BBI Lime Spreaders are found in both our Fertilizer (MagnaSpread) and Litter (Endurance) lines. A Lime Spreader has requirements between the heavy dense, consistent fertilizer type products and the lighter, fluffier organic materials. The BBI recommended Lime Spreader package includes: Heavy Duty Conveyor Chain (88K), "Close Bar" Conveyor Chain (Bars Every Other Link), Inverted V, Heavy Duty Suspension, Self-Contained Hydraulic System, Tandem Rawson Gear Case, Poly Floor and Electronic Rate Controller. BBI Lime Spreaders are customized to spread a variety of materials including: Litter, Lime, Shavings, Compost, Humate, Humalfa, Wood Chips, Manure, Sand Organics, Mulch, Sand, Salt and any flow able material.
BBI Lime Spreaders are found throughout our Hydraulic Spreader lines. BBI Lime Spreaders deliver lime swaths of up to 50 to 60 feet. Call one of our certified dealers or Territory Sales Rep to find out which spreader is best for your use. For more information on BBI Lime Spreaders, contact BBI at 1-800-282-3570 or check out the Locate a Dealer link on the BBI web site. BBI is headquartered in Cornelia, GA and distributes throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and Asia.


Why become a Reseller Partner?
Our reseller programs offer your customers a plethora of high quality SSL certificates to secure their websites. Our team is extremely diligent and efficient when delivering their expertise – we'll help you create and develop a cohesive platform for your customers to order a range of certificates and manage them hassle free. Reselling SSL certificates are just one facet of the program – you also have the opportunity to resell our PenTest and domain services to your customers.
We also offer Our Application Programming Interface that will enable you to make the reselling process much easier, we developed a free and fully documented API which allows you to connect with your system to our system and create a smooth experience for your customers.
You buy the certificates – we'll do the heavy lifting. Our dedicated consultants will walk you through a step by step guideline to setting up your platform from the time of your purchase. You'll be speaking to the same person the entire time and you'll never have to suffer an options menu. Did we mention our phone support is a strict queue -free zone – no annoying automated messages – HOORAY!
As a business owner, we understand that your main objective is to increase your profit margins. With our reseller programs you can purchase as many certificates as you want and set the price you wish to sell to your customers – surplus sorted. Best of all, we're not as dear as other CAs on the market.
In addition to dedicated web consultant, our MySSL® portal is both powerful and simple to use – it makes management effortless. This is in stark contrast to a many of our competitors who still persist with outdated, old legacy systems that make your life unnecessarily difficult.
As we're partners with the most established of Certified Authorities you can be rest assured that you're selling high-quality products that your clients will trust.


Being a self-confessed geek of all things audio, it's no surprise that Mike Russell is the creator of Music Radio Creative and founder of the New Media Europe conference.
He's long had an interest in radio, so much so that as a child his parents installed an FM antennae on their home so he could receive a wider range of radio stations. This is where his interest was piqued.
Mike has worked in hospital, local and community radio, giving him a career where he has dipped a little into everything. His experiences of presenting, promoting and producing radio have since benefited him as his love for podcasting has grown.
With podcasting, you don't need a fancy studio full of fancy dials. In fact, these days you need very little technical know-how in order to have a podcasting success on your hands. And Mike Russell has some great tips to get your success started today.
Around 2004, Mike fancied giving voice over work a go, so he created a website and used it Paypal.
Amazed at receiving his first American customer, he noticed something. And in 2005, Music Radio Creation was set up. And for a long time he was only selling his own voice, before adding additional voicing talents.
By attending podcasting conferences, he built face-to-face relationships with podcasters, which as a result, earned him the chance to work with them.
Mike found that working from home was very different from the hustle of a radio station. However, even though it's something he much prefers, it took time to get used to.
When you're working from home, particularly for yourself, you have even more opportunities to procrastinate. You have to be your own boss and be disciplined. He tried many things to help, including downloading tools which block access to social media.
Of course, avoiding distractions is a challenge of wherever you work, but Mike has benefitted from scheduling his days, allowing him to balance everything he wants to do.
This is handy when he wants to be everywhere on new media. However, he aims for quality over quantity. Rather than targeting vanity metrics of having large numbers of followers, he'd much prefer a smaller audience with a higher rate of interaction.
When you want to produce and publish a podcast yourself, it hasn't got to be complicated. Sure, if you watch Mike's studio tours, you'll see he has microphones, mixing desks and a lot more besides.
Audio editing software. Audacity is a great free tool, but Mike uses Adobe Audition, as do many other podcasters.
And a hosting platform. Spreaker has free and paid plans available.
There is minimal technical know-how required, and it is always getting easier.
You are going to benefit from having your podcast in all the big directories. Different people download their podcasts from different places, so make sure you don't miss people out. These include iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud and Google Play.
They are where a majority of your audience will come from. And when you have your hosting platform set up, your podcast came appear on iTunes automatically without you doing anything.
Podcasts grow at the optimum rate when they're released every week. Of course other podcasts find that the best frequency is daily.
Although, a common problem with daily podcasts, is that listeners can quickly fall behind, and the task of catching up can be a daunting one. But the key to test what suits you and your audience.
What works for one podcast isn't going to work for another, so you are best off testing different frequencies to see which works.
And the same goes for how long a podcast episode should be. It's best to aim for a length of between 20 and 60 minutes. But shorter podcasts can work just as well, as can longer ones too.
Again, you should experiment, but ensure the podcasts are as long as they need to be. Cover you the information you need to, whilst remaining entertaining for listeners.
Anyone can have a podcast. You'd be surprised to see the hobbies and industries for which popular podcasts exist. After all, the knitting, yarn, and comedy podcast Shinybee is one of the most popular and has a dedicated community.
If there isn't a podcast for your niche, then there is definitely an opportunity waiting for you. But on the other hand, you shouldn't be put off if podcasts do already exist. In podcasting, you're not in direct competition, and what you'll find is that many people will subscribe to them all.
After all, your voice is unique to you.
YouTube is a medium which is consumed differently to podcasts, as content tends to require focused attention. Whereas, with a podcast, you can listen to it whilst literally doing almost anything. And Mike has been creating videos since 2009.
Both work in the same way, where people can subscribe to receive your latest updates. And both are great tools for driving people towards your main website or business.
However, you can't just put videos up and hope for the best. So Mike recommends having your social accounts connected. This allows you to utilize the following you have on other platforms.
Plus, YouTube decides how to rank you based on the good quality views a video gets in the first 24 hours. So ensure you're giving viewers what they want, which you can discover by seeing what other people are talking about in their videos, and questions which are commonly asked.
You can also use Google AdWords to help promote your channel and videos, which is especially handy for targeting people who have watched you videos before but not subscribed.
It's also important to use links to ensure your audience go to the right places afterward. Putting links in the description is handy, as is the use of cards in the video. You can also make the most of the new End Screen Cards, where you can have multiple links to other videos, your website, or to a product you discuss.
It's common to not want to produce videos where you show people who you produce the things they pay for. But in Mike's videos, he does show people how to do the things he does.
By doing this, you show you're the authority of your niche. Plus they help your audience to like, know and trust you. Don't think of it as revealing your secrets.
Sure, it is something viewers might try to do themselves. But they may just as easily discover it's not as easy as they thought and still pay you to do it for them.
And if people do copy you? Take it as a compliment. And if you've helped them, and especially saved them money, you'll be the first person they come to next time and you'll be highly recommended.
It's worth remembering that despite chefs going on TV showing people how to cook all their recipes, people still go to their restaurants to eat.
It is increasingly becoming harder to enter the market of podcasts and YouTube and to build up a big following; unless you do something absolutely mind-blowing.
But Mike sees that content will become a lot more about their quality and merit, rather than just keywords.
You still need to create content which is really interesting and based on your subject matter. So always try to be better than everyone else, and people will soon start to notice.
In 2013, Mike Russell set up a UK Podcaster Conference, which has since evolved into the New Media Europe Conference. It covers everything from podcasting, blogging, social media, online videos, and a lot more besides. So if this is something which interests you, then make sure you check it out so you're one of the first to know about the 2017 conference.
And if you're interested in audio, and need help creating jingles for podcasts, then also makes sure you visit Music Radio Creative.


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Day January 13, 2021
Watch Julien Baker's stop-motion video for new single 'Hardline'
In addition to the new track and video, Baker has also shared a new KEXP session, which sees...
Widespread Panic Shares 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien' Appearances
Widespread Panic made their Late Night With Conan O'Brien debut on April 6, 1995. The Athens-based band was...
Meet Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, captured in viral video facing down mob
For 85 tense seconds, Goodman tries to hold back dozens of rioters, twice retreating up a flight of...
Legends, Music
AC/DC Unveil Music Video for Power Up Track "Realize"
While the video looks fairly straightforward, it was a complicated process. The band members were each in a...
60's, Classic Country, Country Music, Legends, News
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
January 13, 1968 ~ Backed by June, Carl Perkins and The Tennessee Three, Johnny Cash performs at Folsom Prison...
70's rock, Americana, Country Music, Legends, Music
January 13, 1974 ~ Gram's critically acclaimed album is released 4 months after his death. There's a whole...
60's Rock, Classic Albums, Legends, Music
For the times, they are a changin' …
January 13, 1964 ~ Orpheus releases his third album, his — anthem for change. It is timeless.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


AFAP, established in 2012, with a grant of US $25 million from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)-the biggest grant given to a single recipient by AGRA so far – is ostensibly working towards ensuring that African smallholder farmers grow food and profits. However, according to a new report from the African Centre for Biosafety (ACB)—The African Fertiliser and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP): The missing link in Africa's Green Revolution—AFAP's main focus is the provision of credit guarantees to importers and distributors of fertilisers in Ghana, Mozambique and Tanzania.
"In essence, AFAP is using development funds, as well as money from the Ethiopian government—one of the least developed countries in the world — to subsidise multinational fertiliser companies such as Yara, which dominates the fertiliser trade in Africa. This also extends to large multinational banks such as the Standard Bank Group, Barclays and the Dutch firm Rabobank, who are queuing up to extend credit to Africa's small-scale farmers. Far from enabling African smallholder farmers to grow food and profits, this scam will trap small- scale farmers into a never ending cycle of debt and increasing poverty," said Gareth Jones, a researcher with the ACB.
AFAP's has also established agri-business partnerships with Louis Dreyfus Commodities, a grain-trading behemoth (with revenues of US$ 63.6 billion in one year alone, in 2013), and International Raw Materials Ltd (IRM), a US-based marketer and distributor of fertiliser, whose international footprint extends from Canada and the USA to Singapore and Australia.
The ACB report also points to AFAP's involvement in the Cocoa Fertiliser Initiative in Cote d'Ivoire, which includes Cargill, Nestle, Mars and Barry Callebaut, the world's largest chocolate maker. Cocoa production in West Africa is characterised by extremely volatile international prices, high levels of agro-chemical use, child trafficking and appalling working conditions.
Recent ACB fieldwork in Malawi found that small-scale farmers are using extremely high levels of fertiliser, on soils that are technically infertile, at great additional expense, but with very little material benefits. ACB's research report shows that the adoption of Green Revolution inputs by small scale-farmers has resulted in net transfers away from farming families to multinational agribusiness.


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Home > Legal insights > Unfair contract terms and the burden of knowledge…
Unfair contract terms and the burden of knowledge…
Victor Asoyo, Partner, Brisbane Shantal Evans, Partner, Brisbane Craig Green, Partner, Brisbane Liam Hennessy, Director, Brisbane
On 28 May 2020, the first case on unfair contract terms for bank contracts was handed down by the Federal Court of Australia in Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited [2020] FCA 716 (ASIC v Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited). The court found certain clauses in the contract's terms and conditions to be unfair within the meaning of section 12BG(1) of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) (ASIC Act) and declared them void from the outset. The impact this case has on lending institutions that may have similar (quite ubiquitous) clauses in their contracts (e.g. indemnities) cannot be underestimated.
Unfair contract terms have been the focus of regulators and industry bodies alike in recent years. In March 2018, ASIC released a report identifying the types of terms in standard contracts for consumers that could potentially raise concerns under the unfair contract terms law. This article outlines the elements of unfair contract terms provisions for business lending contracts, what we know from ASIC's guidance, what we know from the case of ASIC v Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited, and the implications for affected lenders who rely on these clauses.
UCT Regime for Business Contracts
Since 1 July 2010, ASIC has been able to deal with unfair terms in standard form consumer contracts for financial products and services, including credit products like home loans. From 12 November 2016, the unfair contract terms provisions applying to consumers under the Australian Consumer Law and the ASIC Act were extended to cover standard form 'small business' contracts e.g. business loans (UCT Regime).
Section 12BF provides that the UCT Regime applies to contracts for the supply of financial goods or services where:
a party to the contract is a 'small business' which employs fewer than 20 people; and
the 'upfront price payable' does not exceed $300 000, or $1 million if the contract is for more than 12 months.
Section 12BG provides that any terms in such contracts which meet the following criteria may be considered 'unfair' by a court:
the term would cause a 'significant imbalance' in the parties' rights and obligations arising under the contract;
the term is not reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the party that would benefit from its inclusion i.e. the bank; and
the term would cause financial or other detriment (e.g. delay) to a small business if it were to be applied or relied on.
In deciding whether a term is unfair, a court must take into consideration the extent to which the term is transparent and the contract as a whole. Once found to be an unfair term, the court has the power to make various orders including declaring all or part of the contract void, varying the unfair terms, and refusing to enforce those terms. A term that is void would be treated as if it never existed while the contract remains intact in so far as to operate without it. In effect, parties to the contract would not be able to rely on a term that is declared unfair by a court.
What Could Constitute UCT
In ASIC v Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited, the court found that clauses which fell within the following categories were unfair:
Indemnity clauses – where the customer may be liable for the liability, loss or costs suffered or incurred by the Bank;
The customer must compensate the Bank if any liability is incurred in relation to circumstances which are, amongst other things, not of material risk to the Bank, not in the customer's control, and could have been mitigated by the Bank.
Event of default clauses – where the Bank can declare an event or circumstance as constituting the customer's default which would in turn allow the Bank to take certain actions e.g. cancelling the loan facility;
The Bank can call a default and subsequently take disproportionate actions such as cancelling the loan facility and making the outstanding sum payable immediately or on demand under the same unfair circumstances as above and does not permit the customer to remedy the default.
Unilateral variation and termination clauses – where the Bank can vary the upfront price and financial services supplied or terminate the contract; and
The Bank has a one-sided discretion to cancel or reduce the loan facility even though the customer is compliant with their loan repayments, and to impose a termination fee on the customer regardless of the reason for termination.
Conclusive evidence clauses – where the Bank's certificate is conclusive evidence of the amount owed unless the customer proves otherwise.
The Bank can place an evidential burden on the customer upon matters which the Bank is better positioned to provide evidence for.
In deciding whether a term is unfair in each of the categories mentioned above, the court mainly drew upon the following criteria:
whether the terms would cause a significant imbalance in parties' rights and obligations: s 12BG(1)(a);
whether the terms would cause detriment to a party if relied upon: s 12BG(1)(c); and
whether the terms were transparent: s 12BG(3).
The table we have prepared below explains in detail Justice Gleeson's reasoning in applying these criteria to the clauses in the categories listed above. (Any entities or individuals who use these types of clauses in their documentation may be well advised to study the table to consider if any of the clauses in their document fall within or may fall within these categories.)
In addition, the court found that each of the terms fell within the examples of unfair terms listed in section 12BH of the ASIC Act. The court also considered the contract as a whole in accordance to section 12BG(2)(c) of the ASIC Act and found that there was nothing in the contract which mitigated the unfairness caused by each of the terms.
The industry also has further guidance from ASIC, which has explained that in considering the transparency of a term, 'Terms hidden in the fine print, or terms that are phrased in legal or complex language, may not be transparent. However, a term that is transparent could still be unfair'. Concerning the assessment of the fairness of a term in the context of the contract as a whole, ASIC elaborated that, 'For example, a potentially unfair term may be counterbalanced if additional benefits are offered under the contract to the small business. This means that a term could be unfair in one contract but not unfair in another'.
Implications and Next Steps
It is important to note that the clauses were found to be unfair due to the particular way they were drafted, and not because they fell within a particular category e.g. they were an indemnity. The point to be taken away is that terms falling under these categories may now be under greater scrutiny and present a higher chance of being challenged. As a consequence, companies that have the above types of clauses in their contracts need to review them now.
ASIC Commissioner Sean Hughes addressed the urgency for banks to act in response to the outcome of the case. Mr Hughes said, 'ASIC is committed to protect small business owners of Australia from unfair terms in loan contracts, particularly where business borrowers are confronted with inflexible standard terms. Yesterday's judgment shows that ASIC will take the necessary steps to enforce the law'. He also warned that, 'Importantly, insurance firms should be preparing to extend these obligations in insurance contracts.'
For now, lenders who are lending to small businesses and are applicable to the UCT regime should review their contractual documentation to make sure that they are compliant. In turn, insurers will need to undertake the same process (and we are aware that many are already well on their way into this journey).
Our Banking & Finance and Regulatory teams have deep experience in this space and would be happy to assist you. Please reach out to your usual Gadens' contact if you would like any further information.
Table 1:
Case: Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited [2020] FCA 716
Legislation: Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth)
Impugned Clauses
Indemnification Clauses
Event of Default Clauses
Unilateral Variation and Termination Clauses
Conclusive Evidence Clauses
Significant Imbalance in Parties' Rights and Obligations:
s 12GB(1)(a)
the customer has no corresponding rights;
the circumstances in which the liability, loss or costs may be incurred are not within the customer's control (e.g. change in value of the property); and
the Bank controls at least some of the circumstances in which the liability, loss or costs may be incurred and are able to avoid or mitigate them.
the default consequences are severely disproportionate (e.g. the Bank can cancel the loan facility even if the customer is meeting all their obligations and making their repayments on time);
the clauses do not allow the customer to remedy a default;
the clauses create a default based on events that may not cause any credit risk to the Bank (e.g. where misleading or untrue information such as a director's date of birth is provided);
the clauses are written in vague and largely undefined circumstances; and
the clauses create an event of default where:
the customer makes an untrue or misleading statement which is insignificant (e.g. error as to a director's date of birth);
any part of a relevant document may become void or voidable (e.g. due to this litigation which is entirely within the Bank's control and not the customer); and
the Bank forms an opinion that something has happened – regardless of whether that opinion is incorrect / an opposite opinion is reasonable, and the customer is not entitled to rectify any matter on which the opinion is based.
the terms allow the Bank to unilaterally vary the financial services without giving a sufficient notice period to the customer;
the terms allow the Bank unilaterally to vary the contract to permit one party, but not the other, to vary the obligations at will;
some of the terms allow the Bank to terminate if the customer does not accept the new terms; and
the customer has no corresponding rights.
the term allows the Bank to impose, by the issuing of a certificate, an evidential burden on the customer about matters upon which the Bank is best placed to provide primary evidence;
the Bank has no additional duty;
the customer has no corresponding right; and
the customer cannot contest the amount stated in the certificate unless the customer can demonstrate a 'manifest error'.
Detriment:
s 12GB(1)(c)
the liability, loss or costs that may be incurred:
are not within the customer's control;
may not have been caused by the customer; and
may have been caused by the Bank's or its agent's mistake, error or negligence, and could have been avoided or mitigated by them.
the Bank can cancel the loan facility and make the outstanding sum payable immediately or on demand;
the customer would be liable for all costs including an unspecified amount of break costs;
there is no right of set-off for the customer but there is for the Bank; and
the customer has no rights to remedy the default.
[61] Termination clauses:
the amount of funds available to the customer could be reduced; and
the customer must pay unspecified fees and break costs if they terminate the facility as a result of the Bank relying on one of these terms.
Variation clauses:
if the customer accepts the change, it will incur higher fees and charges;
if the customer does not accept the change or fails to provide the additional security requested, the facility may be terminated and the customer must pay the outstanding sum within 30 days of the Bank's original request; and
unspecified fees and break costs may be payable by the customer.
requires the customer to disprove matters upon which the Bank is best placed to provide primary evidence; and
would cause detriment if relied upon in circumstances where the certificate is incorrect but the customer could not or did not seek to disprove it.
s 12GB(3)
does not express the breadth of the borrower's obligation in reasonably plain terms (e.g. the phrase "legal expenses on a full indemnity basis" is not reasonably plain);
sets out a multiplicity of cross-references (e.g. a term would refer to 35 definitions – some of which further refers to other definitions); and
sets out examples 'without limitation' which does not clearly state the scope of the borrower's obligations.
[54] N/A
Found to be Transparent
usage of complex defined terms (e.g. the term 'Periodic Review' or 'Periodic Revaluation' without any apparent 'periodic' aspect);
unclear if there is any limitation on the Bank's power to act 'by notice to the Borrower';
some cancellation clauses are listed under a title which does not indicate that they involve cancellation of the facility (e.g. the clauses' title 'Use of Facility'); and
the comprehensive nature of the changes that are permitted by the terms is not indicated in the headings (e.g. the clauses' heading 'Change to Terms' / 'Changes').
[72] [73]
the phrase 'determination of any amount … is conclusive in the absence of manifest error' lacks transparency because of its legal language.
Craig Green, Partner
Shantal Evans, Partner
Victor Asoyo, Partner
Liam Hennessy, Director
The authors would like to thank Jenn Loh for her assistance and research in preparing this article.
Victor Asoyo
Partner, Brisbane
victor.asoyo@gadens.com
Shantal Evans
shantal.evans@gadens.com
craig.green@gadens.com
Liam Hennessy
Director, Brisbane
liam.hennessy@gadens.com


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US demands African countries avoid buying Russian weapons, says Foreign Ministry
Russia expands military ties with Africa relying on its national interests, according to the Russian diplomatic agency
Russian Foreign Ministry
© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASS
MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. Washington frequently threatens African countries with sanctions demanding they should avoid purchasing Russian military hardware, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Thursday.
Russia calls for lifting Western sanctions against Zimbabwe, says minister
"We have seen attempts by a number of Western countries, in the first place, the United States, to enhance their presence in Africa. In particular, they have been exerting major and persistent efforts with the aim to persuade some African countries, which are our long-standing allies, to give up purchases of Russian products, in the first place, military hardware," the Foreign Ministry said.
Quite often the United States goes much further than persuasion to threaten African countries with sanctions. "Our African partners firmly resist this crude blackmail. They state quite fairly that the supplies of Russian military equipment are a prerequisite for maintaining their national security and sovereignty, so they have no intention to give up cooperation with us in this field," the Foreign Ministry said.
Russia's motivation behind expanding military ties with Africa
The expansion of Russia's military and military-technical cooperation with African countries stems, first and foremost, from its national interests on the continent, the Russian Foreign Ministry told TASS on Thursday.
"Expanding military and military-technical cooperation with African countries, Russia is guided primarily by its national interests in the region and the principles of mutually beneficial cooperation. The fact that our African friends themselves show a growing interest in stepping up military cooperation with our country contributes to its [the partnership's] steady development," the ministry stressed.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia has no hidden agenda in Africa. Moscow has traditionally opposed interference in the affairs of sovereign nations, "especially those with a difficult domestic situation." "[Russia] actively promotes the achievement of a political settlement in conflict zones, relying on the will and desire of the African countries themselves. We have consistently supported the African Union's slogan 'African solutions to African problems'," the ministry noted.
It emphasized that the issue of Russia's involvement in peacekeeping activities in Africa was of particular importance, as most peacekeeping operations have been taking place on that continent. "At present, Russian military observers and police take part in peacekeeping missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Western Sahara and South Sudan," the Foreign Ministry recalled. "We believe it would be useful to expand the representation of our specialists in the UN peacekeeping operations."
Military operation in Ukraine
NATO escalating arms race to continue geopolitical standoff with Russia — lawmaker
Leonid Slutsky added that the West is sending "competing and quite demonstrative signals"


The British actor who is most remembered as Superman, will be playing the leading role in the tv series produced by Netflix.
Henry Cavill, a 35 years old British actor, was announced to play Geralt from Rivia – the iconic protagonist of "The Witcher", series of books by Andrzej Sapkowski.
Among the actors, whose name was flying around this already heated show were Mads Mikkelsen and even Brad Pitt. The choice of Cavill was rather unexpected.
Apparently, Cavill was pursuing the role for quite some time. He is a fan of the series, which can only be a good sign. At least he will put his heart into the project, right?
What can we expect from "The Witcher"?
Netflix has already announced that the first season of "The Witcher" will include 8 episodes. The series will be a a kind of prequel to what's happening in Andrzej Sapkowski's books. The Polish author is also hired as the script consultant.
It might come as a surprise that the story will be more book-oriented than game-oriented. However, with Sapkowski on board, I have no fear that the "substance" will be of highest quality. As he commented during one of the interviews, his role on set of "The Witcher" is to make sure that we won't hear any song by Ed Sheeran in the series. I feel relieved.
With Cavill being officially introduced, we are still waiting for more names to fill the void.


Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina during Jim Crow, Cynthia is baffled by why Black people get to ride in the "best part" of the bus, the back of the bus with the great view out the rear window. She plays with a young boy named Sammy when his mother comes to help Cynthia's mother with the ironing. Cynthia doesn't understand when her mother tells her that Sammy is dead and that he died because he couldn't get to a "colored hospital" in time. When she was 12, Cynthia's mother takes her to an integrated church service in Winston Salem. Cynthia is able to sense the danger but her heart feels full and happy to be in this circle of women.
How did white children in the Jim Crow South learn to treat people unfairly? As a young child what were Cynthia's parents teaching her?
When were you first aware of color? When did you first become aware of injustice? How did you learn who was supposed to be "superior" and who was "inferior"?
Are transportation and health systems free of discrimination today?
Why are churches and other places of worship still so segregated today?
And a man overheard my conversation and he said, "Ma'am, I'll take her to the back of the bus if you want me to." So, I took his hand. I went to the back of the bus. He helped me stand up on the seat so I could look out the wide window and look at all the cars and the people and everything. Ah! He prevented me from falling down when the bus lurched and I was happy. But I kept that memory of who got to sit where and why did it happen.
And I knew my mom didn't agree with it but she didn't say anything straight out to me either. Now when I got a little bit older, six years old, I went to school. But before you go to school you have to go get new dresses. So, I got six brand new dresses that I twirled around in one evening. And then after the dresses, the health department. I had to go get typhoid shots and I was not happy about that. However, we had to sit a long time in that health department on these wooden benches. And on this side, there were two water fountains. One said colored, one said white. There were two women's restrooms. One said colored. One said white.
I said, "Mama, if I drink from the colored one, am I going to turn colored?" I just wanted to do things right, you know, but I never forgot that memory of thinking this is really not right and it's not… it's not the way I think things should be. Just a little girl but I was confused.
Now I… also around that time, had… my mom had a maid. Her name was Laura Ruth. Laura Ruth came to iron for my mama and to babysit for me when Mama couldn't stand it anymore, which I expect was fairly regular. I don't know, I was a pretty active kid. Now I didn't like Laura Ruth because she was very strict and she would yell at me sometimes but I did love her boy. His name was Sammy. Me and Sammy used to get behind the bushes next to the house where we had this little fort. And we would trade off Crockett… Davy Crockett hats, you know, the kind with a raccoon tail on 'em and we would sing that old song that we heard on TV every night.
And we had our pistols in our holsters and we were protecting the world from everything. I loved Sammy and every time he came with his mama, I was happy but there was one day he didn't come with his mama and I was still quite young. I think between five and six.
I really couldn't capture all that in my brain. I know I didn't take it in but I do remember listening to everything. And I know I heard my mama talking to my aunt Bet on the phone and she said, "Oh, Bet, if that child would've had a good doctor, he wouldn't have bled to death from getting his tonsils out." Now my mother would never have told me that but I know I overheard it and something in my heart went "crack" about it. I knew it was wrong and I knew it was because Sammy was black and he didn't get to have a good doctor.
Now I grew on up in the segregated South. I can remember lots of other strange feelings like if I saw a whole host of black boys walking toward me, I remember feeling nervous and wondering, "Why do I feel nervous? They're just people." But I was kind of going inside myself trying to figure all this out.
I was 12 years old when this incident occurred. Mama and I went up to Winston-Salem, North Carolina because my Aunt Sarah (we called her Sister), she had fixed it up so that the Presbyterian black women of the church and the Presbyterian white women of the church were going to hold a meeting in one of the biggest churches in Winston-Salem.
And Sister just sat while the worship service went on. I know there were prayers and songs and whatever but sister sang a solo; she had a high, high voice. It sounded like it could crack but it never did. And she sang the song from Ruth, "Entreat me not to leave thee nor to turn from following thee. Thy people will be my people. Thy God, my God." I always loved that song; I heard it more than once.
← Seriously…What Did You Call Me?!


I did my first marathon in 1989. I did run at school and stopped like a lot of people, then in my mid 20's I started running again. I had been living in London for about 3 years and had always kept fit by cycling around London, oblivious to the traffic. I would be petrified to cycle around London now. After a few months of running I decided to do a half marathon. I looked in the Runners World magazine and decided to enter the Watford Half-Marathon. I sent off for the application form, filled it in and sent it back with a cheque and stamped SAE so I could receive the results. Remember this was the 'back in day' where online entry didn't exist (not for me anyway). I did the half-marathon without any problems. Then of course the obvious next thing is to do was a marathon.
I entered the Stockholm Marathon via the same method as before. I must of only done about half a dozen runs until I did my longest which I think could of been as much as 15 miles!! The next day I had a sore knee which lasted about 6-7 weeks, more or less right up until the marathon. As the event came closer, I thought, I can't chicken out now, I've told everyone I'm doing it, accommodation is booked and my cousin had decided to do it as well. For some reason I decided to work in London even the night before. I flew out on the first flight out of Heathrow to Stockholm. I arrive, took a taxi to the park, where my cousin was waiting for me. He had flew from Monte Carlo for the marathon. I think the marathon started at 1pm in the afternoon. I would never do something so daft nowadays, what if the plane was late?
Anyway, the Stockholm Marathon started. It was amazing Bands, Massages, Drinks, Food all as you ran and a fantastic crowd. I can remember crossing lots of bridges and it seemed to be drizzling with rain for a lot of it. By 18 miles I was knackered and my knee was sore, so there was some walking.
Finally, I got to the Stadium at the end before the 5 hour cut off point. My cousin greeted me with "I thought you were never going to get here, I've been waiting for ages."We walked back to where we were staying. Our accommodation was a boat on the river. I was so, so, so tired. My cousin had to push me out to get something for dinner. We had a McDonalds. The next day we flew home. I was shattered and I thought "never again". I was not fit and it's not the way to run a marathon. Did I do another marathon?
Race Review Draycote Water 10km Race Series: Race 1; October, Race 2 November 2017 (This will be updated every month as results come in).
This is a great event. It is a series that runs every second Sunday of each month from October to March. It is located in Draycote Water, Warwickshire., which has a large lake and the course goes around the lake. If you live in the Midlands I recommend this series, as it's a pretty course and it's a longer distance from most other race series. If you are doing a spring marathon then, free parkruns, this series, 1-2 Half-Marathons and a 20 mile Race will set you up perfectly.
It was a windy but a dry day, so fairy good weather for running. Parking was really easy, and picking up numbers was easy too. We left our clothes in the car which was fine, although they had a bag drop too.
Although they advertise this course as easy, flat, I found it had some hills. It was pretty and traffic-free and encompasses a short run and back along the Farborough Dam followed by a lap of the reservoir, starting and finishing close to the country park.
Results: Race 2 Sunday 12th November 2017: Draycote Water 10km Series Race 2.
Looking for a new challenge? Ride Across America (RAAM) In a team or Solo.
Open to amateur and professional racers, in solo, 2-, 4- and 8-person relay teams, there is no other race in the world comparable to RAAM. The Race has become a global icon, having had over 35 countries represented. Not only has RAAM proved to be one of the most challenging races in the world, but has become a huge platform for racers to raise awareness and money for charities of their choice. in 1992 and quickly became the most popular and fastest growing segment of the race. Team sizes are 2, 4 and 8 persons.
There is no other Cycle event in the world like RAAM. There is no Race that combines the distance, terrain and weather. It challenges the team spirit from start to finish. It inspires everyone who has bee part of it. It is a test of strength, speed, endurance and camaraderie, the ideal combination of work and play.
USA's Shalane Flanagan, Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor, and Switzerland's Marcel Hug and Manuela Schär Win 2017 TCS New York City Marathon. 5th November 2017.
The 16-time national champion and Olympic silver medalist was visibly emotional as she approached the finish line.
This is a fantastic series of six races, each covering 5 miles. They take place on the first Sunday of each month. The event doesn't start until 11.00am, so it allows everyone time to have a "sleep in" and the ground and air to warm up since it takes place in the colder months. The Centurion Grand Prix is known for a fast course, lots of prizes, including all the raffle prizes (free to the runners) and a memento to all runners at the final race. Today, was a good day weather wise and the course was fast as always because it is flat and run on park path and trails. After we finished we walked back to have a lovely hot cup of tea and waited for the highlight of the day……how many of us are going to win something in the raffle. We watched the prize giving was first, 1st, 2nd, 3rd overall and 1st, 2nd, 3rd in the V40 Vets this week. The prizes are always money. In the raffle, the numbers kept being called out and people kept collecting wine, more wine, more wine, memento 's, nope no win for us today. Maybe next month.
Worksop Half Marathon is my local event with the start being only a mile from home , always well supported on fully closed roads which also runs through the scenic Clumber Park , many of the runners turn up in Halloween costumes , this years race was run in ideal running weather and I managed to knock 7 Mins off my course PB 😀 , excellent medal And T shirt also makes this a must for your race calendar .
If you go down to the woods today don't be surprised to see about 3000 runners, many of them dressed for Halloween, tackling 13.1 beautiful but undulating miles. Worksop half marathon is a road race but it takes you through the picturesque Clumber Park. There were plenty of PB's achieved – maybe this was due to runners being chased by ghosts & ghouls, witches and evil spirits? Even Jason's from Friday 13th put in an appearance (photo above). You'd have to be fast to beat him to the line though, he finished the run in 1:41! A lovely morning out, chilly but dry & fairly light winds. This run is a lot of fun & worth doing just to see the fancy dress.
To see a video event tap link below.
It was the 35th time this famous marathon has been run. It's been voted the best marathon in the U.K., for more than a few times. Although I didn't run this year, when I did it, it was the most interesting, wild, beautiful and challenging Marathon I have ever done. To most runners it's not one for worrying about going fast or getting a P.B., it's about a great experience.
This year Bath AC runner Daniel Jones returned to Llanberis to take the men's title in 2.36.54 whilst Northampton athlete Hayley Munn produced a stunning performance in the women's race in 2.57.34, taking over six minutes off the course record.
The Marathon basically has three big hills: Hill 1 – long and steep for miles to Pen y Pass which you can chug up, you can see that hill in the photo above. You then turn off onto a trail road/track and it's a steep downhill for miles. Hill 2 – is a steady climb, on the road for miles then it's the last hill, Hill 3 – at around mile 21. It does'nt last long but it's so, so steep everyone around me was walking. Finally, the hill ends but it is very, very, muddy, and steep downhill which also frustratingly prevents you running in some places. You then turn of the track and come into the town into the finish line to the rapturous applause of the huge crowd on the Llanberis high street. We got a Snowdonia Marathon Slate Coaster and a Cotton T shirt at the end.
My husband and I are the worst parents: Running the ING Amsterdam Marathon with young children.
Nine years ago my husband and I ran the ING Amsterdam Marathon when our children were young. Here's that story………………..
For 12 years while my children were young I didn't run. I didn't do that much exercise except walking the kids to school and a little bit at the gym. So when my oldest was 12 years old I said to my husband "I'd like to run another marathon". I'd run two marathons in my mid twenties and had obviously forgotten how hard it was and that you do need to train, although the longest run for those was only 13 miles.
Anyway, I worked up to jogging to an hour on the treadmill and my husband ran with me outside. We built it up to an 11 mile run and then entered The Leek Half Marathon. I had no idea it was hilly, my god those hills. We must be the worst parents in the world because we just left the kids at the playground at the start with their Gameboys and off we went. They were 11 & 13 years old but I worried about them the whole time.
I think we did a few more 11-16 miles runs and then it was time for ING Amsterdam Marathon. We walked to exhaustion on the Saturday, not a good idea. Again, we were the worst parents ever. We left our kids in the Amsterdam Stadium with their Gameboys, sweets, biscuits, etc. They were there for over 3 hours before my husband came in. I worried about them the whole time again. We both finished in a bit of a state, my husband toe was sliced open from fairly new shoes and I obviously hadn't done enough training. Still we got to the airport and flew out and got the kids to bed at 2am, 4 hours sleep before school. Poor kids.


Udsigt fra værelse. Ingen kik til vandet.
gondolas right outside the hotel, and this is the view!
How far is it to St Marcs square is it an easy walk?
What is the best way to getto your hotel from the Airport Marco Polo? We cant speak/ understand Italian. Which 4star hotel close to San Marco can be recommended? The travel agent Booked Ca' Piuli...reviews about this hotel very negative...any suggestions?
What is the best way to get to your hotel from the Airport Marco Polo. Is the Alilaguna ferry stopping at San Zaccarini with a short walk to the hotel a good plan. Regards P. Harris ?
My husband and I stayed in a standard room with one European style Queen. The floor space was small for two people. We were in an annex on the ground floor. Perhaps the rooms are bigger in the main hotel. I would gamble and take the quad room.
"Demandez les chambres (502, 503, 504, 505 et 506)"
"c'est bien informe dans quelle Hôtel car il y as deux une super mais que 4 chambre et l autre inferieure avec 28 chambres. Les Photos sur Internet correspond pas a la réalité"
"Essayer d'obtenir une chambre avec vue sur le petit canal."


text:
Who Is Your Game Designed For?
Cannibal Halfling Gaming
Role-playing games are a complicated medium. The act of reading a game is not the same as the act of playing it, which is not the same as the act of running it. This was not in fact acknowledged in the first role-playing game, Dungeons and Dragons; almost nobody understood how to play after reading, and the designers were pretty much just hoping that wargamers would buy their standalone rules rather than doing anything in particular to make it so. As such, for decades, enthusiastic role-players have grabbed their books, put their heads together, and puzzled it out.
The market of enthusiastic role-players is saturated. More and more games are coming out and fewer and fewer of them are gaining the sort of traction which actually pays their designers. The centerpiece to this is the explosion of Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition, which grew significantly faster and larger than any…
Tagged as: Community, Game Play
Boss Rush Banter: What Games Do You Want to See as a TV Show?


text:
March 2 (Friday)
"Thinking Money" — A traveling exhibition, designed to teach tweens, teens and the adults in their lives about money management in a way that is not only understandable, but fun, through March 15, Bentonville Public Library. Free. bentonvillelibrary.org.
Homeschool Friday Fun — "How do HUE do?", 2-3:30 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum. $45 for sessions March 2, 9 & 16. 657-2335.
APT Season Announcement Party — With entertainment & food, 6 p.m., Arkansas Public Theatre at the Victory in downtown Rogers. $10. 631-8988.
Tibetan Film Festival — 6:30 p.m. March 2-6:15 p.m. March 3, Circle Square (formerly Matt Miller Studio), 21 W. Mountain St. in Fayetteville. Free. Email tofukim@yahoo.com.
"Rent" — The 20th anniversary tour of Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking musical, 8 p.m. March 2, 2 & 8 p.m. March 3, 2 & 7:20 p.m. March 4, Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. $36 & up. 443-5600.
March 3 (Saturday)
Birds & Breakfast — With the Wildlife Society of the University of Arkansas, 9-10:30 a.m., Hobbs State Park near Rogers. Free. 789-5000.
Aldo Leopold Day — With hikes, tabletop exhibits, natural journaling & more, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Hobbs State Park near Rogers. Free. 789-5000.
Orchids in the Garden — An orchid show and sale, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. Hosted by Orchid Society of the Ozarks. 619-4310.
Super Saturday — With a SoNA trio, 10:30 a.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
Tellers of Tales — A storytelling group, 10:30 a.m., Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in downtown Springdale. 750-8165 or shilohmuseum.org.
Free for All — Clay master demos, 11 a.m.-noon, Community Creative Center at the Nadine Baum Studios in Fayetteville. Free. Age 16 & up. Register at 571-2706 or communitycreativecenter.org.
"Iron-Jawed Angels" — A 2004 HBO film about the American women's suffrage movement in the 1910s, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale. Sponsored by Fayetteville Business and Professional Women. Free. 750-8165 or shilohmuseum.org.
Cane Hill Kite Festival — Noon-5 p.m., Springfield Ranch in downtown Cane Hill. Free to watch; $1-$2 to fly. 824-8109.
Drop-In Artmaking — 1-4 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville. Free. 657-2335.
Crystal Bridges Presents — Authors Abiodun Oyewole and Lisa Corrigan, 2 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
Family Story Time — 2 p.m., Bentonville Public Library. Free. 271-6816.
Snow White and Other Dances — With Western Arkansas Ballet, 2:30 & 7:30 p.m., ArcBest Corp. Performing Arts Center in Fort Smith. $15-$25. waballet.org.
"Joanne Martin: A Life in Miniature" — A film by Stephanie Lewis and filmmaking partner Eris, 5:30 p.m., Ozark Folkways in Winslow. Free; donations welcome. Email ozarkfolkwaysinfo@gmail.com.
"The Magic of Music" — An Arkansas Winds community concert, 7 p.m., Farmington Performing Arts Center. Free. Email clkaise@sbcglobal.net.
Local Color Radio Hour — A live show and podcast with music, storytelling & more, 7 p.m., Fort Smith Museum of History. $2. Email differentkjones@yahoo.com.
The Steeldrivers — Winner of the Grammy for best bluegrass album in 2016 for "The Muscle Shoals Recordings," 7:30 p.m., Faulkner Performing Arts Center at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. $15-$25. 575-5387.
March 4 (Sunday)
Orchids in the Garden — An orchid show and sale, noon-4 p.m., Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville. Hosted by Orchid Society of the Ozarks. 619-4310.
Book Talk — With Doug Godsman, author of "Highland Justice," a novel of immigration, mayhem and murder, 2-4 p.m., Artist Retreat Center in Bella Vista. A book signing will follow. Email Scotarkie2010@gmail.com.
Trail of Tears — With Laura Jennings of Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park speaking at the annual meeting of the Bella Vista Historical Society, 2 p.m., Bella Vista Historical Museum. Email jxlucas@cox.net.
Soup Sunday — A benefit for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, 4-7 p.m., John Q. Hammons Convention Center in Rogers. $10-$25. 927-9800.
March 5 (Monday)
LifeWriters — A group for people interested in writing the stories of their own lives or those of family and friends, 10 a.m., Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in downtown Springdale. June Jefferson at 790-2588 or shilohmuseum.org.
"Whose Streets" — A screening followed by a panel discussion on activism with Payton Head, 6 p.m., Gearhart Hall auditorium at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Free. RSVP at 575-7678.
Booktalk @ Night — "Walden on Wheels" by Ken Ilgunas, 6:30 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
March 6 (Tuesday)
Spring Arts & Culture Festival — Centered around the theme "Labor," with live performances, talks, interactive projects, film screenings, panel discussions & more, through March 7, Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville. Email lhutton2@nwacc.edu or mevans8@nwacc.edu.
Honors College Invites Series — With Mizzou activist Payton Head, 6 p.m., Gearhart Hall auditorium on the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville. Free. RSVP at 575-7678.
Books & Brews: Mall Avenue — "The Intuitionist" by Colson Whitehead, 6 p.m., Core Brewing Company at 3671 N. Mall Ave. in Fayetteville. Hosted by the Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
"Little Stones" — An award-winning documentary that weaves together the lives of four women around the world who use art to bring attention to domestic violence, sex trafficking, extreme poverty and female genital mutilation, 6 p.m., Windgate Art & Design at the University of Arkansas in Fort Smith. Free. 414-9117.
March 7 (Wednesday)
March 8 (Thursday)
Crimes & Clues Book Club — "The Strivers' Row Spy" by Jason Overstreet, 9:30 a.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
Art on the Bricks — A monthly art walk with 20-plus pop-up galleries, 4:30-7:30 p.m., historic downtown Rogers. Free. godowntownrogers.com.
Artinfusion Insight — "A Conversation on the Power of Lyrics" with spoken word artist Malcolm London, 6 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum. Free for Artinfusion members. Register at 657-2335.
"Sense and Sensibility" — The Jane Austen classic brought to life by Aquila Theatre Co., 7 p.m., Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. $10. 443-5600.
Distinguished Lecture Series — With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 7 p.m., Bud Walton Arena at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Free. 575-3583.
Date Night — "Ghost" pottery wheel, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Community Creative Center at the Nadine Baum Studios in Fayetteville. $80. Age 16 & up. Register at 571-2706 or communitycreativecenter.org.
Spotlight Talk — "Beholding the American Nude: Painting vs. Sculpture" with Lynne Ambrosini, chief curator at the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, 7 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. Register at 657-2335.
"Driving Miss Daisy" — With Vickie Hilliard, Ralph Sweatte & Billy Bryant, directed by Evan Crawford, 7:30 p.m. March 9-10; 3 p.m. March 11; again March 16-18, Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale. $10-$20. 751-5441.
Dublin Guitar Quartet — An Irish guitar quartet that specializes in the performance of contemporary classical music, 8 p.m., Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. $10. 443-5600.
March 10 (Saturday)
Walks Through History — 11 a.m., Mount Nord Historic District in Fayetteville. Meet at the corner of Mount Nord and Mock. Free. 501-324-9880.
Gallery Conversation — With Raven Cook talking about "Blackboard" by Cliff Joseph, part of the "Soul of a Nation" exhibit, 1 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum. Free. 657-2335.
Ozark Bluff Shelters — With Jamie Brandon, Research Station archeologist with the Arkansas Archeological Survey, 2 p.m., Hobbs State Park near Rogers. Free. 789-5000.
Rise of China and Challenges to the Global Order — With Yun Sun and Ka Zeng, 2 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
Pops Concert — Symphony of Northwest Arkansas with the Fayetteville Jazz Collective, 7:30 p.m., Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. $30-$52. 443-5600.
March 11 (Sunday)
Adult Workshop — Winter Florals, 1-5 p.m., Crystal Bridges Museum. $55. Register at 657-2335.
Bella Vista Library Fundraiser — With folk musician and author Crow Johnson Evans, 2 p.m., Bella Vista Public Library. $10. Email joanbarrettroberts@gmail.com.
Second Sunday Local Author — With Fiona van Dahl, author of "Eden Green," 2 p.m., Fayetteville Public Library. Free. faylib.org.
— Becca Martin-Brown
bmartin@nwadg.com
Categories:	8 Days a Week, Entertainment
On the Aisle


Social anxiety disorder is a very widespread form of anxiety. This can affect anyone at any time, and causes problems with everyday circumstances, from shopping to talking to people over the phone. Those with social anxiety can isolate themselves from friends and family, which, in turn creates more problems both at home and at work.
or any circumstance where someone is or thinks they are the focus of attention.
The fear of criticism may also be present with social anxiety and this can also add to more avoidance behaviour. Low self-worth and feelings of insecurity are also typical features and can lead to relationship problems. The partner with social anxiety may no longer wish to go out or needs constant reassurance from their partner that things are 'alright'. This puts pressure on the relationship and can lead to further issues of lack of trust and being criticised.
Untreated, the levels of anxiety and fear may generalise and accentuate until the person begins to encounter panic and anxiety attacks. Further ramifications of this disorder are depressive feelings and an inability to relax, which can lead to misuse of alcohol and drugs in an effort to escape reality.
As the issue escalates, the fears can be self-fulfilling, as relationships begin to come apart and daily life becomes considerably more difficult.
How can hypnotherapy help? Anxiety, finding it difficult to be with others, low self-esteem and lack of confidence can be treated by understanding what is creating the anxiety – such as worrying about the future – and by recognising that perceptions of possible future events can be altered. Planning how to respond to things that might happen is helped by mentally rehearsing how they can be handled. This does take time but the result should be feeling better able to cope, a more positive outlook and increased confidence.
Hypnosis works by making positive, beneficial suggestions that work at a conscious and unconscious level. We are very good at making negative suggestions to ourselves all the time – that little internal voice that tells us how badly we did something or makes some other equally unhelpful comment. These are auto-suggestions. In a way we 'hypnotise' ourselves by how we talk to ourselves. An experienced hypnotherapist can help us to understand the power we have and to use it in more helpful ways. It helps the person to change their thinking and re-establish favourable thinking patterns and feelings of positivity, control and confidence.
Anne Morrison, MBSCH, GQHP, lives in Whitley Bay and holds clinics in North Shields and Newcastle. She can be contacted by phone on 07905 735 457 or via her website www.annemorrison.co.uk.


Agrokor Group is the largest privately owned company in Croatia and one of the most important companies in Southeastern Europe. The Group's core business ranges from agriculture and food production to retail and other commercial activities.
A company of Agrokor's size and importance needed a website able to represent it adequately. Our overall goal was to create a modern, clean and consistent visual framework that also works well with a wide range of content types and messages.
In our line of work, putting together a successful story in just one shot is close to impossible. In order to create solutions that are in accordance with our client's challenges, we're committed to an iterative process comprised of analysis, feedback, testing and adjustments.
Naturally, planning and project management are dominant in the beginning and decrease as the project evolves. However, through various iterations of analysis and planning we're ready to adjust the course of a project.
Design starts with the definition of the concept and it continues through two iterations. One is related to pure design layout production and the other to inspection and polishing of the site.
Frontend development enters the process shortly after the design phase. Front-end developers collaborate closely with designers through various iterations of check-ups and phases of site polishing.
As backend developers create the computational logic of the website, their effort is more or less always present on a constant scale throughout the project.
Working closely with the client and before setting off on the project, it was of paramount significance to define the website's audience. Prioritization of our target audiences plays a big role in devising concepts, defining the tone of communication and designing the site. Who were we making this site for and who was going to use it?
Considering that every Agrokor brand already had its website, through various workshops with Agrokor personnel we concluded the corporate site doesn't need to communicate primarily to consumers and general public. Brand sites were already doing that. We did not exclude these targets as irrelevant, but concentrated the communication more on the company's business audience.
How do we address two different types of targets and convey two different messages?
And subsequently, what does it represent?
When people think about large companies like this one, they usually have quite a rigid picture in mind. Our main task (and biggest challenge) was to create a new corporate website which will present impressive results and at the same time promote company's values and social responsibility to the public.
We identified two sets of messages the website has to communicate.
How does one merge these two concepts and tones without sounding odd? Through design, content adjustment and grooming.
Special effort was put into this project by our design department in particular. It was clear right away that design would be the principal tool of conveying different messages and emotions, and subsequently we came out with three possible concepts.
Together with the client we chose the third option!
Why? It gave us the possibility to implement both concepts of communication: strength of the Group and return to nature.
The main advantage of this concept? It allowed clear visual emphasis on key messages throughout the project. On top of that, this particular option had a tremendous influence on the feel of the whole site.
Even though the emotion is transmitted visually, content is always the pivotal point. This is particularly noticeable on mobile phones where photos purposefully disappear if the visitor is in need of quick information. When viewed on smaller screens, a Particular RWD adjusts all the unnecessary items, putting the information at the center of attention.
As we thought about this site, it became clear that apart from general messages, a company of Agrokor's size needs to be able to distribute transparent and easily accessible information via it's website.
We also realized that the company previously produced a huge amount of content through various brand books, annual reports, product catalogues etc.
Before setting off on the project, we spent a lot of time stocktaking the existing content about the company and its brands. The amount of content was so large we needed to find the common denominator for gauging both quality and quantity of existing content for different companies, brands and sub-brands.
How to successfully present all this data that varies so much in both quantity and quality? Through constant iterations of systematic filtering and comparison, we came to various solutions.
Finally we presented different materials and highlighted key messages for different targets through visually appealing interactive infographics.
In order to raise the quality of dialogue between design and content, we made the design blocks follow the content, and vice versa.
On the other hand we presented different materials for different targets through nice looking interactive infographics and highlighted key messages.
Key thing in developing content strategy was to present the company in a more human way, making it appear less rigid to general public.
In order to do so we developed a full screen scrolling microsite dominated by beautiful photos, representing the company's main ideas, brands and core business through a story. It's a presentation of Agrokor's business processes in a more emotional way, connecting the company with hearts of the general public.
Storytelling on the web is not just about text. Number of tools and technologies one can use is endless. To best tell this story, we used design and movement to bring it to life.
Full screen scrolling allowed us to tell a story in visually attractive way. We also needed to highlight various sections of the process as well. So we separated them with movement. How? When the user scrolls down, the page scrolls from right to left. Only at the end of one section of the process does the page scroll downwards. We defined 4 sections of the process (agriculture, production, logistics and distribution, retail) and divided them as shown in the infographic.
There were certain types of information we needed to emphasize and make more accessible.
We made all the needed data available for download (logos, visual, breaking news, about the company, reports….) allowing fast and easy access for journalists and other media representatives.
There is now a significant amount of information available straight away and ready for download, no login needed. Potential investors can evaluate their investment opportunities through just a few simple clicks.
Along with a presentation of the employment process, development and educational opportunities, we needed to upgrade the application form for potential employees. We introduced new steps in the employment process in order to make employee filtering easier for the company.
These are now related to categories/themes throughout the site - the user always has the latest news within the specific category he is looking for. By doing that, we managed to provide all the information currently relevant for a certain topic.
I've had the pleasure of working with web.burza web development team on several projects. Apart from dedication to delivering quality service on time, what sets these guys apart is going that extra mile in order to make the final product better. On top of that they are a fun group of people to hang around with.
The website is running on our own CMS, core.WEB which is customizable to specifically fit the needs of various projects. It's optimized for speed and scalability, flawlessly delivering more than 3 million pages per day. Most important of all, it makes content curation much more easy for the editing staff.
Using widgets, our powerful system of building blocks, we simplified changes to the navigational structure of the website. If, for example, the company decides to concentrate more on the Media page of the site, they could easily make the Media page the focal point of their site's navigation.
The bar for this project was set very high. We've more than reached it, and managed to pack it all into a beautiful, simple and easy-to-read design that has all the key attributes across every-size device imaginable (RWD). The effort was huge but yielded awesome results.
Which technologies did we use?


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Kim Jong Un's Supreme Commander emblem stripped from state TV after leader went dark
Is Jong Un hiding out in an underground base, a lavish wilderness retreat, or is he dead altogether?
May 22, 2020 | 7:18 pm
tj013579/Flickr
(INTELLIHUB) — Kim Jong Un's Supreme Commander emblem was stripped from several state TV broadcasts after the fearless leader went dark spawning conspiracy theories questioning the tyrant's whereabouts.
Major sporting events and public gatherings have been prohibited and the country remains in a tense lockdown as the whereabouts of Jong Un remain unknown to the media and the general public who are now questioning the rocket man's health and well being.
The fearless leader made 27 public appearances last year in the months of April and May as opposed to 4 this year during the same period and it has some scratching their head wondering what is going on.
From New York Post:
North Korean state media reported that Kim attended the opening ceremony of a fertilizer plant on May 1.
His earlier absence on April 15 from one of North Korea's biggest holidays in commemoration of his grandfather Kim Il Sung's birthday sparked weeks of international speculation over his health and whereabouts.
Since then, state media have carried a steady stream of stories about the leader sending or receiving letters and diplomatic correspondence, but have not shown him at public events.
Is Jong Un hiding out in an underground base, a lavish wilderness retreat, or is he dead altogether? Please comment below in the comments section of this website and don't forget to share this post on all your social media channels.
Related: New documentary film Shackled To Silence nails it -- exposes it all: MUST SEE
Shepard Ambellas is an opinion journalist, analyst, political pundit, and the founder and editor-in-chief of Intellihub News & Politics (Intellihub.com). Shepard is also known for producing Shade: The Motion Picture (2013) and appearing on Travel Channel's America Declassified (2013). Shepard is a contributor to Alex Jones' Infowars platform and is also a regular on Coast To Coast AM with George Noory. Read more from Shep's World. Follow Shep on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe to Shep's YouTube channel.
©2020. INTELLIHUB.COM. All Rights Reserved.
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text:
Q: How to use DynamoDB with CakePHP 3.x I have just started an application with CakePHP 3.x and Amazon DynamoDB.
As I know, CakePHP doesn't have built-in support for DynamoDB (NoSQL).
So, how can I use DynamoDB with CakePHP 3.x?
If there is not a plugin/library that does this work, someone please guide me which CakePHP classes I must customize to make it works.
Thank you.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames
Peter A Barry, Donald J. Alcendor, Michael D. Power, Heather Kerr, Paul A Luciw
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been isolated from many nonhuman primates, including rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). To better understand the molecular biology of rhesus CMV (RhCMV), a 9.2-kb DNA restriction fragment spanning the immediate-early (IE) gene has been molecularly cloned and sequenced. Open reading frames (ORF) have been identified and transcripts mapped for regions corresponding to exons 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the IE1 protein of human CMV (HCMV) and to exons 1, 2, 3, and 5 of IE2. The predicted RhCMV IE1 protein was 29 and 40% identical with the HCMV and African green monkey (AGM) CMV IE1 proteins, respectively, and the predicted RhCMV IE2 protein was 48 and 65% identical with the HCMV and AGM CMV IE2 proteins, respectively. Five additional ORF 3' to the RhCMV IE gene were identified which contained significant homologies with the HCMV UL121-UL117 ORF. The predicted translation products ranged from 29 to 47% identical with, and 52 to 66% similarity to, the corresponding ORF of HCMV. Conservation of nucleic and amino acid sequences, and colinearity of genes, between primate CMV genomes contribute to a better understanding of primate CMV evolution, regulation, and pathogenesis.
https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.1996.0007
10.1006/viro.1996.0007
Dive into the research topics of 'Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Immediate-Early Genes Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
cytomegalovirus IE1 protein Medicine & Life Sciences 91%
Cytomegalovirus Medicine & Life Sciences 81%
Open Reading Frames Medicine & Life Sciences 78%
Sequence Analysis Medicine & Life Sciences 76%
Primates Medicine & Life Sciences 45%
Chlorocebus aethiops Medicine & Life Sciences 44%
Barry, P. A., Alcendor, D. J., Power, M. D., Kerr, H., & Luciw, P. A. (1996). Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames. Virology, 215(1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.1996.0007
Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames. / Barry, Peter A; Alcendor, Donald J.; Power, Michael D.; Kerr, Heather; Luciw, Paul A.
In: Virology, Vol. 215, No. 1, 01.01.1996, p. 61-72.
Barry, PA, Alcendor, DJ, Power, MD, Kerr, H & Luciw, PA 1996, 'Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames', Virology, vol. 215, no. 1, pp. 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.1996.0007
Barry PA, Alcendor DJ, Power MD, Kerr H, Luciw PA. Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames. Virology. 1996 Jan 1;215(1):61-72. https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.1996.0007
Barry, Peter A ; Alcendor, Donald J. ; Power, Michael D. ; Kerr, Heather ; Luciw, Paul A. / Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames. In: Virology. 1996 ; Vol. 215, No. 1. pp. 61-72.
@article{f787bd45b76d4d82a4eea9cb5175360a,
title = "Nucleotide sequence and molecular analysis of the rhesus cytomegalovirus immediate-early gene and the UL121-117 open reading frames",
abstract = "Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been isolated from many nonhuman primates, including rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). To better understand the molecular biology of rhesus CMV (RhCMV), a 9.2-kb DNA restriction fragment spanning the immediate-early (IE) gene has been molecularly cloned and sequenced. Open reading frames (ORF) have been identified and transcripts mapped for regions corresponding to exons 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the IE1 protein of human CMV (HCMV) and to exons 1, 2, 3, and 5 of IE2. The predicted RhCMV IE1 protein was 29 and 40% identical with the HCMV and African green monkey (AGM) CMV IE1 proteins, respectively, and the predicted RhCMV IE2 protein was 48 and 65% identical with the HCMV and AGM CMV IE2 proteins, respectively. Five additional ORF 3' to the RhCMV IE gene were identified which contained significant homologies with the HCMV UL121-UL117 ORF. The predicted translation products ranged from 29 to 47% identical with, and 52 to 66% similarity to, the corresponding ORF of HCMV. Conservation of nucleic and amino acid sequences, and colinearity of genes, between primate CMV genomes contribute to a better understanding of primate CMV evolution, regulation, and pathogenesis.",
author = "Barry, {Peter A} and Alcendor, {Donald J.} and Power, {Michael D.} and Heather Kerr and Luciw, {Paul A}",
doi = "10.1006/viro.1996.0007",
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AU - Barry, Peter A
AU - Alcendor, Donald J.
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AU - Kerr, Heather
AU - Luciw, Paul A
N2 - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been isolated from many nonhuman primates, including rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). To better understand the molecular biology of rhesus CMV (RhCMV), a 9.2-kb DNA restriction fragment spanning the immediate-early (IE) gene has been molecularly cloned and sequenced. Open reading frames (ORF) have been identified and transcripts mapped for regions corresponding to exons 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the IE1 protein of human CMV (HCMV) and to exons 1, 2, 3, and 5 of IE2. The predicted RhCMV IE1 protein was 29 and 40% identical with the HCMV and African green monkey (AGM) CMV IE1 proteins, respectively, and the predicted RhCMV IE2 protein was 48 and 65% identical with the HCMV and AGM CMV IE2 proteins, respectively. Five additional ORF 3' to the RhCMV IE gene were identified which contained significant homologies with the HCMV UL121-UL117 ORF. The predicted translation products ranged from 29 to 47% identical with, and 52 to 66% similarity to, the corresponding ORF of HCMV. Conservation of nucleic and amino acid sequences, and colinearity of genes, between primate CMV genomes contribute to a better understanding of primate CMV evolution, regulation, and pathogenesis.
AB - Cytomegalovirus (CMV) has been isolated from many nonhuman primates, including rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). To better understand the molecular biology of rhesus CMV (RhCMV), a 9.2-kb DNA restriction fragment spanning the immediate-early (IE) gene has been molecularly cloned and sequenced. Open reading frames (ORF) have been identified and transcripts mapped for regions corresponding to exons 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the IE1 protein of human CMV (HCMV) and to exons 1, 2, 3, and 5 of IE2. The predicted RhCMV IE1 protein was 29 and 40% identical with the HCMV and African green monkey (AGM) CMV IE1 proteins, respectively, and the predicted RhCMV IE2 protein was 48 and 65% identical with the HCMV and AGM CMV IE2 proteins, respectively. Five additional ORF 3' to the RhCMV IE gene were identified which contained significant homologies with the HCMV UL121-UL117 ORF. The predicted translation products ranged from 29 to 47% identical with, and 52 to 66% similarity to, the corresponding ORF of HCMV. Conservation of nucleic and amino acid sequences, and colinearity of genes, between primate CMV genomes contribute to a better understanding of primate CMV evolution, regulation, and pathogenesis.
U2 - 10.1006/viro.1996.0007
DO - 10.1006/viro.1996.0007
JO - Virology
JF - Virology


text:
NBA owners, from oldest to youngest
Posted 9 days ago | By Chris Morgan
What do you do if you love basketball but don't have the skills to make it as a pro — or, in at least one case, were a basketball player whose career ended, as all careers do? Well, if you're rich enough, you can buy a team. That's what the majority owners of the 30 NBA teams have done. They all have some affinity for the game, and they all have a lot of sway in a league swimming in cash. Here is a ranking of every majority owner in the NBA, from oldest to youngest. In the case where more than one person is listed as the majority owner, we have gone with the oldest one.
Herbert Simon (85)
Michael Hickey/Getty Images
The Pacers are kind of an anonymous franchise, and Simon is one of the more anonymous owners in the NBA. He's also an elder statesman, as he and his brother Mel bought the Pacers way back in 1983. Mel died in 2009, and Simon has carried on by himself since. Also, he's married to Miss Universe 1988, which is a fun fact.
Jerry Reinsdorf (84)
Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/MCT/Sipa USA
Reinsdorf is an old-school owner. The former lawyer bought the Bulls back in 1985 when purchasing a sports team was a much cheaper proposition. While it takes a couple of billion to do that now, Reinsdorf, who already owned the White Sox at the time, snagged the Bulls for a mere $16 million. Then Michael Jordan happened, and his investment paid off tenfold.
Glen Taylor (79)
Jesse Johnson/USA TODAY Sports
Taylor has been a Minnesota state senator in the past, but after that he decided to buy the Timberwolves. He also tried to buy the Twins and Vikings to no avail. However, he was able to buy the Minnesota Star-Tribune and make it lean toward his own personal conservative politics. There has been talks he might sell the team soon. Kevin Garnett is reportedly interested.
Peter Guber and Joe Lacob (78)
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
How did the Warriors become a dynasty? They drafted well, hired a great coach, got a little lucky, and, oh yeah, were bought by a couple of billionaires. Lacob, who is 63, is the guy we hear from and see more, as he handles the day-to-day operations of the team. Guber is way more interesting, though. He's a movie producer who produced films such as "Rain Man" and "Batman." His production company puts on the Golden Globes, and yet this Hollywood lifer owns a team in the Bay Area.
Gail Miller (76)
Jeffrey Swinger/USA TODAY Sports
Miller is the widow of former Jazz owner Larry Miller. Her husband died in 2009, and she took over 100 percent of his business holdings. That included a chain of movie theaters, a bunch of car dealerships, and, yes, the Jazz. She also moved the ownership of the Jazz franchise into a legacy trust to ensure that the team both stayed in her family and also in Utah.
MLSE (75)
John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports
So the owner currently celebrating having just won the NBA title is…a faceless corporation. The owner of the Toronto Raptors is Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. It also owns the Maple Leafs (of course), the Argonauts of the CFL and Toronto FC of the MLS. The picture only gets murkier from here. The primary owners of MLSE are Rogers Communications BCE, formerly Bell Canada. If we are going to put a face on this whole thing, Larry Tanenbaum is the chairman of MLSE, and he's 75.
Gayle Benson (73)
Derick E. Hingle/USA TODAY Sports
Benson only recently became a majority NBA (and NFL) owner. She is the widow of Tom Benson, who was the owner of the Pelicans until his death. Also, apparently Gayle met Tom at the funeral mass for Tom's previous wife, Grace. Now she owns an NBA team. It's an odd world sometimes.
Julianna Holt (72)
Tom Pennington/Getty Images
The Spurs situation is kind of a murky at the moment, which is odd for the most consistent franchise of the last 20 years. Peter Holt bought the team in 1993, founding Spurs Sports & Entertainment to be the ownership group. However, Holt retired as the chairman in 2016, making his wife, Julianna, the new chairperson. Ah, but there's more. As of early 2018, the Holts were planning to divorce. While we are not privy to all the Holt family dynamics, this situation seems up in the air.
Micky Arison (71)
Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports
Arison is the chairman of the Carnival Cruise Line, the biggest cruise company in the world. That's helped him become a billionaire many times over. Arison owns the Heat, which he bought in 1995. The team has had a lot of success under him, especially after he was able to convince Pat Riley to join the organization.
Ann Walton Kroenke (71)
John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Stan Kroenke has been quite generous with his sports franchises. While he still owns the Rams, the Colorado Rapids and Arsenal in the Premier League, the NFL wouldn't allow him to own pro teams in other cities, which meant he was no longer able to own the Denver Nuggets or Colorado Avalanche. So now his wife owns those teams. Not that she doesn't have money of her own. She is an heir to the Walmart fortune.
James Dolan (65)
Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports
Dolan is the chairman of The Madison Square Garden Company, which owns not just the Knicks but also the Rangers. Some owners fade into the background. Dolan is not one of those. He's loud, brash and controversial. He's also pretty much universally loathed by Knicks fans, who dream of selling the team. Maybe he will so he can to focus on his blues rock band, JD & the Straight Shot. That's not a joke.
Steve Ballmer (64)
Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports
There are rich NBA owners, and then there's Ballmer. The guy was the CEO of Microsoft for over a decade, and he raked in a ton of cash in the process. When the Clippers forced Donald Sterling to sell, Ballmer swooped in and dropped a then unheard of $2 billion for the team. Ballmer is reportedly worth a staggering $51 billion, though, so he can afford it. No wonder he's so excited when he's courtside. You'd be excited too if you had more money than you could spend in 10 lifetimes.
Ted Leonsis (63)
Steven Flynn/USA TODAY Sports
Leonsis has had a great deal of success as the owner of the Washington Capitals. Drafting Alex Ovechkin will do that for you, and they did win the Cup a couple of years ago. The Wizards have had less success and are actually beginning a rebuild, despite the presence of John Wall's albatross of a contract. Hey, at least the Capitals should still be good for a while.
Tilman Fertitta (63)
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Fertitta is one of the newer owners in the NBA, as he bought the Rockets in 2017. It cost him a pretty penny, as the sale was for $2.2 billion. That's about what it costs to get an NBA franchise these days, though. Fertitta has been called the "world's richest restaurateur." Maybe he got into the food industry because his last name sort of looks like frittata.
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
Cuban was the new face of NBA ownership when he bought the Mavericks in 2000. He was young, for an owner, and had made his money from the internet. On top of that, Cuban was a vocal owner who liked to be the center of attention. He racked up fines for his antics at courtside. Now he's 62 and far from the youngest owner. Circle of life.
Vivek Ranadive (62)
Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports
Ranadive, an Indian billionaire, was lauded by Sacramento fans for keeping the Kings in town. Then things got a little weird. Ranadive has had some odd ideas related to running an NBA team. People probably talked too much about his speculation on leaving a player to cherry pick on offense, but anybody who watched the behind-the-scenes video when the team drafted Nik Stauskas will have the searing awkwardness of that burned in their brains forever.
The estate of Paul Allen (61)
Steve Dykes/Getty Images
Technically things haven't completely been sorted after the death of Paul Allen, who was the longtime owner of the Portland Trail Blazers. For now his sister, Jody, is the executor of his estate and has been put in charge of his assets. So she is the "owner" of the Trail Blazers, but it remains to be seen what happens with them, not to mention the Seattle Seahawks.
Clay Bennett (61)
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Shield your eyes, Seattle basketball fans! Bennett bought the SuperSonics from Howard Schultz, claiming he would make an effort to keep the team in Seattle. Then next thing we knew, the team had been moved to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder. In what is surely a coincidence, Bennett is from Oklahoma City.
Dan DeVos (61)
Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports
Technically the Orlando Magic are owned by RDV Sports Inc, which was founded by Rich DeVos when he bought the Magic, not to mention a few other sports teams. Yes, he named the company after himself. Rich is dead now, though, and his son Dan has become the chairman of the company. Born in Grand Rapids, DeVos also owns the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins.
Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry (60)
Mike McGinnis/Getty Images
Lasry is the age representative on the record, as he is 60 compared to Edens' 58. The duo bought the Bucks from Herb Kohl for $550 million back in 2016. The franchise is now worth over a billion dollars. Edens is also a majority shareholder of Aston Villa, an English soccer club. Lasry, meanwhile, played in the All-Star Celebrity game last season.
Tony Ressler (59)
Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports
Ressler owns the Atlanta Hawks, which is all well and good. That's not what's important here. He's also married to Jami Gertz. Yes, THE actress Jami Gertz from "The Lost Boys" and that one episode of "Seinfeld!" She shows up at the NBA Draft Lottery to represent the Hawks for her husband. It's always weird.
Robert Sarver (59)
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
The Phoenix Suns have been a floundering franchise for a while, and many people lay that at the feet of Sarver. The real estate magnate bought the team in 2004, but the franchise has fluctuated wildly under his ownership. He has a reputation for being impetuous and wanting to win now all the time. They've had eight head coaches since Mike D'Antoni moved on in 2008, and D'Antoni wasn't a hire under Sarver's watch.
Boston Basketball Partners (59)
Adam Glanzman/Getty Images
The Boston Basketball Partners, a group founded solely to buy the Celtics in 2002, is technically listed as the majority owner of the Celtics. The group consists of several members, including four members of the executive committee. However, traditionally, Wyc Grousbeck is listed as the lead owner for the Celtics. As such, we're going with him as the representative, and he's a hearty 59.
Jeanie Buss (58)
The Lakers have been a team of turmoil for a while. All six of the Buss kids got a share of the franchise, but Jeanie is the team president and one of the NBA's Board of Governors. Fortunately for Jeanie, and the rest of the Buss family, the Lakers name still has cache. That's how they got LeBron and Anthony Davis to sign on.
Dan Gilbert (58)
If nothing else, Gilbert is the NBA owner with the most overt affinity for Comic Sans. We all recall when Gilbert feuded with LeBron James after the King took his talents to South Beach. However, the two were able to bury the hatchet, and LeBron returned to Cleveland to give the Cavs their first title. Then he left again. Hey, at least the Quicken Loans founder is still a billionaire several times over.
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
You may have heard of this guy. Jordan is the only former NBA player to be the majority owner of an NBA team. He is, of course, maybe the greatest of all time. Jordan was a legend on the court with the Bulls. Now he's the owner of the Charlotte Hornets. The success as a player hasn't translated to success as an owner just yet.
Tom Gores (56)
Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports
Gilbert is from Detroit, but he's not the owner of the Pistons. That would be Gores, who has ties to the state of Michigan as well. His family moved to the Wolverine State from Israel when he was a child, and when longtime Pistons owner Bill Davidson died, Gores stepped up to purchase the team from his family. Gores and Gilbert have also tried to join forces to bring an MLS team to the Motor City, but to no avail so far.
Joseph Tsai (55)
Vincent Carchietta/USA TODAY Sports
Meet the newest owner in the NBA. Remember when Mikhail Prokhorov, the Russian billionaire, bought the Nets and tried to make a big splash. It didn't quite work out for him, and a few years ago the 54-year-old oligarch sold 49 percent of the team to Tsai, one of the cofounders of Alibaba. Then, Prokhorov decided to sell the rest of the team, and the Barclays Center, to Tsai, making him the principal owner.
Josh Harris (55)
Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Harris made his money in investing and money management, making him one of the vanguards of a new era of sports owners. There are those who say guys like Harris don't own sports teams because they love the sport and want the prestige of owning a franchise. They do it because it's a money-making investment. Well, the Sixers have had success on the court in recent years after the Process, which Harris was party to as owner. Philly fans can't be too unhappy.
Robert Pera (42)
Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal/TNS/Sipa USA
Yes, you read that right. Pera is only 42. What's even crazier is that he bought the Grizzlies way back in 2012. He's been an NBA owner since his 30s. When he became a billionaire, he became one of the 10 youngest billionaires in the world. Pera, like Cuban before him, also likes to be involved and be hands on, though he's not quite as visually prevalent. Maybe it's because he owns a team that plays in Memphis.
Chris Morgan is a sports and pop culture writer and the author of the books The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000 and The Ash Heap of History. You can follow him on Twitter @ChrisXMorgan.
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While it may not quite feel like it yet in NYC as I write this—46 degrees, people!—spring is, in fact, officially in full swing. Exciting, no? After months and months of anticipation, discussion, and watching trends go from the runways to stores to street style and, naturally, to Instagram, it feels like the moment we've all been waiting for is finally here.
So why am I still talking about it? Well, I'd like to take this chance to spotlight one of my favorite accessory categories—perhaps, tied with shoes—and that's bags. You may or may not know this, but I'm kind of obsessed with them, and even if I'm not buying all the ones I'd like to every season, I love to cyber-window-shop, if you will, and imagine which ones I would buy given the chance. I also have a knack for guessing what my colleagues here at Who What Wear would buy too, seeing as I've come to know all their individual styles pretty well.
Today, I've married these all these things in what I think is my favorite trend roundup yet: the spring bag trends I know will be worn all over the Who What Wear offices, one way or another. To see what they are and, of course, shop them along the way, just keep scrolling.
Think anything in the beige, brown, and even the butter families. The neutral trend is not only taking over the handbag world but has proven a major trend for clothing and all accessories this season. Anna and I are already on board, and I'm betting it's only a matter of time until the rest of the team is seen in the trend, too.
While it may not be the most practical, the mini (or even micro) bag definitely wins for the funnest trend. Style one as a necklace as seen on Ally below, sport it as a second bag, or even make the mini your only purse if you can part with pretty much everything you own for the day.
Who doesn't love a bag that can be described as bossy? The answer seems to be: pretty much no one. The work- and weekend-approved style is clearly a hit among our own team but should definitely make it into your wardrobe, too.
The PVC trend has seen many iterations in clothing, shoes, and bags, and the latest from the latter is a departure from the big totes of seasons past. Instead, brands have taken their most classic and popular shapes and reimagined them in the clear material for spring. We're into it.
Have you read my thoughts on the return of the shoulder bag yet? You should, but for now, I'll synopsize: Thanks to brands like Dior, Fendi, Prada, and more, the style has been on the rise for a while now. Most recently, it appears to have unseated the crossbody bag as the go-to hands-free choice of the fashion set. Carrie Bradshaw would be proud.
Last, but certainly not least—I think I speak for all of us when I say that the trend we truly hope never goes away (and thankfully hasn't yet) is mock croc. From under-the-radar brands to our favorite fashion houses, no matter how much the bag actually cost, it always looks expensive in the luxe material.
Up next? Nine street style looks I'm about to copy.


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Karnataka Bank today reported 15.59 per cent increase in its net profit to Rs 102.25 crore for the second quarter ended September, 2015.
NEW DELHI: Karnataka Bank today reported 15.59 per cent increase in its net profit to Rs 102.25 crore for the second quarter ended September, 2015.
The company's profit stood at Rs 88.46 core in the July-September quarter of last fiscal.
"The operating profit also showed marginal growth of 4.21 per cent and improved to Rs 169.46 crore from Rs 162.62 crore (Q2 of 2014-15)," the bank said in a regulatory filing.
The gross NPAs of the company declined to Rs 1,043.67 crore, as against Rs 1,060.88 crore as of September 2014-15, it added.
"This constituted 3.18 per cent as against 3.53 per cent as of September, 2014 and thus GNPAs reduced by 35 basis points," the bank said.
The net NPAs also declined by 41 basis points to 1.96 per cent in the quarter under review, from 2.37 per cent in the year-ago period.
Karnataka Bank's shares closed 4.04 per cent up at Rs 128.80 apiece on the BSE today.