text:
THE SILVER CANDLESTICK
RGL e-Book Cover©
First published in Answers, the Amalgamated Press, London, 19 Sep 1908
Reprinted under syndication, e.g. in
The Taranaki Daily News, New Zealand, 7 Nov 1908 (this version)
All original content added by RGL is protected by copyright
Click here for more Sexton Blake stories
IT was a few commonplace words which Sexton Blake chanced to overhear whilst buying a toothbrush which furnished him with the clue that ultimately enabled him to solve the mystery of the burglary at Ugthorpe Lodge.
He had gone down to Ugthorpe, a little seaside village in Lincolnshire, in order to examine the parish register for certain information in connection with a case he had on hand.
On unpacking his bag, late in the afternoon, he discovered that he had come away without a toothbrush; and, accordingly, he strolled round to the village chemist's to buy one. He was on the point of leaving, when a stylishly-dressed young woman, who would have been pretty but for a disfiguring patch of eczema on her right cheek, came into the shop.
"Will you please make me up another box of ointment and another bottle of medicine?" she said.
"The iron medicine or the sulphur medicine?" inquired the chemist.
"The sulphur medicine," she replied. "The same that I've been taking for the last fortnight. You have the prescription."
"Oh, yes," said the chemist. "Shall I send them up to the lodge?"
"I'll call for them in about half an hour," she said. And with that she left the shop.
"That was Miss Flower," said the chemist to Sexton Blake. "Her father is Lord Borrowby's agent, you know."
The detective neither knew nor cared to know. He gathered up his change and returned to the inn, where he spent the night.
Next morning, after breakfast, the detective was just setting out for the station to catch the half-past seven train to town, when a dogcart rattled up to the front door of the inn, and an elderly man, with iron-grey hair, sprang out.
"Mr. Sexton Blake?" he inquired.
"That's me," said the detective, who was just coming out of the door, bag in hand.
"Thank goodness, I've caught you in time!" said the new arrival. "My name is Flower. I'm Lord Borrowby's agent. A burglary has been committed at my house, and a bag containing nearly six hundred pounds has been stolen. I've communicated with the police, of course, but having heard that you were in the neighbourhood, I've decided to ask you to make an independent investigation. If you will, I'll drive you to my house—which is about two miles from here—and I'll give you all the details on the way."
The detective having expressed his willingness to undertake the case, he and Mr. Flower drove off in the direction of Ugthorpe Lodge.
"Now, begin at the beginning, and tell me all about it, said Sexton Blake.
"If I am to begin at the beginning," said Mr. Flower, "I must first tell you that yesterday I drove to Kedmires, which is a village about seven miles from here, in order to receive the rents of those of Lord Borrowby's tenants who have holdings on that portion of the estate. When I returned to Ugthorpe Lodge— the name of my house—I had over five hundred pounds—nearly six, as a matter of fact—in a small, black-leather handbag. About fifty pounds was in notes; the rest was in gold and Silver.
"On arriving at my house, about half-past eleven last night, I placed the bag and its contents in a roll-top desk in my library, intending to bank the money to-day. I have locked money in that desk for the last twenty years, and never until now have I had reason to regret it.
"I ought, perhaps, to explain that I am a widower. My household consists of myself, my daughter—who is just out of her teens—and a couple of female servants."
He stopped suddenly, seeming to find the detective's keen glance disconcerting.
"To resume my narrative," he continued, "I went to bed soon after midnight, and by one o'clock was fast asleep. Two hours later I awoke—for no particular reason—and as I lay awake in bed I fancied I heard somebody in the library.
"I slipped out of bed and stole downstairs. A feeble glimmer of light was streaming under the library door, and I distinctly heard two people talking. By that time, however, the burglars— for such they were, of course, had evidently heard me coming downstairs: for suddenly the light was extinguished.
"With a ringing shout, by which I hoped to rouse the servants, I rushed to the library door, and flung it open. No sooner had I done so than one of the burglars—whom I could not see in the darkness, of course—sprang at me, and enveloped my head and shoulders in a rug.
"'Run—run!' I heard him say to his confederate in a low, excited whisper.
"I struck out wildly, and tried to free myself from the rug. In doing so I slipped and fell, and as I fell I struck my head against the corner of the table. The blow stunned me for a few minutes, and when I regained my senses the burglars had disappeared, and I was lying on the library floor, surrounded by my daughter and the two servants. I struggled to my feet, and told them briefly what had happened. I then proceeded to examine the room.
"The first thing I discovered was that the burglars had had the impudence to raid my larder, and regale themselves on chicken and claret! Standing on the library table were a silver candlestick, which they had taken from the hall-stand, the remains of a cold chicken which they had found in the larder, some bread and butter, and a newly-opened bottle of claret.
"Finally, I must tell yon," he concluded, "that the library-window—which is a French window—was wide open—which showed how the scoundrels had gained admittance to the house, and how they had escaped."
"But when did you discover that the money had been stolen?" said Sexton Blake.
"Not for several minutes," said Mr. Flower. "In fact, after examining the room, I had come to the conclusion that I had surprised the burglars before they had time to steal anything, when it occurred to me to look in my desk. Then I found that it had been forced open, and closed again. The lock, in fact, had been smashed; and when I raised the roll-top. I saw at a glance that the bag had disappeared.
"On bearing my announcement that the bag had been stolen, my daughter fainted. After I had, satisfied myself that nothing else had been stolen, I dressed, drove to the village, informed the constable of what had occurred, and then drove to the Towers and informed Lord Borrowby. It was at his suggestion that I decided to ask you to investigate the case. And now"—he heaved a sigh of relief—"I think I've told you everything."
A few minutes later they reached Ugthorpe Lodge.
In accordance with Mr. Flower's instructions, nothing had been disturbed in the library. Sexton Blake made a rapid examination of the room; then he turned to Mr. Flower.
"You spoke of burglars in the plural number," he said, pointing to the table. "As you see, however, only one of them must have been hungry. There is only one plate, one glass, and one knife and fork."
"Humph!" growled Mr. Flower. "I hadn't noticed that before! It is, however, as you say. Only one of the scoundrels was regaling himself at my expense when I disturbed them."
The detective next examined the roll-top desk. The lock was of the most primitive description, and had been smashed open by main force.
"Amateurish—very amateurish!" he murmured! "This is not the work of a professional!"
He examined the window. As already stated, it was a French window, and was secured on the inside by a couple of bolts at the top and another pair at the bottom. Clearly, therefore, nothing outside the window could have unfastened these bolts without first making a breach in the panes; yet both the panes were intact.
"You didn't think, I suppose," he said, "of examining the other windows of the house?"
"Oh, yes, I did!" said Mr. Flower. "I carefully examined every door and window in the house, and all of them were securely fastened."
Sexton Blake made no remark on this statement: but, in his own mind, he registered it as a fact beyond all doubt that the burglars—or one of them, at any rate—had been admitted into the library by somebody inside the house.
He examined the ground outside the window. To the untrained eye there was nothing to be seen; but, to Sexton Blake, a double track of footprints, one leading to the window and the other away from it, was as clear as the noonday sun. But the footprints were all alike; they were the footprints of one man, not two.
This, of course, confirmed Sexton Blake's theory. Somebody had walked up to the outside of the window; a second person, inside the house, had opened the window and admitted him; and, after Mr. Flower had been stunned the first man had stepped through the window and escaped, leaving the second person in the house.
Who was the second person? Clearly it could only have been one of three people—Miss Flower or one of the two female servants.
Whilst Sexton Blake was pondering over this discovery, he happened to glance at the silver candlestick, which was still standing on the table by the side of the remains of the burglar's supper.
He picked up the candlestick and closely examined it. A black stain which he had observed was apparently of recent origin, and was due to a deposit of sulphide of silver.
To what was this deposit due? There was only one possible explanation. The silver—of which the candlestick was composed— had been brought in contact with sulphur in some form. But how? Again there was only one explanation. Sexton Blake, who had had a medical training, was well aware that persons who are taking medicine containing sulphur exude small quantities of the drug in their perspiration, with the result that any silver articles they handle, or any silver articles in their pockets—such as a silver watch, or silver coins—are tarnished and blackened by the sulphur, which combines with the silver to form silver sulphide. The explanation of the dark stain on the candlestick was, therefore, perfectly clear. Somebody who was taking sulphur medicine had recently handled the candlestick. In a flash the detective remembered the conversation he had overheard in the chemist's shop the day before.
"The sulphur medicine," Miss Flower had said. "The same that I've been taking for the last fortnight."
There was still a loophole of escape from the terrible conclusion to which Sexton Blake was being forced. He turned to Mr. Flower.
"Can you find out when this candlestick was last cleaned?" he asked.
Mr. Flower rang the bell for the housemaid.
"I cleaned it yesterday evening," she said, in reply to the detective's question. That settled the matter. It was Miss Flower who had admitted the burglar; who had carried the candlestick to the larder in search of food for him; who had escaped from the library—and had doubtless returned to her bed-room—when the burglar, after flinging the rug over her father's head, had whispered, "Run—run!"
It was a horrible solution of the mystery; but suddenly another thought occurred to Blake. He went to the door, and caught the housemaid at the head of the stairs. To her he put a rapid question, and he breathed a sigh of relief at her reply.
His musings ended in a sudden start. Through the open window he saw a girlish figure stealing down the drive, and ever and anon glancing furtively behind her, as if she feared to be seen. He recognised her at a glance. It was the girl he had seen in the chemist's shop the day before.
The detective turned to Mr. Flower.
"Will you fetch me another bottle of claret, the same as this?" he asked.
Completely mystified, Mr. Flower left the room; and the moment he had disappeared the detective stepped through the open window, and darted after Miss Flower.
"Good-morning, Miss Flower!" he said, overtaking her. "Hadn't you better let me do it?"
She gazed at him with frightened eyes.
"Do—do what?" she faltered.
"Go to your brother," said Sexton Blake, "and beg him to return the money which, unknown to you, he stole from his father's desk."
With a piteous moan, the poor girl reeled, and would have fallen if he had not caught her.
His rapid question to the housemaid had provided him with the key to the mystery. He had noted Mr. Flower's hesitation when he described the members of his family, and the girl had told him that one had been left unmentioned—a scapegrace son, who had disappeared two years before.
The matchless brain of the detective brought him to the conclusion that, unknown to his father, the son had returned. Miss Flower had admitted him to give him food and perhaps money. While she was in the larder the scamp had abstracted the money. Miss Flower had no idea of this; that was why she had fainted when the robbery was made manifest.
"Now tell me all about it," he said gently. And she told him— told him everything. Her brother had returned to tho village penniless and starving. He had sent her a note, begging her to grant him an interview; and after that everything had happened as the detective surmised.
"He must have yielded to a sudden temptation, and broken open the desk whilst I was in the larder," she sobbed. "He isn't really bad, Mr. Blake, only a bit wild; and by this time, I know, he has bitterly repented of his mad act. If only I could have seen him, before his guilt was discovered, he would have given me the bag, and all might have been well. And now it is too late— too late!"
"Not yet," said Sexton Blake softly. "I have told nobody but you of my discoveries; and if your brother is truly repentant, all may still be well. Tell me where he is staying, then go back to the house, and leave the rest to me."
Two hours later the detective stepped back into the library, through the open window, with a small black-leather handbag in his hand.
Mr. Flower was standing there looking abjectly miserable.
Suddenly he saw the bag.
"You—you don't mean to say you've found it?" he gasped.
Sexton Blake smiled and handed him the bag.
"You'll find all the money there," he said, "except for a fee of twenty guineas, which I've taken the liberty of extracting. No; don't-ask any questions. Rest content to have recovered your property, and accept my thanks for giving me the opportunity of tackling a very interesting problem."
Before the astounded agent could question him further, he was trudging down the drive. At the gate he met Miss Flower.
"The bag is now in your father's possession," he said. "It was as you guessed, a case of a sudden temptation on your brother's part, followed by swift remorse. So satisfied was I, in fact, of his repentance that, in order to enable him to make a fresh start in life, gave him—" he smiled and raised his hat "—some very good advice. Good-bye."
And it was not until long afterwards that Miss Flower learned from her brother, who was then in Canada, that Sexton Blake, in addition to giving him "some very good advice," had also given him twenty guineas.


Stable angina pectoris is a specific type of chest pain that occurs when the patient is NOT at rest and is exerting themselves. It is often secondary to atherosclerosis/coronary artery disease, however other factors can also contribute (such as anemia or aortic stenosis). Stable angina belongs to a category of conditions called "Ischemic Heart Disease".
The paint felt by the patient is due to ischemia of the myocardium. This fundamentally is a problem because the muscles of the heart are not getting proper perfusion.
Chest pain: that is present in the setting of exertion. Lasts ~20 minutes, radiates to left arm or jaw. Can be present with diaphoresis and SOB.
EKG: ST depressions can be observed during a stress test (in vessel territories of subendocardial ischemia).
A "normal" resting ECG and negative troponin I lab value can help rule out more serous cardiac disease/a heart attack.
Rest should help resolve the chest pain (if the condition is indeed stable angina).
Nitrates (ex. nitroglycerin) should also help resolve the chest pain.
Beta-blockers can be used for initial therapy/relief of symptoms.
CCB (ex. Verapamil) can be used if beta-blockers are contraindicated.
This depends on a variety of factors. Patient lifestyle will have a large impact on prognosis.
Complete occlusion of coronary arteries is a large concern for patients who have developed stable angina. Once these arteries are no long patent, a myocardial infarction is very likely.
To be symptomatic is is believed that coronary arteries must be at least 70% occluded. Patients with stable angina likely have this degree of occlusion in one or more coronary arteries.


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David Sugarman
Former Fellow, 2003-2004<br>Lancaster University, England
Home Institution, Law School of Lancaster University
Lancaster University, Lancaster, ENGLAND LA1 4YW
d.sugarman@lancaster.ac.uk
David Sugarman is Professor of Law at the Law School of Lancaster University, England and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He holds a law degree from Hull University and completed graduate work in law at Cambridge University and Harvard Law School. His publications address law in history, the legal profession, law and globalization, corporate governance, legal education and human rights. They include 10 books (sole authored books, edited and co-edited books and special issues of law reviews) and over 60 articles and essays. Recent publications include "The Pinochet Case (in The Modern Law Review) and "From Unimaginable to Possible: Spain, Pinochet and the Judicialization of Power" (in Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies). At Princeton, he will work on the effort since 1973 to bring Augusto Pinochet to justice in Chile, Argentina, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Britain and the USA, and its implications.
"Hart Interviewed: H.L.A. Hart in Conversation with David Sugarman," Journal of Law and Society (32)2:267-293 (2005).
"John O'Leary. Working towards justice for Pinochet's victims," The Guardian (London) 20 May p. 29 (2005).
"Will Pinochet ever answer to the people of Chile?" The Times 14 September (Law Section) p.10 (2004).
"Images of Law: Legal Buildings, Englishness and the Reproduction of Power," Reiner Schulze (ed.) Rechtssymbolik und Wertevermittlungpp. 167-200 (Berlin: Duncker and Humblot, 2004)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Book Review: Blockchain Regulation and Governance in Europe
Elizabeth Jacobs is an attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission
Distributed ledger technology (DLT) has become something of a trope. It has been proposed as a currency, as a tool for "smart contracts," for cheaper clearing and settlement, and as a governance mechanism for everything from data identifiers to actual human voting. Michele Finck's new book, Blockchain Regulation and Governance in Europe, sits in good company with other recent academic explorations of DLT, including Primavera De Filippi's and Aaron Wright's Blockchain and the Law and Kevin Werbach's The Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust.
In this increasingly crowded field, Finck's book compares well to others in scope. It includes background on the history of permissionless DLTs and cryptocurrencies. It contains insightful descriptions of the different DLT "layers" (the protocol layer; the network layer; and the data layer), how the layers' operations are governed, and the importance of their interoperability. Finck, too, wrestles with the philosophical and practical implications of viewing "code as law," developed in 1999 by Lawrence Lessig. And, similar to the other books, Finck's book concludes with a suggested framework for providing policy direction to DLT's development.
But the book is unique due to Finck's delivery of a deeply insightful European perspective. Finck is a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Germany, and is also a lecturer in EU law at Oxford. Recent credits include her contributions to the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance's primer on Distributed Ledger Technology Systems, her input into the European Union's Blockchain Observatory and Forum's 2018 thematic report on "Blockchain and the GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation]." Finck has also done work on the law of the sharing economy. There is some European street cred at play here.
Data privacy and fintech practitioners will find Finck's distillation of whether use of a DLT is GDPR compliant interesting and informative. She provides detailed analysis of how a technological development whose originators were deeply dedicated to creating a decentralized network is affected by a data privacy regime where compliance provisions require centralization. For example, the GDPR regime includes the concept of a 'data controller' – where, 'data subjects' turn to exercise the rights of 'rectification', 'to be forgotten' and 'data minization.' Questions raised include what should be a 'data controllers' responsibilities among the different layers on a blockchain? Should 'nodes' have any data controller responsibilities? What about protocol developers? Network users submitting personal data to conduct business? Finck walks readers through the European authorities perspective on whether hashing can provide sufficient anonymity to escape the application of GDPR, how off-chain solutions could emerge.
The GDPR just came into effect in 2018, and was being drafted before the DLT wave landed. Finck admits her analysis "…has revealed an undisputable lack of certainty when it comes to the application of the European Union's data protection framework to blockchains and other forms of distributed ledger technology…Only time will reveal how regulators and judges will approach the tension between the GDPR and DLT." This is cold comfort for those wrestling with the new data regimes based on the GDPR (Brazil, India policy proposals – even California) – or those dealing with thorny issues regarding cross border application.
Finck's book builds on the GDPR examples for a broader survey about the economic importance of non-personal data, and whether legal reforms are needed to 'unlock it' for broader sharing and use. Finck cites the advent of Payment Services Directive 2 as a sector specific approach to this issue; and also examines property rights in data and the questions of data portability. Finck notes the European Commission's acknowledgement that there is no comprehensive legislative framework on what rights can be exercised with respect to data created by computer processes or collected by sensors processing information…or in respect to the conditions under which such rights can be exercised.
Finck's concluding text addresses the self-posed question of what regulatory technique is best suited to fulfil the objective of molding DLT while it is still malleable, but yet provide enough legal certainty to allow DLT based innovations to flourish. If DLT is going to be utilized, arguably structures built on it will need to comply with established norms and controls, such as preventing money laundering. Seeing up close, for example, the current struggles of balancing privacy rights while promoting innovation, Finck supports a technology enabled 'polycentric co-regulatory' approach. This approach sounds quite aspirational; where public authorities, the private sector, and the DLT community would approach rules of the road, implementation and enforcement in something perhaps akin to a 'peer to peer' mechanism – a realization of the EU's Better Regulation Agenda from 2015. In Finck's view, this approach could marshal technology itself – that is, have the 'law' be imbedded in code – to achieve its objectives.
In arriving at this approach, Finck rummages through a well worn tool kit; i) a "wait & see" approach, citing EU decisions regarding whether Uber could be regulated as having led to a case–by-case analysis because of delays in reaching an approach based on general principles; ii) application of existing frameworks, citing to both EU and US tax authorities with respect to cryptocurrencies, as well as the US Securities and Exchange Commission's approach to ICOs; iii) the use of sandboxes, and iv) self-regulatory approaches, citing examples from Korea regarding cryptocurrencies.
Finck finishes the book with a somewhat European flair. To forestall the potential for inaction or fragmentation, she suggests that this 'polycentric co-regulation' framework for DLT sustainability be an example of a so- called "28thRegime." Such a regime, originally described by Mario Monti, would create in the EU an "an optional supranational regime that exists alongside national rules and gives rise for to an option for parties to choose the former." In closing, Finck briefly analyzes how this '28thRegime' might work with respect to utility tokens. The discussion is not very extensive. Ironically, this may be for the best; it appears that more details will now follow from ESMA's January 2019 adviceto the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission EU legislators on regulation of crypto assets and ICOs. It remains to be seen whether/how the political sector reacts, and what, if any opportunities there are for Finck's vision to be realized.
Key takeaways: The book is competitive within its genre for its explanation of DLT basics (with a focus on permissionless DLT). The book provides a frank assessment of the legal uncertainties surrounding whether DLT technology can be viewed as GDPR compliant, and is a rich resource for identifying issues where forthcoming European rulings could have cross border impacts. Finck's suggested policy approaches for flexibly addressing technological change concludes with the possibility of a European "28th Regime". The author's recommendations should be evaluated alongside recent developments.
The Securities and Exchange Commission disclaims responsibility for any private publication or statement of any SEC employee or Commissioner. This article expresses the author's views and does not necessarily reflect those of the Commission, the Commissioners, or other members of the staff.
Categories Analysis and Opinion, feature, Fintech Resource Center, Regulatory Developments	Post navigation
Russia to Regulate Crypto While Launching its Own Oil-Backed Cryptocurrency
Bitcoin Daily: FBI Searches For BitConnect Victims; Commerzbank Completes Blockchain Test
Elizabeth Jacobs is an attorney with the Securities and Exchange Commission Distributed ledger technology (DLT) has become something of a trope. It has been proposed as a currency, as a tool for "smart contracts," for cheaper clearing and settlement, and as a governance mechanism for everything from data identifiers to actual human voting. Michele Finck's new book, Blockchain... Read more


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Structure refinement, hydrogen-...
Ventruti, Gennaro Ventura, Giancarlo Della Corriero, Nicola Malferrari, Daniele Gualtieri, Alessandro F. Susta, Umberto Lacalamita, Maria and Schingaro, Emanuela 2016. In situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic study of fibroferrite, FeOH(SO4)·5H2O. Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 43, Issue. 8, p. 587.
Sergeeva, Anastasia V. Zhitova, Elena S. and Bocharov, Vladimir N. 2019. Infrared and Raman spectroscopy of tschermigite, (NH4)Al(SO4)2·12H2O. Vibrational Spectroscopy, Vol. 105, Issue. , p. 102983.
Chukanov, Nikita V. and Vigasina, Marina F. 2020. Vibrational (Infrared and Raman) Spectra of Minerals and Related Compounds. p. 741.
February 2015 , pp. 11-24
Structure refinement, hydrogen-bond system and vibrational spectroscopy of hohmannite, Fe 3+ 2 [O(SO4)2]·8H2O
G. Ventruti (a1), G. Della Ventura (a2), R. Orlando (a3) and F. Scordari (a1)
1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e Geoambientali, Universita` di Bari, via Orabona, 4, I-70125 Bari, Italy
2 Dipartimento Scienze, Universita` di Roma Tre, Largo S. Leonardo Murialdo 1, I-00146 Rome, Italy
3 Dipartimento di Chimica, Universita` di Torino, Via P. Giuria 5, Turin I-10125, Italy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1180/minmag.2015.079.1.02
The crystal structure of hohmannite, Fe 3+ 2[O(SO4)2]·8H2O, was studied by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) and vibrational spectroscopy. The previous structural model was confirmed, though new diffraction data allowed the hydrogen-bond system to be described in greater and more accurate detail. Ab initio calculations were performed in order to determine accurate H positions and to support the experimental model obtained from XRD data. Infrared and Raman spectra are presented for the first time for this compound and comments are made on the basis of the crystal structure and the known literature for sulfate minerals.
COPYRIGHT: © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2015
* E-mail: gennaro.ventruti@uniba.it
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hohmannite
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FTIR spectroscopy


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The Rural Urban Divide
The Places
Many Americans struggle to adapt to heavy urbanization
The United States has become an increasingly urbanized society over the course of its history — reaching a tipping point just after the turn of the 20th century when urban dwellers outnumbered rural folks for the first time in the nation's history. New technologies and changing economics made it so that there were more job opportunities in major cities than in the country and a new culture celebrating city life sprung up, thanks in large part to the advent of the automobile. By the 1960s nearly two-thirds of Americans lived in cities, and that number is north of 80% in the new millennium.
Mulberry Street in NYC's Little Italy around 1900 shows that urbanization is nothing new in some places
But with this urbanization has come new problems which have not been fully addressed. Transportation, infrastructure, and cost of living concerns are among the biggest challenges facing those who live in cities of all sizes, and as the large cities continue to grow these problems grow exponentially.
The most pressing of these for most people, especially for those under 50, is the rising cost of living. Buying a home in cities like New York and San Francisco is nearly impossible for the vast majority, and even midsize and smaller cities like Denver and Seattle are becoming more and more inaccessible by the day. Even the rental markets are becoming problematic as younger people flood in looking for economic opportunities.
Some cities, like Phoenix and Houston, have responded by continually expanded outward, keeping the market for homes well stocked and keeping prices down. It helps that regulations and zoning rules here are much lower than in most large cities, allowing for rapid construction. These cities also have the benefit of vast expanses of largely unused land in several directions to allow for urban sprawl — a luxury not available to older cities or those with natural barriers like oceans, rivers, and mountains.
Other cities have experienced other events allowing the costs to remain or become low, think Detroit's utter economic collapse or New Orleans' devastation by Hurricane Katrina. Of course, nobody wants these types of events to occur, but reaping the benefits of them are the frugal minded who expect the markets to rebound, or simply wish to own a home, regardless of whether the area it is in has economic opportunities. Like the urbanization of 100 years ago, modern technology allows for even more flexibility for where to live, as many can simply work from home using the internet.
Of course, we can't discuss urbanization without discussing gentrification. Among the fastest growing cities, much of the growth has been among young white people, who find that the only places they can afford to purchase are in traditionally minority dominated neighborhoods, pushing older families out by increasing the cost of living there and by altering the character of the neighborhood. The radical shift of New York City serves as an example, and traditionally black dominated areas like Harlem and The Bronx are beginning to feel the strain.
West Harlem has long been a heavily black community
Still others are looking elsewhere for ways to live more cheaply. Smaller cities and exurbs are starting to get the overflow of growth from the major metropolises — cities many outside of them have not heard of yet, but are destined to become major urban centers of their own. Examples may include Fredericksburg, Virginia and Stillwater, Oklahoma, which are poised to have housing booms of their own over the next decade or so but remain relatively cheap when compared with the nearest urban cities of Washington and Oklahoma City, respectively.
Interestingly, a reverse trend of younger people moving back to rural areas has not yet occurred, despite the much lower cost of living and housing in many small towns. Many have grown accustomed to city life and all that it carries with it — better transportation and infrastructure being among them, as well as bias against rural life as being crude and old-fashioned — earning many the elitist label given by those out in the country.
For others, it simply isn't practical to do so. Despite the possibility of working remotely via an internet connection, the service available is much sparser and, in many cases, of a lower quality than in the cities. From the providers' standpoint, this makes sense: Lower population density means fewer customers.
An even more interesting trend that has developed, however, is alternative housing. Tiny homes are experiencing heightened levels of interest among the younger set, as they take up very little space, are relatively inexpensive, and can easily be placed on cheap lots which are still near enough to the city to meet their needs. Some others consider tiny home communities to be nothing more than glorified trailer parks — elitism once more, but also practical from a long-term value point of view.
Tiny homes could be the wave of the future for some
Still others have gone even further, opting to live in RVs or on houseboats. Renting a houseboat in a place like Portland, for example, could cost easily a third as much as renting an apartment or home — even including additional costs like fuel and marina or slip fees. RV or vandwelling are another matter, as many cities and towns have rules against living in a vehicle, considering it more or less adding to the problem of congestion and homelessness without contributing by paying property taxes or other fees. But for those who are participating in this trend, those are features, not bugs.
In any event, the urbanization in many major cities is beginning to reach a tipping point — if it hasn't already gone over the edge. Soon some cities may consist primarily of the relatively wealthy while others experience massive urban flight. Either way, it is one of the most pressing economic issues of our time and, like most others, there are no easy solutions, and those who are able to adapt will thrive.
Published by The Rural Urban Divide
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denver, detroit, fredericksburg, gentrification, houseboats, houston, hurricane katrina, millennials, new orleans, New York, oklahoma city, phoenix, portland, rv, san francisco, seattle, stillwater, tiny houses, urbanization, washington
The election of 1896 was the first real Rural Urban Divide in the United States
Jackson, Mississippi has never fully recovered from the Civil War
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Cueritos: Pickled Pork Rinds from Tortas Paquime
Erica O'Neil
Erica O'Neil | April 13, 2011 | 1:19pm
Despite what the supermarket aisle may lead you to believe, there's more to an animal than neatly wrapped styrofoam trays of meat. From tongue to tail, offal (pronounced awful) encompasses all those taboo edibles that don't make the cut at your local grocer. Just Offal is here to explore these oft-neglected byproducts of butchering, featuring different offal meals from establishments across the Valley.
This week: Pickled Pork Rind served up by Tacos Paquime.
The Ick Factor: Pickling any kind of meat product is generally a recipe for disaster. Veggies like cucumbers, giardiniera, peppers and okra are one thing. Everyone loves a gherkin. We've met few who profess the same undying love for pickled pig feet, hog hocks, herring, eggs, or tongue (aside from our grandpa). Pickled pork rinds are just as weird, since you're essentially eating skin that's been chopped into tiny strips and brined until jellied.
(bite into all the juicy details after the jump)
The Offal Choice: Off the antojitos menu (the equivalent of Mexican munchies) we ordered a tall glass of cueritos. Strips of pickled pork rind piled high with a slaw composed of cabbage, cucumber, lime and chile sauce.
Tastes Just Like: The cueritos had a slightly salty flavor profile due to the brine it was pickled in, but on the whole they were fairly innocuous and took on the taste of what they were mixed with. In this case, our pork rinds were spicy from the chile sauce, tart from the fresh lime juice, and cool from the addition of cabbage and cucumber.
Again, as is the case with most offal, it's really the texture that is most off-putting because the flavor was a nice blend of savory and spicy. The texture of the cueritos was a bit like biting into a chewy, jellied meat product. The pork rinds spring against your teeth when chewing, and have an almost cartilaginous texture.
You Know It's Cooked Improperly When: Considering it's pickled pork rind, you need a solid brine on those strips or they'll run a bit on the chewy side, and when your pork rind is already inherently chewy, you kind of want to avoid that scenario.
Always been a DIY-er? Look for jars of pickled pork rind in the Mexican aisle of just about any grocery store. El Mexicano is one brand that has never let us down, and it comes peppered with tiny carrots afloat in tasty brine. Use pickled pork rinds as a substitute for any kind of taco or tostada topping, or try your hand at making one of Taco Paquime's antojitos for yourself: paquitostitos (Mexican potato chips topped with all sorts of goodness), chilindrinas (pork rinds topped with avocado and slaw), or the cueritos (pork rinds topped with Mexi-slaw).
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We simply need to take our position and stand our ground, fix our eyes on GOD, giving HIM glory and honor and obeying whatever command HE gives us.
ALWAYS REMEMBER: THE LORD is your SHIELD and your DEFENSE, and He is the GOD WHO UPHOLDS YOU. It is better to be a friend of GOD than to be HIS enemy (James 4:4), and GOD always takes care of HIS own children (Psalm 16:5).
"The LORD is my strength and my shield, In Him hath my heart trusted, And I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, And with my song will I praise Him," (Psalm 28:7 JPS Tanakh 1917). "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust," (Psalm 91:2 KJV).
This entry was posted in Devotions, INSPIRATION IN THE QUIET and tagged battles, changes, christianity, circumstances, defense, deliverance, enemies, family, fight, friends, general, inspiration, journal, life, personal, problems, Quiet Place, relationships, religion, salvation, shield, toxic family members, toxic friends, toxic relationships, toxic relatives, trials, truth, unholy alliance, unshaken, vengeance, wicked, Word, writing. Bookmark the permalink.


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Wards 4, 5, 6 forum draws crowd
By Amy Porter
Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Phelon served as moderator for the forum. (Photo by Amy Porter)
WESTFIELD – As moderator for the Wards 4, 5 and 6 forums on Oct. 28, Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kate Phelon welcomed a roomful of residents to the Senior Center, thanking Tina Gorman and her staff for hosting, Hope Tremblay of The Westfield News for timekeeping, and Ken Stomski of Channel 15 for recording the event.
Ward 4 incumbent Michael Burns and candidate Mary O'Connell began with introductions before answering four questions posed by Phelon, and ending with a closing statement; the format for all of the ward forums.
Burns said in the 22 months he has been the Ward 4 councilor he has focused on repairing, repaving and refurbishing roads in the ward, including most recently Northwest and Upper Granville. He also talked about improving public safety through a short-term rental ordinance.
Ward 4 Incumbent Michael Burns and candidate Mary O'Connell. (Photo by Amy Porter)
O'Connell said she believed she would be a better candidate to deal with troubling debt, water contamination and crumbling infrastructure. She said during her previous tenure on the council, she had supported reductions in increases each budget season.
Asked whether the candidates were satisfied with the Western Avenue infrastructure project, neither candidate said they were. O'Connell said it had been on the books for decades and knew it would be tough. She said she had been a big part of the planning process four years ago, and had made substantive changes to the design, such as eliminating a traffic rotary, and reducing the width of the south side sidewalks to five foot.
Burns said he had never been in favor of the project; but had advocated instead for a road through the Westfield State University campus to Route 20. However, he said the project is being done, and residents have no choice. He said he meets frequently with the city engineer and mayor for updates on the progress, and in turn meets with the Westfield State president to keep the university updated.
The next question was about the relationship with the city and Westfield State, which Burns said has improved. He said he made a point to speak to every resident on Overlook Drive, and was surprised at their acceptance of the campus. "The relationship with the city and the college is good right now," Burns said.
O'Connell said she had formerly been on a Neighborhood Advisory Board that met frequently to resolve issues that came up between residents and the university, which she said was effective. When she served on the Westfield 350 committee this past year, they involved college students in the plans. "They were great assets for many events," O'Connell said, adding that among other contributions they designed the Westfield 350 logo. She said she would like to continue keeping the students involved.
To the question of Westfield's weak mayor and strong council form of government being contentious at times, and how would the candidates like to improve it, O'Connell acknowledged there has been animosity at times, and said she believed it was communication on both sides. She said councilors could reach out more to the mayor but didn't always feel welcome, and thought more cordiality is needed.
"Mayor Sullivan has been nothing but cordial to me," said Burns, adding, "I'd like to thank him for all the help in Ward 4." He also said people need to get along, resolve their issues on the council floor, and not be on one side or the other. "I love this city," he added.
When asked their priorities for Ward 4, Burns listed stormwater concerns. He said sixty percent of road damage is caused by water runoff. He also talked about the challenges in his ward of private wells and septic systems, and said sidewalks suffered when Chapter 90 funds were cut. Burns also pointed out that he was one of the original sponsors for the stabilization fund for roads and sidewalks, which he hopes the next mayor will consider funding.
O'Connell said her top priority is infrastructure, with roads crumbling, and sidewalks with tree roots coming up. She said it is Ward 4's turn to get their fair share.
In closing, O'Connell said she served on the City Council with commitment and dedication for twelve years, and was always well educated on the issues and came prepared. As the owner of two businesses, she said she understands red tape, and can identify a problem, as she did with a home rule petition that allowed pathways for private roads to become public roads. She also said water resources protection is a priority, and that she would not make false promises. "I humbly ask for your vote," O'Connell said.
Burns said when he took over as Ward 4 councilor it was a mess up there; people couldn't drive down Northwest or Granville roads, the repair of both which he called promises kept. He said he served on relationship, response and respect, which leads to results. "I have been so blessed. I grew up in a large family, (and learned) it's not what you have but what you give." He also thanked the Department of Public Works, Engineering Department and the Mayor.
Ward 5 Incumbent Leslie D. LeFebvre and candidate At-large Councilor John J. Beltrandi, III. (Photo by Amy Porter)
After a short break, incumbent Ward 5 Councilor Leslie D. LeFebvre and At-large Councilor John J. Beltrandi, III, who is running this year as a candidate for Ward 5 were next to introduce themselves.
LeFebvre spoke about his 40 years as an aerospace engineer at UTC, where he was in charge of projects, testing and deliverables. He said for the last five years he managed a project engineering group that grew from five to 50 people.
He said when he started on the City Council, his first priority was sewers for his ward, and now has a feasibility study on the table. Roads and stormwater were also on his list. "My biggest key to being successful is teamwork," LeFebvre said about himself.
Beltrandi began by thanking the hosts and the residents for attending. He said he has been a resident of Ward 5 for 38 years, and will be married for 41 years Nov. 4. He said he has five grandchildren that he has used for political purposes in his ads, to laughter from those gathered.
Beltrandi said as a builder, an employer who pays payroll and real estate taxes, and an at-large councilor for seven years, he has an extensive background. "My experience is there. I think I can represent Ward 5," he said.
Asked about the "hot topic" of road conditions and whether the city has a good plan in place for projects and maintenance, Beltrandi said that Ward 5 has been a recipient of road projects in the last few years. He said the city's master plan needs millions of dollars to fund, and is based on priority. "I think the project is moving along well, and is well planned out."
LeFebvre agreed. "There is a good plan in place. Ward 5 is in pretty good shape," he said, adding that as the liaison to the DPW, he thinks they have been doing an excellent job.
As for opportunities for economic development in Ward 5, LeFebvre said he would like to see business increased. He said he helped Skyline Trading Company transfer its licenses there, which he believes is a good business for his ward. He said with infrastructure improvement, the city can bring in more business.
Beltrandi said there are opportunities, but the city has been without an advancement officer since Joe Mitchell resigned. He mentioned the empty storefronts on East Main Street, and the new gas station that Big Y will be bringing in.
"We need to be business friendly. We need a city advancement officer, and the council and mayor to invite businesses in," he said.
Phelon then asked if there were to be a potential change in the golf course, what they would like to see in its place.
Beltrandi said it's in a residential zone, and condominiums abut the property now. He talked about the ample frontage and the enormous amount of wetlands on the property. "No business is going to go there other than a golf course, other than residential use," he said.
LeFebvre said he lives right next door, and agreed that residential would come in due to the terrain, and the canal on one side of the property. He said with condominiums right next door, they could build more like they did in Southwick, and they would be very successful.
When asked about their top priority for Ward 5, LeFebvre said "sewers": He said in speaking to residents, everyone talked about sewers. "The first priority is to start a sewer project in the Shaker Road area," he said.
"Residents," answered Beltrandi, adding that it's very important that residents feel they can reach out to councilors. He said at a recent candidate's luncheon a resident who had been waiting two years to get a guard rail fixed asked him about it, and he got it fixed in two days. "It's important to have someone with contacts within City Hall," he said. He also said he didn't see sewers happening in Ward 5 anytime soon.
In closing, Beltrandi thanked everyone, and ran down again his years of service to the city, the community, his family, and his eleven years on the Air National Guard. "As a Ward 5 councilor, it'd be important to me to provide people with answers and services. I'd like to do the job," he said.
LeFebvre said his number one priority is also the residents. He said as a project manager, when someone calls him, he documents it, and forges a path. He said safety is another priority for him, such as more speed limit signs on Shaker Road. He said he helped put in a crosswalk at the bike path, and has asked for flashing lights.
LeFebvre said with his 40 years of experience at UTC, an engineering degree and an MBA, he has been very successful with projects that made budget. He said he is also a proud six-year veteran of the Army National Guard.
"Thank you Ward 5 for the privilege and honor of being your Ward Counselor," LeFebvre said, and asked to be re-elected so he can continue to serve.
Ward 6 Candidate Jeffrey A. Neece and incumbent William Onyski. (Photo by Amy Porter)
Up next, Ward 6 candidate Jeffrey A. Neece and incumbent William Onyski took turns introducing themselves, both beginning with thank you's to the hosts of the forum.
Onyski also thanked the Westfield residents, friends and family for coming. He said he is privileged to have been entrusted as the Ward 6 councilor for two terms, and has also served on the Legislative & Ordinance, Personnel and Charter and Rules committee, as well as liaison to Westfield Barnes Airport.
He said since he's been on the council, he's worked on sewer projects, the FAA noise ordinance, zone changes, and water runoff. "It's satisfying to help," he said.
Neece said he is new to city politics, but has been a ward resident for 34 years, and has "worked everywhere else." He retired from running nine departments in the city of Chicopee for 60,000 people. He said behind the scenes, he advised the city council in Chicopee.
"It's time to give back to the city where I live," Neece said.
Phelon then asked about water concerns in Ward 6, and whether the candidates believe the city has taken the best course of action to provide clean water and seek funds to pay for the costs of filtration of Wells 1, 2, 7 and 8.
Neece said he has a water operator's license from the state. "I could run the Water Department if I wanted to," he said. He then asked whether the water problem was solved, and answered, "I think not."
He said the scientists at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, are saying there are 5,000 PFAS contaminants that exist, and it is not known if they can be tested or filtered out. He said he believes the solution is to connect to another community for another source of water.
Onyski said he believes the city has taken the best course of action. "The Westfield City Council after several votes made the decision to clean the water," he said. He added that he does not advocate going to another city for water, which opens up a lot of other issues that need to be addressed.
Onyski agreed there should be a Plan B, but the immediate concern is getting the wells filtered. "The city did what they had to do," he said.
Candidates were then asked about their thoughts on the proposal to exclude development in the north side through a change in zoning.
Onyski said zoning is constantly being looked at in the city, but there is no firm proposal in place. "We need business to grow; we can't make everything residential," he said, adding that he's leery of any massive zone changes. He also said the airport is being set up to be able to accept more business development soon.
Neece agreed that any across the board restrictions on zoning in a ward restricts new growth, and it's important to keep flexibility. However, he said certain facilities could be restricted.
Asked about solutions to traffic congestion at Exit 3 on the turnpike, Neece acknowledged that it is a problem, pointing especially to truck traffic on the Mass Pike that ends up on Holyoke Road going to Lane's Quarry. "You can't totally restrict truck traffic from roads. They have the right to drive the roads," he said, adding that the city can have a road plan, and suggest alternate routes.
"The problem is not only at the interchange; that's where it shows,' Onyski said. He said there is not enough room to get onto the Turnpike, and the city and state looked at putting in a slip ramp access across from Savage Arms, but it didn't work.
"There is no real easy solution to this," Onyski said, adding that he's been looking at it for four years. He said another problem is that the bridge on East Mountain Road is too low. He acknowledged that truck traffic is a problem, not only at the interchange, but throughout the city and Ward 6.
Onyski said his top priorities are water, traffic, and quality of life issues for residents. He talked about the recent tree clearing on East Mountain Road which he's been working on with the city.
"Although a person allegedly does something wrong, the city needs to go through the proper channels," he said.
Onyski also mentioned education, which he said hadn't been mentioned in the forums. "I fully support education," he said, adding that he supports the Franklin Avenue Elementary School remodel, and then after that Westfield High School. "Good education, good high schools bring people in. It's very important for residents," he said.
Neece said his biggest priority is cleaning the water. He said the city has done a great first step with the filtration systems, but doesn't believe they are safe enough because all compounds won't be filtered out. He said he can help with the problem, because he has a water operator's license.
His second priority is infrastructure. He said he wants to see the city increase funds for road improvement every year, and believes he could help get more federal Transportation Improvement Program funding through his experience serving on the Joint Transportation Committee locally.
In closing, Neece thanked residents for educating themselves at the forum. "I feel that I'm a very valid candidate," he said, referring back to his experience managing city departments in Chicopee. He said his is a new voice with experience, and could bring tools to the city.
Onyski also thanked everybody. He said since August he had personally visited over 1,200 homes in Ward 6. He said he heard a lot of different things, one being that a lot of residents are very happy to live in Westfield. "It's not all doom and gloom," he said.
"Please know in all cases, my vote has always been for the best interests of the residents in Ward 6," Onyski added, before wishing his mother-in-law in the audience a happy birthday.
Related Items:elections, featured, ward 4, ward 5, ward 6, westfield
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Written by Jonathan C. Robinson, Ph.D., Teachable Moments is a source book for parents and helping-professionals who want both the spiritual context and step-by-step, practical tools for effective, engaged, Christian parenting.
Available at national retailers for $17.99, or you can purchase it here for $15.00! Buy Now!


In 2009 I heard an interview on local radio. Some people were talking about a speaking club in Mole Valley and I wondered whether there was anything similar in my area. I couldn't remember the name of the club, so I just did a search for "speakers club Woking" and discovered the wonderful people at Woking Speakers Club. I checked their website and found out when their next meeting was. At that time they met in a village hall and, having no idea what to expect, went along for a visit. I was warmly welcomed, invited to sit with a member who explained how the meeting worked and what to expect. They applauded when I spoke at the warm-up and invited me to join them at the pub after the meeting. I decided to join that night! That incredible group of people played an important part in helping me to become the person I am today (whether they like it or not!) and I will be forever grateful to them.
I know it feels like a strange time to start thinking about the next group of leaders. If you're anything like me, you've been through a bit of a shock at being elected to your role and you've experienced some awe when you've thought about the task ahead. However, you've built relationships with mentors and friends, you've had some training and you start to feel like you know what you're doing. Surely it's not time to hand over the baton just yet?
Well, no, it's not quite time yet. You do have another few months to serve your members, see your vision come to fruition and develop your skills in leadership and communication. However, it's never too early to start thinking about who you can ask to step up. Who can you nurture and encourage by suggesting they stand for election as a club officer or district leader? They may need some time to think about your suggestion, ask questions and seek advice from people they respect and admire.
First let me start with a thank you to Porthcawl Speakers for inviting me to their fantastic charter dinner evening. A great event to celebrate their club chartering. Already there are photos on Facebook on the night.
This month launches the club growth initiative and join me in welcoming four new clubs to our district.


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Home > Foreign Corruption Whistleblowers > U.S. laws and strong international whistleblower programs could bolster anti-corruption efforts worldwide
U.S. laws and strong international whistleblower programs could bolster anti-corruption efforts worldwide
By Tinker Ready on February 4, 2019
Posted in Foreign Corruption Whistleblowers, Global Whistleblowers, News
From Feb.1: "International Conference on Anticorruption Policies" took place in Attica, Greece on Feb. 1. Sponsored by the Hellenic Anti-Corruption Organization. Speakers at the meeting included Vladimir Hrle from the European Criminal Bar Association, Ciro Stazzeri from Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Center-Italy, Mia Rupcic of the Antibribery Academy International and George Patoulis, MD, the President of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece and NWC director and Washington-based lawyer Stephen M. Kohn.
Several US whistleblower laws have international applications that have been used to fight fraud and corruption worldwide.
The laws are key to anti-bribery efforts, and insider disclosures have already resulted in millions of dollars in fines in the U.S. and beyond, Washington-based lawyer Stephen M. Kohn told a group of international anti-corruption organizations on Friday, February 1.
The "International Conference on Anticorruption Policies" took place in Attica, Greece and was sponsored by the Hellenic Anti-Corruption Organization. Kohn, who is director of the National Whistleblowers Center, was one of the speakers.
Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and IRS anti-fraud laws, the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) can all be applied internationally.
But whistleblowers need to be rewarded and protected from retribution, Kohn said. He has urged the European Parliament to strengthen its proposed whistleblower directive to protect the identity of anonymous whistleblowers.
U.S. whistleblower programs allow for the protection of witnesses and detection of corrupt activities, including bribes paid to politicians by multi-national corporations, Kohn said. Penalties act to deter fraud and bribery.
Without these programs, the costs of exposing fraud and bribery is prohibitive, Kohn said.
Internationally, whistleblowers are a critical source of information on money laundering and off-shore banking violations, he said. In addition, the FCPA prohibits publicly-traded corporations, both U.S. and international, from paying bribes to foreign officials. Kohn cited data collected since 2011: 3,305 whistleblowers from 119 countries outside the U.S. have filed claims under the FCPA whistleblower reward program. In one case, more than $30 million was paid to non-U.S. citizens who reported bribes paid overseas, Kohn noted
Confidential, anonymous reporting, financial rewards, and protection against retaliation are key to successful whistleblower programs, he noted.The SEC and other U.S. agencies run independent whistleblower offices. They work to protect insider anonymity and prohibit retaliation, he said. They investigate the allegation and coordinate rewards for quality information on fraud and bribery. Europe should do the same, Kohn said
Other Speakers at the meeting included Vladimir Hrle from the European Criminal Bar Association, Ciro Stazzeri from Global Infrastructure Anti-Corruption Center-Italy, Mia Rupcic of the Antibribery Academy International and George Patoulis, MD, the President of Central Union of Municipalities of Greece.
Tags: Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, International Whistleblower, Securities and Exchange Commission
Tinker Ready
Tinker Ready is editor-in-chief of the Whistleblower Protection Blog. She has worked with whistleblowers throughout her career as a journalist and investigative reporter.
Tinker's Twitter Profile
Whistleblower news round-up: DOD, SEC and all the way to Africa
Isabel dos Santos. Photo by Nuno Coimbra via Wikipedia
African whistleblowers share paper trail to billionaire's questionable fortune
2020 may be a big year for white collar crime, but report cites poor oversight of accounting firms


Wow! And there he was, just waddling about in Space?
Luv a duck, he's gorgeous.
PG ratted me out. That is what I was looking at. I couldn't resist. Thanks for comments.
:)I can hear him!, wonderful as always.
Truly outstanding and artful presentation!
A healthy looking goose, mdawrcn.
I think that AFLAC guy's a goose too. I remember when some Polish geese chased my 2-yr-old around the farmyard.


Hazlewoods has recently advised Matcon Group Limited on its acquisition by IDEX Corporation.
Matcon Group Limited supply powder handling systems to the pharmaceutical, food and other sectors. It is based in Evesham, Worcestershire, and has a worldwide reach with bases in the United States, Australia, Japan, China and Europe.
Commenting on the acquisition, Charles Lee, Matcon's Managing Director said "We are very excited by the opportunity to become part of the IDEX global family of companies. Through the Material Processing Technology (MPT) group we see tremendous opportunities to expand our offering of lean powders handling solutions to our customers around the world by combining IDEX's considerable process applications expertise, product portfolio and global footprint with Matcon's project engineering and powders handling know-how and technology. The entire Matcon Team is very excited as we enter this new chapter in our Company's development."
Martin Howard, who led the Hazlewoods team together with tax partner Ruth Dooley, noted "Through a combination of hard work and innovation, Matcon has grown to be a very successful company. This deal represents a significant development in the Matcon 'story' and we are delighted for the management team and shareholders. We hope that Matcon will continue to thrive in the future under its new ownership".


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Enseco Energy Services Corp ENSRF
Rating as of Jan 18, 2022
Quote Stock Analysis News Price vs Fair Value Sustainability Trailing Returns Financials Valuation Operating Performance Dividends Ownership Executive
Valuation Jan 18, 2022
Is it the right time to buy or sell?
Find out with Morningstar Premium
1-Star Price
Economic Moat
About Quantitative Ratings
There is no one analyst in which a Quantitative Star Rating and Fair Value Estimate is attributed to; however, Mr. Lee Davidson, Head of Quantitative Research for Morningstar, Inc., is responsible for overseeing the methodology that supports the quantitative fair value. As an employee of Morningstar, Inc., Mr. Davidson is guided by Morningstar, Inc.'s Code of Ethics and Personal Securities Trading Policy in carrying out his responsibilities. For information regarding Conflicts of Interests, click here .
Morningstar Quantitative ratings for equities (denoted on this page by) are generated using an algorithm that compares companies that are not under analyst coverage to peer companies that do receive analyst-driven ratings. Companies withratings are not formally covered by a Morningstar analyst, but are statistically matched to analyst-rated companies, allowing our models to calculate a quantitative moat, fair value, and uncertainty rating. Click here for more on how to use these ratings.
Enseco Energy Services Corp is primarily involved in the exploration of oil and natural resource business activities. It also involved in directional and horizontal drilling, production and frac flow backtesting. The company operates in two regions namely Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and select markets in the United States of America (USA). It derives most of its revenues from the sale of the exploration business and has operations spread across Canada.
138 - 4th Avenue SE, Suite 800
Calgary, AB, T2G 4Z6, Canada
T +1 403 806-0088
blayton@enseco.com
www.enseco.ca
Sector Energy
Industry Oil & Gas Drilling
Most Recent Earnings Jun 30, 2015
Fiscal Year End Dec 31, 2015
Stock Type —


It's a table! It's a chair! It's a storage unit! Oh wait, it's all of these!
In Al-Hamad's Little Oyster, you have a beautiful table that doubles up as a seat and a storage unit in case that one extra person pops up!
As cool as the fold up chair is, that's not the only secret hiding in this boxy, wood-grain piece. You see, lift up that seat again and you have a compartment for storing things (Blankets anyone?). Also, it also has a lighting system at the rear! Phew!


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Q: How do I create an algorithm that has the possibility of creating affine planes? I want to create an algorithm that can generate affine planes of order 3, 4 and 5 if possible in python, I don't know how, and also that these planes can be seen graphically, the image that I am going to show next was from someone who He showed me that it was possible.
With SageMath I try to do some models with the function GF (Abelian group) and other similar resources but finally I don't find nothing that really works. Any tip will also work.
affine plane
Transformations

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Lygia Pape Orange 1955
MoMA, Floor 4, 406 The David Geffen Galleries
Pape was a founding member of Grupo Frente, which embraced the rigorous geometric abstraction practiced by the Russian avant-garde and the German Bauhaus as a visual language worthy of the utopian spirit of Brazilian modernist reinvention in the 1950s. Pape rigorously restricted her artistic vocabulary to a few elements to show their limitless possibilities. By using the same material, color scheme, and square format, she created a modular system.
Gallery label from "Collection 1940s—1970s", 2019
Additional text
Orange comprises nine identical geometric modules configured to show various possibilities of their rotation. In its use of repetitive, activated geometry, Orange exemplifies the Concrete art created by the Rio de Janeiro–based avant-garde group known as Grupo Frente, which also included artists Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica.
Gallery label from Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction, April 19 - August 13, 2017.
Oil and tempera on board, nine panels
Each 15 5/8 x 15 5/8 x 1 1/2" (39.7 x 39.7 x 3.8 cm)
Promised gift of Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis
PG1897.2008.a-i
© 2021 Projeto Lygia Pape
Lygia Pape has 8 works online.
Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction Apr 15–Aug 13, 2017 7 other works identified
Making Space: Women Artists and Postwar Abstraction Apr 15–Aug 13, 2017
406A: In and Out of Paris Ongoing 2 other works identified


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Q: Is it possible to include intellisense for the object global of globalsType in the RoslynPad RoslynCodeEditor control? I've been working with the RoslynCodeEditor control and attempting to find a way to pass my globals object to the RoslynCodeEditor and have intellisense within my scripts.
Does anyone know how I can grant access to the context object properties or methods when editing my script using RoslynCodeEditor control?
MyContext context = new MyContext();
context.Data = data;
ScriptOptions scriptOptions = ScriptOptions.Default;
scriptOptions = scriptOptions.WithReferences(ReferencesAndImports.References);
scriptOptions = scriptOptions.WithImports(ReferencesAndImports.Imports);
var scriptState = await CSharpScript.EvaluateAsync<string>("int i = 0;", scriptOptions, context, typeof(MyContext));

A: You need to add the globals type to the design-time compilation. To do that, you'll need a custom RoslynHost (supported in version 2.4 and up):
public class CustomRoslynHost : RoslynHost
{
    protected override Project CreateProject(Solution solution, DocumentCreationArgs args, CompilationOptions compilationOptions, Project previousProject = null)
    {
        var name = args.Name ?? "Program";
        var id = ProjectId.CreateNewId(name);

        var parseOptions = new CSharpParseOptions(kind: SourceCodeKind.Script, languageVersion: LanguageVersion.Latest);

        compilationOptions = compilationOptions.WithScriptClassName(name);

        solution = solution.AddProject(ProjectInfo.Create(
            id,
            VersionStamp.Create(),
            name,
            name,
            LanguageNames.CSharp,
            isSubmission: true,
            parseOptions: parseOptions,
            hostObjectType: typeof(MyContext),
            compilationOptions: compilationOptions,
            metadataReferences: previousProject != null ? ImmutableArray<MetadataReference>.Empty : DefaultReferences,
            projectReferences: previousProject != null ? new[] { new ProjectReference(previousProject.Id) } : null));

        var project = solution.GetProject(id);

        return project;
    }
}

Then add a reference to the assembly the type resides in. For example:
new CutomRoslynHost(
    references: RoslynHostReferences.Default.With(
        typeNamespaceImports: new[] { typeof(MyContext) }),
    additionalAssemblies: ...);


A golden entrance, a psychedelic club and 'lifted' facades with imprints of surrounding buildings are the key elements of THE IMPRINT, the new MVRDV-designed art-entertainment near Seoul's Incheon Airport.
Disco Gufram: club culture meets radical design. Are you ready to dance off?
Impetuous sofas, flamboyant carpets and afterparty melted disco-balls. Everybody rocks with the the Disco Gufram collection!
From Studio 54 to Berghain and Rem Koolhaas' shape-shifting proposal for London Ministry of Sound II. The "Night Fever" exhibition at Vitra design Museum explores the history of nightclubs through interior design, architecture, new media and alternative lifestyles.
Pole dancing robots at Las Vegas' Sapphire gentlemen club shake their silicon booty to "attract women" and make reflect on digital voyeurism during CES 2018.
Kraftwerk meet Frank Gehry, Daft Punk perform in space age interiors while Le Corbusier and Xenakis composed a pavilion inspired by the very first electronic music track. We selected 10 projects merging sound and space.
From candlelight tradition to urban dance floors with a cement mixer disco-ball: Lyon festival of lights "Fête des Lumières" featured a glimmering installation by Benedetto Bufalino.
Studio C102 matches fitness experience with nightclub design and creates dark and moody interiors for underground 1Rebel gym in London.
With Disco Disco, Haberdashery developed a 21st century disco ball that can interact with music thanks to circular grids of pixelated LED lights.
French filmaker Michel Gondry shoot Chemical Brothers' new music video in Paris brutalist architecture, just a stone's throw away from the Eiffel tower… and a Statue of Liberty.
With the Futopia Faena immersive exhibition Studio Job installs a roller disco at the Faena Art Center Buenos Aires to celebrate four years of collaboration.
Twerking meet design. From TW3RKBOT 1.0 of Basement Jaxx's video to the "Real Booty Music" project. Artists, designers and engineers playfully go beyond Miley Cyrus hype.
In Dubai, Lumière cinematic light installation by Commonplace Studio offered a meteorogical spectacle under a cloud composed of pendant lightbulbs.
Transparent Speaker by Swedish start up and design agency PEOPLE PEOPLE brings music, wireless cutting-edge design and a sustainable approach in the living room.
A suspendended sculptural light intallation by 1024architecture pulses and breathes with music thanks to interactive LED lines transforming an industrial space in an open-air dancefloor.


You gotta hand it to the Chinese. When it comes to spectacle, they're the best in the world.
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad opened at 08:08:08 on 08/08/08 (did I mention that the number 8 is considered to be lucky in Asian cultures?) and it was the most interesting and visually stimulating opening ceremonies ever.
I can still see the 2,008 drummers all moving, yelling and striking their drums with the precision of a synchronized swim team. It was stirring entertainment.
And yes, you can fault the Chinese government for their controlling policies, their human rights deficiencies, and their virtual strangulation of Tibet.
But sometimes you've even got to give the devil its due for staging a spectacle that should have the organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver wondering what they can do for an encore.
Take my advice, Canucks, don't even try. Go the complete opposite way — Neil Young, solo, on acoustic guitar.


Van Damme, Sofie, W LANGENAEKER, and Patrick Bultinck. 2008. "Prediction of Blood-brain Partitioning: A Model Based on Ab Initio Calculated Quantum Chemical Descriptors." Journal of Molecular Graphics & Modelling 26 (8): 1223–1236.
Van Damme, Sofie, LANGENAEKER, W., & Bultinck, P. (2008). Prediction of blood-brain partitioning: A model based on ab initio calculated quantum chemical descriptors. JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR GRAPHICS & MODELLING, 26(8), 1223–1236.
Van Damme S, LANGENAEKER W, Bultinck P. Prediction of blood-brain partitioning: A model based on ab initio calculated quantum chemical descriptors. JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR GRAPHICS & MODELLING. 2008;26(8):1223–36.
Van Damme, Sofie, W LANGENAEKER, and Patrick Bultinck. "Prediction of Blood-brain Partitioning: A Model Based on Ab Initio Calculated Quantum Chemical Descriptors." JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR GRAPHICS & MODELLING 26.8 (2008): 1223–1236. Print.


text:
Up Front by Emma Hart
1:25PM Nov 24, 2008 • Read Post
Up Front: Knights in White Flannel
First ←Older Page 1 2 3 Newer→ Last
Kyle Matthews, 22:07 Nov 24, 2008
NZ has only had three genuinely world class players- Bond, Vettori and Cairns
Yeah. Fleming, the world class player who never quite showed it. Oram the world class player who breaks when playing the game. Bond, the world class player who hardly ever, and now maybe never will, play.
Richardson was good though. Only really a good test player, not ODIs, which is unusual for NZ.
McCullum is so great batting down the order it is a real shame to see him wasted in the top order.
It's my understanding that McCullum is playing up the order at his demand.
I suspect it wouldn't be allowed to happen if it was against the interests of the team if we didn't have a coach that seems to increasingly be a benchwarmer.
It'd be nice to see them play Fulton at 3, then Ryder, Taylor, Flynn, McCullum, Vettori at Adelaide.
Matthew Littlewood, 23:53 Nov 24, 2008
Good summary. Fleming was the total enigma though- maybe he ultimately sacrificed becoming a world class player to become a world-class captain. I know it's a cliche to mention this about him, but between the scores of 30 and 60, he made batting look so easy. And then all of a sudden he'd get out, invariably upwardly driving a ball to a fielder neatly positioned on the on-side. It happened with such regularity.
Today, Tomorrow, Timaru • Since Jan 2007 • 449 posts Report Reply
And those slashes straight to the gully fielder.
If he'd had some sort of hard-wiring which only allowed him to play in the V, he might have scored slower, but his average would be over 40 I'm sure.
The thing that annoyed me most about Fleming is that sometimes he'd come out to the wicket and you could just tell that he was going to have a big one. That innings in that shortened match at the world cup in South Africa - against South Africa? Took the game by the scruff of the neck and said "I'm going to win this one".
If he'd done that successfully twice as often...
Ben Chapman, 08:48 Nov 25, 2008
If we're being totally honest, since the retirement of Crowe, NZ has only had three genuinely world class players- Bond, Vettori and Cairns.
No specialist batsman, which probably makes all the difference.
Three world-class players in 10 odd years might not sound that many, but – without doing any analysis – I reckon most other teams haven't been that much more lucky. Also, since Crowe's retirement, I don't think we've done that badly. We've been nowhere near our eighties' peak, but we have recovered from our nineties' depression. We've slumped significantly in the last few years, but I reckon that has more to do with the sub-world-class players we've lost in that time.
LegBreak, 09:15 Nov 25, 2008
Fleming was the total enigma though- maybe he ultimately sacrificed becoming a world class player to become a world-class captain
Spot on.
Fleming, for most of his career, sacrificed himself by batting higher than he should have (he even got test centuries opening) for the sake of his team.
Something he never got enough credit for.
The best No. 5 we never had.
Stephen, 09:18 Nov 25, 2008
It's actually a couple of decimal points over :-O
Auckland • Since Apr 2008 • 47 posts Report Reply
Stewart, 09:42 Nov 25, 2008
I had high hopes for Ross Taylor when he first came on the scene but overall he has disappointed.
Could this be because of the coaching/management stifling his natural game, or is it because he is not quite capable of making the necessary step-up to test level?
I had so wanted him to be a rock in the early middle-order, regularly getting 70 runs and anchoring the innings.
Oh well, normal service has been resumed.
Te Ika A Maui - Whakatane… • Since Oct 2008 • 577 posts Report Reply
Emma Hart, 10:12 Nov 25, 2008
Just to date me almost to a year, it was the 1992 CWC that sparked my interest in the game. A vertiable fairytale of a tournament. Not just because of the victories, but the nature of them- whether it was the sublime batting of Crowe, the pinch-hitting of Greatbatch or the bafflingly miserly bowling attack of Larsen, Harris, Watson and Patel. Everything just came into place...until a chubby Pakistani called Inziman decided to spoil things.
Indeed, I loved that tournament - dreadful uniforms aside. It was years before I really forgave Inzamam for that performance.
Greatbatch was almost surreal. He got pushed up to open specifically to whack shit out of it, and he seemed able to do that every game.
And I did love that slow bowling, watching teams' run rates slow to a crawl as we choked the life out of them. There was some blinding fielding, I remember a Patel catch in the deep... For a while in the late nineties, while we weren't so great at batting or bowling you could still rely on our fielding to save about fifteen or twenty runs.
40.06 for tests. He was never an ODI number three, but then neither was anyone else.
3410, 12:25 Nov 25, 2008
New coach for BLACK CAPS
Auckland • Since Jan 2007 • 2618 posts Report Reply
Well, that was quick. Mott only pulled away from the poisoned chalice this morning.
giovanni tiso, 12:37 Nov 25, 2008
Meanwhile, Braces on the 'where should McCullum bat' conundrum
It's not about going with the populous decision it is about going with the right decision and Brendon McCullum is a class act.
From this moment forward, I only ever intend to make populous decisions.
I've made a few of them.
Heh - I'm pretty sure that's the last videogame I've ever played.
(Recently I picked up a computer magazine - also the first in 15 years or so - and on the DVD along with the other fluff it had the full version of a game franchise that was turning ten, so they were giving away the original for free. And I thought hey, a ten year old game will still be newer than anything else I've played.)
(Damn, I should stay in more.)
(So, the Black Caps will be coached by Moles, hey? I smell some horrible jokes on that if he's still in charge next time we tour England.)
I smell some horrible jokes on that if he's still in charge next time we tour England
That's just not a game a team with Ryan Sidebottom in it should be playing.
Congratulations to 4th Choice Andy.
Yes, although when our crowds trying to crack jokes about him, the results were bone-chillingly unfunny.
Jake Pollock, 13:03 Nov 25, 2008
Those floods can be very useful for washing out a test if defeat is otherwise imminent.
Raumati South • Since Nov 2006 • 489 posts Report Reply
Bart Janssen, 13:32 Nov 25, 2008
Argghh Inzamam - the memory still makes me shudder.
My favourite NZ team comes from the time of Coney as player and as captain. During that time we had two players of genuine class (Hadlee and Crowe). The rest of the team would never had been picked in an Australian side. But they did what I love about really good teams, they each played their role above and beyond their ability. They set aside personal glory shots for the good of the team. And as a result they trusted each other.
For the last 10-15 years I've seen that will to perform for the team disappear and with it the trust that the other guys will do their best.
We don't have any players of real international class in the side (we could argue about Vettori), but they are good and sometimes better than good. But they don't have that magic that a real team has.
Without wishing to pick on him but McCullum exemplifies it, he is more interested in his chance to get more runs batting higher in the order than in what might be best for the team.
Really great coaches get average players to perform at a higher level. And just one comment about our current coach. He stated that he wanted to focus on our ODI performance and that if tests suffered because of that then so be it. Economics demand that ODIs are the priority. So lets judge Bracewell on how much he improved the ODI performance, he started in 2003
2002 rating 95 8th
2004 rating 120 2nd
2005 rating 111 4th
2007 rating 112 3rd
from ICC-cricket December rating (except for 08 which is November).
So Bracewell did better than 8th. Good luck to Moles he only has to do better than 5th :).
Oh, if I could command the weather we'd never lose another test match, no question about that.
Steve Parks, 14:33 Nov 25, 2008
We don't have any players of real international class in the side (we could argue about Vettori),
Yeah Vettori's pretty close. A very respected spinner, very good bat in his 8 position, and a good captain who will likely improve. But we will really miss Flemming in the batting line-up, and especailly Shane Bond in the bowling department.
[from that link]In a line-up that otherwise consists mainly of bowlers who specialise in keeping the runs in check, Bond provides the firepower that is so critical to a good one-day side. Among bowlers who've bowled at least 2000 balls, Bond's strike-rate of a wicket every 26.5 balls is the best, even better than the likes of Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar and Allan Donald.
Actually he didn't get pushed up for that purpose at all.
The plan at the first match against Australia was for the other opener (Larson?, kinda pudgy guy) to smack the ball around, and Greatbatch to play through the innings and provide the anchor.
When they got out on the field things kinda worked out the other way and they stuck with GB hitting the ball everywhere for the rest of the tournament.
My guess is there is nobody in NZ more frustrated by Shane Bond's failure to ever play more than one test without an injury than Shane Bond.
It was kind of sad that we spent so many years waiting for him to come back from injury. It always annoyed me that commentators would talk about the team as if he was part of it, when sadly he never really was.
The plan at the first match against Australia was for the other opener (Larson?, kinda pudgy guy)
Rod Latham, I think?
Yeah, that sounds right.
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Shitmas
R.O.A.R.
A Word About Safety
Up Front Archive
About Emma Hart
About 'Not Safe For Work'
@ghetsuhm


For over two decades Dr. Stanley J. Zawada and the staff of FAMILY FOOT CENTER have been treating the North Queens community. Those suffering from ankle, foot and hammertoe pain and/or problems have consistently been made pain-free and more comfortable.
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