Four months have passed since the Insurance Act became law in August. Too early for any major court decisions but, nonetheless, time enough for a few preliminary observations. Despite some initial doubts and wobbles, the market has largely taken the new law in its stride. Policies have been updated, training sessions have been provided and processes have been refreshed. Some have focused on gaining market advantage, whilst others have taken a more technical approach. As with all change some have adapted better than others. In some cases risk managers have been surprised at what their reasonable search revealed and underwriters by what their old policies contained. Generally however, more thought seems to have been given to the placement process and in addition, the better prepared brokers have examined their role, procedures and what liabilities they can assume.
The Insurance Act is principles based but the facts behind any disputes will be infinitely variable. Was the presentation fair, was the search for information reasonable, were individuals "senior management", was the warranty a risk migration term or did it define the risk? All of these questions could give rise to new test litigation. If the Insurance Act follows CIDRA then the nature of disputes may alter too, moving away from misrepresentation and non-disclosure towards post-loss conditions, the extent of cover and the effect of policy terms.
We should expect some significant litigation over the next few years which will give further guidance to the market. However, many policies contain binding arbitration clauses which, as several senior judges have observed, hinder the development of the common law. The process may therefore take longer than would be ideal. Whatever the courts eventually decide whether the Law Commissions will have achieved their aims of improving practices to support the UK insurance industry abroad and assist its reputation at home may not be known for some time yet.
In our series "Elvis blogs the Insurance Act" we considered some of the issues that arose as Insurance Act compliant policies were formally incepted on 12 August, renewals took place or variations to existing policies were applied.
We concentrated solely on the Insurance Act but to do so ignores some other aspects of the Law Commissions' programme of reform of insurance law that we should address and a couple of areas of concern which arise from the "entrepreneurship" of the claims management sector.
The "small print" might well be the two words that best encapsulate the public's concerns with insurance – a reputational issue associated with the "contract of utmost good faith" that undermines and causes challenges and problems for the industry, despite the fact that billions of pounds are paid to customers of insurers every year – both in personal and commercial lines. Albeit that discussion of the Insurance Act 2015 has largely revolved around commercial policies it should be remembered that it is only the duty of fair presentation and the remedies associated with breach that apply to the "non-consumer" and that those sections of the Act dealing with warranties (and "irrelevant terms"), fraudulent claims and contracting out apply to all policies. In the earlier "Elvis blogs the Insurance Act" we have considered which of those areas were the most likely to prove contentious and now turn to the issues that arise from the contract itself.
Warranties and other terms can impose draconian remedies on a policyholder; a "valid" claim might not be paid because of the breach of a warranty or a term that is irrelevant to the loss. The courts have been reluctant to enforce such an outcome and have often strained the interpretation of the law to do justice between the parties. This has meant that the application of the law in these areas has been uncertain. The Act provides that warranties become suspensive terms, capable of remedy and that an underwriter may not rely on an "irrelevant" term. Will the new provisions be an area ripe for dispute? We do consider that the second of the clauses which relates to "irrelevant terms" is the more likely to cause difficulty. The Act states that the insurer may not rely on a term if the insured "shows that the non-compliance with the term, could not have increased the risk of the loss which actually occurred in the circumstances in which it occurred." Merely quoting the section in detail highlights its brief complexity and illustrates the dangers of dispute. This section where the underlined "could" (this bloggers underlining) replaced "would" in earlier drafts is a lower threshold for the policyholder and if expectations are not adjusted by insurers there could be a number of litigated cases.
Turning to the clauses on warranties itself, we do envisage some testing of the term and the issues where a breached warranty might be remedied. Ultimately, this should lead to fewer disputes even if there is some "testing" of the issue in the near term. Though it is the case that market practice was in many cases not to rely on a breach so perhaps there will not be the upturn in litigation if the point was rarely pursued commercially (and of course the Financial Ombudsman has in practice been applying the "new" law on warranties and irrelevant terms in relation to "consumer" and micro-businesses for some years).
The area relating to warranties that will cause difficulties unless addressed, relates to repeal section 18 (3)(d) of the Marine Insurance Act relating to the "superfluity" of warranties. An insured will now need to disclose anything that forms the subject matter of a warranty and because of repeal has no defence if the issue is raised by the underwriter. There is not the time here to detail the issue but custom and practice will need to be considered and one can anticipate that there will be many disputes if the point is not dealt with by contracting parties.
The outcome will be a little less fight as a consequence of a little more spark in the placement process: thank you Elvis.
The Insurance Act 2015 will apply to new policies or variations from tomorrow, Friday 12 August – the "Glorious 12th" of the hunting season.
I have considered in my earlier blogs this week (and indeed within many of the papers, FAQs in the Time for Change area of the BLM website) those areas of the new law which might be subject to challenge or dispute after 110 years of "old" law and practice.


text:
51 VPN Statistics, Facts and Insights That You Must Know
Prabhakaran October 15, 2020 Lists
Using a VPN has become essential to browse the internet safely these days. Their widespread usage has given birth to some really interesting VPN statistics, facts, and insights. Taking a look at them could be useful to protect your privacy and stay safe on the internet. These facts will make you reconsider your security. Some of them may even leave you awestruck.
In this post, we will share the most interesting 51 VPN Statistics, Facts, & Insights collected from all over the web. Just start reading and calm your curiosity down. Going through these can help you in understanding the world of the internet better.
The Most Interesting VPN Statistics, Facts & Insights on the Internet
Facts About the History of VPNs
VPN Users & Usage Statistics, Facts & Insights
Demographic VPN Statistics, Facts & Insights
Financial VPN Statistics, Facts & Insights
The Internet has become a basic need around the world now. We all use it regularly for work and other purposes. However, the modern internet world is not so safe as it seems. All the time you browse the web, your privacy and security are at risk. VPN works as a savior for them. It provides you an encrypted connection to roam around the web. Also, it can replace your real IP address with a different one from another region.
This can help you protect your 'internet-self' while surfing the web. That's why VPNs have become so common these days. Every second internet user relies on it to stay safe. This widespread usage has led to some very interesting statistics and insights. We'll share them here mixed with the interesting facts.
Th history of VPN dates back to 1996 when a Microsoft employee developed PPTP, a technology that aims to create a more private and secure connection between the computer and the internet. This initiative is known as the 'birth of VPN.' After this, the development of our modern VPNs started. Let's take a brief look at the key historical facts about VPNs.
In 1996, Gurdeep Singh Pall, a Microsoft employee invented a technology known as Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). It was a method to implement virtual private networks. He did it to allow users to have a secure internet connection and work safely from home.
In 1999, the specification was published.
The development and evolution of VPN technologies started in 2002 and the design that we use today came into light in 2005.
Originally, VPN technology was developed for big companies and organizations.
The goal for companies was to make communication and file sharing between different offices and employees safe and secure. They didn't want anyone to steal their sensitive data.
By 2004, common people understood the benefits of using VPNs.
StrongVPN is the oldest modern VPN service provider. It was launched in 2005. However, their company has been around since 1994.
PureVPN came next in 2007.
AnchorFree launched HotSpot Shield in the USA in 2008.
In 2009, ExpressVPN and VyprVPN, the two current dominators of the VPN industry came into play.
By 2018, 1 in every 4 internet users around the world was using a VPN.
VPN has an interesting history. If Microsoft patented their technology when it was first developed, we'd be having things a lot differently than we have them today.
There are millions of VPN users worldwide now. And, thousands of VPN service providers are serving them. VPN usage has become much widespread now. The number of users is also ever-expanding. Here are some very interesting users and usage stats, facts, and insights.
Over 28% of internet users worldwide have used a VPN.
More than 50% of VPN users connect using a VPN to unblock the content.
31% of VPN users have the purpose to stay anonymous.
27% of VPN users access restricted websites or torrent websites.
18% of VPN users have the purpose to prevent being spied on from the government.
17% of VPN users access a TOR browser.
Image Source: GlobalWebIndex
93% of IT Professionals use a VPN while working.
Around 29% of VPN users access Netflix every month.
45% of the frequent VPN users access it on mobile.
Desktop computers are the most used device for VPN usage having a 17% share.
According to Google Trends, the global popularity of the search term 'VPN' has risen steadily over the past 10 years.
80% of internet users worldwide worry about their privacy and security.
CyberGhost VPN has the maximum number of servers worldwide. It has over 6300 servers across 89 countries. NordVPN stands 2nd with 5,650+ servers in 59 countries.
ExpressVPN is the service provider with maximum paid users worldwide.
These facts verify that VPN has become essential for a lot of internet users in 2020.
VPN users are present in every region of the globe. Here are some demographic VPN statistics, facts, and insights. These will help you understand the people who are most concerned with their privacy online.
Males prefer accessing with VPN connected more than females. 62% of all VPN users are men.
Around 35% of VPN users have age between 16 to 24 years.
Millennials prefer VPN services for work and entertainment more than anyone else.
The 5 best countries to connect to with a VPN are Switzerland, Iceland, Malaysia, Romania, and Spain. These countries have the best privacy laws.
The countries that have either banned or have restrictions on VPN are Belarus, China, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Turkey, Uganda, UAE, and Venezuela.
Indonesia is the country with the maximum global VPN usage. 44% of Indonesian internet users connect using a VPN regularly. India stands 2nd with 37% and Malaysia is 3rd with 32%.
VPN usage is maximum in the Asia-Pacific region with 30%. Latin America stands 2nd with 23%, the Middle East and Africa are 3rd with 19%, Europe and North America rank 4th with 17% usage each.
VPN users are now available in each corner of the world. By these facts, we can conclude that the underdeveloped regions have more VPN users than the developed regions.
There are hundreds and thousands of companies and more number of services. The VPN Industry has now become huge. You can verify this by going through the stats, insights, and facts below.
The VPN Industry is one of the best growing industries of the last decade. In 2020, the industry worths over $24 billion.
In 2016, the industry was worth $15.64 billion.
By 2024, it is expected to cross the $50 billion mark according to the current growth rate.
The VPN Industry has a yearly increase rate of $4.5 billion.
90% of the VPN services that are active in 2020 are owned by the companies founded after 2005.
A lot of VPN services that show themselves as competitors are owned by a single parent company. An example of this is Hotspot Shield and JustVPN are both owned by AnchorFree.
The cost of cybersecurity experienced a prominent jump in 2018. In the USA, it jumped by 29% in that year.
The UK experienced a jump of 31% and Japan experienced a jump of 30%.
NortonLifeLock Inc. has the best performing stock out of all cybersecurity stocks in 2020.
This might be the right time to jump into the VPN Industry. It carries great potential for anyone to succeed.
VPNs have become the key to browse the internet safely and securely. These are some of the most interesting VPN statistics, facts, and insights in 2020. If you know about some more of them, don't forget to drop them in the comments. Also, if you have any questions regarding anything mentioned here, feel free to ask us.
That's all for this post. I hope you find it helpful.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you are here to find out how the British pound did on the currency markets last week, we've got all the information you need. Read on to find out more.
Here we are then as we explore how the British pound did against the US dollar last week to start a brand new month. The opening rate was 1.5257 and this dropped immediately to 1.5215 by the end of the day. We had better news over the next three days though, as the pound managed to increase its rate every single day. This meant that by Thursday evening it was on 1.5388 against the US dollar. It fell back a little more on Friday but since it only went down to 1.5331 this was better than we'd started on and was therefore deemed a success.
Could we replicate this against the euro though? The pound opened on 1.3908 here and actually had the worst start to the week it could have managed. After dropping a little to 1.3903 on Monday, it then experienced three more days of poor results. This left it struggling on 1.3598 by the time Thursday night arrived. While it did manage to improve slightly by Friday, finishing on 1.3666 in the process, this was still more than two cents down on the original rate we'd started off with.
Over to Hong Kong now and here the pound began with a rate of 11.829 against the Hong Kong dollar. It dropped back to 11.799 on day one, but then it experienced a more encouraging few days. Indeed, by Thursday night it had climbed a little every day, leading it to finish on 11.929 that night. With one more day to go the pound did experience a loss though, ending the week on 11.887. However on the whole this was better than the starting rate had been.
When the pound went up against the New Zealand dollar it started on 2.1425 and then dropped to 2.1372 by the end of Monday. Was this a bad omen for the week ahead? It didn't look like it, because the pound then put in a great performance over the next three days to finish on 2.1531 by Thursday night. It experienced that same disappointing Friday drop though to finish on 2.1474 for the week – but again, this was better than its opening rate had been.
Finally the pound started trading on Monday morning on 1.9941 against the Australian dollar. If we were hoping it would reach the two dollar rate at some point during the week we were disappointed though. It slid over the first few days – at first marginally and then dropping to 1.9685 on Wednesday. Fortunately the pound then picked up to 1.9877 the day after before dropping to 1.9863 on Friday.
From a standing start of 1.8984 the pound managed to reach 1.9164 by the end of the week.
The pound couldn't achieve a good result against the Swiss franc. It had just one good day among the five this week, leading it to drop from an opening rate of 1.4382 to reach 1.4320 by Friday night.
Here too we had bad news. After a good start on Monday the pound had a very mixed week. It opened proceedings on 204.932 and by Friday night the amount had changed to 203.139.
So it was really a week of mixed fortunes for the British pound. While it did manage to get the occasional good result it wasn't able to string enough of them together to create an overall improvement against many currencies. Perhaps things will change next week. Whatever the case may be, we shall be here with all the latest results to bring to you.


text:
import unittest
import socket
import sys

from telemetry.core import util
from telemetry.core.chrome import cros_browser_backend
from telemetry.core.chrome import cros_interface
from telemetry.unittest import options_for_unittests
from telemetry.unittest import RequiresBrowserOfType

class CrOSInterfaceTest(unittest.TestCase):
  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testPushContents(self):
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)
    cri.RunCmdOnDevice(['rm', '-rf', '/tmp/testPushContents'])
    cri.PushContents('hello world', '/tmp/testPushContents')
    contents = cri.GetFileContents('/tmp/testPushContents')
    self.assertEquals(contents, 'hello world')

  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testExists(self):
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)
    self.assertTrue(cri.FileExistsOnDevice('/proc/cpuinfo'))
    self.assertTrue(cri.FileExistsOnDevice('/etc/passwd'))
    self.assertFalse(cri.FileExistsOnDevice('/etc/sdlfsdjflskfjsflj'))

  def testExistsLocal(self):
    if not sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
      return

    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface()
    self.assertTrue(cri.FileExistsOnDevice('/proc/cpuinfo'))
    self.assertTrue(cri.FileExistsOnDevice('/etc/passwd'))
    self.assertFalse(cri.FileExistsOnDevice('/etc/sdlfsdjflskfjsflj'))

  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testGetFileContents(self): # pylint: disable=R0201
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)
    hosts = cri.GetFileContents('/etc/hosts')
    assert hosts.startswith('# /etc/hosts')

  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testGetFileContentsForSomethingThatDoesntExist(self):
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)
    self.assertRaises(
      OSError,
      lambda: cri.GetFileContents('/tmp/209fuslfskjf/dfsfsf'))

  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testIsServiceRunning(self):
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)

    self.assertTrue(cri.IsServiceRunning('openssh-server'))

  def testIsServiceRunningLocal(self):
    if not sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
      return
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface()
    self.assertTrue(cri.IsServiceRunning('dbus'))

  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testGetRemotePortAndIsHTTPServerRunningOnPort(self):
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)

    # Create local server.
    sock = socket.socket()
    sock.bind(('', 0))
    port = sock.getsockname()[1]
    sock.listen(0)

    # Get remote port and ensure that it was unused.
    remote_port = cri.GetRemotePort()
    self.assertFalse(cri.IsHTTPServerRunningOnPort(remote_port))

    # Forward local server's port to remote device's remote_port.
    forwarder = cros_browser_backend.SSHForwarder(
        cri, 'R', util.PortPair(port, remote_port))

    # At this point, remote device should be able to connect to local server.
    self.assertTrue(cri.IsHTTPServerRunningOnPort(remote_port))

    # Next remote port shouldn't be the same as remote_port, since remote_port
    # is now in use.
    self.assertTrue(cri.GetRemotePort() != remote_port)

    # Close forwarder and local server ports.
    forwarder.Close()
    sock.close()

    # Device should no longer be able to connect to remote_port since it is no
    # longer in use.
    self.assertFalse(cri.IsHTTPServerRunningOnPort(remote_port))

  @RequiresBrowserOfType('cros-chrome')
  def testGetRemotePortReservedPorts(self):
    remote = options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote
    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)

    # Should return 2 separate ports even though the first one isn't technically
    # being used yet.
    remote_port_1 = cri.GetRemotePort()
    remote_port_2 = cri.GetRemotePort()

    self.assertTrue(remote_port_1 != remote_port_2)

  # TODO(tengs): It would be best if we can filter this test and other tests
  # that need to be run locally based on the platform of the system browser.
  def testEscapeCmdArguments(self):
    ''' Commands and their arguments that are executed through the cros
    interface should follow bash syntax. This test needs to run on remotely
    and locally on the device to check for consistency.
    '''
    if not sys.platform.startswith('linux'):
      return

    cri = cros_interface.CrOSInterface(
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_remote,
      options_for_unittests.GetCopy().cros_ssh_identity)

    # Check arguments with no special characters
    stdout, _ = cri.RunCmdOnDevice(['echo', '--arg1=value1', '--arg2=value2',
        '--arg3="value3"'])
    assert(stdout.strip() == '--arg1=value1 --arg2=value2 --arg3=value3')

    # Check argument with special characters escaped
    stdout, _ = cri.RunCmdOnDevice(['echo', '--arg=A\\; echo \\"B\\"'])
    assert(stdout.strip() == '--arg=A; echo "B"')

    # Check argument with special characters in quotes
    stdout, _ = cri.RunCmdOnDevice(['echo', "--arg='$HOME;;$PATH'"])
    assert(stdout.strip() == "--arg=$HOME;;$PATH")

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Worship, WWW-Tech, Terry Mattingly, Catholicism, Churches, Arts
Forget Twitter for a moment.
Forget American politics, in fact and the circular firing squads that both political parties seem anxious to stage at least once a week. Forget You. Know. Who.
What you need to do right now — if you have not, as my colleague Clemente Lisi recommended this morning — is read the massive New York Times multimedia feature that vividly tells the story of the firefighters who risked all to save Notre Dame Cathedral, making decisions in a matter of minutes that kept this holy place from collapsing.
Read and view it all: "Notre-Dame came far closer to collapsing than people knew. This is how it was saved."
Yes, I know that some readers will say: "You mean the same New York Times that made that embarrassing mistake when covering the fire, confusing a priest's reference to saving the 'Body of Christ' (sacrament) with rescuing a mere statue?
Set that aside for 15 minutes and did into this piece.
The key to the story is the heroism shown by the firefighters who saved Notre Dame's north tower, where flames were already threatening the beams that held some of the cathedral's giant bells.
The equation: If those beams broke, the bells would fall. If the bells fell, the north tower would fall. If the north tower fell it was al; but certain that the south tower would, as well.
That would pull down the entire structure of Notre Dame. Here's a crucial passage linked to that:
Tagged: The New York Times, firefighters, Clemente Lisi, Notre Dame fire, Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
Worship, Terry Mattingly, Surveys & polls, Social Issues, Politics, Pop Culture, Methodists, Marriage & Family, LGBTQ, Kellerism, Godbeat, Evangelicals, Demographics, Catholicism
I have a question for GetReligion readers, especially those who have experience in journalism or online publishing.
Here it is: Are readers "trolls" if they constantly write comments (and sends emails) that have little or nothing to do the journalism issues covered in our posts, but also provide — on a semi-regular basis — totally valid URLs for stories that deserve the attention of your GetReligionistas?
One of our readers, for example, is offended by references to "elite" newsrooms or "elite" U.S. zip codes, especially those along the East and West coasts. All of those studies showing that places like New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and the Silicon Valley have more clout than cities and towns in flyover country? Who has more power to shape the news, editors at The New York Times or The Oklahoman?
This brings me to a fascinating Axios piece that ran the other day with this headline: "The age of winner-take-all cities." You have to see the simple, blunt, graphic that Axios editors used to illustrate data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (there's a screenshot at the top of this post).
Now, what does this story have to say about religion news and trends?
Absolutely nothing, in terms of specific information or explicit references.
However, if you read this piece carefully and think like a reporter who covers issues linked to religion, morality and culture (and, yes, politics) it's easy to see a burning fuse in this piece that is attached to many explosive stories in the news today. Here is the overture:
For all the talk of American cities undergoing a renaissance, economic success has been concentrated in a few standout metropolises while the rest either struggle to keep up or fall further behind.
Why it matters: This winner-take-all dynamic has led to stark inequalities and rising tensions — both inside and outside city limits — that are helping to drive our politics off the rails.
Tagged: Axios, BREXIT, The New York Times, The Oklahoman, Silicon Valley, birth rates, Texas, cities
Catholicism, Clemente Lisi, Europe, Godbeat, Worship, Terrorism, Islam-Muslims
Church vandalism cases in France starting to get the journalism attention they deserve
Spending two weeks in France earlier this summer was a wonderful experience. While I was there to cover the Women's World Cup, I did get an opportunity to travel extensively throughout Paris and the northern part of the country.
During my travels, I walked into a lot of churches. France is one of the few countries I have ever visited where churches were always open. There was something comforting seeing churches with their doors swung wide, inviting anyone to walk right in.
The other thing I noticed was how empty these houses of worship were. It's not surprising given that church attendance in France is among the lowest in the world.
I'm used to New York City, where churches are often locked when Mass isn't going on. The reasons are plentiful. Theft, vandalism and other factors often goes into why this has become a practice. You'd think they would have heeded the warning in France, where the vandalism of Catholic churches has become an all-too-common occurrence the past two years.
This trend has largely been ignored in the mainstream press (we discussed this extensively at GetReligion at the time of the Notre Dame blaze and again in the aftermath). It should be noted, once again, that the fire at Notre Dame was an accident and not part of the spate of attacks.
This takes us to a great piece of journalism by Real Clear Investigations, the same people who run Real Clear Politics (full disclosure: I have written for Real Clear Sports in the past). A recent piece posted to the site takes a deep dive into the trend, quantifying it with anecdotes, lots of data and interviews with people in the know. The reporting sheds a spotlight on the string of attacks and what it has done to France. It may be one of the best reported pieces on what's been going on there by any news organization to date.
What Richard Bernstein has been able to do here is the kind of reporting that we no longer see. A former foreign correspondent at The New York Times, Bernstein worked as the paper's Paris bureau chief from 1984 to 1987. His knowledge of the country, the history and factors that may have influenced the events of the past year shows through his reporting. These two paragraphs early on, for example, illustrate the magnitude of the problem — with help from data collected by various French authorities:
Tagged: Clemente Lisi, Christianity, Islamophobia, Journalism, Notre Dame fire, France, Real Clear
Worship, Vatican, Terry Mattingly, Sexual abuse, People, Lifestyle, LGBTQ, Godbeat, Ethics, Clergy, Catholicism
It's time for another trip into my GetReligion folder of guilt. That's where news features go that I know are important, but I cannot — quickly — spot the issue that is nagging me.
Thus, the story gets filed away, while I keep thinking about it.
In this case, we are talking about a Washington Post story that is an important follow-up on the newspaper's investigation into charges of corruption against Catholic Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of West Virginia — an important disciple of the fallen cardinal Theodore "Uncle Ted" McCarrick. Click here for the first GetReligion post on this topic, by Bobby Ross, Jr.
The headline on this new expose states: "Warnings about West Virginia bishop went unheeded as he doled out cash gifts to Catholic leaders." Yes, this story is about money, money, money and then more money.
Oh, there is some signs of sexual harassment of seminarians in there, but that doesn't seem to interest the Post team. And there are hints that some of the conflicts surrounding Bransfield may have had something to do with Catholicism. Maybe. Hold that thought because we will come back to it. Here is the overture:
Senior Catholic leaders in the United States and the Vatican began receiving warnings about West Virginia Bishop Michael J. Bransfield as far back as 2012. In letters and emails, parishioners claimed that Bransfield was abusing his power and misspending church money on luxuries such as a personal chef, a chauffeur, first-class travel abroad and more than $1 million in renovations to his residence.
"I beg of you to please look into this situation," Linda Abrahamian, a parishioner from Martinsburg, W.Va., wrote in 2013 to the pope's ambassador to the United States.
But Bransfield's conduct went unchecked for five more years. He resigned in September 2018 after one of his closest aides came forward with an incendiary inside account of years of sexual and financial misconduct, including the claim that Bransfield sought to "purchase influence" by giving hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash gifts to senior Catholic leaders.
"It is my own opinion that His Excellency makes use of monetary gifts, such as those noted above, to higher ranking ecclesiastics and gifts to subordinates to purchase influence from the former and compliance or loyalty from the latter," Monsignor Kevin Quirk wrote to William Lori, the archbishop of Baltimore, in a letter obtained by The Washington Post.
Then there is the big thesis statement:
Tagged: The Washington Post, Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, Archbishop William Lori, Theodore McCarrick, Bobby Ross Jr., West Virginia, follow the money, Cardina; Raymond Burke, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, doctrine, liturgy, Jim Sobus
Worship, Women, Terry Mattingly, Social Issues, Sex, Politics, People, Mainline, LGBTQ, Kellerism, Feminism, Clergy, Baptists
This certainly was not your typical media storm about a Baylor University graduate who achieved fame in the ministry by heading to Washington, D.C., and then to New York City.
However, the fall of the Rev. Amy Butler from the high pulpit of Manhattan's world-famous Riverside Church offers readers a classic journalism case study illustrating the differences between New York Post readers and New York Times readers. It's also educational to note that the religious themes in this controversy played little or no role in either report.
Starting with a classic A1 headline, the Post editors knew what would zap readers awake while reading in their subway cars:
The reason for her ouster is far more stimulating than any sermon this pastor could have delivered.
The Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, the first woman to lead Manhattan's famed Riverside Church, lost her lofty post amid complaints that she brought ministers and a congregant on a sex toy shopping spree and then gave one of them an unwanted vibrator as a birthday gift, The Post has learned.
On May 15, Butler allegedly took two Riverside assistant ministers and a female congregant to a sex shop in Minneapolis called the Smitten Kitten, during a religious conference, according to sources familiar with the out-of-town shopping excursion.
At the store, the pastor bought a $200 bunny-shaped blue vibrator called a Beaded Rabbit for one minister — a single mom of two who was celebrating her 40th birthday — as well as more pleasure gadgets for the congregant and herself, sources said. The female minister didn't want the sex toy, but accepted it because she was scared not to, sources said.
The great Gray Lady, on the other hand, knew that the readers in its choir would want a story rooted in sexism, patriarchy and workplace politics. The headline, as you would imagine, was a bit more restrained: "Pastor's Exit Exposes Cultural Rifts at a Leading Liberal Church."
The sex toys angle made it into the Times story, with a nod to Post coverage, but readers had to wait a few extra paragraphs to find that angle. Here's the overture:
When the Rev. Dr. Amy K. Butler was hired to lead Riverside Church in Manhattan in 2014, she was hailed as a rising star, the first woman to join a distinguished line of pastors at one of the pre-eminent progressive Protestant congregations in the United States.
Tagged: Riverside Church, The New York Post, The New York Times, The Rev. Amy Butler, Baylor, Manhattan, American Baptists, United Church of Christ, sexism, sex toys, doctrine, The Washington Post
Worship, Travel, Richard Ostling, Politics, Middle East, Islam-Muslims, International News
Each adult believer in Islam is required to make the Hajj (pilgrimage) to the Prophet Muhammad's holy city of Mecca at least once in a lifetime, unless unable physically or financially.
Some believers repeat this unique experience. The media usually relegate the annual ritual to news features, but this year's event August 9- 14 is laden with spot news significance.
That's because ongoing tensions in the Muslim world have produced a campaign to boycott the current Hajj — a nearly unimaginable break with tradition that has received scant coverage in the West. Western reporters should pursue reactions to this in their regions with Muslim sources and agencies that cater to pilgrims. How many believers have postponed Hajj visits till future years after things calm down?
The boycotters are protesting the devoutly Sunni host nation of Saudi Arabia and its ruler since 2017, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman ("MBS"). The particular grievances are the Saudis' prosecution of Yemen's vicious civil war, ongoing hostilities with Iran and toward Islam's minority Shia branch, and human rights violations, including the murder of a regime critic, The Washington Post 's Jamal Khashoggi.
An anti-Saudi analysis at foreignpolicy.com by Ahmed Twaij of Iraq's Sanad for Peacebuilding notes that in April Grand Mufti Sadiq al-Ghariani, Libya's chief Sunni authority, declared that making a repeat Hajj visit or the Umrah (voluntary pilgrimage to Mecca at other times of the year) is "an act of sin rather than a good deed."
In June, a senior official with Tunisia's Union of Imams joined boycott calls, saying Saudi income from Hajj visits "is used to kill and displace people," as in Yemen, instead of helping the world's impoverished Muslims. Twaij reports that "Sunni clerics around the world have also called for a boycott," whereas past enmity toward the Saudi regime has come largely from Shia Muslims.
Most remarkable of all was a fatwa last August from Qatar's Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is very influential among Mideast Sunnis through his Al Jazeera TV appearances and Internet postings. His words could be interpreted as undercutting even the obligatory once-in-a-lifetime Hajj: "Seeing Muslims feeding the hungry, treating the sick and sheltering the homeless are better viewed by Allah than spending money on the Hajj and Umrah every year."
Some of this campaign could be payback for the recent years when Saudi Arabia barred believers from Qatar and Iran from joining the pilgrimage, or helped repress a Shia uprising in Bahrain.
Tagged: Mecca, Hajj, Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman, fatwa, Libya, Sunni, Shia, Tunisia, Yeman, Qatar, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Umrah, Iran, Wahhabi
Worship, Vatican, Terry Mattingly, Social Media, Religious Liberty, Politics, Mormons, Orthodoxy, Mainline, Jews and Judaism, Godbeat, Evangelicals
Why did Latterday-day Saints change brands? That news story (oh no) may be linked to doctrine
In the months since the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the attempt to tone down use of the word "Mormon," I have heard two questions over and over from people outside the Latter-day Saint fold.
Yes, that sentence was somewhat long and awkward, for obvious reasons.
Question No. 1: What are they going to call The Choir.
Question No. 2: Why did Latter-day Saints leaders take this step, at this moment in time, to change their brand?
If you are interested in that first question, a long, long feature story in The New York Times — " 'Mormon' No More: Faithful Reflect on Church's Move to Scrap a Moniker" — has a fabulous anecdote that shows up at the very end. Here we go:
For many Latter-day Saints, the most important cue came from the church's iconic musical organization, known since 1929 as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The group was on tour in Los Angeles last year, singing in Disney Hall, when a bishop asked choir leaders to begin thinking about new names.
At first many performers felt "a little uptight" about the idea, said the group's president, Ron Jarrett. … They mulled options: the Tabernacle Choir in Salt Lake City, the Tabernacle Choir in Utah, the Tabernacle Choir of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and finally landed on the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square.
Still, the group had to manage a swath of legal issues, like how to protect copyrights and recording labels all made under the former name. Products and recordings made before 2019 will maintain the previous legal name, but new ones will not.
"For me, it has been an opportunity to really evaluate who we are and what we stand for," Mr. Jarrett said. "I was able to say, 'I will follow a living prophet, and our music will remain the same.'"
The singers have retired their catchy nickname, the MoTabs. They are trying out a new one, Mr. Jarrett said: the TCats, or TabCats.
I think legions of headline writers would embrace that kind of short, catchy, option, should the church's leaders come up with an unofficial official nickname. After all, you may recall that use of the "LDS" brand was also discouraged, along with the big change in the status of "Mormon." The Times story notes the practical implications online:
The church's longtime website, LDS.org, now redirects to ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and Mormon.org will soon switch over, too. In May, the church stopped posting on its @MormonChannel Instagram feed and encouraged followers to move to @ChurchofJesusChrist instead.
OK, but why did this change happen?
Tagged: Mormons, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Mitt Romney, Trinity, Trinitarian, Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Worship, World Religions, Women, TV-Radio, Terry Mattingly, Scriptures, Pop Culture, People, Pentecostal-Charismatics, Godbeat, Evil-Satan, Church & State, Books
Evil, sin, reality and life as a 'Son of God': What Marianne Williamson is saying isn't new
Early in the 1990s, I made the leap from full-time reporting in a mainstream newsroom — the Rocky Mountain News (RIP) — to teaching at Denver Seminary.
My goal was to pull "signals" from mainstream media into the world of people preparing for various ministries (key summary document here), helping them to face the ideas, symbols and stories that were shaping ordinary Americans, in pews and outside traditional religious groups. I wanted to pay attention to valid questions, even if traditional believers couldn't embrace the media world's answers.
In my main class, I needed a book that could open a door into what I called "Oprah America." Thus, in 1992, I required my students to read "A Return To Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles," by Marianne Williamson. Some of these evangelical students were not amused.
This, of course, leads us to that massive New York Times feature that ran the other day:
The Curious Mystical Text Behind Marianne Williamson's Presidential Bid
The New Age author was drawn to an esoteric bible in the 1970s. It made her a self-help megastar. And now it has gone mainstream.
To my shock, the world's newspaper of record dedicated large chunks of newsprint to the religious content — the doctrine, even — at the heart of Williamson's life, ministry and her politics. I would say this story gets the equation about 75 percent right, but the Times team needed to back up a bit further in order to understand why so many Americans will — if told the roots of her thought — find her beliefs disturbing.
Hold that thought. Here's the key question: How would the Times, and other elite media, have handled a feature about the beliefs of a Oneness Pentecostal or a faith-healing preacher who sought the presidency as a Republican? With this light a touch?
Now, here is a crucial chunk of that Times feature, which comes after a brief discussion of her remarks in the recent debates featuring a flock of Democratic candidates:
She was … drawing directly from a homegrown American holy book called "A Course in Miracles," a curious New York scripture that arose during the heady metaphysical counterculture of the 1960s.
This is not some homey book of feel-good bromides. Rather, it is taken by its readers as a genuine gospel, produced by a Manhattan doctor who believed she was channeling new revelations from Jesus Christ himself.
Tagged: Democrats, A Course in Miracles, Return to Love, New Age, Christian Science, Donald Trump, The New York Times, sin, Unity churches, Helen Schucman, Bill Clinton, Oprah, Psycology Today
Worship, Scriptures, Richard Ostling, Science, People, Mainline
DAVID'S QUESTION:
Do you know if it's true Christian Communion was celebrated during the first moon landing?
THE RELIGION GUY'S ANSWER:
Yes, though this was top-secret at the time.
Something about such momentous events makes mere mortals reach for transcendent themes. For example, media coverage of last month's 75th anniversary of the D-Day landing featured President Franklin Roosevelt's famous radio address leading the nation and world in a prayer that God would bless the invading Allied soldiers in the "struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization."
Astronaut "Buzz" Aldrin performed the Christian sacrament on the moon in 1969, and revealed this in a 1970 article for the inspirational magazine Guideposts that was picked up by other media (full text here). The Communion is mentioned in the official history posted online by NASA.
At the time of the moon adventure, Aldrin was a lay elder of the Webster (Texas) Presbyterian Church and discussed ways to mark such an historic event with his pastor, Dean Woodruff. Aldrin raised the idea of Communion and Woodruff checked with Presbyterian headquarters, which said under those unusual circumstances it was proper for a solitary layman to serve himself elements that had been consecrated previously. (While Catholicism allows priests to celebrate Mass by themselves, Protestants only perform sacraments or ordinances in group worship.)
Two Sundays before liftoff, Aldrin received Communion in a private worship service. Woodruff gave him a second bit of the bread and a tiny silver chalice containing some of the wine, which he included with the personal items the astronauts were allowed to take into space.
After the Eagle landed on the moon, Aldrin asked mission control for brief radio silence. As Commander Neil Armstrong looked on, Aldrin read New Testament words of Jesus he had scrawled on a bit of paper:
Tagged: Buzz Aldrin, Presbyterian Church (USA), moon landing, Guideposts, NASA, sacrament, prayers, Neil Armstrong, communion, Gospel of John, Apollo 11


Living Waterfalls 2 is a delightful journey inside the heart of a forest and depicts 3 breathtaking waterfalls. Watch these photographic backgrounds as they are enhanced by several animated creatures, including fish, squirrels, butterflies and dragonflies. The mood is completed with comforting, soothing music. The full version includes two more stunning scenes, more animations plus no more advertisements. Full version $14.95.
Animated Living Water-illusion screensaver set. Changes photos RANDOMLY. Contains 21 water-animation photos with sound effects. Living Rivers, Living Waterfalls, Living Beaches. It is an full functional freeware program with NO time limit.
Don't know your Zodiac sign? Try this screensaver,it's funny.100% compatible with Win95/98/ME, NT, 2000, XP.include a full install / uninstall program.automatically stretch to full screen.


Magdalena Grand Beach Resort is the first new resort on the island of Tobago offering 18 holes of on-site golf, a palm-fringed beach, and five restaurants.
The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort is nestled in the tropical Tobago Plantations Estate, a 750-acre gated community of luxury villas, condos and bungalows around the Tobago Plantations PGA designed Championship (18 holes) golf course. Situated along two half miles of beach and coastline the grounds offer nature trails and canopy walks through a virgin mangrove forest.
"Magdalena" was the original name of Tobago, derived from the name of one of Christopher Columbus' ships, and the name pays homage to the island's rich history, tradition, and people. It signifies the majestic beauty of Tobago in its natural and purest form. Experience Tobago's rich culture and rejuvenate your body and spirit with exceptional comforts and service at the majestic Magdalena Grand Beach Resort.
The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort offers 178 deluxe ocean front king and double-double rooms, including 22 one and two bedroom suites with private Jacuzzis, all with breath-taking panoramic views of the ocean from large terraces or balconies. All of the resort's beautifully appointed rooms feature spacious marble bathrooms with both shower and tub, luxury toiletries, pure cotton deluxe linens, central air conditioning, refrigerator/mini-bars, high definition flat screen I.P. TVs with satellite programming, wireless Internet access, safes, and I.P. telephones. Room service is available from 6 am to midnight.
The Magdalena Grand Beach Resort is the ideal location for weddings, honeymoons, family reunions and other special events. The resort offers both indoor and outdoor areas that will accommodate both intimate and small groups as well as large celebrations and special events. Their culinary staff will customize the perfect menu of any affair, whether formal, an indoor or casual outdoor BBQ on the beach. The wedding planner and events manager will assist you with all your needs.
Guests may enjoy the peace and tranquility of sunning on fabulous decks surrounding 3 swimming pools while the kids enjoy their own club, or you can explore the lush estate on the resort's bicycles, and participate in the daily guest activities programmes. The complimentary Club Cee Cee Kids Club welcomes younger guests ages 4-12 years old. Children under 4 may also attend with a parent or authorized guardian. Club Cee Cee features arts and crafts, movies and a video game room, a library, board games, a nature learning center, and a computer/technology area.


text:
Comment on the revised Secret Service Law
Several Kolab Now users have been asking what the new Nachrichtendienstgesetz (NDG; Secret Service Law) approved by popular Swiss referendum will mean to them.
The short answer is: Not much.
The longer answer is:
The new law will likely enter into force on the 1st of September 2017. It has been largely criticised as not only useless, but also dangerous by civil rights and privacy experts, as well as those who represent the liberal principles of Switzerland.
Kolab Systems shares that assessment and our CEO was outspoken asking for a vote against the law in the referendum. In our view, the most dangerous aspect of this law is that it threatens to turn the secret service from an ally, to a potential threat against security and freedom.
Politically, it was a reaction to the near complete dismantling of the secret service carried out some decades ago. The secret service was back then banned entirely from carrying out activities within the borders of the country. Despite the result of the referendum, the legal situation in Switzerland for protecting privacy is, and will continue to be, better than in the rest of the world, especially when combined with the political stability of the country and its long-standing traditions.
For users of Kolab Now, the most important change is that when you access your Kolab Now service from abroad, the secret service will be allowed to record that traffic. Because all our data transport layers are mandatorily encrypted to the state of the art, using methods such as Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS) and large keys, the captured data will be largely useless. The Swiss secret service will from now on see what so far your own Internet provider, the interconnecting points, the NSA, and your national secret service have been seeing: that your IP address is connecting to Kolab Now. Nothing more.
They have no way of knowing your identity/user name, they will not be able to access your data, and they will have no knowledge of who you are in contact with.
In order to do that, they would have to either (a) compel us to cooperate, which we will only do within the confines of a court order approved by a judge, or (b) try to break into our service. As for the latter, when you run a service on the Internet, anyone from around the world can try to break into your servers. This is a scenario you always seek to do your utmost to defend against. Hence Kolab's defences are already in place and are being maintained and improved day by day. Defend our servers is something we do regardless of any law.
So at the end of the day, not very much changes for users of Kolab Now.
If you were not concerned about the NSA and your local secret service knowing that you were connecting to Kolab Now, but are extremely concerned that the Swiss secret service will now also know this from 1st of September 2017 onward, our recommendation would be to at some point in the next 12 months get yourself a VPN or start using Tor to access our services.
Other than that we remain committed to protecting the privacy of our users and to the Kolab Mission:
Providing freedom in choice. [open]
Empowering freedom through technology. [private]
Inspiring freedom into our culture. [society]
Delivering freedom through collaboration. [share]
Make Kolab Beta (plus get to try the 3-Column Layout)
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If you like LibreOffice, you'll love Kolab Now
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It's the hardware, stupid!
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Possible service degradation or disruption to Kolab Now
On Tuesday this week our staff received a ransom note from an entity that claimed to speak on behalf of the Armada Collective. The note stated that unless we were to pay them a certain amount of...
11. Mar. 2016
Hosted Kolab: A customizable, affordable, and user-friendly collaborative suite
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02. Dec. 2015
Give someone the gift of Kolab Now this Christmas
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Service Update Notice: Mobile device synchronization issue resolved
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MyKolab Receives Largest Update Ever, Rebranded As "Kolab Now"
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MyKolab.com: Receives best grade for user friendliness, offers more storage
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After Groklaw shutdown: MyKolab as Lavabit alternative, offering Lite option
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No Foreign Data Reeves: Privacy Respecting Email Service MyKolab.com Launched
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Make it Your Kolab: Kolab Systems launching MyKolab.com public beta
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Bitcoin Payments Now Accepted and Mulit-Lingual Website
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More Storage, Better Prices and Class A Rating for ToS
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MyKolab.com users: As green as you can be.
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Sustainable in many more ways than one
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text:
Feb 2016 Dr. rer. nat., summa cum laude
Department of physics, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
Dec 2010 Diploma in physics with honors
Jan 2014 – Jun 2014 Visiting Student Research Collaborator
Princeton University, New Jersey, USA
Feb 2011 – Jun 2015 Ph.D. student
University of Erlangen-Nürnberg
Oct 2006 – Dec 2010 Undergraduate student
Universities of Erlangen-Nürnberg and Regensburg
Apr 2006 – Sep 2006 Undergraduate student
University of Kaiserslautern
Positions and Employment
Oct 2018 – present Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Department of Physics, Princeton University
Jul 2015 – Sep 2018 Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Mathematics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Feb 2011 – Jun 2015 Research and Teaching Assistant
Oct 2017 Kulturpreis BayernPrice for Culture and Science of the Federal State of Bavaria
Oct 2016 Ohm Prize of the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg for an outstanding dissertation in 2015/2016
Jun 2015 – Jul 2015 Participant of the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting
Mar 2015 Best Poster Award at the 18th Workshop on Stochastic Geometry
Mar 2012 – Aug 2014 Ph.D. Fellow of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation
Oct 2011 Ohm Prize of the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg for an outstanding diploma thesis in 2010/2011
Sep 2008 – Dec 2010 Fellow of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation
Apr 2008 – Feb 2016 Scholar of the Elite Graduate Program of the State of Bavaria "Physics with Integrated Doctorate Program"
Oct 2005 – Mar 2011 Scholar of the "Max Weber-Program of the State of Bavaria for the support of the highly-gifted"
Selected list of publications
M.A. Klatt, J. Lovrić, D. Chen, S. C. Kapfer, F. M. Schaller, P. W. A. Schönhöfer, B. S. Gardiner, A.-S. Smith, G. E. Schröder-Turk, S. Torquato. Universal hidden order in amorphous cellular geometries. Nature Communications 10, 811 (2019)
M. A. Klatt, S. Winter. Geometric functionals of fractal percolation. arXiv:1812.06305 (2018)
M. A. Klatt, G. Last, D. Yogeshwaran. Hyperuniform and rigid stable matchings. arXiv:1810.00265 (2018)
B. Ebner, N. Henze, M. A. Klatt, K. Mecke. Goodness-of-fit tests for complete spatial randomness based on Minkowski functionals of binary images. Electron. J. Statist. 12:2873–2904 (2018)
M. A. Klatt and S. Torquato. Characterization of maximally random jammed sphere packings. III. Transport and Electromagnetic Properties Via Correlation Functions. Physical Review E 97:012118-1–17 (2018)
B. D. Wilts, B. Apeleo Zubiri, M. A. Klatt, B. Butz, M. G. Fischer, S. T. Kelly, E. Spiecker, U. Steiner, G. E. Schröder-Turk. Butterfly gyroid nanostructures as a time-frozen glimpse of intracellular membrane development. Science Advances 3:e1603119-1–8 (2017)
B. Schuetrumpf, M. A. Klatt, K. Iida, G. E. Schröder-Turk, J. A. Maruhn, K. Mecke, and P.-G. Reinhard. Appearance of the Single Gyroid Network Phase in "Nuclear Pasta" Matter. Physical Review C 91:025801-1–7 (2015)
M. A. Klatt and S. Torquato. Characterization of Maximally Random Jammed Sphere Packings: Voronoi Correlation Functions. Physical Review E 90:052120-1–12 (2014)
J. Hörrmann, D. Hug, M. A. Klatt, and K. Mecke. Minkowski Tensor Density Formulas for Boolean Models. Advances in Applied Mathematics 55:48–85 (2014)
G. E. Schröder-Turk, W. Mickel, S. C. Kapfer, M. A. Klatt, F. M. Schaller, M. J. F. Hoffmann, N. Kleppmann, P. Armstrong, A. Inayat, D. Hug, M. Reichelsdorfer, W. Peukert, W. Schwieger, and K. Mecke. Minkowski Tensor Shape Analysis of Cellular, Granular and Porous Structures. Advanced Materials 23:2535–2553 (2011)
Selected list of presentations
How to find a hidden order among disorder. Keynote opening the 15th International Congress for Stereology and Image Analysis, Aarhus, Denmark (May 2019)
Universal hidden order in amorphous cellular geometries. Invited talk at the International Conference on Geometry and Physics of Spatial Random Systems, Bad Herrenalb, Germany (Sep 2017)
Shape of Anisotropic Random Fields. Invited talk at the International Conference on Geometry and Physics of Spatial Random Systems, Bad Herrenalb, Germany (Sep 2015)
Morphometry of random spatial structures in physics. Special Seminar LMU/MPQ, Chair Nobel laureate Theodor W. Hänsch, LMU München, Germany (Apr 2016)
Complex and Disordered Structures: from Supernovae to Medical Diagnostics. One of two plenary talks of young scientists at the Bavarian Evening at the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, Lindau, Germany (Jul 2015)
Minkowski Tensors: Sensitive Measures of Anisotropy for Random Spatial Structures. Talk at the Master Class of Nobel laureate Kurt Wüthrich at the 65th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, Lindau, Germany (Jul 2015)
American Physical Society (APS)
German Physical Society (DPG)
Section for Stochastics of the German Mathematical Society (DMV)
Alumni of the Elite Network of Bavaria (ENB)
Research Experience
Postdoctoral Research Scholar (Oct 2018 – present) Princeton University, Department of Physics
Paul Steinhardt, Salvatore Torquato
Physics and geometry of amorphous photonic networks
Postdoctoral Research Scholar (Jul 2015 – Sep 2018) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Department of Mathematics
Institute of Stochastics, Günter Last and Daniel Hug
Combined mathematics and physics for deeper insights into random structures
Visiting Student Research Collaborator (Jan 2014 – Jun 2014) Princeton University, Departments of Physics and Chemistry
Complex Materials Theory Group, Salvatore Torquato
Examined the local and global structure of an exotic state of matter
Graduate Research Assistant (Feb 2011 – Jun 2015) University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Physics
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Klaus Mecke
Rigorously characterized random spatial structures in mathematical models and physical systems from astronomy over condensed matter to nuclear physics
Undergraduate Research Fellow (Dec 2009 – Dec 2010) University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Department of Physics
Developed an improved shape analysis detecting sources in gamma-ray sky maps


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Klang Valley | ENG
Damansara (KL)
Damansara (PJ)
Island (Center)
Island (North)
West Coast Division
Sandakan Division
South Perak
North Perak
North Johor
Central Malacca
Kuching Division
Samarahan Division
North Perlis
Central Perlis
Apps Hotel Restaurant
Multi-Cuisine Buffet Hotel Dining
Xmas's Eve
Hari Raya Puasa
Dining Time
Night Snack
Incl. Price
Incl. Photo
Hide Tasting Event
kellysiew
Highly Recommend the Seafood Restaurant
2015-07-15 279 views
Last weekend we went for a short trip to Kuala Selangor and we had arranged to stay at Apps Hotel, which is a small boutique hotel located within the row of shophouse with the Selangor River just behind it. The Deluxe Queen room we got comes with a pretty comfortable queen bed, equiped with conditioner (though it does take a while to cool down), hot/cold showers, LED TV, mini fridge, safety box, coffee making facilities and toileteries. Although the fact that WIFI is only available in the lobby
Last weekend we went for a short trip to Kuala Selangor and we had arranged to stay at Apps Hotel, which is a small boutique hotel located within the row of shophouse with the Selangor River just behind it. The Deluxe Queen room we got comes with a pretty comfortable queen bed, equiped with conditioner (though it does take a while to cool down), hot/cold showers, LED TV, mini fridge, safety box, coffee making facilities and toileteries. Although the fact that WIFI is only available in the lobby bothered us a little. And it's a little incondusive when the mini fridge also turns off when the main power cuts off (perhaps a second key would have been useful). Noise level wise, there's unfortunately an outdoor KTV that goes til really late, which would have been fun if we were planning to sleep late, though it wasn't the case when we stayed.
There is a jetti located just behind the hotel providing 2 major attractions for Kuala Selangor: Eagle Feeding and Fireflies watching. We unfortunately missed the Eagle feeding because the bed was calling our names. But we definitely didn't want to miss the fireflies. The trip itself takes around 20-30 minutes and we cruised along the river and marvelled at the sight. The fireflies are all found on the mangrove trees and lit up the whole area like Christmas trees. Along with sky full of stars, it was truly an enchanting experience. Highly recommended.
After the cruise, it was time for dinner. Apps hotel has its own restaurant called Wharf 72, obviously specialising in Seafood. As we visited during Ramadhan month, there is also a Ramadhan buffet and the restaurant was pretty packed. However, it didn't take long for us to be served our food. We left the ordering to the management so I assume these are all their signature dishes.
Pandan Chicken
First the Pandan chicken. Interesting presentation, with the chicken already cut up to small pieces for easy retrieval. Each piece well marinated and juicy, this is a pretty good start to the meal.
Coconut Tom Yam
This dish, however, won our hearts totally. I've never had Tom Yam so rich in flavour, yet non-cloying at all. It has a right balance of tang, sweet, savoury and spiceness and has at least 10 succulent fresh prawns. There's a prominent lemongrass note which I love too and I think they probably use fresh coconut juice in the broth for that special sweetness. We couldn't help but finish it to the last drop.
Deep Fried KangKung
The Deep Fried Kangkung is tasty in its own right, with perfectly crispy strands of veges drenched in Thai Chili Sauce. Though both of us tend to shy away from deep fried/oily stuff so we didn't manage to finish this.
Kam Heong Crabs
There were at least 3 crabs on this plate, and each of them full of eggs. I guess crabs are not really in season right now so they were a bit on the small side. But I still enjoyed the lovely sweet flesh along with the heavy seasoning of Kam Heong.
Steamed Siakap
Last but not least, our favourite style of Steamed fish (Teochew steamed). Siakap is not the usual choice for Teochew Steamed Fish but this one is exceptionally fresh so it's still lovely. I couldn't resist drenching my rice with the sauce (even though we were supposed to be skipping the rice).
We were really impressed by the food at Wharf 72, although I forgot to ask for the price of each dish (I believe it's inexpensive). We were also treated to a thirst quenching coconut shake after our meal. If there's ever a chance of us returning to Kuala Selangor, we'll sure come to this restaurant again.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Date of Visit
1 Minutes (Dine In)
Recommended Dishes
Catherinesee
Apps Hotel & Kuala Selangor Travel Review
19 June 2015I was not sure what to feel about going to Kuala Selangor to see fireflies. I have been here when I was 17 years old, through a school trip to KL but I could barely remember the experience. Since Father's Day is the next day, I decided to make this a Father's Day celebration and a pre-birthday celebration for myself.We rarely drive as far as Kuala Selangor, even my mother came here previously by tour bus all the way from Penang with her friends. We set our journey at 12 pm from Petal
I was not sure what to feel about going to Kuala Selangor to see fireflies. I have been here when I was 17 years old, through a school trip to KL but I could barely remember the experience. Since Father's Day is the next day, I decided to make this a Father's Day celebration and a pre-birthday celebration for myself.
We rarely drive as far as Kuala Selangor, even my mother came here previously by tour bus all the way from Penang with her friends. We set our journey at 12 pm from Petaling Jaya and reached at 2 pm in Apps Hotel. The journey was very smooth.
My years of traveling has developed in me an attitude of not expecting much. The good thing about this hotel is that it looks brand new as it was opened in November 2013.
There was a sweet Malay lady at the reception of the Hotel. We were surprised to see the smallest twin beds in the world. What do you expect for a hotel where a room with single bed here only costs RM 88? The kind Malay employee even offered to change our twin beds to a Queen bed which was more comfortable. The entire room and bedsheet are very clean, even cleaner than the small budget motel I stayed in Muar a year ago.
Even the lift is automated and the buttons are by sensor touch screen. Surprise! Surprise! The lift is at least big enough compared to the ones in Klang Valley. All the rooms have automated access cards too. So I guess my misconception of Kuala Selangor being what we Malaysians term as "ulu" is misplaced. My room has a view of the jetty owned by Apps Hotel and also overlooks the Selangor River. The room was beautifully renovated and fully equipped with modern amenities. There were basic toiletries such as in three star hotels like, two pairs of toothbrushes and toothpaste, showcap, sanitary pads, soap bars, shampoo and shower gel. The flooring of the washroom is in black tiles which makes the overall look clean and modern. There were clean towels of all range be it hand towels, bath towels and floor mat. The mirror is similar to most hotels, with three panels of the mirror on the wall, compared to hotels like these which usually just have a cheap small DIY mirror. The next morning, after washing my hair, I was so pleasantly surprised that they actually provide a mini hairdryer! Initially, I thought I would have to leave my hair with water dripping down my clothes but being the experience traveler, I thought of checking the drawer of the desk and voila, I found the hairdryer!
Back to our traveling itinerary. We went for Eagle Cruise on a speedboat at 6 pm. We are lucky that Apps Hotel owns the jetty which means we do not need to travel far to reach the jetty and just need to go down when it is time. The service of the hotel is very good as the receptionist even called me at 5.55 pm for my cruise. It was a very good day for a cruise as the day was windy though a little too sunny for the skin. The entire ride lasted for 45 minutes. We saw storks and seagulls along the way. I also spotted a grey flamingo.
We saw many eagles soaring in the sky. It was a most wonderful sight. It represents freedom. The entire blue sky was full of lines of brown carved by the eagles.
The boatmen took us to the middle of the sea, between Selangor River and Straits of Malacca. They then threw tiny chopped chicken skin and then we stayed away to watch the sight. After a few minutes of patience, the eagles' sharp eyesight caught this and they swooped down. This scene lasted for almost 10 minutes, or what lasted for quite long in my terms. It is quite a wonder to me how just simple chicken skin can tempt the eagles so much. Furthermore, so many of them came one by one. This is really what we call eco-tourism where we were so near to nature.According to the boatmen, there are about 200 to 300 eagles here. Their mating season is in March when they fly less. We were also shown the eagles' nest on top of the trees. It was amazing how the heavy birds can perch on top of the light nests on top of the branches. The nests look like flowers from afar. The boatmen ended the trip with aplomb by bringing us to the swamp trees to see a big monitor lizard that camouflages itself with the tree bark.DINNER AT SEAFOOD WHARF RESTAURANT
We had an earlier dinner at Seafood Wharf Restaurant that belongs to Apps Hotel today. I was feeling really hungry due to my early brunch at 10.30 am today. Before the eagle cruise, Benny Quah, the General Manager of Apps Hotel actually asked me what I wanted to eat. I told him I would eat any of his signature dishes and he served me all of the local delicacies which are famous here. I am so glad that Benny gave us the special service that would be the feel good factor for every guest. My mother who stayed here for her last trip here with a big tour group was actually served by the big boss of Apps Hotel who is the boss of Benny. The chef is Chinese but he manages to make the halal food delicious.
We were coaxed to take the Deep Fried Kangkung (RM 6.60) because it was said to be a dish that is not to be missed. We personally do not like to eat deep fried food so mother wanted to have stir fried belacan kangkung instead but luckily we did not order that since this is a very conventional dish that can be eaten anywhere. The kangkung was not overly oily. There is Thai chilli at the bottom of the kangkung yet it was not drenched in the sauce till it is soggy. The chef certainly have a special way of deep frying vegetables here. Usually they deep fry Pegaga leaves as I have eaten in Bali highlands or some other places but this is a must try otherwise you will regret it.
Next, was the Pandan Chicken (RM 8.49) which was served in triangular shaped pandan leaves. The best part about this is that one can really even separate out each triangle into many smaller pieces. I could not help but notice that this pandan chicken is very unique, unlike the conventional ones in all Thai or Chinese eateries. In fact, the one served here can be easily eaten without dirtying the fingers to peel it, which is perfect for girls. The pandan chicken is also infused with a secret ingredient that makes it very fragrant. I specifically like the deep fried curry leaves and also the very thinly carved carrots that I initially mistaken for kunyit. I wondered how they made it light and thin like shredded paper.
Initially, I thought the Coconut Tomyam Prawns (RM 15.09) were just like the ones served at normal Thai restaurants. Seafood Wharf Chef proved me wrong when the prawns were so fresh and succulent compared to the one I had in the famous Thai café in Penang. It was amazing that for the price of RM 15.09, we could have at least 10 giant prawns for only RM 15.09! The difference between this and the ones outside is that the soup elsewhere is too thick and has too much coconut milk that one can see white spots in the soup. In addition, the tomyam is not too sour yet maintains the spiciness.
Coconut Tomyam Prawn
The Nyonya Steamed Siakap Fish (RM 22.64) was smoking hot. The flesh is so tender soft that it literally melt the moment it landed in my mouth. The small pieces of sweet and fresh pineapples and also ladies fingers were great pairings to the thick sauce. I am the champion taster when it comes to fish because I really like to order Nyonya Steamed Fish everywhere I go. The sauce here does not have the powdery curry taste too. In fact, it was so delicious that I kept drinking the sauce despite finishing my meal.
The three gigantic Kam Heong Ko Hai Crabs were the most awesome crabs we have tasted in our entire life. According to Benny, Ko Hai is the local crab in Kuala Selangor but it is quite a difficult to get here. The shell is so hard and we had to use the special crab shell opener to crack it open. Not only did the crab have so much orange coloured eggs which were so hard, the crabs lie on a bed of stir fried crab eggs cooked with dried shrimps which the town is famous for. Initially, we have mistaken the eggs for normal chicken eggs which is natural since we are Penangites and that is what people do with fried crab. One thing is for sure, this is something that will make people feel guilty when eating. A kind reminder would be not to measure your cholesterol level immediately after dinner.
Kam Heong Ko Hai Crab
We accompanied our dinner with refreshing and non-sweet coconut shakes (RM 2.30), done just the way I like it. They seem to understand our health conscious taste bud of not liking dessert or drinks to be overly sweet.
Coconut Shake
The portions are very big here. When the receipt came, we almost fainted at the total bill of RM 137.12 because we could not believe that the crabs here cost cheaper than the market price in Kuala Selangor stilt house seafood eateries, at RM 40 per kilo in Apps Hotel and RM 60 market price. We KL-ites definitely know that the crabs in Klang Valley costs at least RM 70 per kilo but for RM 75.47, we had the privilege of eating three succulent and hard crabs to our hearts' content. Most people think that eating at a hotel is more expensive than eating at the non-air-conditioned kopitiam outside but Seafood Wharf proved us wrong again. I met a few guys in the firefly cruise later who went outside Apps Hotel to eat crab costing RM 60 per kilo as they thought that since the decoration is traditional Malay style here, the food is Malay style and the chef is Malay too. I corrected their misperception. I find it hard to believe that those ten giant prawns in the coconut only cost RM 15.09 whereas it costs at least more than RM 25 in Selangor. One open air restaurant in Selangor along the highway even charges a whopping RM 75 for only a few measly prawns. Simple pandan chicken costs at least more than RM 15 in most Thai restaurants but it only costs RM 8.49 here. I was even more shocked when I saw the price of the Nyonya Steamed Fish at only RM 22.64. Even in the cheapest kopitiam in Kajang, it costs RM 25-30 per steamed fish. All in all, the price and absolutely lip-smacking food here have changed 360 degrees the perception of food in Apps Hotel.
After a very hearty meal which ended at exactly 8 pm, we were ready for our Firefly Cruise which cause RM 15 per pax for only this cruise. This time, the place was pitch dark. Since the tide was high, we could see the top of the trees and the fireflies appeared to be lighting up the bushes thereby turning it into fairyland. The scene was just magical.
Fireflies are more accurately called "lightning beetles" and their uniqueness lies in the ability of their tails to emit light. The male fireflies flash brighter to attract the female ones. There were three species of fireflies found here which are the Pteroptyx Tener, Pteroptyx Valida and Pteroptyx Malaccae.
The boatmen were very friendly and they answered most questions while teasing me in between. They even asked me questions like why the fireflies are more in some trees and do not exist on others. It is because they only go to Berembang Trees because they feed on its rubber and leaves which are their main diet. In the daytime, fireflies become inactive and rest at the bottom of the Berembang Tree. Some of the trees have more fireflies whereas some have less. The trees which have less fireflies is due to their friends ostracizing them. I am yet to verify the veracity of this fact. The boatmen were so kind to even help us to catch a few fireflies and place them between our hands. It reminds me of Peter Pan movies where the fairy places some special thing in your hand. My hands were so slippery that I let go two of them. The boat lights were switched on to enable us to see their bodies. Then, we let go of the fireflies. At the end of the trip, the cheeky boatmen asked whether we are satisfied with watching the fireflies. I asked "If not?" They retorted, "Look up (in the sky)!" I was aghast at their joke and still looked at the stars sparkling in the sky. One would have to admit that the stars lost to the fireflies that night.
During the night, tourists can sing karaoke in the outdoor stage probably till midnight. There are other day activities like paintball and ATV biking in the three acres of jungle that is owned by Apps Hotel. I wanted to ride on the ATV bike in the jungle which costs RM 80 but I was lack of time.
That night I went to sleep swayed by dreams of fireflies. Good night world, see you tomorrow!
20 JUNE 2015, SATURDAY
We woke up to a the most simple breakfast of just fried bihun, scrambled eggs and fried sausages, coffee or tea on the buffet, which comes together with our room package.
After breakfast and check out, we managed to thank Benny Quah for his hospitality as he happened to be at the reception having a meeting with his employees.
Then, we followed Benny's advice to visit Melawati Hill which is just five minutes away. We could see the famous Melawati Lighthouse from far, even when we were on the cruise the day before. The tram ticket only costs RM 5 that covers the journey to the top of the hill where there is the Historical Museum of Kuala Selangor District. The museum is good place to bring your school-going children to learn about Malaysian history which shows how Kuala Selangor and first establishment of Selangor administration started from the side of Selangor River. In fact, the name "Selangor" derives from the name of this river. We also relooked into the civil wars in Selangor whereby Raja Mahadi was one of the ones who started a war. The museum also features the old currency in the olden days like Tampang etc.During our tram journey, we saw many Silver-Tailed Monkeys and also Long Tailed Macaques which are roaming all over the place. They were not wild like the monkeys in Bali or the ones in our own Botanical Gardens, Penang. Probably they were not as wild because the hawkers threw biscuit crumbs to them. The hawkers sell long beans and unripe bananas to be fed to the monkeys. The tram ticket also covers the trip to Taman Alam (Nature Park) which has a few aviaries, rabbits, aquariums, and chicken coops.All in all, Kuala Selangor is a fantastic place for eco-tourism and I am definitely coming back to Seafood Wharf for the most reasonably priced seafood which is more than worth every penny paid. Oh, and do visit Apps Hotel if only to change your earlier perception!
10 Minutes (Dine In)
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Tasting Event
nyonya steamed fish
kam heong crab
fried kangkung
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CTO Talk: Q&A with Rex Cooper from eConsult
Elles Houweling 22nd December 2021	(Last Updated December 16th, 2021 11:22)
Rex Cooper, the CTO of eConsult, is building digital solutions for the healthcare industry to make consultations between doctors and patients more convenient and efficient.
Founded in 2013, eConsult is a digital triage and remote consultation solutions provider. It allows patients to submit their symptoms or requests to their own GP electronically and offers round-the-clock NHS self-help information and a symptom checker. The company is now live in over 3,200 NHS GP Practices across the UK.
Remote consultation was already a growing trend and – as with other digital trends – it was greatly accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. To minimise the risk of infection and transmission, people were urged to opt for remote consultations whenever possible.
According to GlobalData's thematic report on medical technology, mobile health is going to define healthcare in the future.
"For hundreds of years, the key drivers of medicine were biology and chemistry," the report's authors write. "The new drivers are fast becoming data science and software. In approximately a decade, well-tuned algorithms have the potential to turn gigantic volumes of sensor data into actionable, clinically robust insights that can drive medical diagnoses, treatments, and monitoring."
Healthtech providers, like eConsult, are expanding rapidly and leading the next wave of medical innovation. In February, the company secured £7m ($9.26m) in a funding round.
In the latest Q&A in our weekly CTO Talk series, eConsult CTO Rex Cooper talks to Verdict about the intersection between tech and healthcare and how it can be leveraged to improve patient experience.
Elles Houweling: Tell us a bit about yourself – how did you end up in your current role?
Rex Cooper: I have just joined eConsult as CTO. Prior to joining this fast-growth startup, I served as the CTO for more than two years at Your.MD. I opted to move to eConsult because there's something special about healthcare. I love that I can draw a direct link between the work I'm doing day to day, and making the world a better place. It's about more than building a tech platform here. It's about genuinely improving the patient experience and I think that's something we can all relate to.
Artificial intelligence evangelists almost describe AI as the solution to all problems, but is it all it's cracked up to be?
As someone interested in science, engineering and design, I'm fairly logical in my approach to problem-solving. It's because of this that I am not under the illusion that AI is the solution to all problems. Not all problems are amenable to AI – many can be solved by applying consistent rules, or by splitting the problem into smaller, easily solvable pieces. But, I do think that AI has the capability to support us in tackling complex challenges where the rules and underlying logic are not clear. In problem spaces where we have good data, we know what the inputs are and we know what some of the decisions made with that data are, AI can help us. We can use data science techniques to extrapolate decision making to new data sets in a way that a purely rules-based approach cannot.
How do you separate hype from genuine innovation?
There's a lot of hype around technology, particularly the promise of AI. But for me, genuine innovation should be able to provide answers to these important questions: Is it ethical? What problem will it solve? Will it help people? Is the implementation plan realistic? Is it better than what we already have?
When we say yes to all these questions, we are in a genuinely innovative space.
Where did your interest in tech come from?
As a child, I was always taking things apart and putting them back together. When I was 13, I was given my first ever computer, the now very ancient Commodore Vic 20. Naturally, I took it apart and also managed to put it back together. When I was lucky enough to get a scholarship to university, I chose to study Electronic and Software Engineering because it would give me the knowledge to understand what was going on inside my computer. Understanding how things fit together has been a lifelong quest of mine.
What one piece of advice would you offer to other CTOs?
"Remember that it's not all about the tech, it's about the people and the business. For the most part, people don't understand what we as CTOs and technical people actually do day-to-day. And if they do, then they aren't necessarily interested and nor should they be. A CTO must focus on the people in their team and how to get the most out of them. They should focus on solving business problems with technology and avoid using technical jargon when communicating."
What's the most surprising thing about your job?
Earlier on in my career, I was surprised how much technology leadership is about people and not technology. These days, I am still surprised that it's possible to meet people who think technology is a utility and a cost centre and not a source of business and competitive advantage.
What's the biggest technological challenge facing humanity?
The biggest existential threat to humanity is climate change. A big technological challenge is the rise of deepfake videos and voice technology, which pose a real threat to society. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried about them. As an engineer, the technology behind them intrigues me. But, the challenge we face is that people are pre-disposed to consuming video and voice-led content, and of course 'seeing is believing'. The quality and capabilities of those spearheading these deepfakes, be it for politics, scandals or criminality, are only going to get better. It's vital that we find a way to tackle this disinformation tool before we end up not being able to believe anything we see or hear electronically.
What's the strangest thing you've ever done for fun?
For my birthday I went up in a Tiger Moth Aeroplane. It's basically a motor attached to some wood and canvas. Very old tech. You and the instructor are the only ones in the plane and I was able to take the controls for a short time.
What's the most important thing happening in your field at the moment (and why)?
Sticking to eConsult's mission to use technology to deliver an improved patient, clinician, pharmacist, A&E and wider NHS experience. I would say the most important thing is the recent and very welcome pivot by government and the NHS leadership to using the digital tools and expertise we have in the startup environment of the UK to improve healthcare outcomes. There is so much more we can do. Therefore, the provision of funding for innovation and greater understanding as to how we can use our healthcare data across the system are incredibly important and much needed.
In another life you'd be?
Sticking to the theme of my birthday trip up in the Tiger Moth Plane, I'd have to say that I'd be a pilot. There's something pretty sensational about being able to fly a truly well engineered piece of equipment like that.