Regardless of the type and length of your hair, investing in a high quality blow dryer is going to benefit you on many levels. Many people are very particular about how their hair looks, so having a good quality blow dryer can make a big difference in the look of your hair. The three top choices we have featured here top the list in performance, power, features and durability. We compared the top 20 blow dryers against each other in these different categories and they beat the competition out in all of them. Customers prefer these three models over others because they provide fantastic hair drying capability along with durability and a wide variety of extra features.
The blow dryers on the market today have all kinds of features and capabilities from drying 80% faster than standard dryers, to adding incredible shine and smoothness to your hair.
Whatever your reason is to purchase a blow dryer, make sure that you get the best dryer you can for the amount of money you have to spend. You will not regret taking the time to read these reviews and buyer's guide so you can choose a great product that you will use for a long time.
This 1900 watt blow dryer is very unique in design with a rubberized finish that feels great in your hand. Because of the comfortable grip, it reduces stress on the hand and wrist which is terrific for professional hairdressers that work with people's hair all day long.
The Babyliss Pro Tourmaline Titanium 3000 has special technology that emits millions of ions that produce unbelievable shine.
The far-infrared heat dries and styles your hair faster which means less time that heat is directed onto the hair shaft. Less drying time means healthier hair.
The Babyliss has 6 different heat and speed setting, a cold shot button that blasts your hairstyle into place and a convenient 9 ft long cord.
The extremely lightweight, sleek and stylish professional grade blow dryer comes with a limited 24 month warranty.
This hair dryer provides plenty of salon quality features for users whether they are professional hair stylists or just taking care of their own hair at home.
This T Studio Salon Collection, Pearl Ceramic Professional AC Hair Dryer has a professional grade motor that is boosted by ceramic pearl technology. The salon-grade motor works fast to help seal the cuticle and delivers plenty of shine.
There are t here ceramic heat settings, dual speeds and a host of included styling tools that help you create a bunch of professional looking hair styles right in your own home.
The ceramic technology helps the hair dryer stay consistent without annoying fluctuations.
The special patent-pending ceramic is infused with crushed pearls that are activated by heated airflow and then transferred to your hair during the drying process. It seals the cuticles and leaves you with soft, silky hair that has a sheen of nourishment. You can expect a 40% faster drying time than regular blow dryers.
Another benefit to the Remington Ceramic Pearl is that it is very durable and will last up to three times longer than other standard blow dryers. This will save you money over the long run as well because you are not going to have to replace your blow dryer every year or more. Users get a four year warranty that protects against manufacturer's defects.
Xtava's best selling hair dryer, Iconic, will help you style your hair like a pro. The lightweight frame has the latest ionic ceramic technology that makes drying and styling your hair effortless.
The proprietary xtava technology works by dissipating the water molecules quickly and efficiently. The negative ions are used to seal and smooth the cuticle so you don't end up with a frizzy look.
The concentrator nozzle gives you the same salon-worthy results that you could get from a professional, right in your own home, 80% faster than other blow dryers.
This sleek blow dryer has a powerful 1800w professional level motor that helps users build body and shine easily thanks to the two speed settings and three temperature levels that will work for all hair types. The unique concentrator nozzle allows users to release a shot of cold air that sets your hair style and gets rid of frizz.
Many people use a blow dryer every day to style and dry their hair. If you need to dry your hair quickly and style it with very little effort, a blow dryer is exactly what you need. There is a large selection of blow dryers on the market from standard designs to the more high-tech, professional models.
They have many different features that allow people to style their hair while it is drying. The result is hair salon quality hair styles without the cost of going to a salon. The three top choices we have featured here top the list in performance, power, features and durability.
We compared the top 20 blow dryers against each other in these different categories and they beat the competition out in all of them. Customers prefer these three models over others because they provide fantastic hair drying capability along with durability and a wide variety of extra features.
Continue reading our buyer's guide below to learn even more about choosing the right blow dryer for your needs. With the right information, sorting through all of the choices is much easier and you can make an informed decision on the blow dryer that will fit all of your needs and preferences.
What is a Blow Dryer?
There are several things that you need to consider before you purchase a blow dryer. These points below will help steer you in the right direction of the blow dryer that will work the best for what you need.
Hair type – Depending on the hair type you have, different levels of heat will be better suited for particular types of hair. Thick hair needs stronger heat, but strong heat can damage thin or fine hair. If you want to set curls or dry your bangs, a lower-powered setting is the best so you don't frizz the curls or your bangs. Cool shot features are showing up in a lot of newer, more professional models which provide a burst of cold air that sets and smoothes hairstyles and prevents that frizzy, over dried look.
Noise Level – The quality of the blow dryer you purchase will have a bearing on how loud it is. Contrary to popular belief, professional grade blow dryers are actually quieter than cheap ones. You don't want a blow dryer that is so loud it wakes everyone in the house when you turn it on. Look to the reviews and decibel readings to determine how loud the blow dryer is that you are considering.
Arm Strength – The stronger your upper body is, the less important it is for you to find a lightweight blow dryer. Another determining factor is the length and thickness of your hair. If you have hair that dries quickly, you won't have to have your arms up in the air for an extended period of time and blow dryer weight isn't that much of an issue. If your hair is thick and long, you may want a dryer that is easy to hold and that weighs as little as possible.
Travel Capability – Do you travel a lot? Although nicer hotels have blow dryers as a standard part of their rooms, many people prefer bringing their own hair styling equipment. Therefore if you are on the road a lot you may want to look at the blow dryers that take up less room. A lot of the professional models are quite small and would fit into a carryon bag or luggage easily.
Attachments – Blow dryers may or may not come with different attachments that provide additional styling aides. Two of the most common attachments are the diffuser and the concentrator. Concentrators focus the airflow in one spot and are very useful for straight hairstyles. The concentrator is very popular with the cold shot features that many hair dryers have now which is the ability to blast a cold burst of air on the hair style to smooth and de-frizz it. Diffusers spread the air out which is great for blow drying special hairstyles.
There are both standard and professional blow dryers available on the market today. Even though retail or standard blow dryers are targeted toward the person who is doing their own hair, you may find out quickly that a professional grade blow dryer is a much better investment and will produce much better results as well.
Some positives about standard blow dryers include that they are usually lower priced than most professional blow dryers, they tend to be lighter in weight, easier to handle and on average have about 500 hours of working life.
When looking for a blow dryer, the following characteristics are good for ensuring you have purchased a good quality product.
Short drying time – A powerful motor means increased airflow. That will result in shorter drying time which is much better for your hair. The less time you have hot air blowing on your hair the healthier your hair will be.
Gentle Infrared Heat – The blow dryers that have ceramic and tourmaline produce infrared heat that is less damaging to the hair and makes the hair shinier.
Cool Shot – When your hair is almost dry, switching to the cool shot feature seals the cuticle. This will give you long-lasting hold and lots of shine.
Multiple Settings- High quality blow dryers offer adjustments for speed and heat level.
Lightweight – If you are a professional hair stylist or you have long, thick hair, you will probably want to look for a dryer that is lighter in weight so your arms don't tire out.
Using the information and tips below, you can provide yourself with the right knowledge to buy the best blow dryer you can get for your budget and needs.
What are Your Hair Needs? – There are different types of hair so it stands to reason that not all hair needs the same care. Start by identifying your hair texture. That will range from thin to thick, and then straight, wavy or curly. More than likely you already know what your hair texture is but if not, this is easy enough to figure out with some online resources.
Also pay attention to the length of your hair. Long hair will need different care than short, etc. The last thing to know in this category is what type of styling you want. Do you just want to dry your hair or are you looking to style it in specific ways?
What is Your Budget? – The range of prices that a blow dryer can have goes anywhere from a few dollars for a super cheap model to over $100 for a high quality professional blow dryer. You should determine a budget that you want to spend so you can narrow down the choices and eliminate off the top, the ones that don't fit into your budget. If you only use a hair dryer once in a great while for special occasions, you will not need to spend as much on it as you will want to for one you use every day.
There are many different features that can be offered in a good quality blow dryer. Learn about all of the features that a blow dryer may have to determine which ones you are interested in.
Ceramic – Adds plenty of shine while making sure the hair doesn't frizz and get damaged. This feature works for all hair types.
Ionic Technology – Negative ions decrease the amount of time it takes to dry the hair and smoothes it as well. This feature is also great for all hair types.
Tourmaline – This feature intensifies the ionic technology and adds even more shine to the hair. Works for all hair types.
Cool Shot – The cool shot feature sets the style and adds shine to your hair. Perfect for all hair types.
High Airflow – Spend less time drying thick hair with the high air flow feature. This is designed for thick or coarse hair that takes a long time to dry.
Multiple Heat Settings – Usually 3 or 6 different heat settings that can work for thin or coarse hair. The higher heat settings work for the coarse hair and the lower settings for thin or fine hair.
Multiple Speed Settings – Using the lowest settings prevent damage to fine or thin hair.
Diffuser – A diffuser distributes the heat without messing up the hair style that you are creating. It's great for drying naturally curly hair also and keeps the curl smooth and intact.
Concentrator – This is similar to a diffuser in that it directs the airflow but a concentrator focuses all the air towards one place while the diffuser spreads it out.
Comb Attachments – Many models of blow dryers have comb attachments that can be put on the end of the dryer to comb and dry the hair at the same time.
Swivel Cord – Cords can be bothersome to wind up and take care of. A swivel cord doesn't get in the way when you are using the blow dryer.
Auto Shut-Off – When you put the blow dryer down, the auto shut off will stop the dryer from running and then it will resume again when it is picked up. This is great for stylists that need to frequently put down their appliances to make trims and changes in the hair style.
Blow dryers are very useful hair appliances when you have to get your hair dried quickly or if you want to create different hair styles. There is a large array of styles and choices of blow dryers on the market today. Sorting through all of them, trying to find the right one for your needs can feel overwhelming and result in guesswork if you are not knowledgeable about their features and what those features offer.
The information in this buyer's guide will enable you to choose the best blow dryer you csn afford that will meet all of the requirements you have when it comes to drying and styling your hair.


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Magdalen Berns: feminist heroine of our time – Spain
September 21, 2019 September 26, 2019 ~ genderdesk
[The following is a translation from the Spanish of "Magdalen Berns: heroína feminista de nuestro tiempo", by Lara Salvatierra, El Plural, 16/09/2019. Original translation by genderdesk, released under license CCO which is similar to PD, go ahead, use it, improve on it, without attribution. And thanks to whoever wrote Linguee and Spandict, not to mention Google Translate.]
Lara Salvatierra
Peruvian philosopher, writer and activist currently passing through Poland. Specializing in Gender Studies and women. Globetrotter by nature and full-time Feminist.
Magdalen left us too soon, she died the morning of Friday, September 13, 2019 due to the glioblastoma she had been battling for two years. Magdalen was surrounded by the love of her family and friends, the news of her death had a profound impact on her fans, even though it had already been made public since August 21, that she had entered palliative care, we were all hoping against hope that the situation would manage to reverse. Before the announcement, innumerable tributes of women from different countries, filled the social media, celebrating the courage of her life, the power of her voice, and the brilliance of her intellect.
It's hard to talk about her in the past tense. In her own words she was "Lesbian (not the political kind); a physics graduate from the University of Edinburgh; a FLOSS accessibility hacker (the legal kind); an XX feminist (not , the fun, kind); ex-amateur boxer (the competitive kind); a blogger; an activist; a cultural libertarian; a Londoner; a critic of religion, capitalism, identity politics, conservatism, neoliberalism and socially imposed gender norms."
Magdalen perfectly understood the global necessity that we as women position ourselves, and construct our own spaces to talk about sex, critique from the perspective of feminism, gender identity and the questions that impact the human rights of women. She was harassed in her own university by both the students and the leadership, for declaring herself openly lesbian and saying in public meetings that the problem of gender identity is real and that it mainly affects women since feminism as a political entity is being snatched away from us. She was beaten for saying that lesbians do not have a penis, she was virtually harassed and called a thousand contemptuous names, the designation "terf", the accusation of "transphobia" and many other insults simply for telling the truth. She decided to continue speaking out, denouncing what neoliberalism and that which is called "mainstream feminism" tries to sell: a lifetime of patriarchy with a progressive disguise.
She could have looked the other way and simply continued with her life, avoided trouble, gotten away from everything… but nevertheless she decided to speak, and she did it in a critical and informed way, so since April 2016 Magdalen gave us videos about feminism, defending in each installment the rights of women in general and lesbian women in particular. Her direct positioning as a critical feminist of the genre was her princple characteristic, that and the clarity of her arguments. She quickly became very popular and her videos on YouTube got hundreds of thousands of views in a very short time, because in addition to the strength of her arguments, she had an irreverent sense of humor, which brought us closer to the theory from a more approachable perspective.
I believe that I do not exaggerate when I say that radical feminists, to a greater or lesser extent, find in Magdalen a necessary example to be able to express, from our place in society, the importance of the feminist debate on issues that directly affect us as women. Sharing this fight with her has meant for many of us, pride, sisterhood, self-criticism … we have created strong networks, protecting each other and facing neoliberal, misogynist and gender advocates with the same strength as that which she would have done. Magdalen is an inspiration and her legacy does not end here.
Now is the time to continue with the tools that we have inherited, like so many marvelous women before her, she left when reality shows us that it is now when we need her the most. The examples of what is essential in what has become the feminist position in the face of neoliberal discourse of transgenderism are obvious, now that in the first Trans Pride March held in London, a call has been made in social networks to beat and simulate hangings of the so-called "terfs" in other words, beat and harass the gender-critical feminists who defend exclusive spaces for women and call for them to stop renaming the category of woman and stop saying that lesbians have a penis.
The structural sexist violence of our society is real, a simple Twitter search for the hashtag #RIPMagdalenBerns, shows us an absurd amount of users, mostly transactivists and their "allies" disrespecting Magdalen, calling for their followers to go dance on her grave, take joy in her death, thanking the brain tumor that caused her death . All of this is clear, it is not considered hate speech by the majority of social networks, where nevertheless, many of us have been banned for saying that women have a vagina. These same platforms, which support this type of neoliberal discourse disguised as progressivism, are what oblige us women to hide, to use pseudonyms, to avoid demonstrations, public political meetings, for our own safety and for the safety of our families.
Why do I say that Magdalen Berns is a feminist heroine? Because she faced the enemy with her bare hands, on our behalf and for our benefit, and it is time that we do the same for her and for those who came before us, and above all for those that will come after us. We cannot remain silent, it is a feminist duty in the current times that everyone take ownership of their own voice, in the space that each one can, whether it is making a brother-in-law keep quiet, sharing books with other friends, speaking at work about the necessity for feminist proposals, voting for candidates that represent our ideals … There are many ways for us to get the power of our own voice. If we do it all together, we will be closer to the free and feminist society we want.
Posted in LGBT, Magdalen Berns
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Enclume also is a creative workstation, genuine tool for supporting in-house or external projects.
Located in the heart of Brussels, Enclume Studios offers 400m² dedicated to animated films productions ; there you can find a stop motion set, an open plan office for 2D and 3D productions, administrative offices and a screening room.
further information about the rental spaces (shooting studio or coworking space), on Enclume&Co's services website.


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Biografia
Leila Khaled nasceu em Haifa, na Palestina, era uma dos doze filhos de Ali Khaled e Jamila Latuff. Aos quatro anos de idade teve que fugir junto de sua família para a cidade libanesa de Tiro, fugindo da invasão sionista de 1948 (Nakba). Estabelecida em Tiro, estudou na escola da União Evangélica e deu prosseguimento aos seus estudos secundários na escola de meninas de Sidon.

Aos 15 anos juntou-se ao MNA, e quatro anos depois entrou na mesma faculdade que seus líderes G. Habash e W. Haddad, a Universidade Americana de Beirute, mas não conseguiu concluir seus estudos por questões financeiras. Entre 1963 e 1969, trabalhou como professora de inglês em escolas públicas do Kuwait. Se juntou à Frente Popular pela Libertação da Palestina (FPLP), assim que esta foi fundada também por Habash, em 1967.

Khaled na FPLP
Na FPLP, Khaled dedicou-se aos sequestros de aeronaves organizados por Haddad; os destaques de sua atuação militante é o seu envolvimento nos sequestros do avião TWA em 1969, e do El Al em 1970, por causa de seu envolvimento neste último ficou detida por um mês em Londres.

Na década de 1970, Khaled se dedicou à resistência palestina organizada no Líbano, lá atuava como oficial da FLPL, como membro do Secretariado Geral das Mulheres Palestinas, ou no cuidado de feridos em ataques israelenses a campos de refugiados palestinos. Em 1974 foi eleita membro da secretaria do Sindicato das Mulheres e a sua atuação militante sindicalista se deu através da participação em diversas conferências internacionais e regionais que discutiam o papel da mulher nos conflitos árabes-israelenses; em 1978 ajudou a fundar a Casa dos Filhos da Resiliência, uma instituição que cuidava dos filhos dos combatentes mortos no ataque ao campo de refugiados palestinos Tal al-Za'atar em Beirute, durante a Guerra Civil Libanesa.

Entre os anos de 1978 e 1980 estudou nas universidades soviéticas de Moscou e Rostov, reforçando a proximidade entre a FLPL e a URSS, vale destacar que que essa afinidade se materializou na convocação de diversos líderes e militantes palestinos à KGB pelo governo da União Soviética, como W. Haddad, mas teve que interromper seus estudos por causa de uma convocação da OLP à todos os estudantes que estavam no exterior para lutar na defesa da revolução palestina. Em 1979 ele se torna membro do Conselho Nacional da Palestina, do qual ela faz parte até os dias atuais, e em 1982, durante a invasão israelense ao Líbano Khaled atuou deslocando e procurando abrigos à feridos nos conflitos armados, após esse período de êxodo no Líbano a FPLP foi reorganizada por Habash e Leila passou a ocupar cargos administrativos e de liderança.

No ano de 1986 estabeleceu-se a Organização das Mulheres Palestinas que passou a servir estrutura geral para a FPLP e na qual Khaled foi eleita a primeira ministra, essa organização trabalhava para mobilizar a força feminina pela defesa de seus direitos e dos direitos dos palestinos em geral.

Em 1992 Leila se muda junto com seu marido e seus dois filhos para Amã, onde reside até hoje; um ano depois, Khaled é eleita ao Comitê Central da FPLP, e em 2005 passa a integrar o Bureau Político da Frente Popular, cargo que mantém até o momento.

O sequestro do voo 840 da TWA

Dentro da FPLP Khaled seguiu os passos de W. Haddad: a tática do sequestro de aviões ocidentais e israelenses, entendidos por Haddad como uma maneira eficiente de inserir a luta palestina nas pautas internacionais devido à cobertura intensa que a mídia ocidental fazia destes sequestros. Dentre muitas operações, uma das que mais chamou a atenção da mídia foi o sequestro do voo 840 da TWA em 29 de agosto de 1969, o avião partia do aeroporto internacional Leonardo da Vinci, em Roma, com destino ao Aeroporto internacional Ben Gurion, em Tel Aviv, mas foi interceptado e desviado pela FPLP para o Aeroporto internacional de Damasco, na Síria.

Os líderes da FPLP descobriram que o embaixador israelense nos Estados Unidos, Yitzhak Rabin, embarcaria numa aeronave TWA Roma-Atenas com destino a Tel Aviv, assim que descobriram o dia desta viagem elaboraram o sequestro; a operação foi realizada por Leila Khaled e Salim Issawi, Rabin não estava a bordo, quem estava no avião era o diplomata norte americano Thomas Boyatt.

Leila e Salim fizeram o piloto pousar a aeronave em Damasco, na Síria, evacuaram o Boeing e explodiram a parte frontal do avião; imediatamente, Khaled e Issawi foram presos pelas autoridades sírias, mas estas transformaram a situação a seu favor em relação aos seus conflitos com Israel: dos 101 passageiros, a Síria reteve 6 israelenses, dos quais 4 foram liberados no dia seguinte e os dois restantes só foram liberados em dezembro em troca de 71 soldados sírios e egípcios presos em Israel.

Khaled e Issawi foram  libertos em outubro de 1969 sem nenhuma acusação.

Referências

Naturais de Haifa
 Marxistas da Palestina
Mulheres da Palestina na política
Refugiados
Revolucionários da Palestina
Socialistas da Palestina

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Activism & Hue-man Rights Pentagon Warns Military Personnel Against At-Home DNA Tests
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Pentagon Warns Military Personnel Against At-Home DNA Tests
The tests, from companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry, have become popular holiday gifts, but the military is warning service members of risks to their careers.
In an internal memo, Pentagon leadership has urged military personnel not to take mail-in DNA tests, warning that they create security risks, are unreliable and could negatively affect service members' careers.
The letter, which was reported by Yahoo News, was sent on Friday. It does not name any particular DNA testing companies but counsels broadly against buying ancestry and health tests promoted with military discounts and other military incentives.
Cmdr. Sean Robertson, a Pentagon spokesman, confirmed that the memo had been sent.
"We want to ensure all service members are aware of the risks of Direct to Consumer (DTC) genetic testing," he told The New York Times over email.
Over the past decade, millions of Americans have purchased DNA tests through companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry with the hopes of connecting with relatives, finding out more about their family origins and learning about how their DNA could affect their chances of developing certain health conditions. In recent years, the tests have become popular holiday gifts.
Commander Robertson said that the tests might provide inaccurate results and have negative professional consequences. "The unintentional discovery of markers that may affect readiness could affect a service member's career, and the information from DTC genetic testing may disclose this information," he said.
Genetic tests have more serious employment implications for members of the military than the average office worker, said Frederick Bieber, an associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School, who served as an Army Reserve officer at the DNA Identification Lab in Rockville, Md.
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act — known as GINA — prohibits discrimination by health insurers and employers based on the information that people carry in their genes. It does not apply to members of the military, however.
"The military can make decisions about operational readiness," Dr. Bieber said, whereas "in the civilian world there are prohibitions about it."
If a DNA test shows that someone has carrier status for sickle cell trait, for example, he said it could limit advancement in some aviation specialties.
The memo was written by Joseph D. Kernan, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence, and James N. Stewart, the assistant secretary of defense for manpower. They warn that the tests "could expose personal and genetic information, and potentially create unintended security consequences and increased risk to the joint force and mission."
The memo does not get into what specifically these risks might be, and Commander Robertson declined to elaborate.
In a statement, a spokeswoman from 23andMe said that the company took great care to protect customers' privacy.
"Our FDA-authorized health reports have been tested to be over 99% accurate," she said. "All of our testings are done in the U.S., and we do not share information with third parties without separate, explicit consent from our customers."
An Ancestry spokeswoman said that the company had not targeted military personnel with discounts. "Ancestry does not share customer DNA data with insurers, employers, or third-party marketers," she added.
The Pentagon does not advise against genetic testing altogether. But service members were encouraged to get genetic information "from a licensed professional rather than a consumer product," Commander Robertson said.
via: The New York times
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Clondargan is not matched up to Logainm.ie yet.
It is located at 53° 59' 26" N, 7° 14' 4" W.
We don't know about any subtownlands in Clondargan.
Curious to see who lived in Clondargan in the past? Maybe even seeing scans of their handwritten census returns?
Clondargan was added to OpenStreetMap on 15 Dec 2015 by Stephen_Co_Antrim.


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Home Activities Dress for Success Singapore
Dress for Success Singapore
We speak to Li Kin, Founder and Director of Image Mission, which manages Dress for Success Singapore. This ANZA Action supported charity helps women from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve economic independence by providing them with personalised coaching, support and professional attire to gain employment.
When and why was Image Mission set up?
I started Image Mission in 2015 to manage the Dress for Success Singapore affiliate, which is part of an international network of 150+ affiliates. I come from a humble background, my mother had to single-handedly raise eight children and I believe that employment is the solution to overcoming poverty.
Since then, Image Mission has served more than 780 clients through its two programmes – Dress for Success Singapore and IM Ready – with 30 percent of participants securing employment. We managed this without staff in the first five years, using a pool of dedicated volunteers from both the local and expat communities. In fact, ANZA Action was one of the first organisations I approached for support, and we are very grateful to have had many regular ANZA volunteers.
What do you do for women?
Many of the women we serve come from low-income households or disadvantaged backgrounds. They've been out of the workforce for a long time and often have low self-esteem. Our programmes are designed to cover every facet of our client's journey, from job search to employment and beyond.
The Dress for Success programme provides interview and career coaching as well as professional attire for job interviews and employment. Our boutique has workwear, shoes and accessories that we give to women who have secured a job interview or employment. Clients are referred by community partners, who make an appointment for a styling or coaching session.
Li Kin conducting an interview skills session
How do the coaching sessions work?
At a coaching session, a volunteer coach provides one-to-one interview or resume preparation coaching. At an interview or employment styling session, the client is fitted by a volunteer stylist who shares dressing tips and selects an appropriate outfit for the interview, adding a finishing touch of professional make-up. Once employed, the client returns to receive a set of workwear to start off their new job.
Do you provide other training?
The IM Ready programme is a structured 4-6 weekly programme to equip clients with the skills, resources, and knowledge to become workforce ready. We now offer this programme one-to-one as well as in a workshop format.
IM Ready begins with a competencies diagnostics assessment so clients can discover their strengths and skills and better align their job search to match these. We then help clients to create a job search action plan, which will also track their progress. Other services include resume crafting/review, interview techniques and image styling.
Both programmes help them improve their confidence – to believe in themselves, their abilities, skills and experience, the way they look. This newfound confidence is most apparent after a makeover session or when they complete an assignment.
This confidence empowers them to present themselves well at the job interview because they are dressed professionally and have prepared for the interview questions. Getting the job, in turn, boosts their sense of self-worth and gives them the means to work towards achieving financial independence and creating a brighter future for themselves and their family. For many of our clients, this newfound confidence also helps them in other areas of their lives – they are more confident dealing with their children for example.
DFS Kathmandu founder with Li Kin (centre) and Elizabeth (right) in 2018
How can ANZA members support Dress for Success?
We are very grateful to the many ANZA members who have supported us over the past six years as coaches and stylists. ANZA members also gave strong support at our fundraising events, especially in our start-up years.
We're also always in need of volunteers who can help in ad-hoc event management. Whether you can commit to a regular schedule or on a project basis, we'd love to have you. Do subscribe to our mailing list at imagemission.org/contact-us so you'll be updated on volunteering opportunities.
Alternatively, you could champion our cause by adopting us as a charity of your choice for your birthday or celebration!
An IM Ready workshop
How has Covid affected women in the work force?
The onset of COVID-19 and the circuit breaker in April 2020 had a great impact on our clients as they are among the most economically vulnerable in Singapore – being disproportionately represented in the retail, F&B and hospitality sectors.
With kids at home and unable to go to school, women were often the ones who had to sacrifice their jobs for child care, especially single mums. Many of those in contract or part-time roles lost their jobs or had their jobs suspended.
For Image Mission, we had to quickly move our services online to meet our clients pressing needs for employment support. We redesigned our programmes to suit an online format and trained our career coaches and stylists to facilitate virtual coaching and styling sessions.
This worked out well and the move to virtual allowed us to serve women in need of support, which we continued even after physical sessions resumed. In all, we managed to conduct more than 400 sessions last year, about the same as pre-Covid in 2019.
Any future plans?
We aim to serve 2025 women by the year 2025. One of our new programme initiatives is to engage employment partners who can offer expertise in areas relevant to our clients (e.g. recruitment or insights on the types of jobs/careers available in their industry) or who have job opportunities for our clients.
Christina Lim
Where to find Australian food & Australian coffee in Singapore
Top interior design trends for your home for 2022
Chinese New Year feasts in Singapore to celebrate the Year of the Tiger
Anza Tours in Singapore to kick off 2022
Chocolate tasting & making with chef Janice Wong
Happy People Helping People: The community caring for the elderly year-round


Apps are a big part of creating digital content for social media. Let's face it, us Instagrammers would be nowhere without our apps. Instagram is great, in itself, but creating content for Instagram takes a lot more finesse than those 10 basic filters they provide. Whether you're a career instagrammer or someone who uses the app for fun, we can promise you that you need these apps. We've taken the hard work of a lot of trial-and-error, downloads and user experience off of your plate. Over time, we've combed through a ton of apps, covering everything from IG story templates to post planning and photo manipulation. We're highlight our top 10 apps every Instagrammer needs in this article. We love these apps so much that we feel it's appropriate to offer up a premature "you're welcome".
This app is our saving grace when it comes to both feed planning and post planning and it's why it's on the top of our list of apps every Instagrammer needs. Planner has both free and paid features, but we personally feel like the free features are enough reason to download this app. Your previously posted photos are pre-loaded into the app and you have the ability to add future photos to the mix and change around the order. This has enabled us, and their thousands of other users, to strategically plan out an aesthetically pleasing feed. In addition to this feature, which to be honest, was the main reason we downloaded the app, Planner allows you to schedule posts (paid feature). If you're running around all the time and don't have time to post, but want to be generating content consistently on Instagram, this is a great option. It automates your posting for you, including pre-written captions.
A hidden feature of Planner that we find particularly helpful is the hashtags. Buried within the settings menu is a place to store hashtag groups. It's amazing, we know. Not only does this app allow you to store hashtag groups for easy posting, but they also help you find the most popular hashtags by topic and category. For example, if you tap into their "find hashtags" tool, you're able to type in "fashion blogger" and all of the most beneficial, popular hashtags for that category pop up for easy adding. There are tons of hashtags tools like this out there, but none that are free and as easy to use as this one. Well worth checking out.
We're grouping these two equally awesome apps together because you need both of them equally and both are extremely similar in function and offering. Both of these apps are great for spicing up your Instagram stories or playing around with your posts. You've undoubtedly seen photos or stories on your feeds that have been edited with either of these apps. They offer a selection of really cool photo frames that resemble polaroids and old Kodak film. It seems like Instagram, in general, is heading towards a more artistic, vintage feel, which explains the popularity of these photo frames.
In addition to offering a cool selection of photo frames, Unfold also offers more graphic design and layout focused templates that are honestly really great. On both of these apps, there's a selection of pre-loaded, free photo templates that are pretty good. They also offer the option to purchase other photo frame "packs." We'll be honest, they're all pretty cool and we've bought a few of them, ourselves. These are no doubt apps every Instagrammer needs to step up their Instagram game.
This one is a given, and it's for a good reason. If you haven't heard of Snapseed, you should download this app immediately. It's basically like a mini photoshop on your phone. This app gives you the unparalleled ability to alter specific sections of your photos in terms of clarity, saturation, contrast, exposure and brightness. There are so many useful, amazing tools within this app that it's hard to give note to all of them. This app has its own set of photo filters, specific to different themes, like "Grainy Film" or "Double Exposure." You can even alter perspective of your photos, which is a crazy advanced option for a mobile app to offer.
We're still discovering new features to this app on a regular basis. Feel free to drop a note in the comments below if you discover something particularly awesome about this app! We're curious to see what you guys can do with this app that we haven't yet.
For us lucky people who own Adobe Lightroom on our desktops, there's a great mobile version of this program that is unmatched in color and light manipulation. Lightroom Mobile is just as good as the desktop version if you're doing minor changes and edits and offers nearly the same tools as the desktop software. Not much hype needs to be raised around Lightroom. The program and the sheer number of creatives who default to using the software speak to how great it is.
Unfortunate side note: If you haven't paid for the Lightroom desktop software, the app is not available to you. Upon downloading the app, you're asked to sign into your Adobe Creative account, after which, you're allowed access to use Lightroom via your mobile device.
There's really no getting around this one, and while we're at it, there's really no shame in it. People tip-toe around admitting that they use FaceTune because it has this assumption behind it that you're severely altering the way you/your body look. FaceTune is so much more than a tool to change how big or small a part of your body is. The patch tool in FaceTune is great for getting rid of stray people/construction/other unsightly or undesired things in your photo. The detail tool is also a go-to for us. It essentially brings out all of the details in your photo and honestly makes it a lot more visually appealing and interesting to look at. There's a number of other really useful tools like teeth or eye whitening, red eye removal and the ability to "paint" specific tones onto your photo (good for evening out skin tone, for example). The app is well worth the few dollars to download and has become one of our most-used apps when it comes to photo editing.
Another obvious fan-favorite, but it definitely has to be mentioned. VSCO is almost everyone's go-to for photo filters. We have no shame in admitting that we've bought almost every single photo filter pack that the VSCO store has to offer, and honestly, we use most of them. The plain old color and light manipulation features are great, as well as their film grain which is classic and adjustable. Since everyone pretty much knows the deal when it comes to VSCO, we'll give you a little extra info and share our favorite filters for purchase on the app so you have an idea of what's worth the splurge and what isn't.
If you're into the vintage trend that's happening all over Instagram, but aren't that well versed in photo editing, Huji Cam is a great alternative. This app is super easy to use and doesn't require a ton of post-process editing. It gives your photos a distinctly vintage/film aesthetic, instantly giving any color in the shot a nice boost and more visual interest. We know a ton of people who are non-bloggers and non-photographers that revert to using this app instead of spending 20 minutes navigating the tons of editing apps we've mentioned in this article.
Keeping with the vintage thing that's happening not just on Instagram, but in society, in general, we introduce you to 8MM. 8MM gives you old film style videos, instantly. There's a ton of little buttons and toggles on the 8MM app to give your videos a little extra spice, including little glitch-type edits. This app functions, essentially, like a different type of camera and gives any video content a really fun, old school, almost romantic element. If you're a fan of mega-blogger (and mega-babe) @tezza, you've seen this app in action. She uses 8MM, exclusively, for most of her fun IG stories. Check it out if you're curious to see what this app can do before purchasing.
FotoRus is the hidden gem of photo editing apps. Chances are, you haven't heard of this app yet, and to be honest, we kind of found it by accident. We personally use this app exclusively to lengthen the body/legs in shots that were taken from a higher angle (which makes the subject of the photo appear shorter). That being said, if you're really into post-process editing or if you need a little extra help on a specific photo, this app is a must. There's even a beauty section of the app that will apply full-blown makeup onto your face and it's all customizable. While we'd never suggest fully changing your appearance using apps like FotoRus, we've found it particularly helpful in a number of instances. For example, if you want to share your new favorite mascara, but the photo doesn't do it justice, there's a mascara option in the beauty section of FotoRus that will give your lashes an extra boost. Pretty cool, right? Just be careful not to over do it!
If you have a more professional camera, like a Canon or a Nikon, do yourself a favor and download the app. Most of these professional cameras these days have built-in WiFi systems. Such a blessing for us Instagrammers. Our Canon Connect app allows us to take photos using our phones as a remote control, allows us to download photos that are on our SD cards straight into our phones and gives you control over lighting, focus and location tracking on your camera. Pretty cool, right? These cameras are typically really expensive, so the apps really allow you to get the most out of your investment.
If you liked this article on apps every Instagrammer needs, then head to the Wolf Blog for more great content tips!


Disk formatting is basically the preparation of a data storage device such as a hard disk drive, SSD, floppy disk or USB flash drive for use. It adds a file system to the device, in some cases multiple. This is usually done after partitioning the device if it was completely blank/wiped prior to use. For example, the user could format a USB stick with the exFAT file system. This particular file system can be recognised by both Windows and MAC operating systems.
In the case of some operating systems, these procedures can be repeated at any time or even combined on certain devices. Generally this is so the new device can be recognised on multiple machines (iMac or PC) however reformatting a drive does have the major pitfall to a user in the context of wiping the data present on that particular at that current time, so it is best to be completely aware of this before attempting to format a device.
One of the most common recoveries we perform here at R3 Data Recovery Ltd when it comes to SD cards especially is accidental formatting.
DROBO storages systems are very powerful and scalable, but recovery from these units is usually very complex.
DROBO is a series of multi-disk devices, which can be either DAS or NAS. Typically, a DROBO has 5 or 8 drive bays, accepts disks in any combination of capacities and produces maximum size single storage out of them, given the desired fault tolerance. This storage is, in turn, either divided into LUNs (virtual physical drives) and presented to the OS as single USB or virtual physical drive.
To combine several physical disks into a single storage, DROBO uses its own technology called BeyondRAID, which is not like any standard RAID level. The BeyondRAID technology uses a combination of RAID1 and RAID5 for single redundancy and 3-way mirror along with RAID6 for double redundancy. DROBO uses different RAID levels for metadata and user data. More than that, even different block sizes can be used on the same DROBO disk pack and LUN. The possibility to recover DROBO data directly depends on whether you have the map of where all the blocks are written or not.
In this case, the customer has plugged all drives from his broken DROBO to a new one but from a different family.
The result was that the disk set was reinitialized and a different map was overwritten. Luckily the new map was (or maps because actually there is more than a copy) written to different locations so the original ones were preserved.
Logical analysis, anyway, could not find any file or structure: the software had detected the new DROBO file system and was trying to reconstruct it. Why look for a different set of data if I have found a good signature of it?
How Do You Transfer Data From One Hard Drive To Another?
Why Would An External Hard Drive Fail?
How Do You Recover Deleted Photos From A Memory Card For Free?
What Hard Drive Manufacturer Should You Buy For Data Storage?
What is the Procedure for Recovering Data from My Failed Hard Drive?


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Exhibits The Making of a Mayor
In November 1967, Richard G. Lugar was elected Mayor of Indianapolis. Less than five years later, he was standing at a podium in Miami Beach, delivering the keynote address at the 1971 Republican National Convention. As Mayor of Indianapolis, he had confronted issues of racial segregation, economic decline, and population loss, and responded with innovative efforts in planning, funding, and governmental reform. These initiatives not only contributed to the economic growth of Indianapolis, but also increasingly drew international attention to the city's young mayor.
Denison University Transcript
Richard G. Lugar thrived at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, graduating in 1954 at the top of his class. In addition to an outstanding academic record, Lugar served as Co-President of the student body (his fellow Co-President was Charlene Smeltzer, whom he would marry in 1956). Lugar would again serve as a student leader at Pembroke College, Oxford University, which he attended with the prestigious and coveted Rhodes Scholarship.
"Dick Lugar for Mayor"
Lugar entered public office in 1964 as an elected member of the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners. Three years later, with the support of the Republican Action Committee, Lugar ran for mayor and defeated Democratic incumbent John J. Barton. Click the play button to hear the audio for a Lugar campaign advertisement. The catchy jingle was played on radio and television, in 28-second and 58-second (available here) formats.
UniGov and Other Achievements of the Lugar Administration
In September 1969, nearly two years after entering the Mayor's office, the Lugar Administration prepared a statement highlighting its achievements thus far. The summary emphasized Mayor Lugar's efforts to address critical problems facing Indianapolis and other urban centers by reforming how local government operations were organized and funded. UniGov--the consolidation of Indianapolis and Marion County Governments--stood squarely at the top of their list, although its implementation would not be official until January 1970. Other achievements included the Administration's work to build public-private partnerships through programs and advisory task forces. To learn more about UniGov, see the feature UniGov: From City to Metropolis.
President Nixon Visits Indianapolis
During his first term in office, Mayor Lugar drew national attention for overseeing the implementation of UniGov and attracting both federal funding and private investment in Indianapolis. Richard Nixon's election in 1968 only heightened Lugar's visibility. In February 1970, Richard Nixon visited Indianapolis (which was then the largest city in the country with a Republican mayor), bringing with him several cabinet members to discuss how his vision of New Federalism might shape national urban policies. Nixon also appointed Lugar to the U.S. Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, furthering the young mayor's prominence.
A New Arena in Downtown Indianapolis
The Indiana Pacers were a successful franchise in 1971, when Mayor Lugar announced plans to build the Market Square complex, including a new arena for the team. Led by star players like Bob Netolicky and Roger Brown, the Pacers had won a league championship in 1970 and a division title in 1971. As Mayor (and later as Senator), Lugar advocated locating sports facilities in the central city as a way of drawing civic pride, revenue, and business investment to downtown Indianapolis.
For further discussion of Mayor Lugar\'s and others\' efforts to bring professional sports to Indianapolis, see the feature Bringing the Colts to Indianapolis.
International Affairs on Monument Circle
In 1970, Lugar was elected president of the International League of Cities, an organization advocating urban issues and providing education to municipal leaders. During that same year, the Mayor was invited to represent U.S. cities at a meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) focused on urban affairs. In 1971, Indianapolis played host to an international Conference on Cities, sponsored by NATO, the National League of Cities, and other organizations concerned with urban issues. Publicity from these events as well as from Lugar's innovations--particularly in municipal reorganization (UniGov), intergovernmental collaborations, and public-private partnerships--continue to draw positive attention to both the city and its Mayor.
Confronting Racial Segregation
In 1968, just a few months after Lugar's first election as Mayor, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 through its racially segregated school system. The case was tried in 1971 and IPS was found guilty of de jure segregation. Issues of race relations, segregation, and busing played a major role in the 1971 race for mayor. In the midst of the campaign, African-American business leader and physician Frank P. Lloyd Sr. spoke out against the racial politics used by John Neff, who was the Democratic nominee running against Lugar for mayor.
Re-Election of a Mayor
The campaign of 1971 was marked by two central themes: UniGov and the response to segregation in Indianapolis Public Schools. Since its proposal, UniGov had been criticized by several African-American leaders as an effort to undermine African-American political power, by bringing predominantly white suburban voters into the Indianapolis voting district. In 1971, Lugar's Democratic opponent, John Neff, called UniGov a "power grab"and used racial politics to leverage votes among African Americans. Both strategies failed, as Lugar won approximately one-third of African-American votes (significantly more than previous Republican candidates) and claimed an overwhelming victory, with a winning margin of more than 50,000 votes of the approximately 250,000 votes cast.
A Rising Star in the Republican Mayor
With a decisive re-election victory and increasing national recognition, Lugar's supporters described the Mayor as a rising star in the Republican Party. This pamphlet, published shortly before his keynote address at the Republican National Convention, promotes Lugar's national notoriety and highlights his activities and appearances outside of Indiana.
Keynote Address, 1972 Republican National Convention
The young Mayor was recognized for his contributions to public policy and the Republican Party with the coveted honor of delivering a keynote address at the Republican National Convention in 1972. His appearance at the RNC furthered speculation about his potential as a future presidential or vice presidential candidate.
Running for the Senate
Running for the Senate Toward the end of his second term in the Mayor's office and in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Lugar ran for U.S. Senate against popular Democratic incumbent Birch Bayh. L. Keith Bulen managed the campaign, as he had done during both of Lugar's mayoral races. In this instance, however, Lugar was not successful and he narrowly lost to Bayh in what proved to be a tough year for Republicans throughout the country.
U.S. Senator Richard G. Lugar
On January 1, 1976, Richard G. Lugar left the Mayor's office, having decided not to seek a third term. Instead, he accepted a faculty position at Indiana Central University (now University of Indianapolis), where he taught Political Science, while also running a second campaign for U.S. Senate. As can be seen in this fundraising pamphlet sent to supporters, the campaign had to adapt to newly passed campaign finance laws, several of which had been enacted in the years following the Watergate scandal. In November 1976, Lugar defeated Democratic incumbent Vance Hartke in a landslide, beginning a 36-year Senate career. Among his more recognized achievements as Senator, Lugar worked with Democratic Senator Sam Nunn in the dismantling of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, most notably arms stockpiles in nations with unstable political and military leadership.


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SEMA eNews Vol. 15, No. 12, March 22, 2012
Racing News: Elite Collection of Cobras to Be Displayed in the Speed Merchants of Venice Exhibit
in People, Places & Racing News Racing News
The Ford-Cobra-Shelby Reunion is scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2012, at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum.
Elite Collection of Cobras to be Displayed in the Speed Merchants of Venice Exhibit
Guest curator Lynn "Mr. Cobra" Park has announced a short list of the extraordinary Cobras to be included in the "Speed Merchants of Venice" 50th Anniversary Cobra Exhibit as part of the Ford-Cobra-Shelby Reunion scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2012, at the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Automobile Club of Southern California.
The rare Cobras to be displayed include the following:
The first production Cobra kindly loaned by Bruce Meyer.
FIA 289 loaned by Park.
Recently restored Shelby School of High-Performance Driving car loaned by David Lerian.
427 Comp Car loaned by Anthony Boosalis.
427 S/C loaned by Boosalis.
King Cobra loaned by Bill Hartman.
"El Cid" Dragonsnake loaned by Park.
The 50th Anniversary Cobra Exhibit will be part of the inaugural Ford-Cobra-Shelby Reunion, which is open to all Cobras, GT40s, Ford GTs, all Ford, Lincoln, Mercury (FLM) and FLM-powered vehicles, including trucks and Broncos and all Shelby vehicles.
Proceeds benefit the NHRA Motorsports Museum and the Carroll Shelby Foundation.
Team Falken finished eighth place in the GT class at the Twelve Hours of Sebring.
Team Falken Perseveres for Strong Finish at Sebring
The 60th Annual Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring Fueled by Fresh from Florida, Saturday, March 17, was a long and hard run for Team Falken Tire.
The American Le Mans Series GT team spent most of the 12-hour endurance
race trying to regain ground lost early in the event. Despite the
setbacks, the team earned an eighth-place finish in the GT class,
marking the team's first finish of the historic event.
Porsche works driver Wolf Henzler worked his way through the
field and joined the top 10 in the GT class in the first hour, running
37th overall. An hour and 30 minutes into the race, Henzler successfully
earned the third GT spot. After 40 laps, veteran racer Bryan Sellers took command of the Porsche, rejoining the field at eighth in class.
The team has much work to do before the Long Beach Grand Prix
April 13–14. Historically, the team has raced strong on street courses,
racing the Falken Tire Azenis slicks. Walker and the team will work
closely with Porsche and Falken Tire to continue to showcase strong
competition against the more experienced veterans of the American Le Mans Series.
Rob MacCachren won at the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250, averaging 56.29 mph and finishing the course in four hours, 25 minutes and three seconds.
FOX Athletes Claim Victory in San Felipe SCORE Desert Series Races
FOX extended its SCORE Desert Series Baja Trophy Truck winning streak to nine with Rob MacCachren's recent win at the MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. MacCachren ran the same FOX External Cooling System-equipped bypass suspension, also known as the Cactus Cooler, which helped him win on this course last September.
Averaging 56.29 mph and finishing the course in four hours, 25 minutes and three seconds, MacCachren's win came four minutes and five seconds before his closest competitor.
Another notable victory came from third-generation racer and Class 1600 champion, Luke McMillin. McMillin made his Class 1 racing debut while sharing driving duties with multi-time short course race winner Justin Smith, who, together, took home the Class 1 win and fourth overall finish.


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China – Visas Granted To Chinese And Russians Soar As High Net Worths Shift Focus To Investments In UK.
The number of investor visas granted to Chinese and Russians has soared in the year to September 30th, as more High Net Worths shift their investment focus to the UK economy, says Pinsent Masons, the international law firm.
Pinsent Masons explains that the number of investor visas issued to wealthy Chinese nationals has doubled in a year, from 178 to 3571. Chinese nationals now account for 43% of all investor visas issued by the UK in the last 12 months, the biggest share of any country, up from a 10% share just five years ago.
The UK Government has also increased the number of investor visas granted to Russian nationals, up by 57% in the last year, from 117 in 2013 to 184 this year.
Pinsent Masons explains that the increased interest in investing shown by international High Net Worths in the UK is indicative of the shift away from investment in some emerging markets, such as China, after a prolonged period of rapid growth.
Pinsent Masons explains that both Chinese and Russian nationals have been looking to reduce exposure to their domestic economies as those economies face a slowdown in growth– those investors are now looking for security by investing in lower risk assets in the UK.
Recent volatility in the rouble has illustrated the risks of being over exposed to one emerging markets currency.
Pinsent Masons says that the increase in visas issued to Chinese High Net Worths (HNW) is part of a broader increase in investment in the UK from China. Recent research commissioned by Pinsent Masons estimates that Chinese annual investment flow in the UK is set to rise to £30 billion p.a. in 2025. Over half of this investment will be directed at infrastructure and real estate2.
Yuri Botiuk, Partner at Pinsent Masons, says that he does not expect the new rules introduced last month by the Home Office to have a substantial impact on the UK's ability to attract HNW investment as most investors applying for Tier 1 (Investor) status will see the doubling in the required investment from £1m to £2m as relatively modest.
Yuri Botiuk explains: "Whilst the economic outlook in Russia and China has shifted in the last year, this rebalancing of assets out of emerging markets and into the more traditionally secure UK market is more about good portfolio management."
"HNWs in Russia and China are concerned about diversifying their investments."
Jill Turner, Senior Associate at Pinsent Masons, continues: "Investors in UK assets are attracted by the country's long history of secure private property rights. Strong codes of corporate governance in the UK also offer greater investor and creditor protection."
"A lot of Chinese HNWs have had almost all their wealth linked to the fortunes of the Chinese economy. That has served them very well but with Chinese economic growth slowing after a tremendous run some HMWs are rebalancing their portfolios away from China."
Yuri Botiuk continues: "Despite the Ukraine crisis, there has been a slight increase in the number of investor visas granted to Russian nationals since last year" and notes that "the recent decline in the oil price is so recent that it is not yet reflected in the number of visas granted."
Investor Visas To Chinese Nationals Have Doubled In The Last Year
The Number Of Investor Visas Granted To Russian Nationals Has Increased By 57% In Just One Year
End Notes:
1 Year end September 30th 2014.
2 "China Invests West: Can Chinese investment be a game-changer for UK infrastructure?" Pinsent Masons and Centre for Economics and Business Research
Yuri Botiuk, Partner, Pinsent Masons
Jill Turner, Pinsent Masons


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Blog, Books, Writing
Shaking It Up: Part 11
June 17, 2020 Brad Whittington
From my perspective, the biggest value that Truby brings to the table is to force me to think longer, harder and deeper, about my characters, their background, influences, motivation, and interactions. The last section of Chapter 4 covers values, as in how the character would answer the question "what makes life good?" We answer that question for each of the major characters. You can see the summary of this exercise in Part 10 in column of the character table. This exercise answers that question in more detail.
Chapter 4: Character Part 2
Jack (hero): Peace, inner and outer. From childhood, Jack has trained himself to discard desire, to embrace what is instead of seeking what is not. Counterintuitively, he has developed a high degree of self-confidence by choosing to not indulge self. Content to keep his thoughts to himself, he doesn't impose himself or his ideas on others. He is more likely to answer a question with a question, not an answer. (Which can make him an annoying companion.) He doesn't do this to be clever or from a lack of opinions/preferences, but because he has found that the fewer opinions he has about what others should do, the more tranquil his life. His worldview could be summarized as "It's your nickel."
Roger (opponent): Survival = financial success. From childhood, Roger has learned that you get what you can take, because nobody is going to give it to you. Counterintuitively, he does this through giving in the form of the fixer. He gains power by helping others get what they want. He is Radar O'Reilly as Shylock, bargaining without conscience or scruple, ultimately demanding his pound of flesh in the end. This worldview was developed as a survival mechanism, and he has used it to make himself rich, because in his world money is the only measure of success.
Zoe (opponent): Respect. The respectable version of Roger, Zoe trades influence for money and power, but as a means to command respect. In her world, money is a given, but it is only valuable insofar as it gains her respect, in fact, she sees it as the only path that will gain respect and has no respect for those without money. However, she knows how to hide her ulterior motives in her climb to success.
Dan (opponent-ally): Stability. The judge sees the letter of the law as the guarantor of a stable community. Fair-minded but inflexible, he sees exceptions to the rule as the nose of the camel, the slippery slope toward societal disintegration, but secretly doubts himself, wondering if he has set the standard so high that he has doomed the larger part of humanity to failure to meet it, and so relies on, or maybe hides behind, the statutes when others might exercise judicial discretion. Far from a hardass, he is good humored and treats all with respect and disagrees firmly but pleasantly.
Bella (ally): Harmony. Unlike the judge, Bella doesn't second guess her convictions. She wants the best for everyone, and she knows just what they need to do. Her innate good nature, sense of humor, and concern for everyone from the highest to the lowest without regard to station serves as a partially-effective counterbalance to what would otherwise be harsh, overbearing mothering with a capital S. [I'm sure the capital S meant something when I wrote it. No idea what, though.]
Riki: Accomplishment. The weaker twin, Riki never figured out how to exist in this world. (Zen struggle between illusion and reality?) In his teens, he succumbed to the drug culture and died of an overdose, one of Roger's earliest victims.
Jodi: Domestic tranquility. From childhood, Jodi assumed the role of mother for her twin brother to replace their birth mother. (Mother died? Abandoned them? Incompetent father? Bounced through the foster program?) When Riki dies, she transfers her energy to her bosses as an aggressively competent and controlling executive assistant.
Noel (opponent): Control. Noel followed in the footsteps of her father to become a homicide detective. Her obsession with justice and her keen insight brought her recognition, but not advancement. In midlife, she worries that she has neglected her family in her devotion to the mission.
Four-corner opposition
Jack Roger
Noel Zoe
Detour: Character Diamond
At one time, David Freeman taught a course called "Beyond Structure" which included the concept of the character diamond. Unfortunately, Freeman is too busy being Executive VP of Walt Disney Television / Star TV , the course is not currently available, and there is very little information online about this tool for developing complex and memorable characters.
The best description I could find online is from the website of Brian Eisenberg, marketing wiz, who uses the tool to develop buyer personas. In another blog post, Wizard of Ads partner Tim Miles uses the character diamond to create brand identities.
Defining characteristic
Vulnerability Core identity
Counterpoint (opposite)
North: Defining characteristic of the character. The first thing you notice.
South: Counterpoint. Opposite.
West: Vulnerability.
East: Core identity. Non-negotiable, protect at all cost. Hill you're willing to die on.
North-South: Makes the character interesting
East-West: Makes people connect
Monk, cleric
Angry doubter Longs for hope
Seeks justice
North: Monk, cleric
South: Seeks justice
West: Angry doubting Thomas, he's a zen fraud
East: Wants to believe there is hope (in the icebox, he fought for meaning through which he remained functional instead of dysfunctional, core-level optimism.)
We come to what I consider to be the most useful chapter in Truby's book, developing the characters. A story is only as deep as its characters. Every hour spent on diving deep into character is worth ten hours spent on plot. I'll go even further and say no plot, no matter how clever, surprising, or shocking can make up for shallow, cliche characters.
I divided my work on this chapter into two posts because it's so long, and I worked on it for at least two weeks.
I'm intrigued that the concept of self once again emerges as the central problem. In my last novel, The Reluctant Saint, the central moral problem involved self.
Can you lose yourself in love without losing your self?
As I worked through the characters for my new project, a similar theme emerged.
Self preservation can lead to loss of self, self destruction.
First I read the chapter and jotted down thoughts that came to me as I considered the various concepts and examples. Then I went back through and worked through the elements.
Jack seeks the killer to show him how he is harming himself?
Jack's back story involves a move from East Texas to Austin in high school. Let's say his senior year. That's how he meets Jodi and Riki. And Roger, although Jack doesn't recognize him at first in present story time.
What if Roger is the most zen in that he sees no good or evil, and Jack is a reformed zen because he champions good and opposes evil?
"Often the hero is initially wrong about his true reason for going after the goal and does not discover his real motive until the end of the story, at the self-revelation." Maybe we tie it all back to The Icebox!
What if Jack's range of change goes from speaking in riddles and koans to engaging directly. He's gliding along on the surface, but he has to abandon the self-preservation of riddles to be real. [Hm, do we need another person whose life is devastated by Jodi's death? Mother? Sibling? Ex-husband? Friend? Bella?]
Double reversal? Perhaps Roger is connected to the Icebox story? This could be a wrong turn as it will feel too contrived. But it's an interesting thought.
Perhaps Jack's need is that he has used what he learned from the Icebox to insulate himself from the world. Hm.
After discovering the murder, Jack must struggle with the problem of inserting himself in the equation, to effect a cause (i.e. to solve the problem). See pp 46+ in Watts to reacquaint yourself with how this works. To clutch instead of to let go.
Character who is a hoarder ala Hutchison. A clue is hidden in the mountain of papers and cat food tins.
Character List by Function
Hero: Jack
Main Opponent: Roger
Fake-Ally Opponent: Zoe, city councilperson
Ally: Bella, owns diner? High school friend?
Fake-Opponent Ally: Dan, judge
Ally: Jodi and Riki:,high-school friends
Opponent: Noel, homicide detective
Subplot Character?
Central moral problem: Self preservation can lead to loss of self, self destruction. (That's so zen.)
Note: The Atman is self in the sense of the true, supra-individual Self. The Anatman is the realization that the personal self is an illusion.
Archetypes List
King/Father
Queen/Mother
Wise Old Man/Mentor
Artist/Clown
Central problem: Sense of self / loss of self. Paradox: Self preservation can lead to loss of self, self destruction.
Key Point: Be as detailed as possible when listing the values of each character. How does each justify their actions to reach their goal?
Character Web
Notice the recurrence of the self in how each character deals with the central problem, and also how a lack of balance permeates the need for many of the characters. This analysis allows me to compare and contrast how different personalities wrestle with the same issues, which increases the possibility of nuance and richness not only in the characters but also in the plot.
Whether I can pull that off is a completely different question.
[Right-click the image and open it in a new tab or window to enlarge]
Main characters by function and archetype
Next week we take an in-depth look into what each character values.
Shaking It Up: Part 9
June 3, 2020 Brad Whittington
This chapter is going to be tricky because the hero's weakness and need for this story don't necessarily follow Truby's ideas, which work well for a standalone story, but I must adapt it to support a possible series of detective novels. The hero can't take this same arc in every book, going from weakness through action to change to personal transformation.
To this point, I have set up Jack to move past his zen philosophy to become an agent for imposing justice on a situation. Once this happens, what is the next book about? This is the point where it would be nice to ask Truby how his thoughts apply to a detective series. But I'll work through the process for now and figure that out later.
Chapter 3: The seven steps of story structure
Weakness and need
Weakness: something missing in the hero that is so profound, it is ruining his life. The hero is aware of his weakness.
Need: what the hero must fulfill within himself to have a better life, typically involves overcoming his weakness and changing/growing. The hero is not aware of his need. Need has two levels. 1) psychological, how he is hurting himself. 2) Moral, how he is hurting others.
Jack is not aware of a weakness in his life.
Need (psychological, how he is hurting himself)
Because of a childhood trauma, Jack has adopted a zen-like philosophy of embracing the world as it is with no judgment. He doesn't see a system of right and wrong, only varying degrees of proximity to the ultimate reality. [This sentence probably does severe injustice to actual zen beliefs.] In this view, the concept of justice has no meaning. Life is what it is. Choices are balanced by consequences, but there is no "should" to consider.
As a result, Jack is living as a hermit, devoid of meaningful relationships.
Note: I am aware that I am probably grossly distorting a zen-like philosophy. I will have to do a ton of reading to represent this fairly, as it is not my natural response to the world, or, in my view, the natural response of any human who has not consciously made the effort to divorce value judgments from life experience.
Need (moral, how he is hurting others)
This needs work. My thought is that Jack doesn't take a side. When a friend is suffering from some injustice, Jack can't champion their case. However, this approach doesn't make sense to me, and will be hard for the typical reader of whodunits to embrace. A lot of work ahead for me.
Jack wants to find the person who murdered his friend, to bring justice.
At the personal level, the opponent is the person who murdered, or caused the death, of his friend. At a larger level, the opponent is the elite who orchestrate the world to their advantage and to the disadvantage of anyone in their way.
Hero and the opponent want the same thing?
Jack wants the truth, to expose the person responsible for his friend's death.
What is the truth that the opponent (OP) wants the world to believe? He's a fixer, a problem solver. In his youth, this meant connecting his peers with drugs. He must work though progressive levels until he's in a place to get people in high places the things they want. That kind of power sustains the lifestyle he has aspired to and now seeks to maintain.
Perhaps Jack runs across OP early, while gaining access to more powerful peeps. The trick here is the trail of breadcrumbs that leads Jack to a powerful person. Maybe a note, a scrap of paper on victim's effects, a phone number, partial name?
Need a surface motive for someone, perhaps another homeless person. When that washes out, maybe the false opponent relates something he/she saw that takes it to the next level. And so on. This is a good trail to follow.
Might be a two-level plan like Godfather, first Sollozo, then Barzini, the true power/threat behind the strawman.
OP is the muscle, but he dies or is arrested, leaving a worrying thread that Jack can't let rest. This leads him to the true OP.
Might be a bit cliche', but true OP could be someone Jack calls on for help early in the investigation. True David/Goliath battle. Original OP is just a pawn. This is getting better!
Self-revelation
This is where I have to tread carefully. I don't want this to be some big renunciation of Jack's philosophy of detachment to get the religion of justice warrior. Must be more subtle than that, something that can maintain tension through sequels.
New equilibrium
The new equilibrium is an uneasy balance of zen and justice. I will know more about this after I understand zen better.
As you can see, I've run into some serious snags right up front. I have my work cut out for me, which illustrates early on that writing a novel is a significant undertaking.
I'm a cook-or-vacate-the-kitchen kind of guy, which is why in interviews when people ask if I have advice for aspiring writers, I say:
"Quit now and avoid the rush."
To some, that answer sounds cruel or flippant, but it's anything but. I think most people are creative in some area of their life. If you're one of those people, it's important to identify the creative pursuit that works best for your disposition and ambition.
Some aspiring writers tackle a novel project and quickly become overwhelmed by the labor-intensive nature of the work. The value of this installment of Behind the Scenes with the Wunderfool is to demonstrate how you can break the work down into manageable chunks and push past the speed bumps.
If this isn't your idea of fun, then you can avoid the quagmire of the novel and turn your attention to something more accessible, such as the haiku. Although I tend toward the long form, I enjoy writing a haiku. It takes a day or so to distill an idea into 17 syllables, but it's very rewarding and has the added bonus of instant gratification, especially when compared to a novel.
So, what speed bumps have you hit in your project? What is your plan to divide and conquer?
May 27, 2020 Brad Whittington
This week I spent a few sessions on the deck with John Truby. Or, more specifically, his book The Anatomy of Story.
Truby has his own approach to story structure, but for me the true value of his book is the process, not the structure.
I have a problem. I always want to jump right into the story and start writing. It's like signing up to run a marathon when you barely have enough juice to run a 440.
A novel requires a full cast of characters: the protagonist, the antagonist, allies, opponents, fake allies, fake opponents. A good novel explores the interactions between all the characters, what Truby calls the character web. If you really want to write a rich, powerful novel, you need to understand all these characters, their motivation, their weakness, need, desire, key values, and how they interact within a character and between characters.
Truby saves me from myself. He forces me to understand the full depth and power of the story itself. He forces me to treat the characters as real people, not just pieces to move around on the board to advance the plot.
Basically, he forces me to do the heavy lifting before I start writing.
Why is that important? It saves a ton of time and frustration caused by writing scenes and chapters that I have to throw away. Chapters that don't feel authentic or that go nowhere.
This is not a formula. It's not paint-by-numbers. It's the exact opposite. It's a process that allows you to create a unique story that isn't like any other story.
I spent a few hours out on the deck reading Chapters 1 and 2. I uncovered a lot of good things for me to know or research before I start writing.
Chapter 2: Ten steps to develop premise
Step 1: Write something that could change your life
Classic whodunit plot
Unlikely hero
Ghost from the past (Brillo?)
Talisman from the past (Randall knife?)
Rock thrower, or is that too much?
Recurring homeless character, annoying, who Jack rescues from a culvert in a flood
Premise: An antisocial homeless veteran takes on powerful enemies to solve the murder of a childhood friend.
Step 2: Look for what's possible
What if the villain is involved in Code Next, wanting to develop multi-family dwellings in Shoal Creek?
What if the villain is in league with city officials who will be at risk if the truth comes out?
What if Jack has already been in a few scrapes with the law? Perhaps an outstanding case against him with a pending court date?
What if Jack has some allies that he calls only when all is lost? A judge? A judge who has ruled against him in the past? A high-ranking military officer?
Step 3: Identify the story challenges and problems
Keep the plot from getting too intricate
Educate the reader on Riki's backstory without violating POV
Portray the homeless life without falling into the ditches of trivializing, moralizing, sermonizing, and all the other izings
Establish Jack as a zen-like dude who has insulated himself from human involvement, a non-interventionist, without being a jerk
Construct a consistent personal philosophy initially built on a traumatic childhood event and developed through life experience
Research the conflict, if any, between a zen-adjacent world view and Jack imposing his moral sense on another by actively seeking justice. Is this a challenge for Jack, something he has to work through? Or is he already there?
Perhaps the turning point is stepping out of his insular world to intervene on behalf of a close friend from his past
Step 4: Find the designing principle
Designing principle: Use the classic David vs Goliath story to show how a reclusive vagabond overcomes his nature to solve the murder of a childhood friend by exposing the crimes of the monied elite.
Step 5: Determine your best character in the idea
Best Character: Jack
Step 6: Get a sense of the central conflict
Central Conflict: Jack takes on the powerful to expose the murderer
Step 7: Get a sense of the single cause-and-effect pathway
Single Cause/Effect Pathway: A murder disguised as a suicide draws a reclusive homeless man out of his self-imposed isolation to expose the murder.
Step 8: Determine the hero's possible character change
W = weakness (psychological and moral)
A = struggle to accomplish the basic action in the middle of the story
C = changed person
Hero's Character Change: W x A = C
Weakness = non-interventionist, the world is what is, we don't change it, we live in it
Action = decides to bring a murderer to justice
Change = becomes an agent of change to intervene in what is to make it what should be
Step 9: Figure out the hero's possible moral choice
Moral Choice: take a side instead of accepting what is
Step 10: Gauge the audience appeal
Audience Appeal: Universal. Humans have an innate sense of right and wrong
What about your story? Have you thought it through? Have you identified cool things that could make it more interesting or problems you must overcome to make it compelling?
See you next week. Keep on writing.
The last scene of the story calls back to the opening scene of the novel. I couldn't resist the symmetry. I also reveal the boy's name for the first time. I didn't want to name him at all, just leave him as an archetype, but verisimilitude won out. There isn't a father on the planet that won't call out his son's name in this circumstance.
I prefer to do the whole novel without naming the protagonist, just have him as an entity set apart from his world, involved only as required to keep body and spirit connected. But that's a heavy lift for the writer and a heavier ask for the readers, especially for commercial fiction. So far I've settled on Jack. We shall see if it survives to publication.
The Icebox: Session 4, on the deck
Dictation recording (45 min)
First draft manuscript
Back on the deck, late at night as you can tell from the insect symphony. I sometimes write fiction in the daylight, but typically I start writing after it's completely dark outside. The advantage? Zero interruptions. I typically shut down between midnight and two, but many times I have written right through to dawn, and Let me tell you, the noise of all those birds waking up makes it hard to concentrate.
I hear all kinds of things, cars, trucks, or motorcycles zooming through the neighborhood, insects, of course, frogs, dogs barking, the occasional wandering nocturnal mammal, and the most chilling of all, the yelping of a pack of coyotes after a kill.
May 6, 2020 Brad Whittington
Back when I was a captive instead of a freelancer, I wrote wherever I had to. Usually on the deck, but also in coffee shops, airplanes, hotel rooms. The fixed requirements were Wi-Fi and access to power. The upside to dictating your first draft is that you can do it anywhere. In this case, I did this 15 minutes of dictation while driving. The trip seemed like it happened in just a few minutes.
The Icebox: Session 2, driving
Third draft manuscript
April 29, 2020 Brad Whittington
At the end of the second dictation session, I realized the fatal flaws in my workaround. First, you can't disguise a novel as a bunch of short stories, and second, I needed to know way more about my protagonist. I abandoned the detective story and decided to focus on his origin story by writing a real short story.
I focused on two attributes of his character: claustrophobia and a zen-like philosophy.
I worked out a basic plot that had only 3 scenes: the bike trip to the dump to shoot cans with his BB gun, an encounter with some high school kids, and what followed. Then I followed my new process, dictating the first draft over four recording sessions.
In this case, I'm showing you the third draft manuscript, so it's somewhat polished. I ran this draft through my critique group, who gave me excellent ideas for making it significantly better that I never would have thought of on my own. Sometime this year (I hope) I'll get around to rewriting it. Also, I submitted it to 4 literary magazines and got 4 rejections.
In the further adventures of throwing away the process to shake things up, here is the second session of dictating the first draft of the detective novel. Evidently I solved the wall-staring issue by stopping the recording to stare at the wall.
The manuscript is not just a transcription, but an edit that synthesizes the ideas from the recording plus slight changes to smooth out the writing.
The best way to experience the draft is to bring up the manuscript and listen to the recordings as you read along so you can see how it changed from dictation to first draft.
Detective Novel: Session 2
Dictation recording 1 (7 min)
And then I hit the wall. But that's a story for next week.
This blog series is a chronicle, in real time, of the act of developing a story and writing a novel. Consequently, it will contain spoilers. If you want to come to the finished novel with a clean slate, you should read it first (when it finally gets published) and then come back to see how the sausage is made.
After The Reluctant Saint came out, I pondered my next writing project. A coterie of fans have been clamoring for a sequel, and that is high on my list. Of course, somebody always wants another Fred book.
But I wanted to try something completely different. A bonafide whodunit. A few of my novels have some elements of a whodunit, especially Muffin Man and Endless Vacation, but I wanted to do an actual, legit, hit it right down the middle detective book.
There was just one snag: every detective must have his thing. His quirk.
Holmes is the seemingly cold-blooded thinking machine. He has the pipe, the violin, the disguises. even a seven-percent solution of cocaine.
Poirot has the little grey cells, the finicky obsession with style and personal appearance, and the visceral, almost manic obsession with justice.
Wolfe has his orchids and agoraphobia.
Morse has his Jaguar, opera, and Masonic conspiracy theories
Bosch has his Vietnam vet tunnel rat thing, his love of jazz, and poor impulse control.
I spent months coming up with a thing. And that thing was: my detective is homeless.
After considerable brainstorming with my comrades, I settled on a guy who is homeless not because he is down on his luck, but by choice, a man who has rejected the system and chooses to live off the grid.
And this is the point where I broke from my usual habit of working through things at the keyboard, or at the very least, with a lab book and a pen. Instead, I went out on the deck with a scotch and a cigar and a digital recorder, hit record, and asked my detective to tell me about himself. For the next 15 minutes, I channeled my detective, writing down everything I/he said.
I was astounded at what came out, and it gave me a starting point for weeks of research. I read The Art of Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. I read Travels with Lizbeth: Three Years on the Road and on the Streets by Lars Eighner. I subscribed to the Steve1989MREInfo YouTube channel, listening to hours of reviews of vintage and current MREs. (I'm still subscribed 4 years later.) I called a guy I know who was homeless for several years and who now works with the very organization that helped him get off the streets.
Then I ran smack dab into reality. I bought my current house to renovate the 900 sq ft workshop into a one-bedroom apartment for my mother. However, to make that happen, I had to re-purpose the time I spend writing fiction toward getting new clients for the day job. My New Year's resolution was to not write another novel until the apartment was finished.
But I couldn't let the detective novel go. After several months, like a good Pharisee, I found a loophole. I had vowed to not write another novel, but I didn't say anything about short stories. I would write a series of short stories that I could later stitch together into a novel.
Because the channeling session worked out so well, I decided to dictate my first draft.
To understand the shocking nature of this turn of events, consider that my first draft process involves long periods of staring at the wall, followed by a few frantic minutes of wildly typing before returning to wall staring.
As you may surmise, a process that features long periods of silence isn't compatible with talking into a recorder. But I chose to double down on shaking things up.
Because this blog series is an exercise in complete transparency of process, I present to you the first session recording, followed by the first draft edit, which is four paragraphs. I recommend you compare the recording to the the manuscript as you listen.
Dictation recording (4 min)


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