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Manufacturing confidence
Iain Scott
Senior Strategic Analyst, Global Life Sciences Centre
Iain Scott is a lead analyst at Ernst & Young's Global Life Sciences Center, where he manages thought leadership programmes and conducts research across the sector.
Read more from Iain Scott
In spite of the worst recession for decades, manufacturers are optimistic about their prospects.
It is not hard to grasp the difficulties facing manufacturing companies today. Newspaper headlines tell stories of falling orders, plant closings, asset sales and job losses in the thousands.
But a global survey of manufacturers conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit in February and March found that, although a high proportion are affected by the downturn, a surprisingly large number—given the economic gloom—say they are optimistic about prospects for business over the next 12 months. Many express confidence in their ability to retain customers and attract new ones, to expand into new markets and secure a resilient supply chain. Others see the slowdown bringing with it opportunities, from hiring talented workers to redesigning products and processes.
Whether this optimism is justified may not become evident for some time. Separate Economist Intelligence Unit research suggests that, although economic stimulus packages currently under way have a 60% chance of restoring stability by 2010-11, there remains a 20% probability that the world economy will enter a depression.
There is no doubt that on a range of issues, including access to capital, profitability, return on equity and ability to increase output, many respondents to our survey believe that their companies cannot achieve the targets they were reaching a year ago. What emerges from our survey and from subsequent interviews with senior executives is that manufacturers acknowledge the problems they face and the need to cut costs. But they also have clear ideas about implementing progressive strategies—not just to ride out the storm, but also to emerge in a stronger position once economic recovery is in sight.
Key findings from the survey are highlighted below.
Companies reveal a surprising level of optimism given the economic gloom. The largest proportion (28%) of respondents say they are affected by the recession and expect their company's business prospects to deteriorate. By contrast, the second-biggest group (24%) see the outlook as good and expect business prospects to improve in the next 12 months. However, the balance of negative and positive results suggests that our respondents are uncertain about the likely length and depth of the downturn.
Few companies are anticipating a prolonged downturn in business, although 2009 will be a tough year. Many respondents (39%) expect conditions to improve for their company's business within 24 months, compared with almost one-half (47%) who see this as applicable to their sector as a whole. Meanwhile, 34% anticipate an upturn in business within the next year, and only 10% believe that an improvement will not be felt within the next two years.
Manufacturers face a wide array of challenges in the current downturn. More than half of the respondents are pessimistic that pressure on prices will have a large negative impact on their businesses in the next year. This pressure is also seen as affecting the outlook for manufacturers' customers, with some 62% citing this as a concern. "We see it clearly in that many of our customers all over the world are becoming very careful with their capital investments," says Nils Bjorkman, executive vice-president responsible for worldwide commercial operations at Tetra Pak. Strong pessimism was also expressed about availability of credit and exchange-rate movements (both 26%), while supply base stability and energy costs (both 22%) also rank highly as negative factors.
Cost-cutting emerges as the most common means of responding to the economic downturn's impact on business. Many respondents say staff and benefits cuts (44%) would do most to improve their cash positions, followed by new partnerships with low-cost suppliers (41%) and reduced energy consumption (36%). "Pushing back on costs" was cited by the largest group of respondents (62%) when it came to ensuring the resilience of their supply chains. Lay-offs are a big part of this—Boeing, for example, recently announced cuts from its commercial aircraft unit of 4,500 jobs, or almost 7% of the division's workforce.
Supply chain resilience is seen as a critical factor in business survival. The failure of suppliers' businesses emerges as the greatest concern, with 63% of the manufacturers surveyed citing this as having an immediate impact on their own supply chains and 56% seeing this as hampering their procurement strategy. The problem is acute in the car industry supply chain, where specialisation and extreme interdependency mean that the failure of even one or two small firms can bring vehicle assembly lines to a halt. In addition, more than one-half of respondents cite lack of access to capital (56%) and energy and raw material price volatility (55%) as having an immediate impact on their supply chains.
Many manufacturers see the downturn as a time to enhance their efficiency. The biggest group of respondents (63%) believe improvements to operational efficiency, both externally by rationalising supply lines and internally by using downtime to work on enhancing process efficiency, will do most to enhance their company's competitiveness, whereas almost one-half cite changes to their organisational structure (46%). Investing in research and development (R&D) for product and process innovation (45%) also remains important.
Companies see a variety of business benefits emerging from the recession. Almost one-half (45%) of respondents see the growing availability of talented workers as helping their business, compared with 42% who point to the advantages of reduced competition as other companies in their sector fail. Meanwhile, merger and acquisition (M&A) possibilities rank highly (39%) as business opportunities, along with lower interest rates (37%). For Hewlett-Packard (HP), a manufacturer and supplier of computers and printers, the acquisition of EDS, a technology services company, in May last year has generated new business in helping clients to cut their costs. "Outsourcing is fabulous," says Maurice FitzGerald, head of Strategic Initiatives at HP's technology solutions group for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. "In our EDS business, the outlook for sales has never been in better shape. What that says is more large corporations are considering outsourcing for short- and medium-term cost cutting."
Key findings: Companies reveal a surprising level of optimism given the economic gloom Few companies are
Lean and green
If companies are looking to cut costs, one strategy allows them to do so while also addressing another big issue—
Chips with less fat: Intel's approach to the downturn
For Intel, a US semiconductor maker, the economic slowdown is providing valuable breathing space in which to conduct a
Transforming data into action
As businesses generate and manage vast amounts of data, companies have more opportunities to gather data, incorporate insights into business strategy and continuously expand access to data across the organisation. Doing so effectively—leveraging data for strategic objectives—is often easier said than done, however. This report, Transforming data into action: the business outlook for data governance, explores the business contributions of data governance at organisations globally and across industries, the challenges faced in creating useful data governance policies and the opportunities to improve such programmes. Learn more by downloading our whitepaper below.
Rethinking professional services in an age of disruption
With the help of machine learning, some law firms are reinventing themselves as legal services software companies that sell licences rather than advice. Large global accounting and consulting firms are taking some of their services in a similar direction, for instance in the area of regulatory compliance. Some manufacturing firms have expanded into digital services, offering other firms help with supply-chain management, product design and prototyping.


text:
using System;
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Measures extended to protect businesses in Wales from eviction
You are here: Home »	News & Views » Measures extended to protect businesses in Wales from eviction
Businesses in Wales affected by the Covid-19 pandemic will be given protection from eviction until next March.
The announcement by the Welsh government's economy minister Vaughan Gething, will see the 'moratorium against forfeiture for the non-payment of rent', extended past the initial deadline of September 30, 2021, to March 25, 2022.
The protection has been put in place to ensure that landlords of relevant commercial premises are prevented from forfeiting the leases of such premises for non-payment of rent.
The economy minister said that tenant's should continue to pay rent 'wherever possible', and it is in the interests of both landlords and tenants to reach negotiated agreements on any arrears.
Ellis & Co Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers, Chester, North Wales and The Wirral - 01244 343504, info@ellis-uk.com
#businesssupport
#businessesinwales
#welshgovernment
#evictionsupport

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


(Nanowerk News) In a development that could lead to novel carbon composites and touch-screen displays, researchers from Rice University and the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology today unveiled a new method for producing bulk quantities of one-atom-thick sheets of carbon called graphene.
The research is available online in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
When stacked together, graphene sheets make graphite, which has been commonly used as pencil lead for hundreds of years. It wasn't until 2004 that stand-alone sheets of graphene were first characterized with modern nanotechnological instruments. Since then, graphene has come under intense scrutiny from materials scientists, in part because it is both ultrastrong and highly conductive.
"There are high-throughput methods for making graphene oxide, which is not as conductive as graphene, and there are low-throughput methods for making pure graphene," said lead co-author Matteo Pasquali, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and chemistry at Rice. "Our method yields very pure material, and it is based on bulk fluid-processing techniques that have long been used by the chemical industry."
Pasquali said the research team found it could dissolve graphite in chlorosulphonic acid, a common industrial solvent. The researchers had to devise new methods to measure the aggregation of the dissolved graphene flakes, but at the end the team was pleasantly surprised to find that the individual graphene layers in the graphite peeled apart spontaneously. The team was able to dissolve as much as two grams of graphene per liter of acid to produce solutions at least 10 times more concentrated than existing methods.
The researchers took advantage of novel cryogenic techniques for electron microscopy that allowed them to directly image the graphene sheets in the chlorosulfonic acid.
"We applied new methods that we had developed to directly image carbon nanotubes in acid," said co-author Yeshayahu "Ishi" Talmon, professor of chemical engineering at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. "This was no small feat considering the nature of the acid and the difficulty of specimen preparation and imaging."
Using the concentrated solutions of dissolved graphene, the scientists made transparent films that were electrically conductive. Such films could be useful in making touch screens that are less expensive than those used in today's smart phones. In addition, the researchers also produced liquid crystals.
"If you can make liquid crystals, you can spin fibers," said study co-author James Tour, Rice's T.T. and W.F. Chao Professor of Chemistry. "In liquid crystals, the individual sheets align themselves into domains, and having some measure of alignment allows you to flow the material through narrow openings to create fibers."
If the method proves useful for making graphene fibers in bulk, it could drive down the cost of the ultrastrong carbon composites used in the aerospace, automotive and construction industries.
The research was funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Department of Energy, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Welch Foundation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the USA-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Co-authors include Natnael Behabtu, Jay Lomeda, Micah Green, Amanda Higgenbotham, Alexander Sinitskii, Dmitry Kosynkin, Dmitri Tsentalovich and Nicholas Parra-Vasquez, all of Rice's Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology; and Judith Schmidt, Ellina Kesselman and Yachin Cohen, all of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology.


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Allen Smart
Principal of PhilanthropywoRx
Funding Excellent Healthcare
Allen Smart is a national spokesperson and advocate for improving philanthropic practice under his group –PhilanthropywoRx. He recently completed a role as the Project Director for a national rural philanthropic project supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and based at Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina. He regularly consults with regional and national foundations on rural and philanthropic strategies. He also recently served as the Interim Executive Director for The Foundation for a Healthy High Point. Allen is the former Interim President, Vice President of Programs, and Director of the Health Care Division at the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust- a $700 million statewide North Carolina funder. Prior to coming to the Trust in 2006, Allen was the Vice President of Programs at the Rapides Foundation, a healthcare conversion funder, in Alexandria, Louisiana. He has also served as Director of Community Development for a midwestern Catholic Hospital System and as Grants Administrator for the City of Santa Monica, California. Allen received his Master of Public Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago, his Master of Arts in Telecommunication Arts from the University of Michigan, and his Bachelors in Arts in Philosophy from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. As part of his personal and professional interest in philanthropy, Allen regularly writes for sites such as The Daily Yonder, Inside Philanthropy, Grantcraft, and GivingCompass, as well as presenting to national and regional organizations like Grantmakers in Health, Southeastern Council of Foundations, National Rural Assembly and the federal Office of Rural Health Policy. He is a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Rural Resource Hub at The University of North Dakota, the Board of Directors for Healthy Communities by Design, and the Board of the North Carolina Healthcare Association Foundation. He was previously the selection committee chair for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national Culture of Health Prize.


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Over the past 20 years, regeneration projects have sprung up across the UK, bringing back to life long neglected areas of our cities and reinventing towns whose traditional industries no longer fit with our modern way of life.
One such project, the regeneration of Castleford in West Yorkshire, does not just involve a facelift to the fabric of this former mining town, it entails an environmental renaissance, with the River Aire at its heart. Indeed, such is the interest, support and significance given to this particular regeneration project, it has become a TV first, with Channel 4 due to screen a major documentary series about it later this year. Progress has been filmed for four years, offering the British public a real insight into the process of regeneration and the challenges it presents for both the agencies that drive it and the contractors that deliver it.
Like many regeneration projects, Castleford has gained an iconic structure that not only enhances the town with a practical new route across the river, but also provides a symbol of the new era in the town�s history. Built at a cost of �4.8 million, the town�s new 131m footbridge weaves an undulating path across the river, linking the town centre on the north bank with areas of historic importance and natural beauty on the south bank.
The curved path of the bridge is supported across the river by four piers, which are anchored to the riverbed by piles driven into the riverbed. It was a challenging project for contractor, Costain, not least because of the swollen river conditions caused by the heavy rainfall during the summer months. The integrity of the piers � and stability of the bridge - depended on Costain�s ability to keep river water out of the piles and for this the contractor enlisted the help of pumping specialist, Sykes Pumps.
�The project required pumps capable of removing relatively large amounts of water from the piles,� explained Steve Booth from Sykes Pumps. �What�s more, because the piles were positioned a few metres [CC1] from the riverbank, the pumps had to be manoeuvrable enough to be floated out into position.
The pumps were kept running 24 hours per day throughout construction of the bridge to ensure that there was no water in the piles when the piers were put in position. Reliability of the equipment was critical, but Sykes Pumps fortnightly servicing and maintenance commitment ensured that this was never an issue.
Sykes Pumps provided the same assurance of pump efficiency for Costain�s other job on the River Aire, just a few feet away from the bridge. But on this job, the need for reliability was not only about getting the job done on time, but also about protecting the delicate eco-system on the riverbank.
Following an Environment Agency clean up, the stretch of the River Aire that passes through Castleford is in better shape than it has been for generations. The fish population, in particular the salmon population, is beginning to thrive, flanked either side by a riverbank that offers a rich natural habitat for a host of creatures including Cormorants, herons and otters. It�s a success story that The Environment Agency is keen to build upon and, to help fish stocks in the river continue to improve, the agency contracted Costain to build a �fish pass� or �salmon ladder� to help the salmon swim upstream to their spawning grounds.
The solution may have been simple but the practical requirements of putting the fish pass in place were less straightforward. Because the fish pass had to be constructed on the riverbed, large volumes of water had to be pumped away from the construction area, both while the fish pass was being built, and while the concrete dried. Once more, Costain brought in Sykes pumps to advise on the best pumping equipment to use for the job.
Sykes Pumps� response to the brief was to provide four Super Wispaset 100 super silenced pumps, all sited along the riverbank. Each pump is capable of pumping 45 litres of water per second and, with Sykes Pumps� unique 14-day service and maintenance inspection visits included as standard within the hire agreement, Costain could be confident that the equipment would pump away 180 litres of water per second around the clock.
Operating at a noise level of just 58-65 decibels the Super Wispaset 100s are far quieter than even most silenced pumps. Pumping the water away from the construction area both day and night was essential to the success of the project and the quiet operation of these pumps meant that Costain could achieve this with no risk of disturbing local residents or wildlife.
Work on both the bridge and the fish path is now almost complete, ready for the transformation of Castleford to be unveiled to the nation by Channel 4 later this year. Regeneration schemes across the country may include �riverside� residential developments, but few can boast a river that so much defines the heart of a newly invigorated town.


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Rediff.com » Movies » The Best of Nirmal Pandey
The Best of Nirmal Pandey
Even in a short career span, Nirmal Pandey created an impressive body of work.
Although, despite earning tremendous acclaim for his early films, the actor with his unconventional looks and approach never quite fit the conventional mould of a Bollywood hero.
And so instead he chose to play a menacing villain with characteristic creepiness in over-the-top fare like Auzaar, Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya and Hum Tumpe Marte Hain.
Pandey passed away on February 18, last month. He was only 48. His last film, Lahore, is due to hit the screens this Friday. Here's remembering the actor's most memorable performances.
Bandit Queen
As a student of National School of Drama, Pandey came in contact with filmmaker Shekhar Kapur courtesy batch mate and casting director Himanshu Dhulia during the pre-production of Bandit Queen.
Pandey was picked to play Vikram Mallah, a robust yet soft-hearted brigand in the much-controversial adaptation of legendary dacoit Phoolan Devi's life.
And while actress Seema Biswas, expectedly, won rave reviews for her astounding, uninhibited portrayal in the titular role, Pandey's dynamic presence certainly didn't go unnoticed.
Image: A scene from Bandit Queen
Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin
Putting his wild locks and earthy sensuality to good use, Pandey slipped into the skin of Aditya, a smug advertising executive caught in the middle of an underworld feud while dealing with his wife's realization of his infidelity, with charisma and conviction.
Thank to its bare-minimum promotion, Sudhir Mishra's intriguing one-night drama high on M M Kreem's haunting score was a non-starter at the box office.
As an aside, Mishra announced his intentions to make a sequel of the same, namely 2 Days, 2 Nights and A Morning with Abhay Deol, Irrfan Khan and Chitrangada Singh.
Image: A scene from Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin
Daayra
Considering his inclination towards unusual parts, Pandey's decision to play a transvestite in Amol Palekar's Daayraa, a powerful take on sexuality and its perception in Indian society, wasn't all too surprising.
Interestingly, Milind Soman was the original choice for this role.
Pandey's layered performance coupled with co-star Sonali Kulkarni's equally hard-hitting portrayal of a rape victim disguised as a man to avoid further persecution met with critical applause.
It also fetched him a Best Actress honour at the 1997 Valenciennes Film Festival, France, which he shared with Kulkarni.
Image: A scene from Daayra
Train To Pakistan
Indo-Pak border inhabited by a predominantly Sikh-Muslim population.
Here, Pandey gets back to his ethnic ways as a Sikh bandit in love with a Muslim girl (Smriti Mishra) bound to meet a tragic fate.
Nominated in the Best Film category at Cinequest San Jose Film Festival, the period drama met with mixed reviews even though the performances were well-received.
Image: A scene from Train To Pakistan
As the eternally gritty Shabana Azmi's trusted aid Jakhra in Godmother, Pandey proved he could shine even in a supporting part.
Directed by Vinay Shukla, Godmother, said to be inspired by the true-life story of Santokben Jadeja won five National awards for (Best Actress, Music, Lyrics, Editing, Male Playback Singer) features Pandey at his grave, restrained best.
Image: A scene from Godmother
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UncategorizedJudge's ruling supports City College, smacks down accreditors
Judge's ruling supports City College, smacks down accreditors
Karnow says the ACCJC broke the law — and paves the way for the Legislature to reform or abolish it
The legal team that beat the ACCJC: Ron Flynn, Yvonne Mere, Sara Eisenberg, Dennis Herrera, Tom Lakritz, and Matthew Goldberg
JANUARY 16, 2014 – The decision by Judge Curtis Karnow in the City College case is a clear victory for the school – and might be the beginning of the end for the accrediting agency that tried to shut it down.
It also provides a good argument for the end of the special trustee and a restoration of power to the elected college board.
"This is a wonderful, outstanding day for San Francisco," City Attorney Dennis Herrera said at a press conference this afternoon.
The city didn't get everything; the judge didn't completely vacate the decision by the Accrediting Council for Community and Junior Colleges. Karnow didn't agree that the decision to yank accreditation was driven by the ACCJC's political agenda.
But he made two critically important rulings that will change the future of City College and possibly of accreditation in the future.
First, by entering the ruling in this case, Karnow confirmed that the State of California does, indeed, have jurisdiction over the ACCJC. The agency in the past has insisted that it's above California law, that it is an independent entity whose practices and operations are subject only to approval by the federal Department of Education.
When the state Legislature sought to audit the ACCJC, agency officials refused to participate.
Teachers' union President Tim Killikelly and Assemblymember Phil Ting discuss the impact of the City College decision
Karnow's decision makes clear that's not the case. "The ruling clearly states that the people of the state of California have oversight over this agency," Assemblymember Phil Ting said in a conference call with reporters this afternoon.
That means, of course, that the state Legislature – where the ACCJC is radically unpopular – could move to either reform the rules for accreditation – or, as Ting suggested, simply replace the ACCJC as the sole accreditor for community colleges in California.
"We have to ask, is this the right body to oversee accreditation in the state?" Ting said.
I would be shocked in the Legislature didn't start another audit, hold hearings on the ACCJC, and come up with some sort of effective legislation forcing the agency to clean up its act.
Second, Karnow ruled unequivocally that the ACCJC broke the law in its handling of the City College decision. "The people have proven that the ACCJC violated the unlawful prong of the [Unfair Competition Law]," Karnow wrote.
That means that the decision revoking City College's standing in 2103 was illegal. And while the decision doesn't say that the entire process has to be started over, some of it clearly does.
"Word has gone out to the accrediting agencies all over," Herrera said. "They have to abide by the law."
This is, Herrera noted, the first time to his knowledge that a judge has ever rendered this type of decision.
So now City College has a choice: Continue forward with a bogus and unfair "restoration" process – or tell the ACCJC that it wants the process that led to the 2013 decision started over again.
And that seems to be the direction the school is going. Chancellor Art Tyler released this statement:
"When today's ruling is finalized by the judge, we will take the opportunity to ask the Commission to reconsider its termination decision and will present evidence, as we have for the last two years, of our continued progress and commitment to meeting the accreditation standards."
Herrera's office, as the winning party here, now gets to draft an order for the judge to sign that will put his ruling into effect. Herrera wouldn't comment on what that order might include, but he said that it will "assure that City College is protected."
The larger implication of all of this is fascinating.
The state chancellor, who put the special trustee in charge of City College and disempowered the elected board, did so – in his own admission – only because of the ACCJC's accreditation decision.
If that decision was, as Kramer's ruling confirms, illegal, then we could certainly argue that the imposition of the special trustee was improper. Which would mean that the state should immediately restore governing authority to the elected board.
Herrera didn't want to address that, since it's not part of the case, but Tim Killikelly, the head of the City College teachers' union, did.
"This should be a springboard for action for the state to rein in this rogue agency and restore the elected trustees to power," Killikelly said.
That action is in the hands of the state chancellor – but he will be under pressure from the city, the Legislature, and labor to recognize that the problem he sought to solve was created by an unlawful, unfair process.
Oddly, the ACCJC has given no signs of wanting to appeal the ruling. In a somewhat bizarre statement on its website, the agency insisted:
"Judge Karnow essentially found that the ACCJC did not do anything wrong with respect to its decisions regarding the accreditation of CCSF." The statement concludes: "Now that the trial is over, now the focus can hopefully (sic) return to the restoration of CCSF's accreditation status."
How you can go from a judge saying you broke the law to a spin statement saying you did nothing wrong boggles the mind – and reflects that attitude of denial that has taken the ACCJC to this position in the first place.
BTW: I know it's hard to write a story on a tight deadline when you're dealing with a 70-plus-page complicated legal ruling, but to read the Chron, you'd think Herrera's office lost. And Bob Egelko usually does a good job with legal stories.
The ruling wasn't a complete slam-dunk win, but it was pretty good: "We didn't get 100 percent, but I'll certainly take 80 percent," Herrera told me.
The bottom line is that the ACCJC is now in serious trouble and everyone knows it can't be trusted to do fair evaluations with its current leadership and process. Smells like victory to me.
ACCJC
Dennis Herrera
Phil Ting
Tim Killikelly
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This article is part of an occasional series on 'The Political Aesthetics of Power and Protest,' the subject of a one-day workshop held at the University of Warwick this September. Democracy, since it does not function through command or coercion, requires instead a constant renewal of sets of symbols - symbols which appeal to people and instil in them a sense of belonging and identification. Increasing disenchantment and disillusion with the state, with political institutions, their practices and performance, makes it more important to explore the place of this aestheticisation of political language, the aesthetics of protest as well as of power.
The judges of the UK Supreme Court in their gold-decorated ceremonial robes of office were on the pedestrian crossing, sandwiched between the ordinary paraphernalia of road works. With great nonchalance they dodged between a jumble of pedestrians and turned right into the gated space of the Abbey's grounds. Calm descended on their progress as they now moved in a more orderly fashion, receding from view against a backdrop of the Abbey's raising buttresses and gothic arches.
The first occasion I encountered these gilded judges crossing the road was on the October 1, 2009, the first day in the life of the UK's Supreme Court. The second time was the October 3, 2011. Both dates were the occasion of what is an annual event, the 'Judges Service' at Westminster Abbey. It is a religious service that marks the start of the legal year. The judges of the UK Supreme Court walk in their ceremonial judicial robes from the courthouse on Parliament Square to Westminster Abbey and join a congregation of other judges drawn from all levels of the court system to participate in a ceremony described on the Abbey's website as having, '...roots in the religious practice of judges praying for guidance at the beginning of the year.' It is a custom said to date back to the Middle Ages. Following the service, all the judges process from the back of the Abbey to the Palace of Westminster to take part in the Lord Chancellor's 'breakfast'. Both service and breakfast are 'private' events. But, as my photographs record, there are aspects of these events that take place in public.
I attended these events because of my interest in the production, management and use of judicial images. Various scholars have noted that the status and authority of judges is in part premised upon 'image politics'. My research has explored a variety of images, some visual and some textual. It has taken me in some unexpected directions. These include a study of hagiographic scripts prepared and performed at swearing-in ceremonies to inaugurate and celebrate the appointment of new judicial office holders. These texts take the form of what might best be described as life writing (biography and autobiography). They offer textual portraits of the newly appointed judge as a State official. As such they have a double function: they formulate and fashion the subject not only as an exemplary individual, but also as an individual whose personal history makes manifest the virtues of the judicial institution. Each swearing-in script makes and makes public the values and virtues of the institution of the judge.
These virtues are also depicted in painted and photographic judicial portraits. The portraits draw upon a particular aesthetics associated with institutional portraiture and traditions of representation associated with the depiction of social and political elites. They picture the judge's double body, both physical and metaphysical - an individual who embodies the judicial virtues and qualities of the sovereign and of the body politic. Pose, costumes, background and props (predominantly books) all fashion the corporeal display of legitimate power, authority, and justice. These elements conspire to present the judicial body as a symbol of majesty, selfless dedication, and timelessness. Notably, these portraits serve to reinforce values internally; they grace the walls in and around courtrooms and other legal institutional settings.
Like hagiographic scripts and judicial portraiture, the Judges' Service involves image-making and image-management. Unlike those other forms, however, elements of the Judges' service take place outside legal settings. If the courtroom is the traditional setting for the performance of judicial authority, then the appearance of the judiciary on the street strips away that institutional setting. Judicial image-making and image-management meets the heterogeneous and unpredictable visual life of the city; with what effect? Cameras are banned in most courts and when present are strictly controlled. The Judges' Service provides a rare opportunity to produce a visual record of live judicial image- management in practice, outside those particular restraints.
It is October 1, 2009 shortly before 11.00 am. Two male figures emerge from the gloom of the doorway of the UK Supreme Court. They are dressed in long black robes edged in gold. The extended sleeves are lavishly decorated with elaborate gold filigree bands. Another two (one a woman) follow, then another two until there are ten in all, a line of five pairs. Only one wears a hat. Underneath the robes each judge wears an almost identical wardrobe of business attire. There is no hesitation in their step; movements are swift and determined. The gilded figures seem to have eyes only for each other. Spectators in front of the court and en route appear to be unacknowledged.
There is another group of the judiciary nearby — on the forecourt before the entrance to Westminster Abbey. The judges congregate beneath a towering white wall of Portland stone, pierced by a deep-set pointed arch doorway surrounded by a complex array of statute filled niches. The judicial figures appear to be organised in a series of small interconnected groups. The judicial robes being worn here are more diverse, more colourful, creating a juxtaposition of blocks of black, scarlet and white with ribbons and scoops of lilac. Many heads are covered by what look like grey ribbed woolly helmets. Faces are in general obscured. It is a more static scene. Groups of judges slowly ebb and flow. New participants emerge from shiny black cars. Existing members drift in the direction of the Abbey entrance. Most judges face each other, presenting their backs to those who are outside the security barriers. Only occasionally does a body or head turn to reveal a face.
'Spectacle' seems to capture a key characteristic common to both scenes. Both emphasise the visual display of symbols. In the first case, the ten matching black brocade robes, cut and decorated in an archaic style associated with the office of Lord Keeper of the monarch's seal provide the perfect modest background against which to present the sumptuous display of precious metals. Elaborately woven gold bands cascade down the elongated sleeves and edge the garment. At the top of the sleeve is a golden crescent into which is woven four heraldic elements that make up the court's official emblem: a five-petalled wild rose, the green leaves of a leek, a purple thistle and a light blue five-petalled flax flower. The high quality of the cloth, the precious nature of the materials used in the decoration, and the quality of the craftsmanship are all part of the display.
The robes also have another symbolic function. They shroud their occupants, producing indistinct mannequins, human surfaces upon which the symbolic value of the adornments is mobilised. At the same time that those adornments obscure the wearers as individuals, they show the wearer's institutional character and elite status. The individual who carries the symbols is invested with the qualities and characteristics they represent.
The judges' gestures and affect also form part of the symbolic assemblage. Each judge is preoccupied entirely with his fellow judges, while appearing to maintain an air of general indifference to the public spectators. This type of posturing works as an embodied sign of institutional distance. The judges' internal focus captures the virtue of judicial independence, the quality of individual subordination and dedication to the judicial institution and to the law.
The other scene, before the Abbey, has similar symbolic content, but its aesthetics differ. It is not so much a procession but more a tableau vivant. It is like a Rembrandt group portrait or a genre painting representing an intimate scene from daily life. The juxtaposition of the multiple groups and figures within each group, the inter-relationship of bodies, gestures, gazes, costumes, props, and backdrop draws the spectator into the scene to contemplate the figures and to make sense of their meaning.
These two public appearances are exceptional by virtue of occurring outside the courtroom. The history of courtroom design in western liberal democracies reflects the extent to which architectural structures in courtrooms are developed to support the performance of judicial authority. Current courtroom design guides reveal the centripetal dynamic of these spaces. Each part is organised in relation to the judge. Sight lines, distances, levels, place the players in the proceedings and orientate them towards this central, frequently elevated figure. The materials used, the particular textures, the use of light, the detail of the ornamentation, all are mobiles to express the judicial figure's institutional authority. The spatial objective is the coherence of the place of authority and the various performances within it, under the sign of the judge.
The locations of the procession and tableau vivant are quite different. Neither the route from the UK Supreme Court to the Abbey nor the space in front of the Abbey is dedicated to the display or performance of judicial authority. These spaces have a centrifugal dynamic. They have a heterogeneous quality. They sustain multiple competing and co-extensive functions. The position and movement of bodies within them is neither disciplined by reference to a single goal nor fixed according to the strict demands of a single hierarchical objective. Boundaries are not fixed or hermetically sealed but are contingent, fluid, bleeding from one into another consistent with the multiple functions that make up this complex place.
While the immediate environs of the Abby are spaces that have been designed with a variety of State spectacles in mind, they also remain decidedly public areas. They are locations that make the performance of judicial authority more problematic; they make it simultaneously in place but out of place. This is captured in some of my photographs. The photographs document the way the spectacle of judicial authority competes with the everyday reality of these central London locations. It is an everyday reality that is already saturated with another spectacle - the spectacle of capitalist consumption. In front of the Abbey, the symbols of judicial authority compete with an advertising panel attached to a London bus that reads, 'This place is so dead. Zombieland'. This juxtaposition humorously reveals the gap between the intended significance of the Judges' Service and its reception in today's London. While for the Judiciary, the procession gains social and cultural significance from its medieval roots, in the context of London traffic the be-robed and be-wigged judges become just so many zombies.
At another moment the passing bus advertising panel seemingly hovering over the judicial heads announces 'Live a lunch of crime. You'll feel like you robbed us'; a reference to a 'meal deal' at Burger King. These and other images in my collection all point to the co-presence of other forms of everyday spectacle and the blurring if not disintegrating boundary between the procession, the tableau vivant and all that surrounds them.
A wide variety of effects may flow from these multiple competing spectacles. The scale of the spectacle of capitalist consumption diminishes the judicial spectacle and makes it appear out of date, old-fashioned. The judicial symbols struggle for visibility against the backdrop of these other everyday spectacles. Happenstance juxtapositions offer a potential for ironic commentary. Under the logic of capitalist consumption, the judicial spectacle is recuperated as a quaint quixotic minor tourist attraction'.
This brings me back to the pedestrian crossing. It is the segment of the judges' procession in which the exceptional symbolic display of judicial authority contrasts most sharply with the everyday.
The road between the Court and the Abbey, the 200 meters known as 'Broad Sanctuary', is a favoured route for state-related processions. Yet, the judiciary's procession in both 2009 and 2011 passed instead over the far more mundane pedestrian crossing to get to the Abbey. The decision to choose this route could have been based on logistical concerns, such as minimizing security risks and traffic disruption. Yet, by choosing to minimize the disruption to traffic, the judicial spectacle also becomes much easier to miss or ignore. Why choose to sustain an elaborate performance of judicial authority and then minimize its public impact? One reading of the incorporation of the pedestrian crossing into the processional route is that it reflects the relative unimportance of the third branch of government. This might be indicative of the decline in the status of the judicial branch of government.
Several factors contradict such a reading. The extension of law over the last thirty years, regulating the minutiae of everyday life and death, formally recognising human rights challenges, providing opportunities to challenge the legality of government acts, all indicate that the political role of the judiciary is, if anything, increasing rather than diminishing. Moreover, factual and fictional representations of judges' work on the news, courtroom dramas, and reality TV are popular media products consumed en masse on a daily basis. The eager consumption of these images via screen media in contrast to the lack of dedicated spectators for the Judges' Service suggests not so much the decline and disappearance of spectacles of judicial authority from public view but rather a change in modes of consumption of judicial spectacle. Spectatorship of this form of State theatre is now mediated and at a distance.
The decline in spectatorship of live judicial and court performances is an acknowledged part of contemporary society. While a great virtue continues to be made of the fact that court proceedings should as a general rule take place in public, and thereby be subject to public scrutiny, the spaces within the courts dedicated to public use are generally empty or are on increasingly rare occasions occupied by representatives of the media.
The spectators viewing the 'live' performances of judicial authority that I am examining here were made up of a variety of occasional and accidental viewers. On the first occasion I witnessed the activities surrounding the Judges' Service the media were out in force. The resulting images appeared in a variety of settings ranging from the Abbey's website to news media reports. On my second visit there was a smaller media presence.
In 2011, one of the few people on the street watching the procession of judges leaving the Supreme Court on their way to the pedestrian crossing was a street sweeper of Westminster Council. He was joined by a few passing tourists and pedestrians.
My work on judicial swearing-in ceremonies and judicial portraiture also suggests that it may be problematic to assume that 'the public' is the primary audience for judicial performances. The primary audience is more likely to consist of other judges and members of the wider legal community who have far more knowledge of these particular cultural practices.
So why did the judges cross the road? During the course of an interview in November last year, Lord Phillips, President of the Court, explained that '...judges are in fact ordinary, albeit intelligent members of society doing a job...' In choosing the pedestrian crossing rather than Broad Sanctuary, the 'ordinary' is itself put on display as a virtue of the judicial institution. This choice offers a neat symbol of the integration of the judicial authority into the everyday. In contrast, the choice to disrupt traffic by processing down the street might have painted the judiciary, even to the eyes of the judges themselves, as outdated, remote and removed from the speed and the needs of contemporary urban life.
Finally I want to turn to two images of judges who were part of the congregation of judges in front of the Abbey. One shows a judge being photographed by another person, maybe a judicial assistant or family friend. The other shows a judge on his mobile phone.
When the judges assemble on the forecourt of the Abbey, they are not yet formally involved in the performance of judicial authority. That performance is in a sense suspended in preparation for the main event that will shortly follow inside the Abbey. Once inside, the judges will formally have quite lofty dramatic responsibilities. One of the objectives of that ceremony is to align the State institution of judgment with the sacred, what Lior Barshack describes as the magical and the religious foundations of judicial authority. My photographs of the judges assembled before entering the Abbey capture a sense of time before the curtain call, of time spent backstage. Their affect in this moment appears more relaxed. They move naturally about the space. The performance of judicial authority is captured in the moment of becoming. The judicial performers are ordinary people in the process of preparing to go on stage.
What is backstage to the Abbey and to the participating judiciary is front stage to spectators like myself who observe from behind the barriers. My photographs capture the fleeting moments: a judge smiling for an impromptu snapshot, another answering a mobile phone. What does it mean for the public to see their nation's judges backstage? Does judicial authority collapse once its magical qualities are shown to have human animators?
The Judges' Service is an event which reveals the judiciary's steep investment in the maintenance of its image, at the same time that this image, because of its public setting, is removed from what Beeman describes as its "special framed context" and subject to competing forces. While intending to stage the divine source of their own authority, the judges' also incidentally reveal a rather human source, the labour of performance.
This article forms part of an editorial partnership, funded by the Gendered Ceremony and Ritual in Parliament research programme at the University of Warwick and the Leverhulme Trust.


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BLOG: Why life expectancy matters when planning your retirement
By Money Honey Financial Planning
When you're looking forward to retirement, working out your life expectancy may not be something that's on your mind. Instead, you're likely to be planning how you'll spend your time now you've reached the milestone. But life expectancy is an important part of retirement planning.
Life expectancy is rising. And while pension age has increased too, today's retirees are likely to be spending far longer in retirement than previous generations. According to the Office for National Statistics, a 67-year-old male has an average life expectancy of 85 years, and a one in four chance of reaching 92. For a 67-year-old female, the average life expectancy is 87, with a one in four chance of reaching 94. The average person can now expect to receive their State Pension for twenty years.
When we think about how long we live for, we often underestimate. It's also important to note that while the average person of 67 is reaching their mid-80s, there's still a significant chance that you'll celebrate your 90th or even 100th birthday.
Why does this matter when planning for your retirement? While your State Pension will provide a reliable source of income for the rest of your life, your other assets will need to be carefully managed to ensure they last.
The risk of spending too much too soon
Most retirees will need to make important decisions about how and when they access their pension. Since 2015, retirees have had more choice. This means you have more flexibility, but it also means you'll need to be responsible for ensuring pensions and other assets can provide the income you need over a retirement that could last 30 or 40 years.
Without careful financial planning that considers life expectancy, there's a real risk that you could spend too much too soon.
Let's say you retire at 67 and have a pension worth £250,000. You take advantage of the option to take a 25% tax-free lump sum from your pension and want to withdraw an income of £2,000 per month. Assuming your pension grows at a rate of 4% after charges, it'd last until you reach 76. This leaves a very real chance that your pension will run out during your lifetime.
As a result, you'd need to review the tax-free lump sum and monthly income to provide certainty throughout retirement.
If you didn't take a tax-free lump sum and reduced monthly withdrawals to £1,500, you'd reach 86 with £17,960 left in your pension, assuming the same rate of growth as above. While an improvement, it could still mean you run out of money in your later years.
Understanding life expectancy can help you balance having enough income in early retirement with caution so you know you'll have enough in your later years too.
Of course, on the flip side of this, some retirees are too cautious with their money. After a lifetime of saving, it can be difficult to switch to a financial plan where you deplete assets. It can mean a retirement you've worked hard for doesn't live up to expectations, despite having the capital to tick off aspirations and goals.
How much income do you need in retirement?
One of the first steps to understanding how your pension can help you achieve lifestyle goals is by calculating how much you need.
In most cases, retirees find they need less income than the amount they were earning to achieve the same lifestyle. This is because the costs associated with working are gone and debt, such as your mortgage, may also paid off. However, you'll need to consider what you want your retirement lifestyle to be like and the cost of it.
Don't forget, this income won't all need to come from your Personal Pensions either. You will likely also receive an income from the State Pension and may have other assets that can support you throughout retirement.
With an income figure in mind, you're able to calculate whether your pension could run out too soon. Recognising this before you start taking an income from your pensions means you're in a position to change your plans to bridge the gap.
Making life expectancy part of your retirement plan
When you work with us, we'll help you make life expectancy a part of your financial plan. It's a step that can give you confidence in your long-term finances, allowing you to enjoy retirement.
As well as how much you withdraw from your pension, life expectancy can impact your financial strategy in other ways too. For instance, it may play a role in whether you take a tax-free lump sum at the start of retirement or how much investment risk you take once you give up work. Please get in touch if you'd like to review your retirement plans.
A pension is a long-term investment. The fund value may fluctuate and can go, which would have an impact on the level of pension benefits available. Your pension could also be affected by the interest rates at the time you take your benefits.
The tax implications of pension withdrawals will be based on your individual circumstances, tax legislation and regulation which are subject to change in the future.
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safer car seats blog: Is your child in the right seat?
Different ages, different stages and an array of different car seat brands can make knowing what car seat your child should be in a little confusing!
Even though most parents know the safest place for their babies and children is in the back seat, figuring out which type of car seat is best, including when it's safe to turn baby from rear facing to forward facing, can be a challenge.
Kids grow at different rates, so knowing when to move your child from one place to the next is important. Remember, it's stage, not age! Age ranges should be viewed as recommendations only. What's important is that your child's height and weight sits within the car seats's stated range.
A good way to break it down is into 3 stages. This covers from birth to around 12 years of age.
Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit stated by your car seat's manufacturer.
Applies to kids who have outgrown their child safety seat's rear-facing height or weight limits. If your child is still within the height and weight limits for rear-facing, they should REMAIN rear-facing. Rear-facing is 5 times safer than forward-facing for those kids still at Stage 1!
Don't rush to "graduate" your child to a booster seat. Kids below the maximum height and weight limit for your car seat are much safer in a 5-point harness. If your child still fits in their 5-point harness car seat, then they're not ready to move to a booster!
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Take North Circular (A406) to A124 (East Ham), then on Barking Road for approximately 1.5 miles until you approach the traffic lights on cross-roads. Turn right into Green Street.
Use A13 (signposted London) then turn right onto slip road signposted A117. In 0.9 miles at crossroads turn left into Barking Road (A124) and then in 0.74 miles turn right into Green Street.
Upton Park Station is on the District (Green) line, in Zone 3 and journey times from Central London are approx 45mins.
When you exit the station turn right. The stadium is then a two-minute walk (400yds) on your left hand side.
With queuing at Upton Park Underground station after a match taking up to an hour, the Metropolitan Police have suggested alternative travel arrangements.
Supporters travelling eastbound are asked to walk to Plaistow station using Queens Road.
Fans travelling westbound are asked to walk along Barking Road to the Town Hall before turning left into High Street North and continuing to East Ham station.
A third alternative is to walk to Forest Gate mainline station. To do so, supporters should follow Green Street before turning left into Romford Road and right into Woodgrange Road.
Each of the three walks should take about 20 minutes.


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Home/News/Paige Bueckers Tears A.C.L. in Pickup Basketball Game, Will Miss Season
Paige Bueckers Tears A.C.L. in Pickup Basketball Game, Will Miss Season
admin Send an email 3 August 2022
UConn's star point guard Paige Bueckers tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee on Monday and will miss the 2022-23 women's basketball season, the university announced Wednesday.
Bueckers, a 20-year-old guard from Minnesota, was injured during a pickup basketball game, UConn officials said in a statement. The 5-foot-11 junior will have surgery on Friday at UConn Health.
"It's so crazy because you work so hard to get back healthy, you feel stronger than ever, and you are playing your best basketball and with one sudden movement it all shifts," Bueckers wrote on Instagram. "It's hard trying to make much sense of it all now but I can't help but think that God is using me as a testimony as to how much you can overcome with Him by your side."
In general, recovery time for an A.C.L. injury is at least eight months.
"We're all devastated for Paige," UConn Coach Geno Auriemma said in a statement. "She's worked really hard to get stronger and healthier this off-season, and this is an unfortunate setback. Paige is obviously an amazing basketball player but she's a better person and teammate and it's really unfortunate that this has happened to her. We'll miss her presence on the court, but she'll do everything she can to still lead and help her teammates this season."
Bueckers underwent surgery on her left knee on Dec. 13 to repair an anterior tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear that she suffered during UConn's game on Dec. 5 against Notre Dame.
She returned in late February and helped lead UConn to the national championship game, in which she notched 14 points and six rebounds in a loss to South Carolina in Minneapolis.
During the national semifinal against Stanford, she landed on her bad knee during a tussle for a jump ball and then covered her face with her hands.
"Some things, like what happened last night, are more of an in-the-moment type of pain and you can just shake it off," Bueckers said then. "I was just stretching and making sure I could get back in the game as soon as possible."
Bueckers was named the Associated Press and Naismith College Player of the Year as a freshman for the 2020-21 season, when she averaged 20.0 points, 5.7 assists and 4.9 rebounds.
"God put a dream in my heart and even if I have to walk through a nightmare to get it I'm going to keep believing," Bueckers wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
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Other notable manufacturers include Guild , Rodriguez , Benedetto , and Squier (decrease-priced guitars). The violin first appeared in Italy within the 1500s, and is thought to have developed from the fiddle and the lira da braccio, a Renaissance instrument. The violin has four strings and consists of several primary components together with the entrance, the ribs, the neck, the fingerboard, the pegbox, the scroll, the bridge, the tailpiece, and the f-holes. The violin began because the instrument of the decrease class however it gained respectability as Bach, Vivaldi, and other composers started to specifically compose for it.
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It acquired flute maker Emerson in January 1997, piano-key maker Kluge in December 1998, and then piano-plate maker O.S. It then acquired band instrument makers United Musical Instruments Holdings, Inc. in September 2000 and G. Fender is the world's main maker of stringed devices and can also be the leading maker of stable-body electrical guitars, together with the Strato-caster and Telecaster lines. In addition to electric guitars, Fender makes devices similar to acoustic guitars, electric basses, mandolins, banjos, and violins, in addition to amplifiers, and public announcement gear.
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- Expository Preaching: We believe that the best way to preach the Word is through verse by verse expository preaching that teaches the point of the passage and applies it rightly to the congregation. If you're unfamiliar with expository preaching, please visit our YouTube Channel for sermon video clips.
- Christ-centered Worship/Discipleship: We believe that our call is to "make disciples". We strive to do that through worship that exalts Christ alone, discipleship that makes much of God, and mutual accountability to one another as the Body of Christ.
- Biblical Evangelism Training/Opportunities: We believe that evangelism should be intentionally sought to be done outside the walls of the church. The Gospel is always preached at every service, but we believe our call is to take the beautiful Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the lost in our community, state, nation, and world. We do this by offering evangelism training to any interested as well as going out into the community once a month with the specific goal of sharing the Gospel through tracts, one on one conversations, and open air preaching.
We are not perfect or sinless. We are a group of sinners who believe that they have been justified and forgiven by the merciful grace of God alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. As such we strive to be a loving fellowship that desires to love one another and others because God has first loved us. We believe you will feel welcome here and that you will find us to be a loving faith family who sincerely desires to minister to you and your family whether you are just passing through our community or seeking a church home.
If you are interested in becoming a covenant member at Faith Baptist church then you will definitely want to check out our core beliefs and church covenant and let us know if you have any questions about that.
If you have visited our church and now desire to join our church in covenant membership, please contact Pastor Jason to find out how this can be done!
For infants through 3 years old we offer nursery care during the morning worship service. Please do not feel obligated to take your child to the nursery. The nursery care is a ministry we want you to use if you would like, however, because we value family discipleship and family worship, we encourage you to keep your child of any age with you. Do not worry that your child will disrupt service if they cry. In no way is a crying child seen as a nuisance. If your child does cry and you feel you need to leave with them you are certainly free to do so and return to the sanctuary when ready if you like.


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For American wine buyers, what's more confusing than Greece? The language seems strange, the grape names are almost scornfully difficult to pronounce, there's no real Tuscany or Provence to provide fuzzy-lens romance.
Then there's the damage done by people's experience with retsina, a powerfully piney white wine that the Greeks adore but usually puts off foreigners.
When we speak of "Greek" wines at all, it's usually with ignorant generalization, as if a simplistic encapsulation of the multifarious varietals and regions approaches any sort of accuracy. There's no good way to discuss "German" wine generally, or "rose" or "Cabernet Sauvignon." Confusion comes from summaries. Speak of actual things. Focus.
Today, I will speak of only one wine. It represents an embarrassingly high percentage of everything I know about wine from Greece, but I adore it, and am on my knees imploring you to try it.
And please explore more Greek wines available in the area, at such restaurants as Emilitsa, Figa and Caiola's in Portland, and Trattoria Athena in Brunswick. Retailers such as Browne Trading, Whole Foods, Rosemont Markets, RSVP and Tess' Market sell Greek bottles, but the selections are limited because we're still at the stage where few customers come in asking for the Greek section.
The wine's primal intensity, intense distinctiveness and marriage of fruit to planet put it on my top 10 list of wines to convince a skeptic of the truth of terroir. It declaims from on high, an emissary straight from the elements: Mountains, winds, sun, ocean.
And no wonder. Santorini is out there in the middle of the sea, a dead volcano, covered in ash, very hot during the day but cool at night. Fierce winds blow, the ocean is everywhere. Santorini sees no rainfall from April to September; any moisture is from humidity in the air.
There's no clay in the soil, so the entire island is immune to the phylloxera parasite. The calcareous soil is so poor that old vines have to plunge deep to seek out any nutrients available. To meet such extreme conditions, some extreme measures need to be taken. Haridimos Hatzidakis takes them.
Hatzidakis is one of Greece's most revered wine makers. He wins lots of awards. Wine makers and connoisseurs seek him out.
There are only 1,200 hectares or so of vineyards on Santorini, and even they are at continual risk from tourism pressures.
As on much of the island, Hatzidakis trains his organically grown vines into a unique basket-like shape called "koulara," which helps the leaves protect their grapes from the glaring sun and trap the moisture (which condenses at night) that comes their way via the intense trade winds that blow across the southern Aegean.
The koulara lie low to the ground; if they rested higher, they might get blown off the mountain. The "soil" is really just white ash on top of black volcanic rock, and you taste this immediately in the wine. The Hatzidakis' minerality is a Chablis-like combination of chalk and naked metal.
Adding another layer of tough love to these grapes' existence on Santorini, Hatzidakis is a rabid pruner, so selective in the grapes he allows to mature that his yields are an exceptionally low 500 liters per hectare.
So, there's part of the story; the wine itself takes it from there. Dialed-in racy but simultaneously full-bodied and sleekly luxurious, the Hatzidakis is sinew and muscle. Along with the chalky minerality, there's a distinct salinity and brittle crunch.
I wonder how something so serrated can be so soulful as well? It's got the cut and acidity of the Sauvignon Blancs of my dreams, the Sauvignon Blancs that somehow never appear in real life, the Sauvignon Blancs with heart instead of just wither- ing glances and grudges to bear.
Another cognate, interestingly, is older Chenin Blanc, as expressed in the fruit peeking out from under all the electrical wiring in the wine's attack. Ripe pear and honeysuckle notes lay a foundation, drying into a long finish of pine boughs, tarragon, preserved lemon, white grapefruit and underripe pineapple.
At your table, this wine practically begs for garlic, lemon and herb preparations, and especially for fish. But the flesh on its bones could hold up to herb-roasted chicken as well.
No matter how you pair it, the Hatzidakis is just the kind of wine you should be drinking more of. It's unique but understandable, and a thrilling collaboration of land, sea, air and human.
The great thing is that there are many other Greek wines like this out there; we just need to demand them.


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Woman went for a job interview, but couldn't remember where she parked
The mysterious disappearance had the 21-year-old job seeker baffled, saying: "I'm not bothered about looking daft - I just want my car back"
Alex Scapens
Whoops: Fallon cannot remember where she parked her car
A woman who lost her car after rushing to a job interview and forgetting where she parked has found her illusive vehicle.
Fallon Jerome attended the interview yesterday for the role of a carer at Homecare4U in Stockport after travelling up from Southampton in her new car.
She parked her white Seat Ibiza, which she had bought for £4,000 three days earlier, '10 to 15 minutes walk away' from the Wellington Road South building because streets that were closer to the interview were permit parking only.
But after the interview, the red-faced 21-year-old spent three hours trying to find her car and had no luck, the Manchester Evening News reports.
And with more fruitless time spent this morning trying to find it, she appealed for the public's help.
Dude, where's my car? Fallon Jerome can't remember where she parked
Earlier today, she managed to find her car.
Relieved Fallon said she was embarrassed by the fuss but touched by the warm response she had received.
She said: "I feel so stupid but am really happy to find it, it was such a worry. I have to say thanks to Samantha, she had seen the story on the internet.
"She recognised where it was and talked me through how to get there on the phone. I had no idea where it was.
"In future I will take a picture of where I am parked and write the name of the street down."
In need of help: Fallon was embarrassed but relieved
Fallon lives in Southampton but is from Middleton originally, where she is staying currently.
She wants to move back to the region to help with a poorly grandmother, which is why she had an interview, but has never been to Stockport before.
After the interview Fallon eventually gave up looking and got a lift home with a grandparent before returning the next morning.
She added: "Being from Stockport I know the area and knew where the car was.
"I saw the story on Facebook so sent Fallon a message and talked her through where to go."
Originally Fallon had called the police but was told as there was no evidence of a crime there was nothing officers could do to help her.
Ireland weather: Met Eireann forecast big change as expert updates 'Beast from the East' chances
Met EireannA change is expected later next week
Irish NewsLIVE Covid-19 Ireland cases updates today as grim lockdown warning issued and surge expectedDr Tony Holohan and the Department of Health are set to announce today's figures this evening
Tributes pour in as Dublin mum who tragically drowned in New Zealand named
DublinThe 56-year-old was found by emergency services on Wednesday morning


The December meeting saw the yearly Christmas and Holiday party party, as well as the end of the year awards. Member of the Year went to Mike Pavlo, a well earned acknowledgement considering all he does for the club.
Next month brings January and a new year, as well as WWI Night. Get your Great War builds ready and see you then.
Model photos below, and some great shots of club members, thanks to Michael Dobrzelecki.


How Behavioral Economics Influences Management Decision-Making: A New Paradigm critically reexamines the management function in 21st century workplaces. The book seeks to examine and explain the real-world behaviors of employees and acknowledge the human nature that binds us all together and how to appeal to these characteristics in order to help organizations prosper. It explores well-observed but rarely understood features of employee cognition and irrationality, challenging the dominant discourse and offering an alternative to gain greater competitive advantage in today's complex markets. It also provides an effective new framework on the best ways to develop relevant management skills as they pertain to hiring, performance management, change management, employee engagement, and goal setting. As the knowledge economy continues to grow, the social bonds within companies will prove to be a key differentiation to deliver on the next big idea.
Developing productive decisions with staff in the talent-driven global economy increasingly requires the development of "intrinsic" meaning in work, a human-centered work-place culture, and human-focused working practices. This book tackles these topics in comprehensive and efficient detail.


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> Auctions
> Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria (17 & 18 July 2019)
> Auction Catalogue
> Lot 45
Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria
To be Sold on: 17 July 2019
Estimate: £12,000 - £15,000
Save to Cabinet
Groups and Single Decorations for Gallantry
The superb 'Iraq 2007' M.C. group of six awarded to Corporal Jokini 'Sivo' Sivoinauca, 3rd Battalion The Rifles, formerly Light Infantry, a specialist sniper, who, though wounded himself, shot three insurgents armed with rocket propelled grenades who were attacking a Warrior Armoured Vehicle - a native Fijian he was the first Rifleman of the newly formed Rifles Regiment to be awarded a Military Cross
Military Cross, E.II.R., the reverse officially inscribed '25117057 Pte. J. Sivoinauca, Rifles' and reverse lower arm officially dated '2007'; N.A.T.O. Medal 1994, 1 clasp, Kosovo; Operational Service Medal 2000, for Sierra Leone (25117057 Pte J Sivoinauca LI); Iraq 2003-11, no clasp (25117057 Pte J Sivoinauca LI); General Service 1962-2007, 1 clasp, Northern Ireland (25117057 Pte J Sivoinauca LI); Operational Service Medal 2000, for Afghanistan, 1 clasp, Afghanistan (Cpl J Sivoinauca MC Rifles 25117057) mounted court style as worn, nearly extremely fine or better (6)	£12,000-£15,000
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"When the second one went down I think the third assumed there was a sniper. I remember he turned around. I saw his face. He realised he was running towards us. He stopped and I hit him ..."
Provenance: Dix Noonan Webb, July 2011.
M.C. London Gazette 19 July 2007:
'For gallant and distinguished services in Iraq during the period 1 October 2006 to 31 March 2007.'
The following is extracted from a contemporary newspaper article:
'The first thing you learn is that it is a personal kill. The sniper, with his powerful scope, can literally see the whites of the enemy's eyes as he ends his life. Lance Corporal Jokini Sivoinauca remembers clearly the face of the third man he shot in Iraq. The 26-year-old soldier, a softly spoken, god-fearing Fijian, known as Sivo to his friends, would go on to be awarded the Military Cross for his bravery that day.
It was 15 February 2007 and, along with 24-year-old Lance Corporal Andrew Ball (snipers work in pairs: one spotter, who assigns the target, and one shooter), he had been tasked to help the Staffordshire Regiment, who were caught up in a battle that had raged for three hours in Basra's most lethal district. Outnumbered, the Brits were taking casualties. From their rooftop vantage point, the snipers spotted a team of three insurgents darting through the rabbit-warren of homes and alleys as they fired rocket-propelled grenades at British troops. Under intense fire, and injured himself, L/Cpl Sivoinauca picked them off one at a time, allowing other soldiers to reach safety. To this day, he remembers exactly what his targets were wearing and where the bullet struck them.
"When the second one went down I think the third assumed there was a sniper," he recalls. "I remember he turned around. I saw his face. He realised he was running towards us. He stopped and I hit him ..." He pauses, then adds: "People might say we get a kick out of it. No, we don't. I just had a sense of relief. I went to church afterwards. Some people disagree with what we do; we kill people. But what I take from my religious roots is that people have a right to defend themselves."
"As long as we are saving people on the ground we are doing what is right," adds L/Cpl Ball, the other half of his two-man team. After six years of living, fighting and partying together, they are so close they finish each other's sentences.
Equally, L/Cpl Sivoinauca insists they share the MC, the citation of which reads: "Sivoinauca led his colleagues with distinction and complete disregard for his own safety in spite of being wounded after he was shot in the chest, the round being stopped by his body armour. His conspicuous gallantry and leadership was beyond the call of duty."
But perhaps L/Cpl Sivoinauca's bravest act that day was to commit a sniper's cardinal sin and miss. As mortars began to land with increasing precision, he realised the lookout was a small boy of six or seven, relaying information on a mobile phone from another roof. "The two of us stared across at each other," he recalls. "He was scared, shaking. Every time he wanted to go back in through the curtain, they pushed him out. I turned the weapon on him, then to the side and fired two metres away. He just chucked the phone and ran. I have never regretted it. I have two little cousins the same age."
The following is extracted from another contemporary source:
'A soldier has been awarded the Military Cross for gallantry while on a tour of duty in Iraq earlier this year. Rifleman Jokini Sivo, 25, from Edinburgh, rescued his colleagues after they were attacked by insurgents.
The sniper, of 3 Battalion The Rifles, was awarded the medal for "conspicuous gallantry and leadership beyond the call of duty". Despite being injured in the attack, Rifleman Sivo was said to have acted with disregard for his own safety.
He was the only member of his battalion to receive the award as part of the Operational Honours list, which was made public on Thursday. The citation for his honour, the third highest awarded by the British Army, describes how he and his colleagues came under fire during a security patrol.
Their attackers were armed with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, which have been responsible for a significant number of British casualties in Iraq. Rifleman Sivo, who is originally from Kadavu in Fiji and joined the British Army in 2000, said the urge to help his comrades get back to safety was far greater than any concern for his own personal safety. He added: "As a British soldier you get taught that when you go through your training. It is just the camaraderie between the soldiers that takes over - we watch each other's backs."
"We were in a fire fight and our call sign came under heavy mortar and small arms fire. One of my colleagues was injured and we had to give covering fire as the troops were retreating back to safety. My battalion is very proud and I think the people back home in Fiji are quite proud too."
Rifleman Sivo said he felt humbled by the honour, and revealed he believed serving in the Army was "the best job in the world." The citation for his medal states: "During a joint security operation lasting for three hours, Sivo and his team were ordered to occupy an isolated and very prominent single-storey check-point building, and engage gunmen.
"This made them an easy target for enemy marksmen. In this exposed position he spotted a rocket-propelled grenade team, with gunmen in support, engaging a Warrior vehicle. He immediately engaged the firers. Sivo led his colleagues with distinction and complete disregard for his own safety in spite of being wounded."
Rifleman Sivo has served in Cyprus, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, The Falklands and Northern Ireland, as well as in Iraq. He plays rugby in the Army in Scotland team.'
Rifleman Jokini V Sivoinauca, a Fijian born British soldier was not only the first Fijian in the British Army to be awarded a Military Cross, but also the first Rifleman or soldier from the newly formed Rifles Regiment to be awarded the Military Cross.
From humble beginnings of running barefoot on the islands, to the bewilderment of seeing a car for the first time and the glorious priceless history inside Buckingham Palace, it has been a long soul searching journey of self discovery for this soldier from the other side of the world. Known affectionately as Sivo, the second of three brothers, he was born on the island of Kadavu the fourth largest in the beautiful group of islands of Fiji in September, 1981. He lived and was brought up by his grandfather on the islands, while his parents of middle class status strived for a better modern way of life in Suva the capital city on the mainland. Like many young Fijian boys he was brought up in the old ways of warrior cultures where honour, courage, loyalty, obedience and respect is of the utmost importance and is the basis of all that Fijians hold dear.
As a young boy growing up, knowing nothing more than the endless white sandy beaches and the vast infinite stretches of the Pacific Ocean he however showed a very keen interest in medicine from an early age. He remained in the village as he grew up and was educated in public schools before he attended Queen Victoria School, the prestigious all boys boarding secondary school in Fiji. Unfortunately for Sivo nearing the end of his final year at Queen Victoria School he was in the headlines of the national newspaper for being expelled 'bringing shame' to his parents, family, tribe and province. It was in Fijian culture the ultimate sin and in many ways the driving force for the change of heart in his career transition. However, in 1999 he represented Fiji in the world U19 rugby league championship and this seemed to 'slightly smooth over' his earlier shortcomings.
He then decided to seek a military career against many of his family's wishes, turning down a scholarship to further his education at Otago Polytechnic University in New Zealand, which for many back at home was a God given opportunity for a lifetime of success. He joined the British army in 2000 and although he acquired grades in the initial generic tests to be a medic in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he was determined to join the infantry and serve on the front line. He completed phase 1 training at Sir John Moore Barracks in Winchester and later phase 2 at ITC Catterick (Infantry Training Course) passing out and joined the 2nd Battalion, The Light Infantry that same year.
In his time with the British army he has served in the rural jungles of conflict such as the war torn Sierra Leone (2001); mounted patrols, reconnaissance, sniping and peace keeping in hostile areas such as the evergreen farmlands and streets of the troubled provinces of Northern Ireland (2004 - 2005); the desolate urban desert of Iraq ( 2003 and 2006 - 2007); countering the guerilla tactics in Kosovo (2008) and the unforgiving terrain and lawless lands of Afghanistan (2009-2010).
In 2007 he attended and passed with flying colours both the junior non commissioned cadres and also in 2009 the Infantry Section Commanders Course on the challenging terrain of the Brecon Beacon in Wales. He also took part in non operational security tours of the Falkland Islands (2002-2003) and Cyprus (2002-2004).
It was the experience of his first tour of Iraq that led to him applying for and successfully completing the arduous six-week long sniper course, something that is the dream of so many infantry soldiers. It was in February 2007, the same month that The Rifles Regiment was formed whilst on his second tour of Iraq that in Rifleman Sivo's own words he 'left his mark and achieved satisfaction and a sense of self redemption to myself and most of all to the people back home. Narrowly escaping certain death after being wounded and saving the lives of the men I have come to call my brothers.' He was awarded the Military Cross by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in November that year. After 11 years in the army 'Sivo' now pursues a career in Close Protection.
Sold with the following original documentation:
i. Letter of congratulation from Lieutenant Colonel T. A. Sandiford, 1st Battalion, Staffordshire Regiment, dated 18 July 2007.
ii. Letter of congratulation from Lieutenant General J. N. R. Houghton, CBE, Chief of Joint Operations, 19 July 2007.
iii. Letter of congratulation from Major General A. R. D. Shirreff, CBE, General Officer Commanding 3rd (UK) Dvision, dated 20 July 2007.
iv. Letter of congratulation from Lieutenant General R. V. Brims, CB, CBE, DSO, Commanding HQ Land Command, dated 21 July 2007.
v. Letter of congratulation from Lieutenant General N. R. Parker, CBE, Colonel Commandant, The Rifles, dated 24 July 2007: 'I am writing on behalf of all Riflemen in The Rifles to say how delighted we are that the outstanding bravery you displayed in Iraq in February has been recognised by the award of the Military Cross. I gather that you conducted yourself with extraordinary distinction. As the first Rifleman of the new regiment to be awarded the M.C. you have quite rightly found a place in our history. We are all enormously proud of you.'
vi. Letter of congratulation from Prince Philip (Colonel-in-Chief) Buckingham Palace, dated 25 July 2007.
vii. Letter of congratulation from Princess Alexandra, Buckingham Palace, dated 25 July 2007.
viii. Letter of congratulation from Brigadier R. L. Scott-Bowden, MBE, ADC, Director of Infantry, dated 8 August 2007: 'Many, many congratulations on being awarded the Military Cross for your outstanding leadership during a major gun battle in Basra. I know from reports that it was your actions in leading your team against a R.P.G. gun team that caused the enemy to retreat and ensured the safety of the Warrior vehicle. Your courage, selfless commitment and offensive spirit are an example to all infantrymen.'
ix. Buckingham Palace investiture program, dated 14 November 2007.


How to Master Change – Benson Consulting Inc.
These days, the old adage about "change is the only constant in life" is a concept you can't ignore. Upgrades to your business – whether to keep up with product innovation, technology, business models, your competition, your evolving customer base, industry dynamics, or something else – are necessary to keep your business thriving.
However, people typically don't process change easily. Transformational change – which may be what your business requires – can be especially challenging. Still, some organizations succeed in managing it very well. Here are some tips to help your organization be one of those.


YUMA, ARIZONA – On Monday Ajo Border Patrol assigned to the Lukeville immigration checkpoint arrested an illegal immigrant and two U.S. citizens in a smuggling attempt. Border Patrol used video surveillance to confirm the smuggling attempt started with the group cutting the wire along the border fence near the Lukeville Port of Entry.
As border patrol agents were reviewing the surveillance footage the individuals illegally entered into the U.S. and got into a parked Dodge SUV that was waiting for them.
The driver of the vehicle, a 36-year-old female, and the front seat passenger, a 32-year-old male, were arrested and charged on federal human smuggling charges.
The backset male is being processed for immigration violation charges.
The Ajo station Border Patrol could not be reached for comment on this story, however, due to the 24-hour attention needed at the border, authorities welcome assistance from the community. Suspicious behavior along the border can be reported to 1-877-872-7435 toll-free and anonymously.
Marissa Martinez is a political contributor for Accuracy in Media. She is the former political director to Massachusetts Governor's re-election campaign, alumna of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and political consultant to national PACs. Follow her AIM border adventures @MarissaAlisa.