Eoin Murphy admits that goalkeeping rival deserved his All Star award – Irish Mirror
Posted: November 1, 2019 at 10:46 am
Eoin Murphy says his goalkeeping rival Brian Hogan is fully deserving of his first PwC All Star award.
The Tipperary netminder was nominated for the position along with Murphy and Laoiss Enda Rowland and he got the nod after starring across his countys eight games en route to All-Ireland glory.
Theres a historic element to his selection too as, with his father Ken selected between the posts back in 1987, the Hogans have become just the third father-son combination after the Larkins and Powers from Kilkenny to win hurling All Stars and the first to be chosen in the same position.
Kilkenny keeper Murphy is widely considered to be the finest custodian in the game at present and won his second All Star last year though he admits he was surprised to be shortlisted this time around after missing the start of the Championship due to a knee injury.
He said: Look, in fairness to Brian, hed a brilliant All-Ireland final and even a brilliant Munster final as well so he certainly deserves the All Star.
To be honest, the fact that I missed a fair chunk of the Leinster Championship, I was surprised I was nominated.
I know when people probably go down through it, the latter stages of the Championship probably has a fair pull on it but, look, thats the way it goes.
You would be delighted to be nominated, you obviously want to win it. Once I didnt win the All Star there is a tinge of disappointment there but, look, for Brian, its his first one.
Its a good story there obviously his father. Its a fair achievement. Its his first year there.
Tipp probably deservedly got the chunk of them as well (seven). Theyve been the top team all year apart from maybe one sub par performance in the Munster final. Theyve been the top team all year and thats the straight and narrow on it.
Credit where its due, these awards are given to the best players and normally the best players come from the best team and thats the way it is.
Although Murphy didnt make the cut, his teammates Padraig Walsh, TJ Reid and Colin Fennelly were chosen and he feels three spots on the team was a decent representation of their season after reaching the All-Ireland final.
I think over the course of the year its probably a fair reflection. Limerick have two representatives on it but, look, its a fair reflection on how our year went but at the end of the day, these personal awards, its brilliant to be recognised in that manner but at the end of the day, you do want to win silverware so I suppose its a bittersweet year.
From my own point of view, its extremely frustrating at the start of the Leinster Championship having to sit down and look at a few games, wondering whether youll get back in or whatever.
I was obviously delighted to get back in and play a few games but to finish the year without winning anything, it is really bittersweet because you set out the stall to win League, Leinster and All-Ireland but the be all and end all is the All-Ireland.
Eoin Murphy is an ambassador for the Just2minutes initiative which aims to enhance the knowledge of the chain of survival in Ireland by shooting videos demonstrating what to do in the event of a sudden cardiac event. These videos will be circulated to all schools across the country with the objective of having every child willing and able to perform CPR.
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Eoin Murphy admits that goalkeeping rival deserved his All Star award - Irish Mirror
From The Crown to His Dark Materials: what’s streaming in Australia in November – The Guardian
Posted: at 10:46 am
NetflixThe Crown, season 3
(UK, 2019) 17 November
A new era calls for fresh blood in Buckingham Palace. In the latest season of Netflixs lavish Emmy and Golden Globe-winning monarchy drama, Olivia Colman takes up the mantle from Claire Foy as steely Queen Elizabeth II. This season, the narrative moves away from exploring marital tension between Elizabeth and Prince Philip, and instead focuses on the now middle-aged royals as they face a rapidly modernising Britain under Harold Wilsons prime ministership. Colmans reign is joined by Tobias Menzies as her mellowed-out husband, and the Helena Bonham Carter as Princess Margaret.
Season three spans the years from 196476, covering events such as Prince Charless investiture as the Prince of Wales (Josh OConnor) and the Apollo 11 moon landing. Netflixs review embargo prevents us from saying more, but all signs point to a dramatic ride.
By Paul Thomas Anderson (US, 2017) 9 November
Paul Thomas Andersons dizzying, quietly beguiling romance of sorts is imbued with visual restraint and elegant beauty. In Daniel Day Lewiss apparently final acting role, he finds charismatic rigour in Reynolds Woodcock, a famous dressmaker of Londons 1950s couture world. On the surface, its the story of a capricious perfectionist, finding his muse in Alma, a young, shy waitress, with whom he begins a love affair. But when the tables turn, underneath lies a domestic power struggle that develops into something disturbing and wickedly funny. Radioheads Jonny Greenwood composes a classical-style score thats lush, swoony and increasingly eerie, adding enigmatic layers to the films perverse undertones.
By Kay Cannon (US, 2018) 11 November
The three girls at the centre of the raunchy Blockers make a pact through emoji-coded texts to lose their virginity on prom night. Upon discovery of this thread, their overprotective parents (a hilarious Lesley Mann, Ike Barinholtz and John Cena) band together to put a stop to their daughters plans. Its silly, riotous fun, with ridiculous obstacles standing in the way between parents and kids. Director Kay Cannon instils what could be an outdated concept with surprising maturity, entrusting her trio of teens with a self-aware confidence around their sexuality. Here, the unhinged adults have more to learn from the intelligent adolescents. Its this level of depth that makes this overlooked comedy stick out from the crowd proving the experiences of a coming-of-age story arent just limited to youngsters, it can be for grownups too.
Honourable mentions: Bojack Horseman season 6, part one (TV, out now), Dolemite is My Name (film, out now), Outlander season 4 (TV, 5 November), The King (film, 1 November), Seven (film, 15 November), The Irishman (film, 27 November), Atlantics (film, 29 November)
By John Carney (US, 2019) out now
Nothing quite beats the feeling of turning on a comforting rom-com and embracing all of its gooey predictability. In John Carneys (Once, Sing Street) anthology series, each episode brings to life stories inspired by the popular New York Times column on relationships, feelings, betrayals, and revelations. While it may prove frustratingly mawkish for some, there are a few gems tucked in between all the cheese. The episode titled When Cupid Is a Prying Journalist, with Dev Patel as an app founder and Catherine Keener as the journalist interviewing him for a story, particularly shines. With a stacked cast including Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey and Andrew Scott, the shows lightness and warmth should be enough to tickle the fancy of those who want to snuggle up in bed with a cup of tea and lose themselves in some breezy escapism.
By Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang (US, 2019) 8 November
This Grand Jury prize-winning documentary from Sundance takes a deep dive into the harrowing consequences of Chinas 35-year one-child policy. Told through the perspective of co-director Nanfu Wang, the film paints a shocking picture of the ways this social experiment scrapped at the end of 2015 affected more than 1 billion people, and continues to have a devastating impact on its citizens lives to this day. The films eye-opening revelations are simultaneously up close and personal: mothers forced into abortions, foetuses discarded in garbage dumps, abandoned babies on the streets. Among the interviewees are Wangs own family members, village chiefs and former family planning officials and the spectrum of emotions on display, which range from grief, guilt to remorse, is heart-wrenching. A vital, enthralling watch.
Honourable mentions: Brittany Runs a Marathon (film, 15 November), The Report (film, 29 November)
(Australia, 2019) out now
This horror anthology, which made the rounds of the Australian film festivals earlier this year, consists of bite-sized stories from five emerging Indigenous Australian filmmakers. Full of blood and guts (at times literally), each narrative varies in style and tone, all the while leaning into and shaking up familiar horror conventions. Featuring mythical creatures from other worlds such as bush ghouls and fanged water creatures, to the murky, more realistic horrors of sex slavery, these films are united by their confrontation of Australias ugly colonial past and how this manifests in the present. Collectively, a telemovie that goes beyond mere spooky popcorn entertainment.
By Rachel Perkins (Australia, 2019) new episodes every Sunday
Deborah Mailman is Alex Irving: a gutsy Indigenous activist appointed as a senator in federal parliament by prime minister Rachel Anderson (Rachel Griffiths) after a video of her role in a horrific domestic violence incident in her hometown of Winton goes viral. Directed by Rachel Perkins, Total Control features all the walking and talking, back-stabbing and moral conflict youd expect of a political drama but its made especially timely by its refreshing manoeuvring of the obvious gender and racial imbalance in Canberra, and its protagonists ambition to create change through the system. With puncturing, snappy dialogue, the show shines a damning spotlight on the drastically high rates of young Indigenous deaths in custody, entrenched racism, and the shortfalls in the recognition of Indigenous land rights. Mailmans performance is magnetic, commanding, and at times gleefully unpredictable.
Honourable mentions: Frayed (TV, new episodes every Wednesday), The Strange Chores (TV, every day from 31 October), Julia Zemiros Home Delivery (TV, 13 November), Carpark Clubbing (web series, out now)
By Russell T Davies (UK, 2019) 6 November
Set in the not so distant future, this brilliant six-part BBC One series from Russell T Davies (Doctor Who, A Very English Scandal) envisions a post-2019 world that has only become hotter and faster and madder. Its terrifyingly realistic, though miraculously still maintains moments of light-hearted optimism. The show is grounded in the day-to-day life of three generations of the Lyons family based in Manchester, leaping through time between 2019 and 2034. It imagines a planet where Donald Trump is elected for a second term, the north pole has melted, and China and US trade wars have escalated to the point of nuclear explosive. Its not all doom and gloom though: energetic family dynamics and giddy technological forecasts (think Snapchat dog filters as actual masks) infuse the show with playful wit. The show is ultimately a blaring alarm bell: a glimpse of what could so easily lie ahead. Itll be hard completely suspending your disbelief for this one.
By Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (UK, 1947) 6 November
Eye-popping technicolour and staggering extreme close-ups come to mind when one thinks of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburgers psychological melodrama. Often heralded as one of the first true erotic dramas, Black Narcissus is a feast for the eyes. Amid the remarkable, lofty landscape of the Himalayas (it won the Oscar at the time for best cinematography and art direction), a group of nuns struggle to set up a convent in the high altitude of the mountains. Howling winds and geographic isolation stir up repressed memories and carnal passions, festering and eventually exploding with a hyperbolic sensuousness. In particular, the film is brought to delicious, electric heights by Kathleen Byron as Sister Ruth, driven to the brink of madness by lustful jealousy. A special collection of films by the writing, directing and producing duo Powell and Pressburger will be playing on SBS World Movies this month, later dropping into SBS On Demand.
Honourable Mentions: Sink or Swim (film, 2 November), Broadchurch box set (TV, 14 November), Blue Murder (TV, 20 November), On Becoming God in Central Florida (TV, 21 November), Wellington Paranormal Season 2 (TV, 28 November)
By Richard Linklater (US, 2003) out now
The premise of a rock music enthusiast posing as a substitute teacher at a private elementary school is made irresistibly fun by the genius pairing of celebrated indie director Richard Linklater and actor Jack Black, whose sprightly comedic performance here bursts with infectious energy. A class of young gifted musicians are handed down lessons in rocknroll and life, defying parental and teacher expectations with rebellious joy and humour, to compete in the Battle of the Bands. The film has since been turned into a stage musical (showing at Sydneys Capitol Theatre from November), but it still holds up magnificently as the feel-good, rocking delight it was upon its cinematic release.
Honourable Mentions: Hairspray, Dreamgirls (films, out now), Waynes World (film, 2 November), Aint Them Bodies Saints (film, 6 November), Tom Cruise collection (films, 15 November), Grease, Saturday Night Fever (films, 16 November),
UK, 2019 5 November
Philip Pullmans esteemed fantasy novel trilogy is finally given the proper treatment it deserves with this new adventure-packed TV series from HBO and the BBC. Erasing the ill-judged 2007 film The Golden Compass from memory, this adaptation stars newcomer Dafne Keen as Lyra: a young orphan living in an alternative world, where the human soul takes the form of a physical animal companion, and the north pole is the only place to escape the oppressive rule of the Magisterium. Featuring Ruth Wilson as the alluring Mrs Coulter and James McAvoy as Lyras adventurer uncle, the show follows Lyra in her search for her kidnapped best friend, taking her on an epic quest from Oxford up to the north pole, to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. The world-building is rich and technically impressive, capturing the complexities of the universe peculiar and wondrous through a childs eyes.
Honourable Mentions: Watchmen (TV, out now), Catherine the Great (TV, 3 November), The Favourite, The Hate U Give (films, 1 November), Love Simon (film, 29 November)
From 2 November
Its a huge month for streaming, with Apple adding their own platform into the increasingly crowded arena. At the top of their line-up is Morning Wars, the high-stakes TV drama budgeted at a gobsmacking $15m per episode (thats as much as Game of Thrones). The A-list cast is led by Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston and Steve Carell, and the show pulls back the curtain on the razing ambitions and tussles for power behind an early morning newscast.
Other highlights include Dickinson, a modern comedic twist on the coming-of-age story of rebellious young poet Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld); See, a dystopian future where humans have been either wiped out or blinded (with Jason Momoa as a father of twin girls gifted with vision); and The Elephant Queen, a character-driven wildlife documentary centred on a species on the verge of extinction.
While therell be only a small selection of originals available upon launch, the catalogue will expand in the months ahead, to include M Night Shyamalans thriller Servant, Oprah (an in-conversation between Winfrey and authors around the world), and Sundance award-winning film Hala, starring Australian Geraldine Viswanathan.
From 19 November
Disneys new dedicated streaming service will house their own library of original TV shows and films, and the plentiful entertainment that falls under their subsidiaries Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, National Geographic and 20th Century Fox. Offering access to its back catalogue of nostalgia trips (Australias suite is yet to be announced, though this US tweet thread might clue us in on a few, including all 30 seasons of The Simpsons), it will also exclusively hold Disneys 2019 cinema releases and beyond, including Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame and The Lion King.
Most notably, the much-anticipated live-action Star Wars TV series spin-off The Mandalorian headlines Disney+s launch. Created by Jon Favreau, this original series is set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order, following a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the Star Wars galaxy.
Other Disney+ originals to keep an eye out in their continual roll-out include The World According to Jeff Goldblum, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, the holiday comedy Noelle (all available on launch), as well as Diary of a Female President (available January 2020) and a new Lizzie McGuire series with its original cast members.
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From The Crown to His Dark Materials: what's streaming in Australia in November - The Guardian
Forced Out or Not, Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito Is Looking to ‘Get the Hell Out’ in Fallout From Clash – FlaglerLive.com
Posted: at 10:46 am
Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petitos 15 years, the last 14 as fire chief, will end by February, if not sooner. County Manager Jerry Cameron said he expects Petito to give him a retirement date by the end of the year. Petito said he will provide that date pending his success as he looks for work elsewhere in the region.
Thats part of the fallout from a serious clasha blow-up, in Camerons wordsbetween Petito and Jarrod Shupe, the countys chief information officer, which led Cameron to call a Board of Inquiry to look into the issue. The blow-up took place in the middle of the Hurricane Dorian emergency in September. Petito, losing his temper in front of employees, including Cameron, disagreed with the way Shupe had assigned radio communication channels to Palm Coast government without consulting him. Cameron agreed that Shupes method was wrong.
Shupe was counseled about it and cited in writing for conduct unbecoming of a public employee, a violation of county personnel policies.
Petito was verbally counseled and offered a choice that, he thought, was no choice but to leave by next year. Retelling what he told Cameron, Petito said he saw it as an ultimatum: Thats the way I felt when I was sitting in your office, that if you take this deal nothing goes in your file, and your tenure is untarnished. But if you dont, well put it in your file. He didnt know what would go in his file. That to me is youre forcing me out. Youre telling me you take the deal or were coming after you.
Cameron is adamant its no such thing, that it would be a fabrication if the story was conveyed that way, and that he would not keep on an employee he was forcing out. If Petito feels hes being pushed out he needs to come talk to me, because thats simply not the case. But Petitos statements, and even some of Camerons, say otherwise.
When Cameron was read some of Petitos own statements, he said, thats not what he told me. He told me Ive had a good run here, its time for me to move on.
There appears to have been some scrambling between Cameron and Petito once they had word of this story. After a conversation with Cameron around noon, Petito, not one bit hiding how incredulous he was at what he was saying, said of Cameron: I totally misunderstood, according to what hes telling me. Petito said hed not been misunderstood in an earlier interview: his quotes were accurate: he did feel he was being pushed out. But apparently what Cameron had told him was not what Cameron had told him. After talking to Jerry today he said I could stay if I want to, Petito said. Apparently I misunderstood everything and Im not being forced out, so I guess Im not leaving but I am going to be seeking other employment, get the hell out of here.
Jarrod Shupe. ( FlaglerLive)Cameron said Petito had told him he planned to retire in February long before the trouble with Shupe. Petito said not exactly: hed given word of his 55th birthday next February, and he said that if his wife, Facilities Director Heidi Petito, would become deputy administrator, he would leave, since he couldnt be in a position to report to her. But after returning from vacation this week, hed decided he wanted to stay: he still needs three years to reach a milestone in the Florida Retirement System. Then came the meeting with Cameron and the ultimatum that, apparently, was not an ultimatum at all.
Spun whichever way it is, the fact remains that the clash between Petito and Shupe was only the culmination of long-standing animosity between Petito and Shupe, pitting the set ways of a chief cut out of the old school cloth, in Camerons words, against the sharply ambitious ways of Shupe, who doesnt hide his hopes of becoming county administrator some day. The sharpest of directors, Shupe can be heavy handed, though in this case both he and Petito were. They both dueled in public with thick sets of memos, documentations, recriminations and counter-recriminations. Petito at one point sought out the help of Palm Coast City Council member Jack Howell to get rid of Shupe. (I just dismissed it, it was just idle talk, and Jarrod really doesnt have anything to do with us per se, Howell said, and Palm Coast Fire Chief Jerry Forte thinks a lot of him, so as long as Jerry is happy Im happy.)
Anonymous emails written with clear knowledge of internal protocols and language circulated about Petito, making accusations about his behavior on the job, as did public record requests for his goings and comings and those of his wife and Chet Lagana in the maintenance department (the trio is known for epic lunches at Terra Nova in Bunnell, but none of the three has ever been known to neglect duties). The machinations angered and frustrated Cameron.
This was just a personnel issue and it never should have become a public issue, Camron said. (He doesnt think any of this, including the clash during the emergency, should have been public.) That was a concern to me. This is the kind of thing we do on a routine basis, is resolve personnel issues.
But there was nothing routine about the clash between Petito and Shupe, nor was it private, nor was it outside the publics right, and need, to know, because it directly entailed public safety and how the county and its largest city were preparing to address a potential disaster.
I had two directors that were involved in an incident that created a large blow-up in the middle of a declared emergency. I cant have that, Cameron said in a September interview, when discussing his decision to convene the Board of Inquiry. He acknowledged the strained relationship between Petito and Shupe, but when people reach the level of director, they should be able to resolve things among themselves. I shouldnt have to referee. Im not asking you to go to dinner together, Im asking you to work synergistically to the benefit of Flagler County. He noted the danger of the clash: It could have had serious consequences had conditions lined up correctly.
Even internally, the clash was a reflection of a changing culture at the county that Petito recognizes, and Cameron speaks of openly. Petito, Cameron said in September, has not bought into team work to the degree I would like to see. Ironically, it was Shupes lack of teamwork that triggered the September incident, though Cameron sees it as overzealousness that was easily counseled, adjusted. Jarrod is considerably different, Cameron said of Shupe. Jarrod is looking for some mentoring, and hes in an upward trajectory. Don is getting ready to retire.
Jerry Cameron, sitting, with Jonathan Lord, the emergency management chief. ( FlaglerLive)The issue with Petito hasnt left Shupe unscathed by any means: it resulted in what Cameron described as a memorandum of counselingactually, a Performance Improvement Plan over violating personnel policyplaced in Shupes file, and hes on notice to work cooperatively in the future. Cameron downplayed the document. It happens all the time, he said. An employee with great ambitions would not see any document blotching his record as something that happens all the time. And the most detailed criticism of Shupe, in that memorandum, amounts to a muzzling of largely public, not private information.
During the Board of Inquiry, the memo to Shupe states, it was noted that information was shared among employees and media sources that was unbecoming to both you and County employees. Workplace gossip is toxic and unproductive. It breeds resentment and becomes a roadblock for effective communication and collaboration by lowering morale and creating an unpleasant working environment. The memo, itself thick on innuendo, makes no distinction between the entirely public documents Shupe shared and gossip, and directs him to refrain from disseminating personal information hes privy to. It does not specify what personal information he disseminated.
I cant have any comment regarding the matter, the matter needs to be referred to county administration as well as HR, Shupe said this morning, but he said he was satisfied by and grateful for the resolution. I believe my side is appropriate and I look forward to continuing my employment, hopefully progressive employment, here in Flagler County.
That no Performance Improvement Plan made it into Petitos file was not to Petitos benefit, as Petito saw it: it was a signal that his days in Flagler are over. Particularly since Don will be retiring, Cameron said, a long-term counseling plan, that would be an exercise in futility. I shook hands with Don and we agreed we were going to overcome this and Im satisfied with that.
Petito had made clear in both interviews today, and indeed did so in an interview in September, after the issue with Shupe arose, that he has no intentions of stopping work, and would have liked to continue working in Flagler. He now sees that as impossible. Im 55, Im still in good shape, I can go do another job, he said. The county is moving in another direction. Ive been here 15 years and the life cycle of a fire chief is five to 10 years, so Ill move on to another one.
Cameron and Petito met twice this week: on Monday and again briefly on Wednesday. Cameron said Petito would let him know by years end when his retirement date that wont actually be a retirement would be. Petito saw it as nothing specific, but said when I apply for jobs and I get some sort of indication Id have a start date somewhere, Ill let them know.
Joe King, his deputy, appears to be lined up to take his place. He certainly would be considered for that position but I havent made a decision on how that will be handled, Cameron said. The decision will depend on Petitos dates, assuming he does leavewhich is now again in question.
Morale at the fire department has been dismal, however, and King does not have the following that Petito has.
The state of morale is very low in our department right now, Stephen Palmer, who heads Flagler County Fire Rescues union, said. The morale is low, the union body, the membership and the leadership are unhappy with Petito leaving and we dont feel theres anybody qualified currently to take his position with the county. Palmer, whod had several conversations this week with Petito before and after his meetings with Cameron, was also under the impression that Petito had been given an ultimatum. Thats how Petito put it to him. Last I talked to Don, he did not want to leave, when he came back from vacation this week.
Cameron said hes aware of low morale. Ive heard that its something I need to address and Im going to do that, or am doing it.
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Forced Out or Not, Flagler Fire Chief Don Petito Is Looking to 'Get the Hell Out' in Fallout From Clash - FlaglerLive.com
Edit desk: I hope you can dance, focus in between the steps – The Brown and White
Posted: at 10:44 am
Isabel Portnoi
I have always thought of life as a series of steps.
Step one: you learn to walk.Step two: you say your first word.Step three: you make your first friend.Step four: you learn to read and write.Step five: you score your first goal.Step six: you experience your first heartbreak.Step seven: you graduate high school.Step eight: you go to college.Step nine: you choose a major, take some classes and then comes step 10.
It seems that the next logical step would be to graduate, followed by getting a job, making money, starting a family, all eventually leading up to retirement. While looking at life through this lens is grossly oversimplified, that doesnt eliminate its truth.
Think about it. Steps, whatever yours may be, are the driving force of everything you have ever done and everything you eventually want to do.
Today I:Step 1: woke up.Step 2: brushed my teeth.Step 3: went to class.I followed the same steps yesterday, and Im sure I will tomorrow.
But during step three, I had a conversation with British Philosopher Alan Watts. He compared life to playing music, and said, Its the same with dancing. You dont aim at a particular spot in the room because thats where you will arrive. The whole point of dancing is the dance.
How strange it would be, if dancing was a way to get from point A to point B, from step one to step two. I began to chuckle to myself, almost before I could realize that I see out of a lens even stranger than the one I previously imagined.
As a college student, my job is to think, which I ironically hardly have time to do. These four precious years are more often than not seen as a means to an end the trampoline that will get me from step one to step two.
But what if I listened to Watts and thought of these four years as a dance? Where I began and where I ended would be the last things on my mind. Instead, I would focus on everything that happened in between.
And what exactly is that in-between part? That would be life. Thats the part that we all too often sprint through, instead of dance through.
This is not to say that steps are bad. Theres a reason they exist in the first place: they reel in my wandering imagination and give focus to my scattered thoughts. They ensure that I get to where I need to be. There is no question that this is important, but the more I think about Watts, the more I think of this as a hollowed-out version of lifes potential.
To abandon these steps completely is scary scratch that terrifying. I wish that I could close my eyes and thrust myself into his ideologies, but I cant. To go straight from sprinting to dancing seems daunting I must learn to walk somewhere in the middle.
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Edit desk: I hope you can dance, focus in between the steps - The Brown and White
Global Organic Food Products Market 2019-2024: Focus on Fruits, Vegetables and grains, Dairy, Beverages, Ready-to-eat, Meat and eggs, Others -…
Posted: at 10:43 am
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Global Organic Food Products Market (2019-2024) Share, Scope, Revenue, Trends, Drivers, Challenges, Segmentation based on Product Types (Fruits, Vegetables and grains, Dairy, Beverages, Ready-to-eat, Meat and eggs, Others) Distribution channel and Geography" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
The organic food products market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 15.4% during the forecast period (2019-2024) and will reach a value of USD 303 Bn by 2024.
In recent years, organic food products have been contributing significantly to the global food industry. This is mainly due to improved awareness regarding the detrimental effects of consuming the chemicals that are used to produce and store food products. Consumers have also become more health-conscious and show interest in the nutrition contents of the food products they consume. Organic food products are fresh, free from chemicals, and have more nutritional benefits compared to conventional food.
Segmentation based on type:
The fruits, vegetables, and grains segment will hold the largest market share during the analysis period and is anticipated to expand at a significant CAGR of 17%. The products in this category form the basis for many secondary food items and are a major chunk of people's staples.
These factors enable this segment to hold pole position in terms of market share. The growth can be attributed to the rapid increase in agricultural land, globally. Livestock products like meat, eggs, and dairy are the second-largest source of pesticide intake. On the contrary, the organic versions of these products have various nutritional benefits, making them the preferred versions for people who can afford them.
Distribution channel segment insights:
Individual customers are the bulk of the customer base, with the rest accounted for by restaurants. Supermarkets are the most preferred distribution channel for organic food products, mainly due to their ability to allocate higher advertising budgets, extensive product stocks, and investments in advanced storage facilities.
Since it is a niche market, all-organic speciality stores play a vital role in the development of the market. Their focus on all-organic product lines and the ability to give recommendations and enhanced insights are some of the qualities that customers appreciate. Also, they exclusively sell organic food products, which helps them attract new customers.
E-commerce has witnessed exponential growth in recent years since millennials find this channel to be the most convenient mode of purchase. This has led to the emergence of numerous grocery e-commerce websites and mobile applications. These players will help in the expansion of the organic food products market since customers who live in remote areas and away from stores can access these products.
Regional insights:
The organic food products market in the Latin America and Asia-Pacific region are expected to exhibit higher growth rates in comparison to the other regions, owing to the abundant availability of organic farmlands, and high production volumes. Moreover, customers' changing tastes, primarily because of a higher number of millennials, is expected to influence purchase preferences in favour of organic food products.
Companies covered:
Key Topics Covered:
1 Executive Summary
1.1. Market scope and segmentation
1.2. Key questions answered in this study
1.3. Executive summary
2 Introduction
2.1. Market definition
2.2. Market overview
2.2.1 Global market revenue (USD Bn)
2.2.2 Global forecasted market revenue (USD Bn)
2.3. Market drivers
2.4. Market trends
2.5. Market challenges
2.6. Value chain analysis
3 Global Organic Food Products Market - Based on Type
3.1. Fruits, vegetables and grains - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
3.2. Dairy - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
3.3. Beverages - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
3.4. Ready-to-eat - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
3.5. Meat and egg - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
3.6. Others' - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
4 Global Organic Food Products Market - Based on Distribution Channel
4.1. Supermarket - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
4.2. Specialty store - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
4.3. E-commerce - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
4.4. Others' - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
5 North America Organic Food Products Market
5.1. Market overview
5.2. Market observations
5.3. Based on type - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
5.4. Based on distribution channel - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
6 Europe Organic Food Products Market
6.1. Market overview
6.2. Market observations
6.3. Based on type - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
6.4. Based on distribution channel - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
7 Asia-Pacific Organic Food Products Market
7.1. Market overview
7.2. Market observations
7.3. Based on type - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
7.4. Based on distribution channel - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
8 Latin America Organic Food Products Market
8.1. Market overview
8.2. Market observations
8.3. Based on type - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
8.4. Based on distribution channel - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
9 The Middle East and Africa Organic Food Products Market
9.1. Market overview
9.2. Market observations
9.3. Based on type - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
9.4. Based on distribution channel - forecasted (2019-2024) market size (USD Bn), and key observations
10 Competitive Landscape
10.1 Company snapshot
10.2 Products
10.3 Strategic initiatives
10.4 Countries present
10.5 Key people and numbers
11 Conclusion
11.1. PESTEL analysis
11.2. Future outlook
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gypz2b
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Organic food becoming more accessible in France – The Connexion
Posted: at 10:43 am
The new study by economics bureau L'Institut National de la Statistique et des tudes conomiques (Insee), was published on Tuesday October 29.
It found that in its last countrywide count - in 2016 - there were no fewer than 1,970 local shops of this kind across the country, of a 57,000 local shops in total.
The report said: Specialist organic food shops (under brands such as La Vie Claire, Biocoop and Naturalia) are [now] present across the whole of France.
The highest number of such shops can be found to the south and west of Paris; followed by Brittany, several departments in Occitanie, and in Rhne-Alpes.
The report said: This partly aligns to areas in which the culture of organic products is most developed.
From a consumer standpoint, this growth in popularity of organic shops appears to be prompting larger supermarket brands to offer more organic ranges, making the option more cost-effective.
In 2018, the Agence Bio - which counts all of the organic food brands in the country - said that it had received twice as many notifications of new brands than in 2016.
Examples would include Bio Village at E.Leclerc, Bio at Carrefour, and Bio at Auchan.
A 2017 study by consumer researchers UFC-Que Choisir? found that a standard shopping basket from an organic food shop cost 28% more than the same basket at a normal supermarket, with the exception of loose fruit and vegetables.
This is due to differing business models, with supermarkets based on high volume and lower sales prices, compared to that of less volume but higher prices at organic shops, Insee said.
But now, more than half of the organic food products sold in France are now bought at a normal supermarket, the Insee report found.
Location-wise, the study showed that 83% of local organic food shops are still found in central urban areas.
This was in comparison to normal supermarkets, which are more likely to be more spread out (just 71% were located in busy, urban areas), making them more accessible to people living slightly further away from town centres.
The report also said that there are still regional disparities between the availability of organic food shops in different areas of the country.
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Organic food becoming more accessible in France - The Connexion
These 10 baby foods have the highest levels of arsenic, says report – SILive.com
Posted: at 10:43 am
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Nearly three out of every four baby food items sold in the United States include trace amounts of arsenic, with some containing much more of the harmful carcinogen than others.
A recent study conducted by Healthy Babies Bright Future (HBBF) found that 95% of all popular baby foods in the country contain toxic heavy metals, with 73% containing arsenic.
Researchers tested 168 different baby food items, consisting of 61 brands and 13 types of food, including infant formula, teething biscuits, cereals, and fruit juices, all of which were selected by parents at their local stores and online. The study tested for arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury.
Of the 123 baby food items that tested positive for arsenic, these 10 contained the highest amount, measured in parts per billion (ppb):
HappyBABY Organic Rice Cakes Puffed Rice Snack - Apple Snack: 455 ppb
BioKinetics BioKinetics Brown Rice Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Baby Cereal: 353 ppb
O Organics (Albertson/Safeway) Organic Puffs - Apple Strawberry Snack: 309 ppb
Simple Truth Organic (Kroger) Whole Grain Puffs Broccoli & Spinach Snack: 307 ppb
HappyBABY Superfood Puffs Organic Grain Snack - Sweet Potato & Carrot Snack: 295 ppb
HappyBABY Superfood Puffs - Apple & Broccoli Organic Grain Snack - for crawling baby: 266 ppb
Healthy Times Organic Brown Rice Cereal - 4+ months: 153 ppb
Earths Best Whole Grain Rice Cereal: 138 ppb
Earths Best Whole Grain Rice Cereal: 126 ppb
Beech-Nut Rice Single Grain Baby Cereal - Stage 1, from about 4 months: 117 ppb
Arsenic is a Grade-A carcinogen, known to cause lung, skin and bladder cancer. The toxic metal is also known to harm the development of the brain and nervous system, with at least 13 studies linking arsenic to IQ loss in children.
According to the HBBF study, lead was found in 94% of baby foods, cadmium in 75%, arsenic in 73% and mercury in 32% of foods. Twenty-six percent of baby foods contained all four metals, 40% contained three metals, 21% contained two metals, and 8% contained only one metal. Only 5% (nine baby foods) contained no metals.
U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is demanding new federal action by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that would force the baby food industry to address the safety issue.
According to the study, while the FDA has proposed to limit the amount of toxic heavy metals in baby food in the past, no action has been taken to this point.
ADVICE FOR PARENTS
HBBF recommended five healthier food substitutions that can help in reducing babies exposure to heavy toxic metals:
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These 10 baby foods have the highest levels of arsenic, says report - SILive.com
Entirely organic farming could raise food emissions by 70 per cent in England and Wales – The Independent
Posted: at 10:43 am
Have you ever had moment of supermarket paralysis, standingwith an organic vegetable in hand and the moral part of your brain urging you to put it in your shopping basket, while your brains financial overseer stubbornly resists? For a moment the two logics fiercely compete, before one wins out. Later, at the supermarket till, there can be a jarring feeling of cognitive dissonance to see a mixed basket of conventional and organic items.
Surely, we should either stick to our moral compass and buy everything organic, or we should remain financially savvy and purchase all conventional? Mixing half and half seems like the worst of all worlds.
Yet it turns out that not all organic foods are equal. A group of scientists, led by Laurence Smith of Cranfield University, have now quantified the greenhouse gases produced from farming different types of grain, vegetable and livestock using both conventional and organic methods. Their results are published in the journal Nature Communications.
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Organic farming is a way of growing food which uses fewer artificial chemical inputs such as synthetic fertilisers or pesticides. This means it generally has a lower environmental impact per field.
But because yields tend to be lower, organic farming means more land is needed to produce the same amount of crops or livestock. Thats why Smith and his colleagues used a life-cycle assessment, a technique to assess the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a products life, from production to final consumption. In doing so, they broadened the lens from just looking at the emissions produced during the farming process to also include emissions from inputs, such as the production of synthetic fertiliser for conventional crops.
They found that, over the full life cycle, some organic crops such as beans, potato, oats and spring barley produce higher greenhouse gas emissions per ton than on conventional farms, while others such as oilseed rape, rye, winter barley and wheat were more efficient under organic production. In terms of livestock, pigs, beef and sheep were more environmentally friendly under organic production, but poultry was not.
So, in order to achieve its new target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, perhaps the UK should promote organic production of selected foods?
If we produced all foods organically, the UK could see a huge rise in emissions (iStock)
This appears to make sense. However, in a novel twist, Smith and colleagues suggest that, if all the people inEngland and Wales switched to buying organic food, they could not grow enough to feed even their own countries. They would need to import more food from overseas, which means more emissions from boats, lorries and planes while, in another unintended consequence, grasslands that store carbon would be converted to grow crops, effectively causing further emissions.
They estimate that feeding England and Wales alone would require more than seven million hectares of land overseas, nearly five times the area currently used. Under medium land-use conversion scenarios, this could lead to 70 per cent more greenhouse gas emissions from people all eating organic food compared to conventional products.
The systems thinking approach used in this study is very worthwhile too often, we take a blinkered approach to problems and miss the bigger picture. Yet we can broaden the lens even further and ask what other factors might change at the same time. People are becoming increasingly aware of the scale of food waste, for instance, and diets may be changing away from emissions-intensive foods such as red meat. If we reduced food waste and improved diets, while further increasing the yield efficiency of organic farming, there would be less need to import from overseas.
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We also need to use long-term thinking to understand what will happen if the UK continues with conventional farming. We know that these intensive farming methods lead to loss of biodiversity, reduced water quality and poorer soil health, which ultimately makes food production more vulnerable. Eventually, farmers risk degrading the environment so much that some countries, including the UK, would rely on other countries for food anyway.
So, where does that lead us on the question of organic food? Each of us has the power to inflict damage or to heal the environment with our purchases and, if we can afford to, we should choose wisely. It turns out it is ok to have a mixed shopping basket, as some organic products are better for the environment than others. However, its hard to make such choices, as food labels arent clear enough about their emissions and other environmental impacts.
With new big data approaches for tracking product sources and impacts, information for consumers is improving. In the meantime, one way might be to try to buy seasonal and local organic food where possible. Then you can be sure to reduce overseas emissions from transport and land conversion, and there is the added bonus that it will help restore your local farmed landscape.
Tom Oliver is a professor of applied ecology at the University of Reading. Bob Doherty is a professor of marketing and chair of agrifood at the University of York. This article first appeared on The Conversation.
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Could we survive on Mars? Scientists are growing mustard and strawberries just in case – Euronews
Posted: at 10:43 am
A university in Prague is growing food in adverse conditions likely to survive on Mars.
The red planet maintains an extreme climate, with the highest temperatures hovering around -25 C and lows of down to -102 C according to NASA. Water exists on Mars in very small quantities and usually in ice form, meaning it is implausible that plants would be able to grow there conventionally.
In an experiment at Czech University of Life Sciences, agricultural scientists are growing mustard plants and strawberries using aeroponics, to see if they can survive without water.
Calling it the Marsonaut experiment, lead scientist Jan Lukacevic has already achieved growth of mustard plants, salad leaves, radishes and herbs like basil and mint. The team tested out the conditions by adjusting light and temperature in a controlled environment to see what would work best. Last week, they ate from their first harvest and hope to grow strawberries soon in the same way.
Lukacevic describes the taste of his produce as wonderful, putting the success down to the fact that the plants were supplied with bespoke nutrients.
Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in the air, without using soil and with limited water use. The alternative growing technique is closely linked to Hydroponics, where plants are grown in sand, gravel, or liquid, often under LED-lighting.
Aero/Hydroponics is often used in vertical farming, a sustainable alternative to grow crops in urban spaces that are overcrowded. For instance, earlier this year, Singapore began vertical farming shrimp, in order to curb a food crisis.
The Aeroponic growing method uses 95% less water than normal plant cultivation. As such, growing food in this way may mean that crops would survive the hostile weather conditions on Mars.
The main benefits of Aeroponic farming include using less water and saving space. Therefore, it is argued that this method could boost agricultural yields in areas hit by urbanisation and climate change.
However, the biggest criticism the process faces is that plants are fed with artificial nutrients, meaning they dont have access to the microbiology of healthy soil. Patrick Holden is the chief executive of the Sustainable Food Trust and has long-standing doubts as to the sustainability of such methods.
Speaking to Euronews Living, Holden equates organic vs hydroponic farming to feeding human patients normally as opposed to through an intravenous solution. In this parallel, the vital role of the soil is compared to that of the stomach in the body, as both can break down organic matter and complete nutrient cycles. The role of soil is as important as the role of the stomach, in other words.
According to the Sustainable Food Trust, Hydroponic farming methods cannot provide all of the micronutrients and other things that are associated with organic food production. Therefore, for CEO Holden, the widespread advocacy of hydroponics is misplaced.
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Could we survive on Mars? Scientists are growing mustard and strawberries just in case - Euronews
Fluker Farms bets the black soldier fly holds the key to food sustainability – Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
Posted: at 10:43 am
Years ago, people called them privy fliesthese harmless, wasp-looking indigenous bugs that like to hang around livestock manure and outdoor toilets. Today, the black soldier fly is emerging as a major player in addressing two big environmental concerns.
The flys larvae have the potential to reduce massive amounts of organic waste, after which the larvae are easily converted to a protein-rich food source for animals, fish and maybe even humans. It achieves this through a perfect energy cycle that leaves a negligible carbon footprint. And, the fly is neither a disease carrier, nor a household pest.
Now one regional company is aiming to scale up production of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and commercialize its benefits. David Fluker, CEO of Port Allen-based Fluker Farms, is working with LSU to develop a model for farming BSFL and making the voracious garbage eaters and their by-products available to public and private clients. Fluker Farms is the nationwide leader in production of live crickets for recreational fishing as well as feeder insects for reptiles and other animals.
I see it as a legacy project, says Fluker. An example of conscious capitalism. Ive been in the business a long time, and I wanted to do something that has the potential to make a big impact.
Black soldier fly larvae, says Fluker, are tiny sustainability machines that devour all sorts of organic waste, including rotten produce, animal manure, algae, even carrion. Large numbers of them can be placed in a bin of waste and make it disappear within a couple of weeks.
Constant and efficient eating helps them increase in size to 10,000 times their birth weight. What is left behind in this zero-waste system is only maggot manure, which can be used in landscaping.
This is a big deal, since rotting food worldwide emits tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, says Devon Brits, an LSU entomology doctorate candidate recruited by Fluker to help his company, Soldier Fly Technologies, develop a production facility. Indeed, according to a report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of all food produced globally is wasted, emitting 3.3 billion metric tons in greenhouse gasses every year.
The environmental impact of the black soldier fly larvae doesnt stop with lightening landfills. After a couple of weeks of eating, the insects have become a wiggly, protein-packed food source perfect for reptiles, farmed fish, chickens and pigs. The larvae can be dried whole or processed into pellet or powder form. They can also be converted into oils and coatings for pet food and pet products. Fluker Farms is already selling dried larvae, called Soldier Worms, in Walmart and tractor supply stores as feed for backyard chickens.
The world has known about black soldier flys zero-waste magic since the 1970s, says Brits, but its only been in the past 20 years that researchers and investors have created production facilities capable of addressing social and commercial demand.
Fluker had been following the progress of the black soldier fly research since it took off in 2002, when researchers from Texas A&M and the University of Georgia demonstrated the insects could be reared in a lab. A few years later, companies like AgriProtein in South Africa and Enterra in Canada were developing commercially viable applications for bug production.
It takes tons of larvaeliterally, to be of real social benefit. AgriProtein uses 40 to 50 million in waste eradication, with a goal of producing more than four tons of up-cycle products a day for commercial use.
By 2005, Fluker had bought the domain name, soliderfly.com, and was continuing to watch the market. He initially reached out to Texas A&M to form a partnership. When that failed to get off the ground, he contacted the LSU Department of Entomology.
In 2017, Fluker held a job search for a research director and found Brits, then working for Enterra in South Africa. Brits came aboard in 2018 and has been charged with leading the launch of a production facility at Fluker Farms. He is also completing a doctorate at LSU, focusing on the impact of light on black solider fly breeding.
Earlier this year, the LSU entomology department received a $60,000 grant from the LSU Sustainability Fund to develop a campus-based system for using BSFL to reduce LSU dining hall food waste. The Office of Sustainability had been working on a solution to campus food waste for several years, and saw the black soldier fly project as a way to divert 75 tons of food a year from the landfill.
Organic food waste is brought to Brits lab, where the maggots go to work in series of bins. The organic fertilizer they leave behind is used by LSU Facility Services in campus landscaping.
While Soldier Fly Technologies is now on its way, itll still be some time before its scaled up to the level Fluker is planning. Brits and his team are working on standardizing protocols the company can use to establish large colonies of egg-laying flies. Once those procedures are in place, Fluker can start forging partnerships with public and private entities that will benefit from production, including municipalities that see the upside of diverting organic waste to a site where it can be quickly decomposed.
Fluker has the advantage of a decades-old distribution chain in place for its current products. The company has already worked with state departments of agriculture to gain approval for selling animal feedstocks, a necessary step in placing any kind of animal feed in the marketplace. This puts the company in a good position for launching black soldier fly products that can fill a growing need for affordable protein-rich animal feedstocks. Notably, the price of fishmeal used in aquaculture has risen sharply in recent years. Once black Solder Fly products are widely distributed, they could become a better alternative.
The food cycle in place now is not sustainable, Fluker says. This is promising solution.
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