Kevin continues his discussion with former Wicca priestess, Sara Hillis. At the end of the interview, he references her music which can be found at http://www.artistopia.com/sarahillis.

Meet Sara Hillis, musician and English literature scholar who became a witch priestess before encountering Christ and finding the Orthodox Church!

Martha reminds us that the reason we cook is for love.

Our kitchens serve many functions; there we prepare celebrations and we heal wounds. We nourish ourselves and others. Today Martha shares some observations about her own kitchen.

On Stewardship Sunday, Fr. Apostolos Hill shares a homily that includes three testimonies from the newest Holy Trinity members and converts to Holy Orthodoxy.

Lessons from the story of Zacchaeus.

Fr. Emmanuel Kahn gives the homily and compares Halloween with All Saints' Day.

Bobby Maddex interviews Stacey Anderson, an Orthodox Christian living in the Highlands of Scotland who is working on an interesting art project related to Fr. Thomas Hopko of blessed memory.

Preaching from 1 Corinthians 3:18 through 4:8, Fr. Pat discusses wisdom and knowledge, intellectual self-deception and the wisdom of God.

There had been concerns that a ban on wood and peat burners would have a negative impact on people living in rural areas.

Rail ticket machines across the UK fell out of service during the morning commute.

Lantern parades, fire festivals and light trails mark the start of the festive season in the region.

Will Young is performing at a fundraiser for the charity in November.

It follows 8,000 residents sharing their views on fortnightly waste collections.

The Labour MP for Hitchin, Alistair Strathern, reacts to the blaze in Wallace Way.

An investigation has been launched after a 44-year-old woman was killed.

The way smart energy meters work in northern England and Scotland is causing issues for customers, BBC Panorama has been told. The body that represents energy companies, Energy UK, has […]

The post Smart meters in north/south divide, Bitcoin breaks through $82,000 barrier appeared first on Tech Digest.

Spruce up on your arboreal knowhow.

The Notting Hill pub gets its festive glow-up.

The internet is still convinced a Nintendo Switch 2 announcement is going to happen this month, as a part of a major third-party open world game is also rumoured. It’ll […]

The post Is Nintendo Switch 2 about to be announced? Instagram lowers quality of less popular videos appeared first on ShinyShiny.

Alpine have officially announced they will use Mercedes power units when Formula 1 introduces its new engine regulations in 2026.

1. Why is Trump’s election as US president prompting a Bitcoin surge?  Al Jazeera English
2. Why crypto mania is reaching new heights  The Economist
3. Cryptocurrency traders: share what got you into crypto, and how you feel about recent developments  The Guardian
4. Bitcoin Continues Its Ascent To $100,000 Amid Ethereum, Solana, Dogecoin, Shiba Inu, BNB, XRP, Avalanche Rebound  Forbes
5. What to know about bitcoin’s post-election rally  BNN Bloomberg

Aim/Purpose: This paper explored the factors (enablers and barriers) that affect Bitcoin adoption in South Africa, a Sub-Saharan country with the high potential for Bitcoin adoption. Background: In recent years, Bitcoin has seen a rapid growth as a virtual cryptocurrency throughout the world. Bitcoin is a protocol which allows value to be exchanged over the internet without a central bank or intermediary. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are technological tools that arguably can contribute to reducing transactions costs. This paper explored the factors that affect Bitcoin adoption in South Africa, a Sub-Saharan country with the high potential for Bitcoin adoption, as little is known about the factors that affect Bitcoin adoption and the barriers to adoption. Methodology: A quantitative questionnaire was distributed to South African virtual communities where Bitcoin is a topic of interest, and 237 quantitative responses were received, along with 212 open-ended comments. Contribution: This research contributes to the body of knowledge in information systems by providing insights into factors that affect Bitcoin adoption in South Africa. It raises awareness of incentives and barriers to Bitcoin adoption at a time when financial literacy is a crucial issue both in South Africa and worldwide. Findings: The results indicate that perceived benefit, attitude towards Bitcoin, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control directly affected the participants’ intentions to use Bitcoin. Perceived benefit, usefulness, ease of use, and trust-related risk were found to indirectly affect intention to use Bitcoin. Further, it emerges that the barriers to Bitcoin adoption in South Africa consist of the complex nature of Bitcoin and its high degree of volatility. Recommendations for Practitioners: Bitcoin can contribute to reducing transactions costs, but factors that affect adoption and the barriers to adoption should be taken into consideration. These findings can inform systems and software developers to develop applications that make managing Bitcoin keys and transacting using Bitcoin less complex and more intuitive for end users. Recommendation for Researchers: Bitcoin adoption in South Africa is a topic that has not been previously researched. Researchers could research similarities or differences in the various constructs that were used in this research model. Impact on Society: South African Bitcoin users consider it as a universal currency that makes cross-border payments cheaper. A large number of refugees and workers in South Africa make regular payments across borders. Bitcoin could reduce the costs of these transfers. Future Research: Future research could explore Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) adoption in other developing countries. Researchers could look at factors that influence cryptocurrency adoption in general. The factors affecting adoption of other cryptocurrencies can be compared to the results of this study, and similarities and differences can thus be identified.

Aim/Purpose: This paper identified and explored the factors influencing Bitcoin adoption and use in South Africa. Background: Since its introduction in 2008, the value and popularity of Bitcoin has risen exponentially. Captivating the eyes of the world, from regulators to economists, Bitcoin promises to revolutionize the digital currency space. Despite being over 10 years old, the concept of cryptocurrency is fairly new in South Africa, a developing country. South African’s interest in Bitcoin continues to grow with the country constantly ranking within the top 10 in online searches for “Bitcoin” and “cryptocurrency” on Google. The primary objective of this research was to identify adoption factors amongst South African citizens, an area that has not received much research focus in the past. In addition to this, the study aimed to identify how Bitcoin is primarily used in South Africa. Methodology: A survey-based questionnaire was utilized to obtain responses from adopters of Bitcoin in South Africa. The quantitative survey was completed by 204 respondents. Contribution: This research contributes to the body of knowledge relating to Bitcoin adoption, specifically from a developing country. Adoption factors are identified that can be utilized by businesses that intend to adopt cryptocurrency, to strategically prepare for the potential risks or opportunities brought about by Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general. Findings: The findings of this study indicate that while perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, and facilitating conditions positively influence intention to adopt Bitcoin, trust was the only construct that is statistically significant and hence is the greatest driver of adoption in South Africa. In terms of its primary use in South Africa, the study revealed that Bitcoin is used as a speculative instrument for short-term trading in South Africa followed by being used as a long-term investment in the crypto-asset class. No respondent indicated that they utilize Bitcoin as a payment method in South Africa. Recommendations for Practitioners: When developing crypto-based investment products, custodians of assets must ensure that a minimum-security protocol is followed to safeguard these assets. This will enhance the trust that potential investors and customers have in their systems and products. Recommendation for Researchers: This study focused on adoption factors for South African citizens. Future studies should be conducted to identify adoption factors by businesses in South Africa. Impact on Society: Bitcoin offers an alternate trading instrument and investment option, with the possibility of large gains over a relatively short period. Bitcoin also presents the possibility of cross-border transactions at a significantly lower cost compared to traditional cross-border transfers of funds. Future Research: Studies should be conducted to explore the factors influencing the adoption of altcoins to determine if the technological differences influence the adoption of one currency over the other. Research should also be conducted comparing the taxation of cryptocurrency in various countries around the world.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is finalizing a regulatory framework to ensure the efficiency of clearing switch operations within the national payment system, particularly the automated clearing houses under the National Retail Payment System.

Following Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide, Rhea Chakraborty was arrested on charges of procuring drugs for the actor

Should institutions be indebted to political agendas, or be upholders of academic freedom and intellectual inquiry?

In a country where millions go to bed hungry every night, 40% of the total food produced is being wasted annually.

Bitcoin: As the dust settles after the November 15 bitcoin upgrade, the roadmaps have been updated with the new state of the protocol and people are starting to looking ahead to the next set of features. I thought I’d take the opportunity to give my view on it.

The new set of features ahead has been published on bitcoincash.org, which is for the most part spearheaded by the Bitcoin ABC implementation, but where Bitcoin Unlimited also deserves significant credit for research and development.

This is the current “you are here” map as of end-2018:

I like this roadmap for two reasons. Or rather, for two levels of reasons.

The first is that I see bitcoin as the path to a world currency. In order to be so, it will need to carry an insanely heavier load, and because of the typical velocity of money, each bitcoin must be valued far higher than it is today — to a point where single satoshis are no longer a small unit, but represent maybe a few cents. That quanta (smallest possible discrete value) is not small enough to provide frictionless automated microtrade, which is why I’m looking forward to — and have been discreetly applauding — the fractional satoshis on the roadmap. The bigger footprint a network gets, the more inertia it takes to change something, so getting these two items in with reasonable speed is something I regard as key.

The third key item is extensibility — the ability to extend the protocol without asking permission, akin to how early browsers started supporting random new HTML markup tags left and right. This drove the standards forward and allowed for rapid feedback cycles with the user community, and something similar will be needed for permissionless innovation on top of bitcoin to really take off.

These three taken together happen to represent the final phase of the three tracks that the roadmap lists. I have some understanding that each of them have necessary prerequisites that are being filled in some sort of logical order.

This brings me to the Law of Two Feet.

You see, it doesn’t really matter what I think of a feature, whether I like it or not. I am a diehard proponent of the Law of Two Feet: It simply means that if you don’t like something, then it is your responsibility — both toward yourself and the community you don’t like — to walk to a place you do like.

(Just to be clear, the Law of Two Feet is inclusive. It also applies to people who don’t have two actual feet.)

This is what I worded as the Freedom of Initiative and the Freedom to Follow, and it is absolutely key for permissionless innovation. You don’t get that the moment somebody is trying to give somebody else permission on what road they may choose.

Each of us have the freedom to take any initiative we want.

Each of us also have the freedom to follow any initiative we like.

But no one of us may tell another what they must or may not do.

I happen to very much approve of the above roadmap from where I’m sitting. But even if I didn’t, the freedom of initiative and freedom to follow are far more important than my opinion on this particular initiative.

Netflix has renewed The Witcher for what will be its final year, with Liam Hemsworth taking over the show's lead role from Henry Cavill.

The post The Witcher Ending With Season Five first appeared on SciFi Stream.

Netflix is teasing the upcoming fourth season of The Witcher, with Liam Hemsworth taking over the lead role.

The post Toss A Coin: First Look At Liam Hemsworth’s Witcher first appeared on SciFi Stream.

“We need to make sure that the hour of sunlight, of daylight, is in the evening so people’s mouths can be turned upwards in a smile,” Markey said in a recent video.

The post ‘More sun means more fun’: Markey makes another pitch for permanent DST appeared first on Boston.com.

Local officials are racing against the clock to intervene and save Ingersoll’s Ordinary before more than three centuries of Danvers history is lost for good.

The post This North Shore home has ties to the Salem witch trials and American Revolution. Officials say it’s now ‘rotting’ away. appeared first on Boston.com.

“A lot of restaurants are in survival mode, and survival mode creates a vicious circle,” said Dominic Benvenuti, an owner of Boston Pie, which owns more than two dozen Domino’s locations in New England.

The post Wave of job-switching has employers on a training treadmill appeared first on Boston.com.

Trump has pledged to make the country “the crypto capital of the planet” and create a “strategic reserve” of bitcoin.

The post Stocks and bitcoin soar after Trump’s victory, while inflation worries rise; Dow surges 1,200 appeared first on Boston.com.

Eovaldi gets ready to pitch against the Royals. | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Boston's former ace is reportedly on their radar this offseason. by: Michael Kadlick Posted: Nov 12, 2024 / 03:59 PM EST Updated: Nov 12, 2024 / 03:59 PM EST SHARE As the MLB's 2025 offseason begins, the Red Sox have a former ace on their radar. According to WEEI's Rob Bradford , Boston is among "about a dozen teams" who have shown interest in starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. He declined his 2025 player option on Nov. 4 and is set to hit free agency this winter. While top tier available pitchers remain Red Sox priority, they are one of about a dozen teams who have shown some level of interest in Nathan Eovaldi — Rob

There was once a time when the Boston Red Sox never had to worry about losing a prized free agent to an American League Central team, but that time may have passed. The Kansas City Royals appear to be leading the charge, having spent over $100 million in free-agent contracts last winter. This winter, the Royals look to be active again, already inking starting pitcher Michael Wacha to a three-year, $51 million extension. Perhaps their next move could be to pilfer a big bat from the Boston lineup.

The Boston Red Sox need an ace above all other things before the 2025 campaign, but they could use multiple veteran pitching additions. Boston's rotation is relatively young and inexperienced. Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford are both 28 years old and Brayan Bello is only 25. Lucas Giolito is expected to join Boston's rotation in 2025, as he was meant to do last year before his UCL repair surgery.

As a culture we’ve long been fascinated by witchcraft, with witches through the ages practicing magic and making spells. Even through the spread of misinformation, and when they’ve been hunted and silenced. We take you from the 17th century to the online witch communities of today.
 

Original Air Date: October 30, 2021

Guests: 

Honey Rose — Rivka Galchen — Chris Gosden — Quan Barry

Interviews In This Hour: 

WitchTok, the super-connected coven — Are you now, or have you ever been, a witch? The witch hunt of Kepler's mother — From alchemy to internet witchcraft — the thousand-year history of magic — Spellcraft, field hockey and Emilio Estevez — the girl power of novelist Quan Barry's teen witches

Werner introduced on Feb. 5 the new Bantam Switch, the first reverse-system self-retracting lifeline, for pros working at height. The SRL transfers weight of the housing unit from the user’s back to the anchor point and lightens the load to 0 pounds.

What is the secret to giving a winning presentation? Craig Dearden-Phillips shares his years of experience

The director of fundraising at the conservation charity talks to Third Sector about Aston Villa, building bespoke relationships with supporters and having passion for your cause

For the celebrity or celebrities that have shown genuine and productive support for their chosen charity or charities

One of the realities of living in rural Michigan is that AC power outages happen — and you best be prepared for the potential consequences. 

Washington — OSHA personnel will now wear safety helmets instead of traditional hard hats to “protect them better when they are on inspection sites.”

The Proton is an advanced solenoid interlock switch designed for use on machines for which hazardous conditions persist even after the machine has been switched off. Its heavy-duty solenoid can withstand up to 3000N hold force and energize under a lateral load.

Improper hitching to a tractor can cause severe injury and even death. NIOSH warns that attaching a tow chain at a point above the tractor’s drawbar can cause the vehicle to roll over backward – a highly dangerous occurrence.

The new collection of restaurant-inspired Dipping Sauces is made with real ingredients like avocado oil—no seed oils (no soybean or canola), no artificial sweeteners or cane sugar, and no-nonsense.