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Home » Podcasts » The Goldilocks Approach to Buying Bank Technology [Podcast]
The Goldilocks Approach to Buying Bank Technology [Podcast]
August 29, 2016 Iris Maslow
When it comes to buying bank technology, some banks have a tendency to be overly cautious. Other banks may bite off far more than they can chew. And then there are banks who get it just right.
In this episode, Dallas Wells chats with Pam Hannett from Silverline and Bryan Lee from Salesforce about what the right balance is when purchasing new technology for the bank
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Dallas Wells: Hi and welcome to the Purposeful Banker, the podcast brought to you by PrecisionLender where we discuss the big topics on the minds of today's best bankers. Hi, I'm your host, Dallas Wells. Thank you for joining us. The title of today's podcast is The Goldilocks Approach to Buying Bank Technology.
It features two guests that we're incredibly excited about because it seems like anytime we talk to a bank that is in the middle of a big technology overhaul, these are the names that come up. Today, we have Pam Hannett, banking practice director at Silverline CRN and Bryan Lee, director of financial services at Salesforce. Pam and Bryan, welcome both of you the podcast.
Bryan Lee: Thanks, Dallas.
Pam Hannett: Thank you, Dallas.
Dallas Wells: Let's start with the easy question. Both of you just telling the listeners a little bit about yourselves and your company in case they might not have heard of you or be familiar with how you fit with banks. Pam, why don't you get us started?
Pam Hannett: Absolutely, I'm Pam Hannett. I am with Silverline. I'm the banking practice director there. We specialize in highly regulated industries, both financial services and healthcare. We're a platinum partner with Salesforce. We specialize in banking also, which kind of supports some other partners and we work as strategic advisor and really a trusted party to your bank to be able to make some really good decisions around using the platform and seeing the vision of the platform.
I also come with fourteen years of experience in community banking, leading change to make buying decisions with technology, and creating adoption strategies and really measuring the success of implementations with technology and banking.
Dallas Wells: Great and Bryan?
Bryan Lee: Thanks Dallas. I'm with Salesforce. We've been in business about seventeen years now. We're one of the pioneers of the whole cloud computing movement. In that time, we've been really pleased to work with banks and credit unions of all sizes around the world. Part of that work has contributed to our growth to be now one of the top four enterprise software companies in the world. We're very excited about that.
In my role, I work with a number of the banks in particular around the United States, again both large and small. We've got thousands of customers that occupy that space for us. I help with the solution strategy, what kind of solutions will go through the marketplace and the like.
Dallas Wells: We wanted to have both of you on to talk about something that's top of mind for just about every bank in the world and certainly just about every bank we talk to, which is basically, the tech buying process. Banks know they have big changes that need to be made and that there are big dollars at stake. Given your backgrounds, we wanted to get your thoughts on some of those struggles in trying to purchase tech and some of the banks, too, that just get it right, the ones that seem to have a good strategy figured out.
The title of this podcast actually came out of a conversation, Pam, that we had with you in which you talked about how some banks are too cautious in their tech purchasing and some are way too ambitious and others seem to get it just right. Pam, can you start us with some thoughts on that too timid side of things?
Pam Hannett: Banks have yearly a strategic planning that they do which results in multiple projects. Those projects span across different divisions. I've worked with some banks that have hundreds of projects that they have to prioritize each year. Probably, eighty percent of those require some sort of technology decision that's in there. Now, that is a challenge for them because prioritizing that many different projects with the amount of full-time equivalent people that they have is virtually impossible.
They're looking at down a very long road trying to make good priorities for their year. When they get to the point of actually agreeing on a project and doing the due diligence for that project, when they're sending out I'm going to do technology implementation, the first thing they always do is turn to core. The cautious banks look to the core that's looking for a bolt-on solution so that they actually can be provided with something that they feel good about, they know about. They're not venturing outside of the box. It gives them an alternative way of being able to justify because it's part of the core.
That said, though, they don't seek the time to step outside the box for the more innovation solution. Then they get sucked into using solutions like these bolt-ons that aren't necessarily what they need, but it's okay for now. I have a story about a bank that I worked with that they decided on a bolt-on going into it with their core provider. They submitted a hundred enhancement requests over the year and a half that they actually had it. There, actually, one was fixed. It was the increasing the character limit of the field. It took close to six months to get it fixed.
Dallas Wells: Oh, wow.
Pam Hannett: After a year and a half, they decided to go back out and make it a best decision because they didn't look at all of the alternatives that they had available to them at the time. They ended up abandoning the bolt-on and going with something more like Salesforce.
Dallas Wells: Bryan, I'm assuming coming from Salesforce that you run into this a lot probably where you're getting the second go at things. Pam, I think what we hear a lot is that same thing of start at the core. Really, some of the due diligence is already done. It feels like some of the homework you're halfway through with it. It feels like the path of least resistance. Then it ends up being painful. Bryan, is that something that you run into on a fairly regular basis?
Bryan Lee: Yeah, we do see that and certainly, a lot of our customers have strong core relationships. I think, as Pam said, you can be beholden to that sometimes. I think the challenge that I see with banks now is that the marketplace is changing a lot. The demand set, they need to respond to in order to be able to add the type of experience that customers really want to have can be lost in the priority, if you will. I think the, and with the regulatory changes that are coming, certainly understand the need to pay attention to how well those core systems make us compliant.
At the same time, you really need to pay attention to whether we're going to have customers to serve. You have to have, I think, a new approach to thinking about how to serve customers well. I think it's not just a question of cautiousness, but it's also a question of having the right goal in mind, having the right priority set.
Dallas Wells: Really allocating all the resources to, we always refer to it front and back of the bank and making sure that there is some balance there and that we don't just look internally in the banking industry and solve our own mess instead of how we better serve those end customers.
Bryan Lee: It's easy to be caught in that. We certainly hear a number of some customers that seventy to eighty percent of their budget is spent on maintaining something in the legacy transaction systems or putting. It's certainly been a huge increase in the budgets for regulatory and compliance. What's left for innovation? What's left for customer experience? I think that the question we think customers, our customers, ought to be asking.
Pam Hannett: Just to add, I think sometimes banks have a tendency to go with what's comfortable and less about what is new and can differentiate themselves from other competitors. I think that's where they really can have an opportunity to step up and change the customer experience by stepping out of the box and trying something different.
Dallas Wells: Definitely and it tends to be a little bit outside of the banker mindset. You've been in that chair and so have I of you think all day about the risks and how do we keep from losing dollars. To flip that a little bit when it comes to technology can be hard to do.
Pam Hannett: Absolutely.
Dallas Wells: Pam, at the other end of that Goldilocks spectrum, what about some banks that get a little too ambitious, what kind of things do you see there?
Pam Hannett: They get excited about the technology and making these decisions. These banks are embracing becoming the next innovative institution, but sometimes, they forget that these decisions affect the people in the organization. Technology decisions are really, cultural decisions. These are a big change for the demographic of people that they have in their organization. They have a tendency to forget that. You could get into these projects. You buy really awesome technology, but you don't have executive buy-in. You don't have buy-in from some of the employee populations. Your system of engagement becomes a system of disengagement because they're not seeing it.
Then when you look at it and the president of the bank comes to you and says, "Why did we guy this?" You really don't have a reason. You don't have an understanding of what should we have done and really taking that to a different state where you don't want to give your bank a heart transplant without anesthesia. It's not advisable. You really have to look at taking that and looking at the adoption strategy. How am I going to implement this in each of the different divisions of my bank? How am I going to measure success from it?
Dallas Wells: I think the way we try to phrase that is banks should really think about buying solutions, buy a solution to a problem rather than just the shiny gadget that gets everybody excited. It really has to solve something and provide some real value for it to be worth all that effort.
Pam Hannett: Right and when you look at this, these technology decisions are not small purchases. These are large-scale purchases. In some cases, like customer relationship management, like with Salesforce and Silverline basically, is a project that competes with your core. You really have to be in a mindset of change and understand what the complexities are around that, but understand that it will take you to the next level of that and create a better customer experience.
Dallas Wells: We mentioned the core system a couple times. Actually, it brings to mind a very interesting article that I saw a couple weeks ago now at Venture Beat. It was talking about the airline industry and specifically the problems that Delta had a couple weeks ago with all the flight cancellations because of their systems going down. The article talks about how the airline industry spent billions of dollars on new technology, things like rebuilding interfaces for websites and mobile apps and the actual systems that their gate agents use. All of those are, Pam to borrow your phrase, they're bolted onto this core reservation system that was built back in the '60s.
That probably hits a little too close to home for a lot of bankers. That's the same story that they feel like they're hearing all the time. They're spending big money bolting on internet banking and mobile systems, but all on that core. Should banks feel like they need to address some of those core systems and some of those legacy systems before doing add-ons? Is that first before the add-ons, or can they think about those customer-facing systems and feel like that is a good place to spend money even though there is some dated legacy stuff in the background?
Pam Hannett: I think if you look at that and you take it one step further, how many of those legacy systems could be retired by using something that has a platform like Salesforce? To be able to look at that and bring in everybody into a centralized system and engagement so that you have the core, but the core would essentially become the calculator for the organization.
Everything else around it would be centralized into one place so that they're a little more effective when it comes to working with their customers because the engagement is seamless and there is one spot to make everything happen, which I think bankers are not adjusted to that. How many touches that they have to do to open an account or how many clicks does it take for them to actually onboard a loan? Those are really long processes, if you go into a bank and actually sit down and talk with someone about it.
The manual process that they have in these organizations is endless. By looking an inventory system and getting a better understanding of what functionality and features do they actually have that they're using and what could they do by buying a technology that allows you to bring all of that together?
Dallas Wells: In some ways, I think maybe some of the criticism and the heartburn around those core vendors is a little misplaced because a lot of banks are asking those systems to do something that they weren't designed to do, which is a lot of the processes you were talking about. That's where we have to back up and say, "The core system has a function."
We look at it as the heart and the brain where the core system is the heart of the bank. It's circulating that key information, but that's all it really needs to do is circulate it to those other platform systems that can do and were designed to do those more complex workflow-type kind of processes.
Pam Hannett: Absolutely and I think that is where we get hung up as bankers is that we feel that the core runs our bank. It does, but it has a purpose versus being able to differentiate a workflow tool, provide customers with better context to the bank to online banking and those things. I think you're right. I think they really need to focus on something outside of the core because the core is meant to do one thing.
Dallas Wells: Bryan, now that we've covered some of the thirty-thousand-foot philosophical stuff, we wanted to look at some of the specific pitfalls that we see banks stumble into when they actually start rolling out some of these systems. We actually wrote about this on our blog not too long ago about how not to buy technology in a bank.
One of the first mistakes we talked about was that the IT department or procurement area makes the buying decision. Do you run across that a lot where you're talking to someone who is not the business line, not the actual end user? If so, how do you address that issue? How do you help that bank come to the right solution?
Bryan Lee: Yeah, no, it's a great question, Dallas. We do see it a lot I think as much they've gotten bigger banks is they've really recognized that they are technology companies in many ways. There needs to be a structure for how they design and implement the solutions that they want to provide around the areas that we've talked about. I think IT and procurement certainly play an important decision just bringing some order to some potential chaos should there not be any involvement on their part.
On the other hand, they can tilt towards the far end of that. If the decision doesn't lie at the end of the day with the business who is responsible for delivering either top-line revenue or cost efficiency, I think they could just be out of sync and perhaps set themselves up for a decision that won't reflect the value that the business expects.
I know we try to encourage there be a balance between that, certainly, to have a buying process that is structured, that is well vetted and compares the kind of value that a solution can provide. We think that that value needs to be measured against what the business really is trying to achieve and what they're willing to sign up for in terms of making sure that this isn't just a development project. I think as you were saying earlier, it's really a business project that's going to deliver some real benefit both to the firm as well as to customers.
Dallas Wells: Somewhat related to that is and sometimes, inside of those business lines even, you'll run into what we call turf defenders, the folks who feel threatened by the new technology and the change and actually will work to discourage the purchasing of something new. Is that something you guys run into as well?
Bryan Lee: I think it's been really interesting in the last several years like in where I think systems like CRM, for example, there was a movement for a while to build your own. We still, actually, run into a number of folks that built something for their bank in the past. I think they also realize that the demand to change that system and evolve it to handle new requirements like customers really wanting more of a mobile experience or something that's more personalized in terms of how it feels to engage with that bank. Those are not easy things to build.
You're seeing a recognition that, hey, there are people that do this for a living and maybe I need to take advantage of some of that type of thing. The other area I think that is pretty interesting is that cloud computing is not that new, but it's still new to a lot of people in banking. There is maybe a reluctance or just an uncertainty about is it secure? Is it safe? Is it worth the potential risk that we attribute to it? I think there are reasons why people defend the turf.
I think on the other end of the scale, what I've really noticed is that people who have success in some of these newer technologies in cloud platforms and the like, they find actually, great success in being able to deliver to the business on a rapid basis on an iterative basis. You don't take two to three years to deliver on what the project was supposed to do. When they have that success and can go to another firm and bring that experience with them, that's a real wakeup call for an organization to say, "Hey, there are other ways to achieve success and we ought to be open to looking at those, those approaches."
Pam Hannett: It's really important at least for the folks that I've been working with that a lot of the banks are product-driven organizations. A lot of those turf defenders are people that like the way things have been done. It works the way we want it to. Bringing in that technology is shifting them to a more relationship-driven organization, a more sales-outcomes-driven organization. Sales is a four-letter word in a lot of the banks that we work with. Making that shift again is that cultural change.
Dallas Wells: Absolutely, the painful process of going from looking inward to making it customer-focused, sales-focused, and it does feel to some banks, it seems like it almost goes against their core values of we're not as high-pressure sales-type of organization. We just sit back and wait for the customers to come to us.
I think, what they're starting to find is that you can sit there and stare at that phone an awful long time these days waiting for those customers to come to you, and so that you see that shift happening just across the industry of having to focus outward and use these solutions as tools to enable you to do that.
It's a painful process. One of the other buying issues that we talked about in our post and I was curious of your thoughts on is this buying and purchasing decision that comes from a committee instead of an individual. Of course, inside of a large organization, there is always multiple people that have to be involved in the decision process.
Really, it's about moving the decision from one step to the next where you've got a big group versus you have someone who is a champion, who is helping you move and navigate through that process. Bryan, in doing this with Salesforce, is this something that you struggle with? Do you prefer one way over the other?
Bryan Lee: No, I think it's like you said, Dallas. The reality is that you'll always have committees involved in making the decisions. It's important to do because I think if you're going to do the kind of cultural change that Pam was talking about, you need leaders business to champion that. You need champions at multiple levels within the organization to certainly feel good about what that decision is going to be and the type of change you're trying to make because again, it's a business change. It's not just a technology change.
On the other hand, helping that champion paint the vision that they can carry forward internally is also really important. On the one hand, you want to have success for the individual business lines, but when you're dealing with customers, you also need many parts of the bank to operate efficiently and effectively together. You could certainly have an individual who wants to drive a big piece of change in their particular piece of the business, but in order for the firm to have success with its customers, there has to be multiple business lines that are working together in synchronization.
Pam Hannett: To add to that, I think it's a misconception in banks that one person owns the customer, whether it be commercial lending, whether it be retail banking. Every single division of a bank has an opportunity to be a part of a customer's experience because back when I was in banking, that was exactly what would happen when you had turf wars between the divisions of who owns what customer. Take that into technology and understand that the customer experience is seamless across the entire of the organization and all of those people need to be involved.
Bryan Lee: Pam, I'd add to that as well. I think certainly, across divisions, but I think it's also important that you look at business and the IT groups. There is a strong partnership there as well. This doesn't happen in a vacuum for either of them. I was talking to a senior executive, a client of mine last week. We were talking about how rapidly they had been able to implement one of their major CRM initiatives.
They said one of the keys was that he had a strong partnership with the IT execs that were responsible for his part of the business. This isn't about the business just being able to do it without the support or the leadership of IT. I think if the execs leading those organizations are teamed up well together, it makes a huge difference in terms of the overall success of the project and the speed by which they can achieve that.
Dallas Wells: Bryan, I think what a lot of this comes back to, and all the little pieces we've been talking about, is banks just need to decide formally, write it down, how do we buy stuff? What's the process we go through? Who is responsible for which piece of it? Have a clear process that you follow because this is something that banks, it's not a once-a-year thing anymore. The business just moves too fast. The technology changes too fast where you have to be able to evaluate things in a continuous basis and make good decisions and good implementations around that.
Bryan Lee: I think that's really an important point, Dallas. I think that there the piece that I really think was great about what you said is that this isn't, I think this is less about big-bang kinds of projects anymore What the world is moving to is much faster moving. It's much more iterative. You have to be able to take on projects that are, I won't call them experiments, but they are aimed at a smaller goal and then use that experience to build up confidence, build up strength in terms of how rapidly you can move the organization through some of these projects.
I think that in itself is a change that we see that's happening a lot. Certainly, the kinds of technologies that we're built on, the whole cloud computing movement, certainly lending fuel to that fire that's going on right now. We're seeing that as a result, business executives are saying, "I don't have two to three years to solve a problem. I have to two to three months to solve a problem."
We need to be thinking as an organization about how we solve problems iteratively and what pilots that can be expanded into various parts of the organization. Through that, I think, they build up a real cadence of change that is much faster moving, much more agile. I think that's ultimately what our organizations are going to need in order to be able to succeed.
Dallas Wells: Pam and Bryan, thank you both so much for taking the time to do this with us.
Bryan Lee: Thanks, Dallas. This was great.
Pam Hannett: Absolutely, thank you.
Dallas Wells: Great and thanks to everyone else for taking the time to listen. If you like what you've been hearing, make sure to subscribe to the feed in iTunes, SoundCloud or Stitcher. We'd of course, love to get ratings and feedback on any of those platforms. You can find more episodes as well as show notes at PrecisionLender.com/podcast. Thanks for listening. Until next time, I'm Dallas Wells. You've been listening to the Purposeful Banker.
The post Podcast: The Goldilocks Approach to Buying Bank Technology appeared first on PrecisionLender.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Sinead Mcgrath
David Drumm pleads not guilty as Anglo Irish Bank trial starts
Colm Keena
The former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, David Drumm, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting in a tria(...)
Minister again refuses to revoke deportation order against Algerian man
October 2, 2017, 19:56
The Minister for Justice has again refused to revoke a deportation order against an Algerian man with alleged links to Islamic terrorism, the High Cou(...)
Inside the headquarters of Boko Haram's former caliphate
On the edges of the Sambisa Forest, a vast, colonial-era game reserve believed to be hiding a combination of of Islamist militants, the region's disap(...)
Man allegedly linked to Islamic terror seeks Supreme Court hearing
The High Court has cleared the way for the State to deport a man with alleged links to Islamic terrorism. The State's case was that the man had been(...)
Willie McAteer drops appeal against conviction for €7bn Anglo scheme
Willie McAteer, the former finance director of Anglo Irish Bank, has abandoned an appeal against his conviction and sentence for a €7 billion scheme t(...)
Judge refuses to relax David Drumm's bail conditions
September 7, 2016, 13:04
David Drumm has lost a bid to relax his bail conditions, with a judge ruling it is "not unreasonable" that he should sign on at a Garda station every (...)
Jury sent home in Anglo trial, deliberations begin again on Thursday
The jury in the trial of four former bankers accused of conspiracy to defraud in 2008 have been sent home after deliberating for just over three hour(...)
Jury in Anglo case resume deliberations
The jury in the trial of four former bankers accused of conspiracy to defraud in 2008 has resumed its deliberations. Four former executives from Anglo(...)
ILP broke limits in allegedly circular Anglo transfers, trial hears
Irish Life & Permanent (ILP) broke its own internal limits when it took part in allegedly circular billion-euro transactions with Anglo Irish Bank(...)
Lawyer who helped jail Graham Dwyer paid over €100,000
The lawyer who helped put murderer Graham Dwyer behind bars for life for the murder of Elaine O'Hara received over €100,000 for his work on the case.F(...)


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Returning GAME OF THRONES Character Might Be A Huge Spoiler
Posted by Michael Walsh on April 17, 2016
We can't stress this enough, but if you are desperately trying to avoid spoilers for season six of Game of Thrones do not read the rest of this story. We won't take it personally–we won't even take it impersonally–it's just that this news might not seem that huge on its own, but what it might presage really is. So if you go ranging beyond The Wall of this warning you have no one to blame but yourself.
The great Game of Thrones fan website Watchers on the Wall is reporting that Paul Kaye–better known to you and I as the wine-loving, flaming-sword-wielding red priest Thoros of Myr–is returning for season six, after not having been around since season three. The member of the Brotherhood Without Banners was last seen bringing his friend Ser Beric Dondarrion back to life and losing Arya Stark.
(Wait! I know you're excited and having the same reaction we had, but before we get to that this report gets even better.)
Apparently Kaye's agency touted their clients return for season six on their website, which Watchers on the Wall says confirms reports they had heard about Kaye being spotted filming some scenes for the upcoming season.
Including a report that he had filmed a scene that involved…"hold on to your butts"…a hanging.
Yup! Yuuuuuup. If this doesn't indicate (finally) the appearance of a certain Lady Stoneheart, nothing ever will. If there is any other purpose to bring back the rogue, guerrilla group that doesn't involve Stoneheart we don't know what it could be. To also have Thoros come back and help hang someone, without it involving the (no longer) late Catelyn Stark would almost be intentionally antagonistic to book readers.
Now if you aren't a book reader and don't understand why this is such a huge deal, we've been discussing Lady Stoneheart's potential appearance in season six (after being sure she'd appear the last two years…oops) for awhile now, so take a second to check out our coverage for a little more context, including why other returning characters might also be indicators of her return.
Is Game of Thrones Setting Up a Family Reunion in Season 6?
Another Game of Thrones Character is Returning in Season 6
A Game of Thrones Character Return Hints at Possible Season 6 Battle
There was also an interview given recently by one of the folks responsible for prosthetics on the show, Barrie Gower, who said that a storyline that had been cut from seasons four and five was hopefully going to actually come in to play this season. That's not a bad piece of circumstantial evidence. There were some that thought Lady Stoneheart would appear in the first episode after the Red Wedding way back in season three, and there were those (like me) that were convinced she'd appear in the final scene of season four, and then everyone who just knew it would happen last year. Having a character that needs to look as though she had been dead for a few days under water, a woman that had had her throat slit, might require some good prosthetic work…
As you can see, we obviously thought/hoped this would happen, and the evidence has been slowly mounting that this will really (really really) be the year it happens.
We're a week away from the season six premiere, and every time we think we've hit peak excitement we get even more amped up.
What do you think of this news? Is the silent, vengeful lady finally showing up. Tell us what you think in the comments below.
And take a look at what could be Game of Thrones' biggest battle yet on this Nerdist News!
Images: HBO
Game of Thrones, lady stoneheart
The Final GAME OF THRONES Seasons May Be Shortened
New GAME OF THRONES Opening Credits Bring Westeros to Life
History of Thrones: War of the Ninepenny Kings and How Enemies Become Allies


(Chicago, Illinois) – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW)<http://www.ufcw.org/> affiliated with the AFL-CIO in a bold move toward a stronger, more unified labor movement. UFCW President Joe Hansen, supported by a vote of the UFCW Executive Board, decided to add the 1.3 million private sector members to the AFL-CIO federation in order to build a stronger, more unified voice for the rights of workers.
"We join the AFL-CIO because it is the right thing to do for UFCW members, giving them more power and influence. This is not about which building in Washington D.C. we call home — it is about fostering more opportunities for workers to have a true voice on the job. It is about joining forces to build a more united labor movement that can fight back against the corporate and political onslaught facing our members each and every day.
"Our affiliation with the Change to Win Federation (CTW) has been a rewarding one. The CTW's Strategic Organizing Center (SOC) is leading some of the best campaigns to give workers rights and dignity. While no longer an affiliate of CTW, we continue our strong relationships with the Teamsters, SEIU and the Farmworkers. We will remain active in the SOC and bring our AFL-CIO partners into collaboration with private-sector unions in an effort to build more power for workers.
"The need for unity became paramount after the 2010 elections. The attacks on workers brought the UFCW into direct strategic partnership with the AFL-CIO and the entire labor movement. Our shared campaign revealed a dynamic and revitalized AFL-CIO and made it clear that it was time for the UFCW to redouble our efforts to build a more robust and unified labor movement.
Today's announcement comes as the UFCW Executive Board meets in preparation for its 7th Regular Convention<http://www.ufcwconvention.org/> which calls to order Monday, August 12 in Chicago, Illinois.
UFCW delegates representing local unions in the U.S. and Canada will chart a course for the next five years and beyond that aims to raise standards and build power for workers in the grocery, retail and food manufacturing industries. Inspired by the theme, "Blue. Gold. Bold. Powerful Together," UFCW delegates will deliberate on taking steps to strengthen the UFCW's strong base of member activists who are the backbone of creative organizing campaigns, engaged bargaining programs and political activism.
This is an excellent marriage. Now there is a venue to drive a strong organizing effort to offer union protection to millions of Wall-Mart workers. Always Low Wages, and charge the taxpayers in all of the states to pay for the health care costs of the most profitable monopoly in the world. Wall-Mart has influenced more American companies ( JOBS ) to move off shore than any other influence in the world. More imports fill the shelves and do not give Americans a choice to buy American. Our money goes overseas and does not support our country. The GOP , and their President Ronald Reagan is to blame for the economic destruction. The Sherman Anti-Trust laws protected the businesses and workers. It broke up monopolies giving small companies protection, and said labor would not be used as a commodity. The American Plan , started with this country, put a tariff on imports to cost more than a comparable American made good. American jobs were protected. Workers and business flourished. We had tax dollars to run a country. People were happy. Now the Posse Comatatus laws are being changed. Only the US Marshalls would control the civilian populations through civil courts. The military would control foreign threats. Now drones fly over civilians , and protest is being outlawed. A strong Union Movement protects the workers from foreign and domestic threats. Without a voice and a vote, we are nothing.


Real gold powder which has antioxidant effect leaves your skin looking young and shining.
Adenosine helps improve your skin, in addition, Collagen components provide nutrients, leaving your skin fresher and healthier.
How to Use: Apply toner after washing your face. Mix the two pouches for about 1 minute or until it is no longer lumpy. Apply the mixture evenly with the spatula- avoiding the eye and lip area. Peel off the mask softly after 25-30 minutes. Pat your face with finger tips to absorb the remaining essence.
Ingredients: Step 1: Aqua, Glycerin, Glucose, Potassium Chloride, PEG-75, Niacinamide, Algin, Butylene Glycol, Cellulose Gum, Titanium Dioxide, Chlorphenesin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Mica, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Charcoal Powder, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract. Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Ferric Ferrocyanide, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tin Oxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Propolis Wax, Sodium Hyaluronate, Asiaticoside, Beta-Glucan, Sapphire Powder(3ppm) Ethylhexylglycerin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1.
Step 2: Glucose, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Calcium Sulfate, Aqua, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caprylyl Glycol, Propolis Wax, Asiaticoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin.


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Ohio House Passes Ban On Execution Of Inmates With Severe Mental Illness
Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, Ohio.
The Ohio House has overwhelmingly passed a bill banning execution of people found to have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or other severe mental illnesses at the time of their crime.
The bill, HB 136, still has to go through the Senate, but it's a win for a group that's been pushing for this for years.
The legislation says people with severe mental illnesses should be sentenced to life in prison, not death. And it also allows the 137 men and one woman on death row now to receive evaluations to determine if they should be exempt.
Terry Russell, with the National Alliance on Mental Illness Ohio, said not only is this the right thing to do, only a few people will be affected by this bill.
"A very, very small group of people with these illnesses are violent at all – matter of fact, they're usually victims of crime more than they commit crimes," Russell said.
Ohio law also exempts people classified as juveniles and developmentally disabled people from the death penalty.
Executions are on hold while the state comes up with a new lethal injection formula.
lethal injection
ohio house
Ohio Bill Would Bar Death Penalty For Defendants With 'Serious Mental Illness'
By Associated Press • May 20, 2019
Kiichiro Sato / Associated Press
A bill now in Ohio's Legislature would prevent people convicted of aggravated murder from being sentenced to the death penalty, if they are found to have had a "serious mental illness" at the time of the offense.
Ohio's New Lethal Injection Protocol Could Be Ready Soon
The Ohio Supreme Court has added a new inmate to the execution schedule even though Gov. Mike DeWine has delayed four executions until a new way to carry them out is developed.
Supreme Court's Conservatives Defend Their Handling Of Death Penalty Cases
By Nina Totenberg • May 14, 2019
The bitter battle over the death penalty continued Monday at the U.S. Supreme Court with the highly unusual release of explanatory statements from the court's conservatives as to why they reached such apparently contradictory decisions in two death cases in February and March.
Supreme Court Closely Divides On 'Cruel And Unusual' Death Penalty Case
By Domenico Montanaro • Apr 1, 2019
Updated 12:59 p.m. ET
A closely divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that a death row inmate with a rare medical condition is not entitled to an alternative method of execution just because the one the state uses could cause him several minutes of great pain and suffering.


This beautiful creation encapsulates the essence of Cinderella in the exhibit. The parents were eager to welcome their baby princess and we were thrilled to convey their emotions. Thus the Pumpkin chariot was used to depict the arrival of baby girl and the angel bowl signifies the pure soul. Traditional Indian Rasgullas were used to celebrate the sweetness bringing the best on both worlds in one creation.


Taylor's University and HELP University students going head-to-head in a highly-charged and stimulating HEP IPTS Debate 2016 Grand Finals held at International Medical University (IMU).
Kuala Lumpur, 12 May 2016 – The HEP-IPTS Debate 2016, organised by International Medical University (IMU) in collaboration with the Majlis HEP-IPTS, came to a conclusion last weekend following an intensive three-day battle of wits between 30 debate teams from local private universities across Malaysia.
Supported by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE), the tournament saw Taylor's University and HELP University going head-to-head in a highly-charged and stimulating Grand Finals, in which the former ultimately emerged champion, supporting the motion "Communities should have Exclusive Ownership over their Own Cultures".
Behrad Taadoli from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) receiving the winning trophy for Best Overall Speaker from Dr Mei Ling Young, IMU Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International & Engagement.
The Asian parliamentary-style debate tournament was formulated to provide an avenue for discussion as well as to create awareness among Malaysian graduates regarding various socioeconomic issues in the region. It also served as a platform to enhance ties between the participating private universities.
"Debates are a great way for students to gain greater understanding, awareness and explore in-depth a broad spectrum of current issues. It encourages greater discussion, examination and critical thinking among our students and graduates – qualities that will groom them into effective future thinkers and leaders of our society," said Y.Bhg. Datuk Professor Dr. Roziah binti Omar, Deputy Director General (IPTS), MOHE, who was present at the Awards Presentation Ceremony.
"From what I have heard and seen, this tournament has already produced some bright young sparks in the debating arena, and my hope is that the tournament will serve as a springboard for our young debaters to make their mark internationally," added Datuk Professor Dr. Roziah.
Organised by the IMU Debate Club since the last HEP-IPTS debate in year 2012, the tournament exposed students from Malaysian private universities to various debating skills and expertise, with the aim of raising the standard and quality of debating in the country, ultimately developing Malaysia into a prestigious debating hub.
"Recognising the importance of extra-curricular activities (ECA) in providing a platform to further develop soft-skills, creativity and sportsmanship, IMU's Student Services Hub plays a vital role in encouraging and supporting our students' achievements in non-academic areas. One such activity is the HEP-IPTS Debate that we have witnessed today," said Professor Abdul Aziz Baba, Vice Chancellor of IMU, in his welcome speech.
"As future health professionals, it's important for our students to develop communication skills, advocate patient care and see other perspectives not only regarding healthcare delivery but also other socio-economic issues that affect our communities. For this, IMU will continue to support the initiatives of our debate club," he added.
The winning team was awarded with a cash prize of RM6000, a challenge trophy, individual trophies for its members, and book vouchers worth RM600. Meanwhile, the runners-up took home a cash prize of RM4500, individual trophies and book vouchers worth RM600.
Sameer Singh Dhillon from Taylor's University was the Grand Finals' Best Speaker who walked away with RM500 in cash, a trophy and book vouchers worth RM300. The 10 best speakers throughout the tournament were also awarded with trophies and RM150 worth of book vouchers each in which Behrad Taadoli from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU) emerged as the Overall Best Speaker.


During the upcoming trading week, the Canadian and United States economy take center stage as the Bank of Canada decide on where to set interest rates, and the US economy releases the Non-farm Payrolls Jobs Report. The BOC is expected to keep rates on hold, although rising Oil prices may support a more hawkish view from Canadian policymakers. The US economy is forecasted to have created 185,000 new jobs during May, with traders and investors likely to watch the Wage Earnings component of the US Jobs Report closely for any inflationary pressures building.
We also see the release of key inflation data from the German and US economy, with the US PCE number closely watched as it remains the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of US Inflation. GDP is also in focus, as the United States and Canadian economy release key first fiscal quarter Gross Domestic Product data.
The Japanese Unemployment Rate is forecasted to hold steady at 2.5 percent, during the month of April. The monthly Unemployment Rate is a measure of the percentage of unemployed workers inside the Japanese economy. A higher percentage indicates weakness in the Japanese labor market, and tends to influence the strength and direction of the Japanese economy.
The USDJPY pair is bearish while trading below the 110.00 level, further losses towards 108.60 and 108.10 remains possible.
If the USDJPY pair moves above the 110.00 level, buyers may test towards the 110.30 and 111.00 levels.
The Nationwide Housing Price shows the value of house prices across the United Kingdom, and indicates current movements inside the UK housing sector, which is considered a vital part of the economy. This month's House Price Value is particularly important, as last month housing prices in the UK showed a marked decline on a month-on-month basis.
The GBPUSD pair is strongly bearish while trading below the 1.3400 level, further losses towards the 1.3260 and 1.3200 levels may occur.
If the GBPUSD pair trades above the 1.3400 level, buyers may test towards the 1.3500 and 1.3606 levels.
The BOC Interest Rate Decision is announced by the Bank of Canada, with most economists expecting that Canadian policy makers will keep rates on hold at 1.25 percent this month. If the BOC strikes a hawkish tone about the inflationary outlook of the economy, it is generally taken as positive for the Canadian dollar. If the BOC has a dovish view on the Canadian economy, it is seen as negative for the Canadian dollar.
The USDCAD pair is bullish while trading above the 1.2900 level, further upside towards 1.3020 and 1.3123 seems likely.
If the USDCAD pair declines below the 1.2900 level, sellers are likely to test the 1.2840 and 1.2760 support regions.
The EURUSD pair is bearish while trading below the 1.1700 level, further downside towards 1.1610 and 1.1540 levels seems possible.
If the EURUSD pair moves above the 1.1700 level, buyers may test towards the 1.1750 and 1.1830 levels.
The US Non-farm payrolls Job report is the most carefully observed indicator in the United States overall employment situation. It is considered the most inclusive calculation of job creation in the US, and this characteristic causes the NFP figure to become highly significant, due to the great importance of labor in the United States economy. Most economists agree that the American economy will have created 185,000 new jobs during May.
The USDCHF pair is bullish while trading above the 0.9900 level, further upside towards 0.9979 and 1.0039 remains possible.
If the USDCHF pair declines below the 0.9900 level, sellers are likely to test the 0.9850 and 0.9740 support regions.


text:
Q: Options for SATA ports on motherboard for Files server I am planning to build a big file server. (Windows or FreeNAS).
I need at lease 300T of space. what options do I have to RAID all disks together?
I mean on physical level what kind of connection topology can I use? what kind of devices support such huge amount of disks? It is not something that you only need 8 or 10 SATA ports on motherboard then you can just do a RAID, it must be some kind of special devices, right?
I am still doing research on this, anyone has any suggestion?

A: For that much storage, you're going to need a storage solution, not a single server. Something like an Isilon installation, or a clustered/scale-out file solution on either Windows or Linux.
Given that you're not even sure how to do RAID for this, I'd recommend that you hire a pro, if this storage is going to be used for something professional. It will be cheaper to do it right the first time.

A: I recommend you try to build something like http://blog.backblaze.com/2013/02/20/180tb-of-good-vibrations-storage-pod-3-0/
The above link has some nice examples of how to hook up (topology) many drives to one machine, as well as the full design, parts list, and even CAD info for having a chassis built.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home 56 Leonard Street
56 Leonard's Sculptural Bean by Anish Kapoor Begins Installation in Tribeca
Lobby View of the sculpture to come, rendering by Anish Kapoor
By: Michael Young 8:00 am on November 18, 2019
Work on 56 Leonard Street's amorphous mirrored "bean" sculpture has begun. The artwork sits at the base of Tribeca's tallest residential skyscraper designed by Herzog & de Meuron and Hill West Architects, and is the work of Anish Kapoor, the creator behind Chicago's chrome steel-plated Cloud Gate and the ArcelorMittal Orbit from the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Construction workers are beginning to place the first portions of the bean into position with multiple sections arriving on site.
Photos below show the activity at the site late last week.
The pieces of the bean delivered on site. Photo by Michael Young
The crane for the bean installation. Photo by Michael Young
Pieces arriving on site. Photo by Michael Young
The interior structural frame built up. Photo by Michael Young
Each orange peel-shaped piece is arriving tightly wrapped in a protective black plastic and being lifted with a telescopic crane onto the sidewalk. Meanwhile, a structural frame has been built underneath one of the cantilevering floor plates by the main lobby with a lightweight steel truss system that will form the interior support for the bean.
The bean will be wedged in between the sidewalk and the underside of the second story. It will be interesting to see how each piece will come together and form the appearance of a continuous surface. Placing the sculpture right on the sidewalk will make it especially conspicuous and hard to miss.
56 Leonard Street makes a prominent impression on the Lower Manhattan skyline thanks to its staggered and offset pattern of the cantilevered balconies. This visual effect is best seen looking north and south, while the east and west elevations make the glass and concrete edifice appear more straight and uniform.
56 Leonard Street looking north. Photo by Michael Young
56 Leonard Street looking west. Photo by Michael Young
No announcement has been made on when the installation process will be finished.
56 Leonard Street Architecture Construction Update Herzog and de Meuron Hill West Architects New York Residential
4 Comments on "56 Leonard's Sculptural Bean by Anish Kapoor Begins Installation in Tribeca"
Rip Kay | November 18, 2019 at 9:21 am | Reply
Liking art can be subjected. This bulky suppository does not earn my admiration. Simply, this amorphous blob pollutes the base of an elegant building. What a waste of time, material and money. A missed opportunity.
stan chaz | November 18, 2019 at 3:45 pm | Reply
Lordy, lordy.
A sculptural bean?
More like a Pet Rock on steroids
…and just as "artistic".
What, no rice?
meesalikeu | December 9, 2019 at 6:32 am | Reply
i spoke to the mtec installation crew on nov 13. they said no worries (brits), the issues with the bean seams have been fixed and it will look great. they had no eta on when it will be done though because its complicated. they install kapoor's work exclusively these days and other large art work, which they showed me pics of. ie., their previous gig was installing massive sculptures on larry ellison's maui estate.
One Essex Crossing Launches Sales On The Lower East Side of Manhattan
Renovation Work Underway at 27 Park Place in Tribeca, Manhattan
LPC Reviews Howard Hughes' Proposals for 250 Water Street in the Financial District, Manhattan
Santiago Calatrava's St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Continues to Take Shape in the Financial District


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Projecting the future of WIM technology
By Kevin Yanik| April 10, 2020
What does the next frontier of scale technology look like in the United States? If you ask Intercomp's Chris Berg, he says it's a greater movement toward weigh-in-motion (WIM) systems.
"In this country, it is not legal to buy and sell using one of these systems," says Berg, market specialist at Intercomp, during an interview at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020 in Las Vegas. "However, a lot of the national organizations are working to push in that direction. Other parts of the world have successfully used WIM technology for 10 to 20 years as a means of buying and selling. It's just seen as a lot more efficient for businesses."
Until then, Berg continues to see interest and adoption of WIM systems among U.S. aggregate producers – and for a couple of key reasons.
"Those guys are really interested in being able to track their inventory," Berg says. "They also want to make sure that their vehicles are legal when they leave the yard."
Intercomp showcased its LS-WIM scale system at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020. Click to enlarge | Photo: P&Q Staff
Through Intercomp's LS-WIM system, for example, producers can capture a truck's individual axle weights to ensure the vehicle is road legal. The system provides a gross weight and a net weight per vehicle, allowing producers to utilize the system to track materials leaving their facilities.
"That's kind of the big draw to our system," Berg says.
WIM systems also offer safety and maintenance advantages, he adds.
"It's making sure you're not overloading the vehicle," Berg says. "Then, there's extra vehicle maintenance needed because some piece of equipment gets overloaded."
Although WIM systems aren't necessarily a producer's primary scale system, they do provide efficiencies when utilized by producers as an add-on tool.
Through the LS-WIM system, users can capture a truck's individual axle weights to ensure it is road legal. Click to enlarge | Photo: Intercomp
"The way I look at it is that investing in a scale system is investing in the future profits of your business," Berg says. "It allows you to control some of those controllable costs that creep up."
According to Berg, Intercomp is pushing out new software to support its LS-WIM system.
"The software allows a person who wants to go back in to assess a day or a week," he says. "It provides the capability to have information, be able to import it and manipulate that in a proprietary computer system to help you run your business more efficiently. We try to give business managers and owners the opportunity to be more efficient."
And eventually – not today, not tomorrow and not next week – WIM systems will become more mainstream, according to Berg.
"The weigh-in-motion technology is the wave of the future," he says.
This article is tagged with ConExpo-Con/Agg, ConExpo-Con/Agg 2020, Intercomp, LS-WIM, scales, Technology, Weigh-In-Motion scales, weighing, WIM, WIM systems and posted in ConExpo-Con/Agg, Features
About the Author: Kevin Yanik
Kevin Yanik is the editor-in-chief of Pit & Quarry magazine. Yanik can be reached at 216-706-3724 or kyanik@northcoastmedia.net.
Quarry Faces: January 2022
Using drones to reduce drill and blast costs


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O2 Airwave and Motorola Sign World's First Commercial Contract for TETRA PDAs
WEBWIRE – Tuesday, November 21, 2006
O2 Airwave is first network to offer secure data communications through TETRA PDAs
Basingstoke, UK – 21 November, 2006 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) today announced it has signed a contract with Airwave O2 Limited to supply Motorola MTC100 PDAs (personal digital assistants) that operate on TETRA (TErrestrial Trunked RAdio) networks. The agreement is the world's first commercial contract for TETRA PDAs. Motorola will start the shipment at the end of 2006.
Running a suite of applications developed by O2 Airwave, these secure and rugged PDAs will help deliver critical intelligence to front-line workers in the police and other emergency services to enhance safety and effectiveness.
The Motorola MTC100 will host a number of mobile applications intended to help police officers spend more time on visible, active patrol and increase their productivity. Software applications will be developed by O2 Airwave and will operate through its existing mobile applications gateway, delivering a solution that will help achieve aims outlined in ACPO's [1] 2002 UK National Strategy for Mobile Information.
Benefiting from O2 Airwave's national footprint, officers will be able to use the secure TETRA network to ensure data integrity, remotely accessing criminal intelligence databases such as the Police National Computer and other sources, as well as compiling and submitting crime reports without having to return to a police station. Officers will also benefit from rapid information transfer with the MTC100 through the use of TETRA multi-slot packet data capability.
"Being able to access intelligence on the move will enable the emergency services and other TETRA users to achieve so much more in their roles," said Pete Richardson, Chairman, O2 Airwave. "The PDA and its supporting applications will demonstrate the crucial role mobile data communications technology can play in improving public safety."
When it rolls out the PDA solution, O2 Airwave will become the first TETRA network in the world to offer its users TETRA PDAs. O2 Airwave's TETRA network serves the radio communication needs of the UK's emergency services and other organizations that operate in mission-critical environments.
Motorola is leading the development of solutions to address the growing demand for mobile data on TETRA networks and is the only manufacturer that offers a TETRA PDA. Motorola has worked closely with O2 Airwave and its users throughout the entire design and development process. As a result, the Motorola MTC100 TETRA PDA is a robust pocket-sized device developed to meet the rugged requirements of public safety organizations that need secure access to real-time information on the move.
"The MTC100 PDA unlocks new potential in TETRA and gives users access to information and services where and when they need, contributing to an increased level of visibility, efficiency and effectiveness," said Heidi Hattendorf, director TETRA subscribers, Motorola Network & Enterprise. "We designed the product in close contact with our customers knowing that they have an ever greater need for data-rich communication technologies."
The MTC100 TETRA PDA offers a comprehensive suite of communications services and features with a range of options to meet the needs of public safety and enterprise customers. All devices include the following core features:
* Latest Microsoft® Windows 2005 Mobile Edition with security and messaging enhancements
* Large 3.52 TFT touch screen
* Integrated camera and flash, allowing pictures to be taken and circulated quickly
* TETRA wide area radio (WAN) with optional encryption and authentication to provide secure connectivity.
Additionally customers can select from a range of options including:
* Integrated 802.11 WiFi radio, for connection to wireless local area networks (W-LAN) enabling rapid synchronization of data and applications while in the office
* Bluetooth™ wireless radio, to create a personal area network (PAN) for connection to devices such as data scanners or portable printers
* Integrated Global Position System (GPS), so a user's position can be located.
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of Seamless Mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you get and stay connected simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering "must have" products, "must do" experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $35.3 billion in 2005. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com
About TETRA
Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) comprises a suite of open digital trunked radio standards defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to meet the needs of the most demanding of Professional Mobile Radio (PMR) users. TETRA is an interoperability standard that allows equipment from multiple vendors to interoperate with each other. TETRA is used by PMR users such as Public Safety, Transportation, Utilities, Government, Commercial & Industrial, Oil & Gas and Military. TETRA is also used by Public Access Mobile Radio (PAMR) operators. This year Motorola is celebrating 10 years of successes in TETRA and 10 years since winning the first commercial contract to deploy TETRA. For more information please visit http://www.motorola.com/tetra.
MOTOROLA and the stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. The Bluetooth trademarks are owned by their proprietor and used by Motorola, Inc. under license. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2006 All Rights Reserved.
Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA)
Elvan Lindberg
Motorola Networks & Enterprise


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Home → News → National Cathedral Project: Let the one who made his vow, redeem it-Randy Abbey
National Cathedral Project: Let the one who made his vow, redeem it-Randy Abbey
By Bernard Buachi/rawgist
August 13, 2021 at 9:28 am | Leave a comment
Host of Good Morning Ghana (GMG) on Metro TV; Dr. Randy Abbey Friday disagreed with how the government is going about the National Cathedral Project.
Mr. Abbey who was reluctant about commenting on the subject because in his view, it was a "sensitive issue" eventually explained that his opposition to the project was because it was "premised on a cathedral of lies". He said there was too much lack of candour and consistency on the project.
For his part, Managing Director for Intercity STC Coaches Limited; Nana Akomea expressed his love for the project and revealed that he had made his GHC100 donation and will continue to do so monthly. He was however of the conviction that under no circumstance should public funds be used to fund the project. He praised the fundraising prowess of individual Pastors onboard the project including "Duncan-Williams, Dag Heward-Mills, Ankrah, Otabil, Agyin-Asare etc" and called on them to help raise funding for the project.
Randy Abbey however retorted that these churches have other ambitious things they are working at and should not be burdened with the personal pledge of the President. "Let the one who made his vow to God, redeem it", he said.
Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, a Member of Parliament and Deputy Ranking Member on Education, who was also on the panel was against the project and agreed with Randy Abbey that "the President's personal pledge should be his personal responsibility". He was not happy that the government would bring what they say is a private-sector led initiative to parliament to solicit funds from Ghanaians.
Dr. Apaak was also unhappy about the location of the cathedral saying if the government insisted on building it, they could have located it elsewhere away from the centre of the capital to other places to serve as a node for economic development at those places.
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The KSM Show Returns To Metro TV
New and Exciting Programme, U.TOUR coming soon on Metro TV


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IITIANS FOR INFLUENCING INDIA'S TRANSFORMATION
Harness the collective voice of IITians to give back to India through national scaling of social impact programs
Our initial focus: Education | Healthcare | Livelihoods
outreach@iit-iit.org
P K AGARWAL
P.K. Agarwal serves as the Dean and CEO of Northeastern University–Silicon Valley.
He also serves as the Chairman of Future 500, a Bay Area-based pioneer in the area of global sustainability. Formerly, he was the CEO of TiE Global, an organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship across 61 cities in 18 countries.
Prior to TiE, P.K served as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Chief Technology Officer for the State of California. He has also been in executive and management roles with ACS (now Xerox), NIC Inc., and EDS (now HP).
PK (as he is famously known) helped pioneer the use of Internet in government and shaped the national and state policy in this area, dating back to Al Gore's National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council in 1995.
He has the unique distinction of having a U.S. national annual award named as the "P.K. Agarwal Award for Leadership in Electronic Government." He also served as the president of the National Association of State CIOs and the National Electronic Commerce Coordinating Council (ec3).
PK is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and an adjunct faculty at USC and USF. He is an alum of IIT Delhi and UC Berkeley.
©2018 by IIT-IIT.ORG


''A rolling stone is not covered with moss'' – this is a common proverb appeared in Esrasmus' collection of Latin proverbs – Adagia, 1508. One interpretation of this sentence is that those who keep moving are not influenced by negative thinking but always filled with fresh ideas and creativity, and that is precisely what I have been experiencing through a short period of time in internship at Flyscan Barcelona.
FlyscanBCN is a startup founded at the beginning of 2013 by a group of professionals in aviation and telecommunication engineering. The founders of the company have a vision to design, produce and innovate systems and solutions to offer services by means of drones. Since my incorporation in FlyscanBCN in November 2017, I have witnessed this vision to be deployed successfully through a large variety of projects, some of which I am involved in personally.
edesign the instrument panel of the aircraft. Although there is a lot to learn, working with the Rutan Long-EZ is genuinely fascinating. Besides, the best thing in this project is probably its leader who is also one of FlyscanBCN's cofounder and the pilot of Rutan Long-EZ aircraft, Marcel Corominas. He has developed a passion to drones since his childhood; and later while becoming flight instructor and airline pilot, he continues devoting to his affection towards drones at FlyscanBCN. Marcel not only taught me many practical technical knowledge but also a complete dedication to the job.
While running the heavy-mass drone project, FlyscanBCN is also carrying on another project entitled ARSI, standing for Aerial Robot for Sewer Inspection. This project, making part of the ECHORD++ program (European Coordination Hub for Open Robotics Development), is a collaboration of European firms in a consortium of which FlyscanBCN is a core member. In this project, a MAV (micro aerial vehicle), i.e. a small drone, equipped with autonomous navigation sensors will be used to inspect the pipelines and galleries in the sewer network of big cities. I arrived FlyscanBCN when the project is completing its phase II, during which all the aspects of the solution is developed and validated. I was with FlyscanBCN on the day of assessment of the second phrase and have seen the current platform working smoothly, taking valuable information for inspection of the sewers under the area of El Born in Barcelona.
Yet we can always improve. On the third phrase of the project, FlyscanBCN will work on raising the lift capacity and on increasing the autonomy of the platform. I will have the opportunity to be a part of this job and work alongside with Aleix Cortada, another cofounder of FlyscanBCN and who is equally talented and devoting. An inspiring person with plenty of enthusiasm, Aleix was also my flight instructor when I took lessons of drone pilot certificate. I can still remember how I should control my feelings when piloting a drone, even in emergency situations.
A part from the two projects mentioned previously, I have the chance to take part in different activities of the company. One day, I accompanied Marcel and Aleix to Andorra to make aerial videos of some via ferratas – climbing routes on the mountain as a drone service for FlyscanBCN client. The beauty of the landscape helped us to complete the mission with a lot of amusement. At the moment I am writing this article, FlyscanBCN is collaborating with InDronePark Barcelona to build an indoor drone racing stadium in Hospitalet of Barcelona. Perhaps, the students of the Master's degree in Applications and Technologies for Unmanned Aircraft Systems of UPC will be among the first visitors of this drone park when it is finished!
Jordi Corbera, Head of Earth Observation at the Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya (ICGC), will give the talk entitled "Earth Observation: From Data to Knowledge", next Thursday, 30th of November, at 12:00 in room 027B of the EETAC.
Jordi Corbera graduated in Physics in 1989 at the University of Barcelona (Spain). He obtained his PhD in 1995 as researcher for the National Program in Antarctica, with two field campaigns at the Antarctic Base, about Earth Observation, climate change and physics of glaciers. His professional activity focus in the use of spatial resources, particularly earth observation and positioning systems. From 2001 to 2007, he served as Chair of the Spanish Institute of Navigation, he cooperated in the conception of the European satellite navigation system (Galileo) and worked for various European Commission agencies as an expert evaluator on over 60 projects. From 2001 to 2008 he taught at the University Polytechnic of Catalonia as professor of radio-navigation systems. Since 2008 is leading the Catalan Earth Observation Program at the Institute Cartographic and Geological of Catalonia (ICGC) where is in charge to transform remote sensing data into operational service, leads two Industrial PhD and coordinates an official master on geoinformation with the University Autonomous of Barcelona.
The ICGC duties are related to the competences of geodesy and cartography and about the spatial data infrastructure of Catalonia, and also the competences of promoting and carrying out the actions related to the awareness, survey and information about the soil and subsoil, as regulated by the Catalan Law.
This conference is organized in the framework of invited talks of the Master's degree in Applications and Technologies for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones).
Roger Jové CEO of Balamis, will give the talk entitled "Earth Observation applications for microwave remote sensing," next Wednesday, 13th of December at 12:00 in room 027B of the EETAC.
BALAMIS is a start-up company from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech, whose mission is to solve customer soil moisture management problems.
Roger Jové Casulleras is PhD in Science and Space Technologies, Industrial Engineer from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) and Aeronautic Engineer from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Roger worked as air and climate conditioning consultant from 2007 to 2008. From 2011 up to 2014 was President of the PhD student council of UPC. During his PhD thesis was project manager of 3Cat-1 nano-satellite where he dealt with more than 90 students with a peak of 28 students and other PhD candidates simultaneously involved. He was finalist at ValorTech awards in Technology Based Start-up's on 2014, and got a 3rd place in the European Satellite Navigation Competition, University Challenge 2013. On 2015, he attended La Formula Empresarial applied communication, sales and marketing courses. Apart from Catalan and Spanish, he also speaks English, Italian, French, and Roger has basic Arabic knowledge (1st course Cadmus Academy in Barcelona). He is nowadays enrolled in Economic and Business studies at UOC, where he has already completed Entrepreneurship, Introduction to financial information, Introduction to Marketing, Laws applied to business, and Strategic Negotiation among others.
Let me introduce myself! My name is Mónica Milán and I am aeronautical engineer by the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC-EETAC). This year, I have decided to enrol to this new master program because I am really interested in drone's applications, and to my point of view there is a lot of potential there and also a lot to do in this field.
Since October, I am working as intern at Unblur, which is a Barcelona-based start-up that helps Emergency Services to make faster & safer decisions in the field, being able to provide relevant and valuable knowledge to incident commanders when they need it, by using multiple sources such as: body cams, smartphones or (and here comes the coolest part)… drones.
My work here consists on software development, with a special focus on drones' integration in IRIS, which is a modular SaaS platform specifically tailored for incident commanders, developed by Unblur. By going more into detail, IRIS gathers information from multi ple sources, then processes and displays relevant data.
By now, IRIS supports DJI and Parrot drones, it is possible to see drone's GPS position and live-video streaming of of these two manufacturers. However, this is just the start, since I am currently working with Yuneec Software Development Kit (SDK), in order to achieve its integration.
In addition, I have been working in some improvements in order to make the platform more efficient in terms of data consumption, as well as some interface modifications.
Now that it's been two months that I am working at Unblur, I can say that I feel like fully integrated in the company and that I really enjoy my job, especially because it is very dynamic and I have daily challenges. Just to give you an idea, since I started I have learned three new programming languages!
Heriberto Saldivar, Technical Head of Program at Reimagine Drone, will give the talk entitled "DaaS: Drones as a Service", next Wednesday, 22nd of November, at 12:00 in room 027B of the EETAC.
Heriberto Saldivar received his BSc. degree in Mechatronics Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in 2009, the MSc. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics Engineering from the National Cheng Kung University in 2013 and the PhD. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2017. He is currently Head of program at Reimagine Drone Accelerator.
Reimagine Drone is an incubator that works on revealing the potential of startups working in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles space. A partnership between Incubio and Brinc, the accelerator supports early stage founders who are leveraging the use of commercial drones to unveil a new generation of services and applications using technologies such virtual reality, augmented reality, 360 user experiences, data analytics, computer vision, surveying and mapping, deployment systems, and more.
Xavi Silva Co-CEO and Co-founder of HEMAV, will give a talk next Monday, November 6 in room 027B of the EETAC.
Xavi Silva is an Aerospace Engineer specialized in business development, who pursued his Engineering degree at the EETAC. He co-founded HEMAV in 2011 and since then, Hemav has become one of the Spanish leading companies in agricultural services and industrial inspection with offices in Barcelona and Madrid and delegations in more than 15 provinces.
The talk is entitled "New Challenges in Drone Business" in which he will present and discuss some of the business opportunities in the emerging field of applications for drones. This conference is organized in the framework of invited talks of the Master's degree in Applications and Technologies for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones).


Just couple of days ago, we brought you comprehensive details of new SsangYong Korando facelift. The TVC shows the car in action for the first time. Urban Adventure is the theme of the commercial which promotes the Korando C as an apt vehicle for your outdoor activities, just like any other SUV adverisement.


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package net.novasaputra.spring.jdbctemplate;

import net.novasaputra.spring.jdbctemplate.service.UserService;

import org.slf4j.Logger;
import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.context.support.ClassPathXmlApplicationContext;

/**
 * @author NovaS
 */
public class StartApp {
	private static final Logger log = LoggerFactory.getLogger(StartApp.class);

	public StartApp() {
		log.info("Starting App!");
		ApplicationContext appCtx = new ClassPathXmlApplicationContext("context.xml");
		UserService service = appCtx.getBean(UserService.class);
		log.info("===== PRINT ALL USER =====");
		service.printAllUser();
		log.info("===== INSERT USERS =====");
		service.fillUser(10);
		log.info("===== PRINT ALL USER =====");
		service.printAllUser();
	}

	public static void main(String[] args) {
		new StartApp();
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Birkenstock, black soft nappa calf leather watch strap with a black PVD coated buckle. This strap will fit any watch where the distance between the lugs is 12mm, 14mm, 16mm, 18mm, 20mm and 22mm (depending on the size you buy). Like all of our products, it is brand new and in stock in the UK, ready for our super fast shipping.
A really lovely, high quality (hand stitched in Germany) watch strap and amazing value, this genuine calf leather watch band has a comfortable feel with a super soft lining and a black PVD coated buckle, making this a perfect choice for any watch from mid range to prestige.


Have you ever heard about HORIZON 2020 program?
Have you ever heard about Dragon Star Plus Project and HORIZON 2020 program?
The Dragon Star Plus Project is financed by the European Union (under the sponsorship of HORIZON 2020) and its goal is to develop a long term bilateral cooperation strategy in Research and Innovation between Europe and China, by providing support services to the European and Chinese Research Community, as well as offering a flexible platform to facilitate the policy discussions between both regions. HORIZON 2020 is the largest Research and Innovation Program in the world, with more than 600 billion RMB of funding to invest in Research and Innovation project between EU and China, and fully opened to the Chinese researchers and innovators community.
If you've already heard about H2020, please share your experience with us (in order to improve the opportunities for the Chinese side). If not, don't miss this possibility to get to know about it and start to take advantages from the program and its funding system.
Please, help us improving the EU-CHINA international cooperation chances, by giving us your feedback about this survey!


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Review: Bingo Love (Comic)
Hazel and Mari met at church bingo one night and in that moment started a friendship and love that went against their times and parents' beliefs. Sadly, it never happened. Least not until history repeated itself and they met again at the bingo parlor many years later.
In the world of queer stories, there's a lot of tropes and cliches that we're used to hearing, especially when it's dealing with the 'good ole days' when we weren't accepted (could go on about how that crap is still happening, but you get the point). While this comic isn't hugely new in that area, it does bring in diverse characters we're not used to seeing in these situations and is definitely worth reading for a cute story that gets you right in the feels.
The characters are sweet and easy to fall for, each drawn with their personality in mind and it shows! There wasn't anyone I disliked, and even those I got mad at throughout the story had their reasons and their reactions were justified. A good portion of this story feels so authetic and real, as if I were hearing it from someone who actually experienced it, and that adds to the comic in so many ways. Not only does it have great art but the writing is top notch!
The comic leaves you aching for more story, but not because anything is left out. Instead the short narrative reemphasizes all the time the two didn't have together due to their parents and societial expectations and that hits hard. Keeping the story short doubles down on that feeling and makes it hit even closer to home. It's almost impossible not to root for these two ladies and their love, especially knowing how long it's taken them to get it. And it's one of those where I would love to read more, but there doesn't need to be more. It's perfect at the length it is.
Pick up this comic. Seriously. Pick it up and share it with your friends. We need more positive queer stories out there like this because it's so sweet. It's worth a read and a share, and probably a read again once you're done with those tissues.
We got ours through the official Kickstarter, but there are ways you can get it too!
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Bingo-Love-OGN-Tee-Franklin/dp/1534307508/
Also, ask your local comic book shop! It comes out in February 2018, so go now and ask them to order it in!


***NO CHAIN***QUICK SALE***GREAT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY!!*** A three bedroom end terraced property accessed via the rear situated in the village of Phillipstown, which is within close proximity of local amenities, major road networks and rail links.
A three bedroom end terraced property accessed via the rear situated in the village of Phillipstown, which is within close proximity of local amenities, major road networks and rail links.
The accommodation briefly comprises: Lounge/diner, kitchen and shower room. Whilst to the first floor there are three bedrooms. Other features include gas central heating, front and rear gardens with open aspect of the surrounding countryside.
to rear - rear door leading to steps to enclosed tiered garden, mainly laid to lawn storage shed to side of property.


I wasn't familiar with the word 'Apricity' so I looked it up. It's an archaic term that didn't quite manage to make its way in to into the mainstream English tongue. But, according to Merriam Webster's list of 'Rare and Wonderful Wintertime Words', it means the warmth of the sun in winter. That's when it began to make sense. These songs are all about light and warmth or rather the lack thereof. Themes of disillusionment, disappointment, aching emptiness, relationships that have failed entirely or cooled into obscurity, lacking in spontaneity or joy are explored, blended with the positive aspiration that things will warm up again in spring.
From the opening track 'Lights Shine' and the first line "I live with a stack of memories", we are hurled into a need to escape the humdrum reality and get into town, where the lights shine, to go drinking and forget the banality of small-town life.
Continuing that theme of frustration, disillusionment, and disappointment is the wonderfully titled 'Juggernauts'. It puts a gloss on it, suggesting everything is just fine when it clearly is not. Instead of passing each other like ships, they are juggernauts hurtling into the distance, avoiding collision.
This is a collection of ten tunes that are memorable and engaging. They have confirmed ear-worm credibility. 'Apricity' is definitely a grower. It took me a while to warm to this album but as it became increasingly familiar, and its subtle complexities unfurled, I realised there was much to contribute. Memorable choruses, powerful and evocative guitar solos, gentle harmonies bring many stunningly beautiful moments.
The Equatorial Group is hard to pin down. Described as "ram-shackle folk-rock", space country, languid Americana, all these descriptions somehow hit the mark. Their sound is indeed quite unique. They have been compared to Fleetwood Mac, the Magnolia Electric Company and Emmylou Harris. It heavily features pedal steel, heartfelt harmonies and dreamy four-part harmonies yet there is a sense of integrity; honest and sincere.
These are five good friends from the sleepy seaside town of Eastbourne in East Sussex who through serendipitous means have found and formed a genuine connection. They hail from a mix of musical backgrounds and pedigree. This unusual name, The Equatorial Group, also sparked my interest. While being as close as possible to the sun and its warmth matters, here it actually refers to a group of "astronomical buildings" in their locality.
Helen Weeks' vocals are quite exquisite. She also features throughout on steel pedal and acoustic guitar. She is the main songwriter and singer along with Dave Davies. This is a five piece that pulls together and clearly works.
A feature throughout is the stand out choruses that embellish and strengthen each song, in particular, 'Surrogate Funeral'. Upbeat and uptempo tunes often contradict and contrast with the lyrical content – excellent lyrics, rich in imagery, metaphor, symbolism. The intricate guitar solos are a special feature.
Apricity requires careful listening – how it sounds on the surface often betrays the depth of emotion therein.


There are millions of properties in the UK with main roads, airports and railways close by that are affected by noise from traffic. Demand from home and building owners for windows that block out noise pollution is high and there are now strict requirements from Approved Document E.
It's no surprise then that architects, surveyors and developers are increasingly demanding information about acoustic performance of windows when specifying or ordering products. So it's important to quickly and easily show the acoustic performance of windows.
To make this easier, we have added an Acoustic Calculator to our online fenestration resource, The Oracle, which can provide a cost effective alternative to physical testing.
If an acoustic performance is declared for a window, it will need to be included within its CE Mark/Declaration of Performance. The resultant report from the Acoustic calculator can be verified by Build Check Ltd (Notified Body No. 1806) for CE Marking compliance.
It lets subscribers quickly calculate the acoustic performance of a range of frame and glazing options and in most cases, with no need for additional laboratory testing.
The Oracle also features an easy to use U-value calculator and helps subscribers to CE mark products with simple to use templates, downloads and guidance notes for Factory Production Control, Declaration of Performance and CE Mark labels. It also keeps users up-to-date with all the latest legislation.
The acoustic calculator is available on line for £199 at www.buildcheckpublications.co.uk. It is available to existing subscribers to the Oracles' U-value calculator at a reduced rate of just £99.
If you'd like more information on the Acoustic Calculator, call us today on 01494 452713 or visit www.buildcheckpublications.co.uk.