text:
Criminal Networks Exploit Italy’s Anti-Immigrant Backlash

by Giulio D’Eramo, World War 4 Report

It was a bloody beginning of the year in Italy’s poor southern region of Calabria. Twenty-one African seasonal workers, 14 local villagers and 18 policemen were injured between Jan. 6 and the 8, according to police reports. It was not a shooting between two rival families in the land of the ‘Ndrangheta, which recently overtook the Sicilian Mafia as the richest and strongest criminal organization in the country. It wasn’t another intimidatory bomb set to explode in front of a state building as has happened twice already in 2010, in response to the ongoing trials against members of the criminal organization. What took place was a confrontation between some of the poorest immigrants in the western world, and the local residents of one of its poorest regions.

However, the ‘Ndrangheta, making immigrants work and live like slaves through its control of local businesses and town governments, simultaneously exploits the politically controversial issue of immigration. The criminal organization is accused by many of being the dark hand behind the apocalyptic events that took place in the village of Rosarno—in order to create the institutional chaos that serves so well those who want to set themselves up as the substitute state. Supporters of this theory of preemptive strikes can also hold as proof something that went unnoticed by the mainstream media: a few days after the events, on Jan. 12, a two-year police operation brought to the arrest of 15 members and affiliates of the Bellocco clan—the very same that controls Rosarno.

A brief review of the violence in Rosarno and the events leading up to it points to two related factors—’Ndrangheta control of the region, and the Italian state’s incapability of addressing the immigration crisis.

On Jan. 6, two unknown youngsters shot rubber bullets at two African workers who were on their way to one of the abandoned hangars where most of the 1,500 seasonal employees lived in disgraceful conditions. News of the shooting rapidly spread through these veritable slums, and a thousand immigrants took their anger to the streets in a violent expression of discontent. Dustbins were set to fire, boutiques smashed, and a few occupied cars were rattled with sticks. The police intervened to prevent a confrontation between the immigrants and the local populace, who were starting to gather in the main square in response to the violence—many already prone to viewing immigration in the region as a “plague.” The police intervention was largely effective, although many people were injured in minor incidents in other parts of town. Five immigrants were hospitalized after local villagers intentionally ran their cars over them. One of the motorists were arrested, and one had a long record of mafia-related crimes.

The riots went on through the afternoon of Jan. 9—when the immigrant were largely confined in their main slum, called Rognetta, with a cordon of police protecting them from local residents who had gathered around it, shouting menacing anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The police reports maintain that the next day all the immigrants voluntarily decided to leave. But, as the UK’s Observer newspaper put it, “local people clapped and cheered yesterday as hundreds of Africans were moved by police out of Rosarno.” The ones without documents (some 700) were sent to the “welcome” camps the national government has established in Bari, while the others took the train in search for better luck. While the immigrants were moving out, the police started to knock down the shameful slums, throwing out their few abandoned possessions. So the only result of the riots is that immigrants fled the village (and their jobs), and that their slum was destroyed. (Where will next years’ seasonal workers sleep?) Some of them have since come back to Rosarno, looking for the same job and the same living conditions.

Observers such as the progressive website Articolo21 ask what happened to the Rosarno of the ’90s, when it was a model of ethnic integration—so much such so that the village council declared Jan. 6 as day of brotherhood among the local populations. Rosarno had been a frontrunner in the struggle against the ‘Ndrangheta. But the city hall that was once routinely shot at by mobsters was ordered temporarily closed by the national government together with the town council because of mob infiltration in October 2008. Until new elections are held this year, Rosarno’s municipal powers have been assumed by the local Prefect, official representative of the national state for the province of Reggio di Calabria.

But this has not stopped mafia intimidations. Immediately after the January riots, Loretta Ventre, 83, saw her volunteer social projects destroyed by the mobsters, who ransacked the canteen for seasonal workers she ran at her home, providing free meals three times a week.

The ‘Ndrangheta has finally shown that in their territory, not even the police could stop them.

A few miles from Rosarno lies the small village of Riace. A decade ago in this small village, the center-left mayor Mimmo Lucano decided to welcome refugees. After being almost deserted over the previous 50 years (as the young sought work in the cities), Riace now has 1,800 inhabitants, repopulated and revived by some of the Kurds, Nigerians, Eritreans and Somalis who have landed on the shores of southern Italy. This model was also adopted by many neighboring villages. In 2009 the regional government of Calabria adopted the first (and only) law in Italy to integrate refugees through small local projects of sustainable development, from housing and tourism to agriculture and artisanship.

Riace was last summer the set of Wim Wenders’ new movie on immigration, Il Volo, where it was described as a modern utopia. To this comment, the mayor responded in a telephone interview: “If ours is a Utopia, then the whole world including Rosarno is madness. Wenders’ Utopia is just normality.”

Then he gave his opinion about the riots: “The shooting that prompted the riots is a good thing for criminal organizations. It provokes widespread confusion, it destabilizes the institutions and it diverts the public’s attention from the underlying problems. I had hoped that immigrants wouldn’t respond to the violence, because it was obvious that their reaction would bring very serious retaliation.”

After the incident, much was made by the media about the silent racism of Italian society. People from Rosarno, a few days after the immigrants quit the village, demonstrated peacefully to reject any allegation of racism. The funny thing is that the only anti-mafia banner present, set up by high school students, was removed by the organizers. So the locals, while denying any wrongdoing on their part, were silent about the responsibility of the ‘Ndrangheta, whose control of the territory explains the subhuman working and living conditions of the immigrants. A war between desperate people, and a wall of silence to protect the criminals responsible for it.

Two years ago in Rosarno, two masked boys entered one of the hangers where the African workers lived and fired a gun, severely injuring two young immigrants. There were some protests, and a Facebook group called “Africans will save Rosarno” was created in response to the attack. But then everything went back to normal, the immigrants kept coming two months per year to get a 20-euros wage for a 14-hour shift in agricultural labor and sleep in crowded, dirty abandoned buildings—for companies which court documents show to be in the hands of criminal syndicates. Anybody wondering if they are crazy not to look for a better job should keep in mind that even an Italian with a 40-hour-per-week job in the private sector (for example, bartendering) only receives around 500 euros a month, in Naples as well as in Calabria.

Last year, the Italian government had agreed to set up a 200,000-euro grant in order to provide the migrant workers in Rosarno with at least chemical toilets and a drinkable water supply—but only the 50,000 from the center-left government of the region actually arrived. For a few months there were some toilets at disposal; then they were removed for lack of funds. The national government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi never delivered the 150 thousand euros promised. And everything went back to “normal.”

This example shows that the government knew that the immigrants were treated as virtual slaves, while their employers flourish also thanks to European Union funds for agricultural development that they use to hire undocumented and under-payed workers. Just after the immigrants were moved out of the region, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni dismissed any allegation of responsibility by putting the blame on clandestine measures to assist undocumented immigrants supposedly undertaken by leftist local governments—and, obviously, on the immigrants themselves, not perceived as victims but as criminals.

Along with this rhetoric has come a series of new laws which reduce the possibility for immigrants to get working permits, while at the same time toughening the legal consequences of illegal immigration. Under the new legislation, which passed last July, undocumented immigrants are liable to pay a fine of 10,000 euros ($14,200) and can now be detained by the authorities for up to six months. Obviously no undocumented immigrant could pay such a fine. But the criminal organizations who use them like slaves, saving millions of euros in regular wages, only risk incurring a modest fine in case they get caught. Additionally, people who knowingly house undocumented migrants can now face up to three years in prison.

If that were not enough, the new law also permits the formation of unarmed citizen patrol groups to help police with immigration enforcement. The law criminalizes immigrants while encouraging vigilantism—thus contributing to the dangerous spiral of violence.

It is important to understand that mass migration to Italy started in the ’90s, and in the past ten years the country has passed from 1 to 4 million estimated immigrants. Such a fast rise brings inevitable social tensions, especially in times of economic crisis. Figures such as Harvard economist George Borjas purport that native workers’ wages decline by 3% or 4% for every 10% increase in immigrants with similar skills. So behind the usual distinction between left and right on such issues stands an inherent contradiction between ideology and actual politics.

Berlusconi clearly summarized the different ideological positions in the aftermath of the riots: “The left wants a multi-ethnic society—we don’t.” If workers (potential left-wing voters) are scared of immigrants because they believe their presence drives down wages, entrepreneurs and businessmen (potential right wing voters) make good use of workers without legal rights. So potential supporters of right- and left-wing political parties are at odds with their own parties’ ideology.

The present and past governments, instead of trying to manage the situation, preferred to either instigate fear in order to build a consensus (Berlusconi), or simply failed to recognize the importance and dangers of the issue (Romano Prodi). Berlusconi and his allies are daily reaching out to new voters with their politics of fear, and pleasing their natural base by reducing the civil rights of immigrants. Increasing the desperation of the migrants further drives down the cost of their labor—which pleases many entrepreneurs, especially if they are part of a criminal organization, as in Rosarno.

So, as the left unsuccessfully tries to hide the fact that they are unable or unwilling to address the problem, Berlusconi gets two pigeons with one stone.

Giulio D’Eramo is a freelance writer whose work appears frequently in Index on Censorship, Articolo 21, Red Pepper and other online publications. He recently launched his own blog. An Italian native, he currently resides in England.

Italians cheer as police move African immigrants out after clashes with locals
The Observer, Jan. 10, 2010

Wim Wenders helms 3D pic in Italy
Variety, Feb. 5, 2010

From our Daily Report:

Italy: authorities detain African immigrants following violence
World War 4 Report, Jan. 12, 2010

Special to World War 4 Report, March 1, 2010
Reprinting permissible with attribution


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The Obama Administration today announced new U.S. Dept. of the Treasury guidelines to enable servicer's to begin modifications of eligible mortgages under the Administration's Homeowner Affordability and Stability plan. The Making Home Affordable program details announced today will offer assistance to as many as 9 million homeowners. The guidelines will implement financial incentives for mortgage lenders to modify existing first mortgages and set standard industry practice for modifications.

The Treasury Dept. also announced that the Making Home Affordable program will include additional incentives for efforts made to extinguish second liens on loans modified under this program. Extinguishing second liens will make mortgages more affordable, improve loan performance, and help prevent foreclosures.

In conjunction with the release of the new guidelines, the Treasury Dept., the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and others have prepared a consumer-friendly Q&A and eligibility assessment tools for borrowers available at www.FinancialStability.gov.

More details, including a fact sheet, are available at the following links:

Making Home Affordable Refinance and Modification Options: http://www.financialstability.gov/makinghomeaffordable/index.html;

Summary of guidelines: www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/guidelines_summary.pdf;

Modification program guidelines: www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/modification_program_guidelines.pdf;

Fact sheet: www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/housing_fact_sheet.pdf.

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text:
I’m 18 months old and I can do that too.

Life runs a bit slower with these wee feet alongside you.

As you know, I live in Cambodia.  Since the birth of my nephew, anytime I visit the UK, I’ve taken to spending a couple of weeks at my sister’s and hanging out with my nephew (and my sister and brother-in-law).  This time at 18 months old, it was an absolute delight to see more of his wee personality coming out.  Thoughtful, inclusive, at times ever so sweet, commanding, wanting to be helpful and involved, he made us laugh A LOT.  So I wrote this poem to capture this moment in his development.

I’m 18 months and I can do that too

I can do that too,
You know.
I’m 18 months old.

I can feed myself.
I have my own bowl, plate and hands.
“HhUM”, I say, when I want something you offer me.
“Kh-heese” is my favourite.
You’ve given me a fork and spoon?
I know what they are.
Mess makers on my face and floor.

“No.”  I don’t need your help for that.
Nor when I compose on the keyboard
with my knees and palms.
I’m being post structuralist.
Stay 2 feet away from me.

I can get my shoes and bring your trainers too,
So that we can all go outside.
And I know which direction our walk should take.
We’ll walk past “mee-Ow”
Climb up ‘big step’. “o-Oh” and gingerly go
down them.  Walk over black and white stripes.
‘run run run run run’
down hills.
On our way to the
“Ddu- Ddu-” that go “wak-wak”.

“Ball” is my favourite game.
When I wake up, “ball” is where I run to.
I have three officially.
But a tangerine or a stacking up cup works too.
If you throw “ball” to me, I will like you.
But when you throw it on your head,
I’ll scrunch up my eyes and laugh
when it hits my head too.

I love to play with “ball” so much.
Going outside to play,
Wrapped up in my thick coat and wellies makes me happy.
I’m a good kicker.  Everyone tells me,
‘Good job.’ ‘Well done.’ when I send the ball to them.
I get upset when –
I don’t understand why – “ball” runs away,
like it doesn’t want to play with me.
Uh huh uh huh HUH HUH HUH.
I make my ee-mo* run and kick it back to me.

“Der” I point to the big screen.
Why watch it on your small phone
When it’s better bigger?
Cast it “Der!”
The music makes my legs
jump and arms wave.
I love it more when we dance together.

I’ve been watching you.
How you do it.
And I can do that too.

*ee-mo: 이모 in Korean. Translates as aunt in English. This is the basic form for what you call your mother’s sisters. Your father’s sisters are addressed as 고모 (go-mo). Ah, *rueful smile* – the specificity of korean titles. For a more detailed overview on the Korean family and kinship terms, check out this blog post on the talking cupboard.

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Han-Na Cha

English Language Teacher, Academic and Personal Development Skills Trainer, Baker.

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text:
Delia’s Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday

Whenever Pancake Day comes around, I remember my friend Sarah of the chocolate macarons and the white chocolate, cardamon and rosewater cake. We cooked and hosted many a pancake evening for friends, church small group, and parties. She’d make the pancake batter. I would cook the pancakes. We were the pancake dream team.  So you’d understand why, for years, I had no need for a pancake recipe.  This was compounded because Sarah never used measurements. “You just mix flour, milk and eggs until it’s just the right consistency.”

Then when I moved to Cambodia five years ago, French Esther was the resident pancake/crepe queen.  She followed a recipe of sorts and shared it with me once. I wrote it on the tiles of my kitchen, but when I moved the recipe was wiped away.

Just so that we’re clear.  I’m talking about English pancakes here.  Not the fluffy North American variety or the Scottish drop scone cousin, Scotch pancakes.  On Shrove Tuesday, I’m a fan of the traditional thin, light, slightly crispy, English pancake, drizzled with lemon juice and sprinkled with brown sugar.

Pancakes with lime juice and palm sugar: a Cambodian twist.

Then, last year, after decades of cooking pancakes, suddenly I realised that I did not know how to make the pancake batter and the traditionalist in me wasn’t going to intuitively make them as the others had.  So, I looked up Delia and we had pancakes.

Except I chose to use my bamix mixer to make them.  Why not?  If you have a food processor, it’s much quicker to put all the ingredients into one and process it until you have a smooth batter.  It takes a bit longer if you want to do it by hand, using a whisk.  I’ve included the instructions, having followed both methods.

In Delia’s original recipe she adds 2 tablespoons of melted butter to the batter.  I’ve looked up why one should add butter to the pancake batter. (Sarah nor Esther ever did.)  Felicity Cloake tried it and says it gives a better tasting pancake but in the end decided to cook the pancakes in the melted butter rather than adding it to the batter.  I have a theory that it’s to use up/add more fat, as Shrove Tuesday is the day to use up fat before the start of Lent.  Rather than add butter to the batter, I prefer to use whole milk to add richness.  And controversially, perhaps, I eschew cooking the pancakes in any fat.  I like to use a small good non-stick frying pan, set it on a moderate heat, swirl in just enough of my batter so that it covers the frying pan and gently cook my pancakes on it until there are bubbles forming on the bottom and it comes away easily from the pan.  Flip it over, anyway that you like, cook it on the other side for another minute or two and you’ll have good, thin, crispy English style pancakes.  I find by cooking it like this, I rarely have that dud first pancake that has to be thrown away.

Then all you have left to do is choose your favourite toppings, et voila.  Munch away.

Here are the pancakes, adapted from Delia, this will make about 14-16 pancakes.

  • 110g plain flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 275ml whole milk

  1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or a blender.  Blitz up until smooth.  Alternatively to make them with a whisk, put the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.  Add in the eggs, as you whisk them in the flour, slowly add the milk until you get a smooth mixture, the consistency of cream.  It’s ready to use immediately, or you can leave it to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  This also means that you could make the mixture beforehand so that it’s ready for a pancake party.
  2. Using a small non-stick frying pan, use a moderate to high heat and pour just enough batter into the pan, swirling it around so that it covers the pan.  (I’ve linked this to a video but it takes some time to load up.) Gently cook the pancake until small bubbles form on the bottom and it comes away easily from the pan.  Flip it over, anyway that you like, cook it on the other side for another minute or two and serve.
  3. If you want to get started on pancakes before your eating companions arrive, then keep them warm in the oven.  I stack them on a plate and cover with foil before putting them in a warm oven, which is set at a low temperature.
See the bubbles forming, at this stage it’s just about ready to flip over

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English Language Teacher, Academic and Personal Development Skills Trainer, Baker.

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Home / Course catalog / Fire Safety Awareness (FISAAW)

Fire Safety

Fire Safety Awareness (FISAAW)

This course is aimed at everyone within the workplace. Fire prevention is everyone's responsibility, this course provides a knowledge and understanding of fire safety issues helping to develop a culture of fire prevention and protection.

Staff and visitor safety are paramount in any workplace, so it is vital that all staff are aware of what they can do to prevent a fire from occurring and what steps they need to take in the event of a fire breaking out in the workplace.

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires all employers to carry out fire risk assessments and have adequate and appropriate fire safety measures are in place to minimise the risk of injury or loss of life in the event of a fire.

This course covers the steps of a fire risk assessment, good practices to follow to prevent fires from starting, what causes a fire and the processes to follow in the event of an emergency or evacuation.
  • Fire Safety Awareness
  • Feedback
Completion rules
  • All units must be completed
  • Leads to a certification with a duration: 1 year


text:
Who doesn’t love an engagement picture on Instagram, right?

Long before a fiance asks The Question, they need to have some other extremely important questions answered.

Deciding who to marry and what kind of marriage you will build together are two of the most important decisions you will make in life.  If you are curious about how to make that decision in the healthiest and whole-est of ways from the start then this course is for you.

Expected release: Early 2020

Because of the anxiety and isolation of this season, the Freedom For Course is now  PAY WHAT YOU WANT


text:
How to Sew Quilt Binding 100% by Machine
Quilting,  Sewing,  Tutorials,  Videos

Video: How to Sew Quilt Binding 100% by Machine

This tutorial will show you the method that I use to sew my quilt binding in place – 100% sewn with sewing machine stitches.  I rarely hand sew, only when it’s absolutely necessary.  I’m someone who wishes she was a neater stitcher. However, I haven’t been able to force myself to practice more.  If I had to hand-sew my quilt binding in place, I think my work-in-progress pile would be even worse than it is now!  Meep!

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Typically, the binding is sewn in place from one side, then folded over to the other side and hand sewn in place with neat, almost hidden stitches.  As much as I admire those bindings, I’m a big fan of machine binding because I feel like the extra line of machine stitches actually adds to the quilt.  It’s like an extra component of top stitching!  I’m into it!

So this is a Guide for Quilters Who HATE Hand Sewing! Or alternatively, maybe a guide for quilters who need to finish can u buy accutane online their quilt in a hurry.

This video tutorial will teach you:

  1. How to calculate how much binding you need (or you can use a quilt binding calculator like this one if you don’t feel like doing the math)
  2. How to cut out the binding strips
  3. How to join the binding strips
  4. And finally, how to attach the binding strips to your quilt 100% by machine. No hand sewing!

I LOVE this machine binding method because you can’t distinguish the last joined end from any of the other joins in the quilt. I wash and use my quilts repeatedly and haven’t seen any issues with the binding coming loose, etc.

Here is an example of what it looks like.  Sewing along the edge and catching both the top and bottom takes practice and careful pinning/clipping.

Quilt Binding Close Up

You can either watch the video embedded below or click through to the full-size video on my YouTube channel for the How to Sew Quilt Binding 100% by Sewing Machine tutorial.

Thanks for watching!

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Provide your full name when you make a booking

When booking a flight, you should always use your name exactly as it’s written in your passport or travel ID.

Total length of the below two fields shall not exceed 25 symbols.

 Given names: your first and middle name(s)

Surname(s): your family or last name(s)

  • If you are recently married but your passport still has your maiden name, we recommend that you contact the Airline before making a reservation.
  • If your passport says ‘John James Smith’ but you don’t commonly use your middle name, you should still include it in your booking.
  • Your middle name should be included with your first name in the same input box. In this example, the given name(s) would be John James.
  • Similarly, all surnames should be included together in the correct order, in the surname(s) box.

If you only have one name, then use that name in both fields. E.g. if your only name is Anna, then you should use “Given names: Anna, Surname(s): Anna. In this way, your e-ticket will show your name as Anna Anna.

Please do not use test, abracadabra, N/A, NIL, or None in the any of the name fields. The Airline may cancel such a reservation manually or by  robot and or apply a penalty.

Airlines will not allow you on board if the name on your booking doesn’t match your passport.

Please note that Airlines usually charge a fee to correct a name after the booking has been made.

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text:
Sarah Mulder

i. I work as a:
Jewelry designer and artist in downtown Vancouver (Gastown)

ii. I do this creative work because:
It’s ingrained in me, I go to bed with designs in my head. I get flooded with ideas that I sometimes have to get out of bed to write down and I wake up with shapes and colours that must be immediately be drawn out.  It’s my life and my therapy for peace of mind (but the designs in the middle of the night drive me a little crazy – it’s slightly obsessive!!)

iii. Personal qualities that help me in my work are:
I’m self driven and passionate about what I do.  I make a list at the beginning of every week and pick my top things to get done and just do them (as much as possible). I also like to surround myself with other creative people that are going through the same growth as me- with the same passion and vision, it’s extremely helpful to share ideas and resources and help each other grow.  I love seeing my friends succeed it’s really amazing.

iv. The greatest challenges around doing this work are:
You have to want to do everything (even the bad/scary/tedious/boring/annoying stuff!!) until you get to a place where you can start to hire people to take over some of those things for you!! I’m in a place now where I potentially could hire someone part-time, but it’s REALLY hard to hand over the reins!! BUT when you find the right people everything just sort of seems to fall into place.

v. Creative childhood hobbies:
Art, Art and more Art. I didn’t want to do anything else (except swim…I loved swimming! Haha).  I can remember at a pretty young age being obsessed with making “friendship bracelets” with embroidery thread.  I made an entire shoe box of them because when I get on a creative roll, I’ll just do it forever. I found the box when I was in my 20’s and was learning how to knit and play the guitar.  I tied all of those bracelets into one long “yarn” strand and knit the most amazing guitar strap of all time…the guitar got stolen …I no longer knit…or play guitar, but MAN was I proud of that damn strap!! I hope someone is using that thing still.

vi. Other creators who inspire you:
I have a whole circle of amazing friends that have been building their businesses/careers since I’ve known them.  My list would be very long here!! There are a couple of women I get to see on the regular – my studio mate Hailey Gerrits (jewelry designer)Anita Chow (Make More Happy Knits), and Henny Hwang (Hennygraphy photography) who have a big impact on my business.  I moved in three years ago to our studio in Gastown with Hailey and we have been able to grow our businesses substantially in that period of time. We are each others go-to’s for day to day problem solving and which is so rare in our field. I couldn’t have gotten this far without her and her business drive is awesome to be around!

Anita of Make More Happy is my go-to for everything when I need a second opinion  or advice, she’s become one of my best friends and I am so proud of how clever and creative she is.  I’m always in awe of how she develops her beautiful product…she makes her own knit patterns!!! It blows my mind every time!!

Hennygraphy I met through collaborating with photographers for photoshoots.  I connected with her while she was living in Toronto and found out she was moving back to Vancouver and as soon as she did we became instant friends through our love of creation and art.  I have hired her ever since for my Lookbook photoshoots and still do tons of collaborative projects with her as well.  She’s constantly growing her business and it’s beautiful to see where it’s leading her.  We totally “vibe” off of each others ideas and dream up pretty little projects together- I love it!!

vii. Training that has helped me succeed in this career:
I did go to Langara and Emily Carr University graduating with a BFA…which all had a direct impact on my skills and growth as an artist, but jewelry is 100% all me. I picked it up as a hobby and I am completely self-taught.  Every photoshoot/design and other bits and pieces were just something that I picked up.  Now I watch/listen to  podcasts or have lots of chats with other designers which seems to be the most effective way of growing- you just gotta get out there and do it- meet people and never stop talking. You will always take something away from a great conversation.

viii. The biggest myth about this type of work is:
It’s non-stop fun. People think that we don’t work that hard or for very many hours in a day.  Ummmmmmmmmm yahhhhhh

We pretty much never stop working and connecting and scheming and planning…it’s go-go-go.  My jewelry is currently in 40+ stores and it’s just me running the show. There’s no such thing as an entire day off anymore because inevitably there will be a phone call or an email to return from home. I do LOVE my work, so I’m very happy to put those hours in and feel lucky to get to do that. I’m a happy person and my work is a reflection of that environment that we have created- so when we are working, it feels really good!

ix. Some proud career moments:
Moving into my studio 3 years ago was a highlight for sure, my business really grew after that. This is my 7th year being full-time in jewelry design and working for myself and I just signed with an Ontario Sale Rep which has been awesome! I’m looking forward to an amazing year (it’s already been a great start!).

x. If you want to work in my field, I suggest that you:
Take a little course somewhere…see if it’s for you. Don’t throw yourself into a bunch of college courses or expensive tools. Make sure you like doing it by taking a small class (there’s some good ones in North Vancouver at Capilano Rock and Gem and in Burnaby at Mountain Gems ) I personally have taken a small wax carving class and tons and tons of other small classes in art and I think there is nothing like a hands-on course in a small group.  The jewelry biz is incredibly competitive and somewhat oversaturated in Vancouver, so if you want to go for it, find your niche, do your research about what’s out there, check everything out and see where you might fit in to the market.

xi. A professional goal I have for the future:
Growth across Canada and slowly into the US market.

xii. If you want to see my work, go to:

Photography: Hennygraphy

Model: Coco Miko Purbah

Spirits Of The Realms

Bayoush Mengesha

Elizabeth Newton

Elizabeth Newton


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What to Do When You Lose Your Crojo

When you’ve been crocheting for any amount of time, you know that losing your crojo can be a real problem–especially if you use crochet as a method of keeping your stress and anxiety at bay, like I do. I’m here to give you some tried and true methods of what I do to regain my crojo and reset the balance of my little world (which my family probably thinks revolves around yarn, since I own so much).

What is Crojo?

Fair question. Crojo is a word created by crocheters in the industry that merges crochet and mojo. Losing your crojo often means that you just find yourself not wanting to pick up your hook and work on any type of crochet project. You feel uninspired, unmotivated, and otherwise blah toward the passion that was once involved in your craft.

For people who work in the crochet industry–pattern makers, pattern testers, custom crochet project makers, Etsy sellers, craft fair enthusiasts, and crochet bloggers–losing your crojo can be a serious issue. As well as for people, such as myself, who also work corporate jobs and use crochet as a form of releasing the anxiety we’ve built up throughout our days.

Why Do We Lose Our Crojo?

I’m friends with many crocheters, and we all talk about what causes us to lose our mojo from time-to-time. It seems the most common is when we say yes to something we should have said no to.

Do you ever have a good friend come to you with a project like this, “Hey, Amanda! I know you are a great crocheter. I just saw this pattern for a (insert large and complicated pattern here) and I’m willing to pay you to make it for me!” Because you like a challenge, and live to help out your friends, you say yes. Despite the fact that you’re already busy. Despite the fact that you currently have 5 other projects you’re working on. Despite the fact that you don’t have a pattern for the project and think you’ll have time to make one up. I’m a pro at doing this very same thing.

Another possible reason people lose their will to crochet could be if they’ve been working on the same project for a long period of time. Maybe it’s a paid project, or maybe it’s just something you wanted to take on because you thought you had a lot of time. But now it’s summer, and the blanket is bulky, and hot, and you are just over it.

I’ve been there.

10 Ideas to Get Your Crojo Back

The list-maker in me wanted to come up with some tried-and-true ideas to help you get your crojo back! Now, sometimes I try one of these and they don’t work, so I have to move on to another. But keep trying, and hopefully you’ll find the one that works for you!

  1. Start a project you know you can finish in an hour – Simply the act of finishing a project could be enough to help you get out of your funk. Need a quick-turn project? Try out these face scrubbies or try making a velvet scrunchie. Often times all you need is the rush of finishing a project in order to kick you back into working on others.
  2. Learn a new stitch – If you’re making a crochet blanket in the bobble stitch, and it’s the only stitch you happen to know right now, you might just be plain sick and tired of it. There’s much more to crochet than a few stitches–there are hundreds! Check out New Stitch a Day for some ideas.
  3. Wander through the yarn aisle at your local craft store. Sometimes just getting out and finding a new skein of yarn will get you motivated. Maybe select something that’s a different texture than what you’ve been working with.
  4. If you think it’s the hook that’s the issue, try a project where you crochet with your hands. Arm crochet, or finger crochet, have become popular in the past few years with the release of the super bulky yarns you can now find. Try putting down your hook and crocheting a different way.
  5. Join a crochet subscription box group and participate in a project with a group. The motivation of seeing others in the group finish their projects might be enough to help you out on your own!
  6. Find a local crochet group and meet up with them. I know my local yarn stores all have groups that meet and work on projects together frequently. It’s a way to share ideas, friendship, and oftentimes a motivation to also finish your project.
  7. Use a Facebook group as inspiration! There are several times people in the groups I’m active in lose their crojo, and they post and ask for idea for their particular situation. The group members share what works (and doesn’t work) for them, and the community tries to also help you out!
  8. Step away from crochet totally for a few days. If you work in the crochet field, maybe you just need a bit of a vacation! Don’t feel bad, everyone needs a vacation from time to time and you are no different! Plan a few days doing something else away from your crochet, and then see if the rest helps you when you come back to it.
  9. Sometimes our craft can also be attached to fond memories. Perhaps a hook that a loved one bought for us broke, or we lost it, and we just can’t bear to continue working. Perhaps we only crocheted with a family member who has passed on. It’s okay to take a break, but remember that your loved one wouldn’t want you to give up something that you love, and that the memories shared are special, and should live on. If you’ve lost your crojo due to sadness, talking to someone else about it might do the trick.
  10. Make something for yourself. Often we are so busy crocheting gifts and commission work for others that we lose our crojo because we aren’t able to enjoy our own work! So stop and make something for yourself. You are worth it!

I hope I’ve provided a few options you can try to get your crojo back! Remember that crochet is something that can only be done by hand, and if you’re one of the few people who can do this craft, you are special. Inspiration can be found in many sources–sometimes I head to my Facebook groups for it, and other times I browse Instagram or Pinterest for it. The important thing is making sure to take care of yourself and your needs first.


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The Wealth of Older Americans and the Sub-Prime Debacle

This study explores the consequences of the housing price bubble and its collapse for the wealth of older households. We utilize micro survey data to follow the rise in home values to 2007, observing which households enjoyed home price appreciation and how they responded in terms of equity withdrawal. We then use the SCF survey data on wealth holdings from 2007 in combination with national price indexes to simulate the magnitude and distribution of wealth loss from the 2008-2009 financial crisis.  The collapse of the housing market triggered a broad decline of asset prices that greatly reduced the wealth of all households.  While older households mitigated their real estate and equity losses with relatively stable fixed-value assets and pension programs, no demographic group was left unscathed.

Prior to the financial crisis, our study and others had concluded that the current baby-boom cohort of near retirees were surprisingly well-prepared for retirement compared with similarly aged households over the past quarter century.  Unless there is a strong recovery of asset values in the next few years, that favorable assessment is no longer true.


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donation covid-19 in bitcoin

Bitcoin donation to hospitals for the COVID-19 emergency

As a cryptocurrency company we cannot pretend not to see or hear about this serious epidemic that is facing the whole of Europe. We cannot stand without doing anything to help.

In this really difficult phase for our country we can also do something to support our communities. Doctors and scientists are doing a very important job and we would like to help support them.

For this reason, together with our staff, we thought of helping the intensive care units at hospitals in Italy that need it most. At this moment the equipment necessary to triple the intensive and subintensive care beds are:

👉 Fans
👉 Non invasive ventilation devices
👉 Hemodynamic monitoring
👉 Monitor

The situation is very serious LOOK at the situation updated to today.
Even a small donation can make a difference..

Funds will be raised in BITCOIN, LITECOIN and DASH.

Doctors in northern Italy struggling with the explosion of COVID-19 cases are warning their hospitals are on the brink of collapse and telling other countries to prepare for a fierce battle. At the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in Europe, the sudden surge to more than 10,000 cases in the region in just three weeks has overwhelmed intensive care units, with a shortage of beds and staff and ventilators potentially pushing the death toll higher. (2,503 died on 03/18/2020).

The overflow means patients are being treated in operating rooms, hospital corridors, or recovery rooms. Only a small portion of patients are being housed in negative-pressure isolation rooms, designed to stop airborne contaminants from infecting healthcare workers. Doctors are being forced to make tough decisions on which patients will get ventilation machines or respirators.

COVID-19 cases in Italy have exploded from just a handful of confirmed cases to 10,149 in less than three weeks, and with the number of cases expected to continue to rise dramatically, senior doctors are urging Italians to quarantine themselves as the only way to prevent a catastrophic collapse of their medical system.

The situation is most acute in Lombardy, the northern region that is the worst-affected part of the country, with 16,026 cases, including 879 in intensive care.

cryptolocalatm crowfounding hospital bitcoin covid-19

Elisabetta Groppelli, a virologist and lecturer in public health at St. George’s, University of London, told VICE News.

Healthcare facilities have reached critical levels in Lombardy due to the high number of hospitalizations and cases requiring intensive care. By now, we are forced to provide intensive care treatments in the corridor, in the operating rooms, in the recovery rooms. We gutted entire hospital wards to make room for the seriously ill. One of the best health systems in the world, the Lombard one, is one step away from collapse.

Massimo Galli, director of infectious diseases at the Sacco hospital in Milan, told The Guardian that he had similar concerns.

The pressure on hospitals in Lombardy these days is enormous. I am very, very concerned about the impact the virus will have on our healthcare system. ‘it’s a race against time’

Lombardy’s chief health officer, Giulio Gallera, told Bloomberg that:

the region has dedicated 80% of its 1,123 acute care beds to coronavirus. But Pesenti said that, according to some forecasts, Lombardy could have 18,000 patients hospitalized by March 26, between 2,700 and 3,200 of whom would have required acute care.

Help us to help other people too, even a simple sharing of this article is enough so that all nations can help these hospitals! Only united can we defeat this evil. Together we will do it.

LAST UPDATE 30/04/2020

We are happy to report that fundraising ended today 30/04/2020. was collected 13 USD and we promptly sent 15 EUR to the hospital in BERGAMO which was one of the most affected hospitals in Italy. For greater transparency of our operation we have used the GOFOUNDME platform in this way anyone can view the successful transition. We attach additional proof of payment to this.

The CryptoLocalATM staff thanks those who have taken this charity work to heart and we thank you for the trust shown in us.

You can check in real time from here


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Authorities recently took an Ohio local into custody recently for accusations of running an unlawful money laundering outfit on the Dark Web.

The alleged operator of an illegal business called Helix, Larry Harmon faces accusations of money laundering and running a money transference venture without proper licensing, the Department of Justice, or DoJ, detailed on Feb. 13.

Harmon ran Helix for years

The 36-year old Ohio native reportedly started up Helix in 2014, taking the endeavor all the way to crypto’s hay day in 2017. The DoJ explained:

“Helix functioned as a bitcoin ‘mixer’ or ‘tumbler,’ allowing customers, for a fee, to send bitcoin to designated recipients in a manner that was designed to conceal the source or owner of the bitcoin.”

Per the allegations, Harmon attracted users by touting the ability to hide fund transfers from the government’s watchful eye. As part of his dealings, Harmon also operated a Dark Web search tool called Grams.

The Ohio man was in deep

Harmon’s supposed endeavors naturally tied him to other Dark Web illegalities. “Helix allegedly laundered hundreds of millions of dollars of illicit narcotics proceeds and other criminal profits for Darknet users around the globe,” Assistant Attorney General for the DoJ’s Criminal Division Brian Benczkowski said in the statement.

IRS Criminal Investigation head Don Fort added:

“The sole purpose of Harmon’s operation was to conceal criminal transactions from law enforcement on the Darknet, and because of our growing expertise in this area, he could not make good on that promise. Working in tandem with other sites, he sought to be the ‘go-to’ money launderer on the Darknet, but our investigators once again played the role of criminal disrupters, unraveling the interlinked web from one tentacle to another.”

Charges include that Harmon’s Helix outfit transferred more than 350,000 Bitcoin — worth upward of $300 million at the time. The illegal entity also powered money laundering activities for users of AlphaBay, a highly trafficked Dark Web vendor, the DoJ detailed.

The DoJ pointed out, however, that the charges provided are still considered alleged activities until definitive guilt is proven.

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Recognition Tower

Recognition should be designed to acknowledge specific accomplishments, be tied to business goals and have a tangible reminder of the accomplishment. These Optical milestone towers help each employee build their own tower of recognition.

Start with the base and include a company logo or mission statement - everything needed to identify a corporate culture. The next block should be the cap; then every block that follows interlocks between the cap and base. Give a block for each landmark event:
Training Milestones
Safety Records
Team Efforts
Sales Goals
Business Achievements
Fund Raising
Community Involvement
Above & Beyond
Dust or wipe clean with a cloth dampened with water once a week. Be sure not to leave water spots on the surface. These water spots will dry and could possibly leave permanent marks. Clean stains/spots using the following steps: Dampen a soft cloth with a mixture of hot water and liquid dishwashing detergent. Wring the cloth as much as possible to remove excess liquid. Rub the surface lightly in a circular motion. Dry the surface immediately with a clean, soft towel.


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I was wondering if there was any research on whether or not students generally perform better later if they're introduced to the syntax they'll be learning far earlier than they actually use it.

As an example will students ultimately learn import/export better if they're given code that has import statements in it long before they actually create their own modules; or will introducing the syntax too early be more likely to overwhelm students if they haven't been taught what it does? If the former is it likely to distract or worsen the students from learning the current objectives?

If there is more specific research than just yes/no I'm definitely interested. For example things that would be useful to know:

  • Are there certain ways to classify students where some group will benefit or detriment from being introduced to syntax early?
  • Do certain age groups handle early introduction of syntax better?
  • Is there some minimal skill set after which early introduction of syntax will begin to add benefits?
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to the site. Nice question. I have added an answer; just my opinion. Hope you get a more research based answer though, as I am interested in the result. $\endgroup$ – ctrl-alt-delor Sep 11 '17 at 7:46
  • $\begingroup$ Seems this could equally be asked on a language stack - with regard to either vocabulary, or grammar. More likely to be research in natural language teaching, I expect. $\endgroup$ – Sean Houlihane Sep 11 '17 at 18:09

Boldly Go...

First, I'll just say yes, it is a good idea to introduce things (let students see them) before they have to deal with them in detail. There is actually a Pedagogical Pattern, See Before Hear, that suggests that it is a good idea to let students see things before you even lecture on them. This isn't true about just syntax. The essence of the Spiral pedagogical pattern is that you teach things repeatedly to different levels of detail over a course and a curriculum. I'm pretty sure you would think it foolish if the first time the students hear the word "compiler" is when they need to build one.

But to address the question of "Research" is a different issue. I think the kind of thing you might mean by research would likely be unethical. Educators, like doctors, have a "do no harm" directive. You can't run an experiment in education in which you even suspect that some technique might be worse than another, but apply the two techniques to two groups. You run the risk of doing harm to one group. You can only apply techniques that you believe to be best practice.

The only kind of experiment that would be valid is to poll teachers on their practice and then either (a) ask them how their students do or (b) somehow measure their students actual performance. The first is just opinion based and the second is very difficult to arrange, partly because it can be disruptive to the educational process. Another reason why such research is usually not repeatable (hence basically invalid) is that there are too many variables in education: between teachers, students, environments, etc.

An alternative: Patterns

Patterns, are a kind of "experiment" in that they are a means to capture the practices of experts, vetted through a process (the patterns process) by other experts. The process is quite involved requiring many re-writes to have a pattern accepted. This is true of all patterns of course (design patterns, org patterns, etc.), not just pedagogical patterns. The pattern not only includes the what should be done but the why this is the right thing to do (resolution of forces).

Another pedagogical pattern that pushes your syntax idea to the max is the Fixer Upper pattern in which you give students a fairly large program that (a) has good structure overall, but (b) you have broken in some well determined ways. The student task is to repair the program. This can be a first day exercise, in fact. The students first look at any syntax is a complete program that they need to work through.

One of the reasons that this sort of thing "works" is that (a) much of what you want to teach them they may already know or will pick up instantly, but (b) which particular things that is differs for each person. Letting students see an organic whole lets each of them draw on his/her strengths in understanding it, leaving you only the task of filling in the holes as needed. Each person needs to learn different things from the class; not all the same thing.

Another reason that the opposite thing does not work is that everyone learns differently. If you make the assumption that people learn by seeing or hearing something and then immediately "knowing" it you are treating the brain like a disk drive. I doesn't work that way. The brain works by reinforcement. So, if your teaching style is to teach everything only once and completely, then you guarantee that you will reach only a tiny fraction of your students, and many of those don't need the instruction anyway.

I have not seen research, but this is my practice.

  • I teach print before, teaching how to implement print.
  • I teach use of classes, before implementation of classes.
  • I teach import (in python), before teaching how to make modules. I just tell them “import turtle tells python how to be a turtle.”

I see it like, learning to read, before learning to write.

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Deaf Senior day is every 2nd Thursday of the month where the deaf senior group come together for food, games, entertainment, and socializing. For more information on how to join, please contact crobbins@cshni.org.

Event Start Date & Time
Date(s) - November 12, 2026
Time(s) - 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

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CSN Login
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Hoarse voice

Posts: 69
Joined: Dec 2003

Hi Everyone, It's been a long time since I have had any reason to worry about my health. But now I am almost ready to panic. I work with young children and have had a nasty infection going on. I finally got some antibiotics after 8 days of being told it was a common cold. Well the good news is my head is starting to clear, but my voice is very hoarse and is bringing back some of the old times when my voice was hoarse before I was diagnosed. I am going to set up an appointment with my oncologist, but I am not sure whether I am jumping the gun or I should really be worried. What do you think? Thanks

Posts: 62
Joined: May 2004

I think that no one knows your body better than you! :) I know if I am concerned, my onc doesn't mind seeing me and that makes me comforted.

I too am hoarse, but know that it is mostly from the radiation that I received. It hasn't gone away at all and gets worse when I talk a lot or am sick.

Good luck to you - keep us updated.

Posts: 343
Joined: May 2003

Hi Stepet,
I agree with Lisa. Oncologists worth their salt encourage their patients to seek medical attention when something worries them. This could be just allergies and if so your physician will put your mind at ease. Go get checked. God bless.
-Michael (leukemia survivor)

Posts: 69
Joined: Dec 2003

Hi, I got checked out today. No obvious signs of a problem. I had a chest x-ray and hope that is clean. It's only been 3 years since diagnosis in November, so the next two years can't go fast enough! I hope to stay free and clear!

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PowerPoint® in One Hour for Lawyers

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Paul J. Unger, Esq.
Publication Date:
May 07, 2014
American Bar Association - Law Practice Division
Number of Pages:
Never expires.

The difference between a successful presentation and an unsuccessful one can often be traced to a presenter’s use–or misuse–of PowerPoint®. PowerPoint® in One Hour for Lawyers offers practical advice for creating effective presentations quickly and easily. PowerPoint® expert and attorney Paul Unger will help you avoid mishaps and develop a compelling presentation using storyboarding techniques.

Purchase this book from Amazon.

Paul J. Unger, Esq.'s Profile

Paul J. Unger, Esq. Related seminars and products

Affinity Consulting

Paul J. Unger is one of the managing partners of Affinity's Columbus Ohio office. He is a 1994 graduate of Capital University Law School. He is an attorney and founding member of HMU Consulting, Inc. (now Affinity-Columbus). Prior to forming HMU with Barron Henley, Paul was Vice President of a Columbus-based technology consulting firm. He spent five years at Clark, Perdue, Roberts & Scott Co., L.P.A., limiting his practice to civil litigation.

Mr. Unger now specializes in trial presentation & litigation technology consulting, document and case management software, paperless office strategies, and legal-specific software training for law firms and legal departments throughout the Midwest. He has provided trial presentation consultation for 300+ cases.

Mr. Unger is a member of The American Society of Trial Consultants, the American Bar Association, the Ohio and Columbus Bar Associations, and the Ohio Association for Justice and the Central Ohio Association for Justice. He is very active in the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association, and recently served as the Chair of ABA TECHSHOW 2011. He is also an Adjunct Professor for Capital University Law School’s Paralegal Program.

Mr. Unger is a national speaker and frequent lecturer for CLE programs. He is the author of Adobe Acrobat for Law Firms, PowerPoint for Legal Professionals, and co-author of Microsoft Word for Legal Professionals, all manuals designed to maximize the use of legal-specific features.

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David Berlin, Esq.

David Berlin is a Penn State Dickinson School of Law graduate and a Weisberg Law litigator and advocate with a focus on employment discrimination, contract disputes, appellate work, and arbitration. He is a civil rights advocate who has done considerable work in police abuse cases and social justice matters in state and federal courts. David can be reached at: or 484/432-1073.

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Counseling the Client Regarding Form I-9 Compliance and Discrimination

David Berlin |  David Spaulding
$79.00 - Alabama - Cumberland Law School

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Cryptocurrency news 24/7

Bitcoin News

Alleged Bitcoin Fog Operator Arrested for Money Laundering, Admin Accused of Mixing 1.2 Million BTC – Bitcoin News

U.S. law enforcement arrested the alleged operator of Bitcoin Fog, Roman Sterlingov in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Documents show Sterlingov is accused of laundering over 1.2 million bitcoin via the Bitcoin Fog mixer, a tool that allows users to mix transactions together. According to federal investigators, Sterlingov ran the operation for ten years and processed $336 million in BTC transactions.

US Government Charges Alleged Bitcoin Fog Kingpin With Money Laundering

The U.S. government has charged and arrested a Russian and Swedish citizen Roman Sterlingov with money laundering using a bitcoin mixer. Ostensibly, Sterlingov was the lead administrator in the Bitcoin Fog operation which used a Coinjoin-based mixing tool to blend BTC UTXOs.

Bitcoin Fog could be found on Tor via an onion address, it required mandatory registration, and a minimum deposit of 0.01 BTC to use the platform. However, the registration process was not tied to an email and simply required a username and password.

The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has accused Sterlingov of allowing money laundering without tracing any of the payments. Federal prosecutors believe Sterlingov took in around $8 million in BTC for his services, getting around a 2% fee per mix on Bitcoin Fog. Sterlingov is accused of processing 1.2 million BTC, which was worth around $336 million at the time of all the payments.

“Analysis of bitcoin transactions, financial records, Internet service provider records, e-mail records, and additional investigative information, identifies Roman Sterlingov as the principal operator of Bitcoin Fog,” said Devon Beckett, the IRS’s Criminal Investigation special agent. Sterlingov is charged with “Money Transmission without a License,” “Money Laundering,” and “Unlicensed Money Transmission.”

Blockchain Analysis Exposed the Bitcoin Fog Operator in 2011

Wired contributor, Andy Greenberg, spoke with the Chainalysis cofounder Jonathan Levin about the situation. Greenberg’s report details that alleged transactions stemming from Sterlingov in 2011 gave the IRS the clues they needed to catch him. Sterlingov apparently used these transactions to set up Bitcoin Fog’s server.

“This is yet another example of how investigators with the right tools can leverage the transparency of cryptocurrency to follow the flow of illicit funds,” the Chainalysis executive told Greenberg.

What do you think about the alleged Bitcoin Fog operator being charged with money transmission without a license? Let us know what you think about this subject in the comments section below.

Tags in this story
.onion address, Andy Greenberg, Bitcoin, Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Fog, Bitcoin Fog mixing, Bitcoin Mixer, BTC Mixer, Chainalysis, CoinJoin, Devon Beckett, IRS, Jonathan Levin, Law Enforcement, Mixing, Roman Sterlingov, Tor, Tumbling, US government

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article.

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Top Mobile App Development Trends For 2020 and Upcoming Years

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There can be no denying that new technology in mobile application development is affecting virtually every niche and marketplace. Regardless of what you sell or what services you offer, you need to develop a mobile app for your company that ably demonstrates your values.

Experts have determined that the mobile app industry is a leading sector in the US and abroad, and it is growing at an extremely rapid pace. As per Statista, apps are expected to generate $581 Billion US dollars in revenue by 2020.

Worldwide mobile app revenues in 2014 to
Worldwide mobile app revenues in 2014 to 2023

The latest mobile application tech is becoming something over which many companies are competing. Future trends in software engineering for mobile apps should be under discussion if you want to stay competitive with others in your niche.

Just because you have implemented what you feel is the right mobile app technology development strategy for your business, that doesn’t assure your success. You need to incorporate the latest trends in mobile apps that will work for your purposes. That’s how to stay competitive in the market and outdistance your competitors in sales, brand recognition, and market appeal.

In this article, we’ll talk about mobile development, 2020, and what the new year promises.

After taking the time to do an in-depth analysis of the mobile app industry, our experts have come up with the top mobile application development trends that we will discuss at this time.

Beacon Technology In Mobile App Development

The latest trends in mobile app technology indicate that beacon growth should be something to watch in the new year. Beacon technology is the first mobile application development trend that has been completely embraced by museums, hotels, the healthcare industry, and more. It is useful in location technology and proximity marketing. What’s probably best about it is that the average user will quickly get used to its functionality.

Beacons are wireless transmitters that use Bluetooth technology to send signals. This helps with the information exchange that takes place during sales. For example, beacons can be handy in the retail sector, especially when merged with IoT.

Mobile app industry trends for beacon technology in 2020 include mobile payment beacons and AI-enabled chips. There are also built-in property beacons for real estate agents that are becoming popular.

APM Development

APM is the mobile metric that was integrated into Google in 2016. It was introduced to get rid of bugs that could slow down app performance. APM has quickly become a preferred tool of quality assurance testers for the app-testing process.

Wearable Devices and IoT

According to Gartner, there will be 20.4 billion IoT devices functioning out there in the world by 2020. Meanwhile, traditional computing devices will only total about 10 billion. This is a sobering reminder of this technology’s potential. Walking down any street in a major metropolitan city, you can expect to be virtually surrounded by IoT devices.

Internet of Things is not a new concept, and its fundamentals are quite familiar in the mobile app sector. IoT has now become an industry in itself that is quickly evolving. Using this technology, people can control non-IT equipment via remote controls or apps.

If you want to integrate IoT in your mobile app, your app development team will need to pick a viable platform. Here are some of the most popular ones:

  • HomeKit
  • Android Things
  • ThingWorx
  • Xively
  • Ubidots
  • Azure IoT Suite
  • IBM Watson
  • Oracle IoT

With IoT and mobile app development, programmers have the option to integrate their apps with wearable devices. Once the app is made to function with a wearable device, it should be kept close to the smartphone so that the two can work in tandem.

Artificial Intelligence for Smarter Apps

Tech news for mobile development is all about the rise of artificial intelligence, or AI. It can be seen as somewhat of a mixed bag. While AI has many applications, it also means that some jobs currently done by humans are in danger of becoming obsolete. PwC predicts that by the early 2030s, 38% of US jobs will be at high risk of being automated and run by AI-powered robots and similar devices.

AI integration with mobile apps, though, is not something that shows any signs of slowing down. Its use is a way to make the apps smarter, but it also saves a lot of time, effort, and money for the mobile app development company. As time passes, finance and accounting, customer service, the healthcare sector, and many other businesses are going to integrate AI into their native apps.

Some future AI mobile application technology trends that may be a reality soon include: AI automated DevOps through AIOps, AI-enabled chips, AI-assistant for speech & image, and various forms of facial recognition.

Android Instant Apps

Google launched Instant apps project in 2016 to make things more convenient for both developers and users. These are native apps that function like websites and can attract people with their superior functionality. Most of the latest trends in Android app development seem to have something to do with Instant apps.

Instant apps are like a trial for many applications that users can get access to without downloading them. Some electronic device users want to try out an app but are reluctant to download it, so this option is ideal for them.

There are some distinct benefits of using Instant apps over regular ones. They’re smaller in size while still possessing the functionalities of a website. They provide excellent UX, and because you’re not downloading it, you’re not using up any of your device’s memory.

Google Instant apps are available for users in the Play Store. There, they can access these sorts of apps instantly without the need to ever download them. Hollar claimed that they were able to increase their conversion rate from 20 to 27 percent by introducing an instant mobile application. It’s also worth noting that Android Studio’s latest version allows the developers to modularize the app, so users can only use a portion of it. The concept is similar to that of an Instant app.

AR and VR

There are many apps in eCommerce, real estate, the automotive industry, healthcare, and education that are already integrating this technology for better user experience. In 2020, it seems clear that AR utilization will be a focal point for the mobile app development industry. Emerging trends in mobile apps featuring AR and VR dominate the conversation in many different online publications these days.

ARkit is a great framework that allows developers to write augmented reality apps for iOS. With iOS 12, developers can use ARKit 2.0 for face tracking and 3D object detection. If you have already implemented ARKit in your app, then you are probably familiar with its benefits.

Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP)

AMP is a project from Google in collaboration with Twitter. It is a stripped-down version of HTML intended to accelerate the speed of mobile pages. It enables developers to create heavy websites and web pages with fast loading speeds. It also means lower bounce rates and better performance across all mobile devices.

Google officially integrated AMP listings into its mobile search results, and it helped the developers in decreasing web page loading time. With a good AMP score, you will acquire a better conversion rate. You’ll also see a reduced bounce rate and maximum user retention.

Chatbots In App

If you have not integrated chatbots into your app, then you should definitely consider it. Users appreciate them for the quick, precise answers that they give. New trends in mobile app development having to do with chatbots are common in many different industries.

Mobile apps with services such as online shopping, food delivery, and rideshares are working on incorporating chatbots as part of their apps. They allow consumers to get answers to their frequent queries without having to call customer support.

According to a recent survey, more than 63 percent of US online consumers were interested in interacting with chatbots. Research by Gartner indicated that chatbots will save $8 billion for US companies between 2018 and 2020. These are noteworthy application development trends. 2020 could be the year when chatbots save companies more than ever before.

Apple’s Siri and Google Assistant will be smarter in 2020. They will have new features that will simplify people’s lives by assisting them in their day-to-day tasks. Such apps leverage technology via chatbots and learn user behavior patterns for a more personalized experience. The latest mobile app development trends often have a connection with voice assistance technology in some way.

Source: Dribble

Cloud-Based Mobile Apps

You should make sure to integrate cloud technology into your app development strategy. This tech can help you by streamlined your operations. It allows for a reduction in hosting and fewer equipment costs. You can use it to increase the storage capacity within your app. It also leads to increased collaboration and productivity among your employees if your company is using the same app that you designed.

Cloud computing integration helps mobile apps to store a large amount of data efficiently and carry out complex tasks. Most of the mobile apps with a more extensive database are using the AWS (Amazon Web Service) as their cloud computing backup.

It also helps to increase the reliability, speed, processing power, and security of your apps. It enables an application to more easily deal with a significant amount of data.

Cloud storage platforms like Dropbox, AWS, and SlideRocket have made it possible to run an app directly on the cloud.

Inclusion of Blockchain in Mobile Apps

Blockchain is a shared, unalterable ledger for recording a company’s information listed as blocks. The ledger can be the history of transactions or bitcoins. None of them can be altered without changing all subsequent blocks of the network.

Blockchain technology has already been used by many payment apps to provide trustworthy and uncompromising safety during transactions. By making use of blockchain, developers can design a decentralized mobile app. Such apps are called Decentralized Mobile apps or DApps. They cannot be owned by a single entity or shut down by an external force.

There are several expected mobile app future trends for blockchain technology that will aid in development as time passes. Those include asset tokenization, BAAS (Blockchain-as-a-Service), trading on cryptocurrency exchanges, and crypto space and gaming.

Security in App Development

Security concerns are still a factor with app development. In 2018, critical vulnerabilities were found both in iOS (38%) and Android (43%) apps. In the majority of cases, the most insecure app component was data storage. It is considered to be weak in more than 76% of all mobile apps. This is one of the more disturbing mobile app development trends. 2020 should provide some solutions, though.

Many business experts have spoken of it as being a developmental roadblock. However, it is something that you won’t have to worry about, provided you take the proper precautions as your team builds your app to your specifications.

Over time, the number of mobile applications that people consider to be vital in their day-to-day lives will grow. Future apps will need to have fewer vulnerabilities that could potentially harm somebody’s reputation, financial status, or health.

Hence, now knowing all the cutting-edge mobile technologies you can be sure your app development will be effective and the final mobile solution will bring exceptional experience for your clients and profits for your business.

  1. Knowledgable article!!
    Mobile phone is one of the essential in our day to day life. Smartphones connected with the internet engage maximum people to do experiments with different mobile apps. It is rightly said that” The latest mobile application tech is becoming something over which many companies are competing.” So the mobile app developers should be aware of the latest mobile app development trends coming to the market. Increasing the use of mobiles by common people increases the demand for a variety of apps too. The security measures in app development is very much important. As many of the people save there confidential data in the phone itself it is keen to maintain the high-level app security for the same. The payment wallets are the real game-changers in the world of mobile apps. Most of the banks are offering mobile banking services, even the customers are used to with frictionless payments methods. Thanks for sharing the values!

  2. Excellent Article, Slava .!!! The insights you’ve provided are quite fascinating.! Mobile apps are going to play an influential role in 2020. In fact, many experts believe that 2020 is going to a path-breaking year for Mobile apps. However, I just want to add one more thing to your lovely article. You can include the ROLE OF 5G as one of the trends. I think it’s going to play a major in shaping the future of mobile app development.

  3. Since the past recent years, mobile apps have been changing our lives constantly. And because of their enormous popularity and usefulness, they serve to be a significant opportunity for appreneurs as well as enterprises.

    According to Statista, mobile apps are supposed to generate around $189 Billion US dollars in revenues.

    Not only that, but many experts have already said that the mobile app development industry is one of the fastest-growing industries and that it shows no signs of slowing down in the future as well.

  4. Well I must say that cloud based apps and artificial intelligence based apps will continue to rise in upcoming future as they are going be in the trend. The demands of users and their preferences led the developers to work on AI apps. Besides that, virtual reality platform is being implemented correspondingly.

  5. According to the sources mobile apps are expected to generate $189 billion in revenue by 2020. It indicates that the usage of mobile apps has grown drastically from the past. The app development company use trending technologies (mentioned above) to upgrade the apps which makes their UI/UX more interactive. The businesses can take advantages of trending technologies by implementing them with apps.

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Important Message on the COVID-19 Pandemic

Actions to Protect Public Health Facing escalating conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, our parish is aligned with guidance from the Metropolis of San Francisco and the Alameda County Public Health department. We are taking the following temporarymeasures to help the efforts to contain the spread of the virus. All non-Liturgical parish events, activities, and gatherings… Read More


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Human Reconnaissance

The digital era and rapid growth of online communities and social platforms have revolutionised how we communicate and share information but introduced a new level of threat to organisations that didn’t exist just a few years ago.

New forums and communities that exist on the surface, deep and dark web have granted easy access for individuals to trade data and information often undetected until it’s too late.

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Human Reconnaissance

Human Reconnaissance (Human Recon) is a unique service that profiles an individual’s digital footprint using open source, deep web and dark web intelligence to identify online behaviour traits that could be a threat to your organisation.

Has one of your critical stakeholders been compromised?

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Does your next hire’s behaviour meet your values and policies?

Is there a live event and pending threat you are unaware of?

Using a range of unique data points, our Human Reconnaissance experts can provide you with an entire digital profile on an individual including; social media profile, interactions with online forums, personal information posted publicly and compromised account information.

This new level of insight is helping organisations reduce their risk profile and exposure to unplanned costs and reputational damage, by alerting them to behaviours from individuals that may be knowingly or unknowingly compromising the organisation.

Human Reconnaissance is that extra level of insight and protection that complements our group cyber strategy. Previously this type of threat was a known unknown; we know we are a target like everyone else but had zero chance of preventing the event. We knew about it during and afterwards once the damage was done. This peace of mind helps us sleep a little easier at night knowing that we have done our due diligence and reduced the insider threat and know more about the people that operate in and around our company.

CISO, Global Manufacturing Company

Building the business case for Human Reconnaissance

Organisations are deploying our Human Reconnaissance experts to achieve the following:

Identify individuals pursuing criminal or fraudulent activity on the dark web.

Identify individuals that may have been compromised online and on social media.

Perform due diligence on potential hires and strategic partners.

Perform due diligence during merger and acquisition activity.

Explaining a Typical Human
Reconnaissance Engagement

Stage One

Multi Surface Collection

Research to identify evidence of activity that requires
further investigation.

Surface Web

Social media, blogs, government records, business involvement and news platforms Publicly available information available via mainstream browsers.

Deep Web

Information not indexed by search engines that can’t be read by conventional technology. Information on individuals is located here but not easily accessible.

Dark Web

Accessed by anonymised methods (TOR).
Often used for criminal activities.

Stage Two

Geography, Tangibility & Relationships

Identifying patterns of behaviour and relationships between data points, and data validation to eliminate false positives.

Information and visual on real-world locations of interest including workplace, home, common meetup spaces

Full evaluation of relationships between the raw data collected in stage one and two

Data and insight validation using multiple sources of information

Stage Three

Comprehensive reporting with methods and hypothesis explained with narrative that gives you a clear picture of the situation.

Detailed report with data visualisation and key findings

Debrief session face to face or via conference facilities as required.

Fact Sheets

Human Reconnaissance Service

Continuous Breach Detection Service

Managed Security Operations Centre

Complete Cyber Security Framework

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Make your business Cyber Resilient today

With our unique cyber security framework and innovation services, you can start your cyber journey today.
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The Plough and Harrow

This pub's name hasn't changed since 1419.

120–124 King Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 0QU

This pub is on the site of The Plough and Harrow Inn which stood here until c1960. Rebuilt in 1903, The Plough and Harrow replaced a centuries-old pub of the same name. Before then, it had ‘Established in 1419’ painted above the entrance.

Framed prints and text about The Plough and Harrow.

The text reads:
Until around 1960 The Plough and Harrow stood on the site of this J.D. Wetherspoon pub. The Plough had been rebuilt on this site in 1903.
The Daily Graphic of 27 March 1903 reported that “The quaint little hostelry known as The Plough and Harrow, King Street is shortly to be demolished, to be replaced by a modern drinking place. The date of the establishment, as recorded over the entrance, is 1419. It is not unlikely that the date is correct…

In the rear is a large yard with stables and a coach house, which having cultivated its original purpose has been used as a farmer’s shop for many years…

“On the front of the Plough is an ancient ale pole with a swinging sign board”.

Framed prints and text about The Lyric Hall.

The text reads: The Lyric Hall was built in Bradmore Grove in 1888. Altered and reopened as the Lyric Opera House in 1890, it was managed, until 1904, by the actor manager John East, who had it lavishly refurbished by Frank Matcham in 1895. The resident and visiting companies played to packed houses and the Christmas pantomime drew audiences from all over London. After a period of gradual decline the Theatre closed down in 1914.

Framed prints and text about The Lyric Hall.

The text reads: Nigel Playfair went to the decrepit Lyric to hire some scenery and ended up buying the theatre. He reopened the venue in 1918 with A.A.Milne’s Make Believe and inaugurated two decades of theatrical splendour. The Beggars Opera ran for three and a half years. Stars were born, such as Edith Evans, John Gielgud and Sybil Thorndike. A decline in the late 1930’s was followed, after the war by a new golden era, until the redevelopment of the Kings Mall area. A public campaign to save the interior failed, was rewarded in 1979 by the building of the new Lyric.

Framed prints and text about the early days in Hammersmith.

The text reads: In the south east corner of St Paul’s church, beneath a bust of King Charles 1st, is an urn. Inside the urn is the heart of Sir Nicholas Crisp. Sir Nicolas supported the Royalist cause during the English civil war, with wealth largely obtained by slave trading out of Guinea under a monopoly granted by the King. His dying request was “let my heart be placed…at my masters feet”.

In exile after the King was beheaded, he “investigated all foreign improvements and turned them to English uses”. On his return he introduced the art of brickmaking here, as well as new farming and milling methods.

The name of Hammersmith, first recorded in 1294, comes from its forge and smithy by the river. For centuries the area was owned by the Bishops of London, as part of the Manor of Fulham.

Perrers Road, not far from this pub, recalls Alice Perrers, mistress of King Edward 111. The King granted her the mansion and land in what is now Ravenscourt Park. The area received its present name in the 18th century from the coat of arms of its owner, Thomas Corbett, secretary to the Admiralty.

Framed drawings and text about the Thames.

The text reads: One of the earliest of the elegant residences next to the Thames at Hammersmith was Rivercourt House, on the Upper Mall. In 1687, it was taken by Catherine of Braganza, the widow Of King Charles 11. She lived there for five years, before returning to Portugal.

Nearby Hyde Lodge was later home to Doctor John Radcliffe, Royal Physician to William 111. Mary 11 and Queen Anne. Radcliffe amassed a great fortune, and on his death in 1714 bequeathed most of it to Oxford University, where he had studied. The Radcliffe Camera, part of Oxford’s famous Bodleian Library, was named after him, as were the city’s Infirmary, and its Observatory.

The distinguished civil engineer William Tierney Clark lived in Hammersmith in the early 19th century. Clark designed the original Hammersmith suspension bridge, which was regarded as a “wonder of the age” when it opened in 1827. Clark’s bridge was replaced in 1887 by the present structure which was designed by Joseph Bazalgette.

Framed prints and text about trade and industry.

The text reads: Brick-making is probably the oldest industry in Hammersmith, dating back to the 17th century.

In the late 18th century James Cromwell established a brewery on what is now the site of the Town Hall, not far from the mouth of the Creek and High Bridge. Cromwell dressed shabbily and worked alongside his men. He also ate the same simple food and drink as they did.

In 1816 he was taken ill, and it was discovered that he had bank notes worth £1.400 in his pockets.

Cromwell oast houses could be seen beside the river until the twentieth century, although by then the firm was known as Swail’s Brewery. The name of this well-known local brewer is now preserved in Cromwell Mansions.

Framed prints and text about literature and music in Hammersmith.

The text reads: The writer Leigh Hunt came to live in a house in what is now Rowan Road, Brook Green, in 1851, when he was 69. He is remembered today largely for a simple poem. Abou ben Adhem, but in the early eighteenth century he was well known as Byron, Keats and Shelly. During the time he lived in Hammersmith he was visited by Charles Dickens and the American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The composer Gustav Holst lived in Hammersmith in the 1890’s whilst studying at the Royal College of Music. From1905, he taught at St Paul’s Girls School, where he wrote much of his famous Planets suite. Two other music teachers at the school acted as his scribes, and newly completed portions of the work were performed to the pupils.

St Pauls and Hammersmith were part of Holst’s life to the very end. His Hammersmith Suite was written just three years before his death. He died in 1934, a little over a year after he had finished work in his Brook Green Suite, which the St Pauls Orchestra was the first to play.

External photograph of the building – main entrance.

If you have information on the history of this pub, then we’d like you to share it with us. Please e-mail all information to: