text:
Eshelby Pianos
jacqueline@eshelbypianos.com
- Pianos for Monthly Hire
- Upright Pianos for Sale
- Grand Pianos for Sale
- Piano Accessories
- Pianos for Function Hire
- Music Teachers
*Piano Gallery
A-B Piano Gallery
C-D Piano Gallery
E-G Piano Gallery
H-J Piano Gallery
K-L Piano Gallery
M-N Piano Gallery
O-P Piano Gallery
R Piano Gallery
S Piano Gallery
T-Z Piano Gallery
Gallery of pianos starting with the letters C-D:
Campbell, J.C.: made by Kohler and Campbell for Wanamaker.
JAE 53 J. C. Campbell Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 191364. This piano was manufactured in America; J. C. Campbell is a well-respected manufacturer in the trade. It is a hardy piano with a light walnut casing. The piano has an obvious masculine appeal with its bold frames and edges. 88 keys. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 125 cm, a width of 156 cm and a depth of 63 cm.
DE 288 J.C. Campbell Upright Pianoforte with stool.
This piano was manufactured in America and the casing has a natural patina that offers appealing variation in the colour and suits the pianos bold frames and edges.
DE 299 J. C. Campbell Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number 212469. Manufactured in America in 1921, this piano has a dark mahogany casing. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 126 cm, width of 155.5 cm and a depth of 63.5 cm.
Carl Ecke: See Ecke, Carl.
Carl Otto: See Otto, Carl.
Carl Schubert
DE 709 Carl Schubert Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 12380. This piano has a black casing with antique appeal. As is typical of these pianos, the tone is wondefully rich and powerful.
Carl Webber
JAE 411 Carl Webber Upright Pianoforte with matching stool.
This is a lovely looking small piano – a dainty, feminine feel accentuated by its Queen Anne style legs. It is of English manufacture, 'just nice'. This piano has a 'modern' French Provincial finish - white subtly revealing an undercoat of textured silver. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 112 cm, width of 137.5 cm and a depth of 56.5 cm.
Carol Otto: see Otto, Carol
C. Bach
DE 239 C. Bach Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 29542.
This piano is of English manufacturer. It is a nice piano with good touch and tone and its Sepeli mahogany casing been recently re-polished. The dimensions of the piano are: width of 1.4 m, height of 1.2 m and depth of 57 cm.
Challen Pianos, Chas. H.: Factory was established in 1804, in London, England. Now owned by Barratt & Robinson Ltd.
JAE 18 Challen Upright Pianoforte with matching stool.
JAE 48 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool.
This piano was made in the 1950's and has a solid oak case (most pianos have a veneered casing). This is a very clean piano condition-wise, and has a masculine appeal.
DE 188 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool.
Manufactured in London, this piano has an Art Deco, "Pregnant Lady" design.
DE 194 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool.
DE 196 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool.
DE 208 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool. This piano was manufactured in London, in 1950.
It has a "Pregnant-Lady" design with Art-Deco styling and a mahogany casing. Challen is a very well-liked and respected make of piano. This one of a compact design, in an Art-deco style. It is strange that this is basically like a miniture version of "Pregnant-Lady" design see other Challen pianos with the identical structure, but much larger in our Piano Gallery (like DE 295). The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 106.5 cm, width of 134.5 cm and a depth of 52.5 cm.
DE 270 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number 77907. This Model T5X Challen piano was manufactured in London, in 1952. It has a "Pregnant Lady" design of structure and a mahogany casing that has just been re-polished (June 2017). With a good-quality inner build (one of the reasons why Challen pianos are so popular), compact design, fresh casing, crisp, brighter tone and a medium to heavy touch, this is a very good choice for a piano. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 104 cm, width of 134.5 cm and a depth of 54 cm.
DE 295 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 74913. This piano was manufactured in London, in 1950. It has a "Pregnant-Lady" design with Art-Deco styling and a mahogany casing. Challen is a very well-liked and respected make of piano. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 118 cm, width of 146 cm and a depth of 55 cm.
DE 351 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 73948. This piano was manufactured in London, England and has a mahogany casing. It is a smaller "pregnant lady" model.
DE 360 Challen Upright Pianoforte and stool. Serial number: 83680. This piano was manufactured in London and has a mahogany casing. The structure of the piano has been dubbed the "Pregnant Lady"" due to the side profile. These are ever-popular pianos, especially so in this compact art-deco inspired look. It has 85 keys and 2 pedals. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 105 cm, width of 133 cm and a depth of 53 cm.
DE 373 Challen Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number 85813. This Model T4XB1 Challen piano was manufactured in London, in 1958. It has a "Pregnant Lady" design of structure and a mahogany casing that has just been re-polished (June 2017). With a good-quality inner build (one of the reasons why Challen pianos are so popular), fresh casing, crisp, brighter tone and a medium to heavy touch, this is a very good choice for a piano. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 115 cm, width of 146 cm and a depth of 57 cm.
JAE 638 Challen Upright Pianoforte and stool. This piano has a black satin finish.
JAE 806 Challen Grand Pianoforte with matching stool. This piano has a freshly re-polished mahogany casing. Challen is a very well-known and one of the best English makes of pianos. This piano was re-polished in 2016. It is approximately 130-140 cm in length.
JAE 811 Challen Grand Pianoforte with matching stool. This piano has a mahogany casing. Challen is a very well known and one of the best English makes of pianos. This particular one has interesting legs.
DE 924 Challen Grand Pianoforte with matching stool. Approximately 1.5m in length. This too has a roller-action, as opposed to a cheaper simplex-action design, found in many small grands. The keys are a beautiful-quality ivory. It has been re-polished to a high-gloss black finish in 2014.
Challen Grand
Built in 1954. Approximately 1.5m in length. This too has a roller-action, as opposed to a cheaper simplex-action design, found in many small grands. The keys are a beautiful-quality ivory. It has been repolished white.
Chappel Piano Co.: Factory was established in 1811, in London, England.
JAE 31 Chappel Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. Serial number: 101 390. This piano was manufactured in London. It is a tall piano, at approximately 125 cm high. The burr-walnut casing and details give it a lovely, traditional look. It has ivory keys.
DE 186 Chappell Upright Pianoforte with stool.
DE 310 Chappell Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 85843. This piano was manufactured in 1963, in London, England.
The photo on the left is not great, but gives one the perspective of the piano closed; the photo on the right reveals the piano with the keys and attractive music desk showing and shows the casing more accurately. We are currently re-polishing this piano (May 2017).
DE 341 Chappell Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 67350. This piano was manufactured in 1922, in London, England and has a mahogany casing. The tone is bright and lively, and the touch lighter to medium. The dimensions are: a height of 130 cm, a width of 150 cm and a depth of 59 cm.
JAE 442 Chappell Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. Serial number 79580. This piano was manufactured in London, in and has a unique casing as it has been re-painted to a white, 'whitewad' finish with minor deliberate stressing. We really like this piano because of its simple, yet strong, style and because of its well-built feel. It has 85 keys, with naturals in ivory, a medium to heavier touch, and it has 2 pedals This piano's dimensions are: height of 111 cm, width of 134 cm and depth of 55 cm.
DE 515 Chappel Upright Pianoforte with stoolSerial number: 84071. This piano was manufactured in 1955, in London, England. Although it had a lovely shade of mahogany for its casing, the casing was in need of a re-polish. It was done in the Gris Belge shade of Rubio Monocoat (January 2019) – giving it a washed, low-lustre, grey finish which we have found very popular. These sturdy little English pianos are an ideal piano for many. The piano produces a bright, lively tone and has wonderful ivory keys. It has 85 keys, a medium touch and 2 pedals. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 110 cm, width of 132.5 cm and a depth of 56 cm.
HJG 09 Chappel Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. Serial number: 10442.
Chikering
DE 378 Chikering Upright Pianoforte with stool.
Collard & Collard: London, England factory established in 1760.
DE 233 Collard and Collard Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 196915. This piano was manufactured in London and has a mahogany casing. These are super pianos from one of the earliest established piano makers (1760). We don't see many of these but eagerly buy them when able to. It is a very stylish small piano. The piano has 85 keys with a lighter to medium touch. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 112 cm, width of 136 cm and a depth of 56 cm.
DE 253 Collard & Collard Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number 181970/8140/3374, this piano was manufactured between the years of 1911-1914. It is a really lovely English piano in wonderful condition. This piano has a stained oak casing. The oak case is very unusual and has a beautiful mid-sheen lustre. Although of considerable age and height it has such clean elegant proportions that its footprint is that of a smaller piano, and the extra string length affords a wonderful more mellow tone. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 126 cm, width of 144.5 cm and a depth of 58 cm.
DE 380 Collard & Collard Upright Pianoforte with stool.
Serial number: 183968.
This piano was manufactured in London.
Cramer, J.B. & Co.: Factory based in London, England and was established in 1824.
JAE 83 Cramer Upright and stool.
DE 259 Cramer Upright Pianoforte with stool.Serial number: 64908. Manufactured between the years of 1930 and 1932 and has a dark walnut finish.
Cramer Upright Pianoforte with stool.
This is referred to as a "ships" piano. The stand that it is sitting on is not original. The piano is really the top box which could be easily transported. This is a piece of history...
HRE 32 Cramer Upright Pianoforte with stool.
JAE 515 Cramer Grand Pianoforte with stool.
This is a little English grand built in the 1950's.
This piano is freshly re-polished to a high-gloss black finish.
It is in good condition. Note the reflection of the back wall on the piano top, in the photo to the right. The photo to the right show how the piano looked before Eshelby Pianos re-polished it to a black high-gloss finish.
Cramer Full Concert Grand
This piano is dominating simply because of its size. With a satin black finish it is contemporary. It certainly is a statement piece of furniture coupled with the remarkable sound and tone that only a piano of this size can achieve. We had this piano on show for many years. Previously referenced: DE 994.
Danemann, W. & Co.: Factory based in London.
JAE 35 Danemann Upright Pianoforte with matching stool.
Danemann is a well-known English make, of higher-than-average quality and attention to detail.
This piano has a mahogany case and follows the Art Deco style.
Serial number: 69 707.
Dark brown mahogany finish, modern style, quality make.
It has been re-polished and then sent out to a client, this is a photo of the piano before it was re-polished.
DE 179 Danemann Upright with stool.
DE 183 Danemann Upright with stool.
DE 277 Danemann Upright with stool. Serial number: 64146. This piano was manufactured in 1947 and has a walnut finish.
DE 311 Danemann Upright with stool. Serial number: 67087. This piano has a mahogany casing, which was re-polished in July 2017. The bottom left photo of the piano shows the piano before it was re-ploished.This is a beautiful example of the make - extremely clean throughout and of a very good quality. No repair work was required on this piano apart from the re-polish and service. The piano has a medium to lighter touch, 85 keys and 2 pedals. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 115 cm, width of 139 cm and a depth of 60 cm.
DE 277 Danemann Upright Pianoforte with stool. Manufactured in 1947, Serial number 64146, this piano has a walnut finish.
DE 286 Danemann Upright Pianoforte with stool. Manufactured in 1946, Serial number 63980, this piano has a figured-walnut casing. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 116 cm, width of 138 cm and a depth of 60 cm.
 DE 356 Danemann Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number 80240. This piano was manufactured in London and has a walnut casing. It is in lovely condition – it was clearly a well-loved and cared for piano when we purchased it. Danemann is one of our favourite makes of pianos. They suit most pianists, are very reliable and attractive too. The piano has a medium to lighter touch, 85 keys and 2 pedals. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 115 cm; a width of 138.5 cm and a depth 60 cm.
HRE 03 Danemann Upright Pianoforte with stool.
HJG 108 Danemann Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. Serial number: 69998. This piano has a mahogany casing.
Dienst
JAE 428 Dienst Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number 7841.
This is a tall piano with a striking appearance. This piano has been painted a red shade of chalk paint (May 2017). The photo on the left is of the waxed painted piano, in the middle is pre-wax and on the right is the original black casing. The dimensions of this piano are: height of 130 cm, width of 153 cm and depth of 65.5 cm.
Dietmann: Factory was established in 1955, in Wellington, Republic of South Africa. The Kahn Family purchased the factory in 1985, affiliated with Bernhard Steiner, Otto Bach and P.A. Starck.
JAE 10 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with matching stool.
This piano was assembled in South Africa.
It has a Renner action, which is a world-standard for quality in piano-building, indicating this to be an expensively produced piano, with a very good touch and response.
DE 237 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with stool.
This piano was manufactured in South Africa and has a recently re-polished (2016) satin, mahogany casing.
DE 309 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with stool.
DE 313 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 11022. This Dietman was manufactured in South Africa. The Dietman factory built many of the pianos now so well known in South Africa, they also manufactured Otto Bach pianos. But Dietman appears to have been the higher quality version given its quality finish and higher attention to detail. The piano is a very nice quality piano in a high gloss, dark stained, mahogany casing. It has a few very minor polish cracks, synonymous with the high gloss polyester finishes of the era, but these are really not noticeable. The piano has 88 keys and 2 pedals. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 115 cm, width of 143 cm and a depth of 58 cm.
DE 344 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with stool. Serial number: 65726. This piano was manufactured in South Africa, between the years of 1981-1989 and has a walnut casing.
JAE 423 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with stool.
This is a premier quality piano with a heavier touch. It has been painted a 'bath' blue over a beige-grey, the top coat has been very subtly distressed to reveal the undercoat. It has a remarkable presence. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 117 cm, width of 144.5 cm and a depth of 58 cm.
JAE 429 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. This is a premier quality Dietman piano and Dietman is a popular make of piano (Otto Bach were made in the Dietman factory). The casing has been painted in a Pure White chalk paint over Paris Grey with the white distressed to reveal the grey undercoat. There is also a raised Protea detail to match the raised piano name in the fall - and matching the South African manufacture of the piano (June 2017). This piano's dimensions are: height of 113 cm, width of 147.5 cm and depth of 57 cm.
JAE 444 Dietman Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. Serial number 85607. This piano was recently re-polished to a satin black finish (May 2019). It is of a higher quality than most similar pianos indicated - amongst various reasons - by the Renner action. The piano has 88 keys, with a medium to heavier touch, and 2 pedals. The piano's dimensions are: height of 110 cm, width of 144 cm and depth of 55.5 cm.
DE 713 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. This piano is unusually tall and heavy. It looks modern and plain, but because of its size will have a bold, dominant impact in a setting.
It is a decent piano with a very strong tone. The piano has been recently re-polished to a dark mahogany finish.
As this is one of the heaviest pianos we have ever seen, it should be borne in mind that it would suit a ground floor delivery address. The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 133 cm, width of 161 cm and a depth of 66.5 cm.
Serial number: 10839. This piano has a polished, stained black casing (March 2017). The dimensions of this piano are: a height of 114 cm, a width of 146 cm and a depth of 58 cm.
DE 726 Dietmann Upright Pianoforte with matching stool. This premier quality piano has a lovely structure and is a high quality piano, fitted with a Renner action. The additional detail in the casework would have made this a Premier, more expensive model when new. The condition is superb, being a one-owner piano from new. When played, it becomes immediately obvious that this is a higher-quality piano than is usual.
Please call or email us for any queries relating to pianos or antiques. We have a quality stock of pianos, but viewing of these pianos is by appointment only.
Deon Eshelby 0826753549 deon@eshelbypianos.com
Jacqueline Eshelby 0823486131 jacqueline@eshelbypianos.com
or EshelbyPianos@gmail.com


The new Livescribe Aegir smartpen is now available!
The Livescribe Aegir Smartpen, Marlin Edition, Teal Colour is the perfect bridge between your analogue handwritten notes and your mobile digital device!
Please take note of the prerequisites, listed below, for the Aegir. It can be used only with recent versions of iOS and Android, and your device must support with Bluetooth 4 (also called Bluetooth LE or Smart).
With the Aegir Smartpen and the Livescribe+ mobile app (available on Apple and Play Stores), simply write on paper and watch it instantly appear on your tablet or smartphone. (A Windows app will soon be available.) Your notes become infinitely more useful when they are tagged, organized, searchable, or even converted to text. Easily add recorded audio that's synced with your handwriting so you can relive important moments. Quickly share notes and ideas with friends, colleagues, and peers – all with just a few quick taps of your finger.
The Aegir Smartpen, Marlin Edition, Teal Colour Smartpen is designed with the meticulous attention to detail that a premium writing instrument deserves. From the integrated stylus cap, down to the Swiss-made tungsten-carbide ballpoint ink cartridge, we've paid close attention to deliver an experience that is worthy of the title of your new favorite pen. But it is the amazing amount of technology packed inside the Aegir Smartpen, Marlin Edition, Teal Colour that really delivers the magic. Once you remove the cap to expose the ink cartridge, everything you write is captured by the infrared camera on the pen and stored on the Smartpen's built-in memory. Simply connect your Smartpen to your iOS or Android device and watch as all your notes are synced to the Livescribe+ mobile app.
Our slimmest and lightest smartpen!


Know Bishop Hendricken Class of 1973 graduates that are NOT on this List? Help us Update the 1973 Class List by adding missing names.
More 1973 alumni from Bishop Hendricken HS have posted profiles on Classmates.com®. Click here to register for free at Classmates.com® and view other 1973 alumni.
The students that went to school at the Warwick high school called Bishop Hendricken High School and graduated in '73 are on this page. Register to add your name to the class of 1973 graduates list.


YEREVAN (Noyan Tapan)–Two drugs–"Pozikor" produced by the Roche company and "Raxar" produced by the Glaxo Welcome company–are currently being withdrawn from Armenia's medicine market. Talking to Noyan Tapan–Deputy Director of the National Drug Agency Hran'sh Nikoghossian said that the firms themselves made decisions on recalling the medicines from the market because of their undesirable side-effects and addressed letters to the countries where the medicines were registered.
Nikoghossian explained that the Agency conducts post-marketing studies of medicines after their registration. As a result of these studies certain medicines can be withdrawn from the registration list. The same applies to firms. Thus–during the last year the Agency rejected as low-quality several groups of medicines produced by one of the firms and raised the question of the advisability of the firm's presence in the Armenian medicine market. Since then the firm has monitored its supplies and no claims are currently made against it. Last year alone the Agency denied registration to over 30 medicines from different countries. There are also rejections during the import of registered medicines to the country. Thus–during the last month five many medicines were denied import because of being of low quality. Inspections of medical establishmen's and drugstores conducted by the inspection bodies show that these medicines used or sold there meet the requiremen's–and the rejected ones did not appear on the market. Replicas appear on the Armenian market more and more rarely.
Pharmacologists are concerned that medicines that are being withdrawn from the Western markets are still sold in Armenia. Among them are–in particular–medicines of Russian make which are relatively cheap such as "Analgin,"Streptocit," and "Levomitecin."
The number of medicines registered in Armenia currently totals 2,500. They are supplied by 200 firms from 40 countries–Hungary being the leader.
Armenia also supplies the market with about 100 types of domestically produced medicines.


text:
11:FS
11:YEARS
Xero: Giving 800,000 Business Owners Their Lives Back
Sarah Mikutel
Gary Turner is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Xero, which Forbes described as the "World's Most Innovative Growth Company." Xero provides small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs or SMEs) with 'beautiful' online accounting software. Gary helped take Xero from a 3-person startup to a company that will have £150 million in revenue this year.
What's the story behind your company, and why did you get involved?
"Rod Drury, our CEO, was the principal vision behind Xero as a business. Rod…was consistently disappointed with his experience of using accounting software…. So it was one of those classic 'there has to be a better way' moments…. I was at Microsoft at the time, so my background was in…big, corporate software businesses.
"Xero got going in New Zealand. Got the first couple of thousand customers on the platform down there. But New Zealand's a really small country…and the view was: this has to be a global business. So we very quickly moved into 'how do we extend beyond New Zealand and look at other English-speaking markets?' So when I got the call to say 'we want to get going in the UK'…it was one of those 'I didn't read the rest of the email' moments, where I said 'I absolutely need to be involved with that!'…. Because the UK, at that point, had not really seen much innovation in that space…and it was obvious to me that the cloud was just going to completely transform software…. So I got on board….
"We now employ 1600 people globally. We're in the US; we've got two offices in the UK…. So we've gone, in 10 years, from that idea…to, in the next few months, we'll pass by a million customers, And this year we'll do…about £150 million revenue."
Who is the customer here, and what are they getting from Xero?
"The world's biggest market opportunity is consumers—but consumers don't like paying for things. The second biggest community thereafter is small businesses…In the UK, there are over 5 million small businesses…Half of our GDP comes from small businesses; two-thirds of all employment comes from small businesses. So small businesses profile really high in terms of availability as a market.
"What's also interesting about small businesses is that they're generally quite impoverished when it comes to systems [and] technology. The most popular accounting software is a spreadsheet, because traditional desktop accounting software has been either too expensive or too big for what you require. And the old distribution methods of software meant that it was really hard to service small businesses effectively. And the cloud changed all of that. It means we can deliver a really great experience to small businesses…Our strapline as a business is 'Beautiful accounting software,' which is deliberately provocative….We saw an opportunity to provide that huge market, for the first time, with something that they enjoy using and helps them be more successful as businesses.
"We have some really cool customers as well…. In City AM a couple of weeks ago, there was a Top 50 list of the most interesting technology startups in the UK…and something like 32 of them were using Xero."
Do you guys see yourselves as having a big role to play in PSD2 and open banking…?
"So we've spent the last few years building those discrete, one-to-one connections with all the banks in the UK…PSD2 is going to be like an overlay that will probably display some of those existing, technical relationships that we have…But however it gets there…it finally gives the small business a sense of knowing what their numbers are and where their numbers are. Many, many small businesses run for days, if not weeks, not actually reconciling their bank accounts…So we're not as excited about PSD2 as, perhaps, other people are, because we've already built all that discreetly. And if anything, PSD2 just enables us to do that more efficiently."
HM Revenue & Customs plans to make tax digital, with quarterly reporting. Would this bring challenges to businesses? How are you thinking about how Xero might help in that?
"Everything is going digital, therefore government has to go digital…. And you have to buy into the principle, because, do we think that, in 2025, it's still appropriate for the UK's tax system to be based on paper? Probably not. Where it's controversial is that the government and HMRC would like to mandate that you have to use software and digital tools to do that. Now, you'd think as a software company, that would be amazing for us…but it's not going to be as simple as that. Because, actually, a lot of small businesses work with an accountant…and they're big stakeholders in the whole self-assessment process.
"We see our job as 'how can we use technology…to mitigate the burden that that brings?' If you're on Xero, if you're a company director and you're working with your accountant, and all of a sudden you're going to have to be doing all this kind of digital tax return – how can we make that just happen automatically? And if that means more people adopt software and go off spreadsheets, that has to be a good thing. But I think some of the concern that people are voicing about that is the timelines are really sharp, so, like, April 2018…ultimately a good thing, but a really compressed timeframe."
In the UK, two-thirds of all employment comes from small businesses. So small businesses profile really high in terms of availability as a market.
Talk about some trends you're seeing in fintech generally. What's exciting you?
"Machine learning and AI…If you wipe the hype away…we think that there's an opportunity of saving small businesses time by applying, judiciously, automation, machine learning, and AI to specific tasks like accounting, to make it go away, make it happen automatically…."
What's your favourite podcast? What are your favourite productivity hacks?
"I love podcasts: every single day I'm listening to podcasts…. Most of them are tech-flavoured, I have to say. So I love The Talk Show [with] John Gruber – a huge Mac pundit and writer…Accidental Tech podcast, another awesome weekly update podcast…I've just started listening to one that's decoding Westworld.
Productivity hacks: I'm a huge fan of Google Inbox…And my biggest tip on email would be: just completely unsubscribe to everything that doesn't help you…Be really brutal with email…."
And any advice for somebody who's just getting into fintech for the first time…?
"It moves really fast. I think fintech's in a really interesting space and time right now, where the big guys are beginning to recognise that maybe they should be doing something for the first time.
"We have a saying at Xero: 'it's not the big that eat the small, it's the fast that eat the slow'…Focus on what it is you need to do, and do it really, really quickly. Don't debate it, and don't analyse it for three weeks, and don't write a white paper on it, and don't commission a survey…. That's what Barclays and HSBC are going to do…and the reality is, if you're small, if you're a startup, you can move at light speed, much quicker than anyone else can – use that advantage while you have it. So – just do it tomorrow!"
For more great interviews, subscribe to the FinTech Insider podcast on iTunes or for Android.
Sign me up to the 11:FS newsletter
By entering your details and clicking this button, you consent for 11:FS to communicate with you regarding our events and services. 11:FS stores and uses your details in compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and its data retention policy. To opt out of further communications please contact 11:FS at hello@11fs.com.
Share - Twitter
Share - Facebook
Share - LinkedIn
Open Banking two years on
Leda Writes for Fintech Futures: for love or money
How to start saving successfully in 2020
We are 11:FS
We're a new kind of agency. A challenger. Unlike any you've used before.
Our cutting-edge services will help you transform your business, lead your field, and build the digital financial services of the future.
Ready to Level Up?
11:FS Shop
Fintech Insider
Blockchain Insider
Insurtech Insider
© 2020 11:FS. All rights reserved.
Handcrafted in London by the 11:FS team

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Written for anyone in higher education who is responsible for submitting and running a grant-funded project, Grant Seeking in Higher Education offers a hands-on resource for developing and managing the grant process from start to finish.
Step by step, the authors will help you to identify and sort through potential sponsors, tap into campus support that is already in place, and prepare to write a targeted grant proposal that can generate results. Once you have completed the research, the book outlines the keys to writing a winning proposal, including an effective proposal narrative, thorough budget, and readable proposal package. To give grant seekers an extra edge, the book contains a toolkit of tested materials. These proven tools—templates, examples, and cheat sheets—are designed to help you approach your project as a grants professional would.
Grant Seeking in Higher Education also spotlights the need for academic leaders to create a campuswide culture that fosters efficient and effective grant seeking.


... making something useful and needed - storage shelves.
DMIL left behind a very shabby and very old china hutch/base unit - once held together with screws and nails and glue and tape, once housed pretty china and ornaments, and now for years has leaned against the cement wall in the carport, loaded with paint tins, junk stuff, bits of metal and wood ... and I did not take a before picture, the project started before I was ready.
Last day before school went back in session DH hauled up from the carport a very old, lots of wood edges turned to wood dust, much worn and abused hutch top. Doors sagged and had long slunk away to hide. Hinges were rusted, missing, useless. The hutch top had sat out in the carport for three years loaded with 'stuff'. Too heavy to easily move. Bones were good though.
The need we had was for somewhere to store stock as it came in the house and we were very tired of having all the kitchen and living room surfaces covered with 'stuff' before it was cleaned/written up/packed for our booth.
Painted the wood the brown/grey oil based paint previously used for our kitchen welsh dresser and knobs. Two coats - the wood was very thirsty.
We had picked up a double board oak plywood shelf free curbside last fall and DH took it apart, cut the wood to fit/notched the back to fit over the inside frame, sanded and painted the boards. Second paint coat was added after the shelf frame was in the house with the shelves installed. The paint dried in well.
The finished project is full of stock waiting to be made ready for our booth and the tables and counters are now cleared for use. Hope that lasts.
Contemplating putting the centre door back sans glass avec punched patterned tin insert. We'll see.
Have you been able to reinvent something useful for no cash outlay? I would love to read about your project(s).
Postscript Sept. 12th - we have the hutch base (and all the doors and bits of cracked/worm eaten wood all stacked inside the base) just waiting to be repurposed - the 'repair' part of the job is going to be the hard part - very battered and worn out - something to look forward to.
Not lately. But I'd sure like to come across a table for my little blue house dining room.
I absolutely LOVE that color of paint!! Care to share the brand and name??
That turned out great and I like the color. I love being able to reuse, recycle or repurpose things.
I found the paint swatch - the color is Cirque CL2875A, egg shell Premium Alkyd and is from General Paint. It looks dark brown on the swatch and is called Mosquito. I've added a picture which is 'almost' true but the flash did lighten the color a bit.
ignore the color word Cirque- replace it in your mind with Mosquito. I need to edit my comments before I click on Post.
Nicely done! There is nothing better than a 100% free find transformed into something beautiful and useful.
Great idea..I had to go buy (gasp) Billy bookcases from ikea....so tired of it ..as you say...on top of everything!


Very recently I found out about yupo paper. Honestly although I like crafting, "artsy-art" stuff isn't really something I know about so i hadn't heard about this kind of paper until recently from a YouTube video. As I was looking around YouTube for other yupo paper videos I stumbled upon today's National Craft Month video.
Day 17's video is from Scrapitydoodah. She calls it "playing" and "doodling" but I call it "IDEAS! IDEAS!". (^ᗨ^✿) For scrapbookers, cardmakers, this is a great video. It starts of with alcohol ink blobs but the final result is so different. I just didn't see that result when she started.
It's been a while since I did any mixed media other than practicing techniques (and making messes). (^ᗨ^✿) I wanted to share this video with you because, although it is on the lengthy side compared to the previous videos I've shared for National Craft Month, the canvas came out adorable. And the way the video runs, it really gets you thinking you can do something similar.
As I mentioned in my previous post, to celebrate National Craft Month I am going to be sharing some tutorials I've come across on the web. The first project I shared was a video tutorial on how to turn empty plastic soda bottles into rockets for your little king or queen. For National Craft Month Day 2, I am going to be sharing a simple pendant you can make using polymer clay, liquid clay, gloss, an eyepin, and some paint. Of course, you will also need something to hang the pendant from.


Two weekends ago, Generation TKD competition team and their families hopped on to Fresno for the California State Championship. Needless to say. Master Chino was pumped and in the end all the athletes represented the team and themselves to the best of their abilities." Master Chino said, "My expectations for these kids are pretty high. The 2 days of competition was action packed, and in the end all my kids showed character and perseverance."
One kid in particular who elevated the Generation TKD name as well as his was Russell Sambrano. He was a back-to-back California State Champ in the Cadet bantam weight division brought down the Fresno Convention Center roof. His serene and astute style of fighting was what made him dangerous. He looked for the right opportunity, and never wasted his energy on hits he knew will go no where. Master Chino mustered up, "Russell is as elite as it gets in the world of sparring. His regimen - diet, workout and meditation, has built up to this moment. He is ripe to win it all in the very near future."
As for the rest of his teammates, Tristan, Nathan, Kaelynn, Nico, Redrick, Jayden, Jeremiah, Sydney, Althea, Angel, Troy, Angelo, Jasmine, Alyssa, Treven and Collin their showings were for naught. Nathan, Nico, Kaelynn, Jayden and Sydney did Generation proud by showing their A-game in poomsae. Needless to say, the competitors in poomsae will shake at the mere mention that Generation's prowess would not remain just in sparring. Master Chino chimed, "My kids' showing in forms at States was phenomenal. I can't say enough good things about my forms coaches Mr. Joey Abcede and Mr. Andrew Moon. Their respective students all showed up, and brought home medals."
Sparring for the young ones were strong and full of the Generation strength. Our very own Jean Claude Van Damme star Redrick was every bit the showman he was. Behind all the glitter was gold for that young man. Not only did he gap them, but he did not even let them score. As for the Cadets and Junior kids, Jeremiah's rookie showing at States was so memorable and impressive, he spoke to his dad about continuing it into the National stage in July. Master Chino spoke of his elation, "That kid had no bye and he fought every single one of his opponents with such gusto. They shuddered at the mere presence of his confidence and height. I expect great things to happen with this young man."
Hard work begins, now. Qualifying was essential, but the true grit and determination would be measured on the regimen the kids would put in on the road to Nationals. It was a mere 2 1/2 months away, but those 2 1/2 months will come faster than any of these kids can imagine.
After Generation TKD's 1st ever rumble, exit polls heavily leaned towards "A SUCCESS!" The team effort to execute such an event reached as far into the echelons of each family member who wanted to make sure all visitors and competitors were able to enjoy and focus all their attention on the kids. Suit up, gear up and fight, was the loudest mantra of the day. Kids, their teammates and coaches strategized and paired up with anyone deemed to help them elevate their game to the next level. As the day waned away, each competitor who left mentioned that they at least had 10 fights. 10 fights! From a rumble/scrimmage event that was a rarity.
Special commendation to Master Chino, the ring managers, door and entrance managers, referees, daedo technicians and medic support for making the experience on the floor almost unerring. Competitors and their coaches were able to squeeze in many fights because of how our floor and door volunteers were able to steer each fighter to the warm up area and their rings. Master Chino quipped, "I'm so happy on how productive these kids are, and I hope they don't look at this as a tournament. I want them to look at these matches as a way to practice their strategies and drills." To one parent from Tornado, he said, "This is the first rumble my kid got 12 matches in. In my book that was worth the trek from the Central Valley."
Another special shout out was to the food court group. One attending parent said, "It was such a relief that there were drinks and snacks readily available. We didn't have to worry about where things were and where to buy extra snacks. It was so convenient to just reach over the divider and get a Gatorade." The head coordinator for this event, Jill Abcede said, "The entire staff wanted to make sure that competitors and spectators had everything readily available, so that they can concentrate and get their moneys worth."
Master Chino was especially honored at the huge showing from Manila, Tornado, Elite, Escolta, Smash Gym and Cutting Edge. He added, "I am humbled and grateful." The rumble/scrimmage was the first of many more to come for Generation TKD reaching out to the TKD community." Master Chino voiced, "This rumble was for my competition members. All of this was for them. What we raised here is for my kids. They've been working hard in making this happen. And that is how committed they are. When they shine and we all shine." The kids knew the hard work they need to put in order to achieve their dreams, and Master Chino is there to support each one of them to attain it. Click here to view a little video of the Rumble in under 4 min.
Click on the picture to view our Video of the Rumble/Scrimmage on our Facebook Page.
To so many of the Generation TKD students, belt promotions were one of those rite of passages kids were eager to reach. Another step attained and another step closer to their black belt goal. Master Chino helped manifest these dreams, and hoped to build self-confidence, integrity and an indomitable spirit. Master Chino said, "It is how a student looks within themselves during a test, and how they process through their promotion. This is what I try to observe during the test."
For some of the belt testers, they were not part of Master Chino's highly competitive competition team members. He acknowledged that not everyone who signs up with him will invest 8-10 hours of TKD training. To most, the 2 to 3 times of regular class training was all they could muster. Master Chino firmly expressed, "I adjust my requirements accordingly as to what I expect. I grades them based on their journey during the test, and not how many boards they break."
As for his more mature students, Master Chino promoted 7 of his green belters to green advance. Another adult milestone to add under their ever growing belt collection. To the young kids already enrolled in Master Chino's regular classes, the adult class was no comparison. The adult class was attended purely for self-motivation to keep active and to learn a thing or two about themselves. When they all first started, Master Chino nurtured their very humble dreams of "I just want to stay active." Fast forward a year later, Master Chino asked them during their test, "Why are you still in TKD?"
Susan, whose son is Master Joseph Ong is a 4th degree Black Belt, stated with confidence, "I started it and my goal is to finish it. I don't quit and I wanna attain my Black Belt." Proudly, Master Joseph gushed about his mother, "she has been my biggest fan and support. Mom has always put all of us first, and I'm glad she's doing this for herself."
Arnel Agustin drummed out the same goal of someday attaining his black belt and maybe compete at the American Open in 2 weeks. He could not even disguise his giddiness at the thought that he could very well compete just like his daughter Kaelynn, "Instead of a father-daughter dance, maybe we could do a father-daughter forms pairing."
Jhet Clemente quickly responded, "Well if I encourage both my kids to compete, I feel like I could too. I want to someday be as good as my boys and share with them my own dreams of being a black belt." Jhet worked out a goal with Master Chino that he wanted to shed some weight in order to fulfill the goal of maybe competing at the California State Championship.
Master Chino's very own mother Minette was asked the same question, and happily proclaimed, "I'm still here and to see if I can push my capacity. My goal is to hopefully reach red and then black. Remembering Chino grow up under his father's tutelage, I have a better empathy of what it really takes to do TKD. Now, I do this for myself and my grandkids."
Helen Lee's daughter Bailey joined TKD 1.5 years ago. To Helen, Bailey was all the motivation she needed to use TKD as a form of exercise. She added, "I want to continue and not give up because I want Bailey to know that I know what she's going through. I want to be a good example for her, and I will go through almost anything for my kids" Her personal goal was also to get to black belt as well.
Ana Sabau stuck it out in TKD because she see it as a challenge and a great stress reliever. "I stick it out because I want Sophia to know that I will do this her. Mother and daughter will be a formidable pairing once we both get our black belts," she laughed.
Ana's husband and fellow classmate Andre simply uttered, "I joined because it makes Sophia happy and makes Ana happy. Happy Wife Happy Life. They are my everything."
Master Chino believed that the improvement of students starting out and seeing their parents working out with them becomes an inspiration to the kids. There is room in TKD for all ages. After a little over a year of attending, his adult students are true testaments that it is never too late to become a black belt, and he will for sure keep holding their hands until they attain it.
2017 US Open in Las Vegas, Nevada came and went as the last of the Generation TKD competition team member fought to make sure team GT did not come home medal-less. Russell Sambrano didn't win the coveted gold medal, but rather took home a much deserved silver in his cadet 65kg division. Along with his medal, the biggest price he came home with was Master Chino's utmost respect. At the end of Russell's match, Master Chino said with a sigh of relief, "Maaannn... what a PHENOMENAL performance from him today. He's been consistently in the top 3 nationally for 2 years regardless of the age and belt." He was completely smitten by Russell's mental and professional strength. He cannot help but beam to his other students that this is a fellow team member who they should fashion in their own way.
5 out of the 6 team members who attended with Russell, the 2017 US Open was their first fray into international competition. 3 of them to be exact attended the tournament as recent junior black belts. Master Chino remarked, "I do not differentiate between my black belts. I expect all of them to put their best foot forward on any of the nationally or internationally USAT sanctioned games." He only hoped for Angeleen, Troy, Angelo, Angel and Sydney to use the experience as a learning vessel. Colored belt division paled in comparison to what the black belt division events brought because the seriousness of the event was palpable in everyone's faces.
Sparring amongst the world's best was not a small feat. Angelo and Troy exited the tourney after losing their second match. Master Chino added, "I want both those boys to learn why they lost, and for them to use that to keep the hunger alive. They need to taste the defeat before they can fully embrace the wins." Angeleen, Sydney and Angel succumbed early in their first match losses. "From here on," Master Chino said, "the next steps for them is to be agile and fight like tacticians. Winning the first match is key for the kids because it is that first win that will boost their confidence."
Generation TKD debuted their poomsae program with Sydney competing in World Class poomsae. Her competitors were truly crisp, precise and seasoned. She fielded against 21 black belt competitors, and placed 5th just missing the last medal spot by 0.15. Master Chino's head coach for poomsae Coach Moon said, "To come out 5th is not bad for a 2 week old junior black belt rookie in world class bunch. We at least know now what we are up against, and will just have to work little by little to learn the scoring game."
Overall, the international tournament lived up to all its hype. It brought the world's best of the best. Every training drill or bouts, Master Chino's hope is for his kids to bring that into any tourney ring. He needs for them to know how to relax and treat such tourneys like it's just another training day. Once the kids learn that zen feeling, only then they can strategically learn their opponents.
Vegas Baby! US Open Starts Today!
Vegas Baby! The 2017 US Open is going to be at sunny and dry Las Vegas, Nevada. Master Chino and 6 of his competition team members will be traveling to compete at the coveted international tournament, attended by only black belts from around the world. His kids have been training hard for the even for over 2 months. In addition to their regular practices and scrimmages, he organized some cross training with TAEMA, Manila Taekwondo and M-Team.
The kids understand the gravity of the US Open because only black belts are allowed to compete. The glory days of local tournaments and colored belt completions will be a thing of the past for these competitors. Master Chino stressed, "The degree of complexity and competitiveness in black belt divisions such as the US Open is where real stuff happens. This is what I have been training these kids for." He concluded, "Expecting to win all the tournaments as a black belt is unrealistic. I've told the kids that hard work doesn't always translate to a win because they will be fighting or going against another kid who is either equally as equipped as they are or hungrier."
Russell Sambrano, Angel Garcia, Sydney Moon, Angelo Baraceros, Angeline Rosario and Troy Asia will be sparring on Tuesday and Wednesday. Only Sydney Moon will be competing in World Class Forms (poomsae) on Tuesday. To Master Chino, the stakes are high but he would rather know the kids will leave with the experience on what to do next time. He doesn't like to give them false hopes that just because they did amazing as colored belts that they will come out with golds as a black belt. He reiterated and stressed, "The continuity of hardworking and determination is what will be the eventual factor for these kids to be successful. I'd like to wish all our athletes good luck. And remember, the ultimate goal to learn from this experience. Live in the moment and appreciate this opportunity."
Another first of the season for Generation TKD, UC Davis Rumble and TET Festival Tournament in San Jose. Master Chino's school has grown so much this past year, that he was able to command and conquer his competition team into two fronts.
Master Chino sent Coaches Janelle Abcede and Bryson Barbadillo to lead his colored belts and black belts (not competing for the US Open) to the local tournament TET Festival. GT frequents the event yearly, and does very well in sparring. As of recently as only last year, Master Chino opened his team into competing in forms. 4 of them signed up for double duty, and Nico Abcede won his way to his first gold in forms as a green belt. "Perseverance and focus is what Master Chino wants us to instill in these kids. In time, their confidence will just shine brighter which will cut our work down to half," Coach Abcede reflected.
Heading 2 hours north to UC Davis, Master Chino along with his black belts attended a rumble/scrimmage. He brought the kids who are competing in Las Vegas in less than 3 weeks at the US Open. His goal was for them to get additional matches which will help them get ready for such an international stage. Such an extra practice "will only add to their repertoire and quick strategy thinking," he quipped. The rumbles at Davis were one round 1 1/2 minute matches. The kids pick and choose who they want to fight, and they can garner upwards as much as 15 matches packed into the 4 hours of the event. It's not for the faint of heart because for the black belts head shots can mean a black eye, as you can see with Jasmine Garcia who took a nice round house to the left eye. That's gotta hurt, but Master Chino said, "that is olympic style taekwondo. There will be bumps and bruises, scars and cuts but at the end of the day, if you learned something then it is all worth it."
The weekend's events were a sign of the times for the next 6 months. The road to the US National Championship begins now, and Master Chino's job is to make sure he will be there every step of the way.


text:
Don't Make It About the Oil
October 29, 2019 Paul Pillar 16 Comments
Donald Trump (Gage Skidmore via Flickr)
By Paul R. Pillar
Confusion has prevailed regarding the purposes of the U.S. troop presence in Syria, and whether the declared purposes are the actual ones. Originally the expedition was widely understood to be all about combating the Islamic State (ISIS) after the group had established a mini-state on a large portion of Syrian and Iraqi territory. Then hawks within the Trump administration and President Trump himself, in a classic case of mission creep, declared that the U.S. troops were also in Syria to "watch Iran." Later variations of the creeped-up mission included not only watching Iran but also, through some unexplained mechanism, getting Iran and maybe Russia to abandon their positions in Syria.
More recently, Trump has been under much pressure from various parts of the political spectrum to keep the U.S. military in Syria, in contradiction with his earlier stated intention to exit and his orders to redeploy troops that had been in the Kurdish-inhabited northeastern part of the country. Political pressures and contradictory tendencies are a prescription for even less clarity than before about what the troops' mission is or ought to be. Trump, who is trying to milk as much political advantage as possible from the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and proclaimed that because of al-Baghdadi's death "the world is now a much safer place," is resisting the idea that the original mission of combating ISIS in Syria is still necessary, at least in the general and open-ended way in which that mission was first framed. So now the declared mission has evolved yet again, with a new rationale that had emerged even before al-Baghdadi's removal. Some U.S. troops are staying in eastern Syria, according to this rationale, to secure Syria's modest oil resources.
There is still an ISIS dimension to this rationale, in that the group, while it had its mini-state, gained some revenue from exploitation of oil fields under its control. But to do that it needed the mini-state. Any scenario in which ISIS once again exploits, rather than just damages, Syrian oil fields presupposes re-establishment of its territorial caliphate, which means the world would once again be facing a bigger and more general anti-ISIS task. In its current status as an insurgent movement and terrorist group rather than a mini-state, ISIS is in no position to exploit the oil, except perhaps in an extremely small way, in the manner of Nigerian banditry, by surreptitiously tapping into a pipeline.
This leaves open the question of what the Trump administration intends to do with the oil that it has "secured" through military occupation. That in turn raises disturbing questions of whether the United States is engaging, contrary to international law, in wartime pillaging of Syria's oil.
But there is another disturbing implication that deserves attention especially because of how big a deal Trump is attempting to make of the blows against ISIS and how they supposedly have made the world "much safer." From a counterterrorist perspective, taking possession of oil resources is one of the worst possible rationales for justifying a U.S. military presence in a foreign country. And in his Sunday morning performance, Trump couched the subject in one of the worst possible ways.
A prominent and longstanding theme in the ideology and propaganda of terrorist groups rooted in the Arab Muslim world—including al-Qaeda and ISIS—is that the United States and the West are out to plunder the resources of Muslims. Such groups violently oppose U.S. troops in Muslim countries partly because they are seen as furthering the plundering mission. Osama bin Laden repeatedly returned to this theme. In a 2004 audio recording, for example, bin Laden stated that "the biggest reason for our enemies' control over our lands is to steal our oil." Bin Laden's successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a 2005 video called on his followers to "focus their attacks on the stolen oil of the Muslims…This is the greatest theft in the history of humanity. The enemies of Islam are consuming this vital resource with unparalleled greed." The terrorists' focus on oil has raised concerns about terrorist attacks on oil facilities, but the idea of stealing resources that rightfully belong to Muslims has motivated attacks on the United States wherever such attacks can be staged.
Trump's Sunday appearance before the press played right into this theme. Referring back to the Iraq War, Trump described as his own view at the time that if the United States was going into Iraq, it should "keep the oil." As for Syria's oil, he said it can help the Kurds but "it can help us because we should be able to take some also. And what I intend to do, perhaps, is make a deal with an Exxon Mobil or one of our great companies to go in there and do it properly." A propagandist for ISIS or al-Qaeda would hardly have written the script differently.
Even if there were any ISIS fighters who turn away from their cause in response to Trump's probably embellished account of a "screaming, crying, whimpering" al-Baghdadi, there surely are many more who are energized by the evidence confirming what their leaders have always told them about U.S. plundering of Muslim resources. Trump's priority, however, was not in speaking to them but instead, as always, to his domestic political base.
Syria ISIS, Paul Pillar, Syria, terrorism, Trump
Paul R. Pillar is Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Studies of Georgetown University and an Associate Fellow of the Geneva Center for Security Policy. He retired in 2005 from a 28-year career in the U.S. intelligence community. His senior positions included National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, Deputy Chief of the DCI Counterterrorist Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence. He is a Vietnam War veteran and a retired officer in the U.S. Army Reserve. Dr. Pillar's degrees are from Dartmouth College, Oxford University, and Princeton University. His books include Negotiating Peace (1983), Terrorism and U.S. Foreign Policy (2001), Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy (2011), and Why America Misunderstands the World (2016).
Previous Article← Without Regional Stability, The Resurgence Of The Islamic State Or Emergence of New Terror Groups Is Inevitable
Next ArticleChanging Israel's Behavior Will Require Much More Than Tinkering With Aid And Loan Guarantees →
SHOW 16 COMMENTS
spike53
How can you talk about American presence in the Middle East without mentioning our foreign policy for the region? Who directs it, what is the ultimate goal and what does it entail in American military resources and potential threats to those forces? We don't make a move in that part of the world without the approval of AIPAC/Israel. That is our policy. To allow a client state of 8 million people tell us how to behave amongst hundreds of millions of mostly Arab but also Central Asian Muslims is not only stupid, it is against our military and economic interests. We can support Israel without alienating these hundreds of millions of innocent people who just want to be left alone. We don't because we answer to Jerusalem which is possible because of American domestic politics which have been dominated by agents of these 8 million jews who live in Israel. Again, I support Israel but I do not place their desires above the other people that live in that part of the world. And I don't place their interests above American interests, which are different from Israel's. We have world wide responsibilities which don't always allow us to ignore the billions of people we share the planet with. Israel needs to get that message and Americans have to give up their anti-Arab views which have been created and nurtured by our allegedly "free" press. We just have to return to our roots which was to avoid foreign entanglements and their wars. We can support Israel without going to war with the Arab world. We just have to have the courage to say no to our special interests. Building a policy that blindly supports 8 million and dehumanizes hundreds of millions is not only stupid it should be criminal. It puts millions of Americans at risk for the benefit of others who are not Americans, just our friends. We should put our interests ahead of our friends. As they say, it isn't rocket science.
Ali Mostofi
China, is the elephant in the room, as they have made huge contracts with the Kurds, to develop their oil, now that they have been told to abandon Ayatollah deals, if they don't want to get seriously sanctioned by US. It appears that US wants to not give all the oil. But the Chinese want to develop their Silk Road initiative and challenge US government in the area. So the real problem is China's energy needs not US. And of course for China read US and EU multinationals in China. So it is all a little more subtle than it is depicted here.
vidbeldavs
U.S. Congressional leadership should censure Trump for his comments about protecting or taking the oil. That is not U.S. policy.
Under Obama U.S. military action in Syria was dedicated to the defeat of ISIS. The U.S. military continued this program after the election of Trump. Rules of engagement for U.S. forces were to avoid attacks on Syrian military. There was at least one accidental hit on Syrian military units in an area vacated by ISIS shortly before.
John Bolton wanted to build up U.S. military in Syria to counter Iran. Mattis opposed that. Trump when he made to first call to withdraw U.S. forces made the statement "I don't care what Iran does in Syria."
Trump is so confused that he is becoming major liability to the U.S.
I must admit that this latest of Trump's ejaculations has really helped the Axis of Resistance.
James Larrimore
Paul Pillar rightly condemns Trump's talk about taking Syrian oil. Vidbeldavs comments "Trump is so confused that he is becoming major liability to the U.S." But isn't it clear that faking a new objective of "keep ISIS from getting money to support terrorism from Syrian oil" was just the best the 'stay-in-Syria' cabal could come up with to reverse Trump's evacuation decision?
More interesting was VP Pence's explanation on the KPBS Newshour last night about US military in Syria: Trump only ordered that policing of the Syria-Turkey border should stop; US troops will remain elsewhere in Syria to complete the initial and continuing objective of completely defeating ISIS; and don't worry because US Special Forces are located where they need to be and he could not say anything about how many and where those Special Forces are in Syria. So much for Trump's bragging about 'bringing the boys home' from Syria.
Impeachment and Damage to U.S. Foreign Policy
After Al-Baghdadi's Death, Media Failed to Ask Where 'War on Terror' Is Going
Impeachment and Its Lessons About Patriotism


text:
module Locomotive
  module MembershipsHelper

    def options_for_membership_roles(membership)
      current_role = membership.role

      [].tap do |options|
        Locomotive::Membership::ROLES.each do |role|
          membership.role = role
          if policy(membership).change_role?
            options << [t("locomotive.memberships.roles.#{role}"), role.to_s]
          end
        end
        membership.role = current_role
      end
    end

  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Stan Hema, Branding Agency – Berlin
kontakt@stanhema.com Facebook Instagram Twitter DeutschDe
Sawade Berlin
Staatstheater Hannover
Selux 2019
Turbine Kreuzberg
Art 4 All
bauhaus now
Modulor
Radically reduced – but heated, loud and expressive: the new appearance for the Staatstheater Hannover is less statesmanlike than theatrical in the best sense of the word. We stage the four-genre establishment (theatre, opera, ballet, concert) as a disruptive factor, as a source of inspiration. The aim was to find a unified identity, to strengthen the sense of community within the establishment and to keep the genres as independent as possible. In order to not just formulate a manifest claim of impact but also to communicate this to the outside world.
Driving force in society
Key message for the umbrella brand strategy and the overall image: the state theatre is a driving force in society. The brand architecture was preserved. The jagged, feisty X as the visual core element clings to the entire communication and is charged with content. This logo, which looks like lightning strikes converging in the middle, symbolises the bundled power of the four-genre establishment. It can also be interpreted as a backbone. It moves responsively along the central axis as if along the spine, the sizes and layout of the word mark and design mark shift proportionally, infinitely scalable for different media, even in digital space. The impression: the opposite of static. The logo acts as a vehicle of meaning, as a movable, yet stable, structuring backbone of the state theatre cultural institution – and of society.
The collaboration
The focus was on strength and clarity, on expansion, within the process too. We developed the corporate design and a design system for the in-house graphics team. We enable the independent use and continuation of the design with our training sessions (also by the external digital service provider). The foundations were laid taking a participatory approach. Our season programmes for the theatre and opera genres (the theatre's most comprehensive print publications) serve as templates for the monthly programmes, image campaign and seasonal communication.
We were very pleased to pursue our clients' requests to invite the photographers Sven Marquardt and Kerstin Schomburg to participate. Marquardt photographed the ensemble (opera and ballet) in Hanover and concentrated on staging the personalities; Schomburg met with the actresses at their homes and favourite places there. It was actually a matter of making a statement using design. We see it as a courageous, consistent step in our client's brand development that aspects such as "beastly", "ugly", "cool" also found their place not just in the discussion but were thought about as provoking and polarising too. We provided our client with intensive advice and support. This was challenging, but also extremely target-focused – and efficient.
The fact that the work process itself was our design department's responsibility means that the design results are exceptionally good and perfectly coherent for everyone: creating a corporate design in the best sense of the word. The Staatstheater Hannover found an appearance that embodies what strategically and artistically points to the future.
Mathias Schulz
"I am proud that we have succeeded in giving so much strength to a dynamic image. That it's so electrifying. Loud, expressive, alive."
Mathias Illgen
Project Management, partner
"We succeeded in bringing the multi-genre establishment's artistic management team together for the first time (from Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover, Karlsruhe and Basel). As a result, we were able to work together on the strategy and verify what the establishment stands for, with the artistic visions and the great commitment of all involved: to be a driving force in society."
The fine-tuning and finale were incredibly exciting. Our team fought for the favourite, our client struggled with it, we also reached extreme points during our collaboration. We were all concerned with teasing out the establishment's (new) orientation, interpreting it in a coherent way and making it visually perceptible.
The result: an unmistakable cultural brand. An establishment with cult potential. And extremely practical in terms of implementing and using the new image. Our cross-media modular system gives the Staatstheater Hannover at least ten years of communicative and creative leeway: the four genres can act independently, redesign and combine their artistic scope. New interdisciplinary formats, festivals, etc. reflect the establishment's flexibility and staging freedom in terms of content. This is likely to spread throughout the urban space and perhaps even have an impact beyond the city and state borders.
Conclusion: The development of a new image here led one-to-one to reflecting on and further developing the self-image.
The Staatstheater Hannover is marketing itself and distinguishing itself on the theatre scene; with its strong visuals, it is positioning itself more powerfully than ever on the cultural scene – and, completely new, on the design scene. A highly pleasing "side effect" with appeal to new target groups.
Please feel free to contact us:
Managing director, partner
m.illgen@stanhema.com
Exhibition communication
To ensure optimised user experience, our website uses cookies. If you continue using this website, you give your consent to the use of cookies. More information can be found in our Privacy Policy.


"We estimate a 75% reduction in time-to-deploy when compared with our initial HEAT Software implementation, and the reduction of a combined FTE position with system support in the hosted environment and ease of reporting."
Leveraging the cloud to host our environment, along with Giva's technical support, will allow us to repurpose our resources and funding for other strategic purposes.
It is nice to know that Giva has the added security of HIPAA compliance in the cloud and that they have a strong focus on hospitals and healthcare so we get the benefit of that additional security at no extra cost.
Giva: Why did San Jacinto Community College replace HEAT Software (formally FrontRange Solutions HEAT) with the HIPAA compliant ITIL Giva Service Management Suite?
Suzanne DeBlanc: It is crucial that we have the ability to service all of the IT needs of the college using a tool that will help us achieve our goals. We have been using FrontRange's HEAT Software product for several years and needed to upgrade our system. We took this opportunity to review other vendors who could provide us with a cloud based help desk ticketing system that leverages the ITIL/ITSM Service Desk framework. Naturally, we discovered there is a plethora of IT Service Desk solutions available. Our needs were typical for a public higher education environment. Protection of our data in accordance with FERPA was high on the list of priorities, along with great customer service and ease of use. We are working on leveraging the ITIL / ITSM framework for IT support standards and needed to capture information that would meet our Service Level Agreements (SLAs) so we would provide timely resolution for our students and colleagues.
During our review and selection phase, we discovered many help desk ticketing systems that met several of our goals. We began to hone in on those tools that were cost-effective for the college, very secure, scalable and modular, easy to deploy, provided efficient and friendly customer service and easy vendor collaboration.
We also reviewed the Gartner Magic Quadrant™. We were surprised that the Giva Service Management Suite was not listed on this document given that the product is more feature rich and flexible than some included in the list. Giva's HIPAA compliance also intrigued us as there are so many data breaches we read about every day. As an educational institution, we have to be in compliance with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations governing the handling of student information and privacy. It is nice to know that Giva has the added security of HIPAA compliance in the cloud and that they have a strong focus on hospitals and healthcare so we get the benefit of that additional security at no extra cost.
One of the things we really like about Giva's help desk software is that it is very modular and we can start with one module and roll out others as we have the time. With some other products, modules cannot be deployed incrementally and, as a result, require much more time, effort and money to get started. We are deploying the incident and problem management modules in the first phase of our implementation. We are already exploring the ITIL change management software and the CMDB modules so we can properly capture and approve change requests in a better manner than sending spreadsheets around to the team.
Giva's help desk ticketing system is very flexible and there are a lot of options to achieve different workflows and notifications. Giva was very willing to listen to our short and long term objectives and what we were trying to achieve. Giva is open to working with us in a collaborative manner to make sure all of our requirements are met eventually in future releases.
We love the look and feel of Giva. Our evaluation team was comprised of several IT teams including Tier 1 help desk support, Tier 1 campus support, Tier 2 desktop support and IT management. Quite frankly, the opinion of the Tier 1/Tier 2 teams carried the most weight in our decision because these folks would be utilizing this application more regularly than any other team in IT.
As a service organization, we are keenly interested in measuring our Service Level Agreement (SLA) response to all of our requests. We have configured and customized Giva with our detailed SLA model and escalation matrix to inform our support teams if SLAs are not met in a timely manner.
The reason Giva can offer customers to be part of future product feature planning is because we use a process called Agile software development and we are very unique in that area. Giva pushes out a new release every three weeks. We code for two weeks, QA for a week and then go live with the release. Why is Giva's Agile software development process important to you?
Our development team is becoming more agile with project requests and we are so pleased that Giva follows that same model. Agile development methodology is an iterative process that allows you to offer continuous improvement to the product and release smaller updates to meet the needs of the college. Any single release is not going to shake the world, but it's going to enhance what you already have. As Giva continues to release enhancements every 3 weeks, it really starts to add up and is a big benefit for us. This means that we can have enhancements delivered to our users more quickly.
The other vendors we vetted were not developing their product improvements as quickly. I am very impressed with how Giva uses the Agile software development process. Also, with FrontRange HEAT Software, new releases could take a long time to implement and needed a lot of testing. Sometimes our production environment would suffer configuration issues as backward compatibility of new HEAT Software releases with the old versions was not always successfully delivered.
Would you say that is it was easy to get up and running on Giva in terms of configuration, customization and integrations? How much time and effort did it require?
There are many configuration and customization options in Giva and it's built on a solid ITIL framework, which is helpful as we implement ITIL within IT at the college. The very nice thing about Giva is that since we are budget constrained for professional services, our team at San Jacinto Community College can do all the work. We generally do not need Giva assistance, but it is nice to know that Giva is there to help us, if necessary. The documentation is excellent and augments the intuitive interface that Giva provides.
Giva allows us to reconfigure settings quickly, should we find that necessary, and allows us to use an iterative approach while working within the administration section. A separate testing cloud service desk was easy to create and allows us the ability to configure and test in a "sandbox" before moving to production.
We partnered with Giva to get the San Jacinto Community College Active Directory quickly integrated so all of our moves, adds and changes are automatically synced routinely without any effort. Our Network team worked with Giva and its LDAP Synchronization Tool to integrate it with our Active Directory environment without any coding or scripting. The Giva LDAP Synchronization Tool is very unique and extremely helpful since no coding is required and it just has to be configured by our Network team and it is ready to go. Of course, there are required mappings of our Active Directory fields and some other configuration, but we got this completed by our Network folks without us having to write a single line of code. That was amazing!
Giva is super flexible and allows us to replicate and improve on the customizations that we had in HEAT Software. The Giva Administration interface is very easy to use. It lays out the different fields in a very intuitive manner. We were able to add our information without having to first rely on Giva professional services. It is comforting, though, to have those optional services available to us should the need arise. We also believe that Giva's easy to use help desk ticketing system will help us significantly reduce our administration/maintenance overhead cost to maintain as compared with FrontRange HEAT Software.
Of course, I would not say that Giva Service Management Suite is totally plug-and-play, but the software's flexibility allowed for numerous configuration and customization options. We will be able to tailor the software to utilize workflows to help with ticket request routing. The configuration ability allowed us to deploy our environment in a lot less time as compared to the HEAT Software solution.
How would you compare Giva reporting to reporting available in HEAT Software as well as others vendors that you looked at from the Gartner Magic Quadrant™?
Giva provides robust reporting that offers a lot of options. There are numerous standard report templates available, but Giva also allows for customization so we can report on exactly what we are looking for. We can store shared reports as well. It is great to have such a flexible tool that allows us to view our data according to the area of responsibility we need information about. These reports are easy to build and save, download to PDF or CSV, email them or schedule to run automatically. If we need additional options to analyze our data, we can download all of it, at any time, and format it even further.
How is the speed and responsiveness of the Giva help desk ticketing system?
Giva is very fast and responsive and that was a very important part of our vetting process. Any cloud help desk application must always be available to us as our Tier 1 help analysts need to rapidly open tickets and perform updates as well. The Giva page refresh speed, which is a good measure of responsiveness, works quickly as well. The workflow functions such as opening a service request and searching knowledge is actually faster with Giva's cloud help desk application than it was with our on-premise HEAT Software installation.
While we are on the topic of "responsiveness", as a company, Giva has been very responsive in working with San Jacinto Community College on the implementation and very proactive in answering all of our questions.
The Giva technical support folks have been attentive and quick to respond. For example, I sent in an update on someone's address and Giva had a confirmation back to us within no time. Another member of our staff put in a request for information and she received a response right away.
What other help desk ticketing systems have you vetted and compared to Giva?
We reviewed TeamDynamix® ITSM, ManageEngine® ServiceDesk Plus™, iSupport® Help Desk Solutions™, Wendia® IT Service Management™, EasyVista® IT Service Manager™, BMC® FootPrints™, Cherwell® Service Management Software™, and SalesForce.com® & BMC® RemedyForce™. We also looked at the newest version of HEAT Software. We felt Giva stood out from the pack and provided us the features and flexibility to configure and deploy easily.
As a team, we worked together to demo and actually use several help desk ticketing systems during a trial period and then reviewed notes between teams. We knew we did not want to lose any capabilities and we wanted to enhance our experience. Giva provided that for us easily and effectively. Leveraging the cloud to host our environment, along with Giva's technical support, will allow us to repurpose our resources and funding for other strategic purposes. We also estimate a 75% reduction in time-to-deploy when compared with our initial HEAT Software implementation. Another support improvement is the reduction of a combined FTE position with system support in the hosted environment and ease of reporting that Giva brings us.


I've always wanted to utilize this section but I couldn't come up with any idea so.. what a coincidence I noticed that today (May 7th) is someone's birthday!!
Use this thread to wish a happy birthday to ORFM members!!
Yes, I'm 18, and can now legally use paypal to purchase stuffs online. FREEDOM!!!! Today is a good day.
But tell me, will this thread be wishing OR members Happy Birthday as well, because we all know who's brithday's tomorrow.
Umm.. At first, I thought it'd be better to separately use this thread from wishing OR members a happy birthday. xP I mean, you can wish them at any OR-related thread. ^^ Because I made this thread at the OFF-TOPIC section so.. it should have nothing to do with OR~ Hehe..
But that doesn't mean you can't wish them here because this is an ORANGE RANGE forum after all~ Hmm...so.. HAPPY 25th BIRTHDAY TO OUR LEADER-SAMA, NAOTO!!!!!
Happy belated birthday DreadFox. Happy legal doing stuff .
Happy Belated Birthday to DreadFox!!!
Happ Birthday tinatit!!! I hope your special day was fun and exciting!!
Hooray! Wish you all the happiness in this world!
do you knoe that in OR's new album there will be a birthday song?? can't wait to hear that!!!
Aha! Yes! Happy Birthday HolyPwnU!! Yeah! Yeah! Wow! Wow! Nice name, by the way!
This is the perfct time for birthdays, huh? What with the last track on Panic Fancy being so suitable.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHINREI!!!! Have a lot of fun and don't get in too much trouble!
Oh my GOD!!! thank you!!! thank you!!! i looooooovvvveeee it!!!!
it seems Hiroki himself greets me a happy birthday!!!
thank you for the greeting!!! wish me luck this year!!!
Am I too late to say Happy Birthday to shinrei?
I do wish you mountains of good luck and oceans of OR fantastic-ness!!!
i love you all, my comrades!!!!
Hiroki was so kind to wish you a happy birthday shinrei~!!
Belated Happy Birthday from me!!!!
LOL, thx a lot to Rakuyou321 for the nice Hiroki's pic!!
^It's your birthday afterallXD you should receive something special!
oooh Happy belated birthday to you Shinrei!
and i've just replied your greeting today, on HIROKI's birthday!!!


Keep your eyes on the sky, have your flashlight at the ready, and watch out for that deadly black oil, because Heather Wixson and special guest Alyse Wax celebrate the 20th anniversary of The X-Files movie (aka Fight the Future) and discuss the 2008 sequel and TV series on a special new episode of Daily Dead's podcast!
The Corpse Club wants to believe on a new episode of Daily Dead's podcast. Listen as co-host Heather Wixson and special guest Alyse Wax (TV/film journalist and author of Curious Goods: Behind the Scenes of Friday the 13th: The Series) brave the black oil to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The X-Files movie, also known as Fight the Future. The duo also discuss the 2008 sequel The X-Files: I Want to Believe, how they originally got into The X-Files in the '90s, and some of their favorite episodes from The X-Files TV series, shining a light on the show's creepy creatures, unsettling conspiracies, and some of the most memorable moments between FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson). Whether you still believe or you're a skeptic, there's plenty to enjoy on this episode of Daily Dead's podcast!


A stunning but discreet redevelopment behind a retained façade opposite Claridge's Hotel in Mayfair.
The property is in the heart of London clubland, an area steeped in tradition and legend.
So the brochure and website explored not only the development itself but also little known nuggets mined from anecdotes about its immediate surroundings.
Such as the fact that Brook Street takes its name from Tyburn Brook, one of London's five hidden rivers. It is, however, not entirely concealed. In Gray's Antique Market, a minute from 63 Brook Street, close to Bond Street station, its clean-running water can be seen in the basement, where it is home to resident goldfish.
Or, a few doors away at 69 Brook Street is the Portland Club and the Savile Club. The former is responsible for setting the rules for Bridge around the world. The latter's prestigious alumni include some of English literature's finest names, from Thomas Hardy and H.G.Wells, to Rudyard Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson.


This app is for teachers and curriculum designers, not students (necessarily). I have this app at my fingertips as I plan the shift to the new standards.
I think this app is well done and clearly lays out the standards. I would recommend any science teacher in a next gen state to use the app.


Please join us on Saturday April 14th at 6pm as we capture the Olympic Sculpture Park with photographer Bret Curry!
We will be meeting at the fountain located at 2801 Alaskan Way in downtown Seattle where Broad Street and Alaskan Way meet. This is free, all ages event. Please bring your cameras and tripods, see you there! This event is complimentary and for all ages.
Please join us on April 14th at 1pm at Leica Store Bellevue as Bret Curry talks about his new show "THE CALM AT THE EDGE". Shot exclusively on the Leica Q, this new series showcases the world through the eyes of a cinematographer, blending portraits and landscape photographs alike. This event is complimentary and for all ages.
This session will help ensure that you are making the most of the capabilities of the M10. The Leica Akademie instructor will lead you through understanding the menu system, recommended settings and step by step tips to help you increase the accuracy of your metering and speed of focus.
The workshop is arranged with a flexible schedule, so the group can organically discuss and share feedback, based on their unique areas of interest or desired areas of improvement. Having personal access to a seasoned Leica Akademie instructor will give you an unparalleled opportunity to ask tough questions and receive practical attention.
Please join us at Leica Store Bellevue on May 8th at 7:30pm as Brandon Andre will demonstrate techniques to create incredible macro photography! This CC&C event will be the perfect introduction for those who plan on attending the macro photography photowalk at the Bellevue Botanical Gardens on May 11th which will start at 8:30am. This event is complimentary and for all ages.
Please join us at the Bellevue Botanical Garden (12001 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98005) on May 11th at 8:30am to shoot macro photography in the morning light! Leica cameras and lenses will be available for loan during this event, and will be distributed on a first come first serve basis. This event is complimentary and for all ages.


On a dark wet evening on Saturday 19th of November, in Saint Columba's College, there really was no better place to be than sitting in the buzzing Big Schoolroom listening to the classic tunes of the 70's and dancing in our seats whilst we all anticipated this year's Senior Play, The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare.
If we didn't think the blaring 70s beats were good enough, suddenly we were graced with the presence of the one and only keyboard extraordinaire Lingfan Gao, looking as some would say "Elton John-esque" in what really was the sparkliest jacket of gold and silver sequins that I have ever seen. When the lights dimmed and the sweet and sombre sound of Lingfan's keyboard began to play the mellifluous tones of Catie McGonagle's voiceover introduced the story.
The story itself is a complex one and I thought that Patrick Tice who played Egeon did an excellent job of trying to explain the utterly chaotic plot in the first scene of the play. He informed the ruler of Ephesus (Kezia Wright) of how he and his wife had a pair of twin babies both called Antipholus who were separated on a sea journey in a storm. In the storm Egeon is separated from his wife and one of his sons. If that wasn't confusing enough, on the exact same day another set of twins had been born to a local poor woman who Egeon bought to grow up as servants of his twins. These servant twins were both called Dromio. So the story begins with Antipholus of Syracuse (Zach Stephenson) and his loyal servant Dromio (William Maire) setting off to find their long-lost brother.
Now, a Shakespearean comedy really just wouldn't be a comedy if it didn't have a crazy over-dramatic and completely confused woman in it and this was Adriana who was played fantastically by Opeline Kellett. She, along with her sister Luciana (Bella Purcell) are baffled by the peculiar actions of her husband Antipholous (Robin Fitzpatrick) and their slave Dromio (Hamish Law). But the most confused characters of all were definitely the Antipholus twins (Robin and Zach) and the Dromio twins (Hamish and William). These four have to be commended on what really were flawless performances on their parts.
Not only was the acting of an incredibly high standard this year but so were the stage production and costumes. With the use of some new modern technology, a beautiful tower clock, very colourful garments (organised by Ms. Hennessey) and great music, the comedy sense of the play had without doubt been fulfilled in a most professional manner. And with some hilarious acting from the local police officer (Konstantin Behr) the local courtesan (Rachel Rogers) and many more, I never ceased to stop giggling throughout the performance. All of this of course was due to the 19 performers who put months of hard work and effort into preparing their roles under the direction and guidance of Mr. Girdham and Mr. Swift, who have yet again left us with another exceptional drama production, and for this they must all be congratulated.


Looking to get a new windshield for my 2012 c63. Trying to find a shop that is experienced with installs and has a reasonable price. Any help is appreciated.
Quick Reply: Windshield replacement in SF Bay area/peninsula-Recommendations?