Becoming An Engineer: Most Promising Engineer in Industry 2020
Published June 16, 2020 By : Lango Deen
One of the most prestigious category awards presented at the BEYA gala during the annual STEM Conference is the Most Promising Engineer Award. The award has been presented since 1987, when Lanny Smoot won as a young engineer at Bell Communications Research, Inc. or Bellcore.
Thirty years on, Smoot serves as a Research Fellow at Disney Research, one of a select group that can pursue their ideas wherever they might lead.
This February, Julie G. Duffy, executive vice president for human resources at Textron, known around the world for its brands such as Bell Helicopter and Cessna, presented Dr. Mark McKelvin with the Most Promising Engineer in Industry Award.
McKelvin is a senior engineering specialist at The Aerospace Corporation. He was nominated by the California-based corporation, which operates a federally funded research and development center, for showing tremendous potential for future technical contributions and advancement.
McKelvin leads The Aerospace Corporation and its customers in the newly emerging and rapidly changing arena of model-based systems engineering. This evolving technical field is an enabler for the transformation of systems engineering being applied to national space and ground systems programs with huge potential improvements in efficiency of the programs.
"Challenges have brought me to this moment," McKelvin said in his acceptance speech. "Our single mom raised my two younger brothers and me in rural Georgia, where STEM opportunities were severely limited. But a high school guidance counselor provided me an application to attend a summer STEM program at Clark Atlanta University that led to a full fellowship to attend CAU for my engineering degree," he said.
But transitioning from Clark Atlanta University to the University of California Berkeley, where he earned his Ph.D. had its own difficulties. Plus, he said, he faces daily challenges in his career.
McKelvin credited his success to mentors who believed in him; his family, and friends, for the ability to find a way or make one, and the will to get back up when he fell.
In a 2019 interview with USBE magazine, Smoot said he tries to do as much as he can to get young people interested in science and technologies that make the world work. He said parents must understand that their children can do anything. "Your children are the future and will build the new world we're going into," he advised. "You only get good at something by doing it," he said.
HBCU Technet Awards & Lists


general elections 2019
Akbar Lone
Will abuse those who abuse them: NC leader Akbar Lone raises pro-Pakistan slogans
"The nation is a Muslim nation. This means that if I abuse them, I am abusing myself."
ANI Photo
Mar 25, 2019, 09:32 AM IST
Akbar Lone, the National Conference candidate from Kupwara for the upcoming Lok Sabha election, has courted controversy by raising pro-Pakistan slogans and even said at a recent rally that he would abuse those who abuse the neighbouring country.
At a time when India-Pakistan tension remains thorny due to terrorist activities and ceasefire violations from across the Line of Control (LoC), Lone said that friendship between the two countries is the only way forward. He even raised pro-Pakistan slogans. "Pakistan should prosper. Pakistan should be successful and may Indo-Pak friendship remain intact. I am a supporter of that friendship. If someone hurls one abuse at them (Pakistan), I will hurl ten from here," he said. "The nation is a Muslim nation. This means that if I abuse them, I am abusing myself."
Lone even said that BJP workers had previously yelled 'Pakistan murdabad' slogans and he had immediately countered with 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans of his own.
Even as Lone has been generous in his praise for Pakistan, a country that supports and shields terrorists, he has targeted PDP for being hand-in-glove with the BJP. He has often blamed Mehbooba Mufti's erstwhile government in alliance with BJP for having sacrificed the interest of people in J&K. His most-recent remarks favouring Pakistan, however, is likely to invite a blitzkrieg of political backlash in a highly-charged political environment across the country.
Akbar LoneNational ConferenceLok Sabha election 2019general election 2019India election 2019
JDS won't backstab even if they do: HD Kumaraswamy's 'warning' to Congress


PODCASTS: Painting a bigger photo
in Painting
Are SA brands missing a trick via no longer using podcasts as a brand new income and advertising platform?
Though there's little formal research on the medium, media planners inform the FM that podcast intake is an idea to have grown through as much 50% within the beyond years.
A podcast is a virtual audio file made to be had at the net for downloading to a pc or cell tool and commonly to be had as a chain, new installments of which may be acquired by subscribers mechanically.
Investec is one logo that has embraced the podcast direction with its Big Picture podcast channel, providing a sequence of interviews by means of asset management professionals. Tim Spira, head of digital content at Investec, says: "Podcasting is part of a broader initiative to carry thought-management content to the fore in our advertising and marketing and communique efforts. Podcasts are a perfect way to give exposure to the knowledge that exists within the group and supply treasured and relevant insights to our clients and possibilities. On-call for audio is a high-quality choice for folks who don't have a number of time and want to access media on the cross — on the trip, for example, or on the health club."
It would possibly serve the advertising community nicely to take a lead from new worldwide developments. WARC, the international advertising, and marketing intelligence carrier have found that podcasts should account for 4.Five%, or $1.6bn, of worldwide audio advertising, spend via 2022. This is sort of double the $885m in predicted funding this year, equal to two.5% of the audio market (including broadcast radio and online codecs consisting of in-circulate commercials). "Much of this money is coming from manufacturers' experimental budgets. Advancements — such as greater correct, actual-time target audience measurement and programmatic advert trade — are required for this nascent format to liberate destiny boom," says WARC.
Local studies indicate that 80% of South Africans pay attention to most of the people of a podcast, and most concentrate to a podcast within 24 hours of download. The most famous sort of podcasts is amusement-based totally, with statistics-oriented podcasts coming in 2d.
In SA, the primary podcast listener is aged among 35 and 54. One of the first brands to effectively bounce on the podcast teaches changed into insurance massive Sanlam, in what turned into the described remaining year as a ground-breaking destiny-going through podcast collection which painted an image of an international 200 years from now that's full of opportunities. Dan Pinch, executive creative director at the King James advertising and marketing organization, stated on the time that the series become created as part of the institution's centenary birthday celebration, searching ahead to the next 100 years and asking large questions that rely.
Pinch says there was one huge lesson that got here out of the series: "We had been no longer making an advert. To have any hazard of gaining a target audience and maintaining it, we needed to be clean that the tale came first. If we promised some thing the usage of the conventions of entertainment and podcasts, we needed to positioned our target market first and not make a glorified infomercial."
The emblem, he provides, had a clean role because the creator of the content material and the subject matters aligned with the brand's consciousness, "but aside from that we focused on telling the great tale we ought to".


Manager's Post Match Reaction: Harlow Town
"Deeply frustrating to only get a point," said James Bracken after the 0-0 draw against Harlow Town. "We give everyone in this league respect but when you look at the league table, we had earmarked this for three points.
"They went down to ten men and you get that added pressure, where you should be taking advantage. However, there are no givens in football. We did what we could by penning them in, controlling the majority of the play, and had plenty of 2-on-1 opportunities out wide.
"We had 26 touches in their box but I can't remember their keeper having to make any meaningful saves. Our final ball let us down too often and we made poor decisions in and around their area. We need to get that right more often. Our attacks fizzled out into nothing and we couldn't find the quality required. We sustained pressure, kept the tempo up and didn't let them off the hook but just couldn't get the goal that surely would've won it for us.
"We didn't give the front two enough to thrive on. When we did, we took extra touches and when we got in excellent positions, we pulled balls back which should be played for tap-ins. We gave Harlow weak passes to defend against. The attitude was fine, the work-rate was fine but the quality, when it mattered, wasn't there.
"That's rumbled on for a few games now, so we need to look at that and get better in the final third. The boys have got to find it within themselves to produce or else I must look elsewhere to find that quality, which isn't easy. I'm a loyal person and have been to the players here in all my time. I don't have a big turnover in players and always maintained that these are the best lads I can get on the limited resources we have.
"Positives are that it stops the rot. We've got a point which ends the losing streak. It gives us a clean sheet with which we can build upon next week.
"Having two training sessions a week will now help massively. This'll be the first time since pre-season that I can call on having two sessions to work on things. That'll help us build confidence, get some fitness levels up, increase competition for places and get back to winning ways.
Looking forward to next Saturday, at home to Leatherhead, Bracken was not counting on evoking the memory of the 2-1 win at Fetcham Grove in November.
"That win at Leatherhead in November seems a long time ago now. We need to concentrate on where we're at right at this moment in time. We're not doing anything drastically different. Bear in mind that the draw against Harlow, we just lacked that little bit of class at the end. We're usually better than that and I'll expect more from the lads next time out. That's not a dig at them but they'll need to look at themselves and ask if they did enough. We'll work hard at it, be positive and take that into the Leatherhead game."
10-Man Hawks Hold Casuals in Stalemate
Corinthian-Casuals 0 - 0 Harlow Town
Bostik League Premier Division
Saturday 5th January 2019
Match report and photos: Stuart Tree (full set of pictures here)
Corinthian-Casuals started 2019 with a clean-sheet and a point after grinding out a 0-0 draw against ten-man Harlow Town on Saturday.
The Hawks were reduced to ten men after just seventeen minutes when Taylor Hastings denied Gabriel Odunaike with a clear goal-scoring opportunity.
However, Harlow's defensive resilience coupled with Casuals inability to create clear-cut chances meant this match was only ever destined for a scoreless draw.
Positives will be taken from the result, with James Bracken's side claiming their first clean sheet in nine games and a point that ends a four game losing streak.
Harlow have spent most of the season in the relegation places but with new additions into the side, they'd picked up a few valuable points in the past month. Casuals were looking to kick-start their campaign after a difficult December which saw the Tolworth-outfit pick up three points from a possible fifteen.
Hasting's sending off set the tone for the rest of the afternoon; a lofted through ball saw Odunaike sprint through on goal and his defender inadvertently tripped the forward leaving Referee Hugh Gilroy no option but to show red.
However, the first half was an even affair. Whilst Max Oldham drove his shot into the side netting and Odunaike choosing to square the ball to Warren Mfula rather than taking the shot on, there wasn't much action in either box. At the opposite end, Danny Bracken was forced into a sharp but comfortable save from a Harlow attack.
The second half was more one-way traffic as the extra man told. For periods, it seemed it was only a matter of time before the deadlock was broken but Casuals almost possessed a fear of shooting. Josh Bexon, the Harlow stopper had little to save throughout the match.
The introduction of Bradley Woods-Garness and Josh Uzun gave fresh impetus going into the final 20 minutes but despite creating good openings, neither could quite magic up that late winner as was so often seen last season.
And so the spoils were shared leaving Casuals fourteenth in a tight table - six points above the relegation spots but only eight points from playoffs. A run of form as seen in November would put Bracken's side right in the promotion mix, yet December form could leave them in a relegation dogfight.
Read Manager James Bracken's thoughts here.


Writing Challenge #12: Monologues
I will admit - this was a thinker. Writing a monologue takes layered thought and a good amount of effort so I was quite glad to have a go of this rather early, and get it out to all of you.
This will be my final Writing Challenge for this year, so enjoy!
Prompts: Once more with feeling, Guilt
Indigo's Mantra
Joelyn Alexandra
You're not in that place anymore.
No, not the hospital. That was a problem, but something you managed to blaze through anyway.
No more smokey heat from those chili-red candles, no more glaring neon lights flashing at eerily erratic intervals, no more chanting of words in a foreign language, no more searing pain on your back, and most importantly - no constant crying from your parents and Azalea. She's safe, at least you think she is.
You're safe. Relative to how things were.
You've made mistakes - perhaps in blind panic, perhaps in uncalled anxiety - and that rubbed people around the wrong way. These people who have done what they can to keep you alive.
Eleanor and Clive have left, so it's now just one person waiting for you.
You'll get through this - you've experienced worse, and can hold your own.
And screw everyone else - you've had to endure whatever was carved on your back for more than a decade - they can deal with an hour of discomfort if they happened to glance your way.
Take a deep breath, go up to Morales, and tell him what you know. He has saved you and everyone else at least more than once. At least for now. There will be more to fear and fight, as long as Azalea remains uncontactable and that gap in your memories remain in the shadows.
I know you're terrified, but there's truly nothing left for you to do to combat these fears.
Besides...
What good is feeding the terror when it does nothing to serve anyone's needs?
With that, we mark the end of the Writing Challenge blog series for 2018. While I will continue writing, do stay tuned to see where these pieces end up at. Keep writing and sharing your stories!
Writing Challenge #11: Exposition
Ah, the good friend of many Singaporean writers, but also my greatest challenge. I will be honest - I cannot stand reading descriptive exposition that's too long. But since exposition also means backstory, I'm going to mix descriptions with my 'I-just-want-to-know-what-happens-next' sensibilities, so this is going to be interesting.
Prompts: Noticeable body marking, Could have stopped at any time
"Arson, huh?"
Nargis smiled, adjusting the scarf around her marked neck while she continued observing the distillation of whatever potion she was asked to look after.
"Didn't do it or was taking the rap for a Master?"
"For someone who has been around convicts so much, Tormi," she said, tapping one of the bubbles out of the pipes, "You don't seem to take the rule of 'don't ask' very well."
The other woman, a stockier, weathered person on the other side of the potion contraption, put herself next to Nargis.
"I don't have anything to fear from you," Tormi replied, still fixated on the Perso-Arabic script tattooed just under her left jawline and side of her chin, "How old are you again?"
"20," Nargis replied shortly.
"What the hell happened?"
"Don't tell me you're going to break your vow of silence to these convicts over a kid from the outskirts of Narkavrum," Nargis replied, releasing the distilled potion, drop-by-drop into the vial at the end of the contraption. Tormi walked to Nargis's other side, her eyes fixated on the latter's right temple.
Reaching for the carved flaming flower on Nargis's right temple, Tormi started talking again, "No one gets markings like that around here without a story."
Nargis turned the potion contraption off.
"I didn't do the arson," she said at first.
"Of course you didn't."
Nargis wagged her fingers over the crate of potion vials next to the both of them, picking a clear vial before dispensing this batch's first potion. When the clear, ruby liquid flowed into the palm-sized container, the citrus scent of the sumac wafting from the concoction. While Tormi took in the refreshing scent, Nargis turned away.
"Isn't this your signature?" she asked.
"First rule of alchemy," Nargis readjusted her scarf, this time with her neck tattoo more visible, "Inhaling everything is not the best way to go about your day."
Tormi herself turned away as Nargis corked the full vial before handing it to the prison trader. As Tormi held the vial closer to her face, she responded, "Was that how your arson came about?"
"What makes you think that it's not my affinity to make things burn?"
The stockier woman pocketed the vial, then placed herself between Nargis and the rest of the apparatus, "Before a good part of his mansion burnt down, the Khan's compound was often filled with women interviewing for his son's harem. Rumour has it that it was the work of a single dancer, a single immigrant dancer, one who managed to survive one of the worst blights in Narkavrum, one who managed to go through the ranks, that was found in the middle of the burnt wreckage."
"Now, I'm wondering," she continued, "The officials warned me about you - said you survived things you weren't meant to. So I'd like to ask you one more time…"
Then, Tormi looked Nargis in the eyes.
"Nargis," she said, "What happened to you and what are you now?"
Nargis glared back, the slightest inkling of a head cold building at the back of her head. With a smile, she pulled her headscarf away from the right side of her head, revealing a carved tattoo on her right temple, a gift from her mentors, "Maybe it's this."
Before Tormi could respond, a flash of black light tore through Nargis's line of vision.
'Hello,' a voice sounded, 'You seem perturbed. Something troubling you?'
Nargis inhaled deep, her head now heavy, left ear ringing, liquid trickling down her nose. Tormi rushed forward to catch the now-stumbling Nargis, asking, "Hey, what's going on?!"
'I see you're brewing something,' the voice continued, 'Have you called me back?'
"Knock…" Nargis squinted, half-supported by the worktable and a slightly panicked Tormi, "Knock me out, knock me out!"
"Nargs…"
She felt the sting searing through her left temple before everything went black.
Nargis awoke to see Tormi standing outside her cell - a tiny little shoebox that she did her best to at least keep clean despite the cold, damp environment. Unable to fight off a smirk, she hauled herself from her sleeping platform.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
Tormi extracted a cypher from her sleeve, "I'm surprised you don't speak prison guard."
"Okay," Nargis stood up, arms raised in resignation, "I'm fine now, you don't have to stick around."
Tormi leaned closer, her forearms dangling over the prison bars, "You thought I was working with you because you're the only one here with a perceived half a brain?" Her right hand reached into her left sleeve and extracted a piece of papyrus with an emblem inked into its stained, creased surface.
Leaning closer, Nargis almost fell back at the familiarity.
"Don't flatter yourself," Tormi folded the papyrus with her right hand and slipped it back into her sleeve, "I don't work with Emblems, but no one could say no to that amount of money."
Clutching her headscarf, Nargis's eyes darted around, her fingers tapping the air involuntarily, until she found purchase and support against the wall. Catching her breath, she leaned her back against the wall, then eyed Tormi.
"I'm fine, so your job is done," she breathed, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Tormi rolled her eyes. Nargis shrugged.
A tense couple of seconds ensued - the silence dangled over a tightrope between the two.
"What else did they ask from you?" Nargis finally asked sheepishly.
"Nothing else," Tormi answered, "But if you're harbouring something that might endanger my work with your so-called caretakers, I'm going to have to know everything…"
The lady on the other side of the bars slowly sat back down on her sleeping platform. "You can tell them I'm fine then. And this will be the last you'll see of me…"
Tormi continued standing there, gaze piercing through to the young inmate.
"I don't know if any of your caretakers told you about this before you go thrown in here," Tormi finally said, "But it's not just the big cities and kingdoms that are changing. If there are problems in Neth, it won't be long until the trouble reaches us."
Nargis looked up.
"Have you heard talk about strange happenings?" Tormi continued, "Missing people, dark auras…?"
"Superstitious nonsense is common within these walls," Nargis scoffed.
Tormi sighed.
"Whatever it is, the people are getting more and more uneasy," she said, "You're a smart kid, and I'd expect that you'll come out of this alive, if not stronger. But if what I saw in the lab just now had something to do with these rumours, you're in…"
"It's the entity that brought me here," Nargis finally said. Tormi's shoulders relaxed, and the inmate continued, looking over her shoulder one more time before she lowered her voice, "I was on assignment for my mentors - the Khan was suspected of being affiliated to a few networks set up to undermine Neth." She blinked back a dull ache that was now collecting at the back of her head.
"And before I was able to gather any information, what you saw in the lab happened."
The slightest gasp escaped Tormi's throat.
"My mentors told me that they found me unscathed, in the middle of the rubble of what was apparently the Khan's treasure room."
"So I was right," Tormi said.
"Hey," the smuggler called after the inmate as Nargis stepped back to her platform. Tormi didn't wait for Nargis to turn back before she continued, "I could still use your help - and you could still use mine."
Nargis's brows furrowed.
"You need my connection back to the outside if you want any knowledge out of this place," Tormi explained, "And I could use someone with your talent."
Then, she stretched her hand out for a handshake.
"What do you say?"
Nargis looked over her right shoulder as they worked, catching Tormi averting her gaze from the corner of her eye.
"So what about the flaming flower here?" Nargis turned and saw Tormi pointing towards her right temple.
"When I start owing you favours," Nargis smiled.
Regardless, I hope you enjoyed this piece! Stay tuned for this year's final Writing Challenge, coming up next month!
Writing Challenge: #10 - Transitions
Most stories don't happen in one place, so this challenge was straightforward enough. That being said, I don't know if I can stop this challenge just after one transition written in.
Prompts: When we were kids, What once was lost
"Gao," she lowered her tiles on the green-felted tables.
The rest of the players lay back against their seats, one in frustration and the other two in resignation. All three looked like they would have to walk out of the place with bags over their heads just to maintain a shrivel of dignity. The wrinkled uncle on her right peered over, his forehead lined with both disbelief and anger.
Four sets of the directional tiles and a pair of Red Dragon tiles stared back like opulent gravestones. All of a sudden, she could see the relief in one of her other opponent's shoulders.
Thank goodness we agreed on a winnings cap, she projected with a smile.
"Dai Sei Hei," Resonance Wong said, "Maximum."
The hesitant shifts in the other seats preceded the grudging clinks of point chips across the mahjong table. That sequence of events then preceded the next show of frustration.
"Okay," the auntie in her bright flannel top and translucent jade bangle said before she rose from her seat, "That's it for me, need to be up early tomorrow."
The second auntie at the table did the same, albeit with a preferable sneer over the saccharine diplomacy from the first auntie counterpart. The last person to leave did so with an unnecessary comment.
"One day, you will see why you need to respect your elders," the uncle spat at her foot.
Left alone with a table of washed up mahjong tiles, Resonance shrugged and started stacking the tiles back into the Hub's crocodile skin suitcase. A few stacks in, she lifted her head to a sound she hasn't heard in a while.
The footsteps stopped, and she slowly lifted her head.
Wilhelm was there, doing that annoying balancing trick he liked to do with the roulette ball on his left hand, holding a folded envelope in his right.
"Something happened," Resonance said.
He dropped the ball back into his left hand, then handed her the envelope. It was already torn open.
She took the letter out and her eyes darted across the paper. Gradually, she put the piece of paper down, inhaling through her nose in an attempt to keep her eyes steely and unwavering.
"We cremated her yesterday," Wilhelm said.
"So why are you here?"
"Care for a ride?"
There needed to be a term to describe the smell of the night breeze, Resonance thought to herself. She was named after the inkling of good things to follow - something her birth mother would look for, and get, while she was still pregnant with Resonance.
The view from the Terrace Gardens, atop Mount Faber, was postcard-worthy, but both Resonance and Wilhelm knew they weren't there to enjoy any kind of view.
"What are you doing here?" Resonance asked, after Wilhelm locked his car and followed her to the closest railing.
"You correctly guess Mum's death," Wilhelm said, "Surely you can guess this."
"I don't guess," she replied, "Your mother taught me not to."
Wilhelm sighed, his breath exhaling through his nose.
"Rez," he said, "Something happened."
"Mum didn't go because of age or sickness," he continued.
Resonance got up from the railing.
"What did this contender leave?" she asked.
And that's it from me this month! See you all next month for another Writing Challenge!
Writing Challenge #9: Sonnets
When I think Sonnets, I think poetry and it's something I need to make some effort to get to. Luckily for my planner side, sonnets actually have a loose set of rules:
Sonnets have 14 lines - 3 groups of 4 lines, and the final 2 lines
Each group have alternating rhyming patterns, except for the last 2 lines, which are a rhyming couplet together
Each line, most importantly, is iambic pentameter (~10 syllables per line)
If you want to know what iambic pentameters are, this video does it rather well.
Prompts: Fading Light, Discovery
The Last Night at the Casino
Joelyn Alexandra
Digits, coins, and cherries upon the screen,
The melody spins to the lever's pull.
Wheels, spins, and sweeps wipe the Red and Black clean,
Chips gather, and clump the croupier's last tool.
Felt tables give you fifty two to hit,
Be they two cards, five, or Russian thirteen.
Six-sided fate plays its last in the pit,
Schrodinger's numbers in their final scheme.
Your tiles show you the way: North, South, East, West,
Signalling the last winds, the curtain call.
Chips cashed, the team settles down for a rest,
Mission accomplished, a side of windfall.
A final flick, when darkness came, a wave.
Until then, when they call, our next conclave.
Poetry and Sonnets are not necessarily my strong suit. Despite that, I hope you've enjoyed this piece! Stay tuned next month for another writing challenge.
Writing Challenge: #8 - Death Scene
The challenge given was not exactly a scene where a character dies, but a scene with a death in it. Despite this, I'm going to go with the prompts and see where this challenge takes me.
Prompt: Crossroads & Dead-ends, The Best Laid Plans
The Final Piece
If anything, I was going to cross over anyway.
Do not be upset, though I know that in your usual fashions, you will probably not listen to me. Instead, ask yourselves how you're going to move on from here.
Eamon, keep at your driving. I know you're often overlooked or feel taken for granted. But I can assure you - even from where I am - that you mean so much more to the rest of us than ever. When the time comes for you to continue your legacy and choose your own proteges, remember that it's the strengths of their hearts that count, and not just their sharpness of mind and reflexes. You are ready to give back and pass your skills on. I know I've learnt more than a few things from you.
Iris, the closer you look, the less you see, remember that. I will always remember your first day at the compound - tricked into playing 52-Pickup by the rest of your seniors. Well, what a fat lot of good they turned out to be. I don't ever have any plans for you because you often already have those. So the next time you sleight a card from your next target, ensure that you don't give the rest of your teammates the same slip. You may be alone at the card table, but you're never alone in life.
Keenan, you told me that you'll be grateful to even have dice to roll than be afraid of the roll's outcome. Look at how far that has gotten you! The world is as fair as the dice in your pockets, but know that the dice you weight can save us from time to time. I trusted my gut and brought you into the team, and that was the same reason why you have been able to excel so greatly. The next time you roll a pair for a major decision, however, think about this instead - Did the situation call for the need to leave it up to fate? Or have you already rolled the dice in your mind?
Wilhelm, my son, my dear son. I am so sorry that you had to see me like this while dealing with all the truths behind how the family treated you because of your gift. I'm so sorry that you never had the desire or the opportunity to really connect with your father. I'm sure I'll be able to bump into him now that I'm where I am, but now a decision has fallen onto your lap - will you be able to continue what we all started or have our team find their own way? Regardless, we love and support you with your decision, whether it's one you pondered or one you bet on at the wheel.
Resonance, the one who got away, the one I miss at the mahjong table. Whether or not you get this message from my son or any of the team, I want you to know that I'm proud of you - whoever you have become. I trust that you have been paying back, what we all teach our students to do, like you've always wanted to do for a while, and at least you know your way. Keep at it. We all know that the world always need a bit of that unique twist you bring to the table. We both know that it's not exactly the luck of the draw at the table, but the form of the hand and the disposition of the player.
I won't be able to give you advice anymore, but I leave this realm knowing and confident with the five of you.
Regardless, I leave the choice of this team with all of you.
Know that I will support and love you all, no matter your choice.
This has been my plan.
Know the team's. Know yours.
So that's it from me this month. Stay tuned next month for another writing challenge!
Writing Challenge: #7 - Fan Fiction
I'll be honest - I've been waiting for this challenge for a long time, so let's just get right to it, shall we?
Prompts: Inner Demons, A failed delivery
World / Fandom: Inception
The Mind's Eye
Karine looked down from the helicopter with bated breath. The chopper pulsed, its beat banging against the back of her head as they flew across the tree canopies, finally coming to a clearing in the middle of the forest.
"There," her partner, Dr. Kang, pointed at a building in the middle of the clearing, "That's where you need to go."
"Don't you mean, 'we'?" Karine yelled over the chopper.
The look Dr. Kang gave Karine reminded her of her purpose for this mission. Making the final checks on their parachutes, both of them waited for the signal on their trackers to turn on, before loosening their grip and plunging into the forest nearby.
Landing among the trees, the pair recovered quickly, hiding in the shadows, sneaking their way to the building.
"There are guards," Karine breathed, her hands shaking.
"And we'll handle them," Dr. Kang replied, bringing the walkie-talkie to her mouth, "Control, help us out here."
Karine didn't hear anything apart from a slight crackle coming from the speakers.
From where it was previously, the chopper swooped closer to where the pair landed, releasing a clip of bullets onto another forested area on the other side of the land. Yells ensued beyond the barrier of trees, followed by the sound of propellers whizzing away towards a far flung direction. Dr. Kang hazarded a peek from the shadows.
"All clear," she gestured towards Karine.
*
Despite their chopper's rather effective distraction, both of them kept to the walls of this compound, armed and ready for conflict. There were no gates or fences separating this building from its surroundings, and they had to be ready.
"Where's it?" Dr. Kang asked.
"Uhh… uhh…"
"What are you looking for?!"
"I can't…!"
"We've been working up to this stage for so long, you're doing a lot better than our previous attempts," Dr. Kang said, "What are you looking for?!"
Karine darted her eyes to the top of the building.
"Good," Dr. Kang said, "I'll cover you."
The building was an older, rectangular building reminiscent of army barracks from the 1930s. Serviced only by staircases leading up on either side of the place. Back and shoulders against the textured concrete, Dr. Kang took the led, armed and ready for any of the skeleton crew still patrolling the area.
"You know which room you need to head to," she briefed Karine.
Both of them nodded, and the two sped up, Kang first.
When they reached the second floor, Karine stopped and turned left, "Here."
Counting the doors, Karine finally stopped in front of the fifth closed door. She put her palm on the surface, then to the handle.
It clicked. Karine looked at Dr. Kang with a smile.
Dr. Kang nodded.
Pushing the door ajar, Dr. Kang's head jerked up at the sound of a pair of footsteps speeding up from behind Karine. She pushed her partner through the door.
"Go! Go on!" Dr. Kang yelled to Karine. Panicked, Karine bursts through the room.
She cocked the gun she had, and fired twice.
The two bullets found their marks on each masked man's shoulders, sending them back a few steps and Dr. Kang forward the same few. As she got closer, however, she started to recognize their masked silhouettes.
Firing a couple of times, the bullets missed their mark, the two masked men coming closer and planting themselves as a barrier between Dr. Kang and her. Determined to push through, Dr. Kang dove through the tiniest crack between the two, only to be grabbed and pushed against the building's railings.
"We're kind of disappointed," the two men said, now flanking her on each side, "We were hoping you'd be dreaming a little bigger."
The last thing she felt was her body lifted over the railing, and off the ledge.
"Dr. Kang!"
She woke up to see Karine, her patient, looking over her, furrowed brows and concerned eyes. Tables turned, she thought, waving Karine away and propping herself up on the chaise lounge.
"Yeah," Dr. Kang breathed, "I think that's it for today, you can set your next appointment with Yasha outside… I'll see you then…"
Backing up a little, grabbing her handbag a little too quickly, Karine nodded and sped out the door.
At the last dregs of her recovery, Wynne Kang opened a drawer near her chaise, extracting an EpiPen. With still-trembling hands, she clicked and injected its contents into her shoulder, before slumping back into the lounge.
"Thank you all for coming to this lecture, I'll be taking questions now," Wynne smiled at the end of her speech.
"What is your view on using your proposed bio-technology for purposes not as altruistic as what you're doing now?" a familiar voice sounded from the corner, one of the same voices from the treatment scape.
Catching the asker at the corner of her eye, she smirked.
"I see your taste hasn't changed," Wynne said, dropping Eames at the lobby of the Carlton.
"How much of Arthur rubbed off you the last we saw you?"
She shrugged and smiled.
"Fancy a trip?" he gestured to the lift.
"The compound's not a toy," she replied. He shrugged, then entered the lift. She followed.
There was shuffling behind the door the two of them stopped in front of. Wynne's brows furrowed. Eames smirked, and unlocked the door.
"Okay, everything's ready, let me know when she…"
Arthur, in his familiar vest and shirt, stopped just as he finally laid his eyes on Wynne.
"Arthur," she greeted him.
"Dr. Kang."
She walked past the two men, leaving them in the front lobby. Past the open bathroom, she leaned over the living area and saw the familiar silver case, clipped close.
On the other side of the room, Arthur and Eames kept their eyes on her - both softened.
"I called Dom for this," she said.
"Dom's retired," Arthur shifted his weight, "So it's us or nothing at all."
Wynne paused, looking at her previous partners when she first started in the business.
"Alright then," Wynne said, reaching into her bag and extracted a spray bottle the size of a perfume sampler, "Then we're going under my way."
This was probably one of my most fun pieces to write, and one of the pieces I'll most likely expand on. Stay tuned next month for another writing challenge!
Writing Challenge: #6 - Endings
Another month, another writing challenge. This time, it's endings! Again, I get my prompts and challenges from NIka Harper's Wordplay series on the Geek & Sundry Vlogs. It has been up for a while, but you can still check out these challenges for yourself here.
Prompts: Alarm Clock that Won't Stop Ringing, The Joy of Watching the Sunrise, The End?
Wai took her time to inhale the night breeze.
Leaning over the edge of the balcony railing, she closed her eyes and let the wind from the sea crashing just below them play with her hair. Next to her, Chong stood, his hand ready to hold hers as she reached out for him.
"How long?" she asked.
"About now," he replied.
While the dark indigo of the horizon started blending into a lavender blue, the same sky echoed with a trumpet orchestra - One of Wai's favourite songs, Ride of the Valkyries. Chong tightened his grip around Wai's fingers.
"Nervous?" she asked.
Chong smiled, before turning his gaze back to the lightening horizon.
"We haven't gone this far before," he replied.
Wai shuffled closer, letting Chong put his arm around her.
And as the horizon shifted colour at those few inches, the couple leaned against each other, finally watching the lavender sky gradient to a warm orange, brightening with the crescendo of the orchestra in the air.
Because who knew when they'll be back again, at least on this layer.
Her eyelids protested against the jarring sound coming from her night stand, head pounding, throat parched. Like she remembered, Wai woke up, arms in the same way Chong and her left them on that balcony.
"How long, this time?" Chong croaked.
Wai checked her watch, the one she used from the first time.
"Real world time, or the time from that parallel?"
So that's it from me for this first half of 2018's worth of writing challenges. Thank you all for reading once again and see you all next month!
Writing Challenge: Ghost Stories
This is out a little late, mostly thanks to some new stresses from the day job. Nonetheless, we're pushing on! This month's writing challenge - ghost stories. Not a huge fan of in-your-face horror, which seems to be the go-to whenever someone mentions 'ghosts stories', but let's see how this goes.
Also, this short piece is for my good friends - Lyn and Raven - thank you for inspiring this story. LOL.
Prompts: Lilies to say goodbye, a needed conversation
That Person
Welcome, welcome! You must be here for the open house. You're five minutes early, so why don't you have a seat by the flowers while we get you come water.
Allow me to introduce our team - I'm Lily, and my partner here, is Lilly - yes, two Ls. People keep getting us confused, so that's why she doesn't talk to interested buyers. But not to worry, you are in safe hands here. Shall we start?
Now, what we have here is a newly-renovated, three-storey, semi-detached unit with a modern facade. The owners are rather keen to sell this place off, something along the lines of needing to find themselves after working to death in the city. Nevertheless, you'll find that this property will be well worth your money.
This place boasts seven separate rooms, including the balcony with an open bar. Starting here, past the vast living area, you can see the outdoor patio and pool, that can be used for your morning swims and a nightly soak at the jacuzzi corner - the dark marble pool floors and lights do make this area rather romantic in the evenings.
The kitchen is outfitted with your usual fixings - stovetop, oven, microwave oven, a wine cooler, and yes, a walk-in fridge and freezer for all your needs. Huh? What floor entrance? Nah, that's nothing - probably a floor cooler for more storage. Why is it locked? Well, you have people coming in all the time, you'd want to keep some privacy to yourself, right?
So this is level one, with a guest bathroom, a guest bedroom, and another smaller room at the corner that doubles as a library. You don't have to fill this place up with books, but that was how the previous owners did up this room - you can also exit from this room, with a hidden door built in just for fun!
Any questions so far? No? Alright then, let's head up to the upper levels, you can take a look at what the previous owners did to make this place a livable masterpiece.
Starting from the top, here's their rooftop patio with an open bar and barbeque grill - great for your outdoor parties and such. Hmm? The deadbolt and security cameras? Those are for your safety, can't have burglars taking advantage of this entrance, can we?
Here's the Master Bedroom, you have the entire third storey to yourself - great for privacy and space to unwind. That being said, you have to admire the creativity of these owners, building a walk-in on such a small space! They even have a sliding door at the end of the corner for your laundry - convenient, ain't it?
What do you mean you didn't recall a laundry area? It's clearly downstairs, you'll see.
The second level boasts another two rather spacious bedrooms - for kids, or for entertainment. Hmm? More cameras? Might be a security thing - you can always remove them once you move in. And here… huh? What sound? What murmuring and muffled shouting? It must be your imagination, or the neighbours turning up the TV volume a bit too loudly.
Come on, let me show you the backyard, put your mind at ease.
There, you see? There's nothing to worry about.
What's wrong now? That door? That door leads to the library, remember where we saw it first? Huh? What do you mean the library was on the other side of the house?
Oh, you need to go now? Alright then.
Just remember to call us - it's Lily and Lilly - and this place is getting offers, so remember to contact us soon! You don't want to be that person.
I hope you've enjoyed what I managed to churn out this time - until next month!
Writing Challenge: Dialogue
Today, on "Writing Challenge on Jo's Blog", we'll make this dialogue short and sweet.
The Mission: Write a dialogue-only piece with the theme Starlight and an acoustic guitar and You just don't get it.
The Added Challenge: Let's see if I can write this in 15 minutes.
Cradled Cats and Tarnished Spoons
"Here it is, sweetheart, the beauty herself."
"Wow."
"Say, where did you find out about the Starlight? This was recommendation-only."
"My father was in the music industry."
"A comrade, then?"
"Sort of."
"Perhaps I've heard of him?"
"Perhaps."
"Alright then, tell you what, I'll take five hundred off the asking price, and throw in the trimming kit for free."
"For the strings?"
"The wood. 25 years old and still growing, you'd think the trimming will have you give up this work of art quickly but once you hear her sing, you'll know it's all worth it."
"Sounds like something you'd do for your kids."
"Pah! Never had the time nor the style to have them."
"You never had kids?"
"Them screaming buggers who have no appreciation for anything but to ask you for money? Not my thing."
"I see."
"If you want, you can hold on to it while I get you the case."
"That wouldn't be necessary."
"Huh? You kids need to take care of these things!"
"You still don't recognize me?"
"What the..."
"So this was what took you away from us. This should be easy."
"What? N...!"
"...and the cat's in the cradle and a silver spoon... Silver spoon? As if."
And with three minutes to spare! Thanks for reading guys, tuned in for next month's writing challenge!
Writing Challenge: Noir
Kicking off one of the busiest months on my calendar with a Noir writing challenge. When I got the prompts for this - I immediately went to a piece the Tiger saved for me and decided to enhance it a little more.
Prompts: The Photographer, The Other View
The Perfect Opportunity
The door clicks. The bell rings. You ignore the roar of the teenage wave crashing into the café. Picking at your pastry, you keep the corner of your eye across the road – you waited for the predator.
He's late.
His wife came to your office when you were closing early.
"Are you Inspector Vass?" she asked.
"Call me 'Tania'," you said. You hadn't heard 'Inspector' in a long time.
"How may I help you?" you asked.
"My husband…" she started, and you knew. Contrary to popular belief, there were many uses for people like us in Singapore – background checks, surveillance, missing people – and domestic cases were the necessary evil PIs had to take for survival.
She went on about the messages on his phone, the pictures he did not bother hiding, and the unfamiliar clothes he did not bother explaining anymore. He is influential, she repeated.
"He will leave me destitute if he wants to," she said. You comforted her, and went through what she brought for you. You skimmed through his schedule, his license plate, and took a long, hard look at his photograph.
He appears. You take care not to look up too eagerly. Surveying, you watch him swagger on the opposite side. Hyenas had no need for appearances, they just hunt, bite, and snatch. With a face and name like that, you don't need to check your photos to know this was the one.
"Dr. Shaun Tan," your supervisor said.
That name etched itself as deep as his alleged actions were long. You scoffed at his plea when you opened his file.
"We were in love," he claimed then.
The professor was caught with his A-Star student and pants down. With nothing to go on then, you snooped around. You spoke – to the university, to his colleagues, to the IT dude, to the girl's friends, to the girl.
"I don't see the fuss," the girl had said, "And we're not together anymore, please don't bother me."
You ignore the messages buzzing in your pocket, your eyes glued as he approaches his prey. You fish your phone out in case it was new information. Nothing. You sneer.
When you got that anonymous tip, you jumped.
'I can't say who I am,' the message said then, 'But I have something that can help you. I saw something. I hope this helps.'
The letter from Mr. Anonymous made it to court, but it also signed your permanent resignation from civil service. Your source came into question, and Tan countersued for evidence fabrication. You swore seeing a smirk at the corner of his mouth in court. And when you surrendered your badge, news of Tan's IT serviceman's death came in. Fell off a bridge after a night of drinking, they said. You knew better.
His prey looks no older than the one you questioned before. Predators hardly change their tastes. However, hands gripping elbows do not speak excitement - she knows she is prey. Regardless, he approaches her, you start snapping.
She backs away, a bruised gazelle. He charges forward, jaws wide, she steps, her face turned away to not show the tears. You click, click, and click. The intervals between each push reducing. You glare - hunting is meant to be swift.
When he reaches for her, you know what will come next. You slip your camera into your pocket, and your ankles are primed for action. Adrenaline courses through your veins as he sinks his claws. She screams. No one reacts.
You remember promising yourself that you would never run head-first into a situation like this the moment they took your badge. You slink out of your seat and sprint, horns pointed and forward.
Some promises are meant to be broken.
Got you, you son of a bitch.
I hope you've enjoyed this piece, and stay tuned for more pieces from writing challenges in the upcoming months!
My adventures with in urban speculative fiction.
In Collaboration
Muse Moments
Stories With Their Tellers


Florida Gov. Signs Bill that Defines 'Virtual Currency' and Eases Licensing Restrictions on Certain Virtual Currency Transactions in the State
Carl A. Fornaris
On May 12, 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed bill CS/HB 273 (the Bill), amending Florida's money services business (MSB) laws (i.e., Chapter 560 of the Florida Statutes) to, among other things, define "virtual currency" and address transactions involving "virtual currency." The amendments to the Florida MSB laws take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
Part II of Chapter 560 requires licensure (unless an exemption from licensure applies) for any person who, for compensation, engages in "selling or issuing payment instruments" or engages in the activity of a "money transmitter."[1] Currently, the term "virtual currency" is not found in Chapter 560, and Chapter 560 does not address whether a person engaged in transactions involving "virtual currency" should be considered "money transmitter[s]" or otherwise engaged in "selling or issuing payment instruments."
Over the last seven years, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation (OFR), the state agency that licenses and regulates financial services firms doing business in Florida, including MSBs, received over 70 petitions for declaratory statements seeking clarity on Chapter 560 licensing treatment of virtual currency and other digital assets.[2] While the OFR has issued a number of declaratory statements discussing virtual currency activities, it did not take a clear position on licensing requirements until recently, when its declaratory statements began to align with a Florida Third District Court of Appeal ruling issued in January 2019 - State v. Espinoza.[3]
In Espinoza, the court held that selling Bitcoin directly to another person in Florida in a purely principal-to-principal, buy-sell transaction is subject to MSB licensing under Florida's MSB law. Specifically, the court determined that Bitcoin is both "monetary value" and a "payment instrument" under Chapter 560, and that, by selling Bitcoin to another person, Mr. Espinoza acted as both a "money transmitter" and a "payment instrument seller," subjecting Mr. Espinoza to licensing as an MSB. In addressing whether the definition of "money transmitter" covers only third-party intermediaries, the court held that "[t]he statute's plain language clearly contains no third-party transmission requirement in order for an individual's conduct to fall under the 'money transmitter' definition." As such, the court declined to add any third-party or financial intermediary requirement to the money transmitter definition in Chapter 560.
When the OFR began citing Espinoza in recent declaratory statements, it was understood that the OFR began to align with the Third District Court and took the view that virtual currency is "monetary value" and that its sale or transmission is subject to licensing requirements under Chapter 560, irrespective of whether a "third party" is involved in the transaction.[4]
Effect of the Bill
The Bill loosens Florida's position on licensing requirements for virtual currency activity by clarifying that a money transmitter license is only required for persons acting as intermediaries between two parties if the intermediary has the unilateral ability to execute or prevent a transaction. Persons involved in a principal-to-principal, bilateral transaction are not subject to licensing.[5] Therefore, Florida has departed from requiring MSB licensing for direct virtual currency purchase/sale transactions between two parties, and now requires MSB licensing for persons acting as financial intermediaries in connection with virtual currency transactions.
The Bill reflects this new licensing position by amending the definition of "money transmitter" in Chapter 560, to include the term "virtual currency" and to cover:
"'a corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or foreign entity qualified to do business in [Florida] which receives currency, monetary value, a payment instrument, or virtual currency for the purpose of acting as an intermediary to transmit currency, monetary value, a payment instrument, or virtual currency from one person to another location or person by any means…The term includes only an intermediary that has the ability to unilaterally execute or indefinitely prevent a transaction."[6]
Furthermore, to ensure the exclusion of principal-to-principal virtual currency transactions from MSB licensing, the Bill amends critical terms within the Chapter 560 definition of "payment instrument" (which is defined to include "a check, draft, warrant, money order, travelers check, electronic instrument, or other instrument, payment of money, or monetary value whether or not negotiable"),[7] as follows:
Replaces the undefined term "money" with the defined term "currency"[8] to clarify that the term "payment instrument" does not include virtual currency.[9]
Revises the term "payment instrument" to clarify that it refers to an instrument that is used for the transmission, exchange, or payment of currency or monetary value, but a payment instrument is not the currency or monetary value itself.[10]
Excludes virtual currency from the definition of "monetary value."[11]
Amends the definition of "electronic instrument" to replace the term "money" with the defined term "currency," to clarify that the term "electronic instrument" does not include virtual currency.[12]
Amends the definition of "stored value" found within the definition of "electronic instrument" to replace the undefined term "funds" with the defined term "currency," to clarify that the term "stored value" does not include virtual currency.[13]
Finally, the Bill broadly defines "virtual currency" as "a medium of exchange in electronic or digital format that is not currency."[14] The term excludes a medium of exchange in electronic or digital format that is:
(a) Issued by or on behalf of a publisher and used solely within an online game, game platform, or family of games sold by the same publisher or offered on the same game platform; or
(b) Used exclusively as part of a consumer affinity or rewards program and can be applied solely as payment for purchases with the issuer or other designated merchants but cannot be converted into or redeemed for currency or another medium of exchange.[15]
Other Amendments of the Bill
In addition to the above, the Bill amends the following:
I. Prohibition of Unlicensed Activity - Fla. Stat. § 560.125
The Bill amends the prohibition on unlicensed money transmitter activity and payment instrument selling in order to better align the wording with the definition of payment instrument seller. One element of the prohibition on unlicensed money transmitter activity is that a person must be doing such activity for compensation, and "compensation" includes profit or loss on the exchange of currency. The Bill adds that "compensation" includes profit or loss on the exchange of monetary value or virtual currency.[16]
II. Permissible Investments - Fla. Stat. § 560.210
The Bill amends the permissible investments statute in relation to virtual currency. Currently, a money transmitter must possess permissible investments, such as cash and certificates of deposit, with an aggregate market value of at least the aggregate face amount of all outstanding money transmissions. Without an amendment, the effect would be to require a money transmitter that transmits virtual currency to not only have control over the virtual currency being transmitted but also hold the equivalent value in cash or other enumerated assets. Instead, the Bill only requires that, during the period of transmission, the money transmitter must hold virtual currency of the same type and amount owed or obligated to the other location or person on the receiving end of the transmission.[17]
III. Required Records - Fla. Stat. § 560.211
Amends record retention requirements to include retention of records related to virtual currency transmitted and adds rulemaking authority for additional records related to virtual currency.[18]
IV. Conforming Changes - Fla. Stat. §§ 559.952, 560.204, 560.123, 560.208, 560.2085, 560.211, 560.212
The Bill conforms portions of the above-cited statutes to reflect the addition of the term "virtual currency" to money transmitter regulations.[19]
The Florida amendments to its MSB code should help provide licensing relief to digital assets firms that engage in peer-to-peer purchases and sales of digital assets. The Bill confirms Florida's intent to position itself as a crypto-friendly state and may have wide-ranging impacts when it takes effect Jan. 1, 2023. As a result of the Bill, Florida could see increased virtual currency activity, transactions, and investment in the coming years.
[1] Fla. Stat. § 560.204(1).
[2]House of Representatives, Staff Final Bill Analysis.
[3] See e.g., In Re: Petition for Declaratory Statement, Kalbas, Inc., OFR 2021-312 (July 29, 2021); In Re: Petition for Declaratory Statement, Pay Depot, LLC, OFR 2021-313 (July 29, 2021); In Re: Petition for Declaratory Statement, Foriz Dax, Inc., OFR 2021-325 (August 11, 2021); In Re: Petition for Declaratory Statement, Aspen Lakes, LLC, OFR 2021-308 (July 29, 2021); and In Re: Petition for Declaratory Statement, Evergreen ATM, LLC a/k/a Getcoins, OFR 2021-310 (July 29, 2021).
[5] Staff Final Bill Analysis at Page 8.
[6] Bill at Page 5 (emphasis added).
[7] Fla. Stat. § 560.103(29).
[8] Under Chapter 560, "[c]urrency" means the coin and paper money of the United States or of any other country which is designated as legal tender and which circulates and is customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in the country of issuance. Currency includes United States silver certificates, United States notes, and Federal Reserve notes. Currency also includes official foreign bank notes that are customarily used and accepted as a medium of exchange in a foreign country. Fla. Stat. § 560.103 (11).
[11] The Bill defines "[m]onetary value" as a medium of exchange, other than virtual currency, regardless of whether it is redeemable in currency. Bill at Page 5 (emphasis added).
[12] The Bill defines "[e]lectronic instrument" as "a card, tangible object, or other form of electronic payment used for the transmission, payment or exchange of currency or monetary value, including a stored value card or device that contains a microprocessor chip, magnetic stripe, or other means for storing information; that is prefunded; and for which the value is decremented upon each use." Bill at Page 4 and Staff Final Bill Analysis at Page 8.
[13] The Bill defines "[s]tored value" as "currency or monetary value represented in digital electronic format, regardless of whether it is specially encrypted, and stored or capable of storage on electronic media in such a way as to be retrievable and transferred electronically." Bill at Pages 4-5 and Staff Final Bill Analysis at Page 8.
[14] Bill at Page 6.
[16] Bill at Pages 10-11 and Staff Final Bill Analysis at Page 8.
[17] Bill at Page 14 and Staff Final Bill Analysis at Page 9.
[18] Bill at Page 14.
[19] Bill at Pages 2 - 4, 6, 11-12, 14 - 15.
Monica Lopez-Rodriguez is a corporate attorney with a deep background in banking, business, finance, corporate governance and information technology. Having served at in-house roles with private and wholesale banks as well as the world's second-largest cruise line operator, Monica represents general domestic, international, and non-profit clients on matters concerning general corporate law, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, tender offers, exchange offers, and venture capital. She advises clients on the negotiation, execution, and management of bilateral and syndicated loans, including revolving and export credit facilities, as well as intercompany and affiliate loans. She also advises on other special financing projects, including leases, sale-leasebacks, and joint ventures. Additionally, Monica prepares debt-related financial statement disclosures and capital market transaction summaries for SEC filings. Concentrations Finance Banking and securities regulatory matters Capital markets transactions Governance Mergers and acquisitions
Carl A. Fornaris is Co-Chair of the firm's Financial Regulatory and Compliance Practice. With 27 years of legal experience, Carl advises a broad range of financial services firms – banks and their holding companies, money services businesses, investment advisers, securities broker dealers, gaming firms, Fintechs, cryptocurrency firms and other institutions – on all aspects of their business. These include formation and licensing, capital-raising transactions, acquisitions and divestitures, USA PATRIOT Act/BSA/AML compliance and OFAC sanctions programs, cryptocurrency regulation, mobile money and FinTech, federal and state agency enforcement proceedings, Dodd-Frank Act compliance and COVID-19/CARES Act economic stimulus program advice (ranging from Small Business Administration PPP loans to Federal Reserve Main Street program loans). Throughout his career, Carl has counseled clients in their dealings with the Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, FinCEN, SEC, FINRA, Florida Office of Financial Regulation, New York Department of Financial Services and other state supervisory authorities. Carl is also active representing lenders and credit parties in financing transactions, particularly credits to non-U.S. loan parties, asset-based credits, acquisition financing and stand-by letters of credit. Carl is a past General Counsel of the Florida International Bankers Association and sits on its Board of Directors. Previously, he served as Head of Legal and Compliance for the Latin America region of Barclays Bank PLC, with responsibility for managing legal and compliance matters throughout the region. Carl is an adjunct professor in the Business Law Department of the University of Miami Business School. Concentrations Banking and financial services law, regulation and compliance Commercial lending, including credit facilities in Latin America Anti-money laundering and OFAC compliance COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Client Response Team Blockchain Task Force
Marina Olman-Pal advises foreign and U.S. financial institutions on a broad range of regulatory matters including licensing, acquisitions, divestitures, compliance with Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)/anti-money laundering (AML) laws and regulations, and compliance with Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions programs. Marina counsels a wide range of companies in the financial services sector including, domestic and foreign banks, gaming companies, money services businesses including money transmitters, cryptocurrency businesses, Fintech companies and digital payment companies. Throughout her career, Marina has represented clients before U.S. regulators such as the Federal Reserve, OCC, FDIC, FinCEN, OFAC, the Florida Office of Financial Regulation and other state supervisory authorities. Marina also regularly develops anti-money laundering programs for a wide range of financial services businesses and non-financial services businesses including, U.S. and foreign companies active in industries such as real estate, hospitality, automotive and artificial intelligence, among many others. Concentrations Financial services, regulatory and compliance BSA/anti-money laundering and OFAC sanctions compliance guidance Development of anti-money laundering and OFAC compliance programs FinTech, blockchain, digital payments license and regulatory compliance guidance
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"TAME" – Tremor Acquisition Minimization Device by...
Adil Ali 04 April
The anti-tremor device namely "TAME" by the students from NUST – National University of Sciences and Technology, won the 2016-2017 Design Challenge held by the Stanford Center on Longevity in USA.
What are Tremors?
Mostly affecting the hands, a tremor is a type of neurological disorder where a person experiences unintentional, shaking movement. Besides hands, it can affect other body parts like the head and voice too.
There are many types of tremors depending upon the nature of the involuntary movements and their sources. They are categorized as follows:
Resting tremors – These tremors occur when your muscles are resting, and when you move those muscles the tremors may disappear or become less noticeable. Example, Parkinson's disease.
Action tremors – These tremors occur when you are intentionally or purposefully moving the muscle of the body part, such as, when you are writing, pushing a button, or you are reaching for an object. Example, multiple sclerosis. Action tremors are again of two types – postural tremor, and kinetic or intention tremor.
Idiopathic tremors – This is a type of tremor that has developed spontaneously or due to an unknown cause. Example, Idiopathic Dystonic Tremor.
Common treatment for tremors:
Conventional forms of treatment include medication and physiotherapy to help the patient strengthen their muscles and reduce the intensity of the tremors. But now there might just be a ray of hope for these patients who might be able to go back to normal life with the help of this device called TAME.
What is TAME?
Short for tremor acquisition and minimization, it is the World's First wearable device for pathological tremor categorization and real time suppression. Pathological tremors are the most common neurological movement disorder which cause involuntary rhythmic shaking of various parts of the human body, most commonly the hands.
Around 280 Million people worldwide have lost their independence due to these tremors. They have to depend on others to perform the simplest tasks in life like eating, drinking and even dressing themselves. But unfortunately even after such medical advancements the scientists are far from even understanding the root cause of the disorder let alone find a cure for it.
A team from SEECS, NUST comprising of Awais Shafique, Hooriya Anam and Muhammad Arsalan Javed under the supervision of Dr. Syed Muhammad Raza Kazmi, are working on a breakthrough technology called TAME which is a noninvasive Tremor Suppression device that can give back the control and ease to the tremor patients to perform their routine tasks without hindering their voluntary movements.
TAME uses a technique called Functional Electrical Stimulation in which low voltage electric current is used for muscle actuation and to generate movement. Motion censors are used to detect how the tremor is moving in the arm and the device in turn, generate a counter movement for suppression of the tremor and to stabilize the hand.
It is a complete solution for the treatment and diagnosis of Pathological Tremor patients in the form of an intuitive, user friendly and easily manageable wearable device connected to cloud storage for easy management and sharing of diagnosis files. The team competed in BITA 2015 with the most brilliant innovations from Industry and Academia in Pakistan and received the Best I.T innovation Award 2015 along with PKR. 1 Million.
A team from SEECS, NUST comprising of Awais Shafique, Hooriya Anam and Muhammad Arsalan Javed under the supervision of Dr. Syed Muhammad Raza Kazmi, are working on this breakthrough technology called TAME.
Watch the following short video to learn about the project: