But it's a slightly illogical rule in the first place. First of all, it's not next to a house, it's in a field. Secondly, if you don't want people to use it at the weekend, close it off.
I think in hindsight, there was a camera, which I didn't see.
I thought there were chains around it? OK, so you could get round the chains but didn't it give you the inkling that perhaps they shouldn't be used?
Also, are you saying it was closed for the weekend or just on the Sunday, as you mentioned in your first post?
Secondly, if you don't want people to use it at the weekend, close it off.
Yes, there was a chain draped around it, but not blocking access. I didn't climb over anything. So yes, I did know it was not allowed, but at the same time, I think being a common sense kind of person, rather than following the strict letter of the law, I didn't see any harm in putting my paper in an open paper bin.
I think so. I think I'm going to go down to the commune at first and be as nice as I can, and see what they say. They may take pity on me, and they've made a mistake at least.
I think people on here may be thinking in the wrong direction. Assume for a moment that the reason mentioned for the fine is correct.
OP, you say you were disposing of paper. Did you dispose of carton as well? Or perhaps plastics, I guess you've seen those sealed or packaged leaflets. Or leave some rubbish in a corner. I mean, essentially, did you dispose of anything other than paper, even stuff included in the heaps.
Last edited by Urs Max; 21.03.2019 at 17:07.
Heres what it is in Zürich.
In other words, anyone who places his rubbish bag on the street one day early, discards his rubbish in public waste or throws the bottles into the collection container on Sunday, has to reckon with a five-digit fine".
Wow. You came off lightly then!
But off course on Street Parade you are allowed to throw your waste anywhere!
I think people on here may be thinking in the wrong direction.
Metal and glass I can understand. It makes alot of noise on a Sunday. But paper?!
Next time you have more Swiss and use the bicycle.
Do you have a bike trailer?
Immediately forwarding this thread to my husband who, after 10 years here, still thinks he can thwart all recycling laws to suit himself.
Just this past Sunday, driving by a large Coop which has a bunch of big recycling bins outside, with a bag of wine bottles in the back of the car to be recycled, he pulls in the parking lot.
Me: What are you doing? Coop is closed.
Him: I'm going to drop off those bottles in the back.
Me: It is Sunday, numbnutz.
He can remember Pi to 30 digits but he cannot remember, after 520 Sundays in this country, not to recycle. Y chromosome action at its finest.
Many more country's where you can get fined to dispose outside the allowed hours, nothing typical Swiss mr. Grumpy.
Its called going by the book.
Remember last year some lady committed suicide by lying down on the Autobahn in the middle of the night.
Poor driver was found guilty for running over her.


Breaks the image into hexagon shaped tiles and transforms the image within each shape, to create a fly's eye view effect. Increase Edge Softness for a smoother overlap between the tiles. The 'Inside' parameters transform the Source image before it is tiled into the pattern, and the 'Tile' parameters transform the entire fly's eye pattern.
Tile Shift: X & Y, Default: screen center.
Translates the tile pattern. This parameter can be adjusted using the Tile Shift Widget.
Tile Frequency: Default: 12, Range: 0.1 or greater.
The frequency of the tile pattern, increase for more smaller tiles. This parameter can be adjusted using the Tile Freq Widget.
The relative height of the tile shapes, increase for taller tiles.
Tile Rotate: Default: 0, Range: any.
The rotation angle of the tile pattern, in degrees.
Edge Softness: Default: 0, Range: 0 to 1.
The softness of the edges between the tile shapes. Increase for smoother blending between the shapes.
Inside Zdist: Default: 2, Range: 0 or greater.
Determines the zoom factor of the image inside each tile. Values greater than 1 zoom out, values less than 1 zoom in. If this is 1, Inside Rotate is 0, and Overall Zdist is 1, the result should be the same as the input image.
Inside Rotate: Default: 0, Range: any.
The rotation angle of the image inside each tile, in degrees.
Overall Zdist: Default: 1, Range: any.
Creates an overall zooming effect by making each tile look toward or away from the image center. Decrease to zoom in, increase to zoom out. When 0 all tiles should contain identical images.
Wrap: Popup menu, Default: Reflect .
If enabled, the Source image is resampled using pixel averaging. This removes aliasing and gives a higher quality result especially when Inside Zdist is large. It may not be necessary if your input image is smooth or Inside Zdist is small.


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text:
A quick survey indicated that enough new cars—including a few from Europe—could be completed in time to assure a full 1919 field with the addition of all 1916 leftovers still in running condition. That was all the information Fisher needed to launch an all-out promotional campaign to regain the Memorial Day spotlight.
Homer McKee, Fred Wellman, Paul Richey, Henry Knippenberg II, and Bruce Daniels started the publicity rolling. But the first announcement of preparations for the 1919 event brought an unexpected development which caused Fisher to huddle with his associates immediately. A few politicians attacked the race as "unpatriotic" and "a desecration of the one day in the year which should be devoted exclusively to the memory of our war dead."
"I don't believe such tactics will keep anyone away from the Speedway next May 30," said Fisher. "But maybe we ought to change the date anyway. We're in a fortunate position because Memorial Day falls on a Friday next year. We probably can draw an even bigger crowd by holding the race on Saturday, May 31, and no one will have any reason to criticize us. Because 1920 will be leap year, Memorial Day will fall on Sunday, and we can race on Saturday or Monday."
Everyone favored the suggestion and also a return to the 500-mile distance with a purse of $50,000. It was necessary to comb the country for cars to make sure of a full field of 33, for the number of entries from across the Atlantic fell far below expectations. They consisted of two British Sunbeams, withdrawn in early May because they couldn't be completed in time, and four new four-cylinder French Ballots assigned to René Thomas, Albert Guyot, Louis Wagner, and Paul Bablot.
The Chevrolet brothers built four new four-cylinder Frontenacs; the Hudson factory entered five new six-cylinder cars; and the Duesenberg brothers completed two new eights, which were entered along with two of their 1916 four-cylinder cars to form another formidable team. DePalma entered a twelve-cylinder Packard.
Four cars owned by the Speedway—two Peugeots and two Premiers—were in good running condition when removed from storage; and capable replacements were found for Aitken and Rickenbacker. Johnny had died of influenza in 1918, and Rick, who had made the trip to France as a wartime chauffeur with General "Black Jack" Pershing's staff, now was Captain E. V. Rickenbacker, America's ace of aces. With Pershing's approval, he had joined the Air Force at the earliest possible opportunity, completed the three-month training in five weeks, and shot down 26 enemy aircraft during the remaining days of the war.
Because the Peugeots and Premiers were of similar design, Jules Goux accepted Fisher's attractive offer to visit America again and prepare all four cars with Howdy Wilcox. One of the Peugeot engines was damaged beyond repair during practice, but it was replaced with the power plant from one of the Premiers. So the Speedway was represented in the race by three of its own cars; George Buzane drove the third one.
Earl Cooper entered his 1915 Stutz, and Gil Anderson's "sister car," purchased by a wealthy young sportsman, Cliff Durant, was entered as a Durant Special with Eddie Hearne as the driver. Three other Peugeots of pre-war vintage and a number of privately owned cars of questionable performance, bearing names which meant nothing to the average race fan, completed the official list.
Because of numerous business opportunities offered him, Rick had no thought of resuming his career as a race driver, but he accepted Fisher's invitation to serve as referee of the Liberty Sweepstakes, which were shaping up even better than the Speedway management had anticipated. Thomas, winner of the "500" in 1914, drove one of the new Ballots to a track record of 104.780 miles an hour to win the pole position. Wagner, in another Ballot, was almost as fast. All four Frontenacs won positions near the head of the starting line-up with speeds of better than 100 miles an hour. DePalma and Tommy Milton, the new captain of the Duesenberg team by virtue of the ability and competitive urge he had displayed in his own Mercer on the dirt tracks, also were ranked among the pre-race favorites.
But the race itself developed into one of endurance rather than speed long before the 300-mile mark was reached. Tragic accidents claimed three lives—the first deaths recorded in competition at the Speedway since 1911—and members of the technical committee headed by Chester Ricker, who also served as director of timing and scoring, were kept busy checking on the specific causes of more than 60 pit stops due to mechanical ailments alone. Ignition trouble, oil leaks, ruptured fuel tanks, faulty radiator connections, broken steering knuckles and cracked hubs all began to take their total after a sizzling battle between DePalma and Louis Chevrolet for the early lead at speeds well in excess of 90 miles an hour.
The death toll was almost raised to four by one of the most unusual accidents in racing history, a mishap which probably was not seen in its entirety by a single spectator although it involved the leader of the race and occurred on the main straightaway in plain view of a large part of the huge throng in the grandstands.
Chevrolet's Frontenac lost one of its wire wheels when the right rear hub broke as he was completing his 74th lap. There was an audible sigh of relief from the crowd as he kept the car between the walls and headed for his pit. But a sharp edge of the broken hub, dragging on the track, snapped the thin electric timing wire stretched across the bricks at the start-and-finish line. The severed ends of the wire lashed through the air. One end caught Elmer Shannon under the chin as he swerved his own car to avoid hitting the crippled Frontenac. An artery in his neck was severed as if by a surgeon's knife.
Later, he said he had experienced a sensation which seemed no more serious than a bee sting. But the front of his uniform shirt suddenly was saturated with his own blood and he could feel the strength ebb from his hands and arms. With the help of his riding mechanic, he succeeded in completing the next lap before blacking out as he brought the car to a stop at his own pit. Only quick work by his crew saved him from bleeding to death before he could be rushed to the emergency hospital.
Chevrolet resumed the race after a 20-minute stop for repairs, but never was a contender for the lead again. DePalma's chances faded quickly after he had regained first place as the result of the accident: front wheel bearing failure forced him to make a 15-minute stop as he completed the 102nd lap (255 miles). Wilcox, driving steadily from the start, was in position to take command. The two four-year-old Stutz cars driven by Hearne and Cooper were next in order, but both lacked the speed to challenge the leader, and Cooper's chances of even finishing were jeopardized by valve trouble. He lost ground steadily and finally placed 12th as Wilcox breezed across the finish line in his Speedway-owned car with a lead of almost four minutes over Hearne. Goux finished third, five minutes farther back, in the Speedway's second Peugeot. Guyot was fourth at the wheel of the only Ballot destined to share in the prize money. The winner's average was a disappointing 88.050 miles an hour. DePalma's 1915 record of 89.840 still was unbroken.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Fairfax seeks to dismiss 400 convictions in cases brought by one officer
1- IAPE Specific Southeast Virginia
A former patrol officer who is accused of stealing drugs from the police property room
Fairfax County prosecutors are moving to throw out more than 400 criminal convictions based on the testimony or work of a former patrol officer who is accused of stealing drugs from the police property room, planting drugs on innocent people and stopping motorists without legal basis, court filings show. In a hearing Friday, a Fairfax judge said he was inclined to vacate felony drug and gun convictions against a former D.C. firefighter and order him released from prison next week after serving nearly two years because of the actions of former officer Jonathan A. Freitag.
Fairfax police said they began investigating Freitag after receiving a tip about him in July 2019. The police department took him off the streets. Freitag, now 25, resigned in May 2020 after the FBI had joined Fairfax County in a criminal investigation of him. But even after The Washington Post first reported the allegations against Freitag in June 2020, he was hired by the Brevard County Sheriff's Office in Florida in August 2020. The Fairfax human resources department reported to Brevard that the former officer had never been "subject to disciplinary action" and "there are no disciplinary records in his file."
Freitag was fired by the Brevard County sheriff on April 1 after The Post inquired about his status there. Brevard Sheriff Wayne Ivey then sent a scathing two-page letter to interim Fairfax police chief David M. Rohrer accusing Fairfax of providing "misleading representations to our legitimate efforts to investigate" Freitag. Ivey said it was "outrageous that an individual such as Mr. Freitag, with a history of alleged misconduct at the Fairfax County Police Department, had become a member of our agency and placed in a position that may have negatively impacted our citizens due to your agency's misrepresentations."
See the letter from the Brevard County sheriff to Fairfax County
Fairfax County's human resources department provided Freitag with a letter soon after his resignation which said, "You resigned from the position in good standing, your employment was entirely favorable and you are eligible for re-hire," and Freitag in turn submitted that to Brevard County, documents released by Brevard show. Fairfax police said that letter led Brevard to query the human resources department instead of the police department. Brevard is now investigating the cases Freitag made during his seven months there, sheriff's office spokesman Tod Goodyear said.
Fairfax prosecutors said Freitag had been involved in 932 total cases during his three years as an officer, mostly traffic and misdemeanors, resulting in about 400 convictions. Seven were felonies, prosecution spokesman Ben Shnider said. Prosecutors have dismissed at least 21 cases which were pending, including a case where a man was charged with felony assault on Freitag, but the former D.C. firefighter Elon Wilson is the only defendant currently incarcerated. Wilson's case would be the first conviction to be vacated as a result of Freitag's actions.
Freitag has not been charged with any crimes, but prosecutors said a criminal investigation of him is ongoing. In phone and text conversations, Freitag denied any wrongdoing. No direct evidence of any misdeeds by Freitag was presented in a court hearing Friday on Wilson's case, beyond the documents that the officer falsely claimed Wilson committed a traffic violation as a reason to stop him and search his car.
"This is all news to me," Freitag said of the allegations laid out by Fairfax prosecutors. Freitag "admitted to falsifying information in police records" to police internal affairs investigators, and "admitted to a third party to engaging in racial profiling in determining which motorists to stop," according to prosecutors.
"I have parted ways with Fairfax," Freitag said. "Clearly [Fairfax Commonwealth's Attorney] Steve Descano has an agenda. I will continue to stick by my word of me doing nothing wrong."
"What occurred in this case is a disgrace of monumental proportions," Descano wrote in a court brief, "and a stain on the good work of many honest police officers and prosecutors. The conviction and sentence in this matter were unjustly obtained and if left uncorrected will undermine confidence in our system of justice."
After Friday's hearing, Descano said Wilson had a 5-month-old baby when he was arrested and had been a valued firefighter.
"I just want to apologize to Elon Wilson and his family for what they've endured, because of the failings of the criminal justice system," Descano said.
Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano speaks to the media after a hearing in which he sought to vacate the drug conviction of a D.C. firefighter, obtained by a former Fairfax County police officer. (Tom Jackman/The Washington Post)
Troubled officers leaving one department and then turning up at another has been cited by justice reform advocates as a problem with policing. There is a national database of decertified officers, and Virginia has one too, but Freitag resigned before he could be formally decertified. Beginning last month, Virginia toughened its criteria for decertification to include officers who resign for an act "that compromises an officer's credibility, integrity, honesty, or other characteristics that constitute exculpatory or impeachment evidence in a criminal case." But that law wasn't in effect when Freitag left Fairfax last year.
Internal police records provided by Freitag's lawyers show he was the subject of five internal affairs inquiries in 2018 and 2019, including two involving his allegedly sloppy handling of traffic stops. But no complaint was filed in the traffic stop involving Wilson, who was pulled over by Freitag near a recording studio that had been the scene of violent incidents. When Freitag searched the car during the April 3, 2018, stop, he found a handgun, marijuana and a bag with more than 450 tablets of oxycodone in the glove compartment, court records show.
Freitag said he stopped the car because Wilson had crossed the center line, then smelled marijuana as he approached. Wilson said the drugs and gun belonged to his passenger, a juvenile whose charges were later dropped. Wilson, then 23, was charged with drug dealing, possession of a weapon while possessing drugs, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and failure to maintain control of his vehicle. He was immediately suspended by the D.C. fire department.
Facing a possible 10-year sentence on gun and drug charges, Wilson entered a plea and was found guilty. He was sentenced in July 2019 to three years and one month in prison. Descano said Wilson might have been innocent of the charges, because the passenger admitted the drugs and gun were his, but faced with 10 years in prison and a newborn at home, he said Wilson's decision to enter a plea was understandable.
That same month, according to police records, a citizen filed a complaint against Freitag "alleging multiple acts of misconduct," which aren't specified. As a result of that complaint, Fairfax police opened a second investigation over Freitag's traffic stops and reviewed more than 150 in-car videos of his stops in June and July 2019, showing he had failed to document whom he'd stopped or when he'd searched cars. He was interviewed by internal affairs in September 2019 and "acknowledged [he] primarily conduct[ed] pretextual traffic stops and look for 'narcotics, guns, any stolen property, and wanted people.' " The Wilson case, from 2018, was not part of this internal investigation.
Police then notified Fairfax prosecutors that Freitag was under investigation for lack of truthfulness. Former chief deputy Commonwealth's attorney Casey Lingan said his office then dismissed a number of Freitag's pending cases. Descano said Lingan should have immediately pursued Wilson's case, while Wilson was still in the Fairfax jail and subject to local jurisdiction. Once Wilson was shipped to state prison, undoing his conviction involved more complex legal filings.
Lingan said the investigation into Freitag was in its early stages in the fall of 2019, and he had assistant prosecutors notify defense attorneys, such as Wilson's, that Freitag was being investigated but no findings had been made against the officer. Lingan said he was told in a meeting with police and the Fairfax County attorney that a full review of all of Freitag's traffic stops was underway but would take a long time. Lingan said he suggested the FBI be brought in to help parse the massive amount of video and reports generated by Freitag, and they were.
Marvin D. Miller, Wilson's attorney, had been told Freitag was under investigation, but nothing more. In early 2020, after Descano became the new Fairfax prosecutor, Miller filed a motion seeking information about Freitag. Descano said this was the first he'd heard of the case. Descano learned that in a random review of 40 of Freitag's traffic stops, comparing in-car video footage to his police reports, "the basis used by the officer to justify the stop, as memorialized in his police report, was untruthful. Moreover, there was a racial component with respect to the drivers that the officer unlawfully stopped," his legal brief states.
Freitag's lawyer, Brandon Shapiro, sharply objected to the "racial component" allegation, as did Freitag. Shapiro supplied the 22-page internal complaint against Freitag to show that race was never mentioned in the charges against him. The April 2020 police complaint does say, "your complete disregard for the law and unethical conduct was clearly identified on multiple occasions."
Miller said the internal affairs investigators interviewed a woman who said Freitag admitted racial motivation in his stops, and Descano said Freitag had "potentially racially biased motive and racially biased impact ... They looked at 1,400 stops. When you're looking at the stops, a very clear pattern emerged."
Descano established a team of prosecutors to review the police internal files, both to provide the files to Miller and to shield them from prosecutors who might later prosecute Freitag. Prosecutors may not use statements given to internal affairs investigators in criminal cases.
In a brief supporting Wilson's release, Descano and his deputy Kyle Manikas said the Fairfax police turned over 75 gigabytes of material.
"The material revealed strong indicia," the prosecutors wrote, that Freitag systematically stopped motorists without a valid legal basis, falsified his police reports and "admitted to a third party to engaging in racial profiling in determining which motorists to stop and the evidence corroborated this admission."
Shapiro said Freitag was asked once by investigators about any racial component to his policing, denied it and wasn't accused of it by the police.
"Multiple people accused the officer of planting drugs," Descano and Manikas wrote. "In several cases handled by the officer, narcotics went missing from the property room, including cocaine and marijuana. The officer repeatedly edited police reports in cases where the narcotics went missing, sometimes over 100 times in a single case." No evidence of this has been publicly released.t
Freitag, the son of a retired Arlington police officer, started working for Fairfax as a 19-year-old police cadet in 2015, then became an officer in March 2017, soon after he turned 21. In September 2019, he was placed on administrative duty and later filed a grievance for the length of time he'd had to wait without pay.
In April 2020, Freitag's commanders recommended his termination, the internal police report shows. Instead, Freitag's lawyers negotiated a settlement agreement with Fairfax County's attorneys, provided by Shapiro. Freitag agreed he would provide a two weeks notice of resignation, and Fairfax agreed that "All documents associated with the pending Internal Affairs investigation against Freitag will remain in the FCPD's Internal Affairs administrative file and will not be included in Freitag's personnel and/or Human Resources files."
Soon after, Freitag sought and obtained a letter from Fairfax County's human resources department, on county letterhead dated June 9, 2020, stating that he had "resigned from the position in good standing, your employment was entirely favorable and you are eligible for re-hire."
The next day, Freitag told The Post in an interview, "I was cleared of everything. I resigned on my own terms … IA did an audit of my traffic stops and I was cleared of any wrongdoing." A story reporting that Freitag was being investigated by the police and FBI was published on June 29, but Brevard County apparently never saw it, Goodyear said.
Ex-Fairfax police officer under FBI investigation, made racially motivated traffic stops, prosecutor says
In July, Freitag submitted the "good standing" letter to the Brevard County sheriff. In August, Brevard sheriff's personnel investigators contacted the author of the letter in the human resources department — not the police department — and asked for "any disciplinary actions or Internal Affairs investigations," according to Ivey. Brevard was told "there was no reason why the applicant should not work for the Sheriff's Office," Ivey said.
Brevard continued to make multiple attempts to secure copies of Freitag's internal affairs file, and spoke to members of the Fairfax police on multiple occasions. "As of today, all attempts of procuring the records have been unsuccessful," Ivey wrote.
Fairfax police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said Fairfax "internal affairs was never contacted by the Brevard County sheriff." Guglielmi said Fairfax had confirmed that the "good standing" letter led Brevard investigators to Fairfax's human resources department rather than the police internal affairs or personnel units. Guglielmi said in Freitag's police personnel file was an "exit interview form" which states, "Did employee leave in good standing? No ... Rehire Recommendation? No."
"Due to administrative errors, this information was not contained within the employee's human resources file," Guglielmi said, "and the Brevard County inquiry was not properly forwarded to the police department from the Fairfax County central personnel office when it arrived ... We take this matter very seriously and have implemented procedural safeguards to ensure it cannot happen again."
A photo of Freitag in a Brevard County squad car was posted on Facebook, leading The Post to ask Fairfax police about Freitag's status. Guglielmi said Fairfax then contacted Brevard County, which promptly fired Freitag, who was still a probationary deputy. A letter to Freitag from the sheriff says, "you intentionally provided inaccurate, incomplete and blatantly deceptive information to our investigators."
Miller filed a motion to have Wilson's conviction thrown out. Miller said video of the traffic stop showed Wilson never crossed the center line and the search of the car was illegal. Descano and Manikas then filed their motion supporting Wilson.
In a hearing Friday, Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Daniel Ortiz asked whether Miller should have seen and challenged the video evidence in 2018, but Miller said he didn't know the video existed and it wasn't turned over to him. He said prosecutors threatened to seek maximum sentences against Wilson if he fought the case with a suppression motion, and his charges already carried a 10-year minimum, so Wilson took the plea deal.
Fairfax prosecutors are looking to undo more than 400 convictions involving officer Jonathan Freitag - The Washington Post
Jonathan Freitag resigned while under internal Fairfax police investigation in May 2020, then joined the Brevard County Sheriff's Office three months later. He was fired earlier this month.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/04/16/convictions-dismiss-jonathan-freitag-fairfax/
officer accused of stealing drugs property room
Ex-Chadbourn police chief stole hundreds of pills,...
BRPD narcotics detective, already facing drug char...


If you're in business the chances are that you need to make money.
The aim of the game is to have something left after all the bills are paid whether that's because you want something for yourself, to pay dividends to investors or, if you run a social enterprise, to do some good for the wider community.
Quite often I hear the complaint "We're not making any money" but what does this mean? There is no point in any business at which money is actually made!
In simple terms we think of "making money" as making profit – when sales income is more than all the appropriate costs.
What people actually mean when they say they are "making money" is that there is plenty money in the bank to pay the bills that come in. Making profit doesn't always mean that there is money in the bank.
In business nowadays the chances are you buy on credit, and you offer credit to your customers and you buy more stock that you need straight away so that you always have something to sell. All these things separate when the money is received (or paid) from when the sale actually happens.
So making money is actually more to do with generating cash.
In basic terms, a business which consistently makes losses will only be able to pay all of its bills if there is extra cash being provided from somewhere else. If my costs come to £5,000 but my sales are only £4,500 I won't be able to pay all of my bills, there will need to be a bit of negotiation with suppliers or some savings to fall back on.
However making money isn't simple even if the business is making profit.
It's possible that I could be making profits and still not bringing in enough cash to pay all the bills when they are due.
Most obviously, if I buy stock for selling on in future I will likely need to pay my supplier for the stock before my customer has paid me, but if my customer hasn't paid me how can I pay anyone else?
Accountants usually make some changes on paper to spread these sorts of costs over the year and match them to the sales that they relate to, but in cash terms my suppliers need the money more promptly to pass on to their suppliers.
What's even more tricky is finding cash to invest in the business' facilities. Buying a new delivery van has very little impact how much profit you make because only a small-ish part of the cost of the van relates to the sales in any given month, or year.
When it comes to paying for the van though, even with a hire purchase loan you're going to need to pay a chunk of the cost as a deposit. That's going to hit the bank balance.
So making money involves more than just selling for a profit. Cash may be king, but cashflow is complicated!
and you will be giving yourself the best chance to make money (and hold on to some of it) whatever stage your business is at.
This is the first in a series of blogs looking at cash flow and ways to improve it, all filed under the "Cash is King" category.
This entry was posted in Cash is King and tagged Business, business problems, Cashflow, Planning on October 2, 2016 by Susie.
I've not been writing much recently, but that's not to say that I've not been busy!
I am hard at work in the background putting together a workshop to help ambitious food producers understand their finances and make sure that they are looking at the right information to make good decisions and grow their businesses.
Every business has some way of tracking their income and their spending. When you start out it's easy to have a simple system that you understand, but as your business grows – especially if you're ambitious and your idea finds hungry customers – it can be difficult to keep track of the finances.
The accounts that are prepared at the end of the year show how much profit has been made during the year, but often that is only useful to HMRC so that you know how much tax to pay!
When it comes to growing your business you need to know how you make profit, in order to make sure any new sales add more profit! So you need to be able to compare different products, different customers or compare the profit that you've made with the effort you've put in to the business. Year end accounts usually don't help much with this.
Add to that the fact that you probably don't get these accounts until at least 3 months after the end of the year. If you spot an opportunity or a problem during the year you want to have information to react to it immediately, not wait 9 months and hope you did the right thing.
So you need good data, and in order for it to mean something you need to have a some history as well. In order to get the information you need to manage your business successfully you need to know what it is you're trying to measure and develop a system (maybe just notes on paper, maybe more complicated) to record it.
The challenge is that the information required varies from business to business, it even varies at different stages of a business' life and often isn't immediately available from your accounting system.
In the forthcoming workshop I have partnered with Mary Quicke of Quicke's Traditional, an award winning cheese maker who has established a successful and trusted brand making traditional high quality cheese.
Mary has a wealth of experience gained from growing her business and will share the KPIs, financial information and some of the strategies that she used to grow her business.
The workshop will be held on 10th September from 9.30 until 13.30 at The Cedars Inn in Barnstaple. It is open to all ambitious food producers.
For the moment please contact me for more information: the registration page is under construction!
This entry was posted in Food, Workshop and tagged Advice, Business, business plan, control, Food & Drink Business Finance Workshop, food business, growth, Management Accounts, Planning, small business on May 20, 2015 by Susie.


Small Size Beige Leather Block Mid-Heel Pumps MIZCHI by Pretty Small Shoes. Shake up your go-to courts with Courtney This classic silhouette enjoys a seasonal update with its point toe affording elegant style and yet they are very comfortable with flattering lift from the 5cm heel. They are supremely easy to wear with casual weekend and work time looks and they are especially good with your favourite midi skirts.
These are classy, nice looking shoes. I really like them, and feel very comfortable!
These shoes are lovely and a fabulous colour to mix & match. I just need good weather as they look too good to get wet lol.
Too small - that's a first!
Very cute shoes but sadly too small. I ordered size 33 as my foot is exactly 21.5cm long (the measurement for size 33) but the shoes were painfully tight. I should have taken the '5 mm wiggle room' into consideration but I was afraid of yet another pair of too-big-for-me shoes. The leather was also quite stiff and uncomfortable but I guess that would break in if the size was right. I wasn't sure size 34 wouldn't be too big so I just returned this pair and asked for money back. I was disappointed the post office charged me almost 10 EUR to return, I thought the return postage was paid for if you used the pink return label. But it's the post office's fault, no the company I guess. The shoes arrived promptly and were just as pictured, I was really sad I had to return them. Next time I'll order size 34 and a different model and hope they fit!


Proud to serve the areas of Manhasset NY, Munsey Park NY, Great Neck Gardens NY. Call or email me today for a personalized insurance review.
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#mining#apple#supply chain#Technology#Gold#Copper#Aluminum#Sustainability#Minerals#Cobalt
No more mining, says Apple
The international technology behemoth otherwise known as Apple has announced plans to end its mining activity once and for all, to focus purely on recyc...
|Apr 20| 11 min read
The international technology behemoth otherwise known as Apple has announced plans to end its mining activity once and for all, to focus purely on recycling materials.
In its 2017 Environmental Responsibility Report., the company said that it recognises the impact of electronics manufacturing on the planet and that Earth's resources "won't last forever"
We dug a little deeper into the report to find out what this means for the future of Apple.
First things first...
The revelation from Apple comes as part of a wider approach to reducing its carbon footprint. Many of Apple's products contain aluminium, tungsten, tantalum, gold and cobalt. Naturally, these are obtained through mining.
"Traditional supply chains are linear. Materials are mined, manufactured as products, and often end up in landfills after use. Then the process starts over and more materials are extracted from the earth for new products," says the report.
Closing the loop...
The company believes the future method to mitigate this dependence on mining, is through a closed-loop supply chain. This will see new products built 100 percent from renewable resources or recycled material.
The challenge the company has set itself is to "one day end our reliance on mining altogether", which would be no small feat.
Looking within: From Aluminium to tin
It seems obvious to say, but with aluminium making up a large amount of Apple products, the report identifies the best possible resource for recycled material (aluminium) was its own products and processes. Apple will look to recover the aluminium from its products without degrading its quality.
For tin, it's a little simpler. Apple currently taps into a global supply market of recycled tin and is going forward committing 100 percent recycled tin for the solder on the logic boards for its IPhone 6 range.
But of course it's never that easy. The report acknowledges that tin is not recovered by all electronic recyclers, meaning there is still a rather large gap.
Thankfully, Apple is already working on that...
Meet Liam
Liam is an experimental device being piloted by Apple to quickly disassemble iPhone 6 and sort its high-quality components, such as aluminium, tin, copper and cobalt. The overriding goal is of course, to reduce the dependency on mining these resources from the earth. With two Liam lines (a series of robots) fully operational, Apple can successfully take apart up to 2.4 million phones a year.
Apple is already confident that Liam will truly transform the future of Apple's material use and recycling, having successfully melted down aluminium enclosures recovered by Liam and reusing them in Mac mini computers that are used in the iPhone final assembly facilities.
The report also reveals that Apple is not resting on the laurels of Liam alone.
"We are sending iPhone 6 main logic boards recovered by Liam to a recycler, who can reclaim the tin in addition to the copper and precious metals," it says.
But here's the best bit.
"We are now looking at ways to do this on a larger scale for tin – and apply what we've learned to other materials,"
An example of this is Apple's experimentation with methods of recovering cobalt from its lithium-ion batteries and using recycled cobalt.
It's a numbers game...
Liam is an impressive piece of machinery, and you can find out more about Liam in this snazzy video:
but of course where would we be in the mining industry without the numbers to back all this talk up.
Well Apple have dutifully heard those calls for numbers and provided.
So, for every 100,000 iPhone 6 devices, Liam has the potential to recover the following:
Aluminium (1900 kg)
Copper (800kg)
Gold (0.3 kg)
Platinum Group Metals (0.4kg)
Silver (7kg)
Tin (55 kg)
(Rare Earth Elements (24 kg)
Cobalt (550 kg)
Tungsten (3.5kg)
Tantalum (2.5 kg)
Don't just take our word for it...
Read the 2017 Environmental Responsibility Report.


To hunt furbearers, you need to possess a junior hunting, small game, small/big game, sportsman, super sportsman, nonresident hunting, or nonresident super sportsman license. A trapping or big game license does not allow you to hunt furbearers. Furbearers may be hunted with a bow or firearm as described below. All laws pertaining to the use of a spotlight and firearm apply.
You may hunt red and gray fox, coyote, bobcat, raccoon, skunk, mink, weasel and opossum.
If you take a bobcat, it must be tagged and sealed.
You may use a call, including an electronic call.
You may hunt furbearers only after sunrise on the opening day. They may be taken at any hour, day or night, for the rest of their hunting season.
Skunk may be hunted during their open trapping season.
Muskrat may only be hunted on Lake Champlain during the open trapping seasonwith a firearm not larger than a .22 caliber.
Use any handgun or bow.
Use a shotgun loaded with shot (any size).
Use a rifle chambered in any cartridge, except that you may not possess a centerfire rifle afield, during the day or night, during any open season for deer in areas restricted to using a shotgun only for deer.
If hunting without a light, the use of a light gathering ("starlight") scope is legal on any firearm listed above.
� 11-0523. Destructive or menacing wildlife; taking without permit.
1. Owners and lessees and members of their immediate families actually occupying or cultivating lands, and persons authorized in writing and actually employed by them in cultivating such lands, may take (a) unprotected wildlife other than birds and (b) starlings, common crows and, subject to section 11-0513, pigeons, when such wildlife is injuring their property or has become a nuisance thereon. Such taking may be done in any manner, notwithstanding any provision of the Fish and Wildlife Law, except section 11-0513, or the Penal Law or any other law.
6. Raccoons, coyotes or fox injuring private property may be taken by the owner, occupant or lessee thereof, or an employee or family member of such owner, occupant or lessee, at any time in any manner.


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Business Transactions and Tax
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Start-Up and Emerging Companies
Tax Planning, Advice and Controversy
Business Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Shareholder and Corporate Disputes Litigation
Acquisitions and Dispositions
Trusts and Estates Administration
corona_news
Additional Online Resources
www.eeoc.gov Information related to federal non-discrimination laws, including how employers are affected under these laws by COVID-19 issues www.dol.gov Information related to federal wage and hour laws and the Family Medical Leave Act, including answers to frequent questions related to COVID-19. www.dfeh.ca.gov Information related to California non-discrimination laws, including how employers are affected under these… …
California Changes Its Independent Contractor Law – Again! – September 16, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy AB 5, the controversial California landmark legislation that dramatically changed the landscape of independent contractor versus employee status, has barely been in place since it became effective January 1, 2020. It was followed by much gnashing of teeth by both businesses and many independent contractors who found their relationships altered in… …
EEOC Further Updates COVID-19 Guidance to Address Ongoing Questions – September 10, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy EEOC Further Updates COVID-19 Guidance to Address Ongoing Questions On September 9, 2020, the EEOC issued updated Guidance regarding the interplay between COVID-19 and the laws that it enforces. All of the materials that the EEOC has which are related to COVID-19 can be found at www.eeoc.gov/coronavirus. The new Guidance makes… …
EEOC Issues Its Fifth Update Related to Discrimination and COVID-19 – April 28, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is regularly updating previously-issued Technical Assistance Questions and Answers (i.e., issued March 17, March 18, April 9, April 17, 2020). It did so again on April 23, 2020. Our summary of prior updates can be found here and here. The EEOC continues to emphasize that… …
EEOC Issues Additional Guidance Addressing Common COVID-19 Questions – April 17, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy On April 17, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued additional guidance regarding COVID-19 issues under the various federal non-discrimination laws that it enforces. That additional guidance from the EEOC can be found here. Our alert on the earlier guidance can be found here. The following is limited to the… …
EEOC Issues Updated Questions and Answers Specific to COVID-19 – April 14, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy On April 9, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued updated Technical Assistance Questions and Answers expanding information for employers related to COVID-19, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act, Title VII, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. The updated document… …
CDC – Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19
Please click here for the CDC's Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19.
DOL Issues Additional Guidance on FFCRA Critical Issues That Went Into Effect Today – April 1, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) became effective today, April 1, 2020. The Department of Labor (DOL) issued additional guidance just a few days ago on Saturday, March 28, 2020 in the form of 59 questions and answers for employers on what the new leave laws require. The new guidance… …
New Families First Coronavirus Response Act Posters Published – March 26, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy The new poster for covered private sector employers related to leaves under the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) has been published by the Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor and is available here. The agency has also published a set of FAQs related to the notice,… …
The New Federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act… What You Need to Know – March 24, 2020
by Teresa R. Tracy The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law by President Trump late on March 18, 2020. Among other things, it temporarily expands the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and creates an additional paid leave of absence. This Alert only addresses private sector employers; federal, state, and local… …
Freeman Freeman & Smiley Included for Ninth Consecutive Year Among 2021 "Best Law Firms"
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Pilbara braces for dangerous fire weather
December 23, 2012 11:57AM
NSW NewsQLD NewsWA NewsVIC NewsSA NewsNewsAustralia
A MID-40C scorcher will see a total fire ban for around 2600 residents on the northern WA coast, while 6000 people in the state's Pilbara region are bracing for severe fire danger.
Just before midday, many areas have already passed the 40C mark, including Learmonth, Telfer, Marble Bar, Newman and Paraburdoo.
The Shire of Exmouth, in the coastal region of Gascoyne about 1000km north of Perth, has been placed on a total fire ban on Sunday by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
All open air fires are banned, and hot work such as metal welding and grinding is not allowed without an exemption. The DFES has warned that those who flout the ban face fines of up $25,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail.
Residents in the inner-Pilbara's Shire of Ashburton face hot, dry, windy conditions that could see a potential bush or grass fire take hold, DFES said, announcing a severe fire warning.
The area faces overnight temperature lows in the mid to high 20Cs before daytime maximums expected in the low to mid 40Cs, with the searing weather tipped to continue until Boxing Day, according to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).
Motorists are being urged to avoid driving near the abandoned town site of Wittenoom, where a fire southwest of the area - despite posing no danger - has seen roads closed in the area due to thick smoke.
Several non-threatening fires are also burning on either side of the North West Coastal Highway in the Shire of Ashburton, causing a potential smoke hazard for motorists, DFES said in a statement.
The department has urged residents in affected areas to have bushfire plans and survival kits on standby, and to tune in to local radio and other media for updates.
``Do not wait for a warning before you act. If you see flames call triple zero,'' the DFES said.


For the fifth time this year, Market & Museum comes with Birthday Troops theme. This event also marks the Market & Museum third anniversary. If you don't know about it yet, Market & Museum is a retail bazaar and culinary festival joined by various local tenants. This event is also as an appreciation of the existing local brands. The culinary festival is also interesting to browse with the food trucks in it. This time Market & Museum is held in Lippo Mall Kemang, starting today until November 29, 2015. If you don't have any plan yet for the weekend, come to Market & Museum!


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Martina Navratilova Says She "Runs Away" From Real Housewives Cameras During Filming; Martina Says She's Only On The Show Out Of Love For Julia Lemigova
Peacock has graced us with the return of the Real Housewives of Miami and baby, is it DELIVERING or what? The reboot features familiar faces (I use that term loosely considering all of the glow-ups in the cast) like Larsa Pippen, Alexia Echevarria, and Marysol Patton. They are also a few newbies thrown into the mix, like Nicole Martin and Guerdy Abraira. But one newbie, Julia Lemigova, is not only making waves by being part of the first LGBTQ+ Real Housewives couple, but also causing drama with her veryyyyy close friendship with Adriana de Moura. The Miami ladies understood the assignment, and we are all better off.
Julia is a wacky personality that RHOM needed to off-balance the ultra-glamorous OGs. She's a more simple girl with life on her farm, preferring the company of goats and chickens (and their poop). She helms from Russia and has lived quite an interesting life. She's married to tennis legend Martina Navratilova and they seem to be very in love. But that doesn't stop her from rubbing Adriana's feet and kissing her to get her out of sticky situations, to Martina's disapproval.
RELATED: Real Housewives Of Miami Star Julia Lemigova Discusses Being The First LGBTQ+ Housewife Ever Cast
Martina was recently interviewed for WTA Tour about her new gig as a housewife to a housewife. While she says Julia loves the show, Martina admits trying to "run away from cameras" to stay out of the limelight. She added that the only reason she appears is a labor of love for Julia. "It goes beyond compromise," Martina said. Honestly, I'm a bit confused by their relationship. Julia seems very open and fun-loving while Martina gets jealous pretty easily. She just seems like she hates the entire experience of RHOM and that's the type of energy to burn out a star like Julia before it's even shined its brightest.
Julia's wifey also threw another dig at her spouse for her new gig. "You know, that's what I'm trying to figure out. Julia is the housewife — but I'm the one doing most of the cleaning," Martina said. "She gets paid, and I get nothing. I do my work, but … she's done so much work on that; it just mushroomed." It's hard to tell someone's tone through text, but is Martina coming off a little bitter to anyone else? I'll need to see more RHOM to get a better understanding, but something is off about this situation. And you know who knows EXACTLY what's going on? Miss Adriana, the queen of Miami.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF MARTINA AND JULIA'S RELATIONSHIP? DO YOU BELIEVE MARTINA WISHES JULIA DIDN'T JOIN RHOM IN THE FIRST PLACE?
[Photo Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images]
Andy Cohen Says He Won't Let People "Shame" Him For Being Drunk On New Year's..
Emily Simpson Claps Back At Haters Who Tell Her She Needs To Go On A..
Tags:Adriana De MouraAlexia EchevarriaGuerdy AbrairaJulia LemigovaLarsa PippenMartina NavratilovaMarysol PattonNicole Martinreal housewivesReal Housewives of MiamiRHOM


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Aduana Stars FC is a professional football club, based in Dormaa Ahenkro, Brong-Ahafo, Ghana. The club is competing in the Glo Premier League.
Aduana stars was formed from ma Aduana won th 2009–10 Glo Premier League title as fewest scoring side in the Glo Premier League, setting a world record for least productive champions with 19 goals in 30 matches. With an average of 0.6333 goals per match, they broke the all-time record set by Trabzonspor. The Turkish Süper Lig side became champions in 1979–80 with 25 goals in 30 matches (average of 0.8333).
Premier League: 1
FA Cup: 0
Super Cup: 0
Performance in CAF competitions
CAF Champions League: 1 appearance
WAFU Club Championship: 1 appearance
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Herbert Addo (April 1, 2010 – Aug 2, 2011)
Aristică Cioabă (Aug 4, 2011 – June 30, 2012)
Joseph Emmanuel Sarpong (Aug 17, 2013 – Oct 25, 2013)
This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia -	https://wn.com/Aduana_Stars
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This was 4 years ago? Wow.
I remember being contacted by recruitment companies for the role and had to tell them I had just accepted role with another company and wasn't interested at that time.
I really wish I somehow got commission for recommending Mark for the role!
Glad that I recommended him as he was an absolute pleasure to work with later when I joined in a different role.
Anyone know how he is getting on over in his new location?


» Bartlett Shower Door Co.
Bartlett Shower Door Co. is located at the address 6115 Monroe Ct in Morton Grove, Illinois 60053. They can be contacted via phone at (773) 975-0099 for pricing, hours and directions.
For maps and directions to Bartlett Shower Door Co. view the map to the right. For reviews of Bartlett Shower Door Co. see below.


We had Rick for our photographer after much searching through the internet and also wedding magazines. On meeting him and seeing how knowledgeable he was and the quality of the work he produced, our minds were made up.
We were not disappointed. Not only was he friendly, funny and so good at putting everybody at ease (it was like he wasn't even in the room with us at times), the pictures we have received from him are simply fantastic. He has captured everything from pure emotion to fun-filled poses and smoke effects and even wonderful sparkler-filled night images. To say we were impressed is putting it lightly. He made our wedding day, because now we get to re-live it every time we look at the pictures. So, thank you Rick!
Thank you so much for our beautiful wedding photos, and also for your help on the day, you went above and bejond your duties as official photographer!
Cant wait to see the storybooks , we are sure they'll be wonderful.
Thank you for helping record our special day in such style…!
Fantastic work on Saturday Rick, lots of the guests said how good you were at getting the shots without interrupting them. You just blended into the background!
The pictures that you showed us on the night looked brilliant! I bet the final album will be even better!
You are highly recommended to anyone who needs a wedding photographer!
You were the first Photographer we seen and when we saw your albums on an open day we were absolutely sold and knew we wanted you as our photographer for our wedding.
From the first meeting we had 100% confidence from then that we were in good hands as you were organised and could tell you had done this before which is exactly what every bride and groom rely on for their big day.
You structured our whole day perfectly and captured every single special moment we want to keep forever. All our guests said how amazing you were and how comfortable you made our close family and friends feel.
I cannot say how happy we are with our album. It's 100* rating in our eyes and have loved showing it off to everyone. The finish and presentation is spectacular.
We cannot thank you enough and we would highly recommend you any day and would not hesitate contacting you for other occasions.
Thanks so much Rick, you did a fabulous job!
I would like to thank Rick for all of the beautiful pictures and memories that he captured of our wedding. We had the most fantastic day and now we have the incredible memories. From the moment that we met Rick at a wedding show we knew that we wanted to work with him. He was kind friendly and willing to listen to what we wanted, whilst advising us how to achieve the best results. We had a pre-wedding photo shoot which enabled us to get a feel of how Rick worked and allowed us to get used to the camera, which was an enjoyable experience. When it came to our special day we hardly noticed Rick as he was just in the background capturing fantastic natural pictures of the day. When we had the pre-organised set photographs he was professional, organised and in control of the situation. When we saw our photo album for the first time we were speechless, we knew the pictures Rick had taken were amazing but the way the album was executed just took our breath away and we couldn't have asked for more.
Thank you so much for everything and we would highly recommend Rick to anyone.
Rick, thank you so so much for the fantastic compilation of photographs that you captured for us at our wedding celebration at the Cottons Hotel and Spa on Saturday 13th September. We had a fun time working with you to capture the perfect shots within and around the grounds of the hotel throughout the afternoon and into the evening. You worked extremely hard, a true professional through and through. It has been difficult selecting our favourite 90 for our wedding album because there are so,many beautiful photographs. Thank you once again for that extra special touch. We would have no hesitatation in recommending, you, your talent and professionalism.
Just wanted to say a big thank you for the amazing pictures you created for our wedding day! We have really been overwhelmed by them! You made us feel really at ease on the day by being so organised and giving us great direction for the perfect snaps. You captured so many special moments!
We will enjoy looking back at them in years to come!
Thank you for being our photographer and for your hard work and commitment on the day.
We recognise that you went the extra mile for us and we really appreciate it.
Not only was he friendly, funny and so good at putting everybody at ease (it was like he wasn't even in the room with us at times), the pictures we have received from him are simply fantastic.
Thank you so much for all your hard work on our wedding day.
We thought you captured it perfectly!!
Rick was amazing. Great attention to detail and the end results are fantastic. Thank you!!
We would highly recommend Rick for any wedding.


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A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education
Munya Hwami
While a lot of literature has debated the effectiveness of international economic sanctions on sanctioned countries, little is known about the state of research on the impact of economic sanctions on education. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on the effects of international economic sanctions on education. Searches of eight electronic databases and the grey literature were conducted to identify published empirical studies. Six eligible studies were selected. This review observes the limited empirical research and data to provide a better understanding of how education systems are affected by economic sanctions, highlighting the lack of research and, consequently, educators' voices on education in sanctioned societies. Utilising the scattered evidence, the article challenges concerned educators and researchers to avail empirical evidence to power so that the collateral damage being suffered by young people in sanctioned countries is recognised and hopefully mitigated.1
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
economic sanction Social Sciences
international economics Social Sciences
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Hwami, M. (2021). A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education. Compare, 1-17.
A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education. / Hwami, Munya.
In: Compare, 06.01.2021, p. 1-17.
Hwami, M 2021, 'A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education', Compare, pp. 1-17.
Hwami M. A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education. Compare. 2021 Jan 6;1-17.
Hwami, Munya. / A comparative scoping review of the impact of international economic sanctions on education. In: Compare. 2021 ; pp. 1-17.
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abstract = "While a lot of literature has debated the effectiveness of international economic sanctions on sanctioned countries, little is known about the state of research on the impact of economic sanctions on education. The purpose of this scoping review was to map the literature on the effects of international economic sanctions on education. Searches of eight electronic databases and the grey literature were conducted to identify published empirical studies. Six eligible studies were selected. This review observes the limited empirical research and data to provide a better understanding of how education systems are affected by economic sanctions, highlighting the lack of research and, consequently, educators{\textquoteright} voices on education in sanctioned societies. Utilising the scattered evidence, the article challenges concerned educators and researchers to avail empirical evidence to power so that the collateral damage being suffered by young people in sanctioned countries is recognised and hopefully mitigated.1",
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JO - Compare
JF - Compare


Las Vegas was the ideal spot for last week's Money 20/20 conference. Vegas is a great city for watching money on the move. Just strolling through the casino at the Venetian, I probably saw a quarter of a million dollars changing hands in five minutes. The funny thing, though, is that those of who attended the conference know this is chump change. Outside the casino, hidden in the networks of the banking system – as well as through new online payment platforms – trillions of dollars changes hands every day.
The conference was dedicated to realizing the vision of disruptive ways in which consumers and businesses manage, spend and borrow money. It was focused on payments and financial services innovation for connected commerce at the intersection of mobile, retail, marketing services, data and technology. As an event, it did not disappoint. More than 10,000 people joined to discuss and learn about the new world. The FinTech revolution is coming!! The best is to come in Digital Banking, Finance, Blockchain, Innovation, AI and Tech.
It was an utterly fascinating couple of days, loaded with great presentations and conversations with really smart, interesting people. At the end, I left Vegas with two big takeaways. One: Banks are changing, a lot. A bank is no longer just a digital channel for payments. To succeed today, a bank has to become a digital bank, with everything that entails. Competition is heating up from new, innovative payment companies. The giant banks need to move fast to stay ahead. And, two: It's all about APIs.
APIs are the beginning and end of pretty much every idea that surfaced at the conference. Competing with startups? Banks need better, more flexible APIs so they can adapt faster. Security and compliance issues? Banks and payment processors need stronger, more agile security policy definition and enforcement. Service levels a challenge? How are your APIs set up to manage high loads and availability? Feeling pinched in the innovation department? Set up a developer community and expose them to your APIs – but, be selective and secure about it. Going global? Host your APIs in multiple geographies. Putting your IT assets in the cloud? You need a cloud API management toolset. And on and on.
Implicitly, API management and security were at the heart of so many of these dialogues. The ability to monitor, manage and secure APIs is critical to the success of many of the ideas we learned about at the sessions. This is what Akana does, of course. The Akana Platform provides an end-to-end API Management solution for designing, implementing, securing, managing, monitoring, and publishing APIs. It is available as a SaaS platform, a suite of on-premise products, and as a hybrid deployment.
We already work with many of the world's largest financial institutions and FinTech players on API management security. If you're interested in learning about how Akana's API management platform can help you further your FinTech strategy, please visit us at https://www.akana.com/solutions/fintech-api.


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Wiwi Jury
Wiwi Jury: Bulgaria's Kristian Kostov with "Beautiful Mess"
byStaff Writer
Bulgaria, Kristian Kostov, 2
Zdraveite! The Wiwi Jury — our in-house panel of music unprofessionals — has now arrived in Bulgaria, the host of Junior Eurovision 2015. After visiting the ancient amphitheatre of Serdica, we gathered to discuss Bulgaria's entry for Eurovision 2017, "Beautiful Mess" by Kristian Kostov. Did we think the song was beautiful or more of a mess? Read on to find out!
Kristian Kostov – "Beautiful Mess"
About Kristian Kostov
Seventeen-year-old Kristian Kostov embodies the "Celebrate Diversity" theme better than almost any act in this year's contest. Born in Moscow to a Bulgarian father and a Kazakh mother, half of his relatives are Christian, while the other half are Muslim. So where exactly is home, we asked him in April in London. "I'm from somewhere between Russia and Bulgaria," he says. Kristian, whose voice belies his youth, rose to fame on The Voice Kids of Russia, where he was mentored by Eurovision winner Dima Bilan, and he later moved to Bulgaria to compete on X Factor. He released his debut single "Ne si za men" last year.
"Beautiful Mess" reviews
William: Among the most contemporary tracks of the year, "Beautiful Mess" is a thoughtful piece of pop that oozes soul. Rather than following a traditional formula and reaching an easily identifiable peak, this progresses somewhat linearly. It's more cinematic and atmospheric than the typical Eurovision song, and has a smooth, polished finish yet never leans toward the sterile. Young Kristian has the face of an angel, but the voice of an established (and much older) international pop star — a mix that will serve him very well at Eurovision. Nail the staging and this is guaranteed a top-five placing.
Deban: This composition is beautiful but not messy. It marries subtle folk elements with current and sparse production. "Beautiful Mess" tells a compelling story using the youth and star power of Kristian Kostov. Bulgaria beat all odds in 2016. It's great to know that although they've taken a different route this year, they're still slaying.
Sinan: When I heard this for the first time, I was impressed by the voice and the sensitive manner in which Kristian sings this beautiful song. It's a super modern ballad, but with a dark sound and subtle ethnic touches. My country has a huge chance to finish as high as it did last year and even to take first place — why not? I just hope Kristian will give his best and make Bulgarians proud!
Anthony: Last year Poli Genova gave Bulgaria its best-ever Eurovision result to date — and that was always going to be a tough act to follow. But Bulgaria has continued to deliver the radio-friendly goods with "Beautiful Mess". The song is beautifully produced and wouldn't sound out of place on the charts across Europe. I'll be delighted if Kristian makes Eurovision history by achieving a second straight qualification for Bulgaria.
Chris: Remarkably talented at such a young age, Kristian is a great choice by Bulgaria to follow up their best ever result. That being said, there's something just a little cold about this entry. The music itself doesn't inspire and almost feels a little drab at times. By the end of the song, it's like Kristian is having to work overtime to make it all work. Not bad at all but Kristian deserves better.
Jason: Bulgaria is back and ready to show that last year's result wasn't just a one-off. "Beautiful Mess" follows a different path to "If Love Was a Crime", but it would still sit perfectly in any 2017 pop chart. The simplicity of the track serves it well, although at times it gets a little dull. With inventive staging, this will be a qualifier for sure.
Robyn: "Beautiful Mess" sounds like something right out of the pop charts (or a Spotify playlist). It has a very current sound and Kristian delivers a mature and emotional vocal. The song does feel a bit repetitive and it doesn't quite reach a satisfying conclusion, but it sounds like Bulgaria has some clever staging planned that might make it all work.
Jordi: "Beautiful Mess" sounds promising from the very first note — and it delivers until the very last. Pure emotion mixed with a soulful, touching and fragile voice, this meaningful performance explores love and friendship but never loses sight of darkness and drama. The overall result really works. Even if I find the song quite slow, Kristian Kostov has everything to bring Bulgaria back to the grand final.
The Beautiful Mess t-shirt
Bulgaria: Kristian Kostov phone
Bulgaria: Kristian Kostov shirt
Buy the "Beautiful Mess" t-shirt, Bulgaria cartoon phone cover, or Kristian Kostov cartoon t-shirt
In our Wiwi Jury, we have 38 jurors but only room for eight reviews. The rest of our scores can be found below:
Anastas: 5.5/10
Andy: 7.5/10
Angus: 8/10
Antony: 6/10
Antranig: 9.5/10
Bernardo: 9/10
Bogdan: 9/10
Dayana: 8/10
Edd: 7.5/10
Erdi: 8.5/10
Forrest: 5/10
George: 7.5/10
Jacob: 4/10
Josh: 8/10
Jovana: 7.5/10
Kristin: 7/10
Luis: 6.5/10
Marek: 9.5/10
Matt: 7/10
Mikhail: 3.5/10
Natalie: 5.5/10
Padraig: 9.5/10
Patrick: 7.5/10
Renske: 7/10
Rezo: 9/10
Sami: 6/10
Stanislav: 7.5/10
Steinunn: 6.5/10
Tobias: 8/10
Zakaria: 3/10
Before calculating the average score, the highest and lowest scores are dropped. This is to remove outliers and reduce potential bias. We have removed a low of 3 and a high of 9.5.
Wiwi Jury verdict: 7.25/10
What do you think of this song? Share your own score and review below!
See our current Eurovision 2017 reviews and rankings
Kristian Kostov
Wiwi Jury 2017
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byDavid Smith
Americanvision
Of the 3 teen acts, this one is easily the best one. It's my personal co-winner so far!
A perfect 10 for me! 🙂
I had to look at the picture of a disgruntled Sebastian (from TLM) while listening to this; it's that unbearable for me. The overall composition and structure of this song is quite finely handled; but there's a huge hollow hole in the 'dimension and personality' area here. It feels like what you'd hear on evening radio and nightclubs. Frankly; I'm just at a loss for words because it's just that notorious. Kristian is also partly to blame here; his rendition reeks of desperation and banality, it doesn't feel genuine and coming-from-the-heart. He's way too young to for show business anyways-… Read more »
Reply to kenna
"Reeking of desperation and banality?" I would say that this perfectly describes your own comment. In your case this song has been simply a mirror.
Reply to Cubism
Well; I have a right to my opinion. I'm not putting down other people's opinions, so why do you have to put down mine.
Totally agree! This comment has to be a mirror, what else to be with such perception: "it doesn't feel genuine and coming-from-the-heart"???!!! – because he is young :))))) Kenna needs to watch Kristian's 14-15-16 yo performances than – that blew away the juries from both countries Bulgaria and Russia… All jury members one after another didn't stop to speak about how he sings from the bottom of his heart, from his soul… that he is "the singing heart", and the name for his singing is "the true singing of the soul" and so on, and so on… Not one, not… Read more »
AdamBall
Guys can you please ask Kristian to say something in Kazakh next time you interview him? That would be just great 🙂
AngieP
It's beautiful but not mess!
This song has a modern sound, some folk elements in it and though it's another ballad for me it's a song I remember!
I had no idea Kristian had such a mature and powerfull voice for his 17 years old before I listen to the song! If they nail the staging, they'll slay the pack!!
Personally, it's a song I really liked from the start! And watching him perform at preview parties made me like it a bit more!
I'll give it a 8!
I have heard many songs like this before.
I would like to hear a unique song at last. This year is full of very mediocre songs.
Awful score. People giving this song 3 and 4, like seriously? If you give this 3, what you gonna give Malta -10? If they hate Bulgaria as a country then yeah sure, normal score. Shame on those "expsrts"!
Briekimchi
Don't give it too much thought, Alex. Jacob gave this a 4/10 but gave Romania a 9/10. Just shake your head and question the sanity of the world just a little…
Zebb
After superior entry last year, Bulgaria offers another trendy song so recieves an additional point for watering contest with a fresh. Most of all I like here lyrics and how they're sung. Track overall is a good piece of music, but I'm a little fed up of these beat lines and melancholic melodies ahead of contest, so it didn't struck me or made an instant pit stop in my head. I hope team will set up the right mood on stage for this so it will made it's place somewhere at top 10. My 11th. | something slipped down from… Read more »
I wonder as of which date are the wiwi scores… Is this the reaction on the first hearing of the song, does it take into consideration the live performances so far, the music video and the interviews with the artists? Surely most of the songs will not stay static but move as we see more of the artist and performance. I have to say that at first hearing I thought this was 7.00 – 7.50-ish, and I was concerned that it is too flat and uneventful for a memorable live performance. That was about a month ago… in the meantime,… Read more »
Reply to Eva M.
Thank you for the clarification, Robyn. This is helpful:-)
Roy Moreno
My winner and hopefully the actual winner!
Kristian and the whole entry are just perfect and I wish he would win in May for the first time for Bulgaria <3
I do think this song is very close to Eurovision perfection and has every right to be the one challenging for the win. It's easily the best ballad of the bunch. Modern without being copycat of a more popular style, expensive without being out of touch with the artist, oddly addictive… I can go on about what truly it's great about this entry. And all of that is sung by the first ever contestant born after the 2000s. What a way to celebrate diversity. Why isn't it a 10? The strength on a word like 'untouchable' kind of takes some… Read more »
I love everything about it. It is dark, subtle and delivered well vocally. I would not mind at all if this was the overall winner. I did not think that Bulgaria could top last year…but they did.
I think that the score is little underrated. This is a potential winner. Anyway Bulgaria is preparing a great staging, so that it will really elevate Kristian on the top and next year we will be in Sofia. I think Beautiful mess is gonna be the jury and the teen favourite to win. For me Gabbani is going to win the televote, but he is not going to take so much points from the jury and Eastern Europe.
I dont hate the song or Kristian, I just don't understand the craze about this song. It's not bad, it's just decent entry from Bulgaria. I'm bored with all of these radio pop songs, it's nothing extraordinary, I'd like to see any original ones that are different. I've listened Kristian's song several times and well, right now, I don't even remember the melody…
Cubic Frost
Let's not gloss over the fact that the kid turned 17 last month, and that he is half the age of Gabbani.
Fun or ban?
This song should win and it will!
I really like 'Beautiful Mess' and Kristian as a singer and human being (at least what we know), he seems very mature for his age too. At first when Kristian was announced I was expecting a song with Bieber vibes and I would have hated it! But this really surprise me. 'Beautiful Mess' is current and has a deep message, although the song could be consider a love-peace ballad song which I normally hate hard, this one has been done beautifully, it isn't cheesy nor cliché. I also like the concept used in the video and it match perfectly with… Read more »
Good production and beautiful melody swings. My only criticism is that it is too uneventful for too much of the song that I would have preferred a slightly faster beat.
02 NOR | 04 UK | *08 BGR* | 11 SRB | 12 SWE | 14 DEN
16 POL | 18 LAT | 19 CYP | 20 ICE | 23 GRE | 24 CZE
25 ARM | 26 NLD | 27 BLR | 33 MNE | 34 ISR | 35 GEO
36 GER | 37 MLT | 38 ESP | *41 ROM* | 42 SVN | (33 RUS)
A really good song and great production. But it feels me cold a lot of the times. I just don't think it's really from the heart and was written just for Eurovision… , but yeah I still enjoy it a lot Im giving it a 7.
Overhyped song with only 7.25. I love Wiwi being honest.
Personal winner of the year, by far.
I think he should win the second semi and I would be happy to see Sofia 2018 happen. Definitely top 5.
That score is too low, especially for the reviews.
"Beautiful Mess" is atmospheric, contemporary, and sleek. Kristian is good looking, has a great voice and great stage presence. He's one of my favorites along with Italy, Latvia and Portugal.
Best ballad of the year.
BNT Please next year send Maria ilieva to represent Boulgaria, i think she will be the next winner of Eurovision.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_GEwT0prZA
Cemil
Next year will be Kristian too, you will see, Bulgaria wants him again.
l love this song…
This is the best…
SOFIA 2018 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TimeaHU
Eurovision will stay in the East (Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia and so on).
Talk as much as you want now about Alma looking like a star, Francesco's charisma…..
Reply to TimeaHU
Is it so important that it stays in the East?… Shouldn't it be about the quality of the song?… Anyway, the chances that it will stay in the East for many years to come are very high, since Eastern European countries outnumber Western Europeans by many and they put so much more effort. So relax, enjoy the show and let one Western European win for once in a decade or more, if jury and people so decide
I think a lot of people are underestimating Kristian's vocal strength. When I watched the rehearsals for the Madrid show, his voice sounded very raw and surprisingly stronger than the actual performances. Perhaps it's the audio quality on the live performances and the talking that ruins it. The most important element in this song is clearly his voice and I think that it's what will determine his place in the finals. If he manages to make that cinematic approach on stage that his producers want and nail the vocals, he has the possibility of actually making #Sofia2018 come true.
It's incredible… Mostly favorable comments from wiwi jury members but they gave him 7,5…most of them :))))))) Maybe it's me, but if I say great things about a song I give more than 7,5… I repeat, maybe it's just me… But I really don't understand, and they should clarify… "…thoughtful piece of pop that oozes soul" = 7,5 "..It's great to know that although they've taken a different route this year, they're still slaying" = 7,5 "…"Beautiful Mess" follows a different path to "If Love Was a Crime", but it would still sit perfectly in any 2017 pop chart" =… Read more »
ESC Fan
Reply to Darius
Very good good and interesting point of view… Indeed the jury comments does not really corresponds with the ratings. I will be interested to see if they have a checklist that they use to created the rating, or just look at the sky and wait for the rating to appear there. Nevertheless, the Bulgarian song is a masterpiece indeed (very strange, even a bit annoying in a moments), and I am so happy that we see such a comeback from Bulgaria after Poli last year. I absolutely don't mind Sofia 2018 (after the JESC I am sure they can handle… Read more »
Edd Keith(@eddkeith)
Reply to ESC Fan
Darius this is just ridiculous. The comments we've written on the 7.5 scores are all very appropriate – none of us claimed it was a masterpiece. And we rank a song high purely because we like it: Sweden's entry has by far the most streams on Spotify, so it can't seem that bizarre that it sits at the top of our list at the moment. Don't tell me you believe we'd rank Sweden at the top if Allyawan won Melodifestivalen!? Also, don't forget that "Beautiful Mess" was written by Swedes…
Reply to Edd Keith
"Also, don't forget that "Beautiful Mess" was written by Swedes…"
Ah ah… I knew something was fishy… 🙂 Thanks for the info. I did not know that. That explains why it sounds artificial for me.
@Edd Keith, That's wrong.. The authors of the song are 3 people (Borislav Milanov – Bulgarian, Sebastian Arman – Austrian, Joacim Bo Persson – Sweden). So, how is this song written by Swedes and not Austrian or Bulgarian?
Also, I am sorry to say but with your comment you more or less prove Darius' theory.
To be fair, I think the song was written by the Bulgarian, and the other ones polished it. Many times happens that way, artists have the song, but they want a Swedish final touch.
Hmm, I somehow replied to Colin's comment below instead to Darius… Sorry 🙂
This song is good, Kristian is an incredible singer and I am glad Bulgaria enjoys a fan success two years in a row. The melody in the chorus is simply beautiful. The 'glitch 22' so to say, it that despite hearing the song many times, I couldn't repeat anything except the chorus, and even the chorus seams virtually the same every time it appears. It is undoubtely a lovely song, but for some reason, it's yet to make a big impact on me. 9 – UK, POL, BLR, NOR 8 – MAL, LAT 7 – DEN, BUL, NET, GEO, ICE,… Read more »
Reply to Colin
@escfan sorry, you are right. I thought Alexander Vargas is Swedish too, but turns out he's Danish. The point is that the song is just as much Swedish as it is Bulgarian. So dissing each of Sweden's entries seems a bit silly if he's claiming "Beautiful Mess" is a masterpiece.
Darius, I find the first part of your comment pretty interesting as a point of view, but I'm not agree that there is some kind of conspiracy around the Swedish song… it's just a taste for music… William for example doesn't like it and states his opinion loudly. In my case… I'm absolutely in love with Kristian's "Beatiful Mess" from the moment I heard it… but I already knew him as an artist… It's like I was waiting for such a song to hear him singing because I wasn't impressed by the debut one (though it's very catchy musically). I… Read more »
I love this song, hope it finishes top 3.
This song is very well written and very interesting musically and the production is super slick. I think it will be a killer with the jury and I am sure it will have lots of points from the televote. But for some reason this song in Kristian's voice and persona feels somehow fake to me… I am also not convinced about his life performance from what I have been able to hear. That said, for me this is the most viable contender for victory this year if the performance is right. Not my absolute favourite, though…
Reply to L'oiseau
L'oiseau, see my post above… This song matches perfectly Kristian's voice and persona for sure… That was the thing that turned me into great Eurovision fan this year 🙂
Reply to Enthusiast
🙂 OK I will have to wait and see the shows, I guess. (anxiously, I might add). Although it is not my favourite this year, (for once in my life it is actually from my home country Portugal), I would be very happy if this song wins, although I always prefer it if it is a whole home-grown team that makes the act, which is not the case, apparently. Cheers
M_K
Personal rating:
This is good on so many levels (everything I'd like to say has been said before so I won't go into details).
I cannot imagine this not ending up high on the left hand side of the scoreboard in the final. I hope the visuals will be as strong as the music.
What I expect: Top 5 in the semi final, top 5 in the final.
Bulgaria result in final, depends on if Australia and Ireland qualify for the final. If we have all 3 countries in final, vote by juries and televote will split.
I feel like he's similar in so many ways to Sergey last year. Both had a huge fan base, both songs were perfectly produced, music videos had an upper hand than the rest. I feel that bulgarias will kill it with the staging too given their interest in the contest. His vocals would do good too. My concern is the song though. It's not bad but it lacks something that needs it to be a winner, just like with Sergey.
A beautiful beautiful song. 1 of only 4 songs I play regularly along with Hungary, Israel and Azerbaijan, but not instant enough to make any impression, will be placed about 15th I think.
Leo M
I like it now but it took me about 5 or 6 six listens to remember the song. I think it is a good ballad but I don't think it will be a contender.
Rhingo
I am curious what score Italy will get with all the hype.
As for Bulgaria I find the song one of the few I would listen to outside of the show and it has very good chance for top 5 finish. I don't think its rating is undeserved even if a bit overblown.
Go Bulgaria!
I struggle with this one… Definitely not a bad song, but I don't understand the whole fuss about it (it's currently 2nd favourite to win according to the bookies). It leaves me between cold and "Mmh, pleasant".
The fact that it comes from Bulgaria, one of the worst performing countries in the contest, doesn't help. Last year was a good year for them, but overall they only qualified 2 times in the last 10 years and they are not part of any voting bloc.
Reply to Racal
They are turning things around and putting a lot of effort.
I see them being the Sweden of the Balkans in the near future.
Bulgaria do has a block voting in the Balkans. And they have a strong diaspora as well :s
When they are in finals.. they end up Top 5 (2007 and 2016). And in the Jesc we see the same scenario for them (Top 5 televote in 2015 and winning in 2014).
Bulgaria and Poland are the new Turkey and Greece.
Reply to Marc
They may have a block votes, but all of their neighbours often preffer to support each other. Romania – Moldova, Ex-yugoslavia – itself, Greece – random east and Kontopoulos.
Beautiful mess, just beautiful <3
Incredible voice, beautiful melody, touching lyrics, emotional performance.. This is extraordinary ballad, by truly a gifted talented writers and performer. Kristian has great potential, wishing all the best <3
anonymous91
Reply to Eve
am i detecting a crush on Kristian 🙂
btw if Bulgaria can win i would love to, they have never won eurovision before
i only want my fave to be doing great as well, and Eve support Kristian with everything you got, glad that we're both supporting such cute and sweet people 🙂
Reply to anonymous91
Hahaha, hell no, I'm just supporting him!
Glad you have good taste too 🙂
okay, good enough for me 🙂
and yeah i'm watching eurovision for 15 years now 🙂
Bound to do well and it would be a worthy winner.
It's in my top 15 at the moment
It will probably grow more on me once the rehearsals start.
liron
Love this song and Kristin is so cute..if it's between italy or Bulgaria i choose Bulgaria.
i find this song a bit overrated, it's a nice contemporary song, but i actually wanted more a beautiful "mess" than a neat tidy song
a 6.5/10 from me
Purple Mask
The verses are grounded in E-flat major with a simple calming motif-based refrain defining the melody. The choruses are where things get more interesting. The key half-modulates to C minor, and the melody is raised by a 6th. The calm motif from the verses has been completely ditched in favour of a much more dramatic set of refrains formed by wider scales and arpeggios – the choruses therefore push Kristian's voice over the break in-and-out of falsetto on certain notes. The effect it produces is devastatingly dramatic, enhanced by how the choruses never actually fully define the key (the chorus… Read more »
Reply to Purple Mask
Aww, I'm so glad that you give such high score and recognize this, I respect your opinions 🙂
Impressive analysis. Thanks for sharing. In fact is a good song, I am not sure about the singer, though. He still lacks artistic personality, maybe…
Lacks artistic personality???? Do you prefer the potato that is favorite? (not Gabbani, the other one)
Reply to ZG
And not Sweden.
@ZG: Haha; remember that everyone is entitled to their opinion. 🙂 I saw Kristian at the London party. He's youthful and was struggling with his singing on that day, but he's definitely artistic and has bags of star quality. He loves singing the song, and he loves performing to a crowd. Probably his only weakness is his vocal development, which right now needs some refining, but he's got a first class song to sing; if he gets it right on the night, I think he could potentially win the contest. P.S. I will save my "age-based" comments for the Isaiah… Read more »
Guess the potato is Portugal that I also hate because I wanted Pedro Goncalves. And the young age should not be an issue because people fall in love as teenagers, wonder what you said about Serhat.
Reply to Cemil
Sorry to disagree, but age is a huge issue for the Eurovision Song Contest, for many reasons. I will expand on this in Australia's jury review. It's a way to keep you reading. 🙂
And I love Serhat; he's adorable. 🙂
I think they meant Belgium
Reply to Hada
Well I had once posted the pic of a potato on Facebook and a pic of mine as well and the potato got more likes 😛 Just saying
Wow ! 🙂
I want this pure art to be really revealed on the stage in Kiev and seen undoubtedly at least by the jury …
Digital Style
Apart from maybe One Thing I Should Have Done, this is the only ESC song that has managed to make me cry. Ever. I'm honestly not obsessed with this song, but when I listen to it, I really feel the lyrics and Kristian's emotions throughout. And remember that he's at the whopping old age of 17. It's such a modern, good song; I loved it on first listen.
Reply to Digital Style
Wow. "Beautiful Mess" is close to making me cry, but it doesn't. Finland's "Blackbird" does make me cry though – every time!
What is that preference for Gery-Nikol? Bulgarians will just die of shame if she will represent them.
I agree. Her songs are too provocative for ESC.
Her songs are BOPS. Wigs from all over Europe will fly to Sofia if she goes to the Eurovision.
I can't make myself like this song. I feel like they selected Kristian because he's very young and without a distinct artistic personality, so they could tell him to do whatever (while someone like Gery-Nikol would've been hard to control, also because she's on an independent label). They're clearly trying to reproduce 1944's success with this sound and serious message – but I can't take it seriously at all because if you look at Kristian's favorite songs' playlist it's all EDM/pop songs that are currently slaying the charts, nothing like the sound he's presenting. But I do appreciate the great… Read more »
Krisss <3 <3
Better than Poli.
Don't do the chicken dance, don't wear weird outfit, don't shave your hair.
(J)ESC Fanatic
It's a nice modern ballad, but a little dull and nowhere as good as Poli's entries. Overrated by the odds. It shouldn't finish in the top 10, but with good staging it probably will.
esconly
Come on now…this is a masterpiece.
7.25 only? Its way better than Sweden.
Reply to esconly
Reply to TK
Are you Thanasi kokinakis?
As a Swede, I'm ashamed of our entry. No one wanted him to win, seriously. Even Jon Henrik and Aninia would've been a better choice.
Reply to Ariana
Well he got 3rd highest televotes too so somebody might have wanted him to win!!
Yeah, I can see why people really like this song and why it's so high in the odds but I personally find it forgettable and too common for Eurovision. I really hope Italy wins and not Bulgaria!