#outside of the routines constructions the other members of the national team(at least the bits and pieces i watched) seem in good condition

[www98vikitoo]

Apparantly viner announced at some gala concert that the averinas have officially finished their competitive career

[shellheadtm-a]

AVENGERS MANSION

GROUNDS AND MAIN FLOOR   Avengers Mansion was surrounded on three sides by a twelve-foot high concrete and reinforced omnium steel wall, with an omnium steel fence along Fifth Avenue. The yard, doors, and windows all had numerous surveillance systems to ascertain the identities of all visitors and detainment devices to intercept unauthorized personnel. These included stunnulator cannons with heat-sensitive tracking systems, and automated "detention coils" framing the doors. Visitors seeking entrance to the mansion were screened at the front gate (also of omnium steel.) The garden and patio in the backyard had sufficient foliage to afford Avengers a fair degree of outdoor privacy. The main floor of the mansion contained no materials vital to the Avengers' security or functions and thus was occasionally opened to the public for press conferences and social functions. The Avengers' only dining facilities were on the main floor, as was the private library. The Avengers' butler Edwin Jarvis was the only person quartered on this floor.

SECOND FLOOR   Private quarters for any Avenger who requested them comprised the entire second floor of the mansion. Unlike the third floor, which was completely gutted to make room for the hangar facility, the second floor closely resembled the original floor plan and architecture designed and constructed by Howard Stark. While many members of the Avengers maintained residences outside the mansion, many members over the years lived at the mansion full-time during their term of active membership. When space was available, a member such as the Wasp, who had a residence elsewhere, could use one of the bedrooms as a Manhattan apartment. At only one time in Avengers history were all eight bedrooms occupied, with usually at least half of the rooms remaining vacant. From the Avengers' inception to their dissolution, there was always at least one Avenger living full time at the mansion. The following Avengers are the only ones (other than the West Coast Avengers) never to have resided at Avengers Mansion: Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, Moondragon, Hellcat, Ms. Marvel, Falcon, and Captain Marvel. Tony Stark's civilian quarters, used infrequently by the Avengers' benefactor and never as his alter ego Iron Man, were always reserved for his exclusive use.

THIRD FLOOR / HANGAR   The top floor of Avengers Mansion long held the hangar and landing runway for the Avengers' supersonic quinjets. Employing the principles of a naval aircraft carrier's landing deck, the third floor used a wire (which caught the arresting hook of a quinjet) and a series of pistol-coupled pulleys that gradually decelerate the craft over a 30-foot distance. The third floor also contained computerized navigation aids, radar, and communications systems. The hangar had storage room for four quinjets; three on storage dollies, and one in launch position. Additionally, some non-flying team members used sky-cycles for a time after they were introduced to the team by Hawkeye. For a time, the team launch privileges were rescinded within city limits, causing the third floor hangar to be disused. All quinjets were then moved to Hydrobase. Various members suggested converting the facilities to other uses, but launch privileges were restored before the vacant hangars were converted.

BASEMENT   Recreational, training, and medical facilities comprise the first sub-surface level of Avengers Mansion. A fully equipped gymnasium, an Olympic-size pool, sauna and steam bath are available to the membership, as is a game room featuring a billiards table, pinball machines, and video arcade games. The Combat Simulation Room is a heavily reinforced area in which various robotic devices simulating humanoid and mechanical attacks can be engaged for training purposes. The Combat Room is monitored and programmed by the mansion's main computer system. Also on this level are emergency medical facilities, once used by Dr. Donald Blake and Dr. Henry Pym. There is also a cryogenic storage area in which certain individuals (members or adversaries) suffering from degenerative aliments can be placed in suspended animation.

SUB BASEMENT 1   Sub-Basement Level One contained the Avengers' high-security Assembly Room where all operational meetings were held. The Assembly Room was the most secure place in the entire headquarters complex due to its massive reinforcements and vault-like entrance passageway. The first subbasement houses the Avengers' computer system which contains all of their crime / forensic files, operational records, and world security data. Except during the time at which the Avengers' governmental security clearances were revoked, the mansion's computers had limited access to the national security data of the Pentagon's computer system, as well as a direct common database with S.H.I.E.L.D. The Avengers also routinely traded information with Fantastic Four, Inc. and Alpha Flight/Department H. When the Avengers maintained a West Coast branch at Avengers Compound, the computer system there was identical to this, and the two remained in constant communication with one another. The mansion's power supply, a thermoelectric generator, along with its attendant back-up systems, were also housed on this floor, as was the Robotics/Electronics Fabrication Area often used by Dr. Henry Pym, Black Knight, and Tony Stark/Iron Man.

SUB BASEMENT 2   For a long while, Sub-Basement Level Two was primarily used for storage. Howard Stark built it for private weapons testing and storage, and constructed the robot named Arsenal there that would later menace the Avengers. Early on, the Avengers constructed a submarine pen with its own waterway to the East River, but with the adoption of the quinjets as the major means of transit, the submarine system fell into disuse. When city launch privileges were revoked, the submarine pen and waterway was refurbished to create the UGABS (Underground Airbase Shuttle) system, a secret means of rapid transit to the Hydrobase nine miles off the coast of New York. The shuttle is easily accessible from the Assembly Room above, as well as other parts of the Mansion. Tony transformed the weapons testing area into a high security lab which he and Anya share. They are the only two people along with Jarvis with access to the lab.

[dharmannofficial]

Dhar Mann: Entrepreneur and Mindset Mentor

As an entrepreneur, Dhar Mann has learned many valuable life lessons over the years. From starting a real estate mortgage brokerage at 19, and funding millions of dollars in real estate loans, to being one of the first to tap into the medical marijuana industry early on and building a cosmetics business that does 8-figures in annual revenue, Dhar Mann has a proven ability to grow start-ups into massively successful businesses. However, as with any success story, there have been failures along the way. Bad decisions and legal trouble could have ended Dhar Mann’s entrepreneurial journey. It’s his resiliency and ability to reinvent himself, learning from his own mistakes, that makes him a great entrepreneur – one willing to share the good, the bad and the ugly in order to help other entrepreneurs avoid the same missteps.

Dhar Mann: Entrepreneur at Heart

Dhar Mann has taken an unconventional path to success. The young CEO has experienced many highs and lows, from living in a Hollywood Hills mansion with 9 exotic cars, to losing everything and living on a friend’s couch, to bouncing back and owning an 8-figure business which he runs today. He’s a resilient go-getter who just refuses to stop pushing forward.

Dhar Mann’s business experience extends across many industries including real estate, transportation, medical marijuana, franchising, and cosmetics. Some of the businesses he has owned have been successes, but many of have failed. He attributes much of his success today from the learnings he’s obtained from the businesses that failed. Dhar Mann’s companies may seem like an odd mix, but for the diehard entrepreneur, it was all part of his pathway to success.

The Beginning of an Entrepreneur

LiveGlam Owner, Dhar Mann has a lot of experience with starting and running companies.

He launched his first business, a real estate mortgage brokerage, at the age of 19 while studying at University of California, Davis. Before he could legally drink he had 3 offices, 25+ employees and was funding millions of dollars in real estate loans. At 21-years old, Dhar Mann was the only student in his small college town driving a Lamborghini to and from class and making more than his college professors. As the company grew, Dhar Mann dropped out from college to focus solely on the business, but after much pressure from his family, he eventually went back and earned his degree in Economics and Political Science.

Soon after he graduated the real estate mortgage crisis hit. Dhar Mann was on the verge of losing it all – including his exotic cars. He decided to create an exotic car rental company and rent out his own vehicles; turning his depreciating gas-guzzlers into income producers. That type of fast thinking would lead him to much success, but also to many problems.

(You can learn how to make money from exotic car brands in this short video he created: How I Earned a Free Ferrari and Why I Turned it Down)

Dhar Mann Real Estate Ventures

Alongside his transportation business, the young and ambitious entrepreneur started buying and rehabbing real estate in Oakland. He built up a sizable real estate portfolio in his early 20’s. While rehabbing property he found out about a government grant program that would reimburse 50% of the money he spent on construction.

Excited, he started many construction projects at once. What he didn’t realize is that it would take nearly a year for the City’s reimbursement checks to come in – well after the project money had all been spent.

In a cash crunch, he started taking some shortcuts on his grant paperwork to speed up the reimbursement process. He thought if he could get reimbursed faster it would allow him to take on even more construction projects and expand his real estate portfolio.

That decision would soon become one of his biggest life mistakes. But he wouldn’t realize it until after he made International headlines in the medical marijuana industry.

Dhar Mann Medical Marijuana Businesses

One day in 2009 while working at his real estate office, one of Dhar Mann’s commercial tenants came in to report a break-in in the tenant’s unit. The tenant was reportedly running a catering business and had been robbed.  When Dhar picked up the phone to call the police, the tenant asked him not to report it, admitting the “catering company” was just a cover-up for a medical marijuana grow operation.

That was Dhar Mann’s first introduction to California’s medical marijuana laws.  After doing some research, Dhar found that not only was growing medical marijuana legal in Oakland, but it was a very lucrative business.  At that time an Oakland-based medical marijuana dispensary had just reported 17 million dollars in annual sales.

Dhar’s first idea was to open his own medical marijuana dispensary. The only way to do that was to get a license issued by the City, but to become licensed, an applicant had to demonstrate extensive experience with growing or selling medical marijuana.  So, he knew he had to earn that experience first.

In 2010 he opened what CNN dubbed “the Walmart of Weed”- a 15,000 square foot space that was a “one stop shop for growing pot.” At no time did Dhar Mann actually sell any medical marijuana, but Dhar sold all the supplies necessary to grow it.  There was even an on-site doctor to issue medical marijuana patient cards and a classroom that offered classes on how to grow medical marijuana.

The business grand opening created a buzz around the world. Dhar Mann was featured in countless media publications including CNN, Time Magazine, Huffington Post and even landed on the front cover of Mother Jones Magazine and was the focus of a National Geographic Documentary. Dhar quickly grew the concept, becoming one of the first individuals in the world to franchise a medical marijuana business, and opened locations in Arizona, Washington D.C., New Jersey, Illinois and more.

Around this time he also found out that the City of Oakland was getting ready to issue new medical marijuana dispensary permits. Now, having the experience, street credit and team behind him, he successfully achieved his initial goal of applying for obtaining a medical marijuana dispensary permit.  It was an exciting time, but what he didn’t realize is his high was about to come crashing down.

New Beginnings: LiveGlam Owner

Succeeding as an entrepreneur is difficult in any situation, but succeeding as an entrepreneur with a criminal background, no money in the bank and a tarnished reputation is much more difficult.  

Knowing he would never get a job or work for anyone, Dhar Mann began exploring many different business ideas from his tiny 300-square foot studio apartment he was sharing with a friend.  One fortunate day in 2015, he ended up having lunch with a popular makeup artist and learned about the incredible opportunities within the beauty industry largely driven by the rise of social media.

That lunch would soon turn into his most successful business venture to date. He partnered with the makeup artist to provide online makeup classes. With less than $1,000 starting capital he purchased a webcam, 2 softbox lights and built a scrappy website. Since all the classes were live streamed and on glamming, he decided to call the company LiveGlam.  

Today LiveGlam manufacturers its own cosmetics, has partnered with some of the most influential people in makeup, has almost two million social media followers and generates 8-figures in annual revenue. In just two years, the company has grown to 50+ team members and shipped 10MM+ in beauty products. Being an innovator in the beauty industry, LiveGlam is credited as being the worlds first makeup brush subscription box, in addition to offering successful eye shadow and lipstick subscription box services.

Entrepreneur Dhar Mann as a Motivational Speaker

What’s most inspiring is how Dhar Mann learned important lessons from his prior mistakes and transformed failure into fortune. Knowing what it feels like to experience the many highs and lows of business and in life, Dhar now uses his learnings to create short motivational videos that have received tens of millions of views and inspired people all around the world.

As the CEO of LiveGlam, he continues to oversee daily operations, however now he is also focused on sharing with others what he’s learned about failure and success. He believes cultivating a mindset of perseverance is important – because every successful entrepreneur has failed many times, if not at least once.

As a Mindset Mentor, he shares his experiences and tips for turning roadblocks into building blocks.

Dhar Mann’s messages have inspired others to face challenges head-on and embrace the growth that comes with overcoming hard times. He sees that growth as a way for us to improve our lives our and the lives of those we love.

His life and relationship tips have been shared millions of times on social media.

Dhar tackles issues that many of us can relate to, like feeling taken for granted in a relationship, or always comparing ourselves to others or feeling insecure.

How Dhar Mann Balances Work/Life as an Entrepreneur

As an entrepreneur, Dhar Mann is a self-starter who maintains a regular schedule. His daily routine includes exercise and healthy food to keep both his body and his mind in shape.

He makes sure to schedule plenty of time off to travel with his girlfriend Laura because building and maintaining a strong and happy personal life outside of work is one of his top priorities.

While the demands of operating a successful business can be taxing, Dhar Mann intentionally directs his attention to the most meaningful areas of his life where he feels the greatest good can be achieved.

As an entrepreneur, Dhar Mann’s unconventional path to success has been bumpy at times but through consistent effort, and a drive to never give up, he has already achieved many of his goals.  

He encourages people to free themselves from limiting beliefs and build the life that truly inspires them. You can keep up with his story at dharmann.com or join his active group of fans on Facebook. You can also follow Dhar Mann on YouTube where he publishes new content regularly. 

This article originally appeared here: https://www.dharmann.com/dhar-mann-entrepreneur-and-mindset-mentor/

[torontotravelblog]

17 of the Best Cheap Things To Do in Toronto With Kids

Without doubt, Toronto is packed with remarkable ways to entertain your family. However, several of those options are sort of well, pricey. That's not to state that they aren't worth the money however, for most of us, it's not exactly practical to be spending numerous bucks every week on maintaining your kids amused.

So below we've put together a checklist of 17 citywide tourist attractions as well as occasions that are easy on your pocketbook but still lots of fun.

And also, if you're seeking an additional great method to get in on inexpensive fun, be sure to check out the brand-new Household Pass-- a Toronto/GTA price cut program specifically for kids and also family members that saves you as much as 40% at neighborhood attractions and also sellers for an entire year. Discover even more below.

YEAR-ROUND FUN

1. Evergreen Block Works|evergreen.ca

In 2010, this website of a former brick manufacturing facility was changed into an area hub that includes whatever from a farmers market to a self-led scavenger hunt. It's likewise home to the Children's Yard, where kids are motivated to join open-ended play, "while creating an appreciation for the natural world." Shows at the Yard changes regular monthly and also on the weekend, access to it et cetera of the Bricks Works (with the exception of some special occasions) is cost-free. Additionally totally free are the bordering family-friendly strolling tracks. Throughout warmer weather, keep an eye out for the many turtles that call the nearby wetlands home. Come winter season, the Block Functions is residence to a skating rink and also special wintertime programming.

2. Harbourfront Centre & Natrel Pond/Rink|harbourfrontcentre.com

Regardless of its lakeside area, we consider Harbourfront a year-round location thanks to a shows timetable that includes something for every month of the year. A lot of these events include free parts including crafts, live performances and often even food examples. Harbourfront is likewise home to the Natrel Rink, where your family members can ice skate absolutely free. When the climate warms up, the rink comes to be a pond where you can lease two-people paddleboats for $10 a person.

3. Cinesphere at Ontario Place

If you have actually got a few movie-lovers in your family, Cinesphere is a fantastic place to take a look at. This renowned theater is open all year and provides family members a selection of films for all ages. The immersive IMAX experience makes sure to impress budding movie fans, as well. Ticket prices vary from $15 for grownups to $11 for youngsters, yet when you're a Household Pass member, you get 20% off admission rates and also 10% off the concession stand. Let's all most likely to the lobby ...

4. EarlyON Centres

Formally called Early Years, these centres intend to supply a supporting neighborhood for youngsters aged newborn to 6 and their caretakers. While programs differs relying on the day as well as the place, a lot of centres use drop-in programs that include tune circles, crafts and great deals of free play possibilities. Some also consist of complimentary snacks. Lots of EarlyON centres operate across the city and also their days as well as hours vary, with some even being open till 6 pm as well as on Saturdays. With the exception of some special events and courses, which might charge a little fee, EarlyON is a free experience, funded in part by the rural federal government and in part by exclusive contributions.

5. Residence Depot Kids Workshops|homedepot.ca/ en/home/ideas-how-to/ workshops.

Got a smart kid in your house? Or perhaps one that enjoys building tools? After that you'll intend to take them to one of Toronto's 3 Residence Depots on the second Saturday of the month for the chain's Children Workshops. Every month includes a various task that's made to be set up by kids five with 12. Besides bringing home their project, and also perhaps some new building and construction abilities, guests will certainly likewise receive a pin as well as certificate. Children Workshops are entirely complimentary but you do need to register beforehand. To do that, contact your most hassle-free Home Depot area.

6. Michael's|michaels.com.

Yes, we're speaking about Michael's the craft store. Most Saturday mornings, its three Toronto locations host its Children Club where your mini manufacturers can hectic themselves completing an enjoyable, take-home project. Two various crafts are always supplied, with the craft targeted at youngsters age three to 8 costing $2 as well as the other, designed for kids six and up, costing $5 (and indeed, that covers all required materials). You can authorize your child up in advance or just decrease in; each session starts on the half-hour between 10 am and also 11:30 am. Note that while you have to stay inside the shop while your children make their task, you are cost-free to stray about and do some purchasing.

7. Play area Heaven|toronto.ca.

This appropriately-named indoor play ground is a terrific area for youngsters aged kid and up to burn power while climbing up, leaping and sliding. As well as while Toronto has its share of indoor play areas, this set, run by the City of Toronto at the Flemingdon Neighborhood Centre, is entirely cost-free to use. Consequently, Play area Paradise can obtain active so aim to get here when it first opens up and also do not forget to bring socks for your youngsters.

8. Public Pools|toronto.ca/ data/parks/maps/ swimming pools.

Here in Toronto we're lucky to have accessibility to lots of public swimming pools, most of which offer complimentary household swim times throughout the week. Though you may have to bring a couple of quarters for the lockers, the rest of your check out to your regional swimming pool ought to come with no charge. While many Toronto areas have very easy accessibility to a swimming pool, we need to advise a trip to the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre in Regent Park. This stunning room includes a devoted leisure swimming pool, water slide and also hot tub. There's also an universal adjustment room that is completely accessible.

9. Leisure Fun and also Play with Caregiver|toronto.ca/ data/parks/dropin.

This awkward-sounding name is what the City of Toronto has actually called its drop-in play gym program. For a couple of hrs weekly, health clubs in select neighborhood centres across the city end up being well, kind of disorderly, as youngsters run and wheel about, thanks to different ride-on toys. Hockey nets, a variety of balls, tiny slides and also even more are likewise readily available to entertain your kids completely free. To find a Leisure Enjoyable as well as Have fun with Caretaker time near you, click this web link: toronto.ca/ data/parks/dropin as well as choose "Kid's Play" from the "General Rate of interest" menu. Some area centres likewise provide various other kid-friendly drop-in programs consisting of family members health and fitness and African drumming.

10. Riverdale Farm|riverdalefarmtoronto.ca.

This unique slice of Toronto has actually been enjoyable kids for generations. Spread throughout 7.5 acres, this actual functioning ranch will certainly give your family a preference of nation living. Here they can go to with hens, pigs, goats and also equines. On a daily basis there's a "day-to-day ranch demonstration" where the on-site farmer showcases one of the location's pets. Various other demonstrations and special events are common, as well as sometimes utilize the ranch's wood oven. There are additionally over 3 kilometres of routes to uncover. When your family members has finished checking out the ranch, walk over to the nearby Riverdale Park West and also have a picnic or cool off in its wading swimming pool.

BEST FOR SUMMER SEASON.

11. The Beach|thebeachvillage.com.

We won't discuss the entire The Beach knowledgeables The Beaches dispute yet we will advise this extremely scenic area of Toronto as an ideal place for some affordable family members enjoyable. While you can get something to eat at among the neighboring restaurants or snack shops, you can additionally load an outing to enjoy on sandy Woodbine Coastline. And make sure to load your bikinis and towels because so long as the weather condition works together, you can (usually) opt for a dip in this part of Lake Ontario. Other tasks your household as well as you can do consist of beach volley ball, tennis as well as checking out nearby parks consisting of Kew Gardens. Just bear in mind that on warm sunny days, the Beach can get hectic so if you plan on driving to this part of community, head out early.

12. Edge KidsFest|fringetoronto.com/fringe/kidsfest.

With $5 youngsters tickets and also babes-in-arms cost-free, this annual event is an economical way to introduce your youngsters to live theater. Besides including efficiencies that are targeted at youngsters, programming begins in the early morning, making it much easier to fit nap routines. All front-of-house team are additionally "pleasant kid-experts," who recognize that occasionally youngsters are unforeseeable and also loud. After your household has had a look at a program, hang around for a bit at the Edge's KidsFest Club, a by-donation playspace.

13. High Park|toronto.ca.

Toronto's largest park is packed with ways to amuse your family members, all for the cost of perhaps some ice cream. It's house to the big, attractive "castle play area" (which you might also identify from one of Mike Holmes' TELEVISION programs), that is excellent for hide-and-seek and all type of creativity games. When your children are tired of the play ground, walk a couple of steps over to the nearby zoo. While it's small, the zoo does let you rise close and also personal with such pets as llamas, emus and also the epic (at least in Toronto) capybaras. Finish your day of rest at High Park's outside pool, that includes a slide and also a kiddie location.

14. Outside Movies.

There's just something about viewing a flick under the stars that makes it appear that a lot more enchanting. From late June until very early September, a variety of Toronto neighbour organizations and groups arrange exterior screenings that can be the ideal place to introduce your little ones to such cherished films as Ghostbusters. These events are commonly totally free or PWYC and also some occasion consist of popcorn! While you can capture outdoor films at Christie Pits, Yonge-Dundas Square as well as the Aga Khan Gallery, 2 destinations that have a tendency to host even more family-friendly movies are Sorauren Park [https://soraurenpark.wordpress.com/festivals-movies/outdoor-movies/] and the Coastline Town [https://thebeachvillage.com/movie-nights-in-the-park/]

15. Dash Pads|toronto.ca/ splash-pads & Wading Pools|toronto.ca/ wading-pools.

They're only with us a few short months, yet what a marvelous few months those are. Toronto is house to over a 100 monitored wading pools, which open up the last weekend break in June as well as close Work Day weekend break. Splash pads, which aren't supervised as they don't have standing water, are open for longer, from mid-May up until mid-September. Both kinds of water attributes are always free to use and also are the ideal method to delight the kids on warm (and even just cozy) summertime days. A few of our much-loved dash pads as well as wading pools include the ones at Oriole Park, Sugar Coastline as well as Alexandra Park.

16. Toronto Island Picnic|toronto.ca.

When moms and dads listen to "Toronto Island" they have a tendency to think Centreville yet there are lots of other, and also honestly cheaper, ways to experience this optimal summer season destination. Franklin's Children Yard is a fantastic place to show your kids regarding nature, thanks partially to its summer programming that includes an unique yard just for youngsters. And also situated comfortably nearby is just one of Toronto's several splash pads, in addition to fun cedar bush puzzle. After your household has cooled off, delight in that lunch you brought along at one of the island's barbecue tables. Can't keep away from Centreville? Bear In Mind That Far Farm is cost-free to see. Ferry tickets run under $4 for youngsters while grown-up tickets expense under $8.

17. Toronto Railway Gallery|torontorailwaymuseum.ca.

Technically this is a year-round destination but we're suggesting that you go to the Toronto Railroad Gallery between May and October when you and also your kids can take a flight on its outdoors small train. Inside your home, the museum includes full-size locomotives, automobiles as well as products autos, making it a dreamland to bring your Thomas the Train fan. While the gallery is located in the heart of Toronto, it does not have the very same costly admission fee that many midtown tourist attractions have. Rather, child and senior tickets cost $3 while adults are just $5, with ride tickets for the miniature train costing pleasantly $2.50 and also $3.50.

The post “ 17 of the Best Cheap Things To Do in Toronto With Kids “ was originally seen on SAVVYMOM by Lindsey Kneteman

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[kairoskrp]

                                            — On the wicked wings of time, thy kingdom comes

Meet [ Park Alyiah ]

She is a [ twenty-six ] year old  [ personal trainer and fitness teacher at ahnjin health & fitness ] currently residing in [ sunhwa apartments, #306 ]. Visit  and greet  her today!

Personality: 

Best described by her friends as a goofy free-spirit, Alyiah is independent to a fault and would rather spend her time pursing interesting and creative things than being stuck in routine.  She loves to meet new people and learn their story and generally has an upbeat attitude that makes her seem approachable and friendly.  But a word of caution, she is snarky by default and as an emotionally expressive person, she can seem intense to others—especially when they anger her.  Her flighty nature can annoy those that require more stability in their lives, and her overthinking ways can be frustrating for the more rigid.  She is however, an excellent speaker and her curious nature can lead to many fun adventures.  And those that she is close with will have her loyalty—almost to a fault—as well as an emotionally supportive and intelligent friend who would do just about anything for them.  Well, that is if you don’t try and tell her how to live her life.    

Spirit: Poseidon

Power: Hydrokinesis - the ability to manipulate water, including changing it from one state to another (liquid, solid, and gas), telekinetically move water in all its forms, and create objects from water.

(–): She cannot create water on her own for any of her abilities.  Her powers are affected by the lunar cycle, so she is stronger when the moon is full and visible in the sky, and weaker when the moon is new.  Her emotional state highly affects her abilities.  While being angry may make her more powerful, she sacrifices control and therefore can cause more harm than good.

Water Affinity: When in water, her powers are enhanced, she becomes stronger, faster, and, more durable.  She can sense when water is nearby, tell if it is drinkable, fall from great heights into water unharmed, remain unaffected by water pressure, and breathe underwater.  This also allows her to use water to heal herself (within reason).

(–): Salt water works best, although other sources of water can work in weaker forms.  Cannot heal others in the same way and cannot reattach limbs.  More severe injuries require a proportionate amount of time in water to recover.  Highly susceptible to dehydration, and needs to be near a large amount of water for at least a short time during the day otherwise she starts to feel dizzy, nauseous and will feel incredibly weak.  Cannot completely control water pressure and is unable to make others around her impervious to the effects of water.  Though she did manage to make someone breathe underwater for a minute with a kiss, but that is in general untested.

Hydrokinetic Surfing & Walking: She can, with concentration, use water to improve her agility and movement, allowing her to walk on water, jump higher and surf without a board.

Hydrokinetic Constructs: Can turn water into tools, objects, weapons, barriers and other items and use them to her liking.

(–): The object’s strength is completely at the mercy of her will and will return to their original state if she loses focus.  The more complicated the construct, the harder it is to maintain and drains her energy quickly.

Hydrokinetic Attacks & Combat: Can channel water, both ice and liquid, to attack enemies which she has learned to blend with physical combat.

(–): Still learning to control this ability and therefore it takes a lot of energy and if she tries to use it too much, she��ll end up with some nasty side effects (migraine, nose bleeds, nausea, etc.)  Her attacks are limited by the strength of her body and will, the control she has over her emotions, as well as the current strength of the sea (Lunar Stages).  Her abilities are minimally effective against: water immunity, electrical manipulation, oil manipulation, fire manipulation (in some cases), sand manipulation and magma manipulation.  While she does have minor ice manipulation, she will be outmaneuvered by a true ice user.

Biography:

From the moment Alyiah came into the world, people fawned over her chubby cheeked smile.  Climbing bookcases, scaling stairs, and arranging her blocks, she ran her parents and her older brothers ragged.  Because her family cared about the ocean so much—her mother being a marine biologist and her aunt owning a beach café—she started swimming early.  It seemed she followed her family’s footsteps with her affinity to the ocean.  She even seemed to care for the horses on her uncle’s farm as much as the rest of the family.  A true member of the Park family, through and through.    

Her father was the first however, to notice that how fussy she would become if they spent too long away from the water.  Her grandmother claimed it was something about destiny.  Her father however, only beamed with pride thinking about her potential as a swimmer and ocean lover.  But this affinity to the water grew as she aged, and began to affect not only her mood, but her health as well resulting in terrible migraines and nausea.

This affinity however nearly drew her to her death.

On a sunny summer day when she was fourteen, Alyiah was left at home while the family went to a festival because she was sick.  Since she was left alone with no one to look after her and going stir-crazy, she left the house.  With her surfboard in hand, Alyiah figured this would be like any other time where she’d feel better once she was in the water.  However, a nasty fall from her board while on a wave, pulled her far from the coastline and dragged her underwater and far away from the coast.  The next thing she knew, Alyiah was back on dry land, no water in her lungs and her cold somehow gone as well.

This event went unexplained for some time, though little things began to change.  Suddenly she could swim faster than before and for longer periods of time, her breathing time under water was better, and she didn’t get sick as easily anymore.  It wasn’t until she tested how long she could stay under water that Alyiah realized something was up.  But it took years before she would reveal to her family this change, practicing and studying in secret whenever she could.  Surprisingly they accepted her when she did, even calling her their own little mermaid—their Ariel.

So, in many ways, Alyiah grew up more fortunate than others.  Following in her mother’s footsteps to earn a degree in Marine Sciences at a prestigious university, earning awards for her swimming and doing her best to be the ideal daughter.  And that is what led to her going to South Korea.

Not wanting to join the national swim team, Alyiah decided she needed a new place to go, outside of the US, claiming the need to find herself outside of family expectations.  But not wanting her all her family to be too far away, she decided on South Korea, a place she had only visited during short weeks in the summer.  That was over four years ago.  Though she returns to the US occasionally, she’s found a home in Seoul, one she never expected to find.  She swears there is something in the city for her just waiting to be found.  If only she knew where to look.        

[delhi-architect2]

Journal - Silver Linings: Amid Lockdown, Architect Andrew Franz Glimpses the Future of Live/Work

As a pandemic sweeps across the United States, some designers and architects see an acceleration of workplace and lifestyle trends that were being slowly assimilated already into mainstream culture: remote work, digital socializing and relying largely on online sources for goods and services. On the other hand, some cultural norms are being completely reversed, such as traveling long distance, practicing daily commutes, and outsourcing childcare.

Architects like Andrew Franz, AIA, LEED AP, a native New Yorker and founder of the nationally active design firm Andrew Franz Architect, PLLC, are carefully observing and analyzing these rapid, simultaneous shifts in daily life as they unfold — and finding some useful lessons and even some positivity in the current crisis. From an architectural and planning perspective, Franz sees many opportunities being exposed by the collective societal pause.

“This crisis is a compulsory social experiment,” says Franz. “It has forced many people around the world to quickly and fully adopt new technologies, ways of living, and approaches to doing business that were already becoming the ‘new normal,’ albeit very slowly.” The COVID-19 pandemic, Franz asserts, has merely fanned the flames of the technological revolution — a movement that has been spreading around the globe for decades and has the potential to support a better work/life balance for all people, as well as a smarter, more energy-efficient built environment.

“More people — specifically, more clients and bosses — are recognizing that face-face physical meetings and physical office attendance aren’t as critical for job performance and efficiency as they believed. “In fact, some loosening of old-school professional rules may enhance employee or personal performance,” acknowledges Franz.

Additionally, he adds that “because so many people — very unfortunately — aren’t working right now, or are working from home, they aren’t moving about as much on a daily basis.” This has meant more personal time for family, but also fewer cars and vehicles on the road and ultimately less pollution. “If we get used to this new, less mobile lifestyle and we end up maintaining it past the end of quarantine, the impacts for the future of transportation and the future of office buildings with their reduced occupancies might be massive.”

Hill Office, Location: New York, NY, Architect: Andrew Franz Architect

Franz expects that offices may become smaller and more flexible, allowing for more shared desks on a “rotating” basis as professionals integrate working remotely into their permanent routine. However, he notes that offices will likely still serve a critical role, providing much needed moments of casual social interaction that is as critical to team building and creating company culture as it is to professional collaboration. “After all, many of us have spent more time with our peers than we have with our families, sleep time discounted,” says Franz.

He speculates that, short-term, individual desks and personal work stations may regain popularity as people slowly relax social distancing protocols and return to the office, but remain vigilant and protective of personal space.  “Expect less density in the workplace whether that is less bench seating and more cubicles, or spread-out desks and private offices,” predicts Franz.

Still, he says, many people have seen how our homes can absorb and become our own personal offices, studios and laboratories. Emphasizing that while many of the stringent lifestyle habits people are currently compelled to practice will eventually be relaxed — and many will fade away — Franz anticipates a continued and ongoing desire in people to work from home, especially once the family (or roommates) are not all there with you.

As the home once again becomes the epicenter of life for so many Americans, domestic design and architecture is in the spotlight more than at any other time in recent memory. “Right now, houses and apartments have to be so much more than just a place to shower and sleep,” says Franz. “This crisis is not only revalidating the importance of having a home to go to in times like this, but almost more importantly it is asking us to question the nature of our dwellings — whether they are comfortable, functional, efficient and even inspiring to us.”

With these expanded needs, the home must now serve as a workplace, a gym, a daycare, a school, a restaurant, and even a hospice. To better optimize dwellings for this wide range of functions, Franz offers some time-tested design guidance:

1. Differentiate spaces with physical dividers — and schedule activities.

Especially in smaller houses and apartments, designated spaces aren’t available for each activity or need. Oftentimes people have to take office work or homework to their kitchens or bedrooms with inadequate lighting or distracting smells and amidst noisy or nosy family members and roommates.

East End House, Location: Shelter Island NY, Architect: Andrew Franz Architect

Dividing spaces with physical barriers or partitions to create flexible zones within bigger rooms, says Franz, is one solution. “We’ve seen the same issues people were facing in open offices taking place now inside people’s homes,” he notes. “People who have to do focused tasks need a quiet environment, and meanwhile the kids need to play and the groceries need to get put away while the music or television is turned up too loud.” Physical dividers — even something as simple as hanging a curtain or fabric — can create boundaries and define different zones. Franz also adds that scheduling spaces for needed activities at different times can also help mitigate friction in cramped quarters.

2. Take advantage of natural light and brighten up all interiors.

An enthusiastic advocate of using daylight, Franz points to the scientific effects of sunlight and good electric sources on human psychology, which backs up his ample and creative use of natural light in his buildings and interiors. “Natural light is proven to boost mood and productivity, so ideally you would have it coming in from multiple directions and sources,” he says.

Martha’s Vineyard Residence, Location: Martha’s Vineyard MA, Architect: Andrew Franz Architect

“Even if you only have one window in a room, don’t cover it — let the light spill in.” If a house or apartment doesn’t get much light, Franz suggests the next best thing: multiple electric illumination sources to flood more active spaces from multiple directions and most importantly, whether in the case of a small desk or large work room, an LED task light.

3. Bring as much nature indoors as possible, or step outside.

Franz stresses the importance of experiencing nature in some form every day. “Whether it’s a plant on your windowsill, or a view of the tree outside your window, or even a little balcony you can step out onto for some fresh air — don’t take it for granted,” says Franz. “In my case, I have an exterior stair and balcony that I sit out on and catch some sun, take a call or vertically socialize with my great neighbors. Some people are fortunate enough to have access to a roof garden, a yard or adjacent green space,” he adds, noting that hopefully one day all urban residential buildings will have mandatory green space.

Tribeca Loft, Location: New York NY, Architect: Andrew Franz Architect

“At the very least, choose items made of natural materials for furnishing your home — real wood tables or chairs, stone sculptures or countertops, and artwork that represents nature are all great options. Think of Scandinavian interiors and how they introduce pattern into them to animate the long dark winters.”

4. Get good wifi.

“Staying connected is everything in our increasingly virtual world,” explains Franz, “so having a great quality data connection installed in your home — perhaps even with a backup system should the first one fail — is a good idea.” Also, make sure you are creating a hard copy of your data if you’ve transitioned fully to the cloud, cautions the architect.

As millennials and generation Z come of age, their preferences for a nomadic lifestyle and untethered existence has led to a steady national decline in homeownership rates. Crash pads, monthly rentals, and a slew of other temporary accommodations are clearly favored by up and coming generations, who also largely prefer to live in urban or urban-feeling areas. But according to Franz, “this crisis is reminding many of us how good it feels to have stable roots —to have a shelter to retreat to that reflects our deepest values, supports our needs, and gives us the true sense of safety, control and total belonging that we all crave.”

About Andrew Franz Architect PLLC:

Based in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, Andrew Franz Architect, PLLC, is a full-service architecture, planning and design firm that established a strong reputation for high-end residential works and today is increasingly called on for larger-scale projects including civic and public commissions, arts and performance venues, and facilities for nonprofits and foundations.

Andrew Franz Architect creates original and imaginative expressions that bridge classic themes and a decidedly modern sensibility. The firm’s rigorous, client-focused design process favors engagement, craft, and inventiveness. From master planning, site selection and feasibility studies through design, construction administration and interior design and decorating, the firm offers a full range of services. For more, see www.andrewfranz.com.

The post Silver Linings: Amid Lockdown, Architect Andrew Franz Glimpses the Future of Live/Work appeared first on Journal.

from Journal https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/architecture-andrew-franz-live-work/ Originally published on ARCHITIZER RSS Feed: https://architizer.com/blog

[whittlebaggett8]

How China Used the Swedish Ambassador to Threaten Angela Gui

Angela Gui could rarely feel the problem she observed herself in late January. In entrance of her, in a members’ lounge at Sheraton Lodge in Stockholm, sat two businessmen symbolizing the Chinese routine, threatening that she would never see her father — the kidnapped e-book publisher Gui Minhai, a Chinese-born Swedish citizen — again if she continued to speak with media about his scenario.

Next to her was also Anna Lindstedt, the Swedish ambassador to China, making an attempt to influence Angela to accept what she referred to as “a new approach” from the overwhelming businessmen.

For getting organized this meeting, Lindstedt was identified as again from Beijing before her posture was intended to appear to an conclusion, and set under investigation by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Quickly, the Swedish Protection Provider also commenced an investigation in opposition to Lindstedt for arbitrary conduct when negotiating with a overseas power. And last week, it was described that Lindstedt is now less than investigation for breaching national security.

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Neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor Lindstedt are prepared to comment owing to the pending investigation. But Conny Cedermark, the attorney appointed to Lindstedt by the Stockholm district courtroom, claims she is denying any crime and welcomes the investigation.

The moment the meeting and the threats towards Angela Gui grew to become identified in early February, the situation draw some notice in intercontinental media. But some interesting track record mechanisms went all but unnoticed outside of Sweden.

The Sri Lankan Businessman

The uncomfortable conference at Sheraton Lodge constitutes 1 of the most obvious examples of how the Chinese authorities are doing the job to manipulate diplomats from other nations. Arguably even a lot more essential, the situation also displays how China is significantly using international citizens to have out its dirty political do the job.

A person of the two businessmen — in fact the 1 who issued the threats straight to Angela’s confront — is not Chinese but a Sri Lankan citizen. His identify is John Isaac Graham Meewella, and he was teaching as a professor at the small business faculty of University of Oulu in Finland from 2010 to 2018. In the course of this time, he also married a Finnish lady and experienced numerous kids.

But it was only soon after 2015 that Meewella’s career as a businessman also started off to get off. That same yr he very first achieved with Kevin Liu, the second businessman attending the Sheraton Lodge conference with Angela Gui. Due to the fact then, Meewella has commenced four providers in Finland, which includes MiniSV Nordic OY. In Sweden, there is also a corporation named MiniSV Sweden AB, wherever Meewella is president, CEO, and board member.

This is related due to the fact the providers are offshoots from a Hong Kong registered holding firm named Mini Silicon Valley — or MiniSV — run by Kevin Liu, with Meewella as its CEO. The two are also joint owners of a biotech corporation in the city of Nanjing, where by Meewella has also been trustworthy to operate other prestigious and formidable initiatives.

In an interview in the fall of 2017, on the internet site of Nanjing’s nearby authorities, Meewella claims that he has initiated cooperation with 20 Nordic firms in his role as head of Winnoc Sino-Europe Entire world Innovation Heart. Meewella was also awarded a distinctive friendship medal by the town of Nanjing for his operate.

The innovation middle is not only supported by a strong Chinese condition investment team. It is also linked to Nanjing Winnoc Technological innovation Management, headed by Kevin Liu with Meewella as its president, CEO, and board member. Meewella is also CEO and board member of Winnoc AB, a branch enterprise of Nanjing Winnoc Engineering Management registered in Sweden.

Shut Private Connections

After Angela Gui uncovered the Sheraton Resort assembly in mid-February, Meewella has been doing his most effective to include any on-line traces. He has deleted his Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, shut down his particular web page, and scrubbed his formidable CV from the world wide web. (You can see a again up duplicate of his CV listed here.)

Yet, the company connections give a hint of Meewella’s achievable motives in confronting Angela Gui over her marketing campaign for her father’s launch from Chinese custody. Flattering international citizens with titles, positions, and other benefits is — as discussed later on in this textual content — an ever more popular technique for the Chinese authorities to gain around the loyalty of overseas citizens. And when the time is ripe to request for political favors, the connections are presently too deep to refuse.

Kevin Liu, who very first meet up with with Meewella in 2015, is often explained as a flamboyant and perfectly linked businessman. He is claimed to reside a everyday living of luxurious and superior great importance, forever renting a suite at Sheraton Hotel in Stockholm and frequently signing new organization offers in many fields.

But it has also been noted in Swedish media that Liu has operate many of his companies and company ventures into individual bankruptcy. A speedy look for in Chinese on the internet databases demonstrates that Liu at the moment is concerned as owner in at the very least 59 distinct organizations.

At any rate, Liu is regarded for his vast web of individual contacts, like both equally Swedish and Chinese ambassadors as very well as reportedly folks a lot increased up in the Chinese political hierarchy. It is not very clear when Liu initially meet up with with former Ambassador Anna Lindstedt. But it is evident that they had a near connection.

In January, just one working day in advance of Lindstedt contacted Angela Gui to set up the Sheraton Lodge meeting, she attended the marriage of just one of Kevin Liu’s sons in Nanjing. John Meewella was also there, earning it probably that the notion of assembly was talked about at some point.

And the pretty exact same weekend as the genuine meeting took spot, Liu accompanied Lindstedt and Meewella to the Chinese embassy in Stockholm, for a lunch assembly with its notorious Ambassador Gui Congyou. Later that weekend, images of Meewella and Liu together with Gui Congyou have been revealed to Angela as proof that the businessmen ended up conversing to her on the behalf of the Chinese embassy.

This image, taken the same weekend as the Sheraton Lodge meeting, demonstrates Lindstedt, remaining, with Liu, correct, and Chinese Ambassador to Sweden Gui Congyou.

A “Magic Weapon”

While it is not yet distinct what individual reward, if any, Lindstedt had in location up the conference where Angela Gui was threatened, it is obvious that titles and income are increasingly utilised as applications to grow the Chinese Communist Party’s influence overseas.

Underneath the presidency of Xi Jinping, a longstanding CCP firm named the United Front Work Department (UFWD) has been considerably revitalized. Its task is, simply place, to ensure the loyalty of all people and almost everything that does not presently belong to the Communist Occasion. As early as 2014, Xi branded the group “a magic weapon” in the quest to rejuvenate the Chinese nation.

Through the earlier many years, the firm has been upgraded in the Bash hierarchy and had its team improved by the tens of thousands. According to an investigation by the Economic Times, “almost all Chinese embassies now contain staff formally tasked with United Front work.”

That is barely a shock, specified that a 3rd of UFWD’s nine bureaus have an outspoken aim on spreading the Party’s propaganda and political messages overseas. The process consists of cultivating Chinese businessmen abroad — just like Kevin Liu — to unfold a constructive photograph of the CCP and if feasible also have out its procedures.

There is no deficiency of proof of the UFWD’s improved overseas activities. A little a lot more than a 12 months back, Australian Senator Sam Dastyari experienced to leave his position immediately after it grew to become recognised that he experienced been acquiring donations from Chinese businessman Huang Xiangmo. The scandal was discovered following Dastyari defended the Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea.

In February this yr, Australia moved to deny Huang’s bid for Australian citizenship and revoked his long-lasting residency, banning him from coming into Australia again. “Political interference” was cited as a reason Huang had donated hundreds of thousands of bucks in complete to various Australian politicians. The Australian Protection Intelligence Corporation had been capable to confirm that Huang was head or member of many groups run by the UFWD.

Effectively-linked businessmen like Kevin Liu would hardly run in and out of the Chinese embassy in Stockholm devoid of the CCP anticipating a little something in return. And dampening the criticism relating to China’s procedure of Gui Minhai is one of the most essential objects of the Chinese ambassador to Sweden. By connecting the dots, it is not really hard to comprehend why Liu was operating with Lindstedt to achieve this purpose.

Indeed, ambassadors appears to be to be a significantly popular concentrate on for China’s affect functions. In January, John McCallum, Canada’s ambassador to China, was fired right after getting advised to media that Huawei government Meng Wanzhou must be produced. McCallum was reportedly below Chinese impact. And Mikael Lindström, Sweden’s ambassador to China from 2006 to 2010, is these days functioning as an adviser for the controversial Chinese telecom enterprise Huawei, which is now bidding for the expansion of Sweden’s 5G network.

This in switch goes hand in hand with “elite capture”: an more and more typical trend where influential politicians, businessmen, or lecturers are offered beneficial careers and positions by the Chinese govt, with defending the Communist Party’s political views as a person of the most critical responsibilities.

The most placing case in point of this may be Bob Carr, Australia’s former international minister now heading the feel thank Australia-China Relations Institute, started by the over-described Huang Xiangmo and funded by a range of other actors from or closely affiliated with the Communist Party.

Angry Denial

Other Swedish citizens ended up included in the Sheraton Hotel meeting debacle too. Most notably Niclas Adler, a effectively-regarded entrepreneur, who was the one to initial introduce Kevin Liu to John Meewella. In the course of the Sheraton Resort meeting, Liu referred to Adler as “my male in Sweden.” Adler also named Meewella through the conference, instructing him to hand over the phone to Lindstedt.

A post from Meewalla’s Twitter account demonstrates him, Lindstedt, Liu, and Adler with each other.

Once more, the sample of buying and selling business enterprise favors for political favors can be sensed. Adler’s relationship with Liu goes again to 2010, when Adler was director at Jönköping International Company School, wherever Liu’s kids have been researching. With each other, the two introduced an initiative to catch the attention of much more Chinese learners to the faculty.

Among the quite a few organization ventures that Adler has been or is at the moment engaged in, he is the chairman of Nordic Development Technological innovation Partners. The enterprise is a subsidiary of Accelerated Innovation Group Constrained, exactly where Meewella, in accordance to his now scrubbed CV, is CEO. Accelerated Innovation Team also has connections to Liu.

In the tumble of 2017, Nordic Progress Technology Partners, alongside one another with a condition-owned establishment named Shenzhen Expenditure Holding Company, proven a joint investment decision and innovation fund expenditure fund well worth 10 billion renminibi. In shots from the inauguration ceremony in Shenzhen, Fredrik Reinfeldt, Swedish key minister from 2006 to 2014, can be seen applauding in the history.

It is not entirely clear what the fund has been investing in so significantly. But simply serving as head of a huge Chinese fund with the previous Swedish primary minister on the payroll as an adviser is of study course excellent publicity for an entrepreneur like Adler. And it could make him inclined to be grateful towards Kevin Liu and other involved domestic actors.

Inspite of all the noticeable connections, the Chinese embassy in Sweden is most likely to get away scot-totally free when yet again. In a statement on its web page, it angrily denied any involvement in the Sheraton Hotel meeting by stating that “the Chinese aspect has never licensed and will not authorize any person to have interaction with Gui Minhai’s daughter.”

But what the Chinese authorities have truly succeeded in performing is using overseas citizens to manipulate the Swedish ambassador into assisting the effort and hard work to threaten relatives associates of a kidnapped Swedish publisher into silence.

Jojje Olsson is a journalist and author residing in Asia considering that 2007. He is at the moment centered in Taipei.

The post How China Used the Swedish Ambassador to Threaten Angela Gui appeared first on Defence Online.

from WordPress https://defenceonline.com/2019/03/28/how-china-used-the-swedish-ambassador-to-threaten-angela-gui/

[peckhampeculiar]

Frames of mind

Family-run business D+R Scaffolding was founded Nunhead in the 1960s and went on to become a multimillion-pound success story. The team has worked on some of London’s best-known landmarks, from Nelson’s Column to Big Ben

Words: Seamus Hasson; Photo: Lima Charlie  

I arrange to meet Mark Snowden, managing director of D+R Scaffolding, in front of Peckham Rye Station. “The office is only a five-minute walk, but it can be quite difficult to find,” he explains. He’s not wrong.

After stepping through a concealed gateway at Railway Approach on Consort Road, I’m led down a long, narrow construction yard to D+R HQ – an unassuming office tucked away beneath a railway arch. We’re here to meet George Henderson, D+R’s deputy chairman.

George’s father, George Snr is the company chairman. He bought the firm shortly after it was established in 1965 and transformed it from a modest start-up into a multimillion-pound company.  

“My father purchased the company from the two previous owners, Davey and Randall, hence the name D+R,” George explains. “Back then it was based on Evelina Road in Nunhead and consisted of one truck full of equipment.”

As the company grew it moved premises, first to Peckham Hill Street in the early 1970s and then again in 1974 to its current base on Consort Road. By 2011 it employed around 180 staff between Railway Approach and the other depot in Basildon.

As well as scaffolding, D+R also makes cradles (those hoists you see suspended from large tower blocks) and George Snr built up two subsidiary companies and a stone restoration company at the Consort Road site.

“He’s still chairman and is very much involved, although these days he mostly works from home,” George says. “He’s immensely proud of what he’s achieved. Until about three years ago he was still coming into the yard, still checking on the guys, checking deliveries.”

George himself has been around the business all his life, having spent his school holidays helping out. It wasn’t until after his 30th birthday however that he came on board full time, having spent a number of years working in the City.

“I was in the futures market in the early 90s, which often gets called the zoo,” he laughs. “I just wanted to get away and get fit again.” So how did he find swapping the champagne-fuelled life of a City trader with the less glamorous world of scaffolding?

“It was a lifestyle change,” he admits. “Getting up at 5am in zero temperatures. But I grew up around D+R and knew it well, so leaving the City to come here wasn’t that much of a shock to me.”

Mark Snowden by contrast has spent his entire working life in the scaffolding industry, and has notched up a total of 40 years of experience. He joined D+R as group managing director five-and-a-half years ago.  

“The interesting aspect of the job is the variety of people we meet and the places we get to go to. I’ve been up Big Ben twice in the last three months or so. You get to go to the sorts of places that most people generally can’t get to.”

As we chat, our conversation is routinely interrupted by the sound of trains chugging past above our heads. The yard outside stretches for what seems like miles and is populated with men in yellow bibs and Timberland boots darting around in forklift trucks. It’s a completely different world from the Peckham of rapid gentrification on the other side of the wall, which American Vogue dubbed “the Williamsburg of London”.

Keen to find out what a day in the life of a London scaffolder involves, I ask the men about their current projects. “We’re doing a lot of work in the British Museum at the moment,” Mark says. “The National Gallery we do a lot for too, but equally we do a lot of council refurbishment work in council blocks. We do a lot a bit of everything.”

���We’ve scaffolded some notable buildings in and around London,” George adds. “We’ve worked on Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Kensington Palace, where we are still active at the minute.

“Nelson’s Column we’ve scaffolded twice and I believe in its entire history it has only been scaffolded three times. We actually re-enacted what was called the tea party at the top of our scaffold, which the original stone masons had when they built Nelson’s Column.

“There was as a violinist, a cello player, a presentation with a member of Lord Nelson’s family and there were some enthusiasts there who had a bottle of the original Madeira Wine I think it was. It was all a bit unusual to say the least.”

Working on buildings of such history and prestige comes with a number of restrictions and D+R maintain their own in-house engineering department to deal with the most challenging jobs.

The 2008 financial crash proved a difficult time for companies in the construction industry and George admits that for D+R it was no different. “We probably lost about 30 per cent of turnover,” he says, “but we got through it”.

“Construction was hit hard and it just went on and on,” Mark adds. “Suddenly there’s just not enough work to go around for everyone, so what work there is becomes very cheap. It becomes a struggle trying to keep everyone employed but we kept on most of the staff.”

So has technology made the job any easier? “In the last 25 years we’ve had system scaffolds come in, so rather than tube fittings and scaffold boards, we use systems scaffolds that clip together rather like Meccano,” says Mark.

“When I started we didn’t have forklifts, everything was hand-built in and off the racks and on and off the lorries. So a lot of that, the manual handling if you like, has improved a lot over the years.

“Regulations have changed from the point of view of safety and the training we put people through is more onerous. Everything is certificated and there’s a lot more paperwork now but the basic role really hasn’t changed much.

“If you took someone from about 30 or 40 years ago and brought them in they might get a bit of a shock with all the paperwork and extra equipment, but otherwise they’d be ready to pick up from where they left off.”

So, what’s on the horizon for D+R scaffolding going forward? “We’ll definitely stay in the area,” says George. “We don’t want to lose our staff, we depend on them and if we had to move away there would be no guarantee they’d come with us, so that would hurt us.”

“Workwise we’ve got Alexandra Palace at the BBC in north London,” Mark says. “The theatre there was all shut up 30 or 40 years ago but they’re basically going to restore it back to its former glory.” No doubt D+R will be just the team for the job.

[racingtoaredlight]

Opening Bell: April 7, 2017

Last night the Trump White House authorized missile strikes against Syrian military targets in retaliation for a now-confirmed sarin gas attack on a town in northern Syria earlier in the week. The strikes—dozens of Tomahawk missiles fired from two U.S. Navy destroyers cruising in the eastern Mediterranean—were launched less than 24 hours after the White House reacted negatively to the chemical attack by the military of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Some of the facilities struck also house contingents from Russia’s military force in Syria, though apparently the Pentagon notified Russia of the attacks ahead of time in order to prevent Russian casualties, something which could turn retaliatory strikes into a massive international incident. While the reason for the strikes is clear—the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime should not be condoned—however the legal justification for doing so is a bit more difficult to decipher given that the attacks were not made on any Americans presently in Syria. Virtually all of the military operations the U.S. has conducted around the world have found their legal justification in the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) which Congress passed and which was signed into law on September 18, 2001, one week after the 9/11 attacks. How the U.S. has been able to use this as justification was examined in detail by podcast Radiolab in 2013, and I highly recommend everyone listen to it. Meanwhile, The Atlantic points out that strikes have already been under way in Syria for two-and-a-half years now, but against ISIS and affiliated terror groups, not the Syrian government. And the perception that the 9/11 AUMF does not cover a regime like that of Assad is one of the primary reasons the Obama administration was so reticent to launch air strikes during the first use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government three years ago.

In what otherwise be the top headline, President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to his Mar a Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida yesterday. The Chinese delegation will stay approximately 24 hours and most of the formalities will be limited so as to allow for multiple meetings between Trump, Xi, and their advisors. This meeting with Xi is perhaps the most important of Trump’s barely two month old administration, particularly in light of numerous recent missile tests by North Korea, a Chinese client state. At least some experts speculate that the meeting at a resort outside of D.C., something which then-President Obama attempted with the Chinese in 2013 in Southern California, is unlikely to bear any fruit.

 Yesterday, in a development which was widely expected since 2013, the Senate, in the face of a filibuster by 30 Democrats, voted to change its own rules and allow Supreme Court nominees to be approved by a simple majority of 51, rather than a cloture-invoking 60. The filibuster, long a right enjoyed by the minority party in the Senate in order to prevent overreaching legislation and nominees, has now been reduced to a procedure can only be used to block legislative action; unless the Senate changes its rules again and rolls back yesterday’s vote, which is highly unlikely, all future judicial and executive branch appointments will require only 51 votes. The genie was, of course, partially let out of the bottle in 2013 when then Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid introduced the initial rules change in order to allow several Obama appointees to the executive branch and lower courts of the judicial branch. Reid and the Democrats, however, did not make the rule change applicable to Supreme Court nominees, and this is what changed yesterday. The speculation now is that it is only a matter of time until this rule change is applied to legislation instead of just nominations. Out of the ashes of the judicial filibuster comes the probable vote to confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch as the next Supreme Court Justice today.

In yet another story that would have been the top headline on virtually any other news day, embattled House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) announced that he would recuse himself from his panel’s investigation into alleged links between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election. Nunes has been widely criticized in recent weeks for his behavior and handling of classified documents, briefing the White House on their contents before sharing them with his fellow Intelligence Committee members, including both Republicans and Democrats. A troika of senior Republicans on the Committee—Rep. Michael Conway (R-Texas), Rep. Thomas Rooney (R-Fla.), and Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) of Benghazi Committee fame—will take Nunes’s place until the investigation is complete. Gowdy is also a member of the House Ethics Committee, which is simultaneously investigating Nunes conduct in handling classified material.

Meanwhile, at the several cabinet departments across Washington D.C., Trump campaign workers who were inserted at each department and agency shortly after January 20 as part of several “beachhead teams,” have apparently found themselves frozen out of full-time positions as Trump’s cabinet secretaries fill out their staffs with their own advisors, some of whom are cool to the Trump White House because of previous affiliations with other Republican candidates (such as Jeb Bush) or because they are Obama administration holdovers. I think terming this a ‘civil war’ is a bit over-the-top, however it does highlight the overall dysfunction which has plagued the Trump administration, almost from day one. However, that same assertion was made of the Clinton administration in 1993 and he ended up serving two terms. The manner in which the Trump administration pivots out of the first hundred days into the regular course of governing will be very interesting to witness.

During an interview this week with Maggie Haberman and Glenn Thrush of the New York Times—a paper which Trump has regularly demeaned for false reporting and which he has asserted is experiencing financial failure—the President, instead of focusing on a possible infrastructure package for Congress, instead veered off topic and seized on a story that former National Security Advisor Susan Rice had possibly committed a crime by seeking to found out which Trump campaign officials had been in contact with Russian officials during the campaign. In a story which broke approximately two weeks ago, it was discovered that American intelligence officials had, during a routine sweep of communications between U.S. and foreign governments, discovered that some Trump campaign officials were in contact with members of the Russian government, though to what end remains unknown. Trump alleged in his New York Times interview that Rice had done something unlawful in attempting to discover who these officials were, only for former National Security Council officials, both Democrat and Republican, to declare that, while not usual, it was also not unethical, let alone illegal, for Rice to have sought the identity of these individuals. The byzantine nature of alleged ties between the Trump campaign and the Kremlin are perhaps the biggest obstacle to Congress and/or the FBI helping the American public understand exactly what happened or did not happen during the 2016 campaign.

Returning to domestic policy, House Republicans continue to seek amendments to the American Healthcare Act (AHCA) which will satisfy both conservative and moderate members of the GOP caucus. A new amendment, approved this week by the House Rules Committee, has garnered lukewarm praise among both moderates—members of the so called Tuesday Group—and the conservative House Freedom Caucus. While this reflects an improvement on the outright derision both groups troweled upon the original AHCA, it does not reflect a broad sentiment that would lead to the AHCA being reintroduced, at least not in the near future. One reality which does not bode well for individuals pushing for further consideration of the AHCA: the government’s debt ceiling will be reached at the end of April and Congress must pass an increase in order to prevent a default by the U.S. government.

The Environmental Protection Agency revealed in its budget request cuts to two major programs which seek to educate consumers and the remodeling industry on the danger of lead-based paint and how to safely remove and dispose of it in homes constructed before 1978 (when lead-based paint was banned). The EPA argument is that the administration of such programs is best left to the states, however, only fourteen states currently have their own programs for training contractors on the safe removal and disposal of lead-based paint. A further however, a number of those states—Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Utah—are deeply conservative states. This would suggest that individual states are capable of looking past any partisan view of such programs and adopting regulations which protect homeowners. If this budget change passes Congress, it will be interesting to see which, if any, additional states choose to adopt their own programs to address homes with lead-based paint.

This week it emerged that 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney was considering a run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by 83-year old incumbent Orrin Hatch. Romney, who resides usually in California but has a home outside Salt Lake City, Utah, remains highly popular in his home state. If Hatch were to decline to run for another term, Romney would almost certainly be the favorite to succeed him, especially with the nomination of fellow Mormon Jon Huntsman to be Ambassador to Russia. Donald Trump is deeply unpopular in Utah, especially among the state’s gigantic Mormon population. Mitt Romney, who could easily self-fund a campaign especially in the comparatively cheap media market that is Utah, would likely run on an assertion that he would be a counterweight to the Trump administration.

Alabama Governor Robert Bentley will face a criminal investigation into his alleged use of public and campaign funds for personal reasons, including to cover up an affair with a female staffer. The Alabama Ethics Commission voted 4-0 to refer Bentley’s case to the Montgomery County District Attorney on the basis that there was probable cause supporting each allegation. In all, the Commission found probable cause for four acts, each of which is a class-B felony which, upon conviction, would require 2-20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics is about to publish a book on the 2016 campaign titled “Trumped.” The book is an analysis of how polling failed to predict a Trump victory in 2016. Chapter 10 is excerpted and analyzes the difficulty in determining models for what a pool of “Likely Voters,”—those considered most likely to vote in a general election, and thus the most reliable from which to derive polling samples—should look like. A great read if you like statistics and/or political polling.

Moving, finally, out of politics, the U.S. Navy has ordered a two-day grounding of all of its T-45 Goshawk advanced trainers due to concerns over the oxygen supply system for instructors and their trainees. The Navy’s chief aviator has pledged to resolve all issues expeditiously, but the fact that the grounding occurred after upwards of 100 Navy pilots refused to fly until certain measures were implemented is certainly telling. The T-45 is the jet which Navy pilots learn to fly towards the end of their time in flight school. After graduating, they usually go into the fleet as F-18 pilots, the tip of the spear of strike fighters flying into Syria, and other places around the world, today.

In further news about the U.S. Navy, albeit of a more benign character, the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world—HMS Victory, Nelson’s flagship at Trafalgar in 1805 is older, but it is in permanent dry dock in Portsmouth, England—is nearing completion of a two year overhaul in drydock and will soon be refloated and returned to its permanent mooring in Boston. The Constitution, which was first launched and commissioned in the 1790s, requires a drydock overhaul every 20 years or so in order to replace oak timbers in its hull and copper plates on the lower exterior of the hull. This leads to an interesting question: if the ships has its timbers and other relevant constituent parts replaced every two decades, how much of the original ship from the 1790s remains? Regardless, the Constitution is an important link to the early days of the U.S. Navy and it houses a permanent Navy crew onboard even today.

Moving back abroad, the formal notice of Britain’s intent to leave the European Union has brought into focus the British territory of Gibraltar, a tiny peninsula jutting out from the southern coast of Spain, closer to Morocco than to London. Gibraltar’s population voted to remain in the EU by an enormous margin—96% of its electorate—and this was seized upon as a possible means for Spain to prevent British disentanglement from the EU unless Gibraltar’s sovereignty was involved. This has produced howling nationalist discontent in Britain. Foreign Policy examines the exact nature of the British psyche when it comes to holding on to some overseas territories.

The UN Women's organization of Mexico in coordination with the city government of Mexico City has sought to bring to the fore the amount of sexual harassment women face on Mexico City’s subway system. The manner in which these groups sought to highlight this issue was by installing a “Men’s Only” seat on subway cars; a seat which replicates the torso, abdomen, upper legs, and genitalia of a male; a “penis seat.” The seat has become the focus of social media campaigns in order to highlight reactions to its use or, as it happens, non-use.

George Poinar Jr. was the scientist whose work inspired author Michael Crichton to write “Jurassic Park.” Recently the now retired Poinar received a package from a friend in the Dominican Republic. This package contained a tick encased in tree amber. When Poinar looked at the tick through a microscope, he discovered that the tick was filled with blood that was 20 million years old. While a fascinating discovery, Poinar points out that it is unlikely that enough DNA still exists in the sample to do anything like Crichton envisioned in his novels.

Finally, legendary comedian Don Rickles, the last of the famed Rat Pack, died yesterday at the age of 90. Rickles was renowned for rarely having prepared material, but instead going onstage and riffing off of any individual in the audience, including the President of the United States.

Welcome to the weekend.