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Articles by Ross McKenzie
What is a university for?
Universities have changed dramatically over the course of my lifetime—a lifetime which has included 9 years as a student and 32 years as an academic, across 6 universities in Australia and the USA. Australian universities are receiving increasing media attention due to failures in management and governance, including a recent ABC Four Corners documentary. Numerous books by academics lament the state of Australian universities.
How many states of matter are there?
Diamond and graphite are distinct solid states of carbon. They have qualitatively different physical properties, at both the microscopic and the macroscopic scale. Condensed matter physics is all about states of matter. In science classes at school, you were probably taught that there are only three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Like other things you were told in school, this is incorrect. There are endless, unlimited, distinct states of matter.
My mental health journey
I have struggled with my mental health for most of my adult life. Here I tell my own story to put a personal face on the issue, and because when I have told it in the past, many people have found it helpful to know they are not alone in their mental health struggles. Any discussion of mental illness and healing involves assumptions about what we believe a human being is. The complexities illustrate the multifaceted character of reality.
How to succeed at 4R fertilizer management on your farm
A challenge for farmers is to apply the correct fertilizer nutrients, at the optimum rates, at the right times and placed for most efficient uptake for each crop. The fertilizer industry summarizes that challenge using the 4R (Four ‘Rights’) slogan. Wise 4R nutrient management ensures the best fertilizer efficiency and optimum crop production. Practicing 4R fertilizer management goes a long way to ensure farm sustainability well into the future.
Make a plan to achieve the four Rs of fertilizer management
A challenge for farmers is to apply the correct fertilizer nutrients, at the optimum rates, at the right times and placed for most efficient uptake for each crop. The fertilizer industry summarizes that challenge using the 4R (Four ‘Rights’) slogan. Wise 4R nutrient management ensures the best fertilizer efficiency and optimum crop production. Practicing 4R fertilizer management goes a long way to ensure farm sustainability well into the future.
How AI Is Quietly Transforming the Home-Moving Experience
By Ross McKenzie, Founder & CEO, Open Moove Moving home is consistently ranked among life’s most stressful experiences. Right up there with changing jobs or going through a major life event. For most people, the process feels fragmented, unpredictable, and emotionally draining. For professionals in the industry, it’s often just as tough: endless chasing, duplicated work, and constant pressure to keep clients calm.
Soil sampling for Prairie farmers: How to test for nutrients and avoid common mistakes
Soil sampling advice isn’t hard to find this time of year — but not all advice delivers results in the field. Here’s what actually works, and why some common practices may be missing the mark, based on decades of experience. It’s important to note that soil sampling and testing are excellent tools to assess nutrient levels in your fields. That information sets the stage for smarter fertilizer planning in the spring.
The Data (Use And Access) Act 2025: Top 7 Changes You Need To Know About
AG Addleshaw Goddard More Addleshaw Goddard is an international law firm, almost 250 years in the making. We're trusted by over 5000 organisations, including 50 FTSE 100 companies, to solve problems, deliver deals, defend rights, comply with regulations and mitigate risk. Our work spans more than 50 areas of business law for clients across multiple industries in over 100 countries worldwide.
Soil organic matter and carbon sequestration
We frequently hear discussion about soil quality and carbon sequestration. In this article I’d like to review some of the current thinking about soil organic matter and provide some thoughts about carbon sequestration. To review, soil organic matter (SOM) is the small fraction of the soil that is mostly derived from plants and microbes. Most of Western Canada’s agricultural soils have between two and 12 per cent organic matter (OM).
Understanding soil phosphorus, Part 2: Soil testing for plant-available P
In my previous Grainews article, I discussed soil phosphorus (P) cycling in soil, effects of crop rotations and fertilizing on soil P, and how crops take up soil P. In this article I’ll discuss soil tests used to estimate plant-available P. Next issue, we’ll discuss how to develop wise phosphate fertilizer recommendations for your farm.
Understanding soil phosphorus, part 1
Farmers and agronomists are very aware that phosphorus (P) is an essential element needed for optimum crop production in Western Canada. Most soils used for annual crops in Western Canada are very low, low or medium in plant-available soil P and are responsive to added P fertilizer. As a result, phosphate fertilizer use is second only to nitrogen (N) fertilizer with respect to use in Western Canada.
Selenium sits on thinnest line between health and hazard
There are increasing concerns about the potential effects of a proposed coal mine development in southern Alberta and the impacts selenium could have on the environment in southern Alberta and into Saskatchewan. The proposed Grassy Mountain Coal project would be an open-pit mine built on a former coal-mining area about seven km north of Blairmore in the Crowsnest Pass.
Drought preparedness through soil and crop management
As spring approaches, the agricultural community is becoming increasingly concerned about potential forecasts of drought across the southern Prairies. And rightly so; the print and electronic media have posted numerous drought-related articles. Wide areas of southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan and their dryland farms, irrigated farms and ranching areas could be affected. But what helpful information has been extended to farmers and ranchers about drought preparedness?
Data Diaries - March 2024
In 2024, the French data protection authority, CNIL, increased enforcement actions, imposing 42 fines, including a €32M fine to Amazon for intrusive employee monitoring. Meanwhile, the EU Data Act introduced new regulations for data access and reuse, and the EU AI Act set new AI regulations. In contrast, the UK is considering mandatory measures for AI safety and transparency.
Managing irrigation with limited water
There is increasing concern with below-normal mountain snowpack and potential for limited irrigation water availability in 2024. Snowpack in mid-February was about 50 to 75 per cent of normal at most of the snow pillow monitoring sites in the Rocky Mountains of northern Montana and southern Alberta (visit the Alberta River Basins web page, then click on “Snow pillow” to view monitoring sites).
ICO launches its first action against GenAI use
On 6 October the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) announced that it had issued a preliminary enforcement notice against Snap, Inc and Snap Group Limited (Snap) over its potential failure to properly assess the privacy risks posed by Snap’s generative AI chatbot "My AI". This is the ICO's first action in relation to GenAI.
Data Diaries - April 2023
WE'VE HANDPICKED THE TOP FIVE STORIES AND UPDATES FROM THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023 THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT. DPC META FINE The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, £343million for incorrectly relying on performance of a contract instead of consent as its lawful basis of processing, and for lack of transparency regarding some of its activities relating to behavioural advertising.
AG Data & Privacy News - May 2022
Included in this issue of Data & Privacy News: the Swedish data protection authority fines Klarna Bank, political agreements reached on major legislation for EU's Digital Agenda and more. POLITICAL AGREEMENTS REACHED ON MAJOR LEGISLATION FOR EU'S DIGITAL AGENDA DIGITAL SERVICES ACT On 23 April 2022 the European Commission announced that consensus had been reached between the European Parliament and the EU Member States regarding the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Grailed Closes $60 Million Series B, Led by Fellow Resale Player GOAT Group and With Kering Owner Groupe Artémis
Kering is further cementing itself in the secondary market, as Groupe Artémis, the holding company of Kering founder Francois Pinault and the primary shareholder in the French luxury goods group, has lent its investment prowess to Grailed.
Brands Are Reaping Rewards, Facing Risks Due to the Rise of the Nearly $500 Billion Social Commerce Market
Forget traditional e-commerce shopping for a moment. Social commerce – which sees consumers purchase products and services online through social media platforms like Facebook, WeChat, TikTok, Zalo, and Line – is consistently proving to be the model of the moment and seemingly, of the future, as well, as consumers consistently adopt new ways of shopping, largely led by advances coming from Chinese tech titans.
The great high street revival: data is the glue to lure shoppers back for good
THE UK’S HIGH STREETS CAN EXPECT A BOUNCE IN FOOTFALL WITH LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS LIFTING, THE SUMMER WEATHER RETURNING AND A CRAVING FOR IN STORE RETAIL THERAPY. But for a sustainable high street revival, it’s time to think beyond traditional retail formats. Central to new retail marketing innovations will be consumer data and in particular the insights it brings.
Kanye West's Yeezy Venture is a Multi-Billion Dollar Business and Still Growing
“Kanye West has one of the biggest hits of the decade – and it has nothing to do with music,” Forbes asserted in the summer of 2019. Sure, Kanye’s studio albums – from his 2004 debut The College Dropout to his most recent Ye – have made him one of the most famous musicians in the world. However, it is his Yeezy venture, including a partnership with German sportswear giant adidas, which first dropped in February 2015, that has positioned the 42-year old as retail force to be reckoned with.
MPS Challenge ICO Over Failure To Enforce Data Protection Standards In Test And Trace Programme | Lexology
United Kingdom
August 28 2020 A cross-party group of MP's, backed by privacy campaigners the Open Rights Group, have accused the ICO of failure to enforce data protection standards over the contract-tracing data app. The Department for Health and Social Care did not complete a mandatory DPIA on the Test and Trace programme when it begun.
Collective Action Lawsuit Being Brought Against Marriott | Lexology
United Kingdom
August 28 2020 Marriott International is facing a lawsuit in the High Court for its failure to secure and keep control of the personal information which guests gave when they made a booking online. Hackers gained access to the database and ex-filtrated millions of guest records. Approximately 7 million UK guest records were affected by the Marriott data breach and approximately 339 million guest records globally were exposed.
Social Media Data Leak Raises Concerns Over Data Scraping | Lexology
United Kingdom
August 28 2020 According to Bob Diachenko at Comparitech, a data brokerage company left an unsecured database pulled from 235 million Instagram, TikTok and YouTube profiles exposed on the web, raising concerns over the ethics of data scraping from social media sites. Three identical copies of datasets were found to be publically available on the Internet at the beginning of August containing information such as names, profile photos, phone numbers and email addresses.
NHS Test And Trace App DPLA | Lexology
The government has published its DPIA for the Early Adopter Trial of the NHS Test and Trace App. The GDPR requires data controllers to conduct a DPIA before introducing data processing which could be of high risk to individuals if appropriate controls are not in place.
Court of Appeal hands down judgment in facial recognition case | Lexology
United Kingdom
August 28 2020 The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in R (Bridges) v CC South Wales [2020] EWCA Civ 1058 on the use of facial recognition technology by South Wales Police.
In the Face of Changing Customer Behavior, Brands Need to Think and Operate Differently
Consumer behavior is changing dramatically in the face of COVID-19. While the immediate response to COVID-19 seems all-consuming, there is value in thinking of the pandemic in phases. There is what we must do “now” to manage business continuity, what we must do “next” to prepare for the new normal and the need to accelerate digital transformation, and what we must do “beyond” COVID-19 to be in a position to create value for the longer term.
The 7 Rules For Reinventing the Luxury Business Model for Post-Pandemic Success
Citizens of the world have endured weeks of living through the COVID-19 pandemic experience. When we are past the worst of the crisis, we will not be the same, but we know from history that there will be many major opportunities for economic prosperity. How can luxury business leaders take creative, effective steps right now to shift the growth curve to a higher plane, with a steeper growth trajectory?
Hermès Posts "Strongest" Performance in Luxury Sector, While its Coveted Bags Withstand Pandemic at Resale
Hermès revealed on Thursday that its sales fell by 7.7 percent in the first quarter of the year to $1.63 billion as the Coronavirus outbreak forced it to close up its workshops and stores across the globe.
Neiman Marcus Could File for Bankruptcy as "Soon as This Week"
Neiman Marcus Group is expected to file to bankruptcy “as soon as this week,” sources told Reuters, reporting that “the debt-laden Dallas-based company has been left with few options after the pandemic forced it to temporarily shut all 43 of its Neiman Marcus locations, roughly two dozen Last Call stores and its two Bergdorf Goodman stores in New York.” The reports come just says after the department store chain missed debt payments totaling millions of dollars, including one – in which the...
Trump’s Tweets & Tariffs - A US-China Trade War Update
Talk is cheap. Actions are what matter … I hope that both sides come to the table and action follows words.” – Todd Rokita, member of the United States House of Representatives said the above back in September of 2018 at the World Economic Forums Global Economic Outlook annual meeting – Today has proved that both actions and talk are what matter.
Linbots: Soft Modular Robots Utilizing Voice Coils
Introduction Large robotic collectives allow for robust behavior There has been major interest in modular robotic systems over the past years. This interest is due to the hypothesis that multiple low-cost units are more robust than a single, advanced robot.1,2 Modular robot collectives can be reconfigured for different tasks,1,3–5 setting them apart from monolithic robots.
Customs Training and Courses - The IOE&IT Guide for Brexit Uncertainty
Alongside the technical and industrial advances of the last 50 years, the ability to trade freely with the Single market has benefited Britain’s businesses well in recent times. So well in fact, that within the past 5 years demand from the European Market has accounted for as much as 48% of British exports.
Anti-money laundering in trade – an in-depth TFG guide 2020
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Data & Privacy News - 29 November | Lexology
Included in this edition of Data & Privacy News: Facebook to appeal £500,000 fine from the ICO; Government failings on cyber security causing increased threat to critical infrastructure; Parliament invokes rare Parliamentary power to seize internal Facebook documents and more Facebook to appeal £500,000 fine from the ICO Facebook is appealing the £500,000 fine levied against it by the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for its role in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Data & Privacy News - 18 October 2018 | Lexology
Included in this issue of Data & Privacy News: ICO signs Council of Europe Convention 108 in Strasbourg; Report reveals 37 incidents of data breach by the Ministry of Defence in 2017 and Facebook reduces number of uses affected by data breach following investigation The UK Government has become one of the first signatories to the modernised version of the Council of Europe's Convention 108.
Medical record requests for clients is causing confusion amongst solicitors | Lexology
Medical record requests are causing confusion amongst solicitors as to whether they can obtain them for free by making a subject access request under the GDPR. Under the Access to Medical Records Act 1998, doctors are allowed to charge for providing medical record information, work which can be time cumbersant. However, it seems making a free subject access request under the GDPR is becoming increasingly prominent with some doctors receiving requests every week to supply notes.
Understanding water holding capacities of soil
This is important information for irrigation farmers to decide when to irrigate, but it's equally important for dryland farmers to understand their soil moisture conditions when deciding on crop input requirements. March 26, 2018 By Ross H. McKenzie PhD P.Ag. Understanding soil texture The amount of water the soil can retain depends on the texture of the soil. Soil texture refers to the proportion of different sized mineral particles in soil.
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