text:
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Yemi Alade Biography, Age, Music, Boyfriend, Net Worth
by Simba Mataz
in Biography
Yemi Alade Biography
Real name:Yemi Eberechi Alade
Date of Birth:13th March, 1989
Place of Birth:Abia State
Parents:James Alade (Yoruba tribe) & Helen Uzoma (Igbo tribe)
Tribe: Yoruba
Record Label: Effyzzie Music Group. Universal Music
Yemi Alade is a successful female Nigerian artist and entrepreneur. She is popular for her 2013 International hit'Johnny'. Yemi was born on the 13th of March 1989 in Abia State Nigeria. Her father, James Alade comes from the Yoruba tribe while her mother Helen Uzoma is of the Igbo tribe. Yemi is the 5th born among seven children. The Yemi Alade Biography reveals the identity of the multi talented woman who holds the record for the first African female artist to reach 1 million YouTube subscribers.
Yemi Alade studied at St Saviour British Primary School in Lagos. After that, she proceeded to Victor Grammar School for her high School. She further enrolled herself at the University Of Lagos where she studied Geography.and graduated. As a result of her determination, Yemi Alade entered the 2011 Talent Hunt and she received musical training. This opportunity prepared her musical journey.
Yemi Alade Boyfriend
The Johnny hit maker is very secretive of her relationships with men. Till this point, Yemi Alade has never admitted to dating anyone and believes such issues should be kept private. At one point she admitted that she had a crush on fellow Nigerian artist Phyno. Like wise, she also revealed that at one point she had a crush on Flavour but the feelings soon faded. She keeps dismissing speculations on her dating anyone. Alex Ekhubo who played the character of 'Johnny' was once suspected to be dating the King of Queens. However, Yemi Alade responded by saying that he is just a funny and lovable actor.
Yemi Alade Music
The King of Queens, as fans like to call her, made a mark in the music industry after winning the Peak Talent Show in 2009. In 2012 she was signed to Effyzzie Music Group. Afterwards, she dropped three singles : "Johnny", "Tangerine", and "Kissing" taken off her debut album King of Queens. The song Johnny became an instant International hit garnering 114 million views on YouTube. However, in November 2014 a better version of the 'King of Queens' was released. She added the French version of her songs which were initially performed in English. Consequently, the album sold over 100,000 copies.
Watch: Yemi Alade – Johnny
Moreover, on March 25th, 2016, Yemi Alade released her second album, "Mama Africa". She featured guests like P-Square, Sauti Sol, Flavour N'anabi, Sarkodie, Rotimi Keys, Selebobo and DJ Arafat. The album was produced by GospelOnDeBeatz, Selebobo, Coublon, Philkeys, BeatsByEmzo, Mr Chidoo, Mastercraft and Rotimi Keys. As a result of the contribution of best Nigerian producers and artists, the album went platinum.The album included six singles: 'Na Gode', 'Ferrari', 'Kom Kom', 'Do As I Do', 'Africa', and 'Tumbum'. Just like she did with King of Queens, similarly, she released a deluxe version of Mama Africa in 2016. It featured guest appearances from South African artists Bucie and AKA.
Watch: Yemi Alade – Tumbum
Furthermore, on 15th December 2017,Yemi Alade launched yet another album titled 'Black Magic'. In this album, Yemi Alade featured previously released songs like, 'Knack Am', 'Single and Searching' and 'Heart Rubber'. After release of 'Black magic' Yemi Alade went on several tours and shows organised by Effyzzie music Group. She shared the stage with International artist such as Mary J Blige, Becca, Wiz kid and Shina Peters.In addition, Yemi Alade dropped her fourth album Woman of steel in 2019. The album featured the collaboration with Grammy Award winner Angelique Kidjo on the hit song 'Shekere'. As a result of her remarkable musical outreach, Universal Music signed the same year.
Watch: Yemi Alade – Shekere feat Angelique Kidjo
Yemi Alade Albums
King of Queens, (2014)
Mama Africa, (2016)
Mama Afrique, (2017).EP
Woman of Steel (2019)
YEM Awards – Most Promising Female (2013) Nominee
MOBO Awards – Best African Act (2014)Nominee
City People Entertainment Awards – Female Musician of the Year (2014)
Nigeria Entertainment Awards – Female artist of the year (2014)
BET Awards – Best International Act: Africa (2015)
MTV Africa Best Female Award – (2015) Winner
MTV Africa Best Female Award (2016)Winner
WatsUp TV – African Video of the Year (2016)Nominee
Best African Female Video, Best African Pop Video and Best African Dance Video – 2016
WatsUp TV – Best African Traditional Video (2016) Nominee
Headies Awards – Best Performer (2019) Winner
Yemi Alade is the African Ambassador for peace by the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Moreover, the female star has been Bacardi Breezer Ambassador since 2014. In adition, she is the Close-Up toothpaste Ambassador and Bland2Glam ( jewelry store online) Ambassador. Furthermore, Yemi is the ambassador for social digital wallet and Nairabox. She is also the face of ABC Hair Relaxer, which is arguably the most popular hair relaxing brand across the the African continent.
Yemi Alade Net Worth
The king of Queens Yemi Alade has been successful in both business and music. Consequently, she has become one of the richest Nigerian musicians. Yemi Alade's Net Worth is a whooping US$3 million equivalent to N1 Billion in Nairas. Business deals, endorsements, private properties and revenue from her music makes her a Nigerian Billionaire.
savanna news
'Dreams come true' King Monada wows Mzansi with complete double storey house and cars (see pictures)
'I was a plumber; I sold kotas' Maphorisa and Kabza talk about their first jobs and hustles (watch video)
Meet the cast of new series 13 Weeks To Find Mr Right
Watch: Durban Gen cast members have fun with the Trigger Dance Challenge
Watch: DJ Shimza ex-girlfriend Yola Nqubela caught on camera stealing Sanlam CEO's Louis Vuitton handbag
Zodwa Wabantu makes a mistake while performing rituals to talk to her ancestors
In Pictures: Generations The Legacy Dali Malinga and Ayanda wedding outfits released
Former Scandal actor 'Mthunzi' Bongile Mantsai is a preacher in real life
Letoya Makhene from Generations' wife Lebo Keswa arrested for vandalizing a bakery
Former Generations actress Queen Moroka 'Sophie Ndaba' is dating Bushiri's pastor, marriage on the cards
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Savanna News is part of Savanna Media (Pty) Ltd. a internet media group operating in Southern Africa with offices in South Africa
Physical Address: First Floor, Court House, 32 Richard Rd, Industria North, Johannesburg, 1709, South Africa
Email: admin@savannanews.com
© 2021 Savanna News - Website by Savanna Media.


text:
internal inline void UnloadHPIFile(HPIFile * HPI)
{
    UnMapFile(HPI->MMFile);
}

internal void LoadEntries(HPIDirectoryEntry * Root, u8 * Buffer, int Offset,HPIFile * File,MemoryArena * FileArena)
{
    FILE_HPIDirectoryHeader * directory_header = (FILE_HPIDirectoryHeader *)(Buffer + Offset);

    Root->NumberOfEntries = directory_header->NumberOfEntries;
    Root->Entries = PushArray(FileArena,(u64)Root->NumberOfEntries,HPIEntry);

    FILE_HPIEntry * EntriesInFile = (FILE_HPIEntry *)(Buffer + directory_header->Offset);
    for(int EntryIndex = 0; EntryIndex < directory_header->NumberOfEntries; EntryIndex++)
    {
	Root->Entries[EntryIndex].IsDirectory = EntriesInFile[EntryIndex].Flag;
	Root->Entries[EntryIndex].ContainedInFile = File;
	size_t NameLength = strlen((char*) (Buffer + EntriesInFile[EntryIndex].NameOffset))+1;
	Root->Entries[EntryIndex].Name = PushArray(FileArena,NameLength,char);
	memcpy(Root->Entries[EntryIndex].Name,Buffer+EntriesInFile[EntryIndex].NameOffset,NameLength);
	if(Root->Entries[EntryIndex].IsDirectory)
	{
	    LoadEntries(&Root->Entries[EntryIndex].Directory,Buffer,EntriesInFile[EntryIndex].DirDataOffset,File,FileArena);
	}
	else
	{
	    FILE_HPIFileData * file_data =(FILE_HPIFileData *)(Buffer + EntriesInFile[EntryIndex].DirDataOffset);
	    Root->Entries[EntryIndex].File.FileSize = file_data->FileSize;
	    Root->Entries[EntryIndex].File.Offset = file_data->DataOffset;
	    Root->Entries[EntryIndex].File.Compression = (Compression_Type)file_data->Flag;
	}
    }
}

internal inline void DecryptHPIBuffer(HPIFile * HPI, u8 * Destination, s32 Length, s32 FileOffset)
{
    s32 CurrentKey=0;
    if(HPI->DecryptionKey == -1)//Header key was 0 -> No Encryption
    {
	memcpy(Destination,&HPI->MMFile.MMapBuffer[FileOffset],(u64)Length);
	return;
    }
    for(s32 BufferIndex=0;BufferIndex < Length; BufferIndex++)
    {
	CurrentKey =  (BufferIndex + FileOffset) ^ HPI->DecryptionKey;
	Destination[BufferIndex] = (u8 )(CurrentKey ^ ~ (HPI->MMFile.MMapBuffer[BufferIndex+FileOffset]));
    }
}

internal b32 LoadHPIFile(const char * FileName, HPIFile * HPI, MemoryArena * FileArena, MemoryArena * TempArena)
{
    MemoryMappedFile HPIMemory = MemoryMapFile(FileName);
    if(HPIMemory.MMapBuffer == 0)
    {
	LogError("Could not open %s",FileName);
	return 0;
    }

    FILE_HPIHeader * header = (FILE_HPIHeader *)HPIMemory.MMapBuffer;
    if(header->HPIMarker != HPI_MARKER)
    {
	LogError("%s is not a HPI file!",FileName);
	return 0;
    }
    if(header->SaveMarker == SAVE_MARKER)
    {
	LogWarning("%s is a save file",FileName);
    }

    if((u64)header->DirectorySize > HPIMemory.FileSize)
    {
	LogError("%s has directory size %d larger than the file is %d",FileName,header->DirectorySize,HPIMemory.FileSize);
	return 0;
    }
    HPI->MMFile = HPIMemory;

    HPI->DecryptionKey = ~((header->HeaderKey *4) | (header->HeaderKey >> 6));
    size_t NameLength=strlen(FileName);
    Assert(NameLength < MAX_HPI_FILE_NAME);

    memcpy(HPI->Name,FileName,NameLength);
    HPI->Name[NameLength]=0;

    u8 * DecryptedDirectory = PushArray(TempArena,(u64)header->DirectorySize,u8 );
    DecryptHPIBuffer(HPI,DecryptedDirectory,header->DirectorySize, 0);
    LoadEntries(&HPI->Root, DecryptedDirectory, header->Offset,HPI,FileArena);
    PopArray(TempArena,DecryptedDirectory,(u64)header->DirectorySize,u8 );

    return 1;
}

internal void DecompressZLibChunk(u8 * Source, u32 CompressedSize, u32 DecompressedSize, u8 * Destination)
{
    z_stream zs;
    int result;
    zs.next_in = (unsigned char *)Source;
    zs.avail_in = CompressedSize;
    zs.total_in = 0;
    zs.next_out = (unsigned char *)Destination;
    zs.avail_out = DecompressedSize;
    zs.total_out = 0;
    zs.msg = NULL;
    zs.state = NULL;
    zs.zalloc = Z_NULL;
    zs.zfree = Z_NULL;
    zs.opaque = NULL;
    zs.data_type = Z_BINARY;
    zs.adler = 0;
    zs.reserved = 0;
    result = inflateInit(&zs);
    if (result != Z_OK) {
	LogError("Error on inflateInit %d: Message: %s", result, zs.msg);
	return;
    }
    result = inflate(&zs, Z_FINISH);
    if (result != Z_STREAM_END) {
	LogWarning("Error on inflate %d: Message: %s", result, zs.msg);
	zs.total_out = 0;
    }
    result = inflateEnd(&zs);
    if (result != Z_OK) {
	LogError("Error on inflateEnd %d: Message: %s", result, zs.msg);
    }
}

const int LZ77_WINDOW_SIZE=4096;
const int LZ77_LENGTH_MASK=0x0f;
internal void DecompressLZ77Chunk(u8 * Source,  u8 * Destination)
{
    unsigned char Window[LZ77_WINDOW_SIZE];

    int windowIndex=1;
    int done = 0;
    while(!done)
    {
	int tag=*Source++;
	int mask=1;
	for(int MaskCount=0;MaskCount<8;MaskCount++,mask*=2)
	{
	    if((tag & mask) == 0)
	    {
		//read a byte, put it in window and buffer
		*Destination++=*Source;
		Window[windowIndex++]=*Source++;
		if(windowIndex>=LZ77_WINDOW_SIZE)
		    windowIndex=0;
	    }
	    else
	    {
		//read two bytes, lower 4 bytes are length, upper 12 are offset into window
		int offset=(*(u16 *)Source)>>4;
		int length=(*(u16 *)Source)&LZ77_LENGTH_MASK;
		length+=2;
		if(offset==0)
		{
		    done=1;
		    return;
		}
		Source+=2;
		for(int readCount=0;readCount<length;readCount++)
		{
		    *Destination++=Window[offset];
		    Window[windowIndex++]=Window[offset++];
		    if(offset>=LZ77_WINDOW_SIZE)
			offset=0;
		    if(windowIndex>=LZ77_WINDOW_SIZE)
			windowIndex=0;
		}
	    }
	}
    }
}

internal u8 * LoadChunk(u8 * Source, u8  * Destination)
{
    FILE_HPIChunk * header=(FILE_HPIChunk *)Source;
    if(header->Marker != CHUNK_MARKER)
    {
	LogError("chunk with incorrect marker %d",header->Marker);
	return 0;
    }
    u8 * data=Source+sizeof(FILE_HPIChunk);
    s32 ComputedChecksum=0;
    for(int i=0;i<header->CompressedSize;i++)
    {
	ComputedChecksum += (unsigned char)data[i];
    }
    if(ComputedChecksum != header->Checksum)
    {
     	LogError("Chunk Checksums do not match: calculated %d != read %d",ComputedChecksum,header->Checksum);
     	return 0;
    }
    if(header->Encrypt)
    {
	for(int i=0;i<header->CompressedSize;i++)
	    data[i]=(u8 )((data[i] - i) ^ i);
    }
    Compression_Type CompressionMethod= (Compression_Type)header->CompressionMethod;
    switch(CompressionMethod)
    {
    case COMPRESSION_NONE:
	LogError("Chunk Without Compression Method?");
	break;
    case COMPRESSION_ZLIB:
	DecompressZLibChunk(data,(u32)header->CompressedSize,(u32)header->DecompressedSize,Destination);
	break;
    case COMPRESSION_LZ77:
	DecompressLZ77Chunk(data,Destination);
	break;
    }

    return data + header->CompressedSize;
}

internal b32 LoadHPIFileEntryData(HPIEntry Entry, u8 * Destination, MemoryArena * TempArena)
{
    if(Entry.IsDirectory)
    {
	LogError("%s is a directory, no data to load!",Entry.Name);
	return 0;
    }
    if(!Entry.ContainedInFile)
    {
	LogError("%s has no HPI file",Entry.Name);
	return 0;
    }
    switch(Entry.File.Compression)
    {
    case COMPRESSION_NONE:
	DecryptHPIBuffer(Entry.ContainedInFile,Destination,Entry.File.FileSize,Entry.File.Offset);
	return 1;
    case COMPRESSION_LZ77:
    case COMPRESSION_ZLIB:
	//not entirely sure what the point of this is since each chunk also has a compression metho flag
    {
	s32 NumChunks = Entry.File.FileSize / CHUNK_SIZE;
	if(Entry.File.FileSize % CHUNK_SIZE)
	{
	    NumChunks++;
	}
	s32 * ChunkSizes=PushArray(TempArena, (u32)NumChunks, s32);
	DecryptHPIBuffer(Entry.ContainedInFile,(u8 *)ChunkSizes,NumChunks*(s32)sizeof(s32),Entry.File.Offset);
	int ChunkDataSize=NumChunks*(s32)sizeof(FILE_HPIChunk);//size of all the headers
	int ChunkDataOffset = Entry.File.Offset + NumChunks*(s32)sizeof(s32 );
	for(int i=0;i<NumChunks;i++)
	{
	    ChunkDataSize += ChunkSizes[i];
	}
	PopArray(TempArena, ChunkSizes, NumChunks, s32);
	u8 * DecryptedChunkData = PushArray(TempArena, ChunkDataSize, u8 );
	DecryptHPIBuffer(Entry.ContainedInFile,DecryptedChunkData,ChunkDataSize,ChunkDataOffset);
	u8 * DataSource=DecryptedChunkData;
	for(int i=0;i<NumChunks;i++)
	{
	    if(!DataSource)
	    {
		//something broke
		return 0;
	    }
	    DataSource=LoadChunk(DataSource,&Destination[i*CHUNK_SIZE]);
	}
	PopArray(TempArena, DecryptedChunkData, ChunkDataSize, u8 );
    }
    }
    return 1;
}

internal inline char * IsDirectory(char * Path, char * Directory)
{
    while(*Path && *Directory)
    {
	char pcomp=*Path, dcomp=*Directory;
	if(pcomp >='a' && pcomp <='z')
	    pcomp+='A'-'a';
	if(dcomp >='a' && dcomp <='z')
	    dcomp+='A'-'a';
	if(dcomp!=pcomp)
	    break;
	Path++;
	Directory++;
    }
    if(!*Directory && (*Path == '/' || *Path == '\\'))
	return ++Path;
    return 0;
}

internal HPIEntry FindHPIEntry(HPIDirectoryEntry Directory, const char * Path)
{
    for(int EntryIndex = 0;EntryIndex < Directory.NumberOfEntries ; EntryIndex++)
    {
	if(CaseInsensitiveMatch(Directory.Entries[EntryIndex].Name,(char *)Path))
	    return Directory.Entries[EntryIndex];
	if(Directory.Entries[EntryIndex].IsDirectory)
	{
	    char * NewPath= IsDirectory((char*)Path,Directory.Entries[EntryIndex].Name);
	    if(NewPath)
	    {
		return FindHPIEntry(Directory.Entries[EntryIndex].Directory,NewPath);
	    }
	}
    }
    return {};
}

static char HPIRootName [] = "Root";

internal HPIEntry FindHPIEntry(HPIFile * File, const char * Path)
{
    if(!*Path)
    {
	HPIEntry Root;
	Root.Name=HPIRootName;
	Root.Directory=File->Root;
	Root.IsDirectory=1;
	Root.ContainedInFile = File;
	return Root;
    }
    return FindHPIEntry(File->Root,Path);
}

static const char * HPIFileNames[]={"rev31.gp3","btdata.ccx","btmaps.ccx","ccmiss.ccx","ccmaps.ccx","ccdata.ccx","tactics1.hpi","tactics2.hpi","tactics3.hpi","tactics4.hpi","tactics5.hpi","tactics6.hpi","tactics7.hpi","tactics8.hpi","totala1.hpi","totala2.hpi","totala3.hpi","totala4.hpi","worlds.hpi"};
const int NUM_FIXED_FILES=sizeof(HPIFileNames)/sizeof(HPIFileNames[0]);

internal b32 LoadHPIFileCollection(HPIFileCollection * GlobalArchiveCollection, MemoryArena * GameArena, MemoryArena * TempArena)
{
    UFOSearchResult UfoFiles=GetUfoFiles();
    GlobalArchiveCollection->NumberOfFiles = UfoFiles.NumberOfFiles + NUM_FIXED_FILES;
    GlobalArchiveCollection->Files = PushArray(GameArena,GlobalArchiveCollection->NumberOfFiles,HPIFile);
    for(int i=0;i<GlobalArchiveCollection->NumberOfFiles;i++)
    {
	char * FileName=0;
	if(i>=UfoFiles.NumberOfFiles)
	{
	    FileName=(char*)HPIFileNames[i-UfoFiles.NumberOfFiles];
	}
	else
	{
	    FileName=UfoFiles.FileNames[i];
	}
	const s32 MAX_STRING = 64;
	char temp[MAX_STRING];
	snprintf(temp,MAX_STRING,"data/%s",FileName);
	//TODO(Christof): Determine if file memory stuff should go in a seperate arena
	LoadHPIFile(temp,&GlobalArchiveCollection->Files[i],GameArena,TempArena);
    }
    //UnloadUFOSearchResult(&UfoFiles);

    return 1;
}

internal inline b32 NameExistsInEntry(HPIEntry Entry, char * Name)
{
    for(int i=0;i<Entry.Directory.NumberOfEntries;i++)
    {
	if(CaseInsensitiveMatch(Entry.Directory.Entries[i].Name,Name))
	    return 1;
    }
    return 0;
}

const int MAX_TEMP_ENTRY_LIST_FILES = 512;

internal HPIEntry FindEntryInAllFiles(const char * Path, HPIFileCollection * GlobalArchiveCollection, MemoryArena * TempArena)
{
    HPIEntry Result={};
    for(int ArchiveIndex=0;ArchiveIndex<GlobalArchiveCollection->NumberOfFiles;ArchiveIndex++)
    {
	HPIEntry temp=FindHPIEntry(&GlobalArchiveCollection->Files[ArchiveIndex],Path);
	if(temp.Name)
	{
	    if(!temp.IsDirectory)
	    {
		if(Result.IsDirectory)
		{
		    LogError("Found file in %s while loading directory %s",GlobalArchiveCollection->Files[ArchiveIndex].Name,Path);
		    return {};
		}
		else
		{
		    return temp;
		}
	    }
	    else
	    {
		if(!Result.IsDirectory)
		{
		    Result.Name = temp.Name;
		    Result.IsDirectory=1;
		    Result.Directory.Entries=PushArray(TempArena,MAX_TEMP_ENTRY_LIST_FILES,HPIEntry);
		}
		for(int i=0;i<temp.Directory.NumberOfEntries;i++)
		{
		    if(!NameExistsInEntry(Result,temp.Directory.Entries[i].Name))
		    {
			Result.Directory.Entries[Result.Directory.NumberOfEntries++]=temp.Directory.Entries[i];
		    }
		    Assert(Result.Directory.NumberOfEntries < MAX_TEMP_ENTRY_LIST_FILES);
		}
	    }
	}
    }
    return Result;
}

internal inline void UnloadCompositeEntry(HPIEntry * Entry,MemoryArena * TempArena)
{
    if(Entry && Entry->IsDirectory)
    {
	PopArray(TempArena,Entry->Directory.Entries,MAX_TEMP_ENTRY_LIST_FILES,HPIEntry);
    }
}

internal inline void UnloadHPIFileCollection(HPIFileCollection * GlobalArchiveCollection)
{
    for(int i=0;i<GlobalArchiveCollection->NumberOfFiles;i++)
    {
	UnloadHPIFile(&GlobalArchiveCollection->Files[i]);
    }
    GlobalArchiveCollection->NumberOfFiles=0;
    GlobalArchiveCollection->Files=0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Man stabs friend, 61, over romantic attachment to wife
Alfred Hope, 61, of 37 Norton Street, Bagotstown, East Bank Demerara, is counting his lucky stars after he was attacked, yesterday, and stabbed by a man who had accused him of being "romantically" involved with his wife.
The suspect, who was identified as Keith Barker, also stabbed his stepson, Kester King, earlier in the day. According to reports, the suspect went to his wife's home at 56 James Street, Albouystown, and told her that he had come to kill her because she was being unfaithful.
However his plans were not fulfilled because the woman's son intervened but was injured by the knife-toting man. The teen sustained injuries to his head and ear; and had to be rushed to the hospital by his mother.
The suspect after leaving his wife's home went to Hope's workplace at Russell Street, where Hope operates as a taxi driver, outside of a tailor shop.
According to Hope, he and the suspect were friends but the friendship ended because the man had attacked him last year, because someone claimed that he, Hope, was having an affair with the man's wife.
The man said that the suspect came out of the car. "He come up behind me and he say that today I gon dead because I deh with he wife," Hope explained.
He said that the suspect had two knives in his hand and started to advance him, but he ran into Charlestown.
Hope said that as he ran the man was in hot pursuit. "I running away from he but he just deh behind me" the man explained.
Hope said that he eventually stopped to speak to the man.
"I stop because I see that he ain't want to stop and I tried to talk to him but he just advance toward me". Hope said that the suspect approached menacingly with the two knives and a scuffle ensued.
He said that he managed to take away one of the knives and in the process he sustained a laceration to his wrist. The man related that after he received the cut to his hand the suspect started to stab him about the body. He was stabbed twice in the back and once in the region of his ribs.
Hope said that after he was stabbed he managed to stagger around the corner where he saw a police patrol.
"I stagger around the corner and see de police and they carry me to the hospital". He said that the suspect was accosted by an off duty police officer, who, with assistance from public spirited persons in the area, arrested the attacker.
Hope also told this newspaper that the suspect would always attack persons whom he thought was having an affair with his wife.
Hope is currently a patient at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The suspect is being detained at the Brickdam Police Station where charges are likely to be laid against him.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
TheChocolateWire | a year ago | 4 min read
TheChocolateWire Weekly NewsBrief for July 24, 2020
1) Have MSIs (MultiStakeholder Initiatives) Delivered on Their Promises to Protect Human Rights?
In a word, "No" says this new report from MSI Integrity,
"Three decades ago, a grand experiment in human rights and global governance began to unfold. In the absence of rigorous government regulation of transnational corporations, civil society organizations began stepping into this regulatory void by collaborating with industry representatives to create voluntary codes of conduct and oversight mechanisms.
"These multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) now cover almost every major industry, from certifying food or consumer products as "sustainable," "fair," or "ethical," to establishing good practices for internet companies in respect of privacy and freedom of expression online."
Top Takeaway(s)
MSI Integrity's report, Not Fit-For-Purpose concludes "… that this grand experiment has failed in its goal of providing effective protection against abuse. While MSIs can play important roles in building trust and generating dialogue, they are not fit-for-purpose to reliably detect abuses, hold corporations to account for harm, or provide access to remedy."
"MSIs are not designed or equipped to be effective tools for protecting rights holders against human rights violations, holding corporations accountable for abuse, or providing survivors and victims with access to remedy."
MSI Integrity
2) Far Reaching Study Reveals Serious Overlaps and Redundancy in Cocoa Sector Sustainability Programs
"A major new landscape study commissioned into the cocoa sector in Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire by Mondelez International's Cocoa Life in conjunction with The Fairtrade Foundation has discovered that at least 800,000 farmers are being targeted more than once because of duplication in various sustainability initiatives."
Social certifications are competing with other … not just for the hearts and minds of consumers but also for farmers to be certified. This represents a huge waste of time and money – driving up the costs of certification – and causes significant confusion for everyone.
Confectionery News
3) Ritter Sport Wins the Battle of the Squares vs Mondelez's Milka
"For decades, Ritter Sport has marketed its chocolate bars on their unique, square shape. According to company legend, The square bar dates back to 1932, when Clara Ritter came up with the idea.
So when rival brand Milka challenged its German monopoly on square chocolate, the battle lines were drawn. Milka achieved an initial victory in 2016 by getting the trademark deleted but that ruling was overturned. Finally, the case ended up in the German Federal Court of Justice, where judges have now thrown out Milka's complaint and ruled in favour of Ritter Sport."
Theis ruling means that Ritter Sport bars can be the only top-brand square chocolate bar on the shelves in shops in Germany.
4) Lindt & Sprüngli Spending Millions on "The New Home of Chocolate" – Not on Sustainability
"Lindt's Home of Chocolate," scheduled to open September 13th on the company's factory premises at Schokoladenplatz 1 in Kilchberg, Switzerland. The new visitor center will, "boost [sic] a multi-media and interactive exhibition, a research facility, and show production." Other attractions will be the world's largest Lindt-only chocolate shop (because there is no such thing as toooo many Lindor truffles, a Lindt café, and a Lindt Chocolateria for chocolate courses.
A special highlight, according to Lindt, will be "the world's largest chocolate fountain" – which measures more than 9 metres [over 29 feet] tall.
There always seems to be money to spend on corporate self-aggrandizement. But, there also always seem to be excuses for not having enough money to pay cocoa farmers living wages for their work. Why is that?
Lindt & Sprüngli
5) Agroforestry in the Cocoa Sector: A Need for Ambitious Collaborative Landscape Approaches
A consultation paper for the 2020 Cocoa Barometer produced by The Voice Network opens with, "Cocoa agroforestry systems can bring a wide range of ecological benefits; biodiversity conservation of flora and fauna, carbon sequestration, preserving and strengthening soil moisture and fertility, contributing to pest control, and microclimatic control such as stimulating rainfall, and many other benefits.
"However, a large gap separates the current reality of agroforestry in the cocoa sector from its potential. Alignment on an adequate definition is missing. Sector commitments and certification have low impacts. Existing diverse agroforestry systems are at risk. There is confusion about and artificial tension between yield improvements and biodiversity. Tree distribution campaigns have low success rates, and there is low adoption of agroforestry by cocoa farmers. Decent monitoring is absent. Finally, agroforestry and zero-deforestation are wrongly conflated with each other."
"[The] paper highlights shortcomings in current industry and government approaches to agroforestry in cocoa. It also suggests a way forward to ensure that cocoa agroforestry delivers on its promise of environmental sustainability while contributing to farmers' livelihoods. Lastly, it proposes basic parameters of integrated agroforestry cocoa standards on both farm and landscape scale and sets forward recommendations for all actors in the supply chain.
Mighty Earth
The Voice Network (.pdf download)
6) When Popcorn Meets Your Favorite Candies
Exclusively at Sam's Club, members can find the Candy Pop popcorn variety pack that includes Snickers, Twix, and a new Candy Pop collection flavor … M&M's Minis Popcorn.
Top Takeaways
Advertised as "the perfect snack for your Netflix-binge," these variety collections are available in clubs now for $9.98 for 16, 1oz bags. All three Candy Pop flavors are also available in 20oz bags.
Mitchell Communications Group
Other ChocolateWire Releases, Updates, and Adds This Week
2020 Dallas Chocolate (Virtual) Festival Scheduled for September 11-13
TheChocolateWire Interviews: Sander Wolf (YouTube)
I'm down to my last two Rogue chocolate bars and beginning to panic


The matter of bitcoins has been increasingly popularized as it entered some of the greatest spheres of online payments.
As a potential or exclusive payment method to several online shops and firms, as well as a large segment of the massive online gambling industry, there is bound to be greater interest for the currency of the future.
Despite being a widespread trend, bitcoin still needs to be understood on every level in order to allow proper use. People are able to get bitcoins, pay for things with them and use those things for their purpose.
What they are not able to do is explain how they did it, how the system enabled them to perform those transactions. This is indispensable for the system's continuation, primarily so that people would be better informed and could recognize any errors and fix them.
What Is Bitcoin & How It Ended Up Where It Is Today?
Bitcoin is a crypto currency which exists solely on digital platforms, i.e. computers as a form of digital code. In order to understand how it ended up with today's status, you need to know how it began. It was first released back in 2009 along with a paper which provided explanation for the entire Bitcoin network. It is said to be built by Satoshi Nakamoto, which is a pseudonym for a single developer or a group of such experts.
Since its beginnings, Bitcoin has both suffered serious blows in value and witnessed great rises. It is a decentralized currency which is completely independent of any institution. That is why it is not backed by any currency of precious metal, with a completely volatile value. The main factors which manage to influence its market worth are legalization matters and market demand.
If you are new to the matter of buying bitcoins, a step-segmented guide is bound to help your understanding of the general procedure.
Step 1: Before you even think about buying bitcoins, you need to consider where you are going to keep them. This crypto currency, as the name suggests, exists only in a digital form which is why it requires the same type of storage. E-wallets have been invented a while before Bitcoin, but they have proved to be extremely useful.
You can choose between an online, offline and hardware e-wallet. The online e-wallet requires third party involvement which takes care of your bitcoins. Offline e-wallets are practically software which you have installed on your device. The third type is directly related to hardware computer parts, such as USB or hard disk storage devices.
Step 2: Bitcoin e-wallets function in the same manner as the Bitcoin network and don't demand too many personal information. All you need to do in order to set up is enter an email address and password. This provides you with an e-wallet address where you can keep the bitcoins you will buy.
Step 3: When buying bitcoins, you can choose to buy them from an online bitcoin exchange service or through a peer-to-peer transaction. The first option requires you to sign up at the service's website and input the amount of bitcoins you want. After that, you just need to send the corresponding amount of your chosen fiat currency in order to pay for the bitcoins.
After you get them at your bitcoin exchange account, it is highly recommendable to transfer them to your isolated e-wallet as soon as possible by entering the e-wallet's address. These services are a regular target for hackers and have been known to shut down unannounced, along with all your bitcoins.
Step 4: Once your purchased bitcoins are in your possession, you are able to use them anyway you want. Some people decide to try their luck on games of chance and use bitcoin's virtues to their own benefit.
If you are still having second thoughts about buying bitcoins, the best thing you can do is distinguish between the benefits and shortcomings of the system. That way, you can prioritize and decide for sure.
On the one hand, bitcoin has quite attractive advantages. It is surely one of the fastest payment methods as bitcoin deposits take only a couple of minutes, while withdrawals could last a bit longer until they are verified. These transactions are nearly charge-free, as bitcoin fees are extremely low.
The two remaining advantages have won over the most bitcoin owners – security and anonymity. The security segment is guaranteed with the highest protocol, while being decentralized allows every bitcoin owner in the network to check transactions' reliability alone. Anonymity can be felt from the process of setting up an e-wallet, as these transactions don't need any bank account details, SSNs or place of residency information.
The network's negative sides have also had their effect on people. A major concern for most people is its volatile value which fluctuates with every government act against it. If a certain bank or jurisdiction happens to back up the currency, it is bound to provoke a total bitcoin boom.
Other people's concerns relate to its digital nature instead of its value. They are worried that a lack of any hard evidence regarding transactions could lead to massive losses.
Bitcoin mining is a unique process which goes on at all times and helps maintain the Bitcoin network.
Instead of purchasing them, you actually create bitcoins this way. Apart from developers which regularly maintain and repair it, bitcoin owners are also invited to participate in the process. They use specific software designed to solve the complex mathematical problems in the Bitcoin network. This supports the validity of each transaction and rewards the bitcoin miners in the end with a certain amount of bitcoins.
Many people wonder whether this can help them produce as many bitcoins as possible. The system is created in such a way that it caps the production of bitcoins at 21 million, which means that all the possible bitcoins will be created at a specific moment. Some believe that this will cause chaos due to lack of bitcoins, but the currency's ability to split into smaller units will help avoid it.
Is there any way I could store my purchased bitcoins on paper?
Since bitcoins are a crypto currency, they do not actually exist in real life. However, if you want to have some kind of proof on paper, you could write down your e-wallet address. It is an alphanumerical sequence which can be shared publicly, mostly with those that are supposed to send bitcoins to it. As long as the access key remains private, no one can access it except the owner.
I have heard about Bitcoin ATMs. Where could I find them and how do they work?
Some countries, such as the UK have higher bitcoin tolerance than others. This enabled the most reliable bitcoin exchange services to flourish to the point where they provide actual Bitcoin ATMs. These allow you to input hard cash and store it on your e-wallet either by scanning the QR code, most often from your phone app or by providing you with a receipt as proof of your cash payment.
How do I know the price of the bitcoins I want to purchase if their value is volatile?
Any currency's value could alter in certain pre-set limits. Bitcoin's value may not be strictly limited, but it tends to follow a certain trend. The currency's present value at the moment of purchase will determine the exchange rate at which you can buy your bitcoins.
Can I buy Bitcoins with my PayPal account?
Yes, you can. Since PayPal has enabled their merchants to choose bitcoins as a payment method, it has been able to synchronize with various services. They require that you open an account and either fund it with your own bitcoins or purchase them using a chosen fiat currency before transferring them to PayPal.
Is there any other way I could store my bitcoins?
The latest technology has enabled bitcoin owners to store their crypto currency on specialized Bitcoin debit cards. These charge a certain fee for using their services, but often come with many other benefits which make the trouble worthwhile.
Bitcoins are still rising in popularity as more and more gambling sites, online shops and even brick-and-mortar businesses are starting to accept it as a valid currency. Others plan to get rich by waiting for the opportune moment to exchange them with a fiat currency. Even if you haven't figured out your intentions, it's still exciting to participate in such a phenomenon.


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How Tex Randall Went From Being Just A Statue To An Iconic Cowboy
At one point, the 47-foot-tall "Tex" wore real jeans, but now his clothes and boots are painted on.
By Joy DiazApril 30, 2020 4:09 pmArts & Culture, Heel To Toe, Sounds of Texas
Courtesy Culbert Duncan
The Tex Randall sculpture, with its hat and boots, is a West Texas icon.
Sporting a hat and boots, the 47-foot-tall Tex Randall statue in Canyon, Texas, is a symbol of cowboy culture. But it took years for it to become a West Texas icon.
Buell Martin, a longtime Canyon resident, says when the statue went up in 1959, Levi Strauss made a pair of real jeans for Tex to wear but they wouldn't stay up!
"Out here in West Texas there is a lot of wind and pretty harsh winters," Martin says. "They couldn't keep clothes on him, and finally they just painted [them on]."
Sandy Martin, Buell's wife, helped raise money to update the statue through the Canyon Chamber of Commerce. Martin suggested to her that the chamber could raise funds by getting Coors to sponsor Tex by putting a large beer in his hand. But that didn't pass muster.
"They said, 'Oh, no, no, no, we can't do that; Canyon is a dry county!"
After years of exposure to harsh West Texas weather, Tex's paint started to fade. So West Texas A&M University donated money for its renovation in 2012.
Artist Rhonda Timmons, Martin's Niece, was hired for the renovation. She was 67 years old when she had to take a lift up to retouch the paint on Tex's boots.
"They wanted him to be authentic to the way the boots looked," Timmons says. "I have to say that Tex Randall was such a great opportunity; God just blessed me so much with doing that."
Note: This story has been edited to reflect the correct spelling of Buell Martin's name. It was originally spelled as Bewel, which was incorrect.
Web story by Laura Morales.
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Location 1 mile 5 miles 10 miles 20 miles 30 miles 50 miles No maximum
Our Moorings Explained
Bolton Le Sands L1
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Situated on the Lancaster Canal, Bolton Le Sands is a small coastal village close to the seaside resort of Morecombe in Lancashire. The leisure mooring site is within easy reach of Lancaster's many tourist and leisure attractions as well as the surrounding countryside and coastal areas.
The site is just under 30m long and provides spaces for 3 boats moored on the off-side bank.
Download Site Details Enquire Please sign in or register to watch
Nearest Road
To reach the site from junction 35 of the M6, take the A601 exit to Carnforth. At the next roundabout follow signs for Carnforth and follow the A6 through the town. Cross the canal at bridge 121, take the next left onto Shady Lane and then turn left again at the bottom of the road. There is a white wooden access gate on the left which leads to the mooring site.
Carnforth town centre is approximately two miles from the mooring site.
Nearest Town
Mooring rings are installed along this site but pins may be required dependent on the spacing of rings and boat length.
The moorings are on the offside, close to bridge 121.
Lancaster Canal
None/Public Road
Facilities Block
Viewing Arrangements
The site can be viewed from the towpath side however access to the site must be arranged with the mooring manager.
Leanne Higham
07770 610213 or 0303 040 40 40
leanne.higham@canalrivertrust.org.uk
Cookie and Privacy Policy FAQ Glossary
© Canal & River Trust is a charity registered with the Charity Commission no. 1146792 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales no. 7807276.


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Would you like to get your floral design photos reposted to 26k Instagram followers? Just use our new hashtag #behindeverygreatflorist.
We really hope you enjoyed hearing from some of our lovely florists and traders about why they find the market so special in our Behind Every Great Florist videos.
Because we loved them so much, we now want to hear more from the market's florists. So, we're launching a new hashtag on Instagram: #behindeverygreatflorist.
We already share the amazing flowers, foliage, plants and sundries on offer at the market from our @marketflowers account, but we rarely get a chance to see the eye-popping creations you turn them in to. If you're a florist and you buy from us, we'd love to feature you on our Instagram.
Simply post an image on Instagram of your designs made from flowers, foliage, plants or sundries from New Covent Garden Market. Then add the hashtag #behindeverygreatflorist.
We'll select our favourite image of the week and regram this to our 26k @marketflowers followers. We can't wait to see all your incredible designs.
The first florist to be featured is South East London based Joanne Truby Floral Design.
P.S. If you haven't seen it yet, you can watch our full Behind Every Great Florist video in our blog here or some shorts on our @marketflowers account.


Why Do Toddlers Need Messy Play?
It allows children to express themselves creatively and use their imagination.
You can make this, and it makes very little mess and can be used on its own or with tools, or with dry pasta, large beads, shells or fir cones etc. for variety.
Two cups of flour, one cup salt and one cup water (and food colouring if wished). This will keep for a week or two in a bag in the fridge.
Three cups of plain flour, one cup salt, one tablespoon cooking oil and one tablespoon water.
Neither of these doughs need heating or cooking.
Add water to make stiff dough.
When model finished, bake on gas mark 1, 250o F, 120oC; timings depend on size of model. Models will sound hollow when tapped. When, these can then be decorated with paint or glitter etc if desired.
You will need to set rules for no throwing before play begins. Partly fill a washing up bowl with clean damp sand, and place either on a low table or on the floor. Have small tools, such as yoghurt pots, spoons, milk scoops available for play, or cut down a pop bottle or washing up liquid bottle, using the top half as a funnel (but check regularly for sharp splits).
Keep it simple – cooking in these early years means stirring, mixing and spreading.
Try icing a biscuit with thick water icing and sugar strands, cherries or chocolate chips.
Make sandwiches for lunch together, allow extra time so your child can help.
You will need large brushes, with stubby handles for very young children. Or you could try finger painting. Again, be well prepared, and have cleaning materials to hand. In good weather, you could let your child paint outdoors. You do not need a whole rainbow of colours, one or two colours are fine to experience the feel of the paint and create marks.
A washing up bowl or two is perfect for this. Again prepare the area with waterproof mats or plenty of towels, so that you can relax and enjoy the play with your child. Just add a little, say 2 – 3 inches of water. Sometimes food colouring or washing up liquid could be added too. Small containers and spoons can be used, as for the sand.
Try playing a washing up game with plastic / metal pots etc, or bath the baby doll for variety.


Sometimes I think I have the best job in the world. Sometimes I am sure of it.
I have always gotten satisfaction out of helping people. It's something that has been bred into me, and often was reinforced during conversations at the dinner table when I was growing up.
My parents always asked, "What have you done to make the world a better place?" They weren't looking for grandiose gestures, but they wanted to hear something that we did that day to affect the world around us. Because my siblings and I were asked the question every night, it certainly shaped our behavior.
My mother immigrated to the United States at age 18 and started her career as a beautician – she retired as a college instructor. She knew a thing or two about changing her world and how her choices and passion affected others.
When I hire someone, I always ask at some point during the interview process, "What have you done to make the world a better place?" The scale of the answer is not important. What is important is that something, anything comes to mind. It is telling to see their passion as they answer the question, and that passion gives me a good indication for how they'll fit in with our culture and how hard they will work for our clients. We have quite a few people on our team who, in their own ways, are working to make the world a better place. It is that mindset – serving others – that is a common thread among our team members.
We are at our best when we are helping our clients, and we're passionate about identifying and solving their problems through strategy and applied knowledge. When discussing issues with clients, it is not uncommon to hear them say, "You are the experts. What do you think?" And as the experts, we have a unique, strategic perspective for what the client should do. What may be subtle and elusive for our client likely is well-plowed ground for us.
Here's an example. We had a client who was not seeing the volume of sales they were expecting from their independent dealer channel. We had already taken steps to assure that sales opportunities (leads) were examined promptly and assigned disposition statuses in SmartLead, our lead management system. We also conducted regular surveys to validate whether these prospects were in the market to purchase.
This end-to-end perspective enabled us to take a closer look at the buyer's journey. We learned that the prospects were transitioning to "ready to buy", but were still flagged as being in the nurturing cycle. We used this discovery to refine and loosen the qualification criteria for a sales-qualified lead. This update increased the sales yield, and our client was appreciative of how we worked with them to affect change in this segment of the buyer journey.
It's situations like this that make me believe that I have the best job in the world. The opportunity to discuss the problem and to outline solutions is a great source of satisfaction for me and the team members I work with, and being an available and informed resource gives us – and our clients – tremendous satisfaction.
Sometimes it's OK to just want to chase rabbits and squirrels.


Experience the unique culture, history, music of America's Deep South, home of the blues, plus the charms and classic images of Texas, the 'Lone Star State'.
Take one of America's classic 'road trips' exploring the Deep South, renowned for its gracious hospitality, its charming southern drawl, its unique Creole and Cajun cuisine and, of course, the most popular music genres of the 20th century – jazz, rock n' roll, the blues and country.
Subject to availability. Single supplements apply..


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Let's all be friends
New research shows how our social ties can influence us for better—and worse: making us fatter, more likely to smoke, marry, divorce and even vote. Governments should take heed
by James Crabtree	/ February 24, 2010 / Leave a comment
Spamalot: successful musicals need the right mix of new and old teammates
If friends of your friends begin to put on weight, you are likely to do the same—even if you don't know the people in question, and even if they live hundreds of miles away. Obesity spreads like a fad; it is contagious.
This striking finding about how obesity spreads through social networks was the result of a 30-year study in Massachussetts, as Nicholas A Christakis and James H Fowler note in their new book, Connected: The Surprising Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives (HarperPress). Research shows that the same is true for smoking, and a range of other behaviours and attitudes like drinking, depression, charitable giving, sexual practices—even the decisions to marry, divorce, reproduce, or vote.
Why is this important? Because from healthcare to climate change, governments today face a range of problems where they must persuade people to change their behaviour. But instead of relying on their powers of persuasion, politicians should consider taking a class in "network science." True, many claims for the power of social networks are based on the hype surrounding websites like Facebook. But the basic idea is simple: people join together in groups with particular patterns of ties, and these patterns then have important effects on the way they behave.
The shape of these networks has surprising effects. Take an unlikely example: Broadway musicals. Brian Uzzi is a sociologist at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is also a big music hall fan. From Cats to Spamalot, musicals have been big business for decades, but investors have to guess which shows will be a hit. Bye Bye Birdie, a profitable 1960 production starring Dick van Dyke, ran for 607 nights. Bring Back Birdie, its 1981 sequel, was a flop and closed after just four.
Intrigued, Uzzi used network science to find out why. He put together a data set of the 321 musicals that launched on Broadway between 1945 and 1989, paying particular attention to whether the top team of producers, director, choreographers and writers had worked together before. After crunching the statistics, he discovered something remarkable. Teams who had never worked together, perhaps unsurprisingly, fared poorly: their "weak" networks meant a lack of creative vision, and lots of duds. And at the other extreme, teams that had worked together successfully also tended to produce flops. Sometimes, lacking outside creative input, the team just rehashed the same ideas that worked the last time; sometimes, lacking newcomers, they "developed" their vision in daft ways. Either way, lightning rarely struck twice.
But, in between, Uzzi found a point of balance. Groups with exactly the right mix of new and old participants reliably produced hits. This variation in the "density" of the ties allowed easy communication and fostered greater creativity—new ideas from the outsiders meshed with the experience of the insiders. It didn't matter if a musical was about cats or rollerskating trains, or who starred in it. Its success came down to the structure of the network binding its team together. The same thing has been found to be true of scientific invention or business innovation.
Bring these two insights together—that information flowing along social networks can change behaviour, and that the shape of networks dramatically changes outcomes—and there are some intriguing implications for policy. Take health. We know teenagers are more likely to smoke if their friends smoke. But network science shows that they are more likely to smoke if friends of their friends (whom they don't know) smoke too. That said, the same can be true in reverse. Here, governments could make budget savings. Let's say the NHS has £100, and wants to get ten people to quit smoking. If it spends £10 on each, one at a time, perhaps one might stop. But imagine if it brought them together in a new network. Spend £100 on this new group, and three might quit. Or, spend £20 on the most connected person, or a person ideally located in a network with just the right density of ties to other people, and their decision to quit could influence many others. Outcomes improve, for the same (or less) amount of money.
David Cameron's Tories have already recognised part of this possibility, saying in their January 2010 "A Healthier Nation" green paper that "social norms are much more important than policymakers have traditionally assumed," and announcing plans to try to create new, better norms (which, by definition, spread by social networks). It's a start, but other areas also seem ripe for a "network policy" approach.
If you can make musicals profitable by properly configuring the makeup of the team at the top, why would the same not work for those who run schools, hospitals, even a government department? And if you can target anti-smoking measures to take account of people's ability to influence others, there is no obvious reason why the same network-centric techniques could not be used to cut problem drinking, tackle obesity, or foster workplace safety.
More generally, if creating the right type of social networks helps people get on in life, shouldn't the state seek to help people build such links? Experts in "social capital" theory have pushed this for years, to little practical effect. But they do have a point: governments should try to build new social systems that support social ties, and design policies to take them into account.
How might this work? Families with young children, if they had better social links, could save money on childcare by relying on friends, or band together to hold schools to account, or even set up their own. Why then should schools, or Sure Start early years centres, not try to introduce more parents to each other? Elsewhere, we know that prisoners who keep good social links to the outside world find it easier to rehabilitate. So helping them keep in touch with people outside should be a specific aim. Even if some prisoners do use Facebook to misbehave, or to influence others, the decision by the justice secretary Jack Straw in February to ban some prisoners from using the site was probably a move in the wrong direction.
Why stop here? Networked policies won't solve the budget crisis, but they could help spark some new types of growth to help us out of recession. Business innovation is strongly influenced by the network structure of project teams and by communication between trading partners or scientists. Policies could tap into this, just as they could try to set up new social norms for domestic energy conservation.
Perhaps the most exciting prospect is ending social isolation. In 2009 Geoff Mulgan, head of the Young Foundation think tank, launched a report arguing that Britain suffers from a quiet epidemic of loneliness. He noted that 500,000 British pensioners spend Christmas alone. In the US, researchers have asked people whom they like to spend free time with, or discuss personal matters. It turns out that the average American has 4.3 such social contacts (including spouses, siblings and friends), but over 4 per cent of adults—or perhaps as many as 10m people—report having not one such person. A comparable figure for Britain would suggest that more than 2m people are chronically alone.
Other research shows that being friendless, or even just being part of a poor network, can exact a shocking toll: a teenage girl whose friends do not get on with each other is more likely to contemplate killing herself than a second girl whose friends do like each other—regardless of how well she gets on with them, or who the friends are.
All of this suggests that new, network-infused policies can help governments unpick pressing problems on a tight budget. They might even help to bridge the divide between left and right. Conservatives have traditionally concerned themselves with individual freedoms, while social democrats have worried about the wellbeing of social groups. Network science shows such a distinction to be at least overly simplistic. Shine a light on how individuals assemble into groups and you'll also see how group membership affects individuals. Taken together, this might not just improve policy and save money, but help our politicians to be more persuasive—in the right sort of way.
The hidden lives behind the Bauhaus movement
Keith Miller / June 9, 2019
Though often understood as a rigid cult of technocrats, the Bauhaus movement was a...
Otherwise known as lemmings....
I wonder if this holds true across all social classes or if there are class / gender specific behaviours?
No doubt some crime is related to social isolation.
James Crabtree
James Crabtree is comment editor of the FT
More by James Crabtree
Top tanks


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Ilja Alexander Goes For a New Brilliant Single "Berlin"
Photo by - Andy Tan
Rising pop artist Ilja Alexander reveals his brand new single 'Berlin' via Green Monk Records
The rising star is originally from Amsterdam but has toured extensively in both Japan and Indonesia before settling in the UK. With his travels, the musician has a stunning team behind him, which includes producer Curtis Richardson (Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Joss Stone) and Adien Lewis (Taemin, SHINee, NCT Dream and BTS' single, 'Inner Child' on their latest album).
Ilja Alexander himself draws inspiration from Electric Light Orchestra, The Libertines, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, The Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach. The resulting conglomeration of sound can be likened to the modern stylings of The Beatles, Queen, Weyes Blood and Porches.
The new single takes us into the nostalgia-laden dream-pop stylings of 'Berlin' as Ilja Alexander paints us with unforgettable pictures. Brushstrokes of bold introductory piano work meet shimmering sonic chambers of simple joy as we're led through the streets of Berlin. Smell the wet rain gently gracing the cobblestones and visualise a bruising underground life in Berlin as it welcomes you in with open arms. Romantic escapism at its finest – who needs to travel when Ilja Alexander can take you there?
Ilja Alexander – Berlin
Ilja Alexander shares about the new single, "I woke up around 3 am, after a weekend's long clubbing night at the techno & electro club Berghain. For a while, I stared at the girl sleeping next to me. I had instantly fallen in love with her 2 years earlier, but I knew our paths would now diverge. As I left the city in a taxi through the deserted streets, my emotions and the city of Berlin, were forever imprinted on my mind, giving birth to the creation of my song 'Berlin'."
Deforestation is a cause close to Ilja Alexander's heart and for every 100 pre-saves of 'Berlin', he will donate to preserve 50 square meters (approx. 538 sq. feet) of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest.
In total, he aims to protect up to 2.500 sq. meters of land with his music. The artist inspires further change in others: "Taking small steps really does make a difference. You can easily contribute to a better climate and world by slightly adopting a more sustainable lifestyle and by donating to tree planting and rainforest protection programs."
Tags: Ilja Alexander