Sometimes you just have to kill the zombie.

We learned Wednesday that Boeing has abruptly decided to end its participation in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agencys Experimental Space Plane (XSP) program an effort intended to build and fly a reusable rocket ten times in ten days.Admittedly, its a bit personal for me, since XSP comprised a significant portion of my space portfolio during my most recent stint at DARPA.

The program got its start back in 2013, right around the same time Elon Musk decided to build a Falcon 9 that can land itself. The difference? Musks rocket works. He and his team worked overtime for three years and they figured it out. XSP, on the other hand, has already consumed over six years of engineering effort yet never managed to get beyond an engine demonstration, and had Boeing not walked away would still be years away from first flight.

Rendering of an Experimental Space Plane (Phantom Express")

High-tech projects, whether they involve building a new aircraft, a complex software application, an autonomous car, or a rocket, tend to take on lives of their own, and almost never in a good way. Often, a seemingly elegant concept collides with the harsh reality of poor technology forecasting, a totally predictable lack of resources (human, budgetary, and otherwise), vague or badly understood requirements, and most critically no clearly stated way to know when youve done all you should and its simply time to move on to something else.

I cant emphasize this last problem enough. Hard projects become agonizing slogs if you arent meticulous about designing test events (gates) that unambiguously shout succeed or fail. Why? Because the project team and its patrons desperately want to keep trying theyre invested, theyve fallen victim to sunk cost, they grow increasingly risk-averse and as a result their programs become de facto zombies, eking out a twilight existence for year after miserable year, despite mounting evidence suggesting that whats being attempted is not a good idea after all, and that it would probably be better to go back to the drawing board or shut down altogether. Knowing when to kill a bad idea has become something of a lost art.

The U.S. Air Force's U-2S, the upgraded version of Kelly Johnsons original U-2, in service today.

On July 4, 1956, after a few preliminary overflights of Eastern Europe, a U-2 pilot flew the jets first operational mission over the Soviet Union. The black-as-pitch U-2 (now nicknamed Dragon Lady for its notoriously difficult handling characteristics) was and is an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft designed by famed Lockheed Skunk Works aerospace engineer Clarence Kelly Johnson. Johnson and his team designed the plane to fly at an altitude of 70,000 feet, hoping to evade interceptors, ground-based radar and surface-to-air missiles that would pose unacceptable risks to lower-flying airplanes and their crews.

The U-2 was a very good idea.

Unfortunately, while the Soviets interceptors and missiles were unable to climb high enough to engage the U-2, the U.S. quickly discovered that it was trackable on radar. Thus, it would only be a matter of time before the Russians would come up with a way to down the Dragon Lady. And, indeed, this tragedy finally occurred in May 1960, when Francis Gary Powers U-2 was struck by a Dzina surface-to-air missile.

But before that eventful day, and indeed not long after it became clear that the U-2 was not invisible to Russian radar after all, a group of scientists and engineers led a crash program to develop a stealthy U-2 almost two decades before Lockheed built the first prototype of what would become the F-117 stealth bomber. This one-year effort, nicknamed Project Rainbow and lovingly memorialized by Paul Suhler in From Rainbow to Gusto, resulted in a slew of hardware modifications to the Dragon Lady. None of them were particularly pretty. The engineers glued radar-absorbing structures to the aircrafts fuselage and strung assemblies of wires over the wings leading edge, between the nose and fuel tanks on the wing, and elsewhere. Pilots derided it, calling it the dirty bird.

As it turned out, not only were the Project Rainbow modifications ineffective at defeating radar, they also dramatically reduced the planes operating range and altitude. More disturbingly, the radar-absorbing material acted as a very efficient insulator and overheated the U-2s cockpit, resulting in a pilot fatality. And so, unceremoniously, Project Rainbow was consigned to the wastebasket a bad idea or, perhaps more charitably, an idea before its time.Its team pivoted, laying the groundwork for an entirely new aircraft, one that would fly both higher and faster than the U-2 the SR-71 Blackbird. Others began working on reconnaissance satellites that would fly higher and faster still.

Rainbow could have become a zombie. Its proponents could reasonably have argued that theyd made some mistakes but had come close, that a little more funding and time would get the U-2 to an acceptable end state. After all, returning to square one and designing a new plane could take even more time and more money and might still fail who could say with certainty?But this team was endowed with uncommon wisdom. They recognized the deficiencies of their approach and dispassionately halted their efforts when it became clear that their success criteria werent going to be met. And they recognized that a stay the course decision under these circumstances might have resulted in many years of onerous work and, worse, could have ceded the lead to the Soviets. Whats more, the Rainbow team arrived at this decision in May 1958, less than two years after identifying the problem.

Technology developers hear the term fail fast so often that many have developed an immune response to it, but this suggests a misunderstanding. Tom Peters is credited with the original, and far more clarifying, phrase: Test fast, fail fast, adjust fast. Figure out what your problem is, design a solution, and test that solution as rapidly as you can.

Why? Because you want to know as early as possible if you are on the right track. Decent success criteria and a well-designed test will tell you but you cant just keep playing with new technology, postponing that test, and hoping that all the tweaks youve come up with will give you an ultimate solution.Get into test with what you have and fail now if you do, youll immediately learn something vitally important. And now you can adjust. That adjustment might be a minor change or a complete reboot.

Lessons from the last century abound. Vanguard rockets, MiDAS missile warning satellites, and the F-16 fighter all experienced failures in early demonstrations but were able to rebound quickly to adjust and try again without losing a beat. MiDAS launched seven spacecraft before it was able to obtain missile tracking data but every one of those satellites was launched in a three-year period between February 1960 and May 1963.

Contrast the MiDAS programs speed with contemporary missile warning satellite development, whose test campaigns dictate seven years or more to reach orbit. Such a glacial pace is hardly conducive to innovation. If you require a decade to test a product and, after all the effort you put into it, it still fails, itll take you no less than two decades to get to a solution and thats a problem in a world of more and more capable companies and nation states. Relearning the art of test fast, fail fast, adjust fast isnt just a good idea, its a crucial survival skill.

SpaceX's Falcon 9 first stage touches down at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Landing Zone-1

Some have adopted Peters maxim and are demonstrating remarkable success. Elon Musks dream of a reusable first stage was widely panned as impractical or pointless, yet he and his team soldiered on, in much the same way the Vanguard and MiDAS teams did, testing and failing and testing again over just twenty-six months, until, finally, a scorched Falcon 9 rocket landed proudly upright on a Cape Canaveral launch pad on December 21, 2015.Few detractors remain. The value of multi-use rockets has been demonstrated, and even Musks arch-competitor and one-time reusability skeptic, United Launch Alliance, is investigating ways to reuse some of its gear.

Sadly, test fast isnt making inroads everywhere. Aircraft carriers that cost nearly $15B and take more than twenty years to get to sea trials may end up vulnerable to hypersonic missiles developed by China in just the past five or ten years. Weve embarked on yet another round of increasingly expensive stealth fighter and bomber development efforts despite growing concerns that our adversaries have figured out approaches to defeat stealth. This might be alright if we were rapidly generating new solutions. But were not. Programs like the F-35 and F-22 have taken decades to get from initial requirement to first flight. Can we say with any credibility that a design that had its origins in the early 1990s is still relevant today? These all represent failures to test fast, fail fast, and adjust as threats evolve. And it cant go on.

Perhaps the next team that tries to build a spaceplane will incorporate a test fast mantra as a prerequisite. If not, it will likely face the same fate as Boeings and DARPAs doomed XSP six years of work and not much to show for it.

Project Rainbow left us with an invaluable lesson: When you spot a zombie, shoot it and move on.

Read the rest here:
Boeings Exit From Space Plane Project Is A Lesson In Why We Need To Kill Zombies - Forbes

Starting a company requires a lot resilience, determination, curiosity, not to mention all the financial and operational know-how. But what's the most important trait?

Many of Dreamers // Doers' members are founders of companies, so we asked them. A resounding theme was passion: passion for solving a problem, for filling a market gap, for creating an ideal work environment, or for being on the bleeding edge of future innovation. When the challenges of entrepreneurship inevitably surface, it's this passion that serves as the fuel to keep going.

As shown in the journeys of the following 27 founders, their companies are built on a foundation made up of far more than their products or services alone. Each of these women have a clear "why" a reason for being that propels their visions forward.

Here are the stories of their "aha moments," along with their No. 1 piece of advice for those who've ever thought about starting a similar company.

Here is the original post:
27 founders share how they knew what type of company to start - Business Insider - Business Insider

Charlotte Payne-Townshend is not exactly a household name.

In fact, in todays celebrity-obsessed culture, its very possible one might hear it and think Will and Kates four-year-old daughter has only gone off and adopted a bizarre double-barrelled street name to shake off her royal duties.

But for most normal folk, its met with an empty stare, a dismissive shrug and a puzzled, Who the heck is that?

Dont fear - Mrs Shaw Herself is here to answer that question.

Created by musician Helen Tierney and actress Alexis Leighton, this one-woman play is an intimate glimpse into the life of Charlotte Payne Townshend, Irish heiress and activist - who also happened to be the wife of the legendary George Bernard Shaw.

Tierney seeks to restore the spirit of this unsung hero, whose achievements have historically been outshone by the glare of her husbands.

An affluent political campaigner who championed the education of women, Charlotte was one of the key Irish players in the feminist movement of the early twentieth century.

Rather than hoard or squander her riches, she exploited her privilege to benefit others.

She single-handedly funded a scholarship for women at the London School of Economics and even donated a hefty 1000 to the establishment of its Shaw Library in 1939.

She was also a driving force in the Fabian Womens Group, which promoted suffrage equality for women through debates and publications.

And yet, despite her major contributions to society, she has yet to receive the acclaim she so evidently deserves.

This hour-long production lifts Charlotte from the pages of her husbands writings, granting her a platform to speak freely and express her individuality to her audience.

By weaving the script exclusively out of genuine diaries and letters, every line drips with authenticity and passion.

Tierney explains this decision to rely on primary sources.

Its an hour where they can get to know her in her own words. We want people to have a real sense of her when they leave the play.

To truly nurture this sense, Tierney splashes the play with the voices of Charlottes friends and acquaintances.

Chameleon actress Leighton embodies an array of different characters, playing Charlotte, George Bernard Shaw, Beatrice Webb and more.

This metamorphosis not only softens the potential stagnation of a one-person play, it enhances the audiences understanding of Charlotte.

As Tierney explains: We learn about her from other peoples words.

Its a panoramic view of Charlotte Payne Townshend - a 360 degrees rotation of a woman who has hovered as a 2D background character for too long.

The message is simple - the most important part of Mrs Shaw, is in fact, herself.

Tierney hopes that that this portrayal will exemplify Charlottes multi-faceted personality. Her marriage to a notorious playboy may have drew some concerns, but it never inhibited her pursuit of success and happiness.

Tierney explains that the play emphasises this independence, explaining: Shes not a victim. Shes feisty, she has ideas of her own.

In many ways, it was this unyielding gumption that fuelled her unconventional relationship with one of Irelands most beloved writers.

Despite their practice of celibacy, Charlotte and George remained together for over 40 years.

It is said that their bond was cemented by their mutual respect for each others endeavours - she helped him craft fiction, he helped her actualise realities.

Their marriage may have been sexless, but it certainly wasnt loveless.

Tierney argues that their story lends a glimmer of hope to a society blotted by billowing divorce rates.

Its a tale of a marriage that survives. He could be infuriating to live with and maybe she wasnt easy either, but they both gave things to each other that are really positive. Often you dont see that side of a marriage.

By recognising her as both an individual and a partner, the play tackles the widespread misconception that the combination of feminism and marriage is incongruent.

Charlottes role as a wife was a part of her, but it was by no means, all of her.

Mrs Shaw Herself will be performed in London on February 1 as part of the Herstory Light Festival.

Inspired by one of Irelands patron saints, St. Brigid, this three-day long event celebrates the Irish women of our present and our past.

Tierney believes this is an ideal environment to stage the play, comparing the silencing of Charlottes achievements under the volume of her husbands legacy to how St. Brigid has always been in the shadow of St. Patrick.

This homage to Ireland is reflected in Tierneys Celtic harp playing, which gently punctuates each scene and embellishes the effect of Charlottes words.

Charlotte has been introduced to over 30 audiences in the United Kingdom, and Tierney is now planning to bring her home to Ireland. She reveals her hopes to perform it in Cork, where Charlotte was born and raised.

With just one actor, minimal props and modest staging, Mrs Shaw Herself is the farthest thing from a glitzy pantomime.

Viewers wont come away with ringing ears and dizzy eyeballs, high on the rush of high-budget spectacles.

This play doesnt seek to overdose your senses, and, led by such a powerful character, it doesnt need to.

What it does do is introduce you to one of Irelands most underrated heroes, luring you into the depths of her psyche and colouring in the blank her name once drew.

Having sat down with little to no knowledge of Charlotte Payne Townshend, youll stand up with that profound feeling of having met someone you feel like youve known for years.

Rather than cheering bravo after the final scene, you might just find yourself waving goodbye.

Mrs Shaw Herself is at The Intimate Space at Hornsey Church Tower at 2.30pm on February 1. Tickets 10 and 8 on Eventbrite.com.

Visit link:
One-woman play tells tale of the overlooked wife of George Bernard Shaw - Irish Post

How did you get on? .... Winnie the Pooh and friends, from The Best Bear in All the World (see 16.4). Photograph: Egmont Publishing

1 Jess Willard (the Pottawatomie Giant, lost world heavyweight title fight to Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler/Kid Blackie) 2 Ignacy Jan Paderewski (prime minister of Poland) 3 Somerset Maughams The Moon and Sixpence 4 Suzanne Lenglens (La Divine) at Wimbledon 5 John Alcock and Arthur Brown (from Winston Churchill following transatlantic flight) 6 HMY Iolaire (hit Beasts of Holm off Stornoway, 201 servicemen drowned) 7 The Childrens Newspaper (Arthur Mee) 8 Death of Prince John (their fifth son, aged 13) 9 Theodore Roosevelts (Speak softly and carry a big stick, you will go far) 10 Nancy Astor (succeeded her husband as MP for Plymouth in byelection)

1 Patrick Gordon (1635-99) 2 Croagh Patrick 3 Sir Patrick Cullens (George Bernard Shaw, The Doctors Dilemma) 4 Fino San Patricio (Garvey, Jerez) 5 Sir Patrick Spens 6 Patrick OBrian (Aubrey and Maturin in Master and Commander) 7 Patrick Sellar (Highland Clearances) 8 Percy FitzPatrick (Jock of the Bushveld) 9 Patrick Pearse (St Endas/Scoil anna) 10 Patrick Kavanagh (The Great Hunger)

1 Thomas Bond (Jack the Ripper, murderer of Mary Jane Kelly) 2 Francis Camps (Erle Stanley Gardner. The Case of the Duplicate Daughter) 3 John Glaister Junior (Buck Ruxton murders) 4 David Bowen 5 Alec Jeffreys (Colin Pitchfork, Narborough, 1983) 6 Paul Uhlenhuths (Ludwig Tessnow, Rugen, 1901) 7 Donald Teare 8 Keith Simpsons (Mrs Durand-Deacon, victim of John George Haigh, acid bath murderer) 9 Bernard Knights (Karen Price, Cardiff, 1989) 10 Sir Bernard Spilsbury (Operation Mincemeat deception, 1943)

1 Count Jovian (John Buchan, The House of the Four Winds) 2 Count Paris (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet) 3 Count Ribbing (Giuseppe Verdi, Un Ballo in Maschera) 4 Count Joseph Dumoulin (consul-general of Swedish Pomerania in CS Forester, The Commodore) 5 Count Fosco (Wilkie Collins, The Woman in White) 6 Count Vronsky (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina) 7 Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas, Edmond Dants) 8 Count Folke Bernadotte 9 Count Orgaz (El Greco) 10 Count Basie (Earl Hines and Duke Ellington)

1 Van Houtens cocoa 2 Wonkas Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight (Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) 3 La Cleste Praline (Joanne Harris, Chocolat) 4 Anthon Berg 5 Frys 6 Henri Nestl (Daniel Peter) 7 Drostes (Jan Missets Nurse) 8 My chocolate cream soldier (George Bernard Shaw, Arms and the Man, act III) 9 Thorntons 10 Ritter Sport

1 Lord Jesuss (hymn) 2 Cameron Highlands, Malaya (Tan Twan Eng, The Garden of Evening Mists) 3 Maud (Alfred Lord Tennyson, Maud) 4 Hatton Garden 5 Letchworth Garden City 6 Mr McGregors (Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit) 7 Misselthwaite Manor (Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden) 8 Percy French (song, Come Home Paddy Reilly) 9 TE Brown (My Garden) 10 Johnny Crows (Leonard Leslie Brooke, Johnny Crows Garden)

1 Cheltenham (John Betjeman) 2 Dursley (Dursley and Midland Junction Railway) 3 Berkeley Castle (Christopher Marlowe, Edward II) 4 Lechlade 5 Gloucester (Beatrix Potter, The Tailor of Gloucester) 6 Chipping Campden 7 Tewkesbury (King Edward IV) 8 Slad (Laurie Lee, Cider with Rosie) 9 Fairford (St Marys Church) 10 Stow-on-the-Wold

1 Jos Canalejas (November 1912) 2 Joselito (Jos Gmez Ortega, matador, May 1920) 3 Pope Calixtus III (Alfons de Borja) 4 Alfonso XI (The Avenger, 1350) 5 Sancho II (Zamora, 1072) 6 Felipe II (singed beard in Cadiz by Drake, 1587) 7 Francisco Goya, Enrique Granados (Goyescas) 8 Santiago Ramn y Cajal (Nobel prize, 1906) 9 Tio Pepe (Gonzales Byasss Fino sherry, Uncle Joe) 10 El Bilbanito (CS Forester, The Gun)

1 Midshipman Hornblower (CS Forester) 2 Horn of Plenty (fungus) 3 The Golden Horn (GK Chesterton, Lepanto) 4 East Hohenhrn (Erskine Childers, The Riddle of the Sands) 5 Battle of Little Bighorn 6 Weisshorn (John Tyndall, physicist, August 1861) 7 Horning (Arthur Ransome, Coot Club) 8 Horncastle (William Marwood, hangman) 9 The cow with the crumpled horn (This is the House that Jack Built) 10 Hornbill

1 Henry Purcells (Dido and Aeneas) 2 Jeremiah Clarke (Prince of Denmarks March, aka Trumpet Voluntary) 3 Thomas Arne (Ariels Where the bee sucks, there suck I, The Tempest) 4 Hubert Parry (Jerusalem) 5 Edward Elgar (Nimrod, Augustus Jaeger) 6 Ralph Vaughan-Williams (Down Ampney, hymn tune, after Bianco da Siena) 7 Gustav Holsts, Thaxted (Jupiter) 8 Benjamin Britten (Noyes Fludde) 9 William Waltons (Belshazzars Feast) 10 Arthur Sullivans (with WS Gilbert at the Savoy. The Grand Duke or The Statutory Duel)

1 Malgudi (RK Narayan, Swami and Friends) 2 New Delhi (Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger) 3 Madras (Edward Lear, The Book of Nonsense) 4 Simla (Rudyard Kipling, Kim) 5 Allahabad (Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days) 6 Agra (Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four) 7 Calcutta (Patrick OBrian, HMS Surprise) 8 Darjeeling (Nel Coward, I Wonder What Happened to Him) 9 Bombay (EM Forster, A Passage to India) 10 Jhansi (Christina Rossetti, poem, The Round Tower at Jhansi, June 8, 1857)

1 Dram, Armenia 2 Rand, South Africa (Mary Rand Olympic gold in 1964 long jump) 3 Pula, Botswana 4 Sucre, Ecuador 5 Cordoba, Nicaragua 6 Lek, Albania 7 Birr, Ethiopia (telescope The Leviathan of Parsonstown) 8 Quetzal, Guatemala 9 Dong, Vietnam (Edward Lear) 10 Coln, Costa Rica

1 Lake Baikal (Baikal Teal/bimaculate duck) 2 Toplitzsee (Nazi forgeries of UK bank notes) 3 Lake Peipus (Alexander Nevsky, 5 April 1242) 4 Lac Lman (Lord Byron, The Prisoner of Chillon) 5 Lake Maggiore (Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms) 6 Lake Como (August Strindberg, Frken Julie) 7 Loch Morar (monster) 8 Loch Maree (Botulism, August 1922) 9 Lough Neagh (legend of Finn McCool creating the Isle of Man) 10 Lake Trasimeno (Hannibal v Flaminius 217BC)

1 Raidillon (Spa-Francorchamps, watchmaker since 2001) 2 Interlagos (Brazil, Bico do Pato, Mergulho) 3 Mistral (Le Castelet, Circuit Paul Ricard, France) 4 Remus (Red Bull, Spielberg, Austria) 5 Tosa (Imola, San Marino/Italy) 6 Monza (Italy, Vialone became Ascari) 7 Beckets (Silverstone) 8 Massenet (Monaco, premiere of opera Don Quichotte) 9 Knickerbrook (Oulton Park) 10 Tarzanbocht (Zandvoort, Holland)

1 Ind Coope (Double Diamond slogan) 2 Crosse and Blackwell 3 Holland and Holland (gunsmiths) 4 Winsor and Newton (paint brushes) 5 Patek Philippe (Calibre 89, celebrating 150 years since foundation) 6 Parker Knoll 7 Williams and Humbert (sherry) 8 Bryant and May (imported matches from Sweden) 9 Ratsey and Lapthorn (sailmakers, Cowes) 10 C and A (Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer, Sneek)

1 Manhood Hundred (Selsey, within the Rape of Chichester) 2 Hundredweight (112lb in UK, 100lb in US) 3 Chiltern Hundreds 4 Hundred Acre Wood (AA Milne, The House at Pooh Corner) 5 The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014 film) 6 One Hundred Years of Solitude (Gabriel Garca Mrquez) 7 Hundred Year Hall (two CD live album by the Grateful Dead, following Jerry Garcias death) 8 The Hundred Years war (Battle of Castillon) 9 WG Grace scored his hundredth hundred in 1st class cricket. 10 Your Hundred Best Tunes (1997 and 2003)

1 Tavistock (The Adventure of Silver Blaze) 2 North Walsham (The Adventure of the Dancing Men) 3 Shoscombe (The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place) 4 Mackleton (The Adventure of the Priory School) 5 Waterloo (The Adventure of the Crooked Man) 6 Forest Row (The Adventure of Black Peter) 7 Charing Cross (The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez) 8 Winchester (The Adventure of the Copper Beeches) 9 Chislehurst (The Adventure of the Abbey Grange) 10 Canterbury (The Adventure of the Final Problem)

1 Shane Long (scoring quickest goal in Premier League history for Southampton v Watford) 2 Jack Leach (92 runs in Test Match v Ireland) 3 Volodymyr Zelensky (president of Ukraine, following TV series Servant of the People) 4 Norwich Cathedral (George Irvins Helter Skelter) 5 George Mendonsas, (The Kissing Sailor, has died aged 95) 6 Unveiling of statue of Regis, Cunningham and Batson in West Bromwich 7 New Australian 50 dollar note (responsibilty) 8 Franky Zapata (Channel crossing by hoverboard) 9 Abdication of Emperor Akihito and accession of Naruhito to chrysanthemum throne 10 Denbigh plum

See the original post here:
King William's College quiz: the answers | From the Guardian - The Guardian

A FORMER teacher gave up his career to get on stage and into the spotlight.

John Griffiths acted in his spare time but in 1977 decided to dive into the deep end and make it his lifes ambition.

He told the Adver: Funnily enough I started out with the director Im working with now, at the beginning of my career in acting. He asked me to do a show in 1977 when I was a teacher as I was acting on the side, then I went ahead with making it my full-time career and gave up teaching.

I dont regret giving it up at all, its my two combined passions of theatre and travel. Ive travelled all over the world to places like Germany and Austria, its a great way to combine my passions.

John will be playing Major Metcalf in the play as he works alongside Gareth Armstrong for the second time.

Gareth has worked across the world as a director and actor.

Hes directed classics by William Shakespeare, George Bernard Shaw, Anton Chekhov, and Nol Coward.

I was a police officer in Agatha Christies Verdict and I was performing in Torquay. He asked me to join him and play a role in Under Milk Wood.

Ive worked in quite a few plays written by Agatha and now Im doing Mousetrap which is in its 68th year, its astounding.

The first showing of the renowned play at the Wyvern Theatre will be on February 10 to 15.

Tickets for the show are between 25.50 to 34.00 varying each night.

To book tickets visit the Wyvern Theatre website at swindontheatres.co.uk

The rest is here:
A former teacher took to the stage to pursue dreams of being theatre star - Swindon Advertiser

For the Year of the Parent, I have in mind a daily undertaking by children to validate their parents. Make a resolution to say something nice to Mum or Dad every day.

Parents can remember their own parents, now grandparents.

My agenda remains improved literacy. This mission could be the lodestone to reunite families and take our children back into our bosoms. Remember, praise is more productive than blame.

I notice, and welcome, an addition to us freelancers who sound off on our own domain specificities with the added bonus of getting paid for it. We write columns. Its not difficult, but its tricky in that were never sure what we cover is relevant. In education, I think the fuss made over matric results is just a media-driven event.

Each child who passes the exam deserves praise, not polemic about statistics that lump all candidates together into one melting pot for the purveyors of polemic and statistics.

One might reach the end of ones school years at matric.

It doesnt follow that we have given the learners anything, what with the cloddish OBE that has been transformed stubbornly and stupidly four times up to now.

George Bernard Shaw is noted for his observation: The time I spent in school interfered with my education.

To arm parents with my Year of the Parent project, I invite suggestions from my readers (how many are we now?) via my e-mail, WhatsApp (which I just love to hate) or telephone.

Im acknowledging that parents are the first teachers. Thats where the important start to education resides. Pundits call it the first epistemic encounter.

Given that we have not yet resolved the mother-tongue issue, I would like to refer to an interview with Makhaya Ntini, one of the best bowlers and most charismatic personalities this country has produced. He recounted his days at a school where only English was spoken. He recalled the terror of not knowing what was being said.

He remembers a white class-mate moving desk to sit next to him. This boy could speak Xhosa and he translated for Makhaya. I wonder whether he instinctively acted out of a premonition of the greatness Makhaya would achieve.

The point of that interview was that peer support is vital. Also, lessons should be child-friendly, or pedocentric, not top-down.

Here are a few interesting little shocks to the system which can flesh out your conversations with your children:

The word Pacific Ocean contains three cs. Each one has a different pronunciation. United means to bring together, yet it is also an anagram for untied, taken apart, separated. The following sentences read the same in English and Afrikaans: My hand is in warm water. My ink is in my pen.

* Literally Yours is a weekly column from Cape Argus reader Alex Tabisher. He can be contacted on email byact[emailprotected]

** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Newspapers.

Cape Argus

Read the original:
Tips for year of the parent | Cape Argus - Independent Online

Home Blog Dan Penas Net Worth and Life Story Net Worth: $450 Million Age: 75 Born: August 10, 1945 Country of Origin: United States of America Source of Wealth: Entrepreneur Last Updated: 2020

Daniel S. Pena, Sr. earned the nickname of the $50 Billion Man because of his high drive for success. He is the founder of Quantum Leap Advantage (QLA) Methodology, a well-respected author, and his mentees have a combined net worth of more than $6 trillion.

As of 2020, Dan Pena has a net worth estimated at $ 450 million.

Pena did not come from a family with generational wealth. His father was somewhat famous because of his role as the lead investigator of the Robert F. Kennedy assassination, but that was the extent of their fame.

It was a military household since Penas father served as a Lieutenant Commander in World War II and Korea before becoming a CIA operative. His home was a place where tough love was the practice.

Crime and violence were also prominent in East Los Angeles in the late 1950s when Pena was a child.

It took several stints in jail for alcoholism before life began to change for Dan Pena during his high school years. His father even told local officers to beat him if he was misbehaving in public.

Pena would eventually earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Fernando Valley State College in 1971.

Pena took the foundation of his education to turn an $820 investment into a company worth over $450 million. Great Western Resources Inc. formed in 1980, provided natural resources like petroleum to the market. He served as the CEO of the organization until he and the Board of Directors had a falling out about a decade later.

It was a global operation that involved drilling, onshore, and offshore that had 22 coal mines at the height of its influence.

Pena then used his experience to form an independent consultancy firm called The Guthrie Group in 1997. He is still active as the Chairman and Founder.

Pena currently resides in Guthrie Castle, which is located in Angus Scotland. It was initially constructed in the 15th century, although the structures were updated in the 19th century to reflect modern needs.

Guthrie Castle was purchased in 1984 by Pena from the Guthrie family after it had stayed in their family for over 400 years. He restored the home to its original condition, added a golf course, and then opened it to the public for about 15 years beginning in 2003 to host weddings and corporate functions.

It now serves as Penas private home once again.

Pena provides week-long seminars at Guthrie Castle using his QLA Methodology that takes participants through the foundational steps of being successful. Workshops include information about how to raise capital, how to overcome obstacles when pursuing an idea, and the seven necessary steps to achieve super success.

The philosophy of Pena and his mentees is straightforward: there are no free lunches. Each person must work hard to earn what they get in life. If you have the guts to follow his steps, then you can start obtaining the wealth that can support your family for multiple generations.

The consensus of Dan Penas seminars is positive when reviewing forums, blogs, and websites that discuss QLA Methodology. There is no fluff or feel-good stuff to worry about with his workshops. His focus is on growth. You can live a comfortable life and relax, or you can choose to pursue your goals and dreams.

If you choose the latter, then Dan Pena can help you find the success you want.

Previous

Next

Continue reading here:

Dan Pena's Net Worth and Life Story (Updated 2020)

Most people know its a good idea to buy and eat organic foods whenever possible. Even those who arent particularly health-conscious are aware of this. However, its all-too-common for consumers to stare blankly at their kitchens subway tile backsplash, trying to make a shopping list filled with organic options that dont empty their wallet. Healthy organic foods are almost always more expensive than nonorganic items often dramatically more expensive. This can leave many people wondering if its even possible to be health-conscious and budget-conscious at the same time.

Fortunately, its absolutely possible, as long as you know which foods to buy organic and which youre safe buying from the regular aisles.

Some foods arent much different, whether theyre organic or not. However, the foods on this list should always be purchased organic to avoid accidentally ingesting nasty chemicals. Knowing which foods are most important to buy organic will help you stretch your dollars as far as possible, helping you stay healthy and save money.

Coffee is the third most sprayed crop in the world, just behind tobacco and cotton. And while neither cotton nor tobacco ever makes its way into our diets, 30% of the entire population drink coffee occasionally. For many people, two or even three cups of coffee is a part of their daily routine. So if youre only going to buy one organic food regularly, you should make it this one.

Pesticides used on coffee plantations are supposed to be partially neutralized during the roasting process, but even worse than the effects they have on your body may be the effects they have on nature. These herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides can have negative long-term effects on farmers and the environment. If more people choose organic coffee, however, this wont have to be a problem forever.

The right dairy products are an essential part of a balanced diet. They are also important in having strong teeth and a healthy smile, which 99.7 percent of adults believe is socially important. Dont settle for the cheapest butter, cheese, or jug of milk on the shelf, though. Nonorganic dairy products usually come from cows that received antibiotics, growth hormones, and a grain-only diet. What goes into the cow eventually makes its way into the milk and unhealthy animals can only produce poor-quality products.

And as if that wasnt enough, animals in conventional industrial farms typically arent treated well and dont enjoy lives that are healthy or pleasant. Not only does this ultimately mean poorer health for those who consume the animals or their milk, but it also means the animals themselves suffer needlessly while alive. Buying high-quality organic dairy products is a better option for you and our animal neighbors.

There are a lot of reasons to buy organic, but when it comes to grapes and products made with grapes, the reasons become even more convincing.

Many people enjoy a glass of wine now and then, especially at celebratory events like weddings and anniversaries. Even if you dont drink wine, you probably eat grapes at least once in a while. Unfortunately, grapes have been found to contain multiple different types of pesticide residues. To make sure that your healthy treat or relaxing drink doesnt carry any adverse effects with it, always buy organic grapes and wines and try to wash your grapes well before eating them.

As we all know, you should visit your doctor at least once per year and you should eat an apple a day so you dont have to see them more often. One reason apples are so famous for being healthy is that theyre a good source of fiber, which helps keep your digestive tract in shape. But if your apples arent organic, you may want to reconsider: most apples contain residue from at least one pesticide.

Besides washing your apples before eating (which is something you should do with just about any fresh food you buy), try to find apples that are organic. This also applies to products like apple sauce and apple juice, which can be even worse than nonorganic apples because theyre so highly concentrated.

If you love topping hamburgers with tomato slices or adding grape tomatoes to salads, youll want to make sure the tomatoes youre buying are organic. The USDA Pesticide Program showed that tomatoes can carry 69 different pesticides. And since you always eat them with the skin left on, youre even more likely to get those pesky chemicals in your system. When youre looking for tomatoes for your next barbecue, go organic.

Peppers are fascinating fruits. Not only do they possess an unusual flavor spectrum, from mildly sweet to intensely spicy, but theyre also known for a variety of health benefits. Thats because peppers contain a chemical known as capsaicin, which may help relieve nasal congestion and even fight off cancer.

Unfortunately, nonorganic peppers are likely to contain other chemicals that arent so helpful. Conventional grocery store peppers can carry up to 75 different pesticide residues, including recognized carcinogens and neurotoxins. No matter what kind of budget youre on, when you buy peppers, they should always and only be organic.

Sadly, organic hot peppers arent as easy to find as other organic options, especially in smaller grocery stores. If you cant find or cant afford hot peppers, try using onions instead. They offer a similarly spicy flavor and theyve been shown to be fairly clean, even when theyre not organic.

Dietary experts recommend that you eat five servings of vegetables every day and for many people, those servings come from tasty salads. From spinach to kale, leafy greens are worth splurging on to get organic. This is because the leaves offer a wider area for chemicals to stick. Considering that you cant peel leafy greens and you need a lot of them to make a satisfying salad, the result is a concentration of pesticide residue on your plate. To avoid this problem altogether, go organic and be diligent when youre rinsing or soaking greens as you prepare them.

And there you have it: these are some of the most important foods to buy organic. Even if youre on a budget, to enjoy the best health possible, try to always buy these foods in the organic section.

Facebook

Pinterest

Linkedin

Reddit

email

Print

Read the original here:

Which Foods Are Most Important To Buy Organic? - The National Memo

Organic Food Iberia 2020, the organic industry show that will be held on June 3 and 4 in Madrid, will have more than 600 exhibitors. In addition to Spanish producers, there will be a wide international presence, with representatives from the United States, South Korea, France, the United Kingdom and Austria. Participation at the event has been promoted in partnership with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Inter-American Commission on Organic Agriculture (CIAO), which will have its own over 50 square meter pavilion this year.

Meanwhile, the European market will be represented by brands from Bulgaria, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Greece and the United Kingdom.

Spanish products and distributors Attendees will have the chance to visit the pavilions of Madrid, Navarre, La Rioja, Galicia and the Region of Valencia, as well as Castile-La Mancha, which is participating for the first time. For its part, Andalusia will also have its own pavilion with more than 100 producers.

The list of exhibitors includes Delicious & Sons, a producer of sauces and pestos; Biocop, a distributor of organic products; Levante Import Export, specialized in fruits, vegetables and nuts; Anecoop S. Coop, a cooperative specialized in fruits and vegetables; Alternative 3, a fairtrade store; Ekotrebol, which will be showcasing soft drinks, oils and wines; Gourmundo, a specialist in the gourmet organic world in which wines, champagnes and spirits stand out; Capsa Food, a dairy products specialist; Herbes De La Conca, showcasing its spices, teas and chocolates; Runakay Plus with its vegetable drinks based on superfoods; Sol Chocolates, Comfresh Ibrico, etc.

Specialized areas at Organic Food Iberia The event will feature three different specialized theaters: The Organic Theater, La Cocina, and the Eco Living Theater, as well as an area devoted to organic spirits: Organic Wine Iberia, and two innovative spaces, which will serve to present the latest organic and natural products launched in the past year.

Source: infohoreca.com

More here:

Organic Food Iberia will bring together organic products from all over the world - FreshPlaza.com

A con so notorious it was eventually dubbed The Field of Schemes has gotten the deep dive it deserves.

Organic farming has since it was codified in 1990 been vulnerable to scammers, schemers, and con artists. The story of Randy Constant is perhaps the ultimate example, and this week, Mike Hendricks at the Kansas City Star released a long-awaited deep dive into Constants multimillion-dollar organic scam.

Randy Constant, who killed himself this past summer, was the ringleader of an organic grain scheme that brought to light all sorts of problems in the organic farming worldand subsequently shook it to its core. Over a period of about a decade, he sold non-organic grain as organic, reaping huge profits, while maintaining a reputation as an honorable organic farmer in his hometown of Chillicothe, Missouri.

Hendrickss story investigates the entire chain of events that took Constant from a high school football star to a ten-year prison sentence, and his own death. Constant exploited various holes in the organic certification business to sell over a hundred million dollars in fraudulent organic grain.

Organic food is a market worth $50 billion per year and is growing fast, with consumers drawn to products that are required to maintain higher environmental standards than conventional foods. It is frequently cited that organic food is not, in fact, healthier than conventional food; in fact, some of Constants co-conspirators stated that nobody was hurt by Constants fraud, because the food was not nutritionally different. This willfully ignores the point of organic food, which is primarily about maintaining soil health and environmental sustainability.

In any case, Constant relied on spotty, irregular, and incomplete audits from inspectors. He used a technique called salting, in which an inspection could look at a small active organic farm, but those products would be mixed with a far larger amount of conventional products when it comes time for sale. Fraud is not particularly common at this scale, but its not because its especially hard to do; the New Food Economy reported that the only reason Constant was caught was because others in the industry reported him.

The story is worth a read in full; it details all of the ways in which Constant was able to sell decades worth of fraudulent grain. It also shows what Constant did with some of that money, largely in the form of Las Vegas gambling trips and relationships with prostitutes. Its one of the best farm crime stories of the year, but also a reminder that the organic program which progressive farmers rely on has some significant holes in it.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Hendricks exploited various holes in the organic certification business, but it was in fact Randy Constant who did this. We apologize for the error.

See the original post here:

The Inside Story of One of the Biggest Organic Farm Scams in History - Modern Farmer