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Sotheby's hosts first NFT exhibition in Saudi Arabia
Sotheby's hosts first NFT exhibition in Saudi Arabia /node/2028356/lifestyle
Yuga Labs, Bored Ape Yacht Club 8817, 2021. Supplied
https://arab.news/2aysu
Rebecca Anne Proctor
DUBAI: The explosion of NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, that has commanded global attention is now on the rise in Saudi Arabia. From Feb. 25-27, Sotheby's auction house will host a three-day digital arts forum at the Diriyah Biennale, in Riyadh, in partnership with the Visual Arts Commission of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Culture.
Saudi Arabia and its UAE neighbour have led the expansion of NFTs in the region. At the upcoming Art Dubai fair in March, for example, a new digital art section will showcase artworks from the rapidly expanding digital art realm.
The exhibition covers the recent history of NFTs, which can be loosely described as a certificate that exists only once, is immutable and cannot be interchanged, from the early NFTs a few years ago to the Pop Digital genre and Collectibles.
"When a collector buys an NFT, they are buying a token (or certificate) and thus the singular digital artwork or photograph linked to it," Sotheby's explained in a statement.
Tyler Hobbs, Fidenza 313, 2021. Supplied
The show is also interactive, with visitors able to leave with a personalized Proof of Attendance Protocol, a digital collectible token in the form of an NFT that records their attendance on the blockchain.
Like the Diriyah Biennale, which runs until March 11, the forum aims to act as a platform for global dialogue and exchange. It includes a series of talks by experts in art, blockchain technology and NFTs.
"This educational focus on NFTs is a natural next step in Sotheby's strong history of supporting innovative cultural programs and is testament to our longstanding commitment to Saudi Arabia echoing the Kingdom's transformative Vision 2030," Edward Gibbs, chairman of Sotheby's Middle East and India, said in a statement.
While the event is pivotal for the expansion of the Arab world's digital scene, it also serves to highlight the rise in NFTs over the past year. According to Statista, as of April 12, 2021 "roughly 23,700 NFTs were sold in the art segment during the previous 30 days." As of Feb. 15 this year the aggregated number of sales recorded on the Ethereum blockchain over 30 days reached approximately 35,500.
Since April 2021, Sotheby's sales in this category have achieved approximately $100 million for 100 NFTs, setting numerous records along the way, including for a single CryptoPunk ($11.8 million) and for a single Bored Ape ($3.4 million). In June 2021, Sotheby's also launched a digital replica of its New Bond Street Headquarters in London at a prime location in Decentraland's Voltaire Art District, with five spaces inside to exhibit both purely digital artworks or digital replicas of physical works from our sales. Most recently, Sandro Botticelli's "The Man of Sorrows" transformed one of Sotheby's virtual galleries into a chapel interior ahead of its auction as part of Master Paintings at Sotheby's New York.
Topics: Sotheby's NFT Saudi Arabia
British supermodel Naomi Campbell spotted in Abu Dhabi with her daughter /node/2242196/lifestyle
British supermodel Naomi Campbell spotted in Abu Dhabi with her daughter
DUBAI: British supermodel Naomi Campbell was spotted in Abu Dhabi visiting the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque this week.
The 52-year-old catwalk star shared images of herself at the touristic hotspot in the UAE wearing a leopard print abaya with a grey headscarf.
A post shared by Dr Naomi Campbell (@naomi)
Campbell visited the mosque with her daughter. In some of the pictures she shared on Instagram, Campbell can be seen standing in one of the mosque's halls holding her little girl's hands.
"Splendor of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque," she wrote on Instagram to her 14 million followers. "Thank you (for the) breathtaking tour," she added, thanking her organizers.
Since announcing the arrival of her daughter in May 2021, Campbell has only shared a few images of her child.
Topics: Naomi Campbell Abu Dhabi
Christie's Dubai turns itself into a garden of jewels to attract Gulf collectors /node/2242086/lifestyle
Christie's Dubai turns itself into a garden of jewels to attract Gulf collectors
Shyama Krishna Kumar
DUBAI: Christie's Dubai has transformed itself into a veritable garden until Feb. 3 to present its latest jewelry-selling exhibition, "Garden of Wonders," featuring pieces estimated between $10,000 to a whopping $4.5 million.
Partnering with A2Z, an art advisory service founded by Abdulrahman H. Al-Zayani for private clients in the Gulf who wish to expand their jewelry collections, the exhibition is an opportunity for visitors to dive into an exotic garden filled with jewelry inspired by nature.
A post shared by A2Z (@a2zadvisory)
The exhibition features a finely curated selection of pieces made from precious gemstones including diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and rubies alongside a large selection of important natural saltwater pearl pieces, including pearls originating from the Gulf region.
"It is a privilege for Christie's to work with A2Z. Our friend, Abdulrahman, has been a colleague for years now, but he was a collector even before he was a colleague. He's always had good eyes and is an esteemed friend," said Julien Brunie, senior director and international head of private sales jewelry at Christie's, in an interview with Arab News.
Brunie went on to explain how the partnership with the art advisory is a way for Christie's to ensure quality and selectivity in the pieces they offer.
"Christie's is the world's leading auction house since 1766. We have a fabulous network of experts, clients, friends and collectors. But we don't have Christie's branded pieces to sell. So, we bring to the market what we think is the best," added Brunie.
A post shared by Christie's Jewellery (@christiesjewels)
The exhibition is led by a stunning diamond bracelet by Harry Winston comprising 99 emerald-cut diamonds of 141.00 carats in total with a central stone of 11.32 carats. Made in 1975, this comes from a private collection in the Middle East.
Al-Zayani, who founded A2Z advisory in 2018, spoke about the designers and jewelers to watch out for at the exhibition.
"We have bigger, older names such as Harry Winston, Cartier and Van Cleef. And then from the newer names, we tried to collect or curate from all over the world. This time we're starting from India with jewelers like VAK, for example. Vishal (Kothari) is a very young, dynamic guy based out of Mumbai, and he works very nicely with cutting stones. His prices are not steep yet. He just recently showcased his work at Bergdorf Goodman in New York. So, he's fun," said Al-Zayani, adding other up-and-coming names like Greek designer Nikos Koulis, Brazilian designer Fernando Jorge, and London-based jeweler Noor Fares to the list.
Al-Zayani also pointed to the establishment of Christie's Dubai as a catalyst for the growing interest in jewelry collection in the Middle East. "I think Christie's has definitely added a lot by creating this space in Dubai International Financial Center. They've spent beautifully on it, and it's next to the nicest restaurants. It's a very nice atmosphere and, most importantly, you feel so safe. Even if you're walking on the street with a $10 million ring, there's no way anyone's going to touch you," he said.
Brunie chimed in to also point out that the Middle East, in general, has always had good taste when it comes to jewelry.
"We were discussing only yesterday about the collection in the region and that it's rare to find outdated pieces in the region. You find classic pieces. That's something that speaks to the taste for good jewels here," said Brunie.
Topics: Christie's Dubai Christie's Garden of Wonders
Lebanon-born Nina Ali exits 'Real Housewives of Dubai' /node/2242026/lifestyle
Lebanon-born Nina Ali exits 'Real Housewives of Dubai'
DUBAI: "The Real Housewives of Dubai" cast member Nina Ali is exiting the show after just one season as the Bravo reality series gears up to start filming season two.
A post shared by LipstickMommy (@nina.ali)
"It was an honor to be a part of the debut season of The Real Housewives of Dubai, and to help Bravo bring this beloved franchise to the city I call home," Ali posted on Instagram. "I'm grateful to the network, Andy Cohen, and the team at Truly Original for welcoming me into this extended family and for embracing the diversity of riches Dubai has to offer."
Ali also added that she has some "exciting opportunities" coming up.
"2023 has already brought many exciting opportunities my way, including an emerging new business, new home and new adventures, so for now I'll be moving my attention away from the show to allow myself the space to focus on new challenges," the businesswoman, entrepreneur and mother of three added.
Topics: Nina Ali Real Housewives of Dubai
Dubai's Orfali Bros Bistro nabs top spot at MENA's 50 Best Restaurants awards as Myazu voted Saudi Arabia's best eatery /node/2241671/lifestyle
Dubai's Orfali Bros Bistro nabs top spot at MENA's 50 Best Restaurants awards as Myazu voted Saudi Arabia's best eatery
Japanese eatery Myazu in Riyadh has been named the best restaurant in Saudi Arabia. (Instagram)
ABU DHABI: Japanese eatery Myazu in Riyadh has been named the best restaurant in Saudi Arabia by the World's 50 Best Restaurants MENA list in a ceremony held in Aby Dhabi on Monday night as Dubai's Orfali Bros Bistro nabbed the overall top spot.
The ranking is voted on by a body formed of 250 restaurant experts in the region, known as the Academy. Each member casts seven votes for those that are – in their expert opinion – the best dining experiences in the MENA region.
A post shared by The Worlds 50 Best Restaurants (@theworlds50best)
The top 10 consisted of eateries from around the region, with a heavy showing from Dubai, including Moonrise in Dubai at number 10, Zooba (Zamalek) in Cairo at number 9, Fakhreldin in Amman at number 8, Kinoya in Dubai at number 7, George & John in Tel Aviv at number 6, 3 Fils in Dubai at number 5, Ossiano in Dubai at number 4, Fusions by Tala in Manama at number 3, Trèsind Studio in Dubai at number 2 and Orfali Bros Bistro in Dubai at number 1.
"Also crowned The Best Restaurant in the UAE, this Dubai establishment is the restaurant embodiment of three brothers from Aleppo, Syria. The dining experience here is focused on storytelling, where every flavour, ingredient and technique has played a special part in the trio's story. The atmosphere, with the rhythm set by the work in the two-storey kitchen overlooking the dining space, is fun, indulgent and at times nostalgic," the organization posted on Instagram shortly after the announcement.
Commenting on Saudi Arabia's best restaurant, the organization posted: "Under the leadership of chef Ian Pengelley, (Myazu) is a spot where harmony reigns in texture, aromas and flavors. Some dishes push the envelope of gastronomic craftsmanship while others focus on Japanese fan favorites, but all are set apart by a sophisticated presentation that has become part of this restaurant's DNA."
The eatery ranked number 18 on the list, just after Tawlet Mar Mikhael in Beirut.
Meanwhile, the Middle East & North Africa's Best Female Chef Award 2023 went to Palestinian chef Salam Dakkak and this year's Estrella Damm N.A. Chefs' Choice Award went to Moustafa Elrefaey of Zooba in Cairo.
Here is the full list of restaurants:
1. Orfali Bros Bistro, Dubai
2. Tresind Studio, Dubai
3. Fusions by Tala, Manama
4. Ossiano, Dubai
5. 3 Fils, Dubai
6. George & John, Tel Aviv
7. Kinoya, Dubai
8. Fakhreldin, Amman
9. Zooba, Cairo
10. Moonrise, Dubai
11. Reif Kushiyaki, Dubai
12. Kazoku, Cairo
13. Zuma, Dubai
14. OCD, Tel Aviv
15. Lowe, Dubai,
16. Baron, Beirut
17. Gaia, Dubai
18. Myazu, Riyadh
19. Tawlet Mar Mikhael, Beirut
20. Em Sherif, Beirut
21. LPM, Dubai
22. Sachi, Giza
23. Marble, Riyadh
24. A by Yuval Ben Neriah, Tel Aviv
25. CUT by Wolfgang Puck, Manama
26. Hoseki, Dubai
27. La Grande Table Marocain, Marrakech
28. Coya, Dubai
29. Shams El Balad, Amman
30. Sachi, Cairo
31. Masso, Manama
32. Animar, Tel Aviv
33. Coya, Abu Dhabi
34. La Closerie, Tunis
35. 11 Woodfire, Dubai
36. Sufra, Amman
37. Iloli, Casablanca
38. LPM, Riyadh
39. Sesamo, Marrakech
40. Milgo Milbar, Tel Aviv
41. Alee, Amman
42. White Robata, Kuwait City
43. Zuma, Abu Dhabi
44. Jun's, Dubai
45. Reif Kushiyaki, Cairo
46. +61, Marrakech
47. 13C Bar in the Back, Amman
48. HaBasta, Tel Aviv
49. Hakkasan, Abu Dhabi
50. Bonjiri, Salmiya, Kuwait
Sundance Film Festival 2023 closes with three Mideast filmmakers winning awards /node/2241471/lifestyle
Sundance Film Festival 2023 closes with three Mideast filmmakers winning awards
DUBAI: The 2023 Sundance Film Festival — which took its final bow this weekend in Park City, Utah, after its first in-person edition since 2020 — saw three Middle Eastern films winning awards, including "The Persian Version," "Shayda" and "Animalia."
Iranian American director Maryam Keshavarz's "The Persian Version" won the Audience Award and Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award in the US Dramatic Competition. c
A post shared by The Persian Version Film (@tpv_film)
The film follows a large Iranian American family gathering for the patriarch's heart transplant when a family secret catapults the estranged mother and daughter into an exploration of the past.
It was one of three films at Sundance this year to be directed by Iranian women, the others being "Joonam" and "Shayda."
A post shared by Noora Niasari | نورا نیاسری (@nooraniasari)
Noora Niasari's "Shayda" took home the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The film follows Shayda, a brave Iranian mother, who finds refuge in an Australian women's shelter with her six-year-old daughter. But when her estranged husband re-enters their lives, Shayda's path to freedom is jeopardized.
A post shared by Animalia (@animaliathefilm)
The third regional film to win an award at Sundance is "Animalia" by Morocco's Sofia Alaoui, who took home the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision. The film follows a young mother-to-be as she experiences an alien invasion with a sense of dread that slowly turns into liberation.
Topics: Sundance film festival
Ukraine on mission to ban Russia from Olympics, IOC says sanctions stand


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Salary for a Guitar Center Operations Manager
By Jamie Lisse
How Do I Back up My iPhone Contacts to My PC?
Organizational Structure of Walgreens
How to Advertise on LinkedIn for a Position
Technical Training Employment
Fast-Food Sales Team Structure
The operations managers at Guitar Center retail stores have the duty of assisting each store manager in the daily functions of the store, according to the Guitar Center Career website. Tasks included in these daily store functions include the management of sales associates and the handling of on-site systems, such as cash registers.
If you are looking for employment with Guitar Center, you can begin your search on the company's website. The "Search Our Jobs" button on the "Careers" page of the Guitar Center site allows you to search by job position, keyword or store location. Since the website lists only those locations where jobs are currently available, you can find out whether the Guitar Center nearest you is hiring an operations manager before making a trip to the store. You do not need to be already employed with Guitar Center to become an operations manager with the company. Guitar Center hires qualified candidates for the position, whether already working for the company or not.
Applying For The Position
Even though Guitar Center lists available job positions for their stores on the main website, you cannot apply for an operations manager position online. The Guitar Center "Careers" page directs prospective applicants to contact the store manager of the Guitar Center at which they are seeking employment directly to fill out an application and set up an interview for the operations manager position at the local store.
Per the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, the beginning annual salary for an operations manager at a Guitar Center retail store can range from around $47,000 to around $65,000, depending upon the experience level of the new hire. The median salary for retail operations managers is approximately $95,000 and the highest salary level can top $140,000. In Texas, the average salary is $111,110. Guitar Center operation managers are not paid the same from state to state. Like most jobs, pay ranges vary by location to account for cost of living and average salaries in the region. The mean pay for operation managers is highest in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York, Delaware and Washington, according to the United States Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. In these states, the pay range is between $131,480 and $163,420. In Texas, the salary range is from $111,030 to $120,860. The Houston metropolitan area has the highest employment in this occupation and an average salary of $119,730. It is followed by the Dallas metro area, which has an average salary of $123,850.
Guitar Center offers additional benefits to employees on top of an annual salary. Insurance, such as medical, dental, vision and life, are all offered to employees of Guitar Center. Other benefits include employees discounts on merchandise, paid vacation time, based on tenure, and a company profit sharing plan.
Required Skills And Experience
Guitar Center does not solely promote from within, which means that you do not need to be working at Guitar Center to move up to the operations manager position. Previous experience in operations or as an operations manager for a retail store is helpful in gaining this position. A college degree in business or finance is typically required, along with proficiency in technical software and financial software. Leadership experience, good communication skills, budgeting experience and inventory control experience are all favorable skills for a potential Guitar Center operations manager to possess.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics: General and Operations Managers; May 2011
US Bureau of Labor Statistics: May 2010 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates Texas
Jamie Lisse has been writing professionally since 1997. She has published works with a number of online and print publishers. Her areas of expertise include finance and accounting, travel, entertainment, digital media and technology. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English.
Pay & Benefits for Salvation Army Soldiers
Salary Range for a Human Resources Search EHS Specialist
What Does a Department Store Divisional Structure Look Like?
How to Activate WordPress Widgets
How to Center Lightbox in Dreamweaver
Salary of an Assistant Athletic Director in Media Relations
How to Design a Retail Store Organizational Chart
How to Buy a Taco Bell Franchise
7-Eleven Franchise Requirements
1 Pay & Benefits for Salvation Army Soldiers
2 Salary Range for a Human Resources Search EHS Specialist
3 What Does a Department Store Divisional Structure Look Like?
4 How to Activate WordPress Widgets

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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NI reporter Paulina Pineda named Community Journalist of the Year
Nogales International reporter Paulina Pineda was named the state's Community Journalist of the Year by the Arizona Press Club, winning praise from judges for her pursuit of "the stories and the people that define a community quite literally on the edge."
The recognition, given as part of the APC's 2016 writing and design awards, was announced Sunday evening.
Contest judge Dennis Joyce, assistant metro editor of the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, wrote that Pineda's reporting "is characterized by genuine voices, including rural students who endure long school bus rides and farm workers concerned they might not be allowed back after visiting family in Mexico. She is up to the task of chronicling the unique border region in and around Santa Cruz County."
Other judges included Autumn Phillips, executive editor of the Iowa-based Quad-City Times, and Dennis Anderson, executive editor of the Peoria, Ill. Journal Star.
Joyce's comments referred to two of the stories included in Pineda's nomination packet: "Few students, expansive areas mean high transportation costs for rural districts," which saw her ride an early morning school bus through the San Rafael Valley while examining the disproportionately high busing costs faced by school districts in Patagonia and Sonoita; and "Where have all the 'paisanos' gone?" which sought to explain the decline in north-to-south holiday travelers passing through Nogales last December.
Pineda's nomination packet also included examples of her watchdog reporting on the Nogales city government, including "Power shift tabled at City Hall – for now," about ongoing efforts by elected officials to undo the manager-council form of government enshrined in the City Charter; and "Religious fervor encircles Nogales City Hall," which cast a spotlight on Mayor John Doyle's efforts to blur the line between government and religion.
The judges also considered her stories on topics including the local economy ("20-to-1 exchange rate is unsavory threshold" and "Women lead in numerous sectors of the Nogales economy"), migration ("Central American women look for clues in search for missing loved ones"), criminal justice ("21 years in prison for doctor who gunned down ex-girlfriend in 1990") and politics ("Republican outreach in local area falls flat in the year of Trump").
In his letter nominating her for the award, NI managing editor Jonathan Clark highlighted Pineda's efforts to hold the city government accountable, as well as her versatility in covering stories that range from hard-hitting investigative pieces like "Patagonia's profuse ticketing of Mexicans draws scrutiny" to high school cross country races. "She can cover a complicated court case as well as write a first-person feature story on a local food truck," he wrote, calling her a "tenacious reporter and talented writer whose work both informs and celebrates her community."
Pineda joined the NI in September 2015 after graduating from Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication that spring. She previously interned at the Arizona Republic, Dallas Morning News and the Cronkite News Service's bureau in Washington, D.C.
This marks the third consecutive year that a reporter from the Nogales International won the APC's Community Journalist of the Year award. Former NI news staffers Curt Prendergast and Murphy Woodhouse earned the distinction for their reporting in the years of 2014 and 2015, respectively.
The APC is continuing to announce its 2016 journalism awards this week, and NI reporters are in the running for several additional prizes.
Wick Communications2017-06-06T17:59:15-07:00June 6th, 2017|Tags: apc 2016, journalist of the year, paulina pineda, Reporter|
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RNC To CNN, NBC: Drop Hillary Films Or We'll Pull Presidential Primary Debates
By Catherine Thompson
August 5, 2013 8:12 a.m.
Republican National Committee Chair Reince Priebus on Monday called on both NBC and CNN to drop their planned film productions of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or face losing their partnerships with the RNC for 2016 presidential primary debates.
In letters to the chairman of NBC Entertainment, Robert Greenblatt, and CNN President Jeff Zucker, Priebus slammed the networks' "thinly-veiled attempt at putting a thumb on the scales of the 2016 presidential election" as unfair to other potential candidates from both parties.
NBC announced last month it was planning a miniseries starring Diane Lane that would follow Clinton's trajectory beginning in 1998, the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The series was to air before Clinton could launch a hypothetical White House run. Days later CNN also announced it would produce a documentary to be released in 2014, according to the New York Times.
"If you have not agreed to pull this programming prior to the start of the RNC's Summer Meeting on August 14, I will seek a binding vote of the RNC stating that the committee will neither partner with you in 2016 primary debates nor sanction primary debates which you sponsor," Preibus wrote to the networks.
NBC Hillary Clinton Letter
Catherine Thompson (@kt_thomps) Catherine Thompson is a senior editor for Talking Points Memo in New York City. She came to the site in 2013 and reported on national affairs. Previously, she worked as a research assistant to investigative reporter Wayne Barrett. She can be reached at catherine@talkingpointsmemo.com.


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Milestones and misses
Category: Award winners
Lance 'Buddy' Franklin's journey to become one of the AFL's top five goal kickers of all-time
Sam Walsh's ascent to win the John Nicholls Medal in his third AFL season
Harry McKay's meteoric rise to win 2021 Coleman Medal and earn selection in the All-Australian team
Indigenous Team of the Century member Nicky Winmar's legacy
Jayden Short's journey from the rookie list to Richmond best and fairest winner and 100 game player
Midfielder Jack Steele's journey to become a St Kilda co-captain and an All-Australian
March 20, 2021 September 5, 2021
Two-time Melbourne best and fairest winner Clayton Oliver reaches 100 AFL games
Carlton midfielder Sam Walsh's record breaking debut AFL season
Two-time Jack Dyer Medallist Dustin Martin reaches 200 AFL games
Australian Opals


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Cargill recalls more than 12 tons of ground beef for possible E. coli contamination
Mike Snider
Cargill is recalling about 12 tons of ground beef for possible E. coli contamination, according to the Department of Agriculture.
The ground beef products from Cargill's Fort Morgan, Colo., plant were produced Aug. 16, 2018, and shipped to warehouses in California and Colorado.
The 10-pound packages have labels that say "EXCEL 93/7 FINE GRIND GROUND BEEF," and "Use/Frz. By Sep 05" and a "PACK DATE 08/16/2018" with the establishment number "EST. 86R' on the label of the boxes containing the packages.
Cargill, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., notified the the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service on Aug. 22 that the 25,288 pounds of ground beef may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
The USDA urges consumers who have purchased these products – and may have frozen them – not to consume them. Instead, the products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, the agency says.
There have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products, the USDA says. However, those concerned about an illness should contact a healthcare provider.
E. coli O157:H7 is potentially deadly and can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps for as long as eight days (3–4 days, on average) after exposure, officials say. Most people recover within a week, but some may develop a type of kidney failure called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS).
Consumers with questions about the recall can call 1-844-419-1574.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider.


A detail of Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville's 1732 map of Louisiana showing Mobile Bay, the Mobile colony (Fort Condé de la Mobile), many rivers, bays, Native American settlements & Isle Dauphine.
Spanish explorers were sailing into the area of Mobile Bay as early as 1500, with the bay being marked on early Spanish maps as the Bahía del Espíritu Santo (Bay of the Holy Spirit). The area was explored in more detail in 1516 by Diego de Miruelo and in 1519 by Alonso Álvarez de Pineda. In 1528, Pánfilo de Narváez traveled through what was likely the Mobile Bay area, encountering Native Americans who fled and burned their towns at the approach of the expedition. This response was a prelude to the journeys of Hernando de Soto, more than eleven years later.
Hernando de Soto explored the area of Mobile Bay and beyond in 1540, finding the area inhabited by a Muscogee Native American people. During this expedition, his forces destroyed the fortified town of Mauvila, also spelled Maubila, from which the name Mobile was later derived. The battle with Chief Tuscaloosa and his warriors took place somewhere north of the current site of Mobile. The next large expedition was that of Tristán de Luna y Arellano, in his unsuccessful attempt to establish a permanent colony for Spain, nearby at Pensacola in 1559-1561.
Although Spain's presence in the area had been sporadic, the French, under Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville from his base at Fort Maurepas, established a settlement on the Mobile River in 1702. The settlement, then known as Fort Louis de la Louisiane, was first established at Twenty-seven Mile Bluff as the first capital of the French colony of Louisiana. It was founded under the direction of d'Iberville by his brother, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, to establish control over France's Louisiana claims with Bienville having been made governor of French Louisiana in 1701. Mobile's Roman Catholic parish was established on 20 July 1703, by Jean-Baptiste de la Croix de Chevrières de Saint-Vallier, Bishop of Quebec. The parish was the first established on the Gulf Coast of the United States. The year 1704 saw the arrival of 23 women, known to history as "casquette girls" to the colony aboard the Pélican, along with yellow fever introduced to the ship in Havana. Though most of the "casquette girls" recovered, a large number of the existing colonists and the neighboring Native Americans died from the illness. This early period also saw the arrival of the first African slaves aboard a French supply ship from Saint-Domingue. The population of the colony fluctuated over the next few years, growing to 279 persons by 1708 yet descending to 178 persons two years later due to disease.
These additional outbreaks of disease and a series of floods caused Bienville to order the town relocated several miles downriver to its present location at the confluence of the Mobile River and Mobile Bay in 1711. This site had previously been settled five years prior by Charles Rochon, Gilbert Dardenne, Pierre LeBœuf and Claude Parant. A new earth and palisade Fort Louis was constructed at the new site during this time. The colony was an economic loss, so in 1712, Antoine Crozat took over administration of the colony by royal charter for 15 years, pledging a share of profits to the King. The colony boasted a population of 400 persons. In 1713 a new governor was appointed by Crozat, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, founder of Detroit. He did not last long, due to allegations of mismanagement and a lack of growth in the colony, and he was recalled to France in 1716. Bienville again took the helm as governor, serving the office for less than a year until the new governor, Jean-Michel de Lepinay, arrived from France. Lepinay, however, did not last long either, due to Crozat's relinquishing control of the colony in 1717 (after just 5 of the 15 years). The administration shifted to John Law and his Company of the Indies. Bienville found himself once again governor of Louisiana. In 1719, France warred with Spain, and Mobile was on the battlefront, so Bienville decided to move the capital to Old Biloxi, further west.
The capital of Louisiana was moved to Biloxi, (now in Mississippi) in 1720, leaving Mobile relegated to the role of military and trading outpost. In 1723 the construction of a new brick fort with a stone foundation began and it was renamed Fort Condé in honor of Louis Henri, Duc de Bourbon and prince of Condé. Mobile would maintain the role of major trade center with the Native Americans throughout the French period, leading to the almost universal use of Mobilian Jargon as the simplified trade language with the Native Americans from present-day Florida to Texas.
A Map of West Florida (bottom right), the U.S. (top right) and Louisiana (left), published in 1781, showing Mobile in the center of West Florida.
Mobile became a part of the "14th British colony," British West Florida, in 1763, when the Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the French and Indian War.
The treaty ceded the Mobile area to Great Britain, and under British rule the colony flourished as West Florida. The British renamed Fort Condé as Fort Charlotte after the queen consort and re-energized the port. Major exports included timber, naval stores, indigo, hides, rice, pecans, and cattle.
The Spanish captured Mobile during the American Revolutionary War during the Battle of Fort Charlotte in 1780, and retained Mobile by the terms of the war-ending Treaty of Paris in 1783. Mobile was then part of the colonial province Florida Occidental for thirty years, controlled from Pensacola until 1813 when it was captured by American forces (during the War of 1812) under James Wilkinson.
The United States and Spain held long, inconclusive negotiations on the status of West Florida. In the meantime, American settlers, including Loyalists, had established a foothold in the area and resisted Spanish control, leading to a rebellion in 1810 and the establishment for three months of the Republic of West Florida. On September 23, 1810, after meetings beginning in June, rebels overcame the Spanish garrison at Baton Rouge and unfurled the Bonnie Blue Flag. The Republic of West Florida claimed boundaries that included all territory south of the 31st parallel, west of the Perdido River, and east of the Mississippi River, not including any territory that had been part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Spain retained its control of the Mobile District for a few more years, while the United States seized the former Baton Rouge District in December 1810.
A map of Mobile in 1815.
Before the War of 1812, the Spaniards in Mobile allowed British merchants to sell arms and supplies to the Indians to harass Americans who had begun to settle parts of present-day Alabama. During the course of the war, General James Wilkinson took a force of American troops from New Orleans to capture Mobile. The Spanish capitulated in April 1813 and the Stars and Stripes of the United States was raised for the first time over the Mobile area as it was added to the existing Mississippi Territory.
A British attempt commanded by Captain Henry Percy in September 1814 to take Fort Bowyer on Mobile Bay was repulsed by American forces.
Within 4 years, in March 1817, the U.S. state of Mississippi was formed, splitting the Mississippi Territory in half, and leaving Mobile, for the next 2 years, as part of the new Alabama Territory. In 1819, after two years as a territory, the US state of Alabama was formed, converting the Alabama Territory into a full American state.
A map of Mobile in 1838.
The cotton boom of the early 19th century brought an explosion of commerce to what had been a sleepy frontier town. For almost the next half century, Mobile enjoyed prosperity as the second largest international seaport on the Gulf Coast, after New Orleans. Progress was based upon cotton, shipped downriver by flatboat or steamboat from plantation slave fields in Mississippi and Alabama. A fire in October 1827 destroyed most of the old city from the Mobile River to Saint Emanuel Street and from Saint Francis to Government Street. The city experienced another fire in 1839 that burned part of city between Conti and Government Street from Royal to Saint Emanuel Street and also both sides of Dauphin to Franklin Street. Despite these setbacks, Mobile was one of the four busiest ports in the US by the 1850s. The wealth created by this trade brought the city to a cultural high point. Mobile became known throughout the country and the world.
In another note of differentiation between the somewhat cosmopolitan port and the hinterlands of predominantly Protestant Alabama, Mobile was declared a diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in this same period. What would become known as McGill-Toolen Catholic High School was also established during this time. In 1830, Bishop Michael Portier founded Spring Hill College, one of the oldest Catholic schools in the country. Control of the college was assumed by the Jesuit Order in 1847.
In 1860, the Clotilde, the last known ship to arrive in the Americas with a cargo of slaves, was abandoned by its captain near Mobile. A number of these slaves later formed their own community on the banks of the Mobile River after the American Civil War, which became known as Africatown. The inhabitants of this community retained their African customs and language well into the 20th century.
A map of Mobile Bay and surroundings during the American Civil War.
Mobile grew substantially in the period leading up to the Civil War, when the Confederates heavily fortified it. Union naval forces established a blockade under the command of Admiral David Farragut. The Confederates countered by constructing blockade-runners: fast, shallow-draft, low-slung ships that could either outrun or evade the blockaders, maintaining a trickle of trade in and out of Mobile. Also, the Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy vessel in combat, was built and tested in Mobile.
In August 1864 Farragut's ships fought their way past Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan guarding the mouth of Mobile Bay and defeated a small force of wooden Confederate gunboats and the ironclad CSS Tennessee, in the famous Battle of Mobile Bay. It is here that Farragut is alleged to have uttered his famous "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" quote after the USS Tecumseh hit a Confederate mine and sank. The Tecumseh rests in Mobile Bay to this day. The city of Mobile later surrendered to the Union army in order to avoid destruction. Ironically, on May 25, 1865, weeks after Jefferson Davis had dissolved the Confederacy, an ammunition depot explosion, termed the great Mobile magazine explosion, killed some 300 people and destroyed a significant portion of the city.
The aftermath of the war left Mobile with a spirit of governmental and economic caution that would limit it for a large part of the next century. The last quarter of the 19th century in Mobile was a time of turmoil. The government was controlled by Republicans after Reconstruction was instituted by Congress in May 1867. Many of these politicians instituted policies that caused the disenfranchised Democrats to become embittered. In 1874, Democrats around the state used violence and extreme measures to keep African Americans and non-Democratic voters from participating in the November election. Election day in Mobile saw armed gangs roaming the streets and mobs of people surrounding the polling places to scare any non-Democrats away.
The decline of the city continued under the Democrats. By 1875 the city was more than $5 million in debt and could not even pay the interest on the loans. This debt had been accruing since the 1830s. A game of political maneuvering continued to be played between rival factions as the city bordered on bankruptcy. In 1879 the city charter was repealed by the state legislature, abolishing the "City of Mobile" and replacing it with three city commissioners appointed by the Alabama governor. The commissioners were charged with governing the new "Port of Mobile" and reducing the city's debt. The debt problem would not be settled until the last note was paid in 1906.
The turn of the 20th century saw Mobile's population increase from around 40,000 in 1900 to 60,000 by 1920. During this time the city received $3 million in federal grants for harbor improvements, which drastically deepened the shipping channels in the harbor. During and after World War I manufacturing became increasingly vital to Mobile's economic health with shipbuilding and steel production being two of the most important. In 1902 the city government passed Mobile's first segregation ordinance, one that segregated the city streetcars. Mobile's African American population responded to this with a two-month boycott which was ultimately unsuccessful. After this, Mobile's de facto segregation would increasingly be replaced with legislated segregation.
The Mobile skyline in 1909.
World War II led to a massive military effort causing a considerable increase in Mobile's population, largely due to the huge influx of workers coming into Mobile to work in the shipyards and at the Brookley Army Air Field. Between 1940 and 1943, over 89,000 people moved into Mobile to work for war effort industries. Mobile was one of eighteen U.S. cities producing Liberty ships at its Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company to support the war effort by producing ships faster than the Axis powers could sink them. Gulf Shipbuilding Corporation, a subsidiary of Waterman Steamship Corporation, focused on building freighters, Fletcher class destroyers, and minesweepers. The US Army bought the municipal airport, Bates Field, and there developed the Brookley Army Air Field, later to become the Brookley Air Force Base. Brookley quickly became the area's largest employer. In the mid-1960s the Air Force Base was closed due to a Department of Defense "base realignment" and the airport returned to the city. Today, it is an aerospace and industrial site known as the Brookley Aeroplex.
During the war, the phenomenal influx of workers created a huge housing shortage. Citizens rented out extra rooms and also converted porches, garages and even chicken coops into rentals. Several federal housing projects were quickly built to house the new maritime and Air Force workers. Several of these are still to be found, notably the community of Birdville. "Thomas James Place" was the proper name for Birdville which was built just outside Brookley Air Force Base to provide relief for the housing shortage. The development consisted of a series of interwoven curving concrete streets named after various birds, hence the nickname Birdville.
By 1956, Mobile's square mileage had tripled to accommodate growth. The Brookley Air Force Base closure in the mid-1960s sent economic tremors through the area which took many years to absorb. Also in the post-war period, the pulp and paper industry became a major industry in Mobile. Scott Paper Company and International Paper combined to become one of the area's largest workforces.
Legal racial segregation was ended by congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mobile had been more tolerant and racially accommodating than many other Southern cities, with the police force and one local college becoming integrated in the 1950s and the voluntary desegregation of buses and lunchcounters by 1963, but schools and many other institutions had remained segregated. In 1963, three African-American students filed a suit against the Mobile County School Board for being denied admission to Murphy High School. The federal district court ordered that they be admitted for the 1964 school year, as it had been ten years since the US Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. In 1964, the University of South Alabama opened as an integrated college, planned as such from its inception in 1956.
Mobile's city government was changed in 1985 from three city commissioners elected at-large to a mayor and city-council form with seven members elected from single-member districts, following a court challenge by African-American residents. In Bolden v. City of Mobile the federal district court ruled that the city commission form was discriminatory in intent, with the result of substantially diluting the African-American vote. In the years after passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, African Americans had not been able to elect any candidates of their choice to the city commission.
Racial equality and justice continued to be an issue on the individual level in Mobile. In 1981, Michael Donald was abducted and lynched by Ku Klux Klan members on Herndon Avenue. The two perpetrators were both convicted of murder, with one sentenced to life in prison and the other sentenced to death and executed in 1997. A subsequent wrongful death lawsuit was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center on behalf of Michael Donald's mother against the United Klans of America. The seven million dollar decision against the Klans—returned, notably, by an all-white jury—effectively put the Ku Klux Klan out of business in Alabama. A fatal police shooting of an African-American man in 1992 sparked violence and unrest in Mobile, leading to the formation of a Human Relations Commission by the city in 1994.
Hurricane Frederic, which struck the area on September 12, 1979, caused severe damage in Mobile. Many residents were without power, water, telephone and basic necessities for weeks, but only one death was recorded. Relief funding following Frederic provided an economic boom in addition to growth in the 1980s, vastly improving Mobile's overall economic picture.
Beginning in the late 1980s, the city council and mayor Mike Dow began an effort termed the "String of Pearls Initiative" to make Mobile into a competitive, urban city. Numerous new facilities and projects were built around the city; the government encouraged the restoration of hundreds of historic downtown buildings and homes. Violent crime was reduced by 50%, and the city and county leaders worked to attract new business ventures to the area. The effort continues into the present with new city government leadership.
Shipbuilding began to make a major comeback in Mobile with the founding in 1999 of Austal USA, a joint venture of Australian shipbuilder, Austal, and Bender Shipbuilding.
The Mobile skyline in 2007.
Mobile received moderate damage from Hurricane Ivan on 16 September 2004. Mobile received damage again from Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005. A storm surge of 11.45 feet (3.49 m) damaged eastern sections of Mobile and caused extensive flooding downtown. Mobilians elected their first African American mayor, Sam Jones, in September, 2005. Another landmark was added to Mobile's skyline in 2007 with the completion of the RSA Battle House Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the state. In January, 2008, the city hired EDSA, an urban design firm, to create a new comprehensive master plan for the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. The planning area is bordered on the east by the Mobile River, to the south by Interstate 10 and Duval Street, to the west by Houston Street and to the north by Three Mile Creek and the neighborhoods north of Martin Luther King Avenue.
^ a b c d "Encyclopedia of Alabama", 1998, Somerset Publishers, Inc., St. Clair Shores, MI, pages 55-57.
^ a b The Seven Years' War (aka French and Indian War) began in 1756 and ended in 1763, with Mobile ceded to Britain, while land west of the Mississippi plus New Orleans had been ceded to Spain; see: Treaty of Paris (1763).
^ "Historic Fort Conde". "Museum of Mobile". Retrieved 2007-10-18.
^ "Stars and Stripes Raised in Mobile". Archives.state.al.us. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
^ "Mobile, Alabama". US-History.com. Retrieved 2007-05-05.
^ a b "Mobile W Title of All American City". "City of Mobile". Retrieved 2007-11-15.
^ a b ""2005 State of the City" "". "City of Mobile". Retrieved 2007-11-15.
^ "Austal USA, Mobile AL Construction Record". "The Colton Company ". Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2007-11-02.
^ "Powerful Hurricane Ivan Slams the IS Central Gulf Coast as an Upper Category-3 Storm". "National Weather Service Forecast Office Mobile/Pensacola". Archived from the original on 2004-09-23. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
^ "Extremely Powerful Hurricane Katrina leaves a Historic Mark on the Gulf Coast". "National Weather Service Forecast Office Mobile/Pensacola". Archived from the original on 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
^ "Dean Congratulates Sam Jones, First Black Mayor of Mobile, Alabama on Victory". "Democrats.org. 2005-09-16. Archived from the original on 2006-12-18. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
^ "New Master Plan Coming for Mobile". "City of Mobile". 10 January 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-28.
Bergeron Jr, Arthur W. Confederate Mobile (LSU Press, 2000).
Bivens, Shawn A. Mobile, Alabama's People of Color: A Tricentennial History, 1702-2002 (2004).
Doss, Harriet E. Amos. Cotton City: Urban Development in Antebellum Mobile (U of Alabama Press, 2001).
Fitzgerald, Michael R. Urban Emancipation: Popular Politics in Reconstruction Mobile, 1860–1890. (2002). 301 pp. ISBN 0-8071-2837-6.
Fitzgerald, Michael W. "Railroad Subsidies and Black Aspirations: The Politics of Economic Development in Reconstruction Mobile, 1865-1879." Civil War History 39.3 (1993): 240-256.
Higginbotham, Jay (1977). Old Mobile: Fort Louis de la Louisiane, 1702–1711. Museum of the City of Mobile. ISBN 0-914334-03-4.
McLaurin, Melton Alonza, and Michael Thomason. Mobile, the Life and Times of a Great Southern City: An Illustrated History (Windsor Publications, 1981).
Maura, Juan Francisco. "Caballeros y rufianes andantes en la costa atlántica de los Estados Unidos: Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón y Alvar Núñez Cabeza", Revista Canadiense de Estudios Hispánicos 35.2 (2011) 305-328.
Padgett, Charles S. ""Without Hysteria or Unnecessary Disturbance": Desegregation at Spring Hill College, Mobile, Alabama, 1948–1954." History of Education Quarterly 41.2 (2001): 167-188.
Pride, Richard A. The Political Use of Racial Narratives: School Desegregation in Mobile, Alabama, 1954-97 (2008).
Roberts, L. Craig. Mardi Gras in Mobile (The History Press, 2015).
Robinson, Kenneth A. Port City Crusader: John LeFlore and the Non-Partisan Voters League in Mobile, Alabama (2013).
Sledge, John S. The Mobile River (U of South Carolina Press, 2015).
Saffold Berney (1878), "Mobile", Handbook of Alabama, Mobile: Mobile Register print.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to History of Mobile, Alabama.


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Home Moxye Business Business Meet Lewis Williams: Chief Creative Officer at Burrell Communications
Meet Lewis Williams: Chief Creative Officer at Burrell Communications
In the advertising world many have probably heard of Burrell Communications Group. The company is an American advertising agency founded by chairman emeritus Thomas J. Burrell, and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Burrell Communications is one of the largest multi-cultural marketing firms in the world. Most impressive is that some of the company's work is part of a collection in the Library of Congress. Today, Burrell Communications is now under the leadership of co-chief executive officers, Fay Ferguson and McGhee Osse and chief creative officer, Lewis Williams.
Lewis began his career as an Art Director at Burrell In 2006. Before that time, he spent 14 years at Leo Burnett/Chicago where he became a Senior Vice President/Creative Director. During his impressive and inspiring career, he has worked on such brands as: The U.S. Army, McDonald's, P&G, Allstate, Budweiser, Miller Lite and Walt Disney World. He continues to work with impressive companies and brands currently.
Lewis is classically trained in graphic design and art direction which makes him extremely versatile in all aspects of the creative process. His general market experience along with extensive African-American consumer expertise gives him a unique and valuable perspective within the creative advertising marketplace. His unique ability to turn strategies and insights into fresh business-building creative has made him the benefactor of awards, such as One Show Entertainment, New York Festivals, Addy's, Creativity, Effie and the ARF David Ogilvy Award.
Lewis graduated from Kent State University (BFA) and while there established the Lewis and Dona Williams Endowment Fund for minority and economically-challenged art students. Although it is important for him to deliver brand creative for clients. He feels it is also important for him to give back which the purpose of this fund. Lewis works daily with the staff of 30 that he now manages and together they create some of the most influential advertising campaigns around. The dedication and hard work of the team continues to make Burrell Communications one of the best companies to work for to use individual creativity.
Although Lewis Williams has a strong work ethic, to ensure the proper work/life balance, he is a veteran marathon runner and a dedicated yoga student. With dedication such as this, it is no wonder Burrell continues to be such a strong player in the advertising world. Burrell Communications Group.
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Judith Davis is a professional writer who has worked on contracts for Yahoo, Great American Pitchfest, About.com, Topix.com, Whipclip Networks, MTV Networks, Nickelodeon, Wochit.com, LivePerson.com, Coca Cola/vitaminwater, Burrell Communications, Conde Nast, Hearst Digital Media, AOL, The New York Post PageSix.com, Ogilvy.com, Inc. Magazine, The College Board, UGO Networks, and ESPN. My website is: http://writerjudy.com/contact.html
Dear Felicity: How to Get Into Top Schools Without Immorality, Illegality Nor Bribery
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The campaign aims to deconstruct the stigma that exists around men making assault claims.
The Me Too and Time's Up movements have brought sexual abuse and assault into the national conversation as never before. Now, two victim advocacy groups are hoping to expand the public's perception of what sexual trauma survivors look like with a harrowing new campaign.
In the video above, five women hold back tears as they read accounts of sexual abuse and assault. As the narrators prepare to offer their support to the authors of those accounts, however, they're surprised to discover that each of the victims was a man.
The eye-opening, six-minute public service announcement was released by the national nonprofit organization 1in6 last week to kick off Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Produced in conjunction with No More, another organization for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, and funded in part by the NFL, the video aims to highlight statistics which show that at least one out of six men have experienced sexual abuse or assault.
The PSA's director, Andy Langdon, told HuffPost that he hopes the campaign will inspire viewers to deconstruct the taboos that exist around men ― gay, straight, bisexual and otherwise ― making sexual assault claims.
Meredith Alling, who is 1in6′s development and communications director, noted that male victims of sexual abuse may delay seeking treatment even longer than women who have had similar experiences given the lingering stigma.
Praising both the Me Too and Time's Up movements for having brought attention to the abuse and harassment of women, Alling believes there is space for men within that dialogue, too.


Amadeus Rail Display is a simple and intuitive rail reservation software, which removes rail booking' complexity. It allows travel agents to compare fares on one single screen and is integrated into Amadeus Profile, PNR and Mid- and Back-office, ensuring an end-to-end flow.
Our goal is to enable travel agencies to sell multiple railways in a standardised way. So far SNCF, Eurostar and Thalys are available on Rail Display and we are working hard to have other major European Railways available.
This reward is a very encouraging sign as Rail Display is currently under deployment in France and is the proof that an easier way of booking rail is needed by travel agents - and Amadeus is providing that solution.


This SoundService property determines whether or not Sound playback will replicate from the client to the server and onto other clients.
When RespectFilteringEnabled is set to false (default), sounds played by a client will replicate to the server and play for other clients.
When RespectFilteringEnabled is set to true, sound playback will not replicate from client-side scripts (LocalScript|LocalScripts).


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<TITLE>Review for Toy Story 2 (1999)</TITLE>
<LINK REL="STYLESHEET" TYPE="text/css" HREF="/ramr.css">

Toy Story 2 (1999)

reviewed by
Shay Casey

***1/2 out of ****

Year: 1999.
Starring the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer,
Don Rickles, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger, Annie Potts,
Wayne Knight.
Story by John Lasseter, Peter Docter, Ash Brannon, Andrew Stanton.
Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Rita Hsiao, Doug Chamberlain, Chris Webb.
Directed by John Lasseter.
Rated G.

Most sequels don't do what they're supposed to do like "Toy Story 2" does.
Far too many of them end up re-hashing the original and adding very little.
Is it any wonder that most sequels fail to live up to their predecessors?
Thankfully, "Toy Story 2" is a wonderful exception. I can't remember the
last time I saw a sequel as consistently fun and inventive as this one. It's
yet another sign that Pixar, the acclaimed animation studio behind "Toy
Story" and "A Bug's Life," is still at the top of its game.

Woody and Buzz are back in the sequel to the 1995 hit "Toy Story," and
things have changed a bit since the last one ended. Woody (voiced by Tom
Hanks) is preparing to leave with his owner Andy for cowboy camp. In his
absence, he has assigned Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), now comfortable in his
role as a toy, to take charge. Unfortunately, Woody's trip is ruined when he
is accidentally put into the family garage sale, and is stolen by an
over-zealous toy collector (Wayne Knight). Off to save him are Buzz and
members of the old "toy gang," including Mr. Potato Head (Don Rickles), Rex
the nervous dinosaur (Wallace Shawn), Hamm the piggy bank (John
Ratzenberger), and Slinky Dog (Jim Varney). While in captivity, Woody makes
a startling discovery: he is actually part of a collection of toys based on
a 1950's children's show entitled "Woody's Roundup." He meets the show's
other characters, which include Jesse (Joan Cusack), his cowgirl sidekick,
the wise old Prospector (Kelsey Grammer), and Bullseye, his trusty horse.
They have all been anxiously awaiting Woody's arrival, as once their set is
completed, they will be sold to a Japanese toy museum, and finally escape
storage forever. This means Woody now faces a difficult choice. With his
friends coming to rescue him, does he go with them and spend a few more
years with Andy, or does he go to Japan and be immortalized forever?

As in the original film, "Toy Story 2" contains first-rate animation, and
Pixar Studios has done a remarkable job improving on the impressive work
they did there. Reportedly, the film was originally slated for a
direct-to-video release, but after seeing the improvements that had been
made, Disney rightly decided to release it into theaters. The film is well
worth seeing on the big screen. The colors are bright, the textures sharp,
and even the human characters look more "human." The animation is
consistently seamless, with the action fast and furious and the facial
expressions believable. There are so many impressive sequences that I'd find
it impossible to list them here, but I was particularly wowed by a scene
where Buzz and his cohorts must get across a busy intersection to get to Al'
s Toy Barn, the store owned by Woody's captor. Pixar's rendition of the
family dog is also nicely done, with fur so realistic you almost feel you
could reach out and touch it.

The voice work is also perfectly complementary, and as with the first movie,
does much to help further character development. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen
again disappear into their roles as Woody and Buzz, making you forget who is
doing the voice. It was Woody and Buzz up there, not Tom and Tim. All the
cast members from the original reprise their roles, and each is excellent.
Several new voices have been added, with Joan Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, and
Wayne Knight doing fine work. "Toy Story 2" is strong in characterization,
and is able to expand on what we saw in the first movie. Woody faces
difficult choices, while Buzz is confronted with a new Buzz who hasn't yet
realized his status as a toy, forcing him to see what he used to be like.
The new characters are also developed quite well, especially Jesse, who
narrates a Sarah McLachlan-aided flashback illustrating how she was loved,
then forgotten by her owner. It may be computer-animated, and it may have
sappy music, but it's downright touching.

The script, despite having a story and screenplay each credited to four
different writers, is endlessly clever and inventive, especially considering
that it's a sequel. The reason "Toy Story 2" works where other movie sequels
fail is that it refuses to just capitalize on the original's success by
re-doing the same story and using the same characters. Not this one. We get
character change, new characters, and new issues brought up. "Toy Story 2"
is also remarkable for the way in which it keeps reinventing itself. There
is always another clever idea waiting just around the corner here. The humor
is sharp and witty, with something to amuse both kids and adults. There are
funny asides to films such as "Star Wars" and "Jurassic Park," among others,
new takes on classic toys like Barbie and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots, and
appearances from other Pixar efforts "A Bug's Life" and the 1997 short "Geri
's Game." (Geri himself makes an appearance as a toy repairman who fixes
Woody's broken arm.) The action is fast and furious, and the chases (in the
street, in a toy store, in an elevator, on a baggage carousel, and in an
airplane) keep getting bigger and better. "Toy Story 2" never grows
stagnant, because there is always something new to hold your interest. The
more you pay attention to it, the more rewarding it is.

It's rare to see a film like "Toy Story 2" come along, because it's the kind
of film that's almost impossible to dislike. It's created purely to
entertain, and though I enjoy a thought-provoking drama as much as the next
person, it's nice to see that films are still trying to do exactly what
movies first tried to do: send us out with a smile. It's a fair bet that the
whole family will have smiles on their collective faces after seeing "Toy
Story 2." It's the rare sequel that manages to expand on, and live up to,
the original.

-reviewed by Shay Casey

For more reviews, go to
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Land/4252/movies.html

The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).

The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
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belongs to the author.

Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.

Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.

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Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Luxury watch group confirms flotation plan
Watches of Switzerland Group has confirmed its intention to proceed with an initial public offering (IPO) to support its growth strategy. The luxury watch retail business, which expects to float in early June, has operations across the UK and in the US.
After revealing an IPO was under consideration earlier this month, parent company Jewel UK Midco intends to apply for admission of its shares to the premium listing segment of the Official List of the Financial Conduct Authority and to trading on the main market of the London Stock Exchange.
The final offer price will be determined following a book-building process. New shares will be issued by the company to raise gross proceeds of approximately £155m with certain existing stakeholders also set to sell shares. In addition, it is expected that up to a further 15 per cent of the offer will be made available in relation to an over-allotment option.
"I am very pleased to confirm our intention to float Watches of Switzerland Group on the London Stock Exchange," said chief executive Brian Duffy.
"Our transformation is complete, the group is now the UK's leading luxury watch retailer and has successfully entered the significant, but underdeveloped US market.
"I am very excited for what lies ahead and the opportunity to take our growth strategy to the public markets."
Watches of Switzerland Group believes that the offer will further support its growth plans by helping to reduce its current leverage and by enhancing its profile and brand recognition.
The move will also provide the group with a more permanent capital structure and access to a wider range of capital-raising options, while improving its ability to recruit, retain and incentivise key management and employees.
Watches of Switzerland has engaged Barclays Bank PLC, acting through its investment bank and Goldman Sachs International to act as joint global co-ordinators, joint bookrunners and joint sponsors, and BNP PARIBAS and Investec Bank plc to act as joint bookrunners.
NM Rothschild & Sons is acting as financial adviser to the company.
Watches of Switzerland Group sells luxury watches and jewellery through its Watches of Switzerland, Goldsmiths, Mayors and Mappin & Webb stores, mono-brand stores, together with a comprehensive e-commerce platform.
The group, which also has operations in the US, has long-standing relationships with luxury watch brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Audemars Piguet, and other key suppliers.
It has nationwide store network of 125 stores across the UK and at Heathrow Airport, alongside 21 stores in the US.
Automatic Watches Dominate the Luxury Market. What Are They?
LVMH Announces Inaugural Dubai Watch Exhibition For 2020
The 10 Most Expensive Wristwatches You Can Actually Buy


Many patients are unaware that ENT is actually a surgical sub-specialty. While many head and neck diseases can be treated medically, some require minimally invasive surgical procedures performed by our physicians right in our office. Other, more complex surgical cases, are performed by our physicians either in-office or, when necessary, a surgical facility. Our physicians are board certified to perform all aspects of surgical ENT on both pediatric and adult patients.


text:
Q: Why there's no "init" command in dotnet nuget? I have 2 NuGets on my Windows PC. One came with the .NET, the other one is manually downloaded.
The one that runs without dotnet has the init command, the other one has not.
What's up with that? Which version is the proper one? And what is the proper (and fastest) way to create a local repo with the versioned file system? I have loose packages in a directory. I use the downloaded nuget with the init command. I'm not sure if I'm doing it right.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Chronic Pancreatitis. ARUP Consult®. Retrieved February 01, 2023, https://arupconsult.com/content/pancreatitis-chronic
Chronic pancreatitis includes a number of progressive inflammatory diseases, such as calcifying, chronic obstructive, and steroid-responsive or autoimmune chronic pancreatitis, which lead to pancreatic damage. At its later stages, chronic pancreatitis can result in pancreatic exocrine and endocrine insufficiency and diabetes. Treatment does not stop disease progression; it serves only to relieve pain and address complications. The pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis is not fully understood, but episodes of acute pancreatitis are associated with the development of chronic pancreatitis. Alcohol use, smoking, and genetic factors also influence risk. Although late-stage chronic pancreatitis may be obvious, early-stage chronic pancreatitis presents a diagnostic challenge because pancreatic function may not yet be compromised, and the pancreas might appear normal on imaging. Definitive diagnosis requires a combination of diagnostic tools, such as clinical examination, imaging, endoscopic procedures, and laboratory tests of pancreatic function.
Quick Answers for Clinicians
How does chronic pancreatitis manifest clinically?
Patients with chronic pancreatitis commonly report episodes of acute pancreatitis or epigastric pain that spreads to the back. At later stages, they may present with abdominal pain, exocrine insufficiency (often manifesting as steatorrhea), and diabetes (due to endocrine insufficiency). Pain is observed in up to 85% of patients. It may be years before exocrine insufficiency and diabetes develop in patients with chronic pancreatitis.
How is pancreatic function testing used in chronic pancreatitis?
Indirect pancreatic function tests are typically used as part of chronic pancreatitis assessment. The fecal elastase-1 test is one of the primary tests used. Diarrheal specimens (watery stool) should be avoided for use in fecal elastase-1 testing because the enzyme in the sample will be diluted, potentially causing a false-positive test result. The 72-hour fecal fat, serum trypsin, lipase, and amylase tests may also be useful. In addition to indirect function tests, there are direct pancreatic function tests, but these are invasive tests that are neither widely available nor widely used. See Laboratory Testing. Imaging and/or endoscopic procedures are also important in the evaluation of suspected chronic pancreatitis and should be performed in conjunction with laboratory tests and clinical examination.
What are risk factors for chronic pancreatitis?
It was once thought that all patients with chronic pancreatitis were heavy alcohol users, but alcohol consumption is now understood as one risk factor among others, and accounts for only 44-65% of chronic pancreatitis cases. Smoking and alcohol use are both dose-dependent risk factors for chronic pancreatitis, but also work synergistically and together increase the risk of disease progression. Other risk factors for chronic pancreatitis include recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis, severe necrotizing acute pancreatitis, obesity, diabetes, and long-term ductal obstruction. However, many patients have idiopathic chronic pancreatitis with no clear cause.
Which genetic factors are associated with chronic pancreatitis, and when is genetic testing indicated?
A number of genetic variants are associated with chronic pancreatitis, including variants in CFTR, CTRC, PRSS1, SPINK1, CASR, PRSS2, and CLDN2. Specific genetic variants can also increase the risk of secondary pancreatic cancer in patients with chronic pancreatitis. Genetic testing is indicated when the goal is to identify the etiology of chronic pancreatitis and to determine familial risk of the disease. See Genetic Testing.
Indications for Testing
Laboratory testing for chronic pancreatitis can be used to evaluate pancreatic function in patients with suspected chronic pancreatitis, uncover the genetic cause of hereditary or idiopathic pancreatitis, and monitor patients with an established diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis to guide treatment and assess treatment response.
Diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis is difficult early in the disease course, and the laboratory tests used for chronic pancreatitis have limited sensitivity for early-stage disease. No single test can be used for diagnosis. Instead, a combination of clinical examination, functional testing, and imaging is typically needed to make a diagnosis. Risk factor classification systems for chronic pancreatitis, which account for laboratory and nonlaboratory factors, may help clinicians determine when to proceed with testing. The American Pancreatic Association (APA) recommends that indirect pancreatic function tests be used along with imaging to rule out cancer.
Pancreatic Function Tests
Indirect Pancreatic Function Tests
Indirect tests of pancreatic function are used to detect steatorrhea, to assess the extent of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency, and to assist in the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. The tests are discussed in more detail below.
Fecal Elastase-1
The fecal elastase-1 test is a primary test for chronic pancreatitis and measures fecal elastase-1, a pancreatic-specific enzyme and a marker of pancreatic exocrine function. Concentrations <200 µg/g suggest exocrine insufficiency, although levels can be falsely low in patients with diarrhea because the enzyme will be diluted in specimens. For that reason, watery stool samples should be avoided. The monoclonal assay is considered to be better standardized than the polyclonal assay.
Fecal Fat
A 72-hour fecal fat test, although difficult to perform and not widely available, can be useful in conjunction with other findings when performed appropriately and when small bowel bacterial overgrowth, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease have been ruled out. Values of ≥7 g fecal fat over 24 hours suggest pancreatic exocrine insufficiency.
Serum Trypsin
Serum trypsin levels can also be used to assess pancreatic function; levels <20 ng/mL suggest steatorrhea with a pancreatic etiology.
Serum Lipase and Amylase
Serum lipase and amylase are used to assess pancreatic inflammation in episodes of acute pancreatitis and will be markedly elevated in that context. Serum lipase increases within 4-8 hours of acute pancreatitis onset and remains elevated for 8-14 days; amylase is initially elevated but returns to normal in 48-72 hours. Lipase and amylase also have potential as markers of pancreatic function, and low levels may indicate pancreatic exocrine insufficiency associated with chronic pancreatitis.
Direct Pancreatic Function Tests
Direct pancreatic function tests are invasive tests that involve the use of hormones (secretin or cholecystokinin) to stimulate the pancreas; duodenal contents are then aspirated for measurement of pancreatic enzyme levels and bicarbonate concentrations. However, these tests are not widely available. Like indirect tests, direct pancreatic function tests have lower sensitivity for early chronic pancreatitis than for later-stage disease.
A number of genetic aberrations are associated with chronic pancreatitis, including variants in CFTR, CTRC, PRSS1, and SPINK1. Additional variants (eg, in CASR, PRSS2, and CLDN2), have also been linked to chronic pancreatitis. CFTR variants are causal for cystic fibrosis, a disease associated with chronic pancreatitis, and coinheritance of SPINK1 and CFTR increases the risk of chronic pancreatitis. The CLDN2 gene variant is associated with an increased risk for alcohol-related pancreatitis, whereas other variants (eg, in PRSS1) increase the risk of secondary pancreatic cancer. Genetic testing can be used to determine a genetic cause of chronic pancreatitis. Familial testing may be appropriate in the case of a known familial mutation. Panel tests have been developed for multiple pancreatitis-associated genetic variants. Refer to the Idiopathic and Hereditary Pancreatitis Test Fact Sheet for additional information.
Nutrient Absorption
Maldigestion in chronic pancreatitis can interfere with nutrient absorption, so in patients with an established diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis, baseline concentrations of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) should be determined, and bone density should be assessed. Continued monitoring of fat-soluble vitamin levels (along with vitamin supplementation) is recommended in patients with pancreatic exocrine insufficiency who are undergoing treatment with pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT).
Therapeutic Response
Fecal chymotrypsin and 72-hour fecal fat tests can be useful for therapeutic monitoring of patients receiving PERT. Some fecal elastase-1 tests use a monoclonal antibody that is specific for human elastase and will not cross-react with porcine enzymatic supplements used for PERT. For that reason, the fecal chymotrypsin test is preferred for therapeutic monitoring. Fasting hemoglobin A1c or glucose tolerance tests should be performed annually in patients with chronic pancreatitis to monitor for diabetes, which can result from pancreatic endocrine insufficiency.
Patients with chronic pancreatitis are at greater risk for pancreatic cancer. Weight loss, lingering abdominal pain, and functional decline should prompt further assessment for malignancy using imaging and cancer antigen (CA) 19-9 testing, for example. Patients with groove pancreatitis (pancreatitis that encompasses the pancreatic head, duodenum, and pancreaticoduodenal groove) may have increased CA 19-9 concentrations as a result of acute inflammation or biliary blockage. These patients may require further procedures, such as surgical resection, to rule out pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
ARUP Laboratory Tests
Use to test for exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Pancreatic Elastase, Fecal by Immunoassay 3002858
Quantitative Chemiluminescent Immunoassay
May be useful for establishing a diagnosis of pancreatic disease
Fat, Fecal Quantitative 72-Hour Collection (Includes Homogenization) 2002356
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
May be useful to assess pancreatic function; lipase and amylase likely elevated in acute pancreatitis
Lipase, Serum or Plasma 0020014
Quantitative Enzymatic Assay
Amylase, Serum or Plasma 0020013
May be useful to monitor pancreatic enzyme therapy
Chymotrypsin, Fecal 2005160
Quantitative Enzymatic Assay/Spectrophotometry
Preferred test for individuals with history of idiopathic pancreatitis
For additional test information, refer to the Idiopathic and Hereditary Pancreatitis Test Fact Sheet
Pancreatitis Panel (CFTR, CTRC, PRSS1, SPINK1), Sequencing 3004788
Massively Parallel Sequencing/Sequencing
May be used to test for variants causative for mild cystic fibrosis in individuals with chronic pancreatitis
Cystic Fibrosis (CFTR) Sequencing and Deletion/Duplication 3004745
Majumder S, Chari ST. Chronic pancreatitis. Lancet. 2016;387(10031):1957-1966.
Conwell DL, Lee LS, Yadav D, et al. American Pancreatic Association practice guidelines in chronic pancreatitis: evidence-based report on diagnostic guidelines. Pancreas. 2014;43(8):1143-1162.
Gupte A, Goede D, Tuite R, et al. Chronic pancreatitis. BMJ. 2018;361:k2126.
Leeds JS, Oppong K, Sanders DS. The role of fecal elastase-1 in detecting exocrine pancreatic disease. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011;8(7):405-415.
Anaizi A, Hart PA, Conwell DL. Diagnosing chronic pancreatitis. Dig Dis Sci. 2017;62(7):1713-1720.
Capurso G, Traini M, Piciucchi M, et al. Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency: prevalence, diagnosis, and management. Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2019;12:129-139.
Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods
McPherson RA, Pincus MR, eds. Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods. 23rd ed. Elsevier; 2017.
Löhr M, Dominguez-Munoz E, Rosendahl J, et al. United European Gastroenterology evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of chronic pancreatitis (HaPanEU). United European Gastroenterol J. 2017;5(2):153-199.
Sheth SG, Conwell DL, Whitcomb DC, et al. Academic Pancreas Centers of Excellence: guidance from a multidisciplinary chronic pancreatitis working group at PancreasFest. Pancreatology. 2017;17(3):419-430.
Whitcomb DC, Shimosegawa T, Chari ST, et al. International consensus statements on early chronic pancreatitis. Recommendations from the Working Group for the International Consensus Guidelines for Chronic Pancreatitis in collaboration with The International Association of Pancreatology, American. Pancreatic Association, Japan Pancreas Society, PancreasFest Working Group and European Pancreatic Club. Pancreatology. 2018.
Related Information From ARUP Laboratories
Topics From ARUP Consult
Alcohol Use Biomarkers
Autoimmune Pancreatitis
Test Fact Sheets From ARUP Consult
Pancreatitis Panel
Educational Videos From ARUP Laboratories
Acute and Chronic Pancreatitis
Medical Experts
Lisa M. Johnson, PhD, DABCC
Assistant Professor of Pathology (Clinical), University of Utah
Medical Director, Clinical Chemistry, ARUP Laboratories
Rong Mao, MD, FACMG
Professor of Pathology (Clinical), and Co-Director of Laboratory Genetics and Genomics Fellowship, University of Utah
Medical Director, Molecular Genetics and Genomics, ARUP Laboratories
Last Update: October 2022 Content Review: June 2020


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Protecting Your Payroll Team From Consequences of Noncompliance
By Anne Clifford
On the scale of payroll complexity, the United States sits slightly higher than the global average. According to the Global Payroll Complexity Index (GPCI), published in late 2017 by NGA Human Resources, the challenge of managing payroll processes across the United States has decreased in the three years since the publication of the previous study.
We know that this is not necessarily the case though, and you may agree. So why does the GPCI state otherwise?
This is because a very high percentage of payroll professionals who responded to the study in the United States have been relieved of the burden of administering payroll and the complexity of reporting on it. Instead, all or part of the process is being managed as a service by payroll professionals; outsourced teams whose only responsibility is to ensure that payroll is processed on time, accurately, and within the bounds of tax and workforce legislation. The result is that the payroll complexity for participants of the study is removed, but not from the entire payroll process.
The 2017 GPCI examines the period May 2014 through May 2017 and reports the opinions of nearly 3,000 payroll professionals, including their experiences with changes in payroll complexity. It was presented to the payroll industry via a series of webinars in the United States with our partner, the American Payroll Association (APA).
During these sessions, polls were run to establish a real-time opinion. Across all regions, "Payroll, HR and Regulatory Updates" were stated as being the greatest challenge for teams processing payroll. In the United States, this was the opinion of 67%, followed closely by "Reporting and Analytics." Both are essential to ensuring compliance.
How Do You Rank Payroll Complexity?
The GPCI measures all the components in a country's payroll processes, from data parameters to legislation, and ranks them. Where a country's ranking is lower, it doesn't necessarily mean complexity is low but possibly that payroll legislation is more mature. While the overall difficulty remains the same, payroll professionals may be used to and familiar with frequently changing regulations.
Other countries, often with emerging economies where payroll legislation is being introduced or tightened, rank higher due to the newness of reporting and compliance. In several instances, these countries have no tax standardization and therefore can change even monthly, ensuring that no two payroll runs are ever the same.
Spotlight on North America
Managing payroll data and the payroll process is complex regardless of the country or countries you're administering, and each country is unique.
In the United States, the federal, state, and local jurisdictions have their own regulations and reporting requirements. Often, these change every year. As many jurisdictions move reporting deadlines forward, it increases the demand on payroll to stay in compliance.
Based on the study alone, the complexity score for payroll in the United States over the last three years has declined. A closer look reveals that rather than a lessening of payroll complexity, there has been a significant increase in the United States and Canada for managed payroll services.
Over the last three years, payroll teams in the United States have matured in their approach to outsourcing the administration of payroll to specialist payroll service providers to effectively remove the time, risk, and complexity of managing payroll from the business.
And so, while payroll complexity in the United States mostly remains the same, the impact on in-house payroll teams where complexity has been outsourced has lessened, hence the lower overall ranking on the GPCI and a lower risk profile for an increasing number of organizations.
Summary of Payroll Complexity in North America
Below is a brief summary of how payroll complexity in North America fares, according to the study:
U.S. complexity is at 5.78, one point lower than in 2014—likely the result of high-complexity processes being outsourced, not a reduction in complexity
Overall, the United States remains in the top 40% for complexity, with only Brazil ranking more complex in the Americas (11th)
Complexity remains "high" and "very high" for U.S. and Canadian payroll teams when it comes to "Managing Payroll Data" and the "Payroll Calculation Process"
67% highlight technical, HR, and payroll updates as the greatest complexity challenge
28% of enterprise organizations in North America plan to move employees into new regions (28% to U.K., 24% to Asia Pacific, 20% to South America)
Zero-tolerance for noncompliance is fast becoming a "secondary" business tax (see below)
Summary of Payroll Complexity in South America
South America's overall payroll complexity is slightly higher than average, with Brazil sitting at 11th in the overall complexity rankings. However, in South America, companies require the least number of data items to manage and remunerate a single employee, and the frequency of payroll runs is lowest.
The average number of potential legally required/taxable/fringe benefits is highest in this region. However, managing these benefits in terms of payroll is not particularly onerous.
Retro pay calculations are shown to be particularly complex. This may be because they perform the lowest number of retro-calculations across all regions. The task of calculating government-reported payrolls is also felt to be most arduous and complex in comparison to the private sector.
In several countries in South America including Argentina, there is no fixed pattern to tax changes and these can happen as often as monthly. Language-related payroll complexity also peaks in South America, with a relatively small number of languages believed to make a moderate impact upon payroll processing.
Zero Tolerance—Increases the Challenge
One of the major challenges for payroll professionals in the United States highlighted in the research stage of the GPCI is the move toward zero-tolerance for noncompliance. This has been referred to as a secondary method of taxation in place of increasing tax. Regardless, the impact of a breach on a business financially and in terms of its reputation can be huge, to the extent that it's possible its license to trade in the United States could be revoked.
And there is also the moral obligation to employees. An employer has a contractual obligation to not only pay employees on time, but accurately. Employees will show little tolerance for errors in their paychecks. The best talent is not going to opt for an employer with a bad employee engagement record.
This tightening should also be seen with a positive eye. Rather than adding pressure, it's helping organizations focus on compliance. While in the past some might have been willing to take the risk, with the very real chance of high penalties, organizations are taking complexity and the need to comply very seriously. It's likely a reason why we're seeing the growing trend for managed payroll services.
U.S. Payroll in 2017—Data and Salaries Share Importance
The overriding conclusion of the 2017 GPCI is that payroll is no longer simply the process of paying people.
Twenty-first century payroll is about data—the management, handling, control, and security of personal data in a landscape where tax, employment, and workplace legislation are ever more complex and noncompliance fines are being firmly administered. Get your payroll wrong or mismanage the personal data of your employees and the consequences for your business can be grave.
In parallel to this, the amount and depth of information that must now be managed, controlled, and reported is getting greater and more and more complex.
This change in payroll data dynamic is not unique to the United States. The GPCI and the parallel polls running during each of the five regional webinars presented similar findings, highlighting even greater challenges for teams managing multi-country payrolls.
Impact of the Global Economy
The ascent of cloud technologies combined with faster, cheaper transportation has meant that new economies continue to emerge and prosper. With this increased competition, many businesses have had to consider expanding as a competitive imperative.
Not every country expansion requires a full office presence, but it does require people on the ground who need to be paid. Some will be recruited locally. Others will be transferred, requiring relocation packages. All scenarios require processes, which generate data that must be managed, stored, and secured. This adds complexity, risk, and reporting to your payroll.
Big data, and the analysis of it, is another factor to have accelerated over the last three years. Payroll is the bedrock of HR data and this data is increasingly being used at the core of all major business decisions, making it far more valuable than any business intelligence you can buy.
It is a complete trail of past, present, and future opportunities or losses. It is compliant, clean, accurate, up-to-date, and essential to ongoing business success.
The regulators have also recognized the value of information held in your payroll process. It tells them a lot about modern business processes and possible new revenue opportunities to be raised from firms failing to comply.
Global Regulations and Control
Where it was once only necessary to monitor in-country for regulatory updates, increasingly we see more and more regional regulations and updates that impact payrolls in other countries. For example, Japan has rolled out a program similar to the U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act. And in Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) becomes active in May 2018, in addition to other regional regulations in discussion. In their own ways, these regulations impact countries where even a single file of data is held, requiring simple management of data records and reporting. One small error can potentially lead to one huge fine.
Cybercrime and Data Theft
The most profitable crime now is the theft and sale of personal data. The value of data has never been greater as a commodity. This has made the challenge to get hold of it even more pertinent to criminals. It is vital that all HR data be as secure as possible, with many organizations opting to remove this risk with a move to managed services.
Cloud HRIS on the Rise
Next-generation payroll in the United States needs to ensure that these compliance programs are clearly understood, that there are consistent controls, and that these are being operated locally, regionally, and globally.
The future of payroll is being built around the cloud. The technology advancements mean next-generation global HRIS are cloud solutions with unified, centrally stored global employee experiences. By the next iteration of the GPCI, we expect to have seen a significant reduction in local legacy systems.
The leading payroll providers are all investing in advanced cloud HRIS. These are agile, highly secure environments over which highly transparent multi-country payroll processes can be run.
To add an element of complexity, the integration between the HR, payroll, and related back-office systems must be of the highest caliber to eliminate risk. We're all very familiar with the segregation of duty in our transactions, but this must be extended to the data when you have files being shared between these clouds, an HRIS, and your payroll environment. This is leading to standards in our processes, which in turn will lead to more regulatory reporting.
Payroll Fit for the Future of Work
The overall conclusion of the GCPI is that payroll is complex. It is complex whether it is single-country, regional, or global. The only way to survive moving forward as an organization aspiring to elevate your business to the next level is to have the most robust payroll, processing, and control systems in place.
Where it was once a mechanical administrative function, payroll is now a highly complex and vital business process. It engages with every employee and it enables information to be triaged, analyzed, and shared within the organization.
Today, payroll is not just about administering paychecks; it's about understanding reporting requirements, the controls that are needed, and segregation of duty. All of these are competencies and skills that were previously not needed in a payroll position. It's vital to recognize the value of your payroll talent.
What's Next for U.S. Payroll Teams?
You need to start minimizing your risk. The only way you can do this is by ensuring controls are in place, that they are well-understood, and they are standard in all of your payroll processes, not just in the United States, but consistently across the globe.
Anne Clifford is Senior Director, Global Payroll Operations at NGA Human Resources, based in Granada, Spain. She has been an advisor and management consultant with more than 25 years of global, operational, transformation, and implementation experience in outsourcing, shared services, and product marketing strategies gained while in senior leadership positions with market-leading companies. Clifford's global experience includes working for U.S. companies, successfully doing business while expatriated and residing in Hong Kong, London, Panama, and the United States.