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https://akjournals.com/search?f_0=author&q_0=%C3%89va+Voszka
Author or Editor: Éva Voszka x
The dynamics of state ownership: The decisive role of crises
Acta Oeconomica
https://doi.org/10.1556/032.2021.00012
Éva Voszka
The big waves of change in state ownership in the 20th-century Europe moved in the same direction ‒ either nationalization or privatization. Yet this homogeneity has fallen apart in the last decade: globally and within several countries, the two directions have changed quickly or even have been appearing in parallel. So, it is worth returning to the question: what is the reason for these reversals? Are there any cycles in the extension and contraction of public ownership? Most studies in this field analyse nationalizations and privatizations separately. They examine closely the aims and motivations, but remarkably few focuses on the causes of changes in direction. Based on the lessons of these latter analyses, this paper attempts to interpret the expansion and contraction of public property within an integrated framework, identifying the emergency situations as key factors of fluctuation. The central role of crises in ownership changes is not fundamentally new in the literature. The novelty of the recent approach is the attempt to unfold the mechanism of their impact, including also the explanation why the previously uniform direction of big waves has been broken up after 2008. We argue that the main reason behind the parallel occurrence of large-scale nationalizations and privatizations in this period is the eclipse of a dominant economic-policy (and theoretical) paradigm, rendering the previously firm background of ownership waves uncertain.
https://doi.org/10.1556/aoecon.55.2005.1.6
György Csákia
Dóra Győrffy
Book reviews: (1) T. Szentes: The Political Economy of Development. Globalisation and System Transformation (Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2004, 439 pp.) (Reviewed by György Csáki); T. Erdos: Fenntartható gazdasági növekedés (Sustainable Economic Development) (Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2003, 518 pp.) (Reviewed by Dóra Gyõrffy); J. Winiecki - V. Benacek - M. Laki: The Private Sector after Communism, New Entrepreneurial Firms in Transition Economies (Oxfordshire - New York: Routledge, 2004, 170 pp.) (Reviewed by Éva Voszka)


How are you holding off with your portfolio? The ride is pretty rough, right? Given the current economic uncertainty and high market volatility, I think it's important to look for dividend paying stocks. While you have to wait to see the market bounce back, you get at least dividend payouts in the meantime.
Read the full ENB stock analysis here.
Read the full WN stock analysis here.
Read the full L stock analysis here.
Read the full TD stock analysis here.
That's it for today! In the upcoming days, I'll be putting up more stocks on Canadian Dividend Stock (most likely the REITs section to be done by December!).


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The audit industry has garnered increasing attention from policy makers, in particular since the demise of Arthur Andersen in 2002. The industry is marked by the fact it has only four major players known as the Big 4. The concentration of audit activities carried out by these four players has raised concerns about risks both in terms of demand and supply. The authors of this latest study explore the issue of mandatory joint audits in France as a means of understanding how policy makers can mitigate audit market risks.
This article of Lamya Kermiche is the subject of the 37th Executive Summary by Grenoble Ecole de Management.
The Big 4 (Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers) concentrate the majority of auditing activities in Europe. As a result, this situation presents risks in terms of demand and supply. The former translates to a lack of choice for public interest entities required to use auditing firms. The latter translates to reduced competition and potential detrimental effects on pricing and/or quality.
At the European level, policy makers have considered several solutions to mitigate audit market concentration, including the use of joint audits, periodic re-tendering of audit engagements and the mandatory rotation of audit firms. In 2014, the European Commission recommended the use of joint audits that included a Big 4 (systemic) firm and a nonsystemic audit fi rm. The goal of such recommendations is to open the audit market and encourage the emergence of midtier European audit alternatives that can compete with the Big 4.
As little academic research has been carried out on this question, the authors aimed to explore the impact of joint audits requirements on audit market dynamics. The researchers used data from the French audit market as almost all French listed companies are required to implement joint audits. At the same time, these French companies are free to choose any combination of co-auditors, which enabled the researchers to explore the balance between systemic and nonsystemic audit fi rm pairing.
They explored the attractiveness of each type of joint audit pairing over the short and long term. They considered two periods: first, 1997-2003, during which there was significant market concentration as the Big 6 merged into the Big 4; and second, a period of stability from 2003-2009, characterized by the Big 4. Using a Markovian analysis, the researchers explored how audit clients chose between combinations of Big 4 and smaller auditors. At equilibrium, this method produces long term market shares for the various joint audit combinations.
Overall, conclusions drawn from the study support the European Commission's position on the potential benefits of joint audits. In terms of stability, the researchers found that a combination of two Big 4 firms was less attractive over the long term than two nonsystemic firms. They noted that a mixed combination of one Big 4 and one smaller firm remained the most attractive solution (54% of audit clients over the long term). Finally, they highlighted that in the case of joint audits involving only nonsystemic firms, long term performance was better for a combination involving one mid-tier fi rm instead of two local firms.
These findings confirm that the French joint audit system can be an effective solution to foster market openness and mitigate Big 4 dominance.
Market openness could be improved by joint audits that encourage audit clients to include mid-tier European or local firms.
Over the long term, joint audits using a Big 4 firm and a smaller firm are preferred by the majority (54%) of audit clients.


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Track: Entertainment Influencers
How The Flash Explains the Multiverse Theory
From Rick and Morty to Stranger Things, multiverse theory is a cornerstone of today's nerdiest pop culture media. But what is the multiverse? This panel aims to unpack this far-out field of theoretical physics by exploring the superhero who popularized the idea: DC's The Flash.
Multiverse pre-dates The Flash, but it was a 1961 DC comic book "Flash of Two Worlds" that helped popularize the theory and explain it in plain terms. A panel of superhero experts and theoretical physicists will help explore and explain the concept behind some of our favorite shows and movies and attempt to answer the question of whether the multiverse could actually be real.
What is the multiverse theory? This panel mixes theoretical physics by exploring how The Flash engages with them in the comics.
How did the multiverse theory become such a popular device in sci-fi? A panel of superhero experts and theoretical physicists unpack its history.
How realistic are these depictions to the actual science? Whether the multiverse could actually be real is explored in an approachable style.
Eric Francisco, Staff Writer, Inverse
Yasunori Nomura, Director and Professor, Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics
Autumn Kelly, Staff Writer, Newsweek Media Group

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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gpn11 STATE OF GEORGIA COUNTY OF APPLING NOTICE OF SALE UNDER POWER IN DEED ...
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gpn11 STATE OF GEORGIA COUNTY OF APPLING NOTICE OF SALE UNDER POWER IN DEED TO SECURE DEBT
Matt Gardner
in Legal Notices
Wednesday, November 28. 2012
Under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in that certain Deed to Secure Debt from Eddie R. Walker Sr. to Home Loan Investment Bank, F.S.B. in the original principal amount of $104,000.00 dated 12/28/2007, and recorded in Deed Book 440, page 653, Appling County records, said Security Deed being last transferred and assigned to Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP, fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP in Deed Book 482, Page 99, the undersigned will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash before the Courthouse door in said County, during the legal hours of sale, on the first Tuesday of December, 2012 by Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP, as Attorney-in-Fact for Eddie R. Walker Sr. the following described property:
All that tract or parcel of land lying and being in the Second Land District of Appling County, Georgia, of original Land Lot No. 188 and being bound now or formerly as follows:
Northerly by lands of B.W. Sapp and James Lott, southerly by lands of Jerry Johnson, easterly by Wendell Crosby and westerly by State Route 15, said tract of land being more fully described as follows:
To find the point of beginning start at the northeast corner of original Land Lot Number 188, and from said point of beginning, run South 88 degrees 56 minutes 16 seconds West a distance of 3,299.21 feet; thence turn and run South 0 degrees 39 minutes 18 seconds West a distance of 807.70 feet to the point of beginning. From said point of beginning, run South 0 degrees 39 minutes 18 seconds West a distance of 200 feet; thence turn and run South 67 degrees 26 minutes 19 seconds West a distance of 386.62 feet; thence turn and run North 45 degrees 46 minutes 40 seconds West a distance of 200.0 feet; thence turn and run North 67 degrees 26 minutes 19 seconds East a distance of 544.30 feet to the point of beginning; said tract of land being more fully shown on a survey and plat thereof by Merlin J. Tomberlin, dated July 12, 1993, a copy of which is recorded in the Deed Records of Superior Court, Appling County, Georgia.
Being the same property described in Security Deed filed in 440/653 and Warranty Deed filed in 339/647, aforesaid records.
Property known as: 3251 Blackshear Hwy, Baxley, GA 31513
The indebtedness secured by said Deed to Secure Debt having been declared due and payable because of default in the payment of the indebtedness secured thereby, this sale will be made for the purposes of paying the same and all expenses of sale, including attorney's fees, (notice having been given as provided by law).
The property will be sold as the property of The Aforesaid Grantors subject to the following:
(1) all prior restrictive covenants, easements, rights-of-way or encumbrances; (2) all valid zoning ordinances; (3) matters which would be disclosed by an accurate survey of the property; (4) the outstanding ad valorem taxes and assessments, if any; (5) unpaid water and sewage bills, that constitute liens against the property, whether due and payable or not yet due and payable; and (6) matters of record superior to the security deed first set out above.
Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP holds the duly endorsed Note and is the current assignee of the Security Deed to your property. Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP, acting on behalf of and, as necessary, in consultation with Federal National Mortgage Association (the current investor on your loan), is the entity with the full authority to negotiate, amend, and modify all terms of your loan. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. Section 44-14-162.2, you may contact Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP at:
Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP
Home Loan Assistance Dept., 7105 Corporate Drive
Please note that, pursuant to O.C.G.A Section 44-14-162.2, you are not automatically entitled by law to an amendment or modification of the terms of you loan.
To the best of the undersigned's knowledge and belief, the party in possession is Eddie R. Walker Sr..
Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP, as Attorney-in-fact for Eddie R. Walker Sr..
This law firm is acting as a debt collector attempting to collect a debt, any information obtained will be used for that purpose.
Pendergast & Associates, P.C.
South Terraces, Suite 1000
115 Perimeter Center Place
Phone ? (770) 392-0398
Toll Free ? (866) 999-7088
www.penderlaw.com
Our File No. 12-02287
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Emerald podcast series
Understanding the Techlash era podcast
In this episode, Iram speaks with Nirit Weiss Blatt about her upcoming paperback publication The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication.
Techlash is becoming increasingly important today. As consumers of tech are more aware of how companies are running, and with the different truths and scandals that are coming to life Dr Nirit Weiss Blatt takes time to step back and reflect on how we got here.
Insight is provided on the different eras of Techlash and Nirit's research around tech crisis communication.
Speaker profile(s)
Dr Nirit Weiss-Blatt, Ph.D., Former Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Southern California (USC), Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Dr Weiss-Blatt's specialty is in the tech news field. Prior to her academic journey, she worked on both sides of the fence: She began her career in tech public relations, representing International tech companies and entrepreneurs, and later switched sides to work as a tech journalist and a deputy-editor.
Those experiences led her to examine the creation of the tech media agenda and the various forces which shape the tech discourse. Her research findings are featured in peer-reviewed papers, monographs, and chapters in academic books.
What led you to research the tech field and write a book about it?
Can you talk us through the chronology of the Techlash eras?
Your study reveals the roots of the change in tech journalism. What factors caused this shift?
Your study also analysed the Tech PR responses and introduced the concept of "Tech Crisis Communication." What can we learn about the tech companies' strategies?
You recently claimed that the Techlash is getting stronger. Can you explain the reasons?
What is the future of the Techlash and what are your plans for the future in this space?
See all current podcasts
Read the transcript
Understanding the Techlash era – transcript
Iram Satti: On this episode, I am speaking with Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt, former visiting research fellow at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her speciality is in the tech news field.
Hi, Nirit. It's great to have you here with us today. Thank you for your time. Are you keeping well?
Nirit Weiss-Blatt: Glad to be here. Thank you for having me.
IS: Excellent, thank you.
So let's talk about what we're doing today. So we're going to talk about your book called The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication, which is due to be published as a paperback this March 2022. It would be amazing for us to hear about the book, we've got some really great questions here so let's get started.
So what led you to research the tech field and then to write a book about it?
NW-B: I've been working in the tech field since 2005, 17 years ago, so before my academic journey, I was in the tech industry. I worked in both tech journalism and tech public relations. So for years, I made a lot of tech-savvy pieces, enjoyed covering the cutting-edge innovation coming from Israel.
When I was a deputy-editor, and finished my Master's degree in Communication and Political Science, I looked for academic examinations of my field - the tech coverage – and found none. A significant gap in the literature -a lack of both theoretical and empirical work on the interplay between my worlds - tech journalism and tech PR. So, with my background in both, I decided to investigate it myself.
For five years of my Ph.D. in communication, I analysed the tech media agenda. One of the judges of this dissertation actually wrote "who cares about tech news?", he was so into political communication, and only political news, that I needed to explain why tech journalism is actually important. Today, I don't need to do it anymore, right? But the beginning was tough, I must say.
In the additional five years after that, as a research fellow at USC Annenberg, I focused on the emerging Techlash, the tech-backlash. The thing is that when I started this research project in 2016, the tech media was not tough – at all. So, my criticism, back then, was about the cheerleading writing style, the non-investigative nature of the coverage and the immense influence of corporate PR.
But in the course of my study, we moved from Big Tech being "our saviours" to "our threats", or from "it's so cool" (everything) to "it's so evil." So, a lot has changed.
The research that I've done explains this massive shift, reveals the underlying causes of the backlash, and the strategies the companies used to defend themselves from all the growing scrutiny. I had so much data about it, that it turned into a whole book that I, gladly, published with you.
IS: It is really fascinating, there isn't really a point in time where we're not hearing something about these big tech companies really, which I'm sure that professor that you had right at the start he probably thinks back to why he responded when you first came to him, but the book storyline is organised chronologically, so you've broken it down into Pre-Techlash, Techlash, and then Post-Techlash, but a clear, concise way for any reader to understand the work.
But can you talk us through why and what you've learned about those eras? One thing that I think would be really interesting is what are the defining milestones that mark the end and then the beginning of the new era?
NW-B: Sure, Yeah. I organised the story in this chronological order because the historical background is crucial here, to understand the magnitude of the change.
But each phase had several changes within, and it's not that dichotomic. But one of the book's points is that we are currently on the dystopian side because we spent a great deal of time on the utopian side.
So, the "Pre-Techlash Era" section depicts that for decades, the tech companies were used to -mainly flattering coverage. We had plenty of computer magazines that pushed a "fanboy" culture. And all the tech CEOs wished to be on their covers. Kara Swisher, who was interviewed for the book, called it the "celebrification" of the tech founders; they were like celebrities, like rock stars.
One of the things that were crucial in the past, is how tech companies took advantage of the hunger for information, and people wanted to be close to those rock stars. In this power dynamic, many conversations were "on background," meaning the journalist cannot use and share any of the info gathered. So, there was always this tight control with secrecy and limited access. This power imbalance (it's one of the points in my book) heavily contributes to the tension between the media and Big Tech.
The roots are in the past. And this is why the "Pre-Techlash era" section set the stage and help explain the current tech journalists' revolt (we can say). I mean, they had enough (they just had enough).
But, of course, real-life events shifted the tech coverage, and they all appear in the main section of the book, it's the Techlash era, which starts at the end of 2016, but focuses on 2017 (and I can explain why).
The last chapter, the "Post-Techlash" is about the growing criticism of Big Tech, moving forward. So, predictions.
IS: That's really interesting. I think the points about these CEOs being rockstars, it's so interesting and it is symptomatic of the kind of culture that we have, isn't it? That's really interesting. Thank you.
So, the study within the work reveals the roots of the change in tech journalism, what are the main contributing factors that caused this shift?
NW-B: We, in academia, were yelling at the tech journalists that they have to be tougher on everybody, specifically Big Tech. In 2017 (as I said) tech journalists indeed began to get tougher.
So, what I've done is I used an AI-powered media monitoring tool (by Harvard) and I retrieved more than a quarter-million articles from the tech coverage.
In a typical Pre-Techlash year, the big tech companies' peaks of coverage, in their yearly timeline, were just like the product launches and business reporting. Those were the main stories. I mean, we had negative stories all the time – failures, investigations, fines, privacy issues – we had them all. But they drew considerably less coverage compared to (what I called) "Product Journalism."
What I saw when I analysed 2017 was that the big stories in the coverage were totally different and very negative, with a lot of tech scandals. So, that was a big shift that the data showed me.
In addition to the media monitoring and content analyses, I conducted interviews with actors in the tech industry: tech PR executives from global PR agencies and leading tech journalists. They came from leading places like Reuters, TechCrunch, The New York Times, WIRED magazine and so on. Together, with all their testimonies, they actually illuminated the "inside story" of the Techlash.
They were really open and honest and they said "on the record", that what formed the tech backlash was the election of Donald Trump (at the end of 2016). They were blaming social media for the U.K.'s Brexit referendum before that. But their pivotal moment was the post-presidential election and the role of social media in helping Donald Trump.
Then, new revelations regarding the Russian interference with the U.S. election evolved into a bigger story. And Micro-targeting advertising became this force of evil.
The other thing that came from the interviews is that, you know, it's the tech companies' scale and bigness, being too big to fail. Generally, if people feel that companies have gotten too powerful, too big, too rich, that in itself creates a backlash, right? The realisation of the power of Big Tech just sank in, and people started to question it a lot more.
I mean, they all started as start-ups, now they are the establishment, the biggest companies in the world. So, if you look at the Techlash today, it is mostly focused on them, right? Those few dominant companies that we can mention.
On top of that, the data also showed me that focusing only on the political campaigns, such as Brexit or Donald Trump, or the companies' bigness – won't do justice to the Techlash.
We had various cases of extremist content and hate speech; major cyberattacks or data breaches, which raised the alarm about privacy violations and data protection; we had a wave of allegations of an anti-diversity, sexual harassment, and discrimination culture in Silicon Valley and beyond. So, I basically documented the accumulation of various issues at once that 'broke the camel's back.'
IS: Yeah, it's so fascinating, and it's these key points in time as well that we can, you know, you they're all in our memory and we can relate it back to things that were going on, it's really fascinating.
So your study also analysed the tech PR responses, and introduce the concept of "Tech Crisis Communication".
So can you tell us a bit about that? And what can we learn from the tech company strategies?
NW-B: Sure. The Techlash caused a reputational decline of an entire industry, right? So, I asked: How do the companies defend themselves from this growing scrutiny? So, I conducted a comprehensive content analysis of the tech companies' press releases and spokespersons' statements to journalists.
Despite having different companies and different stories (as I mentioned), the responses were very much alike. The companies rolled out the same playbook, over and over again. So I created an explanation of this playbook (in the book), it's called the "Tech PR Template for Crises." It was pretty clear that Big Tech was not ready to give real answers to tough questions.
I broke it into three main stages.
One strategy was The Victim-Villain framing. It goes along this line: "We've built something good, with good intentions, and we have previous good deeds and we have strict policies, but our platform was manipulated/misused by bad/malicious actors" – blaming those outsiders.
The second was Pseudo-apologies, if you remember all the "apology tours" of Mark Zuckerberg after Cambridge Analytica (and everything). Many responses included messages of "we apologise," "deeply regret," and "ask for forgiveness." Those messages were usually intertwined with "we need to do better." Do you know this sentence? Tech companies use it a lot. It usually comes in this order: "While we've made steady progress, we have much more work to do," and "we know we need to do better." It's like the ending of every press release, "we know we need to do better." Every tech reporter has heard this specific combination a million times by now.
I've mentioned that they said sorry, sorry and sorry – so, why pseudo-apologies? Well, because when you look at the literature, they used all the possibilities of reducing their responsibility. All the elements that I mentioned in the previous stage- the reminder strategy = mentioning the past good work; the excuse strategy = "we have good intention"; the victimisation = "We are the victim of the crisis"; and, of course, scapegoating = blaming others.
So, if you combine all of those, you're not really saying sorry. Right? So, this is why I summarised this as: "Big Tech – Big Scandals – Little Responsibility."
The third thing, that all the companies of course had to do, is to state that they are proactive. This is "Crisis Communication 101," you have to state that you are proactive. The common sentence is: "We are currently working on those immediate actions to fix this. Looking forward, we are working on those steps for improvements, minimising the chances that it will happen again." But, of course, it happened again, and again, and again.
Then, they added "But our work will never be done." This is not "Crisis Communication 101." I think I was shocked seeing it again and again. Those seven words "But our work will never be done" it's not something you do in a crisis, cause you were to say "I'm going to take care of it, and it's going to be done." But it's like Big Tech's ultimate confession that the problems – of their own making – are too big to fix. So, that was really interesting.
Now, one way to look at all of this PR template is to say: "Well, of course, that this is their messaging. They are being asked to stop big, difficult societal problems, so it's an impossible request." But in reality, all of those responses backlashed heavily in the media.
So, the way the "Tech Crisis Communication" chapter is organised in the book, there's a type of crisis response and how it backlashed in the media. Another type of response and how it is too backlashed, and so on. So, I'm emphasising this cycle of never-ending criticism, which eventually escalated to the tech policy debate we have today.
IS: The thing is, whenever any of us see an apology now from a big tech company, we can recall which kind of apology it is. Ultimately, it's like you've mentioned, it's the lack of responsibility, and maybe accountability as well. It's so interesting, honestly, Nirit, every time I see something now I'll think of you.
NW-B: That was the purpose of my book, to people have a more critical eye to what they read.
IS: Absolutely! That we don't want the big Techlash people seeing this because they'll know that you find them all, all of their secrets are out.
All right. So you recently claimed that the Techlash is getting stronger. What are the other reasons for this? Is it because we have become more critical as users?
NW-B: I don't think the users are the issue here, but more like media and politicians, they are the ones doing most of the backlash.
I mean, clearly, everything became politicised. We're now witnessing more and more political pushback and investigations around the core issues of the Techlash – content moderation, disinformation, antitrust, and monopoly power – they are the main ones.
I think three main factors drive the Techlash today:
The first one, is of course, COVID-19. While most businesses are playing defence, Big Tech is playing offense. They are worth trillions of dollars now. It was unheard of when I wrote the book at the beginning of the pandemic, trillions of dollars were unheard of. So, people are more reliant on those companies, and at the same time notice their impact on their lives.
The second thing is the political issue I've mentioned. We had major political events – congressional hearings grilling the tech CEOs over antitrust concern and misinformation and disinformation. And, I think, above all, here in the U.S., the civil unrest on January 6 was this seminal moment for the Techlash. A big one.
The third point that I'm thinking of is the overall framing of the tech industry. Specifically Big Tech now is like the villain. And in this framing: if the tech companies are the ultimate villains, those who oppose them are the ultimate heroes.
When you look at all of those things together – the pandemic, the political pushback and the framing in the media (the coverage) – it all resulted in frustrated tech employees and a growing trend of in-house activism. The most known example, from a few months ago, is Facebook's whistle-blower Frances Haugen.
She made this huge noise all over the world with the "Facebook Files" then the "Facebook Papers," and it brought us to (what I call) the "Next-Gen Techlash." If "Techlash 1.0" was a "cold war", "Techlash 2.0" is "all hell breaks loose." The backlash was bigger and stronger – just like the company it's fighting against. It all escalated.
And Facebook, being grilled by the media and politicians, changed its crisis response strategy. It moved from its famous "apology tours" (that we've mentioned) to the current "no more apologies." Now, it's just counterattacks. It engaged in a full-blown battle over the narrative, attacked the accuser, denied, and contradicted Frances' accusations.
Two fascinating things happen after that.
The first, is what I call "Facebook Fatigue." Although the revelations were overwhelming, in the test of time, people became numb. Think about it: Can you remember all of the scandals that were in the Facebook Papers/Facebook Files? People are like: "Facebook did what? Responded how? Oh, well, next. Next". We have such a short attention span, that people just moved on. It's quite remarkable that even with the strength of the Techlash, it's till, it passes us through.
The second thing is the escalated promotion of Web3 as the solution to all our current problems. People are sick of the dystopian web and fantasising about a utopian one, and many find it in the Blockchain. This is the new optimism now, this is how we're going to fight tech titans like Facebook, with decentralisation.
But I think we had the same "hype cycles" around web 1.0 and web 2.0. The vision of the future was always that the web revolution "would bring an era of transformative abundance and prosperity." But on its way to the many, the new wealth has consistently been diverted up to the few.
So, now, when you have VCs aggressively pushing Web3 - I can explain it for our listeners, it's Crypto, NFTs, decentralised finance platforms, like a bunch of Blockchain stuff – they are also getting more pushback, with people calling it "a utopian BS", "a dangerous get-rich-quick scam" or even a "Ponzi scheme."
So, I think the lesson here is that every new technology will be looked at with a critical eye now. And I call it the "Techlash filter." Like Instagram filters that you put on pictures and change the look & feel, it's the "Techlash filter." It adds these criticism layers on top of anything on the tech coverage. And it's here to stay and, as I said, only getting stronger.
IS: Yes.
So we've got one last question for you, and you have alluded to it already. Just with what you've said in terms of the Techlash filter, and the fact that the Techlash is getting stronger.
What is the future of Techlash? And what are your future plans in this space, Nirit?
NW-B: The Techlash is a gift that keeps on giving. So, I keep collecting tons of data about the shifts in the tech coverage, like just now, when we talked about the changes in crisis response, right? It's another shift within. So, not a boring day, it's always interesting. And I publish my own articles about it, opinion pieces in the media, the next one is about Web3, this is why I'm talking about it now.
But what I would love to do next is to utilise my tech expertise – back in a newsroom, to contribute to the tech discourse from within. Where? I don't know yet, but I'm starting to pursue this path.
IS: That would be amazing. It would be so incredibly insightful, being on the inside again.
NW-B: Hopefully. Yeah. Thank you.
IS: That brings us to the end of our podcast that this has been so interesting, and it's just insightful and it's a space that continues to grow as you've said.
Thank you for your time and insight.
NW-B: My pleasure. It was fun.
IS: Thank you for listening to today's episode. You can find a transcript of my conversations on our website, as well as more information about our guests. I'd like to thank Dr. Nirit Weiss-Blatt for today's episode, and Alex Jungius from This is Distorted.


As a third-year Spanish student, I joined 21 other students and two professor-guides on my college's first study-abroad program to Argentina. I knew how to ask for the bathroom and call home, so I wasn't panicked about dinner. Yet my second night in Buenos Aires, to my horror, I ordered the squid stew instead of stuffed shrimp.
The next evening was a triumph: I managed to order the most succulent filet mignon I had ever eaten, along with salad without salt and soda with ice, in defiance of local customs. Then I pored over the dessert menu as my waiter stared down at me in anticipation.
"Chocolate caliente, por favor." Hot chocolate, I said.. No adjectives or verb conjugations.
"Chocolate caliente," he repeated, a mixed expression of confusion and irritation on his face.
"Si, chocolate caliente," I repeated confidently, but politely.
"Muy bien." He nodded curtly and walked away. Clearly, to him, I was a pompous American with no taste and no etiquette.
Moments later, he returned with exactly what I had asked for: a demitasse of bitter, steaming chocolate syrup. Touch.
I learned to order my hot chocolate con leche (with milk), but there were larger lessons in communication in store. I was still relying on my status of intermediate fluency to carry me through my coursework at the Instituto Americano where we attended classes daily. As long as I could order the steak and learn the tango, I was not concerned.
But our instructor in Argentinian culture viewed my status and progress differently. While her classes included music, dance, and art, the study of literature was a large part of learning the culture. And "Don Segundo Sombra," the dramatic tale of an early gaucho (cowboy), became a weight on my mind.
One of the first assignments she gave us was to take an excerpt from that work and give an oral presentation retelling it, emphasizing cultural themes. My study partner and I prepared that evening. We skimmed the story in about 15 minutes, before trading boleros for boy-watching. We had more important missions, like cruising the avenue. We were, after all, of the intermediate level, not requiring extensive practice for a simple improvisation about a cowboy who slung his bolero around the pampas all day.
We failed miserably. At center stage, and under the instructor's eagle eyes, one of us would mumble some chopped-up Spanish and pass the verbal baton to the other, who would inevitably drop it somewhere in the middle of the wrong verb tense or a gender disagreement. Hanging our heads, we slunk back to our seats, vowing to make up for our linguistic fiasco.
And try we did, though success continued to elude me. For every assignment thereafter, I made painstaking efforts to choose just the right vocabulary words. I pored over the Spanish dictionary until I was certain I understood every nuance of every passage I read.
But to no avail. The C's kept coming, along with what I felt was cruel criticism from my teacher. She exuded control and superiority when listening to or reading our attempts at fluent Spanish. Yet when she spoke English, she became a child, full of humility, modesty, and wonderment.
On only one occasion did I connect with my teacher on a bridge other than words. Our professors had invited her to join our group at a local estancia (ranch), for a day of horseback riding, folk dancing, and an asado, a feast of grilled meats with all the trimmings. With her family there, watching us absorb the best of what her country had to offer in music, art, and food, my teacher glowed.
She laughed and ate with us. And with the afternoon sun lighting up her shiny black hair and glassy, dark eyes, she sang the most beautiful gaucho love song we had ever heard.
BACK in the classroom, I continued to disappoint her, and she continued to burden me. I plodded through the rest of the coursework, with no expectation of success. I filled my experience with ballet at Teatro Colon. I scoured the shops for the perfect leather jacket and pondered a date with the bellboy (an Erik Estrada look-alike) at the hotel.
Our compadres at the Instituto gave our group a reception on the last day of class. Our semester-long assignment had been to keep a journal in Spanish about our impressions and experiences of the culture. As I snacked on a shortbread sandwich cookie with dulce de leche (caramel) in the middle, my instructor came toward me with my journal in hand.
The expression on her face was one I had not seen since the day at the ranch.
Reaching out to touch my arm, she said to me in Spanish, "This is the first thing you have given me that I have understood." And I understood her, too, every word.
I had written in my journal about the families we stayed with on weekends, where no spoken language was needed to express the love they showed in taking us in. I had told of the growth in friendship between my American classmates and I, some of whom would never have befriended me back home on campus. I wrote of the humility we'd needed to demonstrate to the families that had rebuilt their homes in preparation for our arrival because they believed we all lived like J.R. Ewing of "Dallas" fame. It was not perfect Spanish, but it was from my heart.
And everything I have written since then, if it has been devoid of judgment and criticism, has been well-received, if not completely understood.
I think my teacher would be proud.


text:
Q: Web Application button not updating in UI table I have a dynamically created table that is created when a database name is selected from a dropdownlist. The table is for looking at the last logins for each user. In the table i have three columns that are, username, last login date and password. In each database the password is encrypted so I display it as a button that will decrypt on button push. When i push the button to decrypt, it work fine. But when i try to select a different database all values should load again, and they do except the password button. The decrypted password stays even though all other values are being refreshed. How can i get that dynamically created button to refresh as well?
Here is the section of code that creates the button:
Button button = new Button();
button.Click += Password_Click;
button.CssClass = "BtnAsLink";
button.Text = dt.Rows[j][k].ToString();

TableCell btnCell = new TableCell();

btnCell.Controls.Add(button);

tr.Cells.Add(btnCell);

I tried adding autopostback to the button with no success. And I tried adding code to search for the button before adding a new one, but none are ever found. Any ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks.

A: Answering my own question after a few days...
I changed my code for the button from calling a c# method to on client click, javascript function. In the meantime, preventing a postback.
Button button = new Button();
button.ID = j.ToString() + k.ToString();
button.OnClientClick += "return DecryptPassword(\"" + button.ID + "\", \"" + dt.Rows[j][0].ToString() + "\")";
button.CssClass = "BtnAsLink";
button.Text = dt.Rows[j][k].ToString();
button.Attributes.Add("AutoPostback", "false");

In doing this, i loaded all necessary info into a hidden field when the page loads and extract the decrypted password from that string on button click.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Wiz Khalifa makes history by releasing a song on an Oreo cookie
...because apparently that's a thing you can do now
Samantha Maine
The rapper teamed up with his son for the campaign
Wiz Khalifa has teamed up with his son Sebastien to release a song on an Oreo cookie.
The rapper's collaboration with the cookie giant is part of an advertisement set to screen during the Grammys – one of the most watched music events of the year.
The campaign, titled 'Stay Playful', will be using a kind of creative technology that will see the biscuit brand release a limited-edition Music Box that will be able to play tunes straight from an Oreo cookie.
The cookie apparently works just like a record – you place an Oreo cookie on the Music Box, slide the record arm in place and the song plays. That particular song will be a new track from the American rapper. You can see a teaser of the commercial below.
"Releasing a song on a cookie is crazy. Because it's like technology has been so advanced these days and to incorporate something that is really really classic and then bring it up to date with the technology… it's good for the kids, it's good for everybody but it's also just super cool – like it's fun to see," Khalifa told Hot New Hip Hop.
This isn't the first time an artist has released music in an unconventional way. Late last year, Massive Attack reissued 'Mezzanine' as a can of black spray paint.
A limited number of spray cans contained the DNA-encoded audio within matt black paint. Each can contained approximately one million copies of the album.
"It's a creative way to store your back catalogue, although DNA-encoded spray paint is unlikely to be adopted by street artists seeking anonymity," Robert '3D' Del Naja explained.


Welcome to our latest newsletter for October. I try to have one every month but boy things have been busy. Read below what we have been up to at Blanche's Place. Also please don't forget to send in your pictures to share with other of your events or businesses.


text:
Getting the government to green
The increasing number of Natural disasters are actually not at all "Natural." They are costing the global economy more than $390 billion each year. As a response, consumers and corporations are working on ways to lower their carbon footprint. Simultaneously, the government is putting into place, aggressive timelines to curb emissions. The Biden administration announced a 2030 target, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 52 percent. (Washington Technology September 13, 2021)
Because the federal government has such extensive purchasing power, they have the ability to drive holistic sustainable innovations in the private sector. The government can create sustainability standards and include those standards in requests for proposals, thus driving the private sector into more sustainable practices. (ibid)
According to Bloomberg Government, "$682 billion was spent on contracts in fiscal 2020 a record expenditure for the government." This gives the federal government the ability to incentivize contractors, who want to work with the government. (ibid)
Will sustainability standards become the norm for requests for proposals? It is already in cybersecurity, the NIST 800 standards have set the bar high for device manufacturers. (ibid)
A recent executive order to speed up cybersecurity advancements pushes industry to progress and innovate even faster. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could use this same type of model to impel sustainability. (ibid)
Once the government makes sustainability a priority, the private world will follow suit. We are already seeing a new mentality and with that, progress.
Questions concerning environmental standards and how to exceed them in your next response to an RFP? Give us a call.
September 24, 2021	by laura long in Contract Awards, Contract management, Federal Contracting, GSA Schedule contract, Selling to the government, Small Business
Get vaccinated, stay safe, continue to work
On July 29, 2021, the Biden Administration announced that every federal government employee and onsite contractor must attest to their vaccination status. At the same time, the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force which oversees the development and implementation of agency COVID-19 workplace safety plans issued the COVID-19 Workplace Safety: Agency Model Safety Principles. The Agency Model Safety Principles must be incorporated into current COVID-19 workplace safety plans. (JD Supra September 2, 2021)
Agency Model Safety Principles:
Attestation form signed by onsite contractors to confirm their vaccination.
Contractors refusing to sign the attestation form will be treated as not fully vaccinated, for purposes of safety protocols.
All contractors who refuse to sign the attestation form or who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask in all settings, physically distance, and take a weekly or twice-weekly COVID-19 screening test.
Agencies must create a program to test those not fully vaccinated.
Fully vaccinated onsite contractors do not need to be tested, physically distance themselves or wear a mask in areas of moderate or low transmission.
All individuals, regardless of vaccination status, must wear a mask in areas of high or substantial transmission. (ibid)
The mandate currently deals only with contractors working on federal facilities. However, the White House stated that "President Biden is directing his team to take steps to apply similar standards to all federal contractors." (ibid)
The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force urges agencies to provide onsite contractors with the Certification of Vaccination form as they enter any federally-controlled work area. Contractors will be required to keep the form with them while they are on federal premises. Contractors should be ready to show the Certification of Vaccination upon entry to a federal building or federally-controlled indoor site. Contractors entering without a form will be required to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, taken within the past 3 days, before entry is permitted. (ibid)
As with all things "COVID," the policies are evolving and changing regularly. It is incumbent upon the federal contractor to stay apprised.
Questions about GSA? Give us a call.
September 24, 2021	by laura long in Contract management, COVID-19, Federal Contracting, Small Business
Federal IT to get a $3B boost
The funding for Federal IT modernization is about to see a noteworthy increase, $3.35 billion if a recent amendment sees success. (MeriTalk September 3, 2021)
An amendment, put forward by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., would increase funding for Federal IT modernization by $3 billion. Connolly said, "this week, Congress continues our important work in rebuilding from this pandemic, and building a 21st-century economy that is more equitable, visionary, and sustainable. But the policy prescriptions we adopt will only be successful if our IT can deliver on those promises. The fate of the world's largest economy rises and falls with the ability of government IT systems to deliver in an emergency and as we recover into the future. And that should galvanize us all. Without smart IT investments, our mission to help the American People, will not succeed. We have to get this right, right now." (ibid)
Through a press release, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform expects the amendment to provide the following:
$1 billion in TMF funding, available until September 30, 2031.
$2 billion for the General Services Administration's (GSA's) Federal Citizen Services Fund. The fund helps agencies to improve public engagement with the government. It supports cybersecurity and cloud-based technologies.
$350 million to the Information Technology Oversight and Reform (ITOR) account within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to create a mechanism to track government IT spending. The ITOR account is used to fund staffing for the U.S. Digital Service. The U.S. Digital Service works to fix agencies' most difficult tech problems. (ibid)
Are you a business looking to do work with Federal IT modernization? Give us a call.
September 15, 2021	by laura long in Cybersecurity, Federal Contracting, Selling to the government, Small Business
MAS BPAs, are a good thing
When federal agencies need to place product or service orders, on a recurring basis, they often turn to Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA.).
A MAS BPA is an agreement established by an authorized ordering activity with a Schedule contractor to fill repeat demands for supplies or services, in accordance with FAR 8.405-3. MAS BPAs and all succeeding orders have the same terms and conditions as the initial Schedule contract. MAS BPAs save the government time and money and give agencies control over their procurements. (GSA Interact August 18, 2021)
MAS BPA benefits:
Easier for agencies to fill recurrent needs
Efficient for agencies contracting for similar types of work
Savings in the form of volume discounts
Consistency within the terms and conditions of the BPA
Decreases in procurement costs, acquisition time, and administrative effort
Small business set-aside procedures assist the government in meeting socioeconomic goals (ibid)
MAS BPA features:
On-Ramps – allowing additional contractors as required or to refresh small business participation
Funding – funding is required only when an order is placed
Faster Ordering – more streamlined ordering process
Estimated Value – no minimums or caps
Agency Level Terms and Conditions – agencies may add terms and conditions as long as there is no conflict with the original MAS contract terms and conditions
Category Management – as outlined by the Office of Management and Budget, all MAS BPAs support category management (ibid)
As a mechanism for promoting fair competition, FAR 8.405.3(a)(3)(i) states a preference for multiple-award MAS BPAs. In addition, MAS BPAs may be extended past five years if necessary to meet program requirements. Some agencies have long-term MAS BPAs to meet agency missions. (ibid)
A single-award MAS BPA can not exceed one year, however, it may have four one-year options. The head of an agency approves all single-award BPAs exceeding $100M. In addition, Order Level Material (OLM) procedures are allowable at the BPA or order level to add contract support items, making MAS BPAs a win for government agencies and contractors. (ibid)
Questions about MAS BPAs or a GSA Schedule award? Give us a call.
September 8, 2021	by laura long in Consolidated Schedule, Contract Awards, Contract management, FAR, Federal Contracting, GSA Schedule contract, Refreshes, Schedule 70, Selling to the government, Small Business
Will the CARES Act become permanent?
In March of 2020, when the Coronovirus became a pandemic, Section 3610 of the CARES Act went into effect. This section of the CARES Act provides economic relief to contractors so that they can continue to pay their employees. Unless Congress extends Section 3610 of the CARES Act, it expires on September 30, 2021. (Washington Technology August 5, 2021)
The Professional Services Council (PSC) would like for Section 3610 to become permanent. PSC Executive Vice President David Broome feels Section 3610 should become permanent. He reasons this by looking at how several agencies have heavily relied on Section 3610 during the pandemic. GAO saw a combined $882.8 million in reimbursements from across the Departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, and NASA. (ibid)
GAO staff interviewed 15 contractors and 12 agreed that Section 3610 "had a great or moderate effect on their ability to retain employees, in particular those with specialized skill or clearances." (ibid)
According to Broome, "GAO makes the case for establishing a permanent stand-by authority that would be available when needed and in place when the next emergency happens – be it a pandemic, a cyberattack or natural disaster. Establishing this authority now would be a prudent step to implement one lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure that the government and contractors are prepared for the next one." (ibid)
Are you a contractor trying to take advantage of Section 3610 and not sure where to start? Give us a call.
September 8, 2021	by laura long in Contract management, COVID-19, Federal Contracting, GSA Schedule contract, Schedule 70, Small Business


Green AK XL is a diverse blend of Afghan, Colombian, Mexican and Thai genetics. This particular version of the AK-47 is a compact uniform indica-sativa hybrid. Even when grown from seed, plants are homogenous. Effects are very much leaning towards the sativa side, with a fast hitting euphoric high, that gradually evolves into a more muscle relaxing physical effect.
Visually Green AK XL resembles classic heavy duty indicas of the past. Plants grow no taller than 1m and branch very well with tight internodal spacing. Huge indoor yields up to 750g/m2 can be achieved with the SOG method. Outdoors Green AK XL can stretch to about 1.5m in a hot dry climate. Producing as much as 750g per plant. Expect 18% THC dense head stash nuggs in 8 weeks or less of bloom.


text:
Q: Implementing a template class Stack1 The following link is a  picture that shows the skeleton of the class.

This is what i have so far what i wanna know is if what i'm doing is in the right direction.
I first Created a Template named ItemType then i created a class named Stack1.
inside Stack1 i had two private class members a ItemType pointer (info) and a integer (top) then i created a default constructor and assigned values to my class members and a copy constructor that take in a reference for a class object .
#include "pch.h"
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;

template<class ItemType>

class Stack1
{
 private:
    ItemType* info;
    int top;
 public:
    Stack1()
   {
    int MAXITEM = 5;
    top = -1;
    info = new int[MAXITEM];
   }
Stack1(const Stack1<ItemType> &x)
{
    int* copy;
    copy = new int[x.MAXITEM];

    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
    {
        copy[i] = x.info[i];
    }

}
void push(ItemType x)
{
    top++;
    info[top] = x;
}
void print()
{
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
    {
        cout << info[i] << " " << endl;
    }
}

void MakeEmpty()
{
    for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++)
    {
        info[top] = NULL;
        top--;
    }

}

};

 int main()
{
 Stack1 <int> X;
 X.push(2);
 X.push(5);
 X.push(8);
 X.push(7);
 X.push(10);
 X.print();w
 Stack1 <int> X2;
 X2 = X;
 X2.print();
 X.MakeEmpty();
 X.print();

}


text:
Relationship News
Family Updates
February 20, 2020, 1:41 PM ET
Andy Cohen on the Below Deck Season 7 Reunion: "I Feel Bad That I Failed People"
The WWHL host regrets some of what he did — and didn't — say during the reunion.
By Laura Rosenfeld
Ashton Pienaar's Tearful Apology to Kate Chastain
Andy Cohen addressed some of the backlash he has received from fans, including Leslie Jones, over how he handled the Below Deck Season 7 reunion.
The Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen host addressed fans' concerns over how he questioned the Valor crew during the sit-down this month, particularly when it came to the male crew members' behavior this season, on his SiriusXM show Andy Cohen Live on February 19.
"Everyone kind of behaved like a--holes at one point or another, and the point of the reunion is for both sides to say what they have to say," Andy said. "So I just want to say, do I think the guys behaved horribly? Yes, of course."
Andy went on to say that "people are really upset" with his interactions with Ashton Pienaar at the reunion, in particular.
"I want to say that at the reunion, which is the time for both sides to say what they have to say, he sat there and apologized with a four-minute soliloquy with tears in his eyes. Typically what you look for at a reunion is some sort of apology or moving forward," Andy explained. "You all feel that I failed you. I am sorry for that. I am trying to get to a place where you move forward and people kind of own their behavior. That is my goal, to get people to own their behavior. For me, if I sit there and I look at Ashton with tears in his eyes, apologizing, do I think he's at least making an attempt to own his behavior? It seems like it. I don't know what to tell you."
He also noted that he had just had a procedure performed on his forehead, which was covered up with a large bandage, only a couple of hours before filming the Below Deck reunion. "I was on painkillers. I was in a lot of pain," Andy said. "I just want to explain my state of mind."
Andy apologized to those who feel like he wasn't holding the crew members accountable enough during the reunion. "All I'm saying is everyone had things to answer to, and I'm sorry if you felt I was imbalanced in my holding people to the fire," he said.
Ashton Pienaar Delivers a Tear-Filled Apology to Kate Chastain at the Below Deck Reunion
If it seems like Andy is tougher at other reunions, like The Real Housewives, he explained that's because he's an executive producer on all of the franchises, whereas he has no involvement in Below Deck's production.
"That was one of the last shows I developed when I was in charge of development at Bravo. I don't have anything to do with Below Deck. I'm not a producer," he said. "When Bravo asked me to host the reunion, I even said to everyone and I said to all the producers, 'You guys, people are reacting so strongly to what's going on and the misogyny and the whole thing. I want to make sure that I represent what everyone is so upset about.'"
Because of his status as an executive producer of The Real Housewives, Andy said that he felt like he could be more authoritative in situations like when he was firm with LeeAnne Locken over her racial comments at The Real Housewives of Dallas Season 4 reunion. "And so that's, I think, part of the reason that I feel bad that I failed people because I'm not a producer of the show," he said. "As a producer of the Housewives of Dallas or all the Housewives, I have so much more information going in, and I just feel so much more authority to sit there and be like, 'That's not true. No.'"
Andy also said he regrets asking Courtney Skippon if there was any chance she and Brian de Saint Pern would be having "a nice, long chat" after the reunion, a question the third stew was visibly upset about as the reunion came to a close.
He explained where he was coming from with that "cringey" question during his radio show. "The context of that is we have had Southern Charm reunions, we have had Below Deck reunions where people hated each other, horrible things, and then they all go out that night, and they get drunk. I come into work the next day, and they're like, 'Guess who hooked up last night?' I'm like, You're kidding me! You're kidding me! Like, how is that possible?'" Andy said. "So that's why I asked that question. Do I wish I had not have asked it? Of course. I understand how it came off. That's why I asked that question."
Go behind the scenes of the Below Deck Season 7 reunion, below.
Digital Original
Captain Lee Rosbach Calls Out the "Deplorable" Behavior of the Below Deck Season 7 Crew
Ashton Pienaar
Brian de Saint Pern
Courtney Skippon
LeeAnne Locken
What You Didn't See at the Below Deck Season 7 Reunion
Captain Lee Wishes He "Fired People" in Season 7
The Daily Dish is your source for all things Bravo, from behind-the-scenes scoop to breaking news, exclusive interviews, photos, original videos, and, oh, so much more. Subscribe to The Daily Dish podcast, join our Facebook group, and follow us on Instagram for the latest news hot off the presses. Sign up to become a Bravo Insider and be the first to get exclusive extras.
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I am using jsf 1. 2 & richfaces3.3.0,created table using <rich:dataTable> i want to chage that column separator line in different color & look. i tried but default style & color only appeared.
my source code as follows..
How to change that styles? can anybody give me the solution.. all the suggestions are welcome.
you could simply check with Firebug which css properties overrides needed ones or missed.
so just redefine border-* css properties using proper style classes. you could check them from guide or as mentioned look with firebug plugin.


text:
Good Turns
Stories of selfless generosity and everyday heroes
Donuts on Black Friday
Photographer Josh Eikenberry spends every Black Friday delivering free donuts and coffee to retail workers
Before he became a QA engineer, Josh Eikenberry worked in retail. "It kept me alive, but it was a terrible gig," he told Good Turns. Especially in the big-box stores around Monroe, Michigan, where he lives, "people would be working Thanksgiving and Christmas and every other holiday, and no one would get to go home to their families."
Though he had a great-grandfather who'd been an agitator for labor reform, Eikenberry decided to take a different tack. In 2011, then in his late 20s, he went out at midnight on Black Friday, still full from Thanksgiving dinner, and bought two dozen donuts and a tray full of coffees to give away to employees at the Wal-Mart where he used to work.
"Everyone was super happy," he says, so he did the same thing the following year. But as he noticed more stores staying open Thanksgiving Day, he decided to expand his campaign. The third year, he raised $200 from friends and was able to deliver donuts and coffee to a bigger handful of stores around Monroe. And that was just the beginning.
"I'm of the unpopular opinion that there should always be some days that nobody works, and everyone just stays home with their families"
"It's nice to show up unannounced at two in the morning and people are selling toasters at Kohl's and here comes this dude with donuts for you. Nobody's turned me away. In fact, the general manager of Kohl's happened to be walking by when I was giving them out. She went to her office and got $40 and told me to spend it on more donuts," Eikenberry recalls.
Which he did. "At the end of the night I still had about $60 left over, so I just gave it to the guys at Tim Horton's [where he bought the donuts] as a tip."
In 2015, Eikenberry, who also works as a portrait photographer, got organized. He put up a gofundme page and launched a small campaign on Facebook and Twitter. He raised just under $800, which let him purchase donuts and coffee not only for retail workers, but for a number of hospitals, police stations, and fire houses in the area as well — and still have more than $500 left over, which he took to the local food bank the next morning, much to their surprise.
This year, Eikenberry launched a new gofundme campaign, and has already raised more than $1,600. He hopes to be able to donate $1,000 to the food bank after all the donuts and coffee are paid for. And he has dreams of his donut campaign going wider still. "I'd love for it to expand beyond just local," he says. "I'm only one person, I can't deliver donuts to everybody."
"A lot of people used to work in retail, and if we 'escape," it's nice to pay it back," he says. "Every year, I couldn't go to Thanksgiving dinner, or I'd go late, or we didn't have time or money to host Thanksgiving. I'm of the somewhat unpopular opinion that there should always be some days that nobody works, and everyone just stays home with their families."
Eikenberry's donut campaign is his way of bringing a bit of the Thanksgiving spirit to the people who can't just stay home this year. And with any luck, it will inspire similar good turns.
More Good Turns View all
Hundreds of Donuts, Thousands of Dollars
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Giving Women's Voices a Competitive Edge
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Starting week 3 of the vegan challenge! Just two more weeks to go. Surprised I even lasted this long, bar the egg eating in London. Today for lunch, there were no veggie sambos available that were vegan so it was a toss up between cheese or eggs. I chose eggs.
Dinner: went to my friend 'G's house for dinner & she was so good & made us a lovely vegan curry. She used a Jamie Oliver recipe and it had sweet potato, chickpeas and spinach. Totally inspired to use spinach in my curries in the near future. Of course went grocery shopping & then forgot to get the spinach but next week!
Snacks: was very hangry before dinner so went mad snacking on anything I could find in the kitchen, a peach, salt and vinegar hula hoops and nuts. Also had some crackers and hummus at G's house and a rice cracker with hummus as a mini starter.


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Enter our Mardi Gras Competition!
Don't miss your chance to win a $500 Byron Bay Cookies x Westfield Luxe Hamper!
Westfield Sydney, together with Byron Bay Cookies, celebrates 40 years of Mardi Gras with a fabulous Drag Show and a fabulous competition!
Join host, Maxi Shield, and her girls and celebrate Sydney's true colours as they entertain you at Westfield Sydney's first Drag Show.
Get your photo taken with Maxi and her queens for your chance to WIN a $500 Luxe Hamper filled with $300 worth of Byron Bay Cookie treats and a $200 Westfield Gift Card!


Holiday Shack only one street back from the beach. 3 bedroom, 1 bathrooms home to Sleep 8.
Attention golf lovers and families, executive accommodation located on The Links Lady Bay Golf Course and only minutes from beautiful beaches.
Cute single storey holiday home, located in the heart of South Bay Carrickalinga. This home offers 3 bedrooms & 1 bathroom to sleep up tp 6 people.
3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom to sleep up to 6 people. Beautiful large outdoor deck and only a short stroll to the beach.
Pet friendly home located very close to the beach with WIFI available!
All linen supplied, extremely close to the beach, nice views of the ocean, large reserve across the road.
This 2 bedroom holiday home is only a few streets back from the beach and located opposite a reserve/park & Carrickalinga creek.
1 minute walk to the beach, peace, tranquillity & nature all comes to mind!
Small front deck, stunning views and only metres from the beach!
Pets welcome, close to the beach!
Cute little affordable holiday home located in the South Bay of Carrickalinga. Pets welcome in this 2 bedroom house.
Just a hop skip jump to the beach the kids can enjoy the playstation, table tennis table and more!
Stylish beach front holiday home with access to stunning views!
'Golden days' Absolute Beach Frontage on offer here, so close you can smell the salt water! 3 bedrooms to sleep up to 8 people comfortably.
Views of the golf course and hills, walking distance to clubrooms & restaurant, - swimming pool access!
Pets welcome, very close to the beach & cafes, directly opposite a large park.
Charming 3 bedroom holiday home which is only 300 metres from the beach. Ideal spot for a relaxing holiday!
A lovely 3 bedroom holiday home in the heart of Normanville. Very close to town centre and short stroll to beach.
Large deck with ocean views, rural setting, open block, short walk to the beach!
Huge undercover entertaining deck, only a short walk to the beach!
A modern 3 bedroom holiday home with a huge undercover rear entertaining deck and only a short walk to the beach.
Fresh, new & affordable holiday home to sleep 6!
Free WiFi! Cute, cozy, comfortable and affordable accommodation only minutes from the beach!
Comfy newly renovated house in the heart of Carrickalinga, 3 bedrooms to sleep up to 6 people & only a short walk to the beach! Free WiFi!
Less than 100m from the Beach!
Only 1 street back from beautiful Carrickalinga beach!
Brand new 4 bedrooms holiday home with WIFI, Netflix and set in the heart of Carrickalinga!
Located only 100 meters from beautiful Normanville the beach. Free Wi-Fi available!
Modern 2 storey home in Bungala Fields. Just a short walk to Normanville town centre. This property can sleep 10 guests and has a fully fenced rear yard.
Stunning rural and golf course views!
Stunning backyard setting and within walking distance to the beach!
Beach shack close to the ocean, nice views, pets welcome, quality linen included!
Newly renovated, comfortable family holiday home!
Stunning holiday accommodation in Second Valley. Entertainment for the entire family to enjoy!
Found 117 properties matching your criteria.


Quorum Vintage Pendant Lighting is inspired by an era of American ingenuity and passion. Things were made with metal and brawn, as they were built to last a lifetime. With vintage pendant lighting, it's less about the over engineered mega structures that took America to new heights, but rather an inspiration built on that oiled bronze phase of construction and invention.
The oiled bronze exterior and silver leaf finish on the inside of this Quorum vintage pendant lighting have the essence of the era, without the burdensome weight or obstructive size. Sure, this dome pendant is sizable, but its aged silver finish glory doesn't command a new joist in your home.
The silver leaf finish inside this dome pendant will dazzle. Vintage pendant lighting often features something like an aged silver finish, and his 1-Light Pendant by Quorum features one of the better silver leaf finish options on the lighting market.