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Lawlunch
Boezelman | de Boer
#48: Bring on 2020!
This year is almost coming to an end and what a year it has been! The developments in our practice area have been both interesting and exciting as well as frustrating at times. The developments however all have one thing in common; they bring a lot of opportunities and inspiration. A taste for more, so we are curious of what 2020 has in store for all of us!
For now we hope you enjoy the holidays and that you have time to reflect and relax in order to start the new year with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Happy holidays everyone!
#47: (Mis)trust?
Recently AIJA organized a conference to discuss the experience of lawyers with trusts. The title says it all: "Trusts and Continental law: is this marriage possible?". The figure of the trust is not treated the same in every jurisdiction, which can cause serious legal clashes. These clashes in practice appear for instance in the form of disputes on the execution of duties by the trustee, issues in the field of succession, disputes on interpretation of duties under CRS, tax planning opportunities and issues, tax disputes and criminal investigations. In the Netherlands the trust stars in many tax disputes which sometimes evolves into a criminal investigation. What do you need to know about the Dutch tax regime?
In the past the tax department has regularly tried to tax Dutch tax payers for the assets which were placed in a trust. These cases developed jurisprudence which basically comes down to the question whether the settlor of a trust could factually use the assets which were placed in the trust as his own. If the answer is yes, than taxation under income tax laws is possible. If the answer is no, then taxation of those assets it is not possible. In that case only the gift of the settlor to the trust would be taxed. Of course, this was no guarantee that the tax authorities would not start a discussion on the qualification of the assets in the trust.
As of 2010 a new regime was adopted which led to the taxation under income tax laws of so-called "separate private wealth". The idea is that figures in which private wealth is separated from the wealth of the owner, are deemed to remain part of the property of the owner. In other words, a figure like the trust is transparent under this regime and the settlor will be taxed accordingly. The regime does not come to taxation of the settlor if the separate private wealth was taxed in the country of establishment. According to the Dutch regime this only applies if the taxes that have been paid are reasonable. There are substantial differences between the jurisdictions in which trusts can be established.
The regime also foresees the passing of a settlor. In that situation the assets will be allocated to the heirs of the settlor following the succession laws. If the heirs however can proof the contrary – meaning that that they do not have a legal enforceable right towards the assets in the trust – then they cannot be taxed. If it is not possible to determine the settlor or the heirs, the beneficiary of the trust will be taxed. This regime can lead to the situation that an heir or beneficiary can be taxed under the income tax law, while he did not actually receive anything from the trust.
The settlor and beneficiaries also have an obligation to report their involvement with a figure which is considered 'separate private wealth' in their tax returns. Knowingly not reporting this is a criminal act and can even lead to criminal prosecution. Various case studies also show that the source of the funds in the trust could also be a trigger for money laundering suspicions.
With respect to our experiences in tax disputes, mostly beneficiaries end up in difficult positions if a trust is involved. In practice their discussion with the authorities usually boils down to the question whether or not they were aware of their involvement in a trust. But how do you proof that you did not know something?
It is safe to say that the involvement of a trust, usually leads to mistrust of the authorities in the Netherlands. One of the key-take-aways from the conference is therefor that anyone who is confronted with a trust should ask for advise on all involved local jurisdictions. Even though the settlor of a trust might have determined loved ones as a beneficiary of the assets with nothing but good intentions, this does not guarantee a discussion free life for the beneficiary.
Do you have any questions about this subject, are you confronted with a related issue and would you like to discuss this with us? Please feel free to contact us via boezelman@hertoghsadvocaten.nl and boer@hertoghsadvocaten.nl.
#46: To prosecute or to confiscate
Confiscation of the proceeds of crime may take place in accordance with article 36e of the Dutch Criminal Code (CC). This article makes it possible to confiscate proceeds of crime in cases where there has been a conviction. In addition, in accordance with article 36e, subsection 3, CC it is possible, to confiscate proceeds and assets that are obtained by means of other criminal offences if there has been a conviction for a crime committed by the suspect. For these 'other criminal offences' a conviction is not necessary but the burden of proof is on the prosecutor to provide sufficient indications that these other criminal offences have been committed and that the suspect has obtained proceeds by committing these offences. In two recent cases we see that the legal protection in a confiscation procedure of proceeds by means of 'other criminal offences' is far less then in case of a regular situation.
In a judgment of the Court of Appeal of 10 October 2019 on the confiscation measure, the following situation was at hand. The suspect was convicted of money laundering for having an amount of € 216,904.28 cash at hand while she knew that the money derived entirely or partially from a crime. The Court of Appeal ruled that the mere possession of money does not necessarily qualify as an actually unlawfully obtained advantage. In this case, the Court of Appeal therefor investigated to what extent the money was beneficial to the convict. The Court concluded from the case file that invoices were paid with this money and cash deposits were made. On this basis, the Court of Appeal ruled that the money is an unlawfully obtained benefit because the convict had spent the money and the money was thus beneficial to the convict. On these grounds the court rules that the confiscation measure should be set at € 216,904.28.
In another judgment of the Court of Appeal, also dated 10 October 2019, the Court used a different approach. In this case, the suspect was convicted of money laundering on the basis of having a Rolex and a sum of € 3.615 in cash, knowing that these items originated from a crime. However, the confiscation case relates to an 'other criminal offence'. The convict was also arrested at the airport with € 180.000 in cash. The convict was not prosecuted for this fact, it only played a role in the confiscation case. The public prosecutor considered this fact to be "another offence" as referred to in Article 36e, paragraph 3, CC. The Court of Appeal stated that in case of "another offence" there need to be sufficient indications that the offence has been committed. However, the Court does not have to determine whether the person is co-perpetrator or perpetrator. Furthermore, it is not necessary to assess whether the convicted person has obtained an advantage through or from the benefits of the money laundering committed by him, but only whether criminal offenses have led to the acquiring of an advantage by the convicted person. The Court rules that the convicted person has not argued nor has it become plausible that he fully or partially held the cash amounts for someone else. For that reason it must be assumed that the convicted person kept the amount of money (exclusively) for himself. The Court rules that the amount of € 180.000 shall be confiscated.
From these examples it derives that it matters whether you are convicted for money laundering or money laundering is qualified as 'another offence'. In the first situation the Court has to examine whether the convict has benefited from the money. While in the other situation the Court merely examines whether the money derives from a crime. It is then up to the convict to state and motivate that the money was not his. In our opinion these examples show that a confiscation measure based on article 36e, subsection 3, CC does not provide enough legal protection as the public prosecutor has a much lower burden of proof. It therefor creates a wrong incentive for the public prosecutor as it might be more successful to not prosecute someone for some criminal offences but merely start a confiscation claim.
#45: The wind has changed
Until a few years ago, criminal prosecution of tax offences in the Caribbean parts of our Kingdom was not very common. In recent years, the Public Prosecution Service of Curaçao has made its presence in the tax domain and is prosecuting tax offences. In some cases more successful than others. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Public Prosecution Service of Curaçao is wide awake. Very recently, agreements between the Public Prosecutor's Office of Curaçao and the Tax Authorities of Curaçao were published. These Notification, Transaction and Prosecution Guidelines (ATV-guidelines) lay down which tax cases are eligible for criminal prosecution and which cases will be dealt with administratively. From our experience at Hertoghs Dutch Caribbean we learn that the wind has changed. What can we expect?
It is clear that tax fraud has been underexposed on Curaçao and this also applies to other Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Curaçao Court of First Instance acknowledges this in so many words in earlier judgments. The Court seems to blame this on the tax morale on the island, or rather: the lack of it. On the other hand, Curaçao citizens blame the Tax Inspectorate for acting arbitrarily against taxpayers, as the tax burden is not evenly distributed. The fact that the tax morale on the island is "underdeveloped" could then be considered a logical consequence. In our opinion, this factor plays a role in the defense in tax proceedings and in tax related criminal proceedings. After all, the principle of trust regarding how things were established in the past is applicable.
However, this does not change the fact that anyone can be pulled into a discussion with the tax authorities or the prosecution service related to not complying with tax law obligations. Especially now that the Public Prosecutor's Office and the Tax Inspectorate are preparing themselves with the ATV guidelines in order to fight tax abuses. These guidelines are a publication of the agreements made between the Public Prosecution Service, Customs, the Tax Inspectorate, the Tax Affairs Sector (SFZ) and "Stichting Belastingaccountantsbureau" (SBAB). The guidelines describe 1) which cases must be reported, 2) on the basis of which information the cases are selected and 3) which cases are dealt with under criminal law and which cases are dealt with under administrative procedures. In the blog of our colleagues these agreements and the way in which the defense can benefit from them are further explained.
The guidelines suggest that, in addition to the Public Prosecution Service, the Tax Inspectorate will also play an active role in tackling tax fraud. The question is whether this is a realistic target. Only last year, the Tax Inspectorate and the Tax Collector stated in the press that there has been a huge backlog in sending out tax assessments and that the Tax Collector is also forced to leave money 'on the streets'. The lack of capacity is therefore a problem. At the time, they also announced that they were no longer waiting for the ongoing projects to reorganize the Inspectorate, but that they were setting up the reorganization themselves. It will have to become clear whether the budget problems can be overcome in order to make up for lost time by hiring sufficient personnel.
In the meantime, the Public Prosecutor's Office might not want to wait for this to be sorted and take matters into its own hands…
#44: What is the value of a confession?
It is completely up to a Court to decide upon a punishment when a suspect is found guilty of a crime. The Courts are only bound by the maximum penalties as stated in the law. In fraud cases it hardly ever happens that the maximum sentence is ordered. It is quite an arbitrary process in which (the) judge(s) ha(s)(ve) to weigh all the facts and circumstances of the case to come to a reasonable punishment. A difficult question to answer in this respect is: What will the suspect get in return for a confession?
The LOVS guidelines, which have been drawn up by the Courts of Appeal, provide guidance for the courts to determine which penalty should be imposed in a specific case. However, in the end every punishment is ultimately tailor-made. After all, the LOVS guidelines also state that aggravating and mitigating circumstances must be taken into account. But how these circumstances should be weighed and what effect these circumstances have on the punishment remains mystical. This applies in particular to the question on whether cooperation of the suspect in the investigation yields in terms of punishment. To this question, lawyers often are unable to give an answer. The Court of Appeal in The Hague recently made clear what the effect of cooperating on a punishment can be and – we believe it is fair to say – should be.
The case concerns a suspect who is convicted by the regional court for forgery of documents. He had submitted false declarations for an expensive drug for a period of two years, while in reality that drug had not been provided at all. However, the reimbursements for it had been collected by the suspect. The sentence he was given for this was a prison sentence of 18 months, 6 of which were conditional. The suspect appealed against this sentence. For most part, the Court upholds the statement of evidence, but in particular deals with the penalty.
The Court considers that according to the LOVS guidelines the sentence should be an unconditional prison sentence between 18 and 24 months. Nevertheless, the Court believes that in this case there is no reason to impose an unconditional prison sentence. The Court of Appeal explicitly states the circumstances that reduce the sentence:
1. Immediately after the case has come to light, the suspect fully cooperated with the investigation;
2. He has repaid the amounts wrongly received;
3. During the trial, the suspect has shown that he is aware that he has acted wrongly;
4. The consequences of the criminal case have had an enormous impact on the life and family of the suspect, partly due to media attention;
5. The suspect is a first offender.
In view of these circumstances, the Court of appeal comes to a conditional 12-month prison sentence and a 240-hour community service. Because the Court of appeal explicitly provides insight into what the mitigating circumstances are and what they result in, lawyers can now provide better advice to their clients on the (positive) effects of cooperating with the investigation.
We welcome the result of this judgement. After all, an unconditional prison sentence comes with a great amount of damage for the suspect and certainly also for relatives and loved ones. In such a situation we find this disproportional, as does the Court of appeal. A second chance can be deserved by cooperating. We therefore hope that other courts will take an example of this judgement.
#43: The fading and fallible memory
In many criminal investigations under the Dutch continental law system, the investigation à décharge on behalf of the defense is a challenge. Due to the inquisitorial system it is not a given that the defense can interview any and all witnesses. The defense has to convince the (investigating) judge on the interest of interviewing certain witnesses. Especially requests that are made during the investigation of the police or FIOD (financial intelligence unit) are hard to realize. Even though interviews à décharge can be of crucial importance in this early stage. The Court of Appeal in Amsterdam now acknowledges that interviewing witnesses in a later stage has influence on the memory of the witness. Therefore it also has an influence on the reliability of the evidence, which is one of the arguments for granting permission to interview witnesses on the request of the defense in an early stage.
In a recently published decision the Court of Appeal had to decide on a case regarding taxi rides without running a taximeter. The defense was first granted to interview a witness in the appeal phase. The defense argued that the right to interview witnesses in the sense of article 6 ECHR was breached. The reason was that the witness was interviewed 4 (!) years after the alleged criminal act was committed. Because of the passing of time the witness could remember the incident only on headlines.
The Court of Appeal however decided that in this particular situation article 6 ECHR was not breached. At first the suspect was offered to accept his punishment by payment of a fine (the so called "strafbeschikking"). The suspect however did not accept this and appealed to the regional court. Soon after this appeal the suspect received the indictment to appear before the court. Before the indictment was received, the defense had the possibility to ask the investigating judge to interview witnesses, this momentum was however not used. The criteria to decide upon such a request is whether there is an interest for the defense. Now the request was first made during the hearing at the regional court. At that moment the criteria is whether the request to interview the witness is necessary for the defense. This request was then denied.
The Court also states that if the witness would have been interviewed at the regional court, this would not necessarily have led to a more detailed witness interview, as at that time also a lot of time – 2,5 years – had already passed since the incident.
In our opinion the argument that the passing of time influences the ability of witnesses to give a useful interview in criminal investigations, should be taken more seriously. If the defense requests to interview witnesses during the investigation phase, these requests should be granted. With the passing of time it will become more and more difficult for the witness to remember certain matters, perhaps important details, which are relevant for the case. Even though this situation did not cause a breach of article 6 ECHR in this specific situation, this does not mean that this witness could have provided important information for the case if he would have been interviewed earlier. After all, the importance to interview this witness in the appeal case was acknowledged.
This case not only shows that the defense should make their interest to interview certain witnesses early in the investigation, it also shows that these requests should be taken more seriously to be able to establish all the relevant facts and find the truth.
If you have any questions about this subject or if are you confronted with a related issue please feel free to contact us via boezelman@hertoghsadvocaten.nl and boer@hertoghsadvocaten.nl.
#42: The right to a trial within a reasonable period
Article 6 of the ECHR gives a suspect the right to a public hearing before an independent and impartial court within a reasonable period of time. Our experience is however that (financial) criminal investigations take a very long time. The workload of the Financial Intelligence office is too high. Also the workload of the Courts prevents the prosecution of all criminal cases. The question is: what can a do suspect against such delays? Can a suspect enforce the right to a trial within a reasonable time?
What a reasonable period is depends on the circumstances of the case. It depends on i) the complexity of the case; ii) the influence of the suspect or his counsel on the proceedings and iii) the way in which the case was handled by the competent authorities. According to the jurisprudence of the Dutch Supreme Court, an exceedance of a reasonable period is usually compensated by a reduction in sentences. Exceeding the reasonable period does not lead to inadmissibility of the public prosecutor, not even in exceptional cases.
But what if no prosecution takes place and the public prosecutor does not bring the case to trial? In the Netherlands it is possible to submit a request to terminate the case on the basis of Article 36 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The question is however, whether the prosecution can be deprived of its right to prosecute due to a violation of the reasonable period on the basis of Article 36 of the Criminal Code. Courts seem to answer this question in various ways. However, such Court decisions cannot be appealed to the Supreme Court.
For this reason an advocate general of the Supreme Court, who provides independent advice to the Supreme Court, has submitted this legal question to the Supreme Court in a cassation procedure which is initiated in the interest of the law. One of the questions is whether an infringement on the right to a fair trial within a reasonable period can be a criterion in the application of Article 36 of the Dutch Criminal Code. Especially taking into account the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court which states that exceeding the reasonable period can never constitute a ground for declaring the prosecutor inadmissible in his prosecution.
The advocate general comes to the conclusion that sanctioning an unreasonable delay in the investigation and prosecution cannot lead to and end of the case, since this would be contrary to the aforementioned case law of the Supreme Court. However the advocate general provides another route to speed up the procedure. According to him the appropriate route to prevent an unnecessarily long investigation or the absence of a prosecution is the following:
At the request of the suspect, the examining magistrate can, on the basis of Article 180 (3) of the Criminal Code, commission a public prosecutor to end the investigation an prosecute the case if the investigation takes too long. However if the public prosecutor ignores this term the law does not provide for an explicit sanction. That is why, according to the advocate general, Article 36 DCC can serve as a safeguard. In that omission, the examining magistrate can find reason to submit the case to the court, who can then declare that the case has ended. In that case, that statement is not a sanction for exceeding the reasonable period as such, but for exceeding the set term by the examining magistrate. According to the advocate general, this is then compatible with the case law of the Supreme Court regarding the reasonable period.
In our opinion, this step-by-step plan is somewhat artificial. Why does the public prosecutor still have a last chance after an unreasonably long deadline? Is an infringement of the set term of the examining magistrate more serious than a violation of the human rights of the suspect on the basis of Article 6 ECHR? We believe that it is up to the prosecutor to consider and protect the fundamental rights of Article 6 ECHR. If a public prosecutor does not prosecute a case for an unreasonable period of time, apparently it is not that important. And can it still be possible to find truth even so many years afterwards? We believe that Article 36 CC should have an important function in protecting Article 6 ECHR in the event of an inactive or slow investigation. Maybe the Supreme Court in its decision provides the tools to protect the rights of a fair trial of a suspect.
#41: Tax: a dream, or a nightmare?
On 23 and 24 May 2019 we attended the Half Year Conference of the International Association of Young Lawyers (AIJA) in Hong Kong. One of the tax sessions was devoted to the changing landscape of professional liability of tax advisors across the world. We concluded that the transition of this landscape is in full force. The title of the conference "Tax: a dream, not a nightmare" therefore seems to be too soothing on this particular matter. The actions taken by the tax authorities and the prosecutions services against tax advisors are becoming harsher.READ MORE
#40: Dutch money laundering articles are being misused
In Lawlunch #21 we brought to the attention that we are noticing a shift in the perception of the presumption of innocence. The presumption of innocence dictates that the burden of proof lays with the prosecuting authority. This also entails that in principle the right to remain silent cannot be used against you. However, In Dutch case law we see a development – especially in relation to money laundering – that remaining silent can be held against you. We fear that this development results in the lost of meaning of the presumption of innocence. Also, it results in a preference of the use of the Netherlands as a jurisdiction to prosecute international money laundering cases. The idea is that a suspect has to prove the legality of the source of the money. The thresholds from Dutch jurisprudence however is another one.READ MORE
#39: Blinded by the cause
From the previous Lawlunches it becomes clear that the fight against (tax) fraud is fierce. "Facilitators", such as tax advisors and financial institutions, are targeted by the various government institutions as described in Lawlunch #33. In Lawlunch #37 we concluded from the annual report of the FIOD (the Dutch tax intelligence and investigative unit) that this fight against fraud by going after facilitators will continue. We also concluded that this annual report lacks a very important topic: the rights of the accused.


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Feb. 19, 2019 / 8:28 AM
India city orders Pakistanis out as tensions rise after deadly terror attack
Nicholas Sakelaris
Family members pray at the coffin of a slain solider Monday in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. Photo by Farooq Khan/EPA-EFE
Feb. 19 (UPI) -- Tensions over an attack that killed dozens in Kashmir last have prompted Indian officials to order Pakistani nationals out of Rajasthani within 48 hours.
Forty-four Indian military personnel were killed in the suicide bombing in the Kashmir region of India last Thursday. It was the deadliest attack in 30 years. The bombing was blamed on Pakistani-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, but some Indian officials have said the Pakistani government had a hand in it.
On Monday, Indian security forces killed three JeM terrorists after a 20-hour firefight in Pulwama. It's believed the mastermind of the bombing, Abdul Rashid Gazi, was among the dead.
Pakistani nationals were told to leave Rajasthani, and hotels and lodges there are prohibited from accepting any Pakistanis. Also, Indians can no longer employ any Pakistani citizens or have direct business relationships with them. The order applies for two months.
RELATED Mastermind of Pulwama attack killed in 20-hour firefight
India has not ruled out military action against Pakistan.
"At this time, the hopes the country has to respond are natural. Our security forces have been given full freedom. We have complete confidence in the courage and bravery of our soldiers," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has offered assistance and denied allegations that his government was involved.
RELATED India warns Pakistan it will pay 'a hefty price' for Pulwama attack
"Firstly, you blamed us, without thinking, without any proof," Khan said Tuesday. "Why would we do such an act that would hurt us? We have fought a war, lost 70,000 people in a war on terror, now we are moving towards peace, why would we do this? I want to offer the Indian government, whatever investigations you want done, we are ready. If you have any actionable intelligence, we will take action."
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi appealed to the United Nations to intervene.
"It is with a sense of urgency that I draw your attention to the deteriorating security situation in our region resulting from the threat of use of force against Pakistan by India," Qureshi said.
RELATED Suicide bomber rams bus in Kashmir, kills at least 36 India troops
He added that blaming Pakistan for the attack before investigating was absurd.
The bus was part of a larger military convoy with thousands of troops returning from leave.
Shah Mehmood Qureshi
Abdul Rashid

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Customer: Metrology laboratory specializes in the verification of measurement instrumentation, control parameters of networks and telecommunication systems.
Task: The objective was to develop LabVIEW drivers for optical tester and OTDR. Provide full I/O specification.
Solution: Initially, we developed command specification on the basis of OTDR and tester management protocol. Based on this command specification we developed functionally complete LabVIEW virtual tool (VI). The interface connection between PC and measurement instrumentation should provide high data transmission speed - so we used USB 2.0.
High usability level of measuring equipment for users of varying skill levels in LabVIEW (not just programmers, but engineers).
Platform independent LabVIEW allows to use driver for various operating systems.
Opportunity to develop its own graphical user interface based on LabVIEW drivers.
Opportunity to integrate measurement instrumentation into the complex measurement systems through LabVIEW drivers.


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Been printing 50 years . . . NCR is the "Gold Standard"
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Always had good luck running NCR in my small presses.It runs just like normal bond paper.
We use NCR nearly every day and have never had an issue. The transfer from page to page is excellent.


Fall Festival - Rose Hill Manor Park, 1611 North Market Street, Frederick, MD, (Fred. Co. Div. of Parks & Rec.) Oct. 1, Sat. 10 – 4; Oct. 2, Sun. 10 – 4. Sat. morning tractor pull; Sun. afternoon cake auction and kiddie pedal tractor pull. Also, hayrides, farm exhibits, demos, animals, food, & crafts. Hands-on crafts, games, & candle-dipping for kids. Free; fee for Manor admission, crafts, games, and food. Info: 301-600-1650 or www.rosehillmuseum.com.


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Wednesday, September 28, 2016 Dan O'Brien
Cracker Construction Moves Ahead at Fast Pace
MONACA, Pa. — Royal Dutch Shell has demonstrated that much can be accomplished in three months.
Since the company announced June 7 its intention to proceed with what is now an estimated $6 billion-plus ethane cracker plant along the Ohio River near Monaca, Pa., the site has undergone dramatic changes.
New buildings are constructed or under construction, roads that just weeks ago hugged the site are now completely re-routed and repaved, and an area east of the proposed plant is no longer a brush-filled hillside but a flat, cleared, and dusty brown pallet ready to accommodate development that many say will set a new course for the regional economy.
"To say that this is a significant project is an understatement," says Dennis Yablonsky, CEO of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development.
The most recent development at the cracker site is a new parking garage that will be used to accommodate construction workers as the plant goes up, and then to serve those working full-time at the facility once it's operational, says Jim Gallik, training director for Ironworkers Local 3.
"It's going to be a boon for skilled labor," Gallik says. "We've been on a downturn for the past three or four years and this is a great opportunity for us to rebound and put everybody to work."
On the afternoon of Sept. 22, hundreds of workers were busy preparing land and operating heavy equipment at the 340-acre site, now protected by a security fence and a rerouted road that swings further around the work area.
Earlier that day, Gallik and Yablonsky joined a panel discussion related to opportunities in the region's petrochemicals market and the cracker plant at Shale Insight's energy conference in Pittsburgh. The Marcellus Shale Coalition, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, and the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association sponsored the conference, held at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
Also on the panel were Andrew Bell, supply manager for Ineos America LLC; Dennis Davin, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; and Jerry James, president of Artex Oil Co. and director of Shale Crescent USA.
Critical to developing an energy cluster for the region is improving Pennsylvania's pipeline infrastructure so ethane gas from wells can be transported to processing plants such as Shell's project, says Davin. "There are about 9,000 unconventional wells in Pennsylvania," he says. "Part of our job is to do everything we can do to get that gas to market."
These opportunities include hubs such as Marcus Hook near Philadelphia, which serves as an export distribution center for natural gas..
Companies such as Ineos, based in Zurich, would transport liquefied shale gas to markets in Scotland, where fracking is banned, says Andy Bell, supply manager for Ineos America. "We're the largest petrochemicals company in the world," he says, and is now transporting liquid ethane out of Marcus Hook and into Britain.
Davin praised efforts by Consol Energy and the Pittsburgh International Airport and their lease agreement that allows Consol to drill on airport land. In turn, the airport receives sufficient revenues from lease bonuses and royalties to help reduce its operating costs. Add ethane processing into the mix, and Shell's project "is an absolute game changer" for the regional and state economy, Davin says.
While incentives helped attract Shell to the region, the real draw is the amount of natural gas in both the Utica and Marcellus shale plays, says Jerry James, president of Artex Oil, and the director of Shale Crescent USA, a group that is promoting southeastern Ohio as one of the most prolific natural-gas producing regions in the world.
"The United States is now the leading natural producer in the world," he says. "All of that growth in natural gas is coming from the Marcellus and Utica. We've not seen this in well over 100 years."
Feedstock to supply Shell's ethane cracker comes from the estimated hundreds of trillions of cubic feet of natural gas trapped in the Marcellus shale – a geologic formation that stretches from the north central part of Pennsylvania and into the southwestern sector of the state – and the Utica shale, which encompasses much of eastern Ohio. Geologists have estimated the Marcellus contains between 500 trillion and 800 trillion cubic feet of gas, and it's estimated the Utica holds more than 700 trillion cubic feet.
This abundance of natural gas led to the lowest commodity prices in the industrialized world, which is a large draw for energy-intensive manufacturers, James says. Another asset is the Ohio River, which provides a direct shipping lane to the Gulf of Mexico. And, the region has a skilled workforce that can perform the work necessary to advance the industry. "We have one mission," he says of Shale Crescent USA, "and that mission is to tell the world about the world-class opportunities here."
Construction work on the Monaca plant itself isn't scheduled to begin until next year, and it will take about three years before the cracker is operational. A cracker plant converts ethane gas into polyethylene, a base ingredient used in most plastics and countless consumer products.
The Ironworkers' Gallik says his membership and the skilled trades would not only see benefits from the plant's actual construction, but also "all of the industry that's going to be coming for decades – all the ancillary projects. It's going to be a great way for a young man or a young woman to get a family-sustaining career and get a good start in life."
Gallik says training programs across the trades spend roughly $30 million a year in western Pennsylvania to develop the skills of new ironworkers in the Marcellus region.
Add the Utica region to this, and that number climbs to about $100 million. "This is a great opportunity to bring in new people, because the amount of construction jobs is going to be immense," he says.
That means other trades in Ohio and West Virginia will be needed to man the site as full-scale construction takes hold. "We'll be drawing workers from Ohio and West Virginia," Gallik says.
Drilling activity in both shale plays is substantially reduced since oil and gas prices collapsed during the fall of 2014. However, there are signs that the market is slowly picking up.
On average, 2,000 construction workers and tradesmen will be on-site, while the number of workers will peak at about 5,000, says the Allegheny Conference's Yablonsky. According to the American Chemistry Council, Shell is expected to invest in excess of $6 billion in the plant, hire 600 permanent employees, and produce more than three billion pounds of polyethylene from the operation, he says.
Moreover, Yablonsky says more than 3,000 people will be required to supply the cracker once it's fully operational, he notes. "I'm getting calls every day," he says of potential suppliers to the project. "I'm sure Shell is getting more, and my understanding is that they're going to use as many goods and services from a 100-mile radius as they possibly can."
This is well within the range of businesses or locations across the border in the Mahoning Valley, Yablonsky says. The Mahoning County line, for example, is just 40 miles away, while Columbiana County communities such as East Palestine are less than 15 miles away from the site. The impact of the project should also stretch into southwestern Pennsylvania and West Virginia. "All three states will be impacted, which is wonderful."
Yablonsky says the project is attracting attention from international plastics interests that are now considering this market, and he's hopeful that another cracker plant in Belmont County, Ohio, under review by PTT Global, will move forward.
Ultimately, the Monaca plant alone is anticipated to have a $4 billion annual economic impact to the tri-state region, Yablonsky says. "Seventy-two percent of customers are within 700 miles of this facility," he says.
Pictured: Royal Dutch Shell is building a $6 billion ethane cracker plant at this site in Beaver County, Pa.
Shenango Chamber Transitions Back to 'Business as Usual'
SHARON, Pa. — The Shenango Valley Chamber of Commerce is looking to continue its path back to "business as usual" as it moves into 2023, says David M. Grande, board president. 2022 was a transition year as in-person events were…
Scout Solar Moving into Former Catholic School in East Liverpool
EAST LIVERPOOL, Ohio – "A big place with big plans" is how Matt Brophey, project executive, describes the Scout Solar company's new local headquarters in the former St. Aloysius Catholic School. The Tempe, Arizona-based solar company recently struck deals with…
Penn-Northwest Awarded $100K for Homegrown Initiative
HERMITAGE, Pa. – Penn-Northwest Development Corp. on Monday announced additional funding for the Homegrown Initiative, a project of Penn-Northwest's Future Leaders group. First funded with a $200,000 grant from Pennsylvania's Department of Community and Economic Development in 2021, the commonwealth…


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HUSKER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Haiby Named Conference Freshman of The Week
Feb 4, 2019 @ 1:35pm
LINCOLN–(NU Athletics)–Nebraska's Sam Haiby earned the first Big Ten Women's Basketball Freshman-of-the-Week award of her career when the conference office announced its weekly honors on Monday, Feb. 4.
Haiby, a 5-9 guard from Moorhead, Minn., put together her best week in conference play by averaging 15.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in just 19.5 minutes per game off the bench for the Big Red. She hit 66.7 percent of her shots from the field (10-15), including 75 percent (3-4) of her three-point attempts while connecting on 87.5 percent (7-8) of her free throws.
Haiby capped her week with a team-high 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting against Indiana. She opened the week with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in just 17 minutes in a win at Purdue. Haiby set a career high by hitting a trio of three-pointers against the Boilermakers, including a running half-court buzzer beater to end the third quarter.
In eight quarters, Haiby hit four shots to close quarters, including a buzzer-beating driving layup the length of the court to end the third quarter against Indiana.
For the season, Haiby is averaging 10.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 21.5 minutes per game as one of the Big Ten's most productive freshmen. She joins fellow Husker Leigha Brown among the list of Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week honorees in 2018-19. Brown earned the honor on Jan. 7.
Haiby shared the Big Ten Freshman-of-the-Week award with Michigan's Naz Hillmon, who captured her fourth weekly award of the season. Haiby, Brown and Hillmon will square off against each other on Thursday in Ann Arbor when the Huskers take on Michigan. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., with live television coverage by BTN.
ALSO READ: Husker Women's Basketball: Nebraska comes up short against Indiana.


At Team Tactics, we have a huge variety of events to choose from. We have chosen one of our newest events 'Zorb-Olympics' to be our event of the month for June. This activity is available anywhere in the UK and works well as its own stand-alone activity but can, of course, be combined with other options (like our Summer Paella Party).
This is an outdoor event. Typically we would ask you to join us at a prearranged time. Either we can source an outdoor area, or you can. Typically setting up takes around an hour and a half. It is important that the selected location either has parking there or in the immediate vicinity.
School Sports Day – A fun mixture of all of the all time classics such as three-legged-race, egg and spoon race, (rubber) javelins. Although this is supposed to be a purely fun activity, this quickly becomes a hotbed of competitiveness.
Giant Football Darts – This is a great opportunity to test your accuracy and have great fun to boot! At this station there is a giant inflatable dartboard with Velcro on it. You have to kick footballs at it, as they will stick there is no way to dispute your accuracy (or lack thereof!).
Zorb Football – This is pretty much what it sounds like: delegates wear body zorbs and run around playing football. There are two ways to go about this: 1. Play football like civilised gentlemen. 2. Knock over the opposing team, then score by dribbling the ball in between them as they attempt to stand. It inevitably descends into the latter, and it never gets old watching the transition as people really start to take it to the limits.
Not only are there the above options but you can also swap these out for something else, such as: Archery Tag, Hungry Hippos, Last Man Standing.
Once we've totted up the scores, all that remains is to close the event by handing out medals and bubbly to the winning team. We then gather you all together for a big company photo (as below) and send you on your merry way with big smiles on your faces and grass stains on your clothes.


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Chris Castle	in Artist News, Must Reads, Songwriter News, Spotify Meltdown	 June 1, 2018 241 Words
Must Read: @ChrisRizik: How Spotify Is Killing Jazz, Soul, Classical Music
[This is a must read post on the growing revolt against Spotify as the first known example of Orwell's versificator. As Chris Rizik notes, Spotify and its ilk are hardly saviors of music, more like destroyers of music and any popular culture that is more than a foot wide and an inch deep and a few years old. There's a reason why 10% of the music accounts for 90% of the revenue–and I think it's more like 5% acccounts for 95%.]
Two events happened recently that caught my attention:
Lil Pump, a 17 year old Miami rapper, signed an $8 million recording deal with Warner Bros.
Around the same time, one of the leading modern soul singers in the US celebrated on social media the one millionth stream of her latest song on Spotify. Her financial haul on it? Likely around $3,000.
Though these two stories appeared unrelated, they are instructive of the strange new world of music streaming payments, and the inherent bias against soul, jazz, classical and other genres of music aimed at adult listeners….
And while there has been a lot of press about how streaming initially reduced the overall payments to record companies and artists (which has since turned around), what hasn't been addressed as much is how streaming has changed which artists get paid. And, without a doubt, streaming has stacked the deck toward hip-hop, pop, and other genres whose listeners are teenagers and twenty-somethings.
Read the post on Hypebot
Pop is Killing Everything
Spotify is killing music
Five Reasons Why Apple Could Succeed as a Music Publisher — Music Tech Solutions
On Classics Act Sen Wyden Taps Into Portland's Peculiar Anti-Union Rich Man's Progressivism


Watching the corruption spread like an epidemic is at times interesting and at other times more painful than watching grass grow or my kittens sleep.
In a new report by the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), 13 members of the U.S. House were named as being the most corrupt – after Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX). In all, 11 Republicans and 2 Democrats. I'm not surprised by most of the names, although it's convenient that most of them are so-named because of their links to an indicted lobbyist named Jack Abramoff.
Check out the full report, here. The list hardly makes you happy that these guys were elected to office in the first place.


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https://rocketswire.usatoday.com/gallery/photo-gallery-game-4-houston-rockets-vs-oklahoma-city-thunder/
Photo gallery: Game 4, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
In the entire history of the NBA playoffs, out of more than 230 best-of-seven series to reach a 3-1 margin after four games, only 11 teams have recovered from that deficit to advance. For the team with three wins, that's typically a series win probability of more than 95 percent.
That's what the Houston Rockets have the chance to do in Monday's Game 4 of their first-round series against Oklahoma City, which tipped off at 3:00 p.m. Central and is televised on TNT. Should they lose, the series would be tied, 2-2, and effectively becoming a "best of three" tossup.
Injured All-Star guard Russell Westbrook (right quad strain) continues to make progress for the Rockets, but he remained out for Game 4. Wednesday's Game 5 would seem to be a realistic target.
Aside from Westbrook's absence, Houston's top storyline could be whether MVP finalist James Harden can finally get comfortable versus Lu Dort, a rookie guard for the Thunder. Dort missed Game 1 with a knee sprain, and Harden dominated with 37 points on 54.5% shooting — including 46.2% on 3-pointers. Houston scored 123 points in that win.
But during the last two games, which Dort has played, Harden is averaging 29.5 points per game on 39.5% shooting, and just 20.8% on 3-pointers. The Rockets averaged 107.5 points in regulation in Game 2 and Game 3 (their lone loss), down more than 15 from their Game 1 total. Houston was one of the NBA's top offenses all year in net rating, but that has plunged to 91.0 in minutes that Dort has played this series.
Harden is now shooting 5-of-34 (14.7%) against Dort this season. Per NBA.com statistics, in data encompassing both the 2019-20 regular season and playoffs, that's the lowest percentage for Harden against any player that has guarded him for at least 30 total possessions.
Houston could also use better shooting from its supporting cast around Harden. In particular, Eric Gordon has struggled, having shot just 2-of-20 (10%) from 3-point range over Game 2 and Game 3. "We like what we're doing [on offense], we're just not making a lot of shots," head coach Mike D'Antoni said at Sunday's practice.
The Rockets, who won Game 2 with stifling second-half defense, also called themselves out for making too many defensive mistakes in Game 3.
"Throughout the course of the game, we just made too many mental mistakes and gave them opportunities to score," Harden said following Game 3. "It's that simple. … We made too many mental mistakes, and personnel driven, which gave them threes [3-pointers] or layups. We have to limit those opportunities. And we will, I think, in Game 4."
Monday's Game 4 is a "home game" for the Thunder, and to this point, the home team has won all three games in the first-round series. But since all playoff games are being held without fans at the NBA bubble in Florida, all that really means is additional virtual fans and more piped in "home" sounds through the public address system.
Take a look through the top photos from Monday's Game 4 at Disney World, and keep checking back to RocketsWire for postgame coverage and updates throughout the series. Game 4 is set for Wednesday.
NBA: Playoffs-Houston Rockets at Oklahoma City Thunder
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) warms up…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) warms up before game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) warms…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul (3) warms up with a team trainer before game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) points skyward…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) points skyward as he kneels with teammate during the playing of the national anthem before game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) stretches before…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) stretches before game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni looks on…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni looks on before game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan (right)…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Billy Donovan (right) preparers before game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Houston Rockets at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (right) wears a…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (right) wears a Los Angeles Laker jersey in honor of the late Kobe Bryant as he reacts during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (right) wears a Los Angeles Laker jersey in honor of the late Kobe Bryant as he shakes hands with Houston guard James Harden (13) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives against Houston Rockets forward Danuel House Jr. (4) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots a three point basket against Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) reacts…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) reacts during the first half against the Houston Rockets in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington (33) drives against…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington (33) drives against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts as…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts as he brings the ball up court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari (8) drives…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari (8) drives against Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni directs his…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni directs his players against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker (top) celebrates after…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker (top) celebrates after making a three point basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) talks with…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) talks with forward Ben McLemore (16) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Houston Rockets guard Russell Westbrook (right) wears a Los Angeles Laker jersey in honor of the late Kobe Bryant as he talks with an official during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) commits…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) commits an offensive foul against Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green (32) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots…
Aug 24, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots over Houston Rockets forward Robert Covington (33) during the first half in game four of the first round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports


For me it's the latter. Sure, I'll use Gogo every time I fly. I'll also think less, blog more and never get through my reading list. I'll never escape those streaming real-time stock quotes. As for catching up on emailâ€"the only time I actually really read it is on a planeâ€"forget that too. Gogo will start off on American and Virgin America this summer. Other airlinesâ€"trying to scrape every penny of revenue they can to offset fuel costsâ€"will likely follow.
But there was something niceâ€"actually one of the few things nice about flying these daysâ€"about being disconnected. Gogo isn't the first in-flight Wi-Fi service, but it sounds like it might be the one that goes mainstream. Gogo will run you a flat fee of $12.95 for flights three hours or longer and $9.95 for shorter trips. The speed is similar to what you'd get on your wireless card.


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Home News Mercedes respond to Instagram profile mystery
Mercedes respond to Instagram profile mystery
Date published: December 9 2020
Mercedes have reacted amusingly to news that Valtteri Bottas and George Russell had removed their Formula 1 teams from their respective Instagram profiles.
The Express had reported that "last month, Bottas' Instagram bio had a tag to Mercedes' F1 account – but that has since been deleted.
"Meanwhile, Russell has also removed all mention of Williams from his bio, which now just reads 'Formula 1 Driver'."
The insinuation of the story was that Russell could be poised to replace Bottas in the Mercedes team for 2021, even though the Finn already has a contract in place.
And the timing, straight after the Sakhir Grand Prix, related to Russell's impressive competitive debut for Mercedes.
Get your hands on the official Mercedes 2020 collection via the Formula 1 store
The 22-year-old, who was standing in for Lewis Hamilton while the seven-time World Champion sat out the race having contracted COVID-19, narrowly missed out to Bottas for pole position, but beat him off the start line to take a lead which he held until a botched double-stack pit-stop under the Safety Car dropped the duo out of the top three.
Even then, Russell overtook Bottas – admittedly with the Finn on the same set of old hard tyres as before his failed pit-stop – and still had a chance to catch Sergio Perez for the race win until he suffered a puncture.
But in response to the edited Instagram profiles, Mercedes have urged F1 fans not to read anything into it…although it's nice to know they are aware of what the rumour mill is producing!
"It's just an Instagram bio. Don't overthink it" with a suitable emoji is how the constructors' World Champions have tried to play down the situation, and indeed there may be no more to it than that.
Only time will tell.
But for Bottas in particular, finishing eighth in the Sakhir Grand Prix was not the end he wanted to a weekend in which he had the ideal chance to stamp his authority and show Mercedes have made the right decision in retaining his services for 2021.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted Bottas "did not shine" in the second of the two Bahrain races, and the 31-year-old driver has finished no higher than eighth in any of the last three grands prix.
But Wolff also said of a potential all-British line-up of Lewis Hamilton and Russell: "George is a Williams driver, he is signed up to Williams and our driver line-up is Valtteri and Lewis, so I don't see this as a realistic situation at that moment of time [2021].
"But I can understand it would be an interesting situation, both in the team and maybe a bit of a wild ride for all of us. Maybe we'll have that in the future."
Follow us on Twitter @Planet_F1, like our Facebook page and join us on Instagram!
George Russell Mercedes Valtteri Bottas
The Nearly Men: Felipe Massa
Why F1 has gone too early with the 2021 calendar
Ranking the 2021 driver line-ups of every team
Jenson Button exclusive: His stand-out F1 2020 moments
Jenson Button exclusive: On Hamilton and car v driver
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Business SpotlightNews
Spots are still available with PURE Academy in Wallaceburg
If you haven't signed up your child with the PURE Academy in Wallaceburg, there is still time to do so.
Tammy Chouinard, the Marketing Director for PURE, said they have multiple dance options available for all ages and budgets.
"We offer all types of dance including jazz, ballet, hip hop, lyrical and competitive. We have also recently introduced our brand new early years program called 'Bloom & Grow'." she said
"This program has been developed by some of our instructors and directors to ensure your child's gross and fine motor skills are consistently developed through our thoughtfully designed and tested syllabus."
Chouinard added: "Bloom & Grow offers your little one age 18 months to 5 years, a strong foundation for not only future dance but future success in all areas everyday life. The 'Tiny Seedlings' are the really little ones. They then advance to 'Little Sprouts' and finally the four and five-year-olds become 'Dancing Daisies.' There are different combo classes that you can take as well – it just depends on what your interests are."
Chouinard said anyone interested in signing up can do so by popping into their Chatham location, at 121 Heritage Road, calling their administrative team at 519-352-5000 or by visiting them online at www.pureacademy.ca.
"Our Chatham location is where we handle registrations for all three of our studios," she said.
Their Wallaceburg location is located at 1542 Dufferin Avenue in Wallaceburg, right across from No Frills in the plaza beside Your Hometown Deli.
"It's newly renovated," Chouinard said. "It is basically a brand new studio inside! New flooring, sounds systems and parent viewing windows were amongst a few of the upgrades. You will love it! Studio entrance is now on the east side of the building."
Chouinard said the dress code for PURE and their prices are all available on their website.
"Not everybody wants to call, or they might think about looking into it at 10 p.m. when we are not open," she said.
"This way when they have some down time from the kids they can go online, click on the location they are interesting in registering at and view a listing of all our classes. If they hover their mouse over a class, a small window will appear with more details including pricing, class and age ranges."
PURE has two shows a year, a Christmas-themed concert and a year-end recital.
"The 'Little Sprouts' are not quite ready yet by the Christmas show, but the 'Dancing Daisies' are and perform again in the end of year recital," Chouinard said.
"I'm looking forward to watching our 'Little Sprouts', the two and three-year-olds, take the stage in June. It's going to be so adorable to see them perform for their families on the big stage!"
Once again, for more details, visit: pureacademy.ca
– This story is sponsored content
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Home Love & Dating Gross: New Research Shows That 30 Percent of Tinder Users Are Married
Gross: New Research Shows That 30 Percent of Tinder Users Are Married
Dude, you probably shouldn't be on Tinder (Photo: Getty Images)
Avoiding single weirdos on Tinder is difficult enough, but new research has found that almost a third of users on the dating app shouldn't even be there in the first place because they're married. Yikes is right.
Business Insider reported on research from GlobalWebIndex (GWI), which surveyed 47,000 internet users around the world, found that 30 percent of the Tinder users it surveyed are married, while another 12 percent are in a relationship. 54 percent classified themselves as single, while 3 percent said they're divorced or widowed.
Some more interesting stats from the survey: 62 percent of Tinder users are male and 38 percent are female–which suggests that most married people trolling Tinder are male. It's also a young demographic, with 38 percent of the app's users between 16 and 24, and 45 percent between 25 and 34.
So, what does Tinder think about users' creepy behavior? The official line from the company is that the app is technically meant to be a platform for people to meet each other for a variety of reasons, whether for a date, or something platonic. "We never intended it to be a dating platform. It's a social discovery platform, facilitating an introduction between two people," Justin Mateen, Tinder's former chief marketing officer, told The Guardian in February 2014.
Call us crazy, but if a married man wants more platonic female friends, he probably shouldn't be swiping right to find them.
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This week, I've teamed up with my bilingual mamá friend Kris and her family of three. Kris shares with us a little about herself, family plus a great stress-free tip on how to teach kids a second language.
TMO: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.
Kris: Hi, I'm Kris! I'm a stay-at-home mom from Montreal, where I share a home with my very free-spirited 5-year-old son, Jude and my fiancé, Erich. When we aren't outside playing like monkeys at the park or exploring our city, we are home dancing to some tunes on the record player with the floors covered in Thomas the engine and his friends. Mom life, right!?
I also have a lifestyle blog called, Motherhood in Stilettos. What was once just a platform being used as form of self-expression, it quickly turned into a place where I help busy mamas cook up vegetarian recipes without breaking a sweat and I share some candid stories about motherhood. I also sneak in a bit of my favorite beauty products here in there.
TMO: What made you decide to teach your child a second language or multiple languages?
Kris: Being Haitian and Hungarian, I was raised in a multilingual family, but English and French were the dominant languages. Living in a French-speaking province and attending French school, I always knew that I was going to raise Jude with two languages like I was. I believe that by raising our child bilingual, will set him up for success. It will be helpful for his career, as well as traveling the world…If he decides to.
TMO: Does your significant other also speak more than one language at home? If so, do you feel it has helped your child in learning another language?
Kris: My fiancé was also raised in a multilingual home, with German, English and French. Unfortunately, he doesn't speak German (shh! Don't tell him I said that), but he is bilingual like myself. We have always been on the same page when it came to raising Jude bilingual, so it's great to have to the two of us teach him and help him along.
TMO:What are some roadblocks/struggles you've encountered along the way?
Kris: Jude isn't your typical dude. A little after he turned one, we knew that he was a little different from most babies his age. He wasn't responding to his name much and by 2 years old he regressed in his speech. Around this time last year, he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Having a big speech delay, proved to be very difficult to teach him a second language when he already had a hard time learning his mother tongue. I thought it was going to be impossible to teach him French, but even though he isn't exactly bilingual, we found a way to teach him that works.
We don't speak to him in full sentences in French, instead, we teach him key words in both languages. For example, when we ask him to sit down, we also say it in french "assieds-toi". We built a habit of that and now he repeats it on his own and can pick up the word when someone else uses it. This will help him greatly for when he will attend a bilingual school, where they alternate between English and French.
TMO: What's a tip you can give parents that are currently trying to teach their children more than one language but are finding it to be too difficult?
Kris: If your child can't pick it up now and it's become stressful, don't give up! Find a fun way to teach them. One of the best ways is using your child's interests. Jude LOVES trains! We've taught him almost everything that he knows by using them. He's learned his colors, numbers, alphabet and shapes.
TMO: Je vous remercie Kris for opening up about your bilingual parenting journey. Such a great idea to get kids interested in another language through their own interests. Absolutely love that Jude has learned so much via his train toys. That's just brilliant! Way to go mom and dad.
Stop by Kris' beautiful blog Motherhood in Stilettos to see her latest vegetarian recipes and candid stories about motherhood.
Ladies this is beautiful. Kris I love so much that you didn't just give up on teaching Jude. Although he learns differently than others he still learns. I think it's so important to find your child's interest and help them learn from there.


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Jared Guilmett
ALL ABOARD! CITY'S 125TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY STARTS EARLY WITH 'QUASQUICENTENNIAL' OF LACONIA PASSENG
LACONIA, N.H. – Celebrate Laconia plans to begin celebrating Laconia's 125th anniversary a few months early with an old-fashioned train-focused festival August 19 marking the 'quasquicentennial' of the Laconia Passenger Station.
The daylong celebration of the station's birthday will take attendees back in time to when passenger trains thrived in Laconia. Festivities will include train rides, dignitaries, exhibits, food, shopping and music—including a barbershop quartet that will serenade passengers during 50-minute train rides.
Most of the events will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Veterans Square, where the Laconia Passenger Station opened in 1892 for the Boston and Maine railroad, bustled through the 1950s, and still stands today as one of the city's most iconic structures.
"The 'anniversary train' is leaving the station a little early, and for good reason," said Pamela Clark, President of Celebrate Laconia, a group of local citizen volunteers. "Though Laconia's 125th anniversary isn't until 2018, the Laconia Passenger Station is too important to our city's history not to include its anniversary in our celebration of the city's past."
The inaugural event to start the city's anniversary celebration will begin in Veterans Square near Downtown at 11 a.m., with opening ceremonies hosted by radio personality Pat Kelly. It will feature dignitaries, such as former mayors Rod Dyer and Paul Fitzgerald. Pleasant Street School students will sing.
Afterward, historians will give lectures on the station and the Laconia Streetcar Company at nearby Gale Memorial Library. Trains will offer rides throughout the day as barbershop quartet Lakes Region Chordsmen performs on all rides. Bank of New Hampshire is the Conductor Sponsor for the rides.
Vendors will set up in and near the square, Downtown stores will open, and there will be a pig roast at 4 p.m. at Local Eatery, 21 Veterans Square.
More event details will be released as the date draws nearer. The following schedule of musical performances has been set for the event, being sponsored by Binnie Media, Trustworthy Hardware and Denoncourt, Waldron & Sullivan, PA:
• 11:30 a.m. – noon – New Horizons • 12 p.m.-2 p.m. – Annie & the Orphans (classic rock.) • 2 p.m.-4 p.m. – Tyler Road (bluegrass) • 4 p.m.-6 p.m. – The Rockin' Daddios
Celebrate Laconia will hold a general public meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28 at the Woodside Building at Taylor Community, 435 Union Ave in Laconia. Area residents are invited to learn more or sign up to be volunteers, vendors or sponsors.
Celebrate Laconia Announces New Board of Directors
City on the Lakes turns 125 in style
The Celebration of the Summer
Celebrate Laconia
Laconia, NH 03247-6502
connect@celebratelaconia.org
© 2018 by Celebrate Laconia. Site by JMG Marketing.


L.L. Bean and Essie: An Unlikely Tuesday Fashion Inspiration!
This weekend I needed a little pick me up, so I treated myself to a manicure on Saturday afternoon. I know that manicures are an unnecessary expense, but this one little extravagance brings me so much pleasure every time I catch a glimpse of my colorful manicured nails, that in my opinion this little luxury is always worth the the splurge!
This week I was brave with my color choice and I went for a deep rosy purple shade that I had never tried before: Essie Angora Cardi!
Also, all the pieces I have featured today are from L.L. Bean Signature! Have you seen this new line by L.L Bean? I was shocked when I saw the catalog. Goodbye snow shoes, hello suede handbag! L.L. Bean's new line holds true to the company's rugged sporty roots, while also being infused with more classic, chic, wearable pieces. Now I'll admit that not every piece here is LESS, but I do believe that these pieces are all timeless, priced fairly, and great quality.
Here's a look at a few of my favorite pieces from the new L.L Bean Signature line!
I never thought the day would come that an L.L Bean leather handbag was on my wish list, but it is true! Isn't this pebbled leather chocolate handbag beautiful?
Did you enjoy this nail color inspired outfit and is this a series you would like to see more of?
LOVE the nail color inspired outfit--manis & pedis are great splurges. Also, fabulous outfit picks--it's hard to believe LL Bean & Lands End (have you seen their Canvas line?) are so stylish. You chose great pieces!
Love that LL Bean stuff! I saw a bag in Lucky (maybe?) and love it!!
I love this post! Cute idea. And I hadn't seen this new LL Bean line. That bag is awesome.


25 people were shot dead at the Bardo Museum in Tunis in a cowardly terrorist attack. The most terrifying thing is that it seems that because just one Briton was a victim of the harrowing attack, there was extremely low coverage in the UK. Especially avoiding the fact ISIS are getting scarily closer to home. According to BBC News online, the third shooter is currently 'on the run'. It is a very haunting time for the West and the fact that a member of One Direction receives more media coverage is beyond wrong.
Solar eclipse - the ethereal event took place on Friday at 09:23am - stats from BBC News online said that 83% of the UK should be able to watch the rare event - yet typical British weather seemed to have other ideas. Few were able to get a decent view, yet most just saw the same grey clouds were oh so familiar with.
Northern Lights were also seen from parts of the UK - now that's something I'd love to see. One for the bucket list I think!
The Mancunian rock music venue, The Roadhouse, has announced it will be closing it's doors and will host a final show on the 31st May 2015. Located in the Northern Quarter among many hidden gems to hear some of the best music the North has to offer, The Roadhouse has been hosting events for 22 years. Hosting gigs to the likes of The White Stripes, Coldplay, Elbow, Muse, the list continues, many tributes through social media poured in since the announcement. Guy Garvey, Elbow frontman and Manchester local announced that there should be a bronzed statue appear somewhere in the city of Roadhouse boss, Katy Mountain for her huge contributes to the music scene over the years. I'm all for it!
YEEZY ANNOUNCED FOR GLASTO - BUT IS HE WELCOME?
120,000 at present have signed the online change.org petition against his spot on the headliner's line up. There has been huge uproar about how the people who have signed, and even the creator of the petition, Neil Lonsdale, have never actually attended Glastonbury themselves.
Is it wrong to call this headline announcement 'a musical injustice' - or should we be grateful that such a well established festival associated with a specific genre of music is able to create a diverse line-up to cater everyone's needs?
Radio 1 announce cuts on live broadcasts and the coverage of festivals. There is supposedly a cut from 250 down to 160 live evening sessions per year. The change comes since it was 'approved by the BBC Trust and is being put forward in order to save money' according to sources at NME.
It would seem that music is being seriously reprimanded this week. There is anger raised over tax payers money which provides for the BBC services, including Radio 1 via social media and so the cuts have not been accepted lightly by the general public. Also Madonna became Radio 2 territory. She is just too old for Radio 1's apparent hip & young listeners. Do you think she should still be broadcast over the Radio 1 channel?
Pretty Little Liars. I've been following this series for what is coming up to five years! In Tuesday's episode Alison's trial announced the 'Pretty Little Liar' GUILTY and were one week away from finally finding out who 'A' is. Sleepover plans are in place, and it is more than likely the day my life changes. It is such a big deal to those who have been following the American ABC Family show for all this time. I hear the series is now available on UK Netflix, so you have until Tuesday to power through 5 seasons. Get serial-watching! You seriously won't regret it.


Mochizuki, Ken. Baseball Saved Us: 25th Anniversary Edition. Illus. by Dom Lee. Lee & Low, 1993/2018. [32p.] $17.95. 978-1-88000-001-4.
In this picture book for older readers, a boy describes how his father led several parents to build a baseball diamond at their Japanese Relocation camp during World War II, because he felt the internees needed something positive to do to occupy their time.
The book begins with an author's note giving a brief explanation of why the Japanese-Americans were interned during the war, and then the narrative consists of a few paragraphs of text per page. This would make a great read-aloud for 3rd-5th grades, when students are learning about California and U.S. history.
The dramatic scratchboard illustrations are dominated by sepia colors, which helps convey the time period and the overall seriousness of the story. But the book is joyful, too, as the children devote their time to playing baseball. Even if they cannot escape, they can get the ball over the fence.
It is surprising that many adults and children are unfamiliar with the Japanese Relocation atrocity that occurred during the war. Growing up in the Bay Area, many of my classmates were children of the relocated children, so it was included in our social studies classes (but not the textbooks). It is still just a few sentences in most textbooks, and those young internees are aging and less likely to visit schools and talk about their experiences, so books like Baseball Saved Us are essential.
The book is also relevant as it relates to recent incarceration of refugee children who enter the U.S. and are separated from their parents. That practice raised the question of how it was similar to Japanese-American relocation and how that was unconstitutional. Older children will find the book helpful in learning about the previous incidents and then can discuss the current situation in class.
Many teachers will find this useful if led to it by librarians; the publisher offers a teacher's guide that can facilitate its use in the classroom: www.leeandlow.com/books/baseball-saved-us/teachers_guide . Only the author and illustrator notes are revised in this anniversary edition, but libraries will likely need it to replace the worn earlier editions.
Hollander, Matilde R. Directions. Illus. by Nas Khan and Anthony Gout. Bilingual Books, 2018. $14.99 (paper). 978-1-4951-9244-9.
Berkeley author and educator Matilde Hollander offers her third picture book written in several language, to empower parents to read to their preschoolers in the home language. As with her previous book My Five Senses (2015), the text is printed in nine languages on each page: English, Spanish, Chinese, French, Arabic, Japanese, Russian, Hebrew, German, and Hindi. Illustrated with full color photos, the children in each photo represent a broad culturally diverse group.
Directions is an informational story about the concepts or right and left, east and west, and north and south. The descriptions are very easy for a preschooler to grasp, describing how the Sun can help determine direction. The final sentence describes how we all "share the same earth and sun," giving a nice message of unity.
Many preschoolers are learning their right from their left, especially as they begin dance class, so this is very useful. The explanation relating to the Sun is a great STEM lesson, showing that no one is too young to learn some basic science concepts. Both teachers and parents will find this useful, and the multi-lingual aspect is a big plus. Many day care providers and preschool teachers will want this for their collections.
Matilde Hollander is available for library and book store visits, to demonstrate read-aloud techniques in multiple languages. She is a former Montessori teacher and trainer, and is originally from Chile. Contact her at [email protected] to arrange for a visit.


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From the train station a promenade leads straight to the sea, lined with palm trees: The town is daydreamy, as if caught in an endless afternoon, all the shops about to close. The promenade saunters at leisure into a tree-lined square, then continues seaward:
Looking around to see how common this might be, I found an undated? All in all, over eight hundred people responded, the majority from the US and other English-dominant countries.
A few were binary- or cisgendered individuals who left hostile comments i. Others, despite describing their gender only as one of the binary genders without further comment, also indicated nontraditional pronoun preferences.
There are some other indications here and there of movement in the direction of they. People who for one reason or another are unhappy with gendered third-person pronouns have plenty of other optionsbut none of them seem to be gaining much momentum.
Although singular they is much more natural for English-speakers than ne or ve or ze or ey or xe, it's still not easy to get used to.
What is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay - A Research Guide for Students
Despite some experience, I still often misunderstand such references. And I find it hard to remember to use the right pronoun, even if, as one sympathetic young person put it, "They'll be insulted if you call them 'her'".
It doesn't seem very likely; but attitudes towards gender and gender roles have changed a lot over the last century, so who knows? Meanwhile, I'm surprised that there's not yet a band named Singular They.
Update — to clarify something that I failed to prevent several commenters from mistaking — I'm NOT talking about the use of singular they to refer to quantified or indefinite people, as discussed in many earlier LL posts. Or an exchange like this one: Is Mary coming to dinner? No, they texted me to say that they're not feeling well.
I would be grateful if you could provide a reference on their suitability for this post.
Elements of Story or Fiction - character, setting, plot, point of view, style, tone, theme
But in that example, the pronoun was a decent distance from its antecedent, and might have arisen due to recycling a generic letter template.Students will also write a word essay that demonstrates their understanding of the cultural aspects of Tai Chi. Evaluation will be based on attendance, effort in class, and a final performance that shows students can complete all learned movements with precision and coherence.
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Шиманово — топоним:
 Шиманово — ойконим в Польше ():
 Шиманово — деревня в Варминско-Мазурском воеводстве:
 Шиманово — деревня в Мронговском повяте (гмина Сорквиты);
 Шиманово — деревня в Острудском повяте (гмина Моронг);
 Шиманово — деревня в Великопольском воеводстве:
 Шиманово — деревня в Равичском повяте (гмина Равич);
 Шиманово — деревня в Сьремском повяте (гмина Сьрем);
 Шиманово — деревня в Шамотульском повяте (гмина Пневы);
 Шиманово — деревня в Люблинском воеводстве (гмина Ломазы в Бяльском повяте);
 Шиманово — ойконим в России:
 Шиманово — деревня в Смоленской области (в Вяземском районе).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Home > News & Reviews > The Temperance Movement
Rock 'N' Roll Redemption: The Temperance Movement Return With 'White Bear'
Wednesday, 20 January 2016	 Written by Simon Ramsay
Widespread critical acclaim for their chart-bothering debut album. The patronage of Jimmy Page. Supporting a little known band called the Rolling Stones. It's been a wildly successful few years for the Temperance Movement, and that heady ride looks set to continue courtesy of 'White Bear', their hugely impressive sophomore effort.
The dedicated British road dogs are currently racking up the miles as part of their latest UK tour and we spoke to guitarist Paul Sayer about the new album, the Stones, the value of experience and why it's worth building solid foundations.
How have you kept your feet on the ground after your wonderful recent experiences, because that kind of immediate success would send a lot of bands off the rails.
The thing about something like the Stones support is that it's almost like a holiday, it's not very connected to what you're doing on a day-to-day basis. And we're very aware, even when on stage playing to 80,000 people before the Stones, that a week later we'll be playing to a thousand people at one of our own shows. We've all done bits of touring and stuff like that before. We know how it works and know it can be quite a rocky road, and there'll be ups and downs. And normally, when there are downs, it's when you get a bit too cocky. So I guess: experience.
Everyone wants a glimpse behind the Rolling Stones curtain, so what was it like being in their orbit?
I guess the most obvious thing was that, in some ways, they're very similar to any other band out there. Before they go on stage every night they make sure they spend some time hanging out together, and the stuff that is on their mind is the same as us. Just on a very different scale. They're thinking about what the sound's going to be like on stage, what the crowd's going to be like, what day of the week is it, what kind of mood are people going to be in at the show. It's very reassuring in a way that, despite how huge they are, they still connect to their music in the same way.
Let's talk 'White Bear'. There were no expectations on your shoulders when you released your debut. Given the last few years, how different was it this time?
There was a little bit of pressure and expectation, which is cool, that's just the way it is. I guess once you've got a following you don't want to let your fans down with your next record, and at the same time we wanted to move on a bit musically. So, maybe getting the balance right between the two things. And also, just squeezing making a record into a fairly hectic touring schedule as well.
It sounds like you've taken the live energy from the road straight into the studio.
That maybe bled into the album a bit, but we're a very live band anyway and when we record it's live in the studio. We all play together and it's generally a complete, consistent take. So that's kind of in the DNA of the band.
Aside from Losing My Mind, there are less acoustic numbers on this record. Was that influenced by having to record quickly inbetween stints on the road?
Maybe. I think what we wanted to do with this album was get some of the light and shade from the first album, that you had across different songs, going on within the same song. Like White Bear, it's kind of very mellow in places and very full on in others. That's something we were quite conscious of I suppose.
There's much bigger production to this album, too.
I totally understand why you would say that, but the different sound is coming from the band. A lot of the sounds on the album which you might think are 'production', it is a form of production, but was done in the session as we were playing. We just had more time in the studio than the first record, to experiment and give each track a different sonic imprint.
Your debut was the sound of a group of mates making the music they loved for the fun of it, but 'White Bear' feels like a fully pumped up band who are determined to make the most of the opportunity they've been given.
When you make an album, it's just a representation of where you're at at that moment in time, and it's impossible to cover all your musical interests, influences or the stuff you love on one record. We felt like we'd made the first album and didn't need to make it again, and just wanted to explore something a bit different.
That's brave, because it would be easier to play it safe and do the same thing again.
I think you're quite aware that your fanbase is there and very loyal, and know there's a chance that if you make a record that sounds quite different, you may gain a load of new fans, but some of your old fans might not be into the new record. It's something that goes through your mind, but all you can really do is go in and make the best record you can, and to do that your heart has to really be in it so you can give it all the love and attention it deserves.
Luke [Potashnick] described your debut as being "about friendship, good times and redemption – losing your way, then finding it – over and over." How would you sum up 'White Bear'?
I guess redemption is a theme in the Temperance Movement, so there's a bit of that. But I know that lyrically Phil – who writes 99% of the lyrics – just wanted to have a bit more fun with words on this album. And although musically it may be a bit heavier - and I don't necessarily mean rockier, just deeper and wider - in some ways it's lighter, less introspective and a bit more of a look at society rather than a look inside yourself. Especially songs like Modern Massacre and Get Yourself Free. Even Hope I'm Not Losing My Mind, the sentiment is: 'I hope we're not losing our mind.' So it's a bit more universal.
Talking of redemption, there's a gospel quality to your music, with your choruses have a religious fervour to them and feeling like a profound release. What do you attribute that to?
I think, partly, it's because Phil comes from a church music background and having been brought up around quite a lot of religion, but not being too sure about it yourself. And almost poking fun at it is a pretty good representation of what's going on inside him.
Since finishing the record Luke has quit the band and been replaced by Matt White. What happened?
It's pretty uninteresting. He just doesn't want to be away [touring] as much as we are. There wasn't a big fall out or anything like that. Matt is someone I've known for years and most the other guys in the band have known him, or at least met him at times over the years, and he comes from a similar background to us, which is a fairly sort of session musician theme.
Oh Lorraine has huge crossover potential and, for me, is a hit single in waiting given the right exposure. How hard is it to get on the radio or a show like Jools Holland?
Well, we haven't been on Jools Holland so I guess my answer would be quite hard. Honestly, it's hard for anyone to get on the radio and get a great slot on a TV show. Maybe it's a bit harder for us because we're on quite a small indie label, and because of the kind of music we make, or the perception of the music we make. We get great radio play from your speciality rock stations, but your average national radio station, they're fairly narrow in the music that they represent and where they're placing themselves.
How ambitious are you guys?
I think we're very ambitious, but to me ambition isn't dreaming about filling a stadium, it's about putting everything you've got into making sure you achieve the next thing down the line. There's not really any point in me sitting here and saying 'In two years time I wanna be at Wembley Arena'. Before we do that we need to get to Brixton Academy and the Roundhouse. That's what I'm really hungry to achieve, because then I know from there you move to the next step and the next, and that's how you end up in Wembley Arena eventually. It's having your eyes set on the things that are actually within reach and making sure you're doing everything to get there.
How can you ensure this record reaches as many people as possible?
Just make the best music you can, whether it's in the studio or every show you play. I'm a firm believer that if you somehow manage to jump a step on the ladder it'll come back to bite you. I don't think there's really a quick route to a healthy career. There might be a quick route to doubling your audience, but if it's not built on a strong foundation, at some point you will find yourself back down a couple of steps. When I speak to people about our band it feels like things have happened very quickly, and they have, but by us being out there and playing a lot of shows and people being into it, not really by jumping any steps.
The fact we haven't had huge support from TV, if you look at that in a positive way, we've managed to get the band to where it is without the support of TV and national radio. So if those guys do come on board at some point, it will notch things up again. And we'll have the foundation of all these people that have discovered us through word of mouth, friends or because they're really into a certain type of music and buy the right magazines. Hopefully you end up with both types of people at your show, which is the perfect situation.
What do you feel when you hear people claiming rock 'n' roll is dead?
Well, I just think come to a Temperance Movement show and stand with 2000 other people that don't think it is. Honestly, I don't worry too much about all that kind of stuff. I don't think of us as a rock 'n' roll band or a blues-rock band or whatever you want to call it. I just think of us as the Temperance Movement and don't really feel a part, or not a part, of various genres or scenes. I just think we're us.
The Temperance Movement Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed January 20 2016 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Thu January 21 2016 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 Academy Newcastle
Fri January 22 2016 - LEEDS Leeds Beckett Students Union
Sun January 24 2016 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy 2
Mon January 25 2016 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
Tue January 26 2016 - CARDIFF Cardiff University Students Union
Wed January 27 2016 - LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town
Click here to compare & buy The Temperance Movement Tickets at Stereoboard.com.
The Temperance Movement Tour Dates
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