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Problem With Johnny Depp’s Website?

Johnny Depp The last time Johnny Depp was spotted in Seattle was back in 2013. Turns out he was eating and making a cameo in the 2014 film, “Lucky Them”. The film was being shot in Belltown and Capital Hill. The visit was confirmed by the Seattle Met as well as the Salish official twitter.

There is trouble is paradise, however, because it appears his website JohnnyDepp.com isn’t owned by him. The site is now filled with content about his battles with his wife, alcohol, and drug abuse. It’s a long well thought out page and highly cited. The new page describes his divorce and how he is allegedly a wife abuser. The site is full of detailed photos of his past arrests as well as a few that appear to be of Johnny Depp drunk and smoking. In one photo, it appears he is having trouble even walking and his security is helping him stand while walking through a crowd after an event.

The website also discusses Disney’s involvement with Depp and how they encourage him. The author goes into why the company would support Depp over the years considering his abuse. “What will kids learn about their hero Captain Jack Sparrow?” was one of the questions the website asked it’s readers and followers.

Lastly, the website calls for the boycott of Johnny Depp’s new movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales which comes out shortly. They even have a twitter hashtag: #boycottJohnnyDepp

The hashtag appears to have a pervious history on twitter. Check out the website now before it’s taken down.

**UPDATE – 3/13/17
The website has been taken down and replaced with a blank white page.

**UPDATE – 3/2/17
It appears the website was retracted and now only has one paragraph. The other paragraphs were removed.

Club13.com Herbals – Learn About Kratom

Kratom Plant – Mitragyna Speciosa

Even though the kratom plant, also known as mitragyna speciosa, has its origins in Southeastern Asia, it has a worldwide user base that consumes it in different methods for a variety of reasons. Naturally, enthusiasts from each country want to support vendors based in their own country to benefit the national economy, as well as have a greater guarantee of their product.

Club13.com Herbals is an American-based business located in the town of Saint Augustine, Florida. Ever since its establishment in 1999, the company has based its operations in that location, despite its main form of business being online. Even though the plants have origins from other countries to maintain product integrity, the products themselves are tested and packaged in the United States. This creates products that provide a rich experience, derived from the cultures of other nations.

Club13’s Roots

Club13.com began around the 2000s, an era where the traditional and recreational use of kratom was just beginning to grow. The company saw how the products derived from this plant could benefit people in the United States and used this opportunity to establish itself in a young market. The business itself has between two to ten employees, but it runs with the efficiency of a larger store. Therefore, customers are not only benefiting from an American vendor, but also supporting a small business that has lasted for a long time.

The kratom products, as well as akuamma seeds and kava roots that the store offers come from farmers who helped establish the business as the reliable name it is today. The kratom plant favors tropical climate and suffers under colder conditions. While the plants’ growth in Southeast Asia guarantees its optimal quality, the state of Florida provides the ideal conditions to keep the products in strong form.

Club13’s website features a variety of kratom products that the customer can consume via their preferred method, including both regular and extra strong capsules, powder, vape juice, and extracts. The company also offers different types of kratom, such as Horn, Bali Red, Indo White, and Green Malay. They also have Maeng Da in green, white, and the bestselling red, which is the strongest among its kind as well as compared to other red Maeng Da products in the market. The Connoisseur mix is a special powder that blends all other kratom powders.

In addition to kratom products, Club13 offers other herbal products, such as akuamma and kava. Three different drug test kits are available that test for a variety of drugs, including marijuana, morphine, cocaine, and more.

Quality Guarantee

The company has a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all its products. They have customer service contact points through phone, email, and an online form, and have a refund and replacement policy in place. The store also goes an extra step in establishing customer trust by offering lab-testing results on all its products. Each item receives local testing, using good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards, and consumers can request a lab report to guarantee the safety and quality of each product. Club13.com has good reviews online from what we’ve seen.

Saint Augustine, Florida

Noted above, Club13’s headquarters are in the city of Saint Augustine. This location has the distinction of being the oldest European establishment in the United States, founded on September 8, 1565 by Spanish explorer Pedro Menendez de Aviles. The territory was under Spanish control until Spain ceded it to the U.S. in 1819. The town’s unique, multicultural history has made it an appealing tourist location.

Even though Club13.com is mainly an online business that sells herbal products to individual customers and larger retailers, it also benefits from the city’s welcoming stand on the manufacturing and sale of these products, particularly kratom. Several stores in the city also sell kratom products.

The Saint Augustine community has also stood up for consumers and vendors of kratom products recently. A drug task force recently targeted the plant due to concerns over its easy availability, requesting a ban. A county board meeting on April 2, 2019 voted on the proposal. After hearing from 19 citizens supporting kratom use, the board voted 5-0 against the ban. Businesses like Club13.com benefit from the community’s meaningful support.

Kratom products provided by Club13 combine the quality of Southeastern Asian conditions and American practices to provide a strong, multicultural experience with the benefits inherent in the plant.

Origin and Early Use

During the last several years, kratom has seen an increase in use due to the numerous desired effects it has on the human body. The plant’s features have made it a popular choice in countries around the world, with their inhabitants creating a variety of products and consumption methods based on it.

The kratom plant, is native to Southeastern Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Papua New Guinea. However, the plant now grows in several countries around the world, which has led to increased consumption. It is a member of the Rubiaceae family, which also includes coffee and gardenia.

The tropical conditions of these countries provide a perfect growing place for kratom, as cooler temperatures can stunt growth and force harvesters to keep them inside containers and indoor growing locations. A fully-grown kratom tree can extend as long as 25 meters, or 82 feet. Indigenous populations used the leaves of this plant as coffee and consumed it due to its effects as a stimulant and aphrodisiac.

Dutch botanist Pieter Willem Korthals gave the plant the scientific name of mitragyna because he believed the components of the plant resembled a bishop’s miter. The plant has also gone under other names, including krakuam, thom, ithang, and krathom in Thailand, as well as ketum or kiak-kiak in Malaysia, and mambog among users in the Philippines.

Methods of Consumption

Traditional ingestion methods of kratom leaves include eating them outright or crushed, and brewing them as tea. The addition of lemon juice to the hot beverage reduces its opioid-like effects, and the addition of sugar or honey can reduce the plant’s naturally bitter taste. People who chew the leaves tend to consume one to three leaves at a time, usually removing the veins and adding honey to apparently reduce constipation risks. After direct consumption, the users drink warm water, tea, coffee, or sugar syrup. Dried leaves are usually smoked.

Modern use of kratom has led to several other methods of consumption, including pills and capsules, or powder. In addition to traditional smoking, kratom is now also available as a vape liquid alternative to tobacco. Southern Thailand has also seen the rise of a cold beverage known as 4×100, which combines kratom, soda, and cough syrup to create an effect much like that of alcohol.

Reasons for Consumption

The earliest users of the kratom plant were Thai and Malaysian workers and native people. For years, they have consumed the plant either directly or via tea to increase stamina. Specifically, it increases mental and physical energy, as well as limiting fatigue and general lethargic effects. They claim that it acts as a sexual stimulant as well.

Modern day use of kratom includes recreational purposes, since it can create a similar “high” effect to other opioids. However, kratom is neither a drug nor an opioid. When consumed, it allegedly can trigger an effect similar to other drugs, such as cocaine in small doses, or morphine in large doses, even though kratom acts as a mu-opioid receptor agonist that only stimulates the opioid receptors. Other foods such as breast milk, coffee, chocolate, and coffee also activate these receptors as well.

Due to this specific effect, according to wikipedia, kratom can relieve chronic pain, anxiety and depression. Other times, it offers a general energy boost. Some people recovering from opioid addiction and withdrawal symptoms use it as an opioid substitute to ease the transition process. The Emerald City Journal hasn’t verified these claims by Wikipedia and you should do your own research into the plant.

Seattle Washington does sell kratom in many stores.  It is important to purchase from a quality producers who keeps the plant and powder in its purest condition.

Elon Musk – The 21st Century Father of Invention

Elon Musk Photo

Elon Musk is one of the most popular and admired leaders in the tech industry. Some would say he is even the 21st century Father of invention. One of the reasons why Musk is so emulated is due to the fact that not only does his numerous companies hit big milestones in their industries but he is also very diversified in the businesses that he either invests in or starts. He is responsible for Tesla, SpaceX, SolarCity, and Hyperloop One. This magnetic billionaire entrepreneur is focused on helping to course correct manmade climate change by creating environmentally friendly companies. He has found success in each and every company he has started and is considered one of the most diverse entrepreneurs in the world. What others found to be preposterous ideas, he sees as a challenge worthy of his ambition.

When Musk founded the company that would later become know as PayPal, little did he know that the money that he netted from the sale of that company would thrust him into his entrepreneur popularity. In 1999, Musk started X.com, an online financial services and payment company that was later acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion. Most industry pundits incorrectly assumed that Musk would retire and enjoy his status as a multi-millionaire. However, not one to rest on his laurels, Musk then created the company SpaceX with intention to reduce space transportation costs to enable people to ultimately colonize Mars.

Quick Facts:
Full Name: Elon Reeve Musk
Born: June 28, 1971 – Pretoria, South Africa
Height: 6? 2?
Net worth: 15.9 billion USD (2017) Forbes
Education: Stanford University (1995–1995), More
Spouse: Talulah Riley (m. 2013–2016), Talulah Riley (m. 2010–2012), Justine Musk (m. 2000–2008)
Children: Damian Musk, Xavier Musk, Kai Musk, Griffin Musk, Saxon Musk, Nevada Alexander Musk
Dating: Amber Heard (2017)

Read about Elon Musk SpaceX:
www.spacex.com/elon-musk

For many years, SpaceX was quietly plugging along and working diligently to create their own reusable launch vehicles and spaceships. SpaceX started work on the Falcon 1 launch system in 2002. After 4 years and millions of dollars in private investments, the system was designed. In the period of 2006 through 2015 companies like DARPA, NASA, ORS, Celestis, ATSB, SpaceDev, Orbcomm, NSPO, and Astrium became interested in SpaceX’s mission and ran several test launches of the Falcon 1 rocket. The first three flight attempts failed but on September 28th, 2008, the fourth flight was a success and Falcon 1 reached orbit. NASA was so impressed by SpaceX’s successful launch, that a $1.6 billion contract was signed between the two companies to ferry American astronauts to and from the Earth’s orbit.

This addition to space program is exciting but Musk’s ultimate goal is an expedition to Mars. Currently, the company is working on groundbreaking rocket engines that will help transport people to Mars. The Grasshopper and the Falcon 9 are launch vehicles that are able to make both vertical takeoffs and vertical landings. After a rough first landing for the Falcon 9, on January 10th, 2015, the team was able to land a rocket on a floating platform off the coast of Florida. Falcon 9 experienced another success by delivering the DSCOVR satellite to deep space orbit from SpaceX’s launch complex.

At the same time SpaceX was working on their rockets, in 2004, Elon Musk invested in a little known electric car company called Tesla. In 2003, engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning started Tesla. Musk’s first investment was a whopping $70 million. He became the Chairman of the Board of Directors and the later participated in the design of their first electric chair, the Tesla Roadster. The car later received the Global Green 2006 Product Design Award for its innovative use of carbon fiber composite materials in the hull to minimize weight, the development of an effective battery module and the car had certain design elements that are unique for an electric car. Tesla began to grow exponentially and picked up a pool of investors that included Google creators, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. However, when the car was about the enter production in 2007, the company hit some rough times. Due to management failures, the selling price for the roadster was twice as much as originally planned, the transmission was ineffective and the release of the car was postponed for a year.

Elon went in and cleaned house after such a monumental mishap, and even fired key players involved in the project including Eberhard. Musk then headed the company himself. He then hired Michael Marks as interim CEO until Ze’ev Drori was assigned as the CEO and President of Tesla Motors. Elon Musk succeeded Ze’ev Drori and proved to be a much better CEO. Drori became Vice Chairman and left the company in December 2008. Musk plowed forward with his plan to get Tesla back on track. He reduced staff, negotiated lower prices for supplies and closed some of the offices. Finally in 2008, the Tesla Roadster was put into production with less than a $20,000 price increase.

The company was still experiencing difficulties in 2008 and Musk invested his last $20 million into Tesla to save the company from bankruptcy. Musk even gave personal guarantees to customers to make a full refund in the event of a business failure. But an investment from the German multinational automotive corporation Daimler of $50 million and the inclusion of the Tesla Motors in the U.S. Department of Energy’s pool of innovative transport companies helped to save the company. Tesla also received a preferential interest-bearing loan from government.

On June 29th, 2010, Tesla started it’s IPO and even though it was unprofitable for 10 years it was listed on NASDAQ for $17 per stock and eventually got more than $225 million in investments. The reason for the success of the company was due to the Model S, which was put into production in 2012 and was ranked 99 out of 100 points by Consumer Reports and received the highest safety rating from the National Highway Safety Administration, a 5.4 out of 5 points.

Musk is a big believer in working hard to reverse man-made climate change and he believes that the world is too dependent on oil. He strongly believes that electric motors will help to save the environment. The cars are designed entirely with idea to reduce pollution. In 2014, Tesla unveiled the Model S 85D and the P85D, which was the first electric car with the dual motor. In 2015, the Model X P90D and 90D debuted with the very first true HEPA filter with the “Bioweapon Defense Mode” button in the car. When the HEPA filter operates at a maximum performance no pollen, bacteria or viruses can be detected in the cabin. The Model X has an official EPA rated 250–257 mi (402–414 km) range and the combined fuel economy equivalent and energy consumption for the AWD P90D was rated at 89 mpg-e (23 kWh/100 km or 39 kWh/100 mi)

SolarCity is another environmentally conscience company located in San Mateo, California. It is another company that Musk is a major shareholder in after selling his 11% of PayPal stock, he invested $10 million into the company. It was started by two brothers, Lyndon and Peter Rive, who are also cousins of Musk. SolarCity provides solar power systems for homes, businesses, and governments. The company provides several programs for homeowners including the “MyPower” loan program and the solar lease and solar power purchase agreement. SolarCity is the largest solar energy provider in the United States.

On December 10th, 2012 SolarCity entered the IPO market and immediately the shares jumped from $8 to $11.79. In February 2015, the shares jumped to $57.60. The reason for the rise in stock is the rapid growth that the company has experienced since 2006. SolarCIty has grown from 440 megawatts (MW) of solar panels installed in 2009 to 6,200 MW installed in 2014. In 2015, it was reported that SolarCity installed 870MW of solar power, approximately 28% of non-utility solar installation in the U.S. that year.

In June 2016, Musk’s car company, Tesla, formally submitted an offer to acquire SolarCity for $2.5–3 billion. According to Musk, the reason for the offer is because his focus is “Creating a seamlessly integrated Tesla battery & solar power product that looks beautiful”. On August 1, 2016, SolarCity accepted Tesla Motors’ offer of $2.6 billion. As of August 2016, Musk owned 22% of SolarCity stock.

SolarCity has a wide variety of products, services and technologies. Their most popular services is their Solar Leasing Program for homeowners. This program allows homeowners to cut down their electrical bill by adopting solar power. Their Commercial Solar Program is the largest commercial solar program for businesses. Their installation in San Jose on the North Campus of eBay was the largest solar installation at the time in 2008. Then in July of 2008, SolarCity completed what was then the second largest commercial solar installation in San Francisco, for British Motor Car Distributors, consisting of 1,606 solar photovoltaic panels. SolarCity introduced new financing options for businesses in 2009 and then completed other large installations for companies like Wal-Mart, Intel and the US military. SolarCity also make Electrical Vehicle Chargers that are available for free to the owners of Tesla’s traveling on Hi-way 101 in California. In the next few years, SolarCity is planning on opening up the Gigafactory, a battery factory that plans on making a battery storage device called Powerwall. Musk also announced that SolarCity will be introducing an actual solar paneled roof. That means that the photovoltaic electrical energy generating devices and system would make up an entire roof surface, rather than just mounting solar panels on an existing roof.

His latest ambitious venture is Hyperloop One. Hyperloop is still in the beginning stages of development but Musk is confident that the Hyperloop Transportation System will revolutionize travel. In 2012, Musk at the PandoDaily Event in Santa Monica he said that he has been conceptualizing the idea of a fifth mode of transport. He went on to explain that this futuristic travel mode will be immune to weather conditions, collision free, twice the speed of a plane, low power consumption and enough energy storage to last for 24 hours.

One of my favorite videos of Elon Musk was his Ted Talk. He is great speaker and Ted.com has the full version (about 20 minutes in length). He discusses all his businesses and some of his plans for the future (https://www.ted.com/talks/elon_musk_the_mind_behind_tesla_spacex_solarcity)

During 2012 and 2013, a combined effort from engineers from both Tesla and SpaceX designed the original concept for the Hyperloop. The design concept was then published on the Tesla and SpaceX blogs. In a surprising move, Musk decided to have the concept published on the internet because he wanted people to provide feedback for improving the system. The Hyperloop design will be an open source concept, which is a highly unusual move for a company.

Currently, the design concept is a solar powered, high-speed mode of transport that would be powered by linear induction motors and air compressors. Specialized pods will float on a layer of air and will move through a continuous steel tube and the pods will move through the tubes at the extremely high speeds. The system would be powered by solar panels and one capsule can fit up to 28 people.

In June 2015, SpaceX announced that it would build a 1-mile-long test track to be located next to SpaceX’s Hawthorne facility. The track would be used to test pod designs supplied by third parties from the Pod Design Competition. A crowdsourced operation called Hyperloop Transportation Technologies claimed in early 2016 that it would begin construction later in the year of a 5-mile (8 km) Hyperloop test track in Quay Valley but it has yet to receive the permits or even begin its environmental review process. The MIT Hyperloop team was the first to develop the Hyperloop pod prototype, which was based on electrodynamic suspension.

Elon Musk is an innovator and works hard to create technology that leaves a very small carbon footprint on this planet and is focused on technological innovations that will help to reduce climate change. His effective management style coupled with his ability to take risks makes him the most interesting and admired entrepreneur on the planet. Follow him on Instagram.

Biography:

Early Life
Elon Musk was born in South Africa on June 28, 1971, to a Canadian mother and a South African father. He spent his early childhood with his brother, Kimbal, and sister, Tosca in South Africa. Elon Musk did not have the easiest of childhoods but showed early signs of ambition and success. As a child, Musk was reading approximately 10 hours a day and by age 8 had read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica. When he was 9-years-old, his parents divorced, and he went to live with his father. Musk had a difficult time in school and was bullied by other students, so badly that at one point he was hospitalized. These personal troubles did not set Musk back. When he was 12-years old, he wrote his first video game, Blastar, and sold it for $500. His entrepreneurial spirit started young. It has been said that his unsettled early life prepared him for times of adversity during his professional career.

University
At age 17, Musk moved to Canada. He worked odd jobs and stayed with family upon his arrival, not afraid to get his hands dirty shoveling dirt in a boiler room. He first attended Queen’s University to avoid mandatory service in the South African military, but he left in 1992 to study business and physics at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated with an undergraduate degree in economics and stayed for a second bachelor’s degree in physics. After leaving the University of Pennsylvania, Musk headed to Stanford University in California to pursue a Ph.D. in energy physics. He dropped out of Stanford after just two days taking advantage of the internet boom and launching his first company, Zip2 Corporation. In 1999, a division of Compaq Computer Corporation bought Zip2 for $307 million in cash and $34 million in stock options.

Entrepreneurial Journey
Musk’s entrepreneurial journey is nothing short of extraordinary, and many people are sitting in anticipation watching the developments of his latest ventures. Musk is a mover and shaker of modern times and technological advancements. In 1999, Musk co-founded X.com, an online financial services/payments company. An X.com acquisition the following year led to the creation of PayPal. In October 2002, PayPal was acquired by eBay for $1.5 billion in stock. Before the sale, Musk owned 11 percent of PayPal stock.

Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX, in 2002. The intention of this business was to build spacecraft for commercial space travel. By 2008, SpaceX was well established. NASA awarded the company the contract to handle cargo transport for the International Space Station—with plans for astronaut transport in the future—in a move to replace NASA’s space shuttle missions.

Another Musk venture is Tesla Motors, a company dedicated to producing affordable, mass-market electric cars. Five years after its formation, the company in 2008 unveiled the Roadster, a sports car capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, as well traveling nearly 250 miles between charges of its lithium ion battery. With a stake in the company taken by Daimler and a strategic partnership with Toyota, Tesla Motors launched its initial public offering in June 2010, raising $226 million. The 2017 Tesla Model S P100D first test hit a new record 0 to 60 mph in 2.28 seconds.

In August 2013, Musk released a concept for a new form of transportation called the “Hyperloop.” Hyperloop is a proposed mode of passenger and freight transportation that propels a pod-like vehicle through a near-vacuum tube at more than airline speed. At the end of January 2017, 27 teams were on site at SpaceX in preparation for a weekend’s Hyperloop Pod Competition just outside SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA. The purpose of the competition was to help accelerate the development of a functional Hyperloop prototype and encourage student innovation by challenging university students to design and build the best Hyperloop pod. The competition was the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

Musk’s net worth for 2017 comes in at 13.4 billion. Musk’s success did not come overnight. There were points throughout his career where money was scarce, he was sleeping in his office, the risks were high, rockets weren’t cooperating, and funding was coming in at the final hour. Musk’s aggressive work-ethic combined with a strong belief in what he was doing propelled him to the success he has reached today.

Political Involvement
Musk has recently become more active in the political sphere. Wherever you stand on current U.S. politics, Musk is going to be a game changer and a major influence during Trump’s presidency. Musk is one of 18 business leaders on Trump’s advisory council. Musk has spoken out about the travel ban and environmental issues. Musk insists he’s making progress. “At my request, the agenda for yesterday’s White House meeting went from not mentioning the travel ban to having it be first and foremost,” Musk said, referring to Trump’s travel ban against seven Muslim-majority nations. “There has already been, and there will be progress on this matter.”

Musk — who has publicly opposed the travel ban — added that he wants the travel ban to be “addressed on all fronts: judicial, legislative and executive,” indicating that he thinks a federal judge’s intervention isn’t enough. Musk is also speaking up about environmental issues. The CEO of Tesla (TSLA) and SpaceX, has one other important issue on his agenda with Trump: climate change. He said that he raised the issue with the president.

Personal Life
Musk has been married twice and has five sons. He married Justine Wilson in 2000. In 2002, their first son died at 10 weeks old from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). They would have five additional sons together, twins (with IVF) and triplets. The two met during college and Justine was by Elon’s side during the early stages of his entrepreneurial journey. After their divorce, Musk met actress Talulah Riley, and they married in 2010. The couple split in 2012 but married each other again in 2013. Their relationship ultimately ended in divorce in 2016.

If you’d like to see his biography has a graph check out:
http://fundersandfounders.com/how-elon-musk-started/

Go on, Give Your IT a Quick Health Check

Working on Computer Photo

How would you feel if your body was as healthy as your IT department, and how would you honestly describe your level of health right now: fighting fit, can’t complain, a few niggles, or ready for the knackers yard? Over the last few years I’ve spent a lot of time working with a variety of IT departments, both in the public and private sector, and there are very few IT departments who can say that they are fighting fit.

If you’re feeling under the weather, you tend to visit the doctor. And what is the first thing he or she asks? ‘What are your symptoms?’ Unless the doctor knows the symptoms he/she can’t diagnose what is wrong with you, and what to prescribe to cure it. It’s exactly the same with an IT department. You need to spot the symptoms. Some symptoms are quite evident, like a boil on your nose, others are quite subtle, maybe just a feeling that things aren’t quiet running as well as they should be.

So how do you spot the IT symptoms? First, look at symptoms in people, then in any processes you have in place, and then your technology. You’ll have to go looking for symptoms, they don’t often come looking for you, and if they do, you may well have a terminal case. People symptoms are unhappy staff, increased staff turnover, customer complaints, lack of communication, too much communication; symptoms in process are process avoidance, increased bureaucracy, increased time to deliver an outcome; and symptoms in technology are complaints about not fit for purpose, increased number of incidents reported, poor reliability and poor maintainability.

Okay, so now you have identified the symptoms. How do you diagnose what is causing them? Implementing a problem management function within service management is the answer to all your ills. Root cause analysis is the prime function of the problem managers role and is key to the diagnosis of an IT department’s ills.

Sometimes the thought of taking the medicine seems worse than putting up with the symptoms. But believe me, symptoms can get worse – and quickly. So you’ve spotted the symptoms, diagnosed the problem, and now you need to address the root cause. So how do you take the medicine? By this stage you’ve probably found a fair few problems that need to be addressed. Setting up a service improvement program is the ideal way to ensure that the problems which are giving you the biggest pains are relieved first. It also ensures that there is someone to oversee the admission of the medicine and that it’s taking effect.

Organizations often worry at the thought of bringing in a consultant to give them a quick health check. I suppose it’s exactly the same reason that many of us put off a visit to the doctor. We either think it’s too trivial for the doctor, and prefer a quick trip to the pharmacy, or we are trying to avoid what we think may be bad news. Self-diagnosis is a start, but not always the best approach. Most of the reputable IT service management consultancies offer some form of health check. I have learned a lot of the years about IT computer management and business in general. I credit most of my knowledge to CEO Mark Hurd at Oracle.

The health of your IT department can go up and down, just like human health. Illnesses can come back. So what do you do about it? Undertake regular check-ups for early warning signs and perform an ongoing program of review within your IT department to ensure a healthy state of body and mind is maintained within the IT department.

Why is prevention better than cure? Because you, your staff and your customers don’t have to go through all the pain that’s associated with poor IT service delivery and support. So how do you go about putting in place preventative measures? Inoculation is the answer, in the form of proactive problem management. Unfortunately, out of all the service management disciplines, it is the one that more often than not is left until last to implement.

I feel another article coming on, or it could be the flu…

Joel Hyatt Launches New Start-up Globality

Globality Connecting Businesses Together With Joel Hyatt

Backed by $37.5 million in funding, Globality aims to ‘make globalization work’ by bringing SMEs and large corporations together

Seattle, WA – Globality debuted today as the first global business-to- business marketplace that will pave the way for small and medium-sized companies to become more active in the global market.

Founder of Globality, Joel Hyatt, officially launched Globality after two years of gathering investors and a team of high-powered industry leaders. Hyatt tweeted this morning, “@GlobalityInc is officially live! Proud of our great team. Our mission is to make globalization work.”

“We understand why people want to reject globalization?—?they see benefits only flowing to the largest companies and the richest individuals,” Hyatt wrote in a recent blog post.

“But the problem is not that globalization exists; the problem is how it functions. We want to get more people involved in globalization. We want to drive the benefits of globalization deeper into the world’s economies.”

Globality is a return to Hyatt’s beginnings in the business world. In 1977, he co-founded Hyatt Legal Services, which focused on providing legal services to middle and lower income families nationwide.

Per a Fortune Business article, “Globality, matches multinational companies with prequalified specialists in countries where they have a limited on-staff presence. Often, these consultants are small, not business partners that would not typically have relationships already.”

Traditionally, these smaller companies haven’t had access to the large multinationals because it is too costly to qualify companies operating in all these different markets, said Dennis Nally, a Globality board member and former chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers. This changes the procurement process.

Globality was co-founded by Hyatt and Lior Delgo in 2015. The company currently has a staff of 75 people in Silicon Valley and London. It is backed by $37.5 million in funding from former Vice President Al Gore; John Emerson, U.S. ambassador to Germany; Ken Goldman, CFO of Yahoo; Jim A. Johnson, director of Goldman Sachs; Michael Marks, founding partner of Riverwood Capital; David Rosenblatt, CEO of 1stdibs; Jeff Sine, co-founder and managing partner of Raine; and Yechiam Yemini, and professor of computer science at Columbia University, among others.

Globality board members include high-powered technology and business leaders Juliet de Baubigny, Senior Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers; Ron Johnson, CEO of Enjoy; John R. Joyce, former CFO of IBM; Dennis Nally, Former Global Chairman of PwC; and Mark Vorsatz, Managing Director and CEO
of Andersen Tax.

###

About Globality
The inspiration to start Globality is based on the belief that helping small and midsize businesses to become players in the global economy is the most important way to address globalization’s challenges. We’ve created a cross-border business platform that combines artificial intelligence and industry expertise to match clients with pre-vetted, highly qualified small and midsize service providers around the world and enables them to do business together seamlessly on a secure platform.

Media Contact:
Bite Communications for Globality
Bethany Mullinix
media@globality.com

If you’re interested in reading more about Mr. Hyatt, Here is one of his more recent articles about Globality.
Fortune
7 Tips for Building a Successful Company
Joel Hyatt
http://fortune.com/2017/05/10/globality-ceo-building-successful-company/

Perfect Bali Adventure With Surfing Tips

Jalan Legian In Bali Downtown

I am a traveling machine. My adventures usually start in Seattle and go from there but I haven’t been in Seattle for a while. This is my perfect Bali adventure with a special attention on surfing. One thing I really enjoy in these magical paradises like Bail is to surf the waves.

This is a guide to an awesome surf adventure in Bali.  Also, this is a skeleton view of my favorite vacation on earth.

  1. Fly into Denpesar (DPS) airport on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Take an official taxi (one with a meter where you can buy your fare from the airport desk) to some hostel or hotel in Kuta or Legian. Warning: When you get out of that airport you will be mobbed by very friendly people willing to carry your bags and take you anywhere you want to go.  Don’t go with them; wait for a taxi.  Arrival in Bali is a beautiful chaotic mess. Use the official taxi to get you to a pre-booked room where you can sleep and gather yourself after that flight.
  2. Enjoy sometime walking around Kuta or Legian. Go to a market, eat exotic fruit you’ve never seen before, try strange goodies and buy an awesome knockoff. Go to the beach and drink some Bintang beer. Have a sleep and get out of that mad place. Head towards Padang – Padang Beach.
  3. Find a place called Bali Rocks because it is amazing. Bali Rocks is a hard to find spot near the Padang Inn.  There is also a surfer run Mexican food restaurant that marks where you need to head towards the cliffs. There are no signs for welcoming you or that say stay out. Walk down the long cobblestone path on the southern side of the building.  Continue down a gravel cliff-side road and down the steep stairs. It’s one hell of a staircase so pack light. Make this your home base for at least a week. Bali Rocks is the #1 spot because it is right on the side of a cliff overlooking a perfect long right reef break called “impossibles.” Before you carry all your stuff down there, hike down without your bags and ask about a room. The guy that runs the place is named “Gday.” He’s super nice and he speaks English and Russian. He can offer a 2 person room for $12 US Currency per night.
  4. Enjoy the best time of your life living here. Really take in the sun and this moment in your life. You can eat out for about $2.50 US per person. Rent a scooter so you can travel all around the place. The longer you rent the scooter, the less it costs. Our scooter ended up costing about $2.00 US per day. Now you have free fun transport, inexpensive delicious food and a stunning place to live. Millionaires don’t have it this good. We did this for a month and spent about $1,000 US between the two of us.
  5. One day you’ll probably have to leave. You most likely can’t live in paradise forever. This will be the hardest day of your life. Go back to the airport and enjoy every second before you get back on that plane. There is no doubt that it will take you to a far less enjoyable place.

This is the blue print you need to live in the most beautiful place in the world. Smile and wave to the Balinese, they will return your smiles with even bigger ones. Drive that scooter everywhere you can. Send me a message and tell me you are there. I’ll be jealous.

What’s Your Travel Style?

What Kind of Traveler Are You?

Recently someone emailed me, asking if they should backpack around the world or take luggage. My answer? It depends. What’s your comfort level? Will you be going from airport or train station straight to a hotel? Or will you be canvassing the city before settling on a hostel you can’t find in the guidebooks? It seems the more you travel, the better you can refine your requirements. Do you really need a hotel or will a dorm room with six bunk beds suffice? Should you fly from place to place or take the train or even drive from country to country? Is it going to be a 6 month apartment lease or winging it as you go, staying in stranger’s homes? You are not in Seattle anymore.

Over time my travel sensibilities has changed. I know what I can scrimp on (hostels) and what I can’t (having my dogs with us). It started me thinking– what are the different types of traveler?

The Jet Setter: You are independently financed (or at least well-financed). You travel between any category of comfort, but really you can afford 5 star all the way. You might have a couple of apartments strategically located in key cities (Seattle, NY, Paris, Buenos Aires). You might go budget, but it’s more for the thrill of slumming it for a weekend, than out of financial necessity.

The Expat: You’re the middle class of world travel. You live abroad, but you’re not roughing it. You have a job (or several) and a long term lease on your flat. You don’t stay in hostels or hotels, those are for tourists and kids. You don’t have the flexibility of backpackers, but having your own place, building relationships and calling a new country home, is totally worth it.

The Professional Traveler: You wish you were an expat, but you can only sit still for 3 months at a time (at most!) You still rent an apartment, get settled in, but you’re traveling the world in 3-4 leaps a year. You might backpack between cities, use hostels or hotels or just stay put for a few months before moving on. You might work short term teaching gigs, but most likely you get your income from freelance work– you can be anywhere, as long as it has good internet (and coffee).

The Road Warrior: You bought a van or RV and you’re traveling in your home. These folks can range from retirees with a million dollar rig to a few college students going from Cali to Chile in their parents old VW. Closer to backpacker than expat, these folks have maximum flexibility (as long as you travel one continent) and can move much more stuff than they can carry.

The Flashpacker: Besides being the hottest new buzz word in RTW travel, you’re probably a little too old to care. You don’t mind backpacking, taking public transportation or sleeping in a dorm room. But you don’t have to, and if the mood strikes, you have no problem paying for a nice hotel, scuba lessons or a flight to your next destination. It’s what happens to backpackers when they get old enough to have a 401K and a healthy savings account. Independent travel is still key, but the budget is way more flexible.

The Backpacker: You’re carrying everything you own, and trying to live on $10 a day. You are not only staying in a hostel, but washing your socks in the bathroom sink after a dinner of ramen. You haven’t slept in the same city for more than a week in months, and you’re loving it. Bonus points if you use couch surfing, become a busker or hitchhike.

What’s your travel style? Has it changed over time? I wonder if there is a progression from backpacker to flashpacker to expat. Or from Jet Setter to Professional Traveler. Or do we stick to one way of traveling?

Standalone Journal is One of the Worst-Ever Open-Access Journals

Journal of WHAT ?

Here’s a quick description of the Journal of Biospectracal, a journal I learned about and added to my list last month.

The first thing one notices about this journal is the strange title. What does “biospectracal” mean, if anything? It’s not explained on the journal’s website.

Googling the term, one only finds links to the journal itself, except for this Budapest Open-Access Initiative page, in which someone identified as “editor biospectracal” has signed the now passé petition.

The journal proudly displays its ResearcherID and ORCID numbers, identifiers reserved for individual researchers, not predatory journals.

The journal’s cover image.

It promises, “Acceptance of manuscript in 15–20 days,” longer, perhaps, than average for most journals on my lists.

The journal has published five articles so far, all published in either issue five or six of volume 1, with no indication of where the earlier issues are, if they even exist.

The journal appears to be the sole effort of S. Narendhran of Coimbatore, India, and he’s also the editor-in-chief.

Most of the journal’s “Instruction to Authors” is lifted from other websites. It costs USD $100 to publish in the journal, with additional charges for papers having over two authors.

Overall, the quality of journals from India is decreasing greatly, and journal publishing there is mostly carried out as a means of generating quick and easy income for publishers.

Hat tip: Dr. Kathryn H Jacobsen

By: Jeffrey Beall
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Source: Scholarly Open Access

Comments:

Wim Crusio says:

January 5, 2017 at 9:12 AM

Perhaps that’s a typo for “Biospectacle”?

BG says:

January 5, 2017 at 10:09 AM

Or maybe just lifted from “SpectraCal”, an apparently legitimate US based video calibration company?

Lynn Huntsinger says:

January 5, 2017 at 9:25 AM

I went to the website and…it has an Orchid ID!

Lynn Huntsinger says:

January 5, 2017 at 9:28 AM

Sorry, I see you mentioned that in your article–I leapt ahead. I so appreciate your work. There is an art project in all this somewhere.

Hank says:

January 5, 2017 at 10:15 AM

and they have a Facebook page with 25 “likes” — sucker list?

stevelaudig says:

January 5, 2017 at 1:32 PM

I agree it might be “biospectacle” or “biospectacular” and could be related to “bio-exorcism”. It would be a “miscreant” journal….. “Adam and Barbara remain invisible to Charles and Delia, teenage Lydia can see the ghost couple and befriends them. Against Juno’s advice, the Maitlands contact the miscreant Betelgeuse, Juno’s former assistant and now freelance “bio-exorcist” ghost, to scare away the Deetzes.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetlejuice

Cora says:

January 5, 2017 at 1:33 PM

Look to archive (vol. 1 only so far): “Downlad PDF” :::)))

Bonbon says:

January 5, 2017 at 3:07 PM

The horse logo of this journal also brings to mind the Springer logo.

Andy Mabbett says:

January 5, 2017 at 4:14 PM

The ORCID account has already been suspended.

Ahmad Hassanat says:

January 5, 2017 at 5:03 PM

What you have done Jeff?
now you increased the results of the Google search !

matthewjholland says:

January 6, 2017 at 1:12 AM

You can report abuse of ORCID to support@orcid.org

Bill says:

January 7, 2017 at 7:51 AM

I entered “Biospectracal” into “Google Translate” (within “Detect language”). Nothing shows up except “Biospectracal” again. What does the suggested alternative spelling “Biospectacle” add to our understanding? Can anyone find a dictionary definition of this re-spelled term? Explanations, anyone?

What Redesigning Your Life and Traveling the World Really Means

I’ve been meaning to write about this for a while. I had recently read a piece about location independent living that said most bloggers were getting it wrong… living anywhere wasn’t the point, it was how you live. He was right about the last point. His solution? Create as much wealth as possible. On this, he was dead wrong. It’s the same trap that keeps you treading water in a 9-5, wishing but never acting on your so-called “dream” life. To me, it’s about creating a lifestyle that is balanced.

The whole “travel-the-world” thing sounds great, and it is. But you will get burned out. You will become jaded. You’ll seek novelty, but find none. You’ve done it all (or so it seems). Travel for it’s own sake is a short term solution and if you don’t find something else to create meaning in your life, you won’t be happy. Part of what makes travel so alluring and magical is it’s scarcity. Ask anyone who travels 365 days a year and their perspective is decidedly anti-travel. A vacation for them? A whole week in their house, napping on the couch, watching TV and ordering pizza. I’m sure there are some travel writers (especially the guide book variety) that think that sounds just like heaven.

So why do I write so much about travel? For me, it was the spark. It’s the idea that got me out of bed in the morning, energized about my future plans and motivated to take the leap. I probably love travel even more than I did before, back when I had no clue what the world looked like, and even less about what a long term traveling lifestyle would entail. It has opened doors for me, and shown me more about myself and human nature than I might have learned in 10 years at home. But at the end of the day, it’s not the travel alone that makes my lifestyle work, it’s the lifestyle redesign to get there that I cherish most.

I don’t write about these things often, maybe because it opens up the inevitable discord from those not where they want to be. But I think it’s important for anyone who’s planning on taking the leap to keep the bigger picture in mind. We quit our jobs, we redesign our lives for one reason only: freedom. For me, that freedom means being able to travel when I want, and to stop traveling when I’m tired. It means being able to help a family member fix up their house for three months (last fall). It means being pregnant and getting to take 3 hour naps every day if I want (which I did the entire first month). It means spending my days writing, playing with techie blog things and taking pictures (three things I love).

It means never having to do something I truly loathe.

In fact, I’d probably be a much wealthier, more successful and better published writer if I did do things I didn’t like. But I don’t care. I have enough money, I have my flexibility and somewhere along the line, I made the decision that it simply wasn’t worth it to me to write certain kinds of articles or to embed SEO keywords into my posts or to take on clients that would make me unhappy.

I’m not the only one making this work. In fact, I know one blogger who actually loves the SEO stuff and makes a good portion of his living off of this knowledge. It’s not about what path you take, just that you’re putting quality effort into whatever you do. Say it with me, “You don’t have to do stuff you hate”. There’s always another way.

Even as I write this, I can hear the cries of, “Well I have XYZ responsibilities, must be nice, but for me….” I know! There are compromises. I don’t buy new stuff for myself. I live as cheaply as possible. Sometimes when I travel, I’ll stay in a hostel, sleeping in a dorm bed with a dozen strangers in the same room. I saved before I left. I save money now. These are all things I have no problem doing, because they’re not that big of a deal to me. You might have other preferences. You might prefer to travel in more luxury and as a compromise you work more hours. Our paths might be different, but the outcome should be the same.

I’ve been working on my non-traditional lifestyle for two years now. If you’re just starting out doing this, you’re justifiably cynical. The point is, the goal should always be to do something we love everyday. If you’re redesigning your life to travel, but you’re funding it with stuff you hate, you’re missing the point. If you quit your job only to start a business that bores you to tears, then we have a problem. If you have to work 100 hours a week, and you can’t just blow everything off for a month, then what’s the point? We have been taught rules: all paying work must involve things we strongly dislike, dragging yourself out of bed each day is proof you’re an adult, and no one is allowed to be happy without paying their dues. Don’t buy into it.

The key to redesigning your life is eliminate everything that doesn’t add value or saps your ability to act independently. It’s the mindset of the surly teen… “How do I get out of doing this?” It’s a process. You get rid of the soul-sucking job, but then you add back in soul-sucking clients. You weed them down to the good ones, and then you try your hand at a small business. You might find a good balance, but then panic because a high profile project comes along (if I pass, maybe I’m making a huge mistake) only to find yourself digging your way out of 6 months of tedious work. You get better at trusting you instincts and things like cash and high-profile gigs can’t draw you in anymore. You’ve found something more valuable.

So I write about travel, because to me that represents the big fat someday. It’s the common dream we all share, but in reality we’re all folding different hopes and expectations in. For some people travel sounds like a vacation, napping in a hammock on the beach, with a cold beer at your finger tips. For others it’s pure excitement, the fast paced, seat-of-your-pants ride through another country, into another culture. And for others it’s about giving back, or learning, or solitude or self discovery. Travel is the metaphor that helps us understand the shared intent: the freedom to spend our days doing what we’d like. It’s an insanely simple idea. In hindsight it’s stupidly simple to implement (although it never feels that way). The hard part? Giving yourself permission to be wildly, irresponsibly happy.

Should You Adapt When You Travel?

Five guidebooks, each covered with pictures of golden temples and vivid spices, gave me the same advice: when I go to Southeast Asia and India, I should use the right hand to eat and gesture because the left hand is considered unclean. I do not know what these guidebook writers would have thought of my left-handed cousin, who was born and raised in North India, and always used her left hand even when accepting the offerings of Gods at temples. Her left-handedness was important to her and she was not willing to sacrifice it merely to satisfy the whims of strangers.

We travelers get this type of advice all the time, that is, advice on how to fit in to the community to which we travel. I have been advised to wear black clothing and designer jeans in Italy, to speak exclusively Spanish in Spain, and to dress modestly and avoid speaking with men in Middle Eastern countries. But, though I may try my best to adapt, I will never be mistaken for a local. And, even if the subterfuge of changing my dress, language, and mannerisms would be enough to mark me as a local, do I want to give up my heritage, culture, and predispositions merely because I have crossed borders?

The Problem With Adaptation
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin, The Origin of the Species

The traveler who adapts to foreign customs is most likely to manage the hassles and pressures of travel. Though I was born in Philadelphia, spent most of my life in Alabama, and speak Tamil poorly, my skin color and features instantly define me as a person of Indian-descent, so I wear salwar kameez when I travel in India to avoid being stared at or hassled by the local touts. We adapt not only to avoid the irritations of the foreign nation but also to show respect for the culture and customs of the people upon whose country we descend. At Ayers Rock, when the aborigines asked us not to take pictures of their sacred sites, we complied even though we saw other Westerners pressing their flash buttons.

As with all things, there are people who take adaptability to the extreme. When we were in Ireland in 2003, we met Americans who slapped Canadian stickers on their backpacks, not because they were ashamed of their country but rather because they did not want to be questioned and antagonized about American policies and the Iraq war.

No matter how we adapt, whether simply changing our clothing or deceiving others about our origin and nationality, we lose a bit of our authentic self through the process. Some will argue that these changes are good and by adapting, we become more broad-minded about ourselves and the world around us. I hesitate on that point. Middle Easterners argue that adaptation to Western society is killing their culture and customs, as children are exposed to shocking sexually suggestive lyrics from musicians and nudity on television. In the same way, I wonder why I voluntarily set aside my beliefs in feminism by acceding to the wishes of conservative nations and cover my head, shoulders, and legs while traveling through those nations.

This is the problem of adaptation. Though our attempts to change ourselves may assure our survival in a foreign land, we may not be happy in merely surviving.

The Problem With Authenticity
Then, let us reintroduce the self – like my left-handed cousin who refused to use her right hand at temples, I decide which beliefs are important to me and I place a strangle hold on them, refusing to adjust or alter them despite foreign customs to the contrary.

A good example is my vegetarianism. I was raised vegetarian in a South Indian household and remained vegetarian even when my brother and cousins started eating meat because I did not wish to consciously harm an animal by my actions. Traveling as a vegetarian is undoubtedly a challenge. I lived in Spain for two months, where roast pigs and beef hang from every second storefront, and never tried paella; I spent a month in Australia and ate mostly pastas and French fries; and I have lived my entire life in the United States and never tried a McDonald’s hamburger or a thick cut steak. I refuse to eat meat because vegetarianism is part of my world view though many cultures do not understand that viewpoint.

The extremists, who refuse to adapt at all, do exist as well. This is the stereotypical “obnoxious American traveler” who sees the country through the window of a tour bus and demands McDonalds everywhere, without interest or desire in meeting the citizens whose country they seek to visit. Recently, for example, one couple advised us that when we go to Egypt, we should not step out of our hotel or tour group or try to meet the local people because of the chaos and unsanitary conditions. Even world-renowned traveler Rick Steves may fall into this category with his advice that travelers should abandon learning foreign phrases and instead use “Special English,” by speaking like a “Dick and Jane primer,” while in Europe.

The problem with remaining true to our principles while traveling is that we may sacrifice opportunities. Though Saudi Arabia is incredibly beautiful, I do not plan to travel there because I would be embarrassed and suffocated in a place where I could not enter a restaurant or drive a car because of my gender. I do not criticize the Saudi Arabians for their beliefs but recognize that mine are different and that I do not want to alter my beliefs in feminism just to satisfy my curiosity about their culture and country. Similarly, because I am vegetarian, I miss many important cultural experiences, such as eating fresh caught sushi, Argentinian barbecue, and French foie gras.

The Balance
The hardest part of travel is finding the balance between authenticity and adaptability. Though I do not eat meat, I eat everything vegetarian, including oddities like sweet potatoes cooked in geothermal steam and durian. We have seen girls wear shorts in India yet immerse themselves in the local culture and cuisine. We have Sikh friends who speak fluent English, eat American food, but wear their beard long and a turban wrapped around their head.

All humans an intrinsic desire to fit in to their surroundings, yet, no matter how much we try to mimic the language, patterns, practices, and customs of another country, as Robert Louis Stevenson wrote, “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” We bring our customs, our beliefs, and our lives with us when we cross borders and, in doing so, educate others about our own country. The question every traveler faces is which beliefs and habits to give up and which we should hold on.

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