships in Germany. Gutuan’s win saw national pride skyrocket, and propaganda took the victory to another level as it occurred during the 10thanniversary of the People’s Republic founding.

Since then, table tennis has always been China’s most prominent sport. It not only was used as a political tool, it also suited the Chinese lifestyle, an easily stored and does not take up a large amount of room. Today speaking to the younger society, it seems that the sport itself is not as popular as it once was. This is as a result of the gradual western influence that has slowly crept up on the culture of sport and has directed its attention to many more sport.

The Experience.

While some may consider table tennis a “lesser sport”, it is not for the faint-hearted. It is a sport of focus, skill, endurance and consistency.

On September 1st2018, the world saw another year of the Asian Games but in particular the Men’s Table Tennis Finals. Perfect timing for this digital artefact, right? The final’s was a showcase of China’s best male table tennis talent, Fan Zhendong vs. Jeoung Youngsik.

While the match is commentated in an Asian language, the athleticism on display transcends this barrier:

My initial attitude approaching this viewing was anti-climatic to say the least. Having spoken to friends who have watched and played table tennis their reactions were repetitive “it’s a fun game to play, but its like watching tennis… lengthy and boring until the end”.

Prior to watching I wanted to understand the skill behind the table tennis player, and I was able to narrow down the four core professional skills:

Understanding only some of the skill this sport requires, I still struggled to understand how it is set apart from other sports in the world. My readings prompted me to reflect on my past experiences training and playing tennis. Reaction, spin, speed, surface and self-management are also at the core of tennis as a whole.

Understanding the skill of the sport was an epiphany in my understanding of the game, and in turn leads me to develop my appreciation for Ping-Pong.

Here are the highlights of the final match:

My newfound understanding of the game’s skill, rules and regulations enhanced by viewing of this match and the game more broadly.

giphy.gifIt was interesting to recognise the similarities between table tennis and tennis. As a former tennis player, I was able to reflect on the likeness of training patterns across both sports – and this further allowed me to understand and appreciate the technicality of table tennis through my own experience. It extends past western perceptions of Ping-Pong as a game of leisure, and associations with Australian drinking culture and the game of ‘beer-pong’.

This triggered yet another epiphany – much of western sport (particularly in Australia) is deeply entwined with our drinking culture. Most recently, with the end of the NRL season, many teams have been called out for their excessive drinking behaviours. To draw a comparative analysis, I researched instances where Chinese table tennis athletes have been a part of alcohol-related events – and I was unable to find any article that explicitly recounts an occasion. This is interesting to note, as I found it reflective and aligned with Asian culture.

China is known to be a heavily governed and reserved society, where discipline and order are key values. The history of table tennis reflects this as it was introduced during China’s peak of Communism, with the governance of Mao during the People’s Republic of China. Since then, the sport has continued to be apart of the countries identity.

I have found it incredibly interesting to analyse how politics has influenced and the shaped the sport. Not only has table tennis been used as a diplomacy tool, it is a sport that is reflective of a disciplined society. I found that watching the table tennis players’ strokes during a rally, you can clearly see how carefully selected and executed each shot is. The ball is on return within five seconds of the ball contacting their opponent’s paddle.

I have a strong understanding of the endurance and stamina it takes to hold a rally on a tennis court and the continuous back and forth these athletes engage in despite the limited boundaries of the table has left me in awe. I have never understood the accuracy table tennis possesses but it is very stark through the Asia Games men’s finals, where we see the Ping-Pong ball brushing the very edge of the table. However, with applied spin and strength of the opponent, this allows them to contact the ball at a certain height in order to keep the ball in play.

This clip is just one of the many examples I found when researching Ping-Pong training methods. It is so interesting to see how disciplined training rituals are, commonly completed in large groups with a mentor and trainer consistently calling out shadow drills.

I took a minute to reflect and try to imagine the intensity of these training sessions. Could I have done this when I was playing tennis? Yes and no, I think for many Australian sports and in particular tennis, we don’t only focus on the common strokes, rather we take an all round focus on fitness and diet. Much of my training was broken into days, some days on court, some day’s footwork training and others general fitness. By doing this I was able to train majority of my body and it gave me an element of diversity and ‘fun’.

As an observer of table tennis training, I feel as if I would particularly struggle when consistently training one type of stroke and also being indoors. However, this comes with the type of sport. It’s interesting to notice how training methods dramatically shift when it comes to sport, and what type of physical endurance and focus that they require.

Uncovering China’s agenda for Ping-Pong

A sport for every nation.

The world of sport is much larger than what society understand. Sport provides not only a source of health and fitness, rather sport has created unity in communities, it has broadened inter-cultural communication and brought into effect the realities of globalisation. Sport can be named as a ‘peacetime’ event, occasions such as the Olympic Games have bought peace amongst countries in the modern day. Government’s are utilising sport as a platform for global attention and political activity.

I have always had a profound interest in sports, as a former athlete and as a fan and spectator. I have been particularly interested in what sports are largely followed in selected countries, for example, in Australia, our biggest and most followed sports are NRL, AFL and Cricket. Across each sports, fans, coverage and the match itself differs.

For the upcoming research project, I endeavour to take a focus on China’s value of sport with a particular focus on Table Tennis, also known as Ping Pong.

To get the ball rolling, I turned to trust Google to help me understand a little more about the sport. Little did I know that my views of Ping Pong have been completely wrong.

The game of table tennis actually began during the 1880s in England, as a lawn tennis player adapted their game to play indoors during the winter. It has had its humble beginnings grounded as a ‘parlour game‘, for anyone who had the access to a table, paddle and a ball. The name ‘Ping-Pong’ followed shortly after, it was coined by the English firm J. Jaques and Son at the end of the 1800s, and later trademarked in the US by Parker Brothers, the board game company. The game expanded and caught wind during 1901, the earliest dates of tournaments show that there were more than 300 participants. In 1922 the first Ping-Pong Association was formed and renamed The Table Tennis Association.

Mind-blown? Me too.

But when was ping-pong introduce into China?

China has been infatuated with table tennis since the 1950s, it was during this time Chairman Mao declared it as the national sport. The communist leader thought it was a logical decision, a sport that can be played at a cheap expense and was a sport that was not as popular in the West. Today, China holds the top three ranking in the Men and Women’s League as well as the top spot in the world!

Fun Facts:

  • China is ruthless in their national team selection
  • Chinese players train for a minimum of 7 hours a day
  • Players work with specialised practice partners, even sometimes two against one
  • Chinese teams have the most extensive and strategic analysis about competitors and are pioneers for new techniques

For this digital artefact, I want to immerse myself in the culture of Ping-Pong. I endeavour to watch, research and write about the ins and outs of the sport.

I am a self-proclaimed sports fanatic (sports journalist is the ultimate goal), but I have very limited knowledge to play with. With the help of autoethnography, my digital artefact will be a reflection of my understandings, conclusions, opinions and epiphanies concerning ping-pong and its stance throughout the Chinese Culture.

I have chosen to present my artefact in written form, a mixture of reviews, analysis, cultural understandings and a sports report. I believe this is an effective way to convey my findings, as well as allow my brain explosion to flow and explore a range of different avenues ping-pong influences and flows amongst.

First stop! Watching re-runs of the Table Tennis games during the 2018 Asian Games.

Let the games begin!

Usually I wouldn’t openly express my profound interest in all things cyber, dystopian and futuristic. But it seems BCM320 is making me do just that.

Our screening of Akira, made my geeky senses tingle and I became intrigued.

Akira is a Japanese anime movie set in 1988, which explores the Japanese government dropping an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go ‘awry‘. The film illustrates the repercussions of the bomb almost 31 years after it destroyed the city. The movie is all things dystopian and cyberpunk, and shows strong similarities to your favourite movies and shows like Blade Runner and Stranger Things. It’s crazy to evaluate the similarities between the successes despite being decades apart. But it seems the themes of dystopia and cyberpunk will continue to reign as current and adaptable themes for futuristic movies.

We were given the challenge to channel our thoughts and understanding of the film in an autoethnographic account. ‘Autoethnography’ is “an approach to research and writing that seeks to describe and systematically analyse personal experience in order to understand cultural experience“. Autoenthography is a combination of autobiography and ethnography, fundamentally autobiographies are often written based on epiphanies of the researcher. Such epiphanies are “remembered moments perceived to have significantly impacted the trajectory of a person’s life“.

Autoethnography all the researcher to analyse their content from an outsider and cultural perspective. “Scholars began recognising that different kinds of people possess different assumptions about the world…Auto-ethnography, on the other hand, expands and opens up a wider lens on the world…

Attempting to live tweet while focus on the movie and research the film’s themes proved difficult, and this is exhibited by the minimal tweets I was able to curate. My cultural understanding of anime has never been broad, or my preference. However, I have always had an interest in post-apocalyptic film and the analysis of the repercussions of war and corruption.

During the viewing I noticed constant references and similarities to Blade Runner, and began thinking about the correlation between the movies and their overarching themes. Akira, like Blade Runner incorporate the themes of globalisation, technology and capitalism. It is these themes that we can see transcend over time, to portray a dystopian society which reflects war and destruction. This was evident throughout Akria, understanding these themes helped me to gather the cultural understanding of how Japanese people have dealt with the repercussions of atomic bombs.

The post-apcolyptic destruction reflects the ruins and fear of the Japanese people. What once was and what now stands, are the effects of military and political corruption which are common themes in Japanese film and literature. Being set in 2019, as the repercussions of WWIII caused me to constantly question, I questioned how filmmakers have the capacity to create films that reflect times that we have not yet experienced or predicted. It caused me to question, whether these themes of political corruption, war, globalisation and technology will continue to be labelled as ‘time-less’. And it lastly caused me to question the Japanese culture and its preconceived predictions for the future, and their immersion with western culture.

So I attempted to draw a conclusion.

Akira is a futuristic reflection of the repercussions of Atomic Bombings present and future. As a result of a Western influence and Japan’s technologically advanced society, they predict that military and political corruption will lead to ultimate destruction. Cross-cultural understanding and autoethnography allowed me to understand that Japanese culture largely influences post-apocalyptic and dystopian films. The value of Japanese anime and film culture is preserved and treasured amongst the film industry. Anime is ‘time-less’.


Bertolucci’s 1900

with Robert DeNiro, Gerard Depardieu, Dominique Sanda, Stefania Sandrelli, Laura Betti, Donald Sutherland, Burt Lancaster, and Sterling Hayden.

Both born on the day of Verdi’s death at the beginning of the 20th Century, the characters that as adults are played by DeNiro (Alfredo) and Depardieu (Olmo), grow up side by side as friends, and during fascism as class enemies, in this epic depiction of the class struggles in Italy leading up to the Eurocommunist moment in 1975, focused primarily on the rise of fascism and the fight that led to end the dictates of the Italian right with Alfredo accommodating the fascists at his estate, while Olmo organizes and takes part in the broad struggles including the armed resistance.

There are few films like 1900. “…told with an unyielding Marxist fervor, 1900 overflows with an abundant love of life in all its beauty and pain, sensuality and despair.” —The Los Angeles Times

1900 explores a vibrant familial identity existing between a group of socialist farmers, the landowners they work for, and fascist factions penetrating rural Parma, Italy. Its half-century scope provides a raw macro/micro slant on psychological, generational, political, and cultural changes in the region of Bertolucci’s birth. Compared with the contained, at times claustrophobic, expressionist style of Last Tango, 1900 is a 180-degree turn into a wide open direction. For his thirteenth film Bertolucci wanted to express what he saw as Italy’s “multi-culture” society becoming a “mono-culture,” due to the influence of the industrial revolution, and capitalism more precisely. The thick-layered chronicle doesn’t sweep across time so much as it escorts the audience through indelible composite events that bristle with personal, social, and political characteristics….Since [when it was made] 1900 has come to stand as an organic cinematic journey through chapters of a rich apocryphal history that evinces an ongoing struggle between the world’s rich elite and everyone else.”—Cole Smithey

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Resistance and Solidarity Across the US-Mexican Border: 1946-2016

A presentation by Gerardo Renique
This presentation will cover the history and political implications of the making of the waves of US-Mexican international policy for contemporary struggles for labor, immigrant and civil rights across at the US-Mexican border region. We will look at the cross-border urban areas that depend on the same water, air and other natural resources, such as the broad expanse of San Diego to Tijuana metropolitan region. Significant consideration will be given to the tensions and contradictions generated by the uneven interdependence of capitalist development in the borderlands; the long history of solidarity, struggle and resistance against racial and capitalist oppression waged by Native Americans, Mexican Americans and the multinational working class in the region; and, the potential of these developments for the political challenges posed by transnational capitalism and globalization in Mexico and the United States.

Gerardo Renique teaches history at the City College of the City University of New York is a frequent contributor to Socialism and Democracy and NACLA: Report on the Americas. His research looks at the political traditions of popular movements in Latin America; race, national identity and state formation in Mexico. He co-directed with Tami Gold the video-documentary Frozen Happiness. Elections, Repression and Hope in Oaxaca, Mexico; and co-authored with G. Katsiaficas “A New Stage of Insurgencies: Latin American Popular Movements, the Gwangju Uprising, and the Occupy Movement” in Socialism and Democracy.

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Tatiana's Day
by Katia Perova

"'It’s not that simple. It’s more like what I did to myself. I’ve done some horrible things in this marriage.'"

University students Tatiana Dobrova and Oleg Isaev meet in Moscow in 1990, and a whirlwind romance begins between the studious Tatiana and the charming Oleg. Within months, they are married, and Tatiana continues her studies while Oleg pursues new business opportunities spurred by the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The chronicle of their marriage and the monumental societal changes taking place in Russia combine to tell a riveting love story. At the heart of this captivating tale is the evolution of Tatiana as she loses herself in a marriage full of betrayal and psychological manipulation. Oleg’s workaholic tendencies, frequent affairs, and cruelty are destructive forces in the marriage, and Tatiana descends into reckless behavior that threatens to consume her. Enticed by the luxury of her life with Oleg, Tatiana ignores the truth of their marriage until the desperation becomes unbearable, and she reclaims her life.

This compulsively readable novel explores the shimmering illusion that money creates in relationships which can hide a multitude of dangerous imperfections and heartbreaking complications. Oleg is driven by power, money, and conquest as markers of success and happiness, while Tatiana longs for companionship, attention, and simplicity in her life. Whenever Tatiana comes close to realizing the magnitude of her unhappy marriage, Oleg distracts her with expensive gifts, luxurious trips, and sparkling promises. Intermittently satisfied, Tatiana languishes for a while in the shallow loveliness of expensive things until she slowly comes to see other more meaningful possibilities for her life.

Perova has developed a fully realized woman with the character of Tatiana as readers follow her from innocent university student to wide-eyed wife and conflicted woman trying to reconcile her own desires and needs with the reality of married life with an unsuitable husband. The story wavers between despair and hope as Tatiana’s choices and inner life are explored through a courageous journey to truth and independence. The outstanding pacing keeps Tatiana’s fate uncertain but pulsing toward a satisfying conclusion. The realistic dialogue grounds the story in authenticity as does the honesty of Tatiana’s uncertainty and willful rationalizing of her husband’s behavior. Perova captures the deep complexities and difficulties inherent in facing down unwanted truths in relationships.

Russia of the 1990s is a fitting setting for this marriage between two people with different ambitions and goals for a happy life. The rapid changes happening in Russia and the rise of new businesses and opportunities place mounting pressures on this young couple and offer relentless temptations for excess. The fate of Tatiana and Oleg seem inextricably linked to this new Russia which is rendered with historical and cultural details as well as vivid imagery. Perova depicts notable Russian landmarks, literature, and celebrations like Tatiana Day, a religious holiday. This backdrop adds a rich layer of interest to this romantic story of self-discovery.

Perova’s perceptive depiction of complicated relationships elevates this romance to a thought-provoking look at the use of power in relationships. Perova never gives a label to Tatiana’s treatment at the hands of her husband, but the power imbalance is evident. It is difficult to know for sure if Oleg is lying to Tatiana when she confronts him over his affairs. The use of third person limited narration focuses on Tatiana’s perspective on the marriage, which leaves readers also feeling like the victim of Oleg’s essential use of gaslighting—the practice of psychological manipulation that leads a person to question their own memory of events and their own perception—to control Tatiana and the interpretation of his actions. Oleg uses this technique effectively, and the limited narration enforces it. The limited narrative also builds sympathy for Tatiana and stokes reader frustration over Oleg’s charm and deception. When Tatiana takes the courageous step to take control of her life, Perova affirms female empowerment and sends a striking message that a happy ending sometimes depends on starting over.

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Report 2017

Diversity and Inclusivity

Diversity and InclusivityAn annual review of our diversity and inclusivity initiatives.

An in-depth look at where we stand, and where we should be heading.

We seek to celebrate our diverse identities. When we speak about diversity, we acknowledge that our different backgrounds bring unique perspectives to our work. There are many types of diversity, including race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical/genetic condition, parent/marital/care-giver status, education background, and beyond.

We’re stronger together. Diversity is everything about us that makes us who we are.

Company Role

From 2007 to 2016, 4% of top-grossing directors were women; even less were people of color. As we grow, it is essential to push for accurate representation in our executive and leadership team. Over the next year we will develop advancement and hiring strategies and work to define clear paths to leadership that prioritize diverse representation and gender parity.

Gender Identity

One of our main goals for diversity this year is to reach gender parity and increase our representation of individuals across the gender identity spectrum. The tech field is dominated by cisgender men; cisgender women in tech experience unequal pay compared to their male counterparts. Transwomen, transmen, genderqueer, non-binary and intersex individuals experience a pay gap in tech jobs as well as further discrimination surrounding appearance and sexual orientation; In the United States, transgender individuals lack federal employment protection and can be fired for gender identity in 30 states. We believe that greater representation of diverse sexual and gender identities is a major step in changing this problem. We start by proactively changing our own policy in the hopes that this change will spread to the rest of our field and beyond.

0Cisgender Male
0Cisgender Female
0Prefer not to answer

GSD Identification

LGBTQIA+ people are our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family. Despite recent legal reforms and shifts in social attitudes , LGBTQIA+ people still face discrimination and inadequate legal protection. In the United States, a person can be fired for being LGBTQIA+ in 28 states. Businesses have a responsibility to put LGBTQIA+ equality and inclusion into action. At Versett, we want everyone to feel welcomed, included, and free to bring their authentic selves to work each day with full support from our team.

0I don't
0I do
0Prefer not to answer

Race & Ethnicity

Having a representative team isn't just about identification; it's about celebrating the diversity and broad perspectives that a diverse set of people can bring to the table. In a predominantly White industry, racial minorities face many challenges, including discrimination and unequal pay. Systematic inequality and injustice in the workplace has kept underrepresented groups from reaching their full potential for too long. Versett is proud that our team members represent 6 different countries and a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds. This diversity is part of our company fabric. It shapes our work and the ways we relate to each other. In the face of adverse government policies, our diversity has become a rallying point for our team. Over the next few years we hope to expand our team to be more representative of the population, as well as implement inclusivity measures to ensure employees feel supported and included in the workplace.

0White / Caucasian
0Prefer not to answer
0Hispanic / Latino / Latinx
0Black / African

In recent years, older employees in the tech industry have faced layoffs andhiring discrimination. Most employees in tech are in their late 20s. Age is just a number, and shouldn't be a requirement to work or participate in company culture. We are cognizant of creating a culture and hiring process that's welcoming, inclusive, and friendly to people of all walks of life.

025 – 34 yrs.
035 – 44 yrs.
045 – 54 yrs.
018 – 24 yrs.

Relationship Status

0Domestic partnership
0Civil Union

Carer Status

It can be really hard to balance career and family life. Parenthood is an 18+ year job, undertaken by both men and women, biological and adoptive parents, LGBTQIA+ and straight, in all kinds of family structures. 29% of the U.S. population provide care for a chronically ill, disabled, or aged family member or friend during any given year, spending an average of 20 hours per week providing care for their loved one. As our team grows, more and more people will be in these types of positions. Our stated goal is to provide our team with the flexibility and support they need to have a life, a family, and a career; we're committed to providing this space, whether through our flexible time off policy or our commitment to providing 4 months of paid parental leave.

0I am not a parent / carer
0I am a parent / carer

Education Level

At Versett, we've never looked at schooling as a hiring criterion. We care about what you've done, how you think, and how you tackle big problems and challenges. We also value continuing education, and understand how it can help our team learn and grow. Most of us already work 40 (or more) hours a week— adding classes, homework, and finals into the mix can be overwhelming. We are committed to supporting our teammates who are completing school or doing extra-curricular education, whether full-time or part-time.

0Bachelors degree
0Advanced degree
0Associates degree
0Some college, no degree

Neurodiversity / Disability

Due to antiquated governmental policies and systemic inequities, disabled workers make significantly less than their non-disabled peers for the same job. Workers with chronic illnesses face job uncertainty; the protections afforded chronically ill workers are usually thin and somewhat vague. Neuro-diverse individuals often struggle to fit the profiles sought by prospective employers. This issue is close to our hearts, as nearly a quarter of our team identifies as neuro-diverse or disabled. We aim to create an atmosphere where our teammates are comfortable talking (or not talking) about these experiences. We believe a large part of creating an inviting and inclusive workplace lies in creating connections to your teammates both on a personal level and through shared projects and OKRs. This past year we worked to cement our flexible vacation policy and comprehensive health coverage, and over the next year we hope to ensure that all of our offices are accessible and comfortable work environments for all employees.

0I don't
0I do
0Prefer not to answer


Making the impossible possible: If Willy Wonka can, why not credit unions?

I have always been a very big fan of both Roald Dahl, and most especially his book, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. Throughout Dahl’s work, he creates magical spaces where children find the joy and wonder of being a child, even if the adults around them make that journey challenging. Maybe even more importantly, Dahl makes the impossible, possible.

As adults, the many bumps, bruises, scraped knees, and deflated balloons lying behind us on our journey to today fog our windshield for seeing the impossible. We’ve seen reality one too many times. We have believed in what could be, and observed that it never grew to reality. #Adulting forces us to dismiss impossible as simply that.

Several months ago, I attended an event for Canvas Credit Union’s Human Resource Information System provider, Ultimate Software. Having spent six years of my life on the road during my tenure at the Filene Research Institute, I have enjoyed avoiding airplanes in the last year, so when it was time to head to Las Vegas for the event, I was less than enthusiastic.

One speaker in particular made every minute of the trip worth it. His name was Mick Ebeling, and he is the founder of a company called “Not Impossible Labs.” The work that he does truly creates positive impact for human beings around the world. He looks for large challenges, what he describes as “absurdities,” and at least one person impacted negatively by that challenge and their story. He then puts together a group of creative and brilliant people to solve these problems. He and his team have helped artists that lost their ability to use their hands due to ALS, draw with their eyes. They used a 3D printer to create arms for Daniel, a young man in South Sudan who lost his arms in the conflict.

What Mick said that struck me was, “Everything that is now possible was once impossible.” He invited us to think about the chairs we were sitting in. We once sat on the floor, and now that rarely is the case. That framing resonated with me. It caused me to think about the many challenges people face with their finances. Some seem impossible to solve. If Willy Wonka can produce a candy that not only lasts for hours, but changes flavors throughout, can’t we as credit unions solve some of the challenges facing those we serve?

Creating a strong financial future today is not impossible, but it is not easy. Consider this from the National Foundation for Credit Counseling’s (NFCC) 2019 “Road Map of Consumer Financial Health:”

  • One in two Americans who have tried to purchase a home have faced barriers
  • One in four U.S. adults were “not confident at all” in how much they are saving for retirement

Also, according to the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE)’s 2018 study entitled, “Financial Fragility in the U.S.,” more than 36% of working U.S. adults are financially fragile and could not come up with $2,000 in 30 days. Finally, according to Experian, with more than 148 million people with outstanding student loan accounts, student loans are now the second-largest debt behind mortgages. The average borrower has $35,359 in student loan debt.

Credit unions are uniquely positioned to support people to create more positive financial futures. We could be the glass elevator that helps them break through their financial burdens. Making that a reality means transforming our own mindset within our organizations. We must make the impossible possible.

That may not be easy, but it will be the difference between people continuing to struggle and credit unions making finances more than a hassle and a chore, but the baseline for a brighter tomorrow. Not only will we help people and change the above statistics that pain us, but this kind of impact will make our story known, and credit unions will finally become the go-to partner we know we can be for more Americans.

How do we make the impossible possible? Here are five steps to get started:

  1. Invite your team to change the world. According to research conducted by Glassdoor, regardless of income level, the “culture and values of the organization are the largest predictors of employee satisfaction.” What if we create a burning platform to change the world through our credit union? Inviting people to believe that we can make the impossible possible catapults our credit union values into action. People want something to believe in, and they will want to feel permission to try something new. Other than candy, what’s more inviting than making the world better?
  2. Create organizational ambidexterity. Yes, the day-to-day work of serving our members must continue to get done while we simultaneously begin creating what used to be impossible. According to the Filene Research Institute’s, “Structures for Innovation” report by Campbell and Dopico, we must both “explore and exploit.” In other words, we have to keep making chocolate bars, while we also imagine the next chewing gum that will never lose its taste. This means exploiting our current business model while also exploring the future possibilities. This could mean creating a small group of innovators to better understand consumer challenges and working to develop new ideas to solve them. It could mean building a CUSO to explore new opportunities. It could mean setting aside an annual amount of resources to be focused solely on exploration. Ensuring we create time, space, and capital for dreaming about tomorrow is critical to ensuring credibility with our teams that we are serious about making the impossible real.
  3. Listen, listen, listen. What are the biggest challenges facing the members you serve? Frequently, we begin our exploration by peeking over at our neighbors and seeing what new ideas they have created. While competitive analysis serves us well, imagine if Willy Wonka only observed his competitors. His dreams were about what children would embrace as the ultimate candy. As we look to flip impossible on its head, our ears must be finely focused on the needs of our members, potential members, and community. We must ask, “What is your biggest problem?” We can then marry those themes that align with our biggest talents and skills to solve those tribulations in new and interesting ways.
  4. Partner. We might not always have the answer. We might not always feel that we have the resources to dedicate to exploration. Together with other credit unions, other community organizations, or even FinTech providers, we might have just the right resources and diverse perspectives. According to the Kresge Foundation’s, “Keys to Collaboration,” partnerships begin by “creating relationships based on a shared concern, not a specific project.” We often think of collaborating with other credit unions based on the value constructs that we all share. What other organizations share our passion, values and desire to demolish the impossible?
  5. One person’s story can create tremendous change. One of Mick Ebeling’s mandates for projects that Not Impossible Labs tackle is that it must be inspired by one person’s story. As humans, we are much more likely to respond, react, and move to action when we can feel empathy for another person. Seeing the pain of the impossible through the eyes of one other human can be the difference it takes to launch us into action that changes the world. Storytelling is not just for children. It is for all of us, and it is how chocolate rivers explode into sweet reality. Willy Wonka comes to life as we can imagine his challenges as a child who was the son of a very strict dentist, along with the heartbreak that fills Charlie Bucket’s impoverished world. As we listen, we must look for the stories that will be the foundation for our work and that we can continue to share to drive engagement, not just from our teams, but also from our members and communities.

Raised by a dentist, Willy Wonka had perfect teeth, but never enjoyed the joy of candy. He dreamed the impossible into reality as he grew into an adult that could manifest positive change. Roald Dahl helped children see that bad behavior would not be rewarded and that perseverance and the ability to see the good, even when the world seems hopeless, can be rewarded with not just one piece of candy, but with an entire factory full of Everlasting Gobstoppers, Fizzy Lifting Drinks, and Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delights. We might not be making chocolate, but we have the ability to create something even more powerful, solid and everlasting: Positive financial futures. In order to do so, we have to start making the impossible real. Human beings need us. Our time is now. What will your credit union’s chocolate river be?

Tansley Stearns

Tansley Stearns

Tansley is a dynamic force of nature, fiercely crusading on behalf of all credit unions while tirelessly driving forward the brand image and family spirit of Canvas. She joined us ... Web: Details

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Reno right: Ceiling fixes

When it comes to plaster or false ceilings, problems are bound to happen. Tackle them as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

Brown stains

Coffee-coloured stains are often the first sign that water is leaking through your ceiling. Locate the source of the leak – it could be from a damaged pipe upstairs or a roof hole.

Before cutting and replacing the damaged area, drill a hole in the centre of the stained area to drain any standing water. If the damage is minimal, you may be able to remove flaking with a putty knife before patching. Then, apply a stain sealer before repainting.

If the ceiling is more severely damaged, you will need to cut away the damage to the point where the ceiling material is sound. Replace it with a new piece of drywall. Seal joints with drywall compound, sand it down, and repaint.

If in doubt, get a professional to do the repairs.

Minor cracks

Establish that these minor ceiling cracks are not the sign of roof or foundational damage – when a house or building starts to settle, ceilings can shift slightly and cause minor hairline cracks.

With a razor or utility knife, cut into the sides of the cracks to create a smooth and even V shape. Then, spread joint compound directly inside the crack and fill it evenly. Let it dry for at least 24 hours.

Once dried, scrape over it with a putty knife to remove any bumps, before taping over the crack with fibreglass mesh tape. Apply a second thin layer of compound over the tape and leave the area to dry. After it has dried, sandpaper the area, but avoid sanding it down to the taped area. Then, prime and paint it in a colour that matches the ceiling.

Sagging and warping

Years of dirt, dust, gravity, and movement in the structure can cause ceilings to weaken and sag. See if the sagging part can still be nailed or screwed back in place.

If the ceiling is too warped, loose, or cracked, it is best to fix it before it falls off and causes an accident.