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Hong Kong police smash record football gambling ring
HONG KONG: Hong Kong police said Monday they have smashed a record 170 million Hong Kong dollar (22 million US dollar) gambling ring that took illegal bets on World Cup football games and horse racing.
Authorities arrested four men linked to Hong Kong`s notorious triad gangs and seized betting records in the latest in a series of raids that have netted at least three dozen suspects since the tournament kicked off this month.
"This is a record for a single raid," a police spokeswoman told AFP.
Betting records worth about 32 million US dollars have been seized in all.
Police said they have not finished breaking down the value of wagers placed on football versus horse racing in the latest raid.
In a joint operation earlier this month, mainland Chinese police arrested at least 45 people and confiscated 44 million Hong Kong dollars` worth of betting slips in the nearby southern industrial city of Shenzhen.
Punters in Hong Kong, a football and horse racing-mad former British colony, can bet legally on a variety of sports events including the World Cup through the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
About 35 billion Hong Kong dollars in legal bets were placed on football matches in 2009, according to Jockey Club figures.
Illegal bookmakers are said to offer better odds, and easier credit terms -- although failure to repay can bring horrific punishment, according to police.


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14 - Oct
Jan Jacobi Reading & Signing (In-Store)
map-Jan Jacobi Reading & Signing (In-Store) Get Directions Jan Jacobi Reading & Signing (In-Store) Add to my Calendar
"Did he strike you as a rising man?" This is the question that surrounds Abraham Lincoln, the freshly minted lawyer eager to take Springfield by storm. But how can he know if he is rising or falling when so much of his character is yet to be determined including whom he loves, what sort of politics he wants to engage in, and even what he believes about key issues plaguing the nation?\ \ Picking up at the end of his award-winning debut \"Young Lincoln\", Jan Jacobi's \"Lincoln in Springfield\" continues his young adult saga of Abraham Lincoln's development, as the young man becomes a young professional and politician.\ \ Jan Jacobi has taught middle school English and humanities in three schools for over 40 years. He grew up in New York and came to St. Louis in 1982. For 27 years, he served as Head of Lower School at St. Louis Country Day School and Head of Middle School at MICDS. For the past five years he has taught 7th and 8th grade humanities at the St. Michael School in Clayton. In 2014 he was recognized as middle school teacher of the year by St. Louis Magazine. To celebrate Lincoln\'s birthday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has published a number of his articles. He and his wife Ginger have three grown children, and they live with three dogs and a cat. His interests are gardening, and like Abraham Lincoln, reading the newspapers.\ \ This is an in-person event. Masks are required for all attendees. Copies of Jan Jacobi\'s books will be available for purchase and signing at the event, courtesy of Subterranean Books.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Simon & Garfunkel: Mrs Robinson
From a performance in 1968, the year the song was released.
Written by: Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel
Recorded: September 1966, January 1967, June 1967, October 1967–February 1968
Album: Bookends
Label: Columbia Records
An early version of the song appeared in the motion picture The Graduate (1967), a coming of age classic, starring Dustin Hoffman (Benjamin Braddock) and Anne Bancroft (Mrs Robinson), and directed by Mike Nichols.
The songwriting duo split up in 1970, and Simon and Garfunkel reunited again for a free concert in New York City's Central Park on September 19, 1981, where they played a number of crowd favourites, including Mrs Robinson here.
The song's references to Mrs Robinson (First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt) and Joe DiMaggio, the New York Yankees athlete, look back to a time, in the 1930s and '40s, of unpretentious heroics and national duty. Our culture looks for heroes. In 1999, after baseball player Joe DiMaggio died, Paul Simon wrote about the song's reference to him in a New York Times article:
In these days of Presidential transgressions and apologies and prime-time interviews about private sexual matters, we grieve for Joe DiMaggio and mourn the loss of his grace and dignity, his fierce sense of privacy, his fidelity to the memory of his wife and the power of his silence.
Such might explain its resonance today.
Bookends: Bookends is the fourth studio album by Simon & Garfunkel, released on April 3, 1968. Mrs Robinson is the third track on side two.
Source: Wikipedia Commons
by Simon & Garfunkel
And here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know (Wo, wo, wo)
God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
(Hey, hey, hey...hey, hey, hey)
We'd like to know a little bit about you for our files
We'd like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you, all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home
Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
It's a little secret, just the Robinsons' affair
Most of all, you've got to hide it from the kids
Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs Robinson
Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidates debate
Laugh about it, shout about it
When you've got to choose
Ev'ry way you look at it, you lose
Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio
A nation turns it's lonely eyes to you (Woo, woo, woo)
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson
Joltin' Joe has left and gone away
Labels: 1960s music, 1968, Central Park concert, Eleanor Roosevelt, Joe DiMaggio, Mrs Robinson, New York City, Simon and Garfunkel
On Vacation: Return in August
The Monkees: Daydream Believer
Yehudi Menuhin: Bach Sonata No. 3 for Solo Violin
Sammy Davis, Jr: The Candy Man
Pavarotti: La Traviata's Brindisi
NY Philharmonic: Beethoven's Egmont Overture
The Beatles: I Want to Hold Your Hand
Vivian Maier: On the Streets of Chicago
Elvis Presley: Hound Dog (1956)
Plato by George Jochnowitz
A Boy's Story: Man on the Moon
Jascha Heifetz: Wieniawski Polonaise No. 1
Bill Haley: Rock Around The Clock
Colony Collapse Disorder: Scientific Update
Mahler: Symphony No. 5's Adagietto
The Moral Life
More Money for Vaccines
The Jazz Singer Redux: Frummin' Out in America
Vladimir Ashkenazy: Beethoven's Emperor Concerto
Evgeny Kissin: Beethoven's Turkish March
Marvin Gaye: What's Going On (1972)
Neil Young: Old Man
A Boy's Story: That Day in June 1968
Beethoven's Symphony No. 5
The Human Limits of Reason
David Oistrakh: Bach Violin Concerto


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Russia-IC / Share your experience / No one smiling
Eva Martin, Sweden
No one smiling
Q: Eva, why did you first come to Russia?
E: Well, I studied Russian during my service in the Swedish army and two days after graduation I came to Moscow since I'd been offered a job here as a translator at a radio station. I guess I wanted to improve my Russian and do something different.
Q: How well did you know Russian?
E: I studied Russian for a year, so I could read and write quite well. But when I came here I still found it difficult to understand what people were saying. I felt quite stupid, but after two or three months it became a lot easier.
Q: How did you actually find this job at the radio?
E: I got an e-mail from the guy who worked there before me, saying that they were looking for someone for the next year. When I came here with my platoon for a week I visited the radio and did some minor translating, and they said I could come back and work there. And then they organized an apartment and a visa invitation for me.
Q: Was it difficult getting a visa?
E: No, not really. I had an invitation from the radio so I just went to Copenhagen to apply for the visa.
Q: How long did the visa procedure take?
E: I got the visa the same morning I was leaving. My parents were really nervous, but I was somehow sure it would work out.
Q: What was your impression of Russia when you first came here?
E: The first time I was quite disappointed. Moscow is really difficult to visit without someone to show you around. It's a city built for cars rather than for pedestrians. And I remember we were trying to go out clubbing in the evenings and how we spent three nights just trying to find a club and when at last on the third night we found one we weren't let in because of face control (laughing). I also noticed that most people looked quiet unfriendly, no one was smiling. And if I smiled at someone they'd give me suspicious looks. But that's a cultural difference that you eventually get used to.
Q: How was it working at the radio?
E: I worked only three days a week for six hours. It was a very old-fashioned hierarchic workplace in many ways. But it was at the same time interesting translating so much political text with a Russian perspective. It wasn't very easy to get friends at the workplace although I really tried. I invited all of my colleagues to my place for dinner for example. They all came although no one returned the invitation. But we had a really nice evening together and when they left they said: "Oh, this was really nice! You should invite us again!".
Q: How long did it take before you found friends?
E: Quiet long. I found Mark (her first friend in Russia) after a few weeks. We lived in the same house and he worked at the German department at the radio so we had breakfast together every morning and discussed all sorts of current affairs. Through him I met a lot of my other friends-to-be, both expats and Russians. After four or five months, I'd say I had just enough friends to bee completely happy.
Q: Eva, what advice could you give to those who want to travel to Moscow?
E: Well, you have to be tough (laughing).
Q: Anna, a friend of ours, who also lived here when you were in Moscow, told me that she found it more difficult to live in Moscow for foreign women than for foreign men.
E: It definitely is. Almost all expat men that live in Russia are totally overwhelmed by the attention paid by the – often very feminine and pretty – Russian women. Most people in the service sector are young girls and they are always inclined to be much more helpful towards men than towards women. For us female expats though, it's a different story. It's no secret that female solidarity and feminism isn't exactly at its height in Russia. There are also cultural differences- for example that a women shouldn't shake hands with anyone- that I found awkward in the beginning. But there is also a strong competitive spirit over men amongst women that can destroy many relations between Russian female friends.
Q: What advice could you give to women wanting to travel to Russia?
E: You have to learn not to take insults personally, not to be soft-skinned and not to smile at strangers.
Q: Now at hindsight, how do you look at your stay in Moscow?
E: It was an extremely good experience although it was often tough. I earned extremely little, but was determined to live on my salary (approx 120 euro a month). I felt very very lonely and isolated in the beginning and had to work hard to make friends, but once I found them it was worth the effort. Living in Russia is also the only way to learn Russian and it's always good to know how it feels to be the foreigner speaking with a strong accent and don't know all the social codes. To get another perspective on the world than the one you're brought up with - that's invaluable.
Interview by Tanya Leeh
Sheremetyevo Russian politicians Space Exploration Russian fashion Russian science Suzdal Russian Cinema Zenit St. Petersburg Dyatkovo Olympics 2012 Arcady Plastov Russian culture Rostov-on-Don White Sands Double deck trains Sochi Olympics Russian scientists Timofey Kulyabin Russian exhibition Russian economy Georgy Poltavchenko Mark Zuckerberg Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia Russian Fine Arts Russian business Moscow Russian tourism Russian Booker The House-Museum of Pushkin's Uncle Tonino Guerra Russian Birchbark Handicraft Vladimir Baranov-Rossine Gorky Park Russian sport Kaliningrad Region Boris Nemtsov St. Petersburg Science Russian holidays Moscow news Alexander Lebedev Tretyakov Gallery space food Exhibitions in Moscow The Great Silk Road Samara Region Evgenia Linovich Igor Denisov Kuril Lake Russian Internet


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HomeSheffield City Council
Sheffield City Council
Eagles return to Sheffield
4th October 2017 Dave Parkinson 0
After twelve months playing in Wakefield, Sheffield Eagles are returning to the city. From next season, the Eagles new permanent home will be the 3G pitch at the city's Olympic Legacy Park. The return to [Read more…]
Sheffield Eagles handed possible lifeline
15th September 2016 Correspondent 0
Sheffield Eagles could be saved from extinction, after Sheffield City Council responded to the club's claims of foot-dragging and dishonesty when it came to the construction of a new stadium for the club.
Whaling slams 'lying' Sheffield City Council
Sheffield Eagles CEO John Whaling has hit out angrily at Sheffield City Council, for what he perceives as their dishonesty in handling the club's current plight.


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The Future Of Air Travel: The Future Ready Airport
The aviation industry literally moves the world and air travel has now become an important part of our modern lives. What does the future of air travel look like? How can we improve passenger experience and be more efficient?
Professional services firm Arup has published a report highlighting some key aspects of a future-ready airport. Let's break down this report and together uncover the actions that we can take.
1. Delivering a Zero Queue Terminal
Passengers all want a seamless transition from home to the airport, to the aeroplane and to their destination. A zero queue terminal can be attained by streamlining the flow of passengers as well as their baggage. This will reduce the perception of the processes involved before managing to get into the place. Overall, this will improve the experience of the passengers.
At the side of the airline companies, this will improve the reputation and the recognition of the airport. At the same time, this will cut down operational cost.
In order to do this, there should be a conscious effort to reexamine the existing practices, eliminating or combining queue-inducing processes, and streamlining the remaining ones.
2. Reimagining Retail, Entertainment, and Dining
Apart from the safety of the flight, what the customers can do before, during, and after the flight also matters a lot in enhancing their overall experience. The use of consumer data to customize entertainment for each passenger is also another domain that can be explored. By doing these, profitability is retained.
The Jewel in Changi Airport in Singapore is a very good example of seamlessly merging entertainment, shopping, nature, and dining experience in an airport.
LEARN MORE How Our Choices For Holiday Trips Affect Air Travel's Sustainability
3. Redesigning the Future Terminal
Redesigning terminals so that they are future-ready involved taking advantage of the emerging digital solutions to take the place of traditional terminal planning and design practices.
The airports of the future will operate very differently from the airports of today and we must plan for that. The Digital Age will enable lesser physical infrastructure and optimise operations and throughput.
Some of the solutions that are being implemented in various airports are:
Using AI to optimise terminal infrastructure and maintenance
Flexibility in baggage drop-off and processing
Automated immigration checks
4. Aiming for Cost Efficiency
Air travel of the future should be great, but it should also be accessible from a financial standpoint. Affordable does not mean unprofitable. If anything, this would attract more consumers to consider booking their next flight sooner.
In order to achieve this, there is a need to build an effective stakeholder collaboration — one which considers the entire spectrum of operating requirements and constraints among everyone involved.
Airline companies should consider exploring a shared service model, sharing things like:
line maintenance model
By doing this, costs will be reduced. At the same time, service and productivity will also be improved.
Multiple perspectives
In order to equip our airports for the future, there is a clear need to step out of the practices we are currently using. Aviation companies should start looking at different perspectives, seeing how each stakeholder is affected by any decision to change or retain a practice.
The future of aviation will definitely bring about a lot of changes. The best way that we could welcome all these changes is not being resistant to making some changes ourselves.
LEARN MORE How We Can Design Timeless Cities For Our Collective Future
HR Tech Solutions For Forward-Thinking, Tech-Savvy Businesses
How Data Is Powering Smart City Micromobility And Public Transport
NewCities Launches Wellbeing City Award
Montréal, Canada – June 20, 2018. The NewCities Foundation today announced the launch of its Wellbeing City Award,…
Amazing Technological Inventions By College Students
At all times students differed by their unconventional way of thinking. What innovations have they offered to the…
Top Breakthrough Technologies For 2018 : Zero-Carbon Natural Gas
The world is probably stuck with natural gas as one of our primary sources of electricity for the…
How Do Millennial Finances Compare To Previous Generations
While Canadians freak out over avocado toast and housing prices, let's see what's happening with Millennials in the…


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The EU's New AML Proposal, What's in Store?
What's included in the New EU AML Proposal 2021?
1- A New EU AML Authority (AMLA)
2- A Single EU Rulebook for AML/CFT
3- Expanding Traceability Requirements on Crypto
4- AMLD6, Which Revokes AMLD4
Other Key Takeaways from EU's AML Legislative Package
To strengthen the EU's Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) rules, the European Commission issued a new AML proposal on July 20, 2021. The EU AML draft consists of four legislative proposals. These proposals, more commonly referred to as the AML Legislative Package, have been published to streamline compliance processes through the creation of a harmonious and consistent framework of AML/CFT rules throughout the EU.
The proposals will help tackle issues related to the detection of suspicious activities and transactions, and will also eliminate existing loopholes that criminals currently exploit. As stated in the EU's Security Union Strategy for 2020-2025, enhancing the country's AML/CFT framework will provide Europeans with a chance to protect themselves against terrorism, money laundering, and other organized crimes.
The following legislative proposals have been laid out:
A New EU Authority for AML and CFT (AMLA)
A Single EU Rulebook for AML/CFT
AML/CFT Rules on the Crypto Sector
A Sixth Directive on AML/CFT, Which Revokes AMLD4
Let's take a closer look at what's included in these proposals, one by one.
The European Union was brought into the global spotlight after various member states launched an investigation into Denmark's largest bank, Danske Bank, that facilitated suspicious transactions worth over 200 billion euros through its small Estonian branch between 2007 and 2015. Historically, the EU has had to rely on national authorities for the implementation of AML policies in such instances.
To fix this, the formation of a new Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) has been positioned at the heart of the new AML Proposal. The AMLA will aim to address the current shortcomings in AML/CFT supervision within the EU. It will act as the central authority that monitors coordination between national authorities to ensure that anti-money laundering rules are applied with consistency across all the member states. The AMLA will also enable cooperation among national FIUs (Financial Intelligence Units) and facilitate joint analyses among them for the efficient detection of illegal cross-border financial flows.
Suggested Read: Danske Bank Facing the Long-term Cost of Money Laundering
The second proposal suggests the transfer of provisions from the AMLD4 (Fourth Money Laundering Directive) to a Regulation – one that will be directly applicable in all EU Member States. This step is being proposed to address the European Commission's concern that while the AMLD4 has widespread application, the directive is currently fragmented.
The single rulebook for AML/CFT in the EU will provide a number of key changes to create harmony. For instance, it will provide more elaborated rules on CDD (Customer Due Diligence), Beneficial Ownership and the authority and tasks of financial supervisors and FIUs. Additionally, the existing centralized bank account registers will become interconnected, and their access will also be provided to law enforcement agencies. This will not only expedite fraud investigations and recovery of stolen assets, but will also create transparency in the AML framework.
At the money, AML/CFT rules for crypto in the EU are only applicable to certain types of service providers. This fragmentation leaves room for criminals to exploit the loopholes to their advantage. Here's what the European Commission's report states:
"The lack of such rules leaves holders of crypto assets exposed to money laundering and financing of terrorism risks, as flows of illicit money can be done through transfers of crypto assets."
The new EU AML proposal will bring the entire cryptocurrency sector under the scope of AML regulations, mandating all service providers to perform due diligence on their customers. Additionally, anonymous cryptocurrency will be prohibited under the new rule. This suggestion has been added to ensure complete traceability of cryptocurrency transactions, allowing the timely prevention and detection of money laundering and other prevalent crimes committed through digital currencies such as Bitcoin. Furthermore, stringent data collection standards in the crypto space have been proposed.
Suggested Read: Money Laundering Through Cryptocurrency: Red Flags and AML Risks
The last proposal suggested the implementation of the 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive, repealing the current AMLD4. This Directive will contain guidelines that will be transposed into national law, such as the AML rules on national supervisors and FIUs in the Member States.
In short, the Directive will reiterate relevant provisions of AMLD4, and add further amendments to it. These include clarifications on the powers and tasks of FIUs and financial supervisors, entities that manage beneficial ownership information, the introduction of tools to streamline risk-based supervision, details regarding the cross-border interconnection of bank account registers, and other provisions that support cooperation between National Crime Agencies, FIUs and other competent authorities. All these amendments are deemed essential by the European Commission to win the battle against money laundering and terrorism financing.
Suggested Read: EU's Sixth Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6)
Apart from the above-mentioned proposals, the European Commission has also pointed out how large cash payments are being used by criminals to launder dirty money. Because of this, revision of the 2015 Regulation on Transfers of Funds has also been proposed. Under the proposed rule, an EU-wide limit of €10,000 on large cash payments will be placed. What is more, is that the scope of this proposal has also been extended to include cryptocurrency transactions to bring down money laundering cases in the bloc.
The EU's new AML Proposal will now be discussed by the European Parliament and Council. Currently, the European Commission is seeking stakeholder views on each of the proposed legislative measures. The consultation period is set to close on 7 October 2021.
Once the Directive has been transposed and the new AML framework has been approved, the AMLA is expected to become functional from 2024 and will commence its work of direct supervision slightly later.
Need to automate compliance with global AML regulations? Try our 7-day free trial today or talk to our experts for more information!
Previous PostPrevious AUSTRAC, Home Affairs Say Tech Capability Not There Yet for Crypto Travel Rule
Next PostNext FATF Urges Japan to Implement Stronger AML Measures


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Categories: Climate Change
Developing country carbon emissions clemency not applicable to South Africa – Nicholls
Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
South Africa is a significant carbon-intensive emitter, sharing an emissions contributing position among the highest, globally
BY: DONNA SLATER
CREAMER MEDIA CONTRIBUTING EDITOR AND PHOTOGRAPHER
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South Africa cannot be allowed to breach its climate change mitigation measures and Paris Agreement declarations despite it being an emerging country that is still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, South African Presidential Climate Commission mitigation head Steve Nicholls told delegates at last week's ESG Africa Conference.
Many African countries have, of late, requested lenience in meeting climate change mitigation commitments, requesting also a delay in their abandonment of cheap and easy-to-obtain fossil fuels as a result of their delayed and inhibited industrial and social development.
Many argue that developed nations built their economy, industrial base and power generation network using vast volumes of fossil fuels and that Africa should also be allowed to burn the carbon intensive fuels for a while longer, while it develops.
However, Nicholls said South Africa, in particular, is a carbon-intensive emitter, sharing an emissions contributing position among the highest, globally.
For this reason, Nicholls said South Africa has to reduce its emissions immediately.
"There is no chance for us to increase our emissions."
He posed the question of whether there should be an interim period during which very poor countries should be allowed to increase their emissions so that they can develop socially and in terms of their industries.
"The answer is probably yes, but in very small areas. It is not in power [generation]. It does not mean that we can go and build massive coal-fired power stations," said Nicholls.
He added that gas was also not an avenue that should be exploited, despite its frequent marketing as a less carbon-intensive source of energy. "It does not mean we can do more oil and gas exploration," Nicholls added.
He posited that there "may be some opportunity" for African nations to increase their emissions in certain industrial activities, but that fossil fuel-intensive forms of power generation were not an option and that South Africa could not afford to expand its burning of fossil fuels by any measure.
Globally, measures to limit temperature rise to 1.5 oC above preindustrial era levels, have to be implemented by every country, regardless of their stage of development. ". . . If we are to stay below 1.5 oC, we have to be net zero by 2050. And by we [I mean] everybody – the whole planet. Africa has to be as well. Australia has to be, everybody has to be [compliant in mitigation measures]," Nicholls stated.
In terms of what is required to limit and reduce emissions, he said the pace of change had to be "enormous . . . It is faster than you think, always."
Nonetheless, Nicholls alluded that many African nations, South Africa included, would not achieve sufficient emissions reductions by 2050 and that significant regional warming was on the horizon.
He said that, realistically speaking, the 1.5 oC target would not be met. He added that it may be possible to limit the increase to 2 oC by 2050; however, analysis had shown that by implementing current policy measures, the increase in temperatures would be closer to 2.7 oC.
Taking this into account, Nicholls said South Africa was due to expect temperature increases of between 4 oC and 6 oC by 2050. This would result in severe social ailments, such as a 25% reduction in agricultural output and about 20-million climate migrants fleeing severe heat in regions that are already "borderline inhospitable".
Good COP, Bad COP — two sides to SA's just transition investment plan
Good COP, Bad COP — two sides to SA's just transition investment plan From left: US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz during the JET Investment Plan meeting on the sidelines of […]
Global warming – hard to deny!
Webinar | Navigating Energy Pathways for Climate Ambition
View this email in your browser REGISTER NOW WEBINAR: Navigating Energy Pathways for Climate Ambition: The implications of 1.5°C scenarios for Paris-aligned energy transitions Monday, October 24, 2022, 11:00 CEST Energy scenarios have a key role to play in guiding the energy system transformation needed to meet the 1.5°C temperature limit under the Paris Agreement. […]
Africa – climate changer impact
Regards, Peter Atkins Mobile +27 (0) 74 104 2944 www.crediblecarbon.co.za


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BURDEN OF THE SKY Drop Music Video for "Catalyst"
BURDEN OF THE SKY Drop Music Video for "Catalyst"
Exclusive Premiere on Metal Injection
Latest Album 'Sine Timore' Out Now!
Illinois's Alternative/Hard Rock band BURDEN OF THE SKY released their new music video for the song "Catalyst" exclusively with the heavy metal outlet Metal Injection. Fans can check out the new video right here.
"Catalyst" is part of the album Sine Timore, which was released in April this year. The album was tracked at Dark River Studios in Nashville, TN, and mixed/mastered by Eric Kalina in Los Angeles, CA. The band has garnered over a million streams between Spotify and Apple Music since their inception.
To pre-order Sine Timore, go to https://lnk.to/SineTimore
Download the single "Catalyst" HERE
BURDEN OF THE SKY is:
Scottie James - Vocals
Brad Shaw - Guitars/Vocals
Josh Appel - Guitars
Rick Streeter - Drums
Dustin Tritsch - Bass
Mike Mahoney - Keys/Synth
BURDEN OF THE SKY Online:
Website: www.burdenofthesky.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/botsband
Instagram: https://instagram.com/burden_of_the_sky
Twitter: https://twitter.com/burdenofthesky
Apple Music: https://apple.co/2KUqWg5
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2JE2ksV


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« Hot and muggy musings…
How Antoine Fielder overcame one deputy and killed two »
A few things that just don't make sense…
June 15, 2018 by jimmycsays
Kansas City vying for an NBA or NHL team
I've got a suggestion for The Star's two sports columnists: Stop flapping your wings trying to stir up interest in Kansas City getting either a National Hockey League or National Basketball Association team.
What a waste of time.
There are good reasons why Kansas City area residents are becoming increasingly attracted to Sporting Kansas City and soccer in general. Here are two:
:: Kansas City has a chance to land one or more World Cup games in 2026.
:: You can get a good seat to a Sporting Kansas City game for $25 to $35. On the other hand, the average cost of a ticket for an NHL game in 2014-15 was $62, and the average cost of a "non-premium ticket to an NBA game in 2013 was $51. (The average cost of a Chiefs' ticket last year was $128, and the average cost of a Royals' ticket this year is $33.58 — but what kind of value is that for a team possibly on track to lose 100 games?)
And yet, The Star's Sam Mellinger and Vahe Gregorian each has had a column this week in which they were basically pushing for either an NHL or NBA team.
Cliff Illig, Cerner co-founder and vice chairman
After a 5-inch introduction to his column in Sunday's paper, Mellinger posed the question, "So, Cliff, any interest?"
Illig: "Candidly, no."
Then Mellinger devoted the next 31 inches trying to goose up Illig's interest. He didn't get anywhere.
Gregorian's column was more measured and realistic, focusing on Kansas City's 2026 World Cup prospects. Yet, he couldn't refrain from pumping Mayor Sly James about the farfetched prospect of Kansas City landing an NBA or NHL franchise. Like Illig, James wasn't biting, saying: "If Sprint Center was sitting there and we couldn't get anybody to come and it operated five days a year, that's one thing. But it's kicking it. It's a very, very busy venue…"
I'm not a soccer fan, but I guess it's possible I could become one. And considering the respective cost of tickets to major league soccer, basketball and hockey games, there's no way I'd consider paying market-rate prices to see an NHL or NBA game. And I think a lot of people sitting in my section of the grandstand feel the same way.
A front-page story and a business-page story in today's Star
The headline on one of three stories in today's Star read, "Parson no longer blocking users on social media."
My first reaction was our new governor was heading in a refreshingly different direction than the hide-and-seek former governor.
And yet, the first 15 inches of the story were about how Gov. Mike Parson used to block critics on his official Twitter account when he was lieutenant governor. It wasn't until the 15th paragraph that reporters Tessa Weinberg (whose work I'm not very familiar with) and the usually solid Jason Hancock got to the news, saying:
"But in the time since Parson became governor on June 1, his staff has created new official accounts that they insist will no longer block anyone."
The way that story was written, you couldn't blame Parson and his staff if they went to the editors alleging the paper was trying to twist the story to make Parson look bad.
…Put simply, The Star was guilty of "burying the lead," that is, putting the newest and most important development relatively low in the story. If The Star wants better access to Parson than it did to former Gov. Eric Greitens, I would suggest the editors concentrate on presenting straightforwardly the positive developments related to the governor's office.
On Page 5A, reporter Allison Kite — who, like Weinberg, is relatively new to The Star — had a story about a committee of the Kansas City Council recommending that the city give Cordish Companies 100 percent property tax abatement for 25 years to build the "Three Light" apartment tower downtown. Two problems:
She didn't say which council committee took the action…(I assume it was the Planning, Zoning & Economic Development Committee.)
The committee recommended the controversial action on a 3-2 vote, but Kite didn't report which members voted "yes" and which voted "no." (I can't help you because I couldn't find it anywhere, including on the city's website.)
There's nowhere else Kansas City area residents can get reports on matters like that, and it's a damn shame when The Star doesn't report basic information on significant developments where millions of public dollars are at stake. This is another example of how McClatchy's's (and The Star's) ongoing process of trying to cut its way out of debt is backfiring.
It also makes me think that if Mellinger had his head on straight, he'd be asking Illig if he was interested in buying The Star rather than an NBA expansion team. That would be a much greater and longer-lasting contribution to his community.


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Darcy Regier has been the Sabres' general manager since 1997. ©2013, Dan Hickling, Olean Times Herald
Sabres extend GM Regier
BUFFALO – Darcy Regier isn't going anywhere.
Sabres owner Terry Pegula announced a contract extension for his general manager this afternoon during a news conference on the eve of the season opener. No details were provided.
Regier, the team's general manager since 1997, last signed an extension in the fall of 2010.
"I am very grateful and honored to be able to continue in this capacity working with this ownership," Regier said inside the Lexus Club at the First Niagara Center. " … I think the beautiful thing about this organization is we continue to grow, continue to improve."
Pegula said he approached Regier about the extension, which they've had "for quite some time."
"Darcy's a talented guy," he said. "I know from some of the stuff I read not everyone agrees with that. But he's got all the resources now. We work very well, and we look forward to the future. We have a great communication in our hockey department. No egos. Everyone's pulling in the same direction, and it's a very good situation. … It really runs very well behind curtains."
Pegula added: "Both sides are happy with the arrangement."
Meanwhile, in a rare chat with reporters, Pegula apologized for the 113-day NHL lockout.
"We apologize to the whole hockey fan base – the media, our sponsors and our supporters – for the hardship we may have put people through," he said. "But sometimes things happen that you don't plan for in life."
Pegula believes the lockout "was worth it for the health of keeping a 30-team league."
"Deep down inside financially you got to help some of these teams that are really struggling financially," he said. "That's how you keep a league, or we'll be back to the original six before we know it. I don't know of anybody in our group that was calling to just go ahead and settle."
More from Pegula:
On if there's a mandate for the team this season:
"You've got to look at every season to try to win the Stanley Cup. Look what happened last year. Since I've been owner I've watched two teams win the Stanley Cup. Both of them took about 40 years to do it. It's not something you win every year as an organization.
"I think that our team is a lot different than the team I inherited when I bought it. I would say it's got a new imprint on it, new mark. It looks like a good hockey team."
On Sabres coach Lindy Ruff:
"The one thing I've noticed about Lindy is he can change, he does change. He coached the highest-scoring team in the league a few years back and can also coach a team that is responsible defensively. He's pretty opened-minded. It seems right before you talk about saying maybe we need to do this or that, he's already thought about it. He's very perceptive in what his shortcomings or obligations have to be moving forward."
In other news, Regier said the futures of franchise goalie Ryan Miller, captain Jason Pominville and winger Thomas Vanek – whose contracts all expire after next season – have been discussed.
"It's something we'll continue to work on and review as we move forward," Regier said. "But it's obviously in our focus."
In on-ice news, Ruff acknowledged 18-year-old first-round pick Mikhail Grigorenko will make his NHL debut Sunday.
One of Grigorenko's wingers, Ville Leino, has a possible leg injury and missed practice today. Leino plans to test the injury Sunday morning and is questionable. Jochen Hecht skated in his spot today.
Author Bill HoppePosted on 01.19.13 01.20.13 Categories Grigorenko, Hecht, Leino, Miller, NHL Lockout, Pegula, Pominville, Regier, Ruff, Vanek
2 thoughts on "Sabres extend GM Regier"
Pingback: Sabres extend GM Darcy Regier's contract | ProHockeyTalk
01.19.13 at 9:05 pm
since 1997 Lou Lamoriello has changed head coaches 13 times while winning 2 cups along the way. During that same stretch the dynamic duo of Ruff & Regier remain intact w zero cups and continue to get rewarded for mediocrity. I have less of a problem with the GM than I do with the coach. Hey Darcy, take note of Lindy and how often he changes lines. It's time the coach gets a taste of his own medicine and becomes a healthy scratch.
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Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner
A follow up to Over and Under the Snow and Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, this time focusing on the rich, interconnected ecosystem of a mountain pond. As parent and child launch a canoe from the muddy shore and paddle through water lilies, they see frogs jump and painted turtles slide off logs, disappearing beneath the murky water. What's happening down there? Under the pond, leeches lurk, crayfish scuttle under rocks, nymphs build intricate shells, and microscopic animals break down fallen leaves to recharge the water with nutrients. Over the pond, fuzzy cattails sway in the breeze, and a pair of loons swim by, laughing in the dappled sunlight. An author's note discusses not only the different organisms featured, but also the truly remarkable balance of this wetland ecosystem, the way plants and animals create a chemical balance that sustains the lives of the pond.
See also: Over and Under the Snow, Over and Under the Rainforest, Up in the Garden Down in the Dirt


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Business resilience during pandemic celebrated at awards ceremony
Business, News | Rhys Williams | Published: 15:50, Monday November 29th, 2021.
Last updated: 15:50, Monday November 29th, 2021
All the winners of the 2021 Caerphilly Business Club Awards
Caerphilly Business Club was relaunched and rebranded at the start of the coronavirus pandemic – and now it has celebrated the resilience of businesses during the pandemic at its first in-person awards since 2018.
Formerly-known as Caerphilly Business Forum, the group relaunched in May 2020 in a bid to inject new life into the networking group.
The winners collected their awards at a ceremony at Bryn Meadows Golf Hotel and Spa, near Maesycwmmer, on Friday, November 26.
What is Caerphilly Business Club?
Caerphilly Business Club, which was formerly known as Caerphilly Business Forum until 2020, is a networking group for businesses within Caerphilly County Borough.
It's aim is to support, promote and connect businesses within the area.
The award winners were chosen by Caerphilly Business Club's board members, with the ceremony hosted by science communicator Huw James, from Pontllanfraith.
Fusion Occupational Health, which is based on Caerphilly Business Park and specialises in workplace wellbeing, health and safety, won two awards – was crowned Medium Business of the Year, and also won the Innovation Through Covid award.
Clare Hurley, Director of Customer Care at Fusion, said: "I absolutely can't believe it. My team are amazing and deserve this accolade – they've shown a can-do attitude throughout Covid. It's great."
Meanwhile, the Small Business of the Year award was won by WRI Group, which is also based on Caerphilly Business Park.
The company investigates counterfeit goods on behalf of multinational companies, alongside police and trading standards.
Jordan Sargent, Business Development Manager at WRI Group, said: "It's extremely humbling to win this award and to put something back into the Caerphilly economy.
"We employ people from the local area and it's great to be recognised after a year of Covid."
Apprentice of the Year Award winner Arjandeep Singh
Small Business of the Year Award winner WRI Group
Rural Economy Award winner Pencoed Fach Farm
Innovation Through Covid Award winner Fusion Occupational Health
Large Business of the Year Award winner Norgine
Leadership in Business Award winner Rob Morris Groundworks
Chairman's Award winner Under the Oak Glamping
Medium Business of the Year Award winner Fusion Occupational Health
Chairman's Award winner Mini Miners' Club
Start-up of the Year Award winner Fish Kitchen 1854
Pharmaceutical firm Norgine, which has a manufacturing plant in Tir y Berth, won Large Business of the Year.
Arjandeep Singh, of British Airways Interior Engineering, won Apprentice of the Year.
Elsewhere, Maesycwmmer chip shop Fish Kitchen 1854 won Start-up of the Year.
Owners Lee and Samantha Humphreys said it meant "everything" to win their award.
They said: "The local community has supported us all the way, they've been amazing.
"We felt a responsibility to feed the community during the pandemic. It was a weekly treat for many people.
"We were lucky enough to stay open. When Covid struck, we had to change our business model overnight."
Caerphilly Business Forum relaunched with new name
Meanwhile, Oakdale-based construction hub Rob Morris Groundworks won the Leadership in Business award.
Director Rob Morris said the award win was down to the "fantastic staff around me".
He said the company, which has more than 100 employees, was "like a big work family", and thanked staff, family and friends for their support.
Pencoed Fach Organic Farm, near Cefn Fforest, won the Rural Economy Award, while the Toybox Project won the Community Value award.
Under the Oak Glamping, which is based in Bedwas, and Ystrad Mynach-based not-for-profit day nursery Mini Miners' Club were both named winners of the Chairman's Award.
The Chairman's award winners were chosen by Caerphilly Business Club chairman Matthew Tucker, who is the assistant principal at Coleg y Cymoedd.
Lydia Watts, who owns Under the Oak Glamping, said: "It's nice to have recognition after a tough time for businesses, especially hospitality businesses. We're really proud of the business we bring into the borough and putting Caerphilly on the map."
Kellyanne Evans and Laura James, who run the Mini Miners' Club, said: "We're very community based. We're like a family – the pandemic has made that even more so.
"This recognition is for the parents, children and team.
"For us, it's all about supporting families and developing a support network, not profit."
The 2021 Caerphilly Business Club Award winners
Small Business of the Year, sponsored by Lenstec Optical Group
WRI Group
Rural Economy Award, sponsored by Caerffili Cwm a Mynydd
Pencoed Fach Farm
Medium Business of the Year, sponsored by JCP Solicitors
Fusion Occupational Health
Innovation Through Covid, sponsored by Welsh ICE
Apprentice of the Year, sponsored by Educ8 Group
Arjandeep Singh – British Airways Interior Engineering
Large Business of the Year, sponsored by Biotage
Community Value Award, sponsored by TownSq
The Toybox Project
Leadership in Business, sponsored by Coleg Gwent
Rob Morris – Rob Morris Groundwork
Startup of the Year, sponsored by Coleg y Cymoedd
Fish Kitchen 1854
Chairman's Award
Mini Miners' Club
Under the Oak Glamping
Jon Plimmer


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Church and State: Is the Trump Administration Giving Religion an Outsized Role in Public Policy?
Based on recent actions by the president, it appears Trump's idea of creating opportunities for religious values in America involves turning religion into an arm of the state.
Chayenne Polimédio
(Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images)
You know that religion is a hot topic when the Met Gala's theme—which sets the stage for the Costume Institute's spring 2018 exhibition—is "Fashion and the Catholic Imagination." The exhibit, which opened earlier this month, brought together Hollywood's crème de la crème, who paraded around in their usually gaudy regalia.
But the Met Gala wasn't the only time religion has made the news recently. On May 3rd, the National Day of Prayer, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a faith initiative at the White House. With the executive order, called the "Faith and Opportunity Initiative," Trump said that he hopes to "ensure that the faith-based and community organizations that form the bedrock of our society have strong advocates in the White House and throughout the Federal Government."
Religion has always played a big role in the United States, from the Declaration of Independence's assertion that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," to the First Amendment's guarantee that everyone in the U.S. has the right to practice whatever religion he or she chooses (or, for that matter, to practice no religion at all). In addition, religious institutions have often been key sources of protection for the vulnerable, addressing injustice and discrimination. The mid-century civil rights movement, the push to fortify "sanctuary cities," and the Poor People's Campaign are just a few examples of how religion can make society more responsive to people's most pressing needs.
In this light, a White House initiative that looks to include religious leaders' voices in the policymaking process doesn't seem so off the mark. In fact, former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama created similar offices (each with its own challenges). Indeed, the recognition that traditionally marginalized voices ought to have an opportunity to participate in politics, have their concerns heard, and hopefully inform government decisions could have marked a welcome turning point in the Trump administration. Instead, it may become a source of tension. Specifically, Trump's idea of what creating opportunities for religious values looks like seems to violate the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, turning religion into an arm of the state.
At the signing of the executive order, which took place at the Rose Garden and was attended by members of Trump's cabinet and representatives of religious groups, the president said that "the faith initiative will help design new policies that recognize the vital role of faith in our families, our communities, and our great country." Since then, civil rights advocates have fretted over hidden meanings in this statement, and about how the initiative may subtly sanction discrimination against individuals perceived to fall outside establishment religious norms, rather than protect those individuals.
These concerns aren't unfounded.
That's because, for one thing, this isn't the first time Trump has looked for ways to allow faith and religious values to play an outsized role in the public policy sphere.
For instance, in January of this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights announced that it was creating a "Conscience and Religious Freedom Division" with a proposed rule that provides "conscience-based protections for individuals and entities with objections to certain activities based on religious belief and moral convictions." It's not a stretch to see how this move could impact individuals' access to services like abortion and sterilization. Louise Melling, the deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, told NPR that "there are many examples of health workers refusing care on religious grounds, including a nurse who didn't want to provide post-operative care to a woman who had an abortion, a pediatrician who declined to see a child because his parents were lesbians, and a fertility doctor who didn't want to provide services to a lesbian couple."
Or, take as another example how, last year, also on the National Day of Prayer, the president signed a "Religious Liberty" executive order, whose goal was to give "churches their voice back" by relaxing the Internal Revenue Service ban on tax-exempt organizations' engagement in political activities and by giving "regulatory relief" to companies that didn't want to follow the Obamacare mandate for contraception. Trump also vowed to repeal the Johnson Amendment, in place since 1954, which draws a line around the sorts of political activities permitted by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. While Trump's effort to repeal the amendment failed (it wasn't included in the GOP tax reform bill), he re-surfaced the issue last Thursday when he said that the Faith and Opportunity Initiative will "help ensure that faith-based organizations have equal access to government funding and the equal right to exercise their deeply held beliefs."
And yet, as the ACLU points out on its website, "the government already can and does work collaboratively with faith-based organizations. It has long granted tax dollars to religious social service providers that agree not to discriminate in hiring or providing services, and that operate their social services in a secular manner." Anything beyond this support, I'd argue, would also go beyond what's currently permitted.
When in doubt over whether or not a particular government act or policy unconstitutionally promotes religion, the "Lemon Test" (named after the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case Lemon v. Kurtzman) has three hurdles a policy must pass in order to be constitutional: Have a non-religious purpose; not end up promoting or favoring any set of religious beliefs; and not overly involve the government with religion.
According to an accompanying White House statement, the initiative will be led by the newly created position of adviser to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative and be supported by experts and various community and faith leaders from outside the federal government. As the executive order outlines, one of the advier's role will be to "identify and propose means to reduce ... burdens on the exercise of religious convictions and legislative, regulatory, and other barriers to the full and active engagement of faith-based and community organizations in Government-funded or Government-conducted activities and programs." While it's still too early to glean what kind of role and impact the Faith and Opportunity Initiative will have on the policies that come out of the Trump White House, if Trump's track record—his executive order, speech at the Rose Garden, and previous executive actions—is any indication of his intentions, the initiative might not exactly pass the Lemon Test with flying colors.
Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief, said that, while "freedom of religion is one of our most fundamental and cherished rights ... that freedom does not give any of us the right to harm other people, to impose our beliefs on others, or to discriminate," and that "the ACLU will be watching this initiative closely to ensure that it does not promote policies that violate these core principles."
History has long illustrated that there's a place for religion in public life—but not in the way the Trump administration appears to view it. In consequence, it looks as though Mach and his fellow civil liberties advocates have their work cut out for them.
This story originally appeared in New America's digital magazine, New America Weekly, a Pacific Standard partner site. Sign up to get New America Weekly delivered to your inbox, and follow @NewAmerica on Twitter.
ConstitutionChristianityReligionPacific Standard PartnersDonald TrumpCivics
Chayenne Polimédio is a research associate in the political reform program at New America. She writes about American democracy and issues of representation, participation, and polarization, as well as about Brazilian politics and identity.


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Secret Santa surprises essential workers with Christmas cash
December 16, 2020 rebillingnet
"They told you I was doing a story about essential workers, right?" I asked Davis.
"Correct," she replied.
"Ah, we're not doing a story about essential workers," I told her.
Truth be told, I had to lie to everyone I spoke to for this story. And when they discovered my real intent, most were speechless – lips aquiver – many in tears.
My partner in this joyful deception was an anonymous, wealthy businessman known to me only as Secret Santa. In a normal year, Secret Santa personally hands out hundreds of $100 bills to random strangers. But this year, the novel coronavirus called for a novel sleigh ride. So he mailed packages to carefully selected essential workers across the nation.
"And inside that is a sealed envelope that says, 'Do not open until instructed to do so by Steve Hartman at CBS,'" Secret Santa told me.
His targets included Ashton Dooley, a sanitation worker from Sarasota, Florida, whose brand-new bride has cancer.
"She let me shave her head that first time," Dooley said. "That's when I knew I wanted to marry her."
Next was Elgin Thrower, a security guard from Kansas City with a son with special needs and a dream to be a police officer.
"In law enforcement, I can make a difference," Thrower said.
And Danielle Dip is a waitress from Pittsburgh who's way behind on rent.
"It has been a pretty bad year," she said. "But somehow, somewhere, something's going to work out."
I then introduced her to Secret Santa via a video call. Dip's bad year was about to get a whole lot better.
"Open up that sealed envelope," Secret Santa told her.
"OK," Dip replied.
Everyone's bad year was about to get a whole lot better.
"There's a thousand dollars!" Thrower said as he smiled.
In the coming weeks, Secret Santa will give away about $100,000 total – to total strangers.
"And that's to make your Christmas just a little bit better," Secret Santa told Davis.
"Oh my God! I can't believe this!" she said while fighting back tears.
But, of course, the money isn't the real gift here.
"You know kindness, when freely given, with no expectation in return – is, in fact, unconditional love," Secret Santa said. "And that's really what we're giving them."
And what does it feel like to receive such a gift? Well, sometimes being speechless says it all.
Someone's making a huge Star Wars mod for Fallout: New Vegas
Mikel Arteta says Xhaka red card 'worse' than Pépé's as Arsenal crisis deepens
Prostate cancer pathology not worse with delayed surgery
Honda recalling 1.79 million vehicles worldwide for safety issues
Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game – Complete Edition nabs Jan 2021 release date
Man killed after opening fire outside New York City cathedral


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Tag: Public Transport
Scotland 2022 Part 1: A More Adventurous Than Expected Journey
I am on holiday in Scotland for a week, staying in a place called Acharacle, a small town on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, the westernmost part of mainland Britain. The cottage (actually a glorified caravan which I would be prepared to bet was moved to its current site on the back of a lorry) has a decent wifi connection, so I will to be able to at least some posting while I am here. This post deals with my travels and travails getting here yesterday.
A ROUTE OF MANY CHANGES
The plan was that I would travel from King's Lynn to Fort William, where my parents would collect me. This is not the most straightforward of journeys and the ticket I booked involved four changes – King's Lynn to Ely, Ely to Peterborough, Peterborough to Edinburgh, Edinburgh to Glasgow, Glasgow to Fort William, and almost exactly 12 hours travel for the public transport leg of the journey. This would have been fine, but as you will see there was a rather major hitch.
A SMOOTH START
I got to King's Lynn station in very good time for my train (indeed had I really hustled my way through the station I could have been on the earlier train, but decided there was little point). The train reached Ely very promptly, and I had the good fortune to get a quick onward connection to Peterborough (I accepted this piece of good fortune because although it meant more waiting at Peterborough for a train I had to be on, Peterborough like the majority of railway stations is less exposed than Ely). I found my seat on the train to Edinburgh without undue fuss, and enjoyed some excellent views between Newcastle and Edinburgh. Waverley proved not too difficult to negotiate and I was at the platform for my train to Glasgow in very good time.
The run to Glasgow was also smooth, and the train arrived at Glasgow Queen Street (low level) bang on schedule at 6:00, which in theory meant I had 23 minutes to get upstairs to the main station and find the platform for my train to Fort William. Unfortunately this was the cue for…
NIGHTMARE ON QUEEN STREET
I scanned the information screens for details of my train (on which I had a pre-booked seat – this leg of the journey was supposed to last three and three quarter hours) and found nothing. I sought assistance as departure time drew closer with no evidence of said train in site, only to discover that the service had been cancelled with no notification. After using my mobile phone to tell my parents about the problem I contacted my sister to see if she could help me find somewhere to stay overnight in Glasgow. As the evening wore on it became clear that that was not an option, and we settled on a taxi ride to Fort William station and a pick up from there by the parents. The taxi arrived in Fort William just after 11PM, and it still was not fully dark. The driver's card reader failed to function due to how far we were from Glasgow, but my parents and I had enough cash between us to cover the fare (and every intention of getting the money back from Scotrail, the cause of the problem) and we settled up and set off for Acharacle. It was nearer one o'clock than 12 by the time we got there, meaning that I had been travelling for some 15 hours, with the only serious time spent other than on the move being the very antithesis of restful, so unsurprisingly I was exceedingly tired. The taxi windows were not big enough for taking photographs through, so in addition to everything else I was deprived of pictures of the most scenic part of the whole journey.
I do still have some photographs, some from the walk to the station and some from the most scenic sections of the parts of the train journey that actually happened…
The glorious viaduct that crosses the Tweed
This shows the environs of Acharacle
Author ThomasPosted on May 29, 2022 Categories Photography, Public Transport, Scotland 2022Tags Edinburgh, Ely, Fort William, Glasgow, King's Lynn, Maps, Peterborough, Photography, Public Transport, Scotland 20223 Comments on Scotland 2022 Part 1: A More Adventurous Than Expected Journey
Train v Plane
A look at the London to Glasgow Train vs Plane race organized by Campaign for Better Transport that took place yesterday.
This post is inspired by a contest set up by Campaign for Better Transport. With COP26 taking place in Glasgow the campaign group set up a race from London to Glasgow with one guy using train and one guy going by plane. I will give the details of that contest and then describe how I myself would get to Glasgow from King's Lynn.
LONDON TO GLASGOW RACE
The train guy had a four stop tube journey to Euston and then a fast train service to Glasgow. The plane guy had to get to Luton Airport, get through airport security and board the plane, and then get a shuttle bus from the airport at the other end to central Glasgow.
The plane guy got to the destination first, by two measly minutes. As against that the train guy had a straightforward, stress free journey, whereas the plane guy did not. The other point is that the plane journey causes seven times the carbon emissions of the train journey. A total gain of two minutes on a journey of that length cannot be worth either the extra stress or the extra pollution, thus although this race did not quite have the result I was hoping for it is enough to say:
Here for extra evidence is the final tweet from CBT about the race:
They've arrived! @Paultuohy on the plane and Norman Baker on the train got to George Square just TWO MINS apart.
Paul *just* beat Norman, but his journey emitted around 7x more carbon emissions.
With Norman's journey more pleasant too, the case for #trainNOTplane is clear. pic.twitter.com/DSWXpqfC6g
— Campaign for Better Transport (@CBTransport) October 8, 2021
KING'S LYNN TO GLASGOW
If I was to travel from King's Lynn to Glasgow I would do so using two modes of public transport plus of course Shanks' Pony at each end of the journey. I would walk from my bungalow to King's Lynn bus station from where I would catch an ExCel bus to Peterborough and would then take the train from Peterborough to Glasgow. The reason for starting the route by bus is that if I use train all the way from King's Lynn I have to change at Ely, whereas the bus goes direct to Peterborough. From King's Lynn there is no remotely local airport that would be even vaguely sensible to use – the two nearest, Norwich and Stansted both entail starting one's journey by travelling in the wrong direction, so even a die-hard plane aficionado would probably be forced to accept that plane is really not an option for this journey.
From my childhood home in south London the best route would be Northern line from Tooting Bec to Stockwell, Victoria line from Stockwell to Euston (the extra speed of the Victoria line justifying the apparently unnecessary change at Stockwell, which also happens to be a cross-platform interchange) and the fast train from Euston to Glasgow.
Author ThomasPosted on October 9, 2021 Categories Environment, Photography, Public TransportTags #COP26, buses, Campaign for Better Transport, Environment, London to Glasgow race, London Underground, Photography, Public Transport, Train > Plane, Train vs Plane3 Comments on Train v Plane
Long Weekend 8: Berwick Upon Tweed and Home
Wrapping up my account of my long weekend away doing family things, plus a couple of important links.
This post wraps up my somewhat syncopated series about a long weekend away doing family things (14-17 August inclusive), by covering the events of the Tuesday. Before I get into the main body of the post I have a couple of links to share: there is a just giving page up in connection with NAS West Norfolk being the Lynn News Charity of the Year 2021, which you can visit by clicking here. Also PhoebeMD has once again opened her blog up to those who wish to promote their own blogs – please do so.
BERWICK UPON TWEED
There is plenty of interest to see in this border town (it has changed hands between England and Scotland many a time in its history). My time in the town was limited by the fact that I had a train home to catch in order to back in time for an evening commitment in King's Lynn, something I just managed, although an inopportune delay which had a knock on effect on the rest of the journey made it very tight indeed.
The train route from Berwick to York is very scenic, but once past York it becomes quite ordinary. Overall the journey was not too bad, though I was panicking for some of it due to time constraints. The departure from Berwick takes one over a remarkable bridge which features frequently in the photos that end this post, and Alnmouth, which also serves the adjoining town of Alnwick is remarkably attractive.
I have set the scene above but the main story of this post is told by the pictures that bring it to a conclusion.
A distant view of the railway bridge
The Station building
The Berwick Bear
A train crosses the bridge.
A large number of swans beyond the bridge.
Holy Island as seen from the train.
Overlapping bridges at Newcastle upon Tyne
Author ThomasPosted on September 18, 2021 Categories Autism, National Autistic Society, PhotographyTags Autism, Berwick Upon Tweed, Blogging, Just Giving, Long Weekend, NAS West Norfolk, National Autistic Society, Photography, Public Transport, RailwaysLeave a comment on Long Weekend 8: Berwick Upon Tweed and Home
Looking Ahead to Australia
Some ideas for the Ashes tour, a couple of links and some photographs.
This post is prompted by the recent behaviour of Engkand's test selectors, and my increasing certainty that big changes are needed.
INJURIES AND REJECTS
Various players are hors de combat with injuries or due to other issues. Archer and Stone both have long term injuries that will keep them out of the Ashes, Broad is also injured and may not be able to play the Ashes, Stokes and Buttler have to be treated as not available for the Ashes given that Stokes has already said he is taking time out and Buttler does not want to be away for months on end with his wife about to have their second child. Also I do not believe that any of Ali, Bairstow, Crawley or Malan should be considered for this most demanding of all tours. The last of these four may yet convince me, having just been drafted into the squad, but at the moment that decision just looks like the latest in a series of regressive, backward looking calls the selectors have made recently.
THE CAPTAINCY
I think that Root needs to be relieved of the captaincy, and would at this point give the job to Rory Burns as a temporary measure, hoping that Tom Abell (my choice for number three and Somerset's current captain) can establish himself at test level and then be given the captaincy.
THE BATTING
This of course is the biggest area of concern for England at present. With Sibley out of form and confidence I see little alternative to Burns and Hameed as openers, Abell would be my choice at three, and Root at four. Number five for me is between Lawrence and Pope, with my preference for the first named. I would give the gloves to Foakes with Buttler not available, with Bracey in the squad as reserve keeper. Foakes would bat six, putting an extra batter between him and the tail. At number seven I would want Chris Woakes in the all rounders role in most conditions. Bracey is cover not only for the keepers gloves but also the number three slot. On my radar as reserve batters are Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Jordan Cox, Matt Critchley and, as a gamble on a youngster who seems to have the right temperament, Lewis Goldsworthy. Critchley might be selected at seven in place of Woakes if a second spin option looks like being useful (he bowls a bit of leg spin).
THE BOWLING
Of the bowlers I am prepared to consider available (Wood is injured and there is no way of knowing how long he is out for, so although I am not absolutely ruling him out as I have some others I am for the moment placing him on the sidelines) my first choices are: Overton, Robinson, Leach and Anderson (I want at least one genuine spinner and Leach is first choice in that department). I hope Mark Wood will be recovered in time to make the trip. Other seam back up could be provided by Saqib Mahmood, George Garton or Sam Curran (he has looked fairly unthreatening with the ball of late which is why I have him well down the pecking order). The spin situation, partly dictated by the fact that English off spinners have only rarely done well in Australia, is less happy looking. Although it would be unlikely that he and Leach would be picked in the same XI the next nearest thing England have to a spinner in Leach's class is Matt Parkinson, the Lancashire leg spinner who currently has 86 FC wickets at 23.69, though his wickets per game rate is on the low side at just a tick over three. Direct back up for Leach is not really available unless one gambles on four first class appearances telling a true story and name Dan Moriarty in the party. However, Liam Patterson-White has a respectable record, and can bat, which would give England two ways of selecting two spinners of differing methods without both being bunnies with the bat – Either Critchley at seven and Leach at 10, or a 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 of Woakes, Patterson-White, Robinson, Anderson, Parkinson.
Until and unless they get tried there is no way of knowing whether the above ideas will work, but the selectors continuing with their current approach has one likely result in terms of The Ashes: 5-0 to Australia.
LINKS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
TFL have recently produced a piece titled 'Sightseeing on the Northern Line', an effort which missed more than it found and prompted me to produce my own version.
Now it is time for my usual sign off…
Author ThomasPosted on August 24, 2021 Categories Cricket, Photography, Public TransportTags cricket, England, Jack Leach, LIam Patterson-White, Matt Critchley, Matt Parkinson, Photorgaphy, Public Transport, Test Cricket, The Ashes12 Comments on Looking Ahead to Australia
A Long Weekend 1: Setting the Scene, Kegworth and St Hardulph's cave
The first in what will be a series of posts about my long weekend away doing family related things – setting the scene and telling the story of the first day..
I have been away for a few days, mostly without internet connection, doing various family related things. This post is the first of several I shall be doing about the events of those few days (Saturday 14 to Tuesday 17 August inclusive). Before getting into the meat of today's post I will set out the most noteworthy events of the days in question so that you can orient yourselves.
THE ITINERARY IN BRIEF
I had a fixed return date of the Tuesday as I had an NAS West Norfolk related commitment that evening (I could only have stayed one further night anyway, as I have recently returned to work on a one day per week basis, that day being Thursday). The events between Saturday morning and Tuesday evening were as follows:
Saturday morning: travel from King's Lynn to Kegworth in the east midlands for a barbecue at a cousin's house.
Saturday afternoon: barbecue, followed by a visit to the cave of St Hardulph and a church that claims a connection to that story.
Saturday evening/night: Holiday Inn, South Normanton, with a supper at the Brewers Fayre.
Sunday morning/ early afternoon: South Wingfield for a thanksgiving service in honour of Ivy Helen Joy Handforth, daughter of a cousin of mine.
Sunday afternoon/early evening: travel from South Wingfield to Akeld Manor near Wooler, Northumberland.
Monday: Holy Island (Lindisfarne) and Bamburgh (Bebbanburg in Bernard Cornwell's Uhtred series).
Tuesday morning: Brief exploration of Berwick Upon Tweed before catching a train from that town.
Tuesday late morning/ afternoon/ early evening: train journey in four parts: Berwick – York, York – Peterborugh, Peterborough – Ely, Ely – King's Lynn.
Tuesday late evening: Steak Night at The Globe on King Street, King's Lynn
I cover the important bits of Saturday in this post. Sunday may take two posts, Monday definitely will, likewise Tuesday.
KEGWORTH
My sister picked me up for the journey to Kegworth. We were a little late setting out, but arrived there at 1:00PM. Before the barbecue we took Covid-19 tests in preparation for the following day. The barbecue itself was excellent, and there were various relations present who I had met either rarely or in one case never before. We were among the last guests to leave, at which point we headed for…
ST HARDULPH'S CAVE
St Hardulph is generally reckoned to have previously been King Eardwulf of Northumbria. He spent his last years living reclusively in a cave in what is now Derbyshire (it is not far from Repton, which numbers CB Fry and Roald Dahl among its alumni).
There is one clearly sculpted column in the cave that looks very ecclesiastic – it may have originally been formed in the usual manner of cave columns by the meeting of stalactite and stalagmite but that is definitely not the whole story.
The nearby church is also quite impressive. I opted out of taking a look at Repton Prep School, being by that point very tired.
The journey on to to Holiday Inn South Normanton where we were spending Saturday night was reasonably smooth (one minor confusion involving a wrong exit from a roundabout, but that did not cost us much time). The rooms at the Holiday Inn were fine, and the supper at the Brewers Fayre was of acceptable quality.
I took a number of shots of the fishpond at Kegworth.
Lavender at Kegworth, alive with bees, as it should be.
The Church, near where we began our expedition to the caves.
The column mentioned in the text (apologies on behalf of the mindless thugs responsible for it for the graffiti that mars the cave).
'Poor Man's Orchid'…
…very popular with pollinators.
My father's choice of drink with supper (two pictures)
My choice of drink with supper (three pics to show all the detail on the glass).
Author ThomasPosted on August 18, 2021 Categories Autism, Photography, Public TransportTags Autism, Caves, Church, Family, Kegworth, Photography, Public Transport, Repton, St Hardulph/ King Eardwulf, Travel5 Comments on A Long Weekend 1: Setting the Scene, Kegworth and St Hardulph's cave
Scotland 2021: Homeward Bound
The account of my homeward journey from my Scottish holiday.
This post concludes my coverage of my recent Scottish holiday (28th May to 5th June) by looking at the journey home.
A TRICKY START
I woke early on the morning of Saturday June 5th, and it was just as well that I did so. A check of my emails revealed on overnight message from thetrainline.com telling that the service I was due to be leaving Wick on at 8:02AM had been cancelled. Fortunately I was able to locate a bus service leaving Wick at 6:57 and arriving into Inverness at 9:58 giving me plenty of time to get back on track from there. Thus rather than £100s and almost certainly an overnight stay somewhere on the way home I was able to get round the problem for £22 and some seriously shredded nerves. It also meant missing breakfast which I had intended to be the main meal of the day for me as I expected opportunities to eat while travelling to be limited. I currently have a compensation claim with Scotrail awaiting resolution. They initially insisted that I destroy the ticket even though it was only ever valid for travel on June 5th and then claimed not to have received my image of the destroyed ticket – I uploaded it again today and tweeted their social media team as well.
WICK TO INVERNESS
The bus was ready precisely when it was supposed to be, and the journey to Inverness was accomplished with little difficulty. Getting from the bus station to the train station was slightly tricky – I had seen a sign pointing to the train station on the way in and aimed for that but it was only signing the station car park, which is actually a few minutes walk from the station itself. Once I had got into the station I discovered that there was a train to Edinburgh departing at 10:46, getting me comfortably back on track – indeed slightly ahead of schedule.
INVERNESS TO EDINBURGH
The train from Inverness to Edinburgh ran exactly according to schedule. The route is a scenic one. I had three hours at Edinburgh Waverley before my next train (on which I had a reserved seat) to Grantham was due to depart. This gave me an opportunity to consume some refreshments (and as it turned out was the last such I would have, not greatly to my surprise).
EDINBURGH TO HOME
The train to Grantham (terminating there – there were various problems afflicting the network) ran smoothly. At Grantham I had to board a replacement bus service from there to Peterborough, which arrived just a few minutes before the train for Ely was departing. At Ely I had one final change to the train to King's Lynn, which fortunately went without incident. At 11:25PM this last train arrived at King's Lynn. Then it just remained for me to walk home. Though there were a few nervy moments this last section of the journey from Edinburgh to my home in Norfolk went precisely as the itinerary had stated.
I have photographs covering Wick to Edinburgh…
Author ThomasPosted on June 23, 2021 Categories Photography, Public Transport, Scotland 2021Tags buses, Edinburgh, Inverness, King's Lynn, Photography, Public Transport, Scotland, Scotland 2021, Trains, Wick6 Comments on Scotland 2021: Homeward Bound
Scotland 2021: Getting There
An account of a journey to Scotland that almost went off the rails before it had really started.
Welcome to this first post in a series I shall be putting up about the holiday I am currently enjoying in Scotland with my parents. I am up here for a week which includes my birthday (the day itself is tomorrow, and it is my 46th). We are staying just outside John O'Groats. This post tells the story of my journey up here to set the scene.
The nearest the railway gets to to John O'Groats are the two northern outposts of Wick and Thurso, and these days the end of that line runs as follows: Georgemas Junction, Thurso, Georgemas Junction, Wick, so it made sense to arrange to travel to Thurso and from Wick. I booked from London to Thurso to incorporate an overnight journey, and then later from Wick to King's Lynn. Thus I had to travel from King's Lynn to London to connect with the overnight train from Euston. My plan was to get the 17:40 from King's Lynn and have almost two hours in which to progress along the Euston Road from King's Cross and on to the train (going onto the underground to travel one stop is in this case literally worse than useless – the interchanges between overground and underground at King's Cross and vice versa at Euston are both lengthy. Probably the least bad way to do it by public transport would be to use the Circle/Hammersmith & City/ Metropolitan to Euston Square and cross Euston Road at surface level. However it is a fairly short walk along the Euston Road and that method is undoubtedly best…
BEST LAID PLANS O' MICE AND MEN GANG AFT AGLEY
I boarded the 17:40 from Lynn to London without issue, but then the problems hit. First our departure was delayed because of power problems in the Finsbury Park area, then when we were finally cleared to depart our driver was instructed to run as a shuttle between Lynn and Cambridge, and those of us needing to get to London had to change to a Greater Anglia train. It was soon obvious from the stated timings of this service that staying on to Liverpool Street, from whence I would have to travel to Euston Square was a non-starter, so the only hope of avoiding a long delay, the cost of a night at the Holiday Inn on Euston Road and the cost a new single to Thurso the following day was to change at the last stop before Liverpool Street, Tottenham Hale, and get the Victoria line to Euston. Fortunately the problems between Lynn and London had used up my allocation of misfortune and I made it to my seat on the overnight train. Although this train was fractionally late into Inverness I still had over an hour and a half there before the final public transport leg of my journey to Thurso began. This, the sole purely Scottish leg of the journey, went absolutely smoothly and the train arrived in Thurso precisely when it was supposed to.
SOLUTION TO A TEASER
In my last post I included a teaser from brilliant.org and a little addition of my own:
Here is Chew-Seong Cheong's published solution to the main problem:
As for my little addition: Carl is quite clearly from Carl Friedrich Gauss, Leonhard is equally obviously a tribute to Leonhard Euler, Emmy is Emmy Noether, a great German mathematician of the early 20th century and Sophie is Sophie Germain, who has a class of prime numbers named after her. Sophie Germain primes are those primes where if you multiply them by two and add one you also get a prime number.
These photos comprise one taken en route to King's Lynn station, two taken on the Victoria line train between Tottenham Hale and Euston, a number taken between Stirling and Inverness on the overnight train, a number from the Inverness to Thurso train and a couple taken at the house where we are staying:
The King's Lynn picture
London Underground centred on the Victoria line.
The Victoria line
The Stirling to Inverness pics start here.
The Inverness planter – the next pic starts the Inverness-Thurso leg.


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Emma Stevens at The Boileroom
November 6, 2021 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Bringing a refreshing glimmer of hope and an abundance of heart and positivity,British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emma Stevens first picked up a guitar at the age of two and has since learnt cello, piano, banjo, ukulele and mandolin. Emma has achieved four consecutive play-listed singles on BBC Radio 2, extensive international radio play in the UK, Europe and Australia, an iTunes single of the week with her song "Riptide", sold out headline shows and supported The Feeling, Take That, Wet Wet Wet, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Train, Albert Lee and Simply Red to name a few! Emma's music has been used on many TV shows on BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4, and even featured on a TV show in China which was broadcast to 75 million people, receiving a whopping 500 million streams in China after! Since losing her Mum to cancer in 2012, Emma has dedicated her life to her music, writing messages of positivity, hope and love. Her music breathes life and honesty, and is re-establishing a lyrical connection with her audience, something seemingly so absent from an overcrowded marketplace.
For more information and to book please click here
Guildford Lions Firework Event
Spontaneous Potter (for adults!) at The Electric Theatre
The Boileroom
13 Stoke Fields
Guildford, GU1 4LS United Kingdom + Google Map


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Carl Robbins
Rank: Sergeant
Born: Not listed
Died: 10 January 1920
Hometown: Concord
Division/Assignment: 27th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Division
Theater: Siberia, Europe
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, French Médaille de Guerre
Burial/Memorial Location: San Francisco National Cemetery, San Francisco, California
Location In Memorial: Pillar , Panel
Sponsored by: Contact us to sponsor Carl Robbins
Carl Robbins, service number 324314, was killed in action in Siberia. Won the Distinguished Service Cross and the French Médaille de Guerre. He was part of the Siberian Intervention and was killed January 10, 1920 at Posolskaya, Siberia. He was with the American Expeditionary Forces. The 27th Infantry was called the Wolfhounds.
Carl Robins enlisted on June 2, 1914 and served with Company M, 27th Infantry Regiment, 33rd Infantry Division. He was honorably discharged July 19, 1919 and reenlisted July 15, 1919.
Citation: For extraordinary heroism in action with the enemy at Posolskaya, Siberia, January 10, 1920. When his platoon was attacked during the night by an armored train, Sergeant Robbins climbed up on the engine of the armored train in the face of pistol and machine gun fire and hurled a hand grenade into the cab, which rendered the engine incapable of further operation and in this gallant act himself losing his life. Residence at enlistment, Concord, Tenn. Posthumously awarded. Medal presented to mother Mrs. Alice Robbins.
Story of the Wolfhounds mentioned in a family tree
http://trees.ancestry.com/tree/17831374/person/562351874/storyx/9f4bf675-3aff-416a-a326-cb6a7cee9d77?src=search
The following night, Destroyer stopped at Posolskaya village, 60 miles nearer to the front. A detachment from M Co., Wolfhounds, was there commanded by Lt. Paul Kendall. The troops stared curiously at the fired up locomotive. The armored train looked like a landlocked battleship with cannon mounted on the front flat car and the locomotive behind this assault car. Then there were boxcars with Mongol troops and supplies. Luckily for the 38 Wolfhounds, Sgt. Carl Robbins had a Russian girl friend who warned the lanky Tennessean that Semenov's men had not stopped there for the scenery. We'll sleep outside tonight." Kendall said when Robbins passed the warning along.
Sometime, after midnight, the Destroyer discharged its hail of rifle and cannon fire blasting the American boxcars to splinters; however, the Wolfhounds swarmed out from under the cars like angry bees and, surrounding the Mongol train, started pouring on a rain of rifle fire and hand grenades. Realizing that little damage was being done to the Destroyer, Sgt. Robbins dashed to the locomotive, vaulted into the cab, and threw a grenade into the firebox, killing the engineer and himself. The Russians decided Posolskaya was too hot for them, and the train limped out of town; however, Sgt. Robbins grenade had done its work and a few miles from the village the engine collapsed in a burst of steam. The Mongols telegraphed Kendall for permission to surrender. This turned out to be the last fight for the American Expeditionary Force. Sgt. Carl Robbins was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, posthumously, and Lt. Kendall was also awarded the DSC. Lt. Kendall stayed in the Army to later command the 88 Div., in WW II.


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Hey You, You're Awesome! Pass it on!
Project Positive is a campaign promoting positivity online and off.
We all have the power to make someone's day brighter! One person at a time, we can play our part and connect our efforts to make a real difference.
Compliments Poster
Project Positive is the creation of Tip Varnakomala, who at 17 and living in Christchurch decided that there had to be a way to promote positivity and encourage people to recognise the part they play in life online.
Tip's website and his compliment generator were one of the national Web Rangers campaign winners in 2014 with Google being really impressed with Tips take on how we can all make a difference. His innovative and creative way of tackling the negativity and hate Tip was noticing online gathered national and international attention and followers.
He then presented his campaign to Google staff in Sydney and took part in global web rangers tele conferences to share ideas.
In 2015, Sticks 'n Stones were given the opportunity by Google to take the Web Rangers campaigns and build on them to be part of Safer Internet Day.
We had no hesitation in taking Tip's original idea and getting him on board to realise his vision of a #nationalcomplimentsday and a movement across the country that could turn the happy dial to full blast for a platform of giving and receiving compliments for no better reason than it feels great!
Our aim is a much more positive and safer internet for generations of internet users so that they can use the power of the internet to learn, play, meet, create, and make use of the amazing things the internet has to offer without having to worry about negativity.
Leading a team from across NZ, Tip worked alongside the League of Live Illustrators to create shareable graphics linked to fun (potentially cheesey) compliments designed to put a smile on people's faces and create a chain of positivity.
These were launched as part of Safer Internet Day 2016 online and through an activation in Aotea Square in Auckland in partnership with Facebook as well as sending large compliment postcards to MPs to spread positivity through the Beehive.
We also took over the bus screens in Auckland and Wellington to encourage commuters to be part of our campaign and 'Pass it On'
Our compliments were viewed, liked and shared thousands of times online and our campiagn generated a huge amount of positive attention.
Click HERE to access the graphics to share via Social Media or as posters.
MPs (including the fabulous Jacinda Ardern, Jan Logie and Amy Adams), Art and Matilda from the Bachelor and other amazing people from across the country got behind our campaign.
Click HERE to see some of the great photos shared across Social Media.
Additional resources were created to support schools to take part and thousands of Kiwis took part.
21 Days of Kindness
Our 21 Days of Kindness Challenge was shared furst through our Instagram page and then as resources that cluld be used at any time. By taking part in the challenge people could practice gratitude, appreciation and positivity. Why 21 days? Because research tells us that it takes 21 days to form a habit and for changes to become part of your daily routine.
Click HERE to access the resources.
Chain of Positivity
The chain of positivity is an easy and fun activity that involves people in making a link in a paper chain alongside others to create a chain that acts as a metaphor for how we are all connected. There are five easy steps explained on the PDF templates.
Using the templates, we encouraged schools, businesses and members of the public to create their own paper chain link with a compliment, affirmation or positive message to join with others. We had hundreds of links created from all parts of the country.
Click HERE to access the Chain of Positivity templates
Positively Famous
This simple activity asks students to match compliments made about famous people with who they think they were about.
As a follow up, some classrooms created their own version using classmates or famous Kiwis.
Click HERE for the activity and answer sheets
Positive Picture Books
An incredible way to share positivity and engage young peopole in thinking about kindness is through stories
Click HERE to see our list of awesome picture books to share and if you ahve others you think should be included, please get in touch with us.
Google NZ
Google NZ recognised the potential of Project Positive back in 2015 and supported us to develop it even further.
We are sincerely grateful for their generosity and their commitment to empowering young people to lead positive change.
It was with their funding support that we were able to take Tip's idea and create the resources that would support it to spread nationwide.
Massive thanks to Ross and the Google team for your amazing support.
Facebook supported us to engage MPs in taking part in our compliments campaign and spread positivity through parliament.
We reached almost 110,000 people online with over 720 people sharing our com pliments through their Social Media.
FB also partnered with us to run an incredible activation event in Auckland that spread positivity around the city and enagged members of the community in playing their part.
Tip Varnakomala | Project Founder, Past Board member, Graduate Mentor
Tip has been involved with Sticks 'n Stones as a founding Board member in 2016/17 and before that as an advocate and mentor.
We met Tip through Google's Web Rangers Campaign in 2015 and loved his energy, creativity, attitude and epic skills and knew we wanted to do more work with him.
He is a second-year Information Systems and Marketing student in Auckland and passionate online gamer.
Tip helps run the video game club at his university (which includes tournaments and events). He is really interested in Digital technologies and the potential they have to create real change.
Tip also believes it is up to all of us to make our time online more positive and that there are simple ways to do this.