#I will be looking forward to 2025 for them is all I can say (legally) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

atinyidea · 6 years ago

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Glitch | Ateez Gang! AU | THREE

⟶ gang!au, hacker!au, love triangle? poly? female!original character

How curious it is, the fact that the police just gave a media conference, confirming ATZ’s involvement in Kyungri’s families newly-appointed murder, just as she sat down for her best friend, Jaehyeon, to be tattooed by one of the gang members?

⟶ glitch ml! main ml!

⟶ prologue | previous | next

⟶ note! @atinyluna @iis4d @untainted-memories !! if anyone wants to be on a tag list for this fic just let me know!

⟶ 4000 words

⟶ edited 08.03.2020

THREE: The Loft, 15:03,

Saturday 25 October 2025,

“Ah! There she is! Our princess has arrived! Finally!” The voice of her boss, Noh Gongmyung, filtered through the hidden speakers and to her ears as soon as she stuck her key into its lock. With a roll of her eyes, she looked up to where she knew a camera was and sharply turned the key, opening the sliding door.

“I’m not a princess, Gongmyung. How many times do I have to tell you?”

“At least once more!” The speakers hummed as she slammed the door shut, it’s automatic locks clicking into place. Kyungri could just hear the grin on his face from his words.

She walked up the metal floating stairs that led to the loft, her workspace and also home to her boss. She hadn’t cared that she worked in someone’s house, she knew well enough how well she worked when she was in the comfort of her own space. When they started working together Gongmyung hadn’t lived in the loft – it was a home away from home for both of them. However, while Kyungri chose to stay at home with her aunt and younger cousin, Gongmyung realised that he spent all of his time in the loft and that the gas money was not worth the thirty-minute trip from his house to the loft every day.

So he moved in.

He had offered Kyungri a room of her own and, while she did take it, she told him it was mainly for when they had to work long jobs. She didn’t like taking their not-so-legal jobs back to her aunt’s house.

The loft was quite large, having three separate rooms, one bathroom and an open-plan kitchen-living room that they turned into what Gongmyung called The Hacker’s Cave.

After a few years of making modulations to the loft, the two of them decided to buy the whole building, converting the downstairs area into space for their unsanctioned work. More specifically it was essentially a giant closet, locked under a padlock and a fingerprint scanner. Gongmyung had wanted to add a retina scanner but Kyungri thought that would be pushing it a little too much. They had only just been able to hide the fingerprint scanner in the wall, having a camera outside the door would just be suspicious.

She typed in the code specific to her entry and opened the door to the loft. Closing it behind her and listening for the tell-tale click which signified the door was locked again.

Once, a while ago now, Chaeyoung had called everything over the top and that the two hackers were overly paranoid. Now she just called them “hacker spies.” Chaeyoung was the only one of her friends – and family – that had been to the loft, that had seen inside the loft. Kyungri didn’t exactly know why Chaeyoung had been let onto their little secret but she couldn’t say she was complaining. Gongmyung liked Chaeyoung too, which was always a plus, he referred to her as his second employee even though Chaeyoung couldn’t hack anything to save her life. She was a good informant and strategist though, which is why she fits in so well in their unofficial jobs. Kyungri wondered if Jaehyeon even knew they partook in felonious jobs too.

“Good afternoon, princess.” Gongmyung grinned at her, twisting his spinning chair around to face her as she entered the room.

“I brought you a coffee.” Kyungri smiled at him softly, holding the paper cup out to him, her own still half full in her other hand. She had stopped at another café, one closer to the loft, on the way – having forgotten to buy it when she was at The Café – so it was still piping hot. Just how he liked it.

“You’re buttering me up,” Gongmyung stated, taking the coffee anyway, leaning back in his chair and letting out a satisfied sigh as he took a sip. “What do you need?”

“A favour,”

“Of what kind, pray tell?” He raised an eyebrow, leaning forward in his chair.

Kyungri took a second to reply, speaking slowly like the words hurt to say, “I need your help.”

“You? Need my help?” Gongmyung emphasised, placing his free hand to his chest as if he was clutching his heart. Kyungri’s eyes closed as regret washed over her. “Our Great Hacker, the Pyo Kyungri…” he placed his coffee down on a nearby table, “wants her poor, old mentors help? The honour!” He shouted dramatically. Kyungri was tempted to just walk back out, but before she could, Gongmyung had shot up from his chair to place a hand against her forehead. “Are you feeling ill?”

She swatted his hand away, a small scowl taking over her features. “You’re thirty-four.” She rolled her eyes. Poor and old my ass, she thought. “Can you not be a dramatic dick right now? I ask you for help all the time.” She grumbled, finally taking her jacket off, hanging it on the back of the couch.

Gongmyung grinned at her. He didn’t have to verbalise his acceptance to help, he would help Kyungri even if she hadn’t asked. With the flourish of a hand, he turned to kneel on his chair with one knee and kicking off from the floor with the other, using his chair to glide across the room towards his set up area. Kyungri shook her head slightly, walking after him. Sometimes she wondered how he was the older one.

Gongmyung’s set up was… over the top, to say the least. He had lined a wall with monitors, twenty-four in total, with four servers ranging in sizes and psychedelic colours underneath them. Kyungri had always wondered why he kept a few servers upstairs, especially when they had a whole room dedicated to server’s downstairs, but she couldn’t fault him for wanting to keep the ones he built from scratch separate. When the monitors weren’t being used – by the surveillance cameras or from completing several long-range hacks at once (or downloading the latest version of his favourite video game, unreleased to the public) – they linked with each other to create one big screen. Usually when the loft had visitors – sometimes the police liked to pop in uninvited – the monitors served as a functioning TV. Gongmyung’s over the top personality and a rather large bank account had saved them from suspicion numerous times.

Kyungri had often told him that it wasn’t necessary, that everything could be done on a singular screen. He had always answered her with a simple “I know, this is just more fun!” to which she would roll her eyes, silently agreeing with the eccentric man. Their set-ups were like them: total opposites. While Gongmyung’s took up half a room, Kyungri preferred to stay mobile. She was simplistic, having three of each kind of electronic (two for her and one as a backup). Three phones – two iPhones and a Huawei – three tablets – two Samsung and a Huawei – two iPod and three laptops – her treasured Microsoft laptop and her two new ones: a MacBook and a Huawei laptop. (They had done a job for the company Huawei and were gifted with their electronics, which they kept after completely wiping them and making sure they were secure.)

In a way, the two hackers were described by how they worked. Gongmyung was over the top, in your face with a dramatic flair that everyone had to appreciate no matter how hard they tried not to. Kyungri was mobile, working incognito, on the move, classic. It was why they worked so well together: he was the guy in the chair, and she was the girl on the move.

(Chaeyoung loved to refer to their little team as spies. “We could totally be Charlie’s Angels.” She had said once. “We just need the third angel.” At her words, Gongmyung drew in a theatrical gasp, hand to his chest, offended. “How dare you say that I’m not an angel.” That day was fun.)

“What’s got you in a rough patch?” He asked, grabbing a neon pink keyboard – the one that was connected to the hot pink server, the one he kept separate because it was the only one connected to the dark web.

Kyungri pulled her own laptop out. Her trusty laptop lovingly named Microsoft (All her laptops were names as such: Mack the MacBook, Huawei the laptop.) and began typing away, still standing up next to him. “Two people apparently don’t exist anywhere other than a singular police file.”

“Now, this is interesting.”

“That’s the weird thing! It’s like these men only exist for the purpose of one measly police file and nothing else.”

“You only used your laptop to search, right? Microsoft?”

Kyungri nodded.

“Perhaps your server isn’t strong enough. Run the searches again with Huawei connected to the server room downstairs. Maybe you’ll get wider search field parameters.” Gongmyung grinned. While he wasn’t exactly a patron of the black net, he did have access to it and its connections – anything was findable for the right price. “Also, just send me all you’ve got, and I’ll get in touch with connections.”

Kyungri nodded again.

“This is quite unusual, isn’t it?” Gongmyung said after a few minutes of silence as he read over the information she had gathered. “Jo Jowon. Choi Jongho. Pictures.” He mumbled, narrating as he typed out an invisible email – an incognito way of communicating with his contacts without a trace. “I don’t think my contact is online at the moment. It might take a while to get a response.”

Kyungri nodded a third time. She wasn’t in a rush. She just got easily frustrated when things didn’t go right, quickly.

“So the police are re-investigating their deaths.”

“Yeah.”

“And Soonchul is the lead.”

Kyungri hummed in agreement.

“You have to know that ATZ aren’t even five years old yet. The crash was –’’

“Seven years ago. I know.” Kyungri cut him off, fingers stopping their tapping as she looked over at him. “I figured that out the same hour I heard the police were suspecting them.”

“So why are you still looking for them.” He asked, also stopping, having finished for now.

“I don’t know. Something doesn’t feel right, it’s bugging me.”

“Ah, and then these two boys don’t seem to exist.” He realised, teasing her slightly, “you can’t resist.”

“Soonchul is trying to pin my family’s death on a gang who hadn’t even formed yet. It’s sloppy, and I don’t appreciate it.” She shrugged, turning her attention to a monitor on the wall, where a figure had walked to the front door. She looked away after realising she knew who it was, continuing her little speech. “I don’t understand the connection. I’ve been waiting for six years for them to re-open the case and when it is, I can’t help but feel angry.”

“My father wants to find ATZ, everyone wants the Pyo Crash case solved once and for all. He’s killing two birds with one stone, trying to twist everything together by his own will.” Chaeyoung called loudly, having heard the last part of Kyungri’s sentence as she entered the door. She leant back against it, waiting for the click before she wandered into the room. While she wasn’t a hacker, Chaeyoung worked with Kyungri on their out-of-hours jobs. She had her own keys and her own password for the loft, she was part of the team. She shrugged her black trench coat off, throwing it haphazardly in the direction of the couch, not bothering to see if it fell on the floor or not. “I went to lunch with him last week, he wouldn’t stop muttering about how he was going to get the station to look for ATZ and get off his back about the Pyo case.” Chaeyoung rested on Kyungri, her arms over the now seated Kyungri’s shoulders and her head resting on her shoulder. Kyungri leant back into the orange-haired girl, trying to give her stronger stability to lean against – she knew she was tired. “We are talking about my dad, right?”

“Bit of a poor solution. It’s not even thought out well.” Gongmyung tsked.

Chaeyoung yawned a little, “I don’t think the station cares if I’m being honest. They’re just happy he’s finally doing it.”

“Anyway, now that both of you are here, I can brief you of tonight’s job.”

“Sure thing GM but, can I go get pizza first? I came straight here from the café, and I’m starving.” Chaeyoung’s tired expression had cleared into a livelier one at the thought of food through her words still slurred a little. Gongmyung mirrored her grin and pulled a silver card out of thin air, holing it out in front of her.

“It’s on me or rather, on you. That’s your card for the night, there’s five million won on it.” He told Chaeyoung, emphasising the amount on the card. “It’s for the job, to keep up appearances. You have to be expensive to look like a regular at an expensive club.” Chaeyoung nodded, plucking the card from his fingers. She pressed a gentle kiss on Kyungri’s cheek before standing, walking to the door and scooping her coat up from the floor on the way.

“Got it! You want the usual?” She called over her shoulder as she opened the door.

Kyungri and Gongmyung hadn’t left it a second before they chorused a ‘yes’. After the orange-haired woman had left Gongmyung turned to Kyungri, another card in his hand.

“Thank you.” Kyungri smiled at him softly. He reached out the same hand to pat her hair gently. “While she’s gone I’ll go shower, the world knows I'm quicker. She’ll need at least an hour just for her shower.” Kyungri let out a laugh as she slapped her hands against her thighs as she stood.

“I’ll keep you updated.”

“Ah yes, we can play Is Gongmyung’s Voice Louder Than The Shower again.”

The bathroom was standard compared to the rest of the building. Kyungri only really used it for its essentials – to shower and to use the toilet – while Gongmyung couldn’t care less what a bathroom looked like. Chaeyoung kept bringing in little decorations around every now and then, but they always seemed to go missing after a week or two. The walls were tiled in white, a toilet sink and shower the only appliances inside. On one wall hung five towels, two were black, two were hot pink and the last of was a white hair towel, stained with diluted hair dye. Also hung on the wall, above the sin, was a large square mirror.

Kyungri stared at her reflection, letting the shower warm-up before she got in it. She had bags under her eyes that would need to be covered properly before they left for the job, no one going to the club would flaunt their designer eyebags. She’d have to get Chaeyoung to fix her up with the strong stuff later. Kyungri took her hair in her hands, looping it through her fingers. It was getting quite long, the black hair dye starting to leave her roots. They weren’t that bad, her natural hair a dark brown anyway, but she knew they would bother her is she didn’t get them done again soon.

The water was hot against her skin; it almost burnt. But that’s how she liked it. She liked being warm and would often cuddle herself up under at least three blankets when she could. She closed her eyes and leant her head back, letting her hair fall down her back, under the steady stream of water. She liked showers, they were relaxing. However, she could never spend more than fifteen minutes in there. She washed out the shampoo in her dark locks and applied the conditioner, twisting her hair into a makeshift top-knot to sit for a little while as she bent over slightly to shave her legs. Kyungri liked having smooth legs but, in reality, she hated having to shave them. Just as she finished up with the razor and went to wash the conditioner from her hair, the bathroom door bounced open startling her a little but not enough for her to make a sound.

“I’m back, and your pizza will get cold if you take forever!” Chaeyoung shouted over the flow of water. Kyungri shook her head in amusement, continuing to wash out her hair.

“Thanks, Chae.” She shouted back. She could feel Chaeyoung’s cheeky grin as she heard her laugh.

“OH! Before I forget! After you left the café earlier, I overheard Mr Tattooist and his friend. Whose name is Yoosang by the way and, he’s completely one-hundred-per cent cute. Apparently San did something, and you didn’t notice? I assumed it was that he tried asking for your number by the way Yoosang laughed at him, but I had already given him your number, so it got me thinking.”

Kyungri switched off the water, stepping out of the shower. She didn’t rush to cover herself in front of Chaeyoung, but she wrapped a pink towel around her body because the window was open, and the breeze was cold.

“Just be careful around him okay, he’s like super pretty to look at but, now I have a funny feeling about that tattooist. Like there’s something hidden about him.” Chaeyoung spoke seriously as she sat on top of the toilet as if it were a chair.

“You gave him my number?”

“Before he was being shady!”

Kyungri couldn’t help but laugh, and after a few seconds, Chaeyoung had joined in.

“I also went outfit digging so finish up in here and then just come through to the room, yeah?” Chaeyoung smiled up at her tall best friend. Kyungri returned the smile and kissed her cheek as Chaeyoung departed from the bathroom.

She left the bathroom, hair and body wrapped up in pink towels and headed towards the living room. She didn’t care that she was in just a towel around Gongmyung, he was essentially her brother for all intents and purposes.

“I did tell Chae you were in the shower, sorry she interrupted you.” He told Kyungri as she stopped next to him at the table. From where she was sat on the floor on the opposite side of the table, Chaeyoung grinned up at Kyungri with a wink.

“It’s not like she doesn’t do it every time anyway but, thanks,” Kyungri replied to Gongmyung with a small amused smile. She propped a hand on her waist, her other hand holding its wrist as she focused back to Chaeyoung. “So what are my options, Chae?”

“Under very tight time restrictions, not fair by the way,” She glared at the man in the room for a second, “I’ve given you a dress and a crop-top-shorts combo.” Chaeyoung gave her a dazzling smile, hands shaking back and forth like she was in a jazz number. Kyungri nodded a little, looking over both options. “I get to wear the other one so, please choose the one I don’t want,” Chaeyoung added with a rushed mumble and a little squeal, her hands shooting into the air to show off her crossed fingers. Kyungri rolled her eyes a little, the smile growing on her face. She should have known.

The dress was a lively red colour, the woven cotton was laced with glittered fabric to give off a shine under every angle. It was lined with cream-coloured silk, smooth to the touch. It was also quite small, and Kyungri knew it would fit Chaeyoung better. The orange-haired girl had even paired it with a pair of black criss-cross stiletto heels in her size.

The other outfit was quite racy, but Kyungri really didn’t care. While she preferred to live her life in leggings and jumpers three sized too big for her, she knew her body was fit. She looked after herself; going to the gym every other day and running two miles every morning. Her core was strong, ready for anything that was thrown at her. She knew she had abs, not rock hard, but there was some definition there. She knew she would feel comfortable in the crop top (which was actually just a fancy lace bralette) and matching shorts. It was placed with a peached coloured jacket - a thin material studded in large sequins - and a pair of black sneakers that were jazzed up with the same peach colour, but the sequins were extra small. She loved it, she knew that Chaeyoung had expected her to choose that outfit and so, just to mess with her she picked up the dress and turned on her heel towards her bedroom.

“Kyungri!” Chaeyoung called after her. Kyungri couldn’t help the giddy laugh that left her lips as Chaeyoung started chasing her.

“You’re too easy to wind up, Chaeyoung.” She told her once they had stopped running around. Kyungri handed the dress and heels over to the shorter girl with a teasing smile over her lips. Chaeyoung grumbled a little under her breath, making her look slightly younger than she was than how she acted. Kyungri was reminded that Chaeyoung had only just turned twenty the other month.

Kyungri returned to the living room to scoop up her outfit, and the two girls left Gongmyung to eat his pizza alone. Which wasn’t particularly unusual.

An hour and a half later, Chaeyoung was out of the shower and drying her hair out with a hairdryer as Kyungri nibbled on the last slice of her own pizza, still in her towel as she worked on Sam, her Samsung tablet. (Truthfully, she had been distracted by Twitter.) The two girls got dressed together, helping one another with small adjustments and styling choices. Chaeyoung helped Kyungri twist her long hair up into two twisted space buns, doing her makeup for her since Kyungri was kind of helpless. Kyungri had pulled a detailed braid through one side of Chaeyoung’s hair, decorating it with small metal loops and hair gems. By eight P.M they emerged from Kyungri’s bedroom, dressed to the nines and glowing. Gongmyung, who had seen them dressed up for club jobs before, let out a little wolf whistle as they came into view.

“Stunning, as always.” He complimented them. Kyungri gave him a small, yet confident, smile as Chaeyoung dipped down into a curtsey.

“Thank you, I know. I know.” She spoke in a fake posh accent, dramatically waving her hands around as if she were royalty. They all made their way to Gongmyung’s set up, waiting to get briefed.

“The club is called X-Clusive.” He began, sitting down in his chair. The two girls sat down together of one of Kyungri’s huge beanbag chairs, sharing a tablet to see what Gongmyung would be talking about. “The official job Kyungri’s on tonight is to figure out how one gets through all their security. There's a singular back door entrance under a set of seven different electronic locks. The bouncers are given a printed version of the guest list, which is very specific, so as a fall back you will both be on it as yourselves.

“However, for your second job tonight, you will be known as Park Hyeri and Lee Chanmi, two old college friends who reconnect after seeing each other at a fancy club. There is talk of a gun pass happening in the high levels of X-Clusive tonight. The gangs are unknown, but connections think NCT will be there. You are to observe and relay information. Do that by any means necessary, we don’t know who else we’ll be dealing with.” He finished.

Both girls nodded once in unison.

“Great. After that, you’re free to stay as long as you want and spend as much as you want. Stay alert, I want to be able to get to you if anything happens, got it?”

Again, the girl’s nodded, grinning at one another. Time to go clubbing.

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backstorywithdanalewis · 4 years ago

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Cannabis Legalization https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/6982069

Dana Lewis - Host : (00:00) Public enemy. Number one in the United States is drug abuse. In order to fight and defeat this enemy, it is necessary to wage a new, all out offensive drugs are menacing our society yes. To your life. And when it comes to drugs and alcohol, just say, no. Dana Lewis - Host : (00:26) Hi everyone. And welcome to backstory. I'm Dana Lewis in the 1970s, president Nixon and then Reagan, and first lady Nancy Reagan declared a war on drugs in America, heroin, crack cocaine, but many arrests also involve marijuana cannabis. At the beginning of my career, I was a crime reporter in Toronto and remember, well, the daily police announcements, they had busted another drug ring so much so that police stats on crime solving often involved drug arrests, even as recently in 2018 statistics show four in 10 drug arrests in America were for marijuana and mostly for possession. Police made about 660,000 arrests for marijuana related offenses in the 50 States and the district of Columbia in 2018 amounting to 40% of total drug arrests in the U S that year, fast forward two years later in the presidential election of 2020, while Americans couldn't seem to agree on who should occupy the white house and still can't seem to agree. Dana Lewis - Host : (01:41) They did. However, clearly vote for legalization of cannabis. The New York times wrote drugs once thought to be the scourge of a healthy society are getting public recognition as part of American life, where drugs were on the ballot. They won handily, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona joined 11 other States that had already legalized recreational marijuana, Mississippi and South Dakota made medical marijuana legal bringing the total to 35 in 1969, two years before the Dawn of the drug war, 84% of Americans thought marijuana should be illegal. According to the Pew research center by 2019 91% of Americans supported the legalization of marijuana, either for both medical and recreational use or solely for medical use times have surely changed on this backstory, the money and the medicine of cannabis. And by the way, the marijuana market is by some estimates expected to be worth about $35 billion by 2025. Let's go to New York. I want Dana Lewis - Host : (03:00) To introduce you to Tim Seymour. Uh, he is the CIO of Seymour asset management. Hi Tim. Hey Dan, how are you? Good to be here. Thanks for doing this, Tim. And I know each other from Moscow because I was a correspondent there and Tim was in asset management at a, at another company there. And so you have gone from, you know, very broad asset expertise and you have really specialized into cannabis. Tell me why you made that transition. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (03:28) Well, it's interesting. Cause you know, I would make an argument that, that a lot of parallels that I saw of being rusted in the late nineties and being an emerging markets investor for the next 15 years, um, are some of the same attributes that are akin to investing in cannabis. I mean, this is, this is a new asset class. This is a new, this is a, uh, this is an emerging market. And yet what would drove a lot of the investor interest in big emerging markets was this new frontier, but it was around demographics consumption trends and, and I think a rapidly evolving investment dynamic and the same thing is happening in cannabis. And, and you know, the obvious, uh, macro part of the trade is, is the, the legislation and the changes that we're seeing and we're seeing them around the world. And, and obviously, uh, Canada's legalization North of the border here was a very big moment for the industry overall. Um, but to that extent, to answer your question, uh, you know, as an investor finding opportunities where you see, uh, enormous growth, uh, where there are, I think, significant risks and, and some of the depth of the markets and some of the inefficiency of the information flow to me as an investor is an incredibly interesting place to invest Dana Lewis - Host : (04:40) Enormous growth. And it's interesting because I'm Canadian. So I know kind of, you know, the two year debate, and then finally Canada was the tip of the spear and the legalization of cannabis. And a lot of States in the U S were saying no way, you're not going to see it here, except in maybe California and some of the other ones that started experimenting with it. And then this election, uh, is seismic in terms of the number of States who have now signed up and legalized cannabis, uh, whether it be recreational or whether it only be for Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (05:15) The hillside it's, you know, the election was, uh, as you say, you know, seismics seismic. I would, I would characterize it as really Goldilocks for cannabis and for cannabis investors because, um, perversely, I actually don't think a full federal legalization of cannabis is something that would be good for the industry right now. I don't think it would be good for, uh, the development of the infrastructure. I don't think it would be, uh, very good for investors because I still think that there's an enormous amount of regulatory, uh, you know, bureaucracy mates overlap of six different federal agencies that I think would be falling all over themselves. But what's proven is that on a state by state basis and letting you know state's rights and letting the States act, and this goes all the way back to, uh, you know, effectively the Cole memo under the Obama administration, which set the table for a lot of this, which is let the States do what they want to do in cannabis, without fear of, of federal intervention. And that's largely gone on. And so if you look at it Dana Lewis - Host : (06:19) Complicated, right, because a lot of people don't understand that the S w you know, the States are legalizing it, but the federal government is still saying no. Um, and then, you know, I, I talked to somebody who runs a company in the U S in cannabis, and they said, that's very, that's, it's very upside down, because for instance, if you want to nationalize your company, or you wanna, you want to move cannabis from one state to another, or you want to move assets from the sale of proceeds of sale, uh, or health products, you can find yourself technically breaking the law with the federal government. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (06:53) Yeah. And, and I, I think, you know, some of those legacy laws that go back in, in, in alcohol, uh, to prohibition of have a lot to do with some of the things that cannabis is enduring. Um, but yes, that's right. I, I think the capital markets and the banking dynamics in, in practical terms, um, also are, are the most onerous and, and, and punitive in terms of the cost of capital, but also how difficult it is for these companies to actually, uh, do traditional banking. Um, going over state lines is, is I think we're even, you know, at some point with a federal backdrop, I think that's still going to be a ways to go, but I think the tax issues, uh, as they relate to the IRS and, and treating, uh, any sales and, and kind of retail orientation from cannabis as a schedule, one drug is maybe the most, uh, debilitating, punitive, whatever you want to say about, uh, about operating in the United States. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (07:52) But, um, I will say that on a, on a state level, the companies that are vertically integrated, so that means that they're, they're, you know, seed to sale, right? And they're, they're growing the plant, uh, they're packaging the plant, they're taking it all the way through to a retail channel. Um, it are very profitable, very, very profitable, especially those companies that are operating in the States that have what we call limited license dynamics to them, which just simply means that, uh, there's only so many licenses that they handed out and those companies actually are very variable. Dana Lewis - Host : (08:26) Well, there's all this stuff. I mean, you know, you're talking about some companies that are up 24%, another company is up 75%. So far this month after the legalization and the vote, I mean, hundreds of millions of dollars, billions of dollars, this is big stuff. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (08:42) Well, in terms of market cap, you're right. And we're getting into the performance of the cannabis stocks. I, I run a cannabis ETF, ticker CNBS, and it's an active strategy because I think this is exactly what, what, what you need at this time. But, but what's interesting is that the movement in a lot of the cannabis stocks, uh, going into the elections was really on the back of their own profitability. So what we're talking about, not necessarily the fact that you had a very big, uh, uh, state's follow-through, uh, remember, and the elections, again, we won't go back into that part of the conversation. I'll just simply say New Jersey Montana, uh, Mississippi, South Dakota, uh, Arizona, all turn on the, the cannabis, you know, green light. And so what's, that meant for a lot of the companies though, that either were already set up in New Jersey, for example, which is, as you can imagine, going to be one of the biggest markets in the country, this was a boom, but, but the more important part of is, uh, despite what appeared to be growth at all costs, and a lot of companies that really weren't well-run, and weren't really making any money, especially those, uh, sorry to say, North of the border, and it's not, it's not to indict Canada. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (09:51) Um, it's truly to say though, that the United States is the biggest market in the world for a lot of consumer products. And it is certainly in cannabis and the companies that are set up and set up with good assets here are phenomenally profitable. And the move in the stocks this year, especially off the lows from kind of the COVID lows, um, is more about profitability and companies that are actually well-run. And in fact, they're probably in their third generation of management teams at this point. So it's an exciting time in the sector. Dana Lewis - Host : (10:18) I was going to ask you, I mean, who are these guys and how sophisticated, but you're saying a lot of the, maybe newcomers have been thinned out, and these are sophisticated companies that, uh, and some of the bigger fish are eating the little ones. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (10:33) Yeah. We're seeing a lot of consolidation at this point. Um, but if, if I took the top five operators in the United States, um, and, and they would be, uh, curely, which is actually run by a gentleman, we, we might've run out to and run into in Moscow, Boris Jordan, who started this company. Um, Dana Lewis - Host : (10:53) Truly, yeah, Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (10:55) Yeah, no, he's, he's built a great business and, uh, truly, which is a single state operator. And really, uh, I sh I need to actually restate that they're, they're in multiple States, but they're known for their dominance in Florida, and they're trying to grow outside of that market, um, GTI, which is Midwest based, but has very important assets on the East coast. And then in Illinois, uh, and some of the, uh, the Midwest, um, Cresco labs, also Chicago base, but, uh, very well situated in important States and a company called true leaf, which is mostly Pennsylvania, uh, and now New Jersey. And because of the profitability in those States are two of the best in the country. Um, that company has been, uh, that company is up 350% this year. So, um, there's your top five. And, and really in all of these cases, um, there's new management teams in place. And in many cases, uh, CEOs that were formerly CPG Titans, you know, guys that really knew how to build a business that was focused on a consumer brand, not the cultivation side of it. This isn't not a commodity story, it's not an ag story. It's ultimately going to be a very sophisticated brand story. And I think those companies that, that have, uh, elevated themselves here are not only very well run companies, but have begun to, to build on that branding. Dana Lewis - Host : (12:09) Okay. Two quick questions, um, state governments, I mean, I don't want to be melodramatic, but is this the life ring that they need, you know, struggling with budget shortfalls and, and, you know, a lot of them are, I wouldn't want to say bankrupt, but I mean, teetering that way with, with what's happened in the COVID-19 economy. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (12:31) Yeah. Look, let's be clear. This is a very difficult time, uh, on the fiscal side in state and then the underlying municipalities in many, many parts of the country. So what's cannabis mean? And, and, and what has this meant for support for cannabis legislation? Obviously, cannabis is a source of budgetary revenue that is exciting for a lot of the States Washington state, which is one of the most, um, uh, call it, you know, well, well founded markets. It's one of the oldest markets. It's one of the most sophisticated markets and that's today that, uh, they raised, they've raised a billion dollars in revenues from cannabis taxes, uh, since the inception of the market. And again, Washington was one of the first, but, you know, half of that a couple of years too. Yeah. That's, that's over probably about seven years. Um, and, and, and, you know, let's be clear, we're talking about Washington and with all due respect to our friends in the Northwest, um, it's not the biggest market in the world, right. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (13:31) So if you think about cannabis revenues overall in 2019, uh, the latest numbers are about a billion, nine was collected in terms of excise and taxes, uh, on the state's levels. And as you can imagine, California, which is the biggest cannabis market in the world, much in the way that, you know, we know it's, it's one of the largest economies in the world on its own, um, is, was about a third of those revenues, about $650 million in, in California, which has been much maligned in much criticized, probably accurately in terms of some of their regulation. But leaving that aside, you asked about the impact of cannabis revenues. And there's no question that this is an exciting thing for the States and has a lot to do with the legalizations we're seeing, and it changed in public perception. And this obviously then goes straight through to Washington, uh, where you can imagine that, that, especially on the Republican senatorial side, where we've had the most, you know, obstinance you're, you're going to see a change, and you're going to see this, this, uh, uh, you know, this vote in favor of federal. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (14:33) And, and when that happens, I don't know, um, last week was a very important week, uh, both, uh, you know, from a, a, a, a momentous in terms of the headline, which is that the house voted to legalize cannabis right now, that's dead on arrival in this Senate. Uh, but it tells you at, uh, where this conversation is going and, and it's going, not only because I think a lot of people believe socially, it's the right thing to do, and it's the right assessment of, of a drug. That's not a gateway drug and, and is proven Dana Lewis - Host : (15:07) I think my second question, which was perception, thank you for doing that. It's saves time, but change the perception on the government side change. The perception on the public side is because continue on please, Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (15:18) Because, uh, look, I think there's a lot of reasons why cannabis was made illegal and we call it, we call it marijuana, uh, which, you know, I'm doing my best to never refer to the term. I think it's, you know, I think it's a prohibition term. I think it's a term that actually was, was actually targeted to, to, uh, uh, on some of the criminal justice side against minorities. And, and I think the, the, the social conscience of this industry is high. And I, and I no pun intended. I do think that there's a dynamic where there's a better understanding of where people are medicating themselves across a lot of different products and some are, are, you know, alcohol and OTC products. And some of them are the more complex and the more devastating opioid crisis in the United States. And, and, and, and the understanding where cannabis both from, uh, a full spectrum of use cases, but certainly a lot of the OTC use cases. Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (16:14) And then straight through to some of the use cases as it relates to pain management and, and whatnot. There's, there's, there's no question about the efficacy. Um, like there's better understanding, but, but, you know, it's clear, more research needs to be done. And this is part of, of where the legislation needs to allow research on the plant. And it's an incredibly complex plant. Um, and to be clear, I think the cannabis industry, uh, is out there saying this isn't about access of cannabis to minors. And, and in fact, a lot of, some of the tax money in Washington I talked about is going just towards those programs that keeps cannabis out of the hands of, of minors. It's, it's, it's an important issue. It's important to be regulated. It's important, like any product to bring the consistency, the safety that comes with regulation. And I think that's part of the understanding of cannabis. Then there are the dynamics around criminal justice and, and, uh, awareness of where, uh, clearly, uh, this has been an unfair, uh, you know, legal environment as it relates to cannabis and incarceration, uh, against Dana Lewis - Host : (17:18) Certainly there's a lot of trouble with during, when you take a look at the, the numbers of people incarcerated for pretty minor possession charges. And, you know, it's interesting though, that you talked about kids, right? I mean, in, in the Canadian experience that they talked about, one of the reasons to legalize is to move it away from schools and get rid of the black market, make it safer. And then a recent statistics at 40% of the cannabis market share in Canada is still held by illegal producers. So yeah, exactly. Shake all that out. Now, it, and I think the black Tim Seymour - Seymour asset management: (17:50) Market, the gray market, uh, will continue to, uh, [inaudible] at least be a dynamic. And look, if you're changing perception, uh, the people that, at one point we'd had a big problem with that, the illegal head shop down the road was, was, you know, selling cannabis in through the back door. Um, when it's generally legal on the state level and 70% of the country believes it should be legal. The, you know, the gray market, the black market actually gets a benefit here. Right? A lot of people just don't care that it's going on, you know, in their neighborhood or they, they, they may not seek to, to, to, to bring in a, you know, enforcement again. So I, I think there's still a lot of work to be done. And I think it's all about, and I remember when I was 12, you know, my grandfather used to say to me, you should legalize cannabis to get the mob out of it. Um, and you've probably seen marijuana by the way. Well, I mean, he, his point was simply that it's there, it's out there. People are consuming it, people want it. And so why not? Why not tax it? Why not regulate it? Why not make it safe? And, and I think that's, you know, I think that's, what's going on Dana Lewis - Host : (19:07) Anyway, huge growth to come, Tim Seymour of Seymour asset management, Tim. Great to talk to you, Dana. Great to be here. All right. I want to take you out to Jackson, Florida, and introduce you to Tom Grebenstein, who is the chief revenue officer with Tikun Olam. Hi Tom. Tom Grebenstein: (19:29) Thanks for having me. Thanks Dana Lewis - Host : (19:31) For doing this. It says online to Tikkun. Olam is the most trusted name in cannabis. Tom Grebenstein: (19:38) We like to think. So. Um, you know, we spent, uh, about 20 years now, uh, doing actual, uh, double blind placebo controlled research, uh, pharmaceutical style research on our, uh, strains and our products. So we feel that, that gives us the title of a most trusted brand in cannabis, Dana Lewis - Host : (19:57) Tikkun Olam was an Israeli company. Right. And, uh, as I understand it from, from one of your colleagues who I know very well, who works in the company, that, um, the problem is that when you started talking about a new industry in America of cannabis, a new legal industry, nevermind the illegal one, um, that a lot of people wanted to boast health benefits, but companies were, you know, six months old or a year old and suddenly, how could they claim any kind of research, but that's where companies like yours came in. And they're not very many of them Tikkun Olam that actually had, had been experimenting for a long time on the health benefits of cannabis. Tom Grebenstein: (20:34) Correct. Um, so we were actually the first company company in the world licensed to produce medical cannabis. Now, certainly before we came up to the scene, there were caregivers systems as in California and Colorado. Um, but, uh, as soon as we were able to achieve our licensure through a kind of interesting sequence of events in Israel, um, Dr. Raphael, Meshulum the gentleman who originally discovered THC in 1964, uh, kind of took our founder under his wing. And so we were able to really start doing research from are, are very honest. Dana Lewis - Host : (21:09) So now you have all of these States on election night that have come around and legalized marijuana. So you have like some 35 States now, right? The vast majority of them. Whereas just a few years ago, we were talking about, you know, those first few States that were willing to have legal cannabis. So is that good news? Tom Grebenstein: (21:32) Um, I think it's wonderful news, uh, you know, from a, uh, from a corporate standpoint, it may not be, but, uh, from a compassionate standpoint and myself as an active patient as well, you know, the expanded access to, uh, effective medicine is, is a wonderful thing. Uh, and, and even for those who do not have a qualifying condition, you know, access to cannabis, uh, is, is, is something that I, I feel is a rights that all should have. Dana Lewis - Host : (21:58) So how much of this is recreational and how much of it is medicinal? Tom Grebenstein: (22:03) Um, obviously that vary, varies from state to state. You know, I live in Florida where we are technically a hundred percent, uh, medical market. Um, but you know, you see States like California, um, Arizona, certainly having their adult use legislation coming down New Jersey. You know, these are our burgeoning markets that are going to convert from strictly medical to medical and adult use. Uh, it's an exciting time. Dana Lewis - Host : (22:29) What is your, if you don't mind me asking, because you refer to it, what is your personal story medically? I mean, how has cannabis been important to you then? Tom Grebenstein: (22:37) Sure. Um, well, I have a few spine, um, which, uh, basically has me constantly in pain and until I discovered medical cannabis, um, I, uh, had not slept more than three consecutive hours in 14 years. Um, but through horrible. Yes. Um, and it's compounded by the fact that I'm also allergic to opioids, which for most back pain sufferers that you might actually consider that a blessing because back then certainly has led people a lot of down the route into, uh, addiction. Um, so this has been a life-changing, uh, medicine for me it's kept me healthy and happy in my quality of life has improved a thousand percent. Dana Lewis - Host : (23:18) So is that where there's the sea change in public opinion in the U S where, you know, when the Reagans years you had this war on drug and cannabis was just another street drug that they, you know, locked people up for, but really in the last decade, you know, there's been so much talk about it, reducing pain about it, helping people. And so then when it's on the ballot, you see, I mean, a huge percentage of Americans supporting it. Whereas if you had done it 20 years ago, they wouldn't have voted that way with that. Tom Grebenstein: (23:49) No, very much so. Um, I think what you're seeing is, uh, you know, the, the progression or the, the propagation of information. So you have so many patient successes in California and Colorado and, and Israel, uh, you know, as, as medical markets grew, um, that information becomes viral and expands. And so now you have, um, as opposed to, you know, the Nancy Reagan era of just say, no, Dana Lewis - Host : (24:15) I was just trying to find my notes, or because it was 84% of Americans in 1969 thought marijuana, um, should shouldn't be legal, right? And then in 2019 pure research, 91% of Americans supported legalization. Tom Grebenstein: (24:31) You know, you, you, the, the, the, the success stories have given birth to what I think of as the skeptical boomer. You know, there are folks out there who have been told their entire life, that cannabis is evil, that it's a gateway drug. Uh, and now the data, uh, is skewing in the other direction. And it's giving those folks a justification to say, maybe there's something there. Maybe this can help me or somebody, I know Dana Lewis - Host : (24:56) What don't you like about this? When you see all of these companies suddenly opening up in all of these markets, what are the pitfalls, do you think, what I mean, is it standards? Is it testing? Is it regulation? Tom Grebenstein: (25:09) It's, there's a confluence of a number of things, and it's all generally propagated by the folks who, um, are either a profiteering or do not really understand, um, cannabis itself, uh, especially from the regulatory standpoint. So my fear is, is going too big, too fast, uh, without the, uh, without the proper sets of regulations in place, uh, without those regulations being set by folks who really do understand cannabis as medicine Dana Lewis - Host : (25:38) Like THC levels, because I know in Canada's experience, there was wildly vastly different measurements of THC and the quality of cannabis that was going to be sold legally and retail nevermind, illegally. Tom Grebenstein: (25:54) Uh, well, I think that there are a number of things, testing standards, uh, understanding what, uh, can happen to the plant and understanding how legally, uh, testing should be done around that. Um, from the consumer standpoint, yes, I think there's, there's a huge emphasis, you know, most people's experience with intoxication comes from alcohol. So they associate higher percentages of potency with, uh, that level of intoxication. When that's not necessarily the case with cannabis, you're talking about receptor occupancy that can be manipulated by a number of things aside from just THC. So yeah, you can see 30% THC cannabis on a shelf in a dispensary and think that, wow, that's going to be the most powerful thing in there when really it's a better, uh, there could be something down the lower teens that's going to affect somebody's level of intoxication much differently because of the combination of minor cannabinoids and terpenes affecting receptor occupancy. Dana Lewis - Host : (26:53) Let me, let me take you to another topic, which I don't quite understand because in Canada, it was legalized nationally with federal standards in the us. You have States that have now passed it, but federally it's still, should I use the term illegal Tom Grebenstein: (27:11) A hundred percent illegal. So what Dana Lewis - Host : (27:13) Does that mean? How does that translate into what happens then in the market? Tom Grebenstein: (27:16) Uh, well, uh, in, in a couple of manners, it really, we're getting into the kind of obscure, uh, you know, looking into the crystal ball here. Um, but currently the federal government, uh, has said that they will not interfere with state's rights to regulate themselves in reference to cannabis. Of course, that means that there is no interstate commerce on cannabis, therefore, um, it does make banking a bit of a challenge because then you're moving, you can be moving money between States that are the proceeds of, uh, of producing cannabis, but so far the federal government has, let's just say, they've been cool with it. Um, but, uh, you know, as that changes, either we go towards a federal D schedule, which I think we're all hoping for, but should that fail? I think you'll see state compacts, uh, where interstate commerce has permitted, um, or at least not restricted by state laws. Of course the da may have another opinion on that and decides to interfere. But I think you'll see, for example, you know, uh, if New York comes to an adult use in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, uh, are all adult use as well. I think you'll see those three governors get together and say, Hey, we're going to permit interstate commerce here, um, on a, on a regulated basis, uh, with a, a nod, a wink and a nod from the federal government that they won't interfere Dana Lewis - Host : (28:41) Because technically as a, as a producer or, um, a commercial outlet, then you could be charged, then could you buy them? Absolutely. So there's risk there and the people want it sort it out. You know, I want to ask you about something else really quick, John, before I let you go. And that is that in Canada, one of the biggest arguments by the prime minister Trudeau government was that, you know, let's legalize it. Um, let's, let's take the retail outlets away from, you know, kids, schools let's control quality, let's squeeze out the illegal market, um, and, and control this on a better level. So that it's, it's more healthy. It's, it's, uh, more healthy in all sorts of ways, right. But 40% of the cannabis market share in Canada is still being held by illegal producers. So-called illegal producers. Do you think you're just going to experience a lot of the same thing in the U S Tom Grebenstein: (29:35) I think you will, uh, for, for a certain period of time, you know, until, uh, the, the outweighs the reward, obviously with federal D schedule as a nation, we'll see competition rise to a point at which, uh, pricing is suppressed to the black market rate, but that doesn't happen overnight. Um, and, and it really is a factor of production. Um, I think one of the issues that has prevented Canada from getting there is this kind of concept of, uh, of over-investment, uh, which has led to ghost canopy and production issues, um, that are present. Um, there are greenhouses that were built, um, strictly so that a company can say, Hey, we've got, you know, X, million square foot of canopy up that we convergence cannabis on it. Well, there aren't enough people to buy the cannabis that would be produced by that amounts of, of greenhouses that was just done as an investment play to, to bolster share price. Tom Grebenstein: (30:34) Um, as a result of that, you're still seeing quite high retail prices, um, which is facilitating the black market, um, or even gray market, uh, workings within Canada. And as I said, the same will happen here in the U S um, but eventually prices will be, in my opinion, prices will be suppressed to the point at which, uh, the gray market is no longer profitable. You, the chief revenue officer, last question on revenue. I mean, everybody thinks that, uh, you know, this is the it's striking gold. Now it certainly is for some States, right. But in terms of companies and you guys have been doing this for years now, I understand, um, there's a lot of challenges in terms of being able to being able to make a go of it and do well in an industry that keeps getting turned up, turned upside down every few months. Right, right. Um, there certainly are challenges. Uh, the main one in the us, uh, would be, you can't operate as a single entity. I mean, if you, if you take into account the, uh, you know, DC, Puerto Rico, uh, et cetera, you know, if you were to be present nationwide, you'd need to have 52 separate operating entities all with their own infrastructure and, and all with their own legal oversight. So, um, it's, it's a challenge every day to, to be able to, or to have to manipulate the nuances between regulation. Dana Lewis - Host : (31:59) So in until the federal government gets online with state governments, that's what you're going to face. Tom Grebenstein: (32:05) Of course. And he will continue to see, uh, you know, inflated prices as a result of that here, because you can't consolidate operations from a, not only from a growth standpoint. Dana Lewis - Host : (32:17) Well, Tom Grebenstein of Tikun, Olam, thanks so much, Tom. And that's our backstory for this Christmas week, 2020 I'm Dana Lewis, please subscribe to backstory and share our link wherever you are, please stay healthy and safe. And I'll talk to you again soon.

#@tikunOlam @timseymour @tomgrebenstein legalization of cannabis #cannabis and legalization in America #the war on drugs #backstory with dana lewis #medical marijuanna #marijuana health #health cannabis #investing cannabis #@johndonvan @intelligencesquared @danaslewis backstorywithdanalewis debates #podcast on cannabis Back Story with Dana Lewis

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perfectirishgifts · 4 years ago

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A Betrothal To Data Is Also A Marriage To Cloud

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/a-betrothal-to-data-is-also-a-marriage-to-cloud/

A Betrothal To Data Is Also A Marriage To Cloud

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 07: A bride and a groom visit the New York Public Library as the city … [] continues the re-opening efforts following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on December 07, 2020 in New York City. The pandemic has caused long-term repercussions throughout the tourism and entertainment industries, including temporary and permanent closures of historic and iconic venues, costing the city and businesses billions in revenue. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images)

Technology evangelists love data. Talking about data makes them sound smart and considered, it allows them to make reference to deep-layer technologies like the neural networks that are building the Artificial Intelligence (AI) brains of the immediate future… and it sounds a whole lot more academically contemplative than any more general reference to ‘information’… almost as if any notion of information itself was ever really any different to the mathematically intricate world of data analytics and data management.

The unfortunate side effect of data being so prevalent, populous and all-pervading in modern IT systems is that data has sometimes become a throwaway term in some senses. Users today are often more focused on which app, which device, which online web service and which user interface option they’re going to have to play with, rather than the provenance, progeny and posterity of the data streams that feed all of the upper-tier technology layers that they actually touch every day.

Data betrothment is a happy marriage

This is an inconvenient truth because data remains a dynamic ‘thing’ still evolving into many different forms… all of which an enterprise organization should plight its troth to on a daily (if not hourly 24×7) basis. Businesses today, of any size, in any vertical, must be betrothed to their data. Further still, like any couple, data will move house from time to time… but at least in this case, we can say that the home always has the same roof over its head, as it has to reside in the world of hybrid cloud.

The world of data has given us the notion of the so-called ‘datasphere’. Back in 2010, it was comparable to every person on the planet having approximately 65 gigabytes of data each. Today in 2020, that figure has risen to 1,210 gigabytes per person. It will be 6,500 gigabytes per person by 2025.

The birth of online data marketplaces

What happens next in the datasphere is a compound effect where users themselves not only continue to create their own vortex of information, but a new type of information intercourse starts to happen. Online data marketplaces and exchanges where multinationals buy and sell data are now starting to flourish — and as many as a third of enterprise companies may be using these systems in the next couple of years.

Amit Walia, CEO at Informatica says that access to this external data obviously has a positive effect on corporate decision-making for most organizations. But the data playbooks we were using as recently as 18-months ago have gone out of the window, clearly in large part due to the massive globally disruptive events of 2020. Pre-pandemic data planning models for many firms are no longer accurate.

But Informatica’s Walia suggests that there is a defined way forward here. Organizations have realized that they can integrate outside data into their simulations to improve forecasting and run different scenarios to be able to rapidly change course as needed. However, bringing in external data from online marketplaces does come with its challenges.

He explains how the legal and compliance team at one large insurance provider his firm works with has established a framework to help address some of these challenges and assess risk (legal, regulatory, reputational, ethical). Frameworks like this help businesses assess the type of external data that the company can bring in, the parameters needed to combine it with internal data, then the all-important issues of compliance and security. All of which are essential to maintaining trust.

“Without trust in data, companies won’t be able to earn the trust of consumers, regulators, employees and partners alike. If companies want to monetize data assets through marketplaces, they must set the right governance benchmarks and treat privacy as a top priority,” said Walia.

Within the acceptable boundaries of marriage

Addressing structural problems such as these are part of the reason why the EU Commission recently admitted that its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been hard to implement. The Commission says that GDPR, “Equips the independent data protection authorities with stronger and harmonized enforcement powers and sets up a new governance system. It also creates a level playing field for all companies operating in the EU market.”

But while the GDPR has helped harmonize the rules across EU member states, there still remains a degree of fragmentation and diverging approaches across organizations. Walia says that to overcome these challenges, it’s important to bring together business and technical stakeholders so that those responsible can understand the data flow, processes and appropriate legitimate uses that comply with GDPR and map these to organizational policies.

“Anonymizing data, combined with a sound privacy and data protection plan that also considers data classes, assesses data exposure and prioritizes what’s most critical is the right approach. The same governance strategy should apply to other regulations outside the EU such as The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) or Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), said Walia.

For exemplars of best practice, we need to look no further than many of the world’s biggest tech firms, which Walia says are very conscious of the fact that consumers are now, more than ever, worried about how their data is used and stored. They realized first-hand that consumer trust and better privacy practice were essential to their long-term success.

But there are other sectors that are also paving the way. Walia cites the highly regulated financial and healthcare sectors that are seeing these new data challenges as a way to innovate. For healthcare, the pandemic has led to the integration of mobile apps and telemedicine in record time. In other segments, such as retail and manufacturing, more effective data management can be a competitive advantage for managing supply chains, products and customer data.

Data’s ‘I do’: a commitment to cloud

But whilst these examples show a clear case for innovation, the biggest hurdle for most is what Walia calls a touch of cloud commitment phobia. The number one priority for everyone right now is business resiliency, as businesses attempt to weather the storm and prepare for the rebound.

He acknowledges that most companies are perhaps only 20% on their way to cloud implementations – some a little less, some a little more. But while the biggest barrier to going cloud-first used to be security (or more accurately, perceived security), that dramatically changed in 2020 as organizations were forced to go digital due much more rapidly.

“Going cloud-first, cloud-native is no longer just a ‘maybe’ or nice to have, it’s a lifeline. So for those wedded and betrothed to their data, the goal is also to be very much married to the cloud. But as ever, this all boils down to culture. What’s needed is a mindset that puts data at the center of the business transformation. From there, we can determine the right skillsets, by taking action to employ a Chief Data Officer (CDO) and data analysts and, once they are in place, assess the technologies needed and develop the right solution.

Informatica’s offering in this space is known as The Informatica Intelligent Data Platform, a technology built on a microservices-based, API-driven and AI-powered architecture. This type of platform extension could well be the next ‘we have one too’ add-on that major tech vendors all attempt to tell us that they have capabilities in. Low-code application tooling is currently experiencing the same ��revolution’. While Informatica is primarily known as a cloud data management and integration company and not as a dedicated data exchange innovator, pure-play specialists such as Dawex do exist that specialize in data exchange platform technology as a core competency.

Like most things, it is not an either-or scenario for skills and tech. From a skills perspective, in addition to formal training, creating common definitions and business glossaries for data can help increase data literacy across all employees. But even with the right skills, they won’t be able to keep up with the sheer volume of data and the growing number of data sources without the right technology.

As businesses now form a new and closer betrothment to their data, we may need to welcome in a few new partners into the relationship within acceptable behavior guidelines which will need to be clearly tabled and agreed upon before any bizarre love triangles start to develop.

Data, do you take information exchange to have and to hold, until death do you part?

I do.

From Cloud in Perfectirishgifts

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faithfulnews · 5 years ago

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New podcast: Faith-based colleges face coronavirus crisis (and hard identity questions, too)

What is going to happen on college and university campuses this fall?

That’s a huge question, right now, and nobody knows the answer yet. Parents and students want to know. Football fans want to know. Trustees want to know since, in the end, they’re the people who will end up trying to handle the financial fallout of the coronavirus crisis (including predictions of a second wave hitting with the flu-season in November).

But there is more to this story than COVID-19, if you have been paying close attention to higher-education trends in recent years. Leaders in higher-ed were already bracing for the year 2025 — when the enrollment surge linked to the massive millennial generation would be coming to an end.

Now, look past all of those state-funded schools — big and small. How will these trends hit private schools, including faith-based private schools. Many have been facing rising tides of red ink, and that was before the arrival of the coronavirus.

“Crossroads” host Todd Wilken and I talked about all of these issues, and more, during this week’s podcast (click here to tune that in). The hook for this discussion was my “On Religion” column for this week, which included this crucial passage:

… The coronavirus crisis is forcing students and parents to face troubling realities. A study by McKinsey & Company researchers noted: "Hunkering down at home with a laptop … is a world away from the rich on-campus life that existed in February."

What happens next? The study noted: "In the virus-recurrence and pandemic-escalation scenarios, higher-education institutions could see much less predictable yield rates (the percentage of those admitted who attend) if would-be first-year students decide to take a gap year or attend somewhere closer to home (and less costly) because of the expectation of longer-term financial challenges for their families."

This could crush some schools. In a report entitled "Dawn of the Dead," Forbes found 675 private colleges it labeled "so-called tuition-dependent schools -- meaning they squeak by year-after-year, often losing money or eating into their dwindling endowments." While it's hard to probe private-school finances, Forbes said a "significant number" of weaker schools are "nearly insolvent."

How many of America’s truly faith-defined private colleges are in that “Dawn of the Dead” list? It’s hard to know, but you know that there are a few.

That means there are news stories to cover linked to this trends — local stories in multiple zip codes from coast to coast.

Like I said, faculty and administrators on these faith-defined private campuses already knew that there was pain ahead, linked to demographic trends and the rising number of legal and academic challenges coming from their critics (think LGBTQ strategists involved in sports, accreditation boards and internship supervisors in public-school systems).

It’s hard to make strategic plans and (#GULP) budget cuts when — in many cases — faculty and trustees differ on key issues of theology, morality and other forms of academic politics.

The good news, for schools with strong denominational ties, is that they have loyal churches, alumni and parents who are committed to helping them. The bad news? Well, some of those churches are in decline. Some of those parents have budget problems and are looking for less-expensive options for their children. And key players in some of those churches believe that their colleges are getting a bit too uppity and/or progressive on matters of doctrine.

There are story hooks all over the place in these dramas.

But sometimes reporters simply need to follow the money. Here is a rather remarkable example, which arrived in my email box this week. The headline: “Franciscan University to Cover 100% of Tuition Costs for Fall 2020 for New Students.”

That’s bold. And this is a conservative — but not “traditionalist” — Catholic school that has, in recent decades, made a name for itself by producing flocks of new priests and nuns. I have spoken there several times and the atmosphere on campus is kind of like an evangelical school, only with monks. Here is a chunk of that press release:

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO — In response to the unprecedented economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Franciscan University of Steubenville will cover the remainder of tuition costs, after scholarships and grants have been applied, for the fall 2020 semester for all incoming full-time undergraduate students enrolled in its on-campus programs. The president and Board of Trustees unanimously approved Step in Faith, a COVID-19 response plan, at their April 18 meeting.

President Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, said, “As a University, we feel called by God to ease the burden for students, so they can experience the irreplaceable value of a Franciscan University education. We’ve heard from many students whose concerns over the pandemic are making the decision to leave home for college more difficult. Also, many families and students have seen their ability to pay for college evaporate due to the economic impact of the coronavirus. We hope this unique response will help them to overcome these obstacles and uncertainties and step out in faith with us.”

The idea of using some of the University’s reserves to cover tuition costs came forward after Father Pivonka asked faculty and staff to join him in prayer for “fresh, creative, Holy Spirit-inspired ideas” for addressing the challenges Franciscan University and its students were facing due to the pandemic.

Tapping into the university’s “reserves”?

Yes, that’s what he said. There are some private-college leaders who can’t use that word, these days.

Meanwhile, here is another angle on these stories, care of an interview — published by Rod “Benedict Option” Dreher — with theologian David Whidden of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University, or FranU, in Baton Rouge, La.

This is a small, no-frills commuter school — annual tuition is about $10,000 — that combines the basics in Catholic thought with programs for pre-med and nursing students. The key is that the school is small and has low costs. Here is a chunk of that interview:

All the things that used to be disadvantages for us are suddenly advantages. We have no dorms, no Greek life, no sports, and not even a cafeteria, so we haven’t had to return any money to students. And let me add that while the lack of those things might have seemed like a disadvantage before the pandemic, I never considered them to be a disadvantage, because when I walked into a classroom I knew my students had only one reason to be there, which was for an education (for instance, the day after the national [LSU football] championship game I had my first class of the semester at 7:45 am and only had two out of 29 students absent). Most of our budget is spent on what is supposed to be the main mission of higher education, which is to teach and support students, not on things that are secondary to the university. … Our other secret weapon is that we have a niche in healthcare degrees, so most of our students are enrolled in undergraduate programs like nursing, respiratory therapy, radiologic technology, physical therapy assisting, biology (pre-med or pre-physicians assistant), and the like. As the pandemic has made clear, there is an ongoing need for students with those degrees. But their education all takes place in a Catholic and Franciscan context that forms them to be not just technically proficient, but also deeply human in their approach to their vocations. Next year we are launching a program that will allow us to make sure that all our students are also properly formed with regard to healthcare ethics, which is something that we have also seen a need for in the pandemic. I like to say that we have majors that matter, and that has never been more clear than in the last month. …

Also, our classes are small, usually capped for undergraduates at around 32, so we know our students by name. And we are a Catholic college that actually treats the Catholic intellectual tradition with respect, not as a burden to be avoided, but as a gift to be shared.

Clearly, this is not the normal business model for a Christian private school. But it appears that smaller may be better, and it helps to have a clear focus on service to the local community.

Will others follow that path? The battles on many campuses are going to be sad and brutal, at the same time.

Enjoy the podcast.

Go to the article

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cryptocoingrowth · 5 years ago

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BTC Could Hit $10K, ‘Stay Away from North Korea,’ Akon City: Hodler’s Digest, Jan. 13–19

Hodler’s Digest Coming every Sunday, Hodler’s Digest will help you track every single important news story that happened this week. The best (and worst) quotes, adoption and regulation highlights, leading coins, predictions and much more — a week on Cointelegraph in one link.

Top Stories This Week

Bitcoin ready to push above key resistance to hit $10,000The world’s biggest cryptocurrency has started 2020 fighting. For a time on Friday, Bitcoin hit $9,000 — with analysts claiming there are multiple signs that a “bullish transformation” is underway. This weekend also saw the BTC network’s mean hash rate hit new all-time highs, meaning it’s never been harder to mine new coins. Although BTC fell from highs of almost $9,200 on Sunday to hover at about $8,600, analysts believe it is ready to push above the resistance to hit $10,000. Even despite the latest turbulence, which saw prices drop $500 in five minutes, BTC is up 20% year to date — and by more than 5% over the past week. The strong performance will leave crypto skeptics such as Peter Schiff red-faced. Back in November, the gold bug had predicted BTC would imminently drop to $1,000.Research: Binance and Huobi received over 52% of total $2.8 billion illicit BTC in 2019Sticking with the Bitcoin theme, let’s look at some worrying new research that suggests just two exchanges — Binance and Huobi — together received 52% of illicit Bitcoin transfers worth $2.8 billion in 2019. According to Chainalysis, the crypto was moved from 300,000 individual accounts associated with criminal activity — and 75% of the illicit BTC was sent to just 810 accounts. Researchers believe that some over-the-counter brokers may be specializing in providing money laundering services to criminals and taking advantage of loose Know Your Customer requirements. Huobi did not respond to the claims, but Binance said it was committed to tackling financial crime in crypto and continually improving its Anti-Money Laundering measures.United Nations: Stay away from North Korean crypto conferenceThe public is being warned not to attend North Korea’s upcoming cryptocurrency conference, with experts warning it could violate sanctions. Reports suggest that the event, due to take place in February, will include discussions focused on how crypto can be used to evade sanctions and launder money. One British government spokesman said attendance would effectively support the isolated state’s use of this technology and “unavoidably increase” their ability to generate revenue for prohibited weapons programs. Earlier this month, Ethereum Foundation researcher Virgil Griffith was charged with conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, amid allegations he attended last year’s conference.New analysis finds Mondays are best days to buy BitcoinMondays are enough to fill many of us with dread, but there might be a bright spot. Research shows that Mondays actually offer the best average daily return for Bitcoin at 0.54%, while Wednesdays attract a loss of about 0.23%. This is based on analysis of the cryptocurrency’s performance from April 2013 to January 2020. Over a shorter time frame — from the beginning of 2019 to Jan. 13, 2020 — Fridays delivered the highest average return at 1.1%, with Mondays coming second with Tuesdays and Thursdays delivering negative returns on average.

Singer Akon says world’s first “crypto city” is set for Senegal in 2025Akon says he had finalized an agreement to launch a “crypto city” in West Africa. Akon City is expected to open its doors in Senegal by 2025, and vows to be a “100% crypto-based city with Akoin at the center of transactional life.” The metropolis is being built on 2,000 acres of land gifted to the project by Senegal, and the first phase of construction is scheduled to finish in about five years’ time. It is hoped that Akoin will empower “rising entrepreneurs with digital and real-life tools and services, and enable brands to unlock the power of Africa’s rising economy.” Rest assured, we’ll give you plenty of updates on how the project progresses.

Winners and Losers

At the end of the week, Bitcoin is at $8,670.33, Ether at $165.92 and XRP at $0.23. The total market cap is at $236,788,834,292.

For more info on crypto prices, make sure to read Cointelegraph’s market analysis.

Most Memorable Quotations

“The state should become a digital platform that is created for people.”Mikhail Mishustin, new Russian prime minister“We cannot discount the future role of cryptocurrencies in funding acts of domestic extremism, both within New Jersey and across the United States.”Jared Maples, director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness“Supporting the DPRK’s use of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, risks violating the Security Council’s resolutions because it would unavoidably increase the DPRK’s ability to subvert sanctions and generate revenue for its weapons programs.”British government spokesman“Be cautious if considering an investment in an IEO. Claims of new technologies and financial products, such as those associated with digital asset offerings, and claims that IEOs are vetted by trading platforms, can be used improperly to entice investors with the false promise of high returns in a new investment space.”U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission“So right now, Bitcoin and Ether are the two that we think fall under our jurisdiction.”Heath Tarbert, Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman“We are looking forward to our joint efforts with Z Corporation/TaoTao in bringing our services to Japan. Foremost, we want to ensure that we work in full compliance with Japanese laws and regulations where local and global standards function as a key role in establishing sustainable development industry-wide and greater public adoption.”CZ, Binance CEO“We're not looking to build a service here, make money and enjoy the revenue, we're looking to create a standard”Eyal Hertzog, Bancor co-founder and product architect

Prediction of the Week

“Weak hands are out” — Trader who called $20,000 Bitcoin top calls bottomWaiting for prices to dip to $6,000 before you invest in Bitcoin? You’ve missed your chance, according to Peter Brandt. The veteran trader — who successfully predicted in early 2018 that crypto markets would fall 80% from their all-time highs of $20,000 — struck a bullish tone during an interview with Cointelegraph. “The weak hands are out; the strong hands own it,” he surmised. Brandt added that “anybody who is interested in what Bitcoin has to offer” should dedicate 10% to 20% of their portfolio to the cryptocurrency.

FUD of the Week

U.S. SEC warns investors that IEOs may be breaking the lawThe United States Securities and Exchange Commission has warned that initial exchange offerings may be breaking the law. After the initial coin offering boom turned into a bust, many projects have taken to launching their tokens directly on exchanges. But the regulatory body says: “Be cautious if considering an investment in an IEO. Claims of new technologies and financial products, such as those associated with digital asset offerings, and claims that IEOs are vetted by trading platforms, can be used improperly to entice investors with the false promise of high returns in a new investment space.” The SEC said that alarm bells should ring if IEO organizers fail to address federal securities laws or mislead investors, adding: “There is no such thing as an SEC-approved IEO.”U.S. SEC charges convict and associates for $30 million fraudulent ICOAnd speaking of the SEC, this week saw the regulator charge a group of criminals who raised over $30 million through a fraudulent ICO. Boaz Manor, one of his business associates and two companies are accused of violating the anti-fraud and securities registration provision of federal securities law. They are accused of marketing and selling securities with a plan to develop technologies for hedge funds and other investors in digital assets. According to the SEC, Manor changed his hair color, grew a beard and used aliases to conceal his identity because he had previously served a year in prison after pleading guilty to criminal charges arising from the collapse of a large Canadian hedge fund.Singapore crypto consultant kidnapped for $1 million ransomA businessman was recently kidnapped in Thailand and tortured for a $740,000 ransom in BTC. Mark Cheng transferred all his available funds of $46,000 to his captors and reportedly made a daring escape as they prepared to murder him. He was on a business trip to Thailand when he was bundled into a truck by masked men. A Thai actor is believed to have owned that pickup truck, and police have now identified him as a person of interest in their investigation. Describing his escape, Cheng said: ”One of them held the gun against the back of my head while the others stepped away. Fortunately, I know martial arts. I reached behind my head and grabbed the pistol, and then I fled.”

Best Cointelegraph Features

Predictions for 2020Take a look at the biggest and best predictions for 2020. We’ve asked prominent industry experts which altcoins they’ll be keeping a close eye on in the coming 12 months, what Bitcoin’s price might look like this year, what this year’s biggest topics are likely to be, and for their thoughts on the major themes for crypto and blockchain in 2020.Telegram’s legal battle with the SEC heats up over TON recordsJoseph Birch looks back at Telegram’s clash with the SEC, which became one of the crypto world’s most closely followed legal dramas in 2019.Interview with Daniel Marco on the state of blockchain in CataloniaCointelegraph features editor Alex Cohen speaks to Daniel Marco, the director general of innovation and the digital economy in the government of Catalonia, to find out how the region’s ambitious blockchain strategy is taking shape.Original Article - CoinTelegraph.com Read the full article

#Binance #Bitcoin #blockchain #Cryptocurrencies #NorthKorea

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gyrlversion · 6 years ago

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Our rural idyll is under threat by new Sizewell road and it wont help

After two decades of fast-paced city life in London, Dublin and New York, my wife Michaela and I decided it was time to put down roots and ease up a bit.

On our first viewing, we knew Fir Tree Farm in Suffolk was ideal for raising our daughters, Olivia, 14, Amelie, 13, and Ruby, 11, and so it was that five years ago we moved to the country.

Nestled in several acres with two ponds and woodland, the 17th-century farmhouse gave us the tranquillity we had longed for.

Dashed hopes: Paul and Michaela with their daughters, Olivia, 14, Amelie, 13, and Ruby, 11, at their beautiful rural retreat in Suffolk

The Fields paid £685,000 for the house. It was valued at £900,000 before EDF made its plans public. A sale is unrealistic, estate agents told the family, unless they slash the price

It is so secluded that our only neighbours are acres of arable farmland, hares we can watch boxing and skies so dark that on clear nights you can see satellites hurtling through space like shooting stars.

We spent last year getting permission to extend the four-bedroom farmhouse and replace a dilapidated barn so we could provide accommodation for our parents, whose dependency on us has become more pressing.

Despite the family challenges many couples of our generation face, we knew we were very lucky. Fir Tree Farm and the lifestyle it gave us was like wearing a warm, cosy jumper on a crisp, frosty morning.

But then, last October, EDF Energy wrote to tell us it was launching a final consultation on plans to build two nuclear reactors at Sizewell, about eight miles from our home — and our property had been identified as possibly being affected.

EDF wants to build a road from the A12 towards Sizewell. The road would go up against the boundary between the Fields’ property and neighbouring farmland

I called EDF and was told curtly that letters were being sent to hundreds of people.

No, they couldn’t say how the Sizewell C plans would affect us. Yes, we’ll be consulted in due course. No, there’s no date for when that will be.

After making some inquiries, someone with knowledge of the plans told me EDF wants to build a road from the A12 towards Sizewell. No other property would be impacted as much as ours because the road would go up against the boundary between us and neighbouring farmland.

Paul (pictured) said: ‘Fir Tree Farm and the lifestyle it gave us was like wearing a warm, cosy jumper on a crisp, frosty morning’

Michaela and I felt sick, but we decided not to tell our children until we had a clearer picture.

After making half a dozen calls to EDF for information, I was invited to a meeting by Tom McGarry, head of stakeholder engagement for Sizewell C. ‘We don’t want your property,’ he said. ‘We’ll go round it.’

The first of my interactions with EDF set the tone for subsequent ones: paucity of detail and brutally cold communications. Worse was to come when EDF publicly released its proposals in January.

In a field bordering Fir Tree Farm, crops grow on rotation.

The only pollution is at harvest time, when our windowsills get a light covering of dust and we have to remember not to leave washing on the line when the combine harvester is out.

The proposals revealed that in this field, EDF would locate a construction compound for 300 workers and 175 trucks a day for two years while it builds its new road.

That would start with a roundabout in the field and run for five miles towards Sizewell, where building two nuclear reactors would take ten years.

EDF admits our home would suffer ‘significant adverse effects’ from noise. At the peak of construction, 1,500 HGVs and 6,000 other vehicles would thunder past each day.

The proposals also make clear that the proposed roundabout would be lit by 33ft-high lighting columns — so no more stargazing for us. Oh, and did I mention the air pollution forecasts?

Construction would start in 2021, encompassing the period when two of our daughters would be doing A-levels and GCSEs.

The property (pictured) is so secluded that the family’s only neighbours are acres of arable farmland, and on clear nights you can see satellites hurtling through space like shooting stars

Last year, the family (pictured) got permission to extend the four-bedroom farmhouse and replace a dilapidated barn so they could provide accommodation for their parents

The only pollution is at harvest time, when the family’s windowsills get a light covering of dust and they have to remember not to leave washing on the line when the combine harvester is out

The level of disruption would make studying and working impossible. Both Michaela, a landscape artist, and I, formerly of the Mail and now a technology investor and adviser, work from home.

The plans we had made for our parents were wrecked as soon as EDF disclosed the road. Yet we still have a pressing need for more room.

The last thing Michaela and I want for our daughters is the upheaval of moving from a home we love, but we accepted there is no alternative.

Reluctantly, we wrote to EDF to ask them to buy us out. Given the £14 billion cost of Sizewell C, surely EDF could afford to be sympathetic to our situation?

How foolish we were to think EDF would be fair to us. We felt we were being extremely reasonable, given the huge sacrifice we were willing to make by moving.

When we got a response, five weeks later, EDF flatly refused to acquire the property.

Should we try to sell? We paid £685,000 for the house. It was valued at £900,000 before EDF made its plans public. A sale is unrealistic, estate agents told us, unless we slash the price.

EDF Energy launched a final consultation on plans to build two nuclear reactors at Sizewell, about eight miles from the Fields’ home

We assumed there would be a legal remedy. Alas, no. The first opportunity to formally make a compensation claim for blight is when a proposed road has been approved, which, in the case of Sizewell C, is 2021 at the earliest. Until the road gets approved — and even then there could be a long and costly legal process to prove blight — we are stuck with a house worth less than we paid for it, and which fails to meet our needs.

The feeling of having our hands tied behind our back is bad enough, but this helplessness is compounded by EDF rubbing our nose in it.

At a public exhibition, I told Jim Crawford, the project developmet director, of my frustration that EDF had not engaged with me about our situation.

His PR man started laughing, as he waved his arms in the direction of the display boards in the room, saying: ‘What do you think this is? We are engaging with you!’

He smirked when I asked: ‘Why are you laughing? There’s nothing funny about the anxiety EDF is causing my family.’

This is not a story of Nimbyism, nor is it an emotive way to make a case against nuclear fuel. No, after months of trying to appeal to EDF to treat us fairly, this is about how big business can run roughshod over ordinary people like a bulldozer crushing farmland to make way for a new road.

We’ve been struck by how a single event can make you feel as though the walls are falling in around you, and you’re powerless to do anything to stop it.

Mr Crawford says: ‘We are asking the local community what they think of plans for Sizewell C. We have met with Mr Field and other people who could potentially be affected by Sizewell C proposals, with the most recent meeting held last week. We will take on board the feedback we receive and provide appropriate mitigation.’

Read Paul’s blog at https://sizewellc.org/

What is the cost to the consumer of building Sizewell C?

Building Sizewell C also comes at a high cost to the consumer. By 2030, around a quarter of the UK’s energy needs must be found from new sources because 14 of our 15 existing nuclear reactors are due to start closing by 2025 when remaining coal-fired power stations are also set for decommissioning.

In the last four months Toshiba and Hitachi have pulled the plug on new nuclear plants at Moorside in Cumbria and Wylfa in North Wales, after failing to secure investment. This potential shortfall in electricity for the UK makes a strong case for building Sizewell C, although the cost to the consumer is likely to be eye-watering.

When EDF got approval from the government to build Hinkley Point C in Somerset, it struck a lavish deal that locks in the price for electricity at an index-linked £92.50/MWh – almost twice the cost of energy generated by wind power. It is expected Sizewell C would require a similar strike price, which could result in higher energy bills.

Consumers could also be impacted by Sizewell C due to the way EDF intends to raise investment. It has said it will look to pension funds, including public sector pots, to finance the £14 billion construction.

EDF, which lost 200,000 customers to rival energy firms last year and saw earnings for its UK business fall 16.5% to £691m, has been lobbying the Government to consider a new form of financing for nuclear. Known as the regulated asset base model, it means EDF would impose a charge on consumers during the construction phase.

This could be controversial and calls are already being made for the Government to focus on a renewables-led energy strategy given the pace of technological advances and the considerably lower costs of offshore wind. Sir John Armitt, chairman of the the National Infrastructure Commission said the government should put the brakes on plans for a nuclear new build programme, arguing that wind and solar could deliver the same capacity as nuclear for the same price, with the added advantage of carrying less risk.

‘One thing we’ve all learnt is these big nuclear programmes can be pretty challenging, quite risky – they will be to some degree on the government’s balance sheet,’ said Sir John. ‘I don’t think anybody’s pretending you can take forward a new nuclear power station without some form of government underwriting or support. Whereas the amount required to subsidise renewables is continually coming down.’

There are also serious questions about Chinese involvement in the UK’s infrastructure. EDF, which lost 200,000 UK customers last year, is already propped up by the Chinese state-owned China Nuclear Group.

Last October, an assistant US Secretary of State, Christopher Ashley Ford, explicitly warned the UK against partnering with CGN, claiming that the business was taking civilian technology and using it for military purposes. In recent weeks, concerns about Huawei, the Chinese telecoms company, prompted calls for the government to push back on closer energy ties with China.

Isabel Hilton, CEO of Chinadialogue, says the UK opening up vital infrastructure to China is unparallelled in the western world. ‘No other OECD country has done this. This is strategic infrastructure, and China is a partner but not an ally in the security sense. You are making a 50-year bet, not only that there will be no dispute between the UK and China, but also no dispute between China and one of the UK’s allies. It makes no strategic sense.’

The post Our rural idyll is under threat by new Sizewell road and it wont help appeared first on Gyrlversion.

from WordPress https://www.gyrlversion.net/our-rural-idyll-is-under-threat-by-new-sizewell-road-and-it-wont-help/

#Entertainment News

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scarriercontribution · 6 years ago

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January 2019 To March 2019 Amazon Reviews Online Amazon Reviews Updated Thursday January 17 2019 Part Two

January 2019 To March 2019 Amazon Reviews Online Amazon Reviews Updated Thursday January 17 2019 Part Two Reviews Initiated on Wednesday January 16 2019 and Posted by Thursday January 17 2019 Reviews started sometime after 7 pm and completed by 1059 pm Wednesday January 16 2019 before doing slight grammar andor spelling fixes/updates/word updates etc.

A Kindlebook For People of Various Backgrounds/Walks of LifeI admit that one of the reasons for my interest in this kindlebook that is titled Making The Most of Your Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan Benefits ; An Active Duty Service Member and Veterans Guide To Home Ownership by David E Nelson Jr. is because of my intent to do what I legally can to be eligible to purchase a home with my husband by the year 2025 andor sooner that we both can reside in/live in for the rest of our current earth lifetimes. Fortunately both he and I have yet to use our VA loans and this kindlebook helped give some ideas on how the VA loan works in regards to particular home buying plans. This kindlebook is also good for a potential home buyers of various backgrounds, occupations, and ages even if you have yet to be near a military base because various issues on home buying are addressed that could appeal to many people buying homes regardless of their background that include; short sales and info on working with real estate agents/realtors in regards to checking how long they expect to work with you, why you want to doublecheck with ideally the same loan officer on certain matters even when working with multiple real estate agents in the way addressed in the kindlebook, the author’s explanation on why you want to ideally still at least google search for a realtor even when there is temptation to rely on online real estate listings, Veteran’s Affairs Home Loan Buyer’s checklist and more. This kindlebook was well worth the purchase for me to better inform myself and share some of the details with my husband for both present and future reference.

Heartwarming

This kindlebook that is The Team; A Mother’s Wisdom From The Other Side Book 1 by Teddy and Frances Key and Oscar Senn as the illustrator has heartfelt information. Areas that are touched on include forgiveness, a person’s spiritual team, eureka moments that appear out of the blue and much more. I also came away with more insight with the way the writings on the power of thought and visualizations are much more powerful in a person than they may realize regardless of who they are, their level of self confidence etc. I feel blessed in both my personal and professional life with a loving and open minded husband who is understanding of my unconventional spiritual beliefs. However, I admit that the deaths of both my adoptive parents even though they occurred 15 years apart has me sometimes unintentionally wondering/thinking about how they are doing even though I have faith that both of them went to a world/worlds of whatever they consider their version of heaven. This kindlebook helps remind me that is more than normal and understandable to wonder about one’s late family members from time to time (regardless of how long ago they passed)with the way the matriarch of the family is discussed in this kindlebook who passed away around the age of 86.

Multiple Chefs/Places ReferencedThis book that is Chef’s Night Out; From Four-Star Restaurants To Neighborhood Favorites; 100 Top Chefs Tell You Where (And How) To Enjoy America’s Best by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page has a mix of various types of restaurants that use to be open or are still open this year that include; El Bulli in Spain (mentioned on pages 18 to 19 online Wikipedia listed them open from 1964 to 2017), a chef who was referenced in connection with the Inn At Little Washington in Virginia (on page 41), a section of various restaurants affiliated with Los Angeles California that starts on page 112 that also reference Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles across multiple locations on page 113, pages 149 to 208 reference places and chefs pertaining to New York, Washington DC Area restaurants and chefs are referenced from pages 279 to 293, and more.

I confess that I finally had the chance to catch up with watching the remaining episodes of Season 5 Last Ship this week. The finale of the Last Ship Season 5 did wrap up creatively and with much emotion and suspense. The ending especially the remaining 15 to 20 minutes definitely also took me by surprise in a wow way especially because it touches on spiritual/afterlife themes in a creative fiction way (I must leave it at that for those who still have yet to see season 5 of the Last Ship), I still stand by my sentiment that I hope that a movie is eventually released of the Last Ship with as much of the original actors actresses that can feature in the film as possible (I say as possible) only because I understand it would be too much of a stretch to feature all due to what occurred with a multiple number of the characters. I definitely intend to order the complete Last Ship dvd set sometime this year and I am glad to have originally been introduced to the Last Ship tv series from an advertisement that I had seen in an Entertainment Weekly magazine issue sometime around June 2014. The following is my Last Ship Season 5 Review from September 19, 2018 a person could still be a novice to this show and enjoy The Last Ship. However I would still recommend at least watching Season 4 if possible time andor moneywise before viewing Season 5 to further understand the workings behind a multiple number of the actors and actresses who feature in Last Ship Season 5. I have to admit that I found it a very novel idea on how one of the characters on the villain side was written to have had a connection with Disney.

A Phenomenal Season Start

September 19, 2018

Already with the Last Ship Season 5 there are a multiple number of heartstring tugging and keep the viewer in suspenseful type of scenes that definitely have me looking forward to more episodes in this season. I am fortunate to have been introduced to the Last Ship television series back in June 2014 via an advertisement in Entertainment Weekly magazine. While still being considerate to those novices/new to the Last Ship tv series I feel compelled to share that multiple locations of military bases are featured even though the USS Nathan James is based in Norfolk Virginia. These listed locations obviously become essential andor vital in some way to being part of the puzzle piece of the season 5 Last Ship beginning 2 episodes. I do feel that it was definitely worth purchasing the whole season from my pocket yet I do wonder out of curiosity if more details can be featured why this season’s antagonist feels so strongly about America. As an American born woman who was adopted by 2 of my late adoptive parents who were also American even I understand some of the reasons why a person from other areas outside of the U.S. would be far from patriotic. I prefer to avoid harping further about culture out of respect for many people in my personal andor professional/career/employment life who I have interacted with that are from other countries outside of the U.S. However, I wonder and am curious if by episode 5 more is going to be revealed on why the main antagonist feels the way they do about America. Of course, the addition/feature of other actors/actresses for this season; Eric Dane, Adam Baldwin, Charles Parnell, Kevin Michael Martin, Bridget Regan, Jocko Sims, Bren Foster, Jodie Smith, Christina Elmore, Marissa Neitling, Travis Van Winkle, Ben Cho, Michael Dorsano, Maximiliano Hernandez, Fay Masterson, Adam Irigoyen, and more. Of course, I was a little surprised how the conclusion of each of the two episodes unfolded and I am eager to see the rest of the Last Ship season 5.

Abundance Profiles

I’m intuitively and logically aware how blessed I am in both my personal and working life and what also helps is that my husband is ultra supportive of my career, spiritual and money goals. I admit from a place of curiosity of striving to understand what creates an abundance mindset influenced my purchase of this kindlebook that is titled Instant Millionaires The Secret of Overnight Success by Max Gunther. The real life accounts in this kindlebook include; an advertising employee who hit a goldmine through candy, a family man who became rich through a boardgame, a woman who unexpectedly came into great prosperity from using the outlet of her fiction writing as a hobby/something to do, a stock market millionaire, a cereal millionaire, a woman who became a millionaire through her dressmaking, and more. I am fortunate to have purchased this Akashic Who’s Who of Psychic Mediums Healers and More by Victoria Lynn Weston via Amazon on December 14 2014 and to have reviewed it on January 9 2015. I’m intuitively and logically aware that it is important to learn to use and consistently strengthen my own logical,intuitive and imaginative/creative faculties/talents and to be wise and reasonable on how often I consult in a psychic. I admit that the last time I got a psychic reading was in 2017 though I do intend to eventually have another reading again by the end of this year andor sooner. I feel fortunate to know about the existence of certain books to help me understand andor get an idea on how various psychics live and believe. I now realize that I am responsible for creating my reality both the challenging and pleasant parts of my life. However, even with me being logically and intuitively aware of how I may be perceived, the researcher and investigator in me wants to keep track of how I have wrote and thought from both the past and present in order for me to better understand my true and braver self for both present and future reference. Detailed Glossary of Multiple Psychics/Spiritual LightworkersJanuary 9, 2015I have to properly credit psychic elizabeth joyce for finding out about this book that is titled akashic who’s who of psychics, mediums, and healers by Victoria lynn Weston. This is because I was researching if the book psychic attack are you a victim by Elizabeth joyce was right for me. I felt a strong psychic impression when she referenced this book and now I understand why I felt intuitively guided to get Akashic who’s who of psychics, mediums, healers, and more by Victoria lynn Weston. The difference between a psychic and a medium (starts on page 113), each person is asked their take on what they see may happen in the year 2020 and any books that they recommend such as on pages 34-35 and 196-197. There are also some resources listed in the back of the book and information on the author (pages 331-337). The positive takeaway that I got from akashic whos who of psychics, mediums, and healers by Victoria lynn Weston is how it is important to consistently have faith and ask for heaven’s help in a more skilled way in channeling inner power that will grow and reinforce that belief that life is going to turn out for the brighter and more charmed (filled with the fruits of good luck/good fortune/good karma) regardless of what others may say and/or current external circumstances. Descendants movie review-fortunately I originally got the chance to review the first Descendants film on January 10 2016 sometime after watching the film and I noticed that I obviously reviewed over the first review sometime in 2017 or 2018

Perfect Film To Watch If You Enjoy the Ever After High or Cartoon Book Series

Original amazon review written on January 10 2016-archived from my stellacarrier googleplus blog via the stellacarrier googleplus online blog section of Stella Carrier online reviews and purchases for creative analysis Fantasy Movie Good For Either Those Who Simply Want to Just Watch the Film and/or Aspiring WritersJanuary 10 2016The Disney Descendants Movie centers around the characters who are torn between following what they want or following the legacy of their parents. I immediately recognized Kristin Chenoweth in the Descendants movie (due to being previously familiar with her work portraying a public relations specialist in 12 Men of Christmas). There are also other actresses and actors in this film that also contribute heavily to the film and the viewer gets introduced to both the parents as well as the kids that are grappling with whether to follow their parents. The kids also deal with themes of fitting in. Due to the fantasy genre slant, this Descendants film is also good for those who like the Ever After High cartoon series. Revised and edited review in either 2017 or 2018January 10 2016I admit that I got the idea to watch the first Disney Descendants film after unexpectedly catching the tail end of the Descendants 2 film less than 4 hours ago and deciding by one of the dragon scenes of this film to check out the first Descendants.Additionally, curiosity influenced me enough to watch it as both an aspiring writer for plot ideas on connecting this series to Ever After High and simply just to watch it as a fantasy type film with a happy ending. The Descendants film involves a plot where Ben (Mitchell Hope) successfully convinces his parents who are now queen and king of the land of Auradon Belle (Keegan Connor Tracy) and Beast (Dan Payne) to allow the following children into Auradon Prep School;Mal (Dove Cameron) daughter of Malificent (Kristin Chenoweth has featured in such films as 12 Men of Christmas, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure), Evie (Sofia Carson) daughter of the Evil Queen (Kathy Najimy),Carlos (Cameron Boyce) son of Cruella de Vil (Wendy Raquel Robinson), and Jay (Booboo Stewart) son of Jaffar (Maz Jobrani). Of course, there are multiple actors and actresses who also play crucial roles into the plot. From what I see, the Descendants film sends a healthy and positive (maybe even spiritual message) that it is possible for a person to create their own happy reality that is different from what may be expected of them depending on their parental andor family background. Obviously, this lesson could still be inclusive depending on whether what type of background a person came from. The children of the villains do adjust to life really well at Auradon Prep school and even enjoy themselves. This Descendants film is also good if you enjoy musical movies as there are song performances in the film. I may be in the minority saying this, yet I do feel that the writers of the Ever After High Series and the Descendants films could maybe get together and collaborate (as there are creative parallels in a beneficial way with some of the plot points while each of the series maintains its own originality). I also know for sure that I intend to eventually purchase both Disney Descendants films. Might Appeal To Some Ever After High Fans andor Animated TV Show FansThe animated cartoon tv series that is Descendants Wicked World has plot and cartoon elements that touch upon friendship, magic, and enjoying life. The messages and the unique plot elements and colorful sequences might interest some viewers of the Ever After High Series because that series also touches on themes of friendship and adventures in storybook type of worlds.

A Good Continuation From the First Descendants FilmThis film that is Descendants 2 definitely has a strong flow of continuation of events from the first Disney Descendants film. There is great contrast shown with the first Descendants film where some of the characters that came from another place were treated better and shown a warmer welcome a sense of belonging compared to the first film. I would prefer to say to pay attention to the theme of a certain kind of book referenced in the second film as this is important to a significant part of the plot development. I admit that I had seen the first Descendants film in early 2016 by January 2016 and I am glad to have finally seen the second Descendants film because a multiple number of the actors and actresses gave much energy and animated emotion to their parts (on both the good guy and villain sides). This film is definitely worth a try to watch if you enjoyed the first film and you might like this film as a novice if you are an eclectic Disney movie viewer.

Prolific Restaurant Features

I admit that I unexpected spotted this magazine that is From The Food Critics of US Weekly; 100 Best Restaurants in America (listed for a recommendation to display until 3/1/19) from a CVS store less than 3 miles from where my husband and I currently live. Some of the following places/names referenced in this magazine; Restaurant Guy Savoy in Las Vegas Nevada (page 16), La Super Rica Taqueria in Santa Barbara California on page 17, Uchi in Austin Texas on page 27, The Inn at Little Washington and Maydan referenced on pages 45 to 46 for Washington DC,ABC Cocina in New York New York on page 52, Arethusa al Tavolo in Bantam Connecticut on page 53, Anthony Bourdain’s Top 20 starts on pages 68 to 69, a listing of the 150 under $25 The Best Cheap Eats in Your State on page 69, a section on 25 Recipes from Top Chefs pages 70 to 95, and more.

Distinctive Live Music Sets

This music mix that is Live At Knebworth 1990 is a music collection of elements of live rock mixed with blues for some songs by a variety of artists that include; Sussudio by Phil Collins, Sunshine of Your Love by Eric Clapton, Think I Love You Too Much by Dire Straits, Saturday Nights All Right by Elton John, Hey Jude by Paul McCartney, Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd, Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears For Fears, Whatever You Want by Status Quo, On The Beach by Cliff Richard & the Shadows, Tall Cool One by Robert Plant, a music medley by Genesis, and more.

Calming and Peaceful

This music collection that is Late Night Tales Groove Armada by Groove Armada has a vast selection of chillout and lounge music from various artists that include; Free Will by Electric,Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode,You’re All I Need To Get By by Marvin Gaye feat. Tammi Terrell, Friday’s Child (Andy Cato mix) by Will Young, Are Friends Electric by Groove Armada,Close To Me by The Cure, Even After All by Finley Quaye, Josephine (La version francaise)by Chris Rhea, Late Night Tales by Groove Armada (Continuous Mix), and more.

Daring and Bold

This music collection that is R&B Date Night is good for eclectic music listeners andor music listeners who enjoy a mix of 90s R&B and 2000s era music because of the feature of songs that include; Cupid by 112, Baby by Brandy, So Into You by Tamia, I Swear by All-4-One, At Your Best You Are Love by Aaliyah, Swv, Total, Tyrese, Charlie Wilson, Neyo, and more. Unique BlendI confess that I have yet to research online who Golic and Wingo are though I intend to sometime tonight. However, this Amazon music playlist that is Golic and Wingo’s Favorite Songs attracted my interest as an eclectic music listener because of the fascinating mix of music songs from the country, dance, pop, and rock music genres within this playlist that include; Counting Stars by One Republic, Happy by Pharrell Williams, Wouldn’t It Be Nice by the Beach Boys, Beautiful Day by U2, I Can See Clearly Now by Jimmy Cliff, Take it Easy by the Eagles, The Joker by The Steve Miller Band,Here Comes The Sun by the Eagles, Brandy You’re A Fine Girl by Looking Glass, Walking On Sunshine by Katrina & The Waves, Can’t Stop the Feeling by Justin Timberlake, American Pie by Don Mclean, Against the Wind by Bob Seger, Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield, Rosalita Come Out Tonight by Bruce Springsteen, The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band, etc.

Spectacular Rock Playlist

I admit that this Amazon music playlist that is Sexy Classic Rock caught my interest because I enjoy romantic, racy, andor love type songs across various genres and I’m fortunate that my husband is open-minded about my varied music interests. What I also like about the playlist is the diverse type of songs on this collection that feature; Rod Stewart, Patti Smith Group, Foreigner,Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Heart, Lita Ford, Aerosmith, Cream, T Rex,The Rollingstones, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Eurythmics, Van Morrison, and many more musicians/music groups. I am very happy to have unexpectedly come across this Amazon music playlist that is Sexy Classic Rock.

Summertime Strawberry Vibe

This 8 ounce Bath & Body Works brand of lotion that is Sweet Escape Strawberry Picnic (24 hour Ultra Shea Body Cream) has a good mix of the summery strawberry scent that is also very moisturizing to my skin. I admit that I got this lotion from an annual Bath & Body works sale in Northern Virginia. Right Blend of Apple and Honey ScentsThis Bath & Body Works brand of 8 ounces Champagne Apple & Honey Lotion (24 hour Ultra Shea Body Cream) has a terrific blend of the fruity scent of the apple balancing the honey fragrance in a lotion that is soothing to my skin. I got this lotion from a Bath and Body Works location in Virginia that was having an annual sale on a number of their products.

Classic

This Bath & Body Works brand of 8 ounces lotion that is Japanese Cherry Blossom (24 hour Ultra Shea Body Cream) has a pleasant flowery scent. I am fortunate to have known about this fragrance since around 2006/2007 when my husband and I noticed the Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom lotion and body sprays being sold at a Bath & Body Works location in Florida where my husband and I lived at the time. Bought For

This one pound 4 ounce (20 ounces)bag of double stuff oreos definitely has a fair mix of the classic chocolate cookie flavor paired with the smooth filling. The Nabisco Oreo brand has been one of my husband’s favorite cookies for a while, and I admit to my husband being a significant influence on why I purchased these cookies.

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ruthsulivan · 6 years ago

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Latest Example Of Vaping Improving Lives Will Inspire Anyone To Quit Smoking

After years of anti-vaping rhetoric, New Zealand is seeing massive benefits from the newly expanded vaping industry

Quitting smoking is one of the hardest things to do according to many people. It’s understandable given just how many people die every year from preventable diseases caused by continued smoking. But over the last few decades governments around the world have been cracking down on tobacco in a major way. This has resulted in different responses to the newest smoking cessation tool, vaporizers. But as more research is published proving the huge value of e-cigarettes, more countries have been getting behind them.

New Zealand, for example, has had an unusually varied history with vaping. They were initially very strictly against them, but after looking at the data, they’re now advocating their harm reduction and smoking cessation benefits to smokers around the nation. This provides the perfect example of what can happen when evidence guides policy-making, and not just sticking to your political guns. New Zealand is now experiencing an even faster rate of smoking decline than ever before, and many in their government give credit to vaping.

Business Is Booming

Ever since vaping was formally legalized in New Zealand, the industry has been booming. If you ask around, you’ll likely hear stories about how vaping significantly improved their lives or the lives of someone close to them. A recent article on Newshub interviewed several Kiwi vapers about how their lives have changed since switching to vaping. One interview was with Josh McNally, who had previously smoked every day for over 15 years. “Walking up I was no longer breathless, that morning cough that you get, gone, and with the money I’m saving, I’m putting it into going to the gym, getting back in shape and actually getting my health back on track.” This trend has carried over for most sections of New Zealand society, with even the traditionally staunch smoking Maori women now taking steps to improve smoking cessation among their community.

So with all the interest in vaping products, it’s only natural that business would be booming for stores and manufacturers. The same article from Newshub talked with QJ Satchell, who started NZVAPOR after seeing the writing on the wall with legalization. According to Satchell, business has really taken off, so much in fact that he’ll soon be moving into a bigger factory space to accommodate orders. Like virtually everyone in the vaping business, Satchell says they have no desire to sell to anyone except adult smokers. “We don’t want non-smokers to start vaping, we don’t want children to start vaping, we want to make sure that we are approaching the right people and those are current smokers, adult smokers who need to stop,”

Evidence For Vaping

Once you take some time to look at the peer-reviewed evidence we have on vaping, it becomes clear why so many are excited about what it could offer when adequately utilized. We’ve known going back as far as 2015 that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking. But this wasn’t a one-off study, in fact as recently as last month different researchers concluded that vapor contains approximately 93% fewer toxicants than cigarettes smoke. If that isn’t a strong enough endorsement, we also have plenty of reason to believe that the excess lifetime cancer risk of a vaper is around 57,000 times lower than a smoker from a similar background.

Looking further than the harm reduction value, we still have a lot to love about vaping. The often referenced teenage vaping “epidemic” appears to be little more than anecdotal fear mongering. Massive studies of over 60,000 students have concluded that only between 0.1% and 0.5% of non-smoking teens are ever vaping on a regular basis. Which means that even fewer are ever even trying a cigarette, let alone ending up full-blown smokers. But potentially the most crucial benefit of vaping is just how successful they have proven to be at helping smokers quit. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Louisville concluded that vaping is more likely to lead to quitting than anything else, including popular new prescription drugs.

Implications

New Zealand is offering us all the blueprint on how to handle vaping. After years of cautious policy, they finally were convinced to the value of vaping and adjusted to reflect it. Most countries could take a lesson from this grounded and logical approach to policy-making. Regardless, this represents a massive step forward for the vaping industry abroad. If they can go from being entirely against vaping to fully supporting it than anywhere should be able to follow suit. This new booming vaping industry is only speeding up their goals of becoming a smoke-free country by 2025. So if you find yourself talking to someone who worries that legitimization of vaping will reverse the decline in smoking rates, just point them to the example of New Zealand.

Do you think it’s a big deal that NZ changed their stance on vaping so drastically? What’s the best thing about vaping in your opinion? How should we be working to spread positive information to those around us? Let us know what you think in the comments, and don’t forget to check back here or join our Facebook and Twitter communities for more news and articles.

The post Latest Example Of Vaping Improving Lives Will Inspire Anyone To Quit Smoking appeared first on ChurnMag.

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tophatal · 7 years ago

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Milquetoast, Milk and Being Breast Fed

So now that the World Series was concluded with a decisive game-seven win by the Houston Astros in their defeat of the Los Angeles Dodgers . We can now put to rest the whining of the obnoxious and continually clueless Dodgers’ fans. Their insights when offered up, were about as useful as being told that the case of gonorrhea contracted, was nothing but a mild scare . The fact that the Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t not be as dominant as their fans believed them to be , was just one more indication concerning the fact there are no leaders on the team , certainly not from a vocal point among the managerial staff or among the players themselves. As good as Clayton Kershaw was seen to be during the postseason and in the series itself, once again we had on display another Dodgers’ team which couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain when it came to the postseason. Yet you wonder why it has been almost three decades since they last won a World Series? LOL, LOL, LOL !!!

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During this off-season the front office executives of the Los Angeles Dodgers will have some tough decisions to make concerning the makeup of the roster moving forward. It is becoming abundantly clear the Dodgers cannot continue to amass a roster of stars and pay them handsomely while getting nothing equitable in return. Granted, there are several young stars on the team most notably Corey Seager , Kenley Jansen and Cody Bellinger . Dodgers’ Head of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and GM Farhan Zaidi will contend with the wishes of senior executives Magic Johnson , Stan Kasten and Managing Partner Mark Walter . The purse strings of the roster will have to be lessened and not widened , but knowing the machinations of Johnson and his wish to bring a championship to the franchise , nothing might be off the table including their possible desire to acquire the Miami Marlins’ slugger Giancarlo Stanton who is still owed over $260 million on the remaining years of his current thirteen-year deal with the Marlins.

With the Miami Marlins now under new ownership , led by Bruce Sherman , Senior Managing Partner , with Derek Jeter in a CEO role , along with minority stakeholder , Michael Jordan . It will be interesting to see what steps will be taken by the group as they will no doubt seek to pare down the ball-club’s expenses as well as the payroll . Jeter believes the payroll must be slashed to what he believes is a more manageable sum of $90 million for the upcoming season. If that is to be the case, then all signs point to the trading of Giancarlo Stanton who is due to be paid $25 million in 2018, rising to a high of $32 million in 2025 before falling back to $25 million in 2028 , which would be the final year of his contract. I certainly don’t believe that the Marlins would be in a position to bear the full brunt of honoring the deal , even if the trade of Stanton to the Los Angeles Dodgers were to take place. The Florida based franchise remains one of the most unprofitable in all of baseball , in spite of its recent sale price of $1.2 billion .

Jeffrey Loria’s departure as the former owner of the Miami Marlins couldn’t have come at a better time for the franchise and for baseball in general. Loria remains one of the most despised owners in baseball , but quite possibly among the most hated owners in all of professional sports. He might well be close to rivaling Jerry Jones the always comical owner of the Dallas Cowboys . These two owners share a great deal in common, more than anyone would really care to acknowledge. Of late there would appear to be a growing feud between Jerry Jones and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell , with the Cowboys’ owner seemingly having placed pressure on Goodell, after his uncharacteristic comments , having spoken with other franchise owners over the continued displacement and impeding the return of Colin Kaepernick back into the NFL. Still available as a free agent quarterback, Kaepernick cannot find any takers for his services in the league, while there is growing list of passers now on the injured reserve or PUP list. .

Jerry Jones is also taking aim at the Commissioner, believing that Roger Goodell lied to him about the actions that would be taken against Cowboys’ running back Ezekiel Elliot . Jones it is said, has now hired a top-notch Dallas law firm , filing a lawsuit against the league’s top executive , seeking to block his contract extension. The actions of Jerry Jones comes across as being extremely petty, but given the magnitude of Jones’ claims and the pressure being brought to bear with the continued protest by NFL players , decline in television viewership of the NFL games , as well as Colin Kaepernick’s own lawsuit filed in US Federal District Court against the league and franchise owners , claiming collusion on their part . These are indeed troubling times for the league and the owners in particular. There has been no formal comment from Roger Goodell, but I do believe , he will have his own legal counsel take a look at the suit filed by the Cowboys’ owner.

Ben McAdoo the beleaguered head coach of the New York Giants is said to be contemplating the benching of the team’s starting quarterback Eli Manning . Say what you will, but there can be no denying that the Giants’ 1-7 record is simply a reflection of how bad this team really is . You can make the claim that their woes are not Manning’s fault alone, but I would suggest , Eli Manning is not a vocal leader and he tends to place blame elsewhere for his own failures, not wanting at all to ever take responsibility for his team’s lack of competitiveness. He may well have guided the Giants to two Superbowl victories , but if you take those achievements off his resume’ and you stake a claim, that Eli Manning is not even a worthy borderline candidate for the Hall of Fame .

The lone victory for the New York Giants this season came in week six when they defeated the Denver Broncos by the score of 23-10 . It would be also fair to suggest this was not one of Eli Manning’s best games at this point on the Giants’ schedule. . When Manning and his teammates face the San Francisco 49ers (0-8) this weekend in an all NFC clash , these two teams won’t be playing for anything more than pride.

So after the rather laughable extravaganza put together jointly by the UFC and Mayweather Promotions Inc , which was the highest viewed boxing match in cable history , featuring Conor McGregor (0-1) taking on unbeaten welterweight multi-titlist , Floyd Mayweather Jr . The world of MMA can now get back to its roots, while UFC President Dana White can return from his flight of folly. There might well have been more than 3 .2 million pay-per-view buys for the boxing match between the two stars, but with White now acknowledging , refunds will be granted to dissatisfied customers . I can’t help but wonder if the UFC executive will be trying another PT Barnum spectacle of possibly having another of his UFC stars possibly face Joey Chestnut in a hot-dog eating contest ? It seems that the UFC will go to just about any length to try and promote its brand , even after being bought by entertainment conglomerate WME Endeavors . .

In his long-awaited return to the octagon , former UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre would face reigning Middleweight Champion , veteran British fighter Michael Bisping . The bout would provide Bisping with the biggest payday of his MMA career, but it would also lead to his embarrassing defeat . having been tapped out by submission (third round) in a rear naked choke-hold. Michael Bisping having suffered this defeat has vowed to fight on rather than retiring , believing that he’s still capable of competing at an elite level within the UFC and among the current crop of middleweights. St Pierre notwithstanding, I believe he would be hard pressed to defeat the newly crowned champion in a rematch.

Georges St-Pierre joins a select group MMA fighters within the UFC to have won a title in two different weight categories. He’s already considered among the greatest MMA fighters in UFC history and this historic victory simply adds to the illustrious career of the future Hall of Fame bound MMA fighter. . With an estimated fortune in the region of $35 million , St Pierre could rest on his laurels , but to my mind , with his triumphant return , he now becomes the biggest draw in the sport, while being a far more accomplished MMA fighter than Conor McGregor. The champion’s next opponent could very well be Interim Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker , who was ringside when George St-Pierre dethroned Michael Bisping for the title. At this juncture the French-Canadian titleholder , has stated he will be taking a much-needed vacation before speaking with his agent concerning his first defense of the middleweight title.

OK , so all is not right in the world when it comes to the Miami Heat , with former players now taking pot-shots at the two-time championship winning head coach Erik Spoelstra . The latest player to place the coach within his sights is the now retired Ray Allen . For whatever reason, Allen can now count former Heat teammates , Dwyane Wade and LeBron James as foes , while possibly adding Spoelstra to the list. Bitterness doesn’t come close to describing the animus Allen has towards his former coach and it is widely believed , it has been his remarks which also led to his now distant relationship with another former teammate, Paul Piece , Finals MVP when the Boston Celtics last won the NBA title . Allen’s animus towards Erik Spoelstra as well several former teammates has me wondering what the problem might be and whether or not it was due to the lack of their acknowledging his contributions in the championship triumphs of both the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat ?

For the Miami Heat in particular this has been a troubling time for the coaching staff of Erik Spoelstra as he tries to settle on his best starting lineup while seeking to get the best possible results , from this team . Goran Dragic remains the best player on the roster this season , but for the Heat to compete , this team will certainly have to raise the level of their game. Up next for the Miami Heat will be a game against the Washington Wizards at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida,.

As the NBA season begins to take shape several of teams are having issues both at home as well as on the road . By far the three best teams in the league are the Boston Celtics , Houston Rockets , Golden State Warriors and Detroit Pistons by way of win-percentage . In the coming days all of these teams will be in action as they seek to further their divisional standings. . Considered to be the high point of the regular season, the NBA’s Christmas scheduling should proving to very interesting for the teams in action over that period .

This time of the year in the sport’s world tends to be very entertaining as well as thrilling . What specific event are you most looking forward to as we enter this period ?

Tophatal 11/09/2019 ………

MLB news .

NFL news

UFC news

NBA news

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Byron Scott, the now fired former coach of the Hornets. GM , Jeff Bower who has now assumeed the position of head coach on an interim basis. And assistant coach , Tim Floyd. It’s safe to assume that the reins may well be handed over to Floyd at some time in the future given the fact Bower has no experience as a coach of any kind with regard to the NBA . picture apears courtesy of nbae/ getty images / Richard Tyson …………..

Rays’ third baseman , Evan Longoria at the plate for team. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Vic Hallam

Carl Crawford’s three-run home run in the sixth inning highlighted Tampa Bay’s three-game sweep of the Angels. The Rays are five games over .500 for the first time in team history. photo appears courtesy of the Associated Press/ Mike Carlson ………….

Gatots’ player Tim Tebow (15) and his coach Urban Meyer discuss their options during a game. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Chris Dickson ……………….

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig’s steroids proposal, made to the union last month, calls for a 50-game ban for first offenders, a 100-game penalty for second offenders and a lifetime ban for a third positive test. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Adam Roundtree …….

Carolina Panthers’ Julius Peppers saluting fans as he walks off the field after the Panthers’ 23-10 win over the New Orleans Saints in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers have decided the price is too steep to keep their all-time sacks leader. It means five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers is about to become one of the top prizes in free agency. Agent Carl Carey says the Panthers have told him they won’t place the restrictive franchise tag on Peppers for a second consecutive year at a cost of more than $20 million. The move Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, comes two days before the tag deadline. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Rick Havner ……

Mike Dunleavy (#17) of the Indiana Pacers goes up for the lay up against Brendan Haywood (#33) of the Dallas Mavericks during a game at the American Airlines Center on February 22, 2010 in Dallas, Texas. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Glenn James ……………….

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman, left, and head football coach Rich Rodriguez, right, are shown at a news conference in Ann Arbor, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. The NCAA has found that Michigan’s storied football program was out of compliance with practice time rules under coach Rodriguez. Incoming athletic director David Brandon disclosed the finding Tuesday. He says there were no surprises in the NCAA findings. He also says Rodriguez remains the coach. Michigan has 90 days to respond and will appear at an NCAA hearing on infractions in August. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Paul Sancya ……

Los Angeles -January 13th 2010. New head coach of the USC Trojans Lane Kiffin shakes a hand as he makes his way to his press conference at Heritage Hall in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Harry How ……………..

Duke’s Jon Scheyer collides with Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney, left, during the first half. Scheyer scored 25 points and collected 10 rebounds in the win. The Blue Devils defeated Virginia Tech (Hokies) 67-55 in the game . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press / Sara Davis ……………..

Chicago Cubs owner Tom Ricketts speaks to the media Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010 at the Chicago Cubs spring training facility in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears Assoc. Press/ Matt York ….

Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, right, along with coaches Matt Sinatro, middle, and Lester Strode watch pitchers warm up during spring training baseball camp practice Saturday, Feb. 20, 2010, in Mesa, Ariz. photo appears courtesy of Assoc. Press/ Ross D. Franklin ………..

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Mauer swings in the batting cage at baseball spring training in Fort Myers, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 25, 2010. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Nati Harnik …….

Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria, left, watches batting practice with Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez during spring training baseball Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010, in Jupiter, Fla. With the smallest payroll in the majors last year, the Marlins won 87 games and finished six games behind eventual league champion Philadelphia in the NL East. Visiting spring training to watch the first full-squad workout, Loria said the 2009 Marlins underachieved. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/Jeff Roberson ……..

Israeli model Bar Refaeli seen here doing a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition phot-shoot.

Ray Allen (#20) of the Boston Celtics looks for a play against LeBron James (#23) of the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 25, 2010 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Brian Babbineau …..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight super champion Shane Mosley exchange words during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The press conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press/ Seth Wenig ……..

Floyd Mayweather, left, and current WBA welterweight world champion Shane Mosley pose for a picture during a news conference in New York, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. The news conference was to promote their May 1, 2010 fight in Las Vegas, Nevada. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press /Seth Wenig

Scott Boras, chided for bonus demands for amateur clients, says the Major League Baseball draft needs restructuring. “In this system, everybody thinks this is about money. No, this is about saving money. It allows for less mistakes,” he says. photo appears courtesy of USA Today Jason M. Millstein ………………..

Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig and actress Sarah-Jessica Parker take part in an on field presentation during the 79th MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium on July 15, 2008 in the Bronx borough of New York City. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images North America / Jim McIsaac ……………

Stacey Dash , actress , designer and entrepreneur .

Jennifer Aniston shows us that she’s more than willing to be your ‘friend’ ?

Model & Playboby playmate Naureen Zaim . Who wouldn’t mind teaching her a lesson or two on human anatomy ?

Cuban American actress & model Natalie Martinez

Martinez again looking good as only she possibly can !

Oh mon ami ! she possibly can ! Je t’aime !</strong

Who wouldn’t want to play with Natalie Martinez ?

Well hello there !

Model & actress Natalie Martinez ……….

Actress & model Natalie Martinez …….. Who wouldn’t want to get ahold of her rims ? I know I would !

New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez watches his fly-out in the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Friday, March 26, 2010, in Tampa, Fla. photo appears courtesy of Assoc Press / Mike Carlson ….

Sarasoata , Fl ,. Infielder Adrian Beltre (29) of the Boston Red Sox throws over to first for an out against the Baltimore Orioles during a Grapefruit League Spring Training Game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 27, 2010 in Sarasota, Florida. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ J Meric ……….

St. Louis , Bobby Maze (3) of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to shoot the ball against Mike Kebler (20) and Draymond Green (23) both of the Michigan State Spartans during the midwest regional final of the 2010 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the Edward Jones Dome on March 28, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. Michigan State beat Tennessee 70-69. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Dilip Vishwanat …

The Duke Blue Devils hold up the trophy after a 78-71 win over the Baylor Bears in the south regional final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Reliant Stadium in Houston on Sunday. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Ronald Martinez …

Butler’s Nick Rodgers hold up the West Regional trophy as the team returned home to Indianapolis amid a throng of fans after earning a spot in the Final Four with a victory over Kansas State Saturday. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ A J Mast ………..

West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla hug after the game. Butler scored 18 points and Mazulla pitched in a career-high 17 to help West Virginia hold off the Wildcats. The Mountaineers would defeat the Kentucky Wildcats 73-66 to make their way the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Jim McIsaac ……….

Russian actress & model Anya Monzikova . Who wouldn’t want some of Monzikova alongside some fresh Beluga caviar ?

2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford. The player is widely expected to be taken number one overall in the upcoming NFL Draft. The team with the first pick are the NFC’s St Louis Rams . photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Chris Rogers ………..

Eagles’ quarterback Donovan McNabb. The player is said to want to remain with the Eagles but it’s becoming clear that he will be traded sooner rather than later. Eagles’ coach Andy Reid and team President Joe Banner are willing to listen to offers for the Pro Bowler. photo appears courtesy of US Presswire/ Jody Gomez ………….

Tebow (15) left is seen here alongside his former college coach Urban Meyer. The two proved to be very sucessfule as a team combining to win two national titles in four years. photo appears courtesy of boston.com/ articles …………

DeMaurice Smith Executive Director of the NFLPA. Smith who assumed the position after the death of his predecessor Gene Upshaw. He was elected to the position by the board members of the Players’ Association. Smith was a corporate litigation attorney for the DC law firm Patton Boggs. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Phillip Mitchell

Carlos Boozer #5 of the Utah Jazz has his shot challenged by Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 2, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers would go on to defeat the Jazz 102-96 in the game . photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Andrew D Bernstein ………..

Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles. The player was traded to the Washington Redskins a divisional rival in the NFC East. It adds to the flavor this upcoming season when the player meets his ‘former team’ . photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Hugh Malcolm ………………..

Baylor’s Brittney Griner and U Conn’s Maya Moore are seen here during the women’s Final Four game between the two teams. Geno Auriemma’s Huskies would go on to defeat the Baylor Lady Bears 70-50 in the game played at the Alamodome in San Antonio , Texas , Sunday April 4th 2010. photo appears courtesy of Getty Images/ Alicia Mack ………..

Cleveland Browns nose tackle Shaun Rogers and his lawyer Patrick D’Angelo, center, talk to reporters after leaving Cleveland Police Headquarters where Rogers was charged with one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon on Friday, April 2, 2010, in Cleveland, Ohio. Rogers was arrested at Cleveland Hopkins International airport on Thursday after he tried to take a loaded handgun through airport security. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Jason Miller …..

Butler head coach Brad Stevens , left to right, Gordon Hayward and Ronald Nored smile during an interview session for the men’s NCAA Final Four college basketball championship Sunday, April 4, 2010, in Indianapolis. The Butler Bulldogs will face Mike Krzyzewski’s Duke Blue Devils in the championship game Monday night to be played at Lucas Oil Stadium , Indianapolis, Indiana. This in many ways will be very much a “home game” for the small and in-obtrusive college team from Indiana. The furor over over their improbable journey has resonated within the state and across the nation. photo appears courtesy of Associated Press/ Mark J Terrill ……………

Los Angeles, April 4th 2010. Manu Ginobil (20) of the San Antonio Spurs goes to the basket against Luke Walton (4) of the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on Sunday. The San Antonio Spurs would go on to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 100-81 in a game played at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. photo appears courtesy of NBAE/ Getty Images/ Noah Grahame …………….

Tiki Barber and his wife Gina Cha. Barber’s wife is six months pregnant with twins and is now in the midst of separating from the former NFL star. photo appears courtesy of Wire Image/ Duffie Marie Arnoult ………….

23 year old Traci Lynn Johnson an intern with NBC Universal and who works alongside Tiki Barber on the NBC morning show “The Today Show” . Barber and Johnson are romantically involved and the former NFL star has now separated from his wife of 11 years , Gina Cha. The couple have two children with twin now on the way in terms of Cha’s pregnancy. photo appears courtesy of Social Media SEO ……….

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2010/tracker#dt-tabs:dt-by-round/dt-by-round-input:1

Playboy Playmate Kayle Collins …………August 2008. Is there a need to proceed further concerning Kayle’s attributes ?

Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic goes for the layup in the Eastern Conference semi-final game played against the Atlanta Hawks. NBAE/ Getty Images/ Fernando Medina ………

Head Coach Jerry Sloan of the Utah Jazz fields questions from the media following his team’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images _ Andrew D Bernstein

Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots against Deron Williams (8 )of the Utah Jazz in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on May 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. NBAE Getty Images/ Noah D Bernstein

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – JUNE 24: (L-R) Robert Vittek, Martin Skrtel and Radoslav Zabavnik of Slovakia celebrate victory after knocking Italy out of the competition during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images ……

Johannesburg , South Africa – June 24 th 2010. Kamil Kopunek of Slovakia celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images ……

Fabio Cannavaro, captain of Italy, leaves the field dejected after being knocked out of the competition by Slovakia during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group F match between Slovakia and Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on June 24, 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images ………

In this Sept. 18, 2010, photo, Florida Marlins’ Dan Uggla bats in a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Miami. Uggla has been traded from the Marlins to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-hander Mike Dunn. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

This is a 2008 file photo of Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins baseball team. Uggla and the Atlanta Braves have reached a preliminary agreement on a $62 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press Wednesday Jan. 5, 2011 on condition of anonymity because the agreement was not yet final. (AP Photo/Rob Carr, File)

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen (16), of Taiwan, comes into the dugout following the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Saturday, Aug. 4, 2012, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

ST. PETERSBURG – AUGUST 04: Designated hitter Jeff Keppinger #7 of the Tampa Bay Rays fouls off a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles during the game at Tropicana Field on August 4, 2012 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

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Milquetoast, Milk and Being Breast Fed Milquetoast, Milk and Being Breast Fed So now that the World Series was concluded with a…

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