Monthly Archives: July 2017

FutureWorld – Is your business FUTUREPROOF

Posted: July 31, 2017 at 9:40 am

"In one day FutureWorld took me to a different horizon and left me recharged and inspired."

Serpil TimurayGM, Danone Turkey.

Extremely rich in examples of disruptive change.

Delegates to executive leadership programme at the Stockholm School of Economics - February 2016

"Phenomenal! Easily the BEST speaker, and the most informative, thought provoking presentation of the entire week!"

Management delegates at the Murray & Roberts Knowledge Week

"The Naked Leadership presentation this morning was brilliant, not just in content but the way it was put together, both in structure and the use of different media. Congratulations!"

Peter GettliffeMTN

"An excellent presentation on what the future could be for us, and a relevant insight for us to define our critical 'Must Win Battles'"

Olivier DespondsHead, Nestle Nutrition Africa

"Wow! That was great! I loved listening to your ideas! That was the most important set of concepts that I've heard anyone talk about in a long time."

Greg HomanDirector, Emerging Technologies, Nextel Communications

"This process paid for itself three times in 18 months."

David HathornCEO & Chairman, Mondi SA/Europe

"FutureWorld - yours is a truly visionary and amazing enterprise!

Tanya van der SpuySenior lecturer in tax at the University of Pretoria

"Your presentation was a perfect close to a near perfect conference. I could not have been happier about the content or your lively and engaging presentation."

Anthony TurnerCEO Europe, Publicitas Promotion Network

"Inspiring and thought-provoking session. You set a great tone for our two day session."

Wendy MartinSenior Vice President, Visa Europe

"Without this process, Deloitte's own revenues would be R260m less."

Vassi NaidooFormer CEO, Deloitte SA

"You intoxicated me with your future message at the 2008 East African Business Submit in Kampala, and I have been living in the future ever since!"

Tom MulwaMD, Liaison Financial Services Group, Kenya

"I really enjoyed your 'Future of Media' presentation. The material was well researched, interestingly formatted and your deliver was absolutely great. Well done!"

Wayne St JohnPast chair, Tourism Association of Canada

"I haven't seen the challenges and opportunities of future business, communities and people so powerfully presented before. FutureWorlds life cycles reminded me exactly of what went right and wrong in our business."

Dame Anita RoddickFounder of The Body Shop

"Practical and inspirational. Highly relevant if you don't want someone else eating your cheese."

Radames SotoCEO Wall Street Journal.com

"Thank you for such a thought-inspiring presentation. We received many, many comments from our delegates."

Beverley FurmanHead: Supervision, Strate

"Very good session on running exponential initiatives in large organisations."

Delegates to executive leadership programme at the Stockholm School of Economics - February 2016

"Everyone was in awe of your keynote presentation and couldn't stop talking about it; not just on the day but also during the remainder of the workshop."

Shafeeka ArnoldBritish American Tobacco SA

"The two-day Leader of the Future programme was inspirational! The content and tools are real and practical to implement. It would be a travesty for us not to take the learnings and apply them to become even better leaders!"

Alec JoannuGroup CIO, Sasol

"Inspiring and thought-provoking. Your session set a great tone for our two day session."

Wendy MartinSenior Vice President, Visa Europe

"Overwhelmed, useful and practical"

Commissioners of Inland Revenue India - May 2013

Absolutely amazing! Engaging and an eye-opener!

Senior UAE Government officialattending a leadership program organised by Oxford University's Said Business School

"We have gotten wonderful reviews from your session. It has been inspiring for us all."

Alan TanHR executive, SingTel

"By far and away the best session I have had on future thinking."

Delegate to an executive programme at the Stockholm School of Economics, June 2015

"You don't know how much value you added! You have blown my socks off!"

Izak SmitCEO, ABSA Life

"The process helped us to establish five new businesses in 18 months."

Leon VermaakCEO, Telesure

"FutureWorld's 'Radical Future' is another masterpiece of intelligent thinking."

Leif AlmCEO ScandNet AB

"LOVED this session, best I've ever experienced!!"

Delegate comment from the 2012 International Internal Audit convention in Boston, USA.

"In previous consulting relationships there has always been an obsession with driving costs down. Our partnership with FutureWorld goes way beyond that, to a constant drive towards new ideas and new revenue opportunities. It's amazing how much we have learnt from the future. That's unique in my experience, and great fun."

Bernard Swanepoelformer CEO Harmony Gold Limited

"Thanks also for your great presentation at the LBS which I have not only enjoyed but which has also inspired me a lot (does not happen that often!)."

Thomas BeckerWartsila

"Neil presented to a group of Deloitte partners from all over the world, and had them enthralled for two hours. He left them with new thoughts and new possibilities. His presentation was most stimulating."

Miles CrispDeloittes partner

Neil was succinct, direct and motivating.

Senior UAE Government officialattending a leadership program organised by Oxford University's Said Business School

"Breathtaking presentation. Great insight into future and how you can try and shape it. The future is nearby and we have to deal with that. We must spend at least 10% of our time understanding the future!"

London Business SchoolSenior Executive Programme

"Anton -We thoroughly enjoyed your brilliant, thought-provoking presentation.You ended our convention on a very high note, thank you so much.I have seen many, many presenters in my 27 years in the industry and you are most certainly one of THE BEST!"

Anton SwanepoelChairman, Financial Planning Institute Convention

"The feedback we received about your opening keynote across the board is fantastic. Our delegates loved your style and are inspired. It was of highest value to have you with us, thank you!"

Stefan LeppCEO, Clearstream, the clearing and settlement division of Deutsche Bourse

"Fantastic and insightful; extremely relevant in our context."

Peter SandsGroup CEO, Standard Chartered Bank

"Thanks again for the wonderful presentation - it is the only one I have been able to sit through in at least five years. You are really good."

Jalene MedalieManager - Special Projects, Sasfin Frankel Pollak Securities

"Very thought provoking! Now I am alive to new developments and how to leverage technology.

RK PadmanabhanExecutive Director, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Mumbai, India

"Very well presented (most capturing presentation) and real food for thought."

Delegates to executive leadership programme at the Stockholm School of Economics - February 2016

"An excellent presentation and a completely new way of thinking about the world. You provided vision and encouraged us to leave our comfort zones."Feedback from delegates to the SAD Business School Programme for the

Deloitte M&A EMEA teamAthens, October 2008

"Thanks again for your inspirational session in Mumbai.

Jules GoddardProfessor London Business School

"Opened my mind to what we still need to do to remain relevant."

Delegate to Standard Bank New Executives' conference

"Thank you for an insightful and thought provoking presentation. You have given us much to think about to adapt to meet the future needs of our market."

Ravi MoodleyHead of Strategy Nedbank Corporate Banking

"This was the most powerful presentation I have ever seen. You have absolutely shaken us out of complacency. We must 'think future' everyday, not just at annual retreats. There is no yesterday, only tomorrow."

Kitty ChoiHead, Efficiency Unit, Hong Kong Government

"Congratulations on a riveting presentation! I really enjoyed the session."

Leon SteynDivisional Executive: Human Resources, Prestige Cleaning Services (Pty) Ltd.

"This was the best, most provocative summary ever about (the future of) China."

William KistlerPresident, Urban Land Institute, Europe

"Thank you for another magical morning and interaction. Your lessons are now becoming part of our DNA and it is making a difference in allowing us to always plan ahead and create our own realities. Interoperability and cooperation is now our mantra."

Monica SingerChief Executive Officer, Strate Ltd

"Your presentation has been rated 'undeniably the best' at this year's Innovation Summit. Wow! That's what you did to our audience!"

Helena GabrielsPublisher, SA Innovator Magazine

Great opportunity to look over the garden wall.

Delegates to executive leadership programme at the Stockholm School of Economics - February 2016

"Thanks for an amazingly inspiring and informative presentation"

Cheryl StilesDivisional Marketing Manager, Nampak Cartons & Labels

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The Futurist: Why human resources is a people’s job – Human Resources Online

Posted: at 9:40 am

HR professionals must create the right balance between the human touch and technology, says Christine Ip, CEO Greater China, United Overseas Bank.

As with almost any function in an organisation, the use of technology can transform how companies operate and what they can achieve. Professionals in human resources need to understand the potential use of technology, its relevance and be able to adapt it swiftly to help advise the business accordingly and to drive business outcomes.

Take recruitment as an example. Many organisations with an overseas presence are using technology to reduce the cost of hiring.

United Overseas Bank Hong Kong is no exception. The bank makes use of Skype and FaceTime to interview candidates at the preliminary stage of the hiring process. This allows the bank to widen its potential talent pool and is convenient when the bank is interviewing overseas candidates.

Technology is also used for various human resources initiatives within the organisation. Last year, UOB launched a new and interactive intranet portal to strengthen employee engagement in its offices and branches across the world.

In Greater China, the bank also engages its employees through a WeChat enterprise account. This ensures employees obtain timely information while they are on the go.

However, while technology can be used to improve processes and to broaden the reach of employee engagement programmes, it cannot replace entirely the people skills of human resources professionals.

After all, strong communication skills are essential for success in the relationship-driven sector. The bankers should be able to convey complex financial and market information in a way that is easy for clients to understand and apply to their businesses.

Personal interaction still plays an important role in employee engagement and team building. The bank organises regular town halls and interactive face-to-face forums with senior management, as well as team-building exercises and festive celebrations to enhance the connection and trust between employees.

Building trust starts at the individual level. It is like a drop of water in a pond which then has a ripple effect. Through character, competency and consistency, trust is built with others, across teams, in the marketplace and with the community.

By creating the right balance between the human touch and technology, human resources professionals can help a company attract the right people, keep them engaged and be more competitive.

The June 2017 issue of Human Resources magazine is a special edition, bringing you interviews with 12 HR leaders, with their predictions on the future of HR.

ReadThe Futuristor subscribe here.

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Marty Sklar, Disney Legend And Futurist, Dies At 83 | Gizmodo … – Gizmodo Australia

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Marty Sklar, arguably one of the most influential people to work at the Disney Company aside from Walt Disney himself, died this weekend. He was 83.

Marty Sklar in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland on July 11, 2005 (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Sklar started at Disney just a month before Disneyland opened in 1955 and would work his way up to becoming one of the most tireless and dedicated storytellers at the company. Sometimes described as Walt's "right hand man," Sklar started by writing speeches for Disney and eventually became President of Imagineering, the creative wing of the multifaceted entertainment company.

Along with Walt, Sklar helped produce the ambitious 1966 film that was shown to investors and government officials to get them interested in EPCOT, the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The original vision of EPCOT as a living laboratory would be neutered, but the theme park is still a point of inspiration for futurists and retro-futurists alike.

"Walt Disney had one foot in the past, because he loved nostalgia, and one foot in the future, because he loved new technology," Sklar told Esquire in 2015.

The original EPCOT film can be viewed on YouTube.

Sklar helped oversee the development of virtually every modern Disney park from the construction of Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris to expansion parks in the United States like Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom in Florida, as well as Disney's California Adventure park in Anaheim.

"Marty was the ultimate Disney Imagineer and Cast Member. From his days working as an intern with Walt to just two weeks ago engaging with fans at D23 Expo, Marty left an indelible mark on Disney Parks around the globe and on all of the guests who make memories every day with us," Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, said in a statement.

"He was one of the few people that was fortunate to attend the opening of every single Disney park in the world, from Anaheim in 1955 to Shanghai just last year," Chapek said. "We will dearly miss Marty's passion, skill and imaginative spark that inspired generations of Cast, Crew and Imagineers."

From the Disney Parks blog:

Born in New Brunswick, N.J., on February 6, 1934, Marty was a student at UCLA and editor of its Daily Bruin newspaper when he was recruited to create The Disneyland News for Walt's new theme park in 1955. After graduating in 1956, he joined Disney full-time and would go on to serve as Walt's right-hand man scripting speeches, marketing materials and a film showcasing Walt's vision for Walt Disney World and Epcot.

During this period, he also joined WED Enterprises, the forerunner of Walt Disney Imagineering, and he would later become the creative leader of Imagineering, leading the development of Disney theme parks and attractions for the next three decades.

He retired as Executive Vice President and Imagineering Ambassador on July 17, 2009, Disneyland's 54th birthday. Disney marked the occasion by paying tribute to Marty with the highest Parks and Resorts recognition, dedicating a window in his name on Disneyland's City Hall.

RIP Marty Sklar. Thanks for your optimistic visions of tomorrow, something that seems harder and harder to conjure in the upside down world of 2017.

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Residents of Elan Tower in Sydney's Kings Cross are used to 100Mbps download speeds, thanks to the hybrid fibre coaxial cable they paid Telstra to install six years ago. Now the building is being forced onto NBN's copper-based fibre-to-the-building network. The copper telephone wire in the building, travelling up 40 floors, is 20 years old.

Qantas and Virgin have both confirmed via statements that passengers will need to arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight to allow for additional security screening. The amped-up security measures were put in place by the Australian Government after four people were arrested in connection to a suspected terrorist plot to bring down an aircraft.

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IEP for strict enforcement of code of ethics in construction industry – The Nation

Posted: July 30, 2017 at 2:41 pm

ISLAMABAD - Speakers at a seminar arranged here on Saturday by Institution of Engineers Pakistan, Rawalpindi-Islamabad (IEP-RI) called for strict enforcement of code of ethics in construction industry to ensure public safety.

If a doctor makes a mistake, one person die and if engineer commits a mistake it kills hundreds of people, said key-note speaker Engineer Prof. Rafiq Muhammad Chaudhry while addressing the seminar that was also participated by the Chairman IEP-RI Engr. Hafiz M. Ehsanul Haq Qazi, Engr. Najumuddin and Engr. Shafiqur Rehman. The seminar was part of the institution's Continuing professional development (CPE) program for young engineers.

It was emphasized that there should be a zero tolerance for corruption and mal-practices in construction industry. Recent incidents, collapse of constructions structure of high-rise building led to massive human-loss. Ethically, concerned engineer should be made accountable for any such incident. Safety, health and welfare of public should be made fundamental requirements for undertaking any development project, Prof. Rafiq asserted. He emphasized that the engineers should be sincere to the society, having no compromise on basic design, specification and contract of the construction deal. While undertaking the construction work, the relevant engineers must apply latest professional techniques for achieving better results.

Prof. Rafiz Chaudhry who enjoyed rich experience, working in engineering sector, home and abroad emphasized that the engineering community must keep up dignity and honour of their profession.

He also gave detailed presentation on contract management among the relevant parties. He explained legal and moral responsibilities and obligations of each party in executing building contracts. Each contract should be according to the law of the land, he added.

Chairman IEP-RI Hafiz Ehsanul Haq announced that they would be holding a number professional development activities during the year for the capacity-building of the young engineers, enabling them to play productive role in the countrys socio-economic development.

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‘Feeling lousy’ and ‘off colour’: Disease outbreaks have influenced the way we talk – Scroll.in

Posted: at 2:41 pm

Despite being so small they cant be seen with the naked eye, pathogens that cause human disease have greatly affected the way humans live for centuries. Many infectious diseases have been significant enough to affect how and where we live, our economies, our cultures and daily habits. And many of these effects continue long after the diseases have been eliminated.

Infectious diseases have changed the structure and numbers of people living in communities.

The European bubonic plague, or Black Death (1348-1350), identified by painful swollen lymph nodes and dark blotches on the skin, killed 80% of those infected. At least 20 million people died, which was about two-thirds of the European population at the time. It slowed urbanisation, industrial development and economic growth as people left cities and reverted to rural and agricultural life. Those who survived, however, were highly sought after for work.

The accidental introduction of measles to Fiji (1875) by people travelling between Fiji and the West caused massive numbers of deaths in communities previously not exposed to the disease. In a few months 20-25% of Fijians and nearly all of the 69 chiefs died. The leadership vacuum and loss of working-age population became an opportunity for the colonial government to import labourers from other nations to work in the agricultural industries.

In the Caribbean island Hispaniola it is estimated that within 50 years of the arrival of Columbus, his crew and their pathogens (like measles, influenza and smallpox), the indigenous Taino people were virtually extinct. This pattern of large death tolls among Indigenous populations in the Americas is repeated in many locations, causing loss of traditional ways of life and cultural identity, and changing the course of their history.

Unfortunately, introduction of an infectious disease into a susceptible population was not always accidental. Germ warfare was a strategy used in many colonisation and war efforts. This includes North American Indigenous populations (there are reports of blankets from smallpox-infected corpses being deliberately distributed in the late 1700s); bodies of dead animals or humans being thrown into water supplies during warfare in Italy in the 12th century; and saliva from rabid dogs or the blood of leprosy patients being used by the Spanish against French enemies in Italy in the 15th century.

Infectious diseases, as well as the search for cures, have had many influences on economies over the centuries. In 1623, the death of ten cardinals and hundreds of their attendants led Pope Urban VII to declare that a cure for malaria must be found.

This was a common risk in Rome, where mala aria (bad air from marshes thought to be its origin) had existed since late antiquity. Jesuit priests travelled from Europe to South America to learn about local treatments. In 1631, they identified quinine, made from the bark of the local cinchona tree in Peru, as a cure.

After that discovery there was a race to control quinine in order to keep armies fighting European wars, including the Napoleonic, and attempting to capture territories. At this time quinine became a commodity more precious than gold.

In the late 1880s Tunisia experienced severe infectious disease epidemics of cholera and typhoid, and famines, which so badly depleted its economy that it was unable to pay off its debts. This made it vulnerable to French occupation and then colonisation.

In recent times, it has been estimated that the HIV epidemic in South Africa may have reduced its gross domestic product by 17% (from 1997 to 2010) and that SARS cost East Asia around $15 billion, (0.5% of GDP).

The origins of many food taboos appear to be linked to infectious diseases. These include prohibitions on drinking raw animal blood, on sharing cooking and eating utensils and plates between meat and other foods, and on eating pork in Judaism and Islam (most likely concerned about dangerous pig tapeworms).

Newer examples of these food exclusions that are still the norm today include:

Many words and expressions commonly used in English have origins linked to an infectious disease. One such common phrase, used for a person who may not have symptoms of an infectious disease but can transmit it, is to call them a Typhoid Mary. In 1906 Mary Mallon, a cook, was the first healthy person identified in the USA as a carrier of the typhoid bacilli that causes typhoid fever, a serious disease for the Western world in the 19th century (but which globally exists and has often existed in poor communities).

One public health engineer traced an outbreak in Oyster Bay and a path of outbreaks wherever Mary worked. In New York, she was put into isolation where she stayed until she died nearly three decades later.

Other such additions to our everyday conversations include:

The 14th-century French brought us two terms used in infectious diseases: contagion meaning touching/contact; and disease from des (lack of) ease (comfort). And the 16th-century term epidemic is from the French epi among, demos people.

So pathogens evolve with us and have shaped our lives and will remain one of the forces that we adapt to as we progress through human history.

Maxine Whittaker, Dean, Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University.

This article was first appeared on The Conversation.

This is the last article in a four-part series looking at infectious diseases and how theyve influenced our culture and evolution. Read the first three parts here, here and here.

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'Feeling lousy' and 'off colour': Disease outbreaks have influenced the way we talk - Scroll.in

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Zunar’s plight sign of more oppression should BN win GE – Malaysiakini (subscription)

Posted: at 2:40 pm

MP SPEAKS | BNs repressive tactics, beginning with forcing DAP to hold a party re-election four years later after our last re-election in 2013, banning G25s book and forcing political cartoonist Zunar to cancel his 'Ketawa Pink Pink' exhibition in Penang, is a harbinger of more oppression should BN win the coming 14th general elections.

Even though Penang is ruled by a Pakatan Harapan state government that promotes freedom of speech and artistic expression, there is no guarantee that Zunar can hold his exhibition featuring 50 pieces of his artworks due to alleged threats from his opponents.

Zunar said he was supposed to hold the event dubbed 'Ketawa Pink Pink' tomorrow on Beach Street, from 8am to 12pm, but was forced to cancel his cartoon exhibition in Penang because of alleged threats from a group from Umno Penang. Instead of holding their own cartoon exhibition, they had distributed posters urging their members to come and "visit" Zunars exhibition.

DAP can understand Zunars fear of physical intimidation when last year, his exhibition in Komtar resulted in not only Zunar being physically attacked by a Penang Umno Youth member, while the police arrested him under the Sedition Act. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin should be ashamed of such behaviour of Umno Youth members, which Zunar had described as "very rowdy and aggressive".

DAP agrees that the banning of the book by G25, which is a collection of essays 'Breaking the Silence: Voices of Moderation - Islam in a Constitutional Democracy', is "illogical" and "utterly ridiculous", when the authorities failed to explain how the book is prejudicial to public order. This is not just another example of the Malaysian government suppressing free speech.

The BN governments refusal to give reasons, lends suspicion that this is a naked abuse of power intended to send a chilling message and extract political capital in the run-up to the general election. G25 comprises former top civil servants, diplomats and pro-BN personalities such as Chandra Muzaffar. Chandra said the ban is an attempt to curb balanced, rational and open-minded thinking on matters pertaining to the practice of Islam in Malaysia and that the essays were not just about the practice of Islam, but about upholding the federal constitution.

Instead of banning books, civil action of defamation can always be filed if any party feels offended. Clearly BN is intent in maintaining Malaysia as both a kleptocracy and autocracy, with neither room for dissent nor protection for genuine whistleblowers of corruption at the highest levels.

LIM GUAN ENG is DAP secretary-general and Bagan MP.

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To see the Iron Ring simply as a symbol of Welsh oppression is short-sighted and underscores a troublesome lack of … – WalesOnline

Posted: at 2:40 pm

Plans for a sculpture near a Welsh castle have been shelved after thousands signed a petition claiming it celebrates the subjugation and oppression of the Welsh people. Here, Dr Matthew Stevens argues that is a misguided stance which fails to recognise the rich historical and cultural inheritance of Wales.

It saddens me to see the negative popular reaction of some to the recently approved art instillation at Flint Castle.

It is a reaction that radically underplays the deep, rich, fascinating and, most importantly, complex medieval cultural inheritance of Wales.

I worry, though I would be reluctant to say for sure, that it might also underscore a troublesome lack of self-confidence in a proud Welsh identity.

In 1066, some 951 years ago, a Norman Frenchman and his rabble conquered England and secured it with his own iron ring of castles, the centrepiece of which was the Tower of London.

The Tower is now celebrated not as the instrument of Norman oppression it was created as, but as part of the rich tapestry of English heritage. In 1277, some 740 years ago, Flint castle was begun by Edward I. Cannot we too, as a nation, manage similarly to wrest free our own cultural inheritance from the centuries-old past, and make Wales iron ring our own?

As noted in the Welsh Government press release, the architect states "the sculpture will take a balanced form, some buried beneath the ground, the remainder projecting into the air, to demonstrate the unstable nature of the crown". This sculpture is a crooked crown, knocked off kilter by the people, and rightly so.

There are at least two good reasons why we ought to see the sculpture as celebrating Welsh resilience and the futility of foreign "conquest".

First, the short reason.

Yes, Flint was one of the first four castles built by Edward I to secure his military gains following his first war against the last Prince of Wales, Llywelyn ap Gryffydd, in 1277, along with Builth, Aberystwyth and Ruddlan. Now, three of these castles are in the hands of Cadw, and the fourth, Aberystwyth, belongs to the local council, and the Welsh flag flies proudly over all sites. The iron ring as it were, is now Welsh and in Welsh hands. From a heritage perspective, the iron ring has long, long since been knocked off kilter by the people of Wales. That is something to celebrate.

Second, the long reason.

If one wants to go digging around in the history of the conquest they need to know that the situation was much more complex than English versus Welsh.

Wales, in the 1100s and 1200s, was divided between the Marches of southeast and south Wales, and native controlled north and west Wales. And within native Wales there were three Welsh kingdoms, Deheubarth in the southwest (think Cardiganshire), Powys in mid-east Wales, and Gwynedd in the northwest. These kingdoms fought tooth and nail for dominance over one another until Llywelyn the Great ap Iorwerth of Gwynedd used both talk and war to dominate the other kingdoms. This included, at one point, sidling up to bad King John of England and even marrying his illegitimate daughter Joan!

Five things to think about before you get too angry about the Iron Ring sculpture

The princes of Gwynedd then started calling themselves Prince of Wales, and bullied the other Welsh kingdoms to toe the line until their relations with England soured, followed by Edwards conquest. But in reality, the princes of Powys resisted, making alliances with the English king when helpful, and as Prof. David Stephenson has recently published the men of Powys were in armed conflict with Gwynedds princes of Wales more than 25 times between 1132 and 1282, including as allies of the English in Edward Is 1277 and 1282 campaigns of conquest.

Much of the old kingdom of Powys outlived the conquest and the construction of the iron ring, until the princely lines of Powys simply died out. One ought not overstate the role of the iron ring.

Edwards four castles of 1277, including Flint, were also not as helpful as he would have liked. Edward again waged war on Wales in 1282, after which about ten more castles were built by Edward, or men to whom he granted lands conquered from the Prince of Gwynedd, including iconic Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech castles. These too proved not enough, and following the widespread and destructive rebellion of Madog ap Llywelyn in 1295 during which Caernarfon castle and at least three others were taken by the Welsh he began work on Beaumaris castle, which ultimately he could not finish because he ran out of royal funds.

In fact, Edwards arguably futile castle building was so expensive that it hampered his other political aspirations in Scotland, and substantially contributed to the virtual state of English bankruptcy under which the ill-fated and constantly cash-strapped Edward II would come to the throne in 1307, only to be deposed by his wife and teenaged son in 1327 and miserably executed. The cost of the iron ring, one could argue, unbalanced the English monarchy for two generations.

Moreover, as fate would have it, the last of Edward Is Plantagenet dynasty, his great great grandson Richard II himself a notorious tyrant was deposed after he was caught by his enemies and forced to surrender at Flint castle. Richard II, whose rule effectively ended in Wales on the site where Edward Is first great castle was begun, would later be ingloriously starved to death in captivity. This is the transfer of power to the usurper Henry IV which was famously dramatized by Shakespeare, something of which the Welsh Governments press release shows awareness.

Lastly, the deposition of Richard II and the shaky revolution in England would form the backdrop for the rebellion of Owain Glyndr, who would conquer and control the iron ring castles of Aberystwyth and Harlech in 1404, holding a Welsh parliament at Harlech in 1405 and making it his military headquarters for the next four years. Throughout the rebellion Owain would do everything in his power not just to assert control over Wales, but to destabilise the new English monarchy. This included, in 1405, making his tripartite alliance with two factions of rebellious English barons, and even hosting an invading French army which spent the summer campaigning with the Welsh.

Even beyond the Middle Ages skipping over such crucial characters as the Welsh Henry VII one could go on to point out how the English Civil War was fought in Wales around the castles of the iron ring, such as Flint, which were generally manned by conservative Welsh royalists, in opposition to Cromwells overwhelmingly English parliamentarian forces. In fact, Flint and Aberystwyth, cornerstones of Edwards 1277 iron ring, are in the ruinous state we see them in today because Cromwell ordered them destroyed after capture to prevent Welsh royalists again occupying them. By the seventeenth century the iron ring was thoroughly Welsh.

Against this complex backdrop of the rich historical and cultural inheritance of Wales, it is sadly short-sighted to see the iron ring as simply a marker of Edward Is conquest. It is not inappropriate to put this installation of an off-kilter ring, representing a destabilised crown, next to Flint castle. Flint, and the rest of the iron ring, in the fullness of history, do not represent centuries of steady oppression, but the resilience of the Welsh, who have punched above their weight in directly or indirectly destabilising the English monarchy and government over the centuries. The iron ring is woven into the tapestry of Welsh history in a thousand ways, and the off-kilter ring as proposed, to be lined with engravings celebrating local perspectives on the site, would require some creative negativity dismissive of much of the history of north Wales to be seen strictly as a symbol of English oppression today.

Matthew Frank Stevens is senior lecturer in medieval history at Swansea University and fellow of the Royal Historical Society (2010-present). He completed a PhD in history at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in 2005 and has since been a postdoctoral fellow of the Economic History Society at the University of Oxford (2005-6), researcher at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London (2006-10) and visiting fellow at Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toru, Poland (2010). He has wide ranging interests in the interrelationships between the economy, law, gender and race in the medieval and early modern periods. He is author of Urban Assimilation in Post-Conquest Wales: Ethnicity Gender and Economy in Ruthin, 1282-1348 and is currently preparing his second book, Race Law and the Origins of National Identity: Northern Europe in the Middle Ages for Manchester University Press. He may be reached at m.f.stevens@swansea.ac.uk .

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To see the Iron Ring simply as a symbol of Welsh oppression is short-sighted and underscores a troublesome lack of ... - WalesOnline

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Philippine fishermen say they are dumping bodies in Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ – The Sydney Morning Herald

Posted: at 2:40 pm

Bangkok: When Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was running for election, he vowed that under his rule fish inManilaBaywould grow fat from the bodies of drugs users and addicts.

Many observers saw his remarks as shock tacticsfrom a foul-mouthed former provincial mayor who revels in making outlandish statements, such as declaring recently he could be 50 times more brutal than any Islamist extremist who staged beheadings.

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At least two people are killed in the Philippines days after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pulls the police off the war on drugs on worries over corruption. On Tuesday, Duterte said he may seek military help in their stead.

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At least two people are killed in the Philippines days after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pulls the police off the war on drugs on worries over corruption. On Tuesday, Duterte said he may seek military help in their stead.

"Give me salt and vinegar and I'll eat his liver," he said.

But 12 months after taking office, fishermen say they have been dumping bodies of dozens of drugs suspects inManilaBayon the orders of police, who human rights groups accuse of carrying out thousands of extra-judicial killings.

"Police are the ones coming to my house ordering me to take out the trash," said Manuel, a fisherman, referring to bodies found on the side of highways.

"We usually throw them inManilaBay sometimes we put weights on them so they don't float up," Manuel told al-Jazeera's correspondent inManila.

He said he had personally disposed of 20 bodies.

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Mr Duterte pledged earlier this month that his so-called "war on drugs" would continue relentlessly, saying drugs dealers face "either jail or hell".

"Illegal drugs are the root cause of much evil and so much suffering that weaken the social fabric and deters foreign investment from pouring in," he said.

According to human rights groups, Philippine security forces and "unidentified gunmen" have killed almost 8000 Filipino drugs suspects, the largest number of civilian deaths in South-east Asia since the Khmer Rouge genocide inCambodiain the 1970s.

But police are no longer releasing the body count after international condemnation of the killings, including from the United Nations, which Mr Duterte has blocked from carrying out an independent investigation.

Rights investigators and media outlets, including Fairfax Media, have detailed dozens of cases where mostly poor Filipinos have been dragged from their homes and executed.

Mr Duterte shrugs off the criticisms, describing critics as "crazies", as his popularity remains high in a country with one of the highest rates of drugs use inAsia.

In one of his most controversial statements he said "if you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be painful".

Philippine police and the country's drug enforcement agency claim the crackdown is working, with more than 1.3 million drug suspects surrendering and tonnes of drugs seized.

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Philippine fishermen say they are dumping bodies in Duterte's 'war on drugs' - The Sydney Morning Herald

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Undercover Tour Pro: There is gambling at Bushwood, and during tour events, too – GolfDigest.com

Posted: at 2:40 pm

More gambling goes on during PGA Tour practice rounds than you might guess. Some players, mostly earnest rookies, go out to chart the course and work on their games, but I'd say the majority of groups on a Tuesday or Wednesday have action going. If there's a standard bet out here, it's a $100 nassau with partners. You also see a lot of $200 and $300 closeouts. Even if I link up with another single for just a handful of holes, I like to play for something. It's a way to stay sharp.

It's a rule that there's no gambling allowed, so tour officials don't like it. But there are a lot of things they do that we don't like.

If you really want to get amped and are looking for a game "with a comma," it's a more select crowd. But not hard to find. Some guys are pretty loud about the money games they organize, where the stakes get to five or eight or even 10 grand during a normal week. Away from tour events, the games can get stupid. Like 40 and 50 grand a man. You need thick skin for those.

Because when we play with our own cash, we talk like we never would in a tournament. Of guys I've played with, I'd say Ernie Els is the Hall of Fame needler. If you're Big Easy's partner and aren't holding up your end, he'll ride you to the point of tears.

I've won once on the PGA Tour. I spring for a first-class plane ticket now and then, but mostly I live modestly.

A thousand dollars is the perfect amount to get my full attentionit hurts to remove that kind of heft from my walletbut I'll play for more with anyone who wants. I don't care if you're top 10 or trying to get into Web.com events, there are no strokes.

The other thing you won't find on the PGA Tour is Venmo or PayPal. All debts are settled in cash. Not paying within 24 hours is grounds for public humiliation, which usually means getting called out on the range, though guys have taken to social media, too. When I go on the road, my last stop before the airport is always the bank.

I'll gamble on tournament days. If it's a Friday and everyone in my group is clearly missing the cut, I'll suggest $100 skins the rest of the way in. Same thing for Sunday morning. If the guy I'm paired with and I are starting in last place or damn near, it's hard to get motivated. Even if I shoot 65, I move up maybe 10 places. And a solid round like 69 or 70 is going to yield something like $1,500 more in prize money, pre-tax. It might sound illogical, but the glory of taking a few hundo off a colleague becomes more interesting than a potentially slightly larger cut of a purse. Maybe it's the tactility of cash, rather than the blink of a couple right-hand digits in my bank balance, that gets my blood pumping.

In competition, I've never started a wager on the first tee. It's a back-nine move, and only late in the front if you both make a bunch of bogeys early. Generally the time to start is the minute the golf starts looking like a race to see who can finish the hole the fastest, because playing with indifference is dangerous. At the end of a disappointing week, the last thing you want to do is grind. But if you're not always trying to get it going, you've got about zero chance of discovering that thingsome little key or thoughtthat turns your game around. It happens all the time: A guy misses three cuts in a row and then wins.

You could call me a bit of a degenerate. Each year when we play in Las Vegas during football season, I'll spend an afternoon in a sports book letting five figures ride. I do it for the rush, which is maybe the same reason other people do drugs or dangerous sports. But if you're not used to feeling heat, how can you expect to be ready when your moment comes and you're standing over a golf shot worth half a million? With Max Adler

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Undercover Tour Pro: There is gambling at Bushwood, and during tour events, too - GolfDigest.com

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Las Vegas Sands Is Losing Its Grip on Macau’s Gambling Market – Madison.com

Posted: at 2:40 pm

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) reported another big quarter this week, dominated by the company's resorts in Asia. It's not a surprise the company grew, given Macau's gambling revenue growth and the opening of The Parisian last fall. What this quarter gave us a look at is where growth is concentrated and how the company's resorts are holding up against increased competition.

Luck is always a factor in the gambling industry as well. So results should be compared on an apples-to-apples basis against a year ago and what the rest of the market is doing.

Image source: Las Vegas Sands.

Overall, Macau revenue was up 23% to $1.82 billion, and adjusted EBITDA jumped 23% to $600 million. This showing compares with a 21.9% jump in Macau's gambling revenue, but remember that Las Vegas Sands has one more resort this year than it had a year ago -- The Parisian.

Here's a look at the gambling volume trends for Las Vegas Sands' resorts in operation for over a year:

$968 million (50.5%)

$626 million (3.7%)

$5.17 billion (24.7%)

$1.67 billion (2.3%)

$2.52 billion (18.2%)

$1.37 billion (9.5%)

$2.42 billion (28.4%)

$295 million (28.3%)

Data source: Las Vegas Sands Q2 2017 earnings report.

Volume fell considerably in the VIP market and fell at Sands Macau and Sands Cotai Central in the mass market as well. This is a theme for the quarter -- down big in VIP and holding steady in the mass market.

These results compare with a 35.3% jump in VIP play at Wynn Macau, Wynn Resorts'(NASDAQ: WYNN) Macau peninsula property, to $16.02 billion, although mass-market volume dropped 9% to $1.07 billion. And Wynn Palace generated another $11.6 billion in VIP volume and $729 million in mass-market play.

The only reason Las Vegas Sands kept up with growth in the Macau gambling market is that it opened The Parisian last fall. Without that, it would have lost a lot of market share, primarily to Wynn Resorts. And with MGM Resorts (NYSE: MGM) and SJM Holdings opening properties in the next couple of years, it's likely there will be even more pressure on the company's market share.

The most important resort in Las Vegas Sands' portfolio is still Marina Bay Sands. And it's still performing incredibly well. Revenue jumped 17.7% to $836 million, and adjusted EBITDA was up 37.8% to $492 million, although both were helped by incredibly good luck.

VIP volume and mass-market volume were up 29.2% and down 2.7% respectively, which is a better indication of how the resort is doing. And occupancy of 94.3% with an average daily room rate of $397 shows just how in demand this property is.

Las Vegas Sands generated $1.21 billion in adjusted EBITDA, which is more than enough to pay its dividend of $0.73 per share. And investors owning the stock today should look at this as a dividend stock rather than a growth stock, given that there aren't any new resort developments on the horizon.

Investors should expect that gambling revenue in Macau probably won't keep up with the market as a whole as MGM and SJM open their properties. But Las Vegas Sands should still hold a profitable position in the mass market with its properties in the core of the Cotai Strip. And with Marina Bay Sands churning out well over $1 billion in cash flow every year, this is a great dividend stock to own for the long term.

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Las Vegas Sands Is Losing Its Grip on Macau's Gambling Market - Madison.com

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