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And He said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest. –Exodus 33:14

Image courtesy of soulfood101blog.wordpress.com

And I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but My face shall not be seen. –Exodus 33:23

I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee. –Psalms 41:4

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God. –Psalms 42:11

As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in My love.–John 15:9

Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? –John 16:31

Author: Margaret from soulfood101blog

Praying the world will read God's Word for themselves, and not rely on what someone else tells them His Word says or means.

16 thoughts on “10/30/2017”

  1. Amen-Amein Sister in Christ Jesus-Yeshua Margaret!! I love those Holy Bible Verses above!! 💕💙

    Our ONE True GOD’S LOVE 💙💕💙 is ETERNAL THROUGH HIS SON Jesus-Yeshua Christ for Today and Everyday Forevermore!!

    I Love you all Everyone through Jesus-Yeshua, because HE LOVED 💙💕 EVERYONE FIRST!!

    Love 💕 Always and Shalom ( Peace ), YSIC \o/

    Kristi Ann

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I love it! I always feel when I read those verses that it is the same way today. We never see God until He has passed by us. If that makes sense. Like when He is handling things for us. I see Him more now but then there are times, when He has done all the heavy lifting, then I know, that was God. Again if that makes sense :):)

      Liked by 1 person

      1. We are both blessed to have each other. I thank Him. Honestly , it’s wonderful to have you with me , doesn’t matter if we can’t see one another but our bonding is strong.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. That is the key E, He is persistent. I don’t feel worthy now LOL but I at least now, I know He loves me no matter what, nothing can separate me from God’s love, not even angels. It doesn’t get any more comforting than that. God bless you E. I was thinking about you last night, and here is your beautiful self blessing me this morning :):) God bless you :):)

      Liked by 1 person

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Washed Denim Criss Cross High Pony Cap

BRAND NEW!  This High Ponytail CC Ball Cap is your newest favorite ball cap!  It features an ALL NEW HIGH PONY criss cross design allowing you to wear your pony at varying level with a trendy twist!

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Type: Cap

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Residential Real Estate Market Already Headed Over Fiscal Cliff

Roy Oppenheim’s commentary was originally published on Yahoo! Homes and is being republished on South Florida Law Blog with their permission.

Thelma and Louise Going Over The CliffThey say there is no rest for the weary, and that seems especially appropriate for our nation’s elected officials.

Election Day may be still be fresh in our rear-view mirror, but in case you have forgotten, the lame duck session of Congress begins Monday. And they will have little time to celebrate or lick their wounds, because the economy is under a very real threat.

The media has dubbed it the “Fiscal Cliff”. This cliff, which is a series of automatic tax increases and spending cuts set to be enacted on December 31st, could drive the economy back into a recession, according to a new Congressional Office Budget report.

Here’s the problem: for people like myself on the front lines of the real estate market, the fiscal cliff is not some imminent threat, it’s already here.

When it is all said and done, DC’s landscape is almost identical to what is was before Tuesday, and the very same problems that were ignored during the election are now staring us right back in the face.

Let’s be real, Thelma and Louise are inches away from driving over the Grand Canyon. That is where we are right now with the housing market. I am not trying to scare anyone, but for those of us on the front lines of the housing crisis, there are some troubling signs.

There have been many cautious signs of improvement in real estate over the last few months, and on paper the housing market is starting to stabilize.

But if you think we are out of the woods, then you have not been down in the trenches like I have. Some of the gains I have seen over the last year are already starting to evaporate.

Here in Florida I have seen an increase in the number of bankruptcy filings, but a decrease in the amount of homes being put up for sale.

Even though home prices are on the rise, inventory here in Florida remains tight. Amongst real estate professionals, there is still a tremendous amount of uncertainty.

Why? It all goes back to that pesky fiscal cliff. Both the President and the party leaders were knee deep in their campaigns over the last year, but all the while there were problems that need to be fixed.

And guess what? They are still there. Mortgage brokers, real estate agents, and of course buyers, none of them really knows what Congress is going to do about housing.

Here is the #1 threat to all the gains that the real estate market has made in the last year, and it is one of those looming tax increases that is part of the fiscal cliff.

It is the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007, which was one of George W. Bush’s parting gifts. It was passed during another lame duck session, and it is set to expire as the ball drops in Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

It applies to not when a homeowner performs a short sale, but any real estate transaction where there is loan forgiveness.

For example, if you performed a short sale on your $200,000 home for only 150K, you would not have to pay taxes on the $50,000 of forgiven debt.

Loan forgiveness was one of the factors that made short sales so appealing for my clients, and it is why my firm has completed more short sales than ever before.

The banks finally caught on to the benefits of short sales over foreclosures, so much so that they pre-foreclosure sales, which often include short sales, were at a three year high during the first quarter of 2012. In fact they outnumbered foreclosure sales in 12 states during that time.

But that trend has already started to reverse itself, with pre-foreclosure sales dropping 10 percent from the last quarter, and dropping 9 percent from the second quarter of 2011. Locally short sales accounted for 50 to 60 percent of the real estate market, but that has come to a crashing halt.

Even if the Mortgage Debt Relief is ultimately extended, there will be a noticeable effect on the real estate market based on everything I have seen in the last few weeks.

In March my phones were ringing off the hooks with nervous sellers seeking to complete a short sale before the end of this year. But now the calls have stopped coming.

The reality is that short sales have never been short to complete. In reality they take months, and with the pending uncertainty that remains, no one is willing to take the risk of starting the process now, and why would they?

It is an absolute no-brainer for Congress to extend the Debt Relief Act, yet some reports have its renewal odds at 60-40 in favor of an extension.

Not exactly overwhelming odds. If we are to believe any of the post-election talk from DC about ending the partisan bickering, here is a perfect opportunity for them to prove it by extending this important tax break.

The effects of Congress failing to do so will reach far beyond short sales, far beyond real estate. Constructions starts are just starting to rise. Builders are buying land again, and lumber companies are getting back into business. All of that could potentially be undone.

Lest we not forget real estate is the engine that drives our economy, and lately short sales have been driving the real estate market. So if they collapse, it is not unimaginable that the Gross National Product could lose an entire point.

So if there is any hope of stopping Thelma and Louise from taking the economy with them as they go over the fiscal cliff, Congress must renew the Debt Relief Act when they head back to work on Monday.

From Wall Street to Main Street, real estate attorney Roy Oppenheim is the co-founder of Oppenheim Law in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Weston Title.

Foreclosure Defense Attorney Roy Oppenheim

Tags: debt relief act, economy of the united states, estate market, foreclosure, housing market, land law, louise, mortgage debt relief, mortgage debt relief act, mortgage forgiveness debt relief act, Real Estate, real estate market, Real Estate Professionals, real property law, real threat, residential real estate market, short sale, subprime crisis impact timeline, subprime mortgage crisis, thelma

3 responses to “Residential Real Estate Market Already Headed Over Fiscal Cliff”

  1. […] The proposed legislation favors banks, retired judges, homeowners’ associations and title insurance companies, and disfavors homeowners and newspapers. While banks support the bills because they provide them with an expedited procedure of foreclosure, many of these procedures will effectively reduce the financial incentive for lenders to participate in short sales and negotiated settlements that are helping restabilize the Florida real estate economy. […]

  2. […] |Although the real estate market is beginning to make a comeback, the mess left behind from the economic recession will undoubtedly take much longer to clean […]


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When they moved Florida to be closer to their parents, the sisters combined their professional experiences & personal experience teaming together selling antiques as a hobby to start SFS out of a life-long love and respect for seniors in the community.

·       SFS founding principle "We Care for Your Loved One Like Family"  is the foundation of their successful business model; Includes matching the staff to the client & Owners laser focus on making each client & staff experience better.

·       Each Client's unique Care Plan tracks their condition and routine over time.

·       SFS offers a rewarding career and environment for their employees

·       Owners pay it forward in their personal and professional lives. Examples -  VACC Chair Senior Resource Committee; Christmas caroling at homes of their clients!

My Successes:

At the end of 2018, SFS has 28 part-time employees and has achieved their year end goals for sustainable, profitable business growth by doubling client service hours over prior year with strong client satisfaction. SFS is poised for expansion in 2019 and are transitioning the operating model to apply non-owner resources for some business functions and continue to add new services with help from SCORE.

How SCORE Helped:

Formed in 2014, SFS is a family owned & operated business providing exceptional in-home companion and homemaker services for seniors. Our business would not be the caliber it is today without the mentorship we receive from SCORE. SCORE mentor Pat Loftus “encourages us to think outside the box and keeps us accountable for the business goals we set in order to grow our business." The sisters have worked with SCORE since 2016, and plan to continue working with Loftus to set new goals, launch new services and apply non-owner resources for some business functions.

Sisters for Seniors


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Busted in Brevard, May 19-21, 2012

By  //  May 21, 2012

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See who’s been busted by Brevard County law enforcement agencies for a variety of crimes on the Space Coast of Florida.

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Mayor Capote Joins Obama For First ‘Maker Faire’

By  //  June 18, 2014

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ABOVE VIDEO: A preview of the Whitehouse Maker Faire, which will include Palm Bay Mayor William Capote

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Palm Bay Mayor William Capote is one of only 20 mayors across the nation invited to join the president on June 18th for the first-ever Maker Faire to be held at the White House.  Mayor Capote will also join a policy discussion with senior administration officials to discuss support for manufacturing communities on economic, infrastructure and community revitalization.

Mayor William Capote will meet with the president and key members of his cabinet this week for a policy discussion on key issues facing Palm Bay and many of America’s cities. (City of Palm Bay image)
Mayor William Capote will meet with the president and key members of his cabinet this week for a policy discussion on key issues facing Palm Bay and many of America’s cities. (City of Palm Bay image)

Mayor Capote will use this June 18th event to help boost advanced manufacturing, innovative technology, and the “Maker Movement” in Palm Bay, Florida.  The manufacturing sector is coming back in America and in communities like Palm Bay, Central Florida’s second-largest city it remains a source of good jobs and economic innovation.   Brevard County is ranked #2 for highest concentration of high-tech manufacturing jobs in the U.S. (Brookings Institute, 2012).  Brevard’s manufacturing gross domestic product is $3 billion, or more than 17 percent of the county’s overall GDP.

In 2013, I.O. Inc., a firearms manufacturing company, relocated to Palm Bay adding jobs and investing in real estate.  Currently, Palm Bay leaders are in negotiation with a high-tech dental laboratory that is working on expanding into the city with new jobs and a new facility.  Brevard County also has a “Made in Brevard” directory that assists businesses when trying to locate local manufacturers.  The program is administered by the EDC of Florida Space Coast in conjunction with Brevard County’s four primary Chambers of commerce and can be found on the web at

The commitment to growing manufacturing and the Maker Movement in Palm Bay has caught the attention of the current administration which is promoting manufacturing growth, the Maker Movement, and local community revitalization through policies and resources.  That is why the president is hosting the mayors, private sector leaders, educational and non-profit officials, and technology entrepreneurs at the first-ever White House Maker Faire.

William Capote
William Capote

“I am honored to be collaborating with the president’s senior policy officials as well as with mayors from around the country to support local manufacturing,” Mayor Capote said.  “Brevard County is a focal point for innovation in manufacturing and I am honored to represent our community in Washington, D.C.”

The day’s events will also include a policy discussion among the mayors with senior administration officials including Jeffrey Zients, Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy; John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Jay Williams, Assistant Secretary for Commerce for Economic Development; David Agnew, White House Director of Intergovernmental Relations; and Jason Miller, Senior Advisor to the President on Manufacturing.

The mayors that were invited to Wednesday’s event at the White House are part of a group of over 80 mayors nationwide who took part in the “Mayors Maker Challenge”, an effort to recruit innovative mayors to take new actions to boost the Maker Movement in their own communities. This Challenge is led by a national coalition of local officials called the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities (MAC), which seeks to boost national policies and resources to support manufacturing communities.

Image courtesy of
Image courtesy of

MAC has issued a new “Maker Mayors Action Report” that describes the efforts of mayors and local communities to use the Maker Movement to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in technology and advanced manufacturing, in the same way that the Internet and cloud computing lowered the barriers to entry for digital startups.

For more information on the White House Maker Faire and the National Day of Making, visit and follow #NationOfMakers on Twitter.

RELATED CONTENT: Palm Bay Mayor Capote to Meet President Obama

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portraits of volunteers, artists and performers involved with the cube microplex, bristol, uk. this is an ongoing archive of the people whose dedication, enthusiasm and hard work make the cube happen. many thanks to all the people who have kindly sat for photographs during the past year.

continue to the photographs -->

all content is protected and subject to copyright. photographs are available for use by contacting

if you use any images either in print or online please get in touch to say where they are used.


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Challenging Events, Exciting Rewards and More Await All Players

LOS ANGELES (April 7, 2020) – SQUARE ENIX® invites players around the world to celebrate the fourth anniversary of KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross], the hit mobile game with over 10 million downloadsFrom today until May 1, KINGDOM HEARTS fans can adventure across Disney worlds and celebrate the game’s anniversary with the following limited-time events and bonuses:

  • Anniversary Log-in Bonus – All players will receive 10,000 Jewels by simply logging-in during the campaign
  • 2 Million Jewels Giveaway – Keyblade wielders who have logged into the game since January 2018 will be eligible to win Jewels. A total of 2 million Jewels will be given away, with 50 winners to be announced each week throughout the campaign; a total of 200 winners will each receive 10,000 Jewels.
  • Hades Cup Event – The fan-favorite Hades Cup makes its return to the game, offering players a chance to earn rare rewards by completing challenging quests.
  • Fourth Anniversary Celebration Quests – By completing a variety of quests, players can earn special event Medals and their accompanying Trait Medals to upgrade them.

SN++ – TR Mickey

  • KINGDOM HEARTS III Quiz Event – Back by popular demand, players can earn fabulous in-game rewards by correctly answering trivia questions relating to KINGDOM HEARTS III.
  • Organization XIII Battle Event – The shadowy members of Organization XIII are back in this limited-time event. By completing quest missions and defeating each member, players can earn valuable rewards.
  • “Big Bonus” Challenge Event – Players can earn up to 5,000 Jewels by completing this limited-time event.
  • New and Returning Avatar Boards – Players can purchase the brand-new Stitch-Lined Suit and Chalk-Lined Suit Avatar Boards to dress up their characters. Other popular Avatar Boards will also return for purchase during the anniversary period.

More information about the anniversary celebration is available on the @kh_ux_na Twitter page.

Players can also dive into a new original story, centered around the mysterious Young Xehanort, in KINGDOM HEARTS DARK ROAD, a unique mobile experience within KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross], later this year. More information is available on the @kh_dr_na Twitter page.

KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross] is available now as a free-to-play app (with in-app purchases) through the App Store® and on Google Play Store™ and the Amazon Appstore. For the latest assets, please visit the press site at http://sqex.to/Media.

Related Links:
Official Website: https://www.kingdomhearts.com/unionx/us
Twitter: @kh_ux_na
#KHUX #KingdomHearts

About KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross]
With over 10 million players worldwide, KINGDOM HEARTS Union χ[Cross] lets players uncover story elements from the earliest parts of the series’ history, as well as from KINGDOM HEARTS III. Players can create their very own Keyblade wielder and adventure through Disney worlds with beautiful and stylized art while interacting with a rich cast of memorable Disney characters. The game also features both co-op and player vs player (PvP) modes for players to play with friends and compete on leaderboards to win rewards.

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix, Inc. is affiliated with a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal™. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 151 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 81 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 77 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com.

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Erotic massage Singapore, Singapore erotic massage

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Dasher (aka Harley) | BC SPCA
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Dasher (aka Harley)

Dasher was only five months old when he arrived into the care of the Campbell River BC SPCA as a stray in December 2016. This sweet boy was found alone in a diaper box off a trail not too far from the street.

Although Dasher came to us under unfortunate circumstances, we knew a puppy like him, so full of energy and love, would find a forever home in no time. Sure enough, after being in care for only a week, Dasher found his perfect match.

Since his adoption, Dasher (now Harley) has been able to let his energy-filled personality shine. His guardians recently sent us a happy update on how he is doing. From the sounds of it, he’s having all the fun in the world:

We are very happy to welcome Harley – formally known as Dasher to our family.

He is a bundle of energy and loves to play and go for long walks. Harley is very social and loves to make new friends. He is certainly a great motivator in helping us to become more active.

Harley is such a loving boy, he loves to cuddle and is smart as a whip, although a bit stubborn, he learns things quickly but not as quick to implement what he is learning, as he likes to do things his way.

We are looking forward to him meeting the rest of our family when they come to visit from Ontario.

We are so happy to hear this puppy is learning and growing in such a caring forever home. With that face, we’re sure it’s hard not to let him get his way sometimes!

Thank you for giving Harley a life full of walks, cuddles and love. Most of all, thank you for making adoption your first choice.


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Can the Government be Fixed? Well, its Procurement Habits at Least…? (Part 2)

Please click here for the first part of our interview with Dr. Tim Laseter.

Spend Matters: Why the focus on GHG (greenhouse gases)? We can see how following EU regulations such as RoHS (reducing the use of certain compounds and materials) makes sense in that it reduces liability and other risk, but isn't it hard to find any tangible bottom-line savings from reducing GHG? Why not focus the GSA's efforts on developing TCO models for their procurement as the rest of industry does and see where GHG falls in that picture?

Tim: Reducing energy consumption reduces GHG. So in effect this is a Total Cost of Ownership approach [SM comment: a TCO proxy approach]. It is an economic model that prices energy use. The government already uses TCO analysis and this is a new way to find the next lowest hanging fruit.

Spend Matters: How about spend analysis -- wouldn't that do the job?

Tim: Spend analysis is too backwards looking. Driving change needs to focus on the future. A lot of progress can be made with existing information.

Spend Matters: Yes, data can definitely get in the way of policy! Seriously though, the best spend analysis solutions these days dynamically incorporate demand forecasts, product life cycle changes, third party data and the heuristics to go far beyond the rearview mirror approach of a few years ago.

Tim: A large debate came from discussing whether to initially collect and report data, or to share best practices to create results. The GSA can learn from successful private sector examples that combine society, environment, and economics. This is not a no-brainer; this requires more heavy lifting than usual.

Spend Matters: So what's the next step?

Tim: The ball is in the GSA leadership's court. The industry participants encouraged them to think big, as this is a big opportunity.

Spend Matters: When the inevitable organizational inertia kicks in, and results aren't popping up as quickly as expected, will the administration get impatient and lean on the legislative arm to drive change with a heavier hand?

Tim: I don't see a risk of that. This is not a top-down mandate approach.

Spend Matters: Thank you for your time and insight Dr. Laseter -- we appreciate the update and hope to stay in touch around the progress in this area.

Closing remarks
Spend Matters will have more articles on this particular topic, and invites those with a direct relationship with the GSA to share -- on or off the record -- their experiences.

  • Will this only create more bureaucracy, or are there success stories to share?
  • Will this give smaller businesses an edge -- or further entrench incumbents?

Whether or not this GSA activity will actually increase competitiveness, cut costs, and create private sector jobs remains to be seen. But, as the sun rises each morning, we can count on additional compliance requirements coming down the pike, so the more we can learn about those, and the direction they are going in, the better.

Please get in touch: tkase (at) azulpartners (dot) com

- Thomas Kase

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Tilling a Field With a Teaspoon: A Cautionary Tale of Category Management

Spend Matters welcomes this guest article by Mark Dell’Olio, a manager in the KPMG Operations Advisory Practice.

The role procurement plays in the broader business context has changed significantly in the past decade as cost-effectiveness, supply assurance and social responsibility place a greater emphasis on strategic spending. As a result, today’s chief purchasing officer is far more likely to be taking an elevator to the C-suite, rather than be roaming the halls of the back office. The 2014 CAPS study entitled “Chief Purchasing Officers' Mobility and Compensation: A 2014 Study of Fortune 500 Firms” reported that 82% of CPOs have direct access to their CEO, this is compared to 60% in 1999. These statistics confirm procurement’s increasing importance to delivering sustainable stakeholder value.

Free Research Download: How to Maximize Productivity, Profits and ROI

In response to the demand for delivering greater value, many CPOs are looking to establish or improve their category management capabilities. Studies from KPMG, Hackett and Future Purchasing anticipate a 57% to 113% increase in value from well-executed category management transformations. Dramatic results such as these are accomplished with procurement organization designs that build in-depth knowledge of key spend categories, work in concert with existing procurement functions and deliver holistic strategies that maximize sustained value.

Figure 1: Elements of category management and working in concert with other procurement functions.

Procurement leaders recognize that the ability of legacy procurement organizations to create truly strategic value is limited. This makes category management transformation an appealing opportunity to rebrand the procurement function – featuring a newly designed organization and methodologies that are built around business partnership. In essence, it’s a way to walk away from a tactical past and usher in a new strategic generation.

While this vision may be considered idealistic by some, such transformations are becoming far more commonplace. Achieving leading-class category management focuses on implementing a new approach and identifying resources that can achieve the vision. At the same time, it is critical to avoid the all too often mistake of overlooking existing personnel during transformation design.

We’ve all heard sayings such as “tilling a field with a teaspoon.” While a teaspoon is an appropriate tool stirring your morning coffee – using one to till a field is doomed for failure. The same is true of placing personnel from traditional procurement organizations into strategically focused teams. It is simply not realistic to expect that they will be able to realize strategic vision without the tools they need – formal training and supervisor mentoring. Wholesale change-outs of existing procurement personnel is neither realistic nor wise, so be prepared for training investment. Identifying gaps in resource capabilities is a challenge, however, if you adopt the following guiding principles to solve them, you are far more likely to succeed in realizing your category management goals.

Define Expected Competencies

New organizational goals and objectives should bring new expectations. Without a reset of expectations staff will continue to revert to historical levels of performance. Defining competencies is one of the most fundamental ways to define expectations. If properly defined, competencies serve as an anchor point for the organization, and allow legacy staff to observe what skills and abilities are going to be expected moving forward.

This is not to imply that competency overlap between the current and future state organizations will not or should not exist. To the contrary, as the ability to efficiently process requisitions, draft RFP’s and pen contract language will stand the test of time. However, depending upon the maturity of the organization, an enhanced focus on competencies – such as market intelligence, spend analytics, stakeholder management and cost modeling – will need to be clearly articulated.

Assess What You Have

Before you can begin to develop the competencies of existing staff, it is important to understand where they are starting from. This element of level setting establishes a foundational understanding of expectations early in the transformation journey and enables the competency growth of staff. It helps prioritize resources for career development, identifies who requires what training and provides transparency to the transformation process. Inevitably, an investment in time and money will be required to up-skill the team. Therefore, it only makes sense to invest that money where you have the greatest needs.

Develop When Possible

As you begin to communicate your vision for category management, legacy staff will look for opportunities to expand their duties. In some cases this may not be reasonable. However, when feasible you should look to develop talent within.

It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting to hire new high-end talent; the proverbial “new car.” The issue with pulling this lever too often is the impact it can have on the morale of existing staff. By continually passing over legacy staff for prominent roles in the new organization, you run the risk of a disgruntled workforce. This poses a significant risk given the likely vast legacy knowledge of your team, which needs to be leveraged if you expect to be successful.

Embrace New Talent

Lastly, as you continue to bridge the competency gaps of your team, do not be afraid to introduce new talent. New talent infuses energy into the process by challenging norms, introducing alternative perspectives and firmly communicating that change has arrived. While it would be nice to think that every legacy staff member has a role in the new organization that is rarely the case. Simply put, not many people have the capability to perform at the highest level of a strategic procurement organization and to place them in that position is unreasonable.

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July 30 Webinar: Taking the Direct Route to High-Impact Independent Talent

freelancer management system

If you’re a contingent workforce management or services procurement practitioner, you’re already familiar with the “indirect route” (the practices, processes, and technologies involved in managing enterprise  spend on contingent workforce in the “industrialized” models of staffing agency temporary labor and SOW services). But, in today’s increasingly hyper-specialized knowledge economy, there is a whole other segment of contingent workforce that is becoming increasingly significant to enterprise performance and competitiveness: an independent workforce that is both highly skilled and professional and inaccessible through standard supplier channels. And that is where the war for talent is really being fiercely waged.

Increasingly, the media have discussed the expansion of the freelance, gig or on-demand economy, which is mainly about the flexible, dynamic utilization of lower-skilled workers. Though related to this trend in a number ways – including contingent workforce, direct sourcing, compliance and classification issues and significant use of technology – the segment of workers we are talking about is something entirely different.

Rather than large-scale, heterogeneous populations of plug and play workers, this segment is about individual talent – individual professionals with unique skills and expertise needed for a limited time period to achieve significant outcomes inside or outside of the enterprise. These highly critical professionals expect independent engagements with businesses they consider clients, not employers. This is a workforce that must be sourced and engaged through different processes – a direct route – that must definitely achieve efficiency and compliance but also must conform to the expectations and preferences of the modern independent professional. In this world, getting each engagement right can be critical to business success.

This webinar, organized and conducted by Spend Matters and MBO Partners, is an opportunity for you to get an overview of the fast growing independent professional workforce segment along with the state-of-the-art models for effectively and efficiently engaging these professionals for the benefit of your organization. In it you will gain insight into:

  • Recent studies into the demographics of independent professionals and how they increasingly prefer self-employed status and direct engagement with clients.
  • How enabling direct sourcing of these workers can be a highly efficient alternative to the traditional staffing supply chain.
  • How integrated procurement models, such as source-to-pay and technology-enabled platforms, including work intermediation platforms and freelancer management systems, are transforming how businesses can engage independent talent efficiently and with less compliance risk, while achieving new visibility into and control over contractor spend.
  • How MBO Partners provides unique engagement alternatives that enable efficient, low-risk direct sourcing and engagement of highly skilled independent talent.

Take an hour away from your absorption in the indirect route to procuring contingent labor and learn about the direct route to the high-value independent workforce by attending the webinar, Direct Source and Engage Highly-Skilled Independent Talent with Controlled Cost and Risk, on Thursday, July 30 at 12 p.m. CDT.

This is a webinar exclusively organized for contingent workforce management and services procurement practitioners, and registrations will be limited to this group.

Register today!

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Pierre Mitchell on Design-Centred Procurement

As well as being one of the top procurement technology analysts in the world, our colleague Pierre Mitchell in the US has a deep understanding of what organisations need in terms of procurement strategy, organisations, metrics and capabilities.  He has now written a very thought-provoking series of articles (which together form a single “white paper”) all about “design-centred procurement”, and we think everyone in procurement should read his work. Originally that was behind our subscription service paywall, but it has now been made available to everyone. Hooray!

Pierre looks at how the best businesses work out what their customers want, and then use design principles to make sure they deliver it. He applies that to the question of how procurement functions and people can and should ensure that they are meeting the needs of their “customers”, which means demonstrating agility, minimising waste and performing efficiently – but perhaps most of all, it means solving problems that are relevant for our stakeholders.

In part 1 here, he introduces the idea, and draws some parallels with the automotive industry. As he says:

"As such, we decided to write a series on how design-centred thinking can be applied to not only product and service design, but also to the design of:

  • the supply chain creating the products and services
  • the procurement organization itself as an internal services-based solution provider
  • a platform and portfolio of software-based and services-based solutions that procurement deftly taps and embeds into its agile operating model"

In part two here, he gets into how procurement groups can influence their stakeholders, discussing the idea of segmenting “customers” more deeply before we work out how to engage best with them.

"So, the questions for practitioners to ask themselves are:

  • Have we segmented our customers (i.e., stakeholders) and tailored our engagement strategies for them?
  • Have we captured how they define success of the buying process and understand their role (and yours) in it? Do you know how they approach it (e.g., a supplier management centric approach versus a sourcing-centric approach) or even how they talk about it (e.g., Marketing groups using the term “investment” rather than “spend”)?
  • Have we performed a “voice of the customer” effort to capture their prioritized expectations from suppliers and from you (and performance against those expectations)?
  • Have we included technology systems-specific feedback (that IT can use too)"?

There is at least one more part to come from Pierre, or if you like, you can download the entire white paper today, free on registration, to get the full story all in one PDF!

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Proactis Buys Millstream – Another Smart Acquisition from Yorkshire eProcurement Firm

kritchanut/Adobe Stock

Last week, Yorkshire-based eProcurement firm Proactis announced another acquisition, picking up Millstream Associates for some £15.5 million. It is the latest in a series of buys, starting at the beginning of 2014, which has seen the firm acquire software firms EGS, Intesource, Intelligent Capture, Due North and now Millstream. The acquisition will be funded by a proposed placing of up to 9,259,260 new shares at a placing price of 135p to raise £12.5 million and a revolving credit facility of £6.0 million.

Millstream has revenues of about £5 million and “adjusted EBITDA of £2.0 million”. That is a very impressive EBITDA percentage and means the firm should contribute strongly to both the revenue and profit lines for Proactis from the beginning. Rod Jones, CEO at Proactis told us:

“The acquisition of Millstream will add to PROACTIS’ already substantial presence in UK Public Sector procurement and brings further substantial financial and operational scale to the rapidly growing Group”.

Since the buying spree started, annual revenues at the firm have more than doubled, and the share price has multiplied six-fold, a very impressive story of shareholder value creation. Revenues for the year to July 2016 were £19.4 million, and operating profit was £1.9 million, up some 19% year on year. The strategy has been to roll up these smaller software firms in a sensible manner, extract some rapid cost synergies (mainly from overheads, we suspect), and develop a wider range of offerings for the customer base – including those clients gained via the acquisitions.

Millstream provides eProcurement solutions and has “over 4,000 customers for its Tenders Direct product, and over 50 public sector customers and more than 500 contributors for its bespoke portals and myTenders products”.

The products are mainly based around advertising of public sector contract opportunities rather than eSourcing or P2P; but as Proactis has those more complex capabilities already, the Millstream business looks nicely complementary rather than heavily overlapping. Here is Jones again;

Millstream will extend the PROACTIS buy-side customer base with strategic central government relationships and several hundred MyTender customers. These buy-side customers will gain access to PROACTIS complimentary solution offerings. On the supply-side, PROACTIS gets intelligence and know how of the commercial characteristics of this strategically important new customer group."

“PROACTIS has a history of acquiring companies and integrating the complimentary skills and capabilities. Its past major acquisitions, like those of Intelligent Capture, EGS, Intesource and Due North, follow exactly the same pattern of adding value – for customers and shareholders – in its quest to becoming a one-stop shop for all things procurement.”

Assuming the execution lives up to the strategy, and previous acquisitions seem to have been well assimilated, this should prove to be another smart move from the Proactis team.

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Voices (2)

  1. Sam Unkim:

    +1 Upvote for David.

    Proactis isn’t winning any friends here !!

  2. David:

    Is this a smart acquisition? I’m astounded by the price… more than 3x revenue and 8x ebitda seems high for this type of company. I’m also keen to see what level of “integration” will take place. Proactis so far have no integrated any of the solutions they have acquired, instead opting to integrate organization elements and marketing messaging but not technology. Looks like good financial engineering but not sure how much value there is for us procurement folk?

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New to Spera

What is Spera?

Spera is a digital office platform built with the independent worker in mind. It has been designed to help you keep track of your work tasks, generate an invoice off of your tasks, and easily collect payment for your work.

Where can I sign up for a 30 day free trial?

You can sign up for a free trial here: No payment info necessary and you have access to the full platform for 30 days. After 30 days, you will be prompted to sign up for either a monthly or yearly subscription.

Why Spera?

There are many software packages to choose from when considering managing your independent work, but these solutions need to be pieced together with multiple accounts. Spera seeks to combine task management, invoicing, and payment solutions into one location and one account, while offering pricing that doesn’t punish you as your business grows.

What is the Freedom Economy?

It is a growing movement of self-reliant creative and ambitious women and men of all ages – freelancers, entrepreneurs, artists and contract workers who’ve declared independence from the traditional corporate world. We want to fuel this movement at Spera. Download our Freedom Economy Report that highlights the growth and strength of this movement.

What is Spera’s pricing like compared to other Task Management, Invoicing, and Payment solutions?

Here is a chart that breaks down other options for Task Management, Invoicing, and Payments

Spera combines three solutions into one, including price. We believe this is the best formula for the independent worker. An all-in-one solution at one great price.

How much does it cost to use Spera?

For your first 30 days, Spera is free and no payment information is required. After your 30 day trial, access to the platform is available in either monthly or yearly payments.

Task Management

What is a Project?

A Project houses all of your Tasks, Invoice, Payments, and Messages for your work. They are your way of keeping track of individual gigs. If you were hired to take photos for a wedding, your Project could be titled “Hannah’s Wedding.”

What is a Task?

Tasks are where you keep track of actual work done and they are linked to a Project. Tasks have descriptions, areas for commenting on the work, time logs, file attachments, and a check box for completed work. A Task under the Project, “Hannah’s Wedding” would be “Purchase and plan flower arrangements.”

How many Projects or Tasks can I have open?

With both the 30 day free trial and your subscription to Spera, you can keep track of unlimited Projects and Tasks.

Can my clients see my Tasks?

Clients, and any other Users you add to the Project, will be able to see your Projects and Tasks (or not, depending on your desires). You can communicate with them on individual Tasks, as well as through the normal Message system of the Spera App.

How much is Invoicing with Spera?

With both the 30 day free trial and your subscription to Spera, you can send unlimited invoices.

How will my client receive my Invoice?

Your invoice will be sent to the email address that is associated with the Client for the project. If your client is Hannah and your Project is “Hannah’s Wedding,” then Hannah’s email address will receive the Invoice.

How can my Client pay me?

When you send an Invoice to your client, Clients can pay you directly from the Invoice email with a Spera to Spera transfer (they would need to have a Spera account, too. This saves you a little money on the Credit Card transaction fee as it is free) or they can pay you with a Credit Card. Of course, they can still pay you with a check or cash, too. Make sure your profile is updated with the proper address so the Invoice displays where they can send the money.

Does Spera allow me to take Credit Cards?

Yes. Signing up for a Spera account creates your own merchant account. You can instantly accept credit cards upon signing up for the Spera platform.

What are the fees for accepting Credit Cards?

Spera’s introductory rate is 2.9% + $0.30 for all card transactions. With transaction history and certain volumes, that transaction pricing can be discounted.

Who is ProPay?

Spera works with ProPay (A TSYS company) to turn freelancers and independent workers into their own merchants. Setting up your Spera payments account allows you to accept credit cards the same day, all without buying special equipment or making long term commitments or investments.
Using ProtectPay, ProPay’s end-to-end encryption and tokenization solution, Spera’s users can accept credit, debit and ACH payments without storing, processing or transmitting the data.

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Update on Mennonite man miraculously healed in Tanzania

A happy Thursday (Edit:…just kidding… it’s Wednesday!  this sitting at home thing…!) to you all! What a delight it is to be alive! To see the sunshine, and hear the birds sing! I love these things at any time — and even the snow that many abhor — but especially now, when the world looks upside down. To see that God’s creation still sings and shines, that makes my heart happy!

And I have no doubt that is how Jason and Mel Hunt and their family feel, in Tanzania. A few days ago I shared the story of Jason collapsing, believing he was at the end, only to miraculously revive again. That is one of the best things I had heard in a week or two, so I shared it. I have no regrets about sharing his testimony of unexpected healing. It is truly good news.

My only regret , and there was one… though I don’t like that word, came when friends cautioned that many will take his experience as ‘the cure‘ and act irresponsibly because of it. I had not thought of that, and at first thought my friends were overreacting and their concern not warranted. Especially given I had put in a disclaimer that I was *not* promoting it as a cure, but rather because it seemed to me a story of hope in the midst of tragic times.  Nonetheless, I listened to their cautions and edited the post, removing anything that might hint at the experience being touted as a cure.

Others were less gracious and said he is a liar, to declare so boldly he had COVID-19 without test results. My response immediately to that criticism was that this does not make him a liar; it makes him overly enthusiastic.

Then, yesterday toward evening, I received word that test results for COVID-19 came back negative for their family. (Keep his wife and daughter in your prayers. Last I hear, yesterday night, they are still sick and in need of prayer). This means he did not likely have COVID-19 in the first place. The post was causing enough of a stir that I decided to remove it until such a time as I had time to edit out any ‘offending parts’. This is something I have rarely done, but in the interest of avoiding unnecessary offence, I removed the post entirely.

We can somewhat assume the tests are conclusive and he likely did not have COVID-19. But that is not really the bottom line, and his overstatement is not the greatest tragedy in the world.

It is only a tragedy that he was too sure of himself if:

  1. he is not humble enough to learn from it. Otherwise, is is an incredible learning experience, not only for him but for all of us, me included. Or maybe especially me and him, but I think all of us.
  2. the church has no grace for a testimony that is powerful but overly enthusiastic and certain of details that were not relevant to the miraculous outcome. To write off such a profound recovery because the recipient is human — as are we all — is to limit the work of Christ among humans. It means I can only see Him if you are more/less perfect. If I took that approach, given the hell and horror I see in Christian community, I would have turned to atheism long ago.

Before posting the original story I checked into the legitimacy of the claims, and again numerous times since. I added a disclaimer in the original blog, and I would have been wise to edit out any reference to COVID-19. In that I erred. Yet, I had and still have every reason to believe that the story told, happened as told.

In spite of the kerfluffle and humanity of his way of verbalizing it, I am no less amazed by God, and I think no less of Jason for it.

If there is not grace for his humanity, then the church has nothing left to offer the world. Nothing. Because that’s who Jesus is.

I have said many times, there is grace enough for the vilest sinner (including sex offenders) and if they are truly repentant they can receive that grace. I believe that with all my heart. (That does not equate to giving sex offenders free regn under the guise of forgiveness, but that’s another topic for another day).

What has baffled me in this is that it seems there is less grace for a man who is overconfident in a medical self-diagnosis and includes it in his testimony, than there is for the sex offender who sheds a few tears and does not change his ways. Surely, surely, there is grace for both, but especially in a case of ‘intending no harm or sin’ in the process.

I do not regret telling the story. If I did not think we can learn from it, then I would have regrets. I hope and pray that we can see past the humanity and see Jesus at work among us. If we can’t see Him in our collective brokenness, what have we got — what has Jesus got — that will bring any measure of peace and wholeness to us and those around us?

Having removed the original post, here is the portion of his testimony that does not make any assumptions about what his illness was.  Praise Jesus!

Last night as I desperately fought for breath to live, I just kept stumbling through the house around the fireplace and kitchen trying to hang on to a measure of breath. The rest were holding me up, crying and praying, (and probably wondering who was going to cart my body out to the coffee field). Finally at 3am I was really fading so wheezed out my goodbyes as I slumped up against the fireplace. I told them no one was to do mouth to mouth on me because I didn’t want the infection to increase in their lungs. As I sat there fading out to everyone’s amazement I got so hot from the fire at my back that I started to sweat buckets and my lungs suddenly started opening up and oxygen came into my lungs. God intervened.

The improvements over the last few hours has been exponential. Even Mel has made incredible progress. God is intervening.

I will mention the whole household came down with symptoms today. And the whole household has made exponential gains in the last eight hours. Most are sleeping peacefully now. […] We need to run forth knowing that love will always conquer fear.

All the prayers are being answered.

My prayer is that you all stay safe and healthy, and if your health has been compromised, that God will heal and restore you.

Remember, God is kind.

As always…

With love,
~ T ~

© Trudy Metzger

David S. Smucker of PA, sentenced to prison (not Whispering Hope) for vile crimes against 4 minors

This morning David S. Smucker, 75, of East Earl PA, was sentenced to 38 years for sexually assaulting 4 preteen girls, starting when they were only around 4-5 years old. Reportedly, he showed no remorse or emotion and declined to comment, when asked by Judge Reinaker if he wanted to say anything. He offered no apology to his victims. Judge Reinaker had a few words to say, and was quite stern about it, as well he should have been. The lawyer allegedly requested house arrest, which the judge did not grant, thank God. That would have put Smucker right back in the community where he committed the crimes in the first place. Fortunately he also did not get sent back to Whispering Hope, the Anabaptist facility where he had stayed up to this time since his release from prison in 2018.

Just over a year ago, in December 2018, it came to light that David S. Smucker allegedly sexually violated 4 preteen girls. The Amish church did the right thing. They reported Smucker, and formulated a support committee for the victims and their families, to help in offering practical support. In this, the Amish community of Lancaster PA has done fabulously. To have a small team of people who are there for the victims and their families is an outstanding commitment, and I highly commend them for this. A case such as this brings incredible destruction to the children, but it also disrupts the community in unimaginable ways, as their commitment to forgiveness and the reality of severe ongoing damage and suffering meet in profound struggle. For a people who value forgiveness so highly, to admit the struggle to offer it is intense, you know the impact is brutal.

In conversation with a gentleman involved in the case,  back in Summer 2019, he expressed how forgiveness has not been an easy thing for the community. What impressed me in this case was the commitment to supporting victims, honest and raw struggle with forgiveness (and still choosing forgiveness… because Mr. Smucker disrupted an entire community, not only a few victims), but also working with the law to ensure safety for the children and to have an appropriate sentence for Smucker.

Even so, it is no secret that some were working to have Mr. Smucker exonerated for his sex crimes. (I have names and evidence to support that claim). Thankfully, that did not work.

Today a handful of advocates showed up in court, in a show solidarity with victims and their parents. I had hoped to be present, however my university schedule made that difficult, so I relied on friends to update me. (One had a notebook to jot down notes but was asked to put it away).

Audrey Kauffman, who attended the sentencing, wrote on Facebook: “While no sentence can ever redeem what these girls have lost, we witnessed justice today. I am grateful for a judge who acknowledged the lifetime consequences the victims will carry and gave no consideration for health or age to the perpetrator. He held the perpetrator fully responsible and publicly absolved the victims.

“I think he’s a coward. I don’t think he has a shred of remorse,” ADA Haverstick said in court. “He used (the girls) as sex toys. They existed for his sexual gratification.”

“You are the first who has refused” to take responsibility, Judge Reinaker said. An admission or showing of remorse, Judge Reinaker said, can assist victims in the healing process. “Your refusal… has deprived them of even that small measure of healing,” the judge said.

You may read various reports of the hearing at the following links:
Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office
Pittsburg Post-Gazette (Peter Smith)
Lancaster Online

I would call it a victory — and some will, which I understand — but there is no ‘victory’ or ‘winning’ in a case like this. Not through a court sentence, no matter how right that sentence is, and necessary. I support it 100%. Anything less would put children at risk. There’s no need for that.

However, when you know the backstory and the fine, nitty-gritty details of how those children have suffered and continue to suffer and struggle, it about rips your heart it. They haven’t won. They can’t. They’ve been robbed blind and as a result of Smucker’s vile and selfish acts, this is a lifetime of battle laid before them. That’s not winning, no matter how much the public is protected from further risk of harm.

That is what breaks my heart. Every time. The children. Some never recover. Some go on to commit crimes of their own, of various sorts.. Some go mental. Thank God that many heal. And that is my prayer for these little ones. I pray the heinous crimes committed against them will not rob them of their future on top of all they have already lost. They have lost all that was normal, all that was safe — not only that which should have been safe but also that which was safe — as their family life was disrupted, and remains disrupted. They have paid a higher price in their young years than about anything I have ever seen.

Pray for theses children, their parents and family members as they continue to seek healing.

As always…

~ T ~

© Trudy Metzger

Supporting Survivors & Offenders… And Former offender shares his story

Tomorrow and Friday, November 28-29, we are doing a training here in Elmira, Ontario. Thursday’s focus is on supporting survivors of abuse well, and Friday is supporting offenders responsibly.

This will be the third time we’ve had a former offender coming for an interview to share parts of his story in an interview on the second day. Both previous times the feedback was very positive, with attendees saying it is helpful to hear from someone who offended who takes full ownership, especially sex abuse victims.

Even so, please be aware that for some survivors this can be triggering. We do not recommend you register if that is your situation.

Screen Shot 2019-11-05 at 11.55.12 AM

While survivors of sexual abuse are welcome, we do not advertise this training as being for survivors. It can be hard for survivors to hear behavioural symptoms of abuse talked about in a more clinical matter of fact way. By this I mean that conferences are designed to support the abused, and acknowledge their suffering, and we speak gently to the victims. Training, on the other hand, addresses some of the pitfalls and risks associated with helping victims, and negative behaviours victims exhibit. One example is the manipulation that many victims adopt to survive, and how this can become a dysfunctional part of the mentor/mentee relationship. We discuss how to manage those well when supporting survivors, and in such a way that it does not damage both parties.

Though the gentleman makes no excuses for his choices — he owns those — it can still be triggering for survivors to hear someone who has offended share their backstory.  In the interview I ask him about his childhood, and how it shaped him, because early life experience inevitably influences us, our identity (or perception of ourselves — not our true identity), and the trajectory of our life. As part of his sharing, we will talk about extreme sexual addictions and his journey to facing those addictions and taking ownership.

The more we understand this, the more we can work toward both prevention and healing. Is there a place for those who have offended in the Kingdom of God? How do help them responsibly? What can we do to help those who have offended without compromising the wellbeing of victims and the vulnerable? We will talk about offenders’ needs — accountability, consequences (different from ‘punishment’, though church and legal consequences can be part of that), and community of support.

Training days are typically attended by a small group — 15 to 20 individuals is common — which is great for discussion and interaction. If you prefer smaller groups with vibrant Q&A discussions, and opportunity to contribute, this is a great event to attend.

To ensure there are no surprises for survivors who consider attending, the former offender plans to serve lunch both days.  However, he will only be in sessions on Thursday.

To register: Generations Unleashed Events

Hope to see you there!

As always…

~ T ~

© Trudy Metzger 2019


text:
Power Rangers Light Speed Rescue - Game Boy Color

Got packs, screens, info?
Also for: PlayStation, N64
Viewed: 3D Third-person, floating camera Genre:
Combat Game
Arcade origin:No
Developer: Natsume Soft. Co.: THQ
Publishers: THQ (GB/US)
Released: 1 Dec 2000 (GB)
Unknown (US)
Ratings: 3+

The early nineties franchise of the Power Rangers may not have been a wild craze for long, but it is still popular on cable and satellite channels aimed at children. Although it does now have a lower profile, the spandex-clad amongst us will no doubt be looking forward to the GameBoy incarnation of the next in the series, cleverly titled Power Rangers: Light Speed Rescue.

While obviously in 2D (due to GameBoy limitations), games don’t have to be super real to be a lot of fun to play. The basis of the game involves you taking control of any of the five Power Rangers available and navigating your way around many hostile, flame-ridden environments, rescuing any citizens you find along the way. There are the basic kick and punch combat skills, but also a special attack that allows you to somehow punch through solid walls. Levels take place in both urban and industrial environments, but before you can progress you must rescue all specified hostages in a level. Although quite sparse, levels are vast, making it quite easy to get lost, and as a consequence, increases the amount of necessary playing time.

Light Speed Rescue doesn’t have as much combat as you might expect, but the level of puzzle solving required is compensation enough, making this a great challenge.

Power Rangers Light Speed Rescue - Game Boy Color Artwork


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spongetrisha (spongetrisha) wrote,

The Final Gift Part 13

Chapter Thirteen

The next few months sped by and before Bill knew it he was moving planet side along with the rest of the Galactica crew.

Vice President Zarek and the Quorum of Twelve handled the negotiations to allow the twelve tribes of Kobol to settle on Earth.  They had insisted on everyone moving to Earth and Galactica was being decommissioned.

Laura had been checked over by Earth doctors and they treated her with a combination of drugs that seemed to work and she was now recovering.

Bill was in his quarters packing up when Lee came in with Abby.  She was now 6 months old and was a happy, lively baby and completely healthy.  She smiled as she saw her granddad.

“Hi munchkin” he said to Abby as Lee handed her over to him.  He hugged her close to him; he had a feeling that he wouldn’t be seeing a lot of Lee and Abby from now on.

Lee looked around at the room and laughed.

“Oh my Gods, I wondered what this place would look like half empty.”  Lee remarked.  “You are not seriously taking all of this junk with you are you?”

“Hey, this is not junk!”  Bill shot back.

“You packed up yet?”

Lee had a strange expression on his face and Bill saw it.  “Something on your mind, son?”

“Not really, it just feels weird that’s all.  I’ve been on Galactica for so long that to me it’s my home.  I never thought I’d hear myself say this but I’m going to miss this old bucket.”

“I know what you’re saying and I understand.  But you have a chance to build a better future now, for you and Abby.  Lee nodded and was silent for a few moments.

It was Bill who broke the silence. Sitting with Abby on his knee he asked, “So what are you going to do on Earth?”

Most of the crew were given assignments as part of the settlement deal and Bill knew that Lee had been given a choice between the Military, Law or Politics.

“Actually, I’m staying in the military, I’m going to be a flight instructor.”  Lee told his father.

“That’s good.”

“They offered me a post at a base not far from Los Angeles.  They want me to start as soon as possible.”

“Oh,” Bill replied.  “I’m happy for you son.  What about Abby?”

Lee walked over to his father and sat beside him and Abby.  He grinned at the baby and she reached out to him.  Lee took her chubby little hand in his and looked Bill in the eye.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I’ll be working long hours and I’ll need someone I can trust to look after her.  There is only one person I would be willing to trust with her and that’s you.  Would you look after Abby for me?”

Bill didn’t hesitate; reaching out he hugged Lee to him and said, “Of course I will.  And I’m sure I can speak for Laura on this too.”

“Thank you Dad.  They’ve given me a house near the base and we can move in whenever we like.  You, me, Abby and Laura.”

Lee reached out and took Abby from Bill “Well munchkin, we’d better go pack.  See you later, Dad.”

Lee was in his quarters packing while Abby played with some of her toys on the bed when Bill stopped by to see them.

“I’m on my way to see Laura and I thought I’d stop by to see how you guys were getting on.”

He noticed Lee lifting a silver box out of the bottom of the closet and Lee hesitated for a moment.

 Bill saw him and was at his side in seconds.  “What is it, Lee?”

“This is Dee’s.  I gave it to her as a wedding present.  She used to keep her jewellery in it, I was keeping it for Abby for when she was older, so she could have something of Dee’s.”  After her death Cottle had given him back her wedding ring that like him she still wore and her dog tags.  Lee had put them in the box along with the rest of Dee’s jewellery and some photos.

“You still miss her, don’t you?”

Lee nodded; it seemed strange that after the way things ended he was still struggling with her death.  Bill pulled him into his arms.

“I thought I was doing okay then I saw this and it all came back to me.”  He really did think he was past this.

“Hey Lee, listen to me.  You are doing great.  After what you went through, I would be worried if you didn’t have a little wobble every now and again.  I’m here for you Lee if you need anything.”

“Look I’m okay now, weren’t you going to see Laura?”

“Yes I was, I better go.”

“Dad, stuff the packing why don’t Abby and I come with you?  I want to see her face when you tell her that you’re both coming to live with me on Earth.”

“She’ll be thrilled.  Come on lets go.”

Laura was happy when they told her the news and then she asked Lee, “Why do you want us to live with you?”

Lee replied, “Because you are my family now, you, Abby and Dad.  Remember you promised us a bright shiny future on Earth? Well now we have it and I want you to be part of mine.”

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Spreading Summery Smiles with Wall’s

640 480 Viv Levene

We’re making the most of the last few days of summer by arranging a special ice cream drop at Great Ormond Street Hospital thanks to our lovely friends at Wall’s.

Ice creams, including Calippos, Twisters and Happy Rainbows were delivered to children in the hospital as a fun treat and distraction.

Laura Walsh, Head of Play at GOSH, said, “Thank you Spread a Smile. Delivering the Wall’s ice cream today brought so much excitement and joy to GOSH. At a time when staff are tired and have been managing increased anxiety for a long time this treat energised us all. Children and young people were over the moon. You’re superstars.”

Thanks so much to Wall’s for this very welcome treat.

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Nov 7, 2019

Guy is back from New Zealand. We talk a little bit about his trip, about things that people shouldn't be doing with SQL Server, and more.

Oct 12, 2019

Guy is in New Zealand, so Eitan Blumin comes to fill in. We talk about:

  • CI/CD with SSDT
  • What is a Canary Query
  • The best performance tuning feature, ROI wise
  • Hierarchical partitioning
  • Azure storage for SQL Server


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First Service and Galactic Halos

First Service and Galactic Halos

COZ011: Lindsay Sant and Gerry Trapnell discuss the role the Catholic laity can take in evangelisation in the wake of the recent federal election; celebrate the ordination of Australia’s first Torres-Strait-Islander priest; and discuss an international tennis tournament for priests. In the science segment they celebrate the scientific research of Jesuit priest, Fr Richard D’Souza, and his new job at the Vatican Observatory. Lindsay and Gerry close the show with a sigh of relief after learning that the French senate voted to restore Notre Dame Cathedral to how it looked before it was damaged by fires earlier this year.

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Sport psychologist

Throughout the project, we have involved a sport psychologist to have a professional perspective on several areas that the project deals with. Our sport psychologist had been continuously involved in the project, actively participating in different tasks, such as observing practices, communicating with players, coaches, PE teachers about various problems, and carefully developed advice and solutions.

Maintaining players/children in the sport (how to reduce drop outs)
One of the main goals of the project is to develop badminton into a mass sport. In order to do that, we partly focused on decreasing the number of dropouts. With the help of the sport psychologist, we identified the possible reasons of children quitting badminton, and came up with solutions that can possible decrease the rate of dropouts.

One of the reasons for dropouts in our experience is practices being boring, monotonous and unmotivating.
Coaches and PE teachers need to identify if there is a lack of enthusiasm between the children and then need to introduce measures that target this issue. In most cases, even small changes both on and off the court at practices can significantly increase the motivation and excitement of players to come to practice. One of the biggest motivating factors is the social aspect the sport. With the help of the sport psychologist, coaches and PE teachers need to introduce the importance of social life in badminton. Activities that highlight team spirit are highly valuable: cheering for each other at tournaments, having battle-cry, warming up together as a team, organising event off the court…eg.If coaches and PE teachers put a bigger emphasis on the importance of the social life around the badminton court, players will develop friendships and belonging to a social group, they will feel like they are an important member of the team, which can greatly decrease the risk of dropping out. Furthermore, coaches and PE teachers should put in a bigger effort to make the badminton practices more exciting: according to the sport psychologist, the use of music during sport activities can be extremely beneficial for the players. Music can increase the level of energy of players and can put them in a better mood. Other elements, such as having a club t-shirt, small rewards, acknowledgments, an increased attention on media of the sport club can all lead to a better training environment, and thus decrease the number of dropouts.

Another issue that has lead to dropouts is due to lack of training partners in the same level. We have met several cases, where the player lacked partners on his or her level at badminton practices. He/she either lost matches to players of higher level or he/she easily beat players of lower level, which lead to the player eventually quitting the sport.
This is a case that many sports clubs with smaller number of players experience. The lack of players in the same age or gender group can lead to big differences between the players in terms of the level of the game, which understandably can cause problems in practices. In order to reduce the number of dropouts due to this issue, the sport psychologist and coaches introduced a handicap system that they tried to implement in exercises and matches. The handicap system creates advantageous to the weaker players and disadvantageous to the stronger player, thus creating a balance between the players on court. This makes the players feel more equal regardless of their different levels and skills, which means that they feel more comfortable at practice and don’t feel like they are left out.

An important area of the project deals with creating equal opportunities, which means involving children from all social statuses and both genders. We have paid special attention to girls in sport, as there is generally a higher dropout rate between girls than boys in sport. Keeping girls in the sport will increase the number of children playing, which thus contributes to badminton becoming a mass sport, plus it provides a wider base for future top players. In order to maintain a satisfying number of girls in the sport, the sport psychologist focused on the mental conditions of girls, while developing a cooperation with the coaches and PE teachers.

Coaches and PE teachers also need differentiate between each and every individual. Each player is different and needs to be treated according to their own individual personalities and skills. Some need extra attention from coaches or PE teachers, some are more independent. Some can handle a bigger training load and are ambitious about reaching goals, while other might come practice only for fun and are not interested in training hard. The individual feature of the players need to be identified by the coaches and PE teachers. Communication is crucial. Having an open and honest communication between the coaches and players is extremely necessary for both parties. It makes players feel important and a valuable member of the club or school. Most efficient communication is in person, but a great way to do it can be on the online platform, where coaches and PE teachers can share shorter and simpler evaluations and tips with the players.

Parental influence
Obviously, parents have a huge influence on the children’s sports life. They can have a positive impact, but they can also have a negative impact if their attitude to the sport does not reflect their children’s attitude. According to our sport psychologist, it is crucial for clubs and schools to maintain a good relationship with the players’ parents. If the parents feel involved, and feel like they are an important part of the club life, they will develop a better relationship with the sport, which will have a positive impact on the players’ attitude, too.
We also encourage parents to participate in voluntary activities. While it is important that parents feel appreciated, they should not get involved in the professional aspects of badminton, such as coaching, exercises, tournaments. Those are the tasks of the coach. Unfortunately, we have experienced that parents wanted to play a bigger role than they should which lead to a negative relationship between them and their children. According to our sport psychologist, clubs and schools can reduce the number of these cases if they communicate their expectations to them properly, for example through parent-teacher (coach) meetings, personal talks, and emails that inform parents about the club life and the progression of their children.

The sport psychologist played crucial role in the project, as he has helped identifying problems like above, came up with useful suggestions and helped incorporating those in practice. We made sure the knowledge coming from these good practices are shared between the organizations, that is why including the sport psychologist’s improvements, we created articles which describe the positive experiences of the clubs, so that other organizations can learn from them.

Developing E platform with sport psychologist
Besides the above mentioned, we developed the E platform (badmintonplus) with the cooperation of the sport psychologist. The goal was to create a platform, where players can learn about badminton and sport in general in a fun way instead of just providing reading materials. That is why we developed quizzes with the help of a sport psychologist and created a point and award system.

The questions in the quizzes start with relatively easy questions, which creates a sense of achievement in kids quickly, and then we increase the difficulty of the question.

Based on the experience of coaches, we considered those areas of the sport where players lack some knowledge, and incorporated those in the quizzes.

We made sure the quizzes incorporate lots of photos and videos to make it more appealing to the children.

The inclusion of hints in the quizzes are very important contributors in the process of learning.

Some kids might use google to find out an answer, but that’s is completely fine, because the point is that he or she will have more knowledge.

We made the quizzes with the goal of a best possible learning experience, that is why many of the questions appear more than one time. This makes students remember the knowledge they gained from questions more effectively.

We did not create only badminton specific questions, but also questions related to general sport knowledge.

Further elements implemented in the E platform based on the suggestions of the sport psychologist:

point system
badge collection
rewards in person
development of the logo
lecture book

Az Európai Bizottság támogatást nyújtott ennek a projektnek a költségeihez, azonban ezzel nem befolyásolja a szerzők nézeteit és a project tartalmát. Az Európai Bizottság semmilyen felelősséget vagy kötelezettséget nem vállal a project során megfogalmazott információk és adatok tekintetében, nem tehető felelőssé az abban foglaltak bárminemű felhasználásért.


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Talking about stadia: the polyglot project.

This year, we have launched with my colleague, Afaf Abdin, a new conversation course for our French and English speaking students in our two international Master programmes at IUGA: ICUP-Urbano (International Cooperation in Urban Planning) and UCI (Cooperation Internationale en Urbanisme). The course was called Talking about stadia: the polyglot project. We invited students to question the words describing stadium and city in French (tribune), English (naming) but also in various languages such as Arabic (sâha, tarwid), Italian (tifo) or Urdu (markaz).

General aim
One needs to be polyglot (tongue and culture) to cooperate at international level in terms of planning. That is why in Master 2 UCI, teaching is done mostly in French with several courses given directly in English. In ICUP-Urbano, teaching is English only with some language courses in a second language (mostly French). The polyglot project was a way to practice this second language. A planner must be a translator of ideas and terms between languages but also within his own language.

The polyglot project was a way to practice a language (written – oral) i.e. Learning a languageThe polyglot project aimed to introduce a cooperation attitude between two masters groups i.e. Learning to cooperateThe polyglot project aimed to apply this knowledge to a worldwide urban issue: stadia, i.e. Understanding a social and economical phenomena through its technical vocabulary.

Groups and topics
The thirty something students were organized in groups of three students mixing the two master programmes, nationalities (14!) and disciplines (architecture, planning, geography, sciences of education, etc.). Each group could study four words or a specific subject and had to write an essay in French and English. Groups have been encouraged to write in a third language.

Amongst the topics selected:
– pre-game rituals in American colleges, Twickenham (rugby stadium in London) and Buenos Aires football grounds,
– the Arabic word tarwid and the French (se) dresser to understand the logics around the body in football grounds,
– safety in European football grounds,
– survival of ancient games in nowadays cities (bouzkachi in Afghanistan and Highlands games in Scotland),
– etc.

Final presentation was held the 26th of January 2018. Some of the essays will be published in this very blog. One can access the full texts on a dedicated blog: Les mots du stade.

Note: The Master ICUP is part of an Erasmus programme. Mundus Urbano (MU) is an interdisciplinary Master of Science programme specialising in International Cooperation in Urban Development, jointly offered by four European universities, with the support of the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union (Erasmus Mundus Master Course, EMMC). It addresses the dynamic challenges faced throughout the world due to rapid urbanisation processes.

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