Equity Rising
Equity and Intersectionality with Olushola Bolonduro
"I want people to know that they can be the spark to make change happen…" says Olushola Bolonduro, "...wherever they're at." Co-Founder of Pink Umbrella Society and active participant in many other local organizations, Shola chats with Trae about what it's like to be a fresh protester and activist on the streets in a county that does not host a diverse population. As someone with a few intersecting identities themself, Shola was born of two Nigerian immigrant parents who eventually made their way to Washington state. Now living in Everett as a queer 20-something, Shola was activated by the summer protests of 2020 and quickly saw a gap in social activism in Snohomish County. Starting with their own community, Shola took it upon themself to make change. You can follow Shola on their Instagram and reach out to them at SnoPoCANN's website to get engaged in their work. Give Pink Umbrella a follow and engage with their work on Instagram and Facebook. Thanks to Shola's friend, Nicoli Dominn, for the comprehensive and stunning Chime-In to our final episode of Equity Rising Season 2.
Gang Intervention and Equity for Youth with Charles Williams
From YMCA to United Way, from his own life to the lives of today's youth in Spokane, WA, Charles Williams builds and maintains youth programs and youth community with the intent of creating access to opportunities, access to success, and access to full, rich lives. His current role as a Youth Gang Intervention Project Coordinator is with NorthEast Washington Educational Service District 101. In this very intimate and raw conversation, Charles shares with Trae his own road and his own vulnerability as a Black man in this space, and we learn how true it is that those closest to the problem are closest to the solution. You can reach out to Charles at his email cwilliams@esd101.net or through his program's website. Charles's longtime friend Janice Medlock—from his local church community—gives us an intro for this episode, touching on how he shows up musically, as a mentor, and more.
Yoga Equity with Faraji Blakeney
After losing both his parents to the crack cocaine epidemic, Tacoma-native Faraji Blakeney grew up inside a foster care system that did not care for him. After three incarcerations, he was fortunate to find yoga and mindfulness inside the prison system, and it changed his life. Faraji and Trae talk about the equity work he's doing with Black Prisoners Caucus and also with Yoga is for Everyone, an organization working to bring the benefits of yoga and mindfulness to elementary aged kids in Pierce County. You can find Faraji on Instagram at @aumthegod; you may also reach out to him at truthlife_love@yahoo.com. Yoga Behind Bars instructor Christine List—an early influence on Faraji's yoga and mindfulness path—gives us this week's Chime In introduction, highlighting Faraji's dedication to yoga, and to himself. We urge everyone to learn more about Yoga Behind Bars and support their truly transformative work.
Equity in Tech, Wellness, and Beyond with Heru Tchaas Amen
As a diversity, equity, and inclusive professional and IT analyst at one of Seattle's largest retailers, Heru Tchaas Amen is actively working to create, expand, and sustain high-level director and C-suite opportunities for Black people and other people of color. With a full beard, long locks, and an Afrocentric wardrobe, Heru doesn't show up as your typical IT guy—and that's by design. "That became an asset," he tells Trae as he describes how looking differently, thinking differently, acting differently, and advocating for solutions and activations that go against the white, male norm has been a hallmark of his success. This week's Chime In comes from Heru's collaborator Samut Abata and gives us more insight into the work that they do separately and together in the realm of spiritual and physical wellness. Visit Heru's coaching, teaching, wellness site for more on that aspect of his equity work.
Cannabis Worker Equity with Cody Funderburk
Union organizer and cannabis researcher, columnist, and consultant Cody Funderburk works to leverage the strength of many to push back on the few: the white- and male-owned structures of the cannabis industry. Cody can talk terpenes, cannabinoids, and deep cannabis research with the best of them, but this important conversation centers on current and very important movements happening in Seattle around cannabis workers. We urge all those who partake in cannabis and/or those who are watching as issues arise and become more known to visit Cody's site and learn more about their work. You should also check out Ponder, where Cody works with Black and BIPOC people as well as queer, trans, and non-binary people to create an equitable and expansive cannabis marketplace. In lieu of a Chime-In today, we're asking YOU to chime in and use your voice for change, for equity, and for workers.
Equity Within the Narrative with Delbert Richardson
Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben ... Black Americans have long been used to market products, but until recently they've almost always been missing from positive and engaging storylines in movies and on TV. Delbert Richardson tracked this as a young man in the 1960s and 70s and as he used those ideas to guide his studies at the University of Washington, he also began collecting artifacts of Blackness from popular culture and other pockets of society. His collections have been rolled into a traveling museum called The Unspoken Truths that he uses to connect with kids, corporations, community groups, and others around the underrepresented and hidden stories of America. In today's episode, Trae and Delbert get into an engaging conversation around where we're going and where we've been—and how we can be ever more mindful about the narratives, and who gets to own and control them. Learn more about Delbert and his Unspoken Truths work. Donald Felder, a much-respected former Seattle teacher and principal who now facilitates race-related trainings and works in education reform, gave us this week's beautiful and inspiring Chime-In. You can read more about Dr. Felder in this King 5 report.
Equity in Education with Baionne Coleman
Rainier Valley Leadership Academy is a public, tuition-free, anti-racist collaborative community school in South Seattle where sixth to twelfth grade students—here they're called "scholars"—are supported on their path to college, leadership, and life. RVLA CEO, president, mother, and lifelong Central District resident Baionne Coleman talks to Trae about building big systems, regenerative fundraising, keeping that money in the community, and, truly, the future. Find out more about Rainier Valley Leadership Academy. In this week's Chime In, Dr. Maxine Mimms, a former teacher and national consultant in curriculum design and instructional methods, says Baionne's biggest strength is listening—because from there she can do anything. Learn more about Maxine Mimms Academies.
Equity in Community Arts & Culture with Jazmyn Scott
"I'm a Langston baby. I grew up coming in and out of that space," says Jazmyn Scott, referring to Seattle's historic Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute. Now, as the director of programs and partnerships for Langston, the non-profit arts org that leads programming for the larger organization, Jazmyn is continuing a life embedded in Black arts and culture and ensuring that others have that same access. Trae and Jazmyn talk about coming up in a family of radio-makers, creatives, and movement organizers and what it takes to program and produce a Black arts institute in such a way that pays that lineage back, and forward. You can find out more about Langston and their offerings and check out their offshoot, the Black Film Festival. This week's Chime In is especially personal; Jazmyn's mom, Vivian Phillips (herself a venerated arts, culture, and media leader), introduces her daughter by way of an idea she sees so clearly in her: "serve your people first." Vivian co-hosts a podcast called DoubleXposure and runs an arts platform called Art Noir.
Equity in Representation; WA State Rep Kirsten Harris-Talley
In the 2020 elections, six Black women were elected to the Washington State Legislature—tripling the Black female voice in this sector. Rep KHT (as she is known) was elected by the 37th District, which encompasses many Black communities inside Renton, Skyway, and SE Seattle. In kicking off her legislative career during the pandemic, this lifelong organizer and activist worked smartly alongside her constituents to turn quarantine restrictions into a tool they could use. In EPISODE FOUR, Rep KHT tells Trae how the state's virtual sessions allowed her be more directly in communication with those she serves—and to leave lobbyists out cold. This episode is a celebration of Harris-Talley's personal strapline: "working to take action with neighbors." Learn more on Rep KHT's site, and follow along with her on Instagram and Facebook. King County Equity Now chief of staff and mother, grandmother, and community pillar Emijah Smith provides our Chime In introduction this week. You can watch Emijah in a video conversation with the Seattle Community Police Commission about the future of public safety in Seattle.
Equity + Art + Home with Inye Wokoma
"It just so happens that the family business is Black liberation," photographer and filmmaker Inye Wokoma tells Trae in EPISODE THREE of EQUITY RISING. Inye and three other Seattle artists founded Wa Na Wari in 2019, inside a Central District neighborhood home that once belonged to his grandparents. The location, and the generational history, is key to understanding what this important and imaginative arts organization is all about: "reclaiming Black cultural spaces and making a statement about the importance of Black land ownership in gentrified communities." Trae and Inye talk about arts as an engine of change, the specific goals and gifts of Wa Na Wari, and the land reclamation movement through an "open source" lens. Learn more about Wa Na Wari and their events and current exhibits. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Visit Inye's personal art website. Seattle musician Bubba Jones provides a beautiful Chime-In this week, reflecting on his lifelong friend's ability to put an idea into the world, and then actually bring that idea into action.
Food Justice with Nyema Clark
Tucked inside a mostly residential neighborhood on Beacon Hill in Seattle is NURTURING ROOTS, a Black-owned and operated urban farm founded by NYEMA CLARK to create healthy food, healthy activities, and healthy ways for people to reconnect with each other and the environment. In EPISODE TWO of SEASON TWO, Trae and Nyema talk about equity, change, and the evolution of this beautiful and now self-sustaining community resource through the lens of history and lineage, and the future that is to come. "Someone else had their hand in this," Nyema tells Trae. "There is a deep connection with my ancestors, and me pausing and saying, 'Why am I living? How can I be proud of myself?'" The farm, its produce, its stewards, and its visitors show her the answers every season. Find out more about Nurturing Roots and get involved in upcoming events. Follow Nurturing Roots on Instagram and Facebook, and sign this important petition related to Black farming liberation. Nurturing Roots Partnership Director and Avole Coffee Business Development Director Gavin Amos gives us this week's Chime In.
Equity in Filmmaking with Dru Holley
In 1966, six all-black cavalry and infantry regiments were created by the Army Organization Act. They came to be known as Buffalo Soldiers, and director and producer DRU HOLLEY tells their story in Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest. In this SEASON TWO OPENER, Trae talks to Dru not only about his important film, but about how he works to increase exposure, opportunities, and equity within the film industry. A native of Denver, CO, Dru graduated from the Art Institute of Colorado where he specialized in video broadcasting. He recently relocated to the Portland area, so he and Trae also get into the on-the-ground movement there as well. Find out more about Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest. Black Bald Films LLC is Dru's production company. This Week's Chime In is from Iana Amauba, a frequent collaborator of Dru's andfreelance animator in Portland, Oregon. Check out her work on her website.
Roots of the Black Power Movement with Aaron Dixon; Albuquerque, New Mexico
In this powerful conclusion to a season of global connections, Trae comes full circle with a rich and instructive conversation with Aaron Dixon, founder and former captain of Seattle's Black Panther Party. Now living in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Aaron is truly a living legend. His memories of '60s-era organizing—where you never knew, from one day to the next, whether you'd see your comrades again; where families were torn apart and new ones were built—show us where we come from, and how far we have yet to go. After a lifetime of radical activism, youth organizing, regional politics, and more, Aaron says that mostly what he does now is witness. He listens to and encourages the new leaders of the movement, allowing them to find their way to the actions that this modern world demands. We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from this dedicated and accomplished leader as we close out Season One. And special bonus - this week's Chime In features Trae's mom, Tracie Holiday-Robinson! This episode was produced by Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.
Black and Queer in French Fashion with Anthony Vincent; Paris, France
Even if all you know is the name—Extimité—of the French-language podcast that Anthony Vincent co-hosts with afrofeminist Douce Dibondo, you know a lot about this West Indies native. Extimité is like intimacy, he explains to Trae—but an exterior intimacy; an intimacy with the world. After studying literature at La Sorbonne and beginning his career in fashion journalism, Anthony was galvanized by the 2016 murder of Adama Traoré in Paris, and shifted his attention to include police brutality, queerphobia, and more. Examining racism, sexism, ableism, and colonialism through the lens of the fashion industry, Anthony and his community are eager to illuminate and repair the darker side of the postcard-perfect Paris ideal. This week's Chime In features Meysha and Skylar Wilkerson. This episode was produced by Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl. Find Anthony on Instagram at @anthonyvnct and Extimité at @extimitelepodcast
Decolonizing News & Media with Rhianna Patrick; Brisbane, Australia
From Seattle, Australia can seem a world away. But in so many ways, Rhianna's experience as a Torres Strait Islander living on Aboriginal land feels deeply familiar. She and Trae have both spent much of their careers in mainstream media, having to suppress their own cultural identities in order to fit in and get ahead. But now, Rhianna is turning that on its head with her new role as Head of Audio and Podcasts at Indigenous X (short for "Indigenous Excellence"). Along with her team at Indigenous X, Rhianna is reimagining a world that values what Indigenous, community-based reporting can bring. Trae and Rhianna connect on how the U.S. and Australia are synced, from their histories of colonization, the Black Panther Party across the globe, and the fight to end Bla(c)k deaths in custody in Australia. This week's Chime In features Cashayla Rodgers. This episode was produced by Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.
Bonus Episode: Black in a White Sport - An Extended Chime In with J'Lynn Matthews, Colton Green, and Austin Hegmon
In this special bonus episode, we bring you the voices of three athletes in Ultimate Frisbee. Jay, Colton, and Austin generously provide us with a window into the life of a POC athlete in a sport steeped in white culture. Through the specificity of each of their stories, we were reminded that the project of equity is one that permeates every aspect of our lives. Whether you're on the field or in the boardroom, we're sure you'll relate to the issues these young athletes describe: the codification of white professionalism, performative wokeness, and the untrained biases that are so painfully ingrained in our culture. In their thoughtful and loving critiques of Ultimate Frisbee culture, all three athletes give us reason to be hopeful about the shifting tides within athletics and beyond. This episode was produced by Lili Gu & Julia Drachman, and edited by Josh Berl.
Equity in Ultimate with Shanye Crawford; Atlanta, GA
What do you know about equity in athletics—and more specifically: in the niche, relatively new, and initially very white pocket of Ultimate Frisbee? From this very specific point of reference, Shanye Crawford, founder and CEO of Disc Diversity, talks with Trae about the unique opportunities to foster change on and around the playing field. As she organizes an all-Black tour for Fall of 2021, Shanye says that, "rather than looking to see what has been done, I intend to use Ultimate Frisbee to establish the athletic standard for equity." This week's Chime In features J'Lynn Matthews, Colton Green, and Austin Hegmon. This episode was produced by Lili Gu, Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.
Empowering Cannabis Leadership with Ernest Toney; Denver, CO
"If you look at the history of cannabis prohibition, you see cannabis being used as a tool of oppression and the communities being targeted are the Black and brown communities." Starting from this place, BIPOCANN founder and longtime cannabis expert Ernest Toney leads strategy, education, and business operations for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in the legal cannabis industry. In this episode, Ernest talks to Trae about how he works interpersonally within his network to help newcomers and up-and-comers succeed—thereby taking back that imbalance of power. Using a business-to-business approach, and leveraging new legislation as well as any social equity programs that exist, Ernest believes that successful enterprise and strategic partnerships are key to increasing visibility, representation, and equity. This week's Chime In features Elijah Lewis. This episode was produced by Lili Gu, Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.
Incarceration, Art, and Healing with Sabra Williams; Los Angeles, CA
Here to remind us that art and "the arts" are badly in need of decolonization, Creative Acts' Executive Director Sabra Williams facilitates creative expression within communities experiencing the effects of incarceration. Her passionate and informed stance on corporate ills and human transformation dovetails with her dedication to using art in both practical and groundbreaking ways. In Sabra's world, this means that everything from funding, planning, and policy change to casting and directing should be driven not by the status quo systems of white supremacy but by exploration and imagination. And, most importantly, it means centering the hearts and minds of those who have been harmed by poverty, gun violence, and the prison state. "I've never seen social justice and the arts as separate," Sabra tells Trae in this powerful conversation. After hearing this episode, you won't see them as separate either. This week's Chime In features Cashayla Rodgers. This episode was produced by Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.
Black Love & Sustainability with Kamau Franklin; Atlanta, GA
Self-determination was one of Malcom X's key principles, and it's a driving force behind Atlanta-based Community Movement Builders. Episode 6 brings you into the mind of founder and board president Kamau Franklin, who's spent the last twenty years building systems and support for youth education, sustainable urban development, and more. "If we feed people, we're also going to tell them why they don't have food," Kamau told Trae as they spoke together intimately and openly during Trae's recent visit to Atlanta. Kamau is also an advocate of unity without uniformity, and this is an invigorating discussion for all who believe that Black people have the power to govern their own destiny, to serve themselves, and to own their communities—whatever that might look like for them. *Please note that Equity Rising will be on a short break through the holidays after this episode. We look forward to reconnecting in 2021. This week's Chime In features Cashayla Rodgers. This episode was produced by Linnea Ingalls & Julia Drachman and edited by Josh Berl.


Hareth Al Bustani
Welcome to the future: a peek into Dubai's driverless shuttle bus
Dubai pedestrians were treated to a surprise glimpse into the future recently, with a sleek, driverless vehicle offering free lifts along Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard.
For the trial run the shuttle covered a 700-metre stretch between a stop opposite Dubai Opera and Vida Downtown Dubai hotel. Courtesy RTA
The vehicle was part of a public transport trial by the emirate's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The automated, 12-passenger shuttle bus carried passengers down a 700-metre stretch, between a stop opposite Dubai Opera and the Vida Downtown Dubai hotel.
Ahmed Bahrozyan, chief executive of RTA's licensing agency, says hundreds of passengers filled out surveys assessing their confidence in the driverless experience.
"We're looking for things like, when people use this shuttle bus, how confident are they in a vehicle that is being driven by itself; how confident are they that, in the future, these types of vehicles will actually be on the road, serving people?
The RTA also wanted to gauge whether people saw these systems as fads, or actual vehicles that will become mainstays in future mobility systems.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard was selected because the vehicle isn't ready to navigate public roads or negotiate its way around other vehicles. The bus did, however, navigate around pedestrians and cyclists – using GPS and sensors to detect what speed it should travel at.
Bahrozyan says the width of the pavement and the relatively long 700-metre stretch made for a perfect testing ground. "Where there are restaurants, for example, it actually reduces speed. In areas where there are no restaurants, it increases speed."
The current version of the vehicle, which has six seats and space for up to six more people to stand, has a maximum speed of 21kph. The trial vehicle spent most of its time going between 10kph and 20kph, but Easymile, a European partner in the project, is developing a newer model that will reach almost double that speed.
The vehicle's sensors allows it to "be continuously aware of what's happening around it at a radius of about 40 metres," says Bahrozyan. However, the vehicle didn't react to every object within this radius, he adds.
"As the object gets closer and gets within a vicinity of two metres in any direction, the vehicle has the ability to reduce speed, and obviously if it gets closer than that, it can stop as well. So it's extremely safe – we've had no incidents at all to indicate anything other than it's a very safe system."
So far, he says, the driverless vehicle seems even "safer than having a human being sitting behind the wheel".
The shuttle is fully electric, and while the same vehicle could operate for up to nine hours in cooler climates, the constant need for air conditioning in Dubai meant it had to be recharged every four hours. The RTA operated the vehicle daily from 6pm to 10pm, before taking it to an on-site charging station to get it ready for the next day.
"The weather was still a bit warm, so we didn't have as many people as we would in the cooler months, but that is the time of day when you would expect more people to be there and that's what we wanted people to experience," says Bahrozyan.
Aside from the two main stops, there were two others in between "to give people a flavour of how these buses can operate without a driver".
The RTA had an operator present at all times, but this was more as a precaution, Most of the operator's time was spent answering questions and making sure the trial was running smoothly.
The Downtown Dubai trial followed two trials conducted in the Dubai World Trade Centre area, which also went well.
"The survey results from the previous trials were very impressive, and most of them were around 90 per cent or higher in terms of how confident people on-board such shuttle buses were that this is a safe mode of transport," says Bahrozyan.
"Having achieved credibility in always being on top of things, from a technology point of view, there was a high level of confidence that Dubai Government would make this come to reality in the future."
Participants also felt that driverless public transport would add to the experience of Dubai's pedestrians.
The RTA is now in talks with various developers, assessing spaces that could be an appropriate fit for future trials.
"We have to find areas where the routes are relatively simple, just for us to get a feel for what the vehicle can do."
As the march towards widespread driverless vehicles continues, the UAE is positioning itself to take full advantage of future technology.
In Abu Dhabi
Last month, Britain held its first public driverless vehicle test in Milton Keynes. Although driverless innovations are starting to gain traction all over the world, the UAE is already familiar with the technology.
In 2010, Masdar City captured the imagination when it began piloting its personal rapid transit (PRT) cars. While Masdar has scaled back on the project, Masdar Institute maintains a fleet of PRT cars.
These driverless vehicles transport visitors at speeds of up to 40kph using a complex navigation system that detects magnets installed in corridors, aided by sensors, and a wireless connection to a central computer.
The vehicles are being studied by the institute as part of its research into large-scale deployment of sustainable public transportation systems.
One of Abu Dhabi's upcoming projects, announced in June, is the arrival of the SkyTran PRT system on Yas Island. SkyTran is a two-person vehicle that's not only devoid of a driver, but also wheels. Instead, the floating pods will use magnetic levitation to achieve speeds of up to 241kph.
This system will give Yas Island a public transportation option that's cheaper and more sustainable than traditional offerings. Miral, which manages Yas Island's leisure attractions, says the SkyTran system will eventually connect multiple destinations, including Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Mohammed Abdulla Al Zaabi, chief executive of Miral, adds: "While we continue to build world-class destinations and expand Yas Island, it is imperative that we are able to implement an urban transportation solution, which is not only energy-efficient but also adds another level of excitement to our visitors' experiences."
halbustani@thenational.ae


World Cup in Russia brings to mind Soviet-era efforts of soccer diplomacy
LAWRENCE — This summer's World Cup hosted by Russia and the unexpected success of the Russian national team has shined a spotlight on the region's history with the popular worldwide sport.
A University of Kansas historian has researched how Soviet state leaders promoted soccer during the Cold War as a point of national unity, though major contributors included Georgian footballers who typified ethnic diversity on the Soviet national team.
"Only Georgians seemed to offer a visibly ethnic alternative to the style of play present throughout the Soviet Union," said Erik Scott, associate professor of history. "The techniques of Georgian football and the mythology surrounding them emerged from the encounter between a centralizing Soviet state and assertive Georgian republic."
Scott has written a forthcoming book chapter, "Georgian Footballers and Multiethnic Soviet Soccer in the Cold War," for the Stanford University Press volume The Global History of Sport in the Cold War, edited by Robert Edelman and C.J. Young.
Georgian soccer players during the Cold War-era with their more flamboyant style tended to mirror more how South American teams acted on the pitch than the more conservative style favored by other Soviet players, Scott said.
The Georgian fans and athletic promoters often consciously appealed to its association with its national style of dance that included qualities of beauty, ingenuity and agility. Central authorities in Moscow would also invite Georgian dancers to the Kremlin to showcase the state's commitment to multiethnic diversity, he said, and they invited players of Georgia's top club team Dinamo Tbilisi to join the all-Soviet team, known as the sbornaya.
"Georgian and Russian commentators alike saw it as emotional instead of calculating, dominated by dribbling rather than physical defense, and defined by artistic improvisation instead of brute force," Scott said. "Yet it was still held that Georgian players could form a complementary part of the all-Soviet team, which drew heavily on the republics and was meant to showcase the multiethnic diversity of the Soviet Union."
Due to their involvement with the national team, Georgian players gained a prominent place on the world stage by taking part in a type of soccer diplomacy that was a crucial component of the Soviet Union's outreach to the post-colonial world, similar to how the United States sought to demonstrate it had surmounted its racial problems by sending hundreds of African-American athletes on international goodwill tours, Scott said.
There seemed to be unintended consequences for both the central-Soviet promoters and the sport's backers in Georgia, he added.
"The successes of Dinamo Tbilisi, a club originally founded under the auspices of the Soviet Union's secret police, came to be seen as a series of national triumphs, rather than achievements of the broader Soviet Union," he said.
In fact, Georgian Dinamo Tbilisi supporters would become irked at international press accounts that described the team as "the Russians" and "the Soviets," as if the terms were equivalent, Scott said.
"In the end, Georgian supporters blamed the lack of foreign recognition on the inability of their team — and, by extension, their country — to truly stand alone on the world stage," he said.
In 1990 Dinamo Tbilisi withdrew from the Football Federation of the USSR and changed its name to Iberia Tbilisi, which referenced the ancient kingdom of eastern Georgia. Though freed from Soviet-era constraints, the club has yet to match its past successes.
The Georgian civil war from 1991 to 1993 and the collapse of the nation's economy made it difficult to keep soccer talent at home. Georgians have played abroad for some of the world's top clubs and become popular celebrities at home — the current mayor of the Georgian capital first became famous as a starter for AC Milan. But the Georgian national soccer team has not yet been able to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
In the post-Cold War era, it has become even more difficult to see soccer as representative of a clear-cut national character, both in Russia and elsewhere, Scott said, with the ownership and rosters of club teams reflecting a rise in globalization and soccer tactics widely imitated across borders.
Yet Scott believes that Soviet-era discussions about diversity on the pitch anticipated current debates surrounding the European teams remaining in the 2018 World Cup.
"Most of these teams feature the descendants of migrants from former European colonies and factor prominently into discussions about the scope of European national identities," he said.
As for this year's Russian team, Scott pointed out that its top scorer was a Russian raised in Spain. Its right back was born in Brazil. Several starters are of Ukrainian heritage, and its head coach hails from North Ossetia, a region neighboring Georgia in the Caucasus where soccer is exceptionally popular.
"While the team's unexpected success in the tournament might be seen as a win for Russian politicians proclaiming national unity, it also reveals Russia's connections to a changing world and the complex legacy of diversity within the Soviet Union," he said.
Photo: Brazilian soccer star Pelé in this historical image met with Georgia members of the Soviet national team after a 1965 match in Moscow. Credit: RIA Novosti, successor to the Soviet news agency.


Road Map to an App: How to Create Mobile Applications
By Chad Brooks, Writer August 26, 2015 02:30 pm EST
Credit: Shutter_M/Shutterstock
The need for a mobile presence is growing increasingly important for today's businesses.
Mobile applications are one option businesses have when trying to connect with customers and clients on their smartphones and tablets. Recent research revealed that the average time people spend using mobile apps has increased 21 percent in last year and that 85 percent of consumers prefer using mobile apps to mobile websites.
Andrew Gazdecki, CEO of Bizness Apps, a do-it-yourself (DIY) service that lets entrepreneurs build their own apps, said mobile apps are unique because the consumer chooses to download them. This is clear sign that the customers have an interest in your products or services, he said.
"Mobile apps are one of the best ways to increase customer loyalty, engagement, commerce, scheduling and communication," Gazdecki told Business News Daily.
Before jumping right into the process and building an app, the first question you need to answer is whether doing so will benefit your customers, said Michael LaVista, the founder and CEO of Caxy, a Web application development firm that specializes in mobile app development.
"If a business can make ordering easier with an app, or [allow] checking on status with an app, or deliver something customers want through an app, then it's worth investing in," LaVista said. "Having an app to have an app isn't worth it on its own."
Nicholas Acuña, co-founder of the mobile development firm Ebbex, agreed that you don't just build an app because you see everyone else doing it.
"That is the completely the wrong way of thinking about it," Acuña said. "If your business is going to create an app, it has to bring value for your customers."
If you do have an idea for a mobile app that your customers would find useful, you have two ways in which you can create it: use a DIY online service or hire a digital firm or consultant to develop it for you.
"It's not that one is better than the other," Acuña said. "It all depends on what you want to build."
Do-it-yourself services
Small businesses can use a variety of online services to create mobile apps on their own. These platforms provide entrepreneurs with the tools to create and publish mobile apps.
What's especially appealing about these types of services is that you don't need any tech or coding experience to use them. These services provide everything you need, including step-by-step instructions on how to design an app that best suits your needs. [How to Choose a DIY Mobile App Maker ]
While most DIY mobile app services allow you to build apps for both iOS and Android devices, many of the services also provide the tools to create apps for Windows phones and BlackBerrys.
Two other major benefits of using DIY services are how quickly apps can be built and how little they cost. It typically takes less than an hour to build an app with these services. Most of the services charge a monthly fees, which can range anywhere from $1 to a couple hundred dollars, depending on the type of app you build. The monthly charge includes the cost of hosting the app each month and of making sure it gets placed properly in the app stores of your choosing.
The major downside to these services is that you can't build a fully custom app for a unique purpose, Gazdecki said.
"For example, if your business is a social network or you're looking to create a game, you'd need to look into custom development," he said.
Magaly Chocano, founder of app creator SwebApps, said the creation process should begin with entrepreneurs defining their goals. Businesses need to ask themselves whether the app will be an extension of a product or a tool for their consumers to stay connected, she said.
"Once the business determines the level of complexity they are seeking, then you can decide whether a build-your-own platform suffices or if you need to have a custom app built," Chocano said.
But, in general, DIY services are a great way to enter the mobile space, Chocano said.
"It allows you to take a peek at what you can do without too much expense," she said.
If you need a more sophisticated mobile app that offers users more functionality, you'll likely need to hire a development firm to do the bulk of the work.
Developers will work with you to determine what kind of app will best fit your needs, and then will do all of the work designing and building it.
Depending on the complexity of the app being built, it often makes more sense to hire an experienced development firm or consultant.
"Unless your company is a software company, you're probably much better at making widgets, delivering services or something else," LaVista said. "Working with a firm that understands software and understands mobile will get you to market faster and more successfully than trying to figure out a brand new business on your own."
Hiring a developer to do the work for you does come with a significant cost. Mobile-app firms and consultants can cost anywhere from a few thousand dollars to as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"Custom apps are likely to cost $25,000 at the low end and go up quickly with more features," LaVista said.
The price really depends on how "luxurious" you want your app to be, Acuña said.
"We liken it to buying a car," Acuña said of the different price levels, noting that you can get, for example, a Toyota, Kia or Mercedes. "Not all apps are created equal."
When hiring a development firm, you also need to consider the length of time it takes to complete a project. These projects are not quickly turned around in a matter of weeks, and these types of firms or consultants can take anywhere from a couple months to longer than a year to finish a custom mobile app.
One real plus of having an expert build your mobile app is that such professionals typically work on the project long after the initial launch. The likelihood that a mobile app will be perfect once upon its initial release is slim. Mobile development firms typically work with clients, usually for an added cost, after an app is up and running to see what's working and what is not. Once that is determined, the firm will go back and make changes so you can release an updated version that better fits your customers' needs.
When hiring a developer, there are several things you should consider. First and foremost, check out the companies the developer has worked with in the past.
"A reference check really says it all," LaVista said. "It tells you what a company is like to work with."
You also want to look for a firm or consultant that is going to spend time up front learning about your business and customers. Acuña advised shying away from firms that quickly say they can do what you want, without first understanding what you really need.
"If they don't seek to understand what your objective is, then run away," Acuña said.
You also want to consider pricing when hiring a developer. While everyone aims to get the best price possible, sometimes being quoted a cost that is well below everyone else's offer can be a red flag.
"If it's really cheap, it's too good to be true," Acuña said.
You should also take into account what type of mobile apps the firm has created in the past, how those mobile apps look and operate, the type of payment plan the company requires, if the firm will work on updates after the launch, and whether they will provide you with the source code after finishing the project.
Types of applications
The apps most people are familiar with are business-to-customer applications. These include apps that are mobile versions of a company' website, apps that influence interaction between a business and customers, or fun apps that draw attention to a business's brand.
"A mobile application is not a scattered marketing ploy," Gazdecki said. "It's rather a platform that allows a business owner to cultivate existing relationships and turn regular customers into brand advocates."
In addition to business-to-consumer applications, some businesses create apps solely for internal use among their employees. These types of apps can be used to help boost productivity or increase communication.
Regardless of the way you choose to develop your app or what it's used for, it is important to remember that an app isn't just something you launch and then never touch again.
Acuña said that companies too often underestimate what owning an app takes beyond development.
"Do you have the staff, time and resources to see it through?" he asked. "It it's successful, it takes on a life of its own."
This story was originally published in 2010 and updated August 26, 2015. Additional reporting by Brian Anthony Hernandez.


More gavels go down as market heats up
Less distressed real estate is not fazing auctioneers who are reaping the benefits of rising prices, demand and technology.
Although auctioneers insist it's incorrect to associate auctions with strictly fiscally ailing properties — they argue auctions are an accelerated form of realty marketing — the business has weathered the drop of court and lender-owner sales thanks to the renewed appetite for commercial and residential real estate.
Michael Berland, a Cleveland-based principal and managing director in the Chartwell auctions unit of Hanna Commercial real estate, said, "We're seeing more transactions and better values as well as a lot of adaptive reuse properties. We're selling a lot of land and high-end homes at auctions, including the $4.8 million sale of a Hunting Valley house in September, the highest price we've gotten for a residential property."
Acknowledging that luxury homes costing more than $600,000 are the slowest properties to move in the residential market, Berland argues they are a good match for auctions because the extensive publicity and advertising before an auction helps brokers find potential buyers in a shorter period of time than traditional listings. He's working with owners of another four mansions valued at more than $2.5 million he hopes to auction in the next few months.
"We're also seeing the benefits of our (2013) affiliation with Howard Hanna," Berland said, "because we are networking with about 9,000 residential agents. Auctions help because they draw buyers with the illusion of a bargain."
Sheila Rosen-Schiff, the owner and marketing manager of Beachwood-based Rosen & Co. auctioneers, said her firm is doing considerably more real estate auctions. That's because the listing market for homes is so strong many homes get multiple offers in any case.
"There's a better opportunity to maximize the result," she said, "rather than having set a number for the house, have someone jump on it and sell less than its true value." While she said her firm is getting more "showcase" properties, it's also handling auctions for more affordable homes.
While that works out well for some buyers, particularly investors, other brokers point out that first-time home buyers need more assistance getting through the search, lending and purchasing process. That's also partially due to the nature of an auction, because auctions typically require people to place a deposit to bid and be prepared to close quickly.
George Kiko, an auctioneer and member of the board of directors of family-owned Kiko Realtors and Auctioneers of Canton, said the rise of home and other property values are lifting sales volumes in the auction business.
"The best thing is that compared to two years ago, instead of getting $150,000 you are getting $200,000 for the same house. The commissions (or auction premiums) are greater," said Kiko, whose firm regularly handles properties in Cuyahoga and Summit counties and does more than 1,300 auctions annually. Most of the credit for more auction action goes to the higher employment rates, which have allowed buyers to be confident investing in real estate.
Kiko and others say the rise of television programs such as "Storage Wars" and "American Pickers" have made more people familiar, and more comfortable, with auctions. Over time, he said, that has started to influence the real estate market, where people generally have to see and inspect a property to pursue it.
Technology also is having an impact on the auction business, as most firms now do online auctions or stream live, call-out auctions.
Rosen-Schiff said her family-owned firm was started by Gus Rosen who used a megaphone to chant for offers in 1917 but now benefits from the internet.
"This technology allows us to reach a broader, worldwide market," Rosen-Schiff said. "Typically we see at least one buyer from every continent. It's also getting to be a younger crowd, although we see some people we've known for years."
Social networking is also benefiting the auction business, which traditionally thrived on signs, snail mail and newspaper ads. Twitter and other forms of social media are such a factor, Kiko said, that the family-owned firm with 45 auctioneers among its 150 staffers last year added a full-time social media coordinator.
Howard Hanna even has a smartphone app for its auction business.
While some auctions are held on site, Berland said Howard Hanna likes to combine multiple pieces of property that it will auction on the same day in a hotel ballroom. That reduces overhead costs. Moreover, it increases the psychology that's the foundation for auctions: if you don't buy then, if the reserve is met, a buyer may not get another chance.
"The fear of loss is a motivating factor for many buyers," Berland said.
Rosen-Schiff noted that being associated with auctions benefits her firm's traditional real estate practice. The association with an auction firm creates an added sense the property may sell soon, she said.
Salon owner and luxury home builder Dino Palmieri of Solon said he has bought several properties at auction over the years, especially for his residential land development business.
"Auctions create momentum and urgency. That plays on human nature," Palmieri said. "But you have to know what you are willing to pay so that you don't get carried away. I once paid $25,000 more for some land than I had planned."
Sponsored Content: Technology audits should involve a full sweep of business unit alignment


Consumer PR, Travel PR, easyJet| Written By James
Helping easyJet prepare for relaunch post Covid-19.
Taylor Herring are easyJet's retained PR agency.
The Covid-19 pandemic caused Europe's biggest airline, easyJet, to ground all flights for eight weeks.
To reassure passengers that it would be safe to fly again a comprehensive relaunch strategy would have to be developed in order to re-establish confidence.
New health and safety measures would come into effect for all passengers, including a requirement for children over six to wear their own protective face masks whilst onboard at all times.
easyJet asked us to help them develop a pan-European awareness campaign to communicate the airline's new Covid-19 biosecurity measures ahead of the announcement of the resumption of flights.
Phase 1: Unveil Biosecurity Measures
One key asset would be video news release – which would bring to life the 'end-to-end' passenger experience from pre-flight checks, to airport biosecurity measures right through to disembarkation.
The scripting and visualisations involved close consultation with multiple departments at the airline, regulators, legal advisors and third-party medical experts.
Our video crew, in full PPE gear, was dispatched to Gatwick Airport to capture interviews and content with the Biosecurity team, Cabin Crew Operations Manager, the director of Flight Operations and easyJet's Chief Medical Officer.
The film was translated into eight different languages for key European markets.
Phase 2: Engage Family Flyers
Young families are a significant customer segment for the airline representing a sizeable proportion of all easyJet travellers during the peak Summer months.
We wanted to help ease the experience for both kids and parents – normalising the necessity for face coverings at the airport and on board.
However, our research revealed that for many children the unfamiliar spectacle of hundreds of people in masks at airports and on board could be an intimidating sight, so this had to be addressed in the creative development.
We needed to take the fear-factor out of travel for kids in this strange new COVID world. So, the creative would need to combine children's passion for fun, escapist play and fire up their imaginations.
Our idea was to tap into comic book adventure and create some fun mask covers that would both capture the attention of parents and appeal to younger flyers – at the same time raising awareness of the new measures.
We engaged Irish artist (and dad) Will Sliney, best known for his work on Marvel comics Spider-Man and Star Wars, to create a new range of awesome superhero-inspired face mask covers for young flyers.
Two unisex 'Lion' and 'Pilot' character themed mask designs were developed to be made available to children flying with easyJet from airports across Europe this summer.
The masks will be given away for free can be taken home to keep and are washable for re-use.
Will has also created a series of drawing tutorials to help kids get creative in lockdown.
The awareness campaign has been activated in the UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
Over 750+ pieces of high value media coverage have been achieved with dozens of sites embedding the wellbeing video and key imagery.
Thousands of kids face masks are now in production and will be available on selected routes across Europe from the start of the school holidays.
"Aviation has been particularly impacted by the pandemic as planes have been grounded across Europe. In order to help restore and build customer confidence in flying we needed to ensure that customers were aware of the new health measures we were putting in place. This campaign was a clever and effective way of publicising the changes through impactful consumer coverage. Crucially it has also helped to turn potentially difficult messages into a positive campaign which both encourages families to have confidence to travel this summer while demonstrating that easyJet is on their side and trying to make the situation easier for them when they do."
Director of PR and Corporate Affairs, easyJet
Check out our other work for easyJet here
Paddy Power and Peter Crouch create safest party in town
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Black Cowboys
By: Teresa Palomo Acosta
Black cowboys have been part of Texas history since the early nineteenth century, when they first worked on ranches throughout the state. A good many of the first black cowboys were born into slavery but later found a better life on the open range, where they experienced less open discrimination than in the city. After the Civil War many were employed as horsebreakers and for other tasks, but few of them became ranch foremen or managers. Some black cowboys took up careers as rodeo performers or were hired as federal peace officers in Indian Territory. Others ultimately owned their own farms and ranches, while a few who followed the lure of the Wild West became gunfighters and outlaws. Significant numbers of African Americans went on the great cattle drives originating in the Southwest in the late 1800s. Black cowboys predominated in ranching sections of the Coastal Plain between the Sabine and Guadalupe rivers.
A number of them achieved enviable reputations. Bose Ikard, a top hand and drover for rancher Charles Goodnight, also served him as his chief detective and banker. Daniel W. (80 John) Wallace started riding the cattle trails in his adolescence and ultimately worked for cattlemen Winfield Scott and Gus O'Keefe. He put his accumulated savings toward the purchase of a ranch near Loraine, where he acquired more than 1,200 acres and 500 to 600 cattle. He was a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association for more than thirty years. William Pickett made his name as one of the most outstanding Wild West rodeo performers in the country and is credited with originating the modern event known as bulldogging. He was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1971.
Black cowboys have continued to work in the ranching industry throughout the twentieth century, and African Americans who inherited family-owned ranches have attempted to bring public recognition to the contributions of their ancestors. Mollie Stevenson, a fourth-generation owner of the Taylor-Stevenson Ranch near Houston, founded the American Cowboy Museum to honor black, Indian, and Mexican-American cowboys. Weekend rodeos featuring black cowboys began in the late 1940s and continue to be popular. These contests owe their existence to the Negro Cowboys Rodeo Association, formed in 1947 by a group of East Texas black businessmen-ranchers and cowboys.
Image Use Disclaimer
Arthur T. Burton, Black, Red, and Deadly: Gunfighters of the Indian Territory, 1870–1907 (Austin: Eakin Press, 1991). Philip Durham and Everett L. Jones, Negro Cowboys (New York: Dodd, Mead, 1965). Jack Lowry, "The Forgotten Cowboys," Texas Highways, May 1991. Wendy Watriss and Fred Baldwin, "Soul in the Saddle," Houston City, February 1981.
Ranching and Cowboys
Cattle Management
Sports (Rodeo)
Teresa Palomo Acosta, "Black Cowboys," Handbook of Texas Online, accessed January 18, 2022, https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/black-cowboys.
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If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
This entry belongs to the following Handbook Special Projects:
Portraits of Community
Biracial Unions on Galveston's Waterfront, 1865-1925
Clifford Farrington
Black Leaders
Alwyn Barr et al.


The Magic of Debbie Friedman's Voice
by Amy Stone
The death of Debbie Friedman on January 9, at the age of 59, came as a shock to her legions of fans; few knew that the singer-songwriter who modernized Jewish liturgical music had long suffered from a mysterious neurological disease.
Her "Mi Sheberach," based on the traditional prayer for healing, came out of her personal need to be healed without being cured. It has gone on to almost single-handedly revive Reform Judaism's use of the prayer, with congregants saying aloud the names of those in need of healing.
Playing her guitar, a lover of liturgy and prayer, Debbie Friedman never learned to read music but produced 20 albums. Modest about her accomplishments, in 1996, "when Debbie was honored by The Covenant Foundation as a teacher, she was profoundly moved," writes board chair Eli Evans on the Covenant website. She upended the cantorial tradition, penetrating Reform, Conservative, and even a few modern Orthodox services with her folk-pop religious music. And she got Reform Jews to sing. Even more amazing, in 2007, Reform Judaism's Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUCJIR) hired her to teach at the New York campus of its School of Sacred Music. She was so happy, Evans continues, teaching these cantorial students "about the magic and potential of music in their work."
One strong woman, Friedman in "Miriam's Song" joyously depicts the biblical Miriam leading the women on their timbrels after the Red Sea parts.
As Lilith blogger Emma Gray put it: "Debbie Friedman's music managed to call Jewish women to action; to remind us that we could and should take ownership over our religious identities."
Friedman preferred to keep her identity as a lesbian private, not wanting it to distract from her music.
A few weeks after her death, the memorial celebration for Debbie Friedman in the Moorish splendor of Manhattan's Central Synagogue was probably the way she would have liked it—participatory. A giant screen displayed the words of her songs and the crowd of well over a thousand sang, wholeheartedly. People remembered her with love and humor. One long-time friend recounted how she would say, "I can't believe I'm Debbie Friedman."
When HUC-JIR President Rabbi David Ellenson made the stunning announcement that the School of Sacred Music was being renamed the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music, one of the speakers appreciatively responded, "Debbie's probably looking down and laughing."
Dressing feminist—what four smart women think about each morning. Adrienne Cooper on Yiddish songs about family violence. How to throw a green wedding. A Jew-by-choice loves her mezuzah.
Fashioning Feminism Spring 2011


10 PayPal Alternatives: The Best Online Payment Solutions for 2021
Carson McQueen
Carson is an iOS and Android junkie. Tinkering with new apps and sites keeps her weekends busy.
What Are the Best Alternatives to PayPal?
When it comes to online payments, nothing comes close to PayPal in terms of volume and popularity. It's one of the most well-established companies in the digital money space, dating back to 1998 when a young Elon Musk co-founded it alongside Max Levchin and Peter Thiel.
In 2019, the payment volume on the platform reached an astonishing $712 billion. This number is expected to rise, considering that more businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers are turning to online payments.
It's safe to say that anyone who engages in online transactions regularly has a PayPal account. But despite its enormous user base, it's far from monopolizing the world of online payments. Plenty of PayPal alternatives exist, with some trying to match all of its features while others prefer focusing on a few that make them stand out amid the fierce competition.
Whether you're a freelancer, small business owner, or an e-commerce entrepreneur, it's worth looking into the best PayPal alternatives to improve the user experience of your customers and even increase your profits by avoiding the steep PayPal fees.
Apps Like PayPal
1. Skrill
For many people, Skrill comes closest to PayPal in terms of features. But what draws people toward Skrill is the fact the fees are much lower compared to those in its biggest rival. Skrill only charges 2.9% for a merchant transaction fee, while PayPal charges 4.5%. That may not seem like a lot, but it adds up over time.
Private users also love that Skrill offers zero fees on deposits, withdrawals, and sending and receiving money. If you're fed up with PayPal charging you with all sorts of fees for every transaction you make, then you'll surely appreciate Skrill.
Skrill can't compete against PayPal in terms of merchant acceptance. Many retailers still haven't added Skrill to their list of payment options.
You may also be charged with an inactivity fee of $5 if you don't use your account for 12 months.
2. Payoneer
Payoneer is one of the first names that comes to mind when talking about PayPal alternatives. It's immensely popular across the globe, operating in more than 200 countries. It might also come as a surprise that Payoneer has been around almost as long as PayPal.
When using Payoneer, you can choose between two types of accounts:
An online account that allows you to accept and withdraw money straight to your bank account.
A prepaid card that can act as a debit card, making it easy to pay for your online shopping sprees. Note: This costs $29.95 per month.
If you're running a business, then you may also want to check out their Billing Service. It lets you set up a system for requesting payments from customers. Credit card transactions are charged 3% while debit card transactions are charged only 1%.
3. Google Pay
Google Pay is relatively new in the digital money industry, but it sure knows how to make a massive impact almost immediately upon release. Since it's owned by Google, it's easy for them to integrate their own payment solutions into several of their popular services.
For instance, you can set up a Google Pay account and attach payments to Gmail messages. Just think about how convenient that is both for you and your customers. What's more, Google Pay offers zero fees on debit transactions.
You can even add Google Pay on your website, giving customers an additional option for paying for your products or services. Several merchant functions are in store for you as well, including tools for managing your business and implementing loyalty programs to entice more sales.
4. Stripe
If you're the type who loves sifting through online stores, then Stripe should sound familiar. In fact, plenty of e-commerce platforms use Stripe as their primary payment processor. It has grown incredibly over the past few years, thanks to the boom in online shopping trends.
Stripe proves to be an excellent PayPal alternative, but you should understand that it's geared toward online store owners.
A lot of people don't know that Stripe is the brand responsible for the success of Shopify Payments. The company set out to make online transactions as easy as possible for all parties involved. Everything happens on Stripe, from accepting payments regardless of their source to sending payments directly to the bank account of users. They even process Bitcoin payments.
The transaction fees are comparable to those in PayPal, but Stripe should be worth a look if you operate an e-commerce business.
5. TransferWise
When it comes to international transfers, TransferWise gives PayPal a run for its money. They even offer a comparison tool that lets you see clearly just how much money you can save by using their platform. With their multi-currency borderless account, users can receive, send, and spend money without worrying about absurdly high fees.
How Does TransferWise Keep Fees to a Minimum?
It's rather simple: If you're in the US and you want to transfer money to a friend in Italy, your payment will be sent to TransferWise's own bank account in the US. They will use their bank account in Italy to send the money to your friend.
As you can imagine, this enables them to execute blazing-fast transfers while avoiding unnecessary fees.
6. 2Checkout
A lot of PayPal users have switched to 2Checkout—and for good reason. This platform is known as a global checkout platform, allowing you to accept payments from all over the world. Currently, 2checkout supports a total of 87 currencies.
One of the reasons why 2Checkout is a great PayPal alternative is that while it charges you the same transaction fees when you're in the US, for other countries, the fees are considerably lower. This makes it well worth checking out if you're outside the US and don't want to deal with the high fees in PayPal anymore.
As for payment methods, the platform accepts debit cards, credit cards, and PayPal.
7. Square
Square probably offers the most complete package out of all the online payment processors on this list. It's extremely popular among online business owners because it allows you to set up an online store and even get a free domain name.
Setting up your e-commerce business is easy with Square because of the shopping cart integration, card info storage vault, invoicing tool, and virtual terminal features. You can also accept credit or debit card transactions using their POS and mPOS integrations.
If you want all the bells and whistles, you can purchase their add-ons, including payroll solution, appointment booking, and employee management. Without question, Square should rank high on your list if you want to manage all payment-related transactions for your business.
Unfortunately, only merchants based in the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and Japan can accept credit card payments. This is quite a huge disadvantage, especially for business owners outside of said countries.
8. Payline
Payline may not ring a bell, but you may want to look into it, especially if you're in the retail business. It's an app like PayPal that proves to be more than just a payment processor. It offers a myriad of solutions geared at making mobile and online payments fast, easy, and secure.
With Payline, you can set up an e-commerce checkout system in the same way you could integrate the other payment solutions on this list. But where it shines is in the way it offers a flexible payment system for retail businesses. It can get confusing, though, because Payline uses an interchange-plus pricing system. This means that the fees can go up and down, depending on the type of card you're processing.
While the static pricing schedule is more straightforward, you'll come to appreciate the interchange model by Payline once you see how transparent it is. Payline should be a strong contender for anybody who wants to streamline in-store payments.
9. Venmo
If you're looking for an alternative to PayPal that you'll only use for sending money to friends or family, then Venmo is a fantastic choice. It's a subsidiary of PayPal, so you can find comfort in the fact that a massive brand is backing it up. Venmo is particularly popular among the younger generation because of the social elements integrated into its platform.
Venmo provides you with a digital wallet that you can link to your bank account. There's a feed, much like the one you see in your social profiles, in which you can leave comments about the transactions you make. The best thing about this app is that you can send money from your bank account for free. Paying via credit card, however, comes with a 3% fee.
Take note that Venmo is best used for sending money to people you personally know. If you're a freelancer or a business owner who needs to accept payments from customers, you're better off with the other apps on this list.
10. Dwolla
Dwolla works similarly to Venmo. It's an app that lets you send money to your contacts. Everything is almost the same, but Dwolla charges a small fee of $0.25 for transfers greater than $10.
One reason you might want to use Dwolla instead of Venmo is its strict verification process. After signing up, you may have to provide an ID and go through a photo verification. The approval usually takes 2 business days.
You can only use Dwolla in the US. On the plus side, you can rest assured knowing that you'll only have to pay a small fee regardless of the amount of money you transfer.
Choose the PayPal Alternative That Fits Your Needs
PayPal is still the go-to online payment processor by the majority of business owners, freelancers, and private users. But just because it's the most used online payment solution doesn't mean you need to ignore the other apps and websites that can prove to be just as good or even better.
It all boils down to identifying your unique needs and finding the right payment platform that offers all of the features you're looking for. And of course, don't forget to compare the transaction fees to determine which one allows you to save the most money in the long run.
Dale Anderson from The High Seas on September 13, 2020:
I'm really enjoying your articles here so please keep them coming!
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Coffee mornings at Eddie's in March aim to 'bring the people of Fenland together for friendship and chat'
Coffee mornings at Eddie's in March aim to 'bring the people of Fenland together for friendship and chat': From left to right: Margaret Oatey (long term Eddie's supporter); Ann Cross (befriender); Nicky Moody; Leonard Sharman; Pat Brushett (befriender) and Jenny Clarke.
A new coffee morning series is launching in March with aim of bringing "the people of Fenland together for friendship and chat".
Eddie's new drop in coffee morning series begins on July 18 at Artworks, 88 High Street, March, PE15 9LB.
The coffee morning is open to people with additional needs, their families, as well as people who may be interested in volunteering with Eddie's as befrienders.
Margaret Oatey, of Eddie's, said: "We want to help bring the lovely people of Fenland together for friendship and chat in a very informal way.
"It's a drop in coffee morning so there is no set time to arrive and leave - we open at 10am and shut at 12pm.
"In addition, if you think you might like to become a befriender to someone with a learning disability, Vicky would love you to call in for more information."
The coffee mornings are between 10am and 12pm on July 18, September 19, October 17, November 21 and December 19.
Call 01223 883142 for more information or email: vicky.baddeley@eddies


All Posts Term: Nintendo Switch
Hardware Innovations
Nintendo Switch A Favorite In America
When Nintendo Switch came onto the market few imagined that it would become the fastest selling gaming console in the United States. Nintendo sold so many units so quickly that it has surmounted the record set by the previous gaming console. The Nintendo Switch sold more than 4.8 million consoles before the end of the first year. This record beats the sales record, previously held by Wii, by nearly one million units.
Switch enthusiasts are not shocked by the performance record of the console. Games like Breath of the Wild ,The Legend of Zelda have helped rocket the performance of an already popular console. Over half of all Switch owners have purchased the title, exclusive to the Switch console. Other exclusive games that have help bolster sales include "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and Mario Odyssey. All the titles are owned by 50 percent or more of all Switch owners. This further supports the feeling that these exclusive games have done a lot to drive the popularity and sales of the device.
nintendoNintendo Switch
EntertainmentHardware Innovations
New Nintendo Switch Dock Is A Silver Screen And A Flat screen At The Same Time
A new Nintendo Switch dock accessory from independent hardware developer YesOJO gives the mobile gaming console the ability to project a screen as large as 150 in. on any flat surface. It's been hard to get a genuine big-screen console feel from the Switch so far, so this represents a major step forward for the platform.
The so-called OJO Nintendo Switch dock add-on comes with an onboard micro-projector as well as a battery that provides around four hours of screen time. The width of the projection differs depending on the focal distance of the projector from the surface, but it always shines at a fairly bright 200 lumens no matter how far you are away from it.
You can also sue the OJO as an additional battery even if you're not using the projector module at all times. It can charge any USB device, including Android phones and tablets.
DockNintendo SwitchProjectorYesOJO
Hardware InnovationsInternet TodaySoftware Sensations
Why You Need Nintendo's Switch Now!
With the underwhelming performance of Nintendo's Wii U, it is natural to be leery about the company's latest console: the Nintendo Switch. Skepticism is warranted based on its limited launch library and bare bones functionality, but the games released thus far already provide an amazing gaming experience.
First, the downsides. The Switch's menu is full of empty square blocks that seem to be awaiting functionality in the future. While it is only natural to expect increased functionality as developers spend more time with the hardware, obvious features such as Netflix are currently absent. Any games you have are displayed, but the included eShop offers a total of nine games. If you are not interested in any of them, your options may seem lacking.
Quality is more important than quantity, however, and the Switch has one universally praised gem. Zelda: Breath of the Wild is an extremely versatile title with a large open world that caters to a wide range of playing styles, from combat specialists to stealth fanatics. There is so much to explore that you may not need another game for a long time.
Bomberman RmenuNintendo SwitchqualitySnipperclips


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Deep Bloke, Shallow Book
Fred Reinfeld The Man Who Taught America Chess, with 282 Games Alex Dunne 194 pages | Softback | Bibliography, Indexes | $45.00 Jefferson: McFarland, 2018 Tim-Jake Gluckman This biography of Fred Reinfeld (1910-1964) covers the chess life of an outstanding producer (writing, editing, ghosting and…
Searching for André Philidor
Interest in François-André Danican Philidor revived in 1926, the 200th anniversary of his birth. Celebrations were planned at his birthplace, Drieux in the Champagne region of France, and Biarritz. In England too chess players were keen to mark the occasion. Bust of Philidor (Cleveland Public Library…
GYULA BREYER, Part 4
Jimmy Adams My book is a chess book so I did not want to wander too far beyond its natural boundaries, but I think Credo, quia absurdum, with which Tartakower concluded his article on Hypermodern Chess in The Tree of Chess Knowledge, could now…
Jimmy Adams A continuation of my 'Right to Reply' to Edward Winter's comments on my new book Gyula Breyer: The Chess Revolutionary. 'White's game is in the last throes' Pages 694-696 deal with this matter, superficially, making no mention of Breyer and the Last Throes….
Jimmy Adams Here are more comments to add to those I gave last time on Edward Winter's critique of my new book Gyula Breyer: The Chess Revolutionary. Golombek on Breyer Pages 384-385 quote extracts from three Times columns by Harry Golombek (1975, 1977 and 1978),…
Jimmy Adams I had just enjoyed a delicious plate of spaghetti in my favourite Italian restaurant and felt I simply had to extend my compliments to the chef: 'Luigi, this is the finest spaghetti I have ever had in my life. What did you…
It's Only Chess
Chess is barely visible in mainstream media. Chessplayers have only themselves to blame, argues Justin Horton I have a foreign name. Not foreign to me, of course, nor to most people reading. But it is foreign in the country where I live. Foreign in origin…
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New Jersey judge denies environmental group intervention in Exxon settlement
A judge has ruled that the environmental groups in the New Jersey could not interfere in the states $225 million settlement with the Exxon Mobil regarding the dirty gas stations and other sites. But the groups have also promised that they won't give up on it so easily and put more efforts in it.
Michael Hogan, the Superior Court Judge has ruled that the state Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union/Elizabeth) and the other four groups have no permission to file the lawsuit. This is the second time that Hogon has denied their petition.
"All it means is the next move is up to us, and we are going to be appealing the judge's ruling. We believe that this is bad for the environment; bad for the taxpayers of New Jersey," said Jeff Tittle of the New Jersey Seirra Club.
Tittle said that Exxon should pay $8.9 billion in damages and for cleaning up the sites, and not $225 million which the state had agreed to.
The case is going on from 2004 when the state attorney general and the state Department of Environmental Protection came up with a lawsuit against Irving, Texas based Exxon Mobil Corp.
The suit is against Exxon's petroleum refining plants in Bayonne and Linden that has led to the contamination of the land and water. So the state wanted recover its losses that arose from the lack of use of land and the ground water contamination.
The company was to be liable by a judge at trial, but until August no damage amount was decided. Then attorneys sent a letter to the judge asking to refrain from the ruling as the two parties have decided on general parameters of a settlement. And on February 20, they have notified the judge they had reached an agreement.
"We believe that this is bad for the environment; bad for the taxpayers of New Jersey," he said.
Tags exxon pollution settlement, Exxon settlement, new jersey